#ShiningStarDan

[shiningstardan]

Happy Summer

I created and schedule this post like on October last year (lol)

Done with this picrew

[insomnikat-mused]

For you @shiningstardan, I will give you two from my beloved Rock Star AU😘.

Sasuke looked at the framed photo of her team over the years. "You've never craved it? The fame and glory?" "No." "But you're Hyuuga." "And you're Uchiha." Hinata shrugged. She wouldn't deny it had its perks: their name opened doors. She could pretty much do and go wherever she wanted in the industry. It was just that-- "The spotlight was never for me." It was too harsh, too blinding. She turned and looked at him hopefully. "You?" "I was raised to think there was nothing else I should want."

When I started this SasuHina series a year ago, I knew two things: 1) this was a personal indulgence I wanted to do well, but to do so 2) I would be very, incredibly slow to write it. So, because I didn't want to pressure myself (I absolutely despair when I have unfinished published work with an unknown number of chapters), I decided to make it into a series of one-shot installments. Two are up and I have at least 3 more series installments for whenever I can manage the time and headspace to write it. This one is slotted for one of those later installments:

"Why? Why didn't you tell me? You think I don't know about your nightmares? I said you can tell me anything. I told you to rely on me. But after all this time, you still don't tell me anything! Am I that untrustworthy?" He was angry but she was so, so tired. Hinata grit her teeth and lashed back anyway. "You're wrong! You've been so busy and I-- I didn't want to bother you!" Tears of frustration brimmed in her eyes. Why couldn't he see? "I didn't want to cause you trouble." "But you did," growled Sasuke, low and menacing and even more angry than he was moments ago, and her determination crumbled. "I… I only wanted to…"

[aparticularbandit]

Can we get a snippet for Immortal Witch Riding Hood

WIP Wednesday Game

Here you go! Thanks so much for asking!

“Maybe we should have this conversation elsewhere,” Fay says.  She nods to your mama where she lies still – so still – in the glass coffin.  “I’m not sure your mama would want to hear this.”

Your eyes widen.  “Can Mama hear me in there?”  You turn back to your mama, place your hands on the sides of the coffin, and then lean forward.  “Mama, if you can hear me, I love you!  I’ll make sure to wake you up when you feel better!”

[yaoimongerer]

Babygirl, have you hidrated today? Hugs~

Yes, I have . . . but maybe not enough. I'll drink some water now. Thank you!! You keep hydrated too

[anachronismstellar]

What's the tea with "it's all about perspective" tell me the things that have inspired (maybe things you have found while researching for the story) you or that you have wanted to include but now don't make sense for the story~

oh hello again! :D

oooooh those are good questions, tbh I don't remember what gave me the idea for the body swapping part of the fic, but I've made a list of "things I wanted to see in an One Piece fic" and went from there!

Luffy being badass and really emotional aware of his friends

Robin having Indiana Jones moments (she was so happy in Skypea exploring the city ;u;)

Usopp being a badass! People forget that his Observation Haki is one of the best ones that there is!!

ZoSan angst and their dynamic after the mess that was WCI, with the bonus of taking peoples "zoro would kill sanji" nonsense and transforming it into them understanding each other and seeing the situation from each other's perspective! (and then I got the fic name :D)

and ZoSan hand kisses. I am a sucker for hand kisses and it's such a perfect trope for Zoro and Sanji!!!

and I wanted to try a new approach to writing: instead of sticking to a promt I wanted to use as many tropes as I can because I want these things to happen in my story

Ngl, it has been a blast <3

Thank you for the ask! ;u; haisdhfiuasd this made my day yaay

[kalira]

Dreaming in daylight, drowning in darkness for wip wednesday

More poetry work and lines added to D4, thank you! Also some Leaving the World for shareable sentences:

Holth’s hand caught his own, twining tight, and Seth didn’t need his blood to know his shock, his relief. It mirrored Seth’s own. They were-

[usernaureen]

We sure did! And I'm booping you once again, mentally.

[megkuna]

WE DID BOOP!!!!!!!! THANKS FOR BOOPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[shiningstardan-reblogs]

Adult Update Rant

So, I have been at my new job for 2 weeks. For those who don't know I'm a teacher and chemical engineer (but I have never practiced). So, long story short I have been in different areas of education and now I'm at a school (for the first time), since I have worked so far at language academies and as a private tutor, up until now.

So, I have been kind of nervous since schools follow protocols I am not familiar with in terms of reports, how to give assignments, submitting lesson plans and so on and so forth. I am teaching both English and math to different grades. Besides that, I have been assigned as a companion teacher to grade 5th, so I am supposed to work in concert with the main teacher for school activities and coordinating projects.

So... I am starting at a weird point in time since most schools in my country are coming back from their vacations having already seen half a year worth of academical topics, and I must pick the pace where they left it.

My colleagues gave me the study plans the students have been following...

My math colleague told me students had already studied multiplication and I needed to continue with Division... But to my surprise they haven't... I have to start multiplication from scratch with topics they should have seen 2 months ago...

And the other 5th grade teacher has completely receded in her responsibilities and I now have been pushing forward to pull through the next project which has to be presented next wednesday...

I am angry and confused to say the least...

[shiningstardan]

Just a rendition of my favorite naruto pair done with this picrew

[insomnikat-mused]

5 Top comforts (comfort food/drink/song/movie/other)

It was difficult to limit to just five, but I'd say what never fails to ease my soul are:

Mangoes

Pride & Prejudice

Beauty and the Beast

Spiced black tea with frothed milk and honey

Wool leg warmers

Any medium of and variation of P&P, B&B would bring me comfort. Same with dried, fresh, candied, sweet or a little sour mangoes. I prefer the Brazilian ones the best. 'Honey tea lattes' are a fairly recent discovery but I've been addicted to them this winter. And leg warmers.... well, you aren't doing proper cozycore hygge without them.

Thank you for the ask! Hope you're enjoying some comfort things as well 💖

[french-toast-enjoyer]

Venom essay baybey!!!!

as promised, here's my essay on symbrock as a dynamic! thank you to my contributors @symbiotic-slime

@bridoesotherjunk

@x-jean

@cannibalhellhound

@funkycave

@eddiebrockx

@bloodyaliens and @shiningstardan for helping me gather resources and testimony! the paper is a bit amateur but i hope it's an okay read! please let me know if I forgot to tag you!

Symbrock– or, A Complex Love Affair Between Parasite and Host   

23 April, 2024

Abstract

An investigation into “Symbrock,” or the bizarre emotional relationship between Eddie Brock– a struggling journalist and Spider-Man villain– and Venom– the parasitic alien symbiote that lives in Eddie’s body. Herein will discuss the themes, appeal, and complicated nature of the dynamic. This is a dissertation, this is an analytical dissection, but above all, this is a love story.

Keywords: Symbrock. portmanteau of “symbiote” and “Brock.”

In the fall of 2018, Venom had his individual film debut to millions of Spider-Man fans and  casual movie-goers. The movie was critically panned. Fans of Spider-Man and critics of pop culture media united to declare that they hated the "buddy cop" direction that writers Kelly Marcel and Ruben Fliesher  had taken the character of Venom. Many believed that Marcel (most known for screen adapting Fifty Shades of Grey) wasted the film's grizzly horror potential exploring the getting-together of Eddie and Venom. The majority had spoken, the movie had failed. So why was the fandom exploding? Within days, there were threads, blog posts, and video essays, all delving into a new obsession with this chummy characterization of Eddie Brock and the Venom symbiote. Intrigued by it, turned on by it, and desperate for more content of it, this mysterious fan base began to go through nearly forty years of lore for more of the duo they loved. What they found changed the perception of Venom as a character. Venom historians, fans, and even comic writers declared that Eddie Brock and the symbiote were in love. But the question remains, why these two? What was the evidence, what was the response, and why did this relationship appeal to the queer audience it'd captured? In short, why had Venom become a queer icon?

Symbrock– or, A Complex Love Affair Between Parasite and Host   

When “I” became “We”

There is groundwork to lay in regards to proving the nature of this dynamic, and it begins with understanding what binds the two physically and spiritually, requiring readers to go back to the beginning. 

While originally brought together by a mutual hatred of Spider-Man (read, The Amazing Spider-Man #300, 1988) the earliest example of a deeper bond between Brock and Venom comes to us in Venom: The Hunger (1996). Within the comic itself, Eddie Brock and Venom’s dynamic is threatened by the symbiote’s cannibalistic desires, which Eddie can not cope with. 

   If we blur our eyes and look at The Hunger, we see a story about Eddie coming to terms with the inherent violence and needs of Venom. Specifically, he sees how the symbiote needs a chemical compound called phenethylamine to survive– a fact that often leads him to eat human brains to get his fix. A trait that disturbs Brock so much that it drives the symbiote away, leaving the man without powers. In a straightforward manner, the story follows Eddie's journey to accept this hunger in order to remain bonded to Venom. In the final pages of the comic, Eddie brings the symbiote a vial of phenethylamine, as well as promises to share his own. The two reunite to create something stronger once again. From a distance, it's an exploration into what binds the two physically, but it’s not a fair one. Upon closer inspection, The Hunger is much more than a story of compromise. 

The deep eroticism of Venom, to most, begins with the very chemical that the symbiote subsists on. For the purposes of Eddie and Venom's connection, it's important to know that phenethylamine is chemically similar to phenylethylamine– commonly referred to as “the love hormone.” According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), when concentrated, the compound has similar effects on the brain to amphetamines. Broadly, it is considered a “feel-good” chemical, and is associated with sensations of intense euphoria and gratification due to its releases of dopamine. (read: NIH). Including a chemical associated with love, sex, and even chocolate is obviously an intentional decision on the writer's part. There are thousands of compounds that comic creators had to choose from. Fear hormones, rage hormones, all things that could've related more to the brutal nature of Venom as a villain.

But the writer, Len Kaminski, chose love. And so was born Venom’s obsession with the chemical, leading him to chase it in all its forms, from human brains and nerve endings– to, as seen in the last panels of The Hunger, a heart-shaped box of chocolates, which the symbiote says is a great source of phenethylamine. There it is, a scientific explanation of why Venom feeds on love. But even with this justification of the phenomenon, Kaminski refuses to pull punches, refuses to make this platonic.

All I Ever Want Is Just A Little Love

Kaminski’s reading of Brock is far beyond romantic, and it bleeds into how writers would interpret the character even decades later (most notably, Mike Costa’s Venom run from 2016-2019). In the first volume of Hunger, Kaminski writes a heartbreaking scene in which, after eating a man’s brain, Eddie shows a deep remorse that drives Venom to separate from their bond. This was mentioned above, but what was not mentioned was how the symbiote left Brock; naked and trembling in a back alley, begging “the other” not to abandon him. The man is left in a state of temporary psychosis without Venom, his brain leached of all phenethylamine. After a stint in a tortuous sanitarium, he chases the symbiote down and reunites with it, claiming proudly “It’s not human, but it’s given me things no girlfriend ever could,” and declaring that he finally has enough love to sustain the titular hunger. 

This wouldn’t be the last time Eddie would be written as captivated by his love for Venom, but it would go on to influence later iterations of the character, from the aforementioned Costa run to directorial notes of the films that’d launched the character into infamy.

In Venom #150, Mike Costa compared the bond between Brock and Venom to marriage. The interaction is a chilling one, taking place within the church where the two originally bonded, and where Eddie angsts about the nature of their relationship. He confesses, in vague terms, to a priest, that he loves his “other,” but that he’s been driven to do things he never would have done before. When the father implies that the dynamic isn’t healthy, we see a violent, possessive side of Venom. The symbiote overtakes Eddie’s body and nearly kills the priest– an action he later repents for the very same priest. He vows to try to be better in the name of devotion to his other. This marks a shift in Venom’s character and a complex arc into a more open and honest relationship between the two. And, as stated previously, this interpretation would grow to be popular with an audience of queer people, but the question remains as to why. 

All Guts and Heart. There's an air of nuanced relatability to Venom as a unit. On online forums, users within the fandom each have unique reasons for loving the ship. Some enjoy that both characters are relatable outcasts, some are enthralled with the trope of “idiots in love” present in their dynamic, and some are just plain attracted to Venom. 

But for a more devoted sect of the fan base, the intrigue lay in the intense physical proximity between symbiote and host. The potential for intimacy that comes with literally sharing a mind and body is intense. Venom, according to both the comics and films, sees every thought, compulsion, desire, and regret Eddie has, and Brock can do just the same to Venom. 

One example of this is an excerpt from Marvel Comics Presents #5 (2019), which recently became circulated for its dark, provocative, and tense language. In the comic, Venom is handling the man with their tendrils while speaking in his mind. “We can feel every dirty curve of Eddie's intentions. All that lust entangled with terror.” and later, “We enjoy the taste of Eddie's heartbeat. Strong, solid, sweet … Should we make it go faster?” To which Eddie responds, “Watch the teeth.”

Fans were stunned by the sensuality of these panels; particularly on Tumblr, a popular blogging website. One fan claimed to have even seen a phallic shape in the dreamscape of flesh and teeth that the scene was set in. Many more declared the scene was a sex act.

It seems almost like an intentional callback to the “It's not human,” line. As though the writers are willing to explore the dynamic in a romantic and psychological context, and fans love getting to see this dimension of the characters– even when the subject matter is dark. 

As with any piece of media, fan interaction is integral to the longevity and survival of a fan base, so it'd be an obvious point to investigate opinions of Venom within the fandom. 

Fan testimonials. When asked why the ship appealed to them, popular Symbrock blogger @symbiotic-slime responded, “I guess I would describe it as the intimacy of being known? Having your self laid bare and someone else seeing and knowing everything about you and still choosing to stay is very romantic in my opinion.” 

Regarding personal relation to the individuals: “It's partially because of being the weird neurodivergent queer kid. People think they're weird, their relationship is wrong, or something like that. Kinda hits a little too close to home.” says user @cannibalhellhound. The community in general seems to relate deeply to the outcast nature of Eddie and Venom, a point that comes through as well in discussions of the characters’ presentation and gender, as well as their “loser” status. Symbiotic-slime described a sense of connection to the devil-may-care attitude the symbiote takes with their pronouns and appearance, and user @just-anti-heros-things states succinctly, “Together they make a whole idiot who can fight battles and save the world. Or just fuck around and find out.”

 A handful of aspec (asexual spectrum) fans even described connecting with the alien nature of their relationship, with user @bridoesotherjunk saying quote, “They’re not putting on a performance to please anyone- they’re just… them. And they love each other for it! That’s what I want for myself,” and @shiningstardan comparing the relationship to their own experiences with attraction towards other people. 

No matter the sentiment, most fans agree that despite being outlandish and extraterrestrial, Venom and Eddie have a character more grounded than many an idealized hero in the Marvel universe. From holding hands in a movie theater to raising a child together, the two are never alone, and fans crave that proximity. 

Discussion

While not a  universally beloved franchise on its own, Venom has achieved cult status among a number of internet users for its raw, vulnerable, and often camp portrayal of a complicated relationship between two flawed characters. It's a fanbase that breeds creativity, exploration, and catharsis through the fantasy of a love foretold in stars. A place to make art, write fanfiction, and bond with other outcasts.

References

Kaminski, L., Halsted, T., Koblish, S., Lopez, K., & Smith, T. (1996). Venom, the hunger (Vol. 1–4). Published by Marvel Comics. 

Lee, S., Ditko, S., Yanchus, A., Rosen, S., Simek, A., & Lord, P. (1988). Marvel masterworks presents the amazing spider-man: Reprinting the amazing spider-man, nos. 11-20. Marvel Comics. 

Ryan, M. (2021, September 27). Andy Serkis on eddie and Venom’s “Love affair” in the new Venom sequel. UPROXX. https://uproxx.com/movies/andy-serkis-venom-let-there-be-carnage-eddie-venom-love-affair/ 

U.S. National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Phenethylamine. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Phenethylamine 

Pak, G., Nocenti, A., Waid, M., Lapham, D., Lapham, M., Aydin, A., James Monroe Iglehart, Kibblesmith, D., Percy, B., Claremont, C., Williams, L., Seeley, T., Brisson, E., North, R., Pierson, D., Sacks, E., & Emily Ryan Lerner. (2020). Tales Through The Marvel Universe. Marvel Entertainment.

[fridaycomments]

Friday Comments !!!

I imagine that you have been deliciously devouring many fics this days. BUT! Have you fed your writers with a proper comment? Some of them may be a little malnourished due to the lack of feedback.

We will rally under this cause every friday from now on.

How to participate?

- Install the comment box to make commenting easier on AO3

Go to the fic that you are reading right now and comment on it. Or go through your History and check on one of the fics you already read.

Reblog!

Recommend the fics you commented on!

Tag a friend who might want to participate!

Create a chain.

Tag the fandoms from your recommendations.

Cool People participating!

@dykekakashi, @kidsomeday, @sisterprocrastinator, @4701rose, @shiningstardan

Send a message or ask if you want me to tag you!

[yaoimongerer]

I dare you to do Oro

Many thoughts on Orochimaru. He could've been so interesting if he had stayed the main villain . . .

[nejiweek24]

May I pretty please have a bingo card??

Are you interested on playing our game?

If so, a bingo card you shall obtain~

Enjoy, my love

-ShiningStarDan

[chaosnojutsu]

Hot Wheels: Boruto needs a ride home from school. Neji needs someone to keep him young.

For Neji Bingo 2024! Rated G.

@nejiweek24 @gerardwayissexah @shiningstardan