#and i adore the way their relationship changes because of them supporting the other's choices in romance

[casualavocados]

I know you don't like my guts. You wouldn't want to help if I asked you a favor. But the music club is looking for a solo guitarist. And you're stopping me from joining. Right. Wait—no!

Tinn and Sound's "rivalry" in MY SCHOOL PRESIDENT (insp)

[okchijt]

Just noticed you've updated your masterlist and I just knew I had to make this request

Can I please ask for some basic headcanons of Harvey Dent from Telltale Batman???

Author's Note: Thank you so much Anon for the request! I love this man, I love him so much in this game. If there was a Harvey route then you might as well say I went for it all the way lmao. I have such brainrot for this man so again, thank you so much for wanting me to write for him! Also, all of these HCs take place before Harvey gets drugged cause he didn't deserve to go through all of that and not get an antidote😔 And lastly, go ahead and check out my masterlist if you like what you just read and if you want to request anything yourself, thank you, and enjoy!🩷

Harvey Dent Romantic Headcanons

🪙 Harvey would be the type of boyfriend to worship the ground you walk on. Well, maybe not that extreme but it's close! If his ''relationship'' with Selina is anything to go by then you just know this man is devoted and head over heels in love with you! He's super soft and romantic with you, wanting nothing more than to make you the center of his universe. He's basically the dream boyfriend type of guy.

🪙 As much as Harvey adores the idea of Gotham City knowing you two are together, he'd begrudgingly make sure to not show you off in front of cameras, paparazzi, and reporters. It's all for the sake of your safety, with all the stuff that came out about the Wayne's he doesn't want the same thing to happen to the two of you if by any chance anything ever came out against him. He doesn't want you to be caught in the crossfire, no matter if you'd be involved or not in anything he does when it comes to making political choices. He just doesn't want you to go down with him because he loves you too much to allow yourself to get hurt like that by anyone, he won't allow it. Ever.

🪙 Because of how tall Harvey is in this adaptation compared to his other versions I just have to say he would totally use his height as an advantage in the relationship. He doesn't care how short you are or by any chance actually close to his height, Harvey will still view himself as the protector in the relationship because of his height. As cliche as it is he'll sometimes put things on higher shelves and wait till you call for him to get the said object because no matter how hard you try you can't reach it. Harvey knows he's above average height and will use that against anyone who tries to harm you or makes you uncomfortable. Usually, his height does the trick because despite being fit he won't punch for shit. So he relies on his height to scare someone off as he stands in between the person that upsets you and you and either gives them a silent glare to back off or tries to defuse the situation with his words. He loves it when you depend on him, or specifically his height, it makes him feel useful to you. Also, it's adorable to see you either pout at him for using his height against you or smile up at him gratefully for his help. It always makes him feel so smug and lightheaded afterward to see you like this.

🪙 Doens't matter if you're into politics or not Harvey will, from time to time ask for your opinion before he makes a decision. He never asks you anything complicated or talks about subjects that could put you in danger or you have no idea about. He'd only ever want to know your opinion about the good stuff, like: What should he name the new child hospital or how would you improve some of the run-down parks to make them better suited for the public again. It just makes him feel all warm inside knowing you've also helped to make Gotham better, no matter how small the contribution was, Harvey is immensely proud of you for your support and the care you put out when helping him no matter how big or important the issue is.

🪙 Ever since meeting you, Harvey's goals have changed somewhat. He still wants to fix Gotham's endless corruption and crime, but now that he has you, he wants to change Gotham for you. Obviously, his other motivations still stand, but you're the main one now. Someone as amazing as you deserve only the best, so Harvey will make sure to make the city fit those expectations. He'll change the city to fit the mold, that mold being you. He'll make the new and improved Gotham not only for the people but for you, it's the least he can do after you've stepped into his life and made it something he could only ever dream about. He can't wait to make Gotham a safe enough place to finally feel free to worship you openly for everyone to see.

🪙 Harvey's love language includes quality time and physical touch! Honestly, I see Harvey as having all of the love languages so it was hard to decide his main two, but looking back at the game I say these two fit him the most! There have been two instances in the game where Harvey wanted to spend some time with Selina because he wanted to, they didn't arrange any meet-ups together, it was all him so I say quality time fits him well. If Harvey could he would spend his whole day by your side, he wouldn't let you go out alone at night and would always insist on driving you home himself. He'd often visit you unannounced at random hours of the day just to spend time with you cause he missed you, offering to go out to lunch together or to stay in and cuddle and watch a movie. If there's no work to be done and there are even five minutes of free time he can have to himself, he will either use that time to quickly drive to your place for lunch together or just call you on the phone to hear your voice if he can't afford the time to be physical there with you.

🪙 I picture Harvey as being extremely touchy with the person he loves, and that person just so happens to be you! He just can't get enough of you! You drive him crazy! Of course, he needs to have you in his arms 24/7! Not so much in public though, as much as he would love to show you off to the world he knows the dangers that come with it and he'll never forgive himself if you got hurt. That's why as soon as you're out of sight and in private, personal space will be thrown out the window. The stress of his campaign can only ever go away once he gets to have you all to himself. He'd cuddle you during the night, never once letting you go till the morning finally sets in and it's time to get up, it'll take a lot of convincing and kisses for Harvey to let you go and get up himself so you two won't be late to your respective jobs. When you're in the kitchen, making dinner Harvey has his arms wrapped around your waist as he buries his face into your hair. Or on the rare chance that Harvey gets to work from home, he'll have you seated on his lap as he does paperwork, making the normally stressful and boring job of signing and reading papers all the more enjoyable because he has you. Sometimes he can't help but get distracted though when he has you like this because he'll stop working every few minutes just to shower you with praise and kisses.

🪙 PDA is out of the table. As much as it pains Harvey to not have his hands all over you when out in public, he just can't afford the media going after you. Running for office already brings him a lot of attention, if people saw him with the person of his dreams out and about holding hands and kissing, there's no way you wouldn't be getting harassed by the media for it. That's why it's rare for you two to hang out in public, the only exceptions are dates when Harvey makes sure there will be no paparazzi or reporters to disturb you during your time together. Outside of that you two are total strangers/acquaintances in the public eye if Harvey can help it, though he dreams of announcing to everyone who his beloved is one day as he proudly shows you off. But he knows that day will never come, so he sticks to showering you with his love in private to make up for his neglect in public.

🪙 Since your relationship is a secret, at least to the public, Harvey will grab any chance to kiss you if he knows no one is watching. He's not that stupid to act out on his desires in a place full of people, so he'd be sure to think of an excuse to get you two alone with no people or cameras around so he can show you just how much he yearns for you. Harvey's kisses are always desperate, sensual, and passionate, he wants you to feel all of his love for you with a single kiss that will leave you both satisfied till you have to depart again. Though in private expect a lot more heated and longer kisses because it's just you and him and no one else to catch you. Outside of your lips though, Harvey's other favorite place to kiss you is your forehead, mainly because there's less bending over involved to get to your lips so forehead kisses are just easier. But putting that aside he loves it because it's just so soft and innocent, his arms wrapped around your waist as he leans down and kisses your head before nuzzling into your hair as he whines about how much he has missed you is just the sweetest thing.

🪙 Cuddles with Harvey are a mandatory daily activity, you cannot escape once this man has his arms around you. I imagine Harvey being the big spoon that does not mind being a little spoon occasionally. And by that I mean that it's almost impossible for this man to be a little spoon, not because he doesn't want to, he does, it's just his height that's the problem. Harvey cannot imagine himself being cuddled by you without crushing you. So his version of the little spoon is just you clinging onto his arm or sides like a koala and hugging him as hard you can. The action never fails to make him smile, making all of his worries disappear instantly, replaced by his love for you. As a big spoon though, Harvey would either be lying at his side or on his back as he hugs you tightly against his chest, burying his face into your hair as he breaths in the scent of your shampoo as well as kiss the top of your head from time to time as he whispers his love for you. During those times Harvey truly feels safe. You're his rock, the only thing that can ease the stress of it all, it all just feels so nice he could fall asleep like this with you forever. Always cuddle with a blanket around if it's a colder season though, this man's body temperature is built for the summer not winter, so just keep that in mind before you cuddle. Summer is great though, you've basically got a cooler that won't let you go unless he absolutely has to! Now that's what I call heaven!

🪙 Harvey is a super clingy guy, so it's no surprise that he gets jealous or threatened from time to time when it comes to you, and can you blame him? Only your most trusted friends know that you're together so it's not like he can fault some rando's trying to get a chance with you, but it's not like he'll allow it either! Harvey is sensible enough to realize when a person is flirting with you though, so if it's just a friend or they're not pulling any moves on you, he doesn't mind. Heck, he would even join in on the conversation and gradually direct it toward his campaign to promote himself some more or he'll just watch you with a smile from afar as he lets you have your fun. All of that goes out the window once Harvey realizes that the person is actually flirting with you, he knows he has to be careful though with the way he handles the situation to keep your relationship a secret and not raise any suspicion. Harvey's mood gradually sours and his eye twitches with irritation as he surpasses the urge to glare at the person, knowing he can't just yell at them to back off. He'd try to come up with an excuse to get you away from them instead. He'd walk up to the two of you, mustering up his best smile as he says: "I'm so sorry for interrupting, but (Y/N) is needed in the meeting room right now, please excuse us''. To which he'd immediately gesture for you to follow him as he holds out his arm to you like a true gentleman before he escorts you to the said ''meeting''. As soon as you're inside the room, Harvey locks the door and is immediately all over you, arms wrapped around you as he kisses you all over, growling to himself how you're his and he won't anyone take you away from him. Either that or he'll wait till you two get home to do the exact same thing if he can't do it immediately because of the lack of privacy. The point is, that Harvey will make sure to remind both you and himself that he's the only man for you during those times. Feel free to interpret that however you want.

🪙 Harvey takes dates extremely seriously. He always puts his all into them, making sure they always feel special and different from the last one. The dates are always arranged in a way where you won't get caught because Bruce is such a good friend he'll rent out entire restaurants for the two of you to spend time together without a worry. Both Harvey and Bruce agree you only deserve the best so it's always the best restaurants the city has to offer where you'll be enjoying your dates. Either that or your favorite place to eat, no matter how fancy or non-fancy it is, as long as you're having fun Harvey has nothing to complain about. Though casual dates are also his favorite, whether it's just you two staying at home and having dinner as you watch a movie, or going to coffee shops together for breakfast or to relax from your jobs for a bit. Coffee shops only work because you can always excuse it as an out with a friend or it's work-related, it helps Harvey feel more relaxed because of the believable excuse.

🪙 You are the pinnacle of Harvey's happiness and existence. Your well-being and happiness are the most important things to him and he'll make sure you get the most love and devotion he can give you. Every day is just a new day of Harvey reminding you how much you mean to him, it makes him perfect for anyone who just wants to have a safe, secure, and loving relationship. He does get paranoid from time to time, but with you by his side, he knows he can accomplish anything. Whether that is changing Gotham or himself, he'll do it all just for you, his only reason and motivation to live.

[kneelingshadowsalome]

Would you mind talking more about Ghost? I dig your interpretation on him so i'm curious if you'd share your thoughts; since i know how COD in general writes these characters and we know romance isn't on the table for them, ESP for someone like Ghost (even confimred by his voice actor too!)

So all that aside, in your opinion, what would it take to win Ghost's heart (or well, Simon's)? :)

It's great to hear you like my interpretation of Ghost! I'll gladly share my thoughts on this, the supposed love life of Simon Riley is one of my favorite subjects 🧐

Thoughts on what would it take to win Simon's heart under the cut ->

To be honest I see it highly unlikely that Ghost would date. I think Samuel Roukin's opinion on this matter was spot on. Simon's traumatic background, trust issues, the need to stay anonymous and his profession as a special ops soldier is just too heavy a combo. His family's murder and multiple betrayals have pushed him on a path of extreme independence and made him evade any kind of attachment.

That being said... I'm a hopeless romantic and love to imagine scenarios just like every other little simp here 🩷💋, and I've pictured (and occasionally written) him to be drawn to someone who is principally the opposite of himself, but who also has a dash of angst in their heart and firsthand experience or at least some basic understanding of complex trauma.

A positive vibes only/sunshine type of person would not resonate well with his darkness, and a carefree joker would only annoy him. Then again, there's Soap – but the thing with John MacTavish is that he shares the same profession and in that way, is not a stranger to the Underworld. Their banter is also evidence enough that Soap is not afraid of Ghost's madness and even looks up to him – actually a perfect way to make someone like Ghost enjoy your company. This man has a terrible praise kink but he can't stand spineless bootlickers. So the adoration should happen in a "I trust you and would follow you to hell & back" kind of way.

However, due to the shit he's been through, I'd say (contrary to popular headcanon, I dunno?) that Simon would likely fall for someone outside the military world. First of all, he's very uncomfortable with the fact that his partner has to fear for his safety. But the fear of losing his partner to the dangers of this profession would be a little too much. It would only trigger a shitload of PTSD stuff. The fear of losing a loved one again would override the mutual experience and bonding through warfare, all the elements which otherwise might be pull factors in a military love interest. On the other hand, people with traumatic backgrounds tend to repeat the pattern, no matter how horrific or unsafe, simply because it's familiar. Still, I'd say someone from the base personnel would be a more alluring option for him. The shared hell, so to say, could make the foundations of this relationship quite dark. Not that it's necessarily a bad thing!

Deep down, Simon would be attracted to softness. Not innocence, per se, just something different from the realm in which he operates. This is why I think he could definitely fall for "a normie". He would appreciate dark humor and a certain kind of fearlessness, however. What ultimately would win his heart is someone who can stand, even cherish, his melancholy and cynicism and life choices and who is not on a quest to change or "fix" him.

I think Simon's ultimate wish is to find a home because he has lost it (or hasn't really had one in the first place). He's a leader and has to provide safety and support on a daily basis to the people under his command. But who offers support and safety to him? He knows how to protect people but doesn't know how to create a safe space, so he would appreciate someone who makes him feel he's finally found his way home. I think he yearns for a small measure of peace and a slice of normal life to wash away the adrenaline and blood and filth, he wants a small corner free from the demons that haunt him, even if he would reluctantly (if ever) admit that he does.

[byte-your-tongue]

omg hallo!!! i saw your deep cut x reader post and wanted to send a request if that’s ok! very specific list coming through!

could i perhaps request some headcanons of a chubby reader x one of the idols (Callie, Marie, Pearl, Marina, Shiver, Frye) or Acht, or Tao Blu?

Or perhaps all of them? /nf (i know this is a lot so this is only if you want to!!!)

Whoever you feel like writing, surprise me!

If not, totally okay! I hope this isn’t too demanding and I hope you have a good day/night :D

Splatoon Idols x Chubby Reader

(Romantic, GN Reader)

AN: thank you so much for the request!!! i hope you have a great day/night too :3 I ended up only doing the idols, sorry!! Anon requested this to be romantic, so it is! I also ended up including some general relationships hcs as well.

TW: Mentions of ED stuff and body isecurity(because i've struggled with both of those before and wanted to include them)

Callie:

She would love you no matter what you look like.

She thinks you are the cutest thing ever!!!

She is really into fashion and likes to take you shopping to pick out clothes for you. If you have trouble finding clothes that match your style in your size she will pay to get stuff tailored just for you. No price is too high for her adorable partner to look even cuter <3

If you are insecure about certain parts of your body she doesn't really get it but is willing to work with you to pick clothes that hide certain things or accentuate others.

She loves your tummy. She will kiss it and blow raspberries on it. She is a very goofy inkling and loves you lots.

She loves your thighs too. She wants to lay her head in your lap and take a nap. She really just loves cuddling with you. Expect a lot of cuddles on the couch, in bed, anywhere really. And she falls asleep super easy in your presence as well.

This girl is military trained, has the stamina of an idol, and her weapon of choice is a massive roller she swings around like it weighs nothing. She can and will pick you up. She will pick you up and kiss all over your face while giggling.

If you are ever insecure about eating too much, she will never judge you. This girlie loves food and is constantly muching on something. If you have a bad relationship with food she would be very sweet and work to repair it slowly with you.

Marie:

She doesn't even notice or care. It doesn't cross her mind at all that you look any different than anyone else. She doesn't pay attention to appearances most of the time.

She loves having her partners sit on her lap, and you are no exception. Get on there. If you worry about hurting her she will just pull you onto her lap and wrap her arms around your middle, probably leaving you a blushing mess.

Marie has mastered the art of glaring, and will send a look that could kill to anyone who dares to make a comment about how you look.

Marie is naturally less active then her cousin and probably worked hard to stay thin back when she was younger, working hard to be the ideal idol she thought her fans wanted to see. So if you are ever insecure or potentially have a bad relationship with your own body/food/exercise she will understand and is very supportive of you. Marie has been there and she is always going to stand by you and support you.

Marie loves nothing more than lazy days where you both stay home and chill. Play video games, read, or just chill with her. Anything is fine as long as you two are in each others presence.

Usually doesn't want the media to be all up in her face about y'alls relationship but she does take a bit of pride in bringing you to events and such.

Marina:

This girl is so in love with you. She is obsessed. She fawns over you so hard and views you as a literal goddess. It never once crosses her mind that you might be insecure in any way.

To Marina, you are the prettiest person to ever exist and to change anything about you would be sacrilegious.

But if you ever need reassurance, she will shower you with endless compliments. She will kiss every inch of your skin, praising you as she goes.

If you have a hard time with food, she's there to work with you. She has trouble with food for sensory issue reasons, so it may not be for the same reason you do, but she will try to help. She is a total nerd and knows how to balance a diet so you get enough nutrition, regardless of what your brain tells you is "healthy" to eat or not.

If you have any stretch marks she thinks they are so pretty, she will run her fingers along them and kiss them. She is enamoured by your body and every single blemish or freckle on it is something she wants to memorize.

She is known for staying up too late, but she loves cuddling with you. So all you have to do to get her to come to bed is invite her to lay with you.

And if she's tired during the day from pulling another all nighter? Let her rest her head in your soft lap and she will be in heaven.

Pearl:

Pearl may be tinier than you in every sense of the word, but you have never felt more secure anywhere than by her side.

Pearl is like a terrifying dog you can sick on people. She is feral and if anyone so much as says one bad things about the way you look she is destroying them mind, body, and soul. She will diss them so hard they never want to show their face ever again. And you may have to restrain her from physically attacking them as well.

Pearl loves lazy days with you where y'all just chill at home and do whatever. But she also loves going out with you as well! Pearl will gift you expensive clothes, jewelry, etc and take you out and show you off. She's so proud to have you as a partner and you are the light of her life.

If you are insecure about the way you look she will be there to support you.

She's like a little chihuahua who thinks it can do anything, and as her partner you get to stand by her side and watch her take on the whole world.

Pearl makes you feel small. No matter how big your energy is, hers is 100x bigger. She will be the "Excuse me, they asked for no pickles" for you if you need. Social anxiety fears HER.

If you have extra fat on your face she likes to squish your cheeks. She just likes touching your face and admiring it.

Shiver:

She is another who likes to see you in pretty outfits.

Shiver is actually really attracted to your body type. She would love you no matter how you look, but she thinks your softness and curves are the prettiest thing she's ever seen.

She's literally obsessed with the way tight clothes hug you. You are so pretty she can't take her eyes off of you.

She is 100% showing you off to the media(as long as you don't mind!) She leaves no questions about your relationship, her hand is always somewhere on you. She sees a camera pointed at you two and she pulls you to her by the waist and kisses you deeply.

She would be the kind of person who likes to hand feed her partner food, she just thinks seeing you happy as you bite into your favorite food is the best thing ever to her.

Just let her take care of everything for you. Let her take you shopping and pick out clothes for you, dressing you up in pretty little outfits and paying for everything.

If you have any stretch marks she loves running her fingers over them and feeling the different texture compared to the rest of your skin.

She gets jealous easily and can sometimes be worried you don't like her anymore. Underneath all her gracefulness and passive aggression, she really is a little bit pathetic. Give her a kiss and tell her you love her and she'll be back to the happy shark you know and love <3

If you are ever insecure, she is so ready to tell you to be nicer to herself. No one is allowed to be mean to her partner, not even you!

If anyone ever makes a comment on your looks, she is going right for the throat with passive aggressive remarks and rude statements that will shred that person's self esteem. They will need therapy when she's done.

Frye:

Frye is SO buff. She works out and is in great shape. Best believe this girl can pick you up no matter how much you weigh.

She takes pride in being able to carry you around, she likes showing off how strong she is.

She loves you so much. Frye looks at you with hearts in her eyes and wiggles her long ears and blushes and giggles whenever you walk into a room.

She is so enamoured with you, she loves every single thing you do.

Frye admires you body a lot. Frye is mostly sharp lines with pointy features and lean, muscular frame. But you are so soft and curvy, she thinks you are just the cutest thing around.

She may be a bit clueless sometimes, so if you tell her you have trouble with food/eating her immediate reaction is "BUT FOOD IS SO GOOD HOW CAN YOU DO THAT???"

But once you explain to her why you feel the way you do, she will be very compassionate and sweet.

Frye WILL give you nicknames. They probably start out goofy, ut become genuine. She calls you less than common things (mostly food) like "my little cheesecake" or "my cutie crab cake". Don't question it.

She is fascinated by any stretch marks you have, and she thinks they look like a sick lightning bolt pattern. She might compare you to lightning mcqueen. Whether you find it funny or insulting is up to you, but just know she means it as a very genuine compliment. She thinks he's the epitome of cool.

[lemotmo]

Okay, I basically stalked that blog, sorry not sorry. The other answers you shared were nice but this is the answer. EVERYONE READ THIS ANSWER. You won't need a question synopsis, it will be very clear what they were asked. Also I got the sense from their blog that they're more of a fan of the show as a whole than a hard core shipper. They do clearly like Tommy but they're a Buck lover through and through if you scroll their blog. READ THIS ANSWER!

A. Hi anon, I have been very clear from the beginning that I will support whatever ship the show decides to go with. I have worked very hard at trying to maintain realistic expectations. The problem with your argument is that the show hasn't shown us anything you presented in your ask. The show hasn't indicated in any way that this is a long-term serious relationship for either of them. In fact I would argue that most of the dialogue Tommy has been given would actually indicate the opposite, at least where he's concerned. He has been given very little actual dialogue so I promise you they're being particular with the dialogue they are giving him. And I'm sorry, but no, the show absolutely did not tell us or insinuate in any way that Buck told Tommy to only call him Evan. Lou himself said in one of his cameos that the show won't 'allow' him to call him Buck. If you've been around for longer than season 7 not calling him Buck is usually a bad sign. All his previous partners called him Evan. It's an established pattern of indicating they don't really know him. So far, from the little we've been shown, they're sticking to that pattern. We do however have numerous canon scenes of Buck explaining why he doesn't associate with the name Evan. Going by Buck is a well established CHOICE for him. At this point, Tommy is being written as a plot device. The show hasn't given us anything more than that. Can that change? Sure, but I don't think it will change much. Tim himself said it was a nice introductory relationship for Buck and he didn't want anything heavy (I'm paraphrasing). Oliver said Buck was going to have to work for his next relationship. He said this having already filmed the beginning of Buck and Tommy (and at that point Tommy was only supposed to last 4 episodes but they got renewed and the storyline was slowed down) so I don't think Tommy is the relationship Oliver was referring to. I will once again stress, that's okay. Tommy can be important without being his forever. It doesn't make Tommy meaningless. But it is why, in the end, the cameo videos were a mistake. It's lovely that Lou wanted to talk with people, and I understand why he wanted to do them, but many of those fans have taken those headcanon conversations and tried to argue them as canon fact, like your ask did, and they simply aren't based on anything canon. I hope that doesn't sound mean because I get wanting them to be canon, but, at present time, they're not.

The last part of your ask is confusing to me, I won't lie. You just said yourself that making Eddie canonically queer wouldn't necessarily be a leap, but then you said, in the same sentence, that Ryan shouldn't refer to Eddie as ambiguous. Both of those things cannot be true at the same time. And I'm sorry but at no point, ever has Buck and Eddie's relationship been written as traditionally bro, as you put it. There are countless, professional articles as well as interviews by the actors and creators themselves stating how unique and special their relationship is. The audience knows that as well. It's why they're popular. You can't watch the show and honestly describe them as bros. If they make Eddie canon queer it is not a matter of if they'll put him with Buck. At that point it simply becomes a matter of when. And no, Josh will not be a realistic option. I adore Josh, lots of people do, but a romance between Josh and Eddie is not what anyone wants. Also I'm pretty sure Oliver would commit a crime if they gave Eddie to Josh instead of Buck, lol.

Love, love, love.

Another thoughtful and insightful answer from the anonymous blog.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention Nonny! :)

Once again I ask everyone to stay civil in comments or reblogs. No hate towards this person please. Thank you.

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

Kataang is a ship that dared to be different. Not sure why people think Kataang is a sexist ship when Katara and Aang both protect and support each other and neither is the damsel and the hero in the relationship.

And yet people think ZK is better than the average M/F ship when the reason why ZK is so damn popular is because of annoying overdone hetero-normalic tropes. To the point where people think Zuko taking a hit for Katara is romantic coded (and apparently me and my peers are """delusional""" for not seeing it as romantic coded) and that ZK fanfics are such romantic fantasies of Zuko saving Katara and Katara being such a meek little girlfriend for the badass chad fanon!Zuko. (As if the ZK fanbase is aware that Zuko and Katara are both pure yang energy and they have to make Katara meek to make the ZK ship work.)

I mean yes I am annoyed Z/tara is as popular as it is but Kataang is canon and ZK is dipping in popularity and it feels like the bulk of the ZK fanbase is just annoying ass middle aged women who get pissy at a kids show for not being the adult show they want...

Just food for thought...Especially considering ZK shippers act immature trying to 1-up people by saying their ship is popular (I mean, are they unaware Zukka topped Z/tara?) And again, popular doesn't automatically mean good...Especially since Z/tara is only popular because it hits all those hetero-normalic beats that people adore so much.

Guys, come on, let's be serious here. I LOVE kataang, with all my heart, BUT best friends to lovers is as cliche as enemies to lovers, main guy dates main girl is as cliche as hero falls in love with the villain who changes side. To quote my best friend @dragomer "A knife is cliche. It's still what you use to cut shit with."

The problem with Zutara fans is not the they prefer the more "traditional" romance, or that it's cliche, or that it's smutty, or that they sometimes make it a toxic dynamic, or that it's not a "progressive" ship. The problem is they feel entitled to push their preference as the only correct one - it's the same issue that made the fandom for Zukka, an actual non hetero ship, so hated by everyone else. No one likes the people that think only they are allowed to have fun with fanon. No one likes the people that expects them to disregard canon for the sake of their prefered fanon.

And speaking as a bisexual woman: we gotta stop with this nonsense of labeling straight ships "non-hetero normalic" for basic shit (and the reverse of it, the "hetero-normalic gay ship" that is literally just the age old homophobic question of "But which one of you is the woman?" with woke language attached to it). It doesn't matter if Kataang is "heteronormative" or not, because:

1 - All that matters in fiction is if something is WELL WRITTEN AND ENTERTAINING, not if it's progressive or more on the traditional side, if it's cliche or "subverting expectations".

2 - What media you find entertaining has nothing to do with your politic views and real-life sexual preferences. Liking one of H.P. Lovecraft's stories doesn't make you a racist, disliking Freddie Mercury doesn't mean you're homophobic (though it does mean you have shit taste in music), liking the most traditional straight romance ever doesn't mean you're straight yourself.

3 - In the case of Avatar in particular, lets be fucking real: no way two straight writers back in 2005, while working on a kids show in a network that had a long history of banning episodes of shows that tried to hint or full on talk about homosexuality, were thinking "How do we make this straight ship less 'hetero-normalic'?" They were just writting whatever felt right for the characters and story - that's why Avatar, while flawed and a product of it's time, aged WAY better than many shows of the time that had "be progressive" as the goal, it avoided forced narrative choices that were only made to beat the audience over the head with the moral lesson of the day.

[westofessos]

So I just finished Gilmore Girls for the first time and boy, do I have some thoughts:

First of all, I love this show so much. More than I ever thought I would. It’s just so comforting. I totally get it now.

Now, for specifics.

Lorelai:

I love Lorelai. She does make some dumb choices, but in the end, she’s just so loveable and fun, I can’t help but adore her.

Rory:

I do not get the hate I’ve seen for Rory! Yes, like her mom, she makes stupid decisions, but she’s so wonderful. Maybe it’s just because I relate to her so closely, but I love Rory so much.

Luke:

Ughhhh I love love love Luke. He’s so unexpectedly hilarious sometimes?? I did not foresee that when I started. Scott Patterson is also strangely one of the best actors on the show, which I also did not expect. Luke is a gem, we love him.

Luke & Lorelai:

How could you not love these two together? They’re absolutely perfect for each other and the pining, especially on Luke’s part, makes for incredible television. I do think their dynamic kind of lost the really special ‘will they, won’t they’ tension after season 1/2, but I still ship them. So glad they ended up together. When she was still with Christopher near the end of season 7, I got a little worried.

Paris:

PARIS IS GAY. I will accept nothing less. She is queer in some way, whether she’s a lesbian or bi. She had absolutely no chemistry with any of her love interests but so much with Rory. Also she’s just amazing all around. I fucking love Paris. Make her queer, cowards.

Lane:

How could you not love Lane? She’s the absolute shit. Cool, supportive, loyal, and a fucking rockstar. I didn’t mind her with Zach to begin with (even though I thought it was a bit strange how they all of a sudden liked each other), but when they got married and had kids, that was a big nope for me. Lane Kim deserved to be a famous rockstar.

Emily & Richard:

I went back and forth on these two. On one hand, they’re very entertaining characters and I do believe they’re trying to do what they think is best, but on the other, I think in the end they do more harm than good. The way they dismiss Lorelai’s trauma, and completely disregard everyone else’s opinion because they assume they automatically know what’s best, just rubs me the wrong way. Not to mention the manipulation and the going behind people’s backs. I think there should’ve been an arc at the end where they finally listened to Lorelai and acknowledged what they’d done and tried to change for the better.

Sookie:

Melissa McCarthy is great in everything, and this is no exception. She’s so sweet and lovable, and such a good friend to Lorelai. I love her. Plus her relationship with Jackson is just lovely.

Michel:

He’s such a sarcastic bitch and I love him. I think that’s all there is to say.

The Townies and Side Characters:

Kirk - Kirk is maybe the funniest part of the show and such a little sweetheart, I love him so much.

Babette - aka the best neighbour ever. We deserved even more of her and Morey than we got.

Miss Patty - same goes for Patty! We need more Patty!

Taylor - annoying and obnoxious but the show wouldn’t be the same without him. Irreplaceable.

Gypsy - again, we needed more!! Gypsy was so funny and I just wanted more!

April - I love April! She’s so sweet. I don’t, however, like what her arrival did to Luke and Lorelai’s relationship, and I fucking hate Anna.

Christopher - I don’t hate him, but he’s definitely not one of my favourites. I think it would’ve been a lot better if he and Lorelai had just been really close friends, or if he had just been fully out of the picture.

And finally, the boys:

Dean:

FUCK. DEAN. Do I need to say more? He’s a toxic, possessive, asshole and I hate him. He was okay in the beginning, but the ‘50s episode really clinched my hatred for him. Huge nope from me. What a dick.

Logan:

Man, do I hate Logan. Obviously not as bad as Dean, but he’s such a douchebag!! I genuinely cannot stand him or put up with any of his bullshit. I thought he would grow on me as the show went on but no, I only hated him more.

Jess:

Best for last. My love for this man knows no bounds. Obviously the best fit for Rory, I love them together, but also his relationship with Luke is so great. Also, justice for his and Rory’s relationship while they were dating!! Why did we only get to see it when shit hit the fan? They kept mentioning how they were going to hang out, that they were meeting up later on, so why didn’t we get to see any of it? Why did we only get to see them when Jess fucked up? I hate that. I also hate that they didn’t end up together, even when Jess grew and changed and bettered himself. Anyway, I just love him. I could talk about him forever.

A Year in the Life:

They tried to fit 22 episodes worth of Gilmore Girls into 4 episodes, and it didn’t work. The first episode did an okay job, and I did kind of love the last episode (the wedding!), but the middle two were. . . yikes. No theme song/opening titles? No transitions? NO SOOKIE EXCEPT FOR ONE SCENE AT THE END? Michel thinking about leaving the inn and Lorelai being abandoned by both of her friends? No Jackson? Rory being with an engaged Logan? Basically no Jess except for a few scenes, one of which broke my heart? I could go on forever.

That being said, they should make more after the cliffhanger they left us on. I’ll take whatever I can get, even if it’s subpar.

Anyway those are just a few of my many thoughts about this show. I can’t believe I waited until now to watch it. I need someone to talk about this show with so if you see this and want to talk, DM me.

[1moreoffkeyanthem]

What was it like when OJV style first started dating? I’m rereading OJV for the 100th time and I live for early teen style fluff lmaoo them being dorks with each other makes me happy

Aaaaaaa my sweet awkward boys!!! Oh my goodness Stan just bumbling out a “dudeireallyloveyouandimgladyouredoingbetterholyshitdidijustsaythat” and Kyle laughing and saying he loves him too and then they’re texting all “wait does this mean we’re boyfriends now”. And when they tell their families everyone’s confused bc they thought they were already dating lmfao.

These poor babies had NO idea what to do at first, but it ended up being pretty similar to how they’d always acted, just with more hand holding and kissing (simps). OJV style was always pretty much attached at the hip, and that definitely doesn’t change when they start dating, it just results in more overthinking at first.

And ofc those codependent losers were always very give and take, Stan says those three little words first and Kyle considers it his responsibility to initiate the first kiss (day 4 of my Style Week fic those gay idiots kissin under the stars ugh I love them so bad) and they’re both trying SO hard. I will absolutely never apologize for Stan’s dorky ass deciding the best way to impress his boyfriend is to learn fucking ELVISH and what’s more it WORKS goddamn losers one of my favorite things in OJV canon tbh.

As for group dynamic when they get together, Cartman naturally says some shit like “whatever, as long as you too faglings don’t fuck up the broship” (yes Kyle punched him for that) like he’s not secretly over the moon bc Cartman is a shipper through and through. Kenny and Marj are super supportive to the point it’s embarrassing and Kenny ofc has to tease them relentlessly.

Now y’all know a very important thing to me about OrangeJuiceVerse style is the size difference, but they start dating freshman year and Stan is only like two inches taller than kyles 5’7 (little do they know Stanathan is gonna shoot up while Kyle’s done growing lmao angry short king) this makes kissing much easier since they’re on the same level, but come junior year when Stan hits that last growth spurt? Bro gets HUGE and Kyle is at first bothered (until he sees him sweaty and very Boy after practice hehe). Naturally this brings me to the Style Carry™️, which, in OJV canon, occurred for the first time ever in A Fall In The Springtime. And that was only because Kyle didn’t really have a choice and couldn’t say no to Stan’s knight in shining armor complex. Ngl I think that whole ordeal is what awakened Kyle’s pain kink bc being carried up the steps after being hurt in a basketball game was really sweet and Stan was just too doting and adorable. They’re both down horrendous.

Of course it’s crucial to me that they’re super best friends at the root of their romantic relationship. They still joke around, tease each other, act like typical teenage boys and get into shenanigans. They’ll hold each other’s hands after taking bets on who can build the tallest snowman though.

They grow up together, and thus do a lot of learning together. Stans only relationship experience is his childhood fling with Wendy, and Kyle’s relationships have never been more than a passing experiment. They figure it out together, with a lot of (often misguided) advice from the rest of the gang. Their parents probably aren’t any help, because the dads are pretty useless and their moms are overbearing to the point of frustration so they kind of wing it and do what feels natural. After all, super best boyfriends is really only a step up from super best friends, and no one will ever understand them the same

[rriavian]

So @jessamydreams-deactivated202311 sent me an ask but it disappeared before I could answer it!

No idea what I did wrong but it might be the deactivation. Thought I'd make my answer into a separate post :) I think they are now @jessamydream but I will remove the tag if not. I've used the questions they asked as little subheadings so hopefully this will all make sense.

What are the Corinthian's feelings towards Jessamy and Lucienne?

In your ask you mentioned Jessamy flying out of Dream's robe in episode one and I had actually completely forgotten about that! It is very intimate! I also have the most adorable image of her tucked in there and peaking her head out to judge people. During that first scene with the Corinthian she would have been right there listening. Ooh, if he had known it could be a reason for telling Burgess to get rid of her (for having witnessed him being rebuked?) but I also think that it was a practical choice. The Corinthian would have known she’d never give up trying to free Dream.

There might be some degree of regret, but I don’t think he really felt guilty for it. The Corinthian would very much see it as necessary, but it was also quite a self-serving way of soothing jealousy.

Personally I think he’s very jealous of the ravens!

Especially Lucienne. I think there’s this very real tension between them because of it. I do think the Corinthian is like ‘yes well you may be a human soul but he made me and I’ll have something you’ll never have’. The intimacy between an artist and their work I suppose. Though I also think it makes him resent the way Dream dotes on her, because she’s not held to the same standards as he is.

Lucienne has a freedom within the Dreaming that is unique.

She has changed from the role of a raven to that of a librarian, an agency within her place there that the Corinthian doesn't have in his. The ravens aren’t there to shoulder the burden of Dream’s role in the same way that his creations are. While that means the Corinthian can be smug about sharing that, perhaps seeing that he can do far more of the heavy lifting in terms of supporting Dream's responsibilities to the dreamers, he might also feel siloed by it. I’ve got some wips that play with this idea but yeah…jealousy, a bit of resentment, but also a lot of possessiveness.

They both have something of Dream that the other will never have.

How does the Corinthian feel about Dream visiting a human every 100 years?

Ok so I definitely think the Corinthian knew that Dream was meeting someone in the Waking World. But in many ways I don’t think he really cared too much. Based just off of what we see in the show the meetings themselves seemed very contained. It was probably seen more as Dream keeping an eye on an experiment, and I think any jealousy would be folded into the Corinthian’s resentment of Dream’s strict commitment to role.

So I don’t really think it impacted the Corinthian at all—especially given Dream’s nonchalance when Death reminds him about missing the meeting with Hob—I think he’s far more jealous of Dream’s relationship with Lucienne (and Jessamy/Matthew).

Is the Corinthian jealous of Dream's lovers?

In terms of Dream’s other relationships, I really need to finish my fic with Calliope and the Corinthian so I can delve into this a little more.

But in truth I think the Corinthian probably feels similar to how he feels towards Lucienne. When Dream married Calliope he probably saw it as ‘yeah you’re his wife but I’m his favourite creation so how does that really compare’?. A weird mix of jealousy and possessiveness? The same as with all the relationships I think – the Corinthian is very much like ‘he is mine in a way he’ll never be yours’. And he’s proven right most of the time in how quickly the lovers come and go, in how easily (in his eyes) they give up.

I think the Corinthian is satisfied by that, looks down on them, is amused when a new one comes along like ‘oh? How long will you last before you do your best to break his heart?’

The Corinthian knows that eventually they will leave, that the Dreaming will return to how it was before. So maybe there is a little bit of protectiveness too. I think he considers them unworthy, unable to really appreciate all of what Morpheus is, and again that is something he’s consistently proven right about.

Calliope is probably the only one who he felt actually ‘threatened’ by though.

Interestingly enough (to bring this back to your questions about Lucienne and Jessamy) Dream’s longest ‘relationships’ are arguably those he has with his ravens. I think that's why the Corinthian is far more jealous of them then any new/old lover. There’s a degree of compatibility and love between him and them that is incredibly powerful, incredibly unique. And it lasts. There is always loyalty and care there, the ravens understand him, and they all stay with Dream throughout everything he has to be without flinching. Even when things end terribly (as with Jessamy’s death).

Hopefully that answers your questions!

Don’t feel guilty about asking too many! I really enjoyed thinking about this and putting some of my thoughts into words. I always love your questions <3 Please ask as many as you want and, hopefully, this time I won’t take as long as I did to answer the other one you asked me!

[flightfoot]

hello! do you have any good post-reveal pre-relationship fics? they don't have to be centered around adrien and marinette getting together, just that dynamic. thanks!

Hmmmm... I don't go for those as much as a lot of other people do, and they're not actually as common as you'd think they'd be, but I think I can scrounge some things up! I'm gonna have some WIPs in here, because otherwise I really wouldn't have much.

---

and I thought I heard you sing by @into-september

When Hawkmoth has been defeated and unmasked, Marinette is left with two problems and no solutions. First, that Adrien is further out of her reach than ever before, and no-one can tell her how to get to him. Second, that Cat Noir is far more troubled than she knew, and the only thing she can do is wait for him at the place they agreed to meet.

It’s your classic “Hawkmoth’s defeated and taken into custody but that means Adrien’s in for a rough time” sort of fic. Everyone’s worried about Adrien and wants to give him what comfort and support that they can, but he’s being hidden away from everyone (which I mean, honestly that’s a good move), so that’s not really possible. Plus, Ladybug’s noticed that Chat’s having a tough time in his civilian life, which worries her.

---

Love At Last Sight by ClaraOswald16

The final battle against Monarch has arrived, but things do not go as planned for our favorite superheroes. The battle leaves Marinette blind. Marinette and Adrien must come to terms with their new realities, but finding a new normal turns out to be harder than expected. This is a story of love, loss, and finding strength in each other.

Note: This is M-rated, though I don't think anything in the story so far warrants that high of a rating.

---

Perfectly Platonic (Unless...) by @frostedpuffs

After accidentally revealing their identities in less than ideal circumstances, Adrien and Marinette must navigate their newfound relationship as both partners and friends. Becoming best friends was a quick process, but when romantic feelings begin to bleed into what's supposed to be a platonic connection, their friendship starts to change in more ways than one. Surely it can't be that hard to hide their feelings from their best friend? (A post-reveal, pre-relationship fic full of romantic crushes, best friend shenanigans, and a whole lot of dumbassery.)

Note: This is also M-rated. It very much deserves it. It gets smutty sometimes, though it hasn't gone all the way (so far at any rate).

---

It's Just Practical by @ashes-555

What happens when you are an exhausted superhero, it's the middle of the night, and your partner's home is much closer than yours? The practical thing, obviously.

---

48 Hours To Make You Love Me by @mysticraven20

“When did you stop?” “Stop what, M’Lady?” “Stop loving me?” When two heroes miss the minibus for their winter get away with the gang they have no other choice but to make their way to the resort by themselves. After avoiding their feelings for years, a freak snow storm makes them reconsider more than just whether to carry on driving. Luckily, they find a quaint little bed and breakfast where suddenly they’re thrown into a situation where their feelings can no longer be held back; but, is it too late? The interference of an elderly couple after an eavesdropping accident helps both Adrien and Marinette come to terms with their feelings and their actions. Through movies, hot chocolates and snuggling to keep warm, Marinette wonders if it’s possible to make Adrien love her again, and more so can she do it by the time they need to leave their little sanctuary?

This just has a lot of adorable Adrienette shenanigans, with a fun time travel twist that had me inwardly squealing XD. If you want some Lovesquare fluff, this is a good one.

[prodigal-explorer]

anaroceit week - day two - liar liar

@anaroceitweek

prompt: theatre/mistake

relationship: romantic anaroceit

word count: 4.4k

(cw -> disordered eating, punishing oneself, hospitals, fainting, cursing, extreme self-hatred)

---

Roman had a bad habit of equating his worth to his successes. 

And his failures. 

Though his dear boyfriends tried to be supportive, they could never be louder than Roman’s mind, the voices that taunted his ears from the inside. No matter where Roman hid, they would always be there. The only way to get rid of them would be to saw off his own head. 

Wow. That was a macabre thought for 6am. 

But laying awake in the dewy, calm blue hours of the morning was a typical occurrence for Roman. He often found himself unable to sleep very well, though his boyfriends’ sleep habits weren’t much better than his. The only difference was that Janus and Virgil tended to stay awake by choice. 

Melatonin didn’t work anymore. It did at first, but now, no matter how many Roman took, he still found himself unable to sleep. His brain just refused to stop. 

“I get that,” Virgil said one day, when Roman told him about it. “It’s hard to turn your mind off when you just need to get some rest. Wake me up next time that happens, okay? I can help you.” 

Yeah, there was no way Roman was doing that and disrupting the little sleep that Virgil did manage to get. But despite this, he grinned and nodded eagerly. Because he was a disgusting, filthy liar. 

Janus thought that he could always tell when Roman was lying. He prided himself on it vocally, which was something that Janus rarely did. He usually had a more quiet, refined confidence about him. Everything about him was understated and completely in control. He could make people do and feel whatever he wanted, as if people were ripples in water, and Janus was just running his fingers to change the currents. Roman lost track of how many times that Janus flustered him to the point where he felt like a pile of putty in Janus’ expert, gloved hands. But every time he thought about being in Janus’ clutches, the idea of being rendered helpless in Janus’ all-knowing eyes, made Roman’s heart flutter with adoration. 

Yes, Janus thought that he could tell whenever Roman told a lie. Since he could tell just about everything else. But he was wrong. Over the years, Roman had learned how to bypass Janus, as expertly as a snake weaving through a bed of tall grass. It wasn’t like Roman liked lying to his boyfriends. He felt like the scum of the earth when he did it. But there was no other choice. He couldn’t stand to worry them, and Roman knew that if they found out about how cruelly his brain spoke to him, there would be trouble. 

Especially from Virgil. The man was strong, wonderfully strong (though not as strong as himself, Roman liked to think), and he was very protective over his boyfriends. Roman and Janus both knew that Virgil had a tendency to spiral, his anxious thoughts getting the best of him. And that anxiety usually manifested into an overprotective nature similar to an overbearing mother. But Janus and Roman were the perfect boyfriends for Virgil in that regard, both of them being quite desperate for attention, fawning, and doting at any given moment. 

Though all three of them weren’t perfectly functional in every way, they complimented each other beautifully. Roman didn’t know what he would do without Janus and Virgil on either side of him, holding him upright and being there for him when even his own mind wasn’t. 

            Which lead him to tonight. 

“Oh, Roman, your performance tonight was spectacular,” Janus gushed, hugging his boyfriend close the moment Roman stepped out through the stage door. 

Roman accepted the hug numbly, trying to hold back stubborn tears. How could Janus say that when everybody saw what he had done up there? Sure, perhaps it wasn’t an obvious mistake. Forgetting the words to a song for a second is an easy enough mistake to recover from. But Roman wouldn’t let himself forget. Not for the rest of the show, and not even after the curtains closed. 

Whenever he closed his eyes, he just saw the moment replay as if it had only just happened. He had been standing before an audience of 500 people, all eyes on him as he stood under the spotlight, hyper-aware of how it practically baked his skin. The words he had been memorizing every spare second for the past month whizzed through his brain like a hummingbird flitting haphazardly from left to right to left again. Roman knew exactly what he was doing, and there were no excuses. 

But when he’d opened his mouth, the words were moving just a little too fast in his brain. The lights were just a little too bright. Roman felt weak and faint, and as he looked around for Virgil and Janus in the audience, he made eye contact with both of them, frozen where he stood, desperate to just summon the words. He needed them. If he didn’t succeed, then what was all that rehearsal for? If he wasn’t perfect, then why did he even grace the beloved stage with his wretched presence? 

He’d found the words eventually, of course. But the orchestra had to vamp for three measures. That was unheard of. And through his peripheral vision, Roman could sense the stares of his fellow castmates in the wings. Every single one of them knew that he had messed up, and Roman had needed to work so hard just to prove to them that he was worth being in the same room as them. 

Now, all that work was for naught. 

Deep down, Roman knew that it was unlikely that every single member of the cast saw Roman as a parasite who was beneath them. But every harsh joke they made, every narrowed stare and eye roll, made Roman believe that it was true, no matter what the actual situation was. The bad spoke a lot more than the good, in Roman’s opinion. 

Roman could see that Janus was rubbing his back, and he could see Virgil’s lips moving, which insinuated that he was saying something. But his body felt fuzzy, like a blanket was covering it and keeping him from feeling outside movement with precision or accuracy. And his ears felt like they had been stuffed with cotton or pushed underwater, as Virgil’s words came out as messy, globbed up syllables. 

But Roman nodded, hoping it was the right thing to do in response to whatever Virgil said. From the way Virgil beamed, Roman could tell that he had somehow, despite the odds, made a good choice, and Janus gently started to guide him out of the theater. 

The cold air blowing outside honestly made Roman feel a little more human again. He could feel Janus’ hand on his back with a more solid sureness, and his brain was finally moving on from the endless flashback he had been enduring for what he assumed to be at least the last few minutes. But unfortunately, with this newfound freedom, his mind decided to move on to another loop. 

You aren’t eating. 

At first, Roman was a little confused. Why wouldn’t he eat? It was the end of a long show, and he was hungry. Besides, he was certain that Virgil and Janus had made him something at the house. They both loved cooking together and sharing their creations with Roman. Why would Roman deprive them of seeing his reaction to what they worked so hard to make for him? 

But even with this reasoning, the demanding voice in his head stayed firm. 

You’re not eating. You were awful out there. You need to make things right before you can have another bite of anything. 

So that was that. 

Roman wasn’t one to argue with himself for long. His gut was forceful, and it did whatever it pleased, no matter what all of Roman had to say about it. So when the three boyfriends got home and Janus offered Roman a steaming hot plate of fried rice, Roman played the tired card, rushing off and gulping down a large bottle of water before either of his boyfriends could hear his stomach growling. 

—

Sleep was impossible in this state. 

Even after popping four melatonin (technically, he was only supposed to take two), Roman found himself lying awake, his body wired and wracked with a strange sort of fear. As if he didn’t know who he really was. As if the person controlling his body’s movements wasn’t really him. It was scary, and this was Roman’s first time skipping a meal in a long time. What if something bad happened? 

His stomach gurgled, over and over, as if taunting him. Telling him he couldn’t do this. He was going to get up and eat and be absolutely pathetic. 

It was that thought, and that thought alone that kept Roman tethered to his bed, tossing and turning, and rendered unable to get a wink of sleep. By the time the next morning rolled around, Roman started to feel lightheaded from hunger and exhaustion, but in a way, it sort of felt good. When Roman realized this, he felt sick, despising himself for thinking such a wicked thing. How was destroying his body and his habits good in any capacity? 

It wasn’t good, but Roman walked past the kitchen, not even stopping for a drink of water. It wasn’t good, but Roman walked out of the door to go for his run without looking back. He’d never run hungry before, but that didn’t stop Roman from pushing himself to the limits, pushing through the air with such speed that it started to sting his skin. 

And for a moment, Roman felt like he was flying. Maybe he was. The area around him was hazy, and that was when Roman realized that he’d forgotten to put his contacts on. Oh, well. He didn’t deserve pretty scenery anyway. 

Roman’s stomach twisted as he ran and ran, his muscles trembling with fatigue by the time he made it back to the house. By now, he knew that Janus and Virgil were usually awake, so he had to go about this carefully. 

“Hey, Ro, you sleep well?” Virgil asked, approaching Roman as he came in through the door, pressing an ever-gentle kiss to his collarbone. 

“Yep, I slept great!” 

Roman fucking hated himself when his voice cracked. But miraculously, Virgil didn’t seem suspicious. 

“Jan’s making protein waffles. You’re gonna need a lot of strength for today.” 

Roman nodded. Not only did he have a show tonight, but he also was planning on helping his brother move into his new apartment. 

But when Roman thought of bringing a waffle to his lips, of ingesting it and having it sit in his stomach, he felt disgusting. That would remove all the progress of the previous night. It would make it all for nothing. He had to keep this going and see how long he could hold out. If he couldn’t even last one full day, then was he really worth anything? 

“Sorry, I’d better get going early,” he said, ruffling Virgil’s hair and going into the kitchen to hug Janus. “Remus will want me there bright and early so we can finish unloading before call time. I’ll eat with him.” 

Clearly, miracles were possible, because Janus believed Roman’s bold-faced lie. Remus was probably still asleep right now, and would be for the next two hours. So when Roman pulled his hair up into a bun and slid on his sneakers, guilt clawed at his chest as he thought about his two oblivious boyfriends, not knowing that Roman was only leaving to avoid the food that was being made at the house. 

Roman didn’t even take the car. He ran. His lungs burned, and the flying feeling wasn’t as exciting this time. Now, it felt more scary. It felt like Roman didn’t have any control over his limbs, and being unable to feel the ground beneath him, Roman worried that he might hurt himself. But he pressed on. He had to be strong enough. It was just running. It was nothing bad or impossible. He did this every single morning. 

Remus’ apartment was on the other side of town, so it took half an hour for Roman to run all the way there, even when he refused to rest or take any breaks. By the time Roman made it to the complex, his heart felt like it would explode out of its chest, and his legs felt like they were still running, even when they weren’t moving anymore. Shakily, Roman stumbled over to the nearest bench, sitting down and finally letting himself relax. 

“Ro! Hello?? Roman? Can you hear me?? C’mon, don’t pretend to be asleep just to ignore me, that’s my thing!” 

Roman blinked awake, not even realizing he had fallen asleep until he noticed how he was lying down on the bench, his face and stomach facing upwards. Remus’ gray-green eyes, glinting with mischief, were staring down at him. 

“What’re you up to, Sleeping Beauty?” Remus teased. “Why are you here so early?” 

“I just felt like surprising you?” Roman lied weakly. 

Remus quirked his eyebrow, clearly doubtful, but he didn’t say anything more about it, hauling Roman to his feet and opening the trunk of his rusty old pickup truck. 

“It’s not a lot of boxes, but it’s enough to be a pain in the ass,” Remus reported. “I’m glad you’re here. If I had to move all these all by myself, I’d go insane.” 

Roman could still feel his muscles quivering, but he forced a smile and nodded. It was just a bunch of boxes. How hard could it be? 

The sun was blazing hot, and the sweat dripping down Roman’s body started to cling and stink. Annoyed with himself, Roman realized that he had forgotten to wear deodorant. At least he was in his brother’s company. As sweaty as Roman smelled, it was highly likely that Remus stunk even worse. Every so often, Roman had to pause, put down the box he was holding, and wipe his palms and forehead with his shirt, just to keep himself from losing his grip on any of Remus’ possessions. 

And as Roman took each trip to the apartment lobby, going up the elevator to the ninth floor and then going back down and towards the pickup truck again, each box started to feel heavier and heavier. Roman knew he was decently strong. He could lift both of his boyfriends, and usually, he was the one in charge of moving heavy things around in the house. 

But today, everything was taking more and more effort. Regardless of the horror pooling in Roman’s chest, he kept going. He had to convince Remus that everything was okay, and he had to convince himself that everything was okay. He could survive without food. Lots of people did it. Once Roman couldn’t hold out anymore, he would tap out. But he couldn’t stop playing this twisted game with himself. A test of survival. Only the strongest could win, and Roman intended on winning. 

Finally, the twins were nearing the end of the unloading process. Roman picked up the third-to-last box, and started to walk, sighing with relief as the cold, air-conditioned air hit him. He started to feel strange and fuzzy as he got off the elevator, walking down the plush, carpeted hallway to get to Remus’ apartment. His hands were numb, and he found that he couldn’t control how they held onto the box. And then, the box started sinking. 

Even though the apartment was cool, Roman started to feel very, very hot. He wiped the sweat off his forehead with his shirt again, and set down the box, leaning against it and struggling to catch his breath. But as he tried to get up, Roman realized that he couldn’t. Every limb felt like it was being pushed down by a metal blanket, too heavy for him to effectively resist against. And his mind soon grew as numb as his hands as his vision blurred, and it was harder to hear. 

The last noise Roman recalled was the beeping of the elevator climbing up and down floors. And then, he closed his eyes. Just to rest them. 

Just to rest them. 

—

The first noise Roman recalled upon waking up was a sound that made Roman want to curl up under the covers and hide once again. 

It was the unmistakable sound of Virgil sobbing into his hands. 

Blinking, Roman tried to get a feel for where he was. Everything was bright and cold and strange. And white. Strikingly white. 

“Am I dead?” Roman asked himself, and he heard laughter beside him. 

Snapping his head as quickly as he could, Roman found himself face to face with a laughing Janus and a teary-eyed Virgil. Remus was talking to a tall woman wearing a white coat. Roman wondered what they were talking about. 

“You’re not dead, you silly goose,” Janus said affectionately, “But you almost were.  Do you know what’s going on right now, Ro?” 

“How should I?” Roman asked dumbly. “I just woke up. 

Virgil took a deep, shuddering breath, and then, he started to explain. 

“You passed out. Right in the middle of the hallway. Remus freaked out and tried to wake you up, but nothing was working. So he called 911, and, well, I guess we’re all here now. The doctors aren’t sure what happened. One thinks it’s heatstroke, while the other thinks it’s something to do with malnutrition, but-” 

Fear struck through Roman’s heart, making him shudder from top to bottom. 

“It was probably heatstroke,” he interjected abruptly, his words falling on top of each other in their haste. “It was hot outside, and I was dumb. I didn’t bring enough water.” 

“Couldn’t you have gotten some while you were eating with Remus?” Virgil whispered. “Why didn’t you?” 

Because he didn’t eat with Remus. 

Unfortunately, Remus heard this piece of the conversation and wandered over towards the bed Roman was propped up in, the woman in the coat trailing behind. 

“What’s he talking about?” Remus asked with a slight scoff. “We haven’t eaten together since we graduated. You’re always whining about how messy I am.” 

“What?” 

Janus’ eyes widened, and he turned to face Roman with intense ferocity. 

“You didn’t eat with Remus today? Then- why did you say you would?” 

Roman scrambled to come up with an acceptable response. 

“It just slipped my mind! I fell asleep and-” 

“You fell asleep?” Virgil whispered. “But you told me you slept really well last night.” 

“Sometimes- a…a prince needs-...more beauty rest…?” 

The desperation in Roman’s voice was giving him away. Virgil let out a tearful scoff and took a few steps away from the bed. 

“I can’t even look at you right now,” Virgil muttered, his teeth grit. 

“I just don’t understand!” Janus outburst, “Why did you lie to us, Roman? What the hell is this whole story about? You leave at seven in the morning, and you don’t even eat with Remus?” 

“You left at seven?” Remus asked, his eyes widening. “I didn’t get there until noon! I told you I would be there at noon at the earliest. Why did you-” 

Roman hadn’t even realized that he had been asleep on the bench for that long. 

“Another lie!” Janus exclaimed with a bitter laugh. “Another. Lie. Roman, you’d better come clean and do it now. Unless you just want me to assume the worst, which is getting easier and easier to do with each passing second.” 

Something broke inside Roman’s mind like a dam. Janus had set him off. 

“Oh, you want the truth?” Roman asked with a loaded laugh that made Janus shudder. “I’ll tell you the truth.” 

Immediately, Janus intertwined his fingers with Virgil’s, squeezing his lover’s hand gently. Roman’s heart ached for both of them, but he also felt a strange sort of reverie. He didn’t regret a single thing he’d done, except pass out in front of Remus. If he’d only waited until he was out of sight to let his body give out, then maybe he would have been able to hold on for a little longer. Maybe he would have been able to get closer to winning the game, and finally making up for how much of a failure he was. 

“I didn’t want your waffles,” Roman said, his words clipped and almost hostile. “I didn’t want to eat anything. I needed…I needed to prove myself. Last night can never happen again. I need more discipline. I need to be more successful.” 

“But Roman, you fell asleep before you could even have dinner last night,” Janus said. “Why would you go for even longer without eating?” 

“Because I have to!” Roman shouted, starting to laugh. Suddenly, all of this felt very funny. “I have to beat this game! If I do, then I’ll get forgiven! I won’t have to think about what happened last night anymore because I’ll know I’m strong! Come on. You can’t tell me you’ve never thought about it. Pushing yourself to the limit to see how far you can go. Don’t treat me like I’m some sick freak just because I’m stronger than all of you combined!” 

“Roman, you sound insane,” Virgil whispered, his voice wavering. “Did you even have lunch yesterday?” 

“A light brunch,” Roman mumbled. “It was all we had time for before rehearsal.” 

“Great,” Janus said, cutting through the awkward silence that had been created as a result of Roman’s gut-wrenching answer. “You’ve been starving yourself for almost an entire day because- you’re playing a game with yourself? How can you say all this and then expect me not to think you’re going crazy?” 

“All because you messed up a little line in your little play?” Virgil added, his voice still quiet. “Why are you killing yourself because of one mistake?” 

“Because I had no excuse!” Roman cried out. “I worked for weeks on that show. I made sure everything was perfect right down to the letter, and on the one day where it mattered more than anything, I messed up. It was pathetic.” 

“It was not pathetic,” Janus insisted. “It was human. If you’re starving yourself over making such a small mistake onstage, how do you handle it when you fuck up big time?? How long have you been hiding this game from us??” 

“This is my first time with the eating thing,” Roman mumbled, his face burning with indignation. He hated being talked down to like he was a child. “Usually, I take away other things. I go on my run barefoot. I don’t let myself drink water during rehearsal. You don’t get it because you’re perfect, but I need these games. I need to win to feel like I’m worth…something.” 

“If I may interject…” 

The woman in the coat showed Roman her nametag. It read Dr. Andy. Roman wondered if Andy was her first name or her last name, but he thought it best not to ask at this moment. 

“It sounds like you have some obsessive compulsions,” Dr. Andy said softly, her voice carrying not a hint of judgment. “You seem to feel a need to punish yourself whenever you make a mistake. Is that correct?” 

“That’s what I just said,” Roman muttered, rolling his eyes with what he knew was the utmost immaturity. He was too tired to care. 

“Well, yes,” Dr. Andy continued, “And these games, as you describe them, all risk your physical wellbeing. When did you start doing this?” 

“I don’t remember a time when I didn’t,” Roman said, keeping his gaze fixed on one of the metal rods below the hospital bed. “My earliest memory was tearing up all my shirts when I get yelled at by my mom for…I don’t even know what for.” 

“She thought you were just throwing a temper tantrum,” Remus whispered. “So did I.” 

“But it wasn’t,” Dr. Andy said. “It was a ritual. You put yourself through these things because of some subconscious superstition buried in your complicated, obscure mind. A lot of people have this problem, more than you know. Not all eating disorders come from body image issues.” 

“Hold on, this isn’t an eating disorder,” Roman interrupted, sitting up in the bed. “I skipped two meals. That doesn’t mean anything.” 

“Well, the way you snuck around and lied about all of this suggests that you’ve done this sort of thing before, even if you say you haven’t,” Dr. Andy explained. “Perhaps you blocked it out of your memory in childhood. Or you did it during college without realizing it. These things can build up into something dangerous if you don’t put a stop to it while it’s still growing.” 

“Whatever,” Roman scoffed, “It wasn’t dangerous. I just fell asleep for a few minutes because it was hot out.” 

“Roman…” Remus spoke gravely, which was very atypical of him. “You were asleep for two days.” 

Two days. Two days?? 

“You mean I missed yesterday’s show??” Roman demanded, “Why didn’t you wake me up?? Why didn’t anybody-” 

“You think we didn’t try that?” Janus asked. “This is a medical emergency, Ro. Even if we did manage to wake you up, I would not feel comfortable sending you onstage in this state. Your blood sugar’s low, you’re weak. You know you can’t do this sort of thing in your condition.” 

Roman stopped speaking. He stopped fighting. It was four versus one, and frankly, Roman was too tired to keep retaliating and battling. He just let the words wash over him. 

Worried.

Terrified. 

Therapist. 

Treatment. 

Supplements. 

Monitor. 

Watch. 

Meal Plan. 

Roman wanted to die. Why did Remus have to call 911? Why didn’t he just leave Roman in the hallway?? 

“Roman, baby, please don’t cry,” Virgil whispered. 

“What are you talking about?” Roman asked, bringing a hand to his face. “I’m not-” 

A fat teardrop splashed onto Roman’s fingernail, proving him wrong. 

“Darling…” Janus’ previously stern voice gave way for something much more nurturing as he held Roman in his arms, cradling the man back and forth awkwardly. “We’re going to work on this. All three of us are going to help you, Roman. We don’t want to see you in pain. We don’t want to see you being punished, even if you think you deserve it. We want to help. We all…just want to help. All you have to do is let us.” 

“Okay…” Roman whispered, and as Virgil hugged him from his other side, he finally let himself sob. “Okay.”

[deepfriedrhys]

small rant abt season 2??

one of the things i see MOST recently is the debate on whether or not one character is justified or whether or not liking a character is well.. understandable. personally, for me, I love all the characters. whether or not they are warmongering manipulative dictators, cranky scientists chasing their dreams, or fighters blinded by grief. i feel as if they all have their reasons for being them, Caitlyn becoming a general; not only through manipulation but through the way she is blinded by her loss and grief, wanting to GENUINELY make a change. Vi becoming a pit-fighter? She's lost everything and had to beat up her sister (who she still cares so much about) four times and fall in love with someone who tossed themselves and their relationship into an abyss for the wrong path of the future. now what some of these characters do isn't good at ALL! Caitlyn flooding the lanes with toxic gas to seize Jinx was HORRIBLE and watching her fall to that choice appalled me, but as a character, that's who SHE has become. a woman so blinded in her ways from grief and conflict that she has no choice but to see that pathway to the future as the RIGHT one. most characters seem to support her, and by that I mean most of the season two side cast apart from a very small amount. now this is only because she and many other characters have had their mindset clouded through the conflict of topside v bottom. my girl seems to NEVER GET A REST!! liking these characters is completely understandable, they are all loveable for other things than just their actions. i love ambessa's character, the ways shes written and the way she is to the world, but of course her acts in a moral standpoint are horrible and unforgivable in various senses. i adore caitlyn, even as she stands above piltover with an iron fist as a puppet, but in no way will she be a good person this next act. losing her mother, a memorial ceremony for her being attacked, having to take up a mantle she was far from ready to take, the topside in RUIN? if she hadn't taken the offer from Ambessa I would've been a bit confused! whilst of course what she will do and what she has already will not be good or happy in the slightest, or that the position of general/commander of the enactment of martial law upon the city was one that she sought out, it was given to her. she was given the key to the door that she believes will solve these problems. we all know it won't.. but I believe she will eventually reach that point where she realises that "This isn't right." and the conflict that will happen in act two will be blamed on her, especially as she will be a puppet of ambessa. (in my opinion I just CANT WAIT!!! i really wanna see all the characters again and how the civil strife will all play out especially caitlyn with, realistically, two armies at her disposal, OH YES AND JINX BECOMING A SYMBOL!! AHHH)

[littlemissmanga]

Thots for Wolffe please? ♥ Please and thank you.

Of course!

Let's see ...

SFW

Wolffe is a little shit and nothing will change my mind about that. He hides it well because the weight of responsibility is heavy and he puts a lot of pressure on himself to be a good leader. But off duty or when relaxed? Wolffe let's loose. He's not a prankster, rather he's a ball buster, full of pointed quips and one liners.

In a relationship, that manifests as pointed teasing. He's a nudgenik. It gets him going when you can give as good as you get. He likes your feisty side.

He isn't emotionally repressed - he's fully aware of his feelings and mindful of how they inform his actions. He is Plo's son after all. He just sees revealing his emotional needs and depending on his men for that support as a breach of command and a dereliction of his duties. So he doesn't burden them with his emotional needs.

If Wolffe ever does start a relationship, that is one of the biggest early hurdles. He also sees you as someone he should protect and so he wouldn't open up to you emotionally out of a sense of duty. You're the one who teaches him that sharing the burden is the responsible thing to do.

NSFT

Wolffe likes being in control in the bedroom not because he always needs control but because he LOVES the idea that you, a person born with your autonomy guaranteed, one who doesn't have to respect him, so willingly trusts and submits to him. That choice is what makes him feel eight feet tall when you fall to your knees in front of him.

I do see Wolffe not necessarily as a true switch but as someone who will need to relinquish control once in a while. He doesn't like it as much, but he does need it to regain balance sometimes.

But more than that, he adores that you ARE a switch and he loves when you just take what you want from him. It makes him feel more desired than anything else to see you unable to control yourself because of him.

If dealing with an AFAB partner, he's a tit man all the way. If AMAB, he still fixates on your chest. He hates and loves that you wear low-cut shirts just to distract and tease him. And rile up others, garnering enough stares to make him jealous.

He loves the idea of cockwarming, of having you sitting all warm and sweet in his lap while he works. Getting to feel you as close as possible and make you even needier than he feels, testing his own patience as well as teasing the life out of you just checks all his boxes ... but he isn't actually patient enough to pull it off. You'll be in his lap for all of two minutes before you know exactly how to make him lose control.

[beautifulpersonpeach]

Any real relationship seems completely impossible in the situation those 7 are in. I do find it hard to believe those needs are not being meant somehow, at least hopefully. I do think the idea of two people finding love in that situation is adorable.

I have two ships ... Jikook and Yoonmin.

I see relationship changes and its almost like no one else sees it. It seems like Yoonmin was particularly close in the early years, then Jikook became super close up until about Yet To Come and Yoonmin seemed distant during the same period and now Jikook seems more distant but Yoonmin seem close again.

Am I crazy? Please tell me you see this as well...

***

Hi Anon,

Jikook have always been close. In their early years Jimin was very close with Jungkook and Yoongi, but in very different ways and even back then, he was still closer to Jungkook.

For Jikook, practicing late together, sleeping in the practice room together, speaking in their local dialect together, Jimin providing key emotional support to Jungkook at that time, even being one of the key reasons Jungkook decided to debut in BTS and not abandon the group to become a dancer… jikook were very close.

During that time Jimin was also close to Yoongi, being the first member to visit Yoongi’s home, Jimin being one of the only members Yoongi could initiate skinship with comfortably, something important to developing the sort of trust necessary for the group, Yoongi providing crucial emotional support to Jimin during their debut years… the sort of bond yoonmin developed during those early years cannot be overstated. For Jimin to mention it in his Festa notes almost a decade later, in filmed content years later, it will always be a defining factor of their relationship.

Over the years, Yoongi focused on other things while Jimin and Jungkook’s relationship appeared to only deepen. All that’s happened now is that all three of them are spending less time with each other on camera, and possibly in general. Yoonmin might seem closer to you recently because of the uptick in interactions we’ve seen between them in Run BTS episodes and shows like SOOP in the last three years, the Feel the Rhythm of Korea ad campaigns in 2022, the similarity their music production choices recently, and their joint promotion schedules earlier this year.

Also, I don’t think jikook look distant. Like, at all. I mean, we all saw that man shaking ass on a boat with Jungkook. Was that even three weeks ago? Jikook are always jikooking. That’s kinda their thing. It’s one of the only reasons I’m here tbh, because I can rely on those two men to jikook sooner or later.

Jungkook really likes Jimin as a person. Think about that. As a human being, Jimin is someone Jungkook respects and genuinely likes. Likes him so much he carries Jimin bridal style when they’re drunk, refuses Jimin’s cries to be put back down because Jimin is laughing too hard while he’s pounding on Jungkook’s chest with those perfect hands, and then finally, Jimin bites him. Bites him in the neck, right in the jugular. Bites him hard enough to leave a bruise they both show off to their bandmates the next day. Do you understand what you just read? And this was during a time people were swearing up and down the internet that they were distant.

Listen, I have no doubts, ever, that jikook are jikooking.

And so Anon, while I appreciate your point of view as someone who loves yoonmin and jikook, I disagree on that summary timeline. I agree with you though that pursuing a relationship for them must have its own set of challenges, making it almost impossible sometimes. But I trust they’re okay. Thanks for the fun ask.

[therealslimshakespeare]

Curious about what role (if any?) Rosie would play in helping Ida through her guilt re. what the SS made her witness. Because based on what you and the anons have been chatting about in terms of the SS using it to drive a wedge between the leaders, and how their reactions might actually make Ida question her humanity, I think Rosie would be the best person for that (of course the majors are always supportive and caring but it’s just hard to get past that you know). Also her brother because we all know he’s her biggest supporter.

Asking this because Ida and Smith’s relationship has become so dear to me and it’s absolutely my favourite thing about this series. There’s genuinely something so beautiful about Smith healing the parts of Ida that saw womanhood and femininity as a weakness and worming her way into her heart. But then the way that that all comes to fruition in such a devastating way when they’re shot down? And how despite everything they’re forced to go through together Smith remains so tenacious in her blind and consuming adoration of her? And how Ida’s fear of femininity being used against her is validated? It’s all such great storytelling. And don’t even get me started on how the comments from the SS make her question her humanity and her ability to love. That sort of stuff stays with you, especially postwar. I hope you choose to explore more of their relationship, it has totally captivated me <3

My darling, this was such a beautiful ask. Your language and all the aspects your put so beautifully -I practically forgot mid way through that you were commenting on something that’s actually my writing, you were saying such beautiful, universally lovely things.

Uhem anyways, lemme get a grip.

I am utterly invested in exploring more of this. In camp, maybe a flashback to training or at least references, and then for sure explored postwar. I love Ida and Lu and I think them along with a changed Maureen are life lines for each other and their men. And “their men” are more than just their husbands.

I think you’re right that while the guys are supportive of Ida -she didn’t have a choice, she did the right thing, it’s not about empathy it was a form of torture- none of that fully heals her. It’s validating. Her bother can say a million times that she did the right thing and it’s validating, especially hearing it from someone who went through something similar, but it’s not enough for her I think.

Even seeing Lu prosper in the postwar years only heals that part. It doesn’t reassure Ida herself that she’s not broken inside for enduring that without cracking. And yes, that’s where Rosie would step in.

I think Rosie puts a massive amount of weight on authority. On the responsibilities of hierarchies. On how a position of power like being a colonel isn’t about how many individuals you have control over, but rather how many souls are in your care and will be put to your account for your mistakes or successes. Like, he’s unbendingly strict about that. And while I think he’d be tender with her over this subject, sometimes I think be might take are bit of a stronger method.

Sometimes it’s what she needs and craves, tbh.

I dunno if it would be utterly out of character but I can see him doing something benign or restraining her consensually and asking “can you prevent this?” just to remind her how absurd it is to consider it her fault.

I dunno. Maybe thats fucked. But one thing I do love about Ida and Rosie is that in some ways her makes her feel more feminine and soft than she’s ever felt safe to be before him, and in the other ways he can be an unflinching fellow officer, which she also responds very well to as she associates that tough love with respect for herself.

Does that make sense? Gimme y’all’s thoughts

[primeministerofantarctica]

A3! Fic Recs Post

One-Shots

dress for success by valdera

2k words, Juza & Yuki AO3 Summary: The ensuing silence makes Juza feel so awkward that he blurts out, “Where’s your hat?” “My hat?” “Uh,” Juza says, feeling his face grow warm in embarrassment. “You’re usually wearing it.” “I don’t usually wear it when I’m sewing because it gets in the way,” Yuki says, “and I thought—right, that doesn’t matter now.” Abruptly, he moves to stand right in front of Juza, scowling at the ground like it’s personally wronged him. “Juza,” Yuki says, meeting his eyes with that same challenging look again, “I heard that you wanted to try wearing a dress?” Juza blinks at him. “What?” Notes: REALLY CUTE JUZA AND YUKI BONDING FIC

Late Afternoon Sunset by Timeskipped

1.7k words, Kazunari & Misumi AO3 Summary: Summer Troupe is welcoming him with open arms, and it’s not that Misumi doesn’t like it (because he loves it, adores it, would die for more of it) but rather because Misumi isn't used to this kind of friendship. He’s not triangular enough for them. Kazu, especially. Notes: I looove how the author writes Misumi (in all of his fics, but in this one especially). Top-tier platonic hurt/comfort.

Today I Will Be You by NoodleStories

6k words, gen AO3 Summary: It would be funny, she thought. Have her actors pretend to be each other for a day under the pretense of it being an acting exercise. It couldn't be that bad, she thought. She had a headache. (A personal writing challenge where I randomly generated who had to imitate who) Notes: DELIGHTFULLY funny (and also lots of fun trying to guess who's playing who).

What A Slutty, Slutty Lightbulb by flavovitta

1.5k words, gen, M AO3 Summary: Tsuzuru, Kazunari, and Misumi sit down for a talk about his adjective choices Notes: This fic made my soul leave my body

Multichapter (Complete)

offer me that deathless death by flavovitta

69k words, Kazunari/ Misumi/ Tsuzuru, Immortality AU, M AO3 Summary: If you tread into the woods and offer up a gift, there's a chance a witch will grant your wish. Notes: Emotional equivalent of being wrapped in a blanket, given a mug of hot cocoa, then being punched in the face. And then wanting to go back for more.

Permanent Marker by thechavanator

10k words, Kazunari/ Misumi/ Tsuzuru, Soulmate AU AO3 Summary: A little less "the person (or people) you're meant to spend your life with", a little more "make an effort, goddammit!" or; Tsuzuru makes a questionable late night decision, Kazunari tries to make a plan, and Misumi is apparently the only one who knows how soulmates work. Notes: If you like soulmate aus, you'll love this. If you don't like soulmate aus...you'll also love this, not in a "oh it's just so good you'll change your mind uwu" but in a "the complete deconstruction of predestination has set the bar for literally every other soulmate au".

Pyrrhic by Timeskipped

39k words, Chikage & Hisoka AO3 Summary: adjective - (of a victory) won at too great a cost to have been worthwhile for the victor. Hisoka forgets. “I won’t die. I’ll just lose my memories again. I can make new memories. Everyone will understand. If I do this, you’ll believe me. And I can have my whole family back.” Notes: What would happen if Hisoka DID end up drinking the memory erasing potion in Act 5? PAIN. LOT'S OF PAIN THAT'S WHAT.

Multichapter (In Progress)

(word count as of 1 March 2023)

Boreas Over Veludo by Luonto

6k words, Fuyupoly, No Mankai AU AO3 Summary: "The Spring Troupe is like a family, the Summer Troupe like school friends, and the Autumn Troupe like comrades for the same cause. What does that make us, then?" "Noble figures fated to share the same destiny, perhaps?" "…I guess I'd say our relationship is supporting each other when our burdens become too heavy to bear on our own." // Award-winning poet Homare Arisugawa grapples with the unchanging pace of everyday life. A mysterious man with no memory of his past finds his way to his apartment doorstep. The two's destinies become inexplicably intertwined together, drawing in those around them. Even without the common ground of Mankai Company, the members of Winter Troupe still find their way to each other. Notes: Hasn't been updated in a while so it might be abandoned, which is a damn shame because I ADORE what exists so far

手紙 (Letters) by NoodleStories

15k words, gen AO3 Summary: Hello everyone! I have a new exercise I'd like you to participate in. I thought it would be fitting if I told you all through letter. Encased in this envelope are everything you need to write a letter of your own! As well as the name of an actor who I'd like you to write to. I haven't looked at which name went into each envelope, so I'm trusting you all to not cheat and swap names! As for the contents, it doesn't have to be anything big. Just put down whatever comes to mind. And if you're up to it, try to write it all in one draft. It's important for us to understand each other as a company. I won't be reading them, but I hope that you all receive a lovely letter in the next few days. - Izumi Tachibana Notes: Another character study by the same author, albeit slightly more serious. Has lots of great bonding moments, especially for characters that don't interact that much in canon.

Mankai Suisougakubu by ImberNox

269k words, High School AU AO3 Summary: Mankai High's Wind Symphonic gets a new director by the name of Tachibana Izumi. With only three members in the club initially, she goes to great lengths to recruit new members for her band and secure funding opportunities. Thus begins a long two years of practices and rehearsals. Along the way, Izumi realizes that, for all she needs musicians in her band, her musicians need her and each other as family even more. Notes: Pretty heavy-hitting (mind the tags) but damn.

mirror's face by ryukogo

150k words, Isekai AO3 Summary: Once, during an old production, the previous members of MANKAI bought a set of floor mirrors that never ended up getting used, and was forgotten about. However, these mirrors were rather strange ones - if you saw a different “you” inside a mirror and touched it, you would switch places with that “you”, and be trapped in the world within the mirror while that “you” wandered free. Unfortunate, really, that all of Yuki’s troupe members touched those stupid mirrors at different points while he wasn’t looking. How the hell was he going to hide this from the rest of the dorm, anyway? And how was he going to bring the rest of the summer troupe back? Notes: This fic has everything. Chaotic Natsugumi shenanigans. Absolutely insane levels of worldbuilding. Yuki having the only braincell.

of covens and magicians by flavovitta

436k words, Urban Fantasy AU AO3 Summary: Izumi, a Fourthborn Witch who had given up on becoming a powerful magician years ago, receives a letter addressed to her father. It requests assistance in the following two endeavors: 1: The restoration of the Mankai Coven, 2: The Education of a Firstborn Witch named Sakuya. Notes: bro.