#and they're doing it to these fans who are drinking up their opinions because they're the 'cool popular writers'

[izupie]

It really bothers me to see fanfiction writers discussing how to/how not to write certain characters. because I'm like, my dudes. we are on tumblr dot com. we are writing stories about our favourite characters like they're dolls in the dollhouses of our mind.

you can't be sitting there on some kind of fanfiction high horse preaching out that everyone "can't" write this certain character in the way you've decided that you, personally, don't like.

i don't care how many hits your fics have got - like that makes you valid?

filter out the tags you don't enjoy on ao3 by all means, but you can't turn around and say that the way you dislike them being written is 'wrong' - that's your opinion and that's great but it doesn't affect how someone else writes them.

who are you that your opinion matters more? who are you to be the judge and jury on what is in or out of character when you didn't even create them in the first place? sound confident and condescending all you want, doesn't make your opinion any more or less valid than any other fan in the fandom.

Write characters any way you want to. fanfiction is supposed to be fun. if another fan tries to police you about the way you've portrayed a certain character tell them that you hope their toast always burns. and that they need a new hobby.

[jonnywaistcoat]

What’s your opinion on the contrast between “silly” and “serious” spaces? Do you think people can have very serious interpretations about a genuine piece of media and also be goofy about it? I’m asking this particularly because I’ve seen people in the Magnus podcast fandoms fight about people “misinterpreting” characters you, Alex, and the many other authors have written. Are you okay with the blorbofication or do you really wish the media you’ve written would be “taken seriously” 100% of the time?

And follow up question, what do you think about the whole “it’s up to the reader (or in some cases, listener) to make their own conclusions and interpretations and that does not make them wrong”, versus the “it was written this way because the author intended it this way, and we should respect that” argument?

This is a question I've given a lot of thought over the years, to the point where I don't know how much I can respond without it becoming a literal essay. But I'll try.

My main principle for this stuff boils roughly down to: "The only incorrect way to respond to art is to try and police the responses of others." Art is an intensely subjective, personal thing, and I think a lot of online spaces that engage with media are somewhat antithetical to what is, to me, a key part of it, which is sitting alone with your response to a story, a character, a scene or an image and allowing yourself to explore it's effect on you. To feel your feelings and think about them in relation to the text.

Now, this is not to say that jokes and goofiness about a piece of art aren't fucking great. I love to watch The Thing and drink in the vibes or arctic desolation and paranoia, or think about the picture it paints of masculinity as a sublimely lonely thing where the most terrible threat is that of an imposed, alien intimacy. And that actually makes me laugh even more the jokey shitpost "Do you think the guys in The Thing ever explored each other's bodies? Yeah but watch out". Silly and serious don't have to be in opposition, and I often find the best jokes about a piece of media come from those who have really engaged with it.

And in terms of interpreting characters? Interpreting and responding to fictional characters is one of the key functions of stories. They're not real people, there is no objective truth to who they are or what they do or why they do it. They are artificial constructs and the life they are given is given by you, the reader/listener/viewer, etc. Your interpetation of them can't be wrong, because your interpretation of them is all that there is, they have no existence outside of that.

And obviously your interpretation will be different to other people's, because your brain, your life, your associations - the building blocks from which the voices you hear on a podcast become realised people in your mind - are entirely your own. Thus you cannot say anyone else's is wrong. You can say "That's not how it came across to me" or "I have a very different reading of that character", but that's it. I suppose if someone is fundamentally missing something (like saying "x character would never use violence" when x character strangles a man to death in chapter 4) you could say "I think that's a significant misreading of the text", but that's only to be reserved for if you have the evidence to back it up and are feeling really savage.

I think this is one of the things that saddens me a bit about some aspects of fandom culture - it has a tendency to police or standardise responses or interpretations, turning them from personal experiences to be explored into public takes to be argued over. It also has the occasional moralistic strain, and if there's one thing I wish I could carve in stone on every fan space it's that Your Responses to a Piece of Art Carry No Intrinsic Moral Weight.

As for authorial intention, that's a simpler one: who gives a shit? Even the author doesn't know their own intentions half the time. There is intentionality there, of course, but often it's a chaotic and shifting mix of theme and story and character which rarely sticks in the mind in the exact form it had during writing. If you ask me what my intention was in a scene from five years ago, I'll give you an answer, but it will be my own current interpretation of a half-remembered thing, altered and warped by my own changing relationship to the work and five years of consideration and change within myself. Or I might not remember at all and just have a guess. And I'm a best case scenario because I'm still alive. Thinking about a writers possible or stated intentions is interesting and can often lead to some compelling discussion or examination, but to try and hold it up as any sort of "truth" is, to my mind, deeply misguided.

Authorial statements can provide interesting context to a work, or suggest possible readings, but they have no actual transformative effect on the text. If an author says of a book that they always imagined y character being black, despite it never being mentioned in the text, that's interesting - what happens if we read that character as black? How does it change our responses to the that character actions and position? How does it affect the wider themes and story? It doesn't, however, actually make y character black because in the text itself their race remains nonspecific. The author lost the ability to make that change the moment it was published. It's not solely theirs anymore.

So yeah, that was a fuckin essay. In conclusion, serious and silly are both good, but serious does not mean yelling at other people about "misinterpretations", it means sitting with your personal explorations of a piece of art. All interpretations are valid unless they've legitimately missed a major part of the text (and even then they're still valid interpretations of whatever incomplete or odd version of the text exists inside that person's brain). Authorial intent is interesting to think about but ultimately unknowable, untrustworthy and certainly not a source of truth. Phew.

Oh, and blorbofication is fine, though it does to my mind sometimes pair with a certain shallowness to one's exploration of the work in question.

[vanteguccir]

Opposite | Matt Sturniolo

Matt Sturniolo x reader

Summary: Where Y/N and Matt are polar opposites.

Warning: None.

Requested?: Yes, by @lightsgore

Author's note: That is my work, I DON'T authorize any plagiarism! | English isn't my first language, so I'm sorry if there's any grammar error.

PS.: This accidentally took a turn for a kind of "grumpy x sunshine", but I hope you like it either way!

༻✦༺ 　༻✧༺　༻✦༺

Matt was not an extroverted person. Unsurprisingly, he was a quieter, more reserved guy who liked to have his own space and took his own time to say what he wanted if he was asked to do so. His mood would change drastically if he was forced to talk when or with whoever he didn't want to.

Y/N, on the other hand, looked like a little ball of light that wouldn't stay still. She had a habit of talking a lot in a short space of time, uttering words until she was out of breath. In addition to always seeming to be in a good mood, a smile decorating her face like a permanent tattoo. Energetic was the word that defined her.

Therefore, when she and Matt revealed their relationship to the public, many fans didn't understand the origin of their love, as they were very different, literally polar opposites.

༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

"... Stop! Stop protecting your insecurities because you know you have an ass haircut, so you're projecting what could possibly happen to me! At least I'm willing to take that change." Nick screamed next to Y/N, moving his arms comically in exaggerated despair.

Chris laughed loudly at his speech, leaning his back against the car door from the passenger seat so that he could have a better view of the back. Matt smiled as he shook his head, watching them in the rearview mirror.

Y/N quickly nodded her head, her eyes wide as she raised her hands, showing that she wanted to initiate her own opinion on the matter.

"Exactly! You only try to diminish others because you are insecure about yourself. It's impossible to be friends with people like that. They are always trying to diminish someone, saying absurd things that cause so much discomfort." She spoke quickly, gesturing with her hands as her eyes darted between Nick and the rearview mirror, or rather, Matt's blue eyes.

Matt watched her with eyes full of love and affection, nodding his head in agreement to what she was saying.

"They're always talking bad about someone, have you noticed?" Y/N turned to face the blonde next to her, pointing her right index finger towards him, who hummed.

"Yes, exactly!" Nick shouted, slamming his hands against the back of Chris's seat, earning an angry shout from the boy.

"People can only give what they have inside themselves." Y/N finished her train of thought, shrugging as she licked her lips, wetting them.

Matt quickly reached for the bottle of his own tea in the cup holder between the front seats, opening the lid and turning his upper body towards the back, silently offering the drink to his girlfriend. She smiled big, sending a wink as a "thank you" before taking the bottle.

"It's good to have Y/N in a video with us. She speaks for both of them." Chris commented briefly, pointing to Y/N and Matt, letting out a hysterical laugh when he saw Matt rolling his eyes - but still not denying anything.

༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

Matt was fast asleep. His head buried in the white pillow, and his body curled up like a burrito around the fluffy duvet. His mouth was half open, low snores escaping from between his lips. His eyelids trembled slightly, showing that his mind was sailing through dream land.

Y/N slowly opened the door with her elbow, her hands occupied by a wooden tray that held a simple but nutritious breakfast for two. The girl had a big smile decorating her face as she walked with light steps towards the bed.

She placed the tray on the closest bedside table in one quick movement before going to the windows, opening the black-out curtains, allowing the sunlight to illuminate the room completely.

A grumbling sound was heard from the bed, Matt lifting the duvet to the top of his head, still half asleep. Y/N smiled at his reaction, quickly walking to the bed, kneeling on the mattress and pulling the blanket off the boy, laying her chest on her boyfriend's bare one, bringing her face closer to his.

"Good morning, my love." She murmured against his cheek, sealing her lips over his skin repeatedly.

Matt grumbled again, his brow furrowing in false anger but pushing his face against hers lightly, enjoying the feeling of being showered in affection by his girlfriend.

"Come on baby, wake up!" Y/N asked a few seconds later - after seeing his eyes closing again -, her fingers pulling Matt's eyebrows up slightly, watching him forcefully open his blue orbs.

Her laughter echoed through the room as the boy pretended to go bite her, a smile spreading across his face instantly.

"It's such a beautiful day outside. I thought we'd have a picnic. Or we could go to that golf park. Oh oh oh, or we could cook that blackberry pie you wanted. We could also-" Her words came quickly, excitement evident in her voice.

Matt's sleepy brain took a few minutes to process what his girlfriend was saying, his head just nodding in agreement without even knowing what he was agreeing to.

"Can we?" Y/N's question caught his attention. Matt only opened his right eye, looking at her for a few seconds, trying to search in his mind what she was asking him to do without achieving any results.

Matt didn't understand how Y/N woke up with so much energy, while he needed at least 20 minutes to really feel alive.

"Yeah, sure." The brunette mentally shrugged his shoulders. She wouldn't have asked him to do something risky to their lives, so it was okay for him to accept it without knowing what it was. Right?

༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

Y/N knocked twice on the door of her shared room with Matt, the sound almost imperceptible. She turned the handle and opened it, entering the room slowly.

The sound of loud music escaped the brunette's headphones, which rested against his ears. The boy was sitting in his gaming chair, and his upper body bent slightly forward as his hands worked on the keyboard, probably answering emails sent to the Sturniolo Triplets inbox.

The girl walked with light and quick steps towards her boyfriend, a small smile on her face in excitement. She gently touched his right shoulder, alerting him to her presence.

Matt looked up, his eyes instantly brightening as he noticed Y/N there. His hands pushed the headphone back - leaving it hanging around his neck - while his feet moved on the floor, turning the chair so that he was facing her.

"Babe, it's raining." Y/N quickly said, without even waiting for him to talk.

Matt frowned, his hands moving up to her hips, lightly squeezing the covered area.

"Yeah, I know, honey." He nodded, confused as to why she would be telling him the obvious, the sound of heavy raindrops hitting the windows from outside filled the room.

"Can we dance in the rain? Please, please, please?" Y/N clasped her hands in front of her body in a sign of prayer, pleading with her eyes.

Matt raised his eyebrows, the thought of getting completely wet with the freezing rain made him shiver, his mind already imagining his clothes sticking to his skin.

He sighed, closing his eyes momentarily.

"What I wouldn't do for you?"

༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

"What do you guys want?" Madi asked as she stood up from her seat at the table on the fast food restaurant, ready to place the triplets' and Y/N's orders besides her own.

Nick quickly said what he wanted without taking his eyes off his phone, choosing the photos that he would put in that Friday's photo dump. Chris mumbled his order, resting his left cheek on his hand - which was supported on the table by his elbow -, his eyes focused on the digital menu on his own phone.

Madi nodded to the two before turning to Matt and Y/N, waiting for them to say what they wanted.

"For me, it's just going to be a cheeseburger and a Diet Coke. And Matt's going to have a double cheeseburger and a root beer." Y/N counted on her fingers as she said each food, watching Madi nod when she finished. "Thank you, Madi." She blew the brunette an air kiss.

Matt pressed his lips to the top of Y/N's head lightly before pulling her to rest the back of her shoulder against his chest.

༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

"No, Chris, I don't want a blueberry donut." Matt rolled his eyes, huffing as he leaned his hips against the table, his arms crossed.

"You're hungry, and it's the only thing we have right now, Matt." Chris rolled his eyes back, exchanging looks with Nate, who smiled, amused by his reaction.

"What happened to you today? Did you wake up with the wrong foot?" Nick asked, his tone full of annoyance, wrinkling his nose.

"Why don't you shut-" Matt's sentence was interrupted by Y/N entering the kitchen, humming a Taylor Swift song under her breath.

"Oh, hi guys! Good morning." Y/N smiled brightly at the four of them, her eyes shining as she met Matt's, approaching him with quick steps - throwing smiles towards Chris, Nick, and Nate as she passed them. "Hi baby." She rose on her tiptoes, sealing his lips in a quick kiss.

A smile automatically grew on Matt's face, his eyes taking on a lovestruck look, all the anger he felt vanishing.

"Did you eat? I didn't see you eating breakfast earlier. You must be hungry." She asked, still facing him, her brow furrowed in concern as her right hand rested lightly on Matt's stomach, stroking the covered skin.

"No, baby. There's nothing interesting here." The boy sighed dramatically, ignoring his brothers' murmurs of disgust.

"We still have blueberry donuts, honey. There are some left over from the video you three made yesterday." Y/N pointed to the counter, where the box of donuts sat next to the stove. "You liked them, right?" She moved slightly away from Matt, reaching out and taking one before handing it to the boy.

Matt instantly smiled, taking the sweet from Y/N's hands with his right one and bringing it to his mouth, biting off a small piece. His left hand rested on Y/N's hip, caressing the area.

"It doesn't even look like he just-" Nick began his sentence, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Thank you, my love." Matt cut Nick off, sending a glare in his direction over Y/N's right shoulder before opening a big smile to her, biting off another piece.

༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

"Hi, good afternoon! How are you?" Y/N greeted the McDonald's attendant, a big smile lighting up her face, as her eyes went to the board where the menu was displayed, mentally confirming what she was going to order.

The attendant smiled back quickly, her heart warming at finally being able to have a kind costumer who wasn't in a bad mood.

"Good afternoon! I'm great, thank you." She nodded momentarily, placing her fingers on the computer screen, ready to select the order. "What can I do for you today?" Her eyes went from Y/N to Matt, who was standing behind the girl.

His hands rested in the front pocket of the hoodie that covered his upper body, while an awkward smile spread across his face, nodding briefly.

Y/N started ordering calmly, including Chris and Nick's orders that she had already memorized - even though they both said they didn't want anything, she knew that Nick would end up biting a peace of her burger and Chris would steal Matt's fries -, giving the attendant time to select everything without rushing.

"Is that all for today?"

"Yes, that's all." Y/N confirmed, taking Matt's wallet out of her purse and taking out her card, quickly paying for the order. "Thank you so much. Have a nice day!"

Matt quickly mumbled a "thank you" before intertwining his fingers with Y/N's, allowing her to pull him toward a table.

༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

Yes, they were polar opposites, but Matt and Y/N showed every day that opposites really do attract each other.

༻✦༺ 　༻✧༺　༻✦༺

My asks are always open. Feel free to send requests or anything at all 🩷💋

And remember to treat people with kindness always!

~ taglist:

@lustfulslxt @ladybunny44 @worldlxvlys @earth2starkey @remussbitch @freshloveforthefit @il0vebeingdelulu @sturniolowhore @mimi-luvzyu @alorsxsturn @urfavgirllyyyyy @domizzzsstuff @sturnizd @hearts4chris @cupidzsq @dracoflaco @leah-loves-lilies @tylerthecreatorsrealwife @rootbeerworshiper

(If you want to be added to the taglist, please comment here)

[no-psi-nan]

Haha no worries! It's downplayed a lot in the series because it's supposed to be a comedy, but when you start looking more closely at the stuff Kuniharu does, it paints a picture of a terrible father and a bad husband too.

It's been a topic on the blog several times, so I'm sure people can chime in with more evidence, but here's what's off the top of my head...

Raised Kusuke. Nuff said tbh lol.

Kuniharu calls Kusuo a monster multiple times and is almost certainly the reason why Kusuke and Kusuo himself believe that Kusuo is an inhuman freak. This attitude is certainly not coming from Kurumi, and nobody else knew about Kusuo's power. From the beginning of the series, Kusuo genuinely believes he's unable to connect with other human beings, and it's mostly because of this attitude inherited from his father.

Kuniharu is never seen attempting to prevent Kusuke from constantly picking fights with his brother, and only attempting to discipline Kusuo for behavior that Kuniharu considers disrespectful to him. This is mostly a fact by omission, but we do see him belittling Kusuke when the kid obviously already has an inferiority problem.

Kuniharu is one of the worst performers at his job and the first to be let go in the case of a crisis. When he loses his job, he's unable to find any others because his only real skill is shoe-licking. This was a parody chapter though so questionably canon. He's always running late for his job though and we see him trying to make a manga artist rip off Naruto, so honestly it makes sense that he's that bad at his job. The only time he's shown as slightly competent at his job was during a parody chapter too hsfjdlshfks.

However what's definitely canon is that he either doesn't make much money or mis-spends most of it. In an area where Nendo's mom, a single woman, and Satou's family, the exact average family, can afford to live, Kuniharu had to take out an 80 year mortgage to pay for a similarly sized home. For context, most mortgages are for 30 years, 15 if you git gud. Btw, the house was literally a gift from Kusuke, Kuniharu insisted on paying out of manly pride or something. Sir, Kusuke is a freaking billionaire and this is like the only single no-strings-attached genuinely kind thing he's ever done hsfjdlshfks

Completely irresponsible with money: has a huge Valentine's day budget for his wife's gift ($3,000 iirc?) and then spends it all at the bar paying for his coworkers' drinks (the same guys who abuse him at his job and think he's garbage). He also spends huge amounts of money on his model figure collection, and has a whole room of gym equipment he never uses. As a result, Kusuo has a very small allowance and for some reason, his one favorite food (coffee jelly) is not included in the grocery list. Even though Kusuo canonically gets insane rock bottom prices for literally everything that gets bought in the household. How do you fuck up so badly financially that you can't buy your clinically depressed son the one (inexpensive!) thing that brings him joy??

By the way, Kuniharu started dating Kurumi when he was a college student and she was in high school. Kusuke was born like a year after they met, so you can do the math about how little time he spent before knocking her up 😬 They basically had a shotgun wedding. No wonder Kurumi's dad is NOT a fan of Kuniharu...

Literally one of the first chapters is Kuniharu and Kurumi domestic violence but make it funny. They're throwing furniture, Kuniharu is breaking the windows, Kurumi is yeeting her husband, and all this shit is over a single coffee jelly, which again, should be a normal part of the groceries for their household. They constantly bring their son into this drama too, which I'm sure is fantastic for his mental and emotional development btw.

There's a manga exclusive chapter that's a parody, so questionably canon, but in it Kuniharu physically attacks Kusuo multiple times over differences in opinion.

However, it IS canon that Kuniharu takes any opportunity to try to physically harm Kusuo. Ex. Hitting him in the massage episode and trying to step on him when he turns tiny.

Canon tries to redeem him a bit by showing moments where Kusuo is a baby and Kuniharu is trying really hard to make him smile because he wants his baby boy to be happy. Unfortunately that just makes it seem like he tried to be a good father for a bit when Kusuo was a baby, and then as soon as Kusuo's powers developed enough to make him miserable (the time when he needs the MOST familial support!), Kuniharu just gives up, and starts using Kusuo as his personal genie in a bottle. While also trying to fix his own fragile ego by attempting to establish dominance over his son. ????? Get therapy bro.

Canon also shows that Kuniharu's love points for Kusuo are the same as for his wife, however, not even Kuniharu believes that, as he tries to run away to evade it hsfjdlshfks. And even if he does love his son that much, he certainly doesn't show it in any meaningful way, because his literal MIND-READING SON doesn't know that. There are plenty of parents who truly love their kids and still abuse them like hell because they think that's the right thing to do (see Kaido's mom being overly strict because she wants to see him succeed in life), so the love points don't mean much imo.

Kuniharu does dole out a couple of pieces of wisdom (at Kusuo's wrong date birthday party and in the volcano arc) but that really doesn't make up for anything and even his wife thinks he's childish so... 🇫

Kuniharu is definitely funny as a character, and like I said, most of this requires digging into canon a little more, but once you start looking, it becomes clear that Kuniharu is just not a good person, father, or husband.

Like, I totally get that having a genius and a god as your kids would not be easy for any parent, but Kuniharu really doesn't try to make life better for either of his sons, preferring to get into petty squabbles with his wife and play video games/build models the rest of the time. I'm not saying dads can't have hobbies, but the only times we see him spending time with Kusuo is usually when he's begging for a favor, and he also clearly does zero housework whatsoever, so...

Anyways, I think Kurumi deserves a better husband and Kusuo deserves a better parent (or at least a break from being used as a magical favor vending machine lol) so I often joke on here that Kurumi should get a divorce and run polls about who she should marry instead and such!

Hope this helps! 👍🏾 Thanks for the question!

[paranoidginger]

My personal rankings of different tf2 ships that I've seen!!

1- I don't like it at all. 10- I love it!!

Heavy x Medic: 11/10 I absolutely adore them together, they're perfect for each other.

Heavy x Spy: 5/10 not my personal favorite, but I don't hate it.

Heavy x Sniper: 2/10 I've never actually seen this one before, but I don't really care for it.

Heavy x Scout: 2/10 again, not a huge fan. I honestly see Heavy as more of a father figure to scout.

Heavy x Pyro: 5/10 another one I haven't seen before, but I don't mind the idea of it. Their chemistry could be interesting.

Heavy x Soldier: 6/10 I haven't seen very much of this ship, but I do think they're funny together. They definitely have some potential.

Heavy x Demo: 5/10 another I haven't seen before, not quite sure how to feel.

Heavy x Engie: 5/10 POOTIS-

Demo x Soldier: 9/10 only docking a point because I see them more as platonic soulmates over being in a romantic relationship.

Demo x Medic: 5/10 not a personal favorite, but they are definitely funny together.

Demo x Scout: 5/10 another one that I don't feel very strongly towards.

Demo x Pyro: 7/10 Fire and explosions, my friends.

Demo x Engineer: 6/10 I can see them as drinking buddies when they aren't on the field.

Demo x Spy: 4/10 never seen it before, don't care about it either.

Demo x Sniper: 10/10 I wish they had more interactions together in the comics with both of them conscious. Swordvan is in my top three for sure.

Engie x Scout: 1/10 not a fan of this one at all. I see Engie as far more of a father figure than a romantic interest for Scout.

Engie x Soldier: 7/10 not my preference, but they can definitely be cute together.

Engie x Pyro: 0/10 They are literally family in my mind, Engiedad moment.

Engie x Medic: 8/10 They're definitely besties, but I don't really ship them myself, personally.

Engie x Sniper: 4/10 I don't think I've seen this one before. I don't care all that much for it though.

Engie x Spy: 10/10 Perfect slow burn dynamic, I love them together.

Medic x Spy: 5/10 I can understand why people enjoy it, it's just not my cup of tea

Medic x Sniper: 5/10 again, just not my personal favorite.

Medic x Scout: 1/10 Yet another situation of me seeing a character as Scout's father figure.

Medic x Soldier: 5/10 another uncommon one! They do have their charm together, I can say that.

Medic x Pyro: 4/10 I don't care very much about this one.

Sniper x Scout: 8/10 I fully understand why people like this ship so much, for me, however, it is simply outweighed by swordvan.

Sniper x Soldier: 5/10 not sure how to feel about it, it's another very uncommon one.

Sniper x Pyro: 4/10 don't like this one a whole lot, even though I haven't seen it much.

Sniper x Spy: 1/10 Unpopular opinion, I know. It just feels weird knowing that Sniper is the same age as Scout, who is Spy's son.

Spy x Scout: -9999999/10 WHO THE HELL WOULD SHIP THIS- straight up NASTY.

Spy x Soldier: 5/10 I feel pretty neutral on this one.

Spy x Pyro: 2/10 I just don't see it happening.

Scout x Soldier: 4/10 I don't hate it, but I don't like it very much.

Scout x Pyro: 9/10 I think they have a lot of potential together! I like to call the ship "Hotwings" because it's funny.

Soldier x Pyro: 2/10 I really just don't see it happening, tbh.

Honorable mentions!

Pauling x Scout: 0/10 Scout, you dumbass, she's a lesbian.

Soldier x Zhanna: 10/10 They're both so dumb, but so adorable together.

Saxton x Bidwell: 10/10 Yes. Simply, yes.

Admin x Pauling: 0/10 Ew.

My top 3 tf2 ships are!!!!

Heavymedic

Engiespy

Swordvan

I do apologize for the lack of Poly ships in this list, this on its own was a lot to keep track of, lol.

[auricgold0]

Random ideas I doubt I’ll ever write but I want someone else too #1

-Wilbur finds a dog/ wolf and tames it, rushing around for the day trying to keep the dog in check. The dog's name is Ozi (short for ozymandias) could include Quackity but includes Tommy for help with pets and shit.

-Randomly Wilbur creates and drinks a potion which practically gives him powers. He uses it to his advantage, an inconvenience to Las Navadas ending in a burst of flames or really cute idk.

-Dsmp au or just like au in general where Quackity and Wilbur are like life and death, put together as systematic partners to keep each other in check.

-Quackity and Wilbur (Dsmp) accidently become parents. Wilbur jokingly applies for an adoption paper just to piss Quackity off but when a little girl shows up to Quackitys place havoc reeks. Quackity and Wilbur decide to take care of this kid but stay rivals, the girl going back and forth between them. Romance happens, they both ease up more but they still hate each other cause yk it's them.

-Wilbur puts on eye makeup and is forced around Quackity by like Tommy or something and Quackity is just a mess for him like that so his demeanour is more distracted

-Wilbur sneaks into the library in Las nevadas late at night and Quackity ends up bumping into him while foolish is Discussing renovations to the design, it being too out of place or sum. Wilbur tries to hide from Q but Quackity finds him and asks what Wilbur is doing here. Wilbur goes on about books and Quackity blurts out that he used to have one before remembering it was ghostbur. Angsty shit, Wilbur goes on about Ghostbur and how people preferred him and Q reassures him. Then Q offers to suggest Wilbur some books, asking his opinion on the design.

-Quackity taps into his more nightmare guy and freaks Wilbur out while gambling blah blah idk - inspired by Alastors game

A fic where Wilbur forces himself into Quackitys home and convinces Quackity to let him crash for a few days. Cue arguments and overly clingy Wilbur who tries to hide that fact. Maybe have it lead up to his ending where he says goodbye or they fall in love so like a cute ending. Have them learn more about each other either accidentally or on purpose. A way to know your rival through living with them.

-Book of life au. Wilbur is a journalist travelling to Mexico after years of not being there. Last time he was he met The chief(Schlatt) and the researcher from the place (Quackity or change what he is) he comes back and his love blossoms

-Character them somehow finds fan fiction of themselves and read it (idk)

-They end up in the real world having to adapt to society and try to act normal. Having to buy houses, gambling addiction, laws etc. Wilbur ends up staying or they both go back and have a sweet ending. In the London area. Quackity realising Las Vegas is real, they have to work together.

-People are always claiming how they are the sun and moon . NOPEEE. Quackity is the moon, Wilbur the stars both equally as light and dark as each other. Stuck together because they're both in the dark 24/7. Do something symbolic with that

-Wilbur is like idk questioning his sexuality and stuff so he tries to be stubble and ask Quackity but it turns into a argument idk. I’ll probably actually figure out a plot but I want there to be dancing with Quackity in the lead, teasing Wilbur almost.

-The ‘there’s only one bed trope’ but them. Plot twist they don’t fuck but instead share sleepy secrets or admirations about the other and Wilbur falls asleep for the first time in a while. Why? Because he’s next to Quackity😍

[ryker-writes]

Because I love hearing people gush about their favs: Why do you like Sebek so much?

oh boy you're in for a ride

I love Sebek so much because not only is he adorable but he's super cool! I tend to love characters that are strong but can also be silly like Sebek is a knight but he could also get wrapped up in the randomness and no-brain activities with everyone! His passion and loyalty to Malleus are very admirable and you can't convince me he wouldn't be just as passionate and loyal to his friends and partner. He's a hardworking knight who actually takes those he cares about into great consideration and looks out for them and trusts them. He won't let anyone shame or slander those he cares about and sticks to his beliefs. I also tend to love knight/general characters in most fandoms too. But Sebek is so adorable! Seeing him makes me feel happy. I would sit down and listen to him talk about Malleus all day and I would also want to tell him that I see him the same way he sees Malleus. Sure, he can be loud and blunt and has his opinions on humans but I do think that his attitude towards humans comes mainly from Briar Valley culture than anything. His loud nature is cute and I like people who can be more blunt and not dance around things. Sebek is a great protector and I love him so much like I want to give him so much affection and would love to just be by his side

I also know a lot of little facts about Sebek that I will now ramble about because they're all so cute.

Horses are scared of Sebek and he's actually scared of them too (something we have in common)! He joined the equestrian club because he thinks every knight should be able to ride a horse and he didn't look into the other clubs much! He also doesn't do well in the cold and prefers warmer climates! It's because of this that he enjoys the Botanical Garden because it's warm and he struggled with the cold in the Harveston event. Sebek also is a big reader and has borrowed books from Azul and was gifted a rare book for his birthday from Azul! He was actually a late bloomer when it comes to magic too. When he was a kid he would be in awe watching his siblings use magic and light candles! Speaking of siblings, he has an older brother and a older sister but both of them are much older than him. They used to go on family fishing trips too! Sebek admires his mom a lot for being a strong and capable fae and has mixed feelings about his father. He doesn't understand why his mom fell for a human dentist (or why his human father was living in Briar Valley in the first place), but his mom is said to have fell in love despite the disapproval of everyone around her because he was human. Sebek has also said that his father loves to give him and his siblings gifts a lot and Sebek doesn't understand it much. Sebek takes great care in his appearance and even uses hair gel to slick his hair back every morning because he wants to look his best in front of Malleus. He even wants to grow his hair out like Malleus! He even has a picture of Malleus in his room that he greets and says goodbye to every time he leaves or enters. We also hear of some cute moments about when Sebek was younger. Malleus once gave a small Sebek a cookie and he carried it around with him everywhere and treasured it but cried when it accidentally broke. He also used to be very scared on Halloween and would even wet the bed and Silver once promised him to stay awake and hold his hand the entire night. Silver fell asleep though and Sebek considers him a traitor because of it. Sebek also has a large appetite and thinks the school food is lacking and doesn't have enough protein. He likes meat and isn't much of a fan of black coffee, but still drinks black coffee because Malleus drinks it. He's also jealous of Kalim and Jamil's relationship and wishes he could've been born earlier to take care of Malleus.

[sky-kiss]

hello <3 I’ve been lurking around the raphael tag little niche and I see that a fairly popular concept is tav/durge duchess (love the concept love the energy, very big fan of it in your fic as well) and I was wondering, since raphael struggles with sort of minimising how much his mortal side is perceived in favour of appearing as much as possible as a devil with a capital D (see his celebratory paintings being all about his devil form), whether that by itself would be a peculiar choice to take a mortal as a consort. or if you think he sort of did the math and went well tav/durge is a very effective asset he can keep close and its sort of worth it take the loss of sort exposing himself to other archdevils being judgemental over it (especially since the hells seem very much like a only devils can sit at the grown up table lmao)

/Stares at you. Sighs. Sips scotch/

So, I see. You're finally here to kill me, anon.

Alright. Let's get into it. If we're being entirely honest, I do not believe that Raphael would offer Tav/Durge a place as his consort. I genuinely don't. Especially not directly after they've given him the Crown. I've done it a few times recently, mostly because it's the only place to conveniently put it. And it works for short-form posts.

But if we are talking about genuine Raphael, it's my opinion that he would not offer. He may be fond of you, but his version of fondness would translate more to like...how fond you are of a good dog, or a subcontractor who put in great work. You aren't equals. "Friends," but not equals. Raphael's interest in Tav/Durge stems from what they can provide him. Once he has the Crown, he sees himself as having succeeded. You might meet for drinks like he's promised, but he has no reason to continue the relationship.

However, there is something to be said for an adventurer's soul. And Tav/Durge would be a massive catch further down the line. By the endgame, the TadFools are a bunch of freaks if we're power scaling. They're only level 12, but the games mechanics and the psycho gear they acquire allows them to punch well above their weight class. With their stat blocks, their party of four could probably fight Zariel. And on that note, because of game mechanics, Raphael could probably take Zariel (based on her 5E statblock) in a cage match, even without the Crown. He'd at least make it close. That's how powerful the crew is by the end. So, they would be a crazy powerful asset to acquire.

To the point of offering them the role of consort: no. I don't think he'd do it. Not right after the Crown, at least. And it's something I wish I'd made clearer in my long fic. I'd clarify it in a rewrite. Raphael never actually offers Joi/Durge the role of consort. Haarlep moves for her to be in that role. Haarlep informs Mephistopheles that she's his new consort. Meph is the first one to actually state it and does this in front of Dispater to discredit his son. Raphael then plays along with it in order to build his influence with the succubi/incubi. It's self-preservation, power, and arrogance that motivates the decision, not affection.

So uh...yeah. Sorry. I don't....I don't think he'd take Tav/Durge as his consort. Maybe after he's had his assbeat for a while? And they crusade and prove themselves to be incredibly useful?

But we lie to ourselves for fiction. Sorry for the longpost.

[lambcow]

My Plan for the Upcoming Twilight TV Show so that it's actually Good

I heard recently that they're doing a Twilight TV show. The rights are out there at the very least. Who knows when it will happen and what network will produce it where, but it's going to happen.

But here's my thing - they're going to do it wrong if they do it the way I think they will, which is anything like the timeline of the Books/Movies. As a hardcore Twilight fan (yes I'll admit it, I spent a long time in fandom as a preteen, okay? It was my first online fandom and the first fanfiction that I wrote) I have Opinions(TM) about how to make the show in a way that would make it interesting. Stephanie Meyer had interesting ideas and I stand by this! There's a lot of untapped potential in the series and I think if they did it right it could be a really, really cool show! But there's not much going on if we just rehash the same events of the books over again at an episodic level.

No.

I present to you, not the TV show "Twilight", but the TV show "Cullens", which starts off with Carlisle Cullen as he has come to America when he finally starts to build his Coven.

This is NOT the story of whiny Bella Swan and her falling in love with Edward and becoming a vampire over 4 books or 5 movies, but rather the story of a man who has already spent over two centuries as a vampire, struggling because of his love for humanity as he finds purpose and meaning as he builds his family. We follow his story as he collects his coven.

We truly open on the show when Carlisle finds Edward dying of Spanish Influenza and decides to turn him for humanity's sake because he would die and because he as a man is lonely and this boy is so young, only 17, and Edward's mother begs him to do whatever he can to save her son and who knows, maybe Carlisle's been watching him and he sees him like a son already too. Maybe we get flashbacks to Carlisle with the Volturi for those 20 years he stayed with them in Italy back in the early 1700s, who knows. The fact of the matter is, that Carlisle is a doctor at the hospital where Edward is, and for whatever reason that we as an audience are compelled to understand in this first and important episode is Carlisle is finally done being alone and craves family and Edward resembles that for whatever reason, so Carlisle gives in and turns him. The next several episodes are an arc about their relationship as we deal with newborn Edward. We know how hard it is to adjust to being newly turned. After he calms down, Edward then has to confront his mortality and that of his family, we see him start to remember his family and confront those memories. More flashbacks to the Volturi as Carlisle explains what being a vampire is to Edward etc.

We follow the pair then as they travel around with the cover story that Edward is Carlisle's nephew. It's three years later when Esme enters the picture. What we know already is she attempted suicide and Carlisle turned her to save her - and that they have history since Carlisle treated her for a broken leg some ten years prior when she was 16 years old. Fast forward to now and she's gone through an abusive marriage where she ran away from her husband several times, most recently after getting pregnant, and has just lost her baby due to a lung fever. At her wit's end with all of it, Carlisle finds her after she jumps off a cliff attempting to end her life. They end up falling in love and getting married after she is turned. That's several episodes I'm sure. GREAT ARC. But Esme struggles with blood lust, which is a great transition into the conversation for what happens just a few years later with Edward...

We can tie more vampire politics into the show (especially the Volturi into it) when Edward goes through his Ripper phase when he decides he doesn't want to drink animal blood like Carlisle teaches him. The two fight but what can Carlisle do? Maybe there are other vamps around as well to cause extra drama. Who knows? It is a TV show, after all. He goes off on his own and that's a whole plot. I'm sure the network could find some interesting ways to make this dramatic for a few episodes and keep enough plot points alive. Add in some new OC's and side characters. Remember the Denali clan? When do they start being formed? There's not a lot of context on them, just that they're close with The Cullen's. Maybe we get some of their story and interaction here. Maybe Sasha (the original leader who was killed by the Volturi for creating an immortal child) reaches out to Carlisle at some point near the beginning and this is when they all become vegetarian vampires together before the whole Denali clan is formed too.

Fast forward to when that arc is resolved. Edward is back with Carlisle and Esme and the peace is back. Now, we get Rosalie... Now, the thing with Carlisle, is he doesn't turn people just to turn people. He's very moralistic. We learn that all the time about his character. I'm sure our little trio has traveled on from Chicago and is in New York where they encounter Rosalie Hale who was assaulted nearly to death by her husband and all his buddies. Carlisle is somewhat of a matchmaker here and hopes Rosalie and Edward can keep each other company for their immortal lives... it makes me wonder what episode and background we can throw into the show here. Did Carlisle know this girl in any other capacity? Why are his dad senses tingling about Rosalie anyway? That's gotta be an arc.

Anyway, turns out Rosalie is not only not interested in Edward, but she's only really interested in staying with the Cullens because being alone forever would get lonely, so she stays with them... but that's after her revenge arc because Rosalie Hale is a certified Bad Ass. She goes after her Fiance and all his Dude Bros and takes them all out, and I can just imagine her executing this flawlessly as a vamp. I do wonder if Edward reads her mind about her plans and asks if he can help her, though. Eventually, she gives in and it's Sibling Bonding(TM) at its finest. It's this bonding that convinces Rosalie to stay with the Cullens after all, and that's that.

Next, we get Emmett. Now, this is a fun one! Because we get Emmett who starts pining over the gorgeous Rosalie Hale when they move to this new place. I'm not sure it says where they are, but I digress. Do we have a bit of the Bella/Edward vibes here? Are there warnings of "don't let the human close"? Is this around the time when we've just had the Denali arc and are reminded of the human child being killed? Is Carlisle having flashbacks? What is the drama? Make it interesting, TV people! Is Edward mad that Rosalie is flirting back? Is it harmless? Who. Knows. -- But then, it doesn't matter because Emmett is getting mauled by a bear in the woods and... wait, why is Rosalie even there? Why does she even find him? Hmmm, seems like she's following him around protectively ;) well- whatever the reason and drama, Emmett is near dead and she saves him and brings him to Carlisle to be turned. The reactions of the coven... the reactions of the town, of his family, of his friends, the drama. Make it interesting, once again, people! This is TV gold! It's cliches and everything you want for TV, c'mon! And then, of course, since they were already practically in love already, they really can be together, but now they have to leave because Emmett is supposedly dead and the Cullens are complicit in that for some reason too perhaps. So they get out of dodge and where do they go now?

If you guessed Forks, Washington, you're right. It's the first time and it's time to get into the legends and deal with The Wolves(TM). It's all about the Quiluetes and it's time to make a treaty with The Pack(TM). Ephraim Black is Jacob's great-grandfather and the leader of the tribe. Whoooa boy. I can think of sooooo much they can do with this,. And just how long do the Cullens stay in Forks the first time around? It's a whole arc. Maybe it's a season. We get some good wolf content. We get some pack dynamics. It's great. We get some beef between Rosalie and the wolves maybe, because there's obvious dislike between her and the wolves later and it's gotta be for a reason more than just their smell, I know it. So, several episodes there. Maybe even some fighting. I know it ends with a treaty, but that's not easily won. Maybe it's Rosalie they found first and one of the wolves attacked her before they were able to make talks for peace. Yeah. I can see this season being really fun.

So, after all that goes down, maybe there's something with the Volturi? Something with the Denali? They do end up staying with the Denali Coven for a time. Maybe they go somewhere else for a little while after they've overstayed their welcome in Forks. Sometime around the 1940s they leave. During the 1950s Jasper and Alice wander upon them and at this point, I fully believe we would get a several-episode arc of Jasper's origin story with the Civil War and the Newborn Army - but they've gotta make it interesting somehow, so there's gotta be a parallel conflict in the timeline that makes it relevant, like I keep saying, make it interesting. Who knows where the Cullens are living right now at this point, but there's crazy everywhere and they're vampires they're practically magnates for danger and chaos. Make something up. Family drama, vampire drama, whatever you need. Where are more of those OCs. And don't forget! We have all the covens and vampires from the battle in Breaking Dawn that we can draw on at ANY point in the show for extra vampires to make any of this interesting as well! Make. It. Make. Sense. How does Carlisle know everyone all the time??? Add spice, add interest, and make the Cullens well-connected in a way that makes sense!

Once we get through Jasper's origin story, we get how he and Alice met, which of course is that Alice saw him in a vision. Alice is such a fun character.

And what do they do in the interim 60 years until Bella? Um, not really sure, but we can find some filler or we can time skip. Not like we haven't been doing that anyway. I also have this vague idea that the whole first few seasons are vaguely a la How I Met Your Mother where they're always telling the story to Bella or Renesmee or someone anyway -- oooh telling the story to Ren would be cute actually... that has potential. Grandpa Cullen telling his granddaughter about how all the family got together. That's adorable, whether you like Renesmee as a character or not. Tell me I'm wrong... Anyway, so then maybe it's like, "So what about mom?" or something and we jump to the actual plot of the Twilight books.

But we don't just get the Twilight books, we get the full in-depth. We get the shifters in La Push full with Emily and Sam and Quil, Embry and Jake, and Paul and all the bois, we get the whole story from Bree Tanner on the side as that develops. We get random check-ins with the Denali clan, because that's relevant! We get Edward's perspective on things as well when he meets Bella and how he runs away to the Denali clan because he's dead lusting for her blood! We get complex feelings and all the arguments about it! We get Rosalie and Edward fighting because isn't she being hypocritical about Bella?

We get the Volturi and more drama from the throne room as they learn about the Cullens and their drama just like we have been following Volturi drama on and off all series long. We know the personalities of Caius and Marcus and their dynamic with Aro. We've already heard the origin story of Jane and Alec and we know how brutal the terror twins are. We get the Volturi women Sulpicia, Athenedora, Chelsea, Heidi, and Renata. Don't even get me started on Demitri and Felix and my headcanon of their epic friendship. So, yeah, Volturi stuff.

All of it comes to a head at the final battle in Breaking Dawn just like we know but with so much more meaning than ever before because of the rich history we have from seasons upon seasons of "The Cullens" or "Cullen" or whatever you end up calling this show. It's amazing, it's beautiful, we've laughed, we've cried, we've become a family over and over again and Carlisle has a family and this is his family and he is happy.

Will they make it like this? Probably freaking not, but this is my one request to the universe. Don't make a "Twilight" TV show. Make a "Cullen" TV show.

Please.

[acesofspadess]

Avocados...

a/n: its the big three...

summary: Louis ends up talking about his relationship with you and avocados

The news had been out for a few months now that you, Louis, Niall and Harry were in a committed relationship. And while it wasn't exactly news to your fans who had predicted it since you had all met during the One Direction days, people had opinions they felt had to be heard. You four already kept your personal lives to yourselves, but the occasional ‘my girlfriend’ or ‘my boyfriend’ would present itself in interviews or shows.

Louis was at LADbible for a day of interviews  and was currently doing a snack war.

“You know i feel really bad for saying this because i actually really fucking hate baked beans.” He looked up at the crew in front of him, seeing their faces. “I must be one of the only men in England- or only person in England that hates baked beans, yeah.” He brought the plate to his side listening to Becky, a crew member, try and give him the easiest way to eat it. 

“Go on, let me.” he flipped his eyesight to the other bowl. “And what have we got here? What's this?” he put down the fork before switching back to the beans. “I'll come to this in a sec shall? Right. Oh, i fucking hate beans, do you know what? For you lot, though, I will give it a go. Oh, H will never let me live this down.” He sprinkled some cheese on top, completely missing his mention of one of his significant others. “It must be fifteen years since I've had some beans.”

He listened to Becky explain what was in the bowls, apologizing for not explaining himself. “I don't know, they're just weird.” was his response to why he didn't like it. He took the smallest bite he could and chewed with a pained expression. “Oh, fucking awful, man. Oh that's gross, man.” he shook his head hoping that would diminish the taste from his mouth.

“Right, mac and cheese, fucking staple.” he moved onto the bowl of pasta after taking a drink to rid the taste of beans from his mouth. “Again ‘american’ right? Cause it looks Italian to me.” he took a hefty bite and relaxed in his chair. “Banging though. I had a lot of mac and cheese, or a lot of cheesy pasta, growing up as a kid. To be fair, for my little lad Freddie, my girlfriend - who is half Italian, makes him a lot of cheesy pasta, so… I'd have to go with that.”

“Is there anything else she makes for him? Or is that like the staple?” Becky asked out of pure curiosity.

“My fans are gonna hate me for this, she makes a lot of food from her Trinidad side and one thing we always have in the house is avocados, Freddie loves it when she makes them. She makes those and - i know it's not the right wording but like candied bananas. Those are really good. Actually-”

He took out his phone from his pocket and tapped a few buttons before the facetime ringing was heard. “I really hope she answers otherwise that would be-” he cocked his head with a laugh and watched as the call connected, your beautiful face popping up on the screen.

“Hey love.” a smile so big was plastered on his face as he saw you. “Hey Lou. I thought you were filming still?” your washed Trini accent was heard through the phone, confusion laced within. “I am,” he walked in a circle to show you and laughed. “I don't think you should be on your phone in the middle of an interview, Lou.”

“No I'm not. I wanted to ask you a question though.” The phone was now visible for the cameras to see and they could see you cock your head with questions. “Alright then.” 

“When you make avocados for us you make like this candied banana but i forgot what they're called and i don't want to keep saying ‘candy bananas’ like a wanker.”

Your laugh as well as others was heard and he just shook his head at you. “Its fried plantains Lou. and you can have them sweet or salty. Just like avos.” he was mesmerized with the way you spoke about things from your culture, “Thank you love.”

“Was that it?” you asked, adjusting your sunglasses as you walked out of the shade. “What are you doing and who are you with?” he asked, remembering the second laugh he heard. “I'm with Ni right now. We just went out to this little cafe before going back to the studio where H and Freddie are.” you showed him Niall who made a silly face at lou. “Alright love, I will call you when I'm done. Love you both.” 

Niall who was no longer in frame was heard shouting an ‘ i love you’ back and you giggled. “I love you Lou.”

“Give my love to H and Freddie will you?”

“Of course Lou.”

“Alright , alright, I'll see you later.”

“Love you.”

“Love you too.”

And as he went to hang up Niall's second ‘love you’ was briefly heard. “Right, fried plantains and ‘avos’ as my girlfriend says. The only way I eat them. Fucking avocados man.”

[the-sun-and-the-sea]

Trick or treat! Dealer's choice or a prompt: Finnick and Annie at a haunted house.

Hi, thank you! I hope you enjoy the story <3

Annie pulls her coat tighter around her body and wonders, for perhaps the fourth time, why she came here.

Well, she knows why she's here. It's for the same reason Finnick is. It's because Finnick's friend Peeta had won free tickets to a haunted house but would be out of town this weekend. When he offered them to Finnick, he accepted. Like any reasonable person who likes free stuff.

So, reasonable decision-making all around.

What's less reasonable, in her opinion, is people's infatuation with haunted houses. Annie doesn't quite see the point. Who wants to be scared? But, if for some reason you do, why not do it with a scary movie from the comfort of your couch?

She and Finnick inch closer to the front of the line. Finnick's hand reaches for hers, warming her chilled fingers. "I've never been to a haunted house," he muses quietly, eyes traveling over the decrepit house they're about to enter.

"You haven't?" Annie asks, finding this hard to believe. "You never liked the adrenaline rush?"

He laughs. "I got enough adrenaline from all the cliff diving I did. Although that didn't involve monster or fog machines, so maybe I was missing out."

"I doubt it." It slips out before Annie can stop it, but she finds that she doesn't really care.

"You're not a fan of haunted houses, either?" he asks, the dry leaves crunching under his boots. Wordlessly, she shrugs. "Then what are we even doing here?"

Suddenly, he's stepping out of the line, still holding her hand. "Finnick!" Annie llaughs, caught between relief and shock. "What about the tickets?"

"Who cares? Just because we have them doesn't mean we have to use them. We have free will."

Sometimes, Finnick helps her remember what she forgets, caught up in her stress and responsibilities. That she doesn't just have to go along with things, and that she can be spontaneous. It's something she knows on a logical level, but it's nice to be reminded.

Annie's still laughing softly when they make it back to the sidewalk. "What now?"

Finnick gives a hum of consideration. "Well, we should probably figure out what to do with these tickets."

"Maybe Johanna will want them," she suggests. Her muscles tremble a bit in the crisp air, colder without the anxiety to warm them.

He nods, then pulls out his phone. "Johanna?" he asks once she picks up. "You like being pointlessly scared, right?"

Annie can already envision Johanna's incredulous eye roll.

Johanna must have agreed because Finnick is grinning when he looks back over at her. "Now that that's taken care of, we have some free time. I know a great coffee shop about a block from here."

"Okay," Annie agrees, because she wants something warm to drink. Mainly, she wants to prolong this night.

Finnick is still holding her hand. He adjusts his grip, and they start off down the sidewalk.

[marshmallowprotection]

How do you think the twins feel about having fans in rae? I'm sure they appreciate the public support, but going from no one knowing about you to everyone having that much information about you and your family history must be so uncomfortable

Everything there is to know about the twins is known. People think of them as celebrities by the time we return to Saeran's After Ending. As of the start of that event, it's been almost two months since the first reveal was brought to light, give or take a few days, and in that time, a lot of people have made a spectacle out of them. I mean, look at all of the buzz that happened around SevenStar drink!

Yoosung was one of the ones promoting the soda online in support of Saeyoung! People weren't buying it because they wanted to support the orphanages that the money was supposed to be going to. They were buying everything because they wanted to have a piece of the spectacle. Sure, some of them might've done that, had they known it was the deal between Saeyoung and Chairman Han... but.

I mean, the money was going to the best place it could go to, but make no mistake, I have not a single doubt in my mind that most people wanted to pick up the drink because it had to do with the publicity of all of this. the publicity of all of this. As far as I can tell, people aren't thinking about the humanity in the situation, they're thinking about everything else. 

Imagine what would happen in this universe we live in right now if the leader of a country had illegitimate children revealed, alongside the fact that he apparently kidnapped one of those kids? That's national news, if not worldwide because that kind of event is not something that you can sweep under the rug. Even if everybody thought it was hearsay or some kind of ruse from the get-go, everybody would be talking about it nonetheless.

How could you simply let it slide that a leader you voted for is implied to have done something horrible?

It's just not plausible to avoid it!

Look at this conversation you can have with Yoosung's friend from college who is a "fan" of the twins. Everyone thinks the boys are very handsome and I can't blame them for that, because it is true. But, people are interested in them because of their looks and because of the outright celebrity of the situation.

Everybody wants to be seen with them because it'll boost anything and everything on their social media. Do I think that there are people out there who heard the story that the boys went through and are sympathetic and want to support them for the right reasons?

Oh, yes, I do believe that, but in reality, I know that a lot of people are very shallow.

Unfortunately, there's only so much we hear about public opinion so I can only draw speculation from the people that we are allowed to hear from and interact with in the game when it comes to what all of these people think about the boys.

We even get a lot of support from Yoosung’s mother when we get the chance to speak to her! Her comments are the ones that remind me that not everybody is interested in the boys just because of how pretty they think they are, there are people who genuinely do not like the prime minister and always assumed something underhanded was going on, and now they only have confirmation. 

Another example is the outgoing message on Jaehee’s phone. Out of all of the questions that you could decidedly ask somebody about the boys, why are all of you calling about his hair color? 

More than anything, I know that Saeran doesn't know how to react to any of this.

All he wants to do is live an ordinary life, as an ordinary man, and now he's never going to be able to do that. People are constantly going to think about him even if the news of what he went through fades and calms down eventually, Everyone is always going to know his name and his story. It'll get easier as everything goes by and there's more time to think about the way the world is moving, but I do know one thing, from how he reacted on that phone call with Yoosung’s friend?

He's easily flustered and he doesn't know how to respond to people that supposedly support him and like him because he's not used to that. 

I think he's the kind of person who would be too nice to tell anybody no if they wanted to take a picture with him, or if they wanted to share conversation with him.

Because he is the kind of person that would like to sit down with other people and talk to them, and as long as it doesn't eat too much into his day, I feel like he wouldn't mind the celebrity too much, but if it gets in the way of him being able to have a normal life, then there would have to be a conversation about doing something or changing something to be able to get the piece of privacy he deserves. 

The only thing I'm really worried about are people who aren't going to be considered of his boundaries in the future, you know the people I'm talking about, people who will hit on or make him uncomfortable. That is something that a lot of celebrities have to go through, and we see it with Jumin and Zen, especially. I don't want to think about those details but I know it's something that could happen regardless of how many boundaries he puts up. I know him well enough to say that he would tell people like it is, but he shouldn't have to do that in the first place. 

More likely than not, he's going to be able to survive that situation through the support of everyone around him, and as long as the people around him who consider themselves his fans learn how to interact with him, it won't be a problem. Just let the man enjoy a grocery trip with his partner, please.

He's not asking much. 

God. I don't even know where to start on Saeyoung.

He has been suffering through this Non-Stop and when he is spit out on the other side, he has to learn that the entire world knows about him and there's nothing he can do about it. He is the kind of person who has lived in paranoia his entire life. He is still a paranoid man to this day.

He can't trust anybody and he doesn't want to trust anybody. The only people he can sincerely trust are those he knew before this all went wrong. He doesn't want to be a celebrity, he doesn't want people to know about him, but if it kept his brother from dying, he'll accept it as a necessary evil. 

He won't say anything at all if his brother doesn't mind. He will always put the needs of his brother before himself. If I can say anything, it's that he's not going to want to talk to anybody or give information to anyone else. I mean, think about it, he has had to live in hiding his entire life, constantly changing his name and persona to be able to survive, and now there is a speeding bullet on his back.

The agency that hired him can't destroy him and his father can't destroy him, but you know who can come after him? The countless people he pissed off when he was doing his job. There are people who know his face even if they never knew his name, and that could always be a problem for him. 

His name, his age, his face, and everything you can think of is just out there. When he subjected himself to going on video after the initial sacrifice on the second day, he knew what was going to happen to him. He knew what was going to happen to everyone else. He only did that because he thought it was the only thing that would be able to get his brother to go far, far, far away.

He sacrificed everything willingly in the name of love. He doesn't want his name and face to be out there. 

He wants to have a private life and I can see him going out of his way to wear disguises and avoid people like wildfire if humanly possible. He will spend a lot of time doing everything he can to make sure that he and his brother cannot be followed or tracked because that's just how his paranoia manifests. Until things get settled, I imagine he would spend a lot of time playing bodyguard if only because it helps him feel more in control of his situation. 

He's never going to adjust to people knowing who he is. He went from one extreme to another and there's no words to describe what that must be like. The price of freedom came at a major cost and the twins have to learn how to live with that.

[goddessofwisdom18]

your favorite character being largely disliked by both the stans and the antis is actually so devastating. where am i supposed to go

there are three main opinions about mor in this fandom:

1. she’s fine bc she’s feyre’s bestie but you don’t really care about her personally (probably bc she’s queer because the stan girlies used to LOVE mor when moriel was semi-canon. i remember. i was there)

2. she’s fine but annoying bc she ~lead azriel on~ (main opinion on the acotar subreddit). never mind that if this was true, it would be as a result of a retcon, because again, pre acowar, moriel was going to be canon. sarah made mor sapphic because we were asking for more lgbt characters. (again. i was there.) and besides, i frankly don't think it is true, because azriel is the fucking spymaster with a million chances of knowledge at his fingertips and mor spent 80% of her time at a gay bar so idk how he couldn't have fucking known?

3. or she’s the fucking worst because she was. idk. mean to nesta. you know who else was mean??? and people love that about her because it's a result of trauma, it makes her flawed and relatable? literally nesta T_T this is not anti nesta i just don’t get it.

4. she's the fucking worst because she… supposedly lied about eris? ?? i'm not even going to begin to unpack this. why y'all IMMEDIATELY take the man's side and think what he's saying is bible… i don't fucking know. learn to decenter men in your life my friend. sometimes women ARE telling the truth even if they're basic or pick mes or whatever.

mor’s traumatized as hell and definitely has as much to back up her occasional cattiness as nesta had to back up her literal life long bullying. but few people will give her a feminist reading. few people will analyze how sarah wrote her story or what that means. few people will even give her credit as a real villain. she’s just an annoying pick-me bitch and that’s the end of it.

think about the lack of grace rhysand gives nesta. think about what that might mean for mor, to whom rhys (and his friends) was a sort of savior, because her life in the hewn city was that bad that somehow dealing with rhysand is better. that was who she grew up with; that was what she was taught to see as good because at least it wasn’t keir.

not to mention that her life is shaped around her survival via her desirability to males. ESPECIALLY as a sapphic woman can you imagine what that would do to her psyche?

but no. no fan posts about her. no headcanons. nothing nada. just me and the mor week posts and the occasional obligatory stan reference bc she's part of the main cast.

i understand being annoyed bc of the double standard in canon between her and nesta's heavy drinking, but even then i see posts all the time about "i would love rhys if it weren't for the narrative's worship of him!" and none for mor because she's just a ghost. she's nothing to anybody. despite being A MAIN CHARACTER!

not to mention but like. generally positioning yourself perpetually in opposition to the paradigm rather than just having values whether they're popular or not is not a great way to go about things. i completely understand liking eris regardless of what he's done - i am a tamlin stan despite the fact that he was very well abusive in acomaf - but the fact that there are antis out there who are so convinced mor is lying, or who want sarah to write that storyline, is so digusting to me. women in groups you don't like, political sides you don't like, women you think are annoying - they still deserved to be believed. don't give into respectability politics. come on now.

[space-cat-in-a-teacup]

character ask: lucy, poe, and fitzgerald

Oooh Guild characters, don't mind if I do

Lucy first!

First impression

Anne of Green Gables author! I understand this reference!

Impression now

Best girl, she's just trying to live her life post-Guild arc and exist as best she can. I'm so glad she continues to have a presence in the narrative, and I want to see more of her!

Favorite moment

Guild arc, Moby Dick, Atsushi's prison cell. She bears her scars to Atsushi to show exactly why she hates him (and considering all the other members of the Guild, she's probably used to people who don't understand her pain, who have more to their lives than she could ever dream of) only for Atsushi to reveal he has scars just like hers, that they share this pain that no one else does. And when Atsushi asks if the people on the ground deserve to suffer like she did. GOD.

But a close second is the moment where she drags Atsushi out of the cafe to give Kyouka some peace, explaining to Atsushi why he should give her that peace of mind. It's a cute moment, and I like that it shows Lucy has the deeper emotional understanding in this situation versus Atsushi.

Idea for a story

When I finish that one fic where she becomes a detective thanks to Poe moving to Canada it's over for all of you. And maybe a canon-compliant fic exploring her average every day life at the cafe, how she goes about and what she does with her time

Unpopular opinion

I do not see enough Lucy content to know what opinions of mine would be unpopular or not?

Favorite relationship

Atsulucy is my beloved for a reason... I love they. I would like to explore her dynamic with Kyouka more though, I think they're interesting.

Favorite headcanon

I don't have a specific headcanon, but thanks to some old OC named Lucy I do associate her with ladybugs a lot.

Now, Poe!

First impression

FUCK YEAH I LOVE THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO a shame that isn't his ability BUT HELL YEAH I KNOW POE THIS IS GREAT

Impression now

He's a silly goofy guy who's rivalry with Ranpo is really fun, and the continued use of his ability in present BSD storylines is really cool. As a fan of IRL Poe's writing style and stories, he's an absolute treat. Could use more Cask of Amontillado references though.

Favorite moment

His inroduction is iconic... but the moment where he casually reveals how incredibly wealthy he is and gets to be the one who shocks Ranpo instead of the other way around? Oh, oh that is wonderful.

Idea for a story

As I mentioned above with Lucy, the fic where he fucks off to Canada and accidentally brings her into the mystery business is one I treasure dearly, even if I don't know how to write it just yet. I also have an AU version of him that, while he doesn't have a story yet, is quite an intriguing premise.

Unpopular opinion

I don't have a specific one, but I do feel like the fandom tends to soften him a little bit, make him a little bit too shy and anxious.

Favorite relationship

Ranpoe is iconic, but to be fair it is like... the main one we see in canon. If we're talking about dynamics I'd like to explore with him, I think him getting dragged around by Kenji on a shopping trip or something could be fun (based on that one brief scene in the manga where Kenji tried to help him but couldn't understand him) or a scenario with him and Fukuzawa.

Favorite headcanon

He definitely has an ominous wine cellar in that giant mansion of his. You know why? Cause Cask of Amontillado is-

Now we move on to Fitzgerald himself... oh boy.

First impression

THE GREAT GATSBY???

Impression now

This entire character and the storylines surrounding him are such expertly weaved references to the Great Gatsby that while I don't like the character himself a lot, I do have a secondhand appreciation for him because I love that book.

Favorite moment

The moment he shows up in TJ Eckleburg's house and just casually explains how horrific of a death drinking lighter fluid is kinda funny to be honest?

Idea for a story

...Does that one time I had a Pokemon AU where he got eaten by Reshiram count?

Unpopular opinion

I don't see a lot of content about him so I can't say for sure what is and isn't unpopular?

Favorite relationship

Him with the Guild as an entity, not its individual members. Something really fucked up about how he calls them all his property and that's how he cares about them, not really having much care for their individual cares.

Favorite headcanon

The man is bad at fishing. He likes the idea of it vaguely in that 'white American dads fish' kinda way but he cannot actually fish he's bad at it. If you know you know.

[irithnova]

In your opinion, what is female Mongolia like?

If I'm being quite honest? If I were to envision a female Mongolia, I wouldn't make her personality that much different from her male counterpart!

I think I'd give her the name Sarangerel - meaning moonlight (sorry, my goth side is showing but it's also a very pretty name).

The reason why I say this is because often... What I've noticed anyways, is that when people make female Mongolia ocs they tend to hypermasculinise her or use her as a means to insert pretty generic "step on me" girlboss rhetoric onto her. Of course, a female Mongolia would be a strong woman (especially given the history which I explain later in this post) however there is a difference between making her a strong woman and straight up hypermasculinising her. Of course this isn't always the case, I've seen good female Mongolia ocs! However I've seen it too many times considering how obscure Mongolia is as a character anyways, let alone female Mongolia ocs.

When people do this, they usually think they're doing something groundbreaking, but really - they're not. Mongol women and Northern Asian women in general are hypermasculinised along with their male counterparts, lol. It's kind of comparable to how black women are hypermasculinised and the "strong black woman" trope, this time the "strong Mongol woman" trope.

Time to talk about women in Mongol culture!

Mongol women and men back in the day shared a lot of the same chores! Women did bear a greater responsibility with tasks such as cooking, cleaning and child rearing, however it was vital that both men and women were skilled in all aspects of nomadic life. This is because if one parent died, the other parent would then have to fulfil the role of the deceased one. It would be utterly useless if one died and only knew how to do half the chores which are needed for survival on the steppe!

Further, Mongol women had more rights and say in certain things compared to their foreign counterparts. Mongol women were able to become shamans and participate in religious ceremonies, they were able to own and inherit property. They were even allowed to divorce! Their opinions were also valued in court - the wives of higher ranking Mongol men were allowed to give their say. Further, if their husbands were away, sick, or deceased, they could speak on behalf of them.

This is impressive: Mongol women were also responsibile for packing up and setting up camps, making sure all the family's belongings were put safely on a cart, and actually driving the carts - several of them, actually!

They truly were masters of their craft, and their impressive speed at which they could do this was a huge reason as to why Mongol warfare was so light on its feet.

Further, the consumption of alcohol was a vital element in Mongol celebration. Both women and men were free to drink as much as they wished during feasts, and there was no stigma attached to a woman getting drunk.

Accounts from William of Rubruck:

"And all the women sit their horses astraddle like men."

"It is the duty of the women to drive the carts, get the dwellings on and off them, milk the cows, make butter and gruit, and to dress and sew skins, which they do with a thread made of tendons"

"Then they all drink in turn, men and women alike, and at times compete with one another in quaffing in a thoroughly distasteful and greedy fashion" (he wasn't exactly the biggest fan of the Mongols).

Mongol women played in active role in invigorating the Mongol morale. The Secret History of the Mongols details how the wives of rulers would deliver impressive speeches to warriors in order to encourage them to fight diligently.

There are many famous Mongol women, who were known for their intelligence, shrewdness, and strength:

Queen Manduhai:

Manduhai was born into an aristocratic family, and she married Manduul Khan at 18 and had a daughter (not named). After Manduul Khan's death, she adopted Batmunkh, the last descendant of Genghis Khan, and named him Dayan Khan. When Dayan Khan came of age, she married him and became Empress. Despite her experience, Manduhai supported Dayan Khan and played a crucial role in reuniting the Mongol retainers. Remarkably, she fought in battles even while pregnant, enduring injuries and achieving victory. By establishing Dayan Khan as the rightful descendant of Genghis Khan and defeating the Oirats. Manduhai became a legendary figure.

Hoelun (Chinggis Khan's mother):

After her husband, Yesugei, the tribal leader, was poisoned by a rival, Hoelun fled with her son into the wilderness. At the time, Chinggis Khan, who was known as Temujin, was a young child, somewhere between the ages of nine and twelve. Unable to maintain the allegiance of his father's followers, they were abandoned. Nevertheless, despite their ostracised status, the family managed to survive by scavenging and relying on the resources of the land. Hoelun, portrayed as a resilient and determined woman, gathered her children and established a new life for themselves. Her son would later go on to establish one of the most magnificent empires in history. It's even said that Chinggis Khan was only scared of two things, dogs - and his mother's temper!

Khutulun:

Khutulun was known in Mongolia to be an impressive athlete and fighter. She was born in 1260, and was the daughter of Qaidu, and a great granddaughter to Chinggis Khan. During this time, a civil war was brewing amongst the Mongols. Khublai, who later became the emperor of the famous yuan dynasty, was enthusiastic about pushing the empire forward when it came to governing, politics and the likes. Qaidu on the other hand was not impressed by this, and favoured more traditional Mongol values. Qaidu had 14 sons - however it was his one daughter, Khutulun, whom he relied on the most when it came to military expertise.

Marco Polo has this to say about her:

“Sometimes she would quit her father’s side, and make a dash at the host of the enemy, and seize some man thereout, as deftly as a hawk pounces on a bird, and carry him to her father; and this she did many a time.”

Khutulun was a formidable wrestler - and was adamant about not marrying a man unless he could beat her at wrestling. For every match she'd won - she'd be given 100 horses by the loser. It is said she ended up with 10,000 horses.

Did she actually end up with 10,000 horses? It could be somewhat of an exaggeration, as back then 10,000 was a number that was given to mean "a lot", kind of like how we use the word "a million" today. Nevertheless - she was unbeaten.

Her influence is so great in Mongol culture even now. When you look at male Mongolian wrestling outfits - it leaves the chest exposed. This is in reference to Khutulun - to show that the wrestler is indeed, not a woman.

So in conclusion, I personally wouldn't make a female Mongolia's personality that much different to what I envision my male Mongolia's personality to be like, I certainly wouldn't make her more demure by virtue of her being a woman. Mongol society was quite fair to Mongol women anyways, and has been quite consistently egalitarian (I'm definitely not saying things were/are perfect or that it was a feminist paradise, of course). She'd definitely know her worth, and yes, she would be strong - just like her male counterpart.

I also wouldn't want to risk hypermasculinising her because well, as I said before, both Mongol men and women are hypermasculinised (Northern Asian people are in general) and reducing a female Mongolia to a cheap girlboss type doesn't do justice to that character or Mongol history and culture anyways.

[a-suspicious-lack-of-bagel]

Smoothie: a very silly treatise

In my opinion, the perfect smoothie has 3 ingredients; these being bananas, milk, and spices. (Perhaps I should have said categories of ingredient!) I have several thoughts to share on this:

1. The equipment. There are many ways to process foods into a mush, and some are marketed specifically for use in smoothification! My personal choice, however, is a stick mixer. It does the job and it's handy for sauces and soups also. In terms of container; I use a tall, cylindrical plastic container (jug? vase? I'm not sure. It's food safe, anyway) with a diameter of about 8cm. If you use a different one, you might end up with more or less milk than I use - but my measuring methods are vague and not particularly repeatable and frankly, who cares.

2. The bananas. Bananas used for smoothie should be bordering on over-ripe. Ideally, they should be past the point where you don't want to take them for lunch (because you know they have insufficient structural integrity to survive your bag); but before the point where you put them in the freezer, thinking (optimistically) that one day they will be used for banana bread. Their role is to provide sweetness and texture. You can use 2, or 3, or however many your heart desires! Peel them, break them in half (they may do this themselves), and put them in the jug/container/whatever.

3. The milk. You can use whatever sort you like! When there's milk in our house, it's usually "light" cow's milk, so I use that. Personally I haven't found a non-dairy milk with a taste I like - because I don't like change, and I assume it would be very hard to get a plant milk to taste EXACTLY like cow's milk. Lactose free would be fine - you're not likely to notice the extra sweetness in something like a smoothie. In terms of amount, I like to mostly cover the bananas and leave about a dollar coin's height of banana sticking out. What's that, 3cm? Probably.

4. The spices. Which ones you use is up to you, but make your ancient ancestors proud. You want to use ground spices - the stick mixer won't grind things for you, and it looks pretty when they go into the milk! I always use chilli; often I also add cinnamon and ginger, paprika can also be good. Don't be afraid of using too much (though don't be excessive) - if your smoothie isn't brown at the end, you could Definitely have added more spices. Without the spices, a banana smoothie is OK - but rather bland. Then again, some people are wierd and don't like flavour in their food. They're wrong, but they're allowed to be wrong. You don't need spices! (But I think they're pretty good).

Now, some things ARE wrong - especially, adding more ingredients. Things you may be tempted to add, and shouldn't:

1. Mango. Why? The texture is viscous enough, the smoothie is sweet enough, and I don't think you're adding much to the flavour. You want a mango smoothie? Make one, don't hijack a banana smoothie.

2. Berries, or any other sort of fruit. See above - if you want those in your smoothie, you're making a different sort of smoothie and should leave the bananas out. As a side note, I'm not a fan of a mango smoothie, and I'd prefer to just eat the component fruits of almost any other smoothie.

3. Chocolate or coffee. They might complement the banana flavour, but again - if you want those in your drink, make a drink where they're the focus.

4. Honey. Why? It's sweet (and thick) enough already from the banana. Use the honey in tea or biscuits or something instead.

5. Oats. Again, why? The texture is perfectly fine already.

6. Any form of extra protein. There are other, yummier ways to get protein if you need it. If you're the sort of person who needs the extra protein in their smoothie, do Not be fooled - a liquid breakfast/post workout will Not sustain you for long enough! Take the time to EAT something, and you'll feel better overall, and food is delicious.

7. Vegetables or vitamins. See above - enjoy your smoothie, enjoy food, and get them somewhere else.

8. Ice. Your drink is a frappé now. By definition, it is no longer a smoothie.

9. Anything else. You surprise and confuse me; but if by some miracle I can eat whatever you're mixing in, I may yet be convinced.

Finally, if your bananas HAVE got to the "freeze them before they smell and make the other fruit go off" stage, or you're adding in frozen banana for whatever reason; remember that frozen banana is stickier than fresh banana! You may want to add more milk to balance this.

I'm sure a lot of people will disagree with me about some of this. That's fine! You're wrong, but you're allowed to be wrong (as long as you don't try to make your Smoothie Abominations near me, or feed them to me). I hope that someone at least finds this half as entertaining as it was to write!