#anon read my mind cause this was no.2 from last episode and what i wanted to do

[freensrcha]

looks that had no purpose than to absolutely physically obliterate me pt.10/?

-for anon

[backjustforberena]

I'm really annoyed by what happened in the last episode and I hope they don't mention Rhaenys anymore in future seasons because she deserves to rest in peace.

1) Corlys names the ship after his nickname as a testament to his greatness, when it's clearly stated (and explicitly written by GRRM) that Corlys took his nickname from the ship.

2) I really want to understand the logic behind thinking that naming the ship "The Queen Who Never Was" is a good way to honor Rhaenys' memory. It actually makes Corlys seem clueless, as if he doesn't realize that nickname was painful and humiliating for his wife. It's obvious that Rhaenys would never want to be remembered that way.

3) The director said that Rhaenys never felt like a priority to Corlys and that he named the ship this way to make amends? They've destroyed what little good was left in their relationship (which was already damaged by the unnecessary decision to have Corlys leave for six years, something that doesn't happen in the book).

4) I feel really sorry for Rhaenys and Corlys as a couple because in the book they were genuinely wonderful. The show has turned them into something toxic just to portray Corlys as a terrible husband (and a terrible father). In the book, one of his defining qualities is being a good and loving husband and father.

I'm so disappointed that I want to remove from my mind everything connected to the show and just go back to the book as hotd never happened

Hello, anon! I'm sorry to hear you've been frustrated by the final episode, and frustrated in regards to Rhaenys's death and the aftermath of it. I have a few annoyances, born of more general criticisms of this season. But I'll be honest, I really liked the ship thing, and I will watch Season 3 because I do enjoy the show, even if I think it could have been handled a lot better. I'll go point by point to address your comments thought:

POINT ONE.

There is a way that you can read Corlys's line as not being something against book canon. I have seen Ryan make the mistake in the interview, behind the scenes, when he mistakes Corlys as having named after his ship. But you can interpret "She was a testament to my own glory" in a far more generalised way.

This is a ship that has continued to be foundational to his mythos. He's had this ship for decades: through his voyages, through his wars, through his journeys. He's continually repaired it, never forsaken it, never exchanged it. She became a symbol of his legacy and his reputation, just as much as he may have originated his name from her. She was a testament to his own glory because she was a physical representation and piece of that glory.

POINT TWO.

I have to disagree. Corlys isn't clueless. It's very deliberately done. We don't know how Rhaenys would feel about it but the gesture is a very clear one. He's sacrificing something of his to honour her. The nickname itself is a tricky one. The loss of Rhaenys's claim is no doubt painful and I do think that there was a time in which this moniker was just as painful. But I also think that, like the question of "should she have been Queen" which was a bit of a thorn in Rhaenys's side throughout her journey in S1, there has been some peace to be found.

The nickname has been reclaimed. It becomes a testament to her and to her actions in the war. In the show, for every time Rhaenys is called "The Queen Who Never Was" as a dig, she's also been called it by the people who love her and venerate her as a choice. The most recent of which was Baela. That is her legacy. What that represents, now, has changed from a loss at the Great Council and a woman "not good enough", to the life of a loved woman who went down with honour and fierceness, with a cause and a foresight and a wish for a better world. A woman who fought two dragons without fear.

And that is a way that Rhaenys would like to be remembered. Corlys is cementing that. No one is going to see that ship and think it an insult. No one is going to see it as Rhaenys being humiliated.

Is this mainly done for Corlys's benefit? Of course it is. You'd expect nothing less because that's what people do in grief, when you don't have that person to guide you and you don't have them to love. You build statues or dedicate things or speak about them in terms that the person may not wish or may not agree with. That's normal. That's memory. But Corlys means absolutely no disrespect and I, as a viewer, didn't take it as any. He's doing it out of love. He's doing it to keep her with him.

POINT THREE

I don't agree that the decision to have Corlys leave for six years is unnecessary. I dislike calling anything unnecessary, especially if, when you take it out, you take out a fundamental piece of characterisation or part of an arc or overall plot. You can dislike the choice to take Corlys away. You can absolutely say that it hindered your opinion of viewing Corlys and Rhaenys in a good light. And you are correct in that it's not in the book. In the book, Corlys is ill for an undetermined amount of time.

But the show is the show and Corlys leaving for six years was vital in the way that they wanted events to play out. It's also foundational for Rhaenys and Corlys as separate characters. In S1, you need to remove Corlys so that Rhaenys can step up as a player in her own right and have something consequential to do (something she doesn't have in the book at all). And in S2, we need to have Corlys as a man looking to make amends and atone for his actions - some of which are from the very fact that he left for six years.

They still have good in the relationship. They have plenty of it, to me. Even this time apart for six years has the ability to show how much they love one another because it's the inability to look at the wife he loves that sends him off to war, it's the fear for and desire to be with Corlys that drives Rhaenys through those final episodes. It's the reunion that makes them stronger than they had been when apart so we see them as a unit when they declare for Rhaenyra.

And it's a fair comment of the director to make when speaking about Corlys's motivations. This is how it feels. This is what it looks like. This is how they read it. And Steve would probably admit this as well. I have no doubt that, when at sea, Rhaenys isn't a priority - the priority is the war or escaping his grief or securing his house. I don't think Rhaenys is ever gone from his mind or his motivations (she's very much tied into them) but going to sea eased his own pain, at the cost of her feelings, sometimes.

And now we have Corlys in a position where he realises that she should have been and he should have been better and he misses her fiercely. He could have been a better husband. And he does need to make amends, not only for the sake of her but the sake of his sons and his house and himself. It's a new leaf, I think. The naming of his ship is very symbolic. It's putting aside his own ideas of legacy and his own ambitions... for her.

POINT FOUR

They are not genuinely wonderful in the book. I'm sorry, it's just something I feel compelled to point out each and every time something gets compared to the books because we do not know. We flat-out do not know what Corlys was like as a husband and father, let alone that he was "good and loving". There's very little evidence to go on and I guarantee that everything can be twisted if you want to look at it in a certain way. You can absolutely interpret it in away that you prefer, but you have to face the reality that it can also be interpreted very differently by other people because... it can. The show gives us a solid, unquestionable portrayal of two people. The book, because of the way that it is, cannot and does not give us that.

There is nothing romantic in that book that has been taken away from the show version of Corlys and Rhaenys. At least, not that I recall. Was it a love match? Yes. Were they married a long time? Yes. But that's sort of it, in terms of what we get of that relationship and it's dynamic. Everything else can be interpreted. Literally everything. We do not know how he treated Rhaenys, if he listened to her, if the love continued for a lifetime or faded etc etc. We do not know how he treated his children whilst they were alive, either.

We do not have an insight into Corlys's feelings or actions in any way that can determine him as a doting father and devoted husband, specific to the time the show shows us. Just as we do not have anything in the way of Rhaenys's POV within the same parameters. We have easily interpreted supposition.

I will always prefer the show because they gave us people. They gave us a portrait or a marriage. They didn't give us a massive age-gap and an equally (if not more) scandalous affair that Rhaenys had no control or awareness of. They didn't make them one-dimensional, where Corlys was only ever ruthlessly ambitious without shame or Rhaenys only ever bitter and hateful at those that had wronged her. They made them human. Steve and Eve gave us a great gift in their portrayals. I won't ever be sad for that.

But if you are, and if you do dislike what's happened, then go back to the book. Watch no more. Engage no more. It's entirely within your control.

[llclown-kittyll]

Hi I love ur work - but could u do a yandere septiceyes x reader who is disabled and always unintentionally hurts them self? U didn't have to but the idea is here

I saw this a couple weeks after Anon asked. I hope you're still around to read the fic you inspired!

TW's: Stalking, undiagnosed/ untreated medical issues.

I based this on my experiences and the reader is gender neutral

The world was set up to fail you from the very beginning. This much you knew. You didn’t know who was leaving you small trinkets and small love notes for you in your workplace- but you knew that the world couldn’t care less about you or your ‘issues’. 

Since you could remember, you had episodes of dizziness and lost your coordination skills- that could last minutes to hours, it varied. Pair that with anxiety and sensory issues, and it equaled out to your worst day when both showed up. Realistically, you knew you should get a cane or something. Since the path for a required diagnosis and treatment wasn’t covered by your healthcare plan, it was the next best option. 

But your anxiety would sky-rocket if your coworkers and friends saw you with a cane, and then you’d have to explain why you used it to every single person. It would be none of their business, really, but the social pressure of explaining why and letting strangers invalidate or validate your reason was an expectation- and you didn’t have the strength to go through that.

Punching out, you were just done with today. It was 9PM and today had been hectic to the max. Frustrated customers, cleaning every nook and cranny cause the area managers were visiting, stocking- bending up and down, again and again it was way too much. But trying to be the perfect worker to prove your worth, you pushed. You were the last one leaving, the mall already closing two hours ago. You spent 10 minutes in the break room earlier, sprawled out, trying to get some feeling back into your bones. And in your tired, weary mind, when you saw that the escalator was shut down- you picked the stairs, forgetting about the real possibility that you could die if you had an episode then and there. It was 2 floors- so not awful. Trudging down, you loosely held onto the railing, just wanting to get home already. Everything became a blur slowly, losing awareness because of how stressed out you were and the feeling of dizziness becoming more prominent minute by minute. Stopping a couple times, you took a break so the symptoms slowed down- playing the waiting game and then moving again. Missing a step, you almost fell…

Black sleeved arms caught you around your waist, holding you up from face-planting into the concrete floor. If you weren’t ‘alone’, at a mall, at night- you would've said thanks. But the fact that you never heard a single door open or footsteps fueled your action to grip onto the rail harder and turn around- nothing. Nothing was there... No-one was there… The next morning you forgot all about it, blaming it on your delirium from working a ten hour shift on four hours of sleep and a red bull. It was nothing.

Months passed since then, you almost hurt yourself countless times because of your perfectionism and by ‘chance’ you didn’t. A ‘gust of wind’ pushed the door closed just in time for you to lean on it. Your phone appeared, ringing so loudly in between your couch cushions that you had no choice but to crash instead of continuing cleaning during a dizzy spell and a migraine once. How convenient that you didn’t burn an arm trying to cook while your head was spinning because the electric stove shut off randomly that day. The small gifts from your secret admirer ramped up in price and became spot-on choices of what you liked. Word got around fast- despite your 50+ coworkers. So, you assumed whoever it was, was listening. Small detailed jewelry, costly gemstones, your favorite snacks- it should’ve been alarming. But who were you to question gifts given out of ‘pure romantic obsession interest’? 

Tuesday, on the way to work in a uber, you checked your missed texts. One was sent 4 A.M. and you didn't recognize the number. Your blood ran cold when you read it.

Don’t push yourself to be a perfectionist today, Y/N. I can’t watch you every second like usual- I’ll only be able to check on you every hour today. I’m making everything perfect for our 8 month anniversary and need to spend some time on getting it all ready for tonight. Be careful, Doll. I love you~

The same number showed up as calling after you read it, and with shaky hands, you answered. 

“̶̥͙̬̂͊R̴̢̲͈̿e̴̹̤̲͊͠ă̵̞͇ͅd̸̙̤͘̕͝y̶̤̭͛͋͐ ̵͔̒f̵̣͉̉̎ó̶̧͖̩͗r̵͉̼͚̿̈͆ ̷̙̲͕͂̚o̵̪̓̋ų̴͋r̶̼̬̍̕͜ ̸̬̪͆d̵͓̑̂ą̷̬̦̀t̷̩̩̪͆͒̾ḛ̵̓ ̶̘͌̌̈ẗ̶͉́̐͋o̸͖̟̼͑n̶̳̍̚ḭ̶̔͊ĝ̸̰̲h̵̺̒̒̕ͅt̷̻̠̬͌͝,̵͇͐̾ ̵͓͌͝D̸̦̦̽̀ạ̶̫͊̀̉r̴̙̈́l̸͕̫̭̓̒ī̷̻n̷̩̂’̴̧̓?̸̠̖̍̀”̸̦̈́̑̕  *

*”Ready for our date tonight, Darlin’?”

[aparticularbandit]

20 Questions for Fanfiction Writers

tagged by: @andtherewerefireworks. THANK YOU. <3 <3 <3

1) How many works do you have on AO3?

206, apparently. O.o I didn't realize it was that much. Whoops. >.>;;;;;; ...when did I end up with 55 fics in the MCU. I knew I had a lot in JTV, but when did I end up with that many in the MCU

2) What's your total AO3 word count?

2,039,621.

3) What fandoms do you write for?

Uh...currently? ...uh...let me check my pinned post. Uh. Danganronpa (not DRV3 because I haven't finished it yet; specifically Junko etc. I like rewrites and consequences more than...crossovers...right now. I would rather play with canon...ish). MCU (specifically Wanda-related etc. re: Wandavision and DSMOM, but also add the Ancient One and also add Viv Vision because I love her). JTV (because yes, I can be persuaded to write more Roisa stuff). Miscellaneous Kathryn Hahn etc. (frequently referred to as Hahnverse, specifically beyond Agatha I will also write Eve Fletcher and Claire Debella). Who Framed Roger Rabbit (because yes, I can also be persuaded to occasionally write more Jessica Rabbit stuff, although it is often highly specific to my Jess). Puella Magi Madoka Magica (just because I haven't in a very long time does not mean I can't). Noir (the 2001 anime; just because I have very little posted doesn't mean I won't write for this). The Haunting of Bly Manor (specifically Dani and Viola and we pretend that most of the last episode didn't happen because I love Viola and I like looking at the complications of that whole situation). ...probably others that I can't think about at the moment, honestly.

4) Top Five Fics by Kudos:

By kudos? 1) What Dreams May Come. 2) Finding Family. 3) Lost Causes. 4) Make Life Worthwhile. 5) Take A Sad Song and Make It Better. Surprised by that last one, honestly, but not by the other four. The top two on my stats are pretty much always Bly Manor Fix-It Fic and FF; they just switch places every now and again.

5) Do you respond to comments?

Sometimes. I respond to comments if I feel I have a response or if I want to continue the dialogue or if I'm asked a question and don't put it off for a while (I'm really bad at this, actually). But I feel like a lot of comments...don't need...a response? And have been running into the weird situation lately where responding to comments...feels like...it keeps people from commenting? Which is? A weird feeling?

6) What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Timeline canon doesn't count (I see you out there reading this) because that's not fic, that's rp. And, I mean, technically that had a happy ending. Technically. the day her line went flat. hands down. i've got some other angsty stuff that comes to mind, but like. nothing like that one, i don't think. ...but if I ever finish it all happens so quick, that may take it.

7) What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

...uh. Hm. I think probably Finding Family, because it was nearly 375k of build up (385k if you include the Holiday Special) and character development and relational development just to get to that ending so that it felt well earned and deserved and still not expected even though set up and just. I knew the ending of that one when I started it, and it was exactly what I wanted it to be, and I think it's the most happy because it's the most right and complete and just.... I don't know how to put words to it, but that one.

8) Do you get hate on fics?

I've gotten bot hate on my MCU fics by bots who want me to switch to a different fic website, which I don't think really counts. I haven't gotten hate as comments on AO3 fic, BUT I DID have a period early last year and some the year before of A LOT of Anon hate, some of which was fic hate. Specifically character interpretation. But that felt more like a campaign of hate against me and that was just the avenue they were deciding to use at that particular time because there was so much other hate they were sending, so like. ...yeah, that was a thing.

9) Do you write smut?

Nope.

10) Craziest crossover?

Heart in Motion aka the JTV/ODAAT crossover that no one asked for and then everyone asked for and then I never went back to. XD

11) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

12) Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! Partly! Someone started translating Finding Family into Russian! With permission! You can find it here!

13) Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! Room for One I co-wrote with @butimnotasexyrussian! IT WAS GREAT.

14) All time favorite ship?

Honestly, I don't think I have one. I love Jess/Scully and Jess/Regina. I love the Valentines. But my shipping favs are flexible at best.

15) What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

What Dreams May Come. I don't think I left it in a good spot, as opposed to If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home Now, which is unfinished and will probably stay unfinished but at least stops at a good spot.

16) What are your writing strengths?

Consistency. I'm very consistent in terms of world-building and maintaining exact specifics through a fic. I keep my through threads, usually, and if I set something up, it's probably going to pay off later.

17) What are your writing weaknesses?

EVERYTHING IS ALWAYS SO LONG. WHAT IS WRITING SHORT STUFF, I DON'T KNOW HER. But also plot. And description. And setting. I suck at all of these things. Oh, also, having characters have distinct voices. All of my characters sound the same. -shrugs-

18) Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I don't have a problem with it, but I very rarely do it. I'm worried I'll get something wrong!

19) First fandom you wrote in?

Tales of Symphonia. I was in, like, middle school, and I did not post it. Fortunately. (This does not count RP, which I was doing earlier than that. That's not the same. And to be honest, I'm not sure I would know the answer then. Teen Titans or Inu-Yasha, maybe? I'm not sure.)

20) Favorite fic you've written?

It's a toss up between Luisa and the Fox and Surrogate. Probably there's something else I'm forgetting but will remember after I post this. But honestly? It's probably one of those two.

tagging: @adhdavinci (FINALLY I CAN TAG YOU BACK BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T TAG ME FIRST! HAHA!); @captaintoomanybattles; @auburnlaughter; @eriquin

[chuluoyi]

Yes... I grinded my ass off... And now I have nothing to grind for baby Lukey... And IT'S OKAY!!!! You can still get tears from the event itself!! And by upgrade they mean upgrade the star thingies- You know when you get dupes you can star up the cards? Yeah that's the upgrade they meant... I didn't know and kept trying to use my stellin till I realised like 'oh fuck I've been wasting stellin for no reason' cause I still couldn't clear the achievement... But yes I'm left with 36 stellin now after levelling up my new card...

Ah omg arranged marriage 😭Omgomg do you read 'Under the Oak tree' ? It's an arranged marriage manhwa with spicy scenes [ohohoh!] If you don't you should give it a read, see if you'll enjoy it. And Angst! My absolute fave! AHHAHA SAME GIRL I thought he was the antagonist 😭😭Especially after the prologue I was like 'Who tf are you' and I thought there would be that route where the MC gets together with the bad guy and gets whisked off... And I guess I know why I'm still single now... It's either I'm really just too in love with 2D men, or it's my mum's high standards and taste in men...

Right!!! Ahhhh I'm so in love with Satosugu! And it's okay! Take your timeee, just do it once you're more comfortable. Geto has a pretty complicated character if you ask me so it's understandable that you'll need more time...

😭😭You must be so tired... Remember to stay hydrated and rest well too! Your health comes first!! LUKE JUST GO HOME SO PEOPLE CAN REST 😭😭😭

Hidden inventory is indeed our last spring of youth... I felt my teenage life get sucked away HELP. To add up I'm like around their age during hidden inventory and I relate so much better to them except the cursed energy part... And Culling games... I don't even want to imagine... I'll probably drop JJK by then I don't think my heart can take it. I think JJK will end me before I do it myself...

exactly... It's really childish and stupid... Like guys most of you are at least 16 so act like your age please don't go around arguing over shit only kids fight over... I used to watch Aot like I stopped at S3 before they switched to MAPPA... and yeah basically every big fandom will or has experienced debates over the littlest things... Every fandom has it's toxic community...

Hahaha! How's your bf after the last episode? I heard it's super depressing...

-🪩

i… only got 1 tears *sobs* and now it’s in pity 60🤧 STAR THINGIES LMAO yeah it immediately comes to mind the moment you describe it like that😭 36 stellin is alright! i’ve been left with 2 stellin i remember thinking just how broke i can get?💀

i read that!!!🥹 i love it but i’m a bit sad that maxi struggles so much to stand up for herself😔 riftan is a hunk though omg. oh and i read another manhwa called “light and shadow” it’s such a good arranged marriage manhwa that i read it lit thrice bcs the both the hero and heroine are badasses who take no shits from anyone else🥹

aw don’t worry disco anon!! i’m sure you’ll find the right person someday!! i used to be insecure with myself too and thinking that i don’t fit but no—it’s just that we haven’t met the right person yet!!🥹 they are there somewhere🫶🏻

aww thank you!!! you’re so nice afahjsa and you stay healthy too!🥹🫶🏻 the weather nowadays can be a little challenging😫

omg really?!😭 you’re still so young and your watchlist being jjk is indeed so soul-sucking😭 not that i was any better. when i was that age (gods why am i sound so old i’m only 24) my watchlist was naruto… and i binged it all until the end over the course of summer holiday🥲

SO TRUE AHHAHAHA jjk will end us before we do it is so canon ogmf😭 like for how long now that we didn’t know what megumi’s status is?

ohhh may i know why? they said it’s much better when it moved to mappa? bcs tbh mappa is a good animation company, but it’s just that their working conditions that are so concerning🤧

he’s being dramatic and totally heartbroken about eren and mikasa🥹 he even has his lockscreen changed into a live wallpaper of aot🥹 i swear it’s karma bcs when gojo died, he was unapologetic towards me (he rolls his eyes 🙄 whenever i’m swooning over gojo and he is a suguru lover, btw!) and now i get the chance for a payback🥹

[amistytown]

The Brothers Comfort a Bullied MC

I started writing this thinking it would be something short and sweet I could finish in a day, and then it turned into this. MC remains gender neutral, and I currently don’t write for the dateables, but when I do I could always write a part II if people are interested. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy it, anon, and thank you for the request! As always, I apologize for any spelling or grammatical errors that may have gone unnoticed. Trigger warning for mentions of blood, violence, and physical and emotional bullying. Thank you to those who take the time to read my work; it’s greatly appreciated!

LUCIFER

Immediately notices you’re quieter than usual, face sullen and void of the beautiful smile Lucifer has grown accustomed to. He’s determined to figure out what’s troubling you, undeniably concerned for your wellbeing; you’re the exchange student, though, more importantly, you’re his human, and your happiness is his own. That night he calls you to his study, always willing to make time in his busy schedule to accommodate you, especially when his human is in need. Your eyes are dark and swollen, and your head is bowed as you enter; you look exceptionally fragile, his heart aching at the sight. Behind closed doors he doesn’t hesitate to pull you into his embrace, pressing a light kiss to your forehead while he runs his fingers through your hair; he can feel you relax against him, hands twisting in his shirt as you bury your face in his chest.

Bursting into tears, you cry in his arms, and he holds you close, gaze soft as he consoles you, gently rubbing your back and whispering words of comfort. You’re his priority, his pride and joy, and he won’t rest until he knows you’re okay, wanting to soothe your aching heart. Flames dance in the fireplace, casting the room in their golden glow and emanating a heat that dries your tears and warms you both body and soul. Lucifer cradles you to him in one of the chairs situated before the hearth, watching over you as you curl up in his lap. Patiently he waits for you to speak what’s on your mind, unburdening yourself of your worries, his anger quiet and cold once he learns of the demons tormenting you. They are foolish to bully the one he loves, and to do so on school grounds; they will certainly be punished for their crimes—he will see to it personally.

Lucifer reassures you will no longer endure such harassment, encouraging you to confide in him; there’s little you can do or say to bother the Avatar of Pride, and he wants to help when able, providing his undying support. Your mood lifts significantly, and his heart swells as you cup his cheeks to draw him into a kiss, your lips smiling against his and sweetening the moment. He won’t allow you to leave his side the remainder of the night, and you’re eager to remain in his company, lounging in his study while you wait for him to finish his work. Though his focus is elsewhere, and he decides to turn in early, carrying you to his room where he tucks you in, hugging you to him beneath the blankets. The next morning, he excuses you from your duties, ordering a day of rest and relaxation; you deserve it, after all.

MAMMON

The Avatar of Greed is attending class when he overhears a low-level demon taunting you, throwing insult after insult while you try to focus on your studies; though the longer you ignore them, the more they push back, your face falling as their words leave their mark on your heart. Mammon’s blood is boiling, and he’s out of his seat, towering over the demon in an instant, a hand wrapped around their throat. Lucifer intervenes, putting an end to the chaos, but Mammon is unapologetic, his elder brother’s lecturing doing little to quell the fire still raging beneath the surface. He’s your protector, and he won’t hesitate to defend you—the consequences be damned.

To say he’s worried about you is an understatement, he refuses to leave your side, determined to protect you at all costs. A lowly demon is harassing you? The Great Mammon will deal with them personally, and once he’s finished, they won’t think twice about hurting his human. He loves you, although it’s difficult for him to admit at times, but you’re his world, and he hates to see you upset. Words do hurt, he knows all too well, so he’ll show you how loved you are by holding your hand and pulling you into his warm embrace, allowing you to cry on his shoulder—anything for you. Your tears wet his jacket, body shaking as you sob, finally breaking down from days of bullying. He wishes he noticed sooner, but he’s here now and will take care of you.

As soon as school is over for the day, he’ll make certain you’re comfortable and help you unwind in the peace and quiet of your room; tell him what you want and it’s yours, no questions asked. He’ll order your favorite food, which you enjoy while watching a movie, finding solace in one another’s presence. When you smile for the first time that day he’s elated, appreciating how beautiful you are—heart, body, and soul—if anyone deserves happiness, it’s you. His arms encircle your waist, drawing you close, and you kiss his cheek in thanks before resting your head on his chest. The soft touch of your lips renders him speechless, his heart pounding as he breathes in your scent, sweet and heavenly. Once he composes himself, he returns the kiss with fervor, promising to always protect you.

LEVIATHAN

The downside to attending class online is he can’t see you throughout the day. After school he makes sure the two of you have plans, whether it’s playing videos games, watching anime, or simply enjoying each other’s company. He’s devastated when you cancel on him, but more concerned you’re feeling unwell; humans are fragile creatures, and he needs to take care of his Henry. Of course, those self-deprecating thoughts linger at the back of his mind, telling him you cancelled on purpose—who wants to waste their time on a gross otaku like him? However, he collects himself, dismissing them for your sake, and knocks on your bedroom door with trembling hands.

Light cascades from your room into the hall, his eyes widening when they meet yours, your gaze glassy and cheeks stained by your tears. For a moment he wonders if he is to blame, trying to recall everything he said and did since breakfast, to find an answer, only to confuse himself further. Yet you smile at him, anchoring him to reality, and he hates how it fails to reach your eyes. He can’t help enveloping you in his arms, forgetting how to breathe now that you’re so close, and he’s certain his heart is about to break as you begin to sob into his chest, clinging to him in desperation. Your cries hurt him dearly, and he wants to cry himself seeing you upset, but refrains, staying by your side to offer what support he can give.

In the privacy of his room, he’s extra attentive, hesitant but soft touches and worried glances in your direction while he wraps you up in his blankets, even allowing you to hold his Ruri-chan pillow for comfort. The tub is snug with the both of you inside, his face red and burning, though he’s glad you look much happier, safe and warm in his embrace. He puts on a lighthearted anime hoping it’ll lift your spirits further, the laugh that escapes you music to his ears. The episode ends, and you finally tell him the cause of your pain, opening your heart to him, his hold tightening when tears gather in your eyes once again. His insecurities are now forgotten, replaced by a wave of anger that consumes him, and he fights to keep his demonic aura at bay. A lowly demon dares to hurt you? He’ll make them rue the day they decided to torment his player 2. Until then he’ll let you know exactly how special you are, indulging you the rest of the night.

SATAN

Satan is browsing the books in the RAD library when the comfortable silence is unceremoniously shattered, dissolving into chaos in a matter of seconds. Angry shouts reverberate off the walls, forcing their way beneath his skin—warm, uncomfortable, yet addicting—setting him alight. He can feel the intensity of every word, his heart pounding, pulsing in his ears with each syllable, the Avatar of Wrath unable to deny he appreciates the beauty of the heated exchange unfolding before him. Although he considers himself a demon of knowledge, making a name for himself in the Devildom for his intellect and held to high standards, he’s not impervious to his sin. He’s irritated, his concentration lost, but a part of him enjoys the pandemonium, wanting to tempt them further into madness. A scream interrupts his thoughts, a pitiful sound, and his blood runs cold. He knows you, your voice, and to hear you cry out is enough to break his resolve.

A hand firmly closes around your throat, blood welling beneath clawed fingers, as you’re forced into a corner. The panic in your eyes fills him with an uncontrollable rage, and he yearns to rip the heart from the demon who threatens you, the very person he holds dear to his own. Wrath overpowers all rationale, and he doesn’t mind, your life greater than the image he’s meticulously cultivated over centuries. He lunges at the demon without warning, grip bruising as he wrenches them away and drives them into the nearest bookshelf, watching it topple over in a cloud of dust and debris. An eerie hush falls over the library, curious gazes on the fourth born, but he’s indifferent, dragging the wretched creature from the wreckage; a grin spreading across his face at their desperate pleas—they only fuel the fire raging within. However, their life is spared due to Lucifer’s interference; Satan’s sure he’s instilled enough fear in the demon’s mind to last an eternity.

The resulting lecture from Lucifer leaves Satan with a headache. He’s unrepentant, his wrath reduced to an ember, but it still smolders, hot and heavy in his chest. When he enters the House of Lamentation, he finds you waiting to throw your arms around him, and despite his anger, he melts against you, calmed by your presence—so sweet and inviting he could lose himself in your very embrace. You’re his saving grace, and he’ll protect you as fiercely as he loves you, hating to see you scared and vulnerable, especially at the mercy of another. Even now he can see the remnants of fear and taste the salt of your tears as he kisses your cheek, fingers ghosting over the dark bruises on your neck. There’s a twinge of anger, but also dread knowing another hurt you and how quickly they could have taken you from him. The familiar smell of books is soothing, the large stacks scattered about his room bathed in moonlight. You’re curled up in his bed, listening to him read aloud with your head on his shoulder, his free hand stroking idly through your hair. At that moment, you look content, smiling at him, and he can’t help leaning over to capture your lips in a kiss, glad he can bring you comfort during the darkest of nights.

ASMODEUS

After school, Asmodeus sees the exhaustion in your eyes and the lack of color in your face, your natural glow seeming to fade throughout the day. Avoiding his gaze, you wilt in his arms when he pulls you into his embrace, his heart aching with desire when you are resistant to his charms. You don’t look at him in adoration or hug him back as tightly, basking in his beauty and praising him while he kisses your loving smile from your lips. Instead, you stare at the ground, body tensing when he cups your cheek, and although you lean into his touch, tears spring forth, hot beneath his fingertips. He can hardly stomach seeing you so distraught, his darling human, helplessly watching you fall to pieces in front of him.

The halls are silent aside from your sobs as you cry into his shoulder, arms wrapped around his neck while he carries you up the stairs to his room, whispering words of love and comfort in the hope they’ll soothe the pain that bleeds to the very depths of your soul. He’s grateful you allow him to hold and console you, trusting him to care for you in a moment of vulnerability, clinging to him without fear and seeking out all he’s able to offer. Your tears stain his blouse, and his makeup is mussed, yet he pays no mind, rocking and hushing you until you’re unable to shed another, chest heaving with each strangled breath that escapes you. Placing a tender kiss on your forehead, he hums sweetly, angelic voice lulling you to sleep. He watches over you after tucking you into his bed, affectionately stroking your face. For now, you rest your weary head, and once you awake, he’ll figure out what’s troubling his poor human, hoping he can put your mind at ease.

Dinner is your responsibility tonight, but Asmodeus doesn’t dare wake you, stepping in on your behalf. His brothers are well fed, and he makes sure to prepare an extravagant meal for his love, happy to serve you in the comfort of his bed. In fact, he feeds you himself, and you laugh as he cheerily extends a spoonful in your direction, blessing him with your beautiful smile for the first time that day. Beneath the silken sheets, he lays beside you, and you curl around him, glancing at him shyly before thanking him with a light but sweet kiss he savors long after you’ve parted. Yet you still look pained, and he encourages you to confide in him, cradling your head to his chest. Your voice is strained, barely above a whisper, but he hears every word, blinking tears from his own eyes. How long did you endure such harassment at the hands of those demons—on RAD grounds no less—suffering all on your lonesome. He’s appalled, wishing he could have protected you and sad he could not, however, he’ll make it up to you; anyone who hurts you is better off dead anyway. From here on out, he’ll take greater care of his human, keeping you safe in his arms.

BEELZEBUB

Finally, lunchtime! Beelzebub is weighing his options as he makes a beeline for the cafeteria, the rumble of his stomach echoing loudly in the halls. Though all thoughts of food vanish when he turns the corner to find you on the ground, a group of low-level demons looming over your trembling form. They flee the second they notice the Avatar of Gluttony, reeking of fear. He considers following them, goaded by his anger, which rages within, hot and intense, pulling a feral growl from his throat. However, the sound of your cries reaches his ears, a somber melody that brings him to his knees. He kneels beside you, brows knit in concern, and gently wipes your tears away before catching you as you throw yourself into his embrace. The rest of the world no longer matters, only his human while he holds you in the now empty corridor, heart unbearably heavy.

Carefully, he lifts you off the floor into his arms, mindful of his strength as his holds you, your body feeling soft and warm and awfully fragile under his touch. Yet you lean against him, sighing into his shoulder and seeking comfort from him—a large, scary demon, one of the most powerful in the Devildom. He’s glad he’s able to protect you, but there are times he worries you’ll look at him differently, your eyes wide with worry like the demons’ who ran at the mere sight of him. Your gaze is loving, and you snuggle closer, thanking him; he feels a little lighter knowing you’re safe, and that you trust him to take care of you. The palms of your hands are scraped, blood drying to your skin—a reminder of what those demons did to you—and he presses a kiss to your fingers, vowing to teach them a lesson they surely won’t forget.

The emptiness of his stomach is agonizing, a pain that runs deep, but he desperately wants to stay with you, comforting his sweet human who needs him now more than ever. He’ll gladly miss lunch for you, putting you above his sin despite the influence it holds over him, and tending to your injuries. The school day passes by slowly, however, he keeps a watchful eye on you, your smile filling him with a happiness that helps him through the last of his classes. Afterwards, he offers to bring you to your favorite bakery; food always manages to cheer him up, and he thinks you deserve a treat. On the way home with bags of decadent desserts and pastries, he hums, reaching for your hand, which fits so perfectly in his own. Again, you smile at him, and he’s glad he’s found a place by your side, brightening your day and you his.

BELPHEGOR

The Avatar of Sloth awakes from a dreamless sleep, hating how cold and empty his bed feels without you beside him. In a daze, he wanders into the hall—pillow in hand—the thought of holding you tightly against him, soaking up your warmth, tempting him down the stairs. Most nights he finds himself sneaking into your room and slipping into your bed, your body seeking his out in the darkness and welcoming him into your embrace. He’s thankful you’ve allowed him into your heart, Belphegor cherishing the intimacy between you, a love he once considered a mere fantasy. Though he pauses outside your door with bated breath, listening to the melancholy rise and fall of the cries echoing in the corridor—your cries. 

Throwing the door open, he peers into the darkness to find you huddled beneath your blankets, eyes wet with tears as you glance up at him, clearly startled. Adrenaline rushes through his veins, hands shaking, and he swallows against the panic, slightly reassured you’re safe in bed, but the miserable look on your face is more than he can bear. You whisper his name, voice rough and shaky, your pain tangible. The mattress dips beneath him, and he pulls you into his lap, cradling you to him. His gentle gaze sweeps over you—his human who deserves all the love in the three realms—and he kisses your tears away, wishing to free you of your burdens. Sleep can wait. You’re far too precious to him, and he’ll do anything to see you smile again, helping you piece your heart back together even if it takes the rest of the night.

Time is endless with you in his arms, your cries fading into quiet sobs as you lean into his touch, relaxing under the loving caress of his hand on your cheek. You regard him hesitantly, unspoken words on the tip of your tongue, and he’s nothing but encouraging as he kisses your forehead down to the tip of your nose, earning him a small yet beautiful smile that vanishes all too soon. Belphegor is eerily quiet while he listens to you, sad you felt the need to keep this a secret—alone with your worries—angry at himself for not noticing sooner, and livid at the demons who foolishly hurt you, instilling you with such fear you dreaded school each morning; they’ll regret laying a finger on his human, and he knows he’ll enjoy their agonized screams when he gets his hands on them. Until then, he promises to love and protect you, watching over you as you fall into a peaceful sleep at his side.

Tag list: @luminari-mc​ @yukihaie​

[doctorofmagic]

I find it so sad and upsetting to see the Clea tag here on tumblr being SO full of people complaining about her and being upset that Stephen didn't end up with Christine... I just want to read some new people appreciating Clea now and her fans being happy, and yet I'm finding so much negativity 😔 I love Christine as well and I was so happy with what they did in MoM with her character and her relationship with Stephen, and yet palmerstrange fans are all so angry. These ship wars are so stupid, kill all my joy of being in fandom.

PS: Anon who sent me the Palmerstrange ask, I’m sorry but tumblr got dumb and deleted your post as I was editing this ask. But luckily enough I was able to answer your whole question before it got deleted. Sorry :/

Okay *sighs*

First of all, I'd like to say that I understand where both preferences come from, even though I've always been biased because of Cleaphen (even when it was just Victoria and Clea, I always rooted for Clea because I knew how deep Stephen loved her - and yes, Stephen is poly-coded in canon).

Anon 1: I was avoiding the tags but your message made me curious and since I lack self-caring, I checked it out and yikes, yeah... I understand where they come from and I respect their sadness for having their ship wrecked but uh...

It's okay, they may not accept Clea now but who knows? They can always change their minds, especially if they see that Stephen is happy (which is really a sign of love).

I mean, I've been there in other fandoms so I know how it feels, but it's not like I didn't appreciate the new possibilities cause, luckily, I'm able to multi-ship so all good.

But true, true. Ship wars are the stupidest bs in any fandom. Also if I was THAT obsessed with canon, I wouldn't have a fic with 14+ ships featuring Stephen lmao. It's not that serious. Besides, canon never stopped people before, me included 😭 90% of my ships are not canon, so what?

Anon 2: At this point, I'm just glad they introduced her instead of using Christine as a variant, ngl 😭 this concept of variants in the MCU just set everything on fire. It worked so well on comics but now, like, I'm not commenting on THAT. I refuse to do so. But okay, okay, at least she's here!! Also I really don't see that Stephen's story will end in DS3 when we're having a fourth Thor movie coming and it won't probably be the last? I strongly believe we'll have so much more of him, and consequently Clea.

Anon 3: Thank you for your kindness! Yes, yes, let's always support older women and their amazing work! I'm just glad to see more of this on screen. There's still a long road but the more vocal we’re about it, more often we’ll see them represented.

Anon 4 who asked about Palmerstrange: look... I really tend to avoid ship discourse on my blog because I know it hurts people's feelings so I'd rather not to, even though the opposite is not always true. Besides, I liked them in the What If? episode, although I agree that MCU!Stephen and Christine were portrayed in a way that their relationship wouldn't be rekindled. But that's just my interpretation. People ship for less. Crack ships exist. Who am I to judge people's preferences? (except pr0-sh1pping. That's definitely not my cup of tea.) In my opinion, when Christine kisses Stephen's cheek in the first movie, I knew they wouldn't end up together since I understood that moment as a gesture of platonic affection. And the fact that Stephen clings into her memory is because he needs love, and her memory is all he has left. But then again, that's MY interpretation. Doesn't mean I'm right.

What I'll criticize, though, is people coming for Clea and saying all kinds of nasty stuff when first loves are hardly endgame irl. It feels real to me. The point is, I agree with you, but it doesn't invalidate Palmerstrangers who felt compelled by their story on screen because it was their interpretation when consuming said content.

--

In any case, my point is, it's really hard for me to validate or invalidate people's preferences when it comes to shipping because, as I said, I'm able to ship Stephen with every character in the Marvel Universe, it works in my head regardless of canon. But that's just me. There are ships that I really dislike in the MCU and have strong opinions on them but you'll never hear about it 🥴 and this is why I avert my eyes to this kind of discourse.

(truly, this subject feels like walking on eggshells oooooof)

[calliecat93]

Hi Callie! In your opinion, what are the top ten best Mccoy centric episodes in TOS? You don't have to answer if you don't want to, thanks for reading anyways! ❤️

Ooh, good question! This is a little hard because McCoy, compared to Kirk and Spock, didn’t get a lot of centric episodes. Actually I think he only really got like… two out of 79 episodes (depending on how you view it). But he DOES have a large prescence in others, so let me see here…

1. The Empath Technically it’s a Triumvirate episode, but this has McCoy’s best moment in the entire show. Like if you want to understand McCoy’s character, this is the episode that you turn to. I already blabbed about why once so I’ll let that go into it for me.

2. For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky: While some of the execution is a bit iffy, this is still a realy excellent episode. Mainly because DeForest Kelley plays McCoy here with everything that he has and just nails everything, McCoy’s sadness, loneliness, and invevat le fate of dying in a year, masterfully. The episode would be NOWHERE near as good if not for De Kelley.

3. The Man Trap: This and the last one are the only two McCoy-centric episodes, at least that I recall. This one often gets overlooked since it’s first so I think that the emotional impact gets lost. But God McCoy in this episode is just outright tragic. I wrote a whole post about it because it felt so unfair that it was overlooked because there is SO MUCH there. Also mrke amazing De Kelley acting

4. All Our Yesterdays: While McCoy does spend a good chunk of it passed out from hypothermia, he is freakin’ excellent in this episode. He’s not only hilarious (“He means it’s cold!”, De’s delivery made me burst out laughing) but when he’s finally awake, he’s just freakin’ awesome. He put himself at GREAT risk to snap Spock out of his mental state and then went ‘screw it’ and tried to find the portal home cause he wants his life back, with or without Spock (but preferably with Spock). He’s just great~!

5. Return to Tomorrow: This whole episode is super underrated. It’s the one where the alien beings posess Kirk, Spock, and Lady of the Week’s bodies. McCoy is the ONLY rational person in the episode and the one who has to deal with the majority of the problem. He has to both worry about everyone’s minds in the orbs and what the aliens do to their human bodies and is VERY concerned throughout. It also demonstrates how devkted to his profession and oath that he is. He even outright risks Kirk dying for good, as painful as it is for him, because it would mean allowing another to die and like Hell is he doing that. Seriously, this one is so freakin’ overlooked.

6. Bread and Circuses/The Immunity Syndrome/The Tholian Web: Yeah three way tie cause they all have one thing in common: they feature his complicated relationship with Spock. The first one I wrote a whole meta about already. It’s a Spones analysis, but it reflects why McCoy himself is great in this episode along with all hos geneal grumpy snark throughout. Oh and the ending with him throwing a mattess at a guy… and he wins IIRC. Best underrated comedy moment EVER. With the second, he’s not at all happy with Spock being picked over him to examine the amoeba and that Spock may die. Their whole interaction in the hangar, McCoy waiting until the doors close to wish Spock luck, Spock’s seeming final words, and of course “Shut up Spock! We’re rescuing you!”. The last one of course has Kirk gone and McCoy is angry, grieving, and stressed with everyone losing their minds and Spcok pressuring him to fix it all at the same time and he takes it out on Spock. Then they see Kirk’s final message and we all know what happens after. All three do such a great job showing how much McCoy cares about Spock and showcasing how great they really are together, and not even just the shippy sense. Only reason they’re at six is because of how closely tied to Spock he is in those episodes instead of being the central character, but he IS still central in them and showcase some of his best moments. So I hope I got my point across XD

7. A Private Little War: The episode’s message is kind of… questionable. But ignoring thay, McCoy is the real freakin’ hero of this story. It’s only because of him that Kirk survived and he’s more than willing to contront him on his questionable decision making. Which is the very thing that Kirk brought him for to begin with. It’s one of the best episode to show how much he cares about Kirk and the lengths he’ll go for him. Oh and he kept Spock from dying along with Chapel and M’Benga. Thank God he has competent medical staff who can do the job without him XD

8. Journey to Babel: Okay yes this is a Spock episode, but McCoy is VERY prominent throughout. He’s both hilarious in the cold opening and we all remember his reaction to Spock’s ‘teddy bear’ XD. But he managed to conduct a VERY risky surgery that put Spock and Sarek at great risk if he screwed up. A surgery he’s never really conducted. And during a battle that causes frequent rattling to boot. He succeeded and the episode appropriately rewards him by allowing him the final word. It’s not only oen of the best episodes showing why he’s the CMO, but he’s just freakin’ great the whole episode.

9. Amok Time: Again it’s a Spock episode, but I repeat what I said about Return to Tomorrow: McCoy is the real hero. He’s the one who recognizes that something is horribly wrong, puts up with zero excuses, actually usus logic to get Spock to comply, and of course it was him who saved both Kirk and Spock’s sorry butts. They’d both likely be dead had McCoy not been there. He may have had the least screentime of the three, but he damn wel made up for it.

10. Operation: Annahilate: It has one of the saddest but strongest McCoy scenes. Through the whole episode he’s super protectice of Spock, running various tests to get rid of the parasites and trying to keep Kirk’s kid nephew alive all at the same time. Then he gets made by Kirk and Spock to risk blinding the latter… and DOES blind him. Then his face when the test result revelaed that he didn’t need to use an jntense light and being outright unresponsive when Kirk calls him later… just ouch. It’s one of those moments I wish it had gone more in depth, but upseide is we have haply McCoy by the end. Want proof of how much he cares for Spock and others? Here you go

And he has really good scenes in other episodes despite varying levels of prominence (Miri, Space Seed, The Galileo Seven, This Side of Pradise, The City on the Edge of Forever, Mirror, Mirror, Friday’s Child, The Ultimate Computer, Spock’s Brain… no seriosuly he’s the biggest bright spot in that and for certain S3 episodes tbh). It’s a HUGE shame that he was treated like the third wheel both in series and the films, and even now gets the raw end of the deal in popular media. But I hope that this was a satisfactory list Anon. Sorry it got all wordy and long, I can’t help myself sometimes XD

(Image Source)

[chocolate-cream-soldier]

Hi! I don’t know if you take asks but just in case.

I’m curious about your view on gentleman jack s02, and why you find it wasn’t as good as s01, and why you find it inconsistent : is it in comparison to what AL wrote in her diaries or just a general vibe of watching the show? Also, what do you find is inconsistent?

I hope you don’t find my question to be annoying, I’m curious because I don’t necessarily watch TV shows and analyse them, especially queer content (I’m just happy it exists).

Thanks!

Hi! I’m the anon who asked why you thought the 2nd season was inconsistent; saw your lasted reblog. Thanks for the beginning of that answer and take your time for the rest! If anything it’s making me more interested in your point of view, so thank you for taking the time to answer me. Cheers!

Hi

I apologize for taking a while before answering you, because I too anon don't do TV show analysis anymore, whatever I feel, I usually tag rant about it and reblog stuff from people who are better equipped and far more eloquent at breaking down and analysing scenes and episodes. I will have a go at it I guess since you asked and I do want to actually try and figure out what exactly kept bothering me through out this season.(it’s long and rambly so rest is under the cut)

I will not go episode by episode cause I am not up for a rewatch of s2. I did rewatch s1 but not recently so it's not exactly fresh in my mind but I do feel I have a good grasp on it because I did watch it several times after it aired, I was absolutely enthralled with Season 1. I feel It was beautifully written and masterfully executed and that's why I got instantly attached to the show and the characters. So whatever I speak off in this reply please understand I do have my biases and I am not doing an objective analysis . I am just giving my opinion.

Season 2 was very different from Season 1 and not in a good way tbh, at least for me. Personally I felt the pacing of this season to be very jarring. And that's a general vibe and not because of the diaries, because to be honest I have not deleved much in the source material myself, I have read the transcribed works in parts and have listened to talks from both the show's creator and crew and people who have done research on AL, but that's like a second hand account therefore obviously those are essentially interpretations and how someone reads it might differ from how I would interpret it if I was directly interacting with the source material.  For me the show is the source material with which I've directly interacted right…so I am solely trying to focus on the show and the storylines that gets explored by it.

So when I speak of inconsistency, it's obviously not just one thing, the inconsistency was there in the way the show was scripted for this season, the way it was directed , the editing, all of it just felt off. I have read some analysis from iredreamer and natglee and they both nailed it and I've reblogged those posts they are under my gj meta tag if you want to give those a read.

But borrowing their sentiments let's talk about the storylines first- I too didn't like the dry, clinical approach that they took this season. We see the characters talking about things but they don't really take any actions to resolve that. It's like a pressure cooker situation you know. There's build up with no pay off. Also because they don't expand on certain aspects ,be it the social hierarchy or the political opinions or the personal worldviews of the characters, most of the time you draw only negative inference.

I am going to use a food analogy cause that's what came to mind while I tried analysing it. So you have all these ingredients, now it needs to be properly measured and added together in a cohesive manner, marinated and rested before you can cook so as to have tasty food otherwise it will taste bland. This happened with the show, a multitude of things were brought up, be it the individual character insecurities, the social constraints, the obvious homophobia and the ostracization that follows, the class discrimination, add to that the central relationship between Anne and Ann also was fraught with so many issues that of financial and familial legacy, desire for children and needing it to solidfy a marriage(contextually), Anne's fear of the relationship falling apart in absence of it, Anne's infidelity, Ann's constant struggle with depression and anxiety compounded by internalized homophobia, and general sense of feeling powerless in face of a overbearing family.

So many threads and none got the breathing space or the nuanced exploration that they deserved. And it's baffling to me cause season 1 explored heavy topics and did it so well, it never felt like a cliff's note version, we were allowed to experience and empathize with the characters. That's what made them believeable and relatable despite it being a period drama(and in my case even geographically it's removed from my experience and yet it was relatable!)

Also the amount of dropped plotliness makes you feel like wtf was the point of wasting time on them if nothing was to come out of it?the Sowden storyline(well no complaints there but still!), The kids accidentally witnessing the Ann(e)s being intimate, The Priestley's appearance….that one random dude threatening Anne Lister during the townhall!!!?! Umm what is happening here!

Also storywise there was a lot of rehash of the same topics that we already saw them discuss in season 1 . One might say, well it's because of the influence of the diaries, but at the end of the day this is still a TV show and the narrative needs to move forward, going round and round doesn't really help in engaging me as the audience.

Also the chronology was confusing! I noticed it mostly in episode 6 where Ann speaks of not wanting to go back to that shop where she felt humiliated, but that incident happened actually in episode 7 instead. And even in episode 8 the entire emotinal back and forth between them felt weirdly off!

SJ said in an interview, I am paraphrasing here,- this season is about seeing Anne learning to love in a different way and we will fall in love with Ann Walker as she does too-(I am in love with Ann Walker from day 1 so let's put that aside) but for the characters did it really happen that way?I don't even know. It all was left quite ambiguous …atleast that's what it seemed to me(even tho I don't know why we need to explore the did she love her or not aspect cause season 1 already happened…she can have doubts about it, but from the get go going on and on about whether she is just fond of her or whether she is actually in love…my gods what is going on here?!)

I mean all through this season in almost all of their intimate scenes(barring a couple) the conversation was so weird, was it a way to show how incompatible they are or something?! what is happening?

I mean it started off well, the first fight they had in s2 and the following conversation felt genuine and touching to me and you see that they are communicating and trying to be open about their issues and not bottling it up but it stopped happening as we moved forward into the season. I don't know what was the catalyst for that…maybe it deteriorated after Anne's infidelity? I can't quite remember but yeah even if that's the case what I am trying to say is that in the finale it all doesn't come to head and yet they somehow reconciled…like they are telling me that they understand and accept each other with big fancy dialogues, but there's not much happening onscreen to support that resolution. Cause firstly it took almost 8 episodes for Ann Walker to finally confront Anne Lister and that too she deflected! And now suddenly Ann is back to being ok with it all?! what is HAPPENING?

Another thing that confused and irked me, the conversation of not having a child and Anne's declaration of them and their relationship mattering irrespective of that and it shouldn't have to hinge upon a piece of paper or a having a child to make it legitimate and yet in the finale apparently she has definitely changed her mind about it all so much so that she says as such to Vere, who is (much like me) so taken aback by what Anne's saying that it’s mindboggling! again WHAT IS HAPPENING?!

I seriously failed to grasp the motivations behind the characters and their actions in these regards. where is the exploration to show me how the characters are dealing with difficult situations and coming to their inferences whatever it might be, it’s not that the actors are not capable of pulling off those performances or that writing cannot accomodate for that, cause they did it fine in S1... instead of just telling me! Isn't that suppose to be the advantage of the visual medium?! 

I know the storybeats already and if I want to know more I can read up on the transcribed works if need be. What I wanted from the show was an exploration of those issues, of how they dealt with it, how it impacted them! Am I asking for too much? I don't think so!

The direction and editing too was off putting to me. We lost the intimate gaze, before the camera never felt like an intrusion, rather it felt like Anne's way of communicating and sharing her experiences, we were a part of the journey, not just mere observers. But now it feels voyeuristic again(like in most other shows). it's so harsh and removed and frankly sterile. Not something I would’ve expected coming right from season 1 and I don't believe in that class of thought where hard hitting reality needs to be depicted through these kind of detached direction/editing . Then they would not have managed to tackle issues of blatant homophobia, sexual abuse, physical assaults, mental illness etc. in season 1. But they did and it never felt like exploitation for the sake of drama.

At this point I am just disappointed, the more I try to analyse it, the more visible are the discrepancies and shortcomings in this season. It's very hard for me to criticize this show because it brought a lot of value to me, both personally and creatively.

I understand the difficult situations in which this season was made. I am in no way trying to demean people's hardwork. I myself work in the entertainment industry and when people criticizes the amount of hard work one puts into making a project like this it feels disheartening but at the same time we do read up on reviews and criticisms so that we can follow through and deliver quality content to the people. And I am not saying Season 2 was bad TV or anything, it was just not upto my expectations and if they get renewed I would hope that the coming seasons would fare better with their exploration and execution(fingers crossed).

Sorry if it’s confusing as I did went off on tangents and basically it’s a rant, so it might still lack clarity, anon. But maybe I am able to atleast address some of it and I hope you get some understanding as to where I am coming from, thanks for being so patient with me.

[thinkingisadangerouspastime]

Hi, first off I ship Zutara and I come in peace. I was pointed your way by a friend when I asked for people who ship kataang who are nevertheless willing to hear different views. I have lurked on blog a week and finally got up my nerve to ask how you or any other Kataang can deny that the last part of book 3 was completely Zutara but then stopped abruptly with no buildup? You can finesse tone on text so I'm not being sarcastic or bitchy, it is a serious question (1/5)

In The Southern Raiders, Katara realizes she has been wrong about Zuko. In Ember Island Players, she realizes Aang is not as mature as she thought he was, and in the finale, Katara does not care a whit that Aang is gone. I am serious and as someone who is no Aang stan but likes him, I’m actually annoyed by how little anyone cared about his disappearance. It went from “Aang’s gone!” to “Okay whatever, let’s find Iroh so he can kill Ozai.” (2/5)

Katara was all over Zuko (honestly, again not being a jerk) in the finale until for whatever reason, she wasn’t. She was giving him a pep talk about Iroh, she was going with him to Azula, she was healing him and saying he saved her not the other way around. I genuinely don’t get why this isn’t seen as romantic. I will grant you that Zuko would not have allowed Azula to kill anyone but I feel the point here was Zuko realizing his life was pointless if Katara was killed. (4/5)

And then literally at the end, Mai shows up after Zuko not talking about her at all for six episodes and declares herself Zuko’s girlfriend. And Katara kisses Aang after being annoyed with and by him arguably since The Southern Raiders. I get that Kataang “won” and I’ve made peace with that, but ... I can’t understand why Kataang shippers are okay with such a crap story. I swear on my gmom [sic] if they’d done this for [Zvtara], I’d be mad as hell. So I don’t understand, I really don’t. (5/5)

As always, I shall begin with a disclaimer: anon, you do not have to agree with this post. No one has to agree with this post, as it is strictly my own thoughts on the subject matter raised here! As per usual, I will not be putting this in the main tags - much less the Zvtara tag! - because I have basic fandom decency, lmao. If you (the general you, not anon specifically) do disagree with this post, that is totally fine, I simply ask that you are polite in expressing your disagreement (if you choose to do so at all! no one is expected to, lmao. i promise).

Alright. Formalities are out of the way!

I’ll admit I giggled a little bit when you say you lurked on my blog for a week, because I’ve actually talked about this subject numerous times in the past! I just found it funny you hadn’t stumbled across any posts about it yet, lol. So, as a heads up, know that I will be providing several links in this post since - again - this subject and related subjects have been analyzed a multitude of times before. I highly recommend reading them all! Mostly because I don’t intend to spend forever restating what’s been said over and over and over lmaooo. I will provide the resources, but it is up to each individual to take advantage of them.

To begin: your ask actually contains a few logical fallacies, anon! I do not mean this as shade or to belittle you - I fall victim to this issue all the time myself. Anyone who writes analyses or participates in debates does! Humans are imperfect and often like to cut corners to reach a conclusion. It is nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about because - as the existence of your ask in inbox indicates - you are willing to learn more. So kudos to you, my friend!

Alright. So what logical fallacies am I talking about here? (For the record: specific definitions of logical fallacies were taken from here.)

1. Hasty Generalization.

“A hasty generalization is a general statement without sufficient evidence to support it.” Numerous claims are made in this ask that I have absolutely no doubt you believe to be true, anon, but there really isn’t any concrete evidence to support it! I will go into more detail later, of course, but let’s quickly look at one example:

“In Ember Island Players, [Katara] realizes Aang is not as mature as she thought he was…”

For the time being, I will ask but one question: from the show itself, not fanon, how do you know this?

2. Causal Fallacy

Ah, this guy. My own worst enemy, tbh! “A causal fallacy is any logical breakdown when identifying a cause,” of which there are several types. “One causal fallacy is the false cause or non causa pro causa (‘not the-cause for a cause’) fallacy, which is when you conclude about a cause without enough evidence to do so.” In your ask, you claim:

“I will grant you that Zuko would not have allowed Azula to kill anyone but I feel the point here was Zuko realizing his life was pointless if Katara was killed.”

Again, for the time being, I will ask only one question: from the show itself, not fanon, what led you to believe this statement?

“Another kind of causal fallacy is the correlational fallacy also known as cum hoc ergo propter hoc (Lat., ‘with this therefore because of this’). This fallacy happens when you mistakenly interpret two things found together as being causally related.” In your ask, you claim:

“Katara was all over Zuko (honestly, again not being a jerk) in the finale until for whatever reason, she wasn’t. She was giving him a pep talk about Iroh, she was going with him to Azula, she was healing him and saying he saved her not the other way around. I genuinely don’t get why this isn’t seen as romantic.”

I will ask one question: from the show itself, not fanon, why would you believe these are indicative of romance? (Consider the context the show is situated in, too - e.g. the war, Katara being Azula’s only available match in skill, etc.)

The reason I bring up the issue of logical fallacies is again not at all to make you feel bad, anon!! You were simply trying to express your point to me and I greatly appreciate you taking the time to do so. See, your ask actually presents a larger fandom trend:

Misconstruing fanon as canon.

What you have offered to me, anon, are fanon conclusions. To clarify: there is absolutely nothing wrong with fanon. I adore fanon interpretations (an example I have used in the past is Kuzaang - like, I don’t care that there’s no canon basis! I do what I want lmao!), but a line has to be drawn between exploring fanon interpretations and expecting everyone to take that fanon as canon. Again, anon, this is not your fault! It is not any one person’s fault, lmao. It is an issue of fandom as a whole, and all of us fall victim to it.

With that in mind, I will break down the different components of your ask. I will also do my best to be brief - as aforementioned, I and others have analyzed this issue numerous times before, lmao. To avoid confusion, it would be best to read through each or at least most links as they are provided!

Firstly, there are two posts I have made in the past that almost directly answer your overarching question here in this ask. Please read them prior to continuing, as I will occasionally reference them:

This post explains how Zvtara was not built up from TSR/EIP-onwards, and how their supposed “canon enemies to lovers arc” is a completely fanon construction.

This post explains the issue of the “canon Zvtara” rhetoric from rabid zkers (and you, anon, are absolutely NOT one, in case you were worried).

Alrighty. With that out the way, let’s get into it!

“In The Southern Raiders, Katara realizes she has been wrong about Zuko.”

Gotta start by saying that TSR is not about Zuko. TSR is, first and foremost, about Katara. Katara does not realize she was wrong about Zuko, because here’s the truth - she wasn’t wrong about him. Zuko did horrible things to the Gaang. Katara was not wrong to hold him accountable for that. What Katara does realize is that holding such rage so close to her chest is bad for her. This rage was not solely anger against Zuko, either; it was of course about Yon Rha, too, but it was also anger towards Kya and Katara herself. Essentially, TSR is where Katara realizes she has to forgive herself. Zuko is only one part of her journey (similar to Aang’s role in the episode, if a different end of the spectrum).

This post explains how TSR was fundamentally about Katara.

Additional resources about TSR:

This post explains Aang’s comments to Katara in TSR and how Katara herself recognized their validity.

This post explains why both Aang and Zuko were important to Katara in TSR.

This post is an extensive breakdown of Aang and Katara’s relationship within TSR.

“In Ember Island Players, [Katara] realizes Aang is not as mature as she thought he was…”

You provide no context for this claim, so I’m going to work with the assumption this is about their reactions to the play itself and the infamous kiss!

There is something important we must keep in mind when discussing EIP: the play they watch is literally imperialist propaganda. It is meant to demean the entire Gaang, and indeed it does exactly that. You mention Katara and Aang specifically, so I will recap what I have explained before about their depictions in EIP: Katara, an indigenous woman, is hypersexualized and portrayed as overly emotional (and thus “irrational”). This reinforces the Fire Nation sentiment that women of the Water Tribes are less intelligent and less suited for “responsibility” than Fire Nation women. Aang, a pacifist and the sole survivor of genocide who is also canonly the male character most comfortable with femininity and spirituality, is portrayed as a flighty, airheaded woman (this is a well-known imperialist tactic meant to emasculate the target, seeing as masculinity was often equated with power in fascist regimes; thus, they effectively belittled Aang before the FN audience). This reinforces the Fire Nation sentiment that the Air Nomads were foolish, weak people who deserved to die.

In other words, of course Aang and Katara were upset about how they portrayed in the play. It is understandable that tensions would be running high and consequently that mistakes (we all know the one) would be made.

This post explains how EIP belittles each member of the Gaang (and why the play is not indicative of Zvtara).

This post talks specifically about EIP and their portrayal of Aang and Katara.

Now onto the kiss. As everyone knows and no one has ever disagreed with, Aang was wrong to kiss Katara. Point blank!

But what people do misunderstand is Katara and Aang’s feelings regarding the kiss. Given your above quote, I assume you believe Aang kissing Katara supposedly made her realize that Aang wasn’t as mature as she once thought. On the surface, this seems like a logical conclusion! But digging deeper reveals… well, there’s nothing that indicates this conclusion at all. Even jumping ahead to the finale, when Zuko has doubts over Aang’s return, Katara demonstrates her faith in Aang (although of course she’s nervous - I won’t deny the obvious, lmao) as she says, “Aang won’t lose. He’s gonna come back. He has to.”

In other words, nothing in canon suggests that Katara believes Aang is immature because of what happened in EIP. She still trusts in his return, as she did even before she knew him (and arguably is more confident in him now, given the 60~ episodes of them growing closer). Furthermore, when Aang does disappear, Katara doesn’t have an outburst about how “immature” it was for him to “run away again.” The viewers know Aang didn’t run away, of course (fans who insist he did are not worth arguing with, anon - they don’t understand the show, rip), but that is a luxury the rest of the Gaang is not afforded. And yet even though Aang has vanished off the face of the planet, Katara still believes he will save the world. If anything, that signifies the utmost confidence in his skill and maturity!

To go back to the kiss itself, this post explains the true source of Katara’s conflict in turning down Aang (hint: she says it herself in the episode! you know, the whole war going on) and why the EIP kiss did not sink Kataang’s relationship.

Additional sources about EIP:

This post explains how the EIP kiss was resolved through narrative parallels.

This post explains how the EIP kiss is so often blown out of proportion.

“… and in the finale, Katara does not care a whit that Aang is gone. I am serious and as someone who is no Aang stan but likes him, I’m actually annoyed by how little anyone cared about his disappearance. It went from ‘Aang’s gone!’ to ‘Okay whatever, let’s find Iroh so he can kill Ozai.’”

As I already touched upon, Katara didn’t need a soliloquy to emphasize her connection to Aang once he disappeared. She trusts that he will return. She says so herself. I guess I just don’t understand how you got from Point A, Katara has consistent faith in Aang, to Point B, Katara and the rest of the Gaang didn’t care about Aang’s disappearance. It’s honestly a bit more like Point A to Point Z, lmao! If you would like to expand on your logic here, I would love to hear more!!

There are a few specific aspects I want to note about your rationale, though. You argue the Gaang moves from ‘Aang disappeared’ to ‘let’s find Iroh,’ but the Gaang actually went from:

1. Aang disappeared!

2. They search the entire island for him.

3. Okay, they couldn’t find him, so they track down June and have her try to find Aang.

4. June says to them, “No, I mean he’s gone gone. He doesn’t exist.” (And she clarifies to Sokka that she doesn’t mean dead, either - she means Aang has totally blinked out of their world.)

5. Only after all of this do they decide to track down Iroh.

The Gaang cares immensely about the fact that Aang is gone, and you could actually argue they waste time by trying to track him down. They don’t give up until June essentially tells them that some Spirit World shenanigans were involved. Even if you don’t think they reached that specific conclusion, I have to ask: What else were they supposed to do? They were told Aang didn’t exist! How are they supposed to fix that?

Well, they can’t. So they do the next best thing: they find Iroh, the man who knows Ozai better than anyone and is also one of the most talented firebenders in the world. In my opinion, that’s a very logical step to take.

“Katara was all over Zuko (honestly, again not being a jerk) in the finale until for whatever reason, she wasn’t. She was giving him a pep talk about Iroh, she was going with him to Azula, she was healing him and saying he saved her not the other way around. I genuinely don’t get why this isn’t seen as romantic.”

I’ll be blunt here, lol: in my opinion, nothing of what you listed in your ask is inherently romantic.

Okay. I am going to assume you’ve read the first two posts I linked earlier (“Zvtara did not have an E-L arc” and “the ‘canon’ Zvtara of rabid zkers has issues”), because I do not intend to rehash everything they contain, lol. Consequently, I presume you realize by now that there was no canon romantic interest between Zuko and Katara.

And as I always say, just because there wasn’t a canon romance doesn’t mean people can’t take fanon routes! Of course they can! That’s the entire point of fanon! But fanon is not canon, and I am strictly referring to canon in my discussions.

You claim Katara was all over Zuko, which in itself I don’t think is an accurate assessment, because she doesn’t really do anything with Zuko outside the three points you bring up (other than the June gag, which I addressed in one of the aforementioned linked posts). So I’ll go ahead and break down each instance you provide!

1. “[Katara] was giving [Zuko] a pep talk about Iroh”

Katara asked Zuko if he was okay. She asked him if he was genuinely sorry. She reassures him that Iroh will forgive him. That’s… all. Not to diminish the significance of this conversation, but it’s not exactly an intimate, romantically-charged discussion (unless fanon-ized). But on that note, let’s tackle the canon significance of this moment!

Katara knows firsthand the challenge of forgiving Zuko. And she knows that Zuko understands how hard it was for her to forgive him (note: Katara’s anger was totally justified, and anyone who disagrees is probably a rabid Zuko stan lmao). She also recognizes that Zuko is terrified it will take Iroh the same struggle to forgive him that Katara went through. This scene is not related to romance at all. It’s about compassion. It’s about Katara and Zuko’s friendship having progressed, slowly but surely, to the point where she’s not afraid to extend empathy to him anymore (seeing as the first time, beneath Ba Sing Se, did not go so well; you know - Aang died and all). It’s about Zuko recognizing his own fallibility (and the audience recognizing how much he’s grown). He questions how he can even face his uncle after all he’s done to the man, which is a far cry from his entitled attitude in TSR, where he demanded to know why Katara didn’t trust him when everyone else had forgiven him.

To make this moment, this moment about Zuko’s relationship with his uncle who is all but a literal father to him, this moment of vulnerability, of guilt, of remorse, of growth, to claim this powerful moment is about a nonexistent romantic relationship? In my opinion, that is incredibly reductive to what this scene is supposed to signify. And again, there is nothing wrong with people exploring such a possibility in fanon, but in canon? Nah. It doesn’t track.

2. “[Katara] was going with [Zuko] to Azula”

Don’t forget that at first, Zuko planned to take on Azula alone. He doesn’t request Katara to accompany him until Iroh tells him that he’ll need help. As such, Zuko’s immediate agreement with Iroh is reflective of his personal growth (Book 1 and 2 Zuko would have argued and insisted he didn’t need any help). It also demonstrates, however, that Katara was not obsessively on Zuko’s mind. He doesn’t choose Katara until Iroh points out that Zuko will need assistance in taking Azula down. This means that Zuko’s choice of Katara to join him is a tactical decision, not an emotional one. And by all accounts, it’s a damn good decision! Zuko witnessed firsthand beneath Ba Sing Se a) how powerful Katara was (e.g. that wave after Aang died) and b) how Katara was the only one who could take on Azula*.

Of course, besides the fact that Katara was the only match for Azula, who else was Zuko going to choose? Sokka and Suki, while talented in their own right, were no competition for Azula. Toph, while the greatest earthbender in the world, was needed to metalbend the airships. Katara was the only (and the best!) option.

Also, on their trip to face Azula, the only thing they talk about within their three lines of canon conversation are Azula and Aang. Not exactly a romantic flight, lmao.

*Zuko never saw Aang fight Azula on the drill.

3. “[Katara] was healing [Zuko] and saying he saved her not the other way around”

Actually, this is what the transcript says:

Zuko: Thank you, Katara.

Katara: I think I’m the one who should be thanking you.

You’re right about how their lines refer to them saving each other, but you posit it as a romantic moment, when the lines are actually pretty straightforward. Zuko thanks Katara as she heals him from the partially-redirected lightning strike, and Katara thanks him for trying to redirect the lightning away from her and in doing so saving her life. In terms of canon, there’s nothing romantic about this, lol! (Which I talked about extensively in the E-L post, if you need to reference it again.) The reason being is that you have to take the show itself into context when you do analysis. If there was no canon romantic buildup between Zuko and Katara, why would these lines in canon (not fanon! fanon is free rein, lmao) be interpreted through a romantic lens?

Well, they wouldn’t be interpreted as such. Plain and simple.

“I genuinely don’t get why this isn’t seen as romantic.”

Because looking through a canon lens, they aren’t romantic. That’s all. You are of course welcome to view them as such through a fanon lens!! It’s just about recognizing the line between canon and fanon.

“I will grant you that Zuko would not have allowed Azula to kill anyone but I feel the point here was Zuko realizing his life was pointless if Katara was killed.”

I asked earlier what content in the show itself led you to believe. I have wracked my own mind, and I cannot think of anything that would point to this conclusion. Zuko was in Katara’s good graces for 5 episodes. That’s 8% of the show. Not exactly a lot of time for Zuko to start believing his life would be pointless if Katara was killed, is it?

This post explains the improbability of Zuko having a crush on Katara within canon.

This post explains how Zuko’s racism towards the Air Nomads in TSR and the finale is, well, exactly that - racism (and not a sign of a crush on Katara).

And, of course, as has been said a million times, Zuko taking the lightning for Katara out of romantic interest would completely undermine his redemption arc. Since it has been said over and over and over, I will be brief: Zuko taking the lightning is significant because it is a selfless act (one of his only in the series), and it directly parallels his selfish act of choosing not to intervene when Azula killed Aang with lightning beneath Ba Sing Se. This moment demonstrates Zuko’s growth, how he has learned to accept unconditional love from Iroh and the Gaang and Mai and even Ty Lee and sure, even from Appa and Momo, too. To make this moment of pure selflessness about a nonexistent romance? To force a fanon romance in replacement of canon redemption and canon platonic significance?

Such a decision speaks wonders about a person’s priorities, in my opinion, as well as how amatonormativity impacts them.

Furthermore, Zuko’s choice cements Katara’s position as his surrogate sibling, as she is Azula’s primary foil. Zuko chooses the sister who heals over the sister who harms. I won’t go too much into it here, because it has already been talked about extensively before! Thus, I offer you this post that explains how Zuko and Katara - in canon - are positioned as surrogate siblings as well as Azula’s role in this matter. I also offer this post that lays out through screencaps how Zuko and Katara - in canon - treat each other like family.

Additional sources about the final Agni Kai:

This post in part discusses fanon misinterpretation of the final Agni Kai and why such a lens is not true to canon relationships.

This post explains why the final Agni Kai is not intended to be romantic.

This post explains how the final Agni Kai is primarily about Azula and how reducing it to be a big Zvtara moment is detrimental to both her and to Zuko and Katara themselves.

“And then literally at the end, Mai shows up after Zuko not talking about her at all for six episodes and declares herself Zuko’s girlfriend.”

This point could probably get a post of its own, lol, but fortunately I and others have already written a few! I will link them below - first, however, I question your choice of “declares.” Technically, yes, Mai does say outright that it doesn’t hurt how the new Fire Lord is her boyfriend, but your phrasing implies Zuko resisted her proclamation. When… he doesn’t. In fact, he embraces it, asking if that means she doesn’t hate him anymore (read: he asks if they’re back on good terms again). Zuko clearly doesn’t have a problem with the girl he loves wanting to be with him again - so why do some parts of fandom so adamantly insist he does? (Not you, anon - I am referring to the rabid fanoners, lol.)

Also, regarding how Zuko hasn’t talked about Mai for six episodes, we’ve gotta be realistic with this assessment in terms of canon:

1. It was the crux of the war. They were either going to live or die. There was no time for romance at this point! Sokka and Suki weren’t professing their love on the battlefield, lmao, so it’s not exactly strange that Zuko didn’t bust into a monologue about how he missed Mai. I think they were just a little bit distracted by the possible end of the world, lol, and all that jazz.

2. Zuko probably thought Mai was dead. He knows what Azula is like. He knows his sister doesn’t have time for people who get in her way (Aang can testify to this, lmao). So can you blame him for not wanting to think about how the girl he loved had died (to his knowledge) to save him?

You gotta cut the kid some slack, lol. Anyways! Additional sources about Maiko:

This post breaks down the notion of Maiko and “deserve.”

This post rationalizes through a canon lens why Mai’s arrival at the palace surprised Zuko.

This post is the mother of Maiko metas, explaining in tremendous detail why their relationships works, is relevant to canon, and was well-implemented for what its role was.

“And Katara kisses Aang after being annoyed with and by him arguably since The Southern Raiders.”

What in canon has led you to the conclusion that Katara was annoyed with Aang? What specific moments from TSR to the finale made you think Katara was annoyed with Aang and remained annoyed with Aang? Are there any, or are you thinking about fanon interpretation? (Canon vs fanon strikes again!)

In TSR, Katara explicitly thanks Aang for understanding her perspective. Nothing there is indicative of annoyance (and as in the links provided earlier, she was not angry at Aang/Zuko/etc. so much as she was at herself. well, she was a little bit angry with Zuko, lmao). In EIP, Katara is understandably angry at Aang’s decision to kiss her, but Aang completely backs off, and we see in the part 1 of the finale that there are no hard feelings or weird tension between them. Katara in fact actively expresses concern for Aang after Zuko sporadically attacked him when she demands of the firebender, “What’s wrong with you? You could have hurt Aang!” Even when Aang and Katara do butt heads later in the episode as Aang tries to think of a way to defeat Ozai without killing him, Katara doesn’t stay frustrated. Like I said - when she and Zuko are flying to Azula, she demonstrates her unwavering faith in Aang through her belief that he will return. So… where is the annoyance that you feel was present?

With all this mind, i.e. looking strictly at canon, Katara wasn’t annoyed with Aang during this time. Thus, Katara kisses Aang because she loved him. Because he backed off and gave her the space she needed to make a decision about if she wanted to be with him (hence Katara being the one to initiate the kiss). Because the issue was never about if she reciprocated his feelings (they both knew they loved each other) but rather it had to do with the war. At the end of the finale, the war is over, and there is nothing that prevents them from being together. Simple.

This post explains how Katara’s feelings for Aang develop throughout the series (and were not neglected, as rabid zkers like to claim, for some reason? again - you are not one of them, anon).

This post also covers Katara’s interest in Aang throughout the series.

“I can’t understand why Kataang shippers are okay with such a crap story.”

I mean, you definitely don’t have to ship Kataang. It may not be your cup of tea, and that’s totally okay! But as the above links demonstrate, Kataang was a fantastic story. It was well-implemented into the narrative from Day 1. The soulmateism is unparalleled!

Also, it’s worth noting that A:TLA itself was essentially pre-written. The writers knew how the story would end from the get-go, including that the show would end with Kataang. A few Zvtara gags were thrown in to add a sense of “who will Katara choose?” drama as the show aired, but Zuko and Katara were never planned to end up together. One reason so many newer fans are fine with Kataang from the start is that there’s no tension of waiting a week for a new episode when you can watch all 61 episodes straight through on Netflix, lmao. It’s even more obvious now than when A:TLA was airing that Aang and Katara will end up together, if that makes sense. (Although I talked about this in the E-L post linked earlier, so you probably understand this point already, as it was explained in detail there!)

All of this is to say that Kataang is not a “crap story” in terms of writing (again, personal taste is a different matter) because it was woven in from the beginning and had powerful narrative significance! (Kataang represented numerous complementary components of the series, such as yin and yang, push and pull, air and water, Oma and Shu, etc.)

Now. If you really and truly want to understand why Kataang shippers like Kataang, anon, consider reading some Kataang fanfics or exploring some Kataang headcanons. I read fics involving Zvtara more regularly than you might think, lol, because… well, it’s just a ship. I understand the appeal of romantic Zvtara and I can actually appreciate it when it’s well-written! I’m sure if you’re willing to put in just a little legwork (you don’t need to go the whole mile, lmao - ‘tis just fandom), you’ll realize why people like Kataang, even if it isn’t exactly your thing. You have the range, anon!! You got this!

I hope I managed to answer your questions, my friend! As always, you do not have to agree with anything I have said here. It is totally fine if you and anyone else disagrees! Everything above is simply my own perspective on the matter. Thank you for taking the time to read my response and all the different links I provided! I hope it has expanded your understanding of the subject at hand!

[justaniche]

Hey! I’m dying for more Daxton. I seriously can’t wait for season 2. Can you write something about Nalini realizing Paxton is good for Devi? Like he takes care of her/protects her and helps her deal with her trauma

Thanks!!

Hi!

omg let me say first, anon, thank you for this ask. youre the first person to take me up on my offer to write stuff for you so thank you again.

A little bit about this writing piece before I actually show it to you, there was a point when I was writing it when I wasn’t sure if it was going to reach 1K words but there was a point where the words just start to flow and I can proudly say it is 2.1K and that is not a lot but based on what I thought it was going to end up being it has come along way. and this is one of my first-ish never have I ever work of writing. I think it’s the first I’ve written entirely off the top of my head. My other ones are either not posted or it’s my work inspired by the episodes and its just everything through Paxton‘s point of view so it’s a bit different.

this is getting sort of long so anyway, without further ado. here it is. I hope you enjoy it, please let me know what you think and if you like it please feel free to send me another!

Nalini had just about had it. The day’s raging dumpster fire began with traffic that resulted in her being late to work. If that wasn’t bad enough, a patient she saw a couple days ago came back complaining that her treatment caused a breakout. After a follow-up, she discovered the patient hadn’t changed any of their habits despite her advice! So was it really the treatment, or the fact that they don’t wash their face? All that suffices to say when Nalini got home she was already on a very short fuse. Kamala was out for school and let her family know she wouldn’t be home for dinner so it was known by both Devi and Nalini that they would be cooking without her today. Nalini gave Devi specific instructions so that, regardless of how late her day ran, they could have dinner at a reasonable time. Devi did not follow those instructions. Nalini came home to the door unlocked, closed but unlocked, the house a mess, and Devi’s part of dinner not made. No matter how many breaths she took, Nalini was mad. No, mad didn’t quite cover it. She silently walked up the stairs, hell-bent on seeing what caused this disaster, and if she didn’t like the reason she planned to riff for the rest of the night. But approaching Devi’s door she found it ajar. She peeked inside, and that's where she found them.

After winning his swim meet, Paxton was on top of the world. The school day had been what it tended to be, light. Filled with class and hanging with his friends in the hotpocket. But that was hours ago. It was early evening when he saw her, Devi Vishwakumar, they had sort of become friends over recent weeks but given the up and down nature of their relationship, Paxton was always very aware of her. Devi had a way of grabbing Paxton’s attention. He was always trying to figure her out. Of course she made a hell of a first impression, first couple of impressions actually. Devi was sorely different from anyone else in his circle and Paxton wasn’t yet sure how he felt about the sudden invasion. He pretended he didn’t but after unintentionally watching her Paxton began to notice Devi’s change in mood sometimes. Like right now, from where Paxton was he saw the set of her shoulders. The tension was apparent as Devi stalked across the school grounds. Confusion flooded Paxton’s mind and before another thought could register, he was jogging towards her.

“ Hey, Vishwakumar, wait up! ” He called towards her but she didn’t stop

Devi cast a look over her shoulder, her voice was muffled when she spoke, “Uh, Hi Paxton, I can’t talk.” her voice cracks, “I’m in a bit of a rush.”

Paxton slows down for a second as he takes in the situation, Devi speeds up.

“Are you okay?”

Devi breaks into a dead sprint and Paxton doesn’t think, he just follows.

Devi was doing okay. Today was harder than most for a reason she couldn’t name but Devi was making it through. That was until last period art class. The teacher gave a simple assignment, and that was to paint your happiest memory. Immediately when the words left his mouth, a memory came flooding into Devi's mind like a tidal wave.

Devi was 8 when her father convinced her mother that going to a Californian beach as a family would be an adventure. Devi barely remembers the build-up, it was a haze of packing sandwiches and equipment. Leaving the house, only to discover something had been forgotten. A car ride that seemed to stretch into forever. But the beach was magnificent. At least it was in Devi’s memory. It was a gloomy day, the threat of rain looming, so the beach’s visitors were far and few in between. Devi remembers that feeling of warm sand under her feet. She remembers those first fragile steps into the tide, only to rush back as the ocean crashed forward chasing her back to shore. She could see her mom, in the distance, setting up their makeshift camp for the day. She was more content watching her family than participating. The ocean was vast and blue and terrifying. Devi could not urge herself to take more than a few steps. Devi doesn’t know how her dad saw her distress but it was like he could read her mind. He grabbed her and lifted her high then settled Devi on his shoulders. He insisted that she was safe there, she was too high for the ocean to ever reach. He held her hand as he walked slowly but confidently further into the waves. He stopped just as the water kissed her mid-calf but it was enough. From way up here, with her father by her side, the ocean wasn’t anything to fear, it was something to marvel at.

Devi had a firm picture in her mind of her happiest memory and it was her family’s adventure at the beach. But Devi couldn’t make a move to make this image a reality. Sadness crept up on her and got a vice grip on her heart. Her vision blurred and she couldn’t breathe. How had she ever breathed before? Was it always this hard? The bell rang, signaling the end of the day but Devi was on autopilot. Eleanor and Fabiola felt miles away, whenever they’d focus in the daze of her mind, the grip on her heart tightened and dragged her back to darkness. Devi doesn’t know if she said goodbye to her best friends,

She blinked, band began

She inhaled, band was over

She stood, the sun was setting

She gazed, the stress stiffened her movements as she walked around campus. Where was she headed?

Devi was desperate for light, for clarity.

“ Hey, Vishwakumar, wait up! ” The sudden noise broke the muddle, if only for now, she was again aware of the devastation and loss weighing on her mind and on her heart.

She recognized that voice and it was getting closer, she glanced over her shoulder. Paxton, no no no, she didn’t want anyone to see this least of all her newest and most popular friend, “Uh, Hi Paxton, I can’t talk.” Why was her voice cracking? “I’m in a bit of a rush.”

Devi finally knew where she wanted to go as she increased her speed.

“Are you okay?” Paxton’s question was the final straw, she couldn’t stop her tears and they fell uncontrollably past her cheeks. Paxton was going to catch up, and Devi was crumbling by the second. So Devi did the only thing she could. She ran, ignoring the echo of the beating steps behind her.

Nalini could hardly comprehend the scene playing in front of her. Devi, her only child, her entire world, looked so small folded up on the floor in front of her bed. Devi was always so strong, with a personality larger than life. She always seemed bigger than her stature, always taking up more space. Nalini's anger from the day deflates, leaving no trace it was ever there to begin with. Nalini tears her eyes away from the form of her daughter to take in the room. It was dark but the other figure inhabiting the room was clear as day. Paxton sat before Devi, his body language soft. He had one hand on the arms Devi wrapped around herself as he spoke to her gently. Paxton’s volume was soft as a whisper, any louder would shatter the delicate atmosphere. Witnessing this scene felt like a secret and the longer Nalini stood there the guiltier she felt. Devi never expressed emotions this deeply to her. Everyday problems with her friends or tests or Ben Gross, yes. But Devi never shared this.

Nalini's mind was going a million miles an hour as he crept back down the steps and began cooking dinner. She knew Devi would refuse but she needed to have something ready, just in case. When everything was mostly done, she was quiet as she moved around the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on the meal. Nalini knew he was trying to walk silently but she still caught Paxton as he descended the steps. Nalini kept her back to him as she called, giving Paxton an out if he needed.

“Paxton?”

“Um...yes, Hi Mrs. Vishwakumar” at the acknowledgment, Nalini felt comfortable enough to turn around.

Paxton was standing in the doorway, shuffling in obvious discomfort. What he expected her to say she didn’t know. Gods, neither did Nalini. Questions flew through her mind faster than she could catch them. She didn’t want to ask him about what happened, Nalini wanted Devi to share when, if, she was ready. Nalini realized, amongst these questions, that she didn’t know Paxton. Here was this kid, late in the evening comforting her daughter. She couldn’t even be upset that they were home alone when she recalled how broken Devi looked. All Nalini had done thus far was judge Paxton, he looked like a jock so she thought him dumb. She made these assumptions about him, that he’d peak in high school or that he was shallow or that he was a walking STI, but they were just that. Assumptions. This kid stayed with her daughter for she didn’t even know how long, she’d been cooking for close to an hour so it was at least that.

All these guesses and judgments were useless when she stood in front of him. Paxton had a rigid set to his limbs, Nalini thought it was probably from sitting in one position for so long, and he was still dressed in gym clothes. Paxton looked new in Nalini’s eyes and she regretted never wanting to know him before now. Nalini didn’t know where to begin, she wondered if he’d eaten.

“Would you like something to eat?” Nalini's silent prayer must’ve been heard because he accepted. She was being given another chance. She quickly worked around the familiar space, grabbing one of the good containers and piling more food than necessary, successfully straining the unyielding plastic. She was handing the meal over when she paused, they both had a hand on the object between them but Nalini couldn’t let go, not yet.

“Thank you, Paxton, really, I don’t know what happened and I won’t ask but I saw what you did for Devi.” Paxton had the decency to look a little shocked. He hadn’t heard anything. Paxton was too absorbed before. His mind was a broken record repeating only, Devi.

The moment shatters when the front door opened, “I’m home!” Kamala’s voice fills the silent home. With the trance broken, Nalini’s hold on the container falters and she drops her hand allowing Paxton to leave. Words were failing him so all Paxton could give was a tightlipped smile in response.

“Thanks for the dinner.” Paxton’s smile was looser now and that gave Nalini courage.

Kamala was unloaded the day around her but Nalini was focused on making this right, “You’re welcome to come by Paxton, anytime.” She could only hope Paxton knew just how much she meant those words. His smile was burdened but bright, he nodded strongly and then he was out the door.

Kamala was fixing the table for a very late dinner when she called for Devi to join, Nalini hoped she would. “Who was that? And why was he here so late?” Pure curiosity laced Kamala’s voice.

“Paxton is one of Devi’s friends. He’s a good kid.”

Those details were all she could provide before Devi came bouncing down the steps. Nalini couldn’t be sure if it was the fact of what she saw or reality but Devi’s movements looked heavier than they normally were.

“What’s up guys?” Devi’s voice feigned casualness, “Dang mom, isn’t it late for a thousand-course meal?” She questioned as she took in the lack of clear surfaces on the dinner table.

Nalini just brushed it off, indicating for everyone to take a seat. “So how was everyone’s day?”

Nalini wasn’t looking for Devi to share but this was her family. She would always want to hear how they were, plus it was tradition. As they consumed insane amounts of food they were bound to regret eating this late at night, everything felt so normal and easy. But something had shifted in Nalini today and even though it was new and she was scared to death of this person entering Devi’s life with the propensity to hurt her. Nalini can’t say she minded too much because it was Paxton. He had proven himself worthy of a chance, and Nalini wouldn’t soon forget it.

[captnjacksparrow]

Hello. Really like your content.

Everyone thinks Sasuke sacrificed him life for Naruto once, during the land of waves arc. I think it's twice. There are still some homophobes out there who think Sasuke didn't kill Naruto because he wanted power but not the way Itachi wanted. Man, his excuse (on a whim) is sooo flimsy, a blind person can see it.

I can't imagine how they can come to this conclusion. The fact that killing Naruto would have upgraded his sharingan to Mangekyou, just as Itachi has advised, would have made him so much more powerful. Going to Orochimaru definitely meant one thing. Sasuke would have to 'die' in order for Orochimaru to take over his body. He would rather do that, but not kill Naruto. Even though he had a solid opportunity. And Naruto was the only one that could have caused Sasuke to achieve Mangekyo.

He looks absolutely broken and spent after vote1, as he is walking away. Because he realises that he would rather die a slow death than kill Naruto.

Thanks for the ask Anon ❤️❤️

There are still some homophobes out there who think Sasuke didn't kill Naruto because he wanted power but not the way Itachi wanted.

Hmmm, Let’s see. 

Sasuke reawakened his Sharingan for Naruto in Land of the Waves arc, matured his sharingan in the VoTE1 for Naruto. He was willing to kill Naruto for Mangekyo Sharingan by piercing Chidori. This love doujutsu never served Sakura. 

If Sasuke managed to kill Naruto just like Itachi wanted, and he got his Mangekyo Sharingan, This undeniably still proves that Naruto is the most important person than anyone in Team 7 for Sasuke to awake such a great power. 

But Sasuke had many chances to kill Naruto in VoTE1. It’s not because of Itachi that he did not kill Naruto. Itachi was more of an afterthought. It’s just that Sasuke simply couldn’t because he loves Naruto more than his Goal. He proved this many times in this series.

If Sasuke considered Sakura to be the important person or great love, he should have evolved his sharingan when Gaara pinned Sakura with his sand. 

Sasuke is a person who always does something first subconsciously. And then gives a reason later to convince himself and others that he did it purely for a self-serving purpose. 

Proof?

He saw Naruto was hungry. He immediately gave his food knowing full well about the consequences if he gave him. When asked about why he did what he did?

Here you go. He gave you the reason. But only after taking the risk. 

Sasuke has every reason to not offer food. And yet he did. Because towards Naruto, he always acted subconsciously. In other words, his body always moved on its own. 

Alright let’s move on to the real deal. 

I LEFT YOU ON A WHIM...

Let’s see. 

What is a whim?

So, it means, you decided to do something for sure but your mind changed at the last moment. 

So far, so good.

But, do you call it as a whim if your mind always changes when the moment occurs more than once? 

Well, I call it as a plan. 

Moment 1

Sasuke could have rammed his chidori into Naruto. Instead, he balled up his fist and never even aimed for his vital spot just shows Sasuke’s whim here. Moments later...

Moment 2

Alright, Sasuke could have stuck a kunai into the unconscious Naruto here. Instead Sasuke is embracing ‘his weakness’ and Naruto’s warmth for one final time from a mere centimeters away. 

Yeah, this is another one of Sasuke’s ‘whim’ to leave him alive.

Moment 3

Here, I am seeing million possibilities of how Sasuke could have killed Naruto. 

For a starter,

This is a perfect jutsu, Sasuke developed to pierce through the enemies at a long range. He used this same jutsu to fight Orochimaru, Itachi and even killed Danzo. Why didn’t he use this against Naruto who is within that range and be done with it?

Instead Sasuke came extremely close to Naruto and try to draw a sword which he cannot even draw quickly. And FYI, to stab someone with a sword, you need a certain distance, and with that close proximity, Sasuke has zero chance to stab Naruto. 

And since there are no thunder clouds at that moment, he possibly couldn’t have summoned ‘Kirin’, when he raised his hands. So, It’s all an elaborate joke, in my opinion.

It’s just like you said, anon,

Going to Orochimaru definitely meant one thing. Sasuke would have to 'die' in order for Orochimaru to take over his body. He would rather do that, but not kill Naruto. Even though he had a solid opportunity.

He was ready to give his body to Orochimaru rather than killing Naruto for so called ‘whim’ and power. The power he so much desired was brimming right before his eyes in the hideout in the form of Naruto. But he can’t kill him. He was simply begging for everyone to stop his tantrum.

This time, Sasuke never gave the reason, why he left him alive, like in VoTE1. But he indirectly hinted us that he simply couldn’t, after 50 or so episodes later.

So, are you telling me that he was smiling peacefully at the name of a person whom he left alive on a whim but not because of the good memories he shared with that person??

Well, Keep joking. 

All these scenes I cited above doesn’t need shipping lens at all. You simply need some comprehensive reading/viewing skills and common sense. I think those homophobes don’t have any.

In short, Sasuke always acts without thinking and search for an excuse later when it comes to Naruto. While the excuse he comes up with may show his stronger persona but in reality, the things he does subconsciously shows with whom his weakness lies. That person is clearly Naruto and no one else. That’s exactly why Sasuke wanted to kill Naruto and fails invariably. 

[madeofcc]

Hello ❤️ I just started reading Destiny Harbour few days ago and I love it ! I saw that you've planned several seasons and I was wondering if you could tell us more about it ... Can I submit a sim ? Love the story so far by the way 🌟

Oh my god anon, it's the kind of ask I'm dying to receive for a long time !!! Thanks you so so much for your support and interest on DH ! I think I've seen you enjoying the story in the notes lately ^^

So, to answer you, yes I have prepared a story in 5 seasons/chapters for Destiny Harbour. As it's supposed to be a young adult story, I thought it should be wise to follow her and her friends through 18 to 28/30 or something, which usually represent adulthood/life in our common minds.

If you want some elements coming for next seasons, you've probably noticed that I love to play with pop culture references in this story and that I've planned to stick on it 'til the end and give you a perfect and logical explanation for everything by the end of the story :p Vampires and ghosts in season 1 will lead to something new in season 2. Each season will bring a new threat and a new general plot so anyone who starts the story can follow it easily while the regular fan/readers will understand and knows more because they have the background.

Season 2 has already started with a special episode that gives you some hints for what's coming next ^^ This season will be a bit different from season 1 as it's set in Sulani. I want to play with summer stories and also give the characters some nice vacations for a change. But this will be also a new adventure, as occult as the others and I've also plan to tell you more about Destiny and her roots. I'm making the entire season on that purpose to be honest ^^

Between season 2 and 3 we'll have a special episode that will be a musical ! This episode will include the plot, set and some characters of DH 3 that will be the longest and darkest season so far. I'll make a tribute to Wes Craven by using several references to his work and I already can't wait this kind of whodunnit story ! Of course, this will be a horror story, hopefully with fun parts.

After that it will be DH4 set in Strangerville with the Demogorgon in it ! and season 5 will be the last and will be the end of a looong journey. For all these upcoming season I'll make a casting call like I made for DH1 and 2 (I already have all the sims I need for that part sorry). I already have ideas for DH3 though and will need specific characters this time so watch your dash when DH2 is published 'cause I'll make a special announcement for it :p

[floraone]

So, September is coming up, and with it smutember, and we’re doing it again! (At least I hope you’re with me, lol).

Just like last year, it runs alongside to the official daily word prompts on the official smutember blog: Smutember is an event that runs all throughout September for all fandoms. The following is meant as an addition, not a replacement. If you want to do daily prompts, please use the official words prompts (linked above). However, since daily prompts can be a bit intimidating (especially for a fandom corner that’s 25+ years old like ours and people in it have busy lives), as the resident smut advocate in our fandom, I again customized an alternative that can still incorporate the official themes.

Just like last year, down below you have a list of TROPE AND THEME PROMPTS. They’re a remix of sorts of last year’s tropes, with some you’ve seen before and some new ones, meant to spark a variety of ideas. The idea is that with these you can post once (or twice) per week instead of daily.

Be it for fanart or fanfic or any other sort of fanwork, tropes can be combined, (and they can be combined with the daily themes too), whatever floats your boat. Also, specifically: This event isn’t Usamamo-centric only. I will reblog any Sailor Moon content of any pairing as long as it follows the rules! (See below)

The aim of this event is to create sex-positive content together that celebrates a healthy depiction of consentual sexuality. Erotic fanfiction is a beautiful art, especially in a fandom of ours so largely cultivated by women and for women, as well as a strong inclusive focus on queer and gender-queer content and their creators!

What’s new: I’m taking a page out of the mini-bang’s impressive book, and when smutember is over, I will compile all entries that followed the rules into an online-only e-zine! This also means that art that may be too explicit for tumblr can still be included in the e-zine!

Here are the weekly trope challenges:

Reinvent a trope!

WEEK 1 (September 1st - 7th): Pick 1 or 2

🍋 Reunion Sex 🍋 Sex Fails 🍋 Second Chance Sex 🍋 You Talk In Your Sleep 🍋 Unresolved Sexual Tension 🍋 New Old Flame 🍋 Go Seduce My Archnemesis 🍋 Bedsharing 🍋 Sex with the Ex/Break-Up Sex 🍋 In Public 

WEEK 2 (September 8th - 14th): Pick 1 or 2

🍋 Make-Up Sex 🍋 Battle Couple 🍋 Mission Sex 🍋 Work-Out Sex 🍋 Accidental Pervert 🍋 Bathing/Shower 🍋 Pool/Onsen 🍋 Sexual Fantasies 🍋 Blind Date 🍋 Aroused By Your____ (pick a feature) 

WEEK 3 (September 15th - 21st): Pick 1 or 2

🍋 Established Relationship 🍋 “Thank God We’re Alive” 🍋 Caught In The Act 🍋 First Times 🍋 Introduction By Hook-Up 🍋 Pining 🍋 Locked In Together In A Small Space/ Trapped Together 🍋 Huddling For Warmth 🍋 Socially Distanced Sex 🍋 Stupid Sexy Friend 🍋 Caught In The Rain 🍋 Living Food Platter/Eating Off You 🍋 Shunga

WEEK 4 (September 22nd - 30th): Pick 1 or 2

🍋 Mutual Masturbation 🍋 Awkward/Clumsy Sex 🍋 Oh Crap There’s Fanfic Of Us 🍋 Talking In Bed 🍋 Fidelity Test 🍋 Fake-NOT-Dating 🍋 Mindlink 🍋 Sex Games 🍋 Tinder 🍋 Blackout/Quarantine/Disaster Warning/Weathering The Storm

RULES

1. Rating: These fics don’t necessarily need to be M or, in the case of Ao3, E- rated. Obviously, they are very, very welcome to be explicit for this event, but you can also go T-rated and stay in lime or ‘blacked out’-territory if you’re uncomfortable with writing explicit scenes! Both is perfectly and absolutely welcome! This of course also goes for fanart - your fanart may depict sexy scenes, but does NOT have to be explicit! (It can, though! Be aware that for tumblr’s guidelines, when sharing your art first, you may have to clip your images as a sort of preview. The original can then be sent to me privately to include into the e-zine!) 2. Minimum Age of Characters: Since this is a community event, if you do go explicit M rated material: age them up where necessary! So that everyone can be comfortable writing and reading these, let them be 18 at the minimum if they’re going to openly and explicitly wohoo. (16-17 is the global average age of consent worldwide, and also the average age for first sex among girls in many western countries. However, since most fanfic readers are located in the US, where the age of consent is 18, we’re going with 18 so that everyone can be comfortable reading!) If you go for canon fics at a time they are below this age, where you do not want to age up (say you’re going for an episode fix!) please stay in T territory for this event. 3. Off limits: Depictions of sexual acts that contain harmful, violent and non-consenting behaviour with non-consenting individuals (or those that aren’t able to consent, for instance because of their age, or state of mind among else!). If it doesn’t fly by law or the ICD in real life, please refrain from depicting it in the context of this event. This means that dubcon and noncon will not be reblogged for the event, so that people can be safely consuming the content without being triggered. All content will be screened in this regard, and I may contact you regarding trigger warnings. This is not at all to censor content, or that this content is in any form less valid (as long as it is properly tagged and not including characters that aren’t of age), but simply to ensure a safe environment for everyone reading. 4. Tag your triggers. Except the aforementioned limitation of harmful content, nothing is off limits. Explore your kinks! But if you write something that might be offensive to your readers, please tag it. This is ALSO a good way for your readers to find exactly what they ARE looking for! On Ao3 this can be done directly on the fic tags, for FF fics and fic links you can do it here on Tumblr via the fic post tags or in ANs. This is in consideration of your readers. 5. You can obviously post art for this event too. All previous rules apply here, as well. Unfortunately, Tumblr is now against tasteful nudity. That doesn’t mean you can’t link to a deviant art or similar account though, should you want to. And, since this year will include an e-zine at the end of it, all art will still be included fully in it. Here too, please tag your triggers. If you still want to post art on Tumblr, choose a T rated image - clip them where needed, or keep them (semi-)clothed, show us a heated kiss, etc! (Obviously we would love ALL the art and the nude body is a beautiful, wonderful thing, but obviously Tumblr doesn’t agree with us anymore!) 6. Have fun! Celebrate sexuality in an open, sex-positive way with us, try to be unapologetic about your likes while you write this, and appreciate the beauty that comes in the form of content with a largely female-gazing creator-base and audience! Smut in fanfiction has been beautifully put as the subjectification of sexuality (as opposed to  objectification). So let’s celebrate this art form together! 7. Reviews: No one is forced to review. It can be uncomfortable to review a fic that contains sexual acts for any number of always valid reasons. Keep in mind, however, that much like a Burlesque dancer on stage, putting out sexual content can also be very intimidating to an author, and nothing is more discouraging than silence when baring yourself to an audience like this. That being said: Both Ao3 and FF have the option to review in anon mode. That means you have the option to remain anonymous while cheering the author on all the same. Just like the Burlesque dancer, your resident smut authors prefer to go on stage to loud cheering - it makes it all less awkward for them, and feels a little more like a big celebration!

If you’re unsure what sex positivity entails and want to read up, I wrote a post about it here.

This event is not supposed to cause harm. This means that I will screen all content before I reblog it here, and include it in the e-zine. So that everyone of age can feel safe reading the fanworks in the event, dubcon and noncon will not be reblogged and included in the e-zine, and accurate tagging and content warning will be watched. This does NOT MEAN that you cannot post this material: your own desire to write it and someone else’s desire to explicitly read this material are valid. I do not entitle myself to censor. It just means it will not be reblogged and shared through the event so that everyone may feel safe to read to the best of my ability. (But, of course, remember that I, too, might be biased, and not discover subtle forms of it, either. We’re all, in the end, a product of our upbringing and society, and I cannot be completely unbiased.)

During the event, I will be posting all Sailor Moon Smutember contributions in this format on my blog if you @ me to the post.

The official hashtag for the event is #smutember2020 hosted by the official smutember blog. Using it helps people find the content who search for it as well as those who wish to block it!

[theyarebothgunshot]

Another heteronormative S4 viewer whose eyes popped right the fuck open when cas burst through the barn doors and dean promptly stabbed him in the heart lol. No lie that dean/cas had a significant impact on the shattering of my heteronormative lens forever. (And no matter how much pain the ship brought over the years I will always be grateful for that reason)

So yeah. This acey/straighty straighty had major 👀👀👀👀👀 at jenmish chemistry from their first ep. I was onboard the cockles train by their first hellatus.

Anyone who doesn't see the insane chemistry was just sticking their heads in the sand for the last 12 years imo.

amazing shfsdh i love hearing all your origin stories!!

'stage chemistry' anon came back as well but it's a bit long and has a minor buffy spoiler in it (tea anon is watching for the first time and has somehow managed to avoid a lot of big spoilers hfsdhfhsf) i'm putting it under the cut!

'stage chemistry' anon here! With years! I got here with years! For starters, i am not american and while i'm not straight i didn't know abt bisexuality until Willow in Buffy. So, i see a few epis of spn on tv, think scarecrow or hookman and i like horror and when i get my own laptop i search for the show. It's on it's fourth season at the time i start watching, i believe. Anyway, i really like the show, could've done with less bro drama but whatever. Castiel happens, so cool! I put the chemistry into the box of 'they're such great scene partners!'. Siren episode happens, i raise my eyebrows but when it comes to the brother aspect of it i want to bleach my brain. (i know people have tried to explain it away and it's a good epi for proof that dean is bi but i still can't get past of the implication that he has hots for his brother, just no) so i delete that epi from my memory. Ok, season 5 is sooo good and i'm watching as epis come in and i actually search for youtube content, see J2 goofing around and a few fan vids, but i still remain GA. Then there's the heaven epi with implications that Sam and Dean share heaven and again, just no. But overall amazing season and finale for the series. And then there's season 6. Why is there season 6? is my question. But i stick by it. There's some stupid jokes abt Castiel and Dean. I don't like them joking abt it, cause it feels like making jokes on the expense of gay people, but okay. 6x20 happens. Ooh, he, umm, loves him? But the betrayal is so awful. Cause it isn't just Cas betraying Dean, it felt like the show was betraying the audience. It was all so one-sided and unexpected. I still went to season 7, cause i wanted to see Misha as the big evil of the season. And then he dies in second episode. I stop watching live. I still binge a few epis in a row at some points but they lose me completely when Bobby dies. Then i see some comments abt how Cas has come back on the site i had been watching on and went to see and he came back! Dean keeping his coat was another eye-brow moment. But then they left him. Anyway, watched the epis i hadn't seen and was exited for s8. No Cas. By episode 2 i believe Dean had killed him or smth (cause of how cagy he was and how much it effected him). I stop watching again, but can't resist for long. Dean refuses to leave him behind and i'm like 'when did you start loving him back?' and then, oh man, that epi when he comes back. On one hand i wanted Dean to dream abt him like that, on the other, i wanted him back for real. I guess i had started 'shipping' them gradually, but i had no idea wtf shipping is at the time. Still very GA. The crypt scene comes along, i gotta watch away cause, you should know, i'm not into actual 'i-love-yous' and melodrama. I like to think abt it and create scenarios of my own, but i get bored seeing it in shows. I like it a lot more when it's shown in actions and veiled a little, creates more suspense. Anyway, they're family. I had thought season finale is gonna be Cas breaking free but i guess he's sidelined again, even though his story in season 8 was the most interesting part of it for me. (i thought the tablets and closing hell was so stupid, you had peace and all, why go around poking with a stick?) From then on, i wasn't watching live anymore. I checked in a few times a year and binged several epis in a row. Then comes season 11. I start watching live again and i go to Youtube again, watch a few crack vids, watch a few destiel vids, watch sdcc panels. Castiel says yes to Lucifer and i'm like wtf i need a new episode right now! I need more content! And then i come to Tumblr. I peak around, block a nasty bronly, curate my dash. I read a beautiful meta abt Dean being bi and everything clicks into place. They are in love! So that's the story of how i started shipping destiel. But cockles, just, I started to actually watch the panels. I saw a few gifs on my dash, I saw posts abt polyamory. I still tried to stay away from the cast opinions and stuff, i've never, never been interested in actors' lives. But they continued to lure

me in. Their panels are hilarious and you can see they really care for each other. Once you get past Jensen's grumpy man act and once you get past the performance Misha constantly puts on, you start to understand them a little bit. Most things can be explained away by them just joking around and being entertainers. It's all the tiny things put together. It's the things you know are not for audience. I slipped in casually, just observing. I still don't have a 'need' to know, i don't ship them as far as shipping goes. I just take them as they are. They are so sweet on each other. I love to see that. They are also dirty-minded as fuck. Especially with each other. And then there was 'Mish. Dee.' What else am i to think of that? I just hope they're happy and i love seeing them together because they love being together. No matter what their relationship happens to be. long story short: i blame Youtube and Tumblr and the hivemind that is fandom. and Andrew Dabb for making Cas say yes to Lucifer.

absolutely amazing thank you for sharing sfjhjsdfs

[lovesbitca8]

Asks that have sat too long...

Finally clearing out my inbox from like, November. 

@beau-pigzy said: Heyyy! I'm such a big fan of yours and loved your Dramione series! Thank you so much for the great and brilliant stories that you've provided for the audience (Well, Dramione fans though). Will be rooting for you! P.S. Your portray of Lucius Malfoy is such a bad ass and genius, and damn, that last chapter was a nice cherry on top. Love to reread again and again haha.

Lucius is my main squeeze.

@sri1997 said: Rereading 39 Part 1 in anticipation of Part 2 - "there's only one thing she wants from the Malfoys and he isn't here" - Isn't that the one thing we all want ? 😏😏

*raises hand*

@peachykeenqueen said: Came to your account for the Auction! Finished it right before chapter 39 was released and I’ve managed to go back a read both The Right Thing to Doo and All the Wrong Things!!I love the way you tell their stories! You’ve got me laughing, crying, and absolutley beaming and I’m so beyond excited for chapter 40!!!!

Apologies for the delay, but I’m so glad you loved it! (around chapter 40 lol)

An Anon said: AND OF COURSE YOU'RE GONNA END IT WITH THE TRIAL, JUST LIKE THIS WHOLE WONDERFUL UNIVERSE STARTED IN TRTTD. u tricky genius. I love it. I dont want it to end. I want it to end. wut have u done to me. Question: how is blaise such a good friend and where can i find me one of him. Also: where the hell did u learn to write. I want to send them a thank you note

An Anon said: one can only IMAGINE the trauma that will permeate the wizarding society, generations emotionally broken oh my goodness it hurts me 😭😭

Yep. Very similar to our Muggle histories. 

An Anon said: i’ve just plowed through the rights and wrongs series and am now nervously anticipating the ending of the auction and i just wanted to tell you i am FLOORED by your writing. i’m obsessed and in awe and so grateful for your existence ❤️

❤️❤️❤️

An Anon said: Should have titled this chapter “Draco Has Some Really Great Friends Who Love Him More Than He Knows.” Don’t mind me. I’ll just be in the corner crying over these Slytherin babies.

Yessss. I love those little snakes.

An Anon said: i have complete and total faith in you 100% but how how how are you going to wrap this up in one more chapter i’m dying! i’m so excited to finally know how this ends but also so sad i’ve been on this journey now for what like a year and a half now? sunday’s won’t be the same! this chapter had me everywhere! the scene with blaise pansy and draco and the viewing and pansy trying to save hermione (for draco) broke my heart for them all they are such ride or dies i’m glad hermione is going to bat for them too. i’m glad pansy’s free, now we just need blaise and draco and oliver. i was screaming at everyone this whole chapter like “oh my god you’re all like so silly you don’t even know! blaise didn’t even do most of the things you’re trying to punish him for! tell them that he wasn’t holding gulianna as a slave and the lengths they went to to protect her!!” lmao. but i know the info has to be saved for the right time, hopefully that’s what his american lawyer is for and that fact plus bellatrix will be enough to keep him safe. “bring him home, hermione” broke me, i am ruined, i simply can’t express. i know this is a story about draco and hermione but god did you ever do a fantastic job making me care about the supporting characters i am so soft for blaise caring about draco at his own expense 🥺. anyway fantastic 39 part two i applaud you. can’t wait for the final chapter which comes just after my birthday so i’m counting it as a personal gift for me hahaha

Okay 1 - Happy Belated Birthday; and 2 - thank you for emotionally transporting me back to Chapter 40 with this Ask.

An Anon said: Me, an ASOIAF stan watching everyone go crazy over Draco and Hermione being "siblings" is hilarious AF. It's fictional incest. Why exactly are you worrying about if the baby is going to look alright? You're all worrying about the wrong thing. Anyways it is just me or them being siblings just adds spiciness to their relationship LMAO

I have also been in fandoms with that sort of “spice” so I was UNPREPARED for the “sibling-backlash” lol

@teacher-with-bad-handwriting said: I’m literally crying while reading about Blaise wanting to help get Draco home, even if it means he might have to stay in Azkaban.They had such a pure friendship in TRTTD, I’m glad they’re still ride or die in The Auction

I love bromances. I love men who are comfortable enough with themselves to let their fondness show. 

An Anon said: Okay okay sorry for bothering you but when i tell you i just screamed when i saw that you uploaded the new podcast episode. Like I've been waiting for the 39 part 2 recap. And I dont know if you have an upload schedule cause i basically binged the whole auction and the podcast. Just amazing to hear how much work you put into each upload. Much love to all you three ❤❤❤

That was one of my fave episodes, so I’m glad you were looking forward to it!

An Anon said: I’m rereading ATWT in anticipation of TA ending and I just came across my favorite line in the history of fanfiction: “Fuck, we’re both such idiots. I hate us so much.” I FORGOT ABOUT THAT LINE AND IT IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST I NEEDED TO THANK YOU FOR IT.

I should change all my story synopses to just that. 

An Anon said: A very random thought came to mind several months ago and has been pestering me ever since. I don't expect it will be answered in The Auction so I'm finally going to ask. How's Professor Binns? Did he even notice anything? (Also, Hogwarts was still being used as a school right? But it was also Voldy's HQ? Have I remembered/interpreted that correctly? Were there children running around Voldy's HQ?) Anyways, can't wait for the final chapter! Thank you for every single thing you do!!!

L.O.L. Professor Binns is probably still teaching, Death Eater infiltration or no. The children and classes had been moved to upper floors while Voldemort was there, but Binns just floats in, teaches, and floats out. 

@rethinkthesituationnn said: I just have to say how beautifully done the Orpheus & Eurydice reference in The Auction was. That’s all. Now, I’m just going to furiously refresh until chapter 41 is posted. 🙃

Thank youuu. I probably had the most fun writing that chapter out of the last third of TA.