#either that or hilariously dysfunctional or both

[bloominglegumes]

i love normal guys doomed by the narrative

[inbarfink]

There’s just something about the fact that Zim reads as So Autistic. Like, both in the sense that it’s easy to map his experiences as an alien secretly living on earth to Autistic experiences:

A lack of understanding of social cues and conventions

The Anxieties of feeling like you have to fit in some arbitrary social standards or Something Bad will happen

Unusual sensory sensitivities

Pickiness about food

General alienation

Even the whole ‘fully grown alien disguised as a human child but he’s so immature he basically acts like a child’ shtick can really resonate with a sort of Growing Up Autistic Feeling of… being both far too mature and childish for your age at the same time.

And also in the sense that even in the context of comparing him to other Irkens...

He has problems with volume control

And possibly audio processing

And definitely with emotional regulation

And is extremely impulsive 

And uses very unusual wordings and turn-of-phrases 

And experiences sensory overloads.

And these aren't even Alien Things. That's just Zim being Zim. So he can be read as a metaphor for being Autistic and also as just having the Irken Equivalent of Autism

AND ALSO

His human arch-enemy Dib also has SO MUCH AUTISM VIBES

Like being single-mindedly obsessed with a special interest from a young age

(The part where his interests alienate him from his peers at school and he only finds companionship with an assortment of fellow weirdos of various ages he met online is something I find especially relatable for my own experiences)

Also having problems with reading social cues 

And a tendency to rant and info-dump

AND ALSO ALSO 

There’s also Gaz

Who is ALSO single-mindedly obsessed with a singular subject

And it’s something that always gives her something to do with her hands

And avoid eye-contact 

Which she generally prefers to avoid

And also seems to dislike any sort of physical touch

And either expresses her emotions in a way that is terribly understated or overstated

And it could also apply to their dad too, who’s been obsessed with science stuff from a young age

And also doesn’t seem to do so well with social interactions

Outside of just, like, me looking back at my Autistic-but-unaware-of-it middle-school ass imprinting on this show and being like “oh yeah, That Makes Sense” - it’s also kinda darkly hilarious how this show is basically about two autistic boys who just fucking hate each other to death (plus one of the boys' extremely autistic and extremely dysfunctional family). I mean, in the real world Autistic Solidarity is so incredibly important, obviously. But Invader Zim, a show that was everything to me as a lil autistic teenager is all about that sweet sweet Autistic Hostility.

[stardustdiiving]

I would read your zhongxiao codependent yuri Like, I do generally picture them as a vaguely father/son dynamic BUT THAT IS NOT CANON. It's just as much fun to view them through a romantic interpretation! Idk why people can't view the same characters in different kinds of relationships without being weird about it.

Anyway I love your vision and would love to hear more about it lakdjs

THANK U SO MUCH Im not sure if I’m gonna write zx in the future since I’ve tended to be shy about posting my stuff relating to them for over a yr now, but I did post this fic with them last year while trying to get a hold on how to write them (mind the tags it’s pure angst omg). I was too shy to tag it as ship since it didn’t feel shippy enough, which is kind of funny to me in hindsight bc I reread it and am like. Man I think only a zx shipper would write this NUFNVJVJV

Post got kind of lot Im gonna go on a tangent about them under the cut

Honestly my theory for why ppl r very set on the father/son interpretation is everyone’s immediate thought on to how to make the power imbalance between them seem less uncomfortable is to apply a parental interpretation to it. Which is fine ofc, I get it, but the way ppl push it as canon a lot kind of grates on me a little bc they’re usually incredibly passive aggressive and pushy even if u clearly designate ur post as ship OTL

Also not really a fan of the characterizations either since ppl tend to treat Xiao like a moody teenager Zhongli has to reel in (this is hilariously reminiscent of the post I made about how ppl handle scaramouche and nahida a bit ago haha). And idk I just feel kind of polarized about the headcanon overall bc I associate it with people being really uncomfortable and frustrating about zx

I just like how there’s sort of an imbalance to them, some zxs like them being more fluffy and functional but I sort of like it where it’s not like, entirely dysfunctional but I’m prioritizing a specific kind of character study over romance. This tends to be how a lot of my ships go ngl I just sometimes enjoy the intensity/intimacy of romantic feelings thrown into the mix if it makes it interesting but I’m not often interested in a lot of my ships following more standard romance plots(?) I guess? Unless it’s specific ones. Which sounds clinical when I put it like that but this is just bc I am very aromantic NHFBVJVJ

When I say codependency in zhongxiao honestly it’s sort of a theoretical(?) codependency—not sure how to word it? I think Xiao would be really fucked up if he didn’t have Zhongli in his life suddenly but I don’t think his relationship with getting attached to people invokes what people would majorly think of when they think of codependency in a ship I suppose. It’s moreso I just feel Xiao could be at his worst with dehumanizing himself in comparison to other people with Zhongli, because said mental state is driven by how he feels about debt, service, and duty which are very closely tied with devotion and how he would feel about someone he considers his god and leader, as well as someone who saved him

It’s fun this is paired with Zhongli who generally knows how to work with Xiao kind of understands the self destructive depth Xiao’s loyalty/devotion comes with. Also fun they have been around each other for a very long time and Xiao as one of the adepti is familiar with the past I think Zhongli appreciates having around. They work but it’s also a case where Zhongli is in such a position of power over Xiao its kind of very delicate situation that’s hard for both of them to navigate. Which is fun to explore. I esp love contrasting it with other Xiao pairings (actually i think i still have that xiaoven fic up on my ao3 where I tried to convey a specific interpretation of them in a similar exploration vein too)

I totally get why people wouldn’t like it (I feel a lot of my opinions on xiao ships just clash with a lot of fandom consensus so bad all the time And it’s just bc I’m like this I’m not even trying to be contrarian or anything. HELDINCJD) but I just tend to handle shipping in a specific way. It’s not I don’t enjoy fluffy or lighthearted zl and xiao stuff I actually enjoy it a lot I just like there being layers. This makes it feel more impactful when I think about how Zhongli looks out for Xiao in canon or how Xiao gets like textually flustered talking to him (lantern rite 2023 was so tailored to my tastes it’s not even funny)

[lullabyes22-blog]

Your Zaundads hc was *chefs kiss* May we please have married Melco headcanons?

Thank you - glad you enjoyed them<3

Melco would be an entirely different dynamic. Also hilariously (and horribly) just as dysfunctional. Not that Silco is capable of functional relationships, but lmao....

This union broke hearts. In Piltover; in Zaun. For their own reasons, they're both sought after by much of their social circles. Best believe that when declarations were made, Piltover's eligible bachelor set and shady portions of Zaun's gold-digger club were left alternately drunk or devastated.

This union catalyzed scandal. Logically, it wouldn't work unless one of them resigned (ha! resigned...) from their official duties. Otherwise the conflict of interest would be catastrophic. Corruption within their own cities is fine - both are self-serving oligarchies, although Piltover deludes itself with democratic ideals whereas Zaun lets the plutocracy hang out for all to see. But fraternizing with a rival state is another matter entirely.

Either way, the diplomatic hurdles were many - and the gossip was plentiful.

Ambessa DID NOT APPROVE.

Mel, whatever their differences, is her sole surviving heir. That gutter rat - as she calls Silco forevermore - is the literal manifestation of Piltover's leftovers. He has no pedigree - he's working-class - he's new money. ("All the power in the world couldn't afford you a jot of sense, Mel?!")

(I imagine Ambessa will come around by degrees when she realizes her 'son-in-law' is just as ruthless a survivalist as she is. But it will be a long and assassin-filled journey...)

Jayce did not know sobriety for a month. Viktor had to be his long-suffering listening ear. (Jayce; "How, Vik? How could she let that cockroach near her? He has absolutely no morals." Viktor: "I suppose you have suffered amnesia on the morals of Noxian aristocracy...")

Sevika was not happy. She did not show it. She carried on like always. But those closest to her noticed a sense of... bitterness, almost. Pragmatically, this union is a huge gamble. Privately, she feels Silco - and Zaun - would've been better off with someone working to further his aim and the nation's interest, rather than a rival who could compromise it at any moment. She requested time off on Silco's honeymoon, and spent the week shut up in her flat.

Jinx did not speak to Silco for the remainder of the year. A stepmommy? A Piltie? Yeah - good luck getting her to go along with this, Silco. She spent much of her time sabotaging the wedding preparations, and the rest of the time stalking and trying to blow up Mel's security detail...

In fact between assassin!Jinx, Ambessa's hired cut-throats and Sevika glaring daggers at the back of Silco's head, Silco was at death's door every second.

He kind of enjoyed it.

Except Jinx being upset with him. He nearly considered calling the union off because it upset his Little One so much. Said Little One leaving a bouquet of bloody rat's heads in his bed didn't help matters...

Post-wedding, Silco and Mel were obliged to stay at separate residences for a time due to the furor in their family lives. This would end up becoming semi-permanent. Now they send an envoy in advance letting the other party know, "Sir/Madam, your spouse will be at your residence for a fortnight/a month/the rest of the summer."

As an aristocrat, Mel does not find this unusual in the slightest. Where she comes from, married couples often reside in separate estates to handle business. On Silco's part, he finds it convenient, as he enjoys a modicum of space, and dislikes having to constantly sync his busy schedule to someone else's.

They are each, however, deeply cutthroat and cautious, and keep an eye on their partner's private affairs. Mel has certain mutual connections who keep her apprised on the Eye's goings-on during galas; likewise, Silco has a cadre of spies who track his lovely lady-wife's every move.

Their marital temperature can best be described as veering between hot and cold.

When they're getting along, they are really getting along. Definitely that couple who entertain often, and are always about town at events.

They are a force to be reckoned with re: political machinations. Half their pillow-talk is figuring out how to outmaneuver an Ionian shipping magnate or get a decree passed in the Demacian Royal Cabinet, and the ways and means to get it done. She employs crafty wiles; he uses sly subterfuge. The results are invariably spectacular. Afterward, they toast with good Noxian spirits and a sharp glass of Zaunite whiskey to a job well-done.

In the same vein, during moments of marital conflict, it's cold war, baby. Emphasis on cold. All their underlings pray they won't get caught up in the chessgames.

She will stymie his attempts to finesse a trade deal; he will scare off her potential investors at a fund raiser. At breakfast, they will maintain the barest veil of civility while shredding each other via subtext.

Eventually, cold war comes to a boil and they end up behind a locked door, with their respective secretaries pretending not to hear the soundtrack of snarls and things getting thrown. And pretending to be both deaf and blind when the soundtrack devolves into tussling of a lustier stripe, and their bosses walk out later all disheveled and flushed but otherwise butter-wouldn't-melt.

She is triggered by his ruthlessness; he detests her adoration for excess. During conflicts, she'll accuse him, "You'd stab your own kin in the back if you could-" only to be silenced by an icy look. He'll snap, "All the world's coffers in your lap won't make your mother love you," then back off when she glowers at him.

Ironically, both personality traits stem from the same neurosis: not being accepted for who they were.

They dress to kill at galas. Every garment is strategically chosen and conveys a message. It also ends up inadvertently matching. The news cycle is abuzz for days afterward about What Medarda Wore or Who Designed the Eye's Waistcoat.

"What brain-dead rot," Silco says over breakfast as he consults the newspaper, while Mel smiles behind a cup of jasmine tea.

Mel executes a slow charm offensive to win over Silco's crew, and be on good terms with Sevika, whom she secretly respects. They're very different women, but Mel thinks Sevika embodies a lot of Noxian ideals of valor and strength.

It takes harder to win over Jinx, who is unlike anything Mel has ever encountered in her career, because the girl is a creature of both ruthless intellect and wild impulse.

Despite herself, however, Mel ends up protective of Jinx when she witnesses one of her meltdowns, and Silco isn't on hand to stabilize her. In time, Jinx grows tolerant of the prissy, perfumed interloper, and by the two year-mark, she and Mel are painting together. They don't understand each other's style at all, but the emotion...

Well. Any child traumatized by war knows how it feels.

Silco prefers his ladies getting along. But he'd rather they not be too close because Mel's merciful streak is maddening, and he'd prefer it not rub off on Jinx.

(It does. Oops?)

They have pet names for each other, sparingly used. He calls her Petal; she calls him Schatz. More common are wry secondhand titles of address. From Silco: Her Layabout Ladyship, The Primadonna, Die Gräfin von Gab. From Mel: The Kingfish, His Nibs, Lord of the Underworld.

Sometimes Ambessa shows up at their residence unannounced. Mostly, she and Silco are polite as if at knifepoint. Other times Silco takes her down to some den of vice and violence, where Ambessa relaxes and they discuss business. Mel's stress levels during these visits go through the roof. She's never sure what's worse - them threatening to kill each other, or them making arms deals to kill some poor bastard in both their way.

Later at dinner -

Ambessa: "So when can I expect grand-heirs?"

Mel: /face going thundercloud black, "Do shut up, Mother."

Silco watching the claws snap open and the fangs bare themselves with interest.

"You should drop by more often, General Medarda," he says in the blandest tones. "Your company does wonders for Mel's complexion."

What a pair of assholes.

[k-s-morgan]

Hi Katrin! I can't wait for the new chapter of ATLWETD! The snippet was so great! :3

I know it's probably too early to ask, but are you planning to write more tomharry fics in the future? And if so, could you share any information about those future works?

Hey! Thank you so much <3 Both Tom and Harry face some big surprises from each other in the course of this chapter, it's hilarious to write. Even though it's an early stage of their relationship, they still manage to challenge each other in the way no one else can.

About more stories, it's really difficult to say because there will probably be at least 2 more years until I finish ATLWETD! I might get seriously involved in another fandom or just feel like I wrote everything I wanted for Tom and Harry. I plan to tackle as many of my favorite tropes and moments in ATLWETD as I can. Or maybe, on the contrary, I'll have some unexpected idea that I'll be dying to explore.

Perhaps one day I could try writing a Harrymort with Voldemort choosing to use the prophecy differently and raising Harry. Collecting my description from some older asks:

I can see Voldemort choosing to raise Harry and mold him into his perfect weapon, proving his dominance to his followers by saying, “See? I defied the prophecy and the person destined to bring my end is willing to die to protect me.” But he would have to spend much effort cultivating this kind of devotion. He would have to be teaching Harry and communicating with him, guiding him and spending time with him. Harry would likely see Voldemort as the center of his existence, a figure whose love and respect he craves and whom he is ready to kill for - but Voldemort wouldn’t remain untouched by their connection either. I think Harry would slip behind the walls and become his vulnerability. He would grow attached against his will because ultimately, Harry is the only person who has been said to be his equal. This would result in an obsession one way or another, and eventually, they would probably turn into a dysfunctional, creepy, dark power couple who rules and terrifies the world.

Voldemort would raise Harry with knowledge that he had to kill his parents and he wouldn’t hide the truth about the prophecy, though he could twist it a little to suit his agenda. He would paint Harry’s parents in a more negative light, calling them misguided and delusional, fighting on the wrong side of history. He’d stress he had no choice but to kill them because otherwise, they would have hidden Harry from him and raised him to be like them. In turn, he’d emphasize Harry’s own importance, praising him and underlining that they are equals, which means they can be stronger as one instead of opposing each other.

Harry’s core quality is loyalty, and he would carry it throughout his entire life regardless of what Voldemort did. His love and devotion to Voldemort would remain the biggest sources of influence. If pushed to choose, he would choose him time and time again.

[danpuff-ao3]

Ship ask! Eileen Prince/Walburga Black. (or really any Eileen Prince ships)

Oooooh fascinating!

They're both characters with so much room to play I think. I'd love to see an exploration of their potential!

For me I sort of like the idea of....both pureblood ladies (I have my "excuse" as to why the Princes aren't in the Sacred 28 in my meta, The Half Blood History.) (And TL;DR: Eileen's mom is Cantaknerous Nott's sister, and he was being a jackass by excluding her family) with expectations. They "experiment" in school, but develop a real closeness and share secrets and hurts. Eileen is lonely and craves the company, and Walburga never planned to become as intimate as she did with Eileen.

Walburga's vulnerability scares the bejeezus out of her, and she's secretly glad that she'll have to marry Orion. And Eileen's talks of rebelling are horrifying and scandalous (and maybe just maybe a little appealing.) Maybe they fall out before either of them marries due to differences of opinion. Or maybe Walburga holds onto their connection to the last moment and Eileen holds onto hope that is DASHED.

Then (as per my Half-Blood History) Eileen meets and falls for Tobias, finally does break free of familial expectation (and breaks a betrothal along with it), aaaand they both live miserably ever after THE END.

Or something like that. Basically lots of secret/dysfunctional relationships, familial expectations, and pureblood culture come into play and there's so much that could be done there and I would 100% be down to see it.

(Also how hilarious, the sons of ex lovers go on to HATE, LOATHE, AND DESPISE each other 🤣)

[lollytea]

I always find it hilarious when I read Huntlow fics that are like, "Oh, Amity doesn't like Hunter and tried to protect Willow from him but she's wrong" because I feel like they'd be siblings too but less energetically. Like, out of all of them, Amity's had a similar experience with shitty parental figures, I just feel like she'd be more concerned with getting this boy some therapy or some shit instead of being scared for Willow

OH!! I've been wanting to babble about my thoughts on Hunter and Amity's relationship and their potential. Yes, you're right. You're very right.

Okay so disclaimer. I know I've made a few jokes about this idea of Hunter and Amity not liking each other (it IS funny. I cannot deny that its funny.) but honestly, that whole idea being a joke is where it stops. Realistically this has never been how I've seen their relationship progressing because to me, it just feels out of character for both of them.

I dont really think their relationship is anything like siblings (Though their dads are currently left unsupervised so who knows the kind of shocking revelations they'll come home to.) But I believe they have the potential to have a very special bond.

Hunter and Amity are both abuse victims and I think a friendship between the two would be extremely therapeutic for both of them. They would find solace in connecting over their upbringing and relating over similar experiences as the other is really the only other person who understands. And seeing as they've both been severely mistreated and know how it feels, maybe their relationship with each other should not be built on antagonism but warmth and support.

And like I've thought about them possibly being friends who are just mean to each other in a playful way but I don't really think that fits either, at least not for Amity. I don't think she likes vitriolic friendships very much. She's already been the mean girl but she hated that version of herself. Being mean seems to be exhausting for Amity. Like she wants to be nice. I believe that she wants nothing more than to be sweet and kind to the people she cares about from now on. The playfully hostile kind of friendship just doesn't seem like her style.

Also Hunter notably likes Amity. I know that he was a bit of an asshole in Eclipse Lake but I honestly always interpreted his opinion of her as one of respect. He mocked Eda and King but was pretty benign when it came to her, even when Amity didn't like him at all. He recognised that they had a lot in common, he empathised with her, he tried to give her relationship advice (godawful relationship advice but still) and was even nice enough to offer to dig her a grave :D!! And even after she nearly fucking killed him, Hunter didn't take it personally or express any anger over it because he understood and accepted why she was doing it and he sincerely thanked her for co-operating at the end. Like at this point in the series Hunter's view on positive relationships is completely backwards so yes, he and Amity were dysfunctional at best, but he did take a liking to her in his own weird fucked up way.

Another thing some people believe is that Amity would hold a grudge against Hunter because of his actions in Eclipse Lake but like. I don't really think so? I think it would be a very easy thing for her to comprehend and forgive him for. She would understand the pressure he was under, she would understand that the fear of your parents can spur you into doing awful things. She would understand how unthinkable the consequences could be. Like Amity herself had also done things she regrets because of her parents. She broke off her friendship with Willow and she allowed her friends to be expelled because she was so deathly scared of her mother. And though during Eclipse Lake, Amity no longer fears her parents, I don't think she would blame Hunter for not being in the same emotional place as her, seeing as she KNOWS what a difficult journey it was for her to get there. This is evident in how she reaches out to him, acknowleding that he's not there yet but willing to help him along so he can find his own self acceptance just like she did.

I feel like she was absolutely one of the students who mistrusted him during the Healing Homeroom scene in Labyrinth Runners but it wouldn't have been personal, but rather from a logical standpoint and looking out for ones own. He might be sympathetic in his own way but he was still on the opposite side, he still threatened her girlfriend’s life and Amity had friends to look after.

But yknow after he explained himself and Willow vouched for him and he saved Gus, they're fine. I'm pretty sure the two of them are solid. Maybe not best friends as they haven't really had many opportunities to talk but I wouldn't say they really dislike eachother.

[ladyalicentshightower]

I find it hilarious how people are acting like team black is the happy, well adjusted family in this story when the kids seem so done at the wedding lmao like Daemon didn't even wait a week after Laena's funeral and hasn't tried to comfort his daughters once and had the audacity to laugh at her funeral, Jace and Lucerys are under the impression that 1 both their dads are now dead (one is actually, Harwin baby I'm so sorry) and 2 their mom is immediately marrying their weird great-uncle they either never met or only seen in passing, Daemon is already on Rhaenys' last nerve, it's unlikely either Rhaenyra or Daemon will be in Rhaenys' or Corlys' good graves after marrying immediately after the deaths of their children (even if/when they learn the truth about Laenor, they still made them believe he was dead and made them believe they found his body immediately after the funeral of their daughter like that is traumatic AF, there's no changing that) like they're just as dysfunctional as the greens because they're still the one messed up family and it shows

[lacrimosathedark]

I’m just thinking about this right now because I’m seeing Undertale and Deltarune on my dash but like

As a teen I was (gasp) a filthy Homestuck fan. And all the pathetic shit that came with it. I loved the Striders and Karkat and Nepeta. I loved the weird and random and crazy storytelling and the simple replicable art style.

Most of all, though, I loved the music.

Weird part to like about it I guess, but gosh is Homestuck’s music awesome. I’m the type of person who needs background noise at All Times, and at one point that led me to listening to Homestuck’s soundtracks as I did chores.

I’d notice, “Huh. This ‘toby “Radiation” fox’ dude shows up a lot.” And that apparently stuck with me. Because when I heard there was a game coming out with music by toby fox, and the game itself made by him too? I immediately needed to see this game.

To say Undertale is important to me is a major fucking understatement. I love all of the characters. All of them. The music is, of course, absolutely gorgeous. The game is both hilarious and heartwarming.

And this was my first game with a nonbinary protagonist. Or any other nonbinary character (which there are a few others). This was when I was just figuring out that I was nonbinary (you can imagine how I flipped when I found out ‘there’s a word for that feeling!?’) and my character(s) and other characters being referred to as they and them with absolutely no fanfare...it meant a lot.

And the characters? I really can’t talk about how much I love them. Toriel is my mom in my heart. I have made her Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie and it makes me so happy. Napstablook is just the friggin cutest and their shy awkwardness was so relatable I love them. Sans and Papyrus can always make me laugh. Sans got my lore-brain spinning and Papyrus was always there and always supportive. Monster Kid is the most precious little doof and they deserve the world. Undyne is a fucking badass and when she realizes you aren’t awful she is just the most fun to be around. Temmie is great (and also check her animations out on Youtube she’s so frickin cute and amazingly talented just do yourself that favor) and the music reminds me of Rugrats for some reason. Alphys is a fucking weeb with social anxiety and boy do I ever relate to that. Muffet has the coolest design and one of the more challenging and fun battles and she’s just so gorgeous to my love of the gothic lolita aesthetic. Mettaton is a fucking romp. That reveal of the EX form is magnificent. Asgore--I admit I’m not the biggest fan of him, but I always felt bad for him. He was a good guy trying to do what’s right for his people and it was hard and it hurts that you have to fight him (also that was a fucking twist gotdam).

And Asriel...my frickin baby. He is my brother and I love him. I just want to give him hugs and snuggles and pet his head and make everything better and just ow my heart.

This man, this dog, made a whole-ass game. Not alone, but like, he did so much of it.

And he just keeps frickin going.

When Deltarune came out as a “Survey Program” I downloaded it and was blown away. I cannot tell you how much I loved it. I fell in love with Seam and I listened to The World Revolving and every possible remix on loop.

(Unfortunately I haven’t played Chapter 2 yet because right after I got Chapter 1, my computer died!

and the executive dysfunction didn’t help either. But I’ll get to it I swear)

AND THEN

So I hate SWSH for a number of reasons, (*coughdexcough*) but Pokemon has always been part of my life. And while not the best song in the soundtrack (which is Battle! Gym Leader and you can fight me on that) his contribution, the Battle Tower Battle Theme, is a bop and I love it.

AND THEN A-FUCKING-GAIN

I legitimately CANNOT WAIT for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet and to have toby’s music in my ear while my Fidough wrecks everyone with it’s Flower Power.

And then on top of this, this fucker plays into the meme culture because of course he does

SERIOUSLY

(in case the first pic is hard to read)

But just...idk man

He just keeps amazing me and every time I think about it I’m just...blown away.

I trust the dog.

I can’t wait to see all the things he’s still going to do.

[christmaximumpunishment]

for the ship bingo, saihoshi (duh), hinabuki, naegami, and saiouma

Oh man so many good choices Saihoshi: 

Saihoshi is my favorite ship, full stop. Are you kidding me???? I was going through and just checking all the positive ones cuz it’s a ship that makes my brain shoot fireworks but then I stopped and didn’t check off “The aesthetic is impeccable” cuz the ironic thing is, their aesthetic is a little goofy tbh. Like, I love looking at them but they’re both such hat-clutching dweebs and shy in public so they actually come off incredibly uncool in a way that is hilarious to me personally. Love these messy, edgy dorks in their hats. Hinabuki:

Hinabuki is my favorite platonic ship, and in my top 5 Danganronpa pairs romantic or otherwise. I love to see Hajime’s self-conscious tendencies just getting completely bowled over by the absolute powerhouse personality of Ibuki. Hajime’s willingness to agree first and ask questions later with Ibuki is both hilarious and very sweet when you consider how lonely Ibuki is. Best friends best friends best friends best frien-

Naegami:

Naegami was an unexpected choice cuz that is one popular ship that is categorically “Not my lane” generally speaking. Here’s the thing: they wouldn’t really be to my personal taste just in a general archetypical sense anyway, and the fact that Togami is one of the characters I have the most active spite doesn’t help either. THAT SAID, there is a certain flavor of Naegami that is just Togami losing his cool and absolutely embarrassing himself over his cringe crush on Naegi’s unassuming ass and that...is a fitting karmic retribution for this, my enemy /affectionate.

Saiouma: 

Oh Saiou, sweet Saiou... First and foremost I would like to say that I like Saiou a lot actually and I count myself in the “therapy needing” crowd lol. I’ve written Saiouma fanfics and I would and will do so again. This ship has a surprising amount of range when taken from a number of different angles. They can be absolutely hilarious disasters, an angsty dysfunctional mess, mutually-pining embarrassments to themselves, and a bunch of other, more reasonable things when given long enough to learn how to be capital-P People around each other. I feel like this is one ship that is canonically laden with conflict that I see having a lot of potential cuz they both love the cerebral chase each other gives, and that goes a lot further with me than just “oh man, there’s so much tension here, wouldn’t it be crazy if they kissed too??????” which is really not my cup of tea. Good on you Saiou, you beat the odds you crazy kids. And congrats on the bingo.

[smokedanced]

@virmireisms​ sent thingies from a meme

🤔 — what genre(s)/theme(s) do you struggle to write the most? :: as much as i love action scenes, i struggle to write them because it’s hard for me to keep track of where muses are - physically? like don’t get me wrong i will absolutely write action scenes, i just have to like, extra pay attention! in general, i don’t really visualise well, my imagination is not very visual based, and my spatial awareness is shitty, and this combination makes it hard to keep track of muses’ bodies. no matter how much attention i try to give it, this leads to hilarious stuff like accidentally writing in an extra arm or something. me struggling with that doesn’t mean i don’t enjoy writing it though.

💻 — how many friends have you made in the rpc? feel free to tag a few of them! :: i’ve always found it very difficult to determine whether i am friends with a person or not. partially because i’m autistic but partially just because there are several words for “friend” in my first language and it’s harder to use the english word because i feel like it’s too all-encompassing (in finnish it’s more like there’s a word for mate/pal and then a close friend and i find that easier). i’ve certainly made way too many friends in the more casual sense to start tagging people (i get worried that i might forget someone and upset people), but as for really close friends? i don’t make those easy, and i think the only very close friend i’ve made in the rpc is lexi ( @anderwhohn​ / @immortaljackal​ / @vortexparadox​ / @starkastichotmess​ ). for context, i only have one other really close friend, period, unless you also count literally my partner, who, yes, is also my best friend, but they’re my partner too. either way we didn’t meet in the rpc, in fact i introduced them to tumblr rp (they’d roleplayed on different platforms forever) after we started dating in 2019, but i gotta special mention orion ( @lovepurposed​ ) because i love them.

😗 — what are some of your favorite things to do when you have some time to yourself? :: i read a lot. like a fuck tonne. all kinds of books, fiction and nonfiction both. occassionally write fanfic though i prefer rp. play video games. watch things. i recently got into video editing. i like to study/learn things. i also spend a lot of time just resting/doing mindless things like scrolling social media and watching trash tv etc because executive dysfunction/disability.

[spoopydooblr]

okay first off, ur username is hilarious i always have a lil giggle when i see it. spoopydoobler strikes again

second off, i love stella and Kendall, i think it’s really on brand that Kendall ends up in a semi-healthy, dysfunctional long term relationship with a 20-something actress. her young spirit but also self-awareness and (probably daddy issues?) is what kinda makes her stand out and stay with him even as he’s falling apart. Like after everything is over she kinda puts him back together but also pieces him back together in a mould that suits her and her lifestyle (dysfunctional relationship bby😘).

i also kinda like her role in that she’s a lurker, she’s kinda watching everything happen and has her own private moments with him so everyone has kinda already written her off as Kendall’s flavor of the month. but surprise she’s in it for the long haul bitchesssss. she’s getting that Roy money and they start a film production company that’s like the succession equivalent of A24.

could you imagine Kendall Roy at the oscars or golden globes that’d be pretty funny to see.

also i love that headcanon of babies, like it’s probably reallllllly far off in the future and i do agree with you i see both possibilities. i guess what i crave more is like domesticity.

also let me preface this as i love all the roy siblings but i want like a version where at least out of the three of them Ken (kinda not really) wins?!? or atleast doesn’t not have the worst fate (#rip my girl shiv)

anon, you make my heart swell! this is so thoughtful and sweet!! spoopydooblr is a suuuuuuper old tumblr name from when i was about 16! not sure why i chose it but here we are! :)

i dont wanna spoil my ideas for the ending of the show but yes, stella will be there to put ken back together again. thats what she does best, tbh. i also love how dysfunctional their relationship is, but at the same time, its really one of the most loving and successful relationships either of them has ever had.

the A24 comment is everythingggggg. i definitely envision stella and kendall starting either a production company to rival waystar studios OR i can see kendall getting into the music business too. either way, theyre in it together and make BANK. i think the sibs are underestimating stella too. they def see her as his flavor of the month (lol) but she is in this forever!

i just KNOW their first red carpet appearance is full of drama like twitter is fighting over whether theyre super cute or super creepy.

when it comes to the babies im thinking they get married a couple of years after the show ends (2026?) and since stella will be in her 30s and ken nearing 50 (wtf) they start fertility treatments pretty soon after. i also love the domesticity of it all and i know with ken out of waystar he actually will be a doting father. i think especially bc i imagine them with twins (fertility drugs increase the change of multiples) ken is like alllllll over stella and when the babies are born hes in complete shock. like one baby, sure, but TWO? hes so scared but theyre in it together and their girls grow up to love and respect their dad. (i think sophie and iverson would love having little siblings too!)

wow this is long but YES! ken needs a win and i think stella is the win he needs. especially with how shitty his ending is. i so wish i was in jesse's brain to create stella and have her in s4 for real, but alas i am just a twenty-something unemployed loser from the us.

again, thank you for this lovely message to wake up to! its messages like these that inspire me and keep me writing.

[podcasttoday]

The Queen of Gay Street by Esther Mollica

About the Book: In New York, the party never stops and love’s always just around the corner. At least, that’s what queer journalist Esther Mollica told herself when she quit her job during the 2008 recession and moved three thousand miles away to become New York City’s first blogger on lesbian dating. Her hometown brought her nothing but heartache, and none more devastating than learning that the love of her life was secretly married to a man. On the other hand, New York, with its brazen, sadistic wiles, promised something more than just another walk of shame.

What it really delivered was the woman who became Esther’s hardest subject to write about: her editor. Soon, their tempestuous relationship turned into something as twisted and trauma-inducing as it was intoxicating. And even the haze of all-girl nightlife glamor at the height of pre-pandemic New York couldn’t help Esther hide from the truth: about their dysfunction, about her past, and about the life she longed for in the city she loved.

Gritty, dazzling, heartfelt, and hilarious, The Queen of Gay Street is a personal window into the queer dating scene and a promise that those in search of true love will find their own happily ever after.

Reviews:

“Mollica’s reminiscences are both a celebration of the promise of New York to a young woman hungry for connection and a plangent account of the pitfalls of bad relationships and isolation. Her depictions of lesbian life and dating are well observed and brimming with humor (“You lost track of how many people you’ve slept with?” “No! I, ah, I just mean that it’s more than twenty, and either at or less than thirty. I think”), but she also writes with penetrating subtlety about the pain of sputtering relationships: “This time, something in her touch and embrace had drawn me in deeper and shown more of her vulnerability than any time before, yet I felt something else fading and falling apart.” The result is an exhilarating ride on Gotham’s emotional roller coaster.

An entertaining, often poignant portrait of New York romance blending humor with heartache.” ~ Kirkus Reviews

Full Review

Buy the Book – Amazon, Bookshop.org

About the Author: Esther Mollica has written for Wired, GO, Bust, Curve, Autostraddle, Nonchalant and The Bay Area Reporter. Her short romantic comedy, Never the Bride, was featured as one of four films by up-and-coming women of color in San Francisco's Frameline Film Festival, 2010.

In 2011 she was named, "New York's Most Eligible Lesbian Bachelorette" by Time Out New York, which ironically almost scared off her wife.

[bluntshroom]

The Queen of Gay Street by Esther Mollica

About the Book:

In New York, the party never stops and love’s always just around the corner. At least, that’s what queer journalist Esther Mollica told herself when she quit her job during the 2008 recession and moved three thousand miles away to become New York City’s first blogger on lesbian dating. Her hometown brought her nothing but heartache, and none more devastating than learning that the love of her life was secretly married to a man. On the other hand, New York, with its brazen, sadistic wiles, promised something more than just another walk of shame.

What it really delivered was the woman who became Esther’s hardest subject to write about: her editor. Soon, their tempestuous relationship turned into something as twisted and trauma-inducing as it was intoxicating. And even the haze of all-girl nightlife glamor at the height of pre-pandemic New York couldn’t help Esther hide from the truth: about their dysfunction, about her past, and about the life she longed for in the city she loved.

Gritty, dazzling, heartfelt, and hilarious, The Queen of Gay Street is a personal window into the queer dating scene and a promise that those in search of true love will find their own happily ever after.

Reviews:

“Mollica’s reminiscences are both a celebration of the promise of New York to a young woman hungry for connection and a plangent account of the pitfalls of bad relationships and isolation. Her depictions of lesbian life and dating are well observed and brimming with humor (“You lost track of how many people you’ve slept with?” “No! I, ah, I just mean that it’s more than twenty, and either at or less than thirty. I think”), but she also writes with penetrating subtlety about the pain of sputtering relationships: “This time, something in her touch and embrace had drawn me in deeper and shown more of her vulnerability than any time before, yet I felt something else fading and falling apart.” The result is an exhilarating ride on Gotham’s emotional roller coaster.

An entertaining, often poignant portrait of New York romance blending humor with heartache.” 

~ Kirkus Reviews

Full Review

“Mollica’s (I Feel Love: Notes on Queer Joy) memoir is a raunchy, fun, tell-all love letter to New York City and finding one’s place in it. Mollica left San Francisco to move to Astoria, Queens, in 2008 to recover from a devastating breakup and pursue her dream of writing. With the tart, self-deprecating humor that powers the book, Mollica reasons, “After all, wasn’t New York’s motto basically, ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your undersexed’?” She also discusses with disarming frankness her family’s cycle of abuse, her efforts at establishing a career, her strings of unfortunate dates and lovers, and how she found love in the city. Especially engaging is her account of the heartbreak and hilarity of writing “Broads in the Big Apple,” a column in the lesbian magazine, GRL that became ‘comic relief for a microscopic subset of lesbian magazine journalists.”

~ BookLife

Full Review

Buy the Book – Amazon, Bookshop.org

Book Video

About the Author:

Esther Mollica has written for Wired, GO, Bust, Curve, Autostraddle, Nonchalant and The Bay Area Reporter. Her short romantic comedy, Never the Bride, was featured as one of four films by up-and-coming women of color in San Francisco's Frameline Film Festival, 2010.

In 2011 she was named, "New York's Most Eligible Lesbian Bachelorette" by Time Out New York, which ironically almost scared off her wife.

[maariyahfulat]

The Queen of Gay Street by Esther Mollica

About the Book:

In New York, the party never stops and love’s always just around the corner. At least, that’s what queer journalist Esther Mollica told herself when she quit her job during the 2008 recession and moved three thousand miles away to become New York City’s first blogger on lesbian dating. Her hometown brought her nothing but heartache, and none more devastating than learning that the love of her life was secretly married to a man. On the other hand, New York, with its brazen, sadistic wiles, promised something more than just another walk of shame.

What it really delivered was the woman who became Esther’s hardest subject to write about: her editor. Soon, their tempestuous relationship turned into something as twisted and trauma-inducing as it was intoxicating. And even the haze of all-girl nightlife glamor at the height of pre-pandemic New York couldn’t help Esther hide from the truth: about their dysfunction, about her past, and about the life she longed for in the city she loved.

Gritty, dazzling, heartfelt, and hilarious, The Queen of Gay Street is a personal window into the queer dating scene and a promise that those in search of true love will find their own happily ever after.

Reviews:

“Mollica’s reminiscences are both a celebration of the promise of New York to a young woman hungry for connection and a plangent account of the pitfalls of bad relationships and isolation. Her depictions of lesbian life and dating are well observed and brimming with humor (“You lost track of how many people you’ve slept with?” “No! I, ah, I just mean that it’s more than twenty, and either at or less than thirty. I think”), but she also writes with penetrating subtlety about the pain of sputtering relationships: “This time, something in her touch and embrace had drawn me in deeper and shown more of her vulnerability than any time before, yet I felt something else fading and falling apart.” The result is an exhilarating ride on Gotham’s emotional roller coaster. An entertaining, often poignant portrait of New York romance blending humor with heartache.” 

~ Kirkus Reviews

Full Review

“Mollica’s (I Feel Love: Notes on Queer Joy) memoir is a raunchy, fun, tell-all love letter to New York City and finding one’s place in it. Mollica left San Francisco to move to Astoria, Queens, in 2008 to recover from a devastating breakup and pursue her dream of writing. With the tart, self-deprecating humor that powers the book, Mollica reasons, “After all, wasn’t New York’s motto basically, ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your undersexed’?” She also discusses with disarming frankness her family’s cycle of abuse, her efforts at establishing a career, her strings of unfortunate dates and lovers, and how she found love in the city. Especially engaging is her account of the heartbreak and hilarity of writing “Broads in the Big Apple,” a column in the lesbian magazine, GRL that became ‘comic relief for a microscopic subset of lesbian magazine journalists.” 

~ BookLife

Full Review

Buy the Book – Amazon, Bookshop.org

Book Video 

About the Author:

Esther Mollica has written for Wired, GO, Bust, Curve, Autostraddle, Nonchalant and The Bay Area Reporter. Her short romantic comedy, Never the Bride, was featured as one of four films by up-and-coming women of color in San Francisco's Frameline Film Festival, 2010.

In 2011 she was named, "New York's Most Eligible Lesbian Bachelorette" by Time Out New York, which ironically almost scared off her wife.

[mariahcaarey]

The Queen of Gay Street by Esther Mollica

About the Book:

In New York, the party never stops and love’s always just around the corner. At least, that’s what queer journalist Esther Mollica told herself when she quit her job during the 2008 recession and moved three thousand miles away to become New York City’s first blogger on lesbian dating. Her hometown brought her nothing but heartache, and none more devastating than learning that the love of her life was secretly married to a man. On the other hand, New York, with its brazen, sadistic wiles, promised something more than just another walk of shame.

What it really delivered was the woman who became Esther’s hardest subject to write about: her editor. Soon, their tempestuous relationship turned into something as twisted and trauma-inducing as it was intoxicating. And even the haze of all-girl nightlife glamor at the height of pre-pandemic New York couldn’t help Esther hide from the truth: about their dysfunction, about her past, and about the life she longed for in the city she loved.

Gritty, dazzling, heartfelt, and hilarious, The Queen of Gay Street is a personal window into the queer dating scene and a promise that those in search of true love will find their own happily ever after.

Reviews:

“Mollica’s reminiscences are both a celebration of the promise of New York to a young woman hungry for connection and a plangent account of the pitfalls of bad relationships and isolation. Her depictions of lesbian life and dating are well observed and brimming with humor (“You lost track of how many people you’ve slept with?” “No! I, ah, I just mean that it’s more than twenty, and either at or less than thirty. I think”), but she also writes with penetrating subtlety about the pain of sputtering relationships: “This time, something in her touch and embrace had drawn me in deeper and shown more of her vulnerability than any time before, yet I felt something else fading and falling apart.” The result is an exhilarating ride on Gotham’s emotional roller coaster. An entertaining, often poignant portrait of New York romance blending humor with heartache.” 

~ Kirkus Reviews

Full Review

“Mollica’s (I Feel Love: Notes on Queer Joy) memoir is a raunchy, fun, tell-all love letter to New York City and finding one’s place in it. Mollica left San Francisco to move to Astoria, Queens, in 2008 to recover from a devastating breakup and pursue her dream of writing. With the tart, self-deprecating humor that powers the book, Mollica reasons, “After all, wasn’t New York’s motto basically, ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your undersexed’?” She also discusses with disarming frankness her family’s cycle of abuse, her efforts at establishing a career, her strings of unfortunate dates and lovers, and how she found love in the city. Especially engaging is her account of the heartbreak and hilarity of writing “Broads in the Big Apple,” a column in the lesbian magazine, GRL that became ‘comic relief for a microscopic subset of lesbian magazine journalists.”

 ~ BookLife

Full Review

Buy the Book – Amazon, Bookshop.org

Book Video

About the Author:

Esther Mollica has written for Wired, GO, Bust, Curve, Autostraddle, Nonchalant and The Bay Area Reporter. Her short romantic comedy, Never the Bride, was featured as one of four films by up-and-coming women of color in San Francisco's Frameline Film Festival, 2010.

In 2011 she was named, "New York's Most Eligible Lesbian Bachelorette" by Time Out New York, which ironically almost scared off her wife.