#how I would fix my fave soap

[ohbo-ohno]

If I chant noncon puppy play enough times will you grace us with more ghoap x reader noncon puppy play?

I would really love to see what you could do with Ghost coming across Soap and reader who are in a relationship but it’s rapidly becoming toxic with Soap becoming pervy and flirty with other people and reader being frustrated with it and the unsatisfying sex she’s having now because of it. And Ghost just takes one look and goes “yeah, I can make them happier” and then puts them in crates.

I like to think he’d put them in separate crates so they can’t actually touch each other but he’d make sure they were tied together so they couldn’t escape each other -💙

if you THINK noncon puppy play hard enough i'll probably feel it through the force and try to write it

also i fucking LOVE this ask and concept i love you for sending it in. this post is kinda scatterbrained though because i didn't want to write an actual drabble lol

im not a big fan of cheating in fics so im gonna exclude the idea of soap flirting with other people, but!!! i really really enjoy the idea of soap and reader being wrapped up in a toxic relationship and ghost going "let me get in on that". peak humor tbh.

i think this version of ghost would be sort of like howling and barking ghost - way more... subtle? puppy play. he's not taking you two home and shoving you in cages, he's getting you two conditioned to certain tones of voice and his whistles.

this is kinda difficult to come up for something with, because im trying to think of ways for ghost to slide himself into your relationship that even feel a tiny bit natural

my fave one (off the top of my head) is maybe you and johnny have been trying to pick up a third like every weekend to spice up your sex lives (you end up having near violent sex and arguing through the third person, and they're usually not down to hook up again) and one weekend you just so happen to ask ghost. he'd usually never take up an offer like that, but he sees the little fissures in your relationship pretty immediately and figures "what the hell?" might as well wreak a little havoc. unfortunately for him he gets far too attached as soon as he gets his hands on you two

i like to think he sort of just... becomes your third. at first it's just hookups (regularly, because you and johnny are fighting a lot recently and you love to do it with a third there instead of alone in your apartment and ghost never says no a threesome) but he pretty quickly establishes himself in your lives

from there, the training is easy. you and johnny are both fighting for power in your relationship, and you're too focused on your little game of tug-of-war to realize that ghost is swooping in and taking control of both of you instead. you're too busy working against each other to realize what he's doing to you

to be fair, he actually is helping you and johnny out quite a bit. you two are both hotheads with a lot of energy, fights happen very quickly and get very heated. ghost is there to step in, to knock the two of you on your asses and make you talk. you would not believe how often he sticks you in time-out, otherwise you two would say things you don't mean and end up pissy

he kinda literally talks to you two like you're dogs. a sharp "hey!" for bad behavior, scruffing one of you by the neck to hold you back, whistling to get your attention instead of saying your name, one word commands like "sit", "stay", and "come" instead of "wait a minute" or "come over here". pups need simple commands they can actually understand

he works on fixing your manners too :/

first step is to get you two waiting for permission to start dinner. sits down at the table and glares when either one of you eats before him, clears his throat all obnoxiously, does that horrible "thank you" when you drop your utensil. it's too awkward to push back against him (especially when you know how quickly he could stomp you down) and it's easier to just... listen. you get a pleased hum and a solid pet over your hair, a "good boy/girl" and the trade-off of waiting for permission to eat is worth it

(ghost places both yours and johnny's plate in front of you, smirks when he walks away and neither of you move to eat. fixes himself a plate, sits down, takes a few bites. neither of you move, you both get a little squirmy, huff a bit. he gives you the command word, and praises you both so good in bed that night. neither of you even notice that he's the only one at the table with utensils)

he sleeps between the two of you in bed because you both get jealous and possessive :/ wakes up to johnny snarling over his chest at you, grabs him by the jaw and hisses don't make me fuckin' muzzle you, rumbles all satisfied when johnny settles a bit

anyways you and johnny genuinely are happier with ghost <3 you're also more well-mannered and understanding of your positions!!! you're just a pup, pups shouldn't have an attitude, and they wait to eat until they're told, and sometimes they have to sleep in a crate when they've been bad :/

(when he crates one of you he has to crate the other. if he locks johnny up you spend the whole time trying to taunt him, and vice versa. also you two are more well-behaved when you know you both get in trouble for your misbehavior)

it took a bit of work to get you two used to the crates. really ghost fights you with the pure power of nonchalance. you're both already Attached, and he's in control of so much of your lives (more than either of you really know), and he treats the crates like they're normal. Expected. he's not someone who changes his mind, and both you and johnny know that. you can pitch as much of a fit as you want, but you're going in that crate no matter what. there's just... a sort of inevitability around ghost

[theliterarywolf]

I watched Kizazi Moto and I really liked it a lot! One of the things I found especially interesting was the difference in…I want to say emoting? expression? with how some of the characters responded to things. Like with tongue clicking and some hand motions. I thought that was very interesting. Did you have a fave episode?

YES! Finally, someone watched/sent in an ask about this anthology!

And what you said here, noticing the differences in emoting. I am so glad you mentioned that because, yes: African storytelling, particularly when it comes to bringing stories to the big (or in this case, streaming) screen, does have its own style of emoting, staging, and composition.

And, yes, every culture does (for all people meme on Indian soap operas having the 'twenty dramatic zooms with matching music', you can tell that's a modernized carryover from traditional storytelling), but I have been yearning for African stories to be able to be seen by a wider audience so they can be a part of the conversation.

Because, yeah, we have companies like Netflix picking up a few Nigerian and Ghananian movies/shows for streaming, unless you're searching for them or your algorithm is trained, you'll never find them.

Also, shout-out to Supa Team 4

An upcoming CGI animated series from Zambia that is looking like a fusion of Miraculous and DC Super Hero Girls.

But, my rambling aside, for me there were three stand-outs from the anthology.

My favorite cultural-reflection, My favorite spectacle, and My Overall Favorite (kind of like a Best in Show).

My Favorite Cultural-Reflection

And by this, I mean which of the shorts reflected the culture it's creators are from the best (even though it may not have been my Overall Favorite):

Moremi (Nigeria)

(Hate that I couldn't find a gif for this one...)

Before this series aired proper, If you showed me 15 seconds of each short and told me to identify which country they came from, with this one it would have been a no-brainer. The staging and composition are such a strong mirror to Nigerian storytelling, a facet that is made even more obvious when we're introduced to the scientist character.

My Favorite Spectacle

Mkhuzi: The Spirit Racer (South Africa)

The sheer definition of 'Hype'. When I was liveblogging my first time watching some of the anthology, I made the comment 'Who at Triggerfish Studios marathoned Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill before coming into work that day?!' But, yes, this short was extremely anime, extremely colorful, and extremely action-packed. All while still having a message about maintaining the connection with your ancestors.

My Overall Favorite (Best in Show)

Enkai (Kenya)

Everything about this short, the composition, the color-scheme, the acting, the setting, and the messages are beautiful. While the initial scenes give us the impression of a simple, more intimate story of a mother and daughter, as the story progresses, the audience is presented with themes of family, spirituality, environmentalism, and even a bit of generational trauma sprinkled in (if you know where to look).

In fact, I'm going to discuss the moment that solidified this short as Best in Show for me. Spoilers under the Read More

When Enkai and her mother finally escape the destroyed Earth and Enkai is showing the new world she's made, free of mankind's greed and destruction, her mother has a moment of hesitation and looks back towards the Earth.

Even though the Earth and it's people, the ones who she was trying so hard to protect, have hurt her so much, she still says, "...I can still fix this!"

And Enkai has to be the one to tell her mother, "If we didn't leave, we would never be free from them. They have to save themselves now."

As much as the environmentalist message is there, it also reflects a story of a woman being abused by her family, hurt by her family, and internalizing the fact that she has to stay; she has to take care of her loved ones, only finally being told by the next generation 'No, you have done enough! You have been hurt enough!'

I just... God, the beauty of African storytelling being presented in the medium of modern animation got to me, okay?

[tojisun]

(simon ask anon again hope it doesn't bother u)

okay im going to try to make this one not so long: THE DAD JOKES you can't imagine how hard those dumb jokes made me laugh bc it was the last thing i thought would come out of him but that made them even better n the rest of interactions in that mission are just as magnificent i love his dynamic w johnny <3

"his size makes me feel small but in a safe and tender way" YES YES YES YOU COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER "he's your safety but you r his home" how does it feel to KILL MD OMG GIRL IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE DW

my friend you truly understand me (⁠´⁠;⁠︵⁠;⁠`⁠) it makes me happy to see im not alone on this insanity n im here to warn you that it can get worse,,, saw you talking of price N DONT LET ME GET STARTED I LOVE HIM TOO RRRR 🐺 rmbr how i said that simon would understand me? well price would FIX me. and i don't doubt it for a even second. he's literally the perfect man: big, older, hairy.... just imagine being his good girl ㅠㅠ

IT DOESNT BOTHER ME AT ALL SWEETHEART!! tbh im loving this correspondence sm 🥹🫶🏼 love u

NO FR I DIDNT EXPECT IT! WHEN I FIRST HEARD IT, I THOUGHT IT WAS THOSE INCORRECT QUOTES AND THEY (OPs) HAVE HCs THAT THESE COD CHARACTERS ARE SAYIN IT BUT NOPE ITS LEGIT HIM 😭

the one about the dog killed me fr omg i was on the floor giggling bc wtf actually. AND YEA his dynamic w soap is so RAHHHH my fave gotta be that time when johnny said “fuckin brits” after ghost asked him to make a cup of tea HXJSIDOS theyre so funny oh my god i need them

AHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! tbh im speaking amidst all my projections so im super glad that it makes a whole lot of sense <333

NO BECAUSE :((( ghost never had anyone to call family – no place to call home – until he met you. he thought that yk he’s just gon live his life in war because thats what hes damn good at AND THEN HE MET YOU AND NOW HE HAS REASONS TO LIVE. REASONS TO LOVE :((( i need him happy. i need him to be loved tenderly and carefully and gently, but also passionately and encompassing-ly. HE DESERVES IT!!!!

wdym it can get worse- ANON WDYM

OMG THE THING ABOUT PRICE?? YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. big burly man whose voice rolls off his tongue with the viscosity of molasses, his warm hands wide as it holds you and presses you to him, his lips always pressed onto your skin because he loves kissin you?? THE WAY god the way he murmurs his praises on your skin or swipes at the apple of your cheeks or the way he pulls you to his lap??

RAHHHHHHHHHHH stop anon (dont stop) I CANT DO THIS ANYMORE

[backhurtyy]

Attack of the clones begins. Padme, my love. Anakin and Obi Wan’s banter. I love them so much. Something I know for later, I wish they’d kept in how involved Padme was in taking Anakin down in the next movie, I love her. I don’t like how weird and awkward the two of them are in this movie with her still seeing him as a child and him being like “I’m an adult and I’m so much better than all the other Jedi 😠” like bud you’re acting like a toddler rn. Knowing what I do about the future movies and hearing about the clones and order 66 later I’m like ooooohhh I know what happens here teehee. Although I didn’t know until now who all the clones were of, that makes things interesting. I love seeing all these powerful or dangerous character when they’re so young, boba Fett is so tiny here. Padme is so gorgeous always, never a bad look I love her so much. I know later there’s the line “this is how democracy ends, with applause” which slaps very hard. I haven’t talked about the music yet, the soundtracks and the way they play everybody’s themes and mix them with others all slap so fucking hard. It’s great they put a lot of thought into it. THE SHOT of Boba Fett holding the helmet, they recreate that in one of the shows, I used to see it everywhere I didn’t know it was here 🥺. Anakin and Dooku’s fight in the semi dark was so good I love the colors lmao I’m a simple bitch. Padme and Anakin get married at the end? I remember that but I also don’t. I keep thinking of the “you were my brother Anakin” line throughout this whole movie and it’s 🥺 making me very sad. Obi Wan really tried and Anakin just has so much angst. I think if the Jedi or the Republic had gotten rid of space slavery across the whole galaxy, Anakins mother would’ve gotten him to the Jedi before and none of this would’ve happened. But no they decided it was fine 🤨. Also!! I hope you feel better now I can’t imagine how bad the stairs would make your back feel that sounds like it fucking sucks dude :/ - 🤍

one thing about anakin skywalker is that he will always act like a child 💖 and i will always love him 💖 also omg. funny story about this movie and the ‘i don’t like sand’ part… i bought my dad star wars soaps for father’s day and one of them is a darth vader one and. IT HAS SAND IN IT. ANAKIN ‘i don’t like sand. it’s coats and rough and irritating. and it gets everywhere!’ SKYWALKERS BAR OF SOAP HAS SAND IN IT. IVE BEEN ON THE FLOOR OVER THIS FOR DAYS!!!

but yeah his and padmes relationship is super weird in this movie, but i can say the clone wars tv show does a better job flushing it out and making it like. oh okay so they aren’t super awkward all the time i see (anakin is still very embarrassing and obvious tho lmao)

that fight with dooku is so cool it’s one of my absolute faves. the choreography and anakin rushing in and just. boom signature skywalker hand slice!!! also another fave of mine is the scene in the arena when obi wan does his swoosh swoosh…… i love him. i follow the daily obi swoosh gif account on twitter and it’s the best thing ever i highly recommend

if i start thinking about ani and obi i will start sobbing im— they loved each other so much but obi wan would never say it and palpatine would find some way to manipulate anakin into not believing it anyways and it was just all so tragic and — god. that post that’s like the love was there but it didn’t make a difference. that’s them. that’s the prequel trilogy.

honestly if shmi had just. been saved. if anakin had been able to maintain a relationship with her. if things were just different, it all would have been okay 😭 needless to say. fix it fics my beloved

[augite-protector]

Ice - What are your favorite breeds? + Water - What kind of update you would want next to the game? + Arcane - What are your favorite gene combinations?

Ooooo ok

Ice: pearlcatcher, auraboa (lore aside), sds, obes, coatls, I don’t rly have a fave tho

Water: I dunno tbh. I’m worried about item bloat but idk how to fix that or if it’s even an issue at all

Arcane: CHRY/MALA MY BELOVED!!!! SOAP!!! Basically any treasure primary and gem secondary is a banger to me

[use-your-imagination98]

How I would Fix GH

Carly and Jason get married, sleep together, and just as they are about to go for round 2, Sonny walks in. Betrayed and pissed, he declares war on Jarly and decides to keep quiet about Nina keeping him secret.

Sonny retains Mike qualities and continues to bond with Nina in PC especially after Jarly's betrayal. Carly is her usual self, wants Jason but doesn't want Nina to have Sonny either. Jax leaves town. sick of Carly’s shit. 

Anna/Valentin/Robert track down Victor and discover his compound, Liesl, and put together that he's working with Peter. The trio surround Victor and Peter about to put a bullet in them, but Victor admits that he not only has Drew, but Holly and Emily(!)

It was Helena's sick plan to take Emily from Nik because she (other than Laura) pulled him away from his Cassadine urges. Victor discovered her and hid her away. The trio spare Victor but kill Peter once and for all. They bring Drew, Holly, and Emily back to PC

Spencer, fearful of being revealed as the stalker, he and Esme pin everything on Kevin. Laura totally believes that Kevin is innocent. Nava take the bait and blame Kev. Kevlaur vs Nava. Spencer feels guilty but Esme convinces him their plan is working.

Esme visits Ryan and we discover that she's Kevin's daughter with his PC wife Eve, who never told Kevin she was pregnant before leaving him and PC. She is teaming up with Ryan to tear apart Kevin's life piece by piece.

While Esme is messing with Spencer and Kevin, she is attracted to cam. we get a messy Joss/Cam/Esme triangle... with Cam and Joss having a massive argument about Joss defending mob life and he runs into Esme and they sleep together. Esme ends up pregnant. and plays it off as Spencer's.

Spencer is on edge with Esme's plans and ends up confiding in Trina. Trina is torn between helping him but also helping her girl Ava. She comes up with a plan to help Spencer confess but as she does some snooping of her own, discovers Esme's ties to Ryan.

Spencer, with Trina's help, confesses, Nik still kicks him out and he goes to stay with Laura who gets him a job at the hospital where he learns some compassion. Trina exposes that Cam is the baby daddy and Spencer is broken. Sprina kiss for the first time as she comforts him.

Eve Lambert comes to town after Kevin discovers Esme is his. She tries to help her evil daughter and explains why she kept Esme a secret, and leaves town. Kevin tries to fix Esme, putting a strain on his marriage.

As Emily returns, Nava is on rocky waters. What will Nikolas do when the true love of his life returns? Who will he choose? Will Ava resort to her old ways to get rid of Emily?

Sante are 100% together. All is happy and then Drew returns. Sam feels terrible for what he's gone thru and tries to fake a relationship with him, but things don't feel the same. They end things and Drew runs into Britt and sparks fly.

Just as Sante get back on track, we see LuLu wake up. LuLu wakes up thinking it's 2006. no memories of her kids, Dante, her mom waking up. so she stays away from PC for a while and falls for her doctor Tommy Hardy Jr.

Willow, Brando, Sasha, Gladys all die in a mob shoot out. idgaf. Michael leaves town with Wiley in grief. Kristina gets his airtime and becomes Sonny's heir apparent putting her in opposition with Jarly. She finds herself falling for Ms. Wu's daughter.

Finn and Elizabeth never happen. Elizabeth, after Franco's death, basically drinks herself to death in grief. Hayden finally returns from hiding and her, Finn, Laura, and her kids help her get help. Just as liz gets back on her feet, her parents return. Liz is torn between allowing her parents in and trusting them or telling them to F off. She also gets another surprise return.... (and its not Emily)

Monica is thrilled at the return of Drew an Emily. ELQ is returned to Ned. We continue with the autism story. Ned is super open and wants to learn and assist Leo. Olivia is totally blocked off and ignores it.

Brook Lynn tells Chase about Bailey's true parentage. Brook also admits that she doesn't want to give up Bailey when its all over. They keep growing closer, but keeping the secret is killing good boy Chase. 

Vanna/Robert return and Maxie is thrilled that Peter is dead and rushes to the Q's to get Bailey/Lou back. Val is confused and BLQ finally admits the truth. Val is crushed. Curses the Qs and vows to keep ELQ from them. Maxie takes Lou. Chase and BLQ sleep together. Annie Donnelly comes to town and works at the PCPD undercover. Bonds with Chase. BLQ/Chase/Annie triangle.

Val tells Anna about the whole baby switch. She feels for him and takes him out drinking again. Val wants to forget about everything and sleep together but Anna wants it when they are both sober.

NO Maxie and Austin. TBH there would be no Austin. Dillion returns to help in the ELQ vs Val war. Him and Maxie connect as he starts to work for deception as the photographer.

Taggert remains Trina's dad. Period. After Jordan left, Curtis also assists Liz in her addiction struggles and they have a casual relationship, but he starts to catch feels. Lucky happens to return just as Liz gets her life back on track. 

We find out Lucky's stayed away because he has relapsed and is still taking pills. He doesn't want to disappoint his kids/mom/liz so stays quiet but Portia finds him OD in a back alley. As he recovers, they bond and are attracted to one another. HOWEVER, Serena Baldwin returns to town and starts her own law firm with Scott, Martin, and eventually Alexis. Lucky needs a lawyer since he got caught buying narcotics on the street right before he OD. Serena takes his case and she fights her feelings. We get a Serena/Lucky/Portia/Curtis/Liz mess.

Alexis is FREED. Gets her law license back. and gets and AMAZING love interest. (Maybe Shawn). Martin and Lucy get together. Liesl and Scotty remain cute. Molly and TJ get Brando/Sasha/Willow's airtime. Holly and Robert reunite.

IF you read all of this, you are a saint. The show is just so boring, dull, and unbalanced. Useless characters are taking up the place of legacy kids. I’m sure others have way better ideas, but this is just what I think the show could do to improve and be something I rush home to watch again. 

[bokutosworld]

night time activities with hq boys

- the little things and shenanigans that they like to do with their s/o once the world has quieted down and people have gone to sleep zzz

wc: 1.9k words, fluff, sfw. 

characters: kageyama, hinata, yamaguchi, oikawa, iwaizumi, bokuto, kuroo, ushijima, semi, atsumu!

a/n: so this was intended to be a mini hc list but i got carried away in my feels and just wrote mini scenarios for my top ten hq boys. this is self-indulgent ngl mom i love them :’) 

--

💌 he always gets asked what's the secret to his clear and smooth skin. well, the answer is you. since the two of you started living together, you've gotten kageyama on board in your nightly skincare routine. he doesn't mind it even if tsukishima and hinata tease him endlessly, something about the 'king of the court' being soft for you. as soon as he comes out from the shower, he positions himself on the edge of the bed, letting you stand between his legs as you wipe his face with a toner, followed by a moisturizer. then you'll get a sheet of face mask and put it on carefully. 'thank you, y/n,' he'd always say with a smile before pulling you to his chest, laughter echoing around the room, as you both fall on the bed.

💌 you thought your relationship with hinata wouldn't survive the long distance. but despite the thousand miles separating the both of you and the difference in timezones, he made sure to always wish you sweet dreams and good night. sometimes, he would call you in the middle of practice or while he's sitting in the train during commute. if he's lucky to have a free day, he'd call you while he's also in bed and you guys would talk non-stop, exchanging stories, saying your i love yous and i miss yous. and when you're the first one to snooze, he'd chuckle in the background, taking a few screenshots of your adorable sleeping face before saying goodnight and ending the call with a smile.

💌 one of the things that made yamaguchi fall in love with you was your love for studio ghibli films. when the topic was brought up among your friend group, he instantly whipped his head to where you were and before he knew it, his feet were bringing him to you. you were already friends so you didn't mind him joining the conversation, he was mesmerized with how you passionately talked about your love for howl's moving castle or how you talked about the nostalgic soundtrack of from up on poppy hill. the rest was history and now, five years into the relationship, watching studio ghibli films every friday night has become a tradition to both of you. oftentimes, you would find yourselves cuddled on the bed, legs entangled and arms wrapped around one another. spirited away was playing on the laptop, the light illuminates the dark room as the both of you slowly drifted to sleep. it was in moments like these that you felt overwhelmed and satisfied with the security and comfort of being with him.

💌 oikawa was spontaneous - it kept you on your toes, always wondering what kind of surprise or gimmick he has prepared for you. the day before a big presentation, you were nervous and you made sure he knew it by texting him non-stop, sending him memes that expressed what you couldn't say in words. he didn't want to say you were overreacting in fear of getting on your bad side, but he has no doubt that after spending weeks in preparation that you can ace your presentation. still, he wanted to be of help to you and he knew just how to lift your mood up. it was 2:15 am when you were woken up by the incessant ringing of your phone. you pick it up, ready to shout at whoever was on the other side when you heard his laugh, 'grab your jacket, we're getting mcdonalds.' you didn't need to be told twice, almost running down the stairs so you can get your fix of your fave happy meal. after getting takeout, he drove you to a park and laid out a blanket. you sat and enjoyed your food in peace before he mentioned something about the stars shining bright tonight, turning to you with the biggest grin on his face, 'but i have the brightest star in the world right now by my side.'

💌 iwaizumi could never see what it was about video games that you loved so much. though after dating you since high school, he's been used to being ignored, put on voicemail, and being the second priority whenever you had a console in hand. but one late night, he got curious about the new title you were playing, super smash bros, and figured he could give it a try. you were surprised when he suddenly sat on the couch and scooted closer to make room for himself. he took your extra controller and asked to play for one round. little did he know that one game became two, which became three until the both of you couldn't keep track anymore as he kept losing and asking for a rematch. when you closed the game, the sun was slowly peeking over the clouds. you kissed him on the cheek before retreating to bed 'thanks for playing with me, iwa. that was one of the best games i've had.' he wouldn't admit it but he enjoyed it too, and he was thankful that he had the following day off or he'd be nursing an insane headache at work due to lack of sleep.

💌 people thrived off of the contagious energy that bokuto radiated, and you were no stranger to that. you were all too familiar with the intoxicating feeling that one can get by being around him. being with him, living with him, there were no dull days or quiet evenings. there would be nights that he'd still be high on the adrenaline that came from winning their game, that before sleeping, bokuto would drag you up your feet and get you singing your favorite songs. he didn't need a mic, his loud voice was enough and it reverberated around the room. you'd both be laughing, stumbling over the lyrics as you danced to a silent beat. jumping up and down, you're worried that the neighbors might report you to the guards in the apartment lobby. but none of it would soon matter as he'd suddenly collapse on the bed, pulling you with him. you fall to his chest and you hear the erratic beating of his heart. he lifts your chin up to look at him and he presses a chaste kiss on your lips, 'thank you for being with me all this time.'

💌 due to the nature of his job, you'd been used to kuroo returning home almost midnight due to doing overtime. often, he'd return to a dark apartment as you'd already be tucked in bed, drifting off to a deep sleep. but tonight was different. it was 11:45 pm and when kuroo turned the knob and swung the door open, he was surprised to see you sprawled out on the floor of the living room. a mess of polaroid photos, printed stickers, papers, and craft items were beside. you greeted him with a smile, he returned it with one of his own and question fell on his lips, 'what are you doing here?' he swears he melted on the spot when you said you were making a scrapbook of your moments and milestones together. something about the idea of you collating everything - from when you went on your first date, your first kiss, your first out-of-town trip - had the butterflies in his stomach go crazy. he loosens his tie and undos the first two buttons of his shirt before joining you on the floor, looking forward to staying up all night reminiscing your memories together.

💌 as soon as you and ushijima got home from date night, he'd head straight to the kitchen to brew your favorite cup of tea while you went ahead to wash up and prepare for bed. he'd bring two cups to the room, placing yours on vanity table and his on the nightstand. when you came out of the shower, you'd go straight to your vanity to do your evening skincare, noticing the tea he had prepared and taking a sip before putting on moisturizer. ushijima would take his place behind your back, a hand resting on your shoulder as the other leaned to get your brush. he'd gently comb your hair, dragging the brush slowly over your tresses. 'is this okay? it doesn't hurt?' you'd look at his reflection in the mirror, catching his eyes and you reassure him that it's fine. silence envelopes the two of you, but it's not the awkward kind. it's the one that puts you at ease, erasing your worries as he continues his action. when he finishes, he returns the brush on its spot, turning you around to give you a kiss, 'i love you.'

💌 semi notices something was wrong when you arrived home all quiet. usually, you'd run to where he was - often in the kitchen where he was cooking food or in his mini studio where he composed songs - but tonight, you made a beeline to your shared bedroom. he follows and observes as you throw your bag on the floor before falling face first on the bed. he swears he heard you take a big sigh and takes that as his cue to prepare a warm bath for you. semi makes sure that the water temperature is just how you like it, pouring your favorite bubble soap and lighting up your favorite scented candles all over the room. when he's done, he makes his way over to you, 'come on, sweetheart. i readied a bubble bath for you.' your ears perk up hearing his words and you get up, letting him take your hand as he brought you to the bathroom. he helps you take off your clothes and assists as you sit in the tub. and just when he was about to make his leave, you grab his hand, 'i'd be a lot more comforted if you were here with me.' knowing what you meant, he nods, ridding himself of his clothes before joining and hugging you from behind. 'you're okay now, i got you.'

💌 the past few days have been unkind to you and atsumu. with him being busy with extended training and you being occupied with an insane amount of workload that came with your promotion, you didn't really have enough time to spend awake at home. and atsumu misses you and your voice. it wasn't enough for him just to cuddle up to you when sleeping as he'd always feel bad whenever he had to leave in the morning. so despite knowing that you'd get mad for getting up before the sun has risen, he shook you lightly, 'hey, wake up, i want to show you something.' you opened your eyes slowly, looking for the source of disruption of your sleep, but when you realized it was atsumu, you simply groaned before raising your arms in request from him to carry you. he complies, carrying you bridal style to the car and he speeds off to a nearby park hill. when he alerts you that you have arrived at the destination, you rub sleep off your eyes and come out of the car just in time to see the sun rising over the horizon. the scene unveiling right in front of the both of you was so beautiful that you were left speechless. atsumu hugs you from behind, his chin resting on your shoulder and exhales, 'i missed you so much. let's take our time here, okay?' eventually, the two of you reported sick for work/practice but it was worth it.

[honestlyfrance]

first lines

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag 10 of your favorite authors!

thank you so much @buckyrhodey for the tag!! miss youu 💕

idk what were my last stories so i went deep for these hehe, mostly a mix of published and wips

1. A Better Starry Night (sam/bucky ; horror)

The sky was silent. There’s a thundering crack from down the horizon, heads turning down by the mountainside. It seems to be approaching — faster now.

2. the sweetest tragedy (sam/bucky; mcd) - def a fave of mine!

It's a goddamn tragedy, it's what it is. You love him but he's leaving, high on euphoria with a rank under his name, you're going to lose him in every universe and there's nothing you could do about it.

3. to cease intimacy (sam/bucky ; first date) - this makes me yearn till this day

It's that moment when your heart hitched in your throat and you're unable to breathe freely, feeling asphyxiation nipping at your veins, it’s like you know that your heart was too full of emotion to function right, too much love that sends your heart running a marathon. It was a good feeling, a blissful moment, yet there was that betrayal within it that makes you question your feelings over and over again because there’s that one question running through your head: “Why is it him?” but it’s all good, everything’s peachy-keen because you don’t have to hide it anymore — you had to show it now, however, and that was a wave of dread coming all at once.

4. hug infinitely (sam/bucky ; protective!bucky)

It’s only a fact that you can’t protect who you love from every little inconvenient thing. You can’t fix every crack in the world just so you could breathe easy thinking your love wouldn’t trip. You also can’t make the sun go away so your love can’t get a sunburn on your nice little beach date. It’s miserable thinking that the world just has it’s ways to hurt your love, but that’s reality, and to have it bother you so much, it’s only a tragedy in three acts.

5. falling in love against gravity (sam/bucky ; sam centric) - i loved exploring sam’s experience with flying in this one

Falling was a violent act. You’ll trust the fall with intent so dangerous it’s almost like a kiss with death, and you’ll love it. You’ll love how you can fall backward and have a night with death. You’ll love how you could close your eyes and never open them again. Yet, you fly instead somehow. You fall then you fly, defying the law of gravity.

6. pine (wip name) (sam/bucky/steve ; thirst tweet acc)

The thing is, it didn't happen suddenly at all. They had mulled it all over, understood the risks and consequences. It's dangerous work, and there's no assurance that they'll make it out with their dignity, but what the hell. The 21st century needed more of Captain America and the Winter Soldier pining over the Falcon; let them be.

7. (wip name after mutual heh) (sam/bucky)

Little boys growing up in grand houses and ocean views are the kind of boys who would like adventure, the kind of boys who would yearn for the woods, and cozy little cabins in farms. Instead, December comes and they grow up smoking like chimneys in winter. Yes, little boys grow up and move into cities with blinking white lights, but they always come back seeking adventure.

8. death speaks (they called it kindness) (sam/bucky ; sam centric ; wip)

They say death aches like a motherfucker. Sam Wilson presses on it like a bruise, wanting to feel something before the sensation leaves his senses. He’ll ache for it, flawlessly manipulating it, and sooner or later, he’ll resurface and regret every single bruise he’d made. They say death licks all the wounds of the forgotten faces away, but to Sam, it’s just unforgivable.

9. milkshakes in two (sam/steve/bucky ; stucky fight for sams luv ; wip)

Truth is, love comes in many forms, but the form of a fist fight at a parking lot in three in the goddamn morning, like a modern-day Achilles versus Hector except they both leave with a cut under the eye and a broken nose instead of, you know, a bloody corpse, is just as romantic as leaving cute sticky notes around the house for them to see. It’s even more romantic if they noticed it, but sometimes a romantic gesture such as a fist fight between two supersoldiers need to tilt towards the murder part of Troy before a certain Falcon could notice.

10. field of flowers (sam/bucky fatws drabble 1x03)

When you look into Sam Wilson’s eyes, maybe you might see something surreal. Maybe something you shouldn’t have seen in the first place. After all, the eyes are the window to the soul, wouldn’t it be quite intrusive to look at him so bare?

(yall know my damn first lines are chunky paragraphs long so more below 🥰 )

11. love sweeter than candy, cavities to the heart (sam/bucky) 

It’s not that Sam despised the idea of it, in fact, he breathes it in like cocaine, feeling the rush and instant fall of his senses, and maybe it’s not actually drugs to him but maybe something milder, like, a kiss, one that is so slow and soft that it makes him scream at the deprivation, making himself aware of how desperate he just was about touch, literally any sort of touch, but then again, it’s Sam we’re talking about; suppressed and no-nonsense, he couldn’t possibly want something so good like some cliche grand romantic gesture that is too cheesy for its own good, and maybe it’s for the best that he keeps quiet about this want because it’s not like he gets it every day.

12. Partners (sam/bucky)

It was in the bathroom of a safe house that Sam Wilson finds himself bandaging himself up. There was a small gash on his forearm from the afternoon before; it ran down from below his shoulder blade to above his elbow, but it wasn’t as deep as it should be, just looking quite raw but wouldn’t need any serious stitching.  He’s been washing the same spot with clean water from the faucet for the past solid half hour, the sound of water gushing echoing in the tiny bathroom.

13.  oranges in october (sam/bucky) - this one!! this!!

You’d think that just because he had wings and he flies, that makes him an Icarus. Icarus fell to his death. He did not resurface, he did not live beyond that power. Sam Wilson soared high into the missiles of war and came back battered and red, dripping love and death as he stands in the aftermath of it all. You think he was an Icarus when he was actually Apollo. Anyone who gets close to him falls to the ocean waves, then sooner than later, he’s left singing eulogies as his heart rattles in a cage.

14.  It Rains Every April 10th (sam/bucky; mcd) - this too! ive been told by someone that this was the most accurate desc of depression theyve seen

Depression hits like a wave on a cliffside — sometimes you see it coming, sometimes you didn’t see it, and sometimes you just let it happen. It sometimes gnaws at your skin, always there, but more of a ghostly hand hovering over you; there’s that presence but you think you don’t have enough proof to prove it existed. Times like these you try your best to move but you become unmotivated, absolutely immobile except for the moments your body decides to exhaust itself for unrelated things you shouldn’t be doing. It takes a toll on you you wouldn’t even realize, and even then, who else realized it? You’re just tired. You don’t cry. You’re just tired.

15. to hold dear (sam/bucky)

Bucky Barnes didn’t want a lot of things. He’s got a really low bar of standards now, even just waking up without a threat on his life counts as a win. He doesn’t even mind if there wasn’t any more soap in the bathroom; he’s just glad he’s got a shower in the first place. Breakfast? God, he’s just glad that he could walk around a house with his guard let down.

i have no more (:

tagging: @enchanted-lightning-aes @siancore @pianistwriter80 @glittercake @lesbians-love-samwilson @mariahthelioness29 @rhodeslabs @lovelyirony :)

[airenyah]

what are the gayest destiel episodes you can think of?

ohhhhh i gotchu hold on (this is basically gonna end up being a list of my fave destiel episodes lmaooo)

ok so just a heads-up, i don’t really remember much from s10 onwards (a lot of those episodes i haven’t actually watched since they aired whoops) and i’m currently stuck at the beginning of s9 on my complete rewatch soooo this list focuses only on the first half of the show. i might do an update if i ever manage to finish my rewatch (and remember to post an update at all when the time comes)

ok here we go:

4x16 - On the Head of a Pin

dean calls cas “cas” to his face for the very first time

dean is all “you can't ask me to do this, cas. not this.” (about torturing alastair) and uriel is all “who said anything about asking”, but cas is all: “this is too much to ask, i know. but we have to ask it” and that is the moment that dean realizes that cas cares about him and his feelings/well-being and that’s when he demands to speak to cas alone 

and it’s only after cas tells dean he really doesn’t want dean being forced to do the torturing that Dean gives in (”i would give anything not to have you do this”)

like, it’s so obvious already how much cas cares about dean already and we’re only in s4

 cas is even starting to go down the path of disobedience (with a little help from anna admittedly, but still. he’s starting to consider it)

they’re so?? comfortable?? with each other. when cas visits dean at the hospital in the end

4x22 - Lucifer Rising

dean literally makes an angel fall in this ep, i mean come on... (the way cas shows up behind him all “you asked to see me” after dean smashes the angel statue cracks me up every single time gsdlka)

dean desperately trying to get cas to help him (bc he knows that IF there’s an angel that would help him it’s cas)

cas is too afraid though and dean gets pissed and literally breaks up with him (D: "you spineless, soulless son of a bitch. what do you care about dying? you're already dead. we're done." C: "dean-" D: "we're done!")

this is the episode in which cas makes his decision and chooses dean over heaven

5x03 - Free to Be You and Me

in the previous episode sam and dean had a fight and split up. this episode starts out with dean being pissed and annoyed and just in a bad mood in general

when cas shows up and asks for help dean is very grumpy and doesn’t want to help at first but then reluctantly agrees

throughout the episode, the more time dean spends with cas the better his mood gets (honestly this point is worthy of its own separate post, i have enough screenshots lmao)

like he’s even smiling at the end of the ep when he’s talking to cas in the car!! (except then he looks over and realizes cas has left mid-conversation again and that smile is wiped right off his face and i’m sad :( )

when they’re in that brothel dean mostly has eyes for cas, even when chastity the hooker is standing right next to him

after the brothel incident when dean is cracking up and goes “it's been a long time since I've laughed that hard. it's been more than a long time. years.” like... buddy. your crush is showing.

and the way cas smiles lovingly at dean laughing next to him

dean be like: “personal space”     also dean: *reaches into cas’s coat without hesitation* *fixes cas’s shirt and tie without hesitation*

also the funniest thing about the whole “personal space” moment in the motel is that there was more than enough space for dean to step aside and increase the distance between him and cas if he had really been all that uncomfortable but he just. doesn’t. no he just stays right where he is 

when raphael is trapped in the holy oil and threatens cas all “castiel, I'm warning you. do not leave me here. i will find you.” and cas goes “maybe one day. but today, you're my little bitch.” and walks away and dean tells raphael “what he said” like the impressed and proud boyfriend that he is

inside jokes (see here)

some more iconic quotes/moments from this episode:

“cas, we’ve talked about this. personal space”

“so, what, i'm thelma and you're louise and we're just going to hold hands and sail off this cliff together?”

“well. last night on earth. what are your plans?” “i just thought i'd sit here quietly.”

“let me tell you something. there are two things i know for certain. one, bert and ernie are gay. two, you are not gonna die a virgin. not on my watch.”

5x14 - My Bloody Valentine

hunter husbands!!

the way that dean is not in the mood for hook-ups on valentine’s day and then goes to stare at cas like That

that iconic phone call at the hospital where cas just appears in front of dean who nearly runs into him

cas be looking at sam while listing all the things people can be starving for, and then looks at dean before saying “love” 

ok i know this doesn’t have that many points but really this entire ep is great, i very much enjoy all the interactions between cas and dean in this ep

like when dean is not hungry and cas is all “you're not gonna finish that?” and grabs the plate without waiting for an answer bc they’re this married in s5 already

6x20 - The Man Who Would Be King

i mean... this one is obvious isn’t it

this ep is literally all about how cas is doing everything for the winchesters aka dean

the way sam and bobby cautiously voice their suspicions of cas to dean has the same energy as carefully breaking it to a family member that you think their partner is cheating on them 

and when they trap cas in the holy oil and confront him dean also acts like a betrayed wife(gn)

which is such a stark contrast to how sam and bobby react to the betrayal (they’re mostly just like “eh this sucks” while dean is emotionally affected)

and even in the following episodes dean is way more affected by cas’s betrayal than sam and bobby are and dean is the one who argues the most with cas (honestly, this entire arc is literally that post that’s all “how do i know dean is in love with cas? bc sam isn’t”)

ok but the holy oil scene is truly like a soap opera (i mean... “where were you when i needed to hear it?” “i was there. where were you?” and dean looking back at cas one last time before running away)

this is their first big break-up and it takes them until the s7 finale to make up

special shoutout to cas watching dean rake leaves

this ep is a LOT

7x17 - The Born-Again Identity

dean’s FACE when he sEES CAS. and then DEAN’S FACE AGAIN when “emmanuel” is all “what’s your issue?”

dean’s face all throughout that first scene with “emmanuel” and daphne, I’M

“you know, I used to be able to just shake this stuff off. you know, whatever it was. It might take me some time, but... i always could. what cas did... i just can't – i don't know why” BECAUSE YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH HIM, IDIOT

the way dean interrupts all irritated when meg goes “i think we're gonna be good friends too” at “emmanuel” (jealous bf much gsdlksafd)

the way dean kept the trenchcoat just in case so he can give it back to cas should he return (which ofc he did)!!!!

7x21 - Reading is Fundamental

yet another one of those “how do I know dean is in love with cas? bc sam isn’t”

at the beginning of the ep at some point sam’s phone rings and when he says that meg (who is watching over cas at the mental hospital) is calling, dean is quick to stand up and even tho meg called sam, dean is the one who ends up having the phone call with her lmao

also dean has no chill during that phone call lmao (he’s irritated when he finds out meg didn’t call them right then and there as soon as cas woke up and he’s immediately concerned when meg says cas is different, while sam’s just standing there holding his phone out to dean, being all ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ lmao)

dean: *pissed af at cas*    also dean: *almost breaks his own neck at the speed with which he whips his head around at the mention of cas’s name and is desperate to know his location when cas calls meg after dean blasted him away with some other angels at the hospital*

ok no but then meg tells cas their location and cas zaps into the car and it’s hilarious how quick dean is to interrupt whenever cas turns his attention to meg in that scene

8x07 - A Little Slice of Kevin

dean seeing cas everywhere

when you see your best dudebro outside the window in the middle of a storm but when you get up he’s gone and you feel like crap because you could’ve made it out of the war zone together and you just cannot fathom why he didn’t try harder and you just don’t understand why you’re feeling what you’re feeling (and judging by dean’s reaction to sam’s suggestion, clearly it’s not survivor’s guilt)

dean’s FACE when cas suddenly appears behind him in the bathroom

jacting joices: the infamous boner scene (yet another example of “how do I know dean is in love with cas? bc sam isn’t”)

jacting joices pt 2: sam and dean are talking case and then cas walks over to join the conversation and there is literally no reason for dean to check cas out (see here)

during the rescue mission when cas zaps into the room and has a stand-off with crowley and then when dean finally manages to break into the room, can i just say... the way dean immediately rushes to cas (who’s ended up on the floor) and grabs him by the shoulder before he bothers to look around the room

D: “that was a bonehead move back there. you could have gotten yourself killed. why didn't you wait for me?” C: “well, i didn't get killed. and it worked” D: “and if it didn't?” C: “it would have been my problem.” D: “well, that's not the way i see it.”

the purgatory flashbacks when dean keeps insisting that cas is coming along with them back to earth and won’t hear otherwise

“i did everything I could to get you out – everything! i did not leave you.”  “so you think this was your fault?”

“look, I don't need to feel like hell for failing you, okay? for failing you like i've failed every other godforsaken thing that i care about! i don't need it!”

i know we hate buckleming but this episode, man. this episode

8x08 - Hunteri Heroici

i was gonna put this as a special shoutout but then it turned out that i had more to say about this ep than i initially thought

it’s the way dean and cas keep gravitating towards each other in the first half of the episode. no seriously, they somehow keep ending up beside each other and you start wondering “what’s personal space” (friendly reminder that this is the ep right after they’re finally back together again after purgatory)

the married energy and the bickering

the “talk to me” scene where cas finally opens up to dean (but then interrupting moose strikes)

at the retirement home dean to sam and cas: “no flirting you two” then CUT to: dean and cas sitting at a table with an elderly lady who is staring at cas with heart eyes and... lady: “you are so pretty, charles” dean: *must look at young nurse’s butt immediately to distract myself from gay thoughts*

i’m sorry but the way he smiles so widely at cas at one point when they’re talking to that lady, like, she’s just called cas a bounder and dean’s amused about that but his amusement is not in any way malicious and his face is just so full of love when he looks at Cas, it’s embarrassing really (see here)

9x06 - Heaven Can't Wait

ok so i haven’t watched this ep in like 5 years so my memories on this aren’t as fresh as with the previous eps but! it’s the way that cas and dean act exactly like exes (who are still in love with each other) in this ep

dean’s face as he’s staring at cas through the shop window

dean’s smile when he shows up inside the shop

the entire “i can’t let you do this cas” scene in the car

the infamous fanfiction gap

special shout out to:

5x18 - Point of No Return for all the bickering (“you know what? blow me, cas”) and especially  “well, cas, not for nothing, but the last person who looked at me like that… i got laid.”

6x10 - Caged Heat for the pizza man and dean’s reaction to all the megstiel (like jealous bf much?)

6x19 - Mommy Dearest for the strong married energy dean and cas give off in this ep (honestly, all their bickering, it’s glorious) (friendly reminder that this is right before tmwwbk) 

7x23 - Survival of the Fittest for the “i’d rather have you cursed or not” scene

8x02 - What's Up, Tiger Mommy? for the purgatory flashbaks with that one monster calling cas dean’s angel and the reunion scene by the river with highlights such as “nice peach fuzz” and “i prayed to you cas, every night” and “i have a price on my head, and i've been trying to stay one step ahead of them, to – to keep them away from you” and “cas, we're getting out of here. we're going home” and “cas, buddy, i need you” and “let me bottom-line it for you. i'm not leaving here without you. understand?”

8x17 - Goodybe Stranger for “i don't know, dean. if he's so sketchy, then why were you praying to him?” and the entire crypt scene (yes this is a big one and yes i’m still only putting it as a special shoutout and yes it’s bc of the megstiel content this ep ok bye <3)

[incorrect-galavant]

Sid :) I love him so much.

me too! Sid's basically my fave

What they smell like:

I feel like Sid would always smell very clean, like, soap or deodorant

How they sleep (sleeping position, schedule, etc):

sleep? you think Sid sleeps? he is awake 24/7 so he has time to manage the one brain cell that everyone shares

What music they enjoy:

he always complains about not getting to sing, but he secretly loves hearing his friends sing. most of the time, they sing because they’re happy, and he likes when his family is happy. if they’re singing while he is actually trying to sleep though, he WILL go after the singer. Gal has caught his hands on many early-morning occasions.

How much time they spend getting ready every morning:

if he could, he’d spend years getting ready, but dumbass shenanigans wait for no one. he’s learned how to fix his hair while already riding because Gal and Izzy got tired of waiting for him. on peaceful days, if he can, he’ll spend around an hour getting ready.

Their favorite thing to collect:

detailed figurines, obviously. I feel like he’d also love to collect seashells. that just seems like something he’d like to do.

Left or right-handed:

left-handed

Religion (if any):

he’s Jewish

Favorite sport:

chasing after Madalena to stop her from murdering people

Favorite touristy thing to do when traveling (museums, local food, sightseeing, etc):

Sid is THE tourist. he walks into Valencia with a Hawaiian shirt and a huge camera and sends the photos back to his parents. he likes doing everything and he’ll drag everyone down with him.

Favorite kind of weather:

he likes stormy, cold weather because he likes telling/hearing scary stories. he gets scared most of the time, but that makes it easier to trick people into cuddling with him. 

he also likes sunny weather because it makes him happy.

A weird/obscure fear they have:

he’s scared that Gal will suddenly turn zombie and forget everyone. he also worries about Madalena and Gareth going full Evil Power Couple and not wanting to hang out with him anymore.

The carnival/arcade game they always win without fail:

he’s amazing at literally everything, esp the claw machine and the floating duck games. everyone is always mad at him because he’s the only one that can beat every single game, even the rigged ones.

at the ye olde faire, he’d be going around completely oblivious having the time of his life. everyone else would get increasingly pissed off that they can’t win anything. in the end, he’d reveal that he won all the plushies for them just because he’s nice and he loves them. Madalena would then try to murder him as soon as he turned around (she really likes her toy goat tho)

[sometimesrosy]

Where do you think that Clarke and Raven are at with forgiveness?

I honestly don’t know.

It hasn’t been a story. Instead of facing Raven’s anger and Clarke’s guilt, they each separated and addressed those stories on their own, not regarding each other. So I don’t know if the princess mechanic IS an actual story, or if it’s Clarke and Raven on their separate stories. 

They seem to be tied together, with Raven relating to Clarke’s mother as another daughter, and through her, her own issues with her mother.  And Raven’s accusations of betrayal of Bellamy and wonkru which seem... at least to me... to be about Clarke’s betrayal of RAVEN when she killed Finn instead of Lxa. But this isn’t explicit yet, so I don’t know if that link is part of the story or not. Or just my arm chair psychology analysis. Clarke continually defers to Raven’s anger as being righteous, which, I think, is because it echoes her own negative self talk. She AGREES with Raven. She does not argue with her. Ever, although she argues with Murphy when he comes at her the same way. But not to blame him... rather to acknowledge that they are the same. But she never does that with Raven. 

In season 6, Clarke and Raven SEPARATELY made progress in their own issues that hurt their relationship with each other-- Raven’s aggressive judging and Clarke’s...also aggressive judging OF HERSELF. Raven dealt with it in relation to Abby, and Clarke did in the mindspace. Although I’m not sure she stopped judging herself, she just decided that she wasn’t giving up and she needed to keep fighting.

I’m not sure she SHOULD stop judging herself, because she needs to be able to question her own actions and choices and not just assume what she does is correct the way Lxa, Pike, Nia, McCreary, Cage, Blodreina and Jaha did. And maybe Raven started judging her own choices too, questioning if her first decision was the right thing to do, if it made things better or worse.

I can’t be certain that the clarke and raven relationship will be fixed. I hope so, but it’s a relationship that has really NOT been put front and center.

ALTHOUGH, while Clarke was fighting for her life, Raven stayed behind to fight for Clarke’s daughter and ALSO Clarke’s mother. And that is actually pretty remarkable. Clarke couldn’t be there. So Raven stood in for her, and that is actually when she started realizing the gray morality in the difficult choices that Clarke made and she always blamed her for.

I have to say that I am rather disappointed in the Raven storyline in season 6. I think Raven’s character arc has been week in 5 and 6. I think as a character she’s taken a back seat to other characters, Clarke, Bellamy, Octavia and Murphy. I think I understand why... because that’s the story they were telling and Raven’s story did not connect to it. Raven COULD have been the hero of her own story, but in order to do that, she’d have to be the hero and Clarke and Bellamy wouldn’t have been. 

I know people get angry when their faves don’t have as much screen time as others, or don’t have as much development, but I’m not going to be angry about that. Whatever you give your attention to in a story is going to steer the rest. If Raven, who is a fantastic character, had stepped up into a better storyline, the story would have altered. Listen, we all know that RAVEN could have been Bellamy’s love interest over the 6 years, and then she would have been front and center in the narrative, combining Echo’s story and Raven’s, but that also would have meant that Bellamy would have made Raven second choice AGAIN and that would have been horrible horrible for Raven. Because the story ALWAYS was Bellarke and it has ALWAYS been heading towards it. And that would mean that OUR Raven would be the one discarded and disrespected and I would not like that at all. It would have been a soap opera and no good. The love triangle was necessary for they story they were telling.

All right. I went off track there. That’s speculation. Not the story, not canon. I was just wondering how Raven’s character COULD have been given more prominence in the story being told. And putting her in the love triangle might have done it, but I wouldn’t have liked that. And it definitely would have been more soapy. Or, Raven could have interfered in the c/b/e love triangle and take sides, like I initially speculated... but they minimized b/e and maximized bc so much, focusing on Bellamy’s feelings for her and saving her while she struggled to live, that well, it’s just not as important a story, and there was no room for Raven there. So it had to go with Abby... who she’s always had a story with. That’s how we met her, remember. That’s RAVEN’S story. She went to earth in s1, risking her life, for the man she loved, and Raven tried to stop Abby doing whatever she could to save the man she loved in s6, because it was wrong. Raven developed a sense of right and wrong she simply didn’t have in the beginning. And Abby lost it. 

Clarke and Raven’s stories are still separate. I don’t know where their relationship is right now.  

[mugsywrites]

Finally watched Ep 2 of Prodigal Son...

My livestream cut out last night much to my displeasure, so I just finished watching this morning. Thoughts:

-I remain *supremely* uninterested in the Case of the Week™. It feels so perfunctory, I can feel the writers themselves zoning out as they throw in cliche after cliche (the Brass wants us to solve this case! Just give me a few hours!). They’re such a chore to sit through. At least they’re making them weird, what with stuffing snakes down people’s gullet, plus they don’t take much time to solve, and Malcolm keeps getting whumped. Just give me the weird soap opera family dynamics, please and thank.

-Curious about Malcolm’s sexuality. In the previous episode his mom was trying to fix him up with some woman and he was very uncomfortable. Really hoping he’s bi, ace, or both, and he says the words “bisexual” and/or “asexual” at some point instead “it’s complicated” or whatever nonsense TV writers come up with. 

-Already low-key shipping Malcolm/Dani (you can’t have a woman tenderly strap a man down with wrist restraints without me shipping it. Beautiful soft domme energy there). That being said, I don’t want them hopping into bed or making googly eyes at each other quite yet; if they goes this route I want it as a slow burn plus I want Malcolm to get therapy and Dani to get some actual character development, she’s pretty flat at the moment. All the cops are except Gil, and that’s only because LDP. 

-Speaking of the NYPD’s resident Zaddy, I want more of his backstory and more father/son moments between him and Malcolm. In my dream universe he marries Jessica and becomes Malcolm’s stepdaddy while Martin seethes with jealousy in his luxury prison cell. Lots of passive-aggressive “he’s not your real dad!” from him. Also I’m predicting that the Surgeon will escape at some point, I want to see Michael Sheen and LDP have an epic fight a la Hannibal Lecter and Jack Crawford in Hannibal. Or just see Sheen go batshit fucking feral on someone to remind us all he’s not just a soft sweater dad.

-I really hope Jessica wasn’t involved in the Surgeon’s murders and that’s just a red herring. I want her to stay as she is: a flawed and kinda terrible woman who nevertheless loves her kids and is trying to protect them in her own fucked up way.  My current theory is: Malcolm *was* drugged, and in the time gap Dr. Whitly had him help with a few murders--either acting as bait or helping dispose of the bodies. Jessica found out and is trying to keep it hidden in a misguided attempt to protect him. Maybe that’s why she allowed Malcolm to visit his father in prison, she was being blackmailed. I want to see more flashbacks to their marriage, that brief glimpse they seemed pretty loving.

-Random, but kinda related to the above point: In another universe where it wasn’t already made into a shitty movie Michael Sheen would be my number one choice to star in an adaptation of A Good Marriage, one of my fave Stephen King novellas. Basically a wife finds out her husband of thirty years has been a serial killer the entire time, and how she deals with the information.

[woodelf68]

Fanfic meme

I was tagged by @luthienebonyx!

At what age did you start writing fanfiction? -- I think around 18, 19? Just little scenes scribbled down in journals for myself, mostly based off soap operas back then. Except for a very few exceptions over the years, though, it wasn’t until I joined tumblr and got into Rumbelle that I really began writing fic more to share with others rather just for myself, stuff that had to have a proper beginning and an end. 

Who is your favorite author? -- Impossible to pick one! Just off the top of my head, I’m going to give a shout-out to some of my new faves I’ve discovered since getting into the Thor movies last year:  @callistonicol, @eienvine, @gaslightgallows, @jaggedcliffs, @lizardbeths, @psychoticgirl, and @veliseraptor.  (And anyone else I’ve ever left a comment on a fic for, I love and appreciate you!)

Favorite type of scene to write? -- Fluffy fix-its!

What is your favorite fanfic? -- Look, there’s a reason I have...*counts*... nine rec lists just related to OUAT/SGU/Anyelle. How am I supposed to pick just one? But I agree that for OUAT, Nym’s A Bed of Thorns really is in a class by itself. I wish I had a whole rec list of Thor fics to link here (I actually started one early this year but then The Very Rainy Spring of near constant sinus pain and pressure hit and put it on hold) because I very quickly found a ton of great fic, but I will confine myself to a couple of more Epic Fics of the sort where you forget the world outside exists -- The Kingsverse series by @teslatricity​ and Yggdrasil Dreaming by Barkour. 

What tags do you avoid like the plague? -- Mpreg, anything horror related  (gore, zombies, vampires, etc.), genderbent characters

What AU do you wish to write but feel like you won’t manage? -- I always thought the book/TV miniseries The Children of the Stones would have worked really well for a Rumbelle/OUAT AU, but I can’t do long and plotty stuff. And I doubt I could have captured the wonderful eerie atmosphere of the story. 

Do you outline or write as you go? -- Write as I go. Mostly I write short stuff, so an outline isn’t needed; the few longer things I’ve written just developed that way as I wrote, they weren’t planned. 

What has been your favorite story to write so far? -- *Cries* You’re asking me to choose between my children, this is hard! Okay, I’m going to pick a few for different reasons.  My Rushbelle smut Consequences was the result of @ripperblackstaff coming into my inbox and challenging me to write it based on a comment I’d added to a post, and I feel proud of rising to the challenge because it was definitely the kinkiest thing I’d posted at that point and there was that ‘I can’t post this!’ embarrassment to get over. And  Hello, Deerie was fun because it was just total Christmas fluff and again, based off a comment I made (on some art, this time) and the artist said ‘Write it’, so I did. I’m also really proud of my Rush/Young smut  Not What It Appears, because I don’t ship them at all but I wanted to write it for someone’s 50th birthday, and I think I did a really good job with it.  (Obviously I find an extra layer of satisfaction in writing fics for people I like!) Um, maybe one more?  The Storybrooke Ice Bucket Challenge  was a rare example of a fic that came very easily and very quickly. It was such a fun time in fandom, with my dash and the tags being full of celebrities Getting Wet for charity, and it was just such a natural idea for a show that was set (partly, at least) in the modern, real world. 

Do you prefer to write one-shots or multi-chapters? Why? -- One-shots!  Mostly I like to write missing and extended scenes, my brain doesn’t really do plots. 

What is your favorite kind of comment? -- When the reader mentions something specific that they liked 

Why did you start writing fanfiction? Why are you still writing it? -- A need to fill in the gaps in canon. Fixing angst. Wanting to ship a couple and give them smut and happy endings. <g>  And I’m still writing it for all of the same reasons. 

Tagging anyone I mentioned above, plus @aninfinitenumberofmonkeys and @eyeus-writes. 

[captaingondolin]

January - February fic not!recs

There is so much good stuff! Let me share the good stuff! I am rubbish at summaries/elevator pitches, so I’ll just list the stuff I’ve been reading.

Clone Wars Era

Obi-Wan, Rex, 212th, Jack O’Neill (Stargate SG-1)

[Podfic] A Star to Steer By - written by dogmatix, norcumi, recorded by GoLBPodfics (digiella) [WIP]

It wasn’t the first time Jack had been kidnapped, and it probably wouldn’t be the last. [...]

Rex – if the usual Tarzan and Jane method of introduction remained reliable – was just as disgruntled as Jack was, if slightly less beat up.

Cody, Obi-Wan

Nap by Batdad (MizGoat)

(Jedi / Clone societies parallels are the love of my life)

“Kick your boots off. Stay a while.” When Obi-wan hesitated, he added, “Can’t tell me the idea is foreign to you. I’ve seen your temple. Your little vods run in packs as much as ours do.”

Post TCW

Rex/Anakin/Padmé

Start Each Day (With a Grateful Heart) by anaraine

(this is THE ONLY Rex/Anakin/Padmé I found, the tag is so rare it can’t be filtered. I am impressed. And I wasn’t shipping them before this fic, I wasn’t even shipping Rex/Anakin!)

Rex notices when Anakin leaves the bed.

The man is quiet, careful in distributing his weight to avoid waking his bunkmates, but Rex notices. Hard not to, really, when the heavy warmth of his left arm isn't slung over his stomach anymore.

Prequel Trilogy

Obi-Wan/Cody, Bail, Rex, Wolffe, baby Leia

Til The Casket Drops by jynx [WIP] (if you, like me, love Obi-Wan pain, he is SO BROKEN in this, I can’t even handle it, it’s so good-painful, you have no idea)

“How do you go on?” Vos asked quietly. 

“Spite,” Obi-Wan said, pouring more alcohol into Vos’s empty glass. “Liquor.”

“That’s a shit way to live,” Vos protested even as he picked up his glass. 

Obi-Wan’s lips twitched. “Occasionally take out weapons depots and fuck up the Empire’s plans.”

Obi-Wan/Jango

What Never Will Be by Starofwinter

Obi-Wan wakes up screaming. That isn't a rare occurrence.

Sometimes Obi-Wan has nightmares about what could have been.

Original Trilogy

Luke/Wedge/Mara

Love is Touching Souls by yunmin

(another super extra rare ot3! Again, the only work tagged as such on AO3! Though probably not the only one out there, I hope, since these guys have been around for quite a while)

It’s been eight years since she felt him on the other end of the bond they share. [...]

“Mara,” Wedge Antilles grumbles, voice thick with sleep and displeasure at being awakened, “it’s the middle of the night, whya poking me.” He bats her away fondly, hand lightly pushing at her chest.

Stabby the Space Roomba, Luke, Leia, Han, Vader, a Poe & BB8 cameo

Hoth Headcanons and the Saga of Stabby [PODFIC] - read by bessyboo, written by tumblr users peradii, kyraneko, arctic-hands, dafterwho, digitaldiscipline & copperbadge

We all know that Hoth was a simmering mess of hormones and stress and I would pay good money for a soap opera about them. Here are some things which Definitely Happened.

(Featuring Stabby who is definitely not a space doomba.)

Fab Four Wedge Antilles/Tycho Celchu/Wes Janson/Derek "Hobbie" Klivian

Homecoming by thedarlingone (Curuchamion) [you’re still alive!/welcome back sex]

When the Rogues return from being presumed dead after Distna, Wes joins Wedge, Tycho, and Hobbie in quarantine.

Center of Our World by thedarlingone (Curuchamion)

There were people in his bed.

Wes drifted vaguely toward consciousness, fumbling through his thoughts.

Love Heals by icandrawamoth [wing fic! fave trope

When Tycho returns after Lusankya, his wings are in terrible shape, but his flockmates are determined to fix that.

[rumbelle-ficbrarian-blog]

The latest podcast episode of Rumbelle Roar with @jackabelle73​ is UP!..... if you’re interested in reading the full excerpt she shared with us, keep reading. It’s under the cut. On another note, who wants to come on next time? Suggest some of your faves!

The door clicked closed behind Father, and Gideon was left standing in a strange apartment with a woman who looked like his mother, yet wasn’t. This was not at all how he’d envisioned this day going, but a childhood spent switching from the non-magical world to the most fantastical realms known to any race, had prepared him for almost anything. 

“It seems we have some time on our hands,” he said to Belle, trying to sound relaxed. He didn’t know any more than she did, about where Father had gone or what he was doing, but he did at least know him well enough to trust that he wouldn’t have left them without good reason.  “Would you like something to eat? Or… I’m sure we can find the bedroom, if you’d like to rest for a while. You’ve had an exhausting day. Might help that headache, as well.”

“Actually, I would like to use the privy.”

“Right. Umm… let me just find it.”

He left the room quickly before the moment could become awkward, walking down a short hall to what he assumed was the bedroom. So much for his nomadic childhood preparing him for anything. Visiting twenty realms before the age of ten hadn’t taught him what to do if a grown woman had never used or even seen a modern toilet.

It didn’t take him long to find the bedroom with its adjoining bathroom, but he stood in the doorway for an extra moment, feeling relief and dismay in equal measure. Relief because a small part of him had wondered if perhaps Father might have moved on from Mother’s death, even found a new relationship, and it was painfully obvious that no woman had ever set foot in this room.  Dismay because he’d never known Father to live in such disarray. The man he’d grown up with had high standards for his appearance, and how he maintained any space that they had made their home. Here, a pair of jeans –jeans! – hung over the foot of the bed, which was unmade. What looked like a case file was open on the night stand, next to an empty glass and a bottle. Gideon could smell the Scotch from here. The room wasn’t slovenly, but… even an unmade bed was so unlike Father that he was having a hard time reconciling this room with the man who raised him.

Except he wasn’t, Gideon reminded himself. Not entirely. This room belonged to Detective Weaver, Father’s cursed persona. And even though he was awake, he would still need to maintain the illusion of being cursed. Right.

Reminding himself why he’d come in here, Gideon continued on through the bedroom to the adjoining bathroom, feeling a bit like he was invading a stranger’s privacy. He hadn’t seen Father in over a decade, and to find him again only to be introduced to his cursed persona was disquieting, to say the least. 

The bathroom was clean, to his relief, and just a little messy. Gideon closed the damp shower curtain and found a clean hand towel to hang on the hook next to the sink. He checked that the essentials were stocked, before going back out through the bedroom to call Belle. Regardless of how odd it was to have his mother’s look-a-like in this home inhabited by his father’s cursed persona, this woman was their guest. And his parents had taught him that guests deserved the best.    “Belle? I found the bathroom. If you’ll follow me?” “Bathroom? So it’s where people take baths?” she asked. “Well, yes. And also use the toilet, that’s this world’s equivalent of a chamber pot, you might say. There’s also a sink for washing your hands, with running water. Don’t worry, I’ll show you.” They stepped into the bathroom and he watched her eyes rove around the small room, taking everything in. This had to be overwhelming for her, so he spoke in a calm tone and tried to be as matter-of-fact as possible as he gave her a crash course in using a toilet. “So this is the toilet. You lift this lid up, and sit there. You, umm… do what you need to do, and there’s tissue here to clean yourself. When you’re finished, you press down on this lever and all the water will get sucked down the pipe, along with… whatever you put in there. I’m going to flush it now, just so you can see, alright? It’ll make a bit of noise.” She nodded, and backed away a step. Gideon pressed down on the flush handle, watching her closely for her reaction. She flinched at the noise, and her eyes grew wide as the water swirled and flushed down. “Okay so far?” he asked. She nodded without saying anything, still fixated on the toilet bowl. “After you finish there, you can wash your hands here. If you turn this knob to the right, you’ll get cold water. If you turn it to the left, the water will warm up. But be careful, sometimes it can get very hot, like it’s been boiled over a campfire. You can use this for soap, and here’s a towel to dry your hands. Do you think you can manage?” “’I’m sure I’ll…. figure it out,” she said, uncertain. “I’ll… wait for you just outside.” Gideon left the bathroom quickly, feeling his face burn with embarrassment., and shut the door behind him. He didn’t want to hover just outside the door, so continued back out to the living room and then to the kitchen. Belle had to be hungry after the eventful day she’d been having. Perhaps he could fix her something to eat. He opened the refrigerator to find only half-empty takeout containers. Wonderful. His first perusal of the tiny pantry yielded only cans of soup and boxes of pasta. Who had his father become? After rummaging in the back of the pantry, he found something that he thought might appeal to Belle, that wouldn’t seem too terribly strange to her. He started opening cabinets in search of a pot, and found tea first. He’d fix that as well; a cup of tea would hopefully be soothing to their guest, and truth be told, Gideon could use a calming drink himself. *** Gideon moved easily around the room that he’d told her was a kitchen, though not like any kitchen she’d ever known. There was no fireplace or wood stove for cooking, but rather more of the large shiny boxes that she’d seen in the room where she first met Gideon. She couldn’t stop looking at him, now that she knew who he was, and who his parents were, and all the other revelations that had been shared with her less than an hour ago. So this was what a child of hers and Rumplestiltskin’s would look like. She wondered if Gideon would still look the same if he’d been conceived and born in the Enchanted Forest, where Rumplestiltskin looked so very different. Would the appearance-altering effects of the Dark Curse be passed down to Rumple’s children? He turned from pouring a cup of tea, and caught her staring at him. She blushed and looked away, but he only smiled and placed the cup before her. “Father and I aren’t what you expected, are we?” “Did I expect to wake up this morning from an enchanted sleep that lasted over three decades, and visit a Land Without Magic? Did I expect to meet a different version of Rumplestiltskin who looks completely human? And be told there was another me, as well? No, I didn’t expect that. And I… never could have imagined you. Even if I’d thought about what our children might look like, I never would have pictured you.” “What would your children be like, then?” “Shorter,” she deadpanned, and they shared a smile. “I didn’t mean to be rude, by staring at you.” She picked up her cup, blowing lightly on the tea. “It’s alright, you know. I don’t mind.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “When Father first introduced you, I had to fight with myself not to stare. Seeing you is… the closest I’ve come to seeing my mother in over a decade.” “Do I look exactly like her?” “You’re a bit younger than I ever knew her, but yes.” “Is it hard for you, seeing me?” “A little… but I’m glad to know that you survived. We still have a chance to reunite you with your True Love.” He held her gaze for a moment, before picking up a box and shaking it. “I’ve found some oatmeal. It’s similar to what you would call porridge in your land, so it should be familiar to you. Shall I fix you a bowl?” “Yes, please.” He turned his back to her and poured some of the oatmeal into a pot of boiling water. “Do you really believe that?” “What?” He looked over his shoulder. “That Rumplestiltskin – my Rumple, I mean – and I are True Love?” He turned a dial of some kind and stirred the contents of the pot, before sitting at the table and giving her his undivided attention. “I know that my parents were, and still are, even now. I witnessed it, every day of my childhood. And having witnessed it, I don’t see how any version of Rumplestiltskin and Belle French could ever not share True Love. That sort of devotion and commitment… it transcends realms, and time, and death itself.” “Did it… transcend his Dark Curse?” she asked hesitantly. “We never broke my curse, if that’s what you’re asking,” Rumplestiltskin answered from behind her. She turned in her chair to see him standing in the kitchen doorway, hands in his coat pockets and regarding her seriously. “Did your Belle try True Love’s Kiss, like I did?” “Yes. Your history, and the history of the Belle I married, are the same until Regina cast her curse in our realm. In your realm, the curse was never cast, and that’s when your stories become different. So yes, Belle kissed me in the Dark Castle, and it almost broke my curse, but I stopped it.” “And you threw her out,” she finished. Gideon got up and went to check on the porridge he was making; Rumplestiltskin took his chair. “She had adventures of her own, and when she decided to go back to you, that’s when Regina captured her, and locked her up till the curse.” “Yes.” “If you’d been sitting in the great hall of the Dark Castle one day, spinning straw into gold like any other day, and she’d walked in… would you have given her another chance?” He reached for her hand, and clasped it between both of his. “I’ve lived that moment. It didn’t happen in the Dark Castle, but I turned around and there she was, after I’d spent years thinking she was dead. And I can tell you without hesitation, that it was one of the happiest moments in all my centuries of living.” “Thank you.” Belle smiled through tears threatening to fall, and squeezed his hand before letting go. “Do you want to go back to your realm, and find your Rumplestiltskin?” “Yes. More than anything.” “Then you’re going to need your strength,” Gideon said. He’d been busy as they talked, and now set a bowl of steaming, fragrant porridge in front of her, along with sugar and milk. “Maybe eating will help that headache.” “Oatmeal, Gideon?” Rumplestiltskin asked. “I thought it would be familiar to her,” he defended himself. “Besides, it’s not as if your pantry provides a lot of choices, Father. What exactly do you eat?” “Ahh. Well, I don’t get a lot of company, and I’m usually working. I order a lot of takeout, to be honest.” “As much as I would have loved pizza delivery, because I haven’t had a pizza in years, the Enchanted Forest is short on ATMs. And you didn’t leave any money when you ran out of here.” “Right. My apologies for that… I went to see the person responsible for bringing you here,” he said to Belle. “You did?” she asked, before eating another spoonful of the wonderful porridge. It was different than she was used to, but after months of cold prison food, this tasted amazing. “You know who the woman is?” “Yes. Her name is Gothel, and she has her own agenda which I’m not entirely sure of yet. Apparently, her agenda is served by having me out of the way. She thought by bringing you and Gideon here, that I’d agree to leave town with the pair of you and not come back. Which isn’t going to work, because… and no offense to you, Belle, but… you’re not my wife.” Relieved, she smiled at him. “And you’re not my Rumple. In fact… do you mind if I call you Detective Weaver? Calling you Rumple is a bit confusing for me.” “Weaver is fine,” he answered. “Calling you Belle is a bit odd for me as well, but you don’t have another name, do you? I won’t forget which one you are; my True Love is elsewhere, waiting for me.” “Told you,” Gideon said with a grin, from where he leaned against the wall listening to their conversation. “True Love transcends all. So now, we just need to get you back to your own realm, and reunite you with your Rumplestiltskin.”

[robronsmessycupboard]

Ask Meme-Part 1

20. favourite location?

Is this meant to be a double bluff where I say The Mill, because I think durr have you met me? And then you expect me to pick somewhere other random place like the Cricket Pavilion (petition for Robert to be competitive in his cricket whites and Aaron to bowl him over out), and I double back round to The Mill (can I interest you in some TARDIS blue?), because hello tis T'Mill lads. Where else? Come on now.

Well joke's on you cause my true fave location is actually the messy cupboard. 

Just the fact that have one at all tickles me no end. Because it's just such a domestic, your stuff mixed with mine, place where we live, thing to have. The fact that Aaron mentioned it in the Valentine's Day ep (he found Robert's fancy pasta machine in there), and that Robert knew exactly what cupboard he was talking about confirms that it's a THING. As you know my headcanon is that it's a stingy cupboard in the downstairs bathroom (also confirmed as a thing the day after the Valentine’s ep because Aaron said Robert ducked in there and scarpered through the window when Alex showed up), stuffed full of all the crap they haven't found a place for; pasta makers, butterfly blankets, ugly vases, undealt with emotions et al. You know, the usual.

45. a storyline you wish we’d had or one you wish we’d seen more of?

I will always and forever always wish (and hope it may yet be revisited) we'd had more follow up with Robert's feelings about Jack, specifically how he reacted to Robert liking boys as well. That was a lot of trauma for a fifteen year old to deal with and I think it coloured (and still does in many aspects) Robert's perception of himself for a long, long time. Has he had any kind of counselling since he was finally able to talk about it? Does anyone else but Aaron know? Has he ever confided in Vic or Diane? Would he remember that boy if he met him now? Just a lot of interesting stuff to unpack. I need to know.

46. a storyline idea for next this year?

Well, see above lol. But actually if we're talking about Robron, I know we all keep basically saying it, but I'd like an honest to goodness look at the surrogacy and/or adoption process for LGBTQ couples, and how the challenges they face are different to those of a heterosexual couple.

For Aaron, a closer look at his mental health and the impact Billy being in the village is having on his mindset and behaviour (the wanting to stay home more, not going places where he might be etc.). How do stressful conditions like this impact on his history of self harming? He's acknowledged that he can't help how he's feeling and that maybe he needs to return to counselling. Can we see any of that?

It could take a lot of forms, but basically I'd really love to see a soap show that managing your mental health is an ongoing thing that you have to tend to. That relapses can happen when there are a lot of stressors in your life. That okay for a while, doesn't mean okay always. Because it’s so important to show ongoing mental health storylines and the realities of the ups and downs. Soaps often (if not always) cover the initial depictions of many mental health issues very well, but then often it can get lost in the follow up months and years of a character if they remain in the show. But that needs to change. Because the truth is these things don’t happen in isolation. There’s almost always triggers/stressors and a build up before a crash, or relapse of some sort. Sometimes they're big and sometimes they're small. I'd just love to see a soap showing that it's an ongoing work in progress to be mentally well, particularly after trauma.

Aside from all the Lachlan/Rebecca/Kidnapping/Liv being sent to Young Offenders stuff last year that Aaron has had to process, in the last six months alone Aaron's had a lot to deal with (Grace's death, Seb leaving/being taken from the family home, and Billy showing up reminding him of an intensely stressful period for him, as well as the ups and downs of trying to see if they can afford the surrogacy etc.).

I have also lowkey wondered if Aaron reverting a little to his tendency to ‘react first, ask questions later’ will be actively addressed again, as it speaks to him falling back into an old pattern of behaviour, which is often a hallmark of not struggling/not coping with a stressor. The obvious stressor for Aaron recently is Billy arriving in the village, bringing up unresolved issues and fears he clearly still has around his time in prison, invading his safety and the whole concept of what a safe space is for him. I’m hoping with the show showing this tendency towards a possible form of Agoraphobia that they’ve possibly been building in, along with the discussion where in Aaron’s own words he can’t 'fix his brain’ and the counselling mention that it’ll be something that shows yes, he does need support and a plan to get through all this.

For Robert, aside from what I mentioned above, I'd like to see if there is anything physically health wise they may follow up on, like the fit he had when he overdid it looking for Rebecca. Was there a deeper root to what caused that?  

And like most people I would love to see Robert finally have his own independent, successful business, whatever that may be.

I'd also like to see more Sugdens back in the village. Or at least Sugden adjacent. I'd especially like to know what happened to the surviving Merrick siblings. Robert's half sister Sandie (who also used to live in The Mill incidentally!), moved to Aberdeen and had a daughter called Louise offscreen, who was apparently given up for adoption. Louise is only a couple of years older than Robert. Bring them back maybe and stir things up? Where did Tommy end up? Or like at least give us an Annie cameo, I'll even take just a voice over, I'm dying over here.

Part 2