#i changed ship and I have zero regret

[rocketrouquine]

So I watched the 2 last episodes of Loki (including the finale) and well I have thoughts.

All in all, except for the beginning and the last two episodes, I really thought it was not as good as the first one. (Probably because Majors as Timely was excruciating, I hate when actors are trying stuff like this, it feels forced, it doesn’t work, I wanted to punch him every time he was opening his mouth) BUT …lokius. Yeah let’s talk about it.

It’s crazy to me how in the first season I was all for sylki because I thought their relationship and feelings were really well done and realised (whereas I saw what the mobius shippers saw but thought that it wasn’t really there there) BUT in the second season, I felt absolutely nothing between Loki and Sylvie. There was no more chemistry at all (it was like it never existed in the first place, it was bizarre) and even the actress playing Sylvie played it like a sibling or a good friend kind of fed up, just want to be left alone, not missing him for a second. And Loki pining for her but like a nerd is pining for a cheerleader in a bad teen movie (like boy, you’re not obligated to love her, you know), like you don’t even understand why except for the fact that it was here (emphasis on the was)

NOW Mobius and Loki in the second season ??? BAM 💥 Like sheesh everything : chemistry, banter, touch, exchanged looks,protectiveness, an ease like they are really soulmates. You could feel it all in every single one of their exchanges, it really was like watching a romcom where the protagonist fails to see what is in front of him and I was getting frustrated each time he was going all misty eyes for her, I was like « come on man let her go, we don’t fucking care about her anymore !! » Then, the finale…. The scene with Loki coming to see Don at his place with all the tension of a « is he here for this or ? What should I do? » gay panic, with Loki fucking putting his hair back and taking a breath before going to see him, like WHAT ?! That’s not what a friend does before seeing one other !!! You know what you are doing, so commit for fuck’s sake. But well… then they did (sort of) with the end of the finale. And it gutted me.

The moment with Sylvie and Mobius looking at him through the window… we know you put her there because it would have been impossible to brush it off if it was just Mobius juxtaposed with Loki’s « for you » but we know. I mean the last exchange with Sylvie at Don’s place before Mobius is saying « let time pass » (gu-tted I tell you). You can see that Sylvie is like « whatever » and Mobius is devastated. Also the shot of him in the dialogue was just all Loki’s colors green and yellow (hers was in a normal sunlight, his backlit) That is not an accident, to have these colors you have to plan it the day of the shoot and enhance it in color grading during post. This was a choice.

Anyway, I am not a sylki shipper anymore (and I even question why I ever was, after seeing the second season : I’ll probably cut myself some slack if I do a rewatch of season 1 because it was well executed at the time) and I’m diving in the pits of despair of Lokius. These fuckers.

[eureka-its-zico]

Happy Birthday, Zoro

Synopsis: Zoro wasn't much for birthday's until he met you.

Pairing: Roronoa Zoro x Reader

Genre: fluffy, friends to lovers, (Zoro and Doc)

Words: 2.5K

A/N: I had to write something for the birthday boy before the day is over. It is probably the shortest thing I've written in a hot minute, but I hope it is still enjoyable. Much love, Jenn.

He’d let it slip one night while you’d all been celebrating Nami’s birthday. Of course, she’d asked for fireworks and pretty gifts. She’d also asked to play poker, but that was something you and the rest of the crew weren’t willing to talk about. 

There was no way someone won every single time. 

Cheating aside, the one thing that Zoro could agree on was the booze. You’d both been sent out to pick it up. Who better than the resident alcoholic on the ship to know what a good brand was? 

What you hadn’t expected was for him to basically pull you out of your reading nook in the galley. You could still feel the way his fingers had snaked around to grip the inside of your arm. Two seconds later, he was lifting you up and out of your spot with your book almost fumbling to the floor. 

“Zoro-“

“Come on, Doc, you're coming with me.”

“You could’ve asked!” You huffed. 

You were well aware that Zoro was still holding onto your arm. You were also well aware that he was much closer than usual making it hard for you to remember that you were mad at him. Big mad because you were just getting to the good part in your book. 

“I am asking.”

Gods. He said it like a fact. His face was as smooth as stone and unblinking.

This was your Zoro. Master of having zero tact. 

“Asking is with words, you ass.”

“Yeah, I don’t do that.”

“I’ve noticed.”

And with that, he took it as you conceded to go with him into town. In part, it was probably for the best. Zoro’s people skills were nonexistent and you and Sanji frequently had to apologize for him. 

While the trip to town was enjoyable, what made it the best was the way Zoro changed around you. It wasn’t an astronomical change. He didn’t talk a whole lot more or say fewer things that reminded you he was an asshole (but he was your asshole so…) or be less broody. What he did was smile more. 

They ranged from the small smirks he did when you were talking. Your animated hand movements with every other word as you weave a deep story for him or an excessive explanation on why using chopsticks for hair pins was an ingenious idea. You wondered if Zoro himself even realized he was doing it. But your all-time favorite? 

It was when he smiled brighter than any star in the sky. His entire face lit up and chased back all the broody darkness he usually wore like armor. So, while you were upset to be torn from your book, you knew you would much rather be here in town with him. 

When you arrived at the store Zoro immediately asked for samples. Two of everything. You thought he meant for himself, but felt complete terror widen your eyes when he slid one over to your place beside him at the bar. The only response you got was a raised brow and a smirk he quickly covered with the edge of his glass. 

“What? Can steal a man’s glass from a dinner table but not an offered one?”

“Excuse me. I only did that because I knew you wanted it.”

“Hmmm. So, if I vocally say I don’t want you to drink with me, you’ll drink?”

You took a sniff of the amber liquid poured into the glass and felt your eyebrows curl up in retreat. 

“This smells like regret,” you informed him with your eyes looking over the rim of the glass at his very striking figure. 

This man was insane if he thought you were going to drink with him. You had no control over your mouth once you had one glass too many and you weren’t sure you could take responsibility for whatever your hands may, or may not, do. Especially since he was wearing another one of his gi’s, which suspiciously looked more untucked in the chest area than usual. 

You were going to have to ask Nami if she might have spilled some secrets from a girls' night. 

“There is no such thing as regret. Just a learning experience.”

“Yeah, no. That sounds like regret.”

He let out an annoyed sigh as he kicked back what was left inside the glass. The man didn’t even pull a face. He just casually swallowed it and placed the glass rim down first on the bar. 

“That’s going to be a no.” He hummed to himself before he turned to look at you. “Look, Doc, I just want a second opinion on the booze. It’s for Nami’s special day or whatever.”

He had a point. You didn’t want Zoro picking something that was strong enough to melt the hair off a man’s chest, but you also didn’t want it growing any hair on anyone’s chest, either. 

“Fair point.” 

You took one last look at your glass before grabbing it and slamming back its contents. The regret was instant as it burned its way down your throat and boiled molten in your belly. You couldn’t keep from coughing as you tried to shoot daggers in his direction. 

“You know what you learned there?” Zoro asked.

You were scared to ask but felt yourself coughing, “What?” regardless. 

“You don’t like that one.”

Your hand lightly smacked him in the arm on a whim. You waited for him to turn and give you a death glare from the tap, but you were given a soft smile instead and was that- did Zoro just laugh? 

He was already on his fifth glass and maybe that was why he was being so damn cute. Yeah, that was it. Zoro instantly became a lightweight. 

You knocked back the second one in record time. This time, it didn’t burn as much as the first, but it still didn’t taste much better. 

“I never understood the big deal about birthdays.” Zoro’s voice was deep in thought, his eyes roaming the inside of the empty glass of his sixth drink. “It’s just a day.”

A “Tsk,” pushed past your lips as you leaned over towards him. Your cheek rested on his arm as you looked up at him. It felt like it was taking forever for him to even glance down at you. You were about to poke him in his side to finally make him move when dark eyes fell down on your face.

Gods, you really needed to remember to breathe. 

“It’s not just a day! It’s the day you were born. It’s not just to celebrate but to be grateful that you’re here. I’m grateful you’re here.”

You watched his Adam’s Apple bob in his throat. The way his eyes flashed with something you weren’t used to seeing made a question form on your tongue but before you could ask it, Zoro looked away and back at the table. His hand wrapped around a new glass and quickly emptied its contents. 

“Come on, we still have a lot of booze to get through.”

It wasn’t until the two of you were squeezed into a booth, all of the booze gone, and your head resting on his shoulder, with Zoro’s head resting on yours, that he mentioned it again.

“I don’t think I’ve ever celebrated my birthday before,” he hummed. His fingers were playing with the hem of the pocket on your cargo pants. “But if I did. I want it to be with you.” 

It felt silly that just a few words could make your heart race like it did. It was the booze, you’d reminded yourself. You’d both drunk enough to tranquilize a sea beast. Zoro would never just mumble things like this to you, resting his head on yours like he did. 

That day Zoro didn’t say more than that and you didn’t press him. Not that you could, anyways. You couldn’t even remember the walk back to the Merry. The night of Nami’s birthday, in the middle of the fireworks, you’d both been sitting on the deck. Your eyes cast up to the explosion of color that painted the sky. 

“November.”

“What?”

A finger stroked the neck of the bottle he’d been nursing. His wrist found a comfortable spot on his knee as he leaned back on his palm. It was enough to look natural - enough to not bring attention to the fact this position easily put him shoulder-to-shoulder beside you. 

“My birthday it’s…it’s in November. If you are curious.”

July came and went. August and September. You practically counted each day in each month and hated how it seemed to go so fast, but not fast enough. You’d planned and had every idea of how you were going to give him one of the best birthdays ever.

You’d already bought his favorite whiskey and gave it a cute little bow. You’d even asked Sanji to show you how to make a cake. You practiced tirelessly with Sanji watching you every step of the way. So, you couldn’t understand how or why your cake looked like a deflated balloon. 

“Did you overbeat the flour?”

Sanji was leaning back against the counter. A hand covering his mouth because you knew he was either smiling or frowning or a mixture of both. The towel he’d used to clean up your earlier spill rested over his shoulder. 

“I don’t know,” you groaned into your hands. 

“It’s alright. It’s not the time to panic-“

“It is the perfect time to panic! I don’t have time to try and redo the cake, Sanji.”

The day was almost over. Zoro had spent the majority of it out with Luffy. You’d been waiting for them both to come back and when they did, it was night. You weren’t sure how many hours were left in the day for you to do this, but you knew you didn’t have a lot of time left. 

“Can you hand me a cookie cutter?”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m gonna improvise.”

You used the cookie cutter to find the best part of the cake and cut out a piece. You slammed on maybe too much frosting and quickly went and grabbed your present from your room. It might have been a good idea to change since you were practically wearing most of the cake ingredients on your clothes. 

It was too late to change anything. You were already in front of his door and with the tip of your boot knocked as gently as you could. You could hear the slightest sounds of Zoro moving around inside—a groan and what sounded like a few choice words grumbled right after. 

You weren’t ready for what greeted you. 

Zoro swung open the door and all your brain functions ceased. He was shirtless. The scars Mihawk had given him were fully on display along with every ridiculous muscle definition known to man. His hair was haphazard from sleep, eyes still struggling to focus, with pants hung low at his hips. You weren’t sure if you should be thankful or happy. One thing was for sure. You almost dropped your cake. 

“Oh, hey Doc. What’s up?”

Fuck. Was his voice always so unnecessarily rich like this when he woke up? You weren’t sure why, but you panicked and practically shoved the items towards his face. 

“Surprise!”

He looked from your would-be birthday cake and the bottle of whiskey with a bow and back to you. 

“What is this for?”

“Your birthday, silly.”

That seemed to wake him up and not in a good way. He quickly reached out and pulled you inside. He shut the door behind you and if it weren’t for the bit of moonlight that showed through his window, you both would’ve been consumed by darkness. 

Zoro moved forward and you remembered you were in a dimly lit room with him. With a tight smile on your face, you lifted the cake and repeated, “Surprise!”

“You said that already.”

“True but this time it didn’t result in you pulling me anywhere. I brought matches too so you could blow out the candle on your cake.”

Zoro took one look at your cake and all that grumpy energy he held from being woken up disappeared. It was replaced with a soft grin as he looked from the cake to you. 

“Why is it in the shape of a Christmas tree?”

“Let's not focus on the details. Oh, and this is for you too!”

Yes, you were nervous. Yes, this was the first time you’d been inside his room like this, but everything was fine. It was fine. So, there wasn’t any real reason why you almost slammed the bottle into his chest. Zoro didn’t seem to mind the small impact as his eyes landed on the label. 

“It’s my favorite one.”

“I know. It took me a while to find it. Come on. Come sit.” 

You moved to sit on the edge of his bed. Your fingers went to dig the matchbox out of your pocket, and as soon as you got it out, strike one to light up the candle. You carefully lifted the plate back up in your hands as Zoro sat down beside you. The soft glow of the candle made all the hardness of his jaw and cheeks appear softer and the plushness of his lips more inviting. Everything about Zoro appeared different in the soft illumination of the candle and you wished you could draw it to memory. 

A smile that was big and genuine lifted the corners of your mouth. Your hands held up the plate at the best angle between you as you softly said, “Happy Birthday, Zoro. Make a wish.”

Zoro tried to shake away the smirk that started to form before he leaned forward and blew out his candle. You turned to place the plate on the barrel beside the bed. 

“Are you going to ask me what I wished for?”

You froze in place. Your heart suddenly beat wildly against your chest as you struggled to swallow past your racing pulse. You hoped when you turned back around to face him you didn’t look terrified. 

“It’s usually bad luck to ask,” you replied.

“Ask.”

“What did you wish for, Zoro?”

“You.”

You weren’t prepared for Zoro to close the last few inches between you. For his hand to weave his fingers into your hair while his other gripped your waist. Those last few moments of sanity you had before he pressed his lips against yours evaporated the minute he touched you. 

Maybe you’d been his true present all along. 

-----------

As always, thank you for reading. Comments, reblogs, and likes are always appreciated.

__________

[lincolndjarin]

this is a request!! i would loveeee to see desperate din and him begging. he’s always in the suit and never really around people so it would make so much sense for him to be touch starved and needy. like he meets reader for the first time and all his needs and feelings he ignored for years come to the front and he’s just down bad 😩

a/n : sorry this took forever to get around!! i haven't written drabbles before so i hope this is okay <3 thank you for the request !! (i read online that some people get annoyed when drabbles are over 100 words if that is true feel free to tell me to knock it off LMAO cause some people say its just a short fic so idk i'm lost and know nothing.)

anyways, i changed a little bit of your request to keep it short, hope that's okay!!

pairing : din djarin x afab!reader

word count : 0.6k

warning : 18+ mdni, smut, no plot this is just porn, sorta sub!din, begging, din's lowkey a boob man in this, nipple stuff idk the proper tag here sorry, praise, premature ejaculation lowkey (din gets a little over excited), handjobs

It was surprisingly easy to convince him to take the armor off. Almost like he was waiting for you to ask, from there he was putty in your hands, crawling into the sleeping cubby, panting before you've even touched him.

It's too dark to see him but you can feel how different this is from the quickies in the cockpit or the stress induced sex against the side of the ship from a mission gone wrong. His kisses are hot and feverish against you skin as he latches onto your nipple with a whimper. You've never felt his mouth on your flesh and suddenly it's your greatest regret. Denying yourself such a thing. Attentive is an understatement, his tongue lapping at the meat of your chest, wanting feel the weight of it in his mouth.

"Maker, Mando, slow down..." You laugh breathlessly, nothing could have prepared you for the whimper against your breast. You feel the line of spit as he pulls away briefly.

"Please?" His voice has never sounded like this, an unfamiliar breathy whine is stifled as his lips wrap themselves back around your nipple, lewd wet sounds filling the tiny space. His cock rests fully erect between your thighs, the warmth coming off of him is suffocating as he groans against your breasts, burying his head between them.

You feel the vibration on his lips as he moans against you.

"M-More, more, please." He drags his mouth from your chest to your throat, settling there now, it's like he's trying to find your pulse with his tongue.

After that it's like the words are being pulled out of you, you aren't sure where they come from, you've never talked like this before.

"More what, sweet boy?"

His hips snap forward seeming involuntarily, you can feel him starting to grind against your thigh, desperate for whatever he can get.

"More you." He mumbles, high pitched and demanding.

You let your hands touch everything.

The parts of him no ones seen, let alone touched, in decades.

It's like every single inch of his skin is sensitive. You scrape your nails down his back and sound you draw from him is downright pornographic.

He gives up on any attempt to keep his mouth on you, he's too busy writhing and begging when your hands travel southing, running your fingers through the dark thatch of curls that starts on the bottom of his stomach.

"Touch me- please touch me. I'll be good, I promise to be good just touch me." He's positively breathless by the time you wrap your hand around his stiff and aching cock.

You watched him kill three people today, with zero hesitation. The most ruthless killer you've ever known. And right now he's humping your leg and biting your shoulder to muffle the obscene sounds he's making.

You let one hand travel back up, pinching his nipples, trying to draw more of those delicious noises from him.

With that he's trembling. There's no more words as you start to stroke his length, alternating between his nipples with pinches and soothing rubs of your thumb over the pebbled buds.

You don't even have to move your other hand, you simply hold it still as he fucks it, his head resting beside yours, the only sounds you can hear are his gasps for air and soft airy moans.

It takes a minute at most.

It's the fastest he's ever finished with you.

Normally he finishes with a low groan but now the only sound filling the cubby is a drawn out, shaky whine.

You feel his release against your palm. Hot and sticky as he rides it out, rutting against you until he's finally satisfied, murmuring a slurred "Thank you, thank you, thank you." against your skin.

You turn your head to press a kiss into his temple.

"Good boy."

[whoreish-behaviour]

Revenant 11

Pt1 Pt2 Pt3 Pt4 Pt5 Pt6 Pt7 Pt8 Pt9 Pt10

Na'vi!Colonel Quaritch x Na'vi!Reader

Warnings >~< = none

You continuously paced the floor, your tail whipping behind you in nerves and your entire body rigid.

Something was wrong..

You didn't know how long Miles had been gone for, your body clock having been completely screwed since stepping foot on this ship.

Your head spun and you felt as if you could be sick.

You hated him.

You hated that your mind was reeling at where he could be, if he was safe. You hated him for making you care.

Unable to take the feeling of uselessness any longer, you treaded over to the bolted door.

Lifting your first, you slammed it against the door.

The surface vibrated under you, your hands continuing on and on until eventually you slowed to a stop.

No one was coming. Not even him.

You stifled the feeling of abandonment down, looking over your shoulder and at the window.

The ocean did little to calm you down, like it usually did. The realisation only further pushing you further down in your pool of worry.

This was the first time he had left you for so long in the many days you had been here.

You breathed out a shaking breath and sighed deeply.

However, you almost jumped out your skin as the door flew open, a body immediately coming through and into your space.

You immediately stepped back and hissed as a unfamiliar scent invaded your nose.

You zeroed in the tall figure standing over you, their head tilted down at you.

You squinted as the light bounced off their blue sunglasses, reflecting straight at you, eyes taking in the familiarity.

You relaxed once again when you recognised him, his green eyes furrowed but not surprised at your reaction.

'Let's go,' he moved his shoulder, allowing you passage.

You didn't budge.

'Move it.' His voice was more demanding this time and your ears barely flicked at the change in his tone.

Watching silently, you saw him lift his hand before running it down his face in frustration.

'You want to go home or not?'

You visibly perked up, ears raised to a point as you took in his words. Home?

He question had threw you for a loop, this whole time you didn't have a choice - you could use the excuse of loneliness for your actions with Miles.

Although you knew better..

But now?

Now there was no reason for you to be here, you were being given an out and no excuse to not take it.

No one would be here to force you to stay, so why did you want to so badly?

'Five seconds or I'm walking.' You snapped your eyes back to the man in front of you, his hand now back at his side.

He looked as perplexed as you probably did, his lips downturned into an almost soft snare, one ear up.

Knowing you'd never have the words, you nodded grimly - ears flattening as you crossed your arms over your chest.

'That's what I thought.' You looked down as he spoke, your regret already building in your stomach - tail stiff behind you.

A snapping of plastic made you look back up, eyebrows furrowed as you watched him step closer to you.

'I didn't say you won't be restrained, your always pulling stupid shit, come on.' He reasoned.

You didn't have it in you to fight, unwrapping your arms and holding out your wrists.

This would be a first.

Once you were secured, you felt a hand on your shoulder gently guiding you out the door and down the hallway, the sliding door audible.

You lip almost trembled as Miles and your's scent slowly dispersed to nothing, your feet instinctively slowing down, nose twitching to seek more.

You stumbled as you were shoved to pick up your pace, scowling over your shoulder.

This was what was supposed to happen.

You knew this would come one way or another.

So why was it so hard?

'This way, I'm flying you back.' You felt the hand on your shoulder push you left, your body obediently following - your fighting spirit no where to be seen.

The floor below you looked endless, you head bowed as your emotions fought in your chest.

However, you immediately planted you feet on the floor as soon as you heard it, mouth going agape as your ears twitched up.

In the distance you could hear Miles shouting, every cell in your body drumming to life at the mere sound of him.

This time the hand on your back couldn't move you even an inch, your feet unmoving.

Looking left, you saw steps going up to what seemed like some sort of landing - your body moving on instinct.

'Hey!' You felt the hand that was previously on your back move to grasp you forearm from behind.

You immediately shrugged him off, casting him a glare over your shoulder before taking off - Miles voice growing louder and louder.

You couldn't help the utter relief filling the pit in your stomach, that same feeling of safety taking over and he wasn't even in your eye sight yet.

Hurried footsteps could be heard behind you and you only pushed harder.

You felt a smile peeking as you came onto the landing, the various uniforms soldiers around you throwing you off slightly but not hindering you.

That was until you came closer to where they stood, their guns aimed at one thing only.

You steps slowed, your body freezing as you took in the sight before you.

A large net was hung just above the ship landing, holding what looked like a omatikayan child and one of your own.

Her bright blue skin contrasting against the younger child.

You breath left you as a third person was revealed, his arms tensing as he held onto the net - hissing to his captives below.

What was going on?..

Looking down, your eyes landed on Miles.

He was stood tall, arms crossed as he surveyed his catch, lips set into a disgusted scowl as the kids were dropped before him.

He wasn't phased at their panic and fight, instead only smirking down - tail swaying behind him as he spoke down to them.

At his normal tone, you weren't able to hear what he was saying - you almost didn't want to because as soon as he was finished, his crew were grabbing his captives.

You flinched at the little girls screams, your legs beginning to feel weak.

Because this was probably the biggest slap in the face, a hard reality check of the man you thought you knew.

The very same man that was now threatening what you knew to be three innocent lives, of children no less.

You didn't feel the hands on your arms once again, only their attempt to drag you away pulling you out of your head.

'Stop! Let go!' You angrily snarled, baring your teeth before completely spinning around.

Clearly blue sunglasses wasn't expecting your quick turn, his body unable to suspect you incoming hit.

You shoved your tied hands hard into his chest, his choked breath leaving him as you watched him stumble back.

Not giving him a second to fix his footing, you spun back around - your footsteps determined as you shoved you way through numerous smaller soldiers.

You walked all the way until you where behind him, you body stiff as stone.

You voice quivered as you called out to him, his ears perking up.

You watched at Miles looked over at you briefly, his brain probably not registering what he was seeing as he quickly double took his stare.

Your bottom lip shook as he turned and stared at you, his face showing nothing but pure surprise.

'What is this.?' You were quiet, eyes flicking over to the children who were now tied up - their cries unwavering.

You clenched your fists as his lack of response.

'Miles?!' You prodded, feeling your vision going blurry as your emotions took over, no physical pain mounting up to the piercing in your chest.

Everyone had gone silent, no one having two words to speak.

Miles felt has it his tongue weighed too much to move, no words being able to leave his lips.

What was he supposed to say?

The raw emotion on your face shook him to his core, the only immediate response coming to his head was that you needed to be taken into his arms.

Soothed until you were curled up into his side once again, your body completely relaxed and moulded to his.

However he knew he couldn't as the hundreds of eyes on him made him freeze.

Watching and guessing his next move.

He was their Colonel. Their leader. But you, you were only temporary.

He knew the only solution to ease the pain you were feeling was if another emotion to take over and completely block out your hurt, cloud your vision until you weren't able to think of anything but your hate for him.

Swallowing thickly, he looked left - eyes on the wall, unable to look at you as the words left his lips.

'Tie her up.'

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[naavispider]

What if Spider got alcohol poisoning? In a scenario Spider had one too many drinks, he feels nauseous and ends up vomiting all over his na'vi outfit. (Takes place inside the RDA ship) Quaritch getting paranoid and immediately scooping up his boy and changing him into a pair of human clothes. Spider is too drunk to walk, communicate or comprehend anything. MAKE THIS INTO A FLUFF! FLUFFY FLUFF!

(I recently got alcohol poising and it wasn't fun. Uncontrollable vomiting and ish!!! Immediately regretted, cried and prayed to God lmao)

Oh boy!

Spider slurred his words so much that even he wasn't sure what he'd just tried to say. He was on all fours, crawling towards the toilet. This sucked. His head was spinning, bile burned his throat, and panic clawed its way around his insides.

Quaritch watched on from the doorway, his expression pinched. He had no idea how this had even happened - Spider got drunk one evening yes, but he'd thought that was the end of it. He didn't think Spider would try again. The kid had snuck off and procured who knew how much alcohol from who knew where - he was tenacious.

He was paying for it now. Quaritch winced as Spider retched over the toilet, and the sounds of splashing filled the room. Great, the kid had missed. Sick was all down his chest, dripping onto his belt and loincloth. Jesus. He waited until the kid stopped heaving, then crossed the bathroom to pick Spider up - carefully avoiding getting himself covered in sick too. "It's okay, kid," he sighed, rubbing Spider's back.

Spider groaned in his arms. "Whass' rong w'me?" he slurred, bringing a clammy hand up to his forehead.

Quaritch rolled his eyes as he carried his son to one of the spare bunk rooms on the ship. He pressed the button on his communicator to tell Lyle to bring them a spare pair of clothes from Quaritch's pack.

"S'not funny..." Spider groaned again, and Quaritch felt the boy convulse in another retch. He quickly adjusted his hold on him so that Spider could vomit over the side if he needed. However, nothing more came up.

"I'm not laughing, kid."

Spider looked terrible. He'd obviously overdone it big time. If Quaritch had to guess, he'd say a simple case of alcohol poisoning. He'd have to sit with Spider till morning - there was no way he could risk falling asleep outside with his mask on, and even inside the ship the kid was in imminent danger of choking on his own vomit.

Spider whimpered in his arms, and Quaritch noticed the feel of the kid's skin had turned cold and sweaty. "Shh, it's okay," he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of Spider's head, knowing the kid would have zero memory of this in the morning. A whine escaped Spider's mouth.

They got to the room, and Quaritch laid Spider down gently on one of the lower bunks. A moment later, Wainfleet arrived with a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt for Spider. Quaritch muttered his thanks, and Wainfleet disappeared without lingering. Quaritch knew Lyle would have stayed, if he had asked him, but also recognised that Lyle was letting him have this moment privately with his incapacitated son. He didn't need witnesses.

Quaritch picked up a hand towel from the bathroom attached to the room, and wet it under the sink. "I'm just wiping away your sick," he told Spider, even though the kid was totally beyond understanding. He pressed the cloth over Spider's mouth, neck and chest, removing the worst of it. Spider's eyes occasionally fluttered open, but for the most part he was passed out.

Quaritch unfolded the shirt Lyle had brought - dark navy and at least 3 sizes too big for Spider, with a Spiderman image on the front. He had to hand it to Janine. The woman had some genius ideas.

He gently pulled it over Spider's head and pulled his weak arms through the holes. Now he turned his attention to the sweatpants. Hm. He didn't want to invade Spider's privacy, but his Na'vi attire was also wet with sick. He methodically worked Spider's legs into the pants and only untied the loincloth once he was fully covered. Jesus. Quaritch deserved dad of the year award.

He grabbed a cup from the shelf above the sink and filled it with tap water. "Son, can you drink this?" he pressed the cup against Spider's lips. Spider's eyes opened minutely. His pupils found Quaritch, and his mouth pulled into the tiniest smile. Quaritch seized the opportunity and tipped a few drops of water onto Spider's tongue. "Swallow that down..." he encouraged, one hand on the back of Spider's head. "There you go..."

"Dn't... leave..." the boy slurred, unexpectedly appearing to come out of his haze for a moment.

Quaritch stared at his son.

Shock rippled through him at Spider's plea. It was obviously the alcohol talking. But the fact remained - Spider in this vulnerable state felt safe with Quaritch.

Safe.

Could Spider know that Quaritch would stay with him as long as he needed? Could he know that he'd already accepted having to spend the night in this tiny human sized room just to watch over him?

How could Quaritch plan on leaving him? His job was to protect. "Never." He said slowly, fixed on Spider's now closed eyes. He rolled the kid onto his side, pulled a blanket over his shoulders and ran his hand down Spider's arm, leaning over him and whispering, "I'm here..."

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

Favorite Riordanverse Ships

Here's my previous ship tier ranking, but I have come to the conclusion that I need to REORGANIZE

and this time, we'll be working backwards😉

(if i've incorrectly credited the wrong person for the fanart, kindly let me know! I think I got most of them (four for sure I know I do!) but for the others, please let me know!)

Let's begin!

5 - Piper X Shel (Shelper)

art by @piqersgf

SAPPHIC GIRLS

I'm happy Piper's happy <3 also i need to know more about Shel. I NEED MORE!

4 - Hazel X Frank (Frazel)

art by @nisaeiam

theeeemss <3 hail the praetors

3 - Percy X Annabeth (Percabeth)

art by @arishatistic

hot take🔥😎🔥i just angered half the PJO fandom

I love them. I really do. I shipped them like crazy ever since I read the lighting thief in sixth grade. They've been through so much <3

But that's the thing. The fandom has kinda wrung them out for me. They've had their run. They've had their time.

It's time for these two to just get what they want - an opportunity to relax, and live normal lives <3

FOR GODS' SAKE LEAVE THEM BE LET THEM RETIRE ALREADY THEY'VE DONE ENOUGH FOR THIS WORLD

also, BI PERCABETH

2 - Magnus X Alex (FierroChase)

art by @annydraws

Magnus is pan I take no criticism. When I first read MCatGoA, I was like "why do I keep getting pan vibes from Magnus?" so yeah. PAN MAGNUS

AND ALEX!!!! BELOVED!!!! MY THIRD FAVORITE CHARACTER!!!! KEEP SLAYING KEEP SLAYING

1 - Apollo x Commodus (Copollo)

art by @newobsessioneveryweek

art by @literallyjusttoa

(I previously had art by @/callmesamuelxxx but I saw on their blog they wanted permission for repost so I went "Oops!" and switched real quick :3 Mistakes happen!)

anyway.

if you even LOOK at my tumblr presence, you should have seen this coming hehehe

it's a tragedy. it's toxic. it's about the narratives. they can make each other SO MUCH WORSE. commodus can't let the betrayal go. apollo couldn't bare to let anybody else kill him. commodus is fueled by his bitter vengeance. apollo knows where to strike to make it hurt. commodus still loves apollo (even if it's twisted by hate). apollo still loves commodus (even if it's twisted by guilt).

the last thing commodus hears is apollo's scream - a scream that stems from heartbreak, shoving proof of apollo's love for him in his face.

they are so fascinating I need more

so yeah. my ship list has RADICALLY changed I know haha but I have no regrets 😎

Copollo is the best, most well-written relationship in the entire Riordanverse. I take zero (0) criticism. an entire love story in just two flashbacks, and three interactions. the EMOTION. the FEELINGS. it's ALL THERE AND IT'S SO WELL-CRAFTED.

PEOPLE SLEEP ON TOA, AND THEY SLEEP ON THIS SHIP

Your Friendly Local Copollo Shipper, signing off :)

[chocomd]

ATLA Live Action Final Thoughts

So I'll start by saying that I went into this show with zero expectations (including the expectation for it to be any good at all) and focused more on questions like: How is the acting? Does the writing make sense? Is the story decent? Do we have emotional scenes?

I didn't care about sticking to the og ATLA's ships, lore, or any of the details really. Even changes to the characters were fine with me. But the most important question of all is: Does it work?

The answer:

No.

There are lots of well thought out NATLA critical reviews out there, so I'll try to keep this short. NATLA tweaked a lot of things, tried take elements of the og and make them subversive, changed the themes, completely nerfed Katara, watered down almost everyone else...and I could go on and on. But essentially, NATLA was a "remix" that stayed too close to the original in that the changes they made felt like empty imitations and clumsy efforts to improve on the og. They really should have created a completely different story while keeping maybe a handful of elements of the og. And even if they changed core traits of the characters, that would be fine. It just has to work...and it didn't.

So some main points:

The acting was terrible to ok for the most part. Overall stiff and stilted with almost nonexistent chemistry. Sokka, Jet, Ozai, and June (😍) were the standout actors. Katara had one facial expression and one tone of voice 95% of the time.

Ships I actually enjoyed: Sukka, turnip Jetara, sokka x hahn (hakka? sahn?) and ZUKAANG

The writing often contradicted itself and there was very little emotional resonance or depth. So many lines and moments felt unearned, or simply didn't make sense.

Telling. SO MUCH TELLING. The constant exposition killed so much in this show. I groaned almost every time an actor opened their mouth.

Katara. Why was she in this story again?

The only time the show felt fresh and interesting was the spirit world segment with visions and flashbacks in episode 5...the one time they took ideas from og ATLA and truly remixed them and it was actually decent to good.

The Blue Spirit episode (ep 6) was amazing (relatively speaking lol), and I think it's because Bryke co-wrote this episode AND it was pretty faithful to the og AND the Pohuai Stronghold fight was incredible AND the Zukaang was even more deliciously Zukaang.

The overall plot did not feel cohesive and felt like a disjointed imitation of og ATLA.

Even if I wasn't familiar with the og, I would not have enjoyed this show because it's not good or interesting TV. One person I was watching with (who didn't see the og) left the room because "this is so bad" and "the acting is really stilted."

In the end, I'm not surprised by any of this. Animated stories usually suffer when they're translated into live action, because animation typically has much more emotional and dramatic range. And while og ATLA isn't perfect, it very nearly is because even its imperfections still manage to work in the bigger scheme of the story. Adaptations of og ATLA are pretty much doomed to fail, unless they completely rewrite the ATLA story (and I do mean completely).

Do I regret watching NATLA? That's a hard question to answer. There's no way I was watching this on my own, so I got to enjoy the unhinged company of my friends. If nothing else, watching NATLA made me want more og ATLA and sucked me back into ATLA fandom again.

[goldheartedsky]

tagged by my beloved @ongreenergrasses for this writer's ask so here we go!!

1) how many works do you have on AO3?

Right now, 192, though some of them are art. So if we're talking strictly *fics*, then I think around 180?

2) What’s your total AO3 word count?

a whopping 1,012,726!!!! 😵‍💫

3) What fandoms do you write for?

Right now it's almost entirely TOG, but I have written for Captain America, Agent Carter, Wolf, Close Enemies, and there are a few orphaned hockey RPF fics written by me floating around Ao3 🫣

4) What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Carry the Field, When All The Boys Can’t Be Men, Fireproof, Lines in the Sand, and Tripping On Stars which, honestly I kind of expected, though it does bum me out that none of my AndyBooker fics made it into the top 5

5) Do you respond to comments?

almost always unless it's like... real weird or an emoji that I don't know how to respond to hahah

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

I might have to go with Beginning to Feel the Years, solely because it's so open ended with the angst. I really love angst with a happy ending because I love a little ray of hope through the clouds, but the morning after this fic is just going to be so hard, no matter what.

7) What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I really gotta hand it to North Star for the softest ending in the world. I said fuck the haters and gave Andy a husband, 2 kids, and a picket fence with zero regrets

8) Do you get hate on fics?

not usually, people tend to save that for Tumblr, but I did get a little whining on Change Your Ticket when I started redeeming Francesca the way she deserved.

9) Do you write smut?

the fact that this is even a question and not an automatic yes is so funny. Of course I write smut. Raunchy smut, romantic smut, angsty smut, you name it, I've written it.

10) Do you write crossovers? If so, what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Other than old Bandom crossover fics, I don't think so! I think the only thing that might count as a crossover fic is the MajidxManuel Wolf/Close Enemies fics

11) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

NO thank god 🥲

12) have you ever had a fic translated?

I have not, but I've gotten a few podfics done by @cookiemom6067

13) have you ever cowritten a fic before?

no, but I'd honestly love to cowrite one!

14) What’s your all time favorite ship?

As much as I want to say it's AndyBooker, I really gotta give it up to Steve/Bucky. They were the blueprint for a lot of my shipping patterns now.

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

Everything gets finished eventually, though it might take me a bit right now

16) What are your writing strengths?

Other than my smut writing skills, I think either dialogue or handling a lot of tough topics with nuance. People in fandom right now love their black and white subjects and I am all about that grey matter.

17) what are your writing weaknesses?

action sequences, without a doubt.

18) thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I tend to either keep it to small little pieces of dialogue in latinized form (especially with stuff like Arabic/Yiddish) but with Prodigal Son, I really wanted the language to be a little symbolic of how othered Ilan feels. Because most people can't read Hebrew, keeping it in its original form felt the most isolating. If you're not Jewish and know Hebrew, you won't know what Ilan's saying unless you *try* to translate it, which is more than what he gets in the fic.

So I think it can be an interesting plot device, depending on how you use it.

19) First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter but I was like...12 and that fandom got abandoned quick ahahah

20) Favorite fic you’ve written?

FAVORITE? Oof I usually say the Cherry Wine fics or North Star, but I'm gonna broaden my answer this time and offer a couple little one shots. I REALLY love Color Him Father just because I love the idea of transmasc!Booker, and then the one I love that doesn't get enough love is From Adam’s Rib, my golem!Winter Soldier fic

tagging @druckkugelschreiber @quinbi @captain-grammar and @shatterthefragments, as well as anyone else who wants to do this!

[starqueensthings]

So I’ve been really struggling with the unexpected events of the season two finale, and I know a lot of us have been. We’ve all been grieving in different ways, but I wanted to share one of the coping mechanisms I used to help me get through the first couple days. I wrote these snippets from the perspective of Wrecker, Hunter, and Echo, as a sort of prayer or message to Tech. All three are based on the concept of heaven, or a peaceful afterlife, so if that’s not your thing, please carry on. And while I’m not overly religious, the concept of peace after death is something I find cathartic. Please enjoy, and hopefully this helps you like it has been helping me.

TW: implied death of a brother, angst, regret, self-blame, deep love for a brother.

Tech, if you can hear me

Part One: Wrecker

Part Two: Hunter (Regret)

“Tech, if you can hear me…

How did we get here? How did it come to this point? How are we down to only three?

We lost Crosshair first, and I really struggled with it in the beginning… I couldn’t believe he had chosen the Imperial path over us, inhibitor chip or not. But he made a decision, and I had to learn to respect it. At least, that’s what you told me. You made it make sense. You and he always did seem to understand each other on a deeper level.

Now, I’ve lost you too… and I still can’t wrap my head around it. None of us can. Everything around me tells me that you’re still with us. I can still smell the smoke from your soldering pen lingering in the air on the ship. I can still sense you in the pilots chair. I can almost hear you trying to explain the logic of Cid’s actions to Echo (who’s angrier than I’ve ever seen). But the reality is… all of it is a trick of the senses. You’re not here. We did lose you, and in the worst way.

I made a promise to myself that none of us would ever have to utter the words “plan-99”. That I would make sure, as our leader, that we would never be in a position where we’d need to use those words, or make that heavy of a decision. But so much changed too quickly. I was so busy trying to find a happier life for Omega, and trying to keep us off the radar of anyone that could hurt us, that I didn’t see my grip on our squad starting to slip. Imagine that, a guy with enhanced senses, so blind to everything around him.

A big part of me wants to apologize for letting you down… and the same part of me wonders if maybe I’m not fit to be a leader outside of war. It’s such uncharted territory. Our combat tactics aren’t effective anymore… our success rate seems like something so far in the past. These days, there’s so much that I don’t understand. How am I going to navigate it without you at my shoulder?

‘Times change, targets change.’ That’s what Guerrera said to us on Onderon, do you remember? Damn, was he right. I didn’t see it then. But I see it now. And when we saw him on Eriadu, he graced us with another dose of radical realism. ‘Sacrifices have to be made for the greater good.’

I’ve wondered every minute if it was his words that planted the seed in your head. You always did pick up on little anecdotes that the rest of us missed.

In fact, there’s a lot you contributed to this unit that went unnoticed, and it eats me alive now more than ever. I would trade my vibroblade… hell, even my bandana for one of your info dumps right now. Two minutes about anything. Please. Your silence is louder than anything.

This squad isn’t the same without you. Life isn’t the same without you. But if you can hear me, take this as a promise. We will be reunited, in this life or the next. We’re going to get Omega, we’re going to get Crosshair, and I will make sure, if it’s the last thing I do as the leader of this squad, that your sacrifice will not be for nothing. We will find peace, and we will see each other again, brother.

Hunter.”

.

*I would just like to clarify that, as a viewer, I place zero blame on Hunter for the events that unfolded. I harvest no ill feelings towards him, but I feel like he would innately want to shoulder the weight of the blame so that’s how I wrote this.

[anonwyvern]

3, 11, 17, 18, 19 for Cross (and Evelyn if you’re feeling froggy lol) from this ask list 👀👀

Ooooh! My main idiots! Yessssssss I shall answer for both 🐸

3. How did you choose their name?

Evelyn: I was (and am) obsessed with the movie The Mummy (1999) and loved Rachel Weisz’s character and wanted to be her so bad when I was a kid that I wanted my name to be changed to Evelyn 🤣

Cross: oh man, quick backstory time. I had an OC for a fantasy story I was writing when I was a teen and had the main anti-hero name be Krahs. Dunno where it came from, I think I shortened it from a longer variation. Eventually scrapped the story but kept the name around for a Charon/FLW fic I wrote (all 122k of it that I never posted oooof) and there was a random ghoul OC I had that carried the namesake of Krahs (pronounced Cross). The spelling of the name itself didn’t really fit his character, and as I was working his personality I was also playing the reboot of Tomb Raider at the time. I came up with this idea I really liked how Croft sounded, so very one-syllable, but didn’t necessarily want it as his name, and then BAM- Cross came to be. I personally love and think it suits him very well…but he does actually have a ‘real name’ that won’t be revealed till the finale of my Fallout series.

11. Did you know what the OC’s sexuality would be at the time of their creation?

For both of them, yes. Cross was always a womanizer, and Evelyn was an OC ship I had with Charon. They both actually weren’t supposed to be a pairing together originally, but their chemistry worked so well they’re now my main pairing.

17. Is there some element you regret adding to your OC or their story?

Evelyn: Being a twin. It sort of made for a weak plot point in the beginning, but I’ve tweaked things and made it work much better now.

Cross: Being a good painter. I scrapped this entirely, since it didn’t really make much sense for his character and felt way too random.

18. What is the most recent thing you’ve discovered about your OC?

Evelyn: Hmm. I can’t say anything, really. I’ve had her fleshed out for some years now, and while I’m definitely getting to explore her more ‘youthful’ nature in my Charon/FLW fic, they’re elements I’ve had for a while.

Cross: He used to play baseball Pre-War. Nothing professional, but he was on the high school team and absolutely dominated the field when playing with the town’s amateur league on Saturdays. Definitely felt like a better fit for him. Plus I have the urge to paint him in a snuggly fitting baseball uniform 😈

19. What is your favorite fact about your OC?

Evelyn: She’s a freaking superhuman (in MoTC at least). Love the trope of scarily strong unsuspecting women that can kick total ass and bring entire buildings down. Felt very Mary-Sue at first, but then I gave zero fucks and now I unabashedly love it.

Cross: Ooh, I’m gonna be lame and cringe af and say I don’t have one as I love his character as a whole. I’ve put a lot of time and writing into fleshing him out for the past few years, and he’s come a looooong way from being a minor character (and getting killed off very quickly) to being my main goon that carries the entire series on his shoulders. He’s a charismatic, badass, bounty hunting ghoul merc with a foul mouth and questionable moral compass (and a total lovey sap for his wife) and I’m looking forward to completing his story and then rewriting him in new ones.

[navree]

Why WHY is ao3 plagued with Aemond/Lucerys fanfics? Most of them are set after he loses his eye wth. (also, the lack of pro team Green fanfics 💀 I wanna cry)

I can, like, maybe intellectually understand the appeal of Lucemond, they can idk bond over being second sons and also there's some good tension to explore if you're good at it but honestly a) the fics I've seen aren't very good at it and b) that's kinda it.

A lot of them are predicated on Aemond somehow moving on from the fact that he was attacked for no reason and that Luke escalated by attempting to kill him (cuz that's what swinging a knife in someone's face is, even if you're, like, eight you should know that) and then not doing anything about it. Not apologizing, not telling his mom to back off when she wanted Aemond tortured, not trying any attempt to make amends or atone or anything like that. And that's not something Aemond is getting over, it's a huge injustice done to him and he's constantly angry about it (no seriously, the way he goes from zero to a hundred with "give me your eye or I will take it bastard!" makes it clear he's repressing a lot of rage and sometimes it clearly explodes outward and it takes effort to restrain it, based on Ewan's face when Baratheon stops him).

I see a lot of these fics also be predicated on Luke feeling bad about what happened and......he doesn't. He doesn't seem to have ever felt any guilt or remorse for what he did to Aemond, and that doesn't seem like it would ever change even if he had lived. It feels fundamentally irreconcilable, that an attacker and that attacker's victim would be able to look past something the victim is still hurt by and that the attacker feels no regret over. Like, ship and let ship, if that's your cup of tea go for it, but I think it exists because Ewan's hot and people want him in an mlm pairing but aren't bold enough to do anything beyond mealy mouthed "Aemond gets over what happened and he and Luke fall in love and also maybe Aemond "mommy's little war criminal" Targaryen switches side against his mother".

(Like, idk do something with the fact that Aemond and Daemon had moments of looking vaguely into each other in ep 8 and blah blah self recognition through the other, or go full Targaryen and dive into the goldmine of complexity that is the relationship between Aemond and Aegon).

The lack of pro-Greens fics is so frustrating, I need more from them as a family unit, all those varied emotions and that ultimate and overarching love for each other that never fades, especially as the Dance progresses.

[artekai]

I pretty much never share my playlists, so this is pretty new to me, but I've been itching to show off my pride and joy for a while now, so I thought the Horizon Base Jams would be the perfect chance!

My ship playlist for Day 1 centers around Tilda/Elisabet and Tilda/Aloy. That might be cheating a little, but I'm sure that, for Tilda, the latter is a bit of a continuation of the former, haha ^^ You might know I don't really ship Aloy with anyone, but this can be intepreted as one-sided.

Essay with my reasoning under the cut for anyone who wants it!

Piece of art - An intro to Tilda's relationship with Lis! The obsessive overtones are simply perfect. And, of course, Tilda views the world through an artistic lens, as art is her escape, the main thing that brings her comfort.

Buy the Stars - The only song from Elisabet's POV in this playlist. "You don't know me, how do you own me?" Tilda says in canon that she always felt that she didn't fully know Elisabet, that Lis knew her better than she knew Lis, and I think Lis probably felt the same way.

Left Behind - Now we're getting closer to Tilda's Far Zenith era. Lis and Tilda are running out of time due to circumstances out of their control (the Faro Plague) and end up separated by Zero Dawn and Far Zenith. Whether the "lover left behind" refers to Tilda, because she outlived Lis, or to Lis, because she stayed behind to die on Earth, I'll leave up to your interpretation.

Immortal (Reinairy) - This represents Tilda's grief over Elisabet and her inability to let go, even after a thousand years. I also like to think as the mentions of rain and sunrise and nature in general refer to Tilda longing to see a new, better world, to see "Elisabet's dream" come to fruition.

Of course, "I'll always find you again and again, and I'll lose every version of you" refers to Aloy (and perhaps Beta, if you wish to interpret it that way).

The Zombie Song - The start of Tilda's love for Aloy! It's a post-apocalyptic romance, a little gory and a bit forbidden, and, before Tilda betrays Far Zenith, she and Aloy are fighting on opposing sides. "A love this deep won't stay buried" is yet another reference to Elisabet's death.

How Dare You? - I like to imagine this one as a representation of the feelings going through Tilda's head during the scene at her mansion. Equal parts possessive, overprotective, and desperate, she's finally able to talk to Aloy in person and confess how much she has changed her outlook.

"I'll lock you in a world of my creation and bury the key" refers to how Tilda has already made her plans for the new world, as well as to take Aloy hostage for its sake. And of course, "show me how to fall in love again" is Tilda begging to feel the happiness and comfort she had only felt with Lis once again. Beta couldn't give it to her, but Aloy surely will. Right?

Power & Control - This is mostly a representation of Tilda's alliance with Aloy, but also her defiance of Far Zenith. "You can't have peace without a war," as Tilda must rebel against the Zeniths to earn the happy ending she wants with Aloy.

"You may be good-looking but you're not a piece of art," in particular, is about Beta.

Immortal (Marina) - A good closing song, because it reminds me of Tilda's apparent death. "If I could buy forever at a price, I would buy it twice" could refer either to Tilda wishing she had taken Elisabet with her in the first place, or to her wanting a relationship with Aloy like the one she had with Elisabet.

Love From the Other Side - My crowning jewel! I left it for the very end because I feel like it sums up Tilda's relationship with the Sobecks all throughout her life the best. From the loneliness that permeated her life on Earth and the way she felt out of place in Far Zenith, to the art metaphor, to Tilda's dependence on Lis, to the way they were separated by the apocalypse, to her "falling in and out of love" due to Beta failing to live up to her expectations, to her betrayal of Far Zenith, to her betrayal of Aloy and to the obsessive love that led to her demise, it's my personal favorite without a doubt.

[onceuponaswanqueen]

My 2023 Fanfiction Reading Stats

Happy New Year, everyone!

In this post, I'll be giving some stats over my fanfiction reading last year, and under the cut will be my 15 favorite fics I read last year (10 new ones and five rereads).

But first, some stats!

I read 17 890 498 words, that's 6 million words more than last year! I read 593 fics. 110 fandoms and 322 ships! That's double the amount of ships I read last year.

By number of fics, my most popular fandom was Harry Potter with a total of 89 fics. Second popular fandom was Gossip Girl, with 55 fics, and in third place we have Criminal Minds with 42 ships.

That means that Harry Potter is the only fandom from last year to break the top 3 again. Last year (2022) I read zero Gossip Girls fics, and only a couple Criminal Minds fics, so both those fandoms entered with a force.

When it comes to ships and word count, my three most popular ships were Dan/Blair (Gossip Girl) with 21 fics, and Emma/Regina (Once Upon a time) with 21 fics. Ironically enough, 21 was the highest number of fics read with a single paring last year (2022) as well though the pairings were faberry & swan queen. My third most read ship was Katniss/Peeta (The Hunger Games) with 16. Only one f/f ship in the top three, which i don't think has happened to me since middle school.

In terms of words, my most popular fandom was still Harry Potter (3 927 226 words), followed by the Hunger Games (1 274 229 words), and in third place General Hospital (1 006 643 words). And for pairings that is Emma/Regina (Once Upon a Time) at number one with 947 973 words, followed by Jason/Elizabeth (General Hospital) with 889 029 words, and in third place Ginny/Harry (Harry Potter) with 671 844 words.

I mostly read canon divergence (196 fics), then future!fic (not necessarily canon compliant) with 73 fics, and then post-canon fics with 66 fics.

I read 168 fics with f/f pairings, 161 ficswith f/m pairings (which damn, i haven't read this much het since i was in middle school), 166 gen fics, and 72 fics with a M/M pairing. I also read 20 fics with mulitiple pairingtype (ia both f/f and f/m), 1 fic which was nb/m, and 8 fics with a poly ship.

My avarage rating was 4 stars. My avarage number of words per fic were 30 204 words. I also had 55 fics that I had read last year, which is much lower than last year.

And now, my top fifteen fics I read last year, (in no particular order)

The Victors Project by oisin55

Before Katniss and Peeta, seventy-three children won the Hunger Games. Some were brutal. Some were clever. Some were lucky. A few were almost decent. These are their stories. This is the Victors Project. (Hunger Games, mostly gen)

THIS IS THE BEST FIC I HAVE EVER READ. Like it's so good, and yes it's long. Its 311k, but worth every second. It's no longer canon compatible due to Songbirds, but it's still worth the read. You will not regret it.

2. The Mad World Series by crimsonglass

Set in Summer 2003. One night in June, Ric kidnaps Carly and locks her in a panic room, drugging Elizabeth to cover his tracks. Before long, Port Charles is embroiled in scandal, corruption, and trauma that hits home for everyone. It will be a long time before anyone forgets Ric Lansing’s reign of terror or the evil simmering beneath the surface of the city. (General Hospital, Jason/Elizabeth centric, but with other ships as well)

This is a niche fandom and ship, but this was absolutely brilliant. All the parts are great, tho I really love All of Me and This Is Me, which revisits Elizabeth's rape and puts her center in her own story. Which the show just hasn't done in over a decade. And it's just so good. I've read almost all of crimsonglass's fanfic this year but this stands out to me as one I will proabably reread for years.

3. Truth and Measure by telanu

Andy doesn't leave Miranda in Paris, and learns that a single decision can change your life. But the main thing about decisions? You don't get to stop with one. (The Devil Wears Prada, Andy/Miranda)

This is a classic for a reason. I cannot believe I have never read this before. It left it breathless. It was so good, I just couldn't stop reading it. I finished in like two days and it's 271k long. It's just so addicting.

4. Roads Diverged by freelancerrh

The stick had two lines. Four alternate continuations from "Late." (Dawson's Creek, Pacey/Joey)

THIS IS BRILLIANT. It follows four different timelines from Late if Joey was pregnant, one where she keps the baby and raieses it with pacey, one were she has an abortion and tells pacey, one she raises the baby alone, and one where she has an abortion but never tell pacey. All four timeslines are excellent, and I love this kind of multiple timelines stories. Totally worth a read if you know the fandom and ship the pairing.

5. If You Never Bleed, You're Never Gonna Grow by mp143

For three years, she ignored the way she clung to updates about him from her brother, every little piece of his life he didn’t share with her in the course of a hookup. She disregarded the tightening in her chest and the fluttering in her stomach when they were together, noticing that he never stopped noticing her, anticipating her desires and giving them to her without her having to ask. And she refused to acknowledge that maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t only about sex — not for her, and maybe not for him either. And that’s, of course, how she ended up here: huddled over a cauldron in the bathroom of her tiny flat, trying to work up the courage to prick her finger and pinch a drop of blood into the potion.

Best Harry/Ginny fic I read last year, hands down. It was so suprising, deals with why and how Ginny got pregnant so young and in the middle of her career. It also steers away from canon but honestly, it works better that way. Also the romance in this is spot on.

6. To Hold off the Lightning by cinnamonfiglatte

There’s no burst of dust, the way Faith expects. Only blood at her hands and blood at the stranger’s lips and the chilling sound of a death rattle fighting its way from his lungs. Or: Faith kills Allan Finch. The Scoobies offer her the literal crumbs of support she needs in order to not give in to darkness. Yes, this is another “Faith stays (mostly) good” season 3 AU. (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Faith/Buffy)

Works perfectly in canon and in character Fuffy fic, yes and thank you. The way the romance develops in this is so natural and organic, and it makes so much sense, and it never puts down on Buffy and Angel and it all just works. It's a slow burn and it so delicious i can't even. Read it!

7. There's a place I call my home by lizwas (Series)

au from 5x21 onward, but takes place years in the future. Jenny comes from London to spend a summer in the Hamptons, and reconnects with her old friend Nate. (Gossip Girl, Jenny/Nate)

I fell into a gossip girl hole this year, no doubt. and my favorite writer for this fandom is lizwas, but this series just stood out to me. i love jenny & nate and they are so underappricated and this series is so good, it treats nate with respect, it treats jenny with respect, it shows how people can grow and how people can grow together, and i just *chefs kiss*, the smut is pretty good too if that's your thing.

8. Who Knows, Who Cares by the_dream_team

Lily Evans liked girls. Well, she liked boys, too. Bisexual. That was the term she’d settled on." After 22 years spent in the closet, Lily is excited to finally start dating girls. In fact, she's quite determined to make up for a lifetime of relationships with mediocre men, and the messy-haired boy who works at the art museum isn't going to change her plans anytime soon. Definitely not. (Harry Potter, James/Lily)

This is a no!magic, coffeeshop au, AND ITS SO CUTE. It's the perfect winter rom com. It has Hallmark Christmas movies vibes but in a good way. It's just such a nice cozy read. And the James/Lily dynamic is spot on and I love it.

9. The Way The World Ends by KidA_666

“Age of Consent” by New Order blares out, loud enough for Jonathan to hear across the room.  He had been there when Steve chose it a few months ago during another war room: “‘Age of Consent’ is good, I guess.”  “It can’t be I guess, dingus!  It has to be enough to save you from a brutal interdimensional death!” Robin snapped.   Steve had rolled his eyes.  “What’s Vecna gonna want with me anyways, Rob?  I’ll do ‘Age of Consent.’”  Jonathan had known, that night, that it might be the wrong choice.  But he didn’t say anything because it had been years and he could be wrong and maybe some selfish, petty part of him didn’t want to give Steve the satisfaction of Jonathan still knowing. Something lifts Steve off of the couch. “It’s not working!” Robin screams.   And Jonathan knows why it isn’t working.  He remembers.  Whatever high school bullshit Steve has put him through doesn’t particularly matter in the face of watching him be destroyed and turned inside out.  So Jonathan, calmer than he feels, says, “It’s Hank Williams.  Do you have Hank Williams?”  (Stranger Things, Steve/Jonathan)

Why does this work so well? I have no clue but it does. It's childhood friends to enemies to lovers and it works so well in canon, like it fits right in and it's so great. I love this. It's not a pairing I usually read, but it took me by such suprise and totally worth giving it a chance.

10. The War is Not Over When The Soldiers Come Home by keepcalmsmile

DeFonda Hepburn had met many parents in her many years as a nanny, but she'd never met parents quite like the Potters. Strangely enough, they have more in common than she thought. (Harry Potter, gen with Harry/Ginny)

Outsider POV of Harry and Ginny as adults and parents. It's so good. It's canon compliant, and it's wonderful. I found a new love of outsider POV this year and this one is the best I read. I just.. wonderful.

Top Five rereads (In no particular order)

- by colormetheworld

No summary available but it's this after Jane's wife dies by Hoyt's hand, Jane transfer to Boston with her kids and moves in with Maura. This is a story about healing. (Rizzoli and Isles, Jane/Maura)

This is one of the most beautiful pieces of fiction I have ever read. This author is my favorite author in this fandom, and this work along with Keys, never fails to make me cry. It's wonderful.

2. I don't know how lovely you are by sungfsongsun

Emily-centric. Set after 1x09. Emily/Alison, implied Emily/Maya.

This fic is super short, 1345 words, but it stuck with me. It stuck with me so much I read it twice last year, and I have read it several times before this. It's just three short scenes with the other liars set after she came out, and an apparence by ali in the end. it's just so simple and so beautiful.

3. Bittersweet and Strange by speakpirate

Emily Fields doesn’t need either of them. But Rosewood is still Rosewood. Their students just might need them both. A story where Paige and Alison discover they have more important things in common than a mutual ex. (Pretty Little Liars, Alison/Paige)

This shouldn't work. I shouldn't love this as much as I do. Like I hate that trope of the bully falling for their victim, but it just works here. Maybe because they're adults, and they've grown, but this just fit so well. Such a treat.

4. Track changes by cairophoenix

Alex is an editor at a New York publishing house, and that means her life is going right. She has her apartment, and the gym, and Kara a subway stop away. So if her apartment’s always empty at the end of the day, that’s just how things are. She spends a lot of time at the office, anyway. She’s making it, and that’s something she can be satisfied with. And then a mysterious book arrives.

This is excellent. The slow burn is wonderful. Alex' journey is wonderful. A lovely little no powers AU with these two falling in love through copy editing. And it's so nice.

5. Game of Stacks by CommaSplice

When the Aegon Targaryen Memorial Library at Crownlands University loses its most recent library director in a tragic accident, President Robert Baratheon turns to his friend and colleague Eddard Stark to turn the library around. (Game of Thrones, Tywin/Olenna, Jaime/Brienne, Sansa/Margaery, Stannis/Asha/Davos/Cercei)

This fic is batshit in the best way. Like it's 100% Game of Thrones set in a university library. It takes turns and twist that you just never see coming. Also the ships are wonderful, the way they handle the Cersei/Jaime thing is so good, the suspense is good still on a third or forth reread. It's such a good story.

[macamadamia]

Crime & Punishment Chapter 1: The Crime

https://archiveofourown.org/works/46826485/chapters/117948307

Ship: Dom Castiel/Sub Dean Winchester

Rating: Mature

Total Word Count: 3,587

AO3 Tags: Collars, Dom/sub, Total Power Exchange, 24/7 Dom/sub, Punishment, Discipline, Caning

Dean knew he was in trouble when he opened the door and saw Cas in the small entrance way, arms folded, leaning against the door frame. He looked far from happy.

Cas may be his partner and husband, the man he stood beside in front of their families and friends and made vows with, but right then he was simmering with badly concealed irritation, and all Dean saw was the Dom who was not only angry with him, but disappointed.

That hurt.

He wasn’t even sure what he’d done wrong this time. He wracked his brains trying to figure it out. He hadn’t fucked up that much lately.

Staying in the garage office for an extra few hours to finish the paperwork Bobby didn’t get around to doing wasn’t enough to incite this reaction. Sure, he was late, but he’d texted to tell Cas he wasn’t going to be home in time for dinner, and he’d grab a snack at work. Bobby’s wife Ellen always kept the office fridge stocked with snacks for the times they worked late. There were times when he first started working for the old man that those meals were the only decent food he ate for days.

But he’d definitely texted him. This time. He resisted the urge to reach for his phone to double-check, he doubted Cas would appreciate it.

Cas doesn’t have many rules, but “if I’m talking to you, I will have your full attention” is near the top of the list. Right above “text me if you’ll be late” and right below “no shoes on the coffee table” (and didn’t he remember the bruises he carried the first time he forgot that particular rule.)

Although he didn’t know exactly why he was in trouble, Dean had known something was up the moment he stepped up to the small porch at the front of their single-storey home and seen what was waiting for him.

On the small table next to the front door, sitting innocuously next to the potted money tree plant, Dean’s eyes had zeroed in on his collar and leash.

It wasn’t the nice collar, either. It wasn’t the soft, supple brown leather collar he always wore when he wasn’t at work (because who the fuck wanted to have that conversation with their boss). This was the heavy leather collar, the black one that pressed a little too hard into his jaw when he turned his head. The one that was rough on the inside, and irritated his skin.

He knew he was in trouble right at that moment, and he briefly contemplated getting in the car and driving back to work. Maybe hiding under his desk. Or changing his name and crossing the border into Mexico.

But he didn’t. Instead, with a sigh he’d picked up the collar and leash, and opened the front door to find Cas. In the face of his righteous fury, he’d dropped to his knees in the doorway. Never minding the open front door or the tile underneath him.

“Hello, Dean.”

“Heya Cas, how’s it hanging?”

Cas tilted his head to the side, narrowing his eyes.

Quickly regretting his little show of bravado, Dean made eye contact with Cas’ sock-clad feet and tried not to fidget.

“You know, I don’t have many rules.”

He risked a glance at Cas’ face to assess just how mad he was. When their eyes met, his Dom raised an eyebrow, and Dean quickly returned his focus to his socks. They were bee themed, today, with the text “bee-lieve in honey” in yellow and black. Dean had teased him about them this morning.

Now he stared at them like his salvation lay in cute cartoon insects and bubbly bee puns.

“What rule did you break, Dean?” Cas shifted, his feet crossing at the ankles, while Dean’s bad knee started to protest at holding this position.

“I don’t know, Sir.”

“Try again.”

Dean was silent, his mind working overtime trying to think of an answer that would please Cas and maybe (although he wasn’t very hopeful) mitigate the punishment that was coming his way.

Above him, Cas sighed.

Staring at the bee socks, something in Dean’s head clicked. Oh shit.

“I wasn’t home for the grocery delivery.”

“Right. So why am I going to punish you, Dean?”

Because you’re a controlling asshole. He swallowed the words down. Now was not the time to snark at Cas, now was the time to answer his Dom. Who was currently watching him, eyebrow raised, head titled, like he knew exactly what Dean was thinking.

“Dean. Why are you going to be punished for not being home for the grocery delivery?”

Dean risked another glance upwards.

Cas wasn’t just mad, he was stressed out. Then Dean remembered the conversation they’d had that morning while he was getting ready for work. When Cas had mentioned he was going to be late home from work that afternoon, and Dean needed to be home for the delivery.

Because Cas’ brother Michael (Michael the Maniac, Dean’s mind unhelpfully supplied) and his family was coming for dinner.

Oh shit. The conversation played out in Dean’s head – the groceries, Michael’s visit, and the plan for Dean to cook dinner.

Dean deflated. He’d fucked up.

“I’m sorry sir.” His voice, contrite, sounded small in the face of just how much he’d screwed up.

Cas finally, finally, straightened up and stepped forward. He put his hand on Dean’s face, and Dean nuzzled into it, closing his eyes as he felt tears gathering. The hand left his face and began carding gently through his hair. Dean felt Cas pick up the collar and leash from his hands.

He tilted his head back, eyes shut tight against Cas’ disappointment and disapproval, and swallowed as the collar was buckled in place around his throat. He felt a gentle pull at the collar and heard the click as the leash was attached.

The fingers in his hair tightened, and he opened his eyes and whimpered as Cas titled his head back until he was face to face with Dean, the leash held taut in his hand.

“You’re not sorry, Dean.

He leaned in. Dean could feel his breath on his face.

“Not yet.”

[hils79]

Hils Watches Cross Fire - Ep 17

I think it's the hair

Yeah, he has zero regrets

Okay, I don't understand. She hates video games and eSports. Xu Wei sat there and said he doesn't regret cheating and that his only regret is that he lives in an era where pro gamers are a joke. And apparently that changed her mind??

I am a pacifist but god someone punch her

So be a good little netizen

They are so cute

She seems to have gone from 'esports players are the worst kind of scum' to making a documentary about them?

Yeah, they know it's forbidden. That's why they confessed to cheating...

A nice impartial documentary then

One game and she's a convert. Well, it happens. *gazes off into the distance* I remember the days when I thought sports were stupid and then I watched a hockey game

Like fuck he did! He wouldn't have admitted anything if Xiao Feng hadn't forced him.

He really hasn't. Suspended for 5 games is just a slap on the knuckles considering he actually did cheat and said he'd do it again if he had the chance to go back in time

Ooh he's seen the scar. He's going to figure it out eventually.

Bet she's married to him

Aww she's had a glow up. I liked her better when she was a nerd

Oh my god does the bitchy reporter work for An Lan now? I ship them

Oh no it got sad! Chu Ge lost her race because her head was all messed up and Team Continue got eliminated because King's team threw their game

Ooh he's angry. Now I'm getting Di Feisheng vibes. He wants to beat the best player at his level fairly and his team took away the chance

[thatswhatsushesaid]

19, 23, and bc i know you basically never block anyone, 4 :3

19. you're mad/ashamed/horrified you actually kind of like...

nothing!! i have no shame!!

however, i’m 1) annoyed that i have grudgingly come around to liking cql canon nmj (he’s still wrong tho), and 2) not remotely sorry about my DILF wen ruohan agenda. (ruoyao is a guilty pleasure ship tho /scuffs boot)

23. ship you've unwillingly come around to

ehhhh i don’t think i really have come around to any of the ships i originally didn’t like. it’s more like i’ve had the complete opposite of this experience, where i was originally absolutely obsessed with wangxian after first watching cql, and now have the damn tag blocked and filtered because their most zealous fans can’t seem to handle the fact that maybe the central romance isn’t the part of the story that is most interesting to other people.

that said, while i do not ship any iteration of n!rayo or romantic 3zun 9/10 times, the one exception to that rule is @henshengs’ incredible hunger games AU favor, tho the majority of it is achingly poignant xiyao, and it changed me as a person lsjfhdksnh

4. what was the last straw that made you finally block that annoying person?

some fermented turd was an astoundingly rude cunt at @lansplaining on one of their posts. i can’t remember if i got cunty right back at them over it (probably) but i definitely smashed the block button afterwards and have zero regrets about it.