#is my favourite battle couple trope

[sentanixiv]

Thieves Landing... MacFarlane said they was holed up here. This ain't the way to sort being robbed, John. No one steals from my family, Arthur. Not no more.

I'll handle these fools. All's I need's you to watch my back. You ain't never had to ask, Marston.

John! Keep yer goddamned head down! Sonofabitch!

You hit? I'm fine, but this asshole's about to dance with the devil!

Y'all' ain't gonna mess with us again, y'hear? Or I'll come back and shoot the rest of you!

[bitethedevil]

How do you think your take on Raphael differs from other fandom favourites? What is your “brand of Raphael?”

Oooh interesting question. I don’t really know how he’s different from other writers’ version of him. I try my hardest not to compare my own writing too much to others. I can say how I interpret him though. I’ll go through a couple of points of how I see him:

Soft!Raphael or Dark!Raphael

I get a lot of Soft!Raphael recommendations in my inbox. There’s nothing wrong with that. I love reading Soft!Raphael, but it just doesn’t fit my own personal interpretation of him. I have written countless of character analyses on this man and my brand of Raphael just isn’t that soft. I think he is capable of being soft, but it’s performative and there is always a purpose with it or a goal to achieve.

He does not love. He wants someone to love him, but he cannot give it in the way that we understand it. He can obsess though. His love is that feeling when your crush finally gives you positive attention. That thrill that you can almost get high on that you want to seek again and again. That thought that there is a chance that they will one day be yours, that need for them to one day be yours. That's him.

The feeling of laying in bed, looking at someone and feeling that warmth inside you and the feeling of wanting to protect them at any cost, is not him. He might want to protect his ‘loved one’ but it will be for purely selfish reasons. It is more akin to wanting to protect an asset of yours so others can’t take it from you.

It’s ownership, it’s obsession. There is also a game behind it. He wants to see how much he can push someone to see how loyal they are, and he does not care that he might hurt the other person in the process.

He can imitate love though! He can create the perfect picture of a loving relationship if he wants to, but it is a façade to keep you as his. He is a Venus flytrap, that lures you in with its sweet petals and when you fall for it, they close around you so he can devour you. He is capable of being romantic and doing loving gestures, but it is not instinct for him and there is always a goal behind it.  

Good/Evil

I don’t believe he is evil (hear me out). I don’t believe anyone is evil ‘just because’. I don’t really believe in evil characters in media, not when I consume media and not when I write it. I’m not blind and I know he is a Literal Devil, but I am just not wired that way. I grew up with theater. There are no evil characters, just characters who might have a fucked-up motivations for whatever reasons.

Raphael does do things that are morally considered evil, there is absolutely no doubt about it. However, when analyzing him and writing him, I try to refrain from writing him as such. The fact that he is considered evil without question in that universe is always taken into consideration though.

Raphael needs to fit into the Hells, and he is already on the back foot when it comes to that, because he is a cambion. I’m not saying he doesn’t enjoy doing what he does, he obviously does, I’m just saying that there is a reason for it.

Even those who are fully devils literally thinks they are doing the right thing. They think that they are protecting the rest of the realms from demons through the Blood War, and they will do everything to do so. That includes doing a lot of straight up heinous shit.

I’m just saying that judging him from ‘mortal’ standards is a bit of a lost battle. He isn’t a mortal. He isn’t quite a devil either, though that is the role he definitely prefers between the two. I just think a lot of nuances are lost if you just boil it down to “well he does (insert thing that is morally wrong from human standards) so he is evil”.

I think that is also generally why I usually refrain from the ‘opposites attract’ trope, because it very often is the typical metaphorical angel/classic hero vs literal devil/classic villain. Those stories are fun! I love to read them, but I don’t like writing them. It doesn’t interest me.

It is much more interesting for me to put him with someone ‘normal’ or morally grey, because there is something so deliciously fucked by a person slowly realizing that they actually have a lot in common with someone who is considered the embodiment of evil. They might also begin to understand his motivations and why he is as he is, and that’s almost even worse because that means the evil can be rationalized and understood (understood being the keyword, not forgiven, which is important to point out). Then it becomes a dance between humanizing him and demonizing him for how he really is.

There are humanizing qualities to be found in him, and there are definitely demonizing qualities to be found in him as well, which I find interesting. It’s a ‘what’s normal to a spider is chaos for the fly’-kind of thing for me, if that even makes sense? There is purpose to his ‘evil’ and yes, he does enjoy it, but there is much more to it.

“The Game”/His performativity

Everything is a performance, and though he never lies, it is difficult to know what he is actually thinking behind that wall of theatrics. It’s one big game to him of making you believe in the performance, and I think that is where he really thrives.

Though what is interesting is what hides behind the performance and the few times one might catch him in a moment of being genuine. That is what I love to work with when I write him. Because he keeps a diary, and we know from that diary that there are definitely some insecurities that he would never reveal to anyone (such as his nightmare about Tav and gang).

He is an arrogant bastard, but I truly think he is hiding mountains of insecurities behind it (and of course. Why wouldn’t he be? As a cambion, he isn’t really accepted by neither devils nor mortals, though he is both). Though you would never know it from how he acts, this man is no stranger to fear. It also makes perfect sense. He would not have survived in the Hells as a cambion, if he did not have a good sense of self-preservation.

‘He only ever sleeps with himself’, yes, well, doesn’t that also seem wonderfully safe and known? There is more behind his selfishness and ego. He does not let people in if he can avoid it. Cambions are often solitary by nature. I’ve mentioned this before. He might make deals with people, and he sees other people constantly, but never anyone he lets in, and he does not let them get too close.

Haarlep says he can’t deny them anything, but I don’t even truly believe that he has let Haarlep in completely. The man keeps his cards so close to his chest and one of the reasons for that is to not show weaknesses, because that is what he has had to do to survive and succeed.

What a lonely existence that must be, when one considers that there might be a human part of him that longs for that acceptance and closeness. He might not be able to love in the way that we do, but devils can long for it. Even more so when a part of him is human.

(Thank you for the ask <3 really cool question)

[molinaskies]

Sonic and the Mirror of Trauma: Scrapnik Island

Scrapnik Island is by far the most intriguing and impressive IDW Sonic miniseries so far. Daniel Barnes wrote an excellent story about recovering from trauma, struggling to escape your past, and facing the setbacks that come with both of those, and Nathalie Fourdraine and Jack Lawrence produced some beautiful art.

On its surface, the story has the potential to be a cheeky, cliché one-off akin to a spooky Halloween story (that started in December… hehe). But, when you look deeper at the plot and some of the tropes, and once you remember that it takes place between issue 56 (which I’ve crucially discussed at length) and issue 57, it suddenly becomes so much more important.

Mecha Sonic is a version of Sonic who has been forced to address the pain of his life and dabble with the consequences, and he represents the moment that Sonic has to face his own trauma—and that scares him.

Scrapnik Island sets off with the Scrapniks pursuing Sonic to help him, but Sonic, of course, has missed the memo. Mecha Sonic is hottest on Sonic’s trail, which stands out to me as not only is Sonic visibly afraid of Mecha (both from his sudden presence and from his memories of their last encounter), but he’s actively running away from his trauma, his past, his fear.

Even after Sonic’s been set straight on the Scrapniks’ deal, he’s still put off by Mecha Sonic’s silent demeanour and their history. So, Sonic treats him coldly, and this animosity triggers something deep within Mecha that he fights to starve off.

There is lots of visual storytelling to indicate that Sonic and Mecha Sonic are meant to be literary foils, but below is my favourite example. A flashback of a decommissioned Mecha Sonic fades into a present shot of Sonic “taking it easy,” but more so getting fed up with his situation.

Sonic is also particularly distrustful (and afraid) of Mecha Sonic, compared to the other Scrapniks. However, as time runs on, Sonic comes to an initial understanding of Mecha’s changed ways and wants to make peace. However, right after this, Mecha Knuckles attacks, Mecha Sonic defends and, in a way, sacrifices himself for Sonic, and things fall apart from here.

After Mecha Sonic is triggered during his battle with Mecca Knuckles (after a forceful encounter with Mecha Sonic’s past that sends him down a path of relapse), Mecha Sonic loses his ability to starve off Eggman’s primary programming. He turns on Sonic once again, but instead of serving Eggman, he strives to serve himself. While Mecha is falling victim to his traumatic past and coping mechanisms, the unfortunate thing about this is how it all reads to Sonic: another betrayal of his trust. It all calls back to Mr. Tinker, Metal Sonic, and Surge.

Mecha Sonic’s plan is to swap bodies with Sonic so that Mecha can use Sonic’s speed to escape the island, but the Scrapniks attack before the transfer can complete. This leaves Mecha and Sonic in an in-between state where they hear each other thoughts and feel each other’s feelings.

Even though Sonic states that the anger and sadness in his head is not his own, he’s still clearly shown to be feeling those feelings. They don’t originate from him, but their presence mingles with his own emotions to produce something darker and more irritated. Their presence also acts as a gateway of sorts, where the latent anger and sadness that Sonic can’t suppress makes it harder for him to put away his own feelings. Couple that with his physical pain from his sprained ankle (on the same leg he busted up a few issues prior), and soon, Sonic snaps for the first time in the entire IDW comic’s run.

I love whenever Sonic’s anger is allowed to shine because he is never enraged for petty reasons. Sonic has an attitude that often leads him to cranky comments, but Sonic is genuinely angry here because it hurts him to see someone speak so lowly of themselves, to have been hurt by the world so poorly. Mecha Sonic is also yet another person who has been created by Eggman’s terror specific to oppose Sonic. It’s another example of Surge’s “I will kill you or die trying” with the added complexity of Mecha’s attempt at redemption being corrupted by the trauma of Eggman’s influence. This puts pressure on Sonic because these impositions put Mecha, Surge, Kit, and others like them in direct opposition to Sonic for reasons entirely of no fault of his own—and that angers him. All Sonic strives to do with his life and his gift is help people, and to have so many people come out of the woodworks to say that the only thing he can do to help them is to kill himself is absolutely devastating to him. Not only because he believes in the direct opposite—that the only person who can give one purpose is oneself—but because it threatens to strip his own purpose away from him whenever these notions are unearthed.

Sonic isn’t angry at Mecha, personally. He’s angry at the system created to hurt them both.

The most important thing to remember is that, unless I fully missed something*, that strange mind-link thing between Sonic and Mecha Sonic is never undone. After Sonic cries Mecha Sonic’s tears, the story cuts to Tails officially deprogramming Mecha Sonic and Mecha Knuckles from Eggman’s directives, but it’s never explicitly stated that Mecha Sonic’s and Sonic’s mental link was reversed.

It can be reasonably assumed that it occurs off-screen (off-page? Outside of what is shown to the reader) because that would make general sense, but then again, so did the reprogramming, and that was explicitly mentioned. Further, it’s a general rule in writing for media that if you want something to be known about your story, it needs to be shown to the audience if not alluded to or directly referred to having happened. So, this is either an oversight, or it’s entirely intentional.

* The only way I can imagine this being accounted for is that the machine that linked Sonic and Mecha’s brains, the Egg Noggin, is (obviously) an Eggman device. Thus, whenever Tails removed Eggman’s programming from Mecha Sonic and Mecha Knuckles, perhaps it also restored Sonic’s brain to normal. This, however, feels like a bit of a stretch because we never see or hear of Sonic needing or receiving any treatment, but I am willing to consider it to be a viable reason. Either way, I think the point I’m about to make still stands as either a physical change or an emotional change in Sonic’s character.

This experience, this sharing of minds in such an intimate way where they can both so clearly hear each other’s hearts, taught them something. I read this as some sort of floodgates being opened, where while Mecha Sonic can more easily feel compassion and listen to the good in his core, Sonic now more clearly feels his anger and has a harder time suppressing his emotions. Whether there is lasting physical damage left in Sonic or he’s simply reeling from the depth of his emotions felt in this adventure, there’s been a clear impact.

Even if Sonic isn’t fully delving into things just yet, he’s taken a lesson away from all of this.

(From the IDW Endless Summer One-Shot, set between issue 64 and issue 65 and after the 900th adventure one-shot)

If nothing else, Sonic clearly understands trauma better now. Sonic is absolutely traumatized by his experiences with Eggman and other high-stakes adventures, but again, due to his tendency to push away his darker emotions, he hasn’t processed much of this. Sonic puts all his sadness and rage and fear and confusion into box after box after box before shoving everything onto a big, cluttered shelf, never to be seen again… until now. With such a clear look into the mind of someone actively reeling through trauma, a trauma so like his own, that shelf has collapsed, and now everything is spilling onto the floor before Sonic, quick as can be, can stop it.

Sonic is finally starting to understand the bigger picture, but I don’t think he’s fully on the path of self-awareness. I think there’s more boiling under the surface, more than even he realizes. And if Sonic keeps taking these micro-risks (instead of his usual Hail-Marys) that are fueled by his anger, like storming the Eggperial City too soon, then something will have to give.

Scrapnik Island is incredibly important to the IDW storyline because it showcases not only Sonic learning the depths of his pain and the pain of others but also yet another nail in Eggman’s coffin.

[theflyindutchwoman]

I don't need you protecting me. I know. So clearly what you're saying is you need me protecting you. Clearly. You know me so well. I'm happy it's you at my six. Back at you. […] Go. Up, up, up! I'll hold 'em off. What? No. We have the higher ground. We stand a chance, but only together. Okay. We hurt as many as we can, retreat up the stairs. Okay, but they're gonna expect us to push. Let's go the other way. Pull not push--copy that.

| ANATOMY OF A SCENE - CHENFORD EDITION 5.22 - Under Siege

Battle Couple… This is one of my favourite trope ever… And these two embody that so well. The way this scene starts softly, with their banter, is very interesting… It could have come off as a tad tone deaf, with Aaron still in a coma. But they make it work. They're not downplaying anything, they're simply trying to get a moment of respite… and being together make that easier. It's the fact that they are bickering on who needs protecting… It's so them. And that 'you know me so well' parallel, with Tim being the one to say these words this time…. And this scene does have some eerie Day of Death vibe, so combined with all the reminders of Jackson's death, it's no wonder he doesn't want her out of his sight. Lucy's little confession that she's happy he's the one having her back also serves to underline that, for all the banter, she does appreciate that he is there with her. His 'back at you', while watching her six, literally… Sir, you are working! Remember when the first punishment for failing one of his Tim Test was to make Lucy fight so he could see her in action? Fast forward to now and not only is he happy she is the one having his back, he also wouldn't have it any other way. His pride in her is still the same : it's just that now, he can overtly check her out and flirt with her on top of it. And let's not forget how Grey didn't object when Tim volunteered to go check this place with Lucy. The amount of faith he has in both of them, that their relationship is not going to interfere with their work, is amazing. In a way, it makes sense : he had front row seats to the development of their relationship, so he knows. And I love how they find ways to be paired up together because they work so well together.

Something that is particularly highlighted during that fight sequence. And let's start with the fact that Tim's first instinct is to tell Lucy to go to safety while he holds the assailants off, knowing full well that his odds of escaping unscathed in that scenario are slim to none… He is seriously ready to sacrifice himself just so she can have a better chance to get out - which isn't even a guarantee… His love for her… And her immediate rebuttal… of course, she isn't about to leave him behind. That's not who she is. And I really appreciate how he doesn't waste time protesting when she refuses. That's the thing I love the most about his protectiveness. It's fierce, but it's never used as a way to undermine Lucy's abilities. It's all about him loving her and wanting her safe. It's all about how much she means to him. But he never tries to stop her either when she disagrees : he respects her way too much for that. He gives her an out and if she doesn't want to take it, then he'll simply be at her side, backing her up. Like on the plane during their undercover mission, when she refused to back down. And that protectiveness goes both ways. Lucy is just as fierce. She was protecting him in so many different ways, right from the start : from himself, covering for him several times, standing up to superior officer's to defend him… And here as well, during the fight : there are several moments when she helps him get the upper hand on his assailants. They both do : when one of them is in trouble, the other is not far behind. They both protect each other and that's the real beauty of their relationship.

And that fight sequence… My only gripe is how they kept shooting in the riot shields, knowing how ineffective it would be. Otherwise, it was everything I didn't know I wanted and then some. It's the way Lucy is the one coming up with the strategies and Tim follows her… It's all these little callbacks to their old battles that make this one even better, like that time she was fighting with the sticks in A.C.H. or when he was using his pepper spray like she did in Standoff… It's how several times Tim leads her by the arm or the vest to get on higher grounds… How he grabs her after she was being strangled… There's something in the way he is holding her, as if he's trying to support her and shield her with his body, while guiding them to safety that is doing things to me… That and the parallel with the Pilot, when Lucy was the one having to guide him to safety after he got shot… And how he was caught completely off-guard by Nolan. There's this split second where they don't know whether it's another wave of masked guys or not. But in that moment, Tim is unprepared. Remember when he blew a gasket when Lucy was holding something in her gun hand in The Q Word? Well, this time, he's the one who makes that mistake : getting her to safety is so much more important that it overrides his training. And the way she instantly raises her weapon, ready to protect them both, while still trying to catch her breath after being strangled… And even once they make it to safety, Tim keeps his hand on her thigh because he needs the reassurance as much as he needs to reassure her… And Lucy who looks like she's about to grab his hand before remembering where they are, looking around everywhere to make sure that they are truly safe… Still in a fight or flight mode, ready to protect them again… God, these two…. Couples that fight together stay together.

[sleepygirlbracket]

hi welcome to sleepy girl bracket! im your friendly very very sleepy mod

i love when im playing a game or watching an anime and find a sleepy girl trope. they usually end up being one of if not my favourite character!

and though sleepy girls are not naturally prone to violence tumblr loves battle… and i dont know every sleepy girl in existence, so it gives me a chance to meet more :)

submissions close 9/23!

heres a few rules and regulations to submitting! we must dream safely my loves:

im okay with real people being submitted, since this isnt a particularly invasive sort of thing to say about someone imo

you can also submit boys, sleepy girl is a state of mind

prime sleepy girl behavior is having being sleepy/lazy be a core part of the submission— a running gag, something related to backstory, or a current story element (like, sleeping beauty would count as a sleepy girl)

but if a submission’s visuals/theme/etc are heavily connected to sleep and dreams i will also consider them :)

kanata konoe (love live) and yuyuko tanaka (revue starlight) will already be included, youre free to still submit them if you really want, but i dont need you to!

im sure theres sleepy girls abound in eroges, so on the off chance you submit from an eroge, please just specify that its 18+ :) sleepy mod is 18 but i think its valuable to denote

and with that, here’s the submission form! i think i’ll close them around the end of this month :)

(tagging other poll blogs for exposure hello thank you and i hope you dont mind me tagging! @obscurecharactershowdown @moon-swag-tourney @overworkedblorbobattle @battle-couple-battle @who-do-i-know-this-man @redandbluegaycompetition @meanpurplepoll @twintournament)

[ruanbaijie]

battle couples has gotta be one of my favourite tropes though. The “you got me?” “Yeah, I got you.” The kiss for good luck. Fighting alongside each other for so long they know every strength and weakness. The dichotomy of being fucking terrifying to their enemies, but so soft with each other. When one is in danger and the other goes feral, protects them at any cost. When everything is over and done, it’s all “let me see where you’re hurt,” and washing off the dirt and blood. [x]

@userdramas event 04 love [in/sp] @userphotoshop event 10 colours

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

Simple question- who's your favourite badass couple? Propaganda under the cut, there's a lot of it this time!

Propaganda for Cecilos: "Canonly gay as hell since episode 1 of WTNV. Cecil also won tumblr sexy man, and has been a huge part of Tumblr's history since days of old. As for Carlos... He's a scientist. Scientists are hot and get into trouble way too often."

Propaganda for Barnaby x Kotetsu: "Ugh, they're so GOOD. they've got battle couple. they've got coworkers. They've got silly nicknames for each other. they brought light into each other's life!! the single parent trope!! superheroes!! swearing to be partners forever!!! almost died in each other's arms!!!!!! THEY'VE GOT EVERYTHING they are also supposed to be canon, they're literally listed as each other "partner" in the family section in their respective wikis!!!! It's not like, explicitly canon, but it technically is :D"

"It's not Canon because the statement from the production team is its up to the viewers to decided but the team see them as romantic partners

These two goofballs are my fave right now

Rivals to lovers arc

Red and green colour scheme

They share the same power

They are work partners who hate eachother but then come to love eachother

They literally put their life on the line together

Kotetsu ran out of the hospital still bleeding to give Barnaby a grenade to help him win

Have cute nicknames for eachother (Bunny/ lil bunny and old man)

They constantly fight over the goofiest things

Kotetsu almost died in Barnaby's arms

Barnaby admitted to be practising Kotetsu's favourite food so he can cook it for him

Kotetsu tells him that he has such long eyelashes in return

Barnaby quits hero work when kotetsu retires and joins it again when Kotetsu takes it up

The entirety of the second movie (look, the way Barnaby's VA (ive only watched it in english) says Kotetsu)

The two are called the best buddy duo and the first

The Fugan and Mugab fight when Kotetsu trusts that Barnaby has a plan when everyone else believes that he is in a blind rage because Kotetsu was injured

The manga makes them even more like a married couple then the second season

They are both superheroes and are the first partner duo at first They hate eachother but they come to like eachother (Barnaby adopts Kotetsu's morals)

This is more why they are a couple then why they are a battle couple sorry bout that

They fight crime together everyday for their jobs

They have taken down members of the terrorist group Ouroboros together and help eachither back up

The suit swap

Barnaby hysterically crying in the end episode

But they fight crime together"

[shortpplfedup]

5, 15, 17

5. Second Chance Romance

I'm gonna go for His. Nagisa's regrets and guilt and pain are so tangible and palpable. He left Shun in an attempt to fit into a heteronormative society, and he returned to Shun bringing the one good thing their separation gave him: his daughter, in the hope that Shun could understand, forgive and love him again. I will always prefer a 'fucked up the first chance' story to a 'didn't take the first chance' story because of the life lessons part, and this movie is a knife in my heart always. In fact, imma rewatch it today.

15. Love Triangle

Yeah I'm not like everybody else, I'm a great fan of triangles where the third party is an incredibly lovely person who would make a great partner but absolutely does not stand a chance, hence my choice of I Told Sunset About You. Bas might be adorable and sweet, but he's not the one fondling Oh Aew on the bedroom floor. Still he has the stones to fight the losing battle and I respect the fuck outta that.

17. Ugly Duckling

For me the best ugly duckling stories are the ones where the duckling doesn't change a fucking thing and still bags their babe anyway, and that's why my fave is Secret Crush On You. Actively rejecting the makeover trope to deliver a message of 'I am very into your specific flavour of *gestures* this' with all three of their couples is my favourite execution of this trope, hands down.

[markmybirds]

15 Day BL Challenge

Doing this Day-By-Day will probably be too much for brain so I have decided since it's relaxed I will be doing this 1-5 days over 3 days. I just want to also add on that I am an avid watcher of many different kinds of dramas, and I embrace different countries also. But I will probably go off of mostly Thailand here. This will get more complicated if I invest in my JBL and TaiwanBL pools and Growing KBL. I may do honourary mentions to those couples though I choose to use some of those pairings as my faves.

(Mom Life..) Also final beginning note: All original screen grab/posters/gif makers are given credit in the image descriptions. Day One: Favourite OG Actor Pairing My choice is Boun Noppanut Guntachai and Prem Warut Chawalitrujiwong (With Honourary Mentions: Billkin & PP Krit, Both Nattapong & Newyear Kitiwhut, Max Kornthas & Nat Natasitt and Ja Phachara & First Chalongrat) I will say I didn't know who to choose because I don't know who would be considered "OG" so I went with like a comfort couple of mine that has been continuously a comfort couple. I can't put into words how much I love them but really, if it's BounPrem I'm there and I'm watching it. I love how both of them are "comfortable" in their own way and they have shown us that they can be supportive of one another even when working on their solo activities. Boun has also put people in their place a few times for misconceptions of himself and Prem. As for Prem I just have always enjoyed his quiet nature. Also his quick responses that come out of nowhere and surprise Boun. (Example: Saying I love you when Boun told an interviewer he would love someone to say it genuinely to him one day.. Or that he'd donate his heart to Boun if he needed a replacement. Actually my husband and Boun have the same condition! It's something that can be helped when they're older.)

Also. Boun has one of the best laughs in all of Thailand oh and his earrings~! Come at me if you disagree. I am vibrating in anticipation for The Vampire Project.

Day Two: Favourite Rookie Actor Pairing Oh boy. Uh. There are so many but I think in the circumstances that both of the actors were rookies when they did their first series together? Tutor Koraphat Lamnoi and Yim Pharinyakorn Khansawa. Although Yim had been in the business since he was a teenager he didn't have a successful drama until he was paired with Tutor in Cutie Pie as NuerSyn. (Honourary Second Place: GeminiFourth Honourary Third Place: DaouOffroad Honourary Taiwanese Coupling: Tseng Jing Hua and Peng Cian You~. And shush! They were SO A COUPLE OK. ).

I just enjoy these two so much, their aesthetic is of course off the charts with Yim's ethereal alien looks and the fae-kind creature we know as Tutor. I consider them my comfort couple. The moment Yim entered Cutie Pie as Syn I knew he'd be my favourite character. After I finally got more into CP due to War, I got smacked by them a second time years later.

Also don't tell Zee and NuNew or Max and Nat but they were my favourite land for DMDLand2. Poker Land slapped so hard and both of these men are super talented. Yim was even sick when he performed and Tutor kept taking glances to check in on him. They are my comfort couple, I enjoy their relationship (whatever it is offcam) dynamic that we get to see. They admit to bickering a lot at the beginning of their promotions as a CPL. I love how daring they have been since the beginning too, our poor Kla and Ker working hard to maintain their and our sanities with these two. I can't wait for "Battle of the Writers"! Day Three: Side Dish That Should've Been the Main Course Warning to those who are heart broken like me: NetJames Incoming.

This is going to hurt my heart. This drama was not a BL but the side dish was our same sex relationship trope in the drama. The main coupling was two amazing actors who I love dearly I just felt that the director did NOT use Great and Four's actually-there-tension at all. The side couple is: Net Siraphop Manithikhun and James Supamonkon Wongwisut as Captain and Foei in Catch Me Baby. (I advise for people's sanity to never read MDL comments on dramas though. They have a weird hate for Thai actors..) I am not going to sit here and explain how I feel about NetJames since the news. I respect them, and I think NetJames fans need to learn to respect their boundaries and what they are going through right now. Cause ISTG if I read another: WHERE IS ___!? in their IG lives again I will explode and take everyone out. Also, I will forever support them individually or together.

That said Captain and Foei had that frienemies to lovers trope and chef's kiss. Just. I started this drama before I got back into the Thai BL scene again and it was what made me anticipate and watch Bed Friend every week when it aired. I have honourary mentions but every one of these I loved the main couple just as much or a little more than these side couples so I didn't choose them. Or they were the second half of their show's main couple or they got a spin off or show of their own (LOOKIN AT YOU YIDIAO~). GeminiFourth as Heart and Li Ming in Moonlight Chicken, JeffBarcode as KimChay in KinnPorsche, TutorYim as NuerSyn in CP and CP2 and NB, AyaKate as YiwaMarine in Wedding Plan (This is GL couple~), PealSee as TheeThai from Laws of Attraction and you can argue this with me but if you saw MoD you know this is canon: GreatMD as Inspector M/Dr. Oat in Manner of Death. Oh one more. Sorry. I love myself a good Side Couple: Xiao Kaizhong and Gao Han as MaoK in Falling Into Your Smile (they're a couple ok. AS READER OF THEIR WEBNOVEL YOU CAN NOT CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE.)

Day Four: Fave Ship Dynamic Oh my gods. Do you know how hard this question is for me? I'm like.. "Yes?". As a character artist and avid role player I like most ship dynamics. Wardog would tell you it's "Side Character Plots". So if I had to choose only one it'd be Character with Trauma x Green Flag. I love it even more if the Green Flag learns to be one through trying to be there for their love interest. They could also just both be people with trauma and both be green flags who heal each other. I am extending an invitation to view this gifset by Pharawee in its entirety because it's my fave part of LITA. And I have a lot of fave parts in LITA.

And here are some couples that fit here: FortPeat as PrapaiSky from Love in the Air, JaFirst as LeoFiat from Don't Say No, Okura Takato and Hyuga Wataru as Kaido Amane and Yamasuga Ryuji from Kimi to Narakoi wo Shite Mite mo, Tseng Jing Hua and Peng Cian You as Pu Yi Yong and Cao Guangyan from Oh No! Here Comes Trouble, NetJames as KingUea in Bed Friend, JimmySea as MhokDay in Last Twilight, PavelPooh (PoohPavel? ekeke) as CharlieBabe from Pit Babe and I could be here all day listing this trope.. So one more and I think this ship works on both sides: BillyBabe as PhayaTharn from The Sign.

Day Five: Biggest Flop Uhm. The problem is I like lower-income-shows but I think because of the lack of ethics behind this show: For Him and not because of the cast. I really enjoyed the cast, I just feel awful they had to work with so little to get at least decent content out. And that Tor had been harassed and stalked by one of the production members. I enjoyed the first few episodes, though the decline in quality of script and shots the cast had been given is very evident each episode you go through. The chemistry of the couples was chemistrying even with scenes like stepping on a new tattoo... For more information about this I would view befuddledcinnamonroll's 15 Day Challenge and pharawee's (wow we're on that tumblr a lot in this) coverage of the issues: here and here. Also reading through some of the casts' Twitters and

Another "Possible Flop" right now, hopefully not forever, I would say is Red Peafowl. Which is such a shame since their pilot slapped so hard.

TBC tomorrow~.

To do your own 15 Day BL Challenge Go Here!

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

Every week I will post various reviews I've written so far in 2024. You can check out my Goodreads for more up-to-date reviews HERE.

___

213. Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I fell in love with this author a couple of books ago and I'm glad I've caught up on their books! I love the dynamics between the characters and the age gap trope, especially how Wilsner presents the relationships respectfully.

While SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT wasn't my favourite of Wilsner's books, I really, really enjoyed the building of the relationship and the will-they-won't-they mood. I loved that one MC (the older, famous one) was all stubborn and stoic, keeping her emotions close to the chest and making the silly, misguided decisions, and that the younger MC was strong-willed enough to keep moving forward and that she used her voice to the best of her ability--especially during a certain, triggering situation.

While this was a relatively clean romance, this is truly a story about the relationship between these two women and what it would look like in Hollywood if a famous child star truly followed their career hearts, while hiding their true self from the rest of the world. But even without the spice, there was such a delicious tension between the two characters. It got to a certain point where I just wanted one of them to cross the line so they could be put out of their misery.

I also loved the fake dating trope, even if it was more of an accidental thing and less of a "let's do this for this" kind of thing. I just see it as a natural byproduct of this attraction the two women have for each other but have never actually acted upon.

I'd recommend this sapphic romance to anyone who loves romance novels but not so much steamy scenes. If you'd rather read the slow burn build up and tension than pages and pages of sex, then this is the book for you!

___

214. At First Spite by Olivia Dade--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blessed be a romance with a beautiful fat woman and NO FATPHOBIA! HOORAH!

I find this ironic, however, considering that one of the reasons why I'm so wary of Dade's writing is because the second book I ever *tried* to read by her had raging fatphobia, to the point where I couldn't just attribute it to the point of the story.

AT FIRST SPITE isn't a romance about a fat woman who falls in love despite her size, it's a love story about a fat woman who finds love, period. She's got curves and she's glorious. AND she's got two brothers pining for her. Be-still my heart. Even if the love interest is a little rough around the edges--but hey, I blame his intense social anxiety and misplaced concern.

I really loved AT FIRST SPITE, it took me completely by surprise and didn't let me go until the very end. I was swooning and giggling and then empathizing with the MC as she suffered through a debilitating fight with depression. I liked the honest exploration of that too, and how it can look different on everyone. I especially loved the emphasis on how important it is to check on the people you love because you never know what battles people are experiencing in their minds.

I loved the small town feel and camaraderie between all of the citizens and the FMC, even though she was new. The way they all accepted her and looked out for her warmed my heart.

And please, the MMC was, phew. Listen, he wasn't perfect, but he was so humanly flawed and cared SO MUCH about the people he loved, it was to a debilitating point. But I loved how flawed he was, especially in his attempts to be open with the FMC. I loved that he has a fear of creepy dolls and that he is always trying to make his brother's life easier (even if he shouldn't), but I especially love the ways he tries to help the FMC rise above her self-doubt (even if he at one point accidentally caused part of her downward spiral).

Overall, this was wonderful and I loved every second of it. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to hug someone. And please, that bathtub scene? Second favourite bathtub scene now.

___

215. Egotistical Puckboy by Eden Finley & Saxon James--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Re-read June 2024

Catch me re-reading these books less than a year later because I was craving them and because I want to finish this series (which has been amazing so far). While this isn't my favourite one in the series, I DO love the chemistry between the two MCs and how they are somehow so similar...but not?

One of the things that I'm finding I'm loving the hell out of these two authors (which I think I never appreciated before) is how funny they are. Their dialogue is hilarious and their characters just jump off the pages.

Anyway, this was funny, sexy, and just purely addicting.

___

216. Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

LOOKING FOR SMOKE is a very important read that focuses on the missing and murdered Indigenous girls and women. In this particular story, we follow a group of friends as they navigate the investigation in their friends' deaths and how it affects them and their various families.

From the very beginning, Cobell's novel challenges the reader to think critically about how the police and society views Indigenous women--especially in their own communities. There was a quote where it was mentioned that it's common knowledge that if you want to get away with murder, you should go to an Indigenous community (which is a terrifying concept to note). Having read HIGHWAY OF TEARS, this specific quote reminded me of all the very real families who have never even had the closure of finding a body.

Whereas Cobell's novel does in fact explore the murders and are actively (after being contacted by the families on more than a few occasions) hunting for killer, it's a sad common thing for the police to completely disregard Indigenous women who have gone missing and/or have been murdered.

LOOKING FOR SMOKE also explores the complicated relationship people (especially teens) have with their identities and culture if they grew up outside of the "norm". One of the MCs grew up off the Tribe's land, so she experiences bullying from her classmates--which introduces the idea of how difficult it can be to be accepted into a close-knit community who is used to going through the difficulties and racism of the outside world together.

There are so many important topics explored in LOOKING FOR SMOKE beyond what I've already mentioned. There's parental abandonment, allusions to sexual assault, descriptions of how someone has died, and the pressures placed on a teenager by the community and family.

This isn't a light novel, but it's an important one. I think this should be one of those books that shouldn't be swept away by the sea of other releases. If you're a fan of THE FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER, I think you'll want to read this one!

___

217. Never Have I Evan by DJ Jamison--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Re-read June 2024

I absolutely loved and devoured this book (for the second time). I've been craving a re-read so I can actually finish this trilogy and I'm glad I did, because I loved this one just as much as I did the first time! I won't write any more because I feel like my initial review said everything that needed to be said!

Happy reading! __ NEVER HAVE I EVAN took me by complete surprise! I was craving a story that would captivate me fully and this one definitely did it for me in the most unexpected way. I loved these two men from the moment the story started.

We get complicated backstories and a lot of character development, along with fantastic tension. One of my favourite things about this book is the level of communication and the maturity of the two characters. I often forgot that one of the MCs is only 19 because of how he navigated the harder hurdles in his relationship with the other MC. I just loved their dynamic so much and how they overcame their pasts and the hardships they might face in their futures.

I also LOVED the small town aspect and how everyone is trying to set the one MC up on dates because they just want him to find the perfect guy for him. The grannies of the town LOL.

I definitely see myself re-reading this in the future. I loved it so much!

___

218. Irresponsible Puckboy by Eden Finley & Saxon James--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Re-read June 2024

The way I would protect Dex and his puppy eyes with my life. When he was completely oblivious and trusting in this book, I wanted to give him the biggest hug. My heart hurt for him.

Much like I've noticed with a lot of the books in this series, these characters are so similar. LOL they're both loveable idiots who make questionable choices and then have to survive the consequences. I do love how these two MCs work off each other and just get each other. Their love, I find, is the purest one of all the couples because it's both so pure and just...such a perfect example of how much these two love each other.

___

219. Shameless Puckboy by Eden Finley & Saxon James--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The way I WAS YELLING near the end. These two loveable idiots, I swear to...

I remember when I first got to this one the first time around, I wasn't ready for the hilarity of these two characters together. But this time around, I look forward to it.

One of the wonderful things about this author duo is that they're really good at pairing up couples. These two worked off each other SO WELL. The age gap helped them in the sense that the older MC needed someone to make him be a little less serious about life, while the younger MC needed a steady hand to help him feel more stable in his life.

I think of all the couples I read in this series, this was the spiciest because of how they egged each other on. These risky moments also endeared me to the older MC because of his attempts to satisfy the younger MC, but not in a way that would get them in trouble. It was considerate and showed the love they share for each other.

Also, that ending! Please. I was howling as the story concluded because they're just so perfect together. I don't know when it'll happen, but I will definitely be re-reading these in the future!!

___

220. Foolish Puckboy by Eden Finley & Saxon James--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The moment I saw who this was going to be about, I lost my cool and absolutely could not wait. Omg, these two 🥲

Please, of all the PUCKBOYS book, this was the funniest. The beginning had me laughing so much that I definitely dropped the book a few times. Not only was I waiting for this one (especially after an event that happened in the previous book), but to be brought into the story with this level of humour? Yes, thank you.

This is also one of the books in the series that has a love interest who isn't all about hockey or connected to the world of hockey. The firefighting MC was actually such a great humbling character for the hockey boys in this series. AND his connection to a bunch of other characters in this universe makes me want to go on a binge-reading session of other Saxon James books.

I loved that the hockey MC is essentially finding himself after a long failed marriage. His self-discovery moments was one of the reasons why I was so excited to pick this book up. Everything Queer is a learning curve for him and it was interesting seeing him gain confidence in himself and that happiness he deserved after his marriage ended. I do wish we had gotten an interaction between him and his ex, but I also get that this was all completed before the story itself.

These two were one of the only ones that had a minor miscommunication, which was surprising, but I did appreciate how their communication worked and how it all ended up coming together. I love them so much and how much they love each other. Sometimes it's hard to believe these aren't real people.

___

221. Welcome to Camp Nightmare by R.L. Stine--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Okay, this was...interesting? Weirdly enough, the least Goosebump-y story I've read so far in the series. But I did like that instead of it feeling like horror story full of cheap scares, it just felt kind of suspenseful? What was happening at this camp, and why are the counsellors acting so strangely?

Of course, there were the cheesy cliffhanger endings to chapters and not-so-surprising twists in the body of the story, I feel like a Goosebumps story wouldn't be the same without the cheese-factor, but I did like that it didn't have over-the-top mean parents, and had some semblance of a mystery to it.

But the biggest surprise of all was that ending. While I was laughing at the ridiculousness of it, I was struck silent by those last few lines. Now THAT was a surprising experience and definitely brought the rating up.

___

222. The Friendship Study by Ruby Barrett--⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

THE FRIENDSHIP STUDY wasn't what I was expecting, but I still enjoyed it for what it was. I loved the bi-rep and the mental health rep that we also got. It was a great exploration of these two characters who have their own battles to fight, somehow coming together to meet in the middle and fall in love.

There were a few reviews mentioning that this wouldn't really classify as a friends-to-lovers book and I have to agree. From the moment these two met, there were romantic sparks--no friendship in sight, even if it was pretended otherwise. Even with the friendship study, there wasn't really that moment of friendship we often seen in friends-to-lovers themed romances.

Speaking of the friendship study itself: this felt kind of anti-climactic? Like, there wasn't a very big payoff for this part of the story? It almost feels like the story would have been fine without it. I know it served to bring the two MCs out of their shells, but I wish there had been more weight to the idea of this friendship study. It felt like there wasn't enough to make me care about it--especially when the MCs start to break the rules.

And one of the things that really bugged me was the ex-boyfriend-turned-friend. There's this thing in romance where a lot of the time the onus of a breakup or fight is put on the man. I'm not saying this isn't usually the case (the man fucks up, he has to fix the problem), but sometimes it's the opposite and I think that's what happened here. Blaming the MMC for that atrocious third act break up was a mess and the way the ex treats the situation was sloppy. Especially after the fact. Although I did like what the MMC said to the FMC after the fact.

That third act break up just...sigh. It was so frustrating and wouldn't have happened if there was communication AND understanding. We have an MMC who is socially anxious enough that his words are hard to come by, so the whole thing was just so...it was like the story needed a reason for the conflict without considering how the MMC's mental health and anxiety actually works.

Anyway, three stars for a good chunk of the book and the chemistry between the two MCs, but I wouldn't be surprised with myself if I lowered the rating in the future. The more I write this review, the more I realize how frustrated I was with the story.

___

Have you read any of these books? What were your thoughts?

___

Happy reading!

[cindersart]

What’s your favorite trope or cliché?

favourite romantic trope is battle couple :) favourite non-romantic trope is 'sad scary adult adopts a small child or is adopted by a small child' and the two things go hand in hand when you CONSIDER:

the small child sees some other scary or sad adult and decides. 'You. You will be my other parent.' and basically wingmans their parent into a battle couple :)

[whinlatter]

author's note | chapter 3: nocturnal 🌙

here is the author's note for chapter 3, with a few short reflections on writing, headcanons, fic recs (and a tiny sneak peek of chapter four). for an explanation of why i'm inflicting these author's notes on you see here!

✨ spoilers for this chapter below the cut (and a tiny sneak peek of chapter 4…) ✨

thank you for reading the third chapter of beasts! this chapter follows ginny’s first (proper) day back at hogwarts after the war, from morning til night. we have some familiar faces back with us, as well as a couple of new ones. lot to talk about - let's get stuck in...

[ nocturnal, adjective: being active or happening at night rather than during the day:of the night, or relating to the night ]

acknowledgements:

thanks to @pebblysand @evesaintyves and @takearisk-ao3 for their extremely helpful suggestions on introducing and sketching out O.Cs. and thank you to @incalculablepower on TTB for clarifying what did or did not happen with ginny’s OWLs!

writing notes and headcanons:

on canon references (or: back to the prisoner of azkaban): i’m having so much fun pilfering and borrowing my favourite tropes or moments in canon and sort of interpolating them into the vibes of certain scenes for this fic. for this chapter, the book i kept going back to for this chapter was PoA. this is the book we see ginny the least in, save for a brief intro in diagon alley and her traumatic experience with the dementor on the train, where she and the trio all meet remus, but we know, for her, it’s the aftermath year of her deeply traumatic first year. it only seemed right to do PoA here, as we find ginny, again, starting a new aftermath year now that the war is won. there are references to PoA throughout - remus’ DADA lessons, obviously the hippogriffs and the care of magical creatures lessons, but also werewolves, dementors, the press, and the beginnings of criminal trials. with the opening scene i was trying to do a call-back to the opening of PoA, which begins with harry in the middle of the night, writing in bed, quill between his teeth, worried about getting ink on the sheets, receiving the daily prophet clipping and letters from his friends. two soulmates mimicking each other i die i die. (also time-turning because you know ya girl loves a flashback)

on letters: letters, writing, handwriting, reading between the lines: these are really crucial in canon - there’s often a romance and magic to them, and they serve a rich way of characters connecting across distance and time (lily potter’s little wave to her son through her letter Gs!) as we know, though, writing to others is canonically also a loaded theme, fraught with risk and danger and secrets, the threat of interception. ginny more than most has reason to feel wary when she picks up a pen. expect lots more letters and refections on this in future chapters…

on the camera and the nimbus: when i one day put out the summer ‘98 fic that i write and re-write and scrap every so often, you’ll get the story of how harry and ginny come to possess these two items - but for now, i’m keeping hush, you're going to have to forgive me trust me

on head boys and head girls: as we see in this chapter, hermione and justin finch-fletchley are the first postwar heads of school. these are symbolic appointments as well as reflections of the staff and governors' faith in them - two muggleborns, both plainly bearing the scars of their, very different, wartime experiences. there’s been some super interesting discussion about this (here and here) and although i don’t think hermione should be head girl, i think she would be, in ways that make for an interesting arc for her. stay tuned on this...

on lavender: i just don’t think she’s dead, i’m sorry 🥲 it’s just too brutal for her to have died and her only plot service to be ron’s clingy ex! my girl was a proud DA member and fought in the battle and deserves a chance at having a meaningful life after her injuries ok

on ginny and mcgonagall: i strongly suspect ‘forgot to brake, sorry professor’ was not the first time these two gryffindor ladies clashed. i assure you, in this fic, it will not be the last.

on professor graves: i’ve always been so so so fascinated by the department of mysteries and the unspeakables, and so introducing a former dept of mysteries guy to take the defence class - already a tricky posting, especially after the students have had a year being taught how to do dark magic by death eaters - seemed really compelling, especially as we play with some of the themes about beasts and the darker parts of a person's nature. stay tuned for more prof graves action...

on ginny and remus: we have only tiny hints that ginny and remus have some kind of friendship that harry doesn’t really see in canon - the poa interaction, moments in ootp where remus stays with ginny and the twins on the night bus (ofc he’s also living at grimmauld with ginny and her family in that book, too); ginny’s closeness to tonks; and that fantastic moment in DH where remus vouches for ginny to her parents and persuades molly and arthur to let ginny stay in the room of requirement during the battle, so she’ll know what’s going on. i’m absolutely not the first one to suspect remus lupin might see something of himself and try and look out for ginny in her second year, but i am loving thinking through their dynamic here, and the idea of remus and hagrid also having their own existing friendship and rapport

on little women: fraught, fiercely loving sisterhood, matriarchs, writing, war… hermione just had to be rereading little women, didn’t she?

on siegfried sassoon and the death bed: i know it’s extremely pretentious wanky of me to start with a poem but one of my favourite favourite books is pat barker’s regeneration, which is about soldiers at a scottish convalescent home suffering with PTSD during the first world war (it’s a fictionalised account of real people, including sassoon the war poet, who were patients at craiglockhart during the war). there are lots of themes and dynamics in that novel that i’m shamelessly trying to play with here, strongly recommend a read, and i’m also just a massive huge sassoon fan and this is one of two of his poems that i keep coming back to for this fic. (graves is actually a reference to robert graves, the poet and classicist, who appears as a character in regeneration). the vibes are very much this!

reading list for chapter 3

on epistolary fiction and letter-writing (esp. harry/ginny):

castles by @pebblysand warm front by flagpoles (@jiilys) enough of both by @takearisk-ao3

on harry calling ginny ‘gin’: 

you’re the only one who gets to call me that, you know by @hiinnys (AO3)

on postwar ron and ginny:

hide-and-seek by stuckwithminusharry

on postwar hermione:

Failure by @floreatcastellumposts

on mcgonagall:

Autumn is a Time of Change by wasureneba

on hannah abbott: 

naive: in defense of hannah abbott by dirgewithoutmusic

on remus and food: 

It’s just what you do to get by by anonymous for remus lupin fest 2023

songs from the playlist particularly for this chapter:

dismantle by peter sandberg | september - instrumental by sparky deathcap | this is how we walk on the moon by arthur russell | tommy's tarbukas by alasdair fraser | sinnerman by nina simone | lonesome am i by missisipi john hurt

plus a very short sneak peek of chapter four... 🧹

‘Right,’ she says. ‘You can all put your brooms down over there.’ Thirty blank faces stare back at her. ‘You know,’ she says, raising her eyebrows, ‘an important part of being on a Quidditch team is following direction.’

🦉 thoughts & questions? ask me anything!

[seafoampages]

Writeblr Intro

hi, welcome to my writeblr! my name is cam, i’m a 20-year-old english lit and publishing student, and i’m creating this new blog because posting about my wips motivates me to work on them!

i’ll be posting info about my wips including character aesthetics, playlists, excerpts and memes, plus updates on what i’m currently reading

pronouns: she/her

hobbies (besides writing): cooking & baking, reading, painting, video games (pokémon, sims, minecraft)

favourite books: the book thief (marcuz zusak), roots of chaos series (samantha shannon), practical magic series (alice hoffman), when women were dragons (kelly barnhill), the lunar chronicles (marissa meyer), the scholomance series (naomi novik), the school for good and evil series (soman chainani) and the miseducation of cameron post (emily danforth)

audience: ya / new adult

genres: high fantasy + urban fantasy, sci-fi, romance

common tropes in my writing: grumpy sunshine pairings, protective siblings overcoming conflict (50% chance the sister is a scientist, 100% chance both of them are queer), faeries, unapolagetically affectionate couples, very tall hot people, defrosting ice queens

my wips include:

WE ARE THE BURNED 🔥⚔️🌊

main wip, high fantasy, new adult,multiple pov, mediterranean-inspired setting

in a world where words are magic, and breaking a promise could take your life, nations battle for territory and glory. avary and ronan must fight to stay together while escaping the country they love, tariq struggles to live between the cruelty of his city’s cartel and the gentle wisdom of his teacher, and abilenne weaves through her responsibilities as a crown princess, eldest sister and future bride

themes include overcoming other people's expectations and found family

UNNAMED HARPY WIP 🕊🗡☀️ 

high fantasy, ya, fairytale retelling, sapphic romance

thayde’s favourite story as a child was the one about an ancient princess who could see the future, locked in a tower prison by a warlock. but it was also her least favourite, because it didn’t have a hero. now a fully grown harpy, thayde wants to win the queen’s tournament and prove herself worthy of finding the kingdom’s best kept secret.

themes include discovering self-worth and enemies to lovers

MAGES 🌃✨💀

urban fantasy, ya, alternate earth

kad’s mother was a murderer, a terrorist, a villain. the whole world is hell-bent on reminding her, despite being taken in by the Dupuis foster home for gifted mages and doing her best to be a normal pyromancer. but her magic refuses to grow and the dangers that ended her old family are threatening her new one. can kad uncover what’s happening and make up for her mother’s atrocities?

themes include found family, magical coffee shop and science-fantasy mashup

[theflyindutchwoman]

Okay so now that the season is over and the dust has settled… and also to give us all something to do over the hiatus: what are your five favorite chenford scenes/moments from season 6?

Oooh, that's a really good question, thank you for this trip down memory lane ᡣ𐭩

. 05 - The Elevator Hug (6.09) Ngl, I hesitated between this moment, the wedding dance and the birthday card… But, ultimately, I have to go with this one (for tonight ha!). Maybe it's because I just love their hugs so much - and this one is so beautiful… It mirrors their hug at the hospice perfectly, which is one of my favourite scene of theirs. Maybe it's because of the context, making this one extra special. Or maybe it's because of all the lovely details, like Tim melting into her embrace, Lucy closing her eyes after he says "I'm okay now" and squeezing him a bit more… You can feel the love and caring amidst all the hurt and heartbreak. It doesn't fix anything, it is simply a short respite for the both of them… and for us.

. 04 - Letting Lucy sleep in (6.03) It's a small scene, but the gesture is incredibly sweet. And domestic with Tim getting dressed in front of her. Of course, Primm had to ruin it with his mind games and all, but I just love this little moment where we could see Tim taking care of Lucy and letting her rest because she needed it.

. 03 - Trophy (6.03) + Radio Gift (6.05) Technically, these are two different scenes… But the idea behind it is similar. In both cases, it's Tim taking the time to make silly - but meaningful - gifts to Lucy to show her the support she deserves and how proud he is of her. It's about acknowledging her in a season where it often felt like she was isolated and alone… if not unseen. And, of course, there is the wonderful "you could never disappoint me", something she desperately needed to hear.

. 02 - Battle Couple (6.10) My favourite trope and these two do it so well… even when they're no longer a couple and things are still awkward between them. The whole sequence was so good : Lucy speeding to get to Tim, coming up with a crazy plan and giving instructions to Angela who didn't even blink an eye… that jump… and when things finally slowed down, that look between Tim and Lucy… the man was shooketh.

. 01 - Hospital scene (6.04) Hands down, my favourite scene of the season. From the way Lucy was all alone, in clear distress over the events of the day but trying to hold it together, to Tim who rushed to her side, not even taking the time to change his clothes and yet had the presence of mind to take her bag with him… To him trying to make her laugh a little, touching her to ground her in the present and reassure her (and him for that matter) and engulfing her in a hug to comfort her… And what a hug! He was trying to shield her, cradling her, his hand on her head and her hand on his chest, close to his heart as if she needed to hear his beating heart… Such a great parallel to some of their other hugs. And of course : "let's go home".

[foggysirens]

what are your favorite aus/tropes for dinluke? i personally love western au

ooooh western aus are fantastic, so im with you there! i think the mandalorian being like a spaghetti western itself lends it to those aus wonderfully and they’re so good!

for me personally, i love the mutual pining trope for dinluke, they just fit the trope so well, both din and luke having these complex and complicated relationships with relationships that nobody does pining like them (other notable mentions are the battle couple trope, idiots in love and really anything that will lead to some good hurt/comfort)

as for aus I LOVE AUS IM AN AU GIRLIE and for dinluke i think some of my favourite are the ones where they actually met before the events of anh and like accidentally got married and somehow get separated but then find each other later. i also really love just like, any modern setting aus. like there are so many creative ones out there that i can’t even narrow it down. but most of all i love soulmate aus, call me a hopeless romantic, but they’re so good, especially when one half has to hide the bond for some reason??? im eating that up with a spoon and running laps around my room

[whumpsmith]

1, 5, and 6 for Lyall? 👀

-- @whumperofworlds

1. What appeals to you about this character?

He's just sooooo

you feel me? Cuteness aggression. But also! Behind the scenes he's been through a lot of growth. Started out as a helpless kid, and has been gradually regaining some autonomy. Very much of a two steps forward, one step back - my strongest soldier having had the toughest battles 🩷

5. What's your favourite whump trope to use for this character and why?

Man I just-- I just wanna see him bleed. He moonlights as a superhero so I guess 'peril' is the most common 👀

6. Whose relationship with this character is your favourite, shipping or otherwise?

If I had to choose, gun to my head, I would say the relationship to his brother. He's a couple years older, but he's been through the wringer too and he didn't manage to bounce back the same way Lyall did. Now all of a sudden Lyall is fulfilling the role of an older brother, and it's not easy on either of them, but it brings them closer together.

Other honourable mentions include:

his boyfriend, Achilles (by @dr-abitat-blog), who stuck with him through the worst and only deserves the best for his infinite patience.

his father, who ages 20 years from stress every time Lyall ends up in hospital

his best friend, his sister from another mister, Faline, who has also been there with and for him in thick and thin

his brother from another mother, Evan (by @illustriousshadow), who's either 'we ride together, we die together' or 'I've never seen him before in my life, officer'