#it’s almost like enemies to lovers is my OTP

[marauder23]

First Line Ask Game! Rules: List the first lines of the last ten stories you published (or works in progress if you’re feeling brave lol). See if you or others notice any patterns!

Oh snap. Last 10 published? Here. We. GO.

1. Stick & Poke (Louigan, e, WIP, 5/8, tattoo parlor/flower shop AU)

The buzz of the tattoo gun sings. A familiar hum that elicits a shiver of excitement at the base of her spine.

2. upon a dream (Reylo, e, 1/1, dead dove/non con, dark fairytale)

He came to her at night.

The room was dark. Cold. Thick stones unable to keep out the chill of the winter despite the fire burning low in the grate.

3. Stubborn Follies (Reylo, e, 12/12, regency)

It was, of course, well understood that the duty of a well-bred lady once she came of age was to secure a most advantageous match. After all, this was her sole purpose. Not only for her family but for herself. Marriage was the manner in which she ensured her future. For otherwise, she risked the term dreaded by debutants the world over: spinster. Old maid. A burden on her family and a social pariah.

4. Crash (Reylo, e, 1/1, wounded enemies to lovers)

It’s been 47 hours when Rey finally hears the creak of the old weathered deck floorboards just outside. She’d been dozing in the sagging armchair by the fire, worn and lumpy. She was unable to resign herself to the bedroom. Not when he was still out there. But her eyes itch with tiredness. Heavy and half-lidded. She must have dropped off a while ago because there’s a pained crick in her neck when she stumbles to her feet to investigate the noise.

5. Home to You (Reylo, e, 10/10, holiday second chance romance, social media fic)

It’s been seven years since Ben has been back in his hometown. Seven long years. And in that time, he’s been busy. Up to his eyeballs in work actually.

First Order Corp was a project he’d started back in grad school with his mentor, Anthony Snoke. And now? Now it’s net worth is upwards of $68 billion dollars.

6. Damned (Reylo, e, 1/1, Halloween spooky/dead dove/dub con/stepcest)

Her breath caught in her lungs. Her palms were sweating, skin prickling in alarm. Every hair along her body seemed to stand on end, goosebumps crawling up her arms.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

They weren’t even supposed to be here.

7. Shower (Reylo, e, 1/1, micro, best friend’s older bro AU)

His breath is hot at her shoulder.

Rey’s back presses firmly to the glass as Ben’s hands tangle with hers, threading his fingers with her own as his body cages her in.

8. Vinyl (Reylo, e, 1/1, micro, record shop AU)

The shop bell dinged when he opened the door.

It was a dingy little hole in the wall record shop. Scratched records hung from the ceiling, graffitied and splattered with inky paints. There was something vibrant and visceral about the place. The music pumped through old amps around the room, the bass line and kick drum thrumming through his veins.

9. Party (Reylo, e, 1/1, micro, rivals to lovers office AU)

His eyes burn through her across the room. Twin black embers burning low in the dim lights of the vast hall.

The music echoes, the beat of the bass pulsing along with the rhythm of her heart. She feels it just beneath her ribs fluttering like a caged bird, clawing it’s way out.

10. Popcorn (Reylo, t, 1/1, micro, movie theater AU)

“Did Poe text you?”

“Yea. He can’t make it. Finn’s car is on the fritz so he had to pick him up.”

“Right.”

“What about Rose?”

“Didn’t Hux text you? Apparently her sister came into town last minute so now they’ve got to bail and hang with her.”

“Oh. Yea. Yup.”

Silence. Awkward, tension filled silence.

“Should we just—“

“Maybe we should—“

They both start talking at the same time and they laugh awkwardly. Rey shifts from foot to foot. Her and Ben have been part of the same group of friends for five years now. Ever since college. And as of two years ago they stopped hanging out alone.

Lord help us. I see lots of patterns including enemies and a certain level of thirst. What do y’all notice?

[silviakundera]

Are You The One very spoilery drama review

"Do you remember the archenemy I mentioned? ...Three years ago I played against (him). I lost that time. It was my first defeat in life. Strangely, I didn't feel sorrowful. Instead, I felt a kind of joy in meeting a worthy opponent. Since then, I've played against (him) several times. We're almost even. Each game is a battle of wits and courage, thrilling and intense. Rather than seeing him as an arch enemy, I consider him a close friend. I enjoy each game against (him). As long as he's my rival, the result doesn't matter."

Imagine you're a protagonist making THAT speech about his nemesis... then encountering said nemesis with injuries & amnesia, presuming this person is actually your nemesis's lover (because rumors/secret identity/sexism), and fake marrying them as a pretense to draw out and capture..... the person who is now your fake wife that you're falling in love with! Cause you were half in love with your nemesis already lmao. 🤡🤡🤡

Welcome to the set up of Are You The One, a costume drama romance with situational comedy and a dark under belly (as both ML and FL are ruthless schemers with blood on their hands).

The circumstances are inherently hilarious and the comedy revolves around the Shakespearean absurdity of the situation the characters find themselves in. This tends to be my preferred style of humor, in comparision to the comedy stylings of pratfalls, pranks, and goofy insults. Anyone who read my fanfics back in the day knows that I enjoy throwing my couples into ridiculous situations and then watching them have to deal with it in all seriousness (and fall in love in the meantime.)

Per usual for me in a narrative that's primary-romance, what matters most is that A) I understand why these 2 people match each other; B) by the time we reach the end, the otp are equal partners; C) BLOOD LUST (look I just enjoy an otp who will both stab an enemy in the gut, it is very sexy of them ok? ok)

Things that make me rabid about this drama:

At first he doesn't even register how beautiful she is, while canonically people are staring at her in the street, she's so lovely. This is because he is so fixated on this rival that he admires, who he has been battling for 3 years, that he only registers her as a pawn in their game

Very romantic & sexy to me that his connection & attraction to her build from him growing to understand her personality and admiring her qualities

Zhang Wanyi handles situational comedy tbh much better than I expected (having previously enjoyed him in a tragic role and then an angsty melo). Both Zhang Wanyi and Wang Churan very much embodied their characters, both the dark and light sides.

True enemies to lovers because he falls in love with all the qualities that he'd admired in his respected enemy: her decisiveness, her clever scheming, her loyalty, her meticulous nature. He is drawn to her as someone who is his equal and could be a true confidant - the same thing she sees in him.

By episode 7, he's started falling for her and the audience can see how it happened and why.

It was so good for me that when her memories secretly awaken, he senses this by observing, "Lately, I've always felt that there is someone who understands my thoughts, spies on my actions, and constantly leads me by the nose. Even if I gain something like today, it's because (he) made me this way. I haven't felt this way for a long time." / "When did you last have this feeling?" / "The last time was when I dealt with Lu Wen. Lu Wen should have returned."

We can also see why FL is falling for this person who lets her take charge and likes it, who enjoys her wits and starts backing her play.

The narrative structure is not just in medias res... It's truly atypical: we're dropped into this story 3 years in and because the perspective in the first third of the drama is the ML's, we share his narrow viewpoint and naturally presume that he's the protagonist hero of this tale, the morally grey but capable prince who is defending his province against bandits while fending off a royal court threatened by his military power.

But oops, what if it turns out that basically you're the sheriff of Nottingham and you've been battling Robinhood, who's actually your hot & brilliant fake-wife. And when you unknowingly captured Robinhood, it was too late -- she'd already been secretly supporting The Rightful King™ for years, and now she's a hero who helped the monarch rise to the thrown, and to an outsider you would be considered the dastardly scoundrel in this tale. 🤡

So IS he a villain? No, not really. He can coldly have his enemies killed and he certainly originally intended to kill FL, and then dispose of her bloodlessly, and then... (ANYWAY, yeah bro is Going Thru It™)

But everything he does is within the rights & privileges of his role, as ruler of the province and subject only to the emperor/empress dowager.

A man accostomed to wealth & power who was jaded and obviously just going thru the motions, fulfilling his responsibilities and resigned to being suspected by a weak ruler & conniving court, marrying a cousin who just wants his title, and protecting his borders out of duty. Until 3 years ago, when he starts battling against bandit leader Lu Wen. Now he's awake, he's excited, he has news to look forward to.

It's hilarious how he doesn't even see it in the initial episodes, the way he's accidentally moved that person in and now he's having to constantly maneuver around this person's decisive actions, and it's invigorating him. It's emotionally and mentally stimulating.

And then it's flipped where FL now has to come to the realization that life is more rewarding when she has ML to plan with, more satisfying than going it alone.

As a hater of amnesia plotlines, why didn't it repel me? 1) when we meet the character, she already has the memory loss; it's a defining trait and 2) she doesn't lose her intellgence with the memory loss and become pliant and just malleable like portrayed in other dramas - what makes the first 17 episodes a cat vs mouse cat game is that even with her memories stripped away, this person who's been told she's a merchant's sickly wife is still clever, conniving, and assertive... and we even see the willingness to get ruthless & violent if needed.

She's understandably infuriated & resentful upon regaining her memories -- such a proud & capable & independant person with big plans just manipulated for a year, tricked into giving care and affection to her enemy. But when she dismisses ML's now sincere feelings as, "What he wants to marry is not me, but the canary he has raised." ....the script has provided substantial evidence that in actuality he has a total complex about his mysterious nemesis; the real her inside, that couldn't be erased, is what he has always liked.

And then he gets the chance to prove it and finally openly express that to her.

After 17 episodes of her under the thumb of manipulation, the drama provides another 15 or so where she is in control of her own life and given the agency to decide if they could work, and she waits to be certain that ML doesn't want the canary in a cage after all. 👌 👌

I just very much appreciate dramas that show instead of tell, and earn the relationship. Convince me! The screenwriter shows their work not just on the main ship and secondary ships, but also the friendship between FL and the He merchant daughter. (The way they shift her from 'love rival' to empathizing w each other and actual friends was great - lol reminds me of Qin Zhenzhen from Princess Royal; sorry not sorry, my love rival actually likes me best now 😜)

Also also the emperor and empress slow burn ship in the 2nd arc of the drama was good stuff, I quite liked them.

Also also ALSO the main otp get 20+ minutes devoted to their (real) wedding in the final episodes. We get a proposal, marriage certificate signing, and one of the longest wedding ceremonies I've seen in a cdrama. Giving the people what they want!

[ominus-potato]

Genuine question, how do you make the dynamics for ships such as TrashCube, Chris x Swag, SMG34, Marware Etc

You mean like how do I see them? Ooo I love this question!!

Trashcube:

I haven’t entirely nailed down their dynamic yet. They’re old man Yaoi tho. I can see them balancing each other out. Bob helping SMG1 live on the edge a little and SMG1 encouraging Bob to do less illegal stuff.

When they started hanging out, Bob probably found SMG1 boring at first but then after living in the chaos that is his daily life, coming back to SMG1 at the end of the day to just relax and read or spend time together would be really nice.

I also love the idea that they just hang out bc they enjoy each other’s company and I could see something growing from that. We’re apparently gonna get a Medi fan episode about the two tho so we’ll see what their dynamic is really like in the show.

Chris x Swag:

Ohhhh boy I love this one!! I thought for a while about what their dynamic could be. I thought that maybe Chris is Swag’s side piece since he’s married to Sonic but after seeing Swag and Sonic’s relationship, I’ve come to accept that Swag would never leave nor cheat on Sonic. He loves him too much.

So, I’ve come to the conclusion that Chagmaster is one sided!

Chris has harboured feelings for his best friend for the past few years but since he doesn’t want to mess with Swag’s current relationship, he’s learnt to live with them and not let them show.

I think that’s why Chris is often threatening Sonic with a sniper when he’s on dates with Swag. Like a “you’d better treat him right” kinda thing. He just wants Swag to be happy, even if he’s not the one who’s able to do it.

SMG34:

I think their dynamic is pretty cut and dry. Enemies to lovers. Petty rivals with feelings. Enemies with benefits. Take your pick.

I love them as a ship and would love to see them be canon however due to the homophobic fan base I doubt we’ll get that anytime soon.

Their dynamic changes every time I write/draw them tbh. It can fit whatever narrative I need it to.

Hopelessly in love? Easy. Flirting? Alrighty. Shit talking each other and then proceeding to make out? Can do!

Depending on the story they can fit any dynamic which I do I like about them however it does make them feel very vanilla.

Marware:

They are my OTP. I love them. My faves.

Their dynamic is very much just YouTube Arc SMG34 atm but they have great potential to be a funny one sided rivalry type of thing.

Mario couldn’t really care less about how Puzzles feels about him. He just wants to watch tv, eat spaghetti and spend time with his friends.

Puzzles on the other hand is absolutely seething at the mere thought of Mario. He hates him so much. Almost a little… too much yk? 😏

I can see their dynamic shifting from what it is now to Mario just mildly annoying Puzzles and Puzzles just having to put up with it.

They’re a really funny ship to me and I love that bc that means I’m able to make jokes about them and come up with fun ideas for their relationship!

But yeah I love them.

Thise are all of my main ships. I also have others like Mar34, Mar4 and Mar3 and I’m always open to hearing new rarepairs like Bob x Shroomy (bad boy and good kid. COME ON HEAR ME OUT!)

But yeah! This is how I see the dynamics of the ships you’ve listed.

[readreactrant]

I watched Code Geass but before I get to my short rant about the show and the ship you can pretty much guess this is about…. Let me just say….

This show peaked at the pseudo incest brocon subplot, I'm taking no arguments!

Fine, fine, that's definitely not entirely true but Rolo's death had me pausing the show and staring at the screen like for what reason?! Let the boy be hopelessly obsessed goddammit 😭😭😭

Now I've gotten that out of my system…

Guess who's the character I hate most?

shocker I know/sarc

I haven't hated one half of my otp ship in a piece of media this much since that one Episode Nagi panel of Reo's heart getting destroyed by Nagi's dumbass (Reo my love love I'd treat you so much better)

Suzaku's case is worse by several degrees because his idiocy and attitude only continued to stoke the flames of my annoyance for the whole two fucking seasons until like the three or two episodes at the end cause oh my fucking God I cried.

(That shit was a wild ride enough nothing is making me watch any spin offs or side stories I care that little)

From the first moment he entered that Lancelot suit and agreed to help the side that attempted to silence him by murder, I clocked his ass and marked him as the dumbest bitch to ever exist but we love a protective loyal dog Top don't we ladies?

"I want to change the system from the inside-" bitch shut up these are colonizers you ain't changing nothing 😭

Even after they they tried pining the murder on him to sentence him to death AGAIN!! BOY WENT BACK.

AND!

He refused Zero?!

HUH?!?

Now I'm not a particularly patriotic person (I hate my county so so much) but if we got neo colonized, No matter what merits I would never be friendly or cooperative with the other side.

Suzaku stopped his country fighting back (valid reason or not I don't remember, he killed his dad and that meant surrender ig) and proceeded to kiss up to brits, fall in love with one of them, and further hinder every attempt of his own people fighting back because 'Violence wrong' but it's okay when he does it because some made up ideal told him being subservient would make a change. And it did….just for him tho, all other 11s? no one cares.

And it didn't even matter because Lulu's methods were always the ones that brought things closer!

I know it's a kind of a commentary on something, I ain't stupid but I was still pissed.

Literally had me gritting my teeth almost every time he stepped on screen, especially when he went pseudo emo after becoming a knight of round or whatever.

Bottom line, he frustrated me as much as he did Lelouch but I still wanted to see them FUCK.

The last couple of episodes where genuinely the best things I've ever watched and a brilliant end to the series. I wouldn't say I grew to enjoy all the characters but God did the plot threads keep me going.

Trust I understood very little about the gate shit and the killing God aspect but when you're having a fun time everything just looks good.

To sum up SuzaLulu…

Giving me friends to enemies to lovers (correct me not I won't hear you) All mixed together with the palpable hatred and vitriol they held toward each other is just too much.

And Lelouch as a bottom is literally my type >.< psycho, pretty, and bad at sports (also having a natural inclination to dominate others)??? SIGN ME THE FUCK UP!!!

His dramatic ass had me gripped and his personality contrasted so beautifully with Suzaku's dumbass that while I did want to be sad about that redhead he might have liked dying….girl bye 👋 make way for the gay 🏳️‍🌈

(Srsly tho, I was sad for a sec, it was a very shocking scene to say the least but Rolo pulled such a Brocon move I was laughing for a solid minute.)

I very much didn't want to be like most other yaoi shippers that watched this shit when they were ten and went for the very obvious but still delicious low hanging fruit yaoi but I see enemies to lovers mixed with tragic yaoi and an undeniably fun story and brain stops functioning lmaooo. Turns out I'm very much like other fujins ;p

Closing thoughts: Umm…If you're going to defend Suzaku in the replies…go for it I'm down to listen but he'll forever be my bitch. I love Lelouch but Light is better, Orange x Lelouch is underratedand C.C. and Kallen should have gotten married.

[dreamingoficedcoffee]

Everyone's like "Suren better watchout for Jude"

I know she better watch out (I love Jude with all my life at stake) but baby girl is the annihilation of magic. She removed the CURSE Jude placed on the soldiers, plus even when her powers were not predominantly active, she removed Hyacinthe's curse single-handedly. Not to mention she shouted "I want you dead" and Lady Nore burst like a freaking balloon.

Jude is mortally strong, but Suren is magically equal to Cardan's even more since she has undiluted magic whereas cardan has the magic which was passed down from Clovis.

So basically baby girl is strong as hell. Plus I don't think she'll keep Oak forever in chains. She's angry now, and if she intended to keep him in chains she wouldn't have visited him so often.

I just loved how they served childhood friends to enemies(but only because they were pitted on different sides by fate) to reluctant allies to almost lovers to enemies again.

They are OTP and people are forgetting Cardan and Jude played this level unhinged game too, and Jude might not have used bridle on Cardan, but still controlled in the Wicked King. So before being wroth on our little feral baby girl, just consider this : THE ANGST IN THE SECOND BOOK >>>>>

[delusionaid]

SHIPPING INFO. Answer the following for your muse(s) so people know how shipping works on your blog.

What’s your OTP for your Muse(s)?

I have a few "OTPs" for a few of my muses, but not for all of them. However, I choose not to state them for various reasons, one being that I feel like it might discourage someone from suggesting a different ship to me. Which it absolutely shouldn't. What does OTP for me even mean? Yes, in a way it is my favorite ship for a certain muse, for example for fanart, fanfics, or general discussions. However, general OTPs aren't always my favorites in RP. I have some ships in RP that I never even thought of before and wouldn't under normal circumstances call "my OTP", but writing them with a good writing partner makes them very dear to me and I wouldn't exchange or drop them for the world.

It's rare for me to really have a ship that I call an OTP, actually. I have some favorites and some I'll always like, but for a ship to qualify as OTP I really need to obsess over it thoroughly for a long period of time. I'd also almost go so far as to say I usually have one OTP per fandom, and not one per muse.

What are you willing to RP when it comes to shipping?

I am open to most things if they make sense to me for our muses; unless it is an AU I don't want to bend my muses out of character just to make a ship happen. I like many classic romance or fanfic tropes (enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, star-crossed, arranged royal marriage, fake dating, etc.) or naturally developing things, depending on the muses. There are a few things I won't write (for example non-con or underage), but like I said I almost never get requests for these things anyway, luckily. This is something I'd explain if it came up; I don't tend to post a list of No Gos just because it's rarely needed anyway.

Ideally I like to discuss ships beforehand - even if we're just planning the idea, and are waiting for the chemistry test - just to know if we're having similar tastes and thoughts, but if things progress naturally, then we can cross that bridge when we get to shippy land. The one thing I do insist on is that you tell me if there's something you absolutely don't want incorporated in our ships (e.g. you hate enemies to lovers, or anything relating to NSFW).

As stated in my rules, I don't auto-ship. That means even if you see me reblog fanart of a ship that doesn't mean I'll instantly ship that ship without any discussion beforehand. It means I like the ship tho, so if you are interested and we're mutuals, we can talk about it!

How large does the age gap have to be to make it uncomfortable?

As long as everyone's a consenting adult, I don't get uncomfortable by age gaps. Particularly not if one of or both of them are immortal. I am not necessarily a fan of (mortal x mortal) ships with a massive age gap but it can work for some characters in some contexts. As for 2300 y.o. vampire x 25 y.o. human? Absolutely no problem.

Are you selective when shipping?

Man, I'd love to just copy Lauri's text here but.. yes, I am. As stated before, I don't insta-ship - if we're seriously going to ship, I want to know that I am clicking with you as a writer and if we do, I want either extensive discussions of headcanons and backstories, or I want to start at the beginning / at a time where our muses aren't together yet. (This can also be the test for us to see if we click.) I don't want to write an established ship without any discussion beforehand, also in part because my favorite part about writing ships is the "getting together" phase.

I need chemistry between our muses. I might ship a ship in general but the way you write your muse just doesn't click with mine, so it really depends on the writer.

I am not usually ship exclusive, however I tend to not write the same ship more than once in most cases, particularly not if I have a bigger verse established that gets developed over time. Sometimes I end up writing with multiple people in a shippy way, but I've noticed after a while I kind of gravitate towards one writing partner, for example if that ship enters a more deeply developed stage. I don't expect that from my writing partner in return, but I do like it. It's kind of a case by case thing, with some ships I am more intense and others I am more casual. It's also a matter of how fast are we, how much do we plot and meta ooc, how invested are we both in general. I don't want to tie anyone to me who is a very fast writer, for example, simply because I cannot keep up with that speed and it would feel unfair to you.

Finally, please don't drag fandom tropes and ideas into writing 1:1. I like fanfics and fanart as much as the next girl, but in RP I am much more canon based and I want ships to fit within the narrative more than I want to entertain juicy tropes. Oftentimes I see people write ships inspired by popular fanart or comics or fanfics that are great as fan content, but quite removed from a canon setting, which makes the muses varying degrees of ooc. This is something I might do as an AU, but most of the time I will only do it if we've been shipping for a while already (in canon verse). For example: I love the enemies to lovers trope - but we need to figure out how they actually move from enemies to lovers. I won't just slap them together and say here we are.

How far do steamy moments have to go before they’re considered NSFW?

Eh.. any unmistakeable description or insinuation is something I would tag as NSFW. Even if it's written in a poetic way without graphic details, if a sexual act is described, it's NSFW. Smooching and cuddling is fine, anything that involes the downstairs or other touchy touchy with intent goes into the tag ;) Just to be safe (at work).

Who are other muses you ship your muse with?

I have multiple ships.. usually not too many per muse, but some have more than one ship. I am open to suggestions, I've sometimes ended up shipping things I never saw coming. I really enjoy writing rare pairs, tbh, if they make sense together and the chemistry fits. Those tend to be the most fun, almost!

Does one have to ask to ship with you?

Yes. If you send me shippy asks and we've never spoken about it before, I will ignore it or respond in a non-shippy way. Even if there were actual canon ships (which in this case, there aren't) I don't auto-ship them, it still depends on chemistry. So even if you know I like a ship and you consider it a "canon / implied ship", please talk to me first.

How often do you like to ship?

I enjoy all kinds of writing and scenarios; friendships, conflicts, mystery.. but at my heart of hearts, I am a romance writer. My ideal story is a fantasy story that involves romance (or some other meaningful and deep relationship that is explored). That doesn't mean I always want to ship with everybody 24/7 but it means that I enjoy the relationship (any nature) part of a verse the most, and I have a particular love for romantic relationships and all they entail (crushing, getting together, the angst of forbidden or unrequited love, the insecurity, the excitement, etc). I like reading it and I like writing it. I don't need it for every muse and I certainly don't ship everything just for the sake of shipping, but I very much enjoy writing romance when I get a chance to develop it well. (However, I also genuinely love the opportunity to write OTHER dynamics within a ship verse, to enrich the whole story.)

Are you multiship?

Yes. I have multiple ships on this blog due to various muses, and I also am open to multiple ships on one muse - however I don't tend to have too many per muse.

Are you ship obsessed or ship more-or-less?

I love my ships. I don't know if I am obsessed - but I have been, with my OTPs for example ;)

What is your favorite ship in your current fandom?

That's for me to know and for you to . . .

Finally, how does one ship with you?

Write with me and convince me with in character chemistry.. and/or hit my DMs :) Don't be afraid to ask, honestly the worst thing you'll get from me is a no (or a yes, depending on how you wanna look at it). Even if it's a weird ship, crack ship, insane ship, disliked ship. I don't judge. Just ask, I don't bite.

Tagged by: @daybreakrising & @resolutepath 💙💙 Tagging: @wishkept @gunnhildred @azizam @auratvm @immobiliter @luzofstars @captivemuses @reflective-muses @aeviare

[xxagofbagxx]

Rating Danganronpa lesbian ships🎀-

Thh:

Kirizono(kyoko x sayaka)- my personal fav from thh! They are so opposite attract, also bonus points for the male protagonists female love interest x female love interest 🤫 10/10!!

Kirihina (kyoko x aoi)- 7/10! They have potential and I think it’s a pretty cute and wholesome ship overall!! I personally prefer Sakura and aoi as a pair but I think aoi and kyokos personalities complement each others nicely!

Celesgiri(Celeste x Kyoko)- 9/10! They match each other’s aesthetic so nicely and they are so similar yet so different, it’s a nice pair! They both have pretty dark aesthetics and both are kinda mysterious in their own ways. I love how the dynamic is detective x liar, it’s a very interesting pairing overall! (celesgiri does it better than saiouma XD)

Fukagiri(Toko x Kyoko)- Tbh I don’t like or dislike this one I’m pretty neutral on it so 5/10! I can see their appeal but at the same time it makes sense it being a rather rare pairing, as they honestly work better platonically.

Kyoko x Sakura- honestly I’ve never seen anyone ship this and personally I think they’d be way better as friends! Also Aoi and Sakura are my OTP I have a hard time shipping them with anyone else😅 4/10!

Mukagiri (Mukuro x Kyoko)- honestly I kinda dig this! They’d be super interesting for sure and I see the appeal, they have similar personalities and it’s a villain x detective ordeal. 6/10!

Enogiri (Junko x Kyoko)- this one is kinda a guilty pleasure one for me😅 I just really enjoy the toxic Yuri dynamic, but in all practicality the would never work, I just think they are hot :] 6/10.

Celesaya (Celeste x Sayaka)- 6/10! They are also very opposites attract and I see the appeal! I don’t think they’d work out but I can see why people would like this one. :]

Celeshina (Celeste x Aoi)- 8/10! Tbh another guilty pleasure ship for me! They are so different from eachother yet Aoi has so much compassion for Celeste and she is a very supportive and kind girl. While on the other hand Celeste is very conceited and selfish, they are so different but look so cute together. :]

Celestoko (Celeste x Toko)- 4/10! Not the biggest fan but I don’t want to yuck another’s yum! I don’t think their personalities work together, but there’s worse lol!

Celeste x Sakura- Not a fan! 4/10, I could see them platonically as Sakura is such a sweetheart and kind to everyone, but otherwise they just don’t fit together.

Celeste x Mukuro- hm 4/10? Not sure how I feel about this one, I kinda like it in game but otherwise I think it’s kind of a boring pair. I don’t see any chemistry they are almost too similar haha.

Celesjunko (Celeste x Junko)- 8/10 hell yeah, They’d be hella evil together. They’d make an interesting pair, I sorta dig their dynamic.

Hinazono (Aoi x Sayaka)- 6/10! They’d be super cute friends, I can only really see this pair platonically!

Fukazono (Toko x Sayaka)- I kinda like this one! 7/10, they’d be super cute imo. I believe in lesbian Toko supremacy and I think she’s super cute with overly bubbly girls (cough cough komaru) yeah this one would be cute!

Sakura x Sayaka- super cute platonically! 6/10! They’d make great friends, I could see Sayaka hanging with her and Aoi!

Ikuzono- solid 9/10 I heart this one so much, my 2nd favorite Sayaka ship! I love opposites attract as I’ve previously stated and I also enjoy the male protagonists female love interest x love interest. :]

Enozono (Junko x Sayaka)- 8/10! More toxic Yuri!! Both stylish and beautiful, famous ladies! I enjoy.

Fukahina (Toko x Aoi)- 9/10! Super cute, Toko definitely had the hots for Aoi subconsciously. They’d be such cute enemies to lovers.

Sakuraoi (Sakura x Aoi)- ♾️/10 of course!! My favorite lesbian ship in all the DR games, they are my Roman Empire Oml.

Aoi x Mukuro- hm kinda an odd pairing 4/10! Maybe platonically!

Aoi x Junko- Bro they’d be hot ngl, but Hina is too nice for Junkos evil ahh. 5/10!

Toko x Sakura- 3/10, Toko was so cruel to Sakura during the game I could never ship that :(

Toko x Mukuro- Hm, once again I’m not sure how to feel about this one. 4/10? I don’t think they’d like eachother all that much. I can’t see any chemistry with these 2.

Toko x Junko- oh wow, I meannnn Toko definitely finds Junko very attractive especially her huge “assets”. I could see this as a one sided attraction and nothing more, maybe Junko would mess with her for that? 6/10.

Sakura x Mukuro- I think they’d be great friends 6/10! They both are super powerful, strong, athletic ladies! They could train together!

Sakura x Junko- no way haha, Sakura is way too kind. 4/10.

Mukuro X Junko- Haha no way, I can’t rate this one. I know this one is quite popular online due to the messed up dynamic and as much as I love toxic Yuri, they are twins and that’s a line I’m not willing to cross. Dark shipping dynamics can really be hit or miss, but I find these kind of pairings quite gross. Sorry if you feel differently haha!

…….. …….. …….. …….. …….. …….. …….. …….. ……..

Thanks for reading! XX I’ll be doing Sdr2 next! Stay tuned till then! I hope you enjoyed, feel free to express your own opinions or share your thoughts on mine!!

[kdramaxoxo]

Can you recommend like a fun, silly, summery drama? I'm looking for similar vibes as Cheer Up or Age of Youth (female friendships are a plus). It's hard to find something without melodrama.

First off, I LOVE your user icon! (- ‿◦ )

And I definitely want to help you find something silly and easy to watch, especially as we enter the depths of winter! Some of these are a little less slice of life but still fun. Also I know you already watched/mentioned a couple of these but I'm adding them to the list for everyone else who might be game!

Light Hearted Fun K-dramas (little or no melo)

Soundtrack #1 (slice of life/romance) Best friends for almost 20 years, the two leads start having feelings for one another while working on a project. This drama only has a few episodes which is a shame because it's really cute! As a Park Hyung Sik Stan (sorry but Happiness broke me), he's great in this one and he hasn't lost all of his military weight yet which I LOVE :D

Fanletter Please! (slice of life/ romance) A sick child writes fan letters to her favorite star, an actress who for kdrama reasons is afraid of fan letters. This was a super sweet, short drama - I really liked it so much!

Into The Ring (workplace/romcom): The perfect slice-of-life rom com! Goo Se Ra has trouble holding down a job due to her passionate personality so after she loses her latest job working for the ML, she decides to run for a small government office position because it pays a salary. Literally she does it for the money which is just *chef’s kiss.* The show is about her dealing with local politics and it’s SO FUNNY and smart and the OTP is the best! 

King The Land (rom/com): A cold chaebol hotel owner meets his match (literally and figuratively) who is a top notch employee. There's a lot of push pull and the ML (MY BIAS!) Lee Junho's character falls hard and fast. It does have slow moments but if you literally want to watch a happy couple be happy (plus the skinship is chef's kiss and there is so much of it) you'll enjoy this one.

Melo Is My Nature (slice of life): This drama is by far my favorite slice-of-life drama of 2019. Found family, strong and complex characters, I laughed, I cried. Plus a gay character that’s an actual character, with the gay as a casual side note (classy k-drama!!) It was just a perfect show for me. There’s romance, but all of the stories are super interesting.

Top Management (slice of life) I know this show is mainly on Youtube Premium BUT I just got an email from Youtube basically saying “hey we know you never want to pay to watch our shows so we’re just going to let you ok?” so that’s something… Adorable mini drama about a girl who can see the future and becomes the rookie manager for a kpop band. Fun and easy.

Business Proposal (rom/com) Seriously this drama is almost the exact same plot as The Secret Life of My Secretary. It's really fun and cute (just like the latter) and if you like one, you'll like the other ;-)

True To Love / Bo Rah Deborah (rom/com) Bo Rah is a relationship expert publishing her book. She works with a man who is her total opposite making it a cute enemies to lovers. Yoo in Ah is literally so adorable I love watching her! (If I'm honest I can't remember a TON about this drama but I do remember it being an easy watch).

Her Private Life (romcom): Park Min Young really knows how to pick dramas. I loved this one about a museum curator who is secretly a fangirl obsessed with an idol. It’s fun and fluffy but does have a very mild childhood trauma thing with his mother but I mean, 99% of dramas like this do? If you like this one, Touch Your Heart and Why Secretary Kim are by the same person and have similar vibes.

Touch Your Heart (rom/com) A sweet, silly and very mild rom com about a serious boss and his hallyu star secretary. This show was an obvious response to the chemistry that Lee Dong Wook and Yoo In Na had in Goblin so it was nice to see them together again. Yoo In Na is such a fun person to watch!

Fight for My Way (slice of life/romcom): I love this drama! Always a fave for me, this drama is funny and heartwarming! The leading lady is a strong female which I LOVE, and Park Seo Joon plays her really cute down to earth best friend. It’s a childhood friends to lovers trope with a group of regular people (no rich heirs in this show!) and has a happy ending and a lot of cute flirting, cuddling and kissing. Argh I love these two!

Age of Youth 1 (slice of life): Age of Youth/ Hello My Twenties is one of the best k-dramas that centers around strong female friendships. A group of wildly different girls find themselves rooming together in an apartment. Lots of romance too, but the girl’s lives and friendships are the primary focus.

Shopping King Louie (romcom): Ridiculously fun and lighthearted romp following a spoiled and useless chaebol with amnesia who is being taken care of by a country bumpkin in the city. Very low stakes, super adorable couple, and as many tropes as you can fit in your bag, this one is one of my favorites to recommend.

Eulachacha Waikiki / Laughter In Waikiki (slice of life comedy, romance) I hope you’re ready for a crazy amount of unlikely situations and nutty hijinks because this show is probably one the most silly ones I’ve ever watched. It follows a group of friends who own a hostel so it’s a slice of life drama. At certain points I was like “this is TOO silly” but I’m glad I stuck with it cause it was so hilarious. Plus, the baby is a star!

Wok of Love (rom/com) Despite the fact that the show was shortened by two episodes because of sports, this drama is a funny and quirky show worth watching. Many people dropped it because it was SO crazy for the first couple of episodes (it has a talking horse people!), but it does settle into a really sweet and fun story about a chef, a gangster and a rich girl and her family. If you love food, this show is for YOU!

And finally, if you don't mind a bit of melo, I highly recommend Run On!

Enjoy <3

[jadejedi]

Fantasy Book Review: The Captive Trilogy by C.S. Pacat

JJ’s rating: 4.5/5

How feral did it make me: 5/5

My book reviews

Ahh these books. What can I possibly say about these books that hasn’t been said before? I first read these books not long after the third book, Kings Rising, was published, back in 2016. If I remember correctly, on that first read, I was sort of like, eh, these are good. I like these. And then a bit later, maybe like a year later (?) I went back and reread them and was like “oh my god?? oh my god?? OH MY GOD??!” And now they have become one of my more frequent rereads (like almost once a year), and they are easily the fandom that I most frequently return to in between hyper fixations. I only have these books on Kindle, and they are pretty thoroughly annotated at this point. Book two, Prince’s Gambit, is genuinely one of my favorite books of all time. 

Okay, if you haven’t read these books or heard of them, here’s the summary: Damianos of Akielos, the crown prince of this world’s version of ancient Greece, is captured by his half-brother in a coup and sent to his country’s greatest enemy, Vere, which is this world’s version of, like, a more debauched version of medieval France. Damen is given as a sex slave to the frigid Crown Prince Laurent. The problem? Damen killed Laurent’s older brother, Prince Auguste, five years ago, and if Laurent finds out Damen's true identity, he’ll definitely have him killed. So Damen has to make his way through the complexities of the Veretian court, ruled by Laurent’s uncle, the Regent, while trying to escape before his identity is revealed. 

There are a LOT OF content warnings for these books, but some of them are spoilers, so if you want them, DM me and I will be happy to answer any questions about content. I will say that the first book has a fairly different tone than the later two. The first book really leans in more to the master/slave kink dynamics of the whole story and is more like ~oooh look! So sexy! So provocative!~ The second and third books are more like “here, let me stab you with these heart wrenching revelations and genuine emotions!!!!!” Like the kink dynamics are still there in the later two books, but the tone is much more serious, if that makes sense. I believe C.S. Pacat has sort of talked about how the Captive Prince series was kind of her practice trilogy before writing Dark Rise (book two out now!!), and I think that is most obvious in the first book. 

The relationship between Damen and Laurent is absolutely wonderful. I consider them one of my top two or three OTPs. The hatred. The eventual respect. The yearning. The pining. The LONGING. THE TRUST. Here are some of my favorite (non spoilery) lines (all from book 2 because 2 and 3 have the best lines but the best lines in book 3 are all spoilers):

“It was like being pleased by a thorn bush, feeling fond of every prickle. Another second and he was going to say something ridiculous like that.”

“To get what you want, you have to know exactly how much you are willing to give up.” 

“A kingdom, or this.” (this line lives RENT FUCKING FREE in my mind forever)

These books also have a fairly unambiguously happy ending. The author has published several short stories, which are all very enjoyable.

Due to the content of these books, they are definitely not for everyone, but for me, at least, I think they are brilliant. They are THE enemies to friends to lovers couple, in my humble opinion. Also, there is a fairly large fandom for these books, with some GREAT fan artists and fanfic authors. Truly we are all blessed.

[focusontheheart]

Meet the Team - Jess, Game Lead

Our very first Meet the Team bio is here! Meet @kittleskittle, our incredibly hardworking Game Lead, Background Artist, and Nil route Artist and Writer!

Hey there, I’m Jess. Freelance artist, stay at home parent, and game developer hopeful! Been contributing to the fandom since late 2019 in every way I possibly can - meta, writing, art, and now this big ol’ group project! I adore collaboration of any kind and almost can’t create without it anymore, so with FOTH, I’m in my element. Niloy is my OTP and has owned my entire soul since 2020, and even more since the release of HFW, which brought along with it so many new friends to enjoy the ship with. Branching out into the fandom at large has been its own level of fun, and along the way I’ve found a kind and active community of like-minded friends I wouldn’t trade for the world!

Q&A

What is a favourite piece of work you've done  (i.e. completed, work in progress), OR what is something you’ve always wanted to create? 

To pick a few from my works, my series of vintage-style chunky-oil-brush paintings inspired Andrew Loomis' work, "demon from the east" Aloy, and a lighting study piece of Aloy in the Flood.

What are some of your favourite tropes (to read, write, draw, etc)?

This list is enormous, so let’s focus on the top: enemies and rivals to lovers, Jungian shadow dynamics, the heroine’s journey, and on the lighter side…men who loudly love their wives.

What is an unexpected thing or fun fact about you?

I’m an avid hiker and backpacker, I’m self-taught in just about everything creative (my major in college was actually biochemistry!), and I have ten siblings!

What has been your favourite thing about working on this project so far?

The sense of community and the different interpretations and love everyone has for their favorite characters and ships!

[nachosncheezies]

ohhh for that character game: alex krycek! :)

Yes good okay!!! Thank you!!! For this ask game

How I feel about this character

I want to punch his weasely nose in but also I would like to feed him porridge. With as much honey as he wants. (Not by hand. Like I would serve it to him on a table and then look on affectionately from the opposite end of the room)

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Mulder of course. Like I don't really read or write or believe it but if he was gonna have a fling with ANYONE I think Mulder would make more sense than Marita. Marita is just too obvious, so much so that I was like "Huh???? The writers are going for the low-hanging fruit??? Ok."

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Skinner but it's a frenemies OTP. I like to imagine them standing at opposite ends of the Hoover hallway baring teeth and snarling at each other like feral dogs in the most literal and cinematic sense. But after they give each other black eyes and split lips and bruised ribs maybe they'll go get a beer.

My unpopular opinion about this character

I don't think there's an unpopular opinion to be found about Krycek. Like I don't know most of fandom or what the dominant opinions on him are?? But in my head he's a wet rat that almost everyone feels affectionate pity toward.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

More aggressive gay stuff between him and Mulder. Not like an actual enemies-to-lovers thing, because No, but more tension. More "rivals in the trenches far from home and all women." Maybe it coulda been Krycek instead of Kristen Kilar. They could've at least made out in their clothes and regretted it. The potential tapestry is RICH. Krycek would have been a much more interesting love triangle than the muddy not-really-a-love-triangle vibes around Diana I think (not that I find the Diana arc uninteresting but per my other post, reducing it to a love triangle robs it of its meat imo). Such a shame they couldn't do much with it, but I guess bc it was also a product of its time and the writers probably didn't even have a chance to think about or consider it. Idk it's complicated and I'm just rambling but... look, I don't want an actual x files reboot but IF they are stupid enough to try to redo the original characters/plot etc (as opposed to just another sequel or spinoff, which I am open to especially if it permits a little #justice4scully even if it's offscreen) I EXPECT MORE THAN JUST A LITTLE PECK AT GUNPOINT OKAY???

[spnfanficpond]

New Member Spotlight - April 2024

The Pond is always growing and we want to make our new members feel welcome! Here’s a list of recent additions to our fishy family, along with a little info about them!

Guppies, Jellies, and Mutuals, oh, my!

@elf-punk -

Other SM names? - Discord: crumblemoon, AO3: queen_karnilla

OTP? - Destiel all the way

Other fandoms? - Doctor who, Dune, Harry Potter, Marvel (Loki specifically), Sandman

Looking for in the Pond? - Mainly to meet and hang out with other SPN fans, and share/read fanfic and headcanons! Nothing super specific.

Pairings you read? - Reader inserts/OC mainly involving spn angels (michael and cas are my favourites!)

Genres you read? - Romance, friends/enemies to lovers, angst with a resolution, all things fluffy! Will read smut as part of a longer romantic narrative, but not for the sake of it.

What do you like to write? - Reader-inserts/OC, introspectives and character studies

Masterlist!

@jinkieswouldyoulookatthis -

Other SM names? - Discord: jackiefour, AO3: jinkieswouldyoulookatthis

OTP? - Wincest (Sam/Dean)

Looking for in the Pond? - Just looking to strengthen ties with the general fandom community and it's always nice to have other writers/readers to talk with.

Pairings you read? - SamDean in all its variations, either of the brothers/reader together or separate is good too.

Genres you read? - Angst, smut, crackfics are my preferred, although some fluff is nice and appreciated too. The trope doesn't matter as much to me as the overall quality of the writing.

Favorite writer(s)? - Gah, too many amazing writers to narrow it down to a favorite, but @applecrumbledore, @dyed-red, leonidaslion, candle_beck, deadlybride immediately spring to mind.

What do you like to write? - Currently been writing wincest (SamDean) but I used to write reader inserts for both of the boys.

Masterlist!

Most underappreciated fic? - Probably this one because it's a body swap/gender bend with low key non-con elements to it (so I get why it doesn't get as much love as some of the others): Make A Wish

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? -I am currently working on my first long fic, just getting going on it and am a little intimidated by the scope, but I don't deal with deadlines or anything like that well, so I'm hoping that just being around other people writing and talking about writing will help keep me motivated to finish it. Basically, I'm just looking for passive motivation and community.

@i-already-know-im-going-2-hell / @aceing-on-the-cake -

Other SM names? - AO3: i_already_know_im_going_to_hell

OTP? - Honestly I think Wincestiel can't be beat when it's done well, best of both worlds

Other fandoms? - I enjoy a lot of fandoms but to be honest I'm really only making content (writing and drawing) for supernatural.

Looking for in the Pond? - Honestly I'm just looking to hang around, meet fellow writers and artists, and pick up tips and tricks along the way. I find I'm motivated so much more when I have others around me who are just as into the things I'm into.

Something to signal boost? - Honestly the only thing I'm currently working on bigger project wise is a supernatural au I'm doing a lot of drawings for. This is the original post --Guineanatural-- and it has all the links in it towards currently running polls or completed artworks.

Pairings you read? - I'm a multishipper, I will read almost any pairing that's not parent/child honestly.

Genres you read? - Angst and Hurt/Comfort are my jam. Smut, fluff and crack are great if they're included, but I'm truly there for pain of angst and then the comfort that comes after.

Favorite writer(s)? - @applecrumbledore on AO3, is the author of one of my all-time favorite Dean/Sam fics I've ever read, Acid

What do you like to write? - Angst/Comfort with a whole lot of character analysis thrown in

Something you haven't written but would like to try? Why not? How can we help? - Unfortunately, my bane in life is to house more fic ideas in my head than I actually ever have a reasonable amount of time to write and to have crippling adhd caused executive dysfunction, which can truly only be fixed by Earth changing to a day cycle longer than 24 hours and absolutely using body doubles in any form I can take those. The first problem truly can't be fixed by mortal men unfortunately, but for the second honestly me just hanging around with other writers or seeing other writers work on things too helps to work as a body double for my brain a lot of the time. So honestly, just hanging in the server itself and following the tumblr should be plenty of help.

That's all for this month, folks! (If we're missing anyone, let us know and we'll add them to next month's list!) Make sure to say hi to the newbies and make them feel welcome! Thanks to all from @manawhaat, @mrswhozeewhatsis, @mariekoukie6661, @thoughtslikeaminefield, and @heavenssexiestangel!

[phoenixtakaramono]

Fanfiction Tropes Tier List (Reader Edition)

Thank you for the tag, @deliciouskeys! (Here's their tier list!)

I tag: @fuckingpajamas, @phtalate, @tzeentchs-secretary-tea-time, @digitalbath1988, @vanshoundd, @tocadoguara, and anyone who wants to do this! I’d be very interested to see how y’all would rank ‘em :) but ofc no pressure if you don’t want to or have already done this!

…So I feel like I need to give some context🧍🏻‍♀️🙈 The tl;dr is: I will read almost anything, but I have certain standards/ expectations that must be met in order for me to continue.

I tried to organize these tropes from top ➡️ bottom, have strong feelings about (would more likely read) ➡️ am less passionate about going from left ➡️ right. For the bottom tiers with asterisks, I arranged them from “this specific trope represents the tier description” ➡️ “eh, it fits here but I don’t really hold strong opinions about these” from left ➡️ right.

⬇️Expand for a detailed breakdown below the line break ⬇️

My Tier List for fanfic tropes I consume as a Reader differ in some areas from tropes I’d like to write or would be open to writing as a Writer. As a reader, I usually give almost every fanfic a chance with my own arbitary criteria—although what I read is very ship dependent according to their canon dynamic (for example, I will devour Enemies to Lovers for one specific OTP in one fandom, but would NEVER read that trope applied to a different fav ship of mine in a different fandom). I also tossed in some danmei BL tropes, for funsies and because I want more people to know about them <3.

And remember, if you like any of these that I personally don’t, that’s great! Everyone has their own preferences. Please don’t take offense. These are just how I view these tropes specifically according to me, haha. It says less about you and more about me being picky with what I like to read and gives context about what kind of bibliophile (person who likes reading) I am.

Tier 1 (SSS Level)

Slowburn: Just as context, I regularly read light novels (hetero, danmei, and baihe) which can easily range from 100ch-300ch each. So slowburns is the quintessential demisexual experience for me, and I love it when they’re long fics where we get to see characters grow and relationships develop, with worldbuilding and an interesting plot. I think the longest I’ve ever read was +2.8K chapters of a story I was addicted to. Typically if I see it’s a slowburn, I know I’m gonna have a good time.

Fix-It Fic: As much as I love canon of the original source material, there are certain canon story decisions and/or plotholes that hurt me—so it’s always great to see someone write their own interpretation to try to “fix it.” You get banger fics and it’s just so creative and a nice catharsis.

Canon Divergence: Same as how I regard a Fix-It.

Dark Fic: Irl I obviously do not condone any of the things that typically happen in Dark Fics. But as someone who has consumed your usual wholesome healthy Lifetime Original style romance stories for a loooooong time, that type of milquetoast wholesomeness has become bland and predictable for me—which is why the wild and crazy shenanigans that happen in Dark Fics spices things up for me and I like that it keeps me guessing. I don’t want to read about things from my life. I think screwed up characters can offer so much more interesting stakes than a Good Guy. I like the tension and uncertainty. Ex. this is why I tend to prefer the protag/villain ships over the protag/childhood friend ships; it’s why a princely character who is secretly yandere is so much more interesting than a sidekick character with a bland and forgettable personality. The writers of Dark Fics, 9/10 times, produce something so interesting that I can’t put my phone down and I just have to binge through their entire fic because the suspense is k*lling me.

Conspiracy & Schemes: Mysteries? Political intrigue? Palace drama? Yes, please, inject it into my veins.

Strong Protagonist & Strong Love Interest: It’s similar to how I’ve come to prefer reading Dark Fics. The market’s too oversaturated with the damsel in distress trope being saved by his/her prince charming. I’ve read too many novels and fanfics about that dynamic, it’s gotten a little stale for me, haha. Give me the clever, scheming, morally grey or villainous MC with a strong backbone. I like badasses. As for the ML or FL, I also prefer them to be strong or scheming as well so they can be a power couple with the MC—and curb-stomp the world and their enemies. …*holds face like a blushing maiden* Don’t they sound like the equivalent of a fairytale couple?

Mutual Pining: Yes, yes, yes. It’ll never be not good.

Revenge-Rebirth: I love underdog characters plotting their secret machinations and getting their revenge. Pair it with a rebirth, where a previous villain(ess) or cannon fodder who’d suffered before learns from the mistakes of their previous life and uses their second life to faceslap their enemies and turn their destiny around? Yes, yes, yes.

Survival Game: I love the Infinite Flow (survival horror/ death game) genre, what can I say? If you’ve read the famous ones, you know why. The writing is almost always superb and so interesting (seeing all the unique horror instances that the MC has to figure out in order to survive). It’s just so imaginative.

Obsessive Love: Same as how I regard a Dark Fic. I do not condone it irl, but an unhealthily codependent partner in my fictional romances? Yes. I want them to be even more obsessed with my favorite character and fall deeper and deeper in love.

Misunderstanding: There is a difference between how I view misunderstandings versus how I view miscommunication (which can grate on my nerves if not executed well). I believe you fundamentally cannot have a good long fic without some misunderstandings that the MC or Love Interest has to clear up, and it’s always so good once the cat is out of the bag and the truth is revealed.

Isekai/ Transmigration (World-Hopping): Yes. Gimme. It’s like 10 stories in one. I like it when your ordinary layperson gets transported into a different fantastical world or pseudohistorical world or into a different modern world of much different circumstances depending on their new identity. I like these duck out of water stories.

Historical AU & Royalty AU: There’s just something about pseudo-medieval settings that can be so charming and interesting to read. If you’ve got royalty thrown in, there’s the additional seasoning of power struggles between members of royalty and aristocracy, and political intrigue, and seeing how a kingdom is run. Writers tend to do a good job worldbuilding these types of stories with characters I like moved into this new setting.

Established Relationship: The domesticity and PDA of it all can make my heart go dokidoki (especially if they’re a powerhouse couple). It can fall into the danger of coming across as bland, so this depends on the plot and writer’s execution of their relationship. I gotta have some stakes.

Enemies to Lovers: I love it for certain pairings.

Forbidden Love: It’s the tabooness of it that makes it interesting to read.

Friends to Lovers: As long as it’s not milquetoast or bland, I think most of the time this is executed well. It’s a step below an Established Relationship, so they’ve got wiggle room to develop into that.

Soulmate AU: It’s inherently romantic, what can I say? I will REALLY LOVE it though if the writer gives it a unique twist.

First Kiss & Sharing a Bed: It’s tender and sweet (or hot) and I will never get tired of it. You can’t go wrong with it.

Magic AU & Fairytale AU: It’s a fantasy world. As long as it’s not bland and there is a serviceable magic system, I will generally like it. (One caveat: it cannot be a HP AU. C’mon. As much as I like HP, you can do better as a writer than transporting these characters into the HP universe. Come up with your own magic system.) For fairytale AUs, it’s basically your Hans Christian Andersen/ Disney fairytale with your favorite characters. I don’t think you can go wrong with it. I just love any AUs in general.

Huddle for Warmth: Same as First Kiss & Sharing a Bed & PWP.

Tier 2 (A Level)

Fluff: Oftentimes reading cute fluff (like sneaking quick kisses or holding hands) can make me blush and giggle more than reading p0rn or smut on my phone in public. HOWEVER, unlike a oneshot where I can tolerate it, for me fluff has be spread sporadically throughout if it’s a long fic. If the long fic is just too fluffy and sweet all the way throughout (force-feeding me “meng” and “dog food” (PDA)), I get the equivalent of a sugary overdose and any interest I have for the fic dries up into “ugh, that’s enough”—which usually ends up with me dropping the fic if the fluff had oversaturated everything (all sugar/ fluff, no real meaty substance). There’s only so much cutesy uwu, descriptions of someone’s soft coquettish voice scratching the Love Interest’s heart like a cat’s paw, etc that I can stomach at a time. It’s like junk food; I can’t eat too much of it.

PWP: As a connoisseur of all things slowburn and a demisexual irl, I have to be in the mood to read a PWP. It’s p0rn without plot; I don’t expect to be reading much plot (although it’d be a pleasant surprise if the p0rn came with some serviceable-enough plot 👌). It is what’s written on the tin. I’m not here expecting a Shakespearean masterpiece. A writer was gripped by the h0rny and decided to share, and this was the result. I’m here to turn my brain off, have fun, and read about two of my favorite fictional characters banging each other stupid.

Im Vino Veritas (Drunken Confessions): Yes, gimme. I’m picky about the execution and the follow-up scene that comes after the drunken confession though (after the drunk character sobers up). The writer has to be skilled enough for me to root for the character and not cringe (unless the whole point is to cringe at the drunk confessing because it’s established they’re a cannon fodder character who won’t get together with the MC or Love Interest).

Missing Scenes: I generally like it when writers come up with a What-If scenario that happens between Point A and Point C of canon. It can be fun and believable—especially if they get the characterization right. Then it’s like reading a little bonus content (like, you know it’s a person’s headcanon but, dang, it’s written so well I could almost believe it was canon).

Office AU: I love me my rich Sugar Daddy AUs and doting CEO husbands pampering and spoiling their lovers. I enjoy reading about a business expanding into a powerful corporation and the power struggles that come with. It’s a guilty pleasure. (I do have to try not to think about HR though.)

Showbiz AU: It’s a guilty pleasure. Sometimes I learn something new about the acting or modeling or fashion industry, and it’s interesting. I also like seeing the journey of the unknown underdog MC rising like a phoenix from a nobody to a well-respected powerhouse of their industry.

Reincarnation: Same as how I regard almost other AUs here (inject it into my veins). With reincarnation though, I usually like to see the rebirth have an affect on the story. It’s an important plot device after all. If it seems like the whole rebirth part could be omitted and it wouldn’t even impact the story with that aspect removed, then…well, sorry, the story didn’t execute it well.

Cold Love Interest: Depends on the execution, but I like it when you have this character who’s known to be cold slowly be thawed out the more and more they start opening up to the Main Character—until they inevitably fall in love. It’s essentially reading about an ice cube that has melted into warm spring water. The transformation can be so beautiful and moving, because you’ve been following them on their journey of self-discovery and finding happiness. (However, my tolerance toward Cold Characters does have a limit; they can’t be irredeemable at the start. Because if it’s the equivalent of the Wife Chasing Crematorium trope, where the Love Interest is a cheating (?) murderous (?) selfish abusive assh0le who has essentially traumatized the MC and still gets together with them at the end…….ugh, 9/10 times I will dislike it even if the ML or FL realizes how much their actions have hurt the MC and tries their best to make up to it for the rest of their lives.)

Dense Protagonist: A protagonist who is oblivious to the Love Interest character pining and simping hardcore after them can be hilarious. However, I am generally picky about its execution. It can teeter the fine line between endearing and dumb/ annoying. At some point, their denseness can become too much (to the point where it’s no longer funny or amusing) that my suspension of disbelief drops and it’s no longer fun to read the story for me personally.

Unrequited Love: Depends on the context. Is it the writer’s intention to make it bittersweet and unresolved? Is the character pining after their unrequited love, and it’s the early stage of the story where the MC or ML/FL have yet to reciprocate? Is the intention to make me cry? For all of these, I usually like to know before I jump into a fic—because I’m a sappy woman who gets easily teary-eyed and I easily get touched by moving depictions of the human connection. So I don’t want my young glass maiden heart to be hurt too much, haha; there’s only so much abuse my heart can handle.

Crossover: At some point, I run out of fics (the good ones) to read for the specific ship I like. So I turn to crossovers, to see how my favorite MC can be shipped with someone else. If the writer’s good, they can blend the worlds and these cast of characters together seamlessly. It’s like a brain puzzle—so I have countless admiration for those who can execute crossovers well.

Time Loop: This is your usual Nicholas Sparks’ (a romance writer) type of story; a time loop is basically Groundhog Day where the MC has to figure out how to break the time loop—and I’m usually invested in the mystery of how they’re gonna pull it off. I’d like to say when I’m in the mood to read this, writers tend to execute the trope well (my logic: if you’re going to introduce a plot device, make it relevant to the story; if it can be omitted and it doesn’t detract from the experience, then it doesn’t need to be there).

Hurt/ Comfort: To an extent. It’s the same as Fluff or Angst for me. Moderation is key.

Sex Pollen & Bang or Die: Similar to how I regard PWPs.

Arranged Marriage: Generally I will like if executed well. I almost put this in Tier 3, because I more often than not don’t usually click on a fic if I see this trope tagged (because my brain thinks about the irl implications). BUT…it is the premise of almost every transmigration (isekai) light novel or manhua/manhwa I read—and they work because it’s a fish out of water story where the MC finds out there they have an arranged marriage to a king, prince, duke, noble, knight, etc with a certain cruel or perfect reputation, and you get to read about them learning about their real selves and falling in love over time with their fiancée/fiancé. And it’s so cute. This is my expectation when I read fics with this trope: a fairytale-like romance, where the arranged marriage managed to work out in this couple’s favor instead of it being loveless.

Baby Fic & Pregnancy Fic: I would not go out of my way to read oneshots where the whole premise is specifically only about either of this. It has to be just one of the ingredients in the whole long fic. Writing children is tougher than you think (you have to be so careful writing about them because you can toe the line between making them precocious and making them annoying), and some people are unable to respectfully write pregnancy characters, choosing instead to focus on the humor of pregnancy stereotypes—but the gags can come across as shallow writing than giving it the proper respect it deserves. So it depends on 1) the execution and 2) my mood. I’ve read a couple good ones, but that’s because the writer is good at delivering the concept that is easily digestible and frames the whole process of birth and child rearing as a beautiful process of nature and life.

Tier 3 (B Level)

A/B/O: I will not intentionally go out of my way 99/100 times to read Omegaverse stories. Shocker, I know. It’s just, for me, I tend to find a majority of these general A/B/O fics…shallow and of little substance. Most of the time, I find the writing can also be a bit distasteful, especially when it comes to the omega and alpha dynamic in this kinda story (in the wrong hands, the writer can make their story come across as r@pey and sexist/ misogynistic, especially if an alpha’s being aggressive and forceful with the MC because they’ve been affected by the smell of an omega’s heat—and now I’m reading descriptions of the omega character sobbing and crying out “no, no, no” and “please stop” and I’m in disbelief why people find this hot). I also don’t like the submissiveness of the omega character where it’s like I’m reading about a milquetoast wet rag who has all their fight drained out and has no personality other than being a hole that produces slick and blushes constantly. Also, for me, predictability is not something I like; if I can predict everything that’s going to happen in a fic, I will become bored. I need some kinda serviceable plot for me to be emotionally invested in an A/B/O fic or there’s some kinda hook that keeps me coming back. I can enjoy the rare one A/B/O fic out of one hundred similar A/B/O fics, but I am INCREDIBLY PICKY about what I choose. The premise itself is also very important to what makes or breaks an A/B/O fic experience for me (for example, if it’s a Dark fic, then I can be more forgiving because it’s expected for there to be dark themes).

Miscommunication: For me there’s no in-between. I will either hate or love this trope, depending on its execution in the fic. On the extreme end of hatred, I am ticked off when a conflict in the story can be easily resolved had the character(s) communicated properly—and it’s just so incredibly dumb. On the opposite end, miscommunication can be done well as a funny gag or a plot device that shows how differently characters can interpret a situation or words. So depending on which one of these the fic delivers, it determines how much I can enjoy a fic.

Love Triangle: See my opinion on Harem Fics, and now make my aversion less strong. I’m a wee more forgiving on this trope because it’s a love triangle where you start off with the MC, the ML/FL, and the love rival—and the story is about the MC choosing one of them. The other Love Triangle I’m okay with is if it’s obviously a poly ship where the MC ends up with two people—but it has to be executed well (I generally have to like both options for the MC). I’m more of a monogamous soulmate type of gal, so I’m kinda picky on the execution when a story focuses on the love triangle. It can’t drag on to the point where I find it to be insufferable. The danger with a love triangle is I, your reader, might come to like the Second Male Lead or Second Female Lead—and think they were a better fit for the MC than the actual Fe/Male Lead that was chosen just because this character was the writer’s favorite. In this case, the moment the wrong candidate is chosen, my interest in the fic dwindles and I feel like I’m reading a lesser version of what initially drew me to the fic in the first place. So now it’s the writer’s responsibility to show me why their choice is the correct one.

Angst: It’s like junk food; the key is moderation. I can’t have too much of it—otherwise it’s too angsty and the poignant emotional knives become laughable.

Humor: Humor is subjective, and differs for each person. What the writer finds funny might not be what I find funny. I’m more of a subtle gal. So if a fic’s meant to be funny throughout, it runs the risk of teetering towards me feeling secondhand embarrassment and cringing—because it’s too much and unfunny. But if a writer genuinely writes something surprising that makes me laugh, I do appreciate their talent at grasping the opportunity and having the know-how to effectively inject some lighthearted humor.

Fake Relationship: …My enjoyment level HEAVILY depends on its execution. It’s the characterization, their chemistry, and plot that have to save it for me.

Amnesia Fic: See, I understand it’s a plot device—which is why I’m a lil more forgiving. But don’t you hate it when all of a sudden a character gets memory wiped after all that progress? (I feel like I wasted my time just as the story was turning good, and now they have to start over? Kinda feels like unnecessary filler and it can drag on, and I feel like banging my head against the wall.) On a lesser extent of my pickiness, I don’t like it as much when it’s used as an exposition framing device, with the MC or Love Interest having no recollection of anything—and they’re lied to at the start about who they’re supposed to be…because you know there will be a dramatic fallout happening when they inevitably find out and that predictability (they fall out, and then you know sometime later something will bring them back together…the fakeout dramatic “breakup” is just so contrived and mechanical and formulaic) is what turns me off. (I don’t mind the amnesia trope as much if it’s used in a psychological horror/ thriller story though.)

Shizun F*cker: It’s your master (teacher) x disciple Chinese classic. I went through a phase of binging these stories and I find they’re generally all very good, but there does come a point where you start seeing similarities and not enough freshness with this trope and they all blend together (especially if it feels like it’s a pale imitation inferior copycat version of certain shizun f*cker classics). Nowadays this kinda premise has to be accompanied by something fresh and unique in order for me to keep reading—and turn my brain off from thinking about the irl teacher-student implications.

Secret Identities: If executed well, I like the reveal of their true identity in the story. It’s like you have this lowkey cute crush who has been helping you all this time—and you find out he’s, like, a mafia don or the CEO of a conglomerate or an international spy. It’s the gap moe contrast of who they pretend to be versus the secret badass they really are. It does come with the risk of some predictability for me though which can ruin my immersion (y’know…the typical MC’s outrage when finding out their Love Interest’s real identity: “You lied to me?! How can I believe you now when all you’ve done is lie to me?!” ➡️ A genuine apology ➡️ Fallout ➡️ Some sort of dramatic reconciliation after the MC or ML/FL was kidnapped).

Tier 4 (C Level)

Dubcon: It’s teetering on the verge between what I find tolerable and what I find unacceptable. As long as it does not fall into the Non-Con territory and isn’t written distastefully, I can read dubcon stories where the consent is a blurry line between these two characters.

Major Character Death: I usually don’t seek this out—because I’m a big weepy baby and I don’t want to grow attached to these characters and bawl at the end when the inevitable happens. But on the super rare instances where I do click on a fic despite this warning tag, it means I have mentally and emotionally prepared myself to get knifed in the heart.

Mary Sue Fic: As much as I love power scaling fics and OP MCs, it does get boring if there’s no setback or conflict for the MC to learn from. I mean, sure, it’s fine for them to steamroll over everyone but if I’m reading +1K chapters of them just steamrolling, they’ve become a Mary Sue. I want flaws. I want setbacks. There’s only so much chuunibyou I can tolerate. There’s only so much descriptions of how ungodly beautiful or how shockingly genius the MC is at everything before I start rolling my eyes. Fatigue has set in and the OP character has become an insufferable milquetoast Mary Sue/ Gary Stu who can do no wrong. My suspension of disbelief has finally been worn away into nothingness. This can also apply to the Love Interest character (I understand their role in the story is to satisfy the ideal dream lover trope—but please give dimension to the character). I want three-dimensional characters with backstory and flaws and an interesting personality, not Mary Sues or Gary Stus.

Y/N (OC Fic): If I’m reading fanfic about my favorite character(s), I don’t want to spend my time reading about a writer’s Original Character or Self-Insert character being shipped with my favorite. I went in to read stories with my fav ship—and only that. There have been the few exceptions to this—but me liking a Y/N or a fic with OCs is ultra rare.

Breakup: Similar to my thoughts on Unrequited Love. But taken up to a hundred. If there’s been a breakup between the main couple in the fic—and it’s not in the beginning exposition chapter where we don’t yet know enough information about these characters—in the middle or near the end, chances are I think the relationship is f*cked anyway and therefore lose interest in the main ship itself in the fic. Even if they get back together at the end, I just think, “Honey…you can do so much better than him/her.” Which is why I usually don’t like reading breakups between the main couple in my fics. (And if the breakup is because the MC or Love Interest is in a precarious situation and they think pushing them away is the best way to protect them, it’s a cliché that makes me roll my eyes because it’s been so overdone and ugh, why pretend to be awful INSTEAD OF COMMUNICATING?)

Body Swap: …It depends SO MUCH on the execution. I cringe so hard if a character (usually the guy in the body of a girl) is feeling up their developed chest like a perv. There’s only a handful of Body Swap stories that do this trope well. If two characters are swapping bodies, I want to read about how they’re trying not to OOC (lol) and see how this body swap impacts the story and cast of characters in any meaningful way.

College AU: I’ve long since graduated from college. Nuff said. Might give a fic a try if it’s well-written or a short PWP (it is what’s written on the tin) but, as a working adult, reading about petty school drama wears on my patience. There has to be plot to keep me invested. Might also read if it dives into college controversies or campus scandals—but the suspense has to be executed well. Most of the time, it works if there’s some kinda big mystery like there’s been a crime committed. Because now you have a whodunnit mystery. And that’s so much more interesting than reading about students studying and doing homework, going to parties, crushing on the professor (also, here, yikes…if you want me to turn my brain off and not think about the real life implications (the teacher’s immediate suspension (hopefully) and losing their teaching privileges and license), you gotta reel me in with the plot or characters), or the typical student college experience.

Gen Fic: It’s bland, milquetoast, mid and forgettable. It’s like sucking out all the fun elements out of a fic—and that’s not my idea of a good time. I think the only way to pull this off is if it’s a Character Study fic.

Tier 5 (F Level)

High School AU: Give me real men or women; get out of here with the kiddy stuff. I’m outside the age range to be able to enjoy this. As a working career-woman, I really don’t want to spend my free time reading about minors and teen romance and teen drama. And if there’s adult content, sorry, just—no. My brain more often than not associates it to underage s3x—and it squicks me out. It’s also so much harder for me to suspend my disbelief that this inexperienced kid from high school is like this super genius hacker or ultra cover model beauty whom grown wo/men salivate over. (Because…god no, I DON’T want to read about a minor’s “milky thighs” or “coquettish voice.” They’re, like, 14-16 y/o. Who wants to read about a predator who has designs on a teenager?) Also, unless it is at the hilarious peak levels of highschool romcom like Kaguya-sama: Love is War but in fanfiction form, reading about two high school students crushing on each other is 99/100 times so boring and milquetoast to me. I am not the target audience for this trope.

Non-Con: The real life implications ruin any chance for me to want to do anything with this trope. Consent is king, y’all. Non-con is a personal squick—and therefore I will not read if it’s what’s gonna happen between the main couple no matter how sweet and regretful the ML or FL acts after the act. It’s r@pe; I do not find SA and being forced sexy in any way. The moment I see that there’s non-con between the main couple, that’s ruined any chances of me enjoying that ship in the fic. (The only exception I can think of for this is if the ML/FL was mind-controlled or didn’t have autonomy over their body due to some kinda magic shenanigans. Or if it’s non-con framed as a horrifying traumatic experience between a character and the unimportant cannon fodder who’s there in the story to be punished as a villain and won’t be forgiven in any way.) I will not seek it out if I see a fic’s been tagged with this. And if I encounter surprise non-con in my reading, I will immediately drop the fic.

Unhappy Ending: I have a glass maiden heart. I tear up easily when characters die or suffer in a book. I don’t want to get emotionally invested in a story and its characters, only to end up with an Unhappy Ending at the end. It just feels so unsatisfactory, like I’d wasted my time on this long fic when I could’ve spent that time productively reading something else that has a much happier and better conclusion.

Crack Fic: Now, the one exception to this is if a writer jokingly says their story revolves around a crackship, but the writing’s so dang unbelievably good you don’t even think it’s a crackship in a crack fic (it’s a bonafide good story). But aside from that, 99 out of 100 times, I will not read crack fics. A crack fic is a writer’s attempt at humor. And humor is so subjective. What they find funny or entertaining might not be what I find funny or entertaining. Most of the time, it’s also of little substance and random and the writing is all over the place (which…y’know, I get it; I notice a lot of people mention they had a wild dream about this and that’s the reason why they’re writing a crack fic.) I’m happy that they’re writing what they find funny and I’m hoping it’s fun for them, but crack fics are not my cuppa tea.

Coffeeshop AU: It’s so mid and blah to me. It’s the most milquetoast Meet Cute out of all the Meet Cutes they could have chosen. I think the only one I recently read in, like, years, is because of a Art & Fic Exchange Bang I’d participated in. It’s so long ago. Basically unless it’s a stalker or secret identity or psychological horror story to make it interesting, I’d rather read anything else than a bland Coffeeshop AU.

Next Generation: Similar to how I regard OC Fics or OCs in general. I’m here to read fanfiction to read about canon characters of a show or book. I did not come here to read about a writer’s cast of Original Characters or Self-Insert characters. If 99% of the fanfic is about the OCs who are the sons and daughters of the canon characters, I just won’t read it. Won’t touch it. Won’t come anywhere near it. They might as well have written an original story of their own instead of a fanfic. (But 99/100 times, it’s poorly written and you can tell it’s written by a younger writer…eeesh. The good thing is, the more they write, the more practice they’re getting, so the better their writing will be.)

Bonus (F Level)

Cheating/ NTR: my brain automatically associates irl with this—and I find it despicable. The 1% chance I would read this trope is if the MC/ Love Interest is shown the consequences of their actions and the story promises that the person who’s been cheated on breaks up with them. Or if it’s a Mindlessly Self-Indulgent PWP oneshot—so I know to turn my brain off and lower my usual standards coming in.

Harem Fic: It’s Love Triangle—but taken up a notch. It’s so hard to write stallion (er0tica) protags that come across as endearing and not a playboy scummy f*ckboi. It annoys me if I’ve developed attachment to a ship or character and am interested in their relationship development (my waifu or husbando), but the story suddenly shifts to Side Character No.50 whom I couldn’t give two hoots about. The only exceptions to this, for me to keep reading a harem fic, is 1) if I like the storytelling, worldbuilding, and/or protagonist or main ship that makes it worth it. It’s very rare but there have been handful of writers who have actually made a harem where I care for and like ALL of the waifus. 2) I also enjoy harem dramas where the MC face-slaps every love rival, evil concubines, white lotus conniving mistresses, jealous queen/ mother, etc—and gets The Wo/Man.

Fanfiction Tropes (Writer Edition)

I’m much more open-minded writer usually 😅, so I’m usually open to try almost anything—but my criteria of tropes I will write for the story depends on my mood and the story’s premise. They usually have to pose some relevancy to the fic (which depends on its premise and characters) and satisfy my want to contribute something fresh/ interesting to the fandom if I decide to write that trope.

The biggest two changes are: 1) I’d move most of these tropes up into Always Down to Write and a few into If the Plot Calls for It. I’d also probably reorder a couple tropes if I look at them from a writer’s perspective (left ➡️ right, arranged from tropes I feel strongly about ➡️ the tropes I consider mid and don’t hold much strong opinions about). 2) I’d change the categories to:

Always Down to Write tier (probably 90% of these)

If the Plot Calls for It, or if I’m Curious and Want to Try Experimenting with It tier (I typically don’t go out of my way to read these, but would be willing to challenge myself and see what the writing experience would be like)

You’d Never Catch Me with My Pants Down Writing It tier (fun fact: there’s only maybe 4 or 5 of these I’d put here)

If you happen to be a writer whose tropes fall into ones I do not like and you know I’ve gushed about your fic before, know that you were one of the rare exceptions and I hope knowing this makes you happy. ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

[bythepen98]

I swear there's always that ONE fic that really draws you in to a ship you've never considered before. Like you're aware that the ship exists no matter how unrealistic it is in canon bc that's the fun about shipping but that's different from actually reading one with them as the main characters in an almost romeo and juliet-esque canon divergent setting.

In this case, I'm talking about ShigaDeku, a pairing so unlikely to me considering I hated Shigaraki when I watched the anime (though I sorta reluctantly found him cuter appearance wise when he got rid of the hand-to-the-face get up, the longer hair and ofc the blasted beauty mark. Also if you ignore the creepily detailed expressions he makes -yknow the one in the mall scene). I'm more lenient with him and other antagonist characters in fics depending on the story and how its written tho. And anyway considering my track record in reading mc x their main nemesis plots in the past I figured I could give ShigaDeku a try.

The fic is called Lovers of Lost Dimensions by miss_nighteye (terryh). ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT and it honestly distracted from work for a short while w/c was also highly inconvenient. Wasn't expecting much in the beginning and after finishing it, I wouldn't say its a masterpiece either but it was a good enough story that introduced me to the potential of ShigaDeku IF WRITTEN RIGHT and when the premise is not too dark for my taste as is the case with other -literal-enemies to lovers fics that are chock full of angst.

I am not fond of extreme angst and when authors make the dynamic of the ship too unhealthy for me to even justify it (them extremely dubious tags make me shudder) but Lovers of Lost Dimensions had just enough balance of angst and fluff(?) to draw me in. Now I can't help imagining ShigaDeku in my head and was almost tempted to draw it out before stopping myself.

I don't have a main otp in mha since I stick to gen and even the ones with romance only have Shouto, Bakugo, Shinsou or rarely Ochaco paired with Izuku. The popular ones with like over 10k kudos. So Shigadeku is a novelty to me with an interesting dynamic bc of their different beliefs, their quirks acting like a twisted version of the red string of fate and how they're both too op for their own good (so obviously they're meant to be bc only one can balance the other type beat😷) so it's a pairing that'll be stuck in my head for awhile until something else catches my interest.

[dragonfly0808]

Some of my Top Ships for Valentine’s Day!

This was supposed to be like 5 ships but shit got a little bit out of hand…

In no particular order:

Helia x Flora (Winx Club): they were my first OTP, it’s a classic, we know it, we love it, they invented the word adorkable. They are just… chef’s kiss

Callum x Rayla (the Dragon Prince): they are… my everything. From their very first interaction I was like… oh. They just balance each other out so well and it’s so much fun to watch them fall in love and grow together even if there have been a few… bumps in the road recently… they are my babies.

Runaan x Ethari (the Dragon Prince): WHERE IS MY SPIN OFF?! I NEED TO SEE HOW THESE TWO FELL IN LOVE! They just… the second Ethari was introduced these two had my heart and I just… I can’t even describe what it is about them that just gets me right there.

Lizzie x Daring (Ever After High): I said what I said. No regrets. Should’ve been endgame. You don’t get it, they get to be their real selfs when they’re with each other! The fucking potential! We only got 5 min in the webisodes and like a few dialogues in the books but they will forever live rent free in my brain.

Zuko x Katara (Avatar): …was this one predictable? I feel like this one was predictable, it just made so much sense with their respective characters, story lines and everything about them was just set up so perfectly but just never paid off. But yeah… these two were PERFECTION, up until they didn’t end up together somehow.

Percy x Annabeth (Percy Jackson): Come on, this is THE ship. I apologize in advance for the person I will become when the show comes out cause I’ll only be talking about them for a very long time.

Luka x Marinette (Miraculous Ladybug): You don’t understand how much I mean it when I say that I will go down with this ship. Luka is just… the cutest? And like… Marinette? Being supported? Being loved? Getting to have someone on her side that doesn’t feel like she owes them anything? Is this a potential OTP? Yes, yes it is.

Inej x Kaz (Six of Crows): I don’t think I have to say anything here. These two are just… wow. They would both kill for each other and… I love that it’s not an ‘I can fix them’ relationship, it’s a ‘I will change and be better for them’ relationship and I just…they are the pinnacle of romance.

Raven x Beast Boy (Teen Titans/Comics): Come on… do I have to say anything else? These two were made for each other! They understand each other in a way that almost no one else can, they both have dark sides that could take them over but they fight it, be it in different ways. And I just… they deserved so much more.

Mateo x Rufus (They Both Die at the End): If you haven’t read this book… it’s one of my faves but you shouldn’t read it unless you’re in a somewhat stable mental place ajajjajajja. But these two were just… ugh. I usually despise insta-love with every inch of my being but it worked so well for these two I just- AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH

Sophie x Gideon (Shadowhunters: Infernal Devices): These two I feel like are underrated in the fandom. Like, come on! In my personal opinion, they have the best love story in Shadowhunters. I’ve loved them since I was 9 and they are just so… they are just so good with each other? I love them. Every single moment of their relationship slaps.

Ron x Hermione (Harry Potter): They invented hesitant friends to friends to best friends to lovers. And they were done so wrong in the movies. Can anyone recommend me fics with them as the central focus? The Harry Potter part of AO3 is a fucking mess and I’ve found like two and I need more!

Luz x Amity / Hunter x Willow / Eda x Raine (The Owl House): How the fuck did a single show give me 3 new OTP’s? I’ve got no fucking idea but somehow they did it. I adore this show, I cannot wait for the finale. All the love stories are just… top tier just… wow. Lumity are the perfect enemies to lovers arc, Huntlow are just… so cute and perfect and of course we have Eda and Raine who are just iconic and IF I DON’T GET A KISS I AM GOING TO-

Wednesday x Tyler (Wednesday): COME AT ME BRO (please don’t), I love when people say they shouldn’t be together cause *SPOILERS* like… this is Wednesday Adams we’re talking about, if anything it makes it better! I love this ship. Their dynamic is just superior to me. Crazy x different kind of crazy? Perfection.

Charles Xavier x Erik (X-men): X-MEN WERE FUCKING COWARDS. That’s all I’ll say about that. I deserved so much better.

Rarity x Apple Jack (Equestria Girls): My fave sapphics, they were girlfriends. Farm girl x fashionista? Fucking genius. The aesthetics and dynamics are just perfect. The heavens open up and you can hear the choir when there’s a plot line revolving around their… ‘friendship’.

Nam-ra x Su-hyeok (All of us are dead): They are just… so fucking precious? He runs towards zombies to protect her and they are both crushing on each other from a distance, trying not to be obvious and it is so cute and so precious and just… I can’t wait for s2.

Stiles x Lydia (Teen Wolf): I’m not watching the movie. I refuse to. These two had 14 year old me in a choke hold.

Barry x Caitlin (The Flash): yes, I’m that person. Seasons 1-4 I still held on to hope. I love these two, just two nerds supporting each other and being THE team. This was truly so much potential.

Sarah x Leonard (Legends of Tomorrow): *sobs* they were just… so unexpected but they also made so much sense?

Hiccup x Astrid (How to Train Your Dragon): They were my obsession for a good while, Race to the Edge gave me way too much serotonin. I cried violently watching the last movie I just- they were so good. Their whole character development in Race to the Edge? Absolute fucking hold.

Winter x Jacin (The Lunar Chronicles): These two are just… childhood best friends to lovers, I’d kill and die for you, we know we love each other but we’ll never admit it and just be teaseful and then when they finally kiss it’s just so intense I was fucking fainting. I love them.

Dominick x Erika (Barbie, The Princess and the Pauper): They invented romance and they are the only insta-love love story that I will accept.

Robin x Regina (Once Upon a Time): I will die angry. Srly, they were just… perfect for each other? The definition of true love and they understood each other, Robin was so good for her and he believed so much in her and they loved each other in such a pure way and just… also they were just hot as fuck together I mean, they had me questioning my sexuality.

Starfire x Robin/Nightwing (Teen Titans/DC Comics/DC Movies): I don’t even know how to describe the amount of serotonin these two give me, they just make sense to me and I love them.

Kid Flash x Jinx (Teen Titans): They had 1 episode and they made history.

Artemis x Kid Flash (Young Justice): …I’m still waiting… fuck me… THEY WERE JUST SO FUCKING GOOD AAAAAAAHHHHHH- The way they annoyed each other but slowly grew to trust each other and then became friends and you can’t even pin point the exact moment they start falling in love because it just happens so naturally and so organically and it’s just- AAAAAHHHHHHHH

Impulse x Blue Beetle (Young Justice): Bart is in love with Jaimie and he is not subtle about it at all. Jaimie is a bit oblivious but you know that he is just as much in love if not even more

Jonathan x Nancy (Stranger Things): I swear yall’ if they really redo the triangle next season, I’m going to riot cause these two, their story is so well done in the first 3 seasons and it’s just like… what the fuck ya know?

Mike x Eleven (Stranger Things): I don’t care what anyone says, I still love them.

Lucas x Max (Stranger Things): …ow? I honestly don’t know what else to say.

Ben x Evie/Harry x Uma (Descendants): YOU KNOW I’M RIGHT, DID YOU WATCH CHILLIN LIKE A VILLAIN/WHAT’S MY NAME?! THE CHEMISTRY WAS LITERALLY DRIPPING OFF OF THEM. HE WAS SO HAPPY EVERYTIME HE SAW HER AND THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN GOLD TOGETHER.

Lucas x Maya (Girl Meets World): I am so tired… these two were just… so good together, the chemistry, the story line, Maya accepting the ‘bad’ side of Lucas in a way that Riley never did and him just being there for her no matter what ‘I could never hurt you’ I just… why?

Veronica x JD (Heathers the Musical): Listen… hear me out… I know that he was kinda crazy but… they were kind of an iconic duo okay? Freeze Your Brain? Dead Girl Walking? Our Love Is God? Seventeen? Meant to Be Yours? I Am Damaged? Sorry was I… not supposed to ship them after listening to those? I love them. I’m allowed to have at least one kinda-toxic-if-you-think-about-it-ship.

Juliette x Warner (Shatter Me): They created sexual tension. Every single scene slaps and their arc is just perfect and I love them and they are just… they are so intense but in the best way possible.

[terapsina]

Question of the hour. Can someone figure out what my shipping type is through ten of my all time favorite OTPs?

I ask because I can't.

1. Swan Queen.

Enemies to Friends to Lovers. Angst. The Evil Queen and the Savior. Divorced Moms Feeling. Co-parenting their kid plus town. Battle Couple. Obsessed With Each Other's Happy Ending.

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2. Elejah.

Tragically Opposite Sides. Mirrors of Each Other. Loyalty. Family. Betrayal. Humanity. Mutual Respect. Regret. Cruelty. Inherent Understanding of What Makes The Other Tick. Full of Weirdly Reciprocated Awe. Casually Dropping 'Always and Forever' in Basically a Love Letter.

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3. Pardison.

Utterly Fluffy. Sweet. Friends to Lovers. The Hacker and the Thief. Each Other's Safe Space. Good Communication. Rock-solid Foundation. Completely Without Problematic Aspects and Yet Extremely Interesting.

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4. Hizzie.

Enemies to Friends to Enemies to Friends to Lovers. Squabbling Like an Old Married Couple. Bitches Against The World. But Also Very Soft. Actually Kinda Obsessed With Each Other. Would Kill For Each Other. Would Also Occasionally Want to Murder Each Other. Right Person, Wrong Time. More Romantic Than They Think They Are. Multiple Jealousy Scenes.

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5. Bellarke.

The Sloooooowest of Burns. The Head and The Heart. Everyone Including Their Friends, Their Families, Their Antagonists and Their Separate Love Interests Sees It. Completely In Love With Each Other. Being Apart Breaks Them. Each Other's Weak Spot. Also Each Other's Strength. Absolute Idiots. Not Actually Unrequited.

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6. Graylora.

My Newest Babes. The Prince Turned Mage and the Destined Empress. Initially Unrequited. Friends to Future Lovers. Inspire Hope in Each Other. Find Strength Through The Other's Faith. Awkward Turtleducks. Seeking Purpose and Fearing Destiny. Torn Apart and Longing To Reunite. Tragic "Death" Scene and Savage Vengeful Reaction.

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7. Clizzy.

Tactile Agony. No But Seriously So Much Touching. Meet-cute Head Bump. Constant Overt Flirting. BFFs to lovers. Falling For Her Brother's Girlfriend. More Chemistry Than The Canon Wants to Allow. Delicious Vibes Of Undercurrent Longing. Just Kiss You Fools.

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8. Spuffy.

Enemies to Reluctant Allies to Squabbling Children to Nearly Frenemies to Almost Friends to Doomed Lovers to Actual Friends to Lovers. They're a Comedy. They're a Tragedy. They Don't Work and Yet They Do. They're a Rollercoaster of Pain. They Can Be Alone Together. They Trusted Each Other Even Back Before They Liked Each Other. They've Seen The Best and The Worst Of Each Other. No Other Ship Has Hurt Me As Much as This One. The Slayer and The Vampire Who Got His Soul For Her.

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9. Kahlan/Cara.

The Mother Confessor and The Mord Sith. Reluctant Allies to Enemies to Friends to Lovers. The Confessor Who Chose to Spare Her Sister's Killer. And The Trained Killer Who Couldn't Make Herself Kill The Confessor Even To Save Her. Even Though She Has Magic Resurrection Powers. TWICE. Sexual Tension Oozing Through The Screen. Kahlan Wouldn't Be Able to Confess Cara Either, Fight Me.

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10. Green Queens.

Two Sociopathic Queens In Love. Would Totally Enslave The Galaxy If Their Families Didn't Hit Them Over The Heads With Rolled Up Newspapers and Say 'NO! BAD QUEENS! No family dinners for you'. Would Do Cold Blooded Slaughter For Each Other. Kinda Have Actually. Sharing Immortality Because What's The Point of Living Forever if They're Not Together.

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So that's it. Ten of my favorite ships. Do they have a common element? I don't know, I'VE certainly never been able to identify one.