#it’s just so insanely clever and in depth

[frankie-idk]

i think as a society we need to talk more about the brilliance that is the hunger games series

[dollietes]

໒꒰ྀི´ ˘ ` ꒱ྀིა mimi’s fic recs !

in summary these are my fav fics that i’ve read recently and are living within the depths of my brain. this is just a way for my to show appreciation for the writers who had written them <3 please support their blogs and check out their other works as well!

please minors dni with the smut works. respect writers and their boundaries!!

f :: fluff / a :: angst / s :: smut

pretty girls make graves by @ijtaimes f

OBSESSED with this series!! the blend of the summer camp setting, the love triangle story, and the clever incorporation of horror elements?@)2)2) and the interactive storytelling it has with the outfit choices and other general choices?? ivy, cousin i love you and your sexy brain. i can’t get enough of it actually!

two peculiar swans by @astralnymphh f / s

WHEN I TELL YOU ALL I RAN LIKE THREE LAPS AND SAT IMMEDIATELY WHEN I SAW IT WAS POSTED. the writinggg!! so top tier! the dialogue, inner monologue how the story just flows so seamlessly?? i’m so excited for the rest of this series bro like aestra ate😋 HYPE IT UP YALL!!

loser!abby by @abbyscherry s

when i tell you all i profusely **** and ***** while reading both of the loser!abby works. like if i speak I would be deemed as insane, a mad woman it’s crazy. read them like bedtime stories before bed😭

cowboy!ellie + this by @catfern s

SAVE A HORSE RIDE A COWGIRL! COWBOY!ELLIE NATION RISEEEEE. these hcs had me foaming t the mouth like i need someone to hold me back before I ramble about how much I love these hcs and eat them up and will continue to eat up anything cowboy!ellie 😋

in for it by @brackishkittie s

ONE WORD. DIVINE. DELICIOUS. SCRUMPTIOUS. i could not stop smiling like a school girl while reading this it’s embarrassing actually. also vivian’s smau’s >>>> got me into the fandom actually

rockstar!ellie + this by @phantombriide s

i could write a thesis about how much i love this and rockstar!ellie works. like this is what i breathe, i eat, i consume everyday. it is the mantra i read to start my days. my daily reading to begin the day. god bless.

academic rival!abby by @beforeimdeceased f / s

ACADEMIC RIVALS CLENCHES FISTS. RAHHHHHHHHHHHH I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE ITTTTT. every bit of this series had me craving for more oml. like i need academic!rival abby in my bed immediately!

being pregnant with wife!abby by @bayasdulce f

baby fever has hit me once again what can i say?😞 I need wife!abby to take care of me so bad it’s getting sad at this point. I just this broke me down and worsened my baby fever (had me making a pinterest board and everything goodbye😞😞)

neighbour!ellie + this by @loaksky s / f

NEIGHBOUR!ELLIE NEIGHBOUR!ELLIE NEIGHBOUR!ELLIE MY FAV FAV FAV! i remember the influx of them on my dash and trust i was eating good 🍽️ both parts had me folding, giggling, smiling, swinging my feet everything and everything.

try it on by @moncherellie s

another work that got me into the fandom!! I remember reading this for the first time and hiding my face and giggling into my pillow and the audios lord i felt so giddy that night lmao😭

doctor!abby texts by @eightstarr f

doctor!abby has me in a chokehold like that’s my wife and mother of our three children everyone can leave pls and thanks😁 and i mean that with my whole chest. those texts are actual REAL evidence of what our convos look like you all can move (im joking pls don’t take what I’m saying seriously😭) I just am in love with everything zoe puts out because it’s so good and so dear and special to me

cutty love by @totheblood f

anything star puts out tbh >>>>> absolutely in love with cutty love actually! I am a whore for any fluff and PINNING (GIVE IT TEW ME). this is just so soft and sweet and it’s everything I need like uggggh. the audios too just chefs kiss love everything about it!

streamer!ellie hcs by @inf3ct3dd f

SIERRA’S HCS 🔛🔝 SO GOOD EATS EVERYTIME YALL like gen they all have made their home in my brain and I can’t go to bed without at least reading one of them before i hit the hay.

knight!ellie by @heavenbloom f

FIRSTLY written so beautifully?&* i love everything about this and i tend to go back to this work when I’m in need of a fluff fix! I absolutely adore how everything is written yes I’m reiterating my point because ‘green eyes thirsty for the well that was your beauty.’ LIKE WORLD STOP. ARE YOU SEEING THIS?? ‘she was utterly dedicated to you, body and soul, and she would be by your side until her very last breath. it was a fierceness, this love that consumed her, and it was all yours.’ LIKE WTF

partition by @whore4abby s

reserving my *clears throat* thoughts for now but just know * **** **** *** *** ***** **** * **** ***** *********!!! 😁😁😁 everyone should read this ASAP!

sun don’t set by @hier--soir f

another heavenly piece omg!! so in love with the writing in here oh my god. it’s so soft and sweet and it just felt like a warm hug on a cold winters day i just. please read this!!

you love it when i play with you by @ourautumn86 s

i think i like passed out and had three nosebleeds because of this. i think about this more than i should. I think about in the morning, throughout the day and night. my daily read at this point like it’s just sooooo😋😋😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

my love mine all mine by @doepretty f

this one is special to me too like. for one the writing is so beautiful and it made me shed a tear and secondly I melted into a puddle like i want Abby so bad I’m going to be sick.

[stormywitcher]

oh sweet lord that last episode has rendered me deceased. i am dead. i cannot FUNCTION

what a show. and what a way to end the first season! as a hardcore insane percy jackson stan till i die, here’s my thoughts if you would like them:

FIRST OF ALL. the whole show: loved it. very little to critique in my opinion! i know not everyone is happy with everything, but personally i think it’s one of the best adaptations i’ve ever seen. it’s mostly faithful to the books, and the changes that were made i think were improvements and made a lot of sense.

rick wrote the first percy jackson book so long ago, this show felt like his way of being able to go back and change bits and edit the story to something that’s even better. that’s how i see the show!

LETS TALK CAST: it was fuckin perfection okay, i will fight anyone on this point. walker as percy has changed my fuckin life. his little emotional eyes in every single scene, showing so much depth to all of the dialogue, and giving the best vibes. the humour, the desperation, the self sacrifice. he is PERCY and i am so incredibly in love.

as for annabeth and grover, PERFECTION ALSO. leah slayed annabeth so hard, the little eye brow quirks, the way she was able to portray annabeth as extremely smart and logical, but not heartless, and certainly not cold. she brought such a warmth to the character and i am obsessed.

aryan as grover is just chefs kiss. from the satyr walk, to the one liners, to the uneasiness and resilience grover has, aryan has it down. i just loved him and I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THE HIM FLOURISH IN THE (hopeful) NEXT SEASON!

the whole cast was amazing. i loved all the choices. it all just felt so right. from the cast, to the set, to the fights, to the cgi. i’m just in love okay.

LUKE AT THE END HAD ME BAWLING. the tears in his eyes, the way he begged percy to join the cause, the hurt when he sees annabeth. FUCK ME I NEED A MOMENT OKAY.

the parallels that are being set up throughout the show for luke and percy are wonderful, i cannot wait to see how it continues. i thought it was just so cohesive and the characters feel so real.

i love how they have set it up for the next season! it’s like it’s ready to go, it’s RIGHT THERE and i want it it so bad so LETS GET MANIFESTING FOR ALL 5 SEASONS FRIENDS ITS TIME!!!

and i have to mention my love of percy/annabeth or percabeth. it’s not the whole point of the story i know, but it is something that is very special to me. i love my little sea boy and clever girlie together, and this show has set them up so beautifully. it’s given them time to have a friendship, to build trust, but also the little looks they give eachother, the pining that we can see will eventually build. IT MAKES MY FUCKIN HEART SING OKAY walker and leah slayed too hard on that front. they understood the assignment.

i could go on about this show and percy jackson in general forever. but i shall end this here because i feel like i need to go cry for a few hours lol.

in conclusion, and this will sound dramatic but i mean every word of this. this show fucking saved me right now. percy jackson is so incredibly important to me, it’s my biggest special interest, it’s shaped me for a decade, it’s my comfort, it’s my everything. i’m currently dealing with a tumour in my head at 22, and my mental health and life is crumbling around me, but this show and percy jackson and rick riordan has kept me here for the last 7 weeks and previously years before that. i owe my life to rick riordan. i will never be able to express my love for this enough.

okay okay, i’m done. see you later once i’ve rewatched the series 4374 times and have memorised every fucking word.

[oneknightstand-if]

I just discovered this IF out of context through your chapter update post and just jumped in blindly cuz I saw fencing and went "!!!! fencing !!!!" (Even tho I ended up going the polo route for the first playthru cuz POLO!!!!!!!! I havent heard/seen polo mentioned in over a decade this was like an oasis for me (side side note; love that u included Midsummer holding his breath to loosen the girth. When I read he was an "antics" horse i figured thats something he'd do lol. Vindication. Its such an often overlooked detail)) and going into this blind was wild BUT HOLY COW THIS IS SO COOL? You weaved together the seemingly dispirate parts of the premise together so well! I love how much of a nerd MC can be! The wikipedia links are such a clever touch! And as a game dev student OH MY GODS THE VARIABLES. THERE'S SO MUCH FLAVOUR TEXT. IM IN AWE OF UR PATIENCE AND ABILITY TO WRANGLE THOSE! The writing is great as well, I love all the details you weave in and I love what sus bastards (affectionate) both Adrian and Merlin are and the breadth and depth of research that has gone into this is insane. The lore and mystery aspects are so engaging I love love love this so far and can't wait to see how the story further unfolds. Best of luck to you!!!

Thanks for the compliments! Yeah, all the various flavor text variations depending upon the MC's personality and their previous decisions is how the game ended up with a 60k route out of 600k text. The behemoth that eats people's brains.

And it's great to see that someone actually picked up on what was going on with Midsummer Knight's Dream (and also Knight Rider) when it came to their saddling. F in the chat for all the MCs who didn't realize and fell off their horse when the saddle slipped.

[sophieswundergarten]

There's something so wonderful about how Reynie is considered "average". Especially to an outside viewer, he's "the normal one". He doesn't have an eidetic memory, or impressive physical capabilities, or psychic powers. He's just Reynie.

He's bad at jokes and he panics a little when he's put on the spot and he likes cheesecake (for some reason) and he relies on his friends and he makes hard decisions but he doesn't trust himself.

Anyone looking at him for the cursory five seconds would see a "normal" child. A boring one. The singular fluke in Mr. Benedict's quartet of extraordinarily gifted children.

And, he is.

Not in the way that the imaginary observer would assume, but Reynie certainly is all of those things. He isn't especially strong, or academically talented, or uniquely stubborn. He is who he is, and that's part of why he's such a good character. Because he is the mediator, the one who does his best to stay levelheaded when his friends need him, and because he needs them. He is the point of view character, and so we know exactly how much he depends on his family.

But the absolutely wild thing about Reynie, the insane, extraordinary thing, is that he's all that and so much more. He's brave and he's clever and he is a skilled leader and he loves his friends. It's like looking into a piece of crystal; deceptively calm, flat, and just reflecting what's around him. But, on closer inspection, he is full of facets and depth and inclusions that have been imparted to him from those he loves. He contains multitudes, and while some of that is definitely what people see on the surface, someone who stops at that couldn't be more wrong

[fazedlight]

THE MARVELS WAS AWESOME I HAVE GONE INSANE

Spoilers under the cut. Warning, this post ran away with me.

First off, obviously, this movie is a strong woman-led cast with men in supporting roles. I feel like, in order to move a society, you both need to make an active point about representation - which Captain Marvel did - but also need to start making a passive point about representation - which The Marvels did.

Because in a truly equal world, we'd see a thorough mix of movies, and it wouldn't occur to us that some movies had more men or more women or more white people or more latinos or more straight people or more gay people. Equal representation means that sort of thinking disappears. (As an example... do you have a sense of blue eye vs. green eye representation? Without oppression, it's just not a thought that occurs.)

So in a way, I felt like The Marvels was showing us what the world could be? Women as the focus, but that's not inherently noteworthy. Women of color as leads, but that's not inherently noteworthy. To see full diversity across movies and have that not be noteworthy. No single movie can give us everything - but The Marvels moved us in the right direction, and I want that momentum to keep going.

And gosh, the balance of the movie was incredible. The humor, the depth. I love how they wove something complex with Carol - that she had tried to do a good thing, caused genuine harm, and she didn't try to hold an entire people accountable. She took accountability and tried to fix it the best she could.

I also loved seeing her grow a little out of her stoicism. Brie Larson plays stoic very well, and she had a fuckton of emotional baggage in her history. This movie sees a slightly lighter side of her - she's had a little bit of distance from those harms. She's still working through that pain. But she is clearly on the road to healing. But healing is complicated (see above).

I absolutely love Monica. She's tough and clever and so stupidly curious. I've never gotten magic powers from my curiosity, but I have blown up a wall before, so I couldn't help but laugh when she reached out to touch the broken portal point because that resonated so much. I can't wait to see what adventures she ends up in in the other universe.

(Not gonna lie, I feel like there might be some queer vibes between her and Carol. I don't know if that will develop further... but if it does, god I hope they don't waste it.)

I need to see Ms. Marvel now, obviously. I actually intended to watch it this week, but life got away from me. Kamala is such a great character - Iman Vellani nails infectious excitement, and some of her family dynamics resonated strongly with my own. I don't usually watch stuff set for high school aged kids, but I gotta make an exception here.

I loved that the villain had some complexity (Zawe Ashton's performance blew me away), and that her people were ultimately helped in the end. The world is a complicated, messy place. But you can't hold an entire people accountable for the crimes of a few, and you have to understand how people get where they are (Dar-Benn wasn't a flat born-evil villain), and you have to try to help where you can even if the world is messy and you may make mistakes. (Granted, for most of us, helping means protesting or donating money or whatever, rather than reigniting a sun. But the less glamorous things are no less meaningful.)

And man, they just nailed the balance of the depth with the humor. I lost my fucking mind on the musical planet, and was laugh-crying when Memory started playing. All the little things like Fury's relief that Carol slammed into the ground just caught me off guard. Watching the initial chaos of their quantum entanglement and the ensuing montage was great. 10/10 experience overall.

Finally, gosh, the little Cessna at the end had me so nostalgic. My initial flight training and first solo were in a very similar aircraft, a Cessna 152. It looks like N5017B might've formerly been assigned to a similar aircraft, a Cessna F150L. (That tail number is now assigned to a Beechcraft.)

Let me tell you, cramming into a small plane like that on a hot Los Angeles day isn't always a pleasant experience, but it is a magical one.

(Carol, if you're reading this, you should know better than to leave a plane tied down for long! The poor baby needs flight time and regular maintenance!)

tl;dr - Go watch The Marvels.

[captain-ozone]

MY VERY SPOILERY THOUGHTS ON THE LITTLE MERMAID

I’m going absolutely feral after seeing The Little Mermaid. My inner child has been FED, and I HAVE NO ONE TO TALK TO ABOUT IT YET so here I am to spew my thoughts. Spoilers below:

1. Halle was perfect. I will accept no criticism on this point. The only thing I cared about when this live-action movie was announced was that our new Ariel would have a voice to match Jodi Benson’s, and Halle did more than deliver. She epitomized the spirit of Ariel in every way. She was playful, she was inquisitive, she was joyful and bright and fun, she was so good at tugging the heartstrings (even without dialogue!!!) and appealing to our innate wanderlust and desire to discover and experience,  and she was so so EARNEST in her portrayal I can’t even. 

2. THE DEPTH THEY ADDED TO PRINCE ERIC’S CHARACTER OKAY!?!?! LIKE?!?!?! Okay, I will NOT GET OVER THIS. It was SO CLEVER of them to mirror Ariel’s journey with his desire to break free of his position’s restrictions. It worked incredibly well and did not once detract from our heroine’s spotlight. Rather, it ENHANCED their connection and sold me on their three-day love story in a deeper and more meaningful way than the original did (more on that below). ALSO ALSO ALSO SO COOL of them not to kill off his ADOPTIVE mother. ADOPTIVE. Marvelous choice! Truly. His mother’s fear of the sea gods offered a parallel to Triton’s fear of the surface world, and *CHEFS KISS*

3. Melissa McCarthy’s Pour Unfortunate Souls was a FUN TIME. 

4. Awkwafina as Scuttle? Inspired. 

5. MAX WAS ADORABLE AND THE STAR OF THE SHOW EVERY TIME HE WAS ON SCREEN. BEST BOY.

6. Wherever they filmed? The castle? Fucking gorgeous.

7. JODI BENSON CAMEOOOOOOO 

8. Grimsby is the GOAT. Enough said.

9. NEW SONGS

I may get some hate for this, but I’m not the biggest fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda.  Idk how to put this. He has an insane amount of talent, but for...untraditional musicals. I wouldn’t say he’d be my first choice to write new songs that fit the more traditional Broadway-like musical vibes that characterized so much of the Disney Renaissance. 

That being said, The Scuttlebutt was the strongest of the bunch, I think. It was very much a Miranda song, and in most instances, I’d be a little irritated by how they included a song that has a style so different from the rest of the lyrical music we know and love from the original animated movie. But it worked here, likely because it was delivered by Awkwafina’s Scuttle and FIT the character.

Honorable mention to Wild Uncharted Waters, only because WOW Jonah Hauer-King went OFF on that performance. This boy said “I get one musical number and I’m going to KILL IT” and he did.

Also very much liked the Part of Your World (Reprise II)! It tied everything together really nicely.

10. THE OTHER NOTABLE CHANGES I NEED TO SCREAM ABOUT

I LOVE THAT ARIEL HESITATED BEFORE CHOOSING TO GO THROUGH WITH THE SPELL.

I LOVE THAT ARIEL WAS FORCED TO FORGET SHE NEEDED A KISS FROM ERIC. --> THIS. THIS IS FREAKING AMAZING. I can’t even express how much more I felt for Ariel and Eric’s love story. How much more real it felt. How much more believable and true. I don’t buy in to one-day (or few-day) love stories very easily, especially when physical intimacy/attraction is a driving force. My little aroace ass dug the fact that kissing Eric literally was the last thing on Ariel’s mind. She got to be herself, explore this new world, AND do it with someone who appreciated her curiosity and found joy in how much joy she was experiencing, who could have just as much fun as she could. God. Goals. 

I LOVE THAT ERIC KNEW SOMETHING WASN’T RIGHT WITH VANESSA, EVEN IF HE COULDN’T PUT HIS FINGER ON IT. Very reminiscent of Prince of Song and Sea by Linsey Miller (a YA AU retelling told from Prince Eric’s POV. It’s a fun, easy read, if you’re curious).

I LOVE THAT ARIEL ACTIVELY TACKLED VANESSA AND BROKE THE SHELL NECKLACE HERSELF.

I LOVE THAT ARIEL WAS THE ONE TO STAB URSULA. I LOVE THAT SO MUCH. WE LOVE A BADASS HEROINE WHO DON’T NEED NO MAN TO SAVE HER.

All of these changes were important and mean a lot to me. I think it challenges a lot of the issues people have with the original animated movie, in that, here in the 2023 version, no one can argue that Ariel made her choices because she was lusting after a man. Or that she’s a damsel in distress. Very good stuff there.

11. My critiques

Some of the cinematography was weird. The transition between acting scenes and singing scenes didn’t always flow right. They felt abrupt and awkward. I definitely worried a bit about the CGI too, and it wasn’t too terrible imo. 

And my biggest complaint: idk what it was about the ending, but it didn’t *quite* hit right. In the original animated movie, one of the last bits of dialogue comes from Triton, when he says, “...how much I’m going to miss her.” The finale of the animated movie is then a spectacle of swelling music and a heartfelt case of “show” rather than “tell.” The hug between Ariel and Triton on the wedding barge is perfect. The way in which the mer-people come to witness the wedding and send off Eric and Ariel is perfect. 

The live-action ending felt...a little too somber. It became too much about Triton letting go and not enough about Ariel and Eric setting off on adventure together or about their worlds colliding in peace. I wouldn’t say that the last conversation between Triton and Ariel in the 2023 movie cheapens the line “...how much I’m going to miss her” and the bittersweetness with which he gifts her back her human legs, but it came close. I would have MUCH rather had a little more from Eric and Ariel than from Triton. LIKE HELLO??? WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT RING GRIMSBY KICKED AWAY!??? THERE WAS SOMETHING THEY COULD HAVE USED RIGHT THERE. Or better yet: if they wanted to do something super touching, they could have had Eric’s mother and Triton do a short aside by themselves, or perhaps even have a sort of moment where they acknowledge each other with respect/compassion/understanding before we all refocused on Ariel and Eric for the grand finale. But nah, they did what they did, and I’ll be a bit salty about it forever.

But anyway. Overall, I was very pleased. My disappointment with the lack of emotional impact from the ending does not supersede my enjoyment of everything else.

If you made it this far, please share your thoughts! I’m eager to talk to people, because all my friends aren’t like me and didn’t go see it opening night, lol.

[cleverri]

hello! if it's ok, may i please request the 'bad guy' gang (the bad guys) having a rivals-to-lovers relationship with their s/o? thank you! ( ˶ˆ ᗜ ˆ˵ )

MULTI x READER | written by MODs clever & okari

NOTES: We’re opening an anon list! If you’d like to be included be sure to drop an emoji you’d like to be recognized by in your ask! Love you all! - MODs clever & okari

warnings; A few cuss words here and there.

headcanons for The Bad Guys with a rivals-to-lovers relationship with their S/O...

Mr. Wolf

[ MOD Okari | note: clumsy criminal! reader ]

I’m sorry if this doesn’t include exactly what you asked, I really got carried away. :’-) I apalogize for the lack of in depth S/O content for him! - Jirokko <3

PRE-MOVIE 

Okay, I’m sorry but (Y/n) is not the cunning character you may believe them to be.

Between tripping on their own feet and somehow tripping every single alarm system known to man in a single building

Even surrounding alarm systems that weren’t part of the building itself,

They are the definition of oblivious.

And that's why it’s so infuriating to Wolf that you continue to get away with crimes when you clearly don’t know what you’re doing.

Or you do and you’re lazy and apathetic to crime etiquette. 

But he’s seen you attempt to drink water, choke on it, spill it all over yourself, and then try to take another gulp while coughing your lungs out while also simultaneously knocking over several other drinks that were near your elbow when you panicked.

He’s going with the ‘they’re just insane.’ outlook.

You two met at one of the many banks in town, him, being dashing as ever and you.

Well, you attempting to not look suspicious while tapping your foot with a whistle and peering at the bank teller every five minutes.

Of course he recognized you as another 'villain,' you had that shifty look in your eyes that was unmistakable. And we all know our man Wolf is good at reading people.

But instead of just accepting this as the fact that you were also here to probably rob the bank, Wolf became distracted by how oblivious you managed to look while somehow being unbelievably suspicious at the same time

Especially while you held a crowbar loosely in your hands.

He briefly wondered why you had a crowbar in the first place. You didn't need to pry open any windows or doors, the place was currently open to the public.

Wolf stood by the potted plants, a small sitting area, in an attempt to ignore you. Maybe give you a sign that he was also here for the big pot. 

Nonchalantly, he looked around with disinterest as he awaited a cue from Webs. Touching the mustache under his nose, he turned on his heels as he began to receive suspicious stares from some people. 

He ended up staring towards you in disbelief as he strided by the conversation you had gotten yourself wrapped into with someone.

You know how when you're talking to someone, you can get them to hand you whatever they're holding depending on how immersed they are? 

You were getting people to hand you money they were holding in their hand absent-mindedly while you cheerfully interacted with them.

Still holding that damn crowbar.

He had to do a double take as he walked past because you're literally just outright stealing in front of this person

like, you were actively holding the money bag. In front of the person you just robbed. Even after the conversation ended.

What in the Gladstone Goose kind of luck is this.

It made Wolf's eye twitch, but he scrambled to move after realizing he had missed his cue. 

After a series of unfortunate events involving introductions, annoyance, wit, clumsy mistakes, and Wolf quite honestly being baffled by how you made it this far as a criminal when you walked right in between the red laser triggers with no thought of consequences, Wolf was tossed out the window and smashed on the ground comically with a safe gripped firmly above his head.

Like when you're actively drowning but trying to keep your phone above the water so it doesn't get damaged.

"Oh, do you mind if I take this?" 

Wolf's ear twitched at the familiar voice of the same person in the bank's lobby,  the sheer volume of it alone leading him to suspect that it was you standing above him. How you got out there so fast despite being right next to him when he was flung from the window was beyond him.

A muffled reply came from the defeated wolf, and though it was surely a negative reply, you happily took the safe off his hands and shoved it in your trunk that was stock full of cash.

By the time Wolf peeled his face from the cement you were already driving off in your obnoxiously painted get-away vehicle, and the gang was calling down to him from the smashed window shaped like wolf.

Thus, your rivalry with the big bad wolf was born. 

RIVALRY TURNED S/O

Wolf will still act charming and all that towards you, he can’t let his reputation slip up too much. But you know how to push his buttons. Just a bit.

There are two main spots that hit both of your annoyance with each other beyond all the little things;

Luck. Wolf is a con man, he can steal things without anyone realizing until hours later. He’s a smooth talker, and he’s good at it. This type of thing comes with certain personalities, but it also needs to be worked on, it's a skill set. Especially in the crime aspect of his life. 

So when you walk in and get away with things with little to no effort even with all the big mistakes you seem to make, it annoys him to no end. He despises being one upped by certain people. You happen to be one of those people, especially through your…’methods’ of crime. Don’t get him wrong, the man is a believer of luck but you have too much for him to accept that you got to that diamond that one time before him despite him getting trapped in an alarm you set off.

And on the other side of the coin we have;

Arrogance. Wolf carries himself with a certain air that’s really hard to ignore, he’s charming with a bucket of smug added one top. Looking in through the eyes of someone who doesn’t know him you believed him to be arrogant. Vain in the way he appeared to look down on you and your abilities. 

You’re smart, dammit!! He just doesn’t appreciate your different viewpoint of things. Just because you might have accidently pulled the fire alarm when you tripped on air because you weren’t looking, or when you maybe got lost in Catacombs of Paris when trying to snatch the Monalisa, doesn’t mean you don’t have any skill! You do not rely on ‘dumb luck!’

Ever since your first meeting with Wolf, you two would see each other occasionally. Normally at banks or sometimes in other areas that were said to have expensive items, and everytime it was confirmed either of you was near, the other one would groan and accept their fate. Wolf will do it through clenched teeth with a ‘ho-boy’ sort of breath. You will outright groan.

Pet names are definitely a thing between you two. Mostly towards you —  ‘Sugar’ ‘Sweetheart’ and his favorite ‘doll’ (/derogatory,,,,for now 😏) he likes to add these on especially when you mess up or when something dumb is about to come out of his mouth just so there's a little cherry on top of the situation. 

And no, he will never call you by your real name.

In return you’ll call him ‘Wolfy’ just to see his dumb smug smile turn into a small scowl.

You like to rile him up by being oblivious to how, in his words, ‘freaking cool his car is.’ I really see wolf as a car guy, and you purposely getting the names wrong makes him want to drop-kick you.

Mini competitions. Lots of them; who can run faster past the guards, who can stand next to that really scary looking machine without chickening out first, who can DRIVE IN AN ACTUAL STRAIGHT LINE???? Wolf loves using your clumsiness as an advantage, while you take the time to distract him with an ego boost.

And they almost always start off with; “Hey doll, what do you bet I can get past the guard faster than you.” “You’re on, Wolfy!” “ah-ha. No.”

You openly admit, very loudly, that Wolf is your ‘greatest rival,’ but he absolutely will not. He’d like to keep it on the downlow – introducing someone as a ‘rival’ means being on the same level. He’s feels like he’s above dumb-luck, it makes his eye twitch everytime you mention it.

Yet, over the time that you’ve known each other, you took little pieces of each other. You learned from each other.

You slowly learned from watching Wolf and his gang how to commit a silent crime, how to steal and watch the world around you better. Wolf learned to accept that your luck was just a part of you – he even learned how to use it as an advantage. He learned how to lend genuine patience beyond his team. He learned how to view certain things from a new perspective simply because your rivalry forced him to.

Over time the pet names usually used to belittle / embarrass you turned into an endearing ring in the air. And to embarrass you. 

Your clumsy mishaps became something Wolf watched out for, no longer avoiding it. He thought it was something cute about you. (when it didn't end up getting him caught.) And even though you still refused to call his car by the correct name, he found himself chuckling and playing along with the annoyance if only to humor you.

Longer glances towards each other, and those small competitions no longer felt like a race to get it done but a long dragged-out attempt to stay near each other. A challenge demanded but a plea of something else on both your minds.

And the moment he realized he felt something a little deeper than mild annoyance and borderline friendship for you it was too late to turn back.

MOVIE

The realization that Wolf’s relationship with you didn’t just teeter on the edge of friendship came during the Annual Good Samaritan Awards.

You two had ran into each other a few moments after he talked with Diane, he gave a wink towards you in an attempt to get a reaction, as he had been doing recently.

You stared at him blankly, confusion written on your face as your eyes wandered over every inch of him.

“Hey do I know you?”

“(Y/n) are you kidding me–”

After taking off his disguise for a quick second, your face lit up with excitement. 

Wolf had to take a small step back in shock. Since when did your eyes shine so much? When did you…look at him like that?

He didn’t react when you grabbed his hand and shook it furiously, playing along with the disguise and throwing some small backhanded jabs at his outfit. Mostly the mustache.

He stood there dumbly with his hand still out, staring at you like he had just solved the world's hardest equation and was in that moment of pure euphoria.  

What in the world was going on? 

“(Y/n) I–”

“HAHA YES!! YES YES YES!”

Jolting from your exclamation, Wolf almost ducked out of instinct as you usually yelled when something was about to hit him.

He stared at you with that normal bewildered stare he gave you when things went sideways and you were the one all signs were pointing to.

Holding your closed fists up to your face and biting your lip, Wolf took notice of your (e/c) eyes shining with a happiness that he wanted to see more of. 

You were practically vibrating with the energy of a hummingbird, bouncing on your heels as you looked at him expectantly. 

After giving a noise of confusion, the white clad wolf finally realized what you were giggling at.

The ring! The ring he stole from Diane – it’s gone and-! And…in your hands.

“I DID IT! I DID IT WOLF LOOK! OH MY GOSH–”

After shushing you with a small shake of your shoulders – because he didn’t want the whole city to know you robbed someone – he realized how big this was for you.

You could always just blatantly rob someone, but being able to do this without him knowing made Wolf extremely proud. 

Snatching you from the ground, he twirled you around with a hearty laugh and a fully wagging tail. You’ve never seen his tail wag before – it was cute. Or it would have been if you weren't shocked to the core.

The entire action made you freeze, knowing this was definitely not like Wolf. Sure, there were small touches here and there, but those were always counted as accidents, nothing as deliberate as this.

Setting you down as immediately as it had happened, Wolf coughed into his hand and tore the ring from your loose grasp. He straightened his suit and attempted to go back to his smooth and collected self.

“For the record, you probably shouldn’t tell the person you robbed that you robbed them in such close quarters, Doll.”

You looked at this man like he was the most insane thing you had ever stumbled across. 

With a small pat on your shoulder, he was gone and walking towards the Awards building, leaving you a bumbling, confused mess. 

With an increase in heart rate. 

Mr. Snake

[ MOD Clever ]

It wouldn't be surprising when told that Mr. Snake has an enemy- He has a lot. But a rival??? Really???

He's a grumpy, old snake. He thinks he doesn't exactly have time to even think about having a rival, yet there they are. Definitely the one who takes the longest to even realize there may be more friendliness terms going on.

Trust issues- My guy has trust issues. This relationship is going to take a while to actually become official. Hell- It takes forever for him to even consider them a friend. Patience is key with this one, folks.

Once in the relationship though, don't leave him, or even joke about it. He took the time to figure out that his S/O is someone he can put trust into, don't ruin that for him. He may like being a smartass, but it's more in a playful way.

Might make a couple jokes on how he used to absolutely despise his S/O, but let's be real, the second he figured out his rival is more on friendly terms, he had fun being their rival.

Just, don't make him hate you, really. He'd do anything for his S/O, even if they had a rocky start.

Mr. Shark

[ MOD Okari | note: fashionista!reader ]

PRE-MOVIE

Now, you two don’t actually know each other personally pre-movie.

You’re a popular fashion icon, and he’s an…infamous criminal

BUT – what brings you two to the others attention is through our handy device; the TV

Shark watches each of your broadcasts religiously while you watch him closely through the ‘Breaking News’ of that day. 

He seriously enjoys listening to all your tips and tricks on outfits, as well as hearing you work with your clients to either give them a makeover or make outfits for movies/shows/other events.

Listening to you talk while doing his own thing around the hideout emmerses him in the ‘what ifs’ of his life. What if he was different – living a different life. 

He also thinks it's just the coolest thing to not only be able to dress yourself so well and be snazzy, but also to do it for others. He’d take your tips to heart and attempt to use them in his own disguises, sometimes making them better in the process with his own twist.

You’d be lying if you said that this Mr. Shark character wasn’t interesting – the way he moves through those outfits was downright impressive and you’d love to see it in action.

Just to see if you would recognize him. You admired the way he held confidence in any outfit you put on, what an intriguing fella. 

MOVIE

HERE'S WHEN YOU MEET FACE TO FACE ARE YOU EXCITED???

ITS OKAY I CAN BE EXCITED FOR THE BOTH OF US! 

So, being as high as you were on the societal ladder, you were invited to the Annual Good Samaritan Awards by your good friend and client; Diane Foxington. 

You had arrived early to talk with her specifically, and ended up dwelling near the tables until it was time to eat. You were more focused on a project you were currently trying to complete, not on conversing with others.

Social standards are fleeting, fashion is NOW.

So there you sat, eventually being moved to a table as your clutter seemed to be moving on its own. Working hard on the notebook under your hands with all the plans, measurements, and everything in between in front of you. 

Shark also sat in front of you.

He was staring in complete shock, mouth open so wide he could catch files and whatever else decided to fly in. He couldn’t really believe he was sitting in front of you of all people – someone who he’s listened to probably a thousand times before from behind headphones. 

He immediately struck up a conversation with you, after being caught staring (as in, he was right up in your face looking down at your notebook with you.) and you two hit it off almost instantly. Of course, being in his disguise you called him ‘Mam’ and he had to quickly come up with a name off the top of his head, but other than that it was a lovely conversation.

“So what do you think about the bad guys?” you asked out of the blue, your eyes staying glued to the page you currently wrote on. Shark froze with his chattering stopping mid sentence, glancing around nervously as he became confused on what brought on the topic.

“Uh-uhhh well you know – they’re uhm.. The bad guys, haha. What about that shark fella, he seems interesting!” Came shark's high pitched voice, his eyes scanning your face for any emotion. Your hand stopped writing momentarily as you glanced up at her. “He’s…a criminal,” you seemed to conclude, returning to your work.

It really did feel like his heart shattered like a china plate already stomped on by the bull. He grew silent, watching you do your work with hurt on his face. Though he wasn’t sure why – it was the answer he expected. You didn’t really know him, why would you say anything different?

“But he’s definitely someone I’d like to talk to one of these days. In prison or out I suppose, his work is something I can’t quite wrap my head around. It’s impressive, honestly.”

A small, unnoticeable blush made its way to Shark’s cheeks that was shaken away by his now lively chatter. He bounced back almost instantly after hearing the rest of your answer. It was lifting for him.

It had been a mostly innocent question since you had just listened to the latest news report on them, but you were slowly coming to the realization that this woman might not be what she seems. A suspicious amount of talking with her hand to her ear gave you a clue. You raised a brow as her face seemed to light up. 

And then she stood, turned almost robotically, and flipped a table over that was next to you. Safe to say you stared in shock as she fell to the floor and started yelling about having a baby. It was one of the most bizarre things you had ever seen.

After all was said and done, and it was revealed that the lady was in fact Mr. Shark, you had placed all the pieces together. A laugh ripped through your throat, using your hand to cover your mouth you approached Mr. Shark who was currently in hand….fin cuffs? Who looked up at you almost embarrassedly that you had saw him get caught.

“M-Mrs. (L/n)-- hahah- this uhm-well its exactly what it looks like -- but-!”

“I knew there was something off about you!”

You laughed, shaking your head in disbelief as you wiped your eyes. You were still shocked you didn't recognize him. Though that's the reason you wanted to meet him in the first place. Your chuckles die down as you see a hurt look flash through his eyes.

“Here's my card, you should call me when you’re free. By the way…you look good in that dress.”

You compliment with a head tilt and smile,  note books held tightly in one arm as the other holds your card out to him. Shark had stars in his eyes as he took the card from you, tucking it who knows where. He waved goodbye excitedly to you as he was ushered out the door with his friends.

RIVALRY TURNED S/O

After the events of the movie, Shark took you up on the offer to contact you. When he was free of course. Definitely not right after the gang was released from prison.

You two hit it off just like that night at the Awards ceremony, and it felt like you two had known each other your whole lives. 

Well, except this time you were getting to know the real Mr. Shark, not Mrs. SharlklingRose. He was eccentric, but you absolutely loved that about him.

You enjoyed his bold behavior and stance in fashion, as well as his views on ‘gendered clothing’, as he either didn’t understand why humans had specific roles in clothing or he just didn’t care. Though you didn’t mind either way, you enjoyed being able to talk about it.

Your ‘rivalry’ was really just for the giggles and compliments, each dressing up to go into public and see who would get recognized first. Of course Shark ended up winning a lot of these little competitions, but you also managed to squeeze in your own wins and that was all you needed!

Shark was amazing at wearing disguises, flaunting it and convincing people. He’s a natural theater kid inside and he does not mind causes scenes (as you learned from one of the many little competitions)

But you were good at making the disguises, blending in with the crowds. You would only instigate if Shark did. 

Soon, your little outings were getting more frequent and these little competitions became more and more competitive. You knew, after a lot of debate with his friends, that you were in love with the big ocean animal. With his kind eyes, and those pearly white shark teeth, and his embarrassed blubbering when he was caught doing something.

In love with his confidence and sweet personality, and his willingness to help you with whatever you needed at any time. The theater kid in him never failed to amuse you. His shy moments could never come fast enough. 

Being his S/O would mean a life full of noise. I like to think that Shark is a talker. Loves to talk, and he will tell you about it. You’d get big, warm hugs that engulf you fully. Loving, full attention stares as you ramble about fashion and your other interests. Bold statements and confidence rubbing off on you.

Late night chattering and days full of compliments. Someone who emphasizes with you and everything about you. Your insecurities, your hobbies, your love, your whole soul becomes his and he feels what you do. Every ounce of you is loved.

If only he could take the hint.

This man just could not take the hint. You had tried everything; flirting, saying ‘I love you’ to his face, MORE FLIRTING – you felt as though you were about to spell it out for him. So during one of the ‘WGRF’ (Who’ll Get Recognized First) sessions you made a bet with him.

“Shark – if I win this, you’ll go on a date with me.”

“A-....A date? Awe (Y/n) are – are you sure? Like… like a romantic date?”

Of course, you had a plan under your belt in case things went South, (nothing like a good sabotage from the gang to ensure your win) but it seemed you didn’t need to put that into action. 

But that was all it took for the realization to smack our good man Shark in the face at high speeds. All those compliments – the lingering touches! OH MAN HE GETS TO GO ON A DATE WITH YOU IF HE LOSES!?

Shark didn’t even come dressed up, just in his casual outfit with a big, puppy-dog smile on his face.

“Sh-shark?! You’re not even dressed up-! How’re you supposed to play– whoa!!”

The ocean animal tugged you by the hand, cheering that he had lost and that you had obviously won. This meant a date, right?! Right?! Let's go right now! You two ended up going to a nice restaurant per Sharks request.

“By the way, I totally would of won that, I was going to dress up as Madonna but I *chatter chatter*

You gave an endearing smile towards the male chattering away in front of you. Of course he would dress up as Madonna. Yeah, you would have totally lost.

Webs

[ MOD Clever ]

She's one of the members of the group who actually enjoys being rivals the second it's revealed she even has one. For a second or two, maybe she'd find it weird, or annoying, but meh. She just enjoys a little adventure.

I'm fitting this rivalry of hackers, like, hacker rivalry, so her seeing someone who's just as good with technology as she is gets her excited. She'd want to see if she can hide herself away and try to see if she can steal any of her rival's secrets.

She's more in the middle with how fast she falls for her rival. Definitely not as bad as Snake, but not as quick as Piranha either. Straight dab in the middle. If she genuinely likes having this rivalry with her S/O, and enjoys the fun around it, then she's in.

In a relationship, just a lot of moments where she and her S/O just mess around with technology, maybe even gushes about it. She'd trust to be able to be on her S/O's shoulder without either falling or being shooed away.

If she notices that her S/O has fun with her friends, then she'd immediately be happy. Not to say she was scared her friends would hate them, more on just… They used to be rivals. So now she's prepared for a lot of teasing, but she doesn't mind.

I'll just note she'll hack into stuff just to get her S/O free things but shh- Nobody's supposed to know-

Mr. Piranha 

[ MOD Clever ]

Literally just shrugs off the fact that he even has a rival in the first place. He tends to forget about it due to his antics with his gang, but whenever he sees his rival it's gets real playful (Coughcoughdangerouscoughcough-)

Has the most fun with it, similar to Wolf. Doesn't even question how he got a rival, it's more on just the fun part of being able to be "fighting" with someone who isn't exactly afraid of him. He's crazy, he's going to do dumb shit cause he doesn't think before acting. Be prepared for a couple- Scratch that- Many injuries.

The most quick one out of the gang to fall in love. If he actually has a fun time, and enjoys being around his rival, he's taking that romance all the way up, baby! Be prepared for all the flirting in Spanish.

He likes getting into dangerous situations, this is obvious. If his S/O is his rival, then they are for sure able to keep up with his antics. He also tends to be a bit more clingy than the rest of his gang, but it’s mostly just his personality.

If you aren’t able to get along with his friends, then we might have a problem. He likes seeing the people he’s close with get along. If it starts off badly, he’s gonna keep hoping that they’ll, at some point, get along.

EXTRA NOTES: I hope you don't mind that Wolf's and Shark's have a bit of a little story going on!! I couldn't help myself, I seriously just adore your request so much -- it gave me so many ideas!! Thank you so much for the request, anon! - MOD Okari

[nnnnnnnothingtoseehere]

Currently crying rn (happy tears) because of a comment I got on my very first published fic.

Now, I get a decent amount of comments. I am also physically incapable of not writing, and now have 43 published works. I've been on AO3 for over a year at this point, and have ended up with so many lovely comments over that period of time.

But man, the ones on my first fic hit different, even now. I get them and BOOM I'm right back to when I first started this all.

The comment I'm currently crying over is hitting me harder than usual. The lovely person left a touchingly in-depth comment, detailing all the things they liked and complimenting my writing. I've been blessed enough to get comments like this, more than I deserve by far. But they're all, for the most part, on my more recent fics, the ones I've written in the last six months or so.

You know, when I actually started to figure out how to do this, kind of.

But this one is on my very first and I'm crying so hard because if little me had gotten this comment right when this fic was finished, she would have lost her mind. I can't help but read it that way, like I'm back in time. And it's insane because I know this fic is very near a train wreck. I don't reread it, and haven't for months because I'm not happy with the vast majority of it. I had little to no clue what I was doing, and just fucked around and found out.

But someone thought it's good, enough to leave a comment that has had me crying for the last 15 minutes, minimum.

Imagine a witty and clever ending here; I'm off to cry more.

[ginzburgjake]

There’s a fucking ghost in the Archives.

At least, that’s the simplest reasonable explanation Martin can put forward if asked. Nobody will bother to ask, probably, but in the depths of his mind, Martin still knows: there must be a damn ghost haunting the Archives he works in, and Martin has no idea what to do.

Okay, so maybe he’s being slightly paranoid. Maybe the new job is getting to him, a bit, what with the unexpected transfer to a dusty old basement full of dusty old papers and taped, label-less boxes. But there’s no denying that, apart from the general creepiness of the place and a feeling of being constantly watched (which he will not explore further, thank you), there’s something… well, weird going on.

It all starts with a pen. You see, Martin has a favourite pen — black ink, sits in his hand perfectly, presses onto the page at just the right angle. When not in use, it rests innocently inside a tall froggy cup, along with a few other pieces of stationery. So imagine Martin’s confusion when, one day, he returns from the lunch break to update his notes, takes a seat at the desk, holds out a hand to grab his pen, only to find — nothing. His pen is gone. He searches around his workplace, on the floor, in the drawers, even looks under the unassuming, grey carpet. Both Sasha and Tim claim they haven’t borrowed it, and no-one else could have entered or left the Archives without passing by Sasha’s office.

Martin is, understandably, sad, although not too surprised — his mother always told him off for getting his head stuck in the clouds. Probably misplaced the pen by accident, it happens. And he wouldn’t think anything of this unfortunate event — if not for the fact that when he comes to work next day, the pen is back. It is, once again, sticking out of the froggy cup, as if it’s always been there. Martin picks it up to check — and yes, it’s definitely his pen, with the ink halfway spent and the tip demonstrating a clear evidence of Martin’s nervous chewing habits. He decides it must be Tim pulling a prank (not even a clever one, mind) and lets the issue go without bringing it up. Still, something uneasy gnaws at Martin’s mind until the end of the day.

It becomes something of a regular occurrence — objects disappearing and turning up hours, days later in random places. Usually it’s office supplies — pens, pencils, a ruler, a stack of highlighters, sticky notes, and once even a roll of two-sided duct tape. Less often it’s case files or personal belongings. And never — food. At first, Martin seriously considers bringing this up with Tim or Sasha, forcing one (or both) of his colleagues to come clean, because the constant re-arrangement of everything is starting to drive him insane. However, it soon becomes evident that his friends also fell prey to the mysterious kleptomanic forces; Sasha’s hairbands go missing from her desk and are then found in the trash bin, along with Tim’s fidget cube. Tim complains that his collection of small superhero erasers is out of order (Martin has no way of knowing whether it’s true), and Sasha struggles to find her colour-coded paperclips.

Every morning in the Archives from then on begins with hunting down the essentials and then keeping a close eye on them, never leaving any treasured possessions overnight. Sasha uses her clearance level to access the tapes and staff recordings to confirm that nobody enters the Archives except for the three of them. It’s a pity the basement itself has no cameras, and Elias is no help in the matter whatsoever. Thus, the small archival crew has no other choice but to cope.

Life continues like that for a while, and Martin even gets used to the oddness of the whole situation. Then, the whispering starts.

It’s like someone is muttering unintelligible nonsense under their nose, too quiet and far away for Martin to catch the exact words. He can’t even say where the voice is coming from. It appears suddenly, akin to a gust of cold wind, and passes by before Martin registers its presence properly. He hears it for the first time around mid-September and promptly falls out of his chair, turning his head from side to side in alarm. The incident is just spooky enough to convince him that it’s awfully late (which it is) and he really should go home to lie down.

The next time happens a month later, and Martin, who absolutely forgot about the previous encounter, has to spend several long minutes on his knees, cleaning up a rather large stain of spilled tea on the break room floor. The whispered rantings proceed to greet Martin every two weeks, occasionally bringing the feelings of cold and damp weather, even though Martin knows for a fact that the heating works just fine. Neither Sasha nor Tim report any similar experiences, so Martin keeps his ghost idea to himself, waiting for a better opportunity to bring it up. Frankly, the perspective of meeting a real ghost excites him almost as much as it is terrifying. They do study paranormal stuff, but it’s not like Martin has ever seen it before. He’s not entirely sure he wants to find out what a potentially vengeful ghost might want with his poor soul, especially considering that two previous Archivists disappeared without a trace, and one of them left a quite concerning amount of blood behind.

So Martin puts up with the chills, and runaway pens, and a weird odour of salt well into the winter. He brings extra sweaters, makes more chamomile tea to calm the nerves and helps around to relieve some of Sasha’s stress. It’s fine, good even, with the company he finds himself in, and the whole ghost thing ultimately doesn’t bother him that much.

That is, until January 25th, when he comes to the document storage to retrieve a couple of unnamed boxes and sees… oh shit.

He sees what can be nothing but a blue, transparent, floating hand.

part 2 >

[onomatopiya]

5 Somethings: Celebrating the 5th Anniversary of Something's Not Right by @yvesdot

hello all! as many of you may know, my beloved mutual @yvesdot has a really banger book that's approaching its 5th anniversary right now! which is super exciting and a MASSIVE accomplishment which means we have to celebrate <3 thus, i give you 5 somethings (or: my top five short stories from SNR)

#1. my parents are spies

oh my goddddd this one got me man. i think yves has this insanely powerful ability to tell a story from between the lines--the metaphor and the paranoia worked so perfectly and made me have to close my laptop and pace on a school night. 10/10. holy shit. amazing. this especially hits in the closeted feels it's everything

#2. blood orange tea

i'll be honest and say that vampires usually aren't my thing but i LOVED this one. it was so sweet and ended on such a nice note AND it explored the depths of humanity vs monstrosity in SUCH a clever way. mel i adore you forever

#3. parent teacher conference

I LOVED THIS ONE. WAAAH. when parents love their children that is something that is so personal to me. it definitely hit home and had such a nice heart to it <3333 when the love is unconditional also . wails forever i love family

#4. soliloquy

this one just really stuck out to me for reasons i can't even explain. the language. the art aspect of it all. goes NUTS goes INSANE it definitely stayed with me as i finished the collection itself which says so much about it in my opinion

#5. of the night

i adored the texture of this one SO much. there was such a world built up in such a small space!!! it was so evocative and cleverly done, and the end grabbed me by the throat and Shook me. AH. love love loved it

and overall this collection is just. SO gorgeous and crafted with love and care. recommending for a thousand years go order it!!!!!

Something’s Not Right, published by tRaum Books, will be released October 10th 2023 and is available to preorder at Amazon, Bookshop.org, and itch.io. It will also be available upon release signed from Bookshop Santa Cruz. yves. will also have a local event at 6:30 PM on October 12th at the Santa Cruz Diversity Center and another on January 4th 2024 (to be announced) at Bookshop Santa Cruz.

[babyspacebatclone]

Ok, just back from the live action The Little Mermaid.

And may I confidently say?

Best live-action Disney adaptation yet.

True, a low bar to clear, but this honestly felt like a movie and a love story, and not just a cash grab.

Every single changed scene had me smiling. Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) was amazing, and Halle Bailey truly is Ariel, I want her version to become the defacto in the Disney Princesses line because she feels sweet and clever and brave above and beyond the animated version.

(No offense to Jodi Benson, I love her, but the animated version is what it was and the new Ariel is just given more room to breathe.)

I think, comparing, my child self would love the animated spectacle more…

But my adult self loves the tighter, more in depth story of the live action more.

It feels like the best kind of fan fiction, one where someone who loves the characters asks “How were they feeling here? How can I expand this?”

And gives us those glimpses.

Not perfect, but definitely enough for me to fan girl.

Speaking of which… Spoilers below the cut.

Right from the opening scene, you see this movie is taking itself and the responsibility of the story seriously. I love the development of Eric, his camaraderie with the sailors while also being a good mix of level headed (don’t just harpoon mermaids) with reckless insanity (dude, you’re a prince, please don’t laugh while dangling by one arm over open water. ah, well, i love you anyway).

I can feel how much the film pulls back the special effects budget, especially making the introduction of Triton’s daughters basically a business meeting instead of the grand performance, but the filmmakers were smart enough to make the change work. I like the idea of each daughter being “manager” of a specific sea under daddy’s “CEO,” and it was a great excuse to give diversity to each sister.

Plus, I loved their banter/interaction while cleaning the shipwreck, they felt natural and I wish we could have had more time with them.

Speaking of natural!

As a writer I was listening to the exposition, and in my opinion it was exceptionally well done, especially for the amount they crammed into the beginning. Some of it was on-the-nose, but that was restricted to Grimsby, Sebastian, and Ursula, and felt character appropriate in each context.

There was an eye for why the character is saying something - “Am I supposed to tell the Queen her son died, and on his birthday?”; “A shipwreck brought you to us, and now a shipwreck almost took you away, I can’t stand this anymore!”

I didn’t fee like making Eric an adopted orphan of the royal family was necessary, but I loved both Jonah’s and Noma Dumezweni’s performances enough that I accept the filmmakers wanting to justify things and they do tie it in to Eric’s expanded character.

And that is 👌👌👌 he’s so sweet and adorkable and they manage to make his longing to see the world beyond his island mesh with Ariel’s longing for the surface world without it feeling forced.

You see them shyly come together over their shared feelings of isolation and longing for something they’ve only been able to glimpse, not experience.

Turning the ideas that Ursula is King Triton’s sister and Ariel’s mother was killed by humans into not just canon, but pertinent plot points, was excellent.

I wish we could have known more about her mother, but can I say I’m glad it was never revealed Ursula was actually responsible? I suspected that when it was clear Ursula had been banished around the time of the death, but it works so much better than it really was just one human that traumatized King Triton, and him having to overcome his hatred of humanity as a whole despite his lose.

Ursula pulling out the “I’m your Aunt, ‘Daddy’ has hurt me so much by refusing to understand me, too” was genius.

It especially helped with the fact that Ariel was going to refuse to sacrifice her entire life (realism!!) only to give in because of her anger in a moment of spite towards her father (realism!!!), especially with seeing their relationship and knowing that Ariel’s fear of being enclosed under her father’s constant watch was probably accurate.

As a song, “For the First Time” isn’t particularly special.

Including Ariel actively doubting her decision to come to land? Brilliant.

The entire day out and “Kiss the Girl” sequence is perfection, fight me.

Grimsby being an active shipper on deck?? 😍

I personally prefer Eric being the one to steer the ship in the climatic fight, but the detail of Ariel steering it because she’d witnessed him trying to save the ship in the beginning was nice symmetry.

The animal companions were done very well in my opinion: Scuttle was better handled than in the animation to me, Sebastian was perfect and they did a great job humanizing his design with his eyes compared to previous outings, and Flounder was - there. With Max.

Almost feel you could have cut the last two out and lost nothing except babbling to Triton at the beginning, Eric coulda saved the shipboy at the beginning…

(And yes Flounder’s “realistic” design does not improve in context, fortunately he’s on screen less than the animated characters with charisma)

I love the expansion of the prejudices on both sides; I wish it had been better explored at the end, but Queen Selina’s speech to her son about how his feelings for Ariel despite her being a “sea creature” (her initial fearful reaction) was beautiful.

Brain’s trickling down, it was an early showing, but you get the point.

It’s well worth watching the movie, and I’m up for rambling if anyone else is! 😊

[malice-ov-mercy]

Adam’s Version

“I’d sell my soul a thousand times over just for you.”

Pairing: Adam De Micco x OFC (could be read as Reader)

Content Warnings: 18+!, implied dub-con, incubus!Adam, implied sexual encounters (dreams), implied humiliation kink, implied mention of blood, brief religious theme/mention

A/N: I’ve not been able to get the thot of Adam as an incubus out of my head since I thought of this. Send help. or send incubus!adam

Word Count: 612

Tag list: @circle-with-me @xxrainstorm @foliosriot @nyxthedestroyerofworlds @reader13000 @sammyjoeee @cookiesupplier @concretenoah @witchyweeb34 @an-insane-day @lyschko666 @calisto-thoughts

If you would like to be added, please let me know for who! If you tell me everyone/everything, just know that includes anything I may write for Bad Omens AND/OR Lorna Shore!

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Adam De Micco Masterlist

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Noah’s Version

Jolly’s Version

Ruffilo’s Version

Folio’s Version

Will’s Version

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He only comes to me in my dreams. He’s not real, a figment of my lewd imagination—but his touch permeates beyond my dreamworld. His nails are permanently scarred into my hips and back, markings to claim to my soul and body as his only. He is not kind. He’s coarse and harsh, like a steel wool brush. Handsome as sin and cunning as the Devil himself. Blue eyes, a prize winning smile, and a soft bundle of wavy curls.

The being had a name, but he refused to tell me, stating I wasn’t worthy and it was of no importance. I asked if I could bestow him one, and he pondered long and hard before agreeing.

I named him Adam. He rather liked the name.

I'm not sure if I have a choice, but I willfully submitted to Adam. I craved sleep and rarely spent my days awake. Sleep became addicting. He became addicting. He humiliated me for being so eager, which only fueled my sick, demented fantasy. I’d never begged for sex before, but I begged from him. Adam ruined me the first time he appeared in my dream. No man or woman made of flesh and bone could fulfill me the way he does.

When Adam didn’t visit, I felt my grip on reality loosening. My body and mind didn’t know how to cope without him. Could it be withdrawal if it was fabrication? Was it even fabrication anymore? His mark on my skin was as real as any other scar.

Every nerve and cell in my body ignited, responding in kind to his rough caressing and power when he returned. It was intoxicating and exhilarating but so unhealthy and harmful. He had me in the palm of his hand and I was none the wiser to the danger that lurked.

Adam devoured my essence, gluttonous and eager. His thirst never dwindled. He spoke with a clever and experienced tongue. He often referred to me as delectable, confessing he’d never been so enamored with a mortal before. Life was being drained from me with each erotic escapade.

I could tell I was losing myself, but I didn’t care. My sanity was being toyed with haphazardly, allowing Adam to further pull me under his spell and incapacitate me.

“I’d sell my soul a thousand times over just for you.”

My voice was so weak, feeble. Desperate and shamefully pathetic.

A sinister glint flashed in Adam’s eye with an evil smile to match.

“How long I’ve waited to hear those words, my sweet little lamb.”

Sharp teeth pierced my neck. He bit me countless times. I didn’t know he had fangs. Something coursed through my body. It wasn’t blood. I think it was my soul.

Fog formed in my head, enveloping my brain and clouding my senses. I lay there, completely helpless and at Adam’s mercy while he slowly feasted on my soul, pulling it from the depths of its home. I don’t know what would become of me or how important a soul was to mortals, but I cared not. As long as Adam had whatever he needed, I would be happy.

He already had my body and mind. He stole my heart at some point as well. Now he had everything. Mind, body, heart and soul.

“An Angel of of Death I am not,” His words spread over my neck like smoke. “Though Azrael was my given name.”

His forehead pressed to mine, a gesture far more tender than I expected. Red stained his lips and facial hair. Whatever he was, I hoped this wouldn’t be the last I see of him. I hope he stayed and finished devouring me.

[x-authorship-x]

Sooo, if we're talking about Shisui pairings, would you be willing to talk about Shisui/Tobirama? You've got two fics on it, so clearly there's something about it that appeals to you, and I'd love to hear about it! I know in your Eye of the Beholder fic you have a little bit of Tobirama foaming at the mouth trying to figure out how Shisui out sped him and then being exasperated at how he fucked up his body to keep fighting (and being startled at how friendly and chatty Shisui was?), which is a great dynamic. So you've already got me hooked on it, I'd just like to hear your more in depth analysis/reasoning/ideas if you have any 😁

Hey, Anon!

So, I've just come from answering another ask wondering about my Shisui/Tobirama, so I absolutely CAN talk about Tobirama!

Far from considering Shisui as interchangeable with Kagami in this pairing, I think they work really well for a bunch of reasons!

Let's look at the context 😌

Shisui: (at risk of sounding like a broken record)

Genius, in a hands-on and not braggy way (he's not mad scientist like Tobirama but he's not a Genius of Hard Work like Gai either, it's all about the subtle cleverness and the perfection of the simple into the inescapable)

Skilled, he is THE fastest Shinobi of all time

Resourceful, he literally was like "Undetectable Unbreakable Reality Eyes OR Speed lane?? NO QUESTION" and yeeted his Mangekyou off to one side lol

Loyal, he has no hint of the illusive 'Curse of Hatred' even if he is unfortunately afflicted with 'Melodramatic Uchiha Bitch' (why, why, why the cliffffff)

Shisui is, despite what I just said, hard to fluster and he has social skills (so many Tobirama ships are Uchiha flailing in his direction whilst he's trying to be productive 🤣) as well as professionalism and A Life™ (hence why, in New Leaf, I think Kagami& Shisui's bloodline is most likely through Hikaku)

Shisui loves peace more than his clan, he loves konoha more than his clan, but he will defend his people even if they hate him for it

He fucks around with space, time, reality, and jutsu

He will do anything for those he considers important (even abstract constructs like Peace and Konoha) and he's amazing with kids, he is that parenting meme where he's carrying Sasuke out of the ocean by his foot and laughing whilst simultaneously cuddling shy Itachi in a blanket 🤭

Tobirama:

He's a genius mad scientist, his goals outweigh the ethnics (did anyone try the zombie resurrection? I thought the zombie resurrection was lovely) as well as coming up with, presumably, most of the techniques in the Not-So-Forbidden-Scroll Naruto stole

He's emotional (impatience and disgust are emotions, Tobirama ffs) and he feels deeply (why work through grief when you can try to cheat death?) and he was able to devote himself so much to Hashirama's dream as well as sacrifice himself for his beloved students, one of whom was Uchiha Kagami

His Hokage tenure is a pretty divisive topic in this fandom but you can't tell me that Hashirama was writing laws and planning sewage systems 🥴 Tobirama was practical AND detail-oriented, a good leader and a good planner

He loves children, if he just wanted to instruct people then he'd do lectures and rewrite all the handbooks but he takes on personal and young kids to nurture them, and he might be younger but he's more of the older brother to Hashirama as well as Kawarama and Itama, the only people to actually be older siblings to him are Touka and Mito

He's adaptable, he didn't believe in peace because he didn't trust that it wouldn't be a trap and wipe out his clan. Tobirama was fixated on the continued survival of his clan, even though he knew it was a pointless cycle of death and destruction, but he was able to flip to building and maintaining the village, something many others couldn't do. Tobirama, who had been the face of Senju viciousness all his life, was able to become the Nidaime and bolster peace and unity...

He might craft insane new Jutsu but nothing beats the stunning simplicity of water manipulation

Tobirama is quiet and thoughtful but, whilst he is more concerned with his own work etc, he isn't callous or oblivious, he's too well trained for that, and his bluntness is reassuring because lying is a different skill and purpose

So, together... ✨

Shisui is fast enough, physically and mentally, to keep up with Tobirama as well as make Tobirama have to chase him a good amount of the time... Whereas Tobirama is resourceful and determined enough to follow Shisui through any trial as equals, something unprecedented for either of them. Shisui can be quiet and easygoing and calm, which suits Tobirama well, and Tobirama can also be argumentative and nosey to match Shisui's inquisitive nature!

Skills wise, I love that the mind-bogglingly simple perfection of Shisui's Shunshin is enough to have Tobirama wringing himself in knots over undervaluing the smallest movements and uses of chakra, once he finishes being pissed he will be enamoured. Shisui, in turn, is from a world where jutsu creation has kinda died! The Uzumaki are wiped out, the Uchiha have regressed into their compound, the geniuses like Minato are dead... You just have Kakashi, nicking techniques left and right, and bloodlines growing more and more extinct because of the Bloody Mist etc etc etc... So not only is the Warring Clans Era filled with long-dead legends but it also has Tobirama, the OG Big Name in invention, who does what no one Shisui had ever met before could do.

Also, in the case where Shisui spills the beans about the future, the two of them will be the perfect dream team to make Konoha and, frankly, the whole system far better than the first time around. Tobirama knows how things develope, what Jutsu he's made in the future, and can tailor his processes so much more efficiently. Shisui, with Tobirama (and, therefore, Hashirama) can safeguard in a similar way. They basically align so nicely, both technically and ideologically, that a platonic or professional partnership is also very much ideal.

Romantically, Shisui and Tobirama have the balance to be very fulfilling for each other. They are well suited in energy and their innovative mentalities, they are both hardened killers with tenderness/softness reserved for younger generations/the future, and they are both ridiculously beautiful lol.

Shisui and Tobirama are also self destructive in similar ways, Shisui in that he will hurt himself (rip his fucking eye out 🤦) in the heat of the moment whilst Tobirama won't care if Hashirama hates him so long as he successfully protects him (like killing Izuna, which must've hurt Hashirama's dreams for peace but Tobirama would see as a worthwhile price to take out a huge threat). Together... Tobirama would like 'a plan that damages you??? Not a viable plan, idiot!' and Shisui would be like 'sacrifice your reputation etc to protect those you love? I would never fall of it!' and they'd live happily ever after 🤭

Also...

The Nidaime was one of the sources of Uchiha resentment in the village, he gave them the Police Force which caused problems, and he taught Shisui's would-be murderer, Danzo

Shisui, to match, is an Uchiha who is literally Tobirama's worst nightmare 🤣 a Mangekyou that is undetectable, unbreakable, and he wouldn't even know it was impacting him, regardless of his chakra control or how good of a sensor he is

So it's funny and ironic too 🤣

Hope you enjoyed this rant, Anon, have a great day/night ✨

[kustas]

sorry for the more critical requests before.

Top 10 anime that you think went under the radar or are generally unknown

Top 10 anime you like the world building of

It's all good! I'm not gonna know enough anime for all this so I'll do the broad categories.

Anime I like that's unknown or went under the radar

The reason why I spent so many posts shilling Inu-oh is because of how hard it was flopping in american theaters. Many things factored in it but still disappointing. It's a great movie!

Related ish, I had a lot of fun watching Heike Story and saw nobody talk about it.

One of my favorite shows I watched this year was the second season of Megalobox which I had never heard of. The first season is not good though

"what if Ghibli made-" have you seen Ronja yet? If not watch Ronja. I can bet most of you will not have watched Ronja

While I'm at it Castle Cagliostro is by no means recent but it's a delight

One of the best kid's shows I watched was Ōban Star-racers which I've never seen talked about online at all barring french people. It's a cute and clever show with extremely Y2K designs and it's just a fun time. Should be entirely up on YouTube for free, if you're in the mood for jetix type nostalgia go wild, it's pretty short

Speaking of stuff that's free on YT: the little prince and the eight headed dragon! An old movie (1960s) with an amazing art style

Third round of free on YT: the animated Ramayana. It's a long one so prepare for that but I liked it a lot. Got remastered recently too so if you want to buy it in HD

Shows (... and I'm adding manga) who's worldbuilding I like

Mushishi. Mushishi is a lovely, well thought of and touching show in the first place who drifts seamlessly between horror and slice of life. The worldbuilding aspect that rules is the presentation of the mushi at each episode, their variety and creativity and how they are portrayed as beings and as part of an ecosystem.

Letter Bee. I'll give a disclaimer - the worldbuilding is pretty much the only good thing about this series especially if you are watching it. But in terms of casually presented fantasy world, it's original, insanely in-depth and the manga treats you with a bunch of extra information about locations, folk tales and things that are a treat.

Dungeon Meshi manages to take every generic fantasy trope but spin it with an eye for biology and history to make it fresh again. The author also gives via blog posts and bonus pages a whole bunch of details that aren't in the main series yet are interesting to know.

The first half of Castle in the Sky has to be one of, if not my favorite works of fantasy of all times for how magically it depicts a bunch of very normal people living in a land that is rather alien if you squint.

Politics are usually my least favorite worldbuilding topic, but I found myself drawn by the relationship between political drama, science and large scale environmental catastrophes that makes up the backdrop for the story of Number 5

Cowboy Bebop... The chill little human pockets of life in space, their variety and cluttered quaint goodness, the musical backgrounds for them, it's all so good

Dorohedoro's worldbuilding is stupid and it works so damn well. Having God be an asshole with ADHD tendencies explains so much

[omoriblackspacezine]

💡 PAGE ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Can we take a second to appreciate the depth, insane detail, and clever perspective of Twiggy's work? Her compositions are always SO stunning, just like the piece she's done for the Player Room with Hellmari subarea! It's seriously amazing!