#it's been so long since i've posted fic that i fully forgot how i usually format my posts so this took me forever to land on

[cboffshore]

Since I saw you reblogging an ask post...

I was reading one of your fics on ao3 (I forgot which one :,) ) and in one of the notes you mentioned that there were certain Skybound angst tropes that you weren't quite fond of. So what are those tropes if you do mind me asking?

Hey there! Starting off with a SPICY one, that's fun. I've probably got that note on all of my Skybound stuff in some way, shape, or form, because aside from being my personal preferences, these tropes I don't like run DEEP in the fandom. This is going to get long, so under the cut we go! (Cw/tw for mentions of SA and related topics.)

There are three main tropes in Skybound fic that I dislike, but they appear so often and in so many forms that it's impossible to name them all, so they're split into three main categories for ease here. Ordered from least to most irritating:

Probably the least annoying on this list: violence and gore. This is the most understandable one that shows up - after all, this is a fighting show, and of course we've got that whole eyepatch scene to reckon with - but it's still a little annoying. I can usually work past it unless it's take 62837272727 of someone gouging out Jay's eye or a souped up Scrap n Tap scene with nothing added but more blood and gratuitous violence. Doesn't matter how creative it is, that's usually enough to make me close out unless the fic has something cooler to offer. It gets boring fast, okay? Like, I completely get it most times, but it's been done to death. Not always a total deal breaker, though. I've used shades of it in my own work, so I can't condemn it entirely.

A lethal pairing I like to call Sopping Wet Cat Jay and Therapy Dog Nya- usually comorbid, very rarely independent. This also usually presents in post-Skybound reveal/healing style fics. Sopping Wet Cat Jay is when all Jay (when presented with Skybound memories or reminders) is capable of is being absolutely, well, sopping wet and pathetic about it. Lots of crying and wailing and nightmares. Therapy Dog Nya is the traditional response to this, where Nya forgets her own trauma entirely to be a huggable object and supplier of gentle reassurance that nothing that happens to Jay was his fault. Again, I completely understand why people write these, but I feel very strongly that they're a disservice to BOTH characters. Jay flew the Keep (ETA: originally wrote Jeep lmao) straight into the Temple and threatened to turn Nadakhan into French toast! Nya DIED after spending all season trying to advocate for herself and her independence! Did we even watch the same show? Sure doesn't feel like it when I see this trope. Absolutely, yes, trauma presents weirdly down the line - but this as the default response always seems weird to me. And it shows up so, so often. Worse still is when a fic might try to give Nya a little agency and nod at her trauma, only to spin on its heel the moment the author decides Jay needs to start sobbing about mops or something. (I'm probably coming off bitter here, but let's be real: this has been happening for seven years. I'm tired.)

This one is an absolute deal breaker: gratuitous sexual assault and/or capital R offenses. Doesn't matter who it happens to, honestly, but the absolute worst is when it happens to Jay (perpetrated by Nadakhan) and when the author acts like it's canon and writes as if it's a given. I actually have already written an entire two part essay on this - part one is here, with a link to part two at the end. Some of my stances in part two have shifted slightly (for instance, I've recently blocked both case study authors because every time I see someone endorsing their work, I want to deep fry my thumbs), but for the most part, this essay conveys my feelings on, nuances of, and rough history of this trend WAY better than I can here. And if you thought #2 came off kinda bitter, well. This essay is battery acid, but I mean every word. An opinion I didn't fully examine in the essay is that I also feel it's a disservice to Nadakhan's character - he's FASCINATING, so to see him reduced to a r*pist just makes me mad. Go after him for his CANON crimes, please. Stop making stuff up!!

Anyway - thanks for the ask! If you read the essay and have any questions, please let me know.

[silkchiffon]

looking at you and my heart loves the view

superstore, jonah simms/amy sosa, 2.6k

A weight lightens in her at the sight of him. Amy goes to lower the window, but she struggles with the switch, accidentally unlocking and relocking her car a few times in the process. “Jonah! Hi!” she greets him a little too loudly once the glass is down. “Hey, Amy.” If he picks up on how flustered she is by his appearance, Jonah chooses not to comment on it. He just chuckles at the repeated clicking of the car lock instead, clearly endeared by it, and points at the empty seat beside her. “Mind if I call shotgun?” (Amy and Jonah go on a joyride.)

[dearlawdimasimp]

okAyy i've been meaning to post this as a whole but since I cannot construct anything past this scene atm, i'll share this to y'all. I want to share this bc why not, and i am still a lil reluctant on the deity i chose bc it might affect me along the way bUT! I am willing to take the risk atm and say that Filipinx!Reader is the warrior of the Goddess of War and Poison, Ynaguinid, of the Visayan region.

They became the deity's warrior bc their ancestors were one, but ever since Magellan's arrival, the tradition and acceptance of reader's bloodline of Ynaguinid's blessings stopped. But after dear reader found out, they did not hesitate to pick back up the mantle and be the warrior Ynaguinid needed.

The fic below is just the snippet of the fic..and idea of a scene of how reader and Marc would interact now that they are maskless after figthing side-by-side w/o fully knowing each other and who's under the mask....and idk what to do past this bc i wanted this to be a Khonshu x Filipinx!reader at first but now i think im gonna make this one into a Marc Spector & Steven Grant x Filipinx!reader(might also be Jake Lockley but we'll see if i can squeeze out ideas from that)

OKAY ENOUGH ABOUT ME LMAO UNTO THE SHORT FIC

"Do they have meanings?" Curiosity laces Marc's tone. 

Your head slightly tilted to the side, brows furrowing as you wait for him to clarify his question. Did he meant your mask-

"The tats..I mean.." He clears his throat as he shifts in his seat,  "You don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable." He quickly adds, raising his palm a little as he reassures you.

Ahhh..of course, what else would it be? It is the most distinctive feature on your face after all.

"It's okay, I'm comfortable to answer that. To you, anyways. You know my side-job, which would make explaining this-" you gesture your tattoos- "a whole lotta easier to talk about." You offer him a smile as you carefully sat up, feeling a little better now. 

Marc was about to reprimand you from doing so, but you dismiss him with a smile, "It's fine, it doesn't take me too long to heal." You cross your legs and face the gwapito*.

"So, uh..in my region's ancient culture- like pre-colonial and all- the tattoo generally used to be accessories for women. For men, however," you glance at the back of your hand, "it signifies their bravery for killing an enemy. The placement and amount tells how many they have killed in their lifetime." You look up at him through your lashes, and his brows are slightly raised as his eyes roam on your exposed tattoos, you can see the gears in his mind turning as he connects the dots.

"Once you've killed a foe, you will be tattooed manually by an assigned and skillful person and it usually starts from the ankle up to your leg." You tug your shoes off and show him the inked skin, thick black inks running straight up your leg, less thick ones beside it and thin ones that are zigzagged in pattern. "I forgot what each line was called but uh..yeah they have names." You continue as you show your other leg. 

Marc studies the black streaks and patterns on your skin, it is old and has healed quite beautifully. You didn't realize that you have stared off at the far distance as memories flash before your eyes. It took you a while but when you felt that small tingle when you feel eyes on you, you came back to the present. You glance at Marc, his worry might not be oozing but you were able to perceive it.

"I'm fine-" You huff, raising your leg and placing your feet on the couch to rest your chin on your knee.

"You're clearly not." 

"I am. I really am. I'm just…reminiscing is all."

"Reminiscing something painful equates to, not fine."

"Yes the memory was painful but it was also satisfying on my part so, I'm fine."

You were remembering your family's faces after they saw the tattoo. Tattoos are a big taboo in present times in your country. They called you cruel names and hurtful words were thrown and the end was you were thrown out of the household. All of these horrible things happened in less than an hour but you were smilling. Because damn did it felt gratifying to be the "disappointment" in the family when you were the pride of your ancestors.

"I'm fine. I assure you." You give him a sincere smile and even reach out for his hand. An offer for comfort, for him or for yourself or for you both, you did not know.

He looked utterly unconvinced but still took your hand, in which you gave a gentle squeeze. Thanking him for how considerate he was before continuing the Visayan ancient culture lesson, awkwardly letting him go since you really didn't want to make him uncomfortable and make him think you were a creep. 

Marc didn't want to let you go too, but he did not say it, afraid of severing the tiny bond you two were making as you spent time together. Maskless and vulnerable. Away from danger and in the comfort of his home. Not facing enemies as you spoke. 

"The face tells the same story, but, face tatts are 'restricted to the bravest and toughest heroes', a direct quote from Yna herself."

"Yna, you mean..?"

"Ynaguinid. Yes."

It was silent. Marc gives you a thoughtful stare as you return it with a neutral one, leaning back to the couch as you let him process the information you just gave him while waiting for his reaction.

"Is it still applied traditionally in your case or does Ynaguinid just.." he waves his fingers in the air, "-magically put it on you after you killed someone?"

You chuckle, "That's what I was thinking when she told me that I have to get tattooed, just like my ancestors- the warriors before me- to show my bravery and truly embrace that I am a descendant of Ynaguinid's warriors. But nooooo.." you laugh out the vowel, "I have to actually get it traditionally which is using a needle that is lodged in stick, dip it to the ink then hit the back of the needle-stick to the imprint the ink to the skin." You scrunch your nose as you feel the feeling of the process at this moment as you talk about it.

Marc can only imagine how it feels as he had never got any tattoos in his life. His brows were scrunched as he tried to picture out the process. 

"It kinda looks like you're nailing a wall but instead of a wall its skin-"

"Okay, okay. I get it. I get it now." He took a deep breath and exhaled, nodding as he crossed his arms. "Did- does it hurt?"

"Like a bitch. The first time I received one," You uncross your legs, raise your right foot and rotate it, showing him the drawing on your ankle, "I cried when the needle first hit my skin, it was my very first tattoo after all, and fuck did it feel like I was getting crucified or somethin." 

You chortle seeing the man's eyes widen a smidge and lean back, "I also got a very high fever after the whole process, which was not done by one sitting, and thought I was going to die at that moment. Although my ancestors and Ynaguinid were by my side the whole time, I did not stop sobbing and was about to run away from Apo Whang-od and never return again." You laughed at the end of your sentence, seeing the ridiculousness now but you were actually terrified for your life when you did get your first tattoo. Your warriorification as Gen-Z-ers would say.

Marc, although chuckled along with you, was worried about hearing the hurtful process and aftermath of the tradition. But seeing as you laughed it off, he just shakes his head with a conceding laugh.

"Overtime, the pain has lessened," gesturing your leg and bicep, "but when I received this snake jaw tattoo?-" you point at your jaw that has the said tattoo. It ran from the bottom of your ears down and met the middle of your chin, resembling the lower jaw of a cobra, "Nah!* I really thought I died then came back to life." You shake your head and look to the side, trying to contain your laughter seeing the raised brows of Marc after hearing your hyperbole, biting both your lips with a lopsided smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*gwapito = handsome

*Nah! = a Cebuano expression that is kinda like a scoff, but it could also be used for other things. In this scenario, it is used like a "You won't believe it!" expression.

~~~

Yeah... i rlly wanted Filipinx!reader to have tatts akjsjsjs Sidapa was a cool idea too, being the God of the Dead and (based on some stories) the god that courted Bulan, one of the God of the Moons, bc..ya know..yeah you get it.. But what i wanted my reader to be kinda didn't align to Sidapa's character....I KNOWWW i could've like..made something up but it didnt really sit right for me so I changed him to Ynaguinid. plus she's a badass too so :)

If you guys have any ideas you want to share or suggestions or just wanna chat, feel free to comment or talk anonymously (if you want to) in my ask box. I rlly need some creative juices

ALSO IDEAS FOR TITLE PLEASEEEE😭