#its the ✨academic trauma✨

[catboybiologist]

*checks watch*

oh would you look at the time

it’s time to inflate Sierra’s ego again

gods you’re an awesome person

Thank you, I'm such an attention whore and it's great to finally be recognized for that 💅

[sea-buns]

it just set in for me that i start community college this upcoming monday literally less than a week from now and i want. to throw up

[rayshippouuchiha]

Hi, Ray! The author of Foxes, Pillars, and Sea-salt Rust here!!! Someone recommended my fic here????? I'm so honored!!! 🥹

So I would like to put forth my own recommendations too. I put it in my fic's AN's also, but I highly recommend Far Beyond the Woods of Dawn by wolfghost (and the entire Drag My Dark Into The Dawn AU series the fic is part of, and I suggest you access the series while logged in, because a couple of the fics are registered users only, I promise it's worth it) and The Weaver by Concerned_Brown_Bread! Both feature OCs as protagonists, a Senju for the former (Tobirama's granddaughter) and an Uchiha for the latter (Itachi's elder twin sister).

Drag My Dark has to be one of the most immersive fiction experiences I've had, up there with the manga Otoyomegatari (if you know, you know), the character psychology is top-notch, the author expertly weaves worldbuilding into the narration in a way that it's so seamless and not at all like an infodump, I like to describe it as “a slice-of-life except that the characters live in a horrible war-torn war and that affects how they navigate their lives”. The world just feels lived-in. There's information about how wars cause sanctions and prices to rise and a good highlight on what it's like to be a civilian in this kind of world. The protagonist is still a child, but the author captures children in their writing so well. She's a traumatized young child and she acts like that!! Her trauma informs how she views everything, and her being raised by civilians (long story, read the prequel to find out lol) affects how she views shinobi and the world at large! I can't wait for what the story has in store for her. We're entering the Kirigakure arc 👀 (also heavily featuring so far are Tsunade and Kushina!! Kushina's chapter has got to be one of my favorites)

The Weaver takes on a different vibe and path regarding the politics and worldbuilding, but also really plausible and I love how the author incorporates academic excerpts from the future like snippets from a history book into the chapters itself like it just gives this work such a grand feel of “oh things are gonna have consequences, we're along the ride of a big, world-changing tale”. The characterization is top-notch in this fic. You really do feel the complicated dynamics between the family members, how for all that Itachi is a prodigy he is also just a child and thus lacks the perspective to see propaganda for what it is, and the author does so brilliantly by contrasting him against his twin sister, the protagonist, who's a reborn adult (a politician in her past life who died of heat stroke before election day, which is objectively the funniest premise for a reincarnation EVER). The protagonist is witty, smart, funny, relatable, and just all-around very good. She lives rent-free in my head, can you tell? I know the fic is on hiatus but I had the privilege to read the unpublished chapters because ✨beta✨ and I promise you, it's very well worth it.

Both fics give weight to civilians instead of immediately dismissing them as “weak and stupid”, I love love love both fics and please please please read them I promise they're amazing! They have very different vibes but they're both amazing.

As for my fic, yeah I did base my protagonist off of Sansa Stark, LOL. I even tried to incorporate Sansa's lines from the first book into my own writing to really sell the vibe!

I love Whirlpool Queen, Maelstrom King but the politics in Foxes, Pillars, and Sea-salt Rust take on a very different shape from WQMK's— a bit more like wolfghost's Drag My Dark. I too will feature civilians in this fic! Daimyo's and nobility and merchants and commoners alike! Please look forward to it! I have Plans™ for Uzushio's politics and its role in the world as a whole.

Hello lovely!!! Glad you dropped by to drop some recs!

[garden-of-bah]

Hello!! I saw one of your earlier EQG requests and was wondering if we could get a few as well, specifically from legend of everfree?

please please do add more names & roles to them that you see fit ^×^ we'd also like paras, but please avoid the big three & anything related to bodily fluids nd other peoples harm ( ie sadomaso or trauma- )

; a songtive of the main theme ( Legend of Everfree ) ; pref being an equestria girl as well to fit in with the others ; confidence booster

; gloriosa daisy ; caregiver , manager , & positivity persecutor

; sunset glimmer ; guilt holder & verbal inner protector

we have another followup to this coming up quickly!!

- 💥🦴

WE DID IT!!!! Coming up with alternate names for them was fun, we tried to give one similar to an MLP name and then some that we just thought would fit. Thank you for your patience on this, so sorry it took so long to get out!

(Pretend Dee and Kel have their userboxes here too, thanks Tumblr image limit 😒)

Name/s: Legend Keeper, Jubilant Dawn, Key, Kaiya

Age: 17

Pronouns: they/he/she/lore

Source: Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree (Legend of Everfree theme)

Genders: non-binary notegender

Sexuality: asexual panromantic

CisIDs: green hair, green eyes, green skin, human, cabin leader, musician, friend

Mental/physical conditions: ADHD

Faceclaim: @/S0DAPVNK on picrew

Alter roles: confidence booster, notetaker

Signoffs: -🗝️, -🌲, -🎇

TransIDs: transNeu

Paras: biblio-, astro-

Personality: upbeat, encouraging, inclusive, friendly, sociable, talkative, oblivious

Quirks: has a slight southern accent, plays a bit of guitar

Name/s: Gloriosa Daisy, Ivy Crawler, Dahlia, Susan

Age: 21

Pronouns: she/her

Source: Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree

Genders: female

Sexuality: asexual heteromantic

CisIDs: magenta hair, green eyes, pink skin, freckles, AFAB, human, director, sister

Mental/physical conditions: generalized anxiety, OCD

Faceclaim: [couldn’t find fanart :(((]

Alter roles: caregiver, manager, positivity persecutor

Signoffs: -🌺, -��, 🌿

TransIDs: transGreenBlood, transHPD

Paras: botano-, glaciula-

Personality: cheerful, attentive, overbearing, responsible, caring, impulsive, righteous

Quirks: smiles out of habit, even when she’s upset

Name/s: Sunset Shimmer, Phoenix Blaze, Taeryn, Steph

Age: 16

Pronouns: he/they

Source: Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree

Genders: fem-aligned agender

Sexuality: lesbian

CisIDs: red hair, blue eyes, orange skin, intersex, reformed, friend, guitarist

Mental/physical conditions: autism, PTSD, BPD, bipolar disorder, depression, hyperempathetic

Faceclaim: @/trousle-ink @/killektric

Alter roles: guilt holder, verbal inner protector, emergency host

Signoffs: -🔥, -🐦‍🔥, -🌅

TransIDs: transFeminine, transYellowStreaks, transHuman, transProtector, transSinger

Paras: pyro-, cheiro-

Personality: serious, protective, observant, caring, brave, cynical, self-effacing, guarded

Quirks: crosses his arms a lot when they’re speaking

Name/s: Twilight Sparkle, Wisteria Bloom, Fortune, Aster

Age: 15

Pronouns: she/they

Source: Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree

Genders: demigirl

Sexuality: bisexual

CisIDs: navy blue hair, highlights, purple eyes, purple skin, glasses wearer, human, friend, telekinetic

Mental/physical conditions: autism, OCD, BPD, OSDD-1A, dermatillomania, hypochondriasis, insomnia, nearsightedness, chronic joint pain

Faceclaim: @/redactedhaunt @/its-elioo

Alter roles: academic, trauma holder, guilt holder, subsystem host

Signoffs: -🌔, -✨, -🎆

TransIDs: transCaneUser, transIntersex, transAmbivert

Paras: agalmato-, peirama-

Personality: analytical, curious, logical, straightforward, naïve, intelligent, hardworking

Quirks: almost always chewing on their cuticles

Name/s: Midnight Sparkle, Pitch Black, Zaria, Mylo

Age: ageless

Pronouns: it/they/that

Source: Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree

Genders: genderless

Sexuality: doesn’t care.

CisIDs: black hair, blue skin, purple wings, demonic, powerful, eternal

Mental/physical conditions: auDHD, IED, ODD, sociopathy

Other labels: aplatonic

Faceclaim: @/stormzblitz @/tw-nicoless

Alter roles: persecutor, subsystem co-host, subsystem social/physical protector

Signoffs: -🌑, -💫, -🌌

TransIDs: transRedEyes, transTaller, transFangs, transDemonicVoice

Paras: pluma-, scopo-

Personality: selfish, dramatic, callous, snarky, defensive, malicious, stubborn, critical

Quirks: has a typing quirk, writes most words in all caps and bolded (ex: THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM MIDNIGHT SPARKLE)

[lesbian-disaster-tm]

hii i was wondering if you had any headcanons for academic rivals to lovers dorlily??

ooh and dormary where mary grows up in a catholic family where she's ostracised for her magic (think petunia and lily but her whole family/town is like that) and she's also a lesbian and dorcas kinda just helps her through that religious guilt and trauma. same could work with dorlene where dorcas is the one with the catholic family.

Yesssss I dooooo!!!! So glad you asked

Dorlily:

The two of them start off as absolute strangers in completely diff friends groups. They've seen each other walking past them in hallways and they know they're in the same grade but that's about it.

And then their grades for the end of the year come out and everything changes because lily's name isn't at the top as expected. It's second just below

✨Dorcas Meadowes✨

Lily is furious. She worked her ass off the whole year, participated in every single class always did her homework, always raised her hand. On the weekends she would go to the library when it opened and leave when it closed. When exam time rolled around she barely left her dorm to eat. She pulled all nighter after all nighter just revising the material she had already learned by heart trying to compensate for her perceived gap in knowledge due to being a muggleborn

All to be beaten by this Slytherin pureblood girl??? (Information she got from Snape)

Yeah, she was fucking livid.

So then Lily spent the next few years trying to surpass her sometimes failing and sometimes winning.

And well once Dorcas realises what is happening. Well she doesn't care much about winning but she IS extremely competitive so you can imagine how that goes.

The two of them start to spend more time together over the years as their groups merge and well they might be academic rivals but they don't hate-hate each other so when they play spin the bottle in a Hufflepuff party at sixth year and it's either kissing each other or drinking a whole bottle of fire whiskey you know what they're choosing.

It's a one time thing. Or so they think.

It's seventh year next and they're in another Hufflepuff party except this time its not spin the bottle they're playing but seven minutes in heaven

And oh well you can guess how that goes.

No one asks each other out first so one day, in December all of their friends go out and they all get drunk af. Through the night though more and more of their friends leave for one reason or another and the too drunk lesbians eventually are the only ones that remain

Enter them drunkenly confessing to one another leading to

✨ Dorlily ✨

Anyways I'm gonna answer the second part too don't worry just not now cause im tired and this got a lot longer than I expected

[cmt407-second]

Name: Elias Lewis Hines (He's my Yuusona basically, I'm not great at making full on self inserts, so ✨OC✨, this is gonna be a wall of text basically, I tried to organize everything 😓)

Nickname(s): none at the moment 

Grade: Freshmen 

Pronouns/gender: He/Him, male

Birthday: 02/04

Sign: Aquarius ♒

Age: 16

Blood type: A+

Dominant hand: Right 

Family: Shro, Denise, Avilen, Annaleslie, Danny, and Lilly 

Homeland: not from Twisted Wonderland (I don't think I want them to be from a real world place, but I'd say they grew up in England if I had to put them in the real world, I guess?)

Dorm: ??? (He got savanaclaw when I took a quiz for him, the quiz:

Club: ??? (He got Science Club when I took a quiz for him, the quiz:

Hobbies: reading, writing, cooking, baking, hiking, drawing 

Employment: a bunch of random jobs

Flaws: He's stubborn, a bit hot-headed, doesn't do well with talking in general, can't sleep without taking several different medications (he’s had sleep issues since he was around five), insecure, bites himself when he gets stressed, maybe a little apathetic, he gets very snappy when he gets to his pain tolerance limit, doesn't do great being told what to do when he already knows how to handle something, many other things (he’s got issues)

Strengths: He manages to function with very little sleep, has a high pain tolerance, is hardworking, his legs are probably the strongest part of him (he's constantly moving), tries his best, is surprisingly good at acting when he cares about what he's acting for, is good at math

Sexual orientation: Demi + Homo

Romantic orientation: Demi + Homo

Fears/Phobias: being watched and followed (trauma related cause, he can't sleep with any open doors or any open and,/or uncovered windows because of it.)

Can they cook: He can, he was training to work in the culinary field before being brought to Twist 

How do they feel about cleaning: it's necessary, he hates it, but he does feel better when everything has its place and everything is taken care of 

Allergies: seasonal allergies (pollen? I guess)

Do they know how to fight? Yes, he got into a lot of fights with his older siblings 

How do they present themselves to others? Quiet and unassuming, he keeps to himself mostly 

Do they like animals? Yes, he used to sneak out of his bio parents' home to explore the woods (he only got caught once and it was because his older siblings realized that he hadn't gone home after running off after getting out of school, he wasn't paid much attention since Lilly came into the picture, he got away with a lot)

How do they dress? He wears formal-ish, academic, or loose, baggy, comfortable clothes. He covers himself up as much as he can.

How many languages do they know? Fluently, two; English and sign (Elias didn't speak for a majority of his childhood, still isn't very talkative), but he knows bits and pieces of three others; Japanese, French, and Spanish

Why is their name, their name? (First) He chose it because it had a similar meaning to his old one. (Middle) He was given it by Avilen after he found him in the middle of the woods, it got him to listen to Avilen, who was very concerned about the tiny ten year old covered in bruises and scratches. (Family) He was given the name because everybody gave up on getting him adopted, he didn't like his old one.

How do they cope with struggles? Either gritting his teeth and pushing through or taking a short break

Do they have anyone they can lean on? He doesn't feel like he has much of a support system, he never really tried to get one.

How do they react to someone dying? He kinda shuts down, at least that's been his reaction in the past 

Can you name 5 personality traits they have? stubborn, hot-headed, persistent, awkward, and apathetic

Do they get along with others? He tries when people approach him.

Do they like children? It's complicated, he doesn't mind them

Are they good with children? He could be worse with them, he tries his best to be patient with them.

How would they react to being around wild animals? He would keep his distance, do what he can to avoid getting attacked 

If they were given the task to prank someone, who would it be, what would they do, and would the prank work? Not anyone in particular, he would do one of those whoopee cushion pranks, 50/50.

Do they have any survival skills? Yes, he knows how to fish, how to prepare a good amount of seafood, how to garden, how to make a safe campfire, quite a bit about animals, and how to make a spear from a stick 

Are they more book smart or street smart? I have no idea

How do they get out of a difficult situation? He pushes through

Do they use their body, mind, personality or force to get what they want? Mind, then force 

Do they make questionable choices? He is far from perfect 

How was their childhood? He tells himself it could have been worse 

How do they adapt to different situations? Do they adapt at all? 

How do they speak? Examples - Are they soft spoken, hot heated, vulgar: he mumbled mostly, he has to actively raise his tone when he has to talk to someone 

Are they opposed to violence? Depends, he doesn't enjoy it 

Are they quick to judge? He either doesn't remember you or he gets along with you 

Do they have anything they are trying to hide from others? Yes 

Do they act differently around different people? Yes 

Do they enjoy the arts? Yes, he finds all of the arts fascinating 

Do they like science? Used to 

Are they more emotional or logical? Logical 

How do they deal with their emotions? Burying it or writing to help himself process it

How do they cope with sadness? Burying it or writing to help himself process it

What is something they care about? His freedom 

Would they die for anyone/anything? Yes 

What do they do when they are happy? writing to help himself process it

How would they come across to other characters? Examples- messy, lazy, childish, caring ect: weird, quiet, and not the easiest to read at first 

Do they have a phrase they use over and over? No

In a crowded room are they in the corners, sides, or in the middle? sides

Are they comfortable being in a crowded room? With friends, yes

How do they relax? reading, writing, cooking, baking, hiking, drawing

Have they ever harmed anyone and regretted it? Verbally or physically? Yes, he got into a verbal argument with someone he used to view as a little sibling, it completely destroyed their relationship because he was trying to let them down gently, but they started crying, he panicked, and said something that made things worse in the long run 

Do they like to dance? When he's alone, yeah 

How do they get around their environment? Examples - horses, bike, vehicle: he walks, but he's saving for a bike.

What is their pet peeve(s)? He doesn't like it when someone is physically affectionate towards him without giving him the opportunity to avoid it.

How do they react to getting flowers? It makes him feel awkward and he'll try to figure out if there's an ulterior motive.

Would they ever wear a flower crown? Yeah, it reminds him of the more peaceful moments 

Do they like themselves? He doesn't know anymore.

What is their motto? Keep going and survive

Have they ever been abused? Yes, neglect.

What are their goals? Find where he could truly be at ease, a home 

How do they go about achieving their goals? He takes one step at a time, he can be patient 

Do they have a fight or flight response? Yes

Is there someone in their life that they care about more than themselves? Yes 

How would they fare in a zombie apocalypse? He wouldn't try to 

Are they good at mental math? Yes

Do they get along with others? He tries 

Are they lazy? Can be, when he doesn't have anything else to do

Are they self motivated? Yes 

How do they cope with anger? He tries to not lash out, he goes somewhere to be alone, he’s an angry crier and he hates crying in front of others. He'll try to calm down to handle the situation with a clear mind 

Have they ever been in a situation where they were helpless? Yes 

Are they organized or messy? His mess is organized 

Can they remember a lot of information at once? Depends 

Do other characters respect your OC, if so, is it out of fear? Or do they respect your OC because they like them? I'm not sure 

If they were given minutes to live, what would they do? Who would they want to see and say? He would either go somewhere to be alone or somewhere he wouldn't be in the way 

How do they deal with stress? 

Do they have a more submissive or dominant personality type? Submissive, he doesn't have the energy to argue most of the time.

Do they have a pet? He used to 

Do they have a stash of weapons? No, but he has a pocket knife 

Where do they live? Who do they live with? Ramshackle with Grim

How do they calm themselves down? Isolation and writing 

Are they co-dependent? Kinda 

Are they a day, or night person? Neither, he doesn't prefer either over the other 

When looking back on their choices, do they feel as if they made the right ones in life? He doesn't know, but he'll hope he's mostly making the right choice 

Favorite;

Food: Mac’n cheese (homemade + a little bit of chili)

Drink: hot cocoa (dark chocolate specifically, it helps him feel less light headed because of the iron)

Music genre: I have no clue what it's called (he'd like Sparkbird, Rabbitology, Yaelokre, Madilyn Mei, and Lydia the bard)

Style(s) of clothes: Dark Academia, Art Slut, Gothic in general, and Coquette

Movie trope: Dark Lord, The Mentor, “Just Friends”, Enemies/rivals to lovers, and transformation (especially when it's all in one)

Movie genre: Fantasy, Romance, and Horror

Show trope: Dark Lord, The Mentor, “Just Friends”, Enemies/rivals to lovers, and transformation (especially when it's all in one)

Show genre: Fantasy, Romance, and Horror

Game trope: he doesn't really pay attention to it 

Game genre: Adventure games, RPG, and Sandbox

Book genre: Fantasy, Romance, and Horror

Book trope: Dark Lord, The Mentor, “Just Friends”, Enemies/rivals to lovers, and transformation (especially when it's all in one)

Love language: he really enjoys gifting and doing acts of service for his loved ones

Color: blues, purples, and reds

Animal: cats (dogs are a close second)

Class: PE (it gives him something to put his restlessness to uses)

Scent(s): softer floral and citrus ones

Season: winter (he feels less out of place)

Weather: cloudy

Activity: writing (cooking is a close second)

Least Favorite;

Food: broccoli (texture)

Drink: black coffee (he doesn't like most caffeinated drinks, plus they don't really work for him)

Music genre: country (he doesn't hate it)

Style(s) of clothes: cowboy (he still likes it just not as much as other styles)

Movie trope: love at first sight 

Movie genre: Science fiction (he's never watched anything Science fiction)

Show trope: love at first sight

Show genre: Science fiction (he's never watched anything Science fiction)

Game trope: Collection Marathon

Game genre: Platformer (they make him frustrated)

Book genre: dark romance 

Book trope: love at first sight

Love language: touch (he doesn't hate it, it just takes longer for him to be comfortable with it than the other Love languages)

Color: orange 

Animal: mosquito

Class: potionology (he doesn't hate it, just doesn't trust his hands, they get really shaky sometimes)

Scent(s): mint and strong cleaning stuff 

Season: summer 

Weather: sunny with no clouds at all 

Activity: singing (he isn't a big fan of his voice)

Appearance; 

Height: 5’¾” or 154.305 cm

Hair color(s): dark brown with a white undercut 

Hairstyle:

Eye color(s): greenish blue

Skin tone + Undertone: Warm Ivory 

Scars: a lot on his hands and arms from biting himself (he's been dragged to the emergency room several times because of his habit), a couple on his left arm from getting blood drawn and getting shots, a few all over from being a clumsy kid and getting into fights with the other kids from the orphanage he grew up in.

Weight: 103.3 lbs

Eye shape: almond 

Eyelashes: long 

Hair texture: loosely curly

Piercings: none 

Ear shape: he has the slightest point to his ears.

Body type: endomorph? (I think that's what it's called)

Do they have any markings on their body? He has several small marks across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. He has a darker mark under his left eye. He has at least 500 scattered across his arms, collarbone, shoulders, chest, back, and legs

Do they have any tattoos? If so, are they significant? No

Relationships (Elias's side of things):

Shro: He has been one of Elias’s adults/caretakers since Elias was around ten. (A little bit about Shro: He, Avilen, and Denise are together romantically and run an orphanage, he wants nothing more than to protect his family. He’s a living gargoyle and he is the founder of the orphanage Elias ended up in. (I'm reusing him from an abandoned WIP))

Avilen Hines: He has been one of Elias’s adults/caretakers since Elias was around ten. (A little bit about Avilen: He cares deeply for the young and the kind hearted, that's what drew him to helping the orphanage.)

Denise: He has been one of Elias’s adults/caretakers since Elias was around ten. (A little bit about Denise: He was abandoned by his maker and saved by Shro, so he started to want to help him, to stay by his side for the rest of his life. He’s a magic construct that was thrown away because he wasn't an emotionless soldier. (I'm reusing him from the same abandoned WIP))

Annaleslie: She's one of the other children Elias grew up with. (A little bit about Annaleslie: She was a tough and troubled girl, who refused to take any disrespect from others and she is a tough woman now.)

Danny: He's one of the other children Elias grew up with. (A little bit about Danny: He was always pretty antisocial. He gets manic episodes.)

Lilly: She’s one of the other children Elias grew up with. (A little bit about Lilly: She is a big crybaby and a scaredy cat, and clung to her older three siblings growing up. She's gotten a lot braver and independent over the years.)

Riddle Rosehearts: It's complicated. Elias likes him more after his overblot, but Riddle reminds him of the past. Elias tries to push those feelings down. He isn't sure they're friends, but he considers them close enough to hang out in a group.

Ace Trappola: Friends, but they kinda bicker.

Deuce Spade: Friends, probably the easiest to call a friend of the first years

Trey Clover: Elias isn't sure how to feel. They don't feel like friends, but he considers them close enough to hang out in a group.

Cater Diamond: Elias likes Cater, but he feels out of place when it comes to magicam and stuff for that. He isn't sure they're friends, but he considers them close enough to hang out in a group.

Leona Kingscholar: Elias feels bad about stepping on his tail. He doesn't feel bad about bothering him to help with Azul though. He generally has a positive opinion of the lion.

Jack Howl: I think they'd become friends because of mutual friends (Deuce, if I remember right)

Ruggie Bucchi: Elias feels like they have a kind of understanding. Definitely not really friends, but Elias has given him a couple meals.

Azul Ashengrotto: Elias likes him? Kinda. Elias gets the getting bullied thing, he's gone through it to. Elias hopes that Azul didn't feel like he was completely alone too. It's awkward for Elias at best.

Jade Leech: Elias is much more intimidated by Jade then Floyd. He feels like he's the hardest to read out of everyone Elias has met in twist. 

Floyd Leech: Elias thinks he's interesting. Reminds him of Danny a little.

Kalim Al-Asim: Elias doesn't mind him but Elias finds him a little overwhelming. He eventually gets at least comfortable hanging out with him in a group.

Jamil Viper: Elias likes him and understands the want for freedom. Elias just doesn't know how to interact with him. 

Vil Schoenheit: Elias admires the work Vil puts in, he doesn't feel like they're friends though 

Epel Felmier: I think they'd become friends because of mutual friends (Deuce and Jack, again if I remember correctly)

Rook Hunt: Elias is a little intimidated by Rook. He tries to keep interaction to a limit. Elias doesn't think he hates Rook though. He’s just uncomfortable.

Idia Shroud: Elias doesn't know how to feel about Idia either, he doesn't mind him though, they'd probably end up in Sam’s shop in the middle of the night at the same time, wouldn't talk though. Elias would give him a nod of acknowledgement at most.

Ortho Shroud: Elias doesn't know how to feel about Ortho, but he knows he is a good person.

Malleus Draconia: they’d get along, probably friends. Elias sees him as a friend. Elias would invite him to dinner after noticing Malleus was walking around at night too.

Lilia Vanrouge: Elias didn't react to Lilia’s hanging upside down and just appearing, but he did react to Ace, Deuce, and Grim’s reactions. (Elias didn't make a sound, just tensed up and looked at each boy individually). Elias would find him interesting.

Silver Vanrouge: Elias feels like they have opposite problems when it comes to sleeping. Elias would probably enjoy being around him or at least find some kind of comfort in his presence.

Sebek Zigvolt: Elias thinks he's neat, although he's pretty sure Sebek hates or at least dislikes him. Elias doesn't want to make that worse. (He thinks Sebek is pretty and admires his work ethic a little.)

Dire Crowley: Elias thinks he's weird and he's not sure if it's the good kind.

Grim: He reminds Elias of a lossed loved one and Elias has no intention of losing Grim too.

Divus Crewel: Elias is trying his best in his class, but he is a ball of anxiety the whole time. (I honestly think Divus would be concerned about Elias, especially if Elias lets the fact that he hasn't been sleeping slip).

Mozus Trein: Elias is very fascinated by twisted wonderland’s history in general, so Elias is trying very hard to keep up. He respects Trein deeply.

Ashton Vargas: Elias thinks he's kinda cool, Elias wishes he could get that muscular.

Sam: Sam is the staff member that reminds Elias of where he's from the most.

Che'nya: He seems alright, they aren't friends, but Elias does like him.

Neige LeBlanche: indifferent, Elias doesn't mind him but Elias can't help the discomfort he feels. Elias doesn't hold it against Neige, but he rather not get closer.

Dominic: indifferent, Elias forgot who he was after a week.

Grum: indifferent, Elias forgot who he was after a week.

Shelpie: indifferent, Elias forgot who he was after a week.

Hop: indifferent, Elias forgot who he was after a week.

Timmy: indifferent, Elias forgot who he was after a week.

Snick: indifferent, Elias forgot who he was after a week.

Toby: indifferent, Elias forgot who he was after a week.

Ambrose LXIII: indifferent, Elias never even noticed him and doesn't know if he actually exists or not.

[kusuodotpng]

As a kubokai writer I want to weight in! I agree with a lot of what’s being said here, especially with the fetishization of Kaidou. It’s always “he’s small and weak and need to be saved” but to a big degree, Kaidou is more than that. His bravely stems from his cowardice—wanting to be something bigger and better than he is. And even though he’s scared shitless, he’ll still put himself in danger to protect others. (The snake, saving Yumehara from the wild boar, sticking up for her at the beach, etc.)

I think a big reason authors struggle writing Kaidou and these moments is because of inexperience or just being young. I think part of it is projection, part of its fan fic/shipping culture, and part of it is just not knowing how to write LGBT+ relationships. It’s that need to have a “feminine and masculine presenting” duo instead of “here is a romance between these two characters. It’s heteronormativity at its finest.

I also think Kaidou is just fetishized in general. He’s short. He’s “cute,” so to speak. A lot of people head canon him as trans which opens a whole other can of worms into fetishization. I’ve seen people say that “Kaidou is obviously a trans man because he’s weak and frail and short.” Like?? Brooooo. You can head canon Kaidou as trans all day; I do not give a flying flop, but those should absolutely NOT be your reasons. But I think a lot of that mindset and mentality bleeds into into the uwu-ification of his character.

All that being said, I think Kaidou is anything far from normal. None of the characters are quote-on-quote normal in my opinion.

Trauma was mentioned and I’d like to give my two cents on that. Now, do I play into the narrative that Kaidou is traumatized? No. Because at the end of the day, I feel his mom just wants him to have good grades. I don’t think she’s abusive or anything like that. But, can I understand and see how other people might think so? Absolutely. Academic trauma or pressure or whatever you want to call it. His mom expects a lot of him, and much how a lot of Kubosai writers says Saiki’s parents are abusive (even tho I personally don’t view them like that) I can understand it and I can also understand an author wanting to write Kaidou’s mom as more of an asshole for the sake of their story.

Another example of complexity you can add to Kaidou’s character is friendships and feeling alone. I’m thinking about that upperclassman who he befriended his freshman year. He struggled making friends, and to a degree, is still an outcast. One of the ways I love writing kubokai is that Kuboyasu gave Kaidou his first real friendship.

Character depth can be added however you want it. It’s all up for interpretation. Is it the same as saving the world or being an ex gang leader? No. But I don’t think that diminishes any of his struggles. As mentioned, it’s all about ✨perspective✨

Kubokai, to me, is a feel good ship. I love the friends to lovers trope and I love exploring those “first crush feelings” and falling in love. I love writing them both with these big, dorky crushes on each other. I love writing them realizing their feelings are reciprocated. I love writing them getting together.

Kubokai is a great ship and there are some very talented authors who write them in a way that feels authentic and non-fetishy.

Anyway this is the end of my ramblings. I absolutely love the discussion going on here and I hope y’all find some Kubokai fics you enjoy because this ship has been my muse for 2.5 years strong haha.

ive come to realise that i dont actually hate kubokai, i just hate the way people write them

[theboarsbride]

Faerie Book Recommendations🧚✨📚

So reading Sarah J Maas and her very, very shitty interpretation and (under)utilization of fae lore is inspiring me to create a personal list of books I've read that I feel like have like... ACTUAL faeries and folklore in them (not the normal-looking-hot-folks-with-pointy-ears-and-MAYBE-wings brand of faerie SJM popularized), and are actually worth your time

And if you've any books, stories, comics, etc. that you'd want to add to this list, feel free to add them in the comments, reblogs, tags, or my DMs!!

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

Very eerie fairytale vibes that center on the aftermath of the disappearance, and even more mysterious return, of three sisters when one of them goes missing again almost 10 years later. And also the writing is legit just B E A U T I F U L!!!

Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

This is chock-full of classical faeries and folklore, and almost reads like a textbook about them since this is about a woman, the titular Emily Wilde, traveling to a Scandinavian country to complete her own encyclopedia about the fair-folk. It also features some lowkey cottagecore vibes and an academic rivals-to-lovers romance!

Gilded (Gilded #1) by Marissa Meyer

A retelling of Rumpelstiltskin that reads like its own dark Grimm's fairytale, and it's as eerie and grim as a YA fantasy novel can get. It also centers on themes of telling stories and folktales since the main character, Serilda, is infamous for spinning wild tales - which is what leads to her encounter with the famed, and feared, Earlking (who, as a villain, is so sinister and creepy - and utterly FAE!). Personally, this book wasn't really my cup of tea and I'm unsure if I'll read the sequel, Cursed, however it still has some classic fae vibes that SJM's work lacks, so it deserves a place on this list!

The Changeling by Victor LaValle

I'm using the term 'faerie' very loosely here, as the idea of changelings (and trolls), for me, is more of a narrative device to help us look into grief in fatherhood. But there is still a very strange, vaguely Pans Labyrinth-esque urban fantasy vibe playing in the background throughout!

Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom

Not necessarily FAERIES but more of mischievous and distrustful woodland folk - and also forest gods. Very heavily steeped in early colonial America era folk horror vibes... if you love media like Robert Eggers' The VVitch then you will ADORE this book! Also Brom's accompanying artwork is so, so beautiful! This is honestly such a perfect fall-time read once Halloween season rolls around.

Legendborn Cycle series by Tracy Deonn

Ok no faeries but... mixes classic Arthurian legends with southern Black beliefs while also telling an epic urban fantasy story centering on themes of grief, trauma, and prejudice. So no fae, but LOTS of great urban fantasy vibes (which I mean... if you're looking for more series to put on your shelf instead of Harry Potter......) Just... Please... just... this series... it's so GOOD!! IDK what else to add that hasn't been said about this series!

Direwood by Catherine Yu

Once again, not necessarily faeries in this book but instead vampires that have a very fae-like quality about them! (as well as blood-hungry butterflies and caterpillars hee-hee) The story as a whole feels like a whimsical fever dream that is STEEPED in tasty Gothic vibes! It sort of has the feeling of being in a late '90s/early '00s Goth music video.

Like Falling Stars by Avalon Roselin (@roselin-books-official)

A story about a girl who's forgotten her past and comes to develop a sweet friendship with a brooding ice faerie prince, and is brimming with so many cozy fantasy vibes!! Also all the fae characters in this novel are so colorful and lively, and they're all very heavily tied to elements and the seasons. Also ALSO!! The main relationship focuses primarily on platonic love as opposed to romantic, and is just as endearing! A perfect cozy winter/fall-time read.

Netvor: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast by @rosesnwater

Both a completed novel and an in-progress webcomic available to read on Tapas and Webtoons. Again, another story where major themes center on storytelling and fairytales, but also recovering from trauma and grief! There are so, so many classic faerie vibes, and even featuring pinnacle figures from classic fae lore like the Goblin Market, and it manages to feel equal parts nostalgic and unique in its use of faerie lore!

Dandies in Danger podcast by @dandiesindanger

A table-top RPG podcast instead of a novel! It features four queer men that are dragged into a world of fae and horror, all while set against the backdrop of Regency era London. It starts as a VERY eerie fae mystery (featuring figures like Titania and Oberon), but it slowly becomes a dark, horror historical-fantasy, and it's great! Also art by the podcast's creators is so good!

So these are the recs I have to offer for now!! As always, feel free to add more recommendations!!!💛

[drdemonprince]

I’m a newer reader of your work, but it’s been fundamental for me this year, especially as a queer autistic nonbinary trans man. My question is on your article on asexuality and bisexuality. I was so excited to see your article, I’ve been trying to understand my own aceness, and reading it helped.

Do you know if there’s a connection between autism and asexuality? I can’t tell what is genuine sexual orientation stuff vs just Big Autism Vibes. Also do you know of any asexual writers or academics you’d recommend? I’ve been consuming books on asexuality for two years but it’s been (excellent) memoirs and 101 stuff. THANKS! ✨

I think asexuality and Autism would appear to be associated in most data collection for the same reasons transness, bisexuality, and gayness are: because we are more likely to be out. But beyond that, I think it's fair to say that Autistic people are more likely to be sex repulsed than the non Autistic population due to a high risk of trauma and as it pertains to sensory issues. But on the flip side, I think Autistic people are perhaps more likely to be viewed by outsiders as hypersexual too, because many of us use sex as a stim, have sexually tinged special interests, and are just more open about what we are into even when its non normative.

All this said, libido does not equal sexual orientation, and terms like hyper and hyposexual reflect an external value judgement that is subjective and shot through with biases -- who gets to define what a normal sexuality is, etc. I think we end up as Autistic people being more likely than others to be viewed as experiencing desire, attraction, sex, and relationships in non normative ways, for a lot of reasons.

It sounds like you are better read on what's current vis a vis asexuality than me! Until a few years ago, nobody was publishing books on this stuff. Now we have a steady trickle of memoirs and out ace celebrities like Michaela Coel and introductory books like Ace. Can't say I've read anything particularly groundbreaking on the subject in a while. Have you read Refusing Compulsory Sexuality by Sherronda Brown? That's one I've been hearing about lately that seems a little more in depth. Came out in September but I haven't read it yet.

Everything I know about asexuality, I learned when I was asexual identified and out as such and really active on the AVEN forums circa like 2004.

I wonder what everyone from those days is up to... I particularly wonder what happened to the woman with the birth of venus avatar who was really active on there and in her late twenties at the time and wore a fake engagement ring to keep potential date invitations at bay.

[sortagaysortahigh]

You come off ignorant and self righteous. I get some of your rants but your always on a high horse and its unnecessary. Grow up

First and foremost you used the wrong form of your, i believe you meant “you’re always on a high horse”. I’d also recommend not trying to throw in “i get some of your rants” into a comment with negative tone to “come off nicer” because it essentially invalidates your own argument but if you took an ethics class maybe you’d understand that.

Second of all: I’m not a big fan of being called ignorant. yes I am a pothead and i do be ✨zooted✨ however I also have a professional job, I’m a junior in college on a full ride academic honors scholarship and i currently have a 3.7 GPA on a 4.0 scale while working on my own independent research study centered around colorism, diversity, and inclusivity in the media. Not to mention im a community leader that specializes in social welfare community outreach because im a social work major, sociology minor. You may think Im ignorant because i shit post and I like to make jokes out of my childhood traumas but I can assure you I am not and Im very educated on a plethora of topics.

Third of all I am in no way self righteous because i dont believe im morally superior or more right than anyone, im open to having conversations and hearing other peoples reasonings/argumentative points. I think you should look up the definition of words and terminology before sending ANONYMOUS hate to people you know nothing about.

And finally, please do not tell me-a person that was literally traumatized as a child and as a result had to mentally mature way faster than those around me-to grow up when you feel the need to send anon hate to people.

In other words, whoever sent this on anon, and whoever sends anon hate period, you’re a pussy.