#my favourite dynamics include them NOT being a couple but pretending to be and also them being a couple and no one catching on

[that-starry-freak]

What is your favourite TSAMS ships?

anon, you have opened the floodgates oh my god- I have so many favorites (im a HUGE multishipper)

This is ordered into favorite to least favorite of my favorites!!! Pretend that made sense

Moonchips: ... wew boy- the flavors bro- the flavors- moon x v4? He said he'd like to date someone sarcastic and a bit sadistic if he ever tried dating, Eclipse fits the bill fucking perfectly. Moon x solar? Holy shit they're stupid and gay and awkward and have neither done this before let them cook let them experiment they're both scientists they're perfect that this. Moon x v1? Toxic, oh my god so fucking toxic such an interesting concept im not even going to go into it thats too crazy for main (i keep all my toxic ships on my tsams side blog 😔). Moon also includes new moon/nexus! Meaning, v4 Eclipse x Nexus? Yup, a flavour of moonchips, and holy fuck do I love v4 Eclipse x Nexus bro- also, v1 x nexus? He could have treated him SO much better. Also also, v2 x moon? Bro, they had a partnership already- like- auwnjsnssdnd AND ASH (eaps moon) X V4?? bro how can I be normal about moonchips-

Nexus x Eclipse x Sol: ... if you know, you know *looks to Zee* we have an au with this ship and it goes crazy bro. again, another au/ship too toxic to relaly yap about on main. But basically Sol abused Nexus and Eclipse and once they leave him they're very dependent on each other. Its a really interesting dynamic and its fun to play around with the characters

LullabyNight: chat, chat hear me out- listen Moon would be able to understand him if he really tried. And they could be sciency together- and experiment because Nexus did say that one time he wasn't sure about his sexuality (which makes sense!! Him questioning his sexuality is actually a nice part of his character arc, since he's not Moon) and Moon said he'd be willing to experiment with someone who was like him?? Bro, they're perfect. Let them kiss

Lord Eclipse x His Bm: he keeps them as his pet- thats- that's about it

Eclipse x Nexus x Solar (lullabychips, Eclipse², and Solarnexus): obviously my main ship i talk about a lot. Im not asss obsessed over it as I used to be (that is Zees fault, they got me obsessed over other ships <3) but when I rant about characters I think out of all the poly couples, they're best suited for each other. From Eclipse and Solar's moon trauma, to Eclipse and Nexus both being copies of someone else, to Eclipse and Solar both being eclispes. They could all understand each other very well, as well as compliment each other. Plus, cmon, Eclipse has been borderline defending Nexus-

Rumini (ruin x Gemini): a crackship that happened on a thread about who Ruin is shipped with and people were making art for it and I started thinking about it and im obsessed wnsdnsnsd they'd be so great for each other but also terrible. Secretive old man yaoi <3

Obviously just because they're on this list doesn't me I ship ship it (and if it isn't on this list that doesn't mean I dont relaly like it, it just doesn't mean I'm not obsessing over it rn. I really like bloodysun too) The only ones I think would actually be cute and good together are Solar, V4, and Nexus. Or v4 and Ash. I just think toxic ships can be really interesting!! It complicates things in a way that feels more real

[inessencedevided]

What your favourite mdzs/cql ship says about you

So, by absolutely nobody's request I made a shitpost based on Eldena Doubleca5t’s awesome youtube videos. I included the link to the channel in the source because this post won’t show up if i put it here. Go give her videos a watch and then read this post in her voice because I swear to you it'll be a 100% funnier

Also, these are absolutely NOT to be taken seriously. I was just procrastinating by taking the piss out of these characters. I’m not here to start any ship wars. I don’t even have a legit opinion on over half these ships ^^ (though I DID jokingly include why I ship some of these. You can guess which)

Lan Wangji / Wei Wuxian (cql)

You’re always a slut for period dramas.

Lan Wangji / Wei Wuxian (novel)

You’re always a slut for the exact OPPOSITE of period dramas, which is sexual tension culminating in kinky consensual dub-con sex and copious amounts of pda.

Nie Mingjue / Lan Xichen

Your ideal high-school romance is jock/nerd.

Lan Xichen / Jin Guangyao

You’re a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of devotion, deception and despair.

Wei Wuxian / Mo Xuanyu

You were looking at that tumblr memes about fucking your clone and thought “Mhh ...”

Wei Wuxian / Wen Ning

You don’t understand people who say they wouldn’t date their best friend. Like, aren’t you best friends for a reason?

Wen Ning / Wei Wuxian / Lan Wangji

You either just wanted good things for Wei Wuxian (and really who wouldn’t?) OR you’re just ... really horny.

Luo Qingyang / Jiang Yanli

You read mdzs and watched cql and each time a woman was in a scene you just thought “Aren’t you tired of being nice? Don't you just want to go ape shit?”

Wen Ning / Jiang Cheng

You are YuBin. (there’s a post on his Weibo. it’s brilliant)

Wei Wuxian / Xue Yang

You have a secret necrophilia kink that you won’t admit to under threat of torture.

Wei Wuxian / Wen Qing

You want a girlfriend who not only can kick your ass, but will do so upon request.

Wen Qing / Jiang Cheng

You are a firm believer in 👏 men 👏 getting 👏 pegged.

Baoshan-Sanren / Lan Yi

You are a lesbian who loves MILFs

Jin Zixuan / Jiang Yanli

You’re ideal relationship dynamic is sitcom-wife/sitcom-dad

Lan Wangji / Jin Zixuan

Your ideal date involves awkward silence and stilted conversation.

Wei Wuxian / Jiang Cheng

You're really into sibling incest, but manage to pretend that you're not.

Ouyang Zizhen / Jin Ling

You're always a slut for grumpy “tough” boys who go soft for one ☝️ man.

Wen Qing / Jiang Yanli

Your ideal relationship dynamic is just girls bein’ friends, gals bein’ pals.

Jiang Fengmian / Yu Ziyuan

This is just the same joke as Wen Qing / Jiang Cheng  but you also have a strong fondness for MILFs

Lan Sizhui / Jin Ling

You got your start in online fandom shipping drarry.

Lan Sizhui / Ouyang Zizhen

You love soft boys (too good for this world, too pure) so much that one day you were like, “Hey! You know what’s better than one soft boy? Two soft boys!”

Lan Jingyi / Jin Ling

You're a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of being bullied.

Lan Sizhui / Lan Jingyi

That’s just the same joke as Wei Wuxian / Jiang Cheng, but you just can’t with all their trauma.

Song Lan / Xiao Xingchen

You don't understand why anyone would care about a couple with a canonical happy ending when there’s a worst-timeline-au parallel ship right there.

Song Lan / Xiao Xingchen / Xue Yang

Based on my experience with this side of the fandom you‘re either into hardcore psychological horror or fluff so sweet it’s cotton-candy and there is no in-between.

Xue Yang / Xiao Xingchen 

That’s just the same joke as Song Lan / Xiao Xingchen / Xue Yang, but you never forgave Song Lan.

Cangse Sanren / Wei Chanze

You're a firm believer in keeping things ☝️ canon and keeping things ✌️ wholesome.

Yu Ziyuan / Cangse-Sanren

You love the dynamic of teenage Wangxian, but you’re also a lesbian.

Jin Guangyao / Xue Yang

You were absolutely fucking thrilled when be gay do crime became the hot new meme.

Jing Guangyao / Su She

You’re a firm believerin the inherent eroticism of class-solidarity.

Luo Qingyang / Wen Qing

Honestly, this is just the same joke as Luo Qingyang / Jiang Yanli, but you’re also into girls out-topping each other.

Madam Lan / Cangse Sanren

You just want good things for Madam Lan and really, who wouldn't?

Wei Wuxian / Jiang Yanli

That's just the same joke as Wei Wuxian / Jiang Cheng BUT you're also heterosexual. 

Nie Mingjue / Jin Guangyao

Your new favourite meme is that exchange that's like "go fuck yourself!" - "fuck me yourself, you coward!"

Nie Mingjue / Lan Xichen / Jin Guangyao

You are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of failed conflict negotiations and unsolved moral dilemmata.

Nie Huaisang / Wei Wuxian

You're ideal date involves wacky hijinks after which PAIN ensues.

Lan Xichen / Nie Huaisang

You are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of shared trauma.

Lan Xichen / Jiang Cheng

You are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of shared trauma AND working through it together.

Wen Ruohan / Lan Qiren

I can’t say for sure that you wanna fuck dads, but you definetly want to fuck father figures.

Luo Qingyang / Luo Qingyang's husband

You’re always a slut for characters who are in dire need of more screantime.

Lan Wangji / Jiang Cheng

You don't understand why anyone would care about a happy marriage when there's an unstable love/hate relationship to fuck around with.

Luo Qingyang / Lan Wangji

You ... are Wei Wuxian

[heretherebedork]

THE ENDING FOR OSSANS LOVE. WE DID IT THEY DID A NON-COMEDY KISS. INITIATED BY TIN TOO. WE WON FELLAS.

but seriously, this episode was wild from start to finish. i watched it live on tv so i was just an anxious mess during the ad breaks wondering whether the last 30, 20, 10 minutes could really tie up the story. and it did! i’m still amazed at how much happens in one episode. we really went from siu muk screaming about how tin should’ve thought through the marriage to them kissing on the couch? and i’d like to think the easter egg is a lawyer asking them these questions before letting them sign their marriage papers but i’m getting ahead of myself

so KK telling tin to go find muk was quite surprising to me. i thought even if deep down KK knew tin wasn’t genuine with his romantic love for KK or couldn’t reciprocate it the way KK wants, he’d rather play pretend than let Tin go, so truly, props to him for being the bigger man and being mature (if thats the term) and encouraging Tin to go find ah muk. i think it’s also partly because he does love Tin enough to want him to have a happy future and not be so selfish as to keep him when both parties aren’t gonna be 100% happy with it.

and then when muk tried to tell tin they wouldn’t have a good future together but obviously just saying without any fight in him? honestly i kinda laughed, it felt like he included it just as an inside joke like, hey remember how i said this and we broke up but here you are ditching your marriage? we ended up right where we left off! (i can’t articulate this properly but i hope you understand HAHA). and Tin going like, i’m a big boy, let me choose :( and it’s true! he has indeed grown (sure he still can’t pack but i’m sure he’s more in touch with his feelings towards siu muk)

honestly? i’m very satisfied with the ending, and LOVED it when carmen took out her own recording device. i was wondering why ping gor just stopped using it after the scam. so glad they brought it back, esp through carmen and it helps solidify their relationship. this couple is truly iconic, i love their dynamic.

i still have so many thoughts but here are some nice stuff from their zoom after party: (1) literally everyone (even the producer) wants to do a movie adaptation or a second season (movie felt more ideal amongst them, but any continuum is nice). (2) for the last scene/ kissing scene, edan and anson actually did three takes with varying degrees of intensity. the one that aired was the middle one, and when asking whether they’d release the most intense one (apparently more mouth/lip movement), both edan and anson lo said they shouldn’t release it because they want it to happen in the movie/ sequel. (3) the cast thinks KK and Darren has potential. (4) the cast also thought louis and francesca should’ve kissed. (5) the hk adaptation is airing in japan HAHA (in fall) as well as a few other east asian countries. that’s all i recall for now.

thank you, francis, from the bottom of my heart, for answering my asks and allowing me to have someone to vent to, laugh at, and get emotionally wrecked together. i know you watch a bunch of other BL series but this has become my favourite show (i don’t watch a lot but when i watch shows i completely spiral) so i’m so happy to get to talk about it with someone. something so dangerous about asian dramas is finding people who want to talk about it (in english as well!) i’ll probably be in your askbox for a few more days sorting out my feelings but i loved going on your blog and seeing new posts about ossan’s love!

We got a comedy kiss turned real kiss! Which was wonderful. It was so, so good to see. I was SO WORRIED when Tin panicked at the kiss again but YESSS WE GOT THE KISS. I might watch those last few scenes with them again, tbh. They're just so GOOD and SWEET and HEARTFELT. What darling boys.

That episode was definitely a wild ride. They held out for the last minute to solve things. Siu Muk yelling about Tin not making up his mind just made me wanna scream, though. I mean, come on dude! You did break up with him for 'his own good'. What did you want him to do? You knew he still had feelings for you when you broke up with him! Stop it! I really wish Siu Muk had been the one to go after Tin, truly, and not have the failed scene at the bridge... but it was good to see Tin chase him down though.

Oh, that scene hurt so much. Siu Muk was so unsure and so scared and Tin, for the first time, genuinely made up his mind. He said 'This is me and I know myself, stop telling me who I am' and he meant it. Is he a fully competent and independent adult? No, but who is? He's capable of running a business and choosing who he loves and if he can't pack a bag... well, everyone has a weakness.

Oh man, a movie adaptation would be great. A second season would probably make me twitchy because EVERY. SINGLE. SECOND. SEASON. EVER. is like 'miscommunication and possible cheating!' and I don't want that for our boys. I want them to just be happy together. I'd only like a second season if they let Siu Muk and Tin be the secondary happy couple and make someone else be in that weird love triangle position. I'd actually love that! They'd make an amazing 'happy in the background' couple.

I want that kiss. DAMNIT. I want that KISS. I wanna see all the versions of the kiss and also more kisses, pleases. Just... Tin and Siu Muk kissing in general would be great and ideal and my favorite thing ever. I just want their future to be happy and content and full of love.

Oh, I am always glad to get show-specific asks, or any ask at all, and happy to chat and natter and share! Please, always feel free to hit me up. It's hard to find a BL I'm not watching (if you do, feel free to tell me about it because it's probably an accident!) I have too much free time, no life and a love of BL that is all encompassing. I've been so glad to know that other people share this show and the same deep thoughts about it and enjoyed all the same bits!

You are always welcome to hit me up and to chat. I've got plenty of headcanons I'm still considering for these characters so I look forward to seeing and hearing your post-show thoughts as well.

[callonpeevesie]

Things that bother me about Percabeth

Warning: this is going to be long and I'm not even sure if this will make sense. Also don't read this if you aren't open to criticizms of Percabeth.

Percabeth is a good ship, or at least has potential as one, but it has many legit flaws (this and this go into the flaws. By the way, go check out @takaraphoenix's Riordan crit) and I have some personal grievances. I'll write this out to understand my stance better because I need to get this off my chest.

I believe most people wouldn't agree with me on all this, but this post is entirely self-indulgent and I'm doing this for catharsis, so don't come at me. This isn't an objective analysis, just me trying to clear my thoughts. But feel free to share your opinions if you want.

Evolution in PJO

This is a pretty general point. I love the evolution of their dynamic in pjo. Their bickering, them opening up to each other and becoming so important to each other, the slow and steady buildup, it's great. Heck, I love slow burn. They have some good moments in pjo: Annabeth opening up to Percy on the zoo express, the scene with the sirens, Percy doing everything he did to save Annabeth in ttc, their conversation after Annabeth took the knife for Percy in tlo. (The underwater kiss is not one of my favourite moments, I'll come to that later.)

The romantic evolution, though, I'm not sure. I enjoyed it in ttc, there were small subtle hints like Aphrodite's scarf, or Aphrodite looking like Annabeth to Percy. But it became kind of tiring in botl onwards. Annabeth was extremely possessive and awful to Rachel. And in tlo things became a bit over-the-top.

I think Rick tried to establish them as the Most Important Person to each other. I don't like that. This is more apparent in HoO. I'll come to hoo later, but there is one instance of this in tlo: Percy seeing Annabeth in the Styx. Like one of the posts I've linked above says, it's shippy nonsense. It comes from the idea that one's romantic partner must be the most important. It doesn't make sense. I think Percy should have seen his mother in the Styx. It would make sense for Sally to be Percy's anchor, considering how much she means to him.

In short, their enemies-to-friends evolution was great, their friends-to-lovers evolution started out fine but became too much for me, and their friends-to-Most-Important-Person-to-each-other evolution was unnecessary and forced.

Luke

Luke and Annabeth's romantic subplot didn't need to exist. This isn't exactly Percabeth, but I'll say it here anyway. First of all, there's a seven year age gap, so Luke returning Annabeth's feelings is creepy. And it seems pretty unnecessary to me. It's also a bit of a mess. In tlt Annabeth blushes when Luke is around, and Luke says 'She's like my little sister.' In tlo Luke asks Annabeth if she loved him, and she says 'You were like a brother to me.' This part feels like Rick trying to add last-moment tension to Percabeth by making Luke a potential 'rival' to Percy. In the Staff of Hermes Percy says Annabeth had a crush on Luke, and as she got older, Luke had a crush on her too. Just ... Why?

They and Thalia were each other's first friends. Annabeth looked up to Luke and Luke was fond of Annabeth. That is enough reason for Annabeth to be hurt and for Luke to care about Annabeth. That is enough to set up their post-betrayal dynamic. The romance thing was completely unnecessary.

Rachel

I absolutely hate the way Annabeth treated Rachel. If there is one thing I despise about romantic subplots, it's justifying bitchiness with romantic jealousy. I guess it's okay to feel a little jealous or even possessive, and I can kind of see where Annabeth was coming from, but treating someone like shit because of that, especially in the middle of dangerous quests, is not okay. It's petty and immature. (It could be argued that Annabeth was mad because Rachel got to lead her quest, but let's be honest, she wouldn't have been that mad if it were anyone else. She specifically treated Rachel like that out of jealousy.) It was never called out and Annabeth never seemed to regret it. This bothers me so much. Fanfiction is a good coping mechanism, I suppose, but I'm here to complain about canon, not cope with it.

Speaking of Rachel, Perachel could have been a good ship. A demigod looking for a normal life and a mortal with clear sight. This elaborates on that pretty well. At the end of tlo it really felt like Rick had to get Rachel out of the way to make way for Percabeth.

Annabeth seems to be too demanding

Annabeth's attitude towards Percy bothers me sometimes. She's a good character and has a strong dynamic with Percy, but she's a bit tiring with regards to Percy (in a romantic sense; she's fine as his friend). I mean look at this quote from tlo:

I can't pretend I hadn't thought about Rachel. She was so much easier to be around than ... Well, than some other girls I knew. I didn't have to work hard, or watch what I said, or wrack my brain trying to figure out what she was thinking.

Percy feeling that way about Annabeth - his best friend of four years - just doesn't sit well with me. Percy straight up admits he's more comfortable with Rachel than with Annabeth.

There's more: Annabeth punching Percy when he asked who he should dance with in ttc, the way she treated Rachel, the way she behaved towards Percy regarding Rachel in botl, judo flipping him in moa. It's pretty tiring in general. Now that I think of it, this wasn't a thing before the romance showed up. Their dynamic was better in the earlier books in general.

Also personally I'm not a fan of Annabeth constantly calling Percy Seaweed Brain. This and this nicely sum up how I feel about that. Annabeth making fun of Percy's intelligence even after getting to know him makes no sense, especially as he was insecure about his intelligence. (And yes, I know she thought he was intelligent, as she said in the Demigod Files, but that doesn't cancel out the million times she called him stupid to his face.)

They became too couple coded

I've seen people say that Percabeth is better as friends than as lovers, and honestly I agree, and I've done some thinking to figure out why. I think it's because of the way they were written after they became a couple. They could have been fine as a couple, if they were written differently.

They started out not being able to stand each other, then gradually, they went through a lot together, got to know each other, learned to work together, and became a team. That was a great evolution, like I said before.

And like I also said before, everything I dislike about Percabeth showed up with the romance. Annabeth became catty and possessive. They became a couple. And it was as if the friendship wasn't there anymore, just the romance. They became like a cliche unreasonable girlfriend and clueless boyfriend. This is especially obvious in the beginning of Percy Jackson and the Staff of Hermes. Where's the friendship? Where's the comfortable bantering? Where's the known-each-other-for-years soundness? Hoo Percabeth just doesn't live up to pjo Percabeth at all.

(Also this is a personal bias of mine, but I'm partially romance repulsed. I can't stand cheesy romantic coded stuff. I only like lovers if they're also friends. So I guess I'm kind of pissed about Percabeth becoming so couple coded after becoming a couple.)

Their HoO dynamic

This is a related point. Like I said, hoo Percabeth doesn't live up to pjo Percabeth. All they care about is each other. They literally don't think about anyone else at all. Percy loses his memory and he remembers Annabeth. Why? Does Hera ship Percabeth? If he remembered anyone, it should have been his mom, like in the Styx. The only reason Percy remembered Annabeth, i.e Annabeth was made out to be more important to Percy than everyone else (including Grover and Tyson and Sally 'best person in the world' Jackson) is that she was his romantic partner. Again, it's shippy nonsense.

And there's this reveal that Annabeth had a crush on Percy all along. Are you kidding me? It completely retcons the enemies-to-friends development. Are you telling me that the Percabeth evolution in pjo where they learned not to hate each other was a lie? That Annabeth gradually opening up to Percy and coming to appreciate him was her acting out of a crush? I'm not believing that, no way.

I'm probably not making any sense, but my point is that Percabeth in hoo in cheesy and can't go one day without each other and people love it but I don't. It kind of messes up their previous dynamic, which is a shame because I liked pre-hoo Percabeth.

Rick seems to go overboard sometimes

I'm about to get a little controversial here. Many of the Percabeth posts in those tumblr screenshots going around social media are about the campers shipping Percabeth, or Arachne making Percabeth fanart, things like that. My theory is that part of the reason Percabeth is so popular is that the characters ship it. And Rick kind of goes overboard with that - not just with the in-universe shipping, with the ship itself.

Prime examples of going overboard are Percy seeing Annabeth in the Styx and remembering Annabeth when Hera took his memory, which imply that Annabeth was objectively the Most Important Person to Percy. I've already ranted about these above so moving on to the part about the in-universe shipping. Like I said, I'm not a fan of the underwater kiss. It's because of the situation involved. The campers just won a war and lost their friends and siblings, Clarisse just lost Silena, you'd think they'd have other things to care about than Percy and Annabeth kissing, at least for one day. And why did Arachne make fanart of that? How did she even know? There was also the matter of moving to New Rome - them wanting to move halfway across country to live together, away from New York, doesn't really make sense to me. This post elaborates on that and suggests better alternatives.

Of course, the author has complete control over the narrative, and the author wants you to believe they are making sense. And when the characters believe that too, it becomes harder for readers not to. When all the campers ship Percabeth, it's enough to convince half the readers to ship it too. (And of course, the pjo fandom has an unhealthy thing with canon ships.)

It's pretty much kept up by the fans

While we're at it, let's talk about the out-of-universe shipping. The fandom has always shipped Percabeth, partly just because they are the male lead and female lead of a series. Percabeth was set up to happen, so when Rick introduced Rachel, who actually made Percy feel good about himself and let him be himself around her, and whom Percy was interested in, he had to get her out of the way. I'm not sure I can explain it, but the Percabeth ending in the first series feels very fan service-y to me.

Platonic Percabeth vs romantic Percabeth

I think everything I've said above just explains why Percabeth worked better as friends. The had a great friendship arc and became two friends who know each other inside out, butt heads a lot but love and respect each other deeply. And then when the romance happened, Annabeth began to show these romanticized but actually toxic girlfriend stereotypes - being jealous and possessive, expecting Percy to read her mind and getting pissed when he can't, etc.

The fandom thinks those traits are okay, because they are normalised in society. People think that's how couples should work (it's not). And so the reasons I don't like Percabeth are the same reasons many people do. The date in the beginning of Staff of Hermes makes me cringe, because they were friends first and friends don't work like that. But no doubt there are many people who find it cute because society loves to romanticise the unreasonable girlfriend and clueless boyfriend trope. There are plenty of people who romanticise Annabeth judo flipping Percy or treating Rachel like shit, because things like that are normalised but I personally can't stomach them at all.

Anyway, those toxic traits come with the Percabeth romance as a package deal and there's no getting rid of them. That's why Percy and Annabeth worked better as friends, and why I feel things would be better if they just stayed friends. There was none of that tiring crap pre-romance. I can't stress this enough, I really loved their friendship in tlt or som. But when their dynamic evolved to romance, it messed up their friendship. There was a specific moment in botl when Percabeth began to feel off for me.

'She will calm down,' Chiron promised. 'She's jealous, my boy.'

'That's stupid. She's not... it's not like...'

Chiron chuckled. 'It hardly matters. Annabeth is very territorial about her friends, in case you haven't noticed. ...'

I don't know why this moment specifically, but this kind of marked a change for me. This is where Percabeth became seriously romantic, and I didn't like the related developments. This was the beginning of Annabeth's jealousy.

So what would I prefer?

I'll be honest, I shipped Percabeth for a while, probably because I love some friends-to-lovers. So I was going to make a list of things I'd change about Percabeth. I wanted to make some self-indulgent UAs (universe alterations) to fix the things I don't like. But then I started writing this thing and read up on other posts and stuff and I realised the list of things that bother me is huge and I could never make Percabeth work for me without messing everything up. So I just gave up shipping it entirely.

What I would prefer is an AU where Percabeth stays platonic forever (@elf-loving-dragon has been encouraging that idea as well). They were great as friends and I want that back. It would be so refreshing to have the male lead and female lead not end up together. Annabeth could end up alone, and still get her something permanent with her friends and camp. It would be so beautiful if something completely romance-free was specifically stated as permanent, because friendships in media deserve as much love as romance.

As for Percy, he could end up either alone or with Rachel. I don't ship him with anyone else rn. While I have made it obvious that I like Perachel, I still don't know if I actually ship it, and the idea of Percy ending up alone is not too bad either. (Update: I stan platonic Percabeth and qpp Perachel now.)

I promise I'm done now. Whew. If you've made it to the end of this long repetitive introspection, congratulations. If you agree, feel free to tell me, and if you want to argue, go ahead, I wouldn't mind listening to others' opinions. If you read this and hate me because of this just keep that to yourself. I have no patience for people who attack those who don't agree with their ship. K thanks, bye.

[goldrushzukka]

1, 2, 7, 8, 9. (Sorry, i know that's like...all of them)

1. what themes would you like to write about that you feel don’t get explored very often?

i love writing coming out storylines. it’s not really that they’re uncommon, i just find a lot of catharsis in them. 

2. what are some common elements of stories you are tired of seeing? what would you avoid writing about?

i tend to avoid writing sibling dynamics bc i’m an only child and therefore not really. qualified. i love reading it though!! 

7. favourite description in your WIP?

it was really hard to pick one so i have a few answers for this bc i love to talk about myself so. (under the cut bc JESUS this got long but spoilers for and i’ll do anything you say (read it here!) ahead!!!)

- from chapter 2:

Sokka looks at him, a fantasy come to life, and takes off his stupid sweatpants.

He throws them at Zuko’s head, and earns himself a short burst of that real laugh, shocked and unguarded.

“You asshole,” Zuko says. He sits up and grabs Sokka’s hand, pulling him down on top of him. Something comes alive under Sokka’s skin where Zuko’s fingers graze his wrist. He calls it lust and ignores the fact that it feels nothing like it.

Zuko kisses him, his mouth still in the shape of laughter, and the alive thing screams for his attention. Sokka buries it and hopes it won’t deafen him before they’re done.

im very fond of this whole chapter (i think it’s probably my favourite? it was definitely the easiest to write) but i really love looking back on this part particularly now that we’re in the angsty part of the story bc this is where it all started. yes technically it started in chapter 1 but this is when sokka starts to fall for zuko. this is the beginning of all those pesky non-casual feelings that he’s going to pretend don’t exist until someone else calls him out on them.

- also from chapter 2:

He’s forty-five minutes late already, and when he knocks, a woman made of pursed lips and sharp angles answers the door. She looks elegant and expensive the same way a skyscraper does. Or a cache of medieval weaponry.

“Oh,” Sokka says, digging into his pocket to find the map on his phone. “I must have the wrong place, sorry -”

She looks him up and down, her eyes narrowed in a way that feels violent and practiced, and her smirk turns distasteful. Sokka risks a glance down at himself, at his torn up jeans - not distressed, just torn - and the Madonna t-shirt he’s pretty sure actually belongs to Katara, and thinks she might have a point. The bag in his hand feels heavier when her eyes land on it.

“Zuzu,” the woman calls into the apartment, “your dinner’s here.”

“I didn’t order -” Zuko appears in the doorway, bitter frustration in his expression as he looks at the woman.

His eyes fall on Sokka, though, and his face clears into a light-pollution smile.

this is technically two so i will start with: i love azula. i haven’t found any room to bring her back yet but believe me i am LOOKING. she’s hot and mean and gay and i LOVE HER. oh also insider scoop but suki’s date from earlier in this chapter.......WAS azula. they probably won’t see each other again because once azula met sokka and connected his face to the Best Friends Forever picture frame on suki’s desk she stopped answering the phone.

pt 2: i’ve had a couple of comments mention the “light-pollution smile” line specifically and i am always so happy to read them bc yeah. YEAH. i’ll admit it. that line HITS. 

- from chapter 4:

He sets his phone down - only, he doesn’t. He misses the table by a mile, and in his scramble to catch his phone before it breaks on the hardwood floor and wakes Momo on the cushion beside him, his hand finds the lip of his cereal bowl, and then that’s falling, too. He manages to catch the phone, but something in his head gets lost in translation on its way down his arms, and he ends up with a boxers-only lap full of soggy Cheerios.

Momo gets a splash of milk on his back and hisses at Zuko for his crimes, and somehow that’s the worst part of it.

haley @fruitysokka said that this passage reads like an action movie and i think about it all the time. (thank u haley i love u)

- lastly this extended metaphor from chapter 6:

The soup is good, once the heat of it clears him up enough to taste it. It’s thick and warm and there’s enough pepper that Sokka gets a kick from it even in his condition. He feels it all the way down his throat and into his stomach, where it mixes with the prickly nervousness he’s feeling from Zuko’s attention.

He sets the bowl down on the table and asks, eyes stuck on his hands in Momo’s fur where he’s climbed into his lap, “How was the date?”

“It was good, actually,” Zuko says. “Jet seems like a nice guy. He’s very - uh - passionate, I guess you could call it? He’s a climate and human rights activist.”

The spines of Sokka’s nervousness turn to daggers.

...

“I said yes. We’re getting lunch on Sunday.”

The daggers are swords now, and Sokka’s heart sinks down, down, down, right to the hilt.

...

“I’ll text you when I’m home,” Zuko promises, and Sokka’s heart skewers itself on a second sword.

Zuko’s smile when Sokka says, “Thank you for the soup,” is a third.

The door closing behind him is a fourth.

The silence as Sokka shuffles back to bed is every single one that remains.

something something canon swordsmen something pride comes before the fall something chivalry fell on his sword from eden by hozier. you guys get it i dont have to explain myself

8. favourite dialogue in your WIP?

ok so i cant share my actual favourite dialogue bc it's a spoiler for chapter 8 and i technically haven't written it yet (it's in my brain just.....plaguing me) but it's GOOD i SWEAR so. once again i have more than one answer bc actually? i love this fic and im proud of it. deal with it.

- from chapter 1:

“Hey, stranger,” Sokka says, still watching him in the mirror. The corner of Zuko’s mouth ticks up.

“You’re not following me, are you?” Zuko’s tone is seductive, endlessly so, and Sokka wonders while he dries his hands if he has to put it on or if he just sounds like that.

“You give a guy one compliment and he thinks you’re stalking him,” Sokka mutters, and Zuko laughs, low and enticing. Not the genuine, endearing laugh of this morning, but one with an agenda.

Well. Sokka always likes a plan.

“Are you following me? ” Sokka asks. He spies a miraculous dry patch on the sink bank and tries to be casual about the way he hops up to sit on it.

“I might be,” Zuko says, and at Sokka’s raised eyebrow, he continues, “I saw you at the bar and I wanted to talk to you. Sue me.”

“You wanted to talk.”

“Amongst other things.”

as a chronically awkward person i am INSANELY proud of the flirting in this fic. no idea if it would work in a real life situation. excited to never find out bc im not about to use lines from my fanfiction on real women. 

- from chapter 2

“You must be Suki,” Zuko says. He meets her gaze, and his fingers go still under Momo’s chin.

“And you’re Zuko,” Suki replies, her smile all different shades of intimidating. “I’d shake your hand, but I know where it’s just been.”

i wrote this entire scene just so i could have suki say this. im not even joking. suki is my favourite part of this entire fic and its not even ABOUT her.

- from chapter 3:

When Sokka crosses the room and slips under the covers beside him, Zuko says, “I can leave, if you want. I can go home.”

...

He asks, still barely hovering over Zuko, “What if I don’t want that?”

Zuko swallows. “I can stay.”

“So stay,” Sokka says, and lays his head down on Zuko’s chest.

i just think it’s sweet. i like it a lot. makes my heart hurt a little when i think about it. 

- from chapter 4:

[Suki // 15:13] there is a LOT of chmpagrjn

[Suki // 15:13] cahpmhagne

[Suki // 15:13] chsanpghn

[Suki // 15:14] alcohol :)

once again: suki is the best part of this whole fic. i love her so much. she is the reason the word bestie exists. im really proud of the texting in this fic bc it’s my first time actually including it in fic and it’s turned out really well!!

- ok last one bc i just realised this is turning into a novel. from chapter 4:

“How’s my baby?”

Zuko glances down at Momo, batting at the untied laces of his shoes with one determined paw. “He’s doing just fine.”

“And how’s Momo?”

“He’s - what?”

are there better written, more narratively important and emotive lines in this fic? yes. is this the best part of the entire thing? also yes. i invented the jin/yue wedding because i needed a reason for zuko to have a key in what became chapter 6, but sometimes i think the entire fic exists just for this exchange. best dialogue i have ever written.

9. what scene was the hardest for you to write and why?

the start of chapter 6 of aidays was difficult. i kept wanting to skip ahead to the meaty parts - i.e, zuko and his soup - but i didn’t want to do sokka a disservice like that. it was also really hard to maintain the balance of accurately describing the delirium of illness while still being coherent for the reader? so that took me a couple of days to get right.

[forgotten-daydreamer]

in defense of Allura

Disclaimer: I do not accept any kind of hatred under this post. I expect all readers to act politely toward those who don’t share their opinion, and I expect you to expose your own ideas respectfully. Toxicity is forbidden on my blog. I don't hate any character, and this is just an analysis. Anything that stimulates a mature debate is welcomed, as long as you do it politely. Thank you!

The time has come. Long enough I’ve dwelled upon the choices that the writers of VLD have made, especially in the last seasons: in this post, I’ll focus on the decisions concerning Princess Allura. 

We were introduced to Allura in the pilot of the show, and it only took a few minutes- should I say doboshes?- to understand her overall personality. The Princess stumbled out of the pod, disoriented and confused, and only an instant later- the time necessary to snap out of her groggy state- she defended herself against a possible threat, being Lance in this case: she physically overwhelmed him with only a few rapid moves, her grip on him steady. Everything about her body language and verbal language screamed “strength”, in the following scenes as well. As she remembered about her father’s death, and about her homeplanet Altea being destroyed, the initial shock faded rather rapidly, and in a few instant she recovered from it. This doesn’t mean that if she hadn’t done it she would have been weak, not at all; it means that Allura, being a leader, knew how to put her feelings aside for a better situation, in order to better focus on the mission at hand.

It’s immediately clear to us that she wasn’t minimally interested in Lance’s advances: she considered him as a teammate, and later as a dear friend, but nothing more than that was  shown in the first seasons. When Lance got badly injured, she didn’t seem too worried- though she immediately jumped into action to secure the perimeter. A couple of episodes later, when Lance exited from the healing pod, she spoke to the teen kindly, relieved that he was alright. Yet, this is not a sign of being in love: all of us would be happy if a friend of ours who was at risk was said to be finally out of the woods. 

Allura was very practical, focused on her mission: she wanted to save the universe at all cost. At the beginning, her continuous arguments with the paladins may have given the impression that she was annoying and too strict, but she was simply driven by passion and desire to prove to everyone, herself included, that she could do the right thing for the universe. Though she never made it explicit, it was obvious that Allura cared about the opinion that the others had about her (even when she simply insisted on thanking the Arusians) because she tried to overcome her own insecurities by making herself as useful as possible to the cause. Even when she “just” flew the Castleship, she always offered her support and ideas to improve training, strategies and team bonding. 

Throughout the seasons, we learnt that Allura had the tendency to blame herself, like when she thought that the Galra were tracking the team through her, for example. Allura also threw herself into battle if it meant saving the others, like when she pushed Shiro out of the way and ended up prisoner, or when she saved the Balmera and risked her own health, pushing herself too far to do the right thing and help the innocents that she couldn’t protect during the 10’000 years of absence. So, according to the evidence we had collected in the first seasons, Allura was selfless and caring, despite everything. 

And then, just when we thought we’d seen it all, Allura became the paladin of the Blue Lion of Voltron (I’ll talk about this event in Lance’s p.o.v. in a different post, don’t worry). She was uncertain at first, but ready to dive head-first into the battle, willing to learn and improve her skills. Being an Altean, she immediately connected with Blue, and everything seemed rather easy; though at the beginning her piloting skills weren’t the best, she learnt in the matter of a single episode, and if you don’t consider it quick learning, then I don’t know what it was. Added to that, Allura was also talented, “progressing a lot faster than any of [the other paladins]”, as Lance said some time later.

When Keith confessed his Galra lineage, her attitude towards him was childish, but it was how someone would have normally reacted in a similar situation. People often have a hard time accepting someone that is unwillingly part of a group whose members caused them any harm; it’s one of the principles of racism, and that’s a synonym of ignorance as well. Human minds work like that, because we all tend to associate trauma with a certain group of people, or day, or any other input: it’s despicable, and sadly most people think like that. Luckily for all the Allura stans (me included, though I stan all the main characters of this show) she overcame this issue quickly. What I like about it was that she didn’t brush it off, but she apologised to Keith in person, evidently mortified for her behaviour, and after that she moved past it, accepting her friend and overcoming their differences happily. Mature people apologise, while childish ones pretend that their mistakes didn’t happen: by making amends for her mistake, Allura showed us just how mature she is for a 18/22 year-old (we do not have an official age, so my guess is as good as yours). 

Things seemed to be going well for her: she learnt how to better manipulate quintessence, she gave Keith space when he needed to find Shiro after his mysterious disappearance, she learnt how to better pilot her Lion and so on and so forth. It was all going well, until Lotor’s arrival: then, it all started to go downhill.

Lance became inexplicably obsessed with her again, and at the same time, Lotor slowly  manipulated Allura. Now, I don’t personally like Lotor since he willingly commits genocide for his own purposes, but I will not dwell further on the topic for it’s not my main discourse now.

Lotor tricked the Princess into believing him, she played into his hands, blinded by love. Mind that when I wrote “love”, my left eyebrow rose impossibly high. In fact, Allura had never shown to be interested in love; surely enough, she was romantically (and sexually, apparently) interested in people as we have witnessed, so the possibility of a love interest wasn’t odd at all. It was just sudden. Too sudden, for my personal opinion. 

The problem I have with Lotura (Lotor x Allura, and I specify because I had to google the ship name) is that it’s based on nothing. The team was wholly against Lotor, except for Shiro who was not himself, quite literally. Allura never gave any impression of trusting people easily: not only when Keith said that he was half Galra, but also when Shiro begged her to trust Ulaz. She was hesitant and not happy about having someone she didn’t trust on board. Thus, her sudden burst of trust toward Lotor was odd, especially when it was quite obvious to most of the audience that the Galra prince was not telling the whole truth. I also wish that we got to see more interactions between Pidge and Allura and Hunk and Allura in s6 and beyond, since they rarely talked anymore despite being on the same team. Even Allura’s interactions with Coran were so diminished in number that they looked like complete strangers in the second half of the series, and it hurt. 

I mark this point as the start of Allura’s downfall: from iconic character to mere love interest, which is not wrong at all per se, but it is when any other trait and development is purposefully ignored and forgotten by the writers “for the sake of the story”.

Thankfully, Allura seemed to recover quickly after Lotor’s betrayal (the scene when she flips him like a coin? Priceless), declaring all of her hatred towards the cruelties he’d committed and how he let her down irreparably. One good thing that Lotor did- and I have to admit that it was good-  was that he made Allura discover new abilities and become stronger, powers-wise speaking. Yet, all of this was secondary to her being a love interest with no other apparent purpose. Why do I say this? Because as soon as she got rid of Lotor, she got together with Lance, and to be honest it’s not quite clear to me how or why. 

I can’t deny that when I watched s1, I was an Allurance shipper; I was sixteen, a hopeless goofball who believed in all the clichés. Now, however, I do realize that Lance’s advances were annoying and obnoxious (and he’s my absolute favourite character, so this shows you just how honest I’m being, hopefully), and that I’m so grateful that Allura didn’t give in. At least, she didn’t do it at the beginning. In the last season, however, she fell in love with Lance in a single episode: when he asked her out, she seemed hesitant and only accepted because Romelle pushed her to give it a try. The dinner sequence was where Allura understood that Lance wasn’t the womanizer she thought he was, but I don’t believe that in reality that would have changed anything. You don’t simply fall in love in one evening only because your date’s family tells you that this person isn’t what they seem; in fact, that would worry me even more, personally, because it would mean that my date is a total stranger.

Lance’s “I love you” was not completely uncalled for, but simply very confusing: he seemed to be over her, but he became jealous when Lotor showed up. I tried so hard to see this as a “protective brother/friend” dynamic, but that sentence leaves no space for speculation (again, I’ll talk about Lance another time). What shocked me was Allura reaction’s to Lance’s confession.

She’d never looked at him with any kind of romantic interest, and even if some scenes may be seen as such (when she resuscitates him. And proceeds to hide it from the team. Yeah, another huge disastrous plotline), it’s undeniable that the Princess had trust-issues, and for a good reason too. That one time that she went against her team’s choice and trusted Lotor a bit too much, she got used and heartbroken. So why was she suddenly so in love with a boy that she’d always treated as nothing more than a good friend? My answer is: bad writing.

If Allura had shown any romantic interest in Lance for at least three consecutive seasons out of eight- to create a deeper connection- I would have taken it without complaining much. If Lotor hadn’t committed genocide and didn’t proceed to use Allura, I would have accepted Lotura too (friendly reminder that I don’t do ship hate unless ships involve rape, pedophilia and incest. So I’m not hating on Allurance and Lotura, though Lotor is a villain and I don’t like him, but that’s just my opinion). If Allura was allowed to be both strong and romantically interested in anyone, I would have taken it. But especially in s8, the writers erased her personality, turning a bright and iconic character into dating material. It wasn't fair to her nor to Lance, honestly.

The last straw was her sacrifice: Allura died to save the universe and since it was her main goal, I’m okay with it, though it hurt as she’s my second favourite character. What I didn’t like about it was that the villains got a happier ending than she did. Lotor, who committed genocide, got to live happily ever after with his parents, a violent conqueror and an abusive hag who ripped the universe apart to be with her son (I get it, mothers love their kids, but this is far too extreme). And furthermore, Lotor didn’t even like his parents, but still for some reason he was happy to be with them again, maybe because at least he got to spend eternity with someone that loves him despite everything. 

Allura, however, died without saying goodbye to Coran, the man who stayed by her side for all their- but also ours- adventures, the one who believed in her the most and who did everything to protect her. She died without getting a last look at the universe she left behind, at the people who weren’t there in her final moments but that cared for her and vice versa (Shay, Romelle, even Krolia. Even the mice, Kalternecker and Cosmo, really). Each character had about a half a minute to say their goodbyes, except for Lance, whose goodbye was the longest but also the least impactful, in my opinion. The writers played too much with the dramatic idea of it and the result was sloppy- as much as I love dramatic scenes, this was purposeless. 

Allura’s last act of kindness- as if saving the whole universe and every existing reality wasn’t enough- was gifting Lance with the Marks of the Chosen. Though, I’m not sure how to interpret it. In a fic I recently wrote, I theorised that “Allura gave you [Lance] these marks because she knew that you had greatness within, and they can actively remind you of it in your darkest moments [...]”. Of course, I’m far from sure that this is the real reason. My question is, was there even a real reason, or did Allura give him the Marks for dramatic purposes? If so, I’m glad that it wasn’t confirmed officially, because at least we get to make our own theories that surely are more satisfying than “we wanted fans to cry more”. Still, I see those marks as scars, and I will talk about it thoroughly in Lance’s analysis. 

In conclusion, I don’t think that Allura was bad at all. I think that, in the end, she was simply badly written, which is entirely different.

s1-s5 Allura was a strong, compassionate, empowering, trustworthy, bright, lovable and fun character and for that, she deserved a better- much better- ending. She’ll always be in my heart, and I hope that future reboots will treat her right. 

I will always remember Allura dearly. As Coran said in the final episode, “Just around this table I see so many lives touched by her actions. For some of us, she was a diplomat, a teacher, a leader, and a friend. But to those of us around this table, she will always be family”. Raising an imaginary glass, I just want to say... “To Allura”.

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

okay but i mUST know. what..... i mean how did you start shipping grima and eomer??? am i missing something bookcanon-wise? like..... could you explain it to me?? I'm definitely intrigued!

oh lord - I started shipping them maybe ten years ago? It was something I stumbled upon, there was a fanfic on Livejournal that I read and it was them and I thought: Huh, I like the dynamic. 

So no, you aren’t missing anything book!canon-wise. 

Grima does have his sarcastic moments which we were robbed of in the film. Including him sassing Treebeard. 

Because LOTR is ultimately a comedy. 

Eomer is more somber in the movies and less hot-headed/prone to acting before thinking than he is in the books. We were also robbed of the time Saruman called Eomer a serpent, which is something I enjoy reading into as I like to imagine there is a bit of a cunning streak beneath Eomer’s bonhomie. 

But the two of them interacting? There is nothing “on screen” in the book, but clearly they did. Aside from Eomer threatening Grima’s life in the king’s hall for, presumably, treason & looking-at-Eowyn reasons (which is why he was under quasi-house arrest when Gandalf et al showed up), they would have interacted. Like, it would make absolutely no sense if they never talked to each other/didn’t know one another. 

Grima is a member of the King’s Household (he's taken an oath to Theoden and fulfills an adviser role, which makes him most likely a household member. It would be weird if he wasn’t) and Eomer grew up in Theoden’s household after his parents died. 

We don’t know how long Grima has been working for Theoden, but I always assumed it was for a fair while. Well before the Treason Years, if only based on the line from Gandalf: “This here, is a snake. To slay it [Grima] would be just. But it was not always as it is now. Once it was a man, and it did you service in its fashion.”

So, they would have known each other, interacted, worked together in some capacity. Eomer as Third Marshal would have had dealings with his uncle’s main adviser, just out of necessity to make sure there’s coordinated approaches in tithing, maintaining winter rations, defense of the borders, road maintenance etc. All those day to day workings of a geographically disparate kingdom.

Anyway - as for why I ship them? tl;dr: I like the opposite-attract dynamic; couples-who-bicker is a favourite trope; angst!potential!high!; fun things to explore in terms of leadership/kingship/how do you make a decision when there is no moral choice to be made? All options for X situation are terrible. Make your bed and lie in it./Necessary Man + Honourable Man = hnnnngyes/People finding their way in from the cold is beautiful/I just Really Love Redemption Ok?? 

-

I like the dynamic - I am a sucker for The Mean Cold One Falls In Love With The Sunshine One. Also, if we run with Eomer being a little more sly than people assume he is, there is a lot of possibility there with the two of them snaking around one another. 

(Grima: I thought I was the only gay snake in the village.)  

Grima is a favourite character and I never was into Grima/Eowyn, personally. They’re too similar (two sides of the same coin), so it’s not really my cup of tea. I love dynamic, drastic opposites. Also, I almost never write/engage with straight pairings in fandom. Ever. Because I can’t write straight people. Everyone is bi/queer/something when I write them. (Side-characters are an exception; but main people? Never straight) 

Enemies-to-grumblegrumble-to-lovers is the Best Trope; followed closely by we-must-continue-to-pretend-to-be-enemies-for-reputation-reasons. 

Court! Politics! Are! Fun! Grima and Eomer as a team is such a ruthless combo and all of Rohan should tremble. Like actually though, great power couple potential.

Angst potential is high! But with catharsis, because this is LOTR after all. 

Grima’s subversion of gender is something that speaks to me on a spiritual level. Much of it is born from the classic “evil=effeminate” equation that consciously, or subconsciously, appears in fiction for misogyny/homophobic/etc. reasons. But, it’s present in the text and I am always drawn to those characters and enjoy smashing them together with their polar opposite.

The above is further complicated by Rohan’s hyper-masculine militarized idealization of manliness and what is expected of men in terms of behaviour; occupation; relationships with each other and with women; socialization etc.   

Trauma is born from relationships, and it is through relationships that we heal trauma. This isn’t to say that you can “fix” or “heal”or “save” a person, because you can’t. That’s not how things work. But relationships are still integral to healing. Particularly, having safe, healthy ones help give a person the space they need to work through their things and come out the other side.

I love the journey of someone who is on the bad-guy side switching over to the good side but they still remain an ugly person in many ways. Goodness doesn’t require niceness. Grima is a nasty person, but I like the idea of him being a mean piece of work who is has learned to be like I GUESS I WILL MAKE THE MORAL CHOICE FUCK IT FINE. UGH. 

Eomer learning kingship, especially in the shadow of Theodred’s death and Aragorn’s Straight-From-A-Fairy-Tale kingship, has buckets of potential. So, adding to that, Grima/Eomer makes for an excellent opportunity to explore power, what it means to lead, what it means to be a real-human-king and not the ideal that is stitched into tapestries and sung about in mead halls. 

Related to the above: questions of what it means to be the Necessary Man who makes the Necessary But Often Brutal Decisions are fun to explore, and again, this dynamic really lends itself to it. More so, if you run with Eomer having a bit of a snakish streak in him that he is aware of - take your pick on if he is trying to suppress it; work with it; run with it; ignore it lalala je suis Honourable(tm). 

Additionally, the idea of love of country and desire to ensure survival becoming warped into something evil? I live for it. Then finding a way back to the light? Sign me up. 

-

Sorry for the long reply! Again, tl;dr: I like the opposite-attract dynamic; couples-who-bicker is a favourite trope; angst!potential!high!; fun things to explore in terms of leadership/kingship/how do you make a decision when there is no moral choice to be made? All options for X situation are terrible. Make your bed and lie in it./Necessary Man + Honourable Man = hnnnngyes/People finding their way in from the cold is beautiful/I just Really Love Redemption Ok??

Much of what I like about them is bound up in what I like about Grima and his character and the potential that he had to exemplify the idea that it is a kind act, a loving act, that can change the world. Frodo offered his hand, offered forgiveness, offered safety and peace and Grima was going to take it (and all that comes with that, including relearning goodness). But then Tolkien killed him off. What a sad ending. 

Anyway - not sure if this makes sense or is helpful as a response! 

<3 

[daggerandrose]

Happy 28th everyone! I hope everything is doing well during this crazy time! Remember to take care of yourself and be kind to everyone.

Please leave a comment/kudos on these fics! (All of these fics are under 10k as of today)

And I’d Marry You Harry (Because You Forced Me), 24k, by @2tiedships2​

Louis had blindly followed Harry back to his office, closing the door behind him.

“I’m slightly confused,” Louis said. “Actually I’m very confused.”

“About what?”

“What just happened upstairs? Did you forget that you told your boss that we were engaged? Because the last time I checked we are very much not engaged. At all. No offense, but we never will be.”

“It’s really not that complicated,” Harry explained. “We get married and in a year or so we can file for divorce. No big deal. It’s not like you can’t wait a little while to find someone else anyway.”

Louis was going to pay a bus driver to accidentally run into Harry. A concussion would be fine. Obviously a couple broken limbs. That’s something that’s not complicated.

Or The Proposal AU featuring Harry as Sandra Bullock, Louis as Ryan Reynolds, and all the fun a fake relationship and forced engagement can bring.

But When We Kiss..., 8k, by @indiaalphawhiskey​

Louis only nodded, still smiling. “Right, okay. As much fun as this has been, I really doubt the lovely heated seating of my car will dull our banter. Or...” he dragged out the ‘r’, eyes mischievous. “Are you really going to let a…” he assessed Harry. “Twenty? Twenty year gap,” he confirmed. ���Be the reason you get hypothermia? Is that really the hill you want to freeze on, Mr. Principled?”

–– Or, while Harry and Louis adore the chase, they find they adore each other much, much more.

don’t know if i could ever go without, 14k, by @lovehl​

“We’ve come up with a solid solution. You’re not going to like it.”

“What is it?” Louis narrows his eyes suspiciously, glancing at a visibly enthusiastic Liam.

“What if you pretended to be an Alpha?” Zayn suggests.

just a little dance, 1k, by @suspendrs​

“Keep your head up, love,” he says, pulling away and grabbing Harry’s hands. “Dance with me.”

“I don’t want to dance,” Harry pouts, but he lets Louis pull him into the center of the dark kitchen, anyway.

“Just a little dance,” Louis says, tugging Harry’s hands until he’s flush against his front.

Or, a tiny drabble based on the cutest lyric from perfect now

Adore You, 23k, by @2ofusmp4​ 

When they’d first come into this lifestyle, the being in their roles in their day to day lives, Louis had struggled with it. He’d found it hard to distinguish between what Harry was doing because he thought he had to, with Louis as his dominant, and what he wanted to do just because of them being partners.

Being ‘twenty-four-seven’ in the traditional sense wasn’t exactly realistic in their life, no matter how much they tried to make it work. They could do small things within their power dynamic, they could try their best to keep it going, but more or less, it wasn’t a constant thing. Harry called it submission with weekends and bank holidays, and it worked for them.

As different as it was from what he expected, no matter what, in the end, it worked for them – and that was all that mattered.

“Can I… take care of you?” Harry had asked, his eyes looking everywhere but at Louis. Louis had just turned twenty-three, they’d been exploring things, doing new things for years, and Harry still managed to surprise him. “Like… Just do things for you like you take such good care of me.”

OR: A canon-compliant fic where Harry wants nothing more than to take care of Louis.

I Love You (From My Head To-ma-toes), 26k, by @yousopugly​

When Louis is dared to ask out the attractive Man in the Sweater Vest at the pub, he certainly doesn't expect their relationship to bloom the way it does. Featuring a dare that isn't really a dare, too many vegetable references, and two silly boys falling in love.

Does it Look Devious or Something?, 4k, by @haztobegood​

When someone complains about Louis’ new business, he must defend his sex toy shop to the city council.

Written for Prompt #231: The amazement at how much hot air people manage to produce.

Omega Show Repair, 6k, by @musketrois

“Can I help you with anything?” The worker asked.

Heat spread across Harry’s cheeks as he realized he had been silently staring.

“Yes!” Harry scrambled to find the words he needed when all he wanted to do was continue admiring his surroundings, the man included.

The man’s smile didn’t falter as Harry gathered himself, continuing, “I had some questions.”

Harry walked closer and placed his warm hands on the edge of the counter. “My favorite pair of boots need resoled but I wanted to check if you’d be willing to do that for me.”

or

Harry needs to get his favorite pair of boots fixed.

I Don't Love You I Want in Your House, 6k, by @londonfoginacup​

Harry comes into the bakery almost every day trying to woo Louis.

Zayn works out at the gym maybe a little more than necessary so that he can get the chance to watch Liam train.

Niall is the only one who ever checks the mail.

Your secret's safe with me, 7k, by @cameupshort

He knew almost everything about Haz, considered him his best friend. He knew his favourite movies and books, how he liked his coffee, knew how many pets he had and what he was most afraid of. Louis knew how to calm him down when he was panicking, and that he’d lost his virginity to his ex-boyfriend when he was 17. He knew that Haz had curly hair, green eyes, that he was tall and considered himself slightly awkward. He knew his Instagram account that only had aesthetic pictures or ridiculous jokes, but in the all the time that Louis had known him, he’d never learnt, or been allowed to know, Haz’s full name, what he sounded like, or what he looked like.

Louis didn't care.

Or, when Louis' favourite singer comes back and announces he's performing again, him and the rest of his group chat decide to go. When Haz, the man Louis' fallen in love with without meeting him, says that he can't, Louis tries his best to convince him with a drunken phone call, hearing his voice for the first time. It's not until he's at Royal Variety that he swears he can hear it again.

The Finding Sea, 17k, by @angelichl

They met at the ocean, in a way. It makes sense for them to fall in love at the ocean too.

Harry is in love with his best friend. They go on vacation together.

- Fort Myers, Florida. -

Missed Connection, 39k, by @littlelouishiccups

Soulmate AU where your soulmate’s first words to you are tattooed on your skin.

With a boring and generic soul mark like Hi, Harry is pessimistic he’ll ever find his soulmate or that he’ll realize it when he meets them. But he could always have it worse, like his new friend Louis who had a drunken one night stand with his soulmate a few years ago and woke up the next morning alone.

Also, I’ve been reading a lot of sterek fics recently and I found a gold mine in @isthatbloodonhisshirt‘s fics! Holy wow! So many amazing fics!

[nyadere]

Reposting this bc the link got messed up when I changed URLs!!

My all time favorite Destiel fics, in no particular order. (More to be added over time) {last updated 10/08/2019}

Too Much TV Will Rot Your Brain by EndlessRain Rating: G Words: 7397 Summary: “Angel?” John asked. He had been in Heaven for a pretty long time, and had been hunting even longer, and he never had heard of angels actually existing.

“Oh for God’s sake,” Ellen said, “That’s your kid’s boyfriend!”

Notes: A short, sweet fic with mostly humor and a bit of angst mixed in. – How (thanks to Gabriel) Dean and Castiel (accidentally) raised each other (and Sam). by Vera Rating: E Words: 69693 Summary: In which, Gabriel meddles with the time line and Castiel becomes Dean’s angel rather sooner than intended.

Notes: This is a must-read, the writing is perfect and the idea is also perfect. Throwing Castiel into the boy’s lives from the start and the dynamic it brings is such an interesting take on the story.

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Destiel, Actually by Bloodism Rating: E Words: 15973 Summary: Picture your typical rom-com cliché. Now picture Dean stuck in that rom-com cliché. With Castiel. Because that’s what happening to him - a crazy whirlwind of your typical-and-not-so-typical cliché’s. He’s playing the main lead in all of them and Castiel’s his counterpart. Of course, the culprit is obvious. Gabe’s enjoying himself too much, lying back on his favourite cloud with a tub of salted popcorn.

It was about time someone kicked the two knuckleheads into gear.

“And… ACTION!”

Notes: Funny & light-hearted, featuring everyone’s favorite trickster.

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Angel’s Wild by LimonadeGaby, riseofthefallenone Rating: E Words: 389271 Summary: But that’s the whole reason he’s here, isn’t it? He’s not out here hunting Humans. He’s not even hunting deer, or bears, or anything else that featured in Bambi. He’s out here, freezing his nuts off every night, because he’s hunting Angels.

Sometimes Dean wishes that Angels were like how they’re described in the Bible. How people from time too old for him to care much about thought Angels were messengers and warriors of God, protectors of Humans. He knows that how they’re really described in the Bible is actually pretty terrifying, but at least they were told by God that they’re supposed to love Humans, right?

That’s a thousand times better than what Angels really turned out to be.

Notes: Another must-read. This fic is a huge, long and a bit of a slow-burn but its so worth it. One of the first destiel fics I fell in love with, an immersive AU with fanart included.

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Things Dean Winchester Loves by tuesday Rating: M Words: 3623 Summary: Castiel makes a list, Sam gives good advice, and Dean takes a while to catch on.

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In the Shadow of your Wings by Enochian Things Rating: M Words: 57268 Summary: Dean drains his bottle of beer, sets it on the table and gets up, heading for the kitchen. Maybe to fetch another, maybe to leave. But Castiel doesn’t want him to go, doesn’t want to leave this conversation unfinished; he remembers his regret of just a few hours ago, that Dean had never known how he loved him.

“Wait,” he says and gets to his feet as Dean passes by. They’re standing close – close enough that Castiel can feel the heat of Dean’s body, the vibrancy of his soul brushing against his grace. “Dean, I have to tell you something…”

Set after the S11 finale.

Notes: another long, slow-burn. The buildup in this fic is fantastic, dealing with a jealous and in-denial Dean while poor Cas is dealing with his own feelings. This fic is so in-character I can see it happening in the actual show.

– Everything Comes Back To You by VioletHaze Rating: E Words: 32970 Summary: Dean knew better. Of course he did. But Cas seemed so charmed by the antique-filled bed and breakfast that Dean went along with it when the proprietor mistook them for a couple. Telling himself it gave them a strategic advantage to be so close to the crime scene, he agreed to the weekend special she offered them. When the case ended up being a bust, they stuck around anyhow because hey, the second night was free…

Notes: I love love loveeee this fic. Canon!verse with fake/pretend relationship. Dean in denial with mutual pining? Yes please. – Sam Winchester Sees the Light (And Dean’s Awkward Boner Face) by YamiTami Rating: G Words: 2447 Summary: Castiel is falling and he has to start doing human things to save energy. That means eating for sustenance, sleeping, and learning how to use a washing machine. This leads to a revelation.

Shamelessly inspired by a gifset of Misha putting a shirt on.

–

The Mirror by cloudyjenn Rating: M Words: 24568 Summary: When Dean touches a strange mirror, he’s whisked away to one alternate reality after another and it doesn’t take him long to realize the universe is trying to tell him something.

Notes: This. fic. is. amazing. I love reading about AU versions of the boys and this one has plenty of variety. Cute with a bit of angst mixed in.

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In Your Sweet Little Bungalow by annodominique Rating: E Words: 13680 Summary: All things considered, Castiel has a house. All things considered, Castiel has a life. Without Dean.

It has been seven years since Sam died, seven years since Dean left Castiel, broken and human, and disconnected from humanity. Cas had to cope on his own somewhere along the way. He chose a little town of Oregon to settle in.

Seven years, and Dean shows up at his door on a chilly February night, saying the stupidest set of words to ever be said to Castiel’s face.

“I was–just passing by the neighborhood. Thought I’d drop by…to see you.”

And Cas doesn’t know what to do.

Notes: This fic is so angsty but so worth it.

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When the Bough Breaks by captainshakespear, deanisthesun Rating: M Words: 73963 Summary: Years after the Darkness has been defeated, Dean and Cas are living the apple pie life in small-town Kansas. They don’t hunt anymore, and would like to keep it that way, but some young hunters knocking at their door have different plans.

Dean, Cas and Sam reluctantly agree to help out, but what ought to be a simple case becomes way more complicated and dangerous than they counted on. And when the hunt starts to invade the normal lives they’ve carved out for themselves and their kids, Dean and Cas begin to wonder if escaping the hunting life altogether might have been wishful thinking.

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Home is Where by ChasingRabbits Rating: E Words: 15170 Summary: Casual vagrant Dean Winchester blows into Palo Alto to check on his little brother. What is meant to be a quick visit ends up drawing out when he meets and accidentally ends up clicking with Sam’s strange, grad student roommate Castiel.

Notes: non-canon verse AU where Cas has Asperger’s and is Sam’s roommate, this fic is very cute.

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Out of the Deep by riseofthefallenone Rating: E Words: 488608 Summary: Stay away from the light-beds. Stay in the deep.

It is the first thing hatchlings are taught the moment their fans unfurl and they can swim without their parents to buoy them along. It is the first rule, the first law. It is the beginning of every boogey-monster bedtime story told when they settle against the cliffs to sleep.

Castiel should have listened better.

Notes: I cannot express how much I love this fic. Another huge AU with copious amounts of fanart and detail. Slow-burn, Merfolk AU. I will admit I was hesitant to read this at first as I don’t usually like mermaid/merfolk AUs but this story is so beautifully written and the attention to detail is amazing. Riseofthefallenone never ceases to amaze me.

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Going Postal by captainbarnes Rating: Not Rated Words: 6799 Summary: Castiel,

Hi. My name’s Dean, just Dean — that’s all you’re getting out of me.

I don’t really know what else to say, I’m not good at this and I really don’t want to talk much. But it’s for a grade, and I’m already flunking English, so I guess I don’t have a choice.

Your name is weird as fuck.

— Dean

Dean Winchester and Castiel Novak became pen pals because of a school assignment, and they tried not to get attached to one another. They really did. Sort of. Barely.

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King of the Road by loversantiquities Rating: E Words: 15890 Summary: Contracted out by the local police in Moriarty, New Mexico, Dean is sent to investigate the happenings around a church outside of town, the Angel-worshiping congregation reportedly flocking to the location in recent days. As it turns out, though, instead of snake charmers or devil worshipers, Dean finds an Angel crucified to the cross, said Angel unreasonably snarky despite being tied up against his will.

Turning over Castiel to the authorities, though, doesn’t work in Dean’s favor. With nowhere to go and Heaven having abandoned him, Dean agrees to haul Castiel across the country on two conditions–he doesn’t smoke in the car, and he doesn’t rob convenience stores in broad daylight.

God, Dean might actually kill him before this is over.

–

Rock of Ages by winter_of_our_Discontent Rating: T Words: 7430 Summary: It starts because they need a rock. Not, of course, just any rock, but apparently this particular critter needs an Aztec-style obsidian-and-jade dagger right through its human-teeth-and-eyeball-eating heart to actually kill it.

In which Cas gets a ring, and Dean (finally) gets a clue.

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So There It Is, I’ve Said It All by PorcupineGirl Rating: G Words: 3898 Summary: “Why, do you have something you need to say to me that you don’t think I’ll like?”

I think I’m in love with you.

“Yeah. I guess so.“

–

Receipts by surlybobbies Rating: T Words: 1391 Summary: He’s about to put the receipt down, no harm done, when something about it catches his eye. Pen ink, on the back. He flips it around and reads:

With Dean. He shared his pie with me. His smile was radiant.

Dean stares. Reads it again. Nothing’s changed.

What? -

The Fourth Wall by entanglednow

Rating: T-E (this is a series so different parts have different ratings)  Words: 40,339 Summary:  (There’s not an exact summary for the whole thing since its a series of 15 different works but basically the boys discover fanfiction about themselves and things get wild) I can’t believe I didn’t add this one before but its one of my all time favorites! I’ve read it multiple times because its just that good. Lighthearted and funny. This series also includes Samifer which I’m a big fan of (but if you’re not into that each part is appropriately tagged so you can skip over it). 

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Someone Who’s Feeling For Me by ellispark Rating: M  Words: 45,876 Summary:  Dean sees her for the first time in nearly six years in some no-name town in Idaho, and it's panic at first sight. Lisa Braeden, the one woman Dean ever actually had a shot at a real life with, back from where he buried her in his mind. And her hand is on Cas's arm like it's no big deal, like it belongs there. Cas, Dean's dorky, sweet, badass, angelic best friend, and he's just standing there next to Lisa and not moving her hand away. Dean feels the jealousy rising, and it's not directed where he expected it to be. Because it takes this exact moment for Dean to realize he's in love with his best friend. He's in love with his best friend, and Lisa is looking at Cas like he's the best thing since automatic rifles, and Dean is utterly fucked.  Notes: Lots of pining, supportive Sam, angst with a happy ending, the good shit.  - Everyone is Trying to Get to the Bar by Balder12 Rating: E Words: 8,111 Summary:  Dean still has enemies in Heaven. True!form Castiel to the rescue!

Notes: I love true!form cas fics and this one is written beautifully, the ending seemed a little rushed to me but other than that I really enjoyed this fic.

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As You Pass Through Me by wannaliveindeansdimples Rating: E Words: 30,548 Summary: Cas has lived in this house all his life... and since his untimely death. The last thing he wants is a new roommate, but it seems he's getting one anyway.

Notes: a wonderful non-canonverse AU with ghost!Cas....but there’s a twist! This fic is incredibly cute and entertaining and makes me smile everytime I read it. There’s a little bit of what could be considered dub-con in a few chapters but before said chapters the author usually has a note at the beginning.

-

[maraudererasmut]

Fanfiction Musing No. 382

When people are in a relationship, particularly a long term one, they have a tendency to create their own "language of affection". It’s not necessarily a verbal language, although it often can be. Essentially, it’s a way of communicating that is specific to each couple, something that they do to show each other their love. Sometimes it's a quirky phrase or a pattern of talking, sometimes it's a particular action that's only done between the couple. A poke in the ribs, a cheeky "Hey, Hun", a snarky "You're an idiot".

I’ve noticed a lot of the best fanfiction authors use this to their advantage to help make characters more realistic, more tangible. It could be a subconscious thing that authors do, because they’re so used to those elements withing relationships, but I genuinely believe that my favourite authors are writing everything intentionally.

Because I write everything intentionally.

If you’ve ever been around for my other musings, you’ve heard me talk about how I am very particular with the language I use and my choice of words. Each and every action from my characters has been thoroughly thought out before being written down. 

A good example of the “language of affection” that I use within my own writing is Remus’ and Sirius’ (for lack of a better word) call-and-response. If you’ve ever read any of my fics, you’ve probably noticed that I end many a story with the same type of conversation between the boys. It’s their thing. And it’s done intentionally.

Sirius: Hey Moons...

Remus: Yeah?

Sirius: I love you.

Remus: Hey Pads...

Sirius: Yeah?

Remus: I love you too.

It’s adorable! It’s a profession of love! But when you look into it deeper, you realize it says a lot more about the characters than is revealed in the text. (Yeah, I overthink things. Deal with it.)

Firstly, I want to point out the order of speaking. Sirius almost always says “I love you” to Remus first, while Remus simply responds to Sirius’ declaration of love. Why? Well, for one thing, Sirius had never been told “I love you” during his childhood. He knows what it’s like to not be loved. More than that, he knows what it’s like to not ever hear that you’re loved. Sirius feels the need to reaffirm his feelings for Remus constantly, lest his Moony forgets his complete and utter admiration. Sirius knows that he loves Remus. Remus is there and tangible and beyond anything that Sirius had ever imagined having in his entire lifetime. He needs to let Moony know that at every available opportunity. 

Remus almost never says “I love you” first. Why? Remus is afraid of intimacy. Not physical intimacy, he loves that. Emotional intimacy. We know this from canon, but it’s also something that seems very ingrained in his core personality. Remus is always afraid of hurting the people he most cares about, so he pretends that he doesn’t care. He loves Sirius, but he’s not used to saying “I love you”. He had told himself that he was unable to love for so many years, the concept of having someone he adores unconditionally is so foreign to him. Every once in a while, though, I have Remus start it off. He’ll tell Sirius he loves him first, with Sirius responding. Those moments are times when something significant has happened and Remus feels the need to express it. He’s not great at sharing his emotions, but his actions speak a lot louder than words!

Another thing I want to point out is the response. “I love you, too” is a really sweet answer when someone tells you they love you. Remus is not really sweet. Well, he is. But he’s also snarky as hell. And we love him for it! Sometimes, I’ll have Remus say something different after their affectionate back-and-forth. Sometimes, it’ll end with “Hey Pads? Next time, I get to bugger you.” XD That’s probably my favourite example. I love it because it’s so Remus! Sirius is expecting the typical response, only to have Remus give him a quip. It’s really a part of their dynamic!

“What about other forms of “language of affection”? Do you have any examples of those?” You may ask. 

Why, yes, yes I do!

They can range from head canon musings to essential plot points, but once you delve deeper into what could be considered part of the umbrella of “language of affection”, you’ll begin to notice them everywhere. 

Physical affection:

Sirius loves touching and being touched. Again, it’s part of his reaffirmation of love. He need to constantly remind Remus (but mostly himself) that he is real, he is there, they are together, and they are in love. That means constant cuddles, always wanting to be beside his Moony, always trying to sit in Remus’ lap. Remus, on the other hand, doesn’t feel the need to touch Sirius at all times. Instead, he does little things; subtle things. A hand running through dark hair, a gentle pat on the shoulder, a certain look that shows Sirius just how much he’s appreciated. Sirius knows that he’s loved because he understands the way that Remus communicates.

Words of reassurance:

Remus constantly refers to himself as a monster. In his mind, he is one. Sirius reminds Remus of what he is: a good person. I always write Sirius as the type of person who is unafraid to call it what it is: Remus Lupin is a werewolf. He doesn’t have a “condition” like Lyall Lupin likes to call it. It’s not his “time of the month”, as James is known to say. It’s not a curse or a plague or anything wrong with Remus. It’s just a part of him. “You’re a werewolf and a good person. And it is entirely possible to be both.” I’m always aware of how Sirius refers to lycanthropy whenever I write: after all, the best things in life are werewolves!

Nicknames:

Don't think I haven't noticed the same type of patterns in other authors! An excellent example of "language of affection" is @captofthesswolfstar 's use of the word "Pup". It's so much more than a nickname: it's an indication of the dynamic of the relationship. Sirius is referred to as a pup, a young dog, someone who needs to be taken care of. Remus uses it affectionately, showing his partner that he will not betray the complete and utter trust that Sirius has put in him. Simply hearing the nickname "Pup" indicates all the intricacies of the relationship as Tara writes it. And it's true! She's all about the power dynamic and the essence of trust. All of her smut, all of her shorts, all of her stories, I've found that trust is a reoccurring theme.

Long-winded ramble aside, couples do have particular ways of communicating, and they have a tendency to develop that communication into their own language. It shows in art. It shows in fanfiction. It shows in headcanon. Do you have any examples of “language of affection” that Remus and Sirius use? Do you include that in your own work? Have you noticed it in the work of others?

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Also, thank you for making it this far. I’m sorry. This turned out longer than I initially planned. Oops.

[paperclipninja]

Younger post-ep recap 6x06

Due to a rather unfortunate run in between my laptop and a glass of water I lost my original ramble for this week’s Younger (as well as the actual laptop so R.I.P Lappy, you were actually pretty terrible but we had a good run). So instead of my usual review I thought I’d do more of a recap and refresher of the last episode to get us prepped, primed and pumped (aka the 3 P's) for the next installment (ep7).

Episode 6 of Younger was in many ways so bonkers that it shouldn’t have worked, but somehow all the pieces came together and it did .Oh boy did it ever! I outright belly laughed a number of times throughout and I think my dog was mildly concerned for my well-being because there were actual tears coming out my eyes at a couple of points. I’m a sucker for a pun so ‘Merger, She Wrote’ had me at hello (you could say my hopes for the ep were high...yes I did and #notsorry). What I wouldn’t have given to be in the room to see the reactions to a script with ‘Liza goes to talk to the nurse who is actually a plant’ in it. So yes there were LOLs galore but most importantly, by the end of the ep order had been restored following the upheaval of the past 6 episodes (which is about the limit viewers can take sitting in the discomfort of an unfamiliar detour from the norm IMO: think the Bryce Reiger arc in season 3 and the Charles finding out the lie in season 5...it’s almost as though Darren and co. have done this before...), Finally the fam is back together at Millennial (or is it Mercennial now?)

Straight off the bat I was very distracted for most of the opening scene by Liza’s dress and look in general because it was AMAZING.  I am loving all the Maggie/Liza in the morning scenes we’re getting this season and Maggie in a blue coverall embarking on a DIY rope harness ceiling painting project...what could possibly go wrong? I felt mildly uncomfortable at how relatable Maggie’s not being served for 10 mins in a bar and sneaking out to the fridge in the night were, but was also mildly mesmerized by Liza’s coffee mug that looked like some kind of old-timey wash basin (turns out this was not relevant to the story but noted nonetheless). Maggie also offers the very straight forward solution of merging the two companies to alleviate the tension that’s putting Liza and Charles in ‘not a good place’ and I love that her ‘bing, bang, boom’ is echoed by Liza when she floats the idea with Charles later in the ep. 

The' Microdosing' book pitch provided us with the set up for the retreat and my fave thing about this scene was how IN character all the characters reactions were to it all; Diana is flat out appalled by the whole thing, Liza is Captain Cautious but trying to play it cool and Kelsey looks like she’s seeing colour for the first time and would 100% pledge her devotion to Travis in any kind of cult situation.

What might have seemed out of character, but actually ended up so perfectly capturing the way she always does everything with absolute gusto, was Diana's foray into boomer erotica narration (as Liza so eloquently put it, 'I think we just found our Seasoned Slut'. These lines, I swear *rofl emoji* )  I think I laughed through the entire scene of Diana in the recording studio, I mean, Miriam Shor's delivery of every line just kills me, but the highlight was undoubtedly when she suggested she could hit nipple a little harder and affirmed  'throbbing nipple' to herself as she walked back to the booth. Zane and creepy af Audrey Colbert waiting allowed for Diana to unsubtly hot foot it out of there, which was a great throwback to her refusal to be in the same room as Audrey in ep 3.

It was a also great opportunity to bring Zane and Kelsey back together and who doesn't love an awks 'accidentally had the mic open and didn't realize' moment when you're talking about how your author is definitely a murderer? I feel like Audrey may go and find another publisher now (just a hunch) but I would really like to see more of her because this character is a type of unhinged that we haven't seen on this show and I think that could be a lot of fun to see play out. I have to say that Kelsey Peters is NOT someone I picked as a boop-er of noses, yet there she was at the bar, booping Zane's nose and this was my favourite interaction of theirs in the series. I was totally digging the dynamic this ep and it will be very interesting to see what that will look like with the new work arrangements. Also, where was Zane when that was all going down btw? I assume Charles filled him in on the bringing the companies together plan before it happened?

Liza's excitement when she told Charles the idea of merging the two companies was endearing and I am unabashedly a big fan of Charles, but his attempt at convincing Liza to join him at Mercury after she tells him that she won't leave Millennial and Kelsey, by saying he left his company to be with her, was super shitty. But it was also super necessary. Because at some point this needed to be said and most importantly, Liza needed to call him out on it and let him know that he cannot use it as a bargaining chip. One of the things I love most about the Charles/Liza dynamic (aside from all the things, but that's another essay) is that Liza is her own advocate in this relationship, she will stand her ground when something is important to her and does not compromise herself to appease Charles. He is equally as stubborn but they are able to have the hard conversations that need to be had but this doesn’t lead them to question whether they want to be together (I very much appreciated the kiss on the cheek Liza gave Charles before she left for this very reason).

So of course being on a psychedelics retreat together when they've hit a roadblock in the relationship was definitely a very good idea...Well it was for us as viewers at least, because pretty much from the moment they arrive and Liza and Charles start talking straight to camera as the literal doctor (my god that whole line just cracked me up) informs them they'll be taking not-LSD, we know we're not in Kansas anymore Toto. Enter Josh for *insert drama here* purposes (and I do think he should franchise Inkburg coz why not?) and we have, ladies and gentlefolk, a recipe for some next level hilarity. But not before Josh and Liza share a lingering look as they take their dose of illicit substance to ensure that Lizs's trip includes one down memory lane.

I have made my feelings about love triangles known many times (quick recap: hard dislike. Tricky to pull off without one or more characters looking bad. Very tiring as a viewer and quite frankly I am pretty lazy and tired most of the time irl so just don't want it on my screen), however I will say that I did not see this ep as re-stoking the love triangle, I saw it as simply reminding us that it is there and can be reignited by the writers at any stage. Within the context of everything that was happening, Liza hallucinating Josh at her door actually made sense and I have no doubt that various factions of Younger fans had meltdowns at that moment for very different reasons.. Sutton Foster's physical comedy throughout this whole ep was second to none, starting at her realization that it was, in fact, Charles who had come to her room and continuing the next morning at breakfast.

Speaking of which, there was something about seeing Liza and Charles in the breakfast room together that made my sappy heart swell, it had such a vacay feel and I'm sure if you muted your volume you could pretend they were just listening to the activities for the day before going off to spend some quality time together...I mean, maybe that would be a thing, I wouldn't know....where was I? Oh yes, the unfolding of a series of comedy golden McNuggets™ that I am still laughing about. We learn that Liza is a supertaster (for those like me who pretended they understood what that meant but then realized they did not, I googled it and it means that she is sensitive to the drugs and basically the microdose affects her like a full dose, you're welcome) and I am chuckling even now when I think about Josh's, 'hey guys' in Charles' voice as he joins the table.

This is another one of those concepts that I feel like could've not worked at all but sweet lawd, the Charles and Josh voice swap scene was next level and I could watch this and the scene that follows over and over and never not laugh. I again LOVE the decision to have the guys talk to camera because it absolutely emphasizes the whole situation and Liza sidestepping away to visit the nurse just rounded off the whole crazy caper.

I have no words to describe how much I love the flat out ridiculous perfection of the visit to Nurse Maureen. Yes Liza has the epiphany that Josh and Charles bring out different things in her (though hot sex seems to be at the core of both so ya know, sounds like a win in the past and present and good for her on both accounts) and again, the unlikely scenario that her ex and current boyfriends are in the same place at the same time (while she is taking mind altering substance) has just played out so it also makes sense in this context. Quite frankly I'm shipping her and Maureen pretty hard at this point because a) it is not easy to pull off eyeshadow that green and b) everyone deserves someone in their life who has the kind of belief in Liza that Maureen does when she tells her 'I bet you can' dance just like me. I don't even know how to explain whatever that dance is but I just know that I want someone/something in my life that will windmill their/it's arms at me with such fervor that I find myself dancing with two attractive men in tuxedos on a galaxy stage.

I cannot express the joy I felt watching the entire dance scene, it was all just so. much. fun. But my absolute hands down favourite moment was when it cut back to the retreat and we, along with Charles and Josh, discover that Liza is in fact dancing with 'Maureen' the plant and seriously, this is up there with my highlights of the entire series. That and the reveal that the selfies Liza was taking were sent to Diana (Diana speaking to Liza in her 'sexy' voice, asking 'where is my plant?', Liza's, 'Maureen', I just cannot with every part of this glorious tie in at the end of the ep. I am sending Ashley Skidmore a houseplant to express my gratitude for gifting us with these moments*). Seeing Josh and Charles together was great but it was clear a scene was missing and I am SO glad that Younger released the deleted conversation between the two of them coz it was both necessary because YES and also because it suddenly made Charles' entire conversation and reason for his decision to sell Mercury make sense (ie. was pretty pivotal).

I big A adored Charles and Liza's conversation (and outfits and aesthetic overall) as they're leaving the retreat, the shift in Charles is palpable and it's just such a credit to the writing and acting to be able to convey so much in such a brief scene. Maggie of course experienced quite the shift herself, from ceiling to floor, with a sufficient amount of dangling as her helpful neighbourly pervert got himself off as she got herself down. But most importantly, Maggie got her mojo back (though is she not currently dating Beth? In which case location of missing mojo: unclear).

Now I gotta tell you, the final scene of this week's ep up and got me. Big time. Kelsey's earlier comment, that she really hates competing with Charles, certainly added weight to the resolution we've all been waiting for this season. Charles' honesty about his realisation that he is hurting his family, not to mention him confirming that he means Kelsey, Diana and Liza and that he wants to come home, ugh, my insides are gooey just writing these words, leads to his offer to Kesley and honestly, the interactions between all of them in this scene was wonderful. I loved that Kelsey held the room, that Charles was putting the offer to her from one businessperson to another (though thank goodness Diana was there to point out the difference between $1 and $1000000 eek! Also, I get that it would never occur to anyone that the price would be $1 so I'll cut Kels some slack). Diana looks like she is going to cry at any moment from elation and I love the way Kelsey asks for the approval of the ladies before shaking Charles' hand. This will forever be one of my favourite scenes on this show.

The thought of Charles coming back and working as an editor alongside Liza is an actual dream. I mean, I am very happy to be taken on the journey the writers set, but I have legit wondered what it would be like to see him in that role and he and Liza working together properly as equals and I absolutely cannot believe it's going to happen.

Well this ended up being quite a bit longer than I expected (lol, what a surprise). Bring on episode 7!

*I will not in fact be sending Ashley Skidmore a houseplant because I live in a very far away country, it would cost a lot of money and it is 1000% creepy to receive a dead plant from a stranger. 

[whitewolfofwinterfell]

001- Bates Motel, 002-Cordelia/Angel :)

001 - Bates Motel

Favourite character: Norma Bates.

Least favourite character: As you pointed out, there are a lot of assholes on thie show so it’s hard to pick, but if we’re talking about main/reoccurring characters I’d go with Shelby.

5 favourite ships (canon or non-canon): Norma/Alex, Norman/Norma (non-romantic), Norma/Dylan (non-romantic), Dylan/Bradley and Dylan/Emma.

Character I find most attractive: Dylan or Bradley.

Character I would marry: Eh, none of them exactly make for perfect life partners lmao, but probably Dylan. 

Character I would be best friends with: No one. 

A random thought: Initially, I loved the idea of Dylan and Emma as a ship, but as they progressed I found them to be really overrated and didn’t like their development at all. Emma’s character was completely sidelined in favour of making her Dylan’s love interest and it made no sense for them to have a child so soon and so young. I didn’t see any longevity in their relationship and them having a child and playing house when they were 21 and 17 respectively when they met was so forced (particularly since neither Emma nor Dylan seemed remotely interested in having children or settling down, they were both trying to figure out who they were as people). Also, in the final season Emma just didn’t even seem that loving towards Dylan. They already felt like an old married couple whose relationship had gone stagnant and were on the brink of divorce. 

An unpopular opinion: I feel like I’ve already stated my unpopular opinion above - I don’t really like Dylan and Emma that much. Another unpopular opinion is that I actually like Bradley and think that she had a lot of potential. 

My Canon OTP: I wouldn’t necessarily call them an OTP, but Norma and Alex.

My Non-canon OTP: I don’t have one.

Most Badass Character: Norma.

Most Epic Villain: Norman. 

Pairing I am not a fan of: Norma/Shelby, Norma/Christine’s brother (he’s so insignificant I can’t even remember his name lol), Norman/every love interest he has. 

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): Definitely Emma, and I’d probably also go with Alex. 

Favourite friendship: In the early days I thought Norman/Emma and Norma/Emma’s friendships were cute, but unfortunately, both were kind of abandoned.

Character I most identify with: No one.

Character I wish I could be: Good god, no one haha.

002 - Cordelia/Angel

When or if I started shipping it: I started shipping them a couple of months ago after watching Angel. The first time I remember really being aware that I was starting to ship them was probably ‘To Shanshu in L.A’ and by season 2 I was completely in love with them. 

My thoughts: I can’t believe how underrated and misunderstood this ship is. When I knew about them before watching Angel I couldn’t understand it at all, but now I do completely. Angel and Cordelia are two people that had something missing in their lives at the time when they found each other in L.A - a sense of purpose and identity. Angel had been through so much with the whole soul debacle and his break-up with Buffy that he din’t know who he was or where his place was in the world. Cordelia was the high school prom queen whose entire identity was embedded in popularity and the admiration and validation of others. Angel without Buffy, and Cordelia without high school, meant they were both uprooted and searching for a new meaning and purpose. By working together, creating Angel Investigations, forming a friendship (not just with each other but Doyle, Wes, Gunn, Fred etc.) and helping the helpless, they both found that purpose. When Cordelia died I truly believe Angel lost his purpose and that throughout the entirety of season 5 he was deeply grieving for her loss (although it wasn’t made obvious until ‘You’re Welcome’), because despite having the rest of his friends around him, Cordy was really his center. Emotionally, she was the one that reached him and kept him grounded. Their development was beautiful - they started out as acquaintances that only knew each other through Buffy, then they were colleagues, friends, family and they slowly fell in love. They fought together and grew together and complimented each other in every way. Cordelia’s vibrant personality and sense of humour brought Angel out of his shell, whilst Angel’s compassion and empathy made Cordelia open up to others in a new way and stop being so self-involved. What I love about them so much is that it’s not the kind of all consuming passionate if-I-can’t-have-you-I’m-going-to-die kind of love, it’s so much more realistic. They’re just two people who are a constant presence in each other’s lives for years, they go share each other’s ups and downs and share life-altering experiences in their fights against evil and come to realise that they need each other and love each other in a way that goes beyond friendship. Honestly, I could talk about them all day, so I think I should stop here. But basically, I think they’re an amazing ship that suffered hugely due to the writing and that if the writers had committed to them completely they could have been absolutely incredible.

What makes me happy about them: Urgh, everything? I love them so much. The way they laugh and smile together, how Angel turns into a blithering fool when he’s around her because she makes him nervous, how distraught Angel is whenever Cordy’s life is at risk because he can’t live without her, how they need each other, how they protect each other no matter what, how they’re always there for each other. This list could continue. 

What makes me sad about them: The fact that they were never able to truly admit how they felt for each other or even had a chance to be together. That season 4 destroyed everything they had and could have had. That the writers never fully committed to them as a romantic ship and so wasted all of their potential. That Cordelia unfairly died. 

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: I haven’t read much fanficiton about Cordelia and Angel because there isn’t much out there. However, I wouldn’t really like to read any that bash other ships (e.g. Buffy/Angel), because I’m just not about that. I believe in respecting all ships and being true to the characters previous loves.

Things I look for in fanfic: Stories that are as close to canon as possible and true to the characters. 

My wishlist: I’m not sure what this means, but I assume it means my wishes for them as a couple? In which case, I’d wish for Cordelia to still be alive, Cordelia to not have become a higher being, all of the events in season 4 to have never happened and for the two of them to have had the opportunity to meet at the beach that night and admit their feelings for each other. From there, I’d have them struggle with their feelings for each other, but agree they want to give it a go and be together. They’d have difficulty transitioning from friends to a couple (particularly with the rest of Angel Investigations and how that impacts the group dynamic) and come up against the looming issue of The Curse. From there on, I don’t know what I’d wish. It would be too cliche for me to wish for Angel to become human and the two of them to live happily ever after, and I don’t really think it would be fitting for them as a couple. But I’d definitely wish for them to have an opportunity to give their relationship a go, because they at least deserved that. 

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: For Angel, Buffy and Cordelia, I don’t really know. I’m not overly fond of any of Cordelia’s love interests except Angel.

My happily ever after for them: This might seem weird and I have no idea how it’d ever happen, but my happy ending for them would be that Angel becomes a demon (not a vampire, but a demon, maybe a half demon like Doyle) and he and Cordy continue to run Angel Investigations (screw W&H, let’s pretend they’re gone haha). That way Angel, as a demon, would still be physically strong and able to fight to help the helpless, he’d have his soul without The Curse and he wouldn’t be immortal (so he could grow old with Cordy) and he would be able to go into the sunlight. No matter what, for Angel to be happy he’d always need to feel like he had a purpose and for him, that was helping people. ‘I Will Remember You’ proved that. He had the opportunity to be human with Buffy but he chose not to be. He made that choice for a lot of reasons, including the protection of Buffy, but I strongly believe his primary reason for doing so was because he simply couldn’t see how he would live in a world where he couldn’t help people in the same way he was able to as a vampire with a soul. 

Thanks so much for asking, lovely! And sorry this got a little long, as you can tell I have a lot of thoughts/feelings about Angel and this is the first chance I’ve had to talk about them.

[potionsmasters]

I don’t know if anyone’s asked before, but what are some of your favorite tropes in snarry fics?

My favourite tropes in Snarry fics are mostly things I look for in my ships in general, like enemies -> friends -> lovers. But with Snarry I actually don’t like to linger that much on the friends part. I like tension, and I like their intense relationship.

Some of the tropes I like:

Compatible magic - Soul mate stuff is a weakness of mine because deep down I’m a romantic. But in the HP universe I like a more ‘realistic’ version, which is their magic being compatible. It can mean whatever the author wants it to mean, but often it shows when they unite powers and also the patronus thing. 

‘I can’t stand you but I can’t stay away from you’ - Severus hiding away in Spinner’s End after faking his death, and he swears he’s utterly tired of Potter, but he still reads The Prophet every day to see if Harry’s okay, making sure that imbecile hasn’t got himself killed yet again. Harry being angry at Snape because how dare that asshole drop a bomb like that on him and just die. This also causes Harry to look into his supposed death and ending up at Snape’s door. Or Snape revealing himself to save Harry’s life, again.

Being protective of each other/saving each other’s lives - Now this is kind of canon but I like this trope in fanfiction. Of course we know Snape was protecting Harry all along, and I enjoy him still having this habit after war. Severus and Harry would be extremely protective of each other if they bonded. I see them as this kind of power couple. ‘Hurt my husband and I’ll make you wish you were dead’ kind of couple. 

‘You are not alone’ - Severus and Harry dealing with their past demons together, and finding comfort in each other. This also includes trust and honesty. They’re both so lonely, and due to some events they decide to share the burden instead of carrying the weight on their shoulders separately. 

Make-up sex - Their relationship development would not be smooth and easy. Their relationship is too complicated with too many layers for their romance to be movie screen friendly. They’re going to fight, and it might get ugly sometimes. But I expect there to be payment. If I have to read through them being stubborn assholes, there better be some goddamn passionate sex to get them back together (and actual talking because sex doesn’t fix anything but you know what I mean).

Having to solve a problem together - Getting them to work together would be the best way to start fixing their relationship. A problem to solve gives them common ground and through that they get to know and understand each other.

Bed sharing - I’m a fan of the classics, okay??? Nothing like good ol’ Sev waking up with his nose buried in Harry’s messy hair (and pretending to not breathe him in and enjoy the softness), and Harry’s ass against his cock. Of course Harry ‘accidentally’ moves his ass against Sev’s hard on to get a better feel of it. And the delicious awkwardness afterwards, pretending like nothing happened when the sexual tension is up to a hundred. 

Family dynamics - It can mean Harry and Severus’ own children, or Snape somehow joining the Potter family. Because Harry and Ginny have always been a BROTP for me, I enjoy reading fics where they find that now that they did what everyone expected them to do, they can go off and explore the world. I love reading Severus’ dynamics with the Potter children. And also Ginny being chill about him and Harry getting together. She’d just be like ‘yeah lol Harry you always were a little too obsessed with Professor Snape’. Anyway yes, Sev and Harry being dads is my absolute weakness. 

‘There was always something going on between us even if we didn’t know it’ - Not ‘I never hated you, I have loved you all along’ thing, because that’s too easy and cheap. I just really like when it’s acknowledged that they’ve always had something, something passionate and complicated. Their ‘romance’ didn’t just start because Snape washed his hair or Harry bent over while wearing some tight trousers. There’s history between them. Unresolved tension. 

And finally

Them being utterly, hopelessly, madly in love - I don’t think this one needs and explanation.

[goldenrainstorm]

Ask-meme/about tag

Tagged by poor @cinnamon-bi forever ago darl I’m so sorry this took me years to get around to!! Thank you for tagging me and sorry I’m a forgetful procrastinator haha

(I’m on mobile so this is probably going to be formatted so funky and not good funky)

Star sign: Sagittarius

Gender: Meh what even is gender (I’m female but like)

Height: I honestly don’t know I haven’t checked in forever, I’m not very tall though, I’m average sized (“what a sad brag” @ gina linetti)

Sexuality: Bi bi bi

What image do you have as your wallpaper?

Nicole from panic at the disco

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

The future scares me so I haven’t thought about it

If you could be anywhere else right now where would you be?

In my friends room playing video games. (Even though I’ve never been there or done that haha I just really want that right now). Or Rome, I really like Rome.

What was your coolest Halloween costume?

I don’t think I have done this on Halloween but I’ve cosplayed as Clary Fray multiple times and even if I do say so myself I can pull it off (naturally red hair helps). I met Catherine Mcnamara while dressed as Clary and she told me I looked amazing😍

What was your favourite 90’s tv show?

Haven’t watched any (not old enough and don’t have access lol). I do like Arrested Development though

Last kiss?

With my man who’s not really my man months ago before we stopped talking to focus on finishing school. We spent a few hours at his apartment and I braided his hair and we just lay on the couch pretending to watch The Good Place while actually just lazily kissing. It was just this lovely quiet afternoon of nice kisses, and we also opened up a bit about our mutual feelings. (Well was a nice afternoon until he forgot to take me home and ditched me and it took me two hours to make my own way home, there’s a reason I haven’t seen him since lol (well there’s more than that but yeah) Ah men, what can you do with them¿)

This was too much information but oh well

Have you ever been stood up?

I got accidentally stood up by a friend once when he agreed to a morning coffee with me. I arrived at the right time and waited two hours for him but couldn’t get through to his phone and he didn’t turn up, he just slept in cause he wasn’t feeling well and forgot he had anything on, he paid for everything the next time we met up haha

But romantically nope, all the dates I’ve been on are because it’s a mutual crush developed from a friendship, they all wanted to be with me too

Have you ever been to Vegas?

Nope, been to LA and New York though

Favourite pair of shoes?

My new pair of black heels I just got from Japan, I love heels but they’re tough to walk in but I found these platform heels and they’re so comfy and easy to spend a whole day in!

Favourite fruit?

Strawberries or apples. I’ve also liked peach flavoured things recently but I’m just back from Japan and there I had soo much peach flavoured stuff that I’m kinda over it now haha

Favourite book? (This turned into an essay sorry)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. It literally took me on such a journey and I just fell in love with it immediately, and I finished my first read of it in two days (during school too, I read it every spare second I had). My favourite thing is that there is no sort of fetishising the gay aspect of it, (to quickly explain, I tend to see a lot of people with fictional gay couples (and even, ugh, real gay couples) go either to ‘my sweet innocent gay babies’ and don’t want them to be sexual at all but stay their ‘pure children’, or go the way of ‘ugh my hot sinful gays yeah have hot $&@‘ that brand of stuff (which both of those ways of thinking are gross and harmful)), so there’s none of that, there isn’t even really a focus on sexuality at all. It’s purely just the interconnected story of two boys growing up and learning about the world (discovering the secrets of the universe hahaha) and the love between them develops through friendship and normal teen angst and it’s so real and beautiful. It’s innocent love while still being mature, a good balance between being not this version of ‘oh my sweet innocent children’ and not being overly sexual considering their ages but still including normal teenage sexual experiences and well as gay realisation moments. But sexuality is only one part of the story and I like that. The storyline of family is done so well and delicately, and I think that trying to figure out your parents and family dynamics is a very relatable story. I just connected to this book and fell in love with it like I haven’t with any other book. Now when will the movie be out?!?! Come on guys quicken the pace

Favourite gif?

I don’t have one and I’m also on mobile haha sorry

I don’t really have anyone to tag sorry cause I don’t really know anyone on here but if you want to do it, consider yourself tagged!

[tammyhybrid21]

Let’s Talk about Wasted Potential!

(Let’s talk Scrappy Doo)

I know, I know... It’s Scrappy Doo...

I’m going to put most of this under a read more so those who just want to avoid anything Scrappy can avoid it...

So first of all... I actually like Scrappy. Not love him like I used to(I mean seriously, he was always my favourite character after Daphne as a kid...) but I still like him well enough. And I think that’s partially(or mostly really) because I grew up with the Scrappy Cartoons being aired mixed with the other series. So sometimes he was there, sometimes he wasn’t... and he was there kind of from the start... even when he wasn’t... If that makes any sense.

Also I never watched any of the Live Action movies... so I don’t know how that’s made an impact or not...

So... anyway...

Why am I talking about the one character hated by everyone? Well, because I just really, really need to get this off my chest. And because as I basically declared in the title of this post... We need to talk about the wasted potential here. Okay, I’m sure some of you are confused, because really? What potential does or did Scrappy have and well honestly...

He had a fair bit in the beginning.

ISSUES:

The issue is, well, more noticeable in rewatch than it was at the time I originally watched the series, because again for me he was there sometimes and other times wasn’t, but he was a character who I understood as part of the show and the gang from the beginning. Again, the issues with Scrappy are more noticeable now, in rewatch than they were back then, since well, first episode of Scooby and Scrappy is kind of... HE’S THERE! No build up, no explanation, he’s just there...

To be fair, that’s not exactly a bad thing... I mean, it’s certainly not something that’s uncommon for older cartoons, to just suddenly introduce a new character and not explain them.

At the very least Scrappy’s inclusion was explained in the startup... For what little that’s worth...

So that’s issue number one I guess, his introduction wasn’t exactly the best.

Issue two, and this one is actually an issue that I myself have with him, because wow. On rewatch this is painful, Scrappy is a character with a tendency to be shoved in and included in plots where he is absolutely, 100% unnecessary! No but seriously, he is not necessary in quite a few of the plots that he’s included in, the most egregious examples being in the movies. Especially Reluctant Werewolf... and Boo Brothers, I actually somewhat enjoyed his parts in Ghoul School for myself... even if they were kind of superfluous... but still. In Ghoul School he wasn’t really jumping in unnecessarily(or at least not as much).

He just doesn’t need to be in the movies, and honestly without him... the plot wouldn’t have changed. Well, not too much...

No seriously!

But anyway, the issue really is... They started inserting Scrappy into places he really didn’t belong, and he basically ended up as yet another one of those characters who kind of overstayed his welcome. It’s happened before, it will happen again... but Scrappy is one of the more notable ones(followed by freaking Tuffy from Tom & Jerry). In small doses, Scrappy is nice, but constantly, and inserted in places he doesn’t belong like the movies, well... He quickly brings scenes down, and kind of wears on you.

Also, how often he was used to resolve a plot that the other characters should be able to solve on their own... Especially with all the clues in Boo Brothers... Like you really want to sell Scooby and Shaggy as that oblivious to word play and puns? Feels off...

Issue Three! And another one that I have with him... More in hindsight that anything else. WHERE THE HELL IS Scrappy’s Self Preservation INSTINCT?!

No seriously! Where the hell is it?

Nowhere? Dead, gone, buried and forgotten.

I mean, seriously. The moment something spooky and scary appears, Scrappy is always “Let me at ‘im, Let me at ‘im!” and of course his other catchphrase... “Dada da da da dada! Puh-Puppy Puh-Power!” yeah... I am not exactly a big fan of his attack all the spooky and scary things.

Just seriously, I know that kids like to puff themselves up, and pretend to be braver than they are... but Scrappy isn’t pretending. He just doesn’t understand danger, and is constantly go getter, and with zero sense of safety and preservation instinct... As a result, it’s really, really annoying to watch him charge into a dangerous situation and have to be grabbed, stopped all the time.

Which is just... bothersome you know.

I mean... he does sometimes seem to pick up that something is wrong... but 90% of the time... nope. No self-preservation at all.

What they Done Right:

Scrappy’s relationship with Scooby.

No but seriously, if there is one thing that they got right, at least for the most part, it was the relationship that Scrappy had with Scooby. It was obvious that Scrappy adored and idolized Scooby, and Scooby clearly cared for his nephew Scrappy. That was not something that you could pretend wasn’t there.

I mean, most of the times that someone was grabbing Scrappy to stop him from getting into trouble, it was usually Scooby. Also, Scrappy was able to make Scooby show some bravery on occasion. And without the use of Scooby Snacks, just with words. But seriously. As much as they did mess up with Scrappy, I adored the dynamic that there was with Scrappy and Scooby.

I just wish there were more down low moments when they were just interacting with one another...

And even the rest of the gang.

Also, on this subject, I loved Scrappy interacting with Shaggy most of the time as well. Even if it was slightly less well handled. And to a more minor degree, Scrappy’s interactions with Daphne. I just... really like the relationships that they gave him alright. Because it was one of the things that they managed to mostly not screw up.

Secondly...

And this is more... kind of meta wise. Scrappy was actually a good idea. Introducing him to the show anyway. Despite what your opinion is, Scrappy was thrown in as an attempt to save the show... And like him or hate him... He did. He saved the show...

Also, he was pretty entertaining in the beginning. A new element. And he brought in a new perspective. He’s the “young” character. A tagalong kid. And in all honesty...

That brings me to the next thing that they done right.

Scrappy is a good kid character!

His flaws are striking for sure, but, he is a good character in the sense that he fulfils his purpose. And he actually feels like a kid. At least, when he’s not obviously really, really dense and with zero self-preservation instinct. Although, there were a couple of moments where he sounded a bit more mature than a kid... but for the most part. There’s another positive.

And yes... that’s where most of his more annoying traits come from... He’s a child. And he doesn’t have the self-control and maturity to stop himself from doing stupid things... also... well, he talks a lot. But well, it works. And I personally can say that they did it right... even if it’s probably the thing that makes him such a problem in the first place...

So yeah...

What’s the Missed Potential?

Now, let’s actually get to the point of this whole rant/babble thing. What’s the missed potential with Scrappy.

Well...

For one thing. If they were going to have Scrappy have no self-preservation instinct the way that they did... They should have done more with it! They should have let him get into trouble, they should have had him getting himself in over his head, and back stepping sometimes, needing help and calling for it when he realized that he was in trouble... Or not even realizing it, and still yapping and yapping at the spooks, even though he’s in serious trouble.

They should have pushed that a little bit more. Also, on those occasions when he ran in, and attacked whatever, he should have done little to nothing to help at all. Instead it should have been making things worse. Because he’s a child, and has no idea of the danger...

Or they could have taken his bravado and talk in another direction. He talks big, but at heart is just another scared puppy like his Uncle Scooby. That could have worked as well. Although, considering the formula... well, would have made things a bit harder to make it fresh if you just add another cowardly running character, even if it is one who is all bark, no bite. And honestly Scrappy’s scrappy nature fits.

Secondly, let’s have a few more childish moments you know. I mean, as much as I praise them for making him a child and feeling like a child... he wasn’t really that childish... He had his moments, but they weren’t obvious in your face, and they were somewhat rare on top of that. If you’re going to make a kid character, one of the things that you need is to include them being a child. Scrappy should have thrown tantrums at times, been demanding on occasion and want things that he wouldn’t necessarily be allowed... and I don’t just mean in regards to him fighting the spooks that the gang was chasing.

Where was the demands for sweets and treats? The demands to play a game, or for a specific story or comic? A certain music station while they were in the van/car travelling around? Also, he should have been running around a little bit more excited, curious and exploring. While he still feels like a child and acts like one... he’s got a lot of failures in this aspect. Also... honestly there should have been more of him trying to get Scooby to beat up the bad guys in this regard.

Since adoring child with an Uncle who busts bad guys and solves mysteries for a living...

Major missed opportunity there.

Third... They should have made the first episode a proper introduction and explained things properly. Why was Scrappy there? I mean, I think that there is an explanation episode somewhere? Maybe? Anyway... they should have established the Scooby and Scrappy series by EXPLAINING Scrappy’s presence. I mean gosh, for a reference, a cartoon that I happen to love, that only came out a decade or so after Scrappy knew at least that you had to establish changes to the status quo!

Sure they done it in the first episode of each season that they introduced the change but still...

Missed opportunity! Especially because can you imagine that dynamic? With Scrappy brand new and the gang attempting to do their usual thing. And no one is quite used to Scrappy yet? That would have been something you know. Even if the rest of the series continued the formula of vague continuity is vague... You know.

Fourth... Maybe they could have toned down the focus on him... Also, take him out of those particular episodes and movies that he really doesn’t need to be in. The spotlight is something that is best shared after all. And while Scrappy is a fun addition to the cast, the biggest issue could have been resolved had they just not put him in everything. He didn’t need to be in everything and somewhat center stage, the real issue is that he’s a one puppy spotlight-stealing squad. Really.

This could have been fixed by making the episodes slightly longer than seven minutes... I mean really? Really? That’s... actually one of the biggest things that harms the series, each episode is so quick, it doesn’t leave much spotlight for anyone... I mean at least the regular episodes have a twenty to thirty minute runtime you know... So they could have I dunno, made them longer so that there was more time to actually use all the characters. Also, give the watcher some small breather scenes amongst all the chaos.

But still, focus issue.

Fifth, tone down the catch-phrase slinging. I mean, I get it, pretty much everyone in Scooby Doo had their one or two catch-phrases... but when that catch-phrase is said once or even twice in every episode and each episode is only seven minutes long... it gets old... Really, REALLY quickly. Also on this topic... Tone down the dialogue for Scrappy in general.

Like Tuffy the mouse from Tom and Jerry(especially in the movies) when Scrappy starts talking He. Does. Not. Stop. And it’s so, so annoying. Like come on! He doesn’t have to talk that much. And if he did have to talk that much then you should have called him Yappy. But seriously, tone down on the dialogue dude.

Also on that note, give him an accent like his Uncle! Come on guys! Was that so hard to do? Did he need to be so fluent? He’s still a canine! He should have had a bit of an accent because of how hard it would be to pronounce things with a muzzle.

Sixth, let’s be honest here, they should have had more episodes with the whole gang included! Just really, Scrappy’s flaws are not that big a deal when there are more characters to interact with and to share the spotlight with.

Also honestly, I just feel that it’s a missed opportunity that we never really saw how Scrappy properly interacted with Fred and Velma. We saw him a lot more with Daphne in 13 Ghosts, and that was nice you know. Also... another thing about that. 13 Ghosts actually toned him sown somewhat, and since the focus wasn’t constantly or semi-constantly on him, we got a break. It was pretty fantastic.

Finally, let’s just get this one done, because it’s more a nit-pick than anything else... but they should have designed him on all fours like the rest of his family.

Okay but seriously, why is he always on his hind legs standing up the way he is? It just kind of bugs me, alright.

In Conclusion:

Like him, Hate him! He’s a character I see potential in, and whenever I get around to writing some fanfiction that I have on the backburner, he will likely be included. But done right. Well, as “right” as he can be.

Hopefully people will find him annoying in a more annoying bratty child way, than a scrapper and spotlight stealer who should just go away way.

So yeah, I’m done.

[jeffgoldblumsmulletinthe90s]

I'm sorry for bothering you, but what would you do when someone say you shoulddn't ship such an abusive relationship? Like Graves and Credence? I'm in another fandom and all they do is bashing my favourite couple, and how messed up I am that i do such a thing... I know it's not sth to be proud of, but the chemistry they have is amazing and I can't wait to dig deeper into it. It's not that I'm romanticizing it, and it's not that I support abuse, I'm just... fancy seeing them together?

You’re not bothering me and this seems like a genuine question that you have so I’m on good faith going to give what I hope is the best advice that I can.

I think it’s really for the best to ignore and block people who are seeking you out to tell you that how you play pretend on the internet is wrong or bad. And you shouldn’t seek out people who do not like how you play pretend on the internet to pick fights. 

I mean, when posting adult content and dealing with violence or drugs/alcohol or anything that should, reasonably, be warned for — you use tags and you let people know what content they can expect so they can reasonably know what they’re getting into.

But honestly, not everyone will agree on what they want to see or talk about in a fandom. I don’t think you can expect everyone to like your ideas or your ships or the content you create or the content you like to consume. 

I don’t think you can reasonably expect that you will convince people to like anything just because you like it. Likewise, you’re mostly not going to convince people to STOP liking something by telling them that they are bad people for liking it.

But I don’t think anyone is obligated to like me as a person or think that I’m a good person! 

I can say that I try not to romanticize abuse, but I also have to admit that I probably fail at this because of my own life experiences (which are my own business). At the same time, my own life experiences aren’t some kind of “get out of Problematic Jail free” card either, and it’s important not to be a jerk to people who DON’T like the stuff I like.

Ultimately, don’t hang out on the internet with people who value the feelings of fictional characters over real people (especially over you! your feelings are important and no one is going to protect you except for yourself!). Generally speaking, don’t hang out with anyone online or IRL who harasses you and makes you feel bad. 

There are ways to legitimately engage with people on difficult topics, including the totally real issue of how romanticizing abusive and toxic dynamics in fiction can hurt real human beings and how people use fiction to normalize sexual and physical abuse in order to groom their victims. 

Often that can get lost in The Discourse, but I do have really good and vital conversations with people that I know about lots of issues that fandom has with issues of exploitation, race, gender, etc. I learn a lot from my friends and other people who are willing to engage with me and by reading the thoughts of people with different opinions than my own. I try to listen to people who disagree with me and understand where they’re coming from and respect that they’re people with feelings and lives just as much as I am. We are, all of us, just trying to do our best.

Obviously, people can get REALLY deep in their feelings over fictional stuff. And we all come into fandom carrying all our IRL baggage with us. It’s worthwhile to question ourselves and stay aware of that. 

But this is my place to have fun while the world feels like it’s literally Hell. I am not looking to have a fight about what I do to get through my daily life. If my content bothers anyone, they are freely invited to block me. 

I am just going to make content that I like and that I want and I’m going to put it out there for people who DO want the kind of content that I’m interested in making. So, that’s I guess what I recommend you do. Don’t engage, just create.