#or really if i'm being honest i'd rather the us not be involved at all

[genderqueerdykes]

there really is a cultural pressure for transmascs & men to detransition, and it comes from all sides. it comes from the queer community too, not just terfs and cishet transphobes.

it took me a while to realize why transphobic people and transandrophobic queers utterly despise trans guys & mascs who are over the age of like 25- it's because it pisses them right off that we've resisted their attempts to make us detransition. it makes them so angry to see they were unable to groom that person into a life of self-shame and repression. it really seems like MOST people believe that trans men will just detransition eventually in life? people NEVER think about older trans men, only teenage trans boys and trans men in their very early twenties.

when i was involved with my local punk scene i was addressed with condescension, almost everyone around me didn't accept transmasculinity as a legitimate identity and thought that we would've transitioned by now in life. i encountered folks who would talk about transmasculinity with subtle disgust that made me feel like i was doing something wrong, and people who expressed overt disgust, saying in plain english that they were disgusted by breasts and vaginas because they were gay men. all along the way i was literally mocked for not having a penis, and one of my roommates started treating me differently once they found out i didn't have one (because they were attracted to me)

i've been on T for 9 years, and been out as a trans man for a bit longer than that, and i noticed as i've aged i've also attracted a lot of folks who have tried to deter me from identifying as a trans man, either through directly telling me that trans men are inherently dangerous, or by implying that women or another gender are safer, quieter, calmer, "less traumatizing to be around," etc. one of my exes told me they were terrified to date me (despite literally going out of their way to do so for over half a year) because they were scared i would be transphobic to them because i'm a transmasculine lesbian.

i received pressure from online friends to either detransition and become an intersex butch woman, or to something feminine adjacent or nonbinary. for years i dealt with a few friends who kept subtly hinting that i should stop identifying as a trans man or trans masc because of how awful transmascs are- going as far as to sending me screenshots of transmascs speaking, complaining about them and calling them whiny, annoying. talking about how all transmascs are entitled, how all transmascs take things too personally, how we complain too much, and so on.

people make no effort to make space for transmascs and men. i met 0 transmascs in my local punk community that i was able to stay in contact with. none. i met a few in passing but none that actually were introduced to me in a capacity where i could actually try to befriend them. it really felt like other punks in the scene were desperately trying to keep the transmascs apart at times. excuses were made as to why i couldn't hang out with other transmascs i liked, but i was constantly being forced to befriend transphobic cis gay men and transandrophobic transfemmes who outwardly expressed hatred and disgust of us. it really felt like it was on purpose... almost as if other members of this community wanted our attention, but never wanted us to give each other attention or a sense of community. like we were objects, not people to be included in the community for real. satellite friends, if you will.

i'll be honest with you. i was at my lowest at this point. i realized i wasn't just a trans man and that i'm a genderqueer person who experiences multiple genders, including womanhood and an "other" gender, which was great. however now i was being forced to completely stuff down being a man for the sake of other people. instead of folks telling me they'd rather not hang out with transmascs, folks rather just attempted to guilt me for identifying as such in the hopes i'd stop identifying that way. i was being told daily that trans men and mascs are inherently violent and terrible to be around. i was in discord servers where transmascs were being kicked constantly for getting even slightly upset about transandrophobia, or being unfairly targeted by staff.

it's violence, but nobody wants to call it that. i pulled myself out of there and am now able to contact other transmascs and trans men who are proud of who they are and have elevated me back into a headspace where it's okay to truly be myself. just keep in mind that if you feel like you're in that situation, you're not alone. people who attempt to groom others are often very subtle it's not always up front. they will start slipping in hateful sentiments very slowly and make you feel like maybe they're the ones who are actually right.

it feels good to be an almost 32 year old trans guy. there's nothing to be ashamed about there. people project their feelings on to my gender and that has nothing to do with me. it has nothing to do with you, either. people will just project on to you for whatever reason- hatred is usually the motivator there. if you encounter folks who keep trying to badger you out of identifying as your gender, no matter who you are, transmasc, transfemme, transneutral, trans anything- they are not good for you. they are not your friends. they do not accept you as you are and you deserve so much better.

[nordickies]

What's your opinion on rusfin? And the time Finland spent in Russian empire

While I don't really vibe with "Russia/Soviet State" ships in general (RusAme, RusFra, RoChu, etc. are more of my thing), I don't really have strong feelings about RusFin one way or another. It's not quite as unbalanced or overused as some other Russia ships, I feel like? Plus, like I stated earlier, I kind of like the idea of Russia being disinterested in romance, at least in the traditional sense. I personally don't have an interest in exploring them as a serious couple in my writing; I just can't see them ever working out. They'd become too toxic at some point and it wouldn't be fun anymore. And I think they have enough to deal with each other even without romance getting involved

And I'll be honest: I have never focused on Russia's character, and I'm always a bit lost on what I'd like to do with him. How would I characterize him? I think all hws characters should be allowed to have nuance and let be individuals at the end of the day. So, I don't think Ivan is the manifestation of all the evil things in the world. To me, he's an extremely flawed person who is easy to blame and villainize. For many of the characters, he embodies the worst memories and moments of their lives. Surely this is the case for Finland, too, which makes their friendship extremely complicated.

I think Fin is quite naive at the end of the day and always tries to see the good in people. He values mutual trust more than anything, which can be an admirable trait but also makes him prone to ignoring warning signs. Fin, in his youth at least, was rather easily led, and he unsuspectingly followed others and their orders, counting on them to have his back no matter what. While his trustiness can backfire at times, with Russia, it might have been the right approach. Because right away, Fin managed to build trust with him and Ivan, being calm and respectful, expecting them to handle this new situation in a professional manner. Perhaps Ivan is used to people being terrified around him, giving his paranoia reason to doubt their loyalty. But he never had that problem with Finland, and they got along surprisingly well.

Historical context: When Finland was seized by the Russian Empire in 1809, the Grand Duchy got a pretty good deal in exchange for the Estates swearing loyalty to the Russian Tsar; Finland would remain an autonomous region in the Russian Empire, and it got to keep its Swedish constitution, laws, language, religion, and even the right to keep the taxes it collected for itself. Finns were also exempted from the Russian military. The reason why Finns got such a good deal came down to Tsar Alexander I wanting to avoid excessive fighting during the Napoleonic Wars (he only seized Finland to pressure the King of Sweden in the embargo against England to begin with). By making a good enough offer, the Finns, who had been getting tired of the Swedish monarchy's growing incompetence and turmoil, wouldn't fight back. Also, the Tsar was interested in westernizing his Empire, so Finland's western state structure was perfect for that. Finland's and Tsars' relationship was rather special in the Empire, and Finns were viewed as exceptionally loyal and cooperative by the state. Finns had an easier time remaining loyal to the Tsar due to their freedoms and autonomy status, which they sought to protect by subjecting. For example, Tsar Nicholas I abolished various autonomies and freedoms in his Empire during his reign; except in Finland. This was partly due to Finnish soldiers' voluntary participation in crushing the November Uprising in 1830. When the Tsar's officials criticized Finland's independent status in 1850, Nicholas had allegedly said: "Leave the Finns alone. Finland is my large Empire's only province that has not caused me a minute of worry or dismay during my reign." Nicholas was not the only Tsar who viewed Finland so positively. Most Tsars had a summer house in Finland, and many of them wrote about their time in Finland being some of the most serene they have ever felt. For example, in 1891, Tsar Alexander III shocked his court by deciding to travel through Finland via train instead of by boat. When the court opposed this idea, calling it unsafe, the Tsar called their worries nonsense, stating "I have never needed any guards in Finland."

During his time in the Empire, Finland tried his best to get along with Russia, never provoking him and more so trying to keep attention away from himself, just so he didn't accidentally upset him. Like the aforementioned references tell us, I think Ivan actually trusted Finny and felt comfortable giving him more responsibilities, which inevitably let Fin get closer to him. And while Fin was aware of Russia's flaws and his own privileged position, he surely was also grateful for the freedoms that he had been granted. As bad as it must have felt, he had more possibilities there than he did with Sweden.

Finland probably had his own place, and he was free to come and go as he pleased. He was allowed to join Russia's events and meetings, probably as some kind of assistant, which was crucial for Finland to learn how their job operated and all the responsibilities that came with it. Traveling around Europe from event to event also meant Finny could build his first diplomatic relations with other nations he had never even met before - and even put his own name out there to begin with. It was all new and exciting to him, which in return made him want to keep up the positive relationship

However, Russia's clear favoritism toward Finland would not go unnoticed, and I think that could create some unfair gossip at Finland's expense. People probably think Russia is never nice or does anything good without wanting to gain something from it, so Finland must have done something really special to get his position. Without a doubt, this would sour Finland's relationship with some other people around the house who wouldn't respect his "bootlicking" and respect for Ivan. In the worst case, Finland didn't even know such rumors were spreading about him initially, leading to confusing encounters. I doubt Russia had any intention of clearing such rumors. After all, he didn't suffer from such gossip himself; more than anything, he could use it to his advantage. Whenever he wanted to annoy his old enemy Sweden, all he had to do was wrap his arm around Finland or move him closer - Innocent enough for Fin to not consider it too weird but powerful enough to upset Swe, who couldn't do anything about it. I also think Ivan would try to manipulate Fin's thoughts and insecurities just like anyone else's, being one of the tactics to keep people dependent and loyal to him. He'd feed misinformed ideas to Finland about his past, painting Swe in a worse light than he actually was.

I can really only talk from Finland's point of view, but I doubt Finland himself would have had romantic feelings toward Ivan. I think he saw their relationship as purely beneficial, something to better his own status after living in someone else's shadow for centuries. But he still respected Ivan, at least in the beginning, and believed they could work it out as friends. But I could also see Finny being prepared to act passive to Ivan's potential advances - at least to a certain point, if it meant a more favorable position for himself. Finny can be more cunning than people give him credit for. So even if something had happened between them, I doubt it was genuine, at least on his part. But again, I really don't know if Ivan would even care or try anything.

But in the end, their mutual respect wouldn't last forever. There's no way Finland's and Russia's relationship didn't crumple during the Russification period from the 1890s onwards. Finny most likely lost a lot of his previous freedoms, and he wasn't going to accept it, becoming uncooperative and dishonest. Due to this, Ivan quickly lost his trust in Fin as well, treating him like everyone else around the house. Unfortunately for Ivan, by letting Finny get so close to him in the beginning, it had opened Finland the opportunity to learn all of his tricks. By having had so much freedom and experience in nationwork, Finny was ready to seek his independence as soon as possible, when the moment was just right.

I could always write more, but maybe this is a good overview of their situation during the Empire years specifically. The decades after Finland's independence have been their own rollercoaster entirely. Also, I think personifications' relations are way more complicated than drawing one-to-one comparisons between real-life emperors and people, but here the emperors' favoritism just somehow works for their characters? Anyway, I just really don't know where I'd like to take Russia's character, so I can only write from Finland's point of view here. You can come to your own conclusions and ideas, I suppose!

[immortalthunderstorm]

The Alicent-Larys Conondrum

I'm back with some thoughts™️ on the HOTD fandom's hot topics. This time - something I've seen discussed quite a lot and what seems to be a controversial topic - the dynamic between Larys and Alicent, and mostly how a lot of the blame gets shifted onto her. There's a general tendency of overt victim blaming when it comes to Alicent herself, and often situations in which she is subjected to trauma get twisted into her own shortcomings rather than those of her perpetrators. The marriage to Viserys is one example, but the same arguments are used for her scenes with Larys.

I thought I'd try and analyse it a bit more from Alicent's perspective, though I don't disagree that the show has left this incredibly dubious at times and I really think that e.g. the foot scene was unnecessary.

Obviously Matthew Needham already provided a pretty great take on Larys as a character and his perspective on the dynamic, so I won't get into that myself here, but recommend having a listen to what he has to say.

1. Alicent should have dismissed or reported Larys after she learned of his Harrenhal stunt

I actually think it makes perfect sense that Alicent doesn't dismiss Larys despite being horrified by his actions.

The earlier episodes of the season make a point of how Alicent is isolated and lonely in the Red Keep. She says herself, she has no friends, no real allies, her former companion lied to and 'betrayed' her, got her father fired and therefore left her without her last constant family member by her side. She is heavily traumatised, forced into a marriage she doesn't want, forced to birth child after child and mostly ignored or dismissed by her ailing husband. She is queen in all but name, her job is to look appropriate, make sure the courtiers are entertained, and most of all give the king children.

Before even Criston joins her, the only person who approaches her is Larys. He seems empathetic, talks to her openly (or so she thinks), pretends to care about her as a person. This is where she is probably most vulnerable, most alone. Of course she falls for it, I don't think anyone can realistically blame her for that, she's a lonely teen forced to be a mother in what is essentially a toxic environment. Plus it is Larys who tells her of Rhaenyra's 'betrayal', which turns out to be true, so in a way he 'proves' his loyalty to her by disproving Rhaenyra's.

Later on he is the one who supports her when she vents about Rhaenyra and her bastards, they have dinners together, an honest friend and sympathetic ear in a metaphorical snakepit. And then, he goes as far as killing his own family, something that Alicent is horrified by, but it shows just how far his capabilities stretch. He has a spy network, he can get her information no one else can, information that can give her shreds of power and influence. He can make things happen without anyone ever suspecting that he, and by implication her, was involved. Larys makes himself invaluable to her and is not easily replaced.

I do disagree that she has some great power over him as a lot of people like to claim. Larys would not confide in her if that would bring him in any great danger. Realistically, accusing him would be such a wild theory, plus the absolute no go of double kinslaying, plus he's a very high ranking Lord, I'm not actually sure people would believe her - she doesn't have proof either. Viserys has absolutely not had her back ever, he has the spine of a wet slice of bread, I doubt that he'd simply put him on trial and kill him (each High Lord is an asset to the crown and if he starts "randomly" beheading people that could cause problems, like Ned Stark, like Rickard Karstark (let's put Vaemond aside here because there should have been consequences)) because Alicent said so? All that on top of Viserys' general strategy of ignoring everything that could be a "political headache" to him, my confidence in him is quite low.

And again, why would Alicent rat Larys out? He benefits her and is her main ally at court. She is shocked at how far he went, but in the end it did get rid of both Harwin and Lyonel, which caused Rhaenyra to leave and Otto to resume his position as Hand. Alicent did not condone the murders and would not have sanctioned them had he asked - but to her he is loyal beyond doubt and most importantly only to her (in her head) - later when he offers to give her Lucerys' eye she openly refuses, BUT she acknowledges how far he is willing to go for her. She'd be stupid to rat him out that would only disadvantage her.

2. The Foot Scene

Now in episode 9, Alicent is in a highly stressful situation. Aegon is to be crowned after she spent the entire day fretting he was missing or dead in a ditch somewhere, she had to fight her father and essentially most of the council not to send assassins after Rhaenyra, she had to find Aegon first to be the voice of reason to him, she is clearly distraught over Viserys death and scared for her children.

This is not the time and place for mistakes, every move has to count and nothing can slip through the cracks. Larys knows this, and he knows that he and his spies are going to be very important in the coup to come, and he knows he is the only one who can provide this. So does Alicent. She may be queen, but in actuality she wields very little power in this instance. The green council scene showed that they plotted behind her back, her father most of all, and clearly don't take her very seriously.

Essentially in episode 9, she's trying to outrace Otto and establish herself as more than a pawn. In a time where war is all but inevitable and she has enemies both outside and within the Red Keep's walls, and her children's lives are at stake - how could she refuse Larys who can provide her with valuable intelligence? By giving in to his "demands" she learns that her handmaiden is a spy which is a very important revelation.

It's hard to try and make sense of how their power dynamic switched to such extremes, we don't know whether it's happened before, in which capacity and for what. Clearly she is aware of what he wants, but how did that come up? How did this develop? We can't know so I refrain from making assumptions for any other times.

Her symbolically selling her body again for all this is a price she is willing to pay, but it doesn't make it any less of a SA (and yes, I've seen a lot of people dismissing this as consensual since she willingly took off her shoes for this. It's giving 'she asked for it'). Alicent is deeply disgusted, she can't look at him, she probably already has a very twisted view on herself and her body as something that belongs to others and he abuses that. But she indulges him because she realistically doesn't really have any other choice. He has made himself irreplaceable.

This doesn't mean it's consensual. Consent would mean that Alicent did this because she wants to, finds some enjoyment in it, and hasn't been pressured into it. But that's far from the truth. She does it because she feels like there's no other way for her to get this valuable intelligence, so she endures it despite clearly being uncomfortable and disgusted. I am so tired of everything being blamed on her just because people don't like or understand her character.

[13eyond13]

Something I think fiction does sometimes is make sex represent the end goal for relationships so often that if two characters sleep together it causes readers to automatically see them as truly in love / that it would solve all problems for the pair to be together forever, even when that isn't necessarily what the narrative is trying to say / depict otherwise.

I am thinking about this because of Guts and Casca... to me they sleep together initially almost as an act of friendship? A way of experimenting with each other and learning about sex, perhaps of distracting themselves from the person they're both more actually into, and of course also because they do care about each other and maybe are attracted to one another on some level, and want to see what it would be like to try to get even closer together. But I think the story also makes it pretty clear that Guts is more emotionally invested in his relationship with Griffith than with Casca, in what you might call a narratively romantic sense... and Casca is shown sort of seeing the futility of her feelings for Griffith and eventually growing apart from him that way pre-Eclipse, even though she still cares for him the most out of everyone she knows (though I don't think he ever feels nearly the same way about her). So getting with Griffith isn't end game for Casca (and she herself eventually realizes that), but I also don't read Casca as a character for whom getting with Guts is the end game character arc-wise, either. I'm not sure Miura even had a concrete end-game character arc in mind for her, to be honest. I feel as though unfortunately she was written mostly as something to be used between Griffith and Guts rather than to end up having her own fully realized narrative journey in the same way that Guts (and maybe also Griffith) will. I want to see her and Guts as friends and at peace more than I want to see them live happily ever after together as a couple, because I feel like that's actually more how they really feel for one another than anything else. Granted, there's a bit of an interesting ironic twist in the story that happens during the Eclipse, where Griffith (unintentionally?) drives Guts and Casca closer together than I think they might have been otherwise with the trauma that he causes them both (even though I think their relationship is probably something he'd be jealous of and read as more romantic than it actually might be and wish to destroy, simply due to his own insecurities and his own possessive feelings for Guts). But I also didn't really read Guts' reactions in the Eclipse scene as Guts being jealous and possessive over Casca in a sexual / romantic sense - I read it more as him feeling empathy for her pain and desire to protect her from harm / from the darker side of Griffith he maybe knew about a bit better than anybody else. I DO care about Guts and Casca's relationship a lot, and find it one of the most emotionally compelling things in the story. But I don't think shipping them together for a happily ever after is really what I'd want for them, nor something that the narrative was actually trying to work towards / suggest to be the best ending for anybody involved? I don't know if I think shipping Guts and Griffith necessarily is either, particularly because of how irredeemably awful Griffith behaved during the Eclipse... but I DO think the story intentionally hinges more around the Griffguts relationship and their emotional journeys / character developments than it does about any other pair/relationship in the series, and that both of them have intense unresolved feelings for each other that come off much more suggestive and stronger than ones of just simply wanting to be friends. And I think all of these characters are pretty explicitly aware of that themselves even in the story as well.

Haha I don't even know what I'm trying to even say here except to work out some of my own thoughts about the main 3 that I care about, I suppose!

[oneatlatime]

The Journey to Ba Sing Se Part 2: The Drill

Could I have Appa back please?

The Previously On segment actually didn't spoil anything for once. Nice.

I do like these tank things. In fact I like all Fire Nation technology. Not what it's used for. But the designs are neat. And more interesting than most actual military tech. You ever look at something techy, and think to yourself 'there was an artist involved here,' because that's the impression FN tech gives me. It's not beautiful, but there's a pleasing toothiness to it.

Excellent sound design on the metal screechy moving bits. And is that tank escort really necessary?

I know this is a kids' cartoon, with characters that are designed to be the audience's age. I know! And usually I can suspend my disbelief and forget that I'm watching children do very adult jobs! But this caught me so off guard I laughed. The Fire Nation's big secret project to break through the wall once and for all, that would be an absolute career making achievement for whoever is in charge, and they've given it to a bunch of teenage girls. This is where my suspension of disbelief stops.

Can you imagine the meeting where this was proposed? The Fire Lord being like "Who can lead the attack on Ba Sing Se? We lost Zhao at the North Pole, does whoever it is who occupies his equivalent rank in the Army want the job? Or even Zhao's second in command perhaps? Or how about: three middle school girls, two of which aren't even members of the military? Doesn't that sound like a good plan?" And of course all his advisors have to agree and be like "that sounds like an excellent plan your lordship; did you have any particular girls in mind or should we go scout out the local Claire's?" because the last guy who disagreed with him got his face blown off. I don't care how viciously talented Azula and friends are; a country that puts eighth graders in charge of invasion plans should have lost the war in year one, not still be winning it in year 99.

Did that random commander guy just smack Ty Lee in the face?

Problem the first of this plan: unless the Fire Nation has invented pocket dimensions or bags of holding, there is no way that that drill, even stuffed full of soldiers, would hold enough people to take a city that seemingly contains every single refugee in the entire Earth Kingdom.

Do you think those refugees got preferential treatment for arriving on an Avatar powered elevator?

"I'm the Avatar. Take me to whoever's in charge." OWN IT BABY!!!

That's one hell of an irrigation system they must have.

"He was quickly expunged." Was he? I got the impression he quit. Of his own accord.

Something tells me like forty guys throwing rocks won't stop that thing.

So... what was Mai doing that whole fight? Hanging decoratively off a rope?

I'd forgotten how stupid Earth Kingdom generals were. Luckily Sokka is there to vicariously express my opinion of them. A reverse beat up Sokka quota fulfillment!

Toph is such a little shit and I love her.

Aang sure does put up with a lot sometimes. Part of being the Avatar. It's a good thing he has such patience. Can we talk about how lucky the world is that Aang is the one tasked with putting up with nonsense like this? Imagine if Sokka or Toph were the Avatar. There would be casualties.

I like complaining too buddy. Nice to see Sokka's worth being recognised. Now can we do that outside of a life or death situation too please?

I joke about Zuko's dumbass behaviour, but let's be honest, it's inherited.

Jet. Fuckboy. You do not make it easy to even slightly like you. Guy is missing the point as much as Zuko usually does. Going straight MEANS leaving the freedom fighters behind. It doesn't mean reforming them somewhere else. And what Fire Nation threat are you going to find in Ba Sing Se for your Freedom Fighters to fight? You know, if this idiot was actually serious about fighting for Freedom rather than blowing stuff up for fun, he'd fudge his age and enlist in the Earth Kingdom Army.

Four points: How does Katara know Ty Lee's name? Is this confirmation that waterbending healing cannot remove a Chi block? I love that the trait that gives away Ty Lee's identity is the fact that she cartwheeled away. I love Sokka. Just in general.

There is no way this girl is not tripping.

Can you imagine how loud standing right next to that drill must be?

ABS

Normally I'd say that one earthbender trying to slow the drill down with spikes will work even worse than the Terra Team who tried and failed with like 40, but this is Toph we're talking about. It could work.

These children are so polite when they're committing industrial sabotage. Truly, they were raised well.

Do you ever get the feeling that whoever is in charge of designing Fire Nation armour is into a few things that he's trying to repress so hard that they're coming out in all the wrong places?

Jet seems to have lost all the manipulative abilities he had in his episode. Suddenly he's very bad at reading body language and keeps saying the exact opposite of what he should.

New achievement unlocked! 1000% agreeing with something Zuko said! That was a pretty stupid move.

Cups made out of leaves are neat.

Katara, you can't have it both ways. You can't look to Sokka to make the plan, then get snippy when the plan correctly plays to all of your strengths. He physically CAN'T bend. Either you come up with a better plan yourself, or you do as the guy you appointed planner suggests.

Points in favour of allowing Katara to murder people, exhibit 1.

Confirmed: Sokka is catnip for girls.

Even in comparison to the others, Ty Lee has a bad case of cartoon physics.

Did Katara just disarm herself? That'll come back to bite her in 3, 2, 1...

Mai gets a second personality trait! Yay!

There is no way this is actually practical armour. This is someone in procurement with a thing for sweaty bulging muscles and puppy masks.

And thus, the log ride was born. Later versions would go on to perfect the concept by introducing a log.

I felt Sokka's mud freakout in my bones. Looks like Katara giving away her water isn't going to be a problem.

Petition to let Katara say bitch. The voice actress said Circus Freak but I know what I heard in my heart.

Remember that time Sokka smacked his forehead so many times that his face was permanently red? My turn now.

Aang. I know you love your friends. But maybe a battle on top of a moving machine of destruction in the midst of an aerial assault from your idiotic allies while facing off with the single most powerful and amoral firebender in existence, isn't a place to bring your pet lemur?

Beat up Sokka quota fulfilled by little sister. It's surprising that isn't the case more often. I know Sokka took it too far, but if you don't want him telling you what to do, maybe you shouldn't have looked to him for a plan?

Toph is here! Day saved.

Finally some sense re: Momo safety.

Time for the Western showdown. There's even something that could stand in for a water tower in the background.

If Azula had just struck at Aang the second he got knocked unconscious, rather than waiting until he woke up for dramatic purposes, she would have won this. I give Zuko Hell for being a theatre kid, but he's not the only one in the family.

I would love to know what they make Fire Nation boot soles out of. They have supernatural traction.

I take back everything I said about pet safety. That was a really cool Momo assist.

Aang invents the pneumatic hammer.

I LOVE that the cut braces had an effect after all. Sokka's contribution counts!

I bet this guy's wishing he'd been eaten by a giant fishman like Zhao right about now. Have fun explaining that one to the Firelord!

HOW is Ty Lee still alive?

HOW does Azula still have knees after that drop?

HOW does Mai have such perfect timing?

ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN ROCK TRAIN

They really ought to put wheels on all but the back car to reduce friction and save energy. Then again, if the Earth Kingdom is one thing, it's stupid.

So... Jet's change of heart lasted a bit less than one episode. Good job fuckboy!

So precious.

So Pretty.

Final Thoughts

This was like 90% action, with the other 10% being split between Zuko & Iroh plot stuff and Sokka playing comic relief. So there's not that much to talk about here really (she says, having found a whole post's worth of stuff to talk about).

Sokka had his bossy pants on, admittedly because he was asked to don them. Aang got to do some proper Avataring. Katara and Toph got to exercise their bending muscles. I'm not surprised that Toph was absent for much of the middle of the episode, because - let's be honest - given the right tools, Toph would have finished the Drill in one move. And then they'd be out of episode.

Actually, Mai got to have a personality beyond Too Bored To Live this episode. This is probably the most personality I've seen out of her so far. She's much more expressive when she's with just Ty Lee, rather than Ty Lee and Azula.

And Zuko! Had! Common! Sense! Iroh had to be a dumbass for Zuko to shine, but Zuko was, once again, the most reasonable character in his little B plot. For future reference: If you want to make Zuko reasonable, all you have to do is nerf his uncle and juxtapose him with a terrorist.

I loathe Jet. Always have, probably always will. But I'm still disappointed in him. His 'turning over a new leaf' - if it was sincere at all - lasted like 10 on-screen minutes. I feel sorry for Smellerbee and Longshot. I don't think their faith in their glorious leader is going to be repaid. He seems to brush off Smellerbee's opinions.

The strangest thing this episode was how few lines Azula had. I guess maybe they were using silence to try to show how calculating and collected she is compared to others, but honestly my first thought was that the voice actress had something going on. A cold? A previous engagement? It felt really weird to hear her speak so little, since previous episodes have shown she's not averse to gloating and dramatic monologues. She didn't even have much in the way of facial expressions.

I think the winners this episode were Mai, who got to have a personality; Zuko, who got a turn with the brain cell; and Aang, who got to work out pretty much all the bending he knows so far and successfully Avatar.

I did notice with some of the shots of Aang moving the big boulders the idiots were chucking down, that there was a kind of fuzziness to the air between Aang and what he was moving. Was I seeing the actual bending energy (Chi I guess) moving?

[kira-fluff]

….. can you please do “sleep with no pants” for our birthday boy kita shinsuke??? …… and make it extra spicy?? 🥹

a/n: oh. my. god. YES. i could commit tax fraud and embezzlement if he asked me to. of course. yes. yes. also, I have high alcohol tolerance so I'm not really sure how much is too much...

drunken mistakes | kita shinsuke

pairing: kita shinsuke x reader yes, this is a continuation on "sleeping with no pants on" but I decided to make it longer/special for some reason. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KITA!!! tw: fem!reader, alcohol misusage (drunkness), swearing, mutual pining, grinding, nsfw, dom!reader, sub!kita pt 1 pt 2 pt 3

it was only supposed to be one drink. that's what you'd told yourself at the beginning of the night, but you would be lying if you said you stuck to what your convictions very often. for example, you told yourself not to fall for your best friend, kita. and yet here you are, drunk and in love. anyone looking at you around your friend's apartment could see the misery on your face. they turned to each other, speaking in low voices as if you couldn't notice because you were too far gone. well, you weren't. and you knew now that they knew you're downing your eleventh shot of casamigos because of something other than "for the vibes". honestly, your facial expression probably gave it away, too, with the lame, pouty lip and mopey eyes. the thoughts and conversations surrounding you only made you yearn for another glass of something to dim the sound of your increasing heartbeat. reaching for the bottle of tequila, your eyes met with the last person you ever hoped to see that night.

fuck, and why was he checking his phone like he'd received an invite? you swore in your muddled mind you'd wring the neck of whichever piece of shit thought it would be a good idea to invite your best friend despite all of them knowing (at least, now) that you are head over heels in love with him. you cursed as he took immediate notice of you. kita.

kita

to be quite honest, I don't care much for parties or really any celebration that involves an exuberant use of alcohol. ever since high school, in fact, I'd done my very best to avoid them rather than allow myself to get sucked into caring for vomiting, regretful teens (or adults, if we're speaking in the now). still, when I'd received a text saying that she was wasted and needed a ride who could take good care of her, I already was putting on my coat and shoes, as if I wasn't awoken to my phone vibrating numerous times at 2am. I can't help it. whenever it comes to her, there's nothing I wouldn't do to get a chance to even be around her. she's my best friend, so it's not like it's a mutual thing. just me being an idiot and getting sucked into those eyes of hers. the way she looks at me. the way she smiles. it were those thoughts and memories that had me sliding into my seat at 2:15 and on my way to one of her good friends' house. when I arrived at the address and walked through the entrance, my first instinct was the text once again to find where she was at that current moment. it was a need. I needed to know she was safe. that she wasn't crying or confused or sick. my skin prickled as I felt a pair of sharp eyes on me. I lifted up my head to see two languid pupils blinking slowly at me, lips downturned and mopey.

you blinked slowly up at him. "so," you hiccuped, "you're here kita." his brows furrowed at you. you grimaced. you knew he wasn't much for alcohol, but a more rebellious part of you thought he deserved to suck it because you didn't even want him here anyway. "mm...kita...." you trailed off, unsure where you were planning to take the start of your sentence. "mm?" kita replied quietly, patiently (like he always was). "'m startin' to think I'll die single." he let out a little scoff, "stop being silly. you're drunk. go to bed." you pouted, "but no one wants to go to bed with me." he flushed, thankfully it seemed you were too drunk to notice, and asked, "how many people have you been going around asking to sleep with?" you grinned at him, "just you." kita swallowed down the words does that mean you want to sleep with me? and instead opted for a choked "ok". you leaned closer. "hey kita...? since I'm drunk..." you ran a finger up his arm. he raised an eyebrow, waiting for you to go on. "since 'm drunk, I was wonderin' if you'd indulge me for a little while..." you said, the last syllables of your sentence coming out in a sigh. "what're you-" the next sound that came from kita's throat was a moan as you lifted your thighs up and placed their plush, softness on his hard, toned ones. you leaned in, whispering in his ear, "j-just.... for a while.... b-but stop me if..." you breathed many of your words in but fuck, he didn't want you to put an end to what he'd literally been dreaming of for so long. you then began your slow, languid pace of rolling your hips against his thighs. at this point, you weren't sure what was real and what was fake... but you knew you were dreaming. but there was no way in real life his thighs were that fucking hard. scratch that, you must be in heaven, because the little pants you're hearing from him are more than you could've ever asked for. his quiet "ah"s made your drunken rhythm turn faster, causing you to snap your hips and begin to roll them against his groin, eliciting a sharp groan from his mouth. "a-ahh... w-we sh-shouldn't..." you licked a stripe up the column of his neck, shutting him up. next, you made your way to the hem of your shirt, pulling at the fabric, all whilst rolling your hips against him. in a few seconds, all that was on was a shear bralette - lingerie, of course - and all that was below. kita took inhaled a sharp breath. he was already rock hard and he had no idea what he was supposed to do other than let you have your way with him. he swore he wouldn't do anything in return. you were drunk... but he couldn't bring himself to pull you off of him. he was enjoying it all too much. he blushed again, but this time in shame. he was disgusting, getting off on your drunken mistake. suddenly, you got off of him, leaving him in a strong feeling of want. he could still feel the ghost of your thighs on his legs. but then you reached for his arm lazily, dragging him over to a bedroom. you weren't sure whose it was, just that you wanted to have your way with your best friend, just for a little while, in this lovely dream. he was so compliant. his reactions were better than you hoped for, and you were living for it.

pushing him onto the bed, he let out a grunt of surprise. "you know... I go to sleep without my pants on every night... but tonight I just might not wear anything..." kita swallowed thickly, unable to stop himself from imagining your nude form in all its glory, riding his cock. he distantly wondered if you knew what you were doing. you had something in your eyes besides that heady lust and drunkenness that had him questioning something... that maybe, just for a second, there was something there like attraction... like love. slowly, you slid your panties down, exposing your naked cunt. kita took another sharp breath at the sight of you. then, you began to go at taking his own pants off. slowly, you rubbed your hands against his erection, eliciting a groan from him, and reached for his button. unclasping it, you moved onto his zipper, slowly - painfully - moving it down. when his cock sprung free, you gasped at its size. you were shocked that something so big and thick could be hiding in his pants that now seemed entirely in the way. so, you pulled them down, now angling yourself, your entrance and the head of his cock. you both let out a groan when you sunk yourself down onto him.

kita awoke to you in his arms, naked, and his dick pressed hard against your ass. guilt washed over him again, and he wondered whether he should take his chance to escape before you could wake up and yell at him. thankfully, nothing you did was something he'd forced upon you... he had merely let you do what you wanted to him. when you moaned his name last night he thought he might lose his mind. he leaned forward, careful not to stir you awake, and kissed the top of your head. maybe you would wake up, and instead of horror... just maybe, you'd blush.. and he could tell you how much he loved you, and not just because of what you did last night. it was wishful thinking, but maybe, just maybe, you felt the same way he did.

[eerna]

Ok Ok so I've been thinking this for. quite a while like even before Stolen Heir was released. it's kind of controversial because I might be making mountain out of a molehill but -

I think Jurdan fans border on being disrespectful to Holly Black at times... the problem isn't what one chooses to focus on even though that annoys me too, like it's not like people can control the fact that they focus more/love a character more than the other. But I'm starting to see this especially on Instagram and Goodreads, and I think I have good reason to believe HB is more active on insta and Goodreads is like, the book reviewing site, if there's any place she may look for comments or critique it's that.

and my problem lies with the language used . HB can announce she's working on something and can give hints about it and I've seen soo many people just outright tell her "I don't care about [x] and [y] just give me JURDAN!!" or anything along that vein , there's also "I'm only reading this for Jurdan lol I kind of couldn't care less about []".

It genuinely annoys me a lot !! And I wish I could say to each their own but ykw? At some point it starts to feel like if these two characters aren't involved people don't even try to make an effort to connect with the other characters, the new protagonist, etc. To be honest your page was a breath of fresh air because I don't even see a lot of folks focus on ANYTHING in TFOTA other than this ship.

There's also the irony that so many people pride themselves on loving Jude, their morally grey female rage character, but refuse to discuss Taryn with nuance. Or Vivi, sometimes. It's weird how so many people love Madoc (justified, I like him too) then refuse to think that hey, maybe Taryn's way of coping with faerie is different than Jude and that affects her actions! something something fandom misogyny

The above unrelated paragraph is just to say that a Nicasia focused book is something many people just absolutely will not be able to handle lmao and I so dearly wish Jude and Cardan's 'screentime' is few and far in between just so that it's less palatable. But oh well.

(And after Prisoner's Throne it worries me because with the implication that the Nicasia focused book might have Jude and Cardan POVs I feel like she's catering more to these people now.

If that's how things turn out that would genuinely make me really sad because I didn't pick up her books after reading TCP, I started with Spiderwick Chronicles, then Modern Faerie Tales, and I love the way she creates atmosphere, her worldbuilding, her depiction of the weird and creepy and magical. I especially think that's her strongest suit, more than characterization, so something like this that hinges more on specific characters genuinely turns me off.)

AGREED SO MUCH WITH ALL OF ITTT I too noticed the really dumb people in her comments crapping on everything that isn't a new Jurdan book... Like, the woman was writing books and enjoyed fame 15 years before Jurdan happened. She obviously has a lot to say about her world. Why the hell would you want her to stop developing it and only focus on 2 characters??? I was a big Spiderwick fan as a kid, and when I read TFOTA I had no idea it was by the same writer but I could TELL the vibes were all there. I too think that is her specialty and I'd rather get 10 stories on different characters than 5 on Jurdan.

I want the Undersea book to be about Nicasia and part of it is because I agree, I think most of the fandom would HATE it and it would fry their brains, and I want to see it. It is dumb and petty of me, but it would be sweet vindication for all the clowns screaming into my ear that Taryn is problematic actually in case I didn't notice. Ultimately I know it is a fruitless endeavor. TFOTA has the misfortune of being too good and complicated for its main audience of tiktok book fans, but also too bad and simplified to spread into more general, unspecified fantasy circles where its themes could catch the attention of people who would know how to appreciate them. That means there is only a small portion of fans who both like the books AND have the critical thinking skills to appreciate all the things they do right outside of romance/basic female wish fulfilment.

In the end, judging by TPT, we are gonna have to take the L and accept we bet on the wrong horse and minority does not make the money. But at least we will be there together to make a mountain out of a molehill!

[sugar-grigri]

"Sorry, but I didn't want denji's first time to be in an alley after being afraid of having his dick cut off" to be honest, most people's first sexual experiences aren't ideal either.

Also everyone thinks that Yoru jacked him off when...I'm pretty sure she just had her hand down there, and that contact + the kissing made Denji cum? I don't know, I think Fujimoto would've shown some movement down there to indicate masturbation, but there was none.

I also think that while, yes, the scene was awful for everyone involved (Denji, Yoru *and* Asa) I...don't believe it was non-consensual, at least on Yoru's and Denji's part. Like, Denji even reciprocated at some points. (There is a conversation to be had about that people sometimes DO reciprocate under the pressure in some rape scenarios but...i don't feel this is one of those cases). I think Denji was just confused about Yoru going from "I'm going to cut off your dick" to tenderly kissing him. As a final thought, I seriously don't think Fujimoto did this for the lulz or to be edgy. You do not devote 7 pages of your 16 page issue just to shitpost. This is a very serious chapter, that will have lasting repercussions on Yoru's, Asa's, and especially Denji's character arcs

I'll get back to you Anon but I think I'll stop talking about it afterwards, not that it's not exciting but there's no point in confronting two interpretations to make them agree, we have the right to disagree

- I agree that first times aren't ideal, and I didn't expect Denji to have the best sex session of his life. I wanted him to experience it under the right conditions. These are not good conditions. I'd like him to understand that sex can be a consensual act, between two equal parties.

- The chapter is long, the title is super smoochy, which indicates that it's not a kiss, a hand rub, we have a strong number of pages where they kiss, it lasted a while. And whether it's masturbation or not, it has no impact on my interpretation. In fact, it's quite subsidiary. It's still a sex scene, no matter what we decide about what they're doing.

- I’m sorry but I don't understand how this scene can be interpreted as consensual. You've developed your own reasons, but I'm sorry, Asa wasn't even able to express her will, and I don't think it was really her will. She may have desire, which affects Yoru. But she didn't want to help Denji in this way.

- As for the last point, I've analyzed this chapter like all the others, and I take it seriously. When I talk about subversiveness, it's because there is one, and Fujimoto isn't a smooth author or a genius on every level, constantly. I don't know what he's going to do with this scene, and even if I'm confident, I hope for a good exploitation, I didn't give him my life, I'm waiting to see and hope he didn't do it to be edgy

But you know, I think Fujimoto is well aware of how to get people talking about his work, and he also likes to attract attention with wtf pages. WTF moments that make sense and can be analyzed. And that's what I like about him. But he also knows how to disturb. And he rather likes it.

If anyone knows what his work looks like and what people will say about it, it's him. His OS are the answers!

Denji is him. Denji loves the attention. And he likes people to fight for him.

Fujimoto likes to refuse to give us what we want to see. It's candid. I like that about him.

[everydayyoulovemeless]

I know you've already done Nick and DiMA, but I'd love to see some fatherly Hancock headcanons if you're up to it. If not, no worries! Thanks for keeping us fallout fans fed with your writing.

Hancock As A Dad

➼ Word Count » 0.6k ➼ Warnings » None ➼ A/N » I'm loving all these father HCs !!

A part of him doesn't think he deserves to care for someone in a fatherly way. I mean, just look at where he lives- look at his life choices, does someone like that really deserve to have that much responsibility in someone else's life?

He shelters you a lot more than you'd think. Drugs? What are drugs? Papa just has a bit of schizophrenia and needs to take his meds. He can try can play it off as much as he wants, but the only people he's fooling are the ferals down the road. He can try to shield you from certain things from the outside world, but he partakes in too much of it himself for it to really be effective.

Sure, he's an addict, but he ain't a deadbeat. Hancock's the type to show up to anything important to you. You've decided to start up a new shop in Goodneighbor? Consider him your first customer! Just bought a new gun and want to test it out in an alley? He'll be right behind you, doing his best to help you aim! He's there to support in any way he can, no matter what it is.

He's always going around telling people that you're his kid. It's just a constant flow of, "You see that one? That's my kid! :)"

Despite how he feels toward McDonough, he'd never want to send too much ill intent his way. He tones down his hatred for his brother a lot when you're around, only because he feels that he's your uncle, whether the two of you are related or not. Family's important to him, and he rather you come up with your own opinion rather than him tell you how you should feel.

Ruffles your hair whenever you do something he's proud of.

He's not overprotective by any means, but if anyone ever were to start pushing you around, he'd gladly rough 'em up for you.

He loves it when you talk about your interests with him. It makes him all fuzzy inside and helps give him better ideas on how to involve himself with those activities more often. He loves being a part of your life, especially when it involves your passions.

Most of the residents in Goodneighbor will wave and greet you by name. It holds the same energy as if a family friend were to come over for dinner.

It might be slightly ironic, and he fully understands how it might seem, but you aren't allowed to do drugs till you're at least 30. He'd hate for you to ruin your life so early. Live a little, then he might reconsider.

He'll take you out to one of the settlements and teach you to throw knives. Just something fun for the two of you to do outside. He might even tell you tales of his own childhood.

He throws the best pity parties. If you're ever feeling depressed, he'll lock the doors leading to his room, and he and Fahrenheit will do everything they can to distract you. They'll play games (mostly chess), give you a bit of alcohol, or even just sit out on the balcony and people-watch.

He's one of the most gently honest people there is. He'd never lie to you, and he sure as hell wouldn't ever want anything he says to come off as rude, so you end up with these incredibly sincere statements laced with the sweetest tone.

Hype man?? Bro is always ready to spit compliments at you whenever you need them. It's almost impossible to feel insecure with a father figure like him constantly checking in on you.

Hancock loves you to bits and wouldn't know what to do with himself if you ever disappeared from his life. He wants the best for you and would do everything he can to ensure that you're happy.

[shirefantasies]

Hello!! I saw that you're temporarily open for matchup requests so I hope that I'm not too late with this! :) specifically from LOTR please~

I'm female, 5'7", Virgo, ISFP, with stronger preference for males. I have pale skin with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. My wardrobe mostly consists of darker colors, my favorite combos being black with red or pink.

I consider myself empathetic and honest. I am reserved most of the time, only ever talking if someone else initiates the convo, though I can go on and on about my hyperfixations and interests. Like even when I'm with a group of friends, I'd stay quiet most of the time and just listen so I may come across as a bit socially awkward. I've been told I'm a good listener and so I end up being someone many confide in or as someone who becomes stuck in the middle of a conflict. I am a night owl and get easily exhausted or even irritated when I'm out and it's crowded so I definitely need time and space on my own to recharge after a long day. I suppose among love languages, I lean to using words of affirmation. When I do have enough energy, I also like to cook and bake for my family and friends (and get upset if it doesn't end up turning right).

I really like animals, especially big cats, dogs and wolves. My favorite genre of fiction is horror so sharing scary/ghost stories would be my favorite group activity. My sense of humor tends of be on the dry, sarcastic side. My preferred methods of workout are swimming, badminton, and walking. When I get bored, I tend to doodle and hum. I don't consider myself a good singer and I'd only get the confidence to sing in front of others if I was a bit tipsy (I don't drink much, I am so lightweight it's not even funny and if I do, I stick with cocktail or beer).

In video games that involve combat and exploration, I tend to rely on speed and stealth (my footfalls are actually quiet irl too). Among weapons, I prefer using swords (dual wielding, if available), though having a bit of magic would be fun to use too (especially if you can set things on fire) :3

congrats on the 300 followers!

You are not at all! Thank you for waiting between my recovery buffer posts & older matchups! So here we go now love! Your match is…

Legolas!

Some people joke what a funny couple you are due to you both seeming so quiet, but in truth you are drawn to each other’s peace. Legolas is drawn to your gentle presence, the light falls of your steps upon the bank of the river where he meets you, water flowing at your feet. You are not the only one swimming that day, but you cut such a majestic figure as you move gracefully through the water, emerging with illuminated droplets descending from your dark hair. Since that very first moment you stuck in Legolas's heart.

He loves the way you hum as you work, dark skirts swirling about the floor as you swish through the kitchen. A smile plays on his lips as he compliments the work you've let out to cool and you drily tease him about stealing it. Instead, he offers to help hand it out and you are grateful to save your energy. Normally you do not prefer company in the kitchen, but this elf's presence is calming rather than draining. Your motions and his assume a rhythm unbroken by distraction.

He runs into you out in town, smiling at the large dog following at your heels while you carry your basket. You look content as you go to market, purchasing all you need. Catching the way your hand runs wistfully over a small ornately bound book, he finds his feet carrying him to market as well, his hands delving into pockets and being rewarded with the weight of a tiny tome. The following day's trip to your kitchen is met not with wry humor, but wide smiles and sheepish revelations of art. "You may think them the smallest of sketches, but to me I see a connection to this world." "Is that your way of saying you can't draw?" Yet another smile you've drawn from the elven prince. "You've caught me there."

When orcs attack your village, his first thought is to get to you, your hearth and your dog and all your little captures of your surroundings, and let any who dare trifle with it know it has a blade and a bow behind it. Boots thudding lightly as always against dirt, then stone, he arrives outside your home to see you there, a glinting sword swinging in each hand. Grinning, he shakes his head. He should have known. Shooting one of your twin assailants off you, he joins the fray. "Sorry I'm late." "You should be!" You grin back at him. "This party started an hour ago."

This visit has only a few days left. Ignoring that, you climb higher into the tree before you settle, pulling the red-and-black swirled book from your small satchel. Legolas sits in the crook of the tree right below yours. "Shall I read or would you prefer to?" It's as if he can sense your energy, see right through your facade to the highs and lows of your heart. The book in question held some of your favorite ghost stories, old legends and more local frights alike. You joke about the prince being able to handle it, but in the end you know whose voice you would prefer to ring out with it that day.

You are the only one Legolas trusts to saddle up his horse, hand him the bags he'd surreptitiously caught you slipping a copy of your book of horrors into as a memento. He says your name softly as a wish when you stand at his mount's side, catching your nod before he captures your lips with his, motions slow, deliberate as if he would wake up from the dream at any moment. Your name is even more delicious whispered after a kiss. "Wait for me." "Who else would I even look twice at?"

Taglist: @lokilover476 @fuckyoumakeart @mossthebogwitch @ibabblealot @kilibaggins @joonies-word @stormchaser819 @pirate-lord-of-narnia | Reply/Ask/Message to join 🥰

[fategoflatass]

out of pure curiosity, I was wondering if you were able to read the Hamefura manga anthologies? (Mainly, I'm curious if you got to the Keith/Geordo kabedon situation...)

Not me coming back from a three-day Sims 2 spree to this!

Sadly, I don't think we've read the same anthology? Since, you know, I didn't find the kabedon scene (that, or I'm blind as hell). If you could send me the link, I would highly appreciate it.

But since you took the time to send me this ask, I shall give you my thoughts on the anthology as a whole (won't be long, I promise).

Hope you enjoy!

Our Secret Night Alone Together

This was such a cute story! I'm always down for anything that involves Katarina and Keith, so this one was perfect for me. I really liked how their dynamic was presented, and also his conflicting feelings (as well as Keith having to deal with such obliviousness).

Not gonna lie, I was expecting for Madre™ to come back home at the end and complain about some mess (maybe throw a chancla or two), but I still think it was really sweet!

(same bro, same)

The Duet I Play With You

WE 👏 NEED 👏 MORE 👏 ALAN 👏 CONTENT! Can't deal with how negligent the story tends to be when it comes to Alan. He's one of the best characters (in my opinion) and yet he gets little to no content! So I was really happy to see a story solely revolving around him and Kat. With a bit of Mary on the side, of course!

Memory of Friendship

This one was hilarious! I totally see Mary scheaming such a sneaky plan to get some alone time with Kat. And the way everyone decided to ruin it (to no avail, but stil)!

And the bookmark! God, I'm weak!

"Searching the top of trees" I'M DEAD

Let's Have Tea on a Busy Day

To be honest, I wasn't expecting a Raphael-centric story. It was really nice, though!

Again, he's one of those characters that I haven't seen much canonical content about, and I guess this is the closest to it I'll get for now (still can't get used to the LN).

I'm quite fond of his character. He's rather... different from the rest. I mean, none of the others had yet the chance to become workaholics, so this side of him feels like a breath of fresh air.

Enjoyment is Something We Share

I think this one might be one of my favorites! Especially since it reminded me of my best friend and I. We both like reading and watchign anime (besides her being a total sweetheart), so I can easily reflect us on them.

I loved this part in particular where Sophia says "I want even more people to know about this piece of writing I came to love" because, while it's not the same reason why she said it, that's exactly why I decided to get into translation. So!

Sora's Day Off

Sora's... risqué persona is, to me, what Raphael's workaholic-esque self; a breath of fresh air. The idea of his sole presence upping the series' rating is truly amusing.

What I also like about him is that his sensuality doesn't cover his entire personality. Yeah, he might be less naïve than the rest of the cast, but that only means there're just less things for him to learn.

And again, he has yet to deal with Katarina so...

Did I already tell you I have a weakness for these two?

My Goddess

This one I felt is was more chill than the others, don't ask me why. Might be because it's Maria-centric and she always brings me peace.

Anyways, it's always nice to read a good ol' sickfic. Even better if it comes in comic version! And even better if it involves MariKata! This is one of the (if not the most) fluffiest stories until now.

And I know I should include something involving them, but there's one thing at the end that made my day.

The Fateful Dance Party

Just when I thought we wouldn't be getting any Nicol content—and even better, is masquerade ball themed! It fits him so well!

The entire sequence with both of them dancing, and the scene where they reveal their identities—it all feels so smooth, so delicate, so precious. Which it might be because Nicol's my personal favorite, but I'd like to think his character was so well portrayed.

This is the content that we all need and deserve!

Geordo's Feelings

God, this one made me so weak. Not only because of the things that happened in it (which had their effect on me since, you know, now I think more highly about Geordo and all that), but because of the ending. That fricking ending.

The way he couldn't even get ten seconds alone to make her such an important gift! But again, that's part of the charm of this harem-turned-into-found-family.

[typically-untypical]

Past Judgements

AU: Lawyers

CW: None that I'm aware of

WC: 1515

Date: 12/1/2023

As a public defender, it was Virgil's job to make sure everyone on his caseload was given a fair trial. He wanted to make sure everyone got a chance, especially those who couldn't afford to hire a fancy lawyer. Unfortunately, all of that was easier said then done. His caseload grew by the day and the people he helped were often not forthcoming with the truth. How could he blame them, a lot of the people he was trying to help had been torn down by a system that wasn't designed to protect them. It was a fight to convince them that he was on their side, that he wasn't there to make them look bad but rather to help them out. Sometimes, with time and effort, he could get the truth out, but he just didn't have the time. 

Straightening his purple tie, he waited for the officer to buzz him into the facility. Today's meeting was with one 'Janus Hennily', a name Virgil was surprised to see again. He had known Janus when he was younger, a student at his high school who was full of sarcasm and trickery. Janus had been... not necessarily a bully, but he certainly wasn't going to be the one who stepped in when someone was being bullied. He was more of the 'walk away and not get involved' type. Virgil wondered where that Janus had ended up. He had seemed intelligent but they had never really been friends. He had been hot though.

"Ah, Virgil Black, aren't you a sight for sore eyes. Looks like you ran off and became a lawyer. Good for you." The smooth voice echoed in Virgil's mind, it was deeper than it used to be, rougher around the edges like it had actually seen time and hardship.

Vigil's grip tightened on his briefcase, "Janus, so it is you. I'm surprised you got caught with all your running away." There was no reason for him to be so hostile, but Janus brought back high school memories; memories of him being too weak to protect himself, too weak to take care of what he needed to take care of. High school hadn't been a good time for him.

Janus put his hand to his chest, the chains around his wrists and ankles jingling as he moved. "Me, a runner, never. You should know I'm not one for physical exercise if I can avoid it. It seems like you're good at jumping to conclusions though. Were you surprised to see me here or did you expect this was where I'd end up?"

Though his face had changed, his smirk hadn't. The new scars only deepened its terrifying nature. When Janus smirked it seemed like he knew all of the secrets of the world and he was just waiting for everyone else to catch up. Too bad Virgil had seen him be a total dork in high school and that smirk lost some of its power.

With a sigh, Virgil sat down, putting his briefcase on the table. "What did you do, Janus?"

"Rude as always. Isn't it your job to prove I didn't, or do I need to ask for other counsel. It seems you already have prejudices against me." Maybe Virgil was just imagining it but it felt like Janus was actually hurt. That wasn't Virgil's intention. Honestly, he didn't know what his emotional intention was, but he knew what his job was.

"I'm here to help, and I'll do it, I just need you to be straight with me, why are you in chains?"

"Be straight? Good luck with that, I haven't been straight since Remus showed me his parents’ copy of the 1990's Mummy movie, but I can be bi with you." Janus leaned back, looking Virgil up and down. This was the worst part, people trying to avoid answering questions by deflecting or saying something shocking. 

"You're avoiding the question." Virgil scowled and Janus rolled his eyes.

"And you're not an ounce of fun. I was being honest with you, I didn't do anything, nothing illegal at least. I was at a protest, which is a protected right I would like to add, and I was arrested under charges of 'disturbing the peace', however, we weren't chanting, we weren't blocking traffic, we did everything by the book and yet we were still arrested, a true travesty." His voice wavered on sarcastic but there was something more behind it, something that hinted that Janus was tired. Virgil didn't want to get soft for this guy. Janus had run away when Virgil needed help back in school and a guy like that wasn't the protest type.

"Come on, they wouldn't keep you if they didn't think they had more on you than that. I've read through the file but something is missing. I need you to tell me what I'm not seeing or I can't help." Virgil wished Janus would just answer his question. He was the other man's lawyer, he had client attorney privileges. He wasn't going to tell anyone because that would be very much against his rules. Janus had to know this, he was the type of guy who had reveled in the details and loopholes he could get around, but he didn't seem to be reveling right now.

His shoulders had dropped and he was looking up at the ceiling. "The cop that arrested me... we have a history," Janus whispered, suddenly sitting up. "Do you know how embarrassing it is to be caught by the same pig twice, especially when the second time he had a vendetta."

"But your file doesn't-"

"I got him on a police battery charge, it was dropped and we settled out of court but he was put on suspension 2 years ago. Apparently he was let back on for 'good behavior'. When I was able to, I had it taken off my record. I don't like people being able to trace me easily. Plus, people get weird when the background check shows charges, even if they were dismissed. For fucks sake, I'm probably going to lose my job over this which means I will still feel the consequences of his actions even if they let me go. Congrats to him, officer piggy still wins, even if you manage to get me out of this." Janus sighed and did his best to put on a smile, leaning toward Virgil, "So what now, lawyer man?"

Virgil was taken back by the sudden shift from honesty to flippantness. It was almost like he could see through Janus' facade for a brief moment, but then it was gone and he could only remember the kid in high school who’d run when he needed help. It was hard to remember that people changed, but Janus had apparently changed, at least a little bit. 

"Alright, I'll look into it. If we can prove he was discriminating against you then we can seek damages. It won't get you your job back but it might get you a bit of reparations for your lost time." Doing things like this always made Virgil a little on edge. He needed to prove that not only was Janus innocent, but he had been targeted because of his past with a previous officer. "Is there anything else you want me to know before I leave?" Virgil was already starting to pack up his stuff, moving his notes into his briefcase as he started to stand. He was expecting a teasing comment or some snide remark, but he wasn't expecting Janus' quiet sincere voice.

"You grew up well, handsome, successful. I wish I had gone after you in high school."

Virgil froze in his place, completely taken off guard by Janus' confession. "You ran away when I was being bullied, I wouldn't have gone for you."

"Fair enough, but if it helps, I ran to get a teacher. No sense in having both of our faces slammed into the dirt. I'm not certain if you know this or not, but I have very little athletic ability."

Virgil snorted, shaking his head and grabbing his briefcase. "I remember, well maybe if we can prove your innocence, you can ask me out."

"You don't already have someone?" Janus looked surprised and Virgil smiled at something genuine flashing in his face. 

Virgil shook his head, "I changed my last name, but it's in memoriam. I lost my mother five years ago, Black was her maiden name."

"Oh," Janus reached out, stopped by his chains so he just sat back. "I'm sorry to hear that, I remember her being a pretty nice lady."

"Yeah, she was. She's why I wanted to be a lawyer."

"Well then, I owe my freedom to her."

"That's if we win." Virgil responded and Janus just smirked again.

"We have to, otherwise I won't be able to take you on a date."

Virgil blushed, turning and leaving as quickly as he could. He had a rule of not dating criminals, but if he proved Janus was unjustly detained, then he wasn't a criminal, right?

Right.

Tag List: @simplestoryteller @fantasticfangirl21 @joylessnightsky @glacierruler @tsspromptmonth

[amethystina]

Hello !!! I hope u r well and recovering 💘

Fir the ask game: 🤡❌️👀

Unfortunately, things are still pretty rough but I'm hanging in there :)

🤡 What’s a line, scene, or exchange you’ve written that made you laugh?

I'm not sure if there is such a line, to be honest. Mainly because most of the things I write aren't all that funny, but also because it takes a lot for me to laugh when it's my own writing. Because I already know the punchline before the joke's even started, so it's just not that exciting. If that makes sense?

That said, Yoon Sa Wol from Black Knight is an absolute hoot to write and there is one exchange in particular that definitely makes me want to cackle whenever I think about it. It's when he's talking to 4-1 (a coworker of his) and they accidentally stumble onto the subject of whether or not Sa Wol could have sex with 5-8 (the dude he is definitely interested in having sex with) and the following happens:

All things considered, it didn't seem like a bad idea at all. 4-1 didn't seem to agree. She gave him a flat look, as if the answer should be obvious. "He'd eat you for breakfast." Sa Wol paused for a beat but, really, the only thing he could think to say was: "I mean, wouldn't that be the whole point?" 4-1 let out a choked noise that sounded outright painful.

SA WOL, NO.

But also, kudos on being so goddamn shameless.

❌ What’s a trope you will never write?

I'm not sure if there is one? Because, sure, I'm not personally into mpreg or A/B/O but I can't say I'll never write them. Like, if someone gave me enough money to write those tropes, I probably would. We get money where we can in this economy xD

I think the closest I come to a complete "I refuse to write this" are the things I find triggering or just don't agree with on a moral level. So I'd have a hard time glorifying abuse, for example, or write something that involves incest or non-con between a romantic couple. The kind where transgressions are eventually forgiven or brushed aside because "they actually love them and it was just a mistake" and that kind of stuff.

There's a reason why I'm so determined to call out Yo Han's bullshit in my Devil Judge fics, for example, and why Moon Jo is such a lovesick simp in my Strangers From Hell fic. I find them to be incredibly fascinating as characters, but I admit I would never be able to write them doing something along those lines. They both skirt the line from time to time — which is sort of the point in some ways — but I try to criticise the behaviour rather than excuse or glorify it.

👀 Tell me about an up and coming wip please!

I kind of mentioned all of them when I did the WIP Tag Game not too long ago, so you can see what they are and read about them if you look at this tag right here!

But aside from that, I can say that I'm currently trying to edit and post chapter six of A New Dawn (Begins With Us), and, after that, I'm going to try and edit chapter 3 of The Right Set of Circumstances, and, after that, I... well, I don't know x'D I'll either try to edit Thou Shalt Not Covet or maybe I'll allow myself to write chapter 42 of Who Holds the Devil.

I'm kind of holding that chapter hostage right now since I HATE editing and would much rather write — it's just so much more fun. But if I only wrote and didn't edit, I would never post anything, so I kind of have to force myself to edit from time to time, too.

And it's extra annoying right now since I'm so feverish and that just makes editing ten times worse for some reason?

So yeah. I have a lot going on right now in terms of WIPs and it's kind of beginning to feel like a second job, not going to lie x'D

Thank you so much for the ask! :D

Fanfic Writer Emoji Ask

[another-lost-mc]

what if MC gets close to one of the seraphim sometime after lesson 16, and opens up to them about it? would they use their position to pressure Diavolo into taking it seriously (i.e punishing Belphegor) under the threat of withdrawing their support for the exchange programe? (let's be honest, cooperating with someone who let a murderer walk free because they want to fuck his older brother isn't a particularly good idea)

that last sentence omg

So back on the Lesson 16 discussion, I think the more time that passes between those events and the Celestial Realm learning about it, the less likely it is that there'll be any serious repercussions.

If MC went running and screaming to Purgatory Hall about being murdered and Simeon/Solomon got involved, I could see it causing a lot of inter-realm strife considering this seems to be mostly Diavolo's initiative and it happened on his home turf.

I'm not exactly sure - or maybe I just forgot - when/if Simeon learns about it, and what his response is. I would think that would've been communicated to Michael in a report, right? Or maybe Michael knew about it already, but if he did, was it really not that big of a deal?

With the complications of MC being related to Lilith and the pressure to keep that knowledge on on a need-to-know basis, maybe it's only kept between the demons involved. If the angels learn the truth about what happened down the road, maybe their concern is Lilith's rebirth/MC's heritage rather than what happened specifically with Belphie.

"Even if Belphegor harmed the human, that was corrected. Why should that concern us now?"

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't know how the angels would react if too much time has passed, if they would learn the specific details of it at all.

What I think would be more likely, in some sort of AU where a Seraph was included in part of the Year One exchange program, is that they discover what happened shortly after and causing a fuss in the immediate aftermath. There would more concern over MC's safety and well-being in the Devildom, investigations into the events that transpired and what kind of gong show Diavolo and Lucifer are running that allowed things to get so far out of control.

"We fixed it with time travel manipulation" might not be an acceptable excuse when angels are naturally protective of humans. Lowkey I'd love to see Meta lose his cool over this sort of situation, it'd be such a drama-fueled disaster for everyone involved. lol

[stillsneaking]

If a girl you’re fucking brought up your wife, family life and work just to tease you, would you find that hot? Like using your real life against you while you’re being a perv. I’m genuinely curious because I’m a huuuuuuge fan of psychological teasing, so I’d love to know if and how it triggers you.

(If you’re happy with it, I could include your case in my psychology dissertation hahaha)

Hmmm, this is a really tricky question actually, and the answer isn't so clear cut, but rather nuanced. "It depends" isn't a fun response, but it's the honest one. And since you're into psychology, I'm sure you understand.

For instance: I obviously lean into the "good, wholesome Dad" thing in real life, and have attracted attention from other wives and even younger girls in that role. And that's a turn on--to be wanted and craved for that Dad side. But if you talk about my childen while I've got you on your knees in front of me? I think that'd take me out of the moment in a not fun way. The marriage bit might be different. A somewhat younger I was involved with for years really, really leaned into the cheating aspect and it wound up being a pretty big turn on. The work and professional stuff wouldn't bother me at all, and indeed I'd find it pretty hot that you were attracted to my mind and position in my field and any authority I might have there.

(Btw--Sorry this question was sent so long ago. I'm not always great at keeping up with things on here in general.)

[mistwraiths]

5 stars

As if I could write something entirely coherent about the absolute chokehold this book had me in.

Look, if you're interested in big plot or action or fast paced things, this isn't the book for you. If you want a book where queerness is normalized, where there's a competent female Sultan and a female Commander who are great characters and do their jobs well, where there's a slowburn romance between a bodyguard and his prince that absolutely talks about the power dynamic and isn't instalove and is such a slow, sweeping thing, this is for you!!!!!

There's only minimal fantasy elements in here which is sad and I'd love to know more. Touch-tasting, people who can find lies through looking at people's eyes, two moons just casually being announced. I would have loved more of it. But this is ultimately a romance story. The plot is there but only in bits and pieces and, it's rather obvious who is involved. But that's a point of interesting conflict because there's already beef between the characters but it doesn't completely go there too much.

What makes this book so good though is the CHARACTERS themselves.

Kadou. God I just want to PROTECT him. He's a good man and he suffers from near debilitating anxiety that he calls the fear-monster because there's really no word for it there. He calls it cowardice but it ISN'T. And while he might be afraid all the time, he isn't a coward in the LEAST. I loved that he was able to hold his own during a alley brawl and had to save his bodyguard. I loved that he's entirely conscious of everyone's worth and power and such. Reading those scenes where he's having a panic attack and no one knows what to DO literally brought me to tears.

Evemer. God I just LOVE him; he's so disciplined and dutiful and he just wants to be useful and serve people who he seems as worthy and such. I love that he had taken what he heard and made his mind up and didn't like Kadou in the beginning. I love that slowly he began to edit his opinion of Kadou and when he's finally called out (not unkindly) for not liking him, he's honest with him. I love that he's not PERFECT at being the bodyguard.

The side characters?! Chef's kiss. Eozena??? Tadek?? I LOVE that there are people who just love Kadou very much because he just simply deserves it. It's not hammered in to be cheesey in your face. It's just like how could they not? They've known him for years. One loves him as almost his aunt. Another loves him as a friend and past-lover. They know he struggles so they put the words into actions too so he can hopefully believe it.

It was just so beautifully written. THIS IS WHAT A SLOWBURN SHOULD BE. There's angst and wanting and hurt/comfort and more.

I absolutely want more but I'm also so happy with what I have gotten.