#otp: i lost so much more than my senses

[steviesbicrisis]

Thinking about YouTuber Steve who’s gaining a lot of popularity with his weekly vlogs. The routine is very similar: he goes to work, hangs out with friends, acts silly for the camera, cooks for his roommate, watches movies with his roommate, goes out with his roommate.

His roommate is there a lot.

His new growing fanbase doesn’t take long to divide into factions regarding Steve’s dating life and sexuality; There are ships, OTPs, people who want him single so they can date him, and a surprisingly small portion which questions his heterosexuality, which gets always shut up by the following compelling arguments:

“stop assuming he’s gay.”

“Steve doesn’t look gay. He’s just a guy, a former jock, who loves to cook and hangs out with friends. A friend more than the others, but it’s his roommate so it makes sense, right?”

“And yes, they do cuddle while watching movies, but who doesn’t love a cuddle? You don’t have to be gay for that.”

“Sure, they hold hands when they go out but the city is crowded and they might lose each other.”

“Since when two male friends can’t be close without assuming that they’re gay?”

“Have you ever seen them kiss in ten minutes of weekly vlog? No, so drop your gay agenda already.”

And Steve Harrington, who started the whole vlog thing in the first place because he wanted to update his friends who live miles away and still doesn’t know how he got this much heteronormative bullcrap in his comments, has had enough.

One day, Steve Just-A-Guy Harrington, wakes up and chooses violence.

He replies to a tiktok comment that says “stop assuming he’s gay” with another video.

It begins with Steve glaring at the camera “oh yes please, stop assuming I’m gay.”

Then there’s a quick motion and Steve is pulling a curly haired guy into frame: Eddie, his roommate/platonic friend/totally not his boyfriend of 5+ years.

Eddie yawns, looking sleepily at the camera “are you vlogging?”

“I’m proving a point” Steve replies, then kisses him. They almost get lost into it, but Steve is a man on a mission, so he pulls back and turns to the camera.

“This is Eddie, my boyfriend. Not a friend who’s a boy, you delusional homophobes, we are together, a couple, in a relationship. We haven’t been just friends for over 5 years. We live together, he isn’t just a roommate.

And even if he was just my roommate, do you think I would live with this” he squeezes Eddie’s cheeks between his fingers and zooms in to show his face up close. Eddie blinks a couple of times, but let’s Steve do whatever he wants.

“Do you seriously think that I would live with this 24/7 and stay straight? Like, are you insane?” He gives Eddie a quick smack on the lips, leaving him blushing and more confused than ever.

Usually, it’s Eddie the one getting almost feral over Steve, not the other way around.

He doesn’t complain.

“So yeah, stop assuming I’m gay. Because I’m bi, you homophobic little shits.”

The video ends with Eddie pulling Steve for more than a quick peck on the lips, and Steve throwing the phone on their couch, face down.

Somehow, under Steve’s video, there’s still someone that comments “I mean, this doesn’t mean anything. It’s just bros helping bros, right?”

Steve is too busy making out with his “bro” to read it.

[morethansky]

***TBB FINALE SPOILERS***

"The Cavalry Has Arrived" aka MY OTP IS CANON NOW

A truly absurd amount of meta and thoughts and screaming under the cut:

Overall

• I...loved it????? This is the biggest plot twist of all for me. Like I've said incessantly, I've had so many issues with the writing choices for this show, and I'm so grateful the brainrot set in so I could start watching it through a fandom lens and have way more fun with it than through a media critic lens and being a hater. But like...that was actually really satisfying to me within the parameters of where the show had led to in the last four episodes??

• As everyone on the planet probably knows by now, I would've been much happier if this show had led to the Batch choosing to do the right thing and joining the clone resistance, and if we never get another clone series, I will continue to be unbearable and salty about the lost potential of telling that story. But after Echo left and we stopped following his story, I gave that hope up. And ofc nothing about my criticism of this season is invalidated. But given the pieces on the board, I'd pretty wholeheartedly give the finale my stamp of approval!

• I'm ultimately glad that this show ended on a "We don't leave our own behind" note, because that's the clone energy and general Star Wars energy I'm looking for, and they did a great job of applying that theme to every non-villain in this episode, minor and unnamed characters included—but it's still so darkly funny for them to have continued to push this idea even though the first season is literally about them leaving their own behind and moving on. And then Crosshair calls them out on it. And then he just...leaves himself behind. Even in their first appearance in TCW, the Batch's entire vibe is that they keep trying to convince Rex to leave his own behind lmao. I just feel like the show wanted this adage to tie everything together, but then forgot to keep applying it somewhere along the way. But hurrah for this abundant use of it!

• My overall biggest criticism was that even within this one episode we got back on the rescue/captured/rescue/captured treadmill. It's the biggest plot crutch of the show. It's so goofy that Omega and Echo rescued both the children and the imprisoned clones by themselves. The setup made it so that by going to rescue Omega, Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair actually put her in more danger. And because they were there, more clones died, wtf!! But I do like the narrative flip—Echo and Omega were both saved by the Batch in their introductions in this era, and here are they are being the ones to save them in return. Omega and Echo also are the characters in the main cast who deserve the rescuer plotline the most, since they have been consistently portrayed as helping those in need no matter what.

• Hilariously, one of the most pivotal roles that the Forest Trio plays in regards to the GFFA at large is that they were essentially Rampart's rideshare drivers, thus enabling him to be there and force Nala Se not to hesitate to destroy Project Necromancer.

Rampart and Nala Se

• Hemlock saying his work makes him indispensable is fantastic dialogue; it just seems like some dickish thing he would say to shit on Rampart, but it ends up giving Rampart the idea to try to leverage his work to become indispensable himself, and in saying that line, Hemlock ushers his own ruin!!! This is the kind of script work I've been begging for.

• Also I was so right about Rampart being like a Kallus foil! That infamous shot of him in his sad, sterile room after Bahryn is mirrored here with Rampart sitting in pretty much the same position, except his path is the opposite from Kallus's.

• They did an EXCELLENT job with Rampart's fate. I was worried they were neutering him these last couple eps, even if the comedy was gold, but this was very well done. Everything that happens leading up to his death makes complete sense for his character, and it accomplishes the very key plot point of destroying Tantiss. At the start of the season I couldn't figure out how and why the Batch was going to end up delaying Project Necromancer for like thirty years, so I feel validated that they pretty much don't. Very typical of this show to not have the protagonists do the heroic work, but fuck it, I like this instance.

• The humanizing of Nala Se in this show has always been a bit of an interesting choice given that this is feels like such a direct successor to TCW and she was so clearly a villain there. But although they don't quite redeem her, her motivations and her fate were also artfully executed here. Her conversation with Omega pretty much takes into account every Nala Se scene in this show, which is a great way to wrap her character up. And I really like the mirror of Nala Se giving Omega her datapad in the season premiere, and Omega giving Nala Se a datapad here. Both times, Nala Se is determined to set Omega free.

• And I'm so glad there was a follow-up to the destruction of Kamino as well! Nala Se getting a bit of revenge against one of the beings responsible for the genocide of her people and destruction of her homeworld is not something I expected at all, and I love it. And the setup of Nala Se picking up the detonator and Rampart picking up the blaster is just fantastic, because you know from just those two shots that Rampart is willing to kill to gain Palpatine's favor for himself, and Nala Se is willing to die to make sure the being she loves will be free.

Echo and Omega supremacy

• Give me an Echo-led rebel show where he convinces all sorts of people in the Empire and the underworld to defect/help them, please!!! He's so good at it, completing Emerie's turn so efficiently! We have to assume Rex is also good at it given his cell and that he has clone spies and even undercover agents, but every time he sees Hunter he has tried and failed to recruit him lmao. Also REX'S NAMEDROP but him not showing up surely means...we'll see a continuation of his story soon after this...right??? Also this means Howzer still lives, oh, thank god.

• "Because it's exactly what I would do." Strategist Echo comeback yessss!! A nice little callback to the Techno Union arc that kicked this story off as well. And HELL YEAH Omega's relationship with Echo is my favorite out of all of her connections, and I'm living for their spotlight together this ep. I'm extremely invested in found family stories not relying on nuclear family narratives, and I love that you see throughout the show that Echo doesn't "raise" Omega like a kid—he trains her like a cadet. Like someone who he intends to be his equal, which is a nice and very appreciated contrast to others treating her like a precious sheltered baby.

• Their goodbye scene in "Truth and Consequences" is one of my favorites in the show, and I just adore that when Omega is upset, Echo doesn't coddle her—he reminds her of her duty to watch over the others, giving her a purpose and a reason to stand tall. When he conveys that he was worried about her and thinking of her while she was captured, he gifts her a weapon he designed and made for her during that time, so that she won't have to be defenseless after being defenseless for so long in captivity. It's so clone trooper, and I love it and the glimpses these details give us about clone culture and how the older clones cared for the shinies and the cadets and showed their love for each other.

• I also liked that Omega couldn't have escaped without Tech's training, since slicing was so vital. And all her stealthy stabbing is of course reminiscent of Hunter. And finally some emotional payoff for the ongoing bit about Wrecker being afraid of heights! I'm weak for inspirational Star Wars quotes, and this show hasn't had many, but "Just stay focused on what's ahead, not what's below," is a lovely one.

Forest conversations, my beloved

• The Kiners scored the fuck out of this episode!!! So many clever, thoughtful reprises. This is the first reappearance of Crosshair's theme that's played on the synths since he began healing! And then it segues into a soft violin tremolo version that makes me cry, and then it intertwines with "The Sacrifice" from Tech's death, ouchhhh. I have a lot of meta I need to write out about the tracks "The Reunion" and "They Always Work It Out" and how they say so much about Hunter and Crosshair, but I can't believe how well my analysis paid off in the cues in this scene! More on that in another post.

• Gosh, Wrecker's injury scared the shit out of me. But I love him so much and I'm glad he got at least a little moment, even if he didn't really have a story arc here. Or you know, in the entire damn show. And I ultimately liked that the purpose of it wasn't just to freak us out but to give them a plausible disadvantage and to give Crosshair someone to fuss over the whole time and act more recklessly because of it, thus reiterating this key character trait of his.

• I love Crosshair being worried about Wrecker and Hunter and them being worried about Crosshair. That's the squad content I crave and have been missing!! Unfortunate that it specifically has been happening when Omega is out of the picture. Writers, I swear to you, you can do both.

• Can't believe it took another half season for someone to say something about Tech's death, and it was Crosshair, who wasn't even there?? Cool line and sentiment, but man, so frustrating. I like this callback to his conversation with Rampart, though. "Depends on who's giving them" and in this first act he keeps trying to give those orders himself. Thinking of Rex on Umbara: "We're not programmed. You have to learn to make your own decisions."

• God the forest conversations in this ep and the previous one fed me so much. Hunter saying, "And so do those clones" had me literally jumping out of my seat and cheering. Baby boy, it took you so goddamn long, but thank you for finally actually giving a shit before the conclusion of your story. And "It's what I deserve," hnghhh that's the good shit, and it hearkens back perfectly to "I belong in here." And Hunter immediately telling Crosshair hell no made me very happy. And then later Hunter saying "Crosshair—" when he's worried Crosshair is still going to sacrifice himself, but Crosshair reassures him that he'll be right behind them... My heart! What a Crosshunt feast we got in this ep!!!

• Can't believe we also got so many Crosswrecker moments from the get-go and they kept coming! And my three precious little Techwrecker crumbs: the way Crosshair specifically chooses Wrecker to say the cutting remark about Tech to; the way Wrecker bows his head because that was right on target; and Wrecker being the one to watch Tech fall and to scream, "Don't do it, Tech!" in "Plan 99" yet the one to say with such conviction here, "We've always known the risks. And so did Tech." That's just so...finally accepting your beloved is gone ;_; Not really deserved by the text, which kept all but a total of like maybe one total minute of mourning off screen for some fucking reason, but.

Clone X, more like Clone Sexy

• There aren't nearly as many Clone X dudes as I expected?? I guess Crosshair's situation wasn't that rare after all? Or do they just run through them super quickly because Rex's team keeps taking them down?? Regardless, god, THEY ARE ALL SO SEXY. The way they animated their movements was so creepy and hot. And them not speaking was so eerie, I loved it. And then the moment that CX-2 did was so effective and terrifying!!! But remembering that those were clones in there is so, so heartbreaking.

• I really like that Echo really felt like both a clone trooper AND the resistance agent he is now this whole episode, and Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair actually briefly got to feel like commandos. The slick stealth and silent communication was also very sexy.

• MY GOD, I loved these action scenes. They were lit and choreographed so cool, they were super intense and had real consequences and close brushes with death, and the logic of the fight flow was really good, too. A character being incapacitated because they went to try to help an ally is always a wonderful driving force for action and gives it that crucial character-driven element that raises the stakes, and is great for making sure the main characters aren't too OP, and there was a ton of that here.

• Hunter and Wrecker getting shot by laser cannons and Hunter pushing Wrecker away from the blast made me shriek in terror AND THEN CROSSHAIR SHOOTING THE PILOT DEAD ON NO HESITATION NO ANXIETY NO TREMOR BECAUSE HOW DARE YOU HURT MY HUSBAND I'M FUCKING LIVINGGG. And then Wrecker stumbling over to Hunter and lifting the debris like he does in TCW. Boom, three pivotal character-driven action scenes in a row that divulge a key characteristic of each character! Excellently written and directed.

• Also I am SO SO SO HAPPY that we're getting to see this protective Crosshair come out in full force!!! This is the Crosshair who risked his life to try to save Mayday, who shouted hysterically when Hunter fell into the ice and was so desperate to get him out, who worried over Omega on Teth. I also really like this contrast with how he was about Echo—"Echo's on it." He knows Echo will get the job done and be safe and that's despite his former prejudice against regs. He's worried about Hunter and Wrecker and that's despite previously spending time trying to hunt them down. And when he suffers consequences, it's because of him worrying about them, and that's so delicious.

• Finally got to hear Crosshair screaming! And Hunter was already the screamer in this show, but goddamn does he get to scream in this episode. Thank you, directors, for this whump material! My man Steward Lee never lets me down.

• THE WAY THAT WHEN CROSSHAIR IS TRYING TO SAVE WRECKER HE REACHES FOR A DC-17 OMG!!!! I feel so validated! And just like with Mayday, he's incapacitated afterward...

• God the way CX-2 waits to be tossed the vibrosword and then leans down with it while Crosshair is already incapacitated is SO brutal, like this is not a battle injury. It's straight up what Anakin fucking Skywalker does to Count Dooku just before he becomes a Sith Lord, like holy shit, dude. This scene is so cool and I've watched it 10,000 times over the past 24 hours, but also why did he do that lol, is he just supposed to be particularly cruel?? Obsessed with tormenting Crosshair for some reason?? Also, these vibroswords are exactly how I've pictured Ahsoka's being in A Future for Us :D

• At this point I was like, uhhh, the messaging of Crosshair struggling with this psychomatic hand tremor since the first episode of the season and then the symptom literally being taken out of his........hands sure is a Choice, especially coupled with how they've treated Echo (or you know, not). When they showed him still with the symptoms later, I was very relieved, AND THEN HUNTER LITERALLY CURES CROSSHAIR THROUGH THE POWER OF THE LOVE AND FAITH AND TRUST HE HAS FOR HIM IS THERE ANYTHING MORE BEAUTIFUL IN THE WORLD???? But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Echo is the GOAT

• "You were helping us, Dr. Karr?" / "I am." I love this subtle line and how Emerie acknowledges that she wasn't sure of her loyalties before but is certain now. And I love that she says such a clone trooper thing, "You have my word," and then doing the clone shoulder pat, especially in direct contrast to the natborn kids hugging Omega just before.

• "Hey, kids. ...And other kids." is just so fucking 501st, I can't explain it. I'm just so ecstatic that they did Echo such justice in the end, giving a nod to everything about his character, even his dorkass cadet personality. And it wasn't just so he could die, thank god!!!

• Like Echo even got a DARTH VADER homage??? That's his mass-murdering general (affectionate). More on this here!

• Also is there anything more Big Dick Energy in the world than Echo eviscerating Rampart—who either the clones would recognize as a former vice admiral or at least see his captain rank plaque—with what may not be a theme this show really earned but is ABSOLUTELY a theme that Echo deserves and has shouldered for over two seasons...and then just straight up shoving him out of the way so that he can talk to his brothers???? And with his stormtrooper helmet—which is like Echo refusing to dirty his hands (including his new, long-awaited one) by touching Rampart oh my god??? Sexiest man alive.

• So the answer is no, there isn't. Fives is hollering from the afterlife. Half those clones immediately developed a crush on him in that moment. That one clone later placing a blaster in Echo's arms so gently confirmed this for me (remember the symbolism of Echo making the energy crossbow for Omega? He even gives her his borrowed blaster in this scene), but it's so sad that he died because of it, whyyy.

• Also I love the "Clones don't leave our brothers behind" riff on the "We don't leave our own behind" adage. It's very fitting that Hunter would put it that way because he only means his squad (+/-1), whereas Echo would see it as meaning his people.

• And I love how when Rampart first shoves Echo, the clone in front that Echo's been talking to prickles and makes brief eye contact with him, to be like, "Should we take him? I've got your back." I felt that girls (gender neutral) in the bathroom energy so hard.

• The clones helping each other out of their cells made me so emotional. And it's the same way that Hunter and Crosshair do later...

• Echo asking for volunteers, just like Rex did on Umbara..................

• I think this post is breaking and I'm still only two-thirds of the way through my rewatch, oops. And yesterday I stayed up until 8 a.m. after I put it on again after watching it for the first time... I'm so normal about this show. More tomorrow!

• Part 2!

[gizkasparadise]

final leg of a journey to love thoughts!! (eps 35-40). this got so gd long so under a cut it goes. spoilers, of course:

PLOT STUFF/PACING

pacing for the plot definitely got shredded in the last chunk, which is a damn shame because otherwise i've been finding the pacing pretty much perfect. eps 35-37 in particular felt like they could have been like a 10 episode arc. ep 38, which mostly dealt with wu palace politics, should have been cut or streamlined imo and more time given to the characters we've actually been riding along with the whole story. by the time we get back to the pregnant empress, prince danyang, the first prince whose name i dont even remember, and the prime minister, i do not care about any of them and i think this subplot was simply just trying to fit too much shit into one bag

that said, this show still let the emotional moments hit and breathe and linger. i love the grief for the fallen liudao comrades as we go, as well as the less heavy but still emotionally important moments like yang ying and tongguan bonding over their upbringing. and we got a wedding /;3;/!!! for this show, the relationships and characters matter more than the storyline so im not mad about anything at all

side note: it's so gd millennial to have a story about a bunch of 30 something year olds who want to fake their deaths and retire into obscurity but instead they go and die for a boss they hate

CHARACTER STUFF

this show consistently brought a lot of depth to its side characters (and side side characters!!). i said it in an earlier post, but it bears repeating that even someone like deng hui i didnt expect anything from, but he got such good development and writing that he became a stealth fave. his dying words essentially being "dude, quit fucking around" ? iconic.

i didnt like tongguan as much as everyone else, so im pretty meh about everything regarding him. the attempt to force-wed ruyi was tonally really weird and didnt make sense (i assume there was some cuts made surrounding it). but LOL at him reusing all the outfits and decor immediately for his wedding to yang ying. baby duke, you tacky motherfucker. i ultimately think yang ying deserves better than him, but the good thing is that she knows this, so she'll be able to hold her own and then some entering into this partnership

shisan really was the heart in a lot of ways--the mom to yuanzhou's dad for the liudao. i was not expecting him to break my heart the way he did, but the fact that he held both qian zhao and sun lang as they died and then tried his best to remove yuan lu from harm and saved chu yue and was just very much a nurturer all the way through got me. his character couldve been cheap comic relief but the writing + performance really elevated him into one of the (imo) most memorable wuxia characters. his line wondering who would get to behead his beautiful skull!!! and how his mantra was always that he was going to drink the best wine, see the most beautiful women, and make the best of friends and he dies having lost the ability to see and having just had wine in memory of qian zhao, yuan lu, and sun lang. like. shut up!!

ruyi and yuanzhou were both so great and they're gonna be the drama OTP to beat forever. i loved the gender reversals, that they both were so respectful of each other, and that they also felt very mature in how they handled things and communicated. they were really interesting characters both together and apart and that's always a win-win. they had a schroedinger's ending where it's not super clear if they're alive or dead (i interpreted it as the latter), but what's kind of beautiful is that either option is satisfying to me. if they both died, they're reunited and with their comrades and the story is truly about the journey and the meaningful short connections we have. if they both survived, it's a bookend with the beginning where they each faked their deaths to escape. A+

COSTUMING

i gotta just separately mention the costuming for this show because it was 15/10. the textures, shisan's accessories, the way red became integrated with yuanzhou's wardrobe and blue with ruyi's. the details on the liudao name amulets!! SO GOOD. i love when characters' clothes tell a story on their own

overall i just really loved this drama it is probably my favorite wuxia ive seen so far! it's gonna be in my brain for awhile lol feel free to send fic prompts if you've made it this far :'D

[pumpkinstrawbrew]

Do you have any NSFW headcanons for batcrow?

gosh, do i ever! 

i’ll admit this ask took me longer than it should have. i had struggled to figure out how to spell my 'main' naughty hcs in like, one page max. but i failed miserably to accomplish this, so prepare yourself for the walls of text instead. somehow, it turned into an essay along the way.

still, to keep this at least somewhat modest leght, i will mostly talk about comicverse two here. the arkhamverse duo requires their own large paragraphs *even if bc there are two slightly different versions of crane within the same universe*, which would make this post even more bulky, than it already is. n' btas one would prob get the same amount of words, that i have for comicverse. so they all will have to wait lol.

but welp, i have to say, i love it when one part of my otp is kinda knows what they want an' what they're doing. while the other one is kinda either fully or partly lost. i find it funny, how bruce n' jon invented chad vs virgin meme, before it was actually made lol. even if it's not all that simple.

either way, i can't imagine a middle aged virgin like crane to know to a ‘t’ what he wants in sex. he sorta / kinda knows what he wants at best, but he also kinda doesn't know shit. as for bruce, while he had a fair share of experience with different people, n’ therefore expirience with different sexual preferences, he’s also kinda…not into anything too specific himself? well, not really. at least from what i saw, it’s hard for me to picture him having some set in stone kink, that he would indulge in with every person he sleeps with. in fact, i feel like he tends to go along with what his partner wants vs what he might have wanted. which adds to all those layers of why having sex with jon is actually a good thing for both of them lol. so my first hc is that while they both clearly would have prefs n' kinks, it's smth that needs to be expolored. bruce have more knowlege about the subject, but like jon, he has a very shaky conection with his own deepest desires. the big bad bat cannot let himself fully enjoy anything. instead, he sticks to 'simple' stuff, that feels 'safer' to approach vs examining those 'hiden' sides of his brain. i think, bruce would be afraid to emotionally rely on someone in this fashion as well. he's the kind of man, who in the end of the day, craves intimicy that he assumed would come with sex. but boy, was he dissapointed. he can still enjoy good sex, but sometimes, it's like all that he can get from it. n' after so many 'fails', he usually would tell himself, that it's better this way. don't show too much of yourself, don't get too invested, beyond what feels nice in the moment. but then, comes jonathan n' throws a wrench into everything, like he usually does by accident or not.

n' i really like how both bruce n’ jon deep down associate sex with romance. or smth inclosed in this vein. with years of heartbreak, bruce clearly abandoned this notion. not fully, but mostly. love doesn’t work out nor does it last. crane is even worse in this sense. he had learned by bitter firsthand experience how not only romance, but compassion is smth that he can’t have. he can only speculate about those things. even if he's so desparate for it, that unlike bruce, he'd be more openly, pathetically pinning for even a small chance of this to come true. he'd be figthing even for a scrap. so it's good, that he n' bruce want the same thing. they can eventually met each other half way. even if they also will have to eventually put their back into it, vs being paranoid about everything.

now as we know, crane clearly has a type *shallow one, but still*, n' bruce is an embodiment of it. the walking imagery of ancient horror figure n’ dashing knight from woman’s romantic novels in one single mix. what a lucky catch for him. on the contrary, jon himself is pretty much everything, that you don’t see in bruce’s many bedmates. crane isn't curvy, nor he openly flirty or daring. even his costume is baggy n' in most designs there isn't any skin showing at all. he does not tempt or seduce or does anything esp attractive. jonathan not anywhere close to males or females, who bruce might have felt lust toward. he’s his own category, n’ this exactly what makes him stand out in a way. body is just a body, but it’s the only part you can see n’ touch. learning that you want to touch someone bc of what you see in them vs what you see on outside is an experience on its own. n' it goes both ways, since while i do think, that scarecrow was at first more focused on batman's looks n' aestetics, it eventually grew into smth else. for bruce, it's the other way around. he was more interested in crane's inner build, even from crimefigthing point n' then found that he doesn't mind how he's looks either. he even finds certain aspects of it attractive. so my other hc, is that crane lusts for bruce first *naturally*, n' then begins obtaining fee-fees along the way.

the next big thing for me, *which i meantioned in the beginig* is that in all versions of scarebat, i picture that jonathan is a prudish virgin, who is also comically horny. basically, he’s one of those people, who would harbor all kinds of longings, but look at everyone else like on a pervert, when they do the same thing lol. crane isn’t himself, if he’s not a huge hypocrite. he’s also not self-aware enough to notice his own slip-ups. bruce kinda does, but he’s generous about it. the only instance, where he won’t take selfish pleasure in bullying jon is this. he, actually canonically seem to leave this subject alone, which is nice of him. even tho, he could like, really drag jonathan about the whole 'handsome, large jock thing', bc no straight man would ever refer to another men like that. but jon is in the closet, without knowing it. everyone else kinda do, but they also never talk about it. rogue's version of bro code bruce certanly won't talk about it, either.

but the favor is never returned, bc jonathan would be on the bat instantly, if he noticed some kind of odd response. it's in his nature to be mean n’ prying. he can’t help himself, even if it goes beyond creepy in some cases. that’s the dual wields of being a deviant n’ a total virgin. he also prob assumes, that bruce will be into females only. n' he's no female. he's just a cranky, ugly twink lol. so if the bat would begin act weird around him, it's breathtaking in its own right. that's like, his wildest *wet* dream coming true. you can't hope for him to be normal about it. crane would throw himself into this, like a sad desperate loser he is. *i'm always calling him those things with upmost love, do not fret*

meanwhile, bruce with all that sexual experience of his *prob less so with men tbh* is kinda not fully sure how to go about things. it won’t take much for jon to cream his pants, realistically. n’ yeah, literally cum before even the main action will begin. i feel like between btas n’ arkhamverse, comicverse crane is the most ‘easy’ one. the other two will at least attempt to calm themselves down to not look ‘stupid’ n’ inexperienced, comicverse jon is like, never this 'cool'. which makes the bat feel a tad torn, since i don’t think that he was with many virgins before, n’ he also cannot just mentally ‘rely’ on his partner doing what he thinks they want from him here. he has to improvise n’ also let himself do what he wants as result, which is so scandalous lol. but he would eventually get that crane won’t do what he wants, unless bruce will start doing it first. the sex was never scarier, than this. where you actually have to enjoy yourself fully [gasp]

humble the ‘sex god’ bruce is my kink, i guess. prob will become jon’s too, once *or if* he realize what kind of ‘power’ he has. no women had this power over the bat. bc bruce knows what to do with them. with jon, he has to learn those things. has to let himself go a bit too. less of cinematic kisses an' grouping with the catwoman, n' more of slightly messy n' fumbling encounter with the 'crow. jon not knowing how to kiss *but agressivly tries to learn* will just add to this lol.

n' while scarebat will always have power struggle / power imbalance in their dynamic, even given their statuses as villain n’ the hero, in certain areas, it might get flipped on its head. in my head, bruce does to a degree view his sexual encounters with crane as isolated experience. n’ he doesn’t know what to do with this revelation, esp bc he has a lot of things to compare it to. bruce is all about self-control n’ strong will, its wild for him to be this…exposed n’ aching for intimacy yet again, i suppose. n’ that’s not even about his pride or anything, it’s just plainly dangerous n’ scary. every fiber of his being would be tense n’ doubtful about repercussions of what to come, if this fails or backfire too. n’ it all despite the fact, that if there is one villainous plot that batman can be certain for crane to not ever use, it’s this. jonathan is manipulative *his faulty brain would make him act like that*, but not in that instance.

on his end, jonathan basking in this new thing, but he’s scared for different reasons. mostly, to be abandoned later on. for this to end for whatever reason. so he might grow more active / somewhat pushy at times. unlike the bat, he has nothing to compare this to, not any other person to learn from / with, but bruce. n' he’s not interested in trying those things to later on use them on someone else, he only cares to figure out what responses bruce has. the obssessive focus, that they share, but that disorientating all the same. esp for bruce. he’s not stranger to have people or his rogues being hyperfixated on him, even with sexual undertones, but he wasn’t in actual center of such an obsession before this moment. in center, where he actually allowed access to his person. it's also new to be with someone, who isn't apt in this or does smth to be seductive or to show off, it's just yet another attempt to figure the other out, just in different ways. an' without ulteror motive for once. tho, crane also be more offten than not selfish about this too, if he give the room to roam so to speak. some discipling be needed from time to time, but this part bruce knows like the back of his hand. jon also knows the back of batman's hand, considering that it had slapped him at least twice during their fights in the past lol.

their sex can be anything tho. rough, gentler, slower thing, smth in between. it’s situational, whimsical n’ depends on the mood of both parties. crane is usually more horny, than bruce. the years of his sexual frustration could move a mountain at this point. he’s greedy, but he also can be sustained with 'lesser' things, which are just as 'big' to him. heavy petting, handjob, just rutting would do the trick. n' this i think, bruce also usually doesn't have time to be doing. or whoever he had sex with, had no time for this.

as for what kinks they might have, well, there is too many to list them all up. esp since sometimes, i can see certain characters having some…uh, weird prefs, that i myself not a big fan of even visually, but in my mind eye, i can see that exact character possibly having it. like, all comicverse scarecrows are serial killers *besides the period of time, where all villains were just robing banks* some stuff would be more intense with jon, than if bruce would simply fucked someone who loves him. crane, isn't just in love or just obssessed, he is obssessedly loves him. so body worship is surely be a thing for jon, when it comes to the bat. n’ not like a cute, sweet kind, but an over-attentive, needy one. the more skin he can acess the better, all while, crane would insist on keeping some of his own clothes on, or his mask or just try to hide his face, since his appearance is the biggest insecurity of his. bruce will have to be crafty about this one, bc for him it’s not an issue. but it’s hard to make it stop being one for jonathan, who had this mentality his whole life. his not pretty or bosomy. dude barely has fat on his ass, but there is a novelty to a figure, that is all skin, bones n’ tight muscle. can press a hand to stomach n’ almost feel up how organs lie there, or a dick. now, bruce just have to find ways to show it.

speaking of dicks, while jonathan had always thought that bat is hung, actually seeing it in person would make him feel odd things. on y’know, masochistic spectrum kind of odd. he won’t mind to be choked on it for one, or that it would often slightly hurt, if he had to fit it inside himself. he does want to be actually wrecked like this sometimes. n’ it’s rare when bruce can let himself be this aggressive with anyone else. even if sometimes, he does want to be mean. he has anger issues, no matter how much he tries to repress them. having someone, who won’t judge him for it or look at him side-ways after those moments will surely help. jonathan knows a lot about the bat’s anger, even if via their stand offs. it doesn’t shock him. or like scares him, if he knows that this roughness isn't out of negative emotions toward him. but then again, i don't imagine that jonathan's thoughts are super coherent, when they intimate together. usually, he's relieved n' happy, that it happens again n' again. n' thinks about details more rationally later. he also understand some 'abuse' n' kinda can ignore the other, so this can be a bit of an issue in some cases. but it's more of specific set up, i think. vs like general one.

on a more specific note, i strictly see the bat as top, n’ jonathan as bottom. i rarely have ships, where characters switch. in 99 cases, those ratios are how i see dynamic in its core. jonathan is very submissive. esp submissive to the bat. even if this doesn’t mean, that he can’t be more assertive, despite being the one who takes it up the ass. even if comicverse crane is usually this, when batman in specific state or when he’s with bruce, not the bat. he still have that mean, bossy stick up there. unless, it's bloodrain version of scarebat, where jon is submissive as fuck almost all the time in every sense n' way. n' bruce is very pushy n' greedy. to the point, where it’s a wonder how crane even survives them fucking so many times in the row. i mean, evil bruce isn’t a very considerate lover lol. even if there is love in it, he's also goes at it like a hungry animal. that particular jon would dig it, but it's not healthy or actually good for him. n' this time around, bruce isn't sane enough to put a stop to this either. but once again, i feel like some kinks / dynamics n' issues can be very specific an' depend heavily onto au or situation, it all happening in. like almost every ship, scarebat can be good for those involved, n' it also can be not very good, or rather clearly dangereous, but it'll be akin to being stuck inside the car without breaks. can as well push onto gas pedal, while you at it, then. or try to jump out of car.

another bit of hc, is that jonathan is pretty noisy n’ whiny. every touch pushes a sound out of him. bruce is more silent, so getting noises out of him is rewarding. crane savors every bit n’ every note, when he gets those. bruce thinks, that jon’s noises are kinda cute. no one was ever this vocal, when he touched them before. crane is also shit at trying to keep said noises behind his teeth. he’s too sensitive. n’ blushes like a tomato too. not very elegant or graceful in that sense, but it’s very real n’ not what the bat is used to. jon still be an incel about it at times tho, don’t worry. not all his comments will be ‘flattering’, bc ‘of course, handsome, big jocks would be good at this’. or ‘what reservations with this a thot like you can have’. but hey, at least, bruce will have smth else to shut him up with besides a fist, this time around. 

i also think, that in aus, where crane involved with either only batman or bruce, he would act kinda differently with both of them. despite, the fact that if he tried to sleep with them both within the same story, he would have figured out instantly that bruce is the bat. while in masks, jon n’ bruce can act tougher, or meaner, but the core is all the same. they are the same dude each time, even if they both love distancing themselves from their maskless attires. i do find it sad n’ funny at the same time, since them being involved like this woudl throw a wretch into this whole narrative. like, who sleeps with crane, the symbol of justice or a man, who the bat claims does not exist n’ only serves as a daytime disguise? n' who earns for such a closeness, the master of fear, who is supposed to be ‘above’ it, or a lil loser jonathan crane, who should be long ‘gone’ n' replaced with sinister scarecrow? 

them being forced to deal with their mental problems, while bumping uglies is the best self-therapy that they can get prob. so once again, scarebat having 'spooky' sex in ways, where emotions are scary is just such a good stuff. can enjoy the ride, but all those pesky 'problems' are still there. like, if their sexual encounter can’t be smth, it’s ‘casual’. full-time commitment right here.

inside crane’s faulty mind, this checks all the boxes. held hands, had a kiss, fall in love, had sex. they are basically married now lol. i mean, he IS crazy, all things considering, so him being able to fuck n’ be close with the bat will only make certain delusions of his way worse. his jealousy will get worse too. gonna throw hands with the joker n' catwoman each time, he sees them near batman lol.

[karahalloway]

(Less Than) Noble Intentions: Chapter 15 - Not Without Obligation

Fandom: TRR

Pairing: Drake Walker x F!OC (Harper Gale)

Series Summary: The social season may be over, but Harper Gale’s problems are just beginning. With everyone at court a potential suspect, can she and Drake survive the engagement tour and get to the bottom of the plot against her and clear her name? An AU take of TRR2 featuring my OTP - Harper & Drake.

Masterlist: (Less Than) Noble Intentions

Chapter Summary: Harper gets a surprise visit from Christian... but are his intentions sincere?

Word Count: 2,800 (short for me, I know enjoy it while you can 😆)

Rating/Warnings: M (swearing, angst, possible ulterior motives)

Chapter theme song:

A/N: I know it's been more than a hot minute since I've updated this series! 😅 This is in part because I got sidetracked by Sleepless in New York also on my list to finish, I know, and then I took most of the summer off from writing. But also in part because I kinda got stuck on how to actually continue with this series... but, I now have a plan! *rubs hands together gleefully* and you ain't gonna like it, sorry, not sorry. So, with this long-awaited installment, I hope to be back in my usual groove and will be posting with some semblance of regularity again. Thanks so much for bearing with me!

A/N2: This is also my submission for @choicesseptemberchallenge2023 Day 25 Prompt - Secret, Surprise I’m only 2 days late

Chapter 15 - Not Without Obligation

Making my way back to my room, I try to push down the conflicting emotions that are roiling inside of me.

On one hand, I get where Drake is coming from, and why he shut the door in my face. We are no longer alone in Applewood and even the faintest whiff of impropriety could implode the carefully strategised work that the royal PR team has put in to try and resuscitate my public image.

And me getting caught outside of the room of a guy who not only is not Christian, but who I have no justifiable reason for seeking out at the butt-crack of dawn in the first place, would definitely scupper the assertion that I'm not a two-timing hussy. Especially since I rushed out of my room earlier wearing nothing more than a t-shirt and panties.

Mitigating factors, they are not.

But while the rational part of my brain knows that Drake is only trying to look out for me, I can't help but feel a pang of dejection at the abruptness with which he — very literally — shut me out, even though he promised yesterday that he wouldn't do something like that to me again.

Because God knows that it had been hard enough to get him to open up the first time!

And even though I'm not expecting him to have completely reversed his habitudes overnight, I guess I'd been hoping that our conversation in the barn would've prompted some kind of step in the desired direction.

Because it's clear that the bruises on my neck unnerved him. The turmoil on his face had made that clear. As the marks are not just some haphazard side-effect of our frantic love-making. They are a very real and visible reminder of the tangible strength of his feelings — and the fact that he lost control of them.

And as much as I understand the knee-jerk cause of his reaction, the last thing I want — or need — right now is for Drake to distance himself from me because he's scared of hurting me again.

That, I could not cope with.

"Demoiselle," nods Allard as I arrive back at my room.

I flash him a distracted smile on auto-pilot. He saw and heard what happened. There is no point rehashing anything. Especially since this isn't something he or Schweitzer can help with.

The weight of my Guard's concerned gaze flick over me as I shuffle past, but they both remain silent, no doubt sensing that I'm not in the mood for conversation.

Shutting the door behind me, I close my eyes as I lean back against the solidness of the wood.

Why are things never simple 'round here?

I really wish Drake and I could've taken a moment to talk things through. Because today's Apple Harvest Festival is expected to see hundreds of people descend onto Applewood to not only celebrate this year's bountiful crop of Cordonian Rubies, but to also catch a glimpse of the new King and his future Queen.

And if I thought that cornering Drake at the apple pick had been hard, the chances of being able to do so today are going to be slim to none.

But the rest of the week doesn't offer any better options because tomorrow we're off to Italy, where we'll likely have even less opportunity for privacy given the high-profile and international nature of the coming engagements.

My eyes snap open. I have to talk to him now.

As much as Drake may be concerned about protecting what's left of my image, I'm not going to let him use the inconvenience of our circumstances as an excuse to hide behind his insecurities or erect walls between us. Because the hard truth is that there's never going to be a good time to talk unless we make time.

Which is exactly what I am going to do, possible scandal be damned. I cannot let a tenuous fear borne out of a possible public backlash hold me back. My relationship with Drake is worth infinitely more to me than whatever garbage the paps may decide to print because some aristo decided to tattle on me if I get caught sneaking back into his room.

Because, let's face it. Even if I do end up on the front pages tomorrow (for all the wrong reasons), the fact of the matter is that any photo, any situation — no matter how sordid or innocent — can be spun any which way.

I've learnt that the hard way. So, I may as well use it to my own advantage for once.

Pushing myself away from the door, I march into my walk-in closet with renewed determination. Pulling the t-shirt that I'd slept in over my head, I quickly throw on a bra, some jean shorts and a black tank top.

Slotting my bare feet into my well-worn Sketchers, I make my way over to the French doors that lead out onto balcony so I can try to figure out the best way to scamper over to Drake's room without killing myself, given that I stand a better chance of slipping under the aristo's nosy radar via the balcony than going back through the corridor.

Hopefully, I can—

Tap, tap tap.

I stop mid-stride at the sound of knocking coming from the other side of my door.

Turning around, I contemplate whether I should respond, or pretend that I hadn't heard.

I have precious little time if I want to catch Drake before he disappears on me to do... whatever it is that he does in the mornings before the start of a royal event.

So, if I want to make it to his room, I need to go now before he finishes getting dressed.

But, then again, there is only a very small number of people at court who'd come directly to my room to talk to me. Especially at this time in the morning.

So, it could be important. It could be about Tariq...

...it could be Drake.

The latch clicks open.

I glance anxiously back towards the balcony, trying to decide if I should—

"May I come in?"

I whirl around in surprise at the sound of the unexpected voice. "Christian!"

He pokes his head 'round the door. "I... I didn't catch you in a state of undress, did I?"

"No! No... I was already dressed," I admit, trying to be as casual as possible as I quickly brush my hair over my shoulders in a haphazard attempt to try and cover up the bruises, given that I hadn't thought to slather any cover-up over myself yet.

Christian definitely doesn’t need to be asking questions about those!

"Ah, good!" he responds, stepping fully into the room and closing the door behind him. "You're an early riser, like myself."

"You can thank the Beaumonts," I mutter under my breath, glancing guiltily back toward the balcony.

So much for stealing a much-needed moment with Drake...

"I apologise for the intrusion," Christian continues, crossing the space between us, "especially at such an early hour. But I was hoping to catch you alone before the start of the Apple Harvest Festival."

One word catches my attention. "A-Alone...?"

He comes to a stop in front of me. "Very much so."

Anxiety flares in the pit of my stomach as Drake's words from yesterday swirl through my mind.

...he's trying to win you back.

And it suddenly hits me that I haven't been alone — truly alone — with Christian since the day of the Jamboree. When he took me into the hedge maze and offered me a duchy.

My mind starts to whirl.

Had that been the start of this... crusade? The fact that I turned him down? Does he still think he can change my mind? Is he simply incapable of accepting 'no' as an answer?

I force my gaze up to meet his.

His emerald green eyes behold me calmly, with maybe a hint of excitement. But I cannot read his intention.

"Wh-why?" I finally blurt out.

A smile spreads across his face. "To bestow upon you your letters patent, of course!"

I gape at him. "My letters of what?"

He chuckles good-naturedly at my evident confusion. "Letters patent. Itis a type of royal decree that formally confers some manner of privilege onto the names designee — an office of state, a coat of arms, a commercial monopoly... or, in this case, your new title as Duchess of Valtoria."

With a flourish, he pulls out a small, leather-bound box that he's been hiding behind his back.

I stare at it mutely.

"It won't bite, I promise," he assures me wryly.

Reaching up with a tepid smile, I accept the box, which is a lot heavier than it looks.

Opening it up, I find a medieval-looking document nestled in the lid, complete with densely-packed Chancery script and and a historiated initial C embossed with the stylised image of the Cordonian royal crest.

Peering at the text — which I can only assume is an archaic form of French — I can just about make out the odd word, like my name, Christian's name, and Valtoria. But the rest remains completely incomprehensible.

Presumably some grand declarations about the bestowal...

In the bottom part of the box rests a cream-coloured envelope also bearing the Cordonian royal crest, along with my name, though this time written in delicate cursive lettering.

"What's this?" I ask Christian, lifting the letter up.

"Your papers of naturalisation," he informs me. "Along with your new passport and ID card."

I glance up at him in surprise. "I am now a Cordonian citizen?"

"It would not have been possible to issue the letters patent otherwise," he says. "Even a king must abide by the diktats of the law."

"I... don't need to sign anything?"

"The US Consulate was very accommodating, given the unique nature of the circumstances."

My stomach twists unexpectedly. "Oh..."

Dual citizenship is a good thing, right?

Returning my attention to the box, I see that the envelope has been concealing a large, intricate-looking seal bearing what appears to be the stylised outline of a rampant phoenix, next to which sits a signet ring with the same image.

"Does it meet expectations?" asks Christian.

"I'm not sure I know what I'd been expecting..." I admit, running a finger over the lines of the mythical bird, marvelling at the level of detail that's been put into creating such a realistic rendering, complete with individual licks of flame spouting from the tail feathers.

"Any egregious spelling errors?"

"Not that I can see," I admit, glancing up at him. "But—"

"Excellent!" he declares, reaching over the lid of the box to deftly pluck the signet ring out from its nest of blue silk.

Before I have a chance to react, he's clasped my hand in his to poise the heavy circlet of gold at the tip of my ring finger.

"Wait!" I gasp in the face of the unexpectedly intimate turn of events. "What are you—?"

"It would be remiss of me if I did not verify the correctness of the sizing," he advises, meeting my panicked gaze calmly.

"You don't need t—"

"It would be my pleasure," he insists, slipping the ring onto the digit before I can protest further.

As he withdraws his hand, my eyes fall onto the spot where the cool metal's unfamiliar weight now encircles the base of my finger.

"Perfect," Christian declares with a satisfied smile, brushing his thumb over the phoenix insignia.

I stare at the band with an uneasily mix of feelings swirling in my chest. "Christian, I—"

"Let's celebrate, shall we?" he announces, pulling back to click his fingers with a decisive snap.

On cue, the door behind Christian swings open to admit a veritable procession of servants bearing ice buckets, champagne, crystal flutes and tiny servings of finger food.

"Wait..." I stammer in the face of organised onslaught. "They were waiting outside this whole time?"

"I may have take a page out of your party planning book," he admits with a grin while the industrious staff set about transforming my bedroom into a first-class tea room. "Seeing the success you had with Drake on his birthday, I thought I would try my hand at surprising you on this important day."

"And that's great, but I never agreed—"

"Didn't you?" Christian asks with a level look as he nabs a miniature scone from the tray of a passing server.

I shake my head. "No, I—"

"Because I specifically recall you giving your unambiguous consent at yesterday's apple pick to proceed with finalising your new status," he states, taking a bite out of the pastry.

I open my mouth, but promptly shut it as the conversation from the orchard floats back into my consciousness.

"...having the paperwork squared away before our departure would grant significant boon for your image."

"Oh. Okay..."

"Oh, fuck..." I mutter as the cold hand of hindsight clamps down on the nape of my neck.

Christian had obviously mischaracterised my somewhat dazed reaction as some kind of explicit affirmation.

And since Drake's appearance yesterday had interrupted the conversation at that key moment, I never had a chance to correct the misunderstanding.

But I need to. Because once again, Christian has taken matters into his own hands and acted without my my prior agreement or approval t. Just like he had done when he decided to send me away during the Coronation Ball, only to then bring me back to court as his mistress, not to mention spring an actual duchy on me without any warning.

And while his heart's probably been in the right place each and every time, I'm not sure that I can cope with any more bolts from the blue.

Especially when they so drastically upend my life.

Heaving a breath, I look back up at the King of Cordonia again. "Look, Christian, I really appreciate all of this, but I think there's been a major—"

The loud bang! of the champagne bottle shooting its cork across the room makes me jump.

Turning around, I can see that the gold-coloured liquid is already in the process of being dispensed into a pair of waiting crystal flutes.

"I hope you like this Moët & Chandon Imperial Vintage 1946 that I had picked out," Christian murmurs, brushing a hand over the small of my back. "It is an exceptional cuvée with notes of citrus, apple and pear — an apt combination, I thought, given the occasion."

"Because of the pear trees in Valtoria..." I surmise heavily, watching a footman bring over a pair of freshly-filled champagne flutes with a foreboding note of finality.

"Exactly," confirms Christian, grabbing a glass from the tray. "A beautifully complimentary pairing. One that hope we can both enjoy for many years to come."

"Yes, but—"

"Let's toast, shall we?" prompts Christian, cutting me off yet again as the footman proffers me the other serving of expensive bubbly.

I stare at it like a poison pill.

This is what Drake had warned me about, isn't it? That Christian would seek to manoeuvre me into a corner like a chess piece... By giving with one hand, only to take with the other when the time came for the chips to fall due. Because what better way to create an unimpeachable sense of obligation than by making me into a duchess? A literal vassal to the Crown? Required to do the King's bidding, no matter the cost?

And if that really is his aim, then he has certainly been succeeding.

But at the same time, I am not sure I can trust my assessment. Christian has given no indication, one way or another, as to where his goals lay. And even if the misunderstanding had been genuine, to turn him down now would not only be inexplicably rude, but maybe also dangerous?

Would I be jeopardising Christian's support in the hunt for Tariq and my quest to set the record straight if I offend him by throwing all his heartfelt effort back in his face? Especially when I don't know for certain what Christian's motives are?

Because what if Drake is wrong? What if there is no hidden agenda and I'm just massively overthinking this entire thing because I've been burned once already and now everyone looks suspect... Even — and especially — when I'm being offered help?

"Harper?" queries Christian. "Everything alright?"

I shake myself out of my stupor and grab the crystal flute. "I'm fine. Just... Trying to come to grips with it all."

"There will be plenty of time for that," he assures me with a grin, raising his glass. "To the new Duchess of Valtoria!"

I clink the delicate crystal in my hand against his with a leaden feeling in my stomach.

There's no going back now...

For better or for worse, I have just become an aristo.

The story continues in Chapter 16 - Snakes in the Garden

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(Less Than) Noble Intentions only (let me know if you want to be added!)

@thetruthisthatiloveyou @anakjaybon-blog

[dolls-self-ships]

Two Birds One Storm

heyyyy this is my first fic in a while also it’s not finished yet this is only part one so it’s a quick read if you’re interested! <3 inspired by this prompt by otp-fanfic-ideas

“Oh my, would you look at that?”

Mac raised her head with a slight curious hum in her throat at the sound of her voice, she looked over to see her .. em.. friend, sitting by the window of her hut, which was being rapidly spotted with heavy raindrops, making an aggressive tap.. tap tap.. tap.. tap tap sound on the glass.

Mac felt startled, she could have sworn she calculated this weeks weather to a T, and all accounts showed nothing but sunshine, but sometimes Mother Nature had a way of being particularly unpredictable. Either that or she had miscalculated, but Mac would rather believe the first thing than the second one.

“Why, it’s just raining cats and dogs” Daphne tsked, still observing the grey sky and the cloudy mist that now covered the island.

“Oh aye” Mac agreed as she joined Daphne at the window, looking up to study the clouds herself. “And that great big one looks like a cumulonimbus. An et looks like there’s more rolling in fast as et is.”

Daphne looked at her, a little confused at first but trying her best to remember what kind of cloud that was. She had been getting used to Mac’s way of putting things into very technical terms, on top of her thick Scottish accent- of which both she found endlessly charming- and she would hate to make Mac repeat herself, as she often had to.

After a couple seconds, Daphne was almost certain she remembered. “That means uh.. thunder right?”

Mac smiled at her, and nodded in approval. She gave a little "mhm!" as in 'that's correct!'.

"I must say hen, you're catchin' on faster than Mr. Rhodes ever did. Yer a fast learner!" Mac praised her with an approving grin and a wink. Daphne felt a small sense of pride swell inside of her when Mac said that, partially because she liked the feeling of being better than Rocky at something, but also because she liked that Mac felt understood by her.

“Maybe because we spend so much time together" she giggled.

Mac felt a little bit of a rush from that, a warmth filled her cheeks as she nodded. "Aye, that too." She looked back out the window,

After a few moments of staring out into the rain, it slowly began to dawn on Daphne that her hut was all the way on the other side of town, and getting there would be like hell in just the rain alone, let along when the storm starts picking up. She gently cleared her throat and stammered "W-well, I-I should probably start headin' out now"

Mac was shocked, what on earth was she saying? She couldn't go out in this weather. "What? Now? I donnae think that's such a good idea, lass."

Daphne sighed "If I don't get goin' now I'm not gonna make it home" she said, shaking her head, "and I would hate to be a bother to you"

The rain started to pick up more, followed by a loud crash that startled the two. Both their heads turned quickly back to the window, and their eyes slowly travled upwards to see clusters of rain clouds, more and more packing in as if they all had a personal vendetta against this one specific chicken-housing island. They could see tiny flashes of light coming from between the cracks of plush looking grey forms in the sky, but it wasn't sunshine like one would hope, the flashes were erratic and white, the lightning had already begun to start up.

"Hen, I cannae let you go out in that, ye could ge'y knocked over by de wind, lost in all de fog, shrivel up like a wee raisin from all the rain, catch hypothermia-"

Daphne watched as Mac counted on her fingers all the possibilities she could face if she went outside at this time, in an effort to get her to stop, she placed her wings overtop of hers.

"Alright, alright, I get it, I just.." She paused, shifting in her seat and taking a breath “I just don’t wanna impose, that’s all”

Mac shook her head. “Even if that was, hen, there’s no wey that wee half-built bit wuld keep you warm enough in this.”

Daphne hummed, looking back outside as she saw the first bolt of lightening hit the water around the island. She wasn’t able to get out a response in time as Mac has already gotten up from her seat.

“Sit tight while I put de kettle on.”

As Mac left to the kitchen to get started, Daphne watched her with guilty eyes. She didn't know what it was, but everytime she was being waited on by someone, it always felt off. Wrong somehow. She hated making people go out of their way for her, she didn't like the feeling that she was causing trouble or making someone get up, even when it was a simple of a task as brewing tea. So, she quickly got up from her seat.

"Wait" She followed after her,  Mac turned over her shoulder from where she stood, already at the counter with the kettle going, which had already begun to make its low steaming sound, a high pitched, barely audible 'phhhwwwwtttt' sound. Daphne came up beside her and plucked two tea bags from the little display Mac had placed on the kitchen top. Peppermint- Mac's favourite. "I'll get these for ya"

Mac smiled, holding out her hand to grab the two little bags. "Thanks hen" she said, reaching for them a bit further than she intended, and accidentally brushing her hand over Daphne fingertips.

phhhwwttt

Mac jolted, a gasp hitched in her throat. Her teeth clenched as she flinched her hand away, feeling that familiar warmth in her cheeks again. Her eyes flickered between her recoiled hand and Daphne’s face, hoping that she could read her expression just enough to predict what was going through her mind at that moment.

Ppppphhhwhwwttttt

Daphne wasn't all that suave either, she didn’t say a word, but her eyes spoke volumes. They wouldn't leave the spot on her hand that Mac accidentally touched, it was like she could still feel a ghost of what the sensation was like to have her feathertips brush hers. It was still warm. Still comfortable.

PPPPPHHHHWWWTTTTTTT

Her eyes darted back up to the maroon combed hen, who then turned away from her shyly and said in an awkward tone and held out her hand, palm up, instead for Daphne to place the bags in.

"Ah... sorry"

It was up until then that Daphne had completely forgotten about the tea.

“It’s alright…”

click

The water was ready.

[nicegaai]

im attempting my fic reread today. im announcing this bc i will be liveblogging to keep my morale up, NOT THAT anyone cares but i personally need this, like ill only commit to do the thing if theres an imaginary audience holding me accountable. & i like to have fun :3

anyway. captains log, its a beautiful sunny july weekend. i just finished my morning coffee, and, i am dreading this so much. i dont like rereading my own writing but i shall get over it. ok here we go.

Þetta Reddast vagueblogged directors commentary edition

Ch 1:

*opens fic and starts convulsing immediately* god i wish i smoked weed rn. i cannot chill out ever for the life of me

My Mission For Today Is: to remember what plot threads I’ve left hanging so I can resolve this story properly. And also try n remember where the flow is going. I have the end plotted out, I just am a little lost … it’s been a while :-(

------------

Abrupt beginning!!!! I’m not mad because I have . I HAD. Almost no writing experience when I started this. it isn’t ideal but I refuse to be one of those fanfic writers that starts rewriting early chapters without finishing the last ones. Ive never seen one of those types actually finish a longfic. …I’d already rather yap than actually read LMAO AHH

Oh this is worse than I remember. thats cool that s great ok alright *coughs up blood*

"20 somethings" WOW I really did not know where I was going with this when I started huh

LKJSDLKSJDLGKGDJSLDGJK ??? Who authorized this. Who let me cook. What the hell

I could write this better now. I could edit this into something beautiful. <- devil on my shoulder

FORGOT I WAS MAKING RICE BRB

"generously offered nothing to the exchange." wait STOPPPP. I’m so funny

GRAMMAR ERROR DETECTED why is there two periods. I’ll be coming back to fix that …………………. :-(((

Fuck. This is a lot. Marge Simpson Hiding Her Face dot Png

Oh this is stupid this is gayyy this is fukcinnn . Who fucking did t his. What was wrong with me,. This is so good actually. what was i ONNNN. 

Im gonna throw up and I don’t know if thats like/. A complimentary thing or if im just cringing that hard . Im feeling emotions. I love my OTPs..OT3~5? I love them so so much

Ok as much as im like “eww bad writing” this is .. dare I say, rly good in places. Not to suck my own dick but maybe all hope isnt lost and imposter syndrome is an illusion

Grammar mistake #2. Goddddddd. they should ban me from the archive for this

EMILLLLL EMIL EMIL EMIL HIIIIII BABYYYY EMILLL I LOVE UUUU AWWHUUGHH everyone clap for my bewoved baby bruvver right FUCKING now

Urghhh gritting my teeth… Im fully expecting the flow of events to start not making any gd sense. There’s no way this came together the way I hoped in my head and .... For real I was never able to read this all the way thru. this is my first time, lol. and it was all disjointed on the authorial end to say the least. Im scared T-T

Jlxjvklsdkjfsjlkdkjlsjklkljzsdkjlgaskljdgjklasljkgdljkasljkdgjklasjlkdgljkaskljdgjakl?????????? 

Im not liking the ratio of dialogue to whatever the other stuff is. scene-setting I guess. prose maybe. i could have dragged this out way longer... By which I mean made it a more satisfying read. But WHATEVER !!!! 

TIMO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TIMOOOOOOOOOO NUMERO UNOOOO DO MUNDOOOOOO I really need to utilize him more. As soon as I finish this fic I need to write a Timo POV spinoff where he gets cancelled on furry twitter for proshipping in real life

Hmmmm chapter ending didn’t hit as hard in practice as it did in drafts. Oh well. God damn that was a lot to happen in one chapter LMAOO???

OH SHIT MY RICE IS STILL COOKING —— 

[windsweptinred]

Hello @bobbole me dear. Thank you so much for the amazing asks. 💖 I'm going to split them into two answers as there's two different ships. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to waffle on about two of my most beloved otps. ❤️❤️

OK first, Desunity (Desire x Unity Kinkaid). 

6. What is their favourite feature of their partner's?

I couldn't decide whether to answer this in terms of a physical feature or a personality feature. So, I've done both. 😅

Desire's favourite feature about Unity? Easy, her innate contentment. Unity isn't a creature of avarice. She's brave and loving, and has the phenomenal ability to take whatever fate throws at her and embrace it. She doesn't bemoan the years lost to her and wish her youth back. She's content, is thankful for her dream life and the family she has found on the other side of it. Imagine Desire, forever craved, forever wanted for what they can in turn promise. Always twisted and shaped into the object of another's greatest lust. Imagine them presented with a rare creature such as Unity, peaceful and fulfilled. Who wants nothing from them. And in turn learns to love them, the true them. Possibly the first being ever to do so besides their beloved twin. How truly precious this must be for them?

Desire's favourite physical feature? Well, this is a very self indulgent headcanon. But in every AU Unity lives on in the Dreaming I've envisioned, I've always pictured Unity as an ageless being, who can appear both young and old as she pleases. But always, always with those beautiful, aged, silver locks, a symbol of the years that have passed. A permanent reminder of the dream life she and Desire have lived together in a timeless realm. It would be permanent proof of a period of contentment for Desire. And I think they'd covet those tresses more than anything in existence. 

Unity's favourite feature about Desire. Well, I personally think she loves Desire's balkiness. This is Unity (take no prisoners) Kinkaid. Who looked upon the lord of the Dreaming for the first time and verbally laid the smacketh down five seconds later. (Desire must have been so proud!) Unity is 40% heart/ 40% sass and 20% giant gonads! She's more than a match for Desire at their peak brat and I can definitely see their foreplay being a fiery verbal tit for tat. Would Unity be an overall good influence on Desire? Sure. But she loves them for them. And that includes that razor sharp snark. I can just imagine Unity admonishing Desire for a particularly brutal put down, while simultaneously smirking at them with pure pride in her eyes. I pity the poor fool that tries to take them on as a unit.

As for physical, well we all know that. It's those resplendent golden eyes. 

26. What would be their theme song?

I know I've answered this one before. Possibly more than once I think. 😅 I've gone with something from the roaring twenties, as it's a decade I intricately connect this couple with. I've gone with ‘Once upon a Dream’ before… for obvious reasons. But you know what, honestly and truly the song that always makes me think of this beloved ship is Freed from desire by Gala. Considering what I said about the Unity...

“My love has got no money

He's got his strong beliefs

My love has got no power

He's got his strong beliefs

My love has got no fame

He's got his strong beliefs

My love has got no money

He's got his strong beliefs

Want more and more

People just want more and more

Freedom and love

What he's looking for

Freed from desire

Mind and senses purified”

One pure joy in my life is getting ready bounce my heart out and Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na like no one's watching while thinking of them. 🤣

[trouslinabone]

what do you think about undertale ships?

WARNING: THIS IS A LONG LIST OF VARIOUS SHIPS OF BOTH UNDERTALE AND DELTARUNE. SOME SHIPS ARE IMMORAL. (With pictures :D)

Depends on the ship.

When I first was learning about Undertale, I looked up a lot of Undertale Comic Dubs (I knew more about AUs than the actual game for a while), so I was prone to a lot of ship material, notably Frans, Sanscest, and Fontcest. As I matured, I lost interest in most ships, but there are some I think about from time to time.

-

I was into Frans for a minute, as there was so many cute comic dubs of it, but stopped caring about it as I eventually starting disliking Sans. I was still a kid at this point. Like 13 or so. While I like Sans as a character now, I still don't go after it as it's immoral and typically feels like a power complex.

(Made by WaiqiuVale)

-

I was into Charus for a while, and still am to a degree, but the moral ambiguity of it makes me not really look into it much anymore either. (Is Chara still a kid even if Chara has been dead for ages? Probably. Is Papyrus a kid as well due to his childish manners? Probably not.)

I mainly liked it due to this specific scenario where Papyrus successfully convinced Chara to abort genocide and thought them to be a better person. You can tell I liked this when "Chara is evil" was still the fanon consensus.

(Made by TallestDwarfGremlin)

-

I hate Papyton. No real reason, I just think it's a toxic ship and Papyrus deserves better. I also dislike Mettaton as a character. He's funny, but in comparison to everyone else, kinda flat. He's the most 2 dimensional character.

He's a star, he likes being a star and wants to be a bigger star but wasn't always a star. There's minor interesting things, but eh... As I believe Papyrus has an insane amount of depth, I'd want him to be with someone with a lot of depth as well.

(Made by GalacticJoelle)

-

Asriel x Chara (Chariel?) feels like step incest. It can be cute, but it's a tough pill to swallow.

(Made by Renrick)

-

Speaking of incest, Fontcest is a ship I dislike. I understand the appeal - Papyrus and Sans have really good chemistry, care for eachother, and are funny together... But that's because they're family.

Something that comes to mind about Fontcest tho, there's this one high-quality animation that is genuinely insanely good and emotional that's fontcest. AM I SUPPOSED TO DISLIKE IT OR LIKE IT???

(Made by xXMimykoXx)

-

Sanscest exists. It's incest on steroids for the most part. Everything wrong with incest on a practical level is doubled with Sanscest, and I have gotten into heated debates about this. Am I serious about it? Not really, but it's something fun to think about.

(Made by The-Cyan-Wolf)

-

Soriel is canon to me. In my AU, Deltarune: Insanity Calls, it's canon. It just makes too much sense. And Toriel appears about 40 (even if she's actually 900+ years or whatever), and Sans appears about in his mid 30s. It's a bit of a gap, but nothing to bad for me. I think it's cute.

Especially the Deltarune version of the ship.

(Made by daisiloou)

-

Papyrus x Frisk (Papyrisk?) is arguably canon. I always bring it up in arguments when people are against Frans. I've already discussed how I don't care for Frans, but it's another one of those things I'm not really serious about, but just find it interesting to talk about.

(Made by Mozer)

-

On the topic of Papyrus x Frisk, Alphys x Frisk is also arguably canon. Same thing as above, but I dislike it more than Papyrisk as there's no Papyrus, and I enjoy Alphdyne.

(Made by Gaster)

-

Speaking of Alphdyne, it ain't an OTP for me, but it's the only undeniably canon ship in Undertale and it's cute.

(Made by Caligmaera)

-

I hate Temmie x The Annoying Dog as it's immoral to ship real people and both of those are self inserts.

(Made by Arinna1)

-

[Character Here] x Self Insert/OC is something that I've done often since I'm an avid roleplayer. Notably I've done long term Sans x Self Insert and various Papyri x OC roleplays before. They're okay. Nothing to write home about.

(Made by @braindeadskeletons)

-

As a bonus, some random Deltarune ships:

Kris X Susie X Noelle (A Poly ship... Kruselle?) is my personal OTP for Deltarune. Susie x Noelle is cute, Kris x Susie is cute, Noelle x Kris is cute, the best way to get around this? They date eachother. I used to have bad trauma over polyamorous relationships due to my own bad experiences with them, so this is actually good progress for me :3

(Made by @pillowbug99) -

Spamvil is basically canon, and I like it as it's canon in the same AU of mine I mentioned before - Insanity Calls - but I like it more in terms of Jevil having a massive, obvious crush on Spamton and Spamton hating Jevil's guts. That dynamic of Spamvil is more interesting to me than Spamvil itself.

(Made by Mipexch)

-

Spamton x Alphys (A real ship, I swear. Also Spamhys?) is a cute ship. Not a lot of content about it, but it fits Alphys' personality I feel like (her dating an AI) and it feels like a good match. I'm a sucker for [Nervous Character] x [Smooth Talker], even if Spamton ain't as smooth as he used to be.

(Made by anon artists on 4Chan)

-

Spamton x Papyrus (Another real ship, I swear... Spamrus?) is funny. I toy with the idea a lot. It probably wouldn't work, but it's by far an insanely funny crack list. I only know this ship is a thing due to a ex-friend of mine who really liked it.

(Made by Eugenia_yesme)

So yeah, those are my thoughts on Undertale (and some Deltarune) ships!

Before anyone mentions it, yes I know I didn't give Suselle its own tier, but my opinion kinda falls under the Kruselle ship.

I barely scratched the surface. Some honorable ships are Kris x Berdly, Noelle x Berdly, Alphys x Asgore, Gaster x Asgore, Gaster x Grillby, Grillby X Sans, Burgerpants x Nice Cream Guy - you get the point.

Maybe if this gets any interest what-so-ever, I'll do a part 2 where I go over more ships and give my two cents about them.

Let me know if I miscredited any artists or if you know who did the Alphys x Spamton art.

[malusienki]

okay. the rest of these sad 16th century french main characters: nevers, marguérite, raoul, marcel, urbain, and saint-bris (derogatory)

hello!!! sorry i took so long to answer this one!! under the cut because long post :)

nevers how i feel: i LOVE that guy. who i ship them with: unsure platonic OTP: VALENTINE VALENTINE THEYRE BESTIES THEYRE BESTIES!!!!! unpopular opinion: should’ve died on screen (or, see below.) one thing i wish happened in canon: wish he lived. my OTP: unsure? a headcanon fact: savannah @/infinitelytheheartexpands literally just said this one but he would totally badmouth saint-bris any chance he gets

marguérite: how i feel: i love her. so much. lovely aria etc. who i ship them with: again, huge fan of the marguérite x valentine lifestyle platonic OTP: hmm urbain and valentine unpopular opinion: 19 yo but wine aunt vibes (i don’t think that’s an unpopular opinion, it’s more of a weird one) one thing i wish happened in canon: i’m actually not quite sure. my OTP: see above a headcanon fact: for my designs of leshuguenotsandcompany, she has two different earrings: one is the catholic cross and one is the huguenot cross. i should really draw them updated refs

raoul: how i feel: tenors…. who i ship them with: valentine! platonic OTP: unsure unpopular opinion: tenors….. one thing i wish happened in canon: it’s not that i wish this had happened, but it’s more of me thinking out loud. what would’ve happened if he had decided to wear the white scarf rather than valentine taking hers off? it’s something that’s crossed my mind occasionally. i assume he’d live, yeah? my OTP: above a headcanon fact: he is SHORTER than valentine. to ME.

marcel: how i feel: i like him :) who i ship them with: n/a? platonic OTP: ? unsure unpopular opinion: i really like how he agrees to bless valentine & raoul’s marriage. it really shows how he sort of changed from the earlier acts (see: dislike of catholics; though, valentine did renounce her faith.) one thing i wish happened in canon: again, unsure my OTP: n/a a headcanon fact: he’s like a father to valentine. urbain: how i feel: FAVORITE!!! TROUSER ROLE <3 who i ship them with: n/a platonic OTP: marguérite and valentine unpopular opinion: WE SHOULDVE HAD MORE URBAIN! that’s not unpopular one thing i wish happened in canon: ^^ my OTP: n/a a headcanon fact: leadesandre!urbain is engrained in my brain for ever and ever and eve

saint-bris: how i feel: not a fan. who i ship them with: no one. platonic OTP: does he even feel things. unpopular opinion: i don’t have any i don’t think. one thing i wish happened in canon: i wish he gained common sense and . oh idk. DIDN’T ORGANIZE A MASSACRE? my OTP: no one. a headcanon fact: his wife lost a bet (JOKING).

[ashesandhackles]

Rarepair Tag Game

Thanks for the tag @merlins-sequined-hotpants .Given that my OTP is a rarepair that is slowly gaining popularity, I'm just going to use this to rec fics, because I apparently can be convinced of anything if I enjoy the writing:

Flying Lessons by @phantomato

Andromeda/Hooch, post-war. A one-shot from first person POV - Andromeda here is deliciously sharp and cutting ('Ted liked that I was mean'), and this piece is an incisive look into her fears, grief and healing.

Empire Builders by shecrows

James/Sirius. The Prongsfoot fandom lost their minds over this fic and rightly so. The fic captures the toxic tenderness of two codependent teenagers, who are figuring it out but want to get this right. There is such deep love between them and the fic reached a place deep inside me.

Bookbinding by @saintsenara

Tom/Myrtle. A romantic comedy with Tom Riddle and Moaning Myrtle. Funny, fluffy, moving - all at once. And also provides the steady assurance that you can annoy your love interest into falling in love with you. Thanks for the lesson, Myrtle. I am a #changed woman.

Regretfully Yours by @maria-de-salinas

Petunia/Snape! Maria writes them with such history and familiarity and I was immediately onboard the ship. These are two people who know each other from the time of their old accents, and she draws out their grief and sameness so tenderly. This also has a sequel that I cant wait to start reading!

in another life by @broomsticks

Peter/Bertha. Ever since I read GOF, I wondered why we didn't get more of Peter and Bertha Jorkins who apparently went on a walk with him to the forest for hookup. Anyway, Jackie delivered with this drabble and I love how she used disparate elements of canon and pulled them together.

sore subject by @incalculablepower

Parvati Patil/Demelza Robbins. Parvati Patil/ Lavendar Brown. No one does the chaotic rom com vibe of HBP - confusion,denial, bubbling attraction - better than incalculable power.

knotweed by @turanga4

Sprout/Pomphrey. Quiet, steady, contemplative - there is this quality of wisdom and maturity than runs through turanga's fics and it lends beautifully to pair of women in the last year of war.

a wilder beast from West than all were by eldritcher

Andromeda/Rufus Scrimgeour. Glorious, glorious myth breaking and social commentary all at once. Obsessed with this piece. (eldritcher can convince me of anything, even Snape/giant squid and yes there is a wonderful meditative Snape/giant squid as part of their work)

Till We have Faces by TeddieJean

Andromeda/Rodolphus. I wanted something done with twin imagery of Bellatrix and Andromeda and how that affects identity..and I got it all baked underneath this oneshot.

Three Knocks on Door by lunatik_pandora

Lily Potter/Nymphadora Tonks. Dark, grotesque, funny - there is so much in this fic. A very hypnotic Lily and a Tonks who senses the danger and runs towards it anyway.

[dryeyed]

SHIPPING INFO.   answer the following for your muse(s) so people know how shipping works on your blog.

     What’s your OTP for your Muse(s)?

erasermic... sobs

whatever's going on with orion and shouta (lovingly)

     What are you willing to RP when it comes to shipping?

anything within the realm of possibility with shouta. i need the ship to be grounded in his reality, including what he could be swayed / influenced like with another muse. it has to feel real to me, there has to be something deeper than a shallow and surface-level dynamic. i'm really not all that picky once we've made it there LOL, there is a full range of shit that i'm not thinking about off the top of my head atm

     How large does the age gap have to be to make it uncomfortable?

no one younger than him by 4-5 years. ages above him are a hit or miss.

     Are you selective when shipping?

i definitely think so. i'm reserved with it, i don't just go giving out my muses' hearts because honestly. i'm tired of having ships with people and then for whatever the reason was, having the entire friendship fizzle out with a mun and then having gap where their muse once was. i've lost muse for a few characters that way and it's been shittier and shittier every single time, so i try to 'pick' / vibe it out with a little bit more... idk. scrutiny isn't the word for it but something along the like. tldr i need to be able to see an actual future between the muses + have a strong connection with the person on the other end. i'd like to be good friends, rather than someone to occasionally pass notes to.

there's also the fact that shouta is not a romance-centric muse whatsoever. bro is fighting for his life against the man in the mirror, he is in the trenches, life is slowly killing him. he's very walled up and difficult to get through to, and this could prove pretty difficult to build meaningful and lasting connections with him on.

     How far do steamy moments have to go before they’re considered NSFW?

i'll be honest i haven't written smut in a loooong time, and even then i was never really confident in my abilities to effectively write a sex scene. i think anything past suggestive talk and wandering hands will fade to black on blog. but i'd probably be open to discussion with current ship partners on like. discord or smth. i don't need to write nsfw for a ship to feel whole to me, sometimes plotting it's fun too, but. lmao. idk. could be fun to fuck around and find out at the same time

     Who are other muses you ship your muse with?

god do i ship shouta with mic sooo much. so much. their dynamic can be explored in soo many different ways, and they're just all so fun and exciting to me i just hfgkldfghfl i want to gnaw on my toes i love them.

i've thought about shouta with toshinori. i think they could work, i think it'd be cute, but also remains to be seen. they're cute in every sense tbh

counting ocs, i definitely ship shouta with @gravesung's orion aisa. a flavor of erasermic but to the right and folded and crumpled yet shaped to be something even better. he is a delight to read and learn about, both as mun and shouta himself, and there's just something so enticing about the unknown. someone you once knew coming back into your life for possibly better or for possibly worse, for possibly fruity reasons. mwah mwah mwah i love them

     Does one have to ask to ship with you?

i'd love to be asked tbh. if we've hardly interacted, i'd like to wait a little until we've talked/written more. but at the same time if it's possibly heading that way, it'd be fun to find out. i do turn into a massive gremlin with ships, though, and if that's not something that can be handled or matched then that's a pass from me

     How often do you like to ship?

i do like to write romance. i really, really like to write romance. i think a lot of it is personal yearning / maladaptive daydreaming / general love for love lmfaoooo. but at the same time... it's not ever something i want to just jump right into, or write it right off the bat in a dynamic. this may be the demi in me but i tend not to just dive right into pre-established romance. i need to both have plotting and written interaction happen for me to get a sense of how they mesh, what they'd look like in the mindspace so that writing the scenes don't feel forced in the slightest bit. i also would like to consider myself to be friends with the muns of the muses i'm shipping with, and i will admit i tend to be pickier on that front. mayb it's the neurodivergence. mayb it's the trust issues and inherent cynicism

     Are you multiship?

yuh. i've done singleship before and i think i'd only do it again under very specific circumstances, but i'd also rather not close myself off to a possible dynamic that could occur out of nowhere. things happen, and that's the exciting part of it.

     Are you ship obsessed or ship more-or-less?

i feel like i'm overthinking this question. i definitely think i tend to favor or have more muse/motivation to write some romantic threads and dynamics, but at the same time it's not a necessity. i wasn't actively seeking out my ships across blogs, they just came into fruition with plotting. a lot of other dynamics can also give me the same amount of feelings and motivation, though, i guess it just depends on where i've been mentally at that point in time, and what's getting me the most.

     What is your favorite ship in your current fandom?

i fell in love with erasermic and i fell in love with them hard. easily my comfort ship throughout the summer and i'm excited to keep taking them with me into the future, to grow with them because honestly. i don't see myself leaving shouta or hizashi behind anytime soon, nor bnha as a whole (even if i fucking hate it sooo much sometimes lmao). i go back and forth on if i like erasermight or mightmic, i think i like them. i think i could be convinced. but i'm also eh. i also took one look at izuku, katsuki, and shouto, saw my kanto pokedex trainers and immediately saw them as Something. tbh i don't really have a lot of ships for bnha? atleast at this point in time lmao.

     Finally, how does one ship with you?

LMAO be gay with me lets scream and be absolutely unhinged

tagged by :   @implde thank you <3 <3

tagging :   steal and tag me!

[kafus]

Liko and Nemona because I couldn't pick between the two

OKAY i'm finally getting to this whoops. i'll do both and i'll just skip questions i can't really answer or don't want to

for liko:

why i like them: liko is like. everything i would have wanted in an anipoke protagonist when i was younger. that's honestly the best way to put it, it's like retroactively healing for my child self in a sense lmao. i love that she kind of just gets to be... a character? like she's a girl but not the token girl. they aren't going hardcore on #girlpower or something, she's just... a character. who is a girl. a well done character at that - i think liko's internal struggles are relatable, and i enjoy that her compassion for others is treated as a strong point, because it is. i also just think her character design goes hard LMAO ken sugimori popped off w that one

why i don't: frankly there's not a lot i don't like about liko? this is more a commentary on horizons' writing and not her but i will say the anime is a bit slow to get her off her feet - like she's REALLY lost in internal monologue in the first few episodes and it drags a bit. but she hasn't had that issue for a while so whatever

favorite episode: oh god i have a handful of favorite episodes, i can't just pick one even if we're just narrowing it down to liko centric ones!! i guess the recent episode where liko rescues a maushold family sticks out right now because recency bias but also like, it really shows off that liko, despite her anxieties, is brave in the face of danger when it concerns the safety of others (including pokemon), and also watching her try to keep her cool after experiencing a cave in was really interesting. obviously horizons wouldn't kill her off or some shit but i will admit i was on the edge of my seat a little

favorite line: there's probably a much better answer for this but my brain is only pulling up "i'm not looking!! gurumin is gurumin!! there's nobody inside her!!" when she barges into dot's room after her computer fucking explodes LMFAO

OTP: GEE I WONDER WHAT SHIP I LIKE THE MOST (it's likodot. it's likodot so bad)

BROTP: the obvious answer is roy because they are besties and it's awesome but in my heart of hearts i need amethio to have a redemption arc so her and amethio can also be besties. Right now

headcanon: even after the pendant permanently becomes terapagos, ever since episode 15 when she had the pendant stolen and got her memories wiped, liko still clutches her shirt where her pendant would be as a self soothe/grounding mechanism

unpopular opinion: the fandom for this series is still pretty small cause the dub isn't out yet in the US so i don't really know what's a popular opinion and what isn't? is it too soon to say i like liko more than ash (i still love ash though and he's obviously iconic)

a wish: can liko get an older gen pokemon on her team before bank shuts down so i can rng manipulate it in an old pokemon game and ribbon master it Please and thank you

an oh-god-please-don't-ever-happen: i'm REALLY enjoying that they aren't really baiting liko x roy aside from perhaps ONE facial expression in a really early episode and i really really hope that they never START baiting it. there's nothing wrong with shipping them if you want to, i am just personally sick of ash being shipped with every single girl companion he has ever traveled with and feeling like the girl partners exist at least in part for that purpose. it's so refreshing seeing that turned on its head and just allowing the two of them to be healthy friends. if they start pushing it as a ship i'm going to explode (negative, bad)

5 best words to describe them: compassionate, introspective, naive, timid, kind

---

for nemona (gameverse):

why i like them: GOD EVERYTHING ABOUT HER?? i love nemona she's an icon for every autistic pokemon obsessed person everywhere. i love her passion i love that she exists. i love that she's also the first rival to actually feel more powerful than the player and you have to become strong enough to see her at her full force

why i don't: I LITERALLY HAVE NO CRITICISM

favorite outfit: this is a good time to mention in my mind, despite playing violet and being very attached to my violet playthrough, nemona should be in the scarlet school uniform. like she should be wearing orange. my mental image of nemona is very much based on naranja academy and pokemon scarlet jiodsfoijfsd

OTP: UHH god i ship her with both the protagonist and penny. i think my OTP used to be nemopen but i'm more a nemona x juliana person these days? my QPP is really into juliana and nemona together and both that and the yoasobi MV where gengar marries them sold me LMAO

headcanon: nemona's arm brace is an actual assistive tool for a disability!! she has poor coordination and weakness in her arms and without the brace she wouldn't be able to do nearly the level of pokemon training she does, not to mention just daily life tasks and things. also she's autistic as fuck

unpopular opinion: jokes about nemona being a stalker or god forbid a yandere are really fucking annoying to me. like i know it's not that deep but come on. it just makes me roll my eyes. like god forbid a girl has passion and is a little neurodivergent about it. unsettling to me that people see that as stalkerish/creepy. and people look way too hard into her showing up at the gyms you're at. i'd sooner be concerned about arven calling you on the phone when you're in the middle of a fucking desert or whatever despite not physically being there to see you yet. like arven could be tracking your location constantly with your phone (he's not, it's just a vessel for gameplay to happen, i'm just making a point) but no one jokes about him being a stalker bc of course they don't

a wish: nemona showed up in horizons for an episode, but CAN SHE PLEASE SHOW UP IN ANOTHER?? she said her and roy should battle sometime I NEED THIS TO COME BACK UP SEASONS FROM NOW OR SOMETHING. THEY HAVE TO FINALLY BATTLE

[allylikethecat]

January OTP Prompts

I'm not sure how closely this one follows the prompt, but alas I was inspired *by* the prompt and that's how this whole thing works right? Thank you so much for all the continued support on these! We are in the home stretch! (I also didn't proof read this one, like at all so if it makes even less sense than usual that's why)

WARNINGS: Discussions of past drug abuse, and speculation that Fictional!Matty has relapsed (he has not)

27. Ringing bells

Matty was missing and George was losing his mind. The warning bells had gone off ringing that morning even if he hadn’t realized that’s what they were at the time. Matty had been moody, more subdued, snapping at anyone who dared acknowledge him, scratching at his arms and fidgeting as he moved eggs around on his plate without actually eating them. George had found himself growing irritated at him, they didn’t deserve his abuse. Matty had snapped that he was fine and to lay the fuck off when Ross had asked how he was doing. I’m not going to run off and get high, Matty had snarled, you can stop looking at me like that. 

He had pushed his plate away, his phone still sitting on the hotel restaurant table. “I need a cigarette,” he said, standing up. “I’ll be right back.” 

That had been three hours ago, and no one had seen Matty since. George wondered if he had left his phone on purpose, knowing he was easily trackable via Find My Friends. George regretted not standing up, not chasing after him with an I'll join you. But he had been thankful, in the moment for the relief, the ability to roll his eyes at Ross, commiserating over Matty’s antics without the man in question to see them. Soon dread filled his belly as the minutes ticked by and Matty didn’t return. George knew they were all thinking it, even if no one dared speak it outloud. 

“I’ll just call him,” said Ross, “make sure he didn’t get trapped talking to a fan or something.” That’s when they realized his phone was sitting on the table. The screen lit up, the device vibrating silently as the line rang.  

He wasn’t in their hotel room, he wasn’t in the fitness center or the garden. The woman at the front desk was unsure if she had seen anyone matching Matty’s description leave through the front doors. George wanted to cry. They had been doing so well. Things had been going so well. Matty had been doing better. He knew that being back on tour was hard for him, the come down from the admiration of a roaring crowd to the silent isolation of a nondescript hotel room giving him whiplash. He knew that Matty still fought cravings every day, but he met with his therapist bi weekly and was making an active effort to stay healthy, to stay clean.

He needed to call Jamie, he needed to call Tim and Denise. He felt like a failure, he was supposed to be the one keeping an eye on Matty, keeping him safe and instead he had lost him. Matty disappearing to god knows where and getting into god knows what. He was Matty’s partner, Matty was his other half. He saw the signs, he knew that Matty was having a bad morning and instead of treating him with compassion he met him with annoyance. 

They walked through the ground floor of the hotel a third time, growing desperate. George wanted him to be in the hotel, wanted him to be sitting just outside some little side door rather than out in the world where anything could happen to him.

“DON’T LET THE DOOR CLOSE,” Matty shouted and George blinked, not actually expecting to find him sitting on a small loading dock, surrounded by a twelve foot fence topped with barbed wire like he was imprisoned. 

“Matty?” George asked in disbelief, standing in the doorway, holding it open with his body as Matty flung himself into George’s arms. 

“I came out for a cigarette,” said Matty, he was crying, tears of relief George realized. He blinked, shocked to find he was crying too. “The door shut behind me and locked, and I didn’t have my phone.” 

“You’re okay,” said George, running his hand down Matty’s back, the words a mix of comfort and vocalizing his own relief. “You’re okay.” 

Day: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26

[fincalinde]

lwj, for the meme?

Not the Lan bro I was expecting but here goes!

a song that reminds me of them

This doesn't remind me of him because I wouldn't want to ruin it for myself, but I can imagine a sad montage of interregnum LWJ set to I Am Stretched On Your Grave. Anyway, my proper answer is Frostrósir by Eivør. It's in Faroese, which I do not speak, but I pinched something from here:

Each sigh from a lonely soul Every word that was formed without sound Now seems like a frostbitten affair Dressed in the guise of lifeless flowers

what they smell like

We have an answer to this in canon and it's sandalwood, so I don't have much to add.

an otp

I mean, it is the central point of the novel. But even aside from that, LWJ is consistently only ever interested in WWX. I'm not saying he shouldn't be interpreted as gay, but I am saying that even if he is gay it's secondary to his actual sexual identity which is Weiyingsexual. I'm not treading any new ground here.

Personally I don't find Wangxian interesting, but I at least believe they love each other and are compatible in the sense that they are both selfish in slightly different ways that mesh well for their own private universe. Not so great for others in their orbit, but part of that is authorial fiat so I try to be fair about what I hold against them.

I don't think CQL successfully executed the changes it made to Wangxian in having them click and partner up from the beginning, but I do think it was necessary to at least attempt to rebalance the relationship. In MDZS, WWX genuinely does not reciprocate LWJ's feelings in his first life beyond a very deeply buried and not particularly inevitable spark. His first life is really centred on his relationships with JC and JYL and they are the tragic 'romance' (in the traditional sense). LWJ only gets upgraded during the second life. Kind of awkward to do your sweeping romance if it isn't a romance in the 35+ episodes of flashbacks, so I don't blame them for trying. And I do like the Colin Firth vibes WYB brought to his LWJ.

a notp

Aside from not finding the idea of LWJ with anyone else convincing, let me take the opportunity to pettily sideswipe at Chengxian and shoving LWJ in to make it what? Wangchengxian? Is that what it's called? Either way, nooooooo thank you. You can't get much more fraternal than WWX and JC's idiot bickering, and even if they weren't such classic stupid boys together, JC and LWJ loathe one another with the kind of loathing that does not give way to a rendition of I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face. (Incidentally, in the original stage version Eliza walks out on Higgins never to return, and it is awesome.)

favorite platonic/familial relationships

Obviously it's his relationship with LXC (and by extension LQR?). Just absolutely fascinating. Their rapport is very sweet, as is LXC's protectiveness and gentle trolling. LWJ is not a particularly good didi, but LXC both doesn't notice and doesn't mind.

Actually, someone once made a meme for me in relation to this, let me dust it off and drag it out:

More seriously, though he was also raised with harsh discipline, in comparative terms LWJ is the spoilt baby of the family. As is often the result when we encounter morally rigid characters in MDZS, he is also in many respects hypocritical. Clearly I have a lot of negative things to say about him as a brother to LXC, but I'm not interested in demonising him and what's really interesting about it is that by and large this uneven dynamic works for the Twin Jades. Right up until it doesn't.

When LXC really needs LWJ to come through for him, he just doesn't. I'm not even talking about LWJ's behaviour leading up to and during the Temple, which is objectionable in the sense that he refuses to give JGY the benefit of the doubt that LXC extends to WWX. No, I'm talking about the fact that he bods off for literal months after LXC has just been through the worst experience of his life and lost his closest friend and partner. And I don't want to hear it about LXC being the elder and having a responsibility to take care of LWJ. LWJ owes consideration to his big brother and clan leader, even if that consideration might take a different form.

Here's a thought experiment. After WWX's first death, when LWJ has been whipped 33 times by the discipline whip and dragged himself to rescue LSZ and branded himself in drunken grief, can you imagine LXC bodding off for three months without a word to have picnics with JGY? It's inconceivable isn't it.

I didn't intend for this section to become a hit piece on LWJ and he obviously does love his brother, but in terms of actions it is somewhat of a one way street. The fact that LXC has no other expectations doesn't protect LWJ from my croc-hatted judgement face.

a headcanon that is popular in the fandom but that i disagree with

Righteous LWJ. Oh, please. In MDZS, righteousness goes hand in hand with hypocrisy, and though I doubt MXTX the human being intended LWJ to be read as thoroughly selfish, the (translation of) the text she wrote is a depiction of a profoundly selfish man. And that's not a bad thing, because his selfishness coupled with the occasions when he is genuinely altruistic makes him more interesting than if he really were a moralising ice cube with a ribbon tied around it.

the position they sleep in

Official Lan Position, and postcanon I probably don't want to know.

a crossover au i’d love to see them in

I'm going to be lazy and suggest X-Men AU again just because his secondary power would definitely be organic diamond form like Emma Frost. I don't think he'd also be a telepath, but the idea of that is funny because he could read WWX's mind and know for certain that WWX isn't (currently) into him. But as a serious answer, organic diamond form as a secondary power and then primary power the same as Alison Blaire. I see no reason why his mutant name wouldn't be Dazzler too.

my favorite outfit they��ve ever worn

I think he only has like one outfit. I'm sorry, I'm not cool enough to be able to distinguish between different varieties of plain white robes. In CQL I prefer first life LWJ because they put that massive ornament on second life LWJ's head to make him look older and taller but actually they created an unfortunate perspective effect where he just looks even shorter.

[kimakento]

unlabelled

synopsis : shosei tries to take care of you because he notices you’re sick, but somehow it results into him confessing to you? ⌙ 1.0k

pairing(s) : shy!ohirashosei x shy!fem!reader

genre(s): fluff

warning(s) : none in particular.

tags : fluff fluff fluff, reader and shosei being cute i was literally giggling while making this 😭. i support ynsei as my otp and there’s a little yonasho mention as well. proofread!

a/n : this was so much fun to write even though for some reason im better at writing more angsty fics than fluff ones but i hope you all enjoy!!

another thanks to @yawnzzznnn for proofreading this oneshot for me!

“what’re you guys?”

“huh…?”

“do you two have a label?”

“label? me and him are just friends..”

“are you okay?” he asked, his voice is laced with genuine concern. you looked up at at him, forcing a smile while nodding a bit too eagerly for your liking.

as the car sped up, you felt a wave of nausea building up inside. you struggled to keep it down, not wanting to ruin shosei’s excitement for the trip and disappoint him.

“yeah, why wouldn’t i be ‘sei?”

you replied curtly, attempting to hide your obvious discomfort.

he hums quietly, sliding his hand between yours, intertwining your fingers. “u-uh” the sudden contact making you let out a subtle yelp and your face flush.

“do you want some water?”

“no, i’m fine really!”

as you tried to sit up, shosei’s gaze lingered on you as he took some time to think about what just happened.

he cleared his throat, “i really don’t think you are. if anything, you look really sick i’m sure we could turn back!”. no other words were exchanged while you only focused on how pretty his features were.

you shook your head and averted your eyes. feeling light-headed, you felt him slipping something into your free hand.

“drink some water, i’ll tell sho to stop the car so you can have a little break.“ he turned his head while leaning away from you but more towards sho while speaking in a hushed voice.

“oh…thank you?”

it came out a question more than a statement of appreciation but nevertheless you open the bottle and tilt your head back, chugging it down.

why does he have to be so kind…he’s really not letting me get over him anytime soon.

you’re lost in thought as you snap back, hearing your name being called.

“we’re going to stop here and let you rest a little, okay?”

“hmm.” you reply half-heartedly as you shut your eyes.

the moment of peace is short-lived as you jump at the sound of your door opening.

“come on; i’ll help you”

shosei holds his hand out towards you. of course you take the offer, noticing how soft and gentle the palm of his hand was.

just like him.

but you mentally scold yourself for even thinking something like that.

“thank you, really.”

he shook his head and helped you out the car. while leading you towards a quieter place, there was total silence as you admired the view.

even if it was only a few trees and plants around, you felt a tranquil sense take over your body and mind. shosei continues to stare at your blank expression, he really admired your character. even to the point that he’d fall for you and your peculiar antics.

“i can’t thank you enough, im really glad you’re in my life. i can always count on you as a very close friend.”

avoiding eye contact, you hesitantly thank him.

‘maybe we could be something more, but i’d be too selfish to hope for that.’ you mentally add.

he winces at that word, “friend”. shosei knew he’d never be more than a friend to you, but a small part of him still believed hoped that you’d see him as he saw you.

in his eyes, you were like air - it was like he couldn’t exist without you also being there with him. maybe he needs to finally make you realise that?

“as a very close friend?”

“yeah! you’re my friend, aren’t you?”

your voice becomes shaky as you began to overthink your entire relationship with him.

“no..?”

a newfound confidence piqued in shosei, what he didn’t realise is that his recent reply made you feel horrible.

“oh.”

“i like you, you know.”

it took a while for that to sink in, surely he he meant it in a friendly way, right? right…?

“i like you too, friend!”

shosei flinched at that word again, this was going to be hard; you were being as dense as a rock.

“no,” he continues, “i like you.”

your brain stopped functioning hearing that, this outcome would’ve been something you’d least expect.

he likes me?

that one statement replayed in your mind repeatedly. “huh, i don’t understand. you like me? in a non-friendly way?” to say the least, you were shocked.

“yeah, i do. i understand if you didn’t feel the same - i made it awkward, didn’t i?” it all just came out as a ramble from him.

cute.

“no no, that’s not it.” you waved your arms about, explaining what you meant. his eyes widened at your words, and a bright smile played on his face. “you like me too?”

“for so long.” you answered as you met his eyes. he reached out to you, putting your hand in his. it happened suddenly, but he wraps his arms around you and you nuzzled into his shoulder. it was as if he bewitched you. but that was that was the least of your worries, you were falling so deep you could barely think straight.

shosei felt content, he finally collected the courage to confess and as a bonus, you reciprocated his love. to him you were not a mere crush, you were something way beyond that. the embrace lingered for a minute or so and you both pulled away, staring into eachother’s eyes for a while.

“im so happy, i could almost cry.” you noticed the worried look on shosei’s face and giggled before continuing, “i said almost.”

a visible expression of happiness then took over, and he chuckled along with you. “i’ve loved you for too long, i was thinking you would never feel the same.” he confessed, holding prolonged eye contact with you.

“that was me as well. i’m beyond ecstatic that you finally confessed!” shosei again gives you another hug and melts into you. “i’m always happy if you are.”