#otp: no force greater than love

[commander-krios]

kisses as a promise for jocasta and doc? 👀

Here ya go! I combined this with another prompt that @jbnonsensework sent me, I hope that's alright.

❝  i want to deserve you.  i’m trying to deserve you.  ❞ You didn't request this but it feels like a Doc and Jocasta thing

~~~~

Doc hadn’t gone to the galley for dinner. Jocasta was positive he hadn’t shown up for breakfast either. 

The ship was silent. The rest of the crew were either sleeping in their bunks or working on their projects in solitude. Grabbing a couple bowls of rice topped with the spicy stew that Rusk cooked, she made her way to the medbay.

When the door hissed open to allow admittance, she paused on the threshold. 

Doc was bent over a pile of datapads, a forgotten cup of caf sitting beside him, probably days old if she had to guess. She didn’t want to see if it’d started growing anything yet. Suppressing a shiver, she made a note to toss the mug in the trash bin. 

Clearing her throat, she waited for him to notice her. 

“How long have you been standing there, gorgeous?” He glanced up, eyes bloodshot. From lack of sleep or staring so long at screens, she couldn’t tell, but it didn’t matter. He clearly needed a break.

“Not long.” Setting the bowl on top of the pile of datapads, she fought a smile as he stared at the food, almost as if he’d never seen such a thing before. “I brought you dinner.”

“It’s dinner already?” He murmured, moving the bowl to the desk so he could pick up one of the datapads. 

“Mhm.” Jocasta reached out and plucked the pad from his fingers, holding it behind her back when he tried to grab it. “Eat, Doc. That’s an order.”

“I’m not a soldier… or a padawan.” He retorted, giving her a pout that could rival any child she knew, but she wouldn’t be swayed. “I don’t take orders from the Jedi.”

With the datapad secured behind her back, she brushed his shoulder with the free hand. She could see how he relaxed beneath her touch, gentle as it was. She didn’t even have to use the Force. “Even if the Jedi was your wife?”

He glared at her before a sigh slipped past his lips, deflating almost immediately. “I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to work out the chromosomal abnormalities seen in this disease and I haven’t-”

Jocasta crooked a finger beneath his chin, turning his face so she could see his eyes. “Sometimes the best way to find the answers you seek is to take a break.”

His hands curled around hers, warm and solid, a comfort in the chaos of the galaxy. His mustache tickled her skin when he pressed a kiss to her fingers. “You’re starting to sound like me.”

“It’s good advice.” She returned the datapad to the pile before leaning down, kissing him sweetly. “You should get off the ship for a bit.”

“Into the freezing icy hell of Ilum?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at the request. “Are you trying to kill me? Because that’s how you kill me.”

With a laugh, she pulled him to his feet. He was a bit unsteady after sitting in his chair for so long. It took him a minute to adjust. Then she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest. “We can bundle up, get some cocoa, and watch the stars. It’s been too long since the last time we got to spend time together: no worries, no missions.”

She could almost feel Doc’s grin as he tightened the hug. “Watching the stars with you, beautiful? That’s enough for me.”

Jocasta pulled back to glance at him. “Good, but you still need to do one thing before we go.”

She was expecting the smirk, his thoughts clearly having gone to the wrong places. As usual. “Anything you want, darling.”

Taking a step away, she thrust the bowl of stew at him. “Eat.”

~~~~

The bowls of stew sat empty on Doc’s desk. They bundled up as best as they could in coats, robes, mittens and anything else they could find, the pair ready to brave the freezing cold of Ilum’s surface, complete with snow and ice. He could complain as much as he liked, but Jocasta knew that the fresh air would do them both some good.

Vitiate was gone, but the Sith still existed. Every day there was another battle to fight, but for a brief moment, they could breathe and enjoy the calm before the inevitable storm.

The overlook wasn’t far from the Republic base. An easy speeder ride and they’d pulled up in front of an outcropping of rock covered in sparkling white snow. She’d seen it on one of her outings for the Republic. The view was gorgeous in the daylight. She imagined it was even more so in the night.

“The things I do for you.” Doc said as he climbed off the speeder, holding a hand out. She took it, stepping into the snow with as much care as she could. They fit together so effortlessly that she was struck again with the possibility that fate might have a hand in their union. Or possibly the Force.

“You say that as if you aren’t enjoying yourself.” She teased him, squeezing his hand as they walked through the ankle high snow. 

“Beautiful, this planet isn’t my idea of fun.” Pulling her closer, she let out a breathless laugh when she collided with his chest. He pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead. “But if we go back to the ship-”

Pressing a finger to his lips, she smiled. “Don’t finish that sentence. Just be here with me.”

Covering her hand with his, Doc nodded. “I can do that.”

“Can you?”

Jocasta dragged him up the gently sloping trail to the top of the cliff before he could utter another word. As they reached the edge, she paused. The Republic camp was in the distance, smoke curling into the dark sky, lights dotting the horizon. Then she looked up.

The stars twinkled against the sky, a kaleidoscope of lavender and navy, violet and indigo, a cosmos full of life, infinite and unknowing in its entirety. Something always called out to the deepest part of her soul, and no matter where she was, she would answer.

“Wow.” Doc said from beside her, momentarily speechless at the sight. 

“It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful the galaxy is.” She whispered, tucking herself against him. 

Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her closer, still gazing at the sky. Silence fell between them, comfortable, serene. A meteor shot across the sky and her breath caught, mesmerized by the stardust it left behind. 

Once it faded, Jocasta glanced up at Doc. He hadn’t torn his gaze from where the meteor had been before burning up in Ilum’s atmosphere. He was too quiet, too subdued.

“Why are you driving yourself so hard?” She asked, wrapping her arms around him and relaxing into his embrace. “I know you want to help people, but you can’t do that if you faint from exhaustion… or from lack of food.”

“I want to deserve you.” He whispered, his lips caressing her hair briefly. “I’m trying to deserve you.”

“You don’t have to prove anything to me, Doc. I already know how wonderful you are.” 

Doc met her eyes, a smile playing on his lips. Standing on her toes, she kissed him gently. His fingers tangled in her hair, taking the affection her touch promised. 

When they parted to catch their breath, he was watching her with a soft expression. “Thank you for getting me off that ship, gorgeous. I didn’t realize how much I needed this.”

She tightened her arms around him, pressing another kiss to his lips. “We’re in this together, Doc. Always.”

That was a promise that Jocasta could keep.

[witsserviceablesubstitute]

911 has been on my dash lately and it's what I needed, I'm glad I started watching. Someone close to me is dying and the show has been oddly healing.

911 is definitely a soap opera, and the occasional Christian sentiments and acts of god probably hit better with Americans than with me, but it's a show with touching ruminations about life, death, healing, tragedy, love, family, and what it means to be an individual and part of a community. What we owe each other, and what we don't.

I'm in season 3 now and I'm pleasantly surprised by how queer friendly the narratives are. Henrietta has an amazing presence on the show, so too does Buck. (Some of the writers worked on Buffy and Angel and I do think it explains the character driven arcs, easy queerness, and quirky humour). I love all the main characters. How could I not? So much time has been spent filling them in and much of the Drama is used to say something greater about how to move through the Belly of the Whale rather than existing gratuitously to cause rifts between the characters. It's just... nice.... and a rare choice for a show.

The Queerness comes with a caveat, however, US shows are a bit predictable in how they write queer characters. Hen can be one of the mains but her wife can't. Michael and Josh can exist on screen as long as they are side characters and only mention their love lives once a season. Buck can have an incredibly homoerotic relationship with his best friend (Buck: best friend and codependent co-parent) but can only voice his sexuality in later seasons (even if he's very bisexual now and I'm only on season 3). Buck is a beautiful young manly man you see, we mustn't alienate the young men whose demographic he's supposed to represent (sorry for the cynicism).

Really though, 911's relationship writing is top notch except for when it comes to Buck or Eddie's love interests. With the exception of Buck and Maddie, their characters' best relationships are either with each other or with Christopher and I can see why Buddie is such a popular ship. It's more obvious, too, when the romantic storylines are as good as they are for the other characters (and I'm hard to please). It's like the writing is super thoughtful about why a romantic relationship works for everyone else but keeps forcing it with Eddie and Buck because they want the pretty young men to be with the pretty young women. Buck's best love interest was Abby because they were trying to explore why it worked even though it was obvious it eventually wouldn't, that was in season 1 and I don't see it getting better. Look, all I'm going to say is that multiple partners only work when all parties know they're in a romantic relationship. That way you can be honest and mindful about how committed you are. Maybe that's why their relationships don't work now. Buck and Eddie don't realise they're dating each other.

Anyway, thank you Tumblr for bringing this show to me at this time in my life. Also, if you're interested, my otp is Maddie and Chimney. Don't tell me if they don't work out or you'll make me cry.

[ammy246]

Just saw some Narusasu shippers shitting on Bakudeku, and as someone who's first gay ship and otp used to be Narusasu instead of Bakudeku, I have some thoughts.

I remember the heartbreak I felt the day Kishimoto ruined Narusasu by forcing them to be romantically involved with women without a single bit of relationship development. Naruto ended up with Hinata in a filler movie despite having ignored her even after her romantic confession to him, and Sasuke abandoned Sakura after having a child with her. This was not the ending any of us wanted. We wanted Naruto and Sasuke to peacefully resolve their rivalry, and find love in each other after all they've been through. But unfortunately, that's not what happened as Kishimoto had to force a next-gen onto us, and permanently friendzoned them. It's tragic and felt like a betrayal, but shounen had not been ready for queer relationships, so Narusasu being shafted was ultimately inevitable.

While I cannot say for 100% certain, I can say that Bakudeku has a much greater chance of becoming canon than Narusasu ever did. Horikoshi once stated that he will tell the story he wants to be told and not follow the stereotypical formula, contradicting Kishimoto who went with the shounen ending we've seen many times before of the protagonist accomplishing their goal and marrying a woman and having kids (even though they have no chemistry with said woman or a lack of feelings for them compared to their rival).

Horikoshi had the chance to make Izuocha canon. They could've confessed before the war, but they didn't. The two moved on with their lives, and have made no desire to talk about feelings for each other, but are rather focused on other peope (Bakugou and Toga) as that's where their hearts reside. Bakugou also has no other potential love interest aside from Midoriya as he is the one he is closest too in the entire world and knows the most which is different than Sasuke who had some moments with Sakura scattered throughout the series from the start.

Bakugou cares about Midoriya in a way that's beyond friendship. He means the word to him to the point he was willing to sacrifice himself and even die for him, and will make himself vulnerable around him and nobody else. Midoriya has hidden feelings for Bakugou as his thoughts regarding him are hidden, and his heart always spirals out of control because of Bakugou, but we have not yet been directly told why. Midoriya does not act like this around his other friends, and he has many.

Naruto and Sasuke resolved things right after their final fight, and their friendship returned stronger than ever before, but that was it. Yet even after Bakugou's apology, there are still unresolved issues even though Midoriya chose to forgive him, meaning something must still be said between the two. Midoriya did not want an apology; he wanted to deepen their bond beyond friendship, but was too afraid of rejection hence why he never confessed and hid his feelings instead.

This plotline is still unresolved as of chapter 405. Bakugou is now being honest about his feelings, yet we have still yet to see Midoriya's thoughts regarding Bakugou's death and revival only having been given face expressions. So if their friendship has returned and gotten stronger than ever before despite the series not yet being over, what else is there to develop aside from romantic feelings?

Narusasu shippers, I hate to say it, but we lost. We cannot change the past, but we can have hope for the future. Bakudeku has surpassed Narusasu long ago, and the two are closer to a love confession than ever before, which is something we never quite got close to with Narusasu. If Horikoshi is serious about not following the typical shounen formula, we might have a real chance here. We might not get a kiss or marriage, but if the two confess their feelings for each other and do not end up with women like nothing happened, then that would be a huge victory for the LGBT+ community, and hopefully open the gateway for more queer relationships in shounen jump for the future.

Both Bakudeku and Narusasu are amazing ships. I wish we could live in a reality where both became canon, but getting one would still be a major milestone. Do not attack each other over what could have been, but resolve your differences like Bakugou & Midoriya and Naruto & Sasuke did and look towards a brighter future where LGBT+ can be mainstream without us having to fight for it and fear losing.

[yell0wsalt]

For the OTP + Character Ask

Linzin 7, 17, 27

Linumi 5, 15, 25

And dealer's choice - any number and pairing you thing would be fun!

These were really good questions, many thanks!

Linzin 7, 17, 27

7. Who's clumsier?

In the day to day neither of them are all that clumsy. Consider that a product of their bending and training. However, there are instances when Lin might be more clumsy than Tenzin. Have her out of her element doing something she may not be particularly used to and she's on rocky waters so to speak, well, good luck to her 🫡 

Tenzin as a bender is not only self aware of his body/movements, but years of training as an Air bender he is particularly light/graceful on his feet.

If either of them catch a glimpse of the other’s booty, all bets are off and they’re tripping on their own feet.

17. Who is more competitive?

Ooh this one I can see going either way. Lin is blatantly more competitive when they are sparring and things like that. However, Tenzin also has the tendency to take things and himself too seriously. So he’ll make a competition out of the trivial things that don’t matter, such as how well either of their art came out or how much Oogi likes either one of them.

27. Craziest place they had sex?

I did answer that one here, suggesting Raiko’s office out of spite and a changing room in the shopping mall. 

Linumi 5, 15, 25

5. Who is the cheesier one of the two?

Bumi. He’s more expressive with his affection. Pet names, big gestures, PDA… things of that nature. Lin gets embarrassed and acts like she hates it, but she can’t deny that part of her secretly loves it.

15. Who's the first to cry during movies that don't seem sad?

Lin. She’ll be crying happy tears the main character, despite all the trials and tribulations they were put through, were able to get their happy ending. Bonus points if the movie had a found family situation. I can see her internalizing any of the conflicts the characters had in the movie and it ends up spilling over. Meanwhile, Bumi enjoys the movie for what it is and has a higher degree of separation of himself from the movie.

25. (a lil sappy, but..) What do they like about each other?

Lin loves that Bumi underneath all the foolishness he can exude, is actually a genuine and standup guy. He is quite adept when it comes to reading others, and it's helpful that she doesn’t always need to tell him what may be wrong or what’s on her mind. Somehow, he just… knows. He makes *a vague circular hand wave* everything easy for her.

Bumi loves that not only is she a strong and capable woman who doesn’t take shit, but there’s a part of her that would do anything for the ones she loves. She’s not afraid to tell it like it is and he appreciates that realness.

And dealer's choice - any number and pairing you thing would be fun!

I went with 1. Who is the better cook? (Linzin and Linumi)

Lin is technically the better cook. However, I say this meaning that she has a small rotation of dishes she cooks out of a sake of efficiency. But because she is so efficient in the kitchen, the few recipes she knows, she has on lock. 

When she takes time off, she’ll use that time to practice/try something new to swap in and out of her rotation.

Tenzin is not that great of a cook. He is an excellent baker though. 

With their powers combined, they eat well. They try to make kitchen activities a bonding moment for them.

Bumi is actually quite the excellent cook. He’s had to be resourceful and has also had greater exposure to local/traditional cuisines from around the world in his time in the United Forces. He’s gained knowledge on what spices and techniques to use and applies them to impress Lin on occasion.

OTP + character asks!

[abarbaricyalp]

hey <3 for the ask game: 👄🚿 🤷‍♀️🌷

Hi! Thanks so much for the lovely questions! From this ask meme

👄 Your OTP are having their first kiss. What song do you imagine is playing?

Oh man, I love questions like this. I have so many thoughts (is it a cute docks at sunset kiss? Heat of battle/post-injury kiss? Middle of an argument kiss?) Maybe "This Will Be (an everlasting love)" by Natalie Cole. I think it's a great 'end of movie' fade away song and I want the boys to be smiling during their first kiss.

🚿Where do your best ideas seem to strike?

Usually while I'm falling asleep! Sometimes when I'm walking around. I think it's because I let my mind wander and don't try to hold onto anything in those moments. Just let the images/scenarios pass over me like ocean waves and then get smacked in the face with the seaweed clump of a great idea. And then I go to sleep without writing it down and forget it

🤷‍♀️What's a fic you didn't expect to be popular, but really took off?

Definitely The Truths Beneath Our Ribs. I know it's popular because of the timing/posting it while the show was hot, but people still reread it or bookmark it and I don't really get why. It's not even my favorite thing I wrote in that period, lol. (No judgement to people who do like it. I appreciate all the love so much)

🌷What's one of your fics that isn't as popular, but you hold dear?

Most of my favorites. I'm gonna say three: Things to Crawl Home To (The Winter Soldier sets a meeting with the Taskmaster / (Bucky Barnes talks with Antonia Dreykov)) No Force Greater Than (Stucky / Cap Quartet HS AU with Star Wars references) A Time For Dancing (Footloose AU. Gosh, I'm just so soft about this one)

[veilder]

Convin 👀

Oh God! Them! Ahhhhh!!!!!!!!! (For the Ship Bingo Ask Game here!)

My first triple bingo, hoo boy!

Listen. Listen, I have... so many feelings about them. XD SO MANY! And they can be sooooooo many things!!! They work in like every scenario?! Rivals to lovers? Sure! Childhood friends AU? Oh yes. One night stands catching feelings? You betcha! Actual enemies?! Yes yes yes. Listen, they're antagonistic and argumentative, they're sweet and considerate, their both obnoxious assholes trying to get under each other's skin, etc. They just work on so many levels and they can just be so many things! And somehow... they all work with their characters? (Well, I mean, Gavin's is a bit of a stretch, lol, but with some healthy "making up bullshit backstory" magic, anything is possible. XD)

For me personally, I enjoy a little contention in their relationship? Things aren't exactly going smooth between them and they have their character flaws. Gavin is a prickly bastard with a chip on his shoulder and too any insecurities he loves to project. Connor is sarcastic and guilt-ridden and entrenched in a facade of complete mastery of himself. They've both done things in their pasts they regret deeply (even done things to each other they regret) and they'd have to work hard at anything friendly between them, but... The fact that they won't have to go it alone is key. I love them having a rough start and having flaws and regrets... but I love them seeing past those and working to improve themselves and coming to an understanding between them. I love that they're both kind of messed up because it gives them so much room to grow. And I love the ridiculous, unstoppable force they could become together, driving each other to even greater heights than they would've ever considered on their own. Ahhhhh, they are fraught and confrontation and sarcastic and so so so alike where it really counts, despite all their superficial differences. Ahhh, I love them. I love them so much! They are, I think, the only ship I'd ever consider as my actual OTP because... I just can't image them with anyone else tbh.

No matter what sort of wide range of characterizations they're given, I still love them. I've read so many different takes on them and it's always amazing seeing just how far they stretch when you put them together! I've fallen off a bit with the DBH fandom as of late but... They will always be so dear to me. I still love them with all my heart.

[vv-ispy]

diluc for the ask game?

How I feel about this character: He's interesting but unfortunately I feel like that's all I can really say about him at first glance. Wait no actually I love his little baby face sldkfhd his big -_- eyes. It looks so dumb on him, like he still has a 14 year old's face, like he hasn't grown out of being a teen except being bigger and taller. And in a sense I feel like he hasn't? I like that contrary to his present-day "Oh what a handsome, rich, independent, distinguished gentleman!" perception, he was such a father's boy as a kid — the best praise he could recieve despite being the youngest cavalry captain who everyone in the knights recognized and respected was his dad telling him 'good job'. So of course when his dad died and Kaeya came out as a spy that shattered his whole world and I feel like he...never truly moved on? Kaeya says he's no fun now, and flashbacks of him in the manga he looked like a sweet and pleasent teen, but now he never smiles and never talks to Kaeya except with a cold shoulder, although he's still got this respect for Jean. But what I mean it it feels like between his leaving of the knights and present day, aside from growing into his role as head of the Dawn Winery and resolve to protect Mondstadt from the shadows (which. tbh also stemed from That Moment), nothing else has changed him so fundementally as that day his dad died and his brother was revealed as a spy. That was the moment he grew up and became Diluc. He was still a kid when he grew up.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: The occational Venti/Diluc — I love the idea of this guy having to throw a god out of his manor and tavern on the regular. Like he has all the moral indulgences the god could want, the best wine for a wine-loving man, but nope. Get out of here Venti if you only have enough mora for one bottle then you only get One Bottle no freebies for the god. Otherwise, I have a very hard time imagining this guy in a serious romantic relationship, he's too much of an outsider in his own city

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Is it an OTP if I like them broken up? Kaeya and Diluc except they continue refusing to understand each other. I don't even want them to have a Big Talk I want them to have a life defining fight again Jean and Diluc. That moment where Jean talks about finding her pet turtle as a kid, and Paimon goes "Jean had a pet turtle???" and Diluc goes "I fail to see what's weird about that. I had a pet turtle as a kid too" lkshdflksdhf amazing. Also something about they had a turtle wedding? Love it. I want to see little Jean and Diluc dressing up and racing turtles together. Adorable. And on a deeper sense, the fact he still shows respect to her, I like that it points to a more complicated relationship with the KoF than just 'they're useless idiots' Diluc and Lisa. I think they had an interaction in the manga? Love the way Lisa's 'laissez fait oh it is tea-time, the work can be done later' attitude bounces off 'no fun allowed' serious Diluc. They should be put together on a task together more.

My unpopular opinion about this character: Ahhh honestly, the way he likes traveller, I just think he has more interesting relationships with pretty much every other Mondstadt character...but that might just be the writing of the Diluc story quest. And ye I know it's to show he's learning to accept help as opposed to working alone, and fair a Complete Outsider who he has no personal connections with, no stakes associated with, would be the first/easiest person for him to start opening up to, but I reject it. I want him to stay a locked safe of a man until he faces things greater than himself which force him to face his past again. No baby steps of opening up allowed for this man.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: What's going on between him and Jean?

[artilaz]

OC Meme - Vharloth Zal'arin

(Baldur's Gate 3 version)

Tagged by: No one directly, but @ex-textura's gorgeous boy Ilztaufein inspired me to do this for yet another OC

Tagging: Everyone who wants to do it and hasn't been tagged directly!

B A S I C S

Full name: Vharloth Zal'arin. He chose the name for himself. He'd rather cut out his tongue than ever speak his birth name again, since he associates it with nothing but misery.

Gender: Cisgender male

Sexuality: Bisexual

Pronouns: He/him

Class: Oathbreaker Paladin

O T H E R

Birthplace: One of the greater cities in the Underdark, but I haven't decided on a specific one yet.

Job: None at the moment. Before his escape, he was being kept as a slave and gladiator.

Phobias: He bears an intense fear of seeing loved ones suffer or die, but since that fear isn't irrational, it's not quite a phobia.

Guilty pleasures: There's not much that brings him pleasure to begin with, but he doesn't feel guilty about anything that does.

Hobbies: He doesn't know himself well enough to have many real hobbies yet, but what he does know is that he enjoys singing - mostly where nobody else can hear it, though.

M O R A L S

Alignment: He still has to figure out where his free will will land him, but probably along the lines of chaotic good.

Sins: None of the classic deadly sins fully apply to him, but negative traits of his include jealousy, apathy/reluctance, as well as a tendency towards judgmentalism, all of which he's aware of, and actively trying to overcome.

Virtues: Patience, tenacity/resilience, hope, and the willingness to learn and improve

T H I S  O R  T H A T

Introvert / Extrovert

Organized / Disorganized

Close-minded / Open-minded

Calm / Anxious / Restless

Disagreeable / Agreeable / In between

Cautious / Reckless / In between - strongly depending on the given situation, and whether or not there are lives at stake other than his own

Patient / Impatient / In between

Outspoken / Reserved / In between

Leader / Follower / Flexible

Empathetic / Unempathetic / In between

Optimist / Pessimist / Realist - not quite applicable. His past has left him with a pessimistic streak, but he's actively working on getting rid of that, forcing himself into a more hopeful mindset.

Traditional / Modern / In between

Hard-working / Lazy

R E L A T I O N S H I P S

OTP: None so far

Acceptable Ships: Vharloth x Halsin. They're not an absolute OTP, but they'd work nicely together, at least from Vharl's point of view. Halsin's grounded, wise, and kind nature is something he'd feel himself strongly drawn to. Maybe even Vharloth x Astarion. I don't think they'd last for very long, but they could bond over some of their past trauma, and misinterpret their understanding of each other's emotions as romantic feelings.

OT3: Vharloth x Halsin x Lythia (another OC of mine). Lythia is a young half-elf, her father being Aozhan, my main OC. She's sweet, gentle, kind, accepting, and has a strong heart. Halsin and Lythia are the actual OTP here, but since they've agreed to let each other roam if they wish, and since they've both got elven blood, I can also see them with Vharl.

Brotp: Vharloth x Karlach. Vharlach, if you will. Vharl gravitates towards people with a positive mindset, since he himself is actively fighting to allow optimism into his own life, so he'd probably enjoy spending time with her. There wouldn't be romantic feelings from his side, though, since he only feels those towards other elves or half-elves.

Notp: Probably a good few, but the most obvious one is Vharloth x Minthara. Being not only a female drow, but also a Paladin of Lolth just like he himself used to be, he'd be terrified that she'd make an attempt to take him back to the Underdark and have him punished for his insubordination, to a point he'd refuse to stay with the group if she was part of it.

B A C K S T O R Y

I don't have his full story developed, but here have some facts about him that I do know for sure - in no particular order.

He's the firstborn child of a rather well-respected family, but not of noble background.

He used to have a younger sister. She was his everything, but she was killed during an attack at a social event hosted by one of the high houses, which he was also present at. His parents never forgave him for failing to save her, and neither did he.

After those events, he was pretty much disowned by his family, and eventually ended up enslaved under another matriarch.

"His one redeeming quality," as his parents often stated, was that he was talented with the sword, which led to his mistress sending him into coliseum fights for the upper class's entertainment, and eventually he was encouraged to swear the Oath to Lolth. He didn't keep it out of true conviction though, but for the fear of consequences.

For almost his entire life, he's secretly dreamed of a life on the surface. The only person he ever told about this was his sister, whom he used to have a close bond to.

Having made it to the surface now, he's in a strange mental place, having bouts ranging from internal emptiness, to radical longing for any sort of experience for experience's sake.

A quote of his is: "I'd rather go blind from seeing the sun just once, than never getting to see it."

At some point in the future, he will renew his oath, but this time he'll swear it to Lathander, and this time, he'll mean it.

[sebeth]

Legion of Super-Heroes #3 (Bendis)

Warning, Spoilers Ahead…

The issue opens with Dawnstar giving an infodump on herself:

Her name is Dawnstar Gr’ell. This is the first time in the history of Dawnstar that she has had a last name. Gr’ell is a reference to Mike Grell, the artist who co-created Dawnstar.

Her home planet is Starhaven which has a “deep connection to the earth’s 13th century”.  In the original continuity, Starhaven was an “Amerind colony world”. Starhaven had connections to Earth’s indigenous people and their cultures.  A quick google search shows that the Aztec, Mayan, and Inca civilizations were occurring during this time. Is Bendis hinting Starhaven was founded by one of these civilizations. Is this going to be another “my father was a wolf” moment where he drops a random bit of information and doesn’t follow up on it?  I am not an expert on the various histories and cultures of the First People, if anyone has any other ideas on what the “deep connection to the 13th century” could be, I would love to hear them.

Dawny’s name is derived from “the appearance on earth of the planet Venus, the ‘morning star.”.

Dawnstar takes a moment to gush over Jon Kent even though Dawnstar has never been the type to gush over anything.

Dawnstar’s appearance has been updated. The top half of her face is covered in blue paint/tattoo with a white star on her forehead. Her costume has been updated as well. I’m not sure how I feel about the new costume but I do like it more than her original bathing suit costome.

We switch to Rimbor where General Crav Nah has discovered that Jo is a member of the Legion. He’s not happy about it.

Jon has brought Damian to the future. Damian passes out after meeting Dawnstar.

Back to Rimbor. Cosmic Boy and his team (Ultra Boy, Colossal Boy, Shadow Lass, Mon-El, White Witch) have arrived.

Cosmic Boy is briefing the team on expected behaviors while on Rimbor. Shadow Lass and Cosmic Boy are in a relationship. Which is new. And apparently is news to the rest of the Legion. A Shady-Cos pairing could be interesting but Cos & Night Girl are one of my OTPs so I’d rather have that.

Colossal Boy hasn’t decided if he will keep the code name or adapt another.

Crav Nah arrives and he wants his Trident.

We receive more info on Rimbor. One half of Rimbor has been in constant holy war with the other. Crav intends to unite the world by force (under his command, of course). Jo also wants unity for Rimbor but minus the war and domination.

Cosmic Boy introduces himself and offers in assistance in settling the Rimborian disputes. Crav finds the offer insulting and hurls Rokk across the building. Cue a brawl between Crav and the Legion that Mon-El ends in one punch. Cause, you know, Daxamite. Daxamites are basically Kryptonians with a different weakness (lead instead of kryptonite).

Jo informs Mon-El that per Rimborian law Lar is now the ruler of Rimbor since he defeated Crav.

Mon-El does not want the role.

Gim mentions Rokk is the elected leader so that answers my question from last issue.

Lightning Lad’s team arrives at Dini City in Planet Gotham. Dini is a clear reference to Paul Dini, one of the creators behind the Bataman: The Animated Series and the greater DC animated universe.

Garth’s team consists of Saturn Girl, Triplicated Girl, and Chameleon Boy.

The team is greeted by December Sevenbergen, the commissioner of Gotham.

Tortor arrives to free Mordru from police captivity: “If word in the galaxy gets out that I let you, a master daemon, rot in the bowels of a Gotham jail…”

Bendis has downgraded Mordru on a massive scale if the Science Police are able to contain him.

“Tortor” is revealed to be Saturn Girl’s attempt to enter Mordru’s mind. It doesn’t last long. Mordru is still stuck in a simple containment cell in police headquarters.

Dawnstar summons the team back to HQ before any further attempts to interrogate Mordru.

Crav’s official title is the “Warrior King of Rimbor”. Cosmic Boy’s team has brought Crav to Legion HQ.

Element Lad has the appearance of a blond, green-skinned Shaggy from Scooby Doo. He also has a purple and green striped costume. I don’t like it.

Jo’s costume has spontaneously turned green and red on his return from Rimbor.

Crav is brawling with the Legion. He’s apparently knocked out Jon, which would indicate Mon-El is more powerful than Jon. Makes sense as Mon appears to be older than Jon.

Damian is confused over what is happening.

Imra attempts to telepathically knock Crav out but only succeeds in knocking Brainiac 5 and Wildfire out. Crav is now the third villain to no-sell Imra’s powers. This is the second time Imra has taken out her teammates instead of the villain. It’s only been three issues. Not loving incompetent Imra.

Jon recovers and knocks Crav out. Mon-El states he knocked Crav out first, gets into a hissy with Jon and flies away. Finally, a Legionnaire who doesn’t fanboy over an inexperienced and under-accomplished Jon!

Triplicate Girl tells Jon that Mon-El is really sensitive “which is funny because he’s actually your…” What?! I’m not loving the “Bendis drops a tidbit of info and then ignores it” approach to story-telling.

Damian’s been in the future for five minutes and he already has criticisms: “You need a stronger penal system and clearer sense of the rule of law…”

Brainy has fixed Damian up with a bio-patch so he can breathe/exist in the 31st Century. Imra pitches a fit over Damian, erases his memory, and takes him back to the 31st Century. Jon rightfully calls the Legion out on the hypocrisy of bringing Jon to the future but having a fit over Damian.

Damian’s whole trip to the future was pointless, a waste of pages, and would have been better spent focusing on actual Legionnaires.

Chameleon Boy refers to Damian as “Baby Hitler” and Brainy states “That is a deeply unfair assessment of Damian Wayne…Therefore, we as a group, have dedicated our entire existence to rooting for his success.”

I’m assuming this is a reference to Morrison’s adult Damian storyline. More importantly, is Bendis serious? Why does he think Legion fans want the team to be dedicated Superboy/Robin fanboys?

That’s the purpose of the Legion’s existence? To make sure Damian remains a good boy? I’m starting to remember why I dropped this run at the third issue.

The issue ends with the Trident being stolen – again!

Pros:

Ryan Sooks’ art is pretty

Cons:

Dawnstar and Mon-El’s tidbits could have been interesting if we’d received actual details.

Weak-ass Mordru

Incompetent Imra

Damian’s pointless cameo

The Legion continues to be reduced nothing but cheerleaders for Jon and now Damian.

[spyridonya]

Kadira and the Hand of the Inheritor! 👀 I know she views him as a mentor, I'm still very curious - or for that very reason.

Send me an OC + an alternate love interest for them and I’ll tell you what I think of the idea

This. This is my super indulgent OTP. I forced them to be mentor and mentee with a touch of 'Kadee sees him as a Friend :D' to keep me from thinking too much about it. But? Now I can.

I think a romance could be possible, but not within the game's framing. Kadira places the Hand on a high pedestal and doesn't feel worthy enough for anything like that until Act 4.

However, the Hand finds Kadira… far different from the champions and hosts he's allied himself with prior. The General of Vengeance is not a soft Lord, there's no compassion in his righteousness despite wanting the greater good. While Iomedae is far more gentle in comparison, she is a war goddess and one of valor and gives little compassion.

And then there's Kadira, who is infused with compassion. She's protective and 'passive' in her righteousness. It's fascinating. He doubts just a little because she's so fragile. Obviously, that's why he's there to help her! She goes to him often, talks to him often, and has so many questions. It never occurs to him to ask the tiny tiefling questions. She's sweet, lovely, and foolish in her own way in the Hand's eyes. He hates the idea this Crusade is thrust upon her, even if she does handle such a task marvelously. Kadira basks in his genuine admiration of her, not so much as minding his condensation as knowing he's an Outsider and she's... a little odd.

In Ac4 4, they're both knocked off her pedestal and the Hand is knocked off his. Kadira forgives him, far quicker than he forgives himself, but she doesn't seem the same way again. He's flawed, just like anyone else. He was never too good for her. Not that should matter! Not at all.

Goatboy kidnaps him and she holds her righteous fury in check. She knows exactly that Baphomet is smarter than he and will never come out to play again without casting powerful spells. And how will that help the Hand? Her fury comes later, after the game.

In canon, forgiving the Hand means he returns with an untroubled soul. In this self indulgence, the Hand is awed that Kadira has given him compassion and he questions on what it means to be good. He knows that Ragithel would have slaughtered him, he knows that Iomedae left him for the greater good. But Kadira did not, after all his doubts and frankly, his unspoken condensation.

He doesn't return as Iomedae's hand because he realizes he still needs to figure out the nature of good and his narrow views.

It's after the world wound is closed that a unarmored Hand visits Kadira as she tries to figure out what to do with the remains of Sarkoris, sincerely offering help, and she accepts his help. They're equals. They see each other as real and true and not the ideal.

But the affection they had for one another during the crusade makes remarkable seeds that grow strong and true. It takes a while for them to realize they're in love, but isn't love the most remarkable thing about goodness?

[brenda0ng]

AI in CX: "Good Friction" in Policing & Scam Prevention

Humans may think that because AI is pre-programmed to reduce errors, it is accurate and neutral. To counteract these biases we hold about AI and ensure more responsible use of AI, “good friction” can help - this involves introducing strategic obstacles in AI systems that encourage ethical practices, such as greater transparency and human oversight.

I've been a police officer with the Singapore Police Force for more than a decade, and human decision-making has always been an important part of the operational decision-making process, even if we augment our decisions with data. This is partly because data can also be unintentionally biased. For instance, operational data predicting crime rates often face the issue of being self-fulfilling prophecies, as sending officers to patrol an area more often leads to a greater likelihood of detecting crime and having that area listed as a hotspot for more policing. Data fed to AI systems may also not capture everything - data can only capture the measurable and quantifiable aspects of our world, but there are intangible aspects of the world that is difficult to capture in a structured format, e.g. data may not capture the poor security measures in a store that an officer observed last shift and had to advise the store owner on, leading them to question whether that area may become more susceptible to opportunistic crimes like theft.

One of the ways to strategically use friction to achieve more responsible AI systems is, as Gosline mentions, to practice acts of inconvenience for areas where we question: “Should AI be doing this?”. As such, you do not see officers relying on hotspot crime data alone to plan their patrol routes. Here, the friction added is more time required for decision-making for officers for patrol route planning before their shift, but this is a “good friction” that the officer can afford, and it allows the officer to think through their various recent experiences, recent events and data that they are provided on crime in their area. The sum of their human experience, informed by crime data provided by the system undoubtedly provides a better informed decision. Within an organization, it is important to conduct “friction audits” to identify the areas where introducing friction could encourage human-first thinking that benefits the customer and community.

As much as I love Tom Cruise, Minority Report is not happening anytime soon (left). Instead, the best "data" officers can gather about the ground is really just from good old fashioned community policing, and getting to know their neighborhood (right).

Another way we can try to introduce “good friction” is to be on the lookout for “dark patterns”. In my time with the Singapore Police, we’ve identified several lobster traps when it comes to scams. Very often, victims of scams will give away their bank account details, and money gets transferred out of their bank accounts very quickly - but it becomes extremely difficult to get the money back once that transfer is made. In an effort to combat such dark patterns, good friction was introduced in the banking systems, where monetary limits are set on both local and overseas bank transfers, and delays are introduced if a new payee is added to a bank account. There are also frictions that you can impose when your rational System 2 brain is in charge, such a "money lock" feature to secure your money for a set period of time - to prevent any losses when your System 1 brain succumbs to any scams or dark patterns. Such frictions undoubtedly make it more inconvenient for the customer, but they have been accepted so far, as they have been useful in reducing the amount lost to scams and the incidences of scams in Singapore.

"Good friction" in the banking system helps delay money transfers to scammers, in case Rick Astley's advice escapes you. [OTP = One-Time Password].

[commander-krios]

"stop pushing everyone away" for jocasta and doc?

Thank you so much for this prompt! I haven't written for them in so long and it was a breath of fresh air to do something for my Knight. I miss her. It started off a little angsty, but it ended up being really cute. Enjoy!

The Dantooine sun had set hours ago, leaving nothing above but dark skies and bright stars. There was little cloud cover and Jocasta took advantage. It wasn’t often that she could enjoy the sight of the stars from solid ground. Breathing in the chilly air, she rubbed her hands over her arms, trying to hold off goosebumps. She wasn’t ready to go back inside. Her parents were there. They had so many questions that she wasn’t ready to answer yet.

She turned away from the house, heading down the dirt path that led to town. The night was quiet, people and animals nestled in their beds and barns, kept safe from the unseasonably cold night. She hadn’t been on her home planet in years, not since she joined the Temple on Tython. She missed it, of course, but she didn’t feel the same pull to it that she used to.

No, her home was on her ship. With her crew. Even with Scourge, who was a strange new addition but welcome nonetheless.

But that was the real issue.

Jedi weren’t supposed to have attachments. She was breaking so many parts of the Code by just being here with her parents. By having such close ties to her crew, to her ship. These things were considered temptations, pieces that could be used to manipulate her. They might even be the start of her downfall.

Then again, she had already fallen, hadn’t she?

After the months under the Emperor’s influence, she had needed to get away, to center herself. She needed to remember who she was.

She had to make sure that the Emperor’s fingers couldn’t play with her mind anymore.

Jocasta took in the familiar sight of rolling hills, farms, and the occasional wild animal as she continued her walk. She tried to block the memories of the awful things she’d done under the Emperor’s control, but even now those images haunted her. She couldn’t keep the screams of her victims locked away. If she was a weaker person, she would’ve broken by now.

Letting out a tight breath, she leaned against an old wooden fence, her eyes scanning the scenery. Fireflies danced in the meadow below, their light comforting against the dark.

Shifting gravel on the path behind her broke the stillness. It was another moment before a voice accompanied it. “Hey, gorgeous. What are you up to?”

A smile tugged at her lips. He joined her at the fence, resting his arms against the rails, his dark eyes watching the fireflies with her. “I can’t sleep. I’ve been thinking about the next mission.”

“You can lie to yourself, beautiful, but don’t lie to me.” Doc covered her hand with his, squeezing gently. “I know you’re scared.”

Jocasta closed her eyes. He was right, of course. Pretending she wasn’t afraid of what could happen didn’t mean that she wasn’t. She’d always been ready to face what was to come, but now- now she didn’t know if she could. “What if he’s in my mind, Doc? What if he’s waiting to control me again? I don’t want to hurt people.”

“I don’t know what sort of crap the Jedi taught you, but you don’t have to do everything alone.” Doc paused briefly, finally glancing in Jocasta’s direction. “Letting people care for you doesn’t make you a Sith.”

It didn’t, but it led to many places that would tempt her to the dark side. None of that seemed to matter much anymore, not after everything that had happened with the Emperor. Maybe she’d already fallen. Maybe she wanted to fall.

It would certainly make everything simpler.

“You’ve got to stop pushing people away, beautiful.”

Jocasta nodded, knowing her fears wouldn’t help her, but she could try to work through them and make them less powerful. “I am scared, Doc. And it’s not only about the Emperor. It’s about me. He was able to control my mind so easily… make me do those horrible things.” She met his dark eyes, unable to hide behind the mask that the Jedi had taught her to perfect. “What if he found that darkness in me already?”

Doc’s eyes widened in alarm. “What?”

“What if the dark side is already a part of me? What if the Emperor chose me because I wanted to do those things?”

Could she have those evil, dark desires buried within her?

Doc pulled her away from the fence, wrapping his arms around her, the heat from his body keeping the night’s chill from her. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, lips lingering against her skin after. “There is not a single bone in your body that could hold that kind of darkness, beautiful.” When he pulled away to meet her gaze, a goofy smile pulled on his face “I should know. I am a doctor.”

Jocasta blinked away tears, heart overwhelmed by how certain he was. A breathless laugh left her mouth and she leaned into him, her cheek resting against his chest. The sound of his heartbeat was a comforting song to her. His confidence in her goodness was enough for her to believe in herself. “I’m so lucky you’re here, Doc.”

He pressed a kiss against her hair, holding her close. “I’m not going anywhere, gorgeous.”

[mokutone]

For the character ask thing..idk if you have any opinions on him but Neji?

HMMMMM. yes i do have some feelings abt neji :)

answers under the cut!

favorite thing about them —he's like a bomb ready to go off at any minute, and he is daring you to light the fuse. he is taunting you to light the fuse. he is actively encouraging you to take that match and light the fuse and make his fucking day. i find this compelling in a character.

least favorite thing about them —i wish we got to see him like. need his friends a little bit more. he seems to tolerate them more than he depends on them, and while that makes sense given that he never wants to be forced to be dependent on anyone, it's like. he has to be. at some point. nobody is an island etc etc and his friends are sooooo ready and willing to love and support him. i wish we got to see that more?

favorite line —HMMM no specific line stands out to me?

brOTP —him and tenten :) i like when they give each other looks about gai sensei and lee :) theyre really cute and silly, and i'm glad they have each other to be cynical and rude with

OTP —i don't care about this kind of thing! i don't get the impression that neji does either, you know, given the whole "i do not want to need anyone" vibe

nOTP —i don't care about this kind of thing.

random headcanon —i think gai sensei may have straight up offered to adopt neji when he found out abt the hyūga clan situation at home and neji had such a bad reaction to that they never bring it up to discuss it again. it's not that he doesn't like gai, it's that he didn't feel this would have solved any of the problems with the hyūga family, and if anything it possibly put neji at greater risk of backlash, and would bring gai under fire too. it just kind of frustrated him more, and made him feel even more trapped in his situation. and also a little like gai did not understand him when he spoke about it. this said, he still thinks about it sometimes. and like, what his life would've been like if he had the ability to say "yes, get me out of here" without fearing the repercussions. he doesn't know how to imagine the kind of person that situation would have created.

unpopular opinion —is this an unpopular opinion? i don't think he's a prettyboy simply because he has long hair. nothing about him seems to be all that concerned with looks, he is simply a very serious little guy, with very long hair. this also seems to be the case with most hyūga men, at least in the main branches of the family...indicating, i think, that this is less about his personal concern with his looks, and more about adhering to tradition. saying this makes me feel like the like. the hair-cut-symbolism police or something because i also generally read yamato's long hair as being more a symbol of him being forced to assume the role of knockoff-hashirama, instead of him having fun with gender and being pretty, but also...i don't know...the context around these characters in both of these cases leads me to my assumptions!

song i associate with them — Up the Wolves by the mountain goats. here. here have a look at this. I'm gonna get myself in fighting trim Scope out every angle of unfair advantage I'm gonna bribe the officials, I'm gonna kill all the judges It's gonna take you people years to recover from all of the damage

favorite picture of them—

this is kind of. yeah. three whole jōnin (and kurenai but u cant see her here) leapt in to restrain this kid, and gai, with that fucking. Look Of Constipated Concern he gets when he sees kids in pain, is trying to remind neji NOT to let his fuse get lit over this battle, and neji just straight up cannot hear him, he's so furious. he like straight up wouldve killed hinata. hooh boy.

[silviakundera]

My very unofficial official book review for Lord Seventh, now that I've had time to "sit" on it.

Context: I watched 25 eps of Word of Honor before halting to go back and read the novels.

Now my take-aways: On the whole, I truly enjoyed Lord Seventh and at times it moved me emotionally. By the end I was very invested in the protagonist, the Crown Prince (Helian Yi), and Zhou Zishu. The plotline of Jing Beiyuan being reborn and having to deal with all the baggage of his previous 6 life times and the fascinating, fraught relationship w the ex-love of his life... and his decision to still commit himself to supporting the Crown Prince's faction despite all that messy past: fantastic! In another novel, this would be your standard reborn revenge tropes. But that is ABSOLUTELY not at all the dynamic in play here. Best aspect of the novel for me and made it stand out. So many options to walk away cleanly and he never does, until he is certain that the dynasty has been secured. The complicated, deep mutual misunderstanding & distrust between him and Helian Yi... and yet how they never put all that baggage ahead of the duty they feel to the people as a whole... Dedicating themselves to something greater, beyond love, affection, pride, self-satisfaction. Do I admire them? Hell no. These mofos are screwed up and do terrible things. But do I find them compelling af? YES.

"Helian Yi paused, then slowly took a few steps forward. Under the impression that he wanted to say something, Jing Qi leaned over, only to be caught off guard by the other hugging him. A cheek that had been blasted ice-cold by the night wind was pressed close against his neck, as if he was about to be roughly dragged off his steed and firmly forced into Helian Yi’s arms.

The horse took a few tiny steps in place.

Jing Qi was stunned for a second, hand still clutching the reins, and didn’t know how he ought to react. Three hundred years… he had once waited three hundred years just for this hug. Yet, now that he had long refused to wait any longer, he had been put into this awkward position without warning. His shoulders were pulled down low, pushed into the hollow of Helian Yi’s own. It wasn’t the least bit warm, solely causing sorrow to emerge in one’s heart.

If only… if only, in the previous life, you weren’t the Rongjia Emperor, and I wasn’t Prince Nan’ning. "

The relationship between Jing Beiyuan and Zhou Zishu is also so subtly interesting. There is this quiet respect and rapport between them, always. Late night chats and promises to reunite for another drink, another future day. This unspoken understanding of each other so deep that Jing Beiyuan doesn't blame ZZS for bringing forth the charges to set him up for death in the 1st life. tbh if not for watching some WoH first, I probably would have shipped them and hoped for post-canon Get Together fic.

I must admit I just never really got very invested in the romantic subplot in this one. There some nice shippy moments towards the end, when the lil murder teen becomes a safe place for Jing Beiyuan, but they never thrilled me like the couple in Golden Stage, for instance.

I think one problem is, I just finished watching Nirvana in Fire. I was just far more interested in the political plotline and the romance arc was mostly disconnected from it and happening on the sidelines of the action. I have no issues w this narrative choice and it makes thematic sense. Didn't detract from my enjoyment of the novel. It just ended up that I was "ok" with the romance arc. I could see why that's how the protagonist's story ends and I agree it's a happy ending for them. I was satisfied. Just never felt the hype on the canon otp. But I completely see the appeal for others.

I do recommend the novel to anyone who plans to read Faraway Wanderers. He's not the main character but it gives you so much context for where ZZS is coming from and why he would vibe with the Valley Master so well, why he's so lackadaisical about all the chaos and violence happening around him. (And Jing Beiyuan is a WAY more intriguing MC than comes across in Faraway Wanderers. If I'd read that book first, never would have thought I'd love a whole book about that dude lol.)

tmw I'll put together my thoughts on TW 🤔

[consistentsquash]

10 HP Slash Crossovers with 10 Pairings

10 Slash Recs with 10 Crossover Pairings

During Samhain/Halloween the veil is thin. Something like that. What's on the other side of the veil? Crossovers!

Selection Criteria

Fics shorter than 30000 words

No repeat authors/pairings/crossover fandoms

AO3 collection for this list

Other lists

 Blood Sugar Sex Magik

by Delphi (2011)

Crossover canon - Hellblazer

Length - 1400 words

Pairing - John Constantine/Severus Snape

Kinky hot mess. S.ex magic. S.ex club. We don't need more reasons! Go read the hotness! I think we can agree with John that Snape's using his magic for the greater good in this one :D

 Tecum habita

by amoama (2017)

Crossover - The Chronicles of Narnia

Length - 2000 words

Pairing - Minerva McGonagall/Susan Pevensie

Really, Susan Pevensie, she tells herself, this childishness does not become an engineering undergraduate at the University of Edinburgh. She wipes her eyes, although they have not leaked, and rifles through her purse for her lipstick. She applies that small piece of armour, thinks determinedly of her heroine, the inventor Hedy Lamarr, and forces herself to re-establish her sense of self.

Any fic referencing Hedy Lamarr is amazing in my book! The Chronicles of Narnia isn't my thing in general. But this fic is an exception. It keeps the mystery and adventure vibe of Narnia which goes great with the magic of HP.

 Appetite

by Resonant (2009)

Crossover canon - Ratatouille

Length - 2700 words

Pairing - Snape/Horst

So Snape's afterlife is actually a next life. He reincarnates as Anton Ego in Ratatouille. Food critic is the perfect job for him! I really love the writing, humor and characterization in this one.

Perhaps the person who'd had it before had died, and the life of a food critic in Paris was simply too good to disappear. Or perhaps this body was to let, like a cottage in the Lake District. Perhaps the Almighty kept a variety of lives open for anyone who chanced to find himself dead and at loose ends.

This is the happy ending Snape deserves. You can't convince me otherwise :D

The food kink is surreal. I mean it works in the context of the fic. But it's still pretty surreal. It's a crackfic so good that it doesn't even feel like a crackfic anymore.

Rec note - Full disclosure that I am totally biased. Ratatouille is one of my favorite movies of all time and Resonant is one of my favorite fanfic authors of all time. So this is just something I didn't know I needed. This was one of my favorite lockdown/2020 rereads on heavy rotation especially when eating out wasn't allowed.

 Diplomatic Relations

by thingswithwings (2012)

Crossover canon - Parks and Recreation

Length - 4400 words

Pairing - Hermione/Leslie Knope

New OTP alert! This is such a brilliant pairing. I love how creative this fic gets. President Knope gets a visit from the President of the League of Magical Persons and Creatures. Amazing chemistry.

"What made you kiss first and make me promise discretion later? That doesn't seem very politically sound."

 Another Kind of Hunt

by K8BNimble (2011)

Crossover canon - Supernatural

Length - 5000 words

Pairing - Harry/Dean Winchester

Harry and Sirius are hiding from the Ministry. They meet the Winchesters. Dean shoots Harry. Of course that is really the best meetcute for an SPN crossover!

 Shades of Green

by KeeperoftheNine (2012)

Crossover canon - The Avengers

Length - 5600 words

Pairing - Snape/Loki

“I am your past, your present and your future.” The man’s voice ran like honey through the air, perfectly formed lips curving into a smirk. “Some call me Silvertongue, other’s Lie-Smith, but you, Severus Snape, may call me Loki.”

Turns out Loki is the Patron god of Slytherin House. This is a really sweet fic. It's canon compliant and Snape dies. But don't let that get in the way of reading the fic. The relationship building is organic and works great.

 quicken to the new life

by ImpishTubist (2021)

Crossover - Good Omens

Length - 7200 words

Pairing - Sirius/Remus, Aziraphale/Crowley

A great fic of Remus taking care of Harry after everything goes down. Aziraphale asks him to run the bookshop when Crowley and he has to go to raise the Antichrist. I really love the contrast between the Ineffable Husband domestic bickering and Remus trying to deal with horrible tragedies/the betrayal he thinks Sirius is responsible for. Crowley of course reminds him of Sirius.

“I’m, er, not much of a sales person,” he said.

“That’s perfect,” Ezra said, beaming. “Precisely what I’m looking for. You don’t have to sell a thing. In fact, I would prefer that you didn’t.”

“You want to hire someone...to not run your business.”

Rec note - if you want something wholesome and good this is the fic for you! It's one of my favorite crossover rereads!

 Conversations on the Plurality of Worlds

by eldritcher (2021)

Crossover canon - Man Who Fell to Earth

Length - 10400 words

Pairing - Snape/Harry, Snape/Thomas Jerome Newton

Do you need to read the book/watch the movie to read the fic? - Nope. But if you like weird Seventies movies definitely check it out. David Bowie plays the alien.

Thomas Jerome Newton is an alien who kidnaps Snape from the Shack after the war. Harry of course goes searching. Turns out this alien was actually visiting earth to find water for his planet which is going through a drought.

The Snarry parts are beautiful <3 Also hot. But you need to get through some intense stuff before the smut.

"Biscuits," Harry reminds him.

"Haven't you outgrown your inner Dickensian orphan?" Snape parries, and summons a tin of biscuits.

It's got a really unique and powerful take on Snape's relationship with his Dad. I feel like most fics focus more on his Mom.

The rowan bursts to life from the chest of a dead man, from the chest of a father, from the chest of a man who believed in love's sacrifice as fiercely as Lily did.

Fics from this author have a general theme around masculinity. This fic has C.astrated Snape. But unlike a lot of fics about that topic this one has a legit happy ending and a really resourceful Slytherin Snape with his canon level of courage. Honestly I felt sorry for the alien who kidnapped Snape in the first place.

I had not anticipated my deathless death would find me a kidnapped castrato in a house by the lake in the dead of winter, debating cosmic pluralism with a being not of this earth.

Rec note - If you wanted something deep/weird that's going to make you feel a ton of emotions this is a great pick! It has a lot of the unique things I have seen in this author's writing - a brilliant 1st person POV, scifi elements, sharp characterizations, sacrifice, poetic prose, magic which is weird/unexplained/scary and a zoom/blur/focus storytelling style that really works. If you want a Halloween scifi vibe crossover read with a happy ending this is it.

 Jeeves and the Secret Society

by perverse_idyll (2021)

Crossover canon - Jeeves & Wooster

Length - 12000 words

Pairing - Snape/Albus, Jeeves/Wooster

Do you need to read the books/watch the series to read the fic? - Nope. But you are going to be excited about reading the books after reading the fic.

This fic is an experience. I mean it. You don't read it! You feel it and live it. Brilliant and spot on characterizations for Jeeves and Bertie.

Glass in hand, I toasted my audience with the exuberance of a condemned man reprieved from the Agathaean gallows. Multi-coloured plaids and ascots and waistcoats galore dotted the room, whetting the sartorial appetite. Most cheering of all, the view was mercifully auntless to the horizon.

Bertie is hiding from his aunt in the safest possible location. Which is a gay bar a public house favoured by the lavender brotherhood. He meets an interesting man there.

Still, the stranger's presence stirred a pang of wariness in my breast. "Bertram," I advised self. "Own up. Admit it's not the whiff of mortician that puts you on your mettle, but the disconcerting garnish of schoolmaster."

Snape of course thinks Bertie is a nitwit! What's Snape doing there anyway? Turns out he is a Time Traveller with a message for somebody there. Message for who?

He rose from his seat – and kept rising, as he was quite a lanky old thing – before weaving toward us through the amorous scrum of twirling gents with a shoulder pat here, a tip of the homburg there, a swapping of familiar smiles and flirtatious words. He was positively twinkling by the time he washed up on our sombre shores, a bespoke-suited Venus on a clamshell of bonhomie.

The one and only Albus Dumbledore! Bespoke-suited Venus on a clamshell of bonhomie needs to be on his business cards!

I am a big fan of how this author writes the AD/SS dynamic here. It's layered and I am super impressed by how they wrote the emotional complexity in a perfect Bertie voice.

Jeeves & Wooster was so totally not my thing when I first read the books. Because of how much I love this fic I finally, finally tried them again. My Man Jeeves. I loved it this time. This fic is a seriously good sneaky sales pitch for the books honestly.

Rec note - I know what you are thinking. Omg I know this author's name. Nope, this fic is going to tenderize my heart. Don't skip the fic because of that! It's pretty different! This fic definitely has a ton of emotional complexity. But it's lighter compared to the other fics from this author. It's a great starter rec to get used to the author's brilliant writing style if you don't read darker fics in general.

Like I said before, this isn't a fic! This is an Experience!

 Five Days In Which All Was Once Lost

by This Girl Is (2011)

Crossover canon - Torchwood

Length - 20000 words

Pairing - Draco/Harry, Captain Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones

Do you need to read the books/watch the series to read the fic? - Nope. You should watch it anyway!

“We should have brought marshmallows.” Malfoy announced, entirely at random. Harry closed his eyes and took another pull of his enormous Starbucks Americano. There was not enough coffee in the world to alleviate the presence of Malfoy in the morning.

Malfoy and Potter are Aurors. Who get along with each other exactly like back at school. Add in mysteries/adventures/Captain Jack Harkness this is sexy, funny and totally chaotic like Torchwood canon.

I am not adding more fic details because a big part of the plot is based on suspense. It's got magic, scifi, snark and chaos on top of a great plot. The perfect fic to finish the list!

[marypsue]

how about Danny Phantom?

the first character i ever fell in love with: Sam!

a character that i used to love/like, but now do not: I wouldn't say don't like, but it is infuriating how the show just refused to acknowledge Sam's flaws or pretended they were strengths, and it got especially egregious towards the end of the show.

a ship that i used to love/like, but now do not: For the same reasons, I don't find Sam/Danny as much of the uncomplicated positive as I used to.

my ultimate favorite character™: It is...still Sam, haha. I just see a lot of my teenage self in her.

prettiest character: I mean, they're all cartoons. I can definitely look at Vlad fanart for a significant amount of time, though.

my most hated character: Whoooooo in season 3 annoyed me the most, who in season 3 annoyed me the most...

my OTP: It was Sam/Danny for a very long time but these days it’s mostly Vlad/letting his hair down. Show us the locks, old man!

my NOTP: Vlad/Maddie. I’ll fight you. (As usual, there may be exceptions made for interestingly fucked-up AUs and/or triad scenarios.)

favorite episode: Oh man it’s been a million years since I watched the show, but I remember having a particular soft spot for “Pirate Radio”. I just love ‘ordinary people working together defeat supernatural threat’ and ‘the peripheral supporting cast get drawn into the Secret World somehow’ and ‘rivals/enemies/nemeses are forced to team up against a greater threat’.

saddest death: I mean technically nobody perma-dies but also technically all the ghosts are dead. But we don’t actually know from canon how most of them died, and Poindexter’s afterlife is sadder than his death imo - what about that Danny clone who melted? I think his death. He didn’t ask to be made! He had no idea what was going on! He was, like, minutes old! None of this was his fault!

favorite season: It has, as mentioned, been a million years, but I think season 2 was really where the show hit its stride.

least favorite season: Season three can eat my shorts.

character that everyone else in the fandom loves, but i hate: I just don’t caaaaaaaare about Dan that much. There really aren’t any other interesting stories to tell about him. I’m okay with never seeing him again.

my ‘you’re piece of trash, but you’re still a fave’ fave: Sam. I would love the show to have acknowledged her hypocrisy and ‘not like other girls’ nonsense. Also, Vlad is a terrible human being but oh my god he’s so much fun.

my ‘beautiful cinnamon roll who deserves better than this’ fave: Jack you sweet, well-intentioned dingus, go eat some fudge and stop firing ecto-weapons wildly and overenthusiastically into things that are not ghosts.

my ‘this ship is wrong, nasty, and makes me want to cleanse my soul, but i still love it’ ship: eh, not really anything I can think of? Maybe Future Valerie and Dan? You could do interesting things with that if he was...slightly less omnicidal.

my ‘they’re kind of cute, and i lowkey ship them, but i’m not too invested’ ship: Again, I don’t know if I really have one? Somebody mentioned shipping Jazz and that punk she tried to psychoanalyse in a throwaway gag one episode once, and I could get there.