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tundrainafrica · 4 years

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So I see your a LeviHan shipper!! I enjoy the ship a lot too!! But are there any specific reason that their your favorite?? Maybe you could explain that a little through a list? But anyways I hope your week has been good so far, Sav. Have a good day/night!!!! - Signed by Your Secret Santa 🎄

Hello! Thank you for asking about my week (and my ship).

I enjoy the ship a lot too!! But are there any specific reason that their your favorite?

To answer that first question...

You’re in for a long rollercoaster ride of a rant because I don’t think I’m the type of person to ship anything to the point of writing domestic fluff fics unless the I felt really really drawn to the ship.

Anyway, (slight) spoilers abound! Will keep manga spoilers subtle, mostly Levihan scenes.

Disclaimer: I do not want to start shipping wars. I specifically avoided the words like should or best because I recognize that shipping is generally based on preferences. I respect everyone’s preferences on what they want out of a ship or even a relationship and through this, I just hope to express my own preferences and maybe even gush with people who agree.

1. The ship did not move the plot. The plot moved the ship.

Attack on Titan is not a romance or a shojo, if it’s not fairly obvious from any chapter you would randomly read. As a reader, I would have expected it to fall short with pairings. Most shows which are not romance based tend to have a few pairings which just suddenly end up together towards the end of the manga because “What’s a happy ending without marriage and kids?” There is usually a trend of just pairing of the extras and sometimes, or maybe even more often than not, it just seems to come out of nowhere (ehem... Naruto.). Maybe the relationship worked off screen but I dunno. Like no shipping war here but the only pairing I had full support for was Shikatema.

In stories classified as romances, there is enough of a spotlight on the sexual tension and mutual pining of specific characters for the romance to be considered reasonable. In my opinion, some authors tend to sacrifice really good world building for a good romance. Objectively twilight for example had some crazy good world building but it just kinda focused a little too much on emo Bella and emo Edward for the world building to actually be appreciated by the casual reader. Tbh though, this is not necessarily bad because people get into stuff for reasons, sometimes, I just wanna read a good fantasy, sometimes I just wanna read a good romance.

Romances though as a main driving point for narratives, require some convenient serendipity moments and sexual tension which can be written well but as a reader, I prefer to see more natural relationships born out of necessity (Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata is a good example of what I’m talking about in a romance novel.)

Attack on Titan through its narrative actually made Levihan seem VERY VERY possible. If I had to compare the presentation of this ship in canon to at least one relationship in other anime, I would compare it to Royai from FMA.

Like, if Attack on Titan didn’t give us random subtle hints about romantic or just platonic relationships between the two or even about anyone, even if Levi and Hange did get together in the end, it would have been one of the pairings, I probably wouldn’t have raised an eyebrow at.

But they could be just friends? Which brings me to my next point.

2. Their current situation makes it so it’s only natural that at the least, they considered it.

Yes. Friends is a valid interpretation for anything. I mean, given our hook up culture, people can fuck as friends too. People probably have made out drunk as friends too. Like I have seen my fair share of this type of bullshit in high school and college and I would say, we do not need a kiss or a fucking session to recognize that something can be a good relationship or to recognize that they have probably thought about it.

A relationship requires a commitment (conscious or unconscious) to caring for the other, keeping the other safe, recognizing their flaws and thinking about them regularly (Call me scott peck or marriage counselor but like I honestly think the world would be a better place once people recognize that quality romantic relationships are worked for).

Mind you, Levi and Hange lost everything.They literally lost everything from their old life, all their friends, all their loved ones and all they have is each other and they’re forced to take care of a bunch of kids.

There are people who have said before, no one gets very close with someone without ever considering a romantic relationship with them. Or even if they never considered it romantic, they could consider at least “living with them their whole life,” or “supporting them through thick and thin.” The things is, towards the end, they were constantly together and what drove them to that situation is that both of them are aware of what the other had lost. They understood each other more than anyone else and they recognized that they were the only ones left in their own circle and I personally think that is more than enough for a relationship to naturally bloom between them.

3. The relationship and the signs are subtle and it works.

I personally probably would not have enjoyed it if canon showed a romantic relationship of the two after Erwin died. It’s a valid interpretation to consider that it could have happened, based on my explanation for number 2 but Hange is commander, Levi is captain. They have a professional relationship and they have goals and obligations which take precedence over personal desires. They are in the middle of a war and the most which probably could have happened was a secret mutual pining between the two and I think Isayama has injected the most subtle hints which are the most that could have been appropriately put into canon without seeming too OOC. Hange and Levi are not selfish people. They have promises, dreams and obligations which they respect and have committed themselves to already. It has also been shown at earlier points of the manga that they do put their survey corps duties on top of everything so acting on a romantic attraction at that point in time would have definitely been inappropriate.

I personally think, the scenes of Hange going out of her way to save Levi as commander, killing her other soldiers to save both their asses, suggesting in the forest that they live together instead of go back to the war and not leaving an injured Levi until she had no choice were more powerful than a lot of romantic scenes where people actually fuck and kiss. Kissing and fucking are easy. Leaving the duties and responsibilities they have worked for for five years to keep the person they love alive hits way harder.

Call it platonic. Call it romantic. But no one like Hange would have deserted her post as commander for a few chapters to take care of a sick comrade and kill her subordinates to save their asses if there wasn’t anything between them.

4. It gives a great example what healthy relationships can come from.

I grew up reading sweet valley and chick lits cause I was a basic bitch and I kinda grew up with a somehow unrealistic idea of where relationships come from. Call me a late bloomer but I only actually figured out where the romance and the happiness of a relationship was when I got into one with my best friend for five years.

It’s the sexual tension and the “will they wont they?” push and pull which can lead to satisfying sex or a happy ending in romance novels. I think in a way, media kinda overglorifies it which kinda gives a lot of young people the wrong idea about why they getting into a relationship is fun in the first place. Because after the satisfying sex and the kids, what’s next for the relationship?

Years of utility bills, diapers, chores, schedules, parent teacher conferences and compromises until someone gives up or dies. And what kind of relationships can actually thrive through all these?

Those that have mastered the underrated parts of relationships. These include conflict resolutions, compromises and open communication. I think we have seen enough of those two, even before season 3 that have shown that they know each other very well and they have shown to at least have a relatively equal power dynamic which is a foundation for open communication and mutual trust in relationships even beyond the fucking and marriage stage

5. They have a great foundation of character development for both parties.

As I mentioned above, they have a relatively equal power dynamic. I love Royai from FMA and I have compared Royai to this multiple times. I would say though I prefer Levihan over Royai because I felt that Royai had more unequal power dynamics? (Though I still think Royai is a top tier ship ). Also, they have shown to tell off the other when they don’t like what the other is doing. They are complete opposites but here is the magical thing. They talk everything out. They’re generally open people to each other and they know each other way too well as hinted in scenes before and opposites work as long as the others are willing to compromise. I think (especially in season 3 and season 4) that they have done enough for each other and have compromised enough for each other in the survey corps that these skills could easily be brought with them even after the war.

That open communication is just what makes them maintaining a relationship while being complete opposites very OC and realistic. Eventually, they did probably did make compromises, which most likely softened or moderated the crazy parts of their personalities which is just a really fun part of their relationship to explore.

6. It could realistically last so maybe ...

7. A good foundation for happy children?

Maybe it’s how it is written because of the actual story and why would Yams write a romantic drama in a story about genocide and war. Tbh, I would attribute it more to Levi and Hange’s personalities though because Mikasa and Eren have their fair share of drama, mostly one sided though coz Mikasa. This relationship has no drama, no misunderstandings which just further supports my point that they have a relationship that thrives on open communication and mutual trust. Drama is fun like when we’re the ones on the sidelines eating the popcorn but I have third wheeled enough people in my life to realize that I will not support a relationship where both parties are just not ready to be mature about it, in real life and in fiction.

My favorite couples, in real life and in fiction, are definitely those who keep conflict among themselves and maybe among trusted people. I think one sign of a healthy relationship is one where problems don’t become public through social media or through like 20 people. One important yet underrated part of relationships is the atmosphere of comfort and freedom which encourages both parties to be able to directly approach one another before tensions and uncertainties get out of hand.

And a life free of dramas at least in the early stages of life just kinda shows at least that both parties are ready to bring a new life to the world? Because like immature parents with shitty conflict resolution skills really fuck kids up man and I passionately believe the world would really be a better place if babies were born out of trust, mutual understanding and open communication instead of sex but yeah, make sex fun to keep our race alive.

So anyway, I guess, I just finished explaining why I love this ship so much while also disclosing my preferences for relationships.

As mentioned above...

Other pairings which I support for those curious: Shikatema, Royai, Victuuri, Percabeth etc.

Also... To answer your second question...

My week has been great, some pretty solid life developments but US elections wise, not so great... (WHY IS THE ELECTION RACE SO CLOSE?)

#levihan #levi x hange #levi x hanji #levi ackerman #hange zoe #ship #analysis

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agentrouka-blog · 4 years

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How do you think Jon and Sansa's storyline will play out individually in TWOW ? How do you think their dynamic will be in TWOW ? Will there be sprouting of a forbidden romance utilising the incest angst trope or will it be completely platonic ? Will Sansa arrive at the Wall when Jon is dead ? 😅 I know I shouldn't have asked so many questions but I am just curious about what your views might be regarding the above . ❤️ your metas btw.

Hello, and thank you!! :)

I think that - given the idea by the other anon that Shireen’s sacrifice will be the weather-changing event that allows Sansa to travel North - Sansa will begin travelling northwards fairly early in the book, after yet unspecified shennanigans in the Vale. The moutain clans are likely to feature in some way and they have seen her in KL and they had good relations with Tyrion and I kind of want them to help her travel. They are literally the mountain clans, who can traverse the Vale in less than ideal conditions if not they?

Jon... yeah, not certain at all. I imagine a spirit quest involving Ghost warging and possibly contact with Bran, but... who knows? It’s hard to predict. I think he might actually be dismissed from the Watch upon getting better like Selmy, and make his own quasi-political moves in the North with Stannis? I don’ t think they will meet at the Wall, really. I think they will move toward each other and meet on the road. He will be resurrected alone and he will be Very Sad and Grumpy and Sansa will help with that a lot, while he will finally be someone who genuinely cares about her and protects her.

I definitely picture a rescue-in-the-woods situation with Sansa, and Ghost, and I think the way their relationship plays out will be an understated but deeply romantic connection underneath their political cooperation and mutual learning. As in, GRRM will stick to his style and we’ll get maybe a deeply touching line or three, but he won’t suddenly throw around dramatic inner monologues to the tune of Arys Okaheart. But the imagery will be off the charts long before he gets more obvious.

GRRM didn’t give the story of Aemon and Naerys such prominence to have it not affect how Jon and Sansa perceive their feelings for each other. There’s a path through that mess and it’s “chaste and courtly love”. Lady and Knight. I think they would unspokenly gravitate toward that scenario. Angst, yes, some shame, yes, but also a certain “I know this story” kind of resignation. I don’t see them convulsing in self-hatred so much as in a bittersweet melancholy.

Alongside that and gaining in prominence: Florian and Jonquil.

They’ll obviously cooperate to retake Winterfell and there will be succession drama. If GRRM is kind, Rickon will be a part of that. They will obviously clash on some fronts, but I think in general we will see them shine together, combining their strengths. Sansa triumphing in her first chapter when she correctly identifies the three strangers near the queen and impressing everyone present? We’ll see that a lot. Jon getting over his grumpy self and turning a ragtag bunch of misfits into decent fighters for a common cause? We’ll see that a lot.

So, they will both be in Winterfell, in uber-Stark mode, pining, and preparing for how they think they need to face the ice threat. Enter the Dance of Dragons to the South, and the impending arrival of Arya and Bran, and whatever drama the Lannisters might still exact, and whatever happens to Rickon. I think that will be TWOW. Also, the marriage to Tyrion will be a thing. The annullment will, I think, be part of what motivates Jon to seek contact.

Come ADOS, I do NOT think we’ll see Jon running away from Winterfell or sleeping with Dany specifically to escape the danger of incest. That would be irresponsible (running away), and stupid (she’s a foreign invader, a fellow monarch and super dangerous) and it would demand a narrative punishment far beyond “accidental incest” because it would be a betrayal of Jon’s feelings for Sansa and a callous use of another person, which would specifically also hurt Sansa and would preclude a reward at the end. Whatever Jon does, it will be “professional” and in service of House Stark or Westeros. Jon WILL be rewarded at the end. It’s not the romantics punishing hours, it’s a song.

I also think that Aegon will have a significant role in Jon’s ADOS arc, be that potential ally or heartbreakingly resentful enemy. They are half-brothers, and Aegon would follow Aemon as an example of a decent Targ. At whichever point RLJ comes into play, Jon will need that example to counter Dany’s, along with Arya pounding a frying pan over his head, screaming “The woman is important, too!” about Lyanna.

The threat of the Others and its resolution is hard for me to connect to Jon and Sansa since I see it as so deeply connected to Bran, and mostly in the mirror of Lady Stoneheart. I have far too little Norse mythology background to begin parsing that. But I see the ending of Disney’s “Moana” as a good example of what it will be, rather than anything the show did. The contrast to that harmonious ending will be the political fire chaos in the South.

Or, you know, I may change my opinion again in a week. But this is the general scenario I am working with now. In my head.

#asoiaf #asoiaf speculation #jonsa #twow #jon snow #sansa stark #aemon and naerys #florian and jonquil #RLJ

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laughingpinecone · 4 years

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Yuletide letter

I am laughingpineapple on AO3

Hello dear author! I hope you’ll have fun with our match. Feel free to draw from general or fandom-specific likes, past letters, and/or follow your heart.

Likes: worldbuilding, slice of life (especially if the event the fic focuses on is made up but canon-specific), missing moments, 5+1 and similar formats, bonding and emotional support/intimacy, physical intimacy, lingering touches, loyalty, casefic, surrealism, magical realism, established relationships, future fic (when in doubt, tell me what’s happening to them five, ten, twenty years in the future!), hurt/comfort, throwing characters into non-canon environments, banter, functional relationships between dysfunctional individuals, unexplained mysteries, bittersweet moods, journal/epistolary fic, dreams and memories and identities, tropey plots that are already close enough to characters/canon, outsider POV, UST, resolved UST, exploring the ~deep lore, leaning on the uniqueness of the canon setting/mood, found families, characters reuniting after a long and/or harrowing time, friends-to-lovers, road trips, maps, mutual pining, cuddling, wintry moods, the feeling of flannel and other fabrics, ridiculous concepts played entirely straight, sensory details, places being haunted, people being haunted, the mystery of the woods, small hopes in bleak worlds, electricity, places that don’t quite add up, mismatched memories, caves and deep places, distant city lights at night, emphasis on non-human traits of non-human characters (gen-wise, but also a hearty yes xeno for applicable ships), emphasis on inhuman traits of characters who were human once and have sort of shed it all behind

Cool with: any tense, any pov, any rating, plotty, not plotty, IF, unrequested characters popping up.

DNW: non-canonical rape, non-canonical children, focus on children, unrequested ships (background established canon couples are okay, mentions of parents are okay!), canon retellings, consent issues, actual covid (fantasy plagues are okay)

Les Cités Obscures: any

This is a very general “please, anything in the style of canon, just maybe with less thoughtless sexism” request. I want to lose myself in these cities again, and in the strange lands that connect them. I’d be happy to follow any of the known characters and/or OCs, or eschew characters altogether and write about the cities themselves. What caught your imagination in Brüsel, Xhystos, Taxandria, Alaxis...? The history of some cool building that was only marginally featured in one of the stories? Or an OC city! If you’ve got a favourite European city that doesn’t already have its obscure counterpart, please tell me all about it! Go big, go wild! What strange and classically surrealist happenings take place within its walls? Or even... outside Europe... Nerding out about architecture is of course very welcome. I would also love to read a story based on any Schuiten illustration, contextualizing it as if it were part of this ‘verse. Here’s a bunch of them, for example!

Ghost Trick: Cabanela

You know.. him. Dazzlingly OTT, untiring, rock-solid self-esteem, loyal to a fault, following a rhythm of his own, flawless intuition until it fails and it all burns down… him. I just want to see more of him doing stuff! The way he’s chill and open toward new people (like Sissel and Missile in ch15) makes him perfect to throw at most other characters and see how they react to the sparkles… I’d love some focus on how ridiculous his aesthetic is, half Saturday Night Fever half hardboiled detective half bubbly preteen (for a total of 150%) and yet he makes it work. Or how ruthless he can be, possibly for the sake of the people he cares for. The quote “The intimacy of big parties”. Him and Alma in the new timeline bonding over knowing (once Jowd has spilled the beans) but not remembering that terrible timeline. Some tropey scenario on the job. Snark-offs with Pigeon Man, by which I mean PM snarks and it bounces off him like water off a spotless white goose’s back.

Ship-wise it’s only Cabanela/Jowd whenever it’s not infidelity, Cabanela/Alma in what-ifs also if it’s not infidelity and Cabanela/Alma/Jowd for me (and Lynne/Memry and Yomiel/fianSissel on the side). There are a bunch of shippy prompts in all my past letters - I would however reiterate here that Jowd. is. the worst tease. always. Like, just saying, but assume he’s pining big time and Jowd and Alma figure it out - they’d make a national sport out of excruciatingly protracted teasing.

Conversely, Cabanela/Lynne and Cabanela/Yomiel are NOTPs especially from Cabanela’s side. So while I appreciate the thick tension of a good Yomiel VS Cabanela confrontation like everyone and their cat, and also really appreciate a roughed-up Cabanela, and I do love Yomiel in his own right… I don’t want Cabanela being into it. Adrenaline junkie he may be but this hurts and his coat’s a mess and there’s no perfect winning scenario so he hates every second of it. (JOWD being super into Cabanela being roughed up is another matter altogether and he should probably mind his own business. ...incompatible kinks, truly tragic. they’ll have to find some other common ground. they’re smart, resourceful, playful fellows, I’m sure they’ll manage)

Kentucky Route Zero: Donald kentuckyroutezero

I love everyone in the cast, all acts and interludes, and I am extremely into all the themes this incredible work of art ended up exploring. Agreeing with the overall doom and gloom up to Act IV, I was blown away by Act V’s strong affirmation of the importance of the arts and of the bonds we make and of carving up spaces for ourselves in capitalism’s wake. Donald was, indeed, not a part of any of that. Even the final interlude updates us on Lula and mentions Joseph, but the big guy is nowhere to be seen. So, you know, there’s fanfiction! He’s so static, defeated. I am fascinated by the chain of metaphysical spaces that goes surface -> Zero -> Echo -> Dogwood and even within that framework, the hall of the mountain king is like a hopeless dead end. Dude’s terminally stuck. So - once again, in the spirit of transformative works, how could he get... you know... unstuck? Did Lula’s momentous appearance in Act III shake him? Having a functioning Xanadu again, perhaps? How could he interrogate that oracle, what recursive wonders would it show him? If he decides to leave, what does it feel to be on the surface again after so long, or on the river perhaps? Maybe he is forced to leave by the flood, if not this one, the next... Having him meet any other character would be amazing. Past or future time spent with Weaver... seeing Conway again, changed... programmer guy chatting up musician androids... did he know Carrington from his college days or was Carrington only a friend of Lula’s?

As for Lula herself and Joseph too: “Flipping through the pages, Conway is able to gather that it’s a story about three characters: Joseph, Donald, and Lula. It’s something like a tragic love triangle, but much more complex. Some kind of tangled, painfully concave love polygon.” 😔 I ship them as a full triad, if you can nudge them in that direction, good. But I’m very open to non-romantic resolutions as well, going past their messy feelings to find each other as friends after so many years maybe. Or... a start. idk.

I’d be interested in fic that leans on the game’s adjacent genres: wanna go full-on American Gothic? Dip into surrealism? Take a leaf from Twin Peaks with tulpa / split narratives to explore the characters’ issues? I’m also open to AUs, real or through Xanadu. This also feels like a good place to stress that I really, really like caves.

And now for something completely different: FAQ: The “Snake Fight” Portion of Your Thesis Defense is in the tagset this year. I’d say that the crossover with the snake portion of Here and there along the Echo writes itself, but it would not be correct, as in fact I would like you to write it for me. Feel free to not feature Donald if you focus on this crossover instead!

Uru would be a fun crossover too, for Donald specifically. He’s very DRC-shaped in how he tilts at doomed projects which just so happen to be deep underground.

Pyre: Volfred Sandalwood

This is a Volfred solo, Volfred&literally anyone or Volfred/Tariq, /Oralech or /Tariq/Oralech request. I adore everyone in that Blackwagon+Dalbert+Celeste, so if you want to add a Nightwing or two to any prompt, please do! I also love all the Scribes and find Erisa a compelling tragic figure, while out of the other triumvirates, I’m “love to hate them” for Manley, Brighton, Udmildhe and Deluge and would not like to see them featured in sympathetic roles. fwiw I also enjoy Jodi/Celeste and Bertrude/Pamitha a lot!

I feel deeply for all of Pyre’s main themes - literacy, degrees of freedom, the fragile time that is the end of a historical cycle, nobodies rising up to the occasion, building a better society, and of course found family, “distance cannot separate our spirits” and all that jazz, and Volfred is squarely rooted at the center of all of them. I really really love everything he stands for, even if he’s overbearingly smug in standing for it. Just please tell me things about my fave. His relationship to the Scribes (as a historian, a some kind of vision, via *ae or once he’s a star himself)? A ‘forced vacay’ Downside ending where he looks at the Union from afar and keeps living in this strange transformational place? Life in a cramped Blackwagon that was meant for like 5 people tops and is currently eight Nightwings, a herald and an orb? Since he picked him for the job to begin with, does he respect and cherish Hedwyn as he dang well should? What does it feel like to try and Read a herald? Was he ever in danger, in the Commonwealth or in the Downside? What daring act of resistance did he and Bertrude pull off at some point in their past? It’d be cool if one of his old pamphlets came up at some point. Does he puff up as prime minister because he’s nervous, and who can see past his hyper-professionalism and lend a hand? Please roast him big time about the votes he assigns to the various Nightwings in his planner? What’s his attitude toward the flame’s purification (what with being a tree but mostly like, as a general concept. He did nothing wrong!) (well he definitely said some things wrong and sometimes oftentimes the ego jumps out, but his intentions did nothing wrong)? When did his calculating approach fail him? Something with Pamitha along the lines of that edit that goes “Can we talk, one ten to another?“/"I am an eleven, my girl, but continue”? Dude could easily be voted sexiest voice in the Downside - how much is he aware of it? Does he sing? I love how he bears his ‘reader’ brand proudly. And speaking of scars, I have to wonder, looking at Manley for comparison, if the shape of his head, with that massive crack, isn’t also due to injuries.

As a refrain from my general likes: emphatically yes xeno to both shippy interactions at all ratings and to gen explorations of what a Sap is like… I’d love to read all your headcanons.

Ship-wise, I enjoy him with Tariq as this kind of esoteric connection of minds, guarded words full of secret meanings, long contemplative walks together (is any external pov watching...?), Volfred’s Reader powers brushing against Tariq’s mind and getting weak in the knees at the starlit expanse he finds there, so unlike mortal thoughts. Tariq finds his individuality learning from him; Volfred presumably gets a transcendent glimpse of the Scribes. And I enjoy him with Oralech as pretty much the opposite of that, Oralech is so very mortal compared to him, such a precious, fleeting, burning life especially after his fall. Oralech’s idealism is very dear to me, it was their plan, their shared revolutionary spirit, I find it deeply moving. And I am very interested in seeing them rebuild their connection now that Oralech is back, changed, and in some ways he can learn to let go of his misconceptions and slowly open himself to Volfred’s love again, but in other ways that’s who he is now, with this deep-set anger, and what does it even feel to realize that you’re the symbol of the end of an era (the end of the Rites, the fading of the Scribes). I’m interested in both topside and downside endings for all of them, as long as they end up on the same side, the revolution was peaceful and they don’t angst too much about the side they ended in. Tariq can ‘find his way home’ in the near post-canon somehow or even be summoned again, as a different aspect of the same ‘moonlit vision’ that once inspired Soliam Murr.

Strandbeest: any

https://www.strandbeest.com/

I would just like words to go with these, please and thank you so very much. Worldbuild to your heart’s content! Specifically: I’m fascinated by the premise that the strandbeest are living creatures that evolve and adapt to their ecosystem. A world where life is just wind stomachs and sandy joints, and the tide that can catch you unaware. I would like a story that feels distinctly inorganic. The wonder that is the existence of these creatures. Their unique struggles. Weird and experimental if you like. With a mechanical focus, maybe?

I nominated four critters as a selection of the different cool things they can do - Percipiere Excelsus is huge and has the hammer mechanism, Suspendisse’s tail senses the hardness of the sand, Uminami is my fave caterpillar and the caterpillars overall feel like a new paradigm after a mass extinction event, Ader straight-up flies... but they’re all wonderful. If you want to focus on different strandbeest, please do!

Twin Peaks: Lucy Moran

Case fic but they don’t find out jack shit, someone disappears, David Bowie was there, it’s complicated. Fragmented, shifted, mirrored identities. New Lodge spaces. The risks of staring into the void for too long. Gentle illusions. Transcendence. The moon. Static buzzing. Any title from the s3 ethereal whooshing compilation used as a prompt, actually. Whatever goes on on Blue Pine mountain or the even more mysterious things that go on on White Tail mountain where exactly zero canon locations are found. Twin Peaks is all about the mystery to me, the awe of mystery and unknowability and the human drive to look beyond and the risks of getting a peek, and about shared consciousness and trauma taking physical form in an uncaring world. Go wild with the ethereal whooshing! But I also love the human warmth at the heart of it all, and sometimes it’s enough to anchor these characters and let them have a nice day. A fic entirely focused on some instance of coziness against the cold chaotic background of canon would be great too.

For Lucy specifically, a big draw for me is how canon (...s2 need not apply) empathizes with her way of processing the world. Not just Peaks, but On the Air’s protag who is basically a Lucy expy also gets the narrative completely on her side and that’s great. And I love how in s3, her focus on the small things around her is always echoed by bigger, climactic events beyond her horizon (bunnies / Jack Rabbit’s palace, chair order / Garland’s chair, her first scene talking about the two sheriffs / doubles everywhere...). It feels to me like some kind of off-kilter mindfulness and I love it. She’s also got a loving husband and an amazing son, which, in this economy and also this canon? Damn. The one functional family, imagine that. I am not interested in focus on family dynamics, but singularly, either Lucy/Andy or Lucy&Wally are great - in particular, I’m interested in how strange they are and yet they make it work. With the ruthless critique of traditional family structure that’s all over canon, maybe they make it work specifically because they’re not doing any of that. A bit like the Addams family... but... not goth...? Anyway. I’d love to see Lucy interact with and maybe strike a friendship with any character she’s never shared a scene with in canon! In the tagset, there’s Diane for some secretaries bonding, Audrey because??? why not?, Albert because it’d be an epic enemies to friends slowburn, some version of Laura in the future, if we’re feeling really daring maybe even some version of Coop in the future, still fragmented... or anyone you want! Outside the tagset I’d be curious about Hawk, Margaret and maybe Doris in particular, I think, and Phil, and Nadine and the Invitation to Love fandom in general (Frost says it still airs - did it get as weird as TP s3 did?), but if you have an idea with someone else, absolutely go for it!

Canon-specific DNWs: any singular Dreamer being the ‘source’ of canon, BOB (let alone Judy) being forever defeated in the finale, Judy being an active malevolent presence in the characters’ lives, clear explanations for canonical ambiguities, ‘Odessaverse’ being the reality layer, the Fireman’s House by the Sea being the White Lodge, whatever Twin Perfect’s on about, Cooper/Audrey, Cooper/Laura

#letter

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ineffablefool · 5 years

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ineffablefool’s 2019 fanfic post

I started writing Good Omens fanfiction in my head, while trying to sleep, on the night of June 30th. I put the first actual text down on virtual paper (using the sticky note app on my phone) on July 1st.

My AO3 account had to go through the queue for creation, but I officially joined up on July 15th, and posted that first fic on the 17th.

I have been writing and posting fanfic for six months, and according to AO3′s count, have put up precisely 151249 words. Now, that’s... not accurate, because I have 18 advent ficlets up, each of which have about 15 words of not-story preamble, plus some song lyrics and such here and there. But I am pretty sure that there are still fully 150k legitimate words of Soft Zone(TM).

That’s a lot. I feel pretty accomplished.

Here is a list of everything, oldest first, WIP last. Every single story is completely asexual, and every single story is completely fat-positive. That’s the Soft Zone(TM) promise.

Thank you to everyone who’s been riding along with me in 2019. I hope to bring you even more words in 2020.

Something That Keeps You Here (T, 4880 words) A love-confession fic where Aziraphale is worried that his corporation is too soft, but good news! It isn’t!

They Are A Pale Picture Of You (T, 4567 words) Kind of like the first one, but from Crowley’s POV -- a love-confession fic with a self-conscious Aziraphale.

Calling You An Angel, Calling You The Nicest Things (G, 1464 words) A lIght-hearted established-relationship fic revolving around pet names.

Hoping For The Chance To Start (G, 713 words) A Crowley’s Flat After The World Doesn’t End ficlet with light mutual pining but no romantic resolution.

And I’ve Waited For You (G, 1844 words) A love-confession fic with a bunch of pining Crowley up front.

Log Of Events In A Soho Bookshop (G, 1184 words) A light-hearted established-relationship fic where Aziraphale gets really distracted by reading.

Spoiled, Sweet (T, 1804 words) A love-confession fic which was written just because I got one moment stuck in my head and had to shove the entire rest of a story around it. Features pining but also silliness.

For Want Of A Scone (T, 3566 words) A lightly piney but mostly breezy love-confession fic. The first time I started getting really obnoxious about the fat positivity (and then I basically never stopped, and also won’t).

Crowley Wakes (G, 1604 words) A sort of angsty piney thing where actually there’s no need for pining at all. Crowley is kind of a disaster sometimes.

A Plea, A Petition, A Kind Of Prayer (G, 3607 words) Fairly heavy angst by my Soft(TM) standards. A dickwheelie letters fic where Aziraphale finds a bunch of mysterious unsent love letters from the 1800s and then shows them as a curiosity to Crowley. I wrote a handful of the letters and they are redolent of conifer.

Then I Knew, Oh Then I Knew (G, 3536 words) A love-confession fic with just a smidge of corporation angst from Aziraphale.

Tattlebones (G, 3345 words) A silly, breezy love-confession fic revolving around a goofy stunt and a plastic skeleton.

Armor Of Righteousness (G, 3209 words) A somewhat dramatic Protective Aziraphale love-confession fic. Exists because I couldn’t stop thinking about this sketch by speremint.

My Heart Your Home, Your Shape My World (T, 4974 words) As of when it was posted in August, my most blatantly yell-it-to-the-rooftops fat-positive fic. Established-relationship fluff, non-sexual intimacy, lots of softness.

Your One Pet Name For Me (G, 2615 words) A love-confession fic that I basically wrote because TheLadyZephyr got me thinking about pet names.

A Very Peculiar Feeling (G, 2639 words) A love-confession fic where Aziraphale can sense something from Crowley which definitely isn’t love, nope nope.

Sometimes The Truth Is Like A Second Chance (T, 3118 words) A love-confession fic where Crowley has an accidental fake boyfriend, like in this Tumblr post.

All Sorts Of Fascinating Things (T, 6855 words) Established-relationship crossover fic with Star Trek TOS, although it’s barely a crossover in that no important Star Trek characters have lines. Remember the episode “Shore Leave”? Yeah, it’s that episode.

So Soft, So Warm (T, 1314 words) An established-relationship very fluffy, very lovingly fat-positive fic.

A Snowy Night In Soho (T, 2463 words) An established-relationship very fluffy, very spitefully fat-positive fic.

To Carry All My Love For You (T, 6268 words) A love-confession fic where Aziraphale has large arms, with folds and lots of stretch marks and lovely things like that, because an anon asked for it.

It’s Beginning To Look A Bit Ineffable, I Suppose (T, 14653 words) Probably complete because I don’t expect I’ll do the prompt for the 31st -- 18 holiday-themed ficlets based on drawlight’s prompt list. Mix of established-relationship and love-confession; mix of canonverse and my INNW human AU.

If Not Now, When (T, WIP, 71027 words currently) Currently-updating human AU, 24 chapters posted thus far, 26 written, and 28 total expected. Crowley is trans and ace and falls hopelessly in love with a customer at the coffee shop where he’s briefly working. All the obnoxiously adoring fat positivity you can handle, plus Battling Personal Demons and the occasional stop-in at a very silly tabletop RPG game.

(Fun fact: my earliest stories were written with canon Aziraphale’s appearance in mind! The first one where I can for sure remember my visibly-fat-Aziraphale headcanon coming into play was For Want Of A Scone, although that doesn’t mean I hadn’t been spoiled by speremint’s lovely art earlier.)

(Additional fun fact: I hope you are having a lovely day, night, or other time period!)

#ineffablefool original post #let me know if i got a link wrong there are like 30 of them so i probably did #you can rebagel this if you would like! sometimes posts are kind of weird to rebagel but i don't think this one would be

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sometimesrosy · 5 years

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b/e still together at this point is laughable, we have just 1 season left, how can bellarke be together when b/e is still a thing, if jason make them endgame, is gonna be the biggest mistake ever after game of thrones ending,tell me what's the point? we know where bellamy heart is, so why keep draging this, make bellarke a thing already man, is gonna be the last season, people been waiting for that to happen years, and now we are just gonna have a couple of episodes of them as couple.

Okay, so this is an old ask and i’ve been holding it FOREVER. Today I have the brain power to tackle it, and there’s a reason why I kept it, instead of deleting it as a pointless anti, myopic view point. It was now asked so long ago that I’m hoping the anon doesn’t get pissed off when I rip it apart and break it down to its pieces. So let’s go.

These kind of questions frustrate me, because they are ALMOST there. The question here is, “We know where Bellamy’s heart is, so why keep dragging this?”

That is a valid question. And by “valid” I mean that by answering the question, you can gain a better understanding of the story.

But instead of attempting to answer it, or asking more questions related to it to help you think more, the anon jumps to an unsubstantiated conclusion and then goes on a tirade. The conclusions she makes, that it is laughable, b/e is endgame and/or there will only be a couple of episodes of bellarke, None of those conclusions follow in answer to the question or the canon. What they follow is the fear that the anon won’t get what they want.

So instead of answering the fear, I’m answering the question.

WHY when we know where Bellamy’s heart is, does the story keep dragging this?

First off, it’s not a joke. It’s a story. Delaying the resolution is a sign that Bellamy achieving his hearts desire (Clarke) is actually The Story. A story is about the main character (aka hero aka protagonist,) overcoming their obstacles, learning and growing, and then, achieving their goals. Not only is it The Story, but it’s also a romantic story. In a romance, the goal is to get the heroes together, if that happens too soon, something needs to happen to break them apart, so they can find each other again. But once a couple reaches their goal of getting together, then the story is over. WHY haven’t Bellarke gotten together? Because when they do, the heart of the story is done. When JR said, “The 100 is ending in s7″ I said HURRAH because that is a sign that they are ready to tell the end of the story. Which is... what now? Say it with me, BELLARKE, THE EPIC LOVE STORY.

This isn’t fanfiction, that can ignore storytelling or narrative rules, or all the other narrative threads, or the focus on character development, in order to fulfill the readers’ narrative desires. In order to make a good story, they have to keep telling ALL the stories that they’ve laid out before us. And that includes b/e (which is still working,) echo’s character arc (still working,) Octavia (a story which is near done,) the Blakes reunion (which we did,) and the strange interweaving of the head, the heart and the soul that is Clarke, Bellamy and Octavia (which may not be over until the end.) We also have to work through Bellamy’s self loathing (which we did,) Bellamy’s hero’s journey, (which we did,) Bellamy’s anger at Clarke leaving him to die (which we did,) ALSO Clarke’s suicidal tendencies (which we did,) Clarke’s feeling that love was a weakness (which we did,) Clarke’s isolation (which we did,) Clarke’s feelings of betrayal that Bellamy moved on (which we did,) Clarke’s separation from her people (which we did.) ALSO, and this one might be the most important one and the answer to the original question.

The story kept dragging out because season 6 was the season that BELLAMY realized where his heart was. Maybe WE knew all along, but this was something he was resisting. He said he didn’t NEED her, but he realized over the course of Season 6 that he needed her more than ANYTHING. You see?

Clarke is his weakness and his strength. She’s his vulnerability. And he had his walls up against that because he lost her for six years and the whole time, she was still with him and still his weakness and his vulnerability and when she came back, she pushed him away, and away, and when he thought he was getting her back, she left him to die. At the end of season 5, he found out she DID care for him, and that changed things for him, but then...she called him family and went with Cillian. She has now told him she needed/wanted him THREE times and THREE times immediately turned to someone else. Lxa, Niylah, Cillian. Granted, he turned her down twice and had a girlfriend the third. But Bellamy thinks she doesn’t love him, ever since she said she couldn’t lose him and then sent him to die because it was worth the risk. Because he didn’t understand that it meant she loved him and love was a weakness.

And I’ll tell you. THAT story hasn’t been finished yet. We had mutual pining in s4-5-6. But neither of them have told their feelings to each other. No I take that back. Clarke has told him, but he has misunderstood every time, I think because he doesn’t believe her and think it means something else, especially since she hooks up with someone else after she says it. And she takes all those misunderstandings of Bellamy’s as a rejection, and is sure he doesn’t feel the same about her. Season 2. Season 3. Season 4. Season 5. Season 6. We’ve seen this story happening. She thinks of love as a weakness and so puts up walls to him and turns to other people. HE thinks that means she doesn’t love him. We’re finally getting to the point that they’re ready to admit their feelings. He said he needed her. I NEED YOU.

So. Like. The reason why they’re dragging the Bellarke story out is because there is so much to TELL. There are all these supporting storylines that are building Clarke and Bellamy individually, making them stronger and more whole, healing them, making them HEROES. These individual stories are making them worthy of each other. And proving to us that their love is so strong, so epic, so central to the characters and the story, that it not only persists in the face of time, death and space, but also in the face of rival ships. No love on this show surpasses the love of Clarke and Bellamy, not even the parent/child or sibling love. HOWEVER, the Bellarke love actually makes Clarke and Bellamy stronger, and ALSO saves Madi, comforts Clarke when she loses her mother, and allows Bellamy to reconnect with Octavia.

I’m not gonna lie. I wanted to see Bellarke as an established couple, a battle couple, even domestic. That is not the story being told. That is a different story with different tropes and conventions and rules. I thought maybe book two could be that story, but nope. Still an epic romance in the apocalypse as we watch our heroes find out what is worth living for and it turns out it’s each other.

The story being told is an epic love story in the apocalypse. A mythic love. A morally gray story of heroes who both save and redeem humanity. A tragedy about trauma and healing. That’s my take on it. If you view the entire story through this lens, a lot of the things that confused the audience while they were happening make a lot more sense.

If a theory can explain a story, and not leave out any of the narrative threads, and keeps working to explain the story that happens AFTER the theory was made, then that’s a sign that this is a theory that is on the right track in understanding the story.

If a theory is jossed by canon, that means the theory didn’t work. It doesn’t mean the canon did it wrong or is a joke. It means the theorist was wrong, because the author gets to tell the story they want, and speculation is not their story. If you speculate the story to go in the direction YOU want, that’s your story not theirs. If you’re trying to predict the story the creator tells, you have to know what story the creator is telling. That means you have to understand it.

If a theory leaves large parts of the story without an explanation or writes them off as “bad writing” or “plot holes” when they can be explain through another theory, then the theorist has failed. If a theorist calls the canon that goes off their theory a joke, or laughable, without trying to answer their unanswered questions by looking at the canon and trying to figure it out... then the theorist has failed. If a theorist assumes that the writer and story is a joke because the theorist is predicting that the writer is bad and will “ruin” the story though they have no evidence that is happening, then the theorist is a bad theorist with unexamined biases who is jumping to conclusions that are not supported and attacking creators for doing something that they have not done. Very disrespectful. Very illogical. Very non canon. Very bad meta. Sorry.

You can have strong feelings about canon, but if you don’t understand canon and your feelings are based on your inaccurate understanding, then your opinion is kinda crap. You’re blaming the show for being something that it is not, and it’s all because you’re not interested in what it IS, only in your fantasy... when your analysis should be of JR’S fantasy. That’s what fiction is, a deliberate, constructed fantasy. The better they are at it, the more the pieces will all fit together. This story is novelistic in it’s structure and narrative and development. There’s a lot to deconstruct and analyze, and all the pieces fit together. Despite a few things that are unsatisfactory, the main relationship story (bellarke) is not.

When I have theories that turn out to be wrong, I don’t say the story is wrong. I say I was wrong. Then I backtrack to where my theory started, figure out what I read wrong, and reframe my theories based on the new direction of the story. The point of analysis is not to be right. It’s to understand the story that someone else is telling.

Let me tell you which theory of mine has NEVER been wrong.

That Bellarke is endgame, that they MUST be together.

It has not always been expressed in romantic terms, but each season it has gotten MORE romantic, which is what we call DEVELOPMENT. Side ships have NOT stopped this. Fandom tends to think CL and B/E are more of an obstacle than actual space, actual time, and actual death. LOL. Nope. CL was passionate and burnt out in a conflagration. B/E is comforting and currently in a slow fizzle as it burns out. On screen. In canon fights and bickering, physical and emotional distance, parallel letting go, Echo’s story of independence, finding herself and ultimate (my theory) breaking free from her king. Who is, in canon, Bellamy.

it’s not laughable. It is a well developed story.

Now someone tell me why people would rather have a short break up with no meaning behind it and a hookup into smooshing faces finally, instead of what we’re getting, which is an indepth story of growth, understanding, love, passion, need, self identity, self worth, redemption, longing, and reunion.

HE BROUGHT HER BACK FROM DEATH WITH ONLY THE POWER OF HIS LOVE FOR GODSAKE.

I suspect that people are the most frustrated with the story being told because all they want is boning. Because this romance is FANTASTIC, but boning we have not gotten.

Or they’ve been gaslighted by a fandom who’s been telling us we’re delusional all these years. We’re not delusional. This story is real. If I were delusional, my theory that I came up with after Hakeldama-- endgame Bellarke, the head and the heart, together-- would have been jossed a long time ago. But it hasn’t been. It’s not only still going, it’s MORE important now than it was before. :)

Bellarke are the head and the heart. They’re not only still alive (remember how every season we had a panic that clarke and/or bellamy would die? nope,) but soulmates, who have found each other again, and need each other, and can’t lose each other. Bellarke are the center of the story. And if it were platonic, then we would have more story with B/E being a ship that fulfills Bellamy, because as the heart to clarke’s head, his HEART needs that connection, instead when he’s being torn apart emotionally, whether over octavia or clarke, Echo CAN NOT offer him comfort. I’d also like to say, that if CL were the center of the story, then, it would actually be a story, instead of just a mention here and there. It’s important, but not the center of the story. That’s Bellarke. That’s why all the stories revolved around them. Why season 5 was about the Bellarke reunion (and blakes) and why season 6 was about Bellamy saving Clarke with his love, and then Clarke saving everyone with what she learned about love from Bellamy.

I was entirely wrong about the speed with which we would reach romantic Bellarke. My bad.I don’t particularly CHOOSE such slow burns. I read that wrong. But I never backed down from romantic soulmates because it was never taken off the table. The longing was always there even when they were separated, were in love with other people, or were furious at each other. And because of that, it could NEVER be platonic. Other fans thought the arrival of canon b/e was the death of bellarke, but what I saw was them framing B/E as a ROMANTIC OBSTACLE to Bellarke. And that was confirmation to me that Bellarke was a romantic story and they were going in that direction with the soulmate connection. And EVERYTHING that happened, from 2199 calls, was a romance story. Not platonic. PINING. LOVE TRIANGLE. SLOW BURN TRUE LOVE. HE NEEDS HER AND BROUGHT HER BACK FROM DEATH WITH A KISS.

IT IS GLORIOUS. I am so sorry that you’re missing it. But y’all need to shut up with your whining. It’s annoying.

#the 100 #bellarke #epic love story #i don't have a lot of asks now so i can really dig in when i want to #long post #ha ha

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notmoreflippingelves · 4 years

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This or That: Fanfiction Edition

I was tagged by @likeacoma AGES AGO. I have a short attention span so this took me literal weeks.

Tagging anyone who wants to do this.

Slow burn or love at first sight?: Depends on the pairing. I think I’d meet in the middle and say “mutual attraction at first sight but because everything is so *repressed,* it still ends up being an impossibly slow burn.”

Fake dating or secretly dating?: Both are so good. But I am absolutely weak for fake dating, especially in cases where it’s an “undercover as lovers” scenario.

“Oh no, there’s only one bed” or long distance correspondence. Listen, bed-sharing is like THE trope for me. It doesn’t even matter if it’s totally platonic or if it’s UST shipping fodder. I’m weak for it.

Hurt/comfort or amnesia: Hurt/comfort may very well be my favorite fic genre. Shut up, it’s not projection/coping mechanism. Also, in my experience, amnesia is seldom handled accurately or well, even in canon.

Enemies to lovers or best friends to lovers: Enemies to friends to lovers. I like there to be tension in my UST, but then I also love my ship to bond in ways that are not directly related to them as a potential couple, which is easier to do when there’s a middle-ground friendship or even close acquaintances phase.

Mutual pining or domestic bliss: Depends on the pairing. For pairings with angsty canons, I prefer domestic bliss cause it’s nice to imagine some version of reality where my ship is happy and safe and fluffy together. But mutual pining is always good too. And if the pairing isn’t angsty in canon, my brain loves finding ways of making them suffer.

Smut or fluff: Depends on the pairing, but most often smut, because most of my pairings are either rare pairs and/or tiny fandoms without much content so finding good smut for them can be extremely difficult.

Fantasy au or modern au: I’m not super into AUs that break the established rules of the canon reality too much, with a few exceptions. But considering that most of my fandoms are set in the present or the recent past, “modern AUs” seem kind of pointless for the most part. Historical AUs would I guess be the equivalent for them, but they are still essentially very different things.

Alternative universe or future fic: Depends on the pairing, especially given that “AU” can pretty much cover anything from “everyone “drives” to work on a dragon-drawn covered wagon now” to “Everything is the Same except Character X never existed.” Like those are both alternate universes. I guess future fic is my preference for characters who have a bittersweet ending in canon with some hope of a resolution afterwards (ex: Malcom/Nicola, Hathocent) but that obviously doesn’t apply to everyone.

Kid fic or road trip fic: Depends on the pairing. Some pairings I absolutely cannot see wanting and/or having kids. But for the ones that I can see this for, I absolutely adore kid!fic. I recognize that this probably makes me a bad feminist. (Though to be fair, the kid doesn’t have to be the pairing’s biological offspring for good kid!fic. It can be a younger sibling or niece/nephew or a neighbor. Or if it’s “their” kid, it could be an adopted kid as well/instead.)

Road trip fic is another one that is highly dependent on the pairing/context. I like it when there is high potential for drama and/or comedy, so certain pairings work better than others.

Canon compliant/missing scenes or fix-it: Depends on pairing. I tend to go for more canon compliant “missing or expanded scenes that don’t directly contradict canon” moreso, but sometimes canon just gets me so down that I want to read something that obliterates or completely disregards it.

Reincarnation or character death: Depends on the pairing. As much as I claim to hate character death, I’m also an angsty little b*tch who lives for the drama and heartbreak. But I am also fond of the “in any/another version of reality, we will find each other” romantic drama.

Time travel or isolated together: I feel a little weird picking this one given all that is going on in the world right now. But still, I’m not massively into time travel, unless it’s the kind of thing that is supported by the canon material. (Like I don’t read a ton of Doctor Who fic, but obviously time-travel is a major part of the canon.) However, I’d still prefer isolated together, as it provides a lot of potential for one-on-one conversation and bonding.

High school romance or middle aged romance: Most of my ships have a least a little bit of an age gap (which makes unlikely that they would’ve been in high school at the same time). And I do tend to ship a fair amount of older pairings anyway.

Arranged marriage or accidental marriage: Both are so good. I live for both of these tropes when they are done well. But overall, I think I have to go with a perfectly-arranged marriage. The intimacy mixed with the uncertainty and the reticance and the gradually-changing nature of the relationship. It’s just... it’s excellent.

Sci-fi au or magic au: Again, neither is really my favorite. But overall, I have to pick magic. With a few exceptions (Star Wars, Doctor Who, Jules Verne), I’m not particularly interested in or knowledgeable about most sci fi (and I am so exhausted with Star Wars at this point that it barely counts either).

Also, the advantage of a magic au is that it doesn’t have to be as immersive as some others. Maybe it’s just a few things that are “magic.” Maybe it’s a magical realism scenario where the magic touches are treated as totally mundane. I feel like it interrupts the established canon less often and doesn’t necessarily require the same “hard technical knowledge” that sci fi aus do.

Neighbours or roomates: oh my god, they were roommates. Serious answer, I prefer when the ship is able to have their own separate spaces and lives--at least early on the relationship. That way, it’s easier for them to have alone time if they need it and the relationship is able to develop at a more gradual (and to my mind) comfortable pace. Neighbors is also a good middle-ground scenario because there is a huge range to how close you can be with a neighbor. Some might be your close friends, some might be acquaintances. Some might even be a rival (the inherent foe yay potential of homeowner’s associations is so seldom explored.)

Body swap or gender-bend: Neither is really my cup of tea to be honest, but body swaps if done well can be good comedy opportunity. I do have some scraps of a Malcola body swap fic that has been a very tentative WIP for literal years.

Angst or crack: Depends on the pairing. As a good portion of my ships would be considered “crack” by modern fandom standards, I’m almost tempted to say crack, because it would mean that the pairing is actually getting fic written about it in the first place--which is rare enough for most of my pairings. But then, I am also a messy b*tch who lives for angst and the angstier the better.

Apocalyptic or mundane: Even were we not in the circumstances that we are now in, I would still say mundane. I scare pretty easily and so things like zombies/natural disasters/panic-induced mob mentality give me anxiety just reading/watching/thinking about. Just give me normalcy (or at least normalcy relative to the respective fictional universe).

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ragethewriter · 6 years

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Romance tag game!

Originally a Valentine tag game, I think. Is it Valentines Day? no. Do i care? also no~ Thank youuu @power-of-ages-writeblr for tagging me! I never get to answer romance questions :3c

~ ~ ~

1.) How big a part does romance play in your novel?

Pretty Big. I’d like to say that it’s a shared genre with whatever sci-fi/supernatural/adventure/dystopia plot is going on. Why? Because the main conflict of book one, and its resolution, hinges on my two protag babes working through their instincts and learning to embrace the power of loooooove~ If they don’t get to it, the rest of the plot doesn’t happen. High stakes romance!

2.) What is the nature of the romance in the story? Are there any tropes it follows? (Infatuation at first sight, enemies to lovers, best friends to lovers, etc?)

WELL there are quite a few relationships that develop over the course of the series, and almost every single one of them follows or includes sweet juicy romance tropes~ Too many examples and too many spoilers. However! The main romance between Ira and Case is your standard rivals-to-lovers slow burn - with a twist: their animal instincts want to duke it out for power (rivals), whilst their human emotions want to get close and fall hard (lovers). This - plus the fact that Ira’s a touch-starved spitfire while Case is a hopeless romantic - makes for a pretty fun ride of mutual pining, crushing, courtship, and new experiences. did somebody say bed-sharing

3.) Why did you decide to pair specifically these two characters? What makes their relationship compelling?

Ira and Case were actually conceived as a pair from the beginning! The dark/light, sun/moon, feline/canine (etc etc) foil was the very first thing I had in mind, and their characters evolved to fit that, and develop a surrounding world and plot. So it really wasn’t long before I realized I wanted these characters to be partners in every sense of the word. Cue the romance!

That said, it really is the foil that makes their relationship compelling to watch - they are opposites in more than just iconography, and their arc as a couple covers a lot of ground: from snapping teeth all the way to devoted smooches. They're also equally important to the plot, and as the series progresses, they learn to play to each others strengths and function as a proper royal powercouple.

4.) At which point in your story do your characters realize that they’re in love?

This is a tricky one - since the concepts of romantic vs platonic love are pretty skewed in their culture, it hits them both before they really have a word to put to it.

For Ira, she first realizes about halfway through the book that she’s abnormally attached to him, before realizing she finds him attractive, or connecting the two dots. She has a pretty good idea of what’s putting butterflies in her stomach by the time the climax interrupts their romancing, but it isn’t until the next book that she really makes the connection.

...Case has it a bit easier, because he’s a certified bleeding-heart drama queen. He went straight from “wow that new girl sure is something” to “help ive fallen and i can’t get up” in like, record time.

5.) optional Pics or it didn’t happen:

~ ~ ~

WOO ROMANCE! Okay I can’t remember who all has romances in their WIPs soooo I’ll guess at some tags:

@wingedcatwblr @kainablue @itsmadea @altheathewriter @lady-redshield-writes @i-rove-rock-n-roll

#Hybrid #romance #tag game #slow burn #WIP #wooooo so much gross fluffy romance!#Irakata #Caecius #gross fluffy ships #*barfs a rainbow*

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anghraine · 6 years

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Are there any RO fics that you would describe as your favourite (so far?)

This is a really old ask (I think there were about 700 fics in the AO3 tag when I received it, and I was already like WHERE DO I START), but it seems like a good day for it :)

In no particular order, some faves:

1) We’ve Been Here Before by angel_deux

A Westworld-ish Groundhog’s Day AU, where Jyn has to relive the Scarif mission over and over and over, in various horrifying permutations, trying to find some way to get it to end right.

2) when we were young and crossed the stars by @leralynne

An AU where Jyn and Cassian grow up together in the Rebellion. It’s both a well-grounded and fragile relationship, which I think fits really well, as well as a sweet, character-centric fic overall.

(I enjoy all her RO fics, but this is probably my favourite these days.)

3) Finding Home Without a Map by @incognitajones

It’s not really a secret that this is one of my absolute favourites. Friends+-with-benefits crossed with bedsharing crossed with mutual pining! And scrupulously thoughtful characterization alongside the porn. It’s kind of Peak Rebelcaptain as far as tropes go—the fanon tropes all there, but it always seems entirely natural.

(A particularly global rec, btw—all of incognita’s stuff is great and among my faves.)

4) i’m begging you to keep haunting me by @andromeda3116

This one is a post-Scarif fic in the 50 sentence 50 prompt format from lj. I’ve always really liked the format, which I don’t see a lot these days, and the non-linearity can make it difficult to carry off. But there’s definitely a sense of these as a coherent whole, even when the prompts aren’t following from each other, and a strong sense of Jyn in particular.

5) waiting to step forward, safe house in the hurricane, and dying to be taken apart by @brynnmclean

These belong to the same series and continuity, so they count as one, okay. It’s difficult to describe the series as a whole, but it’s basically very serious, cautious, and sweet Jyn/Cassian + “take your heteronormativity and shove it.” The porn is great and the proto-mission fic is great and the characterization is great. Definitely in my top-five faves.

6) Before I Wake, Before the Dawn by redfantasyfox

High-quality bedsharing!

7) this is the fate you’ve carved on me by Selkit

This is soulmate fic that really hits the sweet spot of complicating the trope to fit the characters and their relationships, but not subverting or detaching from it—this is fic that’s very much submerged in its tropes and dealing with them from the inside. It is a WIP, but I don’t judge.

8) Too Close (Not Close Enough) by @venusmelody and If Love is the Answer (Could You Rephrase the Question) by @rain-sleet-snow

The second is a direct sequel to the first, so I’m counting them together. But this is the classic “kissed for the mission, now what?” I’ve always loved the blur of uncertainty and a deep bedrock of trust and raw chemistry in these, and its culmination in a frothy happiness that they wouldn’t see much of.

9) In the Shadows by Stormdancer

This has been one of my faves for a long time. An FBI AU for Rogue One, of all things, is a pretty hard sell (personally), but the fusion with White Collar makes it work. It’s always interested me because the AU of RO itself has already occurred by the beginning, and it’s all about the gradual development of both the Jyn/Cassian and the general team relationship. It’s also got a nuanced take on mutual pining that tends to go against gender norms, which I liked a lot.

10) i can see what’s coming (but i’m not saying it) by plalligator

This is a very different type of soulmate fic: less concerned with the general trope than the GFFA iteration, leaning heavily on telepathy. So there are no marks or visible signs, just Jyn and Cassian’s alarmed repression and increasing acceptance of their psychic link.

And then telepathy porn, obviously. (I jest. Most telepathic characters get tragically non-telepathic porn, so A+ for going there, even though the gradual development is my favourite part.)

11) it’s a small crime by @glorious-spoon

This one is a fuck or die AU that’s treated seriously as rape, for both Jyn and Cassian. It’s obviously a difficult fic, but it’s very well handled, both in terms of the topic and the characterization, up to and including the bittersweet resolution.

12) Patches by @rapidashpatronus

A lot of the somebody/everybody lives fic leaps ahead without explanation, which works well for a lot of them—the ones predicated on survival rather than about survival. But this one is really about survival in a lot of different ways, with some of the team (and some others) miraculously surviving on Scarif itself, and scraping by as well as they can. That was my first vague idea of what a Jyn and Cassian live AU would look like, so it was a real pleasure to find a nice long involved one (and complete, even!).

13) Sfumato by @yavemiel

A great undercover AU, with the twist that they’re undercover as artist/model, and the scenario is built around that particular cover. It’s variously wry, light-hearted, and earnestly romantic, which I felt suited the scenario pretty perfectly.

14) if i wait (will you stay?) by Callioope

A Jyn-focused post-Scarif fic, which doesn’t really get across what makes it so enjoyable. It has a sort of twist on mutual pining where Jyn herself is entirely aware of it, and unsure what to do about it alongside their roles in the Rebellion.

15)Poco a poco by canardroublard and encore (et moi je t'aime un peu plus fort) by firefeufuego

A college AU crossed with a musician AU, which in the second fic, morphs into a bittersweet post-break-up mutual pining/misunderstandings that doesn’t really go for the easy “mistakes were made by everyone” conclusion, but instead emphasizes the importance of trust to happiness and in what people owe to each other. But also, I just love the premise of musical prodigies Jyn and Cassian, especially Jyn (and especially because she’s a pianist :D), and the P&P-ish story that they get within that context.

16) a single heartbeat between your two by @ladytharen

Mutual pining AND fake kissing AND undercover fic. There is literally nothing in this that I don’t love—all the tropes are integrated and carried out perfectly. Also, @ladytharen is another general rec: she’s written a lot of Jyn/Cassian fics, esp undercover fic, and they’re all great.

17) between your bones and your soul and the fundamental things apply by @skitzofreak

Okay, this one is definitely cheating, since the fics belong to different universes, but whatever—it was hard to narrow it this far. The first is the physical therapy fic (I highly recommend the whole verse), which has one of my favourite Jyns—grumpy and protective and unsteady and highly competent. The other has the same sort of Jyn, but in a “kissing for the mission” context, with scrupulous concern over consent into the bargain. I honestly love all of their fic, though: high-quality, in-universe AUs that treat the characters and themes both seriously and emotionally, without any sense of detachment that their level of developing headcanons can bring.

#anon replies #respuestas #a year and a half later...#anghraine's recs #otp: welcome home #star wars #fic recs #fic talk #jyn erso #cassian andor

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contreparry · 6 years

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Writing Process Meme

I was tagged by @tearsofwinter! Thank you! Short stories, novels, or poems?

Short stories, for sure! Poems are something I love to read, but I don’t think I could write them. It would be amazing to write a novel someday, but short stories are my mainstay at the moment. What genre do you prefer reading?

I love romance and fantasy, and I love a good adventure story too. I think what I love about romance is that it can encompass so many other genres with it. What genre do you prefer writing?

I love writing romance. In particular I love writing romantic fairy tales.

Are you a planner or a write-as-I-go kind of person?

I’m trying to be more of a planner so that I can organize all my random thoughts, but I know I’m a write as I go sort of writer. I put a lot of effort into planning and hope that I can become more of a planner in the future!

What music do you listen to while writing?

I actually tend to put on youtube videos while I write, because absolute silence distracts me, but I tend to bounce around and want to dance when I hear music.

Fave books/movies?

I have so many favorites that it’s hard to list them all, but I’ll just share a few books that I really love!

Sabriel by Garth Nix

Do you love magic? Adventures? Really awesome characters? Talking animals? Coming of age stories? Necromancers and zombies?! If you say yes to any or all of these questions, then Sabriel is a book for you!

Good Omens by Terry Prachett and Neil Gaiman

It’s dry, it’s hilarious, and the banter is perfection itself. There’s this one line about Dog that I love about how the Hell inside the Dog burns away because he loves his boy Adam.

The Turner Series by Courtney Milan

Anything by Courtney Milan is amazing, but I love the Turner Series because of the rich characters (main and side). Every romance story in the series is beautiful and rich and different. 10/10, will recommend!

Watership Down by Richard Adams

It’s an epic adventure with an amazing cast of characters. It’s like reading The Iliad or The Odyssey.

Any current WIPs?

Too many WIPs! I’m trying to just keep everything down to three at a time (every time I finish one I go to another on my list). So right now I’m working on two fairy tale Dragon Age stories, and finishing up part of a sci-fi story.

If someone were to make a cartoon out of you, what would your standard outfit be?

Summer me wears shorts and tank tops with flip flops, and winter me wears jeans, sweaters, and boots.

Create a character description for yourself:

Ball of anxiety!

Do you like incorporating people you actually know into your writing?

Sometimes I’ll think of who a character reminds me of, and then I’ll realize who I personally know who reminds me of that character. Then that gives me further insight into what I believe that character might do.

Are you kill-happy with characters?

Not really!

Coffee or tea while writing?

Coffee for the morning, tea for night!

Slow or fast writer?

I can be fast when I’m focused, but I’m inconsistent. So really I’m a slow writer.

Where/who/what do you find inspiration from?

I get inspired when I’m walking around and discover new places!

If you were put into a fantasy world, what would you be?

I’d probably run a tavern!

Most fave book cliche? Least fave book cliche?

I love a good bit of mutual pining. When it turns out that two characters have liked/loved each other all along? That’s the good stuff! My least favorite book cliche is the love triangle. Love triangles hinge on characters remaining static and in a perpetual “Which one will she/he choose” dance, and then the resolution is unsatisfying.

Fave scenes to write?

I love a good introspective character moment! But I also love mutual pining and love confessions. I also love world building moments!

Most productive time of day for writing?

Evening, early morning, right before I go to bed.

Reason for writing:

I like writing stories that I want to read, and I like that sometimes my stories make people feel better. It’s nice to know I can do that for people.

I tag @ocean-in-my-rebel-soul and anyone else who wants to fill this out!

#my writing

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sidgenoangstfest · 7 years

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Prompt Masterlist

Thanks so much to everyone who submitted prompts! We have so many and I hope that one (or more) of them inspire you! Below the cut is a masterlist of all of the prompts from the form/google list. They are separated by AU and Non-AU. The two prompts pertaining to AO3 warning topics are posted separately.

Non-AU Prompts

1. Geno ends up leaving to play in the Olympics, but Sid does the good boy Canadian thing and stays and then Russia wins and Canada not only loses but loses badly and media starts blaming Sid and Geno doesn't know how to make it better

2. Future fic: Sid and Geno had some false starts, could never really get their shit together -- maybe Sid wasn't ready to get married or have kids, maybe Geno really couldn't reconcile living as an out gay man and be committed to his country. Geno retires before Sid, goes back to Russia to raise his family, and try to forget that Sid might have been the love of his life, that he chose country over seeing what could have been. Sid either retires or, for maximum angst, suffers a career-ending injury (not a concussion, maybe, that's even too much for me!), and goes back to Halifax where he continues with his hockey school, get his history degree, billets some kids in the Q, and tries to be okay with being alone. Geno and Anna get divorced but are still close; Sid tries to date some but just can't make a connection. When Nikita is 16, he's drafted to the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL, and Sid volunteers to billet him. He calls Geno to make sure it's okay, it's the first time they've talked in literally years, and it's awkward and terrible and neither one of them know what to say or want to hang up. Nikita says yes and he comes to live with Sid. Cue Sid and Geno dancing around each other from afar, Sid having to see the evidence LIVING IN HIS HOUSE that he couldn't give Geno the thing he wanted, which was a marriage and a good Russian son, and Geno having to get regular updates on the alternate timeline he told himself he didn't think about anymore, Sid and his son under the same roof, puttering around the house and skating on the pond in Sid's backyard, Sid speaking his terrible, flat Russian. Geno comes to visit, uhhhh, I don't know, more emotional shit happens, lots of hurt feelings and UST and then they finally work their shit out and Geno moves back to America and in with Sid and they give it a go and are happy and content but because this is an angst fest the last twist of the knife is that Nikita gets drafted to the Flyers and Sidney is devastated and Geno laughs in his face for five days the end.

3. Sid and Geno as fuckbuddies who are both super emotionally invested and probably in love with each other but both assume the other is just in it for the sex. They break up about 80 times and keep falling back into bed together, each one promising himself THIS TIME would be the last time. They're making themselves miserable along with everyone else who can very clearly see the issue but neither of them can. Lots of sex followed by emotional turmoil rinse repeat

4. I want a good old fashioned Canadian shack fic with a snowed-in plot twist. Maybe during bye week (I think the 2014/15 season would be a good brewing ground for this kind of plot) Sid and Geno rent a cabin somewhere in the Canadian wilderness to decide once and for all where to take their on-again/off-again love affair that spans nearly a decade by now. (Could also be that they've been tip-toeing around their attraction to each other for a decade, unsure whether or not to ever do anything about it.) It's probably not the best time for it. The season isn't going well. They're both worn and exhausted, maybe battling injuries, and predictably they have a fight not long after arriving that ends with Geno (could be Sid) taking off in the middle of a snowstorm. Whoever is left behind has some regrets about what was said when the wind and snow picks up and they're beside themselves, worrying about the one who left. Eventually whoever left comes back, maybe in the car, maybe by foot, and they end up snowed-in together in their Canadian shack. (They're millionaires, it's probably not actually a shack.) Ideally, they resolve their problems (or at least start to work on them) and decide to live happily ever after but I'll leave that up to the writer.

5. Geno's contract is up and Sid doesn't know if he's going to re-sign or go somewhere else (can be future fic or when his bridge contract ended in 13-14)

6. Sid has a big gay crush on Geno and is Not handling it well.

7. Something about Olympics and the political tension.

8. I'd love to see a fic that explores the dynamic of Geno being so emotionally romantic and occasionally dramatic (seriously, he rented an actual tiger for Anna's birthday) and Sid being so stoic and intensely private about his love life. Their differences in personality seems like a great brewing ground for romantic misunderstandings. 9. Ideally features Sid making a grand romantic gesture of some kind.

10. post-loss h/c

11. This isn't really a prompt but PINING. I want all the pining. One of them or both being absolutely convinced there's no way the other could ever love them back. Could be any kind of setting. Fuck buddies. Arranged marriage. Fake dating. Best Friends. ABO.

12. Tournament angst. Olympics for max angst, Worlds for a notch down. Sid and Geno very tentatively start fooling around shortly before said tournament, and Canada’s victory throws a wrench in the emotional works. Lots of sneaking around and feelings.

13. Breakup fic. Geno was ready for kids, and Sid wasn't. Now, Geno's with Anna, she's moved to Pittsburgh, they're both glowing, and Sid's at a low point in his career and is filled with grief and regret. He asks Geno for a second chance, and Geno tells him Anna's pregnant and it's too late. Make me cry.

14. "There have been a lot of changes to the team this summer and the Pens core is never going to be the same and gosh, we're thirty and I'm afraid our best days are behind us" Sid/Geno style. Semi-realist angst. Bonus (but unnecessary) "you're the only constant in a sea of change" type resolution.

15. Lockout separation!! G going back to Russia, and Sid staying in Pittsburgh to mediate, long distance relationship angst!

16. Retirement, "we went our separate ways without telling each other how we feel"--type stuff

17. “I thought things were going great.”

18. Better late than never

19. Sid visits Geno in Russia for the first time since they started getting together, and Geno's awkward about it because internalized homophobia and also Russia's homophobia, and it strains their relationship.

20. in the midst of a great season (and great for him personally), sid vanishes. after the season is done, geno receives his call, and goes to find out what happened.

21. cheating. Just--cheating.

22. One thinks the other is cheating/one thinks the other wants to break up, so they decide to bite the bullet and break up first. authors choice whether or not the communication happens during the break up or days/weeks/months/YEARS after.

23. amnesia fic!

24. Sid overhears a phone call and mistakenly thinks Geno is moving back to Russia/KHL/whatever you want. So he starts to pull away and be cold and distant and this upsets Geno a LOT. And Sid obviously. And generally everyone is sad... until it gets sorted after the team throws him a going away party and then afterwards everyone is happy and S/G fall in love. (I'm thinking they weren't together at first but honestly if anyone wants to write this... they could maybe be a couple. Makes it more angsty!)

25. Geno wants to come out. Sid doesn't.

26. a story about outing, and maybe with some time travel?

27. Pet death.... :( hurt/comfort. Maybe later on, adopting something small and fluffy together.

28. Russia recalls its players, forcing them to choose between leaving the NHL or giving up Russian citizenship.

29. Post-retirement, they meet again at the Olympics, Sid coaching team Canada and Geno on team Russia's staff. They haven't spoken in almost a decade.

30. Unrequited? Sid has a girlfriend that he's talking about marriage with. Seems like it's time for Geno to move on.

31. They've been fuck buddies for a while now, but Sid can't take it any more. Geno makes one joke too many about his booty call and Sid calls it all off.

32. Where they've been broken up for a while and maybe one of them has juuuust started to move on and then they start spending a bunch of time together again for reasons and see all those things in each other that they loved and miss. Just so much sadness and bittersweetness and nostalgia. Doesn't have to end up with them back together necessarily.

33. something to do with Sid having anxiety? I feel like a lot of his rituals and stuff could really be seen as coping mechanisms, and it's be interesting to see if maybe that impacts his relationship with Geno, or if Sid's afraid of it impacting his relationship with Geno.

34. One of them confesses feelings for the other. The feelings aren't mutual.

35. You know that pic from worlds 2015, where Sid is sitting in the locker room and looking (really beautiful and) like he's holding back tears? What is an angstfest-appropriate backstory to that? Is it maybe linked to Sid's not-so-stellar start to the 2015-2016 season too? (Initially I thought about this from Sid's POV, but Geno's could also work really well!) [NOTE FROM MOD: https://sidsass.tumblr.com/post/163755745701]

36. G gets engaged. Sid goes off the deep end.

37. Citing his wish to avoid permanent damage following repeat concussions, Sid "quietly" retires at the beginning of the '17-'18 season on the condition that G gets the C. The reality is that his exhausted from harboring his unrequited feelings AND from G not getting the recognition he deserves. He officially passes the baton but otherwise avoids seeing or talking to Geno and gradually disappears. Years down the line, G finds out the truth.

38. Sid starts exhibiting psychological/behavioral symptoms of post-concussion syndrome. This puts a strain on his and Geno's relationship.

39. Forced outing (of either of them or both) leads to homophobia from both fans and teammates and potentially disastrous consequences

40. One of them wakes up in 2012 again

41. Sid and Geno are fuck-buddies until one of them is outed. The other has to choose - come out or don't come out. And figure out their feelings about each other (can they weather this storm or is this the end of their friendship too?)

42. Geno is forced to go back to Russia for Secret Angsty Reasons. He tries to keep in contact with the team, but eventually they grow further apart until the only contact they have is through social media. Fast forward 10 years, Sid is retired and goes on holiday to [place], where he finds Geno, and Secret Angsty Reasons become not-so-secret.

43. One of them is injured in a potentially career-ending way

44. One of them is outed by a teammate

45. Internalised homophobia

46. Fake relationship where one of them is in love but the other isn't

47. Sid finally makes it to Russia with Geno...for Geno's wedding ceremony.

48. Sid gets a concussion and seems like he's recovering well...except he doesn't remember his relationship with Geno. They had just gotten together, everything still really new, and they hadn't told anyone because Sid insisted they wait until after the season. So Geno has no one to turn to, has to act like everything is fine, even though his heart is breaking because Sid is treating him like nothing more than a friend. More angst potential: Sid dates around! Someone on the team definitely had figured it out and now Geno's wishing for when he was dealing with it alone because the pity is even worse! Geno slowly realizing that maybe Sid did this to himself because he didn't want to ever come out and his brain took the opportunity to erase their relationship before he was in too deep! Just put Geno through absolute emotional hell.

49. Destined to kill each other and there is no love will redeem the other option here.

50. The fallout of their divorce. What now?

51. sid learning how to be less than perfect

52. set before and during the 2023-24 season. sid and geno aren't together but both are privately thinking they should finally make a move. then over the summer geno (who signed a contract the year before that ends at the same point as sid's, so they can retire together) is traded to a team the pens only play once or twice a year because the pens have salary cap/roster problems (I know he has a no movement clause, let's say they didn't put it in the new one for some reason). cue a LOT of pining and separation-induced sadness. angst and stress. pretending not to be as cut up about it as they are. etc etc. maybe they have an emotional/dramatic reunion on ice, maybe one of them is injured and the other is horrified but can't do anything, maybe both... basically how sad can you make pining while still making a happy ending, or at least a hopeful ending

53. Everyone always says how good Geno is at not being bothered by Sid getting all the accolades. How chill he is. How content to be out of the spotlight. How secure. That's... really not how he feels, and there's a point where it gets to be too much.

54. They do the coming out thing so they can be together properly, after keeping it secret from pretty much everyone for years, and the irony is that *this* is the thing that finally fucks up their relationship.

55. Geno never returns from his summer in Russia. Everyone becomes frantic looking for him but he’s not found. It remains a mystery and life goes on. Time passes, Sid still plays and the team still wins games but even after the grief has subsided, there is an ache deep in his chest that won’t go away. Sid *misses* Geno, doesn’t think he’ll stop missing him, doesn’t really understand why he hurts this bad. One day, Geno returns [insert random hockey magic here], Sid is an emotional mess dealing with it.

56. Hotels as liminal spaces. Sid's been hooking up with Geno in hotels in various cities where they play. But it doesn't feel real, so it's not real...right?

57. Reunion fic after a bad breakup (that was due to legit conflict that was both people's faults).

58. Dubcon ritual sex for the good of the team. Maybe Sid and Geno weren't together before this?

59. Professional hockey is indentured servitude, basically slavery. Sexual relationships between teammates aren't allowed, but that doesn't always stop them from happening. At first Sid and Geno are just finding relief in each other from all the pressure, but it turns into more.

60. Unrequited love, written from the POV of the one not pining.

61. AU-canon divergence: Sid put love and dating on hold to focus on hockey. He meets a cute guy while out to team dinner. They get dessert. Geno gets a little jealous.

62. Geno had asked Sid to wait for him to be ready. Not while he was so new to the team, he said. Not while the team was so unstable. Not while they were on the brink of a Cup win. And then he met Anna, and things happened. Geno moved to Russia when he retired, and he and Sid only saw each other at the draft, the World Cup, and now, the Olympics.

63. During the lockout, Sid followed Geno to the KHL. He hadn't thought having to hide their relationship would be so hard.

64. Ovie invites Sid to his wedding. Sid goes stag. Geno pines from afar.

65. canon divergence: the concussion specialists told Sid he'd need at least a year to recover. He goes home to Cole Harbour. The team struggles without him.

66. As much as I love homophobia free!NHL or a NHL with minimal homophobia, the reality is probably a lot less sunny. So, both Sid and Geno aren't out (except maybe to close friends), they're both very careful, and they know to never, ever get caught. Except, after the SCF, they're high on their win and get drunk and kiss each other, and somehow there are photos and somehow the photos are leaked. A shitstorm ensues.

67. one of them is battling an addiction to painkillers as a side effect of so many chronic injuries, and it's affecting both hockey and relationship.

68. Sidney and Geno are happily married and looking to start a family. They decide to foster a little boy (or girl, whichever) they meet at the little penguins hockey program (he's like seven or so) after finding out that his foster family is physically and emotionally abusing him. They do their best to try and help him, but things get overwhelming when trying to balance their careers and raising a child who has faced so much psychological trauma already. Then things get worse when the child's father is released from jail and fights Sid and Geno for custody of his kid. ((preferably nothing super explicit trauma wise, but i would like for there to be heavy emotional moments because the kid has been through so much and is a little intimidated by two very big and very strong pro hockey players. and sidney and geno love kids and don't want to fail this sweet child that is under their care. and i would like for the ending to be happy if the author is ok with it.))

69. sid and geno are in a friends with benefit situation where geno thinks theyre dating but sid just thinks theyre friends with benefits

70. Sidney gets another concussion, but it knocks him out cold on the ice, and he wakes up blind and with amnesia. Geno is shattered because hasn't Sidney been through enough? Geno offers to take care of him, but their relationship is so rocky now, and he was ready to propose to Sid when he got his concussion. Preferably a happy ending, but whatever floats the author's boat is fine with me.

71. Around the time Sid and Geno retire, Geno divorces his wife. He and Sid finally get together after all these years, but haven't really told anyone yet - in particular, not Geno's near-grow kids, because the relationship is new and Geno doesn't know how they'll take it. And then Geno gets pregnant.

72. Sid really IS a baby-snatcher/kidnapper, and Geno finds out. Ideas may include how Sid came to be like this, how he did it, how often (was it just once, multiple times), did he get caught by people other than Geno, what were the consequences (is Geno okay/not okay with this, does Sid do something to protect "his" child, does law enforcement get involved, etc.). Also for consideration: what about the child's/children's perspective(s)?

73. Sid and Geno have been fuckbuddies for over a year, except Geno thinks that they are in a relationship. Geno has spent the last month planning the perfect proposal only to find out on the big day that Sid is dating someone and wants to end their arrangement. Maybe Sid realizes his mistake and fixes it or maybe it's just too late for Sid and Geno.

74. "Hey, G, this is Chris", Sid says, and the man whose back Sid's palm is resting on reaches out for a handshake. He's almost Geno's height, with sandy hair, blue eyes and a warm smile. Geno's stomach does something it's never done before. He doesn't want to shake this guy's hand; he wants to tackle him to the ground and punch his lights out. Or: Geno, has a Revelation about his feelings for his captain. (G's relationship status can be anywhere from single to married with children depending on the level of angst/conflict/potential resolution)

75. Sid loves wearing makeup and girl's clothing/dresses. However he's scared of telling Geno, afraid that he might call him a freak or break up with him. When he does eventually tell him, Geno tries to be supportive but feels a little off about it. However during one particular game during the Flyers, Giroux or Simmonds says something incredibly offensive about Sid and it makes him feel extreme insecure about himself. After the game he's completely shut down and won't talk to anybody and actually starts throwing away his feminine clothing and makeup. Would Geno be able to push away his own feelings about it and tell his boyfriend he's beautiful no matter what, or would he just let Sid to whatever he wants and not let himself be who he is?

76. Sid and Geno have sex once when they're both really young and Sid isn't being dramatic when he says it's the best sex of his life. He figures the feeling was mutual and that at the very least him and Geno could continue to hook up. But afterwards Geno avoids him Anne is super distant and when Sid finally tries to talk to him Geno says "was bad sex don't want to think about it. Nothing else to say" and Sid is kind of devastated because that means HE Was so terrible in bed that Geno feels awkward about it. Cut to years later when it drunkenly happens again and Sid has been practicing for years to make sure he's perfect for Geno. Geno brushes it off again and Sid is like, no no no I know I'm good in bed why do you keep lying. And then Geno confesses that he wasn't ready to be in a mlm relationship when they first had sex and he's still unsure but he loves Sid and doesn't know what to do. Cut to feelings and getting together

77. One of them - let's face it probably Geno - does the grand public romantic gesture thing to woo Sid and, because RL appropriate behaviour is different from the stalker-level shit that gets romanticised by pop-culture, Sid is actually kind of unnerved and pressured and maybe even a little humiliated by how public it was and pretty unhappy about it. Basically they are in different genres, e.g. Geno is in a hollywood romcom and Sid is in an indie drama or psychological thriller :p ;).

78. Sid and Geno make a sex tape that ends up getting leaked. It doesn't show their faces and people don't really know it's them but the shock is enough to send Sid into a spiral of fear that people know that he's gay and that gen bottoms and basiclly internalized homophobia. G tries to comfort him but sid lashes out and they break up. Yadda yadda yadda hurt comfort no more sex tapes

79. Sid has to retire from hockey because of an injury and geno comforts him when he's crying about it. Super angsty and fluffy

80. Sid and Geno have a friends with benefits situation, but Sid, who was in love with Geno for a long time before they started hooking up, thinks they're getting serious. He doesn't know it but Geno is seeing Anna at this time, so when Geno mentions the 'person he's dating' to the team he's talking about her but Sid thinks he means him. He overhears Geno talking to someone like "do you think I should propose?" and gets very excited — until Geno introduces Anna to the team as his fiancee. He thinks he's been dumped but then Geno still approaches him for sex and Sid doesn't know how to say no. So Sid has an internal crisis because he's helping Geno cheat (if you want it can be revealed that Geno and Anna had an open relationship and Geno's just very bad at communicating that to Sid). But a part of him also wants Anna to find out, because then maybe she would break it off with Geno…

81. One of them was previously in an abusive relationship with another man, which the other doesn't know about because they were closeted at that time. They get triggered by something seemingly innocuous the other does, leading to explanations & hurt/comfort.

82. Anything following Sid's POV as Geno gets married and has kids.

83. Pining where they don't say anything because they both think the other is straight, and then a different guy on the team comes out (just to the room or publicly — your choice) and one of them winds up having sex with him, which the team finds out about. (Thin hotel walls?) So the other now knows he's not straight, but thinks he's in a relationship with the third person.

84. You don't stop loving something just because it's hard, Sid said. Well - what happens when it doesn't love you back?

85. One of the reason's Geno has been able to - sooner or later - shrug off those international losses and refocus, while playing on the same team as the avatar of Canada's success over Russia, has been his unshakeable belief always in next time, next time. With NHL players now firmly closed out of the Olympics, and Geno on the other side of 30, he's looking at that "next time" quite possibly being "never", and it's a hell of a hard hit.

86. Geno didn't actually want to leave Metallurg for the NHL; the bribe is Sid, in some kind of arranged-marriage/bond/etc situation. Perhaps Geno doesn't - ever? - know Sid's only in it out of obligation/responsibility.

87. Geno gets mugged, and it rocks his identity/self-image.

88. It turns out that while Sid's a good friend and a great captain, he's a terrible boyfriend. Geno worked so hard to get them here, and now he doesn't know what to do.

89. Their problems in the bedroom aren't staying there.

90. Pictures of Geno kissing a man in a gay bar are leaked somehow. It goes badly with both Russia and the Pens.

91. You know how there are the fics where one person has this kink they're all ashamed of, and then the other person helps them feel okay about it? I love those, a lot, but what if the reveal just didn't go well at ALL? Like, daddy-kink slips out and the reaction is flat-out shock, or they like a little feminisation or lacy knickers and their partner is just uncomfortable and embarrassed about it?

92. Insomnia as a concussion side-effect; they're hardly sharing a bed any more because of the restlessness.

93. One of them is having a hard time getting/keeping it up, or has a much-diminished sex drive (could even be set a few years in the future so it's an aging thing) and they have to figure out how important regular good sex is to the relationship. Maybe one of them decides it's not gonna work anymore.

94. Sid becomes paralyzed from the waist down in a bat hit gone wrong (the hit can be from the Flyers, Capitals, or whoever you want) and it shatters Sid completely, thinking he's never going to play hockey ever again. He starts to become severly depressed and starts lashing out at everybody, especially Geno, who's trying his hardest to be there for Sid. Both of them start to slowly become distant and they separate for a while, but Sid's depression gets worse and Geno is incredibly worried that Sid might do something to himself so he comes back. Cue to support from the Pens/NHL, angst and fluff, Sid and Geno getting back together and (hopefully?) Sid being able to start playing hockey again.

95. Sid and Geno are drafted by different teams (one is still a Penguin though, obviously). They first meet at World Juniors and realize they are "hockey perfect" late one night when they can't sleep and find each other practicing on the ice. Sid jokes that maybe they'll be together in the NHL but the draft doesn't work out. Geno comes over the same time as real life, and they meet again at the ASG in 2007 (get together then too). But it's Actually Serious that they're together. It's totally forbidden and both teammates/orgs/their families would be outraged. It's basically jeopardizing their careers bc they compete against each other, and it's Not Cool. Basically, Sid feels a ton of pressure to be the best, and Geno brings out his best on and off ice, but they can't be together. Obviously they sneak around when their teams meet and it's pretty reckless, but they are overwhelmed by each other. I just want forbidden love and Sid feeling pretty isolated/under a lot of pressure. Also, the Olympics is pretty much the best time of their lives, and there's a lot of sex bc of course.

96. they lose a child (can be their only child or not)

97. sid's pov with supercut by lorde (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL0MtGXNFIk) as the jumping off point - maybe it's during their relationship, maybe it's after. up to you if they get a happy ending or not (and if that happy ending includes them together or not)

98. Person X is invited into Sid and Geno's recently-opened relationship, possibly with a view to them being more involved with one than the other. They're maybe younger, a little naive, but definitely super into the whole concept. Until they realise that actually, Geno and Sid are not the good stable relationship they thought, that they're kind of a hot mess, and that they're in danger of being turned into someone's emotional escape route.

99. Geno never left Russia, Sid comes over after the Pens fail to win a cup

100. Sid/Geno accidentally get outed

101. Sid is asexual (but not aromantic). He's in a relationship with Geno and Geno finds out after they've had copious amounts of sex. He's pissed Sid hadn't told him. Sid tries to explain that he doesn't particularly like sex but he doesn't mind doing it. Geno is not in any way mollified. Sid tells Geno he can sleep with other people if he wants to. Up to you where it goes from there.

102. After years of dancing around each other, they finally get together and it turns out they're sexually incompatible. One wants to compromise, the other doesn't see any viable option other than going their separate ways.

103. They get together. It doesn't work out. Now they have to work together every day and be on a team together and do promotions together and try not to leak feelings all over everyone in the immediate area. Spoiler: they do and it's ugly.

104. AU where something happens that leads to one of them getting traded

105. Post breakup fic- maybe they get back together? Maybe they just have sex and then realize it still can't work

AU Prompts

1. Sid and Taylor are orphans, they live with Mario after Sid was drafted. Cue Geno and his family trying to be a surrogate family to Sid & Taylor

2. One is a hockey star, the other is a reporter. The reporter spends a lot of time digging around, getting little details of the hockey star, writing a massive indepth story along the way and ends up falling a little bit in love. The hockey star resents the reporters invasion into his life and definitely does not feel the same.

3. AU where Sid and Ovechkin are royalty and betrothed in a purely political marriage, and while they are friend they’re not romantically interested in each other, and both alphas so no progeny will come from their union. As part of the arrangement, as their countries need an alliance, they’re gifted with an omega - Evgeni Malkin. Noble enough to be socialized as a gentlemen, but not high ranking enough to marry a prince himself, and as he’s Russian it’s determined that Sid should be the other father, to mix the bloodlines properly. However, at first Sid didn’t want a concubine, was fine in his loveless marriage with Ovechkin, at least until he saw Geno. So there is MAJOR MISCOMMUNICATION, where Geno thinks Sid is just doing this out of duty and not love and Sid thinks Geno doesn’t like him, even hates him.Geno goes into his first heat and is worried because the contraceptives he is secretly taking don’t work during heat and Sid can tell something is up so he doesn’t knot Geno and as a result Geno thinks he isn’t even worthy of Sid’s knot and MORE miscommunication and angst. And then there’s gossip about Geno’s lack of fertility, and oh no is it Sid? Which Geno can’t stand for, so he decides that he’ll get pregnant even though it’ll mean Sid never touches him again. And eventually he gets pregnant and then more stuff happens and then happy ending.(Feel free to change this and make it your own, obviously)

4. Age difference AU. Preferably with Geno being older and Sid being younger.

5. Apocalypse wow! When the world ends Sid is in Canada and Geno is in Russia but Sid isn't going to go out before he does the thing he's been psyching himself up to do for literally years, so he packs a bag and decides he's going to walk to Geno if he has to. I don't know what kind of apocalypse it is, maybe it's a super virus or a zombie kind. Either way, it's terrifying and sad and we follow Sid as he realizes not only might he never make it, but he might die alone and/or horribly, but also most of his friends are already dead, and he has way too much time to reflect on his life and what he did and didn't get to do. Bonus if it's open-ended, him trudging through snow, at the end of the road in Moscow, half-dead on his feet, gets to Geno's apartment, lifts a hand to knock, but we don't get to see the door open. We never see him die, either, but we can't know WE JUST CAN'T KNOW. (The emotional resolution is that he's come to terms with himself, just to be ultra lit-class about it)

6. Noir sidgeno au where sid is a hard boiled detective and geno is the femme fatale

7. Cold war spies.

8. A becomes a vampire and B has to console them because all A ever wanted was to have their own kids, but now that has all be ripped away from them, so B stays with them and holds them in their arms as A cries

9. period/fantasy au - sidney is royalty, and geno is not (or vice versa!)... after years of slowly falling in love with the castle's stablehand (aka geno), sidney's parents force him into a political/arranged marriage. sidney and geno still see each other, but when they are caught, because of laws or anything else hand-wavy, geno is meant to be executed.

10. One of them is haunted by the ghost of the other. Ending options: the ghost passes on after they resolve whatever it is they stayed around for, or they other figures out how to bring him back (cup magic could be useful here!)

11. Romeo and Juliet au - I guess it could be a flyers au, but I'd love to see a historical setting.

12. a bowerbird au where Sid collects all his trophies to seduce people with them. he doesn't actually care about winning just seduction. winning just happens to be the easiest way to seduce people, so he works it. Sid doesn't have time for losers, only winners, but his obsession with winners comes back to bite him. he's so focused on winning/seduction, that he doesn't realize it's destroying his relationships with those around him.

13. Sid and Geno are both omegas. They're only playing in the NHL because they're as good as they are. Falling in love with each other is a complication they don't need and also against all social mores.

14. Sid is an alpha and Geno is an omega. They both want each other, but Geno is already under intense scrutiny as the only omega (or one of the only omegas, if you'd prefer) in the NHL, and he doesn't want to get involved with an alpha. Angst ensues.

15. A wishbaby AU where wishbabies come from the Faerie realm, and you can only keep them for seven years. After the seven years are up, the child goes back to Faerie. But this is Sid and Geno, so they go into Faerie to find their child. They're successful, but it's the Faerie realm, and a price has to be paid. One of them has to stay behind for seven years to pay the debt. Twist: time moves differently in Faerie, and when the seven years are up, he comes home to find out that in the human world, seven times seven years have passed. Extra twist: once you've spent significant time in Faerie, you don't age the same way you normally would.

16. Either Sid or Geno wakes up as a girl one morning. This is a very unpleasant experience.

17. Sid and Geno have sex, and Geno gets pregnant. Geno is in love with Sid; Sid likes Geno but isn't in love with him. Geno wants to get rid of the baby (or adopt it out), but Sid wants to keep it, because he's always wanted kids, and even if he isn't in love with Geno, he's still going to be a father. (Sid falls for Geno too, eventually.)

18. Star Wars AU where Sid is a Senator and Geno is a Jedi around the fall of the Republic.

19. The one where their kid's swapped for a changeling

20. Time-travel trope, feel free to reverse the parties: a younger version of e.g. Geno shows up, and there is infidelity with older Sid. Older Geno does not take it well. Which maybe finally explains to Sid why, sometimes, Geno has seemed to get angry at Sid for no apparent reason, because he absolutely remembers this happening, and resents himself for not thinking it was a problem (because they're together in the future, right? so young, so stupid) and Sid for cheating on him, and himself for staying when he knows this is going to happen. Does he hope it won't? Does he just love Sid too much to not take every moment he can? Maybe they fix it with threesomes. Maybe they do not fix it.

21. One of them's infertile, and nothing available in the fertility industry does a damn thing to fix it.

22. Look, Cup magic isn't all it's cracked up to be, okay. Things can get... unpredictable. Unpleasant. Sid and Geno get off scott free the first two Cups, but it turns out all that wild magic was just biding its time until they won their third.

23. Geno grew up being bullied for being a werebear, and it's made him a defensive asshole about that part of his identity - very Do not Handle, Do not Touch. It takes him a long time to let Sid in.

24. girlSid didn't really have body issues (it was just a body, what mattered was what it could do) until Geno started dating Anna

25. Accidental pregnancy; whoever is pregnant eventually gets an abortion.

26. lady with the pet dog au! geno and sidney are both married and meet while away on vacation without their spouses. what begins is a passionate affair that starts as sex and infatuation but ends with a deeply rooted love. they both return to their homes only to find that they both live in the same city and must brave facing each other in their social circles without exposing their affair. bonus points if it's a period piece and if Geno feels the same guilt Dmitri felt at the end of the story.

27. GOT-esque AU. Geno is a bear-lord from the Kontinental kingdom of Drachma & Sid is a powerful mage from the North eastern part of Drachma, as well as Geno's most trusted advisor since they were teenagers. Geno became infertile (male speaking) after a witch cursed him for trying to bring both a dead child back to life using blood magic. He was severly devastated and has nightmares about deformed, monster-like children in place of the innocent ones he'll never have. He also takes his frustrations out on Sid, cruelly saying slurs about mages/witches whenever he tries to talk to him. Sid is hurt by these comments, but takes them in stride, knowing Geno is just upset. Years later, when they are in a relationship, they try for children and no infertility spells work, until Sid reveals that he himself was working on for years and they can finally have children to be the heir to Geno's kingdom. (Please let Sid be the pregnant one!)

28. Royalty AU. Sid is taking Geno to visit Sid's family and gifts him with jewels and other trinkets for him to wear. To Sid, these jewels represent not just their class system but are a sign showing extreme love and gratitude to consorts. However, to Geno, where he comes from, this is a sign of being something like that of a prostitute. So the more jewelry Sid decorates Geno with, the more Geno believes that Sid is just using him to be a bedwarmer. Geno becomes colder and more distant towards Sid, dressing himself up and acts like he IS a prostitute to Sid and his family's confusion. Sid snaps and finally confronts Geno about his feelings. SO MUCH MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND MISCOMMUNICATION!!!

29. Sid is so wrapped up in the hockey life that he never has time for dating, and when he does, it usually never works out well. So Flower, Tanger and Duper hire an escort who goes by the name of Zhenya as a "surprise" for Sid. Zhenya, whose real name is Evgeni "Geno" Malkin, escaped from Russia in search of a better life in America, but things didn't go through all that well. When he arrives at Sid's doorstep, Sid is of course angry but slowly gets over it once he sees how cute Zhenya is. A single one-night stand turns into more than what Sid bargains for. Zhenya is falling in love with Sid and sees him as more than a client, but Sid doesn't want to get attached for fear of getting hurt and distracted from hockey. Cue tons of angst, miscommunications, and (hopefully?) a happy ending.

30. College AU where they meet their sophomore year. Geno has a somewhat serious girlfriend but doesn't tell Sidney. Sidney finds out that he's "the other women" and confronts Geno about his cheating by breaking up with him. Sid ends up giving Geno the cold shoulder for months until finally Geno corners him after class and confesses to Sid that he had tried to breakup with the gf before but she wouldn't let him, he met Sid and instantly in love so he didn't even think of the girl he no longer like, he also broke up with the gf after Sid left him and has been trying to get back with Sid ever since

31. Both alphas. They have to find alternative partners during their rut/heat, because when they try with each other, violence overtakes sex - the first time it was pretty bad; the second time they tried to maul each other (they'd taken precautions e.g. back-ups who could separate them); they're not risking a third time. Coming back to your partner after marathon sex with someone else, knowing you can't ever have that with them.

32. Zombie apocalypse. Sid's been bitten, and he hides it just long enough to make sure Geno gets to safety.

33. Always a girl AU where they're playing in the NWHL or the CWHL, and they're on different teams.

34. Geno is cursed by a witch so he can get pregnant, but doesn't know it until he and Sid have sex. He always wanted kids, but not like this.

35. royalty/arranged marriage. modern or historical.

36. Sid is pregnant with Geno's baby, but manegment doesn't take it well

37. Teen pregnancy au

38. They get telepathically bonded for hockey. And end up hating each other.

39. their soulbond has broken - writer's choice as to why (suggestions: too many injuries, they have a fight and one of them has it broken intentionally, they spend too long too far apart)

40. Geno is an omega and the usual omega angst that goes with that ~

41. One of them from our universe falls into an a/b/o universe and doesn't get back, or vice versa. Maybe omega!Geno falls into our world, but is still an omega (which means he has to try to hide his heats with no medical support), or maybe he falls into our world but isn't an omega anymore. Body horror, xeno-type scenarios, mpreg... :D

42. The hockey gods require a lot of sacrifice to get to the level Sid and Geno are at; now they're asking either Sid or Geno for more than he's willing to give.

43. Soulmates in a doomed reincarnation cycle

44. Time loops

45. Geno is stuck in a time loop from the beginning of his career to the end. Think Magical Girl Madoka, Homura specifically.

46. One of them is deeply closeted falls into an AU where they got together sometime back. Twist: he never gets back to his own time, and meanwhile the other party figures it out and is mourning his "real" boyfriend.

47. Cup Magic happens after Sids day with the cup after winning back to back. Sid gets sent to Mario's house but in 1992. People are shocked at how this guy is built and how fast he is on the ice and how he won't shut up about hockey when Mario brings him to practice one day. Neither of them know why Sid was sent to the past and can't figure out what the lesson is but snippets of scenes between Sid and Geno show so much UST and hesitation. Sid seems to retreat even more because locker room talk is even more brutal (why are you so good? Steroids?? )and homophobic than it is now. Sid starts to become miserable and lonely and does confess to Mario about his feelings for Geno and Mario is shocked but kinda figures the way Sid talked about Geno and asks how gay people are treated in Sids time. After a while he realizes he could have Geno in his life if only he was a little braver. And he's so heartbroken he might have missed his chance and he does come back to his time. He talks to geno about what happened to him and Geno is so upset Sid has to go through all that alone. they do eventually live happily (please) ever after.

#hockey rpf #angst fest #sidgeno

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rhovanels · 7 years

Text

Letter for the Chocolate Box fic exchange.

I’m always thrilled to receive anything that someone has created for me, so don’t worry, I’ll be happy with whatever you come up with! Also, please feel free to send me an anonymous ask if you need anything clarified.

General likes:

- mutual pining-happy ending narratives

- I’m equally happy with fluff and angst - don’t feel like you need to hold back on either

- women with various types of strength and agency and power

- sex is absolutely not a requirement for my pairings, and I particularly like sex that’s based in emotion, or is more implied rather than explicit.

- I love plotty dramas, but I equally like quiet, small character moments - go where your muse takes you

- characters who are competent and unapologetic about who they are

- relationships based in communication - talking, challenging and testing one another, wordy declarations of love

- tonally, my favourite emotional register is sad and sweet, but I’m happy with humour and excitement too

- slow burn friends to lovers (although I don’t really expect that for an exchange of this length)

- EPISTOLARY RELATIONSHIPS.

- tropes and general things I like (in no particular order): declarations of love; banter and bickering; one person suddenly realising they’re in love with the other person; huddling for warmth; hurt/comfort; there’s only one bed; ‘holy shit they’re hot in that outfit’; fake dating; bittersweet endings; found families; poetry

Art likes

Honestly, if you’re drawing me something I will probably backflip out the window, because I have no artistic talent and am constantly in awe of what other people produce.

- non-sexual intimacy between characters

- mundane, slice-of-life moments

Dislikes:

- nothing too smutty because I am tame, and no PWP.

- no A/B/O dynamics

- no professor/student (or a similar dynamic) relationships

- no non-con or dub-con

- no character bashing

- no non-canon compliant levels of homophobia, racism, sexism, transphobia

- no abuse (physical or emotion)

Most importantly, have fun - if you’ve enjoyed creating this, I’ll enjoy receiving it.

Onto my specific requests!

A Little Life

God, I love this book. It is the most life-affirming, poignant, utterly devastating book I have ever read and I cannot in good conscience recommend it to anyone, because it seriously messed me up. I will never get over just how much love there is between the characters, and love in all sorts of different shapes and forms (particularly love for Jude).

Jude St. Francis & Harold Stein; Jude St. Francis & Harold Stein & Julia Stein: Found families are my JAM, and this one breaks my heart beautifully. I’d love to see something earlier in their relationship, before or around the time of the adoption. Possible prompts: holiday or celebration - a birthday party, a Christmas (Jude gets a Christmas stocking!!!); Jude reacting to being casually claimed as family in public (I’m crying just thinking about it)

Jude St. Francis & Andy Contractor: The relationship between these two is probably my favourite in the whole book. I’d love something outside of Andy’s examination room, a moment in which the two of them relate to one another as friends first, rather than doctor/patient. Possible prompts: a late night phone conversation; a surprise meeting on the street; aAndy taking Jude somewhere - a gallery, a park, the cinema, etc

Jude St. Francis/Willem Ragnarsson: Show me a missing scene from “The Happy Years”. A slice of life moment, a trip, a momentous occasion - as long as it’s happy. Possible prompts: a surprise airport reunion; a special meal; a third party commenting on how happy they seem together

Jean-Baptiste "JB" Marion & Willem Ragnarsson & Jude St. Francis & Malcolm Young: I’m up for anything with the four of them - again, just show me a happy and cared for Jude. Possible prompts: adventures on the subway; a moment from one of their holidays at Harold’s house

Provenance

Provenance has two of my favourite things in spades - politics and heists. I fell in love with these characters and I’d love to see what happens to them after the events of the novel. I really wanted more resolution in Garal’s storyline than Leckie gave us, so I’d particularly like something that features em. Maybe they all work together to try and reform Compassionate Removal - Ingray and Taucris provide the political backbone, Garal and Tic the street smarts. But really, I’m happy with whatever you come up with, dear author. Just let Garal be happy!

Dragon Age

Cassandra Pentaghast/Varric Tethras or Cassandra Pentaghast & Varric Tethras: Oh, I adore the relationship between the two of them, and how it evolves over the course of the games. By the end of Inquisition, there’s such a genuine sense of affection and fondness between the two of them. I’d love anything that explores how much they really care for one another, underneath their banter. If you’re taking a romantic route, I would particularly adore a prickly Cassandra being courted by Varric (maybe it starts as a joke or a bet and then Varric realises he’s in way too deep). Possible prompts: Fake. Dating. If there was ever a pair that was made for this trope, it’s these two; They’re also made for an epistolary romance - Varric’s skill with words meets Cassandra’s careful and hesitant prose; Post-inquisition meeting the family/friends - either Cassandra ends up in Kirkwall, or Varric meets up with Cassandra in Nevarra; Bonding/coming together through their shared faith - I’ve always found it interesting that Varric is Andrastian

Leliana/Cassandra Pentaghast; Leliana & Cassandra Pentaghast: From the opening in Haven to the end of Trespasser, these two (and their trust in one another) are the heart of the Inquisition. Show me the respect these two women have for one another, and why they work so well together. If you’re writing post-Trespasser, I would prefer a world state in which Leliana is Divine. Possible prompts: quiet moments of shared faith; competing against one another in an Inquisition tournament (I’m thinking of that archery competition codex); a post-Trespasser reunion

Female Hawke & Aveline Vallen Female Hawke/Aveline Vallen: I love the “exasperated fondness” dynamic between these two. Show me it in action - maybe Aveline dealing with Hawke’s rash behaviour and having to rescue her time and time again, maybe Hawke rolling her eyes at Aveline’s romantic rituals. Possible prompts: Aveline breaking Hawke out of jail (OR Hawke breaking INTO jail to get rescued by Aveline); arguing while camping; a Wintersend gift exchange (this could be sweet or could be utterly hilarious, your call)

Isabela/Josephine Montilyet: I don’t have much for these two beyond that I think they’d have a fascinating dynamic, so I’d love to see it explored in any shape or form. But maybe with pirates. Possible prompts: a dangerous trade agreement; masked encounters with a final reveal

Dorian Pavus/Solas: Remember that time Varric told Dorian that “just because two people dislike each other doesn't mean they're about to kiss, Sparkler”? Varric, you have never been more wrong about anything in your life. This is my current rarepair and I am dying, and I will take basically anything with them - enemies to lovers, bickering and sexual tension, established relationship fluff, even Trespasser angst - whatever takes your fancy. My only request is that they’re equals in their relationship - no d/s or mentor/student-esque dynamics, please. Possible prompts: Being sent out alone together solve a magic problem by the Inquisitor and realising they may have misjudged the other; One of them leaps to the other’s defence when that person isn’t around, but then they find out about it later (or overhear); I have no idea how you’d get fake dating to work with these two, but if you can think of something, I would eat it up with a spoon

Dorian Pavus/Iron Bull: I spent a lot of time in Inquisition wandering around trying to trigger this pairing and it never happened for me. I like them together, but it's never been a huge ship for me. So this isn't so much as a prompt as a challenge: convince me, convert me, make me fall in all-consuming love with this relationship.

Black Sails

If it’s not clear from the pairings I’ve chosen, I love Charles Vane more than life itself. He’s dramatic, reckless, a total trash bag, but his heart is ultimately in the right place.

Anne Bonny/"Calico" Jack Rackham/Charles Vane (Black Sails): Oh, these three. Their bond is volatile and fraught, but it’s eternal. I’d be really interested to see some of the history between them - adventures on the Ranger, etc. I particularly like their dynamic as a found family.

"Calico" Jack Rackham/Charles Vane (Black Sails): For someone who grew up as an indentured child labourer, Vane has a weirdly poetic way with words. Perhaps everyone's favourite dandy had a part to play here? Maybe Jack woos an oblivious Vane, maybe he teaches him poetry and then Vane uses it on him, maybe there's an epistolary romance?

Captain Flint/Charles Vane (Black Sails): I’m fascinated with the way that Vane always leaps to Flint’s defence - first at Charlestown, then again in the duel with Teach. Show me why Vane is so determined to protect him.

Eleanor Guthrie/Charles Vane (Black Sails): They really have a tragic romance, and I’d love to see anything that explores two people who can’t live with or without one another (although a fix-it is always welcome too).

Also, if anyone wanted to make me a space AU (i.e. they’re captains of spaceships) I would probably die of happiness, but it is absolutely not required.

Star Trek: Discovery

My favourite thing about Disco was the science, which puts me in a little niche, I know. But basically I’m all about people being good at what they do, about people learning how to see and to respect one another’s skills and competence. In space! Show me some scenes with these characters working together to solve problems and learning from one another. Bonus points if there’s a time loop, because that episode was a damn masterpiece.

OH MY GOD, author, I don’t know if you’re up to date, but the big reveals of the mid-season return have BLOWN MY MIND and I would adore something from this part of the season. I’ve included some ideas under “Mirror prompts”.

Michael Burnham & Paul Stamets: Science bros! I love dynamics in which prickly professional distrust turns into mutual respect and admiration, and these two fit the bill perfectly. Possible prompts: moments in which they’ve realised they’ve misjudged the other; geeking out about science together

Michael Burnham & Saru: I find their relationship fascinating. It’s always been prickly, filled with jealously and competition and distrust. But there’s a genuine sense of care in there too. I’d particularly like to see something more positive between the two of them, a moment of forgiveness or healing (not complete of course, it’s not that simple, but a step on the road). Possible prompts: a rescue scenario; a shared moment of empathy (particularly for non-human life - I love Burnham’s empathy for the Tardigrade and Saru’s for the Pahvans)

Michael Burnham & Sylvia Tilly: I really love the development of their friendship, from awkward and prickly to a genuine sense of respect and mentorship. Possible prompts: Tilly teaching Burnham something (a hobby or a game, perhaps); a future story in which Tilly makes captain. Mirror prompts: a showdown between captains!

Sylvia Tilly & Paul Stamets: Another dynamic I love! Like Burnham and Stamets, I love prickly professional relationships that hide a stronger sense of care. Prompts: Stamets defends Tilly against a third party; general science geekery; a discovering a shared passion or hobby. Mirror prompts: a hurt/comfort scenario

Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets: God bless Disco for giving us such a strong queer relationship. I love their gentle bickering, I love their mutual respect, I adore queer love in space! Possible prompts: an off-ship date (or an on-ship one); Stamets trying to set up the best possible date within a time-loop; talking while dancing. Mirror prompts: break my heart, dear author.

Gabriel Lorca & Ash Tyler: I really loved their dynamic while fighting their way out of the Klingon ship, and I’d love to see some more action scenes with them. Possible prompts: competition in the battle simulator; a regular shared workout; they get stuck in a lift and have to break their way out.

Sylvia Tilly & Ash Tyler: I love how Tilly’s natural openness and empathy meets Tyler’s reserve. I like friendships with a talkative and taciturn pair! I feel they have a lot of common ground between them, such as their shared sense of doubt and inadequacy. Possible prompts: doing laps of the Discovery together; party planning (possibly a surprise for Burnham); a regular shared meal date. Mirror prompts: shared fears over becoming the enemy (argh, this show is going to BREAK MY HEART)

A note on Tyler: references to his PTSD are fine if they fit into the story naturally, but please keep the details vague, and no reference to rape.

Star Wars Sequel Trilogy

Amilyn Holdo & Leia Organa; Amilyn Holdo/Leia Organa: That exchange between the two of them (“May the Force be with you, always”) made me think that this is something they’ve said to one another many times before. Show me one of these times - maybe a daring mission, maybe a formal farewell, maybe a quiet moment.

Leia Organa & Luke Skywalker: There is nothing quite as unconditional as the relationship between twins, and I don’t think the films do enough with it. I’d love to see something that explores this further, particularly in their later years.

Paige Tico & Rose Tico: Again, I adore strong sibling relationships. Show me how these two relate to one another as sisters - all the love and jealousy and bickering and utter devotion that goes with the territory. I’d prefer if this wasn’t a fix-it - I’m happy for it to be a bit bittersweet and sad. Possible prompts: Paige teasing Rose about her hero-worship of the young pin-ups of the Resistance; shared love of animals; quiet midnight conversations

Poe Dameron/Finn: Honestly, I just want the tropiest, most romantic thing you can throw at me. Fake dating? There’s only one bed what do? Holy shit you look hot in that outfit? A now or never kiss? Mutual pining-happy ending? Go wild, dear author.

Poe Dameron/Finn/Rey; Poe Dameron/Finn/Rey/Rose: The dream teams! There is so much potential with these pairings, and the films will never follow through because cinema is allergic to polyamory. I don't mind how you choose to interpret the dynamics of the poly relationship, but I'd prefer if sex wasn't the focus. Possible prompts: a card game; solving a problem that involves each of their individual strengths

Horizon Zero Dawn

Aloy/Talanah: I LOVE THIS SHIP. Show me these two badass women being awesome together. Maybe how they reform the politics of the Hunters Lodge, or Aloy taking Talanah with her to meet the Nora, or anything from a wild hunt adventure to a quieter moment between them.

Aloy/Vanasha; Aloy & Vanasha: "I don't think I know you at all. But I'd like to." Aaaand I screamed and backflipped out the window. I am a sucker for spies and intrigue and politics, and for relationships that develop with two people dancing around one another and trying to see through each other's performative surfaces. This pairing has so much potential. Possible prompts include: undercover as lovers (!!!), a masked encounter, talking while dancing.

Aloy & Erend: Aloy and Erend's friendship ended up being surprisingly moving - although I see it as strictly platonic. Show me some lighter moments with the two of them - maybe they get drunk together, maybe Erend finally shows her around Meridian, maybe Aloy takes Erend back to her homeland.

Aloy & Rost: Oh, these two broke my heart. I'd like to see some exploration of their dynamic when Aloy is older (i.e. around the time of the game), rather than a child Aloy. This could be set post-game - maybe one of Aloy's visits to his grave - but I would also be 100% happy with a fix-it if that's where your muse takes you.

Aloy/Nil: This is my trash ship and I kind of hate myself for being into it, but oh boy am I into it. Possible prompts include: they have a standing date once or twice a year; a prison break; continually encountering one another while on missions/travelling.

#chocolate box fic exchange

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prinzenhasserin · 7 years

Text

Dear Creator!

This letter is just in case you might want to poke at some more of my prompts/likes. Generally, I’m open to a lot, and I will be pleased with any rating from gen to explicit.

My prompts are pretty ridiculous in places. That’s just how my mind works! Feel free to play them entirely straight, or subvert them to your hearts desire.

I’m not so much a fan of darkfic, exceptions apply for hopeful/happy resolutions.

Feel also free to include other characters or OCs as side-characters, if they are necessary because of plot reasons.

Likes:

fake/pretend relationships

arranged marriages turning into supportive partners

loyalty

odd couples

found family, dysfunctional families that nevertheless love each other

cultural differences, age differences, height differences

heists, rescue missions

dragons, fairy tales, magical realism, urban fantasy

competent characters

people not realising they’re the most competent at their job/hobby

people failing their way to success

happy endings, earning your happy ending, open yet hopeful endings

cynical humour

mutual pining

suits, corsetry, fancy dresses

Identity shenanigans (secret identities, mistaken identities)

Blatant Lies

Enemies becoming friends and/or lovers

orange/blue morality, grey/grey morality

outsider POV

epistolary

people not usually found in law enforcement solving crimes

non-verbal expressions of affection

Kinks:

wall sex

shifting power dynamics

semi-public sex

lots of foreplay, drawn out orgasms, edging

sex toys

sex toys in public (though I get embarrassed if someone else notices)

size kink (not only about their dicks but also hands/body/muscles relative to each other)

sex, and then slowly growing romantic feelings

DNWs:

mentions of suicide

major character death

rape (dubcon is fine though; I’m mainly DNW’ing feelings of utter revulsion on part of the POV character)

infidelity

The Queen’s Thief - Costis/Kamet

This contains spoilers for Thick as Thieves!

Oh god, I am still not over how competent Costis looks through the eyes of Kamet. I love the cultural differences, and I’d love if that relationship developed further (or more explicitly!) I’d love to see a relationship develop during their travels (because a pleasure slave is less obvious?)

If you want to rewrite the ending, I’m game!

-Kamet likes being pampered, Costis pampers him?

-Kamet learns to appreciate other cultures through their sex practises

-Through a combination of Costis and Kamet’s knowledge they solve a plot on the King.

-They need to pretend to be a couple on a daring escape from someone

-Kamet is — now that he’s been freed — an object of desire among the court, and Costis is jealous. At first Kamet thinks it’s because Costis wants to be the object of desire himself, until he notices that it’s him Costis desires…

Would love canon AU’s!

Original Work

If you want to combine any of these pairings, feel free :D Juvenile Superhero/Librarian Supervillain would be a personal favourite but all others seem intriguing too.

Male Pirate/Male Naval Officer

-I would love this pairing in any setting, Mediterranean pirates of pre-Roman Empire, Egyptian pirates, Chinese pirates, privateers, pirates of the Caribbean, pirates in SPACE, smugglers… -Did they know each other before? Is the naval Officer perhaps a point of contact for the crown for a privateer? I like an aspect of danger in my ships, but I don’t like totally unredeemable characters. -Does the pirate capture the naval officer for ransom? To seduce him to the dark side? -Does the naval officer capture the pirate, and the pirate seduces him for his freedom? Or both at once?

Juvenile Delinquent/Librarian

-I’d love if the setting in this would play a role. Space Libraries? Rural Libraries? Library of Alexandria? The Global Seed Vault? -Maybe they meet because of community service. Maybe they meet because the delinquent likes to read? Maybe they meet because the delinquent uses the space to sleep, and he gets kicked out during closing time?

Nobleman/Diplomat from Enemy Country

-They are spying on each other. It involves lots of fancy parties. -The Enemy Diplomat finds out a secret the nobleman is hiding, and blackmails him. Somehow it involves lots of sex. -The nobleman finds out a plot the diplomat is involved in, and tries to resolve it himself.

Superhero/Supervillain

- I like moral quandaries. Maybe it turns out the superhero was working for an evil government, and the villain helps him get out? -Maybe they team up to defeat an even bigger enemy? -The Superhero is really into being tied up, and gets an unwelcome boner during one of their fights, and the supervillain really does not know how to deal with that.

Prince who is out of favor/Loyal Councilor

- The prince who is out of favour is told to marry the loyal councillor to get back in favour? -The loyal councillor teaches the prince about politics, and somehow the lessons are really boring but the councillor is really hot, and the prince can only seduce him?

Treasure Planet - Jim Hawkins/John Silver

This pairing fascinates me. I like that they are both tricksters, that Jim wants to be moral and good, while clearly being a bit of a bad boy. I would like if he manipulates Silver into doing something altruistic, even though John Silver is the one with all of the experience.

I would also love if people suspected them of having sex while they weren’t yet.

-John Silver teaches Jim Hawkins a bit more than sailing. -There’s a really odd-looking cyborg that visits Jim Hawkins every weekend at the marine institute, and his fellow students would really like to know if that’s his sugar daddy or what.

DNW: D/s, A/B/O dynamics, character death, rape

Crossovers

(I’m really not all that fussed about canon accuracy of any kind here, I’m well aware that it is an incredibly cracky pairing, and you can feel free to take it wherever you want to. All ratings are excellent!)

Mycroft Holmes (Sherlock)/Percy Weasley (Harry Potter)

-Does Mycroft learn the existence of the Wizarding World from Percy? Does he want to meet again to learn everything he can? - There’s an issue with the traffic cams at Charing Cross. They are malfunctioning constantly. It’s gotten to the point where even Mycroft can’t ignore his actual position in the government any more. His research leads him to a really weird, if exceptionally bureaucratic person, Percy Weasley. -Mycroft Holmes is not all that thrilled to learn of a secret society that has infiltrated the government at its deepest levels, and can control minds with the wave of a wand. He would really rather eliminate the entire issue. Percy Weasley is the person elected to stop him.

Thomas Nightingale (Rivers of London)/Bertie Wooster (Wodehouse)

- Did they meet during WW2? How was that like? - would love outsider!POV for that relationship. Peter, maybe? Or Jeeves? And them wondering how Bertie knows such a respectable person/Thomas knowing such a flamboyant flake -Or maybe they meet later, in the sixties, perhaps? Maybe Bertie is the one who makes Thomas halfway comfortable with ageing backwards – or the first one to notice it, anyway?

Indiana Jones (Indiana Jones Series)/Flynn Carsen (The Librarian)

-This would be such an epic rivalry. This stupid English lit guy who vanishes behind doors all the time, not like a real Archaeologist at all (and yet somehow he continues to nab all the best artifacts, and then they disappear, nevermore to be seen. What a waste) -Or maybe Flynn Carsen outsources some of his work to Indiana (because even he can’t be everywhere at once) -Sex Rituals. I don’t know about you, but they would definitely stumble upon the only trap that would necessitate having sex with each other to escape. Bonus points: epic rivalry, but still reluctantly attracted -also good: ancient ruins filled with sex pollen of some kind

Harry Potter

Regulus Black/Harry Potter

-The possibilities of this relationship fascinates me. Is Regulus not really dead? A ghost of some kind? Does that potion in the cave transport him to the future? I’m not too fussed about the details, you can handwave any time travel. I would be really interested in their cultural differences, the way they see the world. -Do they bond over their friendship with really weird house elves? Or on killing Horcruxes? -Does Harry try to renovate Grimmauld Place and disturbs something he really should not have?

Marcus Flint/Harry Potter

-What do those two have in common other than Quidditch? Do they get together because of a Quidditch celebration that got out of hand? Drunken one-night stand fuelled by rivalry? -After the war is over, does Marcus contact Harry because knowing/seducing him might make his reputation better?

Rivers of London - Thomas Nightingale/Alexander Seawoll

Is negotiating about cases a sex thing? If so, is it hate sex, or the “I really like the way you look but the bullshit that comes out of your mouth”-sex? Is there going to be a romantic relationship, or just one filled by really good sex? Would also love canon style cases — maybe they at first think magic plays a part, but then it turns out the solution to the case lies with mundane police work?

Also a thing I would read: An accident turns Seawoll into a genius loci, or any other being of magic and he’s entirely sceptic about it. He goes to Nightingale for help.

Or they split hairs about bureaucratic nonsense – and it’s not actually about that it’s that neither can stand being attracted to the other?

Or do they get surprised by some kind of sex pollen?

Have fun!

Please feel free to tell me if I made a mistake anywhere, I hate to be wrong forever. My anon is open.

#rare male slash exchange #dear author #exchange letter

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sometimesrosy · 5 years

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Do you think we will ever get a bellarke kiss? i know we got plenty of other confirmations, but it would be nice for it to be spelt out for me? i want endgame without a shadow of a doubt, is that too much to ask?

I actually believe that The 100 is around 25% ABOUT Bellarke and I believe the end game of that story is romantic fulfillment, because their relationship is NOT platonic. A platonic soulmate pairing is Sherlock and Joan, not Clarke and Bellamy. They yearn for each other and are jealous when the other is with someone else and long for something more, mutually. They are MUTUALLY PINING, which is an awesome story, imo.

It can be hard to tell what KIND of story a person is telling, and so our task as the audience, if we want to follow along and be on top of the story instead of just sitting back and enjoying the rollercoaster ride is to figure out what the story is, what genre it is, what tropes they’re using, what archetypes, what themes, what style... what TYPE of story.

A lot of genre stories are very simple and not surprising, a soap offers melodrama and mix and matching relationships, an action show offers big fights and exciting adventures and a victory to reach for, romances offer love and consummation and if a tragedy pain and loss and if a comedy or romantic genre happiness and unification of the couple.. Right?

So what the hell story are they telling HERE? It IS a post apocalyptic science fiction action adventure survival show, and so we have science fiction tropes like spaceships, AIs, mad scientists, and we have post apoclayptic tropes like quests for redemption, birth and rebirth, scavengers and warriors, mutants, savages, and we have battle scenes and sword fights and gun fights and kidnappings and rescue missions and death.

There is an OBVIOUS Bellarke storyline, and it is OBVIOUSLY (not a delusion) a love story. It IS about their partnership, a soulmate relationship, her head to his heart, their NEED to be together, she is the hero but he is the key, her need to redeem him his need to save her. Their feelings are not platonic, which precludes romance or sexual desire or longing, thus the jealous watching while one is with someone else romantically or sexually. BUT the question is, what KIND of romance is it??? We know already it’s a slow burn, but are we getting our established relationship? It’s what I want, but what I want is not relevant to what story they are telling. I suppose I shouldn’t have to tell you that what YOU want isn’t relevant to what story they are telling, either. This kiss and confirmation you want? It doesn’t matter. Us wanting something to happen doesn’t mean that’s the story, doesn’t mean that’s what we’re getting. That’s the kind of interpretation that leads to people deciding Lxa was the hero and Clarke her reward and Bellamy the villain, or Spacekru were the stars with Echo (WTF!? That doesn’t even make any sense,) the new hero and Clarke was the villain. Or ignoring Marper and Mackson because you ship Minty, when Marper and Mackson are also beautiful? And ignoring the actual story and the actual heroes leads to being disappointed when our wants don’t happen the way we want them to. Also, my opinion about what is going to happen isn’t relevant to what is going to happen, either. I am an observer, looking for textual clues for what story is going to happen. Now I’m a GOOD observer, and I spend a lot of time double checking my theories against the text and against logic and literary analysis thought, but I am still only putting the puzzle pieces together trying to make it fit the story they are telling.

I will say that the theory I have found MOST useful in puzzling out the story is Jungian Literary Theory.

Jung is also an influential force in myth (archetypal) criticism. Psychological critics are generally concerned with his concept of the process of individuation (the process of discovering what makes one different form everyone else). Jung labelled three parts of the self:

Shadow – the darker, unconscious self; rarely surfaces, yet must be faced for totality of SelfPersona – the public personality/mask (particularly masculine)Anima/Animus – a man’s/woman’s “soul image” (the negative that makes a composite whole)

A neurosis occurs when someone fails to assimilate one of these unconscious components into his conscious and projects it on someone else. The persona must be flexible and be able to balance the components of the psyche.

Mythological / Archetypal: A mythological / archetypal approach to literature assumes that there is a collection of symbols, images, characters, and motifs (i.e., archetypes) that evokes a similar response in all people. According to the psychologist Carl Jung, mankind possesses a “collective unconscious” (a cosmic reservoir of human experience) that contains these archetypes and that is common to all of humanity. Myth critics identify these archetypal patterns and discuss how they function in the works. They believe that these archetypes are the source of much of literature’s power. [x]

The Shadow-Persona-Anima/Animus is a particularly good fit for The 100 AND Bellarke. Bellarke ARE the Anima/Animus. In fact, we have seen again and again the dark/light, yin yang symbolism to make us subconsciously connect them as two sides of the same coin, dark and light... and they take turns being the dark and light. If they are the anima/animus, then that means they need to integrate the other (which we saw between seasons 4/5) and it also means they need to be together which we’ve seen in seasons 1-6, and which need has only gotten BIGGER as the seasons have passed.

Oh when I consider this approach more fully, I think that Octavia is the Shadow to Bellamy’s Persona... the girl under the floor, rarely let out, and once free (after losing her animus [lincoln] going out of control and becoming a tyrant that destroys the world until the persona asserts itself and feelings/pain/emotion is balanced once again with purpose/ethics/doing what is right.) You know what? I’m shocked that no one has really delved into the Hades/Persephone/Demeter allegory of Dante/Clarke/Abby. I went with Dante’s Inferno as the allegory I explored... maybe because I didn’t start doing my Jungian analysis until season 3 and they showed us that Blake illustration of Dante’s Inferno, and I took the knock upside the head the show was giving me and went OH YOU MEAN IT’S AN ALLUSION!!!!

I think this show is, well, a mix and match of different influences, and I like that. I like that we get The Divine Comedy and the bible as well as Greek mythology as well as Game of Thrones and Battlestar Gallactica and Tangled and The Beauty and The Beast and Penelope and Odysseus as well as Elizabeth and Darcy. I like that shit. The mythic/archetypal stories can be seen in ALL those references. Bellamy is Han Solo and Clarke is Princess Leia. See I love that shit.

I think in some ways, this show is about healing and becoming whole and making peace with your darkness and choosing to be better and rebirth and redeeming humanity and hopefully in season 7, although it is by no means certain, the healing of the earth itself. It’s about trauma and how we struggle to come back from total destruction, because that’s what post apocalyptic fiction is about and one of the reasons we consume it... because we can see our OWN rebirth in the dramatic, fictional rebirth (and why I hate post apocalyptic fic where the guiding principle is that humanity is doomed and there’s no point.)

Oh wait. You asked about Bellarke and I went into jungian literary analysis and Dante’s inferno and post apocalyptic fic... Okay so here’s the thing. I can not GUARANTEE you that you’ll get a kiss. Because a KISS isn’t the point. The point is UNITY, together, the head and the heart, becoming WHOLE. This is why they could end every season with Clarke and Bellamy together and victorious, but together in a different way, and still with more story to tell... because...wait... each season there has been a DIFFERENT mythic tale of the anima/animus coming together. If the show had ended at season 4, it would have been the sun/moon, always longing, never together. If it had ended at season 5, it might have been binary stars, aligned and moving in the same direction. Now in season 6, we don’t get the ending of our story. We’re still in the middle of it, but Clarke and Bellamy have actually come TOGETHER, and it is in an intimate, romantic way, with that fairy tale “true loves kiss bringing her back from the dead,” aka mouth to mouth aka “the kiss of life,”... when we know that mouth to mouth was not necessary to CPR, but it WAS necessary to the romantic trope of true love’s kiss.

See, this all brings me back to my ORIGINAL analysis on Bellarke after Hakeldama in season 3, when everyone thought Bellarke was dead and CL was the endgame story, and I went, no wait. They are the head and the heart and they can only do it TOGETHER and the main idea is bringing together the opposites/enemies/yin and yang to create a coherent whole that means that Clarke and Bellamy HAVE to be together that’s how this story works. Bellarke is endgame. I don’t make the rules.

Of course I was not aware that it wasn’t considering ONLY romance to be “together,” and the hands metaphor was used instead of fandom’s desire for a kiss, and there are other archetypal light/dark head/heart/ yin/yang king/queen stories than just the simple romance that shippers want. Not that there’s anything wrong with the simple romance. I think season 1 WAS a simple romance for them. It was enemies to friends to lovers... but without the resolution of the lovers part when they decided to drag it out into a slow burn that COULD, if we got to the end of it, be the most fantastic epic love story on tv.

I’ve faced so many years of people telling me I was delusional, I have double checked my theories and compared the development of the bellarke relationship to canon, to romantic conventions, to archetypes, to allusions, to other ships on the show. I’ve watched and charted the relationship growth for all six seasons, and the thing is, yeah they sometimes pull back and they always put obstacles between clarke and bellamy and if I saw the direction going ELSEWHERE, that’s what I would go with, because I am more attached to the story than to my WANTING it to give me my ship. But they are NOT portraying Bellarke as platonic, and they are NOT portraying B/E as endgame, but as a romantic obstacle, family, spy/master, and a “right for now” romance, rather than a Ms. Right romance. And Echo’s story is not being portrayed as her being fulfilled by her relationship with Bellamy, but by rediscovering who she is and reclaiming her life from the people who would use her, who stole her identity. Echo’s story seems to be going in a feminist direction about female empowerment and not needing no man, while Clarke and Bellamy’s story has gone in a “yes I can do it without you but I don’t want to and I need you in my life because I love you and I won’t let you go.” Bellarke’s story has only gotten MORE romantic, culminating this season in that true love’s kiss/back from the dead... which leaves us season 7, to ratchet the epic love story up one last notch.

Which notch? Consummation. So yeah, I think they’ll “kiss,” because the togetherness has steadily gotten more and more romantic every single season and I honestly can’t see what else could come between true love’s kiss and endgame except a season worth of story about how they get from “I can’t lose you, I need you,” to endgame romantic physical and official “we are married and in love” status. But you know, i’m not one of the writers just an observer with some literary analysis. My fave is jungian, but i like the others, too. Except maybe the first one, historical/biographical, because I don’t think that works at ALL unless you understand the text for itself outside of historical biographical context which would be a secondary analysis, and I think fandom prefers hist/bio but never bothers to understand the story being told for itself before deciding it means all sorts of things about context. oh my god rowena stop talking and just post.

#the 100 #bellarke #endgame #jungian analysis #it turns out i'm not doing a 101 class on The 100 but more like a senior level class tbh

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