#someone please write a fic bc I only read about this stuff online and researched a bit but ugh. It just fills me with love

[nevermindirah]

Do you have any thoughts on the use of AAVE for Nile (or lack thereof) in TOG fanfiction? I've been reading some Book of Nile fic and some writers seem to write her as a Millennial™ (using words like "fave" and "woke") but never acknowledge her Blackness in her patterns of speech. I know we don't see her use as much AAVE in the films, but I would argue she's in situations where code-switching would be valued (first in a "professional" environment in the army, then around a group of non-Black strangers).

Hi anon! I have many thoughts on this and I'm honored you asked me! But I should start by saying I'm white and any thoughts Black fans and especially Black American fans have on this that they want to share would be beyond lovely. (I'm not gonna tag anybody bc that feels rude but please add onto this post if any of y'all see this and want to!)

The main reason I personally avoid AAVE for Nile in my own fics is because I'm not Black. But Nile-centric fics by Black writers tend to avoid using much of it too, at least from what I've noticed/understood, and my guess is it's largely for the reason you mention, that she's in situations that encourage code-switching.

In movie canon Nile is highly competent at tailoring her language to each situation she finds herself in. This fantastic linguistics analysis meta shows how skillfully Nile chooses her vocabulary and grammar to meet her goals with different conversation partners in different contexts. In comics canon Nile had a bunch of different civilian jobs before joining the Marines, so she would've had experience code-switching in the ways that made sense for all those different contexts as well as the Marines and her family and high school and wherever else she spent her time before we met her. And now she's spending her time with a handful of immortals none of whom are native English speakers and a fellow Black American but one with a Queen's English UK accent whose professional experience is in the CIA where high-status code-switching is often an absolute must for success or even survival.

Fics featuring Nile are charged with extrapolating from that to how it might show up in her use of language that she's coping with a traumatic separation from her family and her career and pretty much everything she's ever known and now she needs to be able to make herself understood to people who seem to care about her and each other but are super duper in crisis, three (soon to be four) of whom predate Modern English entirely and the only one who's anywhere near her contemporary she's not supposed to talk to for a century. All of these people are telling her that pretty much any contact with any mortals poses an existential threat to her and the rest of the group. How the FUCK is she supposed to cope with that, like, generally? And would it be a more effective way for her to cope if she talked to Andy Joe and Nicky using the speech patterns that she used to use with her mom and brother, to at least retain that part of her identity even if it means having to do a lot of explaining, or would it meet her needs better to prioritize Andy Joe and Nicky understanding what she means with her words over using the particular words and grammar forms she used with her family?

I've seen several fics, both Nile-centric / BoN and otherwise, explore this a little bit in how/whether Nile uses Millennial™ speak. It's often a theme in Nile texting Booker despite the exile because of the popular headcanon that he as The Tech Guy is the only other immortal who understands memes. But Nile's much-younger-than-Booker mom probably uses Boomer and/or Gen X memes and Andy has been adapting to new communication styles for forever as evidenced by her canon high level of fluency with standard-American-accented English.

Which brings us back to people avoiding AAVE because they're not Black and they don't want to make mistakes (or they're not Black and they don't want to get yelled at for making mistakes, though I think many people overestimate how much they'll get yelled at while underestimating how much these mistakes can hurt). I can imagine some Black fans hold back from using much AAVE in fic because they don't want to share in-group stuff with white people who are likely to then adopt and ruin it, as white people so often do with Black cultural stuff. Some links about this including a great Khadija Mbowe video. I'm saying this gently, anon, because you might not know: woke, an example you cited as Millennial™ speak, is AAVE, and that's gotten erased by so many white people appropriating it and using it incorrectly online.

And also there's the part where fandom is a hobby and you never know when you're reading a fic that's the very first thing someone's ever written outside of a school assignment. This cultural considerations of language shit takes a level of effort and skill that not everybody puts into every fic, or even could if they wanted to because they haven't had time to build their skills yet. It's definitely easier for non-Black fans to project our millennial feels onto Nile than to do the layers of research and self-reflection it requires to depict what Blackness might mean to Nile, and it's not surprising that often people sharing their hobby creations on the internet have gone the easier route. There's not even necessarily shame in doing what's easier. It's just frustrating and often hurtful when structural white supremacy means that 3-dimensional Black characters are rare in media and thoughtful explorations of them in fandom are seen by the majority of fans as not-easy to make and therefore Nile Freeman, the main character in The Old Guard (2020) dir. Gina Prince-Bythewood, has the least fic and meta and art made about her of our 5 main immortals.

I've been active in different fandoms off and on for twenty years and I barely managed to write 5,000 words about Sam Wilson across multiple different fics in the 7 years since I fell in love with him. There's an alchemy to which characters we connect with, and on top of that which characters we connect with in a way that causes us to create stuff about them. Something about Nile Freeman finally tipped me over the edge from a voracious reader to a voracious writer. It's not for me to judge which characters speak to other individuals to the level of creating content about them, but I do think it's important for us to notice, and then work to fight, the pattern where across this fandom as a whole Nile gets way less content, and way less depth in so much of the content that's in theory about her, than any of these other characters.

Anyway, back to language. My two long fics feature Nile with several Black friends — Copley and OCs and cameos from other media — but all of those characters except Alec Hardison from Leverage aren't American. It's very possible I'm guilty of stereotyping Black British speech patterns in I See Your Eyes Seek a Distant Shore. I watched hours and hours of Black haircare YouTube videos in the research for that fic and I modeled my OCs' speech patterns on what I heard from some of those YouTubers as well as what I've heard people like John Boyega and Idris Elba saying in interviews, but the thing about doing your best is you still might fuck up.

I'm slowly making progress on my WIP where Nile and Sam Wilson are cousins, and what ways of talking with a family member might be authentic for Nile is a major question I need to figure out. For that, I'm largely modeling my writing choices on how I hear my Black friends and colleagues talking to each other. I haven't overheard colleagues talking in an office in a long-ass time, but back when that was a thing, I remember seeing a ton of nuance in the different ways many of my Black colleagues would talk to each other. Different people have different personalities! And backgrounds! And priorities! A few jobs ago my department was about 1/3 Black and we worked closely with Obama administration staff many of whom were Black and there was SO MUCH VARIETY in how Black people talked to each other, about work and workplace-appropriate personal stuff, where I and other white coworkers could hear. There are a few work friends in particular who I have in my head when I'm trying to imagine how Sam and Nile might talk to each other. From the outside looking in, God DAMN is shit complicated, intellectually and interpersonally and spiritually, for Black people who are devoting their professional lives to public service in the United States.

One more aspect of this that I have big thoughts on but I need to take extra care in talking about is the idea of acknowledging Nile's Blackness in her patterns of speech. There's no one right way to be Black, and Nile's a fictional character created by a white dude but there are plenty of real-life Black Americans who don't use much or even any AAVE, for reasons that are complicated because of white supremacy. (Highly highly recommend this video by Shanspeare on the harms of the Oreo stereotype.)

Something that's not the same but has enough similarity that I think it's worth talking about is my personal experience with authenticity and American Jewish speech patterns. My Jewish family members don't talk like they're in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and I've known lots of people who do talk that way (or the millennial version of it), some of whom have questioned my Jewishness because I don't talk that way. That hurts me. Sometimes when another Jew tells me some shit like "I've never heard a Jew say y'all'd've," I can respond with "well now you have asshole, bless your Yankee-ass heart," because the myth of Dixie is a racist lie but I will totally call white Northerners Yankees when they're being shitty to me for being Southern, and this particular Jew fucking revels in using "bless your heart" with maximum polite aggression, especially with said Yankees. But sometimes I don't have it in me to say anything and it just quietly hurts having an important part of me disbelieved by someone who shares that important part of me. The sting isn't quite the same when non-Jews disbelieve or discount my Jewishness, but that hurts too.

Who counts as authentically Jewish is a messy in-group conversation and it doesn't really make sense to explain it all here. Who counts as authentically Jewish is a matter of legal status for immigration, citizenship, and civil rights in Israel, and it's my number 2 reason after horrific treatment of Palestinians that I'm antizionist. But outside that extremely high-stakes legal situation, it can just feel really shitty to not be recognized as One Of Us, especially by your own people.

It can also feel really shitty to be The Only One of Your Kind in a group, even if that group is an immortal chosen family who all loves each other dearly. Sometimes especially in a situation like that where you know those people love you but there are certain things they don't get about you and will never quite be able to. I'm definitely projecting at least a little bit of my "lonely Jew who will be alone again for yet another Jewish holiday" stuff onto Nile when at the end of I See Your Eyes Seek a Distant Shore she's thinking about being the only Black immortal and moving away from the community she'd built with a mostly-Black group of mortals in that fic. Maybe that tracks, or maybe that's fucked up of me.

Basically, this got very long but it's complicated, writing about experiences that aren't your own takes skill which in turn takes time and practice to build, writing about experiences not your own that our society maligns can cause a lot of harm if done badly, it can also cause a lot of harm when a large enough portion of a fandom just decides to nope out of something that's difficult and risky because then there's just not much content about a character who deserves just a shit ton of loving and nuanced content, people are individuals and two people who come from the exact same cultural context might show that influence in all kinds of different ways, identity is complicated, language is complicated, writing is hard, and empathy and humility and doing our best aren't a guarantee of avoiding harm but they do go a long way in helping people create thoughtful content about a character as awesome and powerful and kind and messy and scared and curious and WORTHY as Nile Freeman.

[ashistrashhh]

here are some fic recs!! including sakuatsu, bokuaka, kuroken and matsuhana bc i couldnt help myself

if you want, ask me about a certain ship and ill give you some recs!

-sakuatsu-

Marble and Sandstone by red_camellia

rating: G words: 12,937 chapters: 2/2 

author summary: Miya Atsumu only cares about volleyball and nothing else. That is, until he develops a strange obsession with the marble statue of a young man that seems vaguely familiar in his university's arts department. One day that statue comes alive as the very real Sakusa Kiyoomi, and they are left with the mystery of why Sakusa Kiyoomi was turned into a statue and only came back to life when Atsumu touched him. Their new-found connection and the strange mystery turns Atsumu's life upside down, not least because of his growing feelings for Sakusa.

my notes: this was a rlly cute fic!!! 11/10 would read again!!

let it go (paint my body gold) by lunarism

rating: T words: 3,272 chapters: 1/1

author summary: It becomes a routine for them. Sometimes they go grocery shopping and make dinner together, other times they end up talking until Sakusa feels like his own shower and bed is calling him. Every single time Sakusa gets home, shrugs his coat off, balls it up, and proceeds to scream profusely into the fabric for a few minutes.

my notes: pining!!! sakusa!!! also casual painter!atsumu!!! and they paint together!!!

craft a miracle with these hands, lips, (silence) by chrysanthe (sonderesque)

rating: T words: 4,252 chapters: 1/1

author summary: ‘Someone is here to ruin your night,’ his door tells him. ‘You should let them in.’ “I’M HOMELESS OMI-OMI. HOMELESS,” yells the one here to ruin his night. “LET ME IN.”

(What does Kiyoomi sell his sanctuary for?)

my notes: hnnn rlly fuckin cute,, and domestic,,,,

Clipped To You by littleboat

rating: T words: 8,174 chapters: 1/1

author summary: It starts with Hinata Natsu, of all people.

Well, if Atsumu’s being honest with himself, it started way before that, but he’s not, so that’s besides the point. And thankfully, he’s just petty enough to blame all of his problems on a thirteen year old girl.

or Sakusa starts wearing hair clips and Atsumu is more than a little obsessed

my notes: minor kagehina, bokuaka // god these fics rlly make me simp for fictional characters even more than i should. but!! sakusa!!! in hairclips!!! and a pining atsumu!!!

learn how to lay me down in something other than danger, other than fury by rosevtea 

words: 34,211 chapters: 1/1

author summary: All of the ways fellow college TA Miya Atsumu reinvents Kiyoomi's definition of normal.

my notes: god i loved this. it’s a fake dating au and like,, even though they’re “dating” sakusa keeps letting his guard down little by little around atsumu and it surprises everyone. komori and akaashi just know  that they’re were genuinely pining for eachother

among probabilities and a thousand fates by aalphard

rating: T words: 15,675 chapters: 1/1

author summary: prompt fill for “in a world where the red string of fate exists, person a’s finger always twitches when person b, who can see the string, tugs on their string” | or sakusa thought he had a tic and atsumu liked to see his confused expression when it started to happen exclusively when he was around.

my notes: i! loved! it!! so basically atsumu and osamu have the rare gift of seeing the red string of fate, so they know its real but sakusa, like most other people dont believe it exists. so atsumu gives sakusa a (kinda) hard time. rlly cute!! i love soulmate aus!

-bokuaka- 

love in the time of wifi by dalyeau

rating: G words: 4,177 chapters: 1/1

author summary: Akaashi is coming to terms with the fact that he might be romantically interested in his volleyball captain. Hence, doing what any sixteen year old with a problem should do. He asks about it online.

my notes: really cute fic about akaashi asking what he should do about his crush on a site similar to reddit. its kinda a “i didnt know it was you” kind of fic and it made me happy

steam by orphan_account

rating: E words: 8,474 chapters: 1/1

author summary:

 bokuto: why is he so hot bokuto: why am i so gay kuroo: LMAO you mean your vice captain right bokuto: yeah

The coach blew the whistle for practice to begin, and Bokuto drummed his fingers against the bleachers, awaiting Kuroo’s reply. He was about to walk away, when his phone buzzed in his hand.kuroo: i got this bro bokuto: what bokuto: wtf does that mean

Bokuto started to panic.

my notes: explicit!!! but really wholesome. kuroo is honestly the best wingman. i also think this is my favourite bokuaka smutfic?? 

just to miss the sun by rosevtea

rating: T words: 15,126 chapters:1/1

author summary: Everything begins to implode when MSBY Jackals outside hitter Bokuto Koutarou crashes Akaashi's livestream.

my notes: akaashi is a booktuber and bokuto crashes one of his streams. fans begin to speculate. rlly fluffy and can u tell i like bokuaka

brain fish by iceblinks

rating: T words: 12,026 chapters: 6/6

author summary: Akaashi wakes up to a string of texts from an unknown number. 

my notes: i love text fics and i love wrong number aus so u can tell how much i loved this. really fluffy and i come back to it time to time

-kuroken-

us three by honey_s

rating: T words: 5,137 chapters: 1/1

author summary: Kuroo’s gaze flits over to the utensil. His eyes bulge out of his skull. “Wh—is that a meat hammer? Put it back!” Akaashi’s head recoils back in confusion. “I don’t understand the problem here.” “Why on Earth have you got a fucking meat hammer? We aren’t going to kill somebody!” “Well,” Akaashi begins, clearly taken aback, “I apologise for assuming. I had heard Kenma-san had been hurt in school and after getting a message from both of you to meet late at night, I merely filled in the blanks and assumed we were going to beat someone up, for lack of a better term.” “Not literally! I meant metaphorically, or figuratively, or something!” “Idiomically?” “That isn’t a word, Bokuto-san.” “Jesus Christ,” Kuroo groans, dropping his head into his hands. “We're going to jail."

my notes: bokuaka and kuroo are ready to beat someone up for kenma!! and we stan!! 

Cherry Pits and Cat Tattoos by strawberryriver

rating: G words: 6,141 chapters: 1/1

author summary: 

Kuroo has been in communication with his soulmate ever since they were kids. They've known each other for so long that he never really worried about when or how he would meet them. At least, not until he meets the roommate of Bokuto's soulmate.Soulmate AU in which things written on your skin show up on your soulmate. Companion piece/same AU as Serendipty

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

Kuroo Tetsurou liked to write on his arms. Despite his mother's half-serious warnings about “ink poisoning” or staining his skin, he insisted on marking his arms and legs wherever he could. Not like his best-friend-since-always Bokuto Koutaro, who had to write on his arms or he’d forget to breathe, but artfully. He’d draw designs, animals, the occasional chemical compound. The whole idea behind soulmates fascinated him: how one person could mark their arm and someone potentially thousands of miles away, would have that same mark appear. The amount of articles, studies, and books he’d read about the topic, even at a young age, could put an undergrad researcher to shame.

my notes: again with the soulmate au bc i cannot help myself. but really cute!!! probably gonna read this again later!

Boom, Toasted by protostar (hearthope)

rated: T words: 6,782 chapters: 1/1

author summary:

 FROM: yuuji any bets on who hes texting??

FROM: eita He's smiling at his phone. Kuroo, probably

FROM: kentarou Kuroo

TO: fake family Have any of you ever once considered not prying

FROM: eita You deserve it

FROM: yuuji how can we not when ur in love!!

Kenma gets a text from an unknown number. He'd be lying if he said the guy behind it wasn't kind of endearing.

my notes: again, i love wrong number texts. it focuses more on kenma’s friendship, but kenma’s pov with texting kuroo is more than him realizing feelings and stuff. really cute, ive read it multiple times. 

Japan's most subscribed by NeverNothing

rating: T words: 3,631 chapters: 1/1

author summary: Kuroo Tetsurou @blacktetsurou changed his bio : volleyball player, co-owner of Bouncing Ball Corp. and so much more ;)

my notes: i! love! social media! fics!!! really cute and basically people wondering who the mysterious kuroo is to applepi. 

MATSUHANA!!! the underrated gem

texting (with a capital S) by parenthetic

rating: M words: 2,119 chapters: 1/1

author summary: Hanamaki breaks his No Texting In Class rule, and it's all downhill from there.

my notes: honestly more funny than it suggests, but its matsuhana, they’re meme lords.

rated m for by orphan_account

rated: T words: 10,692 chapters: 1/1

author summary: He should have known that there was a Specific Reason™ why it was so absolutely vital that he and Matsukawa specifically meet for a reading of the script. He should have known that there had to be some evil catch beyond sitting in a tiny, cramped studio with his newly sworn enemy.

Hanamaki stares at the title of the script he’d so gracefully neglected the night before.

FORBIDDEN PARADISE

“Excuse me,” Hanamaki starts, raising a pen in the air while staring blankly at the packet in his free hand. “Just to clarify, you want me to record a boy's love CD with Matsukawa?”

my notes: a very good voice actor au. there is some misunderstanding on hanamaki’s part bc he didnt finish listening to matsukawa, and this is really cute and i love matsuhana. 

In A Quiet Night, All Sounds Carry by levyovochka

rating: E words: 4,794 chapters: 1/1

authors summary: “Ah, ah, Too—!”

Hanamaki hates his university dorm.

“—ru, let me cum, please!”

Hold up. That’s a fucking understatement. Let him rephrase it: Hanamaki loathes his university dorm with passion. Detest the damned abomination, abhors it—

“—ru! Coming, coming—”

It has only been a month and Hanamaki already wants to die.

my notes: as u can guess minor iwaoi // rlly well written and bottom hanamaki rights and maybe my favourite matsuhana smutfic??? and hooh boy i simp for matsukawa

call me maybe by totooru

rating: T words: 33,689 chapters: 14/14

author summary: Hanamaki texts the wrong number when trying to extort tips out of Oikawa in order to defeat Iwaizumi in arm wrestling, and then continues to text the witty stranger who had answered.

my notes: minor iwaoi, daisuga, bokuaka // god i think this is my favourite matsuhana fic overall, maybe in general, but my god is it great. this is probably a common rec, but its understandable as to why it is. basically au where makki texts matsun (who goes to karasuno) instead of oikawa for tips to beat iwaizumi at an arm wrestling match. but they keep messaging. and holy shit i love their conversations. please read this, it is 256/10

there we go!! i might go a part two with more ships (kagehina, tsukkiyama and iwaoi) but this took up way to much time lol. i have an essay due in a couple hours. but hope u like these fics as much as i do!!

[otabekismybff]

The Matchmaker’s Theme (Leojichu)

Pairings: Leo de la Iglesia/Guang Hong Ji/Phichit Chulanont (poly) Rating: T Words: 3504 Summary: Phichit has never touched a dating site, but now he's getting desperate since all his friends have coupled up. He's eager for a relationship of his own. Two different boys on the dating site capture his attention. Will this online messaging lead to love...? Prompt: @deadeyellentigh (posted at end of fic)

READ ON AO3

Couples spring up all around Phichit. Yuuri and Viktor. Chris and his choreographer. Otabek and Yuri. And most recently, Leo and Guang Hong. He's happy for everyone, of course, but Phichit can't help but feel left out.

Always, always the third wheel. Always, always the matchmaker. Never, ever the matched. He's like Emma from that Jane Austen novel. So when will his Mr. Knightley, his friend-turned-lover, appear? Why are all of his friends already matched up?

...

Phichit has never touched a dating site, but now he's getting desperate. Maybe a few dates will cheer him up. He takes his time filling out his profile, writing out an extensive list of hobbies and favorites, and posts one of his favorite selfies from Barcelona.

Then he turns off his computer, turns off his phone, and goes to the rink. As he skates, he tries not to think about what he's just done. Tries not to worry about an inbox full of creeps. Or worse, an empty inbox.

...

Hours later, he returns home and cooks himself a full meal. Time passes. He watches TV. He showers. He feeds his hamsters. Finally, when it's close to midnight, he pulls out his computer and checks the dating site.

Ten new messages. Not bad.

Eight are nudes. Delete.

The last two catch his attention. Their profile pictures are fuzzy, but their messages seem to be only words. That's promising.

He clicks on the first message. The name line reads Levittome, 19.

Hi, phichu! Is that your name? If so, I think it's super cute. Your profile is so detailed! It feels as if I know you already lol. We have a lot in common. If you click on my profile, you can see that we like a lot of the same movies and shows. But really, what drew me to your profile was your honesty. I see so many fakers on here, so it's good to see someone real, you know? If we could chat and get to know each other, that would make me very happy. Hope to hear from you soon! -levittome

Phichit smiles and tries not to squeal. Honesty. It's something he values too. This “Levittome” person might be interesting. He clicks on the profile to compare favorites. Levittome wasn't kidding. They have so much in common that Phichit half-wonders if he copied his profile. Thankfully the site shows the date the page was last updated. Weeks ago. It's legit. Hurriedly he types up his reply.

Hi, Levittome! I'm guessing that's not your name. Lol. My name is actually Phichit, but Phichu is a nickname some friends call me. Wow, we really do have a lot in common! I know exactly what you mean about someone real. That's what I'm looking for too. I hate to ask this, but are you a boy or a girl (or something else)? I can't tell from your profile pic. Thanks. -phichu

“Auuugh, I'm such an idiot!” Phichut buries his head in his pillow, then peeks up at the screen. The cursor blinks at him. No reply comes. After a few minutes, he sighs and opens up the next message. This one is from Bearycute, 18.

hey hey! today i got gelato from the supermarket. when i ate it, i got brainfreeze uwwaa. but it was super tasty. do you like gelato? i'm asking bc on your profile you said you've been to italy. what's it like? are there really statues everywhere? i've been begging my bf to take me there, but we haven't had a chance yet. it would be nice to have a tour guide lol. anyways, i hope you'll reply to me. i'd love to chat with you. goodbye~ -bearycute

Phichit blinks at the message, a bit stunned. He likes that Bearycute just jumped into the conversation part, and he wants to reply that he really loves gelato, but he's a bit confused by the i've been begging my bf to take me there line. Bf usually means boyfriend, right? Or could it mean best friend? Phichit feels stupid as he types his reply, but he sends it anyway.

Hi, Bearycute! I absolutely love gelato. Mango is my favorite flavor. What about yours? Italy is a very interesting and fun place. In Rome, there are statues all over. It's like an outdoor museum! When you say 'bf,' do you mean boyfriend or best friend? I'm a little confused about whether you are interested in dating me or just being friends. Sorry if that's a strange thing to ask. I'm still new to this dating site stuff. Thanks. -phichu

He goes back to his inbox and is surprised to see a reply from Levittome.

I'm a boy. You're a boy too, right? If you're not, it's still okay, but I definitely have a preference for boys. -levittome

I'm a boy too. No worries. I prefer boys too. Lol. Most of my friends are gay or bi. -phichu

Oh really? How come you aren't dating any of them? -levittome

They're all taken. I'm the only one still single. Kinda lonely tbh. -phichu

Oh no! I don't want you to be lonely. Maybe if we talk more, we might turn out to be compatible? I suck with dating sites btw. You're the first person I've messaged on here. -levittome

You're kidding. Has anyone messaged you? -phichu

A few, but I'm most interested in you. -levittome

Phichit puts a hand to his chest. His heartbeat is thundering. He's only talked to this Levittome guy for half an hour and already his body is responding. Thankfully a new message from Bearycute saves him from having to answer right away.

strawberry is my fave! ahhhhh, i wanna go to rome now. that would be so much fun. we could take pictures everywhere. of everything. and eat all the delicious foods. you'll show me the best places, right? lol i mean my boyfriend. i'm gay. don't worry! that's fine to ask. i am def interested in dating you. you're super cute and seem like a fun guy~ -bearycute

What...? Phichit rereads the message to make sure he read it right. Bearycute is a guy who has a boyfriend and wants a new boyfriend??

Sorry. I'm still confused here. You want a new boyfriend? Are things not going well with the current one? I think he'd be pretty mad if he found out you were looking for somebody else. Cheating isn't a good idea. I speak from experience. My boyfriend in college cheated on me with a girl. -phichu

The reply comes minutes later.

yep i want a new bf, but don't worry! things are going great with the current one. i think you'd like him. you both have a lot in common. i let him look at your profile, and he said you were super cute. we're looking for a third person to form a triad. we're polyamorous, so we'd love to both date you. -bearycute

Phichit doesn't know what to say. This is getting weird. He opens up Google and spends the next hour researching polyamory. It's an interesting concept, sure, but he'd definitely get jealous since Bearycute is already close to his bf. That would give him a huge advantage, and Phichit would just end up feeling like a third wheel again. No, he can't do this. He needs to stop talking to Bearycute and just focus on Levittome.

Levittome, is there a name I can call you? It doesn't have to be your real name, if that makes you uncomfortable. Just I'd like to associate a name with you instead of just a username. -phichu

You can call me Lev. It's pronounced like the word “leave.” My username is a pun actually lol. -levittome

Hi, Lev! I like that name. Where are you from? -phichu

I travel a lot, and I've lived many different places. Right now I'm staying in Bangkok. What about you? -levittome

No way! I'm in Bangkok too. That's a crazy coincidence. Wait, do you follow me on Twitter? Is that how you found my dating profile?? -phichu

Lol busted. I've been curious about you for a while. You post the most interesting things. I thought you weren't interested in dating, so I never reached out to you. Then I saw your post and just had to give it a try. Ah, does that make me a loser? -levittome

No, no! You're not a loser. It's okay. Honestly that makes me feel relieved. It would have been too crazy a coincidence otherwise. Have I seen you around town? -phichu

No, I'd definitely remember if I saw you here lol. It's such a big city anyways. -levittome

Halfway through typing his reply, Phichit notices another message in his inbox. It's from Bearycute. Hesitantly, he clicks on it.

i'm so sorry! did i make you uncomfortable? i'm not in it just for a threesome, i promise. i'm really poly. your profile said you value romance more than sex and that's how i am too. please consider talking to me some more. i'm not a bad person, though i guess i get anxious sometimes. if you don't want to talk anymore, just tell me, okay? i don't like when people never reply. it makes me feel bad about myself. Dfhaskghasa i'm sorry i'm so awkward... -bearycute

Now Phichit feels bad for ignoring him. It isn't like Bearycute said anything mean. He should just calmly tell him that he's not interested in a “triad,” as he calls it, and move on. But maybe he won't tell him right away... That would be too abrupt and rude, right?

No, no. Don't feel bad! It's my fault for taking so long to reply. I got distracted talking to a friend. You didn't make me uncomfortable. We can keep talking. Cheer up, okay? You seem like a fun person, and I'd love to hear more about you. -phichu

Phichit bangs his head on the keyboard. What is he doing? He's not interested, so why does he care so much about how Bearycute feels? He's probably used to getting ignored. Phichit feels bad for him, honestly. This boy is earnestly trying to find a boyfriend, and even taking the care to make sure his current boyfriend likes the new one. He's not being selfish or pushy. It's kind of endearing actually.

The hours pass. Phichit exchanges messages with both Lev and Beary until he's too tired to type. He falls asleep with his laptop still on his lap. In his dreams, Lev is a handsome Russian model visiting Bangkok for a photoshoot and Beary is a cosplayer dressed as a bear and his boyfriend is dressed as a rabbit.

When Phichit wakes up, he's confused about whether he dreamed up the conversations from last night or not. He opens his computer and sees the messages still there. Relief washes over him. They're real. And he's got two new messages.

The one from Beary is from the previous night.

i'm guessing that you fell asleep lol. hope you have sweet dreams! i've really enjoyed talking to you. let's talk again tomorrow! i wake up late so i'll message you when i'm up. -bearycute

Good morning! It's Lev again. I fell asleep on you last night. So sorry. It's because I'm so not used to staying up late. Did you sleep well? -levittome

Since Beary said not to reply yet, Phichit replies to Lev's message.

I slept great. Feel well rested. But I fell asleep with my laptop on me. Lol. I have practice this afternoon, so I can't talk for long. -phichu

Practice? Ice skating? -levittome

Yep. It's a closed session though. Do you skate? -phichu

Yeah, but I'm not nearly as good as you. Do you have a theme for next season? -levittome

Not yet. Still working on the choreography for my short program. And **fingers crossed** trying to land a quad Salchow. -phichu

Oooooh, good luck! I bet you can do it. Have faith~ -levittome

…

Phichit does not land his quad Salchow. He falls on his ass more times than he can count, but he still stays cheerful. Celestino keeps trying to comfort him, but Phichit assures him he's okay. Honestly, he's just anxious for practice to be over so he can message Lev again.

...

When Phichit finally gets to his computer, a message from Beary awaits him.

good morn—or afternoon now i guess. i just woke up lol. did you have a good day so far? or are you sleeping in like me? reply when you can! -bearycute

Hey, Beary! I've been having a good day. Sorry about falling asleep on you last night! I'm a total morning person. It drove my old roommate nuts. On days off, he'd sleep through most the day so I had to try to be quiet, but I'm not a very quiet person so it was difficult. I woke him up several times accidentally.  -phichu

my bf is the same way lol. he's a morning person, so when he stays over, he ends up waking me up in the morning. i get really groggy and tell him to become a mute. oh and i make him wear slippers in the morning cz his footsteps are loud. -bearycute

...

Phichit becomes addicted to his computer for the next week. Anytime he can get on, he messages Lev or Beary. He's not even sure who he enjoys talking to more. They're both interesting in different ways. He no longer feels the sting of jealousy when Beary mentions his boyfriend. His brain has gotten used to the idea that he has one, and he feels as if he knows him too, just from what Beary's said about him. He's almost okay with it...or so he thinks...

me and my bf want to meet you! well, not meet-meet, but video chat with you. would you be okay with that? it would be like a skype date, just the three of us. -bearycute

The invitation surprises Phichit. Beary's never even sent him a picture, and now he wants to video chat? With his boyfriend too. Phichit's stomach churns. He's not sure how to feel about this. Curiosity makes him want to say yes, but he's so worried he'll freak out once he sees them being intimate. Better not to accept, right? But Phichit doesn't want to seem rude...

I'm sorry. I don't think I'm ready for that yet. Let's talk more first, okay? -phichu

The reply doesn't come until an hour later.

no problem. we can talk more. it's only been a week after all, right? i'm sorry if i moved too fast. -bearycute

The absence of exclamation points worries Phichit. Beary is clearly disappointed. Phichit almost changes his mind, but a message from Lev pops up.

I apologize for being the most tactless boy in the world, but I really want to meet you. It's killing me knowing you're so close and not being able to see you. Would you like to go on a date this weekend? -levittome

Phichit doesn't even need to think about it.

Yes! Do you have a place in mind? -phichu

…

A few days later Phichit is freaking out about what to wear on this date. They're going to meet at a seafood restaurant near the movie theater. Lev didn't say anything about a movie, but Phichit is hoping they can watch one after they eat. It's been forever since he's seen anything in the theaters.

He decides on a dark-green collared shirt and black trousers. Somewhere between casual and fancy. He can always roll up the sleeves if it's too fancy.

When he reaches the restaurant, he walks up to the host stand, feeling more nervous than he's ever felt before a skating competition.

“Table for one?” the host asks.

“I'm meeting someone,” Phichit says. “It should be under the name Lev.”

The host smiles and nods. “Right this way, sir.”

He leads him through the restaurant all the way to the private room at the back. The host gestures to the door and leaves Phichit to stand there awkwardly. He's surprised that Lev is going all-out on their first date. All of this. Just for him. He takes a deep breath and opens the door.

Colorful streamers decorate the room and cutouts of animated hamsters are taped to the walls. Phichit walks inside and sees a long table decorated with rose petals. He reaches for the chair nearest him when suddenly a pair of hands cover his eyes.

“Guess who,” a seductive voice whispers in his ear.

Phichit chuckles. It's just the silly thing he would do. “Lev?”

Lev spins him around and kisses him on the lips. Phichit's too close to get a good look at him, but he can see thick, long lashes, tan skin, and thick eyebrows. Handsome from what he can tell. He puts his arms around Lev and kisses him back. Then he feels a kiss on the back of his neck.

Phichit jumps a mile in the air and pulls away from the two. Leo and Guang Hong. What the hell is going on? he wants to scream.

“Sorry, we didn't mean to ambush you.” Guang Hong looks sincerely upset. “We just wanted to surprise you. I'm so sorry. I planned all this.” He gestures to the decorations and the rose petal-strewn table.

Leo rubs his thumb across Guang Hong's cheek. “Don't take all the blame, babe. This whole scheme was my idea in the first place.”

“Can one of you please explain what's going on?” Phichit says, trying to keep his voice steady.

“I'm Lev,” Leo says. “From the dating site.”

“And I'm Beary,” Guang Hong says.

Then it clicks. The boyfriend Beary was referring to was Leo. But this is too much for Phichit to comprehend. Was everything a joke? Or...?

“Why would you two flirt with me on a dating site? Were you making fun of me?” Phichit demands. He can't even hide the hurt in his voice.

“No, of course not.” Leo takes a step towards him, then stops when Phichit flinches. He rubs the back of his head, his cheeks going red. “We saw your post on Twitter about wanting to try online dating. Before that, we always thought you weren't interested in dating anyone. I mean, we flirted with you all the time, but you never responded.”

“We honestly like you,” Guang Hong says. “And we never lied about anything. Please don't get angry at us.”

“I...you...the reason I never said anything about dating is because you guys were dating. You never told me you were poly or whatever, so I didn't want to interfere. But I...” Phichit pauses as his thoughts trace over the last few years. “I've liked you, Leo, since I first met you at Four Continents. And then when Guang Hong came along, I liked you too. But you guys hit it off right away when I introduced you, so...”

Leo and Guang Hong exchange knowing smiles.

“So,” Leo says, “what you're saying is that you like both of us and you wouldn't mind forming a triad with us?”

“I...” Phichit thinks back to his earlier worries. His main reason for rejecting the triad was because he was worried Beary would give more attention to his boyfriend since he knew him better. But with Leo and Guang Hong, he knows them both equally as well. He likes both of them, as friends and romantically. And they like him. So what's the problem? “Yes.”

“Huh?” Guang Hong tilts his head.

Phichit beams and bounds over to them. “Yes, I want to be with you guys.” He kisses Guang Hong this time, and Leo wraps his arms around him from behind, then kisses the top of his ear.

“Wait, wait!” Guang Hong says, his voice chipper. He rushes into the corner and comes back with three hats. He places one on each of their heads. Hamster hats.

Phichit's heart practically melts. “You guys know me so well.” Happiness bubbles through him, and all he can do is embrace his two new boyfriends. Finally, his friend-turned-lover match. Only it's two friends instead of one. (Somehow he one-upped Emma. Take that, Jane Austen.)

...

Afterwards, Guang Hong turns on a stereo and they dance in a circle, hands linked. Laughing and smiling and taking pictures of each other. Once they're worn out from that, they sit down to eat and take turns feeding each other. Then to make the evening even more perfect, they head to the movies and sit in the dark theater. Phichit sits between the two, and by the end of the movie, the boys are resting their heads on his shoulders and he's holding their hands tightly. Phichit kisses Leo's head, then kisses Guang Hong's.

Guang Hong stirs and smiles at Phichit sleepily. “What's on your mind?”

Phichit squeezes Guang Hong's hand. “We should have gotten together a long time ago.” ... NOTES: Based on the prompt by @deadeyellentigh: "Leoji adorably begging Phichit to make a triad of suffocating cuteness, complete with an elaborate welcome party involving hamster hats, would be adorable." - It got longer and more dramatic than planned, but hopefully the cuteness still came across! And I made sure to include the hamster hats. XD