#this friendship is a1

[heauxdonistic]

A year from today, I’ll be living a better life than today

[tj-dragonblade]

[FIC] Until We Meet Again

Fandom: The Sandman Pairing: Dreamling Rated: G Word Count: 2677 Tags: pre-relationship, introspection, mild angst, Dream of the Endless has low self esteem, most of this is just Dream talking circles in his head, happy ending, brief appearance by Lucienne, brief appearance by Matthew

Notes: For my @dreamlingbingo card, square A1 'Trapped in the Frequency', which begged creative interpretation given the centennial frequency of their meetings

Summary: Dream frets over whether or not he could (or should) permit himself to visit Hob more often

On AO3

Dream of the Endless has fumbled a possibility.

It is tormenting him ceaselessly now that it has passed.

"A hundred years, then?" Hob had asked, as their evening at The New Inn had drawn to a close. "Or perhaps we adhere to our original schedule, and meet again in '89?"

Dream, who had been debating internally the past hour as to whether he could alter the story he'd set for them by offering to meet with greater frequency, had faltered. Would Hob even want to meet more often? Perhaps once a century was enough for Hob to partake of his company, to set aside time from his joyously-lived life to entertain Dream's less-than-joyous presence.

To. Tolerate him, for the sake of the story between them, the friendship he so easily proclaimed to Dream as he did to all and sundry. Perhaps more frequent meetings would be an imposition that Hob would not appreciate; Hob had only offered a hundred years or continuing to meet in '89, after all. No matter his own wishes, Dream had stumbled in the moment; he had doubted, and second-guessed, and not spoken of his own thoughts. He ought not to ask for more, he had known, but the idea of waiting another hundred years to see his friend again had also been. Painful.

"Let us keep to our original schedule, and meet again in 2089," he had decided, and Hob had smiled in answer.

"Until 2089, then." His tone had been warm and easy, but there had been tightness around his eyes and a waver in his voice that now, later, makes Dream wonder. Was Hob disappointed by the answer? Had he wished to meet with greater frequency, now that 'friend' was an accepted status between them? But he had said nothing of convening more often; was he perhaps displeased by the nearer date? Ought Dream to have kept to the hundred-year interval and shifted their story to accommodate an altered year?

No. No, he decides, gripping the stone rail of his balcony, staring out over the grey cloud cover shrouding his realm. He and Hob Gadling meet in the White Horse every hundred years, the seventh of June in the year '89. The story has suffered a derailment in Dream's thirty-three year tardiness and the closing of the White Horse during the interim; Dream will put them back on track by meeting again in 2089, even if the location must shift.

That is how their story goes.

Dream will not change it further, no matter his own wants.

~ Dream cannot stop thinking about changing it.

His delayed meeting with Hob Gadling had been an unexpected boon of peace and welcome. In the aftermath of retrieving his tools, in the midst of repairing the realm and trying to regather his subjects, his sister's reminder of the missed appointment had filled him with a certain trepidation. He had parted from Hob abruptly and unpleasantly when last they met. Hob had issued a challenge, to Dream's retreating back in the rain, and through no choice of his own Dream had been unable to meet with him as next scheduled and admit the truth of Hob's accusation. To Hob, it must appear that he had still been wroth, had refused his challenge and stayed away out of spite. He'd had little reason to believe Hob would still wish to see him, little reason to believe Hob would be found at the White Horse these decades later; every reason to dread finding him, every reason to fear that he never would.

But he had steeled himself for unpleasantness and disappointment and set out, and finding the White Horse shut down in disrepair had hurt in ways he was not prepared to articulate. A connection lost, a tie severed, another relationship ruined by his own hand. Except there had been wisps of dreams clinging to the fence about the old pub, steeped in red paint and the passing of years, dreams of hope and stubborn patience and second chances. Dream had followed the arrow they directed him to, hope buoyed slightly despite himself, and had found the New Inn where Hob, indeed, was waiting for him more than three decades past the appointed time.

And Hob had greeted him with a smile, had beamed even brighter to be called 'friend' by Dream, had set aside his work and given Dream his time. To be met with such warmth and welcome was more than Dream had expected, more than he deserved, but he had been. Grateful, all the same.

Never before had he taken such pleasure in one of their meetings, never before had he realized how much he truly enjoyed them, how much he. Enjoyed, Hob's company. He had lingered, listening to Hob's stories, longer and longer, Hob indulging him far past the afternoon and evening, well into the night.

He had been reluctant to call their reunion to a close, to relinquish the warmth and peace that had settled into him over the course of it.

He longs, now, to experience it again.

~ His missing arcana and the existence of a dream vortex and the damage to his realm, they wear on him. He is stymied in his function, faced with questions and reminders of his absence at every turn, authority slipping through his fingers unexpectedly and leaving him off-balance, overly-harsh in his insistence that he knows what is best. When he discovers a ghost living in his realm and a child conceived of its presence, he is tired. The emotions that rise in the aftermath of evicting Lyta Hall and her dead husband, of Rose denouncing him, they leave him aching for some unspoken solace, and it is Hob and his welcoming smile that rise in his memory again.

But that is not their story, to seek comfort in one another's presence during hardship, and he has other matters still to attend to. He owes an apology to Lucienne; he has been intractable and unkind in his dealings with her, undeservedly. She is gracious in accepting, and brings with her good news in the form of Fiddler's Green returned, and then he is left with one more wayward nightmare to deal with and a vortex whom he must kill.

He is grateful, that it does not come to that; grateful that Lucienne and Unity Kincaid bring him an alternative solution at the very last moment. Their solution brings answers that enrage him, that wound deep to the core of him, and once more, he finds himself wishing, when all is said and done and his sibling has been warned, to sit with his friend and share his tribulations.

It is an absurd wish, for again—that is not their story. Why does he yearn so strongly for a thing they have never had?

Hob would. Commiserate, in his displeasure, he is somehow certain.

But it is not yet 2089.

~ He yearns, inexplicably, to tell Hob the full truth of his last hundred years. He had not given it when last they met; it had still felt shameful, humiliating, an illustration of his failure in his duty and his function. Yet now, somehow, the thought of telling Hob…it appeals, to unburden himself of the story, to borrow the sturdy strength of Hob's shoulders to halve the weight of it from his own.

That is never how their meetings have gone. Hob regales him with tales of his century and Dream listens. He has volunteered so little each time, content to collect Hob's stories and confirm his wish to continue.

That is their story. What right has he to ask that it change?

"Stories are not static, my lord," Lucienne reminds him gently, when he confides to her the outline of his dilemma. "A story is different to every listener who hears it, to every reader who reads it; a story grows or changes or turns inside out with every retelling. A story need not be exempt from these truths simply because it is yours."

Lucienne, as she so often is, as he has seen more and more clearly since his return, is correct.

He had seen fit after all to change Gault's story, quite recently.

Perhaps, should Hob be amenable, their story might change as well.

~ Surely Hob, who had named him 'friend' long ago, who had seen his loneliness and dared to comment upon it, surely Hob would not be opposed to seeing him outside the established schedule of their meetings? Hob had been glad of his visit, when so few would take pleasure in his company. Surely Hob would be glad again, if he should seek him out before the appointed time?

But perhaps Hob was only pleased with his company because it was so infrequent. Perhaps greater familiarity would inevitably breed contempt; meeting more often would provide more and more opportunity for Hob to discover and observe all of Dream's many flaws and shortcomings, to find him lacking, to cool the warmth of his friendship into indifference and finally dislike.

And Dream. Would not lose, what he has only just gained.

~ Hob had still been waiting three decades past the appointed time, when Dream had come late to their meeting. Hob had fought to keep the White Horse open, had acquired and maintained the New Inn when that failed, had ensured signage that Dream might find his way. Hob had made an effort.

Hob had deemed Dream worth the effort.

Hob, who does not know any of his names, nor who he is.

Hob, who loves life, who loves living it, however he chooses. Would he choose to meet more often, to spend more hours of his precious life in Dream's company, if he knew it to be a possibility?

"I mean. You could just ask him?" Matthew suggests, as though it is the obvious choice. He hops a little sidestep on the rail of Dream's balcony, fluffs his feathers, settles them again. "Look. Boss. The guy waited thirty years and he was happy to see you, right?"

"Yes," Dream agrees, glancing sideways at his raven, weary of the grey landscape spreading before him.

The clouds have not lifted in weeks.

"So what's the harm in stopping by to see him off-schedule, find out if he'd like to meet up more often too? My gut says he would."

"Your gut?" Dream lifts an eyebrow, does not hide how the corner of his mouth quirks up in turn.

"Yeah." Matthew ruffles his feathers again, gives a little caw that would have been a cough, were he still human. "Usually steers me right, and I think that, uh. I think it'll steer you right, too."

"Thank you, Matthew." Dream turns his gaze back to the gloom-shrouded sweep of his realm, pondering.

~ Matthew's advice is sound. Lucienne's advice is sound. Dream knows this. He hesitates still, unwilling to voice the concern at his core to either of them. Is Hob's pleasure in his company solely due to its infrequence? Will Hob, who had dared to name him friend before Dream had been ready to admit it, grow tired of Dream's foibles and failings if given the chance? As so many others have?

There is only one way to find out.

~ "My friend!"

The brilliance of Hob's beaming smile washes over Dream, a deluge of warmth, and he can feel the sun breaking through the clouds back in the Dreaming.

"Hello, Hob."

The yearning at the very core of him for the peace and warmth he had known in Hob's company has at last eclipsed the uncertainties he still holds. Perhaps Hob will tire of his company in the future. Perhaps he will not. In the meantime, perhaps Dream might have another taste of that which he craves.

"I did not expect to see you again so soon! Is everything alright? Are you alright?"

The way that concern—concern. On his behalf—blossoms in Hob's face, his voice, has Dream hastening to assure him.

"All is well, Hob Gadling. Only. I am given to understand that friends may meet more often than we have been accustomed to."

Hob's face blooms in a slow journey from surprise to delight, his eyes wide and shining, joy in their depths. "True enough, true enough." His grin is a helpless thing, automatic, a pleasant softness underpinning its brightness. "My friend."

He clearly takes great pleasure in saying it, in being permitted the claim.

Dream is assured of his welcome at this point and avails himself of the seat across from Hob, settling comfortably. He is considering how best to broach his topic, but Hob is already speaking.

"I'm glad you dropped by," he says, his smile reined in but sincere, eyes warm and earnest. He had been marking papers again—a habit to do so here in the pub, he had told Dream last time—and sets them aside, giving Dream his full attention. "You're welcome any time, I hope you know. Friends definitely get together more than once a century, if they want." His hand has strayed to his ear, toying with it absently. "So, uh. If you want. I'd be delighted to see you more often."

How easily Hob gives him the answers he seeks; he need not even pose the question. He is pleased, relieved, happy in the affirmation he has received, and offers up his own decorous smile. "I would be. Agreeable, yes."

He is graced yet again with the bright warmth of Hob's smile. "Wonderful!"

It is, indeed, wonderful. He had spent so long debating over whether to allow himself this…indulgence, whether Hob would want this; it would be easy now in hindsight to berate himself for wasting the time but here in this airy corner of the pub, in this space he already thinks of as theirs, the self-recrimination is not quite able to take hold.

Hob leans forward conspiratorially. "Would you like to hear the absolutely brilliant theories my students have been spinning about old Billy Caxton?"

"I would," Dream decides, for listening to Hob's tales is a pleasure, one which will put him at ease before offering his own.

Hob slips easily into his role as storyteller, regaling Dream with anecdotes pulled from the days he devotes to shepherding young dreamers in their waking hours, guiding their minds in pursuit of knowledge. He is animated, enthusiastic, expressive; it is a joy to watch his face, his hands, and Dream is pleasantly aware of his own smile as Hob winds to an end.

"Anyway, I love that I can just say 'I was there!' when I get a little too specific in my lectures these days and they'll think nothing of it, laugh it off, 'dear old Professor Gadling he's such fun!' Definitely makes my life easier." He shakes his head with a fond smile, takes a draught of the beer at his elbow. "Christ, there I go again. I think we both know I'll talk all night, given the chance, so please tell me to shut up if you've got something to say, or if you just get tired of it."

"Your stories are a comfort," Dream assures him, smoothly taking hold of the opening afforded him. "One I sorely missed in 1989." He can feel the way that Hob goes still, at that, and he steels himself, dreading and anticipating his own words in equal measure. "I would tell you, Hob Gadling, of why I was unable to keep our previous appointment." He glances up, into the warm brown of Hob's eyes. "It is. Not a pleasant story."

A myriad of emotions flicker in Hob's expressive face, eager curiosity, wariness, old hurt and new worry; he schools them quickly, holding Dream's gaze with earnest and sober intensity. "If it's something you want to tell, then I. I should like to listen, to hear it."

Dream is grateful, for everything about this man who has dared to name him friend; it is time he is shown the regard he is due.

"Yes. But. First, I would tell you. Who I am."

= Started: 6/10/24 Drafted: 7/4/24 Posted: 7/7/24

[doodlegirl1998]

You know...I think we should consider Shoto Todoroki a tragedy character. And I know you like him so this is not me bashing him. I'm not Hori.

I know it's easier blame all this on Hori's inability to write but...think this way: isn't tragic how shoto, who was abused by Einji, is buddy buddy with a mini Endy?

"bad writing" or ...Shoto is slipping in the Freudian slip. He hates his dad, his dad took his childhood from him...but he still hangs out with BK bc that's the only type of relationship he knows.

"he is Izu's friend" sigh. Not in canon. Yes we see small screens where he is nice but is politeness, not friendship. I like he went to Izu rescue in the stain arc (only him did it) but on the big scheme of things...that is nothing. Anyone with common sense would.

Bk is a character Shoto knows well.

And isn't tragedy you hang out with people who resemble your abuse in the vain hope of them being better?

"it's bad writing" sure. But it's also a tragedy bc Shoto is never really free from the abuse.

What Endy did to his family doesn't stop with an apology. It lingers and bet if we do get a sequel where "the A1 have kids like Boruto" Shoto will be a bad father, not like Endy...but he will be emotional distant.

Don't know...just have this thought how Shoto is so tragic.

No more tragic than Izu.

No one is winning here.

Hi @mikeellee 👋

Shoto is a tragic character.

I do see him as being genuine friends with Izuku. However, in my opinion, Shoto being friends with Bakugou is wildly OOC, especially considering Shoto's treatment of him at the start of the series.

You could make the argument that Shoto is acting out the trauma response 'fawn' in being Bakugou's friend (however that can be seen more in Izuku and would be more in character for Fuyumi to do since she does that with Endeavor - Shoto does not.)

I think this is all simply bad writing since Shotos behaviour doesnt fit with his previously established character.

Also, as you pointed out, Shoto is never truly free from the abuse - Bakugou parallels Endeavor, and Endeavor has elbowed his way into Shoto's life and overshadowed Shoto's narrative with his 'atonement'

If MHA gets a 'Boruto' style spin off (I pray it doesn't since Hori fumbled so hard with this OG series), Shoto being a parent that struggles to connect emotionally with his kids would make sense but he seems to be getting slightly better at that in MHA.

No one wins in MHA aside from Horis Golden Boy Bakugou.

[skelebellie]

wanted to practice dancing poses, and who else who be better than two traumatized mixed kids.

! the alastor x reader tag on these posts refer to platonic/qp relationships only !

transcript:

a1) I didnt know the Radio Demon Could pick up a knew dance.

a2) Well, it was a little hard with your horrid teaching.

——

b1) Now dear- THIS is how you dance. You look better with a smile!

b2) Oh- *HIC* - this is kind of fun!

more info on these two goofy guys friendship below

cecil and alastor did not start on good footing. being the one and only employed sinner not under alastor means that alastor had no control over cecil other than fear. and unfortunately for alastor, cecil is only afraid of butterflies. so, the two squabbled quite a bit at the begging. however, cecil did enjoy the gruesome and disturbing, one of the few things alastor and cecil could bond about. especially since cecil gave a vibe similair to nifty. a sinner who’s disturbing nature didnt exactly match their personality.

give or take enough drunken nights, the two end up bonding over their love of dancing. cecil grew up in a small conservative town in southern texas, just along the border. despite being raised catholic, their grandparents kept their culture alive and taught them about jarabe tapatío dancing as an art form. alone, they would dance as their sole form of entertainment (other than monitored books). since alastor is from the roaring 20’s, an age of jazz, I thought it would be fitting for him to enjoy Lindy Hop. the two keep their distance (luckily, jarabe doesn’t need much contact), and alastor finally gets to see a side of cecil that isn’t annoyed or unbothered.

[deepperplexity]

Prompt 1. Chimney Soot [A1]

Pairing: Colonel Brandon x Fem!Reader

POV: Second, Reader

Setting: Delaford Estate

A/N: IT'S THE FIRST OF DECEMBER AND RICKMAS2023 IS STARTING! 😍👏 We're kicking it off with our sweet Colonel Brandon - tbh it feels like a tradition to start with him now 😂👍 - and I'm so, so, so ready for this year's event to unfold. I have so many stories in my head I hope to write this year and there will be more longer fics (several parts) this year if all goes as planned too! IIIIIIIH I'M SO EXCITED!

Thank you for being here and know that no matter at what time you read my fics I always, always, always love to hear from my readers so even if you're here in 2027 don't hesitate to leave comments if you want to 🥰 I hope my writing shenanigans can spread some joy and warmth up until Christmas Eve and I am so THANKFUL to all who has messaged me through the year about being excited for this event - your encouragement means so much! THANK YOU! And let's get this show on the roa-, err, screen! 🤭❤

Tags/TW’s: Mentions [past lashings, past family trauma, lack of family], Hunger, Being Cold, Being lost in life, Old friendships, Being afraid/Feeling fear, “Want/Longing at first sight”, Hidden identity, Running away, Accidental embrace.

Abbr.: Y/N - Your Name | Y/L/N - Your Last Name

Word Count: 2.9k+

LINKTREE // AO3 // MASTERLIST

Snow flitted toward the ground; little lifeless flakes of frozen water droplets turned to crispy beauty. The first sign of the approach of true winter. You shivered and pulled your tattered cloak closer toward your body while the hem barely reached your ankles. The basket within your grasp was too heavy, the breaths you drew too cold.

Life would soon turn ruthless beyond compare for you. No home, no family, no sanctuary from the biting chill nor the clinging wetness of melting snow resting upon your shivering shoulders. Yet still, you walked on. The only one left in the world who would possibly offer help lived just beyond the hill you shakily climbed while the ground beneath your feet began to turn white.

Miss Mary had been a friend of your mother. The only one remaining after all the years of seclusion crafted by your father. He had always been a man of madness — of possessive rage, and harsh fists. Life, as you knew it, had always been cruel and unkind. From the moment you were able to hold a broom somewhat upright you’d been put to work by the man who created you and no protection had come from the woman who birthed you. May you burn in the fire pits of hell for all the years to come, you thought as you gripped the wicker basket with whitening knuckles.

The wind whipped your hair about, loosening it from both clips and bonnet alike. You lowered your gaze and trudged on, avoiding the flakes endeavouring to stab your eyes as you came to the top of the hill. You took no time to rest, merely following the road down toward the fork where you would take a left and hopefully within no time at all arrive at the estate. Please, please let Mary be there at this time…

The forking of the road came and went, your body turned nearly numb while the wind picked up all around. Then it appeared, like a fairytale castle nestled between old oaks and stretching walls of moss-covered stone. Light flickered in the windows, a warm glow calling out to stave off the encroaching night as the sun said its farewell and abandoned you.

Your feet felt like blocks of ice as you moved up the narrow stone steps at the back of the building, where servants entered the estate unseen by its owners and guests. You reached out and knocked, your frozen hand feeling the echo of the impact yet the numbness made you wonder if perhaps you’d merely graced the old wood.

The door opened a moment later, a wave of warmth from within flooding you for a second. “Yes?” said the older gentleman while holding a candle up to shed light upon your harrowed face. “Sir, I am Miss Y/n Y/l/n,” you began with a shake to your voice as you shivered profusely. “Does Miss Mary still hold a position in this household?” you enquired while raising your gaze toward the man who seemed somewhat friendly, there was no glare of distaste in his eyes at the very least. “Oh, she does, are you a friend of hers, Miss Y/l/n?” “My mother was, I do not know if she remembers me very well though.” “Well, step inside, Sir Brandon would be most unhappy about keeping a woman out in the cold while waiting,” the man continued and you scrunched your eyebrows, you were not sure who Sir Brandon was beyond being the owner of the estate and a colonel.

The man walked off in a quick stride while you stood just inside the door. You were too cold and wet for the warmth in the servants’ entrance hall to be of any real use to you so you kept shivering while remaining in your wet clothes which still had little flakes of snow stuck in the fibres.

“Goodness me,” a familiar voice said on a gasp. Miss Mary appeared in the doorway with her hand pressed against her chest in something you could only describe as shock. “Miss Mary,” you said with a quiver to your voice. “I’m sorry for appearing in such a manner, without an invitation nor a word of my arrival beforehand,” you continued quietly while you tried your utmost to hold on to the basket while your numb fingers ached with the prickling of needles as the warmth slowly began to thaw you. “Y/n, dear oh dear,” she whispered as she walked up to you, a sweet worry half visible in her features that had you sigh a deep breath of relief.

***

When morning came you were warm and comfortable for the first time since early summer. You hadn’t had a proper night’s sleep in months and the rest had done wonders even if your entire body still ached from the backbreaking work you had managed to procure in recent times.

You wasted no time getting up and dressed. Just as you secured your tattered bonnet a knock came from the door. You opened it only to find Miss Mary with a bundle of neatly folded clothes in her arms, a warm smile tinted with worry gracing her lips.

“These are for you, dear,” she said and stepped inside before you closed the door behind her. “Master Brandon is a fine gentleman and I spoke to him on your behalf, you now hold a position here at Delaford.” You blinked at her words, unable to fully grasp them, or the ease she spoke of her master with. You had yet to meet a kind master; your doubt of the man was not unfounded but not supported either.

“I have work? Here? With you?” you asked, dubious but also relieved beyond measure. Grateful for Miss Mary’s kindness. “Not with me, dear. I am one of five housemaids, I am sectioned to the upper west quarters. I have procured you work as a scullery maid, Cook is a strict woman but fair. She sees hard work and those who do their due diligence under her are rewarded thusly. You will also keep the main fireplace in order, sorting the coal and wood stocking, sweeping the ashes, and polishing the spark guard. Mrs Thatch is old of age and struggles with this task of her allocated quarters, hence it now falls to you,” Miss Mary said, rattling it all off with precision while moving about in your newly acquired room — tugging at the faded curtains, straightening a pillow. The familiarity with her mannerisms and speech was a comfort to you, remembering it from many years ago when you had been but a tiny child.

“Thank you, Miss Mary.” She nodded at you with her tight but kind smile. “Miss Mary,” she said quietly, “been many years since I was called that.” “Oh?” “It’s Mrs Garber now, Y/n. And, as I’m sure you are aware, you are below my station and hence will call me by that name from now on. I shall call you by your first name, as is practice.” You nodded at her words, they weren’t spoken harshly, just in a no-nonsense sort of way.

“Well, Mrs Garber, thank you for all of this. I will do my absolute best so you’re pleased and stay in good grace with the master.” “Oh, I do not doubt it. Now, change into your new clothes after you’ve bathed, you reek of street and dirt. We cannot have that.” You blushed deeply. “I shall do so instantly.” “The kitchen is to the left of where you entered yesterday, you will find your way to Cook on your own?” You nodded and smiled at the kind woman before she left the room with another smile aimed at you.

***

Mrs Garber had been right. Cook was a strict woman, ruling her kitchen with a sense of urgency to everything. But you managed to keep up, managed to not be in the way while doing your tasks around the others flying about with spoons, pots, pans, chopping boards, and all types of food going from one part of the kitchen to another in a flurry.

You were putting back a giant pot you’d just scrubbed to an inch of its life — making the iron nearly shine in the dim light — when Cook told you to pay attention. It was first then you noticed the little bell to your right (one among many) was chiming gently. You wiped your hands, stowed away the rag, and grabbed one of the coal baskets before leaving the hectic kitchen behind. With the heavy basket in a tight grip you silently, stealthily, moved through the estate toward the main part where you’d order the fireplace as the little bell indicated needed doing.

The room was grand, with large pillars lining the walls in stony white and shining floors reflecting the warm glow of the chandelier high above. You did your best to keep to the outskirts, blending in as well as you could with the environment despite there not being anyone in the room. You picked up the pace, sat the heavy basket by the fireplace, and got to work clearing out the old ashes after placing a sheet beneath to protect the flooring.

After emptying everything, sweeping the last bit of dust out, and wiping the grills you leaned in to inspect the stone — making sure there was nothing left — only to look up and see a whole clogging of soot just beyond reach from your seated position. Oh, fabulous… That’ll take me up the chimney to clean. You sighed deeply and grabbed the poker next to the fireplace before crawling inside the fireplace to reach the clogging. T his hasn’t been cleaned in ages.

You squinted, aiming for the clog, only to halt mid-motion. You grabbed your handkerchief and tied it around your face to not inhale whatever was about to come down on you. You grabbed the poker anew, aimed, and jabbed at the nearly rock-hard piece. It took three hard jabs before you broke through the exterior and the heavens rained down soot and ashes atop you.

You didn’t have time to turn away, to back out of the tight space, or even cover your face before you were covered in grey and black. Glorious, perfect, now I’ll be dragging dust and soot all through the house! Mrs Garber will be scolded for making the master hire such a travesty for a scullery maid. I’ll be out on the streets again… Your thoughts swirled while your eyes watered as you kept working on clearing the clogging, you were already a complete mess of chimney soot either way, why not spare the others the suffering if you were already to be scolded for messing up the newly swabbed floors. Your hand fisted, but you resisted the urge to hit the hard surface around you in the tight space, breaking your hand would do nobody any good.

“I believed Santa Claus to be a red-dressed man,” came the most delicious, gravely voice. It echoed all around you in the tight space as your entire body froze. “It seems, I was mistaken,” the man continued and it sounded as if he were even closer. You looked down only to see the most handsome face peering up at you from below.

Your eyes widened, your mouth agape under the handkerchief as you took in the sweet smile, the flowy hair, the hooked nose and gentle eyes. “You are not the mysterious man of Christmas, are you, miss?” he asked and your knees trembled in secret — hidden behind your drab dress that used to be white with a black apron, it was now all grey. You managed to shake your head though, and he chuckled. The sweetest sound ever to grace your ears, amplified by the echo of the chimney you stood in.

“Miss, I believe this is the work of a chimney man, a sweeper.” “I-, I-, Sir, it was clogged,” you managed to say, even if it came out muffled. “I was cleaning the hearth, saw the clog and thought I ought to take care of it. It’s-, it’s a fire hazard. I wouldn’t-, wouldn’t want the grand colonel’s house to burn down, Sir.” “The colonel?” he asked, tilting his head, or, well, he tilted his head further — how was he even looking up at you? He must be bent most awkwardly. “Yes, Sir. The colonel who saw fit to hire even a scullery maid such as I,” you said. “Mrs Garber professes him to be a most wonderful master. I’ve yet to meet the man, but I dare say I shan’t have such a pleasure after the mess I’ve caused… Sir,” you replied in a near ramble, flustered by how the man peered at you most gently. Sweeter on the eyes than any man you’d ever witnessed before. The red coat with golden details you could just hint from his shoulder complimented his skin, his hooked nose was oddly beautiful paired with his strong cheekbones and thin lips.

“A wonderful master, you say, miss?” “Yes, Sir. Mrs Garber told me so.” “Will you step out of the chimney, this position hardly warrants for decent conversation, miss.” “S-sir, I am not one for you to hold decent conversations with, I’m merely a scullery maid.” He chuckled at that, again sending trembles through your already weak knees. “Miss, out of the chimney, if you please,” he said but his voice was gentle and calm, almost a hint of something warm to it. “We shall order a sweeper to visit, you ought not feel the need to take on such a task.”

The man disappeared from the chimney, making you realise his head had been right by those trembling legs of yours, far too close for decency but that was due to the lack of space of course. You drew a steadying breath and began to crouch, backing out of the fireplace with minuscule motions so as not to make the dust flare up. Your foot found the edge of the raised stone and you tried not to turn around too quickly even if your heart hammered at the prospect of seeing the gentleman fully.

You stood up too quickly. Your head banged the edge of the mantel, your other foot stepped right on the edge of the plateau, your trembling knees wobbled and you stumbled out onto to polished floor — your arms flailing, your dress swirling while spreading dust all over. No, no, no! You headed toward the floor in a dusty mess when the man caught you up, his strong body firmly pressed against yours as he took your weight with ease, not even faltering a single step at the sudden impact.

His hands squeezed around your waist, the warmth of his skin penetrating the two layers of fabric almost instantly while a tingle, unlike any other, shot through you. Your hands had grabbed his biceps, strong and unyielding beneath your palms. You blinked rapidly to clear the soot from your lashes while tilting your head only to find him peering down at you with those gentle eyes — a curiosity within them.

“Sir, I’m terribly sorry,” you exhaled shakily as he helped you straighten. Your eyes flickered away from him only to find a literal imprint of dust over his front, outlining you. “I’m terribly, terribly, terribly sorry,” you rushed out in a mere breath as you backed away from him, bowed and your eyes on the polished boots he wore. “Miss, are you well?” he asked while taking a step toward you. “Oh, I’ve made a mess of you, Sir,” you whispered while thoughts of being back out on the street swam through your head in a sea of fear and worry. Surely, the colonel will cast me out, making a mess of a guest of his. A guest so kind and sweet to boot too.

“The floors!” came a shrill old voice from behind you. “Maid! What have you done to the floo— And the colonel! ” the voice shrieked. Your eyes widened, your entire body draining of the warmth his gentle eyes and thunderously gravely voice had inflected upon it. The colonel? You wished to curl up right then and there, to disappear completely. “I’m-, I’m-, I’m so terribly sorry, Sir-, Colonel,” you squeaked, desperate to keep your tears from running down your soot-covered cheeks. It was useless. The clicking of servant heels from behind you, the nearly scrutinizing eyes from the man before you, the shaking of your shoulders, and the lack of breath in your lungs all had you in a vice grip of fear. Last time you left a stain on polished floors you’d endured four lashings over your naked hands. Hands you were now gripping tightly before you, wringing them and spreading the now moist soot all over them.

You couldn’t stay there. You had already made such a mess, made a fool of yourself, and created problems for the very man who employed you — probably out of pity, or worse because Mrs Garber stuck out her neck for you. You did the only thing you could do. You bowed as deep as your body would allow and just as the other servant with the shrill voice reached your side you bolted — spreading dust all around while running towards the kitchens to get to your room where you’d change into your own clothes and leave before any lashing could be given.

“Miss!” came that thunderous voice. “Miss, wait!” he called in a rush that managed to stroke your spine, within your skin. The most pleasurable sound you’d ever heard came from the man who employed you and whose clothes and floors you had just darkened with chimney soot and ashes — as if you were tarnishing the man himself with your very presence in his grand estate.

…To Be Continued…

LINKTREE // AO3 // MASTERLIST

A/N: THE FIRST FIC OF RICKMAS2023! 😍👏 Oh I hope you enjoyed this little introduction to this yeas event - as you've probably noticed I am using a system of numbers and letters to make it easier to find which fics that belong to each other this year, I hope it'll be of help as I have hopes for doing several longer fics with several parts this year.

Anyway, I hope you're ready for another December of fan-derful reading, darling! 👏❤ Please do say hello in the comments if you want to, and as I've noticed it's sometimes difficult to know what to comment or find the courage to do so without any prompting I'm promoting you from the very beginning! 🥰

MERRY RICKMAS DARLINGS! 💚

I'll be adding a question in the End Note of each fic, so if you don't know what to comment you can always answer that if you want to let me know you're here and having a good time. I'll add my own answer as well! ❤❤❤

Q: Who's your favourite Alan Rickman character? 😍 A: For me it's Judge Turpin! 👀

Taglist: @mamawolfsmith87 @snowblossomreads @ladykardasi @a-queen-and-her-throne @eternal-silvertongued-prince @lyrixsnape @imwithyoutiltheendofthelinebucky @lizlil @snapefiction @darkthought15 @monstreviolet @flowerdementia @marvelschriss @once-upon-an-imagine @ravennight14 @caseydoodles98 @grimmyhild @monster-energies @myobscureimaginarium @snowblossomreads @eternal-silvertongued-prince @cherryglossie @setsuna-meiou31 @helena211 @a-queen-and-her-throne @justsaturn0 @turvi @imwithyoutiltheendofthelinebucky @sunnylikesfrogs @mamawolfsmith16 @dianilaws @sassanoe @snapesrn @bernadette-peters12 @sammy-13 @smartowl999 @castleofthorns @serenanight87

Want to be tagged? 💚 You can tag yourself HERE! Or tell me and I’ll gladly tag you! 😍

[Dec:2023]

[staybabblingbaby]

Chan x Youtuber (Discover Part) a1 d1

[Caution: These are not full fics, or even full parts of fics for some, these are part of my writing progress archive!]

Concept: Reader is an anonymous Youtuber who does English covers of various k-pop songs, including Stray Kids. Bangchan comes across one of these one night and falls in love with Reader's voice. They develop an online friendship, and Bangchan might be in love with more than just the voice.

Word Count: 962

Notes: I had a lot of fun narrating the video. I've seen it a lot in Idol novels that I read online, and it really is a fun and new perspective to use. The username may stay, it may change, i might get rid of it entirely idk. Kind of also contemplating using 'You' instead of 'person'. Idk we'll see how it goes as i work on it. Feedback would be much appreciated for this one. No editing notes rn, I'm not rlly feelin' it.

Warnings: None that I know of? It's just silly fluff idk what u want from me.

Masterlist link :D| Prev Part

It was 2am on a random Tuesday in Seoul. Bangchan lay staring at his ceiling for the nth time that month, silently cursing at his insomnia. He rolls over for the thousandth time to stare at his wall instead. His eyes drift his phone on the nightstand, and he idly wonders if he should spend some time teasing STAY on Bubble.

It’d definitely relieve the soul-crushing boredom of being unable to sleep, but he doesn’t really feel like receiving their well-intentioned scolding over his sleep schedule right now. He rolls back onto his back and heaves a tired sigh.

With resignation, he sits up and grabs his phone. He’d like to avoid being scolded, but receiving STAY’s love is always comforting. Vlogs and edits it is, then.

He hops onto YouTube with deft fingers and begins his latest STAY-binge. The thought of STAY’s reactions when he reminds them that he watches their stuff brings a smile to his face. They always freak out so cutely.

Soon enough, he’s zoned out and mindlessly scrolling through, giggling along to memes and watching vlogs with all the affection in his heart.

He runs out of content from the accounts he regularly watches pretty quickly. He’s only killed about 30 minutes, and even though his mood has improved significantly, he doesn’t quite feel up to going back to staring at his ceiling yet.

With a light heart, he descends into the familiar uncharted territory of his recommended feed. He manages to kill another hour or so before a particular video catches his eye.

[Learn Music Production With Me! | Cover Me by Stray Kids (English Cover) | EP.4]

The thumbnail features someone with brightly colored hair slumped over a desk, their face smooshed against the wood and their arms dangling limply beside them. Their features are obscured by a fabric mask, but bright blue tear-tracks are drawn on over top.

Bangchan can’t help but be amused by the image. He could definitely relate to the frustrations of learning music production. He actually felt a bit flattered and flustered that this person was using his music to learn from.

Officially intrigued, Chan clicks on the video.

It opens with a shot of the person from the thumbnail from the back. They’re sat at the same desk, which Chan can now see hosts a towering hutch with full shelves decked out in flower-shaped fairy lights. He spots a large section of SKZ albums tucked between other albums and books on the hutch’s shelves.

There’s a microphone on the desk, the boom arm pushed to the side, and a bulky set of headphone’s on the figure’s head. Despite the microphone’s distance from the person at the desk Chan can hear the furious clicking of a mouse as clear as day.

This scene plays out for a moment before the clicking suddenly stops and the person freezes. They slowly remove their headphones and sigh loudly. A very crisp [“Fuck!”] Takes him by surprise and he can’t help a soft laugh as the video pauses and begins to rewind.

[“So turns out I’m a big ol’ dumb-dumb and I’ve been doing this wrong this entire time.”] A voiceover begins to explain. The rewind quickly covers what Bagchan assumes is hours of work, and the voice over continues, [“Well, not wrong, per say, but I was definitely doing it the hard way. Wrong Equation right answer sort of situation. I.”] The voice chuckles ashamedly, [“I could have done this whole thing in a third of the time. I’m so embarrassed. Let me show you.”]

The rewind stops and the video switches to a different angle. The camera is obviously sitting on the desk this time, looking at the person from the side. The angle is much closer. The person waves awkwardly at the camera with both hands and rotates their chair to face it properly.

[“Hi all, I’m Grimm’sTeddy and this is episode 4 of me failing to learn how to produce music. We’re onto week 6 now, because I was quite seriously fighting with this program the entire time.”] A caption appears on the screen, [Shoulda watched more tutorials, buddy].

The video continues along the same vein for a while, a mix of Grimm talking and explaining their process while being unknowingly roasted by the occasional caption when they do something wrong. The video mostly shows the screen they’re working from, only switching back to the vlog-style camera when Grimm is being particularly dramatic about their struggles.

Around the 10 minute mark, Grimm discovers the feature of the program that triggered the reaction from the first clip. There’s a bit of grumbling and self-deprecating jokes, and then the video’s pace speeds up by quite a lot. Apparently the process is a lot less entertaining when it’s going smoothly.

Finally, 12 minutes in, the full cover is revealed.

Bangchan is, quite honestly, entranced.

There’s something almost desperate in the tone Grimm sings with, something raw and hurting. The cover is incredibly faithful to the original. They’d changed some words to preserve the melody across languages but were clever enough with it to preserve the meaning.

Bangchan finds himself impressed. Sure there are mistakes, and a lot of polish is missing, but the voice sticks in his head like glue. He goes to the channel’s page to find the first video in the series almost without thinking about it.

It turns out the video he’d watched was from several months ago, just after they’d released the song initially. There were only 2 videos after it, the series seemingly ending at episode 6.

Chan ends up watching the other 5 videos that night. He falls asleep with his phone on his chest at 5am, after making sure to leave a comment on each video.

[glitterstarly]

since I miss the eggs & the blooming friendship of Alexandre and bagi made me miss them even more here's my final designs for all the eggs/dragons, including Hope/EggA1; here's some notes about them:

They are organized from the youngest to smallest (at least in my HC), except for Hope that is the oldest, but bc we don't know if EggA1 is still alive I put them at the end. Why is the oldest you ask? Because in the book that cellbit found in the other adoption center said that Hope was there waiting for a long time and probably has been there even before the arrival of everyone in Quesadilla Island, so that makes them the oldest of all the eggs.

Ramón and Dapper are the only Wyverns of their siblings, since they are identical twins

Chayanne, Leo and Bobby share the same physical structure, but Leo and Chay has hair at the top of her head (also Chay has fur on his tail).

Juana, Tilín, Tallulah, Richas and Hope share the same ear shape, but only Tilín and Hope are the only fully "furred" dragons (no scales, just fur).

Bobby and Tallulah are the only ones of their siblings with scales in their legs and arms.

Chay, Leo, Bobby, Trumpet, Flippa, Richas and Hope share the same wings model, but Trumpet is the only one of his siblings with four wings.

Ramón, Dapper and Tilín share the same wings model.

Tallulah is the only one of her siblings with claws on her wings

Bobby, Flippa, Hope and Tallulah share the same horns model.

Pomme is the only one of her siblings with axolotl-like ears, butterfly shaped wings and snake-like body.

Richas and Leo are semi-acuatic dragons (can breath underwater)

Bobby, Tilín and Tallulah share the same "double ear"

Richas and Trumpet are the only ones of his siblings with a tail shaped and colored different from their bodies.

Hope is a little bit taller than Chayanne. Tallulah and Chayanne are almost the same high.

Pomme and Richas are the only ones with heterochromia in their eyes (Richas eyes are lemon and blue), but Pomme is the only one with chimerism.

because the eggs absorb the magic of their parents and their surroundings to develop a physical personality, Egg A1 or Hope is completely white since they have never interacted with anyone and always stayed at the Adoption center.

Tallulah uses hearing aids and Richas has a leg entirely made of slime (and he can shape it in whatever he wants)

[slutburn]

can we the people have your catton quick headcanons can be nsft if you like or just seperate felix and oliver headcanons i hunger for them. 🛀🏼

cheers

x

sorry this took so long, i wanted to give you good ones! cattonquick is my lifeblood atm, those will be at the end:

oliver:

oliver didn’t decide on a big grand plan to lie to felix beforehand. he’s more just impulsive than some kind of evil mastermind. felix wanted to know about his family & because he felt they were unremarkable, oliver made stuff up. it snowballed into something much bigger when felix pulled away and he felt the need to continue lying. we saw how the professor responded to his background — he’s probably gotten this response all his life when he’s talked about himself to people he wants to impress. oliver didn’t think that felix would be invested in their friendship long enough for his lies to matter.

oliver is a bottom. this is just an infallible truth in my mind. i don’t want to elaborate or overanalyze it lol

oliver is gay — the only reason he makes any romantic or sexual advances towards women is because of their connections with felix. i don’t think he really thinks about sexuality, he just gets impulses and all of them are towards men

oliver has to masturbate a lot. being around felix who’s constantly teasing and flirting with him is rough. every day is a challenge, especially at saltburn. does he lock his own door? that’s for you to decide..

farleigh is the first out lgbt person oliver has known who’s not made to be an outcast because of it. it’s another reason he’s jealous of him.

felix:

felix is bad at kissing and bad at sex. emerald fennell said this herself. he doesn’t need to be good at any of it because girls (and guys) will still want him regardless. but i like to think that sex between him and oliver changes things bc im a romantic at heart lol.

felix is truly, genuinely unaware of how much he takes advantage of people. his life has always been made easy so why would he not just enjoy the attention? it’s not like he’s forcing people to be do things for him, they’re offering themselves up to him. no need to overanalyze why people love you so much.

felix went to boarding school — i’ve always assumed this means it was an all boys school. this is why he’s so good at unabashedly, publicly flirting with oliver. felix had his first kiss with a boy and he’s had all kinds of experiences with boys. maybe he even lost his virginity to a boy.

CATTONQUICK:

JSYK @leiflitter’s you’re almost home has basically become canon fix-it in my head so read these with that in mind. also if you want a1 cattonquick headcanons, i reblogged theirs a few posts ago

once people know that they’re together, felix and oliver are always holding hands or touching each other. but you’ll never see them kiss in public.

felix is the one to propose. it’s only appropriate given oliver’s insatiable need to be wanted, and this would be the truest form of want and love that felix can give to him after keeping him at a distance for so long.

felix loves for oliver to wear his clothes. we know this. even when they’re married and live together, with their OWN CLOSETS, felix will hand oliver his own sweater to put on after they have sex and he’s going to pee. oliver doesn’t protest.

oliver loves when felix ties him to the bed. he can stay that way for hours, felix giving him sips of water in between sessions of whatever he’s decided to do to him

they love movie dates. oliver always wants to pick a scary one because felix is easily scared & it’s hilarious to watch this 6’5” man yelp and spill his popcorn in the theater over jump scares

[formulaorange]

2024 Summer Anime

Sorry I'm late on this - I'm going back to school for a second degree this fall so it's been chaos Lots to look forward to for this season!!

Oshi No Ko - Season 2 Such a killer series that I think a lot of people have been looking forward to the second season. They did a great job giving us something to look forward to in the story. Must Watch Noteworthy On-Going Shows: Tensura - Season 3 MHA - Season 7 New Seasons:

Fairy Tail: 100 Year Quest This series was one of my first "longer" shows and I still love the original series. I know it really fell off with the 2014 reboot and the ecchi scenes were ramped up but I think 100 Year Quest gives it a nice fresh start now that people kind of know what to expect.

Additional New Seasons: Kimi ni Todoke: Season 3 A romance drama that my friend has tried to get me to watch for over a decade now. Tower of God - Season 2 I never finished season 1, but I've heard that this series is supposed to be highly reviewed and anticipated. Will go back and watch season 1 to catch up. Shy - Season 2 After letting this series sit for a minute, I'm not entirely sure I'll go back and watch the second season. I think there's definitely an audience for it, but I've got my list full of other priority shows at the moment.

New Noteworthy Shows: There's lots here for everyone this season.

Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction This is a big one I didn't realize was getting an anime adaptation. This is one of the highest rated manga series, I'd say of all time. I'm hyped to watch it. Done by a new studio called Production +h, the style looks perfect.

The Elusive Samurai This is a fairly new shonen jump series that has gained a lot of traction in the manga community. I haven't had a chance to check it out yet, but I've heard good things.

Rick and Morty (Anime) I have so many mixed feelings about this one. I love Rick and Morty but man, and I don't know if I want see them in Japanese/Anime since it's literally already an animations series - but then I realized, because it's produced by the same studio this could be a legitimate "version" of the series that's just a part of the canon Rick and Morty Universe which is kind of cool. Will just have to wait and see I guess.

Suicide Squad Isekai I'm completely on board with this one for some reason. Really not sure why, but it makes perfect sense to me. Honestly pretty stoked to watch it. (+ it's by studio WIT) Wistoria: Wand and Sword A kid enters magic school, although he can't use magic, he's particularly good with a sword. Almost like if Mashle were more serious and less out there? Read the first few chapters of the manga and enjoyed it quite a bit. The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies I think this looks really cute, will give it a few episodes. (Also because it's done by studio bones) Senpai is an Otokonoko A story about a highschool boy who cross-dresses, friendships between him, another female classmate and his childhood friend who's very protective of him. I'm curious to see how the story progresses and what kind of representation will actually be show-cased in the series. (Looks wholesome) Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines Amazingly animated slice of life of a group of girls who get rejected by the guys they like. (A1 Pictures) Plus-Sized Elf An elf that came to the human realm falls in love with junk food and now needs help and motivation to lost it. Ecchi series that I saw in manga format a few years ago that I wasn't really expecting to see an animated version for. Mayonaka Punch Has a super unique style that I'm interested to see if the story is actually worth watching at all. Delico's Nursery Same style as Mars Red - group of Vampires taking care of kids and murder mystery solving on the side. Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin - Anime Anime adaptation of the game, animations and character design look great.

Lots to check out this season, seems like a good bunch that are actually worth watching too. Enjoy!!

[bitcell]

i really do hope the eggs that are given today are disguised as our eggs. i need to see the internal conflict of wanting to desperately win, but also hang onto the shortening string of hope of humanity they once had before purgatory. i want them to arrive at the place and see all the blood drain from their faces. who will be able to kill, who will do anything for their team and who will refuse. are they the real eggs? no, but that's what the federation is doing, they're playing a little game with their emotions, this is just another game for them, a test subject, just like egg A1, who will pass the test? the federation wants them to have all their humanity taken from them. this is not purgatory, this is hell. no one will go back to quesadilla island the way they left. all their friendships and bonds will forever be stained by the blood they shed.

[beesofink]

Pinned Post: Please Read!!!

Free 🇵🇸🇸🇩🇨🇩🇮🇪

Hello, I am BeesOfInk, and I'm an aspiring screenwriter and artist!!! Here are the important things and a more readable and in-depth version of the text in the picture:

🐝📝 Basic Information 📝🐝

📝 They/Them Feminine Nonbinary Sapphic

📝 Fiendkin/Bee-Fairykin

📝 Autistic Writer and Artist

📝 Possibly has Maladaptive Daydreaming

📝 The content I make varies: Sometimes it's family friendly, sometimes it contains gore, death, phobias, mental health issues, ect. So they will all be tagged.

🧚‍♀️👻 Interests 👻🧚‍♀️

🧚‍♀️ Mr. Men and Little Miss (Main Interest)

🧚‍♀️ Psychonauts 2

🧚‍♀️ My Little Pony

🧚‍♀️ Crow Country

🧚‍♀️ Silent Hill

🧚‍♀️ American McGee's Alice Series

🧚‍♀️ I Can't Sleep

🧚‍♀️ Omori

🧚‍♀️ Five Nights at Freddy's

🧚‍♀️ Plants vs. Zombies

🧚‍♀️ Undertale/Deltarune

🧚‍♀️ Steven Universe

🧚‍♀️ Over The Garden Wall

:

👻 Psychology

👻 Halloween

👻 Horror

👻 Goth/Punk

👻 Fall

👻 Marigolds, Mushrooms, and Gardens

👻 Cottagecore

👻 Witchcraft, Psychics, and Demonology

👻Demons

👻 Fairies, and other Mythical Creatures

👻 Bees, Cats, Bats, Most Forest Animals, Koi Fish, Frogs, Sea Urchins, Jellyfish

👻 80s - 90s Technology

👻 Forests and Bodies of Water

🍄🏵️ Tags I use and what they mean 🏵️🍄

🏵️ Heed the Hive's Plea: Important updates I make, whenever it be a project I'm working on or the blog itself!

🏵️ The Swarm Speaks: Simple silly reblogs, like memes or comfort material.

🏵️ Bees Using Ink: The art and sketches I make!

🏵️ Books by Bees: Stories I post!

🏵️ Pollinated Plays: Animated/Animatics I make!

🏵️ Reblogged from the Beesties: Reblogs from those close to me!

🩷🩵 Comfort Characters! 🩵🩷

🩷Romantic🩷

🐝 Gangle (The Amazing Digital Circus)

🐝 Yuri (Doki Doki Literature Club)

🐝 Purple Mage (Everhood)

🐝 Dalv (Undertale Yellow)

🐝 Marceline (Adventure Time)

🐝 Alice (American McGee's Alice)

🐝 Miss Sunshine & Mr. Fussy (Mr. Men and Little Miss)

💜 Family 💜

🐝 The Psychic Seven, The Aquato Family, the Interns (somewhat, not the canon ones honestly), Hollis (Psychonauts 2)

🐝 Charlotte, Charlene, Violetta, Viktor, Ms. Millet, Mr. Milk, Ms. Minty, and Maggie + Orion (I see myself as a baby sitter who helps them) (Making Fiends)

🐝 Eve (she's like a Teacher, but still) (No Straight Roads)

🩵 Undecided/Friends 🩵

🐝 Fluttershy (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

⚠️ !!!DO NOT INTERACT!!! ⚠️

- Pr0ship

- Pedophiles/Zoophiles

- L0lic0ns/Sh0t@c0ns

- F3ral P0rn Fans

- T3RFS

- N@zis, Z10nists, C0nfederates, and American P@triots

- N/F/T / Crypt0

- A1 "Artists"

- "Blackwashing" Believers

- Anyone on EDTWT

- Fetish/NSFW Accounts

:

- Ribbun Shippers

- Stolas or Blitz Fans

- SML Stans

- Lily Orchard Fans

- OMOCAT Fans

- Phisnom Fama

- Vivziepop Fans

- r/FakeDisorderCringe fans

⚠️🧊 Can Interact but on Thin Ice 🧊⚠️

- Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss fans

- Danganronpa fans

-Gristol Malik (from Psychonauts 2) fans, ect.

⚠️⚠️Actual SelfSona beyond this point, but HUGE CW for MINOR BLOOD + TRYPOPHOBIA + BLINKIES!!!⚠️⚠️

[ere-the-sun-rises]

Why Certain Male Superheroes Have Such A Strong Female Fanbase

I discussed this on another post, but I think the trend of certain male superheroes having huge female fanbases has its roots in how relatable their characterization and struggles are. Despite being male characters, they are very strongly female-coded. I’ll use four examples, two Marvel (specifically their MCU portrayals) and two DC: Tony Stark, Bucky Barnes, Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson.

I apologize in advance if you click the Read More, this will be a very long post.

Tony Stark gets a lot of shit from the fandom, especially after Civil War. Yet, he remains arguably the most popular character from the entire series and adored by female fans. I think there’s a very good reason for that - he takes on a very female-coded role in relation to everyone else he interacts with.

For starters, he’s constantly slut-shamed. Steve, in particular, takes his sexual habits as a measure of his reliability and ability to be serious/commit. He alludes to knowing Tony from news coverage in A1, and we know from JARVIS’ quip in IM2 that Tony’s sexual escapades are highly covered by media. He looks down on Tony for his displays of sexuality (and more importantly, how shameless he is about them). Mia in IM3 also takes her digs at him about this.

His intelligence is constantly underestimated. Tony is incredibly smart and knows what he’s doing. In every Avengers movie, he is the one who formulates and carries out the plans that save the day. He is the plot device through which everything gets resolved, yet no one actually gives that any weight. In A1, Hill needles him about Selvig’s notes. In AoU, no one listens to him when he tries to explain that he was not responsible for Ultron gaining sentience or turning evil. In Civil War, Steve doesn’t listen to him when he tries to explain his decision to agree to the Sokovia Accords. Don Cheadle’s Rhodey never has any faith in Tony’s actions and constantly treats him like a child in need of supervision.

His emotions are continually disregarded. A major plot point in IM2 is Tony’s Reactor poisoning him. He exhibits all the signs of a suicidal person (even though he’s not) - giving his possessions away, retreating from public and personal life, making rash and/or unsafe decisions, emotional instability - but neither Pepper nor Rhodey even notice. In Civil War, when he tries to relay the human cost of the Sokovia disaster to the team (when we were shown how much that affected him), they dismiss his emotional outreach as manipulative. Steve disregards his friendship at every turn (indeed, being actively hostile to him through almost all of AoU) and doesn’t trust him at all (not telling him that Bucky was programmed). He also doesn’t consider that Tony may have feelings about finding out that his parents were murdered and seems surprised that Tony would be distraught. He never apologizes for hiding such important information, or even admits he shouldn’t have. When Tony returns from space in A:IW, he’s dismissive of Tony’s anger. Right until the end of A:E, Tony has to ask if Steve trusts him to make the right decision and Tony isn’t certain the answer will be yes. Natasha also treats him like he’s unrelentingly selfish, despite having been close enough to him to be wearing his clothes (in CA:WS, she’s wearing the same sweater Tony was wearing in IM2 when the only other person she does this to is Clint, with whom she is incredibly close).

Another major theme is the continued violation of his bodily autonomy. IM1 establishes that Tony’s autonomy is represented by his Reactor and armour, and that his use of both are a means to regain control over his autonomy. Obadiah continually enters Tony’s personal space without invitation or reciprocation, going so far as to undress him without permission to look at the Reactor and this comes to a head with the theft of his Reactor. Pepper gets upset with Tony about his suits in IM3, even hinging the continuation of their relationship on him getting rid of them without addressing why he’s so reliant on them. Steve in CW, once he has Tony on the ground, goes right for the Reactor (not to mention that Tony raises his arms like he anticipated that Steve was going to behead him). Then Steve leaves him there.

I think Tony appeals to so many female fans because it’s so easy to see the way we are ignored, overridden, used and discarded in him. He never seems to be good enough for the ones that he loves. He also knows he can’t turn to any of his closest people for comfort and doesn’t bother to try. He’s been taught by experience that if he’s disruptive or not useful, he’s not welcome. It’s incredibly difficult for him to accept kindness, but very easy to shoulder blame and responsibility. He’s easily hurt, but so good at concealing it no one notices. No one takes him seriously in anything he does, even when he’s proven it with actions. He’s always fighting against preconceived notions of him that aren’t him.

 | | |

Despite being a physically imposing character with a deadly skill-set and high body-count, Bucky is characterized almost exclusively as a caregiver or a victim.

In CA:TFA, he’s got a severe case of “Eldest Daughter Syndrome”, concerned above all with making sure that Steve is taken care of and kept from harm. Bucky consistently cleans up after Steve, both by running off the people he fights and ensuring that Steve’s living situation is assured. As the team sniper, he’s always watching Steve’s back and making sure he doesn’t get hurt. Steve loves Bucky, but he doesn’t ever take care of him. In CW and afterward, Bucky’s still more concerned for Steve than himself. He would have resigned himself to whatever punishment INTERPOL would have give him, and it’s not until Steve is threatened in their fight with Tony that he actually gets involved. Even in FATWS, he helps Sam not only with the terrorists, but with the boat and he reaches out to the Wakandans to replace the Falcon suit that got destroyed. He helps Sam train with the shield, even mentioning that he was the one who helped Steve get a handle on how to use it.

His victimization also starts near-immediately, with him being the sole survivor of Zola’s experiments in CA:TFA. He’s victimized and abusively controlled through his entire time as the Winter Soldier. Like Tony, his autonomy is also materially symbolized by his arm, which is used against him by Natasha in CA:WS and Ayo in FATWS. Perhaps most upsettingly relatable, he’s held accountable for the actions of the Winter Soldier in FATWS as exemplified by the therapist, who victim-blames him and seems more concerned with checking off a box for the government than actually helping him recover in any meaningful way. Zemo capitalizes on this spectacularly in FATWS.

I think a lot of women can relate to the kind of exhausted resignation of Bucky. He’s so rarely in control of anything that happens to him, but he still tries to be useful and kind when he can. He’s scared and hurt and alone, abandoned by the only person he knew in a world completely alien and hostile to him. His body language screams for someone to take care of him, but he’d die before asking for it. He tries so desperately not to be a burden, but always feels like one. He’ll put the needs of those he cares for above himself without exception, even when it causes him a lot of distress. His body and skills don’t feel like they belong to him, and he feels like it’s only a matter of time before someone steals them away again.

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Bruce Wayne as Batman might seem like an odd example, and there are certainly iterations of him that won’t fit this characterization. However, there’s a lot about him that is highly relatable to the feminine experience.

For starters, he’s guilt-ridden as shit. Bruce always takes it hard and personal when something goes wrong, even when he’s not responsible for it. This is most obvious in relation to his parents or Jason Todd, where he blames himself for something he didn’t do and couldn’t control. While every failure he has is met with a practical reassessment of his tactics, he also looks inward, trying to find what it is about him personally that makes these things happen and/or why he isn’t enough to stop it. He has a tendency to just accept blame instead of pushing back (ei. whenever Jason throws his death in his face).

He’s been raped. However much it may be payed down, Talia drugged and had non-consensual sex with him to conceive Damian.

His main motivation isn’t revenge, it’s prevention. While he’s not above revenge, the purpose behind Batman is to ensure that tragedies don’t have the chance to happen and that, even though he uses violence to accomplish his goals, he will never be the source of that tragedy. He wants to lash out in violent retaliation, but he cares more about redressing the balance of pain than he does inflicting it back. That’s how he can be friendly with people like Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Two-Face.

Bruce is a single mom at his core. He might not be the best parent all or even some of the time, but he loves his children and would do almost anything for them. He gets accused of creating child soldiers (both in canon and by fans), but none of his kids are soldiers to him. They work for him as Batman, but they are so much more than his co-vigilantes. He loves them like a parent and would die for any one of them. Indeed, this is a sentiment that extends to a few members of the JLA too, especially amongst the OG crew.

Bruce’s emotions are also discounted a lot, though that’s generally because he’s taken as cold and emotionless. He feels very deeply, about nearly everything, but he’s very good at hiding it. He views his heart as incredibly vulnerable and so only reveals it to a select few. The more this backfires on him, the less he’s willing to open up and the more guarded he becomes. He cares so much, but he’s so gripped by the fear of being hurt that it has to be forcefully pried out of him.

Brucie Wayne is an expertly crafted persona that plays into the female stereotype of “ditzy bimbo”. The “tall, dark and handsome” persona could have done just as well for his public face, playing into a more mysterious and alluring figure, but he chose to portray himself as a charming drunk, always down for a good time and with all the depth of a puddle. Brucie Wayne is such a shallow and vapid personality, comparable only to that of Paris Hilton’s public profile.

As I said, not every Bruce Wayne is portrayed this way, but some of the more famous examples of him certainly are: Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series/Justice League Unlimited/The Arkham games), Bruce Greenwood (DCAMU, Young Justice), Robert Pattinson (The Batman 2022) and arguably even Ben Affleck (DCEU). He’s capable of being brutal, demanding and uncompromising, but he ultimately wants the pain to stop, not to inflict it.

I think a lot of women see him almost as a kind of power fantasy, a way to exact violent vengeance on the ones who hurt people but maintain an inner kindness. This may be a bit of a self-projection, but I also think women can relate to his “going too far” notion - for those who have been victims before, it is so, so easy to slip into the cycle of perpetuation and become the abuser. He manages to thread the needle of striking back at an abuser without becoming one.

 | | |

Dick Grayson is perhaps one of the most sexualized male characters in existence, and almost exclusively catering to the female audience, particularly once he’s Nightwing. He’s kind, warm, funny, charming, attractive and considerate. But I think a lot of his appeal comes not only from being made of boyfriend material, but the way he demonstrates these attributes.

Dick pretty generally falls into the Eldest Daughter role once he’s an adult, becoming very close with his siblings and often acting as an intermediary between Bruce and the other kids. He’s the one that the rest of the family turns to when something happens to Bruce, and he’s often the one to take up the temporary mantle of Batman when Bruce is otherwise unable. Even with the Teen Titans, he’s a tentpole figure that guides his teammates and helps them mature despite often being the same age or younger than them.

Partly due to his past as a performer, Dick is a people-pleaser. This goes for his home life, romantic relationships and general public persona. Dick is Bruce’s charming first son, Bludhaven’s affable vigilante or [insert love interest]’s considerate boyfriend. He’s a lot more genuine in his public persona than Bruce is, but he’s gracious in the way a retail employee is - a certain measure of forced cheer that’s expected of him. 

The way other characters sexualize Dick is also very female-coded. They always comment on his body, the tightness of his suit and how pretty he is. While they may also comment on his charm or personality, often the first things they discuss are physical. He usually plays along with this in good humour, but even other members of his family who share a lot of characteristics - Bruce, Tim, Jason, older Damian - don’t get the same kind of horny-on-main attention. He’s also usually paired with very strong/dominating love interests (Donna, Kory, Barbara) and has a tendency to be more passive in the relationship and get pursued when dating.

I think Dick acts like a lot of women do (or feel like they have to): upbeat and cheerful, attentive to their partners/family and always available for emotional caretaking. His body is a spectacle that receives unsolicited comment and judgment constantly. He fills the gaps where Bruce falls short and struggled to find his own path and identity away from the needs of his family.

 | | |

Women are used to having to relate to male characters in media, since female characters are generally so sparse, inauthentic or underdeveloped. I think that’s why, when we see ourselves in male characters, we latch onto them so tightly and care about them so much. While none of these attributes are exclusive to women, there’s a certain way that these aspects of characterization blend together that is generally more familiar to women than it is so men. There’s an echo of lived experience in their portrayals that hits very close to home.

[mikeellee]

Hi 👋

You said horikoshi made ochako act worse towards izuku in the later arcs and while I do actually agree with you that hori did sacrifice the friendship between izuku and ochako for the sake of togaocha can you please go into more detail as in to why you think that and how?

Ok, hi @bibibbon

So lets start with this: Hori hates his mc. This is not exaggerating of a fan. This is a fact now.

1) Ochako when meeting Izu and "befriend" him calls him deku. Now. I count her some slack as she thought it was dekiru. But she heard BK not only trying to kill Izu...but calling him deku...and she thought nothing of it. NO, EVEN WHEN I WAS IZUOCHA FAN I DIDNT LIKE IZU AGREED WITH THE NAME DEKU BC OF HER. HE KNOWS HER FOR A DAY AND EVEN IF SHE IS FULL OF GOOD INTENTIONS...IZU SHOULD HATE THE NAME.

2) She calls him plain. Now sure it may not be out of malice (not how many actions of class A1 towards Izu fall into this category) but is an odd comment to make. No, she doesnt need to go "oh my god he is so hot🤤" but call him plain seems....mean. yes Izu was called much worse but here the thing, it doesnt make her comment better.

3) In Sports Festival. "You wont fight quirkless right?" No. I dont believe in quirkless discrimantion but its a bad line here. Does Ochako thinks Izu's quirk is storng and he should use more? Even if his bones break? She never show much consideration on this aspect of his quirk (to be fair, no one in UA does expect blame him) but is a bad comment to make and shows to me how Izu doesn't trust or cant trust fully on her. If he did...he could have shared more of his past. Note how he never talks about his past to anyone.

4) Ochako then gets quirkless fightinf style. This is on Hori to shit on Izu as "girlboss" moment for Ochako...is unwarranted. She never express desire to want to fight quirkless ...Izu would benefit more if he was there...why not make them intern together? Could Ochako have asked if Izu could join? Not blaming her for this...maybe Gunhead would have said no. But is a waste of bonding moment for them.

5) Ochako decides to remain silent on her feelings bc.....it may prevent her from being a hero. Again, this is only with Izu. If a girl was in love with Shoto...it wouldn't be a problem even if the girl is poor.

6) On the fall out of bk vs Izu. She does treat as he is in the wrong (same for Iida. Again....this asshole tried to kill a man) and to me, it cements how Izu may not fully trust her with his pain or just convinced 100% his pain is non important

7) dark Izu era. She doesnt look happy to see him and doesnt respect his wishes at all. She is being guided by bk who is having the time of his life. No one looks happy to see Izu. And they force him to return.

8) She says to Toga, who she had no contact until now, she will be her blood bank. Izu? She doesnt even know the name of his mother.

Izuocha to me is dead even as friendship. Ochako did nothing and what she did for Izu was not great.

[marunalu]

Btw, I'm confused. You hate bkdk but you loves kiribaku (as you think their handhold was more emotional ) while most of kiribaku shippers are mostly Bakugo simp who thinks Bakugo is better than deku? I thought you hate Bakugo.

Oh, and that kiribaku handholding isn't about kiribaku at all. It's already confirmed by Hori that it showed how Deku believed Bakugo wouldn't accept his hand, same thing like how Bakugo believed he was not the right person to hold Deku's hand during Deku vs class A1

WHERE the hell did I ever say I love kiribaku??? Can you please not put words in my mouth I never said?! I said the kiribaku handhold in kamino was more emotional (emotional DOESNT mean romantic, what the fuck!), because it was about THEM (their friendship) while in the recent chapter the "handhold" between izuku and bakugou was izuku literally throwing bakugou in all mights direction to safe him. It wasnt about them, it was about saving their idol and working together to archive that!

I wrote in the same damn post that just like izuku kirishima deserves someone better then bakugou, so what makes you think I LOVE kiribaku??? I despise ANY ship with bakugou because EVERYONE deserves better then him! Bakugou is simply no romantic relationship material, except if you think your partner screaming bloody and murder to you and insulting you for even the tiniest thing is hardcore romance!

I hope I made myself clear!

[weirdowithaquill]

Traintober 2023 is Here!

Now, I can't draw - and I'm a writer anyway, so here's 31 days worth of headcanons, rambles and short stories based on the Traintober prompts by @theflyingkipper. First time doing this, so it ought to be fun!

This is the master post, so it'll have all the links you need to find what I post this year. This page will also have this link to my Ao3 work which has the same stuff, but without pictures.

Day 1: Free Day (A ramble about preservation and Sodor) Day 2: Bridge (Rheneas, 1866) Day 3: Twins (Neil, Bill and Ben) Day 4: Devious (Diesel will forever be the most devious) Day 5: It's Only Me! (Sir Topham Hatt and Edward, a friendship in three words...) Day 6: Special Letters (A Tale of Two A1 Brothers...) Day 7: Refreshment (The Refreshment Lady is retiring...) Day 8: Bird (Cranky blames Henry for it all...) Day 9: Viaduct (Neil doesn't like the Viaduct...) Day 10: Happiest (The Engines are Happiest when...) Day 11: Roundhouse (Edward doesn't like Tidmouth Sheds...) Day 12: Something Borrowed (Maybe don't Borrow Henrietta...) Day 13: Something New (Gordon's new life on the slow trains...) Day 14: Young Iron (Ivo Hugh has some advice for a young engine...) Day 15: Maintenance (Duke Needs the Others to be Well Maintained...) Day 16: Purpose (What is an engine's purpose?) Day 17: Holiday (How Tourism on Sodor has evolved...) Day 18: Blueprints (Crovan's Gate is home to many blueprints...) Day 19: Revolutionary (What are the origins of the iconic phrase?...) Day 20: Live Wire (Edward didn't much like the telegraph wires...) Day 21: Roots (Terence does not like weeds...) Day 22: Top Hat (Sir Topham Hatt I decides to visit the railway...) Day 23: Big World (Duck manages to squirm into the BWBA movie...) Day 24: Odd Jobs (Rusty has many odd jobs...) Day 25: Distress Signal (What's out in Tidmouth Bay...) Day 26: Summit (James and the Culdee Fell Engine...) Day 27: Record-Breaker (Mallard broke the record; the record broke Mallard) Day 28: Which Way Now (An engine gets lost in the fog...) Day 29: Out of Service (Oliver wasn't the only engine in that siding...) Day 30: Middle of Nowhere (They should have left that part of the island alone) Day 31: Lights Out (Don't let the lights go out at Crovan's Gate)

[wildtornado-o]

For the ask meme... if you are not already overrun with requests... perhaps laurence & tharkay with A4, or laurence & granby with A1?

I was literally thinking about just how much I wanted to draw them hugging. Their friendship is everything to me. (Also dw about me being overrun with requests I'll always take more dksksk)

Ask Meme!! (Still taking them <3)