#this worked better in fanfic

[maddie-grove]

This is so depressing.

[fictionadventurer]

Personally, it's always a bit wild to me to see commentators interact with the Hunger Games franchise as if Collins were writing science fiction stories instead of essays with faces. She's just not that interested in fleshing out side characters or digging into the details of the worldbuilding. These characters are concepts and symbols before they're people. There's an almost mathematical precision to who and what she explores and how deeply she does it. This is a step or two away from pure allegory. If she were writing a couple of centuries ago, she'd have named her characters things like Innocence and Anger and Watch-Carefully-Your-Soul-Lest-Ye-Be-Damned, but since she's writing for modern audiences, she has to settle for puns and allusions. If she has another essay to write, she'll assign some faces to it; she's not going to look into backstories or other eras just for the sake of storytelling, and it's not a failing as a writer that she doesn't.

[angelpuns]

CW: BLOOD

My baby bro @3mutantsinatrenchcoat askd me to draw F! Leonardo as Pyramid Head and I got way way wayyy too carried away, so I'm showing it to everyone <3

This took like...4 ish hours? I got a little too silly, but it was fun to do something big and detailed for once <3 Also I really enjoyed this pen, so I may use it for stuff in the future

smthn is still off about it, but I've been staring at it with no breaks for a long time, soooo

[muffinlance]

Do you get the impression the live action is treating us like utter morons?? Like I thought that making it aimed at an older audience would open the doors for more subtle story telling, but no, they're just using monologues to tell us eveything! Like in the second episode Katara's like 'oh his power isn't that he's the avatar, it's that he ~connects~ to people'. Girl we're not idiots we can see that!! And the first episode with Aang's goddawful 'I don't want this responsibility' monologue

THIS, YES. The word that keeps coming to mind is definitely "subtlety". The show for literal children? Had it. The remake for adults? Not so much.

[stimpry]

mad scientist eridan au doodles + sprite edit i gotta write all my ideas down for this or something maybe make a fic abou tit who knows i just really really like this au i made check the tags for my ranting about it

[tea-cat-arts]

I simply think this fandom doesn't give Wei Wuxian enough credit for the various ways in which he saved Lan Wangji

[maxedes]

german terms of endearment for your fanfics

i‘ve recently stumbled across some fanfics about german drivers (mainly nico & seb if we‘re being honest) and quite a few liked to use german terms of endearment. thing is, that they mainly use words that aren‘t really used in germany & sound a little strange. like „liebchen“ which i have never heard anyone say irl & which frankly just sounds like bad german from an american n*zi movie. or „mädchen“ which just means girl & can be used as „mein mädchen“ (my girl) but does kinda sound like something your weird toxic first bf would say. so to make everyones lifes a little easier: some german pet names that actually get used with a little context:

Schatz (treasure)

probably the most commonly used term in german. everyone & their mom uses it for romantic partners. can be used in any situations. i think there are people who forget their partners name because they just call them Schatz. to make it even cuter you can say „Schatzi“ but use carefully since that could easily sound condescending. same goes for „Schätzchen“ which in theory makes it cuter but actually mainly sounds like a guy talking down on you.

mein Herz (my heart)

emphasis on the „mein“ just calling someone a heart is a strange thing to do. you can also say „Herzchen“ but same problem as „Schätzchen“

Liebling (my beloved, my dearest)

this is what everyone thinks liebchen is. from personal experience i‘d say it‘s a word more often used by older people but could work.

Engel/chen (angel)

actually alright. maybe also use „mein“ in front of it. „mein kleiner engel“ → my little angel

Baby / Babe (same as english lol)

gets used rather frequently. same implications as in english

Hase / Hasi (bunny)

not inherently romantic/sexual. a cute one.

Maus/i (mouse/little mouse)

has been vERY popularized by the kids™️ and i mean that in the sense that quite literally everyone & everything gets called „maussss“. maybe to the point where it‘s been a little overused.

Schnecke / Schnecki (snail)

or schnegge. but with that your easily in a little creepy territory. schnecki is kinda cute though. i think my mom used to call me that so it doesn‘t have to be romantic. also no, i don‘t know why you would call someone snail as a cute little nickname and no it doesn‘t have to relate to their general speed (walking, driving or thinking)

Spatz / Spätzchen / Spazl (sparrow)

i don‘t know what germans have with this bird but it is popular. the last version „spatzl“ is mainly used in southern germany. it‘s what my parents call each other so if someone tried to call me that my toenails would curl up and not in a good way.

Dicker (fatty)

not to be confused with digger/digga which comes from the word but is more used like „bro“ (yeas i know what it looks like a first glace, pinky promise thats not what it is). only fun if used endearingly.

Sonnenschein (sunshine)

for my seb girlies (gn). it‘s a pretty long word though so probably not something to call someone on a regular basis

in conclusion: most of them are still bad and maybe even a little icky. i think the real way to go would be an inside joke or just a shorter or cute version of their name. german really isn‘t the language to be romantic in, in spite of what göthe might what you to think. i literally couldn‘t think of any more so i googeled & saw some of the most disturbing pet names imaginable.

[3rinbkk]

jungkook’s masterlist💗

SERIES 

risqué by @mercurygguk - on going

genre: age gap au, angst, smut, fluff. summary: in which Jungkook struggles to keep his relationship with you strictly appropriate and it’s not like you’re making it easy for him. 

runaway by @archivedkookie - on going

genre: best friend’s brother au, fwb, 4 years age gap, smut, angst, fluff, slow burn. summary: when your best friend’s brother, your first-ever crush, offers to help you explore your sexual desires, you just can’t refuse. especially when it’s someone as irresistible as Jeon Jungkook. 

mutual help  by @personasintro - on going

genre: fluff, angst, smut, slow burn, fake dating au.  summary: in order for you to pretend to be his girlfriend, he helps you with your sexual desires– he calls it a mutual help. 

bad influence by @noteguk

summary: in which you know Jungkook is a bad influence on you, but you can’t avoid falling for him every time.

practice by @chryblossomjjk

genre: college au, fwb, smut, fluff, angst. 

blackout by @jjungxkook

genre: best friends to lovers, roommate and college au, fluff, crack, smut. summary: utility bills shooting up like this should be an international crime. luckily, Jungkook has the perfect idea(s) to save up money and make your night sinfully unforgettable. 

the dilf installments  by @mercurygguk - on going

genre: established relationship, smut, angst, fluff. summary: this series follows Jungkook’s life as a divorced father. but wait, how exactly does one balance being a father, a boyfriend, a friend, and a respectable boss at the same time?

to turn a bad thing good  by @chateautae - on going

genre: series, arranged marriage!au, fwb!au, haters to lovers, smut, fluff, angst.  summary: Jungkook’s drunken one night stand goes awry when he comes to learn not only is he being forced into an arranged marriage, but it’s to the very girl he abandoned that night– and things get a lot more complicated when you’re the best hookup he’s ever had.

the weekend  by @chryblossomjjk

genre: m/18+, fwb, angst, smut. summary: every weekend, you give Jungkook a little taste of something he’s missing monday through friday.

hair dye: the collection  by @mercurygguk

genre: established relationship, fluff, sumt.  summary: series about Jungkook’s different hair colors. 

denial by @girlygguk

genre: fwb au, secret-ish situationship, smut/fluff-ish/angt-ish. summary: it’s been a plethora of secret meetups, quickies in the bathrooms of his awards shows, and 2 am ‘you up?’ texts during you year-long situationship with Jungkook. you both agreed in the beginning that your careers are far too hectic to commit to anything serious, but you can't shake the shitty ache in your chest every time the high wears off, or when you’re crawling out of his bed in the middle of the night, trying to exile the shitty feeling of longing that you harbor for him, you spend time with another one of your guy friends. Jungkook sees, and he’s mad.

colour me in by @taegularities

genre: fwb, fake dating, college!au; fluff, angst, smut. summary: Jungkook’s door only opens for you when there’s a barter: a trade of lust and haze. but today you knock for something more, as intriguing as it is frightening- and you hope it doesn’t close his door forever. 

gradation by @shina913

genre: bf2l, fwb, slow burn; fluff, angst, smut. summary: on your wedding day, your fiancé leaves you at the altar. while reeling from the embarrassment and heartbreak your best friend, Jungkook, wants to do everything that he can to help you heal.

in the seom by @thvhoe

genre: college au, fwb to lovers, smut, angst, fluff.

p&p by @yoon-kooks

genre: smut, fluff, college!au.

spicy n' sweet by @thvhoe

genre: established relationship, fluff, smut, angst, dance au x boxer au. summary: Jeon Jungkook is the perfect guy... to piss off your parents. he's buff, inked up and the definition of their worst nightmare but hey, when love comes knocking on your door there's not much you can do. it's not like you planned on falling for him... it just kinda happened, and honestly, you're not even mad about it. not at all.

in which by @onlyswan

genre: established relationship, fluff. NOTE: this is one of (if not MY) favorite series i've ever read. it's so beautiful and heartwarming and it brings me so much comfort,,, thank u so much for this amazing work of art <3

bitchin' by @kinktae

genre: 1980s au, eventual smut, e2l. summary: the 80s were a time of choices. which perm was right for you? what color neon would you wear next? none of these choices, however, were more questionable than a certain deal you made with Jean Jungkook.

gold rush by @onlyswan

genre: fluff, smut. summary: what must it be like to grow up that beautiful? with your falling into place like dominos.

candles & flames by @taegularities

genre: enemies to lovers, royal!au: angst, fluff, smut. summary: he wasn't supposed to be yours. his foolery wasn't supposed to target you. tis wasn't supposed to happen.

ONE SHOTS

make you mine by @mercurygguk

genre: college au, friends to lovers au, fluff, angst, smut. summary: your first day at your new college is quite eventful to sa th least. but everything seems slightly less chaotic when Jeon Jungkook offers to help you on your way - if only knowing him wasn’t an even bigger mess than the day you first met. 

never be friends by @jjungxkook

genre: best friends to lovers, fluff, crack, suggestive. summary: a healthy mix of irritation and amusement leads to kissing and making out with your best friend. everyone knows that. 

white lies by @noteguk

genre: smut, fluff, very minor angst.  summary: in which Jungkook lies his way out of and into trouble. bet he can’t tell white lies when it comes to you. 

happy birthday loser  by @jungk0oksthighs

genre: idiots to lovers, smut. summary: after three years of limping over your roommate, you give him one hell of a birthday celebration.

what if I love you too much? by @taleasnewastime

genre: fluff, angst, smut, single mum reader. summary: jungkook. it’s only a name you learn after your son kicks his ball over the fence. before that you only knew him as the hot new neighbour who mows his lawn topless. and though you have no intention of getting to know him anymore than that, inevitably you do. you don’t necessarily fall, it’s too slow for that, but you definitely develop feelings you don’t intend to feel. because you know men like him, and you know that whatever you’re feeling, he’s probably not feeling the same. all the same, however hard you try, you can’t help yourself.

roommates by @jjkeverlast

genre: roommates to lovers, roommates au.  summary: you’ve been roommates with jeon jungkook for quite some time now, not having a single thought of him other than a roommate. but things take an unexpected turn when you accidentally catch him in the act.

on my knees by @jjkeverlast

genre: smut (seriously this is pure smut) summary: who needs a vibrator when Jeon Jungkook is here to do the job? not you. 

the act of falling by @kooktrash

genre: smut, angst, fluff, established fwb, fuckboy!jk x fem!reader. summary: what was supposed to be a meaningless fling has turned into much more before you both realized you were falling. now all you can do is hope that all the challenges you’ve faced are worth something.

stay by @koostarcandy

genre: fluff, angst, slight smut, this is the “she fell first bet he fell harder” trope. summary: Jungkook comes in and out of your life like a recurring side character in a 90s show. you wish that he would stay, just like the main character that he is.

eat me by @7deadlysinsfics

genre: pwp, fwb au, f2l au, smut, fluff. summary: you accuse all men of not knowing how to make women cum, and your best friend, ever the competitive one, challenges you to let him show you that he doesn’t fall into that category. blame the tequila for what ensues.

the boy with galaxies in his eyes by @oddinary4bts

genre: fwb to lovers, idol!au, angst (a lot), smut (a whole lot too), fluff. summary: you had never thought the night sky could be found in someone’s eyes. that is, until you met Jeon Jungkook and his gravity pulled you in. will he crush you with the galaxies in his eyes, or will you learn to explore his worlds and make them yours?

changes in between by @taegularities

genre: roommate au, s2f2l; some crack, fluff, angst, smut. summary: “does that mean that I can kiss you now” becoming the roommate of Jeon Jungkook is the biggest change you’ve ever gotten thrown into- but little do you know that the addition of another man will bring even further turbulence into your (love) life. 

rockstar 101 by @jeonjcngkook

genre: rockstar au, pwp, established relationship, smut, just pure unadulterated filth. summary: in the words of christina aguilera, “there’s nothing more dangerous than a boy with charm” and Jungkook is certainly coated in it.

groupie by @joonsy2k

genre: smut, fluff if you squint. summary: your best friend Jimin invites you to see his band, painted duck, perform at your local bar. you didn't expect to end up backstage with the bands lead bassist.

feel better by @mercurygguk

summary: your boyfriend arrives home after the Grammys, seeming annoyed and disappointed. and as his girlfriend, you want to make him feel better.

seven days a week by @back2bluesidex

genre: pwp, smut, fluff if you squint. summary: Jungkook promised himself that he will be fucking you right seven days a week.

primrose by @jeonjcngkook

genre: romance, established relationship, fluff, smut. summay: "I said... we're not done. understand?"

concrete king by @bratkook

genre: fluff, smut, limbo energy. summary: when a cute boy in a tacky hawaiian shirt lands a trick in your honor there's no way you could ever say no to him.

part two: hit the slopes.

cockblocked by @mercurygguk

genre: roommates au + friends (idiots) to lovers, smut/fluff/angst. summary: in which a pair of best friends are hopelessly in love with one another but they're too dumb to realize, even when everyone around them are dropping hints every five minutes. or alternatively; "you're an idiot for thinking i wouldn't love you back."

wicked by @noteguk

genre: smut, demon!jk. summary: in which incubus!jungkook likes to ruin pretty innocent things, and you might just be the perfect target.

many moons by @onlyswan

genre: royalguard!jk x princess!reader, strangers to lovers; fluff, angst a bit, slightly suggestive. summary: your father sets off to find a way to get you the moon, not realizing he has already given it to you.

all over you by @taegularities

genre: fantasy!au, HP!au, exes/e2l!au, light angst, fluff, smut, a lot of smut. summary: you just wanted to win the prize in options class, but it seems as if your ex has other plans.

DRABBLES

strawberry lips by @personasintro

genre: fluff  summary: it’s not your fault your professor is extremely young and oh, so hot. 

tryna smoke by @kooyeux

summary: little weed smoking sex session with you fuck buddy Jungkook in his lil' studio.

squirtle by @kooyeux

summary: "if you were a pokemon, you would be squirtle".

[thevioletcaptain]

i make a nickel / boss makes a buck / so at work i write fic / where the characters fuck

idk is this anything?

[wired-heartbeats]

I think self shippers are allowed to have complicated-ass relationships with their F/Os, like yeah we love the lovey-dovey sweet flustering stuff, but also some of us go nuts for a good case of

‘we want to and probably have practically strangled each other but also you’re my soulmate and fate has intrinsically tied us together and I would protect you and fight for you in any given universe but also you’re an actual dumbass and I will tell you so and if we ever go down it’s going to be by the others hand’

Or other related variations, I think it’s great to go hogwild and not all F/O relationships stop at Romantic or Platonic or Familial, the dynamics are endless and can be so fun to play with and navigate

[crow-aeris]

Hubris was the downfall of many men.

He remembers indulging in one of Jason’s many long-winded rants about literature, hearing his brother ramble on and on about how pride was the thing that killed John Proctor. Sure, Abigail made have been the leading cause of all those deaths, but John could have lived- could have seen his sons grow up- had he went through with the plan and lied… and yet, it was only because of a man’s pride did he leave behind his wife and sons.

And now as he lays alone and dying far, far away from family and friends… Tim couldn’t help but think hubris was what led him to… this.

His independence, once a blessing- now a curse, had him set out by himself with no foreword or warning to any hero or civilian whatsoever.

He feels… cold? Empty… Irritated. Oh what a time to be irritated, though Tim wasn’t all too sure who exactly his irritation was directed towards…

Bruce? Sure, he hadn’t been the best of fathers, but… he was all time had. Bruce hadn’t known Tim was going on this stupid trip, so he couldn’t be blamed.

Dick? Tim’s own personal hero? No, never. Dick might’ve hurt him before, but Tim couldn’t force himself to hold that grief even if he tried. Dick was spending the weekend with his friends, so Tim doubts he’ll find out about this until much later.

Jason? Despite being a grade a asshole, Jason cared. He had vehemently opposed Tim’s trip, and now he could see how it came back to bite him in the ass.

He laughs shrilly, tone nearing hysterical as Tim feels himself stop shivering… That wasn’t good, right? He read somewhere before that the moment you stop shivering, is the most dangerous.

Tim forces himself tighter into a ball, fighting to stay awake as he clung desperately onto his fleeing thoughts.

What about Stephanie? She got on his nerves occasionally, but those moments were few and far between.

Damian? Well, despite… everything, Tim has been trying to repair their relationship with what little scraps existed prior.

Cass? God, no. Tim could never be angry at her. She does her best, and honestly? Tim commends her for it.

Duke was a sweetheart. Kind, determined, and optimistic even after everything he’s gone through. he was the embodiment of sunshine through and through.

…

……

………

…………What was he thinking about?

He was… sleepy. Tired….

…Where was Bernard? Where was Kon? He was… numb. Was he supposed to feel this numb?

Taking a little nap wouldn’t hurt, right? It wouldn’t hurt at all….

“Oh, Detective, look what mess have you gotten yourself into? This is why you never should have left my side”

[pastafossa]

Hi, let's talk gatekeeping fanfic. First, if you bully teenage girls out of the fandom for writing like teenagers who're still learning, you are a terrible person. Because you were that teenager. I get some of us fic writers like to pretend we came out of the womb clutching a bloody, sticky 250k word in-depth character study fic that would rank in the top ten most kudos'd fics in the fandom ever if only our eyeballs and coordination were developed enough to transfer it to a screen, but that's a massive pile of horseshit, and you know it. You wrote with mashed paragraphs and mispellings and clunky dialogue. You used the same tropes you like to mock young writers for. So maybe have a flashback and then chill.

And just in case you don't care about that, you're also literally shooting yourself in the face, because a TON of writers (which often includes you) generally follow this trend:

Get excited about a character or fandom when you're younger and/or not a Leveled Up Writer yet

Decide to try writing fanfic for the first time

Bang something out and excitedly post it

Either get good or helpful/encouraging reactions that make you want to keep keep writing, or you get a bunch of sneering comments about teenagers by grownass gatekeepers who, for some reason, feel smug about mocking excited novices who're trying to write a fun story, thus chasing you away from writing.

And there's where you fuck yourself over if you pick the shit-covered Door #2. Because a writer can't improve unless they write. Oh, you might not see the effect immediately, but after a few years, the fanfic scene will die down as writers move on to less toxic spaces (or give up entirely). And you will have no one to fill the void. YOU are the reason you'll get less fic. Imagine mocking and making fun of a new piano player whose first song on piano is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. "Ugh, I hate this basic teenage crap, are you just banging on keys? Come back when you can play Moonlight Sonata."

I literally do not give one single shit if you 'approve' of some teenager's (or adult's!) fic. If they're happy creating the equivalent of a cake with a stick figure design, that's awesome cause they made themselves a cake they enjoy. Alternatively, they're practicing making cake and no cake is perfect the first time, unless you learn something, in which case it's served its purpose and is a great cake due to fulfilling that purpose.

Tell you what - you want to gatekeep? Here's who you can gatekeep in fanfic:

Plagiarists.

There. Go nuts.

And if you're a novice writer, be it teenager or adult, deciding to try writing fic for the first time, please, please don't let them tear you down. Please don't stop writing. Don't stop learning. Don't stop creating. Don't stop being so filled with love for a story and its characters that you have to create just so you can breathe a little easier without your words and story filling up all that space around your lungs. I promise you, I promise, that every single writer you love has been at where you're at now, and the only reason they write like they do now is that they kept going, kept trying, kept writing. People will talk about talent but it plays a far smaller role than you think - this is 90% practice. And that means you can learn this.

You can do this.

So do it.

[midsummersins]

“Word of advice,” Tom says, slipping into the seat beside the fool and dropping his tumbler onto the bar with an audible clink. He’s not at the point of stumbling, but he is already beginning to lose some of his gracefulness. He’s not sure if it’s a great or terrible day to discover that he’s a lightweight. “Draw your hood. Everyone’s looking at you.”

His vision had been tunnelled to his tumbler until several seconds ago, but Tom realises as he speaks that it’s more or less true. Several patrons are staring at the back of the wizard’s head, at the unruly curls that reside there.

The stranger looks up from his empty pilsner glass, and then around at his surroundings. He pulls out a wand to Transfigure his robe.

“I did wonder why I felt eyes burning into the back of my neck,” he says. His gaze meets Tom’s. Though The White Wyvern is dimly lit and there’s now a hood casting shadows over the man’s facial features, Tom can make out a pair of green eyes. “Can I buy you a drink? As my thanks.”

All the surroundings conversations in the rowdy atmosphere of the Knockturn bar have begun to blend together into one general buzz, so Tom knows he should probably say ‘no’. His inhibitions are lowered just enough to say ‘yes’, however.

The wizard makes a gurgled noise at the back of his throat as he watches Tom tip the firewhiskey contents of his tumbler down his throat.

“Rough day?” he asks.

“Rough ten years,” Tom answers, because he can, and because there’s a fittingly named spirit setting his veins alight. He should probably start keeping count. That’s four, he thinks. “I’ve been working customer service for ten years. The best ten years of my life wasted to customer service!” And he slams the empty tumbler down on the bar rather aggressively.

The wizard startles at the loud noise, and Tom stares at him. He notices that the other’s eyes aren’t just green; they’re the same bright shade as the Avada. A deathly promise, that curse can only be cast by someone with both power and will. He suddenly wishes he’d seen the wizard’s face and not just the back of his head, before the hood was drawn.

“My apologies,” Tom says belatedly, stupidly. He struggles a little over the too-many-syllabled word.

“No, no, go ahead,” the other replies. “I've worked in customer service, too. I used to tell my friends that they should never go around the back because that’s where I hide the bodies of the most irritating clients.”

It takes a second for the sentence to register, but when it does, Tom laughs. “That’s a great idea!” he enthuses.

And that’s how Tom ends up spending several hours drunkenly complaining to a complete stranger about each and every of Borgin and Burke’s customers.

>>I'm rewriting something and this happened. I don't know if it'll stick, but I think (?) this attempt/possible final draft is funny enough to share.

[queermediaanysis]

So a lot is bothering me about the narrative structure of season two. If I didn’t have my own novel to work on and didn’t have several more edits commissioned, I’d write a fix-it fic for all of season two to fix the narrative stuff and to really delve into character arcs that felt off. Maybe I will anyway. Idk. If someone who actually has time wants to take any or all of this and write a fic, go for it. Can’t wait to read it. Anyway, this is a very rough outline that’s subject to change if I do write the fic, but from a developmental editing perspective, here’s my two cents nobody asked for on season 2:

Thematic elements: Atonement and coping with trauma, the crew leaving (especially in regards to Stede’s emotional wound where he’s worried about people being better off without him) and identity (especially in regards to Ed/Stede/Izzy). These are present in the show as-is, but they don’t play out well just yet. I’m focusing on these to make things cohesive.

Episodes 1-3: mostly perfect. Loved these and the pacing felt correct for the most part. I would keep the tone from these episodes through the season. Ricky would be introduced here. Zheng is fantastic and all of her stuff stays here.

What I’d change: Ned Low would be the primary antagonist for this season. Ricky would be set up through this season to be the primary antagonist next season. Ned Low’s record is Ed’s original suicide by proxy plan, and that needs to be introduced here. There needs to be a scene showing how Ned tortures people in these episodes. Izzy needs to bring it up as a concern to Ed. Ed doesn’t care about the crew’s safety, obviously, someone (Izzy) needs to mention Ned’s record and possible repercussions here. I’d also NOT play Lucius’s trauma reveal with Stede like a comedy beat. (Like seriously, I HATE that the show played SA as a comedy beat.) Black Pete would be shown crying of Lucius so it’s not just told randomly after the fact. Olu would be shown missing Jim.

Episode 4: The unicorn thing with Izzy was beautiful and I’d keep that. Stede and Ed going to Mary and Anne’s is fine. Buttons can APPEAR to turn into a seagull.

What I’d change: The Kraken Crew and Lucius need to stay paranoid longer. They need to tally things up and realize that Low’s record has been broken (I think Ed was too checked out from reality/high on rhino horn to even realize he’d broken it; Izzy has bigger things going on and likely also lost track) but that record being broken was NEVER shown in the original, just told after the fact. In order to NOT switch to a speculative genre randomly for a convenient metaphor, Buttons appears to turn into a seagull but he doesn’t literally. Revealed to the audience but not to Ed/Stede (more on this later). Stede doesn’t put it to a vote that Ed can come back. He’s the captain and decides that that’s how it’s gonna be. The crew is also gonna look to former first-mate Frenchie (whose trauma is in a box) for direction when Izzy is struggling. It’s Frenchie’s idea about the leg. Izzy is still struggling a little more after his new leg, and I think he should be shown happy at the end but with a bottle of something not far from him (but more in that later).

Episode 5: Ed’s influencer non-apology clearly written by Stede works. Ed and Stede need time apart. The cursed suit can stay for the levity of it. Ed and Fang can go fishing. The moonlight kiss scene works for the most part.

What I’d change: Izzy can be sassy with Lucius, and a bit of a mentor to Stede, but he’s going to be drinking in this episode. Not plastered drunk like ep 4, but it’s gonna clearly be a struggle and everyone is just Not Talking About It. Lucius might start to parallel that a bit and I’d like to see more interaction with them there. I’d also like to see the Kraken Crew (all the crew really) treating Izzy as their captain. Stede says he doesn’t feel like the captain and there should be a reason for that. If he forced them to let Ed back on the boat in ep 4, that can be addressed here. Izzy is following Stede so he can eventually persuade everyone they have to as well, though Izzy’s earned more trust than anyone at this point. I’d delve into him doing for Stede what he did for Ed pre-season one (“massaged the crew” when Ed’s moods seemed off to keep things running (I can’t remember the exact quote past that, but that’s essentially the idea). The Kraken Crew needs to be wary of Ed longer. They do not believe Buttons is a seagull. They all think Ed killed him and Stede says he didn’t see Buttons turn into a seagull, but he takes Ed’s side and doesn’t think Ed killed him. That starts a rift and an “us or Ed” thing that’ll play out later. Ed can try to interact with the crew and get the cold shoulder. He’s done nothing to restore his reputation. As far as the cursed suit goes, I would have them receive some sort of warning from Ned Low when they go to pawn the suit off on the other ship. Stede or/or Izzy would keep it quiet from the crew, who are only just now starting to follow Stede as the captain. Ricky needs to be shown here wanting to end piracy, and interacting with Zheng. After the moonlight kiss, I’d have them holding hands as they walk off. I think maybe Lucius would want to leave the ship here. The Swede and Buttons are gone already, and it makes sense for Lucius to want to leave but Black Pete to want to stay. They’ll both still be on board here though.

Episode 6: Calypso’s Birthday will be the plot for 7/8.

What I’d change: let me preface this by saying I haven’t worked Zheng’s plot fixes out fully. But. If we’re moving this to the next two episodes, something has to happen here. I’d keep the bit with the guilt room and with Ed giving away treasure to the urchins saying don’t be pirates, but have him say more in front of Stede about how piracy is bad for specific reasons that Stede just doesn’t clock as Ed wanting to stop. I think the plot will be along the lines of Stede engaging in more piracy. Ed will quietly be struggling with the fact that Stede is becoming a more and more proficient pirate in his own way, Ed himself not wanting to pirate anymore, and his tentative new relationship with the captain of a ship he is definitely not wanted on by anyone other than Stede. Zheng needs to interact with Ricky here about him wanting to end piracy. Izzy is a good first mate here but he’s still drinking. Lucius may start to parallel that here. Former first mate Frenchie picks up the slack and falls into a leadership role when Izzy is struggling too much, and this is eventually gonna cause him to have to deal with his trauma that’s bottled up, when he has to talk to Izzy about clearly not handling his own. Eventually, things will come to a head with the crew not wanting Ed on board. It becomes an “us vs him” thing with the crew threatening to leave if Es doesn’t. Stede will try to smooth things over but Ed will interrupt and say don’t bother, he’s leaving. He doesn’t know who he is but at least fisherman would be better than pirate. Episode ends with Stede heartbroken and Ed going off to fish in something that isn’t his leathers, so he wouldn’t be recognizable from a distance. Low pinpoints Stede’s ship but doesn’t see Ed on it, and plans to bait him out by boarding and torturing the crew.

Episodes 7-8: Nope. I’d keep almost none of this.

What I’d change: This part is also still rough and I need to flesh it out a bit more, BUT: Calypso’s birthday would be episode 7. The crew would wanna party but also wanna cheer up their sulking captain. They’re glad Ed is gone. Izzy is a good first mate here but still drinking. He encourages the party to Stede who agrees. They’re spending Ed’s treasure that he’s left, turning the poison into positivity by getting rid of the bad memories the Kraken Crew has of obtaining it. Stede and Izzy bond a lot here. Ned Low does interrupt the party (I think maybe he’s also “working” with Ricky but not really, he has his own agenda) planning to bait Ed back. The scene in Stede’s quarters would be Izzy and Stede, not Ed and Stede. Once again the crew are suffering for Ed’s actions, and THAT is how Ed can atone for it. He can save them, probably with the help of Zheng who he’ll have met when he goes off to be a fisherman. So there’s some camaraderie going there. Also, with help from Lucius and Black Pete, who will have to trust him in order to save the crew/themselves. Stede will be the one to kill Ned Low, and he and Ed will still impulsively sleep together as a coping mechanism at the end of episode 8. Izzy is still alive and well (though still drinking a lot; and I think this could be a key to Frenchie having to confront trauma instead of locking it in the box), and things aren’t smoothed out with Ed and Izzy yet, that’s for next season, Ed has ACTUALLY done something to earn the crew’s trust back, and it appears to be a happy enough ending for Ed and Stede. Also, IF Ed says “I love you”, Stede is GONNA say “I love you too” because WTAF was that in the show?! But I’d end the season with La Vie en Rose and fireworks, Izzy happy and celebrating with the crew, a happy moment for Ed/Stede, the antagonist defeated, and Ed actually having atoned for his previous actions.

All of this is rough, but it’s my original thoughts. If anyone wants to use the base of this to write a fix-it fic, go for it. I may do it myself if I can find the time between work writing responsibilities.

[randomness-is-my-order]

i have a severe disliking for the concept of wei wuxian & jiang cheng reconciliation which honestly, didn’t start out that way. my first reaction to seeing these tags and also stories was that “oh nice, jiang cheng growth will be shown post-canon” because for me this reconciliation is only possible in the scope of a redemption story. and yes, jiang cheng’s redemption specifically. but much to my surprise, alot of these conceptualisations put the weight of reunion and reconciliation squarely on wei wuxian’s shoulders and that feels fundamentally wrong somehow, when i know that it wasn’t wei wuxian’s outlook that needed changing but jiang cheng’s.

sometimes, it is so funny how my experience with mo dao zu shi keenly parallels my experience with the my hero academia fandom. for anyone in the know and for anyone who would relate, jiang cheng & bakugo katsuki are so hilariously alike–especially in the way the fandoms treat these characters and how the fandoms place the weight of mending things on the wronged main characters. (and if i allow myself to get even more meta–even the tag wars are so alike i feel myself going through deja vu these days lol)

listen, i get the appeal of creating fanon explanations for unsavoury actions of characters we like and i know that some things can be enjoyed in a varied manner but there’s a way to make a canonical asshole more likable that doesn’t handwave away their wrongs or create justifications out of thin air for them or–and this one actually grates on my nerves–recontextualise things so the person they wronged somehow “deserved it” and it is: taking accountability and atoning and having that introspection and awareness, through whatever journey of growth, that yeah i fucked up and now i need to unfuck things if possible. but now that i have dipped my toes into stories of reconciliation and found myself a bit, uh, repulsed, by how wei wuxian had to make more efforts (or even equal efforts), it has permanently soured me on the concept. which is a bit of a shame.