#today is a great day to be a multishipper

[pocketsizedowls]

The following is a possible timeline of Jiang Cheng's romantic (?) endeavors:

He meets Wei Wuxian when he was a toddler. Since Wei Wuxian is a little older and a little taller, Jiang Cheng thinks he's kind of cool, even if he's also a toddler. A few years later Wei Wuxian comes to live at Lotus Pier full-time. They start sharing a room and it takes only about a month for Jiang Cheng to realize that Wei Wuxian, who he now sees as a brother, is a fucking idiot.

Wei Wuxian follows Jiang Cheng to the Cloud Recesses when they are 15 and they meet Nie Huaisang, who is timid but mischievous. Nie Huaisang runs an illegal pornography distribution business without ever getting caught, not even after Wei Wuxian gets booted from Gusu and Lan Qiren grows eyes on the back of his head. It piques Jiang Cheng's interest. Nie Huaisang kisses Jiang Cheng on the last day of school before skipping away to Qinghe.

In The Untamed, Jiang Cheng meets Wen Qing around this time as well. He grew up watching Jiang Yanli pine after the peacock and, after making a list of qualities that he would like for the future Madam Jiang to have, he thinks Wen Qing is a good choice for courtship. She's smart and pretty, just like his jiejie. His mom will probably like her, which is... preferable. Either way, Jiang Cheng courts Wen Qing by bringing her a comb he bought at Caiyi Town, just like Yanli says he should. He leaves the encounter feeling proud of himself.

The romantic (?) side plots of Jiang Cheng's life take a pause for the next 5ish years because he's busy trying not to die. Lotus Pier burns, the Sunshot Campaign goes by, and good news! He succeeds in not dying. Bad news! Every other Jiang didn't. So, he spends the next 10 years after that recovering from not-dying. Understandably, it put a slight damper on his mood and now, he's been blacklisted from every matchmaker in the country! Oh well. He's got his hands full anyways, with a nephew to raise and a sect to rebuild, yada yada yada.

Soon enough, Jiang Cheng forgets all about his youthful naivete and teenage follies. Growing up has a way of hardening your soul and rewiring your memories, so he spends most of his days as Sect Leader Jiang overworking until he feels absolutely nothing. Raising Jin Ling brings some light into his life, of course, but he's a Jin, not a Jiang. He doesn't get to spend all his time at Lotus Pier, no matter how much Jiang Cheng would secretly love that. In a matter of years, chasing down demonic cultivators became his only source of dopamine. It's an incredibly self-indulgent thing. He investigates every smoke trail, every rumor, and every crudely-drawn Yiling Patriarch poster with the intention of destroying Wei Wuxian the moment he comes back. He tells himself he doesn't miss him but finds himself pausing the witch hunt every year on October 31st, Wei Wuxian's birthday.

At the Guanyin Temple, Jiang Cheng, Lan Wangji, and the new-returned Wei Wuxian take down Jin Guangyao with help of a dubiously-intact Nie Mingjue and dubiously-intentioned Nie Huaisang. Jiang Cheng returns to Lotus Pier with his (?) golden core feeling lopsided in his dantian, only to receive a wedding invitation barely a few months later from Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. He wonders for a second if they intend to make amends...? Then he banishes the thought as soon as it comes.

He attends the wedding only to save face for the Jiang Sect because people would surely talk if he doesn't show. He escapes the festivities by the time the banquet starts and walks right into Lan Xichen on his way out of the Cloud Recesses.

"Zewu-jun," he says, "aren't you supposed to be in seclusion?"

Lan Xichen smiles. "Yes."

"Then why are you out here?"

"My brother is getting married," Lan Xichen says, "why shouldn't I be here?"

"If you're truly here for the wedding," sighs Jiang Cheng, "then go inside? Pat your brother on the back? Eat a piece of cake?"

Lan Xichen's smile wobbles, but Jiang Cheng doesn't let up. He's not stupid. Sure, Lan Xichen is in seclusion, which means his time is his own and he can do anything he wants, but Lan Sect would definitely be alarmed to find their sect leader grimly wandering the grounds of the Cloud Recesses on a celebratory night. So.

"Well?" Jiang Cheng asks, pointed.

Lan Xichen's expression darkens. Jiang Cheng thinks anger is a good look on.

"Sect Leader Jiang," Lan Xichen starts, eerily peacefully, "you tell me to go inside, to congratulate my brother, and to eat. But did you do any of those things? It's barely nightfall and you look about ready to leave Gusu. With no Lan disciple walking you to the gates, however, you resemble a student sneaking out of class. Here at the Cloud Recesses, that crime is worthy of 20 lashes. Would you like to explain your behavior?"

Under any other circumstance, Jiang Cheng would lash out against this kind of condescension, but Lan Xichen is swaying under the moonlight like a reed. The sight of the strong, courteous Lan Xichen at his lowest unlocks something inside Jiang Cheng, a rough-around-the-edges feeling associated with flashes of memories that he can no longer fully remember. A shared bedroom. A kiss at school. A comb wrapped in cloth. A bowl of pork rib and lotus soup delivered to the front lines of war. A bloodied hairpin tucked in a purple waist stash. A declaration of love under the watchful gaze of dangerous enemies.

The feeling threatens to knock him over, but this is Jiang Cheng we're talking about. Naturally, he tucks the strange feeling back inside the box where it came from and locks it once again with the key. Meanwhile, he offers to walk Lan Xichen to the banquet. He says to him: I'll stay with you if you want. I'll even eat a piece of cake with you. Lan Xichen declines--thank goodness--so they make their way toward the Hanshi instead.

"What do you want to do now," Jiang Cheng asks when they make it to Lan Xichen's residence. He hovers at the dorm frame like a teenage boy trying his best not to intrude, leaning on one foot and then the other.

Lan Xichen considers Jiang Cheng's words for a moment and says, "I don't know. It's been a while since I had company, so please," He leaves the door wide open, gesturing inside the Hanshi, "come on in. Make yourself at home."

Jiang Cheng takes a ginger step across the threshold.

[milkyrrr]

It's a great day to be a multishipper. It's so great that you can enjoy absolutely ANY dynamic between characters, you're never bored in fandoms and you're not limited by anything. Yes, you may have favorite ships and special preferences in it, but nothing prevents you from saying something like "You know what? Today I want to read an angst about another ship, and nothing will stop me!". You just like that the characters are happy with other characters and like to see how different people perceive different ships differently!

[halfagone]

These ideas just popped into my head while I was looking at the results of your Danny hair length poll, so I'm taking that as a sign to send them to you;

So I love Jason/Danny, but I also love me some dad!Jason fics, and thus a conundrum.

Except, through my love of Jason and dad!Hood I discovered Roy and Lian, and Roy/Jason, and I will forever be a messy lil multishipper at heart, and a lover of domesticity (esp for those who don't live normal lives) and doing your best by a child.

So I'm genuinely surprised there aren't really any fics with Jay and Roy, either established or getting together, raising Lian and Danny (deaged, or teen). If romantic Jason/Roy isn't your thing, I think they would also make lovely Queer Platonic partners 😊

But the main idea I initially had was Jason/Danny, or Jason/Danny/Roy (and I will remind, cause people forget, that not everyone in a polycule needs to have the same kind of relationship to each other, so playing with that can be fun too). And Danny is in Gotham and to all eyes was a teen dad, because he has Ellie, who maybe hasn't aged at all physically or has been deaged, or happened later, and he's trying to make it work.

If it happened later, maybe he had gotten things together enough to get a scholarship to Gotham U, and then Vlad tried to clone him in a last ditch attempt to sabotage/control him, or because he saw Danny leaving his area of control and got desperate for a replacement. So then maybe Danny could be trying to balance school and a job and taking care of Ellie, however old you would have her be.

Or maybe he's just working and trying to be a parent and struggling along.

And anyway, he meets Jason or Redhood.

OR alternatively, Ellie meets Lian! At preschool or daycare or school or the park, again depends on age, and that's how Danny meets Jason and Roy. Maybe Jay was babysitting, or they were visiting, or maybe they're a couple or co-parenting Lian.

Idk, a lot of this was brought on by the idea of Danny not having time to get his hair cut, and having lil Ellie so doing each other's hair and then a train of all of them doing each other's hair.

Just... domesticity, ya know?

Today has been rough and domesticity is soothing.

Hahaha! Yeah, that is quite the conundrum, huh? You want the father-son relationship between Jason and a de-aged Danny, who understands him even if he's young and doesn't really understand the world like he used to. But then there's still Jason/Danny, and all the ways they oppose and relate to each other is always just so *chef's kiss* I really love Roy/Jason, I've read some great fics with them acting as a unit, even if they aren't always a couple. A lot of times it's just background, with Jason helping Roy with Lian, but I have such a soft spot for them. There is a bit of an age gap between Jason and Roy, actually, since Roy was with Dick during his Robin days and even then he was older than Dick. And sometimes I have to wonder how much that affects people shipping them or not?

But regardless, Jason and Roy both have such a complex history with their mentors/father figures, and their own relationship with heroism that I think it would be a really fun spin to include Danny on it. He doesn't really have that problem with a mentor that's hurt them in some way, but at the same time he's never had a mentor at all. Unless you're making this an AU where the Ancients kinda step into that position for him.

I do love the idea of Jason adopting a de-aged Danny as well, of course. I absolutely adore Imprint by Hashtag_DriveBy where we see Jason take in a young Danny, and we even see Roy kinda stepping up and helping out. What I really enjoy about the idea is that Jason is making the executive decision to reach out and ask for help from others, which I would say he's always really struggled with. He can be very prideful, and paranoid and distrusting to boot, which can be a very unfortunate combination. But the idea of Jason having a little Danny in his life and trying to do right by him, and learning and healing along the way always makes me soft.

As for a Jason/Danny or a Jason/Danny/Roy idea... I think the best route would be for a 14 year age difference between Danny and Ellie. Obviously, she could be aged-up thanks to Vlad's machinations, but based on an outsider's POV, it would 'explain' a lot of Danny's behavior in high school. Danny could have learned about her when he was turning seventeen or just graduating (depending on what you headcanon Danny's birthday, he could graduate at 17 and then turn eighteen in the same year, doesn't have to be anything complicated). She would be... 2 or 3 years old? Again, depending on what age Danny is, and when people find out about Ellie they get all these ideas about what Danny's been up to, and thinking "oh that's where Danny goes when he's running off randomly" or "that's why Danny's constantly tired and sleeping in school, because he was up all night taking care of a baby". Those sorts of excusing. It gives a good cover for his hero identity!

Another option instead of having Danny attend GothamU is have him get a trade job/apprenticeship, since he could go pretty much anywhere with that sort of training. Plus, he gets paid on the job even as an apprentice. I know a lot of people like the idea of Danny being a barista or a waiter, and while I definitely like those ideas as well... Realistically... In the U.S. it's not a living wage... And if Danny has a kid to take care of... I can't see him taking more than one job if he has to worry about Ellie at home. Especially if she's really young, like- too young to go to school. A degree would help a great deal, of course, but he does still have to work, so I feel like a trade job would be the best compromise. So he could be... a mechanic! That's one way for Danny to meet Jason, if Jason has some vehicles that need to be repaired and he doesn't want to go to Bruce. He could be an aircraft maintenance technician, that's closer to his love for spaceships. Nonetheless, he can later on go to school when Ellie is older and/or in school of her own.

I actually like the idea of Jason meeting Danny in his job, and they slowly get to know each other, and eventually Jason tries to ask Danny out, only for Danny to mention having to pick up or get home to his daughter. And Jason is surprised at first, of course, but then maybe he mentions his friend's daughter, and asking about how old Danny's daughter is- It all culminates in Jason meeting Ellie and then him falling in love as he watches Danny and Ellie interact. He gets Roy to come over, and it bites him in the ass because now Roy and Danny are getting along swimmingly and Jason has been delegated to babysitter. But eventually, the kids go to bed and they get to learn more about each other.

I like the idea of it being a slow burn, where at first they're all just trying to help each other out. Roy would understand Danny's struggles into parenthood, but thankfully Danny also wouldn't have to worry about getting clean and getting past an addiction. He would have to worry about the other (villain) parent possibly getting in the way and making things worse. Cheshire is usually shown to have given Lian up in order to protect her, but that doesn't mean her life style can't bite Roy and Lian in the ass sometimes.

Depending on the ages too, Lian and Ellie could try to play matchmaker and get their dads (plus Jason! You've gotta have Jason, in their opinions. He makes the best food) together. Due to all the movies they watch, they think it has to be something crazy romantic and something out of a fairytale. But things keep on getting messed up, and they're disappointed nothing comes out of it, but they keep trying. But, without them realizing it, those three have been getting closer all along.

Damn, I've got a lot of feelings about this. Sorry for the ramble. :P

[steddieunderdogfics]

Today is all about @spicysix! In today's Mod Spotlight, we're highlighting Lui and all they bring to this space!!

Lui handles our Challenge Monday and Theme Weekend Days! They queue up and handle any initial recs for those days, as well as keeping track of how many recs we need for each day!

lui (she/they) has discovered fandom life over 13 years ago and went through multiple fandoms since then. currently focusing on Stranger Things, they're an occasional writer and avid reader, and a multishipper at heart - but Steddie is her favorite ship to read in the ST fandom. she took a role as a mod on Steddie Underdog Fics trying to embrace a side of fandom that they haven't before, and it's been a great to be a part of it!

Having Lui on the team has been a blessing! Not only is she easy to work with and so kind, she's really helped level up this space in so many ways. I'm so glad I get to work with her! - ohstars

As a part of our mod spotlight, Lui answered some questions from you all and our team! You can read them below.

Be sure to stay tuned for more recs and future mod spotlights in the future!

What drew you to Steddie?

The opposites-yet-so-similar situation they have going on. Rich guy versus poor guy? Popular versus the loser? Jock versus nerd? But both with hearts of gold… Self sacrificing idiots…. Older brother figures… Smart in some ways but stupid in others… Stuck to high school ideas and dynamics… All of it is tasty.

What is your favorite thing about modding this page?

Getting to know many new fics! My TBR list has grown over what I can manage since I’ve started modding. My companions, Stars and Shane are also amazing and it’s great working with them.

What are your favorite tropes to read?

Probably strangers or friends to lovers. Or like, a one sided rivalry (usually comes from Eddie, who haaaates King Steve while Just-A-Guy-Steve never thought about Eddie before the UD shit lmao). I’m also a sucker for Soulmates AU; and anyone who knows me knows this: my favorite EVER is the timeloop. Ugh. My beloved.

What is your preferred way to read and find fics?

I usually read (or put on my TBR list) whatever shows up on my timeline. From friends, mutuals, or reblogs. When I go straight to the Ao3 ship tag it’s usually to find a specific type of story to read before I sleep,, so I usually set the filters to completed, under 10k words, and no Explicit and go through whatever shows up.

What’s your guilty pleasure trope?

I no longer feel this feeling, but I have once been found feeling guilty for reading monsterfuckeries of omegaverse stuff. Omegaverse is not exactly my cup of tea, but sometimes it can be fun. Anyway, embrace the cringe.

What makes a fic an instant yes for you to read?

Well, timeloops as I’ve said, mutual pining, a good ol’ roadtrip fun. And happy endings. Sorry, but sad endings are a no-go to me.

Anonymous - Is there any older or lesser-known Steddie event from the past few years that you particularly love (if ongoing or recurring) or loved? Did you participate in any?

Hmm no, not that I can think of! Our fandom is very creative so we have amazing events all year round, thankfully! I also haven’t participated in any Steddie specific events because, funny enough, Steddie is the ship that I write the least for (even though it’s the one I read the most! lol)

@sidekick-hero - What makes a fanfic stand out for you?

I think characterization and lots and lots of emotion. With big ships like Steddie, it’s easy for us to fall into different characterizations and sometimes we write them almost as OCs - and that’s not a problem at all, I’m in the team “write whatever you love”, I wouldn’t even call it “mischaracterization”. But when a fic is able to stay within the character’s traits, it tastes better lmao Especially if the side characters are well written – it’s often hard for people who focus on a specific ship to be able to write well the side characters or even care about them and in a fandom like ST specially I think the other relationships are just as important as the main romantic one. I also really love when a fic makes me cry until I have a headache.

@worldswcollide - What advice would you give to someone who is interested in becoming a mod in the future?

Only do it if you know you have the time to dedicate to it. It’s very upsetting to rely on someone only for them to never dedicate themselves fully to a commitment they made on their own choice. You also have to like what you’re doing. If you’re on a project like ours, you have to like this reccing interaction. If you’re on a bigbang project, you have to like being that leader and organizing dates and putting people in contact with each other. And it goes on, but you have to enjoy what you’re doing or you’re gonna resent it and other people involved will know. We always do.

Anonymous - Do you participate in any other fannish activities, like making playlists, gif edits, fanart, podcasts, Pinterest boards, etc?

Not anything that I share, no. I sometimes do moodboards or playlists specifically for my own fics, but besides that, writing and modding, I don’t do any other type of art (bc I lack talent and/or will to learn lol).

@sidekick-hero - What motivates you to mod for steddieunderdogfics?

The idea of shedding a spotlight on fics that can pass by unnoticed, I think. In a big ship like Steddie, that’s easy to happen because we’re two years past Eddie’s first appearance and we still get dozens of fics posted per day!! Being more in touch with the community in this way is fun!

@worldswcollide -  Are there skills you’ve learned as a mod that have helped you in your everyday life?

I think every time you have to work in a group you learn something new, because it’s always new people and new ways to work with them. But I can’t think of anything specific, you know?

Anonymous - Have you had a particular favorite Challenge Monday or weekend theme so far (maybe because of the theme, the recs, or the engagement, or for some other reason)?

Well. Timeloops Theme Weekend for starters of course lmao. I also loved all the engagement and recs we’ve had for fics with podfics challenge, even though I don’t listen to podfics (or podcasts at all lmao) I was happy to see people showing our podfic people the due praise! Fics with colors in the title was also a challenge that we’ve had so many recs we’re still queueing them till this day basically lol. It’s always amazing when we receive a lot of recs and responses.

@sidekick-hero - What do you like best about fandom?

That’s a hard one. But I think the general sense of so many people of different ages and places in the world come together to show love to an art or artist. There’s something so simple and beautiful about that. Dedicating our free time to talk, praise, watch, listen, create fanart for something! It gives me the good chills.

@worldswcollide - If you absolutely HAD to choose—enemies to lovers or friends to lovers? (At least when it comes to Steddie)

Ohhhhmygod why would you do this to me!!!!!!! I’m gonna go with friends to lovers because that is also what I love the most in real life I think – the mutual pining, the obliviousness, the potential angst while they don’t confess, all the little moments they have together, the always presents “you are so dense and blind and stupid and dinguses” from Robin… Love that, yeah.

Anonymous - Has your experience as a fic rec mod changed your perception of fandom (positive or negative, though I do hope positively!), either as a whole or specifically for the Steddie fandom?

Oh, I definitely have a lot more respect for modders now lmao Not that I didn’t before, but it’s always different when you see it/do it yourself. It takes a lot of dedication and organization.

@sidekick-hero - What makes modding fun to you?

Honestly in this specific case, I absolutely love the routine process of formatting the recs lmao I genuinely have fun with it. But also, to see the interactions, how people talk about the fics they’re reccing on their asks, and also I love going through the tags on reblogs and seeing people praising the fics or seeing the author so happy with the recs. It all warms my heart.

@worldswcollide - What has surprised you the most since becoming a mod?

How this fandom is still so alive!!! It’s insane to think Eddie was first shown to us two years ago already and people are still in love with him and the idea of making him and Steve kiss. The creativeness of this fandom, the many fics we get with so many different tropes, AUs, all the different situations we keep putting those blorbos in. How, even within the same trope, different authors can always put their own little things onto their fics and even when they’re similar, no two fics are ever written the same way.

Anonymous - Do you find yourself engaging in reading and writing differently now (for any fandom) because of your work as a mod, or have you changed how you interact with others in fandom spaces?

I feel like I comment more, especially on fics that have less comments or interactions overall.

@sidekick-hero - What makes you fall in love with a fanfic?

I think I said in a previous answer, the characterization but also the way a fic is written. Like, if it’s through Eddie’s POV I love when authors use a kind of fast paced writing with no pauses and many thoughts happening at the same time while he has a hard time thinking about something specific or focusing on only one thing and and and– cause I feel like Eddie’s head is a mess like that. When it’s a fix-it, how the author manages to save everything, how they pass on the grieving and bad feelings of being part of an apocalypse. When they remember the characters are all just kids. When they give them a break. If it’s an AU, how they put our boys out of the apocalyptic situation, how they make Steve still be Steve when he’s just a baker or a teacher or a nurse and not a high school jock with a savior complex anymore. Those little big details.

Anonymous - Do you try to read through every rec or have you found yourself wanting to read more recs than you can keep up with?

Absolutely the second option lmao Also there are a few themes/tropes that are not my cup of tea, so they don’t go to my TBR list, but the list is still huge anyway lmao But I love learning about new works and writers even if I don’t have the time to read them!

Today, all of our recs are from @spicysix specifically! You can always see their recs on our Fic Fridays by checking our #mod lui rec tag.

[roostertuftart]

aside from your partners, who are some sp fanartists you can recommend? especially style since that's my favourite ship

Ahhh I love the excuse to make a rec list!!! This is gonna be bit long! I've collected as many names of people that I could think of that I feel relatively fond of in terms of their artwork and personalities, and I decided to include some fanfiction writers I find to be worth a follow as well!! Hope that's okay ^-^ Also I'll be including my partners anyway since I want this post to come of use to anyone else new to the fandom and looking for style creators here :3

@bbathsalts - AMAZING style artist but also general multishipper

@erratic-brainrot - great metawriter, creates a lot of headcanon related posts, multishipper but loves style, esp as a part of a poly

@pononoin - especially fond of their silly creatures and scene!Kyle x goth!Stan

@traitor-boyfriend - meta writer and amazing artist, and I love their style artwork so much.

@south-park-meta - Wonderful style artist and AMAZING meta writer. Super nice person too!!!

@emilyartstudio-s - I have to assume you already follow her because like- Who doesn't in this fandom??? And for good reason!! But yess, one of the most iconic style artists in the fandom!!

@foxydodo - Really talented style artist!!!

@stankyles - Beautiful artwork, makes some cute comics too!

@glitchygorge - SOOO many good ideas, talented artist, has awesome AUs and headcanons, and has a youtube channel where they post south park (including style!!) videos as well!! I know this is Tumblr recs but they have way too few subscribers tbh

@eatbabies0 - Very cute art close in style to the show's art!! Consistently adorable stuff!

@feralhoundbones - cute style artist!! Draws a lot of au stuff of them as monsters and doggos and stuff uwu

@rk-reikyo - GORGEOUS art, my god. It's so high quality, and they have such cute style stuff, some of it being fully rendered short comics!!

@rainyfroggy - Doesn't draw quite as much South Park as they used to but they still do occasionally!! Definitely check them out!! Their art is so adorable and they're a super sweet person!

@clint-eastworm - God, they are so talented- Their work is stunning and very sweet and warm!

@marshwayle - Their art style is adorable!

@kiritila - Gorgeous art style, it's so pretty, and he has a really amazing fanfiction you should check out that I'll just drop as well :)

@miraco - Really beautiful artwork!!!

@lozislaw - omg loz ilysm DEF follow her. Gorgeous artwork and AMAZING fanfictions- Writer of probably my fav fanfic ever that I'll just drop here as well :)

@cherrysleepover - Beautiful style artist and super friendly person!!!

@adriabun - Aghh, I love their art, it's so cute!!

@wormfan77 - Dude their work is STUNNING

@virgosfreckles - SO talented!! Makes a ton of little comics and has a really cute animatic!!! Beautiful art style :]

@stripen - Really cute art style, I love their comic for the stylezine!

@dusksmote - Really talented artist and writer!!

@chifrija - Really beautiful art style!! Aghh I love it

@maccha-1228 - Really beautiful art!! They do a lot of traditional stuff which is pretty rare online these days, and it's so good!!

@d00dlecj - Super pretty art, and has some cute style comics!! I actually just found them today for the first time and I cannot believe I have been missing out for so long

@bunytime - Very good style artists and (I think?) one of the people who ran the style zine.

And lastly, not an artist but an amazing writer, @fayoftheforest !! She's got some beautifully written fanfics, and just makes a lot of very good South Park (especially style) posts about headcanons and meta and all that fun stuff :3

Here's some AUs/ask blogs I also find worth checking out!

@ask-the-freedom-pals-au - Okay a bit of a self boost here but my AU with @erratic-brainrot

@shipstylennyman / @flippingyouoff - So this is a poly between the main four boys but technically still style!! Their main is worth following too!

@south-park-dimensions - Super cute art style and really neat AU that I need to catch up on lol

@wgo-southpark - I keep up with this over Instagram better and if you have one, I suggest following them there since they share a lot of extra stuff on their story- But anyway! Super well written South Park teenager AU, and they've got some style in there that is emotionally ruining me ahaha

And lastly, some style related blogs revolving around fandom events :)

@styleweek - Coming up in the next few weeks so follow them now!

@spstylezinestylezine - Just came out and full of very beautiful artwork from many of the people listed above as well as others I probably missed! Give it a look :)

[wallpaper-inside-my-heart]

💛Smoshblr December Asks Day 21💙

Top 3 tropes in media/fanfic

So in terms of general concepts/tropes I enjoy in all media, there def any iteration of (Enemies/Rivals to) Friends to Lovers; then Found Family <3 and hurt/comfort -> especially in combo with one of the other two tropes!

When in comes to which types of fanfics I specifically seek out most of the time:

(putting these answers and the fanfic recs under the cut, cause this is once again getting way longer than I intended)

I know this is super unpopular, but I love well done miscommunication in fanfics! Hate it in most movies tho!!

-> also what I think constitutes “good” miscommunication basically boils down to “ is the miscommunication plot or character motivated?” cause in a lot of media the miscommunication feels forced and only meant to prolong or escalate the story

-> but if the miscommunication happens bc the characters are, for example, insecure about sharing certain info/feelings it is way more captivating and relatable (to me)

-> so this is ofc directly related to (Mutual) Pining <3 (plus also connected to another fave of mine: Memory Loss/Amnesia & also secret identity)

2. Forced proximity!!

-> I’m counting both sharing a bed and stuff like fake relationship under this umbrella

-> I just love when characters are forced to interact with each other in a different and typically more intimate way than they usually do! (and what it reveals about themselves and their relationship to eachother!)

3. Fix-it fanfics

-> I actually love original stories that have tragic endings! But there are many ways a story can end in a disappointing way and make me immeditaly turn to what all the wonderful fanfic authors have come up with in order to clean up the mess!

I have way too many favourite fanfics tbh... SO I'm actually gonna do both general and smosh ones I enjoyed a lot recently!

Multifandom (I am a huge podfic girlie, so I'm gonna give them a shoutout here!)

Harry Hart and the Honey Pot: An Indiana Jones Adventure - reena_jenkins, samanthahirr - Kingsman (Movies) [Archive of Our Own] -> I love me a good movie based AU from time to time and the kingsman fandom has so many great writers!

2. [podfic] tomorrow will always and forever now be today (tomorrow is our always and forever) - Matriaya - 9-1-1 (TV) [Archive of Our Own] -> this fic changed me as a person istg; like it is such an incredibly well done take on the timeloop trope, I'm-

3. Be My Savior - Chapter 1 - jessebee - Supernatural [Archive of Our Own] -> this is me coming out as lowkey more of a Sabriel than Destiel fan 🙈 Like ofc Destiel have the better canon story, and I do love them very much; However Sabriel fanfics captured my heart when I was a teenager and are still hanging on by a thread! (also I can still make myself cry instantly via a headcanon I created for them ages ago and that's gotta count for smth 😹)

Smosh Fanfics &lt;3

In general of course any and all fics by Katie @jovenshires 🩷🩵 (love you and your writing to death istg🫶) but having to choose one for this, I'm gonna go with right where you left me - jovenshires (imdeansgirl) - Smosh [Archive of Our Own]

2. doing something like this right on the first try - halfwheeze - Smosh [Archive of Our Own] my most recent bookmark and 100% my fave fic I've read these past few weeks! But Mer 🖤💜@tommybowefuneralattendee has so many banger fanfics, it was super hard to choose! <3 But this fic made me truly ship nintendogs, so it deserves this mention

3. I abstained from choosing any of the amazing spommy fics by the lovely ppl I mentioned above, bc I might have spommy brainworms 24/7, but I cannot lose my multishipper rep! 😹🙈 But here is one of my other fave spommy fics from a different author! maybe my animals live in your zoo - creepysounds - Smosh [Archive of Our Own] edit: by the lovely @tommybones 🫶

[thenerdyindividual]

Last Day to Bid in Fandom Trumps Hate!

Today is your last chance to bid on me in the @fandomtrumpshate charity auction. How it works is you fill out a google form that says how much you’re willing to donate to charity, if you offer the highest amount, then you win! You donate that money to one of the supported charities, and once you provide proof of donation to the mods, I write you a custom Merlin fic as a thank you. The auction ends at 8:00 PM EST.

As of writing this post I only have one bid, which means there is still plenty of opportunity to outbid that person and get a fic from me. Think of it this way, even if you don’t win, you’ve helped increase the amount going to charity by forcing people to outbid you.

What I Am Offering:

Type: Fic

Fandoms: Merlin

Highest Rating: M (Mature)

Length/Scope: There’s not a set donation amount per word count, but I am more likely to write you a longer fic the more you donate.

Especially interested in: Love Merthur, but am a multishipper at heart. I also ship Merwaine, Arwaine, Arcelot, mercelot, Merwainethur, Merlin/Arthur/Lancelot, Gwenthur/Arwen, Morgwen.

I love AUs, especially canon era AUs or AUs that put additional fantasy elements into canon-adjacent AUs. I like modern AUs, but for a long modern AU I’m happier with urban fantasy/modern with magic. I’ve also written a couple of AUs using Dungeons and Dragons classes, and I’d love to do it again.

Unwilling to address: NOTPs: Gwen/Merlin, Uther/Anyone

Themes: Rape/Non-con, incest, underage (an age gap is totally fine, I just don’t like writing under 18), A/B/O, Teacher/Student, abuse between the main pairing, infidelity between the main pairing, graphic violence (canon typical is okay), Mpreg, genderswap, soulmate AUs, wingfic aus, dragon!Merlin AUs

Notes: Please reach out to me with any questions! I also have a list of fics I would love an excuse to write, so don’t be intimidated if you don’t have a specific idea in mind. This is my fifth year in a row participating, so I have this process down pat and am eager to work with you!

If you would like to bid on this auction:

Step 1: Check the bidding spreadsheet to find out what the current high bid is. (Note: It may take up to five minutes for a bid to appear.)

Step 2: Fill out the creator's bidding form with a bid that is higher than the current high bid. If you want to make it harder for someone to outbid you, bid higher! We will NOT notify you if someone outbids you. If you would like to track changes to this bidding sheet, select Tools -> Notification Settings. Email notifications may not be immediate, so we do not recommend relying on them near the end of the auction period. Bookmark this sheet so you can check it manually. FTH will only notify you if you are the high bidder after the auctions end.

Please consider bidding on me, or at the very least go check out what the other great creators are offering!

[mymistakewriting]

Dynamic Conversations - Buck & Eddie

I suppose that the posts about dynamics are going to be the ones that will be the most at risk of disagreement. So I'm going to start this first post (aka the one I KNOW people are going to be narrow-eyes staring at the most) with a reminder that I am a multishipper in every fandom I'm in.

But ships are not my driving force in fandom. If that is all you want to see, that's great and you're welcome to do so. But I hate only chalking up incredible characters to their relationships to others and nothing else when it comes to my writing and discussions. This remains true for every post that's titled in with "dynamic conversations".

As it stands, Buck & Eddie being up first is mostly because these boys are where my brain is at today. My offer of "you're welcome to ask for clarification or request specific things be focused on and discussed" on this blog holds ESPECIALLY true for dynamics. And hey, if you just want to discuss a ship as a ship and not as their whole canon dynamic, my messages and asks are also always open for that!

And now, without further ado:

I think Buck and Eddie work so well as a dynamic because Eddie challenges Buck in a way that no one else does. And yes, a good bit of their relationship dynamic is focused in on how well these boys know each other, how Eddie actually sees Buck and how Buck acts as a steady, safe place to shatter for Eddie, but their dynamic was founded on Eddie being the only one who knew how to challenge Buck without it feeling underhanded.

And it was really subtle at the start - him putting to words what the entire team thought about Abby's leaving ("I know you're going through a bad breakup") when no one else wanted to say it to Buck's face. Questioning why Buck was acting like his being there was a threat. Leaving teasing remarks out for Buck to pick up and examine and react to as a means of letting him adjust to Eddie's presence on the team, in his family, in his home.

It was the way Eddie would say something on a call and just watch Buck for a reaction despite the way this man avoids eye contact while Buck seeks it out. Or how they seemed to just mesh as a unit from the start, working seamlessly in the ambulance for the grenade round extraction or talking in half-sentences at the highrise collapse with the earthquake only to move when Eddie got a nod of approval from Bobby at a half-formed, quarter-spoken plan to get up to the higher floors quicker to make sure any survivors got the best chance at evacuating.

And it's in the way that Eddie's first instinct to hearing that Buck is moping about not being allowed back at work after his leg was crushed by the hook & ladder engine and the embolism and all of the fear that came with all of it was "yeah no, you're watching my kid. You get to watch my whole world for the day, maybe you'll learn something from him, have fun I'll see you in 24 hours". It wasn't judgmental, it was a genuine attempt at helping because Chris has always made Eddie feel better when he's having a rough day, because he knows Chris is such a ball of joy that it's not possible to mope and feel miserable all day with him around.

Eddie has always known how to get under Buck's skin just enough to get a reaction from him, to be able to read him and adjust accordingly.

And eventually, so naturally that it was almost imperceptible to anyone who wasn't actively watching for it to change, their dynamic shifted from challenging each other to being each other's safe haven - Buck going to Eddie when the world is too loud because Eddie makes things quiet. Or Eddie gravitating towards Buck when his feelings hit him particularly hard because Buck would never judge him for that, he just steps in with him and lets him work through it however he needs and is still there when the dust settles.

And I do think it's why they do work so well as a ship in the fandom - I've never seen a best friend dynamic that's quite as sturdy as Buck and Eddie's is. But well and truly, that's just how they are regardless of what their relationship is. I'm entirely sure that even at their worst point as friends, during the street fighting and the lawsuit and the entire shitshow that was their storylines back in season 3, if one of them had called the other, it would have been everything being dropped "I'll be there in ten minutes" IMMEDIATELY, no questions asked. For anything.

They work because they're balances without ever making it into something that puts one of them as more important at any given moment. They just fall into line with each other naturally.

[incarnadinedreams]

Getting to Know You - Tag Game

Oh yay, got tagged in a thingy!!! Exciting!!! Thanks @twilightarc-gm

Answer these questions and then tag nine people you want to get to know better.

1. Three ships: Ships that I consistently read in 2022-23

Gosh this one's hard because I still tend to revisit older/slowed down fandoms from time to time... and also am definitely a multishipper for most characters I like.

Since I've been wholly consumed by MDZS/Jiang Cheng brainrot right now it's mostly some flavor of Jiang Cheng/Happiness. I'm definitely an 'AllCheng, AnyCheng, NoCheng, WhateverCheng' enjoyer.

By volume (by availability on Ao3) that means ChengQing, Xicheng, Sangcheng, ChengXian but I'm down for others like ChengSu and ChengNing and various other configurations too! Somewhat limited by being mostly a novel fan so pairings that tend to be heavily based in CQL canon don't always resonate with me as much.

For non-JC ships I've recently gotten way more interested in Xiyao

Outside MDZS I've been occasionally hitting up some old favorites in less active fandoms like HakYona from Akatsuki no Yona, RoyAi & LingFan & AlMei (FMA), Reylo (Star Wars), Shadolin ot3 (Stormlight Archive), NejiTen (rip lol - Naruto... this is again a remnant of long ago, from the manga-is-still-being-published days... but if I stumble across one of them these days I'll still have a go)

2. First ship: probably Ling/Lan Fan or Roy Mustang/Riza Hawkeye (Fullmetal Alchemist)? Orrrr maybe Kyouraku Shunsui/Ise Nanao in Bleach (with the caveat that I was really into it when the manga was just the Soul Society arc (because I'm old) and not. Uh. Later. When uh. Yeah. Information from much much later in the manga killed that ship for me but you know. Thems the breaks. I'd already dropped the manga ages before that info was released so it was a bit of a shock when something stumbled across my path about it!)

3. Last song listened: "Woodbine" by Windhand playing currently!

4. Last movie watched: This was surprisingly hard to answer - I couldn't remember! I usually end up watching shows/miniseries or documentaries rather than regular movies.

5. Currently watching: I've been catching up the most recent season of the Great British Baking Show!

6. Currently reading: Oooh this is a loaded question... my 'currently reading' pile is too big... currently working my way through what volumes I have of the TGCF and 2HA official translations. Also rereading MDZS slowly and taking notes, just started that recently even though I'd planned to read all this over the holidays... and here we are, almost the end of January...

For non-danmei, 'The Goblin Emperor' by Katherine Addison which I'm struggling to get into/stick with which is surprising given the outstanding reviews/raving I see for it. I'm also somewhere in the middle of 'House of Chains' in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series but that's been lingering for a while now... not sure if that's a currently reading or an oopsie at this point...

7. Currently consuming: Mint tea while thinking about what I want for lunch! It's 2:40pm but I'm also lazy so I'll probably still be thinking about it an hour from now...

8. Currently craving: Honestly I have the biggest craving for some good bbq ribs, baked beans and potato salad but am also way too lazy to go grocery shopping + crank up the smoker (especially because it's just above freezing and rainy today!)...

[dandelionflower]

She tours alone

Marinette had gone to sleep right after finding a hidden path back to the manor, thank you, Culpa the kitty, and woke up feeling refreshed. Since today they were going to be touring the ballrooms, she elected to wear her ‘composers outfit,’ inspired by Nickolas Lafin, an incredible musician who lived in the manor.

Nickolas was primarily a conductor, but he often composed his own symphonies and gavots as well. Despite his incredible work, Lafin wasn’t much of a prominent character in the manor’s history and instead was reported to mainly follow his girlfriend, Anya, around. After Anya drowned, it was said that Nickolas spent all of his free time in the attic, until eventually, the boxes and trunks fell on top of him and killed him instantly.

Marinette had on a long blue coat with black and white music notes dotted along the bottom. Her shirt was crisp and black, matching her pants perfectly. She also had on a pair of rectangular earrings and red bowtie that matched Nickolas’ favorite.

After a quick breakfast where Marinette checked in on Allegra again, Grace picked them up to check out the ballroom. Adrien sidled up to her with his earnest smile and the two walked hand-in-hand next to Alya and Nino.

“Alya seems a bit shaken, is she okay?”

“She’s okay, just had an allergic reaction to the ice cream she got.”

Marinette looked at Alya again. She was leaning heavily into Nino’s side and was giving wary glares at any cup or water container she saw. She’d have to make sure she didn’t get dehydrated.

“...and here is the grand ballroom!” Grace pushed open the doors with a grin. “It’s a bit dusty since we haven’t exactly been hosting any parties lately, but with a little elbow grease it’ll be spectacular!”

Marinette looked at the dark, dusty room. Thick curtains covered the windows, but it allowed for a small sliver of light to illuminate the flecks dancing from the ceiling to the floor. Even in the faint lighting, she could tell that it was beautiful; all pastels and silvers and golds.

“What a dump.” Lila commented to Alix and Kim beside her. “Prince Ali’s ballroom is much better than this waste.”

“Actually,” Grace’s wide smile sharpened into something vengeful, “even in its current state, the Culpa ballroom is still considered one of the most lavish ballrooms in the world. Prince Ali’s ballroom isn’t even ranking.”

“I- ah well, it must have been remodeled since the last ranking.” Lila floundered, and after she looked at Adrien’s sympathetic face, Marinete almost felt bad for her.

Grace was looking casually at her phone. “Seems that the last ranking happened just a few days ago. That would have been when you were in Paris, correct?”

Almost.

“I guess I must have forgotten which ballroom I was thinking of.” Lila shrugged. “There’s been so many.”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Grace mumbled with shrewd eyes. She perked back up. “Anyway! I was thinking, as your project for your visit, you can produce a replica of the infamous Ross ball. We can have people working with flowers, costumes, music, and guests.”

The class murmured their agreement already turning to their friends and discussing what they wanted to wear.

“Ooh! Can I wear a suit?” Rose bounced on her toes, hand waving.

“Of course! We have dozens of old clothes that could easily be refitted for you and everyone else! We just need a-”

“Designer!” Nino shouted, pointing down at Marinette’s head (tall people, disgusting). “We’ve got one right here!”

“Great!” Grace didn’t seem surprised at all, even though a teenage designer isn’t someone you meet every day. “Your main job will be refitting and redesigning all the costumes for your friends. That sound good?”

“Yeah, sounds great!” Rose’s suit would of course need to be a pink, but a faint floral print on it too would look beautiful. Making it period accurate would be tricky, but the internet had all kinds of references for suits and dresses.

“We’ll need people for all the other tasks I mentioned, but for now just look around the room and check out the closets for anything you may need for the ball.”

The four of them immediately gravitated to the closets at Alya’s behest and Adrien’s adventurous spirit. There were instruments of all kinds and colors; it was like a sculpture and Marinette felt all kinds of inspiration welling up in her.

“Not much in this room.” Alya remarked. “Let’s check the next.”

“I used to really like music.” Adrien said as he followed Nino and Alya out the door. “Still do.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Marinette stayed behind, pulling out her phone to take a few pictures. A rustle from behind the cello caught her eye, and she glanced back at the open door. Another rustle, and she committed to it, stepping forwards to investigate.

“Meow.” Culpa was sitting prim on top of a drum. He was looking at the ground then at her like he just noticed another being was in the room.

“Culpa!” Her hands reached out to rub the cat’s ears, fingers vibrating with the feline’s contented purrs. “Hey, kitty. What’re you doing in here?”

Culpa offered no answer aside from leaning further into her hand and purring louder. She’d take it. After a few minutes more of petting, Culpa batted her hand away and moved towards the very back of the room, tucking into a thin passage she hadn’t noticed in the dark. When he realized there wasn’t a presence behind him, he turned around and mewled for her attention.

“Right, right. Coming.” She slipped her phone in her pocket and slipped into the passageway, which was just wide enough for her to stand comfortably in.

She followed Culpa’s flashing blue eyes through the tunnel until she stepped into a wider, well-lit hallway. Unlike the closet or the ballroom, the hall was absolutely pristine. Both of the walls were decorated with portraits, and Marinette took her time inspecting each one.

It was the Culpa family. Each one through the ages until it ended with the image Culpa showed the most attention to; Felix, eyes cold, unseeing on the canvas. Right next to it was a small framed photograph in black and white; Bridgette and Felix, laughing while leaning against each other.

She lifted the picture and smiled down at it. It was much better than the painting; it showed much more emotion. And that dress! Marinette could totally design a dress like that. It would look beautiful in pink.

“It’s a nice picture, isn’t it?” Allegra was standing in a doorway a bit behind her. She hadn’t noticed her come in.

“Yeah, they both look so… so happy. Why wasn’t this room a part of the tour?”

“We didn’t want people touching this part of the manor’s history.” She shrugged, walking forwards. “It just seemed right to keep it separate from the rest of it all.”

“Yeah, I get it.” This place seemed- sacred, in a way. She followed Allegra out of the hall and watched her lock the door.

“How’d you get in there anyway?”

“Oh, I found this cat and he led me through some passageway in the back of a closet.” She pointed over her shoulder to Culpa who… wasn’t there. “And he’s gone. That’s weird.”

“A passageway, huh? That’s cool.”

“I thought so too. Probably wasn’t the smartest idea to just go through it without telling anyone though, huh?”

“Probably not.” Allegra agreed

They walked a while longer before they were back at the ballroom. Alya and Nino were talking near one of the back doors that lead to the closets and looked up just as she walked in.

“Girl! Where have you been? We’ve been looking all over, come on! Adrien’s playing the piano.” Alya grabbed her and dragged her through the hall of closets. When she passed the one with the instruments, she glanced in, trying to catch a glance of the passage to show Alya.

She didn’t see anything at all.

.......

The rest

@merry-madness @calliopeia @drama-queen-supreme @kaydenth3gayden @mcheang @nomiegnome @never-say-donuts @vixen-uchiha @miracul0us-multishipper @hauntedfreakdeputyhero @chocolatecustarddanish @iwantswifttoblessmysoul @digitalmagpie @ilseofskadi @nerdy-and-a-little-birdy @minty-goose @nataladriana9 @aestheticnpoetic @constellation-king @animegirlweeb @persephonebutkore @ahalloweengirl @r0sebutch @marinettepotterandplagg @beelzzebop @akalovelymaybe @pleasefollowmeuwu @angelost4r @constancetruggle @speaknowtome @some-oxymoron @nerdy-scifi-birdy @purplesundaze @aestheticnpoetic @neptuningkai @2confused-2doanything @goggles-mcgee @grumpy-kitten-vixen @artemisdragona @lookatthestars1 @demonicbusiness @toodaloo-kangaroo @crazylittlemunchkin @vice-artist

[meggs-benedict]

I swear, (some) people in the Cookie Run fandom are so clingy with their ships, they attack just about every single fan who draws a ship they don't like! Lmfaooo! 😂🤣

Sorry if you got attacked by rabid shippers, btw. I hope you're having a great day today.

Yeah they lowkey are and its just not fun 😔

I’m like a multishipper and Im generally okay with the majority of ships (as long as they’re legal LOL)

There may be some that I don’t agree with but it’s not like I’m gonna witch hunt any who do like em 🤷

Also the amount of times I keep getting sparkherb fans (again not all, I have friends that like them) going all “boohoo what about herb !1!1” “waahh sparkljng is cheating on herb!1!1” on my sparkblossom posts are incredible ngl

[your-brilliant-lady-m]

Part 1 - Basic Concepts of Miraculous Ladybug: Miraculous Jewels

Alright! I promised you meta and now I deliver!

I feel like people mostly watch Miraculous for the romance these days. Shipping is all everyone cares about. I wonder why? Probably because writers themselves don't take their worldbuilding very seriously and because they don't put much effort into making the audience care about something other than Love Square, like the mythology behind the Miraculous, or motivations of the main villain, or some pretty heavy topics for a kid's show that they bring up and then refuse to touch again. You know, all the good things. And this is coming from someone who is a passionate multishipper. I have lived through several shipping wars in different fandoms and came out victorious after all.

I am probably the only person out there who cares about the big picture, the overall storyline and the worldbuilding of Miraculous in addition to all details and implications that could develop into fascinating plotlines relevant to the main story. It is a rather lonely fandom experience, I must confess. But, hey? Who cares? I am here to have fun and bring to the table discussions no one wants to have.

So, let's talk about the basics.

If you, as the writing team, are capable of keeping only 1 thing consistent, then please, I beg you, let it be the basic concepts of your universe. Because in this case, one has to actively put effort into writing characters and conflict resolutions badly. And also because nothing can save bad worldbuilding.

I don't have high worldbuilding standards for Miraculous. They certainly aren't as high as the ones I had for Legend of Korra (which was a badly written trainwreck, that ATLA doesn't deserve as a sequel) or the ones I currently have for Dragon Prince. Therefore I won't be too harsh in my criticisms. Granted, I think that Miraculous has better worldbuilding and lore consistency than Winx Club for example (I haven't seen the reboot yet, so writers might have fixed their worldbuilding at least a little bit). Even though I enjoyed Winx when I was younger and some elements of this story still attract me.

Both serialised and episodic shows as well as movies to the lesser extent must have some flexibility in worldbuilding and plot because you can never be 100% sure where your story is going. Maybe, you'll get money for more seasons, maybe not. However, you must never lose sight of your basic concepts. They have to stay the same no matter what, because rewriting lore and retconning major developments every new season is not and never will be called good writing.

Forgive me for using architectural metaphors, but you need a solid foundation to build any kind of structure. Otherwise, everything falls apart.

I like to apply this logic to writing as well. When designing a world where your story takes place, you must lay a few ground rules. It's especially important if you have a magic system. What kind of ideas absolutely must exist? What kind of conclusion do you want your story to have? Does your magic system has limitations? Where is the grey area? Could you introduce new elements later on?

And I feel like the writing team of Miraculous Ladybug did not ask these questions. This may feel like I am nit-picking canon material and looking for problems that simply aren't there, but I promise that I am not. You see, things that I am about to point out only seem small at first glance. But these details are actually the source of the largest plotholes in the series. And their presence negatively affects character development, conflicts and resolutions of said conflicts.

That doesn't mean that I have nothing good to say about the magic system of the show and its elements. There are a lot of great ideas and concepts. And some of them have the potential to contribute to the delightful story.

Let's dive right into it, shall we?

Camouflage

I have to give credit where it's due because the idea of camouflage and shapeshifting for Miraculouses is brilliant. It seems like Miraculous can't fundamentally change its type of jewellery or accessory. The ring will always be the ring but with a different ornament, colour or shape. This is true most of the time (Monkey Miraculous is an exception since it transformed into earplugs/headphones/headband/circlet) It makes sense and avoids plotholes. Grimoire doesn't have the pictures of each Miraculous in disguise for identity protection. That was very neat too. I have no comments. This concept was very good.

Also, since Marinette wore a nose ring of the Ox in "Kwamibuster" without any problem and Adrien wore Ladybug's earrings in "Reflekdoll", we can assume that you don't need to have piercings to wear a Miraculous. Miraculous just magically passes through your skin.

I'm interested to know the following. Can Kwamis recognise a camouflaged Miraculous on a person? Can the holder order them to confess the identity of this person? This shouldn't be possible for identity protection just like with Kwamis sensing each other. But more on that in later posts.

Power Levels

For a long time, we assume that there are only 7 Miraculouses. Turtle belongs to Master Fu, Gabriel has Butterfly and Peacock, Marinette and Adrien have Ladybug and Black Cat. Everything is pretty straightforward. Then it's revealed that there are more jewels and more boxes. It makes the worldbuilding interesting, but it also majorly complicates things, making them inconsistent.

Their position in the Miracle Box implies their power levels. Creation and destruction are the most powerful forces in existence, therefore they are at the top. Moreover, it makes this Box the most important, the most powerful out of all others. Su Han in "Furious Fu" calls it "Mother Miracle Box". Fox, Turtle, Bee, Butterfly and Peacock have less power than the main pair, but more than the Miraculous of the lower Zodiac tier (since they correspond with animals of the Chinese Zodiac).

1. Ladybug can create anything out of nothing (Lucky Charm, which gives what you need the most at the moment). This Miraculous can resurrect the dead, reverse the effects of the Cataclysm. The power of Miraculous Cure or Miraculous Ladybug can work in several ways:

it simply repairs the damage (puts stuff back together, heals injuries and so on)

it reverses time for the matter, restoring things back to the state they were before the destruction occurred (however, the Cure doesn't erase people's memories of everything that happened unless they were mind-controlled, frozen in place or transformed by Akuma into something else - this is an important point that I'll discuss some other time)

How does Miraculous Cure work when there are no supervillians? In NY Special Marinette just says this.

Excuse me, what? What was that? You can't do anything when the villain is gone? What the hell?

*insert here every scene where Ladybug fixed Paris after destroying akumatized/amokized object (this action causes the Akuma victim to detransform/sentimonster to disappear - villain is gone) and purifying butterfly and feather*

It was such cheap angst. I couldn't even be upset when Adrien gave up his Miraculous, because that whole situation is just stupid. But, never mind. We aren't talking about that today.

Apparently, Lucky Charm and Miraculous Cure only work when summoned to battle a specific villain. What is the point then? Huh? You can't tell me that Ladybug has the power of unlimited creation and then say that she can't repair the damage without a special Lucky Charm that was magically synchronised with specific big bad of the week.

Ladybug also can purify Akumas. It makes sense for Ladybug to have the ability to reverse the magic of less powerful Miraculous. But this power can't be applied universally. How does this power of reversal apply to different situations where there is no evil Butterfly holder? Can Ladybug reverse the magic of any Miraculous?

The unlimited power of creation introduced in season 4 ("Mr. Pidgeon 72") is another fascinating thing. On one hand, it's logical and proves the status of this Miraculous as the most powerful. On the other hand, by introducing this power, you have created a plothole. Look, Marinette can create the charm which repels Akumas. If Ladybug can create anything then what stops her from creating a tool for finding Hawkmoth (like special glasses for discovering identities or a compass)? I mean, the show says that the power of creation is unlimited, it means that the creation of such tool is possible.

2. Black Cat can destroy anything with Cataclysm, even other Miraculous. He can kill living things and turn them into ash, but not himself. This Miraculous is supposed to have other special abilities that we don't see. And they should be equal to powers of Ladybug, both in number and in potency. Unfortunately, after 3 seasons writers didn't give us anything. It makes laughable the idea of balance between Ladybug and Black Cat.

Now, to the second tier. These Miraculouses have a singular ability, but they need a second one to keep the power balanced between Zodiac and the main pair.

3. Butterfly creates champions with different superpowers. But how does the time limit of children work for Butterfly? In theory, the countdown should start right after the creation of the Akuma since for Ladybug and Chat Noir countdown starts after activation of their powers even if they don't use them. However, if the countdown of the Butterfly begins after Akuma creation then there's no point because the holder has to stay transformed to guide their champion. The charged butterfly won't have time to even grant powers before the transformation of the child-holder drops. This issue is never explored because Gabriel doesn't have a time limit. However, I feel like it should be addressed in flashbacks of past Butterfly holders for example.

This Miraculous should be less powerful than Ladybug and Black Cat. It's often not. Some Akumas are too overpowered. Stormy Weather can move the Earth away from the Sun, Timetagger can send people through time and jump through time as well, Chat Blanc destroyed the world with a single energy blast, Miraculer could steal powers of those more powerful than her by default. These are the most notable examples. One could argue that Chat Blanc was a different case. Hawkmoth simply gave the most powerful Miraculous a boost. However, we know that even without a holder (the wildest and the most powerful form of uncontrolled Miraculous magic) Plagg's Cataclysm can't destroy the universe just like that (he presumably wiped out dinosaurs and sunk Atlantis on his own without a holder). I think that the less powerful Miraculous (Butterfly) shouldn't be able to increase the power of destruction to such a degree and give Black Cat the power to destroy celestial bodies and galaxies.

Writers want us to see Hawkmoth as the formidable villain. But it's not easy because he is less powerful than your main heroes by default of your worldbuilding. Sometimes writers make the Butterfly more powerful than creation and destruction to raise the stakes, breaking the laws of their magic system. So, how do you solve this? Let Ladybug and Black Cat keep their status as the most powerful and instead of giving Hawkmoth more magical power, make him smarter, more cunning, inventive. Gabriel is a fashion designer, whose creativity makes him a very good Butterfly holder. He has a life full of experience, he knows much more about things than the main teenage characters. Catalyst was very interesting for this very reason. Gabriel sort of discovered a cheat code to boost his powers. Show us how he experiments with his powers, how he analyses his past Akumas and tries to find the most effective ones. Maybe Gabriel tries to design Akumas that can specifically neutralise Ladybug and Chat Noir. This exploration could also give writers an opportunity to explain how the powers of Butterfly work. Can he control the type of powers he grants? Can he control the appearance of Akumas? There are many things to be explored.

4. Peacock creates sentimonsters. I remember that fans were very disappointed when the power of the Peacock was revealed at the end of season 2. I was one of them. The concept of Amoks is far too similar to akumatized butterflies. Other Miraculouses have unique abilities and keywords for their powers, while Peacock just looks like Butterfly 2.0. That glowing mask effect just adds insult to injury.

You have to start by figuring out the powers of the Peacock in a normal situation. If a holder is a good person, then how does their power work? For example, make them related to sight (because of the "eye" pattern on feathers). Maybe, Peacock grants the ability to see the several possibilities of the future, but only a few minutes ahead. Maybe, this Miraculous gives you the ability to see through someone's eyes for a few minutes (and the victim is completely unaware of the intrusion). Perhaps, Peacock allows the holder to use feathers (or tiny peacocks) as cameras one at a time and be all-seeing. These feather-spies can be destroyed by the holder or disappear on their own after some time. Such power could be devastating when used against heroes in canon.

5. Bee can paralyze. This power is pretty straightforward. Once I read a fanfiction focused on very vell done Chloe Redemption, where she fights alongside Ladybug and Chat Noir. Eventually, she grows and becomes a better person. This fic ends with an Akuma battle, where LB and CN are trapped and Akuma is ready to kill them. But Chloe uses a second power of the Bee on the villain - Miraculous Stinger. It's deadly both for the holder and for the victim (because bees die when they sting someone). Chloe kills the Akuma with a Stinger before it can get LB and CN, but she too dies making the ultimate irreversible sacrifice. I will add a link if I find it again.

6. Turtle can create a shield. I don't have much to say on this either. It feels underpowered compared to others in the second tier. Maybe Turtle can also slow down opponents (because turtles aren't the fasters animals out there).

7. Fox creates illusions and acts as their puppeteer. In order to create a balance between other powers, these illusions must hold for as long as the holder needs them to. I propose this mostly because we see that Venom of the Bee lasts very long, the shield of the Turtle lasts either until it's destroyed or the holder wants to remove it, same goes for Akumas and sentimonsters who disappear only when the holder wants them to or their affected object is destroyed.

Let's talk about Zodiac tier. Miraculous of the third tier shouldn't have the second ability like more powerful ones. These powers are the most inconsistent. Even if we haven't seen all of them yet.

8. Mouse can create many small clones of the holder. It is unclear how these clones communicate with each other and how many of them this Miraculous can create. The holder can control the number of clones. This power was very convenient in "Kwamibuster" and it makes sense symbolically for the mouse. What activates the time-limit for children? Marinette didn't have any problems with it when she became Multimouse.

9. Snake can create a 5-minute time loop and has the ability to come back in time. This Miraculous feels a bit overpowered for the Miraculous of the Zodiac Tier. The holder can reset the time as many times as he/she needs to. It's was a good source of drama and trauma in "Desperada". I was honestly surprised that Adrien was capable of fighting after spending months in a loop. But this doesn't change the fact that Snake is overpowered. You can give this Miraculous the power to hypnotise or keep the time ability but place a limit on the number of resets. How does the lyre work as a weapon? Who knows? No one!

10. Dragon can shapeshift into elements: water, wind and lightning. It has the coolest transformation words hands down (Bring the Storm and Open Sky). Apparently this Miraculous doesn't have the time limit.

11. Rabbit can time travel or jump through alternative realities, even writers aren't sure. Time-travel in this show is so badly written it gives me a headache. This Miraculous shouldn't exist just like its powers. Snake belongs to the same tier, but 5 minutes and whole centuries of time jumps aren't comparable in power levels. They are not and this is the hill I will die on. Give the Rabbit powers related to its symbolism in China like an ability to de-age people, heal them or give them a speed boost in contrast with Turtle who might have the ability to slow down.

This Miraculous is so special that its Kwami - Fluff can live separately from his Miraculous in a Miracle Box for millennia (Fluff lives in the Box in "Sandboy", but his Miraculous, pocket watch, was passed down for generations in Alix's family). This is a discussion for a separate post, however. There's a lot to unpack. We'll do that some other time. You will suffer with me but at a later date.

12. Horse can create portals. They could lead anywhere, which is pretty cool. On the other hand, this power is not very useful in direct combat, especially when it's used by a child since we can have only one portal per transformation.

13. Monkey can cause a malfunction in powers of other people. What is the point of this? This power was specifically created by writers to defeat Akuma in "Party Crasher". That's it. What if your target is not magical? How does this Miraculous work in different circumstances?

14. Pig shows people their greatest desire. Both the holder and the recipient of this power can see this desire. Chat Noir wasn't impressed in "Guiltrip" and neither was I. It's underpowered compared to other Miraculous in this tier. Also, why does the tambourine can shoot energy beams? Why?

That's all I have to say on the matter. I'll update the power analysis as needed.

[iam93percentstardust]

hey! i hope you’re having an amazing day. this is just me popping in your inbox to say that’s youre one of my favourite writers and you got me really interested in winteriron (honestly one of the cutest ships) are there any fics/authors ii could reccomend?

Hi there! Thank you so much! I love this ship so much, they’ve got such potential for both fluff and angst. They really are one of my favorite ships to write and I’m glad I was able to write so much for them this year. I certainly do have plenty of recs for you, starting with my favorite authors:

@riotwritesthings: started writing last year, I highly recommend just about everything Riot writes but especially Road Hazards, Melt into Me (Your Words are My Own), and When is a bed not a bed? (When you’re not in it)

@hddnone: so many stories and all so good! Has nearly 100 Winteriron works on ao3 and you will not regret reading any of them, though fair warning that some of them are Team Cap Critical. Especially recommend Honey Pot, You’ve Got Mail, and A Bit(e) of Danger

@monobuu: mostly an artist but sometimes writes stories as well. i recommend Ravioli, Invincible Summer, and Meet the Fam

@tisfan and @27dragons: can’t make a Winteriron rec list without including the both of them. They work together a lot but you should definitely take a look at their own stuff as well. I recommend Safe and (the) Sound, Kiss Me Thru the Phone, and Stark, Naked

@ad1thi: currently taking a bit of a hiatus and working on non-Marvel works but I love everything Adi writes, particularly her entire Bollywood but Make it Gay series, which isn’t always Winteriron but wonderful nonetheless. I recommend the Greek Gods AU, 1000 Lives (For You), and we’re connected

@the-winter-writer: lots of smut and all absolutely fantastic! I like Precious Treasure, Winter Wings, and Instinct

@rayshippouuchiha: definitely an iconic writer for this fandom. Really great if you’re looking for genderbends. Writes a lot of absolutely incredible fics and not just for Winteriron but my personal favorites are The (Not So) Great Pretender, Fearful Symmetry, and The Mistletoe Kiss Polka

Finely Honed (jaqen_hgar): once again very iconic. you’ve probably read at least one of their works even if didn’t know. I recommend Shameless, Today’s Forecast, and Practice Makes Perfect

@lovelyirony: mostly writes ficlets here on tumblr and a multishipper (I don’t know why I’m saying that like it’s a bad thing, I’m a multishipper), also a fan of Sharon Carter and that’s the thing that made me follow her so you know

@amethystinawrites: I only recently started working their works but I’m loving everything I’ve come across so far. I recommend Tech Support and I Won’t Hold My Breath

AvocadoLove: also writes a lot of Stony and Stuckony, which I love a lot, but for their Winteriron works, I recommend Amalgam and Dead Man’s Switch

Dracusfyre: another one I’m new to. I literally just started reading their works today so I don’t have any recs for them yet but one of my friends loves them so I’m going to go with you should definitely take a look at their works

Eirlyssa: has some anti-Team Cap works so keep an eye out for that if that’s not your thing but writes very good Winteriron. I recommend Guide Me Home (Guide My Heart) and Always (I’ll Be There)

@imposter-human: one of the first MCU blogs I ever followed! I recommend childhood memories, speak my language, and lost in translation

As for specific works I like:

Four Strings and Second Chances by Vashoth

It was reluctance to let one of his finest inventions ever out of his grasp that made him take a couple days over a week to send the arm to Pepper’s office. But all things considered, Tony figured that sending finest prosthetic that had ever come into existence--literally grasping an olive branch--was one of the classiest gifts he’d ever given. He’d included a note and everything. ‘Barnes,

Can help with installation. Or not. Up to you. --Stark'

Who is the Mechanic? by @akira-of-the-twilight

The Asset watched as his handlers brought in a stranger—a man with a metal object stuck to his chest that was hooked to a car battery.

The handlers shoved the man onto the stool where many who had operated on the Asset’s arm in the past had sat before.

“Asset,” one handler said, “meet the Mechanic. He will be responsible for the upkeep of your arm. Should anything malfunction, kill him.”

The Asset eyed the Mechanic. The Mechanic was glassy-eyed and unresponsive.

He’d probably be dead in a week.

The Fix by SleepsWithCoyotes

Right, because Tony...Tony fixes things. He remembers thinking that, not for the first time.

Paths are Made by Walking by @potrix-the-queerschlaeger

The road to recovery is long, winding and a different one for every person walking it. Bucky chooses to help himself the only way he knows how; by doing what he does best.

Or, alternatively; the one in which Tony is a mess and accidentally kick-starts Bucky’s protective mother hen instincts.

The Evidence by StrivingArtist

Didn’t notice. Right. Sure. Two brilliant minds, two super spies, and a god didn’t notice when the chattiest man they knew stopped making sound. They just seemed happier than before. Brighter and more cheerful than before. They just seemed like they were more comfortable with him around when he was stone silent.

Fuck it.

He knew they noticed.

And he knew they liked him better this way.

Shadowed Hearts and Winter Souls by NotEvenCloseToStraight

The mid-1800s and Antonio Carbonell Stark is caught in a scandal with his lover. Desperate for a chance to escape the trouble and his own broken heart, Tony accepts a proposal from a mysterious Russian heiress and flees the country.

Natalia Romanova is in trouble of her own and has enough secrets to make Tony's head spin but somehow they settle into a fake marriage and calm day-to-day together, and everything works... until her half brother comes home and their life is disrupted again.

James is somber and silent, brutal and nearly broken and scarred, a soldier of the resistance. His heart is cold and gaze like ice, but his hands are hot and lips are warm and Tony finds himself ignoring the blood on James's palms and the shadows in his soldier’s eyes, and falling in love.

When danger lands at their doorstep, Natalia and Tony have to pack up and leave, running away in the middle of the night and leaving their men behind.

The distance between Tony and James gets longer every day, and Natalia has been keeping a secret for that can’t be hidden much longer. With no place to call home and a thousand miles between them and the men they love, what are Tony and Natalia supposed to do?

Puppy Love by Reioka

Bucky is learning to become a person again. When some guy starts crying all over Natasha's dog, he decides he's doing better than he originally thought.

Describe Your Perfect Date by ali_aliska

After getting turned down by Bucky, Tony decides it’s time to move on from his massive crush. He tries online dating—Pepper’s idea, not his—but the only thing worse than getting rejected is getting rejected and finding out your soulmate-level match is Clint Barton, all in the same day.

Clint, of course, does not let opportunities like this go to waste, but he’s driving Tony nuts for a good cause, he swears.

Bucky’s just trying to do the right thing and fails spectacularly, but it all works out in the end.

Rocket Science by marsmaywonder and orbingarrow

Sleep-deprived and under-caffeinated, grad student Tony falls asleep in a conveniently empty classroom and wakes up in the middle of Bruce’s Physics 101 course. After seeing a groggy Tony fumble a simple question, actual-student Bucky offers to tutor him. In a moment of “oh no; he’s cute” panic, Tony takes him up on it. Now, in addition to his already complicated life, Tony has to figure out the answer to the incredibly messy question: “How do you look like you’re failing the class, when you literally wrote the book?”

What’s Good for the Goose by Taste_is_Sweet

For this nonny prompt at the Imagine Tony and Bucky comm on Tumblr:

"A soulmate AU where an immortal goose shows up one day to lead you to your soulmate, the challenge is surviving the goose." (Full prompt in notes.)

We all have soulmates, and every soulmate pair shares an animal guide. The Guide is there to lead you to your One True Love, and they represent the aspects of the psyche that you both share. They appear when you're about to meet your soulmate, and often materialize in moments of great personal crisis, offering hope and support. There are stories upon stories about how someone's Guide appeared to lead them to their One True, or how the barest glimpse of their Guide eased their hearts and gave them hope in the midst of despair. The newly-rescued almost always attribute their Guide with giving them the strength and courage to hang on.

Animal Guides are ephemeral, ethereal, and elusive. They are, most often, no more than a warm presence or flicker out of the corner of one's eye. They are incarnate symbols of perseverance, optimism and hope. Foretellers of happiness, and the grand destiny of love.

Except for geese. Geese are assholes.

and so, we unfold by TheKitteh

Senbazuru. Thousand Cranes.

An ancient Japanese legend that promises anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by the gods. Some stories believe you are granted happiness and eternal good luck, instead of just one wish, such as long life or recovery from illness or injury.

Bucky’s not big on believing in any legends, not after all that has happened. He just wants to create something for a change, not destroy.

He needs to prove himself that he can be trusted to handle something delicate. He doesn’t need a promise of a wish come true. He just,- needs to do this for himself.

He doesn’t need noticing how sad, tired Stark looks. Doesn’t need to want to do something for the man, when he can barely do anything for himself. --- Tony simply goes through days and motions. He deals with the Avengers, with R&;D, with the rewritten Accords. All of it, it’s nothing new really. He just wants to get things done.

What’s new is seeing Barnes hunched over the coffee table, one step away from ripping a glossy magazine apart in the middle of the night.

And why the hell Barnes keeps looking at him during the days after like he’s a puzzle to be solved?

Welcome to the Winteriron fandom! We’ve got a lot of incredible authors and artists both and this is just the tip of the iceberg!

[gingerwritess]

Do you have any hcs about the first time Loki gets into a fight with Elliot and/or Frigg? Because let's face it, no matter how much parents and children might love each other, they're bound to have a serious fight at some point.

quarantine, please be good to us.

this includes mentions of bullying (jotun/colour related), lil bit of yummy angst all wrapped up in familial love and understanding

Elliot is a precious little thing.

Pure, innocent, unmolded clay. He looks like his father, talks like his father, has the brains of his father…and is starting to gain the height of his father, too.

Your little boy is growing up.

He came home with a cut on his cheek one day when he was around ten years old. “There was a snake at the park,” he explained as you held ice to the bump, watching your baby turn blue again as the coolness hits his skin.

“It bit your face?” You made a mental note to have a discussion with Loki about how friendly he is in regards to the rather dangerous creatures.

“Nah…” Elliot looked ashamed, you remember that clearly. “Some older kids were pokin’ it. Said they wanted to stab it and-and squish it’s guts out.”

He shuddered on the kitchen counter, feet dangling.

“The snake wasn’t hurtin’ anyone, and all I could think of was how much dad likes snakes, and I didn’t want to see them hurt it. I didn’t mean to start a fight, mom, I swear it was an accident–”

You hugged him tight, tucking his head under your chin. “I know you didn’t,” you assured him, running a hand through his hair. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Thanks, mom.” Patches of his blue skin had started to return to normal and he hopped off the counter, running off to his room before you could say another word.

You weren’t too worried when he began to come home with scraped up knees and blood running down from scrapes in his arm, because Elliot swore up and down that he had just fallen off his bike, run too fast and fell, tripped going down the porch steps…but by the fourth “clumsy” excuse you didn’t believe him and called in the professional.

“I think Elliot is lying to me.”

Loki just laughs, actually, not the response you were hoping for. “And you’re surprised, my love?”

“Well, he’s always been an honest kid!” You give his waist a squeeze. “But today he said he fell off the swingset, and I just…that doesn’t seem right.”

He’s silent as he thinks, holding your head closer against his chest.

“I’m just worried about him,” you whisper, reaching for the blanket. “I know you don’t like to get in his head, but…”

“I will,” Loki sighs, and he presses his lips to your forehead. “Just to see if he is telling the truth. Then as the biggest hypocrite of the milenia, I’ll tell him not to lie.”

“I love you, my god of lies.”

“…precisely.”

Sure enough, two days later your son sneaks through the back door with a swollen eye. He doesn’t make it far on tiptoe and whirls around when you clear your throat, clapping a hand over his eye with a guilty grin.

“H-hey mom…”

“What happened to your eye?” You tug his hand away, inspecting the puffy lid and cut through his eyebrow. “Tell me the truth.”

He pauses when you say that, mouth partially open as he struggles to decide what to say. “I fell off my bike again,” he answers firmly, but you can tell in his eyes he doesn’t mean it. “I was riding near a—”

His face twists and the kid recoils, some unseen force making him shrivel up and he clutches his ears, shaking his head as his back slams into the wall.

A coldness settles in the air when Loki stands up from the table, walking over to his son and crossing his arms. “That’s a lie, Elliot.”

“No, you promised, dad,” your son pleads, grabbing Loki’s arm. “You promised to stay out of my head, you promised not to read my—”

“—and you promised to tell the truth.” Loki’s voice is gentle but stern, icy and you almost feel bad for Elliot having to be on the receiving end of this scolding. “You promised me I wouldn’t have to.”

Tears are already welling in the boy’s eyes, and he sinks to the floor before the two of you, shoulders trembling.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he sobs, hiding his face in his hands, and you notice his fingertips starting to turn blue. “I didn’t want to lie but they know, dad, they know about me ‘n you and-and today they called mom a really bad word and I told them to stop—

Not expecting that, Loki quickly crouches next to his son, a hand on his shoulder. “Easy, Elliot, it’s alright…we’ll listen to you, of course. Come here.”

He catches your eye, wide and worried; you know Elliot can be a bit…sensitive, but that was enough of a reaction to shake you to your core.

What in the world?

The two of you lead him to the couch, and he angrily swipes at his eyes and tries to pull himself together.

“There’s…there’s these kids,” he sniffs, not looking either of you in the eye. “They’re huge, dad, huge and beefy and-and muscles like Thor’s, really, and they always yell at me when I’m outside and—”

Your heart sinks.

“It’s alright,” Loki promises, pulling Elliot under his arm. “Just breathe, you’re alright. Do you have any idea why they are picking on you?”

The kid sniffs again, dropping his head to his hands. “They say I’m tiny. Call me wimpy. Guess…guess that makes me an easy t-target.”

“Elliot…” you run a hand through his curls, scooting closer and hugging him too. “That doesn’t matter, they can’t—”

“But I am!” He lifts his head and his eyes burn red. “I’m tiny, mom, I’m a runt and I’m little and I’ve got no muscle and one day I’m gonna-gonna snap like a twig.”

“Did those other kids tell you that?”

He nods, wiping his nose. “They know I’m blue, too, they like to sneak up ‘n drop ice cubes down the back of my shirt just to make me…make me…y’know.”

His voice cracks and dissolves into silent sobs.

“Oh, Elliot.” Heart aching, you pull him into your arms.

“That shouldn’t matter,” Loki gently tells him, holding out an open hand to his son that’s turning blue as well. “Yes, we’re different, Elliot, but that doesn’t make us any less worthy of—”

“I hate it.”

Loki’s blue hand drops to his thigh, empty.

“Elliot,” you quickly cut in, “don’t say anything you’ll regret.”

“Why not? It’s true,” he spits, hands furiously shaking and, much to everyone’s chagrin, slowly splotching with blue. “I’m a monster, I’m a mutant and I hate it.”

“We aren’t anything more than a different colour, that doesn’t—”

“Stop saying we, dad!” Elliot shoots to his feet, a finger in Loki’s face. “It was ‘we’ when I was a baby, and you could just–just show me off, but this isn’t we. This is me, and people hurting me, and I’m too freaking weak to even learn how to fight back, and–and I didn’t ask for this.”

“None of us did, Elliot.”

“No,” your son chokes, “you did ask for this. You asked for a kid, and well, you got me. This is it. Me, the animal, the runt, your mutant blue baby who can’t find an ounce of control over anything in his life, but it’s okay, it’s cute.”

“Elliot…”

He shakes his head, eyes clenched shut to fight back the tears.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispers, then turns and runs to his room, slamming the door behind him.

The silence in the room sits heavy.

“Loki?”

You break it with a gentle question, turning to your husband to find tears silently streaking his face.

“Oh, my love, my Loki.”

You pull him into an embrace, one he doesn’t return, slowly pushing you away to look at you.

“I knew he was a mistake,” he quietly confesses. “We shouldn’t have had children.”

“Don’t you dare say that.”

“But look what I’ve done to him—”

“Shut up.”

You stand abruptly, holding out a firm hand to pull Loki to his feet with you. “We’re going to go talk to him,” you decide, “until he can see how much he’s loved.”

Not giving your husband a moment to respond, you pull him along behind you straight to Elliot’s room.

Elliot is still crying, crying quietly into his pillow with the rest of his body curled as tightly as possible, leaving you and Loki plenty of space to lay on either side of him and curl just as tightly around him.

The contact does seem to help, you note, and he takes a great shuddering breath when you smooth a hand through his curls.

“My sweet boy,” you murmur, and press a kiss to his temple. “Don’t let the light inside you die.”

“I don’t think–I don’t think there’s any light in me,” he thickly replies between sniffles.

“That’s bullshit.”

A wet, teary laugh leaves his lips for a split second.

“I’m serious,” you smile, “that’s complete bullshit, and your father will one hundred percent back me up on that.”

Loki nods and takes Elliot’s hand. “It’s bullshit.”

“You are…a beacon of light,” you promise him, holding him tighter. “I’ve never known someone with as pure a heart as yours, and to see these bullies trying to rip it from you breaks my heart.”

Loki lays down beside his son, turning to face him and bring his hand to his heart. “And you are right. We asked for you and we were gifted with you, our beautiful, sweet, incredible child, so please don’t push us away.”

Elliot sniffs, blinking away tears as you smooth a hand over his hair, and Loki presses his forehead to his son’s.

“Please let us help you.”

More sniffles, his thin body trembling, and your son slowly nods.

“I need to learn to control it,” he mutters, eyes squeezed shut. “I have no power over myself.”

Loki nods, giving his delicate hands a squeeze. “I’ll double my efforts. We can figure this out, alright?”

Another tiny nod.

Sandwiched between the two of you, Elliot sneaks an arm around Loki’s chest, hugging him close against him while his other arm holds tightly to yours, the one around him.

“Don’t let go,” he whispers. “Please.”

―   ―   ―   ―

~ masterlist link in my bio ~

loki tags: @bluediamond007 @himitoshi @drakesfiance @destiel1597 @dangertoozmanykids101 @archy3001 @jcalpha1 @yzssie @skullvieplu @forthesnakeofdragons @skulliebythesea @wegingerangelica @storiesfrommirkwood @agarwaeneth @adaliamalfoy @laurfangirl424@fitzsimmons-is-forever @ladylokimischief @katelinwrites @tarynkauai @polaristrange @loavesofmeat @canadian-ravenpuff-multishipper @lou-makes-me-strong @holyn0vak @chocolatealmondmillk @swtnrholland @kenzieam @jessiejunebug  @the-republic-and-face-of-texas

~ scroll here! ~

@doralupin01 @whitewitchdown @atomiccharmer @falconfeather23435 @babygirlicecream @avengrcs @vethrvolnir2 @bookgirlunicorn @wabisabigrl @myhealingstar @khaleesi-marvel @ei77777 @spacecrumbs @scarlettghost13 @rocks-are-pretty-odd @confessionsofastrugglingteen @easilydistractedwriter @arttasticgreatnessoftheawesome77 @fluffyllamaswearinghats @milktearose @lcyouinhell @h0tshotholland @dontmesswithmemundane @southsidesarcasticwriter @helnik-s @lilith-akemi @fire-in-her-veinz @unlikelysamwinchesteronahunt @mischievousbellerina @kcd15

~ scroll here ~

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[headinthe-fridge]

My Grandfather’s Lawyer (pt.5)

⁂ – Ushijima Wakatoshi x reader –  ⁂

warning: nsfw, swearing

Summary: Your grandfather, Washijo Tanji, disowned your mother when she was pregnant with you and her hatred towards him was passed on to you. Now, your estranged grandfather wants you to leave your life in Tokyo and come live with him in his estate in the Miyagi Prefecture.

You took a day off and a 6-hour trip, intending to give him a piece of your mind before disappearing from their lives forever. You didn’t expect to see an ailing and fragile old man. Your day trip stretched into weeks and soon, you patched things up with your estranged family and warmed up to everyone -except to one: Ushijima Wakatoshi -your grandfather’s lawyer.

He thinks you have ulterior motives in reuniting with your grandfather.

You weren’t suppose to care what he thinks of you. His opinion didn’t matter.

But it did.

AN: Soo sorry I didn’t update yesterday :( so to make up for it I’m posting part 5 and 6 today. Again, thank you for supporting this fic. That thing that spurred me to write this was my frustration over headcannons. HCs are cute and all but if it’s the same thing you see everyday it kinda makes you feel hungry for more. Anyway, enjoooy. And welcome to my new readers!!! 💖💖💖

Masterlist

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

“y/n,” Your grandfather breathed as soon as you entered his ward. The old man’s eyes were wide in shock at seeing you. 

“Did you rest well, how are you feeling today?” He proceeded to ask.

“I’m fine, but I should be the one asking you that.” You replied when you approached his bed. You hung your head low, “I feel... guilty. I feel like I’m the reason why-”

“See, Tanji-san? Your grandchild is here so that means he’s also concerned about you.” Ushijima butted in. He gave you a stern look. “Right, y/l/n-san?” His eyes held an underlying message that says ‘dont-you-dare-contradict-me.’

You gulped unconsciously before you turned your attention back to your grandfather. “He’s right, Washijo-san. I was worried when I heard you were sent to the hospital.”

“I would feel better if you will start calling me ‘ji-ji’, like how your cousins call me.”

“I- what did the doctors say?” You swiftly changed the topic. You felt uncomfortable calling him that; because first, that was how your mother addressed him, and second because you felt you didn’t deserve it.

Your grandfather let out a small smile, if he noticed what you did, you weren’t sure. “Don’t worry too much, y/n, it’s nothing serious, Wakatoshi and Saki-san are just paranoid.”

“Old man, how could you say it’s nothing serious? You were having breathing problems earlier, it was a cause for concern.”

He shook his head. “I’m fine, I’m quite used to that and I won’t die yet. Not when my grandchild is finally back home.” He gave you his rare soft-and-affectionate lool which made you squirm. 

You were receiving too much ‘looks’ today. You started wondering what kind of ‘look’ you’ll be getting next.

“I won’t deprive myself of the joy especially if he’s here with us now.” Your grandfather said. But despite the smile on his wrinkled face, you were sure that he was still uncertain over the matter. You also know that Ushijima noticed it because the man threw you another look.

You mentally sighed.

“Washijo-san, I hate to say this but I... I can’t stay here.” You said softly, witnessing how his wrinkled face morphed into sadness. “The house.. and- and, I have a job back in Tokyo.” You didn’t want the old man to feel any worse but you didn’t want to give him false hopes either.

“Your parents are gone, y/n, and you’re alone. Of course, I will always be concerned about you. If you’re worried about your job, you can work in the family business. Or better yet, you can stop working if you decide to live with me. You can focus on your studies. Your mother mentioned that you wanted to be a doctor, right?”

You felt a light jab at your heart. He remembered?

“I appreciate your concern for me, but you don’t have to worry about me. I have my roommate, Kiyoko, and I also have great friends.” You knew they were gonna look out for you and have your back. As for your studies, that was the reason why you’re working and saving up.

“So you’re intent on going back to Tokyo and leaving us?”

It didn’t sound like a question to your ears but more like a resigned acceptance. The deep sadness in the old man’s voice did not escape your ears. You could feel your insides churning in guilt. 

No one had ever made you feel this guilty before. And you never knew you were capable of causing grave sadness to someone. For a second, you felt like a wretch so you tried to reason out.

“That is bec-”

“Tanji-san, it seems your grandchild is just confused. I think a breath of fresh hair would clear up y/n’s mind. Breakfast would be good too. Please excuse us.”

Without giving you a chance to speak -let alone open your mouth- Ushijima grabbed your wrist (once again, god damnit) and dragged you out of the ward. You tried to yank your wrist free of his grasp but failed miserably. It was like his hands are made of steel.

“Stop friggin’ dragging me.” You cursed but your words fell on deaf ears as Ushijima continued to drag you until you both reached the hospital’s outdoor garden. You subtly winced in pain when he unceremoniously shoved you down on a bench.

Your scowl turned into shock as Ushijima bent down, levelling his face with yours. His arm stretched on either side of your body, trapping you.

You swore that if you moved an inch your noses would touch. You could smell the faint minty breath of the man half-standing, half-hovering before you. And he was shooting you that ‘look’ again. That stern, meaningful, and handsome look.

God dammmit.

“Do you really hate your grandfather so much that you can’t grant his little request that could make him happy?” Ushijima snarled at you. The influx of his hot breath pulled you back from your thoughts.

You raised a brow in defiance. “Look, how I treat my grandfather is none of your business.” You retorted before averting your gaze, focusing them on the patch of grass past him. If you don’t do that, he might notice that your current position is making you uncomfortable.

To your utter relief (dismay), Ushijima straightened himself up and crossed his arms over his torso. “Actually, you need someone like me to remind you that your grandfather’s only sin was loving his daughter -your mother, very much.” He said sharply. “Yes, he was wrong at some point but can’t you give him another chance for him to make it right?”

You kept your eyes on the grass, suddenly feeling ashamed of yourself. You could see it; Ushijima is right. You knew that your grandfather is willing to make things right again.

“What? Cat got your tongue?”

You felt irritated at the statement. It was the same statement Hoshina used yesterday when you just arrived.

“Your grandfather is also hoping that you would take care of him despite having his own caregivers. Can your conscience take it should anything happen to him?”

You were torn between defending yourself and remaining silent. Deep inside, you’re more than willing to look after him. And honestly, to patch things up with him and get to know the old man more.

However, you didn’t want to give Ushijima Wakatoshi satisfaction.

“If you’re done with your speech, I’m going back to the old man’s room.”

Was what you wanted to say but your mouth refused to move. So you abruptly stood up and briskly walked away from him. Leaving his tall figure and scowling face.

Part 6

Taglist: @thegrumpyhag​ @sushij1ma​ @valoryess​ @yakus-yakult​ @ly-nia​ @ushi-please​ @plutoglass @kokofirebangbomb​ @strawberryy-milkk @melanieacademy​ @defunkitatedmess​ @lunarknox​ @wtoshii​ @kyomihann​ @multishippers-trash-blog​ 

[hithelleth]

Multi shipper challenge, Revolution

1. Jason

2. Kripkes nerdy self insert with the glasses whose name I've blocked out

3. The dead blond brother (bonus question: would he be know today as a himbo)

4. The worst doctor in the world

5. That guy we all considered the bicycle who was Bass' devoted side piece but it turns out the actor is Trump garbage so now everyone ignores him

6. Charlie, but only your top two

Ah, a classic! ;) 

1. What was it called, Charlett? I mean Jason/Charlie/Connor. I think this one might be your fault. ;) And, well, obviously Jarlie, though I only really started shipping them after went to Canada, because of course. Also, I did ship Jason/Danny in the early days.

2. Aaron? Oh, god, I don’t think I shipped him with anyone. He was just a terrible boyfriend all around who either ditched a woman in the middle of the road or got her killed. Or turned into a weird nano-spokeperson. yeah, no, no ships for Aaron. (See, every rule has an exception, even me being a multishipper. ;))

3. Danny? Yeah, I think he would be known as himbo today. Danny/Bass (I even wrote fic. Oops.) Danny/Heather (Great, now I remembered the unfinished fic.) And as mentioned before, Danny/Jason. 

4. Gene? I think the answer will be the same as for Aaron. No ships for shitty docs.

5. Jeremy: certainly with Bass, also chain-of-command aka Jeremy/Bass/Miles, but my personal fave is Jeremy/Emma. Also, Jeremy/Maggie (and now I remembered another WIP. *sigh*) and Jeremy/Charlie. (Well, he was a fandom bicycle. And don’t remind me of MP, we in ole commie countries have an expression for people like him.)

6. Well, I don’t really have that many ships for Charlie, you know? But top two would be Charlie/Bass and CM2.

This was a fun trip down the memory lane, thank you for indulging me, Bea! :) <3

( Multishipper challenge. )