#two people battling enemies back to back while bantering

[arcanistvysoren]

tfw your online life bleeds into your video game life

@nihilnovisubsole

i did DM you like i promised but i'm still cackling about it so i need to commemorate it as a post

a real "i like your shoelaces" moment 🤝

[victoryverse]

Hmm...i have this messy scenario where reader and Simon are like enemy/rival to each other—well actually it's only from Simon's side since he has crush on reader without him realizing it and he also doesn't know how to act regarding his feeling so yeah Simon being Simon—he acted like a jerk to his crush. And reader actually has no clue nor idea why Simon hates them, not to mention he always throw that distasteful glance to reader. So one day on a mission, Simon and reader end up as duo and when they are taking a break in a safehouse, there's only one bottle of water left. They kinda fight for it and it's obvious that Simon would win, so he chugs down almost whole bottle. Before he really finishes, Simon pulls reader's collar and kisses them while also pouring the water down to their mouth. It may extends into long short makeout session depends on Simon's true intention at the time :))

~🫧

rivals*

warnings: cursing, hate feeling, smut towards the end, kissing! 🙈

The tension between Simon and you had been simmering beneath the surface for weeks, like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment. From the moment you had been assigned as partners on missions, it was clear that there was an unspoken rivalry brewing between you, fueled by snide remarks and competitive banter.

Today was no different. As you found yourselves holed up in a safehouse during a particularly grueling mission, the atmosphere crackled with an intensity that was hard to ignore. The air was thick with unspoken words, and the only sound was the faint hum of the ventilation system.

You sat across from each other, both exhausted from the day's events, but neither willing to break the silence. The tension between you was suffocating, and you wished desperately for a distraction to break the ice.

Finally, unable to bear the silence any longer, you spoke up, your voice dripping with sarcasm. "Well, this is cozy, isn't it? Two sworn enemies forced to share a safehouse. What could possibly go wrong?"

Simon's lips curled into a sneer as he met your gaze, his eyes cold and calculating. "Oh, I don't know, maybe you could try not getting in my way for once. That would be a nice change of pace."

You rolled your eyes, refusing to let his barbs get under your skin. "Please, Simon, like you're the picture of efficiency. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to sabotage our mission."

Simon's jaw clenched, his expression darkening with anger. "Funny, coming from the one who can't seem to follow orders without screwing up."

The words stung, but you refused to let him see how much they affected you. Instead, you shot back with a cutting remark of your own. "At least I don't let my ego get in the way of doing my job. Unlike some people I know."

Simon's eyes narrowed, his fists clenching at his sides. "Watch it, Y/N, or you might find yourself on the wrong end of my fist."

You scoffed, unimpressed by his empty threats. "Please, Simon, we both know you couldn't hit the broad side of a barn if your life depended on it."

The tension between you reached a boiling point, the air practically crackling with animosity. You both knew that this was a battle neither of you could win, but neither of you were willing to back down.

Just then, Simon reached for the last remaining bottle of water, his hand closing around it possessively. Your eyes widened in surprise, realizing that you were both reaching for it simultaneously.

"Hey, that's mine," you protested, trying to snatch it from his grasp.

Simon's lips curled into a smirk as he held the bottle just out of your reach. "Finders keepers, loser weepers," he taunted, his tone dripping with arrogance.

You scowled, feeling a surge of frustration coursing through you. "You can't be serious. We're supposed to be partners, Simon."

But Simon didn't seem to care. Instead, he twisted the cap off the bottle and took a long, exaggerated swig, relishing in your annoyance.

Before you could protest further, he leaned across the table, his hand wrapping around the back of your neck as he pulled you towards him. Your eyes widened in shock, your breath catching in your throat as his lips crashed against yours.

For a moment, you were too stunned to react, your mind struggling to process what was happening. But then, as the shock wore off, you found yourself melting into the kiss, your body responding instinctively to his touch.

Simon's lips were surprisingly soft against yours, his kiss filled with a raw intensity that sent shivers down your spine. You could taste the water on your lips, little drops pouring from his mouth into yours, that made the moment even more hotter.

As the kiss deepened, you felt Simon's other hand sliding down your chest, his touch sending sparks of electricity coursing through your veins. You knew you should pull away, that this was wrong on so many levels, but you couldn't bring yourself to stop. Not when he kissed you like that.

It was as if all the pent-up tension between you had finally reached its breaking point, and now, there was no turning back. You found yourself surrendering to the heat of the moment, allowing yourself to get lost in the sensation of Simon's lips against yours.

But just as quickly as it had begun, the kiss was over, leaving you breathless and bewildered. Simon pulled away, his eyes dark with desire as he looked at you, his expression unreadable.

For a moment, you simply stared at each other, both of you shocked. And then, as if on cue, the reality of the situation came crashing down around you.

"What… what was that?" you stammered, your voice barely above a whisper.

Simon's expression softened, a hint of regret flickering in his eyes. "I… I don't know," he admitted, his voice barely audible over the sound of your racing heartbeats. "I just… I couldn't stand the thought of you being mad at me anymore."

You blinked in surprise, the pieces of the puzzle suddenly falling into place. So that was it – all this time, Simon had been acting like a jerk because he couldn't deal with his own feelings for you.

A wave of sympathy washed over you and you reached out, tentatively placing a hand on his arm.

"I didn't realize," you murmured, your voice soft with compassion. "I had no idea you felt that way."

Simon looked at you, his gaze searching yours for any sign of rejection. But all he found was warmth and acceptance, a silent invitation. The hate and regret was melting into something else, and soon, he pulled his lips back on yours, his ahds gripping your waist harshly and pulling you on him completely.

You straddled his thigh, his rough hands grabbing handfuls of your flesh and moans spilling from your lips as she grabbed an spanked your ass.

"Simon, oh godd--"

Your words remained lodged in your throat, as he flipped you over, making you lay down on the floor and gripping your bulletproof jacket, pulling it off you. He pulled the intercom too, and you gasped as he began undoing your belt.

"But, but si--the mission?" you asked, your voice ragged and breathless.

"Fuck the mission. All I want to concentrate on is you and this tight little pussy of yours"

[epiclamer]

Villain and Flirtatious Hero in battle, Villain formly abused by a very creepy intimate whumper, but Hero is unaware of this. Bonus points for Hero flirtatiously pinning Villain (and maybe putting them in a very vulnerable or exposing position) and misunderstanding their terror. Maybe comfort afterward cuz Villain is an absolute mess? Have fun, no pressure! :)

cw: mention of past non-con trauma (touching). This one’s a bit heavy, but lots of comfort.

Traces from the Past

One hand on their left wrist and one hand on their right, a knee between their thighs and the cold cement at their back. A situation that all but comforted the villain. A situation they knew all too well.

The flashbacks didn’t wait long to come into play, once their position registered they began without hesitation. As if their brain was trigger-happy.

Images, movements, voices, sounded all around them and Villain couldn’t tell which where coming from the inside. They didn’t know who was real and who wasn’t. All they could see and feel was their past and it was suffocating.

Sometimes the inside world would blend with the outside one. They’d catch a glimpse of the hero’s eyes glued to their own or hear them whisper against their ear. It would send shivers down their spine and their head would shoot up before it was pressed down again.

They were drowning and their head kept being pushed back under.

Involuntarily, their body rejected what their mind couldn’t. Bile rising up their throat in time with the thousands of hands touching their body, heart slamming in its cage while the flirts seemed so casual. Part of them knew it was just the hero. They just couldn’t believe it.

Villain was back in that room again, watching the door fall closed, feeling their stomach twist into knots. Suddenly they were creating excuses, making their way to the door before being stopped, being pulled back, being assured that they could wait just a few minutes…

The concrete turned into bed sheets and the hero was gone. It was just Villain and them.

Every one of their struggles was diminished, pinned down easily, too easily, and all of their words caught in their throat. They couldn’t scream or beg or shout, they were frozen in pure terror against the liveliness of it all again.

Hero realized much too late what was happening. It had started out like any other fight, the two of them throwing punches and insults against one another. The crime-stopper always threw in the occasional flirt which the villain seemed to shrug off with a huff, but this time it was different.

This time—unlike others—Hero finally got the upper hand. With a swoop of their leg Villain was on the ground and the hero pounced without thinking.

In all honesty, it had never occurred to them why the villain had always been so shut off. Cutting themselves off from the people around them, it only took one mistake and you were out of their life for good. Hero had never even registered Villains dismissal of their flirty advances or how they fled from any fight that got too close-contact.

But now they felt ashamed that they hadn’t. Clearly something was wrong.

At first, Hero was prouder than ever to have gotten oh mighty Villain down. They couldn’t help their banter and bated breath against the other’s neck, but when the dizzying silence stretched longer and longer and Villain got paler and paler. Hero’s gut filled with worry, not pride.

The struggling seemed normal at first, after all they were enemies, but it wasn’t the same. This type was frantic, animalistic almost as the villain tried to claw themselves from the hero’s grasp. Still the hero hadn’t noticed soon enough. Pushing the villain down until they stayed that way, completely frozen.

That’s when they had noticed.

Villains eyes were blank, their face a mix of horror and tear-streaked cheeks while their body shook uncontrollably. Hero let go. Half their mind told them they were foolish, but their incident trained brain knew they had to.

The criminal didn’t move, still stuck in place even after they were free of the hero. Whatever hellish prison they were trapped in was stronger than the reality around them. Hero winced at the thought, having zero control over what one experienced due to severe trauma was the last thing on their bucket list.

“Villain?” No answer. “…Villain?” Still nothing. Hero crouched down, steering clear of their nemesis in case they lashed out before placing a soft hand on their shoulder, squeezing slightly. “Hey, Villain, what’s going on?”

That time it worked. The one in question startled awake, eyes no longer glossed over with nightmares and breaths coming in faster than what Hero would’ve considered hyperventilating. Overall, Villain merely looked alive. Terrified, but alive, freed from their paralyzed state.

Hero took their hand back before Villain could slip back under, if they couldn’t handle physical touch then the hero wouldn’t push it. They needed to identify the issue first and then solve it.

“Villain, breathe with me, hm? Just focus on the nice deep breaths…”

Through the panic of it all, it at least looked like they were trying. Like the villain was able to hear and attempt to follow instructions, but inadvertently their gaze kept falling to a watch on the hero’s hands.

Placatingly Hero placed them both in their lap, making sure their movements were slow and predictable, keeping everything in sight. Villain found it easier to breathe after that, after the threat wasn’t so overwhelming anymore.

The hero waited until they were sure this time, that Villain was going to be okay. They still looked empty, they didn’t make any move to escape, all they did was stare off into the distance, breaking their eye contact to glance at the hero’s hands every so often. They didn’t look like themselves anymore.

Hero cleared their throat, trying to start a conversation where it felt like there shouldn’t be one. “Do you… want to talk about what happened?”

Villain shook their head.

“Want me to call one of your henchmen for a ride home?”

Silence answered but nothing more.

The crime-stopper was beginning to feel desperate, they wanted to help so badly, they wanted to listen to what the villain kept hidden for so long. They wanted to help. But they refrained until the villain’s command.

“I’m sorry—”

“Can I have a hug? Please?” Villain didn’t break from their dissociated demeanour, but they let Hero carefully wrap their arms around them in an embrace. Making sure that their hands never touched, but the pressure was enough to calm the villain’s heart. “Thank you.”

Hero nodded, gently resting their head against the other’s shoulder as they looked off in the same direction. A million questions pilling up on their tongue, but not a sound came from their mouth.

The pair sat in silence for a long time, before they both parted ways, hero double-checking that the villain would be alright on their own. Yet no matter how much Villain assured them that they were fine, Hero woke up to their call in the middle of the night.

[partyanimal167]

Reminiscing- Crocodile x GN!Reader

Here's another addition to my Spy event! I wanted to try writing a bit of a chiller vibe and of course needed to include my favorite warlord here. I've been craving more fics with him

🔷️ The After-Hours Lounge- Crocodile x GN!Reader

cw: flirty banter, fluff, not proofread bc I'm going to work lol

There were the golden years. There were the memories of battles, spats, fights, and triumphs. Who didn't like remembering those times?

Crocodile was a successful man. Many people knew that. He had businesses that vied for his attention, money that never left him without, people always ready to do whatever he needed whenever. He didn't need or want much. Not anymore at least.

There were times, though, that Crocodile wanted to get away. He needed space, a breather from all the demands and luxuries. And he did know where to find it.

There weren't that many spies who could go out and retire from the life of crime-fighting and intense strategizing. Most kept pushing until they were put out of the game--or life. But there were even fewer who decided to stay in the real world instead of disappearing to a personal hideaway to be paranoid of vengeful descendants or hide to silence their night terrors.

But you were different.

You couldn't completely abandon the life, so you found yourself running a late night bar where you could still see the brightness of new recruits and weathered looks of your old peers. It didn't matter who stopped by because this was a place for drinks and story-sharing. It didn't matter if with a friend or foe.

So Crocodile knew he could come by for a drink, and when you were the only one there--sweeping while humming to a tune, he knew it was going to be a good night.

"Crocy," the way you said that stupid nickname with endearment instead of taunting already started the memory wheel for the older man.

You went behind the bar and reached for an aged bottle of cognac which was his favorite. You took out two crystal glasses and gently plopped in the intricate spherical ice. Croco,dile rested his chin on his propped hand--watching you pour the liquid.

"Good evening to you too Flower," he chuckled.

You placed the drink in front of him and leaned forward. "Oh jeez, that name reminds me of when we first met."

Crocodile brought the glass to his lips and grinned. "Ah, when you first tried to kill me, I remember that."

You shrugged as you sipped. "In my defense, you were trying to overtake a country's department of defense."

"It's was a business opportunity." Crocodile half-defended. "But gosh you were so ruthless. I probably could remember that punch if I think about it."

You rolled your eyes. "You had three gunmen on me." you placed your drink down and sighed. "Where have the years gone? That was my first time being told to retreat, you know? I was pretty confident I was going to end your life that night."

Crocodile took out his cigar and snickered. "And I keep telling you there were five gunmen, so it was good they called you back." he took a moment to enjoy his smoke. "We got to play that cat-and-mouse game a few more times over the years."

You nodded as you thought about it. "Yup, and you somehow were able to become a respectable businessman."

"We all have our ambitions when we're young--always wanting more and more." Crocodile explained.

The two of you paused for a moment to enjoy the drinks and listen in on the music being played. There was an odd history between you two. You were definitely enemies at one point, but politics and objectives changed over the years. There were other people for you to track down, and different businesses for Crocodile to draw his attention towards.

"Well," you broke the silence, "did you get what you were looking for?"

Crocodile hummed into his drink. "Now, I have a delicious drink and good company. I think that's all that matters now."

You chuckled as another song started playing. "Oh look at us, reminiscing about the glory days." You refilled his glass just as was nearing empty. "Who would have thought this is where we would have ended up?"

"Life is funny like that. We were so young when we met. We would have betted our lives and lost if someone told us we'd being chatting on a lazy evening like this." Crocodile went on. He took in the swirls and colors of your eyes. "I'm glad it ended up like this."

"Me too." you went around from the bar and held out your hand. "Let's have dance together then. For old time's sake."

Crocodile stood from his seat and put out his cigar. "I thought you'd never ask."

Requests are open, so send them my way. I totally have a bias for Crocodile, but I enjoy others as well so don't be shy~

~~~

Awww, there's just something about going down memory lane that's so sweet and delicate--no matter what age.

[angelltheninth]

Let No Woman Steal Your Heart

Pairing: Selina Kyle x Talia al Ghul

Tags: fluff, developing relationship, flirty banter, past rivalry, kissing, resolved sexual tension, biting, fade to black

Word count: 0.8k

Ao3

A/N: These two are criminally underrated. Ha! Get it?!

People never knew when they were robbed by Catwoman until it was too late, and even then all they knew was that their possession was stolen. But the culprit was never caught. Now Selina had long since graduated from pick-pocketing unless it was from someone extremely wealthy.

She's robbed museums, stolen art pieces, diamonds, she's fought countless enemies, human and not, she was a crime boss and through all of that she still has her nine lives. Only been caught so many times in her life she's got a reputation, a well earned one. Such that she feels confidant about tonight's target.

This woman, they've met before, but not like Selina never stole from those she knew personally or intimately. At the end of the day a job was a job.

And Selina Kyle is damn good at her job.

Finding and sneaking into the lavish penthouse was surprisingly easy. What came next not so much. Her target was in the kitchen, and the reason why she was here was leaning against one of the chairs. A very prized sword with a big, shiny green emerald imbedded in the hilt.

Selina approached with caution, one hand on her whip, the other reaching for the targeted sword. She was crouching, her view momentarily cut off by the already positioned chairs.

"You're getting sloppy." Whispered a voice behind her before Selina felt a cold blade press against her shoulder.

"Am I? Or were you waiting for me?" Selina looked over and up shoulder to see Talia a Ghul looking down at her with indifference.

"You're probably the only thief that has the guts to rob me in my own home." Talia's blade pressed closer but it didn't stop Selina from standing up, her hands in the air, complete with shining, sharp claws that could take an eye out. Talia reached for the whip on Selina's hip. "Hands."

"Mmm, so kinky." The purr was very audible and it made Talia's grip loosen. "Now that you've caught me," Selina spun around and pressed her chest against the tip of the sword, "what do you plan on doing with me?"

Talia's frown deepened. Selina already failed, she didn't have to stick around. If she wanted to the Cat could have made a break for it. Well if she was thinking off playing cat and mouse with Talia then she will do the same. She dropped the sword and pushed her down onto the table with a loud thud.

"You're a clever one Selina. Such a shame to waste your talents on petty thieveries." Talia's hand played with zipper on the front, pulling it down just a little bit. Selina shivered against her and went right for a bite, "I didn't say you could bite me."

Selina hummed against Talia's shoulder and licked with slow, broad strokes of her tongue. "I don't remember asking. Or needing your permission."

The hot energy between them was sizzling. Neither wanted to give an inch to the other. Both were strong and neither wanted to relent, it was another battle between the two women. Only this one was being fought on their terms, because of their desires.

As much as they wanted to they couldn't deny the attraction to one another. It started because of Bruce, they met because of Bruce, they became both rivals and friends because of Bruce. But this right now? This had nothing to do with Bruce, this was all Talia and Selina.

Their flirtations had grown the more time they spent around each other. It was friendly jabs and banter at first. Then the compliments started, then heated looks, then the innuendos. The tension was simply too much to ignore. Only both were stubborn enough to try. Until tonight.

Looking back maybe that was the whole reason why this happened. The look Selina gave to Talia the other night when Talia announced she would be leaving Gotham for a while. She would be back, she always came back but Selina wanted to visit her. That shiny sword was a good excuse.

Talia wanted to see her too. She'd already said her goodbyes with Bruce and Damian. There was only Selina left, so she waited.

More of Selina's skin was exposed as Talia pulled the zipper down. She realized that compared to her, who was wearing a long, low cut dress, Selina was a bit too covered. "It's only polite to ask. But seeing as we're skipping the pleasantries tonight, I suppose I should respond in kind." Talia took Selina by the chin and pushed her mouth against her own.

Selina kissed a lot of people in her life, each had their own softness, firmness, sweetness, danger. Very few came close to Talia. She was not only skilled, her lips melting against Selina's almost too perfectly, but she realized that Talia could probably make her to anything she wanted if she kept kissing her.

"Ah, biting again. Is that a kink of yours? If so I'm interested in letting you indulge." Talia smirked as Selina's legs locked tight around her hips.

"Cats do bite when they mate." She licked her teeth, before inviting the assassin in for a deep kiss.

Biting was indeed one of Selina's kinks, and after how many bites she left on Talia that night it became one of her's too.

[besttropeveershowdown]

The Best Trope Ever Showdown: Round 4, Side B

Road Trip Plot

Propaganda:

Characters stuck in a car together. Often at least one of them doesn’t want to be there. The banter is unmatched. It’s chaos.

Battle Couple

Propaganda:

Two people fighting side by side, or back to back, trusting the other to have their back, even while bickering. Amazing. And if they kiss, surrounded by enemies… perfection ❤️❤️❤️

[ben-talks-art]

Having to win vs. Wanting to win, the appeal of Hero vs. Villain interaction, and building a bigger sense of rivalry

Something that I was wondering about for a while now was why between the two Spiderverse movies, the second one appealed to me so much more than the first

The first one is a more complete story, has a very solid beginning, middle, and end, while the second one feels like half of two movies pieced together with the Spot storyline and the Spider Society storyline which even together still don't even make a full movie...

And yet, I just find myself enjoying the second one a lot more and re-watching it a lot more often. 🤔

And the reason for it is probably because I'm just drawn more by the way this movie handles character interaction and banter, particularly between the protagonists and antagonists and how they establish connections with each other.

Spiderverse 1 is a great movie, but when it comes down to it, Miles only really has meaningful interactions with his parents and with Peter.

He doesn't really have a big heart to heart moment with Gwen or the other Spiders that much, and more importantly, he really doesn't have that big of a connection with the villains, Kingpin and Dock Ock. He does get a little with the Prowler, but that's really it, just a little.

Meanwhile, in Spiderverse 2, Miles gets to talk A LOT with everyone. With Gwen, with Pav, with Hobbie, with Miguel, and with Spot. There's just a bigger focus on having these characters not just interact but actually connect with one another.

When Miles fights Kingpin at the end of the first movie, I just don't feel that big of an investment cause these two barely talked with each other, so they have nearly no rivalry. While in the second movie, there's a huge rivalry born between Miles and Miguel because we see that both of them are fighting due to their conflicting ideologies, and we also see their relationship changing as the story progresses, as Miguel goes from being hostile to Miles, to trying to be understanding, to being frustrated, to back to hostile again.

This made me notice how much I rely on characters actually interacting and giving a sense that they're connecting with one another for me to feel invested in their confrontations.

It's one of the reasons why Kung Fu Panda 2 stands out so much compared to the other 2 to me.

The fact that we actually see the hero and the villain meeting each other early on in the story, talking, learning about one another, growing as they get to know one another, comparing their experiences, and giving a true sense of connection... We don't really get that in the first or third movie.

Po doesn't even meet Tai Lung or until the climax of the first movie, and his first conversation with Kai in the third is mostly just done for laughs.

It's also a small problem I had with the Castlevania show in seasons 1 through 4 (haven't seen Nocturnal yet).

In this series, characters don't really talk when they fight, and they don't really meet the people they're going to fight until they're fighting them. So a lot of times you're just watching people with nearly zero history between them trying to tear each other apart.

They feel like soldiers, fighting because they have to, not because they want to.

I think the biggest exceptions are the fight with Dracula at the end of season 2 and Death in season 4, because Dracula does have a history with Alucard since they're father and son, and Trevor does try talk a little with Death since he sees a lot of himself in it as both of them are like entities who only know how to kill things. But aside from that, a lot of the fights feel like Power Rangers battles where the heroes are just fighting the enemies of the week out of duty.

The show does its best to give each character the necessary amount of depth, motivation, conflict, personality, and history, but it kinda sucks in building the sense of rivalry between these people.

I think the biggest rivalry in the show is probably Hector and Camilla, which... are honestly two characters I care very little about since they have so little to do with the actual protagonists.

Frankly, I really wish I could have seen Trevor, Alucard, or Sipha actually talking with these two, or any of the other villains for that matter, to see how their interactions would go, but most of the villains just talk with each other.

Much like Spiderverse 1, and Kung Fu Panda 1, the heroes and the villains just feel like they're so distant from one another and only truly meet when the story is already about to end... And that feels like such a waste.

I wanted to see the main trio talking with Hector, Camilla, Issac, and Lenore. I wanted to see Po talking more with Tai Lung or Kai, trying to learn what makes them tick. I wanted to see Miles talking with Kingpin or Dock Ock, or heck, the Prowler.

Miles and Prowler interact so much in the comics and in the games, but in the movies there is so little of them.

I remember having similar thoughts with the Rick Riordan books.

The heroes in it usually have great banter with the smaller villains, like Ares, Seth, or the giants, but when it comes to the big villains like Chronos, Apophis, or Gaea, the confrontation with them is so brief and the way they're defeated is so simple, and more importantly, the connection between them and the protagonists is so thin, that it kinda feels anticlimactic.

The books try to build up the rivalry by having the characters see each other through dreams or visions, but they don't really talk much during the actual battles, and most of their exchanges prior to these battles are just generic stuff like "I'm gonna kill you! No, You won't! Yes, I will! No, you won't!"

Another example of the importance of interactions, Sonic Frontiers.

You get a ton of chances to talk with Sage as you go through the islands, and by the time you reach the third one, she kinda turns into a viewer excited about seeing how Sonic will defy the odds once again.

She's changing as they exchange words. Imagine how lame it would have been if she hardly ever talked to him, kinda like how it happened with Infinite where they just meet briefly before a fight and have the most generic banter ever.

Similarly, why does everyone love Superman vs. the Elite so much? Because the whole movie is about Supes butting heads with these guys who try to get him to test and provoke his ideals and beliefs.

This isn't just a hero fighting villains of the week to save the day or stop them from conquering the world. These people are trying to prove a point and they're using each other to do it.

Their interactions are causing them to develop an antagonism between each other that makes it even more exciting to see when they do eventually clash in the climax, because we followed their history and know where each is coming from, what they're fighting for.

Same reason people love Batman and Joker. Their interactions are always like that.

And then we have Kingpin in Daredevil.

That whole show's biggest selling point is just these two being constantly at each other's throats because they each represent something the other absolutely hates.

Anytime they're in a room together you just get a goldmine in writing quality because they have such amazing interactions and so much good chemistry.

Same case with Killgrave in Jessica Jones.

A lot of people often ask "Why do Marvel movie villains suck so much?" because they don't actually build this sense of animosity with the heroes. They're just things to be dealt with, not things the heroes personally want to deal with.

Ironman had to deal with Ironmonger, Thor had to deal with the dark elf, Captain America had to deal with Red Skull, but DD wanted to deal with Fisk and Jess wanted to deal with Purple Man.

This contrast of "want to" vs. "have to" does so much to increase the investment in a character for me.

Aquaman did that really well by making you feel like both villains really wanted a piece of the protagonist for very petty and selfish reasons.

It makes them feel more shallow, yes, but it also makes them feel more real, and it makes their fight more personal.

Mind you, I don't necessarily need a Hero X Villain banter all the time. There are many cases where I get really invested even if the characters don't talk.

The best example probably being Rock Lee vs Gaara, which is mostly a silent fight just like the ones from Castlevania, but unlike those where it feels like characters are fighting because they have to win, this one feels like they fight because they want to win.

There is no banter, but you still sense their motivations and ideals clashing through their fighting methods and expressions.

Same thing with Thanos vs. the Avengers. They don't exchange many lines, most of it is just Thanos' monologuing (which I kinda feel it's a wasted opportunity because I think Cap and Thanos could have had some really good exchanges), but you still get the sense that this fight is personal for all of them. They don't just have to win, they want to win.

The final battle of Chainsaw Man part 1. Same deal. Very minimal talk, but just enough talk to let us know that these are people fighting for personal reasons.

Avatar, The Last Airbender, lots of quiet fights, but the heroes do get to meet most of the villains before facing them and do build a rivalry before exchanging punches.

My favorite fight in My Hero Academia is, again, a battle of ideals, a fight of "I want to win", not just "I have to win," a fight where there is a lot of banter with their personalities shining through their words and actions and bouncing well off each other.

They make it more personal, more selfish, and thus, more interesting.

I love feeling this sense of connection when I watch or read heroes fighting villains in stories, and I really wish more series would try harder to develop this feeling so I can enjoy it more often.

I want to get more of this sense of "This fight is personal. I'm fighting for myself! I want to win!" and all that stuff.

[hopeymchope]

Just me loving all over Fire Emblem: Engage

Years after being so thoroughly disappointed and even angered by Fire Emblem: Three Houses — which, it must be said, is deeply popular and incredibly successful because that's how it goes for me — I've found myself loving Fire Emblem: Engage. I put off playing it because the online reception was so "meh," but I needn't have been so worried. My deep affection for the series is back.

Play as Aquafresh OR Pepsi!

The two biggest reasons I'm happy? Well, FIRST, my biggest complaint about Three Houses has been... not cured, unfortunately, but still significantly alleviated. If you want to remain adequately leveled/competitive in taking on strategic battles, you still need to do a bunch of side chores that amount to "running around your home base doing boring shit" between each fight. BUT. 1) The sheer amount of those chores is significantly less now, and 2) all the blind guesswork has been removed from increasing Support levels. You'll never be trying to helplessly guess what to say at some fucking teatime or in some classroom conversation where every response seems valid, nor will be you making your best guess on what food to serve people. Because the game just fucking tells you the kind of gifts or food each person likes! (And tea events/random interstitial convos are blessedly absent.)

SECOND, however? It's the quality of the writing. Yes, I know people have complained a ton about the writing in "Engage," but in my experience, they're primarily complaining because they felt the story is so simplistic. And, sure — I get that. There's so much emotional drama built into the setups of the last three games (Three Houses, Echoes, and Fates) that this tale seems rather bog-standard by comparison. The overarching story of Engage can be boiled down to a tale as old as the franchise itself — essentially "Evil Dragon gonna Do Evil." There are also some aspects of the worldbuilding/subtextual implications that don't quite make sense. But I'm not talking about the overarching plot when I praise the writing here — I'm talking about how the characters possess more detail/facets than usual, and the dialogue/banter between characters is so damn fun.

A woman I feel completely normal about.

I don't even quite know how to explain it. Maybe the humor is just more to my taste, but I've laughed so much more at this one. And by the same token, maybe I'm just digging deeper into these characters because their dialogue is endearing them to me. But after playing the past four games before this one (yes, I started with "Awakening" like some Filthy Casual, I'M SORRY), I don't recall any other game featuring characters with so much detail to them. In Engage, many chracters possess more than the usual "two noteworthy personality traits/talents" that are typically found in FE's enormous casts. I'm talking about people like Citrinne, Lindon, Yunaka, Clanne, Ivy, Gregory... I can easily say like FIVE things about each of them. And yes, I consider this to be an important step forward.

Okay, so: I like the dialogue, I like the characters, I don't like all the side busywork, the overall story is bland. (The Fell Xenalogue's story is kinda sick though?) But hold up, what about the actual MEAT of the game — the core gameplay of having strategic battles? That's not usually a problem, mind you. But how'd it go this time around?

WELL. I'd argue we've got some of the best maps and best ways to optimize characters that we've ever had. There are still some lame straightforward corridors in here, but by and large? You get a lot more freedom in how you lure enemies to you, how you can split up and flank them while simultaneously attacking from the front, how you can now disarm (or "Break") them during one turn so other allies can attack more easily/do more damage — it's pretty rad!

One of the earliest maps to make me go "Oh cool."

There's even a main theme with lyrics, and although it's never gonna be the inescapable earworm that "You are the ocean's gray waves" became, it's not shabby either.

I've put over 80 hours into Engage so far, and although I'm finished with the main story, I'm not yet finished unlocking stuff. There's a lot to love here. I'm just happy to be back.

[imaginativemind29new]

25. GRIEF - Do you regret killing off any characters?

31. LUST - Who is your hottest OC?

32. METAL - Can you write fight scenes?

Thanks for the questions Anna :) I loved answering all of them

25. GRIEF - Do you regret killing off any characters?

Do I regret killing off a character? Well is it weird if I say no? I avoid creating characters solely for the purpose of killing them off at any point in the story, but when a character dies it has to contribute to the plot and development of the other characters.

I do mourn my characters tho and ngl made myself cry very recently while writing that scene in The Heir's Curse were one of the characters died. Not gonna spoil who it is of course, but I broke the hearts of his friends and my own while writing it. He was the sweetest bean and surely didn't deserve to go in such a way...

*sigh* I will be nice to my characters at some point...eventually...in the future...I promise lol XD

31. LUST - Who is your hottest OC?

Well if we take this question literally I'd have to say Prince Enver because:

I was hot, far too hot. My fingers, resting on the window sill, felt like glowing pieces of coal and when the smell of burnt wood hit my nose I knew they didn't just feel that way. Cursing, I took a step back and looked at my hands. My fingertips glowed crimson and panic doubled my heartbeat. No, no, no. This could not be happening. Not now. Not again.

lol

But I know that's not how the question is meant ;) When it comes to looks and also personality wise I'd say the title of my hottest OC goes to Baz all the way

It's not only his *sculptured by the gods* jawline or the dimples that appear when he smiles that make him attractive, not at all with all the scars adorning his body, but it's the way he carries an air of mystery around him and the way he cares about his friends and the sacrifices he is willing to make to protect his own. Plus the way he presents himself to the world as the cunning, serious and sometimes outright devious pirate captain, but underneath managed to keep his easy-going, teasing nature after all he's been through makes him attractive. He'll only show this side of him to people he truly trusts tho.

Let me put this snippet here, because I really love him in this scene (it's Robyn's POV):

Before I could react, the soldier had already fired. Frozen, I expected the inevitable pain, but it never came. Instead, I was knocked off my feet by something heavy. A dull thud and a painful groan reached my ears. It took me a few moments to get my racing heart under control before I realised what was happening. And who was lying on top of me, shielding me from the raining arrows. "Baz," I brought out with a gasp, and hearing his name, he looked up. His stormy eyes were glazed over, and though his body twitched in pain, his mouth twisted into a wry grin. "Hello birdie, there you are." That was as far as he got as a violent cough shook his body. My eyes widened as he struggled to push himself up onto his arms. "You're hit!" My heart hammered hard in my chest as my eyes fell on the arrow sticking out of the front of his chest. It must have missed his heart by only inches. He looked down at himself and I swallowed at the sight of his bloodied teeth. How by the stars was he still grinning? Even a stupid dimple appeared as he lifted his gaze back up to me. "And that's really inconvenient, but for now we have to get you out of here."

32. METAL - Can you write fight scenes?

Actually I think I can and I quite enjoy the dynamic of fight scenes. :) I like to put in dialogue a lot, banter or back and forth between enemy and hero just so the scene doesn't feel like a static sequence of description of different moves.

This is just a minor fight scene since I have yet to get to the main battles in my WIP, but maybe you can see from it what I mean :)

Baz POV:

"Fight all you want, you're outnumbered." To my horror, more guards kept pouring into the hall. There were just too many. I fended off two more attackers when something flashed beside me. I blinked and paused, as did the attacking guards. As my eyes adjusted to the sudden light, a short laugh escaped me. Faolán did it! Where a few seconds ago there was only him and me, there were now several versions of Faolán scattered across the room, as well as multiple versions of myself. The guards looked around in confusion and Dragon cried out in anger. "An illusion! Find them and kill them! I want my artefact!" The guards didn't need to be told twice. They pounced on the first versions of Faolán and me. One of my illusions raised its sword to block an attack, but when the guard cut off its head it dissolved into mist. "Now that wasn't very nice," I said, wincing as someone grabbed me by the arm. "No time for that," Faolán hissed as he pulled me towards the exit, "The illusion won't last long."

[katsuki069]

1.2k words

This was just a little drabble I did because I was bored and work was slow lol.

warnings- angst and some violence ig

Chest heaving, you place your dagger into its sheath and turn away. Your enemy, now behind you, falls to the ground with bloodied armor. His sword was never a match for your agility and speed. You held yourself with pride as you walked out of the ring, seeing people look at you in fear. Internally you grimaced, the fear in their eyes and the way they cowered in your presence made you wonder how it got to this point in the first place. Was it just because of your battle from moments prior? No- this had been going on since you were but a child.

Playing in the town square you had a stick in your hand as you balanced upon the edge of the fountains wall. “I’ll win this time for sure!” exclaimed your small friend Virsi. She lunged at you with a stick in hand, play-fighting with you. You swung your stick to deflect hers as you gracefully stepped back on the brick wall. “Good luck Virsi, I’m still undefeated!” you stated in reply with a prideful yet cheeky grin. The two of you continued to play, going back and forth with playful banter as you swung your ‘swords’ at each other. You were fully immersed with the miniature fight, so you hadn’t heard the small crew of boys come up behind you. Suddenly you felt hands on the back of your shirt. They had pulled you away from your game and threw your stick to the ground. Clearly displeased with this you glared at the boy before you, who you’d previously assumed was their ‘leader’. You knew the crew well, unfortunately, and they had picked on you many times before. Rolling your eyes, you snapped “What do you want this time, Aymer?” “What? Can’t I come see the pretty princess?” You practically growled at the nickname, “I am no princess, if anything that’s you with how fragile your ego is!” you cleverly shot back with a smirk. The look of pure shock on Aymers face was something you wished you could capture and look at for days. Shaking his head to rid himself of the initial shock he glared back down to you, “I don’t have a fragile ego!” he exclaimed, ragefully. As he was distracted in his miniature tantrum you wretched your hands out of the grip of the other small boys and dove for your stick and held it up to them in a challenge. Aymer only tsked at you, “What? Do you plan to poke me with that or what?” he asked mockingly. Tilting your nose up at him you swiftly replied, “I challenge you to a duel, if I win you have to back off.” “And if I win?” he asked as he held out his hand while one of his goons handed him a stick. “That’s not gunna happen.” You quipped as you lunged towards him with a fast first attack. You knew he wasn’t much of a fighter but just because you were so nice you let the small duel drag on for the sake of his pride before you grew tired. You had let him back you against the wall of the fountain, making it look as if you were cornered, but this was really what you wanted. “Nowhere to run now Princess~” he teased. That was when you snapped your stick in half and threw the longer half at him, making for a perfect distraction as you dashed to the side and snatched his arm. You heard a small gasp from the boys that were watching from the sidelines. Taking his arm you maneuvered it around his back and pinned it beside his shoulder blade before you kicked the back of his knee and made him kneel. “I told you I’d win.” you stated smugly before releasing him and starting to walk away with Virsi following behind you. Enraged, Aymer charged after you; however, you had heard him coming and had turned around at the last moment to grasp his wrist and flip him over your shoulder. With the splintered stick you still had in your hand you held it over his throat. “You lost- give it up and live with your shame.” you said as you stood back up and took Virsis hand and walked back home. That was how everything began.

Now, you made your way back to the knights grounds and went to your quarters. As soon as you entered your room and kicked off your boots you heard a knock at your door. Groaning, you turned around and opened it with a small snarl, “What?!” you snapped as soon as you saw the head knight. “I heard you won another battle, I came to congratulate you.” he stated. “Thanks, but I take no pride in this victory.” “You say that for most of your victories. If you take no pride then why do you engage?” he asked. You turned around and went to your bed, leaving the door open. The head knight followed your silent invite to come in and closed the door behind him before taking off his helmet. “Come on Yin, you know I love you but I need an answer.” he said as he looked at your back that was turned to him. You let out a heavy sigh, “Katar, do we have to talk about this now?” you asked as you turned to look up at the head knight and your lover. “Yes, you always get into fights and you always win, but you never take pride, why?” he asked. “Because-” was all you said before turning your back again, heading towards your bed. “Because why?!” he asked, now slightly aggravated by your answer, or more accurately the lack of. Whipping your head around you glared at him before answering, “Because I never wanted it to be like this!” Katar looked at you with a shocked expression, you rarely raised your voice nor did you frequently express how you really felt. “What… What do you mean?” he asked, looking for clarification. You plopped yourself down onto the bed as you dropped your head into your hands. “I didn’t ask for this,” you started, “I never wanted to be feared for my skill, I never meant to even have any skill. I was just scouted and trained. But all I wanted was to live a peaceful life and be… soft-” you finished with tears brimming your eyes. Katar made his way over to your side and sat beside you before wrapping his arm around your shoulders, “Then why didn’t you choose to be soft?” he asked. “I never had a chance to be soft. Growing up I was always bloody knuckles and shards of glass. I had to be like that to keep everyone away.” you answered. “Why couldn’t you let anyone near you?-” he tried to ask before you cut him off shouting, “Because everyone wanted to hurt me!!” You huffed out a stressed breath before giving your reason, “I learned that you can’t trust anyone and that everyone had some fear…” you got up and got your boots back on, no longer feeling fatigued. “And people avoid what they fear. So I wanted people to be afraid of hurting me.” you finished as you opened the door and left the room.

[stellamancer]

omg omg niku for ur trope mashup game can i request almost kiss + flirting under fire for the love of your life gooj???

ANDIE.

when i saw ur lil bird pfp i thought you'd come into my inbox to ask about the love of your life shouto todoroki AND YET YOU ARE HERE ASKING ME ABOUT THE BLUE EYED MONSTER!!!!

gojo x reader -> almost kiss + flirting under fire

the gojo hater that runs strong in my blood wants flirting to be like more akin to banter in which gojo is flirting with you and you are just like "will you please shut up and focus on the fight?"

oh. even though i'm a very big enemies to lovers kind of girlie, i think that the implication of flirting under fire is that the two people flirting are allies. so we're going with that.

though, i guess at the same time, any fight that gojo's involved in would be him curbstomping huh. so it's probably a larger scale fight. i'd say in an enclosed area though, so you can flirt. or he can flirt with you. but you know also exorcising a bunch of curses in an infested building and the whole conversation taking over the phone (complete with bluetooth- i think reader would be wearing one but mr. strongest sorcerer can get away with holding his phone up to his ear. die fucker.)

okay okay, so that's the setting there, now for the kiss. almost kiss. uhhhhh. i feel like gojo's infinity is an obstacle here. i mean obviously if reader tried to kiss him, because they most definitely would not, then it would be an almost kiss no matter what if he keeps that damn thing up. on the flip side, it could also be an almost kiss where he's leaning in and about to kiss you, and then you remember it's fucking gojo and you'd rather die than kiss him. given the established dynamic, i doubt either of them are gonna like have a celebratory almost kiss lmao.

so i guess it would be one of two ways: first, reader and gojo meet up in some big final battle arena (let's say this is a school so like a gym or a courtyard) and either:

Reader is thrown back by an attack and lands on their back and Gojo appears and he's like checking to make sure you're okay, but he's like leaning in super close and he keeps getting closer and your brain stops working and you think maybe he's gonna kiss you for whatever reason (either Gojo can tell and is doing it to tease you or he's just doing it for shits and giggles) and then another curse appears behind him and like you open your mouth to try and tell him or whatever but gojo is not letting this curse ruin his bit, so he, while maintaining eye contact, still looking like he's gonna kiss you, tosses a hand up and blasts that thing out of the sky. guts rain everywhere, but he uses infinity so you don't get sprayed in curse guts. how nice of him. probably didn't want his expensive ass clothes to get dirty. just when you think you're gonna kiss he strands up straight and cheers that everything's done and you're just stuck with a racing heart lmao.

reader is flung by the curse toward gojo and instead of letting you slam into infinity like a frisbee he turns it off and catches you, but the curse threw you with enough force to make him fall over when he catches you in his arms. you shift and notice your lips are super close and your brain slides into dumbass mode and you're thinking about how you could almost be kissing, but then the curse roars or whatever behind you and you try to jump up to go finish it off, but gojo holds u still in with one of his huge ass hands and blasts it with the other. curse is gone. you're still in position to kiss. you kinda wanna, cuz you're still kinda raring to go, but then idk you don't??? because it's gotta be an almost kiss. maybe you get a phone call that freaks you out and you jump off him and run to answer the phone.

both endings sound fun. i think lmao. so either could work.

[send me a ship and two fic tropes and i'll tell you how i'll mash 'em up]

[mysticstarlightduck]

Happy Tender Tuesday!

My question is: Which are your favourite romance tropes to include in your stories? Do you have any tropes you avoid writing? Do you have tropes you dislike?

Oh, this is a cool one!

My FAVORITE KINDS OF ROMANCE tropes probably are:

(healthy) enemies to lovers or rivals to lovers, with all the intense romantic tension, banter, fake mocking, and testing their grounds as they measure up to each other, being like "That is one hell of a fighter! Wait... aren't I supposed to hate them? Oh shit, I'm already in love", defending each others honor from others then calling each other names between themselves. The journey from hate to rivalry, to an unexpected friendship, and finally lovers that would move mountains for one another.

idiots in love/troublemakers in love that get into so much complicated situations together that the others around them are tired of their bullshit already

battle couple/badasses who are in love and go on quests, and adventures together, who are equals and know it. Deep romantic tension, internal jokes, and badass pre-fight moments while they face their enemies back to back.

best friends who are obliviously in love and act more romantically and affectionately than many married couples but won't admit it out loud for the life of them (*eyes Tanwin & Darian angrily*)

SUPPORTIVE, LOVING, PROTECTIVE COUPLES WITH INTERESTING TENSION AND A HEALTHY DYNAMIC ALL THE WAY PLS. (:

TROPES I AM LUKEWARM ON:

Tragic romances without a glimmer of hope and only emotional damage (I am all for starcrossed lovers, but please, can their story end with at least a bittersweet note for what could have been?)

Love triangles. Can work well if the romantic tensions are well done, and especially if one relationship working causes the other to break apart, BUT, that is hard to achieve and delves deep into the cliché zone (and please, no love "corners", it's annoying as fuck to see one girl or one guy followed by two potential love interests who compete between each other. Give me real love triangles.)

TROPES I HATE (AND I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL HATING THEM)

Toxic Relationships Romanticed. HELL NO. NOPE. Especially if it is the bad boy or bad girl borderline stalking and accosting the innocent girl or innocent guy who thinks they're just being romantic and is not disgusted at all, HELL NO, and if it ends with them falling IN LOVE or the innocent person thinking the other's dominance/possessiveness is """hot""" just end me now. If a relationship is to be toxic, it has to be outwardly shown to be sick and twisted, or at the very least be about the tragedy of these two morons falling for one another. In my book, I make a point that every "toxic relationship" is properly shown as a twisted thing - (DISCLAIMER: there are villains who are implied to be toxic and assaulting to some characters in my novel, but they are VILLAINS and the character hates them, not falls in love with them, for goodness sake. And toxic nature will always be that - toxic, and can, unfortunately, delve into assault, so those are traits of VILLAINS, not "misunderstood people"pls.), and not as a "romantic vibe". Please this romanticization of Toxic people needs to END. Hollywood is loving that trope ever since the Twilight craze and I am so done with it.

Bad boys/Bad girls who are "Aggressive" because they get "jealous" or GOD FORBID "know what is best for the other." HELL NO

No emotional growth whatsoever between the two, we're just watching a married couple woo each other and the story does. not. move. We're watching turtles walk across the street by now.

The adventure couple who used to be badass but marries and has a kid and then suddenly they are not badass anymore and usually one of them is reminiscing about the "glory days" and SUDDENLY, OUT OF NOWHERE, the relationship turns sour. Go out there and have adventures with your partner and child, stop moping around, and be a human being. (looking at the second Zorro Movie)

Another trope that I hate (and forgot to mention yesterday) is the Nice Guy or Nice Girl Trope, and its implications, just HARD PASS. Unless it is used for a villain, (like Megamind did so immaculately for their main antagonist Hal). Then, if used as a synonym of villainy, it can be perfectly used. But if it is used under an actual "good characters" romance, NOPE.

Thank you for the ask, @rickie-the-storyteller!!! I am sorry if I got carried away in the "Tropes I Hate" part, I just feel the need to shout my hatred of those tropes from the rooftops whenever I see them. lol

But wonderful ask as always, dear! Happy Tender Tuesday!💕

[rockislandadultreads]

PRIDE Picks: Selected LGBT Fiction

Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

Growing up in a housing estate in Glasgow, Mungo and James are born under different stars--Mungo a Protestant and James a Catholic--and they should be sworn enemies if they're to be seen as men at all. Yet against all odds, they become best friends as they find a sanctuary in the pigeon dovecote that James has built for his prize racing birds. As they fall in love, they dream of finding somewhere they belong, while Mungo works hard to hide his true self from all those around him, especially from his big brother Hamish, a local gang leader with a brutal reputation to uphold. And when several months later Mungo's mother sends him on a fishing trip to a loch in Western Scotland with two strange men whose drunken banter belies murky pasts, he will need to summon all his inner strength and courage to try to get back to a place of safety, a place where he and James might still have a future. Imbuing the everyday world of its characters with rich lyricism and giving full voice to people rarely acknowledged in the literary world, Young Mungo is a gripping and revealing story about the bounds of masculinity, the divisions of sectarianism, the violence faced by many queer people, and the dangers of loving someone too much.

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

Feyi Adekola wants to learn how to be alive again. It’s been five years since the accident that killed the love of her life and she’s almost a new person now—an artist with her own studio, and sharing a brownstone apartment with her ride-or-die best friend, Joy, who insists it’s time for Feyi to ease back into the dating scene. Feyi isn’t ready for anything serious, but a steamy encounter at a rooftop party cascades into a whirlwind summer she could have never imagined: a luxury trip to a tropical island, decadent meals in the glamorous home of a celebrity chef, and a major curator who wants to launch her art career. She’s even started dating the perfect guy, but their new relationship might be sabotaged before it has a chance by the dangerous thrill Feyi feels every time she locks eyes with the one person in the house who is most definitely off-limits. This new life she asked for just got a lot more complicated, and Feyi must begin her search for real answers. Who is she ready to become? Can she release her past and honor her grief while still embracing her future? And, of course, there’s the biggest question of all—how far is she willing to go for a second chance at love? Akwaeke Emezi’s vivid and passionate writing takes us deep into a world of possibility and healing, and the constant bravery of choosing love against all odds.

Moon Witch, Spider King (The Dark Star Trilogy #2) by Marlon James

In Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Sogolon the Moon Witch proved a worthy adversary to Tracker as they clashed across a mythical African landscape in search of a mysterious boy who disappeared. In Moon Witch, Spider King, Sogolon takes center stage and gives her own account of what happened to the boy, and how she plotted and fought, triumphed and failed as she looked for him. It's also the story of a century-long feud--seen through the eyes of a 177-year-old witch--that Sogolon had with the Aesi, chancellor to the king. It is said that Aesi works so closely with the king that together they are like the eight limbs of one spider. Aesi's power is considerable--and deadly. It takes brains and courage to challenge him, which Sogolon does for reasons of her own. Both a brilliant narrative device--seeing the story told in Black Leopard, Red Wolf from the perspective of an adversary and a woman--as well as a fascinating battle between different versions of empire, Moon Witch, Spider King delves into Sogolon's world as she fights to tell her own story. Part adventure tale, part chronicle of an indomitable woman who bows to no man, it is a fascinating novel that explores power, personality, and the places where they overlap.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret. Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days. But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn. An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 1/5

Book Blurb: In this smart, swoony, rom-com debut from Jenny L. Howe The Make-Up Test, two college exes find themselves battling against each other—and their unresolved feelings—for a spot in a prestigious literature Ph.D. program. Allison Avery loves to win. After acing every academic challenge she’s come up against, she’s finally been accepted into her dream Ph.D. program at Claymore University, studying medieval literature under a professor she’s admired for years. Sure, grad school isn’t easy—the classes are intense, her best friend is drifting away, and her students would rather pull all-nighters than discuss The Knight's Tale—but she’s got this. Until she discovers her ex-boyfriend has also been accepted. Colin Benjamin might be the only person who loves winning more than Allison does, and when they're both assigned to TA for the same professor, the game is on. What starts as a personal battle of wits (and lit) turns into all-out war when their professor announces a career-changing research trip opportunity—with one spot to fill. Competing with Colin is as natural as breathing, and after he shattered her heart two years ago, Allison refuses to let him come out on top. But when a family emergency and a late-night road trip—plus a very sexy game of Scrabble—throw them together for a weekend, she starts to wonder if they could be stronger on the same team. And if they fall for each other all over again, Allison will have to choose between a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and what could be a twice-in-a-lifetime love. In this charmingly bookish debut, The Make-Up Test embraces the truth that people can sometimes change and grow, even when you least expect it.

Review:

Two exes reunite after years and are both forced to TA together as they compete for a spot on a coveted research project. Allison Avery has finally been accepted into her dream Ph.D. program at Claymore University, studying medieval literature under a professor she’s always admired. The only hiccup? She is being forced to TA with her ex who not only broke her heart, stole academic credit, and is now back to steal another academic opportunity from her. Colin Benjamin was the guy that Allison was in love with except he stole an award that she had wanted so badly and then promptly broke up with her a day later telling her he just wants to focus on himself. Now he is back and acting as if they can reconnect and trying to be nice to her again. But then when a family emergency has her panicking and him offering to help, they reconnect and open up to each other again... except once again Allison walks into another betrayal from Colin and this time, it just might be the last straw for her. I’ll say this, if I ever dated someone and they did what Colin did to her, I would never forgive them, I would not give them a second chance, and I would not give them the time of day. As someone who has dealt with people trying to take credit for my own academic work, I immediately disliked Colin and my growing dislike for him only grew worse as the book went on. Colin is not a great person, in fact I completely sided with Allison’s friend Sophie who questions why Allison is giving him the time or day a second time after he completely ruined her the first time, and the fact that she recalls all the things he did and said, the way he treated her? Come on Allison, do better. This man did not change from how he was, and the way they broke up in the third act and the reason for what he did? Nah. NAH NAH NAH. No way would I ever let that man even talk to me again. Let me say this, I appreciated Allison trying to do her best and her anger was justified, what I did not appreciate was her just letting herself be pulled into the orbit that is Colin. This romance just did not work for me, I was expecting academic enemies to lovers but with a bit more substance or at least fun banter, what I wasn’t expecting was being infuriated while reading this and just overall upset that in the end she was lulled back with this man. So while this one wasn’t for me, definitely give it a go though if you are looking for second chance romances.

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[annabellelux]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love ♥️

Thank you for asking! 💛 This was a welcome distraction from reading over my final draft of Ask No Questions, which I’m going to send to you to beta as soon as I get the courage to see if it’s any good 😂

The answer to which fics were my favorite to write and which are my favorite to re-read have two different answers, so I kinda just put a mix of both on this list. 

1) my tears ricochet - my “Simon kills Baz in the final battle and instantly regrets it and plans to fix it” fic.

This was the most difficult fic to write by FAR but I enjoyed it so much because it was such an emotional and cathartic experience. And I just think it’s the best my writing’s ever been, so it’s my favorite. I spent longer than usual on this fic - nine months! - and was excited every day about it. It truly consumed my mind. I reread it when I feel like getting that lurch-y feeling in my stomach that angst gives me. 

2. I See You - enemies to friends to lovers soulmate AU with an Alice in Wonderland plot thrown in there. 

My first fanfic ever! This will always have a special place in my heart. There’s a lot of plot and pining and angsty confessions. It’s just fun. And it introduced me to the Simon Snow fandom! 

3. Three Little Words - Baz curses himself with the voice recorder while trying to stop Simon from suffering the same fate. 

This fic was FUN to write, and I still really like to reread it when I can’t sleep. It has a lot of my favorite tropes: a truth spell, Baz/Penny friendship, an angsty Catacombs scene. A true example of “write what you want to read.”

4. Unknown Number - soulmate AU where you can text your soulmate but you don’t know who they are. 

I LOVE writing fics with texting more than anything. I grew up with texting being the main way you talk to people. I’m always texting my friends and group chats and whatnot, so text banter is pretty easy and really fun to write. Plus, I wrote this for @amywaterwings’s birthday, so she was at the forefront of my mind the entire time, which made me extra happy writing it. 

5. Death By A Thousand Cuts - Final battle with an “only your soulmate can kill you” soulmate AU. 

I usually don’t love my shorter fics that much, because I much prefer to tell a story with lots of pining and growing of feelings and a slow burn, but this one’s my exception. The whole thing is really dramatic and intense and writing it actually gave me the courage to start writing my #1 favorite, my tears ricochet! This fic just has a special place in my heart because I wrote it in 36 hours running on nothing but passion for angst.

Looking back, it seems most of my favorites are soulmate AUs. Huh, wonder what that says about me? 😂

[ironroar]

Respect on The Battlefield -- Flame is big on respecting her foes, so long as they are deserving of her respect. You never know when your enemy on the battlefield will be forced to team up with you, either for both party's survival or for the survival of the planet, galaxy, or universe.

Ivan Vanko was never deserving of her respect, as he had attacked innocents with lethal intent when his target was Stark. Those attacks were unnecessary, and innocent people should not have been dragged into a fight that was between two individuals only. Flame did not enjoy battling Vanko or his drones.

Loki only had Flame's respect during the events of his attacks in 2012 because Flame noticed something off about him, as if he wasn't feeling well, and because his brother was her ally. Despite Loki's actions, Flame still offered him basic respects because of Thor, expecting one day they'd all be fighting on the same side. And she was right, because while locked in battle with Kelsie, Flame's fight had crossed into one Thor was fighting and Loki was on Thor's side. Flame enjoyed battling with and against Loki; he is a fun enemy and an even more fun ally. Also he's a god, so...

Ultron would've had Flame's respect, had he not killed Jarvis. Because of that one action, Flame lost all respect for Ultron. She didn't care for him, didn't enjoy fighting him, and if she ever saw him again she would not hesitate to rip him apart for what he'd caused her to lose.

During the infighting after Ultron's attack, Flame had respect for the side opposing Tony. Of course she would, they were all friends and allies, she'd be fighting alongside them again since they were already on the same side in the long run. But, while Flame hates infighting within the pack, she does have to admit she enjoyed fighting against Steve and his team. They were fun, as she expected, and despite the situation some of the banter was lighthearted. And despite how rough her relationship is with Steve, Flame still considers him a friend.

Thanos never had Flame's respect. He'd never have her respect. If she ever saw him again, she'd want to make him suffer before she killed him. Flame hates Thanos.

Kelsie, Flame's clone, Flame always had a base level of respect for. With how often the two have traveled through the multiverse, and how Flame understandably sees herself in Kelsie, Flame knows that inevitably they'll end up fighting on the same side. And she always holds out hope that perhaps Kelsie will one day realize that their creator has been lying to her and that she'd free herself from him. Flame has also already fought side by side with Kelsie a few times, and she knows that Kelsie will set aside her differences and her goals to ensure Flame's survival- if only for her selfish reason of wanting to kill Flame herself. ...At least it's progress, right?

Off the battlefield, though, Flame would gladly converse with her respected enemies. She'd have no problem sharing a drink with Loki as she talked with him about recent events in their lives. Flame even displayed these behaviors back in her universe of origin, easily conversing with leaders of rival packs when on neutral ground, so it's nothing new to her. She believes so long as your foe is deserving of it, they can have your respect on the battlefield and your friendship off the battlefield.