#we're still here fighting for who they are

[i-heart-hxh]

I was rewatching HxH recently and I’m kind of confused about Killua’s doubt about Gon’s friendship in the CA arc. Gon has told Killua multiple times that he is his best friend and even stated that Killua was part of his current life goal (meeting Ging but specifically introducing Killua to Ging). So why is Killua wondering if he’s a teammate or a friend during the palace invasion? Nothing actually happened up until that point to make it seem like Gon no longer considered him a friend so where is this doubt even coming from? I just don’t get where this “which is it” crisis even came from. Gon never suggested Killua was no longer a friend but now he has to pay the consequences of not knowing what’s going on in Killua’s head.

And on that note, I think it was unfair of Killua to part from Gon letting him think that his actions caused the separation. Especially when he is clearly contrite and was in the middle of a psychotic break when he snapped at Killua.

Hi! This is a great question, and something that confused me my first time through the series as well.

I actually talked about this topic here as an addition/extension to @tjlnn22's awesome post about how the aftermath of Gon's date with Palm and Gon's concern about Palm during the palace invasion played a role in Killua feeling uncertain about his role in Gon's life. I highly recommend reading the whole post because it makes the series of events more clear and understandable and lays it out with actual manga pages, but I'll talk about it a bit here as well. (Apologies if I end up repeating myself some--I sometimes I like to restate things in case it's helpful to someone!)

It is strange that Killua fixates on this friend/tomodachi vs comrade/nakama topic during Chimera Ant Arc, after Gon declared Killua his best friend in the whole world not long ago at all. As the audience, I think we're supposed to question this as well--after all, that declaration from Gon at the end of Greed Island was a major moment in the series, we haven't seen the two of them have any major falling out, and Gon hasn't directly said anything to Killua that might contradict them still being best friends. So, why this crisis all the sudden?

Killua's insecurity boils down to two major factors:

Gon wants to fight Pitou alone, and Killua defines himself in relation to Gon via acts of service--his self-esteem hinges on how useful he can be to Gon. (Remember when he nearly died and the last thing he said was apologizing to Gon for not being of more use?) Gon denying Killua the ability to fight alongside him in such an important mission likely feels to like a rejection to Killua, to a degree. Think of how much it meant to Killua to be relied upon by Gon in the dodgeball match. This is in conjunction with Killua feeling like he failed Gon when he fled from Pitou and left Kite to die, and also the needle's effects in general (causing him to flee when up against strong opponents) make Killua feel like a failure, someone unworthy of being at Gon's side.

His sense of his place at Gon's side is also disrupted by Gon's date with Palm and Gon being worried about Palm during the mission. There is very strong evidence (again, here) that the date and aftermath of it seriously impacts Killua, including over the longer term, and makes him wonder who he is to Gon, anyway. This idea gets brought up again and again, and when Killua has his sobbing breakdown in front of Palm, it's because he's thinking about the possibility that Palm means more to Gon than him.

It's both of these factors, not just one or the other.

Chimera Ant arc keeps circling back to questions around Killua's relationship to Gon and what the meaning of it is, specifically bringing up the concept of romantic love directly around it repeatedly. As the audience, many of us find it confusing that Killua is wondering if he's still Gon's friend when their status as friends has been so clear throughout the series and never seemed to fall into question. Even Gon choosing to fight Pitou alone doesn't explain the crisis Killua is having over this.

I personally think this crisis is really about Killua's romantic feelings for Gon, with the language somewhat obfuscated because ultimately this is a Jump manga and I believe Togashi knows people who understand the subtext will get it (keep in mind just how much subtext there is in this arc overall), and those who don't will just puzzle over it a bit and maybe consider the context the rest of the arc provides. Killua himself also might not have full awareness of or be unwilling to admit to himself fully why he's so upset about this situation and therefore mentally frame it as "friends or comrades," too. It's basically about how much he means to Gon, regardless.

If you remove Killua's romantic feelings for Gon from the puzzle, the conflict he's having doesn't entirely make sense, but when you do consider it, it suddenly makes a lot more sense. He's worried about whether Gon sees him the same way he sees Gon, and because he believes Gon is "dating" Palm and has feelings for her, he's struggling with what he sees as a mismatch in their feelings for each other. Is he Gon's beloved #1 person and partner, or is he just someone Gon works with to reach goals? Does Gon love Killua the way Killua loves Gon, or not? It's a common trope in romance, something you'd see in a shoujo manga. Taken in conjunction with all the other romantic subtext in the series, it's a conclusion that works for me. I think it's just lightly "coded" to keep it somewhat below the surface and have some plausible deniability.

On your final point, we actually don't know what Killua said to Gon about the parting because we never saw the full conversations between them on the subject. During the separation, Killua teases Gon about what happened during Chimera Ant Arc, but he doesn't blame Gon or say that Gon is why they're splitting up. If anything, he emphasizes it's because he decided he needs to be with Alluka and protect her. So, I don't think it's fair to blame Killua for something he didn't actually do, as far as we know.

[lcdrarry]

LCDrarry 2024 Master List Part 1: Podfic & Art & Fic

Dear lovely Participants, Creators, Alpha and Beta Readers, Cheerleaders, Readers and Fans of this fest,

The 6th installment of LCDrarry has come to an end, and we'd like to thank you all for taking part in this fest, for creating so many amazing new Drarry works for us all to enjoy, for commenting on your favourite creations, for sharing and recommending the LCDrarry gems with and to your friends and blog followers, and for making this fest another amazing experience for everybody!

Fests would not exist without their participants or readers! You're all amazing! And we're so happy that you chose this fest in the vast and wonderful offerings of HP and Drarry events.

You can find out under the cut who created what ;D

~Your LCDrarry Mods Tami (@celilasart) and Suzi (@erin-riwen)

PS: Please have a look at the author notes and tags on AO3 for additional information and more detailed warnings. Thank you! PPS: You can find a link to Part 2 of this Master List under the cut. Enjoy!

Part 2 of this Master List with more lovely fics can be found here.

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Podfic

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A Mist That Appears (For a Little Time)

Prompt: “Sweet November,” 2001, Pat O’Connor Written by: dodgerkedavra Narrated by: reveriepi Podfic Length: 02:25:58 Rating: Explicit Warnings: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Vomiting, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse

Summary: “Give me November, and I’ll teach you to be happy. There’s only one condition. You must swear on your magic that you won’t fall in love with me.” Harry’s so tired. His whole body hurts. If Malfoy can teach him how to be happy, then... “Okay.” Harry is working himself to death. Draco only has November to help him. Falling in love is strictly against the rules.

***

As You Wish

Prompt: "The Princess Bride", 1987, Rob Reiner Written by: Pineau_noir Narrated by: Cailynwrites Podfic Length: 02:31:28 Rating: Teen and up Warnings: None

Summary: Draco was raised on a farm in the small country of Witshire; his favourite pastimes were flying on his broom and tormenting the hired farm boy. Though his name was Harry, Draco never called him that. On Harry's forehead there was a scar shaped like a lightning bolt, so Draco called him Scarhead.

Nothing gave Draco as much pleasure as ordering Harry around.

Or a story about fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, True Love, and miracles.

***

The Pirc Defence

Prompt: "The Queen’s Gambit", 2019, Scott Frank Written by: sleepstxtic Narrated by: sweaters_in_the_summer Podfic Length: 01:05:00 Rating: Explicit Warnings: None

Summary: They were rivals, and they were lovers, and they were the greatest chess players of their generation. Exactly in that order.

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My Big Fat Weasley Wedding

Prompt: “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, 2002, Joel Zwick Written by: slyth_princess Narrated by: Melcarrianna Podfic Length: 07:17:21 Rating: Mature Warnings: None

Summary: A decade after the war, Harry Potter is lost. There was a time when he knew exactly who he was, where he was going, and what he wanted. He is not that man anymore. Until one day he decides he is done. No more wearing clothes that don't fit, stuck in a job that was meant to be temporary, and simply coasting through his life. He has a plan. And, unsurpisingly, every single Weasley and honourary Weasley seems to have an opinion about it. But it's fine. Harry knows he is doing the right thing.

What he didn't plan for, however, was to find love in the most unexpected place. And with the most unexpected person. Still, it's going to be fine. Like he said, he has a plan. Weasley opinions be damned. He's got it all under control. Doesn't he?

Featuring a million Weasleys, a daft labrador, and a whole bunch of people just trying to figure out their lives.

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Art

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Draco's Moving Castle

Prompt: "Howl's Moving Castle", 2004, Hayao Miyazaki Artist: Averily Art Medium: Digital Rating: General Audiences Warnings: None

Summary: Art for LCDrarry2024 fest. Prompt was Howl's Moving Castle.

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Go the Whole Wide World

Prompt: "Stranger than Fiction", 2006, Marc Forster Artists: julchen_in_red and m4g0rtz Medium: Digital Art Rating: General Audiences Warnings: None

Summary: When government employee Draco Crick was assigned to audit baker Harry Pascal, neither anticipated falling in love, but sometimes the person right next to you is the most welcome surprise.

***

[Art] A Game of Horcruxes

Prompt: "Game of Thrones", 2011, David Benioff Artist: fantalf Art Medium: Digital Art Rating: Teen and Up Warnings: Duelling, Horcruxes, Blood and Injury

Summary: Art Post for "A Game of Horcruxes" written by sleepstxtic.

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Illustrated Fic

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[Fic & Art] A Game of Horcruxes

Prompt: "Game of Thrones", 2011, David Benioff Author: sleepstxtic Word Count: 118,635 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Brief Descriptions of Injury, Racism, Classism

Summary: It has been centuries since an attack on the castle of a royal scion. Centuries, until now.

The Realm of Hogwarts is ruled by eight noble Slytherin families, aided by their Gryffindor armies. Each kingdom possesses a Horcrux—the most precious source of magic to the throne. But when the Kingdom of Malfoy finds their Horcrux stolen, Prince Draco must break all protocol and enlist the help of a commoner, Harry, to find what's missing. All the while, an evil beyond the horizon stirs, Dementor attacks are increasing, and civil unrest is burning across the land. Can Draco and Harry recover the Horcrux and save the realm? And will they be able to resist their growing attraction to each other in the meantime?

***

A Ferret, a ScarHead, a Weasel, and a Baby

Prompt: "Three Men and a Baby", 1987, Leonard Nimoy & "Taken", 2008, Pierre Morel Author: trishjames Word Count: 91,420 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Angst, Anxiety, Epic Fight Scene(s), Canon-Typical Violence, Hand-to-Hand Combat, Blood, Muggle Weapons, References to Past Child Abuse, Abduction, Injuries

Summary: They say becoming a parent is an unparalleled, priceless joy. Draco Malfoy finds himself putting that theory to the test when the star witness in his dangerous illegal potions case entrusts him with a powerful wish: protect her newborn baby at all costs. Now, it's up to Draco to fulfill that wish despite the looming threat of criminals hunting for the child. To think, just the day before, he was fretting over his inappropriate feelings for his annoying, bespectacled git of a housemate—not the mechanics of changing nappies!

Thank Merlin it takes a village to raise a sack of flour, ah, child.

***

Fic

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White, Blonde & British

Prompt: “Red, White & Royal Blue”, 2023, Matthew Lopez Author: SortofShea Word Count: 40,058 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Mentions of death, drug and alcohol use and abuse, homophobia, racism, discrimination

Summary: Prince Draco Malfoy is known all over the world as “The Modern Day Prince Charming”, ask anyone - well, anyone except for Harry Potter, first son of the Indian president and (self) sworn rival of said stuck-up, snobbish prince.

***

drag the past out into the light

Prompt: "Se7en", 1995, David Fincher Author: ChaosBitch Word Count: 20,796 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence

Summary: There's a serial killer stalking magical London. The murders are gruesome, bizarre, and somehow connected to the Voldemort wars. Auror Harry Potter is paired up with an analyst from the Department of Mysteries to piece together the clues in the killer's unsettling game before they kill again.

The good news? This analyst is the best one on offer. The bad news? It's Draco Malfoy.

***

the beating of our hearts (is the only sound)

Prompt: "Pacific Rim", 2013, Guillermo del Toro Author: Pineau_noir Word Count: 12,675 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: canon (Pacific Rim) creature grossness

Summary: Do you want awesome, kickass fights between giant robots and aliens??!?!?

Go watch Pacific Rim.

This is a story about two flawed men who fall in love during an apocalypse.

***

Draco Malfoy's New Guide to Old-Fashioned Dating

Prompt: "How to Lose a Guy in 10 days", 2003, Donald Petrie Author: caliowl Word Count: 52,377 words Rating: Teen and up Warnings: Non-Consensual Drug Use

Summary: When Harry's job as an auror is threatened by his perceived negative attitude towards Death Eaters, he makes a desperate gamble with his boss to save it. Bring a Death Eater as his plus-one to the company holiday party. Unfortunately for him, there's only one person he can think of to ask...

Meanwhile, in order to save his best friend Pansy Parkinson from a terrible social fate, Draco Malfoy makes a bet with Pansy's mother. He believes that old-fashioned, traditional courting methods are the best way to repel, not attract, a potential suitor. Now, if only he can find a wizard who has no clue about those methods...

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Black Sheep

Prompt: "Shaun the Sheep", 2007-2020 Author: shushu_yaoi_lj Word Count: 10,808 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: smut, dirty talk, praise kink, soft d/s dynamics, begging

Summary: “You know, Potter, maybe all you need to win is a little—incentive, let’s say.” “An incentive?” Harry asks, his interest piqued. He takes a step closer to the fence, and then another one, until he’s standing so close that he can smell the intoxicating scent of Malfoy’s expensive cologne. “Shall we say that if you win, you can have whatever your heart desires?” Malfoy replies with a smile. “Anything.”

***

Jackknife To The Heart

Prompt: "Mad Max: Furiosa", 2024, George Miller Author: sleepstxtic Word Count: 11,723 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Gunfights

Summary: Draco licked his lips, slow and sensual. He climbed over Harry’s lap and slid down onto his knees. “Keep making love to me, darling,” he said, gazing up at Harry, something starry in his eyes; and then he pulled down Harry’s pants and took his cock in his mouth.

Harry sucked in a breath, threw the shifter into gear, and drove.

***

First Impressions

Prompt: "Pride and Prejudice", 2005, Joe Wright Author: ActuallyMoon Word Count: 87,934 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: Period-typical racism and colourism (only present in one chapter), A/B/O dynamics, Dubious Consent, Classism, Smut, Mpreg

Summary: At the Shacklebolts' ball, Ginny found herself irrevocably smitten at first sight with Ms Pansy Parkinson. Meanwhile, her brother, Harry Potter, became the unfortunate target of biting remarks from Parkinson's haughty and aloof best friend, Mr Draco Malfoy. Harry's disdain for Mr Malfoy grew, fuelled by the latter's evident arrogance. Amidst this burgeoning animosity, Ms Romilda Vane began to spread malicious rumours regarding Malfoy, further tarnishing his reputation. Yet, the true nature of his character was far from what these tales suggested. Could Draco overcome his pride and Harry his prejudice, allowing love to blossom between them despite the odds?

***

Obscuro

Prompt: "Love is Blind", 2020 Author: stratigraphy Word Count: 35,227 words Rating: Explicit Warnings: None

Summary: Draco is grieving. His conversation partner is here against his will. It's a shameless rip-off of an insipid Muggle reality dating show. Hardly the occasion for true love, if you ask Draco. feat. a cat named Marmalade, a bird named Mumble, Lee Jordan's answer to Love is Blind, and two best friends who only want their dads to be happy.

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Eternalism is a Never Ending Day

Prompt: "Russian Doll", 2019 Author: JK_Terfling_Can_Suck_My_Silicone_Dick Word Count: 25,970 words Rating: Teen and up Warnings: Temporary Suicide, Temporary MCD, implied/referenced Depression

Summary: Malfoy has been reliving the same day for longer than he can keep track of now, and has just assumed that he was dead in the real world, which was fine to him. It isn't until the time loop stops doing what he expects that it occurs to him that maybe there's something else going on.

***

Part 2 of this Master List with more lovely fics can be found here.

As always, reblogs here on tumblr are very much appreciated to share all the wonderful works of LCDrarry with more people. But of course, please also shower our creators with comments and kudos on AO3 ;D Thank you! Read you next year ;)

[womp-womp-waa]

It was over. Ashlyn was out of the phantom dimension. It was all over now. She was free.

"Are you happy now?"

Logan's voice interrupted the tranquility of her room. It was silent no music, no voices, no sound, just her breathing. His haunting voice echoed off of the walls, of course something had to break the peace. Turning away from him she tried to find a book to read. She never liked reading, but it's never too late to pick up a hobby, right?

"Awww, come on Ash don't ignore us."

Aiden and Ben were both standing next to eachother. She could not escape them, could she? They were always around her house, they never give her the peace and quiet she needed. Blindly, she grabbed a book. She didn't care what book just give her something to distract herselt with.

"We came here to check up on you. You've just been so distant recently."

"Go away." Was all she muttered in response to Taylor. She opened the book chapter one. Okay, reading is meant to be good for you, right? And it's meant to be relaxing, so if she read she would be relaxed, right? Then she would be left alone, right?

"Don't be rude, carrot"

"Go away" She said it louder this time. She wanted them gone. She needed them gone.

Ashlyn heard them move closer to her. Stop it. Leave. None of you are welcomed here. She wanted to speak, she wanted to yell, but her voice wasn't working.

Their voices started to overlap one another.

"What're you reading?"

"Please don't ignore us."

"Why won't you let us help?"

"You know being inside this much won't help"

"Maybe if you spent more time with us then we wouldn't be-"

"SHUT UP"

She screamed, seemed like her voice finally seemed to work. "AND LEAVE" She needed them gone. Why couldn't they leave?

Suddenly, their worry was replaced with laughter. Cruel. Malicious. Evil. Laughter.

"Awwww you scared, Ash?

"Why are you so surprised?"

"After all it is all your fault."

"Your the reason why we were in that place anyways."

"And your the reason why we're dead."

SHUT UP. SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.SHUT UP.

When she looked up again, they were silent. Standing over her she saw their white, haunted, dead eyes. It was her fault they were gone. She couldn't protect anyone.

Ashlyn could see all of their ugly scars and injuries. Scratches, claw marks, holes. They all started to poor out the crimson blood that she had become all too familiar with over the past year.

It's all your fault

Every single one of them were unique and special in their own way. None of them were similar, that's what made this unlikely group so special to her.

Aiden could always make her smile or laugh. Although, at times he could be unbearably loud for her sensitive ears, he learnt and made an effort. She she learnt as well.

Ben was the first person who she became friends with in their group. He was peaceful, quiet and she knows that it's not his choice but it still meant everything to her.

Logan, who used to be bullied. They let themselves be pushed around by people who didn't understand their worth. And so the group taught them how to fight back, how to stand up for themselves. And seeing that change and witnessing Logan become more confident and comfortable with themselves was magical.

Taylor, one of the sweetest people Ashlyn's ever had the pleasure of meeting (even though she hasn't met that many). Always thinking of others, always buying stuff for people, always being there. She learnt how to dance just for Ashlyn and so she practiced routines with her.

Tyler was the one who people always saw as angry and aggressive. But he was so much more than that. Sure he may have hid behind the aggression, but the amount he cares about people is endless. Tyler cared about his family the most and eventually they all became a part of his family, not that would ever admit it.

They were all so wonderful to be around. They all knew how to make her laugh. They all became eachothers family.

But it was all gone and she will never feel that love again.

[luke-hughes43]

how we met | luke and stella

Luke and stella's oldest daughter has her first heartbreak and while he siblings attempt to comfort her, she asks Luke and Stella the story of how they met and fell in love.

(so victoria is the oldest and is 17, she has a younger brother aidan or aj and he is 16, and their are a set of twins isaiah and isabella and they are 14. and the kid she was dating his named john)

~

so stella is in their kitchen cutting veggies for dinner when she hears vic slamming the door to the house open with aj hot on her heels. she hears vic yell, "stay out my life you annoying brat!" before vic slams her bedroom door closed.

luke yells to stella, "stel, what was that? are you ok?"

"I'm good babe. can you come up here?" she yells back. luke is coming up the stairs a minute later. he asks, "what's up baby?"

"I think that vic and aj just into a fight. and we might have to divide and conquer. I'll take vic? I think that this is over a guy, bc we know that aj wants her to date bella's oldest. maybe you talk to aj about staying out of his sister's love life?"

"didn't you and trevor need to have this talk from quinn when we started dating?" Luke asks with a small smile. Stella rolls her eyes, "maybe. but this is different. where are the twins?"

"upstairs. I think zay was helping izzy with homework or something?"

"ok i'm gonna take vic into our room. talk to aj. please babe?" stella says wrapping her arms around luke's waist. he nods and kisses her head. he says, "consider it taken care of sweet girl." she smiles and they go their separate ways up to their kids.

stella knocks softly on vic's bedroom door. she says, "vic, honey, it's mom. can I come in?" she hears sniffles and a faint, "yea." from inside. stella opens the door and sees her daughter curled into a ball with tears streaming down her face and she can feel her heart breaking at the sight.

stella says softly, "vic, baby, what happened?"

"john is a fucking asshole. sorry for swearing." vic says through her tears. stella's heart drops, "what'd he do baby?"

"I overheard him telling his friends on the phone as I was leaving that he's just dating me because of you and dad. and the name. and it hurts mom." vic cries. she crawls over to stella and hugs her. Stella holds her daughter tight and rubs her back, "how about we go to my room? have some me and you time?" vic nods and the two ladies go across the hall to luke and stella's room.

stella gets on her side and then vic lays next to her. vic says quietly, "why are guys such assholes mom?"

"at your age, it's because they think with the wrong head. they mellow out eventually." stella says knowing all too well how Luke was at that age. they lay in silence for a bit, stella rubbing vic's back trying to make her feel better. after a while, there's a soft knock on the door, "stel it's me. I got aj, can we come in?"

stella looks at vic for confirmation and she nods. she says to luke, "yea. you guys can come in." luke comes in with aj and they climb into bed too. aj breaks the silence, "I'm sorry tori. I wasn't trying to invade your life like that and I'll stay out of it going forward. are we good?"

"yea we're good. I was never even mad at you, john was just dating me because of our family anyways. I had picked you up right after I found out so I kinda took it out on you and that's not fair to you. I'm sorry." vic explains to her brother. aj's face drops and he says, "can I kill him?"

luke and stella say at the same time, "absolutely not."

aj then says, "fine. and your better off without him. you don't need a guy like that in your life. you're victoria hughes, you're going to michigan on a free ride for softball as one of the top prospects in the country. he doesn't deserve you."

luke and stella smile at their son being nice to his sister. vic smiles, "thanks. it still just sucks."

stella says, "and it's gonna suck honey. not everyone's first love is who they marry. look at uncle jack, and uncle trevor. maybe uncle trev is a bad example but uncle jack was dating someone and got her pregnant but it turned out she was just with him for the money and status. but now he's with aunt sarah and sarah is perfect for him."

"what about you and dad?"

"your mom is the only woman I've ever loved."

"no way!" aj exclaims. isaiah and isabella come in and say, "we heard aj yell."

stella smiles, "come here. your sister just had her first breakup and so we're gonna cheer her up." zay and izzy climb onto the bed and the 6 of them are all laying together. vic asks, "so if you guys have only ever loved each other, how did you guys meet and start dating?"

"you guys wanna know?" luke asks smiling at stella. the kids all nod and stella is smiling at luke. stella starts by saying, "well, we knew who each other were before we officially met. because uncle jack and uncle trevor played together at the program. and so we knew that I was trevor's sister and your dad was jack's brother but we had never met. not until we were 15 and 16. it was at jack and trevor's draft that we officially met in person."

"and I thought your mom was the prettiest girl in the room. still do. but 15 year old me was so nervous to be around her." luke says.

"gross dad." aj fake vomits.

"anyways. that whole first year that we actually knew each other, we were just friends. we would text a lot and talk on the phone a decent amount too. and whenever we could, we'd always watch other's games. I knew pretty early on that I had a crush on your dad. I mean, he was so thoughtful, a great listener, and liked me for me. not because my older brother is trevor zegras, or I was a division 1 softball commit, he liked me for me. which was big for the both of us back then." stella explains.

vic asks, "what do you mean mom?"

"well, vic the same thing that happened between you and john, happened to me and your dad at least once or twice each." stella says looking at her oldest. luke chimes in, "and your mom doesn't just mean dating. she also means friends. I had a bunch of guys try to be my friend in high school because of quinn and jack and your mom dealt with the same thing because of trevor, so we understand what your dealing with tori. a lot."

"I didn't know that." vic says quietly. stella rubs her back, "we didn't want you know baby. we found our own ways to deal with it, that's why our circle seems so big but in reality is really small. and everybody is married to everybody. it's part of why I liked your father so much back in the day, because I knew that he knew what it was like to be compared to your older brother all the time and have people wanna be friends with you or date just to get close to them."

"that's really the only appeal I had when we were 16?" luke questions, feigning offense. stella giggles and shakes her head. vic asks, "so is dad still that way with you now mom? like the whole thoughtful, a great listener, and liking you for you thing?"

"everyday. and he as since the day we started dating, July 27, 2020. I remember it like it was yesterday."

"wait, isn't that your wedding anniversary?" izzy asks. luke and stella both nod with smiles. stella says softly, "yea."

"it's also the same day I proposed." luke comments. aj asks, "did you do that on purpose?"

"yes. when I was asking her to marry me and then when eventually got married that was planned. but when I first asked your mom out, it kinda just happened."

"how come you asked her to marry you on the same day you started dating?" zay asks quietly. the other 3 hughes's kids affirmed his question by asking similar ones. luke smiles at his beautiful wife, "because I wanted us to have a day that was just ours. a day that no one can take away from us. a day that I don't have to share her."

vic says, "that's so cute. did you know that he was doing that mom?"

"at the time no. but when we were planning the wedding and he suggested it, I knew why. despite how slow your father can be, he's quite the romantic." stella says giggling at luke who just pouts.

the kids giggle at stella poking fun at luke. vic quietly asks, "mom, do you think I'll find a love like you and dad have?"

"I certainly hope so baby. I hope all of you guys do." stella says softly at her oldest. vic asks stella again, "how do you know if you found that love?"

"you just kinda know. I knew with your father pretty quickly. the best advice I can offer is never settle. and find someone who looks at you like you are the stars and moon and whole world. and that is with you for you and nothing else."

"and what if I had that person all along and just didn't know until now?" vic whispers. stella softly sighs, smiling at luke. stella says to vic, "vic, honey, I would've gone through a 100 heartbreaks if it meant I still got to be with your father. if you think you found that person, regardless of what happened with john, go for it. talk to them, tell them how you feel."

"thanks mom." vic smiles.

stella also smiles, "anytime baby. now aj, stay out of vic's love life. even if she happens to date your best friend. it's her business got it?"

"yes mom." aj says mumbling to himself. stella says firmly, "good. and twins, never grow up and start dating please?"

"no promises mom." zay says smiling. vic crawls out from stella's arms and says, "I have to go call someone and then study. thanks for cheering me up guys."

"always tori." luke says giving his oldest daughter a smile. aj groans, "it's literally school vacation week. you're such a nerd."

"she gets that from your mother." luke says poking back at stella. the kids giggle as stella smacks him in the head and threatens, "I will make you sleep on the couch luke warren."

the kids hurry out of their parents room and luke gives stella is soft kiss with a smile. he mumbles against her lips, "we did good baby."

"we did. now come help me finish dinner." stella dragging the two of them out of bed. "coming sweet girl." luke says following behind her down to the kitchen.

[cybertron-smash-or-pass]

A bit of a loaded question, I know, but do you have any TF ships you prefer and would like to share?

I need you to be aware that you're opening pandora's box here. The vibes range anywhere from "god this is hot" to "god this is cute" to "their dynamic is so fucking interesting and i want to study them under laboratory conditions" to "this hurts so much and I need the drama, I am CRYING" to smashing barbie dolls together. I have crackships you ain't even THOUGHT about. I throw ships at the wall just to see if they stick. I like a lot of ships. Arguably too damn many. So many that I'm putting this under a cut to spare people from the long post. So many that I have to sort them by continuity so you're not staring at an unorganized list longer than do you love the color of the sky.

TFA

shockbee I feel has a lot of the potential for shockwave fearing what happens when bee finds out he's not longarm. Like a lot of the scenes in auto boot camp read to me like shockwave really did want bee as an ally while he climbs the ranks, and there's some juicy potential for shocker starting out as just using him until he actually catches feelings. Especially in aus where bee really did join the elite guard. Like can you imagine the drama. The heartbreak. The trust issues. Bee realizing he never really knew the guy he could trust most. Wondering if he's even safe to be around. If anything was even real. Shockwave wondering the same things. Hhhhhhhhh.

I do enjoy shockblurr conceptually but I'm not crazy about how they're usually portrayed in the fandom bc I feel like we're all forgetting that shockwave is a ball of anxiety and murder, and Blurr is a straight laced fuckin nerd who can't shut his mouth. An overpowered, highly capable nerd, but a nerd still. I like what the artist katzske does with them a lot tho.

I'm also a blitzbee enjoyer but on a less "bee can fix him and itll be so sweet" level and more "god imagine how annoying they'd be together." Looney Tunes levels of fucking with people. Either that or bumblebee is just horny on main and really likes the thought of bagging a con, but then he goes and catches feelings.

prowlbulk owns my entire heart. They're so sweet on each other and prowl really respects and appreciates bulkhead way more than bulky's used to. And bulkhead admires so much of prowl's skill and perspective. They work so well together as a couple and it's fucking adorable. With a hint of tragedy bc. Well. You know.

Bulkbee is also incredibly cute bc I'm a sucker for besties that very slowly realize they love each other so much it makes them look stupid. Good in romantic or qpr flavors. Bee already climbs all over bulkhead like a squirrel, they're so fuckin affectionate and very very stupid in social settings.

I like Optimus and blackarachnia from a drama standpoint bc God. They are tragic. They are MESSY. I genuinely think there's no happy ending for them. The trust is gone. But they still miss each other so much and they just CANT move on, so they keep stringing each other along. They're just hurting themselves and each other every time one does anything nice for the other. It's the kinda shit that just slowly rips your heart out. OP please don't text your ex. OP pLEASE

Megop is a classic but I feel we as a fandom underutilize how much Optimus pisses off Megatron. He is an asshole cat knocking shit off the counter for attention. Megs lets him be worse when he is so so fucking tired of being good. He loves that he hates him and he hates that he loves him. Full on "my esteemed rival" "dearly detested." Fighting each other is cathartic and addictive. Megatron finds it infuriating but he can't deny how much he likes having a worthy opponent, how fitting it is that the cosmos sent him so deadly a nemesis, and yet how lame it is that he was so forgettable at first so now he feels dumb being mildly obsessed with him. Optimus is just glad he has someone who doesn't expect him to be perfect and nice and upstanding. He can vent out a lot of his less noble feelings or impulses that he's had completely repressed for ages. The pressure's off in a lot of ways. And I think in an enemies to lovers sense, watching them figure out how to make that setup and that very odd mutual desire to be in each other's lives into something healthier could be really compelling. Or tragic in a "why did I let myself need you? Why the fuck did I let myself need you?" way.

Beeprowl is funny but I only really like it in a "you annoy me SO MUCH let's make out about it" way. Nothing committed, just dispelling the tension without having to kill each other. It is just kinda nice seeing them have genuinely sweet moments though. Squidbob ass relationship.

Lugnut and Strika are the perfect Decepticon power couple and I love them so much. So very much. Lugnut loves his big terrifying wife capable of leveling cities, and she loves her sweet devoted husband who could throw her across the room. I think they break chairs over each other's heads for fun and have been trying to seduce Megatron into a threesome for ages.

Shockwave and Megatron are also incredibly good. The loyalty. The "I commit my whole existence to you. I am yours, in mind body and soul. I will go wherever you need me to, I will put myself in immeasurable danger for you, just please say I'm doing a good job" and "all my efforts would be lost without you. In a world where I have been vulnerable and terrified, where I have been stabbed in the back by people I thought I could wholly trust, I can look at you and know, unwaveringly, you won't do the same. I trust you completely." It's Delicious. It's absolutely codependent but god it's tasty.

Also honestly? Bulkhead and the constructicons could make a pretty cute throuple. He wants them to be better. They want him to be worse. He just wants them to do honest work and they want him to stop letting stuffy, elitist autobot society control him so much. They love each other, they're friends (even if the constructicons don't totally remember the first night they met him). And they really do enjoy each other's company. They're just guys being dudes. Just dudes being guys. Just guys being gays. (It's also just nice when bulkhead gets to be the smaller one, scrapper totally carries him around like a big ol' cat).

I really like prowl being torn between lockdown and jazz. They're the devil and angel on his shoulders. Lockdown tempting him into relapsing, feeling himself fall into old habits, forsaking everything he's learned about patience and respect and being conscientious of the world around him. Jazz picking him back up when he slips, making him WANT to keep being better. And prowl can't decide if he wants to be loved in spite of all his toxic traits or BECAUSE of them. It's got me in a chokehold, your honor.

Megastar is fun in tfa because 1. It's implied Megatron never actually abused starscream while they were on the same side (the first thing starscream says after waking up from being shot is "YOU DARE STRIKE ME, MEGATRON?" which reads to me like this is a new development). Megs doesn't actually hurt anyone working for him other than Sumdac, who he fucking hates (at least not on-screen), and the only reason he was as aggro to starscream post-revival was because he knew screamer is the reason he spent all that fucking time as just a severed head. He used to actually trust him, sort of, even if he was a scheming, sycophantic little weasel. And 2. It's pretty obvious they have history together. I genuinely truly believe they were exes and Starscream only planted a bomb on him because he couldn't be fucking normal about the divorce. You look at how they bitch at each other in deep space and then immediately fall into what is most likely their old dynamic of getting things done and shooting the shit and tell me they never had an intense romantic stint that went horribly wrong. Starscream calls him Meggy in his internal logs for fucks sake.

Ratchet x Arcee are also very very cute together. Old married dorks. Ratchet's so soft with her and he wants her to be okay. She genuinely likes him and he makes the nightmare she's subjected herself to bearable. "Don't call me sir, I work for a living!" They're both horrifically traumatized, they understand each other on a level most bots can't, and they can ground each other when it gets bad. God. You know they're slow dancing in the kitchen together. You know they're sickeningly domestic with each other. They are holding hands in the park on a comically small bench on earth right as we SPEAK.

Oh also sumdac x megatron. It started as a crackship of mine but I really love the idea of sumdac feeling legitimately guilty for taking Megatron apart and unknowingly violating him the way he did, even if Megatron is terrible. Like the dynamic of "you lied to me" "if I told you who I really was, I would be dead. I don't owe you the truth when you held me captive. I was vulnerable. I was TERRIFIED. I did what I had to in order to keep myself safe. And you come to ME with accusations of doing you wrong? When YOU held all the power? And then when I'd taken back the power you left me without, made you feel what I felt, I'm a monster?" "I never meant to hurt you" "Well you did. And now you know just how much damage you did." Like it's such an interesting angle, ESPECIALLY when you consider that sumdac probably grew to legitimately care about Megatron while he was in his lab. He wanted to do right by him. He wanted to see him restored and thriving. He was his robot buddy that made a birthday gift for his kid once. Some part of him probably misses him after he's gone, some part of him probably feels guilty too, even through all the rage and hurt and fear and betrayal. That's complicated feelings!! That's juicy!!!!!

I like the thought of Shockwave and Optimus but that's mostly for sexy reasons. Something about a big, smooth talking, scary cryptid monster, very well spoken and elegant, seducing Good, Upstanding Autobot Optimus to The Dark Side. This is mostly because Optimus is a huge nerd and so is Shockwave. I think Shockwave could potentially pique his interest with uncensored versions of the history Optimus is already a huge dweeb about, and seal the deal with a few gentle touches and honeyed words. From Optimus's perspective this is Very Obviously a Honeypot Trap but the trouble is Shockwave is very hot and very sweet on him and starting to seem less and less evil so he's not sure how long he can keep his guard up when the temptation is this strong. He has a duty to fight Decepticons and shut out their lies but man. He's so tired. And Shockwave's berth is very warm. There is something satisfying about seeing him choose to be selfish after nearly a whole show of him taking the high road. (It's even better if he gets attached when eventually Shockwave's Cool Sexy Collected vibes falter and he sees how much of an anxious, panicky dork he actually is)

I also just kind of like the idea of team prime being a polycule (other than ratchet, who is just watching the young bots having relationship drama and rolling his optics (the age gap and mentor role make me personally a little uncomfortable but I have nothing against people who do include him, they're all adults, its chill)). I like the thought of these losers getting home after a long day and collapsing into a cuddle pile, either on the couch or on the floor. They all love each other so much already, I think they should kiss about it, but they're super repressed so it's So Very Shy and Cautious and Sweet.

The same goes for the Decepticons but more in a "cons are pretty casual about sex anyway, they're in close proximity, and they tolerate each other at least so nearly everyone has a fuck buds setup with each other" way. I feel like the autobots are super repressed in that regard so the cons started leaning into being sluts to stick it to the mech along with all the other freaks shit they're cool with. God help Blackarachnia, she goes from Autobot repression to all her coworkers being sluts on main and she Does Not Know what to do about that (also it would make a lot of sense if that's why she started leaning into the femme fatale thing so hard)

TFP

Megop is also Very Good here. Literally the most divorced robots to ever exist. Megatron NEEDS Optimus back and Optimus still holds a torch for megs, but it's so fucking funny because they're clearly on fundamentally different levels of "I miss you." Like Optimus is kinda sad and he does want the old Megatronus back, but Megatron does these whole fuckin elaborate stunts to get Optimus to pay attention to him again and then locks himself in his room with a pint of ice cream and dark energon to cry about him. Mans is NOT coping. Alternatively, Optimus is coping just as poorly on the inside and he really does still love Megatron just as much but he knows that's a selfish desire that he quiets with everything else he sacrifices about himself in the name of being a good leader. Least repressed Optimus.

Optiratch my beloved. Gay old men who would do anything for each other, even when they really don't agree on how to proceed. They're best friends, they're husbands, they're crushing on each other and they think it's unrequited, they just started dating, they've been married for eons. All of it works soooo well. They know each other well enough that they can communicate by just kinda grunting in specific ways. I need them to hold hands SO bad.

Bulkhead and wheeljack should get to kiss on the mouth I think. If Arcee can call Wheeljack Bulkhead's boyfriend, and bulkhead does not deny it, logic dictates they should in fact French kiss sloppy style for a whole minute on live TV. It can happen. Only on the hub.

KOBD are adorable together, they are so unhinged and stupid and they love each other so much. Like the team rocket of the nemesis. Breakdown loves his husband soooo much and knockout misses him so bad when Silas gets him. And you KNOW they're freaks bc knockout is totally convinced that breakdown would've loved seeing how he torments Silas in bd's body. He's probably right about it too.

I also wholly support Ms. June Darby for trying to seduce Optimus. Me too girl, get that robo ass. Go get jack a new cooler dad. It's also very cute to imagine Optimus, the bigass 30 foot robot, the stoic leader of the Autobots who keeps stonefaced through just about anything, flustered and crushing on a very small and very flirty human.

For some reason the show was kind of trying to tease Bulkhead x Arcee for exactly one episode and then never again and like. Look. I understand it was a forced het ship that was there to distract people from how gay they accidentally made the show. I know it'd probably just be Arcee rebounding after losing Cliffjumper. But I think them having a fwb type relationship while she works through her feelings could be interesting. Though this could just be because Bulkhead is big sweet and comforting and him holding anyone and making them feel safe while they're Going Through it is enough to get me saying God I Wish That Were Me.

Bumblebee and Smokescreen appeal to me in the same way seemingly very hetero frat bros who are apparently a very sweet and affectionate gay couple do. It's an inherently funny irony and also theyre just both cute himbos.

TFP Megastar is horrifically unhealthy in general and there is absolutely no way in hell it could work out. Not pre-war, not post-megs-redemption, nada. Which is why it has my brain in a chokehold. This is one of the ships I like because it's fascinating and because god it HURTS. Like I have my gripes with how the show portrayed the abuse overall but there were some things they were cooking with. Starscream being an obvious victim but then turning around and inflicting it on everyone around him? Girl no, the cycle of violence and abuse!!!! Girl no, you're refusing to do the complex emotional work of accepting that what happened to you wasnt okay and thus you carry out the behaviors you've gaslit yourself into thinking are normal!!!!!! Girl no, society has failed you and you have no support systems to help you break the cycles, but you also simply refuse to try in the first place because your pride wouldn't allow it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The cortical psychic patch was literally my fave showcase of their dynamic in the whole show. "I don't want to play this game anymore!" Like jfc ouch. Also the thought of post redemption Megatron lamenting how he treated Starscream, not having considered the damage he's done to him before now. Trying to make it right and only making it all worse by inserting himself into Starscream's life again and realizing how badly he's broken him, how fucked it is that Starscream seems to revere him after EVERYTHING. God. GOD. I'm in agony.

Rescue Bots

Speaking of starscream in the cycle of abuse, KOSS has postcanon potential. (Post Predacons Rising, rid does not exist 😌) Like. They've proven they feel some type of way about each other. "I've always admired your lustrous finish." "😏" But Knockout was the first person in starscream's life to set a boundary in a healthy way. And when starscream inevitably ignores those boundaries and knockout leaves, you know how much it fucking hurts starscream to realize how badly he fucked up. But of course, the pride. He can't apologize. Can't admit he's the reason knockout betrayed him. So he'll choke back the tears. He'll try to, anyway. But he can't stop the agony in his voice while he feebly spits out "Fine! I hope Unicron eats you too!!" You know the second they shut the door on him, the waterworks started, and so did the closest thing to self reflection Starscream's ever done. He Has the Potential to be Better with Knockout, but he NEEDS to put in the work, and the suspense of wondering if he WILL fucks my whole shit up.

It is so close to canon that blades and bumblebee are boyfriends. Hell I believe it pretty much IS canon. He loves that bug so much. He gets jealous when he hangs out with Dani and not him. He hugs him for a photo the first chance he gets. And since we know blades is confirmed as being into dudes, I think we all know what they were getting at. TFP bumblebee has an anxious twink boyfriend that lives in Maine and we have no idea whatsoever if the rest of team prime knows.

Graham and boulder pine for each other like you would not believe. Once again, pretty much canon. You can't just have boulder keep telling Graham "well I like you just how you are" when Graham's trying to impress a girl and expect me to not think he has a big stupid gay crush on his best friend. They love each other so much as partners and as friends, I know damn well they'd be SICKENINGLY cute together as boyfriends. They'd probably try to stealth it at first bc a human and a giant robot alien in love? What'll the others think?? Gotta keep it secret. Sneaking off into the woods so Boulder can work on his "art projects" but in fact they are kissing. They're not as slick as they think they are, Chief Burns 100% picks up what's going on but he lets them think they're sneaky. Nobody actually has any problems with it other than Kade making fun of them a little but don't worry that's just him projecting.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Heatwave and Kade are the worst fucking tsunderes about crushing on each other. Between heatwave refusing to let down the brooding tough guy persona and kade being so insistent on staying hyper masculine (to the point where mild internalized homophobia is inevitable), neither of them can just be honest about how much they mean to each other and they gotta resort to getting each other's attention by being mean in very low stakes ways. I am drowning, there is no sign of land, you are coming down with me, hand in unloveable hand, except they're not drowning and they're just dunking each other in a kiddie pool repeatedly.

Heatwave and quickshadow are fun for similar reasons but with less shit lord pranks and/or lowbrow bitching, and more classy verbal sniping and sparring with each other because heatwave thinks it's hot when quickshadow kicks his ass. They're insufferably competitive and I think that could be very fun and incredibly messy, especially since they both need to learn how to communicate. Very bisexual, they are forced to share the brain cell, 10/10

I also just enjoy the idea of all the bots being in a polycule the same way I like the idea for TFA's team prime. They're very sweet together and they clearly care about each other a lot. Its just kind of nice when they all hold hands together, you feel me? They're sneaking off to kiss in the bunker bc they don't know if the humans know dudes can like other dudes. They are also not as subtle as they think they are.

Oh also doc Greene and chief burns dated once when they were teenagers and it didn't work out but they stayed besties, nobody can change my mind on this.

Beast Wars

Dinobot and Megatron are exes, 100%. Dinobot is probably the only being in the known universe that Megatron actually kind of cares about other than himself and his rubber duck. Otherwise he wouldn't keep trying to fucking clone him to make a version that will never leave him. There's also some implications here and there that Megatron really did want the world to be better for Predacons (along with the desire for power, anyway) and that preds are genuinely treated unfairly, so there's a pretty compelling angle of dinobot having been drawn to megatron because he saw someone with noble goals and a way to fix their fucked up world before becoming disillusioned with the dishonorable tyrant he turned out to be.

Dinobot and Optimus are also very good together bc it really truly feels like Dinobot finally found the guy with honor he thought he saw in Megatron. And he's infuriating half the time because he isn't nearly as bloodthirsty as he's used to, but GODDAMN does he make him Feel Things. The entire episode Gorilla Warfare has me obsessed with them. The bitching. Dinobot freaking the fuck out and Optimus tenderly removing the seed pod stuck to the back of his neck that was freaking him out and only laughing at him a little. Dinobot constantly trying to choose violence. The stupid smile when Optimus also chooses violence and Dinobot realizes he fucked up. THE BEDSIDE VIGIL. "It was my shift" AND YOU KNOW THEY WEREN'T TAKING SHIFTS. THE FLOWER ON THE BEDSIDE TABLE. "it is good to have you back." "Back home or back to normal?" "...both." THEY'RE HOMOSEXUAL, YOUR HONOR.

Dinobot (shit maybe I just really like dinobot) with Rattrap is good for similar reasons but the vibes are totally different. DoOp is all soft and sweet and patient and light ribbing, Dinotrap is talking shit at each other as a love language. Dinobot is a good guy but he's also, fundamentally, a bitch. Rattrap has proven he can match his freak by bitching right back. They love each other by pretending to hate each other. To the point where if Rattrap doesn't hear any comebacks he genuinely starts worrying because "oh, we aren't playing the game, why aren't you playing, are you okay?" They have so many soft tender moments where they prove they actually love each other. Their last conversation is talking shit!!!! "You're just a slag spouting saurian, but it's nice to know where you stand." "Upwind of you for preference, rodent." They loved each other!!!!!! Rattrap is fucked up over losing him!!!!!!!!!!! It's bittersweet, it's tragic, it hurts so bad and I love them so much!!!! They're stupid your honor!!!!!!!!!!!!

On a much sillier side, I do love Rattrap x Rhinox. Rattrap kissed that man twice. On the mouth. On screen. Annoying little gremlin who goes "nyehhhh" x big stoic dude who goes "hn." And they're both tech guys so they probably work on projects together a lot. And they all survive and are fine bc beast machines isnt real 💖

I have my problems with Silverbolt in general but I cannot deny that he and Blackarachnia are pretty damn cute together. He loves his girlfriend, they trash her shitty ex together, she loves that he doesn't try to change her. She gets to be the bad girl and the sweet knight in shining armor still loves her. "Dark poison of my heart" like c'mon.

Airazor and Tigatron are also pretty cute AND they have the honor of being the first canon gay couple in the tf franchise bc of the Japanese dub, which made Airazor a dude but left the romance unchanged (the Japanese dub was also just generally fuckin insane tho so it's not all that shocking).

Waspinator and Terrorsaur are boyfriends for real and for canon, John hasbro told me himself.

RiD 2001

I ship skybyte with that one girl that lives in a state of constant talking-car-based torment. Why? Because when I watched rid with my roommate we had a running joke that eventually they'd meet and have a whole robotfucker romcom arc and it kinda just stuck. This is my only rid ship and I will not be taking criticism on it.

Cyberverse

Bumblebee, Hot Rod and Cheetor are in a polycule together and nobody can tell me they aren't. Just how it's gotta be.

I want Perceptor and Dead End to kiss so badly. They're technically canon already given how hard the creators ship them. They hold hands your honor. "only a bolthead would go out there... UGH I'm such a BOLTHEAD" HES IN LOVE YOUR HONOR.

Hot Rod and Soundwave are great as enemies to lovers, they're so annoying 💖. I feel like they'd start playing gay chicken and be married with three kids wondering when the other guy is gonna back out.

SHOCKWAVE AND WHEELJACK OH MY GOD. fellas is it gay to program your drones which are just tiny versions of your own altmode to dance funny to Tetris music specifically because it makes your lame ass boyfriend laugh and then keep that function eons after you break up and still remember exactly what the command is? Fellas is it gay to get kidnapped by your ex and then get really excited about all the cool shit he's been making while you were separated? I wish they could've gotten a happy ending man, they could've been so cute together.

I don't ship it romantically but I believe in Grimlock & Arcee qpr. They love each other so so much they would've readily died for each other. I love their dynamic, they're insane 💖

Same goes for Shadowstriker and Soundwave tbh. Decepticon besties, and Shadowstriker being aro kinda just feels right. I like to think they cuddle and talk shit about Shockwave while Sounders blasts heavy metal. They play cod as the most insufferable duo.

Megop in cyberverse is so good because it really feels like they Had a relationship but it was unstable and moved too fast and they just assumed they were on the same page about things without communicating properly until suddenly they were in serious disagreement, and TRIED to work it out in a mature way but they were simply Doomed From the Start. And then it culminates in a whole fucking war but it rages so long, and they are so tired of fighting, and they realize they want to try again because nobody was really to blame for how things ended because they both handled it poorly. I wish they got that chance to try again properly. I wish when Optimus retired to just fuck around and vibe, he could've taken Megatron with him. I wish they could've fallen in love all over again.

Oh also Slipstream and Windblade being lesbian enemies to lovers bait was Fucking Phenomenal and I Love it So Much. They're smug and terrible and I want them to make out. They can make each other worse 💖

G1

I have not seen that much of g1 but I do know a few things are absolute truth.

Soundwave is gay for Megatron. This is arguably reciprocated.

Shockwave is gay for Megatron. This is not reciprocated but it is taken advantage of.

Starscream vacillates between gay for Megatron and trying to kill him. Megatron seems to reciprocate but only a little bit. Enough to keep him alive because he's cute. But megs also gets a lot of cuteness aggression so he feels the need to chuck starscream against the wall every now and then.

Powerglide and Astoria are tied for the pinnacle of robot on human romance in the entire tf franchise with Tracks and Raul, and if none of them come back in ANY tf media, I will riot.

Cliffjumper and Mirage have fucked at least once.

Wheeljack and Ratchet are gay married.

Optimus is bisexual and he loves elita-1 but there is something distinctly homoerotic going on with Megatron.

Conclusion

I like when the robots kiss <3

[tacomanarrows]

Art Fight 2024: Seafoam vs Stardust!!

Happy upcoming Art Fight season!! I really love the teams this year, so I wanted to make a sort of successor drawing to my Vampires vs Werewolves piece from last year! (Which is still one of my favs I've made in the past year hehe)

Since I have multiple OCs who would fit into either team, I decided to go with that idea here! Team Seafoam is Seabreeze, Luau and Soda, and Team Stardust is Astro, Starburst and Moxie! I also like to think of Seabreeze and Astro as sort of their respective team captains :3 This was a lot of fun to make, especially with the variations in expressions and poses. My AF acc/team info is below the cut if you want it!

[The pieces of art of Shep and Tarmac on my card are by @/clear-valley and @/xxthunderthedragonxx respectively!]

Find me on Team Stardust!!! I REALLY love both teams this year, so it was super hard to decide which to pick, but by the looks of things, most of my friends are gonna be on Seafoam, so I decided to go opposite of them hehe. But even if we're on the same team, don't worry, I will still blast u hehe >:3

I can't promise to revenge everyone who attacks me this year, especially since I'm hoping to have a job by the time the fight starts. Then my activity in terms of making attacks will either significantly decrease or stop all together during the last week of July since a certain friend of mine :3 will be visiting me irl for that last week! But I will try to do as much as I can in the time that I have! :D

Plus bonus Astro icon I'm using for AF season hehe

[fanaticsnail]

Snail! I want to say I love everything you have given us for One Piece and your updates and ideas are all spectacular!

In particular, I am loving the Yandere Doffy things that are rolling across my dash, and believe me I am here for the whole "he has to keep himself in check for her" vs "he has her to keep him in check" situation, but I really latched onto the other anon's idea for why the Reader is held captive. The idea that Doffy compares his princess to his mother is fabulous, and that letting her leave Dressrosa (leave him) would have disastrous consequences by way of his mother becoming ill because his father was too weak and they left Marijoise combined in my head with a fic idea you posted about Doffy being overprotective while the Reader is ill.

What if Doffy keeps his delicate flower of a princess in Dressrosa, right under his thumb where she is meant to flourish, only to have her wither out of nowhere? Going from her reading to him while he rests in her lap directly to him reading to her as she dozes, sleeping and resting the same way she has been for days (and there doesn't seem to be any improvement, he is running out of medics that still have their heads attached). He cannot fix this; there is no way to snap his fingers and have her be well again, be awake and alert and oh-so-sweet as she should. His impatience and fear work in tandem; if she is going to get better, it will take time- but there is always the option that she will not, and he is watching her slow decline. And Doflamingo? He cannot bear this.

Ah, the potential for fluff, and heavy introspective angst.

Oh. My. Gosh. The plot thickens. Yandere Doffy: ask 1 & ask 2 here so far.

I am loving the fact that we're all in agreement that yandere is such a good colour to see him in -> suits him very, very well.

I have been wanting to write Doflamingo a care fic for an ill spouse or significant other for some time now (likely when I started getting sick, myself). It would just be so beautiful watching him struggle and not be able to do anything about it. Just as you said, the medics and healers are starting to run out of heads.

He can't fight it, he can't beat it, and it'd be horrible watching them fade away just like his mother did 😭.

OH MY GOSH. BUT WHAT IF THEY'RE DISCOVERED WHEN DOFFY GOES TO IMPEL DOWN?? AND THEY'RE NOT GETTING BETTER?? Who's going to help? Who can take care of them like he can? Who can ensure their safety like he can? So many options. I feel like I need to do a few of these to get it down right. So many different ways to go with a Yandere Doflamingo 🤌.

This is excellent, everything is all working together swimmingly. Thank you for your lovely add on, I will absolutely see it done. So much love for you, Anon 🖤🖤

[vonbergerpants]

Drabble: S support conversation between Caspar and Linhardt

I wrote an extremely self-indulgent drabble a long time ago and I just remembered it today. So here's my imagining of Caspar and Linhardt's S support, before their paired ending.

Mind you, I'm not a writer, so I'm sorry that this isn't quite fanfic material!

The sun is close to setting at the pier. Linhardt is fishing as usual. Caspar is standing behind him, a bit restless, pacing back and forth, his footsteps clear and loud on the wooden pier.

Linhardt can tell when Caspar's mind is racing, but this makes it especially obvious. So he doesn't even turn when he says "You know, Caspar... if you've got something on your mind, you could at least sit down while you think about whatever it is you're wanting to tell me. You're scaring the fish."

This startles Caspar out of his thinking. He stammers a bit.

"I, uh. Yeah, okay. I can't really hide anything from you, so there's no point in hiding it."

He sits down next to Linhardt, who is still staring forward, rod in hand, line still cast in the water. Caspar looks down into the water, and he sees their reflections. Somehow, that eases him a bit as he takes a deep breath.

"Do you... have any plans, now that the war's over?" He doesn't look up as he says this.

Linhardt doesn't move. "Well, I won't be taking over my family's estate, if that's what you're asking. I decided that a while ago. Why do you ask?"

There's a beat of silence. Caspar looks at Linhardt, but it's a quick glance before he's looking down at the water again. It's the best way he can look at Linhardt's face without his nerves taking over.

"Well, I was... thinking of traveling. Seeing the world. There isn't anything left for me, so I guess I can just do whatever I want. And so can you. So I just wanted to know what you were spending your free time on." He lets out a chuckle. "I guess you'll be getting a ton of naps in from now on."

Linhardt looks up and hums. "Very true. I'm not sure quite sure how much sleep I'd get in with your constant movement, but I can certainly make the most of it, now that we're no longer at war."

Caspar lets out another laugh. "Yeah, you might not-- wait, what?" Caspar looks right at Linhardt. "With my-- hold on, what do you mean by that?"

Linhardt turns his head to him and raises an eyebrow. "Traveling typically involves a lot of movement. I'm not quite sure what else I could mean by that."

Caspar blinks, processing what he'd just said, then laughs again. "Yeah, I just don't plan on staying here very long. I just wanna get out there and see the world now that it's peaceful, you know? I'll make sure to send you plenty of letters, of course!"

Linhardt just stares at Caspar as if he'd said something off-putting. "Why would you send me letters? Am I not coming with you?"

Caspar sputters in surprise, as if the wind was just knocked out of him. "Wait, ARE YOU? I thought you wanted to stay behind and, I dunno - read and sleep all day now that you don't have to fight anymore!"

Linhardt lets out a sigh. He looks... a bit hurt? "Caspar... if you don't want me to come, you should just say so."

"NO!" Caspar's response was so loud that it startled the fish nearby and Linhardt. "I mean... no! I want you come with me, that's what I wanted to ask! But... I dunno, I just figured... I mean, this isn't your kind of thing. Traveling all over the place, moving around all day? Wouldn't you rather just relax?"

Linhardt takes this moment to turn around and fully look at Caspar's face.

"Caspar, I'm not sure what gave you that idea. Yes, I've been looking forward to finally relaxing now that this goddess-forsaken war is over. But that doesn't mean I would rather not be in your company. I've always been at your side, ever since we were children. As far as I'm concerned, this is just more of what we've always done. If I've ever come off as someone who doesn't enjoy your company, I assure you that couldn't be further from the truth."

Caspar is speechless. He stares open-mouthed at Linhardt, having somehow not expected this response. This whole time he thought Linhardt would just want to stay behind. And yet they've been best friends and stuck together for so long, he should've seen this coming.

"Linhardt, I... that makes me happier than you can imagine. Because, if I'm being honest..." He turns to fully face Linhardt and look him in the eyes. He swallows, unsure of whether his next words should leave his lips. But he follows his instinct on this one.

"... traveling and seeing the world wouldn't be anywhere near as fun and satisfying if you weren't there to share it with me."

Linhardt's eyes go wide. A light blush blooms across his face. Oh. That's a good look on him.

"Well. When you put it like that, I feel a little better in saying that there would be no point in staying behind if you were gone. Life would just be... incredibly boring without you." Linhardt looks down, almost bashful, or as close as Linhardt has ever come to it. "I don't want to experience that sort of dullness in my life again."

That did it. That steeled Caspar's resolve and made him decide to take the leap. The thing that he's been really pacing back and forth over. Linhardt hadn't realized that Caspar's had his hand in his pocket the entire time they'd been talking. Caspar takes a long, deep breath. He repositions himself and takes a knee.

"Then, uh. Linhardt. Do you..." He takes out a ring from his pocket. "Will you... travel with me? Side by side? ... Hand in hand?"

Linhardt's eyes are as wide as saucers. It's now his turn to be speechless. His blush is now on full display. After a moment, he holds out his hand not holding the rod and reaches for the ring. "Caspar... are you asking me what I think you're asking?"

Caspar takes a hard swallow and nods, face determined yet strained from nervousness. His hand is shaking. "Y-Yeah. I am. Linhardt... I love y--"

Caspar was gripping onto the ring in such a way that it slipped out of his fingers and fell into the pond.

"OH MAN!"

A loud splash is heard as Caspar jumps into the pond. Well, that shook Linhardt right out of his shock.

***

Once Caspar's pulled himself out of the pond and Linhardt is drying him off using light wind magic, Linhardt is chuckling at the whole display. Caspar just groans in absolute embarrassment.

Linhardt smiles. "In case it wasn't clear, my answer is yes. I love you too, Caspar. After all, it's like I said. Our fates are not so easily untangled."

Caspar looks to Linhardt, eyes wide. "Really?! You... so you're not just saying yes to traveling, you're saying yes to me?"

"I am."

"You love me?"

"That is what I just said."

"You... love me."

"Mhm. And unless I misheard you, you love me as well."

Caspar jumps in excitement before Linhardt could finish drying his hair. "I do! I do love you! So much it hurts! You've no idea how long I've been wanting to say something! Oh man, I was so prepared for you to say no that I wasn't expecting you saying yes to be so exciting - I gotta tell everyone!"

"Caspar, wait--"

It's too late. Caspar's already bolted past Linhardt, shouting at the sky.

"YEEEAAAHHHH, LINHARDT LOVES ME BACK!!!"

Linhardt shakes his head and sighs, a smile still on his face and so much fondness in his heart.

"Utterly ridiculous."

[tiredlylaughing]

watched a devastating gay movie now i cannot go to sleep

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Names revealed and returned. (context)

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[hauntinglyghostie]

inseparable. a shadow and its source. life and death. as much as you want to tear away the thought of him, you can't. you stood by him, and his shadow lingers.

also here's this TERRIBLY shitty drawing I made inspired by @denimscotch saying Lysandre needs to "take a chill pill. make slime or something" and @rainbowpufflez encouraged me to actually post it.

[swiftfootedachilles]

im just gonna be honest gang obviously its gonna be easy for you to say youre in love with a character and theyre an angel when anytime they do something you don't like you brush it off as out of character

[gamchawizzy]

lately i've been looking back a lot on how college was a traumatising time in my life, but there were some genuinely wonderful people there who inspired me constantly and taught me newer perspectives and ideas i would have never been able to discover outside of my bubble

i never had the chance to learn enough or hang out much with them due to my unfortunate situation at the time. isolation made me distrustful and paranoid, not to mention how i turned easily exhausted in social situations. i see these people in better places now and i'm so incredibly happy for them, but it also gave me reflection on the things that were stolen from me during those formative years.

i can only hope to move forward in better ways and remind myself it's never too late to build something out of myself. one day i'll catch up.

[some-mari-thoughts]

What do you make of the idea of Blackspace kinda fusing with Hellmari after a post-good ending Omori gave her true life, therefore making her the entire realm by technicality? Omori would do that cuz he needs something to kinda fill the void that appeared when Sunny left and he's getting desperate after not finding anything in Headspace to do that...

(woooooooooo explaining my omori au lore-)

Truthfully this is so wildly different to my idea of headspace and omori and after-good ending that i cannot make anything of this! i think that's up to u to decide

[vaugarde]

thinking abt how eve and i (technically eve both times while i was the vessel i guess) have been accused of falling for "fanmade edits" when trying to explain the pmd lore despite literally pulling from official sources (like... the literal games) you can easily verify for yourself. what is this curse we've been dealt.

[tvrningout]

tbh some of y'all keep posting about naruto and it makes me wanna interact so bad bc of my nostalgia, but i know diddly about anything shippuden and beyond :' ) i would be floundering :' )