#which is fine but it hit on too many squicks for me personally to enjoy so i won't be revisiting this one like i will with Tomie.

[giantkillerjack]

Reading Gyo by Junji Ito is wild because it's like,

Me: haha this is the one about a shark with spider legs, right?

Junji Ito: haha yeah! And then it starts to get weird! :)

Me: I'm sorry what

[whump-n-comfort]

🔪 this is a sideblog! if you see interactions from a blog called @halorocks1214 in your notifications, that's me :)

🩹 on that note, I go by Halo! I use she/her and he/him pronouns and am proudly aroace 💚💜

🔪 I'm one of those guys that has always been into whump as a kid—I REALLY enjoyed the kidnapping episodes in animated shows lol—but didn't have a name for that enjoyment until I got onto Tumblr and immediately felt at home with all y'all cool people 😎

🩹 as you may have seen by this blog's title and description, most of this blog's motif is sharing hurt/comfort content! I will be upfront and say that I project a loooot onto my faves, which is why I like to see them comforted so much (touch starvation is a bitch 😔) and in general prefer "soft whump" most of the time or explicit happy endings for the harder tropes i'm into

🔪 however, I still also enjoy whump because of its core foundation: being able to beat the shit out of your favorite character. sometimes, I will find something that does not have comfort in it that I want to share because it's simply too good not to! if all you're here for is that sweet sweet comfort, feel free to blacklist the tag #no comfort to avoid those sparse posts :)

🩹 outside of that, I tag art as #art and gifs as #gif as well as gifsets as #gifset when applicable; #whump trope for the posts that get more descriptive and #whump prompt for the posts that are more quotes/"fill in your characters here"-type interactions; #whump meme is self-explanatory and #whump community is for sharing love to all you lovely people out here browsing this corner of Tumblr; I occasionally tag #fave whumpee on characters that have stuck with me through the years (characters in the tag liable to change as time goes on); and of course, #~my stuff~ are the posts where I'm OP; #before whump was here is a cheeky tag I use for specific moments I remember feeling strong whumperflies for growing up but still had yet to learn about the term "whump" lmao

🔪 everything else is up in the air as tagging goes. I try my best to catch as many descriptors in a post as I can, but I'll admit some stuff could slip through. let me know if you think a post is missing something and I'll be sure to add proper tags 👍

🩹 my squicks are mainly things like pet whump, mind break, forced full-nudity, betrayal/broken trust between close characters (if it's because of a "twist villain" then that's fine), and heavy NSFW, so, for the most part, you won't see those on this blog, but my philosophy has always been that if it has comfort, I'm willing to give it a shot, so even if it's really rare, it could happen. remember to just let me know if I'm missing a tag!

🔪 my inbox is always open under the "💌 insert rambles here 💌" button if you ever wanna submit whumpy thoughts. I try to post everything I get, so feel free to hit me up! all answered asks regardless of what they contain will be tagged with #ramble tag

🩹 I will occasionally take requests in the form of "[A] replied to [B]" scenarios, sentence starters, or if you are feeling particularly nice, requests about my OCS! (questions and inquiries about them are always welcome regardless of request status) be sure to watch the "REQUEST:" blip in the description to see whenever they are open as I will switch "CLOSED" to "OPEN" to signify they are, and if they are open because of something like an ask game, I will convert the status into a link that will take you to the original game so you don't have to scroll through a bajillion things to get to it

🔪 as mentioned, this is 99% a SFW "soft" whump blog, but I still support my more NSFW and otherwise "dark" whumpers! I am a firm believer in that there is no "correct" way to enjoy whump. whatever your reason is that makes you enjoy it is valid and as long as you are properly tagging your content then keep on doing stuff that brings you joy :) we may not interact with each other all that often because of squicks or personal preferences, but just know that I will have your back and defend your right to write whatever you want ❤️‍🔥

🩹 I do believe those are all the topics I wanted to cover, so if you managed to make it this far, thanks for checking out my blog, and most importantly, the whump community in general! If you decide to stay, well, then hope you enjoy it to your fullest capabilities :D

[intoxicatingimmediacy]

Fandom Fic Rec Days - CQL/MDZS

I bring you FIC RECS! ENJOY! And to our beloved writers - THANK YOU! I don’t have the words to express my gratitude for how much joy you bring into the world. 

Under the cut there will be pining, there will be devotion, there will probably (definitely) be kink, and most of all there will be rampant wangxian.

For my first ever fic rec post, these are the first stories I thought of without checking my downloads. Some I read long enough ago that I don’t remember them exactly, but they must've hit me hard enough to recall their names off the top of my head. Some of them are definitely top tier ultimate favourites, but many of those are also missing from this list as I’ve spent the last year in Severe Lockdown feat. Hours Of Ao3 Every Day.

A caveat: I read wide - as in, I enjoy interpretations of the characters that contradict how I experience them in canon, as long as they have internal consistency. For example, in canon WWX doesn't read as self-loathing to me - he’s seethes confidence in his abilities; it's his place in the world that he struggles with - but I thoroughly enjoy fics rooted in self-worth issues. So, YMMV.

In the same vein, I like pure CQL, pure MDZS, and mash-ups, as well as RPF; my squicks are few and far between, my triggers nonexistent, and I have happily eaten many a dead dove. For our yown safety, read the tags.

+ Linger in the Sun by etymologyplayground, Teen/39k

"Tell Lan Zhan that I'm weeping uncontrollably," Wei Wuxian says to the juniors. "Tell him I'm truly pitiful and he needs to do everything I say until I'm well again."

Lan Congyi is in the middle of carefully holding his eyelids open to check his pupils, but he still obeys, bless him. "Hanguang-Jun, Senior Wei would like us to tell you that he can't stop crying and he'd like for you to do everything he says until he's better." There's a moment of silence, and then Lan Congyi says to Wei Wuxian, "Hanguang-Jun says he already does everything you tell him."

- Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji find themselves cursed, unable to see or hear each other. They figure things out anyway.

(I remember reading this on a long train ride home over a year ago, so spellbound even after finishing, that I alighted a stop too early.)

+ The Absolutely True Story of the Yiling Patriarch by aubreyli, Teen/20k

Wei Wuxian’s hand jolts, spilling a drop of wine onto the tabletop. “Love?” he croaks, then clears his throat and tries again. “Lan Zh— uh, Hanguang-jun, in love?”

“Have you not heard the story?” the other young woman asks, looking pitying. “You must, it is a truly heartrending tale of star-crossed romance and mutual pining — go to any storyhouse in town, everyone has been requesting a reading of this book.”

“There’s a book?” Wei Wuxian says blankly.

- In which the junior disciples (namely, Lan Jingyi, Ouyang Zizhen, and a reluctant Lan Sizhui) turn to RPF in an attempt to rehabilitate Wei Wuxian's reputation so that he and Hanguang-jun can get together and get married and live happily ever after. It's… surprisingly effective.

(My original comment, because it’s been too long, I think it’s long overdue a re-read: ‘Pure joy! This made my whole week. My cheeks ache from all the giddy smiling at my screen.’)

+ An Account of His Days by theherocomplex, Teen/3k

Someone, someday, may read it, though what they will gain from doing so is anyone's guess. They will learn he loves Wei Wuxian, but that is no secret. It never was.

(Utterly gorgeous and so very much exactly how I headcanon LWJ's inner life.)

+ (our friendship) up against the ropes by daltoneering, Explicit/36k

The reboot completes, and Wei Ying’s brain smashes this information together into two mind-shattering thoughts. Number one, he knew very well already, and is now further seared by defined muscles and a mouth-watering tattoo into his every waking moment: Lan Zhan is the hottest fucking person on the planet.

Number two: that guy wasn’t visiting Lan Zhan’s neighbour, he was visiting Lan Zhan, which means:

Lan Zhan fucks.

Lan Zhan fucks.

Lan Zhan fucks.

- Lan Zhan has been Wei Ying's best friend for years. Literally, years. How did he not already know? How has he missed this most important of facts? And more importantly, how is he ever going to get over it?

(My salivating comment upon the first read: ‘Ah I'm so glad I waited until you had finished posting the whole glorious thing so I could inhale it in one delicious go. Not that I did, I had to take a break twice, just so that it'd last longer, so I could live with it in my brain for a few hours more.’)

+ Meng Yao vs. the Board of the Homeowner's Association by Ariaste, Mature/114k (as of this post, series not concluded)

Two gremlins, their husbands, and the horrible HOA board. As long as nobody gets arrested for arson or murder, we're gonna call it a win.

(Mainly XiYao, with WangXian secondary, but this one is really about the ridiculously stupendously funny. As in, I discovered new sounds coming from myself, ever escalating levels of snortcackling.)

+ For a Good Time, Call by ScarlettStorm, Explicit/171k

The picture is of Wei Ying, that much is clear. It’s of a lot more of Wei Ying than Lan Zhan is used to seeing. He supposes that, technically, Wei Ying is dressed. It’s a bare technicality, since one of Wei Ying’s hands has rucked up his black tank top practically to his collarbone, showing a long expanse of abdomen and one nipple. Sweat beads on his sternum, catching the light like jewels. His other hand is--Lan Zhan feels his eyes widen, as though unable to look away from a train wreck--on his hip, one thumb tugging down the waistband of a pair of red briefs. Wei Ying is biting his lower lip and looking directly into the camera, sultry, his eyes dark and inviting. His erection is obvious, outlined against the red of the briefs and framed carefully with the hand on his hip. Lan Zhan’s brain goes wildly, screamingly blank.

Or: Lan Zhan accidentally finds his best friend's OnlyFans account and has an ongoing emotional crisis.

(This one has so much, the funny, the painful, the smut, it has such meaty substance to it. I get a craving every few weeks to re-read and it never fails to make my belly go swoop. ‘Just... one of the most satisfying reads EVER.’)

RPF

+ Fixtures and Fittings by ella_minnow, Explicit/42k

The client is tall and slim, the padded leather motorcycle jacket he wears adding artificial bulk to his upper body which angles sharply in to slender legs braced wide on either side of the bike. His face is fine-boned and delicate and -

Very, very familiar.

It’s a face that Xiao Zhan has seen daily for the last several months, although never in real life. No, he’s used to seeing it through his kitchen window, twelve feet tall on the billboard that graces the side of the building down the block from his apartment.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

It’s Wang Yibo.

(One of my very first loves in this fandom way back when; wonderfully engaging and detailed.)

+ The Scent of Happiness by mrsronweasley, Explicit/49k

He raises his head up at the drinks menu and that's when the guy behind the counter turns around and greets them both with a smile.

Oh.

Yibo is aware that he's staring, but he just. Can't stop. The guy is tall--taller than Yibo—with long hair tied loosely into a bun. Soft bangs cover his forehead, with longer tendrils framing the most beautiful face Yibo has ever seen on a human person. And Yibo has met a lot of beautiful human people.

(My flailing comment upon first reading: ‘Some moments you had me literally, physically breathless. I kept copypasting exceptionally exquisite sentences out to flail over their particulars but the list got too long. I feel like my ribcage has been cracked open and my heart is bigger after having read your gorgeous words.’ I think I enjoyed it.)

[smol-and-trashy]

Sylvix Vore Fic (FE3H)

A/N: This is probably mega OOC, but I fell in love with both Sylvain and Felix during my first playthrough of FE3H and been itching for a vore fic featuring them. It’s probably more accurate to read this as platonic due to my inability to write anything remotely romantic... This was also inspired by @sinfromlokislair‘s Sylvix fic, theirs is a lot better tbh haha.. Vomit warning, so if that makes you squeemish, please leave now! Enjoy :) 

_____________________

Felix growled as he shoves off the giant finger, wishing this oaf wasn’t the first person who offered help. While Sylvain would disagree, it wasn’t entirely his fault that he was in this position. The blast of magic was directed towards their professor and Felix, standing behind her, found himself foolishly taking the hit. He expected a lot of things to happen, well aware of the effects of taking a direct hit to dark magic, but being reduced to the size of a field mouse was not one of them. Now, he has to pay the price of the curse. 

Felix pinched the bridge of his nose, he expected something like this happening to Sylvain, the reckless skirt-chaser, but himself? He was usually more collect in battle. He sighs, regret still weighing heavily over him, but he had more pressing matters to tend to, specifically regarding the man before him. He looks up: Sylvain Jose Gautier loomed over Felix in all his self-proclaimed glory, Felix swallows. Goddess, he was gargantuan, his chest taking up most of Felix’s line of view and he has to crank his neck far back just to peer up in his friend’s eyes and feel like an equal in conversation. Bubbles of fear and humiliation rose up inside the smaller, but he represses those feelings, swiftly replacing them with indignation. “For the last time, Sylvain, quit poking me.” “Sorry, sorry, it’s just that you’re so tiny and cute! I really can’t help myself.” Sylvain laughs a little, folding both hands behind his head. “Insatiable, as always,” Felix mutters under his breath. If Sylvain heard, he gave no indication, instead, grabbing Felix without a single warning. As the tree-sized fingers close around his waist, Felix soon finds himself face-to-face with his ginormous friend; bemused, Sylvain simply watches as the smaller struggles in his grip. “Let me go, Sylvain!” he squawks, trying to pry those fingers off him. Really, the man had no concept of personal space. “Mm, I could, but,” Sylvain leans forward with his elbow still on the table, drawing closer to Felix. Fruitlessly trying to maneuver his legs and kick at Sylvain’s too-close face, he stops; scowling as he notices his own reflection in those amber eyes, and at last, Sylvain pulls back. “This is all too much fun!” he winks. “Hilarious, now let me down, you oaf.” Felix says flatly, “I would rather dual the boar than being stuck here with you.” “Really? Because most ladies would love to be in your shoes, Fe.” Felix squirmed a little in the redhead’s grip, not fancying himself so high. “Let them. At least you would finally leave me alone.” Sylvain leans on his arm, a cocky grin adorning his lips, “Ouch, don’t be like that! Least now, you can’t refuse to get dinner with me.” The raven-head rolls his eyes at the reminder of Sylvain’s countless dinner invitations, most of which he had turned down in favor of training. “Forcing me to eat with you, would you stoop so low?” Sylvain says nothing, only flashing a sly smirk and hoists Felix a few inches higher, just above his nose. Felix unwittingly tenses up, he's much too high and Sylvain was taking this joke further than he'd like. He curses while digging his nails into his friend's skin, trying to force himself to be lowered. Yet, the other refuses to budge. He can't tell if Sylvain thought of this as one big joke or if he was really this careless. "You incorrigible---" "Aw, c'mon Fe, you’re just cute enough to eat!” Sylvain interrupts smugly, dangling Felix over his wide-open mouth; He wasn’t seriously going to drop him, but it was all too easy to get a rise out of him. Felix’s heart pounds furiously against his chest as he’s forced to peer into Sylvain’s awaiting maw. Sharp white teeth that could easily bite him in half taunt him while that wet tongue twitches and Felix doesn’t even want to think what is beyond that dark, pulsing throat. It was repulsive, everything. Despite himself, Felix couldn’t stop staring. Is this what prey feel when they’re about to be eaten? Strangely enamored? He frowns, choosing not to dwell on it, and instead, averting his eyes to the door, he was no damsel, but a piece of him wishes for Ingrid or even the boar to pay Sylvain an unexpected visit. Relief sweeps through him as those lips close, “Tell me, do you have a death wish, Sylvain?” he growls, but the older man’s lips quirk upwards, evidently amused. As Sylvain opens his mouth to make a quip—- “Sylvain!” Ingrid barges into the room, and in an instant, he loses his grip on Felix, barely able to make out the tiny man’s objections as he falls straight towards the gaping throat. Sylvain’s jaws snap shut, and the obtrusion at the back of his throat causes him to swallow, purely out of reflex. Fuck. All traces of coy playfulness disappear instantly as he feels the tiny body make its way down his throat. He sits there, in cold shock, as Felix drops into his stomach. The heavy, humid air hits him, and Felix lies absolutely still, paralyzed with disbelief. This can’t be real. That half-wit did not just swallow me. Felix’s heart pounds in his ears as he wipes the slime off his face. The chamber wasn’t as dark as he anticipated, in fact, he could see the wrinkled pinkish walls fairly well. His own stomach turns as thick chyme splashes on him, and before he’s able to gain some semblance of footing, he’s thrown at the opposing wall. More liquid soaks him, and Felix thrashes aimlessly, the only coherent thought going through his mind is ‘I need to get out of here.’ He rushes to the nearest wall, cursing at Sylvain for taking his swords beforehand, and punches at the wall. No reaction. Not a wince, not a protest to stop, nothing. The chamber groans and convulses, but there’s no direct response from Sylvain. Felix clenches his fist, and despite the heat, he feels an icy chill plunge into his veins; no, he must persist. He’s trained on hours end, he can make Sylvain notice him. As Felix is about to inflict another punch to the walls, he hears a familiar voice around him, pushing down the squicked feeling of hearing his childhood friend in such a ubiquitous manner, he pauses to listen. Sylvain stands up and freezes, a nervous chuckle arises from his throat, “I-Ingrid! To what do I owe the pleasure of—“ “You know how many messes of yours I had to clean up for the past week?” He blanches as Ingrid wastes no time in berating him for his less than reputable behavior, “You promised that you would cease your philandering ways, but I heard from Ashe, of all people, that you were—-“ she pauses, Sylvain was almost hunched over, sickly pale with his arms twisted around his stomach, “Are you okay? You look unwell.” At that, Sylvain straightens up, “Ah, yeah, yeah, just ate something bad earlier,” he winces as he earns a nasty kick from Felix, “nothing some rest can’t fix!” Ingrid’s concerned expression only deepens, she purses her lips, but Sylvain, armed with a charming smile, puts a hand on her shoulder, “Honestly, Ingrid, I’m fine. But it’s cute of you to get all worked up over me! Y’know, maybe a kiss on the cheek would help?” The blonde shoves his hand off, rolling her eyes, “I’m not…Take care of yourself, Sylvain,” she sighs, turning around and finally shutting the door behind her. Alone in his room, Sylvain gingerly presses a hand on his belly, earning sharp kick in retaliation. His mouth suddenly feels like it was filled with cotton, and finding himself at a rare loss of words, Sylvain racks his brain for the right thing to say, for something to say. “You alright in there?” he mentally slaps himself after the words come out of his mouth. How utterly stupid he must sound. “Am I alright in here?” Felix repeats incredulously, blood boiling with every ticking second, “Did you really just ask the man who’s stewing away in your filthy guts if he’s ‘alright in there?’ What the hell do you think?” Sylvain swallows and finally sits down on his bed, trying to control an incoming rush of vertigo. He runs a hand through his hair, slicking the ruddy strands back into place, and sighs. “You’re right, I-I’m sorry, Felix. You’re not… melting in there, are you?” His heart-rate begins to pick up, thumping wildly in his chest like a caged bird. “Oh Goddess, you need to let me know if anything is happening!” “As you should be,” Felix says while checking out his arm. His once white sleeves are stained from the juices, but he’s feeling no burning effects. Not to say the acids wouldn’t be activated when Sylvain eats something—-other than himself. “It looks like I’m fine, for now.” “Good, let’s get you out of there.” He’s met with an affirmative hum, and Sylvain plants himself on the floor, firmly pressing both hands on his stomach. Tiny fingers tap on the bottom of his belly and now wholly aware of it. The feeling is entirely alien, almost ticklish; he automatically heaves, offhandedly noting the room getting warmer as sweat gathers on his forehand. Bile creeps at the bottom of his throat, and Sylvain dry heaves once again, “C’mon…” he murmurs. His stomach groans louder, noisily protesting the shrunken being inside, and his fingers slam on the hardwood, curling instantly. As his guts twist and turn in itself, he grimaces, wishing for a drink to aid him in this uncomfortable process. Sylvain’s eyes widen as he gags, only able to retch out strands of saliva. There is a distinct lack of a certain sharp-tongued mercenary.   “No…Why didn’t it work?” he whispers, clutching at his middle. “Sylvain…” Felix’s voice is dangerously low, and Sylvain was sure that if he hadn’t removed the former’s weapons, his insides would have been lacerated mercilessly. Even though they’d been friends since childhood, even though they made a promise, there was no way Felix would let himself die such a humiliating death. Felix glares up at the tight sphincter from above, it’s much too high to force open, but maybe if Sylvain was lying down… He pauses, out of nowhere, acids begin to bubble and churn. The stomach gurgles louder, and suddenly, he’s thrown from wall-to-wall, hardly getting a chance to catch his breath. A god-awful groan resonates around him, and his head gets submerged under the liquid; everything flies by too quickly; this was it, this was how he was going to go down. He can’t breathe; one moment his lungs are filled with acids, and the next, he finds himself splayed on a squishy surface. Felix coughs and gasps for air, for a split second, he really thought he was done for. Arm slung over his head, he almost doesn’t notice the shadow looming over him or the fast pulse below, rivaling his own. He needs a good minute to recoup himself as he breathes slowly to even his heart-rate. Finally removing his arm, he looks above. Felix’s breath hitches as the thundering vibrations of Sylvain saying something reverberates through his body; nearly admonishing himself for such a pathetic reaction, he realizes the words aren’t registering. “—-about this, yeah?” Felix catches the tail-end of whatever the redhead was trying to say. “Alright.” and for the first time since this ordeal, there’s no bite behind his words, only thinly veiled exhaustion as he finds himself slumped against Sylvain’s index finger. He just wants to return to normal and forget this day ever happened.

[unsettledink]

(Part two of looking back at the fandoms I was in and the fics I wrote in 2020)

(Part one here.)

*

Most popular story:

    By Kudos (and comments), Seiche : By hits, Indefensible : On tumblr, Pocket Change

Story you wish was more successful:

    Well, that’s kind of the curse of writing rare pairs. I want anything with Tony/Quentin or Peter/Quentin to be more successful, lol. Defining the feeling of success in fandoms/pairings like that is tricky, because— do I wish they’d gotten more attention? Of course! Do I consider them fairly successful because they got any attention? Yeah, kinda.

Something like Intent got very little response, but considering the size and age of the fandom, it actually felt successful to get any response?

The entire Old Adages series I really wish had found an audience; I’m very fond of it, and it’s… softer than I usually write? The filthy smutty kinky stuff always outpreforms anything else, and that sort of thing feels easy for me. And I’m extrapolating a lot for young Quentin’s characterization, so I’m a little insecure about that as well.

Most "Holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story:

    You know, there are several stories I feel like should be that? But let’s be honest, considering what I’ve written in the past, they’re not that bad. 

    So I’m going to have to go with Creepy Crawly. I mean, I get squicked a little if I read it in the wrong mindset. SPIDERS D:

Hardest story to write:

    Causality. I just… could not quite connect somehow. I had the image in my head fine, but when I went to write it I felt pretty meh. I think I hadn’t done much (any?)Peter POV at that point, so that was a stretch. And I think I’d been spending so much time in the world of Gotcha that any other version of Peter/Quentin felt strange. I got it done, I have a sequel planned, but it was a struggle.

    No Lies was also tricky. I picked the prompt ‘make-up’ because I had this crystal clear mental image of someone kneeling, crying, makeup smeared all over them. But I didn’t know WHO. I tried so many pairings and characters, and even when I figured out that I really wanted that to be Tony… who with? Could I actually make Peter behaving that way believable?? Once I got it sorted out the writing was easy, but getting there - gah.

Easiest story to write:

    Indefensible was bizarre to write, because it literally just arrived in my brain in one giant chunk, complete, and I just had to transcribe it over a day or two. Very odd. 

    Pocket Change was much the same. The idea appeared and that first image of Tony holding the bill was just… there. The rest of it fell into place so easily as I went along.

Most fun story to write:

    Just a Bite was a lot of fun to write. It’s a topic I enjoy anyway, and I like trying to focus in on one element like that. Peter discovering a new thing he liiiiikes is always a ton of fun.

    11:59 was also surprisingly fun? Like— three characters that have interesting dialogue patterns, a slightly darker Tony, being able to indulge in nasty Quentin without him being quite a villain, the constant shifting of emotions for everyone in the room. Just so much going on in small ways. There are totally at least three more fics set in that universe. 

What’s your personal favorite thing you wrote this year?

    Tough call, but probably A Perfect Fit. Really, the entire insane little universe that’s expanding into. Definitely not something I would have expected at ALL back in January. 

What’s your least favorite thing you wrote this year?

    Maybe Can’t, Wont? Idk. I didn’t have a strong enough idea for the prompt to really make something of it, I guess. And writing Peter/Quentin is kind of difficult at the moment. It feels weird because I’ve spent so much time in the world of Gotcha that other takes on the characters are odd.

If you could go back and change something about one of the fics you wrote this year, what would it be?

    Probably Want What I Want. I knew what I wanted and I just couldn’t quite make it function. So I went with a slantwise version of it - which isn’t bad, but doesn’t have the focus I wanted it to. It felt like more of a twist on the prompt than I wanted. I’d like to go back and expand it out, dig into the specifics of the prompt a little more.

    And tbh, I got a comment on that very point. I’m normally really good about letting go of comments? But it was something I’d questioned myself, so it stuck more.

Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters:

    (Just) Waiting Around? Maybe? As much as I love top/experienced!Peter, I had to sit down and figure out how I might be able to actually get him there, convince the reader that this was a Peter that current Peter could become. 

    And any of the Tony/Quentin fics. There’s not a lot given for Quentin in canon; taking those little bits and trying to follow them back to these younger version of Quentin was really interesting and difficult. How do I make this character the softer, more open, more vulnerable, less confident version of himself from 10/15 years ago, and still keep those sharper edges that will grow and take over? How do I make the reader believe both that this version could have existed and that version could actually become the canon one? 

Story that was most different from what you usually write:

    I mean, Relief? I’ve never written het before (and probably never will again, lol), but I wasn’t going to let the chance to write redwings pass me by. 

    In general, all the freaking ABO. Which I’d never written before this fandom, though I’ve read tons of it. Not something I really expected to write? And then suddenly I’m not just writing it, I can’t seem to stop. 

    Sustain felt pretty different, and it took me a moment to figure out why (don’t laugh at me!). I’ve never written straight up non-sexual kink before. Not just a kink scene that doesn’t have sex, but a kink scene that doesn’t even have the intention or desire for sex. Completely removing that additional layer of tension and complications is fascinating. I’m really interested in expanding that verse.

Most unintentionally telling story:

    Oh, other than Gotcha, lol? Um. I don’t know if any really are? Maybe Backhand, or Sustain. Hmm, maybe Getting Started, though it’s not finished. 

    Now I wonder what conclusions those have people drawing.

What’s your favorite piece of description or narration?

    Oh my god, what an impossible question. Uh. This is difficult because I… think of images in words? I feel very odd about the bits I picked, Idk. 

    It’s so small, and I don’t know if I captured it as well as it is in my head, but I come back to it so often:

Stark sits on the bed, and then seems to get lost, or distracted, not moving again until Phil pushes him gently towards the middle of the bed. He gets Stark curled up on his side, just a sliver of his back touching the sheets.

There's a chair against the wall that doesn't look too modern, so hopefully more comfortable than most of the monstrosities around here; Phil has a feeling he's going to be here a while, watching Stark come back up. He stands, about to walk away when there's a soft touch on his hand. He looks down.

Stark's arm is stretched out, his fingers just barely resting on the back of Phil's hand. He's looking up at Phil out of the corner of his eyes, head just barely turned towards him. It's a clear a request as anything spoken; stay.

"I'm not leaving," Phil tells him. "I'm not even leaving the room. I was just going to get a chair.'

There's a breath, a hesitation, Stark's hand not leaving his, and then it's gone, Stark dragging it back in, turning his face into the pillow. That was the wrong response, something about it was just... wrong.

"Stark," Phil says, leaning onto the bed. "Do you want me to stay here? On the bed? I wasn't sure you'd be comfortable with that." After all, this doesn't seem to be at all sexual for him.

Stark doesn't say anything—Phil's not entirely sure if he's nonverbal or not—but he turns his face back towards Phil a little. Doesn't quite look at him, and doesn't make a move; he's not going to ask again, not after what he obviously took as a rejection. His reactions are odd, not much like Phil had expected. 

    - Sustain

Or:

Beck gets Peter turned around, still kneeling but settled back against Beck's legs, leaning into it. "Toss me his shirt," he says, and Tony throws it at his face, Beck managing to catch it before it connects. Laughs, like this is fucking funny. He slips his hand into Peter's hair and tugs his head back a bit, wiping the come off his face.

"Take five, baby," Beck says, and Peter hums, resting his head on Beck's thigh and staring at Tony. Beck's petting him, hand sliding slowly though Peter's hair, and it's a fucking nightmare that Beck knows what that feels like and Tony doesn't. "You see?" Beck says. "He likes it a little rough. A lot rough, sometimes, so don't worry about hurting him. Don't worry when he cries," and Tony glares at him.

Beck's looking down at Peter, though, and then Tony is too. He's turning red again as Beck talks, but he's not denying anything, and not looking away from Tony.

Beck's hand trails down Peter's neck, hooks around the front and pulls him back; Peter's head tips back, exposing the whole of his throat to Beck's hand. "He's a little embarrassed by it," Beck says, "but he's an awfully sweet submissive too. Aren't you, honey?"

Peter looks up at him, his expression soft, open. "Yes, sir," he says, and Jesus Christ, Tony had no idea how much he wants Peter to say that to him. Peter likes it too, not just giving it lip service judging by the way his cock is getting hard again. Beck smiles.

"I'm going to miss you," he says. "You've been a lot of fun, baby." He looks up, catching Tony's eye, a smirk growing slowly on his face. "Guess I'd better make sure the last time makes up for it."

     - 11:59

What’s your favorite piece of dialogue you wrote this year?

I mean, I’m very fond of Hang Up, it’s like 85% dialogue.

Alternatively:

"Looks like you're finally ready to be fucked," Tony says. "Bets on if you'll come on my cock, or if I'll have to give you a reach around with this?" settling the gauntlet on Quentin's hip.

"No," Quentin says, shaking his head as much as he can manage, "no, no, Tony—"

Tony leans in, thighs pushing Quentin's legs apart, the head of his cock bumping up against Quentin's ass. "If you manage it just once without my hand," he whispers, ducking his head and rubbing his beard over Quentin's shoulder, "I'll fund every last thing you ask for."

"No," Quentin moans, because he can't.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Tony says. "I'll make sure you can."

    - Make Sure

Story with the single sexiest moment:

    AHHHHHHHHH fuck this is the hardest one. 

    Secondhand and Gift Wrapped both have some of the hottest moments, I think:

    Peter's so hard he can barely think, absolutely can't control the way his dick jumps in Quentin's hand. He doesn't want to hear about this, doesn't want to imagine Tony with Quentin at all. Doesn't want Quentin to stop.

Quentin kicks off his pants and then he's crawling up over Peter, staring down at him with that manic glint in his eyes that Peter knows well enough by now to worry about. "He fucked my face like that," Quentin says, watching him. "Kept babbling that shit and fucked my throat nearly raw. Can't you hear it, honey?" and Peter can, he can.

"Can't you imagine it?" Quentin asks, and Peter can.

    - Secondhand

And:

    Peter wants— he curls his fingers in Tony's hair and yanks, Tony's head hanging loosely from his hands. He looks wrecked, sweaty and his whole face is dark, his lips wet and red and puffy, all from Peter's cock. When he opens his eyes, it's like he's not even seeing Peter, completely lost in his own little world; he's stiffening slowly, his spine rounding and he tries to brace himself, his eyes going wider and his breath getting shorter and— and is he about to come, Peter wonders. Is he really going to come just like this, from being fucked like this?

He is, he totally fucking is because a moment later Tony stops breathing entirely, his head jerking hard against Peter's hold, his whole body jerking as he comes. He gasps, eyelashes fluttering, and Peter can feel Tony's come landing on his legs, holy shit.

Pepper eases her thrusts, sinking into Tony and just rocking against him while he comes. Waits until he's gone limp, sunk down even more between her hands and Peter's; "Peter," she says. "Get a good grip on him for me. He gets all wiggly afterwards and I'm not done."

    - Gift Wrapped

    But if it comes down to what is probably my favorite - 

    Peter had already been pretty out of it when Tony came back, already wound up and just existing, no thoughts and no worries, nothing but want and feeling and response. He’d already been awfully close to flying, and this— this drops him over the edge, completely. 

Some part of his head is aware of the way he’s thrusting up into Tony’s mouth, Tony taking it happily, drooling around him; is aware that Peter’s tossing his head back and forth, fighting against Rhodey’s tight grip on his hair, only making it worse with every yank. Is even a little aware that the others must be watching him, watching them, watching just like Rhodey’s looking down at him, Tony looking up, their gaze so heavy on Peter he can feel it, just like he can feel everything, every touch and every texture and every single spot his body is in contact with anything. Can feel everything, too much, overwhelming, amazing, and he doesn’t know if it’s that, or the pain of Rhodey’s grasp, or the wave crashing down on him as he comes that have him crying. Maybe it’s all of them, or maybe it’s just that he’s wanted like this, kept and held and wanted. 

Rhodey kisses him, gently, and Tony crawls up over him; kisses Rhodey and kisses Peter and Peter could stay just like this forever. He can see Tony’s mouth moving, talking to him, then Rhodey, then him again, but his head is full of nothing but static, white noise.

    - Flaunt

    (So, uh, what does it say that all of those are threesomes?)

*

Stories I haven't yet written, but intend to:

    SO MANY. Beyond the fics I’ve got going for other people and Gotcha, and the (hopefully) one off continuations of kinktober fics, I really want to focus on - 

    The rest of Deep End (I know it all exactly!)

    The sad AI Peter/Tony, real!Peter/Tony

    Branches of Aegis

    ONE of my longer ABO pieces. 

    Fluffuary & Kinktober, again. 

Fingers crossed. I don’t even want to think about how many more ideas will come creeping in.

[faintwalker]

On Fic and Triggers:

(Always feel free to skip posts you don’t want to read.  Just a reminder.)

I wanted to put down some thoughts on fic, tags, triggers, and our choices as individuals.  I’m breaking this into three sections.  They are as follows:

1.  Squick vs. trigger, a quick look at terminology.

2.  Tag advantage and the power of viewer discretion.

3.  It’s an imperfect system (but that’s okay).

(Under a readmore because it’s over 1k.)

---

Part one:  Squick vs. Trigger:

A squick is like a personal gross-out; something which disgusts or unsettles a person can be said to be a squick of theirs.  Most people would be upset to find rotten meat in their fridge, right?  For many people such a thing may be considered a squick.

A trigger is more severe than a squick, and is usually tied to a person’s trauma.  Sometimes it’s something like a loud noise, but for the purpose of this post going forwards, I will be discussing written content and triggers that may be found there.  When something triggers a person, it shakes them up and threatens to (or manages to) throw them into a bad mental state.

A squick might make someone go “ew” and consider clicking out of a fic.  A trigger will need some recovering from.

Sometimes the line between the two is difficult to find.  Triggers happen to different extents and may set someone off more or less on certain days or have diminished impacts as time goes by, but all that stuff varies by individual.

---

Part two:  Fics Have Tags (on ao3) and You Can See Them:

Browsing on ao3 is cool because of the tags.  If something says it has something in it, I can avoid it or brace for it (or even seek it out, if it’s something I’m looking for).  It actually gives a lot of power to the reader.  I have taken advantage of the warnings to explore things difficult for me at my own pace, and honestly I’ve felt very safe overall while doing so.  Nobody is pressuring me into it, and I can quit reading anything at any time.  Overall, it’s safer to browse than random published books tend to be.  

(Nothing against published books.  I don’t think we need tags everywhere.)

Properly tagged fics are nice, even if I don’t like the tags.  If I don’t like the tags, it means I can give the fic a skip instead of receiving an unpleasant surprise. That’s always a good thing.

---

Part three:  Don’t Expect Perfection:

Improperly tagged fics?  Not so nice.  I don’t enjoy sudden explicit sex scenes popping up in the middle of a teen-rated fic, but I can’t say it never happens.  The thing about the tagging and rating system is that it’s up to the authors to provide those things.  Sometimes mislabels are an honest mistake, but I have a theory that some of them stem from certain attitudes towards certain content types held by some ideologies in fandom spaces.  Fear makes people hide, but hiding warnings where they would be expected can lead to people suffering a bit.

This section isn’t about that, though.

This is about triggers, right?  And I’m writing it.  So let me just say:

Most of my triggers aren’t things I will find warnings for in a fic’s tags.

It’s a tricky field, and I’m pretty difficult to set off, but the closest I get on the real risks for me are vague guesses.  Some tags do cover possible triggers for me, but the content won’t actually be what gets to me in, uh, let’s say at least 95% of the cases.  It means I let my guard down sometimes when I’ve technically been warned, and then I end up sitting there thinking, “Oh, you actually did mean it like that this time…”

It’s a thing that happens.

What happens even more often is that there is no warning whatsoever.  With many things, I’m running the same risk as if the fic was untagged altogether.  I’ll be enjoying a nice story, then bam!  Right in the trauma.

But that’s okay.

Getting set off is never fun, and it can leave me messed up for days, sometimes.  I’ve been through some stuff.  Other things, things that aren’t fictional, can set me off too.  That’s also okay.  It’s life.

It’s life, and fiction is still fiction.  I don’t always get set off by the same things, and some things that are fine some days… really aren’t fine on others.  My mental state is influenced by many factors, after all.  Some of the fics that have set me off the worst are fics I have come to love.  Others are ones I would never willingly look at again.

This post is also about tags.  So.  Do I get angry?  Do I think those things should be tagged?

The answer to the first is almost never, unless I feel there was a specific negligence/attempt to harm at play.  The second is no; not if it’s in that “usually untagged” camp of content.

People are triggered by all kinds of things.  To give a personal example, I have a history of being triggered by swear words.

I can’t swear, not really.  In recent years, I gained the ability to say damn, and that’s about the extent of it.  I can’t even write the words without… trouble, let’s say. 

I used to flinch whenever anyone cursed, even when it was a “mild” word like cr#p.  I would jolt straight back into the hypervigilance from the times that left me with this issue.  It was pretty bad.

Swear words aren’t really something that can be avoided in real life, though.  Think about it for a moment.  Swearing is everywhere.  Can you go a day without reading a swear on tumblr?  Most of it is pretty harmless, really, but not inside your brain when it says you’re in immediate danger because of the words.

Recovery takes a long time.  Like I said, I can’t swear, but I can read the words and not panic, or really even react at all, mostly.  I can talk to people and not get freaked out the second they curse.  I can’t handle any aggressive yelling of the words, but I read Homestuck and loved it, something which would have been impossible for me at age seventeen.  Heck, the other day I edited the “#”s into “u”s in the f#cks in my Homestuck fic.  I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to do that, not when typing that censored word right there still just made me feel funny.

Back to the point.

It would be ridiculous to expect fics to tag for swearing in almost all cases.  I think we can all agree on that.  And what about things that are hard to put into specifically labeled words?  Or what about the fact that someone out there can’t handle spaghetti because of something or other?  We’re not going to tag all mentions of spaghetti.

Sometimes it’s a very specific phrase.  Sometimes something just hits a little too close to home.  Not everything can be effectively avoided.

And it really is okay.

I don’t want a world where content producers are plagued by constant guilt.  We’re all out here doing our best to catch the major warnings, and I think that’s great.  It still leaves one question:

What should someone do when they’ve been triggered?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer here.  The first step is caring for one’s mental health.  Getting back into a better state takes priority, but I can only care for me there.

For some people, processing why they were set off might be part of it.  Some will already know.  That all varies.

What people shouldn’t do is harass others or make it the problem of the content for existing.  Like I said, I didn’t used to be able to handle swears.  But would the world really be better if all swears were completely removed from everything?

I don’t think so.

For the most part, people are trying to warn for what they can.  Be kind to them, be kind to yourself, and enjoy fiction to your heart’s desire.

[coldtomyflash]

Is there something that you wouldn’t write? Not in the sense of “I can’t write this because I can’t imagine Barry/Len/blablabla being this” kind of way but in the “I refuse to write this because [numerous] reasons

Eh lots of them, but I don’t tend to moralize them too much. There are things that are definite squicks for me and I can list reasons as to why for sure, but there are just as many things that are just as bad or worse from a purely moral perspective that I’m more than ready to hop on board for.

One of the biggest things I really don’t enjoy and wouldn’t write is anything that is or approaches too close into being a master/slave dynamic. Really not into it and wouldn’t write it for numerous reasons. 

If you’re confused about how literal or vague I mean that, I mean both literal master/slave AUs and ones that set up that dynamic without calling a spade a spade. 

To dissect why I don’t like it, we can talk about a somewhat unique example I stumbled into when reading an AU (not for coldflash). The author setup a world where prisoners could be sold off to citizens for labour, and the citizen had complete control over the prisoner. There were restrictions on it etc, but that was the gist of the idea, complete with shock collars for obedience.

What I don’t enjoy about those narratives is predominately that they paint this dynamic as romantic. They could be doing a lot with this type of setup. It’s fucked up and horrifying and the author tends to show some of that, they know they’re using an extreme worldbuilding trope and get that this system is Bad. But instead of then using it as a commentary on society and the existing penal structures, most of the people using this type of trope, and this particular author too, instead write the narrative in a way that makes it so the focus of the story isn’t on dismantling systems or rebelling or overthrowing this horror, but is instead all about how this society is more or less okay so long as the characters fall in love. They don’t say that explicitly, but in this case the one citizen (slave owner) is one of the only ones who isn’t evil and who decides to treat his prisoner (slave) kindly, and of course the master and slave fall in love. And sure, they bemoan how bad their society is, and get the slave’s freedom from the system, but nothing about it changes, no injustice is resolved.

It just - grinds my gears a bit. Because I fundamentally can’t wrap my head around or accept the very real fucked up concept that is more or less saying  it’s okay to be a slave owner so long as you treat your slave kindly and maybe fall in love with them. Am I supposed to cheer for this guy, who thinks it’s okay to own another person, even if they’re being ‘kind’?

Ugh, it’s just not for me at all. And if it’s someone else’s cup of tea, I get the overtones that might draw someone to it, to wanting to experience that level of control over oneself, or wanting to dominate someone to that extent, but the narrative ways it’s expressed just set me on edge.

What I do sometimes enjoy that is a step adjacent to this is the same dynamic where one person (the master) is clearly fucking evil and gets a horrible comeuppance. If a third party has kidnapped the hero and is hurting him and then the hero is saved or, ideally, saves himself. I don’t mind the world-building as much when it’s clear how evil this is and there’s no sugar coating it. 

And I don’t mind a similar dynamic if both characters are kind of forced into it. Like a “you got yourself captured by your enemies and yeah I’m one of your enemies but now we have to pretend and play these roles for me to keep you alive because contrary to what everyone thinks I don’t actually want you daed so just play along and we’l get through this.” That’s fundamentally different to me in terms of what it says about the characters, and can be fun. It also isn’t taken to a societal level normally, which tends to help. 

Same with arranged marriage type situations, those are fine for me in most cases. I also don’t mind stories that deal with sex work, or arrangements that are mutually beneficial (e.g., we’re both in prison and I’ll protect you if you sleep with me) because there’s autonomy on both sides there. Stories where one character is a prisoner to another are… they can go either way depending on what happens and what the situation is for them to be in that predicament?

But yeah - that’s my big one. And anything that veers too close to it. There’s some issues I have with a lot of A/B/O stuff and there’s a lot of reasons there, but one of them is is that the worldbuilding tends toward this essentialist type stuff that also squicks me similar to how a master/slave trope does. 

I also don’t really touch teacher/student stuff. I used to like it when I was a student who tended to crush hard on teachers so I get it, but I wouldn’t write it because I’m an educator now and it’s a weird squick. I would write it if it was like - Barry is a young and new college prof and Len is his mature-age student and Barry keeps hitting his head against a wall because you can’t fucking crush on your students even when they keep flirting with you during office hours especially because they’re definitely only doing it to get a better grade but then they don’t get together until after the term ends anyway. Then I could probably be on board, but that’s like, hyper-specific.

Idk, if you have any specific tropes you want to ask about, feel free. Not that I will write them, but I’d tell you whether I would or not.

[ilovechristopheralexandershaw]

What would your ideal drarry fic be? Like, how would they get together, what tropes would be involved, what would be your ideal story line? Any squicks or triggers or things you aren't interested in? Any HC's with the two of them? :D

THIS IS THREE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY SEVEN WORDS OR SOMETHING HELP ME

Whoo boi, honey, lemme tell you, this answer gave me some s t r e s s. Tumblr, can you just...idk, have a save drafts option for asks? No?

Anyways, back to the point. Snuggle down into your blankets y’all, ‘cause this is gonna be one long post.

What would my ideal drarry fic be? Okay, siriusly, legit anything with angst. Copious amounts of angst. Drown me in the angst. I’m always willing to read an angsty fic, almost always as willing to read a fluffy fic and occasionally have an urge for smut but that’s like…every three months or so lmao. I prefer a story that isn’t based on the size of one’s cock. (Sorry if that’s a little crude). I’m fine with any length of fic, as long as it has a good story behind it and if it hopefully has some heart-wrenching moments that make me feel like I might have a soul after all. I love fics that keep their character – not too much, though – and have them arguing with each other all the time – its more real to me, and makes me laugh. I love drarry because of that, because it’s that ship that will keep their relationship, unlike idk shrek and Fiona who fall for each other and lose their old self completely. Drarry is that ship that stays intact and old and new at the same time, and that’s why I love it. 

How would they get together? I have this vision of the two getting together slowly. First it’s banter, insults, hexing, all the while having miscommunication and some serious pining because I’m an absolute sucker for that shit. As I said, angst. Hate turns to like and death threats to exasperated, witty little replies, private jokes between the two of them – a Malfoy Stinks embroidered on his robes in place of Healer Malfoy.

I love fics where there’s just that one, final leap of – I have to do it, otherwise I’ll never get another chance, I don’t care about the consequences. If it’s a kiss that gets them together, in that ‘final chance’ way, I love it when the other is too shocked, and the first person just loses all hope (I mean until like two seconds later when they’re snogging the life out of each other lmao). Basically just a slow build and all the sass 😊 

Tropes? Okay, I’m gonna admit that even though I’ve been in the fandom for a few months, I still can’t define so much, but I hope most of what I write here is legible.

I love coffeeshop Aus, I find them really cute and sweet, and a blushing Malfoy is always a bonus. Eighth year is my absolute jam, unless it’s a drinking fic in which case no thanks. I love friends to lovers or enemies to lovers – the slow build, especially if the author has timed it perfectly, is just argh, I love it. Pining has been mentioned like a hundred times already but I’m going to say it again just because. Roommates are okay, I guess, but not exactly my go-to. I do like muggle Aus, and even though I think Potter should be a teacher, I enjoy the action in an Auror Partners fic, too. Also uh..oops? This was supposed to be tropes that were involved not the tropes you like you dumb butt. That’s not what Nonny asked.

My ideal storyline for a drarry fic? Not sure if this is what you’re asking but I’m gonna go with it and if I’m wrong then I’m wrong y’know?

As I said, I like fics with pining. I love a number of storylines, but I’m just gonna choose one for this thing since it’s already almost if not over two thousand words (is anyone even reading this? Who cares, I’m having fun) okay I checked its like over 2600 help me. Also this turned out into a fic not an ideal storyline hhhhhhhh

I guess I like fics with slow-building pining, going from meeting together at work or having to work together for some reason in eighth year, or just seeing each other in eighth year. PTSD gets them together, but so does the (admittedly weaker) banter, since nobody understands either of them – the Saviour and the Ex Death Eater. The press is still going off about the war, and everyone has their own ways of coping. Soon enough, they’re friends – (ok let’s pretend this is eight year) and helping each other through the bad days. And soon enough, the insults that hit closer to home for others but not them, the inside jokes, the love of Quidditch, the homework assistance – all this time around each other turns to pining. Malf-Draco, with his white-blond hair and black turtlenecks that he kept even though that was what he wore as a Death Eater. With his now self-deprecating jokes instead of hurtful insults. With his smile, that shows his sneer lines of the past. With his blue-gray eyes. With his knowing smirk when they’ve done one of their own eighth year pranks. Even with his wonky Charms and obsession with stroking the Dark Mark and the way he stops in front of the Room of Requirement every time they pass. And Harry, with his mop of untidy hair and glasses that have had Reparo used on them who knows how many times by now? With his bright green eyes, with his surprisingly pale skin, with the way he disappears into the forest every now and then, staring at the clearing where Voldemort once thought him dead. They pine, they’re oblivious, and finally, Pansy spills it to draco, an exasperated ‘will you kiss him or not’ just as Harry rounds the corner in his invisibility cloak. ‘are you stupid. Pans? We’re just friends.’ (wow ideal storyline this is a mini fic by now what am I doing with life my math sheet is like right in front of me I should be doing that). The questions, that night, in their respective beds. And the finale, with Harry rethinking ‘we’re just friends’ in his head in the final Seeker-to-seeker game, Draco leaning in.

Finally. 

Okay, squicks. Here we go. First of all, I don’t really like fics where they speak really…I don’t know, childishly? To each other eg. too many cheesy pet names (‘Hi hun,’ he giggled, taking the offered plate), since my idea of drarry is a couple that banters all the time, not one that sits around squealing at each other. That’s the main reason I ship them, after all.

Another squick, although this just annoys me more than makes me uncomfortable, is when there’s a fic involving children where the author makes their speech like that of a baby. Five year olds and younger can make legible sentences, so it’s sometimes irritating when eight-year-old Scorpius is saying ‘dada give h-h-hoog’ if you get my drift.

Daddy kink is another thing. If you like it, good for you but personally, I- *shudders* no thanks. It’s just – okay, my dad’s like over fifty, and that’s what I imagine if I think of that. Sex with my dad? I’ll pass. Calling your boyfriend your ‘daddy’? I- no no no just no I’m sorry but no.

Okay, I’ll rephrase. Most, if not all kinks make me uncomfortable – I’ve said daddy already, Parseltongue (just any other language) is just weird to me (it’s not disgusting, I just find it kind of dubious I guess.), any sort of pet play is similar if not worse than daddy kink, choking or breath play sounds more like rape (I’m crude, handle it), lingerie is just hella weird and I don’t even want to know what tentacles are, thank you very much. I’ll stick to my vanilla sex.

Any sort of sex toy/tool use is also a squick (including painful BDSM stuff), but I’m not sure if that’s kink so I’ll just add it here.

I don’t mind OOC fics, but, again, if they’re too soft (unless it’s some sort of caring angsty oneshot e.g. most of @rose-grangerweasleyisbae ‘s ones) then they most likely don’t work with me either. 

Triggers? No, I haven’t read any fics that have triggered me in any way and I’m not sure if I have any. Most are squicks.

Fics, or tropes, I guess, that I’m not interested in would include either one being some sort of Magical Creature (although there are some exceptions – some writers make really good fics with these tropes), and by that I mean any humanoid creature such as a werewolf, vampire etc. Veela especially. Also, anything with mates. (Fun fact, in my first answer that got deleted, I wrote a headcanon fic thing with draco as a bowtruckle since I said I don’t know if that’s a squick bc I’ve never read it and decided to do it for fun)      

Dunno what this is, but I’m gonna include it as well – I also don’t like fics where their entire supposedly ‘loving’ relationship is completely based on sex. I’m okay with it if they’re supposed to be fuckbuddies at that point in the relationship, but if this is what the author is calling their ‘established relationship’, I don’t really like it. 

Any fic that loses the banter after their getting together, where their world and source of happiness is completely revolving around the other – that is also one of my disinterests. As I said, I ship drarry for the sass and banter (and angst). Not the sappy love. 

I don’t really like unhealthy relationships – I read a fic where the whole reason Draco allowed Potter to date him was because he complimented his flying skills, not because he liked him. That’s a really minor example, but basically any fic without actually liking each other or as I said, an unhealthy relationship, doesn’t take my fancy. Unless, of course, they’re fixing it. 

A fic that starts somewhere in the books, eg. third year or something, don’t normally take my fancy, but, again, there is the occasional exception that I turn out to love.

Not exactly Drarry but any poly relationships with the two of them are also a disinterest – I feel like they’re the ones for each other. Dunno if this sounds polyphobic or whatever it’s called, and it probably does, but that’s not it. I just personally don’t think Drarry need another person. Other ships, maybe. Drarry? Not for me. 

Eighth year fics that are based on drinking and drinking games also aren’t my thing (omg there’s like eight million alsos here what am i doing don’t shoot me please (ok i fixed it)). I just don’t like them. 

And fics with any sort of bonding lose my interest pretty quickly, especially sexual magic bonds. Mpreg, as well, again, I’ll read the occasional fic but most of the time I don’t really like it. 

Age difference, again, are something I find strange, and I can go on for hours but this is now around three thousand words and I should stop so y’all can go read your fics lmao.

 And um I’ll give you two headcanons as my way of apologising for the unbelievably late reply

 Harry, lying on the ground, blood dripping from a massive slash in his stomach, chest barely moving, lips slightly parted, tinged red with drying blood

Malfoy, now just a colleague, they’ve lost the schoolboy animosity, hovering over him, wand casting diagnostic spells even though he knows they’re no use – he knows the curse but he doesn’t know the exact variation – and the wrong healing spell will kill the Saviour – he can’t take that chance.

‘Scared, Malfoy?’

His head jerks up, pale eyes widening at the old question thrown back at him. Shoulders slump, his lungs heaving from all he spells he’s cast

‘Yes’ 

Idk just the idea of that final admittance – yes. Idk, just, my heart, man.

Okay headcanon 2 which is more of a fic by this point (someone help me im so bad at headcanons. Like this is all fleshed out in my head but ugh)

Eighth year holidays, Draco is sitting alone at the blazing fire in the common-room, strangely enough knitting, as he talks, friendly but quiet to a surprisingly happy Moaning Myrtle (the common room is where the old bathroom was)

Hermione Jean Granger sits down next to him and he flinches, almost expecting a slap like third year – he’s had hexes from Muggleborns who had nothing to do with the war, and here’s the Saviour’s friend – of course she’s gonna –

She pulls out a massive textbook, quill, inkpot, blotting paper and three rolls of parchmment from her bag, tucks her bushy hair behind one ear, and starts scratching away

He’s surprised, but still too nervous to ask why

It becomes a habit, her sitting there there, him as well, talking to Myrtle, doing Potions work, knitting as well

They start talking to each other, he finds out she Obliviated her parents and doesn’t want to come back just yet, even though she knows the Dark Lord’s gone

She finds out he’s too scared to go home, with all the memories

They become friends of sorts, helping each other when they can

When the holidays end, there are a few double takes, but nobody really questions it. After all, it’s Hermione, she never was too against Malfoy (nobody really saw that slap) and she’s always been a rule-follower. They assume its part of Mcgonagall’s asking for peace between Slytherins and Gryffindors

I mean, Ron does complain about her hanging about the ferret nowadays and not around her boyfriend, but he gets it. Besides, their ‘sessions’, if you will, are always when there’s Quidditch practice for Harry and Ron (they help train the younger years)

So yeah, it’s not too bad (and this isn’t Dramione I promise although I do ship it occasionally)

One day, though, she brings out a bundle of knitting herself. To his surprise, she knits a single sock and puts it in a box

He asks her why

‘For Dobby’

And he remembers. He remembers the strange little house elf, the one he loved as a kid but had no way of showing it. He remembers his father’s hatred of that elf in particular He remembers scowling at the poor thing, ranting to it – it was a way of venting, but in true Malfoy-raised fashion, he’d been so cruel to it as well, laughing as it jammed its fingers in doors, encouraging its pain.

He leaves the common room early that night

Next day, the Golden Trio isn’t there. Hermione (no longer Granger) isn’t there

He knitted a single sock that morning himself. He’d heard the story from their talks. He wanted to contribute. A way of apology, if you will. If it even counted. Today’s the day the elf passed away, and Hermione had said she put a sock in there for everyone

It’s pretty obvious where they’ve gone. He Apparates there after class, and finds the grave easily. It’s got a bundle of Conjured flowers, stems wrapped around the rock that serves as a headstone, and the box of socks is right there too. (what am I doing this is meant to be a short drarry hc and I haven’t even brought potter in yet help)

He starts crying

He spent last night remembering. Remembering how even through all the pain he caused that elf, a single smile, a single ‘thanks for listening, Dobby’ would make the elf bow and weep at his feet. He remembers how cruel he was, how the elf just…took it in his stride. He remembers losing the house elf, realising Potter had stolen something else of his. He remembers

And he lets it go. He spills all of it to a gravestone, apologies and ‘I know it won’t mean anything’ and ‘I didn’t know but that’s no excuse’ and ‘you always listened, how did you always listen?’ and ‘thank you’ and most of all ‘I’m so so sorry’ stumbling over each other as he tries to explain, to finally let it out

He’s crying and sniffling and that’s making it even harder to speak but he needs to say this, even though Dobby is dead, even though he’s apologised to so many people – this is one of the few that listened to him, and he’s treated the elf like garbage.

Tears drip onto the single sock in his hands

It’s hours later when he finishes. Well, not exactly finished, but he’s said enough that he thinks he’s explained himself and said sorry – even though it’ll never be enough. He’s cast a Light Charm (not a lumos ok it’s bigger don’t correct me) and he leans over to put the now-damp sock into the box too. A final ‘I’m so sorry’ and he stands up, turns around

And comes face to face with the Golden Trio

Hermione stares at him, then grabs him in a massive hug

Ron looks at him, slightly awkwardly but at her glare, he offers a tight smile

 And Harry? (wow how long has it taken for me to get here god) is just staring. Openmouthed. Who knew Malfoy had felt this much about a house elf?

And yeah that’s the point where he realises Malfoy isn’t that bad and then they go back to Bill and Fleur’s (Hermione explains along the way that they went back to the grave bc they saw the Charm and were in shock – was Dobby back?)

‘did you hear all of it?’

‘we heard enough, Draco’

 And when they get back to Hogwarts, well, it’s slow building at first. Potions help when Hermione’s out on a date with Ron, a butterbeer in the school kitchens on a Hogsmeade weekend when they want to hide from the public but enjoy the drink

But over time, the pining and the miscommunication and Draco getting back to his (albeit weak) banter with Potter leads to one thing. You know what it is.

Drarry

You know what I’m having fun writing trashy hcs so here’s a third (although it ain’t drarry. It ain’t any ship)

Alright so there is no hairdresser at Hogwarts or Hogsmeade or anywhere near the castle (I mean it was never mentioned in the books was it so this is possibly canon)

Therefore, most kids have to use spells

But we all know that each of us probably has a haircut that is somehow slightly different to one another, and there aren’t that many hair care spells in the world let alone known by a few teachers in Hogwarts

While some kids know exact spells, others, for example, Muggleborns, just use Diffindio

I mean, it gets their hair cut, yeah? That’s pretty much all they need

Of course, Hermione knows each and every spell but let’s not get to that

And Malfoy uses his own spell and a litre of Sleekeazy every morning

But since everyone else cuts their own hair, it looks as bad as each other

And that’s why Harry wasn’t teased too much about his hair (yes, also bc he’s the Saviour bUT STILL)

That’s why Sirius had long hair and etc.

Basically none of the kids at Hogwarts really had good hair and they all looked like Halt from Ranger’s apprentice (also this one is long as heck I could’ve just said everyone uses diffindio and there’s no hairdresser why am I like this)

[sheithistrash-blog]

Unpopular opinion apparently: I don't care what people ship. Even I have some ships I'm not fond of. What other people ship is none of your business and if you really dislike content it's up to you to filter it out or even choose to forego a tag entirely. Asking others to tag is fine but people will post what they want within legal bounds. Which shipping and fan content is not illegal even if it squicks you or are personally bothered by said content. Just block and move on. It will make your life so much easier. "But that ship's problematic because x." I literally don't care how problematic a ship is. There's no point in tearing others down for enjoying and creating content they like. Shipping isn't a competition to have the best one or the most healthy ship. As I've seen said before shipping is not activism and being an anti does not help anyone on a bigger scale. Frankly I'm getting tired of seeing the everything must be pure and good attitude all over the place. It's​ become nothing but a contest of ego. If anyone questions things they are torn down. Those with differing opinions are slandered. I don't want to deal with anti's bs anymore I just want to ship things in peace without worrying about which person I might piss off by doing something harmless. Which I considered myself neutral until earlier this year, but got tired of dealing with having to deny the things I liked to appease people. Which my boring backstory I was originally in the fandom cuz I saw cute fanart going around and got curious. Me being me I was into klance which was a typical type of ship for me I like rival ships, but usually in the way I like seeing them grow from just rivals to learning to respect each other, and then slowly become closer after working out differences. I have tropes I like in ships so I tend towards particular ones. I denied it at first but sheith is also a common type of ship for me. I tend towards ships where there is a lot of sacrifice or constantly having to go to the ends of the world for each other. Where they never give up on each other despite all odds. Of course I have more ships but these two are here to make my point. That being I was at first primarily a klance shipper, so I didn't really have to worry much abt anything. Heck I liked sheith too and would occasionally like posts. Then the discourse hit. I wasn't too attached to the fandom at the time so I was like okay I'll just not post or like anything about it anymore. Slowly I accidentally found myself talking to more antis though certainly not on purpose, it's just most of the people I happened to run into considering I am a klance shipper and many klance content creators happen to be antis I guess?? But I never stopped talking to people who shipped shaladin ships. I saw no good reason to they were my friends like it's not hurting anybody. But one day I was just like wtf am I doing I hate attitudes like antis have and always have hated people who try to force others to think like them why do I stay neutral?? Which talking more to sheith shippers rekindled my love of the ship and fueled by season 2 it quickly became my favorite. Which I probably would have been into this ship a lot earlier if it weren't due to all the discourse. In fact shipping is something that makes my problems seem less shitty and easier to deal with. It is what relaxes me. You know like what a hobby is for having fun and relaxing. Antis need to stop taking fandom so seriously. Don't treat real people like shit over something as silly as shipping. It's not cool. Shippers minding their own business and having fun with their ship does not make a fandom unsafe. What makes it unsafe are people who go around harassing others over not agreeing with them about "problematic" ships and content. Death threats are never okay. How can someone honestly think that is an okay thing to say to someone. Find something better to do than harass people who don't deserve it. Why not just focus on creating content you like or engaging with people who enjoy what you do. It's a lot easier to block someone than send that person hate. My major point is, stop bothering people over ships you don't like. It's pointless and more harmful than anything else. I doubt many if any antis will see this but I just had to ramble my opinions for a bit.

[mollyspersonallypersonalblog]

Im sure that this will all fall on deaf ears, but if you are someone who is willing to accept a different point of view I would encourage you to read, and critically analyze this article my english teacher assigned us because it’s SUPER relevant in fandom. If you are easily offended by someone saying ‘fiction isn’t reality’ then keep scrolling.

My own feelings on the matter are under the cut, but it’s not necessary to read.

If I get messages about how I’m painting antis in a bad picture I will kindly ask you to ready my entire analysis because clearly you did not read the full paragraph I spent on how there’s nothing wrong with being anti ‘anything’ because a lot of antis are actually pretty cool and decent people, they just really hate certain things and want those things out of their face which is not that hard of a concept to understand.

This was written in 2000. TWO-FUCKING-THOUSAND.

This shit has being going on for longer than that, but it’s still relevant. My english teacher assigned this to me tonight and I am blown away.

This is something that under-aged/teen antis and ‘protect the children’ people need to understand. Sheltering kids, and taking away violence in the media does more harm than good. There is violence in media and it is an OUTLET.

If a teen or adult does not know the difference between what is a fantasy and what is reality then they should see a specialist to help them learn the difference because their is one. Fantasy is influenced by reality, but kids, yes kids, learn very easily that things on tv are not real, and they grow up, and their interested change as they mature.

It is not wrong to be interested in or enjoy violent, harmful, or problematic fictional material because most– rational people, can look at it and say ‘This is a compelling topic to explore on a fictional character for the sake of exploratory writing/venting, but I know that in real life, this sort of thing is horrible and very wrong.’

Most people, even the ones who antis claim (Keyword being ‘claim’ because at this point everybody and their dog is considered a pedo at this point) are ‘pedos’, actually know the difference, and most of them do not even view an age gap of a few years as an issue either based on their culture or because of their own experiences, and neither do many of the survivors I have seen speak out about this discourse, or if they do, they often use it to cope with their trauma which there is NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. And I dont understand how so many antis can claim to be fighting for the sake of survivors and minors and then in the same breath bully those same people ABOUT THEIR TRAUMA OR THEIR AGE because they dont agree with them.

It’s fine to hate something. It’s fine to be an anti. Ive met several who are actually very open minded and level headed people, they just hold hatred or dislike for a certain fandom trend. THAT’S PERFECTLY FINE. That’s great. I have things I really dislike. Tsunderes for example. Would I consider myself anti-tsundere? Maybe. But Im not going to go out of my way to tell everyone who likes them that they’re disgusting peices of shit. Or that– in my opinion, tsunderes perpetuate a stereotype of male abuse victims being something comedic.  Because??? No one who enjoys tsunderes wants to hear that? And they shouldn’t have to. And I dont CARE that other people like them– even with my opinions on it. Because THEY EXIST. AND THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT EXCEPT AVOID IT IN MY MEDIA VIEWING.

By all means, blog about it, connect with other people and talk your shit about it. Be angry! No one here is saying you cant. But the SECOND you decide you need to tell other people, people who have nothing to do with YOU, and who have done all they can to tag appropriately and keep their things out of your face for YOUR SAFETY– BECAUSE YOU ASKED, then you are not an anti anymore. You’re giving actual, respectable antis a bad name by using the word to hide behind as a way to bully, harass and actually physically THREATEN people. Survivors, minors, and all the other people you are claiming to ‘protect’, if they dont agree with you– they’re on your hit list.

Here’s the thing:

Violence in media is fine. Portraying it in writing, art, and any other media is FINE. It is a creative outlet. It is an escape from the realities of the world we face every day and it is NOT ALWAYS PRETTY, RAINBOWS AND SUNSHINE, and it does not cater to the preferences of a bunch of children who get squicked by something and feel they need to blog about it to the whole internet like a facebook mom posting about her kale shake. No one cares. Someone’s personal work is shared on the internet as a way of expressing themselves– yes, it is subject to criticism out in the open, but a piece of artwork , no matter how you may feel about it, is not a valid reason to constantly harass, suicide bate, belittle, manipulate, THREATEN, or bully an artist, or writer or ANYBODY.

Teens on this site want people to respect them like adults. You want others to take you seriously. Do the mature thing and disengage, block what you dont wanna see, stop giving the things you despise all your emotional attention if it is so distressing to you. Stop seeking out the people who disagree with you to try and tell them they’re disgusting creatures that deserve to get raped or murdered or have their children taken away or their pet deserves to get run over for something so STUPID. Because it just makes you look like a spoiled brat who’s not getting what they want exactly how they want it. Grow up, learn how to filter yourself and the content YOU want to see. Instead of deliberately clicking something you know you’re gonna hate and then complaining about it after the fact. You were warned. Accept the responsibility of your actions

Sincerely, a young adult who is too fucking tired to hear you toddlers whining about how 17 is ‘a literal child’ because that would include yourself and I know all you shits are getting off to yaoi porn so don’t fucking even.

[thelightofthingshopedfor]

Dear MCU AU Fest writer,

uh, obviously it took longer than it should’ve to put an actual letter here instead of a placeholder; sorry about that. :/ My letter is mostly the same as last year’s with a few changes, but especially considering it took me so long to post this, feel even more free to go with it if you’ve already had an idea that has absolutely nothing to do with any of the prompts I’ve mentioned.

Like last year’s letter, this one is long, but I promise it’s not long because I have really super specific ideas and I won’t be happy unless you follow them exactly. Not at all. Whatever you write, I’m grateful for it, I’m sure I’ll like it, and I want you to have fun with it. The tl;dr version of this letter is basically “prompts are just suggestions if you happen to like them, feel free to mix and match, please don’t write Loki as Just A Villain, if you hit a few of my general likes and avoid my general dislikes I’m sure I’ll love your fic”

Some general notes: I picked a bunch of different AU scenarios that interested me for one reason or another, and some of them ended up being paired with multiple ships or semi-randomly assigned to a particular ship. That’s because I care more about the prompts/scenarios than I do about the specific pairings—Thor & Loki gen is really my only MCU OTP (a literal broTP) and that relationship is very important to me, but beyond that I can enjoy seeing Loki paired with basically anyone in either a gen or romantic way as long as it makes sense in context. So, if one of the specific prompts or AU scenarios I listed interests you for a different ship, please feel free to mix and match—especially because I kind of ran out of the will to retype all the scenarios that interested me into each of my pairing requests, so in a lot of cases the pairing/AU combinations in my sign-up are almost totally random. Unless otherwise noted, these pairings and AU scenarios interest me in general, not just in the specific combinations listed, so basically, do what you want with them. This also goes for / vs & pairings—if I’ve asked for one and you’d rather write the other (i.e., you want to write Loki/Steve, or Loki & Darcy gen), go right ahead. The only real exception here is Thor/Loki, which I don’t want unless they were not raised as brothers. Incest/pseudo-incest squicks me out, sorry.

A note about Loki: I’m sure you’ve noticed that all these pairings and many of the AU scenarios include Loki. He’s one of my absolute favorite characters and I care more about him than I do anyone else in the MCU, and I also care a lot about his relationship with Thor. As you can probably tell from the Loki fics I’ve written and my Loki tag, I only read/write Loki fics with redemption arcs and/or sympathetic interpretations (until proven otherwise, I will believe that Thanos at least coerced him into attacking Earth, for instance), so if you absolutely hate the idea of writing Loki as anything but a straightforward villain…you should probably ask to be reassigned. This should be fun for both of us!

General stuff I like: I love Loki whump so feel free to beat him up to your heart’s content, physically and emotionally; however, I also need an ultimately happy/hopeful ending (make the characters work really hard for their happy ending! But give them one). But seriously, hurt/comfort is my jam. Thor & Loki’s relationship is very important and that should be reflected regardless of focus pairing, even if it’s just in a background way; family reconciliation is especially good. I’m asexual so an ace Loki (or ace anyone, honestly) could be cool. Genderfluid Loki is also interesting. Dealing with Loki’s depression and internalized racism would be awesome. Frigga is HBIC and I like AUs where she isn’t fridged for manpain. In general, ladies are great and MCU ladies are super great, so no matter the relationship you write, please involve some awesome ladies (this post is a good guideline), and please don’t erase anybody (for instance, if you pick Steve/Loki, Peggy is still very important). Other things: Characters working toward healthy relationships (romantic/sexual or gen). Angst. Family stuff (characters dealing with the fallout of coming from fucked-up families are great; found families are great, especially when combined with the former; traditional families are great, especially sibling relationships). Self-sacrifice, but without actual permanent character death (my go-to example here is Harry in Deathly Hallows—he went knowingly to his death and was absolutely certain he was going to die but didn’t actually die for plot reasons). Loki figuring out his own ways to be good/worthy (I like Loki being able to lift Mjolnir, but I also like Loki realizing he doesn’t have to be able to lift Mjolnir). Characters saving and taking care of each other, in their own ways, not just one saving the other. Steve being progressive, because he doesn’t like bullies, dammit. Also a really specific, silly thing I’d love to see: I love the McElroy brothers and if you happen to love them too, I would be super tickled to see somebody take their sibling dynamic and use it to inform Thor and Loki’s. Somehow. (I said it was silly.)

General stuff I don’t like: Incest or pseudo-incest (specifically, Thor/Loki unless it’s an AU where they weren’t raised as brothers; I’d be a lot more okay with, say, Gamora/Nebula, because their situation was weird to begin with and they never had reason to believe they were related). Abuse, dubcon, non-con, general unresolved fucked-upness in the primary supposed-to-be-healthy relationship (so, for instance, if the story involved Loki being tortured and/or raped during captivity with Thanos, I’d be okay with that, but not with unaddressed consent issues going either way in a Steve/Loki situation). PWP. I wouldn’t say explicit sex in general is a squick but I’m ace and I just really, really do not care about those scenes, so like…don’t waste your time? I’m totally fine with characters being sexual and having sex, especially if the focus of a sex scene is on emotion, I just have no interest in porn or in the specifics of anyone’s genitals. Major character death (temporary death of major characters is fine; characters dealing with a death that happened in canon is fine, although I also like fix-its; ancillary character death is probably okay). Unhappy endings in general. Infidelity (if you want to write a ship that involves breaking up a canon pairing, like Jane/Loki, just treat everyone fairly).

If you have specific questions that I somehow didn’t address, @erlkonigstochter would be a good person to ask because she’s had to put up with a lot of my Loki rambling and has a pretty good idea of the kinds of things I would and wouldn’t like.

General notes on some pairings/scenarios:

Loki wins in The Avengers: As I’ve emphasized, I’m convinced Loki was coerced (to one degree or another) into leading the invasion, so by “Loki wins” I pretty much mean “the invasion is successful and things get terrible in probably apocalyptic fashion for everyone, including Loki the second Thanos no longer finds him useful as a puppet, which is likely to happen pretty quickly”. I listed this under Loki & Gamora because I could see them working together to defeat Thanos once Loki’s been put back in captivity or whatever, but this general premise could work with any of my pairings, probably in a general “post-apocalyptic survival” and/or “character(s) taken prisoner” context.

Time loop/Groundhog Day: I don’t have any specific ideas for this; I just think it’s an interesting fic concept that could work with any pairing. Something kind of like BigSciencyBrain’s Refuge series but with an ultimately happy ending would be cool. Also, I mean, I will never say no to something that involves Loki being forced to suffer through dying over and over again.

Pacific Rim: I’m mainly just interested in this if Thor and Loki are drift compatible but Loki doesn’t really want to do it because he’s afraid Thor will see Too Much. This one might work better less as an actual crossover and more as transplanting the basic drift-compatible idea into something that makes sense in the context of the MCU, but that’s totally up to you.

Prisoner(s) of evil SHIELD: could be actual legit SHIELD, could be HYDRA within/masquerading as SHIELD, some other organization pretending to be SHIELD, whatever makes the most sense

Wanda & Loki: I kind of think canonically the Maximoffs weren’t completely willing or informed participants—like, they were angry and desperate and probably didn’t know about HYDRA’s involvement, because come on—so you could go with that or make them even more unwilling. Combining this with Loki as a test subject/prisoner of HYDRA (being used along with or instead of the scepter to unlock the Maximoffs’ powers?) could be cool, and/or with Wanda (in any context) getting visions or something of Loki’s time in the void as a side effect of having the scepter used on her. So, something with them teaming up to escape HYDRA might be fun. Also, please feel free to bring back stuff about the Maximoffs’ Jewish/Romani heritage (maybe not Magneto specifically because the various Marvel franchises aren’t necessarily compatible, but otherwise), because fuck whitewashing.

Specific prompt ideas (again, really feel free to disregard, modify, mix components, etc. if you have other ideas; these are just suggestions of a few ways these scenarios could go, so like if you have a “Loki fell to Earth” idea that has nothing to do with what’s listed here, that is totally fine, please go with whatever interests you the most; if you would prefer you can ignore this entire long-ass section—or, hell, tuck one of these prompts away for your own use at some point, although in that case I’d still be interested in seeing what you wrote):

Role reversal: I got interested in this idea in the context of Thor & Loki after seeing this picture (my commentary is in the tags); this fic expands on it in a really interesting way

Thor fell with Loki: I like Lady Charity’s ideas about this, as well as Lizardbeth’s.

Aether infected different character/worked differently: A couple different ideas here. Jane could learn to control aether and keep it, either temporarily or permanently, because she deserved better than being a damsel in distress for the bulk of TDW. Probably this would involve Loki’s help, because magic but also because if you add on the idea that Loki was under some form of compulsion from the scepter and/or tesseract in Avengers but managed to sabotage his own invasion anyway, that means he already has a bit of experience working with and subverting Infinity Gems. Different idea: Loki was infected and sickened by the aether instead, and kidnapped by Malekith to be used somehow. Lady Charity also started a fic with this premise a couple years ago and it was great.

Portal fusion: Alternate universes are marginal Portal canon (so is time travel, I guess?), so this could take place at practically any point in MCU or Portal canon and drastically change things. Mostly what I’d love to see is Loki, at some point in his timeline (having him fall to Earth near Aperature Laboratories would make sense, but really it could be made to work at any point), being used as an Aperture test subject, facing off against GLaDOS, and teaming up with a human test subject (maybe Chell, or Steve, Jane, Wanda, Darcy) to escape, thereby learning that at least some humans are much more worthy of respect than he thinks. The potential for snark-offs between GLaDOS and Loki would be amazing, but also she would probably have a lot of nasty things to say about him being adopted, and that could be great too. However Loki ends up at Aperture, his magic would probably be bound/crippled but he’d still be very durable, so he would have an easier time surviving than many of the other test subjects, and GLaDOS and/or actual Aperture scientists would be pretty interested in him.

Loki fell to Earth (or a different scenario, whatever works): There are loads of fics where Loki is on Earth after Thor (or even one of the other movies) and not doing any harm but is terrified of Thor hunting him down to drag him back to Asgard or even kill him, because obviously Thor hates him for being a Jotun if for no other reason, and of course when Thor does find him there’s a lot more “oh my god you’re okay, I mean also what the hell Loki but oh my god you’re okay, let me hug you” than actual fighting. I like these and I’ve written these. What if it did turn out the way Loki expects, with Thor crashing in to subdue him—but still in a way where Thor isn’t actually the bad guy? Heimdall or Odin probably would have to be malicious to make this work (even if it’s for theoretically good reasons, like “sure Loki’s not doing any harm right now, but he’s clearly dangerous and we need to get him back for everyone’s safety and Asgard’s general security, and Thor won’t go along with that unless he’s convinced Loki really is dangerous”), because Thor’s learned enough that he probably wouldn’t just charge in rather than talking to Loki first unless he was sure that trying to talk to Loki would just put people in danger. For his part, Loki wouldn’t want to be taken prisoner but also could be worried about collateral damage (might have ended up in some situation where he’s explicitly the protector of a group of people, which Heimdall/Odin interprets—accidentally or deliberately—as him having them under thrall, and it would especially look like that if anybody tries to defend Loki), so he would fight back probably a lot like a scared, cornered animal, giving Thor more reason to think he’s up to no good and to get even more serious about defeating him.

Frigga lives / Frigga ruled during Odinsleep: In general I will always be happy if Frigga lives, but a specific AU might be for Odin to get killed in the Dark Elves’ attack instead of Frigga, at which point she takes the throne because yeah no Thor still isn’t ready to rule. Having her rule during the Odinsleep in the first movie rather than Loki could similarly create massive changes.

Loki banished with/instead of Thor: one possible approach is based on a Norsekink prompt. Odin figures out that Loki’s to blame for the whole mess but doesn’t stop to wonder why he did it and banishes Loki instead, maybe without a built-in way of getting home like Thor had. He’s stuck on Earth, mortal, terrified, blocked from his magic, but Jane & co. take him in and he starts figuring out some cool stuff about the intersection of science and magic, probably. His knowledge dramatically accelerates Jane’s project, catching the attention of SHIELD or some even less-friendly organization, and they’re all forced to do dangerous work with the tesseract or something similar. In general, I’d be down for any variation of “Loki being banished leads to bad stuff happening to him,” because if he’s mortal and his magic is gone, that means he’s lost a lot of what he always used to protect himself (still pretty strong for a human, maybe, but not like Thor, who is still unusually strong as a mortal), and enemies—of Asgard or of Loki specifically, or people from SHIELD/HYDRA when they learn about his Tesseract knowledge—could take advantage of his relative weakness to capture him and make him do what they want (like dangerous, damaging stuff with the Tesseract). This general concept could also work well with Loki & Steve. Loki and Thor being banished together would also be cool. Awkward road trip time!

Trip to Jotunheim went differently: One possibility is this prompt I posted on Tumblr

Fairy tale: This picture is not actually of Loki but it sure looks like it, and it made me want an “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” retelling with Loki as the monster. I mean, he comes from a cold place, he has another form he considers monstrous, it’s perfect. This could be in the context of him growing up on Jotunheim, hiding on Jotunheim after any of the movies instead of what he canonically did, learning of his adoption earlier and going into hiding, or something else. It would also work with any of the pairings I listed.

Fury Road fusion: Could be the general premise of the movie transplanted into an MCU context, could be MCU characters transplanted into Mad Max (or similar) context, could be an AU that turns the MCU into a context like the Mad Max world or puts the characters on a planet where things already are that way. In any case, Thanos could easily take Immortan Joe’s role, with Gamora in a Furiosa-like role (or Natasha or Sif, although the canonical context of Gamora’s relationship with Thanos is closer already), maybe Nebula as Nux, and Loki as…I dunno, sort of some combination of Max and the wives maybe (in addition to other characters). This could be done with any of my listed pairings.

Avenger Loki: Honestly this is one of my favorite things, regardless of when or how it happens.

Thor fell instead of Loki: I nominated this because it occurred to me that it could be a really interesting concept, especially because Loki would be forced to deal with things in a very different way than in canon, and because he could end up going after Thor, either trying to find him in the Void or having to stop him once Thanos sends Thor to fetch the Tesseract. Guilt-stricken Loki frantic to fix something that was never supposed to happen could be very, very fun. Not fun for Loki or Thor, obviously, but. You know.

[mmbookreviews]

Quick Takeaway: KJ Charles latest was a huge disappointment. I expected sexy fun. I got a PSA on being a dutiful boyfriend to your NB partner.

Genre and plot: This is the third in Charles’ Sins of the Cities trilogy, which is basically a three-volume sensation novel. Sensation novels were a 19thC genre characterized by secret babies, surprise bigamy, and over-the-top melodrama. Charles nailed the genre. I was able to make it through book 3 because I wanted to know how the assassination and conspiracy plot from the other two volumes turned out. The plotty parts did feel a bit rushed. I wonder if I would enjoy the three books more if I’d had them all available to read at once, since the plot fails to resolve in the first two, and all three overlap in time. Overall, this aspect was strong, though weaker than some of Charles’ others and weaker than a conventional historical mystery novel.

Technical: As always, Charles’ prose is miles above everyone else in this genre. There were neither misplaced commas nor infelicitous word choices in sex scenes.

Sex and romance: The prior two books revealed who the pairing would be in this one, and I loved the idea: The one-armed private detective, a gruff, blue collar, manly fellow we’d met several times before, plus the beautiful trapeze artist and secret aristocrat we’ve seen only from a distance. Book 1 of the trilogy was a bit issuefic-y for me and hit one of my biggest squicks, but not as hard as it might have. Book 2 I unexpectedly loved despite the heroes being least likely to appeal to me on paper. Book 3 I thought I would love the most. Instead, I found it twice as much like an unpleasant PSA, and the anticipation made that even more disappointing.

It either wasn’t mentioned or I didn’t remember how Mark got his disability. I assumed that it was from an accident, but in this book, he talks about growing up with his congenital lack of a limb. I found that part interesting. There’s a touch of vulnerability about it in the romance parts, but it isn’t dwelt on extensively. I liked that Mark was completely comfortable with himself but that this didn’t automatically mean he couldn’t be nervous about how someone else would react, nor did Pen with his own unusual identity instantly know how to react to Mark’s disability.

Pen is nonbinary. In the past, I’ve appreciated Charles’ commitment to including characters other than the cis, white, able-bodied 100% gay 5eva men who make up most historical m/m romance casts. This was not one of those times. I appreciate that she talked to actual nonbinary people and did a lot of research, but she got things a little too realistic for me in the sense that Pen is profoundly uncomfortable with his body, and this is dwelt on. Characters who hate their bodies, even if only in some ways on some days, are an absolute NOPE for me in a sex scene or a romance. A nonbinary character who laughs in the face of gender norms would be hot to me. A character who has to disguise themselves but is perfectly at ease while doing so despite knowing they’re something else inside is very hot to me. A character who starts out somewhat uncomfortable and gets over it is fine. A character who is going to continue to be uncomfortable in their own skin is extremely unhot to me. The major plot conflict hinges on Pen’s crippling dysphoria if he’s forced to present as male all the time, so this topic came up again and again.

But what really ruined this book for me was that it has my #1 most hated squick: “I love you so much that my needs don’t matter.”

Mark more than once contemplates his new understanding of Pen’s special needs and how he’d like to blow him or fuck him or whatever, but if Pen never wants his dick touched again because he’s having dysphoria issues, that will be okay because ~love~ and ~it’s special when it’s youuuu~.

Barf forever.

I’m sure someone will yell at me for that opinion. This may be realistic and sensitive to the needs of nonbinary readers, but it didn’t work for me, and it makes me wonder if I should take Charles off of my automatic to-buy list. Combined with her extratextual comments, I get the sense that this may be a continuing trend in her writing. It’s the same trope as the Perfect Boyfriend from so many fanfics who puts his life on hold for 10 years while someone recovers from their serious depression and mental illness: A nice fantasy if you identify with the character being waited for and waited on. A horrible nightmare for me since I always identify with the other, I Have No Needs Because You’re Special, support system character. I’m sure people will be offended and point out the parts of the book where Mark’s needs are mentioned or we see that he really enjoys whatever sex they’re having, but those felt like lipservice to me. The part that felt genuine was Pen giving Mark lectures about What it Means to be NB. Those felt straight out of a tumblrite’s mouth. Modern. Realistic. Not something I want to encounter in a romance novel and not something I felt fit the tone of a historical sensation novel either.

I ended up liking Pen’s sister way more than him, and I felt sorry for her having to put up with him. The narration tells us that she’s the sensible but pessimistic and cynical one, while he’s this little ray of sunshine who lives in the moment. I would probably like the sensible character more than the one who lives in the moment, but I can appreciate that contrast, and a sunny character is a welcome foil to an eeyore. In practice, the sister seemed both sensible and passionate, while Pen seemed to be in a bad mood for the entire book save one or two scenes. He was grumpy, terrified, and impractical, and he wasn’t even funny. I never got a clear picture of the ‘before’ state with his positive qualities on display. It felt like a Mary Sue who deserves everyone’s support and attention, whether they’re the romantic lead or anyone else in the vicinity.

Maybe it’s because Pen is uncomfortable with his body, but I didn’t get a palpable sense of lust from this book. Even in the last sex scene, I didn’t get a real sense of them having the hots for each other. It all felt anemic, like it was being told rather than shown, though that may have been my cumulative YUCK factor from the rest of the book talking. And this is despite the fact that Mark is getting fucked by a cock for the first time (hot!), and they’re talking about his past experiences with pegging (hot!!!), and Pen is feeling reassured because ladies can have cocks too and all that (also hot). On paper, this should all work for me, but it just didn’t. I felt like the author was trying to avoid fetishizing and went so far in the other direction that all of the fun fantasy went away.

The anemic blandness was present in other parts of the book as well. Sensation novels are known for their ludicrous levels of melodrama, and this trilogy has many moments that should be like that on paper. At the end of book 2, Mark betrays Pen. The same scene happens half way through book 3, after we’ve had time to see them get to know each other and fall in love, making it all the more devastating... Theoretically. Both of them have huge, dramatic, angsty reactions. Except we barely see Mark’s reaction, and Pen forgives him five seconds after he shows up again. I get that Pen is still reeling from the attempt on his own life, but if this were a proper sensation novel, Mark would hear that Pen had died for real and would rush to the site where he’d get on his knees in the pouring rain and howl about how it was all his fault or something equally ridiculous. The fact that Mark is so stable, sensible, and self-contained makes this sort of thing even more delightful to contemplate. He has told us that this is the first time he’s been in love and had more than a pleasant, bland reaction to another person. But the author sure as hell never showed us, not in a dramatic way and not in a quiet way either. Instead, we got instant forgiveness and very little conflict. The conspiracy plot wrapped up in five seconds via a book 2 character showing up with some evidence, so it’s not like that was taking up the time either.

I expected a meal. I got a stale snack and a lecture.