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#it is interesting to go to a place of not having an actual OTP now that we have more and more canon rep
booasaur · 2 years
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Irma Vep (2022) - 1x01
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nyxreads · 8 months
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"Azriel's shadow dance around Gwyn's breath = ENDGAME"
I'm quite tired of this, it's been three years now. Do people understand that Azriel is not his shadows? Azriel's shadows caress Feyre's cheek and neck the first time they met, was it romantic? Because it's more intimate than the shadows dancing around Gwyn's breath.
The more important matter is how AZRIEL reacts towards Elain rather than how his shadows (which, I might note, made sure Elain got back safely after their interaction thinking Az rejected her. Shadows that coiled like snake, ready to defend Elain, because Nesta insulted her. Shadows that helped Az presenting the gift for Elain.) acts towards Elain.
And how does Azriel act around Elain?
Azriel doesn't need his shadows to read Elain, meaning he can read her. He understand her. (In CC, we found that shadows disappears when the person is happy and comfortable, plus even Az's shadows skitters away from him when he laughs)
Azriel waited for Elain to give her offer and permission.
Azriel knew Elain doesn't want Lucien and is very uncomfortable around his mate.
Azriel sat down with her during the longest night of the year, just talking.
Azriel was relaxed around Elain while she's presenting him her plans for the garden
Azriel was ready to risk his own life to save Elain.
It was Azriel who figured out she was missing, Azriel who figured out her powers and freed her from all the confusion she was experiencing
Azriel never let go of Elain even though she's alright and he was the one bleeding, he needed to be sure she'd be taken care of first
Azriel always reaches out for Elain.
Azriel bought her a present, bought the necklace thinking of ELAIN, and doesn't care if the necklace was given to another priestess as long as he get rid of it because it reminds him of pain
Azriel lend the TT (the one thing he never let anyone touches) to Elain, trusting her with it and wanting her to have a protection
Azriel followed Elain's laugh, wondering what had caused it.
Azriel was affected by Elain and Lucien's mating bond to the point where he cannot even stand in the same room with them together
Azriel wants Elain. Not just because of lust, but because maybe, after 500 years he already found his home.
Idk about you, but if I ever read Rhysand or Cassian wanting to taste another woman before ending up with their mate? Think about it.
If the only argument is about the shadows, then maybe ship the shadows and Gwyn? not Azriel and Gwyn? Since most people are convinced crackship=OTP, why not we make the real OTP, #ShadoWyn? Because Azriel, on the only POV we got so far from him, wasn't interested romantically to Gwyn. No, he never even considered her as a friend. Gwyn never even showed she's attracted to him, she blushed for Rhysand not for Az.
If these readers aren't even concerned about Elain's feelings and hated her so much, then I guess, they should just consider Azriel's wants and needs? Because it is Elain. He found his happiness with her. Feyre even pointed out that he never heard such a deep and joyous sound from him until Elain.
There's no need to deny every Elain and Azriel interaction throughout the series over the last 10% of a bonus chapter. It makes one think most people never read the actual books but place so much value over a chapter that wasn't available for everyone.
The POV ended up with a cliffhanger. But it never ended Elriel because it was all just a beginning, their book is yet to come and by then I hope everyone is ready to accept what SJM has been hinting us from ACOMAF until ACOSF. No need to twist texts or take every parallel that are out of context, no need to call Elriels crazy and throw out degrees. Just simply read the series with open mind, and maybe tone down the Elain hate? Okay bye.
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yukidragon · 4 months
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Sunny Day Jack - Villainess AU Headcanons
I’ve been on a real fantasy kick lately, and that’s not stopping with post. This is a plot bunny that’s been hopping around in my mind for a while, and it snatched up my Dragon Jack AU headcanons from the previous posts, along with the tragic short story of Alice remembering how she died in her past life as Mary to become a bigger bunny. This is the long overdue and previously teased Villainess AU!
Content warnings before we begin: this post touches on topics of infidelity, betrayal, yandere obsession, attempted mind control, death, chronic illness, trauma, and a bit of spice to lighten it up. This shouldn’t get too dark or smutty, but who knows where indulging in my OTP will take me?
On that note, I might wind up using some art from the game/teasers/merch/etc. in this post, so I’m going to go ahead and give a shout out to SnaccPop Studios’ patreon. Consider joining to see some exclusive stuff! Credit to them for this game that has given me plot bunnies that are constantly multiplying.
Anyway, the villainess genre, for those unaware, is a subgenre of the transmigrator genre, which in turn is a subgenre of isekai stories. Typically it takes an otome - a dating sim game aimed at women with a female protagonist - and has the world within that story be real. The main character, a fan of the dating sim, is reborn in the world of this dating sim, not as the protagonist, but as the evil villainess rival who gets in the protagonist’s way and inevitably meets a terrible end regardless of the route taken, often going through much humiliation in the process. The main character then has to avoid her horrible fate and overturns the original story, oftentimes becoming the one the love interests are drawn to instead of the original female protagonist.
Naturally, there are stories that tweak the formula around and subvert expectations, but that’s the basic gist of the genre.
Now Something’s Wrong with Sunny Day Jack is a dating sim, but there’s a distinct lack of a villainess character involved in the plot, which makes sense since Jack fills the antagonist role in every route pretty well. This means that a villainess AU would have the world of the in-universe game be different from the game that we can actually play in our world over on steam and itch. If you’d like to see my ideas on an isekai that takes place in the game as we know it, check it out in this previous post over here.
So let’s start with the AU’s in-universe game itself, and what classic otome roles our favorite male leads might take. While I could cast Ian in the prince role once again like I did with the dragon AU and the fantasy incubus Jack AU, I think we all know who the real ruler of SDJ is.
Thus Jack gets the role of the crown prince. Now, we could have this be a standard fantasy kingdom, but I feel inclined to give it a SunnyTime Town AU twist. Much like in the Aphrodisia crossover Mafia AU, our favorite clown family is a powerful ruling family, only with magic and clown gimmicks instead of guns. Shaun, Nick, and Ian aren’t their typical selves in this universe, but they too get a nice colorful makeover and some spiffy titles, as shown in these limited edition trading cards. Thanks to Crispy for sharing pictures of the cards, and credit to Sauce for creating the amazing artwork in the first place.
Since we’re talking about the cards, how about we shake things up and leave the star of the show for last so we can show off the clown counterparts of the other three male leads.
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Ian Duff has the title of Sir Sweet Dreams, and is a knight in this AU, part of the illustrious order of the Night-Knights. His hair is a shade of violet-blue, with face paint that gives him some blue splotches and stars. The Duffs are a noble family, and Ian struggles with the weight of obligation as the firstborn son. He’s not suited for combat, being a pacifist at heart. The otome’s main character (who I will call OMC for simplicity) would help Ian choose his heart over his duty when going down his route, and fight for the future that he wants instead of what his family expects.
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Shaun Durand-Cofer is a member of the mage tower, with white and gray face paint and glowing golden eyes, given the nickname of Glad-Pire due to his cheerful personality and his specialization in studying the secrets of dark magic. He’s still our favorite goth butterball, even as a magical clown, and he has MoonPie as his familiar. In the original otome game, OMC would help him deal with the doubts that he’s been having about studying dark magic. He’s been a great benefit to the kingdom, but many are suspicious of his motives, not trusting dark magic in any form, and his relatives are ashamed of him despite the good he’s done.
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Nick Herrera’s clown identity with his white and blue face paint is an interesting one, with the title of Sous Chef Sweetly, his job in the trading cards is very different from his employment in the game. Now, typically fantasy otome games don’t have our OMC romancing a chef, but they do have love interests who are wonderful at cooking. Regardless if he is a sous chef or a dom in this universe, Nick is a member of the nobility, and is quite popular with people. He has countless suitors wanting his hand, and he’s known as a ladies’ (and more) man. However, despite his reputation and charming personality, in reality he’s just a shy dork who struggles to make a genuine human connection. In the otome game, OMC sees past his status and reputation that others have placed on him, and sees him for the awkward guy he is deep down inside.
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Finally, let’s talk about Jack, or rather him and the rest of the Blouin family. King Marceau and Queen Lucy rule together over this colorful country, and are known to be just and fair. Jack, their second born child, is crown prince and heir to the throne. Their eldest child, Jane, would have been next in line if she didn’t make it very clear from an early age that she did not want the role. She would rather travel the world as a free spirit, not weighed down by the weight of the crown, so she left it to her little brother to take care of in her place.
Fortunately, Jack has accepted his role with dignity and grace. He’s known to always be smiling, a prince everyone admires and desires. Deep down though, he has insecurities about everyone only seeing him for the title of king that he will one day inherit. They see the prince first and Jack second. He always had the option to pass on the role to his younger sibling, but young Jo is a sensitive soul, and Jack couldn’t force them to carry such a heavy burden. He accepted the role of heir from Jane gladly, and he was always sure he could handle it, but doubts creep in that OMC helps him work through as they see Jack for who he is and not for the crown he must one day wear.
Now, the role of the villainess in these games is to act as a romantic rival, the person who stands in the way of OMC getting together with one of the love interests. There can be one that gets in OMC’s way no matter who they pursue, or each love interest could have a “villainess” who gets together with them should the OMC fail their route. Typically, if there’s at least one villainess, she’s engaged to one of the love interests in an arranged marriage set up by their parents. She’s also obsessed with power, and typically the crown prince. This is why she’s usually the prince’s fiancee, who is clearly unfit to be queen.
But why not make things a bit spicier? The villainess in this otome game is an arranged marriage to Ian, but she wants to marry Prince Jack instead to become queen. In Ian’s route, she abuses him similarly to his mother, making him feel like he’s not good enough for her. However, when OMC gets closer to Ian in his route, they get on the villainess’ nerves and she gives them a hard time despite not actually caring for Ian. It’d be like seeing someone steal your toy away when you weren’t ready to discard it. The general vibe is, “I don’t want him, but no one else is allowed to have what’s mine!”
For Shaun’s route, the villainess would be tricking him, using his knowledge of black magic for selfish ends without him realizing it. In the bad end, he would be arrested and executed for treason, as the villainess used him to help her make a love potion that she used on Prince Jack. She, of course, also is executed, because the villainess doesn’t win regardless of the route. The OMC would have to find out about the villainess’ schemes to clear Shaun’s name and prevent the potion from being used.
In Nick’s route, the villainess is jealous of his popularity. He’s also probably a stepping stone in her plots to bewitch and seduce the prince. She’s less of a central antagonist in this route for the OMC, but still an annoyance that gets a bad end regardless of how Nick’s route ends, because the villainess having countless bad ends is kind of the punchline.
Then of course there’s Jack’s route. Naturally, being the one the villainess is lusting after and wants to bewitch, the conflict with the OMC is more pronounced in this route for obvious reasons. OMC must stop the villainess’ countless bullying tactics and schemes in order to have a happy ending.
Basically, it’s the classic otome game setup, with a touch of colorful clown face paint for flare.
Now, the actual MC, the character we’d be playing as in this AU, would be a fan of the otome game. Perhaps playing it is their guilty pleasure. They’re familiar with all the routes. Then, one day, they wake up in the body of the villainess in classic transmigrator isekai fashion.
Although the role of villainess is typically for cis females, MC is whatever gender we decide they should be. There’s a lot of possibilities to explore how an AMAB MC might react to suddenly having an AFAB body, or perhaps whatever force of the universe that made them take the role changed it so that the “villainess” is whatever gender MC was in their previous life, or whatever gender that is true to them.
MC would then be left with the choice of how to handle living in this world and the role they were expected to play. The obvious solution would be to avoid anything having to do with the OMC or seducing Jack, but typically it’s not that easy for the MC to avoid the other characters in a villainess story, especially if they’re engaged to Ian. This is especially true if they start feeling attracted to Jack despite knowing the many bad ends that might await them down that path.
There’s a lot of variables with a general MC and how that would affect the villainess character, as well as what they made of that character. That’s why this ramble took a while to make. I got too caught up on the broader picture, and kept waffling back and forth on things.
So let’s narrow our focus, shall we?
Alice takes the role of villainess in this story. In the original game, the character Alice is spoiled, greedy, vain, gluttonous, and just an overall unpleasant rival that is meant to be the clear-cut bad guy that the player should take great pleasure in seeing get a most unpleasant and humiliating end. You know, the typical chubby antagonist whose weight is the reason why they are deemed repulsive and the butt of the universe’s jokes.
In a way, Alice is forced to take up an unpleasant role like her acting teacher warned her she would be pigeonholed into in the main universe. Only, in this case, she’s expected to live the part.
Of course, unlike a lot of stories in this genre where the villainess starts off chubby and goes through a story arc where they quickly lose weight, Alice is going to stay chubby in this AU, because as long as one is healthy, their size and shape doesn’t matter. It won’t stop people from making fun of her for her size, but it also won’t stop her from being beautiful and worthy of love.
Since this is a reincarnation story, naturally Alice’s previous incarnation was Mary. Since otome games weren’t really a thing in the USA in the early 80’s, the world would instead be based off of a storybook, or a series of stories. It could even be a tween romance series where the main character romances a different guy in the same setting, something super self-indulgent where the protagonist may as well be a build-it-yourself OC with how little detail they have. In this AU, it was a series that was a guilty pleasure when Mary was young that she probably cringed at when looking at it again later in life.
It would also provide a huge tonal whiplash to suddenly find herself in the role of such a series’ villainess after dying such a sad and lonely death in the hospital. Instead of waking up in the comforting arms of her lover in the next life, she wakes up in a lavish mansion with memories of the character she was reborn to play blending in with her sad former life.
It would be interesting if, as a kid, Mary envied the OMC for all the adventures and love she got, only to go back to the series as an adult and see all the awful messages. Many protagonists in the genre wind up empathizing with the villainess, seeing where the story painted them in an unfair light, and things about Alice in the story wound up striking too close to home now that she saw them as an adult, and the OMC is a lot more childish and self-centered than she remembered.
It’d still be strange for anyone to wake up in the role of an antagonist they sympathized with, especially when their last memory was filled with so much grief, pain, and trauma.
While I am tempted that Alice just wakes up one day with Mary’s memories, I think it would be more fitting that they were triggered. In the original story, the first time Alice saw the crown prince at a party, she fell obsessively in love with him. However, in this case, his familiar face reminded her instantly of Joseph, and struck her with a painful nostalgia that rocked her to her core, awakening her memories of her previous life and how she died.
Alice collapses from the shock on the spot. All the memories of pain and love colliding and blending in with this new reality hit her all at once, overwhelming her completely. To onlookers, she’s a noble lady who merely fainted, possibly swooning at the sight of the crown prince, or because of some sudden illness.
It, understandably, takes Alice a while to reconcile the two sets of memories… especially when she realizes that she’s been reborn in the world of a story with many possible endings… as the hated villainess who is going to meet one of many awful ends.
Alice grieves for Joseph and everything she lost as Mary all over again. Prince Jack is so painfully similar to Joseph… especially if the SunnyTime Crew Show existed in her previous life. It’d be so shockingly coincidental, too coincidental, and it’d be hard for her to know what to make of it. Even if the show and the character of Sunny Day Jack didn’t exist, she would still wonder if maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t the only one reborn.
At the same time, Alice knows the original story. The Alice in the story was obsessed over Jack. What if she goes down the same path, leading to the doom of not only herself, but possibly even her family who enabled the villainess’ rampage in the series?
Since Alice would regain her memories the first time she saw Jack, it would most likely be a point in time before the stories were supposed to begin, perhaps even when she is still a child before she gains that villainess reputation in the first place. It might be fitting too, since the first time she and Joseph met was as children. In a way, it’s like they had their first meeting all over again, only she’s the one who needed to be taken away for medical assistance.
This leaves Alice in a difficult place. Should she find out if Jack really is Joseph? What if he doesn’t remember their past lives? What if she’s wrong and the universe is playing yet another cruel joke on the villainess Alice?
What if this is why the character Alice was so dangerously obsessed over Jack? The story was primarily focused on the OMC, not really touching on the reasons why Alice was so desperate to be with Jack beyond an apparent desire for power. The stories never really talked about her family, which Mary is surprised is so loving, even to the point of spoiling Alice. She wished for a family who loved her this much, and now she has it. She’s not alone anymore.
 The original story has so many paths that lead to her doom. Mary Phoenix is dead, and she is now Alice of house Rose. There was nothing left for her in the life she left, and in this new life she doesn’t hurt like she used to. She has so much more in this life, everything she dreamed of during those long and lonely nights she spent sick in her room.
The only thing missing is her starlight, but… if he would be happier without her… she’ll leave Jack be. The prince in the stories was always disgusted by the villainess and adored the OMC no matter what route the OMC took. Mary helped Joseph get the job of Sunny Day Jack that led to his death. If Prince Jack really is Joseph reborn like she suspects, he’s loved by all. She knows from the stories and what she has heard that he has a loving family, and the love of an entire kingdom.
Perhaps the best thing for Alice to do is to be content with the life she has now. She has a loving family, wealth enough to do practically anything she wants, status, and, well, Ian was a sweet character. They’re not engaged yet at this time, but maybe an arranged marriage with him wouldn’t be so bad? She had met him before regaining her memories as Mary, and he seemed quite nice. Also, as a reader she did think that the villainess Alice would’ve been happier if she just was satisfied with her fiance Ian.
It doesn’t change the fact that Alice still misses Joseph. She still loves him more than anything. The pain of his death is fresh in her mind. Would it really be so selfish just to see if perhaps Jack really is her starlight reborn? Would she still be a villainess wanting to have some sort of relationship with him? She’s not the character Alice. She won’t be so cruel, and certainly wouldn’t use mind altering potions on anybody.
Alice is left torn on what the right thing to do is. The story ends miserably for her in so many ways, but this isn’t a story, this is her reality now. Love taken too far can become obsession. What if she projects her memories of Joseph onto Jack? That wouldn’t be fair to him. He might never remember… or he might be someone else entirely. He might just look like her starlight, with the name of the character he played when he died, the same character she came up with as the show’s writer. The same role that led to his death. It would be so cruel if he wasn’t Joseph, but then again, this world is very cruel to its villainess.
It’s this sort of internal war that keeps Alice secluded from the world and society for a while. She needs time to sort through these memories and thoughts. She needs to grieve and remember the story to figure out what the right path forward is. This seclusion and sudden drastic change in her mood worries her family. They don’t know what’s wrong with her, and she won’t open up to them, as there’s no way to explain without sounding like a lunatic.
Eventually, Alice would come to the conclusion that she should keep a respectable distance between her and Jack. If he is Joseph and remembers her… it’s all she could ask for. But she won’t go down the path of forcing it. She won’t force him to have a relationship, to love her, and she certainly won’t force him to be what she wants. She will accept that Joseph is dead and that she must move on and somehow find a happy ending despite the role she has been given. Whatever relationship she might have with Jack in the future, she won’t forcefully bind him to her just because of a past that was now dead.
Jack, however, has different plans.
Come on, you can’t expect me to let things end like that for my OTP. I’m a sucker for happy endings after all. Besides, we’ve still got to add some yandere spice to the mix even if Alice is refusing to play the part like the villainess character did.
Despite Alice’s fears, Jack is indeed Joseph reborn. He has a passing familiarity with the story, since he knew that it was Mary’s favorite series as a child. He took interest in the things she liked, even if they didn’t resonate with him the way it did with her. However, the original story doesn’t matter to him. The instant he saw his sunshine’s face for the first time, he knew, he just knew that he couldn’t let her go.
Just like Alice has trauma from her death, Jack does as well. Whatever supernatural curse bound Joseph to the tape led to the pair being reborn in this world. Perhaps he figured out a way to escape his hell, or change its form, leading to the creation of this world while also bringing Mary’s soul into this new world he created. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that Mary was the one who came up with the concept of the SunnyTime Crew show in the first place and was one of the writers. Perhaps the wish she made at the end of her life changed both their fates, and she was the one responsible for this world’s existence. Perhaps it was a mixture of all these things, or something else entirely that led to this situation. For all we know, a trickster god decided to meddle with things to give them a new life where they might have a second chance.
Perhaps a trickster dragon god who wants to see her OTP live a new life in a different world where they can be happy together and is a fan of the villainess transmigration genre. ;3
Whatever the case, Jack won’t let anyone take his sunshine away. He isn’t Joseph anymore. They can have a fresh start, a new life without the sins of Joseph Cullman to weigh him down. He can create the life for the two of them that he always wished to make. He can be whatever he wants to be, including a prince charming that will give his sunshine whatever her heart desires.
The time Jack spent in hell left him with nightmares of cold nights, lost and alone even before consciously remembering his past life. He clung to his family more because of it, being somewhat of a spoiled baby, but their love helped him not feel so alone. Even still, something was missing, a hole in his heart that ached to be filled.
Being a prince, Jack sees countless faces. He has to remember so many people in order to be a good king one day. He often goes to parties to greet countless nobles, but none of them caught his attention like Alice.
Initially, Jack didn’t see Alice in the crowd, staring at him with wide eyes. It was the commotion that caught his attention. He heard one of the young ladies had fainted. The knights were on alert, worried about foul play. They ushered the prince to safety, but Jack dragged his feet, he kept looking back.
Then Jack caught a glimpse of her, the girl being carried off by a servant or a worried parent. Her sickly pale face was so familiar… he couldn’t place it. He struggled a little harder, wanting a better look at her, but the knights were stronger and urged him away. Something inside him screamed to go back. He had to see her properly, look in her eyes, which were twisted tightly closed.
For some reason he was certain that her eyes were a distinct shade of blue.
Jack couldn’t get Alice out of his mind. He found out her name after things calmed down. She had gotten sick. What was wrong? Oh, the family couldn’t say for sure. That wasn’t good enough of an answer for Jack. He needed to know what happened, if she was okay. He had to see her.
The glimpse of Alice was like a crack in the wall that separated Jack from his memories of Joseph. He had painful flashes, nightmares of a life filled with regrets that only had a few shining moments of happiness.
The brightest light in that darkened life was the one with eyes the color of the sky at dawn.
Jack kept petitioning to visit Alice, under the excuse that he wanted to wish her well, see if she was alright in person, but the Rose family politely declined each time. His concern was appreciated, but she was too unwell for visitors.
It drove Jack crazy, and it brought back memories of a hospital, of a woman whose life hung by a thread. More than once Joseph had to take Mary to the hospital even before her final days there. Being unable to see her also made him feel lonely in a way that he hadn’t felt in so, so long. He felt so very, very cold.
At some point Jack remembered names. He remembered Mary, Joseph, and the tragic way his life and career ended with exposed sins and gunfire. He also remembered what came after, the cold emptiness and pain that tore away at him, his desperation for someone, anyone to save him, to remember that he was still there.
Jack struggled with reconciling these memories. He wanted to escape from them, but at the same time he couldn’t let go of Mary, the girl who looked so much like Alice. The memories of the story that made up the world he lived in were vague, something he remembered far later, but for now he just had to meet Alice, if only to settle the dissonance that had overtaken his mind.
The change in Jack was noticed, of course, and his family were concerned about him. He quickly remembered how to hide how he felt behind a smile. The more he remembered of the actor known as [Redacted], the better he could play the part of the cheerful, smiling prince. Being a prince really wasn’t that much different than being a kids TV show host and teacher after all. He just needed to put on a good show for everyone.
When Alice had recovered enough to leave her bedroom and try to live her new life, she was shocked to learn that the prince wanted to see her, and was surprisingly insistent about it. Although her family said that she didn’t have to see him if she was still unwell, she couldn’t turn him down. She had to see him, talk to him at least once. Then maybe, just maybe, she could figure out what she should do.
The moment they met, Alice tried to act like a proper lady, to not let on how seeing Jack face to face made her heart ache so much. She curtsied and greeted him as she was polite instead of giving in to the part of her that just wanted to throw herself into his arms and cry.
Those eyes of hers were just as bright and blue as Jack knew they would be. He knew that he was right. Alice was Mary, his sunshine. She acted as if she didn’t recognize him, but maybe it was better that way. They could start over as Jack and Alice. They could forget all the mistakes, all the pain.
This time, Jack would do everything right.
Jack was charming during their meeting. He expressed concern about Alice fainting at the party, offering her a gift that left her confused and a bit flustered by the attention. His behavior was so kind and princely… but he didn’t recognize her. She couldn’t be sure this was Joseph or just someone with his face. Spending time with him was both wonderful and made her heart ache with longing. If she was to keep herself from becoming obsessed with him, she knew by the end of the night that she would have to keep her distance.
Of course, Jack would never allow that. He started sending Alice letters, visited her often, and invited her to the palace. Despite the painful nostalgia of their past, the time they spent together was a joy to both of them. Alice laughed at his dumb jokes for the first time in what felt like forever. It was so hard not to simply fall in love with him all over again in spite of herself.
Though they were getting closer, Jack couldn’t risk anything getting between them. By this point, he remembered some elements of the story, just the broadest strokes, but they were enough for him to remember the roles they were supposed to play… and how the “villainess” would inevitably meet a tragic fate.
In many storybook isekai stories, the protagonist writes down everything they can about the original story so they don’t forget it. I, like many readers, wonder what would happen if someone else was to come across these notes, but that plot point never comes up again.
So what if Jack, when visiting Alice one day, snoops through her things, and finds her notes about the original story? It could be what makes him remember the original series in the first place. It was so long ago since he read it, and he wasn’t a fan of it after all. His memories would be far more faint than Alice’s would be.
So many routes lead to awful deaths for Alice in this series. It’s sadistic to its villainess - banishment, imprisonment, beheading, assassination, poisoning, turning into a monster, and many other countless awful ends. There are some notes she added of potential counter-measures to escape these awful fates… including a note that she can’t let herself fall in love with Prince Jack.
Well now… Jack isn’t about to allow their story to meet a tragic end in any respect. Never again.
Jack is going to change the story, and the first change is to make sure that Alice gets engaged to him instead of Ian. Oh, his parents are surprised when he brings it up. They were going to let him choose who he wanted to marry when he was older, rather than force a choice, but Jack was adamant that he wanted to marry Alice. Arranging a marriage isn’t uncommon for nobility, and in fact talks had been going on between the Rose family and the Duff family for a while now, but those are swiftly ended.
Needless to say, Alice is shocked by the change in the narrative. She was already surprised that Jack liked her and went out of his way to spend time with her instead of avoiding her like in the books, but an engagement? Should she be happy or worried? He reminds her of Joseph, but he is different now. Is he really her starlight?
When meeting Jack next, Alice tries sounding him out. She tries to subtly bring up things about their past that only Mary and Joseph would know. Jack doesn’t acknowledge these things, redirecting conversations and distracting Alice so she doesn’t try again. If she tries being more forceful, it causes Jack to be shaken up, not wanting to be Joseph anymore, and she immediately backs off at seeing his distress. Even if she wants answers, she can’t stand the idea of hurting Jack.
The question never gets neatly resolved for Alice about whether Jack is really Joseph, but it’s hard for her not to be swept up by him. He always had a way of charming her, and they have so much fun together. Even if they are new people now, they fit so neatly together, like two puzzle pieces. Despite her resolve not to fall in love, he keeps finding ways of making her heart flutter in spite of herself.
There’s also the looming fear of the OMC and Jack falling in love with her like he did in the story, but Alice is all too aware that the story has changed. Hell, her awareness changes it in and of itself. Plus the original story was a series of stories with different routes, with no true timeline. She has no idea how the OMC is going to change things whenever she finally appears.
Alice and Jack grow up together like they did in their previous lives, only this time nothing is forcing them apart. In their own ways, they make alterations to the original story without letting the other know in order to make sure Alice won’t face a tragic end. Jack at times takes a bit more direct action against those who would hurt his sunshine.
Suffice to say, Alice falls in love with Jack in spite of herself, and eventually the truth that Jack remembers will be revealed. It’ll hurt Alice that he hid it all this time, especially since it would have reassured her so much that he remembered too. There’s going to be some drama, but in the end they love each other and want to be together. Even if the reveal might hurt after lying for so long, Alice will forgive Jack. In the end, she’ll always forgive her starlight.
In the end, Alice and Jack have their happily ever after. The memories might have left scars on their hearts, the past might have had such pain and darkness, but they can move forward. They can heal, find love and so many new connections in this life. Most of all, they’ll always find their way back to each other. Their love will bind them together forever.
As for the OMC… perhaps they get together with Ian in the end. I mean, Ian does cheat on MC in the original SDJ game, and he plays the role of the love interest who cheats with the protagonist despite being engaged in the in-universe otome game. It’d be narratively fitting.
Plus it would be kind of funny if, regardless of Jack remembering or any other connection like with Alice/Mary, MC tried to avoid their bad end by staying faithful to their fiance Ian and accept the arranged marriage… only to be cheated on when the OMC comes along, similar to the Ian route in the original story.
Man, wouldn’t it hurt even worse if MC sincerely fell in love with Ian, vowing not to cheat like the villainess did, only to wind up being the one cheated on in the end. Wouldn’t that be a kick in the teeth?
That’s pretty much all the ideas I have for the villainess AU I have for now, but it feels weird to leave it on a sour note, so here’s one last bit of fluffy OTP self-indulgence.
Jack isn’t going to wait for the wedding night to seduce Alice, though he is going to be eager to have their wedding as soon as possible. Also, in a bit of narrative irony, he’s going to be the one to get the mage’s tower to make a potion for him, but not a love potion. He would never force his sunshine to do anything she doesn’t want to do. It’s more of a potion made for loving if you catch my drift.
After all, what’s a fantasy AU with a horny male lead without some magical aphrodisiacs? Nothing to influence the will or remove consent, but it does make the skin and other places very sensitive. It’s just a little added spice after they become intimate to make Alice respond so strongly to his every touch and burn for Jack all the more.
Jack could take some as well, though he doesn't need an aphrodisiac for Alice to drive him crazy. Every time she touches him, he burns so badly for her, so desperate and needy. It took everything he could to hold himself back until she finally gave in to her feelings and loved him despite fears of the original story and their pasts. Suggesting they have a little fun with aphrodisiacs just makes things a little more fair by giving Jack a chance to drive Alice with crazy with desire for a change~
I hope it wasn’t too meandering of a ramble, hahaha. Maybe I’ll come back to this plot bunny again sometime. I hope you enjoyed it!
@channydraws @earthgirlaesthetic @sai-of-the-7-stars @cheriihoney @illary-kore @okamiliqueur @kurokrisps
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fyodcrs · 6 months
Note
can I ask why you ship dazai x fyodor? just curious! I feel like not a lot of people do
Hi, anon! Not enough people ship fyozai, that's for sure :/
Why do I ship them? Because of this:
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And this:
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And this:
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And they're canon, actually:
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And just, like, whatever they had going on in Dead Apple:
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They are just so interesting together. I went into depth on my view of the two of them in this post (an older post now, but it still sums it up pretty well), but it really comes down to how fascinating it is how their characters play off of one another. They are the perfect enemies-to-lovers ship, if you ask me.
They can predict what moves the other one will make and they can predict that the other one will predict that they’re predicting each other, and they can predict that the other one will predict that the other one will predict - on and on into infinity sdfghjghj (although according to the anime Fyodor couldn't predict that Dazai would stick Chuuya in a Halloween costume...but I'm not going to rant about The Season Finale That Shall Not Be Acknowledged here). They're ridiculous. Completely and utterly ridiculous. They play mental chess together.
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN SECRET LANGUAGE.
THEY ARE SOULMATES.
I love their dynamic and how they stand opposed to each other. It's not that one of them is "good" and the other is "evil." Dazai is not good. Fyodor believes that humanity is sinful and foolish. Dazai does not disagree with him. He does not think humanity is good or that the world is a good place. Dazai is amoral; he is not Kunikida, an idealist pursuing justice, and he is not kind-hearted Atsushi.
Really the difference between Dazai and Fyodor is their opposing views of how the world works and should work. Fyodor wants order, perfect justice. Dazai does not believe such a thing exists. It's not that Dazai has hope where Fyodor does not; it's just that Dazai has accepted the world for all its darkness, and Fyodor has not.
And Fyodor does not believe there is any value to life. Dazai is starting to believe there is.
That's such an interesting and multilayered conflict that could be explored in so many different ways...especially if you do what I do and headcanon a redemption arc for Fyodor, haha. They are a lot of fun to write fics of! 😆
Two superhuman geniuses that are so evenly matched they could rule the world together if they wanted. What's not to love about that? I absolutely adore them 😌💖💖
Honestly, I've been a lot more into fyosig lately (talk about a rarepair SDFGHFGH), but fyozai is still my main otp. It's a shame more people don't ship them! I just think they're neat (´꒳`)♡
Thanks a lot for asking, anon! Do you ship Dazai and/or Fyodor with anyone? If you don't mind me asking :3
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kyouka-supremacy · 1 month
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Atsushi for the ask game.
ATSUSHI HERE WE GO THANK YOU FOR HEARING MY PRAYERS
Favorite thing about them: HIS SELFISHNESS. It's so so delicious to explore. Can you imagine a protagonist that saves others not out of simple good will, but because of egoistic self-preservation motives? It just feels counterintuitive for me lmao, and I found it quite messed up when I first watched the anime, but now it's so compelling to explore. His whole “everything I do is in order to gain the right to live” is crazy fashinating. Because lol, that's entirely nonsensical to me! There's no such thing as “gaining the right to live”; all humans, every person in the world is inherently deserving of life. All. No exception. So there's no level of “weak” or “worthless” that would make you lose that right. The fact that's it's a vision so distant and absurd from mine, idk, it just makes it very compelling to explore? “What if there was a little fucked up guy who believed the right to live had to be earned” just sounds like a very interesting premise.
Least favorite thing about them: When I first watched the anime, I think I found him low-key annoying? I just... Don't do very well with self-deprecating people and people who complain a lot in general, I usually suffer in silence and tend to (wrongly) assume others should do the same (this probably makes me sound pretty mean, I swear I try to be understanding irl). However, it doesn't bother me as much anymore, I simply think it's more of a distinctive trait of the character that makes him multilayered and unique. As of now, I can't think of anything I don't like about him if not the fact that I wish he'd rely on Dazai and others in general a little less. I know that has to do with his lack of self-worth, so maybe it makes sense,, but as of now he feels kind of stuck. I just wish we'd see him grow more on that front.
Favorite line:
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There may be better ones, but I really like the delivery of this one.
brOTP: KYOUKA AND ATSUSHI they make me go insane. Already talked about this in the Kyouka post but just to reiterate: in my headcanon Kyouka really is the only person Atsushi feels genuine, selfless affection towards. It's very sweet. They're siblings. Kyouka's happiness is really important for Atsushi. They really do have that feeling of people who got out of an abusive environment learning what normality is supposed to be like together. I also really like how they compensate for what the other lacks, be it decisiveness and coolhead for Atsushi and empathy and positivity for Kyouka. Although plenty shipping them romantically, I really like platonic sskk and atsulucy as well.
OTP: I really like sskk eheh. I think they're neat. There's a thousand and one reasons why I find them pretty great. They're objectively the only reason why I got invested in bsd as well as the only thing that has me keep up with the franchise to this day. Right now, I feel like the one thing I really appreciate about them is how you can be the worst person in the universe and still somehow be loveable to someone. I think it's sweet. I also find it very fun and enterataining to explore their various soulmatism antics. They're both very complex and multilayered characters with something deeply wrong with how their minds work that makes them very fun to analyze both by their own and in the complexity of their relationship. Their collective story arc and canon relationship progression is extremely engaging and nice to follow, too. I love dazatsu and atsulucy as well!! Both were ships I wasn't particularly invested when I read the manga for the first time, but really grew in me in the last six months or so. I really dig akuatsulucy as well!!
nOTP: Nothing?
Random headcanon: He really likes reading. There's some real meta-analysis to be made here I actually had written this is probably not the right place to talk about, but in a work that's all about literature, he's the character who reads.
Unpopular opinion: He's the hardest character to write / characterize. That's why people should probably go easier on other fans when they mischaracterize him. He's just very multifaceted and genuinely hard to get. I keep seeing people being like “Stop babyfying Atsushi he's an independent adult!!” then turn around to say “he can't be shipped with Dazai because there's too much unbalance of power :// [somewhat implying Atsushi can't make free decisions for himself]”, or “Stop making of Atsushi a soft baby who never did wrong in his life!!!” then turn around to say “Atsushi is the happy puppy of the agency who gets treats and pats from everyone ^^ ” like. At least to me, a lot of people's arguments sound self-contradictory all the time; but that doesn't mean people should stop having fun and characterize the characters as they like! Just, let's stop being mean to each other and try to be a little more accepting towards others' takes, shall we? And yes that also includes letting people find Atsushi annoying if they find him annoying (although like, I've NEVER found anyone call Atsushi annoying ever, so really, what remote fandom spaces is everyone visiting? Why are you looking for clothes (good takes) at the soup store (Tik/tok I assume?) ).
Song i associate with them: Common World Domination by Pinocchio-P, HIBANA by DECO*27, Ghost Rule by DECO*27, so on and so forth.
Favorite picture of them:
Favourite panel from the manga:
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Favourite illustration: Look, there's too many beautiful illustrations, I can't chose. Here's a very good one though.
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Favourite illustration in the anime art style:
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But also:
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Favourite Mayoi card:
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Send me a character?
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notmoreflippingelves · 3 months
Text
saemi-the-dreamer asked:
OTP ask 😉 ! Krisnix: 10, 14, 30, 39, 42 ; Estelanor: 2, 5, 18, 30, 51 please?
Splitting these up into two posts again as I rambled on for way too long. And this way, I can post at least part of it sooner <3. This one is the krisnix one.
Krisnix
10. Describe their first date
They have like three "first dates" lol. The first would be the first time Kristoph invites Phoenix to join him for dinner at the Borscht after Phoenix finishes his shift there (or in-between shifts). Kristoph offers to pick up the check (he will do this on all their subsequent dates as well, and Phoenix doesn't resist in the least). Phoenix *technically* gets an employee discount when he dines at the Borscht but he never uses it with Kristoph--both because he enjoys making Kristoph spend more--and because he knows that Kristoph himself is enough of a snob that he'd hate feeling like a "cheap date" who couldn't afford to pay the proper bill.
Neither of them really expects this to turn into a regular thing. They just happen to be there (either Kristoph was working on a case in the area or purposely sought Phoenix out following the Bar Association's ruling) and be hungry at the same time. So they figure that they might as well eat together and talk through the conversation. And again, both of them are pretty surprised at how agreeable they find each other's company.
Phoenix is much more intelligent and well-read than his unpolished "every man" exterior would suggest--largely due to his time as an arts major. And Kristoph is surprised at how much they have to talk about. He may not be as cultured as Kristoph by a long shot, but he's surprisingly interesting and insightful, nevertheless. And the conversations end up being a lot more stimulating (in more ways than one) and engrossing than Kristoph ever expected.
Meanwhile even though Kristoph Gavin comes across as the coldest, most remote and pretentious person that you've ever met at first (and to be fair, there is a good bit of that in him still), Phoenix is amazed at how full-of-life-and-light Kristoph can be when you catch him on the right topic. He positively gushes about dogs and tells the funniest, warmest stories about Klavier-as-a-small-child. It's rather adorable and super unexpected. He's also surprisingly funny. His wit is much drier than Phoenix's own, and a bit more biting. But still, it's there and it's sometimes irrestitable. Plus, Kristoph is also funny in unintentional ways, given how stiff and formal and seemingly stoic he often is. So much so that Phoenix can't help but look at him and laugh--simultaneously with derision (i.e. "can you fucking believe this guy?") and with genuine affection (i.e.. "it's fucking cute how ridiculous he is without meaning to be.")
Their second "first date" would be the first time that they do something together in a place other than the Borscht Bowl. Neither of them come even close to acknowledging it as a date. This is simply an" outing that we will do together since I enjoy your company and we are sort of 'friends' now." It probably comes about rather organically. Kristoph mentions a different restaurant that he recently tried with Klavier and wonders if Phoenix has ever tried it. (Of course, he hasn't. The entrees cost more than he makes in a given night at the Borscht). Which then naturally extends to Kristoph saying that it's a pity Phoenix hasn't had a chance to go yet, and perhaps, he and Kristoph might go together some evening as friends.
Their third "first date" would be much the same as one of the ones that came before. But with a crucial difference. They are still nowhere near identifying this particular outing as a "date." But since their last "first date," their "friendship" has since extended to include physical intimacy of some kind. Maybe they've had a drunken kiss or two--or maybe they've actually done teh sex. Nevertheless, they are both acutely aware that things are DIFFERENT between them from then on, while also stubbornly refusing to admit to each other that things are different. They know this is a date. They know that they are much more than friends--even ones "with benefits"--but you will never get them to acknowledge this fact. This is just a shared social experience between two men who enjoy each other's company and lips and there is nothing more to it than that. (There is a great deal more to it than that).
Sadly, they never got to the point of a fourth "first date" (i.e. one that they openly acknowledge as a date) in canon, but they still can in my heart.
14. How do their personalities compliment each other? How do they clash?
Both Phoenix and Kristoph are artistically-minded, driven, and very intelligent (albeit in different ways.) As I mentioned in the previous point, Phoenix is somewhat more "cultured" than one would imagine and Kristoph is not *quite* as much of a humorless stick-in-the-mud than he appears. So they actually find that they have a great deal to talk about and can enjoy each other's company. Due to the circumstances that brought them together, there is inevitably a little bit of a facade to their "friendship" but not nearly as much of one as you might think.
In terms of their differences counterbalancing each other, Kristoph's cautious and reserved nature helps reign in some of Phoenix's unhinged impulsiveness. Meanwhile, Phoenix's sense of humor and spontaneity can sometimes force Kristoph to stop taking everything (especially himself) so damn seriously and to open himself up to life outside professional success.
However, it isn't all smooth sailing for them. These same differences can cause friction between them just as often as they smooth it. Moreover, the fact that both men are extremely stubborn also leads to clashes.
As a workaholic and supremely ambitious person in his own right, Kristoph also finds himself frequently frustrated by Phoenix Wright's perceived laziness and lack of ambition. They both know that Phoenix is capable of being more than dubiously sober piano bum and illegal poker player at a mediocre dive bar. So why isn't Phoenix "trying" harder to find something better for himself?
Meanwhile, Kristoph is also trying very hard not to acknowledge that Phoenix's current state is very much Kristoph's own fault. He tries to convince Phoenix to lift himself out of his sorry state, at least in part to ease Kristoph's own conscience.
Kristoph is also very unaware that much of Phoenix's perceived lazy, aimlessness is an act--one carefully tailored to lull Kristoph into a false sense of security so that Phoenix can make his move.
Naturally, the biggest barrier between them is the one that they can never directly acknowledge. Kristoph's role in orchestrating Phoenix's disbarment and Phoenix's complete awareness of this fact. On the rare occasion that the topic comes up indirectly in conversation (ex: any mention of Phoenix's former legal career, Kristoph's Bar Association duties, Trucy's life before Phoenix, media coverage of the so-called "Dark Age of Law,"etc.) things between Kristoph and Phoenix become decidedly more tense than usual. Lots of sarcastic remarks, comments that can be taken in more than one way, and little arguments over matters that would normally not have provoked such a response. Again, they can't ever discuss the real state of things openly so they have their little proxy spats and then quickly try to change the subject.
30. Your OTP gets to pick out each other’s outfits; what is each wearing?
Phoenix loves to make Kristoph dress more casually--both because it's cute but also because he thinks it's mentally/psychologically "good" for Kristoph. He will be more relaxed when he wears clothing that is softer, looser, and/or more comfortable. I think Kristoph probably has a Gavinners-branded hoodie or sweatshirt that is leftover merch from Klavier, and Phoenix is constantly trying to persuade him into wearing it--ideally with jeans instead of Kristoph's normal dress pants. He eventually gives in, partly because Phoenix Wright is unbelievably stubborn but also partially because damn it, the sweatshirt (though far too casual for professional use) is very soft and very warm--and Kristoph has always been the sort of person who gets cold easily. And there is something very relaxing and soothing about letting himself dress for warmth and physical comfort instead of trying to impress people. Also he feels much freer to cuddle with Vongole (which is also psychologically very good for him) when he's less concerned about getting dog hair on his nice work clothes.
Kristoph, conversely, likes to dress Phoenix up. Underneath that dreadful hat and sweatshirt, Phoenix Wright is a rather handsome man with nice broad-shoulders, a pleasingly strong jaw, and bright, twinkling eyes. He really should show off his handsome features and physique. And yet, he hides himself in this loose, plebian garb and two days worth of stubble. (Kristoph is in deep denial about how much he likes Phoenix's stubble. Phoenix is completely aware of the effect he has on the other man).
So Kristoph is always looking for excuses to put Phoenix in a suit or even just a button-down shirt with a tie. And sometimes, Phoenix is willing to indulge him, even if it still feels weird to put on his "trial suit" to go anywhere other than courtroom. But he does like reminding Kristoph (and himself) just how nicely he can clean up when he wants to.
(Kristoph is so lucky that he never got to see three-piece suit dilfnix and his waistcoat of sexyness. He would've died of lust on the spot, and all Phoenix would've done was laugh.)
Another "compromise" is that Kristoph is able to talk Phoenix into a bit more often is a short-sleeve polo shirt. A little more dressy than his normal hoodie but still not properly formal.
(Of course, Kristoph never quite thinks through the ramifications of this. He is Victorian level of repressed-yet-horny. And so the instant, Phoenix's bare forearms enter the chat, kristoph.exe promptly stops working.)
39. Who would rescue an injured animal and nurse it back to health? What would the other think?
Honestly, I think its fairly plausible that either would do this. But honestly, it's much more interesting to think about Kristoph being the one to do it so that's where I'm gonna focus.
This could be a possible backstory for Vongole acquisition. Kristoph's job led him to find the most Beautiful Dog in the World™ left abandoned (and possibly wounded) after her owner died or went to prison. At first, he intends to take Vongole in for a short while until he can find a new home for her. (She's a purebred and a very good girl so Kristoph isn't ready to just dump her in an animal shelter's care and hope for the best). But it's not long until he finds himself just completely enraptured by her and unable to imagine his life without her.
Phoenix, meanwhile, has enjoyed watching this unfold from a bit of a distance. He doesn't meet Vongole officially for awhile, but he notices how quickly Kristoph is completely "puppy-whipped" for her. Kristoph can't stop talking about this "foster" dog he's looking after. He talks about more even than he talks about work--which is saying something. His eyes light up behind his glasses and he can't stop smiling when he's chattering about how SMART and cultured Vongole is, because she sits and listens and wags her tail whenever Kristoph is practicing his violin. And she's so got the most refined palette too. She likes only the best dog food made from the finest ingredients.
It's adorable seeing Kristoph like this, so happy and relaxed and at peace with himself. Even with all the baggage between himself and Kristoph, Phoenix genuinely likes seeing his frenemy in this light and is happy for him.
After a few months worth of Kristoph "fostering" Vongole, he finally announces that he's decided to keep her permanently and Phoenix is all ...
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(Phoenix saw this coming about a week after Vongole came into Kristoph's life).
I am also struck by another possible "Kristoph-rescues-a-wounded-animal scenario" as well and would like to discuss it. In this case, I think Kristoph should find and take care of a wounded bird (preferably a baby). I think the most narratively satisfying (i.e. metaphorically resonant) would involve Kristoph having accidentally caused the bird's injury in the first place. Maybe he accidentally hit a passing bird with his car or caused the bird to fall out of its nest and injure itself, while Kristoph was tending to his garden. Kristoph would therefore have to take accountability for having hurt something so beautiful and delicate and would see his nursing the bird back to health as an atonement for his past missteps.
Phoenix, meanwhile, would have very mixed reactions to seeing Kristoph's diligent care for this particular bird. He can't help but feel a little envious seeing Kristoph take responsibility for his harmful actions in this respect, while Kristoph has utterly failed to do the same where Phoenix is concerned. The significance of this being a bird--and Phoenix's own name being a (mythical) bird is not at all lost on him either. But on the other hand, he sees Kristoph being so patient and caring and gentle with this little wounded bird, and Phoenix can't help but love him for it. Can't help but wonder if--if only circumstances were just a little different and if he and/or Kristoph were able to swallow their pride for long enough--maybe Kristoph would have been able to do the same thing with Phoenix after all. But of course, they are doomed by themselves, their anger, and the narrative so this would never happen.
If the bird is unable to be safely released back into the wild after all--or Kristoph is simply unwilling to let the bird go-- it's also possible that the caged blue bird in Kristoph's cell is in fact this very same bird. Which adds some additional metaphorical resonance to the obvious Phoenix-bird parallels. Either Kristoph has already damaged the bird (and Phoenix) so severely and irrevocably that even his most ardent attempts at atonement/undoing the harm are not nearly enough. Or Kristoph has become so mentally and emotionally attached to the bird (and Phoenix) that he refuses to let it fly away from him--especially while Kristoph himself is wasting away in prison.
42. What’s their favorite type of weather to enjoy together? (getting snowed in together, watching thunderstorms, etc.)
Phoenix most enjoys bright, warm sunny days (especially in the summertime). This is more in general than relating to Kristoph specifically. There is so much more to do when the weather is nice--including a few particular things that he enjoys doing with Trucy and often with Kristoph as well. They've gone berry-picking a few times (on Kristoph's dime), something that neither Kristoph nor Trucy had ever done before and something that they are both pleasantly surprised by. They will go for picnics at the park and talk Kristoph into taking Vongole with them. (Trucy enjoys playing several rounds of fetch with her afterwards). Sometimes, when they have a day at the pool, Kristoph will wear a big, floppy hat to keep the sun off his face, and Phoenix can't help but find it rather endearing.
Kristoph, meanwhile, enjoys the rain. Or more specifically, a steady, lightning-less medium downpour that is heavy enough to keep everyone indoors (and prevent Phoenix from leaving too soon) and water the grass, while still being nowhere near heavy enough for there to be any danger of flooding.
He enjoys taking Vongole for walks after the rain and breathing in the fresh, clean scent of the air. He particularly enjoys it when he is able to rope Phoenix (and sometimes Trucy and/or Klavier) into joining him. Especially on the very memorable occasion that they saw a full rainbow just as the sun was starting to set.
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Note
every even number in the love your fandom game!
Oh bro here we go...
1- 3 things you like about your fandom:
1.1- It has a lot of content!
1.2- You can experiment and play with many characters and concepts, there are no limits!
1.3- it has a lot of nice and talented people!
2- A headcanon you where not sure about first but fandom made you change your mind:
Mmmmm... not sure about this one. I think I used to Headcanon Amon as Asexual but thanks to some nice mutuals now I can see him bisexual.
3- A character that fandom made you appreciate:
Asami and Katara. Before I get in here I was neutral about all the characters (of course my three main blorbos are the exceptions), but with the right fics and art I could connect with them a little bit better.
4- Say something nice about a ship you don't ship;
Not into Korrasami really, but if there's one thing I can't deny is that the ship has good artists, (haven't read fics but I guess there are good writers too).
5- A thing you see often in fics:
We collectively refuse to accept when a character we love is dead in canon. (canon is clay and we can shape it into whatever we want).
6- A thing you see often in fan arts:
When we make Korra strong and pretty. Also Yue art, she is so pretty and I heard that if you are a cool artist you have drawn her at least once! (Please don't mind if you haven't drawn her, I am sure your art is great).
7- Tropes you enjoy to read/write/draw:
To draw- arranged marriage, basically any amorralok au where Tarrlok and Amon live, for Azulaang any modern, cute or funny comfort au, (tea or coffee shop, school au, flowershop), and love drawing dirty mechanic/prince Irosami.
I guess any cute, comfort au actually.
To read- Arranged marriage, castaway Amon, equalists plot continuation, GIMEEE.
Also love coffee shop aus and spirit traveling au's for Azulaang.
Irosami is interesting with equalist or spy Asami au's but love some good cute domestic aus.
Basically anything related with spirit travels, equalists continuation, action and fluff included.
8- Something you would like the fandom to love aittle bit more:
Any ship and character that doesn't get as much appreciation as it deserves around the fandom.
9- A ship that it's not your Otp but you ship:
Yuetara, have neglected it WAY too long but whenever I see it I appreciate it.
10- A blog or mutual that has made your experience in fandom better:
Can't name all the people that have made my experience better, fortunately, there have been too many nice mutuals. Some are no longer active but to name a few I would dare to say @flameo-trashman @crookedmouth-mountainbones @lotus-ashi @orangepanic @moreamorra @amorra-tlok @writebecauseyoucannotbreathe and @mokonahapuuuuuu
Thank you all for your kindness and your presence in this chaotic site!
11- An artwork/fic you are proud about:
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12- Say something nice to a mutual!
Orange, Lotus, Crooked, Neffy, Write, Mokonahapuuuu and Moreamorra: Never stop being awesome and having cool art and fics.
And for everyone else reading this: you are great too and your presence enriches this fandom.
13- Favorite fandom event?
Ship week! (loved the avatarsunkenshipweek by the way).
14- A ship that makes you smile:
Mostly Amorra but Korrlok, Irohsami and Azulaang hold an apecial place in my heart. 💜💙🤎❤🧡💛❤️‍🔥
15- A character that makes you smile:
Baby Korra, she is too precious. Baby Noatak and Tarrlok too, must protect.
16- A thing in canon you would like to get noticed by the fandom?
THE PARALELISMS BETWEEN AMON AND KORRA, THEY ARE INSANE.
17- A thing in canon everyone likes, including you:
Seeing Iroh and Aang back in tlok and Jinora getting her tattoos.
18- A tag you follow?
Just Tlok
19- Current fandoms:
Again just Tlok haha.
20- Your first fandom:
Can't recall the first one I got interested in.
21- A fandom you miss:
Undertale.
22- Mutual you have known the longest?
Mokonahapuu, it's been a lot since we knew through this lil place.
23- A fandom you are curious about thabks to a mutual:
The dragon Prince.
24- How has fandom positively impacted in you?
Mutuals helped me to work in my art and storytelling skills. 💛
25- Advice to take care of you in fandom spaces:
Do not get too invested in any fandom, it can be overwhelming to deal with too many opinions so it's better to try to be nice and not worry about what the rest could say.
Get 2-5 psychos, (affectionate), and stick together, it will probably help you a lot.
Also, you don't have to like what everyone else does or agree to everything, not everything is made for you or a single person. Keep in mind you will have to learn to cope with the things you dislike.
Finally, look for other activities to entertain yourself, focusing too much in fandom can be bad in the long term.
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mylittleredgirl · 5 months
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20 questions for fic writers
thanks @annerbhp for the tag! i really enjoyed reading her answers too!
1. How many works do you have on ao3?
215
2. What’s your total ao3 word count?
646,705 (average of 3k per fic, which sounds about right)
3. What fandoms do you write for?
stargate atlantis most often, followed by sg-1, various star treks, and the x-files (with other miscellaneous fandoms on demand for exchanges and gifts).
4. What are your top five fics by kudos?
No Sooner Met (voyager, janeway/chakotay)
Career Day (sg-1, mini!otp)
Next Chapter (the good place, chidi/eleanor)
First Date (voyager, janeway/chakotay) editor's note: man my title game was weak in my voyager era
Occupational Hazards (the good place, chidi/eleanor)
it's so funny to spend my online time in small or inactive fandoms and look at statistics because i'm like yeah... i'm kind of a big deal... people know me... i have many leather-bound volumes... and not a single one of my fics crack 300 kudos (& very few over 100). the person i reblogged from topped out over 9,000! what's it like to write long fics for popular fandoms? is it cool?
5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?
i do now! and it's awesome! for a long time i was intimidated by praise and had a hard time responding, but my brain works now and i really enjoy exchanging comments that turn into long threads of headcanon back-and-forth and sometimes new friends.
6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
oh god PLEASE let me unburden my soul about Twilight (sga, john/elizabeth). it's so uncharacteristically hopeless for me -- far future fic, complicated family dynamics, elizabeth has dementia and john is estranged from their son... really no one is having a good time. i think it's interesting and a cool departure from my usual writing style, but it's also a big sad mess.
i still feel sooooo guilty about these two thousand words of misery that i REGULARLY think about writing a sequel where john and his son fix it with time travel and mend fences. like i lie awake at night worrying about these characters because one time in 2007 i didn't give them a happy ending and suggested john might not break the bad father generational cycle. normal fic writer behavior.
7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
Weaving Loose Ends (sg-1, sam/jack)! i love happy and hopeful endings but i think of all of them, this one is the most resolved and least complicated.
8. Do you get hate on fic?
nope. oh!!!! there was the one time when i caused Big Drama in a corner of the Dancing With The Stars fandom by turning people's headcanons into rpf, which everyone liked until one included porn. people got so heated with each other over this one smut fic (doxing! splinter factions! a fandom schism!) but somehow no one was ever actually mean to me. i didn't even get blocked or banned for my rpf transgressions, i was just standing there at the eye of the storm. so... i guess the answer is still no??
9. Do you write smut?
yes! i should probably write more, though. it has been all slow and gauzy the past few years, somebody should really get railed pretty soon.
10. Do you write crossovers?
nope.
11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
i don't think so. happily toiling in obscurity.
12. Have you ever had a fic translated?
back in the x-files days i think someone translated some of my doggett/reyes fics for a spanish archive, so those might still be out there.
13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?
no i haven't!! i am really not doing well collecting my fic writer girl scout badges here!!
14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?
john sheppard/elizabeth weir my beloved.
15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but probably won’t?
i have 10k of an sg-1 episode-by-episode soulmate fic that started really strong and i would love to share someday, but i lack staying power so it will surely just go to seed in my dropbox forever!!
16. What are your writing strengths?
hopefully character complexity and dialogue. dialogue is interesting in fanfic, because the dialogue on many TV shows is really different than how real humans speak (it's scripted to be clearer, more concise and direct, uninterrupted, etc), so it's a fun challenge to balance that and get something that sounds both in-character and realistic.
17. What are your writing weaknesses?
long fics!
the big related weakness is that i find it incredibly difficult to keep writing on a fic after i show it to anyone (as a sneak peek, or because i want feedback / encouragement / brainstorming help). i lose steam on my own, but posting or inviting other people into the process is like pouring sugar in the gas tank. why is that!! how do i fix this!!!
and i don't know if this is a "writing weakness" or an "egregious personal character flaw" but i sure did finish an exchange fic this year literally forty seconds before reveals, so that's... pretty bad.
18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?
SO SCARY aughhhh my fear of Being Wrong really nukes me here. it doesn't even have to be a real language. it's like the ghost of JRR Tolkein himself is standing over my shoulder telling me that if i don't backwards engineer an entire proto-latinate space language instead of just chucking words into google translate and calling it Ancient i'm committing unpardonable sins.
19. First fandom you wrote for?
star trek! first internet-published fics were x-files, but first limited-print-edition fics were xeroxed hand-bound voyager stories my sister and i would give as "gifts" to family friends (and then stand there staring at them while they read the first few pages and told us how clever and creative we were and promised to "read the rest later").
20. Favourite fic you’ve written?
new answer! i have always answered this before with ain't no sunshine (sga, john/elizabeth) or career day (sg-1, mini!otp), but i think i really stuck the landing this year on pieces (sga, john/elizabeth). which, incidentally, is the one i finished forty seconds before reveals so i'm definitely not going to learn anything from that narrow escape.
tagging @ussjellyfish if you haven't already done this one, @coraclavia, @havocthecat, @lonesomehighways, and anyone else who made it through this long post and would like to do it!
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whoredmode · 1 month
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for the ask game 002 for troy
Send me one of three prompts
let’s smoke cigarettes. together.
How I feel about this character: 
i love him. when i first got into sr1 i definitely enjoyed him just fine, but over time just thinking about his role and development and his general character it really turned into a very deep love for him. he’s such an interesting character to me and he plays an important role in my canon for a reason. one of the characters i’ve enjoyed developing and using for stuff the most bc he has a unique position in the context of the story that has a lot of potential places to go, and since the actual games just kinda. ignored him. it’s fun to give him an actual role and arc.
All the people I ship romantically with this character: 
troyteros is the most obvious. i didn’t even intend for it to happen, but it did and now their relationship and history is super important to both his and anteros’ respective developments. i think this just goes for troy/boss in general. i think it’s a fascinating relationship even just on a surface level. as far as others, none immediately come to mind? troy’s a loner.
i’ve seen troy/johnny before and i’ll say i’m mildly intrigued by the idea but that would have to be a dynamic that would take like. decades.
My non-romantic OTP for this character: 
does dex and troy count? bc i could talk about their dynamic for HOURS. i love bitches who hate each other and go through hell together and still come out the other side hating. i love it so much. i love how painfully connected they are, how their dynamic is based on the cyclical nature of the relationships in sr1. it’s like they’re both aware they’re trapped in a time loop w a person they can’t stand. it’s so compelling to me. way more than it ever could be romantically, imo.
also! from my own canon. shaundi and troy. they have a minor subplot that starts in saints in hell/GooH side story where shaundi is helping troy become sober. this goes into sriv where she’s still helping him w it. i think they’d end up having a really interesting friendship all things considered. it’s a dynamic i think about A LOT!!
My unpopular opinion about this character: 
he’s an important member of the cast?? maybe more targeted towards the how the games ended up treating characters like him and dex. i guess that kinda plays into the next prompt.
ig as an actual answer to the question. i think he was more than happy to quit his job in srtt. excited even. i don’t think he ever had any friends in the SPD, and i genuinely think a lot of ppl actively disliked him. it’s why it was so easy for ultor to convince several cops to be on their payroll and work against him.
One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:
i wish he got an actual conclusion. like he doesn’t have to appear in every game, but holy shit i hate how sr2 handles him. he should’ve had an actual confrontation w the boss, not just relegated to homie you get after completing an activity. where is their reunion? where is their conversation? there’s a million things left we deserve to see w him and the saints and we get none of it.
also a bit of a nitpick but. like i have him do in my canon, i think in sr2 if you call him for help he should be disguised or in normal clothes. like be serious. no way in hell he or the boss should be fine w him all dressed up like that while they go commit crimes
My OTP:
for him? troyteros. like hands down. no contest. there’s a reason they seem to get together in like all my AUs.
My crossover ship:
not really a crossover person….does santo ileso blues count as a crossover bc it features the reboot….can i count it in this case so i have an answer and say him and jimrob have a vague friendship. like the one friend he’s made in santo ileso after 10 years.
A headcanon fact:
like all my family lore for him. he’s the youngest of his family. has an older brother and sister. anteros saw a picture of his brother once and was like oh i could’ve had this bradshaw……..
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thisonesatellite · 6 months
Text
20 questions for fic writers
Tagged by the amazing and infinitely talented @voylitscope. Thank you so much! 💕💕💕
1. How many works do you have on AO3?
37.
2. What’s your total AO3 word count?
607,929
3. What fandoms do you write for?
Right now primarily stucky /MCU.
i got started with CS /OUAT (which i no longer write for), and have also ventured into dramione /HP (where i will go again as soon as i have some time).
i also wrote one Leverage fic, which --- guys, i don't know what happened there. It just knocked on my door and demanded to be written. 🤷‍♀️
4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?
This is interesting. i would have thought the OUAT fics would grab all top 5 spots, because they've been around the longest, but actually---
we build our lives out of chaos and hope - dramione
Burn To Shine - stucky
The Unexpected Life - CS
break me - CS
if you live by the word, you die by the pen - CS
If you're counting by fandom, well -- i mean, i have exactly five stucky fics so far. That's the top five right there. 😂 (There will be more soon, and then we can see who grabs the brass rings.)
5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?
ALWAYS. Always always always. i love comments. They make my day.
6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
OK. Like. i don't write angsty endings, OK? i may or may not put my characters through the fucking wringer during a fic, but i ALWAYS HEA them, you feel me.
Having said that, i think militae species amor est (CS) is the one with the least openly stated fluff at the end. (Then again, the title is a quote i ripped off Ovid which means "love is a kind of warfare". Take from that what you will. 😂)
7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
Uh, all of them? i happy end HARD, ok?
If you're going to make me pick, for stucky it's probably a tie between Burn To Shine and a handful of dust. (So far. There will be others.)
For all of my fic across fandoms, it's everybody knows (CS). Which is also by far the most complex emotional character arcs for an OTP i've ever wrapped around an impossibly complicated plot line. And angst abounded here. Such abounding. The ending had to make up for it and consequently will rot every last one of your teeth.
8. Do you get hate on fics?
Not so far. i once had someone tell me in great detail why they didn't like my writing style, but while i did wonder why they bothered to read my fic in the first place if my style wasn't for them, i don't count it as hate.
9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?
Ah. The eternal question. No, i don't. i don't know how. i don't think there's anything wrong with smut at all, but i can't write it.
10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?
i don't write crossovers. Lots of AUs, but no crossovers. i don't like to cross the streams. 😂
11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
Not that i know of, knock on wood.
12. Have you ever had a fic translated?
Yes! My lovely and wonderful friend @mariakov81 translated her birthday fic ad extremum terrae into Ukrainian. i may have cried when she told me.
13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?
Yes. The Sword and The Heart - with the amazing and talented @ohmightydevviepuu. It was one of the hardest and yet one of the most rewarding experiences of my writing life and i strongly recommend the process to every writer out there. The things you will learn about yourself and your writing are immeasurable, and you will emerge a better writer for it.
Also, it was so much fun.
(All the credit here goes to @ohmightydevviepuu, whose patience was infinite every time i went and did A Thing with the plot and the characters. She is the reason we have a fic at all.)
14. What’s your all time favourite ship?
i think stucky will always have a place in my heart. (So will many others, some of which i don't even write for, but stucky is my fave, i think.)
15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?
None. i am a very linear writer. i write one fic at a time. Therefore i never have any additional WIPs cooking, and so i do finish everything i start.
i know. So annoying. 😂
16. What are your writing strengths?
Character development, realistic dialogue, action. (Also probably plot underpinned by emotion. While i'm patting myself on the back here.)
17. What are your writing weaknesses?
SMUT. i cannot write it (as stated above). Which means there will always be a sense of the explicit lacking in my fic, and i'm sorry for that. But i can't change it.
And certain popular tropes--- some of them perennial favorites--- do nothing for me, so i am also unable to write them.
18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?
i have utilized the fact that i speak more than one language, and have several good friends who speak other languages, in some of my stucky fics. But i will say that sometimes it's hard to keep true to the characters in a different language.
19. First fandom you wrote for?
Once Upon A Time (OUAT). It's the one that started it all. i was never going to write, you know. And then, one day, i--- did.
20. Favorite fic you’ve written?
OMG. You're going to make me choose? Between all the blood, toil, tears, and sweat on every page? Yes, i'm being dramatic.
My favorite fic (IF i HAVE TO PICK ONE) is probably we kill the flame (CS). It plays in my favorite sandbox -- cyberpunk dystopia -- and i built an entire world for it. In painstaking detail.
My favorite stucky (so far) is probably despite all my rage - for much the same reasons: World building and cyberpunk dystopia. Also because it has my favorite Sam and Clint.
Honorable mention has to go to Burn To Shine (stucky), which introduced me to the pure and unadulterated fun that is Grumpy!Bucky (who is now my favorite chew toy), as well as the disaster muppet combo that is Scott and Clint, and we build our lives out of chaos and hope (dramione), because i went on a thinly-veiled political tear halfway through it and still cannot believe i got away with it.
.
Absolutely zero pressure tags for @sparkagrace , @cable-knit-sweater, @buckybarnesdeservestobehappy, @wistfulcynic, @ohmightydevviepuu, and @mxaether 💕
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dangermousie · 9 months
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Yang Chaoye has learned to act! I mean, she's not award worthy but this is close to Heroes level (ie acceptable) and not her horrific Chongzi "performance."
But more interestingly, I love what the above has to say - she is an immortal aware this is all an elaborate play really, a means for Chu Kong to get his cultivation back etc etc. But he is not - to him it is real but it is also real to all the mortals into whose world they came. And it's such an interesting concept - it seems to posit that gods need to come to the mortal world to experience tribulations not just because it's a "safe" environment - they aren't going to die for real - but because it's the only place with true stakes and true emotion. Or at least it's more likely to be (as contrary to her comment that gods can't die; Chu Kong's immortal OTP clearly did; only - she didn't, she's now reborn as our FL. So perhaps the original point still stands; the mortal life is the only one with stakes and so that is why you can actually have it be genuine enough to be able to recover power, as opposed to whatever you do in your unchanging realm.
And also - even if she is aware this is a set-up, she is not really the daughter of Minister Song etc etc, she cannot help but be drawn into this world because these people and their relationships are real to THEM and they treated her with genuine love and kindness (or genuine ill will) and any being cannot help but be drawn in and respond. They ceased to be props and became real people, and the same applies to Chu Kong, who in his mortal incarnation she started as seeing merely an obstacle and by now she sees him as his own person, Lu Chancong, and she can't help but have fallen in love with him, because the way he loves her and the way he treats her and his personality etc are real. When this narrative ends and they go back (and go do the cycle 5 more times etc etc), this life is always going to hang over them because it wasn't them, but it also really was, wasn't it?
PS I do love the indication that the narrative is being bent out of whack, this is not what the writer of their fates intended; this makes it unpredictable and intriguing and brings the notion of fate and will into it. Good going for a drama that had our main couple turn into cartoon animals for a bit.
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grimalkinmessor · 1 month
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Salty Ask!! :D 2 (DN), 5 (any fandom), & 13 (L! I'm curious if you have any)
*backflips* Hello hello hello! :D
2. Are there any popular fandom OTPs you only BroTP?
No, actually! It's been quite the opposite for the DN fandom; I see lots of BroTPs that I turn into full ships. Terraito being first and foremost 🙏
5. Has fandom ever ruined a pairing for you?
OH yeah, absolutely. Mostly because of asshole antis always touting their "superior" holy ship against our barbaric "inferior" ship lmao like after a while the whole thing just gets tainted with drama. I can't see a kiribaku post without rolling my eyes, aND I THOUGHT THEY WERE CUTE AT FIRST. I was getting the same way with bakudeku too because of how shitty the shippers started being to other shippers, namely my fellow shigadekus, and bakudeku was my first OTP in that fandom!! They got REAL uppity and it drives me insane because they now do the same shit to other people that antis used to do to us. They get just as bad as the kiribaku nuts now istg. I faded out of the bigger part of the fandom before it got to the point of total abandonment though lol.
...Damn I guess I needed to rant about that >^> But yes! Yes it has! :D
13. Unpopular opinion about XXX character (L)?
I have several of them about L! The main thing of which would be that that man is the most whorish virgin alive. He has absolutely NO rizz and his version of flirting is intricate infuriating mind games—a foolish misstep from his supposed beau might very well be cause for him to grow instantly bored of them. He thinks people are gross and too emotional he has NEVER touched another human being's genitals except for his own, and he doesn't even like doing that. Even when he IS interested enough to put in the effort, the effort is fumbling. NO idea what he's doing. But he's very eager to learn, and quickly at that ;3 He makes up for his lack of experience by being utterly shameless, laying himself out on tables naked and covered in whip cream, saying the most off the wall horny shit you've ever heard that would makes pornstars blush in horror, chasing after what he wants like a dog and not letting up until he gets that pretty pillow to hump. Learning on the go is very useful for when you finally catch your prey in an inconvenient place 🙏
The second biggest one is a two-parter ✌️ The first part being that I don't think he gives a shit about the Wammy Kids. No familial or even fond feelings for those brats whatsoever, maybe a sense of irritation if anything. Tiny pawns in the wings if he ever needs them. The second part being that if he did give a shit about any of them it would be Mello, and still not,,,in a fond or familial way. More of a 'better keep an eye on that one because he's leaning a lot towards the grayer side of the morality scale which is a lot like me but also a lot like someone whose name starts with B and ends with eyondbirthday so lets not do that again mkay thanks' way ✨
I also think that he'd be more fun if he was completely evil but that's just me 💅
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pfenniged · 10 months
Text
Band of Brothers Week: Day 2: Kraut Medicine:
Fanfiction: Kraut Medicine
Day 2 ( July 2nd ) Prompts for Band of Brothers Week: OTP || Faceless || Favorite COs || Red
Characters: Babe Heffron, Doc Eugene Roe, Ronald Spiers, Carwood Lipton, Dick Winters, Lewis Nixon, Bill Guarnere, Frank Perconte, David Webster
Genre: Dark humour, with a mix of dark horror.
Summary: Babe Heffron accidentally-on-purpose drugs the entire Company in Bastogne. Chaos ensues.
Author’s Notes: Fanfiction contribution for Day 2 of Band of Brothers Week! I had this idea bumping around in my head, based on the fact that A) Men scavenged in war, B) Men can be stupid, and C) We all know Babe Heffron is that kid who ate things before he asked what they actually were. 
This is also based on the idea and historical fact that German soldiers were given literal derivatives of meth in order to stay awake and alert for long hours. While I thought it’d be crass to actually name what the drug was, it’s pretty wildly acknowledged now that all sides in the war were taking all kinds of uppers (and downers) to get through the conflict. In my mind, it just happened that Babe Heffron was very, very stupid with it.
As always, no disrespect to the actual historical figures themselves. This is solely based on the characters in the 2001 Miniseries.
-------------------------------------------------------
It was two hours before Doc Roe noticed something was off about Babe Heffron.
Sure, he was usually a massive idiot (the term used affectionally, in most cases). But something about the way he was jiggling his leg up and down becoming more and more annoying the longer he did it, despite Doc noticing him from a distance and through the slow fall of snow in the dark.
“Fuck it, I’m going to say something,” Guarnere muttered, already halfway out of his foxhole and the entire company wound so tight due to previous shelling that a snap of a twig would send most of them off.
“I’ve got it,” Doc murmured softly, holding out a hand and only making direct eye contact with the man from Philadelphia when he could already see he was ready to argue. “I’ve got it-“ He repeats, but this time far more firmly, despite being relatively small and stature and pale, the look in his eyes telling Guarnere not to push it.
Guarnere holds up his hands. “That’s your venue, Doc.” He deadpans, already settling back down next two partially visible bodies under their cover, as Doc looks back. The leg was still going.
“For Chrissake- there’s supposed to be a no-motion ban- light and noise discipline-“ A voice mutters nearby, sounding suspiciously like Buck Compton, as Doc finally decides to act. Taking a deep but quiet breath, he crouched down close to the ground before slowly but deftly making his way across snow, careful about where he stepped lest he set something off.
By the time he’d reached Babe’s foxhole, both legs were going now, along with a little jiggle of his shoulders. “Everything alright, Heffron-?” Doc starts, slowly and carefully putting a hand on his shoulder but jolting it back as soon as he saw Babe’s dilated pupils and the stupid grin on his face. “Lord Almighty-“
“Hiya, Doc~” Babe grinned almost comically wide, it taking a moment for it to sink in that he was doing a little two-step as best he could in his foxhole, the entire snow below him turned to mush and dirt underneath his feet. “How’s life treatin’ ya-?”
Doc bit back an answer that was more sarcastic than Babe was probably in any place to understand or answer, before scootching closer, trying to inspect his eyes and holding up a finger to see if Babe’s eyes would follow a moving object. “Pretty good, Heffron, how are you?” He says evenly, that being his first mistake.
“I told you- it’s Baaaaaaabe~” Babe practically whines, body going limp and actually dropping his gun as he wiggles back and forth, Doc now looking at him more suspiciously than ever as he feels him up for his pockets.
“Doc, if you were interested, you should have just asked-“ Babe giggles, wriggling away from his touch like a child being tickled. Except he was a six foot tall man who was currently kicking a five foot seven Doc in the shoulder with a dirty boot.
“For goddsake, what the hell did yeh eat?” Doc finally snaps, before hearing the hiss from nearby foxholes, immediately reducing his snapping to a hiss.
“Nothing-“ Babe said with a pout, crossing his arms but still holding back lower body wiggles. “Just some of that Kraut chocolate we picked up near the border. And Webster told me about medication- t-they had pain medication- he translated the label-“
“So you took medication you couldn’t even read the label of?” Doc gave him a look like he was an idiot, before finally finding the bottle in the front of Babe’s jacket and shaking it, several pulls still rattling about inside.
“It’s pain relief.” Babe says proudly, nose up in the air. “I found it. And I feel fineeeeeee-“
“Yeah, I bet you DO-“ Doc mutters, trying to make out any indication for what the drugs actually contained. He opened the container and tried to give it a sniff. “You eat anything anyone gives you-?” He huffed, but now trying to think about how to bring Babe down from the clear high he was still on before he was actually needed in battle.
“Yup! It’s the Military!” Babe says with the same proud grin, wiggling from side to side. “Yay Babe!”
“For Chrissake-“ Doc muttered, now raising from his foxhole and intent on murdering Webster. “Anyone else take this?”
Babe stops his happy wiggles, freezing, before attempting to look innocent. “I mean, I know Webster has one. And Luz has one. Unless they gave some out, I don’t think so-“
Doc grunted in response, already annoyed at having to babysit a company of grown men from basically acting like they’d tasted the Devil’s Lettuce. Webster most likely didn’t share. Luz, on the other hand-
“Oh. And I added it to the water supply-“
“YOU WHAT?” Doc can’t help but snap, ready to punch his shoulder before the same hissing being heard again, but this time being accompanied by hissing from a distance.
“GO GO GO!” A voice can be heard screaming, as Doc covers Babe’s head as he tries to force him as closely down in the hole as he can, Babe fighting him every step of the way.
“LAY. DOWN. IDIOT.” Doc hissed, as Babe whines. “Heffron~  Idiot~ Why don’t you ever call me Babe~”
“NICE NOISE DISCIPLINE DOCTOR!” Guarnere’s voice can be heard sarcastically as he passes him to get out of a dangerously close shelling area, Doc poking his head out and seeing shell after shell splintering trees, quickly ducking down.
“IT’S NOT MY FAULT HEFFRON’S TELLEMENT STUPIDE-!” He calls back, before hearing the telltale scream of “MEDIC!”, Doc grabbing Babe by the front of his lapels, slapping his cheek to get him to pay attention to him. “You don’t leave this foxhole unless a mortar or a German is flying right at you. Got it?” He snapped, Babe almost looking sad. “Yessir-“
Doc moved to duck under trees and jump branches, before finding the person screaming for a medic to be right next to George Luz. George sat staring at the man, cross-legged, both seemingly completely fine.
“P-Peconte?” Doc pants, already touching the man up as soon as he gets near him to feel for injury. “Where are ya hit?”
“We never see each other any more, Doc- what- you don’t like me or nothin’?” Peconte says sadly, George looking at him and literally giving a shrug.
“Not you, too-“ Doc mutters, before slapping both of them lightly. “You are children! Give me those pills-“ He snaps, grabbing them off both of them and forcing George to focus on him. “Who else did you give these to-?”
“I mean, we thought it’d be funny to help Spiers loosen up a bit- may have dropped one or two into his canteen when he wasn’t lookin’-“ He shrugged, as Peconte starts giggling. “Boom~”
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Doc stared at them, before shoving them under a tree, treating two extra wounds before sliding into a foxhole with one Carwood Lipton.
“Lip, Lip- thank god, some sense-“ Doc says, relieved, knowing the man wouldn’t put anything in his body before knowing what it was first. “Y-You drank any water? You seen Captain Spiers?”
Lipton gave him a weird look at how wild-eyed Doc looked himself. “Are you okay, Doc?” He says softly, as if they weren’t in the middle of a firefight.
“No, I’m not okay, Lieutenant, because Babe Heffron has apparently spiked the water supply with German drugs that make everyone loopy, Officer Spiers is apparently unknowingly drinking a canteen full of dissolved pills, and half the Company if they don’t dump their watah anytime soon could be just as stupid as Babe Heffron, Luz, and Peconte-“ He snapped, finally able to vent when the shelling took a momentary break.
“… Ah. That’ll do it.” Lip bites his lip, before looking up at him cautiously.
Doc listened. No screaming, no other noise. He could fully relax. Finally.
“… It’s a little funny.”
“Thank you,” Lipton says, clearly now chewing on the inside of his lip to keep from full on smiling, before grinning. “Wow. Spiers on drugs.”
“Either he’ll beat the entire German Army before we do, or throw a hand grenade that bounces back and kills him like a Looney Tunes cartoon-“ A rough voice says in the hole nearby, Captain Nixon slowly but surely sticking his head out his hole.
“You take any of this crap, Cap?” Doc shakes the pill bottles lightly. “It’s in the watah, too-“
Nix was able to muster a sardonic smile.
“Now, Doc- you know I don’t drink “watah” out here.”~
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“And you two are sure about this?” Winters says, rubbing his nose and blinking far more times then necessary, arms crossed and swaying ever so slightly from side to side.
Nix and Doc looked at each other. Doc moved to open his mouth, before Nix held a hand out, stepping forward and taking Winter’s face in his hands.
“Dick- ironically as the drunk one, I’m the most sober one of us, right now. Yes. Babe contaminated the drinking water- Spiers is apparently on a double dose- and, Peconte thinks he’s lost his leg but he hasn’t- so he’s the least of our problems now.”
Winters blinked rapidly as soon as Nix held his face in his hands, before managing to say in an even tone. “Were your hands always this big?”
“You know it’s bad when I’m your last line of defense, come on-“ Nix rolled his eyes, stepping away from Winters and Winters almost dropping from the lack of being held up, but attempting to hide it by spinning in a circle. “First thing- dump the water we have where no one will eat the snow and put in new snow to melt- fresh snow- second, find Spiers. Third- send someone back to HQ and find how the hell long it takes for this medication to work its way out of your system- go-“
Doc nods, being pushed back towards an awaiting Jeep with several injured, the Jeep making it halfway through the back lines before stopping before a figure in the dark, standing and surrounded by dead bodies of German soldiers.
The lights slowly but surely illuminating the scene, almost like a horror movie, as Ronald Spiers slowly turned around, moving to light a cigarette, before saying calmly.
“You got a fresh canteen, Doc? Mine’s tasted kind of funny- dumped all of it an hour ago.”
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s-a-i-s-a · 7 months
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Hello again, dear fandom. I have received some interest in the discord server. However… I have thoughts and questions. This will probably read more like a journal entry than anything else.
TW/CW: CP, Watsuki
I continue to struggle with how much I personally want to engage with RK given that the author is still alive, profiting, and more than likely continuing his crimes behind closed doors.
My initial intention was to open up a discord that centered fan-created content, particularly queer content and discussion. Despite a series that literally has “romantic” in its title, I have always viewed Watsuki’s shallow handling of RK’s canon relationships and female characters to be, at best, incredibly unsatisfying. Now knowing what we know now, it’s not surprising. Kaoru, Misao, and Megumi deserved better.
Things like supporting official merch and pedo apologist arguments were not going to be welcome in the discord. Piracy is a thing, and the only somewhat acceptable way to consume RK at this point, in my opinion anyway. However, a quick google search will lead one to articles that suggest piracy can actually boost sales and market awareness. Thus, my cognitive dissonance continues.
The anime reboot, while aesthetically pleasing to look at, is also more faithful to the manga. And thus, closer to Watsuki. For some reason, I was hoping the anime reboot would distance itself from some of the problematic narrative choices that already existed in the manga. And now, as I am watching this reboot with different eyes, and with the knowledge of its creator’s unspeakable crimes, I’m beginning to see just how outdated the series and its tropes actually are. I can’t find a reason to justify its retelling, other than the occasional nostalgia-driven dopamine hit. But that’s not good enough. There are other stories that are much more deserving of being animated.
Meanwhile, the Hokkaido arc is barely worth mentioning. It’s garbage.
TW/CW: fan death
Additionally, as some hardcore saisa fans may already know, one of the most prolific saisa fanfic authors, Kuroiyousei, passed away about one year ago now. While they were not the only one still producing queer RK fan content (newer fanart can still be found on pixiv), the English-speaking queer fandom has essentially died along with them.
So where do we go from here? Do we, as queer and trans fans, try to reclaim what we can? Is that even possible? I ask all of this as someone for whom Rurouni Kenshin was my favorite series. Its depiction of Saitou Hajime, my favorite character. And saisa, my OTP. I have fond memories of all the friends and experiences I had in this fandom.
But there are other stories out there. Other saisa-adjacent pairings and ships to sail.
Still. It’s not the same. I can’t blame fans (including myself) for continuing to feel something for a story that has impacted them.
But these days when I look at the RK manga on my shelf, instead of fond fandom memories there’s this question in their place: Is this no longer worth saving?
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asaelfic · 11 months
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Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💗
Yes let's do it!! All fic authors deserve a little self promotion, as a treat. I have 135 works so picking five is HARD. Every fic I've written has a little place in my heart and I would love for anyone to read any of them. Also I didn't include anything I've cowritten but y'know… if you like Dimiclaude… Rae and I have two fics.
1) with this ring (Dimitri/Claude, 67,351 words, rated E) I'm still really proud of this one. It was written for the Dimiclaude Big Bang and has some lovely illustrations to go along with. I really love both writing and reading long fics, like sinking into a good novel, so I'm always happy when I finish one. I LOVE the arranged marriage trope, it's so fun to play with, and I'd been wanting to write an arranged marriage fic for these two for awhile. The things you can do when your OTP is canonically royalty!
2) lake song (Dimitri/Claude, 58702 words, rated T->E) This is cheating probably, as this is actually a series of 5 fics. But I couldn't pick only one of them, and it's one of my favorite things I've ever written, digging into trauma and recovery and living on after something that's changed not only your life but the world you used to live in. Primarily Dimiclaude, but very slowburn, with background ships and worldbuilding for things the game didn't give us. I really enjoyed writing it.
3) in the age of kings (Emet-Selch/Hythlodaeus, 16069 words, rated E) I have some difficulty writing FFXIV fics because the fandom is very focused on things I'm personally not that interested in, but this fic flowed out of me like it was meant to be. So easy and satisfying to write. I love writing getting-together fics, especially if there's a dash of bittersweetness, which needless to say the Ancients have in spades. It's my love letter to the Hythades ship, I guess, and I'll probably come back to them again someday.
4) all this riot of light (Sylvain/Claude, 15035 words, rated E) I really wanted to write Claudevain, and the different outcomes for different characters on different routes is something I thought about a lot when I was deep in 3H fandom. It all came together and haunted me with a Black Eagles Sylvain post-game idea that turned into this fic, which I still love, and which made me really love the ship as well. So many fun possibilities.
5) who burns like fire on the rushing sea (Ronan/Adam, 63867 words, rated E) I took a years-long break from fic writing and didn't really know if I'd ever get back into it, for various reasons. Then my friends and I all got obsessed with the Raven Cycle, which brought back my fic writing bug and made me remember everything I loved about fandom and creating for a fandom. This was the first long fic I wrote after coming back. I was super proud of myself then and I still am now.
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majorbaby · 6 months
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kinktober retrospective
it's harder to write to kinks than i thought??? or rather, there aren't that many kinks that i'm that interested in writing?? how shameful. in future years i will endeavour to be less vanilla.
was getting into fights with myself constantly about what qualifies as "kink" which lead to my reading john money's "lovemaps" and a few other clinical pieces on the subject.
it was a good way to knock out ideas i'd had that had been languishing as WIPs forever, or worse, just in my brain. lbr i was never going to write the multichapter BJ/Peg bondage fic, it's out now as a 3K word ficlet, the way it had to be if it was ever going to be written
on that note - short stories are so fun and some stories are better suited to a smaller wordcount. underutilized formats include: the two-parter and the single/double/triple drabble that used to be popular. i like marathon smut as much as the next person but realistically, shorter formats are very practical for porn? do we not all appreciate a quickie on days when we just don't have the time? gonna start calling these short, smutty ficlets: quicklets
i'm bad at writing to prompts!!! brain refuses to stay on topic. buildup makes smut better in my opinion but I always end up with 2K words of buildup and 1K words of smut and i would love if that ratio is reversed. next time i think i will put in place some kind of visual reminder like *BUILDUP ENDS HERE* so that I remember where...
oh man. part way through i started becoming very curious about ~the science of pornography~ glorious beast, i want to understand you. but the word "pornography" is so politicized, you can barely study it as a field. typed the word "pornography" into goodreads and the first 10 pages are mostly anti-porn or anti-sex-work puritan propaganda. if you actually want to learn about pornography (not simply how to defeat it in combat) you cannot even refer to it by name. you instead have to use words like "erotica" or "erotic literature" which - i don't have anything against the words themselves and technically what i'm doing is "erotica" but i am so allergic to the hierarchy of designated "high art" vs "low art" and i have no interest in joining the ranks of "high art", but it's easy to get into ones head about self-indulgent fanfiction and start quietly thinking of it as "erotica"
something to be said about "fun" as a motivator. i read a quote once from neil gaiman where he said "i don't enjoy writing but i enjoy having written" and i think there is definitely some truth to that but also i have totally experienced vibrant joy while writing and at some point i'd like to examine how i come to that exactly... although "examining" the thing seems counterintuitive to replicating. perhaps it just is. the pieces i enjoyed writing the most were hawktrapollie spitroasting (i also had huge amounts of fun writing the 12K smutfic i did for them back in january of this year so maybe it's just that i enjoy that ship a lot) and the ginger/trapper pegging piece. interestingly, though they are my #1 OTP, I can't say I've ever come anywhere close to having the same amount of fun writing trapper/hawkeye, although I rarely find them to be a slog...
the piece that caused me the greatest difficulty was BJ/Peg. probably because it (TMI, perhaps!) does not turn me on at all. I was just interested in getting a point across, and I'm glad I did. but the whole time I was like "eh" about it. I think these kinds of writing exercises are important, but I wonder if I should have strived to find some kind of angle of enjoyment. actually, here's where mr. gaiman's point really applies... I'm glad I wrote it, but I did not enjoy writing it.
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