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realbeijinger · 5 months

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Another semi-coherent rant on climate change, the value of idealism, and TGCF (I finally finished!)

Well, I finished Tian Guan Ci Fu. And, oh man, if you read my last post, you’ll know that I was terrified that the entire novel would be a criticism of blind idealism. But I am SO glad I was wrong!!! Looking back on what I wrote before… it’s kind of hilarious how worried I was. I was so sure that I knew where it was going, was so busy preparing myself to be offended/emotionally crushed, that I wouldn’t even entertain the idea that maybe MXTX had a similar worldview to me all along.

In my defense, aside from the line, “Something like saving the common people… although foolish, it is brave,” everything seemed to point toward the idea that trying to do good is pointless. I mean, up until the moment when Xie Lian was lying with a sword in his chest on the streets of Yong’an, all of his efforts to do good had essentially been in vain. He hadn’t been able to help anyone.

And then, when the one guy stopped and gave Xie Lian his hat, I dunno, I just cried. It was so perfect! Like, ugh, damn you, MXTX! So sneaky… destroying us, just to bring us back later!! It was such a small, insignificant win, but it was exactly what Xie Lian (and I) needed. I love the line, “Just one person was enough!” Just one person doing something selfless. It’s enough to give us hope.

It really resonates with me because I think a lot about how to maintain hope. In terms of the climate crisis, I feel like Xie Lian—completely powerless. I want to stop eating meat, use less plastic, spend more time on environmental activism, but honestly, what do any of these things matter? The meat industry is not going to change because I choose to stop consuming. Even my activism has a completely negligible effect—whether or not I join a protest or write a letter to my congressman will almost certainly not be the deciding factor for any climate legislation, no matter how much effort I put in.

And yet, I still want to. I love the moment when Xie Lian chooses to get stabbed over and over rather than create a second plague of Human Face Disease, and White No-Face asks him in shock, “Why??”—as in, why would you ever do that? And Xie Lian responds: “I don’t have a reason—just because I want to! Even if I explained it to you… Useless trash like you wouldn’t understand.” This line is so great. Xie Lian can’t explain it to White No-Face, because, in truth, it isn’t entirely logical. It can’t be explained by reason. I want to do my measly, unimportant part to help the world… because I want to. Because it feels right. Because it’s my way of keeping my heart, of maintaining faith that there is some good in this world worth upholding. (As an aside, I love how the English title of the live action drama—which we may never get to see, God damn censorship!!!!—is called “Eternal Faith.” Of course it refers to Hua Cheng and Xie Lian’s faith in each other, but I think it also means having eternal faith in the value of doing good, despite centuries of experience that seem to show its pointlessness.)

As I talked about in my last post, if you zoom out far enough, nothing really seems to matter. Everything we love and care about will one day be gone. And yet, I believe we still have to act like it matters. This is the basic tenant of existentialism, and I think MXTX portrays this philosophical paradox really beautifully.

It’s funny, because I think MXTX has a lot of profound things to say, but in an interview I read, she warned against viewing her work too deeply, saying, “I am not a guru.” I get that she may not want the responsibility of giving people spiritual advice, but I do think she presents some really fascinating, really novel, philosophical ideas. So, sorry MXTX, but I’m about to analyze TGCF like it’s a piece of freakin scripture. Soo here we go…

The main theme she comes back to again and again is that fortune is limited, so the only way you can do good for others is by taking fortune from somebody else. Which leads the characters to a bunch of ethically impossible choices: the people of Yong’an and the people of Xianle can’t all be saved (Xie Lian must choose who to help), neither can the people of Wuyong and the surrounding kingdoms (Prince of Wuyong must choose), and Shi Wudu can’t save his brother from a tragic fate without taking fortune from an innocent person. When the characters try to avoid choosing, and try to “play God” by creating a “third path,” it just invites disaster.

But is this really true? Is fortune actually limited? It’s an idea that reminds me of Buddhism and Daoism, but also seems kind of revolutionary… (I like to think I know something about Chinese philosophy but it could certainly be a thing and I don’t know). I don’t believe in fate, but I do believe in limited resources, and the idea that nature tends toward balance. I think conceiving of it this way, as a pool of fortune, is really interesting.

It reminds me of this Meme:

In other words, who is the protagonist and who is the villain is entirely based on perspective. And, according to the laws of nature, we all must survive by eating others, or causing others to starve (i.e. avoiding being eaten).

I tried to think if this is really true in all areas of life. I’m a teacher, and one of the ways I convince myself that I am doing good in the world is by helping my students—preparing them well for college so that they can get into good schools and follow their dreams. But then, is this just taking fortune from others? If I do prepare my students well, and as a result they all get into top universities, does that mean they are taking spots away from other students? Am I simply just helping “my own,” at the expense of others?

One place where I see this concept play out very clearly is with our modern, industrialized society. As I mentioned in my last post, we live in a world of abundance. Most of us have enough food to eat, live in houses with electricity and running water, and don’t worry about a whole host of diseases endured by our ancestors. It seems we have done what Xie Lian couldn’t—we have expanded the well of fortune for most of humanity.

But this fortune wasn’t spontaneously created. It was taken from other species. It was borrowed against our own future, when climate change will likely destroy this world of abundance we have created, causing untold suffering. In truth, when it comes to prosperity, there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Even now, when we ought to be enjoying our fortune, most of us are not happy. We want other things. We take food, clothing, and shelter for granted, creating even bigger, more lofty demands—a bigger car, a better house, a machine that’s sole purpose is to make bread. In fact, it seems like whenever we make things “better,” the goalposts just move. I recently read a book called Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, which mentioned that with the advent of washing machines and vacuum cleaners, everyone assumed there would be more free time. Yet, the real outcome was that standards of cleanliness just changed. Suddenly, people expected you to wear fresh clothes every day and have a perfectly dust-free home, which meant spending just as much time cleaning as in the past.

And according to psychologists, getting what we want doesn’t really make us happier. Instead, something like getting a promotion causes our happiness to spike, before it quickly returns to baseline. The psychologist Dan Gilbert writes that the purpose of our emotions is to act like a compass—to tell us which direction to go in. If you feel good, you can continue the way you are going. If you feel bad, you should probably turn—make a change. But if you get what you want and become permanently happy, your compass is now broken. It’s stuck in one direction and becomes useless.

All of this is very Buddhist, of course. Suffering is not caused by our external circumstances, but our desire to change them.

Like I said, I don’t necessarily believe in “fate” or “fortune.” But I believe this all points to something deeper that MXTX is getting at: which is that we cannot fundamentally make a better world, for the common people, or for anyone. This idea of “better” doesn’t really exist. The world is as it is. Trying to alter that is like playing God. And like Xie Lian says, “In this world, there are no true gods…”

So, what do we do? How can we survive this absurdist tragedy of life? I don’t think we can just throw up our hands and not give a shit—that way lies depression and Jun Wu-style cruelty. We cannot lose our heart. But we also can’t try to fix everything.

One thing I find a bit difficult about MXTX is she is very clear about the impossible situations our characters find themselves in, but not really clear about the solution. She seems critical of the characters’ actions (I’m thinking also of Wei Wuxian here), but what exactly does she think they should have done? In other words, what is the point?

I spent a long time thinking about this. And I realized that Xie Lian was able to get back on his feet, find happiness and make peace with himself. How did he do this? Ultimately, I see Xie Lian’s solution as having three parts: self-sacrifice, gratitude, and purpose. Which all sounds very academic and maybe not that profound on an emotional level. But hear me out. Because, in the end, I think these choices are incredibly beautiful. They are the kind of thing that make me feel like reading TGCF was actually a spiritual experience, no matter what MXTX says. That makes me admire Xie Lian and want to follow him (like the God he is).

Okay so first: self-sacrifice. If fortune is limited, and the only way to make others’ lives better is to take fortune from someplace else, then there is really only one place you can take it from without hurting others—yourself.

So, part of Xie Lian’s solution is to take fortune from himself and give it to others. It’s why he asks for a cursed shackle that disperses his fortune, so that his fortune will naturally flow to those around him. It’s, of course, a very small thing. He is no longer playing God, or trying to “fix” the world on a grand scale. He is simply, in his own, quiet way, serving the common people.

My desire to give up meat and to spend more time on activism—these things feel like big sacrifices for me. And yet, they will have a very small impact on the greater situation in the world. They’re a drop in the ocean. I still want to do it, but it’s hard. It’s hard to care, or think that these things matter. Yet, this is the trade-off Xie Lian was willing to make. I really admire him for it.

I believe self-sacrifice is actually a really important, beautiful thing, that our society has forgotten the value of. We are individualistic—obsessed with our own wants. As I mentioned previously, our expectations have risen, so we buy and buy and buy. We are unwilling to rein in our consumption. I know a lot of people baulk at lifestyle changes as a solution to the climate crisis, and I agree that putting pressure on individuals instead of governments or corporations is misguided. But, first of all, there simply aren’t enough resources on earth to sustain our current levels of consumption. And, second… I don’t think we can completely let individuals off the hook. What is society anyway, but a collection of individuals? If we are going to address this thing, it’s going to take a massive movement—bigger than the civil rights movement or the works’ rights movement or the women’s movement. It’s going to take millions of people worldwide getting out of their own heads, their own lives, and concerning themselves with the greater good. That requires immense sacrifice.

Which takes me to gratitude. In order to be willing to sacrifice, you have to appreciate what you already have.

People often talk about gratitude these days as a path to mental health. Instinctively, it sounds like an uplifting, positive thing. And it is… but it also entails having a relatively negative worldview. It means remembering all the horrible things that exist in this world which we are lucky enough to avoid on a daily basis. You stepped in some dog shit? Well, that sucks, but you could have stepped into an open manhole and broken your neck! So! That’s something to be grateful for.

We are all so lucky. I’m sure everyone reading this has pains and traumas and challenges. This isn’t to diminish those, but, I hope, at least we all have at least one person to love. That’s all Hua Cheng had, and it’s what kept him going. Just one person was enough. And most of us, I hope, get to eat food every day, get to sleep in a bed, get to play video games or read novels or write poetry when we are sad. Not everyone gets those things.

Xie Lian, of course, was the king of low expectations, because he knew his future was going to be bad. He had intentionally accepted bad luck for a lifetime. So, there was no point in hoping for things to get better.

I think this attitude is best shown by his interaction with the Venerable of Empty words. The Venerable of Empty Words feeds off people’s fears. But Xie Lian didn’t really have any. When the Venerable of Empty Words warned him that his hut will collapse in two months, his response is, “Two months? If it’s still standing in seven days, then it’ll be a real miracle.” Because his expectations are so low, he’s essentially immune to fear. I can’t help but think that if you could really think this way, it would be a kind of superpower. It reminds me of the famous quote by spiritual teacher Krishnamurti, “Do you know what my secret is? You see, I don’t mind what happens.”

And so Xie Lian is okay with everything. He can sleep anywhere, crash boulders on his chest for money, not eat for three days, regularly suffer corpse poisoning, and still be okay.

Which leads to my third point: purpose. Xie Lian is able to endure such hardship because his expectations are low, but also he knows all his suffering has a purpose. “If I am to become a God of misfortune, then so be it,” he says. “As long as I know deep down that I am not.” He is okay with being laughed at or avoided for his bad luck, because deep down he knows he is doing the right thing. People can withstand a great deal if they feel their suffering has meaning. In Man’s Search for Meaning, the psychiatrist Victor Frankl’s writes about the horrors of living through a concentration camp, and how over and over, it was creating purpose that allowed him, and others, to find motivation to survive. Which I think has an important lesson for self-sacrifice. People are willing to sacrifice a lot, if they feel their sacrifice has purpose.

I get it when MXTX says that she is not a guru, and maybe it’s a lot to ask of a danmei novel to take spiritual advice from it. The book wasn’t necessarily perfect, and I do have some critiques (which I was gonna add here, but this thing is already wayyy too long). But… I do think I found something really meaningful in this story—some inspiration. I want to follow Xie Lian’s example, and live with gratitude and acceptance, while keeping my faith in doing the right thing. In other words, WWXLD! (What Would Xie Lian Do?)

#tgcf #mxtx #heaven official's blessing #tgcf meta #tian guan ci fu #climate change #xie lian #hualian #danmei #chinese bl

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sorencd · 8 months

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PROLOGUE: LIKE THE MOVIES

─ i want a love like i've seen in the movies.

september 19, 1957 ── 10:46 am

the bookshop, for the majority of the time, was quiet. only the sounds of customers opening the door from time to time was what could be heard. because usually, when people go bookshopping, it's done quietly. a certain pair of cheeky best friends, clad in coats and sweaters that entered the shop about an hour ago was an exception, though. the previously quiet and quaint store was now filled with hushed chattering amongst themselves and the occasional faint laughter.

examining the covers of books was your second-most favorite thing to do, aside from reading and smelling the comforting scent of aged and new books alike. neil would always stare at you incredelously whenever you took a sniff of a good old book's pages. in your defense, they really do genuinely smell good and of you could, you'd bask in the aroma forever.

"this book looks cool."

neil handed you a book with a bright cover, the title 'catcher in the rye' written in bold. you flipped it over a few times to examine it properly, it did pique your interest quite a bit, but not fully.

"what's it about?"

"it says here; 'the comic and touching novel about a raw american adolescent, which has become recognized as a key book of the present decade.' hm, it's all about adolescence, obviously." he ended, flipping the book over to look at the front page again.

"you gonna read it?"

scanning your eyes over various titles on the shelves, you couldn't find a single one that you haven't read, and if you hadn't read it, it didn't really sound too enticing to you. you were about to move to another shelve until one finally spoke to you. pulling it off where it comfortably sat between two other books with a smile, you held it in your hands carefully.

"i just might. have you found a book to read?"

"yeah." you blatantly responded, revealing the book that was in your hands. showing him the title of whatever piece of literature you were able to put your hands on.

"really, 'the cat in the hat?'." neil arched his eyebrow with a smile.

you laughed at his response and at yourself. it was maybe a bit silly, reading a children's book. but you couldn’t find anything else.

"yeah! nothing could go wrong with a dr. seuss book."

"if that's all your brain could comprehend i totally understand you, (y/n)."

shocked with what just came out of neil's mouth, you shoved his arm with faux hurt and a loud laugh. you're sure there are people watching the two of you and are giving you weird glances with how rowdy the both of you are being. you pulled your eyes away from neil to look at the selection of books once more, and another title caught your eye. repeating the same action from earlier, you took it out from where it was sandwiched.

"would you rather read this one? 'how the grinch stole christmas', it's perfect for someone like you. you could play the grinch."

"i will as long as you play max."

the pair of you were in another fit of giggles, teasing each other about ridiculous other things just to get a reaction out of the other. at this rate you're going you'd probably never be able to buy a new book to read before lunch.

"i think i'll just read 'the lord of the flies', no snide remarks neil."

"i wasn't planning on saying anything!"

"yeah ok. you go on outside, i'll be the one to pay for the books."

"it's alright, i'll wait for you."

to anyone who isn't close friends with the both of you, this could be easily misinterpreted as an interaction between a couple. but you assure them that you're just friends. moments like these however, constantly keeps you awake at night questioning if you still see neil as a friend or something more. you hated thinking about it, since you might just be giving meaning to things and you'll wind up hurting yourself in the end. why are feelings so complicated?

the clerk handed you your change and waved you off goodbye. the pair of you scuttled out of thr bookshop and into the slightly-chilled streets.

"where should we go next?" you looked at neil, hoping that he'll suggest you two visit the new cafe a few blocks down. you were a bit hungry despite doing nothing, but you were still hungry. and thank heavens neil knows you like the back of his hand.

"you wanna stop by the new cafe? the food on display always looks amazing whenever i pass by."

"brilliant idea! best decision you've ever made, neil. i must say. truly commendable."

side by side, you started walking on the pavement with your hands in each of your own pockets, respectively. neil was keen on striking up another conversation, judging by the brand new topic he had brought up seemingly out of nowhere. but you weren't complaining, you loved talking to him. that you couldn’t deny. and while the world continues moving on, your journey towards the cafe was a foot.

#HIHIHI HERE IT IS!!! i almost forgot to post it like #also i'll format it properly once the wifi returns #i am currently on data #and i hate it #but here it is!!!#neil perry x reader #dead poets society x reader #neil perry #dead poets society

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pipi-un-kaki-in-pipi-land · 1 year

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what he has that i don't

summary: wednesday gets jealous for the first time when she sees you with xavier

Enviosity had engulfed Wednesday's heart as she peeked around the pillar to see you and him talking - again. She seethed in her own silence as she stormed off to the next class; initially planning to invite you but all those hopes were shattered she saw you just standing there chatting with Xavier.

She was entirely new to this feeling that she was experiencing. She's never been so fully possessive or jealous, but that's until you and her both fell for each other. Somehow, Wednesday had loathed it whenever you talked to Xavier, as if she didn't have something he had.

"Aw, Addams, why have you been so grumpy lately?" you teased playfully, walking over to the girl who was immensely typing away at her new novel.

"You tell me why," The ravenette kept a straight face as she continued typing, only more aggressive this time as the thought of you and Xavier bubbled in her mind once again.

Your playful expression slowly sunk as you tried to figure out why. When she didn't give you an Addams-qualified reply, you knew something was off about her. You sighed as your mind clicked at the only possible answer.

"Wednesday, is this about Xavier? Again?" You asked, folding your arms as the raven turned her attention to you.

"That was some lightning-speed thinking," She scoffed as she pulled the paper harshly from the typewriter as she gave it to Thing, who was only enjoying the free drama show.

"Look- We're just friends, nothing more than that," You whined in frustration, but that just made a graver look emerge on Wednesday's face. "Is that so? Then why do you keep talking to him like he's your new partner?" she spouted those words bitterly, and you had enough of it.

"Listen, Addams, I don't fully understand why you're so infatuated with my relationship with Xavier, but you just crossed the line. Why are you so jealous when I talk to him? If I had that same relationship with a girl, you wouldn't give a shit, would you?" you uttered, fury beginning to reflect on your pupils as you stormed to the door, taking a quick glance at the perplexed raven before stepping out.

Wednesday had never intended for this to happen, she really didn't. She wanted to answer you as badly as you hated her at that moment, but the words halted in her throat when you walked through the door. You had always thought that she was too busy investigating about the Hyde or her novel, but when she was with you, you weren't really there.

But she couldn't ever afford to lose you. Ever since she's become more immersed in the Hyde, your relationship with her had started drifting apart like a raft from an island. She slowly sat on her bed, trying to hold back a guilty tear that filled her eye to the brim.

Maybe you were just friends with Xavier, after all. Perhaps she had been wrong, for the first time in her life - but no, she shouldn't have let you slip away from her heart so quickly.

If she had a rewind button, she'd push it as many times to make things right with you. As long as you were by her side, she felt like a complete puzzle. But now a piece of that had been removed, and she felt as empty as ever.

She went to the balcony, looking at the moon as she wondered if you were thinking of her too.

#wednesday netflix #wednesday addams x reader #wednesday x y/n #wednesday series #wednesday x you #pipi un kaki in pipi caca land

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shadowbends · 2 years

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DEEP DISH!! ROTTMNT FANFIC RECS (OVER 15,000 WORDS)

It’s me again, folks. Do you enjoy good fanfic? We’re reaching the end of the line, but I’m here to hook you up! Whether you’re new to the fandom and diving into the ROTTMNT fic scene for the first time, or a veteran looking for content you might have missed, my hope for this project is to point you to something you’ll enjoy!

This rec list is the last of three and focuses on longfic in the fandom, with a word count reaching anywhere over 15,000 words. You’ll find a variety of fic here, from novellas to full-blown novels—some complete, but many still ongoing! Though it may be heresy on the streets of New York, this is the list you want when you’re craving something really thick to sink your teeth into: a sit-down experience exploding with flavor. Don’t have time for that, actually? Then consider checking out my previous rec lists as well!

NEW YORK STYLE, BABY!! ROTTMNT FANFIC RECS (UNDER 5,000 WORDS)

STUFFED CRUST!! ROTTMNT FANFIC RECS (BETWEEN 5,000 AND 15,000 WORDS)

DEEP DISH!! ROTTMNT FANFIC RECS (OVER 15,000 WORDS) — You’re here!

If you enjoy any of these fics, make sure to reblog and spread the love! Don’t forget to check out the other works by these authors; many of them have written multiple wonderful stories not featured here that are just as good. Additionally, consider leaving the authors a comment! I’m not always the best at that myself, but fic writers work hard and deserve all the love in the world.

With all of that said, it’s time for the recs. Let’s dig in!

Quick note: On previous lists, I separated the recs by the general time period they took place in. I’m not going to that here, largely because—uh. Well. Nearly all of them are post-movie! This fandom’s sure been active in the last couple of months, huh? Given that, I’ll be sorting them by a broader method, but yes. If you’ve not seen the movie, this is your warning that spoilers abound in the recs below.

➤ ➤ ➤ CANON COMPLIANT

The Aftermath by Starrcrossrose

57,262 words, 9/? chapters (last updated 11/03/2022)

Character Focus: Everyone (Leo-centric)

Genre: Angst, Family Drama, Hurt/Comfort

It would’ve been easier to say what he was feeling, but he honestly didn’t know how. He wasn’t sure why, either. He knew his brothers would understand and comfort him and be there if he wanted them to be. Hell, Donnie’s surprise sleepover and everyone showing up for it in the living room had been proof of that.

Yet he still couldn’t do it. He’d tried to talk to Donnie and the pain on his brother’s face had been enough to make him never want to speak about things ever again. He didn’t want them to hurt the way he did; he wanted them to be okay and normal and happy.

You know they aren’t happy. Why do you keep pretending to be fine when the others aren’t either?

Leo squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face into his knees as he pulled himself into an even tighter ball. He wanted to go into his shell as much as possible, but at the same time, a searing energy was making his legs feel like he could run or swim for miles. He could just go and go and go until he collapsed.

Maybe… maybe that'll help.

Set a few months after the movie, Leo struggles with the long recovery time needed for his injuries to heal, both physical and mental. Unable to talk about it, he turns to unhealthy coping methods instead. The rest of the family is doing no better from the fallout of the invasion, however, with each of their own stresses mounting the longer things go unaddressed. That is until Chapter 8, when things come to a head...

There are a lot of post-movie recovery fics out there, each one unique. The Aftermath’s hallmark has to be in its slowburn foreshadowing, and excellent character writing. Throughout many chapters, we get a glimpse into the heads of just about every beloved character the series has to offer, including April and Casey Jr. Little clues to what’s going to go wrong are set up early on, but just like the characters, I was blind to how serious of a turn things were about to take until the problem finally reared its head. This fic does a good job of showing how important it is to talk to one another, even if it’s hard.

Aftershocks by Katiemonz, McBethins, octolingkiera, theashemarie, and this_kills_the_man

153,543 words, 12/15 chapters (last updated 11/06/2022)

Character Focus: Everyone

Genre: Family Drama, Angst, Hurt/Comfort

“Good game,” Leo said to Donnie, smiling at Mikey in the same sly way as before.

“Thank you, Leonardo, but as I’ve said Uno is—”

“But you still lost,” Leo continued. He swept the cards up and began to straighten them for another shuffle.

“Second place is hardly—”

“Honorary title,” Leo cut in again. “Mikey won, so we owe him.”

“Owe him what? I have—”

“Keep your money, Don. In this game we’re dealing in secrets.”

“Secrets.”

“Yeah, specifically what’s up in that brilliant, big head of yours after all that Krang shit. C’mon. You owe him one secret.”

Picking up from the end of the invasion but spanning the weeks after, the day’s been won, but no one came out of the Krang’s attack completely unscathed. There’s a lot of trauma to unpack here—unfortunately, talking about it is the last thing just about anyone in the family wants to do.

Another recovery fic, Aftershocks is unique for being a story told from five perspectives (the boys and April), as written by five different authors. As the brothers avoid each other, each arc’s events end up having quite the different take depending on whose POV you’re currently following, even in moments where the same scene is being retold. Truly an ensemble fic that focuses on everyone’s trauma, I’ve especially enjoyed that April was included. As the longest fic on this list, Aftershocks is heavy on introspection and exposition, but the characterization always manages to shine through in the details. I especially love the scene I quoted above; “Trauma Uno” is totally a concept I could see the boys coming up with.

A Tale of Spirits by unorthodoxx

47,202 words, 6/? chapters (last updated 11/06/2022)

Character Focus: Ensemble

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Crossover

"I need to find my brothers," Raph mumbles. "That's if they're even here."

"And then head back to the spirit world."

"It's not the spirit world!"

"Right," Toph grins. "This so-called 'other dimension' without benders."

"There are no benders in my world."

Toph reaches and places a hand on scaled skin. Huge muscles twitch under her palm and the spirit stops. "No benders?"

"Yes!"

She nods. "Like the spirit world."

Raph throws his arms up with a scream and Toph cackles.

For a crossover, this fic requires quite a bit of investment in the second fandom to follow; you’ll want to have seen all of ATLA Season 1, and potentially even Season 2 if you want to keep track of what’s going on, especially for moments when episodes are retold, but with the turtles added in. Additionally, the POV is solely with the ATLA characters. Is this fic worth recommending despite that? Abso-freaking-lutely. This might be one of the most creative crossovers I’ve seen in any fandom, and I’m absolutely hooked.

The plot is deceptively straightforward—the four turtles mysteriously appear in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender, separated and with no idea where the brothers are. Their arrival changes everything, with the people of the world seeing them as powerful spirits and guardians. I won’t spoil who ends up with who beyond what’s shown in the excerpt, but it paves the way for fascinating political intrigue and character development on all sides, our fave turtles included. Donatello’s position is perhaps the most fascinating for what may come of it, but everyone’s new groupings have been an utter delight. The banter feels charming and wholly in-character, and I can’t wait to read more. This is definitely a fic to keep your eye on, if you’ve not found it already.

Brother Dearest by Wardenov

69,666 words, 22/? chapters (last updated 11/03/2022)

Character Focus: Everyone (Donnie-centric)

Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Horror

“You came here looking for answers, weakling, because you messed with powers far beyond your understanding.” “I’m not-” She doesn’t let him continue. “Our brother may be dead, but the glory of our kind is that we are never truly defeated, not as long as our mark remains.” And as if to make her point, she raises a tentacle and delicately touches the glass - tendrils spawning from the point of contact, rapidly expanding across the surface like a frenzied contagion before freezing in place and crumbling under the extreme cold. “We cull the weak and assimilate those worthy, we bestow the blessing of Krang upon those who deserve it. You-” she spits, remaining tentacles scrambling to climb the glass where Donnie stood, “-you have stolen our gift.”

He says nothing.

“But,” she continues, sadistic smile returning, “your transgressions have ensured our survival. Our continued conquest. Whether you like it or not.”

Set a few months after the Krang’s invasion, things have seemingly gone back to normal for the Hamato family. Everyone’s doing their best to get by, and back to familiar routines and hobbies. Donnie, though? His newest project throws all of that into new chaos, showing that no matter how well-meaning, there are some things man (and turtle) was never meant to tamper with.

I’m absolutely feral for this fic, and desperate to impress upon anyone seeing this why they should read it. It might be one of the very best fics the fandom has to offer. Seriously. You want plot and worldbuilding on par with the Season 3 we never got? Exploration of the Hidden City, and the Council of Heads that run it? High stakes, suspense, action, and family drama? Look no further, fam. Brother Dearest has it all, and every character (even Mayhem!) has a big role to play. April’s sleuthing, Mikey further develops his new mystic powers, Leo has some heavy choices to make as leader, and Raph isn’t as home free after the Krang invasion as he thought. Make no mistake, though, the star of this show is Donnie in his unwitting supervillain arc. Will his family be able to save him from himself? Only time and new chapters can tell, but this fic dug its claws into my heart and won’t let go, it’s so good.

Drift and Chemical Reaction by Bronte

26,949 words, 7/7 chapters (split between two fics)

Character Focus: Donatello & Leonardo, Ensemble

Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Family Bonding

"Piña colada?"

"What the—?" Donnie cuts him off before he can finish, cramming a green and yellow striped straw between his teeth. Leo wears some of it, the yellow, smoothie-like drink dribbling down his plastron. "Wait, where did you—what is this?"

Donnie smirks. "Pineapple, coconut, rum. A taste of the tropics."

Leo blinks and glances down apprehensively at the ‘Better Late than Ugly’ mug in his hand. "...does this have alcohol in it?"

"Does this have—pfft, I would never. Do you know who I am? Donatello, upstanding citizen of Manhattan proper?" Donnie barks a laugh, tossing his head back before leveling him with a look. "Of course there is. As the Bard himself said, self-love, my brother, is not so vile a sin as self-neglect."

As two sides of the same story, these fics are being recommended together! Set after the movie, Drift is told from Leonardo’s POV, both during and after leaving the prison dimension, where Chemical Reaction tells the story from Donatello’s POV.

The real charm of this fic, though? It has to be the banter. Reading this, I could totally hear the character’s voices in my head, which was only made better once the piña coladas came in. You think the twins are disasters; just wait until they’re drunk. These fics would be worth reccing on their own for that scene alone, but there’s actually a little bit of plot involved as well as Leo struggles to regain his ninpo, while Donnie... Well, something weird is going on with Donnie. Needless to say, both of these are a great read!

Every Night the Longest Day by ashtreelane

33,731 words, 13/? chapters (last updated 10/27/2022)

Character Focus: Leonardo & Family

Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Medical Drama

“What’s wrong, Leo?” Raph asks from where he is curled around him, the snapper’s chin nestled on the top of his head.

“Can’t sleep,” Leo mutters. He smells worry, sudden and sharp, and when he opens his eyes Raph has whipped around to look at Donnie, eyes blown wide, looking for an answer. Donnie is looking at him too, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“We- okay. Raph, don't freak out. This is to be expected, remember?” Donnie is saying, his voice just barely on the wrong side of too calm. He’s freaking out too. Why? What’s happening? Oh, he’s being addressed now, he should probably pay attention.

“Leo, you were cursed six days ago to be unable to fall asleep. Your memory is suffering because of it, but we’re all right here, okay?”

Leo kind of knows what they’re talking about. He remembers it, he remembers that it happened, but the… events are… foggy. What- what had they been talking about?

“What are we talking about?”

When Leo is cursed to be unable to sleep, he and the family must wait for a new moon to break the spell through a ritual. Unfortunately, that new moon is nearly two weeks off. As Leo is forced to stay awake for days on end, his mental and physical condition quickly begins to deteriorate. Through it all, Leo’s family stays by his side to help him through it, beautifully balancing hurt with comfort through the beginning. As the story goes on and Leo’s condition worsens, though... Well. Things aren’t looking good, let’s say.

I have such a soft spot for this fic, though. It’s grown quite popular lately, so many of you reading this list may have already heard it, but there was a point when I was following early on where the author was debating shifting the POV around or sticking with Leo as an unreliable narrator. I was really proud of them for sticking to their guns and going with the latter, and I think it’s paid off in spades. The way the author experiments with formatting styles and missing scenes really makes the fic stand apart from the standard whump setup, and turns it into something akin to low-key psychological horror. If you’re into that sort of thing it’s a lot of fun; even if you’re not, the moments of family bonding peppered throughout the fic are so wholesome, and definitely worth your time.

Fallout by GauntletKnight

50,677 words, 20/? chapters (last updated 11/05/2022)

Character Focus: Everyone

Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Family Drama

“We are here. We are alive. Raph and Mikey are downstairs. Dad and April and Casey are on the way. You’re alright, Leo. You’re safe. We are all safe. No one is here to hurt you…or us.” There is no special inflection to his voice, but his words are firm, unmoving. Leo shakes for a moment, squeezing Donnie’s hand…and then he blinks, his eyes clear and he tries to take a breath.

Violent coughs wrack his body as he tries to dislodge the blood that had built up from his sobs. Bright red spatters down his front and across Donnie’s hands as he holds onto Leo’s arm. Each breath is like nails on a chalkboard.

Draxum steps in instantly, checking the monitor for vitals. “I’ve gotta get to that punctured lung…or else getting this blood transfusion in him isn’t going to do anything.” He turns to Donnie, holding out plastic gloves, “Can you-”

Leo shakes his head, finally getting a rattling breath into his chest. “N-no…Don’s…not great with this kind of thing. S’ok…he’s so good at everything else he had to leave some for the rest of us.” He smiles up at Donnie like Donnie hung the damn moon and stars, his eyes still shining with painful tears. It’s…a weirdly genuine moment between the two of them…

Donnie doesn’t like it.

Set between the final fight and grabbing a slice in the movie, this fic follows the immediate aftermath of pulling Leo out of the prison dimension with a bit more urgency and attention to everyone’s injuries.

As I’ve said before, every movie recovery fic I’ve found has their hallmark, and I’d say Fallout’s is its heart and emotion. By focusing on the aftermath of the battle where everyone’s stresses are still running high, there’s a lot going on here, and it makes for some tense, but evocative moments. The story is lightly focused on Leo’s mental state especially, but everyone is going through it and as the POV shifts every chapter, each character gets some focus as they work through their injuries and messy feelings. Fallout is very satisfying read, and one I often come back to over and over.

hamartia by Punable

40,364 words, 9/? chapters (last updated 10/30/2022)

Character Focus: Donatello & Family

Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort

It felt nothing like how he imagined dying would feel.

Donatello was a man of science, so it would have been foolish of him to have not, over the years, devised theories around what results certain situations would generate, what or who they might take out of commission, and what he would need to do personally in order to gain the best possible outcome. He would sometimes note down how he believed these situations might affect him or his brothers, both physically or mentally - he wasn’t an expert on emotions, far from it, but he could at least logically assume that getting, say, struck by lightning (one of his planned-for possibilities) would leave its own traumatic scar on any man or turtle that happened to experience it, so he’d dragged in April for those certain emotional areas and promptly abandoned her as a research partner when she’d told him he was being obsessive. He was not obsessive, just thorough.

He couldn’t help but feel as though some of that research time may have been wasted, though, as he lay on his side, his newest project slash rework shattered into almost unsalvageable pieces on the floor across from him. (And really, that felt almost like the harshest blow - how was anyone except him supposed to salvage that hunk of junk? Was that all that he was leaving behind?)

He felt it had been time wasted, maybe, because dying didn’t feel at all like the soft, slowing breaths of passing peacefully into sleep, or the fast tight gasping of someone going out from a bullet wound. If anything, it felt like he was breathing too deeply, every breath filling his whole body and stretching out every wound and puncture and fracture, oxygen making his head light (or maybe that was the blood loss). He didn’t feel at peace, and he certainly didn’t feel as scared as he thought he should’ve been, as he had read he should have been.

Mostly, it just felt like an inconvenience.

Donnie almost dies, and that’s just the start of this angsty tale. What follows is an interesting exploration of what Donatello thinks of himself and his role in the team, and his family’s growing concerns when he won’t give himself time to recover. Donnie’s brush with death has lasting consequences, and a large part of the fic is dedicated both to how much they affect him and how long he can hide it from his family (and the audience). Once the truth comes out, though? Oof.

The newfound disability is handled well, imo, and you really feel for everyone involved. There’s a lot about mental health that the author just does really well in general, actually. The focus on family and everyone’s concerns for their brother is where this fic really shines, though, and there’s a lot of emotion that hits just right. Basically, the hurt is done so well, I’m looking forward to when we get to more comfort.

i go there with you by bobtheacorn

21,649 words, 15/? chapters (last updated 11/04/2022)

Character Focus: Everyone

Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Humor

"But seriously," Donnie says seriously, brandishing his tablet screen above Mikey's head and pointing at it, "I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that you be Very Honest when I ask you to scale your pain using this -" He cuts his eyes toward Raph, who grins. "Emoji Scale. Which dramatization would you say you find the most relatable at the moment?"

"Okay, so defo… this guy," Leo says. He thinks he manages to lift his finger but that's all the juice he's got. "On the… left."

"That would be the thumbs-up emoji, Leo," Raph says cautiously.

"Awww," Mikey gushes, "Is that one because you love us?"

"Hang on," Leo says around another small huff of maybe-laughter, "You… can't prove anything. But also…" He moves his finger again. "Also this guy on the… on the far r-right. Like, for-real for real."

"Oh, the sad-angry-crying emoji, fantastic," Donnie says with a bit more pep, tossing the tablet and turning to Splinter, who's closest to the monitor, "Papa, would you do Leo a huge favor and smash that morphine button, please? Like, right now, immediately."

Set immediately after the invasion. This fic is a series of interconnected one-shots originally written for Whumptober, but by Chapter 9 breaks into its own thing. The whump remains a focus, but it’s tempered by a good dose of comfort and humor as well, which the author is a master of.

If you want a recovery fic after the events of the movie that matches the feeling of the show, i go there with you is the fic to start with. The characterization and banter are spot on, as is the emotional whiplash. All of the characters gets some love and introspection in this one too, which is always fun.

Now That’s What I Call A Vacation! by WayWardWatson

56,238 words, 9/? chapters (last updated 11/06/2022)

Character Focus: Splinter & Family

Genre: Family Bonding, Adventure, Hurt/Comfort

Splinter turned his attention back to Big Mama, the flirtatious mood from earlier dissipating. “I am calling in your favor.”

It was like he had slapped her with his rat tail with how she reared back in visible disgust. Her fangs clicked in irritation and she scuttled further down, closer to where Splinter was standing. “Remind me, when have I ever owed you a measly-weasly favor?”

“When you misused demon armor for profit that nearly resulted in the end of human and yokai kind alike?” Splinter evenly said. “Oh, and the time I rubbed your feet, all eight of them, when you were on bedrest.”

“I thought that was an act of love.”

“Kindness.” He corrected because his heart hurt too much when she said love. “I was being kind. Though, if you want,” Again, his voice dipped into a purr, splaying out his arms wide in open invitation. “You could be kind enough to give me and my family a free round trip to Japan? I know you can do it.”

More scuttling as a low hiss escaped her maw. “That is a big, dimbly favor to ask.”

“I thought we were calling those acts of lo- kindness?”

“Why,” She drew the word out as she finally reached the bottom and pressed her broach. Suddenly, a swirl of light engulfed Big Mama and, with a whoosh of mystic energy that smelt like nutmeg, he watched as her stature began to diminish. Just as quickly, the light fractured and then separated into small motes of bioluminescent dust, casting a dim, golden glow around them. Now in human form, Big Mama stepped in close enough to touch. “Do you want to go to Japan?”

Without thinking, Splinter’s eyes trailed down then up and he swallowed. His heart was beginning to pick up, but certainly not from fear. He took a moment to gather himself. “My children need a vacation.”

Splinter takes one look at the S2 finale and the movie and decides that’s it, this family needs a break. Deals are made, mystic disguise brooches are acquired, itineraries are made, and with that, the family (including April!) are off on an exciting vacation to Japan! As with all scenarios involving the Hamato Clan, however, nothing goes so simply.

You’re getting so much bang for your buck picking up this fic. A family trip to Japan is charming in and of itself—and the author has done so much research on the country that some passages feels like taking a tour of your own—but this fic actually has a lot going on for it. How they even get to Japan involves some fun mystic worldbuilding, and the cloaking brooches open the door to interesting commentary on body dysphoria. And of course, things take quite a turn when the fam runs into a figure from Splinter’s past who has questions he struggles to answer. A refreshing story with creative ideas, Now That’s What I Call A Vacation! also has an excellent grasp on all of the characters, in and out of vacation mode. It’s a darling read.

odd man out by cosmocrow

22,676 words, 4/? chapters (last updated 10/29/2022)

Character Focus: Future Leonardo & Leonardo, Future Leonardo & Casey, The Hamato Family

Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Family Drama

“Master Splinter,” he greets, almost impressed by the fact that his voice isn’t wavering like he feared it would. “I’m sorry for barging in– like. Barging into your timeline? I– I can explain.” He really can’t, but that isn’t the point.

Splinter only raises a hand. “Don’t worry, Casey has brought us up to speed.” He turns to deposit the tray onto a cart, before folding his hands into the sleeve of his robe. Leonardo can feel those yellow eyes look him up and down as he straightens up again. Splinter takes a step closer, craning his short neck to be able to look Leonardo in the face. Melancholy dances on his features, but the rat smiles nonetheless.

“Look at you, you’ve gotten so tall, Leonardo.” The soft usage of his name almost makes Leonardo stumble. He hasn’t heard it from his father’s mouth in a long, long time. A familiar burn starts to prickle within his eyes, so he starts blinking in order to quell the itch, pressing his lips together, so his mouth won’t wobble. He isn’t sure why he’s trying – he knows that Splinter knows.

His father always knew everything.

Splinter steps even closer, lifting a hand from within the confines of his sleeves. Like a magnet, Leonardo bends down, so his dad can cup the side of his face. Gently, the old rat rubs his thumb into his cheek, just below his mask, over his red markings. Splinter’s sad little smile falls, and he tugs down the blue mask over Leonardo’s face.

“But,” he says softly, “you look so tired, my son.”

Several months after the movie’s conclusion, a familiar face from Casey’s averted bad future appears, just as everyone else is startling to settle back in. Predictably, this throws everything into confusion.

Tl;dr, Future Leonardo is sent back into the past and has to adjust back to a world sans apocalypse, and the family takes him in with open arms. Things between him and younger Leo are a lot more tenuous, but there’s a resolution early on that feels very true to their personalities—one less sure of himself, and the other who’s learned his lessons the hard way—that resonated strongly with me and made me fall in love with the story. Add to that some genuinely heartwarming moments with the family bonding, and you’re in for a good, if bittersweet time.

Recoil by unorthodoxx

63,236 words, 10/10 chapters

Character Focus: Ensemble

Genre: Action, Team Bonding, Angst, Crossover

“Hey guys,” he yells. “You might want to see this.”

It doesn’t take long for the three of them to spill into his lab. Leo comes in first and drapes himself across the back of Donnie’s chair. “What’s up? You find the secret ingredient to Luenzo’s Pizza yet?”

“No,” Donnie scowls. “They’re locked down tighter than Fort Knox, but it’ll fall soon. They always do. No fellas,” He enlarges the email, “We’ve been invited to a meet-up of sorts.”

Raph’s hand settles heavily on his shoulder as the larger turtle leans in to read. “Dear Genius Built…….Talk about…….agree to meet…..love…”

“IRONMAN!!?!?” Mikey shouts. “THE Ironman wants to meet us!”

“Wow,” Raph whistles. “The Avengers. That’s some top-level hero stuff.”

ROTTMNT crosses over with the MCU! Set in a world where both universes exist in the same setting, this fic takes place after the Krang Invasion, but fairly into the MCU’s history, long before the superheroes have their falling out. So long as you have any familiarity with the first Avengers movie, you’ll be able to follow the story fine, as it’s straightforward: the appearance of the Krang was as abrupt as their defeat, and Tony Stark can’t let sleeping dogs lie. After uncovering the turtles’ involvement, an in-person meeting is arranged to handle the fate of the Krang Key.

Most of this fic is just a fun excuse to let the ROTTMNT characters bounce off the MCU characters, and it’s fun to see who gets along and who doesn’t. That’s the thing I love in particular about this story—the author is true enough to their characterization that not everyone is friends by the end, in a way that makes whole sense. The Avengers are disasters themselves, after all. The plot of handling the key is done exceptionally well too, and there’s a lot of high octane action at the end that’s quite thrilling. If you’re looking for a good time, you’ll fine it in Recoil, and if you enjoyed it, there’s more where that came from! The author has planned out several other stories set later on in the same series, the first of which (where the turtles meet Spiderman) is already out. So keep an eye on that!

this kind of weather by ihaveathingforpink

21,526 words, 2/4 chapters (last updated 09/18/2022)

Character Focus: Leonardo & Michelangelo, Raphael & Donatello, Ensemble

Genre: Action, Hurt/Comfort, Crossover

“Well, if it is business you seek, Krang has a proposition for you. There are two turtles Krang wishes for you to…remove from the board as their tenacity has proven to be as obstructive as it is predictable. For our plans to proceed, it’s too dangerous for either to remain alive.”

Takeshi takes another sip before asking, “Turtles? As in the ninja turtles that reside beneath the city, whom everyone pretends doesn’t exist? The people of New York won’t be pleased if I do anything to harm their heroes.”

“Oh, I want you to do more than simply harm them. First, they need to suffer.”

“Suffering costs extra. I don’t do anything for free.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to.”

“Yet you said two turtles when, last I checked, there’s four.”

“Ah, yes. They are of little concern to me. Krang only need you to get rid of two, and you must follow Krang's instructions precisely. Otherwise, you will fail. First, you will need to get rid of the little orange one; he may not look like much, but he’s one of the strongest mystic warriors of all time. I suggest you handle this one quickly—he can be quite slippery—but the blue one, Krang implores you to take your time.”

This story has one helluva hook. A surviving Krang puts a hit out on Mikey and Leo, and saying more than that would unfortunately spoil the twist of the first chapter. With just two chapters, though, this story is fascinating and deserves a lot more attention than it’s gotten. It has high stakes, great action, and is an emotional roller coaster that doesn’t let up. It’s also a bit of a crossover, though longstanding fans of the TMNT franchise will recognize these faces right away. That’s right, this is a crossover with Usagi Yojimbo! Besides characters of that series, though, there’s also a lot of familiar faces from previous TMNT series that Rise never got enough time to tackle, like Tiger Claw and Renet.

You can probably guess from the latter’s name that things are about to get timey-wimey up in here, and you’d be correct. There’s an absolutely killer plot at work here, emphasis on the killer, and whether they want to or not the turtles have to take a divide and conquer approach to it while at one of their lowest points. Seriously, check this one out.

Under Pressure by ParvumAutmaton

21,560 words, 4/4 chapters

Character Focus: The Boys & April

Genre: Suspense, Angst

“You know April, right?” The voice on the other end of the line asked. “You’re one of her gamer friends?”

Donnie blinked. The voice sounded familiar but that didn’t help him at the unholy hour where way too late morphed into way too early.

“And you are?”

“Her mother. Please, did she spend the night at your place?”

“No, she did not,” Donnie answered, forcing himself upright, his exhaustion evaporating with that question. “I believe she was planning on some extracurricular club activity yesterday afternoon. So we weren’t planning on seeing her.”

“I don’t suppose you know which club?”

“No, I do not.”

“Ok,” The waver Donnie heard in her voice implied that it wasn’t. “You will let me know if April gets in touch?”

“Of course Ms. O’Neil.”

The call ended.

Donnie stared at his phone.

One of the few fics on this list not set after the movie, this story takes place after the S2 finale on a dismal day when April goes missing. Investigating her disappearance leads the boys to a van and a lake, and an exploration on the dangers of cave diving.

As you can guess from that description, this fic has quite the creative setup that’s both atmospheric and suspenseful. Be sure to heed the tags because it does get dark, but it’s still a great read, and the turtles’ determination to find their sister pulls at the heartstrings.

➤ ➤ ➤ CANON DIVERGENT

big sister by Darth_Sunny

18,090 words, 6/? chapters (last updated 10/24/2022)

Character Focus: April & Family

Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort

April O’Neil wasn’t an only child anymore. She had four younger brothers, whom she loved with all her heart, and who she’d burned the world down for if anything were to happen to them. She’d fight every ancient mystic evil the world would throw at her if it meant keeping them safe. And if she couldn’t be there for them at the moment, she’d be there for them in the aftermath. She was their big sister, their oldest and only sister. : was the self-proclaimed protector, but even he needed someone to protect him and to help protect their younger brothers.

So that’s why, when she watched the portal close up, slicing the Technodrome in half, stopping the Kraang for good, knowing that he was trapped back in that prison dimension, April O’Neil felt her heart break into hundreds, thousands, millions of little pieces.

This one’s a fic following April’s perspective on the end of the invasion, from Leo’s sacrifice, to picking up Casey, and reuniting with the boys. It mostly follows canon, but there is a fairly major change revealed partway through that makes it canon divergent from the movie’s ending. It’s unclear if other changes will follow, but just in case it’s being slotted in the canon divergent category all the same.

That’s not the focus, though. No, this fic is centered squarely on April and her relationship with the rest of the Hamato Clan. I love that it impresses how much April is a part of the family, and that the boys aren’t just her friends but her brothers, and that their pain is her pain. Watching the aftermath of the invasion unfold from her perspective is a fresh and evocative take.

Like Father Like Son by eternalglitch

132,982 words, 25/? chapters (last updated 11/02/2022)

Character Focus: Everyone (Leo-centric)

Genre: Angst, Drama, Hurt/Comfort

“Here, Boss!” Huginn darted back across the room, wings straining, as he carried a very… familiar…

“Uh, wait up, no,” Leo said, eyeing the blue object as Huginn dropped it into Draxum’s waiting hand. “Do you even know where that thing’s been? Have you properly washed it at least?”

Draxum’s roots suddenly shift, dragging Leo upright until he’s forced to stand on his tip-toes to have any sort of purchase. “I happened to have had it offered to me by the mutant that you call Meat Sweats,” Draxum said, admiring the collar (for that’s what it actually was, even if Leo had never called it that when it was just a gift from his brother) in the light. “He was quite helpful once I mentioned what I wanted to use it for.” Draxum started to approach, the collar held aloft.

“So, what,” Leo bit out. “You’re gonna stop me from saying my one-liners? Big whoop.”

“I think you’ll find,” Draxum coolly said. “That this has been modified to do so much more than that.”

This fic needs no introduction. In fact, there’s a high chance some of you heard of LFLS before they even saw Rise; I’ve heard of people who only watched the show just so they could read it! It’s the most popular fic in the fandom for a reason. If that’s scared you off, though, or if you’ve avoided it for other reasons, let me tell you why you should give it a chance.

The fic takes some of Rise’s best villains and settings, and explores the darker sides of them (do heed the warnings in the tags). Leo goes through the absolute wringer, but the effect his disappearance has on his family plays a central part of the story as well, with all of the brothers getting full blown introspection and character arcs. Donnie’s in particular hurts me. The emotions are high and the plot is juicy, with some of the tightest writing the fandom has to offer, including intelligent plans and dialogue. As far as hurt/comfort goes, this is definitely a slow burn with a lot of angst, but the author has promised a happy ending. Between that and consistent updates (it’s been going strong for two years), what more could you ask for?

Three Days to Live by Werepirechick

93,992 words, 13/13 chapters

Character Focus: April & The Boys

Genre: Cyberpunk, Action, Human AU

The heiress and former target lowers her hands, keeping them placidly by her sides. “K-tech is a vicious, unrelenting company,” she says, glasses gleaming in the room’s light as she lifts her chin in defiance. “The people who run it are the same. They don’t let people get away, and they don’t leave loose ends. You were all on their shit list as much as I am, the second you signed on.”

Leo shifts his stance, tightening his grip on his gun. “So what are you proposing?” he asks coolly.

“Like y’all said. I’m the heiress to the company. In three days I’m going to walk into a courtroom, sign the papers that frees K-tech from the control of my guardian, and walk out the richest, most powerful person in North America.” O’Neil smiles bitterly. “That is, if I can survive the next seventy-two hours. That’s where you come in.”

“You want us to guard you,” Raph states.

Ohhh, this fic is an absolute gem. You can’t say no to a good Human AU in this fandom to start, but to top it off with a cyberpunk twist? Trust me, this is a match made in heaven. The plot kicks off when the boys—hitmen in this universe—are hired to take out April O’Neil, an heiress to one of the world’s largest tech companies. When things take a turn, she makes them a deal: protect her for three days instead, and she’ll make them rich beyond their wildest dreams.

The plot that follows is filled with danger, intrigue, and high octane action. The world is incredibly thought out and immersive, and makes for a great way to work ROTTMNT’s mystic powers into a new genre. The banter, though. If you’ve read any of Werepirechick’s other fics, you’d know that’s their specialty, and it’s no different here in Three Days to Live. While on the run from the powers seeking to destroy her, the boys and April bond and their friendship is perfection. The series also blends in characters from other iterations of the franchise, but it’s not too distracting, and for the most part remains firmly rooted in the Rise style. Do yourself a favor, and give this one a read!

Posted: 11/06/2022

#rottmnt #rottmnt fic #rise of the tmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #fanfic recs #the fics got longer #thus so did my commentary

439 notes · View notes

bettsfic · 4 days

Note

Hi Betts,

I recently listened to an interview with an author that said “when they decided to get really serious about writing and their dreams they made a ten year plan.” So me being the planner that I am, said maybe I should do it too, especially since this writer is pretty successful. Have I made a decent enough plan? No, because being real about your dreams and committing is scary af.

But I have developed this thinking that each story I have to work on has to be “publishable” and if I can’t immediately envision its success I need to push it away. For some people this is fine. For me, I’m pushing aside every idea and am constantly writing for an invisible audience. Which has its pros and cons.

I want to become efficient so that I can be a good author. One who meets deadlines and puts out work they are proud of. But I’m wondering if it’s even possible to try to work to be an author and still create work that is fun and true to you? If a decision isn’t meaningful I won’t include it in my outline. It feels like the only time writing can be fun is when I was young and had no clue about market and rules and just assumed my dreams would come true.

you know, what i keep finding over and over again is that i was right about a great many things before i had any idea what i was doing. i just didn't know why i was right, i had no context or evidence for my rightness. granted, i was arrogant, but arrogance isn't wrong; it's just uninformed. when you inform arrogance, it becomes confidence. you become informed by getting a lot of feedback on your work and giving feedback on work; having your work accepted once or twice and accepting someone else's work; having your work rejected hundreds of times and being the one to reject. maybe you've done all those things already, in which case you're firmly on your path and there's not much you have to do besides keep going.

i definitely relate to what you're saying, though. i would be lying if i said i wasn't just days ago in a phase of berating myself for my failures and wishing i could work harder and more efficiently. i've cultivated some confidence about my work, but there are some ways in which i'm too arrogant and others in which i'm too humble. i have a long way to go still in informing myself about my work and the process of making it.

you'll be in positions where you have to make creative concessions for the sake of publishing, but don't make them before you get anything on the page. listen to your own ideals and make those ideals happen in your work. a year ago, i finished a novel that was my favorite thing i'd ever made, and i was so proud of it, but i knew it wasn't publishable in the state it was in. even though i'd worked a year on it, it was still an early draft and bore the marks of an early draft, but i couldn't see that because i'd never taken any project further than that one. i'd never felt closer to a project or more intensely toward it. and when i was done, i went through six months grieving it, in a sense, because i knew i'd have to rewrite it. i had to kill the thing that it was in order for it to become what it needed to be. i came to accept that, and the next six months sat on the frustration of not knowing what direction to take it, but having the wisdom to know i couldn't rush it or force it.

and then the fix came to me all at once. the fix involves getting rid of many things that were once dear to me. not even darlings, but entire themes i felt were meaningful, that were the very things i want to share and explore in my work. i don't feel so bad about giving those things up now. what i take out will be put into something else eventually, and what i keep will stand out more starkly. the new parts i write will fit better and serve the story itself, even if it's no longer the story i originally intended to tell.

when you're drafting, your work is in a private conversation with yourself; it's about you even if it isn't. but it can't stay about you. eventually it has to stand on its own. and you might think, well why can't i just write something that stands on its own to begin with? but if you do that, writing is just work, it's business, and it may be more efficient but it's also less meaningful. there's no such thing as efficient creativity. it takes as long as it takes, and if you force yourself on a ten year timeline you might as well focus that energy on something more lucrative and within your control. there's so much about writing that's just chance and discovery and failure and faith.

so i think you should go back to assuming your dreams will come true and not thinking too much about anything except the work itself until you get to the point where you have to. and it will hurt. it may hurt more than anything hurt you've ever put yourself through. but trust you'll get to where you're going, even if it takes longer than you intended.

#writing advice #publishing #concession #process

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shark-myths · 2 months

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🍓 🥤 🌿 for the ask game!!!! <333

🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction?

one of my favorite k facts tbh. i invented fanfiction at jesus camp with my new friend eden. we clutched each other on a hillside while a god rock band performed below, puffy with mosquito bites and illicit ideas, and whispered to one another of the members of our mutual favorite band, what if they kissed each other? we were 13 years old. camp was so in-the-middle-of-nowhere you could see the whole milky way at night, the thickness of it. the grass got wetter and wetter the longer you sat in the dark, hiding from the flashlights of your counselors. every few breaths you'd see a shooting star, til you were numb to marvel, til that was just what the night sky looked like and you expected it everywhere. it was magic and no one had ever thought of it before, boys in bands kissing. when we went home to our separate cities, i started handwriting fic (decorated with gel pen! this was the year 2003) and mailing it to her in hot pink envelopes. imagine my surprise when i discovered the internet.

🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love

one of my favorite fics i ever read was a girl!one direction story about squirting. here it is: you change, water sea by got2ghost

🌿 ⇢ give some advice on writer's block and low creativity

love this question, as someone who has struggled in the workplace to maintain the same creative energy i had access to in school.

for creativity: read. read endlessly. try to understand on a granular, sentence-and-word-level, why you like the things you like; what makes a line funny, what makes a line scary, what draws you in to a writer's style vs pushes you out of it. what do the books you can't put down have in common? read things that challenge you--long-form novels, old novels, things way outside your preferred genres. and try to have lots of experiences in the time you aren't writing. try new things! paint something, walk down a block you've never been on, look in people's windows, cook a new meal, get coffee at a new place, go for a drive, listen to someone else's favorite record, listen to a record you hate actually, go to a new store and just look around, touch fabrics, dance, have conversations, travel for no reason, watch videos on youtube about new skills you don't intend to master. READ NONFICTION, especially essays. try to avoid doing the same things you're comfortable with or things that feel easy for a whole afternoon. bury yourself in sensation. chase pleasure. let yourself play.

for writer's block: write anyway--in a journal, in your fragmented notes file with ideas, edit or polish something that's already written, get one sentence out. i like to set a timer for 20 minutes and give it a proper try (this means staying off tumblr and my phone) and then, if it doesn't lead to anything, i'm off the hook guilt-free, because i made an effort. try writing in a different notebook, with a different pen, in a different place, even in a different font on your computer. set yourself challenges like, write a 100 word story. write a specific type of poem like a villanelle. respond to a prompt or create one for someone else. if there's a part of the story--or a different story--that feels more easeful to write and you're just trying to get there, skip to that part. to be quite honest, writing in a notebook away from technology is the #1 thing that helps me just keep moving. it breaks me out of distraction and perfectionism cycles. it feels good to fill pages, even if it's with words you don't even up using.

the other part is, accept that our brains won't do what they won't do. great writing is not created by use of force. the biggest thing i have learned about myself is that if i can't write, there's something wrong. maybe the characters in my story aren't making sense, maybe the plot is boring and readers will be just as bored as i am, maybe i need to go back and rewrite something to end up in a better place for the next scene, maybe i need a week off from a story because i'm burned out on it and i should write something else or nothing at all. but most often there's not something wrong with the story--there's something wrong with my life. i don't have the time or the energy; i'm giving too much of the best parts of myself to the wrong thing; i'm trying to write at the wrong time of day for my energy level; i checked my email first and now my concentration is entirely shot; i need to work fewer hours if i want to write more; i need more help around the house if i want to write more; i need to just let it be dirty for a while and skip my chores if i want to write more, etc. figuring out what you need to actually feel like writing--learn to feel that again!--and making it possible to set other things, even important things, aside in order to write when you feel it, is so huge for me. making a commitment to the practice of writing and not the product of it. if you're doing that, you can relax. take care of yourself and fix the imbalances in your life. the ideas will come. writing is organic and we are organisms. given space and time, things will always change from how they are right now. let yourself and your creative practice ebb and flow when it needs to instead of forcing it to be something it's not.

thank you for the ask darling sorry i ranted at you for twenty fucking minutes!!!

#asks #ask game #on writing #writing #thank you lovely!!!

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eponastory · 3 months

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Alright, I suppose I'll get this over with since I spent some time thinking about it.

Zuko and Mai

Just look at them.

Honestly, their relationship isn't bad, it's just lacking something.

Oh right...

Communication!

They don't talk to each other. I don't mean striking up a conversation... I mean talking about their feelings to each other. Well, at least on Mai's end. We know Zuko shows his emotions very well because of his frustration. Mai is quiet, aloof, and isn't very good at showing how she feels.

She doesn't even vocalize her feelings. Now, that's fine since 74% of our communication is body language, while the rest is verbal and sensory (I bet you didn't even know that), however I think she struggles with that as well.

Zuko is very good at showing he cares by being attentive (guys, learn from Zuko) he is boyfriend/husband material (I don't want to hear about the colonizer bullshit, it's irrelevant, get an education). He may have made some horrible choices in the past, but he is a good person. So, why do he and Mai keep breaking up and getting back together?

Choices!

I've said it before and I'll say it again...

A bad relationship is set by the choices made individually.

So, you know the whole "I don't keep secrets from my partner" thing? This is it. This is why relationships fail. It's hand in hand with communication, and it's the path to breakups/divorce.

In the graphic novel (I have to go back and look, but I think it's right at the end of The Promise? Correct me if I'm wrong) the reason they broke up is because Zuko made some choices that kinda... well it wasn't great and almost led to a war with the Earth Kingdom. But it really put him in a negative light even though he turned out to be in the end. Mai saw this as Zuko becoming his father, and well, she waited to confront him about it.

Zuko made some decisions on his own and didn't really tell her about it, leading to some misunderstandings. Actually, he did this before in Book Three when he left to join the Gaang. He doesn't sit and talk to Mai about it. He just does it. This is where things go wrong. He may have thought he was doing right by her, but in the end, it was the execution that was bad.

Do I think they will get back together?

Eh... it's debatable. The creators have full control of what the characters do at this point. If they were to get back together, they would definitely have to fix the problems I mentioned above. Maybe that will happen from experience.

What do I like about this relationship?

They obviously care about each other, and I do think they look good together. I'm not a huge fan of it because I see the problems in the relationship. It's not a bad relationship, it's problematic at the worst. At best, they make a cute couple. I'm not sure if Mai is Izumi's mother, but again, we are at the mercy of the creators.

Oh that's it. That's the problems.

So how do you fix these problems?

Well, there is therapy, but there is also just talking to your partner. Talking about the things that make you uncomfortable and what makes you upset about your relationship is going to clear the air. Now, if your partner is not a great communicator, that is where a therapist can help, and I highly recommend that.

What makes a relationship toxic comes down to narcissism and other violent traits. There is bad relationships, and then there is downright toxic and hellish.

NONE of the relationships in the show are toxic except for Ozai's relationship with his wife, children, and everyone else he has a relationship with. He is an egotistical sociopathic narcissist... that is a walking nuclear waste pit right there. Run away. Run away immediately.

Anyway, this is what I think...

Oh, and Zuko is the very opposite of his father, so don't even go there.

Hope you enjoy my little relationship analysis.

#not all relationships stay static my dudes #they are dynamic #avatar the last airbender #atla zuko #atla mai #maiko #pro zuko

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astrronomemes · 10 months

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ON EARTH WE'RE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS: STARTERS

a collection of quotes, phrases, and sayings from the 2019 Ocean Vuong novel, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. change & alter as needed.

"Grab your coat. I'll get you McDonald's."

"You have to get bigger and stronger, okay?"

"The human eye is God's loneliest creation. How so much of the world passes through the pupil, and still, it holds nothing."

"A survivor is the last one to come home."

"To be a monster is to be a hybrid signal, a lighthouse: both shelter and warning at once."

"You're a monster. But so am I — which is why I can't turn away from you."

"They say that trauma affects not only the brain, but the body, too — its musculature, joints, and posture."

"Stop crying! You're always crying!"

"Whether we want to or not, we are traveling in a spiral. We are creating something new from what is gone."

"Theories are for people with too much time and not enough determination."

"I don't know if you're happy, [name]. I never asked."

"It is a beautiful country, depending on where you look."

"It is a beautiful country, because you are still breathing."

"It is a beautiful country, because you are still in it."

"There are no animals here but us."

"Everything good is somewhere else, baby, I'm telling you. Everything."

"The most useful thing one can do with empty hands is hold on."

"I'm not scared of dying anymore."

"I fucking hate my dad."

"This is my superpower — to make a dark even darker than what's around me."

"What do you call the animal that, finding the hunter, offers itself to be eaten?"

"Sometimes, being offered tenderness feels like the very proof that you've been ruined."

"Do you remember the happiest day of your life? What about the saddest?"

"Do you think we'll still hang out when we're a hundred?"

"I don't like girls."

"I can leave, [name]. If you don't want me, I can go. I won't be a problem, and nobody has to know."

"For the first time in a long time, I'm trying to believe in heaven. In a place we can be together after all this blows over."

"They say every snowflake is different. But the blizzard, it covers us all the same."

"I don't celebrate my birthday anymore."

"They say nothing lasts forever, but they're just scared it will last longer than they can love it."

"I think I just deep-throated an invisible cock."

"I miss you more than I remember you."

"Too much joy, I swear, is lost in our desperation to keep it."

"If there's a heaven, I think it looks like this."

"Maybe in the next life, we'll meet each other for the first time — believing in everything but the harm we're capable of."

"Don't cry on me again. Don't you cry on me now."

"What have we become to each other if not what we've done to each other?"

"What are we if not what the light says we are?"

"All this time, I told myself we were born from war. But I was wrong, [name]. We were born from beauty."

"They say if you want something bad enough, you'll end up making a god out of it."

"I know you believe in reincarnation. I don't know if I do, but I hope it's real. Because then maybe you'll come back here next time around."

#rp meme #roleplay meme #rp starters #roleplay starters #dialogue prompts #rp prompts #roleplay prompts #rp memes #roleplay memes #sentence memes #sentence prompts #sentence starters

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commander-krios · 9 months

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Mine

Fandom: Andromeda Six Pairing: Vexx Serif/Traveler Rating: Mature Summary: Vexx Serif didn't know when his flirting with the youngest Peg'asi became more than a game, but he's certain that he's screwed it up. Words: 2230 Additional Tags: First Kiss, Flirting, Teasing, Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers

Read on AO3

~~~~

Vexx didn’t particularly enjoy waking up in a chair in an ominously quiet library, dusty books stacked neatly on the table in front of him, long abandoned. He didn’t enjoy having a missing charge on the largest property he’d ever stepped foot on, but here he was, again. Princess Sade Peg’asi knew he was bored sitting with nothing to do, which was why every day after midday meal, after he was stuffed full of delicious food and about to fall asleep, they would sit in the quiet library while her soft voice lulled him into a state of relaxation, reading from the most boring historical novels she could find. He could never resist when sleep finally pulled him under.

You need the rest, Vexx. she had told him the first time. You are exhausted.

It was her excuse every time, but he thought she enjoyed being chased.

Whatever the truth was, it was a game they played a few days a week, when the lack of sleep was starting to catch up to him. Sade was only ever polite about him nodding off and neglecting his duties, and when he found her again, she always smiled in that dazzling way she did and laughed.

Vexx didn’t know if she realized the effect she had on him. She was clever, saw a lot by watching those around her, but if she realized he was keeping secrets from her, she didn’t hint at it. Sade never looked at him with anything but affection.

That only made him more nervous.

This time, Sade was sitting in the garden, a rose among the other beautiful flowers, a pair of leather gloves on her delicate hands as she worked the dirt before adding more sproutlings to the ground. Dirt stained her lavender dress, but she paid it no mind, too busy planting to care about her appearance.

It was one of the things he liked about her.

He studied her as he approached, dark curls pulled back with a matching purple ribbon, her favorite sparrow comb tucked into the mess of untamed hair. She and her eldest sister, Nerissa, the heir apparent, were so much alike in coloring and manner, but there was something about Sade that made him feel content. Understood. Accepted. She was soft, playful, smart… and too damned clever for her own good.

When he was sure she would easily hear his words, Vexx called out across the garden. “I think you’re missing your ballroom dancing lessons, Princess. What will the Solar Queen say?”

Sade raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, a grin playing across her lips. He caught the flash of mischief behind her honey-green eyes before she quickly hid it. Once upon a time, he might’ve believed he imagined the emotion, but he knew the girl behind the mask too well now. He wouldn’t underestimate her again. “Vexx, we both know I don’t need those lessons.”

“Did you forget the two left feet incident at the last masquerade?”

She laughed, brushing a curl out of her face. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of the library.”

Vexx knelt beside her, brushing some dirt from her cheek. Not that it mattered when her lavender gown was covered in more. “This is becoming a common problem, Princess.” His fingers trailed along her cheek, across her jaw, before tangling into her curls. He never got enough of the silky feel of her hair against his skin, how it bounced and curled around his fingers.

Sade sighed, closing her eyes and leaning into his touch. “You aren’t complaining, are you?”

With a grin that was maybe a tad devilish, Vexx trailed his hand down her arm before taking her gloved hand in his. “Me? Complain? It’s as if you don’t know me at all.”

With a gentle tug, he removed each glove, one at a time before dropping them in the dirt.

“Those were expensive.” She chided him with such a fake scowl that he nearly choked on a laugh.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Princess. They’re still expensive lying in the dirt, if that helps?”

Her mouth twitched, but she managed to keep her smile hidden. “You aren’t helping your cause, Lieutenant.”

“Oh, I am.” He teased, taking the opportunity to entwine their hands, no barrier between them. Her skin was still warm from her glove, a softness he wasn’t used to, but nevertheless enjoyed.“Because I can do this now.”

Lifting her hand, he pressed a lingering kiss against her knuckles. Blush bloomed across her cheeks and it took everything in him not to tease her again. Tucking her hand in the crook of his arm, he tugged her along with him across the pavers, waiting for the inevitable protests at leaving her gloves and gardening tools behind.

But there was nothing.

When he glanced at her, she watched their surroundings instead of him: the birds in the fountains, the bees as they buzzed near the flowers, the trestles of wisteria and vines, the arches overhead full of flowers he couldn’t name. Vexx always liked the gardens, enjoyed their time whenever they ventured outside, but lately, his eyes were constantly drawn to the woman beside him, rivaling the flowers for beauty.

A few minutes later, she still hadn’t said anything and he sighed, slowly his strides until they finally stopped. “Is there somewhere you’d like to go, Princess?”

Her eyes stared ahead, unfocused, and worry twisted his stomach. Something wasn’t right. Sade always teased and flirted with him. “Are you alright, Sade?”

At the sound of her name, she glanced at him, lips opening slightly as if she wanted to speak but didn’t know what to say.

Vexx tried to ignore the fear that sickened him. He’d pushed too far. He never thought about the things he said or did until well after they happened, and sometimes he dug himself a hole he couldn’t climb out of. He hoped this wasn’t one of those times. “Did you want to go back to your room?”

“No. I’m alright.” Sade brushed her hair behind her ear, arm slipping out of his so she could step away. “I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.”

Vexx wasn’t aware of when he actually started enjoying the little moments when they touched: a brush of hands, a lingering touch of her shoulder or arm, when he led her around with a hand on her waist…

As she turned to walk away, his heart jumped into his throat. This wasn’t supposed to happen. These feelings he had whenever she met his gaze, a smile on her face. Or how his heart beat faster at the sound of her laughter, a beautiful song he never tired of.

He followed at a distance, never letting her get too far ahead, the lavender dress brushing against the walkway as she made a hurried pace through the garden. She made a sudden turn right, directly into a greenhouse that was filled with as many flowers as the rest of the palace. Whites, yellows, blues, and pinks as far the eye can see. All flourishing under the oppressive humidity within.

Sade paused near a planter filled with the same sproutlings she’d been planting outside: a pretty white flower with a strong fragrance. Jasmine, he was sure it’s called. She smelled of the flowers she loved so much and even now, standing amidst dozens of other species, he could only smell her.

“Princess.”

Her shoulders tensed, fingers curling around the table where the blooms sat as if she needed something to ground her. What the hell had he said that upset her so much?

Stepping closer, he resisted reaching out. Touching her could have the opposite effect he intended, only to make her withdraw more and he doubted he could fix whatever this was if he did.

“Sade?”

When she turned, her eyes were standing at her hands as they twisted the front of her gown. “Do you mean the things you say? When you flirt with me?”

Vexx attempted to figure out what she was talking about. Which things? He said some seriously stupid shit in the past, both to her and others. He swallowed nervously, and figuring things couldn’t get much worse than they were, he hooked a finger beneath her chin and tilted her face so their eyes met.

“I’m sorry if I said something that upset you. I’m an idiot, my mouth runs faster than my brain sometimes.” His thumb brushed against her chin before he dropped his hand to his side, skin burning from the touch. “But I… enjoy your company.”

Sade searched his gaze, trying to find the true meaning behind that, and Vexx was good at hiding his true intentions, feelings, behind a mask of charm and flirtation. But with Sade, he didn’t know when the flirting became more than a game for him. It was terrifying that he actually wanted this woman. If Zovack found out about her, about what she meant to him…

The thought sent a cold chill of foreboding through him.

Zovack would kill her because she was a Peg’asi. Nothing would save her, not Vexx’s feelings or her kindness or her distaste for politics.

Sade Peg’asi wanted to go to Tilaarin to study. She wanted to become a doctor. And Vexx wanted to make sure she got the chance.

Vexx curled his fingers around hers, waiting for her to react. She did so immediately, entwining their hands together before squeezing gently, the smallest of smiles softening her face.

“You have me, Princess. Whatever parts you want.”

God knows, she already had his heart and possibly even his soul. If he had one left.

His brain completely short circuited the moment her lips met his, soft and insistent, the scent of jasmine overpowering his senses. Her breasts pressed against him, her free hand moving up his chest, brushing shoulder before tangling in his hair. His heart beat in his throat, his head spinning as she somehow got even closer.

A soft sound escaped his mouth, something between a sigh and gasp, and Sade jumped away. Bringing a hand up to cover her mouth, she stared at him in shock, eyes wide and horror crossing her face as her brain caught up with what happened.

“Oh I’m so sorry! I-” Sade groaned, mortified if the flush against her skin was any indication. “I didn’t think. Vexx-”

With a step forward, Vexx crowded her against the wall of the greenhouse, caging her with an arm on either side. He hovered closely, lips just out of reach, breath brushing against her cheek. She stared at him, doe eyed and terrified, and he felt a thrill run down his spine.

There was nothing he found sexier than a woman who knew what she wanted and took it.

With his voice nothing more than a growl, his mouth found her ear hiding beneath curls. “Are you mine, Princess?”

She shivered, fingers curling into his jacket, inhaling sharply at the question. A heartbeat passed in silence, nothing but their stunted breaths filling it. Vexx shifted to meet her gaze, fear curling in his chest again as she stared at him, shock only one of the emotions that passed over her eyes.

“Vexx?”

His name was soft as if she could barely find her voice to speak it.

The fabric of his guard jacket was clutched tightly in her hands, her body heat warming him more than the greenhouse’s humidity. Sweat dripped down his neck and past the collar of his jacket. He ignored it in favor of pushing her curls from her face, praying silently that she’d kiss him again.

“Yes, Princess?”

She watched as her hands trailed down his chest, slowly fingering the gold buttons, before tracing tantalizing lines down across his ribs. A chill went down his spine. Sade paused before she moved too far low and Vexx bit back a groan.

When she glanced up again, he nearly unraveled at how her pupils had left nothing but rings of her honeyed eyes. A color that was slowly becoming his favorite.

Her full lips hovered near his jaw, soft puffs of her breath hotter than the summer air. She wasn’t exceptionally tall, Sade barely reached his shoulder at full height, but she was tall enough to throw her arms around his neck. Her entire body brushed against him and his knees nearly buckled.

“If I’m not mistaken, Lieutenant, it seems you’re the one who is mine.” She whispered, lips sweeping across his chin. He froze, closing his eyes as her mouth disappeared, only to have the touch of her hands in his hair.

Then it ended, Sade pulling away, the softness of her body gone. Vexx shivered in the heat, opening his eyes enough to see the shit-eating grin on her face. Oh it was going to be like that.

A chuckle left his mouth, realizing when he’d been played. He’d give her the win for today. But he wasn’t finished with her. Not by a long shot. If the princess thought she could outmaneuver him, unravel him so easily, she was mistaken. She moved past him, fingers lingering against his arm before she disappeared farther into the greenhouse.

Vexx pulled in a deep breath, finding it impossible to steady the erratic beat of his heart. Then he turned to follow wherever she led.

He’d be ready next time.

#my writing #andromeda six #a6 #a6 fanfiction #a6 traveler #oc: sade #vexx serif #sade x vexx #a6 traveler x vexx #traveler x vexx

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scottmemelordstrashpile · 2 months

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So anyway, after watching Murder Drones Episode 7... (WARNING: SPICY TAKE CONTAINED WITHIN AS WELL AS GENERAL SERIES SPOILERS.) [Also somewhat of a series review I guess?]

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I hate to say it but I think I'm just done with the series at this point. Or if nothing else I've just kinda stopped giving a shit. At most I might continue to watch out of morbid curiosity but I'm past the point of caring about it on any other level.

I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt. I really did. But the problems I have with the show just kinda continue to persist. It's sort of a death by a million cuts thing where my issues just continue to pile higher and higher with each new episode.

Please don't take this as a personal attack if you like the show, if you enjoy it that's fine. You're entitled to. This is just my own opinion however if you don't want to read me being overtly negative and critical of the series then feel free to just continue scrolling. If however you'd like to know more then I implore you to click the "Keep reading" button and you can get a better understanding of why I feel this way.

___________________________________________________________

I have tried very hard to push my feelings aside and put on a positive face.

I kept telling myself "Maybe they'll get better as they go. Maybe the storytelling will get better as it goes on." but every episode I just feel even more confused and frankly kind of annoyed.

Everything just goes by so quickly, we're almost never given time to ruminate or rest. Sometimes it feels like entire scenes are missing with how it jumps between things. Hell, a good example is in-between episodes 4 and 5 where it feels like we missed something in-between. (Episode 5 in general is very confusing and probably my absolute least favorite, but that aside.) The last scene we see is Uzi and N falling asleep on the bus then somehow I guess we're back at the colony in Uzi's room and V is there too now? We don't even know V is there too until later either. At first we think it's just N but then it's revealed V is also unconscious. (And I guess also somehow hooked up to the same simulation or whatever N is? Also how do they know the parts neither of them were there for?) This is just a single example but they do things like this more than once. Jumping between scenes with no context.

It's still unclear who did what or why and they killed off Doll who was like the only character that had a definite motivation which also annoyed me. She was like the only character we actually had a very solid understanding of so to see her get killed off without a thought was almost kind of symbolic with how the writing in this show is.

I don't really get the point of masquerading as Tessa or even why Uzi is important or why the Solver wants her. (Especially when it still has a body, that being Cyn.) [Also why did Cyn need to access the files in the first place if they were just going to blow it up anyway? lol. My only guess would be maybe she somehow doesn't know every drone that's infected with the solver? Which is... strange if that is the case.]

The show just seems to never actually answer any questions and just continuously piles on more and more questions.

But if I went into intricate detail on every little thing that bothers me or doesn't make any sense I'd be writing a novel and this post is already getting kind of long and ranty. Plus I feel like that'd be a bit petty of me to do. (In addition to just taking way too long.)

I know I said before I would reserve my judgement until after the show is "Over" so I guess I kind of lied. But since what I presume to be Season 1 is coming to a close and it'll probably be a long while before Season 2 is announced if Glitch's previous tendencies are any indication I'd say it's a decent enough time to form an opinion. If the show hasn't got me by the end of the first season I feel like something might be wrong. I will not deny, it could also just be the show isn't for me to begin with which I guess I can respect. So I won't go out of my way to say it's bad, but I don't like it. And considering there's only one episode left of season 1 I highly doubt it's going to save it for me. It feels like I'm watching the series out of context when I'm not.

I also really dislike how the series uses so many "Blink and you'll miss it." moments to dispense lore. It gets really tiring, I shouldn't have to analyze a show frame by frame just to have an idea of what is going on. I hate to act like I'm an authority here but I feel like that's bad writing. It feels like the writer(s) completely misunderstand the idea of "Show, don't tell." almost completely.

In general the show suffers from how rushed everything is likely due to it's short 8 episode format, but instead of trying to fit the narrative to their limitations it seems like they're trying to cram all of this lore and information into these tiny 8 episodes and the result is a confusing mess.

Now I'm not familiar with Vicker's history but I would assume this is likely his first big project that has gotten this much attention. It feels like he's trying to go way too big and it shows. The show is almost hurt by it's own ambition to be this big sprawling narrative with deep lore and intricate detail when it probably would've been smarter to go for a much more straightforward or simple form of storytelling.

I feel like it would have been a better idea to instead filter things a bit more, knowing that we only have 8 episodes I feel like they should've cut out any unnecessary elements and tried to get everything across that they wanted to as concisely as possible. Like if something wasn't 100% necessary to the narrative it should probably be removed.

In general the show seems to suffer from over ambition, despite that severe restriction. It feels like the 8 episode limit for Season 1 hurt it more than anything not to mention with how expensive the series is to produce I can see another reason why they would want to rush things and not take too much time to let things flow naturally.

I see a lot of people praising Uzi and N's relationship as well as V's "Character development" but honestly I didn't see much of it at all. Again everything feels so rushed, from our perspective at most Uzi has only known N for a few days at most same for V, it almost feels like kind of whiplash from how she goes from being uncaring psycho to laying down her life for the others.

I'm honestly not even sure what Doll's point for existing even is beyond her debut episode either since she doesn't really play much of a role beyond it or really do anything too interesting afterwards. Barring the trap that led to V's death she kind of just exists. Until she doesn't.

Here's hoping that Season 2 is allowed to have better pacing because... yeah I'm a bit tired of the plot going a million miles at once.

During GlitchX it was hinted that Season 2 might happen and I recall Liam saying something implying that Season 1 is "Just the setup." so one can hope I suppose.

Anyway yeah, probably not going to be discussing it as frequently anymore. So if you were only here for my insane Murder Drones related ranting and want to unfollow now, that's perfectly fine. But I can't ignore my feelings any longer.

I'll still talk about it, but probably not with the same passion I used to. Again it sucks because I really wanted to like the series but... yeah they just keep fucking it up.

(Unless Season 2 actually addresses my complaints anyway. Again assuming it actually does happen. Season 1 will still be tainted, sure. But I'm hoping I can at least be able to say "It gets better after Season 1.")

Oh yeah, everything else is fantastic though the animation, the voice acting, the soundtrack... I just wish the writing was on-par... I feel like the problem is they're being overly ambitious and trying to cram all of this lore and plot into these mere 8 episodes and it just isn't enough.

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merv606 · 1 year

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KKera Daniel with CKera Terry is so dirty yet so hot hahaha.

Just naive, innocent young Daniel totally swept off his feet by this much older billionaire. It's a massive scandal but since when has Terry cared? Maybe it starts off the summer graduates high school, 18 years old and he gets a job working as some sort of maid (?) in Terry's house, anything to pay the bills since he has no one else and isn't sure what he wants to do with his life (spoiler: he's gonna do Terry lmao)

And he catches Terry's eye Big Time because he's pretty and sweet and sassy. Maybe he's clumsy and trips right by Terry, and (ever the fake!gentleman) helps Danny to his feet and sees the scared doe-eyes and the floppy hair and the bitten lip. And Daniel is scared he's gonna get fired because he broke this expensive vase, and god, Mr. Silver is very handsome, and he's kinda had a thing for older men for a while now...

Daniel's totally a virgin and Terry is hugely delighted about this and ruins him for anyone else. The sex is dirty and hot and filthy and Daniel loves every second.

In some sense the affair ruins daniel's life because the public thinks of him as a golddigging slut, a whore who took advantage of this "old man"--and it's nothing like that-- hell, Terry is the one who made all the moves and Daniel was like putty in his hands! but Terry reassures Danny that he will leave him enough to live comfortably after he dies, so fuck public opinion and let them enjoy each other while they can...

The only sad thing is the age difference :(

If it’s wrong I don’t want to feel right - it’s something I have thought about and have done stories in my head but have yet to write (maybe sometimes they are ABO 😈 paperback novel style - Daniel a rare male omega and Terry in need of an heir - so Daniel offers himself up to an omega matching agency for wealthy alphas - He agrees to marry Terry in exchange for financial gain - not for himself but because his family needs it).

But imagine this Terry - and his expression is because he’s laying eyes on Daniel for the first time …….. just saying.

The agency had contacted Terry right away, considering the price Daniel can fetch - a pure male omega capable of bearing many heirs for the Silver Dynasty - It’s not secret he’s been looking for one. He’s had his name with every matching agency across the country, and there’s the fact that he has the deepest pockets and the agency gets a cut.

But we could tweak your idea as well / maybe Daniel gets a job and Terry can sense he is an omega upon first meeting him - a rare male omega (if you’re going ABO you gotta do all the tropes) and isn’t that beyond lucky - he’s EXACTLY what Terry has been looking for.

Maybe Terry interviewed him himself and that's why he hired him and keeps him on despite not being the best at this kind of thing. (This is similar to a Nanny Au idea - omega Daniel hired by Terry to watch his newest acquired niece and Nephew - I think I had an ask about that .

He starts to do things - scenting him - spending a lot of time around him - knowing these things will both warn off any alpha who thinks Daniel is available and that it will trigger a heat.

Poor Daniel is none the wiser about what is happening - having no experience with Alphas in a mating sense.

Terry knows it's only a matter of time before Daniel responds on an instinctual/subconscious level and goes into heat - intending to take him when he does.

Daniel has never had a heat and a first has no idea what is going on / drawn to Terry's room where's found, humping Terry's pillow, face buried in the sheets for his smell.

Terry follows the smell through the house until he finds him like that - pillow soaked - Daniel frustrated because although he can make himself come it's not giving him the relief he needs - the true sense of relief that only a knot can give him

Daniel is ready for the picking now.

"I'll take care of you. I know exactly what you need and I'm going to give it to you."

Although the first heat is meant to be more of a bonding/mating heat - he does knock him up (and in a darker AU maybe he tampers with the birth control to ensure that).

It's a shotgun wedding after that of course - although everyone knows why.

Daniel nervously trying to hide his pregnancy - worried about Terry's reaction - he already heard the whispers when Terry made him courtship public and he started taking him out on dates - what people would say about him.

Terry is elated of course (it was his doing after all) and tells Daniel he'll take such good care of him and his pups.

"Pups?"

Terry laughs, hand on his stomach. "Of course Daniel. Did you think l'm only going to get you like this once?"

"You were made for this - made for me."

There are the whispers that Daniel did it deliberately-knowing his heat would cause Terry into claiming him but Terry knows the difference.

Oh, he knows all too well.

#ask #i got an ask 🤩#Silverusso #ABO #Dubcon #Terry Silver #Daniel Larusso #Silverrusso #cobra Kai #karate kid

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fadingreveries · 2 months

Text

The Royal Romance, Bk1 Ch1: Once Upon a Time (Pt. 5)

Click here for the TRR retelling series masterlist for more chapters! 🏰

Story Summary: In this novel-style retelling of TRR, beloved scenes with original commentary from the Choices stories including your favourite group of royals and friends will be expanded upon. Contains extended commentary and scenes from the original story, in-depth descriptions of bonus scenes, and premium choices and outfits.

Chapter Synopsis: Love awaits in the royal court of Cordonia as Riley competes for the Crown Prince! Will she accept his proposal, or will someone else win her heart?

Word Count: 1.8k

Disclaimer: All rights to original commentary, scenes, and characters from The Royal Romance series reserved to Choices and Pixelberry Studios. No copyright infringement intended.

~ ~ ~

Liam and Drake caught up to the rest of the group where they stood under a lamppost on the sidewalk. Liam couldn’t help but look up at the skyscrapers. He had never seen buildings taller than the palace in Cordonia before. At the corner of the street, Riley fiddled with her phone.

“So how far is the walk?” Liam questioned, wanting to know where else their adventure was leading them.

“We’re not walking there actually. It’s pretty far away. I called a car on my way out of work, so it should be here in a second,” Riley explained, before glancing back down at her phone again.

“Wait, you can afford to have a car on retainer?” Maxwell asked, before he caught himself. He cleared his throat with a little frown. “I mean, obviously. I also have one too. Because Beaumonts always travel in style.”

Luckily, Riley didn’t notice his odd answer and instead giggled. “Um, okay. It’s a rideshare, so not really mine.”

“A what?” Maxwell blinked in confusion.

“A ‘rideshare’? You know, like a cab? Do they not have those where you’re from?” Riley explained. Maybe these guys had never even heard of shared transportation before or maybe they had never ridden a taxi before.

Nodding, Maxwell replied, “Oh, of course they do… but it’s not like any of us would have any reason to use them.”

“Why’s that?” Riley questioned, curious.

Maxwell’s eyes widened. Bertrand was right. He really needed to watch what he was saying sometimes. He started stammering, “Oh! Uh… because we’re… um…”

Before Drake could tackle Maxwell to shut him up, Liam cut in with an excuse, “Because… we normally use our own cars like normal folk do.”

“Yeah! I drive it!” Maxwell added, feeling grateful for Liam’s quick thinking. Then he made the decision to add on, “No wait! We all have separate cars that each of us use.”

“And know how to drive,” Liam stated, trying to keep himself from blowing their cover.

“Smooth,” Drake mumbled, giving them both another deadpan look of his.

Thankfully, a large, black SUV pulled up to the curb next to the group. Since Riley was distracted flagging it down and opening the door, Liam and Maxwell collectively breathed out their own sighs of relief.

“Our carriage awaits,” Riley remarked, gesturing to the car.

“Woohoo! A car!” Maxwell excitedly cried out, the only words that came out for how much he looked forward to a rideshare in America.

Tariq, on the other hand, was pleased to see something that felt more like home. “Luxury leather!”

Liam looked over the SUV with a nod of approval, smiling. “It does look rather spacious.”

“Wait, wait, wait! We can’t do this!” Drake interjected, as everyone in the group turned to take in his frazzled expression. “We don’t know the driver! Liam can’t take a ride from a stranger!”

“Oh, why not?” Riley froze in her spot, worried that something was wrong.

Drake flashed her a smile that was probably meant to be reassuring but came across as mildly unhinged. He grabbed Liam’s arm, hauling him back and whispering urgently, “Bastien will murder me if you get into an unsecure vehicle with an unknown driver!”

Riley hesitantly got out of the car, concerned. “Um. Well if you guys don’t want to take a rideshare, then that leaves the bus.”

__________

After a few moments at the bus stop, a bus stopped in front of the group. The bus driver opened the bus doors and waved the party inside. “Bus 2015. Going downtown!”

“Ooh, there’s a conductor! Do we need tickets?” Maxwell asked, enthralled by the idea of taking a bus like the common folk did.

Drake shook his head, correcting him, “You’re thinking of a train.”

“Well, you still need to pay…” Riley stated matter-of-factly with a grin.

This made Maxwell frown, as he halfheartedly said, “Ooh, ‘paying’...”

The bus driver informed them, “You can just tap your credit card on the reader to buy a SingleRider ticket!”

“My which on the what now?” Maxwell instantly replied, suddenly looking alarmed as he went through his pockets.

“Allow me, Maxwell,” Liam answered, flashing a friendly smile to the driver. “Five passengers please. Do you have change for a hundred?”

The driver paused in her seat, looking confused. “Dollars? No.”

“Oh,” Liam simply said. Then he gave the one-hundred dollar bill to her with his smile back on his face. “Then keep the extra!”

Riley, Liam, and his friends walked past the bus driver who looked very happy to let them board. They sat down on the blue cloth seats of the bus before the bus started up again and drove down the busy streets.

“I’m sorry, we don’t get out much,” Drake apologized to Riley, trying to excuse his friends’ peculiar behaviour.

“I’m starting to gather that…” Riley responded, thinking to herself before giving them all a friendly grin. “But it’s certainly been an adventure so far.”

__________

At the destination, the bus dropped them off at the nearby beach ten minutes away from the bustle and rustle of the city. Everyone piled out of the limo at the beach, and the guys headed off towards the ocean.

“We should build a bonfire,” Drake suggested, glad to be somewhere more refreshing and less stuffy compared to the crowds they had been surrounded by all day.

At this comment, Tariq eyed Drake scavenging for dry wood and frowned. “I’m not doing manual labour.”

“Sorry, I forgot who I was talking to. What I meant was, I’ll go build a bonfire,” Drake corrected himself, resuming his search.

Maxwell, on the other hand, was ecstatic with the new location of the bachelor party. He hollered out, “This place is awesome! Skinny dipping!”

“Keep your pants on, Maxwell,” Tariq pleaded, not wanting to see anything resembling undergarments or worse, underneath them.

The sky had turned a deep indigo colour with streaks of pink and purple from the sun finishing its descent across the horizon. There were white clouds painted across the sky, shining in the reflection of the ocean’s dark blue and turquoise waters which lapped onto the shores of golden sand.

“Thank you for bringing us here. I can tell the guys are enjoying themselves already,” Liam thanked Riley, as he admired his friends exploring the undiscovered gem of a beach.

Riley thoughtfully observed Liam beside her, before commenting, “I bet you’re used to putting everyone else first.”

“And why would you say that?” Liam questioned, turning to look at her with an air of curiosity. Other than his most trusted friends, no one had ever paid attention to him outside of how he brought pride to Cordonia.

“I can tell. I’m good at reading people…” Riley simply said. She focused her attention on Liam, wondering how he felt at the moment with the new change of scenery. “Now forget about your friends. What about you? Do you like it here?”

Smiling to himself, Liam quietly murmured, “I love it.” It was nothing but the truth. Here, he felt as if he could hear himself think more clearly. He relished the light breeze in the air and the sound of the waves lapping gently onto the shores.

“It’s my secret spot, so I’m really trusting you,” Riley mentioned, bumping her shoulder against Liam’s. It was a spot she frequented when she wanted a moment to herself to breathe and temporarily put down the weight on her shoulders on the ground. It seemed like Liam needed that as well.

This fact touched Liam’s heart, as he smiled at her with a sense of gratefulness. “I’ll do my best to be worthy of that trust. Though there’s just one problem… How am I supposed to buy you that drink?”

Jokingly, Riley tapped her finger on her chin as if deep in thought. Then she told Liam, “You’ll think of something. Or maybe you’ll just keep owing me.”

“Fair enough,” Liam agreed. Riley was witty and charming, he had to give her that. “So what should we do?”

“We should… climb up the cliff!” Riley excitedly suggested, pointing to the small hill near the shore.

Liam’s mouth hung open, as he asked in surprise, “Way up there?”

“Try to keep up!” Riley teased, as she made for a running start with Liam trailing close behind her and laughing in amusement.

Finding handholds and places for her feet, Riley quickly scaled the cliff face. Once she reached the top, Riley panted, trying to catch her breath as she grinned. “Did it.”

She turned around, extending a hand down and helping Liam up to join her. Gratefully, Liam took her hand and soon found himself facing Riley. Time seemed to stand still as the two gazed into each other’s eyes, which shined brighter directly underneath the soft light from the moon and in the other's presence.

“Thanks,” Liam responded, a little flustered as he dusted his hands off on his pants.

Up here with only the two of them, Liam allowed himself to truly observe Riley. He saw her eyes twinkle with excitement as she took in the simple beauty of nature around them. He noticed her wavy black hair bend in the wind, as she brushed a few strands away from her face.

But when Riley turned her head to face him, Liam knew this wasn’t a silly little crush anymore. Her look gave him butterflies in his stomach but a warm sense of comfort coursing throughout his entire body. He didn’t even know it was possible.

And maybe, he realized, she was the one he was missing all his life.

Riley smiled, looking out at the breathtaking view of the shores, the ocean, and the sky around them. “What do you think?”

“Huh?” Liam said in confusion, snapping himself out of his daydream.

“The view. Worth the climb, right?” Riley asked once more, before craning her neck back up at the stars above them.

“Oh, definitely,” Liam agreed, the warm smile never faltering on his face.

For a moment, they both looked out, watching the moonlight play on the waves below as the wind moved through the clouds. From where they were, they felt closer to the stars which shone brilliantly in the sky. Then Riley shivered, which Liam immediately took note of.

“Cold?” Liam frowned, taking note of the hair on her arms stood up in goosebumps.

“Maybe just a little…” Riley admitted, giving him a shy look as she wrapped her arms around herself.

“I see that the guys got the bonfire going. Let’s head back down and warm up…” Liam suggested, as he made his way down the hill and helped Riley down.

~ ~ ~

Click here for the TRR retelling series masterlist for more chapters! 🏰

Tag list: @kingliam2019 @princess-geek @karahalloway @twinkleallnight @tinkie1973 @tessa-liam

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