"Men Complaining About Women's Fashion For 8 Minutes (And 500 Years) Straight"

RotG and HiJack Recs

Alright, I'm building this list because some of these fics are just a tad dusty, and they could use more love. (A lot more love, I am literally dying from how much I adored these.) But note that a good few are incomplete.

Let's start with:

INCOMPLETE FICS

The Long Road:

Presently Gen, but Hiccup very much falls for Jack. He does however retain his feelings for Astrid, so bear that in mind. There's the classic Viking mindset when it comes to homosexual relationships that's pretty much giving Hiccup like a lot of anxiety.

But beyond that! I cannot shower this fic with enough praises! It gives me the same sort of excitement that the RotG movie does. Jack's characterization is Spot On. He's friendly and outgoing and also incredibly secretive and flighty. It balances out Jack's blunt mannerisms with a joyous charm and just that hint of vulnerability (which he keeps so well hidden lol).

The plots take place after HttyD, during the Riders of Berk TV series. Jack is folded into the Dragon Rider group who considers him some kind of Elf. Yes, this is Jack Frost in all his frosty glory. The way the story builds on a solid foundation of camaraderie and friendship, giving plenty of scenes to show how Hiccup and Jack became great friends, lends well to the Hiccup's realization of: "Oh I'm into him". Without giving too many spoilers, that "oh" moment is forever ingrained into my memory because of how PERFECTLY timed it is.

This blends Guardians of Childhood book verse with HttyD book verse, mostly via cameos over lore. Overall, a beautiful, fun, and simply enchanting read. I cannot recommend this enough.

A Story about Ice, Dragon Fire, and Belief:

Another gen fic. Mostly, it's about North looking at Jack and going, "he's my son now", and Jack having absolutely none of it. When placed together with Stoik and Hiccup's relationship, it becomes an almost interesting study of contrasts. North is the guy who's trying to prove something to a boy that he disappointed. Hiccup is the guy who's trying to prove something to a man that he disappointed. But ultimately, it ends up the same with a schism forming between the two pairs the harder one of them tries to breach it.

Also, it talks about how Jack is a force of fucking nature? And his blizzards can kill and have killed in the past? There's a little bit of trying to reconcile that with his new ID as a guardian. North is not doing a great job helping here.

But really the Crown Jewel of this fic is North and Berk's reactions to North (and by proxy his relationship to Jack). We go a little into the historical Viking side of things (like the pillaging et al), and apply that lens to this jolly old man. Let's just say some troubling (hilarious) assumptions are drawn. Also...

Everyone loves the sleigh.

I think this is one of the few RotG and HttyD crossovers that really do a good job of merging the two movies. Primarily because it's not just Jack in Berk. And this just made me hungry for more fics where more of the RotG cast arrive as Berk, and be just 100% fantastical and strange as the bedtime stories they are. Put some respect on the Guardians name, if you know what I'm saying.

In the Shadows of My Mind:

This one is an RotG only fic. No pairings except for whatever's going on between Pitch and Nightlight (and by proxy Jack). It's not a for real pairing. That said, it's such a complex and intricate relationship that doesn't resemble a romance but remains markedly intimate. Basically, this fic takes advantage of Pitch and Nightlight's ridiculously long history then throws Jack into the mix. Alive, human Jack in an early 18th century colonial town wherein he very recently did not drown (and boy, isn't that suspicious?)

My favorite thing about this fic is how spot on the dialogue feels? The lexicon, the syntax feels true to the time its set in. Although, I can't say that it is accurate as I'm not an expert of this time period in this region. Regardless, it certainly appears that a good stack of research went into this.

All that said, this fic has captured Bill Joyce's writing style the best, but with a deeper, more complex, more mature layer underpining that bedtime like vibe. There's a good host of OCs but genuinely, I didn't notice them as OCs. I could really believe they were characters of Joyce's books. Not to mention, they feel like fully fleshed out individuals even if they have like maybe two paragraphs of screentime.

The entire premise hinges on the idea of "what if Jack survived the skating accident" and everyone's reactions to that, as well as... the hidden secret thing that involves Nightlight. GoC spoilers are hinted so beware. But the little interplay between Nightlight and Jack is such a delicious little mystery, and also makes me so sad. These two boys deserved better.

Then we throw in Pitch for fun, because Pitch is always fun, and he just makes the whole thing even more complicated or as Jack calls it, "unnatural". But he's not even the main villain. It's Christianity. JK. That said, the fic does explore the idea of well, how would a fairly backwater colony be able to explain how Jack survived or... the powers that's slowly revealing itself from within him. There's a particularly nasty boy (around Jack's age), who is an OC and I believe an exceptionally well placed one. The OC understood his role to play and he plays it fantastically. Everytime he shows up, I too feel scared and indignant and excited all at once.

Speaking of great OCs, shoutout to Jack's Da. His appearances are brief but the impact is maximized with each appearance. He has that sense of realism and whimsy baked into him that I could gush endlessly about.

Overall, just a pure delight to read. Will re-read again and again.

Zastruga:

Total Gen fic. And a classic in my opinion.

I started reading this when I was in college - note the publish date. Nevermind the update date. Because even after all these years, this story? Still good. Still very very good.

This takes the original RotG plot and makes it more epic, and also more sad. RotG was very joyful at its core, which this fic somehow manages to retain. But it's just under a layer of sad. It's not overwhelming angst though, just enough to really pinch your heart.

Also whereas the movie has a few epic battles before things go really wrong, this fic stretches that out into a proper war against Pitch (and Jack). That's right. Jack is with Pitch ala Mother Gothel/Judge Frollo style. Jack isn't locked up entirely. He's given just enough rope to hang himself with. Mind the Jack whump is what I'm saying. But also do note that Jack's character remains as steadfast and loyal as he ever was in RotG, so the whump just hits nicer since this Jack isn't so irrevocably changed.

I have re-read this before. I will re-read this again. Nevermind the incomplete status. There's plenty of chapters that simply give me great joy.

COMPLETE FICS

It's the Great Spirit Sleigh, Hiccup Haddock:

Gen fic, in that there's no pairing actively getting together. But remains faithful to the original canon's hinted love interests. So Hiccup has a big crush on Astrid and Jack leans towards Tooth. That said, the relationship between Hiccup and Jack is just plain adorable and also heart-wrenching. They care about each other. So Much.

Now this is just a good holiday cheer. It literally has the Hallmark movie template, which is the point really. You know, the whole "oh no, a holiday is ruined" followed by "clever and charming ways to fix the holiday". With Hiccup and Jack taking the starring roles.

If you know your Hallmark movies, then you know that the leads get together in the end. And they don't in this fic. But the amount of "Gosh do I care about you" is so good. It's a lot of hurt and a lot of comfort. And I am here for it.

Also, this fic was completed way before the HttyD 3 movie so it doesn't have a canon compliant ending. That may be a bonus for some of you.

Scary Monsters and Super Creeps:

Pre JackRabbit (Bunny/Jack). But honestly the pairing isn't the main focus, mostly that Jack and Bunny admit to liking each other (but not to each other). So their dynamic remains in the best bros category. The pairing mostly shows through the plot machinations.

So long story short, Pitch opens the Guardian-Verse and recruits the other versions of the Guardians - the corrupt versions. And it's good, action/adventure fun. There's some gore, so mind that. Because the corrupt versions are nasty little things that fight dirty. Which makes the action feel like there's legit stakes. Also makes for a quick read because you must know what happens next? Did they get out of this sticky situation? Are they going to be okay? That sort of thing.

You ever just wonder if the forsaken have trouble with different things in the current age? Like I know we get references to old technology, but I think it would be hilarious if Asmodean was just talking about something and didn’t realize it no longer exists. Or if lanfear was trying to tell Rand something and referenced like an old saying and Rand was just “???”

Hi there!

Yes! I think this has great potential for fun. It happens occasionally in the books, but not often enough.

Someone should complain about how it's a shame that this time and age doesn't have running water, a decent shower or something....

I mean, one of the big riddles of WoT is that the Forsaken should talk the Old Tongue but somehow they talk Modern English..... Even if you go for Tolkien's solution and say that of course what people talk in Randland is not English (and that is has just been translated into English by the modern author) and that what people talk now has developped from the Old Tongue, at least the Forsaken should raise an eyebrow or two with their very ancient talk. I mean I always pictured this as an equivalent of someone from Ancient Rome suddenly being transferred to Modern Italy (or rather 18th century Italy). People certainly would comment on someone speaking Latin and most of them wouldn't understand them unless they started to adapt fairly quickly. But we never learn how the Forsaken got an update to the modern language everybody talks at the end of the third age.... The Dark One probably made them pass a duolinguo test before he set them lose on the world. lol.

I freely admit, I love the tidbits we learn in the books, the glow bulbs, the door bell chimes etc. and I certainly agree that the Forsaken should make many more mistakes in that regard.

It is my fav headcanon that the second age was far less cishet normative than the third age (which sort of helps me cope with the gender essentialism in WoT - I headcanon this as the side effect of the fall out between saidin and saidar channellers at the end of the 2nd age). So, the Forsaken are astonished again and again in that regard.....

Thanks for the ask!

The winter of our discord xD

HELLLOOO there..ahhh yesss....That Sesskirin frenemies thing...which i called it Mean girls set in the 17th-18th century LOL, but Kirinmaru is a raging bisexual manwhore

I recently got back because of a kind comment that was left in Spanish!!

so I am plotting for the second and third chapter all around, please mind my mess @superpixie42 as it is hilarious,with a smol Rin climbing up to munch a cake (inspired by a real life regular in my office who is obsessed with carbs) and a chat with @fawn-eyed-girl

If he knew the history of the family of Houshins, that their male heirs have fragile health, and Miroku barely scrap over that bout of sickness over their travels to greater places, including seeing the galleries and loitering in the brothels, holding a brochure in their measly hands checking the most beautiful girls and whose asses that deserved to be well….

Kirinmaru pouted like a little child without his toy.

“...Baron…Miroku…did he have a bastard from those trips…sister”

Kirinmaru forced himself to think over the topics that would interest Baron Miroku. 

Art commissions. 

Hunting in the woods. 

Travels. 

Maybe his…

However, Kirinmaru’s emerald gaze gazed upon a young girl trying to reach over the towering cake, with her hands caked with the icings.

Wait?

I do not have a child in the ball.

I thought.

Kirinmaru’s eyes widened to a gleeful giggle chomping the pieces of the cake and hungering for that gorgeous sugar sculpture of a god jumping to the heavens. That little girl picked up the hems of the pretty dress, eyebrows determined to break off its head and chomp it to her heart’s desire.

Even before she reached the hand to break off the god’s hair. A firm voice called that little girl. “Baba….”

The little girl pouted at the sight of Sesshomaru dressed as the personification of an already extinct river, giving a firm gaze. He calmly gripped her hands filled with icing, indifferent to Kirinmaru’s scowl.

Sesshomaru held a pregnant pause, forcing the little girl to bow her head low. “...baba…apologize to Lord Kirinmaru…”

“....I am sorry…Lord Kirinmaru…” The little girl puffed her cheeks. “...May…I…have…the…cake…the one…with…”

And yes Mayonaka is there as a sassy priest, because I loved him, I can imagine him making the sign of the cross many times in that story

Mayonaka smiled happily at their good deed “How long has he been staying in this mansion.” If Kirinmaru is not keeping up with appearances. He would simply call him a snake or what so ever but again, he is indebted to him, that he managed to close one eye on his lifestyle. 

“A month dear associate, he has some issues… we have yet to have the news if he is free but Sesshomaru is…well he…is…bright…”

Mayonaka quickly made a sign of the cross from his forehead to the shoulders. “....Unusual…from the sound of it…you detest his company because he is virtuous.” The room came in silence with Zero dropping the cake unto her beautiful dress and Kirinmaru having a bewildered stare.

“It is not one of your sermons Mayonaka…” Kirinmaru forced himself to munch the cake. “What matters between Lord Sesshomaru and I…is up to debate…”

“Said a man who impersonates a woman…to get the whims of blood…” Zero raise her eyes unto the ceiling

“Enough…” 

The Great Season 2 Thoughts (part 4)

Spoiler warning for episodes 9 and 10!

Episode 9:

- George is back!!!

- I cried (literally) for George when Grigor was considering leaving her and marrying Marial

- Peter feels so guilty about the whole Catherine’s mother thing and it’s funny and sad at the same time

- The thought that Grigor would choose Marial over George makes me nauseous

- Hugo and Agnes! Nice to see you guys back

- Ngl Pugachev is really funny

- Archie is so horny lol

- Omg Aunt Elizabeth pretending that Paul was Igor yikes

- George is so cunning! One of her best and hottest traits

- Seriously Grigor just go home and fuck your wife

- Catherine and Peter fucking!!!

Episode 10:

- Catherine and Peter are so hot together

- Don’t mind Archie listening in lol

- 18th century baby carrier: hilarious

- There goes big mouth Marial *eye roll*

- I hoped that Grigor and Marial would end things when Grigor was all “why did you have to fuck everything up?”

- But they didn’t :(

- Badass Catherine, we love to see it

- The MOMENT Grigor didn’t get in the carriage and said “I’ll meet you there” I knew he was going to stay with Marial

- I have never been so disappointed in him

- Kinda love Maxim ngl

- Is Peter just going to ignore that Catherine was fully going to kill him?

- WE ARE GOING TO ARREST EVERYONE (not you George)

- Cliffhanger!!!

- Honestly everything went to shit in this episode (plot-wise for the characters), how long are they going to make us wait to see how it works out???

- I hope they retcon Grigor/Marial in season 3

Feel free to message me if you have any questions about my thoughts!

I feel like we're setting ourselves up lmfao I know these writers have mostly delivered so far but we're writing fanfic level possibilities and idk it seems most likely that they won't happen, I don't want to keep thinking of and reading these great soulmate epic scenarios because anything the writers do after that will pale in comparison let's be honest it is so rare that shows give us these true love vibes and also maybe more than vibes in the actual text (this has nothing to do with anything but isn't it hilarious that American tv is obsessed with sex and yet we barely get any decent romance as of late, romantic movies have become so far and few in between and everyone seems to think that they can't depict interesting relationships and dynamics bc people have brainrot now and seem to think shipping and fictional characters are somehow representative of what we condone in real life and not just idk fiction and fun) I'll never forget that "hope you manage to get your family out of star wars" post truly sums up the absolute absurdity of this whole 18th century puritan vibe, anyway here's to them exceeding our expectations.

I feel like they’d have to really drop the ball to disappoint me (and most of us honestly)! I’m usually pretty self aware and under control with my fic writing level theories lol. If anything, ND has tended to pleasantly surprise me with how much we get rather than the other way around, but I’ve been conditioned the hard way lmao. But like last night really showed that they aren’t ashamed to lean into their romance I think. It’s rare we get a quiet confession alone between main characters.

My motto is always expect as little as possible, hope for the best. I really think we’re going to be happy though. As far as the soulmatey vibes… 3x10 was already oozing with them, and I still think the “I’ll never leave you, sweetheart” thing has meaning that may come back again. Since I do think they are writing them with some soulmatisms already, a lot of the theories don’t seem totally out of the question to me. Romantic Nace is actually one of the main plotlines right now (which usually isn’t the case when slowburn shippers end up disappointed in my experience) so I do feel like something pretty good has to go down.

But everyone is different! Some people probably enjoy watching better without reading any fan theories or allowing themselves to expect anything at all. Everyone should do whatever makes watching the most rewarding experience for them!

The end of your ask reminded me how I was just joking with some friends recently that if we actually ship something hard, it seems like a rule that we don’t get a sex scene. Ships we don’t care two licks about then meanwhile mindlessly have minutes on minutes of needles sex scenes I hardly even pay attention to lmao. (Throwback to TW when Layden got what seemed like the longest sex scene on the show). I’m pretty sure Delena and Olicity are like the only ships I have that really had good ones. I really do think Nace will have some good shots when they get one though!

And you are also correct about the lack of good actual romance. There’s this trend of “ew, we don’t need romance in this” so we often get some half assed couple people don’t really care for or hardly anything at all. But like… ships are one of the things that most attract audience to a show. I personally think it has a lot to do with how romance is traditionally a genre that a lot of women enjoy and thus it’s just been looked down upon for years. Typical tbh.

Would you mind sharing some headcanons for Irish/American Emmett?? 🥺 What do you think is the story of his parents or like what connection does he have with his identity? Both in Cullanos or in canon?

Irish-American culture seems quite different to Irish culture in a lot of ways (when I was in the US I first heard the term “an Irish goodbye”, which apparently means leaving a place without saying goodbye, and that was so bizarre to me because actual Irish people say goodbye about four times and are still there talking an hour after saying their first 💀) so I’m not entirely sure but I’m gonna project as someone who lived in the US for a period of time and wondered how I’d keep my kids close to my culture if I was to settle there!!!!!! Lol

I know that while a lot of plastic Paddys claim heritage without knowing anything about where their ancestors came from, the country itself, or the culture and instead perpetuate cringe stereotypes about The Old Country™️, there are plenty of Irish-Americans who are closer to their roots, especially when their parents or grandparents were Irish and so an actual Irish person from Ireland had a hand in how they were raised. Given the time and place Canon Emmett is from (Tennessee, 1915), he’s probably more likely to be a descendant of immigrants or indentured servants to the Appalachian region in the 18th Century.

But I like to pretend he was born in NYC or Boston to fresh-off-the-boat parents from Cork (where the McCarthy with a T surname hails from). Cities on the coastal East make a lot of sense, given how many Irish construction workers sailed across the Atlantic there for a better life at that time bc of how poverty-stricken Ireland was while under British rule. And his English forename would still make sense bc English would’ve been widely spoken in Ireland by that point, plus many Irish immigrants would’ve given their American-born kids English names for assimilation purposes.

I like to think of first-gen Emmett’s bedtime stories coming from Irish legends and folklore; his mother telling him about Oisín and Niamh in Tír na nÓg, the Children of Lir, the Salmon of Knowledge and so much more. My personal lil headcanon is that Emmett truly respects the wolf pack and is actually happy when the Cullens finally get to work with them, because they remind him of the stories he grew up listening to about shapeshifters who took the form of wolves (this is a really common thing in Irish mythology).

His surname suggests he’s also Irish Catholic so I find the idea of his mother dragging him to mass or confession hilarious. I can literally picture him in the confession box mumbling “bless me Father for I have sinned” and the priest recognising his voice and smelling the stale alcohol and being like “Christ above, Emmett, what have you done this time?”

We know he was into his drinking, gambling and womanising as a human so I’d say he was consistently threatened with this Irish Mammy favourite:

👆🏻This also fits perfectly with the fandom canon that Emmett calls Esme “Ma”, it’s what many Irish people call their mothers (as fans of Derry Girls will know). Irish mothers also worship their first-born son so I’d say he was such a mama’s boy who adored her and that’s why he adores Esme — he loves that maternal dynamic.

The eldest kids in large Irish families also would’ve had quite a few responsibilities when it came to looking after the younger kids (taking them to school, minding them etc) because both parents had to work to make ends meet and/or bc there were so many kids to be looked after! So I imagine Emmett as a loving older brother who was surprisingly responsible in his care-taking duties. With both this and what I hc about his mother, I find it very hard to get on board with the idea that he just took to his new vampire life with no questions or hesitations. I hc him and Rose having a much more slow-burning romance than they were given, and that they bonded while she grieved her humanity and he grieved his family.

I think it’s really sweet to imagine them spending one of their honeymoons in Ireland, given how his parents likely wouldn’t have been able to ever afford going back once they immigrated. So he’d never have seen the country he heard so much about growing up while human, and I think he’d make it his business to do so as a vampire. Plus it’s such a small island that it’d probably take them 5 mins to run from one side of the coast to the other, meaning they’d fit lots of different parts of the country in on their visit!!!! There’s this Celtic wedding tradition called handfasting which symbolises the binding of two lives by tying the couples’ hands together with knots of cloth (it’s actually where the phrase “tie the knot” comes from!), so I also hc them having an extra lil ceremony to do that while they’re there, maybe in Cork as a nod to his parents. 🥺🥰

Some of my favorite Brittana Fanfics!!

Mainly AUs, but all of them are so amazing and are worth reading!!! ❤☺

(I will most likely update this the more I read and discover more beautiful captivating stories!! So keep a look out for more!)

• That Awkward Moment When  : gurj14

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/9126252/1/That-Awkward-Moment-When

That awkward moment when Santana realised she was sleeping with her boss's daughter… 

(Hilarious and so cuteee!!)

• Paperweight : heyho

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/8962921/1/Paperweight

The problem isn't that Santana wants to hire new employees. She's overwhelmed at work, you can't fault her for that. The problem is she wants a certain blonde employee in more ways than just professionally. 

(Really good plot and very funny at time! Also

adorableness)

• Rent My Pussy : soulpicninc

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/9898813/1/Rent-My-Pussy

Lonely? Call 1-800-BSPUSSY.

(Don't let the title fool you lol. I love this one! It's so funny! With the right amount of drama and love!)

• Room 47 : little-normandy

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/8708340/1/Room-47

Santana Lopez is engaged to her high school sweetheart Sam Evans. With her wedding 3 months away, Santana begins to get stressed, pressuring her relationship and is also stuck in a dead end job. Her friend Quinn advises her to seek counsel from sex therapist and relationship counselor Brittany Pierce.

(Ooo this one is so good, I love this sooo freaking much! very🔥)

• They Bring Me Back : wherehopelies

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/7560586/1/They-Bring-Me-Back

Santana Lopez lives an average life in New York as a bartender. When gorgeous Brittany and Santana's teenage niece fall into her lap, things get interesting.

(So so adorable and wholesome, but sometimes sad)

• Alone With You : slaves4hemo

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/8272431/1/Alone-With-You

Santana is infatuated with Rachel's new roommate. She knows Brittany's dangerous, but is she willing to take the chance? Are Brittany's flirtatious ways just apart of her fun-loving personality or could she actually be interested? Set in New York the summer before their sophomore year of college. Lots of glee characters.

(Cute college summer story!)

• Burn The Whore House to The Ground : icerose92

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/9321700/1/

In a world where sex slavery is the norm, Santana is sold to a wealthy man who hopes that her company can help mend his daughter's broken spirit. Can a master who doesn't believe in the slave trade and a slave who only wants to be loved let go of their troubled pasts?

(A lot of angst, but also adorable)

• Music Box : evershadow

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/6506398/1/Music-Box

Set in a fictional 18th century Europe. At age 10, Santana Lopez, born into the wealthy and influential Lopez family, comes to acquire a peasant girl by the name of Brittany. And despite class differences, Santana falls in love with her.

(Period piece so BEAUTIFULLY written! Amazing storyline! Touchingly sad and heartwarming...)

• Before They Bulldozed Breadstix : killercereal (canon adjacent)

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/7817286/1/Before-They-Bulldozed-Breadstix

Santana and Brittany travel back from the future to find their timemachine-joyriding daughter. "Yeah, I cant see what could possibly go wrong with this situation," Santana muttered.

(This is like 10/10 so freaking hilarious!)

• Winner, Winner, Chicken Diner : killercereal (canon adjacent)

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/6586432/1/Winner-Winner-Chicken-Dinner

"Brittany and Santana aren't allowed within fifty yards of each other, and when in school and there's no choice but for them to be in the same room they have to have bodyguards." "But why?"

(So freaking funny, Britt and San shenanigans!)

• Once Upon A Time : killercereal (canon adjacent)

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/6679331/1/Once-upon-a-time

Brittany and Santana go on vacation to Disney World. What could possibly go wrong? Sequel to 'Winner, Winner'.

(Britt and San shenanigans part 2 😂)

• Glee : Modern Warfare : killercereal (canon adjacent)

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/7085185/1/Glee-Modern-Warfare

 "It's competition. It's like warfare, but without the dying part." Concludes the Barbra chronicles trilogy after 'Winner, Winner' and 'Once Upon a Time'.

( BRITT AND SAN SHENANIGANS Part 3!!, this author is a genious!)

• White Shadows : good afternoon

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/7619672/1/

1862, the North has started the draft. Santana follows her father to war, intent on proving her worth as a doctor. Brittany enlists in place of her father, intent on keeping her family safe. In this broken land, they find a home in each other.

(THIS IS PHENOMENAL!! Soul-gripping Brilliance!! There are truly no words to describe such an amazing piece of literature. You will cry tears of sadness, hardship, joy, hope, and love... it's truly beautiful. So much love and utterly heartwarming! "Found You" 🥺❤)

• Around the Course : Quest

Troubled teen Santana is sent to stay with her Aunt and Uncle at their horse farm in FL to try and get her life back on the right track and onto college. While trying to deal with the sudden location change, being accepted at a new high school, forced to work in the stable, and put up with her annoying cousin Rachel she meets a young ambitious blonde who might just help her in more ways than one.

(If you like horseback riding then this is perfect! Even if you don’t particularly like it you won’t get lost in terms or plot, it’s a really cute love story and ofc there’s Brittana)

• The Bodyguard : JSBG

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/7467102/1/The-Bodyguard

After an unfortunate injury, Santana is ordered to take a two year leave from her life, known as the military. However, where she thought her life was ending, as her career was torn away from her, really... It was just beginning.

( Such a truly amazingly well written story, drama, angst, suspensful mystery/ crime thriller piece. Of course with Lots of Love. Heartbreaking and Heartwarming! ❤)

• Soul Stealer : xxthisshizisbananasxx

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/7898160/1/The-Soul-Stealer

That awkward moment on your seventeenth birthday when you realise that your mom has sold your soul to a sexy demon. And she's come to collect.

( don't be off put by the summary, this is truly a brilliantly told love story. Contains mystical elements and mythology... heartbreaking, but so good! )

Canon / Non AU : These are like snippets of the series with the whole focus on Brittana!! So well written! 💓

• Eden : littleoases

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/8301180/1/Eden

Brittany and Santana teach Joe about love.

(This one shot made me cry sooo much, it hit home and all of the things I've been struggling with abt sexuality and religion, at the end realizing that no matter what, love is love... "but the greatest of these is Love"

Pls give this a read 🙏 ❤)

• Time, Mystical Time (Cutting me open then healing me fine)  Part 1 - Brittany POV

https://archiveofourown.org/works/26591563

• Time, Curious Time (Gave me no Compasses, Gave me no Signs)  Part 2 - Santana POV

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27501784

(I love how in Brittany's pov the theme was patience and belief in Santana and that their love is eternal.

And in Santana's pov there is understanding and acceptance of who she is, who she loves and what they truly become when they are together : like they are at the top of the world and nothing else matters, but their love till Infinity!! ❤)

Hi!!! Congrats!!! could I please get 🔭📚🧠

ahh hi!! thank you so much! 🥰♥️

🔭: I’ll recommend a fic to you (more like fics plural because I can never choose just one lol)

all I want by @ellesgreenaway everything india writes is a stunning work of art and this fic is no exception! from the heartbreak to the sweetest fluff I’ve ever read it had me captivated with every word- I reread it last night and fell in love all over again it’s just 🥰

cosy cafe by @spacedikut this fic is just 🙌🏽 I’m pretty sure I’ve read it no less than ten times since it was posted: it has everything-from a blush inducing meet cute/hilarious moments to the sweetest love story written by an absolutely amazing writer and I can’t recommend it enough! ♥️

paper rings by @reidyoulikeabook everything amelia writes is absolute gold and this is one of my all time favorite blurbs- I reread it last night and just !!!: being all cute, in love, and a little drunk with your person?! yes please 💛

📚: I’ll post a line from a wip

her little hands were overflowing with string and beads every which way, all of your offers to help met with immediate protests. with your daughter’s fifth birthday came her fiery stubbornness and independence, and if she had it her way you were sure she would take over cooking her meals and driving herself to school as well.

you kneeled to sit next to her while she separated the beads into color coordinated piles and placed them in her beach bag, your hand gently squeezing her shoulder as you observed. “what’s all this for, love?”

she spared you a glance, holding up her wrist so the bracelet she brought home from her friend’s birthday party the weekend prior was in your line of sight.

“Gracie said best friends have matching bracelets so we made these but I wanna make one with daddy because he’s my bestest friend!”

🧠: random fact from my spence factoids doc

during the late 18th/early 19th century doctors would prescribe patients with a trip to the beach because they thought the waves would help treat a build up of black bile in peoples spines (which was untrue, but led to the beach becoming a popular tourist destination)

1k celebration! 💛

Un ballo in maschera (Turin, 2012): Reactions, Part I

I think this is my...sixth year watching this opera on February 17 and/or March 16? In any case, I haven’t seen this production, but it’s been on my list for a hot minute, so here goes!

creepy creepy

“let’s go assassinate ourselves a dude!”

“oh shit act natural guys”

also: like the early 20th-century vibe but not the Boston libretto

also also: my old enemy Black and White Checkered Floor we meet again (except you spiffed yourself up a bit and seem better integrated into the aesthetic this time)

meanwhile, Oscar is still in the 18th century

I legit do not understand how Gregory Kunde has managed such longevity on his voice also I want that dressing gown

Oscar reading over all the papers while Riccardo is preoccupied lol

child

Renato is very dashing

this moment where Riccardo and Renato are talking about COMPLETELY different things and then Riccardo’s like “assassination plot? that’s it? meh” is so freaking hilarious

“dude don’t lecture me in Baritone just lemme drink my tea and enjoy my morning”

Oscar you know I love you but please don’t smoke

at the very least you are much too young but really you shouldn’t at ALL

he blew some smoke in the judge’s face lol

Renato is Completely Oblivious

SHENANIGANS (and lovely singing)

hat toss!

Riccardo not sitting in a chair “correctly” only further adds to his Distinguished Disaster Bi nature

so apparently their plan consists entirely of wearing paper black masks

edit: also black capes

if you don’t think this scene slaps you are WRONG

awwwwwwwwwww

they’re still at it

ooooooooooooooooooooooooh

and I will NEVER be over this prelude

that bowl looks like a statement thing someone would put in their garden

in any case, this aria will FOREVER slap

okay that disguise was better than what I expected

I think Ulrica’s ladies are horny 

now THAT is some excellent 1920s fashion

this trio is great

annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd everyone else just went with the cape-and-mask disguise

Ulrica: “omg you people are annoying so I’m gonna put this cool cloak over me and block y’all out”

not very cash money of you to take said cloak

but this absolutely slaps and I love how they’re all pretending to play instruments because it’s funny

annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd there it is

“YOU WILL DIE BY THE HAND OF A FRIEND”

Statement Gardening Bowl also glows

OMG Ulrica took one of the head conspirators’ guns (I still cannot tell them apart unless I already know one of the singers from something else) and threatened to shoot the other I AM LIVING

why does every ensemble in this opera HARD SLAP

Fatal Handshake TM

ngl I love the aesthetic (okay Black and White Checkered Floor you’re growing on me here)

what could possibly go wrong???

Author interview, tagged by @dreadfutures some time ago

1.     Name: Victoriousscarf and that’s all you’re getting lol

2.     Fandoms: constantly changing but some highlights include Dragon Age, Marvel, DC, Tolkien, Star Wars, and Harry Potter.

3.     Where you post:  Yeah it’s pretty much AO3, though I’ll write prompts here before moving them to AO3

4.     Most popular oneshot: According to ao3 hits which is only one metric but I don’t want to try and calculate them all it’s Looks Can be Deceiving, Even if You're on the Right Track

5.     Most popular multichapter: Again going by hits for my sanity it’s the forest is dark and deep and i've seen you here before  but I think it’s actually the most popular by most metrics based on the last time I was checking them. Which could make me cry y’all, you finally knocked the terrible Marvel stuff I wrote in a haze in 2012 off for top hits.

6.     Actual worst part of writing: Writing the scenes I don’t wanna write

7.     Favorite story you wrote: Probably at this moment still  the forest is dark and deep and i've seen you here before because it’s what I’ve been working on consistently for a very long time now and I wouldn’t still be here if I wasn’t deeply, wildly invested in it.  Find the Sun in the Corners of Shadows gets special mention though, I still love that monster I wrote in 6 months flat.

8.     Story you were nervous to post: Usually I’m not anymore. I’ve written some deeply, deeply shady things so I always expect the antis to realize I don’t just ship the batboys, but straight up incest. Among so many other “problematic” things, but I’m also not going to ... stop writing those things. So usually I just throw stuff up while muttering “yolo.”

9.     How you choose your titles: Pffft who knows. It’s based on the alignment of stars or something. Or it’s just me getting my poetry fix.

10.  Complete works: 200 on ao3

11.  Incomplete works: 46 on ao3 are in “non complete status.” A while ago I wrote out all my incomplete fics in a journal so I could start working on knocking out some of those “lingering in limbo for years” fics, starting with the ones with the least work to do. I got some big ones wrangled over the finish line in 2019 but then... 2020 happened.

12.  Do you outline?  Lol! I mean. When it’s in progress I’ll write sloppy little outlines for like the next few chapters/things I do need to do before moving onto the next big thing but they’re vague and usually very focused on a small slice of the story.

13.  Coming soon ideas, maybe? idk, I always have about 80 different story ideas in the pipeline that may or may not go anywhere. Like right now I’m running on a lot of Dragon Age daydreams. One of which is that Inquisition in Space thing, and that Inquisition in the 1930s Dustbowl thing, and maybe a cold war chess au because I watched Queen’s Gambit too many times.

14.  Ask me anything: The question already attached to this post already was: How did you start writing?

I used to narrate stories about Bug Bunny and Tweety Bird getting married to my mom... she would write them down and then I would illustrate them. Hilariously I think I thought Tweety Bird was a girl? Tweety Bird was not a girl, I was writing slash when I was 5 years old. I have a bunch of hand written stories along that vein, let alone the times any teacher in school was like “please do this creative writing prompt for like half a page” and I turned in three pages worth of alien backstory for a class project. Along with cut out paper dolls of the aliens in their spaceship to better illustrate multiple scenes from the story. (I still have these, I believe that was 4th grade so the 9/10 range).

For fanfiction it was back in 2003 when I started posting Inuyasha fic on fanfiction.net.

15.  Best writing traits: I have been told reading my writing is like being punched when you are down when I want it to be and honestly I’m very proud of that.

16.  Upcoming Story You Are Most Excited to Write: ... idk? I’m always excited about what I’m writing or I wouldn’t write it, but I couldn’t tell you which monster was about to be let out of the cage until it’s already out.

there's tumbleweed in my heart where love was supposed to be maybe?

17.  Spicy Tangential Opinion: lawns are outdated status symbols that should be banished back to 18th century France. It’s all about the pollinating flowers and local vegetation baby.

could u elaborate what was so bad about the barbarians? i saw the show and thought it was ok but i don't have enough knowledge to know what are the ideological implications of it? sorry, just really curious and wanna learn more

*takes a deep breath* oh boy, where to even begin? Thanks for your question as I might finally get this off my chest! Okay, fair’s fair, anyone who likes the show should look away now because I’m not going to mince words. And I want to reiterate that there were things about the show that I liked, mostly on a superficial aesthetical level. Generally you could tell from the get-go though that the writers are hacks who know nothing about history or good storytelling for that matter. I could’ve dealt with a show that was historically inaccurate if only the character drama had been written well. I might also have enjoyed the show more if the character drama had been mediocre but if there had been a sense of historical authenticity (not accuracy, mind; but still something tangibly more substantial than the patina they tried to throw onto their frankly embarrassingly lowbrow attempt by having parts of the dialogue translated into Latin by an expert and by hiring a good crew for the costume and props design - of the Romans at least... putting lipstick on a pig and all that, although pigs are great and the writing here is not).

Since you asked about the ideological implications specifically, I’ll start with that and work my way towards other criticisms (this is going to be LONG):

19th century nationalism: The story of Arminius and his merry band of brothers who defy the big bad Roman empire is a narrative that became especially popular in Germany in the 18th and 19th century, both with liberal patriotic movements that were advocating for the unification of the “German cultural nation” in a modern nation state (spurred by the Wars of Liberation against Napoléon Bonaparte and French occupation) and later with the völkisch movements where that nationalism segued into the pseudo-scientific racial ‘theories’ of a ‘superior German race’ which in turn was part of the ideological foundation of the genocides and atrocities committed by Germany in the 20th century (not only in WWII, see also the colonial genocide of the Herero in 1904). We cannot disentangle this predominantly racist reception history that re-invented Arminius (”Hermann der Cherusker” - “Hermann the Cheruscan” - or, indeed “Hermann the German” ha!) as the founding myth of a German people from the way this story has been depicted in media, entertainment and culture and, as evidenced by Barbarians, continues to be to this day.

Barbarians pays lip service to the fact that actually there was no German people at the time by having the tribes meet at the Ting in the first episode and have someone outright state it. These kinds of tidbits literally voiced by characters give off a strong whiff of the authors googling something, reading something on Wikipedia, and then putting it in there. I’m sorry (actually not sorry) to come down harsh on this but given what we’re talking about here, that’s just not good enough. It’s an embarrassing level of “writing”. The authors clearly have NO idea what they’re talking about or what they’re dealing with because despite their lip services, they actively reproduce the harmful narratives that were spun around this actual historical event and these actual historical figures in the 19th century. No effort was made to depict anything complex or realistic here. Case in point: Even though there’s a pretense that the tribes aren’t part of the same people, they don’t look much different from each other, they all speak the same kind of modern high German that sounds like they’re at a costume party in the year of our lord 2020 (and in the case of Folkwin, drugged out of their mind; he sounds like a guy who’d throw beer cans at passersby). They come across as basically just being separated by the few acres between their villages. And then when the big bad evil Roman empire wants to squash their resistance (Asterix did it better change my mind challenge), freedom fighter Arminius rallies them together with a heroic speech and they charge at the Romans RAAHWWHR! ... no, just no.

There would have been SO MANY ways to reframe and retell this story in a fresh, new, and exciting way that would have made for amazing character drama. The premise is so good. If we were to look at the basics of what is known, there are so many personal AND political complexities in there that just beg to be coloured in with a little imagination. I just... I don’t even know where to begin to fix the choices that the show did go with since most of them don’t make any sense, don’t contribute anything to the narrative and are just. there. Have y’all noticed that there is ZERO dramatic tension in any of the scenes? Like, what? How?? Culture clash, divided loyalties, identity issues, the way that a militaristic upbringing might warp the mind, feelings of home and belonging and displacement, the return of the lost son, the betrayal of a high-ranking officer, just, there are so many themes that the show could have focused on but it botches all of them, nothing of it feels real, earned, or logical. Characters behave in idiotic ways for the sake of the plot (I wanted to like Thusnelda, I really did, I’m always here for female characters but she was so painfully obviously written by 3 dudes who thought that feminism = praying to the good sisters of the forest and slashing your face aöldksfaökdjf plus the actress could not sell any of it, she sounded ridic).

I’m exhausted just thinking about the many ways in which the writing on the show sucked. Impaired character used as a symbol~ for other characters instead of being a character on his own? Check. Weird mystical shit? Check. Earthbound tribal people who are one with nature? Check. Death on the cross to get that Christian imagery in there? Check. Lack of female characters except feisty!badass!Thusnelda, scheming!conniving!pulling-the-strings!wife, weird!mystical!seer? Check. Varus doing a Herod by demanding first-borns to up the Christian persecuted ante? Check. (All he was missing was the mustache to twirl. Was he even a character? He looked vaguely concerned and sceptical. That was his character.)

Look, the actor Arminius was great but even he couldn’t make sense of any of it. The character work was so shoddy, it was shocking. One minute he’s still all-in with the Romans, ordering lashes for “German” mercenaries without being very conflicted about it, reminiscing with fellow Roman soldiers about the good old times in some fireside bonding, asking his foster father to go home to Rome, and then when bad!dad is like “lol no” (surely they would have had that convo before??? surely Arminius would have known how far his career could go???), Arminius turns around and goes “let’s kill 3 Roman legions!! I’M MAD!!” ... lmao dude, just...

Another favourite of mine: The romance between Thusnelda and Folkwin is supposed to be illicit and against her social status. Does anyone even notice? Does anybody even care? Why did the writers come up with Folkwin in the first place? (His name Folkwin Wolfspeer is a hoot and an embarassment in itself. I wonder whether they used some kind of Germanic name generator. They certainly did use a generic speech generator for the battle speech Arminius gives in the last episode lol)

Back to the topic of a lack of tension. Of course there can’t be any tension if the characters suck. But it’s also because of the design of the scenes and plot points. The cliffhangers are so telegraphed and artificially constructed, it’s almost hilarious. My “favourite” has got to be the one of the first episode: The “hi dad” one. Not only does Arminius go to the village with other Romans in tow who then disappear because nothing in this show makes sense but this kind of revelation also goes against everything we know about good storytelling. There’s a famous quote by Hitchcock and I’ll quote it in full because I think it absolutely applies here (and it is valid for character tension as much as it is for suspense):

There is a distinct difference between "suspense" and "surprise," and yet many pictures continually confuse the two. I'll explain what I mean.

We are now having a very innocent little chat. Let's suppose that there is a bomb underneath this table between us. Nothing happens, and then all of a sudden, "Boom!" There is an explosion. The public is surprised, but prior to this surprise, it has seen an absolutely ordinary scene, of no special consequence. Now, let us take a suspense situation. The bomb is underneath the table and the public knows it, probably because they have seen the anarchist place it there. The public is aware the bomb is going to explode at one o'clock and there is a clock in the decor. The public can see that it is a quarter to one. In these conditions, the same innocuous conversation becomes fascinating because the public is participating in the scene. The audience is longing to warn the characters on the screen: "You shouldn't be talking about such trivial matters. There is a bomb beneath you and it is about to explode!"

In the first case we have given the public fifteen seconds of surprise at the moment of the explosion. In the second we have provided them with fifteen minutes of suspense. The conclusion is that whenever possible the public must be informed. Except when the surprise is a twist, that is, when the unexpected ending is, in itself, the highlight of the story.

I hope you can see what I mean here. Barbarians continuously springs surprises on its audience but it has absolutely no tension/suspense in any of its scenes. The only time where the show even comes close to having any kind of genuinely dramatic moment is the conversation between Arminius and Varus where Arminius tries to hide his hurt and disappointment, and all the emotion in that scene is completely due to the actor since the dialogue is fairly idiotic for what is supposed to be the turning moment. Let’s go back to the basics and imagine what the show could have done differently, even allowing for the way in which the writers wanted to tell it (which, as I mentioned, is not appropriately sensitized to the misappropriation of the material in the past - but even if we go with THAT kind of freedom fighter / lost child narrative, it ought to be done well). And here now follows my actual essay of grievances:

The premise of the story, in as much as we know from history, is amazing: An officer of the Roman army, delivered to the Romans by his tribe as a child, returns to the "country" of his birth as part of the invading Roman army which oppresses the natives of the lands. He switches sides, unites different tribes and leads them to a decisive victory against the Roman army in a battle in a forest that lasted for several days and was cleverly planned by the "Germans" who end up outsmarting the Romans who are victims of ambush and the terrain, being split up and stumbling through the forest exhausted and without finding a way back to the other troops (love that the show as we have it managed to squeeze in the cliché "two armies standing on opposing sides decide to just start running towards each other, epic clash, chaos" (which is militarily so fucking stupid and nobody ever did that)).

Anyway, that premise is amazing. You could do so much with it. And if you wanted to make a miniseries about it, the biggest question would surely be: Why did Arminius switch sides? That’s the key plot point. And themes of otherness, oppression, exploitation, identity, and so on, would be a good fit. The first problem with the miniseries is that it has nothing to say about any of that. Arminius doesn’t even feel like the main character (aside from his actor being a cut above the rest). We don’t get to see much of his POV. We don’t get many meaningful conversations between him and Varus (actually just one after which he has a total character transplant). Instead, we get to spend lots of time with characters that don’t add anything in particular to the central plot nor to any of the central themes. Literally, why? 6 episodes is already pretty fucking short to make Arminius’ turn believable, so you’d better spend most of them on him. This is not material for an ensemble show (nevermind that the other characters suck and are not well-acted and written to behave stupidly... that’s just ON TOP of the fundamental issue of this show lacking a POV).

Like, you can turn this into a big Hollywood action movie about the battle or you make it a character drama where the battle is also told from a character perspective (i.e. focusing on the mounting fear and desperation of the soldiers as the battle drags on for days etc but more importantly focusing on why the battle takes place and why it’s important to both the Romans and the “Germans”). As it is, in the show, we don’t get any idea why the Romans are even there in the first place and pestering the people by demanding some tributes. And we don’t get any idea why the Germanic tribes are so opposed to this or why others of them might not be. We don’t get any of the broader political implications, we just get some eagle-stealing pranks (defiance!! cool, just agitate them in a completely stupid and arbitrary way, why don’t you) and a few people executed because the “Germans” were being stupid. That’s not the scale that’s needed here. And I don’t mean that we needed to see mass executions. In fact, I would have preferred if there had been no such hackneyed and emotionally manipulative device.

Arminius is basically absent for all the early encounters of the Romans with the “Germans”. So while we suspect that the mistreatment of the “Germans” at the hands of the Romans would be a strong motivational factor for him, we don’t actually see him witness any of few hints in that direction that we get, so it doesn’t actually matter for his character arc. I have so many issues with how his arc is written. In the first episodes, we don’t get any sense that he’s not a happy Roman. When a “Barbarian” mercenary ridicules Rome, he has him whipped and we don’t get much of a sense that he’s very conflicted about it. Even just moments before he ends up destroying his effigies of Roman gods, we see him trying to get Varus to send him back to Rome. Earlier in the same episode, he prays to those Roman gods. I’m sorry but wtf? How the turntables... If you want to make it believable that he would turn on Rome, why not start with him already being frustrated with the way that things in Rome work? With the way the army is run? And why not give him a careerist streak and make him frustrated that he can’t advance much further because of his lowly birth and background? And instead of Varus being an asshole to him about it (he’s supposed to be his foster father, surely Arminius would already know how Varus thinks about his people and surely he’d already know how far he can climb up the ranks), have Varus be sympathetic but basically like “sorry, there’s nothing I can do.”

Arminius betraying Rome shouldn’t be about Varus saying something mean~, if anything a personal connection of his with Varus should just make the betrayal harder and be something that he does despite the fact that there are Romans he cares about. If you start out the show with him already having significant doubts about his place in the Roman army and identity issues, you just need to add something to it that will finally breaks the camel’s back. Have him become increasingly agitated by the way the "Germans” are treated by the Romans. Start the show with him making to leave Rome, someone asking him whether he’s excited to return to his place of birth and him joking about it but obviously being conflicted and then overwhelmed when he actually gets there because it totally destroys his sense of self which he has built for himself (and for which we would have needed to see the contrast, even if just for one scene, of how he is treated in Rome – perhaps snobbed by others, not treated equally in some sort of social setting, could be something subtle – to show us and him that as much as he wishes, he is not and will never be accepted as a Roman).

And then when he gets to the provinces, we need to see that from his perspective. What’s his reaction to arriving there? To seeing the familiar landscapes? (Or maybe he was taken as a younger child and doesn’t actually have that many memories of it but feels a sense of belonging anyway.) There are so many scenes in this show that seem to hint at these things but they are completely random and unfocused and interspersed with the stupid village people shenanigans. Varus talks about burning down villages in retribution. Well, why don’t we see any of that? (Nevermind that it’s comic book villain level of evil, but I’m working with a fix here and not a total rewrite as would be better.) Surely it can’t be too expensive to burn down a few huts in the night. And having Arminius ride along / witness it but not say anything even though we can see these things having an effect on him. As mentioned: The worst offense is the scene when he rides to the village (with other Romans in tow!) and announces “hi dad!” just to have that cliffhanger. Wtf?

Characters doling out information that the viewer doesn’t have is the absolute worst way of telling a story and maintaining tension. It should be the other way around. How about instead you have him be part of a Roman delegation that rides into the village and demands [random, whatever, the fucking eagle if you must keep that shit] and when the Reik (whom the audience already knows to be Arminius’ father) doesn’t want to give it (because he’s not actually a weak fucking clown as almost everyone in the actual show is aside from feisty Thusnelda who’s a fierce~ fucking clown rmfe), the Romans begin beating the dad or whipping him or whatever, completely humiliating him and his people, and we see Arminius on his horse watching the show with growing unrest until the realization really hits him that this is his father (cue flashback to a very young Arminius being dragged away) and the tension keeps ratcheting until he shouts in German “that’s enough” before correcting himself to give the same command in Latin (maybe he still thinks in German, would be an interesting idea) and the Romans look at him with suspicion, like wtf was that, and the "Germans” are like, why tf does this Roman officer speak German, and it’s super awkward and shit and maybe Varus is also there and he looks at Arminius like, oh shit I need to protect my boy he’s actually all up in his feels about these wildlings let’s go back to the camp and have a talk, and so the Romans end up leaving and the “Germans” are like “wait, was that... could it have been.. remember lil Ari who you gave up... but it couldn’t be...” and meanwhile the beaten dad doesn’t want to hear any of that because he actually has never dared hope he would see his son again and also he kind of doesn’t want to see him again because he would be too ashamed to meet his eyes.

And then later we see Arminius pacing up and down in his tent because this won’t let him go, even after he had a talk with Varus, and after some agonizing he steals away in the night to go confront his father (if you want to keep that German mercenary noticing shit, have him notice that). And then we see the father in his hut and everything is quiet and we are waiting for Arminius to show up because we know he’s on his way. But we don’t know whether he wants to talk to his father or just kill him in revenge for the trauma he’s caused him. You’d show the dad and if it were a good actor, you could see so much in his unrest, maybe despite not wanting to think that that guy could be his son, he kind of knows in his heart that it must be and he’s unsettled and whatnot and then we hear someone outside the door and the door opens and there stands Arminius in a cloak and there’s none of that ridiculous music that wants to scream “epic” but falls way short. Have it be quiet. Have Arminius enter and pull back the hood and they just look at each other. And the dad looks like he wants to hug him but he doesn’t move. And Arminius looks like he wants to murder him but he actually moves to sit down, all the while they keep an eye on each other because who knows, they might actually end up murdering each other. That’s the kind of confrontation you need with a reunion like this jfc. And then they talk and it’s an important scene and I’m not going to write it all out but I hope y’all know what I mean.

I feel like you’d have to rewrite this whole show to actually give the character drama the weight that it needs and deserves because what’s happening in the show is dramatic af but you wouldn’t know because it’s so unbelievably stupidly written. I CANNOT believe that when Arminius is back in the village, he’s standing around with Thusnelda and Folkwin in a field as if they’re catching up at a high school reunion. “So, how’s it been?” “My name is now Arminius lol” “You’re kidding lol” ... uhm hello ??? Is this show a meme or...???

Actually as a last thought, I would have kept Arminius’ mother alive and killed his dad. His dad is irredeemable. He gave him away. But if we assume that he never had a substitute mother, then meeting his mother again (who was against giving him away) would make for much more interesting scenes and would also have a much stronger impact on Arminius. I’ll stop now but I just wanted to note how much I hate the writing on this show and everything it chooses to be. Thanks.

hi hi ! i just read all the available chapters for ur “restoration and 18th century lit” series and i wanted to tell u how much i like it! ur characterizations of shiggy and dabi are so fun and such a nice way of taking them out of the mha universe and plopping them into a college!au. dabi is hilarious and his dynamic with shiggy is so natural and funny and i really enjoy it. tomura’s inner monologue is exactly what you’d expect and it’s nice to see how much of his personality/demeaned is abrasiveness from anxiety vs meanness he picked up on reddit/discord/4chan. his interactions with the reader are very fun and full of a really nice tension that do a great job of fleshing out her character and keeping shiggy on his toes. i loved how u delved into their kissing scene in the latest chapter and i can’t wait to see how more of it plays out :)

ahhhh oh my god, excuse me while I sob. 

Thank you so much for your comment!! I’m particularly proud of character dynamics I had going on in this piece, and I feel like I struggle with dialogue sometimes but this once flowed really easily. It’s super nice to hear others are enjoying it as much as I did writing it! Definitely turned into crack a little bit, but as a constantly struggling student I couldn’t help myself from writing some self-indulgent shigs. This actually began as a oneshot and I just couldn’t think of a good way to post roughly 20k of whatever this is in one go. 

Thank you again bb! Also, next part should be up tomorrow if you were wondering lol 

Corrosive

Do you own PJs with rubber duckies on them? Nope. If you play The Sims, what occupation do you usually choose? It varies, I don't have a go to occupation. Do you know any funny acronyms? Idk. Do you always have to listen to music? No. What was the last rule you broke? No idea. Probably driving without a license. Have you ever apologized to someone, but didn't mean it? Yes. What is the one thing that you can't resist? Goldfish crackers. Have you ever done another person's homework for money? No. Would you rather have the power to heal or to destroy? Heal. If you could be any kitchen utensil, which one would you be? I hate these questions. If you were the paparazzi, who would you stalk? Whoever gets me the most money. What would you do if you were literally stuck in a video game? Survive, I suppose. If you owned any animal, what gender would you prefer? Idc. How much would you pay to see what happens after you die while living? Zero. Does your pet often jump onto the keyboard? Not to me, but he does to my oldest. If you could play any piece of music on an instrument, what would it be? Idk. Have you ever treated someone like they were nothing? Yes. Do you feel bad when you forget someone's birthday? If they're important to me. Last hilarious thing that happened in a classroom? Idk. Would you ever name two guard dogs Lynyrd and Skynyrd? No. Would you name two guard dogs something similar? Similar to Lynyrd & Skynyrd, or similar to each other? If you could ask five questions and get an exact answer, what would you ask? Idk. If it was the old days, would you challenge your ex to a sword fight? No lol Does it frighten you when animals get into fights? Sometimes. Would you give anything to just carry a cute girl's books? Nah. Would you do anything to hold a cute boy's hand? I literally just have to hold my hand out to Justin and he'll hold it. Well, sometimes. He likes to be funny and just poke my hand instead lol Have you ever witnessed a ghost playing a piano? What. Have you ever changed your favorite color? Yes. Have you ever met any kind strangers? Sure. Would you give anything to be in a certain moment in history? Eh, maybe. When you were little, did you touch just about everything in the store? Probably. Do you ever leave your drinks out in the open at a party? Sometimes. Are you sometimes a bit too nice? Yes. Do you have to be insensitive if you want to survive in the world? Nah. Have you ever listened to a song over and over until it got old? Yes. In magazines, do you like to smell the pages with perfume scents? Do people still buy magazines? Have you ever ordered anything from a catalog? Yes. Has there ever been something so beautiful that you wanted to cry? Yes. Would you support a family member if they became an actor/actress? Sure. Do you feel sorry for Britney Spears? I really do. Are you good at understanding what people say, even through typos? Usually. Would you hire someone to scare someone? Not likely. It is in the time of the Salem Witch Trials; would you be a witch? They would definitely find a reason to burn me at the stake lol What if you were falsely accused of being a witch? I would die. There's nothing you can do to dispute it. Is your heart all good or are you still picking up the pieces? It's better. Have you ever opened a loud package in a very quiet environment? Yes. Do you add z's at the end of a word that normally ends with an 's'? No. In libraries, do you tend to whisper just because it is quiet? Yes. Did you ever dream of getting into Harvard? Yes. Obviously I did nothing to actually follow through with that dream lol Do you believe you have to be smart to get through a school like that? Of course. If you got offered a high paying job without a degree, would you accept? Uh, hell yeah. Are you uncomfortable when standing close to strangers? Not especially. If you were living on the streets, would you become a thief? If I had to in order to survive, absolutely. Ever suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder? Yes. Are you still trying to decide what you want to do for a living? No. Are you a skilled knife thrower? Hahahaha no. What would happen if you said that on a first date? I have no idea. What is the shortest relationship you have ever had with someone? If we're counting actual relationships, like three months. Can Vanilla Ice really dance? I wouldn't know. Would you be scared if you lived in an old house from the 18th century? No. Have you applied to many jobs but haven't gotten one interview? Yes. Last time you had watermelon? When I was a kid. I don't like watermelon. Is your laugh more like a giggle or a roar? It depends on what I'm laughing at. But I don't think I really giggle much. Don't you wish there was such thing as a teleportation device? Yes. Can you eat a lemon or is it just too sour or gross? I'd prefer not to just eat them lol Crayons, markers, charcoal, or colored pencils? Crayons. Can you draw with charcoal without the picture looking like a blob? Doubt it, I'm not a good artist. Do you hate it when guests come over and they never want to leave? Omg yes. Do you like to try to figure out what is wrong with people physically? Not really, that's kind of rude. Do you have a relative that'll talk like there is no tomorrow? Omg yes. Luckily, I don't talk to my relatives often. Currently, are you experiencing a lot of doubt? Not currently. Do you think you're a real family person? I am with the family I have built. Are you a person that'll draw attention to themselves? No. Have you ever eavesdropped on all the wrong parts of a conversation? Yes lol Ever had a clubhouse? Yes Is there something that you just want to get off your chest? Not really, no.

hi, what are junocore and mori kei?

hellooooo there friend! 💙

junocore is my tag for anything me-esque. like... juno is my name and u know those aesthetic tag things like gremlincore, cottagecore, adventurecore, clowncore, etc? i have a rly dumb sense of humour sometimes and think that ending anything w "-core" is hilarious (my friend Sithi over at @taltos-seidmadr shares this humour luckily and was the one who came up w the tag idea actually! so full credit goes to them dhfhskl 💗), so i use "junocore" as like.... posts that are basc me. like my personality or smth LOL (i also have a lokicore tag for the norse deity loki! im sure I've used other -core tags as well!)

if u want to get to know my personality and who i am w a broad brushstroke, that's the tag to look thru! it's very fun tbh snchsndkl

mori kei is a genre of fashion that I've been slowly getting into over the past year! it originated in japan, im p sure, and is very foresty and whimsical and adventurey looking! i just searched it up to fact check myself, and yes! it originated in Japan and translates to "forest style". it uses a lot of layers, and the colours are mostly neutral forest tones, w a few pastels thrown in.

it's very whimsical looking and very fun, and i like the style a lot! japanese street fashions can be rly fun tbh, like the uhhh Lolita fashion (nothing to do w the book/nasty stuff). I've just been getting very into alternative fashion styles lately LOL, esp like... 18th century and peasant looks. (Mallaidh Anne over at @vampireapologist posts a bit about lolita fashion, and maybe mori kei as well? dont quote me on that LOL, but i DO know she posts abt lolita fashion!)

here's some examples of mori kei from duckduckgo!

so yea! thats that! thank u for being curious, friend! 💙💗💙 hope ur day is going well and ur night will be restful!!!

19, 27, 36

19. What's your favorite teacher you've ever had?

One of my college history professors. I've taken 4 different classes with him. Super understanding, great lecturer, very knowledgeable, and fucking hilarious

Examples (Yes I did keep track):

“‘Good God!’ is the 18th century equivalent of ‘HOLY SHIT!’”

*Doing the can-can across the room chanting "WE NEED HISTORY! WE NEED HISTORY!"*

*screeching* “Screw you Montesquieu!”

*Holding a new metal pointing stick* “Finally I can embrace my inner Catholic nun.”*less than 5 minutes later* “That didn’t take long. I already bent the damn thing.” *immediately abandons the stick and never brought it back*

His hair. I read reviews about him and literally everyone mentioned how cool his hair is. I remember sitting in my first day of class and not knowing what to expect, waiting to see when the professor will walk in and knowing instantly who he was just by his hair

“Richard Nixon was the worst Quaker, EVER!”

“But I am a fool, that’s how I teach.”

“What did you learn from the Almighty Google?”

27. How long before a trip do you pack?

Lol the night before/day of depending on when I'm leaving

36. What do you think you'd be arrested for?

Speeding.