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quillthrillswriting · 1 month

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i'm coming out of my writing slump to drop some lines from a very fun concept to write in!!! atla au!!! and kataang content!!!! (to nobody's surprise)

i feel like a lot of people have wondered how different atla as a whole would be if aang had been older, so in this au, now zuko and aang are the same age! naturally, i just had to flip aang being after katara from day one to katara now having a crush on aang from the very beginning.

essentially, to recap. ATLA aang aged up AU fic. kataang. where she falls first, and he falls harder.

also, cmon. i just had to write a new version of the scene where zuko and aang meet.

zuko: you? you’re just a teenager!

aang: s-…so are you…?

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Shining blue eyes. Bright robes made up of strips of fabric coloured in shades of sunset they almost never saw down in the Southern tribes. Katara wasn’t quite sure what to make of the boy sprawled across the ice in front of her. One minute, she’d been getting upset with Sokka over how rude he was being about her water-bending, and the next, she had split a massive iceberg clean in half and released some glowing beam, a blue-arrow-tattooed teenage boy, and his hulking fluffy monster-dog-bear-thing.

The boy would later tell her that it was called a “sky bison”, and that it flew. Sokka had refused to believe this. Katara had rushed over the hill towards the bluish glow, tumbling through the snow and ice until she had seen him.

Shining blue eyes. Bright robes made up of strips of fabric coloured in shades of sunset they almost never saw down in the Southern tribes.

The most beautiful boy she’d ever seen.

She couldn’t help her lips parting slightly, jaw hanging slack before she remembered herself. The boy sat up, and Katara tried her best to focus, to gather a cohesive thought.

“W-What is it?” She breathed, whispering for some reason as if the boy would spook and disappear if she was too loud.

“W-Will-” he struggled, the words so hoarse that it was as though he hadn’t used his voice in decades. He cleared his throat, eyes sparkling distractingly, grinning roguishly. “Will you go penguin sledding with me?”

Katara blanched, momentarily caught off guard. She looked back over at Sokka, who had been watching the exchange with narrowed eyes and a suspicious expression as he recrossed his arms over one another.

“I- um-... yes?” she answered, hesitantly, just as Sokka’s voice overlapped hers, yelping the words “She absolutely will not!” Katara shot Sokka a scathing glare as the mysterious boy rose to his feet, shaking the snow off of his cloak like a polar-bear dog.

Sokka continued, his voice both indignant and commanding. “We don’t even know your name, Mr. Walking Ice Cube! What were you doing in there? Were you trying to mimic a snow-man and got too carried away?”

“And you aren’t exactly dressed for the weather here,” Katara added appraisingly, giving him a once-over. “You look-”

“Dashingly handsome?” The boy smoothly interjected, accompanied by a grin that felt like it was just for her.

“...Cold.” she said flatly, hoping she wasn’t furiously blushing as she shot him with what she hoped came across as a scathing glare.

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♥ if you want to stick around while i continue this fic, my ao3 (with lots of other kataang and atla works) can be found here!! the first chapter is up now->

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coolnonsenseworld · 11 months

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I wanted to say that outside of semantics and divisions - I am simply happy to find communities that welcome with kindness - that welcome you by a good heart and not the ability to conform. I am happy for the opportunity to be surrounded by people who care. It's a funny world we live in - making the same mistakes over and over, multiplying the same suffering by billions. I don't think I hope for an utopia anymore, I don't think such a thing exists - but you can't call me hopeless either. And that's what matters.

As a side note - this piece is set in DanceAU, which might be better known to Patrons so far, but still it was the best and most fitting option for this occasion..... also there are 12 DanceAU pieces incoming, because I might be making another calendar so. get familiar with these mutts

#klance #voltron legendary defender #klance fanart #priDEMONth #you know there is always so much happening idk what to add in the tags #i made banana bread yesterday and almost burned the kitchen (right after i asked myself how bad can it be?) i am not kidding #and then burned my arm twice trying to avoid a burn which is top ten ways to get them #its okay tho it doesnt hurt anymore #there was also my nameday which I forgot about and had a headache thorough #also when i was drawing i was considering that lance is maybe a bit too tall on this piece #he IS taller but bending like that with keith standing straight?#i mean gay?#idk about that #but i decided not to worry danceau always has heels for that #i also have been so deep in wirting hex if you dont know whats hex dw you shouldnt #but i have this love hate relationship with it everyone knows it its a sinusoid #im on my happy phase with it lately #no one jinx it it better last #all i wanted was bamf rescues and cliche tropes and now im trying to do them justice in 200 thousand words or less idk why #they could have been just fighting demons and cuddling #either way happy pride once again!!

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phoenixyfriend · 1 year

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I think a fun element to consider with gender bend fic is how adherence to gender norms is translated across the shift

E.g. "this male character is very masc and gender normative in canon, and so as a woman they will be very femme to mimic that normativity" vs "this character is very beefy and brusque as a man, so I'll keep them beefy and brusque as a woman "

Class and culture play a big role in this, obviously, and it's fun to poke around with.

#gender bending #genderbending #tropes #phoenix babbles

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generalsmemories · 5 months

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I love yandere but I'm with anon on this, yandere!Jing yuan feels.. wrong

In a way I think because most of our impression of yandere (or so to say mine at least)

Lay in the fact that the character will be very possessive, dangerously possessive. something Jing Yuan inherently is not - he's quite the opposite actually. He's more willing to let go than selfishly possess, so that may be why it feels wrong to read that content about him

But then again one can quickly turn that selflessness he has to want to at least be selfishly possessive over one thing or person ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯ how much you decide to go with that selfishness is up to the writer though

Personally not my cup of tea, but to each their own as I said 💃✨

#narus' message corner #i dont like yandere content either cause one way or another unless the character has showed very clear signs of that trope #you are bending a characters personality to fit that crazy in love possessive perspective to fit the narrative #and if theres one thing i have an ick about in writing its that personally. ion like mischaracterization at all lmfao

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kiseiakhun · 6 months

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"Ow," Kyle says, for the fifth time that night.

"You good?" Hal asks, craning his head towards the kitchen.

"It's these stupid hips." Kyle comes back with a frown and another bowl of chips, and Hal abruptly turns back and raises his fourth beer of the night to his lips, because oh right, Kyle's a girl now and he just can't deal. Batman had taken one look at Kyle and his hips and chest still stuck in his stupidly tight costume and decided he was Hal's problem. Hal had tried to argue that Kyle doesn't need anyone watching over him, he's an adult, he can take care of himself, and then he tried pawning him off to the titans when that didn't work. And then Kyle had gotten annoyed at him and Hal just. Let Kyle follow him back to his apartment so he won't have to stop himself from staring at his tits. That he has now. That he'll probably have for at least the next week, according to Zatanna.

Maybe he should've argued harder for the titans to take him in. Kyle drops down on the couch, bouncing slightly, leaning into his arm with his curves and thighs and soft breasts. Hal had given him some of Carol's old clothes, and seeing him in then had nearly made Hal combust, and then Kyle had grumbled and ripped them off, declaring them 'too tight' and changed into one of Hal's shirts instead, which made him want to combust more. There's... legs. There are legs beside him. Hal wonders if there's a non weird way to ask Kyle if he's wearing Carol's panties under the shirt, and then takes another desperate gulp of beer.

He doesn't know which one is worse. Panties, or nothing.

"My balance is off," Kyle is saying, his voice pitched higher, "my centre of gravity is lower. And boobs! They get in the way so much! I need to practice flying tomorrow, I have to shift my weight midair in a whole different way now. How long did Zatanna say this would last again?"

"A week," Hal parrots dutifully. "Or two, if we're unlucky."

"'We'?" Kyle swats his arm. "You're not the one who got turned into a girl here." And then Kyle swings his legs over his lap and Hal's brain short circuits.

"Um?"

"You shouldn't drink so much." Kyle takes the beer can out of his hand and puts it on the coffee table. "You're a superhero. Technically you're always on call."

"You." Hal fumbles for words. "You're on my lap?"

Kyle looks at him. His eyes are the same shape, his lips in the same full pout. The lines on his face look softer, but Hal doesn't know enough about the body to see if the bones shifted or if its just a different distribution of fat. "Hey, Hal," Kyle says, "let's do it."

"?!" Says Hal, choking on his tongue.

"Look, if I'll be staying with you for two weeks-"

"-one week-"

"We can't have you be like this the whole time because you're trying to pretend you don't want to fuck me."

"Hrgk."

"Besides, aren't you curious?" Kyle raises an eyebrow, his lips pulling into a familiar mischievous smirk.

Hesitantly, Hal puts his hand on his hip. "Are you sure?" He asks, even as he's sliding his hand up his (Hal's) shirt, up his thigh, finding no fabric at his hip. Dear god.

"If you won't fuck me," Kyle says imperiously, "I'll go ask Guy."

"Absolutely not." Hal stands from the couch, picking Kyle up like he's a bag of feathers.

Kyle freezes in shock, and then wriggles in his arms until he's settled in place, looping his thighs over his hips. "And then, when I'm back to normal, we can do it again, just to compare," he says, innocently, as Hal carries him to the bedroom.

#halkyle #hal jordan #Kyle Rayner #genderbend #female Kyle Rayner #writes #sometimes i miss old school problematic gender bending tropes

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iguessyouregonnamissthepantyraid · 19 days

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tiny seed of a fic idea: the ghoul and lucy make it to vegas after 2+ weeks of Team Bonding Through The Power Of Life Threatening Road Trips, by now lucy has basically solemnly vowed to help him find his family, and then in homage to the new vegas game, cooper IMMEDIATELY gets shot in the head and dies the minute they enter vegas. he's fine, he'll be fine, he's gonna get patched up by some random good samaritan doctor and come back swinging for incredibly violent revenge. but lucy does not know this. bonus points if it's her shithead dad that shot him

#actually i wouldn't be surprised if season 2 went with something like this #lucy getting shot would also be interesting because like. everyone loves that trope #gruff mean morally gray dude ''doesn't care'' until someone he totally won't admit he cares about dies #and then it's a 🎶 fucking bloodbath 🎶#but on the other hand. cooper getting shot gives us plenty of lucy bending her moral compass juuuuuust a bit #tearing through vegas always on the verge of tears DETERMINED to find out where barb and janey ended up #because she made a promise gosh damn it #plus of the two of them who's gonna go for a reunion hug when it's revealed the shot wasn't fatal after all?#lucy. obviously #could get the best of both worlds by having cooper get shot and ''die'' but then give him some reason to believe lucy's dead too #he's on his murder revenge quest and finds out.... maybe that lucy was tracking down his family and died somehow because of it #(obviously she didn't)#and THEN we get a reunion hug!#oh. oh wait #oh no #this is becoming more than a seed FUCK #me #fallout show

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ariadne-mouse · 3 months

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Finished the first season of Netflix's Avatar the Last Airbender live action adaptation - and I enjoyed it, despite it being imperfect in many respects. I liked that you can really tell the creators were trying to capture the animated show (in comparison to the live action movie which felt almost completely alien to the source material). It felt earnest. And that's what kept me watching. Yes, the pace felt rushed, the dialogue clunky at times, and in condensing the story for the format some key aspects of character arcs were glossed over or changed. But it has its moments, and I still cried in the finale. They still got me.

#op #netflix avatar #nalta #alta #avatar the last airbender #making not rebloggable bc it appears there are some very strong negative feelings out there about the show and I'm not getting into all tha #is it a perfect mirror of the source material? no #do I still want to see what they'd do with S2 having warmed up a little? yeah sure #there were things that annoyed me like Katara falling into the trope of 'woman who did it all by herself without any help' for her bending #instead of the story giving her more time to learn from others #but I still liked her growing confidence and skill level ups #but anyway please give us S2 so we can watch Zuko going through his traitor arc

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gothhabiba · 1 year

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I think Jimmy McGill (/ Saul Goodman) would be a more... consistent? but less interesting character if he had the qualities that his track record of scamming would lead you to expect—i.e. if he were a more convincing, suave, charming, handsome conman sort of character.

But he is not really convincing or confidence-earning so much as boisterous, which is a different thing. He has a recognisable sort of sleaziness about him that’s more attractive to a sales company that doesn’t do background checks (“he’s exciting!”) than it is to people with options (“you’re the kind of lawyer that guilty people hire”).

Kim is more capable of thinking of arguments that are likely to convince her interlocutor, more confidence-earning, a better actor, and on occasion better at scamming (Jimmy did not even think to tell the guy on shift at the copy shop not to identify him...?).

It’s as if Jimmy is just good enough at scamming to get into trouble and not quite good enough at it to make his life actually, appreciably better

#and then combine that with the idea—maybe not as trope-bending—that he can’t NOT be scamming or he loses his mind #he doesn’t even Want his life to be ‘easier’ per se #witness him making up a whole business model instead of just getting paid to hang around the cell phone store #or needing out of Davis & Main #better call Saul

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anghraine · 1 year

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I was just thinking of how fun it is when female characters are allowed to really viscerally enjoy power.

I'm thinking especially of cases when the character's power doesn't come from some MacGuffin, or a malevolent, psychologically damaging power like the Dark Side, or even an external source at all. I just really like the trope of female characters who are powerful because they're both talented and have put work into refining talent into skill, and who clearly enjoy using their very legitimate skill for their own ends, whatever the ends may be.

I was thinking of examples, and the first ones to come to mind were Korra and Kuvira from Legend of Korra, who I love both individually and as a ship. But part of the reason I enjoy both characters so much, hero and villain, is how much they enjoy being world-class benders.

Lots of people in that show are rightly confident about their power or abilities. But there's confidence and then there's the sheer enjoyment they have at being powerful benders who can and will wipe the earth with their foes, and it's just super enjoyable in this specific way I don't often see.

#toph and azula were also like that but ngl i enjoy it more from adult women #and a lot of times women who have power are grim and burdened about it or oppressed or it's illegitimately gained #but whatever else kuvira may be or have done—she got her metalbending/earthbending skills fair and square #and korra similarly has a natural flair for bending (esp metalbending actually) but is willing to put the work in #to be as good as she can #and it's a really fun dynamic layered in with the way kuvira represents korra's shadow-self and culminates in life rather than death #i.e. the first victory resulted in two very damaged men choosing to commit/accept murder-suicide as the solution #the final victory is korra risking the thing she's valued most about herself to save the life of her villainous double who also likes power #anyway #i wrote this at 6:30 am without tea so ...#anghraine babbles #anghraine's tropes #avatar #avatar: the legend of korra #korra #kuvira #otp: i see myself in you

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sybbi · 3 months

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People will see the Star of David and be like "Is this Zionist propaganda?"

#are you fucking kidding me #also 'i think i'm fine with being called an antisemite now' is not something the good guys say #like if you are capable of understanding why the collective cultural treatment of muslims in the us following 9/11 + the rise of isis = bad #you should understand why treating every jewish person as culpable or guilty by association for israel's deeds is also bad #like how are you all stepping backwards on this #you people will bend over backwards to clear yourselves of guilt when the us does anything so how are you not capable of doing the same #for jewish people??#like you understand this is the attitude israel counts on right?#the more unsafe jewish people are made to feel abroad the more israel's branding as the only safe place for jews #is proven right #be angry at what is happening but dont deny that jewish people have also been faced with a uniquely shitty situation #where people they thought they were safe with are now joining neo nazis and christian radicals and white supremacists #in spreading hate and targeting them bc of an apparent bloodlust and need for retaliation #retaliating against random jewish people is not helping palestine spreading antisemitic tropes is not helping palestine #making your jewish neighbors and friends feel like you're watching them for any excuse to prove theyre one of The Bad Ones is not helping #if you can't acknowledge that jewish people outside of israel feel rightly uneasy bc all u see is 'israeli excuses and propaganda'#YOU. ARE. AN. ANTISEMITE.

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quillthrillswriting · 1 month

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do any other fanfic writers ever look back at something they've written and just wanna cry because you want what they have 😭 bcos same 😭😭 this exerpt is from my fic where i take the common zutara trope of zuko saving katara from a loveless relationship with aang and flip it on its head until it becomes kataang hehhee :) also new aang au fic coming soon!!!

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Once she closed it, she turned to leave, but… hesitated. The wind, it seemed, had blown one of Aang’s cupboard doors wide open. But that wasn’t what gave her pause. No, what confused her was the glint of ice blue stone that seemed to shimmer inside. She stepped closer, then, silently apologizing to Aang for definitely invading his privacy, she reached in.

And drew out what looked like a traditional Southern water tribe proposal necklace.

For a moment, she was sure that her mind was playing tricks on her, that she was somehow misinterpreting something, but as she turned the necklace over, back and forth in her hands, she knew that this was unmistakably a proposal necklace. One she’d never seen before. The pendant itself, in style, shape, and material, mirrored her mother’s necklace, but the combination of carvings on it was different- two that were water tribe, that in fact matched her mother’s necklace perfectly, and two that looked distinctly air tribe.

Before she could puzzle it over for much longer, she heard the clearing of someone’s throat and a gentle knock on the doorframe. She whirled around, feeling as though she’d been caught red-handed, only to see that it was Aang. He grinned at her, opening his mouth to ask her what she was doing snooping around his office, only for him to feel the words dry up in his throat when he saw what she was holding.

She panicked, interpreting his expression as disappointment. “I found it by accident, I swear, I-”

“It’s okay, Katara,” Aang assured her, and he meant it. Maybe it was better that she’d found it this way. Spirits knew that it would’ve taken him much longer to work up the nerve to broach the subject with her.

“Who-who’s it… for?” Katara asked, trying not to make the tremble in her voice too obvious. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to keep it together if he told her that he’d found a lovely water tribe girl who wasn’t her to settle down with.

“She’s beautiful,” Aang smiled softly, shaking his head lightly. “She’s stubborn, opinionated, with a short temper at times, and I love how passionate she is about what she believes in. About helping people. She’s an incredibly talented and exceedingly humble bender, and she’s so, so kind, and, did I already mention how beautiful she is? Because spirits, she is. And I’m so in love with her. I have been since I was twelve.” He took a deep breath, his hands shaking now.

“I’m so, so, so in love with you , Katara.”

Katara suddenly could no longer form sentences.

“Do you want to know when I made that necklace?”

She nodded, staring up at his eyes, her own welling with happy tears.

“The moment we arrived in the Northern Water tribe, years ago, I found a carver to teach me the significance of the symbols. Later on, I had Toph help me find an earthbender who specialized in teaching the skill required for etching tiny symbols in rock. I’ve carried it with me every day since.”

Katara’s tears were flowing freely now.

“I don’t want to rush you, don’t want to pressure you, and if you don’t want me the way I want you, then just say the word, and I’ll never mention it again, but Katara, I need you to know that I am head over heels for you. I meant what I said in my letters.

I am forever yours, always, if you’ll have me.”

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♥ the rest of the (completed) fic can be found here!! ->

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elftwink · 1 year

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saw a video about 2 player ttrpgs and one of them was like "this one's about a pretend marriage" and i was like oh? and i looked it up on itch (eyes on the prize, fyi) and it's 50% as of right now and i was like OH? and i bought it immediately & ive read most of it and i am a big fan. and i KNOW that i have friends who would have fun playing it (it's a 2 player or 4 player game; the 4 player variant has 2 fake couples) but asking them is going to be so cringe. yeah we're gonna make up people and pretend to be them and then pretend to pretend to get married and the characters when they start their pretending they're gonna be like "oh we don't have any romantic feelings towards each other this is strictly plot" but then (get this) they will start to develop real feelings for each other. and we're gonna act it out together and pretend to be them but don't worry! we have no romantic feelings towards one another. this is strictly plot. when WE (irl) pretend to be in love it's actually platonic, unlike the people who we are pretending to be to each other. so do you have like 2-5 hours you wanna dedicate to that next week

and the worst part is that's 100% what i want. like i have roleplayed romance before with friends it is literally not a big deal because the whole point of roleplay is that the character ISN'T you. but with a fake relationship the crushing weight of dramatic irony hovers behind me

#i do want to play it though it seems fun. i actually think it would be more fun to do the 4 player variant #just bc like. to me fake dating is all about the audience. the way you act alone vs in public #it's about the drama. the show. having other people to bounce of off in rp i think benefits that #eh. im overthinking it i'll get over myself & bring it up. i at least wanna talk about it to people even if we don't intend to play it #i also kinda think you could use the game as more of a writing prompt than a roleplaying game if you wanted?#like. ideally you're still have 2 or 4 people who have a character they mainly control #and you'd like. co-write a story by hashing out responses to each card (which is the main game mechanic) & writing it down #but you would lose some of the imo more like... silly (affectionate) parts of the game?#because some of it is really about the improvisational aspect of both ttrpgs and the fake dating trope #but i still think it would be really fun. and i have done a lot of text-based roleplay before #so i am biased towards it just in general.#i also think you could probs play with 3 players with slight bending of the rules and in and out of game acceptance of polya relationships #esp because the setting is like. vaguely period piece fantasy nobility. you go to fancy parties and shit #i feel like those people had very complicated love lives i think a throuple would be fine #also We Are Playing Pretend #good idea generator #unrelated but did wtf when did they update the post editor the tags are so ugly LOL

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bugpoasting · 8 days

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feels like such a slamdunk fic concept/prompt but. beatles-monkees 4 for 4 fucking at some random party in the 2 or so years when the monkees were relevant. there's soo much that can be done here

#lord forgive me but god psuedo/semi hero worship is always a fave trope of mine going back to da hrpf days #like not hero hero worship but guy who's a few years older than u and very successful and cool and you want to impress them type beat #and the beatles rly fill that niche when u consider their timeline aka rounding the bend of their meteroic and def becoming more jaded/#experimental. yaknow #and im so sure that they did all meet at one point in history i just cba to look it up rn #anywho. as an amateur monkeeologist my pov would be john-mike (shared Waddahell is wrong with this guy factor/general malaise/glittering #wit and intelligence and mean streak (affectionate)/kid(s) and wife they do Not fuck with/seeing the projection of the Self in others #that includes your best and worst aspects reflected back at u/glittering brightly sososo doomed just like you were. and are/and so forth)#peter-george because of that one pic of them. so fucking good man. and vibes i guess they were compatible in that way #paul-micky for that insane showman vibe i guess. i dont have the best handle on micky Yet but i would enjoy this. manic energy off the wall #plus sleazy charming paul who dgaf who you arebeyond getting his dick sucked to whom everyone is a groupie because hes #fucking paul mccartney. best paul #and ringo-davy i guess they're both short and i like it when tiny dudes get destroyed by massive cocks. sue me

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blindedguilt · 17 days

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//Was thinking about posting this on my alt, but since I figure I've spoken about this frequently enough on this blog and it's THE dedicated Leonard Space™️... //I'm throwing up and crying thinking about how leonard had never gotten to experience romantic or sexual attraction (or will ever GET to experience those things, unrequited or not) without complete dread and self-blame and guilt and how that must have been growing up with the hope and expectations of "Being in love must be so nice, I hope I'll be able feel that one day" and not ONLY having that hope gradually dwindle as he grew into the "expected marriageable age" watching those around him go on with their lives and attain those things in a way that seems so natural but is so foreign to him and the absolute sadness of the point the notion of "attraction" and "falling in love" turned to complete and abject horror and disgust when he realises that this is what his mind has decided is "Normal" for him, and all possibilities and aspirations he may have had of a child, teen, young adult, etc. up to that point of even the bare minimum is now a complete impossibility. //how it fully sets in he'll never experience love. never find his own family or someone to be interested in and care about in such a way or even feel attraction without that weight attached.... like idc, actual relationships are one thing but if ANYTHING you should at least be able to know the joy of falling in love if even for a SECOND without any strings (Disgust, guilt, self-hate, etc.) attached!!!! guys!!!!!!! //HE'S WAY TOO KIND AND GENTLE AND HANDSOME AND CARING AND HUMBLE AND A GENTLEMAN AND HANDSOME AND HIS VOICE IS WAY TOO SEXY FOR THIS SHIT, HE DOESN'T DESERVE THIS!!!!! LET HIM LOVE!!!!!!! HE'S SHOWN TO HAVE SO MUCH TO GIVE IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS (Parental, familial, just being an empathetic person towards his "enemies" in general) AND YET HE DIES HAVING NEVER KNOWN IT...... WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO HIM........... ouuugughhh.........

#||ooc||#||relevant||#{/having feelings about leonard again someone kiss him or beat him up with a lead pipe rlly quickly how do we process this.....}#{/there's just something about leonards SPECIFIC iteration of the 'beyond help' and 'guy who doesn't deserve this gets the worst of it'}#{/tropes that REALLY hurts in how he deserves it the LEAST and is so UTTERLY beyond hope ur like 'idek how i can make this better'}#{/the more i think about it the more insane 1.3 is to me in the idea that in its own completely fucked up degenerate way}#{/leonard may have been the only one of that group to have a POSITIVE bend to his character and how he carries himself}#{/where arioch; caim; furiae; etc. are either made more negative or are the same but with different context}#{/and the reason for that is is that is takes away the strongest thing that makes leonard so compelling and GUT-WRENCHING as a character:}#{/that caring demeanour is still TECHNICALLY there on the surface; but beneath that this leonard just let himself go COMPLETELY}#{/by becoming what would be the absolute NIGHTMARE of DOD1 Leonard and tossing the morals connected with his guilt out the window}#{/he's 'fixed' himself mentally; and no longer is completely miserable and wracked with guilt (perhaps grief!! but thats another thing)}#{/BECAUSE HE'S CONVINCED HIMSELF HE HAS NOTHING TO BE GUILTY ABOUT ANYMORE}#{/i guess to sum it up nicely}#{/the only way for leonard; who's tried his best to love and care for SO many people; to be happy with himself}#{/is to hurt other people. specifically the most vulnerable he fought more than anything to protect}#{/otherwise; his only solution to be happy with himself - or at least; no longer suffering - is to DIE}#{/just..... oooooogh........ *curls up into a little ball and explodes*}#{/i miss him.... i wanna write him again..... i want to put him into a situation he can feel at peace and Normal....}

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rotruff · 1 month

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can i say something controversial. writers who sarcastically write for a character who's cold / a villain / etc. romantically and then the writing is just 'they would hate you / wouldnt happen' or something along those lines are so uncreative and boring its not even funny

#LIKE. i dont even see it from a 'its in character!!!!' perspective #as someone who is really really into character analysis and likes keeping my perception of characters relatively accurate its just. not tru #relationships are a really really good way to analyze and understand a character by looking at who they form bonds with and how #these relationships (especially in the case of villainous characters) can be negative [ie. manipulation in the name of achieving some #goal. think of the 'mastermind/master manipulator' trope] BUT. assuming every relationship that character could ever have would be negative #is just. kind of a boring stance.#it reduces them to JUST 'bad guy with no feelings' which just. isn't compelling as a character. this isn't to say that every villainous #character needs to have someoen who they bend over backwards for and are a completely different person for but you should at least consider #how they would interact in a more positive relationship. it doesn't have to look like bog-standard domesticity or anything like that it can #be weird scary yuri for all i care but like. come on.#a villainous character who prizes one relationship at least a little bit for whatever reason is infinitely more interesting than a villain #who keeps everyone at a distance without any struggle or issue #rot barks #sorry i have a lot of thoughts.

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griseldabanks · 1 month

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for the ask game, would you do #23 for link and zelda?

Let Me Count the Ways ask game

Prompt: "I feel like we've met before…."

“You only want to go there because you think she'll be there.”

“I do not!” Link retorted, hanging his helmet on Epona's handlebars while holding his phone to his ear with the other hand. “I'm going to study for midterms, like I said. Not my fault you didn't want to come along.”

“And watch Malon making googly eyes at you the whole time? No thanks.”

Link paused halfway through slinging his backpack over his shoulder. “What? Malon?”

He could practically hear the rolled eyes across the phone line. “Oh brother. She's had her eye on you since orientation!”

“Really? How can you tell?”

“Because I have eyes in my head!”

Suddenly, Link spotted a familiar pink backpack weaving through the tables outside the coffee shop, heading towards the door. “Sorry, Navi, gotta go.”

“Hey! Listen to me—“

He hung up and darted over to the front door, managing to reach it just in time. He grabbed the door and pulled it open.

The girl who'd been reaching for it started at his sudden appearance, then let her extended hand fall back to her side. “Oh...thanks!”

She smiled up at him before stepping inside, and for one glorious moment, their eyes met. Link grinned stupidly, but she'd already passed him.

Heart pounding in his chest, Link followed her into Lon Lon Cafe. He stuffed his hands into the pocket of his green hoodie, trying to act casual as he stepped into line right behind her. He glanced up at the girl behind the cash register, and the pleasant giddiness in his chest deflated somewhat as he remembered what Navi had said. Sure enough, Malon spotted him and immediately shot him a grin, tucking a lock of red hair behind her ear. And she kept glancing at him as she listened to the next customer's order.

Link looked back at the girl in front of him instead. Zelda. So was so pretty, her blonde hair pulled back in a half-ponytail, golden earrings dangling from her ears and catching the light.... And there was an elegance to all of her movements, even simply in the way she pulled her wallet out of her purse. Like a princess...if princesses ever graced college-town coffee shops.

Suddenly, she looked over her shoulder and turned to face him. “Hey, do I know you?”

The bottom dropped out of Link's stomach. “What?”

Zelda cocked her head to one side. “I feel like we've met before....”

Link swallowed, mouth suddenly dry. “Uh...History 101. Professor Rauru.”

Zelda's face brightened with recognition, and somehow she looked even more beautiful that way. “That's it! So are you ready for—“

“Next!”

With a little start, Zelda quickly turned around and stepped up to the front of the line. While she was ordering her drink, Link couldn't help noticing that Malon wasn't smiling anymore, but answering Zelda tersely and stabbing at the register with more force than necessary.

When it was his turn to order, Link was a little nervous at how Malon would receive him, but to his relief, the second her eyes landed on him, a huge smile lit up her face again. He might have been imagining things, but he thought he detected a hint of sharpness in her gaze that wasn't there normally. “What can I get you?”

Link opened his mouth to reply, but she talked over him.

“Pumpkin spice latte, right? As usual?”

He'd actually been thinking of trying out something different this time, but she was already ringing him up, and he did like anything pumpkin spice-flavored, so he remained silent and just handed over a couple blue rupee notes.

Zelda was still waiting for her drink at the other end of the counter, and Link's heart skipped a beat when she glanced up from her phone as he strode over to her to wait as well. “So, what's your major?” she asked, her blue eyes bright and interested.

“Uh...undeclared, so far,” Link admitted, feeling his cheeks go warm. “I came in with an archery scholarship, but I don't know if that's what I want to go with....”

“Well, that's okay,” Zelda said. “You're a freshman, right? You've got plenty of time to figure it out.”

“Wait, are you not a freshman?”

Zelda giggled. “Oh—no, I'm a sophomore. I just didn't get around to history last year. I wanted to take harp lessons, and my schedule didn't work out.”

“So you're a music major?” Link brightened at that. Maybe he should've signed up for singing lessons or something after all.

“For now,” Zelda said with a thoughtful frown. “I love the harp, but I've been thinking about switching to political science instead. Do some real good in the world, you know?”

The more they talked, the more relaxed Link felt, just like he was talking to Navi or Saria—except that every time their eyes met, he felt a glorious swoop in his stomach. “Maybe your harp can usher in world peace,” he said with a grin.

As Zelda laughed, the barista slid their drinks across the counter towards them. “So do you play any instruments?”

“Oh, just the ocarina—“

They both reached for their drinks at the same time. Both froze, staring at the backs of their hands. Link's left, Zelda's right. Like a strangely geometric birthmark, against their pale skin was the clear outline of a triangle divided into four smaller triangles. On Link's hand, the smaller triangle on the bottom right was filled in; on Zelda's, it was the bottom left.

Link stared at their hands, the marks upon them perfect mirrors of each other. For his whole life, his soul mark had been there, as familiar a sight as the moles and freckles on his arms. He knew it was supposed to be a reflection of his soul, and the legends went that somewhere out there, his soulmate bore the mirror image of it. But who that person was, or if he'd ever meet them...that just wasn't something he bothered thinking about too much.

Just like anyone, there had certainly been times when he'd wondered who his soulmate was. Growing up, he'd compared soul marks with his friends—Saria had been extremely disappointed when she realized that the swirly mark on her shoulder was nothing like his soul mark. In idle moments, he would daydream about whether his soulmate would turn out to be someone he married, like his parents, or a really good friend, or maybe even one of his children someday.

But then life got busy, and there was no time to think about something so frivolous when school and archery club ate up so much of his time. If he ever met his soulmate, he would deal with it then.

Then was now.

Slowly, Link's eyes traveled up Zelda's arm to her eyes, which were open wide with shock. “Does this mean...?”

“You're...m-my....”

“Oh my!” Zelda's face instantly grew as red as a tomato, and she whirled away from him, covering her cheeks with her hands. Link's eyes were glued to the back of her right hand. The soul mark was unmistakable.

Without warning, Zelda began speed-walking back through the cafe, almost knocking into several people on her way out.

“Wait—Zelda!” Link grabbed both of their drinks and rushed after her, finally catching up to her where she had collapsed into a chair at one of the tables under an umbrella out front.

Hesitantly, Link set Zelda's drink down in front of her, then slipped his backpack off his shoulder and sank into the chair across the table. He looked over at her staring fixedly at the cast-iron tabletop as if she could melt it with a glance.

Just to have something to do, Link sipped his pumpkin spice latte, but it scalded his tongue, so he set it aside.

She was so pretty, even with the blush extending all the way down her neck. Actually, the blush made her look even prettier, the pink tinge of her skin setting off the pink shirt she wore.

She's my soulmate, he thought numbly. All I wanted was to talk to her, maybe ask her out eventually...and she's my soulmate. The most important person in my life.

“Um...sorry,” Zelda said with a shaky laugh, looking up at last and tucking a strand of golden hair behind her ear. “I didn't mean to run out, I just...that took me completely by surprise!”

“Yeah, uh...m-me too.”

They both realized at the same time that they were staring at each other's hands, and broke into nervous laughter.

“So, we're...soulmates.” Zelda let out a long breath. “No, saying it out loud didn't help. It still doesn't sound real.”

A sudden thought occurred to Link that made his heart sink. “Hey, um...just because of this,” he pointed at the back of his hand, “that doesn't mean we have to...I mean, it's just a legend. You don't have to feel, like, obligated to...to hang out with me or....”

To his relief, she smiled sweetly at him. “You're right. But...I'd still like to get to know you. If...you don't mind.”

“No, of course!” Link said, a little too quickly and too loudly. He cleared his throat, his cheeks burning again. “Can I buy you coffee or something sometime? I-I mean, I know we already got coffee, but....” Crap, he was making such a fool of himself....

But Zelda just giggled, hiding her smile behind the hand that bore the mirror image of his soul mark. “Yes, you can take me on a date sometime. But, um...what's your name, anyway?”

“Oh!” They'd been talking all this time, and he still hadn't introduced himself. “It's Link. Nice to meet you.”

Zelda cocked her head to one side. “Link...strange...it feels somehow familiar....”

Link realized he'd felt the same way, the first time he'd learned Zelda's name. He'd passed it off as merely thinking it was a pretty name, but...maybe it was a sign that their souls were bonded to each other.

Either way, as they sat at the coffee shop and continued to get to know each other, everything felt right with the world in a way it never had before.

#UGH this one gave me so much trouble DX #i had zero ideas until suddenly i decided to combine two tropes i don't usually care for (coffee shop au and soulmate au)#and somehow that gave me enough inspiration to finally write it???#idk i don't get it either #also i'm a little disgruntled because i'm supposed to be writing only platonic relationships with let me count the ways #but i guess i ship zink so hard i couldn't make it any less shippy than this :/#so i'm kinda bending the rules with this but you can say it's just the beginning stages of a crush #the relationship could actually go a multitude of ways from here and the focus is just on getting to know each other #at least that's what i'm telling myself so i don't have to come up with an entirely new idea for this prompt ^^'#anyway this is meant to be more or less compatible with any version of link and zelda #but it's probably obvious that i take most of my inspiration from oot (as that's my favorite)#ask and you shall receive #granny-griffin #ask games #let me count the ways #link #zelda #legend of zelda

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