#and even with the show there’s a lot of in canon fics

[eugeniedanglars]

with the hiatus and the discourse and the annoying fans it becomes so easy to lose sight of the simple fact that buck and tommy are incredibly fun to watch onscreen together

#like they're so cute! they have great chemistry! i'm not lying when i say i like bucktommy even though i find a lot of their fans annoying! #i think what i'm realizing is i like bucktommy in canon but i don't like them in fandom? #like they are such a fun relationship to watch on tv but i don't want to read fic or hcs about them the way i do with buck and eddie #i'm having fun with them where they are but i'm not *rooting* for them. and that doesn't have to be a bad thing! #i've said it before but the number one problem with most of buck and eddie's past love interests was that they were boring #(except abby and taylor my beloveds. and shannon but i don't count her bc she and eddie weren't really a love story they were a tragedy) #'fun and enjoyable to watch' is really a decent bar to clear considering this show's track record with love interests #911 abc #911 lb

[buckttommy]

i think personally i've been so conditioned by shows giving us nothing that i'm just indifferent to the buddie vs bucktommy canon debate. i'm happy no matter what because i'm used to only getting these queer ships through fanfic and fandom with the shows i've watched before. the fact that we got bi buck this far into the show brings me so much joy that even tho i desperately want buddie i'm completely content with just having a canon bisexual man.

Yeah, and like, Nie @gayhoediaz said it in her tags about fandom moving in generations, and this is another way in which the difference between generations is SO fucking obvious, like. When I was a teenager, it's like you said, fic was literally all we had. We would have to dig through books and shows just to find any kind of queer rep which is why some of the things we passed back and forth were more about the rep than the actual quality of the thing. But it's not like that now. Now, kids have more options. They get to be picky with what kind of ships they want and in what kind of shows, and that's a good thing. But it's definitely different from when we were growing up. So I think grace and understanding is needed on both sides tbh.

Anyways. I really feel this. I want Buddie. I love Buddie. Buddie is the only thing that makes sense. But I really fucking love having Buck as a canon bisexual and that means more to me than anything. I still can't believe it when I say it out loud. You know? like. Wow. We're here and this means a lot in SO many ways. So. Yeah. I get it, anon. I definitely get it.

#jack answers mail

[hyperfixiation-station]

The Filler Fics Pt.1

Beach Day Pt.1- Travel

Part 2

TW: Canon divergence, military inaccuracies, mentions of injuries/hospitals Inspired by @shyravenns art Summary: This is the first of many sitcom-style filler fics. Yk, the ones where they go to the beach, or go to the store, etc, etc. I am open to suggestions, as I don't really watch sitcoms, so please comment or request or DM me ideas!! This one is, of course, a beach-day fic that I have spilt into 2 parts. this is the getting there portions, pt.2 will be the beach :) WC:1080

It had been a long few months. The threat of global annihilation, the hunt for Makarov, Soap getting shot, it was just a lot, and they all needed a break.

Price had watched Gaz and Ghost spend night after sleepless night at Soap’s bedside, refusing to do anything until the Scotsman woke up. And he had been right there with them, although Ghost wouldn’t talk to him, the Lt. still pissed that Price’s actions, or rather inactions, may have gotten Soap killed. Price couldn't blame him. It’s not like he hadn’t been fixated on that one moment, mentally berating himself for stopping Soap from killing Makarov in the first place. He would have gotten in a shit-load of trouble for it, but anything would have been better than…well, he didn’t even want to think it.

The team couldn’t take another loss so soon after Roach’s death. Price knew that. Knew that if Soap didn’t make it his team would fall apart. And it would be his fault. 

Thankfully, Soap was alright. He’d woken up a little disoriented, with no recollection of the week leading up to his…head wound. Other than some faint ringing in his ear and occasionally bouts of dizziness, he was alright, much to the relief of his squad members. However tensions were still running high. Just because the Scotsman was awake and talking didn’t mean the very real fear that his friends had felt over the past few weeks had vanished.  

There were nights Price found himself studying Soap, watching the rise and fall of his chest proving he was alive. He’d seen Ghost reach up from his bunk and grab the Scot’s wrist, checking for a pulse after waking from what Price assumed was a nightmare. Things got a little better once Soap didn’t have to wear gauze over the wound anymore, but the scar was still an ugly reminder of what had almost happened.  

Soap was constantly mother-henned now, not allowed to do training, having meals brought to him, never going anywhere by himself. It was starting to piss him off, and Price could see it. Tensions were running high, and it was only a matter of time before someone snapped. 

“Give the boys some time off, time away from the battlefield. Time to recuperate and settle back in. They’ll be okay.” Laswell told him at their bi-weekly meeting they hadn’t had in 3 months. Price booked 4 flights and a week-long stay at a beach-house off the Coast of California that same night.

However, the flight left in 5 hours and he still hadn’t told his men. He moves through the base, heading towards the rec room that he knew they hang out at, hoping they are all in one spot. 

Aaaaand bingo!

 Ghost is sprawled out on the couch, Soap sitting on the floor, leaning against his thigh, with Gaz in the armchair opposite, watching some stupid show on the little TV they have. Price can’t help but stare at the long, inch wide streak where Soap’s hair hadn’t quite grown back, a grim reminder of how close he came to losing one of his men. His eyes are drawn from Soap's skull by Gaz’s laughter, the man's head tilted back, shoulders shaking at something that was said on the T.V. 

The show cuts to commercial, and Price figures it’s as good a time as any to cut in. 

“Alright boys, pack your bags. We’re going stateside.” All three of them look up at Price in varying degrees of confusion, “Laswell decided after Soap's near-death experience we all needed a little R&R, so we’re heading to the beach.” 

“Ah’ll finally get tae see that ‘impeccable bronze’, eh Lt?” Soap nudges Ghost, a grin splitting his face.

“We’ll see Johnny.” 

“The beach, captain?” 

“Yes Gaz, the beach. You got complaints, go talk to Laswell.” 

“Hey, no complaints here sir! Just makin’ sure.”

“Good. Because we leave in an hour so you don’t have time to complain anyway.” 

“An hour??”

“No time f’r y’r beauty regime, Gaz.” 

“Ah shaddup, just cause you’re jel-”

“Boys! Get to going!” 

“Aye sir!” Price shakes his head as he watches them file out, Gaz and Ghost subconsciously sandwiching Soap in between them. The Scot shoves Gaz, his shoulders shaking as the shorter man lets out an angry squawk.  Things have been tense, sure, but he can’t help his smile as his boys walk off, alive and well. 

Ghost hates flying. Well, sort of. Military transport ain’t bad in his opinion, but when he has to fly commercial? With civilians? And screaming babies? He hates it. Hates it hates it hates it. 

He's dressed in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, a black surgical mask adorning his face. HE may have gotten comfortable with his team seeing his face, but the rest of the pubic had not lived through numerous near death experiences alongside him, and thus did not get that honor. Covid had at least helped with the stares, nowadays no one really batted an eyes at him, which did, surprisingly, ease his discomfort.

He shifts in line, sandwiched between Gaz and Soap as they wait to board. Soap is turned slightly, placing the scar on the side of his head directly in Ghost's line of sight. Gods he wishes he could look anywhere else. But its to no avail. No matter how many time Johnny had reassured him he was 'okay', Ghost couldn't get the image of his teammate, his brother-in-arms, his friend unconscious in his own blood, out of his head. He just couldn't.

Yeah, sure, he should have told the court-mandated therapist about that, but the she wouldn't have signed off on him going back to service and then where would he be? That right, no-

"Ghost!" He's snapped out of his reverie by Price, who is giving him the look. Whatever. Price should know by now that he wasn't gonna spill his guts to anyone, much less someone with the power to kick him off the team.

He hands his ticket to the attendant, mumbling a 'thank yo' before following along after Johnny, hands shoved in his pockets. Johnny takes the window seat, so he takes the aisle, condemning Gaz to the middle. Besides, he was the only one that would fit there anyways.

The plane takes off and, as if on cue, a baby starts screaming in the front. Ghost sighs and slouches in his seat. This was going to be a looooong flight.

Let me know what you think:))

#cod fanfic #simon ghost riley #cod #ghost fanfiction #john soap mactavish #call of duty #no beta we die like men #johnny mactavish #captain john price #john price #kyle garrick #gaz fanfic #goap #simon riley #cod fanfiction #beach day #filler episodes #the filler episodes #brain ain't braining #sorry i'm rambling

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Lila being the new Hawk Moth doesn't make any sense. It makes more sense for either Nathalie or Tomoe to become the new Hawk Moth. It even makes more sense for Chloe to be the new Hawk Moth than Lila.

I think it says a lot that I've never read a fanfic that even tried to pull off Lila becoming the butterfly and I've read a lot of Lila takedowns. Almost everything staring her is about her lies being outed, leading to her defeat. Even the rare fics that do try to make her the butterfly don't show her becoming the butterfly. She just has it somehow because her getting it was hard to picture. Even canon couldn't come up with a logical reason.

This tells you how the fandom views the character. She is not seen as a manipulative mastermind. She's seen as a petty child who would be relatively easily defeated. In other words, the writers have completely failed to set her up as a solid, terrifying threat. Instead, she's OP in an aggravating, unbelievable way that makes her new status as magical villain the source of a headache, not excitement. All her power comes from everyone else being stupid and is anyone looking forward to three seasons of that? (Miraculous has been confirmed to have 8 seasons planned and I'm assuming she'll be the lead for all of them given how long Gabriel was dragged out)

Tomoe or Nathalie being the new magical villain makes so much more sense and would have been so much more exciting than Lila, the girl who can say whatever she wants and everyone will believe it because plot. I'd even take Chloe over Lila. It would still be awkward to get the butterfly into her hands, but at least Chloe has character development and a clear motivation. We have no idea who Lila even is and, at this point, I really don't care. It's not like she's a new character. They literally had four seasons to make me care about her, how much more time do they need to setup a villain?

#ml writing salt #ml writing critical

[coraniaid]

Top five Fuffy fics (written by authors other than yourself)

Well, I'm not sure the restriction's necessary: I don't think I'm being unduly modest in saying there are a lot more than five Fuffy fics out there that are much better than anything I've ever written (or even come close to writing, frankly).

Uh. Limiting myself to one per author and to completed works only, and not trying to sort the top five in any way, without thinking about it too hard my top five would be:

To Live In The World by IvorySteel92. There are lots of Season 6 Fuffy fics, lots of which are really, really good, but this is the only one that made me cry twice, so it must be the best. Faith comes to Sunnydale after Buffy dies to try to do the right thing and take over as the Slayer, but then Buffy comes back to life. Only this time, unlike in canon, Buffy really does come back wrong...

Je me souviens by zulu. A classic, from all the way back in 2005. Again, there are lots of Season 4 Fuffy fics -- including at least one more that I love and that almost made this list -- but I don't see how I could not include this one. Faith wakes up from her coma, not knowing where she is, struggling to remember the fading details of a dream in which somebody she can't remember is chasing her with a knife. To the extent there is a single Fuffy fic any fan of the ship should be familiar with, I think this must be it.

147 Days by TigerDragon. Another relatively older fic -- this time from 2012 -- but one which doesn't seem to have gotten quite as much recognition as I think it deserves. It's part nine of a fourteen part series (starting all the way back in Season 3 and carrying on well past canon), but you don't really need to know much more than that this is -- technically -- canon-compliant, and that it covers the time Faith spends in prison while Buffy is dead. I think it's amazing and that far more people should read it.

Flowers For A Ghost / The Girl From Away by aliceinwonderbra. I'm cheating a little bit here, as these are technically two separate stories, though you could read them in either order and both have the same starting premise. Buffy wakes up in hospital surrounded by her friends after jumping into Glory's inter-dimensional portal to save Dawn. Only, she isn't waking up surrounded by exactly who she thinks she is. While the main reason I got into Fuffy a few years ago was rewatching Buffy during lockdown and finally having the pieces click, I genuinely think this series runs it a close second. I don't think I would have started writing anything Buffy related myself if -- having finished that rewatch -- I hadn't thought "huh, I wonder if anybody has ever written Faith/Buffy fanfiction?" and eventually stumbled onto these stories.

Body Language by explosionshark. As a rule, and despite my many complaints about Season 7 itself, I think Chosen was pretty close to the perfect way to end the show, which makes me a little wary of post-canon fics. But this one is so good it makes a mockery of any reservations I had: I cannot imagine a happier, more faithful-to-the-characters continuation to Buffy and Faith's story. (Oh, and as the tags make clear -- and as I think Faith would insist my previous description already strongly implies -- Buffy and Faith have a lot of sex in this one.)

#thanks #asks #fanfiction #fic recs #fuffy #btvs

[baldurs-writers-3]

Character Studies: A Baldur's Gate 3 Rec List

This week, we have Character Studies! Check under the cut for nine fics that delve into the minds of our favorite adventurers, and as always, comment and kudos if you like them!

Under the Sussur Tree by spacesunderstairs (73751,Mature) Warnings: Child loss, violence, mild sexual content in later chapters Pairings: Astarion/Tav

Halinae is a reclusive drow infected with a mindflayer parasite, determined to find the only true friend she ever had before she turns: a young boy she tutored on the Savage Frontier.

Reccer says: I liked it!

Night time bitch, time for night time shit by Aliantic (19416,Teen) Warnings: N/A Pairings:

An anthology of short stories about life around camp, filling in some gaps, especially when Tav's either asleep or not around.

Reccer says: I love gapfiller fics that focus on small moments between the big events of the story, and this is a *great* series of gapfillers.

Lost in Frozen Fire by SadinaSaphrite (10333,Explicit) Warnings: Torture, the explicit tag is not bc of sex Pairings: Astarion & Jaheira

Ulma said the Gur would not hunt Astarion anymore, but she can't control all of them. Astarion has a no good very bad time when one Gur father tries to take revenge.

Reccer says: Astarion trying to move on post-canon and realizing he does have friends. Even if he has a bad time!

caught between the dark and the dreaming by Raayide (18925,Teen) Warnings: Pairings: Astarion & Karlach, Astarion & Wyll

What if Astarion was force fed klauthgrass? What if it was super effective on vampires?

Reccer says: Poor Astarion has a bad time, great exploration of his character and how he responds when forced to be honest

Those left behind by Gally (11944,Mature) Warnings: Astarion's past abused is mentioned a lot, but its not the focus Pairings: Astarion/Karlach, Astarion & Wyll, Astarion & Shadowheart, Astarion & Gale

Astarion and Karlach were in love! Then she burned up. Astarion has lost even more, but (un)life must go on. Post-canon exploration of what that might be like for him. Don't worry if it sounds dark, trust me, there's lots of humor here too!

Reccer says: Laugh or cry? No no, laugh AND cry!

Fool Me Once by cyranonic (6975,Mature) Warnings: None Pairings: Karlach & Gortash, Karlach & Astarion

A collection of vignettes showing Karlach growing loyal to one master manipulator and tyrant

Reccer says: Karlach is written SO WELL here, and the subtle manipulation is just perfect! And then Astarion's comfort at the end is just the cherry on top. Superb

a new light by planetundersiege (803,Mature) Warnings: None Pairings: Lae'zel/Shadowheart

After experiencing Shadowheart almost slitting her throat, Lae'zel gains a new appreciation for her.

Reccer says: A wonderful look into Lae'zel's mind as she navigates the conflict with Shadowheart

Break the Surface by stormandstarlight (4056,Teen) Warnings: Mention of drowning Pairings:

A musing on vampires, rivers, various silences, and the breaking thereof.

Reccer says: Oh I just loved this! It was incredibly evocative and poetic

Fury Oh Fury by Tinwoman (2762,Explicit) Warnings: None Pairings: Lae'zel/Shadowheart, Lae'zel/Karlach, Lae'zel/wyll, Lae'zel/gale, Lae'zel/Astarion,

Character study about how lae'zel would be with each if she took them as her lover.

Reccer says: It's just really interesting to me! I like how different each interaction is.

The above fanfic recommendations were pulled from our community for this weekly event. Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ!

Next week, we’ll be back with Tav Focused Fics!

#bw3 #bw3 rec list #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 fanfic #bg3 fanfiction #fanfic rec list #character study #fanfiction

[grandpuppyalpaca]

I Want To Actually Write Some Fics

So, I'm finally moving to a dorm away from "home" in a few months, and I want to take the opportunity to finally start writing some of the fanfics that have been calibrating in the back of my mind.

Warnings in advance:

I will only be writing fanfic, not original works.

I have never shared or published fics before (Unless you count reading the occasional snippet in Creating Writing Club).

As of right now, I have no beta(s).

Don't know my college schedule/workload yet, so no ideas about how often I could post/update at the moment.

I likely won't be able to post anything until I have access to a computer at the college (presumably in August, sorry about that), because the closest thing I have to an unmonitored/unrestricted device at "home" is my outdated Kindle Fire tablet (where the secondary browser I downloaded to hide reading fics sometimes likes to crash every few minutes).

If you've read past all of that and are still interested in my possible future writings, here are the possible options for what I could actually post:

Azure Fingerprints: Title of a possible series based off of this idea (batman and megamind crossover). > (Time travelers have realized that Bruce Wayne will always, without exception, base his crimefighting persona on the first thing... – @grandpuppyalpaca on Tumblr)

Featuring (so far): a delayed start to "Batman's" career, SuperBat friendship, Bruce's poor social skills, the not-yet-"Batcave" getting turned into a babyproofed nursery, and lots of fluff and crack and FEELINGS. Not sure if other parts of the series would be other longfics in that world, or just little snippets of stuff.

2. Anna Elizabeth Wayne (Actual Title TBD): My take on an Annabeth is Bruce Wayne's daughter fic.

Featuring (so far): Show!Annabeth (Leah Jeffries is phenomenal), Reverse Batkids AU (with a twist or so), an Athena characterization based on Circe by Madeline Miller, GoodDad!Bruce, multiverse stuff (only a little at the moment), Siblings Bonding Over Weird Childhoods, and So Much ANGST. This one is reallllly complicated, so it might be a series just so I can include one of those "explanation of the writer's AU" pages. Not as much of a plot as it is ANGST, small ideas for individual scenes, and general vibes right now.

3. The Adventures Of Lulu And Hatchling: probably the title of first fic (probably backstory stuff) in what would likely be a series. Crossover between ACOTAR universe and PJO/HOO (I am NOT ACTUALLY merging the two worlds). Basic background is that Annabeth's mortal family are the descendants of an illegitimate child from a kept mistress of Tamlin's father, and Annabeth is the first person to have powers from their bloodline. Baby Annabeth gets sent to grow up with Tamlin (Watsonian reasons would be explained in-story), but Lucien unofficially becomes her main caretaker. She spends seven years in the Spring court (pre-Amarantha even coming to Prythian), then is returned home in time for all PJO relevant events to occur. This would NOT be a Complete Re-Write Of PJO Canon.

Featuring (so far): Multiverse stuff, Annabeth w/fae powers, Book!Annabeth description so she can look like Tamlin (Leah Jeffries is still phenomenal, fight me), Lucien's gradually increasing blood pressure, Found Family Fluff, Lucien being a good father/uncle/older brother figure, Tamlin not being a complete alphahole in the beginning, Eventual Tamlin Bashing anyway, Ianthe Bashing (once she joins the story).

Definite intentions for later parts of the story: Powerful!Annabeth High Lady!Annabeth, Consort!Percy (he refuses to become High Lord, especially when he can just vibe and technically hold the official title of Least Politically Important Person At This Meeting), Tamlin's manor getting abandoned and Annabeth employing people to help build a new one that she designs, Inter-Court Meetings between all the courts becoming a Regular Thing (bc I want to put all the little dudes in a jar, shake them up, and study the results under a microscope), Inter-Court politics, gradually undermining the patriarchy, Inter-Court friendships, Beron taking psychic damage from the sheer audacity of---, Everyone Bonding Over Hating Beron, Positive Social Change, and Me Adding My Own Additional Lore To The World Of Prythian.

Optional fun fact! The base story could take multiple paths after TTC, so it would be the most likely fic to eventually make me write one or more AUs of itself, so here's later random details of the story that may or may not be added depending on which timeline I write: Tamlin dies, Tamlin gets locked up in his own house and told that Annabeth is willing to talk to him once he's "being more rational". Beron has a brain aneurysm in the middle of an Inter-Court Meeting and dies, Percy and Annabeth somehow creating a plan to get away with sending Beron off for the Hunters and Amazons to hunt him for sport, Amarantha kills Tamlin and is shortly killed by Annabeth before ACOTAR would have happened, Rhysand and Annabeth become Very Fast Friends and make fun of people together, and Doreen Green (Squirrel Girl) becomes Annabeth's spymaster bc that would just have so much comedic potential, fight me (she's honest about that being her job [if not explaining the details of how she does it] and she's just so open and friendly and polite that it has to be a hoax, right? there's no way she's actually in charge of collecting real intelligence. she has a network of squirrels who pass info to her across the entire continent? oh right, because of the tail, very funny. some of us are actually taking this seriously, Tarquin).

4. Lightning Rod, Grounding Wire: Approximate title for a crossover AU where Agatha Heterodyne (Girl Genius) and Hunter (The Owl House) end up swapping places right before Barry would have gotten Agatha (exact explanations undecided, maybe Belos let the Collector get too bored?) and about the same time Hunter was created (with Hunter being a couple years older than her biologically). Longfic? Series? Who knows, not me(yet).

In the Boiling Isles: Agatha is initially raised by Belos in something a bit similar to the get in loser we're assassinating the emperor - elliptical - The Owl House (Cartoon) [Archive of Our Own] AU, but it's Agatha (Spark, Heterodyne, etc.) so she gets on the wrong side of the empire way quicker. I'm thinking that she wouldn't make it more than a couple years after her breakthrough (w/o Uncle Barry to build her locket) before she starts spouting Extremely Logical Treason in meetings. Mostly, Canon occurs but minus Hunter (I'm going off the theory that Belos had to reuse the same galderstone for each grimwalker, so in this he's permanently down one(1) clone child soldier) and with way more explosions.

Meanwhile, over in Europa: Barry quickly deduces that this Very Small Child isn't Bill and Lucrezia's, is definitely some kind of construct, and is likely part of some kind of plot by Lucrezia (the man's stressed, and 2ish out of 3 ain't bad). Barry's not the kind of spark who'll try to vivisect or euthanize the kid just to stop Lucrezia, so his best bet is hiding him away from the world. Hunter grows up considering himself a construct, in time gets left with the "Clays", and lives a somewhat less stressful life than Agatha would have pre-canon. Everything goes passably well for him until the first events of "The Beetleburg Clank".

Featuring (so far): The rapidly increasing blood pressure of Every Adult in this situation, young Agatha being a feral gremlin, Hunter actually having a childhood, if Eda had a a nickel for every time a semi-feral teenage girl built an interdimensional portal in her back yard she'd have two nickels, SO MANY mistaken identity shenanigans after Agatha and Hunter actually meet, eventual Huntlow and Agatha/Gil/Tarvek OT3, and Eda menacing All The Sparks.

Now that I'm thinking about it, the only one of these that wouldn't need an explanation page is number one.

I do have more ideas on all four of these (as well as other vague ideas still calibrating), but this post is pretty long so I'd need a request from someone before I give more info.

Please comment/reblog/@ me with your thoughts!

For future reference, my Ao3 account is:

#percy jackson #pjo tv show #pjo #percy jackon and the olympians #batman #pjo series #batfam #annabeth chase #bruce wayne #percy jackson and the olympians #girl genius #batman crossover #girl genius crossover #pjo/hoo crossover #the owl house crossover #acotar crossover #the owl house #acotar #lucien vanserra #agatha heterodyne #hunter toh #baby megamind #megamind crossover #megamind fanfiction #megamind au #please give me feedback

[reinanova]

you know a show/book/media did something right when the fandom writes fanfics that are an extension of canon, rather than a rewrite of canon

#yes this is about leverage #the vast majority of fics i read in the leverage fandom could all reasonably take place in between episodes or after the show ends #the show runners knew what they were doing and it shows #leverage #leverage ot3 #parker leverage #eliot spencer #alec hardison #sophie devereaux #nate ford #thiefsome #i feel like this could also apply to the grishaverse #in general at least #there are some exceptions of course *cough ch 40 cough* #but a lot of six of crows fanfics are aus or expansions past or pre canon #and even with the show there’s a lot of in canon fics #six of crows #grishaverse #reinanova rambles

[feroluce]

I've only recently started having my own thoughts about Emanator!Sampo and I think my favorite version of this is that he is technically an Emanator, it's just that he doesn't talk about it because Aha is a dick who only blesses people that don't want it and Sampo hates it here dkjxkdkdck

Aha blessed the Mourning Actors! A whole faction of people who have specifically made it their life's mission to resist Elation! They made a literal worm their Emanator just to see if it would be accepted into the Genius Society! And when it wasn't, Aha just as easily killed it and tossed it aside! So I feel like there is a good possibility that Aha looked down at Sampo, this little oddball who doesn't seem to even like Epsilon or a lot of the Masked Fools and was like.

Hey.

You know what would be really really funny.

And I feel like being an Emanator wouldn't even be a plus for Sampo, because of how he operates. Sampo excels at blending in; he managed to smuggle himself onto a planet

that had been isolated for 700 years,

with only one (1) single city on it,

and going even further, he snuck himself into the Underground,

where the population is even more sparse,

and STILL. Not a single accusation of him being an alien! Not even after the Astral Express lands and proves that interstellar space travel is possible! Sampo is so thoroughly ingrained into Belobog that yeah, some people admit they don't know his origins, but none of it ever comes with the question of whether he actually is a Belobog native or not. Sampo knows exactly how to blend himself into his surroundings in the most subtle way possible. And being an Emanator, something far more powerful than any normal human or Pathstrider could ever hope to be, would only throw in a massive extra variable for him. Sampo would have to be so so careful to keep a lid on his Emanator traits, to keep up the appearance of being totally normal and average at all times. It doesn't help him at all.

And this part is pure indulgence, but I love taking Aha's closeness with mortals, and THEIR tendency to take human form, and twisting it into a case of THEM using Sampo as a vessel.

I want Aha to look at Sampo the same way all of us look at Sampo. A chew toy. A plaything. Something to shove through the meat grinder. Aha thinks Sampo is hilarious and a funny, silly little guy, and THEY want to put him in Situations just to see what he does. Sampo is not a fan.

This though, this is what makes Sampo so wildly entertaining as a vessel. Because Aha knows that Sampo does not want to be a vessel, does not even want to be an Emanator, and THEY find it SO much fun to watch the mental gymnastics he has to pull to convince himself he's ok with it, this is fine actually, because he's not exactly about to tell off a literal god. He doesn't feel like getting a smiting today, please and thank you.

Because squeezing yourself into a human vessel is so different than merely adopting a human disguise, there's already a human soul in there, it's kind of a tight fit. If Sampo doesn't make room, doesn't all but dissociate right out of his own body, it could cause. Consequences.

And so, Aha always gives a warning, just to watch him squirm.

It begins with the sound of bells.

Just little ones, at first. Small, clinking little sounds that could even be considered nice. Something almost gentle, like a wind chime in a pleasant breeze on a warm day. This is the signal for the countdown.

Sampo breathes in, breathes out. Makes himself as small as possible within his own body.

The bells rise and multiply, tinkling wind chimes give way to sleigh bells, to shopkeepers bells, the sound of something inevitable approaching, something entering.

Sampo breathes in, breathes out. Dilutes himself, weaker and weaker concentrations.

The bells rise and rise, multiply and multiply, celebration and tragedy resonating in the sound of church bells, ringing bright and loud, the sounds of weddings and funerals both the same.

Sampo breathes in, breathes out. Becomes like smoke, like vapor. Hollows himself out.

Empty, empty, empty until he echoes, like a bell, like something with the sole purpose of being shaken and rattled around, a thing to be struck, the sounds jarring and punched out and gasping and piercing the air, the lung, the eardrum.

Sampo breathes in.

Beaten he rings, bashed in he sings.

Aha breathes out.

#sampo koski #hsr sampo #hsr aha #emanator!sampo #emanator sampo #hsr #honkai star rail #my fics #pardon me I've been listening to a lot of kara kara kara by kikuo lately dkxjkskdmd #I really like Emanator Sampo theories and even think canon is pointing that way- assuming he isn't just Aha in disguise #but I also like Sampo being a pathetic little guy. a squeaky toy. just a little dude. #and thus. this skzjnskdkd #an Emanator but pathetic about it haha #stringing Sampo up like a piñata so I can beat him with the possession angst stick ☆ #he just has a lot of personality. Sampo is very bright and vibrant and distinctive- #-and always perfectly in control of himself to put on the best show. #so I think it's most jarring to see him dissociate- to see him go completely still and quiet just trying to breathe and settle #breate and settle breathe and settle breathe and settle #until he looks distant and hazy and goes unresponsive. until he feels like he is barely within his own body. #aha thinks this is funny #sampo tells himself he does too because it's easier that way #(shaking hands with Aha and Sparkle as I too like to mess with Sampo and put him in situations snkzjsjdkd)

[jade-of-mourning]

sorry sometimes i think about mako and my heart hurts so much. this kid raised himself and his brother on the streets in homelessness and utter poverty from eight through fifteen, promptly after seeing the violent death of his mother and father. he turned to the triple threats because they couldn't survive as a pair of wretched kids without any adult support, and the environment forced him to turn into the exact character that killed his parents in a terrible twist of irony. and after sheer-fucking-luck hits and they aren't homeless anymore, their livelihood wavers on the outcome of what's a literally game to everyone but them; and after things are finally starting to look up and their team is going places and things just might be okay, his gradually stabilizing world unceremoniously expands and everything goes to shit.

and the city that chewed him up and spat him back out, ruined him as a child and took away his ability to stay afloat in a true sense of normalcy as an adult — when it's on the verge of destruction and falling to pieces before his eyes, he gives himself to save it with the full expectation to die. he went from the kid who didn't and couldn't care about anything outside of himself and his brother, to finding redemption for his younger self in his police work despite its injustice against him, to willingly sacrificing himself to a world that had never loved him.

he's a desperate people pleaser, socially and emotionally stunted for the adult he had to be as a kid, unable to navigate interpersonal relationships easily yet still trying his damned hardest. he's intensely and entirely devoted to the things that matter to him and for so long it was only him, bolin, and ensuring their survival — yet by the end, that devotion has expanded to protecting the rest of the world. he starts out entirely self-reliant and ends in trusting the people he cares about to know their own needs, to be able to take care of themselves, to be okay without him despite having spent so much of his life defined by his role in others' well-being.

just. what the fuck i'm such a big fan of this fictional guy and i'm unashamed about it at this point. also let him cry please (if you won't i'll do it i'll let him cry)

#lychee's brain trash #mako lok #mako tlok #sorry for the shitpost i don't do a lot of those i realize #how tf did this guy not had a massive break down in canon at any point #nd like;; he never shows resentment for the unfairness of it all #he doesn't ever use his past to excuse any of his choices/actions that are influenced by it #which is pretty intrinsically linked to his relationship fumbles #he just quietly holds himself accountable and probably mildly despises himself haha #as much as i don't care for the love triangle it really does make complete sense in accordance to his backstory #anyway this is just a roundabout way of me expressing my salt at people writing him off as a malicious asshole lol #i literally cannot articulate the intense complex things his conjured up existence makes me feel #this does not even scratch the surface there is SO MUCH #i need to actually write the fifty fics that exist to my brain otherwise all these thoughts will never see the sun #trust that one day the avatar!mako au will emerge from my drafts;;; #and. you know. that one shot i've had in wip for the past 2.5 years #and the four other oneshots that will probably never be converted into actual words

[camgoloud]

one small detail that stood out to me about this latest episode that i haven’t seen anyone else talking about yet is that when the commentators are calling colin “inspiring” and the “man of the match,” they are celebrating him not for actually scoring the goals himself, but for providing the crucial assists to make both of them happen. and i really love that because for me it’s the absolute perfect wrap to his character arc across all three seasons!

like, we know that colin’s job on this team has never been to score goals. in fact i’m pretty sure we’ve never heard about a single goal that he has scored. colin is and always has been a team player, not a star—and we’ve seen that crop up over and over. notably, we’ve seen the fact that he’s not entirely at peace with that crop up over and over: see the way he was affected by nate’s entire holidy-inn-painting monologue, being benched to make room for zava, etc.—like, this is the thing he’s sensitive about! this is where all of his insecurities come from!

but at the SAME TIME it’s also tied very intimately with all his struggles re: hiding his sexuality— “colin’s a chameleon,” etc. it’s fascinating because there’s SO much tension there between colin 1. feeling bad about the fact that he never stands out on the pitch the way some of his teammates do, because of who he is on the team, and 2. feeling like he CAN’T stand out, ever, because of Who He Is As A Person. etc. it’s like. he’s filling this role in the background. he’s afraid he’s not doing it well enough. he’s afraid that what and who he is isn’t good enough and isn’t worthy of recognition. he wishes he were someone different. trying to be someone different in the locker room is clearly making him so unhappy and stressed out. it is All Connected and my thoughts have been doing laps around it at an ever-increasing rate since i watched episode 2.07 ‘headspace’ if not before!

and all of this is why it’s so incredible to me that in the end, colin’s big moment comes from making assists and not goals! because on the one hand i understand the fandom desire for the colin post-coming out glowup that we all knew was coming—to see him, like, ~prove everybody wrong about him~ and inspire people by suddenly becoming a standout player and scoring goals left and right, even though that never used to be his role on the team before. and don’t get me wrong, i was 100% on board that train, and would have loved it for him if that was how it went down in the end, also. i think he should get to score here and there! as a treat! especially now that richmond are playing total football and there’s been so much emphasis placed on how it’s not just jamie/dani/occasionally sam who are making all the goals anymore!

but i don’t know! especially after the events of the last few episodes, there’s something very special to me about getting to see a colin who, rather than becoming someone entirely new in the moments right after coming out, just feels free to become, and be at peace with, the best version of the same self he’s always been. he’s still a team player first and foremost, but now that he’s not as weighed down by the need to chameleon/hide/pretend to be someone he’s not, he’s so much better at it. and everyone sees this! he gets to be celebrated for his contributions within the role he’s always played! he (and everybody else!) finally recognizes the value that he adds to the team just by being himself—fully himself! it resolves all the tension and insecurity that we’ve seen him struggling with this whole time, on every level. and so this moment was genuinely the perfect ending for his journey in my opinion—i’m so so happy that we were tall enough to join him on the ride here, and so excited to see what he does going forward these last few episodes now that some of that pressure is off him <3

#it's like. he doesn't want to be a spokesperson! he shouldn't have to End Homophobia by becoming zava 2.0! in fact it would not be possible #for him to do this even if he DID come out publicly and then became the best goal-scorer the league has ever seen because the people who are #the problem will ALWAYS manage to find something to attack him for no matter what he does #what's important to me and i think to him as well is that he has the confidence in himself that he needs to perform at his own personal best #and that his teammates recognize this and support him the same way he has always supported them both on and off the pitch #and while a part of me would have liked to see a public coming-out arc i completely get why they're not going there. it would be a lot to #tackle and this season is already getting justified criticism for spreading itself too thin #i think it would have been POSSIBLE to do and do well but. it would place a LOT of constraints on the entire rest of the plot #and i do recognize somewhere in the back of my brain that colin is not ACTUALLY the protagonist of this show for most people #so them choosing to take the character in the ‘i don’t want to be a spokesperson’ direction instead makes sense and was handled very well #anyway. one other reason i’m pleased about all of this is that while most of my recent tl fic is no longer canon-compliant as of this week. #i sure did NAIL the happy ending being an assist and not a scored goal. have been thinking these thoughts for WEEKS and i feel so vindicated #ted lasso #ted lasso spoilers #colin hughes

[ineffable-doll]

Remembering when I joined the fandom in 2020 and no one would explain where the whole South Downs thing came from

#i read so many fics with the bookshop opening scene before learning it was a deleted scene from the season 1 script book #and the way people call the kiss EVERY because of the leak but if you don't KNOW that we sound CRAZY #and so many details from the original book that will go right over show-only fans' heads #i wonder how many things show-only fans think are fanon but are actually from the OG #he could do interesting things with tongue indeed mister snakeskin boots #and that's not even bringing the radio drama into this and the references to crowley wearing a skirt and hastur being dead etc #anyway this is not making fun of new fans by any means #if you're in this as deep as I am then we're in the same boat of absurdity #I'm just writing a fic that includes a lot of non-show non-canon scenes that exist in fandom spaces and it amused me #good omens #good omens 2 #aziracrow #ineffable husbands #aziraphale #crowley

[phoenix--flying]

the most impulsive decision (rewriting a fic i havent touched in almost a year)

#technically TWO (three) fics #but i only have one finished #and then the second one had like #three chapters #and i havent even started the fourth one #nine half bloods au #bc guess whos back on their bullshit #and wants to fix the shit show that is that au #its so bad i hate it 💀 #and my canon au has changed #so much. #and i want to change a lot of stuff LOL #add some SPICE

[kaythefloppa]

Rewatching No Name Dream, and honestly, it is the one Wild Kratts episode that feels the most like a fanfiction.

#wild kratts #wild kratts season 7 #wk season 7 #wk s7 #the episode was released in Canada and is viewable with a VPN #But some clever fox leaked it onto YouTube so you can easily search it up and find it #Still I'm gonna refrain from spoilers on my blog until the episode comes out in April when I'm certain that the vast majority has seen it. #But yeah there are a lot of call-backs in the episode to earlier seasons - Even more recent ones like Season 6 #It's like a fanfiction in the sense that it feels like it was written by a fan of the show that wanted a comeback for old stuff in the show #There's also the one scene that shall not be named which I 100% think was an intentional nod to the viewers. #if yk yk #It's so weird in any other context this feels like a fun little fic but it's actually a canon episode #Even weirder is that it actually works somehow? #I feel like a lot of people may either like it or hate it when it comes out but I really love it. #spoiler free

[dangerous-advantage]

thinking about how raph, april, and mikey are less focused on by the fandom than donnie and leo, the only two main characters in rottmnt with white voice actors

#to be clear this is not a “callout” nor am i trying to inspire discourse/attack anybody #it’s just something i’ve been thinking about for a while that i feel deserves more... ig recognition? by the fandom at large #like i know a part of it is definitely the shows’ fault and their own unspoken biases #but i can’t turn a blind eye when i see human versions of the turtles that consistently have see and lee be lighter skinned #even if they are all represented as poc #like to reiterate: this is not a call-out #it could absolutely just be the niche of the fandom that i find myself in (in which this is a massive self report) #and i absolutely need to do better as well!! #but i haven’t seen this talked about as much as i feel it should #esp with april— i mean i already am aware about the fandom bias toward male characters #but it makes it doubly hard for her character which is a shame seeing as she is a queen #+ my fav representation of april in the entirety of the tmnt canon so far #i understand with mikey that it could be excused due to the fact that his character was focused on less #but raph? he has sooo much good characterization that i often see given to leo in fic/fanart #like i said: this is a lot more nuanced than what i’ve talked about #and i am by no means perfect #i just think we as a fandom should at the very least recognize this aspect of ourselves #idk i’m definitely not the best person to be talking about this #but i’ve been turning it over in my head for a while so i figured i might as well just. say it #rottmnt #rottmnt meta #racism #tw racism #internal bias #if anybody has something to add feel free #just like. be civil please? like i don’t think anyone is doing it on purpose (obviously) #just something to be aware of

[andromeda3116]

like, i've had people say in reviews before that they were disappointed in the zutara in such selfish prayers, because it was too subtle, and like.

i get that. it was supposed to be subtle, building to a new beginning rather than a true shipping fic, but i can get being disappointed that this famous zutara fic doesn't have a whole lot of zutara

but like

i didn't write it for the zutara? like, don't get me wrong, i love the ship, it's my comfort ship i always come back to but like

such selfish prayers is really about katara falling in love with katara

the emotional thrust of the story is katara growing into herself and becoming who she's always wanted to be, and the "ship" is, in a way, kata/ang, but in the sense of --

it's katara and aang coming to terms. realizing that they're better as friends, but that their friendship is deeply important to both of them, and they do love one another. it's not romantic, but the whole story is building to the coda where they can stand at the ground-breaking of republic city -- where he recognizes that she's engaged to zuko now, and congratulates her -- as friends, again

such selfish prayers is very much an idealistic story. the politics are idealistic and the relationships are idealistic, too. the guy i had recently broken up with, when i wrote it, ultimately couldn't be my friend again. politics are a dark and deadly mess. things don't always -- or even often -- work out for the better.

but such selfish prayers is about what we want to make happen, and believing that we can do it, if we don't give up. it's about hope, and optimism, and having faith in the future, and in falling in love with ourselves and growing into a life that fulfills us

the real love story is katara, for once, putting her own desires -- her own selfish prayers -- first, and choosing what she wants, after a lifetime of putting other people first

such selfish prayers is a katara fic first and a zutara fic second, and i understand people -- who were expecting another stormbenders or once around the sun or incendiary -- might be disappointed that it's not really that much of a zutara fic, but zutara wasn't actually the story i was telling

it's a love letter to katara, first and foremost and last and at the core and at the end, it's all about her, and what she deserved

the zutara is just a bonus.

#katara deserved better #zutara #such selfish prayers #i've been mulling over this for a while; i've gotten a lot of comments criticizing the lack of zutara content #(among a wealth of positive comments! don't get me wrong i've gotten a ton of moving and amazing comments from tons of people!) #and it's like. while i get the criticism it's also a little frustrating because the point is not the zutara #it's katara. it's all about and for katara. #i've said before that i'm primarily a katara/happiness shipper more than a zutara shipper #like i love the idea of fire lady katara and i think they could be really happy together but all i really want is for katara to be *happy* #and god but canon just. does not show her being happy with aang #like i thought lok would make it better but it only made things so so so much worse? #like i'd made my peace with it and then lok came out and it was just. so awful for katara? #she was reduced to ''the avatar's wife and mother of his children'' and... that was it? #no statue? #she wasn't even there at the trial of a bloodbender? and they didn't even bother to handwave it? #like they didn't even bother to *mention* her #she turned into a shell of her former self all alone on the ice and i just. i cannot with that. #such selfish prayers is a fix-it fic for katara #the zutara is just a bonus