#because at least they're /good/ at something--at least they have that safety net to fall back on | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

avalonmoonshinesstuff · 1 year

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I just realised Something about a portion of fandom I don't really engage with all that much. Because I don't want to, btw.

In all other shows, movies, books, etc, every single bad person is at least somewhat 'ugly' according to the narrative. The 'problematic' characters rarely get acknowledged because there are so many good looking characters who are good themselves (I remember Annabelle from the first book of Percy Jackson, I think, and there were more ofc).

However, Rowling's main idea about appearances was that it was an illusion. Every single good looking character is either reprehensible or ends up dying (Cedric) in the same book they were introduced*. The story wants to be relatable to how every teen feels, and no matter what, we all have insecurities.

However, they're just teens, and on top of that, at least one or more of our main teens have done something terrible or badwrong (Hermione with skeeter and Marietta). So, they aren't exceptionally beautiful and neither are they exceptionally good. Even the side characters who are popular come across as jerks to some of their family members, making their sibling cry.

This creates a problem for the people who don't have a sense of self yet, or are so scarred they can only look at life through black & white lenses.

The Halo effect playing greatly onto the above, we're presented with another set of teens, two of whom are described as extremely sought after by the opposite sex, one of whom is popular, and the final one who has endeared himself by showing ugly Snivellus his place (via map and the Verbal Sparring). They all, by the end of this introduction, understand that Snivellus is badwrong and doesn't deserve anything good.

'It's clear he's the villain, and has been since forever, see, these people agree with me and they're the Protagonist's parents.' Whether this is believed because of the Halo effect or taking Harry's perspective to mean a God pov, I can't tell. The point being, they are even more convinced.

They want an escape from how difficult it is to sort out their feeling about these people the author keeps throwing at their face so why not attach to the characters who are dead or strongly attached to the protagonist (so they can never be badwrong in later books). A safety blanket of sorts, if you will. And in doing so, they completely ignore the nuances of the scenes presented in the last book. Because they are attached, they'd rather call badwrong Snivellus' love impure than explore what the montage of all his memories implied. That beauty is skin deep.

The thing about people who like such black and white scenarios and people is: they will always fall prey to the Halo Effect. And it's extremely painful to be disillusioned about your favourites. So they may never get disillusioned.

All this to say, sometimes I wonder why that part of the fandom is like 'that'. And it's just that this is the safety net in this series, or this is just how vanilla people outside of fandom coming in can take.

And that's fine (coz I'm crazy for the marauders era as well, just with a slightly wider taste pallet).

TL Dr: The antis are attracted to wholesome ships and since Rowling made it so difficult to find such ships until much later where you are emotionally connected with each character, the antis attached to a bunch of (mostly) dead people who, by association to the Hero of the story, being pretty, popular, and clear on their behaviour with the badwrong confusing character, are all good. They were desperately looking for the safety net in the books and found some. Also, since antis are the way they are, maybe they believe the fictional character being dead means people would not criticise their wholesome ship? Idk.

A/N:

*The only properly handsome man - Bill - barely gets mentioned, marries a beautiful woman, and imo the only reason he doesn't die is because he didn't revel in his handsomeness or popularity (him liking Snape in school is so cute + that disqualifies him from being popular with the antis since he likes the badwrong character). Also, he was literally scarred on his once handsome face to show that his wife actually loved him and didn't just choose him to have beautiful babies. Her being a veela and owning her Frenchness were already flaws (in the narrative's opinion) so all she needed was a scarred husband. Now, they both don't have to die 🤣.

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spitblaze · 10 months

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Aaaaah I have so many questions for the Android Therion AU. Ravus Industries has def used Therion for Less Than Legal activities and I wonder how much of their treatment of him skirts on the rights of an android as well (honestly in a capitalist hellscape I'm surprised they have any at all as much as there's a sense of 'we made you we own you forever unless you can afford to buy yourself outright')

That aside, I am *very worried* for Alfyn's safety as Ravus Industries tries to get Therion back. Like... they don't have issues killing if they use androids for assassinations. owo;;

Well, even in a capitalist hellscape there's civil rights lawyers. How far the rights of artificial lives go is...up in the air, at this point. Can they vote? Can they own property? Are they considered citizens? Do anti-discrimination and labor laws apply to them? Unclear, and probably varies between jurisdictions. Either way, androids have at least been around long enough at this point that they're not like, a chattel slave class outright. Also not super common, maybe one out of every 50 or 100 people is an android, but enough that it's a sizeable population, enough that they cannot be considered property outside of specific circumstances, and Therion happens to fall under that legal category.

Therion (and by extension Gareth) are officially and legally, despite having just as much going on upstairs as any human being, property of Ravus Industries. The paperwork was all filed beforehand, he's made with a specific purpose in mind and 'would pose a danger to others' if not under the control of the company, or they claim that he has no true intelligence and is therefore not sentient enough to qualify as a citizen, or something. I'm not gonna pretend I know enough about civil rights law to make up what those exceptions are, but just know that Ravus either fudged most of em or paid off some politicians to let them keep the whole thing hush-hush or both.

There's probably a good few sympathetic scientists and engineers who consider him fully human but unable to really do anything about his situation without jeopardizing their own. There's clearly others, like whoever wrote his file, who look at Therion and only see a tool. One that's helped Ravus Industries take down competitors and acquire their tech and research illicitly, but in this case one of the benefits of Therion being private property is that responsibility lies on the company, not him. Legally speaking, at least. I'm sure some of the less-sympathetic caretakers threaten to reprogram or scrap or replace his parts every time there's a mistake, because he's not a person, he can't learn, he's a machine who has defective parts.

At any rate, uh...Alfyn is definitely in trouble, lol. Like luckily he's still a country boy who can handle himself (Still has swarthy carpenter genes and experience with an axe, probably has a shotgun or whatever the 31st century equivalent would be), and magic is probably still a thing in the 'sufficiently advanced science' way (still thinking about how osvald just does math so hard it makes fire. baller), but ultimately the one thing that's keeping him safest is the fact that all of Therion's remote activation and tracking parts were disabled or removed after his initial escape. That's it. Ravus wants to turn Therion into a Homing Murderbot so bad so they can just retrieve him very easy so they can make him. idk. steal whatever the Wyndhams are doing or murder union organizers or something. The Fantasy Pinkertons are absolutely on his ass.

Luckily Alf at least has his trusty repair van and mobile engineering kits, as well as his usual irresistible charm that nets them allies wherever they go. Ravus Industries is a well-known company that employs a lot of people, but, uh. So are Nestle and Apple, if you catch my drift here. And it's not like they're alone, either! Tressa knows enough about how businesses and boards of investors work to predict what Ravus is gonna try, Olberic and Cyrus together have enough practical and theoretical knowledge of tactics to make for very effective planners, H'aanit knows how to live off the grid and hide your tracks and is the only member of the party who can wield a shotgun with more precision than Alfyn. Ophilia and Prim are also there, idk what they do, Prim is better with diplomacy and has less qualms with muder than Therion and Ophilia is probably very good at finding them allies or places to lay low (what are you going to do, say no to a bishop???).

I have MANY thoughts. some of them related (Cordelia may or may not be a C-suite at Ravus and is very conflicted on what to do about the situation bc she thinks the robot is hot and should go free but knows the practical use he has to the company. either way therion doesnt like her) some of them not (prim has her own goals and possible beef with Ravus but keeps getting distracted by h'aanit who is a lethally hot butch lesbian) but. im having a lot of fun thinking about the whole thing. heehee hoohoo funny sci-fi au

#spitblaze says things #tbh i might just pull a digimon movie/summer wars and co opt a chunk of the plot for one of my OCs #who i have most of their own deal down but not so much the plot #(said oc is Apollo who is a transmasc android who made a pact with a blood demon for his freedom and is now also a vampire)#(bc cringe is DEAD BABY I CAN MAKE EDGELORD OCS ALL DAY AND GIVE EM AS MANY POLYCULE MEMBERS AS I WANT)#octopath #long post #android therion au

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lunatriense · 2 years

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Blake for the character bingo, as the only last member of Team RWBY that you haven't covered yet.

Okay, this one's going to be a little... special, because as we all know, Blake was replaced several seasons ago by her doppelgänger Blek, and the two have very little in common. Even less so than Ruby from early to later seasons, and that's a real accomplishment! Uh... I guess.

So here we go!

Wasted potential

You know the drill, and like Yang, Blake has this one in spades. She's a member of an oppressed minority fighting for equality for her people, who left the revolutionary organisation she was part of because the faction she was with grew too bloodthirsty and lost their way, so now she'll fight the good fight alone. That won't stop her though! She's been brought up outside the safety of the kingdoms, where you live by your wits and your blade, so although it hurts to see her comrades fall from the path she continues on unfazed, even in the heart of oppression where she must conceal her very nature to avoid the grinding bootheel of injustice!

Except it turns out that the bloodthirsty faction actually make up most of the revolutionary organisation. And they're the only people in the world trying to get equality for faunus. Ouch, not a good look there.

Okay, okay, but Blake didn't know that and she left when she saw what they were doing, right? So we'll just... we'll just put a pin in that for now. A very... very large pin. Ahem, moving on.

Right, brought up outside the kingdoms, that's a good one! She's lived a hard life with no safety net, probably an orphan or a member of some sort of warrior clan or something. Whatever it was, it can't have been easy.

... Aaaaand she was a princess on a tropical island. And not like a 'my family is trying to kill me so I must flee' or 'there was a coup and I have a massive bounty on my head' kind of princess either? Her whole family is almost universally beloved and respected? Oh come on!!

Fine, fine, she's still an oppressed minority who has to hide herself to avoid the systemic bigotry. That part at least will still resonate for sure.

What's that? Only like three people care that she's a faunus, and one of them gets over it within a day in world?

I give up. No wonder she just retreats to the corner to engross herself in her smut mature fiction.

They're deeper than they seem

That's because she's a passionate fighter for the cause of justice and equality stripped of the systemic abuses and injustices her character needs to thrive. She belongs in a show that stays in one place (for the most part), where she can connect with the people and make real, lasting change, not in a macguffin hunt travelogue where she barely even speaks to another faunus.

On the other hand, there's Blek. Blek shouldn't exist. She's a cardboard cutout that looks similar to Blake with a bad haircut and a bodysuit she picked up from the discount bin at the local fetish shop.

Blek's raison ďêtre is to undermine Blake's character. Where Blake is passionate, Blek is timid. Where Blake is dedicated to the cause of faunus rights, Blek blames them for their own subjugation, insists they need to show their oppressors how good they are by just... taking more oppression... (??) and giggles about the slave owning company who brands faunus owning the entire city of Atlas.

I'm pretty sure Blek is a replicant created by the SDC to sabotage the fight for faunus rights. She's the newest weapon in the COINTELPRO arsenal.

#blake belladonna #memes #answers #rwby #rwde

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headspace-hotel · 2 years

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as much as i do agree with your weird memes-to-tradfem pipeline post, there is a part of it that nips at me. witchcraft- and by that i am mostly referencing that practiced in Paganism- is a genuine religion for a lot of people. for sure there are a lot of newbie people who see watered down wicca on, like, pinterest, and do baseline surface level things and call themselves witches, and then post those memes and get into weird tradfem territory, but it feels... sort of weird to imply that an entire religion that has existed for a very long time is founded on nothing but lies and pseudoscience. respecting others' religions is important- every human being should have the right to pick their own faith. what is important here is harm reduction- and that means leading vulnerable people (esp. women who are unaware of this sort of weird pipeline, and more susceptible to falling for it) away from that. the endgoal should be education and safety nets, not like... trashing a whole faith system?

i don't know. i may be misreading your post/intent, and i apologize if i am! but the amount of comments on it that have started outright invalidating and denying any and all faith is really sort of concerning, and i suppose i felt like saying something about it, at the very least.

bad witch memes can lead you down a weird internalized misogyny rabbit hole. rejecting and bashing all faith can lead you down even worse rabbit holes in regards to more marginalized religions than paganism. just be careful.

The takeaway I hoped others would have is that you HAVE to keep your brain close at hand when exploring spirituality and faith.

To me, the biggest and most obvious example of religion/spirituality being a gateway to conspiracy shit is, of course, Christianity. The reasons for this are so complex it would take hours to outline them, and many are specific to Christianity, but there are several that I think can apply to any belief system:

people think of critical thinking and faith as being opposed to each other (they're not)

people exploring new belief systems are generally looking for meaning in life and people in that state are more susceptible to conspiracy

belief systems often have a process of unlocking insight/enlightenment/truth about the world through deeper study, prayer, etc whatever, and it's very easy for cult-like environments to exploit the process of seeking spiritual understanding and use it to isolate you from outside communities and the world, rather than connect you to it

there are genuinely a few ideas that can wiggle their way into a variety of different beliefs just because their central assumptions are so culturally ingrained. A lot of stuff about "natural" food and healthy eating comes from diet culture and ableism, basically.

on the subject of that last one, I think it winds up entangled in spirituality because ultimately, diet culture and ableism have...a spiritual component to them, as weird as that sounds. The way we think about disease and food is often in terms of fault, sin, and 'purity.'

Food is 'guilt-free,' you have to restrict and ignore your hunger to eat healthily because what the body wants is bad (thanks, St. Paul), people are disabled because of something they did wrong and wouldn't be disabled in a hypothetical 'perfect' world where no one did anything wrong (Eden/the 'pre-fall' state of man), we have to return to nature and disease will disappear (again, the presumption of 'nature' as something inherently good that humans have corrupted is Eden/fall of man stuff). It's a mutation of Christian ideas.

Now, here's the most relevant thing: people who are coming from a culturally Christian background often cannot identify when an idea is, well, culturally Christian.

Almost all of the questionable memes in the 'Goddess' to 'Tradwife' pipeline are just recycled Conservative Evangelicalism. The 'sex links your soul to someone' thing, the ideas about gender, it's the exact same stuff with a different coat of paint.

Now, some (not enough) Christians use enough critical thinking to question this stuff and realize it's crap. Plenty of witches probably do too. But conservative Evangelicalism is REALLY PERVASIVE in culture, and it in particular is big on the idea that "faith" means you throw your brain away. People of all stripes are vulnerable to applying that sort of thing.

Also. I really should have led with this because I want to stress it:

'Witchcraft' is kinda trendy right now, and like all trendy things, it's infested by people who want to take your money. One of the best ways to take someone's money is to lie to them.

#religion #spirituality #christianity #pseudoscience #critical thinking

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rafaelblackbird15 · 3 years

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Teen Wolf Fic Recs Part 4: Sterek

These are Sterek, Stiles Stilinski/Derek Hale fanfictions.

I really love these. They are some of my favourite Sterek stories, and ALL of these are absolutely beautiful. Without a doubt. Send the authors some love, because that's what they've given me and us right here. :)

If there is a problem with any of the links, let me know and I will fix them.

For appropriate reading check the hashtags on the actual fics.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.

And check out my other Steter fic recs [Part 1] and [Part 2] and Sterek fic recs [Part 3]

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God Brings The Wounded by CallieB on Archive of Our Own

Words: 4938

Chapters: 1/1

Summary:

“Jesus,” Stiles says, when he sees Derek for the first time, and feels his face do that thing where it tries to smile. Derek, or the weirdly fresh-faced teenage version of Derek that he is now, doesn’t flinch at Stiles’ exclamation.

He’s too busy flinching at everything else.

Requested by the lovely nohomohomie, who asked for something angsty post-nogitsune.

Has got to be one of my favourite canon teenage/de-aged Derek fics, with beautiful, angsty Sterek, of course.

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You're Not You by CallieB on Archive of Our Own

Words: 5266

Chapters: 1/1

Part 9 of the Sterek Bingo 2017 series

Summary:

Stiles lifts his head slowly, meeting Derek’s gaze. His eyes… they’re always clever, bright, perceptive, but today there’s something in them that Derek doesn’t recognise. He’s pale, but not defeated. He looks stronger than Derek expected. And unexpectedly, he feels it flash through him in a bolt of absolute, though surprised, certainty.

That's not Stiles.

Written for the Dark!Stiles square on my Sterek Bingo card.

This story is possibly one of the best EVER Void!Stiles stories I have ever read. The idea is complex and fascinating and unique. After I read this for the first time I was left stunned and I kept coming back to it in my mind as well as to read because I couldn't get over the idea. It's beautiful.

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Yeah, Pass The Salt, Stiles by CallieB on Archive of Our Own

Words: 3609

Chapters: 1/1

Summary:

Yeah, pass the salt, Stiles.

They're not particularly inspiring words. Not like the long stream of goo spilling over Scotty's arm. But somewhere, Stiles' soulmate is out there, waiting to say them to him.

If only he could stop thinking about the mysterious hot stranger he met in the woods...

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Author: CallieB

This author has 15 Teen Wolf works, most if not all are Sterek. Some of them in particular really hit somewhere special.

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Behind Locked Doors by isthatbloodonhisshirt (wasterella) on Archive of Our Own

Words: 11128

Chapters: 1/1

Summary:

Derek often showed up in his room—at least he used the fucking door now that he knew where the spare key was hidden—and he couldn’t escape people in general in the Jeep since they could see him through the window. His dad was home, and when he wasn’t, there was always the risk of other people showing up.

His bathroom, on the other hand? No, his bathroom was a small room with no window in the middle of the house with a lockable door and no judgement. He could sit in the bathroom for hours, and no one would question it. Was he watching porn on his phone and jerking off? Was he taking a massive dump? Did he have constipation? Was he stitching up the millionth injury of the month in private? Who knew? No one but Stiles!

The locked door at his back felt like a safety net for him sometimes. In the bathroom, he didn’t have to pretend. He didn’t have to smile and wave people’s words off, insist he was fine, laugh and act like everything was okay. In the bathroom, he was allowed to sit on the floor, his expression tight, and his body falling apart on him.

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Author: isthatbloodonhisshirt (wasterella)

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Should Have Looked on Craigslist by Akiruchan on Archive of Our Own

Words: 27217

Chapters: 1/1

Summary:

Derek is rash and self-sacrificing, everything that will one day get him killed. Stiles doesn't want that. He's become too accustomed to a life with Derek Hale in it. To live without, well, it just doesn't seem to be an option.

or...

The five times Stiles' expectations fall short, and the one time he's glad they do.

This is an incredible, slow burn, build of the winding relationship between Stiles and Derek and the world they now live in, side by side. It's wonderful and blessedly long.

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Bless You by Ankiruchan on Archive of Our Own

Words: 3070

Chapters: 1/1

Summary:

It all started with a sneeze...

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Lend Me Your Eyes, Give Me Your Heart by Ankiruchan on Archive of Our Own

Words: 3057

Chapters: 1/1

Summary:

Stiles’ life sucks. He’s honest enough with himself to admit to at least that. More often than not he spends his free time running for his life, saving people from creatures who want to rip his face off, and all around having a distinct lack of self-preservation. It sort of comes with the territory. Not something he can avoid when his circle of friends happen to be werewolves.

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Nobody's Fault But Mine by Akiruchan on Archive of Our Own

Words: 26552

Chapters: 4/?

Summary:

Stiles has always been good at ignoring his problems. Preferring to wait them out until they are nothing but a distant memory. But when a midnight stroll leads to a nasty scratch to Stiles side, courtesy of Derek, Stiles finds that some things just can't be ignored, not that he doesn't try. Better hearing and improved eyesight, that is something he can ignore for now. The sudden urge to touch and smell Derek all the time? Not so much.

This is werewolf!Stiles, and it's one the of the laid back, kind, intense versions that I enjoy very much. Unfortunately, I think it's been discontinued, but I believe even so, these 4 chapters are worth the little heartbreak that comes with the knowledge it may not be finished.

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Author: Akiruchan

This author is responsible for some of the best slow build Sterek stories I've read.

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Lock All The Doors Behind You by entanglednow on Archive of Our Own

Words: 25960

Chapters: 1/1

Summary:

He has no idea what you're supposed to say when you find one of your...werewolf acquaintances, completely out of their mind, growling like they're about to see what your insides taste like. There's no handbook for this. Stiles is thinking that if he survives he might write one.

I've come back to this so many times. The relationship is so vulnerable, down to earth and open and kind, extremely kind, which is something Derek really lacks in his life, someone to be kind to him. There's a feeling, somehow, that this is quite natural for them.

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In Case Of Emergency by entanglednow on Archive of Our Own

Words: 1826

Chapters: 1/1

Summary:

Derek falls through Stiles's bedroom window at ten past midnight.

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By Any Other Name by entanglednow on Archive of Our Own

Words: 33090

Chapters: 1/1

Summary:

He doesn't know his name, he doesn't know who he is, and neither does the werewolf he's on the run with. But he's pretty sure they hunt monsters, because they seem to be really good at it.

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I Could Find My Way Back by entanglednow on Archive of Our Own

Words: 6250

Chapters: 1/1

Summary:

What's the worst that could happen?

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Author: entanglednow

This author is responsible for so many amazing fics out there. They have 55 Teen Wolf fics, all with really interesting ideas and takes on the characters and supernatural world.

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You want forgiveness (I'll give that to you) by dearericbittle (dutchmoxie) on Archive of Our Own

Words: 2806

Chapters: 1/1

Summary:

Derek is running from the Alpha, suffering from wolfsbane poisoning and he’s clearly losing it. Why else would he be seeing his mother - and everyone else he might as well have killed himself. But Stiles can’t just let him get what he deserves. Stiles never leaves him behind, even when he should.

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(Fuck you they said) As they threw their threads from their wedding bed by dearericbittle (dutchmoxie) on Archive of Our Own

Words: 96199

Chapters: 9/9

Summary:

First Son Stiles Stilinski just accidentally caused an international incident. And apparently the only way to save human-werewolf relations is to marry him off to Prince Derek of Triskele. Stiles is going to need all of his acting skills to make the marriage look real, because the Prince is kind of a fucking asshole.

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Author: dearericbittle (dutchmoxie)

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fake empire by Poe on Archive of Our Own

Words: 3685

Chapters: 1/1

Summary:

Stiles hadn’t meant for any of this to happen. He was going to tell Derek. The whole truth of it. He was halfway through when the phone rang. A half-finished sentence, left hanging in the air as his life crumbled around him.

(or: Stiles gets so, so lost. But he finds himself again.)

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you all over me by Poe on Archive of Our Own

Words: 3705

Chapters: 1/1

Summary:

The thing about Stiles is, Derek thinks, is that he has no idea how enthralling he truly is. He’s easy to overlook, right up until the point he isn’t, and at some stage, Derek started looking, and now, it’s all he can do.

(or: the one where the pack is happy, healthy and alive, and Stiles and Derek are sort of inevitable)

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Author: Poe

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For If Dreams Die by veritas_st on Archive of Our Own

Words: 24169

Chapters: 8/8

Summary:

“I had a dream about a boy last night,” Mischief says through a mouthful of pancakes. His dad points the spatula at him and he swallows before he says anything else. “His name was Derek. He called me Stiles. I want to be called that from now on.”

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Author: veritas_st

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About Today by rufflefeather on Archive of Our Own

Words: 8901

Chapters: 1/1

Part 1 of the inside these arms series

Summary:

Stiles is having the worst day of his life and it keeps happening.

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Until Tomorrow by rufflefeather on Archive of Our Own

Words: 9016

Chapters: 1/1

Part 2 of the inside these arms series

Summary:

Derek's worst nightmares didn't prepare him for this.

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Let it be me by rufflefeather on Archive of Our Own

Words: 1495

Chapters: 1/1

Summary:

After everything that happened, Stiles goes to see Derek.

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Even the stars they burn by rufflefeather on Archive of Our Own

Words: 5770

Chapters: 1/1

Summary:

Derek finds out quite by accident what makes Stiles shut up. If he reveals along the way that he didn't always carry this darkness around, then that's entirely Stiles' fault.

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Solstice. by rufflefeather on Archive of Our Own

Words: 4119

Chapters: 1/1

Summary:

It's the first total lunar eclipse during winter solstice in three hundred and fifty years and Derek has no idea what's going to happen.

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Author: rufflefeather

This author has some intense, sometimes heartbreakingly endearing, and wonderful Teen Wolf fics.

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Hear The Wheels As They Roll by crossroadswrite on Archive of Our Own

Words: 44919

Chapters: 2/2

Summary:

“You can’t be here. This is private property,” someone calls out and for some reason that voice sounds painfully familiar.

When it hits him why, Stiles almost chokes with the realization, “Derek Hale,” he says, unbelievably happy because he remembers Derek when they were young.

Derek looks grumpier, sadder, angrier. Stiles can’t really fault him for that. He also looks surprised that Stiles knows who he is. He squint/glares suspiciously at him, his nostrils flare for a second before he widens his eyes almost dramatically.

“Stiles,” he says quietly, like he can’t really believe it.

Stiles beams, “Yeah, you remember me!”

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Author: crossroadswrite

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rappaccini · 2 years

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bridgerton s2 thoughts:

man this is like every great tropey regency au fanfic i've ever read and it's still like crack to me.

i love how popular this show is. i said it before but i'll do it again: it's so nice to see something so fem gaze succeed.

i'm really noticing the artistic liberties with the time period this time around. i feel like people get so finicky about ~the costuming~ and ~the string covers of pop songs~ but the goal of this drama isn't to accurately nail the time period, it's to show us a fantasy of it. the bright colors, glittery costumes and huge setpieces are the point.

same for the tropier romance aspects of it all. i get that regency romance, given its dependence on certain ideas about gender, romance, and uh, 'breeding' aren't for everyone, but that's just what the subgenre is. the show knows what it is and is proud of it and i'm glad they're not pulling a tua2 and scraping the show's tropier aspects out to beg the antis to love it.

the narrative this season, though always planned and therefore not a reaction to the audience's take on s1, works great in that context: we saw a rake fall for a good soft gentle girl, and one of the criticisms was that said girl just wasn't as compelling as the rake. which is true, but, that's the point--

--honestly phoebe dynevor needs more credit for her performance. it's not easy playing the character who's meant to be the audience surrogate and she played that role very well in s1, like kristen stewart delivering bella swan or dakota johnson delivering anastasia steele. we're not supposed to fall in love with daphne, we're supposed to fall in love with simon, and she understood how to compliment page's performance in a way that ensured we would; it takes real generosity and humility on the part of an actor to understand when the story isn't meant to be About Them, and she deserves commending for that.

the downside to this is that without simon, daphne drifts, because her character isn't designed to function without him, and dynevor can't salvage that because that's not what her performance is designed to do. she doesn't have the right material to make daphne a stronger character (which she wasn't hired to do in the first place) so it simply can't be done.

speaking of page, it's... weird, him not being here. i'm happy he's on to better and brighter things, god knows he deserves it, and i'm fine with simon being mostly absent from s2, but i really feel like both the show and he would have benefited from him dropping in for an episode or two, say at the family croquet match; we get to see simon and daphne having their happy ending, and page gets 1) free money and an easy day at work in an environment he's comfortable in, 2) to reaffirm his relationship with the fandom that launched his career, 3) to maintain his breakout role so he has a safety net in case all those new projects he's in (none of which have been released and could go any which way, including very badly) flop. it's a misfire on both his and the show's part to not have him pop in at all.

-- back to the dynamic shift. self-insert romances will always be weaker because said self-insert has to be less interesting so you can fill in that space with yourself. romances are best when both parties are equally matched in terms of narrative weight and strength of personality. this romance, being essentially about anthony meeting his equal, is less about you being able to imagine yourself in the place of his future wife, and more about the story itself.

as such, simone ashley had a much bigger challenge than dynevor did, as someone who has to play a much more defined character, and one who's meant to be anthony's equal at that. she does this very well. she's witty, headstrong, compelling and loveable. hoping ashley gets to take off into superstardom the way rege-jean page did.

and the relationship she has with anthony-- at least imo, since i'm not the biggest fan of self-insert intended romances-- is stronger for it. the chemistry is impeccable, the banter is spicy, and most of all it's so fun to watch anthony meet the female version of himself.

[side note: jonathan bailey is a fantastic anthony and no, him being gay irl doesn't hamper his intense chemistry with ashley at all. and since this sure is a hot topic right now, surprise surprise, when you give a gay actor a role that doesn't match their irl sexuality, and give them the writing, direction and costar support needed to deliver their performance (and an audience who don't obsess over their sexuality), they can deliver. because they are actors, and the job of an actor is to play a person they themselves are not. stares at tua's production crew and audience. queer actors can play straight characters. all you have to do is let them.]

that being said, the hamfisted feminism is.... while well-intentioned and definitely in the vein of the fantasy regency than the reality, i don't love how it's kind of consumed eloise as a character and thrown daphne under the bus. it's okay to be something more traditional in terms of personality, appearance and one's goals for their life. wanting to be happily married with a child, or being soft-spoken, accomodating and emotionally attentive doesn't make you less intelligent or less valuable than wanting to be independent or being headstrong and dominant. it's really weird that a regency show of all things seems to have forgotten that, but i think it needs saying.

lady danbury is so much damn fun as always.

neat seeing the whistledown plot evolve. waiting to see it was for a second season in a row would've been tired, it's a fun change and it makes some neat wrinkles in the story to watch penelope both be lady whistledown and cover it up.

glad bridgerton took notes re the diversity problem and not only added major asian characters, but chose to make the love interest dark-skinned. that definitely wouldn't have happened if there hadn't been public discourse over it, and this is a rare instance of a show taking the right notes from their audience.

also nice to see the sharmas incorporating their culture into their characterisation, though man those hot takes about how bridgerton handles race are gonna be even messier now. all they had to do was just not mention it in s1, but here we go. i guess there's no avoiding it.

that being said.... hey bridgerton. where are the queer people. if this is regency romance for Everyone, where are they. come on now. cast some trans love interests. give two of the bridgerton kids queer romances.

#bridgerton

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nyxxhexx · 3 years

Text

🔮Mars in Gemini Shufflemancy Readings🔮

Read for your Sun, Moon, Rising, and Mars 🌌

Aries

Fences by Paramore

People might not understand the decisions you'll make this transit, but that's okay as long as you yourself know what you want. Others may try to make an example of you, but what's the point in keeping those people around you if it's killing you every day? You deserve the chance to fight for what you really want. You deserve the chance to love the life you live! So do something crazy and unexpected. Go after what you want. This transit is your chance, so don't let anything hold you back.

Taurus

Daydreaming by Paramore

You want to get out and make your own way in the world - so get out. It's not that simple, and yet it is. Make your dreams a reality. You are allowed to define your own meaning for what home means; you don't have to believe what someone else has told you it must be. You have the power to form your own reality around you rather than letting reality shape you. Make the changes bit by bit - they don't have to be major or all at once, but if you have the ability, you should leap. Your daydreams exist for a reason; bring them to life.

Gemini

Freeze Your Brain by Ryan McCartan and Barrett Wilbert Weed

This transit is a big one for you (for obvious reasons), so don't feel like you have to be present in it all 24/7. If you try to live in the moment nonstop, you'll start to overload yourself. Pull back when you need to; it's okay to take a break from it all. Find distractions, but don't let them take over your life. Know when it's time to return to the real world, or you could get stuck there. Coping mechanisms are a normal part of life so long as they're healthy, so analyze yours: Do they hurt you more than they help you? If so, this transit is a good time to find new ones.

Cancer

Be Alone by Paramore

Are you comfortable with being by yourself? Sit for a second and really ask yourself. Does silence make you uncomfortable, or does it make you feel like you've done something wrong? Like people have trouble being around you? This transit, it's time to rewire that part of your brain. There's nothing wrong with being alone! It doesn't mean you've upset anyone, and it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you - sometimes people are just busy, and it's time to spend some time with yourself. It can be an important part of self-care, so find the wonderful parts of being by yourself and embrace them! Changing your mindset on the subject will make coping with it so much easier, so put some real work towards it while Mars is in Gemini!

Leo

I HATE EVERYBODY by Halsey

No, you don't, Leo. But during this transit it might feel like it sometimes. You may think it's easier to pretend like your feelings are locked behind glass than to let yourself be vulnerable around people you love, but is the pain you cause yourself in the process worth it? You don't need that person's love to feel worth something, but that doesn't mean you don't deserve love. Let your guard down. Be vulnerable with people. Open yourself up to something new. This insistence on creating your own future is biting back this time, so stop trying to force things and surrender to the universe. Go with the flow for now; you won't find what you're looking for if you keep yourself cut off from your feelings. You won't find self-love in anyone but yourself.

Virgo

The (Shipped) Gold Standard by Fall Out Boy

Why are you holding yourself back? Why are you so afraid of what others think of you? You're in your own way, and it's time to get out of that pattern this transit. You are responsible for what happens in your own life to a certain extent. Not everything can be blamed on the world when so much is shaped by the way you react to it. Either resist the urge to run and face things head on, or ghost the situation completely - which one can you stomach more?

Libra

Glow in the Dark by Skylar Grey

You've spent so long trying to keep the peace and make everyone happy, but now it's time to stand out and be your true self. Embrace the aesthetic you've always dreamt of this transit and be who you are without fear of anyone else. It'll be scary at first, and of course you need to stay safe at all costs, but you can't keep putting off being who you need to be forever. Make yourself heard, and don't let anybody minimize you or your worth in any way. You are deserving of every bit of love as your true self, not just as who people want you to be.

Scorpio

Safety Net by Framing Hanley

Rely on other people this transit. It can be just one trusted person if you need, but three is really best. You don't have to deal with everything on your own, so why do you try to? When you're struggling through something, you don't have to do it alone. You are allowed to ask for help, but you'll have to open up to other people to do that. Trust that the pros outweigh the cons - after all, you can still remain mysterious, even if you ask for help. Fall back on others when you need to, then get right back up and keep going. You aren't any weaker just because you let others catch you. On the contrary, vulnerability takes strength; it requires trust that others won't use your weak moments against you. If you don't have it already, this transit will help you start developing it. It might be a shock to your perfectly honed system, but trust that this new evolution in your tactics is for the best. You'll come out the other side stronger, so bear with it for now; you'll be appreciative when it's all over - and you'll be that much closer with the people you can trust.

Sagittarius

Save Myself from Me by New Years Day

You need to get out of your own head before it tears you apart. As this transit opposes your natal placement, the Mars energy will start to become more and more apparent in your life. You're used to freedom, but as we approach a full year in quarantine, it's hard not to feel stifled, like things will never get back to normal. You need to change your perspective and find little ways to get out of your own head each and every day. Find freedom in new (safe) ways, even if it's just driving for a while. You're your own worst enemy as long as you're trapped inside. I promise there's a way out; you just have to find it.

Capricorn

Dancing's Not a Crime by Panic! at the Disco

This transit will be better with a partner in crime - after all, Gemini is the sign of twins. Don't be afraid to assert yourself to make friends! Just make sure you're not too aggressive about it. It's okay to express your interest in people in a straightforward way. You do everything else that way, so what's the difference? If they don't feel the same way about you, friendship, romance, or otherwise, then just move on. It's no skin off your back, and at least now you know! Let yourself feel the passion of this transit, and more than anything else, let yourself enjoy it.

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zwiezraczek · 4 years

Note

Hellooo, can I ask you something with Four/Billy from 6 underground where the reader (she/her) after the Hong Kong mission starts to be more affectionate in every situation, like hugging him from behind or touching his hands during the meetings and also when they're alone she wants to cuddle as much as they can because she is scared of losing him. Thanksss

Never Let You Go [Request]

Note: Said I’d be back today (even if it’s like almost midnight and probably midnight when I’ll publish it) so here I am! ~ I don’t know if y/n and Billy are truly a thing, or if they like just don’t put label on the relationship the have but I think I kind of wanted it to be a bit vague, so I hope you like it nonnie and than you for your request! 💕

:~~~~

You vividly remembered the very moment when you saw Billy on this safety net, with a man trying to push him down. Your heart raced like crazy, and your mind went insane as you yelled his name, the name you were the only one to know. One didn't even pick up on that detail as you all were looking at him, trying to not die. You begged One a countless number of times to save him, because he was one of us, you begged and cried – and even your so-called “hostage” seemed to want to comfort you – but nothing did the trick, until Seven pulled out a gun on Three's head asking him to stop the car, and Three stopped, you stepped out the car and started watching.

Flames in your eyes, fire in your heart your eyes were glistening in the dark night of Hong Kong as all of your teammates were watching the same scene. You bit your lower lip, anxious, feeling some blood on your tongue as you couldn't tell if he was about to make it or not. You wished with your whole heart that he would. You begged inside your head for him to survive.

And he did survive. But you thought you wouldn't.

He had warned you a countless number of times, he was a rolling stone, rolling and rolling, and told you to stay as far from him as possible, because if both of you let yourself go into this relationship, both of you would lose their souls. But you never listened, but you should have. It was too late, you got to close to him, and there was no turning back. And when you came back from this mission, waiting for the next move you probably had spent even more time with him than you did before. At least, you tried while you were moving from one location to another, together through different countries while having the good Alimov on your side – as a hostage, more or less. You became clingy, maybe a little bit too much for him to not notice it. Well, One had noticed so you thought that Billy did too. One day, he told you to stop being his mother, because you kept asking him if he had eaten enough and drank enough to not collapse on the ground. You took his hand whenever you had the chance to, brushing your fingers against the back of his hand, lovingly. And because you knew he could disappear, you didn't want to let him go, never.

At night, while you slept in these cheap hotels, you would hug him from behind, your face against his back, as he would bring your hands closer to his chest. You could hear him breathe, a breathing you wanted to hear forever, no matter at what cost. You promised yourself that no matter what, you would come back for him, even if One would kill you right after, you had to try to save Billy. The connection you made with him was bigger than any connection you previously had with anyone, and you cherished this holly link with your whole heart.

“Y/n, are you sure you're alright,” he asked with his sleepy voice. You probably had woken him up, hence the slightly raspy voice.

“Hmm, why I wouldn't be,” you replied with your chin on his shoulder.

“Since Hong Kong,” he started and your grip tightened a bit, “okay, I got it now. I'm not leaving, not now, okay?”

“But I almost... Lost you,” you whispered, on the verge of tears. “I... One didn't want to and...”

“But I'm here, y/n,” he said and turned around to face you, his green-pearly eyes were looking at you in the dark, you could feel them on your face, and his forehead against yours. “I know that I told you that I'm... Okay, I'm not trustworthy with all this shit, I don't know where and when to stop during a mission and I was always taught that the mission goes first but...I was scared that I would never see you again.”

“You were?”

“Yeah, absolutely. I know I was the one telling you all this bullshit about not getting close, but I guess I was talking for myself more than for you because... Damn, I just wanted to see you, alive and well even if it meant dying.”

“But you just said,” you interrupted him and he chuckled.

“It's late, sorry my brain doesn't want to cooperate with my mouth apparently. I don't want to lose you, I don't want to never be able to see you, I just want you to be happy, especially if this happiness involves me,” he said and you felt a soft kiss on your lips before he pulled his lips away.

“Promise me you won't do stupid things as you did in Hong Kong.”

“You know that in this team nobody can promise anything to anyone, Seven promised that he wouldn't eat the last donut and this bastard ate it,” he complained and you began to softly laugh. “But I promise I'll try my best to keep you happy.”

You smiled as your foreheads were still touching, but before you could answer anything you felt a pillow arriving on your face and groaned loudly.

“Listen, you lovebirds, I didn't chose to sleep on this couch to hear your stories,” Two complained with her thick French accent. She was there because Three wouldn't let her sleep, he was snoring, and their room was the closest to hers so she went in. But they woke her up.

“Sorry,” you whispered with a laughing tone.

Billy kissed your cheek, and you could almost feel him smile when he pulled you closer to his chest so you could fall asleep. And you did.

#ben hardy #6 underground #four/billy

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