#fic analysis

[lillowing]

Establishing Enthusiastic Consent: Lessons Learned from one KPDH fic. 

HI guys! I’m back with more fic analysis. This time it’s of Pull Me to the Ground by somethinglikesawyer, or Silver! An excellent fic that we’ll be talking about today. Specifically, the smut and how it relates to consent! Along with some very light literary analysis about character work and pacing. Very light, though, I promise. 

Okay so I haven’t done like, analysis analysis of smut. That’s basically what this is. If you do not want discussions of smut, excerpts of smut, analysis of smut, do not read. Really. 

Also! Discussions of consent ahead. Nothing like graphic descriptions of SA, but obviously if discussing how sometimes people don’t do a great job at consent is an issue for you, do not read. 

Alright! Getting into it. Pull Me to the Ground. Or Bar AU. Or Ryules Rumi AU. Or, the AU that starts with Mira and Zoey picking Rumi up in a bar. And then spending a night with her. This AU poses an interesting scenario: all three girls are into kink, but obviously they don’t know each other’s limits. Silver, the author, does an excellent job of demonstrating the proper way to show consent here. And, I’ve seen some discussions floating around the fandom about consent in different fics, so I figured this was a good fic to go through scene by scene and point out where consent was established, what it was doing, and what good consent looks like in kink. All while getting to talk about a fic I love! Alright. Opening scene. Mira and Zoey have picked Rumi up from a bar. They’ve already been flirting, Zoey was kissing and straddling her on the car ride home. They’ve made it to Mira and Zoey’s house, and things are about to escalate. 

Zoey kisses Rumi up the way to the door, and kisses her once they’re inside. Mira takes over, they kiss some more, Rumi bites Mira’s lip. Everything here is still kissing/grinding, stuff they established in the bar. 

Mira carries Rumi to the bedroom, throws her on the bed, and we get our first interaction to tear apart: “Rumi,” Mira said, all teasing gone as she stared down at her, not touching her yet anywhere, as if she wanted to keep a short distance. “Choose a safeword.”

“Stoplight system,” she said automatically.

Mira nodded. “You got that, Zo?”

A common question people less informed ask is “But establishing consent isn’t hot! I don’t want to ask “is it okay if I touch you” while grinding on someone! That ruins the mood!” Well. Skill issue. Mira does a great job of establishing a safeword while staying attractive and high energy. Notice how this exchange is also short, they don’t take 2k words of the fic to establish this. Short, snappy, attractive. Also take special notice of how Mira checked in that Zoey heard and understood. Zoey then moves onto other topics: 

“Yep!” Zoey, who had followed them in, chirped. She climbed onto the bed to Rumi’s left side, leaning in close but also not touching her, not yet. “Red, yellow, green it is.” A gentle, real smile. “And how do you feel about marks, pretty girl?”

One, listing the stoplight system verbally. This is less for consent and more a clever writing tip. Obviously, Silver doesn’t know how familiar every person reading this is going to be. Saying “Red, yellow, green it is” is less for the character’s benefit and more for the audience’s benefit. But! This line is pulling double duty. Zoey has ADHD. She’s chatty. This is also establishing that Zoey likes to speak her stream of consciousness, since she’s probably thinking internally about the stoplight system now. This check both informed the audience of specifically what the stoplight system is, informed us of Zoey’s thought process, stayed attractive, and further established consent. In. Three. Words! It wasn’t clunky, it wasn't awkward. 

She also begins to establish kink limits, around marks and pain. Standard stuff. Each question is just a few words, along with the response. Once again, consent does not have to be a paragraph of I want statements. Especially for these characters that are established as comfortable in kink. It’s snappy. (This also pulls double duty of keeping the pacing tight. They flirted at the bar, increased intensity with the making out, increased more with the car ride, and now this conversation acts as a short breather before the heavier smut begins. Think about how horror movies often start with a victim dying, slow minutes of ramping tension, then the slashing. Smut is actually quite similar to horror but that’s a convo for another day.) 

After establishing those, I want to point out a small moment. 

“Strap?” Mira questioned next, and Zoey shot the pink-haired woman a look.

Rumi didn’t know them well enough to decode what that look meant, so she just nodded and coughed out a, “Yes. Definite yes.”

This is later revealed that typically during their threesomes Mira takes a backseat, and Zoey leads. This is Mira asking both if Rumi is fine with a strap, but also asking Zoey if she’s fine with it. Hence, the look. This is nonverbal, but still explicit consent. Obviously Mira and Zoey are a lot more familiar with each other, so they communicate through shared glances and expressions. But it’s still consent! 

And, finally. They touch her properly. The consent is established, limits established, and the narrative has had time to breathe. (Rumi has also had time to breathe.) Important to note that the two girls stopped touching Rumi during this. This could be for a few reasons. Giving her a breather, giving her an out. I like to believe it’s to remove pressure. Touching her while asking about what she wants could be taken as them pressuring her to say yes. I like to think that them giving her space is also giving her autonomy to say whatever she needs to. It could be triple duty, though, giving her autonomy, an out, and time to relax slightly. (It could also be time for Mira to enter any headspaces she needs to.) The smut starts proper here. Obviously everything got established, but I want to point out a few cute details. 

“How about you stop complaining and get our girl inside the house already?” Mira tugged on Zoey’s loose hair, coaxing another whine from her throat, and Rumi clenched her thighs together at the sight. Zoey was just so beautiful, and the way she subtly surrendered into Mira’s hands with the slightest lean, as if she didn’t even realize what she was doing, was devastating.

-

Mira glared at her. “You just can’t help but brat, can you? How many times—” she yanked out and pulled at Zoey’s other bun, dislodging the hair band and freeing those dark curls. “—am I going to have to remind you that this isn’t about you? It’s about Rumi.”

Zoey whined into her grip, and Rumi saw the tension seep from her limbs, letting Mira hold up much of her weight by her hair alone.

Two times Mira pulled Zoey’s hair and Zoey leaned into it. Obviously, her leaning into it isn’t required. Some people get really into the scene! But it is confirmation that yes, she’s into it, yes, she’s in control, yes, she wants it. It also characterizes both of them as genuinely caring, which is setup for the aftercare that Rumi is surprised at later. It separates these two in Rumi’s mind from Couple I want to fuck into Couple that is genuinely sweet which I like. 

Anyway, smut, smut. More smut. It’s good! Go read it. I don’t need to play by play this part. Until we get to the Bite of ‘87- 

Joking, joking. You’d think it was that bad based on some community reaction. Sigh. Let’s break it down. It all starts here: 

“You’re a biter,” Mira groused. “And a hypocrite, at that.” She turned back to Rumi and added, “While we’re at it… pain?”

“Yeah,” Rumi agreed, the word catching. She cleared her throat. “Fine by me. But in… in moderation.”

Pain, in moderation. So, after some smut, Mira goes for the pain: 

It turned out to be a ploy, though, because Mira seized the moment of distraction to finally sink her teeth in, biting Rumi on the same spot.

Rumi jerked, only barely managing to stifle a yelp. She turned back to Mira with a glare.

“You’re playing dirty,” Rumi accused.

“How about you stop complaining and just focus on me?” Mira murmured into her chest, before biting her again. It wasn’t a particularly rough bite, but Rumi still stiffened, a small jolt of pain running through her.

Mira was watching her. Studying, eyes flickering over every twitch and grimace. Testing, Rumi realized, to see her reaction to the bite. And where her limit was.

Not to copy/paste Silver’s entire fic, context is just important. Mira bit her moderately roughly once, gauged Rumi’s reaction, and bit again. And then it’s explicitly stated that she is watching Rumi’s reaction, trying to gauge what “Moderate” was for her. This, too, is a form of consent. And Rumi replies: 

It shouldn’t have affected Rumi as much as it did.

Rumi let out a mocking laugh. “You call that a bite?” she scoffed.

It was subtle, but she still caught it when Mira’s jaw ticked.

Zoey giggled again. “Oh, you’re making her mad, Rumi.”

Mira ignored Zoey, instead tilting her head a little to the side, angling herself over one of Rumi’s ribs, and bit her again. Harder, but not hard enough.

I think some people focus on the wrong part here. Zoey saying “Oh, you’re making her mad” isn’t genuine. Mira isn’t biting Rumi because she’s upset. She’s biting Rumi because they’re both into it. Zoey is just fueling the fantasy for all three of them, but Mira obviously isn’t actually mad. See the “but not enough.” Guys, I don’t know if you’ve bit someone. It’s easy to make it hurt. If Mira was really biting her in a rage, Rumi would know. Anyway. Mira bites her again, before moving onto other pastures. The bite hasn’t happened yet. Let’s jump to it. 

Smut, smut, smut. Great smut, by the way. I’ll point out this small moment. 

Mira smoothed over the bite with a consoling lick, flicking the tip of her tongue over her nipple, before moving up to Rumi’s neck. As per Rumi’s request, she didn’t bite or suck hard enough to leave a mark, but she did nibble lightly, as if testing for sensitivity.

Mira doing the bare minimum. But once again, she’s not mad guys. She’s in total control here. 

Anyway. Smut, smut, more smut. Go read it. But then we get to The Bite. 

Mira licked another stripe up Rumi’s abdomen, and then paused, hovering.

And bit down.

And that’s when Rumi learned that Mira had been holding back up until then, because when she bit, she bit hard. Her jaw clamped down, her teeth digging in deep and rough.

Rumi wailed as pain, hot and abrupt, lanced through her. Her body seized in place, like it wasn’t sure whether to pull away or move closer, and she cried out again, loud and guttural.

She felt her skin break beneath Mira’s teeth and keened.

Now, for those of you unaware. Even in kink circles, this isn’t looked upon amazingly. Human teeth are mildly disgusting, and bite wounds are very prone to infection. Some people are into it, generally the consensus is that the risk of infection isn’t worth it. So, what is Mira’s reaction? Did Mira plan this? Is she just hurting Rumi because she wants to? 

And just like that, sheer panic flashed across Mira’s face. Mira drew back abruptly, rushing to pull her fingers out of Rumi, and Zoey removed her hands from her chest like she’d touched a hot stove and no, no, where were they going—

A desperate, choked sound left Rumi. “No wait stay green greengreengreen ple–” Rumi cut herself off just in time before she’d accidentally begged.

So, one, Rumi was way too into it. Two, Mira did not mean to break skin. As soon as she did, she pulled back, and Zoey followed. They immediately stopped and waited for Rumi, to check on her. And then they return to smut, making sure she’s okay. This gets addressed in aftercare, but there’s another moment coming up I want to point out. 

“Hey, beautiful,” Zoey whispered, reaching for a strand of Rumi’s hair that had come loose, tucking it behind her ear. “Would it be okay if I sat on top of you?”

Rumi understood immediately, and she nodded frantically, suddenly desperate for it. Zoey smiled at her warmly before swinging one leg over her head and getting into position. This time, Zoey faced Mira. 

“Tap my leg if it’s too much,” Zoey murmured to Rumi before lowering down. Rumi opened her mouth with an eager whine that would have embarrassed her if she wasn’t so far gone.

Their established consent system, stoplight system, was verbal. Up to this point Rumi’s mouth wasn’t busy enough to need anything. But Zoey wants to ride her face (it’s a very pretty face, understandable) so quickly establishes a new system. Tap if it’s too much. Once again short, snappy. Sweet. No 2k words establishing a new system. 

Anyway. That’s all the consent checks in the smut! Explicitly, anyway. You could argue that every time one of them vocalizes “I’m going to do this” it’s establishing consent, giving an opportunity for Rumi to say no. You could also argue every little whine out of Rumi’s mouth is an answer, but. I think covering the explicit parts is good enough. Aftercare! Once it’s over, Zoey and Mira immediately go into care mode. Specifically: 

Rumi just groaned, and Zoey chuckled. Mira dabbed the gauze at the bite again, and Rumi hissed at the sting of it.

“I know, angel. I’m sorry, but I have to clean it,” Mira said, sounding genuinely apologetic. Rumi quieted down and studied Mira, noticing the creased line between her brows and the careful way she touched Rumi with the gauze, mindful of how it would feel.

Mira is well knowledged in kink, and knows that bite wounds are nasty. She works to make sure Rumi is okay as soon as the scene is over, and apologizes while she’s doing it. They also explicitly pay attention to her, giving her Advil and water. Zoey also does another explicit consent check that everything went fine, and that she’s already. Mira stays busy, and asks once again if Rumi needs anything. Plot about Rumi and her damn rules. Not related to consent so I won’t discuss it. They cuddle, pass out. 

This is just chapter 1! There’s more in the other chapters. But I will cut for time here. Anyway, Go read it!! It’s very sweet. I loved the demonstration of kink and consent here. Mira is a great representation of a sadist here, too. Too many people don’t get sadism, or think it’s problematic. But then masochists would never have fun! Go read the fic.

[michaelswilliam]

I have just finished Chapter 9, and my mind feels like a sky crowded with constellations; each one luminous, each one demanding to be named. There is so much to unravel that I scarcely know where to begin.

What struck me first, and most forcefully, is the evolution of Henry’s psychological manipulation. Before, he moved like mist—soft, insinuating, almost benevolent in appearance. He let Will speak. He listened. He cloaked himself in neutrality, in generalities, planting seeds of doubt so delicately that they seemed to sprout from Will’s own soil. He did not push; he suggested. He did not accuse; he implied. He positioned himself as the only one who truly understood the labyrinth of Will’s mind.

But in this chapter, the fog thins. His methods are more frontal now—still veiled in the polite fabric of anecdote, still disguised behind the story of his sister, yet unmistakably sharper. He approaches the subject of Mike almost immediately, as though testing a bruise to measure its tenderness. He projects onto Will the emotions he wants him to feel, all while maintaining the illusion of care. There is urgency in him now. He is accelerating. The question, of course, is why.

Perhaps Holly’s disappearance, and the crushing guilt Will carries because of it, has presented Henry with what he perceives as the perfect fracture line. Guilt weakens the structure of the self; it makes a person more pliable, more susceptible to redefinition. Or perhaps Henry senses that Will’s bond with Mike is stronger than anticipated, that it is not a passing attachment but an anchor. And so, fearing the strength of that tether, he chooses to strike at it directly.

Which brings me to the Demogorgon at the Wheelers’ house. Holly is already gone. So why send a monster there?

I am intimately convinced that the answer is Mike.

Henry is not merely escalating chaos; he is targeting Will’s Achilles’ heel. If Mike is endangered, Will will burn the world down to save him. Especially now. Now that Will believes, as Henry has subtly convinced him, that his own existence marked the beginning of every catastrophe. That his disappearance was the first domino. If Will accepts that narrative, then protecting Mike becomes not only love, but penance. Sacrifice becomes atonement. And Henry knows this.

It is chillingly strategic.

I also adored the quiet detail of Murray noticing Will and Mike. It is such a delicate wink to the reader, ahah. And bringing Kali back, with dignity and tenderness, felt profoundly right. She has always deserved narrative respect.

The parallel you drew between the forced pregnancies using Kali’s blood and Henry’s assaults toward Will is devastatingly clear. The metaphor is violent in its implication, and you allow us to see how deeply it unsettles Will. Does he remember Dart—does some fragment of him recall that he “gave birth” to something monstrous? Or are these sensations surfacing as half-formed flashbacks, images he cannot yet translate into conscious understanding? I ask because I have read so many fictions while waiting for this chapter that my mind is a tapestry of overlapping threads...

I also noticed how El introduced everyone to Kali—except Mike. That absence feels meaningful. Perhaps she herself does not know how to define him. Is he her boyfriend? Her friend? A relic of something that has shifted? Sometimes omission speaks louder than declaration.

And Mike—oh, Mike. The way you depict him coping is exquisitely subtle. He is not dramatic; he is compressed. You show how he contracts—his jaw tightening, his body stiffening, his words measured and controlled. He slips into leadership not because he feels strong, but because someone must appear to be. He switches to autopilot, severing himself from his emotions to prevent collapse. His mother depends on him, he says, yet he has no idea what to do. That helplessness hums beneath every line.

It is heartbreakingly clear that what is happening to Holly is not only a present crisis—it is a resurrection of past trauma. For Mike, for Joyce, for Jonathan, Holly’s disappearance reopens the wound of Will’s. Will carries the trauma of having been kidnappened; he does not fully comprehend the inferno they endured while searching for him. And Mike cannot process both the terror for his sister and the unresolved horror of losing Will at the same time. So he shelves his emotions. He postpones them. But postponed grief does not dissolve—it accumulates. It waits.

And then—Will’s powers intensifying.

If I am not mistaken, this is the first time he has consciously (or semi-consciously) seen through the Demogorgon’s eyes. Previously, he drifted through Henry’s memories in sleep, mistaking invasion for dream. So at the beginning of the chapter, when he glimpses Holly, is that vision already occurring through the monster’s gaze without his awareness? If so, that is a profound escalation.

It raises another question: does Henry know that Will’s abilities are evolving? Is this part of his design? The timing feels too precise to be accidental. The more Henry’s psychological grip tightens, the more Will’s powers seem to awaken. Influence and ability rising in tandem—like two vines spiraling around the same trellis.

Would Will’s growth ultimately benefit Henry? Or is it something that could turn against him? Power is never neutral. It magnifies what already exists.

What fascinates me most is that Will’s expanding abilities coincide with his psychological destabilization. As Henry gains ground in his mind, Will gains ground in the supernatural. It is as though the battlefield within him is fueling the battlefield beyond him. Trauma, guilt, love, fear—they are not just emotions in your narrative. They are conduits. They are currents.

This chapter feels like standing at the edge of a storm just before it breaks—air charged, sky bruised, everything trembling with inevitability. And I am both exhilarated and terrified to see where it will lead. <3

LAYLAAAAAA look im sorry i look so long, this is just too good and if a message is TOO GOOD i am legit keeping it longer bc i just want to read it over and over before i post it and i dont want to just respond to it with random screaming ya know??? youve captured everything so beautifully, you should be like a professional reviewer atp

i am reading a thesis sent the byler gothic academia department and i am OBSESSED. “a sky crowded with constellations” hello??? who gave you the right????

you clocked henry so hard it’s almost rude, yes, YESSS, yes. yes to all of it. the mist is thinning! before he could afford to be patient. he was planting, and cultivating, letting will think the thoughts were his own. now he’s pressing, testing bruises the bruises, accelerating and that shift? is NOT random, predators don’t rush unless they feel time closing in.

and you’re right to look at holly as the fracture line! guilt is henry’s favorite instrument, it softens the spine and if will starts believing he’s the first domino, then saving mike becomes both love and penance and henry understands devotion when it’s laced with self-punishment

the demogorgon at the wheelers is absolutely not chaos for chaos’ sake, holly is already gone, so why there? why now? because henry realizes that mike is the anchor (but also theres another motive, which is KIND OF A SPOILER??? i guess ignore if you dont wanna know? but since you asked on twt, i will answer it.

SCROLL AWAY IF YALL DONT WANNA GET SPOILED henry knows that will is connected to him (soul/power-wise) and he knows the connections gets stronger when more will locks into his power. and that means when theyre FULLY connected (which requires will's 'consent' that would mean that if will is dead henry is dead. so henry ensures that this is happening to PREVENT will's loved ones from saving will, because if they succeed in killing vecna/henry, will is going to DIE.

and so the first plan is for the demogorgons to come and attack the byers-hopper family, which is the FIRST trigger, will managed to get the demogorgon to stop attacking joyce, el and hopper, but he didnt realize his power YET

the attack at the wheelers will ACTIVATE it. and the more will uses this power, the more he's going to be bonded to henry. it is literally a double edged sword. and henry wants it to be just like that.

im always into small details that would later connect into a bigger wed, and i never really give a shit about murray but i supposed his character could have use to be the person who connects the dots later so he's useful finally LOL and yes, kali deserved that dignity, i could never forget what they did to her character, this is my reparation i guess.

the dart parallel you are so evil for bringing that up actually (or am i more evil lol), but we NEED to talk about will and the horror of creation, of birthing something monstrous, of being used as a conduit. whether he consciously remembers or it’s surfacing as sensory fragments is very intentional territory. memory in this story is never clean, it bleeds. and it echoes before it clarifies

and el not introducing mike, OH YOURE THE ONLY ONE WHO NOTICED THAT ACTUALLY, i originally tried to write that she did, but this is an instance where NOT saying anything speaks LOUDER than saying it

mike being compressed instead of dramatic is exactly it, he is not exploding, he is condensing, leadership as survival reflex, he cannot afford to feel both holly and will at once, so he shelves one and prays the shelf holds, postponed grief is a ticking thing.

and yes, this is the first real crack where will is seeing through something else’s eyes while awake-adjacent. that escalation is deliberate. the overlap between henry tightening his psychological grip and will’s powers sharpening is not coincidence. trauma is not just backstory here, it’s also voltage

the question of whether will’s growth benefits henry or threatens him is the question, power magnifies AND if will’s core is love, then what happens when that love is amplified instead of his guilt?

you describing it as the edge of a storm is so beautifully accurate that’s exactly where we are!! the air is charged now, and while nothing has broken yet, it will.BUAHAHAAH

[ieatbreadz]

Probably nobody cares but this has spoilers for the 8th and most recent chapter of my What a Sanctuary (for the sceleratus) Severitus longfic because I’m dissecting the chapter to lay out parallels and foreshadowing about the prophecy (how the prophecy was told to Voldemort by Snape specifically).

If you’re interested read more, if you dgaf or don’t want spoilers then don’t ^^

So this chapter has 2 POV: first Snape’s, then Harry’s, and there is so much mirroring between them, because they’re both “keeping a truth unsaid”, being dishonest, lying, but for different reasons. The reasons are everything about their characters.

First off, Snape is in the kitchen making dinner. Harry was going to ask him something but froze up at the sight of the knife in Snape’s hands because he developed a fear of knives after Wormtail cut him for blood in the graveyard.

Snape notices but doesn’t ask. He sits Harry down to talk. About what?

“About yesterday,” said Severus. Though the problem appeared long before then. “You mentioned something then that I did not make a reply to at the time.”

Yesterday is in reference to Harry’s outburst during the storm, what he shouted that basically amounted to him admitting he should’ve died in mystery dep. instead of Sirius. At the end of that outburst, Harry asked Snape what he thinks things would be like if Voldemort had never heard any of the prophecy, if there hadn’t been an eavesdropper.

The latter is what Snape MEANS to talk about, but he actually has a split second change of mind.

Alas, traitorously, Severus’ mouth moved differently from his mind once more.

“You have not been sleeping well.”

Yes, don’t tell him yet, not now, murmured a soft voice in his ears, somehow drowning out his initial idea. It’ll break him, hearing it so soon after what he asked about the prophecy and the eavesdropper—about you.

Harry is confused; he’s sure he never said anything about sleeping badly during the storm, but how Snape’s phrasing gives his words two meanings. Harry will learn of the second, hidden meaning in regards to the prophecy some other time.

“Though the problem occurred long before then.” THAT is about the prophecy, the problem of Harry not knowing Snape’s role in it. But that isn’t what Snape talks about here because he still isn’t ready to tell Harry.

Snape asks Harry if he’s having nightmares. Harry dances around the question for a bit but replies that he hasn’t because he and Snape have different definitions of what a nightmare is.

No, Potter was not being dishonest. He was simply doing as Severus was—leaving the truth unsaid.

And that’s what Snape thinks about that. He is aware that Harry is hiding something, but he doesn’t press.

Then this happens:

“I—I just take a while to drift off, that’s all.”

“Perhaps you ought to resume the sensory exercise I taught you last year, in our first Occlumency lesson, and I have a supply of sleep aiding potions that you can take your pick from.”

“I’d rather skip dinner,” Potter muttered, then froze, his face paling as though he expected to be snapped at for what he had just said.

Severus tilted his head at Potter, letting on some of his confusion. “Why would you rather that?”

“No, I-I didn’t mean—Forget it, it was nothing.”

Harry flees, leaving Snape confused.

So for context, Harry finishes the meals Snape cooks because he wants to hide from Snape how uncomfortable it makes him to overeat. He feels guilty when he can’t finish it all and feels physically sick when he does.

Snape goes to talk to Harry. The first thing Harry asks is if Snape is upset with him because he is nervous; he’s anxious and doesn’t want to offend Snape or make Snape angry with him. Harry still very much feels like a guest in Snape’s house and he fears overstaying his welcome.

He then adds:

“I know I shouldn’t have just flown off like that, it was cowardly.”

First difference between Harry and Snape POV: HARRY ADMITS COWARDICE. And he wasn’t even being cowardly. He pins himself with an undesirable trait that he doesn’t even have. Meanwhile Snape thinks of himself as selfish for not revealing his role in the prophecy (and he is selfish) and hasn’t yet admitted it to Harry yet.

Then the knife is mentioned again in Snape’s thoughts:

“What, then? What made you run off?”

What made you forget at the sight of the knife?

He is expecting to hear about why Harry froze at the sight of the knife; that is what he assumes made Harry clam up, but that’s not exactly the case as Harry denies what he said, about skipping dinner.

Because, again, Harry is afraid of offending Snape. Snape realizes this and is hurt by it.

He reassures Harry that nothing Harry could say would offend him and asks again if Harry will answer the question he asked earlier: why would Harry rather skip dinner?

Harry explains the truth, that he’s feeling bad about eating again. This exchange follows:

“Are you disappointed?”

“Perish the thought. Why would I be?”

“I don’t know—”

“Did I not give you nutritive draughts in the semester and sleeping potions in the summer? Did I not charm this pair of bracelets to first alert me of your emotional distress, then with two-way location spells?”

That’s how much Snape is hurt by Harry not telling him this before, by Harry’s nervousness around him. This is the second difference: HARRY IS THE MORE UNCERTAIN ONE.

Harry is nervous despite Snape’s previous examples of caring for Harry. Snape is the one almost affronted by Harry’s nervousness. I might bring this up later in Harry’s POV because I’m really bad at explaining my thoughts rn

As they make up and go have dinner, Harry asks Snape for the second time in two days the prophecy eavesdropper question. This time Snape replies:

“I think,” said Severus, more smoothly and coolly than he really felt, “that there is no point in imagining possibilities that have passed on.”

“Yeah—yeah, you’re right…”

Harry agrees because he’s connecting it to his own life; Harry imagines a lot what if he had died instead of Sirius? What if he lived with another family and not his aunt and uncle? What Snape says applies to more than just the prophecy.

Snape’s answer also tells a little that he himself has imagined the possibility of the prophecy eavesdropper question before. What if he hadn’t eavesdropped? What if he had never joined the Dark side?

During dinner Snape feels immensely guilty about not telling Harry about the prophecy as he had originally meant to.

…Severus felt a frigid weight settling over him, in addition to the usual pangs of pain that were his guilt made physical.

No, he decided, as he watched Potter nibble at a chunk of potato, it was not easier, being selfish. Not really.

He HAS been selfish this entire time he’s spent with Harry, getting closer to him, becoming someone Harry trusts and depends on.

And what’s worse is that at the start of the summer, when it was sure that Snape was taking Harry in for the two months, Dumbledore made Snape promise that he would tell Harry about his role in the prophecy before too long. The guilt is eating Snape alive at this point, and he knows he has to say it sometime soon.

The next day is Harry’s POV.

Harry poked disinterestedly at his bowl of leftover stew. It seemed that his appetite had remained in Snape’s office along with the Professor.

He had no idea why, after all Snape had had him say about having difficulties eating and sleeping and trusting the man not to be upset with him, Snape had then retreated into a shell of silence at dinnertime, and when Harry, seeing that he was heading to his study after the meal, had bid him a goodnight, he had responded in such a low mutter before turning right back around and practically slamming the door behind himself.

Okay, maybe he didn’t slam it, but he might as well have, with how confused and honestly hurt it had left Harry.

Also at breakfast Snape told Harry that he’s working on an important potion all day. He’ll be in his office but he’ll come out of it to make dinner.

Harry, after the heartfelt convo he had with Snape yesterday, does NOT take this well at all.

I thought it had gone okay, our conversation…He wasn’t curt at all, except for that one moment, and he thanked me for being open with him…What could I have said wrong?

He doesn’t yet pick up on the fact that Snape had gone all cold and curt AFTER Harry asked him the prophecy eavesdropper question.

Harry cleans every room in the house that isn’t Snape’s office, bedroom, or study. This is a very Dursleyish Harry habit, though here Harry is doing it voluntarily. He wants to be helpful to Snape, he wants to stay out of the way, and cleaning takes his mind off his feelings.

Until it doesn’t, and he’s back to thinking about the conversation.

There must’ve been something I said or did that put him off, even if he maybe didn’t even realize it himself…Maybe I shouldn’t have glanced at him so often, or maybe I should’ve kept eye contact the whole time and never stared at the ceiling—or was it what I asked about the prophecy?

He didn’t reply the first time I asked the question, but he seemed so unaffected when he did answer yesterday, so that can’t have been it…right?

Harry can’t imagine why his asking that question might make Snape so closed off towards him. He settles on the idea that Snape is just tired of Harry.

This is the opposite of that one part of Snape’s POV, where Snape is hurt that Harry was nervous about him. Now Harry is hurt because Snape might be tired of him. But another difference: instead of lashing out as Snape sort of did, getting all curt with that “Did I not—”, Harry INTERNALIZES IT.

Harry shuddered and pressed his hands to his stomach, curling them into fists, as the bramble inside him twined and knotted, its thorns like points of barbed wire, and he hated himself for feeling every bit as if he had actually swallowed brambles, for being so damn sensitive. Snape was just a door away down the hall, probably thinking of nothing but his potion, and here Harry was, acting as though the man had kicked him in the ribs that morning and he was feeling it still.

Something short I wanna emphasize is how when Snape isn’t available Harry takes comfort in the closest things to Snape, i.e. the bracelet Snape charmed for him

Harry lay curled up on top of the bedcovers, tracing the inside of his leather bracelet and sensing nothing but the subtle warmth it radiated, a reminder of the man who had charmed it, who had cared about Harry and still did. Harry was mostly certain he still did.

And also the clothes Snape is most memorable for, his dark cloaks and coats

The door to the wardrobe that still had its knob was slightly ajar, and Harry could never have explained why he decided, if he had consciously made a decision at all, to do what he did next—he opened the wardrobe.

…the tweed coat he had practically forced Harry into wearing in the rain…Harry started to reach for it, his mouth had gone dry, and his heart was jigging against his ribs…

Yeah. He was going to hug Snape’s coat because he couldn’t hug Snape.

Okay to give context for that: after Snape speed runs cooking and then eating dinner he goes right back to work in his office. Harry couldn’t finish his own. Later Harry can’t sleep at all and goes downstairs, where he has a panic attack. Then there’s the wardrobe moment.

There’s this other moment I want to touch up on because honestly it’s kinda mean of Snape lol

But Snape spoke first, for a second time, without any humour at all. “Very well then. I will see you in the morning. Goodnight, Potter—”

And he actually turned to leave, his expression, half-hidden with his light on the other side, betraying no sign of his taking back his words, like he really meant to leave Harry standing in front of the wardrobe, in the intersection of hall and kitchen and living room, in the darkness, alone, and it worked.

“Wait—”

Basically Snape is saying if Harry doesn’t want to explain wtf he was doing in the wardrobe downstairs at this time of night, then Goodnight Potter go back to sleep.

Obviously Harry doesn’t explain what he was doing in the wardrobe because that’s embarrassing as hell, he only tells Snape that he couldn’t sleep (so he didn’t have a nightmare) and it’s vague whether Snape knows what Harry was down there for (I’m writing this like I didn’t write the chapter lmao) but Snape’s not stupid. He probably guesses that Harry was downstairs wanting comforting but still he’s so ready to just leave Harry in the dark like “lol if you’re not going to tell me then bye see you in the morning”

Im looking back on that moment and wondering if that’s consistent at all with the Series Snape I’ve been writing because he’s usually more considerate of Harry’s temperament, how sensitive Harry can be to wording and stuff. But also that moment is in the dead of night and Snape was working all day so he’s probably just tired and done with everything.

For example this:

“Out with it,” said Snape. “I do not care if you think your request childish or unnecessary or too costly. It is the least that I can do, after neglecting you all day.”

Harry has paused in the middle of asking or remarking something to Snape before because he thinks he’s asking too much or being a baby. Every single time, Snape notices and gets him to spit it out damn it, and it’s as usual this time.

Fuck. Damn it. Just realized I never followed up on wtf Harry was going to ask.

“No…no, I don’t think so, sir, if you could—”

“If you could—” COULD WHAT??? WHY DID I FORGET TO FOLLOW UP?? EVEN LATER WHEN THEY KEEP TALKING???

Anyway I think he was going to say “if you could sit with me until I fall asleep” or the like because what Snape asked him was if Harry needed any draught or something else to help him fall asleep.

That parallels something Snape brings up and was in the middle of answering before he got distracted/cut off like Harry.

…he had an odd and terrible feeling about what Snape was going to say…or wouldn’t say.

There’s something else, the reason he asked me to forgive him, something more that’s got nothing to do with what happened between us today or even yesterday or the storm—something older, darker.

Is it what might make me hate him?

In Harry’s fourth year, Snape told Harry that there’s something horrible he’s done that will make Harry hate him and wish he was dead. It’s his role in the prophecy. Harry is resolute about never hating Snape because of all Snape’s done for him, and he suspects now that he’s finally going to hear it.

But just like in Snape’s POV when he thinks Harry is going to explain about the knives and Harry talks about his difficulty eating instead, Snape doesn’t talk about what Harry expects him to.

Snape explains how difficult the potion is to brew and starts to say something that might clue Harry in on the actual reason Snape avoided him and was closed off all day, before he’s interrupted by a bit of dizziness brought on as a side effect of a potion he was drugged with in mystery dep.

“But an hour later, the potion reached its final stage, which can keep under stasis for up to twenty minutes at a time—plenty of time that I should have spent checking if you had had enough to eat at lunch, if you needed any textbook concept explaining. And what did I do? Squander those minutes, which total in hours, wallowing in self—”

As though he had seen a ghost, Snape’s face paled, the blood draining from it, and his eyelids fluttered beneath his hand.

Just like before, the explanation of something different from what was expected is interrupted before the full truth can be told.

Harry doesn’t explain why he froze at the sight of the knife, which Snape had been internally questioning; he explains why he’d rather skip dinner.

Snape doesn’t explain why Harry will hate him, which Harry had been anticipating, and doesn’t get to the part about why he was curt with Harry.

He ALMOST says that he wasted those hours “…wallowing in self—” self-disgust. Self-hatred. Because he’s ashamed of and hates himself for being unable to reveal to Harry his role in the prophecy, and at the end of the chapter, Harry pieces some of the picture together.

Right before Harry succumbed to sleep, he realized that Snape hadn’t fully explained everything—why he hadn’t taken the time that he did have to check on Harry, and he realized that Snape had been curt and closed off before he had started working on that difficult potion that morning.

That had been the night Harry had asked him, for the second time in two days, about the prophecy…and the eavesdropper who had taken it to the Dark Lord.

Then Harry slipped into a dreamless sleep, and he thought no more about it for a long, long while.

Snape had been dying of guilt since Harry asked the prophecy eavesdropper question in the loft the last night. All day he was turning it over in his head, suffering as he worked.

And there are still truths unsaid for the both of them. Snape, the prophecy, and Harry, the knife. While the next chapter, the Big One, tackles the prophecy reveal, Harry’s fear of knives takes a bit longer to come up again.

Anyway if you’ve somehow read all that and up to here you’re a real one! If you haven’t read my fic but read this analysis of one of its chapters and liked it, go read it!

Or don’t, do what you want. I made this post because I have brain worms about my own writing . This was fun

[0rdinaryth1ngs]

hi omg i need some advice on writing a fic so why not come to a willmack author i love?

I have this college fic idea that would totally be enhanced with some smutty scenes but I am 100% uncomfortable with writing smut. Im just stumped bc I don't NEED it in the fic to make sense but i feel like im missing out on making my fic better lol idk. I feel like fade to black is just too cheesy. any advice?? thank yeww :)))

hiii anon!! sorry it’s taken me so long to get to you but ive been unwell for a couple of days and haven’t had the capacity to respond to this the way i wanted to.

i get exactly what you mean when you say ur uncomfortable writing smut scenes!! i am the exact same. i’ve only ever written one in depth, which was in stars blink, and it was the longest part of writing that whole fic.

however, i have written some scenes that give the illusion of a smut scene without going in full depth. tbh, it’s all about description!

so i’m going to bring out some screenshots and quotes from a fic i wrote over two years ago now and for the f1 rpf fandom. you don’t need any information about this to understand what i’m trying to say, but helpful to know it’s between two guys called oscar and logan. this story is a slow-burn exes to lovers and this scene i’m pulling apart is about 17k words into the fic, and also the first time they kiss.

for anyone interested, the fic is “i promised to forget you now” by me, 0rdinaryth1ngs :)) if you read make sure you check the tags!! it’s heavy and emotional in a similar way to stars blink lmao.

i’m going to start by mentioning that sex also often has a reason for it, and it’s not so much an act that two people do just because they have to. sometimes it’s because they want to be as physically close to one another as possible. another is wanting to make their partner feel good and appreciated and loved. sometimes they just want to get off themselves. other times it’s because they’re frustrated and angry at the other person. it’s important that before you write the scene, you understand the reason they’re having sex.

for example, in stars blink, will was grieving so hard about everything that had happened that he needed mack close to him. mack wanted will to feel good and loved and understood. it was deep and emotional, hence why they both cried and will also bottomed. if you read this post, and then reread the stars blink smut scene you’ll probably be able to identify all the descriptors that indicate why it’s such an emotional scene.

whereas this one, they’re almost angry fucking. they’re trying to make up for lost time. they’re frustrated at themselves and each other for not being able to make things work. oscar did a bunch of things that ended up making logan spiral before they got back together, so he’s pissed off at himself for making logan spiral as bad as he did. that’s why i picked the wording i did in a lot of this scene.

ok, a bit of analysis and explanation on what all this means!

so i started the scene with a pretty standard kiss (which i wont include), and then logan backs off because he thinks he’s gone too far. then we get:

describing the character’s physical attributes and actions shows how much they want one another. “logan’s blown out pupils” and “eyes dark as night with lust and want” are big ones, because pupils dilate when someone is happy or feeling good or turned on. “hands fisted into logan’s shirt” proves how badly he wants logan, how badly he’s holding onto this want. logan “huffs out, both at the contact of the bed on his back and the removal of oscar’s lips from his” describes how logan’s losing his breath with his desire for oscar. this is all done to show the physical signs each of the characters want something more.

again, adjectives help make it stronger and more intense. calling a kiss “forceful” shows desperation and hunger; compared to just saying “they kissed”, which doesn’t have as big of an impact. same with the additional phrasing of “the urgency turning into lust” really amplifies that this harshness oscar has is all just because he wants logan so badly.

the description, and how you describe each thought, phrase, or movement, really indicates the feeling of the scene. if you read the scene from stars blink, you’d definitely notice a difference, because it’s a lot sadder and more somber than this, which is borderline hate sex lol.

we then go to a ‘check in’ because consent is key!

i firmly believe in giving consent in any sex scene you write, from something as simple as a nod of the head, or a literal check in like this, it’s essential. even if you don’t write it out word for word (you’ll see what i mean) that this is a sex scene, it indicates that it will be. that’s what the aim of a scene like this is to do; give the generalised idea of the scene and the sex, rather than in-depth detail.

even as i did here, i mentioned exactly what oscar wanted. “he’s fairly certain that […] logan wants oscar’s dick inside of him.” it proves exactly what oscar wants, and reaffirms to the reader that even if they can’t see the words on paper (screen), it doesn’t mean that’s not what’s happening.

another one of those indicators that this will be sex, even without the words describing it in detail.

the action of “digging through the drawers for the lube” by logan reaffirms that this is indeed something that logan wants too, and proves that there isn’t unreliable narration. and the lube itself gives the reader context clues of what’s going to happen.

and then we get to the “sex” part of it all!

again, i sound like a broken record, but the descriptions of the scene tells the whole story! in this part of it, or the “sex” part of it, you really just want to reiterate everything so the reader can get the whole picture of the scene without you describing at what point oscar goes from two fingers inside of logan to three. some of the important descriptions and adjectives are:

“he takes logan, just like that” -> the first implication of sex. the rest of the description paints the details of the picture.

“papaya teamwear scattered across the floor of oscar’s bedroom” -> basically shows they’re naked. yes, there’s description of them both taking their clothes off and i also describe how their bodies look, but this starts the picture off nicely.

“fucking him deep and hard” -> descriptors of how the sex actually is. the reader can make up in their mind how the sex actually goes, but they will imagine it as logan being hit ‘deeply’ and oscar thrusting ‘hard’.

“makes logan know that he regrets the way things turned out” -> implies the emotions oscar is trying to get through the sex.

“logan’s too busy heaving” -> makes the reader know he felt the same emotions as oscar; the necessity of being close after so much lost time made him so desperate that he ended up exhausted.

okay sorry this is a crazy long ramble but essentially the tldr is: description is everything. find the intention of the smut itself, why it’s happening, and then paint the picture through context clues. allow the reader to build the idea in their mind; they can have some creative control.

anon i hope this helps in some way?! please feel free to drop back in my asks or even in my messages, i’d be more than happy to help out or beta read or anything!!

also thank you for this ask, i had so much fun rereading parts of an old fic and reaffirming that what i wrote in the past was good, and also for making me analyse my own work! i feel like im back in literature classes at 14!!

[worldismyne]

Mirror Image Ships

An Analysis of How Soul and Black Star are used as Romantic leads in SoMa and MaStar fics

(I recommend reading these Black Star analysis for the canon DNA of the MaStar Black Star)

This is a lit analysis comparing how the authors use the characters in fanfic. Having read fics from both ships, I've found a lot of the same themes/questions are explored. The difference is in what the author/shipper thinks is the ideal answer to those questions.

SoMa is a large ship, so it's harder to nail down consistent fanon. It is quite literally impossible to make a generalized statement about the ship as opposed to MaStar, who by comparison, is comprised of a handful of authors. So in order to compare the two as fairly as possible, I'll be comparing like fics to one another.

COMEDIA DEL FANON

I've been in fanfic/fandom spaces for a longtime, and have become quite familiar with the classic "Character A does _, while Character B does _" fic writing prompts.

This mindset can transcend to other fic tropes, such as 'fake dating', 'only one bed', 'hurt comfort' etc. Often times, with smaller ships, there's a combined solidarity not just with liking the ship, but also liking certain tropes.

For example - someone who enjoys enemies to lovers may seek out this dynamic in new media they engage with, regardless of the characters involved.

So you'll have fic authors who are the most comfortable with a specific flavor of 'Character A' and 'Character B' for fic writing, and will be drawn to ships of the same hat. Keeping in mind that fanon plays a significant role in how a ship (especially smaller ones) is portrayed and engaged with. The larger a ship gets, the more subfandoms can exist within a ship (like a division in the fandom between which character is the pursuer verses the desired).

I mentioned in this post how the SE characters are lightly written backstorywise, with a majority of the manga focused on action scenes instead of slice of life stuff (particularly after vol 14). It means you can mold the characters into whatever shape you want and still have their portrayals be in harmony with the canon. The key usually comes in which character traits the fic author finds most important to their character and expanding on it.

As far as SoMa and MaStar goes, there are three roles that commonly come up: the desired, the romantic lead, and the mutual friend. In discussing these ships moving forward, it's less about the canon, and more about the similarities and differences between how the fics portray these roles, and which characters are cast in them.

While sometimes canon does play a role, it's not always prevalent. For example: SoMa authors do not have to write around Soul and Maka being roommates, unlike MaStar authors. We'll be disregarding most canon in favor of how the fic authors have portrayed them.

THE COMMON FACTOR

Maka in particular is an interesting figure, since compared to the boys, the canon spends a lot of downtime with her. We get a chance to see her relationship with her father, her reaction to the divorce, deaths and other betrayals. Characters talk about her hobbies and taste in music. Out of all the main characters in SE, she is one of the most developed characters of the series.

In some ships, this wouldn't stop authors from picking different aspects of the character to highlight. Take Stien for example, a lot of cross-stitch art highlights Stein's more horror-coded tendencies from the beginning of the manga, while Stein/Marie art often focuses on his gentler depiction from act 2. Both are in-character but different facets are being emphasized as character defining. With some ships, BOTH characters in the ship are portrayed differently. Maka also has ships where different aspects of her personality are highlighted, such as with KiMa or CroMa.

When comparing MaStar and SoMa fics however, her characterization is fairly consistent. Intelligent, stubborn, goal-oriented, individualistic and not quite healed from her family falling apart. Her desire to be cute/approachable often at war with her temper and sense of justice.

The question usually being explored with Maka is 'How to trust after being let down?' and how Maka comes to terms with her sense of self worth after being abandoned by both parents. (Note: not all fics write out both her parents, but a majority have mentions of the divorce or Spirit being a single parent).

Many fics in both ships will include details of Black Star being a long-time childhood friend/acquaintance, with Soul being more recently introduced into the friend group (or the fic is centered on Soul and Maka meeting). Both romantic leads come from families they don't want to talk about or be associated with. The instances of overlapping headcanons lead to similar heroines for the fics, to the point where I'd say you could shuffle around all the 'fake dating' Makas with one another and the plots outlines for the fics would remain for the most part intact (baring AU specific details and attraction to the male lead of course). TLDR I rarely ran into a "she wouldn't say that" moment.

There is one major difference between the two Makas that can come up in canon compliant fics; the anime suggested canon of Maka also being a weapon. MaStar fics will sometimes include the HC that during their childhood, Maka and Black Star planned to be a weapon/meister pair. Then either due to Maka never being born a weapon or choosing to be a meister, that promise was broken, adding to the rift that grew between them before the start of the manga. (Note: in these scenarios, Soul is never to blame for the promise being broken. It's usually framed as tragically inevitable or Maka's choice)

SOULMATE AU FICS

MaStar’s 'To the Last Letter' (TLL) follows the canon from both Maka and Black Star's POVs, highlighting the distance that comes between them with age. Both are coping with the concept of fate and whether it should be defied or followed. The words they're given are bestowed by Lord Death. They have nothing to do with romance, instead being a prediction of destined fate (including death). The soulmate words being deliberately vague and often called into question.

The choice to use Black Star as the romantic lead has to do with the distance between him and Maka, as well as their differing views on the importance of following rules/expectations. Black Star rebels while Maka doubles-down.

SoMa’s 'Bonded' on the other hand, has the soulmate marks as something people opt into. It has more sci-fi themes surrounding soulmates compared to TLL's spiritual ones. The story is far more light-hearted with an emphasis on both characters choosing to opt into the soulmate idea, echoing how Soul and Maka chose to be partners in canon.

There are other fics, such as SoMa’s 'Saving Grace', which theorize that the divorce would shake Maka's belief in soulmates. Using the soulmate trope to breech Maka's trust issues by allowing her to quietly learn about her future romantic partner in bits and pieces before choosing to seek them out. A key element of the relationship here being empathy over feeling unwanted or not enough, again emphasizing the seeking of something new as the answer to Maka's emotional problems. As with 'Bonded', there's an emphasis on Maka choosing to find her soulmate, not the other way around.

Conversely, MaStar’s 'Unbreakable Bond', highlights the lack of a belief in a soulmate as Maka's roadblock in being able to find one at all, even with a soulmate out there for her. Distance and interrogation of hope/faith are the reason Black Star is set into the role as soulmate. In it and it’s sequel, Black Star is the one to do the reaching out, not Maka.

As stated prior, SoMa is hardly a monolith. SoMa’s 'In Plain Sight' flips the script with Soul taking an active role as the male lead, seeking out Maka (though this is a soul mate = seeing color AU). It shares TLL's choice to have the ensemble feature as supportive to both characters, with the third role of 'friend' firmly instated. TLL concerns itself with following the canon, while 'In Plain Sight' builds a world where characters are able to interact freely. It's the only one of these batch of fics that has the 'friend' role front and center. It uses Black Star to act as a sounding board for Soul, as opposed to the canon where Maka or Blair would be more readily available. The friendships Soul has and his job are equally important to him in this fic, similar to how TLL has the main plot acting as a barrier to the soulmates coming to an understanding.

'Bonded' is the only one of these fics that doesn't give Maka a goal outside of the soulmate plot, but it's due to length. In all the other fics, the soulmate theme is used as a tool to poke at Maka's relationship with vulnerability and fate. In these fics, the ideal soulmate is revealed to be one of two things...

Something new or something that's been there the whole time.

Gambling on potential happiness blindly or letting down emotional walls to let someone in.

What barriers an author finds more interesting shapes which direction the fic goes, as well as which character best fits with those themes.

Soul is often used as a symbol of that fresh start with the soulmate trope acting as a guiding light through Maka’s insecurities. Being soulmates lowers the risk that she’s making the wrong choice moving forward. In MaStar fics, Black Star’s soulmate status is more representative of how his path crosses with Maka’s over and over again, whether they want to maintain the connection or not. What fuels the romance is whether the characters believe it should be romantic and choose to pursue it further despite existing obstacles.

ROM-COM AU

First, we'll be looking at fics that are derived from the classic literature trope of a jaded heroine getting won over by the 'right guy'. With the fics taking the prompt for a dramatic turn, while still trying to maintain a sense of levity.

10 Things I Hate About You for the SoMa fic 'Bad Romance' (BR)

and

The Duff for the MaStar fic 'Taming of the Shrew' (TS)

Both authors reference Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare) as an inspiration for their fic, either through the title or summary of the fic. Interestingly though, Soul is cast in the role of the shrew and POV character in BR while Maka is this for TS.

Both fics also act as time capsules for the era they were written in, using the framing of the AU like many Rom-Coms do, to bring the story to the modern era. With SE being written in the 00s, it's interesting to see how the characterizations differ based on the era they'd grow up in with early 2010s for BR and 2020s for TS.

The authors use the high-school setting to explore the 'me versus the world' feeling a lot of teens go through, albeit with different tones. Giriko is staged as a past aggressor the protagonist seeks protection from in both fics. With Soul paying Maka in BR, and Maka using Black Star as consenting escapism in TS. Though TS is definitely the classic annoyance to lovers (as far as Maka's concerned) and BR is more of a forced proximity tale of noticing what was there the whole time. Both highlight how a lack of familial support can worsen the feeling of isolation and increase risky behavior.

What I find interesting is that in BR, Soul plays a passive role in the romance, being the one to be pursued and focused on a different goal entirely. In TS, Black Star has a far more active role, masking advances under jokes and teasing until Maka makes the first move. While both carry a level of snark, and are not the one to make the first move, Soul is depicted for the most part as being upfront with what he wants while Black Star spends a majority of TS hiding behind irony. Here we have another fork in the road.

Is Maka's affection the reward of a different quest, or is Maka's affection the goal?

This theme also comes front and center in 'A Clash of Lightenings' (a SoMa toradora AU) and 'Heroic Vulgar' (a MaStar K-drama AU). In their respective fics, Black Star and Soul are cast as goof balls trying to get the girl. With Soul's major roadblock being a lack of confidence and Black Star's being outside interference (a lack of familial approval). Both pull off the annoyance to friends to lovers plot beats off spectacularly.

Unlike in the soulmate AUs, the rom-com Soul seems to derive comedy from not knowing what he wants when it comes to romance and stumbling across Maka. Where the rom-com Black Star derives comedy from his single-minded goal in seeking affection and the outlandish lengths he's willing to take to get there.

I explored a few different genres because I feel here is where we find the strongest distinction between the type of lead an author wants to write. Patterns start to emerge in the tropes being favored as well;

Fake dating, strangers/grumps to lovers, neighbor AUs for Soul.

Pining/unrequited feelings, childhood friends to lovers, classmates for Black Star.

While these tropes aren't exclusive to one ship over the other, the frequency with which they appear adds to the vibes of a ship. There's an emphasis placed on the first meetings with SoMa fics, finding new and interesting ways for the couple to meet. Those same tropes, like fake dating, shift to a status quo change in a MaStar fic. The most popular tropes in MaStar focus on exploring the shared history between the couple.

MODERN AUS

In AUs not tied to a specific setting, where the weapon/meister dynamic is missing entirely, is where we find the strongest characterization of the fanon for these characters.

'Angel With a Shotgun' (AWS) was the SoMa fic recommended to me the most. It's depiction of Soul and Maka strongly pulls from their characterization from earlier in the manga (particularly the candle training with Stein and the super exam arcs). It utilizes fake dating and couples therapy to explore how both characters have high emotional walls that have to come down. Soul in particular is avoidant, blunt and unintentionally triggers Maka's defenses; a great starting point for a slowburn long fic.

An additional factor at play is how supportive the other characters are of Maka and Soul being together as early as chapter 3, which act as both fuel for the leads’ rebellious tendencies, as well as greasing the wheels for when they eventually become a couple. Despite their protests, they do care a great deal about what others think about them, with Soul sacrificing sleep at his friend's request. It directly points at Spirit's infidelity as the reason Maka's been closed off to romance, a fear of the unknown she has to overcome and something requiring external pressure to do so.

MaStar’s 'dust the cracks in my heart with stardust, make me anew' (dtc) on the other hand pulls more from act 2 for Maka and Black Star's characterization. The entire fic centers around nostalgia and the fear of change ruining something that is precious (think of Maka in Sloth during the Salvage arc). It's road trip setting makes use of forced proximity to give the characters an excuse to engage in casual intimacy, similar to how AWS uses the therapy scenes to coax the leads into acting like a couple. The dynamic shift is tested before anything is said out loud.

In dtc, Black Star is approaching the plot from a stance of familiarity and fondness. The 'will they'/'won't they' coming from a need to express what has quietly grown in the shadows rather than needing to understand a new person. Black Star's playfulness and willingness to be vulnerable around Maka is revealed as love to the audience in chapter 6, but is ever present throughout the narrative in small gestures.

It also touches on the pressures Maka faces and her attempts to leave the past behind her. There's a question from both characters if romance would hold her back from other goals. The fic progressively reframes the characters feelings as they allow themselves to feel them more. As a deadline of permanent separation at the end of the road trip draws close, remaining friends are framed as both safe and devastating as both characters wrestle with whether to leave things as they are.

Again, when looking at these fics, the sharpest divide comes, not from Maka's internal struggles, but from the conclusions the author reaches. The answer boiling down to novelty or nostalgia. It is not lost on me that the wealth of SoMa fics recommended to me, or made for events the last two years are AUs that include Soul and Maka meeting. (sometimes over and over again across lifetimes). While a common thread in MaStar fics is reminiscing, reframing and treasuring bonds regardless of how sharp the status quo shifts.

CANON COMPLIANT

SoMa’s 'Hand in Hand' in parallel fashion, covers Maka’s and Soul’s feelings about the plot of SE. Starting with appearances and then delving into the tentative trust that both struggle to build and a distrust in family. They have many doubts on if the decision to be partners was (or continues) to be the correct choice. They both bond and struggle with the past, frequently having misunderstandings, and then reconciling. A question of whether they're repeating patterns they tried to escape from also comes up. It ends on an optimistic note that things will get better.

TLL similarly reframes canon events through the characters’ lenses and the covers the miscommunications between the characters. With the ending having both permanently changed by the events of the story emotionally and physically. The shared journey between the two, and willingness to support one another no matter what, brings the story to a close on an equally hopeful idea that while things are different, their bond has remained untarnished.

Both fics have a focus on the stress and turmoil of working for the DWMA during Asura and the dangers they faced. The tone in general is more serious than the source material. There's a constant pull between duty and wanting to protect the people they love. They all want the same thing, a happily ever after that seems out of reach.

With Soul, it shows the power of commitment and building trust through small consistent acts. His presence is half spectator, half antagonist, as the fic shows the grueling process of getting to know someone while healing. He causes conflict as frequently as he resolves it, and constantly questions if he chose the right partner. While his defense mechanisms differ, Maka comes to recognize he's just as afraid of 'love' (tm) as she is, and equally dedicated to staying with her in spite of that anxiety. A true love grown from empathy.

In similar fashion, TLL has affection grow through the years spent together, how shared moments and secrets are more powerful than a grand romantic gesture. Black Star acts as a constant in Maka's life when her family and the world threatens to be irreparably damaged. His confidence and blind faith act as a weapon Maka can hide behind. With later installments highlighting how Maka caring for Black Star as a person, and not as a warrior, is foundational to their relationship. He doesn't have to be the strongest or best to be important to her, and that goes both ways. Since they both know each other so well, conflict stems from not seeing eye to eye on things, as opposed to stumbling across triggers of unspoken hurt.

Neither fic has a grand confession of love, it's existence explored through actions and the character's worldview. They support Maka in the exact same way, as protector and witness to the injustices life thrusts upon her. In turn, she provides the same, yearning to understand them better and learning to trust. With her parents divorce actively in the forefront of her mind as she both longs for connection and fears abandonment. To be known is terrifying, but necessary to move forward for all parties involved.

CONCLUSION

While it's impossible to generalize a massive fandom under one monolith, especially a ship as large as SoMa, I still feel it frequently explores "what to do when you feel alone?" with what lies at the heart of Soul and Maka's canon relationship: reaching out for something new. Considering the 2100+ SoMa fics on AO3, only 30 use the 'canon compliant' tag, I'd say novelty plays a huge factor as well. Each fic writing event, new first meeting AUs are made, exploring how a little trust and stubbornness go a long way.

In contrast, many MaStar fics use the same tropes, jokes and plot setups to have the characters reflect on the past. Themes of bittersweet nostalgia and reframing events through wiser eyes, both good and bad. "what to do when you feel alone?" simple, reach out to the people already around you.

Both ships explore trust after betrayal, parents that let down their kids, a desire to build family from scratch, and the need for friends as well as romance to make that possible. At the center of it, the same willful heroine. So when I say in passing the two ships are similar, this is what I mean. Both are invested in the same question...

"Where will Maka find home again?"

--------

Thank you, thank you to everyone that helped me research the SoMa side of things. Special shout out to @memethebum, @silluuuu and @indigolightning for all the fic recommendations, as well as all the lovely authors down below. Please give these fics some love.

This was a huge labor of love and I appreciate everyone that watched me go feral during the research stage. Also props to my bestie for proof reading this thing (and assuming it'd be longer lol).

Sources -

To the Last Letter - happyisahabit [MaStar]

Bonded - howlingmoonrise (TheDarkStoryteller) [SoMa]

Saving Grace - sojustifiable [SoMa]

Unbreakable Bond - worldismyne [MaStar]

In Plain Sight - Sillu [SoMa]

Bad Romance - adulter_clavis [SoMa]

Taming of the Shrew - sahdah [MaStar]

A Clash of Lightenings - lucyrne (theungenue) [SoMa]

Heroic Vulgar - Sleepmarshes [MaStar]

Angel with a Shotgun - sillu [SoMa]

dust the cracks in my heart with stardust, make me anew - happyisahabit [MaStar]

Hand in Hand - teroseterdile [SoMa]

[bythreeicome]

Rejoice! New chapter of my AOPD review is out <3

Many thanks to those who read and commented on Ch 1. I can’t wait to see your opinions on the future chs!

Chapters: 2/? Fandom: Anne Rice's Talamasca: The Secret Order (TV 2025) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Guy Anatole/Jasper Characters: Guy Anatole, Jasper (Talamasca: The Secret Order) Additional Tags: Meta, Reviews, Analysis, Twig I love you dearly, Sexual abuse is discussed Summary:

What you have missed in AOPD and why do you need to reread it carefully ASAP. This review is for people who have already finished AOPD. If you haven’t – go read it now.

This analysis is in no way exhaustive. Please take it as a love letter made out of scraps of my notes creepily glued together and displayed for the wider auidence in a haphazard fashion.

You are culpable too. The fault has always been our own.

Obligatory Twig fan club tag

@yuki-013 @hayloumac @serenus-serenade

[purplepeptobismol]

Doctor Kenneth McCormick & The Beautiful Concept of ‘Love To The Point of Invention’

Okay! So I could not stop thinking about the dynamic between Dr. McCormick and Victor Chaos, and more importantly— chapter 13 of my fic… I’m sorry y’all. It’s just,,, there was so much discussed in this chapter and I just wanted to talk about it MORE. I wanted to voice everything out, even revealing some behind the scenes stuff, implications, deleted paragraphs, investigative research, and my thought process throughout the chapter. It was a long one; it could’ve been longer, but I genuinely forced myself to stop. Anyway, feel free to read my very own ‘directors cut’! Just letting you know ahead of time that it WILL be containing spoilers for Chapter 13 of ‘I Will Make of You’ and my one-shot (Un)Forbidden Love.

The backstory starts off as newly graduated Kenny and Butters, with Butters asking him to run away together. The reason for his hesitation is explored on (Un)Forbidden Love, but actually a big scene I cut out [and was going to be featured in this chapter] was —

The one where Kevin gifts his truck to Kenny and Butters. I was planning on hinting that Butters had explained his plan to Kevin beforehand, and had asked for his help into getting a truck of his own. Kevin, being literally the coolest person ever, basically told him that they can take his truck, and he will be gifting it to them. Butters and Kevin go back and forth about it, Butters being “no, I can’t possibly take yours! That’s unfair and selfish”, until Kevin hits him with the “I’m not doing it for you, it’s for him. We both want Kenny to be happy.” Obviously, Kenny doesn’t know this conversation happened 🥹, but caring older brother Kevin tugs at my heartstrings. I also wanted to add a tidbit where Kevin is helping them pack their things in the truck, he whispers to Leo to “make him happy and give Ken the life he deserves.” KILL ME NOW, I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!

—

Moving on past their new established relationship, we get the first hints of Vic’s negotiating skills. It is already established in the canon universe of the Post Covid South Park specials that Kenny is a very talented scientist who’s done all these amazing things— but we also find out that Butters (Vic Chaos) is the one that actually funds all of Dr. McCormick’s projects! I tried to mess around with this concept in my own story, but the one thing I always wondered was: What made Kenny want to become a scientist in the first place?

Love to the Point of Invention

I think there is something so pure, and so genuinely beautiful about loving someone so much, you’re capable of inventing something revolutionary BECAUSE of them. There are many examples of this actually happening in real life:

Kenny seeing Butters come home— fatigued and stressed from all the workload— it motivated him into creating something to help Butters feel better. And it not just worked, but someone actually bought Kenny’s invention. Of course, if it wasn’t for Butters [Chaos’s] negotiating tactics, they wouldn’t have secured the millions of dollars that helped them get into an Ivy League Uni.

Personally, I feel like Kenny truly is talented when it comes to being an inventor, but both in canon and in IWMOY, his main motivators where always the people he loves. Butters is also canonically good at running a business, and his Vic Chaos persona proves that he’s capable of getting some good money off of investors. Scientist Kenny who invents all these crazy things and Vic Chaos who invests, sells, markets, funds his inventions— It’s literally a match made in heaven y’all 😞, they’re a power duo!

—

There are a lot of other things I want to get into but I’m going to skip ahead a bit to talk about the main event of this chapter: Cooper’s creation! I’ve always headcanon that Stan and Kyle are more family oriented and the more likely to have kids first, while Kenny isn’t as caring about the concept. So when Kenny witnessed their joy and Butters cuddling up with a baby, it sort of planted him with an image of a family in his head. What really sold the idea was that conversation he had with Butters. Kenny wasn’t aware that Butters was having daydreams of starting a family with him until that very night 🥲, it once again motivated him into creating something that will make Butters’ daydream a reality. LOVE! CREATION!!

Now, the concept of bringing a human to life in the ‘non-traditional’ sense is actually very complex AND controversial 💀. I was aware that there were some negative views towards the study of human cells and artificial wombs, but I didn’t know just how bad it’s perceived… Bro, even IVF and surrogacy are still somewhat frowned upon. I’m the type of person that even if it’s not mentioned or come up in my essays, I still do extensive research so I can get a general idea of what I’m writing about. For Cooper’s ‘birth,’ there were three main things that needed to be focused:

The study of cells and how to make gametes of two people of the same sex to successfully produce a zygote (fertilized cell/embryo)

Artificial Wombs, how they work, and how will they function for a developing human fetus

The weekly development of a baby and what they will need inside a womb to grow/develop healthy

All of these things have their own concerns that required different forms of investigation, and it brought up a lot of moral dilemmas that I REALLY (and I mean really) overthought during the entirety of my research and writing process.

One

In real life, the use of animals for scientific purposes is controversial because, let’s be real— no one wants animals to be abused for humanity’s own desire to learn. Hell, I wouldn’t want that either! Yet, in my fic, Kenny does use lab mice and monkeys and it’s actually an integral component for this experiment. Personally, I do believe there is an ethical way we could use mice and monkeys for research; and that’s if the experiment doesn’t cause deadly risks and physical or psychological harm to the animals. You can let me know your thoughts! I feel like Kenny would actually be less empathetic about it than Stan, which is why I made him call Kenny out on it. Lol. Getting that out of the way, how would Kenny use those animals to reach his goal?

Lab mice are actually used to this day, and they’re a valuable species for the study of human biology, pathology, etc.. Mice have 20 chromosomes in their haploid genome, their gestation period takes on average 19-21 days, their genetic complexity is pretty low; there’s also low ethical concerns due to their rapid reproduction, small size, and short lifespan. Scientist already have a general understanding of their genetics so it makes the testing more straightforward. Kenny will definitely find more early success and failures during this section since the breakthrough can be proof that conception is possible with two species of the same sex.

I stated this in chapter 13, but the next animal they tested on was the Rhesus Macaque; they’re the primates most genetically and physiologically similar to humans. A single rhesus macaque contain 21 pairs of chromosomes, gestation period is roughly 166 days, and their maternal health has a big influence to a baby’s development much like a human. Kenny testing with these animals will help bridge the gap, enhance the technology, and address any issues that happen throughout the process. But since they’re pretty similar to humans, especially with their reproductive biology, it raises more ethical questions than with the lab mice. The failed attempts of gestation, fetal development, and the long-term health would be very hard to ignore. This step would take significantly more time and patience, lots of care will need to be taken place before ANYTHING becomes feasible. So once everything is overcome, then we could possibly move to humans.

The ultimate and final goal would be testing this technology with humans. Human genomes are extremely complex, they have 23 pairs of chromosomes (which is 46 in each cell), gestation is roughly 9 months, human embryos require precise conditions, and their long-term health need to be carefully monitored years after their birth. The testing of this would definitely be frowned upon by society. Realistically, we would need highly advanced technological breakthroughs to make this happen— it is very likely Kenny would’ve gruesomely fail this step many times. But I didn’t want to make him suffer the losses of his potential children :(, that’s too cruel. Besides, Cooper is a strong kid, and Kenny used his cursed blood to create him!

Overall, it truly isn’t scientifically possible for two species of the same sex to procreate because their biological mechanisms lack the components for fertilization (yet👀). They’ll probably need to reprogram or edit genes and cells to transform at least one male gamete into an egg-like cell. (I’ve sort of drawn inspiration from stuff like CRISPR-Cas9). Then, similar to that of IVF, mimic the fertilization of both of the cells, continue editing the genes to make them compatible, remove any harmful mutations that might occur, and ensure the embryo has the necessities for proper development. What I’m trying to get at is that either Kenny or Butter’s gametes had to be transformed into an egg so that Cooper could exist [and also Tweek and Craig for Emilio if you think about it] 🫢. Y’all can decide on whose cell it was.

Two

Artificial wombs are an actual thing being developed and tested— mice embryos have been used on clear rotating vials and they’ve actually attempted to use an artificial womb for a premature lamb who needed help with their lungs! When I first thought of using the concept of an artificial wombs back when I was drafting this story, the first images that came to my mind were something like the scenes from ‘I Am Mother.’

This technology was my main inspiration for Cooper’s creation because— really guys— how else would Kenny and Butters have a biological kid of their own if not with the use of advanced technology 😭??? Before I reached this scene, even as far back when I revealed the explanation back in chapters 2 and 8, I didn’t think much about this; truly, I wasn’t even thinking of making it a big deal. But then it was time for me to finish drafting chapter 13, and I decided to make more research on the concept, this video by Cleo Abram appeared on my recommended!

It completely changed my perspective on the concept and even made me want to tread with the idea more carefully. I really recommend watching it if you’re interested on what I’m going to be talking about. I didn’t realize how controversial or even the complexity of it. So, not only did I do research, but I also did a deep dive on motherhood and pregnancy 🤓….

Let me start with the negative conversations: The main issue people have with it is that this technology breaks the ‘idea of childbirth’ and the ‘beauty of pregnancy.’ Many mothers believe that it’s an amazing thing to grow a human inside of them, and they feel some type of bond between their child as they grow. It’s a sacred thing and ‘part of being a woman’, and they don’t want technology to take that away from them. *Though the concept of artificial wombs being an actual thing is purely fictional and theoretical, I’d like to point out that alternatives such as surrogacy and IVF are real options and even those are controversial till this day*

The positive side: some mothers believe that this technology could be a great alternative since child birth can be very dangerous to certain women whose biology doesn’t allow them to carry, or can’t conceive at all. Others simply don’t want to experience the labor. Pregnancy in general could be a very difficult thing for both the mother and a baby, this alternative could help alleviate those concerns.

In my heart of hearts, I couldn’t make Kenny be the one to invent this because honestly, he just wouldn’t understand; Heidi Turner was the best decision in my opinion. I always wanted to make her be a part of Kenny’s scientist team, and this experiment felt like the right opportunity. I don’t feel qualified to put my two cents on the topic, so I’m gonna end this segment by quoting what one of my friends said.

“For starters, I don’t want to have kids of my own, nor do I plan on ever becoming pregnant due to my own personal circumstances. But if I were to have a choice, I would like this to be one of my options. I have heard both the horrors and positives of what pregnancy does to a woman and it makes me not want to be pregnant even more. In the end, idk what the process would look like, let alone the aftermath of both my and the babies health. Of course not everyone would agree, and maybe there would be pushback for this sort of advancement, but I feel like we should focus on the idea of giving women more alternatives to choose what they could do with their own bodies instead of being self righteous about what’s natural or not.”

Three

Y’all 💀 a baby developing in a womb is really no easy task. We don’t know what happens inside a uterus when a baby is inside, it’s not like we can peek inside a womb, so we mostly just go by the current research of the weekly gestational period. But I tried my best to sum up how the process would be like. A fetus in an artificial womb would have to be in an environment that replicates the uterus. Nutrients and oxygen need to be exchanged, facilitate waste, hormonal changes that happen during pregnancy need to be mimicked, temperature and pH need to be regulated, amniotic fluid is important for allowing a fetus to move— well, pregnancy is complicated. Not to mention how foreign and disconnecting it could be for a baby to develop outside of their mother’s womb, that connection could be crucial too, no machine can mimic that warmth and feeling, and I made sure Heidi be the one to point that out.

Literally a single wrong move could be the end. It’s a very high level risk… This is a gamble with human life. Everything could go so wrong in many ways if they aren’t careful. Nothing about this could be considered natural.

No matter how you view it, what Kenny is doing is selfish. He is messing with natural order of life to have a son of his own with his husband. He knows this more than anyone else. That’s why when Craig also wanted to try to have a son of his own using this method, Kenny felt displeased. Craig CANNOT be having a spur-of-the moment baby fever, this isn’t something to FOMO about— this is a human they are attempting to create. Conscious human life. If they die in the middle of gestation, or they suffer long-term— it is entirely on their selfish fault. I wanted to add a scene where Kenny straight up tells Craig “NO” and that he wasn’t ready for it. It would lead to a big thing where even Tweek gets involved and explains his side and wheewww would it have turned out way longer.

Though this entire experiment was kinda Kenny’s sort of selfish desire of creating a family— it’s that LOVE he has for Leo that pushes him to invent this (love, invention…. *sighs*), and it was love for his son that pushed to save him in the end. It really is romantic and beautiful to deeply love someone 🙁..

This is such a heavy and interesting concept that I feel could bring on a lot of conversation to the table, I want this to be an open discussion so feel free to comment your thoughts and opinions. I also want to iterate that I AM NOT A SCIENTIST NOR AM I AN EXPERT IN ANY OF THESE CONCEPTS OR TOPICS THAT I’VE DISCUSSED. IM JUST SOME SILLY AND STUPID GUY WHO WRITES SOUTH PARK FANFICTION ☠️

—

Small little things I like to add from this chapter:

Craig living in Houston because he worked for NASA is so funny to me. Idk much about how they work over there but I do know that those roads and highways are no joke. Bro was fighting for his life in those 14 lane roads 😭. They always have construction and accidents too, shit is stressing me just thinking about it </3

Stan and Kyle being family oriented feels so right to me, and Stan getting cold feet because he doesn’t want to end up like Randy 💔 my shaylaaa. Idk what’s it like to be a parent so I hope Stan’s dialogue felt realistic 🙁. I didn’t want to include too much of how they adopted Robin, but I also wanted to give a bit of a recapped explanation that was somewhat realistic. Cartman’s death and the adoption happening around the same time would obviously stress them even more so I feel like anxiety is normal in the situation. It worked out in the end tho hehe 🫶, and it was thanks to this scene that motivated Kenny into starting his family.

Butters saying Cooper was “cooped up in there” and didn’t “want him to feel lonely” down there ☹️

I also wanted to add a bit of background Tweek being an engineer and more of Doctor Heidi Turner, but,,,,,,, chapter too long. We did decent amount of Heidi content tho, but no Tweek. He will appear in chapter 14 y’all 🙏Trust.

—

Anywho— I feel like I went overboard with this deep dive but if you have any input with the topics discussed or the dynamics between Kenny and Butters as Doctor McCormick and Vic Chaos, or literally anything else, please feel free to share 🥹

[lowpoly-cat]

ok im going to analyze THE VOICES from @fhazel27 's fic because I want to c:

welcome to the secret FANTASTICAL HORRIFYING new ~system~ (-ish)

I'm gonna go ahead and say that this isn't DID because Caine and Able were two separate entities before, making this another mystical fictional identity disorder. Of which is completely fine by me, I hold no contempt. I just mean that i'm explicitly not trying to relate my analysis to however actual DID works.

Identities:

Caine, in ALL CAPS text

Able, in bold text

'Both of Them', in unformatted text

'Neither of Them', in italic text

'Both of Them', Caine in the narration, or Unformatted as I will continue to call him, has a host role.

Unformatted inherited/has Caine and Able's fear of failure. Unformatted is a perfectionist and will stop at nothing for approval so that he can feel safe. Unformatted understands that his other identities hinder him in this goal and attempts to suppress them. Its too bad he can't really do that anymore xp.

Caine has an emotions holder role.

Caine is mostly concerned with matters regarding himself/themselves/the system. He only ever interacts with the outside world if it there is enough emotional turmoil to draw him out.

Maybe turmoil isn't the correct word though, since he also interacts with things that make him happy.

Caine is technically egotistical/the ego in that sense, so it makes sense that he has since become quieter after Unformatted decided that the best way to please the humans was to become a doormat.

Caine and Unformatted have the least distinction between themselves and are the most integrated.

Abel has a persecutor role.

Abel is a weird one. He's the most distinct identity in this system and directly descends from the past Able that past Caine ate. Yet, strangely enough in the narrative, Abel isn't just some demon in Caine/Unformatted/Italic's mind, but Able is _them_, just as much as Caine or Italics is _them_.

Able constantly nags at Unformatted for his shortcomings and pokes at his buttons, leading one to assume that Able is still very mad at what Caine for eating him, but not really because Able is the only voice that speaks the most in the shared person. So, usually, whenever Abel is berating Unformatted it actualy reads as some kind of anxiety spiral more than a hatred for someone else, which I find fascinating.

Why does Able speak in this way? man💕

( reading over this again before I post it: OMG IT JUST CAME TO ME. This Able is ACTUALY an introject of the Able that Past Caine ate. The actual Able is long dead and this is his ghost with his memories but not actually HIM OMG. guys I'm so smart 😌)

In any case, Able views himself as very involved, everything that is happening to Unformatted is also happening to him.

Abel is also the only identity that clearly fronts. See here:

(idk why the second one is squished)

An interesting note about the these passages specifically, Abel here is described to be messily making sandcastles. Messy being the keyword. Wasn't the whole point of the fratricide was that Able was better than Caine? Now in this situation Unformatted is more perfectionist and neat than Able cares to be. I would like to see this as evidence to my above revelation that this Able is only an introject, and not actualy the Real one. Meaning that the introject isn't necessarily a perfect representation of the person/AI its based off of.

I believe Caine also fronted intermittently during the first chapter when they were all going through it but those instances aren't as explicit as this example here.

Moving on, the second most interesting one 😁

'Neither of them', or Italics as I will be referring to them, has a social role(?)

Italics is the most concerned with their personal relationships with the humans. This trait cements them as something outside of Caine and Able. Neither of them, in their short time being separate entities, had any personal relationships to care about.

Yes they both fear failure and then want to conform to whatever the humans want but they are doing that for the seemingly selfish reason of not wanting to be alone or trapped. Italics care about the humans as humans. Italics loves them and he hates them for ignoring him and is concerned for them abstracting not because that would then leave them alone but just because he understands its a terrible fate.

And then he wishes himself/Unformatted to this terrible fate but like camon, they all hate each other and by virtue of being a system hates _himself_ ok? they all have depression xp.

In short, where Unformatted, Caine, and Able are only concerned for themselves, Italics is concerned for/about the humans.

Generally,,, there might be something I'm glossing over here (^^;)

Heres an exerpt I like that includes all of the identities and I think displays their personalities nicely:

If it isnt clear ill transcribe paragraph by paragraph:

1. [Narration (or 'Both of Them''s Narration to account for differences in perspective. This isn't really a case of an unreliable narrator though 'cause this is just describing an action with no connotation so-- ahhh ill stop rambling--)]

2. [More Narration]

3. 'Neither Of Them': No wonder Kinger was comfortable sitting next to him. (Italics is relating this situation to Kinger and his temperament)

4. Abel: They declawed us. (Can be interpreted as a taunt ('they declawed you.' you were a monster to be declawed. youre powerless.) or just concern for their own wellbeing. I personally believe the former as Able has mocked Untitled/Caine before for being an abuser before and will do so again.)

5. Caine: HAHAHA (manical laughter, probably at the irony, as he was the one most concerned with _their_ own godhood)

6. Kinger: I forgot to tell you--

['Both of Them''s Narration]: --Kinger said, knowing he made a mistake,--

Kinger: It's for your own protection, Caine.

(mans wishes kinger made a mistake xp nah you got nerfed haha mald)

7. Caine: HAHAHA (sheesh, calm down there bruv. Note his emotionality compared to the other voices, specifically that he's the only one expressing it.)

8. Abel: We're prisoners again. (again this can be interpreted as a taunt or concern. This time I'm not so sure what it should be though. Able has every right to be scared of being trapped. Mans fucking trapped in his killers mind. But he could also just be laughing at Unformatted/Caine/Italics for fumbling and getting himself in the same situation they so desperately tried to escape.)

9. 'None of Them': How are we supposed to serve humans without our magic? (again, Italics is solely concerned with the humans)

10. Abel: They just want us to suffer. They want their revenge, and then they'll throw us out when they're done. (AGAIN again this can be both a taunt (throw You out, want You to suffer) or concern. What do YOU think ^^)

11. 'Both of them': What else? What else? He couldn’t leave the digital lake could he? The others had let him live, but they didn’t want anything to do with him. (Unformatted agrees with Abel here. Don't have much else to say for this.)

12. 'Both of Them': He was alone again. (see he is concerned with being left alone. the traumaaa the traummaaa darnnn the traumeea (can you tell im getting tired?)) IN CONCLUSION! I really love this FUCKING headcannon and I specifically like how this author writes it. Even in giving 'Caine'(Unformatted) specifically Caine and Able voices they managed to make it just a bit (alot of a bit in my opinion) more nuanced.

All of these identities can be described as mix in matches and lacks of traumas of both Caine and Able with the actual Caine and Able being long gone. This is their combination and its MESSY and there is no clear line where one beings and the other ends EVEN WHEN YOU EXPECT IT SO. OOOUUUSSSSHHH. I love when shit overlaps. You'll never catch me setting hard boundaries for ANYTHING narrative related. OOOOOHHH I love the "secret FANTASTICAL HORRIFYING new [system]" I love that line, its literally them its exactly what they are.

(as an aside, I (Me?? or like the other guy?)can relate to being an introject and hating existing in a system. I'm not a system but like I'm plural? ? sometimes? idk dont ask me any more questions about my own bullshit just apreaceate the fic)

--OH YEA READ THE FIUC HERE NOW NOW DO IT NOW https://archiveofourown.org/works/81617841/chapters/214656371