#LD answers

[asiatic-apple]

hii! can you please do Smut prompt 17 with Syius and Caleb with a fem! reader? thank you :p

Thanks for the request, nonnie! I had someone else also request 17 with sylus. So I’ll be posting the sylus drabble with their ask next. Be on the lookout for it! For now, here’s caleb :)

Reminder: requests are closed

Sign of devotion

Caleb x female reader

Prompt: seeing the love marks they left on their partner later and getting turned on all over again remembering how it got there in the first place

Content: possessive caleb, fingering

The morning sun catches on the faint bruises and bite marks along your neck and collarbone.

Caleb hadn’t meant to leave so many. He was only trying to mouth sweet kisses along your skin, like he always does when you’ve just come apart beneath him.

But then your fingers had tangled in his hair and you sighed his name in that wrecked, breathless voice—and something in him had just snapped. His mouth had latched on without thinking, desperate to taste the way your pulse skipped under his tongue.

And now there they are, stamped on your skin: beautiful marks only he left behind.

He shouldn’t want you again. Not so soon. But desire hits him with humiliating ease, flooding low in his gut as his eyes trace over your body.

You don’t even notice at first, still yawning and rummaging through the dresser for shorts to match the comfy T-shirt you’re wearing. When you catch him watching you in the mirror, gaze locked onto your neck, you finally pause.

Your fingers rise to touch one of the darker hickeys. “I look like I was attacked by a feral animal,” you murmur with an embarrassed chuckle. “Does it look really bad?”

Caleb swallows. His voice is rough when he replies, “It’s perfect.”

Your expression shifts with a flicker of recognition that makes his cock twitch beneath the blanket.

He’s half-hard already from remembering the events that led to so many harsh kisses. The way you begged him not to stop. How you came twice before he even got his pants off. The heat of your thighs around his waist, your voice and body shaking from how good he felt inside you.

Slowly, deliberately, you glide your hand up your torso as you hold his gaze through the mirror. You let your fingers catch the hem of your shirt before dragging it up higher and exposing your soft belly. Caleb’s eyes widen when he sees more bruises, marks, and faint indents from his teeth littered all over your gorgeous curves.

You’re showing him what he did to you. Inviting him to admire it. Begging him to do it again.

His cock throbs painfully in his boxers, and he can’t help but buck his hips up into nothing—as if it could alleviate the ache you make him feel.

“Fuck. Come here, baby,” he whines, not bothering to hide how much you’ve turned him on with something so simple.

You don’t hesitate. You climb back into bed, throwing the blanket to the side and quickly straddling him so you can feel that sexy bulge that’s tempting you from beneath his underwear.

And while you’re busy running your hands along his chest and waist, his mouth returns to that dark mark on your neck. The one on your sensitive spot, where Caleb loves leaving open-mouthed kisses.

“I love seein’ you like this,” he breathes against your skin. “God, you don’t know what it does to me, pips.”

You gasp as his fingers trail between your thighs, making a determined path to your clothed cunt. Even through the cotton of your panties, he can feel how wet you already are.

A low groan catches in his throat. “You like it too,” he whispers. It’s not a question—just a fact—you both know it. “You like when I mark you up all over…when I remind you that you’re mine.”

You nod, whimpering softly as he pulls your underwear to the side and slides two fingers along your entrance before gently pushing inside. The glide is made easy by your slick, and Caleb curls his fingers against that spongy spot inside you with practiced precision. Your body rolls into the touch, helpless to stop yourself from chasing more.

“You’re gonna make me want to leave more of them,” he threatens with a growl. “I want you to feel and see me long after I’m done with you.”

The words make you clench around him, and he chuckles with satisfaction at the feeling. Your body betrays you even if you try to tell him otherwise. And his body does the same, his cock pressing eagerly against your thigh.

He doesn’t rush, no matter how much you claw at him or try to rock your hips at a faster pace. He just watches you, the way your lashes flutter and your body trembles with need.

His own pleasure is irrelevant right now. To Caleb, you’re the only thing in the world worth worshiping. And if he has his way, he’ll spend every day leaving physical reminders of his devotion to you.

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divider by meee (please do not repost) mdni banner by @/cafekitsune

[draftbeerbibi]

imagine mc and zayne get into a petty argument

zayne sees a large charge on his credit card at a grocery store

he goes home and sees that mc built a fortress out of carrots or like barricaded herself in the bedroom behind a wall of carrots

cue disappointed sigh :3c

Anon! Thank you so much for this idea, when I woke up and this was the first thing I read, it literally made me cackle out loud😂 I hope I did your idea justice💕

Fluff, established relationship

For the first time ever, you and your boyfriend had gotten into a fight.

He had gotten home late once again and you had worked overtime for too long. The fight was about nothing really, you knew he had duties as a doctor, like you had duties as a hunter but something inside you had snapped.

Part of you felt really bad, he looked haggard, the weight of his responsibilities pulling on his shoulders, but you felt neglected and wanted revenge. Though needing revenge, the part that felt bad for him gave him enough mercy to not sleep in the guest room but tucked in his arms. But the fight wasn’t over.

Not yet.

He had left for work again, while you had the day off. He had left a sticky note on the counter next to some breakfast.

I’m sorry i’ve been so busy my love, i’ll make it up to you. For now eat, i’ll see you tonight.

You stared at the note, contemplating if it was worth it. But frustration had been building, and you needed to get back at him. And just like that, a devious idea popped into your head. A grin spread across your face as you check your phone.

His card was in your phone wallet, he had given you permission to use it, and you had done so sparingly, never crossing boundaries, and being mindful of his hard work.

But not today.

You grab your keys and coat as you leave for the supermarket, smiling from ear to ear.

~~~

His phone buzzed while working on paperwork again. He pulled it out with a sigh, and his brows raise slightly when he sees a notification of not one, not two, but three supermarket trips. All of the payments were quite large, which was not something he was used to from you.

He shoots you a text, questioning what warranted 3 trips to 3 different supermarkets but before he could get an answer, he was whisked away to another emergency surgery. Seems like he was going to be late again.

~~~

You smile as you admire your handiwork. Carrots were on every surface of your house. The kitchen counter, the dining table, hell, even the chairs and the sofa weren’t spared. Any surface big enough for a carrot, did in fact have a carrot carefully displayed on it.

You may have gone a bit overboard though.

Carrots were on the bed, the bathroom sink. Even the bathtub was filled to the brim with carrots.

After looking around you felt kind of sheepish. You were sure this was going to take so incredibly long to clean up, but you didn’t get time to ponder it over long as you hear keys enter the lock.

You spin around as you make eye contact with your boyfriend.

He smiles as he sees you, but it falters just as fast as his eyes rake over your shared apartment.

He’s locked in place, shock evident on his handsome features. You smile as you see him curl his nose in disgust at the sight in front of him.

He sighs. Deep.

“My love, what is the meaning of this?” His fingers find the bridge of his nose, a clear sign of frustration.

You cross your arms as you huff.

“This is what you get for neglecting me.”

He stares at you in disbelief, and then to your surprise, he huffs out a laugh. He moves to you and embraces you tightly.

“Remind me to never upset you again.”

You chuckle as you wrap your arms around him tightly.

“I’ll write it down for you.”

He chuckles out another soft laugh and nuzzles his face into your neck.

“Please tell me you’ve thought of how to get rid of these carrots.” He mumbles, his breath tickling on your skin.

“I already have recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.” You can barely keep your voice straight as you tease him.

He immediately pulls back, holding you by your shoulders, and at seeing his distraught face you laugh.

“I was kidding you big baby, we can donate them.”

At that he physically deflates, relief washing over him.

“You’re impossible.” He chuckles. You laugh in agreement.

“You know you love me for it.”

And that he does.

[voidsylus]

infold has to be getting sylus branch ready

with chaotic velocity, freefall gambit and this event stories, we are frequently seeing sylus the leader of the n109 zone, the man with the highest bounty, the only one to have ever escaped space prison. this feels like infold is cooking with sylus main branch

don’t get me started on the fact that sylus has continuously brought up joining onychinus and we were adamant on not but this time look at our change in response

something terrible is going to happen to us or a tragedy will befall onto linkon, sylus can sense it’s coming

i feel like this is foreshadowing that we will finally agree to leave the hunter association and join him to finally go all out in finding out the mastermind behind ever and what they plan to do with our aether core

[disciplecat]

i was at relief society when one of the older ladies at church (i’m using this as an excuse for her ignorance) made a comment how if she’s having a faith based conversation and someone mentions that they are anything OTHER than LDS — she simple tunes them out. their opinion is irrelevant to her and she does not care anymore because they are wrong.

as members of the church we are used to being ignored and judged for our faith but there comes a point where we have to acknowledge our own silent judgements when it comes to other people no — matter how minor they are.

in her case it wasn’t minor. if this was an year ago i would’ve stayed quiet and let her continue to spill the same hate, but fortunately i am no longer that 17 year old girl hiding a book of mormon from her parents and i know that my opinions are just as important as someone who has been here longer than i have.

i raised my hand and told her that there are millions of people who do the same to us — and if they were to keep the same attitude as her, to tune out due to difference, then bringing people to christ would be impossible.

i wouldn’t be in that room.

i refuse to believe that my parents are damned just because they worship differently. i refuse to believe that this is the only way and i was just “extremely lucky” because i was able to find it. my mothers prayers sound different when she hums them over me, but they still feel all the same. on easter, i go to church twice because there’s a girl inside me that still does the sign of the cross and hangs a rosary over rear view mirror. religion is so confusing at times, but it only has to make sense to you.

God loves you regardless of what building you walk into, but it’s our job to make sure that people feel comfortable walking into ours — that the seat next to us is full of love.

[americasnutter]

really wanted ransom to have a silly jab at brad for that thing hes growing on his face

[elvis-official]

thoughts on lemon demon

(mod your so fucking cool dude)

Woah mama I'm literally Niel Cicirega that's canon

[athena-xox]

Ok this is something that’s been on my mind for a while but it took me forever to get screenshots

But like … what are these presents?! We see a whole bunch off backgrounders holding these at the start of legacy day

Is it a tradition to give gifts on legacy day? Is that maybe what their ancestral gowns are kept in? I’ve NEVER seen anyone acknowledge these

[sincerely-sofie]

What do you think about Joshua Graham from fallout new Vegas?

I don’t know pretty much anything about him as a character, but there’s some neat references to the history of the Church and our doctrine in his dialogue! Specifically stuff referencing anecdotes from Joseph Smith’s life, like refusing alcohol as a painkiller during surgery, the tarring and feathering of him and other early saints, and also how a good few figures in our history did some less-than pleasant stuff and were excommunicated as a result, but later returned to the Church seeking forgiveness and were rebaptised.

From what I understand of the game— which isn’t much, admittedly— the portrayal of his faith is rooted way more in the Bible than it is in the Book of Mormon, which isn’t necessarily bad representation (we believe in the Bible, after all!), but it’s interesting that there’s little to no reference to the primary book of scripture used in the Church in his dialogue. I think that it’s a deliberate writing choice for his character, because the Book of Mormon really emphasizes the consequences of succumbing to anger and seeking vengeance, which seems like a central theme in his story? Cool beans.

[gay-mormon-wizard]

it's our fifth sunday discussion and they had us fill out a ministering survey and I the questions field I wrote "are transgender members still allowed to minister since they're no longer allowed to hold teaching callings?" and I just learned that they're reading out and answering the questions. fuck

[wandasaura]

Wanda and Nat are both such sweet and gentle souls with R, so I'm wondering how a fight would go down. All 3 of them during an argument and the aftermath of it all

˚⋆。°౨ৎ wandanat and dove don’t fight often, they’re usually really good with communication and patience, but they do get into it like any other couple. most times it’s dove that's stuck in the middle as the two avengers go toe to toe, but sometimes, she finds herself in the center of the problem. their spats are usually resolved pretty quickly though, they’re too soft to stay mad for long. ౨ৎ °。⋆˚

warning(s) — alludes to elements of ageplay/discussion of headspace although brief and non-descriptive, mentions of pietros death and canon events, primarily fluff tbh (i got carried away)

The air was thick as you stood red-faced in the doorway of Wanda’s office, flustered and overwhelmed as she trailed behind you, arms crossed over her chest, not willing to drop the topic despite your pleas. Poor Natasha was caught in the crossfire of your argument, looking between the both of you with a pitied understanding. Tension had been rising for days, all three of you had felt it, but the coil had finally snapped when Wanda made a passive aggressive comment about your recent comings and goings.

“Wanda!” You pulled at your hair, eyes brimming with tears that were both angry and hurt. You’d seen her like this a few times, but her anger had never been directed toward you. Now, her venomous words sunk into your skin as she seethed and ranted on and on about your absence and ill-mood. You couldn’t help the long hours you spent held up in the library. You couldn’t help that when you finally did return home, you were drained and too exhausted to maintain a proper conversation, just wanting to sleep. Your dissertation was due in only a matter of weeks, and you’d spent months slacking off in favor of spending time with her and Natasha. That wasn’t their fault, you’d never blame them for the choices you made, but there wasn’t any more time for games as your deadline approached, but she hadn’t seen it that way. “I’m here now!” You nearly stamped your foot, words caught in your throat as you tried to disarm your loaded girlfriend. Your limbs felt like jelly at your sides, nerves filled with static energy as you attempted to break through to her.

“Wands,” Natasha tried to interject for the second time, worry etched across her features as she watched you spiral further down into yourself as the argument dragged on, only a shell of the woman she loved. Confrontation was not your thing, both of them knew that, but Wanda had become so blinded by her own trauma, she didn’t realize what she was saying, or who she was saying it too. All she felt was that same twinge of abandonment she’d experienced on Sokovia when Pietro drew his last breath. All she recognized was that once again, somebody she loved was pulling away.

“Don’t.” Wanda flinched away from Natasha’s touch, her eyes slitted into daggers. She wasn’t seeing you, not really anyways. She was seeing red, and when she got to this point, so caught up in her head that all she saw was tendrils of chaos magic and flashes of red, it was best to just let her calm down on her own terms. “Don’t touch me.” She put distance between herself and Natasha’s soft body with a raised palm, shuddering violently as her emotions worked on her patience and outer reserve. You never liked seeing her like this, but you especially didn’t like being the cause.

On the few occasions that you’d witnessed this side of her, it was usually some moron at work that wound her up to this point, but now it was you, and you felt sick to your stomach watching her break. Standing in the doorframe of her office, your laptop still open on her desk and illuminating the otherwise dark room, you watched helplessly as she walked away, muttering beneath her breath that she was going to bed. Your heart sank to your feet as you watched the guest bedroom door swing close, flinching into yourself when the harsh slam ricocheted off the walls and bounced off of your skin.

“I just-” You looked at Natasha helplessly, not knowing what words to say to get her to understand. You didn’t have to say anything though, Natasha knew. Sadly, she closed the space between your lonely bodies, letting you fall into her chest when she was in arms distance. Your sobs broke her heart, but there was only so much she could do to ease the pain you were feeling. It was Wanda that you needed, Wanda that you wanted, but the other half of your heart was locked away and isolated all because you failed to better prioritize your work.

“I know, milaya devushka.” One hand held your waist while the other cradled the back of your head as she let you weep into her shoulder and dampen her tank top. “She just needs some time.”

A crestfallen wail rattles your chest, pleading eyes searching Natasha’s face for any indication that this isn’t real. You’ve never fought like this before, and you didn’t like the way it felt in your belly as you thought about the empty space that would take up your bed tonight. “She’s mad at me.”

“She’s not mad.” Natasha shook her head, letting go of your head so that she could grasp your chin in her calloused hand, keeping your eyes locked on hers instead of letting you hide away again. “She’s scared. You’ve spent the last few months attached to her hip, dorogoy. I know that you’ve been putting off your assignment, she knows that you’ve been putting off your assignments, but right now, I think she’s confusing your absence with abandonment. She’s not used to you being gone, just like you weren’t used to her having to work long hours in the office. She just needs to adjust, she’ll realize eventually.”

“She was mean.” You admit, tears soaking your cheeks as you rest against Natasha’s palm. She hates seeing you so beat up over this, hates knowing your delicate heart has been through the ringer at the expense of someone you love the most, but all she can do is be there for you and hope that everything falls back into place. Couples fight, especially ones in your situation, but she also knows that Wanda’s more than just a girlfriend at the end of the day. She’s the one you confide in first, the one you seek out when you want someone to understand you without having to explain anything, she’s your Mommy, and the balance of your relationship will never be as simple as just romantic lovers with a history of traumatic events.

“I know she was mean, baby. You just have to give her some grace right now.” You nod weakly, letting Natasha led you into the dark bedroom that lacks Wanda’s presence, sinking into the mattress with limbs as heavy as your heart, hoping that tomorrow is a better day.

˚₊‧‎ ౨ৎ ‧₊˚

Morning came before your body was willing to accept the kiss of sunlight against exposed skin, but truthfully it wasn’t the approaching dawn that woke you, it was the sensation of a body sinking into bed. With your head on Natasha’s chest, you knew it wasn’t the assassin that slipped in next to you, so it must’ve been Wanda. Her side of the bed had been left untouched, cold and empty as you occupied as little space as was physically possible. Her absence weighed on your heart even in your dreams, but the warmth of an additional arm slinking over your waist lightened that pain the slightest bit.

“I know you’re awake.” She whispered, her voice hoarse and gravely like it was every morning. Despite the hurt that gnawed at your belly for hours until sleep eventually took over, you sank into her embrace without hesitance, twisting around beneath the heavy blankets until your head was resting on the satin pillowcase and your eyes were locked with hers. She tried to smile, but all she managed was a weak grimace that broke your heart. She hadn’t slept a wink, bloodshot eyes and sunken in features all the evidence you needed to make that conclusion. “I’m sorry.” She admitted into the quiet of your bedroom, sniffling when the onset of tears made it difficult to keep her words even.

“I know I’ve been gone a lot recently, and I know I haven’t prioritized a lot of time for us to Wanda and Y/N, but I didn’t realize it would hurt you this much.” You whispered back, not giving her the chance to dwell on the mistakes of last night. Nothing could change what had happened, but you were willing to move on from it if she was. You missed her, you had missed her before she chose to sleep alone, but now that longing had been amplified.

“You’ve been fighting your headspace. I didn’t realize how much I would miss those little moments until you took them away, and I let myself think the worst. I’m so proud of your work, moya lyubov, I just miss us.” She leaned in to kiss your nose, laying her forehead against yours as your legs tangled together beneath the thick comforter, weeks of separation finally coming to an end.

“I miss us too.” You sighed, more than content with this simple moment, even if it lacked Natasha’s sarcastic wit. The widow was awake, both you and Wanda knew that, but you were thankful she chose to keep her mouth shut as you finally confronted each other with feelings you’d been pushing away. “Promise we’ll never do that again? I hated it.”

“Never again.” Wanda promised, “That was the worst nights sleep of my life.”

A groan interrupted your sweet moment, the redhead on your otherside finally having enough of her chosen silence. “You guys are cute, but some of us are trying to sleep.”

A giggle tumbled past your lips when Wanda rolled her eyes, red tendrils of chaos magic ambushing Natasha square in the face like the sensation of a fluffy pillow. Your laughter only amplified when the fit redhead twisted her body on top of yours, slim fingers digging into your ribcage as you wriggled and squirmed beneath her.

milaya devushka — sweet girl / moya lyubov — my love

[i-cloudyink-i]

Wow a new intro post! Isn’t that awesome and cool

Ermmm haiiiii ^_^ the name’s Cloudy Inkhart, you can also call me Andrea/Andy. I’m your local parrot girlboything freak it’s nice to meet you all

Go batshit and use all the pronouns ever and while I do have a small preference for He/She I prefer if you get fluid with it tbh….collect my labels and other words I use or something

AuDHD (with a touch[a lot] of anxiety) + 🇪🇬 + TME

I enjoy things such as:

Music - Nuclear Bubble Wrap, JennySYS, Bôa, Mother Mother, Plesantries, ARTHUR, hemlocke springs, and a lot more but we’d be here forever

Films/Shows/Etc. - The Substance, Don’t Feed The Muse, Inanimate Insanity (I don’t watch many shows I’ll be real)

Books - The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Dogman, InvestiGators, Raina Telegeimer, A Series Of Unfortunate Events, and others that I might’ve forgotten

Other things include drawing, writing, playing the keyboard, being annoying, the horror genre, parallels in stories #themes, and me and my friends’ OCs ooooooo OCs I love OCs mwehehehehehehehheheheheh

No specific DNI just like. Yknow. People with weird beliefs and are freaks in the bad way. Even if you do interact I have this button called the block button it’s very cool

Tag guide under cut:

#cloudy gets posting - I just talk + post doodles maybe lol

#cloudy arts it out - I draw arts here not including doodles ^_^ yay ^_^ I use this tag a lot

#cloudy moves art - My animationsssss

#cloudy writes it out - My writing which I NEVER POSTED IN THIS TAG……YET

#cloudy answers - I answer asks (awesome)

I also will have story and OC tags too……speaking of which: Go my links

[alliluyevas]

unpopular opinion about mormon theology

I genuinely find the LDS interpretation of the story of Adam and Eve really compelling. As laid out in 2 Nephi 2:

I think the suggestion that God wants us to have free will and on some level within the framing of Eden we were supposed to choose the fruit is very powerful, and I also like the concept that you can't fully have joy without unhappiness or good without sin. Obviously a huge amount of theological struggle has happened over the question of the problem of evil and how God can be both all-powerful and benevolent. I think explaining that some power is left for us to make our own choices and that the universe needs some balance doesn't fully answer those questions but it's a start! I also think the last line in the passage I screenshot is just genuinely really powerful. Rare Book of Mormon W.

[lotsofsq]

Hello! I was wondering if you could go into detail about why you like SQ and Dr. Curtain so much (Both book and Show versions) I’m just curious why those characters specifically are your favs lol

first of all. i love you so much you’re like an angel.

second of all this is gonna be LONG. so buckle your seatbelt!! im gonna break it up into book and show

Book

SQ (before book 3)

so the funny thing is as a kid when i read the books reynie was my favorite! so i expected to have the same experience when i read it last year, but the funny thing is when i initially read it i didn’t even really register SQ as a character (or anyone other than the core four) so when i read it he felt completely new. what really did me in was when i was on his wiki and spotted “motivation: Love” as one of the section headers, learning preemptively about the brain sweeping, and went WAIT WAIT HOLD ON., and was immediately sent spiraling in a good way. 

often times my favorite part of a character has to do with an interesting relationship they have, and how they navigate that, in this case SQ’s relationship with Mr Curtain. knowing that SQ was brain swept ahead of time allowed me to pick apart how that effects his actions on my first read through, where as most people would have done that after already having their first impression of the scenes.

so i definitely think that’s a big reason i got so invested in his character, the idea of being psychologically changed to meet the whims of another has always been something i’m interested in, and SQ and Mr curtain have a really interesting dynamic on this.

i’m going to talk about how i felt after The Sorting Out in my second SQ and Mr Curtain segments because that’s what made me like like him as something other than an accessory for SQ’s character

but what we see in the first two books and the majority of the third is SQ getting special treatment, but not being treated particularly kindly, which i’m obsessed with. he is allowed to be bad at his job generally without punishment and is given privileges, like questioning Mr Curtain and (assumedly) going back to get him after he gets left behind. basically this implies that mr curtain has some kind of reason to want him around that is different than the other people he employs.

so i’m getting all this mess, and he is portrayed in book one as almost entirely empty headed. just dumb as a rock. but his note (the OVER, LOSE one) is actually pretty clever especially since he clearly understands he has memory issues and he has a very interesting habit of actually lying to cover up his word mistakes, i can’t think of a time he admits he messed the words up, he just says “that too” or “that’s what i said” and i think it’s fascinating.

another thing that was a stand out for me was his real loud genuine anger at being tricked! he wasn’t understanding until later he was pissed! they took advantage of him! they validated what mr curtain had said about them! i really like this because in a lesser story he would have been understanding right away or not have understood what happened. but he knew almost immediately after coming to from the hypnosis (side note: HYPNOSIS!?!?? AND IT JUST NEVER COMES UP AGAIN?? WHY ISNT THERE MORE STUFF TALKING ABOUT THIS???)

all these things have really interesting implications and looks into his world. here’s a couple other things that have interesting implications:

-“but Mr. Curtain was long used to the workings of S.Q.'s mind. In fact, S.Q. had asked this question before, more than once, but had forgotten.” so we all agree he swept the other times right? right??

-stated by mr curtain: for him, grisly details are the most memorable. what do you mean by that???

-SQ being said to have a very neat uniform, i like this detail because it’s juxtaposes his clumsiness.

-he used some of the truth serum he was told not to touch to give him assurance he could trust mr benedict leading up to the hypnotism

all this together got me invested in him and interested in him and mr curtain

SQ (during book 3)

so during this book there are a few things that really influenced my design of him especially and how i view his relationship with mr curtain and how i think he was affected by the brainsweepings

design wise, in this book there a one-off line where kate says the filled out, which caused me to start drawing him buffer, i had already stopped drawing him partially scrawny for his height so that line just put the nail in the coffin. during reading this book i had decided it would be funny if mr curtain was shorter than sq (but not by that much) but then in the end of the book there are a contrast of how they got into the salamander (mr curtain standing on his chair, sq just jumping in) i decided to exaggerate their height difference.

this book is a land mine of Curtain caring about sq poorly, i actually didn’t believe reynie when he first said mr curtain loved SQ. they also reveal in this book that mr curtain uses the whisperer as a treat for good executives because of its euphoric affects so that’s. insane. not to mention sq gets more of these treats than anyone. and i’m supposed to just be normal about that?

anyway. this book also has one of the only things i actively ignore in the books which is SQ seeing mr curtain as a father figure. i don’t care, i dont like it, it can be fun to use as an idea but i don’t like it as a confirmed thing especially not the inverse that mr curtain sees SQ as a Son :/ i much prefer them as undefinable the idea that no words would really accurately describe how they view eachother. that’s his pet human boy ok? leave me alone.

moving on, in this book we see mr curtain get snappy with mccracken when he suggests sq is a poor choice in assistant (he is) and of course the famous chapter The Sorting Out. it has many amazing moments not just the final moment but that is the most vital one to (i think) understanding them and seeing their relationship in a semi positive light which i’ve drawn pretty often.

im mostly going to talk about how sq acts here because this is his segment.

after finding out mr curtain has been brainsweeping him SQ shows no ill will whatsoever. he refuses to continue helping mr curtain with his evils but he immediately offers to help Mr curtain escape. he cares deeply about mr curtain and he’s also clearly been ruminating on the betrayal of mr benedict and his friends. when mr benedict tells mr curtain his options sq listens for him, and when Mr curtain starts to escape SQ shows a level of speed and agility we don’t see from him before, i like to think that it’s a combination of clarity in knowing about the brain sweeping and adrenaline.

when the crane is struck and the beam begins to fall he doesn’t hesitate to jump in the cab to hold the lever, when he starts to struggle and mr curtain switches with him he doesn’t do what mr curtain asks which is to get out of the way. instead he pulls the salamander as close as possible in hopes to save him. when mr curtain decides to drop the beam on himself sq is able to anticipate this very quickly and has enough strength to not only “seize” mr curtain but also pull him underneath the salamander in time.

the scene where they are clinging to eachother is so so important to me, neither would let go they had to be removed together, and sq doesn’t let go of mr curtain as he yells. also an interesting choice is in this scene SQ is referred to as a man, not a boy or another descriptor. i think this is important but i’m not sure i can articulate it.

all in all SQ’s story has a lot of things to explore and is very compelling to me, there is a lot of potential for his relationships with other characters in his unique position of being on the bad side for all books but being a friend to the main characters aswell.

i have a great deal of affection towards him and i also had what i can only describe as an Episode about him last year where i was having trouble thinking about anything else to the point that it affected my school work lmao. in any case he encompasses so much to me, and i feel like i can get so much back from him when i think about him, it’s a lovely thing.

Mr Curtain

so the thing about mr curtain is. he’s a horrible man who decided to brainwash the entire world, hire thugs to kidnap children, raise loyal underlinings to infiltrate government bodies and kidnap and wipe the memories of countless people. hes cruel and hateful and manipulative.

he’s also an orphan, disabled, and he was probably raised in the same way mr benedict was (well get into that later) and these things all affect him and his character but don’t take away from the fact he is a scary villain who in the end gets what is coming to him (jail time) but also is not denied help and compassion.

he’s also funny. the best thing a character in any story can be is fun to see in the story. it doesn’t matter how nice a character is if they are painful to watch or read, mr curtain is, above all else, fantastic to read about.

mr curtain’s character really became interesting to me AFTER the sorting out. i liked him before, but more as who he could be to SQ not as his own person. after becoming attached to him i do look back on some of what he does in a different light or just with more interest. i do have a few thoughts before i get into his part in The Sorting Out.

he IS disabled and DOES need his wheelchair. he’s not faking that, what he’s faking is WHY he needs his wheelchair. it bothers me when people say that he was faking needing to have a wheelchair. he might not need it to walk but he certainly needs it in his daily life, since he also has narcolepsy and could collapse at any moment and has nobody in his life to catch him. (i know i don’t always draw him in it but that more because my SQ is so massive his head is at SQ’s stomach when he’s sitting. most of my solos of him are in his chair.)

the books do a much better job than the show actually incorporating the twins narcolepsy into their characters and into the events of the story. in the show the narcolepsy is almost an afterthought or backstory.

now. The Sorting Out.

when he is put in a position where his life work is rendered useless he runs, sq follows. he asks sq “you really want to help me?” he says it before a snappish remark but i do think he’s genuinely wondering.

after he takes up position in the cab of the crane, he is defeated he has nothing left for him he can’t do what he set out to do and when sq looked at him and he is “Gazing at S.Q., who was gazing back with a helpless, concerned expression that Mr. Curtain had never seen from anyone, at least not directed toward him,” and isn’t that heartbreaking this moment before he decides to basically kill himself is the first time he’s ever had this concerned expression pointed at him, but he’s seen it towards others.

he drops the lever the beam falls and SQ saves him. after this MR CURTAIN CLINGS. CLINGS DESPERATELY TO SQ!!!! the emotion of that is insane and they do use the word cling. but what i think is often overlooked is what comes immediately afterwards.

His words were venomous, and his face was twisted with despair, and in his eyes is a twinkle of hope. what does this mean?

now of course the words is obvious: he’s viciously insulting SQ for being stupid enough to try and save him and, i think, for nearly getting himself killed.

his eyes? i think the hope is him realizing he has someone who believes in him and loves him unconditionally. it’s an interesting thought since typically it’s much healthier for a younger person to receive this kind of care from someone older, but mr curtain is an orphan with no family and probably no friends, he never had Mr Benedict’s experience as a child of being taken care of by one righteous individual, Mr Harinton, opening his heart to the cruel world.

that’s what SQ is to him, years to late and much too young for him to be able to have the same effect on him. mr benedict was introduced to a warmth by someone more powerful than him, mr curtain was introduced to this same warmth by an individual he had power over himself, which is part of why i think he eventually took almost totally monopoly over SQs life and mind, he couldn’t bear to lose it.

(this is one of the reasons it’s healthier for the one who’s love is unconditional to be the one who can influence the other’s life and not the other way around.)

but the middle point i don’t know if i’ve heard anyone talk about: his face twisted with despair. why? i think this is because he knows he going in prison, he knows he deserves to be there for a very long time and he JUST REALIZED what love feels like.

it breaks my heart a little bit that he is not just in a prison but in a glass cage, he can’t touch them like you would be able to with bars, there’s no door in, the visitor area is outside his little room. so unlike a traditional cell. he won’t be getting another hug any time soon. :( there’s a chance that was his first and last hug ever.

after finishing book 3 i immediately read book 4 in which mr curtain has matching pajamas and slippers a nightlight and an early bedtime. that was too cute for me i mean come on. that paired with the fact that in a book it’s stated that SQ has special permissions to go into the high security prison just so he can see Mr. Curtain. omg sir

book 4 made me shrink him from cuteness aggression and grow SQ, who was uncomfortable in clown shoes, how big is that boy oh my lord. (yes i know he has proportionally huge feet but still)

at this point i stated coming up with several AUs for how they could be together after book 3, but with SQ having more power over the situation, such as the both in prison au (sq is better respected) or the house arrest au (sq is allowed to leave and touch electronics and whatnot) i really enjoy when a younger person takes care of an older person just because i think it’s interesting so i wanted to sorta explore that.

now there’s probably more i could talk about with these two but i think this is almost all of the major things that make me so interested in them in the first place. let’s move on!!

The Show (and SOS)

this one i’m going to split up a little differently, starting with stuff i liked from just the show, to reading fics specifically SOS and how that changed my perspective of the character and made me like them way more

Show

when i first watch the show i liked Nicholas the most, so i didn’t pay a lot of attention to nathaniel outside of him, but that being said i always found his inability to let anything go ever absolutely incredible. Nathaniel is a character i really enjoy because he’s an antagonist but also a massive loser. in the scene where nicholas gets picked by the parents over him, immediately beforehand he says oh yeah it’s totally cool if you only pick one of us. then it wasn’t him that’s so funny i’m sorry.

in season two he starts calling Nicholas Nicky again like he did in the flashback and i was painfully endeared by this, and by the just oddity he embodies in every single situation. the way he takes the time to pick the perfect hat to have people buy, the way he ominously says “not after tomorrow” when Shepard says he doesn’t have to listen to other people’s opinions. it’s just so funny.

the way he is obsessively trying to find a child spy sent by his estranged brother and is convinced reynie couldn’t possibly just be SQ’s friend. AND HES RIGHT!!! on both accounts he’s completely correct. but he looks like a loon because he’s being so weird about it, making little statues and stuff but also being so affronted when other people are weird, like the scene where garrison says she doesn’t really agree and he asks if she’s talking to her lawyer, and when reynie says he’s a good person and he’s like ‘uh yeah i know obviously’ and basically every conversation with jeffers.

i like that he just has serious issues. peak.

now in Shepard’s case i like him cuz he’s so. not normal but also the most normal of all of them. he’s an introverted art kid who’s never had a real friend before. has presumably never really had school in a group setting or at least doesn’t anymore, given that he’s normally drawing during school hours when we see him and is the son of the school headmaster. he’s got this melancholy air about him.

but he’s also the rational explanation to nathaniel’s jumping to conclusions. why get a haircut so late at night? why worry about other’s opinions you can’t change? what do you MEAN my dad has been erasing peoples memories that would be insane, how would you even do that? why can’t i bring a friend to the forest i’ll be with him the whole time what could he possibly do? he’s like 12?

it’s just really entertaining to see him make perfectly logical statements and be completely wrong because his life is a TV show.

Fics

the two fics that affected how i view these two the most are of course SOS (and subsequent sequels) and “Unmasked” by thegreatkatewritingmachine.

Unmasked

i’m going to start with this because it’s much shorter. basically this fic is about both SQ and Nathaniel’s perspectives of how Nathaniel’s wall’s come down when he’s tired. (there is also a third chapter where Nicholas takes care of SQ but I don’t think about that that much oops) specifically this manifest as him being physically affectionate when he’s overworked where as normally he’s very particular about what is and isn’t appropriate and polite.

this fic for me opened up a whole flood of ideas because as you know if you’ve looked at my art i’m a big fan of physical affection and especially sleeping in the same bed/cuddling it was like my favorite things to draw in writing form. i also really enjoyed the fact we got both perspectives, in the fic SQ is very guilty for “taking advantage” of his dad’s tiredness to get affection, and feels guilty for enjoying when his dad isn’t doing well. then in tired nathaniel’s pov the whole time he’s basically thinking “i love my son i miss my son my boy zzzzzzzzzz”

i just love that he clearly acts and thinks differently when he’s more awake but that that’s his base feelings. i think it’s sweet and it made me think a lot about how parents sometimes do what they think is best for their child, or are very uptight and that affects their parenting, and a parent can love their child and still have a lot to fix with parenting style.

i really like this interpretation of nathaniel as a bad parent who loves his son because i feel like it’s more interesting. plus it encourages that he could change and has motivation to be better. in the show to me it’s pretty clear he cares about sq, he does lots of activities with him, he has a spot for him in his office and when asked about his job he doesn’t really blow up at sq he (loudly) tells him to leave. and that’s more than book curtain can say.

especially after season 2, i like to think that he has all these things he’s trying to protect Sq from and after making up with nicholas he realizes how wrong he was about people and the world, and apologizes to SQ says he thought he was helping was preparing him but really he was hurting him and he’s sorry.

the idea of a patient and logical son and his emotionally stunted and irrational dad who is working on it is just so delightful to me i can’t really explain it.

SOS

so the thing that has made me love these two, individually and together, the most is definitely SOS it’s one of the most amazing fics i’ve ever read and if you’re craving Show content you never got, i recommend it wholeheartedly. (it’s by @nobodysdaydreams i gotta plug it every time it’s the rules (my rules))

because i want more people to read it i’m going to mention this segment will go over some broader plot points in the story without going into many specifics, i won’t spoil anything major, i’m mostly just talking about the newly explored reasons for canon events

the beginning of SOS is a flashback to Nathaniel in College becoming friends with dr garrison milligan and SQ’s bio dad that’s sorta the main jumping off point of the additions bods makes to the story. then the story goes through from that point until present time aka a little after the end of season 2.

nathaniel taking care of SQ as a little kid especially a baby was really special to me because in sos the reason why he adopted SQ after his parents died is because he doesn’t want him to go to a place that uses old fashioned discipline, because that is something he had experienced.

THIS IS HUGE TO ME because not only did this make me immediately start thinking of what nathaniel could have been experiencing in the orphanages but also the idea that he was making a lot of his decisions trying to make sure SQ didn’t experience his specific bad childhood but taking it too far sometimes.

this scene also had one other effect on me: i had vivid dreams of the POV of nathaniel taking care of baby SQ for like a WEEK. it was insane i would wake up feeling gutted (it wasn’t a bad experience just very emotional) and i definitely think that that has increased my care about them, i still tear up if i think about it too hard. that’s his baby baby baby

in sos the explanation for SQ being gone is he goes to college and it’s interesting to see how much being coddled and overprotected has effected him

it is a reoccurring topic that Nathaniel is a big liar for various different reasons weather that be because of his narcolepsy (trigger by vulnerability, the truth can leave you vulnerable) or his past, or other things it’s an important part of his story that these secrets get revealed by him or others at various points in the story and i enjoyed how bods handled this a lot and how SQ reacted both to the secrets themselves and the state they left his dad in.

in SOS Shepard is very sensitive to nathaniel’s moods and thoughts, as children often are of their parents, and i like the way this is done. there are other things i’m not gonna get into but their relationship in this fic definitely effects how i portray them and how i think about them a lot.

i also find myself projecting very heavily onto them and have found myself helped from their experiences, nathaniel reminds me of myself in a lot of ways: i have a child in my life (sister) that i sometimes cannot be completely understanding with because of my own issues (overstimulation, issues with being watched, etc) and i was in a spot for a while where i would hide things to spare others feelings but this often backfired of course because that’s not how things work well. so i relate to him. sq is more of a projection of being an artist and feeling weird and different as well as having a complicated relationship with a parent. they are very good vessels

Final Thoughts

these four all characters who are well suited to the kinds of events relationships and experiences i like to think about and explore in my work and in my mind.

there’s a million small moments that affect how i interpret characters when i read or watch things, a single fanfic or one conversation with a friend can completely change how i see a character or what i do with them!

if you’ve gotten all the way to the end here then i hope you enjoyed this and feel free to tell me anything in particular you found interesting or funny or just that you had a good time

thank you klyde for giving me this ask and feel free to keep asking me things like this, i also have a much shorter mccracken one somewhere

[nobodysdaydreams]

🍬 unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character 

I’ve talked about some other characters before, but here’s one I think you’ll appreciate.

Show!Nathaniel is a problematic and emotionally abusive parent, but he does show a genuine love for SQ that the show made a point to emphasize and Curtain was likely not as terribly and cruelly abusive (at least physically and in terms of psychological torture) as some suggest he would be. Was he very emotionally abusive with the “you don’t have friends thing?” Yes. Do I think he was beating his son every night and starving him? No. Do I think he genuinely cared about his son and had strong (yet suppressed) feelings of love and affection for his son and possibly his birth parents (along with a good amount of guilt)? Yes. I go on a rant here, but one of my favorite things that I clocked immediately while watching the show was how SQ was willing to talk back to Curtain (called him out for thinking Reynie was using him and threw the “you have no friends” line back in his face, lied to his face, and asked him about the antennas and refused to back down on his question when challenged by his dad). Book SQ would never have dared talk back to Curtain so aggressively. He might have done it on accident, but he certainly would have never doubled down the way Show SQ did. Why? Because even though Show SQ might bitterly think to himself “my dad doesn’t care” and Book SQ might tell himself over and over “Mr. Curtain does care” the fact that one of them feels comfortable and safe intentionally and confrontationally talking back to their dad/Curtain and the other doesn’t reveals the difference in how much these two flawed men actually care about their respective SQ’s. Also Curtain’s response to SQ’s back talk. He doesn’t yell, he doesn’t brainsweep (on camera, or at least, if doesn’t look like an appeal idea to him), and he mostly seems focused on not passing out in from of his son. Book Curtain wouldn’t have hesitated to punish Book SQ for his disrespect in some fashion whether it be the waiting room, brainsweeping, scolding him in front of the ten men and other executives, or going on a tirade before passing out.

[thebladesmithmuses]

*gives Duck a rubber ducky keychain. and it even squeaks ! *