#but how surface level it is because here she is ASKING him to kill her father if there's no other option and she's too compromised to do so

[pagesfromthevoid]

Ya'aburnee | r. r.

Robert "Bob" Reynolds x Avenger!witch!reader

And I never got to tell you how I love the way my eyes make yours look green too

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings: Witchcraft

Author's Note: I combined @domoron's request with an idea I had so I hope you don't mind my dude. Also, there will probably be a part two (but this is NOT a series lol)

Talk to Me! | AO3

“This place has really gone to shit, huh?”

Bucky just sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose, as she stands in the foyer of the common space. Yelena has her feet kicked up on the table, eyes drifting up from her tablet. Walker was passing through, but has stopped mid-step as Ava cocks her head to the side like she’s trying to understand. The only people who don’t seem to be mildly annoyed by her presence are Alexei, who is just barely containing his excitement, and Bob, who is looking between her and Bucky like he’s seeing two celebrities at once.

She shifts her weight onto one leg, crossing her arms over her chest as she takes in the motley crew before her. The New Avengers. The group that’s supposed to replace her and her friends and defend earth from whatever is thrown at them –and they all look like they haven’t slept properly in their entire life. 

There’s a file on every single one of them –and she’s read each one several times over. She’s known Bucky for several years now –went to war for him, even. The others she’s heard of in passing –Yelena and Alexei from Natasha; Walker from Sam. The other two –Ava, Bob –she doesn’t know outside of news reports and files. And even then, Bob’s file is the newest.

Hard to believe the guy sitting in the corner is some all powerful being who put New York into a blackout. But who is she to judge?

“Are you here to be helpful, or are you here to be an asshole?” Bucky asks, standing up finally. Four strides and he’s standing in front of her.

“I can do both,” she points out, uncrossing her arms and putting her hands on her hips. “But I’m sure that’s not what you want, is it?”

“I called you for a reason, Hex,” he reminds her, shaking his head. His voice is lower now, like he’s trying to keep the rest of his team from hearing. “You…you know what a team is able to do. We are not the Avengers. We’re not a team; we’re a time bomb.”

“You know,” she interrupts, but she’s softened some around the edges. “Dr. Banner said the exact same thing.”

*****

It’s hard to admit, but the New Avengers —this ragtag team of assholes —are a better team than the Avengers ever were. Not in the sense of power —no, but in the sense of camaraderie. They actually seem to care about one another; not just passing friends or colleagues. 

Yeah, the Avengers cared about each other. But not like this. Not like an actual family. 

It is a hard thing to realize; to accept that, while maybe her team was efficient and good at their jobs, they were only friends because they had to be. Sure, there were closer friendships separately —Nat and Clint, who had history already. She and Steve became close after Bucky almost killed them both years ago. But the Avengers were surface level friends.

Which is totally okay, at the end of the day. 

They did their jobs. They saved the universe. Then…they moved on. 

But the New Avengers…they care about each other. In a weird, almost sibling-like way. There’s a lot of arguing; a lot of yelling. But they frequently eat dinner together, at a table. Even when they're battered and bloody, they will sit down and eat whatever they manage to find. But together. 

The first time she’s invited to join “family time,” as Alexei calls it, she’s confused. He ushers her to the table and sits her down beside Bob, insisting that she has to join. No one else has joined yet, and Bob says they’re all usually late. 

“What’s going on? Mission briefing?” She asks, leaning over closer to Bob to whisper. 

He looks down at her, confused himself. “Oh, uh —we’re having dinner. It’s Walker’s turn to cook this week.”

“You…eat dinner together?” She pushes, and Bob seems like he’s enjoying that she’s confused. Maybe because he finally has something he can explain to her instead of the other way around. 

“Alexei makes us all eat together,” he explains, biting at his nails. “I…I like it. It feels nice, like for an hour we get to pretend we’re normal.”

“You do this every night?” 

He nods some, though he looks like he’s considering the answer. “Most nights, at least. Depends on what they’re doing, or if they’re here. Sometimes I don’t join, for uh…you know, reasons.”

She knows what he means. Even if she hadn’t read his file, she would be able to tell that Bob struggles with a lot. 

“I understand,” she offers, putting a hand on his arm. He flinches, and she pulls back almost immediately. But when he opens his eyes, he seems confused. “Are you okay?”

“Are…are you? You didn’t —did you see anything?”

“I saw you flinch, Bob —that’s all I saw.”

There’s almost immediate relief in his eyes, and the tension in his shoulders drops as he leans back in his chair. She’s about to ask him another question when the rest of the team find their way to the table and sit. 

Then it’s like she’s always been a part of the team. 

Maybe that’s the day they all just decided that she’s a New Avenger and an Avenger. Because after that dinner, she doesn’t leave. Her things have found their way to a room across from Bob’s and next to Yelena. She trains and spars and argues with everyone. 

The only thing she doesn’t do is go on missions. Mostly because Valentina insists she is not part of the team —but she’s also pretty sure Valentina thinks it’s bad for optics somehow. Of course, she doesn’t mind not going on missions. She stays back in the command center, manning the comms and computers. Bob often joins her, and she helps him learn how to operate the tools here. 

“This is…good. I get this,” he says one day, looking over a map with moving dots —the team —on it. “I’m able to help finally without…you know, getting in the way.”

“I doubt you’re in the way,” she reassures, sliding her chair over towards him, reaching across him to hit a button on the screen to send coordinates. “But I’m glad you enjoy learning.”

He hums a bit as she reaches across him. She notes how warm he is, even at a distance. 

“The target is about five miles ahead,” she reminds the team, pulling back but still next to him. Her eyes are on his screen. “There’s eight armored vehicles but there’s no one manning them.”

Bob is biting at his nails again, something she’s noticed he does a lot when he’s restless, and she instinctively reaches over to stop him. Gently, without even thinking about what she’s doing, she pulls his hand away and just holds it while she punches in the next set of coordinates. The only reason she realizes what she’s done is because Bob, instead of pulling away, squeezes her hand. That’s when she looks between their hands and him, and he gives her a timid smile. She returns the smile and the gesture, squeezing his hand back before Bucky is asking for her to map out an exit route. 

There’s a sigh of relief when they get out –back on the jet, back in the air. She shuts the comms off and leans back, staring at the screen for a moment. Then she turns to Bob.

“Wanna grab something to eat?”

He hesitates, like he thinks she’s talking to someone else, but then he nods. “Uh yeah –we can make something –,”

“I meant, like –do you want to go out and get something,” she corrects, standing up and stretching. “They won’t be back until close to two in the morning so we have some time to kill.”

Bob visibly blanches and she frowns some as he slowly stands. “I don’t…I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I haven’t really, you know, left the Tower since everything happened with…with him.”

“I trust you,” she promises, holding her hand out to him.

“I don’t,” he admits, but he takes her hand cautiously. “Can we…can we just pick up something and bring it back?”

It’s a step, she thinks. 

When they return to the Tower with two bags of Thai food (Bob insisted on getting everyone something, even if they had to reheat it), they sit on the floor in front of the window and eat in comfortable silence. She tries to think about the last time she’s just sat with someone like this, and it hurts to realize it’s been too long. Before the Avengers destroyed Sokkovia –god, more than ten years. When her grandmother was still alive and blessing the apartment with incense and cinnamon. Then she thinks about the last time she practiced properly, and that hurts just as much.

“I uh,” Bob suddenly says, looking out the window. Avoiding her gaze, like he might be in trouble when he finishes his sentence. “I read your file the other day.”

“I’ve read yours too,” she offers, like it’s a right of passage to read about your friends to get to know them better. “I didn’t know Valentina had my file.”

“She doesn’t,” he reassures, mixing his rice up carefully. “Bucky uh, gave it to me.”

“And what did you learn about me, Bob?”

“Are you…,” he hesitates, trying to figure out how to phrase it. It’s always a little funny, watching as people try to come to terms with what she is. Especially relatively normal people. “Are you really…like, a witch?”

“Does that scare you?” She asks, setting her food down. 

“I…I don’t know,” he admits, looking down at his hands for a moment. “I guess not? Should I be?”

Shaking her head, she lifts her hand and with a careful swish of her wrist, tendrils of light wrap around her hand. It’s a soft green, slithering over her fingers and up her arm. The Tower is dark enough that the magic illuminates their small space, and Bob’s eyes are wide as he follows each branch of the magic forms into another.

“Is this…do you do like –I don’t know, crystals and all that stuff?” He asks, though he’s reaching up like he’s going to touch the tendrils. 

She doesn’t stop him, tilting her head to the side as his fingers graze them. They wrap around him briefly –warm, soft, like a whisper against his skin –before retreating back to her. 

“I do,” she offers as the magic drifts away into the air, mist surrounding them before evaporating into the empty space. “I even have a broom.”

“Really?” He asks, eyes wide as he looks at her, back straight. 

“Not the way you think, but yes,” she laughs, leaning back. “Practicing witches use brooms for purification purposes –sweep away the negative energies. I’m sure I could fly on it, but that’s more because of me enchanting it and not the broom itself.”

“So you’re…you’re like actually a witch –not just, magic powers but like…the crystal stores and the candles and all that?”

“All the women in my family are witches,” she explains, holding out her hand again. The tendrils return, but this time they wrap around his hand and pull him gently towards her. “My grandmother raised me, and taught me. My mom passed before she could teach me anything. But yes, I practice the actual act of witchcraft while also actually having magic. No experiments or needles needed.”

His eyes light up with the emerald magic, watching as it tugs him into her orbit. Bob doesn’t fight it, too mesmerized by the feel of it against his skin. 

“That’s why I didn’t see anything when I touched you,” she explains, taking his hand in hers. The tendrils swirl around their hands, slinking up his sleeve and over his shoulders. He follows it carefully, like it’s the most amazing thing he’s ever seen. Maybe it is. “I shield myself from the shadows –and that’s all your powers are. That’s all…he is. A shadow, trying to pry and consume.”

There’s a pause in the conversation as the tendrils slowly wrap around them entirely. Holding them together, like the magic itself is trying to bring them closer together. She’s got a good control over it, she always has, but sometimes it’s got a mind of its own. It’s hard to explain to people that her magic is a living thing, that it’s not just a part of her but it’s own entity. She just hosts it, and thanks it. But she thinks Bob would understand this better than anyone else, because he…he has his own entities. Perhaps he doesn’t like them, but he has them.

“Is…the shielding. Can you…can you teach someone that?” His voice is soft, a little shaky suddenly. But there’s a hopeful undertone as he meets her eyes. 

“I can,” she promises. And it is a promise. “Shielding is less magic and more intentions –and I can absolutely teach you if that’s what you want.”

“I…I would really like that.”

_______

Part two

_______

Bob Taglist: @ilovemarvel12 @k1ttyjuice @magikdarkholme @yesshewrites1 @evanbabybear @jaes-last-words @keira-kaz2y5

[immobiliter]

       Dehya nodded. Al-Haitham was right: Lord Kusanali had the same desire to bring peace and stability to the desert as she did, and now that she had been freed from the Sanctuary of Surathasna and was able to rule Sumeru once more, Dehya finally had hope that real, lasting change was within reach. She would not begrudge one missed meeting, not if her excuses lay within the very issues they were trying to address. And with that matter resolved, she fully expected her companion to then offer his well-wishes for the daunting task facing her and depart for Sumeru City.

       But he didn't.

       The question took her aback, drawing her gaze back to his face. “ Other than him finally snapping and going too far? ” As soon as Dehya had offered her answer she knew it was too weak, too hasty, too defensive. He made a good point ( not that she'd admit this to his face anytime soon ) — one so good that she hadn't even considered it herself. She could not deny that this was a change in behaviour from when she had been a part of Dakan Al-Ahmar years ago, and even from a scant few months ago before these raids had become both more violent and more frequent in nature. What had changed? Why now had he decided to escalate these attacks? Dehya planned to stop him but, despite the restless itch beneath her skin to hunt down the brigade and confront them with blade and fists as soon as possible, before anyone else got hurt, wouldn't it be better to determine why they were doing this in the first place?

       Perhaps he could read the hesitation in her face, and perhaps that was why he made the offer that he did. Or perhaps he... genuinely wanted to help. Whatever his reasons, Dehya's surprise was palpable — and her pride immediately wished to rise in protest. Yet she silenced it long enough to listen to his justifications, arms folded across her torso, silently considering his argument. The man certainly knew how to make one, damn him. No wonder he was an academic scholar.

       Even once he fell quiet, Dehya let the silence stretch on between them, unable to do anything but begrudgingly commend his methodical sort of wisdom. She inwardly sighed. Would she regret bringing him along on a mission so personal to her, ego and brusque attitude and all? Most likely. And yet at the same time, something in his words had weakened the stubbornness of her usual resolve, and allowed doubt to creep in...

       “ If you come with me, I need you to give me your word... ” Dehya hesitated, and for a moment Al-Haitham might have gleamed something much more raw and vulnerable shimmering in her blue eyes. Naturally, it was gone as swiftly as it appeared. “ I'm not afraid of having to raise my blade to Kusayla, but... if for whatever reason I am unable to follow through with what I have to do to put an end to his reign of terror over the desert, I need your word that you will. ”

       There was a desperation and intensity in her voice, her gaze that she hoped would convey her full meaning. It was a lot to ask of him, she knew, but if he was going to be the level-headed brain and comrade at her side, he needed to be willing to act where she could not.

Unfortunately, life rarely ever goes as planned - especially in the line of work Dehya, and apparently her father, dabble into. And thus Dehya finds herself in unwanted (perhaps even unwelcome?) company, and the scribe finds himself marginally involved in a family feud that is not his to get involved in. He knows it. She knows it. Neither of them is going to pretend otherwise or make apologies for it. There would be no point burying the proverbial snake in the sand and pretend it isn't there. Thankfully, Dehya is as direct as he is, and wastes no time in apologies or excuses or explanations he did not ask for. None of it would fix whatever this situation has turned out to be - and none of it would make her feel any better.

A father gone rogue on a disillusioned daughter, then. Al-Haitham, for once, holds his tongue. His own father had not lived long enough to have the chance to disappoint him, and his grandmother, to his knowledge, had never involved herself in unsavoury activities of the murderous proclivity - therefore, he cannot claim to understand what turmoil must be agitating Dehya in this moment, but... he can understand the urge to act. "No need to apologise. I don't want to put words in our Archon's mouth, but I'm fairly sure she would agree with your assessment of the priorities at stake here." He crosses his arms over his chest. Clearly, the task Lord Kusanali had entrusted him with needs to take a backseat. But, instead of bidding her good luck and goodbye and turning back to return to the city, the scribe remains rooted in place, pensive.

... al-Haitham had had no intention of meddling in Eremite affairs when he woke up that morning, but -- something about Dehya's agitation and resignation sits oddly and uncomfortably on his chest. And something about what she said hooks to a part of his brain, like yarn to a cat's claw.

"And, if I may... you said your father has 'always been like this', but clearly, him attacking others seems to be a change of behaviour. Enough at least to give you pause and reason to intervene. Aren't you wondering what could have triggered him to escalate the way he did?" Something is afoot in this strange story. And perhaps he is stepping way out of line, and if he does, he trusts that she will have no issue telling him in no uncertain terms, but... something is going on here that he cannot quite let go of.

"Take me with you." A bold, brash offer, perhaps. But an honest, sincere one, deshret-branded eyes boring into hers. "You know I won't be a burden. I can hold my own and help you get the job done faster. I also know enough about Dakan Al-Ahmar from personal research and dealings to have a rough idea of what I'm getting into. I can help. Besides..."

For the first time, al-Haitham almost seems to hesitate. But - no, there is no reason to hesitate. She will understand what he means. So, he continues: " ... you and I both know that in high stakes situations like a sand storm or a personal one, emotions run high, and mistakes are more prone to happen. Having another working brain nearby can help keep a level head and put things in perspective even when the going gets the toughest. Not to say you won't, but... it might be easier that way." And in al-Haitham's world, there is no shame with taking the easy way in.

[averagewriter-inthedark]

Pillow Talk 💘 | Johnny Storm Imagine

Marvel Masterlist | This can be read as a follow up to 'Shooting the Moon' 🩶

Characters & Pairings: JosephQuinn!JohnnyStorm x Norse!Goddess Reader

Content Warnings: fluff, light angst (Johnny needs a hug and kiss on the forehead), references to Norse mythology and Marvel's Norse lore, canon divergence, speculation for FF:FS & A:DD. | female!reader (she/her) | wc: 1.7k

Requested 📨 yes/no

Premise: While cuddling in bed after a long day of training, Johnny asks his Goddess about her home, and all its golden glory.

Note: I haven't seen Fantastic Four First Steps yet so this is all my imagination!! I probs won't get to see it till next week cause I'm going to a convention this weekend and I WILL be off my phone to prevent myself from getting spoilers. but do expect A LOT of Johnny content because he is one of my first superhero loves, i love writing for him, and i love JQ as him (Chris Evans I love you too baby don't worry you're the blueprint_

---------------------

“Can you tell me about Asgard?”

The hand tracing down the length of his forearm paused, her head tilting to press her chin against his shoulder while his own hand stilled against her back, Johnny quickly adding, “You don’t have to say anything if you’re not ready. I’m sorry--.”

“No, you have nothing to apologize for,” she murmured softly, resuming her movements as a small smile coated her lips. “What would you like to know?”

Johnny felt he could get lost in the gold irises of her eyes, the ones Thor explained were a gift from the Gods following Heimdall’s death, as she was his protégé. “Anything. Everything.”  

Her chuckle was light, barely echoing against the walls of his bedroom and turning into a sigh when his fingers brushed up to the skin of her neck. “Asgard was… beautiful.” There was longing in her voice, a sense of sorrow seeping through as the memories surfaced. “Magical. The place people here write fantasy novels about. It was,” she paused again, pressing her cheek into his chest, “ Home.”

A wave of sadness filled Johnny, his one hand moving to cradle her by her waist while the hand on her neck trailed down to the middle of her shoulder blades. Nuzzling his nose into her hair, he was met with the calming smell of eucalyptus and lavender with traces of wood. It didn’t matter how many times she bathed or doused in midgardian scents, the Goddess always smelled like she spent hours in the forest. If Johnny closed his eyes, he could imagine trees in place of walls. Grass instead of the memory foam mattress they laid on. And her beloved animals instead of the buzzing sounds of the streets below. 

“Picture all the gold on Earth in one place,” she spoke, maneuvering herself so that they were level with each other, head laid on the pillow beside his, “And imagine it in the form of a castle. That’s where my family resided.” 

“All the gold on Earth?” he repeated in awe, adjusting to lay on his side facing her, tucking an arm under the pillow while the other loosely went to her waist. 

“All the gold on Earth,” she giggled with a wink. His brows furrowed, followed by a soft pout on his lips. “What’s that look for?”

“I’m just imagining all that gold. I’ve never seen so much in one place--unless you count the museum exhibit we went to last weekend.” His eyes widened, realizing something she said, “wait, you lived in a castle made of gold?”

The Goddess chuckled, tapping his nose in the process. “I did. My family lived there for many many years.” Millenium really. But he didn’t need to know that. Johnny already teased the fact the Goddess was technically 800 years old, considering Asgardians aged slower than Midgardians and viewed as immortal--though there were still things that could kill them. 

Thor was pushing 1,600 years and Loki, at the time of his untimely death, was close to 1,100. Then, of course, their father lived to 5,000. Physically, she looked his age. A young adult in their 20s, while Thor physically appeared a man in his 40s. 

But she lived many lives over the course of her extended life.

The youngest child of Odin and Frigga, Y/n’s birth was a surprise to the royal family, but celebrated nonetheless. She’d be born during the coldest winter night at midnight which also happened to be the winter solstice on Midgard. 

The shortest day, the longest night. Echoes of the wolves howling in the distance mixed with her first cries, and Odin named her the Goddess of Winter, the Hunt, and made her protector of animals.

“What was your favorite part of the castle?” He inched closer, falling deeper into the melting gold of her eyes. He wondered if they were the same shade of gold as her home. 

“Oh,” she hummed, pinching her brows in thought, “I don’t know. There were many places I loved--my bedroom, the gardens, the balcony overlooking the city where I could see the Bifrost and its rainbow bridge.” 

“That’s where Heimdall guarded, right?”

“Yes,” she smiled, pleased he remembered. “Then there were my beloved mountains--though they were not part of the castle. I had to travel a few miles to get to them,” she corrects, chuckling softly. “I cannot tell you how many times my parents and brothers feared I’d been kidnapped, but really I’d lost track of time skiing down the slopes.”

“You said Asgard didn’t really have seasons,” Johnny commented, smiling at the image of her decked out in her hunting gear and skis, trailed by the wolf companions while the eagles she adored soared above. “Bet that was nice not having to worry about the snow melting.”

“Oh it was marvelous . Not having to wait months on end for the winter, because half of Asgard remained that cold while the other half stayed in a scorching heat.” A pause occurred, before she added, “I spent hours in the library. Reading texts from all over the Nine Realms, but also it is where Loki taught me magic.” 

Johnny lingered on every word, committing each detail to memory. It was rare Y/n spoke of Loki, her brother. Who, like Heimdall, died at the hands of Thanos not long after they escaped Sakarr and the destruction of Asgard. Y/n barely survived the ordeal, her last image being her brothers before Heimdall sent her and Banner to Midgard.

His final action before Thanos drove a sword through his heart. 

Johnny removed his hand from her waist in favor of taking her own. Interlacing their fingers. “Can you tell me about him?” His face softened, as did his voice. “Loki.” A flicker of sorrow flashed over her, but the Goddess quickly recovered, but not before the blonde leaned over to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. Both in apology and to encourage her if she felt ready. 

“You know how Reed likes to complain about all the headaches you give him?”

“Yes…?” He pouted, confused by the statement when her lips curled up. 

“That is likely how my parents felt towards Loki. He always knew how to drive them up a wall.” A chuckle escaped her, adjusting her position slightly. “He was the God of Mischief after all. Always causing trouble. Always finding a way out of things. Using his magic to terrorize us.” She pursed her lips together, biting back a smile, “One time he shapeshifted into a snake to prank Thor.”

“Noooo.”

“Oh Thor felt so betrayed!” Johnny beamed at the genuine laugh she released, laughing with her. “The man adores snakes and of course he suspected nothing when he found one in the gardens.”

“What happened?” Johnny wondered, leaning closer, their noses nearly touched. 

Y/n let out another laugh, “Loki transformed back, scared the living daylights out of Thor,” she paused, unsure whether or not to say the rest but ultimately mumbled with a cheeky smile, “and stabbed him.”

His gasp echoed, eyes bulging from his head, “ Stabbed him!” He stared at her in disbelief while she simply laughed at his state of shock. “Why would he do that?!” All he received was a shrug. 

“Who knows? To this day I don’t know what possessed him.” She shrugged again. “Luckily it was a small butter knife and really only left a scratch. There was this one time we went hunting for my name day and Thor decided to lay out in the grass covered in bushes to take a nap, and well…” she bit her bottom lip, “I thought his boot covered foot sticking out was a rabbit from the distance.”

Johnny’s reaction was aghast, “you shot an arrow through your brother’s foot?” 

“It was an accident!” she defended, heat rising in her face while avoiding his eyes. “Serves him right for sleeping on my name day hunt.”

Johnny squeezed his eyes shut with a groan, muffling it into the pillow as though he couldn’t believe his ears. “You Asgardians have different meanings when it comes to roughhousing your siblings.” He yelped when a smack landed on his ass, snapping his head up to look at her scandalized. “How dare--.”

“Careful, young Storm,” she warned with mischief. “You’re speaking to a God.” She inched forward, breath kissing his skin. “One you happen to love .” 

He sighed, plopping his head down with a lovesick expression, “Yeah you got me there.” Warmth fluttered his heart of fire when she laughed, leaning down to kiss his temple. 

How did he, Johnny Storm, the once most eligible bachelor in America with ladies and gents lining up to get his attention, secure a love so pure with a Goddess? The type authors wrote fairytales about. The type one yearns for all their life. 

He saw it in his sister and Reed. He saw it in the way Pepper Potts and Thor mourned Tony Stark and Jane Foster. He felt it in the way Y/n spoke about her parents, detailing the thousands of years they spent together. 

Now he got to experience it. And damn did it feel good. 

“Your turn.” 

His brows raised, “My turn?” The question was followed by a nod, the Goddess moving to get comfortable once more. 

“Tell me about your world.” This time it was Johnny’s turn to freeze, unsure how to approach the subject as talking about his home world was still a sore subject. Sensing this, Y/n nosed his cheek, kissing it, “Not ready, my darling?” 

“I’m sorry,” his murmur was quiet, like a child after being scolded for doing something wrong. But Johnny had nothing to be sorry about, and Y/n made sure to let him know. 

“Hush,” a finger caressed his cheekbone, and Johnny realized his eyes were tearing up as he got pulled into the final images of his home before destruction occurred. “How about I show you something instead?” 

“What?” he finally finds his voice.

“You know how I said my brother taught me magic?” He nods against the pillow, blue eyes glossy and full of wonder. “Well, one of his favorite things to teach me were illusions. Illusions so accurate, you think they are real.” A warm palm cups his cheek, moving up to rest her forefingers against his temple. “Would you like to see Agard?”

He nearly gasped, “You can do that.” Suddenly her eyes seemed brighter. Glowing. “Show me Asgard?”

“Oh darling,” her smile shined, as did her golden eyes. “I can take you to Asgard.” 

[thelioncourts]

I feel like I’m seeing such an increase in “bratty bottom” Lestat readings since s2 ended and it’s making me spiral about whether my interpretation of Loustat’s relationship is correct and that’s the direction they’re going in. like, I’ve seen it applied to the 1x06 reconciliation but also Louis manhandling Lestat in 1x03, Louis killing Lestat, Dreamstat, the 2x08 reunion… I’m struggling to understand it but but I’m worried I’m letting my dislike for that dynamic cloud my ability to analyse the scenes. atp, I don’t remember whether I don’t understand/agree with the interpretation and that’s why I dislike it, or I dislike the interpretation and that’s why I don’t agree with/understand it if that makes sense. sorry lol I’m autistic and this show is my hyperfixation, so sorry if this is a really weird ask. ig what I’m asking is that I really enjoyed your meta about Louis enjoying submission so I guess I’m wondering if you have any thoughts on the possibility of sub bottom Lestat or why it’s ooc

I'm going to say this with love, and I don't mean this to sound as rude as it's going to sound (not to you, I promise) but this fandom is genuinely horrendously bad at analysis and do not, as a whole, have the critical thinking skills to look at these characters tbh. I'm not saying my interpretation is "right" or that my interpretation is the only exact reading, etc. but most of these people are not looking at these characters beyond 1) surface level 2) bias 3) their idea of "evidence" is like. "louis was madddd" and that must mean domination or whatever

I've said it before on here, but whether we're looking at the show or the books, louis and lestat do not have an s&m or bdsm relationship. there are general elements of those things present in some kind of sense, because I think characteristics of those exist in most relationships to some extent, but they are not the s&m/bdsm couple. like, in the books, that is reserved specifically for marius/armand and armand/daniel. in the show we do get it with loumand and I have things to talk about with that in relation to this, but I'll get to that later.

there's a book called "the vampire companion" by an author named katherine ramsland and katherine was not only a friend of anne's, but is a professor of forensic psychology and she focuses so much of her work on the brain and relationships and whatnot. she wrote anne's biography, prism of night, and also wrote the vampire companion.

the vampire companion is this extensive deep dive into anything and everything you can think of re: the vampire chronicles. it discusses individual characters, relationships, settings, themes, quotes, allusions, etc. and it was written with anne's approval and praise. and the vampire companion talks in great deal about dominance/submission, loustat, loumand, armandaniel, and surrender, and anything else that may be related to this conversation.

in the companion, louis is described repeatedly as the "perfect submissive."

when dominance and submission are talked about, it's discussed that all characters give and take, that there are elements of domination they all have, elements of submission they all have, and no one lives entirely in one, though they typically have one they lean toward. all the pieces about submission come back to two characters in particular, and those characters are louis and armand, who are described as the most submissive of the set.

when loumand are discussed in the book, it talks about how armand craves submission and seeks to make people dominant to him (a paradox) and how lestat and gabrielle immediately clock that paradoxical nature and refuse it; that is seen as a sign of lestat's domination because he refuses it and so armand seeks someone who is, frankly, weaker and easier to control and that's louis who does, for some time, become this dominant presence out of armand dominating louis into an illusion of dominance. it's all convoluted and insane because armand is insane, and it's unfortunately a dynamic he had felt only with marius and he seeks, constantly, to recreate it.

daniel and armand are discussed as the most blatant dom/sub dynamic of the books, and it is soooo much switching back and forth between them. but I'm not here to talk about them, nor do I really care.

when it comes to louis and lestat, louis leans more submissive and lestat more dominant. that's not me making stuff up, it's what's in the text, it's what is in the companion, it's how it is. and they genuinely like it that way, it's part of why they are so long lasting compared to all of lestat's other companions and love interests.

the companion talks about lestat and the idea of surrender and/or the idea of submission, and it says (and I'll find the exact quotes for this so some weirdo doesn't try to argue tenfold with me): "Lestat surrenders to no one, mortal or immortal. His character has been formed by resistance and this insight makes him even stronger as a vampire." It goes on to talk about how Lestat has only ever surrendered to two things, one being good and one being bad and how the bad one he later fights against, and those things are: surrendering to what he is (good) and surrendering to akasha (bad). it also then explains how akasha, though very dominant, is so desperate and in need of lestat that she is ultimately submissive to him, though it takes him time to realize it, and it leads to her demise, his domination over her.

and, last little bit about this book, when discussing surrender, it discusses how louis is so weak because the one thing he can't surrender to is what he is, and therefore he can never find peace. that one bit of resistance he has is entirely against the things he needs to be happy.

now, let's look at the show, keeping this in mind re: moving forward because whether people like it or not, these things absolutely are being used by the writing team, it's very obvious.

I'm not going to focus on topping/bottoming right now because I genuinely just don't think, at the end of the day, that's the biggest problem. I have my own thoughts and feelings on it all, of course, and why I think it's actually imperative (and likely) we will see/be made aware of several instance of louis bottoming in the present day with lestat, but again, that's not exactly where I want to focus this conversation, I want to focus the conversation on dominance and submission and this "brattiness" people love to bring up with lestat.

let's cut right to the chase first of all with: louis did not like being dominant. no, he actually hated being dominant.

the louis we meet in dubai is a shell of the louis we know, even the louis we know in paris and stuff. his accent is so particular, he sits up rigidly at all times, he's so horribly "in control" that he's almost robotic. we watch it slip more and more while in dubai in s2 (not to mention the break in 107 of course but, again, we'll try to keep this condensed) until finally, by 205 when louis and daniel uncover the truth of what has been missing for both of them, that facade is almost entirely gone and we're left with a louis who is much more himself and also floundering because who is he, he hasn't been him in so long.

domination is not natural to louis. he had to be forced into it, tricked into it, and manipulated into it. now that he's free of it, I don't see him ever returning to it, it evokes such a horrible time and it was never what he wanted.

s1 loustat is very much dom/sub with lestat as a dom and louis as a sub. people can argue all they want, that's how it is, jacob even references it in some s2 press when he talks about how louis and armand's relationship has louis taking on more of the lestat role, and he means domination.

now, I think the dom/sub thing is part of louis and lestat had a lot of problems, and it's why I don't see them at any point returning entirely to that dynamic nor trying to switch it. like they need balance, that's what they're going to seek, and it's why I don't believe louis and lestat fit into a bdsm or dom/sub kind of thing. however........

they both do lean in those directions, lestat dominant and louis subsmissive. and to a point, that will always be present because it was foundational in them getting together.

101 is one of the best examples of this, their first sex scene being an insane thing to watch for it. lestat letting louis make the first real move is not a sign of submission from lestat, it's a sign of control. he wants this to go a certain way and for that to happen, louis has to come to him. and louis does. and louis, who has been putting on a posture of extreme machoism and masculinity, attempts for a moment to dominate the situation and lestat forces equality (the hands coming down together is that moment) and what does louis do? he then submits. he submits entirely to lestat and it's beautiful and it's something he's never been able to do with anyone ever.

all the times these people are talking about, 103 and 106 (and I'm sorry, I'm laughing at the idea of people using 107 and louis killing lestat as a sign of louis being dominant that's so fucking funny), are times where louis is miserable, where he's fighting against something of his true nature, he's not happy in those scenes and I think reading them as these very sexually true scenes is a disservice to both louis and lestat. and I think 106 is really telling tbh because it's the one episode we have two sex scenes in and they're sooo dynamically different. the first scene is angry and awful and it's not something we see of louis in any other intimate scene with lestat. and, not even in a sexual way, I think louis was just desperate to hurt him physically as a get back for the physical suffering louis went through. and lestat let it happen, let himself be stabbed and punched and hit and everything, not because he wanted to, but because it felt like louis needed him to. meanwhile, the other scene is extremely intimate and seems much more like how they were commonly (and I know the scene is controversial, so I'm not going to explain my whole reading on it rn because if I say that the importance of showing louis and claudia's lack of boundaries was the point of that scene and not louis and lestat's actual sex, then it'll become a whole thing) because when lestat sees louis "isn't there" he checks in, he stops, he waits for louis to decide what they're doing before they continue.

in 204, the postcoital scene of louis and armand very much implies louis bottomed in that scene. the hay's code candle dick, louis lying on his stomach, etc. it's all implication of who topped/who bottomed there. and it's very telling that at that point louis is happy with armand; not in love, they're actively discussing how armand doesn't really know anything about him and that's okay, this is fun, and lestat is there haunting and laughing at 'i love you' but we never see this side of loumand again because it's at the end of this episode that louis is forced into that dominant role to try to keep him and claudia safe. and the most dominant sexual scene we see with louis and armand is in 206 and it's like. the worst scene because armand is ridiculing louis and louis is manic for half of the episode and the sex is so impersonal and it's like !!! what are we doing !!! louis is miserable !!!

I'm starting to definitely lose the plot so let me wrap this up:

I have no idea what all s3 is going to bring us exactly. I have a lot of speculation and a lot of whatever, but, lbr, none of us know and I appreciate our writing team keeping me on my toes.

a lot of people are already reading rockstat as the "true" lestat when he teaser makes it very clear that whoever that man is isn't lestat and lestat is miserable and struggling and the real him is hiding under layers of glitter and strung out vocals. there's a lot of reads that lestat must be a bottom or submissive because people genuinely do associate him as being feminine because his hair is long and because he's going to the rockstar route which will mean makeup and clothing and stuff and it's such a sign of a lot of people who think they're really "woke" not being woke at all and associating a man wearing lipstick as so girlypop slay the house queen yassssss that he can't be anything but a bottom. and that's just :) not what is happening. but it's unfortunately what happens when you're in a fandom who refuses to acknowledge anything any of the characters actually do, refuse to engage with the show from the place it's coming, refuse to listen to actors or writers or to look at the source material, and who do operate under racial biases that they cannot for the life of them move beyond.

the writers were on the nose with the loumand dynamic in the show, and the vampire companion said exactly what would happen. following that, following what we've seen already, and following the line of reasoning, no, lestat is not a bratty submissive bottom and I think reading him like that is completely incorrect and goes against so much.

[saivii]

I have some thoughts about Nam-gyu’s character (how he comes across to me) because none of the ways I’ve seen people on here characterize him 100% resonate with me. Here are my thoughts on him, and some of these are just speculation on my part:

• He doesn’t like feeling out of control or helpless in any way. I think he has a complex about seeming “weak” and gets really set off if anything seems to confirm that he might appear weak.

• Has some self-hatred but would never admit it.

• Full of resentment (again, he would never admit that)

• Two-faced, tends to act polite/suck up to people who seem stronger but bullies people who are on the same “level” as him (this probably ties into his job as a club promoter because it would involve him having to appeal to people with more power)

* I think that he doesn’t like people who seem “weak” because he worries that other people might see him that way, especially if those “weak” people get close to him.

* I also think he doesn’t like to get too close to people in general because he’s afraid they won’t stay, either because they’ll die or because they’ll stab him in the back. He’s fine acting friendly on a surface level or having fun with someone while high, but he never acts completely genuine and tries not to get attached.

• I think he seems worried that other people look down on him (e.g. when he kills se-mi he asks her if she thinks he’s a joke)

• Is clearly terrified of the games but doesn’t want anyone to know that (hence him relying on the drugs)

* The only person that he seems somewhat comfortable with knowing that he’s scared is Thanos. I think it’s because he’s at least willing to admit that Thanos is stronger than him if it means he can rely on Thanos (it gives him a sense of security). Also he knows admitting it to Thanos might help him get the drugs, which will make it easier to suppress his fear and thus survive. It also might be a bit easier for him because he knew Thanos before the games.

* His total 180 to everyone else after getting the drugs (acting all confident in front of Min-su) shows how unwilling he is to show fear in front of most people. The fact that Se-mi calls him out on it really sets him off and I think that’s what leads to him resenting her so much, because she sees through the facade he tries to put up.

• Says that he did all kinds of crazy stuff when he worked at the club, which makes me wonder a lot of things, like is that how he started using? Did he use to hide how that job made him feel? Did he use to make it easier to put up a front?

• I can’t help but wonder if a small part of him was slightly worried about Gyeong-su during Mingle. Obviously it wasn’t enough for him to really hesitate or anything but when he gets into a room safely he’s the one who looks out the window (which I don’t think he does in any other round of Mingle) and he gets snappy when Min-su asks him about Gyeong-su.

• I think he simultaneously admires and resents Thanos. I think he envies the way Thanos seems so carefree and sure of himself as well as the fame and influence that Thanos has. I also think that while he meant to just use Thanos for security, he ends up getting attached to Thanos and doesn’t really realize it until Thanos is dead. He still feels resentful toward Thanos and tries to convince himself that it’s all he feels, though.

* It’s so hard to describe how I think he felt about Thanos but none of the takes I’ve seen so far have really reflected how I think he felt. I don’t think the reason he hated Min-su and Se-mi were because of jealously stemming from an attraction to Thanos. I think he hated those two because if Thanos paid more attention to them, that would make him feel weaker or less important than them and worsen the weird inferiority complex that I think he has. So he’s jealous in the sense that he feels like he has to compete with them for second place. Side note: I also think he hated them because them voting X showed that he wasn’t skilled enough to manipulate or intimidate them into doing what he wanted them to.

* I also think at first he was desperate to stay by Thanos so he wouldn’t be alone in the games. Since he already knew Thanos from working at the club and he could bond with Thanos over their shared hatred of 333 he had his foot in the door to become Thanos’s ally, but seeing the number of players who are fans of Thanos (and later seeing Thanos gravitate toward Min-su and Se-mi) makes Nam-gyu anxious that he might get left out or forgotten. He knows that Thanos is a strong player, and if he can’t be the strongest, he at least wants to be the second strongest.

* I think he’s really shaken after Thanos’s death and doesn’t completely understand why, which only bothers him more. On the one hand, he doesn’t have to feel inferior to Thanos anymore, but now he’s alone. Min-su and Se-mi are on the X side (and he never really liked either of them much anyway) and the one person he was able to have fun with is dead. When he takes the drugs with Thanos, he tends to goof around more, but when he takes them alone after Thanos dies, he’s aggressive and unhinged, and I think that shows that losing Thanos

• I think he tends to be touchy with other people in order to get them to do what he wants them to. Nam-gyu tends to be more manipulative and roundabout compared to Thanos (of course he can also be violent and direct at times though), and being touchy is his way of feigning intimacy and trying to get the other person’s guard down.

• This is 100% a headcanon but I think he’s bisexual. I think for a long time he assumed he couldn’t be attracted to men because he was attracted to women and he thought that meant he had to be straight. Then one day he hears about bisexuality and he’s like “ohhhh.” He’s definitely closeted tho.

• Another headcanon of mine is that he’s more of an introvert than he seems. Like he tries very hard to seem energetic and outgoing but on the inside he’s tired of people.

Hopefully this made sense and wasn’t too repetitive lol! Idk I guess I just wanted to share my thoughts on him because the main takes on him that I’ve seen are either “I hate him so much he’s the worst and he didn’t care about Thanos at all” or him just being completely dependent on Thanos (and to be fair, a lot of his characterization does relate to Thanos but I feel like ppl sometimes water down his character just so they can ship him with Thanos if that makes sense. Nothing against that ship btw, I actually like them together!) Basically he’s a silly little guy but he’s also a little fucked up actually.

Here’s a couple of pictures that sum him up in a nutshell (to me):

[timetravellingtelepath]

Really cute Yor chapter this week. I'm loving her outfit and how she and the director are matching whereas Hemlock is... doing his own thing.

Twilight was asked this same question a long long time ago. As was Yor by shopkeeper but here she's asked, and reflects, again.

This is circling back to Yor's concern about resembling a couple and what she feels like she should be (thanks Sharon, Camilla and the Authens) and the excruciatingly slow (to us, it's only been a few months for her) realisation she might just want more authenticity in her relationship (thinking Loid meant to kiss her, e.g. That one panel where she slipped).

Yor, while everyone here is eager for an attempt by you at a peck or kiss, I want you to go at your own pace. The look she's wearing is one of shock, doom and conformity pressure - and Yor's greatest strengths are her originality and individuality - so I hope she finds her own way.

All this talk of kissing is only a narrative push and probably leading to an embarrassing calamity (her first attempt) before something more heartwarming and genuine (like a peck on the cheek).

Flying from tree to tree. Yor's side bangs are her defining feature this chapter.

Hemlock... That's creepy. Though I do like his character and odd killing-eccentricism/workaholic, I am curious about what his deal is with Yor. With have Nightfall with jealousy and the drive to supercede Yor, so I'm hoping Hemlock's is him believing Yor is holding herself back or loosing her focus due to marriage - or if this really develops, a situation where he's seen someone become restrained and negatively changed by marriage (an interesting option since this can circle back to Melinda).

His attitude seems to be finding out who can be better. Why? To confirm his fears of domestication apparently...

But why would he care?

Is it from learning the ropes with Yor and seeing a singlemindedly driven young woman now having other avenues open to her besides her job? It won't be the same concern Yuri has about Yor being used by the Forgers; this will be about Yor and her purpose (her reflection on her drive), Yor and her future.

I hope it's not down to selfishness and a want as a place by Yor's side - or if it's jealousy on the surface, as with most our characters as we just saw with Yuri, it is driven by something deeper.

Or maybe he just wants to join the workaholic gang with Twilight, Nightfall and Yuri.

Given how his (quite false) remarks are pushed down and Yor is defended, it is quite likely Hemlock is envious of Thorn 'PRINCESS' for being so favored, such that his expertise feels unnoted, and perhaps that's driven his killer-eccentricism.

Or he had that bloodthirst from the start, hence why Yor was favored for her level-headedness, which made Hemlock always feel like he's in 2nd place, and as a result he really embraced his eccentricism...

I am so intrigued by his motives and this guy who goes by the book, doing what he is ordered to, thus what he isn't explicitly banned from is permitted. So interesting and all the things he could do wrong because no one spelled it out for him...

That grin 😂 and assassin v assassin? (I hope no animals interrupt this or get caught in the cross-fire...).

On another note, Yor's still startling and frightening animals (the Elk might be the animals which aren't. It decided to throw Yor around like she's on a trampoline instead. 😂 Can't wait to see that animated). Also Damian's flower showed itself too.

All in all, a great chapter!

[untoldstar]

Your writing is addictiveeeee. Can u do ur ocs reaction to being cheated on by reader? Im so down bad for jesse 😫 hes just a lil guy who wants to be loved! Sue me!

The yanderes reaction to you cheating on them

Thank you smmm🫶 but fr I’m down bad for Jesse as well even tho he’s a lil psycho🫠

I can make a part two for the rest of the oc’s if anyone’s interested I just usually go for these oc’s because they’re the most popular and seem like a common favorite.

warnings: obsessive behavior, stalking, yandere themes, murder, stealing appearance and changing appearance (not reader), nsfw content, imprisonment, keeping reader locked up.

find out more about these characters here.

Ava (yandere best friend)

She’d go off the rails. She’ll cry and sob her heart out. she won’t talk to anyone except for you. Her phone is filled with missed calls and worried messages from her family and friends. Everyone gets so worried they start showing up at her apartment door but she’s too busy crying into her pillow waiting for your call or to hear your sweet voice outside her door.

She’d take you back in a heartbeat. Just please please don’t leave her.

Even if you already moved on and decided to be with your partner she’s still stuck on you and obsessing over how to get you back.

She’d go over every detail of the physical traits of the bitch you cheated on her with and tries to match it. What did you even see in them? they’re nothing compared to her!

Doesn’t matter. She’ll do whatever it takes. She’ll go as far as dying her hair, getting new piercings if they had any, changing her makeup, changing her entire wardrobe.

You’re absolutely mortified when she shows up at your doorstep looking like your partners lost twin.

Theo (yandere boss)

All his past paranoia will come right up to the surface. He’s always wanted to lock you up so no one would look at you so. No one would breathe your air. He didn’t want anyone to have the pleasure of even looking at you.

And you’ve finally given him a reason.

He has you cooped up in his mansion with no way of getting out. You’re always watched and monitored. Most of the week he’s working from home to be around you. Clothing you, feeding you, bathing you. He won’t let you out of your sight for a single second.

And every time you ask about your partner he’d smile softly and tell you to not worry about them. They don’t mean anything to you anymore.

Because they’re not here anymore.

Warner (rich yandere)

He can never be angry with you. No never~

But he will give you the punishment you deserve.

And he has certain methods for punishment like having you tied up to his bed and leaving you all alone in a dark lonely room with a vibrator strapped to your cunt.

You’re not truly alone of course, he’s always watching you with the cameras he set up.

Howw else is he supposed to stop the vibrator right when you’re about to cum?

Other than making you struggle for his forgiveness he also has to keep you busy while he gets rid of your little problem. He’s hurt people for you before and certainly has killed them but he’s never gotten to this level of cold blooded torture.

He spills their blood while in a trance like state, he’s absolutely drenched in their blood and the scene is gruesome enough to have his body guards who have seen many similar things while working with him not withstand this particular scene.

But you won’t know any of it, you don’t have to. They’re a distant memory by the time he’s back home in brand new clothes and looking as sharp as ever. Some of that rage is still simmering under that cool exterior though so he’s not quite finished with you yet.

Yandere bully

You’re not even in a relationship the guy tortures you on a daily basis! but he saw you get all blushy and smiling while another guy was teasing you in the hallway.

You never blush when he messes you what the fuck is that about?

That’s as good as cheating in his delusional mind.

He starts clinging to you everyday even more than before. Scowling and glaring at any guy who passes you by like a guard dog. You’re too focused on his asshole behavior to notice that you haven’t even seen the guy since.

You’ve heard students around you murmuring about a student who’s been in such a bad accident that he can’t even walk anymore. So many broken bones, swollen flesh, he might have even gotten a brain injury. Poor thing can’t even come to school anymore.

You never made the dots…

bonus! Yandere tentacle monster

Nom.

Let’s not forget this guy is an actual monster the second that guy gets on top of you on the bed he has already devoured him.

He walks toward you with an icy expression while wiping the blood off his mouth not paying any mind to your mortified expressions.

“You could’ve of at least brought a proper meal pet. That tasted absolutely terrible. I’d much rather eat you instead~”

the person reader cheated with knowing they’re absolutely fucked no matter who the oc is:

[starlight-45]

Bllk boys X Affectionate! Extroverted! Reader (Part 1)

Featuring: Yoichi Isagi, Meguru Bachira and Rin Itoshi

Here's the masterlist and Part two with Hyoma Chigiri, Reo Mikage, Seishiro Nagi :)

A/n: It's my first time so sorry if it's bad ⊂⁠(⁠・⁠▽⁠・⁠⊂⁠)

~Yoichi Isagi~

• As we all know, the sweetest boy to exist in blue lock. unless given a soccer ball, pls refrain from giving one to him if you don't want the most infuriating and tanuting insults your way

• *coughs* Anyway.

• At first he is suprised. Like pleasantly surprised. He's definitely NOT used to someone like you. And he loves every second of it. He is a bit oblivious about it, you know?

• He is used to taking initiative in planning, or interacting or anything tbh because blue lock is filled with traumatised and/or self centred people.

• And then you arrived...with your not-so-shy approach and assertive nature, and absolutely won his heart.

•"Yoichiiiii! Can we go go that café later? Please? :D"

"Just the two of us?"

"Yessir!"

"Like a date?"

"No, not like a date- it's a date!"

•His brain went to full autopilot mode, whereas you oblivious to his suprise and continued with some other topic blissfully.

• So you're such so refreshing with your sweetness! Needless to say, he was attracted to you from first sight.

• Like he had never been complimented so openly about his personality and looks (aside from his parents)

• "Hey, I got you a drink as well."

"Thank you so much! Next time I'll buy you juice okay?!"

• YOUR. SMILE.

• Darling, I'm not joking when I say he would kill for it.

•And your laugh too. Like why are you so pretty and sweet?!

• And when you're comfortable enough to hug him all the time? Oh boy, he's having a field day then ;)

• He was bit suprised, like what do you mean you missed him so much that you ran straight to tackle him as soon as he was in your vision-?

• But damnit he can't stop his blushing just thinking about it!

• He is both intrigued and in awe when he sees you having deep conversations with random strangers.

• "Was that your friend?"

"Huh?"

"That girl in bus."

"Oh, no I don't even know her name."

"SO WHY WAS SHE TALKING ABOUT HER CHILDHOOD TRAUMA AND YOU BEING ALL SYMPATHETIC ABOUT IT?!"

•Nevertheless, he loves you too much to be actually annoyed. He simply thinks that 'Damn how did I manage to pull such a sweetheart?'

• He's so blessed to have you! (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

~Meguru Bachira~

• Fell in love at first sight with your vibrant nature. You excite him him so much!

• He couldn't almost believe you were so interested in him and were so nice about it!

• Before you know it, you guys were practically glued together, competing you could show more affection.

• You guys are the type which doesn't faze your friends even a little bit that you are dating.

• Speaking of which...

• "Hey, you guys are dating right?"

"Wait Meguru...are we?"

"Why not?"

"....yay!!!! :D"

• Never even a bit suprised or fazed when you first tried to hug him.

• Just hugs you back while chuckling, picking you up just to hear that sweet laugh.

• It soon become a habit, you hugging him as soon as you saw him and him picking you up!

• Sure, he looks happy as hell around you. But that's just surface level feelings for you, he's deeply grateful for having you in his life.

• Geuninely thinks he'll never pay you back for the joy you bring him.

•Doesn't stop him from trying though! Not in a million years! Always bringing you snacks and drinks, complimented you. sneaking a kiss here and there too :P

• He always initiaties hangouts by the way. You wanna try that new mall? Arcade? Just lightly mention it and he's clearing his schedule for it and asking you to go.

• He can't deny he feels just a tiny, little bit jealous when he sees you interacting with random strangers with such sparkle.

• Just drags you by arm mumbling how you guys are getting late without warning, when you take too much time, shooting a glare to the other person.

• While he doesn't get fazed by the physical affection, you always manage to catch him off guard with your compliments.

• "Oh! Nice shirt, looks good on you! :D"

"You think so?"

"Mhm, goes well with your eyes."

• Is not afraid to get his hands dirty, someone is making names behind your back? He's ready to beat the hell out of him.

• He knows the feeling. The feeling of being left out, called weird or strange. He doesn't want you to to feel that way, even for a second.

• You're the best thing after footballthat happened to him, y'know?

• He just can't let you be sad.

~Rin Itoshi~

• Oh God okay-

• He thought you were strange as hell, and didn't even call you by your actual name, opting to call you 'dumbass' or 'idiot'.

• Not necessarily because he thought you were annoying, but because you were so... geunine in your adoration for him.

• You didn't even want anything in return, so why? He didn't wanna admit it, but he was a little intrigued deep down.

• No, soccer was his priority, beating his brother in football was the main aim in his life, he can't get distracted by a idiot girl like you-

• But damnit, he can't resist it, the way you look up at him with that sweet smile, innocent eyes most adorable expression.

• Rin knew he lost the game at that point. Still took a while to get used to the reality of having a crush though.

• When you first hugged him, he froze, his eyes widening. When he came to his senses a few seconds later, a red blush come on his face and his hands wrapped around your frame mumbling "dumbass".

• NO but like he's lowkey sometimes high-key tsundere about it. Always telling you to get off him but his arms pulling you in his embrace anyway.

• "Get off me, you damn idiot!"

"Aww but you're still supporting my back though :D"

"Just shut the hell up okay?"

• He is so confused though...why would someone so sweet like you be with him? And what do you mean he's cute?! He's supposed to be the aloof, lone wolf, why don't you understand?! Lowkey loves it though.

• If he does manage to flusterate you with his affection...he surprisingly becomes talkative-?

• "Why the fuck are you getting all red? Do you have a fever or something?"

"N-No."

"Just... just don't act suprised okay? I'm trying my best to express my feelings.".

• At moments like this, he's very soft, very gentle with you. Geuninely tries his best, he doesn't want you to feel like he doesn't feel the same way.

• You're so sweet with him... that'a the least he could do.

• Definitely a very jealous boy. Interacting with random NPCs? Who doesn't even deserve that sweet smile of yours?

• His brain immediately resorts to overthinking. What did he do? Did he scare you off with his insults? Did he neglect you?

• A moment of slip up results in the showing his vulnerability on his face, quickly recovers from it, and gives the deadliest death glare to the person.

• And the poor guy just runs for his life. Whereas you are very oblivious to the scene just happened.

• "Hmph. Didn't even say goodbye. Meanie."

"That NPC doesn't deserve your attention. Let's go."

• You really will turn him crazy one of these days, idiot and even will let you, how stupid. He thinks.

A/n: I was blushing so much while writing it (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

[justzutara]

✨Another Southern Raiders Analysis✨

I’ve been rewatching ATLA so here’s my take on The Southern Raiders. I’ll mostly be speaking to common criticisms I hear about the episode.

Let’s start with Katara. The main critique I see of her in this episode is the way she talks to Sokka. Up until now on the few occasions when Sokka and Katara have fought, it could be boiled down to surface level conflicts, even when there were deeper underpinnings. For example, take the first scene of the series where Katara says “ever since mom died I’ve been doing all the work while you’ve been off playing soldier.” Their mother’s death and Sokka’s sexism are established, but the central thesis of this fight is that Sokka doesn’t help out with chores. While I agree that her “you didn’t love her like I did” line in TSR is very harsh, that’s the intent. By season 3 Katara’s sadness about her mother’s death has taken a backseat to her anger (more on this later). When she’s presented with the opportunity to confront the man who killed her mother (and potentially resolve that anger) and Sokka tells her he doesn’t think she should, she understandably (imo) snaps; how could her brother who has supported her for this entire journey, even helped her orchestrate a prison break and destroy a Fire Nation factory, suddenly shut her down when she has the chance to get justice for their mom? Additionally, Katara overheard Sokka saying in The Runaway that he can’t remember his mother’s face and can only see Katara when he tries to picture her, so I would argue that there’s a grain of truth to Katara’s assertion (or at least that Katara has good reason to believe so).

To Sokka’s credit, I believe he likely was just as afraid of losing his sister as he was of her losing herself. However, he did not convey this clearly, instead choosing to echo Aang immediately without sincerely trying to hear Katara out. I wish the writers had at least given Sokka a line or two before she and Zuko left, but coming off of The Boiling Rock where Sokka resolved his core parental trauma arc by freeing his dad and this episode being positioned right before the finale, I also understand why the focus needed to pivot more towards Aang.

Now I see a lot of people say that Aang is patronizing of Katara in this episode and I agree to an extent. His attempts to convince Katara to forgive her mother’s killer feel somewhat disingenuous, and I’ll get to why momentarily. The other main Katara criticism I see is how she reacts to Aang, telling him he doesn’t understand when he asks what she thinks going on this mission will accomplish. Taken at face value, this is often interpreted as “you don’t understand what it’s like to lose someone you care about.” That is categorically wrong as Aang goes on to illustrate by talking about the sandbenders stealing Appa and the Fire Nation wiping out the Air Nomads. I’m sure Katara hasn’t forgotten about these events so I interpret her line more as “you don’t understand why I need to do this,” which I don’t think is entirely false. While Aang struggles with earthly attachments as we see in The Guru, he tries to adhere to the principles of his monastic upbringing throughout the show. He’s not perfect at this—after all, he’s 12. But since these teachings are his truth, it can be difficult for him to accept the gray areas that other people live in, particularly the darker shades. He imparts the rhetoric of forgiveness unto Katara because that’s what he believes is right, but he isn’t equipped to understand why it’s not helpful for her. However, I can also appreciate that Aang acknowledges that Katara needs to take this journey in the scene where Katara and Zuko are getting ready to take Appa. I also think he’s right that Katara needs forgiveness to heal, he’s just wrong about where she needs to give it.

This brings us to Zuko. I see a lot of criticisms of him in this episode so let’s get into them. First up is that he’s pushing Katara to be the worst version of herself. I wholeheartedly disagree with this. From the beginning of their journey he is the most understanding about what Katara needs and why. He tells Aang that this is about getting closure and justice. While justice has a nebulous meaning here, closure is 100% the primary purpose of this mission. The only time Zuko expresses anything other than complete support is when they find the leader of the raiders and Katara insists that’s not who killed her mother. Zuko appears frustrated here, but I would argue that he’s confused and it sounds angry because that’s just how he talks lol. I think he can tell from Katara’s change in demeanor that she’s on the verge of giving up, walking away more heartbroken than before. This isn’t the closure she needs and by god, he’s going to make sure she gets it. As soon as he interrogates the captain and he gives them the information on Yon Rha, the fight comes back into Katara’s eyes—she wants to keep going. When they finally find Yon Rha, Zuko keeps his mouth shut. He doesn’t encourage, push, or force Katara to do anything; he just watches her do what she needs to do and leaves when she’s ready.

The next big Zuko criticism I see is that he’s just taking Katara on this mission to endear himself to her. I do believe that’s part of the reason, but here’s my question: why is that bad? Why shouldn’t he want this person that he clearly has a lot of respect for to like him? This ties into the other criticism I’ve seen: that he doesn’t understand why Katara is mad at him in the first place. Like he says during their fight after they escape from Azula, “this isn’t fair. Everyone else seems to trust me now. What is it with you?” From this, I get the sense that he underestimated the impact that their time together in Ba Sing Se had on her. Honestly, I’m not sure Katara consciously realized it herself. This is what I was referring to earlier when I said that her sadness about her mother has taken a backseat to her anger. The connection that she and Zuko had in the crystal catacombs may have been brief, but it was strong enough that she offered to try and heal him with the water from the spirit’s spring. It was strong enough that Zuko let her touch his scar. When Zuko betrayed that connection, which started by bonding over their lost mothers, Katara’s mother wound opened wider and anger she’d never been able to deal with began to spill out.

In the season 3 premiere, we get a glimpse of how Katara has changed when she lashes out at her dad, whom she had been eager to see for two seasons. She generally demonstrates more anger throughout the season even before Zuko joins such as in The Painted Lady when she yells at Sokka multiple times for trying to get her to leave the river town. Compare this to Imprisoned in season 1 where she is firm in her resolve to free Haru, but she convinces Sokka and Aang that it’s the right thing to do and gets them to help instead of just taking matters into her own hands. Katara’s core struggle in season 3 is misplaced anger—at her dad, her brother, and finally Zuko. Her anger at him over his betrayal at Ba Sing Se is completely justified! Her anger at him about her mother’s murder, not so much. Having him around though keeps her anger simmering just below the surface because of the bond they shared that he destroyed. Zuko knows he did wrong by her—by everyone in the gaang. But as I said before, I don’t think he knew just how much that connection meant to Katara until she told him (“I was the first person to trust you, and you betrayed me”), which is why he didn’t initially understand why she was still so cold to him after all the good he’d done since joining them. In this episode, he realizes that it’s not enough just to do good. He needs to do something good for Katara because he severely fucked up with her before. And what do you do when you fuck up with someone you care about (“I do care what she thinks of me”)? You try to make it right. In Zuko’s case, he performs a grand gesture to try and get Katara something she clearly, desperately needs that he is uniquely qualified to offer her: closure. Only by getting closure can she make room in her heart for the other thing she needs: forgiveness. She can’t forgive Yon Rha (nor should she imho) but confronting him allows her to leave the dark tunnel that was on the verge of consuming her. And who does she have to thank for that? Zuko. So she forgives him, because he went out of his way to help right the greatest wrong ever done to her, and he did it with care and respect. In forgiving him, Katara is able to come back to herself.

In my opinion, whether you ship Katara and Zuko romantically or not, the arc of their relationship is the heart of the show in many ways. By forging a relationship with Katara, whose home he attacked in the very first episode, Zuko learns to listen to those who he and his family have wronged and tend to their needs to truly make reparations. In turn, by letting Zuko help her, Katara receives concrete proof that a brighter future is possible, and part of that means being open to people from the Fire Nation changing. The fact that Katara and Zuko spend almost all of their remaining screen time in the series together, supporting each other emotionally and risking their lives for each other, emphasizes the importance of their relationship as individual characters who have grown in parallel and as microcosms of the wounded world of ATLA and the path it must take to heal.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk 🌊🔥

[eternalera]

ngl im not upset that izuocho is canon because that means tha bkdk isnt canon or togachako isnt canon (although im a little sad i wouldnt say upset. because ofc people are gonna be a little disappointed when soemthing they want doesnt happen)

im more so upset about how fucking bad their get together was like holy shit. or how little they interact or how just not close they seem to each other. like they were always shown admiring each other, but it always felt like they were doing so from afar.

whenever ochako was saying how much she admired izuku and wanted to be like him, even changing her costume to match hers it reminded me of izuku making his first costume like All Might and uh... you see the problem there? she changed it because she admired him and because she admired him she loved him. it wasnt she loves him so she admires him and that always made their relationship feel so distant

then whenever they did interact it just felt like all might and izuku's team ups and stuff like that. even with the blushing i couldnt get into their relationship because they hardly interacted and when they did their relationship always felt so surface level to me that i couldnt get into it

also not even mentioning that literal SHIGARAKI himself says how BAKUGO is the closest person to izuku, NOT ochako. which is... you'd think the person you love/get together with should be the one that you're closest with but thats just not the case here

he's closest with bakugo and with ochako she was closest with tsuyu or toga for that matter.

toga and her bonded over their love for izuku and while yes it was romantic they saw past that and loved each other (whether you think of it as platonic or romantic). they literally saw that and cared for each other. toga valued ochako's opinion and we're shown this when she asks ochako if ochako would kill her in s6 and when she says yes thats when toga basically becomes a 'full fledged' villain

like its so clear that these two are not each others #1's and are NOT each others first thought or anything. yes they're blushing when theyre around each other, yes theyre cute together, but in terms of who they develop the most with? who they're always with? who's on their mind pretty much 90% of the time?

its not each other.

hell whenever izuku goes berserk its because bakugo gets injured and yes he would do it for any of his classmates but it establishes their relationship a LOT more and states bakugo's importance to izuku more than anything.

idk anyways thanks for coming to my tedtalk lol-

[quasi-normalcy]

So there's this thread on the Star Trek subreddit asking everyone what exactly they don't like about Discovery, and, inevitably, most of the answers are pretty bland, surface-level whining about "people crying" or whatever (something that famously has never happened before on Star Trek)

(He's just rubbing his eyes, don't mind him)

But I actually wanted to get into the weeds of it a fair amount, and so I wrote a post that became way longer than I anticipated. So below (specifying first that I don't actually hate it by any means), here's my in-depth critique of Discovery as a science fiction writer and fan:

Basically issue is this: much has been written about how Star Trek is a utopian future, a positive vision for humanity and yada yada yada…and all of these things are true. And in fact, I believe that Discovery—after its first season, at least—fits into this tradition. And I’m glad that this is true of Star Trek; I wouldn’t like it half as much if it were like, say, Babylon 5, or Battlestar Galactica.

But.

Star Trek is also fundamentally a science fiction story. And more to the point, it’s a specific kind of science fiction story: it’s science fiction in the vein of Isaac Asimov. When it works, a good Star Trek story—like a good Asimov story—works as a sort of a mystery or riddle or logic puzzle. Our heroes are faced with some problem, and we, the audience, are given clues to the solution. And if we, and the heroes, are clever, our perspective on the problem shifts and there’s this beautiful Aha! moment when suddenly everything falls into place.

Why is the Horta killing those miners?  It’s a mother protecting her young.

Why does everyone keep disappearing on Beverly? The don’t; she’s the one who disappeared, all of this is a false reality, and her friends are trying desperately to save her.

How are they going to bring the Romulans into the war? By making it look like the Dominion murdered their senator.

Now, not all Star Treks (nor all Asimov stories, honestly) fit into this mould. Sometimes the problem is poorly set up; sometimes the solution doesn’t really make sense. Too often, they’re just technobabble problems with technobabble solutions and you’re just left wondering why anyone should care. And indeed, some of the very best Star Trek episodes have an entirely different structure. Like I think that “Living Witness” is honestly the best Star Trek story ever told, and it doesn’t even try to fit into the mould. Nor does “Family”. Nor does “Bar Association” or any number of my other favourite episodes. But I still think that this is the baseline Star Trek plot: clever people in space encountering problems—whether scientific, diplomatic, political, engineering, or moral—and solving them by being clever.

This applies, by the way, even when it’s not really the main thrust of the episode. Like in the latest season of Prodigy, there’s this episode where the gang are taken prisoner by the Vau N’Akat, and Jankom has his prosthetic hand confiscated by them. How do they get out? Jankom reprograms a tricorder and hacks his own prosthetic hand! It’s a minor plot point but it’s clever and it’s fun to watch, because it plays fair with what we’ve established about the universe and the characters and how technology works here.

So then. Getting back to Discovery, my issue, straightforwardly, is that I doesn’t really have this plot structure. I mean, it does sometimes—I think that the solution to “Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad” is very Asimovian, and I can see how the outline of it in the resolution to the Klingon War, though I don’t think they really sold the solution. But it seems more or less absent after season one. I can’t think of a single moment in the last four seasons (and maybe this would change if I watched them again, but that won’t be for another few years at least) where I could point at the screen and say: “Aha! That was clever!”

It’s not that it’s dumb writing, by the way! Often times, particularly in season 4, the scriptwriters go out of their way to show their work (or, well…Dr. Erin Macdonald’s work, let’s be honest) to render their scripts scientifically plausible. But they feel somehow…paint by numbers.

Like, I liked season 4! It was my favourite! I think that the 10C were a cool concept and that the episode where they communicate with them was the best in the series. But did anyone ever seriously doubt how it would play out? The 10C didn’t know they were hurting people; we talk to them; we work out a mutually beneficial compromise. For Star Trek, that’s pretty much a stock plot; except here, it last 13 episodes. Or “Whistlespeak”; Michael and Tilly beam down to this jungle planet, participate in a ritual race…is there any chance that this won’t end in human sacrifice? Again, it’s competently executed, but it’s nothing new; nothing clever; nothing that makes me point at the screen and say “Aha!” The entire final season was a scavenger hunt literally based on solving riddles, and none of these riddles really rose above an escape room level. And what’s worse, none of these riddles really required elements that had been introduced beforehand. It never really felt like they were playing fair with us.

And ultimately, I think that all of this is a manifestation of the big, overwhelming problem with Discovery: everything—plot, character, worldbuilding—is driven entirely by theme. “We want to do a season on xenophobia / authoritarianism / COVID anxiety / etc.” Okay, well then this, this, and this need to happen, this character needs to act this way because they represent this, and then this needs to happen to convey this message. There’s no roomfor the story or characters to evolve organically; there’s no room for play. And that’s what this kind of cleverness is: it’s play. It’s the writers picking up the pieces that they’ve laid out and finding clever ways to use them. It’s the writers having fun. And if the writers are having fun, then the show is fun, and the audience is having fun! But if you just pick a theme and subordinate the logic of character, plot, and world to advancing this theme, it just becomes a sort of dour ritualistic pantomime, even when fun is had on screen.

Anyways, that’s my take.

[wandixx]

Count the freckles, connect them like the stars part 2, Pisces

Summary: Five time Danny found and drew constellations from M'gann's freckles and one time she did that for him

M’gann tried to not do it too often, but there was something really nice in going on a rant about something inconsequential. She was leading a stressful life, like all other heroes, teenage or not. It was impossible not to, when every other day could end in life-or-death situation, with innocent lives as additional stakes. Personally she thought she was quite good at handling it, too. She wasn’t the one to get frustrated easily, to explode at people over things that stressed her out in other parts of life, and lately she even got some useful coping mechanisms thanks to Black Canary. She certainly had bigger problems than characters in her sitcoms.

All it is to say, there was still something enjoyable in channeling pent-up stress into winded discussion about something she found absurd in old English poems or other elements of her homework.

“And it feels so dumb, like, man heard from some witches that he’d get promotion, which wasn’t that surprising, considering everything he’d done, and then become king, and then when he got said promotion by virtue of doing what he was doing, he decided he needs to force the fate”

“Exactly! Like, Macbeth, my man. Even if you assume these ladies are right, which, why would you do that, these were randoms by the road, this means you’re guaranteed to become king. Why kill your king, your friend who you’ve been wax poeting about few pages ago?!” Danny agreed passionately, waving his hands in righteous exasperation so much, that he almost tripped over his tea. In all honesty, he was M’gann’s favorite rant partner. Sometimes he’d ask «Do you need solution or someone to yell with?» and then he was always eager to match her energy and never tried to give her advice when she didn’t ask for it. On few occasions they stumbled upon resolution while egging each other on, but but that was never a point. The point was to complain about whatever until they both felt better about it.

“And maybe it makes sense and makes everything deeper or something, but who the hell is Hecate and why did she just show up? Like, can everyone stop acting like it’s obvious? Not everyone here is human” she whined, slightly redundant. After all, big part of why she was at school in the first place was because people assumed she was human too. Still it would be nice if things were explained a bit more.

“And it’s not even general human thing, just ‘Western’ culture thing. Hecate is goddess from Greek mythology, though I’m not sure why she was used here? Maybe because one of her things were crossroads. But still. She is not really well known. Like, bitch please, not everyone here knows mythology, give people breadcrumbs at least”

“Breadcrumbs?”

“Breadcrumbs. Tiny pieces of information that can lead you to the answer. It’s from some fairy tale, I think”

“Huh. Cool”

M’gann leaned back in her chair and looked at the high ceiling for a moment.

“I need to get around to making bread sometime soon. That could be fun”

Danny just hummed in agreement.

“But it’s hard to heat up the kitchen enough for dough to grow, since it’s connected to main area”

She saw out of the corner of her eye how Danny’s face scrunched up, deep in thought.

“I think Sam mentioned some recipe that let’s bread grow in fridge overnight. I can ask her about it, if you want”

Girl slumped back forward, to look at him surprised, to make sure he was serious.

“Would you?”

“Of course”

“Thanks”

She reached forward to get her own tea. Danny’s eyes followed her hands as if they were artifacts cursed so once you looked at them, you couldn’t look away. She mentally reached out, just a little, just slightly, to brush against his most surface level thoughts to see what got hims so intrigued. Not any deeper, just–

Ah. He found stars in her freckles again. He wasn’t sure if he should mention it.

M’gann wondered how she could ask about it without bringing up the fact that she read his thoughts. Sometimes it was hard to balance between what his comfort and hers. Without telepathy, people’s moods were downright indecipherable, but she knew humans didn’t really see it the same way, and couldn’t separate public thoughts from private ones.

She needed something with hands, something with–

“Unrelated human culture question, girl at my school offered to do some palm reading on me, do you know what does it mean?” she asked, bringing her hands forward a bit. She hoped he’d take them, but didn’t want to make it too obvious. He did, careful warm fingers grasping her left wrist and flipping it palm up.

She slowly moved pen over to where they sat with her telekinesis, doing her best to not call any attention to it.

“It’s a superstition. Some people believe they can read future based on the lines on people’s hands,” he explained, feather-light finger tracing it “It’s usually stuff like how long will you live, something about your love life, maybe some other things? I don’t know much, I always preferred other forms of pseudoscience.”

“Like what?”

“Astrology~” he said with pizzazz, flipping her hand again, “and you have Pisces, which means you’re caring, optimistic, kind and sweet”

M’gann couldn’t help but laugh. She tried to keep open mind to all different Earth concepts, to not treat them as stupid, even if she considered them absurd, but this one caught her off guard. It was fine though. Danny laughed too.

“Does it really?” she deadpanned, after they both calmed down.

“Yeah!” He mindlessly grabbed the pen and started drawing line just below her knuckles “Pisces is one of the Zodiac Constellations, which is this sort of belt of stars that Sun passes through over the year. Each constellation is supposed to take up 30° of the sky and has assigned time to it, based on when Sun is in opposition of it, so it’s best visible at night. People born during that time have specific Zodiac Sign. Like I said, some people believe it affects people’s personalities and life. I’m Gemini, so allegedly, I’m really curious, playful and adaptable–”

“It’s not wrong.”

“Eh,” he stopped drawing to look at her and wave his hand in so-so motion, “Unfortunately some people get really intense and rude about it, so they’d say I’m two-faced and inconsistent or some shit and then decide they should never talk to me again. Personally I see it as dumb fun though,” he finished, scratching against her skin to write visible lines. M’gann was sure this particular pen normally wrote smoothly, but it seemed like skin made it a bit harder to use. It was alright, she liked the slightly tingly feeling it left behind.

“And my zodiac sign is Pisces?”

"I mean, you're not from Earth and I don't know when you were born, so it's hard to say"

"Right, dumb question"

Danny stopped again and stared at her intensely, suddenly deep in thought. M'gann carefully didn't peek, even though she was curious.

"It isn't," he started slowly, "Mars is close enough that parallax doesn't really affect way stars are in relation to each other, at least from what I read, so you probably could see Zodiac Belt from the surface. We can try extrapolating Earth Zodiac to Martian year and based on that see what was most likely visible when you were born. That could be pretty neat exercise"

"Huh. Are our stars really the same?"

"Yeah, it's really cool, but I don't get it enough to really explain," Danny answered, sounding genuinely bothered by the fact. This just wouldn't do, it was supposed to be time for them to unwind.

"It's fine. Maybe next time."

"Maybe next time"

"What's the story behind Pisces? Like the one you told me about Virgo and three Goddesses?"

Danny relaxed, though he quickly turned a bit sheepish.

"Funny story… There is no story" M'gann forcefully tramped down her disappointment.

"So, was Virgo only constellation with the story?" she asked, trying not to grumble. She enjoyed listening to Danny, when he was so excited, with shining eyes and almost glowing. Sometimes, it was hard to get that out of him, even if he genuinely felt it. M’gann was careful to not look to deep into his mind, so she didn’t actually know why at times he kept repressing every bit of excitement he seemed to feel. She was determined to let it surface far more often.

And these were nice stories too.

“No, don’t worry,” Danny said, not quite laughing, but with this type of projection about him, “It's just Pisces really. I think it was because Greeks adopted Babylonian Zodiac and had to scramble to find anything that could be set as origin story for each constellation. For everything else they found something, more or less matching, but Pisces proved to be difficult. Virgo is supposed to look like Maiden and other Zodiac also has assigned something they look like and based on that myths were assigned. Pisces is said to be two fishes that are tied together by their tails but nobody knows why they'd be that. One idea I heard was that they were fish that lead Aphrodite’s chariot after she came to be from sea foam. Aphrodite was Greek Goddess of Beauty and Romantic Love and was born from Uranus' blood that fallen down on see when his son injured him. I'm not sure if said fishes even appeared in any other Aphrodite myths, or even most versions of her origin story, so I don't think this counts. But I like the way it looks. It's pretty."

M'gann looked down on her palm, where Danny successfully kept upon drawing. She didn't really see what could be so pretty about this particular shape, she thought it was no different to other ones she saw, when Danny drew or when she later went to check it out, but who was she to disregard his sense of aesthetics. Maybe it was something specific to how human or ghost brains were wired.

"It's fine," After a moment she added "So, Pisces have no story and some humans can be weirdly intense about stars on night of others birth”

“Exactly”

“And I’m Zodiacless”

“For now… Ha! I’m done!”

When M’gann looked at it again, she still had trouble seeing fishes in it, but at this point she came to understand that humans were really good at finding things in most random places.

Danny was staring at her, when she looked up from wobbly drawing. He grinned, like he was barely stopping himself from laughter.

“Don’t worry, I don’t know how anyone saw fish there either”

[flippinpancakes64]

can you write cullens x reader who is insecure about their acne? 😽

The Cullens with a reader who is insecure about their acne

Again with you people being inside my walls. I’m convinced someone has a camera in here.

Thank you for requesting and I hope you enjoy!

Edward:

He thinks you’re perfect either way

He loves you, acne or not

He’s rich so if you want to do like a chemical peel or something else that’s expensive but will help with the acne he will do it no questions asked

And yes you can use his cold hands if your face starts to burn up from it

He hears what people think, but he doesn’t tell you

And if anyone tries to say something to you they are getting decked

Alice:

This is her department

She’s all about fashion and makeup, i feel like she knows about skincare too

She does everything she can to help you

Creams, treatments, washes

But she’s also very clear that she loves you no matter what

She’s helping you because you want the help

She also doesn’t lead you on with false hope

“I just saw that this cream doesn’t actually help you much in the future, so let’s try something else”

Jasper:

Genuinely doesn’t notice

He just sees you, feels your beautiful emotions, and loves you

But he definitely understands the most out of everyone

He has all of his scars that he hates but he can’t control

On really bad days, he uses his ability to help you feel better

But again he’s super supportive in anything that you try to help get rid of your acne

He reads up a bit on what’s supposed to help the most and he tries to do that

But more than anything he’s very understanding

Rosalie:

She is perfect, so you’re a little hesitant to bring up your insecurities around her

But she’s so nice

She keeps up with beauty trends and products throughout the years, so she has some stuff for you to try

She will do anything with you

You feel weird about using this new product? She’ll get in the bathroom with you and put it on too

And don’t even get me started on people at school

I’ve already established she will kill someone for being mean to you

That still applies here

Emmett:

He feels a lil crazy

He genuinely didn’t even notice that you had acne

Bro thought it was freckles or moles or smthn

So when you start complaining about it saying you hate it he’s like “no you’re perfect i love your birthmarks”

Cue the deadpan from you

He just steps back from that side of things

He lets you handle that cause he doesn’t know what he’s talking about lol

But he will beat a bitch up for you so you have that going at least

Esme:

She knows the struggle

I feel like she probably had pretty bad acne for a while when she was a teenager

She tells you all of the things that used to help her

She’s there for you every step of the way

Constantly reassuring you that she still finds you attractive no matter what

And yes she will fund any treatment you want to try

She just loves you and wants you to be happy

Carlisle:

Just looked it up, he is a surgeon (meow 😼 yummy)

So dermatology is not his strong suit

But working in a small town he has to know a little about everything

So he can help you on the surface level (telling you to wash your face, what foods to avoid, etc)

But he’s much quicker to schedule you an appointment with an actual dermatologist

But again, this only happens if you expressly state that you hate your acne and want it fixed

You don’t have to change anything for him

Vampire! Bella:

Some kids used to call her pizza face in middle school

So she knows the feeling

Nothing ever worked for her tho so she doesn’t really know how to help

It just sort of evened out as she got older

But she’s supportive with whatever you want to do

Or don’t want to do

If you never try anything to get rid of your acne then she’s okay

She loves you for you and you don’t need to change anything for her

[voidcrumbs]

some thoughts ™️ on the Wheeler household and Mike's potential comphet

I'm a firm believer that the Wheelers are emotionally neglectful parents. Ted more blatantly so than Karen of course because he's fully absent other than a few snide remarks here and there, but despite Karen's best efforts to be there for her kids, it's surface level and ineffective.

What happens to kids who are raised in emotionally neglectful households?

They aren't taught how to understand, name, or trust their emotions

They don’t feel safe being vulnerable, especially with anything that might disrupt the family’s expectations or "normalcy" (And we know the Wheelers are the show's biggest example of 'perfect normal nuclear family')

They internalize shame around differences

Multiple times we see both Mike and Nancy refusing to open up to Karen when they're struggling with something; for Mike specifically since this is a Mike post:

He lies to her about why he's staying home from school in s1, because he says last time he was truthful about wanting to skip, she was mad at him. Even at such a young age, he's already internalized that opening up to her will result in anger instead of support.

When she's telling him he can talk to her about anything, he's guarded and doesn't contribute the conversation at all. No "yeah I know mom, thanks, I love you!" just silence until the conversation is interrupted and ends.

When he's acting out at school (plagiarism, vandalism, back talking his teacher) the approach isn't to talk with him and figure out the core issue, it's to scold him in front of the whole family at dinner. (his acting out here is his way of opening up, and it's again met with punishment/anger)

Mike doesn't go to Karen unless something completely devastating happens and he has no other option for comfort; and when he does go to her, it's for a silent hug. (Will being found 'dead' in s1/moving away in s3) Again, like the "you can talk to me!" conversation, there's no actual processing of his underlying emotions here, just surface level comfort from Karen that doesn't meet the emotional needs he's having in the moment.

I'm sure there are more than this, but these are the main examples that come to mind.

We see him in an environment where emotional openness isn't modeled, vulnerability is punished or met with anger, and appearances are the most important thing.

Versus in a household where parents are meeting a kid's developmental needs:

They can explore their identity without fear of repercussions

They can ask uncomfortable questions safely

They can push back against norms without fear of abandonment (Conformity is what's killing the kids!!!)

Without these needs getting met, identity exploration becomes dangerous. Emotional neglect teaches kids to self silence, and to seek approval over authenticity. Which to me, sounds a lot like comphet.

We see this play out in a number of ways with Mike:

Presenting as straight, pursuing a “normal” (we know he's striving for 'normalcy' from Finn's interviews stating as much) relationship with a El. There are so many examples of him doing what he THINKS he should do in a 'normal' relationship, or just not even knowing what to do at all; needing Lucas to tell him how to apologize, or the constant makeout sessions, to name a few. He's not driven to act in this relationship because of genuine feelings, he's following a 'normal relationship' script

His intense need to be “the heart” and fix everything. Needing to be the one to lead the charge to find will, to pull El out of the pizza freezer trance with his grand 'love' profession

His fear of not being enough unless he performs a role Being the heart of the party, his admission to Will in the van about how he needs to be needed but he's "just some nerd" (and the relief when Will tells him he'll always be needed)

Compare his experience with coming to terms with his sexuality with Will's experience:

Will is raised in an abusive household, yes, and obviously has a ton of his own trauma. However, he has a mother and brother (/stand in paternal figure) that DO nurture his emotional needs. He feels safe enough to be emotionally vulnerable with them, and as a result safe enough within himself to explore his sexuality. He eventually accepts himself as gay, to the point where he's not only internally acknowledges his love for Mike for what it is, he makes a confession to him via The Painting ™️ (veiled, granted, but a confession nonetheless)

If this is all intentional (and I do feel it is) I think it's pretty safe to say that the show has set Mike up to be one of the most complex characters in the entire story.

He's a kid who's dealing with being raised in an emotionally neglectful household, and is having feelings he doesn't understand without the tools to work through them, as a direct result of that emotional neglect. It's easier to just be "normal" and so that's what he does, and so his comphet is his survival method.

In season 5 I truly believe he's going to overcome this and complete his emotional arc; i don't know if it'll be a vecna situation, finally challenging his own thoughts after spending more time with Will, something he'll work through on his own, or a combination of any and all of the above.

But I'm so excited to see this play out because the setup so far really only leaves one ending to this arc for him, he needs to unlearn that being vulnerable is dangerous so he can finally accept himself as more than just "some nerd who needs to be needed".

[yan-lorkai]

Hi!

Dunno if you know or watched about hazbin hotel but can I ask a Alastor!reader with whoever you want to write?

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ A/N: I already binge watched hazbin twice lol, so yeah I know Alastor my beloved little guy. I'm writing this for my beautiful ladies and Undertaker btw!

Always smiling, dressed in red and carrying a microphone. You are a peculiar figure in the eyes of many. Wherever you go you leave people with mixed feelings, some afraid, others fascinated, but everyone knows that you are someone not to be messed with. Or else there will be consequences. Your smile may be sweet at first sight but hide a part of sharp teeths.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Integra thinks she should be used to death and blood but she has quite a soft spot hidden deep within her. If you are killing vampires and ghouls she doesn't mind much but killing humans, or worse, Hellsing agents, makes her sad. So very sad. Her humans dying because they didn't know any better and had provoked your ire, do please spare them. Or she'll have to send Alucard to teach you a lesson and even she don't know who could win between you two.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Seras kind of match your energy. She was a police officer once, arresting and even killing when necessary. Even if she had seen her fair share of bodies, of guts spilled from inside out, of blood, she isn't disgusted by it anymore. She is more concerned that you cannibalize your victims sometimes. She knows some serial killers like to claim trophies but you just eat them. She can't really say anything because she drinks blood to live and many would find it just as disgusting.

That said, she loves your gentle persona. When you two are out and about, people seem like to admire you two. At the surface level you're both gentle and calm, and it's cute how you interact.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Thirteen find you so funny. She likes teasing you till your breaking point, where your voice is all distorted and your form begins to waver. She can't help, she like this side of you. And she loves even more to watch you kill, as a reaper is her job collecting souls so she isn't bothered by the blood or the smell of flesh that you eat. Kill for your heart's content, she's just going to stay here to show her support for you. And later she can take you to eat jambalaya.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Undertaker is another one that find you and your mannerisms funny. He was always round you when you were alive and killing people, watching you, wanting to see what you were going to do next. You were funny as hell too. And when you were killed he was the one who collected your soul, in his eyes your soul was so interesting, so precious, but was time to go.

When word got around about a demon killing other demons then he wanted to meet the infamous Radio demon and he is delighted to know you still up to cause chaos around. This time he is going to stay around and watch you closely, you make him laugh very much, after all. And likes you too. You want power, you trap people into deals, you scheme and it's so entertaining watching everything happening, Undertaker even likes to share his thoughts on your plan just to add a little more perspective.

[shutupineedtothink]

Ok this has been sitting in my drafts for a minute but since nobody asked for it, here’s my full Nicky headcannon. It leads into an insane MCU witch movie with Agatha, Wanda, Rio, Billy, Tommy (?), maybe Jen and even Alice. All the witches! I got yall.

So, Nicky Scratch. That boy is Agatha and Rio’s but most prominently he is Death’s Son, right. A demigod something or other, an entity, Something Else. Not really human/mortal, but certainly not dead either. He’s in the same class of whatever Rio is. Rio knows this from day one. Agatha does not.

That means two main things: Nicky isn’t really “dead,” (he wasn’t even supposed to be “living”) and that kid should have hella powers. We should have seen some indication of that imo in the show but I can explain it away easily enough in a minute. Either way, under the surface he should have scary magic along the lines of Billy if not far more powerful.

Except while Billy has essentially Wanda’s magic, creator magic, Nicky’s is much, much darker. You know, something fitting of a child of Death.

Let’s say Nicky has Black Magic. 👀 haven’t seen that one on the color wheel of magic colors yet amirite. (Except the Darkhold I suppose, which is an interesting connection potentially.) Or maybe it's like Dark Magic, as in literal darkness. Darkling style. Maybe it's somehow a dark/light binary, like how Rio is technically a death/life binary. Idk I'm working on it, but you get the idea. He's on another level, something adjacent to Rio but not quite the same.

His magic is so strong, corrosive, not evil necessarily but heavy and consuming, that it was killing his mortal body from the beginning.

That’s why he was never meant to live in the first place — like Rio he is Another Being, his magic is Something Else. It’s too much for a human little boy. He needed to join her to really “live” and have any hope of control over his magic.

His powers also make him a massive target for who knows what demons and underworld beings. … you see where this could go.

So in this version, let’s say Rio has a much deeper connection to Nicky on a magical level. She can tell when his magic is about to manifest in the world of the living and takes him right before that happens, otherwise both him and Agatha will be in danger. Perhaps she even tells Nicky what’s happening, and he can feel it coming too, which also accounts for why he goes with her so willingly, to protect his mama from his own power. Kind of a lot for a six-year-old to understand but again, he’s Special.

Maybe Rio’s even been keeping the monsters off Nicky and Agatha’s trail while Nicky was human. Tbh it was a miracle she managed it for six years alongside her other responsibilities. She never told Agatha a) because she didn’t want her being more afraid than she already was, b) because would it have really made any difference, Agatha would hate her either way and c) For The Drama.

When Rio takes Nicky, maybe she stashes him in some kind of purgatory space. Pocket dimension? Idk we have no idea what she has access to but let’s say she hides him away somewhere so that she can teach him to use his magic and keep him away from the demons. This is where I would pull in Alice if possible, after we see Rio take her into the smoke in ep 8 Rio makes her an offer to help her protect Nicky in purgatory for a while, because his powers are only getting stronger and she's starting to get worried something's going to happen. Yes, diverting a soul like that is wildly against the rules. She does it anyway for her son.

All of this of course makes Agatha’s hatred for Rio that much worse, because Nicky is still “alive” in a sense and Rio is doing everything she can to protect him and raise him and help him control his magic. She can’t tell Agatha any of this because anyone else who knows about Nicky is a liability. Again, she really shouldn’t have even let him live with Agatha in the first place, it was a massive risk to everyone involved. But she did, and Agatha has no idea what a gift that was, for her and for Nicky.

All of that said, this would set us up for some CRaZy MCU witch/underworld stuff. So here’s the rough outline of my movie: let’s say the demons finally find Nicky wherever Rio has him hidden and take him to the underworld, Mephisto, blah blah whatever. I’m not worried about the motive at this point. Age Nicky up to Billy’s age roughly so he can be a real character. Btw, in my head Nicky is still the sweetest bean, total opposite to either of his mothers, too good for this world, cursed with this insane power he doesn’t know what to do with. Obviously, we have some opportunity to develop him from there.

Anyway, once she finds out he’s gone, Rio is forced to tell Agatha the truth. There’s no one else she can trust to get Nicky back. (I’m imagining a juicy confrontation between the two of them where we just let Kathryn and Aubrey cook with the exposition.) Rio can’t go to the underworld herself for some reason, because of The Cosmic Rules, and the Jac Schaeffer rules of Rio can’t hang around on screen for too long (which I like, actually).

Rio only deals with the mortal plane and directing souls to whatever comes next. So it has to be Agatha who rescues him, but as a ghost she’s stuck on the mortal plane too. So now we gotta “bring her back to life,” because I need real life Kathryn Hahn in this full movie not as a ghost, you feel me. And she has to be able to use her magic. So we gotta manifest a new body around her ghost form. At first they think Billy can do it, but even he’s not that powerful, not to mention still relatively untrained.

… Do you see the vision yet?

There’s only one witch, who may or may not be dead, who can manifest Agatha Harkness back into a living breathing body. And Agatha HATES it with every fiber of her noncorporeal being, but she needs the Scarlet Witch to make her mortal again, so that she can go to the underworld and save her son. Of course, chaos and shenanigans ensue, and Wanda and the boys end up going with her.

I’m calling the movie — Agatha Harkness and the Scarlet Witch. It’s a team up babyyyy! It’s about women and power, Wanda and Agatha being two sides of the same coin, mothers and their sons, rewriting your story, reuniting and letting go, etc etc etc. Yes I have entire scenes already written in my head, no I’ll never actually write the fic or the screenplay, if somebody wants to run with this please let me know and I’ll give you what I got.

The point is, the story potential on Nicky is insane to be The One Who Brings Everyone Else Together and I really hope they don’t just throw it away.