#hi this was so nice and fun to write

[glitterincandles]

If you're still looking for headcanon requests for Smiling Friends, would you Allan reacting to his boyfriend coming out as trans? (ftm)

☆ allan reacting to his bf coming out as trans ☆

• he would be supportive of his bf!!!! :D

• while his bf is coming out to him, allan would be actively listening to him and taking in every word and every little bit of body language

• ^ like he will be intrigued, he would ask questions, and be actively involved

• “Oh, really? That’s interesting. I have no issues with that. I’m happy you felt safe enough to tell me.”

• “When did you find out? I’m glad you figured yourself out.”

• if his bf is starting out on his transition, allan would financially support him with all he has. like at least half of his paychecks would go to helping him afford top surgery, hrt, etc

• if anyone has a problem with his bf, allan will come to his defense at all times

• ^ like if his bf gets misgendered, allan is quick to correct the person with a snappy remark and he is never afraid to do so

[flwrkid14]

Ghosts of Gotham: Tim Drake is a Halfa

Danny wasn’t exactly sure what he expected when he met Gotham’s infamous vigilantes, but “Red Hood smells like death and swamp water had a baby” definitely wasn’t on the list. The moment he stepped into the room, Danny gagged so hard he nearly fell out of the air.

“Holy Ancients,” he wheezed, covering his nose. “What in the name of all things unholy is that?”

Jason, already not thrilled about the random glowing stranger showing up, tilted his helmeted head. “What’s what?”

“That! You! You smell like—oh, man. I can’t even describe it.” Danny waved his hand in front of his face like it might help. “It’s like if ectoplasm went rancid and then you rolled in it for three days straight. Dude, do you know what’s going on with your ecto-situation?”

Jason took a threatening step forward. “You wanna say that again?”

Danny floated higher, clearly not intimidated. “Oh, I’ll say it again. You stink. And not just like regular stink. Like ghost stink. Like, ‘this is a health code violation, and the Ghost Zone is going to fine you’ stink. How are you even standing there right now? Anyone from Amity Park would be side-eyeing you so hard you’d feel it in your soul—what’s left of it, anyway.”

Jason stared, his body language radiating murderous intent. “You are two seconds away from eating pavement, Casper.”

Danny, unbothered, pointed at his own chest. “Excuse me, Phantom. Casper wishes he could pull this look off.”

“Phantom,” Dick interrupted, trying and failing not to laugh, “maybe we could focus on the introductions first?”

Danny gave Jason one last look of pity and floated down. “Fine, fine. But seriously, Big Red, we’re going to have to talk about that. I’ll fix it later. No need to thank me.”

Jason looked ready to commit murder, but Bruce’s glare cut him off before he could say anything.

Once the chaos settled, introductions were exchanged, and things calmed down—relatively speaking. Danny, as it turned out, was impossible to fully calm down. He buzzed around the room like he had endless energy, chatting and throwing out quips that seemed to simultaneously amuse and irritate everyone.

Then Danny’s gaze landed on Red Robin, and everything shifted.

Danny tilted his head, his glowing green eyes narrowing slightly. For a moment, his usual chaos quieted, curiosity taking over. “Huh,” he said softly, almost to himself.

Tim stiffened, his body going taut as though preparing for impact.

Danny floated closer, peering at him with an unnervingly intense expression. “You’re like me.”

Tim’s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately stepped back, his movements sharp and jerky. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, you do,” Danny said, and his tone was too soft for the others to hear the shift in it. “You’re like me. You’re—”

Tim’s hand twitched at his side, as though debating whether to reach for something or retreat entirely. “Don’t,” he said sharply, his voice low.

Danny blinked, then realization dawned on his face. “Wait… they don’t know, do they?”

“What don’t we know?” Bruce cut in, his voice sharp with suspicion.

Danny ignored him, his gaze locked on Tim. “Oh, man. I’m sorry. I didn’t—”

Tim’s eyes darted toward Danny, his frown deepening as uncertainty clouded his features. He shifted his weight, his fingers twitching at his sides as if fighting the urge to bolt.

He took a step back, then another, his movements slow and almost imperceptible. His breathing quickened, shallow and uneven, as though the air itself had grown heavier. The space around him seemed to shimmer faintly, a distortion that matched the anxiety rippling across his face.

Danny reached out, concern etched in his expression, but Tim flinched. His lips parted as if to say something, but no words came. Instead, the shimmering intensified, and with each passing second, Tim grew more translucent, his form fading like a mirage under the moon.

By the time Danny blinked, Tim was gone, leaving only a faint disturbance in the air where he had been.

The bats froze, their eyes darting around the room.

“What the hell just happened?” Jason demanded, reaching for his guns. “Where’d he go?”

“Did you do something?” Damian snapped at Danny, his hand already on his katana.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Danny held up his hands, his eyes wide with excitement. “Not me! That was all him! Holy Ancients—he can turn invisible?!” A grin split his face as he practically vibrated in place. “This is awesome! Wait—does he shoot ecto-beams too? Or, oh, what if he’s got some crazy transformation I’ve never even seen before? This just keeps getting better!”

Bruce’s expression darkened. “You need to explain. Now.”

Danny sighed, his excitement fading as realization set in. “Okay, but first, I need to go find him. Because if he’s anything like me, he’s probably freaking out right now. So… bye!”

He phased through the floor before anyone could stop him.

———

Danny found Tim perched on the edge of Wayne Industries, staring out at the Gotham skyline. He floated over cautiously, his boots touching down softly on the rooftop.

“Hey,” Danny said, his voice quiet. “Mind if I sit?”

Tim didn’t respond, but he didn’t tell him to leave either, so Danny took that as permission. He sat down cross-legged, giving Tim some space.

They stayed like that for a while, the silence heavy but not unbearable.

Finally, Danny broke it. “Okay, so… not to ruin the moment, but can we talk about how you've had to endure Jason’s ecto-stench this entire time? Because seriously, that’s gotta be a health violation. I mean, I'm half-dead, and even I think it’s concerning. Someone needs to dunk him in a pool of purified ectoplasm or something. I’m gonna file a complaint with—”

Tim laughed. It was soft and brief, but it was real.

Danny grinned, leaning back on his hands. “There it is. I knew you had a laugh in there somewhere.”

Tim sighed, his shoulders loosening slightly. “You’re… a lot,” he admitted.

“I know,” Danny said proudly. “But I grow on people. Like mold. Or fungus.”

Tim huffed another laugh, shaking his head. For a moment, the tension eased, and Danny let the silence settle again before speaking more seriously.

“Look,” Danny said, his voice softer, “I’m sorry I outed you like that. I didn’t know. And if they give you crap about it, I’ll personally make their lives miserable. But… you’re not alone in this, okay? I mean, yeah, it sucks. A lot. But you’ve got me now, because there’s no way we’re not becoming best friends now, and I get it.”

Tim looked at him, his eyes glassy but steady. “Thanks,” he said quietly. He hesitated, his gaze dropping to the floor. “Do you really get it? I mean, you know what it’s like to…” His voice trailed off, thick with hesitation.

Danny tilted his head, his tone softer now. “Yeah. I know what it’s like.”

Tim let out a breath, shaky but determined. “I died.. a few months ago.”

Danny blinked but didn’t say anything, giving Tim space to continue.

“Harley—she caught me. Took me, actually. I was gone for weeks. They—she—handed me over to Joker. It was like a… gift. She thought it’d fix their relationship or something, I don’t know.” Tim’s voice faltered, his gaze flickering to the floor as if the memories were too much to hold. “I held out as long as I could. I kept fighting, kept trying to survive, but…”

He shook his head, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. “Weeks of it. Beatings. Electrocutions. I don’t even remember the exact moment my heart stopped. I just… wasn’t there anymore.”

Danny stayed quiet, his face a mix of empathy and understanding.

“Harley panicked,” Tim continued, his words tumbling out like a confession. “She thought she’d gone too far, that Joker would kill her next. So she tried shocking me back. Guess she half-suceeded? I only came back halfway.” He gestured at himself vaguely, his hands trembling. “I’m not the same. I’m not… whole.”

Danny nodded slowly. "You’re stuck between," he said, offering the words with quiet reassurance.

Tim nodded, biting his lip. “Yeah. Between.” He paused, looking up at Danny. “I haven’t told anyone because… how do you tell them something like that? How do you tell your family you’re not really alive? That their search was all in vain? That I still died, even though they looked so hard for me? I can’t make them think they failed.” His voice wavered. “They were so scared when they found me…”

Danny stayed with him in the silence, his presence a steady comfort.

Tim exhaled slowly, rubbing his face. “I thought I was weak. I thought if I told them what really happened, they’d think I was broken. And I didn’t want to be a burden.” He looked up at Danny. “I’m still not used to this. Not used to being… like this. I don’t even know how to control it—sometimes I phase through walls, other times I get stuck halfway. And the invisibility thing… I can’t even make it work without disappearing when I get too emotional.”

Danny’s gaze softened with understanding as he leaned in slightly, his voice steady but gentle. He hummed thoughtfully, “It’s a lot to handle all at once.”

Tim's shoulders slumped as he leaned closer to Danny, “I’ve been trying to figure out how to control it, but every time I get close, something goes wrong. And I didn’t want anyone to think I was weak or… freakish, so I kept pretending everything was fine. It was easier that way. Easier than explaining… all this.” He exhaled slowly, the exhaustion in his voice evident. “At least it was… until you showed up.”

Danny reached out, resting a hand on Tim’s arm in a quiet gesture of comfort. “I don’t think you’re a freak. You’re just different, like me. But that doesn’t make you broken. You’re still you.” He paused, meeting Tim’s gaze. “I know what it’s like.. to feel different, freakish, the whole nine yards. For what it’s worth? You're handling it a lot better than I did.”

Tim gave him a tight smile, the first real one in a while. “Thanks. It helps. More than you know.”

———

When they returned to the Batcave, Tim sat down with the others, Danny sticking close by his side. Tim took a deep breath and told them everything—about being captured by Harley, the weeks of torture at the Joker’s hands, the electrocutions that had stopped his heart. About how Harley had panicked and shocked him back to life, halfway. How he wasn’t entirely human anymore.

The family listened, their expressions ranging from horror to guilt to anger. Jason looked ready to kill someone, and Bruce’s usually stoic face betrayed a crack of regret. Tim hesitated as he explained why he hadn’t told them sooner, his voice faltering but honest.

Tim’s voice cracked slightly as he spoke, “I didn’t want you to think you failed… that you searched for me for nothing,"

Danny stayed quiet but stayed close, resting a hand on Tim’s shoulder. “For the record,” he said, glaring at the others, “if any of you give him crap about this, you’re gonna have to deal with me. And trust me, I will make your lives miserable.”

Tim gave him a small, grateful smile. For the first time, he didn’t feel quite so alone.

[benevolenterrancy]

hi!! I think your art is *so cool* o(≧∇≦o)

do you think you could draw more moshang? either post canon or that au you did last time?? (baby mobei has my heart and all I own)

(˵ •̀ ᴗ •́ ˵ ) oh! how about return to childhood—moshang flavor?

don't question this king, shang qinghua, he knows what he's about

[scribz-ag24]

I've recently seen again a post talking about the Sableye and Dusknoir's relationship so i'd like to put my two cents in the discussion, for I love screaming into the void about PMD. (this isnt meant to discourage any other interpretations btw this is just my take on theirs and Dusknoir's relationship, bc I think they're very fun characters and I am very glad the game actually gives these minions a bit of relevance in se5).

Tbh I don't buy that Dusknoir treats the Sableye nicely, at least not out of kindness. I don't think he's a tyrant or inexplicably mean, of course, and I think his minions ADORE him, but i also believe that doesn't mean he's nice to them, sth that i consider meaningful for their character arcs.

Throughout the entire game he's exclusively giving them orders, in se5 he concocts a plan that involves thrashing them MULTIPLE times (he's lucky Grovyle isn't one to try and kill enemies in battle ig), and the cherry on top is that the first time we see him being fully genuine he does this:

(yes, he is in turmoil in here, but there's not a single thing implying that 1. this is an unusual response towards the sablye, 2. dusknoir feels bad for it at some point or is surprised at himself, 3. this has any impact in the sableye at all. You can argue these reactions happen off screen and we don't see them, they don't happen bc they have pressing matters to attend to or they happen after they return to life, and that's perfectly valid, but i'm sticking with what the game shows us, here.)

I must say, though, the fact that the Sableye, despite having been almost mindless pokémon up to now, STAND UP TO AND ATTACK Primal Dialga for their boss and even try to look after him despite him ordering them to check on Grovyle and Celebi first is SO important to me. they are goons to the bone and they love that scheming ghost so much.

My own view is that Dusknoir is generally polite to them (you wouldn't randomly break your own revolver or weapon without any reason, would you?), but is quicker to get mean with them than with people he doesn't know or he is seeking to manipulate. He doesn't care about their behaviour as long as they get the job done, which is why I think the anime thing of the Sableye climbing onto his shoulder isn't that remarkable, rather it's a very cute moment, one that is showing how they've been working together for long and how their size difference affects their interactions, but it is not necessarily conveying an affectionate bond (this is a bit random, but it reminds me of Disney's Jafar with Iago lmao. throw your pet sableye at your enemies so they mock them and then return to your shoulder). Additionally, Dusknoir letting the Sableye onto his shoulder is probably as close as we are gonna get to a villain turning around in his chair while petting a cat in PMD lol.

[this isn't meant to be a one-to-one comparison, it's just a detail i find cute and shows that this gesture can have multiple interpretations, with none being the only right one]

Leaving that aside, I hesitate to claim Dusknoir trusts his Sableye as allies, as Grovyle makes a point in the main story of how the Sableye (your Sableye, he says, as if objectifying them; not friends, but tools, weapons at Dusknoir's disposal) are lacking compared to the way hero/partner/grovyle support one another (power of friendship and hidden information babyyyy). The Sableye are used to Dusknoir's way of doing things, though, I'm sure. They know what happens when he's displeased, after all.

I think, most of all, the Sableye are meant to look disposable: they are 6 identical pokémon that almost act like a hivemind, and we are not supposed to think at all about how we may hurt them in battle any more than we do with the angry Manectric pack or random dungeon pokémon. This, I believe, is why the game has them stand up against Dialga and gives them unique dialogue at the end of se5. They're meant to show their inner shine, just as Dusknoir managed to do. They suddenly gain an individuality they had never shown while they were working to maintain the dark future.

Where they abandoned Dusknoir in the Old Ruins, now Grovyle has motivated them to look for their dignity and fight for a better world, and that starts with protecting their leader from Primal Dialga's rampage, and supporting his new objective and allies in their quest to save the future. In their own small way, they've also grown as characters throughout SE5.

I believe that, overall, Dusknoir saw the Sableye as tools, but thanks to their growth and clear care for him, there's a possibility he might start to see them (and by extension other pokémon) in a more genuine, less pragmatic / objectifying way in the future. Now that Dusknoir has the chance to live a fulfilling life, he may learn to care for others without surrounding himself by so many walls. If anything, I think their future is quite bright. Not that the Sableye would mind if he still thrashed them around, though lol, they're clearly not bothered much by it (special episode 0 had a great depiction of the sableye imo, you can check that romhack if you haven't yet).

In conclusion, look at these little guys who adore their can-get-mean-but-is-mostly-polite boss and probably have a body count but now are good, they're so cute:

[silentium-symphony]

Hey, You Free? Modern AU (Link x Reader)

hiii so sorry this took so long!! i had actually been working on another fic before shelving it and deciding to work on a Valentine's fic.... a week after Valentine's LMAO but wtv. thank you one again for being patient w me and I hope you enjoy!!

cw: afab!reader, modern!au, fluff, bestie!link, link is kinda fruity lol, getting a lil wine-tipsy, mentions of an unnamed ex

wc: 4.1k

♤♢ ~~ ♡♧

Another Valentine's alone.

You sipped on the glass of wine, careful not to spill the burgundy liquid on your ultra-expensive and super duper classy outfit of a thrice-worn t-shirt and shorts when a notification bubbled over the TikTok you were watching.

Linky Twinky🧚🏼‍♂️: Hey, you free?

You set the glass down with a gentle ting and tapped on the notification, opening up your messaging app. Your fingers giddily flew across the screen, a gremlin grin hooking your lips.

You: ofc I am 🥲🥲 why what's up??

You thumbed the body of your glass and stared at the three dots that popped in and out of the screen. Anticipation and baited breath straightened your slumped posture and your cheeks started to heat up as you remembered the slobby outfit you were wearing. You seem to have a second sense when it came to these things because a few short moments later, he replied:

Linky Twinky🧚🏼‍♂️: I'm coming over

You immediately jumped out of your lounged hunch and headed straight for your wardrobe, already half-disrobed by the time you swung the doors open. You frantically typed back a response.

You: wait what 😭 hol up i look ugly rn LOL

You had just dunked your grimy clothes in the hamper when your phone chimed.

Linky Twinky🧚🏼‍♂️: Girrlll you always look gorg whatchu talkin abt 😍🤪😩✨️

Now why tf did your heart flutter lmao

You hearted his message before you tried on Outfit #1. You twirled around the mirror and smoothed out the trivial wrinkles and creases that rippled through the cloth. It was one of your more upscale outfits, worn only during special or dressier occasions. Your once proud smile faltered to a disgusted grimace. It looked like you were trying too hard (you were).

Outfit #2 perfectly encapsulated ‘casual…’ But what if it was too casual? It was barely a step above what you were wearing before… You jerked the top off and stomped out of the bottoms when your phone buzzed again.

Linky Twinky 🧚🏼‍♂️: I'm picking up food bc I seriously doubt you ate yet >:( what do you want?

You thumbed through the makings of Outfit #3 while you pondered the age-old question of “what's for dinner” when you responded:

You: idk lol. where are you?? what's nearby?

Linky Twinky 🧚🏼‍♂️ : So helpful, thanks 🥴🙃 but I'm at the intersection of 26th and Westgate. It looks like there's some pizza nearby??? You good with that or do you want something else?

You: pizza sounds good! ty pookie <333 do you want me to pay you back??

He hearted the message.

Linky Twinky 🧚🏼‍♂️: Nah it's fine. What kind of toppings do you want?

You tapped your desired toppings and sauce base and pressed send.

Linky Twinky 🧚🏼‍♂️: Got it. See you in a bit babe 😘

Why did your heart flutter AGAIN C'MON MAN GET IT TOGETHER

You let out a raggedy sigh and haphazardly tossed your phone onto your bed. Your fingers danced atop the rainbow arrangement of hangers as your mind’s eye jigsaw-ed an outfit from the pieces you plucked out. You began slipping on the garments.

Outfit #3 looked the most promising so far! The perfect blend of casual and classy—thank the gods you found it in time. You did a lil’ dance in front of your mirror and shuffled the rejected outfits back into your closet. You hauled ass to your TV to turn on 24/7 LIVESTREAM Fireplace ASMR Crackling Sound for Sleep, Study, and Relaxation with Smooth Jazz and set down a second glass to accompany your lonely first. You placed the wine in the fridge to chill it when your phone buzzed.

Linky Twinky 🧚🏼‍♂️: Got the pizza. Should be there in about 10 min

You placed the wine in the freezer to chill it. While the wine was chilling and hopefully not freezing or whatever, you fluffed and arranged the pillows on your sofa and smoothed that one corner of your rug that's been creased into a new shape thanks to your klutzy self. The small, somewhat inconspicuous stains on your countertops might as well have drawn an arrow to themselves and twerked in the spotlight as adrenaline-pumped shame overtook you. You had just finished scrubbing your counters and chucking your dirty dishes into the wash when your phone chimed once more.

Linky Twinky 🧚🏼‍♂️: Here. Let me in I'm freezing

You took one last look-over in the mirror before grabbing your keys and heading out the door. One hand combed through your lightly tousled hair while the other hearted Link’s message. The tip of your elbow was employed to get the elevator up and running. As the churning hum of metal cables and gears worked its way up the idle space, you rocked back and forth on your heels in time with your quickening heart. You swiped open your phone's camera and broomed and brushed the wisps and strays that clung to your forehead. The elevator announced its arrival with an off-tune ding!

The soft hum of elevator music rivaled the rackety grates of metal-on-metal from outside your confines. With a final lurch, the elevator doors rolled open with that off-tune ding! You rounded the corner and sped-walked down the short hallway; the side profile of a young man sitting on one of the benches outside, hunched over pitifully and protectively over a pizza box, filled your view. A chuckled bubbled out of you as you pressed your key fob against the sensor, unlocking the door with a soft click.

Link's face, reddened and scrunched by grueling winds and below-zero temperatures, immediately lit up seeing his pretty… so pretty savior halo'd by the lobby's warm light. He hopped up and immediately dashed for the slowly opening door.

“Thank the gods, I thought I was gonna die out there.” He chattered through shaking teeth, his lips drawn back into a lopsided grin. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him down for a quick side hug, careful not to crush the fruits of his labor. His cold shocked your system, but his face warmed up fairly quickly.

“Thanks for coming by. I really appreciate it.” You hummed, releasing your grapple and leading him back to the elevator. “Do you want me to hold that for you?”

“Nah I got it, thanks.” He snorted. “I felt like SpongeBob delivering pizza to that one dude who lived in the middle of nowhere.”

A belly laugh rumbled through the both of you as you hopped on the elevator and whirred up the floors.

“How's your Valentine's goin’?” He inquired, a goofy tilt in his voice.

You dished out the nastiest stink eye and scoffed. “Alone, thanks for asking.”

“Not for long, babe. I'm here now.” The only thing more charming than his wink was that boyish smile he flashed. Your cheeks warmed and your hands found his muscular bicep in a playful smack. He laughed in time with the ding and watched you stomp your way to your unit. He caught up with you in a few strides as you unlocked the door to the intimately lit room.

Link stood wide-eyed and open-mouthed at the place, absently failing to shuffle out of his boots.

“Wow. You really cleaned up the place.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” You huffed with a wry smile, taking the cold pizza from his hands so he could undo his boot laces. You turned your back to your gawking guest as you eyed the re-heating instructions on the cardboard.

“Girl, I've seen you and your apartment at your worst.” He neatly placed his boots to the side and folded his arms. “Remember how I visited you every day for a whole month after that piece of shit broke up with you a week before your birthday?”

“Ugh, don't remind me.” You heated up the oven and slipped the pizza in. “Gods, that was horrible… I've only lasted this long thanks to you.”

You turned to see him sitting at your counter, balancing the skinny neck of your wine glass with his fingers.

“Have you ever wondered where he is now?” He asked, absently watching the wine slosh side-to-side.

“Nah. I stopped caring once he started balding.”

You both let out a squealy holler followed by unhinged cackling.

“Girl, forget the bullet—you dodged a whole nuclear missile.” He concluded with glee, sipping the wine with a content sigh. “You deserve to be treated like the queen you are.”

“Thanks, babe.” You snickered, stealing back your glass from your exasperated bestie. A look of faux offense gripped his sharp features.

“What?” You chortled. “This is my glass. The empty one is yours.”

“Sooo where's the wine?”

“In the freezer.”

“The freezer?” He repeated incredulously, his nose crinkling at that revelation. He opened your freezer and was met face-to-bottle with fine aged wine.

“Huh. All right.”

He poured himself a healthy amount and held out his glass for a toast. With matching smiles, your glasses met with a soft cling and you both sipped the bold, fruity concoction. Link's eyes glazed over and shut as he reveled in another sip.

“This is good. Where did you buy this?”

“I got it as a gift when I had my promotion. My boss gave it to me.”

“Wish my boss would do that.” He sighed. “The only thing she gives me is more work.”

“I thought you loved your work?” You hummed, slumping over the counter and closer to Link.

“Oh, I do. Don’t get me wrong, I love working for Zelda but… She really makes me work for that check, y’know what I mean?” He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Yeah, she's a hard-worker… Super pretty too.” You slipped in quietly, gauging his response. He shrugged and took another sip.

“Yeah, I guess.”

Not gonna lie, your heart raced at his nonchalant remark and you felt like a giddy little schoolgirl fishing for validation from your crush. Liquid courage may be whispering something to you as you asked aloud,

“Have you been seeing anyone?”

Link's eyes widened and he slammed his cup back down, hurriedly swallowing the glass’s contents before coughing and rubbing his chest. You grabbed him a napkin and awkwardly laughed.

“Sorry, didn't mean to spring it on you like that! I think the alcohol is getting to me…”

“Uh—…. Uh-huh…” He mumbled, shock evidently laced through his features.

“You don't have to answer if you don't want to.”

“I haven't.”

“Wh… Huh?”

“I haven't been seeing anyone.” He looked at you, eyes still bright but edged with an earnestness you weren't used to seeing. Frankly, it felt rather… intimately intimidating to be under his unblinking gaze.

“O-Oh…? And why is that…?”

The faintest twitch tugged his eyebrows. He opened his mouth to speak, but the digital beep beep beep from your oven pulled you out of your hazed stupor. With a stiff laugh, you pulled away and slipped on your oven mitts.

“P-Pizza's done! Haha, almost forgot about it.”

You pulled down the oven door and was hit first with a wall of hot air and second by the delicious, hearty aroma of freshly heated pizza. You pulled the comfortingly toasty box out of the oven and set it back down under Link's nose. The both of you ooh'ed and aah'ed at the final reveal, watching the gooey melted cheese mingle with your favorite toppings and—.

“Oooh, cheese-filled crust?”

“Mhmm. It's a special day, after all.”

“Hell yeah, man.” You dished out two plates and scooped up a gooey slice, carefully avoiding the hot stringy cheese from scalding your fingers. Link waited for you to fish out your slice before he dove for the one next to yours. You puffed hasty breaths over its sizzling surface and took the first bite of sustenance you'd had all day. The crust was warm and slightly crisp, softening deliciously under the weight of the pizza's sauce. The cheese filled your mouth with warmy goodness, and your favorite toppings elevated the simple meal into something divine.

You cast a glance back at Link, who was looking right at you with a small smirk.

“Mm-what?” You muddled.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself.” He cocked his head to the side, grin widening.

“This shit's good as fuck.”

“Yeah, but you were having a whole moment.” A sudden heat surged through your cheeks and you cleared your throat, averting your gaze.

“Don't be mad, but… This may or may not be my first meal of the day.”

“Girl, I swear to Hylia—”

“I'm sorry! I just got distracted…”

“Doing what? You're off today.”

reading fanfics “Uh… TikTok?”

An audible groan heaved out of the man as he took another bite.

“How many times do I have to tell you? You should eat at least twice a day if you can. Of course it'd be great if you could have three meals, but if you can't, at least two! Just two!”

“I know, I know, you're right…”

“Mhmm, you only say that to get me off your back… C’mon, you have to remember to eat. Please? Please don't forget to eat, okay?”

“Okay, fine! I'll remember, okay?”

“Promise?”

“Yesss, I promise…”

“Good. Thank you.” With a satisfied nod, he finished the rest of his first slice before decorating his plate with two more. “Let's watch a movie. What’re you in the mood for?”

“Mm… I wanna watch a Ghibli movie.”

“Oooh okay, what were you thinking?”

You filed through your mental catalogue at an unhurried pace, adding additional slices to your plate and brimming your near-empty cup with more wine. Link followed suit and moved the pizza and wine over to your coffee table, plunking down in your sofa's soft cushions. With a click of a button, he pulled up several streaming services that had Studio Ghibli's best films.

“We've got Ponyo, Spirited Away, Arrietty…” He mumbled, thumbing through the selection.

“Wanna watch Howl?”

“Howl's Moving Castle?”

“Yeah.”

“Sure. I love that one.” While the on-screen cursor shuffled through the carousel of films, he patted the space beside him. “C'mere.”

You took a large swig of wine before ambling over and plopping down beside him.

Perhaps… a little too close, you thought as his residual body heat emanated through you. You tried shuffling away a bit, worried he might be uncomfortable, but the wine had begun to dull your motor functions just a tad. You let out a chesty cough as you dove for your pizza and wine, hoping you could rock yourself away as you told yourself over and over that it was only the wine that was making you feel all warm and tingly inside.

The iconic blue logo of the beloved movie studio beamed through the screen. Link got up with a huff to turn off the rest of the lights, leaving you sagged and chilled from his absence. Your heart pulsed with a confusing jolt of relief and excitement when he promptly returned to his post right beside you, ignoring the other 90% of the sofa. You didn’t know whether your heart or thoughts were racing faster as the opening sequence to Howl's Moving Castle idled by.

The mechanical hiss and creaks of Howl’s castle lurching through the fog grounded you enough to begin to relax, slumping more and more into the back of your cushions until you were in a comfortable lounge. As you grew more engrossed in the film, your surroundings (including your best friend) began to fade away from your mind’s eye.

Link downed several gulps of wine, hardly tasting and much less appreciating the dark, full-bodied notes of the cabernet. A velvety rush coursed through him as he peeked down at you, fully in tune with the movie. He weakly disguised his chuckle with a cough as his arms stretched up, his cough turning into a more noticeable ahem that was just enough to break the movie’s spell.

“Um… Is it okay if I put my arm here…?” He murmured, careful to speak only just above the TV’s volume but loud enough to be heard clearly. You looked at him, your slightly agape mouth contrasting your widened eyes as he gestured to the backpiece of the sofa.

“Oh, uh, yeah… For sure, go ahead…” You squeaked, his now absent arm and gravity making you fall closer to his side.

“Thanks…” He tentatively wrapped his arm atop the fabric. “Sorry, my arm was bent in a weird position.”

A white lie, but shhh.

“You’re all good.” You assured with a smile. “Uh… Is it okay if I scoot a bit closer?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.” He breathed, swiftly covering up the little warble in his voice by clearing his throat.

“Thanks. Just a bit cold, ‘s all.”

A white lie, but shhh.

It wasn’t very long before you were both entranced by the movie, your hearts occasionally skipping a beat or a breath getting caught in your throats when either of you shuffled into the other.

You both silently watched the film, allowing yourself to be transported into the dreamy and nostalgic landscape of the fantasy world. As the movie worked its magic, you were internally smiling as the movie slowly approached the scene that would introduce the titular ♡Howl♡.

You let out a throaty, unhinged cackle when his clothed chest came into view, his arm protectively wrapping around the heckled Sophie. Link physically recoiled from the horrible sound.

“What?!”

“Howl!!!”

“Huh? I-I mean, yeah, but what—”

“Ughghgh, look at that scrumptious snack of a man.” You, quite loudly, mm-mm-MM’ed before taking another bite of your pizza and yet another heavy swig of your drink. “The things I would let that man do to me.”

A twinge of jealousy tugged at Link’s heartstrings and he scoffed at himself. No way he was fucking jealous of a fictional 2D man. But seeing you swoon over Howl in real-time sparked in him very similar feelings to when he saw you gushing about your balding ex.

“What, you got a thing for blonde hair, blue-eyed twinks guys?”

“Well I mean, look at him!” You turned, almost nose-to-nose with a blonde hair, blue-eyed twink guy. The corners of his lips cocked wickedly as a brow raised.

“Yeah? What about him?”

“I mean,” You blubbered, “I don’t know, he’s just… Well, he’s handsome and I don’t know, he’s got this boyish charm that’s really…”

“Yeah? Really what?”

“Really… Um, attractive?”

“Huh.” He exhaled. “Interesting.”

“What’s interesting?”

“Never knew you had a type.”

“Well, not necessarily! If I like someone, I just like them. That’s it.”

“So what makes you like someone?”

“Like, if we just vibe together I guess…”

“So you guys just… have to vibe?”

“No, it’s more than that! I like someone who is kind, patient, loyal…” Howl began to fade from your mind. “Smart, funny… Aggressively caring...”

“’Aggressively caring?’” He repeated with a bemused lilt in his tone.

“Yeah, someone who makes sure I’m doing okay. Someone who calls me out of the blue because they saw something that reminded them of me. Someone who tells me to take care of myself all the time… Someone who,” you swallowed, “visits me every day for a whole month after a breakup.”

His tilted smile stiffened and his eyes crinkled from general amusement to something more. You continued, gut gnawing and breath clenching.

“Someone who takes care of me when I don’t have the strength to do so. Someone who reminds me that I’m capable of great things and pushes me to work for it. Someone who has never once stopped believing in me. Someone… Like you, Link.”

“(F/N)…”

“I like you, Link.” You drew your eyes to your hands. “A lot. And I know this is really sudden and I’m sorry for catching you off-guard, but—”

A firm grip hooked your forearm before you were lunged into something warm and firm. Your senses were enveloped by the faint smell of pine and amber, and the rapid thumps in his chest echoed through your core. Strong arms encircled you and pulled you closer, almost suffocatingly so, while a gentle hand carded through your hair.

“I… like you too.” He murmured to the top of your head.

“H-… What…?”

“I like you too, (F/N).” He pulled away, catching your flickering looks with his steady gaze. “For awhile now, actually.”

“R-Really?”

He nodded with a ‘mm,’ his warming cheeks spilling its heat onto yours. He brushed the flyaways from your face and cupped your cheeks in his hands, beholding you with such love and adoration you felt like melting.

“Oh, (F/N)…” You were pulled into another hug. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”

You nuzzled into his chest before his voice rumbled in your ear.

“Can I… Kiss your forehead?”

The innocent, almost juvenile request made your heart flutter, and if you weren't wrapped up in the comfiest bear hug you've ever been in, you definitely would have been squealing and kicking your feet. You looked up at him with a twinkle in your eye.

“I can do you one better.” You leaned in, your soft lips capturing his cheek. The heat blooming through your lips disappeared as quickly as it had come as you shyly pulled away.

“I think I can actually top that.” His face drew nearer, hovering just over yours. The fruity bitterness of the red wine diluted your senses into a mirthful haze. “Is… this okay…?”

Your widening smile and gentle nod was all the confirmation he needed to close the distance.

It was tender, soft, slow. His lips moved and melded with yours so perfectly, capturing every little moan and sigh that escaped you. He pulled away only to come again in soft devotion, his lips and hands caressing you with delicate worship. The soothing circles he rubbed into your cheeks paid no mind to the growing heat spilling between his fingers. The cold of the room blanketed your moistened lips suddenly; a shiver sourced from the cold heightened to one of pleasure as he languidly and carefully balanced your bottom lip with his teeth.

“You’re perfect…” He mumbled through your gasp, trailing butterfly kisses down your jaw and to the crook of your neck. You wound your arms around his neck and let out a wanton moan, filled with a deep-broiling need you weren’t cognizant of until now. He traced his lips up your neck, relishing in the goosebumps that prickled his sensitive flesh.

“Perfect and glorious, like the first light of dawn…” He caught your lips again, the motion tinged with something heavier this time, but still full of the awe and reverence he had initially bestowed. You pulled him closer, each of you melting into the other. You felt him sinking closer and closer to you, his hand traveling to the small of your back, almost to aid your gentle descent into your sofa.

“You’re wonderful… So, so good to me…” You breathed out in between kisses, your head spinning and filled with nothing but the thought of him. He pulled away slightly and combed your hair back, a slight smile on his lips. His lips met yours in between words.

“You are so beautiful, (F/N)…” Your eyes fluttered shut, basking in his endless kisses and whispered confessions of utter devotion. “I've wanted this for so long, I almost can't believe that we…”

“Are… together?” You finished, pecking the tip of his nose with childish delight. His chest heaved a laugh as his hands traveled to your hips, hoisting the both of you up into your previously seated positions. He pressed a chaste kiss to the top of your forehead while his hands left your hips to take residence in your hands, tracing the curve of each finger with giggle-filled pecks.

“Have I ever told you how gorgeous you are?”

“Yeah, you mentioned it over text earlier.” You chortled, watching him finish his loving ministrations with a kiss to the back of one hand before moving on to the other.

“And I meant it.”

The sincerity in his baby blue eyes and tenor tone made your heart swoon all the more. You bounced kisses and excited whispers amongst yourselves, until the terrified shriek of Howl cut through the peace. Both of you flinched as two pairs of eyes locked in at the source of the scream. You and Link watched your fictional crush zoom out of the bathroom to yell at the transformed Sophie for switching up his haircare potions.

“Do you wanna just start this thing over?” Link chuckled, watching the chaos unfold on the screen.

“Yeah, that sounds good.” You finished off the rest of your now-cold pizza while Link restarted the movie. With a couple clicks, the familiar bright blue of Studio Ghibli's logo silently filled the room. You turned to him, imprinting the image of blues and shadows painting his features in your memory forever.

“Link?”

“Mm?”

“Happy Valentine's Day.”

He turned to face you and flashed that smile—the one that had you falling in love over and over again.

“Happy Valentine's Day, Valentine.”

[varpusvaras]

-----

------

-----------

"Ah, Commander! I was waiting for you to call!"

"Chancellor Palpatine. I apologise for having to report to you in this manner. I'm sure you understand that we couldn't risk the Senate while the investigation was still going on."

"Of course, do not fret too much. This was a very surprising situation, for all of us. I'm assuming that the situation is under control now, yes?"

"Yes, Sir. We have made efforts to quarantine the area and monitor the levels of radiation present. The officers from Coruscant Security Forces have been a big help, with lending us their gear. I'm afraid that our scanners were not made to be able to detect this type of radiation, so it only got caught later on in a more controlled environment. I apologise deeply for this."

"Not to worry, we can all agree that this was not your fault in the slightest. Besides, the medical center the suspect was transferred to failed to inform you of the situation either. The Security Forces had no idea of the arrest that you had made, and so had no idea that something like this had happened when the doctors made the report to them. But, like you said, it is all under control now. How are your men, Commander?"

"Better. It seemed that the radiation did not cause too much harm, as our armors provided some protection from it. Still, we are keeping the ones who were present at the arrest monitored for a bit longer, just to make sure that there are no long-term effects."

"Good, good. Of course that means that you are now one Commander short, as I understood that one of them was the one making the arrest- oh, of course, how could've I forgot, you shouldn't even be working right now! How are you feeling, Commander?"

"I'm fine. I'll be confined to light duty for a couple of days more, per my Chief Medical Officer's orders, but I'll do my best to mitigate any issues that this incident might cause. Rest assured, the Guard will be providing for the Capital, as are our orders."

"Of course you will, I have all the faith in you, Commander. Now, please, do get some rest. I have other things I need still attend to, actually, and- oh, look at the time, I really should be going, I didn't even realise! The days have been very long, recently, haven't they? I'll see you later, Commander, once you have been cleared back for duty. Hopefully you'll have a bit less busy evening than I will. Farefell, now, and do take care!"

"Yes, Sir. Have a good night, Chancellor."

Call disconnected at 20.21.

----

------

---------

"Commander."

"Index. How are things in the medbay?"

"The same as an hour ago when you last asked. All the men are doing better. It seems that since we are far enough from the original source, there should be no reason for it to get worse. Decontamination and quarantine for anyone who works at the site is still recommended, of course."

"Of course. ......how is Thorn?"

"Better. I was slightly worried as he was in the group that were most in contact with the suspect and affected area, but it seems that his symptoms have remained mild. Do you wish to talk to him? I don't think he has fallen back asleep yet-"

"No, it's alright, he should be getting rest. I can talk to him tomorrow."

"Good, as you should be getting rest as well. I don't like any of you working while you are impaired, as it only leads to more injuries."

"I know, I know. Thank you, Index. I know that you can't really leave the medbay right now, but try not to extend your shift too much. What you just said applies to you as well."

"Very well, Commander. Have a good night."

"You too, Index."

Call disconnected at 21.03.

----

-------

-----------

"....Cody. I have looked over some of the battle reports we have received from your latest campaign. The news have been slow to come in, per Separatist interference and having it be bounced around by different officials and all that, but....I hope that you are well. I know that you aren't expecting me to message you, and I do not wish to distract you in any way while you are still at the front, but before we left Kamino, I remember that you once asked me to tell you what kind of posting Coruscant would be, and I thought....

......I'm now thinking that perhaps you were just being polite, as being sent to the Capital is a lot different than being actually on the battlefield, and our assignments most likely seemed not equal to each other, and maybe you simply wished to make it sound like we were still equal. I- I'm sorry, I am putting a lot of words and thoughts onto you that you did not say, and probably did not actually even consider. You have always been a good soldier. Likeable, as it is. You were probably simply being polite.

....

It isn't like I even know what to tell you. I don't think-

...forget that, please. Coruscant has been an interesting place to be stationed in. I don't claim to understand the people in here any better now than I did six months ago, and I'm not sure if I ever will, truly. Not that it matters. It is not exactly required of any of us to understand what they are thinking and what drives their behavior in their daily lives. I don't think they even want us to understand. The better we simply shut up and do what they say, the better it is for all of us. Interesting seems to be the correct word for that, yes. It is not in my privileges to give any judgement on the people living here.

.......

............

....do you think that I'm still.....nevermind. I don't even know what I'm saying. I have a concussion. A pretty bad one, actually. It's been a long day, and I should very much be sleeping, as I've been pushing it. I'm definitely feeling it now.

........

........what am I even doing. I'm not gonna send this over, Cody has better things to think about than me rambling at him in half sentences. Stupid. I'll....I'll send the message once this is all sorted out and I can think straight.

................................

...I should go to sleep. It's just...a bit hard. Coruscant is not quiet, and neither was Kamino, and I do not miss Kamino, but I.....sometimes I wished that I could still hear it. The ocean.

.....okay, shut up now. Right. Right...Thire marked a few more files that seemed to take place around the area that we are investigating. I hasn't read them yet, and he is busy takin over some of my other duties, so I'll look them over. If there's nothing, we don't need to bother with them.

...this doesn't feel like something a soldier should be doing.

....whatever."

Audio message saved at 22.47.

[shallowseeker]

I know why Cas says he cared about Sam because of Dean but I don’t get why he says it about Jack? I feel like his relationship with Jack was fairly separate from Dean

I personally don’t view Cas’s statement as that literal. To me, it means less that he cared about Jack because of Dean, and more that caring about one person gave him the courage to keep opening himself up.

Love, after all, spreads like a contagion. It grows, expanding outward like a stone dropped in water, rippling further and further. Dean wasn’t the start of Cas caring about things; Cas had his own convictions and compassion long before that.

But Dean was a turning point. He became family, a kind of structural support Cas could grow with (and change with, and mess up with, and come back to against all the odds). Through that foundation, it became possible for Cas to live and love more fully: Sam, Bobby, other angels, Claire, Mary, Jack, the AU hunters, Rowena, and humanity itself.

[madbard]

Dustplates concept where, after deciding to murder the Underground, Sans gives up his name. For reasons he doesn’t quite understand, he’s always loved his name, loved the idea of even having a name, so this is a form of self-punishment for him. He’s chosen to destroy everyone and everything he loves; he doesn’t exactly deserve to be referred to as a person anymore, does he? For a while, he tries to become entirely nameless, but it doesn’t quite work. He’ll think of something and his mind will slip. He’ll refer to himself, or Phantom will call him Sans. His mind won’t let him be completely nameless. So he settles for the next best thing.

A few years later, Nightmare visits Dusttale and recruits 1-S, a silent assassin with an unsettling grin. As names go it’s unusual, especially in a group with people named Killer, Horror and Cross, but the others generally accept it. After all, what’s in a name? He’s a skilled strategist and fighter with a past every bit as horrific as their own. Except.

Except every time they call him 1-S, he flinches. When you call someone’s name they should turn towards the sound; he recoils instead, vanishing into the shadows of his hood. In battle, everyone quickly learns not to use that name because when he hears it, he seems for a moment to forget how to fight, before pressing forward with the type of fear and anger that disintegrates strategy into chaos. As much as Nightmare feeds on the needles of negative energy summoned whenever 1-S hears his name, he is frustrated by this barrier that begins to form, the way that saying his newest recruit’s name abruptly halts communication, tearing at any sense of camaraderie. This can’t go on.

The first time Killer calls him Dusty, it’s an insult and a barbed joke. Looking for trouble, Killer makes a comment about 1-S’ scarf still being covered in his brother’s dust. 1-S launches himself at the other skeleton and the two have to be separated before they seriously harm each other. But even as Horror pulls 1-S off him, Killer sees the furious gleam in his eyes. So much better than the dull fear that rests there when he’s referred to as 1-S. So much more exciting.

Killer continues to call him Dusty. For the longest time, 1-S responds to this name with nothing but rage, but he doesn’t flinch. In day to day life, he looks up and glares at the speaker. In battle, it makes him grit his teeth at the most. So as time goes on, the others slowly begin to call him that as well. Not Dusty, no - that’s too infantile, too disrespectful. But Dust… that name works.

That name suits him well.

[charmwasjess]

for our good friend dooku, 16, 21&22, and 6 if you have more to say about it. 🙏🙇‍♂️

OH YOU JUST COME INTO MY ASK BOX AND MAKE MY DAY?!! :D Beloved anon, these are SUCH fun questions and I absolutely had a blast answering them. Thank you so much! Stop by anytime and I’ll make you a cup of coffee! (I have tea too, but my taste in tea is real gross.)

16. What's your least favorite ship for this character?

Ohh, this is a hard one! 

The thing is, while I have my favorites, I find Dooku soo very shippable with a vast number of characters - not because he has any healthy understanding of his own sexual and emotional needs anymore than he has a healthy relationship with food - but because especially in his Sith era, he’s a black hole of need and loneliness. Sex is like the one way Sith are allowed to access the intimacy that fifty years of Jedi communal life has trained him to want and need. 

The ship for him that I absolutely love-hate in that vein is Sidious/Dooku. I doubt it went much further than a few absolutely debased encounters because let’s be honest, Sidious can do much better and isn’t in the habit of letting his dog eat from his plate, but whoof, what a fun, fucked up ship with nasty power dynamics. “Oh nooo, oh no, awful….where’s the link?” energy.

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

I love giving Dooku big, often violent, over the top moments where his natural appetite for chaos comes out. 

Dooku gives you these amazing options as a fanfic writer. He’s so high drama. A huge part of his reserve and composure is that there’s an absolute volcano of feeling bubbling under the crust.

The things he says are absurd and beautiful, poetic and horrific, hilarious and awkward. You can push the character further than you expect, and he’ll go with you in surprising places in a piece of writing if you let him show off. This is a character who loves attention and has the natural talent and chaos to back up his own bullshit. If you can get his sound and feel right, there’s almost nothing you can’t do with him - because a core part of Dooku is the unreliable narrator: even he doesn’t always know what he’s about to do. 

I think the hardest part is his “voice” because Christopher Lee had such a distinctive cadence - it’s not just a British accent, it’s early 20th century British, who grew up bilingual and went on to speak like literally 7 different languages fluently, with a supremely deep voice, who wanted to sing opera but only got half-trained before WWII ruined that dream for him. It’s a very unique sound.

I like “my” Dooku voice in my fics and I’m proud of it; I work really hard on it and it’s why I use him as a POV character most often. But I still look at my own fics and have those record needle scratch moments where I know a line of his needs to get reworked. It’s a constant process.

The Christopher Lee accent also could not be MORE different than my own rural American one. There’s a hilarious-awful story in Lee’s autobiography, Lord of Misrule, about him getting stopped by a patrol of Americans in WWII who absolutely do not believe he’s English and they start trying to speak German to him. He goes, “you don’t have to speak German, you know, I’m fairly capable of understanding English, since that’s what I am.” 

22. If you're a fic reader, what's something you like in fics when it comes to this character? Something you don't like?

I love it when fics do a realistic job of letting Dooku be the walking contradiction he is. Two of my favorite Dooku fics right now are Pray My Mind Be Good to Me and Galaxies Far Far Away May Be Closer Than They Appear - both feature Dooku written in this way. He has done or is going to do horrific shit - shit that cannot be changed and has real consequences. In both fics, he’s also portrayed vividly, a "real person," full of genuine emotion, vulnerability, and deep investment in the other characters. Love is a part of his betrayal and betrayal is a part of his love. These two things exist in the character simultaneously in queasy, gorgeous combination. 

As far as what I don’t like, I don’t know, I think Dooku is a tremendously intimidating character to write and I’m impressed by anyone who takes a crack at writing him! I’d encourage anyone to give it a shot. 

I have one really small weird pet peeve, and that’s giving him too much stuffy, uptight rich guy cliche. Dude was a mud-grubbing mission Jedi for 50 years, himself raised by a swamp troll, who went on to train two of the most chaotic Jedi. He’s eaten more bugs than Anakin, and I'll die on that hill.

6. What's something you have in common with this character?

I went pretty broad on my other answer, so I’ll tell you two lil' things!

I’m tall (ironically I’m about Sifo-Dyas’s canon height, a character whose legit tallness is often overlooked cause he’s standing next to Dooku–) and I pull a ton of my own experiences into how I write the way he moves or his little gestures, especially how small he can fold up when he’s feeling vulnerable. There’s a unique tall person awkwardness that comes from experiencing the adolescent growth spurt right at the time when it’s the most emotionally unbearable to be physically conspicuous. 

I didn’t realize I shared his exercise-away-the-strong-emotion thing until I was chatting with @bolithesenate about some fic or something, and said something offhand like “too upset about Sifo-Dyas, gotta go for a run” and she was like “uh, Jess? are you QUOTING your own Dooku characterization here?” :O Don't call me out like that, bro!! Do not perceive me!

[the-golden-mango-of-discord]

if i could maybe get on my soapbox here for a moment i think what ppl get fundamentally wrong abt wulian is that it is built on unequal grounds and it can never reconcile that by nature of where both of them are at in their respective narrative arcs. any story about xie lian recognizing wuming’s devotion and trying to do better by it is explicitly rejecting xie lian’s actual character at that point in his life and projecting his future self onto the narrative, when that xie lian doesn’t exist yet and can never exist at this point in the story bc he hasn’t experienced that outside act of kindness. he can only see wuming’s devotion as trivial and misguided at best, repugnant and mocking at worst. wuming means nothing to xie lian until his sacrifice, and ironically enough it took a random stranger’s secondhand kindness to even awaken that realization in xie lian. wuming’s devotion is just not what xie lian needed at that point in his life and was actively spurring on his self-hatred and jaded apathy toward the world. the huge chasm between xie lian’s utter disregard for himself and wuming’s devotion, which is entirely dedicated to the exact person xie lian despises. thus the more wuming devotes himself to xie lian, the less he thinks of him. of course that’s very unromantic and not conducive to fluffy fanfiction, so ppl make up a xie lian who actually has the capacity to care about wuming and by extension himself

[that1notetaker]

@wixenforever HEHEHEHAHA HI AGAIN. A FRIEND LENT ME THEIR PC FOR A WHILE TO DRAW. NOTTPOTT TBOTL BLAST!! (Also for any followers who see this AND were here during my hijack era (it still is its just lurking) I think you can see the pattern in which my interests reside. You might also want to give this fic a shot. It's a very cool HP story, I promise)

Wixen, I saw your earlier response in the other post!!! It was fantastic, you added so many cool little details, and I ate them up SO fast as I waited for the bus to arrive. I was giggling and kicking my feet at the bench It all gave me a better idea of how to picture Theo in order to draw him better. I had a similar idea of him in my head, but I love the way you vision him having high cheekbones, making him appear a little more stoic and such. He's sort of gangly and sticks out but I love characters that aren't uniquely written off as pretty or handsome. Let the boys have twisted teeth and the possibility of freckles!!

I really, REALLY loved Theo's and Harry's first meeting. It was so much fun, and because we share Harry's POV, we're in for the surprise just as Harry is. Harry's gay panic is awesome btw, especially because he's got no idea what's going on. Very relatable. The whole conversation they had after their first meeting, followed by the next, really cemented their dynamic fast. In a good way. They were two strangers half hidden from each other AND YET. AND YET THEY MANAGED TO BE TRUE IN SOUL. AUGH. I LIVE FOR THAT. Man. And then having John clocking Harry in right afterwards made me laugh SO hard.

ALSO! I roped a friend into reading your story. Now we're both nuts about it. @imdeadtiredtm Im exposing you btw. COME SAY HI.

[lnbeep-art]

Soft and gentle giants are fun, but I'll always love the cocky, arrogant and intimidating ones in my heart. It makes when those character types have soft moments all the more rewarding 👏

[of-pale]

Just an average day of Nero hanging out with the twins:

> Vergil refuses to go out in the public unless it's necessary like the introvert he is

> Dante wants to go out because that's where pizza and strawberry sundaes are

> Dante messes with no half melted strawberry sundaes from deliveries

> Only the fresh shit at Fredi’s will do or no dice

> How else will Vergil catch up on all the human wonders, if he doesn't go outside?

> Dante suggests going to the cinema, bowling, arcades etc.

> Vergil is only willing to go to calm places with no crowds like library, bookstore or a museum

> Nero tries to find a compromise and contain the situation

> It's going well, obviously

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

… might have to start taking comms just to save up money for the huge summer con this year TT

[astranauticus]

i don't have the screenshots on hand because this is just a thought i needed to let out after being woken up by my buildings fire alarm at 7am (i am in shambles, thanks for asking) but back at the start of canto 7 i was trying to figure out what in the Fuck hong lu meant by don quixote being 'the most lucid' of the sinners and eventually my read was that she's the one who's most clear on what she wants because hong lu brought up how her eyes are sparkling and the two times dante notes someone's eyes sparkling in that episode (?) were when don talks about saving all the people in la manchaland and when charon says she wants to eat candy at an amusement park, and also this would very nicely mirror the bit in the final sancho fight when dante ruminates about how so far they've been trying to help the sinners out of their issues by figuring out what they want and then promising it to them but with sancho she doesn't want anything because everything she's wanted as don quixote was part of that dream that she's now woken up from (especially with dulcinae talking at length about the difference between sancho and don's eyes)

but like..... there's one other thing about eyes that dante notices in that early episode

so i'm wondering if this is an idea that's gonna come back in canto 8, that dante's old tricks aren't going to work here either because hong lu just doesn't really want anything for himself when he's been living his whole life surrendering (hah) himself to being used by other people for their own goals

[silverskye13]

My brother in law let me borrow Sonic Frontiers [also read: asked me if I had access to a PS5 and when I said yes, handed it to me and said "play this"] and now my two biggest gaming nightmares are merged into one! [Fast paced gaming mechanics and open world map structures]

Anyway, I've been playing for 8 hours.