#these were really interesting questions to consider

[kuidore]

Zoeystery headcanons ✧ KPOP Demon Hunters ✧ Zoey x Mystery

✧ ultimate yapper girl x listener boy

✧ He thought she was cute the moment he saw her bouncing her shoulders to soda pop while Rumi and Mira glared at her

✧ he’s not shy, just quiet. he just isn’t used to being human, and it tires him out a lot more than the others.

✧ He slowly feels like he’s actually relearning his humanity with Zoey, not just going through the motions of a human life like he had felt doing the idol thing

✧ Zoey gets anxious that people aren’t listening to her if they get too quiet. She’s used to being mid-ramble, asking a question, and not getting a response because the person tuned out and she didn’t realize

✧ after the first time she asks Mystery if he’s listening, he starts letting out noises of acknowledgement to reassure her while she’s talking so she doesn’t have to lose her train of thought

✧ he wants her to know that he’s listening very intently, and will sometimes even just say it out loud when he doesn’t have a better comment to make

✧ Zoey thinks it’s adorable, and she slowly feels less and less uncomfortable rambling for hours about television or animals or the songs she wanted to write

✧ She eventually just naturally stops apologizing for rambling or being too over the top, to him and to other people

✧ He starts getting better at conversations, but only with her. He asks social questions he used to think were stupid or boring or useless, because she’s the only one whose answers he actually wants to hear

✧ Mystery remembers nothing from his actual life on earth before the demon realm, and that doesn’t change even as he gets more comfortable as a ‘human’

✧ He couldn’t care less. He outright tells Zoey that it “leaves more room in my brain for the memories we make”

✧ she has to excuse herself from the room for a moment and yell into a pillow about how cute he is

✧ He can hear her doing it. when she comes back with a notebook he’s smiling wider than she thought he was even capable of

✧ she sits him down and they make a bucket list of everything she can think of that she considers “necessary to the human experience”, no matter how small

✧ she feels bad about being *excited* over his amnesia, but she can’t help but chatter about how she was going to be ‘introducing him to all this new stuff!’

✧ items on this list include but are not limited to; seeing the ocean in person, finding a really cool rock that you wanna keep forever, going to the bathhouse, and spending an entire day on the couch

✧ Mystery doesn’t really see what’s interesting about any of it, but he agrees because he wants Zoey to go with him

✧ He likes it, mostly because *she* likes it. He could be literally stranded in the arctic, if Zoey was finding a way to have fun he would be able to do it too. His number one idea of ‘fun’ is just… being around her.

✧ Mystery constantly wants to have Zoey on his lap/between his legs/sitting in literally any position where he can wrap his entire body around her from behind and rest his chin on her shoulder.

✧ he falls asleep like this fairly often. Zoey calls him her weighted blanket

✧ in general they both sleep a lot, they take afternoon naps together almost every day

✧ After enough time he’s got basically everything human down besides the ‘not barking at people who get too close to Zoey for his comfort’

✧ that one is an active choice. He has absolutely no intention of stopping that one

✧ bad saja boy became bad Mystery fairly quickly

✧ He pouts every time she says it. At first she felt bad about it, but eventually she started to find it cute

✧ he’ll sit with his head in her lap while she writes lyrics. She’s always patting his head and playing with his hair while mumbling about how soft it is.

✧ one day he realizes the whole time she’s been avoiding his bangs, and he grabs her hand and moves them away himself so she can see his face when she isn’t actively trying to kill him

✧ “You already know what I look like. I don’t care. If it’s just you.”

✧ She’s so giddy she grabs him and kisses him for the first time, and they’re both a little shocked by it

✧ it was the first time she saw him blush and she immediately became determined to make him do it as much as possible.

✧ She already has a notebook of things he likes and dislikes so she can remember (she has ones for Rumi and Mira too obvi)

✧ she adds a section to Mystery’s for things that make him blush

✧ she’s studying this guy like a bug and he secretly likes it

✧ He keeps the bangs cause most of the time he’s just so unable to control his own facial expressions that he would probably get into a fight in public

✧ but he starts pinning them back when he’s with Zoey

[creativiteaa]

Mac from Date Everything is an innacurate wheelchair design, let's talk about it! Also, before anyone says, "they were going for a computer theme!" I am aware! That does not change that this is a bad design.

For anyone who does not know me, hello! I'm Solstice. I'm a full-time wheelchair user and functionally non-ambulatory. I know my way around a wheelchair considering I use one in my everyday life.

First off, Mac has a hospital style wheelchair. a hospital style is essentially any wheelchair you'd get or use in a hospital. I'd like to clarify that I know some disabled and chronically ill people use hospital style wheelchairs, but a lot of the time in media, depictions of wheelchair users show hospital style wheelchairs NOT for representation, but out of ignorance for active ultralightweight manual wheelchairs.

On the left is a Drive brand hospital style wheelchair. On the right is my personal custom wheelchair.

Mac's armrests are also disproportionate to the rest of the wheelchair. There are definitely people who have armrests on their custom wheelchairs! I have armrests but have taken them off, personally. The issue on Mac's wheelchair arises when their armrests are not only incredibly high, but their drive wheels (the big wheels in the back) are disproportionately small. And while on the topic of their drive wheels, they have no push rims, and no other features like a joystick to show that this is a power chair. The camber tube (tube between the two drive wheels under the seat of the chair) is also way too low. The camber tube goes towards the bottom of the wheel, not even the center of the wheels. Those drive wheels would be unable to roll.

Mac's castors are also very big. Castors can range in size but Mac's castors are so big I don't think that wheelchair could turn- the castors would hit either the footplates or the drive wheels! And with the castor assembly, Mac's castor has an axle system instead of a fork system. Those castors couldn't even turn because they can't freely swivel!

Mac's backrest looks hard and uncomfortable, and it's very tall. Some people need or opt to have high backrests, but this is not accurate to what a rigid backrest would be like. Mac also does not have a cushion, or a very tiny cushion, which would cause pressure sores and also just be uncomfortable.

I'd like to conclude that I hold no ill will towards the artist, designer, devs, fans, etc. But I did want to talk about this since Mac's wheelchair design feels like it wasn't researched much at all. I love that the devs wanted to include a disabled character, but you have to do research. I was really interested in playing this game but Mac's design really did turn me off from the game. I hope this is something that could potentially be amended.

My ask box is also open to questions, comments, concerns, etc.!

[t-a-a-1]

To Fall In Love For A Prime

Summary: Optimus realizes he is falling in love with you.

1.4k words. Optimus x Female Reader

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Optimus had an instinct. 

Some instics are more peculiar than others. He noticed that his own actions did not match the rational thoughts in his processor. 

He made sure to be kind to everyone. To treat each individual with respect. 

But he noticed that things were different with you. 

Once, you had mentioned your interest in poetry. The next couple of days, Optimus spent day and night trying to retrieve from Iacon’s old DataNet, poems written by the great authors of Cybertron. He spent more time trying to translate them.

And when he was ready to show you, to recite to you … He couldn’t.

You looked at him with those eyes of yours and his processor stopped working. 

He walked away and till this day he regrets saying anything. 

“Optimus and I … Well, we are not really close. I don’t think he likes me very much.”

Although it was true that he kept a distance, he didn’t think you would wake this negatively. The only reason why he doesn’t speak much to you is because his mind goes completely blank whenever he is near you. Because your eyes shine so brightly that he can’t help but stare at them. He is quiet because nothing he could say could compare to listening to your voice. Optimus much prefers to just listen to you and see your face. Even if it's from afar.

But how can he tell you that?

How can he speak to you when he just can’t?

“Oh, it’s raining a lot,” you say as you try to cover your head. “I am sorry. You probably have better things to do than being here.”

Your car had broken down and Optimus was the first one to come to your rescue. An act you didn’t understand since you thought he disliked you … Just a little. 

It would have been better to wait inside your car but seeing that it was letting out smoke and you didn’t want to explode, you decided to wait outside just in case. 

Optimus is quiet, as he usually is when he is near you. You don’t understand why as he is very much talkative to the rest of the group. 

“You know, if you have more important things to do, you can alway leave–”

Suddenly, the rain doesn’t touch your head anymore. With one servo, Optimus covers your entire body, protecting you. 

You look up at him, your mouth a bit opened.

“Are you … harmed?”

You feel your heart beat faster and suddenly, the need to look away overpower your senses. Flustered, you didn’t understand why all of a sudden your body feels warm. 

“No, I am fine, thank you for asking!”

You say that too loudly and you become more embarrassed by the simple sound of your voice. 

Optimus doesn’t say another word and it keeps raining. A few seconds passed and you take the courage to look at Optimus again.

And he looks at you. 

Blue optics meet your eyes.

And you look away again.

“You know, maybe you can just change to your vehicle form and I can wait inside until the towing truck comes? You know, just so you don’t get caught.”

He did as you said.

And it was the first time he let someone inside his vehicle form. 

It was … a beautiful experience.

Optimus wonders how you were able to trust him so easily. Your small body, surrounded by all of him. He felt your fingers touch the Autobot emblem on the steering wheel. Your soft skin was able to touch every crack, dent and small space that he thought he lacked sensibility. 

Turns out he is just like a big old cat that loves to be pet. 

And in completely quietness, he enjoyed the silence.

You noticed this too. And although you wanted to ask him if he could be the one to pull your car to save you money, you didn’t want to interrupt the peaceful moment.

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And as days passed, Optimus began to wonder about other things.

What things did you like? Was your job of your liking? Did you have an interest in anyone?

Would you ever consider a Cybertronian as a romantic partner?

He wants to believe that the reason why that question lingers in his mind is due to mere curiosity.

That has to be it. Why else would it be?

It’s not like he wishes for your affections to be reserved just for him. It’s not like he saw you talking to a co-worker and suddenly felt the need to interrupt and take you away from him. 

Because only he can look at your face and wonder what kind of gods created such delicate art? Only he can wonder why he can’t speak to you when you look at him in the optics. 

Only he can have sleepless nights thinking of what it would be like to have your lips on his intake. 

Not because he was delusional and thought of the possibility of having a human-cybertronian relationship.

It was mere curiosity because humans seemed to have a hyperfixation on interspecies relationships. He knew because of all the human media he had consumed, not because he wanted to relate to something, of course not. It's all pure research. 

That has to be it.

“(Reader) protected the datapad with her life. We are not sure why, she probably thought it was important. But she will be fine.”

It was Optimus’s datapad. 

You lay on the medical berth as Optimus rushed to your side as soon as he heard the news. 

His mind is already punishing him for not being there when the Decepticons attacked you, for not arriving in time, for not doing his job to protect you. 

What a worthless piece of mech he is. 

Unworthy of any type of connection. He should have known. Oh, he should have known from the start. How stupid he was to believe he could ever–

“Optimus,” Ratchet interrupts his thoughts. “Does your datapad contain any classified information?”

“No,” he simply says as he looks down at your body. Delicate, hurt but still breathing. “That datapad just contained … poetry.”

At seeing his friend’s desperate optics on you, he felt as if he was interrupting an intimate moment between the two of you.

“I’ll leave you two alone.”

With that Ratchet left.

Optimus didn’t look at Ratchet leave the medical room, his optics only focused on you. He took the freedom to use one of his metal fingers to touch your hair. He found himself trembling, scared, terrified at the thought … the simple thought that maybe today you wouldn’t be here with him. 

He lets out a glitch sound as his vents exhale in an exasperating way. 

You slowly start to regain consciousness and you are blessed to see Optimus in front of you. Although you wish he looked happier.

“The datapad,” you say in a soft voice. “I am sorry, I am sorry, it broke while I–”

“You have nothing to apologize for, my Spark,” the name came out so naturally from his intake that he didn’t even realize he had said it. “It’s me who should apologize.”

“But you always wrote on that datapad, it was important to you and I–”

“You are important to me,” he says. “The most important individual, my dearest–”

He stops himself, he cannot longer put any burden on you. He’ll be damned if these feelings ever caused you harm again. For Primus, he prefers to die a thousand times if that means all harm from you can be exempted. 

And yet, a very, rotten, selfish part of him, can’t believe that you went to such lengths to protect something you thought was precious to him. When in reality, the thing you should be protecting should be yourself. 

How selfish of him to be happy at this moment. This moment when you are alive and smiling at him. Hurt but your heart is still beating. The relief cannot compare. Having you here, alive, you. 

How selfish–

“Do you wish to know what was in the data pad?” Optimus asks, returning your smile. But in your mind, his smile was the most beautiful of scenes. 

You simply nod.

“I know you enjoy poetry so I wanted to introduce you to some Cybertronian writings,” he says. “Do you want me to recite some pieces to you?”

You smile once again at him. 

“Yes.”

Very softly, Optimus begins to speak. 

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A/N: i don’t know where I was going with this but oh whale 🐳 … I have so many drafts …. But I gotta update The Darkest Hour first.

[saphronethaleph]

Love Language

“So, uh… Dad?” Hiccup said, nervously, but that was mostly just normal for him. “I’ve got a… question.”

“What sort of question, Hiccup?” Stoic replied, not unkindly – for him, anyway.

That was sort of how their family relationship went a lot of the time, as it happened. The two of them being at pains to be normal with one another.

“So… how exactly do we know that dragons are, uh… monsters, evil, want to hurt us, want to destroy us?” Hiccup asked, rattling off the normal dragon description from the Book of Dragons. “Extremely dangerous, and so on?”

Stoic blinked, then looked at Hiccup with the sort of look that – normally – would be reserved for a relative who’d said something extremely thick.

He wasn’t used to turning it on Hiccup.

“They keep… attacking us,” he said. “Raiding us. Carrying off our sheep.”

“Yeah, about that,” Hiccup replied. “Because, I’ve been a Viking teenager for a while now and the general impression I get is that that’s how Vikings show that they want to become friends.”

Stoic snorted.

“Not getting on well with your friends?” he asked.

“That plural is assuming a lot, Dad,” Hiccup replied. “That… word is also making some assumptions, actually! Though you did keep telling me that all the punches and stuff were just a way of making friends – but, I wasn’t actually talking about my friends, I didn’t mean them, I was meaning to talk about the dragons.”

“And?” Stoic said.

“The point I’m making, Dad, is that… so, uh, I tried putting myself in the place of the dragons,” Hiccup said, shaking his leg and leaning awkwardly on the door frame. “And I wondered what Vikings would think if we went somewhere and the people there were firing catapults at us and shooting flaming rocks at us, and that sort of thing, and… I’ve met Vikings, dad. I’m pretty sure you’ve met Vikings!”

Stoic paused, to actually consider that.

It was one of the increasingly large number of things about this conversation which was not Normal, but he was willing to give it a go.

“...hm,” he said. “That sounds like a pretty good night out, actually.”

“That’s what I’m getting at!” Hiccup agreed, now leaning over more. “Hold on.”

“What is it?”

“Not you, I mean-” Hiccup said, then gestured at someone Stoic couldn’t see.

Or possibly just nearly fell over, the lad was gangly.

“Anyway – uhm – I think the dragons just want to be friends,” Hiccup went on, speaking very quickly. “And that they’re enough like Vikings that all we’re doing is just making them more interested.”

“Nonsense,” Stoic replied.

“Really?” Hiccup asked. “Because – uh – are you at least going to think about it before you decide that I have to be wrong?”

“I don’t need to think about it to know it’s nonsense,” Stoic said, firmly.

“Yeah, that sounds pretty Viking too,” Hiccup muttered. “Stubborn and unwilling to admit that you might be wrong about something… so, uh… what about an experiment?”

“Is this some of that scientific method stuff Gobber had you learning?” Stoic checked.

It sounded a bit suspect, to him.

“Yeah, actually,” Hiccup agreed. “But if something happens you can’t say it’s impossible, right?”

Stoic carefully considered the question.

If something happens, you can’t say it’s impossible.

“All right, so let’s accept that for the sake of argument,” he allowed. “What kind of thing?”

“So I gave a Terrible Terror a fish,” Hiccup said. “Once. And now I literally cannot get it to stop rubbing against my ankles, making a kind of purring noise, and curling up next to my bed when I go to sleep.”

Stoic blinked, looking Hiccup up and down.

“...there doesn’t seem to be a Terrible Terror rubbing against your ankles,” he said.

“Yeah, because I can’t stop it, but Toothless can,” Hiccup explained. “Because, uh, there’s this Night Fury…”

“A Night Fury?” Stoic repeated, then went back over the conversation and reprocessed this new information through it.

“...are you telling me you befriended a Night Fury?” he asked. “How?”

“I shot it down,” Hiccup replied. “And, uh… since then I’ve kind of been testing the hypothesis, that’s more of the whole science thing, and it took like eight seconds to convince the Monstrous Nightmare in the training pens that I was a cool guy to be around. I just kind of smiled and that was it?”

He shrugged, then finally lost the battle against keeping the Night Fury out of the doorframe, and the Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death Itself slowly pushed the leaning Hiccup across the doorframe.

Then spotted Stoic, groonked something, and sat on his haunches like a giant, attentive dog mixed with a curious cat possessed of a penchant for pushing things off tables.

Stoic spent several seconds contemplating what to do, then – experimentally – threw his hammer at the beast.

It ducked, letting Hiccup topple over with a thump, then loped off after the hammer. A few seconds later, a Terror sat on the prone Hiccup’s side and curled up before visibly and very quickly going to sleep.

“You, uh… see what I mean?” Hiccup asked.

The Night Fury came back, tail swishing from side to side, and deposited the thrown hammer eagerly in front of the door before making a pleased sort of gronk-chirp.

Stoic gave up.

This was now Normal.

Making that new categorization was going to save a lot of time.

“My working theory is that, to dragons, we’re friend shaped,” Hiccup said, still trapped under the snoozing Terror.

[julietcpulet]

what do you think would be the most satisfying ending for jinmao?

i'm so conflicted about them because while i do not want jinshi to ascend the throne, i have to admit a part of me thinks renouncing his true position would be a waste. i mean, he's a damn pretty good leader and sometimes i enjoy imagining him and maomao being a power couple together. but then i'm always like damn they both canonically wouldn't like that </3 (so, thank the lord for fanfics, right?)

anyway, an unhappy jinmao is hardly a satisfying ending. but then i also wouldn't want them to be commoners because, again, it'd be a waste. as for the "faking their death" ending, it sounds really romantic but i feel like it's too cowardly and ooc for them. they'd never back down from a challenge after all.

so yeah i don't know how natsu-hyuga will conclude their romance. maybe the ending will just be them finally getting together? like the ending of the kaguya-sama movie where the last shot focused on the two main leads' interlocking hands, and then boom, the end credits. that would be an open ending (and i think that's what natsu was intending from the start), but is that satisfying? i'm not sure. just wanted to know your thoughts!

Love this question! And so sweet of you to be interested in my input 💕. Here's a breakdown of my thoughts on each possible ending and my personal speculation on an ending I like. Of course I have no idea what Hyuuga is really planning but just going on general direction and how things could play out if these were the proposed endings. (Spoilers below)

Emperor and Empress ending - I agree that this isn't the ideal nor the likely ending. To me, although there are factions pushing for Jinshi to be Emperor, it all feels like a mis-direct to the final outcome. Both Jinshi and Maomao are opposed to him becoming Emperor and he knows she would be miserable as a woman at the head of the nation, holding scorn from the other women.

Jinshi felt it was something close to a miracle that he had met a woman like Maomao. That was why he didn’t want to let her go. He’d gone so far as to press a brand into his own side, all to keep her.

He has struggled a lot to make it clear Maomao is the only woman he wants, he doesn't want to be the Emperor and also just is not the right person for the job. I don't believe these plot points are in vain only to be reversed later by a realization of avoidance and Jinshi wanting to accept his position out of familial obligation or maturity, nor do I think the plot is moving the characters in that direction. If anything it's continually showing that Maomao and Jinshi have to be willing to assert their own wishes against that of others despite what may be expected of them. And while Jinshi does have excellent leadership qualities, as Maomao easily points out, his kindness often brings him to overwork himself and struggle with dealing out harsh punishments or having necessary and uncomfortable entanglements an Emperor would have to have.

Jinshi was watching the pitiful family closely. He didn't seem to be thinking of how to punish them, but rather how to connect this to whatever came next. As he watched the family, Maomao silently watched him.

Romeo and Juliet ending - This was a favorite of mine previously and I still think there's the smallest possibility for it to happen but it's unlikely. I liked it simply because it brings back the resurrection drug which was a recurring theme for so long with Maomao wanting to obtain it and also the potential for a callback to the beginning of the novels with Shisui somehow making an appearance since she is the only character to disappear successfully and not be found. The downfall of considering this ending is two-fold. One is that Maomao and Jinshi do have some connections with people they may miss if they faked their deaths and disappeared. Her father Luomen might be able to come but Basen, Mrs. Chue, Lihaku and anyone else would never be able to see them again. Secondly, Maomao herself has said she sees death as a cop-out for escaping the fallout to problems you have caused.

"I hate it when people think everything's over just because they're dead!" It was as good as refusing to face the consequences of whatever you had done.

This to me is the biggest indicator this likely won't be the ending. It's interesting to consider and could bring back some fun appearances from early novel plots but I agree that given Maomao and Jinshi's character they're not much for disappearing and leaving others to handle the mess.

Grand Commandant and Court Physician ending - This is personally the most satisfying end for Jinmao I can imagine right now. Basically if Jinshi renounces his title as Moon Prince and Maomao accepts her role in the La Clan then they go on to get married with Jinshi being brought into the family, he could take on her clan name. From there, Lakan could step down as Grand Commandant and have Jinshi take the role. This would be optimal for both as Lakan appears to enjoy the strategy involved in military affairs but often delegates the rest of his work to his aids. He has found Jinshi interesting and should like to have a son-in-law who will take his position so he can retire to play Go games which is what I imagine.

To his surprise the eccentric strategist was there, lying on a couch and drinking from a gourd. To all appearances he was quite at his ease, but a secretary placed some paperwork sheet by sheet on a table and gave Lakan a stamp to press on them.

Being Grand Commandant would also give Jinshi the ability to back up the Emperor's son with Gyokuyou while not being his enemy. Jinshi has had a clear interest in the military from having the training, to when he stormed the Shi clan stronghold himself and then has wanted to boost the ranks of the military but been denied given that his current position is mostly in name and he has to go through others to do the things he wishes in the government. It also removes Lakan as such the fearsome threat against the Emperor and puts his son in the position whom he trusts.

When the younger brother had at last appeared, though, it turned out that he was as beautiful and as gossamer as a celestial nymph-and that he was also a hale young man as skilled in the military arts as the administrative.

As for Maomao, her accepting her place in the La Clan is integral to both her and Jinshi potentially being free from the grip of Imperial politics. Ironically this whole time Jinshi has been taking the burden on himself to find ways of removing the obstacles for both of them by getting himself taken out of the line of succession. It would prove to me to be funny if it turns out that Maomao accepting a noble position is the key to both of them finding actual freedom.

From my perspective if she becomes the La Princess not just in others recognizing she is outwardly but taking on the Clan name and what comes with it, I think it could open other possibilities for her and Jinshi. Like I said above she and he could get married if he was no longer royalty and he could take on her clan name, as we've seen that men can be welcomed into a wife's family and become the head of that family.

The position itself would bring her a noble status, which she could then use to work in the circles Jinshi would be in as Grand Commandant. For instance, if he is no longer considered a threat to the Emperor, he could also put forward more initiatives like he used to in the rear palace like helping the women read but along the lines of potentially having female physicians. I think the Emperor would accept without a problem, he merely needed someone who was respected with in the Imperial Court and who could make a reasoned argument for it to present the idea.

If Maomao then becomes a Court Physician in her own right she can still see Empress Gyokuyou and treat her as a doctor without having to be her lady-in-waiting or her servant and not being able to have a connection to Jinshi. She could be friends with the Empress again because she has her own established position which finally removes her biggest fear that has driven so much of Jinshi's efforts to remove himself as a potential successor.

Finally, I find this possible ending to be the most satisfying because what Maomao and Jinshi want most is to help people. And a place they can be where they have the best ability to help people is where they would thrive the best.

"You're only human, Master Jinshi. You're not some mythical immortal who can save everyone." She held his face in her hands, the fingers of her left hand brushing his scar. "You can be wounded, scarred, brought low. Only human."

Being Emperor and Empress would only stifle them because as we see with the current sovereigns there is a lot they cannot do and their hands are tied by relations with foreign nations and keeping friendly terms in the palace itself. Being commoners wouldn't work either because as we have seen with Maomao, having to constantly work and scrape for very little causes a defeatism of feeling like you're not able to do much for others or improve life for yourself.

Sadly but truthfully, Luomen won't be around forever and to me Maomao will find happiness taking over for him as Court Physician and working with the Quack in the Medical Office where she's comfortable and able to help the ladies and others, plus she'll always have access to the best medicines and can visit her Verdigris House family at any time. This ending also brings back the feeling of the early novels where Jinshi can peek in on her in the medical office after he's finished his paperwork as Commandant but this time they're able to go get chicken skewers together and have the freedom as husband and wife.

He wished he could have gotten her tucked into bed sooner, with a nice, soft blanket around her. She hadn’t been able to resist her first sleep in days, and she looked as comfortable as if she were in a pleasant bath.

Here they're both able to work, doing something they enjoy but freed from troublesome entanglements, all the while finding new ways to improve the lives of others. That's a happy ending to me.

Lastly, I don't see it having them be together and fade-to-black, I think we'll know some of what their future holds. To me the idea of being open-ended is more, the possibility for further adventures to be had. So we can see them get married, have jobs and be happy but that doesn't mean there couldn't be more, there just wouldn't be at the time we leave them because they've achieved a certain peace for the moment.

That was longer than I intended it to be 😂 but fun to write and explore the different endings. Thanks so much for the question!

[nekoboydreams]

Hi! I really enjoyed your visual novel, it was super interesting, and I have a lot of questions!

1) It seems like no one in the circus troupe really gets along (or is it just Pierrot and Harlequin who have issues because of a tragic love triangle in the past?). Is the promise of creating a real home the only thing still holding them together?

2) Will we see the appearances of the other clowns and harlequins? (Pierrot mentions he's the only Pierrot "among jesters and harlequins"). This question also applies to their human forms (if they even have them).

(do they absorb people to create their human forms, and of course, to feed themselves? (Sorry, I took Harlequin's play "And the Monsters Became Humans" a little too literally. I think they ate that person in the smiling mask, like they did Columbine.Though, I don't think that terrible person who imprisoned them could be considered an example to compare themselves to….(

3) I think this is related (or maybe not), but in that same play, when the monsters were listing the advantages of becoming human, the silhouette with the orange eyes (the one that looks like a hedgehog) said, "No one will hurt us anymore." That immediately made me think of when we stood up for Pierrot at the very beginning of the novel. I think that's cute. Is there a connection there?

(By the way, I find it funny that in Harlequin's play, Pierrot looks like the shortest one, but now he's the second-tallest character!) I think that hedgehog in the play is Pierrot – maybe because Pierrot's hat has three points and his eyes are orange. Now I can't unsee Pierrot as a hedgehog.

4) We know the colors of the tickets are connected to the clowns, but what are the black and yellow tickets for then? Are they for people who are some kind of "audience" that will then support the circus's status? (Saying good things about it on TV, among people, etc.)

Sorry if these questions are too long and if there are any errors in the text as English is not my first language.

Good luck to you!

Wow, Thank you! And, so many questions! That's totally fine it's always fun for me.

1) Let’s say the rest of the circus gets along in their own way. It’s a bit of a chaotic family. Only Pierrot and Harlequin have a serious issue between them, which sometimes causes headaches for the others.

2) The other members are already prepared for their appearances! As for what they’re really like under their costumes, that’ll be revealed a bit later.

Harlequin’s story is true, but it’s told in his way. The flashes you see while he’s telling the story are pure reality. There will be more to that story, so maybe things will start to make more sense from here on!

3) Very well spotted, dear anon! I don’t think I’ve seen anyone bring that up yet. There is definitely a connection between those scenes! As for the shape and size of the dolls, keep in mind they were made by Harlequin himself! As you saw, his doll is even taller than the orange-eyed one, and he’s also the only one staring directly at the screen.

4) The yellow tickets are the regular ones, the kind you buy at the circus box office! The black tickets… those are very different. You’ll have to wait and see more about them in the future! TYSM!

[copperbadge]

SAM!

I love the Chicken Salad War, but it's been a bit of a week so I have not commented. But it is very good. Which is funny, because I don't actually like chicken salad itself... Anyway, I have two(ish) questions about the Shivadh-verse! Back in one of the earlier books, you mentioned Gregory hung out (or at least knew) Princess Mia of Genovia. So are we talking about the Disney version of the Princess Diaries, with the awesone Grandmere? Or the book version, where Grandmere was pretty awful? My headcanon is that it's the Disney version, since (IRRC, as I said, long week, family emergencies, hospitals and all that) the Shivadh-verse started as Hallmark Channel Romance type movie script. So the happier version of the PD would make sense. Okay, second thing... When there is an election, is it basically "first across the finish line" style voting? Or is it ranked choice voting, where the votes for the non winning persons are redistributed ? (I know that's a massive over-simplification, but I'm sending an ask, not a theoretical essay.) I am assuming there's none of this stupid electoral college nonsense going on. (I am USian and I hate the electoral college system. But that's a rant for another day!)

I honestly love when people ask world building questions about the Shivadhverse, and I'm so glad you're enjoying the latest one!

I wasn't even aware the Princess Diaries HAD a book version. I won't lie, I've enjoyed the movie both times I've seen it but neither was like, intentional, I didn't seek it out. I'm not very well-versed in the canon, so yeah if the movies are happier lets go with those!

As for voting, that's an interesting question. I looked up how old ranked choice is as a methodology, and I think probably for royal elections in the Ask it's majority rule, but I have some really detailed reasoning as to why :D

Mainly, it seems that ranked-choice was generally known, but also not very popular, around the time Gregory II was democratizing the country in the early 20th century. That being the case he probably went with majority rule, which mostly matters because a lot hinges on how he chose to structure the elections.

There have, at least at this point in canon, been only five elections since the country went to democracy: Gregory II, Nathan IV, Jason I, Michaelis I, and Gregory III. I might write Jason or Michaelis facing a recall vote at some point but I don't have plans to right now. I find politics stressful :D Anyway, the history goes like this:

Gregory II was a birthright king and took the country to a democracy but then was elected king, which I think probably dismayed him a little but what can you do? He died in office, so parliament ran the next election, and they wouldn't have changed the still very new system.

Nathan IV was both incompetent and dictatorial so he was the first real test of the elected royalty system, where there are no term limits, simply the ability to call an election if people didn't like what the king was doing. A recall election would have been a really ugly time to change the system. Plus the whole thing was engineered by Jason, so he would only have allowed it to change if it benefitted him against Nathan. In theory it would have, since if you're voting for someone running against Nathan your vote would probably go to Jason next, because this was mostly about "get Nathan out of office", but Jason also knew he could win without it and he had to consider optics.

Likewise, Jason wanted his son Michaelis to be king. It's not so much that he wanted power for its own sake, but more that he felt that his family were the right people for the job (Jason was a competent ruler but he was arrogant and also not someone who let ethics get in his way). So again he would only have changed the system if he felt it would benefit Michaelis, who was so clearly going to win that he didn't need the help. That election had a number of people running, but nobody was giving Michaelis a real challenge.

Michaelis would have been willing to change to ranked-choice if the people wanted it, especially since he thinks it's a fairer system. Despite his dad, Michaelis is concerned with ethics and he wants to make sure everyone has the same power in the ballot box. So it's possible he held a referendum about it, perhaps well before he was thinking of retiring. If he had just decided to push it through parliament, there were again optics to consider, like whether he was doing it because it would benefit Gregory, so he put it to a public poll. But while Shivadh are generally very liberal they can also be a little set in their ways, and I think if he did hold a referendum they'd vote to keep things as they are. The system elected them three good kings and only one bad one, and those are decent odds.

And Gregory is open to the idea of changing the voting system, but unless there's a push for it from the voters, he's not going to bother, he has bigger fish to fry. He is concerned about the fact that three generations of his family have held office and now it's looking like they're bucking for a fourth, even if Joan is new to the family, so he's more focused on making sure that other young people who are interested in politics get opportunities similar to Joan's. Both because they deserve it, and so that it doesn't seem like Joan's getting undue favoritism.

I might write a political-themed Shivadh novel one day -- we know very little about Michaelis's election and nothing about Gregory's. I have distant plans for the election after Gregory announces his retirement -- Joan obviously is going to run, but I think Serafina will too, and they won't be the only ones. :D But we'll see. There's enough scary politics in the world right now that it won't be for a while in any case.

[cod-dump]

Have you considered how Valeria and Farah ended up together in the teen au??? They're like polar opposites (in most aspects) so it'd honestly be really interesting to see 😭😭

They met during their college classes. Ended up getting paired together for a project. They did not get along at first. Valeria is mean, pushy. Farah does not back down if someone is trying to force her to go their way. The arguments they were getting into by day three made Farah believe she was going to have to go to their professor.

Then Valeria mellows out some. Has a bad day and comes to their meetup stop with gloom hanging over her. She's snappy, still mean, but she's not pushing, she's letting Farah get a word in. And Farah is nicer and calmer in return. She doesn't question Valeria's drop in attitude, it's not her business. Valeria does notices Farah being nicer and she realizes that she's likeable when they're not trying to bite each other's heads off.

It blossoms from there. They meet up after their classes, work on their project, and Valeria shows up some days with coffee for the both of them. Farah starts driving them places after she gets a car thanks to Nik. Valeria is still mean but it's more playful. Farah still argues with her but there isn't any heat with it.

Valeria complains about her family and their overwhelming expectations, Farah opens up about her broken family and the peace she has found finally. They get each other, understand where the other is coming from. Farah knows she has a crush by the time they turn in their project. Valeria doesn't realize how she feels until after a meet up at their favorite café for studying as she watches Farah leave with a small smile.

Farah gets the courage to ask her out and Valeria is genuinely flustered and accepts almost too eagerly. Well, to her the eagerness was lame, cringy. To Farah it made her heart swell because there wasn't any doubt that Valeria felt the same.

[jewishcissiekj]

The question "what was marvel comics's first gay kiss?" is very interesting because. Well. There are at least 6 different answers, depending on how you define a gay and a kiss and a gay kiss. Do both participants have to be homosexual? Does only one? Does it just have to be two homosexual participants or can it just be two men/women kissing? Are we counting lesbian kisses as gay kisses? I'll present my cases and you'll judge.

Admittedly, some of these kisses are gag kisses, and they're played for jokes. But should they still count? If they do, maybe I'm missing a whole lot of homophobic kisses between men before the year 1999. But this is what I know of. Feel free to educate me and let me know differently if there were any earlier gay kisses I missed. I didn't include mouth-to-mouth operations, no matter how gay they were (sorry, Storm and Yukio), because I feel like they can't really be considered kisses.

Beast (Hank McCoy) & Wonder Man (Simon Williams) in Avengers #14, cover date March 1999, release date February 10th 1999.

Hank McCoy kissed Simon Williams in 1999, but is this Marvel's first gay kiss? a few points against that: a) Hank is kissing Simon, but Simon isn't kissing back. b) Neither Simon nor Hank have been confirmed to be attracted to men. Yet. c) Honetsly, this issue is gay as hell but this is just ignored by the rest of the characters, implying Hank may have pulled this shit off before. So we have one man kissing another man, but neither men are canonically gay/bi or confirmed to be attracted to each other. it's a kiss but is it gay? is it gay if they're just homies who kiss each goodnight? (note: There is an alternate universe where Wonder Man and Beast were in a romantic relationship. but not in the 616)

2. Deadpool (Wade Wilson) & Mister Snout/Unnamed Bull alien of the Last Men in Deadpool #41, cover date June (!) 2000, release date April 26th 2000.

In 2000, Deadpool kissed a man. An alien man, but this is Marvel, if I don't count aliens as men, I'd have a problem. So is this Marvel's first gay kiss with a canonically queer person? let's see. a) Again, this kiss is one-sided. Additionally, we have no idea if Bull guy is also queer. b) This is meant as a joke. It's not a sincere kiss between two men, and it has no importance in the story whatsoever. I can't speak for the writer's intention, but I doubt this was meant as queer representaion. c) Adding to the lack of importance, the bull guy doesn't have a name (but the one Wade gives him). He's a non-character. You could still argue it matters since the canonization of Kitty Pryde's bisexuality was done in a similar way and still matters. d) No lips are touching. A minor detail, but Deadpool's mask is on in this kiss, and it's unclear if Bull guy has proper lips. Is it even a kiss?

3. Bloke (Mickey Tork) & Unnamed boyfriend in San Francisco in X-Force #118, cover date September 2001, release date July 25th 2001.

While I'm not at all sure what the intention in writing behind the previous two kisses was, I know for sure this was meant to be a proud and sincere gay kiss between two men attracted to each other. Peter Milligan & Mike Allred's X-Force (and following X-Statix) run was written to be controversial, political, and satirical. However, while this kiss succeeds where the previous two fail (explicit gay representation, lips touching, willing participation of both parties), it also has its problems. a) Bloke dies in this same issue. While it is a part of the new X-Force concept, it does lend itself to the "bury your gays" trope. b) The boyfriend is unnamed and is inconsequential, like the kiss is in-story. There's no story to it. There's a nice farewell moment, and that's it. This goes nowhere. We don't see Bloke or his boyfriend again. This is an indisputable gay kiss, but beyond the status of "Marvel's first gay kiss (technically)", it doesn't mean a lot. It's something that meant a lot with the removal of the comics code authority logo on the X-Force covers, but it's a bit disappointing as the first gay kiss. So what's the first meaningful gay kiss in Marvel Comics?

4. Marlo Chandler & Moondragon (Heather Douglas) in Captain Marvel #32, cover date July 2002, release date May 2002.

Indisputably, this is Marvel's first lesbian (or sapphic) kiss. This is also the first kiss with two canonicaly queer characters. It's meaningful, as it's a moment shared between two friends who find themselves attracted to each other, and it made Marlo separate from her husband and go on to discover herself and her sexuality (and also led to a romantic relationship between the two women? I'm sorry, I don't read Captain Marvel comics, I really don't know). This is Marvel Comics's first meaningful, proper, sincere gay kiss between two queer characters.

We can stop here. We found it. But Heather and Marlo seemingly aren't important enough to be featured on any article discussing important queer marvel moments. So let's keep going until we reach the "first major Marvel Comics gay kiss".

5. Sunfire (Mariko Yashida, Earth 2109) & Spider-Woman (Mary Jane Watson, Earth 8545) in Exiles #34, cover date November 2003, release date September 24th, 2003.

If we give a unique award/title for each kiss on this list, this would be "Marvel Comics's first meaningful gay kiss between two characters in a relationship with each other". This kiss is between an alternate version of Wolverine's almost wife and Mary Jane Watson. These are almost major characters. MJ and Mariko are queer characters (in their universes), the kiss is sincere, meaningful, and properly a kiss. Since we brought up the "bury your gays" trope, it's important to note (SPOILERS TO EXILES FROM 20 YEARS AGO) that Mariko does die a few issues after this, and MJ and Mariko do not get a happy ending at all. I'd like to note that, like the previous kiss, this one was also drawn by Jim Calafiore.

6. Phyla-Vell & Moondragon (Heather Douglas) in Guardians of the Galaxy #12, cover date May 2009, release date March 25th, 2009.

While Phyla-Vell and Moondragon were shown to be in a romantic relationship and closely embraced each other prior to this issue, this is the first time they actually kiss on-panel, on the lips. PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong about this, I tried to do some fact-checking, but there isn't a lot on the internet about the two of them, and going through their joint appearances issue by issue got tiring (though I promise I will try to read more about them in the future). This isn't a landmark for anyone but Heather and Phyla, but if we're in the business of granting awards, this kiss is "Marvel's first meaningful gay kiss between two characters in a relationship with each other in the 616". So gay, mutual, canonically queer, sincere, meaningful and properly a kiss. But while Phyla-Vell has appeared in an MCU movie (as a child) and she and Heather got more than a few Pride variant covers, they're still not a major comic couple. Which brings us to the last kiss on our list.

7. Shatterstar & Rictor (Julio Richter) in X-Factor #45, cover date August 2009, release date June (!) 24th, 2009.

While lesbians and dead, unnamed gays were kissing pretty sporadically through the 00s, it took until 2009 for the fan-favorite gay mutant couple to get a kiss. This was major, and I'm not doubting that. Rictor and Shatterstar had been queer-coded for almost two decades at this point. But is this "Marvel's first major gay kiss"? Are Rictor and Shatterstar a major Marvel couple? I don't know. You decide. Personally, I'd award it the "Marvel's first meaningful gay kiss between two men" title. It still means a lot to a lot of people, and it's also Marvel's first meaningful gay kiss between two characters who were both created prior to the year 2000.

That's all, an overview of "Marvel's first gay kisses". June 24th, the day I'm posting this on, is also the 16th anniversary of X-Factor #45 and the Ricstar kiss, I hope I wasn't too harsh on them for their special day (I love the two characters, I didn't mean to take away from what their kiss was, only put it in persepctive of other queer kisses). Feel free to share your favorite gay Marvel kisses, and Happy Pride!

On a final final note, I didn't give titles to the first three kisses on this list, so here they are now: Beast & Wonder Man - Marvel's first gay kiss (no special qualifications edition). Deadpool & Mister Snout/Bull guy - Marvel's first gay kiss involving a canonically queer character. Bloke & his boyfriend - Marvel's first gay kiss between two canonically queer characters.

[quietplace26]

Ok ok hear me out please-

Furina!MC who knows nothing about Genshin Impact and is just super confused of why she looks different and some rando on a mirror is telling her to act as a god??

However she accepts on the condition she doesn't interfere on any decision Furina!MC makes. When the Melusines appear she's taken aback by them but she thinks they're cute! Those are her daughters now. (Mf really stole Neuvillette's daughters 😭🙏). And since the Melusines have her favor Carole doesn't have to sacrifice herself. And she also unknowingly stops the Fontanian's traumas (Wriothesley, Navia, etc...)

Oh, and when Neuvillette step into the picture? Comedy of the century. (Furina!MC literally asked him if they were siblings since they look similar 💀)

Furina!MC also doesn't feel alone, since she does have friends and her daughters, but she's super bored. Like, the only thing that isn't boring for her are the trials, and that's why she looks foward to them. She also is super dedicated to the prophecy to the point she has met with the Dendro Archon to ask for help. (The Fontanians are immensely greatful for her transparency on the topic and how much she's dedicated to look for a solution).

Mb for the wall of text I just thought it was a cool idea TwT

Anyway sending all the love 🤍🤍

Ok. This. Is adorable! 🥰

I never really considered the idea of her not not knowing about Genshin, but it makes things more interesting!

Like this sweet, innocent summer child Furina!MC just goes with the flow-

"Ok. I have a new body? I'm a goddess now? I have to take care of a whole nation of people? ...Let's do this."

The Focalors in this au just sitting back and letting Furina!MC take the reins is a nice touch as well. I can this Focalors popping into her head every now and then whenever Furina!MC has a question.

The Focalors of this au is just charmed by her 'human' side. She's so cute and determined-

And the Melusines! The idea of Furina!MC finding them first and yoinking them to be her own daughters is just precious!

Bet she even gushes about her new 'babies' to every single human within the Court of Fontaine, and the humans take a page of their Archon's book, and go with the flow as well.

Dark abyss creatures? Oh no, those are just the Melusines! The Hydro Archon's adorable daughters! So for the love of Egeria, don't touch a hair on their heads-

Now the Neuvillette thing. About Furina!MC asking if they were siblings. I honestly see Focalors maybe giggling, possibly even snorting within the Oratrice when she hears Furina!MC's innocent question.

Her laughter only grows when she sees the Hydro Sovereign's baffled expression.

It only gets funnier when the Melusines ask similar questions. "Are you Mama's brother? Are you our uncle-"

Thankfully things are cleared up, but it still remains a fond and funny memory for both Furina!MC and Neuvillette to look back on years later.

Now on to the topic of the prophecy. Yeah, this Furina!MC, without the fear of 'canon events' going through her head or a Focalors telling her what to do, definitely goes ham on trying to find a way to destroy it.

Sumeru was actually one of the first places she went... Before being forced out by the sages since they were trying to keep the Dendro Archon out of power.

Despite wanting to help Nahida, despite never even meeting her, Furina!MC reluctantly left Sumeru on the treat that Sumeru might take her demands about the Archon as a threat of war...

Besides that, she turned her attention to Liyue, Mondstadt, Inazuma. She did attempt Snezhnaya, but she and the Tsaritsa's views on certain things, particularly Furina!MC's opinion on how she handled her Fatui organization... Well, let's just say they're not exactly friends.

Natlan was still mostly closed off, so that was also out the picture.

But even when nothing bore fruit, Furina!MC kept trying. Trying. And trying.

She will save Fontaine, or so help her-

Tagging: @platinumrosetail, @arn9tails, @bloodytea, @esthelily

[zar-bylerz]

Okay honestly that one poll saying bi or gay Mike truther got me REALLY thinking. I don’t usually put much thought into this argument compared to the Byler or Mileven argument, since obviously I’ll still love Mike’s character whether hes gay or bisexual.

BUT whether he’s gay or bi WOULD kinda affect how he comes to terms with himself.

Now, I’m gonna be honest I kinda go from one side to the other a lot, and before I didn’t really give bi Mike much thought, but both sides do have really good points.

For one I’m pretty sure all bylers (hopefully) can agree that there IS feeling put into Mike and El’s relationship, and that it IS important. If it wasn’t then the duffers would not make them a big part of the show for four seasons. BUT whether that feeling was ever romantic is the question.

One thing that is for sure is that especially when you’re an adolescent, it is a very common experience to sometimes mix up platonic and romantic feelings, since you’re still getting a grasp on them. I also feel like this is a common experience for bisexuals who are figuring out that they’re bisexual, trying to compare their feelings to one gender to the other (atleast for me). Now don’t get me wrong, I know this is a common experience for people finding out that they are gay aswell, I just feel that if Mike was bisexual and did feel something romantic too El, then he would want to lean in on that feeling of normalcy instead of stopping to think if they are actually platonic. If that makes sense 😭

BUT one thing that is suspicious for Mike is that El is literally the only girl he has ever shown interest in. All the other boys have shown interest in other girls, like Dustin and Lucas and Steve, and even Jonathan at one point (a poster in his room that Lonnie pointed out I think). So the fact that all these people (who are/were teenagers at this point) have felt something romantic or some sort of attraction to other girls yet Mike hasn’t, is a bit suspicious and does point to him being gay. (Especially considering that in season one el was constantly mixed with being a boy/Will 🤭)

ANYWAY id like to hear your thoughts about this, since I’m currently in between 😭

[sorormaior]

Wrote a whole buncha paragraphs for Primarch AU you say? 👀🍿🍵

I then Deleted them but I'll try to write what I remember

So, same questions but for Primarch AU Caritas

How would Cary’s relationship with the other Primarchs change now that they’re technically siblings? Same again in that they'd be more confident in calling out the Primarchs, but especially so since they're the one who gets assigned to the problematic brothers who Cause Fights. I Am Looking At You, Night Haunter. Okay he didn't cause that many but you know he nearly caused several punchups at family dinners. They have stronger relationships with the Primarchs that were considered hard cases, Lorgar, etc.

Would Caritas follow Horus or remain loyal? They'd remain loyal but I'd like to do something interesting with them, like maybe they end up as a hostage alongside Vulkan (probably not physically tortured, but they're not getting out unscathed from this), maybe they get rescued during the Thramas crusade and Unremembered Empire now features a Really Very Sad And Traumatised Caritas. I also like to think they got their arm cut off at Istvaan and didn't get a prosthetic until Lion arrived on Macragge. It's also funny to imagine Caritas just sitting in their room on the Invincible Reason occasionally getting updates about Lion hunting NH through the ship.

What are their feelings about the Emperor? He came to Nochte and took their people to the stars, and for that they feel they should be grateful. But they find their father distant and unreliable. Something bothers them about the Emperor and they can't quite put their finger on it.

[more-than-a-princess]

Sonia leaned back against the pillows, at least as much as her injuries would allow without her wincing in too much pain. Still, they paled in the face of their mutual defeat against the Sin Archbishop of Lust. "Transfiguring herself into a swarm of rats," Sonia repeated with a dejected sigh. "It truly is a pity that she is so evil. I would very much have enjoyed having a friend who could turn into rats, rather like Dracula. I wonder if she could transform into a vampire." She likely shouldn't have taken a wistful tone at that, but Sonia couldn't help herself. If only the Sin Archbishops weren't so terribly focused on having the world suffer: she would've appreciated their unique quirks and abilities otherwise.

Something the rest of the world often didn't understand. The Witch Cult needed to be stopped, but no one else really stopped to admire the abilities they were granted. Not when others had to suffer for them to conquer the world. She needed perspective, and she figured someone like Reinhard wouldn't be terribly interested in the weirdness of the world. Just preserving justice and freedom, as a knight should. At least she had her books: someone had brought a selection to one of the two end tables arranged by her bed in the convalescent suite.

"Thank you," Sonia began after he'd declared to defeat Capella Emerada Lugunica and assure the safety of Novoselic's citizens. "I-" But she was cut off as, in a move she hadn't anticipated, Reinhard had taken her left hand, the one not occupied with the spoon filled with stew, in his. There were so many ways to tell that he wasn't part of the Novosonian court: his attire, his various blessings, the way he didn't seem terribly perturbed whenever a member of the royal family admonished him for something or other (and it was usually her, she had to admit). This was just another indication, how easily he reached for the Princess of Novoselic's hand. Even without an audience, it was far too forward for any knight.

Sonia didn't know what to say, beyond swallowing the mouthful of stew she had in order to eventually form words that would be understood. She had to wonder what sort of royals he served before he'd found his way to Novoselic: did the prospective royals of Lugunica consider such an action to be an impertinence? Unfortunately, she'd yet to have the opportunity to meet any of the ladies in line to become the next monarch of Lugunica: she had so many questions. A few of them about Reinhard van Astrea.

None of them, however, would revolve around how she didn't entirely detest his hand around hers, a sentiment she usually felt when men with an abundance of wealth, power, and pride felt it was their right to be given her attention.

She glanced away, using the excuse of needing two hands to tear pieces of bread away from the larger loaf to gently extract her hand from his. "I am not sure my safety is all that matters anymore," She replied quietly, her cheeks pink. Assuring her safety had, after all, destroyed a significant part of Novoselic Castle and had left quite a few bodies in the rubble.

Still, she was glad to hear that his determination to eradicate the witch cult was resolute, a feeling she conveyed with a nod as she chewed. "I do apologize," She replied after swallowing her bite. "After being asleep for three days, I am rather hungry and the meal you have brought is delicious. Though I admit, I am not sure what that is," She gestured to the blue drink beside her tea. "And I can barely sit up in bed, much less get up and meet a dragon. It will have to wait I'm afraid, which is sad as such an event would lift my spirits. Nevertheless, there is a more important situation at hand."

Sonia set down her spoon in order to give him her full attention. "With the castle in this state, it is unsafe for me to remain here until it has been rebuilt. Before you arrived, it seems my family and the Royal Council are in a dispute as to what to do with me. The only options they can offer are to send me away to one of my family's countryside estates or mountain chalets, or insist you keep me by your side as you search throughout the country for the Witch Cult. I am not sure which is the better option to either keep me safe or use me as bait to draw out Miss Lugunica once more. What do you think should be done with me, Sir Reinhard?" Not that she would choose his option necessarily, but Sonia felt it was important to add it to the discussion. Even if he was the knight assigned to protect Novoselic, it seemed impolite to simply saddle her with him as he worked, especially in her injured condition.

He breathed out softly, truly he was glad that she was safe and well, he had done what needed to be done, as much as one person could do, to try and get back here and help her, but he had a curse, as the hero, death was all that he knew, as strong and as fast as he was, he could not be everywhere at the same time, he could not save everyone. He heard it all the time, his blessings, he could hear them right now, the cries of the dying, the wails of the suffering, blood like rain, falling all around the world, but kingdoms, empires, laws, so many laws, he cannot freely act, he has to act within the laws of each kingdom and so many view him, the sword saint as nothing other than a monster.

Still, as it was standing here with her, his smile remained, though it was tinged with a hint of sadness and perhaps a bit of regret. "I'm afraid I did not slay her." He said gently. "But I did not let her escape without consequence. When we battled, she transformed herself into a swarm of rats and fled the scene, slipping through the cracks of the castle. She's a coward at heart, though powerful. I will not rest until she is brought to justice for her crimes."

As he looked down, he was guilty with what had happened, but his blow was a killing blow when he had struck, he did not expect the sin of lust to regenerate and brush of even an attack from him like it was nothing at all, which means next time, if there was to be a next time, his true sword might view the sin as a worthy threat and allow him to use it.

He looked at her as he spoke again. "It is a tactic she has no doubt used before, to escape when she knows she is outmatched. It's one of the reasons why I was able to reach you in time. She had overestimated her ability to control the situation." He paused, his gaze lingering on the stew, as if he were searching for the right words to say next. "But fear not, Your Highness. I will find her, and I will end her reign of terror."

The knight's expression grew determined, his eyes gleaming with the promise of justice. He knew that Sonia's dream had been more than just a nightmare; it had been a psychic echo of the battle he had waged. The transformation into rats was one of the Sin Archbishops' most despicable tactics, one that allowed them to vanish into the shadows, leaving only chaos in their wake. It was a reminder of how deeply the dark magic had infiltrated even the safest places of the realm.

"I know you think this a nightmare, but the witch cult is still a threat in your lands." He said, his voice steady and reassuring. "But you are safe now, and that is all that matters." He took a step closer to her bed, his hand reaching out to gently grasp hers. The warmth of his touch seemed to dispel the shadows of doubt and fear that had settled around her heart. "I will not rest until every last one of those monsters is brought to heel. I will ensure that your land and its people can live without fear of their wrath."

His gaze drifted to the window, his eyes distant as he thought of the carnage the witch cult had wrought upon the land. The fields that once bloomed with life were now scarred by their dark magic, the rivers poisoned by the tears of the innocent they had taken. The very air itself felt tainted, heavy with the weight of their malice. He knew that the battle was far from over, but he would not falter. He would be the shield that protected her, the sword that cleaved through the darkness to bring light back to her people.

He turned back to Sonia, his expression resolute. "Your Highness the pain that your people are feeling runs deep and the witch cult will target those who are cared. The witch cult is a cancer that has spread through the very veins of this land and many others, and it is my solemn duty to eradicate it. Every life taken by their hand is a wound upon the world, and I will not stand by idly as they continue their reign of terror." As he swears it that he will ensure this kingdom does not fall into darkness, as he looks down at her.

“He is outside, if you are feeling well, there is no threat in your royal city or the areas around, I have already done a patrol and informed your knights of what to look out for.”

[amoremagnificentbastard]

New Year Writing Tag

@cinnamontails-ff tagged me to participate in this game. Thank you so much for thinking of me!

What's been your biggest learning point this past year?

Everyone is different. That means everyone's perspective is different, and no one can or should try to tell a story the same way another author would. All you should do is tell your story the way you want it told, and those the story will resonate with will find it.

How has your writing developed this past year?

I'm developing the ability to explain why things are happening or why a character is acting a certain way without explicitly spelling out the reason. Before this year the last time I posted any fic at all was 2018. And in those six years, I had a lot of academic writing to do -- which meant lots of outright explanations, because one can't leave things up to interpretation in academic writing. I'm still getting out of that mindset, I think, but that's one way I've developed this year.

Good writing habits?

I have started finding spots where I can go to focus on my writing. I'm hoping to start making visiting those places part of my regular schedule this year!

Bad writing habits?

I have a very distracting habit of editing as I write. Sometimes I make it two or three paragraphs without stopping to edit. Sometimes I make it two sentences. But I have got to learn to get through the thing first before I start editing.

Favorite thing you wrote?

I love both of my Diana fics, but say yes, but only if you want to wins the top spot by a very slim margin.

Favorite reads?

I refuse to choose. Please check out my Ao3 recs -- that list is full of so many incredible authors, and I reread their stories so often.

Biggest win?

A year ago I wasn't at all anticipating joining a new fandom, much less being active enough to make friends and build a community. And yet here we are, and I'm so glad for it. This would have been an absolute mess of a year for me if you hadn't been with me.

Goals for the new year?

My goals are to write something every day, specifically something that makes me happy (meaning something that's not for work or school or anything else), and to learn to write without stopping to edit along the way.

Your favorite words of the year, aka the words you check each chapter for, making sure you didn't repeat them 788 times?

OUCH. The repeat offenders are look, lean(s), eyes, smile, hand(s), and smirk. Depending on the fic, I might even cut a kiss scene, because lips can start racking up search results, too.

What are you excited for in the new year?

You mean besides making more friends and reading more amazing fics? I'm hoping to start posting my longfic this year, so. That's pretty exciting.

No-pressure tagging @lyzelky, @nyx-knox, @bardic-inspo, @honeybee-bard, @busy-baker, @kalmiaphlox, @mellybaggins, @ballofbitter, and @saucy-scribbler!

[trans-emet-selch]

Some people really need to learn that not all your friends should be in every single hobby of yours. These same people also need to learn how to be interested on your friend’s behalf in said hobbies/medias that you aren’t into

[badninken]

First off: If something grosses you out, walk away. Bye.

Secondly: No matter what you feel about this ship or age gaps etc, the notion that Corazon canonically raised Law or was any kind of father figure is just plain wrong.

I respect that headcanon because it can be really sweet, but I can't stand people being rude about other ppl's shipping preferences AND obnoxiously wrong about canon at the same time.

You do not "raise" anything in six months. Law and Corazon were basically enemies who barely knew each other until three weeks before Cora died and for that entire time their relationship was founded on Cora very violently trying to make Law get the fuck out. When he finds out about the D he tells Law to run away on his own, having no intent to care for this rude ass kid, leading to one of my favorite panels (Cora trying to kick Law straight into a brick wall like a football, as any normal adult would do with a terminally ill child)

After this we have six months of Law being kidnapped and re-traumatized over and over while literally begging Corazon to stop, and THEN we get Corazon finally drunkenly realizing that he actually cares about Law as a person. This is three weeks before he dies.

And if you want to consider the three weeks following this as a Corazon-becomes-a-father speedrun then that's fine.

My own interpretation is that Law barely knew a single thing about Corazon that was true and that it's very natural that he questions why Cora cared, loved and died for him like, who even are you? (unrelated but Law hearing Sengoku say Cora was the most honest man he'd ever met must have been something)

Corazon mostly being a stranger and a mystery to Law when he died laid the entire foundation for the mythologizing, hero worship and the person Law grows up to be. Cora didn't raise him like that, that's who Law becomes by dedicating his life to the weirdo who saved him <3

(also: sure you might get a tattoo to honor a dead parent but. not like that)

So, this is just about their canon dynamic in general. Shipping is complicated and personal. As for me, I'm so invested in their journey as adult and child that shipping them romantically doesn't work for me, but there is so much beautiful CoraLaw artwork out there so I partake in the ship anyway and I totally understand the appeal of them reuniting as adults. Also, Law's Cora-obsession is very interesting to dive into regardless. It's at the core of his character. Anyway, I'm a CoraLaw ally and a supporter of people's right to enjoy whatever the fuck they want without getting rude, judgemental asks.

tl;dr: just block the damn tag and move on.

So your CoraLaw analysis is fine I guess, but Corazon still raised Law and met Law as a child, which makes it gross. I'm trying to be nice here, but that just grosses me out.

- Cora didn't even remotely raise Law. He ignored him for two years and then dragged him around to hospitals for six months against his will. He's not a parental or mentor figure, he's a savior figure (in a literary role sense). The rest of the Donquixote family are the ones who raised and mentored Law (we literally have a montage of this).

- Why should I care about a singular rando's reactionary opinion??? Finding something gross doesn't equal moral correctness. That's like queerness lesson number 1, broski.