#which I think also would help with the damsel thing

[jackattack20writes]

I kinda wanna do a “what’s the craziest possible ending for Gquuuuuux” post but first I just needed to say I had the realisation that I think with what Shuji said this episode that Lalah’s damselness in the Gquuuuuux timeline is possibly because of the other Lalah, also I do have to acknowledge that this could be me reading into it too much but I think one particular thing supports this reading.

So I don’t know yet how much influence OS Lalah has on the Gquuuuuux timeline whether it’s just getting char the RX-78 or as Shuji implied the entire thing but if it is the latter that explains a lot.

So firstly just generally it makes sense from what we know of her, that if OS Lalah created an alt timeline the most important things to her would be Char, Amuro and the other her. Now as there’s no confirmation Haro is controlled by Amuro or even what Amuro is up to at the moment but well there is some assumptions, so firstly we know that at the very least his father is alive from the cameo in the flashback so we can assume that Amuro also exists. Secondly we know he isn’t a Gundam pilot something that arguably would be the best way to protect him, leaving him as the boy he was before he got in the robot. So it would qualify as protecting him

Next is Char, so we know from Lalah’s visions that in at least one reality likely the one OS Lalah is from, Char died in place of Lalah. So what’s the most direct way to achieve that give him white base, the rx-78 and a military-trained new type partner, or as we see in Gquuuuuux, Sodon, the alpha psycommu equipped Red Gundam and Challia Bull. Which coincidentally also achieves the goal of protecting Amuro. So so far the changes match what a distraught Lalah would do if she was restructuring the timeline, but I think the real kicker is her alternate’s fate.

So when GQX Lalah first showed up there was understandable criticism for Lalah being reduced to a damsel waiting for Char to show up. And while I do think the criticism is still valid I think it’s going to be revealed that OS Lalah is the cause. So like the big reason we get for Lalah not leaving is because she’s waiting for char like she saw in her visions of the alternate timelines, visions that caused her pain. So my theory is that OS Lalah was the source of these visions and intended for GQX Lalah to get them with a dual purpose. As not only would the visions keep her on earth waiting for char but also as a perpetual punishment that OS Lalah could both inflict and vicariously suffer.

Now yes this is a lot of speculation but I think that based on the other big change to the timeline the visions that make GQX Lalah stay on earth also being from OS Lalah makes sense. And like I know I’d have self hate issues if I knew not only that I failed to save someone I loved from someone else I loved and then also found out that there were alternate realities where I saved him. And similarly OS Lalah seems to think that total removal is either the best way or the easiest to achieve as can be seen with the total removal of Amuro. So I think that at the very least OS Lalah did intend for GQX Lalah to never meet Char, even if I’m overestimating the self punishment aspect.

Also like I think this fits because I have a gut feeling that with Yomagn’tho being above earth and char being both in his red comet outfit and the red Gundam it’s highly likely that his ending in the series will be crashing to earth just like Machu did in ep 9 and Lalah’ll pull him out and drag him off into the sunset ala Shinji and Mari in 3.0+1.0 as a sign of sorts that they’re finally charting the path they want instead of one charted by OS Lalah’s fear, sort of ties into the ideas with Nyaan and Machu about finding your paths and place in life and how that place is often someone else rather than somewhere (like Nyaan and Machu are both yearning for someone else to be with them once they reach what should be their ideal home and they’re both more important to eachother than they really realise and I think are in part the home they’re looking for) and also I think fits as a quasi happy ending for char since I doubt Kycilia will make it out of this show alive so char’ll be able to set off into the sunset knowing that the zabi’s are dead and without the trauma that eventually channels into CCA.

[faiszt]

⠀⠀⭑⠀𝆬⠀⠀CLOSE ENOUGH:⠀✴⠀ r. cameron.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ minors do not interact.

PAIRING:⠀s2!rafe x stalker!reader.

†⠀⠀LISTEN TO:⠀close enough by ava morse.

wordcount: 3.7k⠀⠀|⠀⠀CONTAINS: ⠀ smut content. violent behavior. obsessive behavior. hard / strong language. drug mentions. kidnapping. face sitting. rough sex. slightly size kink. p in v. unprotected sex. dirty talk. face fucking & tits sucking.⠀ minors who interact with this will be blocked.

꒰ SILLY NOTES:⠀hi, sweets! i still don’t have a masterlist and stuff, i know, but i just really needed to write this. also, this is my first time writing a smut in my life, so... forgive me for any mistakes, i swear i'm trying and i’d be so happy if you could tell me what you think of it.⠀⠀⠀⠀(˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) 💬 ♡

there were two perfect words to describe you from what rafe thought: kind and sweet. so sweet, the kind that made him stop and think ‘what hole did you crawl out of?’ well, in a honest answer, the hole you crawled out of was hell. this isn't a silly little joke, it's reality, your sweetness was the perfect counterpart to the kind of obsessive and insane devil you've become since the day you laid eyes on him.

it took rafe longer to figure this out than you had anticipated before starting this freak game between you.

if he needed someone lovely, you'd be her. if he needed someone gentle, you'd be her. but, if he needs someone as crazy and fucked up as he is? his lucky day, you were all of that without even having to hide it with cute clothes and a damsel in distress demeanor.

150 days that you knew him, 150 photos of him kept in the last drawer of your dresser, right under your panties like a stupid plan not very calculated, but existing. a photo a day that you wisely chose every time you followed him around like an abandoned puppy, finding out things about him and his life was part of the shameless fun.

and each time he accidentally noticed you, you acted as he expected you to act. a confused expression and a gentle smile, pretending you were doing anything that a weirdo would, acting like it was purely fate putting you in the same place as him. what kind of shitty fate was this? god could only be punishing you for putting you in each other's lives.

but, no siege was impossible to close, and eventually, the pieces fell right into place in his mind. too late, he was the little mouse that bit the cheese in the mousetrap.

not that his insanity had reached its limit—you were never any different from that—it was just something you wanted to do and felt he needed, given how much stress you'd watched him go through lately. it wasn't wrong, was it? it was just love, no matter how strange, violent, and intense.

just a little help, you wouldn't hurt him... you'd just show that you can take care of him as well as anyone else since no one would take care of him if not you. plus, in the meantime, he could taste his own medicine with someone just like him, or worse.

“what the...” his eyes opened with difficulty, a throbbing pain in his head and his body limp, tingling, almost struggling to move. a dimly lit room, definitely not his room, unless he had been drugged enough to forget how he got there—which was what it looked like. “that’s all i needed now.” rafe thought he was talking to himself.

until he notices you there, sitting in front of your desk, swinging your feet with only one side of the earphone in your left ear, scribbling something. how cute, he thought, not thinking really much about it and when he did, well, he knew he was so fucked.

hands tied to the headboard, he wouldn't even question how you managed to drag him there, but there he was, gagged on a girl's bed. he could kick you if you came near, if it weren't for the clear fact that you both knew he wouldn't do it, first 'cause he wasn't afraid of you, second 'cause he wanted to know how far you'd go.

honestly, if you didn't go all the way, he'd make you go all the way with him since you were the one who brought him here, you had to do something about it now.

“are you plannin’ to make me die here or just playin’ some insane weirdo game, princess?” he shifted around, trying to find a comfortable position—even though nothing felt comfortable when his wrists were gagged. he was just trying to get your attention. was it strange that he was finding this too interesting and appealing to simply want to run away?

you turned in your chair, taking the earphone out as you left your pencil on the table. his eyebrows slowly rose when he noticed you was you, the acting was good, he had to admit, not every girl who was into him would simply gag him in her bed like he was her own doll. it was confusing, arousing, a lot of things his mind was trying to think about.

“you looked stressed, i just wanted to make you relax.” you mumbled with a sweet, albeit fake, smile, still swinging your feet in the air. so handsome, you thought, watching him with his disheveled hair and looking so vulnerable to you. “are you relaxed, rafe? or you need me to help you again?” 'cause there wasn't a single thing you wouldn't do for him at this point.

your smile only made him let out a nasal laugh, looking away for a brief moment as he stared at the ceiling. “nice way to relax someone, huh?” he scoffed. “but, since you’re offering... i think i’d be more relaxed if you let my wrists go from that rope.” he tried to suggest, blue eyes looking at you again with a disguised pleading, as if he could actually convince you like that.

“you look better this way.” you grumbled, standing up and walking over to sit on the edge of your bed, his knee lightly brushing against you for a moment. “but, if you wanna leave, i’m not really stopping you. just say the word and we both pretend it never happened.”

“but, i don’t wanna pretend it didn't happen... and i don’t wanna leave either.” he wouldn't say it out loud, but secretly he thought you were kinda wimp. what? you just do all of it and brought him here to... well, nothing? no, no, he knew you could do better than that. “i want you to do what you wanna do, or have you bitten off more than you can chew? don’t tell me you’re that stupid, princess.”

for a man gagged in your bed, he sounded very confident and intimidating in every word. he wanted you to do it so badly, whatever the fuck you had in mind, 'cause it was turning him on to see you do this to him. “come on, you know you didn’t gagged me in your bed to let me leave.”

and, as expected, what he said had exactly the effect he wanted. in less than a minute, your legs were on either side of his hips, straddling him as he looked up at you with a smug little smirk, not caring about the darkness in your eyes. you looked hot like that, he didn't really care about the implications of fucking you without using his hands.

“you talk too much, cameron.”

“then, you should shut my mouth.”

the implication of his words had almost immediate consequences. you bent over him, hands on both sides of his head, pinning him even further into the mattress as you pressed your lips hard against his. there wasn't one percent of delicacy in that messy kiss, just hunger and desire and rafe noticed it, feeling his blood rush to his lower half.

he moaned softly against your lips as he returned the not-so-loving affection, letting your tongue invade his mouth as if he was completely at your mercy—and he, actually, was. not that rafe had ever agreed to be on the bottom very often, but if it ended with you riding him, then it was for a good cause.

when you had the urge to separate your lips from his, it was like being woken up from a trance, he didn't say anything and if his wrists weren't gagged, his hands would be saying something for him. he ran his tongue over his reddened lips, slightly swollen from the inner contact, as if he wanted to know if the remnants of your taste were still there.

“y’know,” rafe started talking after a few seconds, noticing how breathless you looked from just one kiss. it was kinda cute, he'd give you credit for that. “if i wasn’t gagged here, you’d already be face down in that pillow.” he said with such conviction that you had to roll your eyes, thrusting your hips down only to see his facade tremble at the small contact over your clothes.

“yeah, yeah, but you’re gagged and i’m on top.” you gave him a mocking smile, gently patting his cheek before grabbing his chin, making him look straight into your eyes. “and that’s a lose-lose, for you, not for me.”

“lose-lose? i don’t see it that way, sweetheart,” his blue eyes dropped downwards, indirectly giving you the message that it wasn't bad for him when you were the one straddling him in your bed on any given day. “i’m just wonderin’ when you’re actually gonna act beyond these boring little kisses and put that pussy to sit on somethin’.”

“you’re talking too much again, cameron.” you shook your head in disapproval, sighing deeply as you pretended to think about what you were going to do to him. “but, since you want me to do something and i want you to shut up...”

you let the words hang in the air as you got off his lap, standing in the corner taking off your shorts and panties quickly, but to rafe it looked more like you were doing it in slow motion. every second counted and he was already missing your weight against his lap.

kinda ironic... that he was so comfortable being gagged in the bed of a girl he must have seen less than five times in his life. but, rafe never thought straight and he wouldn't start doing that now. it was even pleasurable for him to know that you were obsessed with him to that point. you might have been in physical control, but you both knew better than that.

despite the tension, you were on top of him again. knees on the mattress, your hands holding onto the headboard, the best way to shut him up and he wasn't really complaining about it, in fact, this was exactly what he wanted from the moment he thought of the possibility. a devious smile formed on his lips, his tongue moistening them for a brief moment as you graced him with that sight. shit, he wanted to touch you so badly, but he'd have to do it only with his tongue for now.

his tongue slowly passed through your wet folds like a tease of power, you might be on top, but he had his share of power too and he'd make sure to remind you of that. “you taste so good, princess...” he smirked against your cunt, giving it a brief suck before running his tongue over it again, only to see your expression falter and a shiver run through your body. “like a fuckin’ lollipop, so sweet.”

you placed more of your weight on his face, closing your eyes gently as you rubbed your clit against the tip of his nose, feeling his tongue suck hungrily between your wet folds. “mmhm...” you allowed yourself to let out a moan, looking down as your hips rocked over his face, his blue eyes fixed on you, attentively wanting to see you break under the touch of his tongue. he didn't want to miss a single detail of it.

rafe's pants were tightening around his crotch, his thoughts were hazy and he could only think of one thing: you and the dirty little noises that escaped your throat. he wanted to hear each of those and he wanted to be the reason for them. no one else, just him and he hoped you had used your weird obsessive behavior to understand that he was possessive as hell.

but, you were going far, he could feel it, pressing yourself harder and harder against his face and suddenly, the sound of the rope coming loose. your eyes opened in confusion, still numb from the brief pleasure he gave you, only for you to notice his hands loose from the rope, his wrists not even red. “what...? how?” you whispered, looking between his wrists and his face between your legs.

then, he pushed you back, not too hard, just enough to make you fall back onto the mattress and get off of him. “y’know... you’re bad at tying ropes, really bad,” he grumbled, sitting down on the bed before using one of his hands to pull you closer, climbing on top of you with an even more sinister smirk than before. “but, that’s good, it means i can touch that pretty little body of yours now.”

rafe didn't want to wait for you to have any reaction to that, he already waited for too long pretending to really be gagged in your bed, he didn't give a damn if he should've waited a little longer, he got what he wanted.

he pinned you against him and the mattress, crashing his lips against yours as he kissed you violently, as if he was trying to mark you or, maybe, he just really wanted to mark you. his tongue didn't ask for entry, it just invaded your mouth, making you feel your own taste, exactly as he wanted.

“did you like to taste your own sweetness, baby?” he whispered against your lips, sucking your bottom lip before kissing you again. “guess i have to take care of you now, don’t i? you’ve been following me around like a good puppy... i think you deserve a reward.” he pulled away from your face a little, only for his hands to go towards your shirt, pulling it over your head.

on a normal day, he'd take more of his time with you, but not today. today he was a little too eager for this, today you wouldn't go unnoticed by him.

“so sweet...” his fingers caressed your belly before he moved his lips down your neck, making sure to press wet kisses against it before moving down a little further and lightly biting your collarbone. you heard the sound of one of his hands going down to his pants, undoing his belt without any difficulty, as if he had done it many times before, and he did.

pants and boxers on the floor, he was hovering over you with an expression of hunger and desire, one of his fingers running over your cunt, he wanted to feel with his fingers how wet and ready for him you were. he patted your thigh, a warning for you to open it wider for him. you looked so pretty like that that he even felt like sucking you again. but, no, this time he wanted to make you feel everything.

rafe bent over you again, lips against yours, a cheap deception only for him to thrust his fully hard cock inside you. you opened your legs wider in shock, but you didn't push him away, you just moaned painfully against the sudden impact and he liked it, he really liked the way you lost your composure when he had no mercy on your tight little pussy.

no niceties or "just the tip", you were a weirdo who stalked him and he'd give you exactly what you wanted when you drugged him and took him to your bed. the kind of fuck that would leave you sore for days, and when you forgot about the pain, then he'd fuck you again... and again... and again.

he lifted your body a little, holding your legs as he slammed relentlessly inside your tight cunt, his cock was having trouble getting all the way inside you, but he didn't really care, he'd make it fit. “what happened to all that attitude, pretty girl? where did that "lose-lose" go?” he went deeper, making you sink into the mattress as you tried to contain the loud moans that wanted to escape your mouth.

“no, no holdin’ back your little noises, i wanna hear ‘em all.” he roared, his hand letting go of one of your legs as he held your chin firmly. “and eyes on me. if you close them or hold back your moans, i’ll stop and you don’t want me to stop, do you?”

you couldn't say a single word, you just nodded, agreeing with what he was saying, even though you didn't know how long you could keep your eyes open. “good girl.” he released your chin, his hand trailing down your neck and collarbone until he reached your bra.

just fucking you could be enough, but it wasn't, not for a greedy man like him. he wanted more and your tits looked so inviting to his eyes, he wanted everything he could get of you. everyone knew, if he wanted it, he could get it. so, he didn't ask, he just pulled one of your tits out of the bra. his fingers pinching your swollen nipple and circling it as he stared at you, wondering if this would make you go further over the edge or not.

him being too big for you was already something, but rafe knew perfectly where to push your buttons and he'd make you tremble without needing much, he wanted to break you so you'd know better before you thought you could leave him in a position like that. your legs locked around his waist, just so he could go balls deep, feeling you squeezing him tighter and tighter as your tight walls clenched in pleasure.

“mmgmh, rafe, fuck...” you whimpered, biting your bottom lip hard as you looked down to see his rhythm. thrusts so rough that the bed began to creak and he had no intention of being discreet about how good and hard he was fucking that sweet pussy of yours. “rafe... i need to... i need to come...”

a mocking laugh came out of him as he slowly thrust inside you again, really much slower than before, making you feel every inch of him stretching you out. “yeah, princess? you wanna come that fast? this pretty little cunt can’t handle such a big cock, can it?” he continued with the slow thrusts, like a tease that he was really enjoying doing.

“but, it’s okay... i said i’d take care of you.” rafe whispered, leaning over you again, his tongue flicking over your nipple that he had been pinching moments before. “then, come for me, princess, come while i suck your tit.”

his thrusts gradually increased again, making you see stars as he sucked on your nipple hungrily, his eyes flicking up to see your expression of pleasure. your loud moans and whimpers were music to his ears, like fuel that only motivated him to go deeper.

and when you got to the edge, by god, you squeezed him so hard and moaned like you were in heaven; and he enjoyed every second of it, pressing himself against you as he felt your legs tremble for him. “you did so well for me...” he licked your nipple once more before moving kisses up to your neck. “but, we still have one thing before we finish... and you’re gonna be a good girl and do it.”

“what? what’s left?” you mumbled, tired and breathless, your legs still shaking as he grabbed your body and made you sit on the bed. not understanding what he meant when you noticed him standing up, right next to you.

“come here ’n open your mouth, i’ll show you.” it wasn't a request, it almost sounded like an order, if you didn't do it he’d make you do it anyway. “open wide.” he said again as you sat on the edge of the bed, right in front of him. one of his hands gripped the back of your head, while the other gripped his still hardened length, positioning it in front of your lips.

your eyes widened a little, but you looked up to meet rafe's gaze and he looked very confident about what he was doing. “no hands, i just need your little mouth, pretty girl.” he definitely wasn't expecting you to nod, he just shoved his cock into your mouth and waited for you to do what he wanted. “mmh, yeah, just like that...” he smirked, satisfied with your work, moving his hips back and forth, not caring if you could handle everything he put inside that sweet mouth.

he, in turn, didn't need much either, you had already given enough of a show for him to feel his balls full, he just needed a little more, your lips around his cock would solve the problem. “that got you so far, didn’t it? this stalker thing, you’re exactly where you wanna be, aren’t you? with my cock hitting your throat, so pretty.” he moaned, using his dirty words to motivate you to swallow him all the way down.

his moans started to become more frequent, he stopped moving his hips, using your head as if you were a doll, back and forth quickly, choking you, he was slowly reaching his limit and the sight really helped with that.

rafe knew he wouldn't last longer than that, he was exhausted, panting, letting out long gasps every time he sank the tip of his cock into your throat. he needed to come. so, he did it. “stay there... that’s it... stop.” he gasped once more, thrusting himself deep into the wet heat of your mouth, his length twitching as he began to spurt hot streams into the back of your throat. “fuck... fuck... mhmm.”

he didn't move his head, not until he was one hundred percent satisfied, not until you had swallowed every little drop of him.

and when it was over, you were a complete mess, falling back on your bed, dealing with the intense aftermath of what rafe gave you. he joined you at your side, as breathless as you were, not regretting a single microsecond of what had happened between you. “next time you wanna do this, remember to tie me tightly to the headboard, princess,” he suggested, lying on his back to face the ceiling like you. “just call me and i’ll bring the rope.”

REQUESTS ARE OPEN.⠀⠀feel free to send me asks and suggestions in my inbox, you'll be welcome. ꒰ ˶> ˕ <˶ ꒱ ♡

©⠀𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐙𝐓, 2025.⠀don't use my work without my consent.

[bartonomy]

A LITTLE MISHAP!

PAIRING Barty Crouch Junior x Gryffindor!fem!reader

SYNOPSIS absolutely bored of your arses, you and your friends accidentally summon something worse than a demon

CONTENT WARNINGS crack!, pandora being the token raven in the lion house, debuting my favourite nickname for dear bartemius

SYNOPSIS 2.3k words

library.

You should have known that any game Pandora Rosier suggested would end in absolute horror.

It started as a totally, regular, normal night. A storm raged outside, rattling the windows of the Gryffindor girls’ dormitory, but inside, everything was warm, golden, and just the right amount of chaotic.

James (not part of the plan but insisted to help a damsel in distress (lily)) had sneaked in butterbeer from the kitchens, Marlene was dramatically retelling her latest Quidditch victory (complete with accurate air reenactments) with her girlfriend in her arms, and Mary was sprawled across your bed, half-listening and half-reading the latest Witch Weekly. Dorcas, ever the voice of reason, had been the one to suggest a game, if only to distract Pandora from her latest experiment involving moonstone dust and a stolen Niffler trinket.

And then, of course, Pandora pulled it out.

The book was old- thick, heavy, and bound in a leather that looked suspiciously alive. You have seen it a few times since she acquired it from her equally as eccentric uncle. The pages crinkled like dried leaves as she flipped through them, muttering excitedly under her breath.

“It’s a divination tome,” she explained, eyes gleaming with eerie delight. “But not the fluffy, crystal-ball nonsense Augburn teaches. Real divination. Spells for contacting the other side.”

You exchanged a wary glance with Lily. She looked utterly unimpressed. Marlene, however, looked downright ecstatic. Mary scoffed, rolling onto her stomach. “You mean ghosts? We live in a castle full of them. I can go ask the Grey Lady for relationship advice if I want to be spooked.”

“This is different.” Pandora’s light voice aired out. “This is summoning.”

Which, in hindsight, should have been your first sign to shut the book and go back to braiding Mary’s hair.

Instead, curiosity (or perhaps stupidity) won out, and ten minutes later, the six of you were sitting in a circle on the floor, the candles dimmed, and Pandora reciting something in what sounded like very questionable Latin. You held hands, mostly for the aesthetic and vibes, but also because, if something did go terribly wrong, it was nice to have a buddy to cling to.

The air shifted. At first, it was subtle. The dormitory grew colder, the flames on the candles flickering as though disturbed by an invisible breeze. Then, the shadows stretched unnaturally along the walls, curling like ink in water. Your stomach twisted, a prickling sensation running down your spine.

“…'Dora,” Dorcas said slowly. “What exactly was this spell supposed to do?”

Before she could answer, the entire room lurched.

It felt like the world had hiccupped, reality itself skipping a beat similarly to apparating. The shadows pulsed, the air crackled- and then, with an ungodly pop, a figure appeared in the center of your summoning circle.

A very real, very alive figure.

A bloody boy.

A boy who, by the looks of things, had been mid-sentence before he was unceremoniously yanked through time and space.

His expression went from slightly annoyed to bewildered to absolutely furious in the span of three seconds. His sharp blue eyes darted around the room, taking in the six of you, the book, the circle of candles, before finally landing on you.

“Excuse me,” he said, voice dangerously low. “Where the bloody hell am I?”

There was a beat of stunned silence. Then, as if he was graced upon realization, the borderline maniacal bloke pointed an accusatory finger at Pandora.

“What did you do?!”

Pandora looked from the boy to you, her expression somewhere between awe and mild panic. “…I think I accidentally summoned him?”

The boy, who was wearing (hideous) Slytherin robes, by the way, and not just any Slytherin robes, but the kind only someone with an absurd amount of family wealth and blood purity obsession could get away with- made an outraged noise.

“Summoned?” he repeated incredulously. “Summoned? What the hell, Rosier! I was in the middle of a conversation- ” He stopped short, his eyes narrowing. “Where is Regulus?”

You blinked. “Regulus? As in Regulus Black?”

“No, Regulus Frownalot” He answered sarcastically, expression flickered, something calculating shifting behind his eyes. “Yes, Regulus Black. Wait. Who are you?”

You opened your mouth to answer, but before you could, Lily- bless her prefect instincts- stood up, dusting off her skirt. “Alright,” she said, ever the problem solver. “Let’s remain calm. Clearly, this was some sort of magical mishap, and we just need to figure out how to send you back.”

The boy turned to her, incredulous. “Send me back? Oh, brilliant idea. Let me just pop over to the nearest return portal- oh, wait! I can’t, because you lot just ripped me out of existence!”

“Technically,” Pandora said brightly, “I think we just shifted your existence a little!”

“You think?”

You pinched the bridge of your nose. “Okay, everyone shut up for a second. Let’s take a step back. You- Slytherin boy- who are you, and why were you talking to Regulus?”

He gave you a scathing look. “I am Barty Crouch Junior. And I was talking to Regulus because that is what friends do. Why am I even telling you this? You should've introduced yourself before asking me! I asked first, red moron!”

You stared at him, ignoring his absolute pathetic juvenile behavior. “Barty Crouch Junior? As in Crouch Crouch?”

“Wow,” Marlene whispered. “We summoned a Crouch. That’s a new level of unfortunate.”

Barty looked moments away from hexing someone. “Oh, I’m sorry, am I inconveniencing you by being unwillingly transported into your- your filthy lion's den of all places?” His lips curled in distaste. “Merlin, it smells like Quidditch and coitus in here.”

“Alright, first of all, we are all perfect little saints practicing celibacy,” you shot back, but you could hear a mumbled 'like hell we are' from somewhere next to you. “Second, we didn’t mean to summon you.”

“Oh, that’s comforting. I feel very much safe now”

“Look, we’ll figure out how to send you back, alright?” You folded your arms. “Until then, you’re just going to have to sit tight and deal with it.”

Barty scoffed. “Fantastic. Trapped in a room with a bunch of Gryffindors. What a dream come true.”

“You know, for someone who just got accidentally kidnapped, you’re being remarkably annoying about it.”

Barty glared. You glared back back with your best scowl. But something in the air crackled. And for the first time, a flicker of something else crossed his face- mild curiosity, maybe, or amusement.

“Fine,” he muttered, crossing his arms. “Let’s see if you Gryffindors can actually fix this mess.”

Barty had spent the last hour in a state of perpetual annoyance, arms crossed, watching as you and your friends frantically flipped through Pandora’s cursed book. He had interjected a few times, mostly to mock the inefficiency of Gryffindors under pressure, but for the most part, he just sat there, an unwilling hostage to whatever this absolute mess of an evening had become.

And then there was Pandora.

Barty had tolerated a lot of things tonight: being yanked out of existence, being surrounded by Gryffindors, even Marlene’s relentless teasing. But Pandora Rosier who had been nothing but comforting to him? She was testing him.

Because while the rest of you were frantically trying to find a spell to reverse whatever Pandora had done, the witch herself had been flipping through the book at a leisurely pace, humming to herself, occasionally muttering things like, Oh, that’s an interesting rune placement, I should write Xeno or Wow, that would have been so much worse, Evan would like it.

And now? Now she was giggling. Barty had had enough.

“Are you enjoying this?” he snapped, watching as she grinned at some obscure text.

Pandora looked up, unbothered. “Immensely.”

“Wonderful,” Barty deadpanned. “Glad to know my involuntary abduction is providing you with a bit of light entertainment, Panda.”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic, Barts,” Pandora said, waving a hand. “It’s not like you’re suffering.”

“You summoned me, Pandora!”

“And you’re the one acting like I performed dark magic,” she shot back, turning a page. “Honestly, I’ve seen worse displacement spells. You could have been summoned into a lake. Or the astral plane.”

Barty narrowed his eyes. “I hate you.”

Pandora beamed. “Regulus would be so sad to hear that.”

“Regulus is going to murder you when I tell him about this.”

“You think that,” Pandora mused, “but I reckon he’d be far too amused to be properly angry. He’s got that weird little laugh when he’s trying to hide how funny he finds something. You know the one.”

Barty scowled because, unfortunately, he did know the one.

Marlene, ever entertained by the spectacle, leaned over to you and whispered, “I kind of love that she’s not scared of him.”

You grinned. “Oh, she thrives on chaos.”

Barty, meanwhile, pinched the bridge of his nose. “Can we focus? I’d rather not be here when the sun comes up, thank you very much.”

“We are focusing,” Lily snapped, looking dangerously close to hexing him herself. Tou grinned, taking great pleasure in the teens anger. "Yes, Barts, we are working so hard right now. Do be patience, will you."

“I highly doubt that,” Barty muttered. “At the rate you’re going, I’ll be a permanent resident.”

Dorcas groaned, flopping back onto her bed. “We’re trying, alright? But magic like this isn’t exactly easy to undo!”

Mary, who had woken up ten minutes ago, no one really noticed that she fell asleep like a baby in her girl's lap, groggily mumbled, “What if we just… did the spell backwards?”

Pandora looked delighted by the suggestion. “That’s actually not the worst idea-!”

“No,” Barty interrupted. “Absolutely not. I am not about to let any of you risk splitting me in half because you thought it would be fun to rewind me into existence.”

“You say that like it’s not a completely valid risk,” Pandora mused.

Barty clenched his jaw. “I swear to Merlin-”

And then, after another twenty minutes of arguing, another round of searching, and another layer of pure exhaustion settling over the group-

You suddenly stopped flipping through the book. Everything went quiet. You furrowed your brows, then looked up at Barty. “…Why are we even doing this?”

Barty exhaled sharply. “Finally. Thank you. That’s what I’ve been saying-”

“No, no,” you interrupted, shutting the book with a thump. “I mean… why are we looking for a spell when you could just… y'know, walk out the door?”

The room fell into dead silence. Even the storm outside seemed to pause.

Barty blinked. “…What?”

“You go to school here,” you said slowly, as if explaining something to a particularly dense child. “Your dormitory is literally downstairs. Instead of looking for some complicated reversal spell, you could just… leave.”

A full beat of silence.

Then, a particularly annoying groan of frustration could be heard. “You-” Barty gestured wildly, “-You fuckers had me sitting here for hours-”

“To be fair,” Pandora interjected with a raised hand, “you didn’t think of it either. Aren't you supposed to be smart, Mister 12 O.W.L.s? ”

Barty let out a strangled noise of pure exasperation. “Dont go smarty pants with me, Panda. Are you telling me that I could have left at any time? That you idiots had me sitting here, wasting my life, when all I had to do was walk out the door?”

“Well,” Pandora said cheerfully, “yes.”

Lily, meanwhile, had buried her face in her hands. “I cannot believe we’re this stupid.”

Mary nodded, looking absolutely done with all of this, just muttered, “I need a drink.”

Barty stood up so fast his chair nearly toppled over. “You know what? I’m done. I am leaving. I never want to see any of you again.”

Dorcas, still half-sprawled on her bed, yawned. “Go on, then.”

Barty stormed toward the door. You watched him go, something oddly anticlimactic about the way he just- left.

No grand magical solution. No complicated ritual.

Just… walking.

He reached the door, yanked it open but paused, tilting his head. He turned back, eyes landing on you for just a second longer than necessary.

You raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Barty scoffed. “Nothing.” He looked at Pandora, scowling. “You’re the worst.”

Pandora smiled like he’d just paid her a compliment. “Tight sleep, Barts! Remember to use the acorn essence for the whackspurts.”

He rolled his eyes but nodded. And with that, he turned on his heel and disappeared down the stairs.

The second he was gone, Marlene burst out laughing. “That was so much better than if we’d actually figured out the spell.”

Lily groaned. “I still can’t believe we didn’t think of that earlier.”

Mary, flopping back into the pillows, simply muttered, “I hate magic. Should've just ignored the damn letters.”

Pandora, ever the menace, just picked up her book again and sighed happily. “That was so fun. We should summon people more often.”

You looked at her, horrified. “'Dora, no.”

But as the others laughed, as the storm outside finally settled, you couldn’t help but glance at the door, thinking of the strange way Barty had looked at you before he left.

Temporary housemate to acquaintances indeed.

[popamolly]

‘PRETTY GIRL!’ LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR

summary. lucifer gets jealous and wants to remind you that you belong to no one but him.

warning. smut, overstimulation, established relationship, you and lucifer are married, alastor gets flirty with you, lucifer is a soft dom, vibrator, squirting, semi-public sex??, please don’t fuck where people eat/make food lmao, 18+ minors dni, kinda proofread sorry

author’s note. this is a 500 followers special! thank you all so much for the constant love, enjoy sinners.

𖤐 MASTERLIST

Lucifer and you had been frequenting the Hazbin Hotel ever since the tearful reunion between father and daughter. You didn’t mind, in fact, you encouraged it not just because you thrived off seeing your step-daughter Charlie and your husband happy but also because you would take any excuse to step out of that dreadful palace Lucifer and you called a home. It was just so boring and bland there where as the Hazbin Hotel was always lively and filled with some life threatening chaos that was exhilarating.

Now that you were back at the Hotel, you helped around whenever you could with enthusiasm. You were in charge of hanging up the banner that welcomed the new sinners but alas, the fixture was to high and your darling husband wasn’t anywhere in sight to help you.

As if sensing your distress, Alastor appeared from the shadow on the floor next to you with a wide grin, “Would you like some assistance, your majesty?”

“Yes, yes thank you.” You allowed Alastor lift you up onto his shoulder by your waist so you could tape up the banner. Once you found your balance, you began to quickly tape up one corner of the banner, trying to ignore the way Alastor’s fingers grazed along your thigh as he held you in place.

This was all a spectacle to be sure because you had no doubt that the radio demon could have manifested into something taller to help tape it up himself but you were sure this had something to do with his resentment toward your husband— though their feelings toward each other were mutual, “A little to the left Al…perfect, thank you.”

“Hoho, what is this?” The sound of your husband’s voice had you turning your head slightly to look at him just as Alastor set you back down on your feet with a knowing grin.

“Well, I—”

“I was only helping this darling damsel in distress as her husband was no where to be found,” Alastor’s grin widens as he turns to you with a respectful bow of his head, “If you need anything else, my dear. Anything at all. Do not hesitant to ask.” His staticky tone left a hint of suggestiveness that you picked up on and it left Lucifer practically seeing red. You cursed yourself being so caught up in helping Charlie that you didn’t mind accepting Alastor’s help for the simplest of tasks.

As you looked at Lucifer you realized that you should’ve maybe gotten a ladder before you even thought about letting the radio demon touch you because now you were going to pay the price for it.

And pay you did.

“W-Wait, Lucifer..!” Your eyes rolled into the back of your head in pure bliss as Lucifer rocked his hips into you even though you already came You both still had a whole task of things to do before the new sinners arrived at the hotel but Lucifer couldn’t wait. The moment you stepped into the nearest room, which was the kitchen, he pounced on you. He laid you on the marble island counter, fumbling with his pants belt.

“What were you going to tell me? Not to worry about that freaky bastard?” Lucifer loomed over your figure with that playful grin, his tongue sticking out as he spread your legs wider for him, "What's wrong? hm? I bet he wishes he could fuck you like this.”

"I—fuck— was going to say that he was only helping me!" You part your lips, "P-Please, right there—!"

“Was he now?” Feeling that you were about to cum, Lucifer picked up the pace, his hand around your throat as he ruts into you ruthlessly. He was so pissed, so jealous— how dare that radio demon flirt with you? Touch you? Who did he think he was?

"You hear that?" Lucifer brought his hips back only to snap them forward again, the squelch sound that came from how wet you were had your whole body heating up, "Listen to how wet you are and that’s all because of me."

You felt that coil within you about to snap with an orgasm. Your legs trembling and toes curling as you felt it approaching fast. Lucifer was not holding back tonight and the overstimulation you felt had your mind going into a haze, "please, please, please!"

"c'mon gorgeous," Lucifer let out a low groan, tossing his head back, "fuckkk, cum for me again."

At his words you came, a small scream leaving your throat as you felt your orgasm wash over you. Still coming down from your high, Lucifer gives you a couple of seconds to recover before moving his hips again. He materializes a vibrator in his hand before placing it directly onto your clit.

You shuddered, hand moving down to grip his wrist as tears escaped your eyes from the overwhelming pleasure, "Lulu, p-please—!"

"I know your limits," Lucifer says with that prideful smile, his voice dominating, "Move your hand."

Your move your hands to grip your thighs, the built trust between you was enough for you to see this mind blowing pleasure through, "W-Wait, I'm going to— ah~!"

Lucifer lets a glob of spit leave his mouth, you felt it hit directly onto your naked cunt, watching as his saliva coats your already soaked clit and slides down the sides of his length before pressing the vibrator into you harder, "You're going to cum for me again."

You shake your head, pathetic sobs escaping past your lips, "I don't think I c-can Lu—!"

"Yes you can sweetheart, and you will," His words cause a shiver to go down your spine. "Look at this sloppy pussy taking my cock so well."

You look up at Lucifer with pleading eyes, your hand resting on his chest as if to push him away, your nails pressing tiny crescents into his skin, "I'm g-going to c-cum—! Don't stop, r-right there—! Fuck!"

The sight of you crying and succumbing to the pleasure was exhilarating in Lucifer’s eyes. His beautiful wife was a sobbing, drooling, trembling mess before him. You were dick drunk and high off pleasure, your words coming out in broken fragments.

Just as he was getting flustered at the way you were presented before him, he couldn't help but think about Alastor in so close proximity to you. Had he thought about you in this way before? That question alone made Lucifer’s mind come up with endless possibilities, making the jealousy rise within him as his blood boiled.

He thrusted into you harder, the sound of skin slapping against skin echoing throughout the room as he made sure to angle his thrust, repeatedly hitting you in all the right places. He pressed the vibrator impossibly deeper into you, making you arch your back with a sudden scream,

"L-Lucifer!"

With one final thrust, Lucifer had sent you spiraling over the edge as you squirted around his length, making his thighs and the counter wet with your essence.

Lucifer pulled out of you quickly to slap his cock against your clit, rubbing it against your folds harshly to relish in the lewd sound before thrusting back into you slowly to cockwarm you, "There you go love, good girl.”

You trembled, a string of hiccups leaving your mouth as Lucifer laced his fingers with yours, leaning down to kiss you sweetly as if he didn't just fuck you dumb,

"You did so well for me, darling."

Meanwhile on the other side of the wall sat the bar Husk was currently stationed at with Angel, who’s jaw was nearly on the floor at the sounds that just came from the kitchen, “Did we just hear the big boss man and his lady gettin’ it on in there?”

“Nope,” Husk denied it. After all, ignorance was bliss, “I didn’t hear a thing.”

© POPAMOLLY 2024 all fanfics belong to me, do not copy, translate, or repost on any other social media.

[linkspooky]

ONCE MORE, I THINK I'LL LIVE FOR OTHERS

So of all the characters in Jujutsu Kaisen Megumi has turned out to be one of the most controversial and hotly debated characters. There's nothing the internet hates more than a boy with trauma, I guess. Jujutsu Kaisen is a controversial work in general so it's not surprising that the ending wasn't super well received by the fans, especially in the way it decided to conclude Megumi's character arc.

There are many people accusing Gege of giving Megumi no character development. Of Megumi just choosing to replace Tsumiki with Yuji. Lots of complaints about Megumi never finishing his domain expansion among other things. Of Megumi being nothing more than a damsel for Yuji to rescue in the end. I'm here to say I think Megumi does have a complete character arc even if it didn't end the way I would have liked, and under the cut I'll be giving my thoughts for Megumi's ending and JJK's ending in general.

I CAN ONLY SAVE THOSE WHO ARE PREPARED TO BE SAVED

If you were to ask me what the most important arc in Jujutsu Kaisen is, it would be Hidden Inventory. Hidden Inventroy covers the inciting incident which leads to all the conflicts in the main story, Riko's death, Geto's defection, Tengen's merger failing, and Gojo's decision to adopt Megumi.

However, it also shows us what motivates Gojo in the main series, mainly his desire to raise this generation of students into strong and intelligent allies because of his inability to save his closest friend when it most counted.

If the quote that summarizes the central theme of Jujutsu Kaisen Zero is "Love is the most twisted curse of them all."

Then I put forward that the quote that summarizes the theme of the main series is what Gojo said to Yaga post Geto's defection, "Being strong isn't enough, I can only save those who are prepared to be saved."

Just like Hidden Inventory is centered around Geto and Gojo's relationship in their youth, the main manga itself centers around Megumi and Itadori's relationship. The manga itself starts with their first meeting. Yuji devours the finger in order to try to help Megumi. Megumi requests Gojo help save Yuji from execution because he didn't want to see another good person die.

Megumi and Itadori are also a deliberate parallel to Geto and Gojo's friendship in the past. To begin with Gojo tried to nurture these relatoinships in his students so they COULD get along and enjoy their youths the way he remembers doing so with Geto in his three springtime of youth.

He not only encourages Megumi to selfishly try to save Yuji even though it is against the rules of sorcery and poses a risk to other people, he also encourages them to socialize at every opportunity.

The strong and intense friendship that Megumi and Yuji enjoy is not only a clear parallel to Geto and Gojo's special connection with one another, but also the fact that a strong reocurring motif in Megumi and Yuji's friendship is their strong desire to save each other. Which is a clear parallel to Gojo's inability to save Geto in the past.

As I said for a long time Yuji and Megumi were being set up as this generation's version of the "strongest duo" except they were going to be able to break the cycle. Whether it be by Megumi saving Yuji, or Yuji saving Megumi, they wouldn't be driven apart by the corruption in the Jujutsu World the way that Geto and Gojo were.

As I said the central question of Jujutsu Kaisen especially in regards to Megumi and Yuji's friendship is if it's possible to save someone who doesn't want to be saved. Which is why Megumi and Yuji both wanting to save each other is something that happens again and again at different parts of the manga. Whether it be the ending of Origin of Obedience where Megumi and Yuji are both unable to talk to each other because they want to try to protect the other from information that might harm them. Megumi hiding the fact that he knows resonance between the Sukuna fingers awakened the curses. Yuji hiding the fact that Megumi's decision to save Yuji has caused strong curses to awaken and kill other people.

Just as often as these two try to save each other, they fail. Megumi watches Yuji die early on when Yuji takes back control from Sukuna and decides to die without a heart.

Megumi spends the entirety of the culling games clinging to Yuji's side no matter how Yuji tries to push him away because he knows Sukuna has plans for him. However, Megumi is afraid to leave Yuji alone because he knows Yuji is in a dark place after the Shibuya massacre and that if he's left alone Yuji might just find some way to off himself in a heroic sacrifice to try to atone for the people lost at Shibuya.

Only for Megumi's insistence on clinging to Yuji to backfire because Sukuna ends up taking his body from him in a critical moment. When Sukuna takes his body their circumstances swap and Megumi is the one who's body is being used to kill people by Sukuna. When Megumi has to live with the guilt of Sukuna using his body to kill both his sister and his teacher, he's not able to live with it anymore.

Then their positions swap completely and it's Megumi who wants to die to atone for the guilt, and it's Yuji who doesn't want to let go of Megumi and will do anything to save Megumi from both Sukuna and the other sorcerers even if the right thing to do is just kill both him and Sukuna and letting him live means putting the whole rest of the world at risk.

As you can see not only is saving each other a common theme of Megumi and Yuji's relationship, but at different points of the story both of them are trying to save the other even when the other doesn't value their own life.

Gojo's relationship with Geto is defined by his inability to reach his friend in time, and how he was "left behind" in the end.

Gojo explicitly waited a year after learning about Megumi being sold to the Zen'in clan to do anything, and only decided to intervene after Geto's defection. Gojo's decision to mentor Megumi was inspired by Geto leaving. He even said "Don't get left behind."

His hope in taking in students like Megumi, Yuta and Yuji was twofold first that he'd be able to handpick and raise several strong students who would eventually replace the elders and reform the Jujutsu World. The second and more personal motivation is that he wanted these students to be able to support each other and be strong allies to one another so they wouldn't end up alone like Gojo did in his youth.

Gojo's intentions were good however, Gojo has a very flawed understanding of how people and relationships work. In Gojo's books "strong=good" and almost everything can be solved by strength. Notice just one chapter ago Gojo said that being strong wasn't enough, he can only save those who are prepared to be saved and yet one chapter later he tells Megumi that he needs to get strong otherwise he'll be left behind.

So, even when Gojo knows that being strong isn't enough and didn't make a difference with Geto, that's still the only real advice he can offer Megumi.

A big theme of Jujutsu Kaisen is the failures of the past generation affecting the present. A lot of people in trying to put Gojo on a pedestal fail to realize one of the central themes of this manga is GOJO WAS WRONG. The way Gojo went about doing several things wasn't the right way. Gojo wants the next generation to succeed him and do better than him, because Gojo himself knows that he was wrong and he's a part of the past generation.

I think a big part of the reason the conclusion to Megumi's character arc is poorly received is that Megumi didn't end his arc the way that Gojo set out for him.

Scenes like this led the audience to believe that Megumi's character arc was going to be completed by him learning to be more selfish and living up to the potential that Gojo saw in him. That we were going to get a completed domain expansion. That Megumi was going to become stronger than Gojo because the ten shadows was the only technique to ever beat a wielder of the limitless and the six eyes.

I understand wanting to see Megumi living for himself, and how cool it might be to see Megumi's complete domain expansion after Gege teased us with this twice but I have to ask this.

If Gojo was the strongest sorcerer in the world, and that still wasn't good enough to save Geto. Then how would Megumi reaching his full potential as a sorcerer in any way help Megumi avoid making the same mistakes that Gojo did?

HAVEN'T WE HAD ENOUGH OF GOJO SATORU

I think a lot of dissatisfaction in Megumi's character development comes from he didn't really follow the path that Gojo set out for him. He didn't unlock his full domain expansion, he didn't learn to live more selfishly. They say that Megumi simply choosing to live for Yuji isn't him learning to stand on his own two feet because he's just hinging his self worth on someone else the same way he did with Tsumiki.

However, I have to ask.

How exactly would Megumi becoming more like Gojo or more like Sukuna be any better?

A big recurring theme in Megumi's arc is his lack of agency, and how many different adult figures have tried to mould him to their own selfish ends.

In the same chapter where Megumi has the flashback where Gojo encourages him to become more selfish, Sukuna has his hands wrapped around Megumi's neck in the colored page. Sukuna was never actually trying to mentor Megumi.

He only had an interest in Megumi because his ten shadows techniques was a way to bypass Gojo's infinity. Henever actually cared about Megumi reaching his full potential. He was grooming Megumi in the long term so he could snatch his body and turn him into a weapon against Gojo Satoru. The same way that Gojo only decided to take Megumi in and mentor him in the first place because his technique meant he had great potential as a sorcerer and a future ally in Gojo's crusade against the elders.

Megumi's life is defined by every adult in his life trying to mould him or use him selfishly for his own gains. His father sold him to the Zen'in clan for gambling money and abandoned him. Gojo only was interested in a strong ally against the elders. Sukuna is just one in a long line of people who are trying to shape Megumi into something he's not for their own selfish desires.

Ngl, the fushiguro girlies are kinda onto something with their characterization of Sukuna’s possession as the physical embodiment of his lifelong struggle for self determination and autonomy and how others have always pupeteered his fate for their own devices and he’s thusly never put himself first ─ his selfishness functioning ultimately as platitudes which still center others and his consideration for them. [SOURCE]

So if all of Megumi's various abusers have tried to make Megumi into something he's not and robbed him of his agency in the process, then is the best ending for Megumi really to become more selfish like Gojo or Sukuna?

If Megumi ended his character arc by using a complete domain expansion, and reaching Gojo's level of power wouldn't that be validating the way Gojo stole Megumi's entire childhood from him in order to make him a strong sorcerer. Wouldn't it look like the narrative was going, yeah, it was wrong for Gojo to groom Megumi like that, but look how strong it made him!

We already have a version of Megumi who learned to live only for himself, someone who broke the chains of fate and became entirely free.

Toji shows us a version of Megumi who lived up to his full potential as a sorcerer, became someone strong enough to threaten Satoru Gojo, and who put himself above everyone else and... Toji's fucking miserable.

Toji is the bad ending of Megumi. He's strong but that's all he is. The narration refers to him as a puppet of carnage, only living to fight the strongest around. In fact, Toji dies BECAUSE he wanted to feel validated as the strongest. The decision to say and fight against Gojo when Gojo unlocks reverse cursed technique leads to his death. Being the strongest and his desire to be validated as someone strong is nothing more than a curse for Toji and what allows him to escape the cycle is not strength, but rather seeing that his son has succesfully escaped the abuse of the Zen'in clan.

So having Megumi live up to his full potential as a sorcerer, or living selfishly the way that Gojo or Sukuna wanted him to wouldn't really be breaking the cycle, because it'd be Megumi acting the way his abusers wanted him to act. If anything it' be Gojo's long term grooming of Megumi finally succeeding.

I understand that Megumi fighting back on Sukuna from within with one use of ten shadows to create a puddle underneath Sukuna's feet isn't the most dramatic way to signal his journey of self-realization, but sometimes the flashy, dramatic, and satisfying thing isn't always the right thing.

if the central relationship of the series is Megumi and Yuji, and the central question of that relationship was "is it possible to save someone who doesn't want to be saved-" then resolving both Megumi and Yuji's character arcs requires answering that question. That's the most important part. How are we going to break the cycle and have Megumi and Yuji save each other in a way that Geto and Gojo weren't be able to.

Yes, I understand wanting Megumi to be his own person and stand on his own two feet, but before he's a person Megumi is a fictional character. Megumi and Yuji are characters intentionally designed to be each other's other half. The same way that Geto is designed to be the other half of Gojo. They both represent a yin / yang pair. They both represent the shadow and the light, the sun and the moon.

People also talk about wanting Gojo to learn to be his own person outside of Geto, but that's also missing the point. Gojo isn't a person to begin with he's a character designed to be the other half of Geto. All of those parallels that exist between them, both of them getting their bodies stolen from them, both of them becoming monsters (geto slaughtering the village, Gojo slaughtering the elders), both of them dying on the same day. Those are intentional, because they're fictional characters meant to represent the concept of yin and yang and balance. Gojo cannot exist without Geto, Geto's body causes Gojo to get boxed, Gojo dies within a year of killing Geto, because they're meant to represent the taoist concept of BALANCE in a manga that's about BALANCE. Gojo cannot achieve balance with the character that symbolizes his yin. Whereas, Megumi's way of achieving balance is to find a way to make things work with his other half Yuji in a way that Geto and Gojo failed to.

As someone who used to be the biggest Megumi Corruption Arc truther, I've come around in my thinking and I can at least understand why Gege didn't go that direction. Megumi learning to be selfish like Gojo would be changing too much of Megumi's inner nature, because as much as Megumi pretends to be selfish as an excuse he still is someone who wants to help people.

There's nothing wrong with Megumi wanting to help people, or wanting to be a team player. It was Megumi deciding to hinge his entire self worth on just his ability to help one person. It's why he couldn't go on when Tsumiki died, not just because he was grieving his sister, but because he decided to make protecting his sister his entire reason to live and genuinely saw no other reason to keep on living.

A lot of people say that Megumi is just deciding to make Yuji into an emotional crutch the same way he once did with Tsumiki, however, I don't think these lines of dialogue really indicate that.

"The world is full of people besides myself. Once more I think I'll live for others."

To begin with, Megumi says that the world is filled with lots of people. Megumi didn't want to go on because he didn't think he'd ever love someone as much as he loved his sister. That there was nothing in the world worth living for if his sister was gone.

However, now Megumi is acknowledging that there are more people in the world than just Tsumiki. That he might come to love them the same way that he loved her. That he shouldn't give up on life just because he lost one person, no matter how important that person was.

Megumi's words run contrary to the idea that he's just going to use Yuji as his next living emotional crutch, because he says the world is full of people. There's more people than just him, there's more people than just Yuji, as long as Megumi makes the choice to continue living then he can go out into the world and meet them.

Jujutsu Kaisen is a very individualist manga, and I understand we also exist in an individualist society so we want to see Megumi stand on his own two feet and live for himself, but I don't think Megumi deciding he'll live for others is a bad thing. This is just a few chapters after Yuji said that what makes life meaningful is the memories you leave behind with other people. Which is the exact same sentiment.

Yuji is able to break free from the cog mindset when he realizes that all the people he connected to in his life gave his life meaning, even if they died tragically, even if he only knew them for a short time. Choso's final words are "Thank you for being my little brother" and that connection was incredibly important even though they only knew each other for about a month. Yuji's life became meaningful because he went out into the world and made all these important connections.

Now Megumi is doing the same thing. He's resolved that even though his sister is dead the world is full of people he can connect with. That he can come to love other people the same way that he did. That his life is still worth living because he can find new people to love. Is Megumi deciding he can try to live for the other people in his life and his connection to those people even after the loss of his sister made him feel like his life is worthless and he'll never love anybody that way again, really that different from Yuji deciding that the people he made connections too gave his life value?

Jujutsu Kaisen lifts from other manga, this is pretty common knowledge. Killua and Shinji Ikari are probably the two biggest inspirations for Megumi and both are two very passive characters who are entirely reactive. They don't decide, they don't act, they react to the decisions of people around him.

Killua's ultimate moment of character development isn't beating his abusive big brother, or his abusive parents in a physical fight after getting a power up. Killua's greatest moment of character development is accepting Nanika as a part of Alluka. Something he was too afraid to do because it would mean that his family would continue to try to exploit Alluka for her wish granting abilities.

Killua finishes his arc with the resolution to protect both Alluka and Nanika from the rest of his family. Considering that Killua has been centering his entire self worth around his usefulness to Gon by this point you could call it Killua is just replacing Alluka with Gon as a crutch if you were cynical. Or you could just say that Killua, like Megumi is someone who lives for their loved ones and finds value in the bonds he makes with other people.

Shinji Ikari spends the entire 26 episode run of Neon Genesis Evangelion not making a single decision, and his final moment of character development isn't really that much character development. He simply makes the decision to reject instrumentality and try again. To go back to the real world and try to be a person in the world again, because as long as you're alive there's still a chance to be happy.

Megumi like Killua, never really changes. It's in Megumi and Killua's nature to be a protector / a nurturer. They want to take care of the loved ones in their lives. Megumi and Shinji both have an arc where it takes the entire anime / manga to take the very first step. Their arc is there to depict how hard it can be to take that first step on the journey to change when you're as traumatized as someone like Shinji or Megumi.

Megumi's arc especially is about him making his very first decision in the whole manga. As I said the central question of Megumi and Yuji's relationship is can you save someone who doesn't want to be saved and Yuji eventually finds you that you can't.

Yuji's greatest moment of character development and empathy for Fushiguro is realizing he can't force savlation on Fushiguro if Megumi doesn't want it. He can't force Megumi to live. He can't just tell Megumi to be stronger.

In doing so Yuji does something that no one has ever done to Megumi in his life, and offered him a choice. Gojo expected Megumi to be as strong as him and saw him as a mini-gojo never once taking his opinion into the matter. As I said above Gojo sees being strong as the soliution to all of life's problems. His adivce to Megumi was don't be weak, otherwise you'll be left behind.

Yuji allows Megumi to be weak. He says that Megumi doesn't have to be strong and suck it all up. The metaphor of Yuji and his grandfather works well to show how Yuji truly understood Megumi in a way Gojo never did. Gojo expected Megumi to be as strong as him. Gojo encouraged Megumi to grow up into another Gojo. Gojo failed to understand Megumi in many ways because he wasn't Gojo, and enjoy Jujutsu and being a sorcerer the way that Gojo did.

Yuji relates the story of his grandfather rejecting chemo treatment. At the time he didn't understand why his father would refuse the treatment just because it was painful, because Yuji being young would have been very easily able to handle the pain. However, after Yuji went through trauma and started dealing with suicidal ideation in the aftermath of Shibuya he understood why some people wouldn't want to keep fighting.

Yuji knows what it's like to be weak and want to give up so he doesn't want to force Megumi to be strong. Gojo projected himself onto Megumi and expected Megumi to always be strong and to love Jujutsu like he did, and didn't understand the ways Megumi was different than him. Yuji on the other hand accepted Megumi for who he was with those words, even though Megumi was weak and didn't want to continue living Yuji didn't crticize him he accepted that Megumi was different from him. He accepted the fact he didn't really understand Megumi's pain. He validated Megumi's pain and didn't try to dismiss it.

This parallel to Gojo and Megumi's first meeting is so important, because Gojo showed up in that child's life only to exploit him. While Yuji gave Megumi a choice. Even if it meant that Yuji would be lonely and heartbroken, he still gave Megumi a choice on whether or not he wanted to live.

In the end Yuji gave Megumi a choice, and Megumi made that choice to keep living. Just like Shinji, Megumi's entire character arc was just leading him up to taking the first step on his journey. Just like Shinji, Megumi's entire arc is defined by his choices being taken away from him but the very first choice he makes is his most important one: the choice to live.

So yes, a Megumi corruption arc would have been really cool but I think the answer of "You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved, but you can still love them" is a beautiful one.

[sparklystarrrr]

Dear Fae~

Synopsis: Reader pines after Sebek and tries to gain his attention as much as they can… in a few different ways…

Contains: Sebek Z. x Gn! Reader, jealousy, some cursing, can u tell I love him, flips from (y/n)'s POV to third person POV a lot, kinda crack, lovely guest appearances from all first years (plus Lilia), hints of Jack x reader? (not rly they don't have feelings for each other), reader is dense asf

It was day one of trying to get Sebek Zigvolt’s romantic attention.

Although I just came to the world-crushing realization I had a crush on that big guy, I was going to do anything in my power to make him mine! First Operation: Damsel in distress!

~~

“Ace, this is kinda stupid…” (y/n) sighed heavily while crouching behind a wall peering into the next hallway. “Oh shut up, you’ll live, now when he comes past that corner you run and trip over that bench. Then you fall and hurt your ankle!” Ace said with pride like it was the best idea his tiny brain could form(it was). Before this, the two had scoped out Sebek’s schedule for the whole week prior to this and where he goes after every 5th period of the day. He would turn the corner at the end of the hallway to go to his potionology class. “Literally what the fuck…”They deadpanned. This plan involved hurting themself? Great Ace, great. The things they did for love… “Do I actually need to hurt myself? What if he steps around me, or even worse… Malleus shows up…” (y/n) grimaced. “You’re gonna be fine (y/nnnnn) stop worrying so much, its annoying.” Ace groaned and flopped himself on (y/n)’s shoulder like he was the damsel, in which they shrugged him off.  

Before (y/n) could say another word, the thumping of heavy thundering footsteps approached near the corner… The two sat wide eyed and panicked for a moment before Ace shoved (y/n) to their feet and practically propelled them forward into a staggering run. At this point tripping over the bench would be completely unintentional, but at least it would look a bit more real? (y/n)’s foot successfully got caught on the leg of the bench and they fell to their knees, effectively scraping them up. Not only was their ankle swollen and throbbing but they also gained cuts on their knees, thanks Ace. “O-ow!” They yelped out as the mint haired young man turned the corner to find (y/n) on the ground with tears in their (e/c) eyes.

“HUMAN, WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS TOMFOOLERY???!! Sebek boomed. “RISE TO YOUR FEET THIS INSTANT!!!! LORD MALLEUS SHALL NOT SEE YOU IN THIS STATE AND NEITHER SHALL I!!!!!”He demanded and dropped his books aside, aiding the now beat up (y/n) to their feet. Their legs wobbled, one much more in pain than the other”Sebek… I don’t think I can walk… Could you help me?” They batted their eyelashes through the tears filling their lower lash and the throbbing pain in their ankle. This plan HAD to work!

They clutched their hands against the fabric of his blazer and tossed their head to the side as if they truly were a frail and fragile damsel. The tips of Sebek’s pointy ears flushed a light pink."Y-YES I SUPPOSE AS YOU'VE INJURED YOURSELF IT IS ONLY CORRECT FOR ME TO FULFILL MY DUTIES AS LORD MALLEUS DRACONIA'S KNIGHT!!!!" His gloved hands effortlessly wrapped under their knees and back, supporting them as he charged toward the nurses office. (y/n) turned back to Ace who they flipped off as a thank you while getting carried away by their knight in shining armor.

⊰᯽⊱┈─❊─┈⊰᯽⊱

Day two of trying to get Sebek Zigvolt's romantic attention.

Since operation one was successful to a degree where he did what we thought he would, we had to come up with a new plan to find out his feelings and make him mine. He was such a dreamy, chivalrous, handsome, and ohhh so attractive boy- anyways. It was off to Operation Two: Call Him a Cute Nickname!

~~ ”What if he doesn’t like it and he stomps me…”(y/n) sweat-dropped as they walked through the hallway, limping a bit from the previous operation. Ace hit them in irritation”YOU’LL BE FINE.” It was only operation 2 out of 5 and Ace was already tired of (y/n) doubting his amazing love advice. Deuce followed along this time but (y/n) wasn’t sure how much he could help in this situation… “Call him something cute, not what Ace said. Crocs would probably do the opposite of what you want.” The blue haired boy said rather wisely for someone so aloof. “Dude, Crocs would’ve been fucking hilarious though!” Ace whined at his idea being chucked out the window. “Shut the hell up Ace, if I could think of a nickname for you it would be some shit like Stinky Bitch” (Y/n) retorted while laughing. “Hey, I don’t stink!” "I like how he ignored the bitch part 'cause he knows he's a bitch." Deuce cackled.

"Should I call him, like, Sebby??-" "HUMAN THAT IS NOT MY NAME!!!" an erupting voice from you-know-who shouted. The three idiots jumped in horror from Sebek's surprise attack. In shock and horror, and using their self defense skills taught by Vargas, they swung their fist into Sebek. Before it could even graze his face, he caught their fist with his fingers wrapping around it."HOW UNBECOMING, HUMAN! ATTEMPTING TO ATTACK A KNIGHT OF LORD MALLEUS DRACONIA IS INCREDIBLY IDIOTIC!!!" He shouted, (y/n) swore they saw a hint of pink on the tips of his ears and cheeks. "I'm sorry! But you gotta admit, Sebby's a cute nickname. Don'tcha think, Sebby?" It could be categorized as flirting at this point they way they spoke to him, but that was too forward! This was just... light teasing?

"H-human... YOU'VE TRULY OUTDONE YOURSELF THIS TIME.... PROVIDING A FAE WITH A NAME RATHER THAN THE ONE GIVEN BY BIRTH IS UNFORGIVABLE-" "Well you call me 'Human' so... technically you'd be breaking that rule too!" (y/n) said in a tone that sounded rather cheerful despite literally being launched into the next dimension from the sheer volume of his voice at this new name bestowed on him.

"Ah, I see, you've bested me JUST THIS ONCE!!!!" He emphasized the end with a ridged finger pointing in the air. (y/n) noticed how their hand was still embraced in his leather clad hand tightly and smiled. "Does holding my hand make you more agreeable? I haven't seen you agree with me so easily until now Sebby!" That sweet smile of theirs made Sebek almost malunfiction. His face went a bright raspberry pink and he sweated profusely while ripping his hand off of theirs and attaching it to his side. "N-NO, THAT WOULD BE A DISHONOR NOT ONLY TO YOU BUT TO MYSELF AS WELL!!! THAT IS BUT A FIB HUMAN!!!!"

And with that, he sprinted off leaving a cloud of dust behind him. He had been pink from his hairline to his neck and they swore they could hear his heart beating out of his chest, plus the sweat dripping down his forehead. They turned back to Ace and Deuce who stood awkwardly"... Is that a win?"

"I don't even know man..."Deuce questioned while looking at Ace for input.

"Maybe? Crocs was PINK, my guy."Ace said, giving (y/n) a cheerful high-five.

⊰᯽⊱┈─❊─┈⊰᯽⊱

Day three of trying to get Sebek Zigvolt's romantic attention.

We'd rallied Epel into our shenanigans now. He was awfully argumentative about joining our road to success, aka me getting with Sebby, but with enough convincing he decided to put Vil's lessons in love to good use! It was Operation Three: Open Ears!

~~

"Jus' listen to him whenever he's yappin', that big guy needs someone to word vomit to, ya'know?" Epel said through his thick country accent. Vil had given him some pointers in love, listening to your partner was at the top five recommendations. It was known very well by basically every single student at NRC that Sebek was a TALKER. He would rant mainly about Malleus, Lilia and the greatness of faes, the occasional knightly training he does, and school. The real challenge was getting to sit down somewhere and let him rant to his hearts content...

"Ask him to study. You know that guy's CRAZY about his studies."Ace smirked.

''Maybe just go on a walk with him or somethin'? It's a lot easier to talk n' walk." Epel suggested.

"Or maybe... I don't know..."Deuce trailed after his two ideas were just swiped from under him. The four of them giggled over their lunches and ultimately came to the conclusion of... drum roll please....

"Eh, I need to study anyways."(y/n) thought to themself. It was like killing two birds with one stone, or in this context, three birds with one stone. They were getting to spend time with their future husband(who doesn't even know his fate yet), execute this plan to its fullest AND study for the upcoming test in Crewel's potionology class.

When thinking, (y/n) remembered they had the green haired boy’s number. Perfect! Just a quick text to him and then it would be off to the library to chat with him! If only it was that simple…

~ an hour later~ 

“It’s been an hour, he still hasn’t answered!”(y/n) grumbled at the lunch table.“Just wait, what if he eventually does?” Deuce placed his hand on their shoulder in support. “I’m literally about to text Lilia, AND I WOULD NEVER DO THAT…” Their lamenting caught the ear of said fae. Floating cheekily over to them, he spooked them with his scarily deep voice,”You want to message me? About what?” He grinned. “AH- uh… nothing.” They sweat-dropped, albeit it was obvious they were clearly needing to talk to him about something. “Dear (y/n), if it is about Sebek, I would say that scheduling an afternoon in the library would be favorable if a chat with him is what you desire. Would you like me to speak to him about it?” 

‘Oh… it was that easy?’ (y/n) thought to themself. “Yeah sure, if that’s not too much trouble!” they replied happily. “Oh (y/n), you think I’m so old that messaging the young boy would cause me trouble? Don’t be silly! I am a sigma, as the kids these days say~” He then floated off while giggling, leaving the four freshmen at the table absolutely flabbergasted.”Okay anyways… You’ve secured your spot with the guy I guess?” Ace was completely gobsmacked by Lilia’s new choice of vocabulary and the whole conversation in general, not like his singular braincell would’ve understood it anyways. “Dayum, ol’ man really did more in one second that we could do in three days.”Epel sighed while eating his food. “Whatever whatever, I get to hang out with him later!”(Y/n) squealed while thinking of all the cute outfits they could wear to this mini date.

~ time skip ~

Clad in their favorite casual outfit of jeans and a white tank top, (y/n) made their way to the library where Sebek went down isles of books in wait for them. He was early, of course. It was the only time (y/n) had seen him in such casual clothing too. It was rather late at night and it looked as if his training had just finished. His hair was down in contrast to his usually gelled up hair. He wore a black hoodie which was something they thought they’d never see. Along with that, he wore dark gray sweatpants and sneakers. It wasn’t like he was sweaty either, he just had cheeks dusted with a light red flush and his normal scent of musky and woodsy cologne. It was as if he didn't even spend his time training before this which (y/n) doubted he did at this point. It looked more like he got pointers for casual date attire from Silver or someone in Daisomnia.

Despite the reason for meeting up being made for talking together and studying, it seemed much warmer than that. Not many words were initially exchanged like a normal conversation, more like back and forth ranting and gentle thought out reactions. It was quiet between the two yet there was no silence at all. Sebek's previous tension in his shoulders was relieved. (Y/n)'s anxieties of how the 'date' would go subsided. The books picked out before getting discarded onto the table they leaned upon. There was meaning behind every word spoken. Sebek spoke of the greatness of Malleus while (y/n) spoke of the greatness of leaders in their world. Sebek spoke of the challenges provided in school and (y/n) brought forth how they hurdled the difficulties set before them. It was like a painting being formed. Soft and slow, but emotions in every brush stroke. Every addition of color added a new feeling, a new connection until they blended into a masterpiece. It was a conversation that stretched on till midnight, when the brightest star in the dark sky was the flame igniting between them.

Needless to say, this plan was a definite success.

⊰᯽⊱┈─❊─┈⊰᯽⊱

It was day four of trying to gain Sebek Zigvolt's romantic attention...

It was exhausting attempting to put myself out there over and over again for his attention. I wish we both had  that confidence to do that. I’m way too shy and he’s way too stubborn to ever admit he likes someone more than Malleus or Lilia. Whatever, it was Operation Four: The Way to the Heart is Through the Tummy!

~~

(y/n) really thought this was the end of this charade? NEVER. These first years all equally had something up their sleeve and they knew how down bad (y/n) was. At this point (y/n) was kinda done with them and this whole “getting Sebek’s attention” thing but they wouldn’t say that outloud, would they? It just felt like a bunch of ways to embarrass themself in front of him. At least they were okay at cooking?

“You need food to grow muscle. That guy works out every day to be a knight, he’s got to have a huge appetite, make him something good.” Jack said in his rather monotonous voice. He was someone who seemed a LOT wiser than the other three buffoons who decided having (y/n) sprain their ankle and get yelled at by Sebek a bunch of times was a good idea. “Yeah but, what would I make..?” (y/n) wondered. “Should I just make his favorite food?”

"Well that would be a good start, what does he like?" Jack said while grabbing a few pans and utensils. "He likes salmon carpaccio." It was the most confident statement (y/n) spoke in the last few days. There was no questioning when it came to the things Sebek liked. They knew everything they could about him and he made sure to say them at a volume every universe could hear. "Salmon carpaccio? That's a pretty difficult dish to make. You sure you wanna put yourself through that?" Jack questioned. "Yeah, I'm one hundred percent sure Jack. I wanna make him fall in love and nothing's been working. Do you think this will work?" (y/n) sounded almost exhausted. Why couldn't they just be in a relationship with him already.

There was such a yearning for him that nothing mattered at this point. No matter the dish, plan, or dilemma, it was a desire to be with him. This was a new type of love they'd been feeling for him. It was like a force to keep them going. "This'll work fine, (y/n). I doubt anyone besides his family's made this for him. Be like family to him." Oh... (y/n)'d never thought of that. It was almost like a breath of fresh air and clarity talking to Jack about this because he was the only one out of the freshmen who could lay out ideas that seemed genuinely thought out. "Okay... let's get to work then."

With that, they got to quick work with the meal meant for a knight. They quickly sauted the salmon and prepared the vegetables meant to garnish them. While cutting the onions, (y/n)'s eyes got so teary that they ended up accidentally cutting their finger without noticing through their blurry vision. Did every plan really involve accidentally hurting themself?? They yelped in pain and held their hand to their lip, trying to stop the stinging and blood leaving their finger. Jack's ears turned to the sudden squeal of pain coming from his friend. "(y/n)! What happened!" He rushed over from the salmon being prepared on the stove to them. "N-nothing, just cut myself!" Jack sighed and grabbed the first-aid cut in the cupboard above the counter and quickly pulled out bandaids and ointments.

"How about you just garnish it when the salmon's done..." He deadpanned while tending to (y/n)'s finger. Like many times before, Sebek's rumbling voice came from behind the kitchen door."HUMANS!! Is that salmon carpaccio I smell?!" His voice seemed rather cheerful like he had been waiting for ages to eat his favorite food again. He opened the door to see not only uncooked pieces of salmon and uncut pieces of vegetables on the counter, but his Human and Jack at the counter opposite of the food, standing close, his hand on theirs. An injury on their finger. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS, WOLF!! YOU DARE PUT THIS HUMAN IN THE WAY OF HARM??!!" He sounded incredibly angered.

His sharp golden eyes slit like a crocodile's. It was like the lightning after his thunderous voice. His leather clad hand grabbed a handful of Jack's collar,"WHAT IS THE MEANING FOR THIS." He snarled while Jack grabbed his wrist."They simply cut themself making the garnish. Nothing more." Sebek dropped his collar and turned to (y/n), eyes still glowing with something that didn't seem equivalent to the fury in his voice. "Human, did this wolf harm you...." it sounded more of a statement than a yell. His voice lowered and so did his head, as if bowing to (y/n).

"N-no... Sebby, I accidentally injured myself trying to make salmon carpaccio for you. Nothing's going on."They seemed almost confused at this outburst. He's never acted like this besides when someone would dishonor Malleus or any fae. At their words. Sebek's face let go of the tension, his pupils rounding out once more. "Ah... I see. I sincerely apologize to you and the wolf, Human." He put a hand on his heart over the organ beating out of his chest through the fabric of his blazer. "I'll bring this over to you when it's done, 'kay?" He nodded his head in agreement and left the premise in quite a hurry. How odd? I sighed once the door shut.

"Sheesh... that guy was kind of jealous, don't you think (y/n)?" Jack said while getting back to work on the salmon, seemingly unfazed by the previous event."Jealous..? About what?" They wondered aimlessly. "Oh my Seven... never mind."

~ time skip ~

With a quick call from (y/n), Sebek was on his way to the kitchen to try the homemade salmon carpaccio. Jack wasn't there anymore since he had track and field practice, so it would just be the two of them once again. This time, he knocked thrice on the wooden door of the kitchen to make his presence known to (y/n),"HUMAN!! I HAVE ARRIVED!!" (y/n) quickly hung up their apron at the loud sound of his voice and opened the door,"Hey Sebby! Salmon carpaccio's ready!"

His eyes seemed to sparkle as you set the plate before him. He quickly grabbed the fork and with as much delicacy as a hungry croc, he scarfed down a bite, then went in for another, and another... until the whole plate was basically cleared."So, how'd you like it?" (y/n) asked as if they'd not just seen him inhale every single crumb. He had a pleasant smile on his face plus a pink blush on his cheeks,"IT WAS SUPERB HUMAN! WHAT A DELICACY! THOUGH NOT AS GREAT AS MALLEUS HIMSELF, IT TRULY COMES CLOSE IN THE RANKING!!"

"I'M GLAD YOU LIKE IT SEBBY!!!" (y/n) matched him in his eruptions of gratitude with a giggle, making Sebek even chuckle heartily, though he caught himself being soft for a human and tried to make his escape quick."AH, IT SEEMS LORD MALLEUS REQUIRES MY ASSISTANCE FOR AN ERRAND!! I SHALL BE ON MY WAY HUMAN!!" He said in his most passionate way of a 'goodbye for now' and made his way out."Come back if you ever want salmon carpaccio again!!" (y/n) yelped at him while he ran out as quickly as he came in.

All they could do now was dawn a lovesick smile while washing the dishes, thinking about how nice it would be to cook him salmon carpaccio every night and see that most genuine smile on his face again...

⊰᯽⊱┈─❊─┈⊰᯽⊱

Day uhmm... Five? This is seriously day five of trying to get his romantic attention? Damn... I really am down bad.

I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE. I NEED HIM BIBLICALLY- Operation Five: This isn't even an operation- CONFESS ALREADY (Y/N)!!!

~~

"Go on (y/n), he's right there. Jus' say it and if ya chicken out, run away right after." "Yeah, it should be a piece of cake, right Juice?" "Hey my name's not Juice, stinky bitch!-" "You guys are of no help..." The boys attempted to motivate over the phone while the terrified (y/n) laid in their bed. The four freshman who'd helped (y/n) before this all sat on facetime trying to encourage them to confess. Like said before, they were too shy. Sebek couldn't do it either because he was too involved with his devotion- Oh?

Suddenly the doorbell rang, awaking Grim from his nap. "HEY! Who's there!? Who just woke me up from my nap!" Grim shrieked in cranky anger. "Go back to bed Grim, I'll check." (y/n) patted his fuzzy head and walked to the front door of Ramshackle. They looked through the peephole to see some green and a pinkish-red. With a rather confused face and an active facetime call still on their phone, they opened the door. At the sight of a red Sebek with a bouquet of flowers in hand they shut off the call. "Sebek..?"

Before they knew it, he dropped to his knees and held the bouquet of flowers up as if an offering."HUMAN! MASTER LILIA HAS INFORMED ME THAT I-I *ahem*, I... Have some... F-FEELINGS FOR YOU!! I MUST CONFRONT THEM IN HOPES YOU RECIPROCATE THIS FEELING!!" His tone of voice was rather choppy and uneven, along with the fact that this was the first time you've ever really heard him stutter. "Oh my goodness... Yeah, I really really reciprocate those feelings..." (y/n) almost sounded in a daze from how surprised they were that Sebek was on one knee confessing right now. "THEN FROM THIS DAY ON I SHALL BEGIN COURTING YOU!! GOOD DAY, DEAR HUMAN!!"

He pushed the bouquet of (f/c) flowers into their hands and tried to make his last speedy leave before they grabbed the fabric of his blazer."Wait-" He turned back with his cheeks still burning red, "Thank you, dear fae." (y/n) spoke. They stood high on their toes and pressed a small kiss onto his slim cheek. Sebek tensed under their touch."T-THANK YOU DEAR HUMAN. I MUST BE OFF NOW!!!"

The young boy practically teleported away with the speed he used to escape (y/n). They giggled softly at his reaction and leaned on the door frame, sighing contently. They really did fall in love with their dear fae, and boy was he a cutie~

Little did (y/n) know, their phone was blowing up with texts from the first years who saw Sebek bolting through the hallways trying to get back to Daisomnia with a pink face and frazzled look. They all demanded (y/n) get back on the call and explain the situation that went down. This would be a long story....

Can you tell I was listening to Hozier while writing this (I was listening to Work Song in a one hour loop...)

[34to42]

Okay. So.

It’s no secret that I’ve been eagerly anticipating season 2 of The Night Agent so I made the very adult decision to take a vacation day from work and binge watch the whole thing in one day. And I have some thoughts.

Obviously spoilers lay ahead so please be aware of that before you continue reading if that’s something you care about. There might also be some swearing.

It’s not often we see a Netflix show get to season 2 and more importantly, have a season 2 that either lives up to or exceeds season 1 but I think The Night Agent is one of them. Season 2 is SUCH an experience, one that I was desperately worried about before it aired, and one that I am so happy I got to participate in now that it’s done. I was worried that the show would forget the events of season 1, that Rose would play a less integral role, that the show’s bigger and better storylines would be overdone, that they would play America as the hero when dealing with plot lines regarding international relations - none of those fears came true.

Though the showrunners were in uncharted territory having no other Matthew Quirk novels to adapt, they did a fantastic job in creating a new situation that felt similarly dire and equally as convoluted as the events of season 1. And the events of the previous season are directly referenced, and Rose continued to be integral, and the bigger and better storylines were handled well, in my opinion at least.

The overarching result of the events of season 2 however, has to be… tragedy. So many different characters have their lives upended, affected, or changed and it’s all just tragic. The character of Noor, an outstanding addition to the show, risking everything to get her family into a better situation only to lose her brother, traumatize her mother, and receive a cheque from a smiling bureaucrat for her efforts. Warren’s son Ethan, having to go through the betrayal of a friend (David), meeting his estranged father, getting so much conflicting information about his dad, only to lose him and be traumatized forever. Rose, desperately wanting a normal life but unable to fully process her grief and trauma because the only person she fully trusts left her and isn’t coming back. Even Alice’s family and the way they had to deal with their broken hearts when she took the Night Action job and stopped keeping in contact with them.

And finally… Peter.

Peter, who is a good man and wants to do the right thing but keeps getting into situations where the right choice has consequences. Who desperately wanted to clear his father’s name only to learn that it was all true and then have to make the same choices to save the one person he loves. The soul crushing tragedy of the scene with Peter and the broker in the rail car as he taunts Peter with the knowledge that by making the choices he did, he will become his father and follow in his footsteps. The absolute fucking agony on Peter’s face.

And then the tragedy of Peter telling Rose to forget him, because he knows that he cannot keep her safe and she will be used against him even though she means “everything” to him. 😭😭😭😭

My poor shipper heart.

Although I, and I suspect a lot of people, would have loved to see a happier ending for Peter and Rose, I will say that this one felt true to the story they were trying to tell. I can think of other ways this could have gone to get them that ending which I will definitely be exploring in fanfic but I can see why this choice was made. That scene in the hotel broke my fucking heart. Again, the absolute agony on Peter’s face.

So… yeah. Just, tragedy all around with this season.

I do want to mention a few things that I really appreciated about the new episodes. First, that Rose continued to not be a damsel in distress but rather continuously came to Peter’s aid and helped him out, much as she did in the first season. Second, the character of Javad was INCREDIBLY acted by Keon Alexander and made for an excellent villain, even if not the ultimate one. Holy shit, watching the shifts from romantic interest to quiet, seething menace on his face and in his demeanour throughout the show were so compelling. Third, all the scenes between characters at the Iranian mission. I was really worried this storyline would feel rushed but instead we got so many sweet moments between characters such as Haleh and Noor and an insight into their relationships.

Some specific moments I loved:

- Noor wearing her friend’s headscarf to the event at the mission

- Haleh warning Noor that Javad knew she was at the UN even though it could have cost her her job

- The ambassador’s handling of how to get Javad out of the mission, such a stroke of brilliance

- Rose’s conversation with Catherine where she told her off for talking about her aunt and uncle because she didn’t know them

- Peter holding doors open for Rose even when they were trying to get away from gunmen

- Peter immediately crawling into bed with Rose when she was having a nightmare

- Basically ever scene with Peter and Rose

- the fight scenes, they felt incredibly realistic and used a lot of elements from around the scene

- Peter and Rose’s silent communication regarding shooting Markus, it was so awesome to see them in sync like that

- Rose’s speech to Tomăs regarding the chemical weapons, she was able to get through to him even without any type of training because she is awesome

- Peter’s immediate confidence in Rose when Catherine asked “who knew she could do that?” Fuck, that was an awesome moment

- Peter and Noor’s conversation on the steps of the UN where she understood why he did what he did and accepted his apology by holding out her hand. The number of times Peter did and tried to apologize to Noor for her brother because he wants to do the right thing

Despite how much I loved the new season, I do have a few lingering questions and complaints that I also wanted to write out in case anyone else is struggling with them:

- How did the broker know to contact Rose at the beginning of the season if Peter’s name and involvement in Camp David were scrubbed?

- that President Travers wasn’t in more episodes. I really, really appreciated the way she stood up for Peter in front of Catherine at the beginning and wish there could have been some follow through later on in the season

- it feels like Rose and the doctor could have maybe thought of knockout gas a little earlier? I understand why the show did what they did for the plot but it didn’t ring quite true that they would both make so many cannisters of KX without trying something to get out of there

- Soloman’s speech to Peter as he was taking him to meet the broker regarding the one agent of theirs Peter killed in Bangkok. How they all attended his funeral and he had 40-some people who loved him. Dude, YOU killed Peter’s partner!! That whole speech just felt off.

- the character of Catherine. Things improved towards the end of the season but I really didn’t like the character at the beginning and especially didn’t like the way she spoke about Peter. It isn’t his fault that they sent him in without a lot of training and it was her job to make sure he was ready

- Peter’s tattoos being gone. I understand why it makes sense that a spy cannot have very identifiable tattoos but come on. I think we can all agree that Gabe’s tattoos are incredibly hot and we should be able to see them

So, those are my thoughts. I’m sure I’ll have more once the dust settles from watching all the episodes in one day but for now, I hope you enjoy the new season as much as I did.

[radiance1]

DnD au where either the batfam or some mebers of the Justice League get taken into a game.

Who's the game master? Both Vlad and Ghost Writer. Ghost Writer makes the overall world while Vlad voices everything and adapts on the fly when the 'players' do things they didn't expect.

The thing that I'm thinking about here is that Danny is a Naga, and in his lore he's actually a very important and powerful person, either politically or physically. Probably physically, but he constantly plays the damsel in distress for like, no reason.

The boy just genuinely likes to play the damsel in distress even through he's actually quite powerful in the grand scheme of things.

But here's the thing.

The batfam/Justice League don't know that.

They just think he's a very unlucky monster guy who keeps landing himself into dangerous situations and calls for them to save him when he's in trouble and, them being heroes, they save him every time.

The opposite of Jazz, really.

Who is a badass character that, at the start of the entire thing, saved the players from one thing or another at times and then helped them in battle in the later game while also secretly being a very important character in the lore just like Danny.

Is Jazz also a Naga? I don't know, had me thinking that she was more of an Amazon or something like that. But she could be a Naga not gonna lie.

AnYWYAS.

How are Danny and Jazz important? Well, I would like to think that they are actually royalty. Like, full blown very important royals from a very big and powerful kingdom or empire.

Danny would be a Naga prince, and depending on if Jazz is a Naga or Amazon she could be either a queen or princess.

Whatever the case, the two of them would make comments about each other. Danny's comments being about how, maybe when starting out, the players aren't his usual savior and stuff like that, with Jazz's comments being that saving the players quite reminds her of a specific little Naga she constantly has to save.

Maybe Vlad sees this and decides that Danny and Jazz become a link to give the players something that they, well, missed (Low chance if Batman is there, but then again that's gonna depend on if the Batfam are in their hero or civilian personas). Like maybe a comment here, a clue there, an item given.

Stuff like that.

I feel like Danny curls his tail around whoever saves him and leans heavily into the damsel in distress act, going on and on about "Oh my hero!" and all that. Some might think there would be a problem with that, but Danny weighs absolutely nothing, carrying him is literally like holding a feather.

Which is concerning because he has both a long and beefy tail that should make him weigh waaaaay more than he actually does.

Jazz definitely carries everyone in a princess carry, regardless of gender and regardless of who it is. Has a modified carry for Danny in regards to his tail but that's really it.

Maybe the players get sneak peaks that there's something more in regard to their constant damsel and randomly spawning ally. Maybe knowing them gives them access to stuff they, reasonably, shouldn't and when they're present with the group, their presence changes some things.

This was honestly just an excuse for Danny to be a damsel in distress, not gonna lie.

[saphireeyes9875]

You know, I love all the analyses the fandom is making about the Pristine Cut and Slay the Princess in general, but I haven't seen a lot of people talk about the nature of the Construct. Sure, we all know that the Narrator created it somehow to contain both the Long Quiet and the Shifting Mound, but the actual “fabric” of the Construct is these two gods.  An attentive eye might catch very early in a playthrough that the trees, the sky, the ground - they’re all shades of dark grey and black, with a feathery texture that is unquestionably Quiet. The new Apotheosis showcases this very well. 

But the cabin is different. It’s all light grey and white - Shifty’s colors. I believe that the most notable way this is shown is during our encounters with Shifty’s incomplete form. When we are “at the cabin”, all we can see is her mass of hands and the vessel we brought her - which implies that Shifty is the cabin itself.

And that’s fascinating to me, because the cabin is also, by the Narrator’s design, her own prison. Just as he establishes in his opening monologue that we are on a path in the woods, he also cleverly says that the Princess is within that cabin, and that if she escapes it, the world ends. And, except in the Wild, none of these two statements are ever refuted by either the Hero or the Princess, because to do so is to unravel the very fabric of their false reality.

So even though it seems like the cabin should bend to the Princess’ will, being quite literally her domain, it remains her prison in every other route.

In many Chapter 2’s, but especially in the Nightmare and the Beast, the Princess emphasizes the fact that the cabin will not let her leave - very ironic, since we’ve just seen how the interior of the cabin has been completely reshaped by the Princess’ influence.

I love this line from the Beast, because you can so clearly see how the Narrator’s beliefs have bled through the Construct. I was reminded of it the first time I played through the Princess and the Dragon, because the repetition of “this is what you deserve”, as other people pointed out, seems very much like something the Narrator would tell her.

Speaking of the Princess and the Dragon, I've recently noticed a very interesting line in the lead-up to this chapter! Once Spectre possesses you and you decide to slay her, the Narrator says this:

Here, our very flesh imprisons the Princess in the same way the Narrator imprisoned the Shifting Mound - the cabin - within the Construct - which is, of course, the Long Quiet itself. I almost can't believe the Narrator would make such a direct comparison like this, but I suppose that in this route we never come to question our surroundings like in the Wild.

Notably, however, the Princess can escape the cabin when you are accompanying her. On a meta-narrative level, this makes complete sense: the characters can only escape the cycle of violence they are trapped in when they work together. But within the narrative of the game, this doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the Construct’s rules. The Narrator would never allow such a thing if he could help it, so this must be Shifty’s influence coming through, right?

And this reminds me of another two routes, the ones I’ve seen people describe as the most genre-savvy ones: the Damsel and the Tower.

If in Chapter 1, you don't question how you should get her out of her chains, in this variation of the Damsel route the Voice of the Hero will ask why the Princess hasn’t escaped already if her shackle is so loose, and Smitten replies with this line: “we’ve yet to present her with her freedom”.

On a surface level, this seems like a pretty arrogant, even demeaning line, a trend in this chapter that robs the Damsel of her agency. On a meta-narrative level, this is commenting on how the “damsel in distress” archetype is often a shell of a character that simply exists to reward the “hero”. But I also think this hints at how the Princess, either subconsciously or by the Narrator’s influence, doesn’t believe that it’s possible for her to escape alone - and therefore, she can’t.

Tower, arguably the vessel most aware of the extent of her powers, is even clearer when she tells us that she could easily break her chains and escape the cabin - and she does so in the Apotheosis - but that’s not the story she wants to tell. As much as they yearn for freedom, all the Princesses, by their very nature as beings of perception, want to be perceived, to connect with someone… especially with the Hero, of course.

(this line makes me go feral every time btw, it's so simple and yet so effective -)

Anyway, this was a very long winded way of saying that the Narrator somehow managed to make the Shifting Mound’s “body” into her own prison (which is insane if you think about it) and she can only be freed with the Long Quiet’s help. I’m not sure if this is like, super obvious, but I still wanted to talk about it, soooo if anyone wants to add to this, I'd love to discuss more!

(Edit 11/01/25: Added a missing Damsel screenshot with the help of @quicksilversnails, and rambled a bit about the lead-up to the Princess and the Dragon.)

[gay-jesus-probably]

I like the general fandom trend to just take the plot of Hyrule Warriors as a loose guideline at best and just use the whole concept as a good excuse to get blorbos to interact across timelines, BUT I'm very disappointed that everyone is missing the comedic potential of a very specific squad of characters:

Young Link (aka Mask), who walks out of the nightmare of Majora's Mask and immediately gets portal kidnapped into a temporal war, takes one look at the whole mess and decides that you could not fucking pay him to admit to being the resident expert on Time Shenanigans. He introduces himself with the title of Hero of Termina, and definitely doesn't have any other ones, that would be crazy. Hero of Time? Never heard of him.

Tetra, who is a kickass pirate captain with zero patience for people trying to shove her into the Designated Princess role, and realizes immediately that Oh Fuck, this Hyrule has a lot of Ideas about how the Hero and the Princess are supposed to properly play their parts, the second they realize she's technically a Zelda they're gonna shove her in a goddamn dress and damsel her again, that's not happening. So she's definitely just a really cool pirate captain, nothing else going on here at all, definitely not the heir of the Hylian royal family in her time, that'd be crazy.

Ravio, who is literally just a palette swapped Link, meaning that the second his hood comes off, things are gonna get Awkward. There's no way in hell he's dealing with all that Hero baggage, that's Link work, so that giant bunny hood/mask is practically superglued to his head, and he's not taking it off for love or money.

Spirit Tracks Zelda, who is just in the Phantom Armour the whole time, and passing herself off as just a friendly ghost posessing a suit of armour to help the Hero of Spirits. Of course she isn't Princess Zelda, that's ridiculous, if she were a Zelda then people would start getting really weird about her technically being dead, and boy does that ever sound like a whole Thing she doesn't want to deal with, so she can't possibly be Zelda, she's just a nice ghost knight. Also, her teenage grandma is here, and that's kinda weird, so it's easier to just not admit to being royalty and avoid that awkward conversation.

Finally there's Sheik, who is not the Princess Zelda of the era straight up abandoning her war torn country for months at a time so she can risk her life in extreme cosplay for no clear reason, but is instead the actual Sheik from Ocarina of Time, who just beat Ganondorf like a month ago and is still trying to process what the fuck to do now. Also, he's been pretending to be a boy since he was ten, and is realizing there's a pretty good chance that he isn't pretending anymore, so that's a whole other can of worms. But for the last seven years of his life, being Princess Zelda meant certain death, so he's not really inclined to introduce himself like when in a new and stressful situation (not to mention he might actually just not be a girl named Zelda anymore), so he automatically introduces himself as just Sheik the spooky ninja man, and fuck he's in too deep to back out now, looks like he's committing to the bit. If you think you sense the Triforce of Wisdom on him, no you don't.

Cue shenanigans as the five of them attempt to hide that they're all actually kind of A Big Deal. The group motto is "Nobody says shit", which is usually delivered as a frantic hiss whenever someone slips up. Just the reunion between Sheik and Mask alone would be absolutely buckwild given how they parted, and how they're both frantically pretending to Not be involved with each other. For added hilarity and/or drama, Sheik gives his semi-bullshit cover story of having just been a friend of the Hero of Time, then runs into said Hero of Time and they both have to desperately pretend not to know each other, because if anyone picks up on the mountain of baggage between them then Mask is busted, and he won't hesitate to drag Sheik down with him out of sheer spite. Not to mention the weird balance of Sheik being used to this Link being a teenager that's actually a small child, and now has to adjust to Link who is a small child that's actually a teenager.

Also, i really feel like we're all missing out on the comedy potential of Ganondorf recognizing Young Link on sight and the two of them immediately launching into a grudge match with some extremely personal and specific insults on both sides. Meanwhile literally everybody else is just standing there watching, trying to process the fact that out of every single person that's been pulled out of time, Ganondorf only has personal beef with a literal nine year old.

I just feel like we're all really sleeping on the potential for Shenanigans here. The whole thing is an absurd mess, why not have some fun with it?

[sailorblossoms-rankane]

I find myself cringing (like foaming in the mouth and full-body twitching) when female Ranma asked screamed for Ryoga to help him. LIKE URGH—Ranma will absolutely do a somersault and a backflip going to the volcano's pit instead of asking Ryoga's help! Man, the old version is so goddamn weird.

the old anime is indeed weird as fuck.

I haven't seen what you mention, but in general: anime Ranma is generally just a fraud. He constantly has to be saved or helped in situations he would neveeerrr need any help. They often make him look like a common clown. There's a filler where he has a fight with a child and he LOSES (and this is somehow no big deal for him. Manga Ranma would never let this shit stand) whenever I watch anime original content (don't get me started on the movies)... i have yet to see anything that truly underscores that bro is built different. They even change manga content to make him look more useless like

it's even worse with girl Ranma because girl, which means male fantasies. Part of this is this thing where they give girl Ranma weirdly sexualized lines or behavior to sell her as "available" for a male audience, sometimes they use Ryoga to deliver them ("she says it to him" but it's actually for you) (there's this WEIRD scene in the soap arc where the anime has Ranma washing Ryoga's back while calling him a hunk the ladies die for, which is part of the fantasy for the audience... in the manga, Ranma simply knocks him out with a blow and runs. He would kill himself before saying or doing some of the shit they have him doing in that show) I don't eve going to take screenshots of the tweets where I show examples, I might start foaming myself. So let's focus on the next fantasy: the damsel.

Girls' gotta be fragile, so they do this in the pantyhose episodes: instead of Ranma protective Akane with his body and looking fierce, they do a "scared girl" closeup

they also omit Ranma making it clear he's angry cuz Akane almost got hurt btw, so you might think part of his anger was bro (feminine) just being afraid of the big bad boulder

speaking of damsels

however, because this is indeed a very strange show, in the shinnosuke ova they do the opposite (an ova where they remove practically all of Ranma's vulnerability and the depth of his feelings for Akane... they have bro SNORING when they reveal Akane is MISSING and no, I'm not making it up or exaggerating, but anyway...)

in moments where girl Ranma is meant to look vulnerable, they show her like an action hero

(why the fuck is Ranma saying this to Akane after saving her is beyond me. makes it seem like Ranma can't help but put her down, even when it's dead serious, which he also does in the movies)

bro is meant to be heartbroken </3 (they also ommit all the instances of boy Ranma looking like he lost his will to live, god forbid that motherfucker shows how bad he has it for her)

[gojoacedia]

Katsuki Bakugou was getting increasingly less patient with the current case he had to work on. All across Japan, a villain was kidnapping and killing quirkless women while mocking all of the heroes going after him. What got to Katsuki was how similar the villain's mindset was to his old mindset.

“Why are you trying so hard to protect these quirkless wannabes? I’m doing the world a favor by making sure these genetically inferior women will never be able to reproduce! Don’t you want to live in a world where people can protect themselves and not just be damsels in distress?”

After Izuku lost his quirk, this topic was extremely sensitive for Katsuki. It was obvious this villain had never actually talked to or associated with quirkless people. This was the reason why he was so enthusiastic about leading the operation to save a woman who was recently kidnapped. He was going to take the villain down, save the girl, and give this villain a piece of his mind before he rotted in prison. That was the plan, anyway.

What he didn’t expect was for the villain to be as strong as he was. Katsuki’s biggest weakness was underestimating people who he felt were inferior, and he had fallen victim to this mindset once again. The second he stepped through those doors and saw you, bloodied, beaten, and tied up, white rage blinded him for just enough time to get caught himself.

“So nice of you to join us, Dynamight! You came just in time for the killing!” The villain teased as he put Katsuki in quirk-suppressing handcuffs. Katsuki inwardly raged at himself. Here he was, forced to watch you bleed out in front of him. He couldn’t help but feel hopeless. It was obvious the villain was going to take his sweet time with you. But you had other plans.

You had been observing the villains’ behavior ever since you were kidnapped. You knew you couldn't escape by yourself, even though the flimsy duct tape around your wrists could be ripped off in seconds. Unlike Katsuki, you were ecstatic to see he was kidnapped also. This meant you had a fighting chance.

The second the villain left the room to get supplies for your murder, you snapped the tape off of your wrists and undid the rest on your mouth and ankles. You searched the room for any kind of weapon, ultimately landing on a metal stool your kidnapper watched you from. You hid behind the door until you saw him come out, swinging the stool as hard as you could at his head. He hit the floor within seconds. It seemed his biggest weakness was also underestimating people he thought were inferior. You took this time to search his person for keys to unchain Katsuki, who was your real way out of here.

Katsuki watched in awe as a quirkless woman saved his life. He watched as you problem-solved your way out of your restraints before immediately going towards his. He watched as you ignored all of your injuries like you couldn’t feel a thing. He watched as your hands flipped through each key on the key ring, trying each key on his restraints without even a slight shake in your hands. Most heroes he knew weren’t as professional as you were. Who were you?

After finally unlocking Katsuki’s handcuffs, you allowed yourself to finally let your guard down. You knew he would protect you from there. What you didn’t know was how much blood you had lost. As soon as your body relaxed from undoing his restraints, you passed out in his lap.

—

You woke up to bright fluorescent lights and the smell of disinfectant.

“Doc, I think she’s waking up!” you heard a muffled voice call out beside you. You tried to bring your arms up to rub your eyes, but they were too sore to even move. You winced at the feeling. “Hey- it’s okay, you don’t have to move,” you heard the same voice murmur from your side. You felt a hand on your arm which you grabbed, knowing the only form of communication you had right now was from physical touch. You squeezed the hand gently to say ‘thank you’ to whoever was watching over you all this time. As you heard the nurse walk in you drifted back to sleep.

The next time you woke up it was dark outside. The weight of the person previously next to you was gone. You were just glad you could see and hear properly now. You looked down at your body, starting to examine all of the injuries you had somehow survived. You were wrapped like a mummy from head to toe. Multiple IVs were sticking out of your arm with fluids you didn’t recognize. It was going to be a long healing process.

“Ah, you’re awake again,” you heard from the doorway. You looked up to see the pro hero Dynamight holding a cup of coffee.

“Dynamight…” was the only word you could muster. He tried to hide his smile before walking back over to where he had previously sat.

“You’re (y/n), right? I was sent to save you from your kidnapping, but you ended up saving me instead,” he explained in a low voice, scared of his ego being damaged by someone else hearing. You shook your head ‘no’.

“I didn’t save you… if you didn’t show up I would be dead,” you spoke to him weakly. He shook his head.

“You were more professional out there than most pro heroes I know. You didn’t look scared at all. How did you do it? Who are you?” He finished his questioning while sitting down and putting his coffee on your bedside table. You let out a small laugh. Of course, a pro hero would never understand.

“I don’t expect you to understand, but being quirkless my whole life has put me through some pretty awful situations. I worry every single day about being kidnapped, murdered, or worse. It just so happens that today was that day,” you explained to him nonchalantly. Something clicked in Katsuki’s brain. While he chose every day to put himself in danger, you didn’t. You were used to it. Ever since you were in Izuku’s position, getting beaten for the simple fact that you were quirkless in elementary school.

“I’m sorry,” Katsuki whispered. You looked at him in confusion. What did he have to be sorry for? “I put myself in danger every day to protect people like you and I think it makes me a hero. You are in danger every day, and you don’t even choose to be. That’s why you’re more heroic than all my coworkers. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to realize something so simple. I’m so sorry,” he spoke to you while grabbing your hand, making sure you knew he was sincere. He looked up at your face and saw tears streaming down your cheeks.

“My whole life… I just wanted someone like you to understand. I didn’t think it would be a big deal or anything… but it means a lot, Dynamight,” you cried while wiping your tears with your arms.

“Please call me Katsuki.”

A/N:

This was inspired by living as a woman. If you’re a woman reading this, ESPECIALLY a black woman, I want you to know that you are seen and heard by me. You go through hell and back every single day, and I want you to know that this only makes you stronger. You are so much stronger than you think you are. I was recently in an emergency (nothing as bad as kidnapping lol) and every single person in that lecture hall was shocked I knew how to deal with it in a calm and composed manner. It’s because I live in anxiety and when something bad happens, I’ve already planned for it 1000 times over in my head. I promise there’s a point to what you’re going through, and you will come out stronger.

[the-crooked-library]

"Even during daylight, Thomas fails to destroy his tormentor. In the story sense, he cannot do it because Orlok is a vampire; on the symbolic level, we understand that he cannot kill his own nature."

So, unrelated, but because I see the Harkers, too, as queer (though bisexual, I cannot not read them as unfathomably horny for each other, and genderqueer) and the biting and blood drinking as metaphors in Dracula too... I wonder if the above also applies to Jonathan Harker when he struck/marked but failed to kill his tormentor? Though he does succeed at the sunset in the end...

Yes omg I agree with you 100%! To give the Hutters credit where it's due, I think the film makes it fairly obvious that Ellen is bisexual as well; but I personally cannot help but see Thomas as a closeted gay man. He tends to shy away from his own wife throughout the film - the only scene where he does not is after she's baited him into trying to reassert his masculinity, and even that fizzles. He definitely cares for her, of course; but I don't think he's really attracted to her, is the thing.

The Harkers couldn't be more different. In fact, one of my favourite aspects of their story is the way they're both utterly obsessed with each other - which absolutely does include being unfathomably horny, exaaactly. That said, they're both distinctly queer - Jonathan's coding being more prominent - and I actually have posted a slightly more detailed analysis about it here. The scene of Thomas' attempted destruction of Orlok is indeed directly inspired by Jonathan's attempt at killing Dracula - and, as you say, he did eventually succeed; but I think that only really elaborates on his overall arc.

While Jonathan, unlike Thomas, is able to go from being a classic damsel in distress to assuming the role of a fighter, there is another, far more curious development in his characterization. As the story goes on, his hair turns grey, it is mentioned that his hands are very cold, his love for Mina takes on a practically violent intensity (though the violence is directed outwards, never at her); and, by the finale, despite having started out as a mild-mannered English solicitor, he is somehow able to expertly wield a kukri knife. The description is unmistakable; by the time Jonathan faces Dracula on the field of battle, they are each looking into a terrible mirror - each personifying what the other could have been. Assuming the usual vampiric parallel to queerness, it may be said that this is indeed his Turning; or as close to it as he would get without getting actually vamped.

I think Jonathan is able to accept himself by the end. By assuming the shape of Dracula, and by killing the one that terrified him originally, he kills his fear and becomes Himself.

[monayen]

Hey!!! HI!!! YOUR FANFICS ARE SO GOOD AACK

Can we (the starved) please have a Nyen dating hcs?? The reader can also be Luther's pet hshshshshs I'm literally going insane godd I'm so sorry Nyen's just so... So fucking fine..

Dating headcannons | Nyen

➷ Paring - Nyen x Fem!Reader [Randal's Friends / Ranfren]

➷ CWs - degradation, sadism, biting/marking, blood kink, predator/prey kink, mentions of killing, hes bad at emotions okay

a/n - trying to figure out how i want to format hcs so ignore that this looks different than the luther dating hcs. please. anyhoots whos dating hcs should i start doing next >.>

Hates you a little (probably)

Not in the “wants make you suffer and kill you” type of way he usually hates, but rather the “why do you make me feel this way?” type

How you make his cheeks redden and his palms sweaty, sharp nails digging into his own skin in overwhelming nervousness. It makes him feel weird, no matter how hard he tries to hide it

To care for someone other than his master, especially just a weak, pathetic pet like you… Nyen thinks in turn it makes him weak and pathetic

Knows loyalty from Luther. Knows satisfaction and pleasure from killing. But genuine love? It made him want to tear his heart out just to stop it from beating so fast when he sees you

The romance manga Randal gifted him hadn’t prepared him at all. He's reread them and reread them in an attempt to understand how he should feel but he still needed time to wrap his head around the reality of being in a relationship

Did feel like he needed permission from his master to be with you. Thankfully, Luther was happy (how cute!) as long as it didn't affect his pet duties. Nyen doesn't know what he would've done if Luther said no.

Doesn't like terms like boyfriend/girlfriend/partner, you're just his.

Calls you baby or sweetheart. Some pet names you’d hear a trashy construction worker catcall a woman down the street with. His gruff voice doesn't help

Doesn't really care what you call him as long as it isn't sickly sweet… does have the smallest thing for being called sir… but only in private!

He most likely wouldn't act much like a good boyfriend in front of people. Sorry, his own pride is just too high to look all lovey-dovey in front of others

Basically the embodiment of “he's just bullying you because he likes you!” you’d get from an adult when a boy would torment you in school. Except he actually does like you. Weirdo Nyen’s more comfortable when it’s just you, which means he doesn't feel the need to be brooding and scary in private

Loves to lay on your lap and have his head pet while he reads or watches television like the catman he is. Eventually falls asleep after some time so don't dare move.

Schedule tends to be the same, he's not all about change. His day consists of doing what Luther tells him, working out, and watching out for pests or danger

Still about the same since you guys have been together, but he tries include you in his day as much as possible

It can be nice, like him wanting you to watch him workout. Making sure to show off his abs and biceps… acts like he doesn't do it on purpose for you to oogle at

Nonchalantly boasts about how he can pick you up with ease, no matter what you weigh

Has in fact proved it multiple times by carrying you around place to place

Wouldn't mind you exercising with him– but be careful. He's a harsh trainer, can and will push you until you're a sweaty, exhausted mess. Kinda turns him on…

Other times, he’ll drag you into more dangerous or scary situations just so he can protect you

You're his perfect damsel in distress, someone to run into his arms and hold closely

Actually wouldn’t let you be in real danger. But if he knows he can handle it, (which he can) he’s not opposed to your praise about how he’s saved you

On the opposite end, Nyen also enjoys playing hunting and chasing games with you. There are times when he has taken you to a nearby forest, releasing your hand where the evergreens are the thickest, and in his low voice, he says, “Run.”

He loves to focus on the scurry of leaves crunching beneath your feet, the sight of your figure trying to keep up ahead of him, and the sound of your rapid breathing as he gets closer and closer

Nyen pounces and catches you every single time, dark pupils dilated with pure adrenaline as he constrains you. Hours will pass before you’re home again

There's not many date-like activities Nyen is interested in doing. Nyen doesn’t care to plan them, you live together anyways!

But if you insist, a picnic is the go-to. Simple, outside of the house, and he gets to have as much beer and undercooked chicken as you can stuff into a basket

Can also take you out on late night drives. Speeding down long, tree lined roads as CD music blasts with a hand resting on your thigh. (Nice!)

Does go out of his way to hit any animal(man?) unfortunate enough to be on the road. If he manages, he’ll pull over and make you look at the mangled body with him (Not so nice.)

Lots of territorial behavior. Nyen loves to share his extra clothes or his cigs (if you smoke) so you’re smelling like him. It just connects you two together, without having to say a word

Speaking of territorial… marks a lot. Biting, scratching, hickies. Even bruises if he's extra rough

He doesn't let you hide them. Would probably explode if he caught you trying to cover them with makeup or clothes and end up punishing you by marking even more

Libido is very high. Didn't actually get much action before being with you, mostly jerking off after a successful kill

But with you? Practically at any chance, he will

Doesn't care if you haven't showered, shaved, or prepped in any way. Will always find you incredibly attractive and irresistible

Even if you have periods, he’ll still pin you against the wall and rub his cock against you. The blood turns him on baby!

Has a fantasy of you being covered in the blood of one of his victims while he fucks you. Maybe less of fantasy and more of a goal. One day…

Treats it like a game, pulling and teasing you beforehand. Nails dug into your hips, a low voice in your ear whispering about how you’ve been teasing him “like the slut you are”

Drags you away from whatever you're doing. Not sneaky or polite when he pins you against the closest surface available, the only gentleness being the steady growl of his voice. Nothing possibly can't be as important as the need to stuff his aching cock inside what's his

Has fucked you in every room besides his Master’s and Randal’s. Would just be too weird…

A sadist (duh), but cares about you feeling good too. Won't hurt you too bad, though his definition of what is too bad might be different from yours. He wants you alive and mostly conscious

Made an effort to learn proper aftercare and to be less selfish, as he never felt the need to before

Still uses too much teeth when giving head and offers you a lukewarm bottle of water after sex… but it's the thought that counts!

Has a bunk with Nyon and still makes you sleep with him. Problem tends to be that it's wayyyy too tiny for both of you. You’ve complained to him to ask Luther for a bigger and separate bed but he gruffly responded for you to shut up and let him spoon in peace

Kicks Nyon out of the room a lot so it could just be the two of you. It's almost childish, bitching and hissing if Nyon doesn't give up his space. Poor guy, he just wants to lay in bed and smoke :/

Bit of a night owl, doesn't actually need to sleep much yet he still likes to. but does so very late. You’ll only know he's in bed when he snores against your neck

Always awake first, he's got more important things to do than lay around in bed with you (as he claims)

Will come back a bit later and wake you up with a cup of the most bitter black coffee in a cheesy matching mug. Just as an apology for the scratch and bite marks leading between your thighs he gave you last night. Drink it all, it's rude if you don't :(

[meanbossart]

What's DU's thoughts about disability? I know you've said he sort of sees Astarion's vampirism as a disability which I find extremely interesting. does that color his opinions on other disabilities?

And, well, would he still stay with Astarion if something disabling (not just the vampirism) happened to him?

I know you've said DU is a sort of, "Til death do us part" type of man, but if their style of adventuring had to change drastically...

Regardless of the reason being wheelchair, prosthetic limb(s), blindness, deafness, multiple... How would he cope with such a change?

I would imagine there would be conflict, at least until they're both used to things and have trained together enough, with new solid ways and workarounds that let them continue their adventuring?

I've sent so many questions today, I apologize haha. I just love DU Drow! You do an amazing job of fleshing him out!

Shockingly, DU drow is fairly reasonable when it comes to this. He will harp on a person's clothes, appearance, cadence, and all kinds of other dumb things if he feels like being a prick, but physical disability is something he leaves alone. I've said before that he has an unexplainable soft spot for children and mothers, and I think this falls into a similar category as something he deems too uncouth to bring attention to.

His patience only goes as far as his understanding, though. He's the type of guy who respects people trying to adapt and overcome - but quickly loses patience if your needs go beyond what he deems "reasonable". His "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" attitude colors his outlook on many things, this included.

And as always, he's going to be far, far more understanding of someone he's close to. Meanwhile, If we're talking about someone he already has strong animosity towards, all bets are off.

Which connects nicely to the Astarion portion of this question. Yes, DU drow is a "Til death do us part" type, and if something happened to Astarion that reduced his capacity to be independent, or just had a big learning curve, DU drow would adapt in whatever means necessary to accommodate him - he'd be his eyes, ears, legs, whatever he needed, - In fact, he would be all too eager to slip into a caretaking role.

DU drow isn't malicious in the way he yearns to be depended upon by his significant other, but it is an on-going point of tension in their relationship that needs to be continually addressed. I think if Astarion became disabled, that process would take twice as long and be thrice as hard, as he would have to to learn to juggle this significant life-change while also keeping his partner from completely and finally reducing him to a damsel in distress full-time. Yes, DU drow would ruin his own life and more to accommodate a disabled, or otherwise in-need Astarion - and yet Astarion would probably be far more uncomfortable and unhappy with that arrangement than if he didn't do that.

Ideally, both in this hypothetical and otherwise, DU drow can learn to be more than just his lover's lover and balance a relationship where he's caring, helpful, but understanding of someone wanting to value their own independence and otherwise not be completely smothered in love 🤷‍♂️ but yes, it would be way harder to achieve it in this situation - though not impossible!

Thank you so much for the interesting question!

[lurkingshan]

10 Things I Love About Triage

I am extraordinarily late to this party but I am here to scream about Triage, a show which I started on a whim after a stray comment from @incandescentflower and subsequently finished in two sittings. This drama has been on my list forever (I didn't watch it live because the distribution was wacky) and then it just kept getting overlooked as I fought to keep up with the deluge of Thai BL coming at us at all times. But I am very glad I finally hunted it down and made the time and I would like to tell you why!

Hello Again, Dr. Sammon

I am on record as a Sammon fan. She is one of the best writers working in Thai BL and she has a knack for mystery and suspense. Her narratives are always really well constructed with tight plotting and smart character work, and Triage is no exception. This story feels confident, steady, and complete in a way few Thai BLs do.

The time travel rules are blessedly consistent

Part of what makes the story sing is it's a time travel plot that actually gets the particulars right. In a time loop, the details are everything, and this show understands that. The series of events are consistent, the rules of the time travel mechanics are clearly explained, and when our protagonists learn something new, it always lines up with something we'd gotten hints about before or gives us new context for old information. There are no loose threads in this show.

My boy Tin is going through it

Tin is a fantastic protagonist. He starts the show disillusioned with his work and hilariously grumpy about this time loop situation--he is a busy ER doctor and he does not have time for this--but as he starts to piece together how the loop works he gets more methodical in his approach, and eventually becomes emotionally invested in his mission to save Tol. Tin felt really well-calibrated in that he was smart and he tried all the things you would be shouting at the screen for him to try, but he's still a human being with flaws and insecurities and so he makes mistakes, learns, and has to try again. The show really successfully put us in the frustration with him.

Tol makes for an interesting damsel

Because he's kind of an asshole! Tol is rude and disrespectful when he first meets Tin, he hangs around with some truly awful bullies, he treats Rit like garbage, and he's all around an arrogant dick. Until he isn't. I like the choice to make the focus of our mission such a difficult character, not only because it makes Tin's challenge that much harder, but also because it invites us to consider the reasons why someone might be behaving the way he is and whether they can be redeemed.

This show has everything: action, romance, and agony

It's truly an emotional rollercoaster all the way through, and you can't relax for a moment. The pacing is relentless through most of the show, and even as a bond develops between Tin and Tol and they begin a tentative romance, danger is lurking around every corner. As soon as these boys started making out in episode 9 I knew something awful was coming for me and IT SURE DID.

Jinta, the ultimate frenemy

On that note let's talk about Jinta, my nemesis!! Jinta is some kind of unspecified deity/whimsical god and the one who appears to be responsible for putting Tin and Tol in this loop. Is he trying to help them? Is he trying to torture them? I definitely think it's both! He seems to delight in showing up to taunt Tin as he struggles to figure out how to get through to Tol, and when it's Tol's turn on the merry-go-round he sends him to the darkest timeline for his high stakes final attempt to save Tin just because he can. I love/hate you, sir!

Sing and Gap and the darkest timeline

Speaking of which, can we talk about how appropriate it is that Sing and Gap are a couple only in the darkest timeline? I don't know if people were shipping this for real during the live watch, but I definitely was not and so I started cackling when we got to the worst possible timeline and Sing was suddenly calling Gap his boyfriend. Sammon, you are hilarious and I salute you.

Fantastic side characters

Let's talk about the sides I did love. First of all, aside from his weird aggressive flirting/not flirting thing with Gap, I actually did like Sing's friendship with Tin a lot. I also loved the hospital gang who were around to alternately tease and help Tin, most especially Toy and Fang. Toy is a sweetheart and a gossip who never misses a trick, and Fang is an actual badass who first cracked the case with that evil doctor and saved Tin's life. They are fabulous. Rit was also an excellent character with a lot of complexity and he added some much needed depth to the school storyline (does anyone else think he was basically the proto-DFF Non?). And while Mai and Heart were not my favorite people, I did appreciate that the show gave them a sympathetic portrayal instead of making them evil villains (we had the organ harvesters for that).

That beautiful clocktower

I must give a shoutout to this gorgeous clocktower featured in several important scenes. I got so excited every time it showed up. Fun fact: in the first clocktower scene I was like oh hey I recognize that from gifs, but it can't be that scene because it's too early for a kis--TIN WHAT ARE YOU DOING! (I was right, it was too early for a kiss and Tol was Big Mad but bless you for going for it anyway, Tin).

The romance is balanced and rootable

And on that note, let me give a shoutout to the romance part of this story for actually feeling balanced. This is not an epic swoony love affair, but more a story of two people putting in the time to understand and empathize with each other. Sometimes in these kind of time loop stories the romance can end up feeling very one-sided because one character is holding all the knowledge and all the cards. But in this show we have the neat trick of Tol taking over the loop to try to save Tin in the final arc, which means he got to go through a similar process of getting to know the darkest version of his lover and figuring out how to get through to him. I was delighted by all the events of the long loop playing out again, but this time with Tin being the obstinate one. Tol got a taste of his own medicine and it left me feeling like they were both equally invested in this relationship.

TL;DR: If you haven't watched this yet, you really should! It's a fast binge and a great time with some Thai BL favorites. It's unfortunately still not available for international streaming, but it's very easy to find grey now and it's worth the effort. Go forth!