#//but i'm leaning towards... that not being... entirely it

[a-lexia11]

Crossing the line (part 3)

Ingrid Engen x Putellas!reader

Alexia Putellas x sister!reader

Word count:3,7k

Warning: angst,ankle injury.

Part 1 , Part 2

“Qué coño está pasando aqui?!” (What the fuck is happening here)

Your eyes flew open at the familiar voice of your sister.

You and Ingrid sat up quickly, your hearts racing, as you both turned to face Alexia, standing at the end of the bed, looking absolutely livid. Her eyes burned with fury as they fixated on Ingrid.

“¿Alexia? ¿Qué haces aquí?” you asked, your voice laced with confusion. You were still groggy from sleep, struggling to grasp the situation. (Alexia? What are you doing here?)

“No importa lo que estoy haciendo aquí!” she snapped, her voice dripping with anger. (It doesn't matter what I'm doing here!)

“¿Puedes decirme por qué coño Ingrid está acostada a tu lado?!” she yelled, her hand dramatically gesturing toward Ingrid, as though the sight of her was an offense in itself. (Can you tell me why the hell Ingrid is lying next to you?!)

“I—” you began, but before you could form a proper response, Alba burst into the room.

“Alexia, ¿por qué estás gritando?”Alba demanded, her face clouded with concern. (Alexia, why are you screaming?)

But when her gaze fell upon you and Ingrid, her eyes widened in shock. “Oh…” was all she managed, her mouth hanging open.

“What are you doing in bed with my little sister?!”Alexia barked, now switching to English, her tone even sharper as she directed her accusation straight at Ingrid.

“Alexia, por favor sal de mi habitación. Déjanos despertarnos bien y te explicaremos todo.” you told her, frustration building in your voice as her anger started rubbing off on you. (Alexia, please get out of my room. Let us wake up properly, and we’ll explain everything)

“¡No! ¡Quiero saber todo ahora mismo!” she shot back, the vein in her neck bulging with every word, her whole body tense and on the edge of exploding. (No! I want to know everything right now!)

You exchanged a desperate glance with Alba, silently begging her to step in. She nodded subtly before placing a calming hand on Alexia’s arm.

“Alexia, esperemos por ellos en la sala. Dales un minuto, se unirán a nosotros. Déjalos despertarse.” Alba said, trying to diffuse the situation, gently tugging her sister toward the door. (Alexia, let’s wait for them in the living room. Give them a minute, and they’ll join us. Let them wake up)

“Okay,” Alexia growled, shooting one last withering glare at both of you.

“¡Deja la puerta abierta y apúrate! ¡Tenéis cinco minutos!” she hissed before storming out of the room with Alba. (Leave the door open and hurry up! You’ve got five minutes)

As soon as they were gone, you exhaled heavily, collapsing back against the bed. “Mierda,” you muttered under your breath, glancing at Ingrid, who had stayed silent the entire time.(shit)

Ingrid reached for your hand, squeezing it reassuringly. “It’s going to be okay. We can finally tell them the truth,” she said, her voice soft but sad, trying to manage a comforting smile.

You nodded, though your stomach churned with anxiety.

“She’s really angry,” you said, your voice small as you looked down at your intertwined hands.

“I know, I noticed… but it’s understandable. She’s just being protective. I’ll be right there with you, okay? You’re her baby sister, and she’s trying to look out for you,” Ingrid reminded you, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on your lips.

“¡APÚRATE!” Alexia’s voice thundered through the house, shattering the moment. You jumped, pulling back with a sigh, realizing you couldn’t delay any longer. (HURRY UP!)

Together, you both got out of bed, freshened up, and dressed quickly. With heavy hearts, you made your way to the living room, where Alba and Alexia were waiting, the tension in the air thick enough to cut through.

As Alexia paced the floor, biting her nails, Alba sat quietly on the couch, watching her sister with concern.

You and Ingrid entered the room, slowly making your way toward the couch. Alexia didn’t waste a second.

“Explain,” she demanded, her voice sharp.

Taking a deep breath, you began recounting everything—how it all started with that coffee shop conversation, the moments at the park, exchanging numbers, the dates you shared, and how it evolved into this. As you spoke, Alexia's expression darkened, her anger intensifying.

“¿Entonces qué? ¿Ahora son novias?” she asked, her eyes darting between you and Ingrid. (So what? You’re girlfriends now?)

You exchanged a glance with Ingrid, uncertain how to answer. It had never been explicitly discussed, but you both made it clear your relationship had grown beyond something casual. Before you could respond, Ingrid squeezed your hand and spoke up.

“Yes, we are,” she said, lacing her fingers with yours.

Alexia’s eyes burned as she stared at your joined hands, disbelief etched across her face. “¿Tuvieron sexo?” she blurted out. (Did you have sex?)

“Alexia!” you and Alba exclaimed in unison, both shocked by the question.

You glanced at Ingrid with an apologetic expression as she recoiled at Alexia's words.

“Alexia, entiendo que estás molesta, pero esto no es asunto tuyo.” Alba interjected, clearly taken aback. (Alexia, I get that you’re upset, but this is none of your business)

“¿Lo hiciste?”Alexia pressed, ignoring Alba and locking her gaze on you. (Did you?)

“No, Alexia!” you exclaimed, feeling your face heat up with embarrassment. “¡Y aunque lo hubiéramos hecho, no es asunto tuyo!” (And even if we had, it’s none of your business!)

Her glare intensified as she looked between you and Ingrid. “¡Esta relación se ha acabado!”she declared coldly. Turning to you, she added, “¡Te prohibo que la vuelvas a ver!” (This relationship is over, I forbid you to see her again)

She then turned her wrath on Ingrid. “And you—you stay away from my sister.”

Your frustration boiled over. “¡No, Alexia! ¡Tengo 22 años! Puedo salir con quien quiera. No eres nadie para decirme cómo vivir mi vida.” (No, Alexia. I’m 22 years old! I can date whoever I want. You’re no one to tell me how to live my life)

“¡Soy tu hermana!” she shouted, her voice trembling with anger. (I’m your sister!)

“¡Y en lugar de intentar separarnos, deberías estar feliz por mí!” you shot back, tears welling up in your eyes. “¡Estoy feliz, y pensé que también querrías eso para mí! (And instead of trying to tear us apart, you should be happy for me! I’m happy, and I thought you’d want that for me.)

You looked to Alba, desperate for support. “Alba está de acuerdo con esta relación, ¿verdad?” you asked, your voice faltering. (Alba’s okay with this relationship, right?)

Alba’s expression was torn as she bit her lip, glancing between you and Alexia. “Y/N, nos mentiste durante semanas. E Ingrid es compañera de Alexia. Lo siento, pero Alexia tiene razón...” (Y/N, you lied to us for weeks. And Ingrid is Alexia’s teammate. I’m sorry, but Alexia is right…)

“Eso no es justo... No dijiste nada cuando Alba salió con Mapi.” you said to Alexia. (That’s not fair... You didn’t say anything when Alba dated Mapi)

You then turned to Alba, “Pensé que entenderías ya que estuviste en la misma posición” you added, disappointment clear in your voice and she looked at you sadly. (I thought you’d understand since you were in the same position)

“¡No es lo mismo!” Alexia shouted, and you turned to her, your frustration boiling over. (It’s not the same!)

“¿Cómo no es lo mismo?” you yelled back, your voice rising with anger. (How is it not the same?)

Alexia’s gaze hardened as she looked at the two of you switching to english “I don’t need to explain myself, it was not the same…now I want you to break up”

Ingrid, unfazed, tightened her grip on your hand. “I’m sorry, but no,it’s not going to happen” she said firmly. You nodded in agreement, standing your ground.

Alexia let out a disbelieving scoff. “No puedo creer esto. Vine aquí con Alba para que pudiéramos desayunar juntas, solo las tres, porque noté que no te sentías bien últimamente. Y esto es lo que encuentro...” Her voice trailed off as she stared at you, hurt flashing across her face. (I can’t believe this. I came here with Alba so we could have breakfast together, just the three of us, because I noticed you weren’t feeling well lately. And this is what I find…)

Guilt gnawed at you, and the tears you had been holding back finally spilled over.

With a frustrated shake of her head, Alexia stormed out of the apartment. Alba hesitated, her face filled with sadness as she looked at you. “Y/N…”

“No,” you interrupted her, your voice bitter. “Simplemente vete. No eres mejor que ella. Todo lo que quería era tu apoyo, pero ni siquiera estás feliz por mí. Así que vete; no te necesito” (Just leave. You’re no better than her. All I wanted was your support, but you’re not even happy for me. So leave—I don’t need you.)

You saw the tears in Alba’s eyes as she nodded silently and followed Alexia out.

Ingrid wrapped her arms around you, pulling you into a comforting embrace. “It’s going to be okay,” she whispered, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead.

You sniffled, pulling back slightly, trying to lighten the mood. “Well, that went well,” you said with a weak chuckle.

Ingrid let out a small laugh and wiped away your tears. “It’s going to be okay, I promise,” she reassured you.

“Thank you… girlfriend,” you smiled faintly.

Ingrid looked at you, slightly surprised. “Is that okay? I mean, I—”

“It’s more than okay,” you interrupted her with a soft smile. “I’m glad we’re official now, although I wish it was under better circumstances”

“Me too,” she sighed before leaning in for a gentle kiss.

As you pulled away, you whispered softly, more to yourself than to Ingrid, “Everything will be okay.”

Ingrid nodded, her eyes filled with affection. “Yes, everything will be okay soon…with time they’ll get over it”

But you couldn’t have been more wrong.

——

The next day at training, Alexia walked in, greeting everyone with her usual composure—everyone except Ingrid. Instead of acknowledging her, Alexia's eyes narrowed, and as she passed, she purposely bumped her shoulder against Ingrid’s, muttering something under her breath. Ingrid barely had time to react, biting her lip, sensing the storm coming.

As the training progressed, it became obvious Alexia had a target in mind. “Ingrid, push harder! You're falling behind!” Alexia’s voice cut through the field like a whip.

Ingrid, panting heavily, nodded and kept running laps, even though her legs already burned.

“Again! Faster!” Alexia yelled as Ingrid stumbled. The other players exchanged awkward glances, silently noting the unusually harsh treatment.

Ingrid gritted her teeth, her body screaming for rest, but she pushed through. She knew Alexia was still enraged about what had happened the previous night.

Any resistance now would only fuel the fire, so she stayed silent and did as told.

“Is this your idea of good defense?” Alexia snapped as they practiced drills. “You’re all over the place today!”

“Sorry, Capi,” Ingrid mumbled, too exhausted to argue or explain. She could feel the eyes of her teammates on her, each look of sympathy making it harder to endure.

By the end of the session, Ingrid was completely spent—her arms and legs hurted, and even lifting a water bottle seemed like a challenge. She winced as a sharp pain shot up her calf.

From a distance, Alexia watched her struggle, arms crossed, a cold expression on her face. She saw Ingrid grimace in pain, but it didn't matter.

This was her punishment. Alexia felt justified in being merciless. Ingrid had gone behind her back and dated her baby sister—something she could never forgive.

As the team huddled together at the end of training, Ingrid lingered behind, too exhausted to join. Her body was drenched in sweat, her face flushed with both effort and embarrassment.

Alexia’s sharp eyes flicked to her one last time, but she said nothing.

“Buena sesión, todas.” Alexia called out to the group, deliberately leaving Ingrid out of the compliment. (Good session, everyone)

The rest of the team exchanged glances, the tension between Alexia and Ingrid impossible to ignore.

“Algo definitivamente está mal” Cata whispered to Jana. (Something’s definitely up)

“Sin duda. Ha estado detrás de Ingrid todo el día”Jana responded, her voice low as they packed up their gear. (No doubt. She’s been on Ingrid the whole day)

Ingrid collapsed on a nearby bench, trying to catch her breath. Her muscles ached, and her throat was dry, but worse than the physical pain was the heavy cloud of tension that hung over her. Alexia was making her pay, and everyone knew it.

In the parking lot, Alexia spotted Ingrid walking towards her car. Without hesitation, she stormed over, her jaw clenched, eyes blazing with fury.

“You were horrible today. Do better tomorrow,”Alexia snapped, her voice cold and cutting.

Ingrid turned to her, raising an eyebrow. “We both know that’s not true. You just can’t stand the fact that I’m dating your sister,” she said calmly but firmly, her tone laced with defiance.

Alexia stepped closer, her presence almost threatening, but Ingrid didn’t flinch. She stood her ground, refusing to be intimidated.

“Accept it, Alexia. I’m with Y/N now. We’re happy together,” Ingrid continued, her voice steady as she looked Alexia square in the eyes.

“You can push me harder in training, try to make my life hell, but it won’t change the fact that we’re together. It’s time to grow up. She’s 22. I get that you want to protect her, but right now, you're acting like a child.”

Alexia’s eyes narrowed, her face contorted in anger. “Who do you think you are to talk to me like that?” she spat, her voice dangerously low.

Ingrid calmly opened the back door of her car, tossing her bag inside before walking around to the driver’s side. She paused, looking at Alexia one last time.

“la novia de tu hermana.” she said simply, the words cutting through the tension like a blade. (your sister’s girlfriend)

Without waiting for a response, she got into the car and drove away, not sparing Alexia another glance.

If Ingrid had looked back, she would have seen Alexia standing frozen in place, her face flushed red with rage.

Alexia’s fists clenched tightly, veins bulging from her neck as she struggled to control her simmering anger.

The confrontation had struck deeper than she would ever admit, but for now, all she could do was seethe in silence.

——

Over the next few days of training, the tension between Alexia and Ingrid only grew worse. Alexia was relentless, pushing Ingrid harder than ever, to the point where it became obvious to everyone that this was personal.

During one particular session, the team was playing a possession game. Alexia had to take the ball from the others, and when Ingrid got possession, Alexia’s eyes locked on her with a laser focus.

She didn’t hesitate—she charged in, tackling Ingrid hard, her foot making harsh contact with Ingrid’s ankle.

Ingrid crumpled to the ground, gasping in pain. “Ingrid!” a few of the teammates shouted, running over as the coaches rushed in.

Ingrid gritted her teeth, clutching her ankle tightly.

Alexia stood there, arms crossed, unfazed. “You need to be quicker on your feet, Ingrid. Can’t be so slow,” she said, her voice cold, ignoring the concern from the others.

Ingrid’s eyes flashed with anger, but she bit her tongue. “I’m fine,” she muttered as the coaches helped her up. Her ankle was bruised, but nothing seemed broken.

She refused to give Alexia the satisfaction of knowing she was in pain.

Later, in the locker room, some of the other players whispered amongst themselves. “¿Viste eso? Alexia fue demasiado dura.” (Did you see that? Alexia went in way too hard)

“Ha estado así con Ingrid toda la semana” Vicky added. (She’s been like this with Ingrid all week)

“Definitivamente, algo está pasando entre ellas.” (Something’s definitely going on between them.)

Ingrid overheard but didn’t respond. She just pulled her socks over the bruise on her ankle and acted as if nothing was wrong.

You, meanwhile, had no idea any of this was happening. Ingrid never told you about the harsh treatment that Alexia gave her.

She didn’t want to escalate things between you and your sister. She kept her head down, knowing that anything she said might make things worse.

Tensions between you, Alexia, and Alba remained unchanged. Since that explosive morning argument, Alexia hadn’t said a word to you, and you had purposely ignored Alba’s repeated texts, despite her trying to reach out.

You couldn’t believe she’d side with Alexia…

All you ever wanted was to be happy with someone, but instead, it felt like you had lost the two most important people in your life because of it.

And as far as you knew, your mom wasn’t aware of the argument yet. You had no intention of telling her—at least not now. You planned to wait until things calmed down between the three of you.

——

“Can you please pass me the salt?” you asked, glancing over your shoulder at Ingrid, who was busy chopping vegetables at her kitchen counter.

The two of you were surrounded by the comforting scents of garlic and herbs, the light of the setting sun casting a warm glow over the cozy apartment.

“Sure,” she replied, a soft smile brightening her face as she leaned over to grab the salt. But as she moved to the other side of the kitchen, you noticed her slight limp, a flicker of concern crossing your mind.

“Hey, are you okay?” you asked, stepping closer, your voice laced with worry. “You’re limping. Did you hurt yourself?”

Ingrid brushed it off, but the slight hitch in her breath betrayed her. “Yes, I did at training… but it’s nothing to worry about,” she insisted, trying to mask her discomfort.

She handed you the salt and leaned in, her lips brushing against yours for a quick kiss, her eyes sparkling with affection.

You wanted to believe her, but doubt lingered. “You’re sure?” you pressed gently, sensing she was hiding something. But Ingrid just nodded, a smile returning as she resumed her task.

As you continued cooking, the playful banter flowed between you like a well-loved melody. But each time she moved, you caught the flash of pain on her face, a fleeting moment that tugged at your heartstrings.

“Okay, that’s it,” you said, setting down the spatula and placing a hand on her shoulder. “You need to sit down. I’ll handle the cooking.”

Ingrid hesitated, her brow furrowing in protest, but you could see the fatigue etched on her face. With a reluctant sigh, she relented and made her way to the couch, settling in with a grateful smile.

After dinner, the two of you found yourselves snuggled on the couch, laughter still hanging in the air. As you leaned in for a kiss, the heat between you intensified, igniting sparks of passion.

But as your legs shifted, they brushed against Ingrid’s injured ankle, eliciting a sharp hiss from her.

“Shit! I’m so sorry, Ingrid!” you exclaimed, pulling away in alarm, your heart racing with guilt.

“It’s okay!” she reassured you, though her voice was strained.

“Just give me a minute,” you said, quickly getting up and rushing to the freezer. You grabbed an ice pack, your heart pounding as you returned to her side.

“Here,” you said gently, handing it to her. Before she could protest, you carefully pulled down her sock, revealing a massive bruise that made your stomach drop.

You gasped, your eyes wide with disbelief. “You said it was nothing!”

Ingrid looked up at you, her expression a mix of defiance and discomfort. “It is nothing, thank you,” she replied, pressing the ice pack against her ankle. But your worry only deepened.

“What do you mean ‘nothing’? Do we see the same thing here?” You shifted closer, concern etched into your features as you placed your hand over hers, trying to offer comfort.

She chuckled lightly, her fingers caressing your thigh. “Yeah, we do, baby. But I already saw the doctor. By the end of the week, it’ll be all good,” she said, trying to reassure you.

You frowned, shaking your head. “How did you even get that?” you asked, sensing there was more to the story.

“At training,” she replied, her eyes darting away from yours.

A knot formed in your stomach, and you pressed further. “Yes, but how? Specifically?” You leaned in, trying to capture her gaze, but she avoided it, an uncomfortable silence settling between you.

“We were training, and I had the ball. Keira came for it, and she tackled me too hard,” she mumbled, her gaze dropping to her lap.

“You’re lying,” you said quietly, your heart racing as you felt the tension thickening in the air.

“No, I’m not,” she retorted, finally looking at you, but there was something in her eyes that gave you pause.

“Why are you lying to me?” You stood, frustration boiling over as you felt your heart ache.

“Y/N, I told you that I’m not,” she pleaded, rising to her feet, desperation in her eyes.

“Yes, you are! I can tell! You’re avoiding eye contact and being dismissive!” Your voice rose, the hurt in your tone unmistakable as it echoed around the cozy confines of her apartment.

You could feel the weight of betrayal pressing down on your chest, each word cutting deeper. “I can’t believe it. We’ve been officially dating for only a week, and you’re already hiding things from me!”

The silence that followed felt suffocating, heavy with unspoken emotions. You turned toward the door, your heart racing, ready to walk away from it all. The thought of leaving filled you with a mix of anger and sadness.

“What was I expecting?” you said softly, the words tumbling out before you could stop them.

“Our whole relationship is based on a lie anyways” The finality of the statement hung in the air, a bitter truth that settled like a fog between you.

Ingrid’s heart sank at your words, a crushing wave of despair washing over her. She couldn’t let you think that your relationship was built on deceit, especially when it felt like the best thing in her life.

“It was Alexia!” she blurted out, the confession bursting from her lips like a dam breaking, desperate to clarify the truth.

You froze, the shock of her revelation rooting you in place. “Alexia tackled you?” you asked, your mind racing to process the implications of what she had just said.

Confusion twisted within you, battling against the instinct to protect her.

“Yeah,” she said, stepping closer, her eyes wide and earnest, searching your face for understanding.

“But it’s not just that. Ever since she found out about us, she’s been treating me differently—harder.”

“What do you mean?” you pressed, the confusion in your chest intensifying as you moved closer, your gaze locked on hers, yearning for clarity.

Ingrid took a deep breath, the weight of her words heavy on her shoulders.

“She’s been so hard on me at training, making me do extra drills, constantly criticizing me... It’s been brutal.” Her voice trembled, the vulnerability evident as she shared the truth she had been carrying.

A fierce anger ignited within you, flames of rage flickering at the thought of anyone—especially one of your sisters—treating her that way. It made your blood boil, and you felt a surge of protectiveness rise to the surface.

You had always been someone who avoided confrontation, but this felt different; this was about protecting Ingrid, the person who meant so much to you.

“Wait! Where are you going?” Ingrid called after you, panic lacing her voice as you turned towards the door, determination coursing through your veins like adrenaline.

“Voy a matarla.” you replied, your tone serious, every word filled with resolve. The thought of letting Alexia continue her behavior without consequences was unbearable. You had to stand up for Ingrid, to show her that she wasn’t alone in this fight. (I’m going to kill her)

—————————

Tags:

@leonchef @wososapologist @marvelwomen-simp @the-hottest-avenger-loves-soccer @t0ygirl

[oneforthemunny]

🧸🍯🎸 this is mine

for your blurb, rockstar!eddie, fluff, lore/flashback. set during the sneaking around phase, like a month before the engagement for timeline purposes.

"You're going back to the hotel room?" Jeff gawked, mouth nearly dropping at the words he was sure he was hallucinating.

"Yeah," Eddie flicked the lighter, bringing it to his usual post show joint. "Not really feelin' it."

"Not- Ed, we're in Amsterdam." Jeff scoffed.

"And?"

"You fuckin' love Amsterdam." Jeff blinked in awe, partial confusion.

"Yeah, I used to. Kinda boring now. Seen it, done it, need somethin' more exciting than hookers and weed." Eddie shrugged as nonchalantly as he could, his hands twitching with irritation, anxious to get into the car and back to the hotel.

"Lemme know if it's somethin' good, though. Maybe I'll stop by later." Ducking into the black car, Eddie nodded at the rest of his bandmates, shutting the door quickly.

His knee bounced the entire car ride, all seven minutes of it, ringed fingers tapping on the edge of his torn jeans. The car had barely slowed to a stop before Eddie was out, throwing a wad of Euros his tour manager had given him towards the driver, practically sprinting towards the private elevator entrance.

"Hey, uh, you don't happen to know what time it is in Los Angeles right now, do you?" Eddie turned towards the hotel manager accompanying him on the ride to the penthouse.

"No, sir, but I can get the front desk to call and-"

"-That's alright. Thank you." Eddie nodded, stepping towards the door before it opened, sliding through the opening gap.

"Looks great!" He turned, giving a half grin and a thumbs up, jamming the key into the lock.

"Uh, if you need anything, Mr. Munson-"

"-I won't even hesitate to let you know. I promise." Eddie cut off the nervous hotel manager, too familiar with the schtick- too many hotel rooms, all saying the same thing. Normally, he'd be less pushy and in a rush, on his best behavior with the staff because- "Fuck it, they're just doing their job. Why would I be an asshole about it?"

But tonight, he had bigger plans. He'd timed the closing number just right, no off topic rants or mid song chaos like usual- his tour manager should be thankful. No, he'd timed it all perfectly, striding over to the phone, dialing out for an international number.

The phone rang once, twice- Eddie's leg hadn't stopped bouncing until,

"I thought you said you'd call me at four." The familiar playful purr in your tone had his heart skipping, a nearly boyish grin spreading across his face. "It's almost five, here."

"I'm sorry, baby. Had to wrap a few things up at the venue. Didn't plan on it being late." Eddie cradled the phone to his ear, leaning back on the pristine bed. "What are you up to?"

"Hm, about to go out to dinner with a few friends." You sighed, nearly bored, like your heart wasn't fluttering the same way his was.

"Friends? Any I should be worried about?" Eddie's voice dropped, a low gravel in his tone that made heat rush through your veins.

"I think I should be asking you that, rockstar." You teased back. "You're the one in Amsterdam, and who called me late. Too busy with the hookers?"

"Psh, you caught me." Eddie snorted sarcastically. "Got one here with me right now if you wanna talk to her."

"You better not." Your tone clipped, teetering away from playful and towards possessive. "I'd hate to have to catch a flight down there."

"Well, in that case..." Eddie teased, rolling over on the bed, the phone chord stretching with him.

"Eddie,"

"'M just messin' with you. No hookers here. Just me." Eddie muttered, the silence of the room falling around him. "Wouldn't be mad if you did catch a flight, though. I've missed you, baby."

Your cheeks pricked with excited heat, swaying with the phone pressed to your ear. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"I've missed you too." You whispered, like it was a secret. Maybe it was, to everyone else. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Smokin'." Eddie hummed, patting his bedside table, looking for the pre-rolled joints he'd requested. "Sleepin'."

"That doesn't sound like much fun." Eddie could practically hear your pout through the phone.

"Eh, it's not bad. A little lonely though." Eddie sighed. "Wish I had someone here with me to keep me company."

"You better be talking about me, Munson." You clipped.

Eddie grinned, a huff of laughter floating though the other end. "You know I'm talking about you. Everyone else is boring t'me now, baby. You ruined them, ruined me."

You bit back a giggle, lips curing in a grin. "Where's your next stop?"

"Uh, Berlin." Eddie muttered. "Leave tomorrow."

"Maybe... Maybe I'll stop in and see you." Your heart skipped when you suggested it. "Maybe we can go back to that cafe."

"You're too good to me." Eddie grinned, lazy and silly. "I'll pick you up at the airport."

"No, just send a car-"

"-I'll pick you up." Eddie insisted. "Don't worry, baby, I'll keep it hush-hush. Very low profile." He could practically hear your smile. "I don't wanna keep you from your friends tonight, so I'll get off the-"

"-You're not." You shook your head. "But I should probably go before Farrah kills me... and I need to call Jaques and let him know I'll need the plane tomorrow."

"I can't wait to see you." Eddie grinned into the receiver.

"You too." You squeaked, a giggly blush practically spilling through the phone. "I'll call you with the times."

"Alright, sweetheart. Have fun tonight. I'll see you soon." Eddie paused, his tongue running over his bottom lip. "Love you, baby."

"I love you." You sighed sweetly. "Don't party too hard. I'll see you tomorrow."

[http-shield]

whatever you say, old man- bucky barnes

~ bucky barnes x fem!reader ~tags/cw: post endgame but no one is dead and life is good, think 2012 Avengers fandom where clint is in the vents yeah that is where I'm at, established friendships, pining, yearning, bucky is not used to new age dating rituals, explicit language, sexual tension ~ wc: 2.6k ~ not proofread

You: Hey, are we still on for tonight? Rita’s at 7?

Him: ye

“So you’re telling me this is normal?” Bucky’s tone is judgemental as he quickly reads over the words on your screen.

You nod, wordlessly confirming that situatuonships are a staple part of the modern dating scene.

Bucky’s brows furrow, eyes flicking from the lack of effort text message to your face as you lean over the bed, phone gripped between expertly manicured fingers. He blinks once, twice, as if taking the time to formulate a response that will rebuke your earlier confirmation without hurting your feelings. This is new for him. A habit he has only recently picked up upon developing his friendship with you. He usually isn't as careful with his words, not caring enough about the recipient's opinion or emotional well-being to warrant enough time and consideration when responding, but with you. It was another ball game entirely. Bucky doesn't want to hurt your feelings, to see you frown because of something he has said; in fact, he wants the opposite. To see you smile and laugh and blush because of him. For you to want to talk to him about anything and everything, share thoughts about your day and how things make you feel. Bucky wants to know everything that happens in that pretty little brain of yours, even if he doesn't necessarily agree with it. Normally he would take the time to sugarcoat his words, sweeten his tone and make it easy for you to swallow but this is a situation where he couldn't, doesn't, want to mince his words.

“There is no world where that is normal.” He stares at you, expression bored and a little annoyed. At you? Never. At the man on the other side of the phone? Incredibly so.

You groan at his very true statement and pull away, slipping the phone into the pocket of your cargos as you turn towards your open closet.

He’s right. You know he is.

There is nothing remotely normal about two grown adults being in a relationship that is defined by the amount of time the other left the first one on read, or how much emotional vulnerability there could be put on the table before the other got too scared and ran. There is nothing normal about being in your late twenties and having a grown man introduce you to his friends as a 'buddy’ despite having an entire draw dedicated to you in his apartment but you can’t admit that, refuse to admit that you know its wrong and desperate and frankly, demeaning. If you can't own up to your own patheticness, how are you supposed to admit it to the man you are secretly interested in. There would be nothing more humiliating than confessing that the only reason you are with and putting up with bullshit efforts from this other guy is to hopefully distract yourself from the desperate need you feel for Bucky. This new guy is mediocre at worst yet attainable at best and that is something you will live with until your crush on the super soldier is dead and gone and you can finally focus on something other than him.

——

You had spoken with Natasha about Bucky last night, her voice a soothing purr over the phone as she encouraged you to disclose your concerns about pushing the boundaries on your friendship with the super soldier.

“The worst thing that can happen is he says no and then you both move on.” She croons, voice laced with comfort and reassurance.

“Wrong.” You shake your head despite being on a voice call.  “The worst thing that can happen is he says no, I lose him as a friend and then I’m stuck pining after someone who wants nothing to do with me” You place another dish in the washer before continuing with your point. “Or I push him before he is ready, again losing him as a friend, and now I’m left with the guilt of possibly taking advantage of a war veteran.”

“You take advantage of Steve all the time, how is this any different?” 

“I take advantage of Steve to get someone to carry in the groceries. I’m not trying to date Steve.”

Natasha huffs a laugh. “What if he is interested in you as well?”

Your hands stop scrubbing at the pan in the sink.

“I can find out.”

Heat fills your body, your stomach twists at the idea of having that information. It would put an end to the constant yearning you feel, but the thought of finding out he doesn’t like you that way, that he sees you as no more than a friend will destroy you, humiliate you beyond all logical reason and you would be forced to cut off the friendship out of pure self-preservation.

You shake your head again. “I’m good.” And return to scrubbing your pan. “I'll just wait out the crush and then move on.”

——

“This isn’t the 1940’s anymore.”  You sigh and completely shift your attention from Bucky to the mess that is staring back at you.

Endless outfit options are strewn about the small closet but so far none of them have come together, just single shirts, skirts, and pants all muddled in a heap of black.

“I know it's not the 40s but I doubt relationships and dating have changed that much." Bucky grumbles from behind you, the bed creaking as he shifts.

Another sigh, this one long and exaggerated as you will the frustration to leave your body. You want to turn to him and explain that you know all this, and are very aware of the fact that nothing about your current predicament is what you want. You want to be wooed with flowers and preplanned dates and soft kisses on hands and longing looks but that’s not the reality of life anymore and having to be reminded of it is getting annoying and your heart is starting to ache at the lack of effort given to you by your current choice of dating partner.

“You know if I was taking..” Bucky starts but you quickly cut him off with a whine of his name.

“James, please.” You don’t turn to face your friend, afraid to even glance at him because you know you will crumble. “I need help picking out an outfit so help me or go back to your room.”

--------

“You know if I was taking…” You don’t let Bucky finish but, God did he want to. His name on your tongue was enough to shut him up, to send a flush rushing to his face in a way that no man his age should blush, but he can’t help it. There is something about the way his name falls from your lips that has his mind racing to thoughts that should not be there, should not appear when the picture of you enters his mind.

“You know if I was taking you on a date, you’d get flowers and chocolates and champagne and those little baby dolls you like” is what he wanted to say before you shut him up with an annoyed grumble.

His intention wasn’t to display how things were different back in his day but to indicate exactly what you’d be getting were you about to go on a date with him, to explain the reason why you should go on a date with him and not some loser who couldn’t even formulate a fully fleshed out text message. How if you were to drop that kid, and say yes to Bucky he would gather the moon on string for you, pick every flower in every field, find every single little Sonny Angel there is and give them to you each and every day for the rest of your life, you would never be sat wondering why he isn’t calling or responding, if you were even going out the next day, if he even liked you. Bucky would make his feelings for you so abundantly clear that even a blind man would be able to see the signs, but you are his best friend and best friends don’t feel that way about each other. It’s all platonic hugs and hair tussles, cheeky jabs at each other over coffee, shared trauma and secrets over whatever dinner you bring to his apartment and he yours. There will be no dates, or long hugs that turn into kisses that turn into you beneath him, whimpering his name as he makes you feel oh so good.

Fuck.

Bucky’s entire body is on fire, and he needs to stop thinking about the way you would feel wrapped around him, his mouth on yours, the taste of you sweet on his tongue.

“Okay, what about this?” you announce as you walk into the bedroom from the ensuite. “Too much?”

You stand in the doorway, dressed in plain jeans and a black shirt.

“Too much?” Bucky is confused. “This is the outfit you wore to breakfast this morning.”

He is right about that one. You had worn a very similar outfit this morning, but tonight isn’t a full-on date, a semi-date, where things shouldn’t be that fancy so why shouldn’t you recycle your outfits. Bucky stands from the bed, readying himself to dig through the mountain of clothes that had formed at the entrance to the bathroom. He crosses the small space and squats before the clothing, fingers expertly rifling through the material, quickly brushing over the lace of bras and panties, before finding purchase on a black dress he thinks he has seen you in before. It might have been the dress you wore to a funeral or press conference, either way, it was not alluring in the slightest, not that you weren’t stunning in everything you wore, hell you could come out wearing a garbage bag and Bucky would be in awe of your beauty. It was just that he didn’t want your date to ogle you, to think of you the same way Bucky does so he is being a little selfish and conniving in his choice of garment.

“Where is he taking you?” His question is disguised as interest in the dress code but his real curiosity is far from an outfit.

There are two reasons why he needs to know where you will be tonight. The first is to judge whether this manchild is even worthy of a date with you, second if he knew the exact location and time, maybe he could show up and show out your date, make you realise what you deserve and how Bucky could be the one who gives it to you.

 “We’re meeting at Rita’s down the road and then might see a movie, maybe something else. I’m not sure yet.”

“He hasn’t planned anything?” Bucky whips his head around to you, finding you standing there looking incredibly embarrassed at the lack of effort. What the fuck happened in the years he was gone?

The defeated shake of your head is enough to have Bucky’s chest aching. He sits back on his haunches; the dress discarded back in the pile and gives the outfit another look as he decides on where to go from here. “Yeah, I think it’s too much.” He nods and stands up, brushing his hands as if he had just completed an excavation on some ancient site.

“Go change back into your sweats ‘cause there is no way I’m letting you go on a date with a guy who can’t even plan something.” He nods his chin towards the bathroom, more of an order than a suggestion.

He watches you tilt your head back as you groan in frustration. “I’m not going through this again, old man. This is how it works now.”

Now it’s Bucky’s turn to get frustrated. He takes a step towards you, hulking 6’0 frame rising to tower above you with a somewhat menacing glare, but you know he will never hurt you no matter how much you push his buttons.

“I’m not talking about what it used to be like, little girl.” The jab at your age/generational difference comes out before he can register it, but he notices how your cheeks flush. “This is about getting what you deserve.”

He pushes in on the space between your bodies, now chest to chest as you square your shoulders, not ready to back down from an argument despite knowing you will not win.

“And what’s that?” you stare up at him, brows raised in anticipation of his answer. You aren’t sure where this is going. If you are going to receive another lecture or maybe even a verbal beatdown as to why your standards for men are so low, a common topic of conversation between you and Natasha, but instead you are met with a soft smile as his Vibranium hand is raised and brushes against your cheek.

“You deserve flowers and preplanned dates and wine and jewellery and everything you could ever want.” Bucky’s voice drops into a whisper, cold fingers trailing soothing lines against your heating skin. “You deserve a man worshipping you, to be on his hands and knees begging to take you on a date. Not some punk who can barely put together a sentence.”

You hold his gaze, blue eyes staring intently as you shudder in a breath. “Who’s going to do that, huh?” your voice is small, no longer filled with the same bravado you had not a minute ago. “You know anyone who wants to do that for me, you send them my way Bucko.”

His metal hand slips to your cheek to your jaw, fingers pressing into your pulse points so he can feel the speed at which your heart is racing.

“I’d do it.” He states matter-of-factly, eyes dipping to your lips. “I’d do anything for you.”

Breathing becomes a little bit too difficult as his human hand traces up your bare arm.

“Anything?”

Bucky nods and dips his head until his face is mere centimetres from yours. “You didn’t let me finish before, but I'd give you anything you’ve ever wanted.” Fingers move to cup your chin and tilt your head up. “You want flowers, I’m a florist. Moon? Stars? I’m getting Stark to build me a rocket. Anything you want, you’re getting it.”

“And if I want you on your hands and knees barking like a dog for me?” You smirk, the mental image of Bucky on his knees panting like a puppy has your stomach twisting.

“Put a collar on me and call me Spot 'cause I’m yours, doll.”

The confession has your eyes widening.

“I’m all yours, from now until whenever you’re done with me.” Bucky whispers, breathless.

“And what if I want you to kiss me?” you ask, knowing he is waiting for your permission to do just that.

Bucky crumbles, his expression falling from that of teasing into one of pleading.

“I want you to kiss me, James.” You whisper.

His resolve breaks and he presses his lips to yours. Softly and timidly, closed mouth and restrained but as your hands reach out to grip his waist, a delicate gasp slipping past your lips, does he deepen the kiss. His mouth opens over yours, lips slotting against your plush ones, tongue darting out to test to waters only to be met with your slackening jaw. Bucky’s grip on you tightens as he continues to kiss you, afraid to let you go in case this was one of the many, many dreams he had where he woke up alone and confused, but as you bite down on his bottom lip, he is brought back to reality. Your hands on his waist, pull him tighter against you, the softness of your body had Bucky’s mind wandering to places it should not be. You pull back, pupils blown wide and lips parted as you pant. Bucky is just as breathless, hands cupping your face with a gentleness he doesn’t think you’ve ever known from the way you stare up at him.

“You’re not going on that date.”

“Whatever you say, old man.”

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ

a/n: eee this is my first avengers fanfic since like 2018 pls be nice I just need something happy to think about clint living in the airvents, thor eating poptarts era was my happy place

[raayllum]

Moon Arcanum Callum + Sun Arcanum Claudia in S7?

Callum getting the Moon arcanum has been a fandom... not theory, but shall we say, prospect, since even before S4. Some of this was because of the seeming set up in previous seasons, such as:

Callum having a hunch that the cube wasn't glowing due to the Moon, and being our first hint at illusions on the Cursed Caldera (1x09)

Lujanne explaining the secret of the arcanum (as she understands it) to him in 2x02

Callum doing moon arcanum spells (3x08, Through the Moon) much the way he did Sky spells before unlocking that arcanum

Callum employing aspects of the Moon arcanum in his plans (3x01 with tricking Sol Regem, creating the illusion pearl in 6x01)

His growing relationship and understanding with Rayla, and potential involvement with her family/village

But especially:

This is of course already reflected in spades in his arc as a mage. Everyone, Lujanne included, believes that humans can't do magic. She treats this as absolute fact and destiny, but Callum perceives it as subjective truth; why can't he just make his own connection and do magic anyway? And in doing so, he changes the world. He creates a radically new, better reality.

With season seven's synopsis on sacrifice and life and death, both things we see tied heavily to Moonshadow culture and the Moon itself, I could see Callum connecting to the Moon arcanum next season for a few reasons (and potentially Claudia with the Sun arcanum, which I'll get to after). So let's get into it.

Precursor

Previously, if Callum was going to connect to the Moon arcanum, I'd speculated it'd mostly be around ideas of the consistency of Love (light or dark, the moon is always the moon) and his love for Rayla being his light in the darkness / the one constant truth of his life. I don't think this anymore, obviously, because we got all those things through the Star truth light ritual beat for beat and we're not going to be repeating, but I did think it'd be worthwhile then to revisit what a Moon arcanum could mean for Callum under new context / emotional epiphanies. I've also always thought either Earth or Sun would suit Claudia, but leaned more towards the latter, so we're gonna talk about that, too.

Truth and Lies and Aaravos

As Lujanne explains in 2x02, the Moon arcanum is understanding the true nature of the relationship between appearances and reality, and we can only understand the appearance itself. This feels like a very fitting idea to come back to with Aaravos, who ostensibly never lies but routinely withholds or presents not entirely correct information. "How may I serve you?" when you're just going to be a pawn. Not telling a mourning Claudia that he was indeed the one who killed Viren so that she'll continue to do his bidding, with Claudia asserting that Aaravos "didn't lie" about the ritual in 6x01, and he didn't. We also see him wield the truth as a weapon with people like Khessa ("would you like to know the truth of her fate before you meet yours?") and Sol Regem (more on that here.)

Everything that he says is truth to him, and then he lifts it up as being objectively true (i.e. you're destined to play into my hands) even when it isn't necessarily true. We can also see Callum veering into mindsets that Claudia and Viren have had, where he believes he's past the point of saving ("I'm ruined, it's too late for me" "Promise me you'll kill me") or removing his own agency by admission ("Finnegrin was going to kill you, I didn't have a choice" / "Every step forward is a choice").

Callum understanding Aaravos' or others' actual truths versus their lies and the ones he's believing could be very fitting in S6, especially if he might be learning more about the existence of the Cosmic Council and who made their world the way it is. I think his existence may help lead to that "slow spiral of chaos" but that it won't be just or even Bad at all the way they'd feared, etc.

Claudia is also linked to lies and truth. She lies to others, but Aaravos notes that "If you tell the truth you will lose her," and she goes looking for her own deep truth in S6, but doesn't seem to fully find it. Terry asks her "What do you need to find your one deep truth?" and Claudia says that she needs her dad, but she and her mother have also made it clear that she "needed to stay with Soren" and her family (vs Viren telling her to pick the egg over Soren). With Viren gone and Aaravos manipulating her, Soren could easily be one of her guiding lights next season or in future seasons.

The Pearl

The moon is analogous, framing/appearance wise, to the prison. This is alluded to in 5x09 through framing, and then made even more direct in 6x09: Aaravos escapes his prison thanks to Claudia and (unbeknownst to her) she has become the prisoner, much like how Callum may physically free himself from chains in 5x08 but magically/emotionally chains himself further to Aaravos, or Viren shouting while in chains that he's finally free of the dark puppetmaster.

Basically, when Callum says in 6x01 that he's inside the pearl, I don't think (as of S6 / probably first half of S7 at least) that he's ever gotten out of it. Aaravos uses him even after his nightmare, and we know thanks to the pawn intro that Aaravos' final machinations for Callum also haven't yet come to play. I've been wondering if the Aaravos intro is going to change in S7, since he's out of his prison — and it still may — but if we look at it from the angle of Callum and Claudia both being stuck within the moon/pearl rather than just Aaravos himself, maybe it could stay.

And if Callum is stuck inside the moon-pearl, shattering it by understanding the arcanum ("the whole world is like a giant primal stone, and we're inside of it, and it's also in us") and/or with Claudia moving to the opposite of the moon could be useful, especially since Karim is a corrupted sun in his own way. Speaking of which let's talk about

Light and Dark

We know thanks to Claudia that black and white, or light and dark, are not always clear cut. Her hair thanks to her dark magic use changes like phases of the moon, with the light being bad and the dark being good. Conversely, her path is a dark one with the path of truth and light being withheld from her. In a similar manner, we see Callum's light (Rayla) being what led him into dark magic use and what led him out of it, and will likely see this pattern play out again. Aaravos is a representation of a path of darkness, but we also see the cube flashing a bright light in the pawn intro, tying light and darkness together for him as well.

Callum's understanding of himself that he gained through the Ocean arcanum can not simply become untrue or disappear, so I think recognizing that darkness isn't all he is ("I'm ruined" / "your heart's not full of darkness" "Neither is yours") even if there are dark parts of him and of his life would be fitting. It also seems that could be helpful with Claudia as well, and even characters like Ezran, who will have to wrestle with darker parts of his emotions/personality next season as well with Runaan. They've all got light and dark inside them, and learning how to walk in that balance and still break away from the Cycle / Aaravos is useful. As Ezran said in 4x03:

I just want to yell stop. But that’s not enough. It won’t work. I think about a positive vision, a faith we can all share, that we might build a future together in hope. A future where we can be safe with each other.  But… It’s not that easy or simple. Because people are still hurting and they are still angry. We can’t ignore that, or pretend it will go away. Somehow, we have to hold it all in our hearts at the same time. We have to acknowledge the weight of the pain and loss, but open up our eyes and allow ourselves to hope and maybe forgive and love again. We have to give today’s children a chance to inherit a future filled with peace. To give them that, we have to hold pain and love in our hearts at the same time.

Claudia's love for her family led her to ruin, but it can also save her through Soren. Callum's love for Rayla led him to ruin, but it has also saved him (and again, we'll likely repeat this pattern). Ezran's love for his father will lead him to anger but also pull him out of it, just as Viren's love for his son caused him to begin his journey of terrible things, but also guided him to do one final, truly right thing by the end.

Love is light and dark. Claudia, who's been walking in shadow, needs the full light - the sun, in the form of her brother. She needs to accept and see the truth of what's happening and step fully into the light. Callum, who has been routinely worried of the dark within him, needs to the reminder that he's not all he is, that he has light of his own inside. In doing so, he can break Aaravos' control over him and give hope to any other dark mages / humans in general that no level of corruption is too late to come back from, and that there is always light amid the darkness.

Life and Death

The stakes have never been higher as Aaravos and Claudia are on the warpath, determined to destroy the Cosmic Order and invert life and death. With the world’s fate on the line, our heroes must be ready to sacrifice everything to save it.

In Bloodmoon Huntress, we get a very different peek into how the secret of the Moon arcanum can be thought of through Runaan, who is peak Moonshadow-sacrifice elf man:

Moonshadow form is only achieved when we understand the balance of life against death. Balance is weight against weight, and to understand the weight of death you must feel the weight and value of another's life. Think of those you love, of who you hold most dear. Now think of the souls who have touched your life. Understand that each time your weapon meets its target, each time we fulfil our duty, the potential for that soul to change a life—to love another—is gone. We may remove hate, but we remove the potential for love as well. Moonshadow form is only achieved when we reconcile this balance between life and death.

While Claudia with her hair and dark mage-assassin parallels could unlock the Moon arcanum—especially if her perspectives continue to change—I think Callum as the Protagonist is better placed at this time to be the one to understand the balance between life and death in a season where the antagonists are trying to invert/destroy it. Him therefore understanding appearances and changes, how to control his own and see through others', understanding that balance between life and death, feels very fitting.

Callum's fear of Aaravos and dark magic comes from the fear that he's changing—"I hope you're careful, cause [magic] can change people" / "the corruption takes innocent creatures and changed them"—and that death would be better for him than life if he goes too far. Learning these things aren't the case and that he can get back to the middle (and indeed, "real trust is about accepting even the dark parts we will never know" could be about Rayla accepting he may not entirely swear off dark magic again, the same way Viren kept that door open to do Good) would be useful.

It would also mean the two mage characters most drawn into Aaravos' darkness get the Moon and Sun—the arcanums most associated with light—to banish said darkness as well. Claudia finally being an uncorrupted light and chasing life, not death, and Callum, learning how to be balanced and that he can maintain his identity / use Aaravos' book and key without fearing that he'll lose control.

The fact that Claudia's eclipse imagery only started the same episode she lost her brother, and that her Laurelion dragon-scale necklace is very Sunfire-y looking...

Conclusion

TDP for Callum and Claudia has always felt like a parallel coming-of-age mage story between the two of them, leading to the amount of similarities and diverging plot beats the two have, down to doing the same spell at the same time but in different locations in S6. The Sun arcanum is associated with truth, light, and healing, whereas the Moon arcanum is associated with change, life + death, and secrets/love. All of these things could be nicely brought to a head with Callum and Claudia each unlocking an arcanum of Moon and Sun respectively, showcasing their differences, their continued room to grow, and light amid the darkness.

While I could see alternatives like Sun for Callum and Moon for Claudia, Stars for Callum or no arcanum for either of them, I think these are the ones that fit best at this time / Stars will likely get saved for arc 3 given that arc 3 will probably focus more on rewriting destinies and the Cosmic Order as antagonists.

As always hope you enjoy and Dragons out!

[beheamothscreamoth]

Touchstarved + Pokémon Crossover

I'm a big fan of the two games, so for the heck of it, I decided to throw the main cast of Touchstarved into the world of Pokémon! I came up with some Pokémon they might use and what their roles could be if they were in it >:D

(Shoutout to @winterwhisperz-blog for encouraging me to post this!! ^w^)

Leander

Considering his role in the TS universe and how sociable he is, I think he’d make a great Gym Leader! He was probably a member of the Elite Four but he dropped out. Leander's Bloodhounds would be the trainers that fight you before you get to him! (Despite his position, he may also just be a Little Bit Evil™, kind of like Giovanni) I can see him having a more varied team, but he seems suitable for Poison/Bug type! (or Normal type to really emphasise that he’s normal guys he’s so normal- /j /lh)

His team might look something like:

Scizor

Venusaur

Nidoqueen

Ais

Honestly?? I can see him filling a lot of roles! (It's because of the protagonist energy he gives off-) I can see him being a Gym Leader like Leander, but I love the image of him being a rival to the MC! He’d probably prefer more tougher Pokémon in a fight (though I don’t think he’d shy away from Pokémon that are harder to raise), so he might lean towards Fighting and Water type. (He’d also have a dog Pokémon nicknamed Princess,,)

Part of his team might look like:

Tentacruel

Garchomp/Gyarados

Machoke/Machamp

(Lycanrock?)

Kuras

I can see him being a Pokémon Professor or Teacher! He’d probably lean towards Fairy and Normal type :D I can see him having service Pokémon (like how Nurse Joy has her Chansey), if only because he is a doctor in the original TS universe... (I also like to think that even though his team may be comprised of service Pokémon, if they were put in a fight, they would absolutely destroy the other team 💀)

His team might look like:

Blissey

Drampa

Musharna

(Gardevoir/Gallade?)

Mhin

They’d probably be a Pokémon Researcher? I don’t think they’d have that many Pokémon on their team, to be honest,, They might have a preference towards Flying + Ghost types, but I have a hard time seeing them being super into Pokémon battles - they probably only fight when it's necessary!

Their team might look like:

Corviknight

Misdreavus

Dusknoir?

(Murkrow/Honchkrow?)

Vere

I think he’d be an admin on one of the enemy teams! (Maybe the Senobium in this universe is the enemy team...?) He’d be a very skilled trainer - his Pokémon are probably more focussed on speed and attacking-- I can see him leaning towards Fire and Dark type!

His team might look like:

Houndoom

Liepard

Salazzle

(Krookodile?)

Bonus MC Insert (Please add on your own Touchstarved MC / OCs if you're interested! What Pokémon would they have? What would they do?)

Daniella

I can see her being a Pokémon Breeder! I like the image of her going off on a journey of a Pokémon Trainer and putting her duties as a breeder temporarily on hold, but I'm not entirely sure how it would kick off-- Maybe she goes on this journey to see the world, or, if we want to tie in the original game, go look for a cure to heal a mysterious illness of one of the Pokémon she looks after? I can see her team being Pokémon consisting of Psychic + Normal types!

Her team would include:

Sigilyph

Kirlia (evolves into Gardevoir)

Kadabra (evolves into Alakazam)

(Deerling [evolves into Sawsbuck])

If you guys have any other thoughts or opinions, please feel free to add them! :D

[aihoshiino]

chapter 161 thoughts

Chapters Since The 143 Kiss Happened And Went Entirely Unacknowledged And Unaddressed Count: 18

Aqua Hoshigan Status: For the future

Never has an OnK chapter gone from It's Hoshinover to We Are Oshi no Back quite as hard and fast as this one. I have issues with this chapter in terms of what it implies about the story's overall structure and the fact that it sort of ruins 153-4 by association but this chapter's back half is so fucking good and the chapter itself works so well in isolation that much like 153-4, I kind of uhhh don't care about the structural issues because the story's heart is, for the most part, not just intact but beating harder and more passionately than it has in a long time.

To get what I don't like out of the way, the story seems to have settled on Super Evil Serial Killer Mastermind Kamiki as his final form characterization with some helpful Tsukuyomi exposition to just straightforwardly Tell Us things the manga probably should have spent some of the last 70something chapters Showing Us about Hikaru. The basic idea of Hikaru being some sort of serial killer so dedicated to upholding Ai's legacy that he kills women with the potential to surpass her was more or less always where I expected his character to land and this settling of his character does at least preserve what I think is the most important thing: that he genuinely loved Ai and his bent towards villainy only came after her death.

What I don't love as much is that this chapter seems to continue leaning into Uber God Manipulator Mastermind Kamiki like last chapter. I already talked at length about my issues with this framing in my previous chapter review so all I'll reiterate here is that the story's attempt to frame Hikaru as being equally or even more culpable for the actions of Nino and Ryosuke fall entirely flat to me, especially when the manga itself does such a pisspoor job of actually explaining how or why Kamiki was able to control and/or predict their actions to the extent that he supposedly did. And ESPECIALLY especially given that Nino and Ryosuke seem to have already been dangerously obsessed with Ai by the time they approached him.

In general, Hikaru's character is honestly just so inconsistent at this point that making any sense of his actions feels fruitless. If I really dig into what's going on, I can infer that maybe he fell into the same trap as Aqua by overcompensating for his trauma-induced helplessness by becoming overly controlling and guess that his fucked up trauma response to Ai's death combined with those terrible words Kindaichi gave him at Airi's funeral lead him down he road he's traveling now. I can even extrapolate that Aqua showing him the DVD message in 153-4 pushed Hikaru to this extreme and now that he has nothing to lose, he's lashing out at his children too - though, it should be noted, that the manga still hasn't actually established what Hikaru's culpability is in Nino's attempt on Ruby's life, outside of Aqua saying "well you didn't use your psychic powers to perfectly predict nino's actions so it's on you".

But like - this is all stuff I'm having to infer and extrapolate and guess, reverse engineering logic from our end point in an attempt to create a stable foundation for this characterization. The manga has done such a poor job of properly establishing Hikaru both as an antagonistic force and as a consistent character that I feel like I'm trying to assemble a coherent image from two different puzzle sets with all the fucking corner pieces missing and that's with Crow Girl looking into the camera and Explaining Him to me.

And listen, I am a bitch who LOVES to infer things. One of my absolute favourite pieces of fiction of all time ever is Umineko no Naku Koro Ni, a mystery story that literally does not contain any straightforwardly explicit, textual confirmation of the culprit's identity or motives because it believes so strongly that you, the reader, are smart enough and empathetic enough to put in the time and effort necessary to understand it regardless and it deeply, deeply values being able to give you that experience. But OnK feels less like it's intentionally encouraging me to think hard and enjoy the process of putting my head and my heart to work - it feels like it's leaving its homework unfinished and letting the reader do the actual hard work of sewing up the internal logic.

I probably won't talk much more about Kamiki this chapter cos I'd just be saying all this shit over and over but I really just am struggling to understand from a perspective of authorial intent what the vibe is even supposed to be. Like I mentioned in a previous ask, if this is where Kamiki's arc is reaching its conclusion then it means that the Movie Arc was essentially a whole-ass waste of time in and out of universe. Blech. Hate that.

Also, before I move on, I don't want to leave this just implied - making Kamiki explicitly a CSA victim and then ending his arc on Aqua (and implicitly the narrative) dismissing him as being too broken/corrupted to be saved is a really major misstep that I think represents a huge black mark on OnK's handling of CSA as a topic. The idea of an eternal defilement or an unfixable core wrongness in the self is already something real life CSA victims struggle with in the process of unpacking their trauma and having our likable and supposedly morally superior protagonist espouse this unchallenged in a work as prominent and relevant as Oshi no Ko is irresponsible bordering on dangerous. It's incredibly disappointing that after all the care Aka and Mengo seemingly took in handling this topic that it was whiffed so badly at the last second.

ANYWAY!!! Now all the beef's been dealt with, we can cleanse our palettes and move onto everything else I liked which was… basically everything else in this chapter!

Admittedly, Aqua's overall arc is still suffering from us being kicked out of his head from like 123 onwards for no real apparent reason and while 150 was a welcome refresher on where he's at in this part of the story, it still feels a bit like the story is prioritizing preserving the surprise factor of its twists over making these surprises feel earned. Compare it to volume 1 - you are basically told exactly what is going to happen to Ai, especially in the manga when Saitou and Gotanda outright say as much - but her death is still incredibly impactful and upsetting. I think this chapter is very effective, but could've been a lot moreso if we'd spent more time in Aqua's head leading up to it.

THAT SAID… If the intention of keeping us out of his head was to recontextualize Aqua's behaviour across the past ten or so chapters in this new light, I don't hate it as much as I might have. I initially took issue with what felt like the story off-screening and not addressing the resolution to Aqua's suicidal ideation so whipping back around to prove that it was still very much present puts some particular Aqua moments over this past volume into a very different light. As some people pointed out, Aqua missing Kana's pitch - literally dropping the ball in responding to her feelings - and his wide-eyed look of alarm in 151 seemed very ominous omens for the success of her confession and that beat of him covering his face when Kana approves of his dream… very incheresting knowing Aqua was still struggling with 'love or revenge' at this point.

Most interesting of all to reconsider is Aqua breaking down in tears in Miyako's arms in 155 when she addresses him as her son for the first time. At the time it read like catharsis but now I can't help but wonder if this was Aqua grieving for something he desperately wants but thinks is out of his reach.

i do have to say though. i get the general vibe of this plan and think it works fine as the apex of aqua's self-sacrificial protectiveness for the people he loves but how is being the daughter of a serial killer somehow any less scandalous for her career than being the sister of someone who killed one dude. does aqua think they just won't notice that kamiki happens to be their biodad or something. wasn't that the whole point of the movie. goofy ass plan.

What really saves this whole scenario is the emotions at play, though. This really does feel like Aqua at his most Aqua in a really long while and this chapter has so much love and respect for his life as Aqua and the bonds he has formed as a result. The dreams Aqua lays out are so agonizingly simple, too - he wants to pursue the career he finds rewarding. He wants to date the girl he likes. He wants to accept Miyako as his mom and Himekawa as his brother and to make things right with Akane after hurting and using her. He wants to see Ruby achieve her dream and be there to support her when she does.

But Aqua's always considered his dreams impossible, hasn't he?

I fully admit; I got spoiled with the full page spread of Aqua stabbing himself way in advance of the chapter and initially hated it as a twist. But with the full chapter as context and the sheer weight of Aqua's longing to just fucking live and find joy, it's not just effective but absolutely gutwrenching. It is the synthesis of Aqua's series-long battle to choose love or revenge and it resonates perfectly because it has never been one or the other for him - Aqua's revenge has always been rooted in the fact that he loves others so wholly and completely and hates himself so utterly that he thinks sacrificing himself to preserve their futures is the only path for him to take. It's the culmination and final release of the suicidal ideation Aqua has been dealing with since he was four years old and like Ai's tragedy before him, there's a horrible sense that maybe there really was no other way this could've gone.

Aqua being the character who actually takes the knife also firmly cements him as Ai's narrative echo in the text which has me barkin and howlin because it's what I've been saying all this time. Not just that, but so many of Aqua's expressions in this chapter pointedly and deliberately echo Ai's after she was stabbed. Not just that, but Aqua's achingly simple dreams echo Ai's own heartrendingly simple regrets - all the two of them ever wanted was to be happy with the people they love.

This also reframes the story's prior establishment of Ruby as paralleling Ai and seems to place the twins in the position of echoing not Ai in her entirety but Ruby as 'Ai of B-Komachi' and Aqua as 'Ai Hoshino'. This was actually something I outlined in one of my very first meta posts on the series, but I think making it more specific to 'Ruby as Ai the idol' and 'Aqua as Ai the human', this actually gives Ruby's arc in relation to Ai a bit of breathing room. Don't get me wrong, everything I've said about her post-BH writing being underbaked and inconsistent is still the case, especially when it comes to how confused the story is on whether Ruby is her own idol or New And Improved Ai 2.0 but giving it less ground to cover helps in terms of her writing no longer being spread quite as thin.

Speaking of Ruby, that beat of her seeming to react or sense something is up the moment Aqua takes the stab. 'Something happened to my loved one far away and I just Feel It' is a trope I'm always a sucker for and I really dig it here.

"The public don't care about the truth, so let's tell them a lie" is such a crazy hard sentiment to go out on too. Holy fuck.

There go our boys…!!! Quite a few people predicted they might go over the edge when Aqua showed up in his Mephisto fit (Mefitsto) and I'm interested to see if we get any parallels to the ED's imagery in the next few chapters. Overall, though, I'm really excited for where things are going - I don't think Aqua will die, but I do have some theories about what might happen. I can't think of a more traditional misogi purification experience than the middle of the ocean in late December, after all…

No break next week! Woohoo! While the delay of episode 12 means we won't be getting them on the same day, that is the same week S2 of the anime will be concluding and Aka does like lining up his bombshells with the anime. So who knows what we'll see.

seriously tho aqua. everyone already knows kamiki is you and ruby's biodad. HOW IS THIS ANY BETTER THAN HER BEING THE DAUGHTER OF A SERIAL KILLER AS IT ALREADY STANDS

[queen0fm0nsterz]

I wanted to ask your ask the lady blog but I can't find it.

Do you think the lady's library is organised at all? There are some parts which you obviously wouldn't be able to reach unless you can fly, and I wonder what kind of books are in a pile if she's the only one reading them. Maybe she has someone or something put her books away or shelve new books, but they don't always do a great job?

OH... MY LADY BLOG... MY POOR LADY BLOG THAT'S SITTING ON A SHELF TAKING DUST...

Alright, so! This is actually a very interesting questions because the answer is a very contraddictory one: kiiiiiinda? There's definitely... a lot pointing to it not being as organized these days...

But, in contrast, I will also say that there seems to be a method to the madness -- as there usually is with the Lady.

The books I pointed out up there are just a few piles of the ones that can be found out of place, and somehow their scattered and overwhelming presence seems to be invoking the exact opposite feeling her bedroom does: whereas her private space feels barren and sombre, the rest of her quarters are full of mayhem in a way that feels almost quietly frenetic. Those books look like they've been taking dust for a while... however, there is a few things of interest to note.

In the part of the Residence with the Book Puzzle, you'll notice that the bookshelf has different kind of eyes depicted at the bottom of each.

(Images are a courtesy of @/dailylittlenightmares, go follow them)

These are meant to match up with the respective books, who also have the same symbols. Their shapes match the ones underneath the three statuettes RK has to retrieve, so I came to assume these books/bookshelves specifically are each tied to one specific predecessor. Maybe some of them were their belongings, books from their era, or this is simply another method to categorize specific topics so that it's easy to not mix them up.

This is of course open to interpretation - especially considering there's no eye with the shape of an exagon (which is under the green statuette), but all other bookshelves in that room have this symbol underneath:

... indicating that the books in them might have miscellaneous subjects.

I'm pretty sure, however, that this method of categorization only counts for this specific room as I was not able to find any other bookshelf that has any of these symbols outside of it.

Considering this is also where you find the book with the Lady's mask on the cover, my current interpretation is that the books in this room are all tied to her magical practices. Now, whether this room in the library was actually made by her or by someone before her, that's up for debate: I'm leaning towards the latter honestly. The entire Residence feels like a joint effort, put together through a few generations -- which is probably why it feels more chaotic as opposed to the Lady's own bedroom... but digressing.

There are items here which suggest that, at one point, she did need furniture in order to reach the higher shelves.

I wonder if she still uses it to this day... admittedly she's rather tall now, and as you pointed out she can fly.

(Imagining a little Lady trying to make her way thru the tall bookshelves :( )

I honestly don't think there's anyone here doing the organizing besides herself. Which is probably why it doesn't look very organized at all. The Lady is very precise, but only when it comes to mantaining the very fragile structure of the chaos she's grown accustomed to. At this point there's no reason in putting the books away as long as she can still use them. It's a controlled mayhem, and when something becomes out of place - like the Runaway Kid - she disposes of it. In a way, it reflects how she rules the Maw, right?

[hymnserendipity]

Pro Hero Bakugo being a dad

Fluff, femreader, Age up

The hours of labor were tiring, painful, but in the end, with Bakugo next to you, your son was born, the little one who is entirely his father.

Bakugo smiled at you, the pain in his heart slowly lessening as he saw your smile after all the pain you just endured. He wiped some sweat on your forehead off with a napkin and caressed your cheek gently

"You did it, love... you really did it..." He smiled as he watched the doctor gently put their baby in your arms for the first time. He couldn't help but feel a surge of joy and pride wash over him, seeing your baby in your arms for the first time after such excruciating pain. He leaned a bit closer, gently caressing the baby's head and smiling as he looked at him.

"Look at him... he's perfect...He has my hair and your eyes, your features and my colors." You said and he couldn't help but chuckled, noticing and agreeing with the features you pointed out. The baby's hair was messy like yours, and the eye color matched his, as well as the other facial features. The baby was an absolute perfect mix of you.

"Looks like he got the best from both of us, huh?" Then the doctor ask him for the name, he looked up.

"The name? Hmm... I didn't think of tha5 yet... Any suggestions, love?" It was true, you both were so busy that you barely talked about that. "Hiro." You mumbled with a smile. He quite liked the sound of it, it sounded like a good name for your infant son.

"Hiro... I like it. So, he's Hiro." He said, proud.

Hours later, the three of you were in your hospital room as you finish feed Hiro. "Love, do you want to hold your son?" Bakugo nodded, feeling a bit weary but he was willing to hold the baby.

"I do... give him to me, love. I wanna hold my son..."

"I love you." You say. Bakugo carefully held his son for the first time, cradling him in his arms with a soft smile on his face. His heart softened as he looked at the baby in his arms, he felt a wave of love and protectiveness wash over him.

"I love you too, sweetheart... I love you so much... and our little prince here..." He gently ran his thumb over the baby's cheek, watching his infant son in his arms with a loving look in his eyes as he leaned closer and lightly kissed the baby's forehead. He gently bounced the baby in his arms, rocking him slightly and watching the baby's eyes flutter open a bit.

"I'm gonna protect you, my sweet little prince... Papa will protect you no matter what..." He smiled as the baby's tiny hand gently grabbed his finger, holding him in place. He let out a soft chuckle as he felt his son's small hand holding onto him, his heart melted even more as he continued to gently hold the infant closely. Bakugo continued to rock the baby in his arms, watching the baby's curious eyes look around the room. He couldn't help but feel a sense of protectiveness and tenderness towards the little one.

"Such a beautiful baby... and he's ours, love... I love him so much..." The baby made a small noise, like a cross between a whimper and a coo. He chuckled softly and leaned down to press a soft, small kiss to the baby's forehead again.

"He's perfect... absolutely perfect... just like you, sweetheart..." He continued to gently cradle the baby in his arms, rocking him soothingly. He knew the coming days and months would be tiring, but he was willing to go through it all for the sake of this little infant in his arms. He couldn't help but look down at the baby again, admiring his small, perfect features. He softly caressed the baby's cheek, feeling a loving tenderness towards the infant.

"You're gonna grow up to be a strong and healthy boy, aren't you, little prince...?" Bakugo couldn't help but get attached more and more to the baby with every passing second. He whispered softly to the baby in his arms, feeling a deep love for his son.

"Papa and mama love you so much..."

[troublcmakcrs]

I was writing a reply earlier, and it made me realize Craig suffers from pretty severe depersonalization, most prominently as a teenager, but it follows him into adulthood, too. I've got some more research to do before I hit him with an actual diagnosis of the triple-D's (Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder), but he is definitely experiencing Symptoms, and they do become debilitating and affect his relationships with other people.

The change is a subtle one that grows steadily worse as time passes, and at first, I would imagine very few people notice it. People don't take notice of the way Craig has become increasingly stiff, monotonous, robotic, and apathetic because... well... that's just Craig. But he stops answering texts from or spending time with even his closest friends because it requires more than the bare minimum of socialization out of him, and he can only manage the automatic and mechanical responses to most people. Going through the motions of life because he has to. Piloting the vessel he somehow came to be in possession of around the world because people would find it more odd if he didn't.

He becomes a much better student, leaning more heavily into his studies, because it allows him to engage in a lot of mindless repetition that comes most easily to him in those days and actually relaxes him in a way that few other things and the expectations that come with them do.

He often thinks about how he doesn't exist and bristles easily when other people speak to him, their perception of him clashing miserably with his own.

His nonexistence is a concern for him, and he is prone to tears when he suddenly awakens back into being and has to confront every feeling at once, although he tries to hide those tears from people and put himself back together as quickly as possible.

He often leaves his concept of personhood wrapped up in other places and things, and at his amusement park job, he finds a sense of being in the rollercoasters he works with, often viewing them as more alive than he is. He intertwines his existence with them and comes to feel that he only exists because they do. And he sees the world of the amusement park as much more real and substantial than the one outside. Whenever he leaves his job in the evenings, his energy rapidly depletes, and he goes back to feeling hollow and like he is navigating the rest of the world through a thick fog.

He is not disconnected from reality, though, and he understands the world outside the amusement park is the real world and that he must at least try to pay attention to it, although he struggles to reconcile his knowledge and his feelings.

Craig is, unfortunately, also resistant to the idea that he is "crazy" after putting up with Tweek for so many years. He feels like the more normal of the two of them and adamantly insists to both himself and others that he is not mentally ill and that everyone must feel as he does sometimes -- never mind that his "sometimes" has lasted multiple years. He tells himself that the agony of getting hollowed out every time he leaves a certain location, the way he blinks and suddenly it's been two months since the last time he texted someone (having a shaky relationship with the concept of time), or how the world seems more desaturated than it reasonably should be with only small pockets of vivid color here are there... are all just... quirky things about himself. The same growing pains that everyone must experience. He'll shake it off eventually, any day now.

He gets better at like... being aware and trying to work past it as an adult, although it is less of an acknowledgment of his mental illness and more of a resolution that he has got to be around for the people he cares about, and he starts working to repair a lot of his neglected friendships. He does, however, still experience periods where he gets "spacey" and seems/feels suddenly empty. He tries to stay in existence for as long as possible, but he still slips out of it now and again.

[anders-hawke]

only mystra would go "yes i am the source of all of your problems and am the reason you couldn't reach your full potential <3 but now you're free of me so you can do that now <3 i'm so smart and nice and am definitely a good-aligned goddess!!"

[aroacesigma]

Sigmas whole 'im just a normal man' thing is actually so interesting to me. Like I know I joke about it being transmasc behaviour a lot but seriously. is he genuinely just convinced he's normal because everyone around him is so weird ? Is he just hoping that repeating it enough times will make himself and everyone who knows believe it ?

[ladyseidr]

one day i'm going to give in and write glam.mike stuff like rip to people who hate the theory but i think it'd be fun fksahskld

[wr0ngwarp]

um. uh. hi every body. something evil and malevolent happened in my brain this month.

this is. um. a Jet Set Radio/Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Death joke AU, spawned out of a in-joke that started in a pokepasta discord. my apologies to both the pokepasta and jsr fandoms

the entire basis is the idea that Corn in Future retconned og JSR Beat as leader/founder of the GGs (is beat being leader in the og even CANON?) so Corn and Beat are the Myras. no it's not a joke funny enough to justify how many hours i sunk into drawing these. no attempt was made to change the setting, assign most of the other cast, or otherwise make this au hold up to ANY amount of scrutiny. if i tried to make this actually work somehow then i'd REALLY end up too far gone. also i keep calling myrtle!beat "Meat".

MEANWHILE, IN A BETTER UNIVERSE:,

[raayllum]

Callum is so right about Rayla never doing anything for herself. You could say freeing Runaan was for herself but she also treats it as her "sacred promise" and chose him for Ethari too (shows how great her heart is). You think sparing Callum will finally count as her doing something for herself? Choosing her future and her love for him over the "greater good". She couldn't get her og parents back‚ this girl keeps losing and suffering she seriously deserves more wins

God, I could write an entire meta about that line - maybe one day when I'm feeling self indulgent. In regards to your actual prompt, re: saving Callum will count as something for herself -- a big yes, absolutely, I think! Though I think freeing her parents is something she deeply wanted for herself, too ("I miss you so much" / "so I wanted to do something for yourself for you") even if it was something she was continually putting off till the Aaravos situation, as far as she knew, was resolved

Prior to S6 I went back and forth on whether the show would frame Rayla's end of the possession plot line / trying to get Callum back as either "It doesn't matter what happens to me (again) I just want to save him" (which is what leaving in TTM and other moments was about) OR whether it'd be framed as "I refuse to sacrifice him / something I want (again)" and therefore be character development. I leaned towards the latter for reasons outlined here since the two have the chance to be even more thematically codependent than they already are in terms of their senses of identity:

As long as Callum is Callum (not possessed, or she has reason to believe he’s still in there), Rayla likely won’t be able to bring herself to kill him. This is from an emotional / characterization standpoint, of course, but from a thematic standpoint, we can see where it stems from Callum and Rayla continually being each other’s main connection to their sense of identity. As long as Callum is Callum (“you’re the destiny is a book you write yourself guy”), he’s worth saving. As long as Callum is Callum, she can be Rayla (“Rayla’s brave. She saves people” / “Rayla. My name is Rayla, and I’m going home”). As long as she’s Rayla, he can be Callum. Because if Callum isn’t Callum, then he’s dead, and if he’s dead, she can kill him. And if Rayla kills him, if Callum is dead, then she won’t be Rayla anymore. Because to literally kill Callum would be to simultaneously symbolically/emotionally kill herself.

This goes both ways of course - Callum can't/won't sacrifice Rayla because to do so would be to sacrifice a fundamental part of himself (namely his deep and Pure devotion to others which means he'll never go entirely down the negative side of Viren's path, and keep to the positive - leaving Aaravos, breaking free, etc). This was subtext prior to S6, but now it's actual text (she's his light/truth/hope of salvation, etc) so it goes double going forward. This is true for Rayla too — Callum is her guiding light and her star, he's one of the people who's taught her the most about how to love and the person she wants to be.

With all that in mind, yeah, I do think that Rayla will choose to not sacrifice Callum for the right reasons. Part of this is scaffolded under witnessing Callum not sacrificing her No Matter What prior to her won choice, and realizing "what [she] most deeply desires" isn't just Callum's survival even, but specifically the life they can have together, which she needs to stick around for and thereby not sacrifice herself. Runaan is also explicitly remorseful over the actions he took towards her where he choose duty over love, so Rayla realizing she should choose love over duty ties into them growing together as well in a positive way. We also see her realize some of this I think in choosing to let Lain and Tiadrin stay together rather than separate them specifically because of the Moonphoenix bracelet Callum gave her as well.

"I risked losing the best thing I ever had" because of her own duty turned revenge vs "I refuse to lose either of us like this" and finally fully accepting an assassin was never who she was and never who she Should be, in sacrificing others' lives or her own included. Them both Choosing each other above everything else was exactly what I was hoping for as soon as the "I need you to kill me" plot line started / wrote in my first CHET fic pre-S4 years ago:

She has two options as she pulls away. She can make a grab for her swords and go out, swords blazing. Kill Viren or Aaravos if she can as the sky splits open, purple and thrumming with magic; die with a sword in her hand in all likelihood. The release spell has already started. Or she can help Callum up, and they can live to fight another day—together. Rayla grips the back of his jacket. Presses her forehead to his neck for a second, tears building her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she says. His arm tightens around her, like he’s braced for her to go. “Rayla—” “I’m so sorry,” she repeats, sobbing. This is all her fault, but she can’t do that to him. “We have to get out of here.” [...]

Callum is staring at her when she pulls back and she swallows hard. She doesn’t know what to say. It’s both a blessing and a curse when he speaks first. “You chose me,” he says, not quite softly; she can tell there’s a lump in his throat. An edge of anger that not doing so was even an option. “Yeah, well. It was about time,” she says quietly. “I—”

So uh, here's hoping!

[bonefall]

i know that you’ve mentioned the Oakstar Pinestar Tigerstar Bramblestar leader lineage, but have you ever talked about the medicine cats, with Leafpool Jayfeather Alderheart?

I haven't spoken about them yet! I think it's because, unfortunately, I have a lot less good to say about the concept

It frustrates me that the Medcat role is supposed to be sacred, special, and the ONLY social role in the Clan that can stand up to the leader because of its separation; and TWICE in ThunderClan, unwilling cats were forced into it.

With the Tiger leader lineage, I think all of them make really compelling antagonists and there's a line of both ambition and trauma that's fun to talk about, how they end up taking that out on their families and the societies they're responsible for.

But with Leaf/Jay/Alder, Jay and Alder both did not want the position... and it comes with so many extra restrictions. The fact that two disabled characters (Jay with blindness, Alder with what could be severe anxiety) are forced into vows of celibacy so they can be 'useful' to their societies REALLY badly bothers me.

Especially Alder, because the opening of AVOS is miserable. The scene where he's forced into the role in Apprentice's Quest is gutwrenching to me, and then later in River of Fire when Velvet is in camp, Jayfeather has to try to enforce that celibacy vow and... ugh! I don't like it!

And they don't, y'know, frame it like it's a horrifying thing either, or... anything, good OR bad. It wasn't even until Thornclaw was complaining in TBC that they even made a point about all of the major positions of power being filled up by Firekin.

This rant has been really unfocused, but I guess the difference is like... the Oak/Pine/Tiger/Bramble succession adds a lot to the idea of a running prestige in their lineage that contrasts with the horrible things they did with their power.

Leaf/Jay/Alder succession felt more like the Erins being unable to stop focusing on Firekin for a SINGLE modern arc, and shoving every disabled member of the family into the den to still be 'special...' which it stops being, because 2/3 of them didn't want to be there.

[9hikers]

Thinking about a swap AU Master where he fully intended to take over the Earth but that keeps getting postponed because he has to protect his claim on the planet from invading forces.

And after a few decades of shooing Daleks away, the reluctant hero has developed an attachment to humanity that he refuses to acknowledge out loud.