#<- my loyal isn't here right now tag

[simplepotatofarmer]

please take this offering of angler fish being a handsome boy

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Wicked Games 1

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: non/dubcon, cheating, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Character: Steve Rogers

Summary: you had a one night stand. Or did you?

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

Your phone wakes you. The room tilts as you open your eyes. A dull hammering thrums in your temples. The morning light makes your brain rough as sand paper. 

Dregs of vodka stick to your dry tongue. The hangover weighs you down like an anchor. Just the thought of moving hurts. 

You reach blindly for your jittering phone. Bubbly music tinkles from the speaker. Shit. It's Barrett. What did he forget this time? 

You answer and put your clammy palm to your forehead. You squint at the ceiling then your eyes slowly round. Where the fuck are you?  

"Hey, babe. You at Wendy's?" Your husband asks. 

You gulp and peel your tongue off the roof of your mouth. This isn't Wendy's house. 

"Yep," you croak. Your eyes ping side to side. 

"Look, I'm sorry about last night. Things got heated and I know I was an ass--" 

You cough as you sit up in the strange bed. "Yeah, you were." 

"So why don't you come home and we can talk it out." 

You peer around the room and your lips curve in a frown. Where the hell would you go besides home your loyal best friend's? You scratch you scalp and turn your legs over the edge of the bed, "let me get myself together." 

"Babe. Please. I'm sorry." 

"When I get home." You hang up.  

It was a hell of fight. The minute he started yelling, you bailed. He knows better. You're not doing a ten hour day and coming home his nagging. So you left out your coffee mug. Big deal. You didn't say anything about the garbage bag he left out to be torn apart by raccoons. 

Whatever. Fighting over dishes. Not of it matters right now. 

Your clothes are on the floor. Someone's floor. Who it is is far from the point. You stand and stagger. You catch yourself on the nightstand. Your hand moves instinctively between your legs. 

You're naked and tender. Did you have sex? 

Think! You ran out with your purse. You went to Wendy's. She was up for a night out. A night to forget and body did you. First drink, second, third, then it gets blurry.  

Fuck! You didn't. You wouldn't. You're pissed at your husband but you wouldn't cheat on him. You're not that type of person. Right? 

You don't have time for that. You have to get out of here.  

You dress as you search the room. It's tidy. Half the bed is mad and the other half messed from your drunken slumber. 

You shake out your hands trying to shoo away the flurry of guilt and denial. Just get out. You'll think better with some coffee in your system.  

You push down the door handle slowly. You listen to the silence of the hall. You tiptoe out warily, checking left and right as you advance. It's a nice place. A condo. Much nicer than your cramped one bedroom. 

Not important! 

You come out into the spacious front room. It's as empry as the rest of the place. The kitchen too. The bathroom. No one. 

Your purse is by the door. Your shoes too. You grab both and let yourself out. You'd rather not face your mistake. 

No, you didn't do anything. You wouldn't. 

You hurry down the hallway to the elevators. You don't look back, just keep going. You don't think, just go. 

It isn't until you're outside the familiar cafe marquee that your let your mind settle. You enter and join the queue. Your order a black coffee and drink it at a stool by the window.  

You lean your elbows on the high table that stands inside the pane. You take a slow, savouring swig of coffee and let it trickle down your throat. You shield your face from the New York morning and put your hands over your ears. 

You can't remember anything but Wendy. Your anger had you ordering round after round, trying to drown out the bile. The thought makes your stomach lurch and you gulp thickly. 

You shake your head and groan. Your phone chirps. It's probably Barrett. Several messages from him and missed calls. All through the night. It's bad enough you betrayed him, you had him up worrying. 

No, you didn't! 

It can't have happened if you don't remember it. A generous stranger took you home so you didn't wake up on the curb. That's it. 

That's the story. Nothing happened. And you'll let Barret believe you were with Wendy. It won't make a difference. 

Your mind is set. Nothing happened. 

Nothing. Happened. 

Because you don't remember. Because you were too drunk to do that. Because you're married and it can't happen. 

You're going to finish your coffee and go home. Everything will be just like it was before... after you tell Barrett where to put that coffee mug if it's such a big deal. 

[rebornofstars]

SEPFEMBER 2024 PROMPTS LIST

HERE WE ARE! AT LONG LAST! THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN (HOPEFULLY) WAITING FOR! GIRL MONTH!

I honestly can't believe this is actually happening. This event was a shower thought a few months ago.

Here's a recap of the event: to participate, make at least one fanwork of any variety during September that features a woman or women from the Zelda franchise as the main character/s. All Linksmeets are welcome in this challenge, as well as general LoZ fans!

Before I drop the prompts list for those who are looking for a little direction, I'd like to mention that I have made an AO3 COLLECTION FOR THIS EVENT. It's open and unmoderated so you can add your works to it freely. And if you post on tumblr, please tag #sepfember !! I'll be scrolling through the tag every day looking for things to reblog and gush about 👀

If you have any questions at all about this event, or you want to chat about it, my askbox is open! I will also respond to comments and reblogs of this post.

Now, onto the prompts. Disclaimer: you DON'T have to use all/any of these prompts, or only create things for certain characters on their featured day. This list is just a GUIDE for those who want it. If you have other plans, go with your heart!

At the end of the day, this is a celebration, and all that matters is that you have fun. I hope some of you will join me next month in giving our girls some time in the spotlight, but if you can't, that's okay! There's no pressure! This is just a passion project of mine, really, and I am overjoyed that people are interested 💛💛💛

(apologies in advance for the terrible quality of these pics and the equally terrible commentary. i thought it would be funny. also, i've never had to come up with a prompts list before and it shows.)

DAY 1: SKYWARD SWORD ZELDA + PURPOSE

(we start at the beginning of course 💛)

DAY 2: MARIN + WASH

(it was SO hard to find a screenshot of her that didn't have link in it. they're both cute but this ain't about him.)

DAY 3: MEDLI + GIFT

(i didn't know she played the harp until i saw this screenshot! i obviously have a lot to learn.)

DAY 4: TWILIGHT PRINCESS ZELDA + FREEZE

(how creepy does she look here?! so awesome)

DAY 5: HILDA + GHOST

(SUCH a good character for real. she has depth!!!! she has a thematic purpose!!!)

DAY 6: URBOSA + LOSE

(two words: LIGHTNING POWERS ⚡⚡⚡)

DAY 7: SPIRIT TRACKS ZELDA + MISTAKE

(babygirl you are 2 entire pixels.)

DAY 8: FI + ORDER

(oh she is everything to me)

DAY 9: MIDNA + SWORD

(she looks so soulful right now)

DAY 10: HYRULE WARRIORS ZELDA + SUMMON

(what a FIRE camera angle??? her armour is so impractically attached but SHE HAS A SWORD‼️)

DAY 11: GODDESSES OF HYRULE + EYES

(hylia, din, nayru, farore, the list goes on...)

DAY 12: ZORA PRINCESSES + TRUST

(mipha, ruto... poor suckers... it can't be fun, falling for link...)

DAY 13: OCARINA OF TIME ZELDA | SHEIK + FATE

(note: I personally hc this character as a trans man, but since this isn't explicitly confirmed in-game and might not be shared with everyone, I've given them a celebration day anyway. you are free to do what you wish.)

DAY 14: MALON + GUARD

(she is adorable. look at her)

DAY 15: IMPA + BOUND

(HOTTEST MOST SEXY MOST BADASS WOMAN IN THE FRANCHISE ‼️‼️‼️ I LOVE YOU IMPA YOU ARE PERFECT. SHUT UP I DEFINITELY DON'T PLAY FAVOURITES—)

DAY 16: FOUR SWORDS ADVENTURES ZELDA + PORTAL

(i loved her in the fsa manga. she's barely in it but STILL. go read it.)

DAY 17: FAIRIES + TIRED

(the great fairies, navi, ciela, tatl, proxi...)

DAY 18: TETRA + LEGACY

(isn't she KICKASS?!)

DAY 19: EPONA + BONE

(our lovely loyal girl 🥰)

DAY 20: A LINK BETWEEN WORLDS ZELDA + HOME

(SHE IS SUCH A GOOD PARALLEL TO HILDA PLEASSSSSE)

DAY 21: SARIA + WISH

(a classic character! isn't this picture so peaceful)

DAY 22: BOTW/AOC/TOTK ZELDA + PEACE

(SHE IS EVERYTHING TO ME. SCREAMING CLAWING CRYING. MY DARLING, YOUR FANARTISTS WERE THE ONES TO DRAW ME INTO THE ZELDA FANDOM. I HOPE I CAN RETURN THE FAVOUR ONE DAY)

DAY 23: CIA + LANA + STUDY

(technically, she's one person. between the two of them they certainly only wear enough clothes for one person... )

DAY 24: ARYLL + HUG

(sister to the hero! but what's her story?)

DAY 25: ECHOES OF WISDOM ZELDA + ARREST

(YEAHHHHHHHHH GIRL MONTH GIRL DAY GIRL GAME!!!)

DAY 26: CD-i ZELDA + HOLIDAY

(hehheehehehe. i bet you weren't expecting her. neither was i tbh)

DAY 27: PURAH + FIRE

(SHE'S CLEVER! I LOVE CLEVER WOMEN!)

DAY 28: ILIA + ERUNE + MEND

(listen. i know erune is a very niche character - she literally only exists in the four swords manga - but consider. i love her)

DAY 29: ALTTP/OOS/OOA/LA ZELDA + MISSING

(she has no canon personality. you know what that means. get the building equipment out fellas)

DAY 30: LINKLE + FAREWELL

(and here we are - LAST DAY!)

THE END! YAY! I CAN'T WAIT FOR SEPTEMBER - CAN YOU?

[seeds-and-sins]

Light My Fire - Part Eight

Pairing: Ben "Soldier Boy" x Reader

Rating: M (Crude Language, Curse Words, Sexism, minor references to sex, WARNING: talks about death and self-harm)

Description: Phoenix tries to rectify the missing pieces within herself, but she struggles to figure out how.

Tagged: @tonixe@chernayawidow , @deans-spinster-witchs-favorites, @ophennie@virgoelf-blog , @my-obsession-spn, @capricxnt @demodemo909 @boywivlove

Song: Gypsy - Fleetwood Mac

"FUCK!" Homelander yelled, the tv remote broke in his closed fist. One of the flat screen televisions in the meeting room was set to channel 8 and Starlight was all over the news. Her little video had gone viral, her resignation given, Homelander thrown under the bus, this was all out war. Homelander was fuming, Ashley was gnawing her nails down to the skin, the Deep was posted at one of the chairs around the table, Agnes was sitting a few seats down from him sipping on a cup of coffee.

And you were standing there, arms crossed, staring blankly at the screen.

You were so tired. Physically, mentally, and emotionally drained from everything. Just from living really.

When was the last time you slept again?

"Okay!" Ashley squealed, "We'll fix this. We'll fix this. Please. Oh my god! Fuck!" Your eyes slid shut, her panicking died in your ears, the world silenced for a moment.

"Phoenix!" Your eyes shot open, Homelander was staring at you with a look of desperation plastered on his face. "What do we do?" Your hands tightened around your biceps and your teeth dug into your bottom lip. What do we do? More importantly, what should be done?

"We don't have time to worry about Starlight." Your voice came out hoarse, in a low whisper. The room fell quiet. "She has a loyal fan base, but they aren't as loyal as our people. I wouldn't worry about her." Homelander nodded virgorously, licking his lips. The desperation in his boyish eyes faded and what replaced it was a sharp coldness.

"You're right. We've got to find Soldier Boy."

"But we need to make a statement!" Ashley's shrill made you roll your eyes.

"Go take a fuckin' Xanax, Ashley!" You commanded, holding up an admonishing finger. Ashley's lips shut with a resounding pop and she straightened, fear crawled up her spine and glued her to the floor. "I'll talk. I know how to charm a crowd. It'll put this off until we can get shit under control." Your command came out more as a question, Homelander's jaw flicked from side to side before he nodded. "Come on Agnes." The older woman rose from the table without protest, following after your quick strides with a waddle of her own.

...

"Good Evening!" You crowned your fingers and propped them up on the podium. "I appreciate you all being here for this impromptu press conference. Given the situation, I'm sure you know there are a few things that Vought needs to address."

"Where's Homelander?" A journalist shouted from the crowd, flapping his hand above the sea of heads to get Phoenix's attention.

"Homelander is off handling more important matters." The crowd broke out in shouted questions and mixed words, journalists reaching over eachother as they attempted to flag you down. You begrudgingly pointed at a woman in the front row.

"Isn't this important? Starlight has resigned? What is the future of the Seven? Why are you up there when you're not even on the team?" It went silent as everyone waited for a response, or rather, a staccato of responses to answer a staccato of questions. You paused, thought about the significance of your next words, what they would mean. You found a camera and stared into it.

"I want to make myself very clear..." Your voice penetrated the air, the room was thick with the tone that every syllable carried. "Starlight isn't a priority. Everyday Homelander, I, and many other heroes are trying to keep you all safe. We fought overseas so that the super villain threat could be contained. I underestimated the enemy and now the super villain threat is here. Us heroes need to be doing our jobs, not starting petty battles over social media. If Starlight wants to play her games and spread her lies, slander us, she is welcome to do so. But Homelander and I are going to focus on what is important: your safety, your lives."

An intense stillness blanketed the crowd, a few camera flashes. One journalist had the gull to raise their hand, when no one else would, not after a speech like that.

"What are your thoughts on the deathes of the TNT twins? Your former colleagues?"

Good. I'm glad they're dead.

"And your friend? Crimson Countess?" Your head tilted to the other voice, you swallowed and looked down at your fingers.

"Countess wasn't my friend, and neither were the Twins." You shook your head. "Not anymore at least. Not when they turned their backs on..." You paused. Me. -- Ben. "On you. The people. Some of the strongest heroes I knew for their time, and only Noir and I remain. The others worried about their luxury condos, their ratings, movie deals, royalties. None of them cared about what really matters. I don't mourn them. I don't think I ever will."

"But what of Soldier Boy? You were there when he died, did you mourn him?"

"I-" You had to take a deep breath, the emotions that swelled in you had nearly knocked you off your feet. You cleared your throat and held back tears. "I did. I do."

Soldier Boy was still dead to you.

"Soldier Boy died so that all of us could live."

...

 🎶 So I'm back to the velvet underground.  🎶 

 🎶 Back to the floor that I love... 🎶 

Three Xanax, two blunts-going on three-and half a bottle of whiskey later, you found yourself laying on your bed in a mess of comforter and pillows. Your suit was discarded somewhere, leaving you down to nothing but your underwear. And you were just laying there, staring up at the ceiling as you smoked from a blunt and sipped from a bronze filled glass. Your record player sung in the background, mellowing out your already distant mood.

 🎶 To a room with some lace and paper flowers 🎶 

 🎶 Back to the gypsy that I was 🎶 

 🎶 To the gypsy that I was... 🎶 

What did you have?

John?

He kept you around as an extension of himself rather than as someone he cared for. You were the arms of his authority, fingers curled around your enemies with a vice grip. In reverse, he was a reflection of you in many ways, uncaring, erratic, impulsive. You knew he didn't care about you. Not truly. You weren't sure he was capable of it. Maybe with some admiration, some approval, but love was a distant thought in John's head. He only ever craved it from others. And you were more than able to provide in the past, giving pieces of yourself to John without a second thought. Now you had no more pieces left to give.

 🎶 And it all comes down to you. 🎶 

 🎶 And you know that it does when. 🎶 

 🎶 Lightening strikes maybe once maybe twice. 🎶 

Your fans?

You would rather burn them all alive, throw them in a furnace and walk away. They didn't love you. They loved the image of yourself that you fronted, but they didn't know you.

 🎶 Oh and it lights up the night. 🎶 

 🎶 And you see your gypsy (ohh, ohh) 🎶 

 🎶 You see your gypsy. 🎶 

You?

That was all you had. Herodom was a quiet life, a lonely one. But it was never about saving people or doing some good in the world. As much as Starlight thought she was making a difference, the world would never change. There would always be criminals. There would always be greedy politicans and corrupt agents of the law. The world was cold and callous and it never retreated.

And you had nothing.

You were a victim of the chaos. Vought took you in, molded you into something vile and morbid, tossed you around in a bag of salt, and hurled you into the world for their own profit.

You were an experiment.

Your lips wrapped around the end of your blunt and you took a drag. Smoke flowed from your nostrils, it floated up toward the high ceiling and you watched it swirl until it faded completely.

Your head drooped to the side and your face wrinkled as if you were about to cry, before you suppressed that urge.

 🎶 To the gypsy that remains. 🎶 

 🎶 Faces freedom, with a little fear. 🎶 

 🎶 I have no fear, and have only love. 🎶 

 🎶 And if I was a child and the child was enough. 🎶 

 🎶 Enough for me to love. 🎶 

 🎶 Enough to love. 🎶 

Through a blurry haze, your half lidded eyes spotted a figure at the open double doors leading into your bedroom. You shifted a little, squinted, then slowly sat upright.

"Ben?"

He was dressed in his full suit, arms straight at his sides.

"Hello, hot stuff." He answered casually, stepping closer. He sent you a boyish smile that reminded you of his older self, all cocky, all confident, all play, no work.

"What are you-" The blunt dropped from your hand, hitting the marble floor. "What are you doing here?" His eyes darted down your body, hovering over your naked torso a little longer than necessary before raising back to your face.

"You didn't need me?" You dropped your head, a firm hand cupped on your jaw, the touch burned into your skin and your gaze was being directed back to Ben. He felt so real. He felt solid. He felt tangible.

 🎶 She is dancing away from you now (Oooh). 🎶 

 🎶 She was just a wish, she was just a wish (ooh, ooh). 🎶 

 🎶 And her memory is all that is left for you now. 🎶 

"Am I hallucinating?" Your palms rested gently on his chest, Ben's thumb scaled your cheek and he sighed.

"No."

 🎶 You see you're a gypsy. 🎶 

"This is a dream, sweetheart."

"Of course it is," You sniffled.

"You wouldn't be able to hallucinate, even if you wanted." Another voice chimed and when you glanced over, it was Vogelbaum. "Your body can't sustain the affects of foreign substances long enough for that to happen." He was in a bloodied labcoat and his words were slightly muffled through a gas mask. Your expression lit up with panic and your head was being yanked back by Soldier Boy's hand.

"Don't pay attention to that piece of shit." Soldier Boy drew you closer with his other hand at your hip. "Just look at me."

"Why is this happening? Why am I dreaming about this?" You whispered, Ben's hand moved to cradle the back of your head.

"Because I'm the answer." You blinked at him, then tiredly moved into his body. Your arms wrapped around him and you hugged him. Ben enveloped you in return, his strong and bulky arms holding you close...

"You even smell real."

"That's what happens when you smoke a lot of dope."

"Also, the cannabis you were smoking no doubt contained traces of LSD." Vogelbaum again. You squeezed your eyes shut and Soldier Boy grunted when your arms tightened around him.

"Can he just shut up for fucks sake?" Soldier Boy inhaled deeply and he exhaled with a sigh.

"You want my advice?"

"Not really." He grabbed your shoulders and drew you away at arm's length.

"Sometimes you gotta take life by the balls, kid." You blinked at him, your head sinking toward your chest. Soldier Boy rolled his eyes before grabbing under your chin and lifting your head again. "Remember back in the day. We didn't let anybody get in our way. We owned this fuckin' place."

"Oh no." You breathed, your palms rose to your cheeks and Soldier Boy relinquished his hold on you so you could pace away from him. "It's happening. This is it. I'm having the worst mental breakdown of my life. I'm going to destroy the world."

"Only in theory." Vogelbaum piped in again, "Theoretically your body can reach temperatures bordering that of the sun and in that instance-" Soldier Boy's shield came hurtling toward him out of nowhere. The Scientist disappeared in a puff of smoke before the metal could touch him.

"I hate that guy." Soldier Boy's head tilted as he considered you. "Listen..." He emphasized with raised hands. "The only person who understands you right now is me." He stepped toward you, and you hunched in on yourself in defeat."You have me. I'm your answer."

"You're also a figment of my imagination."

"Nah, honey, I'm out there. I'm alive. Come find me."

"You want me dead out there." Soldier Boy's lips quirked up in a handsome smirk and he shook his head.

"But, sweetheart, I don't."

...

When your eyes opened, they opened slowly, the blunt had burnt out in your bed sheet and your body was sprawled out across the bed in all different directions. You blinked at the ceiling, thinking about your dream, thinking about him. The thought left a gross taste in your mouth, your stomach jumped and a weight settled in your chest.

Gosh, you wanted to die sometimes, didn't you?

What was this? What were you doing here?

Why don't you just leave and give all this up? Just like you always wanted.

Because you can't.

You were tired.

It took a few minutes of blank staring before you rose from your bed and travelled out of your room.

"God help me!" You heard a voice exclaim as you entered into the living room. It was Agnes. She made an effort to cover her gaze from your nude figure. And after all these years, she still hadn't gotten used to your ways. You squinted at her, stumbling toward the onset of the kitchen.

"What are you doing here? I told you to leave." Agnes nervously clenched and unclenched her fingers, finally lowering her hand to look at you. Your eyes connected, Agnus' wrinkles creased with a furrowed brow, with concern.

"Homelander wanted me to stay. He's worried about you." You groaned, pouring yourself another glass of whiskey and downing it back with a wince.

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine." You poured the next glass, sipping from it as you held Agnus' expectant gaze.

"John just wants to make sure I'm on his side." You replied in a dull tone, hunching over the countertop.

"Are you?" You didn't respond. Not immediately. Your eyes flitted around the penthouse and you took in the expanse of space that had been your home for decades.

"Maybe I don't want to be on a side anymore, Agnes." You placed your glass down and stalked over to a wall that held various photos and movie posters and memories from the old days. You scanned each photo, as you had hundreds of times, with a trained eye.

"Please. Tell me what's wrong."

"Everything I do, it doesn't matter." Your eyes paused on a familiar face, and you felt a sadness engulf the entirety of your heart.

He was so good to you. Always trying to comfort you. Always at your side when you needed him.

"Do ya'maybe want to talk about it?"

"No."

You would go find him. That was final. You were sure of it. Screw everyone else. This man. He would be the one you went to. He was the one you needed. He would tell you what you needed to do and he would be genuine. Above all. He would be genuine.

"I'm heading out for a little bit, Agnes. Alone." You took quick steps toward your room.

"Wait, wh-where are you going? Homelander told me to watch you." You didn't respond, turning to close the double doors into your bedroom. At the last glimpse between the cracks, you saw her plop onto the couch with exasperation.

[athanasius-symposium-of-writings]

So like, I'm crazy,,,, so how about a astarion request with vampire spawn!tav and like,,, she takes charge so likr smut? Would love to see how and if Astarion would allow such thing to happen since he's,,, ascended

Oh man this go feelsy midway lol

I don't think he minds, but don't expect him to last longer than a minute before he is taking that control from you. It is a treat he only gives if you do the right 'tricks' for him. He isn't fair. He definitely isn't going to let you do anything he does to you (choking, scratching your skin, etc.). This power is his, and though you are his consort, are still a subject under his power.

Rated: M

Warning: Power imbalanced

tagging list: @ghostinvenus

He turned you.

You drank his blood binding you to a new master, binding you to him.

There is no equality here, you know he is powerful and his power over you is both physical and mental.

"Go on! Show me, my pet." Astarion craves your devotion, your love, your heat– The very essence of your being. Obsessive, possessive, demanding, dominating; all for you because you captured his un-beating heart– Well, now beating hearting.

He is now alive yet… You wished he hadn't taken this power… That he walked away and joined you in the search to cure this vampiric infliction.

Instead… Instead, you stayed with him despite him becoming a creature, the most powerful creature in all of Faerûn.

And you are his loyal consort, his beloved, his heart.

Your hands hold him close, refusing to let him go any further, "In time, please, I want to show you in my own way." His ruby eyes are narrow as he is greedy and lustful for you but he flicks his hand gesturing to you to continue. You kiss him gently, and he hums and smiles so sweetly that you swear it is his own self-peking through.

The trail of kisses, lipstick marks and hickeys, he groans as your hands and mouth savor him.

Love him.

Lathander's gift never left you after Astarion had you drink his blood, though you are like him now (of sorts), he can feel your warmth— The sun caressing his skin through your hands.

"Quickly, darling, I might not hold back much longer." He wants to taste you, devour you, find bliss with you; his voice never hides how badly he craves you.

"Soon, beloved," Your hand touched his cock in the way he taught you, "This is for you." For us, you want to say. You want to remind him of what love is, that you do not love him for power and promise of protection: you love him for the man who found himself falling in love with. True love.

Not the love tainted by power. Unholy power.

Astarion draws in a breath, his teeth and fangs biting down on his bottom lip as you touch him. It is the same way he touched you when you gave him your virginity. Gently he kissed your fingers, lips and body, and when you felt ecstasy by his fingers, mouth, and cock; you felt safe… Safe in his arms.

Astarion hisses as you guide his bliss into oblivion, his face in pain for a moment before relaxing— "Ah," You stop him from biting you by placing your other hand over his mouth. "Not yet, be patient, beloved."

He growls, his tongue licking your palm, he will not allow you control any longer.

So you sink his cock into it.

Rarely, and it is very rare, you get to the one in control; Astarion likes to dominate you, own you, and have you at the mercy of his whims.

You asked for this one night because… Because you need this, to bring back the Astarion whose arms you felt safe with.

His hands sought out your body as you danced to the rhythm of lust and bliss on his lap, your hands taking his and feather touch kisses.

You smile down at him, affectionately, placing those hands over your heart.

"Astarion." He loves how you say his name, "My stars and my moon." Flowery words of a bard, you told him in the darkness he is like the moon.

A sole light in the darkness of your world, yet, you are his sun… The sun sets too soon. He refuses to be the darkness again.

You sway, bounce, riding him not for your bliss but his; you want him to cum first and he does. No shame in it, he prides himself on how well he taught you on the subject of sex.

"That was rather," He sits up as you know he is about to turn the tables back to his favor, "Sweet, my pet. But how about I give what we both need, hm?"

You hug him, hug him with everything you have, "I want to stay like this a little longer… Please." Begging to just stay connected.

His fingers dance up your back until resting behind your head, his other hand wraps around your waist.

"As you wish." He is basking in your body, "When you beg like that how can I ever say no."

"Thank you, Astarion." Closing your eyes, "I love you."

There is undeniable weight in those words as if you are trying to convince him, no, plead your love to him.

His eyes stare forward before closing, his grip on you pulling you closer as if he fears you might slip through his finger the way the sunlight does. Astarion refuses to let you go, his naive lover… You can't leave him… You won't.

Bound by blood, bound to him!

You kiss his cheek, his forehead, his nose, then his lips.

His heart is with you… To lose it will destroy any traces of the Astarion that wasn't tainted by the ritual.

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

Fruzsi and the Importance of Her Character in Season 2 of Shadow and Bone

Okay I feel like I have been continuously teasing this post for a ridiculously long time and I have finally gotten around to writing it, I also feel like the fact that I talked about it so much might have built it up to sound bigger than it is but honestly I think that Fruzsi is a FASCINATING character study; I'm very excited to talk about her and have finally found the time (yay!) so hopefully you guys will find this at least a little bit interesting too

Tagging people who registered their interest here but please don’t feel pressured to read <3 @merlinxmagic @girasoljpg @atmosphericwrites @naushtheaspiringauthor @lunarthecorvus

SHOW AND BOOK SPOILERS AHEAD + TALKING ABOUT GRISHAVERSE SETUP & THE CHARACTERS' BACKSTORIES/EXPERIENCES (Mostly Zoya, Genya, Alina, Fruzsi, and Inej)

Super quick recap since of her story so we're on the same page as we begin: Fruzsi first appeared in Season 2 Episode 2 of Shadow and Bone and is a Grisha Tidemaker loyal to the Darkling. Her parents sold her to the Darkling when she was a child, its unclear how old she was, and we should take into consideration in this matter that there is no indication whatsoever that she was ever at the Little Palace since none of the other Grisha seem to recognise or know her and vice versa. She is instrumental in the Darkling's army and receives one of the amplifiers made from Baghra's bones, subsequently learning to manipulate water molecules into ice shafts that she can use as a weapon. She is responsible for Dominik's death towards the end of the season and is subsequently killed by Nikolai.

So right off the bat whenever anyone talks about Fruzsi I tend to see two things: "wannabe Zoya" and “the power of her amplifier was a problem because it will be too difficult to differentiate between amplifiers and parem". I've taked before about my thoughts on amplifiers and parem and why I didn't think it was going to be a problem for the Six of Crows spinoff show (*sobs*) but the general consensus seems to be that not only was Fruzsi an unlikeable character because of her actions, but because she was seen as a only being there to provide an enemy and a hand of the Darkling, and I think that's a real shame because she is a fascinating character and she tells us SO MUCH about the Darkling and other major characters. My personal favourite details about Fruzsi are her parallels with Zoya and the point from which they run opposing, the parallels she has to Genya and Inej and the subsequent parallels that her introduction creates between the Darkling and Heleen Van Houden, and the setup of Fruzsi, Vatra, and the Darkling's other Grisha to create genuine empathy for villainous characters for the reflections of the protagonists we can see in them.

Fruzsi's introduction in episode two begins with the Darkling arriving to see her and saying that she made it in good time - now we don't know where she travelled from, so yeah it could be the Little Palace (he was travelling from the base he set up in episode 1) but personally I don't think that there's much implication she ever lived there considering she doesn't know any of the other Grisha and she doesn't wear a kefta until the Darkling has new ones created for his new army. She's wearing pretty typical clothes that we see of the Ravkan population when we first meet her; a blouse and ankle-length skirt with a long coat, and from the very start is in dark shades that visually connect her to the Darkling in the audience's eye. Although she isn't hesitant to speak to him she shows consistent discomfort around the Darkling, making small steps away from him when he raises his hand and acknowledging non-verbal orders from him with immediate effect, as well as confirming that she never broke her promise to not open the Journal of Morozova without prompting and somewhat hurriedly. The Darkling is actually pretty quiet throughout most of this scene, cutting of Fruzsi's sentences and instructing her but not following any attempts she makes to initiate real conversation. When he tells her to reveal Baghra from behind the waterfall she asks him if he's sure, one of few instances in which she questions him, and after barely a second of maintained eye contact between them she turns away, physically bunching her shoulders and seeming to shrink in on herself, before turning to the waterfall and completing the task in silence. Everything we see of Fruzsi in this scene seems to contradict Baghra's later description of her as "deranged" and I think that this is really very noteworthy, because we start to develop this idea that Fruzsi's actions are different in front of the Darkling than when he isn't present - particularly since we know in this scene that Baghra has not seen the Darkling in weeks and has been alone with Fruzsi during that time. We actually don't see Fruzsi without the Darkling until very late in the show (episode 7), when her anger at the world and her easy ability to command the other Grisha are revealed ("First Army did this [...] If they wear the uniform they are all the same. Kill them all!"). We get this brilliantly foreboding image of her marching so confidently through the carnage with soldiers of both sides running and shouting and fighting and dying all around her while she barely shows any kind of response but to calmly begin her own method of very direct attack against Nikolai after walking through the battle completely untouched. If anything, Fruzsi seems quite unbothered by the entire thing until she fails to kill Nikolai, killing Dominik and several others instead, and screams her frustration before being forced to run for cover from approaching soldiers. After this her attacks are arguably much more emotional because she feels challenged and as though she has failed (relevant as I'll cover later because of the way the Darkling manipulates her), but all of this seemingly culminates only when Vatra dies, and in that moment we get this wonderfully clever shot of them holding each other's hands so that we can see the tattoos (I'm going to rant about the tattoos in this post) and then we see Vatra smiling in her final moments (that's gonna come up again as well). This moment is the most emotional we ever get to see Fruzsi; she looks down at Vatra, sheds a silent tear, and begins to exhibit more power than we have ever seen in her before. It is bare moments after this that she loses her fingers in an attack from Jesper and mere minutes afterwards that Nikolai shoots her in the throat and she dies.

It's confirmed in s2e7 that Fruzsi's parents attempted to sell her to the Darkling and arguably this is where her parallels with Zoya begin - "You remember when your family first brought you to me? The price they demanded when they discovered you were Grisha?" "Perhaps now I can repay the debt" "I would have paid it 100 times over". Ugh this angers me so much. He bought her and she believes, she genuinely believes, that she owes him for that. I'm going to talk about the structure of this relationship really strongly echoing Heleen Van Houden later on but particularly in this moment we understand that there is something here very similar to the Kerch indenture system that I'm actually really glad to see included as part of the worldbuilding and development in the show since we didn't get the opportunity to explore it as much in Kerch (*screams frustrations into the wind*)

Although we sadly didn't get the chance to explore Zoya's story in the show (*cries in cancellation*) it's explained in the final duology of the book series that her mother attempted to sell nine-year-old Zoya as a bride to 63-year-old, very rich, and twice-widowed Valentin Grankin. When Zoya's aunt, Lilyana, attempted to stop the wedding Grankin attacked and nearly killed her; in fear for herself and her aunt Zoya experienced a massive, terrified outburst of power, which was how she discovered she was Grisha, and Lilyana was able to rescue her and take her to Os Alta. My absolute favourite take on Fruzsi is that she is Zoya's Shadow, which is an idea that my friend voiced whilst we were watching the show and we discussed together at length at the time, but that I have never seen anyone talking about online.

The idea of having a Shadow comes from Suli culture and is explained to us in Crooked Kingdom by Inej; whenever a person does wrong it gives life to their shadow, with every action making the Shadow stronger until they are stronger than the original person and the person is defeated by the wrongs they've done - or learns to overcome them and defeat the Shadow. Inej's believes that her Shadow is Dunyasha and she fights her in Crooked Kingdom. I FREAKING LOVE the theory that Fruzsi is Zoya's Shadow because their stories parallel each other very well; both are abused and sold by their families only to be taken in by the Darkling and manipulated into believing that he is their saviour. The Darkling very much works by making others feel that they owe him something for any action he completes, just as we see in his manipulation and abuse of Alina, and Fruzsi and Zoya are prime examples of this. We even have two very similar scene setups between season 1 and season 2 that show us just how similar the Darkling and Zoya are in terms of the pent up rage that they keep private - in season 1 where the Darkling leaves Zoya alone in his room whilst she is trying to initiate intimacy because he is manipulating her and Alina against each other and wants to make Zoya feel like she has been abandoned in favour of a newer, shinier toy and once he's left Zoya screams her frustration and releases a gust of Squaller power that disrupts his chamber, and in season 2 when Fruzsi, in her second appearance (now wearing the new dark kefta design) hesitantly informs the Darkling that David stole Morozova's Journal and is immediately dismissed before the Darkling screams his frustrations and uses the tether to find and haunt Alina. Although this comparison between the Darkling and Zoya is of course more obvious it also gives us an idea of similarities between Zoya and Fruzsi because it extends this implication we have that Fruzsi acts very differently out of the Darkling's presence than in - and considering that at this point we have never seen her without him we have this gathering sense of intrigue about her backstory and her character. In a similar-ish manner we also have the scene in s2e5 when we get another example of the few times Fruzsi attempts to stand up to the Darkling, in this case openly telling him that they would do better to redirect their efforts North because it would be "the more strategic move"; the Darkling's response is to threaten her with his Nichevo'ya and manipulate her in a similar way that he does Zoya by replying "Alina Starkov is worth more than any army. So at the risk of sounding repetitive... find her", actively diminishing Fruzsi when he's been purposefully making her feel important and like she matters to him so that she feels she must redouble her efforts for him to notice and appreciate her and therefore desperately hopes to do a better job of bending to his will, especially since he's basically turned her entire purpose and usefulness to him into brining Alina back to him. Ugh this man i swear. I'm going to go on to talk about parallels between Fruzsi and Genya pretty soon so in this respect as well I want to add emphasis to the fact that when she disagrees with him on a point - and mind you not that she makes any suggestion of betraying his cause but only that she thinks they should take a different tactic to be more successful in it - he uses the presence of the Nichevo'ya to scare her into submission. The next time he gives her an order (to take down the First Army encampments) she agrees immediately and barely speaks to him except to ask "And what of the Sun Summoner?" - And note this is after she has taken Genya to the other Grisha because she was told to show her off as an example.

I have to say that at this point in time I was not expecting her to be the gold mine she became, and it's looking back on it knowing more about her backstory that I notice a lot of smaller details in the way she acts around him that consistently suggest she is afraid of him and I think that is shown really well in Reford's performance, I don't see her getting enough of the praise that she deserves - she was great!

Am I even making sense? Anyway

Fruzsi and Zoya are consistently presented with these similarities and I really love the idea that she represents what Zoya would have become without the influence of our other main characters, particular Alina and Genya. I really like the idea that she's Zoya's Shaodw and a literal, living embodiment of the wrng that Zoya did under the Darkling's command, but the only place that I think this theory falls short is in Fruzsi's death. If Fruzsi was truly Zoya's Shadow then they would have to face each other for one of them to die, but Fruzsi was killed by Nikolai in the aftermath of Dominik's death. However, I also think that there was standing there to start developing something truly, truly poetic in Nikolai killing Zoya's Shadow and Zoya later killing Nikolai's (or maybe even metaphorically doing so in trying to help rid him of the demon??) BUT I GUESS NOW WE'LL NEVER KNOW (*screams*) (*cries*) (*curses Netflix’s name*)

Now moving on to her parallels with Genya and Inej. I think that the loss of Heleen from season 2 (which I’ve shared my thoughts about a bit in the past so won’t go on about now) left a hole that was, in a way I didn’t quite expect, filled more by the Darkling than it was Pekka Rollins. There are multiple quotes from the Darkling this season, mostly directed towards Fruzsi and Genya, that I find to have very specific reminiscence of some of Heleen’s quotes from the the Six of Crows duology and this was the most obvious one for me, and the one that originally made me think of this particular comparison:

"I have always known your worth. Now show me," - the Darkling, s2e7, in the conversation where he specifically states that he bought Fruzsi and she specifically states that she owes him a debt for that

"I know your worth, little Lynx, right down to the cent" - Heleen, Six of Crows, to Inej when torturing Inej with the implication that she intends to find a way to bring her back to the Menagerie ("You'll wear my silks again, I promise")

(Also as a quick addition I think that so much can be said about Rachel Redford's acting in this specific moment of season 2 episode 7 after the Darkling delivers that line. She looks up at him, and the proxemics + their actual heights I must admit have a brilliant added effect to this, with what starts as such genuine sorrow but so quickly turns to such fierce determination before she shows him what she's capable of now that she has the amplifier. After her demonstration she is almost in shock at the revelation of what she was able to do but the pure exultation, the relief, the triumph in her expression does not even come close to existing until the moment that the Darkling says "extraordinary". He's not even looking at her - in fact, I don't doubt it possibly that he wasn't complimenting her herself but simply the creation of the amplifiers and their strength - but the expression on her face then is absolutely unmatched and it speaks VOLUMES) (I genuinely recommend rewatching that moment with this in mind because I cannot stop thinking about it)

And then layered on top of this, we have the tattoos. THE TATTOOS.

I made a specific post about the costuming in season 2, which you can read here if you’d like to, and that covers my thoughts on the new keftas but I didn’t go into detail on the tattoos at the time and I have a lot of thoughts about them. The Grishaverse, mostly the Six of Crows duology, uses tattoos incredibly symbolically and places particular emphasis on choosing to take the mark, creating a massively important bond to something that you deeply care about and will never want to break (gangs, Kaz’s ‘R’ for Rietveld), and being forced to take one on (the pleasure houses, of course most primarily Inej’s Menagerie tattoo). Although we don’t get as much emphasis on this since the show didn’t get the opportunity to explore the gang tattoos yet thus far (and I guess now it won’t *shakes fist at Netflix*) we did have focus surrounding Inej’s Menagerie tattoo and it’s removal in this season and, as much as I wish we’d been able to see her book canon tattoo removal (cut off by a butcher), this side by side comparison of the Grisha being given no option but to take on the amplifying tattoos and Nina using her Grisha power to remove Inej’s tattoo is absolutely fascinating and really well done.

So this for me creates an ongoing comparison between Fruzsi, Genya, and Inej - and taking on what I said about Fruzsi’s apparent absence from the Little Palace despite clearly having an established relationship with the Darkling and having been with him for some time, we can consider the earliest pieces of information we have about Genya’s life. Now it’s a long time since I read the S&B trilogy so I can’t remember if this specific detail is true to book canon but in the show Genya states that the Grisha testers found her when she was seven but that she was gifted to the Queen when she was eleven. We have no information about what happened to her during these four years, and yeah maybe she was at the Little Palace training but we don’t have confirmation of that and I wouldn’t trust the Darkling as far as I could throw him (which probably wouldn’t even crack a metre let’s be real). This also adds a really interesting layer to things with Fruzsi being the one instructed to show Genya off to the other Grisha as an example of what will happen if they try to betray the Darkling because we get this moment when she kneels down to take hold of Genya's chains and they are both sitting in the cage together that I think is really powerful in everything it says about how easily either of them could be in the other's position in that moment but we're also still very aware that Fruzsi has the far more power - or at least an illusion of it. In this same scene Baghra, about Genya, states "she served you loyally since she was a child, endured years of abuse on your orders, and you reduce her to an example? Oh Aleksander, where does this stop?" and honestly that is so brilliantly written (and so brilliantly delivered in the scene) that I don't think I need to say anything on top of it but when we consider this side by side with Fruzsi's position I think that this really is a very powerful parallel and a constant reminder that no-one who places their trust in the Darkling is ever safe, and that pretty much everyone on his side is there because of manipulation and because of abuse - be that abuse from the Darkling or abuse from others that the Darkling has so well learned how to manipulate in ways that are very, very similar to the way Jarl Brum manipulated and abused Matthias (I have written a lot about that too. I have strong feelings.)

I have so much fascination and I feel so much sympathy for Fruzsi and I think that this is one of the things that the show did so fantastically well in her and in the other Grisha on the Darkling’s side who are all manipulated and controlled by him in just the same way our protagonists were, who were ultimately still all very young people who had been attacked and threatened and made unsafe in their home for who they were and who were offered what they believed was the only solution. I think one of the greatest examples of this, other than Fruzsi, is seen in Vatra, the amplified Inferni who is so proud of herself when she brings the Hummingbird down - "Yes! I did it" and btw she says this with such an expression on her face I don't even have the words I would just genuinely recommend you rewatch the scene to get what I'm saying it's s2e7 around 24:30-50 she actually looks so proud of herself she's like a little kid and it's so soul-crushingly clever and incredibly well done and it breaks my heart she's been so successfully manipulated - because she so genuinely believes that she is doing the right thing and she is making a difference for her people, and even when she dies with her hand clutched in Fruzsi's she dies smiling. That girl breaks my heart every time I rewatch, and honestly even though she is presented in a more unlikeable way Fruzsi breaks my heart as well because I can see so much of our beloved characters in her and effectively what could have happened to them and what could have become of them if they hadn’t managed their escape. This duality and constant cause to question the morality of the characters is so brilliantly done and one of the biggest successes of the adaptation considering how well it was done in the books as well but could have been something difficult to translate between medias where exposition is concerned, and I think that Fruzsi was an incredible example of this and that we really should talk about her more

Thanks for reading my nonsense ramblings if you got this far, I hope that it made sense and was at least somewhat interesting <33

[holdmytesseract]

Lost

Daryl Dixon x fem!Reader

Summary: Daryl isn't the same since the incident at the bridge. He rather searches in the woods for his brother, than staying in Alexandria. He needs space - and you respect that. But when you visit him, all your dreams and hopes come crashing down at what you stumble upon...

Warnings: usual TWD stuff, some swear words, mentions of cheating? angst, kinda sad

Set in Season 10!

Word Count: 2,6k

a/n: Finally I made it to write another Daryl oneshot! Yay! 😁 I watched episode 18 of season 10 and well... Got this idea - and it turned out to be kinda sad, honestly... 🙈 I hope you enjoy it! Also, sorry to all the Leah fans out there! 🙈

Tagging: @in-this-minute @thefemininemystiquee @hotgirlsshareaccounts @azanoni @lokisgoodgirl

If you want to be added to my Daryl taglist, please let me know!

MASTERLIST ǁ PART TWO

The sun was about to set, when you saw the walls of the Kingdom appear in the distance. You stopped the beautiful brown horse you sat upon, just for a moment to watch the orange-reddish sun go down and get replaced by the moon. You'd never get tired of watching sunsets... Never. Not even in a world like this. Unfortunately got your moment of peace and silence interrupted by an all too familiar groan and snarl, followed by the sound of heavy steps through the high grass. You sighed and looked to your left, seeing a single walker making its way over to you. He was not quite fast, due to the fact that his right leg was almost completely sliced up. Anyways, it was time to go. "Come on, buddy." You gently nudged the horse's side with your legs, causing the strong animal to start walking again. Leaving the lonely walker easily behind yourself, you made your way to the gates of the Kingdom, which got immediately opened for you to ride in. "Hey, Y/N." Dianne greeted you with a small smile. "Dianne." You nodded at her, smiling as well. "Carol is already waiting for you in the cinema." The archer said, as you descended from your horse. "Thought so." "Go, meet her. I'll take care of this one." Dianne said, patting the animal's neck with one hand and taking the rein in her other hand. You gave her another nod. "Thanks." You expected to be already awaited by Carol, since you promised her to be here by noon. Well... Nightfall wasn't exactly noon. Unfortunately, there were a few things who got in the way and - let's say you got a bit... distracted as well.

"Carol, hey." You greeted her, walking down the aisle between the rows of seats, direction stage. "Y/N! Finally!" She stormed towards you immediately, "I already was afraid that something might've happened to you!" and hugged you tightly. "'M sorry, Carol. There were a few walker incidents and... other things I came across."

You had made the journey from Alexandria to the Kingdom, because you promised your friends to help them with their problems. The Kingdom was more than less falling apart so slowly. Especially the old, rusty and brittle pipe system worried the people. As chance would have it, your dad had been a plumber and you learned how to forge in Hilltop from Earl almost a year ago, so...

"Other things you came across?" Your friend, which whom you've known for years now asked with a raised eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. "What is that supposed to mean?" "Well, um-" "No, no, wait a second... I know that face." She said, starting to smirk, "Is this 'other thing you came across' coincidentally named Daryl?" and wiggling her eyebrows.

Carol knew, of course, just like your other closest friends, that you and Daryl basically were a thing. You were already living in Alexandria, when Rick and his group joined the community. The strong and tough, yet shy and loyal archer caught your sight immediately; harbouring a schoolgirl crush on him since then. It only got worse when he taught you how to fight, after the Wolves attacked and the big herd of walkers, flooding through the gates of Alexandria. Someway, somehow you managed to get closer to him, tearing down these walls he had built around him. You took it slow, gave him all the time he needed; taking step after step - and well... At some point you kind of just... got together. He was the man you never knew you needed in your life – and suddenly there he was. The man you never thought you were going to find, and due to the end of the world, did.

A sad sigh left your lips, as you hung your head and shook it. "No... I wish it would've been like this... I haven't seen him in weeks - months..." "I'm sorry, Y/N. I didn't know, I..." You shook your head once again and looked up to meet Carol's eyes. "No, don't worry. It's alright." She saw of course the tears, which had started to gather in your eyes and placed immediately a hand on your shoulder. "It clearly isn't. Come." Carol nodded towards the seats and guided you over, where you two sat down in the first row. "Spill it. What happened?" You took a deep breath and rested your head in your hands. "Nothing particularly, I... I don't know. It's just... I'm afraid I might lose him. Since Rick's death, he distanced himself. You know what I'm talking about..." Carol's face held a compassionate, yet sad gaze as she nodded. "I understand that. Gods, I never could not understand it. He lost his brother that day. A part of his family - of his history. I know that he had to do this... Go out there, live in the woods and search for Rick, but... That was almost two years ago." You said with a sigh. "I miss him, Carol. I miss spending time with him. I miss going out to hunt with him. I miss driving around with him on his bike. I miss him, sleeping next me. I feel so cold at night. So lonely. I miss his presence, his attention, his warm embraces... I miss how he used to kiss me; how he used to hold me after we..." You trailed off, as you realised what you were going to say. Not that you didn't trust your friend, but you didn't want to spill the secrets of your more intimate interactions with Daryl. "You know..." You just said instead, lowering your head again, fumbling with your fingers.

Once more you felt the gentle touch of the woman's hand on your shoulder. "I know, Y/N... I know what you mean. I noticed it as well. He shuts himself more and more off." She stated with a sad tone in her voice. If someone knew, then it was Carol. After all, she and Daryl were the definition of best friends. "I would just join him, you know... Living with him in the woods, probably search for a sweet, little hut to live there, but I know that he wouldn't want this. I know that he needs space and time to heal the gaping wound Rick left behind. He needs - wants to do this alone. And besides, he wouldn't want me to risk my life. He feels better when I'm behind the safe walls of Alexandria, so..." You paused for a short moment. "I let him be. I have no other choice. It just scares the shit outta me, you know. I often find myself laying awake at night, thinking that something could happen to him out there. What if he gets himself hurt or attacked by a herd of walkers? Or God forbid, what if he comes across bad people and gets killed? What if he dies? I am afraid I might lose him - no..." You felt a tear running down your cheek. "I'm afraid I already lost him..." Carol had been quiet until now, listened closely and patiently what you clearly had to get off your chest. "Y/N... I understand your fears and worries, but we both know that Daryl is a survivor. If someone can survive out there alone, it's him." Then she reached for your hand, took it in hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "And I can assure you that you didn't lose him. Every time I visit him, all he does is asking about you. Asks how you are and what you've been up to lately. He wants to make sure that you are safe and healthy. And every time I tell him about you, I can see how his face lights up and how that soft, rare smile appears on his face. I can see the love in his eyes, Y/N. He's never lost it. Never." You sobbed at her words, wiping away the tears and feeling your heart ache for the man you learned to love so much. "R-Really?" She gave you a small smile, nodding. "Really." You couldn't help but to break out into a smile as well. Daryl was still here - and he still loved you and cared about you. "Do you... Do you know where he is? Last time I wanted to visit him at his old place, he was gone... I-I gotta see him." Your friend nodded. "I just saw him last week. I know where he is." Carol showed you on a map, where the river was located, at which Daryl was currently staying at. "Thank you, Carol." She smiled at you. "Of course, Y/N. Can't let my favourite couple just split apart, can I? But don't tell him I was the one who told you. You know that he just wants you to be safe." A soft giggle left your lips, "Promise." before you both made your way towards the Kingdom's pipe problem, taking a look at the damage.

On the next morning, you were beginning to work on fixing the problem, together with a few other members of the Kingdom. Thoughts were running wildly through your head; heart thudding against your ribcage, as you worked on the old, unstable pipe system to somehow get it fixed - but you just couldn't concentrate. The fact that you were now able to see him again sent your body and feelings into overdrive. You couldn't wait to feel his callous, but gentle hands enveloping yours. You couldn't wait to wrap your arms around his strong, broad body. You couldn't wait to taste his lips with yours again and hopefully just dive into the depths of the love you shared with him. All you could think about was him - which you got punished for. "Ouch!" You yelped, as the hammer didn't come down on the metal, but on your thumb. You hissed and let go of the piece of metal and took a look at the damage. "Y/N?! Everything alright?!" Carol's voice urged to your ears, from around the corner. "Yeah, fine!" You called out, reassuring her. "Just accidentally hit my thumb." "You sure?" "Yeah!"

Unfortunately, this wasn't the only 'incident' that happened to you that day. You just weren't able to focus on the task ahead... "Y/N, I think you should stop working for today."  Carol stated, approaching you with her arms crossed over her chest. "But I-" "No." She shook her head interrupting you and shaking her head. "You are absent-minded. So slowly I'm afraid you are really going to hurt yourself badly - or damage the already damaged pipes even more, so..." You looked at her, eyes fill with sorrow. You already wanted to apologise and tell her, that you'd try to focus now, but Carol was faster. "Go to him." She said, a smile spread over her face. You blinked. "B-But... I promised to help you..." "Yes, but not in the moment. I know you want to see Daryl, so go, have a wonderful night with him and come back to help us. Deal?" You breathed out a soft laugh, nodding. "Deal." You grabbed your things and Carol's map; and immediately went to the stables to get your horse. Securing your knives to your belt and slinging your bow and arrows over your shoulder, you sat up on the brown stallion. "Let's go, find him." The guards on the gates let you out, closing the steel 'door' behind you.

As fast as possible you rode towards the river, navigating through the woods. It was another thing you learned from Daryl. Using maps correctly - and in that moment, you were more than just grateful that he taught you that.

When you saw a tent appearing in distance and something that looked like a mini camp, you descended from the horse and decided to walk the last distance. You could clearly tell that it was Daryl's camp, what caused your lips to curl into a bright smile. You quickened your steps, impatient on seeing him finally again. You could already hear that deep, gruff southern voice of his, making your heart beat faster. You didn't waste a thought on who he was talking to. Why would you? Your brain was clouded with sheer happiness and utter joy to see your man again. But then you reached the mini camp - and suddenly that thought you discarded mere seconds ago came back to you and hit you harder than a bullet ever could. Daryl sat by the river, surrounded by colourful leaves, which had fallen from the trees. His angel-winged vest seemed like to shimmer in the warm autumn sun. He had his arms wrapped around his legs; gaze directed on the quiet and peaceful river - but he wasn't alone. A woman with light brown hair was sitting next to him. She was laughing and smiling and to you, they seemed to be pretty close. Like in a trance, you took a few cautious steps forward, like you hadn't seen enough already. Like your heart wasn't about to break any second.

You witnessed with tears in your eyes, how the woman placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned closer to peck his cheek. In that moment, you felt how your heart clattered to the ground, shattering into a million pieces. You couldn't believe this. You never thought Daryl was the type to cheat, but well... Apparently you were wrong about this - about him.

Sure, you could've just left without a single word, but the disappointment and anger you felt inside you wouldn't have it. "So that's what you've been doing all those months, distancing yourself from me. I see..." You spoke up, desperately trying to sound cold and hiding the quiver in your voice. Your words caught immediately both their attention, of course, causing them to spin around to face you. While you could clearly see all the colour draining from Daryl's face in shock, was the woman looking at you confused. "Y/N..." Your name on his lips sounded suddenly so utterly wrong... Before you knew it, the man literally jumped to his feet, already making his way over to you, his heavy boots hitting the wooden ground. "Y/N, 'm sorry, this... This isn't how it looks, gods, I swear, I..." He tried to desperately explain himself, but the damage was done. For you, it was more than clear. You had connected the dots. Daryl reached for you, placed his hands gently on your arms, but you flinched away from his touch, "D-Don't..." and took a few steps backwards. Panic flashed in his blue eyes. "I-I have seen enough a-and now I really know why you s-shut yourself off." With those words you turned around to leave. You hadn't the strength to look at him - or her for even a minute longer. Daryl came of course after you, once again tried to explain everything and apologise, but the lot of his words never reached you. You felt like numbed; only acting on instinct. "Y/N, please..." You ignored him and sat on your horse. "I-I love ya!" Daryl said, clearly desperate. The words stung in your heart. "Really? Doesn't seem like it." You answered, tears blurring your vision, before you gently nudged the sides of the stallion. "Y/N!" He called your name once again, but without looking back, you rode away.

You didn't hear the heart-breaking scream, which left Daryl's lips. "Goddamit!" Why was he such a damn idiot? The archer asked himself, on the verge of breaking down. Once again, he fucked everything up. Once again, he made a mistake, which caused him to lose the only good thing in his life. The woman he loved so much.

a/n: Perhaps there is going to be a part 2? 👀

[bite-the-bloody-hand]

@dujour13 very kindly tagged me in the Companion First Impressions tag game! Check out her answers for the magnificent Siavash here.

I have not officially completed the game yet though I've been spoiled on a lot of the ending haaa... so just treat this as Zell's thoughts after your average Azata ending, and I'll come back later once I've gone mad with power.

Tagging @rlainarin Give your KC’s first impression and final opinion of each of their companions!

First Impressions:

Seelah: You seem... charmingly sincere for Iomedae's lot. And I owe you for getting Terendelev so quickly... I guess we'll see how getting out of here goes, yeah?

Camellia: I don't even know you, and already I know it's gonna be you or me. I can smell the old blood under your nails... I wonder whose it is?

Lann: Wow buddy, how'd you get your head so far up your ass with that horn? Impressive.

Wenduag: Normally I don't appreciate strangers telling me what to do, but you aren't nearly as threatening as you think you are… and you're right about Lann being reckless.

Woljif: You've got the air of ehh... talented grifter who blows his winnings like a pimp, no wonder you got nailed. Anyway, want to go scandalize the neighbors with me?

Ember: Little one, I absolutely agree that they were just scared stupid men in a crisis, but you don't want to smack 'em around even a little bit? All right... we do it your way for now. I guess we'll see about next time too. And the time after that...

Daeran: Hnh, you were the single voice of reason back in the square yet play an imbecile party boy in your own home... So what should I know about you, Count? Whatever you're hiding smells like bad blood.

Nenio: Normally I'd be more wary about someone wanting to do 'experiments' on people a goofiness about you that I respect. I want to see where you're going with all this.

Galfrey: I love how you think you're being cute and clever but you have 'I am in a crisis because nobody is acknowledging me' disease and I can smell it from here.

Sosiel: You seem. Nice. I'm sure we'll get along fine, you just remind me of someone I'd rather not be thinking about just now.

Regill: Oh a Godclaw? The Hellknight mental gymnastics champions? Color me intrigued. Don't tell anyone, but I'm glad someone else around here isn't squeamish about making hard decisions in a bad situation.

Arueshalae: Never once have I imagined I'd meet a demon who would change my life for the better, but... strange things keep happening. We both strive for the impossible, ey? Perhaps we strive together.

Greybor: Weird how I'm two for two on a stranger giving me orders and me being okay with it, but I have been bewitched by your weirdly paternal swagger.

Ulbrig: BRO YOU'RE HUGE. AND ON TOP OF ME. BUY A MAN DINNER FIRST, DAMN. My fuckin *ribs* guy....

Trevor: Ah shit, man. Let's get you home.

Parting thoughts (Normal Azata Ending Edition):

Seelah: Stay questioning, my friend. A life full of joy doesn't mean a life of easy answers, you know? You keep your heart open, and I'll always be keeping an eye out.

Camellia: You just had to keep on lying.

Lann: You are like a brother to me (but sometimes I still want to commit fratricide you SHITHEAD. I love you.)

Wenduag: Is there no world in which you find your peace in life? I know I could have done more, but I don't know what that was supposed to be. I failed you just as much as you failed yourself.

Woljif: Tch, I can't wait to watch you turn into a rich, fat, happy old ram. Maybe cool it on the securities fraud for a little bit, I can't be breaking you out of prison. I mean I will but I don't wanna.

Ember: Kindness really is infectious, yeah? You helped me be a kinder version of myself. I'm so glad to know you.

Daeran: Ah, my best friend; love of my life. What an unexpected surprise, to feel so cherished... I wish you'd let the rest of the world see you the way I do. I never could have done this without you.

Nenio: Well, Professor? What new experiments shall we try next? Your loyal assistant is ever ready!

Galfrey: I'd pity you if I felt like that would fix anything. Everything that wasn't your fault was made your problem; I hope you can find it in your heart to rest from that someday.

Sosiel: Ah I guess you aren't so bad... Nah get back here and hug me, fool. I will see you at Harvest, make sure you're drawing silly things to stay loose.

Regill: Master Derenge, it has been an honor. I will always hold your memory in esteem.

Arueshalae: Hey, keep your chin up, recovering from your old life is going to take time. You know I'll be around, yeah? Always at your back, sister.

Greybor: Don't look at me like that, I'm not being smug at all. Anyway tell your family hi from me, hm? You'll be seeing fruit and flowers from me soon enough.

Ulbrig: I guess... I suppose we'll see each other again sometime, somewhere. Good luck to you, my friend.

Trevor: Give yourself the grace of patience, my friend. I will come to you when you need.

[malin-moon]

Hey Mal👋

Sleep has evaded me and so my brain has the urge bother other people about it.

Since there are "Top 5" polls going around, I was wondering: 1) Who are your current top 5 Thai GL pairs?

2) As a fellow BounPrem enjoyer, now that they're with GMM, what top 5 genres/tropes would you like to see from them in regards to future projects?

Please never feel pressured to answer anything I send lol I'm just a curious bean.

Also

Thank you for tagging me in the poll thingy, I just have weird social anxiety where I think no one care about my opinions so I didn't do it ❤️

-GASP- Have I made it into the inner circle? 👋🏻 Hey Sammi!

Who are your top 5 Thai GL pairs?

Faye/Yoko's chemistry in "Blank" is off the charts. Say what you want about the show, but you cannot deny their talent. It would be great to see them star in something that hasn't been shrouded in controversy so that more people will support them. It's what they deserve!

I enjoyed watching June/View play together in 23.5. They really stole the show for me! I don't know if GMMTV has plans to put them together in another series, but I would not object.

I know "Dream" isn't everyone's favorite series right now -there seems to be a pattern-, but I am very much enjoying Fay/May and their characters. Kim/Wan's relationship is super flawed, and I like how they have conveyed that so far. I happen to have a huge crush on May Yada lol and I feel bad that they seem to get overlooked whenever they have events together with Billy/Babe.

You can't mention Thai GL without mentioning Freen/Beck. @hallowpen is really fond of them, and they've shared stories and interviews in the GC that make it pretty clear how much the girls value and cherish one another. It's really beautiful to see such a strong female bond. I'm eager to watch "The Loyal Pin" because "GAP" felt like a chore to watch -it's just my opinion, don't come for me lol-

I loved Milk/Love as Ink/Pa in "Bad Buddy". I didn't feel as attached to them as Ongsa/Sun. I think they should get another go as GL leads, in a series that's a bit more challenging for them. I know Milk can ACT and I don't think we've seen all there is to see from Love.

As a fellow BounPrem enjoyer, what top 5 genres/tropes would you like to see from them in regard to future projects?

I'm a horror girlie! Anything in that wheelhouse would be super fun! I don't count "Long Khong", Boun was barely in it lol We've seen bits of them flexing this particular acting muscle with Prem in "The Box" and future Boun -if he's still a part of it- in "Zomvivor". But I want to see them really go for it.

Boun achieved his Vampire dream, now let him have his mafia, action, crime drama fantasy. I think Prem would dig action, too. Make it enemies to lovers, mayhaps? This one's for you Sammi!

Boun/Prem do longing really well! Let's upgrade them from a side couple in someone else's fated love story to starring in their own.

I won't say no to another -or several more- fantasy series after "Revamp". I know in my gut that it will be fangtastic -insert corny smile here-

Take a page from Zee/NuNew and have Boun/Prem do a royalty romance! "The Prince and Me" gay Thai version. Hell yeah! *Put them in anything with a GMMTV GL pair. Let them interact with the lovely female talent that is so often underused over there.

[tacky-optic]

Had a question about who our favorite Zenigata partner is in a server I'm in and now I can't stop thinking about them. Tis the zaza sickness.

anyway here's literally all of the characters Zenigata's been partnered with that i could find (within reason). if anyone wants to elaborate on any of these guys (cough yata cough) please feel free to go absolutely ham. *(obligatory spoiler warning for a whole lotta lupin specials, waow-- notably zenigata keibu since that's probably the most unwatched of everything i cover. but if youre here im guessing youre as unfortunately well-versed as i am so LETS FRIGGIN GET INTO IT)

Starting off nice n' mellow. I'm pretty neutral on Yata, tbh. I just think he's neat and it's easy enough to write him and not much else. I've rambled about him being a stand-in for the viewer before, but overall i just don't have all that many thoughts on the guy (seriously someone please do yata). ironic considering he's hands-down the most prevalent sidekick to date, but alas. head remains empty.

MARIYA. Mariya my girlie oh how i love thee. finally, someone with a Gimmick on par with Mr. my-sword-can-cut-anything. Plus she's super sweet and smart and sharp and just an all-around endearing character. AND SHE'S DIFFERENT!! she's tagging along with Zenigata of her OWN FREE WILL like gurl what are you THINKING. there isn't a shred of coherent interview material to draw from this man, especially about Lupin. The dynamic they end up developing is on point, though!! Zenigata's initial total miscall of it aside, It's just plain ol' wholesome. If Yata's his surrogate son than Mariya's obviously his daughter. No shot in hell they don't at least keep in contact after the special's done. plus her snapping a pic of him every time he eats shit is peak comedy journalism

MOTHAFUCKIN' MELON COP!! an absolutely magical reefer-smokin' shitbag, especially in the edgy Tokyopop translation. He's a great foil to our otherwise serious(ly neurotic) manga Zenigata. Not to mention the combative potential with a down the line Melon.... ough. A more toned-down "newer part"-esque Zeni getting slapped with an extremely smug and insistent reminder of his angstlord past is such a delicious concept to me. i will be using this guy extensively in that exact way one of these days-- he's too fun not to.

a bit of a sidenote but i've gotta point fingers at gray jacket again (can't recommend it enough) for having my favorite melon depiction in fic; walther recently had him show up in their fic secondhand vanity as well (which i also can't recommend enough), so needless to say i think he has some fun potential.

Sakuraba and Kunikida from the live-action show get honorable mentions, obviously. They're both so different yet learn so much from Zenigata all the same. As far as reacting to the inspector goes, they're the ideal Yatas (again i am so so sorry yata-- surely someone will do you justice). Even though they aren't technically "new" to the force they're new to the Zenigata Shenanigans, and that is where the entertainment factor is. Sakuraba's the traditionalist keibu method-doubter whereas Kunikida's this mousey blue around the gills fella, and over their respective case file appearances, they both gain faith in/learn confidence from Zenigata, respectively. It really is a great bit of development to watch play out.

I'm gonna count The Guys™️ as a collective group/formless mass with maybe one of the Guyest of Guys as Zenigata's right hand Guy, like that one dude in Cagliostro. Apparently the name he's given in one of the dubs is Sam?? That's neat. Sam's neat. for anyone interested in some homework, here's the link to the highly informative lupin forum thread i found that out from: [x]

But yeah the Guys! Right from the start, Zenigata having this army of inexplicably and absurdly loyal cops was always a fun trope and i love to see 'em whenever they show up. I had this idea ages ago for this fake documentary-style miniseries based around them-- all the usual Lupin nonsense goes on in the background while we get a peek at the typically unseen shenanigans happening on the law-bearing side. Getting assigned to the lupin taskforce is probably seen as some kind of punishment, but that just makes the camaraderie all the more tight-knit. There'd be some behind-the-scenes Zenigata/how he interacts with them, what they get up to on their own whack case assignments when they're in a Lupin sighting lull.... hell maybe we even learn why they're all so damn loyal to this one supposedly hyper-independent guy. I think it'd be fun but maybe that's just the Zenigata hopeful in me. Surely he's capable of building some semblance of rapport with the fine group of folks he drags around the world with him....

Let's just rip the band-aid off-- I dislike Oscar with a burning passion. which is weird, right? because i like Melon Cop, the dude who's totally cool with straight-up cold-blooded judge/jury/executioner-style murder. I dunno dude the obsessive daddy kink simping's just too feckin' weird for me. i checked the hell out so fast. If the goal was to make Oscar extremely disquieting, they friggin' did it. Granted he was written to be a bit whack from the start, and getting raised(?)/mentored by THAT Zenigata would irreversibly mess anyone up. I get that the fucked up-ness is part of the appeal, but man. How anyone can gravitate towards Oscar without heavily modifying his whole deal escapes me.

I've seen him written tolerably in fic maybe... twice? He's in gray jacket (there it is again!) and SMRO (needs no introduction nor explanation), so obligatory kudos to anyone who can wrangle [gestures vaguely at all of that].

Vicky though. Vicky Flannigan from Island of Assassins is so goddamn funny. Still can't believe they took one of the most badass Zenigata character designs and actively went out of their way to make him bedridden. I've seen folks call him "Proto-Yata" and. Yeah. Can't argue. He's a glorified babysitter, if anything, and the only reason he's even remotely effective is because he (accidentally) broke both of Zenigata's legs. Funniest shit istg

ICPO LADIES!!! They're cute. Designs could be better but it's Babylon yknow. Despite being an admittedly fun romp, the special has its obvious.... uh. issues. product of its time and all that. iykyk. anyway LADIES. They're competent. They take No Shit from Zenigata. The random little crush that comes out of nowhere between Chinjao and Goemon is cute as hell. Plus, I've seen some pretty rockin' fandom redesigns floating around.... wouldn't mind in the slightest if they made a comeback.

I'm gonna lump all of the Betrayers into one category: Emily O'Brien from Angel Tactics, Kazami from Fuma Conspiracy, and Terry Crown from Alcatraz Connection. Never expected the "Zenigata's partner is the bad guy!!1" trope would be so prevalent, but it tracks in retrospect. It's a neat enough idea-- bummer they never seemed to nail it down, though.

The only reason O'Brien is so predictable is because she's so goddamn unlikable. There's hardly any screentime of them working together and in every single scene, the incompetency just feels so blatantly intentional its almost offensive lmao. Zero surprise in the slightest when she showed her true colors-- just mild annoyance, which tracks for the whole special tbh. Only worthwhile parts are the beginning and the end, and absolutely none of that has anything to to with O'Brien.

Kazami just has that chump secondary villain face y'know. Again, a bit on the nose how obnoxiously dorkish he is-- but them playing up him putting on his glasses so Fujiko can recognize him got a little laugh outta me, ngl. He served his purpose, plain and simple.

I'll never know whether Crown was predictable or not because I stumbled across ""Evil Columbo"" before I watched Alcatraz, but despite the spoiler I can at least say he isn't lame as shit. Pre-reveal, he's probably the closest we'll get to a taste of what Melon might be like in modern Lupin media. He's your run-of-the-mill corrupt sleazebag detective-- steals evidence, generally doesn't give a fuck, takes cheap jabs at Zenigata-- but their final standoff is what puts him above Kazami for me. Just a real melodramatic overdramatic moment of Zenigata Zenigata-ing his heart out.

Welcome to the ELDERLY MEN CATEGORY, OORAH. The old guy from Twilight Gemini, Kogoro Akechi from the pilot, and George McFly from First Contact. I could track down Gemini old guy's name, but I hand-to-god couldn't care less. The only worth a damn thing Gemini's given me is that one jigzeni screenshot, so we're just gonna move on to the next two.

Not much of Akechi, huh. He only shows up in the pilot and doesn't do anything of note besides be someone for Lupin to disguise himself as. Dare i say Goemon was a more effective ally to Zenigata than Akechi...? yeah sure, why not. Goemon's a zeni sidekick. i'll die on that hill. anyway I believe he's also a reference to a pre-existing character...? like Lupin, Goemon, and Zenigata are. All in all its probably for the best that he didn't make it to part 1.

Finally, the only old guy that actually has aspects to talk about. I actually really like McFly and the role he plays in First Contact; it isn't Zenigata learning from whoever his partner may be, but McFly learning from Zenigata. He's a jaded, on-the-verge-of-retirement type that thinks he's seen all the force has to offer, but here comes this young (is he considered "young" in this?? early, maybe) freak-ass foreigner cop with a vendetta he's practically frothing at the mouth to rectify. Neither of them are exactly enthused to be working together, but McFly sticks around anyway and learns to see past a lot of Zenigata's first impression baggage; the tenacity, the passion, the genuineness of it all. Not only does he want to make real change, but the crazy bastard can actually friggin' do it. ...Or at the very least make a sizable dent.

Zenigata sincerely adheres to the idea of what a cop's supposed to be, fundamentally, and not what a "cop" actually is, as a vague collective occupational concept. Zenigata has a genuine effect on McFly-- enough to make him just the slightest bit less soured by the end of it all. It's a nice sentiment; that no matter where you are in life, ideas can still change. It's a small arc that flies beneath the radar of everything else, but i noticed it. I FRIGGIN' NOTICED IT, MAN

tl;dr Zenigata's a lonely guy, sure, but he doesn't have to be.

That should cover all of the significant parts/specials/movies, but if i missed anyone (any notable episodes? manga?) lemme know. Either way, it's nice finally having 'em all in one place.

[weird-barbie]

Effie Trinket / Hayffie Headcanons (probably pt 1) hokay here we go

-Effie's name is just Effie - it's not short for anything. Yes I know the use of Euphemia in a lot of fanfiction ties into most Capitol names being Greco-Roman in nature but I think it's important to distinguish Effie's name from the others while still recognizing that tie and here's why

-Effie doesn't come from money - we know that not everyone in the Capitol even made it through the 'first' uprising with their lives and if you put Effie at about 40 in the 75th games (which I do personally) this means she was born around the 35th which is only 25 years after ABOSAS which isn't really that long. Long enough to take a generally poor family (during the 10th games) to a lower middle class family (during the 35th) if you worked really hard and scrimped and saved, but they're not going to reap wealth in one generation without connections, which I don't think they had.

-I have Effie's mother as a seamstress (duh) and her father in a labor position - there wouldn't be enough avoxes to cover all of the labor the Capitol needs ever so someone has to do the dirty work. She's also an only child because kids are expensive. To me, 'Euphemia' is an upper class name. Effie isn't. It's the one thing she keeps that ties her to her past. So how did she wind up being an Escort? -Well for one thing she's one of the most determined women in Panem, she's sharp as a tack and quick as a whip, and you don't learn style without being into fashion and you don't get into fashion without absorbing art like it's water. She'd have faked her way right into the Academy if only she had the resources to make the clothes for herself that she was churning out and dreaming up for her studies, but she didn't. She was a relatively poor girl with talent and resourcefulness that looks a lot like Tigris' talent and resourcefulness and you know who would've noticed that? Coriolanus Snow.

-Before you get ahead of me, no, I don't subscribe to any kind of belief of an infatuation here from either side and I don't wander into that ship tag (go off if you do it's not my thing) but I do think that Snow (by the 53rd games - so approaching his mid 60s?) definitely has a hand in selecting students for the key programs in the Academy that flow on to having an impact on the Games themselves. And this woman - young and blonde (we'll talk about her wigs another time) and talented and determined and loyal reminds him too much of who Tigris could've been to just pass on her because she can't afford the tuition (am I being obvious enough with these parallels?).

That's all for now but I might come back with more later. I...didn't get to Haymitch at all but I will.

[bl-bam-beyond]

10 BL Characters I Want Carnally

i've seen this trend going around and though I wasn't tagged particularly some of my mutuals said or whomever wants to do it so why not. My choices reaches the hundreds and many won't agree but we are all individuals so here are my choices. GIFS BY ME. So here we go from 10 to 1

10. Mork- Fish Upon The Sky

Mork is a character you love or hate. There is no in between. I love him because he is flawed. He makes dumb choices and doesn't listen. But in my opinion he loves with his whole heart. Despite his bad choices. Just My Opinion

9. Tinn- My School President

Tinn loves and he loves hard. He doesn't give up and will do anything for the one he loves. And the way he looks at Gun and gets lost in him. Adorable.

8. Palm- Never Let Me Go

He is protective. Putting himself in harm's way. Yes it's his job but he is willing to go above and beyond. Plus I'm just a huge POND fan. It is what it is.

7. Tan- Manner of Death

A man of mystery. A man of passion. Plus his body is amazing and he's gorgeous.

6. Tang Yi- HIStory 3: Trapped

A fashion plate. A man of passion. A Hunk. A man out for truth and willing to follow his path. A man that needs release from prison. RIGHT DAMN NOW, TAIWAN!!!!

5. Pisaeng- Be My Favorite

Pisaeng is someone that wants to know himself and the person he loves. He's generous and loyal. He's gorgeous and rich. He has a huge heart and a nice car. And like POND I love me some GAWIN/FLUKE

4. Forth- 2 Moons 2

A passionate guy initially wanting Phana's man but gave his whole heart to his true destiny Beam. Strong yet sensitive. And it's Pavel. What else can I say.

3. Jiang Chi- Stay By My Side

A simple and intelligent man good at everything. Willing to put himself out there for the one he loves. He is like Tinn (MSP) and Pisaeng (BMF) he looks at the man he loves no matter how flawed he is like he's the only man in the world. He is pure of heart. Looks handsome but rough yet is so gentle and loving.

2. Barry- OH Mando

Just Look At Him.

1. Shin Ki Tae (Gi Tae) - Our Dating Sim

What can I say. I adore him. And the body this man hid under those clothes. Oh My Lord I saw him on X (formerly Twitter) working out. The man's body is tighter than a Salvation Army Drum. And body isn't all that important but it's nice to see a shirtless (and pantless) guy that is ripped like paper through a shredder. Plus Shin Ki Tae was one of my faves.

And now for 10 Honorable Mentions in no particular order.

Phumjai- Love in Translation

Babe- Pit Babe

Jae Young- Semantic Error

Ida- Kieta Hatsukoi

Ryuji- Kimi to Nara Koi Wo Shite Mite Mo

Yang- Love in Translation

TaeSeong- Cherry Blossoms After Winter

Yamato- Kimi ni wa Todokanai (I Cannot Reach You)

Nuengdiao- Never Let Me Go

Shin- Minato Shouji Coin Laundry

@pose4photoml @lutawolf @thewayofsubtext and @kingofthereblog-boysloveed

[notgonnaedit]

Healer's Heart

Rescue On Ryloth

Summary: When Order 66 ushers in a new era, Althea and the Batch must find their place

Pairing: Bad Batch x Teen!OFC (clones being good brothers/dads)

Chapter summary: A distress call from a young girl prompts the Batch to save her parents from the Empire

Warnings: Canon-untypical violence, injury, paternal Hunter, strategy Omega, use of a knive, mentions of assassination attempt (If I miss a tag LMK)

Master list

Althea played with the leather cord around her neck, rubbing the pendant between her finger and her thumb. She sat in a console chair, watching quietly as Omega attempted to repair Gonky.

Hunter walked by, offering a kind smile to the medic and ruffling her hair before turning to Omega. Sparks flew from Gonky's control panel.

"What's going on here?" The tracker asked.

"Gonky's prime power source won't fully charge." The girl explained. "I'm fixing it."

"You can't." Hunter told her. "He's a defective unit."

"Hunter," Tech called from the cockpit. The Sergeant walked past to see what he needed as Gonky honked sadly.

"Don't worry," Omega said, patting his side. "We're defective too."

Hunter leaned on one of the chairs, awaiting an explanation from Tech.

"We are receiving a recorded transmission, but I do not recognize the this frequency." The mechanic said.

"Patch it through." Hunter told him. Althea had walked in now too and was leaning on the co-pilot's chair next to Echo.

Tech pressed a button and a holomessage of a green skinned Twi'lek girl came through. She was kneeling and her expression was worrisome. "Omega, it's Hera. You have to come back to Ryloth."

"Isn't she the kid from the weapons drop?" Asked Wrecker. When the dropped of the weapons on the moon orbiting Ryloth, there had been a young girl Omega had shown the ship to. She was the one sending the message.

Omega ran in to the cockpit, her brow furrowed. "Hera?"

"The Empire's taken my parents, and they're after me now too." Hera explained. "I'm sending you coordinates. Please hurry. I need your help." The recording ended, leaving a frozen image of the scared Twi'lek girl.

Hunter sat in a seat, lowering to Omega's height. "You gave her our comm channel?"

The blonde nodded. "For emergencies, and that sounded pretty urgent. We have to go."

"Perhaps the situation is not as dire as described." Tech suggested. "Children often overreact."

"No, we don't." Omega retorted.

Althea nodded. "Did you not hear her say that the Empire has her parents? She needs us."

"Girls," Hunter said, causing Althea to turn to face him. "It's a big galaxy. We can't put ourselves on the line everytime someone's in trouble."

"Why not?" Omega asked. "Isn't that what soldiers do?"

That struck a chord in Hunter. He may have been trying to create a new life for them, but Omega was right. They were soldiers, whether they liked it or not.

                      •°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Tech landed the Marauder in a ravine alcove, hidden in the walls of Ryloth. When they walked down the ramp, an astromech droid wheeled out, warbling angrily at them.

"What's his problem?" Wrecker asked.

"Thank you for coming." Out from the shadows came Hera, her green eyes laced with worry. "I wasn't sure you would."

"You said you were in trouble." Omega told her, as if it was obvious that they would come.

"Care to tell us why the Empire is after you?" Hunter asked as he took a few steps forward.

The girl looked at the ground. "Because my father is Cham Syndulla."

Tech looked up from his datapad, pushing up his goggles. "The freedom fighter?"

Hera nodded. "Yes. This was his old command outpost." She gestured to the area around them. "It's where I've been hiding. The Empire's begun targeting anyone loyal to him."

"What do you want us to do?" Asked Echo.

"Free my parents from the Capitol. That's where they're being held." Upon seeing their hesitation, she quickly added, "They can pay you if you get them out. Please, I don't have anyone else to ask."

Althea's heart went out to her. She seemed so desperate and alone, not unlike her a while back. She moved to Hera's side, Omega with her, and nodded. She looked to Hunter, silently asking him to help the girl.

"Let's see what we're up against first." The Sergeant said. "But no guarantees."

Omega side-eyed him, as if saying they could do more.

                       •°•°•°•°•°•

The Batch and Hera (and Chopper) sat on a cliff over looking the Capitol. It wasn't too far away, but none of them could hear the Admiral's speech. That's where Chopper came in. The droid broadcasted the speech, allowing them to listen I'm.

"Citizens of Ryloth, the shocking attack on your beloved senator has left you shaken, but Orn Free Taa's condition continues to improve, and he will make a full recovery. But, the perpetrators of this heinous assassination attempt have been captured."

"Assassination attempt?" Hunter asked. His question was directed toward Hera, who just frowned helplessly.

"Rest assured, Cham Syndulla and his insurgents..."

"That's not what happened." She said.

"...will answer for their betrayal."

"Hunter..." Omega said warily. "Crosshair's here."

Althea looked through her binocs to see the sniper. They hadn't seen him since Bracca, but he looked like fine, considering that they blew up an engine right next to him.

"Great." The medic muttered. "Just what we need."

Hunter looked at his squad, tapping a finger to his temple to signal it was time to make their plan. All but Omega and Hera followed, them opting to keep a lookout instead.

"The plasma bridge into the city's been deactivated." Hunter said.

"Well, I say we fly in and blow are way out." Wrecker commented.

"The Capitol scanners would detect our ship." Said Echo.

Tech looked up from his datapad. "I don't like the look of this. The troop presence here is similar to that of Raxus. This is a military operation."

"Ryloth's not a Separatist planet." Althea said.

Tech nodded. "Exactly my point.

Hunter opened his mouth to speak, but closed it suddenly. He glanced behind him, then said, "Wait here." Before running off.

Figuring he must have sensed something, Althea continued to try and find a way in. "There isn't a way we can use stealth, right?"

Suddenly, a droid crashed down from the sky, Hunter falling and landing next to it. His knife was in it's eye. He pulled it out and the machine gave one last warble before shutting down.

"Oh, good." Tech said. "A probe droid."

"The Empire will know we're here." Althea said.

Hunter nodded. "And so will Crosshair. Come on. Let's move."

They ran off back to Hera's base, the Twi'lek girl lagging behind slightly.

                      •°•°•°•°•°•°•

Hera paced around, holding her elbows in her hands. "All my father wanted was peace on Ryloth. Why is this happening?"

"He's a voice the people stand behind." Echo said. "That makes him a threat to the Empire."

"I don't care about any of that." The girl said sadly. "I just want my parents back."

The sound of Chopper's barks turned their attention toward the Marauder. Tech walked down the steps while Chopper used his booster. 

"We're all over the Imperial comm channels." Tech told them as he tapped his datapad. "They've increased the patrols within the city."

"Crosshair will expect an attack." Hunter said. "The element of surprise is gone. There's nothing we can do."

Althea looked at him incredulously.

"Wait, you can't leave." Hera said, her eyes wide.

"I told you no guarantees." Hunter said to her. He seemed like he was trying to be sympathetic, but she wouldn't take it. "We'll get you off world and take you some place safe." He turned to walk away, but Hera grabbed his arm.

"Stop!" She let go of him quickly, as if scared. "I'll pay you double."

"All the money in the galaxy won't matter if we're dead." Hunter said. "What you're asking us to do, it's not worth the risk." His gaze flickered to Omega and Althea, but neither of them noticed.

Hera scowled at him. "Not to you." She walked away, Chopper following her.

"You shouldn't have said that." Omega scolded.

Hunter looked at her. "Being strategic means knowing your limitations, Omega."

Althea stared at him. "She's trying to save her family, Hunter. Sound familiar?" She watched him flinch lightly, but the medic didn't care. 

Omega nodded. "I'd do the same for you." She walked off to talking Hera, Althea by her side.

"I don't need a lecture, Chop." Hera said as she sat on the ground, her arms around her knees. Chopper made some noises that sounded like arguing, and Hera snapped back. "I didn't give up. He did."

"Hunter means well." Althea said, earning the girl's attention. 

Omega nodded. "I know you're scared, but don't give up. He'll come around."

"Why do you trust him so much?" Hera asked.

"Because he's my brother." The blonde answered.

Hera turned around, confusion clear on her face. "Brother? Him?"

Omega nodded. "They all are."

Hera sighed. "You're lucky."

Althea saw something in her eyes, something that said Hera hadn't always been an only child. The green skinned girl looked up at her. "And you?"

"They took me in when I lost my family." The medic said, earning a look of surprise from Hera. "I know what you're going through, and you can trust them."

Omega nodded. "All we need to do is think of a plan that will convince Hunter."

"Why would he listen to me?" Hera scoffed.

"Because it's strategic." The young clone told her.

Althea couldn't help but smile. "Ryloth is your home. You know it better than us."

Hera's eyes lit up. "Yes. I do." She began to smile.

Althea grinned. "Then let's think of a plan."

                      •°•°•°•°•°•°•

"Attack the Capitol?" Wrecker asked. "Wh– That was my plan."

The girls stood in the cockpit of the Marauder, explaining their plan to the rest of the Batch.

"Not the Capitol," Althea corrected. "The Imperial refinery on the outskirts."

"I've been spying on their activity." Hera said as Chopper brought up a holomap. "I know their routine."

"If we were to attack here, reinforcements will be diverted from the Capitol." Omega said. "We can use that distraction to rescue Hera's parents."

"Any heavy defensives at the refinery?" Asked Echo.

Hera nodded. "Five perimeter cannons, but they are unmanned."

"Auto cannons are extremely vulnerable." Tech noted. "Where is the control console?"

Hera pointed to the map. "Right inside the main gate. It is heavily guarded, but Chopper can slip inside with the other droids and disable the cannons."

All three girls looked up at Hunter, who seemed to be mulling it over. His steel grey eyes shifting as the thought. "Alright." He said finally. "You three go with Chopper as backup, but at a distance."

"Really?" The two younger girls asked, their eyes shining on eagerly.

Althea was more skeptical. "By ourselves?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "Have we finally earned your trust?"

"Tech, Wrecker." Hunter continued. "Wait until those cannons are down and move in. Echo and I will scale the Capitol wall and free Hera's parents." He looked down at the Twi'lek girl. "I guess we'll follow your lead."

Hera grinned, Omega mirroring her as they ran out, Chopper on their heels. Althea went to follow them, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Thea," Hunter said softly. "I'm counting on you to make sure they don't take any unnecessary risks."

Althea nodded. "Only the necessary ones, got it." She moved to walk away, but Hunter's hand remained firm.

"I'm serious." He said, his tone grave. "The Capitol is swarmed with Imperials. If they find you or Omega..."

He trailed off, his gaze lowering. Althea could see the worry in his eyes. Omega had already been taken once, and Crosshair had threatened them before. This wasn't just risky, they're lives were at stake. The medic felt the gravity of the situation hit her. Hunter's reluctance made so much more sense to her now.

She looked up at him and nodded. "I'll keep them safe."

Hunter took a breath and nodded, almost like he was convincing himself they would be safe.

                       •°•°•°•°•°•°•

Hera and Omega leaned on the cliff with binocs, Althea pacing the ground behind them. "We are in position." The Twi'lek said into the comm.

"They're approaching the checkpoint." Omega said.

"Get ready, Chop." Said Hera.

A few minutes passed by and Althea was kneeling on the cliff edge. Hera scowled and spoke into her comm. "What do you mean it won't work? You said you could disable the cannons."

More chattering, and through the binocs, they watched as Chopper was caught by the guards.

"We have to help Chopper." Hera said.

Althea furrowed her brow. Hunter said no unnecessary risks. And surely the medic could keep them safe. "We will," She said. "But first, we need to take that console offline."

"Uh, how are we going to do that?" Hera asked.

Omega pointed at an Imperial shuttle. "With one of those. You said you wanted to be a pilot, right."

Hera unsure. "Yeah."

Omega smiled. "Well, come on."

Althea sighed as she pulled her mask up. "Hunter's going to kill me."

                    •°•°•°•°•°•°•

Althea stood guard as Hera and Omega stole a shuttle. She stood at the ready, blaster in hand as she bounced on her toes. The shuttle powered up, then suddenly crashed into the ships that were still docked.

"Whoa!!" Althea ducked as Hera's clumsy piloting knocked over several ships.

"We've got a security breach!!" A guard on the P.A. system shouted.

Several troopers began to try and shoot the shuttle down, but none succeeded. Hera finally gained control and shot the refinery, earning a grin from Althea.

Moments later, the Marauder came flying over at full speed, only to halt suddenly and turn around. It was Tech's signature move. Althea laughed out loud as the tail gun fired at the troopers.

"Hey! You're not authorized to be here."

Dammit. Althea turned to see a trooper with his blaster raised. She groaned internally. "Listen, buddy." She said. "I've got somewhere to be, and I'm sure you do too. Can we just...not?"

The trooper's blaster clicked. "Drop your weapon."

Althea let out a sigh. "I figured you say that." Faster than light, the medic whipped her knife and threw it, sending it straight into the chink of armor between the trooper's helmet and chest plate. He shot as he fell. Althea felt a burning on her cheek. She reached her fingers up and felt a slight stinging. The blaster bolt must have grazed her as the trooper went down.

"Tech, Omega, Thea," Hunter's voice clicked over the comms. "We have alternate transport. Meet at the rendevouz."

Althea pulled her mask up, and ran, grabbing her knife as she hitched a ride on the stolen shuttle.

                        •°•°•°•°•°•°•

Hunter walked up to Hera's parents. Eleni held out a case. "Here's the payment Hera promised."

"Keep it." Hunter told her. "You'll need it. These occupations are happening on other planets besides Ryloth."

"I hoped to have fought my last war," Cham said pulling his wife close. "But our people need us now more than ever. We must organize."

"Well, that's not something we can help with, General." Hunter looked behind him to see Omega and Hera leaning over Tech as he was teaching them something. Althea still wore her mask, but the tracker could smell her burnt flesh. He would have to address her later. "I have my own people to look out for."

"If a war is coming," Eleni said. "It will be their fight as much as ours. Come along, Hera."

The two girls and teen walked up. "Tech showed me how to scramble a ship's signature." The Twi'lek said proudly.

Eleni smiled. "We will soon see how well it works. It is time for us to go."

Hera and Omega looked at each other. Althea nodded, knowing this was coming. The Twi'lek girl kneeled to Omega's height, even though she was younger. "Well, copilot, we didn't do too bad."

"Do you have to go?" Omega asked, her voice tinged with sadness.

"For now, but I'm sure I'll see you around." Her said with a small smile. "And keep and eye on your brothers. They need it."

Althea smiled under her mask. "We will."

Hera stood, pulling Althea and Omega into a hug. "Thanks." She said. "For believing in me."

They pulled away, and with a final smile, Hera and Chopper went into their ship. The reaming girls watched as their friend flew away, wishing her the best.

"Althea," Hunter's voice called. "Can I see you in the ship?"

The medic cringed. He rarely called her by her full name. She had a feeling this had to do with her disobeying orders.

Althea walked into the ship to find the Sergeant digging through her bag. "Sit." He told her. She knew better than to argue, considering he was doing exactly what she did when someone was hurt. The teen sat on a console chair, her mask still covering her face.

Hunter kneeled in front of her, a medpatch in his hand. He reached for her, pulling down her mask. Althea winced at the action and Hunter's eyes widened slightly. His fingers grazed her cheek, right where the blaster bolt grazed her.

"What you did was incredibly dangerous." Hunter told her. "And the fact that you did it after I told you to keep Omega and Hera safe is worse."

Althea sighed. "I know I screwed up, but you said no unnecessary risks. What I did was the reason we were able to escape in the first place. And besides, they made it out okay, I'm the only one that got hurt."

Hunter placed the medpatch over her wound, his hand cupping her cheek. "Althea, I don't care if no one got hurt this time. Next time, you might not be as lucky. That's a risk I'm not willing to take."

Althea saw something, a flash of fear in Hunter's eyes that was gone as soon as he blinked. A snippet of what he truly felt. "I-I'm sorry I worried you. It won't happen again." The medic said softly.

Hunter closed his eyes briefly, letting out a sigh. "I'll always worry about you, kiddo. It's my job." He smiled softly, his thumb rubbing her cheek gently. 

"Hey, Thea! Want some Mantell Mix?" Wrecker asked from outside the ship.

Althea looked to Hunter, double checking if she could.

The Sergeant nodded and pulled away. "Off you go." He said jerking his head toward the door.

Althea smiled. It was nice to know he had her back. Hera was right. She and Omega were lucky.

<- Previous

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[aura-acolyte]

Hello, hello. The name's Mare Birch (call me Marie at your own peril) and I'm 18. You may know me as the Hero of Hoenn who saved the world from Groudon and Kyogre and Deoxys' Meteor. Or maybe you don't know me at all because nobody ever seems to recognize me even though I've saved the entire world at least twice maybe more.

Anyways, I'm the Chosen of Rayquaza which basically meant Rayquaza looked at me and said "yeah, I wanna give her superpowers. That seems like a good idea." And it was cause now I can save so many people!

I am also a powerful user of Aura. Like, really powerful. I like to consider myself a Human/Lucario hybrid which isn't technically true cause genetically I'm 100% human but my Aura is mostly Lucario. As a friend of mine put it, I'm human with a Lucario flavor packet.

If you're ever in trouble or need the world to be saved, just call my name and I'll be there! Uh, actually, that doesn't really work cause super hearing is one of the few powers I don't have so instead, like, send me an ask or something. My askbox is always open which is probably a mistake but hey, what're you gonna do.

List of Pokemon because they won't all fit on my trainer card:

Kaen the Blaziken: My starter and one of my most powerful Pokemon, he is a master of speed and is capable of Mega Evolving into an even faster Mega Blaziken.

Kyoshi the Lucario: My mentor and other strongest Pokemon, she taught me everything I know about Aura. He uses any pronouns.

Okami the Mightyena: The only Pokemon I've ever caught in a traditional manner. She once attacked my Uncle but now she's my loyal friend.

Kusanagi no Tsuru the Doublade: Kusanagi for short, Kusanagi is a powerful Doublade who taught me swordplay. I often weild her like a pair of swords. She uses any pronouns.

Henka the Sylveon: A Sylveon who hatched from an Egg I was given. She evolved during a battle with Drake.

Shiruto the Swampert: My other starter. Yeah, that's right I got two. Nobody else was taking him.

Ataque the Tinkaton: A Tinkaton I picked up on my trip to Paldea. I'm pretty sure she's secretly evil. Warning: She will Bonk.

Other facts about me:

I'm a Champion Class trainer meaning I've beaten the Hoenn E4 and Champ but I am not the Champ because I don't wanna be.

Latias is my bestest friend ever.

I have a girlfriend named Zinnia. Go bother her at @last-lorekeeper.

I'm 4 foot 6. It's the worst.

(OOC: Hey, hey! It's me, BackSet. It's been a while so I thought I'd revamp my pinned. Now it explains Mare a lot better and is a lot more characer for her. Anyways, there's not much I need to explain here but some general disclaimers: Mare kinda sort of breaks the Power Ceiling for Pokemon. Most of the time I make sure to only put her up against threats on the same power level because of that. Legendaries, freak science experiments, natural disasters, etc. She also participates in a lot of High Stakes Events by virtue of her having a Savior Complex and being super powerful. She's got a whole Spider-Man "Great power, great responsibility" thing going on. That said, I have two rules about High Stakes Events: 1. I will not plot with minors. and 2. I will not plot with anybody I am not already friends with. You wanna plot, you're gonna have to gain my trust. Kapiche? Kapiche.)

(Also, here's art from @awn-moo)

And some art from my friend Jupiter (she's tagged in the post and I don't want to bother her by tagging her a second time so just go to the post to find her blog)

[hearttohaato]

Encanto OC Event Week 2

Part 2: Tomás Herrera & Others

(Part 1 Here)

The second half of my OC relationship info post - this'll include some info about Tomás's bonds with my other OCs, as well as those background OCs' relationships with each other and canon characters.

@encanto-extended-edition

Tomás in regards to his natal family:

Tomás is the youngest in a family of four, born to Lucía and Horacio Herrera.

Lucía was a schoolteacher and volunteer in the town library, who passed away when Tomás was still a child. Tomás loved and admired his mother, considering her to have been a saint in life. The memories he has of her are fond ones, recalling her as being a kind woman without a bad word to say about anyone. He thinks highly of her optimism and humility, and her ability to make anyone feel understood and listened to.

Lucía as well as Tomás's older brother, Mateo, are both canonically deceased as per the events of the story the Herrera family is introduced in. This leaves Tomás and his father as the last living of their family within the Encanto.

Horacio used to be a mason, having to retire early due to weakness in his legs. Between this and the loss of his parents, his wife, and eventually his oldest son, Horacio sometimes thinks he's cursed - but his one silver lining is his remaining son, Tomás. Horacio has zero qualms about being openly affectionate with Tomás both physically and verbally, and though he's a little oblivious at times, he only wants the best for his boy. Tomás in turn is a loyal and protective son to Horacio, willing to put up with a little embarrassment if it makes his father happy. It doesn't matter how old Tomás gets, he'll always be his papá's conejito.

Art by cringecanto (right)

It's a bit self-indulgent of me, but I'm of the mind that when Tomás marries into the family, Casita springs up a small in-law suite for Horacio so he won't have to spend his days in an empty house. I also am of the mind that in their youth Horacio and Bruno were quite friendly with each other, due to both more or less being underdogs with not a lot of friends between them.

Horacio likely approached Bruno before his wife's passing, just on the off chance he saw her make a miraculous recovery. That isn't what he saw, of course. But though devastated, Horacio accepted the result with as much grace as he could and didn't blame Bruno or his visions for the bad news.

They ended up losing touch when Bruno became more withdrawn and eventually "left", but upon Bruno's return to society their friendship ends up picking right back up where it left off. When Tomás marries into the family and Horacio tags along, he and Bruno spend a good amount of their time having tea and playing cards as old men tend to do.

The rest under the cut to spare the poor dashboards out there!

The Patch:

The Patch, or El Parche, is the group name I use to refer to Camilo's small group of older friends, including Tomás (as introduced in the previous post). They're childhood friends; as a unit and individually they're all well-liked young men within their peers and the community as a whole, decently popular in different ways. They initially were meant to be unnamed background characters whose designs were pulled from random Encantownies, but I accidentally got attached to them and now they all have proper designs and development. Such is my life.--

Cristián Vargas, Rafael Molina, Santiago Torres, Tomás Herrera

Santiago (22) is the oldest not only of the friend group but of his own siblings, of which he's got 6 younger sisters and brothers. He's the designated 'mom friend' by nature, easily slotting into leadership positions and able to keep a handle on multiple goings-on at once. That said he very much is a mother hen type, a bit fussy and prone to scolding his siblings and friends (usually Rafael) whenever they start steering towards bad decisions.

Tomás and Santi are usually on the same page when it comes to caution and forethought, contrasting with Rafa and Cris's more go-with-the-flow attitudes. Santi's compassionate nature makes it easy for him to pick up on what Tomás is feeling without him voicing it, taking it upon himself to either make decisions based on what Tomás would most prefer or urging the others to do so instead. Tomás appreciates Santi looking out for him, feeling it alleviates pressure off of his own shoulders when he's unsure of what to do.

Rafael (21) is the most boisterous of all of them, the beacon of activity and extroversion to balance out his more subdued companions. He's a risk-taker and extremely liberal-minded about topics that usually wouldn't be openly bragged out, often leading to Santi urging him to keep it down (which will inevitably be ignored or expanded upon specifically to make Santi flustered).

His loud and brash personality clashes with Tomás's reserved ways, but the two have a unique bond despite the expected incompatibility; Rafael is not at all discouraged by Tomás's quietness and Tomás isn't put off by Rafael's brazenness. They both think the other is easy to communicate with - Tomás never has to guess what Rafa's feelings are and Rafa likes Tomás's predilection for being a listening ear.

Cristián (20) is far old enough now to have an identity and social circle separate to those of his twin brother César, but when he was a young child he used to be very shy and hesitant to leave his brother's side. When Santi and Rafa became his friends it was the first time he felt comfortable with something (or someone) that was more or less his own - so when his new friends started chatting with Tomás he felt a little threatened. Fears of abandonment were unfounded though, as not only did his friends not dump him in favor of the New Kid, but he very quickly realized why they liked Tomás and ended up getting attached to him too.

As adults they have similar mellow temperaments and get along quite nicely, though Cris's vastly improved self-assurance has made him a lot more laidback and unflappable than the more organized and prim Tomás. Tomás admires Cris's ability to be both steadfast and considerate, unwavering in what he believes in but knowing when to handle situations with delicateness and care.

When Camilo entered the picture and turned the Patch into a five-man-band, all four of the older members collectively decided that he was more or less their joint little brother. Santiago attempts to provide Camilo with proper advice and look out for him in ways an older brother should, which often means trying to make sure Rafael keeps his crude language in check around him. Rafael usually does not, taking a completely different approach to being and older brother and totally enabling Camilo's mischievous nature. Cristián is somewhere in the middle, oftentimes siding with Santi or Rafa purely based on what he think would have the most entertaining result.

Beyond this though Cris is a unique source of understanding for Camilo, as Cris is the only other person he knows who doesn't experience romantic attraction for anyone and has no interest in dating. He could have asked Bruno, of course, but solidarity feels a little better coming from someone close to his own age rather than his quirky hermit uncle.--

Cris, Santi and Rafa are the older brothers to Cecilia, Alejandra and Juancho (the town kids) respectively.

Other relationships to Encantownies include:

Santi and Alejandra have five other siblings, and José (the tall fellow Camilo shifts into near the start of the movie) is their tío. Osvaldo is a tío to Rafael and Juancho, as well as their teenaged sister. Cris's parents are seen bringing Cecilia into Casita before Antonio's ceremony, and his twin brother César is the young man who asks Luisa to help upright his leaning house.

Other OCs:

Claudia Reyes (19) is the young lady with the drum seen during The Family Madrigal, whose family owns the music shop they're playing in front of. Beside her are her brother-in-law on the left and her father on the right.

She's Rafael's long-time girlfriend, on his same wavelength of open-mindedness and free spirit. They've been in a strange will-they-won't-they situation since they were teenagers, with Rafael playing it off like they're not all that serious and just messing around. Everyone knows Rafa's totally full of it and is head over heels for her though, including Claudia who's more or less just waiting for him to finally get around to proposing. They're going to have at least 4 kids together.

She knows the rest of the Patch more or less as her boyfriend's friends, but there's still rapport between them and Claudia's more than welcome to hang with the boys whenever she wants. On top of that, she's also Luisa's good friend who oftentimes will suggest Luisa try out outrageous things in an effort to push her out of her comfort zone.

The town librarian, usually referred to as the Maestro, is an enigmatic yet helpful figure in town whose mission in life is the sharing of knowledge. They can be considered everyone's friend, though like Horacio they have a kinship with Bruno that goes back quite a few years. All perfectly platonic, mind you! Additionally, given Lucía's history of volunteering in the library, the Maestro also is on good terms with the Herrera family and still keeps in touch with Horacio pretty regularly.

And I think those are the most notable relationships to get into for now! Up next will be the AU posts, and... boy, do I have a lot of those. 🫠

[undisputed-queer-a]

The Better Than You Bay Bay story is something special.

I'm worried that my specific sentiment may be cliched but despite these worries, I'm going to talk about masculinity in wrestling.

You see I have often heard the sentiment that wrestling portrays a exaggerated version of masculinity designed to capture the minds of a predominantly male fanbase. And this is for the most part true. The Hulkamania Era was about a statuesque American hero using his giant physique to expel foreigners and Randy Savage. The Attitude Era was about a beer swigging, ass kicking, badass beating the shit out of his asshole boss and those who associated him (I know it's a bit of a simplification). And throughout the years Wrestling has been a masculine thing where masculine men put their masculinity on the line to prove who was best. This isn't me admonishing wrestling, by the way, I love it and have loved it for years and it's ties to masculine ideals aren't a detriment. But it does make it cool when Wrestling stories or character challenge traditional expectations of masculinity and expressions of a male gender identity.

Now sometimes I don't know if these moments are great or that they are so rare that all appear to better than they are. For example during the early days of Cody Rhodes' 2023 feud with Brock Lesner he stated that he was scared of Brock Lesner, that anyone would be and that he was scared but he had to persevere and fight. This was cool, Brock Lesner is f*cking scary and in admitting this Cody presents (in my eyes) as a more real and relatable human person rather than what many other wrestlers present as, some almighty warriors with no fear. Which, to be clear, is fine but it's nice to see other things.

Better Than You Bay Bay is definitely great. And I appreciate Cole and MJF have done concerning masculinity. In one of their first segments as a team they went to the gym acting like toxic gym bros, max made fun of a man for being overweight and while Cole told him it was wrong he transitioned it into a dig at Tony Schiavone. In a following one Max saw some women at a bar and tried to convince Adam to stop being all lame and loyal to his girlfriend and 'bang some chicks' with him to which Cole refused. Next they had a heart-to-heart over a video game with Max opening up and Cole offering support.

Then at the World Tag Title match on Collision MJF puts himself in harm's way to save his friend ultimately costing them the tag titles because he wanted to keep Cole safe. After the match MJF breaks down and is emotionally distraught. Cole does all he can to console Max but Max feels like a failure and like he has let down the one person who, not only he cares about. But the one person who cares about him. And he nearly betrays Adam right here retreating into the scumbag persona that people expect, attacking Cole killing their friendship like it never mattered. But it does matter. It matters to the fans, to Adam Cole and it matters to MJF. So he can't bring himself to betray his friend because he cares too much about Adam Cole, because he loves Adam Cole.

The following Dynamite Max talks candidly about his disability, his mental health and his relationship with Adam Cole. The two share the ring again and Adam takes the time to compliment Max's recent growth marvelling at "the man [he] has become". The two hug to end the segment.

I don't feel I need to spend that much longer explaining this. It's nice that Cole called out Max for being a little sh*t, it's lovely that MJF was open and vulnerable, it's beautiful that the two hugged imploding because MJF caused them to lose, it's beautiful that Adam talked about the man Max is becoming and this story as a whole is special.

In conclusion, this was...um...idk a blog post I guess. But in all fairness don't give to much weight to my thoughts on masculinity, I am a trans woman and not someone who should be an authority on matters of masculinity. But I wanted to talk about it because I think this is a special story and why do I write these posts if not to talk about wresting in a poignant way.

This has been Undisputed Queer-a.

Slay The System, Shock The Cis-tem, and see you next Monday.