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[aventurineswife]

Jingyuan, jiaoqiu, and dan heng with fem reader who is like a foxian but a cat?? Also she can turn into an actual cat if she wanted to. Anyway shes like super clingy all the time like she always clinging onto their back wherever they are in her human cat form she wont ever get off if they tell her to, and if the want her off they have to physically force her to get off. Also she rarely ever goes into her cat form but if she does its to sneak around bcz char forced to stay home today and thats not happening so she like follows them to work n stuff

Clingy Cat

Tags: Jing Yuan x Reader x Jiaoqiu x Reader, Dan Heng x Reader, Fluff, Cat-Foxian!Female!Reader, Protective, Lighthearted, Humor, Soft Moments, Comfort, Soft Romance.

Warnings: Mild teasing, Overly affectionate behavior.

The sun was just beginning to set, painting the skies of Xianzhou in soft shades of orange and purple, but Jing Yuan was already well into his evening duties. Sitting at his desk, he was reviewing reports of the Cloud Knights, their efficiency improving under his command, as always. His sharp eyes flicked over the documents, yet his mind was only half on the task at hand.

A soft sound from behind him made his lips curve into a faint, knowing smile. He didn’t need to turn around to know who it was—after all, you had a knack for sneaking up on him. He could feel your warm hands gripping onto his back, your body pressed against his spine as your gentle purring echoed quietly through the room.

“You know,” he said, without turning to look at you, “You could just sit down. You don’t have to cling to my back every time I try to get work done.”

You huffed lightly, pressing yourself even closer as if to prove a point. Your cat ears twitched with a mix of mischief and affection, and your tail curled gently around his waist in a possessive, yet endearing manner.

“Not unless you tell me to,” you muttered softly, your voice laced with an almost playful defiance. Jing Yuan couldn’t help but chuckle at your clinginess. As much as it was an inconvenience, he had grown used to it over the years.

He sighed, still not looking at you, though a flicker of fondness danced in his gaze. “I’m afraid you’ll have to stay put for now. This report isn’t going to finish itself.”

But that only made you tighten your grip further, as if holding on a little longer would make him relent. Your human form, though a beautiful mixture of foxian and cat traits, was still surprisingly strong. And yet, Jing Yuan knew he wouldn’t win in this particular battle—your determination was unparalleled.

He finally decided to give in, leaning back a little, allowing you to settle completely against his back. As much as you could be a nuisance, he secretly liked the comfort of your presence. It reminded him of the peace he had worked so hard to preserve for his people.

For now, it seemed that your clingy nature had won the evening.

The warm glow of the evening lights filled the healer's quarters as Jiaoqiu busied himself with the alchemical brews that would aid the soldiers of the Yaoqing. He was meticulous, focused on the tasks at hand, yet there was something he couldn’t ignore: the soft, rhythmic sound of paws on the stone floor.

Before he could turn around, your presence enveloped him, as usual. The moment you had entered the room, you had clung to his back, your hands resting lightly on his shoulders as you purred quietly, content and warm against him. You had a way of slipping into his personal space so effortlessly that it made Jiaoqiu chuckle softly despite his attempts to focus.

“Jiaoqiu,” you murmured with a playful tone, “You’re so serious all the time. How about we take a break? You could use some relaxation.” Your tail flicked back and forth behind you, your feline nature all too apparent.

Jiaoqiu paused, his hands hovering over the bottles of alchemical ingredients. He gave you a pointed look, one that was a mix of exasperation and fondness. “You know I’m working, right? We both know you’ll never let go of me unless I tell you to. But it might be more helpful if you didn’t cling to me while I’m making healing potions.”

You only purred louder, nuzzling against his back and pressing your cheek to his shoulder. “But I like being close to you.” Your voice was soft, filled with warmth and affection.

Jiaoqiu sighed, his heart softening despite himself. Even though he often tried to keep his distance from emotional distractions due to the weight of his own burdens, you seemed to slip past his defenses. He allowed you to stay there for a while longer, his usual focus waning as he let the comfort of your presence settle over him.

“Fine,” he said, his voice a mixture of defeat and amusement. “You win. Just don’t expect me to get much work done.”

The Astral Express was eerily quiet, the sound of the train's steady hum filling the air. Dan Heng stood by the cockpit, keeping watch over the controls as he meticulously checked everything. His mind, ever vigilant, was focused on their destination, but his concentration was constantly disrupted by a soft, persistent tug at his back.

When he felt your hands cling to him, pressing against his back once more, he couldn’t help but sigh. The day had already been long, and he had hoped for a moment of peace, but it seemed you wouldn’t let that happen. You were there, clinging to him in your human form, just as you always did.

"Dan Heng..." you mewed softly, voice sweet and insistent, "I know you're busy, but I miss you."

“Again with this...” he muttered, trying to stay focused, his shoulders tense beneath your touch. He had been hoping for some peace, but it seemed you had no intention of leaving him alone. Your tail, which always had a mind of its own, wrapped around his leg like a reminder that you were there.

"You know," he said, finally turning to face you with a resigned look in his eyes, "If you want to stay so close, you’ll have to find another way. I can't move with you on my back."

But you just grinned, your cat-like instincts making it clear that this was exactly what you wanted: to cling to him, to follow him wherever he went, no matter what.

Your voice was low but teasing, "I’m fine with this. You’re warm, and I like being near you."

Dan Heng sighed again, his stoic demeanor not quite hiding the warmth in his eyes as he looked down at you. “If you won’t get off, I suppose I’ll have to get used to it…”

Your playful, contented purr was his only answer, and despite his reluctance, he couldn’t help but feel an odd sense of comfort. Even though you clung to him in ways he could never escape, there was something about the presence of the affectionate, stubborn cat-foxian at his side that brought him a sense of peace he hadn’t realized he needed.

[dumbgoondog]

Jealous Much?(p4)

Cw/Tw- possessiveness, threats, implied murder

Tags- GN!Reader, Pre-established relationship

Ft. Jogo, Uraume, Ijichi, and Todo

First chunk is exposition, then it’s the boys. What happens when your man sees you being flirted with?

PRELUDE

When a guy slides up next to you at the bar, grinning like he’d just won the lottery, you didn’t immediately brush him off. Mostly because he wasn’t annoying—yet—and partly because you were curious to see how far he'd go before he took the hint.

“Did it hurt?” he asked, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

You blinked. “Excuse me?”

“When you fell from heaven,” he clarified, finger-gunning with zero irony. You actually laughed—not with him, more at him, but he didn’t seem to notice the difference.

“Wow,” you mused. “That’s vintage. Do you dust that one off for special occasions?”

He chuckled like you were flirting back. “Only when I see someone who makes it worth it.”

You rested your elbow on the bar and gave him a look, still smiling. He wasn’t threatening, just... kind of ridiculous. He probably meant well. Or maybe he was just drunk enough to think he stood a chance. Either way, it was easier to play along with a few sarcastic quips than to go full shutdown mode. You figured he’d get bored eventually… He didn’t.

“I’m serious,” he went on. “You’ve got this whole mysterious vibe. Like... someone with stories. I could listen to you talk all night.”

“You don’t even know my name.”

“Then tell me.”

You tapped your fingers on your glass, swirling the last bit of your drink. “That’s usually how conversations go, huh? I tell you my name, then what? You try to guess my favorite color?”

“Let me guess—black,” he said confidently, eyes flicking to your outfit.

You snorted. “Wow. You cracked the code.”

He leaned in a little closer, clearly not getting the hint—or maybe refusing to. “You’ve got a great laugh, y’know that?”

You smile and roll your eyes, your boyfriend should have been here by now, and glancing to the clock? Oh he should’ve been here 10 minutes ago! Where is that-

JOGO

A dense, invisible pulse of heat that rolled across the room like a thunderhead. Not enough to scorch, but enough to make your skin tingle. You didn’t turn. You didn’t have to.

Behind you, the low-grade sorcerer’s bravado flickered. He stiffened, head turning slowly like he knew something ancient and pissed off had just walked in.

“Didn’t realize gnats could talk,” came the voice—low, volcanic, rough around the edges. Jogo.

You smiled, and finally looked over your shoulder. There he was.

Your furnace in humanoid form, eyes smoldering, posture loose but predatory. Smoke flickered lazily from the crest of his head, not aggressive—yet. Just a warning.

The sorcerer at your side paled.

“Can I help you?” he managed, voice cracking.

Jogo didn’t acknowledge him. His gaze was already on you.

“You alright, firefly?”

You leaned against the bar with a casual tilt, letting him look. “Took you long enough.”

“You act like you’re not the one lighting up the entire damn city,” he muttered, stepping closer. His heat curled around you instinctively, like a protective shroud. “Hard to walk into a room without every moth throwing itself at you.”

The sorcerer tried to recover. “Hey—look, I didn’t realize they were taken.”

You rolled your eyes. “I’m not an object.”

“You’re mine,” Jogo growled. “That’s different.”

Your heart shouldn’t still stutter when he said shit like that. But it did. Because it wasn’t just possessiveness—it was need, blazing and raw.

The sorcerer lifted his hands in retreat. “Okay, okay. Message received.”

“You sure?” Jogo asked, tilting his head. Flames licked higher from his head. “Because I’m happy to burn it into you if it didn’t stick.”

You stood then, slipping away from the bar and toward him—because he was the gravity in the room. He always had been.

You placed your hand against his chest, right over the soft orange glow beneath his skin. “Let it go,” you murmured, voice low. “He’s not worth your fire.”

He didn’t move. For a second, you thought he might actually roast the guy anyway. But then he exhaled—and the heat dimmed. Not gone. Never gone. Just redirected.

“All of them,” Jogo muttered, as the man beat a hasty retreat. “Every goddamn time. Like they’ve never seen a spark before.”

You raised a brow. “Is this jealousy I’m sensing?”

“No,” he said. “It’s about nerve. And the fact that I can’t incinerate every idiot who thinks you’re unclaimed.”

“I thought you liked when I got attention.”

“I like when you get attention from me.” He leaned down, his mouth grazing just beside your ear. “I like when you get flustered firefly.”

You swallowed thickly. “Then maybe stop showing up late.”

He squints, giving lip. “I said I’d meet you at 9:30.”

“It’s 9:43.”

“I had to make a sorcerer scream on my way here. Romantic, right?”

You huffed a laugh, leaning into him slightly. “You’ve got a twisted idea of romance.”

“I lit their eyebrows on fire in the shape of a heart,” he deadpanned. “It was symbolic.”

You bit your lip, half-annoyed and half in love. “You’re lucky I like you.”

“No,” Jogo said, his hand finding your waist, his thumb brushing just above your hip. “I’m lucky you see me.”

You blinked. That… was new. Not the heat. Not the teasing. But that crack in the armor.

You looked up at him—truly looked—and his eye was softer now. Still blazing, still intense, but not angry. Just… happy. For you. For all of this.

And for once, he wasn’t rushing to devour. He was just holding it.

The heat between you rose, slow and steady. The world around you melted into a blur of shadows and neon.

“Take me somewhere,” you said quietly. “Somewhere we don’t have to be careful.”

His mouth curved into something crooked and fond. “I know just the place.”

You left together, the bar sighing in relief behind you.

URAUME

The temperature dropped.

Not drastically. Not instantly. Just enough to notice. A whisper of wind that didn’t belong, the kind that made the hairs on your arms stand up. The kind that said you were no longer alone.

The sorcerer didn’t seem to feel it right away.

But you did.

A presence behind you—cold, smooth, patient. And furious.

“I believe,” came the voice—sharp and dangerous like cracked glass, “you were just leaving.”

The sorcerer blinked. Looked over your shoulder. And paled.

Uraume stood there, expression unreadable, eyes calm in that way that meant someone was seconds from dying. Their posture was immaculate, hands folded neatly at their sides, as if they were politely waiting for the trash to take itself out.

“I—I didn’t know they were—”

Uraume didn’t even look at you. Their eyes stayed locked on the sorcerer like they were mentally calculating the cleanest way to unspool his insides. “You didn’t ask. You assumed. That’s worse.”

The guy raised his hands, backpedaling. “Look, I didn’t mean anything by it. We were just talking—”

“Don’t insult my intelligence,” they snapped. “You weren’t talking. You were pawing.”

You stood slowly, stepping aside just enough to give them room. Uraume brushed past you, never touching, but their presence grazed your skin like frostbite.

“I suggest you go,” they continued, “before I forget I’m trying to stay unnoticed tonight.”

The sorcerer went. Fast. You didn’t even watch. You were already watching them.

Uraume didn’t speak right away. They exhaled, slow and controlled, eyes flicking to your drink. “You let him talk to you for too long.”

You arched a brow. “I didn’t let him. I just didn’t care enough to vaporize him.”

“That is not a standard I approve of.”

You smirked. “What, jealous?”

They finally looked at you. Their eyes were like twin daggers—sharp, discerning, and cold enough to freeze fire.

“I am territorial,” they said flatly. “There’s a difference.”

You moved a little closer, just to test the waters. “So dramatic.”

They didn’t step back.

“If I am,” they murmured, “you made me that way.”

You studied them—perfect posture, expression carved out of ice, yet beneath it all… the tension in their jaw. The flare of cursed energy still humming under the surface. They hated being in public. Hated being seen with you in vulnerable moments. But they were here anyway.

“You could’ve just frozen his mouth shut,” you offered. “Quick. Clean.”

“I considered it.”

“Didn’t want to waste the energy?”

“I didn’t want to waste time. My time.” Their voice dropped an octave. “I have no patience for insects who forget what they’re beneath.”

Your chest twisted a little. Not fear. Something deeper. You’d never been scared of Uraume.

You were drawn to them. The chill in their presence, the razor-thin line between affection and violence. And how, for all their elegance, they still chose to be seen with you.

“You’re glaring.”

“I am ensuring your safety.”

“I’m capable of—”

“I know,” they interrupted sharply. Then softer: “But tonight is supposed to be for us.”

Silence settled.

You stepped closer, just slightly, enough to feel the temperature dip again. Their eyes stayed locked on yours, cool and steady, you reach and take their hand.

Not for others to see.

Just for you and them.

And that touch? It was the warmest place here.

KIYOTAKA IJICHI

“Ah... excuse me,” came the quiet voice, slightly breathless but clear. “Sorry to interrupt.”

You turned, relief sparking the second you saw him.

Ijichi.

Hair slightly wind-tossed from the night air, suit neat but not perfect. He looked nervous — not because of you, but because of the scene. He hated confrontation. But he’d come anyway.

You offered him a soft smile. “Hey. You’re right on time.”

“Sorry I—uh—had to park a little farther than usual. The... the lot was full.” He hesitated, then gently placed a hand on the back of your chair. Not forceful. Just present.

The other sorcerer glanced between you. “Oh. You two know each other?”

You could practically see Ijichi’s thoughts racing behind his glasses. He didn’t want to make a scene. But he also wasn’t about to leave you sitting here with some guy breathing beer fumes into your face.

So instead of answering the question, he reached out — slow, deliberate — and picked up your glass.

“This yours?” he asked softly.

You nodded. He handed it to you, fingers brushing yours just slightly. Then, in a move so casual you almost missed it, he rested his hand at the small of your back. Light. Barely noticeable. But firm.

You saw the other sorcerer clock it.

Ijichi didn’t say anything. Just looked politely at the man and offered a slight bow of his head. “Apologies. We had plans.”

The tone was extremely civil.

The message was extremely clear.

“Oh,” the sorcerer said, blinking. “Right. Got it.”

He left.

Not immediately. But soon enough that the silence afterward felt like air returning to the room.

Ijichi exhaled.

You glanced at him. “You hate doing that.”

“I really do,” he said. “But I hate watching someone make you uncomfortable more.”

You smiled, touched. “So you decided to... assert yourself by handing me a drink and gently standing too close?”

He flushed faintly. “I thought it would be... diplomatic.”

You leaned in and kissed his cheek. He blinked, eyes wide behind his glasses.

“That was diplomatic,” you teased.

He looked away, flustered but happy. His hand hadn’t moved from your back.

“You didn’t have to come early,” you said gently.

“I wanted to,” he murmured. “I always want to. Just... sometimes takes me a while to get there.”

You laced your fingers through his under the table.

He squeezed back.

And that, you thought, was Ijichi. Quiet, careful, but steady. The kind of warmth that didn’t blaze or chill, but stayed — even when it scared him.

AOI TODO

CLAP.

You blinked.

The guy was suddenly gone.

In his place, Aoi Todo sat across from you, legs spread wide, hands clasped on the table like he’d always been there. Meanwhile, the sorcerer now stood all the way at the bar entrance, blinking in confusion like he’d just been mugged by teleportation.

Todo grinned at you, sharp and wolfish. “Miss me, babe?”

You sighed, but your smile betrayed you. “Show-off.”

He leaned in, elbows braced, his body language screaming this seat is taken and so is the person across from me.

“I sensed,” he said, “that a low-grade cretin was invading my beloved’s personal space. Naturally, I had no choice but to intervene.”

You gave him a long look. “So you swapped seats with him instead of just walking over like a normal person?”

“I am not normal,” Todo said proudly, gesturing at himself. “I am exceptional.”

At the bar, the sorcerer staggered forward. “What the hell just—?!”

Todo raised one massive hand and snapped. “No.”

The man stopped mid-step.

Todo didn’t even look at him. His attention was fully on you, now leaning one arm on the table so he could drop his voice slightly. “Are you alright?”

“I wasn’t in danger,” you said with a smirk. “Just bored.”

Todo leaned closer, eyes flashing. “Then let me entertain you.”

You rolled your eyes — but he took your hand across the table and brought it to his lips, gently. For all his volume, his touch was surprisingly tender when it came to you.

“You’re ridiculous,” you murmured.

“I am,” he said, pressing a kiss to your knuckles. “And I am yours. Don’t forget it.”

From behind you, the sorcerer finally found his voice again. “You can’t just teleport people without—!”

CLAP.

He was gone again.

This time, he landed outside the bar. Through the window, you could see him stumble into the sidewalk with a loud “What the—?!”

Todo exhaled with satisfaction and cracked his neck.

“You’re going to get a ban,” you warned.

“They should thank me,” he replied. “I am improving the view.”

You laughed, unable to help it. “Are you jealous?”

“I’m attentive,” Todo corrected. “I know what I have. And I won’t let anyone — anyone — mistake you for unclaimed. You are a person of strength, brilliance, and unmatched taste.” He raised a brow. “After all… you chose me.”

You leaned across the table, brushing your fingers through his bangs just to make him flinch. “Yeah. I did.”

He smirked. “Boogie Woogie wasn’t the only reason I won tonight.”

[sourw0lfs]

Happy birthday! 💜 Steddie: mythical

rating: g words: 385 tags: established relationship, dragons, eddie's an idiot birthday prompt masterlist

“No, nope, absolutely not. Take that back outside right now,” Steve says before Eddie can even get more than half a step through the door. “You’re going to get us eaten.”

Eddie’s grin drops off his face as he freezes where he’s standing, giant egg still clutched in both hands, mouth dropping open in immediately protest. “It was abandoned, Stevie! Left to fend for itself. Left to die.”

“Or the mother just went out for food or something, you fucking idiot.” By now Steve is on his feet, crossing the living room to the door to usher Eddie back outside. “Come on, we’re returning it.”

Letting himself be led back outside, Eddie clutches the egg even closer to his chest. “What if we were its mothers?” he asks before frowning and correcting. “Fathers.”

Steve rolls his eyes. “I’m not interested in raising something that will someday be big enough to eat us.” He glances at Eddie who looks ready to protest some more. “No matter how well-trained you think a dragon is, it’s still a predator that could and would kill you and have you for an afternoon snack. We’re taking it back to the nest.”

Slumping as though all of the argument has left his body and soul, Eddie begrudgingly trudges back the way he’d come from just moments before, leading Steve through the forest surrounding their home until they reach the mouth of a cave.

“Do I want to know why you were exploring a cave on your walk?” Steve asks as they walk inside. “Did you not consider that it might house something deadly?”

“Wanted an adventure,” Eddie mumbles. “Nothing ever happens around here! And I maybeeee heard rumors about a dragon and wanted to see if I could find it.”

“You’re such an idiot. Why do I put up with you?” Steve shoves at Eddie gently, enough to feel the motion but not enough to make him lose his grip on the egg.

“Because you love me. Look, nest’s up there!” Eddie speeds ahead, carefully putting the egg back where it goes before returning to Steve and taking his hand so the two of them can head back out of the cave.

“Yeah,” Steve agrees once their feet go from stone floor to dirt again, “I guess I do love you.”

[got-into-worm-by-mistake]

The Live Read of Pact Is Here

This is a sideblog of @kyliafanfiction when I reply to replies on this blog, they sometimes come from that blog because tumblr is annoyingly designed.

This was my blog for my worm live-read, which is now done, and can be found under the tag '#Kylia Reads Worm', as well as my Worm Retrospective and various thoughts I had not while reading Worm, but while thinking about what I'd read, under the '#Kylia Reflects On Worm' tag.

As I noted during my live-read, and since, here and elsewhere, I went into Worm knowing it was not 'for me' (and came out really knowing that). Cape stuff is not really my main interest, I never really consumed comic books or much superhero media, so a lot of the meta-references and commentary on the genre that was baked into Worm went over my head, and a lot of the capeshit in general was just very 'shrug' to me.

And of course, during my live-read, I wrangled with the fact that I had spoiled myself for a lot, and had in the years before reading Worm, picked up errant bits and pieces of stuff about Worm from cultural osmosis. And also, I really took issue with a lot of Wildbow's choices, not just in Worm itself, but the Sequel that I don't want to (and won't) read.

But as anyone who read the liveblog knows, I do like Wildbow's overall writing. there are some amazing parts about Worm - Wildbow's character work tends to be very good, he writes compelling fiction, and in Worm, crafted an interesting world. He's a talented writer, whatever else is also true about him. So I have wanted to try reading more of his stuff. But there's also certain author habits of his that, by all accounts, persist in his other works, that I don't like.

So it's a mixed bag. But I wanted to try it, and so, I'm gonna try Pact. I have almost no spoilers beyond that the MC (apparently?) dies at the end, which is... well, it's WB, so I could have guessed that.

And unlike my lack of familiarity with the genre at work in Worm, I have read a lot of and know a good amount about the broader genre stuff that should presumably be informing Pact. Though given what I have heard (secondhand) is Wildbow's wildly off-base opinion on Vampires, we may be coming at this from very, very different directions, so I suppose we'll see.

[cowes]

three cuties

[beaulesbian]

KINGDOM COME: DELIVERANCE II ⚔️ Trosky Castle + surrounding scenery

[ruvviks]

// oc deep dive.

tagged by; @aztarion and @devilbrakers, thank you so much!!

tagging; @mojaves, @deadrlngers, @ordinarymaine, @claudiawolf, @adelaidedrubman and YOU!

What common/uncommon fear do they have?

Nathan has a lot of fears stemming from his paranoia. Tangible ones such as getting captured or killed by MOBIUS, his friends walking away from him, or someone following him home; as well as more unrealistic ones, such as somehow ending up back in STEM, or getting stuck in a time loop, or a giant sinkhole all the way to the core of the earth opening up right at his feet.

It also happens often enough that certain actions don’t necessarily scare him, but make him uncomfortable or highly on edge (often with good reason); think of someone locking the door of the room he’s in– especially when it’s just them two– or getting too close without warning. He often fears people he gets too close to will end up treating him like the Administrator did, which is why it takes a while for him to let Sebastian get any closer physically, despite warming up to him relatively fast.

A more uncommon fear he has is waking up one morning and having lost one of his senses or his ability to speak. Aside from the mental erosion that had become a growing issue among Union citizens, MOBIUS observed a similar kind of process in its agents who regularly jumped in and out of STEM for general maintenance and the like– presumably caused by the constant changes in brain activity, which more than often led to exactly what Nathan’s fear mentioned above describes. While he was among the agents who worked both in and outside of STEM on the Union environment, he was lucky enough to never suffer the consequences.

Lastly, he is deadly afraid of Anima. Despite not having shown any other symptom of succumbing to the STEM domination process, Nathan would have started seeing her around sometime before Lily vanished– presumably got her attention after some of his escapades in the secret labs in the Marrow– and he has not been able to sleep soundly in STEM ever since. While his fear of her mostly acts up when he’s in a STEM environment, it definitely translates over to the real world as well; during bad mental health episodes he has auditory hallucinations of her, and she makes regular appearances in his nightmares too.

Do they have any pet peeves?

When people are too passive. Nathan can’t stand it when he’s expected to initiate everything, from conversations to taking action, both in a work context (scheduling meetings, deploying new code) as well as personal context (scheduling to hang out, doing household chores). He also doesn’t like having to constantly ask people to do what they’re supposed to do– though this irritation more than often extends a little too far, to things he is expecting of people but never told them about.

Loud and unexpected noises, especially when done on purpose. Fireworks would be a great example of this, and they piss Nathan off no end. He gets snippy when people raise their voice at him for no reason, or when they keep banging their fist on a surface to get others’ attention.

Getting cut off in traffic. Nathan’s road rage is easily awakened and he can get a little drastic with it. His reflexes are fast enough to brake on time to avoid ending up in someone’s trunk, but will in that same breath speed right back up to crash into them on purpose as revenge for pissing him off.

What are three items you can find in their bedroom?

A large ring binder full of old code snippets, notes from various projects he worked on back at MOBIUS, and all his research ranging from neuroscience all the way to electrical engineering. Nathan is a little old-school in that regard– he’d much rather have all his research physically with him than save it all to some online storage platform and risk losing it like that.

A jigsaw puzzle, made entirely out of different pieces that he’s collected over the years (stolen from others’ puzzles, found in various locations, stolen directly from the store, etc). The full piece would total up to nearly 2000 pieces, though it is still missing a large chunk in the center; the result is an abstract piece containing mostly darker colors, though with various bursts of color scattered around like flowers in a field. Nathan isn’t the artistic type, but the project keeps him busy and he considers it a type of self-expression.

The knife he killed his parents with when he was sixteen years old. He’s not entirely sure why he kept it all those years– perhaps to remind himself what got him to where he is now, or because it’s the only thing he still has from that time of his life. Either way, it’s kept safe in the top drawer of his nightstand, easy enough to reach in case someone breaks into his apartment.

What do they notice first in a person?

First: State of mind, overall mood. How approachable do they look; can he afford to lower his guard or does he need to tread with caution, can he get close without worrying about a knife to the stomach or should he keep his distance? Nathan rarely shows immediate interest in someone’s overall personality, he would rather want to know which of their emotions he’s gonna have to deal with during their interaction(s).

Second: Body language. Ties in with the first thing mentioned– cautiously watching for threats, waiting to see if they make a move to touch (or harm) him so he can step out of their range. But it also extends a little further; Nathan tends to mimic others’ body language in conversation to make himself appear more approachable. If someone gestures a lot, he will do the same.

Third: Their smile, if relevant. Smiling is an eye-catching action to him, since he’s not one to quickly do so himself. It’s attractive to him; if someone smiles at him, you’ll be able to catch him staring.

Fourth: Scars, and other (skin) details. Nathan isn’t one to ask about them, of course– but they’ll catch his attention anyway, for a brief moment, since some of them already tell a story on their own even without words.

Fifth: Nervous tics, if relevant. By this point he’s been in conversation long enough to pick up on the little details– a slight thrill or shakiness to their voice, a thumb running over the side of their index finger, a nose twitch. In some cases it eases his mind, knowing the other person isn’t confident in their conversation either; in other cases it sets off alarms in his mind, and makes him wonder if there’s more going on than what they’re showing or telling him.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how high is their pain tolerance?

Physically: 7. While he doesn’t quite look like it, Nathan can take a hit or two. Most of his injuries happen in STEM– though with the way the technology works, the pain is very much real, and in some cases the scars are lasting even in the real world despite the damage having been sustained in STEM. To an extent, Nathan even enjoys the pain; it’s grounding for him, and keeps him from dissociating. When it gets too much to handle he simply drinks it away.

Mentally: 10. Nathan’s life has been a constant downward spiral; sent to a youth detention center after being wrongfully accused of killing his younger sister, and he was bullied relentlessly there, which continued until long after his release both at school and at home. At MOBIUS, he was required to work shifts in their HQ as well as in the Marrow, in the Union STEM environment– he was required to be mentally strong, or he would have already started suffering from mental erosion by long-term STEM exposure after his first few trips in. It takes a lot to break him (or so he likes to believe).

Emotionally: 4. Once you get past all the barriers, Nathan is pretty sensitive. He doesn’t deal well with rejection or misunderstanding, and is prone to assuming things are all his fault the second something goes wrong. It’s easy to upset him, though he won’t easily show; but the damage often takes a while to repair.

Do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure? (Or freeze or fawn?)

Fight, more than often; though it may appear as flight at first, since Nathan’s favored combat approach is stealth and he will always find cover before doing anything rash. In certain cases, however, he would be more likely to freeze; especially anything related to Anima or an enemy type like her, where fighting is out of the question, and he knows that a single wrong move can mean his demise.

It translates to non-combat situations too– often willing to talk to people but his initial response is to get defensive and close himself off, and if not given a moment to regain himself it can lead to either fighting or freezing; biting back with similar ferocity or shutting down altogether, unable to pick up his rational train of thought in the heat of the moment.

It really depends on the type of confrontation, though; taking his own state of mind and who else is involved into consideration. He’s known to fawn when a situation starts feeling a little too familiar– generally surrounding the abuse he suffered from partially his parents, but mostly the Administrator.

What animal represents them best?

Wolf; bordering on dog motif, but cautiously so, requiring infinite patience and understanding to win his trust. Nathan is loyal and guarding to those he cares about, but he values his freedom– his choices and decisions are his and his alone, and anyone who tries to take that away from him will suffer the necessary consequences.

How would a stranger likely describe them?

Curious, above anything else. Distant, reserved; surprisingly well-spoken, almost technical in his interactions with others as if the whole conversation is pre-programmed in his mind. Nathan isn’t necessarily cold towards others, but people would also not be quick to describe him as kind; though there is a certain warmth to the way he speaks and looks at people, despite the fact he very rarely smiles and isn’t one to quickly compliment someone else.

Appearance-wise, people tend to notice the white strands in his black hair first. They’re clustered at the front of his head, and match with the white hairs in his left eyebrow and the white eyelashes in the outer corner of his left eye. Nathan has very pale and rough skin, patchy but dark facial hair covering up most of his acne (/scarring); and part of the skin around his left eyebrow is lacking pigment, though it’s a little hard to see. He has very pale and bright blue eyes, which can be a little unnerving when staring at them for too long. Many people cannot maintain eye contact with him for very long.

Do they have any hobbies?

Nathan’s career is directly intertwined with his hobbies, and he enjoys working on code even long after cutting ties with MOBIUS. Software development, application optimization– his laptop runs on an operating system that he coded entirely himself, and whenever he has some time to spare he can be found tweaking and optimizing it and adding new features.

To no one’s surprise, he’s a gamer. Shooters, roguelikes, survival horror– he does not play all too often as his schedule often doesn’t allow for it, but he generally doesn’t have a hard time playing on higher difficulties and enjoys the challenge. Nathan has tried his hand at game design and development too, but stopped quickly when he found it too similar to developing the Union environment in STEM.

And last, surprisingly, would be writing. Journaling, some sort of attempt at poetry, or articles he would want to send in to some website or appropriate magazine but never does– a lot of Nathan’s writing is for his eyes alone, but it helps as an outlet, it keeps him grounded. For a while after leaving MOBIUS, he worked on writing tech manuals for various employers to earn some extra cash, which also ties directly into his interests.

[aalghul]

when it comes to being willing to make concessions on methods & morality specifically in exchange for gaining batman’s trust & access to the inner bat circle vs rejecting an existing trust & access (because it did exist prior to jason’s death & would have existed had he chosen to walk back in with no radically opposing beliefs after lost days #1)….jason should never choose the first

[sesamestreep]

it really is SUCH a shame that there’s no episode of TOS where the enterprise crew time jumps to Regency-era England or goes to a planet that modeled its culture on that era or something, because it would truly slap for every single main character. Like I don’t even have to explain why this would be awesome for Spock— Mr. I’ll-smash-a-computer-with-my-bare-hands-before-I’ll-admit-I’m-horny himself, king of repression, who basically recreated the famous Pride and Prejudice Hand Flex Scene™️ with his beloved Captain that one time, who meets a blind woman with a high tech gown that helps her “see” and LITERALLY tells her to give his compliments to her dressmaker, who mislead a woman once about his affections and tenderly promised to safeguard her reputation forever about it, who has the perfect angular features to be set off by a cravat—I mean, you get it, but then you’ve also got Kirk—handsome, affable, brave Naval captain who loves his crew more than himself, who falls in like deep profound love with every woman the plot throws at him—and then McCoy—cantankerous, sure, (ever heard of a grumpy/sunshine trope??) but with impeccable, downright old school manners towards women and, yeah, a doctor’s not that prestigious in Regency times, but for like a young lady in trouble who needs the protection of a man’s name or who just wants to piss off her stuffy aristocrat family by marrying “beneath” them, who could be better? If you throw Scotty in the mix, well, he’s Scottish, which [points at a whole subgenre of regency romance novels] is all he’d really need. I’m just saying they would have CLEANED UP, okay??

[wmiescieinazumy]

selfcare is listening to B.E.L.I.E.V.E. on loop until you feel alive again

[yuurikatsukienthusiast]

Let's talk about episode 11

I have SO many feelings about this episode for so many different reasons. So much happens, and it's hard to encompass everything into words, but I'll be damned if I don't try.

Starting off strong, let's talk about Yuuri's short program and the score he received on it.

I may have been the only one to notice this, but Yuuri's short program at the GPF in Barcelona was not given the usual amount of attention that it was at previous competitions. In regards to both animation and the commentary we usually get during the performances. A lot of it seemed rushed, almost like there was not as much time spent on it. Most of the focus was on Yuuri's second attempted quad flip, which he touched down for.

Yuuri received a score of 97.83 on this performance.

Now, I'm not a genius at figure skating. I only know what I know from Yuri on Ice, but doesn't the inclusion of a quad flip, especially in the second half of the program, boost the score?

Not to mention that Yuuri, as far as we know, skated a very clean program with very few to no mistakes other than when he touched down on the quad flip (which, as mentioned before, already boosts his score for even being included at all). When there are mistakes in a performance, they're typically addressed, and they're mentioned by the commentators or the performers inner monologue.

But there was no indication of anything actually being wrong with Yuuri's short program.

If anything, Oda and Morooka were all but singing Yuuri's praise during his performance, and seemed almost surprised to see that Yuuri hadn't scored higher.

So let's back track for a moment.

Yuuri skated a clean program.

There were no mistakes mentioned in any of the commentary made throughout his performance.

He added a freaking quad flip into the second half of the program, despite touching down.

When taking all of this into consideration, Yuuri's score makes absolutely no sense.

Previously, at other competitions, Yuuri's short program had received a personal best of 106, and that was without the quad flip. He had been consistently beating his PB every time he skated On Love: Eros. So for his score to jump so far backwards after skating a nearly perfect performance makes absolutely no sense.

They completely underscored him.

And I understand why they did it, but that doesn't mean I can't be pissed about it. Especially because of the way they underscored him.

They underscored Yuuri's short program to give Yurio the chance to break Victor's world record. And then they tried to make up for it by having Yuuri break Victor's world record during his free skate, only for him to lose because of how high Yurio's SP score was.

If Yuuri had scored just half a point higher on his SP, he would've won.

Now, I am very aware of why Yurio was the one who won. And I'm glad he did.

(well...sort of. Maybe I'd feel better about it if we had actually gotten a season 2...)

But if they were going to have Yuuri lose, they could've at least made it make sense as to why he lost. They could've easily had Yuuri make a few more mistakes because of his nerves, or even addressed the fact that he got screwed over, and it would've made much more sense. But leaving it completely unacknowledged makes it seem like he was underscored without any good reason.

I really hope I'm making sense here, because if I'm not, I'll cry.

Anyway, I digress. Moving on!

Now, let's address the events that followed Yuuri's SP score. More specifically, Victor's behavior for the rest of the night.

This has been a detail about the show that has bothered me since my first watch through. Let me explain.

After Yuuri's short program, when they receive his score at the kiss and cry, Victor asks himself what Yuuri needs from him, and wonders what he can do for him right then and there. It's a sweet moment of Victor being the concerned fiance we all know and love. It's obvious here that hes grown from his mistakes at the Cup of China, and has learned to be more mindful of Yuuri's emotions.

However, given this context, Victor's behavior throughout the rest of the performances completely backtracks all of that progress.

We all know that Victor isn't the most emotionally intelligent. He can be pretty tone deaf when it comes to emotions, and he tends to be a bit insensitive. But when he and Yuuri have their moment together in the parking garage at the Cup of China, he quickly learns that in order to truly be there for Yuuri, he has to learn how to support him through his anxiety, even if it means dealing with the discomfort that may come with seeing his lover so distraught.

Since then, Victor had done everything in his power to make sure he was supporting Yuuri as much as possible. An example of this is in episode 10, when it's shown to us that Victor has truly started understanding what Yuuri needs from him when he's dealing with anxiety by inner monologuing about watching over him.

And as mentioned before, he has a similar moment to this at the kiss and cry after Yuuri's gpf sp performance. This, again, being a major show of progress when it comes to Victor's character development.

But as mentioned before (again...), as soon as that progress is made, it's immediately reversed again just minutes later.

When Yurio kicks them out of the kiss and cry and takes the ice, there's a brief moment of tension between Victor and Yuuri when they find each other again after being separated for a brief period of time between performances.

Victor is shown intensely watching Yurio skate from a balcony (?) up in the stands. When Yuuri walks up the stairs and calls out to him, he freezes upon seeing Victor's expression.

This is a tense moment for a reason, and it holds a lot more weight to it than a lot of the fandom acknowledges.

This brief, but almost intimidating interaction between the two is over within seconds, but it sends Yuuri into a silent spiral of anxiety.

After Yuuri makes his presence known to Victor, and Victor urges them to find some seats to watch the rest of the programs, it's now Chris's time to take the ice.

The commentators mention Victor and Chris's friendly rivalry, and question how Victor must be feeling to watch Chris from the stands as a coach rather than a competitor. This sparks Yuuri's concern once more.

He begins to connect Victor's behavior from before, when he caught him watching Yurio skate, and right then, as he watches Chris skate. Whatever connection he silently drew between the two moments only seemed to cause him more stress.

So as Yuuri is silently spiraling next to him due to being outscored by both Chris and Otabek, Victor is completely ignoring him in favor of rubbing salt into the wound further by encouraging the other skaters more than his own.

It is obvious that Victor's complete lack of awareness of Yuuri's growing anxiety in these moments is having a significant negative impact on Yuuri's self confidence.

There is a clear conclusion we can draw here based on these interactions.

Seeing Victor react the way he did to Yurio's, Chris's, and Otabek's performances, led him to believe that Victor was disappointed in him and his score.

And while we know this isn't true, what other conclusion could Yuuri have come up with?

And it is probably because of this that Yuuri decided to bring up his retirement to Victor that night. He probably assumed that because of Victor's supposed disappointment, and his obvious longing to be back out on the ice himself, that he'd want to quit anyway.

At least, that's how I personally interpreted these moments. But regardless of how they're interpreted, there's a much bigger message behind them that's much less ambiguous.

And that message is that Victor still has a lot of work to do with his emotional and self awareness issues.

I love Victor to death, but he's not flawless. And episode 11 is a perfect example of that. He loves Yuuri so much, and he would never do anything to intentionally hurt him or tear him down. But he lacks self awareness, and it often leads to his true intentions being misinterpreted.

There's a lot more to say about what Victor's obviously unfinished character development says about what the plans for the show were, and how they connect and contrast the plans for Yuuri's character, but I'll save that for a different post.

All in all, this episode was incredibly frustrating to watch

Between Yuuri being underscored on his short program, and Victor being Victor, it was hard for me to not talk about it.

And let me know if you agree or disagree with any of this. I'm genuinely curious to know what other's thoughts and feelings on this episode were. Because I know that there's still much more about this episode that I could ramble about.

[ahalliance]

how do i turn qantoine’s spontaneous marriage proposal to qetoiles into evidence of his early-days fear of qfrench drifing away and keeping secrets from one another

[moe-broey]

Realization.

[bonestrouslingbones]

now realizing that i haven't seen an edgepuff fic any longer than a oneshot since fucking. 2022. and not even a oneshot since 2023. god.

[avirael]

Random musings about A'vi that may or may not make sense...

I promised I would write down a bit of my thoughts on A'viloh's feelings and probably specifically about Haurchefants since that is a little vague in my writing.

But before we speak of Haurchefant me have to speak of A‘vi and we have to consider that his own mind is his own worst enemy sometimes. If there is a very unreasonable way to feel bad about a situation he can and will find that way!

In a way we also would have have to speak about his upbringing and about Laqa of course and weirdly enough also about Thancred, although most of the last is pretty much just some idea in A'vi's head.

Not only is A'vi still confused because of what Thancred did before they parted ways -even if he tries to ignore that- but of course he also still loves Laqa.

Laqa was always there als long as he remembers. A friend, a lover, but most important maybe a person he could rely on, someone who protected him. And also to be honest a person he could hide behind, a person that would make the difficult decisions so he wouldn’t need to.

A’vi wouldn’t ever admit it and it’s probably not even conscious but some part of him - the part that refuses to change, that fantasises of going back to how things used to be - has been trying to replace all of that ever since Laqa is gone.

In a way Rael fulfills these criteria too. Rael would fight for him, care for him, protect him, just like Laqa did. This is a big part of why A'vi is so focused on Rael, occassionally so much that it gets mistaken for being something romantic. But in contrast to Laqa, Rael would in the end not coddle him. They wouldn’t spare him the struggle, the heavy lifting, the difficult decision making. And of course ultimately Rael also isn't availabe or fitting as a love interest for A'vi. And while their friendship means the world to A'vi, I think in the end he still needs something more than that maybe...

So back to Thancred for a second, because i think A'vi is not in love with Thancred.

If he is in love with anything or anyone apart from Laqa at this point, then it’s with the idea of not feeling so damn lost and lonely anymore.

In a way maybe that means he could be in love with Thancred but he’s not really in love with the person and more with the idea what he could be for him.

He is entranced by his charming behaviour, of course. People being nice to him is one thing. Kindness alone is too foreign for him still. Apart from Laqa there weren’t many people who were nice to him, especially not in the same way Thancred or Haurchefant are.

But Thancred or Haurchefants flirting with him? He is helpless about that! And it keeps on happening and when it doesn’t he misses the attention maybe? Yes, maybe he has a little crush on either or both of them.

But also, there was this moment after Ifrit when Thancred made him feel understood. A’vi saw Thancred struggling. A similar fight. Feeling not good enough. Trying your best and still failing. Wanting nothing more than to be useful for someone. Trying to live up to some shadow that isn’t there anymore.

And later that feeling of not having control over your own life. The pain caused because of oneself. The guilt he can either live with or decide to die of. Preferably in some grand sacrifice. For a good cause. Maybe that’s all he would ever be good for.

Their coping mechanism couldn’t be more different of course but something about their struggles is so similar. Being not alone in their misery is such a tempting thing. As so is maybe, just maybe, being able to finally move forward. But the important thing in context to HW here is that after the whole Ifrit-thing, when A‘vi considered going on a date with Thancred, this idea was born out of his hope, and only that, to maybe be able to move on from that loss he experienced. And all the fawning about him later, when it was already very clear to him that Thancred wasn’t interested at all, was more A’vi making heart eyes at the idea of being able to be in love with someone else. The idea of being free - just like Thancred - seems so nice to him. Free to do what he wants, to love who he wants and all of that without being scared or feeling horrible about it. Because feeling horrible and guilty and selfish and treacherous simply for still being alive is buried so deep inside of him even though all he wants is to be happy.

To be honest, even if things had been different in either of these two cases (the „date“ and Thancred‘s „disinterest“), I am very sure A‘vi would have found a way to chicken out of it last second. It was never a real possibility, just an impossible thing, so it felt okay for him to dream about it.

With Haurchefant however this IS a real possibility! He is very clearly interested and seems honest enough about it. But while there’s this voice in Avi’s head that says “I want this”, there’s still this other one that says “I can’t! I don’t deserve this! I am a horrible person!“ He rejects Haurchefant because there is someone else on his mind and in his confusion he can’t even tell anymore if this is just one person or two.

So he doesn’t take this risk, all while he thinks he might honestly like Haurchefant. He is just not sure if this is in a friends-only way or if it could develop to be more.

You may say now that this spares him some pain when Haurchefant inevitably meets his fate in the end but exactly the contrary would be the case somehow. Not only does he feel unworthy and ungrateful that someone as kind as Haurchefant died for him because he loved him despite A‘viloh not being able to return these feelings. No he feels like he missed yet another chance! He realises that maybe there will always be hurt and it’s just a matter of how well you spent the time you have. He feels like his insecurities, his awkwardness, his doubt and fear of getting hurt always kept him from making the best out of what he is given, may it be with Laqa or anybody else - time not used as well as he could have.

[aeide-thea]

poäng appreciation post 💛