#‘i always wished i had majored in classics. i always enjoyed it’ can i interested you in a google document with links and a drive folder

[msmargaretmurry]

Apparently the players themselves absolutely hated last year’s all star game which was a shocker to me. It looked fun from my view! But a lot of reporters have said guys were talking shit and didn’t like it. I personally find joy in watching Connor McDavid’s money laundering scheme but it was not as fun as last year’s in my eyes. I do appreciate making it a mega competition where there’s one big prize at the end but I wish more guys competed. This one really just felt like a competition between Cale and Connor for a lot of it.

anon i'm so sorry you sent this EONS ago and i've just been so busy i haven't had the chance to sit down and write out all the all star game thoughts and ponderings i've been having. because i know we are probably all sick of the asg complaining and discourse but i genuinely think it is such an interesting topic! what makes a "good" all star weekend? what is the criteria for measuring "good"? ideally you create an event that is widely appealing to both fans and players but that's surprisingly difficult, and imo sometimes those things are kind of fundamentally at odds!

lots of asg thoughts (complaints) under the cut lol sorry, i do not expect people to actually read all this

i'm not SHOCKED to hear that players didn't like the asw in florida because i feel like guys have been complaining about the asw since time immemorial, but i too am surprised that they apparently complained so much that the nhl decided they had to overhaul the whole skills comp. i went to the asg in florida and certainly had my quibbles about the experience from a fan standpoint but overall had a really fun time. my main complaint is that there was too many pre-recorded stuff during the skills comp — like, i didn't pay money to sit in this arena and watch videos on the jumbotron, you know? so while i do like when there's a special skills event that kind of pays homage to the host city, and i surely am not complaining about the #content we got out of the dunk tank, that was a little frustrating!

a complaint i know players have had about the skills competition in the past is that they don't want to be embarrassed, and while obviously it can be embarrassing to fall during fastest skater or take 46 seconds doing the accuracy shooting, it has seemed like for a lot of them the events they think are most likely to be embarrassing are the events that rely on leaning into personality and being silly/funny and creative in non-hockey ways — events that really lean into the entertainment part of it all instead of the athlete part, like the breakaway challenge. the vast majority of these guys do not like to think of themselves as entertainers! in their minds they're just hockey players! and hockey culture actively dissuades guys from standing out and having loud personalities so it makes sense that many of them would be more comfortable in a contest that's pure skills!

unfortunately the most fun and memorable parts of all star weekends are almost always the parts where guys DO show a lot of personality and/or are blatantly just having fun, not when they're concentrating super hard on executing skills events. i caught a bit of the nfl pro bowl and was so struck by how it seemed like the players were having so much FUN. there was so much JOY. it made it compelling and entertaining even though it don't follow the nfl closely enough to know who many of the guys at the pro bowl were.

like, i'm not knocking pure skills events. i genuinely enjoy watching these elite athletes be extremely good at things. the classic skills events — fastest skater, hardest shot — are fun to watch! and i'm not fundamentally opposed to more pure skills events. the pvp goalie save streak event was so fun, for example. but i thought a lot of the events invented for this year were too samey. they didn't really showcase different types of skills, they were just riffing on similar skill sets. it wasn't compelling to me, and i also thought it was kind of lol that everyone but connor had to learn the events on the fly and that definitely disadvantaged them.

AND i truly hated that only a handful of guys got to do the skills competition. to me one of the most fun things about the skills comp is the chance to see guys from teams all across the league and have some surprises about who does really well in events! that can't happen when the nhl decides that two-thirds of the teams don't even get representation in the skills comp, that over half the players aren't good enough to include in the event. who knows, maybe those guys preferred hanging out and drinking and watching, and that's valid of them, but as a fan — you invited my guys to the asg but didn't think they were good enough to do a few silly skill games? felt kinda shitty, man!

so while i do like connor, it really irked me the way the whole competition felt like it was designed to showcase him. yes, he's truly great, and it's fun to watch him be great! but i can turn on literally any oilers game and watch him be great; i don't need a whole event designed to showcase it. i want the the all star weekend to celebrate the LEAGUE, to use this opportunity to highlight great players who maybe DON'T constantly get the spotlight anyway IN ADDITION to the big names. i can't remember any skills comp in the past, even ones featuring generational talents at their peaks, that felt so pointedly designed to showcase a single player and it really rubbed me the wrong way. this isn't a knock against connor; it's a knock against how the nhl framed and presented the whole thing.

obviously this is my personal opinion, i've seen plenty of people who thought it was fun. that's valid! i am not The ASG Worth Decider, i am just one fan with a lot of feelings. i can also understand how it could have been more fun in-person than televised. unfortunately i was watching on tv so that's the only experience i can opine about. but also in addition to my personal opinion i objectively feel like it's a huge missed marketing opportunity. you're not gonna spark people's interests in watching new teams/players if you keep hammering home that this one guy is the guy worth watching.

though honestly, the entire skills comp experience for me was deeply colored by how awful i thought the commentary was. the constant judginess toward players instead of joy and celebration of players was gross. the way they kept leaning hard into the million dollar prize as this huge motivating factor for these millionaires to win a series of silly games was gross. it's very possible i would have enjoyed it more if the commentary didn't suck so much, lmao.

also sorry i gotta complain real quick about the sheer number of canucks and leafs. sorry i know this is such an annoying complaint. i am even very fond of a lot of the guys from those teams who were voted in but my god there were too many of them. i would have let three leafs slide since they're the host team and toronto is ~so special~ even though many host teams have only gotten one or two players in the past, but this was a bridge too far. "they were decided by popular vote what else did you expect" i'm not an idiot, okay, that is exactly what i expected to happen with the popular vote. my complaint is not that the popular vote popular voted, it's that the nhl decided that's how they were gonna do things. the whole damn system is bad!!!

and lest it be concluded from this post that i am SOLELY a hater let me say for the record that i don't think the whole thing was bad. there were some really fun moments! i love that they brought the asg draft back and i had a lot of fun watching it. i thought the ACTUAL all star games were really entertaining and fun to watch. i thought that one musical guest in the sens outfit killed it. my beef is really just with a bunch of aspects of the skills comp lmao.

in conclusion: more joy!!! more celebration of the league as a whole!!! more chances for unexpected all star heroes!!!

[ladydragonkiller]

Hello again! My previously mentioned travels have indeed been long and hard. I'm quite glad they're over, and that I'm healing. A fresh loaf of bread sounds lovely- I don't believe I've ever actually had fresh bread. Though, your face and company would be much lovelier, of course.

Ice cream and walks are always fun. I've been meaning to visit a custard shop in my post of town. My high school friend and carpool ride would take me there often, so it's quite nostalgic. On top of just having good food, hah.

Hoorah for a college deposit! I hope your major will be just as interesting and passion-sparking as you dream. Hoorah, as well, for knitting progress! Sometimes a shift in projects is what we need to see the old one with fresh eyes and motivation.

For armor, I do wish I actually had any, but alas. Instead, I alternate gender neutral dressed-up looks and incredibly camp outfits. Think Ashes vs Marius; those are about my two moods, when I'm not just in a t-shirt and jeans around the house.

For your next question.. If you were a candle, what would your fragrance be? Bonus points if you can give it a flashy name, or assign yourself a color as well.

- Mysterious Knight

to have never had fresh bread. . .this is a tragedy on the grandest of scales, and i wish dearly i could actually remedy it. fresh bread is to packaged bread as a warm, solid hug is to a high five. put a little butter and honey on it and ough. . .top ten snacks that connect you to humanity throughout history. my face and company pale in comparison (though i'm happy to provide the latter, even if the former is a tad more exclusive)

i adore both ice cream and walking, and am intrigued by this custard. some ice creams are made from a base of stirred custard, is it like that? or is it denser custards served not frozen, like puddings or flan or creme brulee?

thank you for both your hoorahs! i would like to give you two in return, to be used whenever you need a boost of good cheer

those fashions both sound lovely! ashes and marius are certainly fantastic and, perhaps, eclectic when compared to the usual style, choices (but if you aren't a little eclectic then you aren't really living life). and a t-shirt and jeans is classic, certainly what i default to some days.

see, there's a conundrum here. i would go for some classic baked good (apple pie maybe, or fresh bread) scent, but those always end up seeming over powering and saccharine. i tend to prefer lighter scents, like "fresh cotton" or "spruce forest" and the like, but those don't quite seem to capture my essence as i see it.

additionally, i have a hard time narrowing myself down to any one thing. though theoretically i would know myself best, i'm hardly at an objective distance to declare my own signature candle. can i be trusted to accurately judge the ratio of smells? unlikely

that said, i do deeply enjoy the smell i get in my room when i've opened the windows for the first time each spring. it's similar to sheets that have been dried on a clothesline, which is similar to sheets that have been sitting in a clean linen closet for a while. very light, and it reminds me of a breath of fresh air and the feeling of settling into bed knowing the sun will rise bright tomorrow.

For your question (one i've asked the cowboy before, but i think it's important enough to bear the shame of repetition): what's your favorite baked good?

[zachsgamejournal]

COMPLETED: AER: Memories of Old

Another of my type of games. It's got the essential elements: exploration, platforming, puzzles, and story. As much as I enjoyed it, though, it was a bit shallow. Not really in a bad way, just--I want more!

I will say--this is essentially what I expected from Skyward Sword. So void filled.

Let's start with what I love about the game:

Open World

Exploration

Great Mood

No Combat Necessary

Story

Graphics/Style

No so great:

Short

Nothing to do...

Graphics/Style

Starting in the rear here. I dig blocky graphics, so I was very accepting of this game's style. But to be hyper-critical: it wasn't blocky enough. Most of the environments are fine, but I think the characters still had too many polygons. Closer to PS2 than PS1. I would have preferred PS1.

But I found it really intriguing how they don't really use textures. Similar to classic, early PS1/N64 games--every polygon is a solid color. The character faces lack eyes or any detail. I don't mind it, and I'm impressed with how they make it work. There are a few patterns, when necessary--but not in a way that looks out of whack.

But even with the blocky, no-texture graphics--the animations are great. And the camera work, when on the rare occasion there's a "cut-scene", is perfect for the tone and project. While the graphical style was to minimize resources required--it's pulled off expertly.

Open World/Exploration

The game world is quite impressive. It's a series of floating islands amongst the clouds and there are A LOT of islands of varying sizes and shapes. Immediately I was like YES--this is what Skyward sword was supposed to be! In truth, some of the islands feel nearly as large as the playable "ground" areas of Skyward sword--so obviously it can be achieved. The game also cleverly uses clouds to hide sections. Maybe this hides loading, but at the very least it helps makes sections feel "isolated", like how Disney World's Magic Kingdom somehow makes each "kingdom" feel...I don't know. Isolated. Not able to describe it well right now.

The game is actually quite linear, but they let you "discover" where to go--much like Ocarina of time. The clues are pretty direct, but there's always a little mystery that can only be resolved through genuine discovery.

But sadly, only about 5-10% of the game world is used (or at least required). And that's the biggest sin of the game. It's so interesting and well crafted, but the majority of the world just goes to waste. I wish there was some sort of collection mechanism. It would be...silly, but at least it would have inspired exploring this awesome world.

Actually, what they should have done is had several characters that send you on side questions. Maybe a map-maker wants you to find certain landmarks and report back. Or there's an archaeologist that wants you to unravel some history and what not. This would allow the game to stay focus but also inspire the player to explore the world with purpose.

Did I mention you can turn into a bird and fly. It's pretty awesome. Just like in Skyward Sword, you flap around--but it actually uses airplane controls, thank god!

Story/Mood

The story is pretty straight forward but interesting. And honestly, it's up to snuff with most AAA games that are basically just self-indulgent 20 minute cut scene fests meant to cover up their lack of depth and originality with "production value".

Maybe that's harsh.

I think this game is, potentially, tearing down christianity a bit. Basically there was a creator and then there multiple gods and talking animals. But then a group of violent extremist decided there was one god-king and that all other gods were trash. Then they started going around murdering people and burning sacred texts and stuff.

Also, I think AER is supposed to be a resource of power, or something...I don't know.

There's a bit of sadness in the game. Moral seems to be that there's not really evil, but that mankind can develop a void that corrupts their view of the world. And a lot of the immortal beings that offer their help have to essentially die to give it. So interesting.

Short

The worst part of the game is also a strength. It's short. Really short. I probably spent 2-3 hours playing and that included getting lost a few times. It doesn't bother me, I like short games if the experience is "full". And I think this game succeeds in that. But with as large as the world is--it could have had much more. I think that more should have been optional, but to have nothing...that was disappointing.

Dungeons

The dungeons are ok. They're VERY large--like, why do they need to be this big. I think some of the layout could be confusing, but I figured it out without much trouble. I think for younger or newer gamers, these dungeons would be too advanced. But for an experience user it wasn't so bad.

No Combat

Mad respect for excluding combat. I think I briefly read this was a complaint, as it would have filled out the experience--but it truly would have just been filler. Combat should be meaningful, and I thought it was great not to have it. Not everyone wants to fight their way through an experience. Like, they cheaply could have hidden weapons and equipment around the world and had enemies of different levels requiring the player to grind and level up, and suddenly the 3 hour game would be 9 hours and all that empty space would have been filled in. But at the same time, it would have just been filler that added time more than value.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed it. And I could totally see myself playing it again one afternoon just to enjoy the magical simplicity of it. I'd love to see these game devs make more projects that are similar!

[wall-maria-fritz]

Omg, I loved your Big Blonde Headcanons, and was wondering if I could get some general headcanons for Zeke Jaeger too 🥰

Monkey Man

Random Zeke Jaeger Headcannons

I'm glad you enjoyed the Big Blonde Boys! And I'm sooooooo glad you asked for Zeke! I have a weird fascination over this asshole asdfghjkl

Big Blonde Boys (Erwin, Miche, and Reiner Headcannons)

Maria's Scribblings MASTERLIST

Zeke Jaeger

· Zeke has always been one of those boys in school that seemingly every girl has a crush on, yet won’t seem to date any of them. Or anyone, for that matter.

· His grandparents are secretly waiting for Zeke to finally find a wife and get married.

· He would never admit it, but Zeke unironically enjoys pumpkin spice latte.

· The War Chief is clearly as brilliant as can be, and his love for reading shows that. His favorite author is known to be Leo Tolstoy, having already read War and Peace and Anna Karenina several times now. I won’t be surprised if he was reading Tolstoy when he attacked Levi in the Forest of Giants Trees.

· Remember that stuffed monkey he used to play with? Zeke named that monkey “Wild Thing!” This was because his favorite book as child was Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.

· Growing up, Zeke has always wished he had a baby sibling.

· He’s tried to learn how to play the violin at the insistence of his grandmother as a kid. But Zeke wasn’t very patient with learning the skill, and so never got past the basics.

· He secretly gets a kick out of reading all the hogwash and conspiracy theories the Marleyan tabloids would write about him and the Marleyan Military’s leadership.

· In fact, the tabloids are weirdly over-interested in Zeke Jaeger’s love life. Nearly every week, there’s new gossip over a new “Jaeger Girl.” Many speculations have been made over the years. Including Zeke being gay, and/or that he was in an affair with Pieck and/or that he had degenerate tendencies.

· This complicated man’s tastes can go from a Pâté for brunch, to fucking mac and cheese for dinner.

· Zeke is an avid lover of music. It helps him retreat into the bubble of his mind, and allow him to think. As War Chief, his aide-de-camps have been known to say that once he starts playing Chet Baker in his office, you best believe that Zeke Jaeger's cooking up quite the strategy.

· He likely found a love for jazz from his grandparents. So much so, that he’s always said that Ella Fitzgerald is the greatest singer to walk the earth.

· At the same time, he’ll never pass up some good ol’ classic rock n’ roll! Zeke strongly believes that The Beatles will never go out of style, and loves to blast Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in his car when he’s out driving.

· You’d never believe me, but Zeke Jaeger has a talent for the arts! It was something Grisha often admonished him for, constantly drilling into his head that he should busy himself with “matters of consequence” instead.

· But yes, Zeke has a knack for wood working, and have created several pieces of wooden furniture for his grandparents now.

· Once, Porco accidentally stumbled upon Zeke’s collection of charcoal sketches. His subjects were often the flora and fauna of downtown Liberio; canaries, poppies, cats, dandelions, etc. Porco never had the guts to ask about the sketches, but it’s probably some form of therapy for the War Chief because god knows he needs one.

· Zeke is a nitpicky asshole when it comes to alcohol. On that aspect, he has very refined tastes. He’s been known to serve his own personally brewed craft beer to his fellow warriors during their meetings-turned-shitstorm. I say this, because Colt absolutely loves whatever sorcery Zeke does to his beer, and gets a little too enthusiastic when drinking.

(Everybody except Colt knows this, but Zeke secretly tries to brew his beer a little bit stronger each time, just to see how far Colt’s drunken bullshit can go. Is Zeke a bastard? Yes. Is he having the time of his life? Fuck yes.)

· Zeke was once invited to throw first pitch at the Marleyan Major Baseball League Championships once. Despite being Eldian, for a while, the Marleyan press called him “Chief Perfect Pitch.”

· Zeke’s favorite movie genre has always been espionage. And his love for James Bond as a teenager definitely taught him how to conduct himself as a sophisticated albeit arrogant gentleman.

· He has cried in a movie though. Which movie? August Rush.

· Zeke likely smells like cigarette smoke and coffee, and prefers earthy scents for his cologne.

· His favorite color is maroon.

· When Zeke’s drunk—and it’s VERY rare that he is—Zeke breaks out the dance moves. Think Magic Mike meets the Jabbawockeez.

· His grandmother once tried setting him up on a date. The evening ended with the poor girl sobbing out that Zeke’s one cold, emotionless, rock. Safe to say, it didn’t work out.

· Zeke likes to go boxing when he’s angry. Much more so, late at night, where he can make as much noise as he wants—screaming and grunting out obscenities at the punching bag.

· No one really knows whether or not Zeke’s ever slept with a woman. No one’s ever seen him at a brothel either. Porco once joked that the War Chief probably goes out boxing so much at night because he’s “gotta find some way to deal with his boners.”

Pieck smacked him up the head for that.

· Zeke has really, really crappy handwriting. I mean, he does come from a family of doctors.

· Zeke actually has quite the good instinct for stocks and investing! Somehow, he has good understanding of financial trends. He’d probably be a business man if he wasn’t a Warrior.

· Audrey Hepburn and Snow White were his childhood crushes. If anything, that gives you an idea as to what’s Zeke’s type in a girl is-- a factoid which tabloids have used to connect him to Pieck.

· He’s also known to slack off on his paperwork. A lot. Instead, he opts to just pass the work on to whichever new aide has a crush on him. He never feels bad for it, because the young aides never say no anyways.

· And finally, Zeke gets really chapped lips, and often uses a colorless lip balm. All Cherry flavored. How do we know this? His aide-de-camp won’t say.

A/N: Requests are OPEN! Here are the rules.

[atarahderek]

Some Encanto head canons

Bruno has aphantasia. This is why his visions manifest the way they do. It's also a big part of why he needs sets and actors to play out his telenovelas. He can't actively imagine them.

Félix survived a major hurricane as a child. Rather than being traumatized, he became fascinated by severe weather. He is a storm chaser at heart, and if he had a dream vacation destination, it would be either the Gulf/Caribbean region during hurricane season or Oklahoma during storm season.

Isabela's preferred type is the clumsy nerd who never gives up and always puts family first, because that's the type of provider she always saw modeled in her own father (this is based on an early concept for a character). She has also become keenly interested in botany and is her mother's go-to for herbs. She knows exactly which plants in Colombia will kill you and which ones you can use.

Casita modified most of the family's rooms after being rebuilt to be more suited to what they needed. Dolores' room is soundproof, Isabela's room looks similar in many ways to Antonio's jungle, Luisa's room is an in-home spa with adjacent gym, Mirabel's room is bigger on the inside and full of storage for her arts and crafts, and Bruno's room is stairs-free and looks much more relaxing.

Alma is a slapstick and vaudeville fan, but would never openly admit it. Camilo is the one who has the easiest time making her laugh.

Luisa is the biggest Greek mythology nerd in Encanto. By a lot. She also studies classical architecture in her free time and wishes she could tour Europe's cathedrals.

Julieta hasn't recieved a present not related to the kitchen from anyone since she was five, with the only exceptions being her engagement ring from Augustín and embroidered clothing or bags from Mirabel. Even then, Mirabel is where Julieta usually gets a new apron or kitchen towel. She wishes that she could just get a set of candles or a new book as a present for once.

Pepa's favorite weather phenomenon is the rainbow, because it means the storm has passed. She can most easily create rainbows following an emotional release, so they also represent freedom to her.

Antonio has a picture book of African animals his paternal grandmother sent him, and he's hooked. His family worries that someday he might try to bring every critter in Africa to Colombia. It doesn't help when Bruno casually mentions something about hippos clogging the rivers in the northern part of the country in future decades.

Dolores had to learn selective hearing in order to cope with all the overwhelming sounds in her world. She can actually fail to hear a family member talking to her in the same room because she is focused on a selection of sounds or conversations.

Augustín is allergic to bees, strawberries, shellfish, and whatever else I deem appropriate to the plot of a fic.

Camilo is, of course, the theater kid in the family. But his idea of relaxing and enjoying himself is listening to classical music. He swaps a lot of records with Alma and Luisa.

Mirabel is a natural strategist. She's good at chess, math and logic puzzles. She's highly capable of seeing angles most people never consider, and can combine logic and emotion to read a situation and cut to the heart of it. She is arguably the most intelligent Madrigal.

[merrywaanderer]

moon river

damiano david x fem!reader

requested: damiano has a crush on actress!reader, and mentions it in an interview

synopsis: he never meant to fall for her; he never meant for her to know. but here we are, and there she is.

warnings: swearing, smoking, my terrible attempts at roman dialect/italian in general

word count: 3k

a/n: anon, i hope you know that this request of yours gives me major notting hill vibes (i hope you know that film, but if not, you should totally watch it because from your request, i can tell you'd love it). big kisses for you all, and please reblog if you enjoyed xx

It’d been another late night, the first time he’d seen her, though not in the way it usually was.

Damiano couldn’t sleep.

He’d gone to bed at half-past nine, which was not out of the ordinary for a night without a concert. Unfortunately, however, he’d done so without the usual cup of chamomile tea, because he had run out and forgotten to restock.

It was a recipe for disaster.

By the time the clock ticked over from one day to the next, midnight calm and still outside of the window, Damiano was still lying awake, staring at the ceiling.

Fucking ridiculous. To go to bed at half-past nine and still be awake, two and a half hours later.

He turned onto his side with huff, and the hair fell into his eyes. He sighed, blowing the strands momentarily from his eyes. Momentarily. Now they simply stuck to his eyelashes.

Attempting to sit up, he instead tangled himself further in the sheets.

Then, in kicking at the duvet, he lost his balance, and tumbled onto the floor, landing on the hardwood floor with a heavy thump, and a groan.

In the dark, Damiano fumbled for the switch that would turn on the bedside lamp, and found it on the fourth, frustrated try.

Sliding open the drawer in the bedside table, he pulled out his cigarettes, pushed open the window, and leaned out, lighter in hand.

He watched the smoke curl into the air for a few minutes, drift off into the night like he wished to, before he stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray on the windowsill, before closing the window.

Flopping back down on the bed, he assessed the situation.

Nope. Still not tired.

He reached for the TV remote for the early-2000s boxy television stationed across from the bed, and crossed his legs where he sat.

He flipped mindlessly through the weather forecast, late night news, cartoons, conspiracy theories. Nothing caught his interest.

Until he skipped past a movie channel, only to change his mind and return to it.

Apart from the fact that the film was in colour in place of black and white, what was being played seemed to be a remake of some old Hollywood production. It was classy and chic in every sense, as any of the old films had been, from the long, lingering camera shots, to the elegance of the actors.

Letting the remote slip from his hand, Damiano leaned back against the headboard of the bed, stretching out his legs and tipping his head against the wall as he absently began to watch the film.

After a few minutes, he was amused to realise that the film was a remake of none other than the classic with Audrey Hepburn, Roman Holiday. But though he had always admired Audrey Hepburn for her style, there was something about the present-day actress that made him sit up straighter.

He was no longer watching absently; he was enthralled.

This actress walked as though she belonged in the older time period, and though he knew that was her job, to look as though she belonged, this transcended acting.

She carried herself with a grace equal to that of Marilyn Monroe, or perhaps Dorothy Dandridge. She had the classic bright-eyed look of Ingrid Bergman, and a glow about her like Rita Hayworth. She surpassed the enigmatic magnetism of Merle Oberon.

Simply put, she was stunning.

Before he knew it, the film had ended, and he was watching a whole other film.

He fumbled for the TV remote, searching for the rewind button, to find the credits he had missed, to find her name.

But fortune seemed already to have favoured him, for the next film was starring her as well.

Clicking the button for the TV guide, a window popped up to inform him that tonight, this channel was playing Y/N L/N: The Repertoire.

Hours passed, and by early morning, he had watched everything from Midnight in Paris to Romeo and Juliet, all starring her.

Damiano had never been partial to Romeo and Juliet, but now here he sat, and there were tears rolling down his cheeks at her performance.

He could not fathom that he had never heard of her before, never seen her, smiling like that, eyes bright like stars, the way she turned acting into an art. The way he truly believed that her emotions on screen were the ones she was feeling.

Damiano could not remember ever having seen someone act like that.

It was the closest thing he’d ever felt to love at first sight.

And with that arresting thought, he finally drifted off to sleep, her voice still echoing in the background of his dreams.

⭒

For the next many weeks, Damiano wandered around in a haze, head in a cloud of smoke as surely as his lips and the pair of fingers that often held a cigarette.

He became forgetful, and clumsier than normal, so much so that Victoria asked more than once if he was drunk. But Damiano shook his head. He was nothing of the sort.

His head had never felt clearer, though now he was prone to daydreaming, to staring out the window and gazing at the sun, and marvelling at its light.

He found himself humming ‘Moon River’, from another old classic, simply because it reminded him of her, found himself ambling aimlessly down streets in the sunshine, smiling at strangers.

It was in Copenhagen that everything went to hell.

“Damiano!” Thomas shouted, glaring. They were in the middle of soundcheck when the three others had abruptly stopped playing. “Cos'hai che non va?”

Damiano frowned at Thomas. There was nothing wrong with him.

Exasperated, Victoria shouted, “You skipped a whole verse!”

“I did not skip a whole verse. Veramente, Victoria.”

“Yes,” Ethan interjected, “you did.”

Victoria crossed her arms, frowned. “Are you sick?”

Damiano stared at her, at Ethan and Thomas.

They stared back.

“What?! There’s nothing wrong with me.”

Ethan sighed. “Mi dispiace.”

“Per quello?”

“For what I’m about to say.” He paused. “You are all… dense, as fuck.”

Victoria groaned. “Oh, spit it out Ethan, so we can get on with this lost-cause soundcheck.”

Ethan twirled his drumsticks through the air, absentmindedly. Then, “He’s infatuated, ovviamente.”

Thomas and Victoria turned to look at the man in question.

“Oh, come on,” Damiano said.

Victoria shook her head. “No. No, it fits perfectly.”

Thomas looked at him pointedly. “Damiano. You’ve been going around singing fucking ‘Moon River’ for weeks now.”

Damiano threw up his hands. “It’s a good song!”

“Not that good,” said Victoria, who clearly had never seen Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Damiano had begun to protest again when Leo stuck his head through the door.

“Figli, you’re late for your interview.”

Damiano blinked. “Che cosa?”

Thomas swore loudly. “Shit, we forgot to tell you. That’s today.”

“What?”

“Vanity Fair, Copenhagen,” Victoria called over her shoulder, ducking under her guitar strap.

Damiano was still standing motionless by the time Victoria and Thomas had rushed past, and Ethan grabbed his elbow.

“Time to go!” he said, and pulled Damiano down the hall.

⭒

“It’s televised. Live and all that.”

“What?”

“Stop saying ‘what’.”

They were in a car, apparently on their way to a TV studio.

“Victoria, what do you expect me to say? You didn’t tell me.” Damiano ran a hand through his hair. “Should have had a hair cut.”

“Not why I’m telling you now.” She pressed her lips together, having finished applying a rare coat of red lipstick. Her tone softened. “I know you get nervous for these things.”

She was right; Damiano was shaking out his hands, trying to stop their tremble. “You might have told me earlier so I could have prepared.”

“Prepared?” Ethan snorted. “A moment ago, we couldn’t have wiped that… lovestruck look off of your face, for any amount of money in the world.”

“Much less convince you to prepare mentalmente for an interview,” agreed Thomas.

Damiano raised his eyebrows. “Is that why you all insisted on speaking English today, to prepare?”

Ethan nodded, but Victoria, sensing the attempted change of subject, hauled the conversation right back.

“Who is she, anyway?”

“Hm?”

“The girl you’re in love with.”

Damiano sputtered, “I am not in love with her — ”

“Ah,” said Ethan, “so there is a her.”

Damiano scowled; they’d seen right through him, as usual. “Fuck off.”

Thomas took one look at Victoria, and like true siblings, they began shouting.

“Who is she?!”

“Is she pretty?”

“Is she funny?”

“Is she rich?” This from Victoria.

Damiano narrowed his eyes. “Not telling any of you a word if you keep this up.”

“Oh, come on, Dami,” said Thomas petulantly. “We’re your friends.”

“Best friends,” Ethan corrected.

Victoria nodded emphatically, “Family, some would say.”

“And also,” said Damiano, “the three first people who’d sell me out for half a bottle of liquid eyeliner on a show night where they forgot to bring makeup.” He smiled. “So no, not a word.”

That of course did not stop them from pestering for information concerning his beloved (Thomas’ words), soulmate (Victoria’s words), and one true love (said Ethan)... All the way to the studio, where they finally arrived, after the longest twenty minutes of Damiano’s life.

They managed to get it together upon following him into the very quiet lobby of the building, where they were suddenly children, afraid to disturb a heavy silence.

They were quickly approached by a very peppy assistant and a very stoic security guard, who accompanied them to the actual studio located on the fifth floor, where they filed in, were introduced to the interviewer, and were given a quick briefing on the proceedings of the interview.

But this briefing was entirely without specifics, and Damiano found himself fiddling, twisting the beads of his necklace around his fingers, mirroring the feeling of writhing nerves in his abdomen.

In performing, he almost became a different person, embodied by the spirit of the stage like so many others before him. But interviews meant shedding that protective skin like a coat, and being left out in the cold.

Interviews meant truth, and though truth was easy to come by for Damiano, who hated lies more than almost anything else in the world, it was not easy to lay yourself bare in that way when faced with personal questions.

But he thought about Ethan and Thomas, worried that their English wasn’t good enough. He thought about Victoria, often singled out as the only woman present.

And he thought of her, walking through films unbound by genre or custom, unbound by anything.

He sat up straighter, and — softly — smiled.

⭒

“So, now we’re going to play a game!”

“OK,” Måneskin nodded in tandem.

The interviewer was as peppy as their assistant, but not in a false way. They simply knew what they were doing, and enjoyed their job.

“I’m going to ask you a question, and you have five seconds to answer. You can all answer, or one of you, or two, or three, however you like, but you must answer in order not to be disqualified. After five seconds have passed, I’ll let you elaborate on your answer as part of the interview.”

Thomas leaned over to take the microphone he and Ethan were sharing. “Is this high-stakes?”

“Oh yes,” said the interviewer. “I’ve played this with a lot of the Eurovision contestants. Currently Barbara Pavi and Blind Channel are tied in the lead with seven points.”

“Ooh,” Ethan stole the microphone back, “can’t let France win.”

The interviewer laughed. “A bit of uh, shade, there?”

Victoria nodded mock-solemnly. “Yeah, but I’m okay if we tie with Blind Channel too.”

“Damiano? Any thoughts?”

Damiano was bouncing a knee up and down, and hoped it wasn’t noticeable. But it was just a game, right? How badly could it go?

Very badly, he would soon discover.

But not yet. For now, he was naïve.

“Yes,” he said with all the enthusiasm he could muster. “Let’s go!”

The others grinned.

“Okay! First question: who’s most likely to fall asleep when travelling?”

The timer behind the interviewer began to count down.

“Three of us,” said Victoria, “not Damiano.”

“Not Damiano?”

“No,” he laughed, letting the humour ease his nerves. “I’m always the last one awake.”

“Until you’ve had your chamomile tea?”

So the interviewer had done their research.

“Yes,” Damiano smiled. “Until after my tea.”

There were another five — maybe six — rounds, before Damiano destroyed his dignity entirely. He’d had very little to begin with, because for the most part, he didn’t care what others thought of him, so dignity was not a currency he traded in, but now, with only one thing to hide, it was inevitable that it would come to light before long.

And dignity was suddenly something he had to lose.

“Who’s your biggest inspiration?”

“Y/N L/N.”

He’d blurted it before he could have stopped himself.

Victoria’s jaw dropped. She whacked him on the arm, completely forgoing the formality she normally assumed for interviews because now the penny had dropped for her.

“Me cojoni,” said Ethan, behind her. “The actress?”

Thomas echoed the sentiment —

“No vabbè, Damiano!”

“Y/N L/N,” said the interviewer, conspiratorially. “How long have you been a fan?”

“Uh — ” with a breathy chuckle, Damiano dropped his eyes to the toes of his shoes. Patent leather boots, evidently. He couldn’t remember putting them on that morning.

Conscious of the fact that four people were staring at him, as well as of the camera trained very obviously upon him, entailing possibly thousands of viewers, he tugged on his singular earring.

“A few months,” he answered.

“And what’s your favourite film of hers?”

He couldn’t help it; he looked up, light in his eyes. “Oh,” he said, “but they’re all so good! I can’t choose.”

“What do you like about her?”

He was well aware that this was a trap — that once he started talking, he would not stop.

But he couldn’t stop. Even now.

“The way she moves?”

Something twisted in his chest, and the same expression came over his face. Later, papers would report it as mournful, wistful. Romantic.

“She moves like water runs. And she doesn’t talk, no, no. Talk is far too mundane for her. She speaks, and people listen, as characters or not, whether they want to or not. There’s this pull? You can feel yourself sort of — ” he leaned forward in his seat — “gravitate toward the screen when she’s there. She’s classic, but in a way that brings modernity to its knees. She is the... epitome? Of the new generation. Of the new generation of acting. In the same way I feel we — ” he gestured between Victoria, Thomas, Ethan, and himself — “are becoming for music. I love her authenticity, and how she has that and a — un'ingegnosità — Vic, what’s that word?”

“Ingenuity?”

He snapped his fingers, and Victoria bit back a laugh. Still, Damiano was not deterred.

“Ingenuity and authenticity. She never fails to surprise me. She has been in so many different movies, but she manages to stand out in all of them. It’s like Audrey Hepburn,” he said.

"Her counterparts always paled in the comparison.”

⭒

They had won the game — surpassing the joint record of Barbara Pavi and Blind Channel — concluded the interview, and were back in the car. But now Damiano was facing the consequences.

He had his head in his hands.

“Che. Catastrofe. And on national television! I just had to say that on national television.”

Victoria couldn’t stop laughing. Any moment now, Damiano was sure, tears would come rolling down her cheeks.

“How long did I talk for?”

Ethan was fighting to keep a straight face. “Just five minutes, I think.”

Thomas was grinning. “Six!” he declared. “You did not shut up about your dear beloved for six whole minutes! On live television.”

Ethan patted Damiano’s shoulder. “You should see Twitter.”

“Twitter? No!” he nearly screamed. “Twitter has found it?”

“Baby,” Victoria wiped her eyes, “everyone with internet has found it.”

⭒

Your phone kept lighting up, buzzing from its space on your desk like some horrible alarm clock, though it was not the morning, but the middle of the night.

Finally, fed up with its commotion, you arose from your armchair across the room, from your comfortable seat with the view of the brilliant city, and swept up your phone from the table.

It was Twitter.

You have 931,182,119 new notifications.

Not daring to think what the press had gotten hold of this time, you unlocked your phone.

To your surprise, and slight relief, you had been tagged, over and over again, in various versions — clips, snippets — of the same interview.

You clicked on one.

⭒

“I am Icarus. My life is over.”

“Will you get a hold of yourself?” said Victoria. “So you have a massive big crush on this actress. So you told the world. What’s so bad?”

“Everything. Everything. I have never done anything so stupid — ”

Damiano’s monologue was interrupted by Thomas taking ahold of his arm.

“Cosa fai? Sto morendo, can we do this later — ”

“No, you’re not dying,” said Ethan, suddenly serious, “and no, we can’t do this later. We’ve got a plane to catch.”

Damiano finally lifted his head from his hands. “What are you saying?”

“Damiano, you have to see this.”

Victoria stuck Thomas her phone from where she sat in the front, and Thomas handed it to Damiano.

Frowning, he scanned the too-bright screen in the darkness of the car.

It was a tweet, and his username had been mentioned.

He read it.

“Porca puttana,” he whispered.

@y/n-l/n : In Rome for the weekend. @daviddamiano99, pull a Franz Ferdinand and Take Me Out? 😘

“You see?” Ethan was nearly bouncing in his seat. “You see why we’ve got a plane to catch?!”

Damiano looked up from the phone.

He smiled, “Book the tickets.”

⭒

taglist: @tabi-toast @hazypoppy @aprilaady @juststalking @petit-poussin @oro-e-diamanti @glittermalia

send me an ask to be added to my taglist!

[undertale-data]

[Image Description: An Undertale chat box that has “WHY FANS LOVE UNDERTALE” at its center. Next to it are a line chart and an Egg from the Dating Hub on its left, and a CRIME measurer (also from the Dating Hub) on its right. End I.D.]

[Image Description: a pie chart titled, “LEVEL OF LOVE FOR UNDERTALE.” The textbox on the top right reads, “On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the least and 10 being the highest, how much do fans enjoy Undertale?” From the top going clockwise, 12 or 0% chose 5 and below; 23 or 1% chose 6; 98, or 4%, chose 7; 325, or 12%, chose 8; 529, or 20%, chose 9; and 1664, or 63%, chose 10. End I.D.]

It’s clear from all of the data analyzed so far that fans who took the time to answer our survey love Undertale. It is unlikely that they would have taken the time to answer so many questions if they had not, and even less likely that they would have come across our survey in the first place. Naturally, it comes as no surprise that 63% of our responders gave their love for Undertale a score of ten out of ten. 95% gave their love for Undertale a score of eight or higher, and only 12 responders responded with five or below, a number so small that their responses had to be lumped together to be visible on the pie chart. Of those, only 3 responders gave their love for Undertale a score of 1, and based on those responders’ other answers, it is likely that they were only intending to troll. We are very fortunate that the vast majority of responders took the survey seriously, enough so that responses like this are barely a blip in the data.

Now, for our final analysis post of the event, we will delve into the reasons that fans love Undertale so dearly.

(Essay and highlights under the cut.)

There have been countless essays on the impact that Undertale has had on people’s lives. I can hardly add more on the subject than what has already been said, but I hope this summary can provide a brief overview of what stood out among the over two thousand answers given in response to this survey. That said, due to the sheer volume of answers, I could not read every single one in depth—however, I did skim all of them, and some that stood out or were representative of several responses have been highlighted below. If you would like to see what every fan who consented to share their response had to say, you may view the full list of responses here. Note that these responses have not been edited in any way. This document may take a long time to load, as it is over 100 pages long.

(Warnings for mentions of suicidal thoughts in the following essay.)

Several responders loved the theme of choices mattering in Undertale. Whether people played the pacifist, merciless, or neutral routes, they enjoyed how the game reacted to their actions. For some, it even made them consider their own morality. One touching response explained the impact that the theme of mercy made on them. “I realized that Mercy isn't something that's given to those who deserve it. Flowey didn't deserve it. I don't deserve it myself. Shoot, we ALL need Mercy in our lives.” Many fans left similar comments about how the themes of Undertale made them better people.

Undertale changed how its fans treat others, and it also changed how fans treat themselves. The theme of staying determined and the messages of hope in the game were a light to a very large portion of fans. I cannot list all of the fans who said that Undertale helped them out of a dark place, or that they would not be alive if not for Undertale. “DETERMINATION became a metaphor for not killing myself at a really rough time in my life and I’ll always cherish that. Undertale isn’t afraid to go to really dark places but at the same time holds on so tight to its hope.”

Undertale brought fans together in unexpected ways. Some said they met friends or significant others through the fandom. “I wouldn't have met my now husband without Undertale,” one fan said. A different fan who is non-native English speaking mentioned that the game and the fan community helped them to learn English.

It would be impossible to discuss Undertale without mentioning the fan community. Whether for good or bad, many responders mentioned the fandom in their responses. Overall the feelings towards the fandom seem positive, though many made references to “toxic” parts of the fandom without specifying which parts they consider toxic. Others rejected the idea of toxicity in fandom. One response said: “[SLAMS FIST ON DESK] I KNOW MOST PEOPLE SAY THE FANDOM IS TOXIC AND CRINGE OR WHATEVER BUT OH MY GOD. The Undertale fandom, both the UTMV and the actual UT fandom, has been so much fun to be a part of. I've met countless friends because of our shared interest in something related to the game! The art people create can be breathtaking and so inspirational, and the fanfics are so so good!! I've seen people write incredible things for this fandom and it's what made me continue writing!”

One thing that makes the Undertale fandom unique is the way it embraces various AUs. Some fans are tired of AU content, but the majority of responses show a love for the creativity behind AUs. “Roll your eyes at the 50th AU Sans all you want, it's encouraging people to step outside the boundaries of fanart and pushing people to make their own ideas! I mean, hell, it was how I gained the confidence to start making my own original content.” The lack of a judgemental atmosphere seems present in the AU community, according to the responses we saw. There is an interesting balance between AU and canon (sometimes referred to as “classic”) content that another responder pointed out: “The fandom helped keep the game alive all these years, with all of its AUs. Although personally, I always enjoyed AUs that kept characters as close to the classic material as possible (dancetale, outertale) I do appreciate the creativity of the fandom. They almost created entirely new stories with new characters of their own! If it weren't for those people, the Undertale fandom would have probably not been as active as it is now. I do feel like we're getting a resurgence of classic content now too! (In 2021)”

Regardless of the many AUs the fandom has created over the years, the original game of Undertale still feels like home for many fans. They wished they could reclaim the feeling of playing the game again for the first time, but even though we can’t reset time in real life, there is still a special feeling for fans each time they play Undertale. One fan said, “Even the best fics I've read can't capture that feeling of nostalgia/almost-"coming home" that comes with hearing the music and talking to the characters.” This feeling is one that can be cherished time and time again. In the words of another responder: “It always feels welcoming like home or like comfort food that I never grow tired of no matter how many times I go to it.” Others pointed out the strength of the found family trope in Undertale, which likely contributes to this feeling of “home” as well.

As mentioned briefly earlier, the music is part of what makes Undertale feel like home for fans. Even when responses focused on other aspects of the game, many would throw in a comment about the soundtrack at the end. One comment focused on the music said “IT'S SO GOOD like I will literally go through the entire thing over and over and not be bored with it. It makes my monkey brain so happy you have no idea.” Like with the game itself, the music has incredible replay value, an amazing feat considering most of the tracks use the same few motifs. “I think what I like the most about Undertale is how the music attaches you to the story,” another responder said. “They're simple melodies that stick with you throughout the whole game, and they can remind you of both good and bad times.”

If the music sticks with fans in their hearts, then the game’s lore sticks with fans in their minds. Even six years after the release of Undertale, fans are still creating new theories and digging up new secrets. The way the game breaks the fourth wall in particular intrigued many fans and has stuck out through all these years. The awareness that the game shows for the RPG genre makes it memorable. The game plays with the player’s expectations and turns them on their heads, all while reminding the player that they’re in a game. There are few other games that do this on such a large scale, so it’s no surprise that fans cite this as one of their favorite things about Undertale.

Lastly, the LGBT+ representation in Undertale has been a huge draw for fans. Especially in 2015, the sheer volume of non-cishet characters was unprecedented, as one fan pointed out: “It's practically unheard of to see so MANY from just one source, especially during its heyday in 2015-16. Hell, you can't even GET the true pacifist ending without helping two gay couples hook up. It's really nice to see all of them being accepted for who they are and not judged for their sexuality or gender, at least in-canon.” The LGBT+ cast including Frisk, Chara, Napstablook, Monster Kid, Mettaton, Alphys, and Undyne each connected with fans in unique ways. It’s clear how important this is from responses such as: “There are canon nonbinary characters 🥺. i have never seen representation of myself before.” “It made me gay and trans so thanks for that.”

Once again I am overwhelmed with just how much there is to say about Undertale. One responder really understood when they compared Undertale to an iceberg, explaining that there are so many layers to the game that there is something for everyone: “everyone can find something to enjoy in the lore/game regardless of what kind of fan they are! Being able to appeal to various types of fans—from simple happy shipper people to deep dive lorediggers—is the mark of the coolest games!” I would have to agree with them.

It’s been six years, and despite everything, it’s still you. Thank you for reading, participating in this survey, and above all, staying determined.

Highlights:

DETERMINATION became a metaphor for not killing myself at a really rough time in my life and I’ll always cherish that. Undertale isn’t afraid to go to really dark places but at the same time holds on so tight to its hope.

I think the coolest thing was having the opportunity to watch the AU community grow from its bare roots. It's nearly insane how big and complex it's gotten, unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Roll your eyes at the 50th AU Sans all you want, it's encouraging people to step outside the boundaries of fanart and pushing people to make their own ideas! I mean, hell, it was how I gained the confidence to start making my own original content.

i love how the lgbt rep is so naturalized... there are just gay people! and its nobodys business!

The music is my go to answer, but what I really really REALLY love is how the minor characters have so much personality to them when you talk to them. They aren't incredibly important to the overall story, but they're all so likeable and diverse that you just can't help but like them immediately!

I think it was the first videogame I have played that broke the fourth wall that much. Of course there has been other videogames that broke it but just for one or two tongue-in-cheek jokes. The guilt of killing mama goat was also something intense as well that I appreciated as an experience and that I didn't think a videogame could cause on someone.

I love how no character can be seen as completely bad! Everyone builds up Asgore as some horrible villain, but he turns out to be a 'fuzzy pushover' who's broken and just wants his family back by the time you meet him. Then you think Flowey's an irredeemable killer who engineered the suffering of the monsters across many timelines, and he is... but he also used to be the kind and beloved Prince Asriel Dreemurr, traumatized by his death and subsequent rebirth, projecting his best friend onto you.

The fact that choices matter in the game. Your first playthrough and getting the golden ending for the first time. I can never replicate those feelings again, wish I could erase my memories and replay the game from the start.

I wouldn't have met my now husband without Undertale.

(Toxic parts of the fandom aside) The community is possibly one of the kindest I've ever met. Cringe culture is completely dead, and I feel like I can be myself. I felt a very close connection to many of the characters, and I loved consuming content about them when I was in a rough patch in my life.

just everything, the whole game has just impacted my life so much. i know it sounds really lame, but when the game first came out, i would purposely put my hands in my pockets and sway slightly, like sans' idle animation. of course i dont do that anymore haha, but undertale still really impacts me to this day, and i wouldnt have it any other way :)

it made me gay and trans so thanks for that

I realized that Mercy isn't something that's given to those who deserve it. Flowey didn't deserve it. I don't deserve it myself. Shoot, we ALL need Mercy in our lives.

The thing I love most about Undertale is no matter how many times I play or watch a playthrough it always makes me genuinely happy. It always feels welcoming like home or like comfort food that I never grow tired of no matter how many times I go to it. Toriel still makes me feel all warm and cozy in her home, the Skelebros always make me laugh, and I still cry on the inside watching Frisk comforting Asriel. And on the flip side the No Mercy run still invokes the negative emotions in me as well. In short Undertale just feels like a second home to me and I always wish I could stay.

The reader inserts are my favorite way to decompress after a hard day

I think Undertale helped me discover my love for 8-bit games, and made me realize how IMPORTANT music is in video games.

the worldbuilding and character design are my favorite parts of the main game apart from the music! I’m also a huge fan of the random AU music- not for like underswap or underfell i like the stuff where someone makes a megalovania for a random au where gru from despicable me replaces sans as the character. i think its funny

Just... the vibe, honestly? Even the best fics I've read can't capture that feeling of nostalgia/almost-"coming home" that comes with hearing the music and talking to the characters.

there are canon nonbinary characters 🥺. i have never seen representation of myself before.

[SLAMS FIST ON DESK] I KNOW MOST PEOPLE SAY THE FANDOM IS TOXIC AND CRINGE OR WHATEVER BUT OH MY GOD. The Undertale fandom, both the UTMV and the actual UT fandom, has been so much fun to be a part of. I've met countless friends because of our shared interest in something related to the game! The art people create can be breathtaking and so inspirational, and the fanfics are so so good!! I've seen people write incredible things for this fandom and it's what made me continue writing!

There's a scene where Frisk (the player) is going towards what is presumably going to be their death. They will fight Asgore and he will use their human soul to break the barrier and free his people. The music, despite the player's impending doom, is... triumphant. You are not the triumphant one here, and yet, the score invites you to experience the monsters' joy and happiness as they tell you the tale of their subjugation. The monsters are going to be free. This is their victory, but they don't hate you or want you to die. They're just... happy. That scene has always struck me very deeply. I feel it represents the best parts of Undertale.

I loved how well thought out the Geno route was. It really made me feel like I was doing something horrible, and the characters were very obviously reacting to dire circumstances.

I dunno? I like Undertale for it's characters, story, music, secrets and many more. I am not good with Headcanons but I also like the neutral endings and how different they can depending on who you spare and kill

I was very bad at english before, i thought i couldn't progress because i was very shy and not confident. But my sibling and i wanted to have the best experience with this game so we wanted to play it in english. It's this game and the fandom which helped me to make huge progress in english !

THE SOUNDTRACK. IT'S SO GOOD like I will literally go through the entire thing over and over and not be bored with it. It makes my monkey brain so happy you have no idea.

to avoid writing an essay i will say one word. Mettaton

It is like Toby specifically made the games to fit the iceberg meme and it's awesome, everyone can find something to enjoy in the lore/game regardless of what kind of fan they are! Being able to appeal to various types of fans - from simple happy shipper people to deep dive lorediggers is the mark of the coolest games!

I love almost everything about Undertale as a game on its own. The music, the art and especially the characters and how they interact. They made me feel at home. Undertale means a huge amount to me. (I even got a tattoo of the castle when you and MK walk together!) The fandom helped keep the game alive all these years, with all of its AUs. Although personally, I always enjoyed AUs that kept characters as close to the classic material as possible (dancetale, outertale) I do appreciate the creativity of the fandom. They almost created entirely new stories with new characters of their own! If it weren't for those people, the Undertake fandom would have probably not been as active as it is now. I do feel like we're getting a resurgence of classic content now too! (In 2021)

the mystery. toby fox refused to give answers to anything and i think thats very sexy of him.

I just feel guilty for liking it so much when I'm in my 30's. But I recently got diagnosed with ASD, so I guess it explains things a bit. Many ppl consider Papyrus to be neurodivergent, and some adult fans are too, so seeing that makes me feel a bit better.

i think about "Despite everything, it's still you" everyday of my life.

I like how it's just as funny as it can be serious. All routes are this way. I laughed as much as I cried when I played the Pacifist route and then once I opened the game again and Flowey was telling me to let them be happy, I immediately turned off the game. I somehow felt bad.

The Found Family Trope

The True Pacifist Ending is just...man. And the fanworks about saving everyone even when the game doesn't let you? MANNNNNN

I think what I like the most about Undertale is how the music attaches you to the story. They're simple melodies that stick with you throughout the whole game, and they can remind you of both good and bad times.

there's honestly a LOT to love about this game, but i think one of my favorite things about it is just how many lgbt+ characters there are??? i can think of alphys, undyne, frisk, chara, mettaton, napstablook, monster kid, asgore, mad mew mew, the dress lion, the royal guards, and arguably even papyrus off of the top of my head, but im sure i'm forgetting a few from just undertale alone (there's even MORE in deltarune)!! it's practically unheard of to see so MANY from just one source, especially during its heyday in 2015-16. hell, you can't even GET the true pacifist ending without helping two gay couples hook up. it's really nice to see all of them being accepted for who they are and not judged for their sexuality or gender, at least in-canon.

[Image description: A wordcloud in the shape of the capitalized word UNDERTALE. The text is white on a black background, and uses the font found in the game. Some of the most visible words are: Game, Love, Music, Life, AU, Store, Friend, and Feel, which represent the most common words in the essays people wrote about their love for the game. End of ID]

[aquaburst3]

I thought of something. Belos and Luz might also be foils in the sense of male isekai protagonists vs female isekai protagonists.

Belos resembles both male isekai protagonists in modern anime and the classic escapist hero like John Carter or Flash Gordon. These guys have some...questionable overtones sometimes, especailly the classic escapist hero type.

Take John Carter. In the John Carter of Mars books, he's a strong and powerful white man. When he's ieskai'd to Mars, he's gifted with the ability to "jump good" (along with telepathy for some reason). This pretty much allows him to power through the plot with zero effort and becomes the king of Mars by taking power for himself by beating people up and straight up killing them. (Did I mention he's a massive Gary Stu?) He constantly boasts about how strong, handsome and awesome he is like a Gaston in his narration. (Did I mention this is told in first person?) Add in the fact that he's a Confederate General along with the colonizer overtones with this whole situation (ie a white dude conquering and taking power from a place where he's not native to), and you can see how fucked up of a story John Cater is and how that type of character could be twisted to become the villain in a modern tale.

John Carter influenced a lot of genres, even indirectly in the case of something like My Hero Academia along with a lot of superheroes in general, including male leads in modern isekai anime. Even in modern anime they tend to be like that as well due to that adding to the wish fulfillment fantasy on its target audience of teenaged boys. Think Kirito (in the fact that's an OP Gray Stu, not goals), Ainz Ooal Gown, Sora or Diablo. (Though there are exceptions like Naofumi, Subaru and Slime-kun.)

Belos resembles these male leads in the sense that he is always power hungry. He took power by force, becoming the emperor, and puts on the façade of being a hero the people their need. He also might've gave himself a curse in pursuit of more power. If the theory about him being Phillip and not being of that world is true, that means that he did that all the while being a white newcomer to a fantasy universe.

Female isekai leads are not like that. Modern female isekai leads work hard to obtain their goals. A lot of them have more grounded and personal goals like becoming a librarian, survival or trying to get past all of the death flags in the video game they were reincarnated in. Older isekai female heroines like Alice and Dorthey have to make the hard choice of whether or not they want to go home.

Luz is never interested in conquering the Boiling Isles. Or even gaining a ton of power. She enjoys being there, seeing it as an escape from her dull life. She's instead just fascinated about the world around her and wants to learn how to do do her own brand of magic while abiding by its rules, wanting to gain friends along the way. Like those older heroines, she must ultimately decide if she stay or go.

If this is what Dana had in mind while creating Belos, major kudos to her. Because it's interesting commentary on the genre. It's fun to see those two different style of leads clash.

[multifandomplushie]

I've been rewatching The 7D a bit lately and finally got around to doing this meme.

This is a Deviantart meme but I felt like posting it here as well.

Please, remember that these are just my opinions, let's all be respectful to each other.

Favorite Character: 

Grumpy: I really love this type of characters who are grumpy most of the time but nonetheless they clearly care a lot about those close to them. This is the same reason I love the original Grumpy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Phil from Hercules, Iago from Aladdin after his redemption and so on.

Happy: I enjoy him because he is very openhearted, always able to lighten the mood and sings nice cheerful jingles. I also find him interesting because he's one of those characters who try to make everyone smile and smile themselves in any situation to the point where they disguise or repress their other emotions, and the fact that he's voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson, aka The Batman's Joker, adds more fuel to the fire.

Sleepy: A very sweet and chill guy. In short, he's a 💤mood💤 and an 🌙aesthetic🌙.

Sneezy: He's a really nice, funny and friendly fella and I think it's pretty cool how in the show his sneezing is often very helpful.

Grim and Hildy Gloom: A great pair of fun and lovable villains with a very cute relationship.

Lord Starchbottom: An amazing guy! Loyal, caring, devoted and hardworking! He deserves to be happy and protected at all cost! 💕

Big Bad Wolf: An extremely charismatic interpretation of a very popular classic fairytale character! I really liked his whole vibe and enjoyed his partnership with Sneezy.

Lord Grudgemunger: An interesting and quite dangerous villain who is tied to a very important point of the show's lore and is one of the most mysterious characters in the series, making him a good figure for fan theories.

Honorable Mentions:

The other dwarfs: I like Doc, Bashful and Dopey too, it’s just that I like the four dwarfs I've mentioned in the beginning the most and they personally appeal to me more.

Cobby: A likable little guy who had a pretty nice chemistry with Grumpy.

Despised Character:

Fairy Godmother: This revolting hag was a bitch towards Hildy during all her screentime (Hildy may not be a nice person but she still doesn't deserve this kind of treatment), gave her Queen Delightful's rollerskates instead of just magically creating her a pair of normal shoes, WAS HITTING ON HER HUSBAND IN FRONT OF HER and undeservedly won a competition in which she did not even take part! 🤬

Dishonorable Mentions:

Goldilocks: I know a lot of people in the fandom hate her because she's a little brat and I gotta agree that she was pretty annoying, but I only have a light fun-to-hate feeling towards her because I think it's pretty silly and pointless to genuinely lose your temper over a child, especially an orphan who most likely never got a proper upbringing.

Dirk Dumphrey: And again, I know the majority of the fandom dislikes this character and I can get why, I myself was kinda angry when he annoyed Sneezy and especially when he took Happy’s guitar, but I can't help but to feel love/hate towards him. Heck, I honestly found some of his moments funny, like when he said he was in love with an enchanted fish or that he worked as a waitress. Plus, in the end we find out he was just a pawn for another villain and was ordered to make the 7D leave the forest. Btw, the ending of his episode was very intriguing, I really wish the show has had more episodes and this whole thing with the villains' coming together has lead to a storyline where the 7D have to prevail against all of them.

Snazzy Shazam: She’s a real pain in Hildy’s neck with her unnecessary sassy commentary, but at least, as I remember, she doesn’t personally throw a wrench in her works.

Favorite Scene:

It’s really hard for me to choose even a small pack of favorite scenes, let alone one. I think it’s because I already have so many faves and like many moments with them, especially when they’re being cute. Grumpy being friendly to others, especially Happy, Sleepy laughing at Sneezy’s jokes, Grim and Hildy being romantic, Starchy caring about the Queen, The Big Bad Wolf genially seeing Sneezy as a business partner, Lord Grudgemunger being polite with the 7D when he was in his storyteller form and after they complimented his plan when he was in his real form – all these were very cute to me.

Despised Scene:

Every moment with The Fairy Godmother: I’ve already told my opinion on her in the Despised Character and gonna add some more in other sections of this meme. So I don’t feel the need to repeat myself here.

When Starchy gets hurt for no reason: Starchy. Deserves. Better.

Queen Delightful’s ‘pounting face’ (from the episode “Funniest Haircut Day”): No offence to the Queen, but 1) this impression doesn’t make her cute, it honestly makes look her repulsive and ugly and 2) it was straight up emotional manipulation of her subjects.

Overrated Character:

Queen Delightful: I don’t hate her and find her enjoyable at times, but I think she is pretty overrated, especially within the show itself.

Underrated Character:

Duke and Duchess of Drear: I think it was a really cool idea to have Hildy's actress's parents to play as Hildy's parents. I personally could feel Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon’s love for their daughter Kelly through Duke and Duchess’s love for Hildy. I especially liked how Duke tried his best to protect his little girl from being taken away. I know it was his fault he promised his first born to Rumplestiltskin, but he was young back then and didn’t look so far into the future. When Hildy was born, she became the most precious thing to him in the whole world and he loves her with all his heart.

Big Bad Wolf: This guy is way too cool to have a big role in just one episode! He needed more screentime! And he deserves more fan content dedicated to him! Cause it feels like the only person who actively uses him in her content is Toongirl18 (@toongirl18).

Lord Grudgemunger: He is a fun but also a mysterious character. He was a part of a very important event in Jollywood’s history, which was referenced several times even before “The Rock of Sages”, and is strongly hinted to be related to Grim. With all that, I’m surprised he’s not that popular. I’d even go so far as to say he’s the most underrated character of the show.

Favorite Couple:

Grumpy x Happy (🧀Cheesy Song🎶/Say Cheese): One of my favorite 'opposites attract' pairings! Grumpy may be annoyed by Happy’s singing every now and then, but the show proves time and time again they have a good close relationship.

Sleepy x Sneezy (🤧Fever Dream😴): Every time we see these two interact, they get along very well. They chill, have laughs, etc. In other words, they seem to be on the same wavelength.

Grim x Hildy (💙Grildy💜): To my knowledge, this is the only canon married villain couple in Disney animation (except for maybe The King and The Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland). This is one of my biggest villain OTPs! Despite Hildy’s occasional whiny behavior and Grim’s foolishness, the two clearly have a strong loving relationship, which made them a wholesome power couple and a great team.

Lord Starchbottom x Ima Odeldork (an OC by WanderSong): I was so happy to find out that someone made Starchy a loving and supportive girlfriend. I think Ima is a great soulmate choice for him because even though Queen Delightful does appreciate Starchy, I still think his inner circle lacks someone who would be just as devoted to him as he is to others, especially to the Queen.

Honorable Mentions:

Lord Starchbottom x Queen Delightful (💖Delightbottom💚/Jolly Royals): Starchy is the closest person to the Queen. He is unbelievably devoted to her and always does everything in his power to keep her happy and safe. The Queen is very caring towards him as well and clearly sees him as more than just a royal servant, he is her best friend. I think these two can work both as friends and as a couple. But with an OC like Ima, I prefer OC x Canon. However, in terms of just canon characters, I prefer Lord Starchbottom x Queen Delightful to Bashful x Queen Delightful.

Despised Couple:

Grim x The Fairy Godmother: I hated the way The Fairy Godmother was coming onto Grim. My biggest issue with this is not even an obviously large age gap (there can be situations where a couple with an age gap can work). My problem is that she hits on a married guy in front of his wife, aka the girl she’s clearly trying to make completely miserable. And Grim, being the innocent-minded cinnamon roll he is, really seems to take all of it as just compliments.

Dishonerable Mentions:

Bashful x Queen Delightful (Queen of Hearts): I am not a fan of this ship but I can understand why people like it. It’s just that I can't see it as anything but Bashful having a simple one-sided crush on the Queen. He seems to have had feelings for her for a long time yet he's not even remotely close to the kind of intimacy, which, for example, Starchy has with the Queen. I feel like Bashful is in love with her image rather than with Delightful herself. Personally, it reminds me of something like Dipper and Wendy (Gravity Falls) or Mac and Frankie (Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends), a type of relationship that seems pretty hopeless and lacks any actual progress, where the two involved should really just stay friends.

Favorite Song:

The 7D Theme Song: A banger that does an awesome job at motivating people to watch the show!

I'm Not Very Nice: A catchy villain song that’s about how good it feels to be bad… Classic Disney!

Happy Birthday Hi Ho: A wonderful conclusion to a lovely episode where Starchy gets love and appreciation he deserves.

Despised Song:

Baby's Got Gas: I usually enjoy Happy's songs and this one could've been good, I honestly liked the rhythm, but the context in which it was sung and baby's burping after every line made this song the only one I didn't like and had a hard time listening to. Oh well, at least it was short.

Favorite Episode:

Grim Genius: A great Glooms-centered episode with a deeper exploration of Hildy and Grim's relationship.

Big Bad Sneezy: Best Sneezy episode in which he has an interesting (though temporary) bond with a villain.

Surprise: I like this episode for the same reason I like “Band Geeks” from SpongeBob SquarePants. It’s kinda similar: a character who is very unlucky and usually the butt of the jokes gets some time to feel good, and the episode ends with him being very happy and surrounded by his friends while a memorable song is playing.

The Rock of Sages: A great Season 1 finale where the stakes got higher compared to the rest of the show, a villain who was previously foreshadowed appeared trough a really nice twist and each of the 7D got time to shine one after another.

Despised Episode:

Hildyrella: I think you already know why I don’t like this episode. That’s right! The Fairy Godmother. It’s a shame, really. This episode has some really great things like Starchy, as always, being a great friend to Queen Delightful and some pretty cool designs for witches and warlocks, but this damn fairy ruined it for me and made it overall leave a bitter taste in my mouth.

Meme: https://www.deviantart.com/clumsy-starla/art/The-7D-controversy-meme-717079716

Meme by Clumsy-Starla

Ima T. Oteldork by WanderSong

The drawing of Lord Starchbottom and Ima Oteldork by topcatmeeces97

[kangakatt]

Hello everyone! Welcome to an educational post about pterosaurs!

I’m a massive fan of pterosaurs, so I always get sad when they’re misrepresented in media, and they almost always are. So today I’m going to clear up some misconceptions about pterosaurs, as well as take you guys through some different species that I find interesting.

Art credit: Chase Stone

Firstly, what are pterosaurs?

Let’s get it out of the way- pterosaurs are not flying dinosaurs. They are thought to be more closely related to dinosaurs than to any other animal, but they are not true dinosaurs. Both dinosaurs and pterosaurs belong to a group called the archosaurs, which were the group of animals that dominated the land in the mesezoic.

For those of you who are more visually inclined, here’s the incredibly oversimplified version of where pterosaurs sit on the reptile family tree:

Pterosaurs themselves can be split into two main groups, rhamphorhynchoids and pterodactyloid pterosaurs.

Art credit: Christian Klug

Rhamphorhynchoids were the earlier kind of pterosaurs, and lived from the late Triassic to early Jurassic. They were smaller, and they had features like teeth and long tails that later pterosaurs lacked. Members of this group include rhamphorhynchus, dimorphodon, and caelestiventus.

Art credit: Simon Stalenhag

Pterodactloid pterosaurs were the later kind, living from the Jurassic to the end of the Cretaceous. Their size ranged from small bird to fighter jet. They lacked long tails, and despite their portrayals in media, most lacked any form of teeth. This group was much more diverse, and in my opinion, more interesting.

Here’s something more people should know about! Pterosaurs didn’t have the leathery skin that is often portrayed in media. Like many dinosaurs, pterosaurs were fluffy. They were covered in fur-like filaments called pycnofibers. It is increasingly looking like pycnofibers are actually a form of feathers, but this is still hotly debated. Pterosaurs likely had this layer of fluff for thermoregulation- keeping warm or cool- and aerodynamics- like how birds use their body feathers.

As well as being fluffy, they were likely warm-blooded, as many studies have found that pterosaurs would not be able to keep up their lifestyle with cold blood.

Another interesting thing about pterosaurs is that they had very efficient lungs along with a system of air sacs that helped direct air throughout their body and made them lighter. Pterosaurs and dinosaurs had only one path throughout their lung system, instead of two, like mammals. This made oxygen exchange much more efficient, and oxygen exchange is very important when you’re flying like a pterosaur or huge like a dinosaur. Additionally, they had air sacs throughout their bodies that again allowed oxygen exchange to be more efficient, and also allowed them to be lighter, helping them again to fly or be huge.

I will also quickly mention that pterosaurs would not be able to stay in the air without rounded wingtips, so they probably didn’t have the sharp wingtips that you see in movies.

There’s some misconceptions cleared up and some cool information about pterosaurs as a whole. Now let’s move on to some notable species.

Art credit: cegebe

Pteranodon- the one that’s so iconic that everyone just calls pterosaurs pteranodons or pterodactyls. Pteranodon means ‘wing without teeth’, which makes it even more funny to me that people often portray it with teeth. They had an impressive wingspan at seven metres (23ft)- that’s two and a bit cars- but it wasn’t the largest wingspan sported by a pterosaur. Like the classic portrayal of pterosaurs, they were probably piscivorous, and would have skimmed the surface of the water with their beak like some modern birds. Though pteranodon is iconic, and justifiably so, it’s not exceptional among its peers.

Art credit: Mark Witton

Dimorphodon is a good representative of the rhamphorynchoid pterosaurs. As a hunter, it probably preyed upon small mammals and reptiles. It had a one-and-a-half metre (4ft) wingspan, roughly the height of a person. As it and its relatives predated birds by tens of millions of years, whereas other pterosaurs lived alongside birds, they would have had the airspace all to themselves, and would have been the only flying vertebrates flitting from tree to tree. Rhamphorynchoid pterosaurs are unfortunately not a diverse group, so dimorphodon is the only member I will include.

Art credit: Julius Csotonyi and Alexandra Lefort

Quetzalcoatlas is notable for being the largest flying animal of all time. When standing, they were 6 metres (18ft) tall, or as tall as a giraffe. When flying, they had an estimated wingspan of 10 metres (34ft), the size of a small fighter jet. They were so big that there have been some debates over whether or not they could even fly. They were probably predators or scavengers, either chasing after their prey on the ground or gliding huge distances to find the remains of giant dinosaurs. Quetzalcoatlas’ relative, hatzegopteryx, may have been the apex predator of the island it lived on. It’s so cool to think about the sheer size of the biggest flyers that ever existed.

Art credit: Adrian Gonzalez

Tapejara was a small pterosaur from Cretaceous Brazil. Unlike many other crested pterosaurs, the majority of of tapejara’s crest was not made of bone, but of a membrane of skin. One thin bone in the front of the crest supported a structure unknown in size and shape. It had the same metre-and-a-half wingspan of Dimorphodon, but unlike Dimorphodon, it had to compete with other small flyers- birds.

Art credit: Sergey Krasovskiy

Tropeognathus is known for its odd-looking jaw. Not only was it one of the only pterodactyloid pterosaur to have teeth, but it had this odd keeled-jaw that it would’ve used to catch fish. It was vaguely related to pteranodon. It’s wingspan was eight and a half metres (27ft), which several sites tell me was the largest pterosaur in the Southern Hemisphere- though take that statistic at your own risk. By the way, that wingspan is still a metre wider than the longest snake ever recorded. I think it’s easy to look at paleoart and forget how big these animals are. When standing, these flyers would’ve been the height of your average person. They may not have been quetzalcoatlas, but they were still massive.

Art credit: Julio Lacerda

Nyctosaurus is another mostly run-of-the-mill fish-eating pterosaur. It was quite small, with only a 2 metre (6ft) wingspan. What sets nyctosaurus apart is its ridiculously extravagant head crest. There’s a running joke in palaeontology circles that any structure on an animal with an unknown purpose will simply be labelled as a display structure- nyctosaurus is my favourite example of this. It seems laughable that any animal would evolve such a large, possibly inconvenient structure for no other reason to attract a mate, and yet every other explanation has been tossed out. I sometimes see this head crest restored with a membrane between the points, like tapejara’s soft tissue crest, but unlike tapejara, nyctosaurus does not seem to have grooves in the bone that would implicate a soft tissue crest.

Thank you all for coming along with me on this journey throughout the world of pterosaurs! They’re such an interesting group of animals, and I wish more people were as fascinated with them as I am. But, I suppose, let this post be an introduction to pterosaurs that sparks your imagination enough to look into them more. I hope you enjoyed being educated, and have a great night!

[utterlyhopeful-fics]

Yes, sir.

A/N: I’m on my period and my hormones are raging at the moment, so I whipped up some fluffy smut because why not?! Unedited so be gentle.

MASTERLIST 

Also, if I keep tagging you and you’re not interested or want to be tagged; please let know!

Word Count: 1130k

Warnings: fingering, light SMUT, language. Just don’t click if you’re not into smut? Enjoy! 

****************************************

“Henry! People are starting to stare.”

His beard continued onward tickling along the crevice of her elongated neck, exposing all the more skin for him to devour. Ever so gently, Henry lightly nibbled forcing a whimper from Y/N. The smile upon her lips was contagiously infectious towards the playful and extremely handsome gentleman beside her. Especially when sporting a hand-stitched tailored tuxedo created by Tom Ford himself. Yes, Henry was a fucking snack waiting to be unwrapped by Y/N.

In his best southern accent, Henry spoke animatedly; “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”

“Ah, I see. Pulling out all the stops tonight, aren’t ya?”

“Clark Gable is a classic, my love. Can’t mess with perfection. Ever the clever one.”

Y/N giggled nuzzling into his warm embrace eager to mask her mounting excitement. Her entire body hummed in pleasure sending a tingle between her thighs. A moan clumsily slipped out; her breathing increased uncontrollably.

“Baby…”

His hand had been resting along her knee giving reassuring nudges the duration of the night. After all, it isn’t every day the BAFTA’s happened.

“I know your games too well, darling. It’s an added bonus to see you in such a frivolous state in public no less. Tsk, tsk.”

His heated hand skimmed from her knee gravitating towards where she needed him most. She shivered in anticipation questioning just how far Henry would push her.

“Cheeky bastard, Cavill. And a fucking tease.”

“Never thought I’d say this but thank god for dinner award parties, this table in particular.”

Y/N sat speechless; jaw slightly agape.

“Have I told you yet how delectable you look this evening?”

“Mmm.” That was all Y/N could muster up without losing her cool, collected self.

“Cat got your tongue, honey?”

This time, Y/N parted her knees willingly allowing for better access to her Adonis. Thank god this dress was designed with a sexy, deep slit. She swore she witnessed Henry drool. His fingertips glided over her newly waxed pussy.

“No knickers? Naughty, Y/N.”

“This dress fits like a literal glove! The stylist didn’t recommend it unless I wanted to end up in the tabloids with panty lines hence the wax, asshat.”

“Well you know better than most I prefer a more natural look. Fuck, you’re soaked.”

Henry began moving in small circles over her swollen clitoris. Y/N clenched the table cloth attempting to stifle the groan growing in her throat.

“Eyes ahead. Wouldn’t want to cause a scene, now would we?”

Mischievous pants filled the air surrounding them as Henry’s fingers sunk inside her slit. Y/N was on the brim of begging for him for more fully forgetting where they were. Her dress now hiked up the majority of her toned leg. Henry plunged deeper brushing his lips against the shell of her ear. He sinfully motioned his fingers into a come-hither movement repeatedly.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” Y/N’s high-pitched voice wavered as her eyes rolled to the back of her skull. Her pussy squelched as Henry picked up his speed simultaneously hitting her g-spot. Y/N was splintering at the seams, on the verge of cumming. Stars burst behind her closed lids as her breath stammered brashly.  

“Shit, right there. Don’t stttop.”

In a blur of thoughts, Y/N heard a distant voice drawing closer.

“Cavill!”

None other than the Chris Evans stood meters away smiling widely.

“Just the man I was searching for. How’s the evening going, Y/N?”

Y/N coughed clearing her parched throat squeaking out a meek reply; “Good, good. Always nic—”

Y/N stared daggers at Henry as he thrusted harder; “You look downright devilish in a tux.”

Henry inserted a third finger causing Y/N to hyperventilate. His thumb grazed her plump clit unwilling to slow his ministrations.

“Says the most beautiful girl in this place. Cavill, they’re ready for us in 10.”

Smiling that charming smile of his, Henry nodded acknowledging Chris.

Furiously blushing, Y/N knew she was about to cum if Henry didn’t let up.

“Ttthanks, Evans. We, uh—ah! Appreciate the hea-heads up.”

Eying the couple suspiciously, Chris darted back and forth between Y/N and Henry unable to pinpoint what exactly felt off but walked away regardless. Y/N’s nails clawed into his forearm as her orgasm erupted in her belly.

“I’m cum--cumming!”

Her walls tightened clutching around him showing no sign of letting up. She spasmed aching for his now erect cock zipped away in the confines of his pants. Shockwaves jolted through every neuron in her body. She bit her bottom lip in hopes of concealing her guttural moans. There, in the middle of a ballroom, Y/N shattered to absolute pieces at the mere touch of her boyfriend.

“Good girl.”  

Henry placed a loving kiss against her forehead glimpsing around the overly crowded room stroking her pussy to no end. She sighed when he left her warmth but not before bringing his fingers to his lips suckling like a hungry animal.

“Mmm, sweet as sin. My personal favorite.”

Y/N’s irises alit in passionate flames; “How much longer must we stay, Hen?”

“This was only the beginning, my love. The night is still young. I’d be careful if I were you.”

Y/N tilted her head his direction slyly maneuvering her hand over his hard cock. She squeezed reassuringly coaxing him into fleeting submission.

“Alright, tough guy. I’ll sit here like a horny teenager and play the dutiful girlfriend. On one condition.”

“Name it, love.”

“You. Me. Car sex on the way home. Kal can wait a tad longer.”

“Done. Absolutely done.”

“Now to distract myself until then. Kegels it is.”

“Ha! You are a vixen, my dear.”

The rest of the evening went off without a hitch as Y/N gazed up at Henry. Thanking her lucky stars simply didn’t seem like enough when it came to their love, that she knew for sure.  And so, for the remainder of the awards ceremony, Y/N twittered in her chair craving for a hint of meager satisfaction. Henry laughed wishing he could bend her over the table and fuck her. 

God, he would give just about anything to feel her walls shutter around his dick. He pictured the sensation of her skin slapping against him. Pre-cum oozed from his tip moistening the material on his gray boxer briefs.

He tried to curve his lustful thoughts watching her squirm delightfully without any relief. Unexpectedly, the lights brightened signaling a commercial break. Just his luck.

“Damnit, woman. I must be inside you. Bathroom. Now.”

He gritted his teeth making his words sound short and assertive. Y/N smiled smugly, like a whore in church before speaking the two final words that would bring him to his knees; “Yes, sir.”

Y/N winked reaching for his hand to follow in pursuit. Oh, how the night is young indeed.

~~~~~~~

Tags:  @thedeadhearted @giveusbackourbucky @henry-cavill-obsessed  @onlyhenrys @omgkatinka @thereisa8ella @threeminutesoflife @homewreckingwreck @gemini0410 @maan14 @bluegalaxyprime @sofiebstar @whyyykitkat @encounterthepast  @readermia @ly-canthropewrites @scorpionchild81 @henrythickcavill @snowbellexx @stephartrave @agniavateira  @cap-barnes @henryfanfics101  @mary-ann84 @westcoast-nightowl @poledancingdinos  @justaboringadult @peakygroupie  @nalathefirefly @vikingsbifrost @bloodyinspiredfuck @moderapoppins @cooldiva1234 @icedcoffeeismythang @titty-teetee @summersong69 @kaatelyyynn @missursulacalmet @michelehansel @iloveyouyen @shyshu @star017 @raynosaurus-rex @radkesgirl83 @starrynite7114  @wheretheriversrunintothesea @i-love-scott-mccall  @darkbooksarwin @ellieseymour70 @designerwriterchic @studywithrosie01 @dangerouslovefanfic @lebguardians @crazybutconfidentaf @hen-cavill  @cavill-sass @oh-for-fic-sake @icedbottles @buckysgoldenheart @brexrif @gryffindorwriter @laketaj24 @foxyjwls007 @lawsofthejungle @henrycavillfanpage @kaboogie21 @fangirl199812 @gothicninibalor @qualitynightkoala @strictlybuckybarnes @toomanyfandomsshreya @hersilencescreams-blog @viking-raider @sesamepancakes  @madbaddic7ed @fuckoffbard​@funfickgirl22 @inlovewithhisblueeyes​ 

[mercurygray]

So, I Hear You Liked: 1917

More World War One Films

I was very excited about 1917 when it first came out because it almost perfectly coincided with the 100th anniversary of the First World War, a conflict that I love to read about, write about, and watch movies about. This period is my JAM, and there's such a lot of good content for when you're done with Sam Mendes's film.

Obviously there are a lot of movies and TV shows out there - this is just a selection that I enjoyed, and wish more people knew about.

Note: Everyone enjoys a show or movie for different reasons. These shows are on this list because of the time period they depict, not because of the quality of their writing, the accuracy of their history or the political nature of their content. Where I’m able to, I’ve mentioned if a book is available if you’d like to read more.

I'd like to start the list with a movie that isn't a fiction piece at all - Peter Jackson's They Shall Not Grow Old (2019) is a beautifully produced film that allows the soldiers and archival images themselves, lovingly retimed and tinted into living color, to tell their own story. It is a must watch for anyone interested in the period.

Wings (1927), All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), A Farewell to Arms (1932, 1957), The Dawn Patrol (1938), Sergeant York (1941), and Paths of Glory (1957) are all classics with a couple of Oscars between them, and it's sort of fun to watch how the war gets changed and interpreted as the years pass. (The Dawn Patrol, for instance, might as just as easily be about the RAF in World War 2.)

All Quiet is based on a famous memoir, and A Farewell to Arms on a Hemingway novel; both have several adaptations and they're all a little different. Speaking of iconic novels, Doctor Zhivago (1965) based on the Pasternak novel of the same title, examines life of its protagonist between 1905 and the start of the second World War.

I think one thing historians agree on is that the start of World War One is worth discussing - and that there's a lot of backstory. Fall of Eagles (1974), a 13 part BBC miniseries, details the relationships between the great houses of Europe, starting in the 1860s; it's long but good, and I think might be on YouTube. The Last Czars (2019) takes a dramatized look at the Romanovs and how their reactions to the war lead to their eventual demise.

As far as the war itself, Sarajevo (2014) and 37 Days (2014) both discuss the outbreak of hostilities and the slow roll into actual battle.

The Passing Bells (2014) follows the whole war through the eyes of two soldiers, one German and one British, beginning in peacetime.

Joyeux Noel ( 2005) is a cute story - it takes place early in the war during the Christmas Peace and approaches the event from a multinational perspective.

War Horse (2011) is, of course, a name you'll recognize. Based on the breakout West End play, which is itself based on a YA novel by Michael Morpurgo, the story follows a horse who's requisitioned for cavalry service and the young man who owns him. Private Peaceful (2012) is also based on a Morpurgo novel, but I didn't think it was quite as good as War Horse.

The Wipers Times (2013) is one of my all-time favorites; it's about a short lived trench paper written and produced by soldiers near Ypres, often called Wipers by the average foot soldier. The miniseries, like the paper, is laugh out loud funny in a dark humor way.

My Boy Jack (2007) is another miniseries based on a play, this one about Rudyard Kipling and his son, Jack, who served in the Irish Guards and died at Loos. Kipling later wrote a poem about the death of his son, and helped select the phrase that appears on all commonwealth gravestones of the First World War.

Gallipoli (1981) is stunning in a way only a Peter Weir movie can be; this is a classic and a must-see.

Gallipoli is a big story that's been told and retold a lot. I still haven't seen Deadline Gallipoli (2015) an Australian miniseries about the men who wrote about the battle for the folks back home and were subject to censorship about how bad things really were. For a slightly different perspective, the Turkish director Yesim Sezgin made Çanakkale 1915 in 2012, detailing the Turkish side of the battle. Although most of The Water Diviner (2014) takes place after the war is over, it also covers parts of Gallipoli and while it didn't get great reviews, I enjoy it enough to own it on DVD.

I don't know why all of my favorite WWI films tend to be Australian; Beneath Hill 60 (2010) is another one of my favorites, talking about the 1st Australian Tunneling Company at the Ypres Salient. The War Below (2021) promises to tell a similar story about the Pioneer companies at Messines, responsible for building the huge network of mines there.

Passchendaele (2008) is a Canadian production about the battle of the same name. I'd forgotten I've seen this film, which might not say very much for the story.

Journey's End (2017) is an adaptation of an RC Sheriff play that takes place towards the end of the war in a dugout amongst British officers.

No look at the Great War is complete without a nod to developing military technologies, and this is the war that pioneers the aviation battle for us. I really wish Flyboys (2006) was better than it is, but The Red Baron (2008) makes up for it from the German perspective.

One of the reasons I like reading about the First World War is that everyone is having a revolution. Technology is growing by leaps and bounds, women are fighting for the right to vote, and a lot of colonial possessions are coming into their own, including (but not limited to) Ireland. Rebellion (2016) was a multi-season miniseries that went into the Easter Rising, as well as the role the war played there. Michael Collins (1996) spends more time with the Anglo-Irish war in the 1920s but is still worth watching (or wincing through Julia Roberts' bad accent, you decide.) The Wind that Shakes the Barley covers the same conflict and is excellent.

The centennial of the war meant that in addition to talking about the war, people were also interested in talking about the Armenian Genocide. The Promise (2016) and The Ottoman Lieutenant (2017) came out around the same time and two different looks at the situation in Armenia.

This is a war of poets and writers, of whom we have already mentioned a few. Hedd Wynn ( 1992) which is almost entirely in Welsh, and tells the story of Ellis Evans, a Welsh language poet who was killed on the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele. I think Ioan Gruffudd has read some of his poetry online somewhere, it's very pretty. A Bear Named Winnie (2004) follows the life of the bear who'd become the inspiration for Winnie the Pooh. Tolkien (2019) expands a little on the author's early life and his service during the war. Benediction (2021) will tell the story of Siegfried Sassoon and his time at Craiglockhart Hospital. Craiglockhart is also represented in Regeneration (1997) based on a novel by Pat Barker.

Anzac Girls (2014) is probably my favorite mini-series in the history of EVER; it follows the lives of a group of Australian and New Zealand nurses from hospital duty in Egypt to the lines of the Western Front. I love this series not only because it portrays women (ALWAYS a plus) but gives a sense of the scope of the many theatres of the war that most movies don't. It's based on a book by Peter Rees, which is similarly excellent.

On a similar note, The Crimson Field (2014) explores the lives of members of a Voluntary Aid Detachment, or VADs, lady volunteers without formal nursing training who were sent to help with menial work in hospitals. It only ran for a season but had a lot of potential. Testament of Youth (2014) is based on the celebrated memoirs of Vera Brittain, who served as a VAD for part of the war and lead her to become a dedicated pacifist.

Also, while we're on the subject of women, though these aren't war movies specifically, I feel like the additional color to the early 20th century female experience offered by Suffragette (2015) and Iron-Jawed Angels (2004) is worth the time.

As a general rule, Americans don't talk about World War One, and we sure don't make movies about it, either. The Lost Battalion (2001) tells the story of Major Charles Whittlesey and the 9 companies of the 77th Infantry division who were trapped behind enemy lines during the battle of the Meuse Argonne.

I should add that this list is curtailed a little bit by what's available for broadcast or stream on American television, so it's missing a lot of dramas in other languages. The Road to Calvary (2017) was a Russian drama based on the novels of Alexei Tolstoy. Kurt Seyit ve Şura (2014) is based on a novel and follows a love story between a Crimean officer (a Muslim) and the Russian woman he loves. The show is primarily in Turkish, and Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ, who plays the lead, is *very* attractive.

Finally, although it might seem silly to mention them, Upstairs Downstairs (1971-1975 ) Downton Abbey (2010-2015) and Peaky Blinders (2013-present) are worth a mention and a watch. All of them are large ensemble TV shows that take place over a much longer period than just the Great War, but the characters in each are shaped tremendously by the war.

[herinsectreflection]

I Don't Sleep on Bed of Bones: The Slayer as a Killer Across the Seasons

A pretty constant question throughout Buffy's arc - arguably the central question of the entire show, that Buffy must answer, is "what is a slayer? What does being The Vampire Slayer mean?". And a major part of that is the question of whether a slayer is just a killer. It's a question central to S5, but ripples throughout the rest of the show too, with some of the most iconic scenes in the show in converstion with each other around it. Inspired by an ask I received about this from @potterkid, I took a look at how this idea develops and resolves itself over the course of the show.

In S1, being the Slayer means accepting responsibility. It's metaphor for growing up - a metaphor that recurs throughout the show along with other ideas, but is strongest in S1. Buffy is torn between her teenage/human wants and her adult/supernatural responsibilities. She accepts her mortality and her duty (fighting the Master), and wins when she manages to integrate that with her personal desires (fighting the Master in a kickass prom dress with her friends and boyfriend). There's some stuff around the classic superhero idea that being around the hero is dangerous -e.g. in Never Kill a Boy on the First Date, but not much on the idea of a Slayer being a killer exactly.

In S2, being the Slayer means making hard choices. It means accepting that sometimes all your options are bad ones, but choosing one anyway, even at personal cost. This is introduced through Ford's story in Lie to Me, with Buffy's words to him forming one of the core thesis statements of the show ("You have a choice. You don't have a good choice, but you have a choice."), and it's climaxed beautifully in the tragic ending of Becoming. There's not much direct allusion to the idea of Buffy being a killer here, but this is a vital moment in that discussion. Ultimately, Buffy does make the decision here to kill Angel - not to slay Angelus, but to kill him. To take the life of her ensouled lover in order to save others. It's kind of the opposite of the decision that Ford makes - the best of two bad choices. It's the classic trolley problem, and Buffy's hand is on the lever by design - she has to make that choice because she's the Slayer. We will see this moment returned to again and again as this Slayer-vs-Killer theme develops.

Also, Ted is a very important episode for later. Buffy herself feels guilty specifically because she used her slayer powers on what she thinks is a regular human, and therefore killed him. Specifically, being the Slayer made her a Killer. It's also notable that this is where the idea of Buffy having a free reign to kill is first introduced - by Buffy's original shadow self in Cordelia no less.

Cordelia: I don't get it. Buffy's the Slayer. Shouldn't she have... Xander: What, a license to kill? Cordelia: Well, not for fun. But she's like this superman. Shouldn't there be different rules for her? - 2x12 Ted This isn't explored massively here but will be revisited again and again going forward.

S3 is where this theme really comes into focus. Faith enters as Buffy's shadow self and a representation of hedonism. How that manifests is as a Slayer who gives herself a license to Kill. She posits the idea that as slayers, they can and should decide who lives and dies.

Faith: Something made us different. We're warriors. We're built to kill. Buffy: To kill demons! But it does not mean that we get to pass judgment on people like we're better than everybody else! Faith: We are better! - 3x15 Consequences

Obviously, this is something that Buffy has to reckon with and fight against. But there is a glimmer of truth here, because at the end of S2, she does take the power of life and death into her own hands. She is faced with the choice between Angel and the world and decides that Angel should die. She had to, that's the position she has to be in because she is the Slayer. She has to be a Killer because she is a Slayer. So the two are intertwined.

More than this, Faith is someone who at least appears to revel in the kill. Up until now, we hadn't really seen Buffy enjoy being a slayer, but Faith does. Buffy is genuinely drawn to that, to slaying for pleasure. The equation of slaying/killing and sex for Buffy is first explicitly drawn by Faith in this season. ("Isn't it crazy how slaying always makes you hungry and horny?"). Slayers are very much like vampires in that respect, blurring the line between sex and death. In general, Faith introduces the idea that Buffy is drawn to killing - not just to protect people (the ideal of a Slayer), but for its own benefit. That's something that Buffy continues to struggle with going forward.

I have said before that Faith in S3 is an echo of Angel in S2, both in Buffy's relationship to them both and how that shifts mid-season, and in how it ends. In Graduation Day, Buffy again is given the power of life and death. This time, it's more personal - she can stop Angel dying by killing Faith. It's not such a straightforward (for want of a better word) decision as Angel .vs. the literal entire world, it's just the value of one life against the other. Another trolley problem, and it's not an easy choice, but it's still a choice. Just as she chose the lesser evil in killing Angel in S2, she kills the person filling the Angel role in S3. And this time, the choice is explicitly tied to the idea of being a Killer. Faith is set up as the person that Buffy could be in a slightly different world, and that person is a Killer, as Faith herself claims.

"What are you gonna do, B? Kill me? You become me. You're not ready for that, yet." - Faith Lehane, 3x17 Enemies

"You did it, B. You killed me." - Faith Lehane, 3x22 Graduation Day

In the act of choosing to pull the lever, Buffy has to kill. In the act of killing, she has become her dark mirror. In the act of defeating/becoming Faith, she becomes again the sole Slayer. Being a killer and a Slayer again intertwined. It's interesting here that she then makes the decision to feed herself to Angel. She unravels the trolley problem by throwing herself on the tracks. It's fascinating that between the dual trolley-problem finales of Becoming and The Gift, where in the first Buffy chooses to pull the lever, and in the latter she refuses and chooses a third option, Graduation Day exists in the middle as a stepping stone where she kind of does both.

The bulk of S4 is a little lighter on this theme, instead examining The Slayer as a role that must be juggled amongst a series of competing roles as Buffy's life as an adult becomes more fractured. There are flavours of it in Fear Itself, where Buffy fears that her friends will leave and her destiny lies with death and the dead, but otherwise not too much jumps out at me. Except, of course, for Restless, which is so heavy with this theme. It's one of the many reasons why I kind of consider Restless an honourary part of S5, as it's setting up the themes and arcs of S5 as much as it's wrapping up the like from S4.

RILEY: Hey there, killer.

BUFFY: We're not demons. ADAM: Is that a fact?

RILEY: Thought you were looking for your friends. Okay, killer...

TARA: I live in the action of death, the blood cry, the penetrating wound. I am destruction. Absolute ... alone. BUFFY: The Slayer. FIRST SLAYER: No friends! Just the kill.

OK, so SO much to unpack here. This is all within the under-10-minute sequence of Buffy's dream, and in that sequence she constantly shows a fear that she is in fact a "killer". It's clearly strong in her mind. Riley calls her "killer" multiple times, and Adam equates her with him, and with demonhood. I also find it very interesting how she responds to Tara's words, which are very literally describing the act of kiling ("the action of death...the blood cry...the penetrating wound"). She hears that and immediately identifies her as the Slayer, so slayerhood and killing are clearly bound up together in her mind.

Central to her concerns is the dichotomy between friendship and death. This was built up in Fear Itself, and it's central here. Riley and Sineya both frame it as a choice, between friendship and "the kill". This is a fear that Buffy has already, since S1, that her Slayer life will stop her ability to have a "normal" life of friends and family, but it also sets up her arc in S5 nicely. She chooses her friends over becoming a pure instrument of death in Restless, but that does not resolve her ongoing fears. They existed before and continue to dwell even more strongly in her mind, with words that both Sineya and Dracula repeat.

"You think you know ... what's to come ... what you are. You haven't even begun."

This sets the stage for S5, and her arc of choosing between family and being the Slayer. Friendship and family are presented as more of less one and the same a few episodes later in Family, and the choice Buffy is faced with in S5 is another trolley problem - the life of Dawn against the world. This time, it's more specifically tied to the Slayer/Killer dichotomy through the prophecy that Buffy is faced with ("Death is your gift"). This frames the similar choices she faced in Becoming and Graduation Day in the same light, with Buffy even specifically comparing this to the former.

BUFFY: I sacrificed Angel to save the world. I loved him so much. But I knew ... what was right. I don't have that any more. I don't understand. I don't know how to live in this world if these are the choices. If everything just gets stripped away. I don't see the point. I just wish that... I just wish my mom was here. The spirit guide told me that death is my gift. Guess that means a Slayer really is just a killer after all. - 5x22 The Gift

S5 is soaked in this Killer-vs-Slayer idea, and that's part of why I love it so much. It opens with Buffy having gained an appreciation of killing. She goes out not to patrol, but to hunt. To revel in the enjoyment of the kill, just as Faith did. There's also a constant theme of people identifying Buffy as a Killer. Importantly, it's a theme of her believing them. She knows that there is a kernel of truth there, and it develops from a subconcious worry in Restless to a more concrete fear in Intervention, where Buffy explicitly says that she is afraid that being the Slayer means losing her humanity and ability to love, and become nothing more than a "killer". Eventually, Buffy is so ground down by it that when The Gift rolls around, she simply accepts that the Slayer is "just a killer" as an inevitability.

BUFFY: Yeah, I prefer the term slayer. You know, killer just sounds so... DRACULA: Naked? - 5x01 Buffy vs Dracula

SPIKE: Death is your art. You make it with your hands, day after day. That final gasp. That look of peace. - 5x07 Fool for Love

FIRST SLAYER: Death is your gift. - 5x18 Intervention

I also like the way that Joyce is repeatedly linked to this idea. Buffy's response to Sineya points to Joyce's death as a rebuttal to the idea of death being a gift ("Death is not a gift. My mother just died. I know this."). Buffy talks about Joyce just before accepting that "a slayer is a killer" in The Gift. Spike's speech about Slayer's having a death wish comes immediately before Buffy finds out that Joyce is going into hospital. The idea of the Slayer as an instrument of death, killing every day, is juxtaposed against the mundane horror of what death is really like, as demonstrated in The Body. As the Slayer, Buffy must cause death, but this is what death looks like. It's hard and painful and mortal and stupid. Eventually Buffy reaches a point where she just can't do this anymore. She can't live in a world where she must choose to be a killer, because she understands death more now than ever.

It's here that the show explicitly connects the ideas of utilitarianism and being a killer. Buffy says that killing Dawn to save the world (and by association killing Angel to save the world, or killing Faith to save Angel), would make the Slayer "just a killer". This goes back to S3, and Faith arguing that the death of one innocent was washed out by the many people that they save, and that being Slayers gives them the right to make that calculation. Tara points to Giles in this episode, the voice of utilitarianism, and identifies him as a killer. Giles himself identifies himself as one when he kills Ben, and here draws a line between being a utilitarian/killer, and being a hero.

BEN: Need a ... a minute. She could've killed me. GILES: No she couldn't. Never. ... She's a hero, you see. She's not like us.

Some people criticise the moral absolutism of this, and could very justifiably argue that killing Ben, or even killing Dawn, would be the most moral thing in this situation. Who are we to say that Dawn's life is more valuable than the lives of a thousand other 14 year old girls, with families of their own that love them just as much as Buffy loves Dawn? But within the context of the show, I think it makes sense for them to reject utilitarianism. Buffy is a Sisyphean story. There will always be another apocalypse after this one is stopped. There will always be another impossible choice with innocent lives in the balance. Through that lens, the idea of "killing one to save a thousand" becomes meaningless, because there's a thousand apocalypses, and if you kill one to stop them all, then you've killed a thousand. That's how Buffy feels - she killed Angel, she killed Faith, now she has to kill Dawn? Where does it end? Eventually it all just gets stripped away, so what's the point? There's no winning move here. The only way to break the cycle is to change the game.

We should also keep in mind Buffy's words at the start of the episode. She fears that the Slayer is "just a killer", but she is also identified by the guy she saves in the alley in the opening scene as "just a girl". And Buffy agrees ("That's what I keep saying."). Buffy is The Vampire Slayer, which dictates that she must make these impossible choices, but she's also Buffy, which means she is a human being with the power of free will. She gets a choice - not a good choice, but a choice. As a human being, she can reject the options in front of her and find a third way. She can transform the whole game, and turn "Death is your gift" into an empowering statement. This was heavily foreshadowed of course - the Guide in Intervention outright stated that Buffy was full of love, and that "love will bring [her] to [her] gift". But it takes Buffy working through these fears and emotions and realising that she simply can't take Dawn's life. She chooses a new way. She avoids being a killer by rejecting utilitarian ethics. To paraphrase The Last Jedi, she wins by saving what she loves. Ultimately, she's not a killer, but a girl, a friend, a sister, a Slayer - a hero.

So season five is very much the climax and resolution of this theme. Very few themes ever disappear entirely from this show though, and this one continues to echo throughout the show. In S6, Buffy again fears she is slipping into darkness. That there is some kind of darkness that is innate within her. But where in S5 this was a fear that she recoiled from but at times seemed inevitable, in S6 it is something that she is drawn towards, that disgusts her but that she takes a kind of comfort in, because it's easier than facing the mundane reality of her depression.

This yearning for her own darkness takes the physical form of Spike, who she uses for what is basically sexual self-harm. Spike steps into Faith's role as Buffy's shadow self for much of the later seasons, and , and like Faith he represents killing as hedonism, and as sex. There's no vampire who so aggressively blurs the lines of sex and death/violence as Spike. Her fear that killing is part of her nature, and her fear of her own sexual desire, are very much one and the same. When she breaks down in Dead Things, she talks about the darkness within her, and of her shame over her own sexuality.

Spike also repeats Faith's utilitarian justifications from Consequences in the episode which forms the climax of Buffy's self-destruction, Dead Things. When Buffy attempts to metaphorically commit suicide by turning herself into the police, she does it while constantly identifying herself as a killed. She repeats some variation on "I killed her" four times in just two scenes. She wants to be punished for being a killer, and not protected for being the slayer. She has grappled with this several times, and is still resolute that being the slayer does not give her a license to kill, but this time she is desperate to be seen as a killer, to give justification for her own self-hatred.

The final way S6 explores this idea is with Willow. When she is after Warren, Buffy tries to stop her, not for Warren's sake but for Willow's. She knows that taking a life changes a person, and implicitly draws on the first time she chose to take a human's life, the moment she "became a killer" on that rooftop with Faith.

Buffy (re: going to kill Faith): I can't play kid games anymore. This is how she wants it. Xander: I just don't want to lose you. Buffy: I won't get hurt. Xander: That's not what I mean. - 3x21 Graduation Day

XANDER: She should be coming down at some point, shouldn't she? I mean, back there she was out of her head ... running on grief and magicks. BUFFY: Doesn't matter . Willow just killed someone. Killing people changes you. Believe me, I know. - 6x21 Two to Go Killing Warren might have been justified given what a complete piece of shit he was - just as killing Angel was justified, just as killing Faith was, just as killing Ben was. That doesn't matter, because Buffy still recognises that the act of killing leaves permanent psychological scars, which she is still bearing.

In S7, we get the final major exploration of the "does the Slayer have a right to kill" idea in Selfless. Here, Buffy seems to have reached the conclusion that Cordelia, Faith and Spike (all her shadow selves) were right, and she does, in fact, have the right to pass judgment because she's the Slayer, when she decides she has to kill Anya.

"It is always different! It's always complicated. And at some point, someone has to draw the line, and that is always going to be me. You get down on me for cutting myself off, but in the end the slayer is always cut off. There's no mystical guidebook. No all-knowing council. Human rules don't apply. There's only me. I am the law." - 7x05 Selfless

However, I don't think the show wants us to take this as gospel. Buffy is conclusively proved wrong in this episode, since killing Anya doesn't work, and it's Willow who finds a third option that saves the day. In S7, the idea of the Slayer-as-Killer is more an incidental theme, while the central exploration is the idea of "one girl in all the world". It explores the nature of that tragedy, that Buffy is by definition alone. Because of this, she necessarily must be a killer. She does have to pass judgement, because there is nobody else capable of it. She has to be the one to hunt and kill vampires. She has to face the choice to kill Angel, to kill Faith, to kill Dawn, to kill Anya.

This is where the theme ends up - as a tragic inevitability. Buffy must always make that choice. Making the selfless choice to kill her boyfriend doesn't stop it. Avoiding the choice and dying herself doesn't even stop it. That boulder just rolls down the hill again and again, and Buffy is the only one who can push it back up. The Slayer is a killer because the Slayer is alone. So the only way to break that cycle is for the Slayer to no longer be alone. There are still elements of The Slayer, and of Buffy as a person, that are linked to death and killing, but she has mostly made peace with those parts, and now can be free of having to be "the law" too.

[interstellarflare]

Bend and Break || Homelander

-PART SIX-

Warnings: Gore, violence, course language, angst.

Summary: People can only bend their morales so far before they break. Homelander is the world’s greatest superhero, and you, a tech analyst, somehow become entangled in his world when he learns that you provide intel to The Boys. He makes it his personal mission to find out exactly what you know, but he never expected such resistance from someone as damaged as you. But broken things can be mended, sometimes in the most unexpected ways possible.

Author’s Note: As a bit of a disclaimer, I have only seen snippets of The Boys. I haven’t actually watched all of it, so forgive me if there are some details that are wrong, as well as the many spelling errors that will undoubtedly be in this series. There is a tag list open for those who wish to be added. I apologise for the long chapters. Gif by @xmichaelmyers​

|PART ONE| |PART TWO| |PART THREE| |PART FOUR| |PART FIVE|

After activating the pager hacking device after you had entered the building, you and Homelander went your seperate ways for the night.

You watched as Madelyn Stillwell hung off of his arm, smiling and pretending that she was actually interested in tonight’s events as Homelander indulged politicians and government officials in small talk. You however, stood in a secluded corner of the room, waiting for your device to break through Vought’s firewalls whilst idly sipping a glass of champagne. You didn’t know how long he had been there, but Black Noir stood by your side, his arms folded over his armoured chest as his suit blended perfectly with the shadows to your right.

You were growing more anxious as time went by. You expected to hear a small beeping noise when your device had finished its task, but the growing fear that the device wouldn’t work caused your palms to become increasingly sweaty. You loosed a shaky breath, taking a small sip of the champagne in your grasp. You found small comfort in the fact that Noir was by your side, grateful that at least someone else knew what you were up to.

From your position in the corner, you could hear various topics of conversation. However, the majority of them were about you. ‘Who was that woman with him?’ You heard someone question, that someone turning out to be the wife of the Secretary of Defence. ‘Who is she? I don’t think I’ve seen her around before’. ‘Her dress is beautiful, no wonder Homelander chose to escort her inside’. ‘He was probably being nice, she doesn’t really belong here’. You felt Noir step out of the shadows and move to your side, his arm brushing against yours as he stood defensive and tall. As soon as he appeared, the conversations about you stopped, everyone averting their gaze to anywhere else in the room but towards you and the Supe. No doubt he would have heard all of the negative chatter his stern stance giving off a pissed off vibe loud and clear.

“Is it normal for you to intimidate people who piss you off?” You asked teasingly, a smirk growing on your lips as you finished the last of the champagne. Noir nodded wordlessly, his helmeted gaze not leaving the gathered congregation before him. You rolled your eyes, laughing quietly as you anxiously peered down at the clutch in your other hand. Still nothing. You huffed through your nose, your anxiety being replaced with frustration. What if all of this was for nothing? What of at the end of the night, the device didn’t go off. What then?

Slow music began to play, a choir of violinists, cellos and various other instruments beginning a long classical piece which you knew would likely last the entire night. “Excuse me, can I have a word?” A toxically sweet voice spoke softly, causing you to turn your gaze and meet the emerald eyes of the blood red reporter from earlier. She smiled a viper’s grin, her eyes turning a shade darker as she towered over over your smaller frame. You blinked in surprise and confusion, unsure as to why this woman was even speaking to you. As if sensing your confusion, her grin widened “I only want to interview you in regards to your entrance with The Homelander himself, it was quite spectacular I have to say”. You laughed breathlessly, unsure of what to do or say. So you shrugged your shoulders “Oh, uh, thank you? To be honest it wasn’t really that-”

“Tell me, is there a secret relationship going on between the two of you behind closed doors?” She pried, her question catching you off guard. You choked, shaking your head in disbelief “I���m sorry? I don’t think I understand” You spoke lowly, standing as tall as your heels would allow. The reporter smirked evilly, knowing that she had gotten under your skin. She stepped closer toward you intimidatingly close with her hands propped on her hips. “Well one would assume that something was going was going on between you two with the way he escorted you inside” She spoke lazily, staring down at you with a bored expression “everyone has been talking about it, you know”.

Your eyes narrowed into a dangerous glare, one that even made the Supe at your side flinch with how much hatred and ice radiated from your form. “He was just being chivalrous-” “Oh, I’m sure he was...” The reporter interrupted sarcastically, picking at her red painted nails through her hooded eyelashes “then again, why else would he associate with someone as dull and uninteresting as you? I mean, look at you. You don’t fit in here, you’re hiding in a corner for gods sake...”

Dull and uninteresting...is that how people saw you?

You tried to maintain your composure, you tried not to take the bitch’s words to heart. But why did they hurt so much?

Dull and uninteresting, boring and plain. You averted your gaze from the reporter’s and casted your eyes across the room. Where your eyes met his. And you knew. You knew Homelander had been listening, given by the stern and unreadable expression on his face. Damn his superhuman hearing, damn him to hell. You could feel him staring after you as you weaved your way through the dancing crowd. You could feel him staring after you as you climbed the main marble staircase, disappearing down the hall and onto a stone balcony. You leaned against the balcony, breathing deeply to try and prevent the tears in your eyes falling.

Why were you hurt so much by this? What did it matter what people thought about you? Why did it matter what he thought about you?

Why? Why did it matter?

It was peaceful out on the balcony, the noise of the Gala inside was nothing but distant rumbles. The music still clear as day. A gentle but cool breeze caressed your skin, brushing strands of your hair out of its well-kept do. Footsteps echoed on the balcony. They were heavy, but taken in a stride that was light and cautious. You didn’t have to turn around to know who was standing behind you.

“Do you think I’m dull and uninteresting?” You asked him, keeping your gaze ahead and on the night cityscape before you. You heard Homelander sigh, but he made no attempt top move toward you. When no answer came, your chest tightened painfully. Of course, he thought you were dull. Of course, he thought you were uninteresting. He was The Homelander. And you...you were just a nobody.

“It’s John...” You heard him sigh out lowly, his tone of voice showing no sign of teasing or malice. With your eyebrows furrowing in confusion, you spun to face The Worlds Greatest Superhero with an expression of pure bewilderment. “What?”.

Homelander chuckled, a genuine sound resonating from deep within him as he stepped toward you, his cape billowing slightly in the wind. “Yesterday...” He began, standing beside you and leaning his hands against the stone railing “you asked if I had another name Homelander, otherwise you were going to call me prick or arsehole. My name is John”. You laughed lowly, nodding your head as you leaned back against the railing with an amused smile. So he did have a name. “It suits you” You responded, looking over at him with a soft smile. John nodded, giving you the same smile in return. “And you know what, any woman that can speak to me with such sarcasm, wit, and foul language, and live to tell the tale, is definitely interesting in my eyes”.

Your laughter echoed out from the balcony and across the city. It was the sweetest sound he had ever heard. It wasn’t like the small sarcastic chuckles, or the amused scoffs you would always give him. This was genuine, this was pure. And he loved every second of it. But why? Why did he enjoy your laugh? Why did he long to see you smile, why did he long to always see you as happy as you were now? You turned to face him again, the frown on your face now non-existent as you grinned. “You know, this is why I don’t leave my apartment” You joked lightly, causing the Supe beside you to scoff. “I don’t think I’ve seen you wear anything other than an oversized shirt and sweatpants” He teased, shying away slightly as you lightly slapped his shoulder. He laughed as you pouted, folding your arms over your chest as your eyebrows furrowed.

The music from downstairs floated up on a graceful wind, a slow waltzing piece that would have no doubt been played at a dozen luxurious events prior to this one. John stood up from his position by the balcony, moving to stand in front of you with a soft smile. “Dance with me” he spoke suddenly, holding his gloved hand towards you with a smirk tugging at his lips. Your expression became more confused as you looked up at him with an expression that couldn’t have been more confused if you tried. “What? You want to dance with me?”.

“Why not? It’s a Gala, we might as well” John tried to reason, rolling his eyes as you laughed loudly once again. Placing your clutch carefully on the balcony, you shook your head slowly as you placed your hand into his own. He immediately pulled you close, wrapping one arm securely around your waist, and intertwining his other with yours. The two of you began to sway slowly, your cheeks flushing a bright red at the amount of limited space between you. Your heart was beating so loud, that you were sure the man before you could hear your heart beating wildly in your chest without his superhuman hearing. The thought alone caused your stomach to flutter. Pushing down your nerves, you forced yourself to look up, and almost fell apart. John was staring down at you with an expression you couldn’t read. No one had ever looked at you like that before, with such emotion, with such raw-

Pain...there was so much pain.

For a split second, you couldn’t breath. The air was taken from your lungs as John flinched, his grip on your form tightening as his eyes widened in pure horror. Blood splattered the front of his uniform, tiny horrifying droplets coating his skin. A strange warmth suddenly spread over your chest, a deep rumbling cough caused the pain to increase. Blood dribbled from your mouth, your blood. You collapsed forward, the world suddenly spinning in dizzying stars. The ringing in your ears became louder and louder, drowning out the terror-filled shouts from downstairs, and John’s frantic cries. You could make out your name on his lips, his arms wrapping around your form as he lowered you to the ground. You were scared, terrified. What happened? 

You suddenly felt tired, your eyes becoming heavier with every second that passed. It was cold, so very cold. Everything suddenly became numb, consumed by the agony and pain that everything slowly began to fade. You never saw the figure emerge from the doorway, you never heard what John said to that blurry image of a man.

But the last thing you saw was his furious expression. His blue eyes glowing a bright red in rage, hatred, and pure madness.

Tag List: @lauraaan182 @tardis-23 @freshmakertaco @shilsvampsinger @cynthianokamaria  @delicatetimetravelarcade @coloursunlimited @clean-soap @themarch-oftheblackqueen @soft-hargreeves @kennedywxlsh​ @itskatrinahere​

[flufffysocks]

let's talk about andi mack's worldbuilding

sorry this took forever to make! i've been pretty busy with school stuff and i kind of lost my inspiration for a bit, but i ultimately really enjoyed writing it! i wish i could've included more pics (tumblr has a max of 10 per post), and it kinda turned from less of a mini analysis to more of an extremely long rant... but i hope it's still a fun read!

i've been rewatching the show over the past few weeks (thanks again to @disneymack for the link!), and i’ve been noticing a lot that i never did the first time around. this is really the first time i’ve watched the show from start to finish since it aired, and it honestly feels so different this time - probably a combination of the fact that i’m not as focused on plot and can appreciate the show as a whole, and also that the fandom is much, much smaller now, so there’s a lot less noise. so the way i’m consuming this show feels super different than it did the first time, but the show itself doesn’t - it’s just as warm and comforting to me as it was the first time around, if not more so.

i think a lot of that can be attributed to andi mack’s “worldbuilding”. i’m not quite sure that this is the right word in this context, to be honest, because i mostly see it used in reference to fantasy and sci-fi universes, but it just sort of feels right to me for andi mack, because you can really tell how much love and care went into constructing this universe. for clarity, worldbuilding is “the process of creating an imaginary world” in its simplest sense. there’s two main types: hard worldbuilding, which involves inventing entire universes, languages, people, cultures, places, foods, etc. from scratch (think “lord of the rings” or “dune”), and soft worldbuilding, in which the creators don’t explicitly state or explain much about the fictional universe, but rather let it’s nature reveal itself as the story progresses (think studio ghibli films). andi mack to me falls in the soft worldbuilding category. even though it takes place in a realistic fiction universe, there’s a lot of aspects to it that are inexplicably novel in really subtle ways.

so watching the show now, i’ve noticed that the worldbuilding comes primarily from two things - setting and props, and oftentimes the both of them in tandem (because a big part of setting in filmmaking does depend on the props placed in it!).

one of the most obvious examples is the spoon. it really is a sort of quintessential, tropic setting in that it's the main gang's "spot", which automatically gives it a warm and homey feel to it. and its set design only amplifies this:

the choice to make it a very traditional 50s-style diner creates a very nostalgic, retro feel to it, which is something that's really consistent throughout the show, as you'll see. from the round stools at the bar, to the booths, to the staff uniforms, this is very obvious. the thing that i found especially interesting about it though is the choice of color. the typical 50s diner is outfitted with metallic surfaces and red accented furnishings, but the spoon is very distinctly not this.

instead, it's dressed in vibrant teal and orange, giving it a very fresh and modern take on a classic look. so it still maintains that feeling of being funky and retro, but that doesn't retract from the fact that the show is set distinctly in modern times.

of course, this could just be a one-off quirky set piece, but this idea of modernizing and novelizing "retro" things is a really common motif throughout the show. take red rooster records. i mean, it's a record shop - need i say more? it's obviously a very prominent store in shadyside, at least for the main characters, but there's no apparent reason why it is (until season 2 when bowie starts working there, and jonah starts performing there). a lot of the time, though, it functions solely as a record shop. vinyl obviously isn't the most practical or convenient way of listening to music, but it's had its resurgence in pop culture even in the real world, mostly due to its aesthetic value, so it's safe to say that it serves the same purpose in the andi mack universe.

the fringe seems to be nostalgic of a different era, specifically the Y2K/early 2000s period (because it's meant to be bex's territory and symbolic of who she used to be, and its later transformation into cloud 10 is representative of her character arc, but that's beside the point). to be honest, exactly what this store was supposed to be always confused me. it was kind of a combination party store/clothing store/makeup store/beauty parlor? i think that's sort of the point of it though, it's supposed to feel very grunge-y and chaotic (within the confines of a relatively mellow-toned show, of course), and it's supposed to act as a sort of treasure chest of little curios that both make the place interesting and allow the characters to interact with it.

and, of course, there's andi shack. this is really the cherry on top of all of andi mack's sets, just because it's so distinctly andi. it serves such amazing narrative purpose for her (ex. the storyline where cece and ham were going to move - i really loved this because it highlights its place in the andi mack universe so well, and i'm a sucker for the paper cranes shot + i'm still salty that sadie's cranes didn't make it into the finale) and it's the perfect reflection of andi's character development because of how dynamic it is (the crafts and art supplies can get moved around or switched out, and there's always new creations visible).

going back to the nostalgia motif though, the "shack" aspect of it always struck me as very treehouse-like. personally, whenever i think of treehouses, there's this very golden sheen of childhood about it, if that makes sense. i've always seen treehouses in media as a sort of shelter for characters' youthful innocence and idealistic memories. for example, the episode "up a tree" from good luck charlie, the episode "treehouse" from modern family, and "to all the boys 2" all use a treehouse setting as a device to explore the character's desire to hold onto their perfect image of their childhood (side note: this exact theme is actually explored in andi mack in the episode "perfect day 2.0"!). andi shack is no exception to this, but it harnesses this childhood idealism in the same way that it captures the nostalgia of the 50s in the spoon, or the early 2000s in the fringe. it's not some image of a distant past being reflected through that setting; it's very present, and very alive, because it reflects andi as she is in the given moment.

some honorable mentions of more one-off settings include the ferris wheel (from "the snorpion"), the alley art gallery (from "a walker to remember"), SAVA, the color factory (from "it's a dilemna"), and my personal favorite, the cake shop (from "that syncing feeling").

[every time i watch this episode i want to eat those cakes so bad]

these settings have less of a distinctly nostalgic feel (especially the color factory, which is a very late 2010s, instagram era setting), but they all definitely have an aura of perfection about them. andi mack is all about bright, colorful visuals, and these settings really play to that, making the andi mack universe seem really fun and inviting, and frankly very instagrammable (literally so, when it comes to the color factory!).

props, on the other hand, are probably a much less obvious tool of worldbuilding. they definitely take up less space in the frame and are generally not as noticeable (i'm sure i'll have missed a bunch that will be great examples, but i'm kind of coming up with all of this off the top of my head), but they really tie everything together.

for example, bex's box, bex's polaroid, and the old tv at the mack apartment (the tv is usually only visible in the periphery of some shots, so you might not catch it at first glance) all complement that very retro aesthetic established through the settings (especially the polaroid and the tv, because there's really no good reason that the characters would otherwise be using these).

besides this, andi's artistic nature provides the perfect excuse for plenty of colorful, crafty props to amplify the visuals and the tone. obviously, as i discussed before, andi shack is the best example of this because it's filled with interesting props. but you also see bits of andi's (and other people's) crafts popping up throughout the show (ex. the tape on the fridge in the mack apartment, andi's and libby's headbands in "the new girls", walker's shoes, andi's phone case, and of course, the bracelet). not only does doing this really solidify this talent as an essential tenet of andi's character, but it also just makes the entirety of shadyside feel like an extension of andi shack. the whole town is a canvas for her crafts (or art, depending on how you want to look at it. i say it's both), and it immensely adds to shadyside's idealism. because who wouldn't want to live in a world made of andi mack's creations?

and, while it's not exactly a prop, the characters' wardrobe is undoubtedly a major influence on the show's worldbuilding. true to it's nature as a disney channel show, all of the characters are always dressed in exceptionally curated outfits of whatever the current trends are, making the show that much more visually appealing. i won't elaborate too much on this, because i could honestly write a whole other analysis on andi mack's fashion (my favorites are andi's and bex's outfits! and kudos to the costume designer(s) for creating such wonderful and in-character wardrobes!). but, i think it's a really really important aspect of how the show's universe is perceived, so it had to be touched upon.

[^ some of my favorite outfits from the show! i am so obsessed with andi's jacket in the finale, and i aspire to be at bex's level of being a leather jacket bisexual]

and lastly, phones. this is a bit of an interesting case (pun intended), because the way they're used fluctuates a bit throughout the show, but i definitely noticed that at least in the first season terri minsky tried to avoid using them altogether. these efforts at distancing from modern tech really grounds the show in it's idealist, nostalgia-heavy roots, so even when the characters start using their phones more later in the show, they don't alter the viewer's impression of the andi mack universe very much.

so, what does all of this have to do with worldbuilding? in andi mack's case, because it's set in a realistic universe and not a fantasy one, a lot of what sets it apart from the real world comes down to tone. because, as much as this world is based on our own, it really does feel separate from it, like an alternate reality that's just slightly more perfect than ours, which makes all the difference. it's the idealism in color and composition in andi mack's settings that makes it so unmistakably andi mack. even the weather is always sunny and perfect (which is incredibly ironic because the town is called shadyside - yes, i am very proud of that observation).

the andi mack universe resides somewhere in this perfect medium that makes it feel like a small town in the middle of nowhere (almost like hill valley in 1955 from "back to the future"), but at the same time like an enclave within a big city (because of its proximity to so many modern, unique, and honestly very classy looking establishments). it is, essentially, an unattainable dream land that tricks you into believing it is attainable because it's just real enough.

all this to say, andi mack does an amazing job of creating of polished, perfect world for its characters. this is pretty common among disney channel and nickelodeon shows, but because most other shows tend to be filmed in a studio with three-wall sets, andi mack is really set apart from them in that it automatically feels more real and tangible. it has its quintessential recurring locations, but it has far more of them (most disney/nick shows usually only have 3-4 recurring settings), and it has a lot more one-off locations. it's also a lot more considerate when it comes to its props, so rather than the show just looking garish and aggressively trendy, it has a distinctive style that's actually appropriate to the characters and the story. overall this creates the effect of expanding the universe, making shadyside feel like it really is a part of a wider world, rather than an artificial bubble. it's idealism is, first and foremost, grounded in reality, and that provides a basis for its brilliant, creative, and relatable storytelling.

tl;dr: andi mack's sets and props give it a very retro and nostalgic tone which makes its whole universe seem super perfect and i want to live there so bad!!

[lilsuzn]

MLQC Gavin - Fluff abc headcanons

So by the popular demand - I am back.

Just kidding. No one was asking.

Fandom: Mr. Love: Queen's Choice

Warnings: None (the reader is gender neutral)

Dedication: @marytheredqueen

A = Admiration (what do they absolutely adore about you?)

You need to trust me when I tell you that Gavin had indeed tried to find at least one thing he could dislike about you. Many times.

Yet your body seems to have no flaws. He checked quite a few times at this point.

Your heart is pure. Loving. Patient. Loyal.

Whenever you’re at his side… The world is at peace. No pain exists, nor does suffering.

You are his purpose. You are his equilibrium. Nothing matters as long as he can be by your side.

B = Body (what is their favorite part of your body?)

Your beautiful eyes.

There will never be anything more beautiful than the way they shine before your lips meet in a loving kiss.

C = Cuddling (how do they like to cuddle?)

Him on his back.

You in his arms. Laying on top of him.

Your head rests on his chest, no matter if it’s your front, side or back that presses against his muscular torso - it’s perfect.

He also likes the smell of your shampoo… it’s just intoxicating for him.

D = Dates (what does their ideal date with you look like?)

He likes doing things outside with you.

Attending festivals, engaging in new, interesting sports, indulging in some street food or picnics.

He’s a sucker for long, romantic walks too, soooooo

He takes you out to the festival. Buys all kinds of yummy food for both of you to share. Wins you an enormous plushie and then carries it around for you. While holding your hand. Tightly.

Then takes you for a night stroll, to then kiss you under the sky full of stars before you turn back.

E = Emotions (how do they express emotion around you?)

He only feels like he can really express himself around you - so it will get intense. In all the best ways.

Gavin doesn’t shy away with showing you his affection, even if he tends to have a slight problem with voicing it sometimes.

His expression softness, his fingers brush delicate circles on your skin.

He doesn’t need to say anything. You know.

F = Family (do they want one? If they do, when?)

Oh he really, really wants a family.

Two kids… or maybe more.

A dog for them, maybe.

House with a big garden and a treehouse.

He wants to play and fool around with his kids. Put them to bed. Support them. Be proud of them… Everything his father never did.

G = Gifts (how do they feel about gift giving? What are their habits when it comes to this?)

When you want something, no matter how silly it might be - it’s yours.

Don’t even make me start on what you need.

Because there are very little things (and all of them are about you) that could make him happier than seeing you happy because of what he gave you.

H = Holding Hands (when/how do they like to hold hands?)

It's not optional.

There will be hands holding whenever it's possible.

It’s as much for your safety as it is for his comfort. 

All these guys with eyes better don’t use them to stare at you. 

See this hand? This beautiful gem of a person is with ME.

Likes to hold your hand while snuggling on a couch. Or in bed while falling asleep.

Holding hands is like a physical projection of the bond that’s between the two of you - and he loves it.

I = Injury (how would they act if you got hurt?)

He would blame himself. No matter what. It might be ridiculous, but he would always feel guilty for not preventing it from happening.

Wouldn’t leave your side. Would help you with anything and everything.

If there’s a concrete person or a group of people that caused your harm... Insert a very, very angry and strong bird cop with a gun.

J = Jokes (do they like to joke around with or prank you? how?)

You would have a light-hearted relationship in which he would tease you from time to time and he wouldn’t be mad if you did the same to him.

However he’s not one to prank you. He would find no enjoyment in it.

K = Kisses (how do they like to kiss you?)

Gavin loves to be kissed and he loves to kiss. All over your face. All over your body.

Any kisses are game. Slow and passionate ones. Heated ones. Sweet, delicate, loving, appreciating - he loves them all as long as he can share them with you.

L = Love (how do they show you they love you?)

Acts of service - He looooves to spoil his lovely sweetheart (you) this way. Wants to bring you food, tidy up your apartment for you, brush your hair, paint your nails… Just ask him and he will do it. Whatever it is. And then he will do things on his own initiative, because he likes to surprise you. You smile so beautifully when he does…...

Gifts - He likes gift giving as I already mentioned in G, but it’s no indication of love to him. He just enjoys your reactions. Prefers to show his love differently.

Physical touch - His number one and you can not convince me it is not. He’s a snuggly bear who loves kisses. You are just so soft and warm and he loves you sosososososo much. Would never want to hold this way any other. His physical affection is something reserved only for you. 

Quality time - see Q.

Words of affirmation - Gavin is not very good with words. Not that he can’t be when he wants to, but he kinda doesn’t want to most of the time. It’s uncomfortable. He’s feeling unconfident doing so. He prefers other ways, but when he does speak up… It’s the most adorable and loving thing you will ever hear in your life.

M = Memory (favorite memory together?)

It was your first 'real' date, but even though you both confessed love to each other, you weren't a ‘official’ couple yet.

At least there was no proper act of becoming a one.

You walk through the park on an evening of a chilly fall. Not many people in sight.

You just finished a lovely dinner date. Gavin even bought you a dessert to share.

And it just felt right. Everything.

The way your fingers were laced. How you both couldn't spot peeping at each other.

"Will you be my girlfriend Y/N? Please?"

He sure was pretty sure you wouldn't deny him, but he didn't expect you to throw your arms around his neck and kiss him the way you did.

"Nothing could ever make me happier than that, Gavin."

N = Nightmare (what is their worst fear?)

He’s scared of losing you.

Either by you walking away from him after discovering that you “deserve so much better”

Or by not being alert enough to protect you…

Surely, he would prefer the first option, but he can’t deny that both would hit him harder than anything else ever could.

O = Oddity (what is one quirk they have?)

Gavin is a little bit of an odd duck in general, but I think he has one major weirdness about him.

I would call it… A Keanu Reeves complex.

He doesn’t like compliments. Always feels like they’re far from true, because he always feels like he’s not enough and maybe even never will be.

Which is so far from true.

Like, Vivi, come on! You’re so freakin perfect!

P = Pet Names (what do they like to call you?)

He usually calls you simply by your name, but the boy has his moments.

Moments when he can help but call you all sorts of the cutest names.

Little angel, starry eyes, little munchkin along with the classics like honey, babe, sweetheart, treasure and my precious.

Q = Quality Time (how do they like to spend time with you?)

How?

Often.

Intensely.

Calmly.

Comfortably.

Restlessly.

He just wants to be by your side. Any. Chance. He. Gets.

R = Rhythm (what song reminds you of them?)

Moonlight by Ariana Grande

Because Gavin’s sweet like candy, but he’s such a man...

Or A Drop In The Ocean by Ron Pope 

S = Secrets (how open are they with you?)

Not at all. At least at first.

He gets better with time, but you still need to ask for it. He would never just come to you to lean on your shoulder and tell you what troubles him.

T = Time (how long did it take you to get together?)

Well. A lot.

Because of what I say in X below.

He just assumes that you don’t reciprocate his feelings, because he doesn’t deserve it.

He eventually tells you about his feelings under your insistent questions regarding the subject.

And then? After he finally tells you?

That’s when it escalates quickly.

U = Upset (how do they act when you’re upset?)

At first he tries to keep it inside. Not let you see… But it’s pretty obvious since he doesn’t talk to you. Barely throws any acknowledgment your way.

It would take quite some convincing for him to tell you what’s wrong.

Unless it’s jealousy that is a reason behind his anger. Then he will show you just how upset he is…

Not necessary in a bad way, tho...

V = Vaunt (what are they proud of? Do they like to show you off?)

He’s very proud of you. Always.

Even when you think you’re a failure, he still recognizes how hard you work and how smart you are.

And he also prides himself for earning love of a woman as wonderful as you.

But he’s not a show off. He doesn’t like to be in a center of attention. He doesn’t care for compliments or recognition.

He knows how wonderful you are and that’s all that matters to him.

W = Warrior (how do they feel about you fighting? Would they fight for you, beside you, etc?)

Well, it goes without saying.

Yes. Obviously.

This is Gavin. He does it actively throughout the whole story like it’s the only thing he knows.

X = X-Ray (how well are they able to read you?)

He’s not an expert in emotions.

He gave MC a blood stained letter and was surprised she was troubled by that.

Okay, let’s not sugar coat it - he’s not good at it at all. I said it.

I’m sorry. I wish it was different for you Vivi.

Y = Yes (how would they propose to you?)

I think in Gavin’s case it would be no kneeling with a ring type of thing, because he personally sees no value of that.

Of course, he would if you told him that that’s what you want, but if you don’t…

It would be a beautiful, summer evening. The both of you watching a beautiful sunset from the rooftop of a high building.

Last months you spent together were absolutely wonderful. Life with you by his side was much happier than Gavin could ever dream of… And the way the golden sunlight graces your skin is so, so beautiful.

It wasn’t the first time the thought crossed the bird cop’s mind. He caught himself thinking about it more and more often as your relationship progressed… And before he knew it, the words left his lips.

At first you were sure you must have misheard, so you asked him to repeat. And he did.

His beautiful eyes glimmered with so much love… just as much as you felt for him. 

How could you say no to that gorgeous man that adores you so much?

And after that, expect to someday come back home to find the most beautiful and meaningful ring in the world waiting for you to wear it.

Z = Zen (what makes them feel calm?)

Gavin is a man who enjoys simple things in life.

He likes to cozy up with you on a couch on his birthday. 

Watch a sunrise and drink cocoa with you on Christmas.

He obviously enjoys various sports, especially if he can enjoy them with you.

But what really, really makes him perfectly calm? Driving Sparky with your hands around his ways and your chest pressed against his back.

The feeling of freedom mixed the warmth of your closeness… how could anyone ask for more?