#.... its hard to just assign the boys in one specific character

[r26yz]

stark's pond hunters

[rebo-chan]

Hello, everyone. To today's episode of Tumblr user Rebo-chan loses her mind and assigns each and every Vongola guardian a flower that I have painstakingly searched high and low for (I wish I was being dramatic, I got too invested in this as I worked on it). Is this done in a state of mania? Perhaps, but I am diseased by COVID-19 as we speak and this is what I will do with the time I am meant to be resting with. Nonetheless we must get started. Content under the cut, because I can NEVER make a short post. It's against my core beliefs clearly.

Sawada Tsunayoshi:

The European Orange Lily (Lilium bulbiferum)

My reasoning for this starts with the fact that the "lily" itself has a lot of different meanings, but the important aspect of the lily is that its considered the spring flower and represents often meanings of renewal and rebirth. The very messaging for our sweet boy, a life restarted after he meets his mentor. An orange lily specifically has meanings dipped into warmth, joy, passion (In regards to his devotion to those he loves), 'welcoming' to new opportunities in your life (lol), and most importantly - confidence and pride. Something that he grows to be over the course of his renewal, pride in his friends. Confidence in his strength to protect them. KHR is a story about a nobody becoming somebody strong enough to protect them, even and especially when they falter themselves. It should also be noted that in Hanakotoba (Japanese flower language), orange lilies represent 'revenge and hatred'. Which I think is a factor of Tsuna we can't ignore, as sweet as he is, TYL Tsuna's actions become darker the more you think about them. Tsuna can and has killed when a villain has overstepped too far, and never forget that he just wanted to know "who" Yamamoto's attacker was. For no reason, just to look at him, maybe shake his hand lol. Fr though, that boy's made of fire, both to keep his loved ones warm and to burn their enemies. I think the orange lily fits him nicely.

Also yes, I'll do my best to color-code these flowers~

Gokudera Hayato:

A Red Fressia

So, its quite hard actually to find any sort of 'red' flowers that aren't about some sort of romantic-esque devotion. Just being a red flower inherently puts you in that category of 'passion, love, marriage' meanings when it comes to flowers. It's a real struggle, but luckily he's our only red character amongst the Vongola kids. Okay, so the Freesia is represented by the concept of friendship and ultimate trust. I think it was easier for me to find a flower that represents devotion or duty and tack it on to Gokudera, but I think that's just looking at him on the surface. The story behind the freesia is that the botanist who found them in South Africa decided to name it after his friend as a symbol of their friendship. Very lovely :)<3 For all of Gokudera's dutiful affection for Tsuna, a lot of it is based on the fact that Tsuna was his first friend and the person who he trusted first. His eventual character growth and bonding with the other guardians came as he allowed himself to trust them, when he realized that his 'duty' that he believed to be absolute was above his bonds. Rather, it's his bonds that strengthen his resolve to be the perfect right hand man. Due to the intense representation of friendship and trust, freesias are given to a loved one to represent commitment to them, not unlike Gokudera's commitment to Tsuna and therefore the Vongola family unit. It should also be noted that in Hanakotoba, freesias also have a negative meaning which is childishness and immaturity which I do feel is something that Gokudera has to work through in order to become the best version of himself and has done quite well at by the end of the series. He's our little friendship blossom :)<3 Yamamoto Takeshi: Himalayan Blue Poppy

Let me start this by complaining that 'blue' flowers are so fucking rare, it took me forever to find something matched and was also color-coded with Yamamoto, that didn't dip into too indigo, because of the rarity of a nicely blue flower. To start, blue as a color has all those lovely Yamamoto vibes of being calming, easy on the mind, tranquility, all that beautiful stuff we know Yamamoto to be. (It's almost like Amano color-coded her characters guys..) Poppies themselves got a bit of cultural significance in the West, being the flowers given to WW1 soldiers after they'd passed as a way of remembrance. They're also known for growing in desolate war-torn areas, just a patch of poppies as well as having many soldiers buried with a poppy with them in honor. With that the poppy itself has themes of death, honor, lessons, tradition and remembrance. With Yamamoto’s connection to the Poppy flower, Yamamoto himself is..pretty death-coded. HEAR ME OUT. HEAR !! ME OUT!!!! Varia arc, Squalo ‘dies’ against Yamamoto. Future arc, Tsuyoshi is killed for Yamamoto being involved with the Vongola, Shimon with Yamamoto himself getting nearly killed and then that big moment where he offers to kill Daemon in retaliation for what was done to Kaoru. While not canon as well, the primo fillers are about Yamamoto dealing with the fact he DIDNT kill daisy and how he felt he had to be less easy-natured and actually go for the kills from now on. And of course, his attempt during daily life when he could not do what he loved anymore. He’s VERY death-coded y’all. But the poppy itself isn’t just some omen of death, but the lessons one can gather from those who have passed. Yamamoto’s own battle style is about taking the lessons of those before him who carried Shigure Soen Ryu and then growing upon that to carve a new and improved future for himself and those he cares about. He adapts to their lessons, what Squalo and Tsuyoshi have to teach him. On the fly, continuing the Shigure legacy and creating more moves to eventually pass on to the one that succeeds him. In general, he carries any lessons he has up until the end of the series and tries to never make the same mistake again. Whether that’s his lessons against the Mists he’s battled, his loss against Squalo for not having a proper sword style, and though he doesn’t get a chance against Gamma again, he’s always understood the importance of teamwork. That being said, he’s not just a poppy. He’s a Himalayan Blue Poppy. You see the himalayan blue poppy has a different meaning outside that of the ones that the other poppies do. With its rarity, it also represents success, potential, pursuit of dreams, and possibility.  Yamamoto is the Vongola family’s prodigy, a natural born hitman, the star baseball player on his team. Stuck at a crossroads between his dream and being able to be in a position to protect the ones he loves. An impossibly difficult choice to make, yet Yamamoto handles it with ease. He just won’t choose! He’ll do both! Which fights very nicely with the Hanakatoba meaning of the poppy. “Fun-loving” “A reminder to remember happiness.” Along with general blue color meanings of tranquility, that is Yamamoto to his core, I believe. When things get their worst, he is there to remind everyone that it is never as bad as it feels. To wash away the blood spilled, that is the role of the Vongola Rain Guardian. His crossroad isn’t an issue to him, because that’s not what he fights for! He fights to make things easier for everyone, so they may remember happiness. That sort of thing doesn’t exactly need him to make a choice on his path. Now, does it? If he’s forced to choose, he will just carve out new possibilities for himself and the ones that he loves with the lessons he’s learnt. 

Lambo Bovino: Green Envy Zinnia

Contrary to the title, the green envy zinnia has nothing to do with envy. Quite the opposite, actually. The zinnia itself represents endurance (HEAR. ME. OUT LOL), lasting affection, joy, and various other things. So, the zinnia is super fucking tough, again hear me OUTTTT. They bloom all the way from springtime to autumn, something pretty unheard of from flowers which gave them their meaning. A green envy Zinnia specifically represents growth or a journey. Wishes of a healthy and successful growth. And I believe that is the hope for Lambo, as he progresses through the series. He is quite literally a child, both himself and TYL. But that’s just the thing for him, to the one that chose the guardians (Iemitsu, it’s very implied that it was Iemitsu), Lambo is an INVESTMENT. And a correct one if twenty years old Lambo was anything to go by. Not only that, the zinnia represents a joyous endurance. This doesn’t have to be painful for him, and it’s not as he’s allowed to both be a kid in Tsuna’s care while also holding on tight when told to stay out of the fight. (“You have to take the younger me wherever you go, he wants to go with you.”). And as a bit of an angsty little hehe on my part, the zinnia also represents missing those who have passed, that you remember someone and love them even now that they’re not with you. (“Seeing you all again, I thought the day would never happen. It’s making me emotional.”) Honestly, judging by how Lambo fights when he gets the opportunity to properly do it, he just isn’t weak. Destroying Kikyo’s box animal, fighting against Ooyama, and of course against Levi too. In Hanakotoba, the Zinnia represents loyalty. He is their youngest blossom, enjoying being around the one he considers a brother with hidden potentials to grow into someone with the ability to be Vongola’s shield. If the ones he loves ever make it to see that sight, of course. 

Ryohei Sasagawa: Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) 

Okay, so the yarrow is first of all a funky flower. If you’ve never seen OTHER colors of the yarrow flower, I implore you to google it. Especially the red ones? Why are you so pretty? Lucky enough for this flower (and me I’m starting to lose my mind here, this was a much bigger task than I thought it would be) the different colors don’t change the meaning of the flower here which is neat. It also unfortunately has no hanakotoba meaning either. So, anyway. The yarrow. It represents a warrior’s bravery, protection, and healing. The healing comes from the fact that its a commonly used herb for bruises, cuts, and sprains. There’s also huge folklore around it which affects its scientific name, as Achilles used yarrow to take care of the men he was in charge of. This flower was also used as a ward against evil, where people would hang this outside of their homes in order to protect them from evil getting inside. A superstition developed around this leading to Yarrow to be named the devil’s nettle to refer to the belief that the devil would come around and shake the yarrow that people hung up due to wanting to curse them. This flower also represents strong everlasting love, to the point where a little tradition propped up where people would shove this flower up their nostrils whenever they had a nosebleed so if they dreamt about their crush it meant that they liked them back lol. Yall there was so much rich lore on this flower, it’s super neat. More than I could fit in here. Anyway, I’m sure yall see the connection with Ryohei acting as the group older brother, being the motivating factor for them. He was the first to go up during Varia arc and set the tone for the rest of the battles, that the Vongola would win. Last to show up during future, representing that all of them had finally been reunited. A draw against Aoba, again the very first battle, almost symbolizing HOW shimon would end. He’s the strength in their arms, acting as the last person to leave in future arc until they were ready to go. Taught them and helped lead them to make decisions during that arc. It’s almost his duty to protect the younger ones, even getting up on Hibari’s case in the fillers for not helping out his younger classmen. We can’t even dismiss the way he would prefer to shield Kyoko from everything that they go through, and getting aggressive with Tsuna when Tsuna broke something he thought both of them saw eye to eye on.  Not much rattles him, honestly if you pay attention to his scenes, only getting the most nervous and agitated TRULY when he fears he won’t be able to protect someone (Asking Tsuna how Kyoko reacted to the news, Tozaru getting on his case about Lambo coming to the battle) Otherwise, he’s his happy loud confident self ready to tackle on anything for the sake of the family. Destroying the misfortune that attacks the family with their own body, the yarrow represents that duty well. For every bruise the younger one gets, Ryohei has the ability to heal it. For every fear, Ryohei tackles it first. Acting as a ward and protector for his family. Hibari Kyoya

Clematis (Etoile Violette)

Clematis is a climbing flower, to start with. One of those flowers that grow along walls and vines. It’s a very adaptable flower, able to work with various environments and thrive amongst them. They’re known as the traveler’s joy, meant to wish travelers good luck and act as protection to those who pass by them. While also having a more negative reputation, having “killed” other plants by outcompeting them considered having done the devil’s work. (The plant is actually considered invasive aha oops) The clematis though, itself represents mental fortitude, cleverness, and the ability to find hope in perilous situations. Hibari himself, I mean just that back and forth reputation is just him, no? Acting as Namimori’s protector, keeping a watchful eye on the town while also being utterly terrifying for Namimori students and almost overwhelming to those competing with him. (Dino will only find escape from Hibari in death, Mukuro is the same) But, he is also undoubtedly Vongola’s wall. Similar to Ryohei, not once throughout the series really and truly faltering. The clematis itself with its representation in mental fortitude can be given to someone when they need mental strength. I think the best way to represent this is directing you to that moment in Shimon arc when Tsuna, while not physical beaten, had been mentally tormented by everything that had happened and Hibari came to his battle to Adel. A simple, but strong “Little animal, your face right now is dull. Watch my fight.” It’s in that fight Tsuna gets his mental strength back, being given a hint to answer the question he’s been stressing and faltering over. Then there’s future arc, having been the only one TYL Tsuna trusted with the plan. Kokuyo Arc, Gokudera seeing an already defeated Hibari and taking him to the battle. Varia arc, the gang realizing that if Hibari is fighting next then they may have already won it and refusing to succumb to the poison in the sky battle. Rainbow arc, Tsuna considering them in that list of people he “just expects to help him.” He has the ability to be their hope, to be another factor of their strength. Where Ryohei is holding them up on the physical aspect, Hibari is absolutely their mental strength. (Isn’t it charming that the two eldest are the pillars of their group? I think it is). Also, in Hanakotoba, the clematis represents moral beauty and order. And that’s just the kinda man who could run something like the discipline committee, isn’t? The special thing, finally is that the etoile violette represents a sense of freedom from troubles. A free man, unchained himself and choosing to help those younger than him. Sometimes for the thrill of a battle, sometimes to actually help them with the reputation of a devil. Unpredictable, but still trusted.  It’s the sky that allows the clouds to roam freely, but even someday that sky will be beaten to death. 

Chrome Dokuro

Lupine (Blue Bonnet)

The Lupine flower is before anything else, a second chance at life. A recovery from one’s trauma and the admiration that comes from that. Its gratitude and kindness put into one. There’s a legend around the lupine flower about a land full of drought where Native Americans had believed would be saved by selflessness and yet no one had come forward to do anything, until a young girl came forward and offered the last of her possessions. The rain came to fall at her sacrifice, and hundreds of lupines had blossomed from the ground saving the tribe from drought and hunger as the seeds of the Lupine could be harvested to be eaten. The Lupine represents that the world will always give back if you are willing to help. Chrome, from her introduction, is told to be a girl who has nothing. With two parents who want nothing to do with her and no friends by her side. She runs forward to save a kitten and is gravely injured. With neither of her parents willing to help her, Chrome wonders if she is going to die here but is offered a deal by Mukuro. It’s here that Chrome is offered her second chance and she spends the whole series trying to return the favor to Mukuro. All while healing from her own trauma, the type of trauma that “no one could care about her”, as she is offered food and bonds from Tsuna, Kyoko, Haru, I-pin, Bianchi, Hibari, and so many others. It's in her second chance that she gets to experience what life truly had to offer her, as thank you for her continued selflessness. It’s that gratitude that she represents and the never-ending desire to give when she doesn’t accept Mukuro’s assistance anymore with her organs because she can no longer give him anything now that he’s out of Vindice Prison. She resolves that she will become someone who can protect the people she and Mukuro like. Her confidence isn’t perfect and she falters quite a bit, not believing that her powers are as great as those around her. But, that’s okay, because her goodness has brought her to people who have got her back until she can figure herself out. She has Mammon to correct her when her illusions are seen through that they are well made, but she’s just dealing with professionals and that’s why they’re seen through. There’s Tsuna who relies on her blindly, never doubting her strength to protect them as he asks her to act as defense during Shimon arc and protect Enma from his attack. Alongside with Fran, she is trusted to protect Yamamoto and Gokudera in the final battle against Vindice and taken with Tsuna against Jaegar. She has a lot of space to continue growing, but Lupin also represents voracity and happiness in Hanakotoba. She has her second chance to learn all about that, or as Mukuro put it to her, “An ending is merely the beginning of another cycle.”

Rokudo Mukuro

Aconitum (Wolfsbane)

Wolfsbane is also referred to as Monkshood. This is another one with pretty rich lore with its connection to werewolves. It’s referred to as “queens of the poisons” and has a pretty negative message to it on the outside. First of all, this thing’s poison? TOUGH AS HELL. Delirium, frothing at the mouth, vision impairment, and of course the classic coma<3 It’s got an uncanny resemblance to what rabies actually looks like. Fun, right? Okay, fr though onto its meaning. Wolfsbane is an omen that danger is nearby, not unlike the unnerving feeling Tsuna gets whenever he senses Mukuro nearby. Said to have come from Hell itself, the saliva that has dripped down from Cerberus himself. Not unlike our sweet boy. But, being an omen does not always represent something bad. Is he bringing the danger to you, or is he warning you of the true danger that lies past him? It’s a little bit of both. Aconitum represents concealed wisdom and caution in decision-making. But it also DOES represent protection, a proper and true warning of the dangers of the wild. That beauty does not always mean safe. For his twisted sense of vengeance and believing that taking over the world is the only way to destroy it for the sake of what was done to him, he isn’t necessarily wrong for being enraged about what happened to him. Yet, despite his hate, he doesn’t drag those who he cares about further down into it than he has to. He sends Ken and Chikusa away when they are going to get caught, he never uses Chrome for anything besides as a vessel to help her, and he says during Rainbow arc that if he forced Fran to continue past his limits he’d be no better than those nasty adults of his past. Aconitum balances sweetly between light and darkness, similar to Mukuro. He won’t admit it, but he cares for those amongst the Vongola. He infiltrates the Millefiore and sends the Vongola information after Tsuna’s death, he helps Chrome form a barrier around Enma so he could be safe from Tsuna’s X-Burner. And, of course he teams up with Vongola’s team during the rainbow arc. These are undoubtedly kind actions,  but when Tsuna gets angry at Mukuro during Rainbow claiming that he didn’t believe that Mukuro was the type to abandon his allies, Mukuro says that that was just his idea of him. Even though it was Chrome ultimately rejecting him, he instead pretended that he really was some big bad heartless person. Definitely, Mukuro is no angel, but also he’s no demon either. He’s.. just a human at the end. The aconitum’s dance with both light and dark, a flower that tries to warn, can be read both good and bad depending on how you look at it. His rejection of his ‘official’ position as part of the Mafia, yet acting as the Vongola Mist Guardian when their goals align. He’s as confusing as the duty he embodies, but he succeeds nonetheless in ensuring the family is untouchable in his deceptions. After all, the best way to fool your enemies is to fool your allies first.

[restlessmaknae]

favourite star // sung hanbin

Hanbin is good at many things, and as it turns out while stargazing with him, he does know quite a lot about stars, too.

➳ Characters: boyfriend!Hanbin x female reader/you

➳ Genre: the fluffiest of fluff, slice of life

➳ Words: 0.8k

➳ Warning: -

➳ A/N: This drabble was requested by a lovely anon. Hope you enjoy it! 💕

➳ Taglist: @dat-town, @s00buwu

Your favourite thing about Hanbin was that he did everything with his whole heart. Working on an assignment? He gave it his all. Helping out his mother? He did it without being asked to. Taking care of kids? It seemed to come naturally to him, even though you always admired how he could calm crying kids down or find the same wavelength with them. Making you an espresso? He did it flawlessly, and it wasn’t just because he had a barista licence, but also because he did everything to the best of his ability, and it was truly inspiring in your eyes.

You often worried that being so hard-working, so attentive and so caring to everyone must have had a toll on your boyfriend, and scarcely though, but he did seem weary and in need of someone else’s support. You just loved him even more when you could see this humane, vulnerable side of him, one that he didn’t let a lot of people show. So let it be through hugging him (and recharging him as he liked to call it), covering him with a blanket when he fell asleep on the sofa, making his favourite dishes when he was having a hard day, or just being there for him, willing to listen, willing to wait for him to open up, to hold his hands if he needed it, you were there for him.

Always and forever. That’s what your couple tattoo said as well.

No wonder when Hanbin suggested stargazing, you gave in without hesitation. However, as you were laying together on a soft blanket in the riverside park, your head nestled into the crook of his neck, listening to the sound of his heartbeat and his soothing voice, you had a feeling that just like every time, Hanbin gave it his all because he came prepared. He told you about different constellations, what they meant and the stories behind them, and you were sure that he even looked up their pronunciations because he sounded so confident. He always started his sentences with ‘did you know?’, and you could feel him turn his head towards you as if you could actually know, but he was even more pumped up when you told him one after another that no, you didn’t know that specific thing about the said constellations.

You swore you could listen to him all day long because he had this warm, soothing tone, and his voice was full of enthusiasm, so full of life when he was talking about something that he really wanted to share with others. At one point though, he was so engrossed into talking that you needed to remind him to breathe.

“Okay, okay, just one more,” he replied excitedly, and an airy laughter reverberated through his body as he pushed himself onto his elbows. You did the same, so you could look at him, and a gentle smile immediately made its way to your lips. It wasn’t just his voice that was full of life, his eyes were, too; the warmest shade of autumn, the lightest shade of darkness and the brightest of stars.

“Did you know that I have a favourite star?” He quirked an eyebrow in question, tilting his head slightly. His gaze wasn’t challenging, it was rather playful, so you hoped that he wouldn’t make a wordplay about it.

“No, I did not, but I bet you will tell me.”

“Then, ask me,” he nudged you, a boyish smile tinting his lips that pushed his cheeks upwards. You liked that look on him; when he seemed to be smiling not only with his lips but also with his cheeks that were a bit pink, his eyes narrowing as if they were joining in on the fun.

You batted your eyelashes at him, teasing, but before he could think that you wouldn’t play along with him, you asked the question that he wanted to hear.

“What is your favourite star, Hanbin?”

Without hesitation, the boy answered:

“You.”

For a moment, you didn’t know how to react, no words coming out of your mouth. Then, the warmth invading your face reminded you how easy it was to make you flushed (how easy he made you flushed), and you reached out to nudge his shoulder as a way to distract him from the blush creeping onto your cheeks.

“Gosh, stop it! You’re so cheesy.”

“I prefer the term ‘smooth’, but whatever you say,” he retorted with a cheeky grin before leaning down to tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear. Then, his grin softened, turning into a gentle smile, his eyes warm and fond, a look that made your insides churn with happiness and excitement. You felt like you could melt under his stare, even more so when he closed the distance between you two and placed a gentle kiss on your forehead.

And even in moments like this, you knew that his whole heart was in it, that’s why you liked him even more.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this story of mine! Let me know what you think!

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Hope you have a lovely day/night! Take care! ❤️

[grif-hawaiian-rolls]

@leonardalphachurch ASK AND YE SHALL RECEIVE (in reference to this post)

Donut thinks his fursona is a red wolf, all handsome charm and roguish double’o’donut vibe but NO he’s a collie to me, specifically a rough/scots collie— he’s pretty he’s fluffy, he does good work but theres nothing behind those eyes affectionately. Also he likes to be told when he’s a good boy DOING A GOOD JOB

Grif… would not make a fursona for himself, but I think Kai makes one for him a-la garfield (fat orange cat) and he appreciates the Iconic humor of it at least and u know what i do think kai is right in the cat aspect but more maine coon less garfield (still fat tho /pos)- the kind of big lazy cat that make you do a double take bc like is that a big house cat or a bobcat, ya know?

Simmons does not Want a Fursona thank you very much he’s not Weird (tm) I'm telling you, he is a chihuahua. Puntsized ball of anxiety that bites and thinks its meaner than he is(but still pretty capable of being a mean little bastard, just,, not as big of one as he thinks)

Sarge Knows his fursona is a bald eagle. Bc its American. Patriotic! Sounds like a red hawk! Even better! He’s a pitbull— big brick of a head, mean reputation, but he’s a protective kind of caring at heart and u know he’s got that Iconic pittie grin

Lopez is hard, honestly, and if you asked him youd either get No Answer, or something thrown at you i think but like his fursona is like transformer mech bullshit that no one ever wants to draw and if you commissioned it you get like 20+ complex design additional charges because the rivets have to be 100% accurate and if they arent he would Know, its not even a fursona really at this point its just a cool mech body he wont ever build bc he doesnt trust anyone else to not fucking break it but emotionally its his fursona - the fursona I assign him is a remote control warthog, bc im sorry dude but i cannot give you a proper fursona to save my life my brain just refuses to do it so, goofy shit it is

SHEILA is, wonderfully, a sea turtle. Specifically i’m partial to a leatherback for her just for the scale factor alone but just the vibe in general of just,, seat turtle fits her idk how to describe it. In character, i do think she would misunderstand the assignment and just be like “oh! Im a Scorpion” bc thats the casual term for the M808B main battle tank in halo

Church(A), like simmons, REFUSES to even Consider it (epsilon considers it a Lot okay, theta’s got some cool design concepts but keep it on the dl bud) but i think he’s gotta be idog from the early 2000s. But like an edgy one the kind that were born of 12 yearolds traced over google images of the normal ones and recolored into Original Characters (i think their shape is based on beagles iirc??? Or labs), but yeah those things. If pressed, epsilon auto answers wolf but in that asshole way that sounds like he’s being a dick about it but no thats his actual answer

Caboose is a great dane. He’s just Great like that!! Yay! Friend shaped, really not used to being uhh mindful of his size and strength but loyal and protective ya know?? He's the only one who i think would correctly clock his own fursona on the first try

Tex would claim something badass like a tiger or something, but she’s like,,, a mockingbird :) i mean it IS the state bird of texas, and well... shes not a mockery of anything but she isnt the og either, ya know

Tucker claims a fox, because he’s sly and bitches Love foxes but to me?? Bluejay. Brightly colored, loud, mean little corvid asshole. Too damn clever for his own good- i would also maybe give him peacock or kingfisher if feeling more like,, flamboyant but he just feels very jay to me. maybe its the corvid bastard thing, or the bluejay in my backyard choosing the tree by my window as prime screaming spot for 6 am yelling for like a month but the vibe is there

Kai has so many furry characters. With the worst application of color theory known to man but somehow it works for her brand??? Sparkle dogs man, the woman is made for making sparkle dogs!! If i assign her cat to match grif, it'd specifically the kind of like bengal, this cat climbs walls kind of cat you know?? Zoomies all day every day! BUt i think more accurately to Kai as a person? Raccoon. Mischief and little grabby bastard hands and she would love it

Washington, if asked would shrug and say probably a cat bc u know, nine lives and all that- no. Im sorry cat wash truthers I respect cat wash, but nah Washington is a dog boy to me im sorry and specifically he’s a little Jack Russell terrier thats fast and vicious but man sometimes u gotta remember he’s like,,, he’s smaller than a cat man you gotta give him some help ya know?? Dont make him do it alone!!!

.......Or a horse i dont know how to elaborate on that one just,,, trust me

Carolina is oblivious to the concept of fursonas almost entirely, but she’s a greyhound and you know im right

Locus is genuinely the hardest one to place and i dont think he’d come up with a fursona for himself, but he gets assigned wolf by Donut i feel it, the whole lone wolf thing he has going and all during his redemption! Which honestly???? Maybe yeah? An argument could be made for another working dog (HELLO German Shepards my god) (context here: i had a german shepard/corgi mix, he was my lil guy, he was too damn smart for his own good and patrolled the back yard fence up until he couldnt keep his hips underneath himself anymore and then! He! kept! trying! So yes that does influence my input on german shepard locus) i just struggle to see locus as a dog???? Dogs are very high energy which -gestures to red team- but locus rarely has that same baseline energy i associate with dogs??? He’s hard to pin down and i’ve yet to manage it but im partial to something arboreal,,, the first thing that comes to mind on that train of thought is a binturong and i lost it imagining that so sure we'll go with that i have a lot of thoughts about locus

Felix wouldve loved the energy of being like the lucky cat with nine lives. I personally dont care for felix, but he would be that guy with like, its not a proper fursona bc he wouldnt b caught dead calling it that, but he has a fursona for scamming people and driving up the prices on auctions for no reason other than to fuck with people when he's bored. I subscribe to weasel/ferret Felix personally, specifically a yellow bellied weasel bc theres just,, honestly the name amuses me with the implications. He’s difficult to catch and handle, energetic and gets into shit no one wants him getting to. It fits

Doyle is a mouse, maybe MAYBE a rabbit, he doesnt know what fursonas are either but he just checks the mouse box for me personally,, very holdable, but skittish and might still bite you if u scare him bad enough

Dr Emily Grey does not have a fursona but she does think theyre neat and has let her patients all give her one, tho none of them agree on what she is. I think she's a shrike, specifically a great grey shrike! they're VICIOUS little birds, who dont look like much but they regularly hunt shit twice their size and are also known for impaling bugs on thorns and like, barbed wire?? theyre neat, and technically i think they count as corvids? clever little hunting machines

Kimball is definitely a german shepard tho like while im on the fence about it for Locus, there is no question about it for her she checks the boxes fits the vibe right down to the way she guards the new republic and chorus with her heart just under her sleeve

Sharkface. Shark. I mean….really. SPECIFICALLY THO a tiger shark tho, and he would absolutely be a dick if you implied a great white or a megalodon would be “better” bc no tiger sharks are exactly the kind of shark he should be thank you VERY much

thats everyone i have STRONG fursona assignment feelings for, and some are more flexible than others or more solid in some cases but YEAH! i think about this shit. a lot sidebar: i think the chorusans who know and are open about fursonas would probably use weird alien animals from chorus when picking them which makes this harder for them specifically bc the ones who would have fursonas arent limited to earth animals

all images are from the wiki pages for the animals! except for lopez. thats from the amazon page for the warthog

[youkaigakkou-tl]

(I don't know how to read japanese, and my speech is loosely based on anime, so apologies if I'm completely off target...)

I'm fascinated with etymology and like looking/studying the potential meaning behind the characters name, especially when names are a word play on the nose regarding their abilities.

I looked on an "online dictionary for Youkais", and most of the translations contain the word "Monk" in the name.

Regarding what had been said in YoHaji, about humans becoming Youkais after commiting a crime (sin?), does it means the first Youkais were unfaithful monks?

(sorry for the long ask, unable to word stuff concisely==;)

this is actually something that has plagued me for literal years, words for "monk" being in youkai names. im just not good enough at japanese to read analysis by japanese folklorists myself, and this is perhaps too obscure of a topic for there to be translations of. (an obscure linguistic detail of youkai, an already somewhat niche topic)

to preface, the words that often appear in youkai names and mean "monk" or some other position in a buddhist temple, are:

kozou (小僧): lit. "Little monk"; also just used as a word for "child"

nyuudou (入道): lit. "Entering the (buddhist) way"; someone who has shaved their head and entered buddhism.

bouzu (坊主): lit. "Owner of the monastery"; but later became a general word for monks.

douji (童子): lit. "child"; but in the context of buddhism, this is used as the translation for the sanskrit word "kumāra", and refers to children who become disciples at a buddhist temple and do servant work for the most part.

if i may be so bold, i think there's (at least) 2 layers to this

layer 1: it's a superficial resemblance

this seems to be the most common take i've seen.

most of the youkai that have these in the name have some superficial resemblance, whether they're described as having bald heads, or maybe they're seen walking slowly alone at night, perhaps chanting something to themselves. this is somewhat to the effect of calling something "the bald monster", wherein it gives a superficial image of how to know when you've seen this "thing".

and for some cases, mostly with the word "kozou", the word is just used as a general term for "boy" or "person", much like we have words like babygirl and catboy (which unexpectedly does not have an exact japanese equivalent, now that i think about it. closest thing thats used casually is nekomimi) perhaps just as we find the use of words that mean "boy" but also "monk" in youkai names strange, someone from a different background might find it strange that the combination of "baby" and "girl" refers to a disheveled adult man, or that catboy can refer to an adult man with cat traits even though "boy" clearly insinuates "child".

although, it's hard to tell what the original form of such youkai with these words in the name were or were intended to be, and how much of their visual resemblance to monks by artists who came afterwards was inspired by the fact that a word for "monk" was in the name. chicken and egg problem. (much like how youkai media nowadays, and series that involve humanized versions of inanimate objects use past stories and etymology to inspire their look. the artists of old probably didn't expect the works they left behind to be used as a record of what life was like back then, imagine if future historians use FGO and touken ranbu as historical reference LOL)

the idea of these youkai being something that became of a monk for one reason or another seems to be present in english perspectives on youkai, although not corroborated by japanese authors, so perhaps this is again a case of inferring and assigning meaning that wasn't there, or wasn't meant to be there. (source)

but this all begs the question...

layer 2: what does it mean linguistically?

the word for "child" also meaning "monk" is strange and specific, isn't it? or is it the other way around?

im so mad. its like this every time. when i trace every question about japanese linguistics or folklore back to the source it always goes all the way back to 1500 years ago (about 5th century AD) to the arrival of buddhism and the advent of written records in japan!!!! im not a linguist or historian im not good enough to disentangle all this!!!! or keep all my history facts straight!!!

the long and short of it is, buddhism contributed a large part to the advent of writing in japan, with the importance it placed in copying scriptures. buddhism was largely influential throughout early japan written history, and prior to the heian era was incorporated into the governance system. the heian era saw the founding of enryaku-ji on mount hiei, one of the most influential temples of the time and origin of the tendai school of buddhism, which was the leading school at the time, and founders of later schools of buddhism in japan almost all originated from it. this is all to say, enryaku-ji and mount hiei are two very prominent locations that appear in a lot of folklore and youkai stories.

mentioned in the essay "story of the shinoda wife" by folklorist orikuchi shinobu are "doji villages", specifically mentioned in the context of mount hiei, which are servant villages to buddhist temples, where the children go to work in the temple and are called "douji", which in turn becomes what their villages are called. the fact that he goes into detail about what these are, and also explains the use of "douji" to refer to buddhist child disciples rather than just "child" in general, could mean that these are particularly obscure tidbits.

(i actually came across this essay when i was looking up kuzunoha, and the play where abe no seimei was named "doji" as a child. orikuchi posits that monks started a temple in the village called abeno, and so "abeno doji" became a familiar phrase to locals, and so it became part of stories and plays)

if i may be so bold as to make assumptions, i think its possible that monks, who were influential, literate, and the source of not an insignificant amount of literature from the time, referred to figures in stories with honorifics from the organizational structure they're familiar with, and common folk adopted the vocabulary too. (this is perhaps similar to how you're referred to with honorifics like "sir" or "madam" in letters from official organizations even if you're not necessarily on the same level of importance as the person the letter represents.)

of course, this is just assumptions, and if i had any concrete conclusions this wouldnt have and continue to plague me for years.

resources:

hyakumonogatari.com - a huge blog of translations of essays on youkai

kotobank.jp - japanese dictionary thats particularly good for words with more cultural background

japanesewiki.com - an accurately, manually translated resource of the japanese version of japan cultural wikipedia pages

Shinoda Tsuma no Hanashi by Orikuchi Shinobu - an analysis essay on the play "Ashiya Douman Ouchi Kagami" (which is actually about abe no seimei LMAO and prominently features kuzunoha), doesnt have a english translation

The Artist is Absent (The Beginners Guide analysis) by Innuendo Studios - yeah this one isnt relevant at all. its a literary analysis of the videogame The Beginner's Guide (2015). but i just think anyone who wants to do any amount of thinking about stories and folklore should watch this video and also play this game.

[riddlesrizzler]

Posting this anon because this obsession is not healthy, most of the slytherin boys fandom agree that Louis Partridge = Enzo Berkshire, specifically when he played Tewkesbury in Enola Holmes.

I finally had the time to rewatch the first movie and start the 2nd movie. Can u write a fic inspo Tewkesbury to Enzo? i can't get him out of my head its kllng me😭😭😭 i need more of him, ehem louis ehem, Call me

OKAY! i honestly haven't seen the movie, SO i tried my very best based on the trailers and tik toks about his character. so i do apologize if it isn't 100% correct.

I hope you like it!!!

There was something about the way Enzo Berkshire walked through the halls of Hogwarts that suggested he didn’t quite belong-but not because he was out of place.

No, he fit just fine. Too fine, in fact. Robes neatly pressed, tie always a little askew like he’d been running late from the Astronomy Tower again. He had the unmistakable air of someone raised among pureblood traditions and silver-plated expectations. But his heart? That was another matter entirely.

People whispered about his lineage-old money, old magic, the kind of family that donated entire wings to the castle and still managed to act like they didn’t care. But Enzo? He was different. He ducked out of class meetings to sketch plants in the Greenhouses and stayed late in the library reading about Muggle revolutions. He never looked for a fight, but he wouldn’t back down from one, especially when it involved standing up for someone who didn’t have the right name, or the right accent.

You noticed it the first time he sat beside you in Charms without being assigned to-how he tapped his quill against his parchment when he was thinking too hard, or how he always smiled sideways, like he wasn’t used to being looked at softly.

He noticed you too.

Not just your wand work or your grades, but the way you refused to laugh at jokes that punched down. The way your hands twitched before you cast, like you carried more magic than you were ready to admit. You weren’t impressed by his name. You asked questions he couldn’t answer easily.

You once told him, “You talk like you’ve read every book in the library, but live like you’re writing one no one’s allowed to read.”

He hadn’t known whether to kiss you or thank you.

He still doesn’t know.

But he does know this: when he walks through the castle’s ancient stone corridors, tracing secret passages and dodging legacy, it’s not the portraits or the power that keep him grounded.

It’s the memory of your voice echoing in his mind like a spell he doesn’t quite understand-but desperately wants to learn.

And if he ever rewrites the path his family set before him?

You’ll be the reason he dares to try.

[takaraphoenix]

Other than the obvious Lycanroc (werewolf), Houndoom (hellhound), Mismagius (banshee/witch),Ninetails, Zoroark, Delphox (fox) what pokemon would each character have?

Even if you're not a Pokemon fan this question will sometimes come up. I swear this question only exists because Pokemon is really popular

I just really need you to be more specific about the characters. Like, this is a fun thought experiment! I am, however, not answering 15+ characters in one ask? Sooo, I dunno, uh, get back to me with smaller portions and specific names? ;)

I'll do you Stiles for now though. But also, fair warning, while Pokémon is the only game I have ever played and regularly bought, I did drop off after Gen7 because it got annoying for me to have to buy a new fucking device to play the game on with every generation now. Also, the Pokémon designs got... meh, I didn't care for any in Gen8 or Gen9 so I never got into these. Which means my picks will be limited by the first seven generations. Also, I'm German, I play these in German, I don't know the English names so you're getting English/German names here so I actually understand what I'm talking about myself.

Now, I want Stiles to mostly have normal types. He is the boy who runs with wolves.

The starter was the hardest pick, but in the end I decided to go with a play on the Nemeton with Meganium/Meganie. It's a tree dinosaur, what's not to love. Perhaps also personal bias because she was the only plant starter I ever chose; I'm a practical person, I always pick water because water is the ultimate starter, it can beat fire through water attack and as soon as it learns its first ice attack, it also beats plants. If you play rock-paper-scissor and one of those three can beat the other two, then you always go with that.

Now, Ninetales/Vulnona feels like a must include due to the Nogitsune. I went with the Alola version because I think that fire doesn't fit the Nogitsune and sadly, Pokémon hasn't given Vulpix (oh I see we agree on that name, do we) the Eevee/Evoli treatment of just throwing every element on there (but they should, on account of the 13 types of kitsune). But since the Nogitsune made Stiles feel incredibly cold and ice fits better to darkness than fire, I'm picking Alola.

Eevee/Evoli because I like to assign an Eeveelution to characters, sue me, Pokémon went hard on that one. And, again, normal types for Stiles. Also because I like the parallel of potential - Stiles as the Emissary, a Spark, a Left Hand, a Right Hand, an Alpha, a kitsune, or staying human.

Now, Zigzagoon/Zigzachs was actually the first Pokémon to pop into my head for Stiles!! Because of the Pickup ability! Boy got sticky fingers and he needs a Pokémon with sticky fingers!

Noctowl/Noctuh because owls are seen as wide/clever, because I want mostly normal types for Stiles, and because there is a forest-theme that fits the whole Nemeton and Spark angle.

Teddiursa mostly the same as the owl, but also... it's a teddy with a moon on his forehead, how could I not. It fits the werewolf theme.

So, that's my pick for Stiles' Pokémon lineup! And the length of this answer is why I will absolutely not answer multiple ones in one ask. I have too many opinions and words xD

[susandsnell]

Jonathan Crane, 14 and 21

Character Ask Game

Hiya Mira! Thanks for sending these. <3

Jonathan Crane - Batman (various)

14. Assign a fashion aesthetic to this character.

As hotly contested as the term/aesthetic is, unfortunately I can't really work around Dark Academia being core to our beloved Scarecrow; the patchy professor's outfits and the ostracizing comments they provoke are so key to the character from his inception, and I'd love to see more Batman media where he's drawn in it. Knitwear, argyle, button downs (with salaciously rolled up sleeves when in the lab, oh my!), sweatervests, neutrals, patterned ties (though throw in the bolo for our Southern boy!), camel coats, heavy emphasis on neutrals and houndstooth. Double-bridged glasses are my personal headcanon, but wire frames are solid regardless. I also love it when artists/fanartists incorporate dorky Halloween elements into his wardrobe/accessory; I've drawn him with Jack-O-Lantern patterns/patches on his sweatervests, I've seen him drawn with ghost ties, he might even have some more scarecrow-themed looks just to really rub it in...the man is a nerd, let's lean all the way into it! On top of being funny and kind of adorable, I genuinely find "Crane is obsessed with Halloween themed clothes" to be a great characterization mainstay since it's super humanizing for your otherwise cold, poised and intimidating scientist to still dress like what he also is -- a dorky middle-aged college professor.

21. If you’re a fic writer and have written for this character, what’s your favourite thing to do when you’re writing for this character? What’s something you don’t like?

Oh, this is just delicious. Writing Crane, as with many villains, is a dive into the id -- he's Batman's drive for vengeance if it took a full nose-dive into Sweeney Todd territory, and I love getting to revel in that. I also really like to think "what's the most fucked up but still plausible thing I could have him do", but contrasted with "where might the weak spot be, and how do we get him to this point". Fear toxin inflicted on various characters is a wonderful gift-that-keeps-on-giving device in how it reveals so much about its victims, but I find that just as much, how Jonathan engages with inflicting it and with his victims' reactions really helps me work out just what kind of monster he is -- and where his empathy, should he have any left, lies.

As for what I don't like when it comes to writing him, I will say voice is hard just because he's so frequently underwritten, and I tend to write my headcanon version of him as a composite versus a more specific one (with that said, Nolancrow you beautiful bastard, let me capture your speech style you job-switching weirdo). This is more an insecurity thing (as is the would he do that? would he not? why? - the neverending tug of war that is trying to write believable and occasionally cute romances for awful people) than a problem with the character himself. The other big challenge with writing Crane is keeping it fresh; Batman himself has pointed out many times that he's one of the Rogues that evolves/learns the least with respect to MO and master plan (I guess because the field of science is always ongoing, fear is eternal, and revenge is almost as infinite in its scale?), and it's true he isn't really given much in the way of personal arcs. Because of that, I end up having to rely a lot more on trying to come up with new situations to put the old man in to try and nudge him in either-or direction.

Thank you so much for this!

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

Books of 2024: August Wrap-Up.

Hey, would you look at that, it's suddenly September! Rude and uncalled for. This month, I did a lot of knitting (two sets of gloves and two hats! gearing up for holiday season), and a LOT of writing (finished the first 16k draft of a scene, who???), and read uh. Some. I didn't finish a ton of books, but I did make it through what felt like a ton of pages.

Two-thirds of this month's reading were post-apocalyptic-community-oriented, on purpose, to feed into my current writing project, and that worked really well--either I'm very good at choosing books that match the vibe I need, or my ADHD brain is good at making connections, OR a little bit of column A, a little bit of column B. Photos and/or reviews linked below:

GHOST STATION (pages-out stand-in book pictured above, because I checked it out from the library after canceling my paperback pre-order, which was a good call) - ★★ This was very bad. Bad science, stupid incompetent characters, JUST enough neat worldbuilding to make it FRUSTRATING that this missed so hard. I'm bummed because I wanted to read DEAD SILENCE by this author, too, but I don't trust her now :(

ALWAYS COMING HOME - ★★★★½ Loved this!! Dense and chewy, and it required a lot of patience, but it was very rewarding and I'm really glad I read it. My absolute favorite passage was about scrub oaks, but I posted a few other highlights and tagged them as "le guin posting," if you're interested! If you like Le Guin and/or utopias and better futures and/or huge books that push what it means to Be A Novel, check this out for sure.

ARCHANGELS OF FUNK - ★★★½ So. I didn't realize that this was attached to a few other novels she's already written. And I read it cold (oops). Goodreads informed me that it was Book #2 of Cinnamon Jones, and review-diving indicated that REDWOOD AND WILDFIRE is also implicated in its worldbuilding, but that didn't stop me because I can't read. I would like to revisit this one after I've read those other two, I think, but!: The community and vibes and Making Art At The End Of The World were all immaculate, and the character names made me feel vindicated in some of my own naming conventions (seriously: there's an Indigo in this, and a Game-Boy, and Hawk, I can't make this shit up).

Under the Cut: A Note About ~*★Stars★*~

Historically, I have been Very Bad™ about assigning things Star Ratings, because it's so Vibes Heavy for me and therefore Contingent Upon my Whims. I am refining this as I figure out my wrap up posts (epiphany of this month: I don't like that stars are Odd, because that makes three the midpoint and things are rarely so truly mid for me)(I have hacked my way around this with a ½). Here is, generally, how I conceptualize stars:

★ - This was Bad. I would actively recommend that you do NOT read this one, no redeeming qualities whatsoever, not worth the slog. Save Yourself, It's Too Late For Me. Book goes in the garbage (donate bin).

★★ - This was Not Good. I would not recommend it, but it wasn't a total waste or wash--something in here held my interest/kept my attention/sparked some joy. I will not be rereading this ever. Save Yourself (Or Join Me In Suffering, That Seems Like A Cool Bonding Activity).

★★★ - This was Good/Fine/Okay/Meh. I don't care about this enough to recommend it one way or another. Perfectly serviceable book, held my interest, I probably enjoyed myself (or at least didn't actively loathe the reading). I don't have especially strong feelings. You probably don't need to save yourself from this one--if it sounds like your jam, give it a shot! Just didn't resonate with me particularly powerfully. I probably won't reread this unless I'm after something in particular.

★★★½ - I liked this! I'll probably recommend it if I know it matches someone's vibes or specific requests, but I didn't commit to a star rating on Goodreads. More likely to reread, but not guaranteed.

★★★★ - I really enjoyed this!! I would recommend it (sometimes with caveats about content warnings or such--I tend to like weird fucked up funny shit, and I don't have many hard readerly NO's). Not a perfect book for me by any means, but Very Good. This is something I would reread! Join me!!

★★★★★ - I LOVED THE SHIT OUT OF THIS, IT REWIRED MY BRAIN, WILL RECOMMEND TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE AT THE SLIGHTEST PROVOCATION (content warning caveats still apply--see 4-star disclaimer). Excellent book, I'll reread it regularly, I'll buy copies for all my friends, I'll try to convince all of Booklr to read it, PLEASE join me!!

[strawberry-skies-xx]

13, 20, & 22 for the fic asks! fic i choose for 22, of course, that fucked up girl <3 and the mori dazai fic w the matcha tea....both fics have me by. CHOKEHOLD

*walks in 2 days late w iced coffee* that reblog spree on your blog is bc i couldn't find the og post btw and i had the (naive) hope you didn't reblog shit at the speed i did

13. Do you prefer writing multi-chapter fics or single-part fics? Do you prefer reading multi-chapter fics or single-part fics?

i prefer reading AND writing multi-chapter fics, bc its so much fun to explore stuff. however. The Horrors. i can dream about writing a multi-chapter fic all i want but it doesnt mean ill ever finish it (rest in piece my fleabag fyozai fic that's infamous on my bsd server bc i never shut up about it. also the fyozai betrayal AU fic. pensive emoji.)

20. Which fic have you put the most work into? Which fic have you put the least work into?

you make miette search through 84 published works for this...

the fic i'd say i've done the most research on is this one (mafia Dazai training Akutagawa) but the fic i've put the most work into being really good and me liking it has to be this one. its not BSD, but its a character study of a guy from another fandom and his interest in death and passive suicidality. i spent 3 days postponing every single other obligation other than food and just sat in bed writing this. 4th day i did nothing but chores and then i didnt write anything else for a week lol

least work is hard bc i have a philosophy that i can do whatever i want forever so i Will just write something in an hour and post it with no research, all pure self-indulgence. but i'll use a fic i should have done research on: this one. i really should've planned that out better. idk if anyone still follows me for httyd or has read that fic of mine but i do plan on rewriting it someday

22. Have you used any symbolism in [insert fic]? What does it represent?

OH boy.

so. fucked-up girl fic actually doesn't Have much real symbolism, only a couple remarks on my headcanons for various things.

today he had to eat an apple whole because he could not pick up a knife-

this one is easy, referencing dazai's suicidality and the fact he is trying. just a slight reference to him actively changing/being unable to do something, and also his issues with food.

He starts targeting.

Dazai is very, very still.

Atsushi backtracks so fast that he stumbles over his words, forgetting entirely Dazai’s contradictory explanations,

little things about dazai's manipulation in everything. boy can't admit shit. he's very roundabout with admitting anything close to himself (why i hc fyodor is so good for him, because they can trade those vague references back and forth and understand each other) and a trait i assign to him is saying vulnerable things in as few words as possible. he doesn't explain stuff.

Dazai’s body aches, and he turns, walks over to his desk, sits down. His clothes constrict.

gender issues but also, as mentioned in my comment on your fic, i hc dazai just hates his body. he has to shower with the lights off sometimes, can get dressed without looking at himself once. he very much dislikes perceiving the fact he has a body.

The ADA thinks that they’re dating. Him and Yosano. 

not symbolism or a hc but this was the premise of the entire fic. the agency thinking dazai and yosano were dating when really dazai just had severe gender envy

“Zai.”

little hc! yosano specifically uses this nickname for dazai when affectionate. atsushi and kunikida don't use any actual nicknames derived from his name; chuuya uses this nickname sometimes; ranpo uses this nickname somewhere between chuuya and yosano bc ranpo is putting in the least effort to get his attention lol

The conclusion is obvious. Dazai should explain that’s not what he means, but he can’t get his mouth to work to speak honestly. 

this whole conversation was the biggest indicator of dazai being unable to elaborate/saying things in as few words as possible. he's not a pathological liar, i just think sometimes it is physically painful to have to elaborate vulnerable things verbally for him. e.g. "it's because you're a woman" and yosano having to debate the fact dazai could be going after her, dazai Knowing what kind of conclusion she'd jump to immediately As a woman, and yet he just cannot explain it further because it is vulnerability. HENCE why i like him and fyodor, because fyodor can make those kinds of connections as quick as dazai can.

"Women are really pretty~”

not a hc or symbolism but. Boy why do you talk about women so much and yet date none of them. almost actively make yourself undesirable to them. Sir. My guy. i know what you are

“There’s a word for it?”

special lil hc i have. the mafia is very open and accepting because they simply have bigger priorities than who's kissing who. mori simply does not give a shit if his agents are consorting or if his lead agent goes from a girl to a guy. he won't provide monetary support and unless it's physically disabling he won't make exceptions to rules, but if he's told that someone's pronouns have changed or whatever he'll go "cool" and change the name/pronouns in all of the system, start using them, and be done with it. his only concern is performance and as far as he cares, sex and gender are irrelevant. (on that note, harrassment isn't tolerated because why are you harrassing them for being gay when you can harrass them for the multiple enemies they didn't kill last mission. cmon now.)

this also comes with the caveat that the kids raised in the mafia aren't really educated on it. they're taught normal class subjects, e.g. math, english, etc. and they're taught mafia protocol, and they're allowed to get their own reading material, but the mafia puts in as much effort to teach them about queer people as they do to teach them about heterosexual people. (they do get sex ed tho, which is basic as ever, and which dazai is a whole menace during)

and dazai, obviously, would not really be that interested in either to read about. being brought in so young, i think he was never really taught bias against queer people, so when he had the revelation that he liked chuuya he was just kinda. oh ok. and when he has the feelings about his body that he doesn't like it, he has much bigger priorities (namely the quickest way to die) than figuring out whatever the hell that is.

so it ends up that dazai just kinda is queer and has no idea what it is. he knows he hates his body and he knows he likes chuuya, probably has some surface level knowledge of gay/bi/lesbian/etc. but otherwise no, he's never sought out specifically to figure out the terms for what he's feeling. he actually really hates perceiving himself in any way lol

He still looks like himself,

this little bit: he hates perceiving himself in any way, but he still wants to be him. he doesn't want to change his name or his reputation or whatever else, he doesn't want to be a different person. he just wants to be a dazai that he likes.

It would look wrong be inconvenient for him, and take so much effort. Just… so much. So much that he can’t handle. Managing himself is hard regularly - adding on this, whatever it is, would be biting off more than he could chew. 

there's a river called de nile-

dazai is denying the fact he thinks being a woman would look wrong because of his years of being in a masculine body like he is, hence the calluses mention. but he also is right, that he wouldn't be able to upkeep it. he has to be in a better spot/it has to be something very slow and gradual for him to be able to keep it up long enough to maintain a desirable appearance. he's sorta using it as an excuse to not do it but also he just doesn't want to put in that much effort into it.

now for the matcha fic!

Very big hc and symbolism for this fic: Dazai's ability.

it is an ability nullifier, and i stand by the idea that abilities have some kind of effect on their user and are somewhat sentient. Atsushi's tiger, for one, is not only a transformation but the shape of the ability inside him, and Kyouka's Demon Snow is a whole being as the ability itself.

so for Dazai, he described it once as an "anti-ability." which. what the hell. whump beams him.

i have the hc that Dazai's ability makes him cold because most ability users can feel their ability hummign beneath their skin. most abilities are warm, alive, and it's like a constant low electric current or adrenaline rushing through them, as omnipresent as a heartbeat or breath. just a fact of being alive is that feeling. so then: when Dazai nullifies other people's ability, they can Feel the absence of it, they can feel very empty and very cold. when Dazai is the host of that nullification ability, it's just that electric warmth reversed. an icy cold, all the time, because NLH is a black hole as opposed to a sun. (all my metaphors relate NLH more to an icy lake, but that's the dichotomy)

i don't ascribe Dazai's emptiness entirely to NLH, but i do think it contributes and that he has a complex about the relationship between his own issues with emotion, empathy, and the fact NLH lives inside him.

and that cold gets much worse whenever Dazai actually does nullify an ability depending on how strong it is/how much is being used at the time, therefore the remark about him making a science on how bad it'll affect him, and that scene about him being overwhelmed by nullifying Chuuya's ability; he miscalculated, and was caught off guard by NLH activating so strongly, esp given his injuries and physical weakness already in that moment

and another little HC: Dazai's hinted to have been in an even worse place before Mori and abilities are said to be activated from trauma. so i like to hc Dazai's ability as activating from the result of being tortured with abilities, from a deep desire to stop the torture, also in some kind of lab setting. and from there, Dazai escaped, and Mori got this very damaged child.

so then, through the matcha fic, Dazai latches onto it because the warmth of the tea chases away the cold of NLH.

another thread through this fic: Mori and Dazai's relationship. i think Mori was trying to keep Dazai alive as an asset to the mafia, and that he never... regretted? bringing him in as much as wished Dazai had never shown up at his doorstep in the first place, because Mori sees the value of his skills way too much to regret using them. but Mori also knows kids aren't supposed to do what Dazai is doing. and he also sees the emptiness in Dazai and all his general issues. so it's this very messy tangle of like. Mori can't care for him like a father because, yknow, mafia boss and Mori himself also has manipulation and control issues, but also he's much fonder of him than most others, even Chuuya. no one else would have been able to get away with all the shenanigans Dazai inflicts on him (that kid bullies mori so hard. it's very comical). Mori is simultaneously training him and raising him in a life-or-death environment for them both and it's so messy.

“I’ll make us all some hot tea!” Atsushi raises an eyebrow, skeptical. “Are you sure you won’t… burn the Agency down, Dazai?”

little note here: i think dazai curates an image of incompetency specifically because of his competency in the mafia. obviously everyone there knows he's actually competent, but he hides just how competent he is. partially to get up to his own shenanigans hiding his mafia connections and whatever else, but also partially because he doesn't want to be known as something like the demon prodigy again.

when it's serious, they know he can hold his own (prison arc) but otherwise. he is faking so much incompetency.

“I’ll make a deal - if you manage to make matcha tea as well as I do, I can get you your own expensive set for the holidays~”

ok listen. listen. the slap that dazai gave atsushi lives rent free in my mind because of the moment of hesitation just before it. everyone villainizes dazai for slapping atsushi while entirely ignoring the brief hesitation just before it.

dazai was both trained (as an agent) and raised (as a teenager) by mori. and oda was not a very good dad either. he doesn't have the best role model, for one. but he's also very self-aware when he's older and i think he can separate "father" mori and "mafia boss" mori in his actions. he knows when mori was trying to raise him and he knows when mori was trying to train him.

now. now guess what dazai is to atsushi. a trainer. and dazai is still taking the place of someone older and more experienced teaching atsushi not only combat skills but also life skills/growing-up skills. and we all saw how dazai got with akutagawa; that was an environment conducive to that kind of treatment, where that was being encouraged.

now the agency doesn't condone physical violence and dazai knows that. and he is very clearly trying to be a good person like oda asked him to. so, with that moment of hesitation, he clearly did not want to slap atsushi. but someone else's post words this better: he got complacent at the agency, forgot mori's ruthlessness, and with the threat against atsushi and release of Q he remembered he couldn't be so complacent and began to slip back into the old mafia thinking as a way to survive.

and with atsushi breaking down and not listening to him, the agency threatened by mori and Q, a threat that made even dazai flinch, i hc he got overwhelmed, knew there was one method that got guaranteed results, knew the agency didn't condone it, but was overwhelmed enough that he just. lashed out in a way he knew guaranteed would work, and would get atsushi to listen to him.

so . very long rant just to say that i think dazai is fighting, a bit, to balance his experience of being trained-and-raised, with him training-and-raising atsushi, but he knows the difference clearly between the two and so he'll cherrypick actions like the deal mori made with the matcha tea.

deep breath. it's been like an hour and a half. jfc. anyway there's your answers hsfdbhsdf i have many many thoughts on dazai

ty for asking!

[blankcest]

deltas as a concept lives rent free in my brain now thank u. genuinely have never looked at an omegaverse lore drop and gone "ah. that's me." before but the delta thing!!! that's me.

also i have to know what dynamics you'd assign to the gravity falls characters. (mostly the pines family but also anyone else u have opinions about!!)

IM SO GLAD SOMEONE ELSE GETS IT

I loovvve Deltas they are so, so important to me.

OKAY SO! This one is soo hard cause the GF characters are so fun cause you can literally do a million things with them and it could work! But if i had to be like, specific

I really like Alpha Ford, but like, weird alpha ford. I already enjoy seeing Ford as intersex so maybe something to do with that? Or maybe he’s transsex to gamma but obviously doesn’t really realize it. So he keeps trying to do Gamma behaviors and everyone like views him as a gamma at first and then surprise! Rut.

Stan could be sooo many things. Its part of his charm but honestly? Omega or Gamma stan really speaks to me. Someone always fighting his nature of being loving and caring, someone who presents as an Alpha but just, isnt one. You could make him trans-alpha if you wanted but I feel like its less a trans thing for him and more of “I cant be weak” thing for him. Internalized Bigotry sort of thing rather than having dysphoria thing. I could also see him as a Delta? Just for sillies? But Omega means more to me emotionally.

Dipper is so, funny to me? He feels like someone who might have started his cycle really early but also i think it’d be funny if he was a Beta. He has the puberty of like, a little Alpha in rutt but nope, he’s just a weirdo! Maybe thats where a lot of his extra planning comes from? Beta need to make sure everyone is Okay, Fine even. He could also be intersex but i dunno. Beta Dipper is sooo funny to me.

Mabel is an Alpha no question in my mind about that. She likes to present and play around as something different but oohhh boy she constantly steps up to people on purpose. She’s incredibly possessive and is defo the leader of her little Summer pack.

Speaking of Summer Pack, Grenda is soo gamma to me. People think she’s an alpha cause of her stature but nope! She’s a teddy bear. Candy on the other hand could be an omega or a delta 2 me, though im leaning towards Delta simply because she has that fight in her!

Wendy is a late bloomer in my mind. She hasn’t actually presented yet but she really enjoys the mystery of it all. She grew up in a mostly alpha household so she knows how to Step Up and puff out her chest, shes also one of the main leaders of her Pack. So people asume shes probably gonna be an Alpha like a lot of her family. However, i think it’d be neat if she was a Beta or even Omega instead. Her coolness and softness to others being slightly overpowering. It would give her a bit of a complex tho, so maybe she’d be a bit trans-alpha/transex fluid but doesnt like to talk about it.

Soos is SO gamma to me like dont look at me. He is a soft giant type and loves to nest and is a Big old sweetie in my heart and soul.

The Mystery Shack is a Pack btw. Stan is the leader.

Hmm, Gideon is soo omega 2 me. Demanding and bratty omega, but an omega none the less!

And just for sillies, Lazy Susan is an Alpha. No reason, she just deserves it i think.

[prettyboykatsuki-moved]

wot are ur fav shounen romances? :o

i like a lot of the classics !! kaguya sama love is war, blue flag, horimiya so i will not mention them here.

some more (imo) underrated ones

taisho otome otogobanashi my BELOVED. takes place in the taisho era between a disabled young heir of a wealthy family and the young girl assigned to be his bride. soooo fucking wholesome. very boy but in a very sweet way. really a beloved one for me. 9/10

three days of happiness (manga) - oh my GOD this manga makes me fucking CRY. touching story about a twenty year old guy who's down on his luck and finds out about a service that allows you to sell years of your life in exchange for money. the catch? the mc finds out the worth of his life is abysmally low and decides to sell all of it, save for three months so he can spend the money he earns. he meets with our mc and without spoiling they get to know each other and fall in love. SOOOOOO goddamn sad and sooo good. broke my heart 12/10

OREGAIRU. this anime is Deeply Personal to me for specific reasons irl but i also enjoy it. typical loserboy romance but there's a femboy as well. i love it soooo fucking much and i have forever okay... its so dear to me. it's about our mc who's a cringefail dweeb and his commentary on the myth of "youth" and how unrealistic that is.

the catch is that hachiman our mc actually has a fair bit of emotional intelligence and the story itself always points out that his loserish habits mostly stem from himself and call him on it all the time. i.e. it's not a shounen romance that overlooks those qualities nor romanticizes them and tends to be pretty subversive in it's own way.

the storyline revolves around him, the class president and another girl who have a club where they volunteer and offer advice. in that, hachiman gets to experience 'youth' inadvertently. it makes more sense if u watch but i just. love it So Goddamn Much. it's like peak for the shounen romance subgenre. its honestly not super romance heavy? but it also is. complicated it's 7.7/10 for me if i rate objectively. but a 10/10 if i rate on a personal level.

the fragrant flower blooms with dignity - a story about an intimidating male student and a very adorable young lady who have an interesting first encounter. it's a classic getting together story and its hard to describe what happens w out spoiling but GODDDDDD its soooo fucking cute. so cute i love it soooooo much. its ongoing !! 8/10

yankee kun and the white cane girl - crying screaming throwing up puking about them. a story about a deliquent and a blind girl. the story covers the struggles of disability with SO much nuance and character and the supporting cast have SOOOOOOOO much depth and the love story is so unbearably sweet. its ongoing and one of my faves forever and ever and ever. i love them sooo much. 9/10

im definitely missing a LOT but these are my favorites as of right now!!! the last two i follow very actively!!

[worflesbian]

expanding on prev post by assigning the voyager crew a kate bush song each. obviously the whole of the ninth wave is voyager-coded so it'll have to have its own post and be excluded for this one

janeway: all the love is a very janeway song it's literally about pushing away all the people who are deeply concerned about you - 'the first time i died it was in the arms of good friends of mine'. i'm very torn bc there's So many from the red shoes that are janeway coded but i have to say the wedding list is probably the only one that captures her level of unhinged violence like that's janeway when she's out for blood

chakotay: james and the cold gun is about begging the person you love not to sell their soul to an empty vendetta of violence (see above!). i also quite like reaching out as a chakotay song - 'see how the child reaches out instinctively, to feel how fire will feel, see how the man reaches out instinctively, for what he cannot have... the pull and the push of it all'

tuvok: leave it open! it's such a cerebral song but also kind of guttural at the same time? 'harm is in us, harm in us but power to arm' sounds like something he would say to kes about controlling her telepathy.

b'elanna: under the ivy as mentioned but also hounds of love but ALSO love and anger! i can't even quote a single lyric bc the whole thing is So her and specifically her relationship with tom

seven: immediately i think experiment iv but also mother stands for comfort seems very seven and the borg queen and/or seven and janeway. 'it breaks the cage and fear escapes and takes possession, just like a crowd rioting inside (make me do this make me do that)... am i the cat that takes the bird, to her the hunter, or the hunted?'. i also think suspended in gaffa may not be a seven song tonally but it works lyrically for her relationship to her humanity: 'i won't open boxes that i am told not to, i'm not a pandora, i'm much more like that girl in the mirror, between you and me, she don't stand a chance of getting anywhere at all' 'but sometimes it's hard to know if i'm doing it right, can i have it all now?'

harry: i think army dreamers is a brilliant harry song, it's literally about a golden boy dying young because he dreamed of being in the military. from the perspective of his beloved mother. 'give the kid the pick of pips, and give him all your stripes and ribbons, now he's sitting in his hole, he might as well have buttons and bows'. rocket's tail kind of works as a harry and janeway song - 'and it seemed to me, the saddest thing i'd ever seen and i thought you were crazy, wishing such a thing' (tries going out in a blaze of glory himself) '...was it me said you were crazy?'

tom: night of the swallow!! literally about a criminal pilot - 'oh let me fly, give me something to show for my miserable life, would you break even my wings, like a swallow?'

neelix: I actually quite like never be mine for Neelix, it feels like it could be about all the lives that he could've lived, if his family hadn't been killed, if he'd stayed with Voyager and gone to the alpha quadrant - 'this is where I wanna be, but I know that this will never be mine'. also moments of pleasure seems to capture his attitude to life I think - 'just being alive, it can really hurt sometimes, these moments given, are a gift from time'

the doctor: i want to say deeper understanding bc it is about an ambiguously sentient computer program but on a character level i think he's more sat in your lap, which is about wanting to understand everything and being limited by the capacities of your own mind - 'i must admit, just when i think i'm king, i just begin'

kes: I will admit I'm not a kes scholar but I quite like the big sky for her just for the line 'you never understood me, you never really tried' and this idea that she's always looking up for something larger than herself that other people might not pay attention to

[dreaming-medium]

This might end up being a super long message so I apologize in advance. I’m a yapper :)

I needed to say how much I absolutely love Animals Without Direction. It’s not even funny how hard this fic grabbed my heart & will not let go. Your fic is what cemented me getting into Stray Kids. Before this, I knew of them, I even had “Backdoor” on Spotify but that was as far as I cared to go. Like 2 ish weeks ago, I ended up reading another OT8x Reader fic before this one just out of morbid curiosity ( I will always succumb

to reading something where the MC has multiple partners, I just eat it up) & the love I had for the author’s previous work & I loved it so much. I read another one after that & I was slowly finding myself caring about these boys through these fics but yours?? I knew I could not go back after reading AWD. I became high key obsessed with how you wrote them & that obsession turned into me wanting to know the real people behind these characters. One of the best decisions of my life, I swear. (I tried to fight getting into them so much but every interview that popped up on my YouTube or edit that made its way onto my fyp would not let me lmao).

The way the boys are written, the world building, the tension surrounding every situation, ect. It’s all so amazing. Even in your Kinktober work, the same thing applies. I rarely read kinktobers bc there’s usually no build up to the sex & I’m left bored bc the build up is always what gets me. Yours are just *chefs kiss* (That Min one has a grip on me. I live for a nerdy boy x popular girl story. AND Frottage?! I’m obviously that girl, they all obviously want me, like it can’t get better than that idk)

I’m going to make one last point & it’s so minimal that you’re probably not doing it on purpose but I just had to point it out. The way you write the reader to have minimal descriptors means a lot to me. I’ll explain: One of the very many reasons that I got out of reading K-POP fics specifically is that, more often than not, the reader was not someone I could identify with & it would take me out of the story completely. I’m not talking personality wise but physical traits.

Ex. I’m black so my MC is always black. If I read that the “reader” is supposed to be “blushing pink”, I 100% know that this reader was made with a fairer skinned person in mind, even if it’s not said explicitly. So the reader I have no longer exists & my mind is thrown out of the story. It’s different if this reader is supposed to be an OC or it’s tagged differently or whatever else, but when it’s supposed to be a character that anyone should be able to place themselves into, it’s a bit upsetting when it’s not. I hope that makes sense.

With your story, that has not happened to me. I could image the reader to be whoever & it fits. It feels like a true “reader x *insert character here*” story as it’s tagged. I’m not sure if that was your intention, as I know a lot of authors do try to have that thought while writing, but it’s something that I appreciate & it makes the reading experience so much better for me personally.

Anyways, this was just a very very long winded way to say that I love your work & I’m waiting on my knees for the next updates 🤍🤍🤍

I am so so sorry that it took me this long to reply to this message, but you obviously put so much care into typing this out so I wanted to return the care I put into replying to you.

First off, thank you SO much for your kind words. Genuinely, it means so much to me that you enjoy Animals Without Direction. Truth be told, when I first came up with the idea, it wasn't going to be an OT8 fic, it was originally going to either be a Chan, Minho, or Seungmin story. But the more I kept developing it in my head, the more I got emotionally attached to these characters I assigned to them.

The character I particularly got attached to was Jeongin as the Squire. He just kept tugging at my heart strings when I would develop little story lines. And then I was also thinking about Felix and how much his character means to the MC and every single one of them came tumbling after.

I can't even stress the smile I got on my face when I read that I got you more into SKZ with my fic. It's SO funny that you would say that because its another OT8 fic that got ME into SKZ.

Tangled by Ao3 user ThisPeachIsDirty got me to look further into SKZ and fall in love with our boys.

THANK YOU for the compliments on my writing style as well! Sometimes I get so worried that I put too much effort into the plot and the story that I forget the romance. Especially with my kinktober series (which I do plan on continuing, life is insane for me at the moment).

(Also, I also love a 'they're all in love with me' trope. i do not care if its not realistic. its my world and everyone else is living in it.)

That last point you made is not minimal. It makes me SO SO happy, you have no idea. Because, believe it or not, it IS something that I actively try to consider and adapt to when I'm writing.

The reason that we read 'reader inserts' is so that we can all feel like we're a part of the story. And it's so important that no person is left out of that narrative.

I cannot STAND how many fics all play on the 'I'm tiny, in 4 feet tall and I weigh 80 pounds soaking wet. I have dainty, tiny, frail little bones and every single person towers over me and constantly reminds me how small i am.'

oh it boils my BLOOD.

I am a 6 foot tall, athletically built, amazon of a woman. Me and my swimmer shoulders are NOT small and dainty.

My best friend is POC. And something she always told me about reader inserts is exactly what you're saying. She would say that she could tell it was written by someone who is not POC. It breaks my heart.

And while I do use descriptors sometimes. For example, i do bend this rule a little with statements such as "at your asymmetrical features", "you're not a tiny person either", or maybe a hair descriptor that may not fit someone. I do genuinely try to keep it all inclusive, because that's what these types of stories are supposed to be.

So THANK YOU for noticing. I'm happy that I could provide something that is well deserved and should not have to be requested.

I promise an update is coming soon. Quite possibly within the next few hours. I'm on a business trip at the moment and if my boss doesn't invite me out to dinner tonight, I plan on finishing the next chapter in my hotel room.

Life is... insane lately. I have zero spare time left with the job I have now.

But I promise it's coming!! it's like 90% done!!!!! Maybe even 95%. I'm trying to decide where I want to end this chapter in terms of the story.

Love you so so so so much. <33333

[loumandivorce]

here again. smarter people than me have said this (including that one guy who wrote an academic article on merlin porn manips) but magic in most of history/popular culture and in merlin specifically is heavily associated with women. most of the important and powerful magic users in the show are women (morgana, morguase, nimuah, freya) and the old religion has an implied matriarchy with high priestesses.

merlin is the protagonist of the show but also the subject of very early 2000s jokes about his gender and sexuality, mostly by arthur. from the very beginning of the show, merlin is emasculated by arthur by being physically beaten and then! made his servant!!! a role heavily associated with women because they were assigned domestic duties throughout time. like although technically, historically, it would be common and accurate for a lord or prince to have a manservant, the modern connotations of merlin bringing him food and helping him get dressed etc are... like yes its gay to service another man but one of the reasons why is bc of the emasculating nature of it. merlin's magic also contributes to the effeminate qualities that arthur mocks -- his inability to fight (he can just use magic) and unwillingness to hunt. plus non magic related qualities like being emotional, a mama's boy, sensitive, etc. his magic gets him in situations where hes "caught" with a dress or jewelry--his Big Secret has, like everyone has pointed out, very queer undertones. because this is an early 2000s show, queerness = femininity. merlin experiences crazy homophobia at the hands of his own show.

also, inherently the positioning of "two sides of the same coin" means there needs to be a split of feminine/masculine, magic/strength, dark/light between them. and on a surface level it feels pretty obvious who is who? But. merlin is our protagonist and having magic powers is Cool. so the magic simultaneously allows him to cement his masculinity over the Evil Sorceress characters. merlin being the Most Powerful Magic User Ever is mostly used against characters like nimueh, morgana, and morguase, all shown to be extremely powerful but falling under the might of his magic. merlin is called the "light to morgana's darkness", which positions them similarly to him and arthur, but in this situation merlin is the "masculine loving light" to morgana's "hateful feminine darkness" like in the traditional yin-yang symbolism.

but hold on ✋ a second if merlin is the masculine light to morgana's darkness, what exactly does that make him and arthur 🤨. the beginning of the show has everyone believing arthur is a "rough-tough save the world kind of guy" who gets all the girls while merlin is in the background doing everything. but arthurs propensity for getting knocked out and needing to be saved + ignorance and situational idiocy puts him in the damsel in distress position that needs to be saved almost every episode. hes constantly enchanted and thus emasculated by female sorcerers. so with the secret of his magic merlin is also kind of hiding another Secret, of arthur's, which is that he fails at performing masculinity. its an intensely embarrassing thing to know about someone: arthur DIDN'T slay a dragon, arthur DIDN'T complete this quest alone, he needs merlins help. arthur's aggressivee attempts at appealing to the patriarchal figure of his father and expectations of him leads to this almost childish bully of a character: his performance and privilege means he has no idea how to really talk to women or form meaningful relationships or do anything for himself. im not saying its womancoded to be incompetent but for this show w baffling politics his inability to do anything other than kill stuff (which he needs to be pushed to do by his father) is weakness and thus Feminine. hes trying so hard to preserve his fragile masculinity that it loops back around to being kind of gay (derogatory 2000s tone). his position as crown prince and eventually a king means that arthur's more effeminate qualities are ignored while merlin is the subject of much bullying by the knights. i do also think that the power imbalance in merlin-and-arthur's relationship and arthur not having to worry about merlin being a threat to his masculinity is one of the reasons he can be more vulnerable and intimate with merlin in a way arthur can't be with his knights.

meanwhile merlin is the most powerful sorcerer to walk the earth, a dragonlord, etc. merlin calls himself the "brighter side" of the merlin-and-arthur coin, which is the masculine side by yin-yang rules and also the rules of the show in regards to him and morgana. it was a throwaway comedic line and the show does prop arthur up as the Golden Boy with plenty of admirable "masculine" qualities (courage/strength/leadership), but i do believe the show genuinely meant for him to be the 'light side" especially in the pilot where we've seen zero positive traits of arthur's. is this to say arthur is womancoded... well no hes a white man in a position of patriarchal power. But i do think the show is saying that merlin's sensitive masculinity and arthur's traditional masculinity needs to be combined to make one perfect man. which is probably obvious and could be said in less words but that's kinda... gay...

t shirt that says ASK ME ABOUT GENDER IN BBC MERLIN (2008)

[wwweirdgirl]

GIMMIE THY VALACK RELATIONSHIP TINGS

well i suppose if the people want it i MUST to oblige.. sigh..

this post has no direct like.. format, i'm rlly just going off of what i want to talk about specifically.

Val :

Val loves Jack with everything in her being but she literally has no idea how to express it 😭. I've mentioned before that she very easily gets overwhelmed at any type of affection from Jack and she sometimes ends up acting a bit mean. Or um.. forgive me for the word I'm about to use.. like a tsundere 🌝

But it doesn't really impact their relationship because she's never mean enough to hurt his feelings and he understands affection is extremely hard for her.

She rarely initiates kisses/hugs but she has subtle ways of displaying when she wants them. Cuddling and taking naps is usually how they embrace each other since Val is usually too tired to get super overwhelmed.

She has alot of vulernability issues she's working through is what I'm trying to get at 😭 But it's okay because Jack's with her every step of the way and we love him for that

Jack :

It took a very long time for Jack to come to terms with his feelings for Val due to.. everything. The only part of the whole ritual thing he had really come to terms with was the fact that he wasn't really human anymore. Everything else he didn't cope with and he didn't realize until it was too late and uh oh he's in love again..

Anyways I won't go super into detail but when Valerie confessed, or tried to confess, he stopped her before she could finish and told her he didn't want to see her again and they had a huge fight blah blah conflict blah blah angst. They make up pretty quickly afterwards and then theres a heartfelt confession in the rain and then they kiss!! *fnaf yay sound effect*

Sometimes he still has breakdowns where he's convinced he's a monster and he worries he'll hurt her or something but Val always stops him from getting too deep into his thoughts and stays with him until it passes. They both kind of have the opposite probelm when it comes to things they need to work on. Valerie has issues with feeling vulnerable and Jack has issues with feeling dangerous.

He doesn't like scaring or intimidating people but he can't help it, it's just how he is and he hates himself for it. But at the same time he doesn't let himself get close enough to people for them to see a better side of him. However, he did manage to get close with Val and she's not scared of him at all. To her, he's just a boy who's convinced he's a monster and he can't figure out how to act human. And she loves him all the same despite it.

Together :

I've said it in a different post but their dynamic as a couple is kinda like mortia and gomez. They're weirdos who are hopelessly in love with each other, and they match each others freak. What's more romantic than being cannibals together??

There's alot of parallels between them (I think contronyms is a better word but whatever), like Valerie being a lamb and Jack being a wolf etc etc. Speaking of animals actually I love it when characters have an assigned animal, theres alot of different ones I've thought of for both Val and Jack. Val is a white dove, Jack is a black crow/raven Val is a white rabbit, Jack is a black cat

so different yet so similar i love these stupid creepy idiots you guys 😊

Music :

It's mostly just like.. coming of age music? I have no idea how else to describe it tbh. Here's songs I think about them the most to:

"100" - dean blunt "her" - the american dawn "everlong" - foo fighters "need 2" - pinegrove not rlly 'coming of age' but "tear you apart" - she wants revenge

Theres other songs I think of them to but they're more like.. I really have no idea how to describe it other than its Jackerie as a concept and not Jack and Val as characters. Here: "angel" - massive attack "dark red" - steve lacy (this one is usually focused more on Jack in my brain tbh) "sister" - she wants revenge "you always eat the one you love" - scary bitches "I wanna be your dog" - cover by mephisto walz specifcally "night shift" - siouxsie and the banshees

I think thats all of them :3

Okie dokie I'll reblog this if I ever add more to it but thats it for now. Thank you for reading!! And asking!!