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livlaughloveluke · 6 months

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Reader getting neglected by her mom Hera bc she was a mistake? And Luke convincing her to join him and in the end she does- or she doesn't bc she is still loyal to Hera and Luke leaves her because of itt

ᡣ𐭩 𝗴𝗼𝗱𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘀

luke castellan x daughter of hera! reader 🦚

IN WHICH.. basically just the request

warning! this fic contains- use of y/n // few curse words // female reader // spoilers for tlt // heart wrenching angst

[a/n]- a lot of lines inspired by the last episode of the good place (literally my favorite show) and a line from the song “anything” used

🎧- goddess by laufey

2.3k

You were a mistake.

There was no alternative way to phrase it, at least not in the eyes of your godly mother, Hera. You were conceived in a fit of jealousy; your mom wanted to get petty revenge on Zeus for some clueless error he made. And so, within the blink of an eye, she transformed into a mere mortal and seduced a random man, otherwise known as your father.

When you stumbled into camp, bruised and bloody from a Cyclops attack, not a soul expected you to be the malicious goddess's daughter. Hera was loyal to her husband, even claiming multiple times that she forebode affairs, only allowing Zeus to commit the unfaithful acts. However, while she may have been the goddess of marriage, her extreme jealousy overpowered them all.

Which is why she detested you. You were a symbol of her errors, a constant reminder of her regretful affair.

You had a total of two interactions with her, the first one being her claiming of you and the second one being a spiel about how she resented and wanted absolutely nothing to do with a ‘disgrace.’

She was the reason you were so alone your whole life. There were no siblings to talk with, no mom to spend time with, and no father who could actively be present. In fact, the cabin hadn’t even been furnished when you arrived; no one thought your mother would commit infidelity.

With no bed to sleep in, at least until the one Mr. D ordered online arrived, you stayed in the Hermes cabin, a place welcoming to all. You were fourteen when you met Luke Castellan, who had already been claimed by his father and who generously made you feel included. He stayed up with you on those late nights, helping to calm you while you vented about your neglectful mother, and he saved you a spot at the picnic tables when no one else would.

From that point on, you and Luke had formed an incredible relationship. Even after you moved back into Cabin 2, you remained close friends. Seeing that you were the only daughter of Hera, you joined Cabin 11 for the daily activities, which only amplified your connection with the boy. Eventually, with the help of your friends, Chris and Clarisse, Luke worked up the courage to ask you out. You happily obliged, and ever since then, you have been dating.

Four years later, your bond with the boy was admired by nearly all. The two of you were a symbol of hope—that even in the pandemonium of demigod life, you could find love. As you grew into young adulthood, you became a profound woman, one with elegance and kindness, despite the hauntings of your past.

With Luke by your side, you began to love the simple joys life provided. You cared for the campers like your own kin, in hopes of providing the external fondness you were never granted as a child.

You and Annabeth became as close as ever, bonding over the experiences Camp Half-Blood provided. Her flawless skills in battle proved she didn’t need any protection, and yet you were always there to guard her from the dangers life presented. While Annabeth was reticent to most, after many weeks of being friends, she opened up to you.

You had that welcoming effect on nearly everyone, helping arrivals settle into their chaotic lifestyle. Which is how you ended up being chosen to complete a treacherous quest along with the new camper Percy, the satyr Grover, and your honorary little sister, Annabeth.

After packing the evening before departure, you headed to say goodbye to Luke. You both knew that the trip would be dangerous, with a chance you wouldn’t return, so you decided to relish in each other’s presence by the lake, just in case.

He sat on the dock while you lay in his lap, gently stroking your scalp as you watched the sun set and paint bright colors atop the sky.

“I’m gonna miss you.” You spoke up, breaking the comfortable silence.

“It’s only ten days. I went fourteen years without you; I can manage a week.” He said, smiling softly while looking down at you.

“Yeah. Ten days is nothing. I’d wait a hundred years for you.” You agreed, mirroring his expression. While you chatted, the colorful sky eventually faded into a deep blue, signaling that your time by the lake was coming to an end.

“Cmon, everyone’s asleep by now.“ He alerted you, standing up and offering you a hand. You accepted, interlocking your fingers and walking back to the cabins.

“Can I stay with you tonight?” You pondered as you strolled to Hera’s cabin. Sure, it was against the rules, but you just wanted to spend the last night with him. And what’s the worst you could do while surrounded by twenty other children?

“Course. The campers owe me a favor since I took them to the lake last Friday, so they won’t snitch.” Luke replied, changing course to the Hermes cabin.

Sleep came easy that night as you laid on Luke’s chest while his hands rested on your waist. Leaving the next morning was hard, but with the words from last night still present in your mind, you left with a smile.

The mission was nearly impossible, with monsters chasing you around every corner. After traveling to (literally) hell and back, you finally arrived back at camp.

Campers lined up cheering; a whole festival was planned for the victory brought by Percy. While most would miss the warm, safe beds in the cabins or the hot showers, you only craved one thing: your boyfriend. One short Iris message during your trip wasn’t enough. You wanted to listen to him blink, to listen to his hands soothe, to listen to his heart beating.

And so, within minutes of your arrival, you had found yourself embraced in Luke’s arms. All of your worries pertaining to the Lightning Thief faded away as you ran your fingers through his curls, your knees practically buckling at the sight of him.

“I missed you.” You whispered into his ear, swaying side to side as you hugged him.

“I missed you too. Camp hasn’t been the same.”

“I’m here now. We have all the time we need.”

“There’s too many people around. I found a new spot in the woods if you want to join me, and we can talk about the quest.” He spoke softly, his tone honey-sweet.

“Lead the way, Castellan.”

And so he dragged you deep into the secluded woods, the final location remaining a mystery as you hiked through hundreds of tall trees. The walk was suspiciously long, but with him, time seemed to fade away, and you grew blind to the flaming red flags.

Finally, you reached a clearing, surrounded by luscious greens. You both sat down, leaning your head on his shoulder as you glanced up at the stars. He was silent most of the journey to this unusual destination, just listening to you babble on about everything that happened during your time apart. And his nonverbal attitude didn’t disappear as you sat down, but this time you joined him in the comforting silence while staring up at the stars.

Gazing at him through the moonlight, you watched as his deep brown eyes lit up with a feeling you couldn’t determine. Curious, you queried what roamed his mind. “Whatcha thinking about?”

“I’m-“ he let out an angry sigh, pausing to gain composure. “I’m tired of the gods treating us like shit and getting away with it.” His indignant behavior staggered you, but Luke was prone to these fits of loathing after speaking to his neglectful father, so you assumed that’s what caused his wrath tonight.

“I know, and I’m sorry. Rough interaction with your dad again?” You tried to ration, hoping to calm his resentment, but instead it seemed to irritate him more. His jaw clenched with fury as he snapped at you.

“Why are you apologizing? Don’t defend the gods. They’re ruthless idiots who won’t even spare a glance in your direction.”

His cruel words made you question everything, praying this was just a dumb prank or something not as serious as he was letting on. Quietly, you asked what he meant. “What are you.. What are you saying?”

After a long pause, he looked away from you and spoke up. “I want you to join me. To join Kronos.”

Your heart sank upon his confession, and you scooted away from him frantically, standing up and trying to brace yourself for whatever he was going to do next. He lifted himself off the ground after you, taking a baby step closer.

“Kronos? You’re joking, right? Luke, please tell me you’re joking.”

You made eye contact with him, realizing that the mysterious tint in his eyes was now readable. It was hatred, pure evil.

“No. I can’t stand to watch them carelessly prance around while their children suffer. I’m standing against them, and I want you to be by my side.”

You grew vexed and infuriated that he was ruining your years-long relationship for some stupid dream. “Are you kidding me? I’m not joining you.” You snarled.

“You’re choosing them? Over me? You’re choosing your mother, who has ignored you your entire life, instead of me. Instead of us?” He growled, approaching you as you trudged backwards. For the first time in your life, you were scared of Luke. Scared of the man you loved.

“I’m choosing my friends at Camp Half-Blood. My family. What about Annabeth? And Percy? Do they know?” Thoughts of Annabeth finding out one of her closest friends was a traitor flooded your brain, hurting you more than Luke’s words ever could.

“No, not yet, at least. Why won’t you stand up for what’s right?”

“You’re starting an unwinnable war here. Tell me, do you really think you could overpower them?” You replied, fuming with anger towards him and the gods, too. And if we’re being honest, you were mad at yourself, too. Mad at yourself for still loving him even though he was hurting you.

“I will overpower them. With or without you.”

“You're—you're really leaving?” You questioned, and the rage dissipated.

“I have to.” He demanded, looking down at his feet while clenching his eyes shut.

A wave of memories washed over you, and suddenly, you didn’t want him to go. You wanted the boy who picked you the freshest of flowers—the boy who came knocking on your bedroom door at night, just wanting to chat.

“Please, Luke. We can forget all about this and go back to living our lives.” You pleaded, your bottom lip quivering as you fought back sobbing.

“It’s too late now. I never wanted to hurt you, Y/N.”

“Please don’t leave. I was alone my whole life before you, and I told myself I liked it that way, but I don’t. I don’t want to live a life without you. I can’t.” You choked out through mangled sobs, and his demeanor shifted to one of guilt.

“I’m sorry, but it has to be this way. And I can’t let you leave here and spoil my plans before they even start.”

The air became thick as he finished his sentence, and your tears subsided, freight replacing the sadness that lingered deep in your heart.

“What does that mean?” You entreated. Was he going to kill you?

“I love you. Maybe in another universe we can be together.” He said this, fleeting into the shadows.

“Wait! Luke, you can’t just leave me here!” You yelled, attempting to run after him, but he was nowhere to be found. You stood alone in the darkness of the woods, with no clue as to how to escape the woods.

Every fragment in your body was telling you to give up, to let go, and to sob. To silence out the cruel world and lay on the earth floor, to wait for your impending death, from the freezing cold temperatures or one of the hungry monsters that lurked in the night. But the thought of Luke getting away with this and letting him escape untouched fueled you. You hiked out of the path you came from, praying you could get back to camp alive.

Eventually, you met the forest ends, stepping foot into a camp that was blissfully unaware of Hermes’ boy’s plan. You shoved through crowds of partying teens, eager to find Annabeth and Percy and warn them.

After searching through every crook, you spotted them talking to Chiron. The look of concealed misery on the young girl’s face told you everything. Luke had already visited.

You were grateful the two preteens were even alive, but you know how hard this was. They were only kids, not deserving to experience such heartbreak at a mere twelve years old.

Running up to Annabeth, you wrapped her in a comforting, empathy-filled embrace. Her muscles tensed up at first before accepting the hug and leaning in.

“I’m so sorry.” You muttered into her ears as she sighed. Pulling apart to read her emotions, you asked a simple question. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” She murmured unconvincingly.

“Promise?”

“Swear.” Annabeth replied.

“And you promise you’ll come talk to me if you’re not?” You asked again.

“Promise.”

You smiled for the first time in hours, basking in the warmth of your family.

“Is he... gone?” You whispered to her, and it didn’t take an Athena kid to understand who you were talking about.

“Yeah. He escaped through a portal.”

“Oh.” Was all you could reply, trying to shield the way your heart shattered.

“I’m sorry.” Annabeth said, looking into your glossy eyes.

“It’s okay. I’ll tell you everything later, but I’m just going to go to bed for now.”

You left, tears pouring down as you lightly jogged to the Hermes cabin. Slipping off your shoes, you plopped down onto Luke’s bed and sobbed.

His cheap cologne mixed with the citrusy shampoo he used lingered in the hot air, and for a moment, it was like he was still with you.

୨୧

MASTERLISTS 𓏲𝄢 REQUEST / TALK TO ME 𓏲𝄢 RULES

#luke castellan #luke castellan angst #luke castellan fluff #luke castellan x reader #hera #liv’s writing !

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silvergyus · 24 days

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straight a students- h.kk

pairing: university students! hueningkai x reader

summary: you and kai are the top students in competition for a coveted spot on a study abroad. what happens when acceptance emails go out?

warnings: this fic is all-ages!/ academic rivals trope/ reader cries in front of kai

word count: 1,100+

author's note: this is drawn from my own life experiences (guess which ones lol). hyuka and reader's major is kept intentionally vague and if the set up isn't actually how study abroad programs work, just ignore it. requested by @lunesdesire as part of my 500 followers celebration

Childhood dreams of studying in castles with vast libraries and cool, foggy mornings were so close you could almost taste them. You’d worked hard the last three years to perfect your application. You wanted this, no, you needed this. And you weren’t going to let big, stupid, perfect HueningKai get the spot over you.

The trip pulled from multiple universities so there was only one, highly coveted spot allowed from yours. Kai was your unofficial opponent in the competition for it. The two of you had been in nearly every class together all three years of undergrad, and were locked in an unofficial competition for top student. Who could write the best reports, who could earn the highest test scores. It was neck-and-neck as to which of you would get picked to study abroad. No matter how hard you worked, he seemed to work just as hard.

----

You settled into your seat, nerves twisting your stomach into knots.

Acceptance emails went out at 11a.m.

Class ran from 10 to 12.

You weren’t going to learn a thing.

----

Class dismissed with the professor smiling warmly at you and then at Kai. What could that mean? Did she know already which one of you was triumphant, which one of you would pack your bags for a semester away? Was yours a pity smile and his a smile of congratulations? Or was it the other way around?

You shook your head. No time to think like that. You smiled politely back before rushing out of the classroom, down the hall and into the courtyard.

You opened your phone. There it was. Arrived in your inbox at precisely 11:03a.m.

You didn’t dare take a breath. Chest tight as you hurriedly opened the message, eyes racing over the formal words.

“...many strong candidates…”

“...we regret to inform you…”

You felt the world stop, the breath you’d held so tightly escaping in a ragged huff. What were you going to do now?

----

A heavy feeling of dejection had settled over your body in the hours since the rejection email shattered your dreams. You hoped that the quiet and repetition of shelving books would help to calm your mind. You loved your campus job: putting books back in their assigned spots in the library. The stacks were your safe space, just you and the books.

And HueningKai.

He was hunched over an array of textbooks, pouring over their contents. He hadn’t noticed you yet, half hidden in the rows of books, legs obscured by your rolling cart.

Anger and disappointment flashed in your chest. A lump formed immediately in your throat. The news was still fresh, the wound still raw. And there, in your safe haven, sat the man that had taken it all away from you.

You hurried to get away before he saw you. The thought of having to face him when your chest felt this tight and your eyes this watery was too much to bear. You pushed the wobbly cart around the corner, towards the safety of the next aisle. In your rush, a large textbook tumbled from your cart, crashing to the floor and piercing the near silence.

Kai looked up towards the sound, recognition flashing across his face when he spotted you. His voice was slow, unsure, and awkward as he whispered loudly across the space. “H- hey.”

You didn’t look up, eyes trained on retrieving the fallen book. You didn’t trust yourself to reply.

“So uh, emails went out.”

Tears threatened to fall as he spoke. It wasn’t fair, the universe playing a sick joke on you like this. First it took away everything you worked hard for, then it put Kai here to rub it in your face?

“That was um, maybe not what-” You couldn’t let him finish before tears began to stream silently down your face. Shame burned as hot as the tears down your cheeks. You’d done everything you could and yet you weren’t as good as him.

Kai stuttered, confused, before standing up in a rush. The chair scraped across the tiled floor, loud in the quiet room. He seemed unsure of what to do as you wiped your eyes, embarrassed at the falling tears. You tried to turn away, to run from this embarrassment, but suddenly his arms were around you in a tight hug.

He was warm, was what you noticed first, soft cotton t-shirt pressed against your cheek, soft flannel sleeves holding you close. He was big, his broad chest the perfect height for you to hide away in. His voice was barely above a whisper when he spoke, “hey, it’s alright.”

His hug was so incredibly comfortable, and if it was anyone else you’d ask to stay there forever, but it didn’t feel right, being comforted by the guy you lost to. You struggled out of his hold to look him in the eyes. Soft, brown eyes stared back, slightly confused.

“It’s fine Kai. I don’t need your pity.”

He cocked his head at your words. “What do you mean? You got in.”

Your head spun, gears turning as you tried to make sense of what he just said. “What? N-no.” It broke your heart to speak the next words, “I didn’t.”

“You didn’t get in either?” He asked.

You were sure you looked as confused as you felt, struggling to piece together what really occurred. “No, I- no. I thought you did.”

A beat of silence hung in the air between you before a broken laugh erupted from your chest. “Then who got in?”

He laughed, something loud and deep and silly. “I don’t know! I thought it was you.”

The air was light between you now, years of silent rivalry ended by one email. You were no longer two perfect students competing for the top spot. Now you were just two students in the same program.

He smiled at you warmly before reaching up. “You’ve got a, uh.” His thumb gently brushed against your cheek, wiping off the tear that still stained it.

“Hey, um, do you want to study with me and maybe figure out who got in over us? When you're done with your shift I mean.”

You smiled. “These are actually the last books I have to put away before my shift ends.”

“Cool, cool.” You noticed a twinge of pink blooming across his cheeks as he kneaded his lips together. “Cool.”

The lump in your chest subsided a bit. Maybe you weren’t going on the trip, achieving the dreams you’d put in your journal since childhood. But maybe through this, you could gain a friend.

taglist: @lunesdesire, @dearlyjun, @moamidzyism, @miupow

send a message to be added or removed from my taglist!

#txt fluff #txt soft hours #hueningkai soft hours #hueningkai fluff #ari writes #txt: kai #ari's 500 followers celebration 🪩

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things-arent-what-they-seem66 · 1 month

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(For comic inspired AU... I think I'll call it "Mysterious dreams". Also... I'll be separating it in parts, okay? Just so it doesn't... get too long)

(And sorry first post is that long-. This was needed to set this all)

Part 1. The beginning.

For everyone around him, Adam never stood out. He was a normal guy, really. He worked as a lawyer (surprisingly enjoying his work), played in band with some people, he knew since high school, sometimes got out to some extreme activities on his free time, went to local garden to help out during warmer time. He was more of a loner, not many real friends, but it was okay.

He always seemed just another face in the crowd. But it was all he wanted to be really.

Nearing 30, he had everything he wished to have in his life. He had standard routine, but he never complained. If anything... it gave him feeling of control of his life. And it was enough for him.

This evening was just like any other. Adam was at his home, sitting with some documents for upcoming case at work, while his favorite show was playing on background. Rounding up at 11 PM, the man was already in bed, ready for good night's rest like always...But little did he know this day was going to change his life forever...

Deep into the night, Adam started to hear a weird music play in his room... it almost sounded like... a lullaby?

Kids' music? In my room? He thought to himself, slowly opening his eyes to see... he wasn't in his room anymore.

Adam : What..?

Now, it was a room with many beds. Walls were colored in pastel yellow, while floor had colorful puzzle patterns. On one of the walls, he could see a big blue circle with two white birds with long rainbow tails. The wording over it said "Songbirds daycare".

Was it the name of where he was? But... why was he at a DAYCARE of all places? He wasn't a child for instance! It didn't make any sense!

Adam : The hell..?

Then he noticed something. He put his hand on his mouth for a second, before slowly moving it away from it.

Adam : The hell is with my voice..?!

It was now higher... too high for his normal voice. It sounded like... a toddler's voice... at oldest. He looked down in fear on his hands. Also too small for normal. Too soft and pudgy than what they normally were.

Adam got out of bed, he was sitting in, before looking around. Across the room, he saw a mirror, before running to it to inspect himself...

But there wasn't him that was looking at him in reflection... but rather... a little toddler boy, if he was to guess, he'd give that boy 2 and half years of age. 3 at oldest. And yet... he recognized his own yellow, nearly golden eyes and brown hair. And yet, he now was a small child, wearing simple black shirt and white shorts.

Adam : ...the fuck is happening..?

? : Ah, there you are!

Adam gasped slightly, before turning around to see... a man. A normal man, but... compared to himself, he was a giant. Nothing, other than his height, was abnormal about him, but Adam took a notice of his shirt. Same image of birds and "Songbirds daycare" sign. Was it the place's work uniform? Was this man one of workers?

Daycare worker (Oliver) : Oh, what we have here? Did you wake up from your nap, Adam?

Now that was getting freaky... how did he know his name!?

Adam : Um... I...

The man just chuckled, kneeling down to pick up the (physically) small boy, much to Adam's surprise.

Adam : Hey! What are you doing?! Put me down!

Oliver : Oops, somebody woke up grumpy, isn't he? Ah, don't worry, kiddo, let's just get your spare outfit and you can go back to play! How does it sound?

Adam : What?! NO! Let me go! The fuck is going on in here?! Why am I so small?! Who are you?! How are yo-?!

But while Adam was having his panic attack, Oliver had time to get a bottle and place it in his mouth. And, what seemed to be instinct, Adam started to suck on the bottle and drinking the liquid inside of it.

Oliver : There we go... you were also hungry, aren't you? Yep, that's right... don't worry, little man, there's nothing some warm milk won't fix...

Adam, thinks : The hell is wrong with me?! Why can't I stop?! Well... it's not half bad, I guess..? But still... Why is he... talking to me like this? He sure can hear me... does... he not understand me..?

This all was weird...

(And he doesn't. None of adults within dreams can)

@adambrainrot

((Oh so this is Adams dream? Is he waking up in a dream in another life as a toddler and when he wakes up for real he's back to normal? That's so cool!!))

Oliver removed the bottle when Adam drained it, he moved him to his shoulder and gently rubbed and patted his back until Adam gave a small burp.

Oliver: There we go! All fed and ready to play. All your little friends are awake and ready to play with you again.

Adam: What friends?

Oliver took Adam out of the nap room and placed him in a playing area. There were at least 10-15 other toddlers around the same age Adam was being portrayed as right now.

Adam: What fresh Hell is this?

#hazbin hotel adam #ask #Daycare Dream Au

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theidiotwhowritesthings · 1 year

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TAKE CARE OF YOU [4]

Sugar Daddy!Joel Miller x Female!Reader

Overall Warnings: slow burn, angst/comfort, power imbalance, age gap, possessive tendencies, eventual smut, #daddyissues, independent reader learns to let go and relax, emotionally constipated Joel Miller learns to be vulnerable; (more specific warnings to be added to individual chapters if necessary)

Chapter Word Count: 2,515

Summary: You spent your entire adult life supporting yourself and barely getting by. It’s why a life of ease offered to you by a mysterious stranger sounded so foreign and unbelievable. Joel Miller, dressed in flannels that had seen better days, didn’t look like the kind who could promise you the world on a plate, but he seemed desperate to help out. All he asks is that you let him take care of you. That wouldn’t be so hard. Would it?

[a/n: a little on the shorter side for my usual stuff, but I needed to end this one here for future chapter pacing reasons lol. thanks for everyone who has shown sugar daddy joel love😘]

04: THAT'S MORE LIKE IT, SUGAR

"despite knowing they won't be here for long they still choose to live their brightest lives." -sunflowers

On Wednesday morning, you woke up late. At first, you had jumped up in a panic, seeing the clock read nearly 11 AM, but it dawned on you that you had traded today’s shift to work on Thursday instead. You slumped back into bed and closed your eyes. You had stayed up late last night talking to Joel just as you had Sunday and Monday night. It was becoming a habit you were more than happy to continue. A small smile drifted to your face at the thought that you’d get to actually see him tonight rather than just talk to him through a phone.

With that excitement came a ball of anxiety. You’d get to see Joel tonight which meant he’d get to see you. It was the main reason why you had traded shifts to get today off because you needed all the time possible to get ready. Was that excessive? Absolutely. Were you overthinking it? Probably. Was that going to stop you? Nope.

You rolled over in bed and blindly felt around your nightstand until you grasped your phone. There were a few missed texts, but the first one came from Joel. ‘Enjoy your morning off, sugar. Check your front door when you wake up.’ Your eyebrows furrowed curiously. Front door? You rolled out of bed, saving the texts from Nima and Henry for later and padded out of your bedroom. For the first time in a long time, you felt giddy with excitement and the joy bubbling up into your chest only grew more immense when you opened your door. Resting on top of your welcome mat was a gorgeous glass vase filled to the brim with the most vibrant flowers you had ever seen.

“Holy shit.” You gasped and carefully picked the vase up to bring it inside. You set it down on your kitchen counter to admire. The bouquet was a collection of bright sunflowers, beautiful red roses, and speckled throughout with some baby breath. There was a card hanging from the vase that you snatched up to read. You read it aloud, “Can’t wait to see you tonight, sunshine.”

As soon as the nickname, playing off the glowing sunflowers, left your lips it was followed by an actual squeal as you bounced in place. Your hands drifted up to rest on your warm cheeks as you gazed at the lovely flowers in admiration. Holy shit. Holy shit. In all your years of life, nobody had ever gifted you with something so adorably romantic. Your ex had picked you up a bouquet a time or two in the past but they usually came after a big fight. Never just as a gift for the sake of giving a gift.

“Oh my God.” You breathed and leaned in to smell the flowers, still beaming, “Oh my God.”

You needed to thank him. You grabbed your phone to snap a picture of it, but an idea occurred and you flipped your phone’s camera to face you. You hugged the vase toward your chest so half your face was hidden in the mess of flowers. It felt a little weird to send him a selfie, you weren’t quite that bold yet, but this seemed like a happy medium. You retook it three times before you were happy with it and then sent the text to Joel.

‘Thank you! I love my flowers!!’

You shifted the vase in a position where you’d be able to see it from nearly every angle in your small apartment then drifted back to your bedroom to get ready for the day. The text from Henry was just asking where a few supplies were, and the text from Nima was one asking what you planned to wear tonight. A very good question. You had a few cute dresses, but you weren’t sure they were ‘sugar baby entertaining her sugar daddy’ level of cute. In fact, thinking back to Rosalind, they most definitely were not.

While in the middle of texting Nima that you needed some kind of help, a reply from Joel came through and as if a switch flipped in your brain that same silly, stupid smile filled your features once more. ‘Glad they got there in one piece.’ Followed by, ‘Cute picture. The flowers are in the way of a real pretty sight though, sugar’.

The sound that left your mouth was hardly human. This charming motherfucker. Joel tried to say you were going to be the death of him? You were one smooth move away from spontaneously combusting. A thought occurred to you. How was this man single? Joel was without a doubt one of the most handsome men you have ever met. He was kind and caring. He was funny and smart. Obviously had a good business sense looking at his company and was still grounded and humble despite all that success. Add to all of that his charm and that intoxicating voice and accent? It was baffling that this man hadn’t swept some other lucky woman off her feet. In fact, the more you thought about it the more confusing it became. If he wanted any kind of company all he’d have to do was shoot a stranger a smile and they’d fall to his feet without a doubt, but he specifically went the ‘sugar daddy’ path.

The two of you hadn’t discussed romantic histories at all. You didn’t ask because you didn’t want to cross a line and if he offered you his history you’d feel obliged to offer him yours. The bubble of playful, flirty banter and long casual conversations did not need to be popped by reality.

‘Hey, I know you said you wanted it to be a surprise, but can I get a hint about tonight? For dress code purposes?’

‘Call Riley when you’re ready. He’ll take you to a store where you can get something.’

‘I was going to check my closet first.’

You were in the process of sending a follow up text about your closet when the phone went dark as Joel began to call. A chuckle left your lips and answered in a nonchalant, casual voice. “Oh, hey there.”

“Sugar, you’re killin’ me.”

“What ever do you mean, Joel?” You questioned innocently.

“You’re gonna get dressed then call Riley so he can drive you to the boutique.” Joel replied in a firm voice. “The girls at the front desk spoke highly of the place.” You were going to quickly get addicted to giving Joel a hard time if it meant you got to hear him boss you around so sternly. “And I better get a notification through my bank that you used the card.”

Your eyes widened, “Wait, you get notifications when I use it?”

“Yeah, and you ain’t using it hardly enough.”

“I bought lunch with it yesterday!” You argued. “And coffee the day before.”

Joel chuckled, exasperated, “Those are necessities.” You had to resist the urge to laugh that Joel considered coffee a necessity of life rather than a comfort. “The point of the card is to splurge.”

“Right.” You mumbled and twisted in place where you stood. “That’s not a strong suit of mine.”

“I know, darlin’.” Joel replied. “Where better to start than to get somethin’ that’ll make you feel pretty tonight.”

It was endearing that Joel made the clarification that he wanted you to buy an item that would make you feel more confident about yourself. As if you were already pretty, but just needed something to remind you of that fact. Jesus, again, how was he still single? You hummed, “Okay. I’ll see what I can do about putting a dent in your bank account this afternoon.”

“You say it jokingly, but that’s exactly what I want.”

“Keep this attitude up and you’re gonna turn me into a spoiled brat.”

“That’s the goal, sugar.” Joel’s deep voice rumbled with amusement and you sucked in a sharp breath at the sound.

You cleared your throat. “You, uh, you’re going to regret saying that when I bankrupt you.”

“Oh, I’d love to see you try.”

Joel had a voice like warm honey. The southern drawl and deep, hoarse quality of it was soothing to your soul. The sound of a different voice could be heard in the background and Joel grumbled in annoyance before wishing you a farewell. You continued to smile to yourself before shaking your head and beginning to get ready. You shot Riley a text saying you’d be ready to go in fifteen minutes or so. An idea popped into your head and you hesitated only a second before texting Joel.

‘Pick a color for my dress tonight.’

‘Blue, sugar. Let’s go with blue.’

Riley dropped you off outside a boutique was somehow adorable and elegant all at the same time. Two words that you typically didn’t string together, and yet here you were. The entire street was lined with the LA style stores and boutiques that you would never look twice at. As you stood outside of the one Joel had sent you to, you couldn’t help but wince. Oh God, what if you were about to have yourself a pretty woman moment where the employees send you packing.

You glanced down at your simple outfit of a blouse and jeans then wince again. You dressed in something simple since you were going to be changing in and out of different clothes, but now you were wondering if you should’ve scourged up the fanciest outfit in your closet. With a steadying breath, you pushed into the shop and braced for impact.

Piano music drifted through the shop, and the floor was covered in glass and marble stands. Oh, boy. This was the kind of place where a single article of clothing would end up costing more than your rent. The urge to spin around and leave rose up, but before you could bail a woman with a broad smile drifted toward you. She was gorgeous. Her dark skin not showing a singular flaw and her thick hair surrounding her head like a cloud of perfect curls. She looked like she stepped right out of a fashion magazine.

“Welcome!” She greeted. Your eyes widened when your name left her lips. “My name is Kiera. Mr. Miller called us earlier and told us to expect you. Would you like to come with me to the private stage?”

“Private…stage?” You repeated.

Kiera nodded and motioned for you to follow her. She led you to the back room where there was a singular changing room along with an actual stage surrounded by a panel of mirrors. A couch also sat in the middle of the room where someone could sit and wait. It was too bad Nima was at work right now. She’d be the perfect person for this kind of thing.

“So, tell me about some styles or colors you like and I can bring you items to choose from.”

Nervously, you began to ramble about the kind of dresses you typically wore and styles you loved. As Kiera began to walk away you called out. “Oh, and can they all be in shades of blue? Please?”

For the next hour, you worked with Kiera to find a dress that would work. It had actually been a lot of fun. Kiera had a kind and calming energy that settled any nerves you had about shopping in such a high end boutique and she truly had an eye for fashion. The woman knew what she was doing. She had helped you settle on a navy cocktail dress made of a satin material that accentuated the shape of your body. You had never felt as empowered as you did right now in this dress.

“What size shoe do you wear?” Kiera asked as you stepped back out of the changing room in your normal clothes. Dress held carefully in your arms.

“Shoes?”

“Of course.” Kiera chuckled. “I have the perfect pair for this ensemble.” You gave her the answer and she began to walk away, calling over her shoulder. “I’ll bring you a collection of jewelry to choose from as well!”

Shoes and jewelry? This was one of those shops where none of the items seemed to have a price tag. Never a good sign. Adding accessories to that could only steepen an already steep cost. Granted, Joel did say he wanted you to hurt his bank account. It just still felt…wrong. Hanging out with Joel was no problem, you enjoyed this deal you had with him, but the accepting money part was hard for you to grasp. You loved the idea of it, but when game time came around you froze up.

“I brought a few options in gold and silver that would go well.” Kiera came back with a cushioned board where multiple necklaces, bracelets, and earrings rested. She also brought the pair of shoes she had been telling you about.

“Thanks.” You chewed on your lower lip while pursuing. You pointed to a pair of earrings. “Um, how much are these?”

Kiera chuckled. “Sorry. Mr. Miller was adamant that I not tell you the price of anything.”

“Of course, he did.” You muttered.

It didn’t take long to pick a few pieces you liked⏤ forcing yourself to ignore the nagging of wondering about prices. Kiera led you to the front and you chatted with her about the new puppy that she had just adopted and was crazy about. As she began to ring up the items, you stared at the keypad where numbers began to appear. The number behind the dollar sign hit 5,893 and you felt your jaw drop to the floor. Holy shit. That was literally two months rent for you.

Kiera held her hand out and you slowly pulled out the credit card Joel had gifted you. She picked it out from between your fingers with a wide smile and you offered a sheepish smile in return.

“You said this is for your date tonight, right?” Kiera asked. You took back the credit card and signed the receipt she slid over to you.

She was packing your items into a few bags. “Uh,” You nodded, “Yes. It is.”

Calling tonight a date was easier than calling it a meeting with your sugar daddy. Was there an official name for these kinds of things? Were they called dates? God, you were overthinking this again. Kiera handed the bags over with a chuckle. “Well, I hope you and Mr. Miller have a wonderful time. Please come back anytime!”

“Thank you for everything, Kiera.” You replied.

She called out for you to come back soon, and you stepped back out into the hot LA air. The phone in your back pocket buzzed. You pulled it out, needing to call Riley anyways, but saw on the screen that Joel had texted you. He sent you a screenshot of the notification his bank had sent him with the purchase you just made. The message under that read, ‘Now, that’s more like it, sugar.’

taglist:

@weddingfairy @bfences @fairntonorth @jasminedragon @biwitchy @huffle-punk @shelbyteller @anoverwhelmingdin @aheadfullofsteverogers @stagerightlauren @basicoccult @rinnfey @boofy1998 @farintonorth @thepascalofus @amatis-gray @casa-boiardi @northernbluess @jettia @sapphicsoie @spidey-3 @camiali25 @hrtsforpascal @gingersince97 @sentients17 @bigboiseason123 @lunxramour @ktheunready @heyheyheygaypay @keepingupwiththeskywalkers @adoringanakin @come-hell-or-eldren-fire @cherriebat

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#tlou #tlou fanfiction #the last of us #joel miller #joel miller x you #joel miller x reader #sugar daddy!joel miller #reader insert #female reader

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kollux748 · 1 month

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HoTD ABOverse Jacegan-centric fic idea.

I cannot write a full fanfic for the life of me because my grammar is shit and there’d be so much repetition, and I don’t want to give out crap. But I’ll share this idea out because I want it out of my head.

(Notable) Alphas:

Viserys I Targaryen

Rhaenyra Targaryen

Harwin Strong

Daemon Targaryen

Cregan Stark (b. 108 AC; presented at age 11)

Rhaenys Targaryen

Baela Targaryen (b. 116 AC; presented at age 12)

Aegon II Targaryen (b. 106 AC; presented at age 12)

Aemond Targeryen (b. 110 AC; presented at age 10)

Joffrey Targaryen (b. 117 AC; presented at age 12)

(Notable) Betas:

Corlys Velaryon

Laenor Velaryon

Criston Cole

Otto Hightower

Larys Strong

(Notable) Omegas:

Alicent Hightower

Helaena Targaryen (b. 109 AC; presented at age 10)

Daeron Targaryen (b. 114 AC; presented at age 12)

Jacaerys Targaryen-Strong (b. late 114 AC; presented at age 14)

Lucerys Velaryon (b. late 115 AC; presented at age 15)

Laena Velaryon

Rhaena Targaryen (b. 116 AC; presented at age 12)

Arra Norrey (b. ~116 AC; Cregan Stark’s first mate; presented at age 10)

Unpresented (because they’re children):

Viserys II Targaryen

Aegon III Targaryen

Jaehaerys Targaryen

Jaehaera Targaryen

Rickon Stark

Valyrian Alphas and Omegas are rare, a class where the old Valyrians would (with magic at the time) change their sexes accordingly to match the ideal parts of their presentation (Alphas with cocks, Omegas with cunts). The change is most painful for a male Valyrian Omega, as it often involves castration and months-long process of the body developing a womb and vaginal productive system. The change often made it easier for male omegas to handle birthing, and for female alphas to bond with and mate male omegas.

Jacaerys is a Valyrian Omega. He spent nearly half a year a-bed during his presentation.

Baela is a Valyrian Alpha, Daemon’s particular pride and joy.

Alpha-Omega relationships are most ideal, as well as Alpha-Alpha. Omega-Omega is not common. The only pairing that is subject to criticism and often humiliation is Beta-Omega.

True or Fated bond mates exist, but are rarely encountered (among high-folk mostly because arranged marriages and such). Characterized by an irresistible draw to each other, and the inability to mate with any other if they’ve met their fated mate. Any pre-existing bonds are often rejected and dissolved (by magic ABO happenings). Cregan and Jacaerys are one such pair, of course.

Side note: I cannot believe that while looking up when all the characters were born, that Arra Norrey was apparently born sometime before 116 AC. Jacaerys was born late 114 AC, so if we go by that reference of age, Arra may have been a child bride. Then again, she was said to be Cregan’s childhood best friend, and Cregan is about 6 years older than Jace.

Also, these ages are so screwed, it’s a whole mental map trying to set everything so they don’t conflict with times and each other ages. :P Also show timeline does not match book timeline, so that adds another hiccup. At this point, I’m basically mix-and-matching.

Basic Plot Points:

What if Rhaenyra did worry about what her first pregnancy with Harwin’s child that resulted in Jace, about his looks? And she grew so worried and disappointed when he did inherit Harwin’s colorings that she gave him away out of desperation.

A few days after Jacaerys’ birth, when rumors grew of Rhaenyra’s infidelity to Laenor, Rhaenyra arranged to have Jacaerys “kidnapped” or “killed” and one of her ladies-in-waiting took the babe away from the Keep and gave him to a random woman on the street, who turned out to be one of the whores of the Street of Silk. Could be Mysaria. Vermax had hatched and bonded with Jace, so Mysaria is stuck with a baby and his dragon.

Despite her disapproval of Rhaenyra’s affair with Harwin Strong resulting in a child, Alicent found it more insulting and repulsive that Rhaenyra obviously arranged the disappearance of her first-born. It grew more bothersome when Rhaenyra continued the affair and produced Lucerys and Joffrey, and kept them to avoid anymore suspicion that she was getting rid of her bastards. Rhaenyra was also weighed with the guilt of giving away her first baby boy, and heavily regretted it after experiencing the joys of motherhood with Lucerys.

Time skips galore to Laena’s death and funeral, where Aemond bonds with Vhagar. On the joy ride that is his first flight, he encounters Jace riding Vermax, but he doesn’t get to speak with him. He doesn’t mention the encounter to anyone, especially after Lucerys, Baela, and Rhaena confronted him about Vhagar and he loses his eye. When he’s better, he investigates Jace and Vermax, and they become close friends over a few weeks. Aemond is the one to teach Jacaerys High Valyrian, starting with basic dragon commands.

Alicent eventually finds out about Jacaerys and his parentage, she and Otto resolve to foster him in the Keep, to one day use to their advantage. They manage to manipulate a sickly Viserys into legitimizing Jacaerys as a Targaryen and Lord Strong of Harrenhal, all while keeping the news from reaching Rhaenyra on Dragonstone. This is around 126 AC.

(Current) Titles:

Prince Jacaerys Targaryen, Lord Strong of Harrenhal

Prince Lucerys Velaryon, Heir to Dragonstone

Prince Joffrey Velaryon, Heir to Driftmark

Lady Baela Targaryen

Lady Rhaena Targaryen

Lord Cregan Stark of Winterfell

According to the timeline I set, it should be about 128 AC when Jacaerys presents as an omega while he is living at and helping restore Harrenhal. Upon receiving a raven about his falling ill while presenting and 3 months passing since Jacaerys last was conscious, Aemond took residence at Harrenhal and vigilantly protected him. This is also the year that Arra Norrey canonically dies while giving birth to Rickon Stark.

Baela and Rhaena present in 128 AC as well.

Around 129-130 AC, Lucerys Velaryon presents as an omega, and Joffrey as an alpha. Viserys hosts a tourney in their honor, celebrating the presentation of his favored grandchildren (miffing Alicent as there was no such celebration held for her own children). Rhaenyra and Daemon convince Viserys to invite among the lords, Cregan Stark, after learning of his recent widowing in the hopes that they can secure an alliance with the North by betrothing Lucerys to Cregan.

The hosts traveling from the North are welcomed midway at a near-completely renovated Harrenhal by Jacaerys and Aemond. They spend a day resting, and those who do not wish to rest are invited to join a small hunting party with Jacaerys leading. Vermax is about as big as Syrax, having grown more free-range at Harrenhal than most dragons. Jacaerys bonds with many of the knights and lords in the hunting party, but gets along the most with Cregan.

Upon arriving at King’s Landing, the host of Harrenhal, including Aemond and Jacaerys, accompany that of the houses of the North. Jacaerys and Aemond are the last announced after Cregan Stark, having landed Vhagar and Vermax together on the beach, and this is the first time Rhaenyra hears of Jacaerys.

Jacaerys knows that Rhaenyra is his mother, and he holds resentment towards her. At some point during the festivities, he publicly or privately confronts Rhaenyra with the show!canon monologue:

“Did you think I would have dark hair? When you took Harwin Strong into your bed, did you think I might favor him, or did it not cross your mind?”

Rhaenyra attempts to calm him and show that she regrets her past decision heavily, but Jacaerys cannot forgive her for the years of anguish he went through without his true mother. Much of his resentment lies in that after abandoning him, she went on to have two more children just like him.

Meanwhile, Lucerys attempts to bond with Cregan, driven by Daemon and Rhaenyra’s suggestion for him to consider the Lord of Winterfell as a possible mate. He is constantly in the company of Baela, Rhaena, and Joffrey as they observe all the knights and lords. Daeron Targaryen is also present, and he is Lucerys’ rival for Cregan Stark’s attentions.

The relationship between Jacaerys and Lucerys is bitter. Lucerys sees Jacaerys as a threat to him in every facet of his life, and he cannot believe that Jacaerys may be his older brother who his mother abandoned. Jace being legitimized as the son of Rhaenyra and Harwin poses a threat to Lucerys and Joffrey, as it casts a heavier shadow onto the boys. And Rhaenyra refuses to publicly acknowledge Jacaerys as her own at the expense of Lucerys and Joffrey. As a result, he is antagonistic towards Jace, and his closest friends Baela, Rhaena, and Joffrey support him. He is also slightly scared of Jace because wherever he is, Aemond is sure to be close by.

Daeron and Jacaerys aren’t necessarily friends as Jace is with the rest of Daeron’s siblings, but they aren’t “enemies” like Luke and Jace. He manages to spy upon Cregan and Jace, and realizes that he and Lucerys have no chance at Cregan, so he backs off seriously considering him as a mate. He does continue to rile Lucerys up with taunts, because he finds it funny and cute, in an odd way.

The highlight of the tourney is the crowning of the Queen of Love and Beauty, which is an honor for the tourney champion to bestow to a lady or omega of their choosing. Despite being a lord, Cregan is known as one of the best swordsman of Westeros, therefore his participation is expected. It becomes rumored to all attending that either Prince Lucerys Velaryon or Prince Daeron Targaryen are expectant to be crowned by the lord, and their respective mothers Rhaenyra and Alicent may betroth their omega son to the lord as a result. It comes as a surprise to most of the royal family when Cregan crowns Prince Jacaerys instead (except for Aemond and Helaena because they are his closest friends, and Helaena could sort of tell with her dream-seer powers; Aegon bluntly states that it was obvious to anyone not lovesick for Stark).

Cregan officially courts Jacaerys, and they decide to marry/mate any or all of three ways: by the Old Gods, respecting Cregan’s heritage; the Faith of the Seven, respecting Jacaerys’ beliefs; and the Old Valyrian tradition, respecting Jacaerys’ heritage as a Targaryen.

Side note: An alternative and more dramatic take to this is Daemon and Rhaenyra successfully arranging with Viserys for Cregan to mate with Lucerys after the tourney, but frustrated and driven to his wits end, Cregan mates Jacaerys under the Weirwood tree the night before the last day of the tourney, during a feast/dance. Rhaenyra tries to resolve this by proposing Cregan follow Aegon I’s example and mate Lucerys for duty while keeping Jacaerys for love. The issue is that once an alpha takes his true omega, attempting to claim another tends to get rather bloody. Historically, most alphas or omegas tend to be torn apart by both the alpha and their true mate if they try. And also, Cregan did not want to have two or more mates. As he tells Rhaenyra “You would submit your son to an empty life. I would never love him as I love my Prince Jacaerys. I would never bed him, not even for duty. He would waste away in the cold of the North, constantly longing for a better life til his dying day.”

A couple of tiny and side moments:

Jacaerys and Mysaria being mother and son, because she raised him for a bit before he was discovered by Alicent.

Jacaerys wears some extravagant and more…revealing outfits than in the show. May be influenced by being raised in a brothel house…also he is an omega so they do have a bit more freedom in dressing pretty. Jacaerys is a very beautiful omega, basically.

Cregan and Jace have some training battles, because Jace is also a fighter and a Lord, so he must know how to fight. Cregan appreciates that Jacaerys is not a dainty and demure omega; he proves to have a raging fire that can conquer the coldest of winters in the North.

Jace and Daemon do not like each other. Daemon despises Jace’s very existence because his position threatens Rhaenyra’s claim as well as their little peace. And he gets in the way of everything. And the Strong host just loves messing with Daemon and humbling, as is show canon. Simon Strong is definitely with Jacaerys the entire time of the tourney.

Jace and Baela would’ve definitely been betrothed were they not sort of enemies on circumstance. However, my stance on incest is that I don’t support it, not even slightly. So I don’t see any potential for a threesome between Jace, Baela, and Cregan.

Sara Snow may be a part of Cregan’s party in tourney, if she’s not taking care of Rickon in the North. And if she is, Cregan asked her to craft the crown of flowers that he gives to Jace. It’s this crown of flowers that has all the omegas and ladies attending the tourney bumbling with excitement that they might be on the receiving end of it.

Corlys and Rhaenys become more upset at the evidence that Jacaerys, and by extension Lucerys and Joffrey, are not true Velaryons. Rhaenys always firmly believed Rhaenyra got rid of Jacaerys because he was not Laenor’s, so when it was officially announced, she was done. The only saving grace is that Baela and Rhaena are definitely Laena’s, and they may or may not be betrothed to Lucerys and Joffrey respectively…

Lucerys eventually accepts that his mother screwed them all over and sowed the seeds they reap. Moreover, he reconciles with Jacaerys and learns how to be a younger brother. Aemond still creeps him out by lurking in the shadows.

End Notes:

I am not TG, and I do cast a dark light on Rhaenyra and Lucerys especially with this narrative, but I needed some drama with it. Anyways, I’m glad I could blurb this out to stop thinking about it so much. Sorry I won’t be writing a full fic to anyone who would be interested in reading it.

#house of the dragon #jacaerys targaryen #fanfic #cregan stark x jacaerys velaryon #cregan stark #jacegan #brokeback winterfell #rhaenyra targaryen #aemond targaryen #hotd fanfic

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burningvelvet · 11 months

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more rambling thoughts about wuthering heights now that i've finished my re-read

1 wuthering heights is basically the looney tunes if the looney tunes were goth. 90% of the novel is people arguing, dying, and running around threatening to kill each other, and often all three of those at once.

2 love how it's filled with dark humor. "he's such a cobweb, a pinch would annihilate him" is such a camp thing to say about the terminally ill child you abhor and who you spend weeks trying to set up on dates with your dead lover's child so you can steal her property when your son finally dies. heathcliff lecturing his son on Seduction 101 right in front of cathy 2.0, trying ridiculously to play cupid and compel them to fall in love with each other before giving up and just kidnapping her instead... surely he's the most insane brontë man?

3 i can't remember what i had for dinner last night but nelly dean can remember what the weather was like on any given friday twenty years ago (love her and her snarky comments)

4 love how after nelly finishes telling the story to lockwood she's like "any way. so you know cathy 2.0 is single right ;)))" and then cathy 2.0 shows zero interest in him. so then he's like "oh i just remembered i have somewhere to be :/" then fucks off to london for nearly a year then when he comes back nelly is like "nvm as it turns out cathy and hareton are actually soulmates lol who knew! gee, it's a good thing she didn't like you!" and he's just silently suffering. emily was just fucking around here. hindley was the only linton/earnshaw/heathcliff who was wild enough to marry someone who didn't share either his gene pool or his neighborhood.

5 i imagine joseph to look like smeagol from the lotr films but taller

6 [heathcliff, after stabbing his alcoholic arch nemesis and then pushing his servant into the puddle of the blood] "Wash that stuff away; and mind the sparks of your candle—it is more than half brandy!” LMAO

7 this opinion list is just turning out to be a list of the most insane heathcliff moments but truly the novel should've just been called "heathcliff"

8 heathcliff's weird paternal feelings for hareton, saving hareton's life, him saying he would truly love him if only he wasn't hindley's child, basically giving hareton his blessing to love cathy 2.0 toward the end... so oddly endearing

9 heathcliff walking out just before the "i am heathcliff" part of her speech. why WHY

10 hindley protecting isabella from heathcliff before she flees was nice and i wish we saw more of their dynamic around the heights. honestly aside from the child neglect (which is par for the course in wuthering heights) hindley is a pretty sympathetic character; his rivalry with heathcliff was fueled by both sides and truly the fault of their father for pitting them against each other by letting heathcliff usurp hindley's place of favoritism as a boy. hindley's gambling and drinking, his general dissipation and failure to secure his son's future, are all tragic.

11 i think hindley/edgar/heathcliff are all interesting foils for each other; they each lose the women they love and are left to be single fathers, and each responds to the task totally differently. if we include mr. earnshaw, all the fathers in the story essentially fail their children after all the mothers die. hindley and heathcliff have a special parallel through their lifelong brotherly competition, the women they love both dying in childbirth, and in their own deaths. hindley slowly kills himself while ignoring everyone around him; heathcliff also kills himself, but only after trying to systematically ruin the lives of everyone around him. they also say that they want to kill each other but fail when they try; heathcliff nearly kills hindley but ends up saving his life at the last minute.

12 heathcliff jr. is so terrified of heathcliff sr. and so traumatized and petrified by fear and he doesn't deserve the hate he gets for being annoying. he's been sheltered his whole life, his mother just died, he was sent to his uncle/cousin only to be immediately torn away from them to be abused by a stranger who treats him horribly, he's terminally ill, he's still a kid, he's threatened into marrying someone he barely knows, etc.

13 if any of you have seen the british comedy show "the young ones" that's literally hindley's household in wuthering heights when joseph/hareton/hindley/heathcliff/isabella all live together. the filth, the slop for dinner, the petty games, the violence, the fierce hatred yet weird loyalty to each other, etc.

14 i really wonder how cathy would have reacted to heathcliff's treatment of everyone else if only she had known the full details (ie his harsh abuse of isabella, his son, cathy 2.0, etc.)

15 heights was my first brontë novel but i think i like jane eyre and tenant better now that i've read them all back to back! next on the list is likely agnes gray. anne, my underrated queen!

#literature #english literature #wuthering heights #emily brontë #book opinions #bookblr #bronte sisters #heathcliff #books #book thoughts #book review #classic literature #lit #litblr

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romanticatheartt · 11 days

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Gwyneth and Rhysand

Having the same traumas:

Both being victim of SA

Rhys said quietly, “I was a prisoner in her court for nearly fifty years. I was tortured and beaten and fucked until only telling myself who I was, what I had to protect, kept me from trying to find a way to end it. Please—help me keep that from happening again. To Prythian.” ~ acomaf ch.11 “I hadn’t yet participated in the Great Rite, and we were so remote up there that I never had the chance to lie with a male, and he took that from me, too. And then he called over three of his soldiers and told them to keep going until I revealed where the children had gone.” ~ acosf ch.68

Losing their sisters in the most brutal way

“... I was supposed to be there. I wasn’t. And they slaughtered my mother and sister anyway.”... “It should have been me,”... “They put their heads in boxes and sent them down the river—to the nearest camp. Tamlin’s father kept their wings as trophies. I’m surprised you didn’t see them pinned in the study.” ~ acomaf ch.45 “... So he grabbed Catrin, because our scents were nearly identical, you see, and told me that if I didn’t reveal where the children were, he’d kill her. And when I didn’t give the children up …” Her mouth shook. “He beheaded Catrin right there, along with two other priestesses...” ~ acosf ch.68

Having the same blood rite experience:

He could still feel the crumbling rock beneath his boots, hear the rasp of his breathing as he half hauled Rhys up the slopes, Azriel providing cover behind.* ~ acofas ch.3 Nesta marveled at the hope and bravery in their faces. “I can hold them off.” *... She didn’t wait for Emerie to speak before she helped ease Gwyn onto Emerie’s back, the latter hissing at the weight upon her wings, splaying them at awkward angles. ~ acosf ch.69

They won the blood rite and have the Carynthian title. And I wonder if Rhys at any stage of his life thought he's not a real Carynthian because Cassian had to help him and if Gwyn also might feel the same. And maybe they can bond over it...

Being pretty AF:

Standing before me was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. ~ acotar ch.20 If Rhysand was the most beautiful male I’d ever seen, she [Mor] was his female equivalent. ~ acomaf ch.6 The priestess had been pretty in the library, but with that joy, that confidence as she aimed for the three priestesses, she had emerged into a beauty to rival Merrill or Mor. ~ acosf ch.29

2+2=?

Nerds...

Az, of course, had been fascinated. Rhys had built the model himself centuries ago. It could not only track the sun, but also tell time, and it somehow allowed Rhys to ponder the existence of life beyond their own world and other things Cassian had, again, instantly forgotten. ~ acosf ch.3 “I could only pick up every other word,” Rhys said. Feyre arched a brow. “You speak the language of the ancient Fae?” Rhys shrugged. “My education was thorough.” He waved an idle, graceful hand. “For exactly these situations.” ~ acosf ch.37 “Some philosophers believe there are eleven worlds like that. And some believe there are as many as twenty-six, the last one being Time itself, which …” Gwyn’s voice dropped to a whisper. ~ acosf ch.13 Gwyn let out a breathy laugh. “I mean it. I learned about a new Valkyrie technique last night. It’s called Mind-Stilling.” ~ acosf ch.38

This has nothing to do with their similarity but him being cute and protective<33

The casual smile of a male used to people either fleeing in terror or falling to their knees in worship. “Hello, Gwyn,” he said warmly. “Good to see you again.” Gwyn blushed, shaking herself out of her stupor, and bowed low. “My lord.”... You are to treat Gwyn with kindness and respect. ~ acosf ch.28

*Bonus*:

Gwyn and Rhys were injured and had to be carried to the top while Nesta and Azriel stayed behind to cover for them.

Nesta 🤝 Azriel -> we expected them to have a strong friendship and it happened in hofas. They also have so many similarities!

Gwyn 🤝 Rhys -> ...?

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olee · 8 months

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My Bad | Simón Hempe

*English with Spanglish dialogues

A Toxic Ex?

You had been in a committed relationship with Simón for over two years. Both of you shared a beautiful bond and cherished each other's company. You had never imagined that things would change so drastically until one day when Simón arrived at your apartment in Buenos Aires, all drunk and disoriented. He seemed in a different state of mind and told you he wanted to end things with you. The words he used were harsh, and his tone was bitter. He said, “Mirá, no quiero saber nada de vos, ¿entendiste? No tengo ganas de bancarme tus quilombos ni tus historias. Chau y que te vaya bien, pero lejos, ¿eh?” which meant he didn't want to have anything to do with you. The sudden change in his behavior left you shocked and devastated. You tried to reason with him, but he seemed determined to end the relationship, leaving you wondering what went wrong.

The events of that night are still fresh in your mind. Simón, your partner, took all his belongings and left you alone in your apartment without any explanation. You were left feeling confused and hurt, wondering what could have gone wrong. The morning had started off perfectly, as Simón had made you coffee, played some bachata music, and danced with you, beaming with joy. He had recently landed a role in the movie "Society of the Snow," and his excitement was palpable. So, when he arrived late at night, drunk, and abruptly announced that he wanted to break up without any discussion, it was a shock. You couldn't help but wonder what had suddenly made him change his mind.

It's been a year and a half since you parted ways with Simón. In that time, you've made some significant changes to your life. You decided to move to Barcelona, a city that has always fascinated you, and you have not regretted it. You've made some great friends, but you've also had some tough times with the guys you dated. Despite the ups and downs of your love life, you have found a sense of belonging in the neighborhood of El Poble-sec. You live with two roommates, Mateo and Laura, who are both passionate about politics and literature, which you find equally interesting.

You're currently working as a librarian while pursuing a graduate degree in literature. Writing has always been your passion, and you've been writing poetry for as long as you can remember. However, you've found it challenging to find inspiration since moving to Barcelona. You miss Simón's encouragement; he always believed you had the potential to be a writer. Nevertheless, you are determined to keep writing, and you hope that one day, you'll find your way back to the page with renewed inspiration and creativity.

It was a Friday night in Barcelona, and after a long day of studying, your roommates invited you to a hidden bar. Despite feeling tired, you couldn't resist the temptation of a night out with your friends. As the clock struck 11:30 pm, you headed to the bar, ready for a night of partying in the vibrant city. Upon arriving at the bar, you found your roommates engaged in a deep conversation in Catalán about independence. It was clear that they had already indulged in some drinks, as discussing politics in Catalonia was a topic that required a certain level of inebriation.

You sat next to them, feeling the excitement of the night ahead. You ordered a refreshing Estrella Galicia beer and listened intently to their conversation, taking in the ambiance of the hidden and chill bar. The dim lighting and eclectic decor added to the overall mood, making for a perfect start to your weekend.

As you had already consumed a few beers, your roommate invited you to a club. Of course, in your inebriated state, you enthusiastically agreed. As the group stumbled in zigzags toward the exit of the hidden bar, they encountered a set of stairs leading out of the building. Due to your intoxicated condition, you nearly tumbled down the stairs, but a sudden, firm grip on your arm prevented a fall. Initially thought it was your roommate, Mateo, but the blurred vision made it difficult to confirm.

Anxiety washed over you until a familiar voice spoke, saying, "Necesitás tomar agua. No estás bien, se te nota. Dejá de joder y andá a agarrar una botella, que te va a hacer bien. ¿Querés que te la alcance o te movés vos sola?" Your response was, "Che, andá a cagar, me la banco sola, ¿entendiste? No necesito tu ayuda, así que haceme el favor y tomá el camino. ¡Chau!"

However, as you attempted to move on, you stumbled, and the person supporting you tightened their grip. He said, “Che, (tu nombre), vení, yo te llevo al mercado por un agua y después te acerco a casa.”

“Boludo! No sé quién eres, obvio que no iré," you retorted. However, he responded in a worried tone, "Soy Simón, obvio que sabes quién soy." You then replied, “Simón... (in your broken English you tell him) Simón is DEAD.”

He continued to ignore your insults, while you persistently hurled a barrage of offensive words at Simón, declaring him an idiot and emphasizing that he was undeniably dead. Despite your verbal assault, Simón looked at you with concern, as if he believed he had done something wrong and genuinely wanted to help you.

As Simón buys you a bottle of water with a painkiller, you're seated outside on a bench waiting for him. He arrives and sits next to you, saying, “Tomá, esto te va a ayudar.” You look at him and say, “Nunca pensé volver a cruzarme con vos. Te re mil odio. Me dejaste plantado y ni una explicación. Cada día me siento peor, pensando que hice algo mal, y sé que estoy hablando con un fantasma, pero—” he interrupts you and says, “No es tu culpa. Yo soy el boludo. Unos amigos, o mejor dicho, unos forros, me dijeron que estabas con alguien más y la verdad es que no sé por qué les di bola. Hasta al día siguiente, me di cuenta de la cagada que me mandé.”

As you inquire about why he didn't reach out the next day, Simón takes a deep breath and begins, "Look, I wanted to talk to you, but I realized I couldn't. I tried messaging you, calling you, but you had blocked me on everything."

You squint at him, a mixture of disbelief and frustration on your face. "Blocked you? Yeah, well, you disappeared without a word!"

Simón nods solemnly, "I know, and I'm sorry. I messed up big time. I was stupid to believe what others said without checking with you first."

You scoff, "Stupid is an understatement, Simón. You ghosted me without any explanation. I felt like I did something wrong."

He looks genuinely remorseful, "And that's on me. I should've trusted you, and I should've communicated. I'm really sorry, (Y/N)."

You roll your eyes, still holding onto your anger, "Sorry doesn't change what happened. Why should I believe you now?"

Simón takes a moment before responding, "You don't have to believe me, but I want you to know I regret it. I've been kicking myself every day since. I was a fool, and I'm sincerely sorry for hurting you."

—

Part 2? 👀

#simon hempe #simón hempe #Simon hempe x reader #enzo vogrincic #fanfic #society of the snow #my writing #la sociedad de la nieve #uruguay #latina #spanish #argentina #agustín pardella #blas polidori #Spotify

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weirdly-specific-but-ok · 7 months

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REWATCHING GO S1, LIVE PLAY-BY-PLAY OF DOOMSDAY WAHOO

HELLO MAGGOTS REWATCHING SEASON 1 BECAUSE THE FIRST TIME WAS A KIDNAPPING CHAOTIC MESS. EPISODE ONE HERE GOES. I DON'T REMEMBER A LOT OF DETAILS BUT YES.

Opening scene and Earth's got vibe-checked by God and I've been gaslit about the dinosaurs

GARDEN OF EDEEEEEN wow his first appearance and Aziraphale's already so prissy and flustered might fuck around and fall in love with him idk

I finally understand who these mf's are hi Hastur and Ligur you're not zombies after all

FOR FUCK'S SAKE SECOND SCENE CROWLEY'S BEEN IN AND SHE WALKED IN, SERVED HIPS HAIR AND CUNT, AND THEN MANAGED TO TALK HER AWAY INTO A PROBLEM

LIKE GENUINELY SHE COMES AND SASHAYS WITH HER HAIR AND SAYS TIMES ARE CHANGING AND HEAD OFFICE LOVES ME AND JUST INSTANTLY HASTUR AND LIGUR USE HER WORDS AGAINST HER

idk sister mary loquacious is kinda doing it for me rn with that satanic nun's habit and losergirl energy

third crowley scene and he's misplaced THE LITERALLY GODDAMNED ANTICHRIST because he made small talk with a bloke outside without checking for details

mmmmhm yes sister mary wink again your bitchless decisions are sexy y'know what i mean

Gabriel feels like his brain was eviscerated and replaced with one of those youtuber's paid course promos at the end of their how to change your life in 45 days: three simple mindset shifts video

so THIS IS WHY EVERYONE KEEPS SAYING PAVLOVIAN IN THIS FANDOM IT'S BECAUSE OF DUCKS of course it's because of ducks

mmmhm yes sure crepes French revolu--Crowley stop eye-fucking Aziraphale you're making everyone at the Ritz horny

Aziraphale don't moan into your food man you can't take these two anywhere

Crowley thanking the driver for slowing down is everything to me

And they're drunk hu-fucking-zzah good thing we'll have 11 year olds saving the world coz these fuckers sure ain't doing shit

OH MY GOD HE WAS TRYING TO SAY BOUILLABAISSE I JUST REALISED. I THOUGHT HE WAS JUST MAKING KISSY FACES AT AZIRAPHALE I'M NOT OK-

What Aziraphale was doing back was definitely kissy faces though that mfer wasn't even trying to say bouillabaisse when Crowley said what sounded suspiciously like baby

kissy kissy from lil miss prissy [i would have made such a great high school bully shame i had no inclinations that way]

SORRY WHAT THE BLOODY FUCK WAS THAT SOBERING UP EXCUSE ME THE FANFICS MADE IT SOUND LIKE IT WAS A CLICK AND THEY'RE SUDDENLY NORMAL WHY IS THE ALCOHOL REFILLING

oop nun down nun down

i want ya see a wile ya thwart amirite on a t-shirt

"actually i encourage humans to-" just say you're a lazy bitch azi we love you

love crowley fake-manipulating azi into helping like azi wants to be manipulated y'know so it's not technically his fault he was wiled over or whatever and they're both just such ENABLERS

not azi going SOFT at being godfathers with crowley

NOT BROTHER FRANCIS PLEASE NO FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS SACRED AZI WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS PLEASE

WARLOCKKKKK I LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

HNNNG MICHAEL SHEEN HAD TOO MUCH FUN WITH THIS

why is nanny ashtoreth so seductive with that of course dear is it just crowley's inherent disastergirl sex appeal

HALF PONYTAIL CROWLEY I AM A FUCKING SLUT FOR HALF PONYTAIL

GASLIGHTING HEAVEN AND HELL THAT'S MY BABYGIRLS

erIC THE DISPOSABLE DEMON I DIDN'T KNOW THEY COME IN S1 well not come i hope unless being eaten by a hellho--nope

ANGEL CROWLEY SAID ANGEL ANGEL ANGEL

CROWLEY TRYING TO BE SUBTLE ABOUT KILLING BEFORE GETTING ANNOYED

waiter crOWLEY OUTFIT I CANNOT BE NORMAL AFTER THE WEDDING DRESS DESIGNING ABOUT THIS COSTUME

FOOLS WRONG BOY YOU FOOLS IM DEAD

DOG IS UNIRONICALLY SO CUTE EVEN BEFORE IT GOES SMOL

gonna give my roxie a kissy brb she's my angel and all this dog talk makes me miss her (she's a few feet away under the bed)

i asked her for a kissy and she crawled out and gave me a kiss i love her

DOGGGGG ADAMMM

...roxie's crying to be taken downstairs it's nearly 2 am this is on me for waking her up i crowley'd myself fml

EYYYYY WELCOME TO THE END TIMES don't mind me I'll have to take roxie down yes I know maggots I'm crowley-coded I KNOW THAT I'M A BLOODY DISASTER BYEEEEEEEE

#good omens mascot #good omens #weirdly specific but ok #asmi #maggots #good omens fandom #good omens season 1 #in the beginning #WAHOO #OK GTG TAKE MY DOG DOWNSTAIRS AT 1:45 IN THE MORNING #THE CROWLEY LIFE #IT'S HARD WORK BEING THE RESIDENT DISASTER #BUT SOMEONE'S GOTTA DO IT

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brucebocchi · 6 months

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Winter 2024 anime roundup, Pt. 1: Ongoing/returning shows and the trash heap

hey y'all, this is also up on my ko-fi! it's free to read both here and there, but i'm struggling financially rn so i could appreciate if you'd throw a few bucks my way if you liked it!

I wasn't expecting to watch nearly this much anime in just the past three months, but life completely failed at getting in the way. So here's everything I either watched or tried to watch for the Winter 2024 season, and a short review for each.

I'm not going to bother with trying to rank them, so instead they're sorted by category, as follows:

Continuing series from Fall 2023

Returning series

What I dropped

Mixed reactions

On hold

New series that are actually good

With this first entry, I'll be covering the first three, with the back half arriving in another couple of days. As with the 2023 rankings, the OP for each show is linked in the corresponding title.

Here we go.

Ongoing shows:

The Apothecary Diaries

Looking back at my 2023 rankings, I think my placement of The Apothecary Diaries’ first cour at #11 may have belied how much I love this show and believe it to truly be one of last year’s greats. If anything, it was hampered by its status as an ongoing show making it incomplete by nature, and I worried myself over the possibility of recency bias taking over my top ten (Frieren is in the same boat, so its top overall ranking should really highlight how damn good it is). Make no mistake, though: The Apothecary Diaries fucking rocks, and it continues to fucking rock.

It’s largely more of the same, and that’s what you would want from another cour of this show. At the same time, though, more and more is uncovered about Maomao’s background and Jinshi’s status as the proverbial camera continues to pull back and the mysteries adorning the edges of the frame become clearer. I got a sense at the end of the Fall 2023 cour that the show was moving on from its episodic nature into something more serial and plot-driven, and I was mostly right: While several episodes of the Winter cour still revolve around various mysteries of the week, they all start to converge before you even realize it. It’s the same flywheel-effect approach to plot development that Kaguya-sama did so well: While so many of the events seem like one-off curiosities in the moment, these almost-imperceptible movements eventually barrel forward into an unexpected but perfectly logical momentum. The show teases out several plot threads that may not seem relevant at first, and it trusts you to be patient enough to see them play out.

I’m not at all exaggerating when I say that, along with the next entry on this list, The Apothecary Diaries is one of the best anime of the past five years. I had a feeling that this could end up being the case as 2023 came to a close, but I’m sure of it now. Watch this show.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Last year’s best anime continues apace into 2024 as we get an honest-to-goodness story arc: Frieren, who has been around too long to bother taking any magical governing bodies seriously, needs a certified mage in her party order to continue on the journey north. She decides to take the necessary exam to be certified as a First-Class Mage, a rarefied status in this world, and has Fern tag along to do the same in order to double their chances.

And it’s still incredible! Great action, brilliant animation, wonderful character moments, and a beautiful score. It is still the top-rated anime ever on MyAnimeList, and by a significant margin. I’m not sure I agree, necessarily, but I can say with all sincerity that this has been a perfect season of television and my Fridays now feel empty without it.

That’s all I’ve got on this one. What else do you want from me? I’ve already written nearly 2000 words about this show alone since it premiered. You’re asking me for more? I’ll kill you.

Shangri-La Frontier

If the low placement on my 2023 list was any indication, I was pretty fed up with Shangri-La Frontier by the end of its first cour, and the first couple episodes of 2024 being little more than plot set-up had me teetering on the edge of dropping it entirely. But I’ll be damned if it didn’t reel me back in once shit actually started happening and the plot really began to move forward.

Well, for a bit, at least. The height of the series so far has been the Wethermon arc, in which Sunraku teams up with his fellow shit-gamers, Pencilgon and Katzo, as they vie to be the first to take down a notoriously difficult unique boss. As the fight plays out, we get to see the feeling-out process of a tough action-RPG boss, rife with attack pattern memorization, skill timing, and buff stacking as the margin for error grows ever thinner. As always, the animation is on point, the soundtrack rules, and the action sequences are exhilarating.

But my major gripe with the series remains: There’s hardly any actual story here, even after 25 episodes. There are broad gestures towards a larger plot (“the truth of this world,” as the NPCs call it), but they are too vague to even resemble anything enticing. Everything in between the major fights is just set dressing, and there’s a lot of in between. There’s decent stuff in there, to be fair; the adorable rabbit NPCs are always a delight, and I love the commitment to depicting our top-level gamers as smug, preening shitheels. These are long walks for short drinks of water, though, and much of the main cast isn’t likable enough to make the downtime tolerable, to the point where watching the many set-up episodes feels like more of a grind than the actual grinding in the show. Even in the best fight sequences I still had moments where I found myself yelling “STOP TALKING ALREADY” at the screen. Internal monologues are a constant in battle shonen, I know, but if there’s any demographic whose internal monologues I want to hear the least, it’s gamers.

I kept watching this show despite myself, and six months later I’m still not sure how much I actually enjoy it. I haven’t seen any of the lousy VRMMO anime that people favorably compare it to, so at least it isn’t Sword Art Online. Yay, I guess? Yet here I am, still plugging away at a show I can’t strongly recommend to a lot of people. Shangri-La Frontier has turned me into a Steam reviewer.

Undead Unluck

The stakes continue to rise exponentially in one of last year’s more underrated shonen hits (or it would’ve been a hit if Disney gave a fuck about marketing the anime on its own platforms). The Union neutralizes a threat, gains a new Roundtable member, and then shit hits the fan.

The scope of this series goes into absolutely buckwild directions, and all I will say is that “Kimi no Todoke predicting the future” was not a piece of worldbuilding I would have ever expected. But at the same time, it never loses focus on the human element, which only gets more poignant as it goes on. There’s a really beautiful message in the last arc about how people can live on through the memories of others, well past their bodies dying, which hits nice and hard considering this season aired at the same time as Frieren.

This is a show that I tended to watch sporadically (because I just plain forget to open Hulu just to watch one show every week), and I would say that it was the ideal way to watch it, except the pacing issues from the first cour only got worse during a monumentally consequential sequence in the middle of the second. There was an episode that had, I shit you not, 90 seconds of new content in the first seven minutes of runtime, and at the exact point in the series where you’re salivating for something, anything new. In a season where so much goes on in just 24 episodes, I’m baffled that they felt the need to pad the runtime so much.

That’s the worst of it, though, and the momentum fortunately builds up from there and barrels downhill until the end. The story becomes incredibly meta, which was a very ballsy move for a Shonen Jump series that was still relatively early into its run. The gamble pays off, though, and the debut season ends on several incredibly strong episodes, and now I want more. I’ll be hopping on the manga soon.

It also struck me towards the end of the season just how goddamn cute everyone looks. For all of the spraying blood and grim marching towards Armageddon, it says a lot that I still wanna pinch everyone’s fat little cheeks.

Returning shows:

The Dangers in My Heart, season 2

The first season was absent in my 2023 rankings but I decided to pick it up while the second was still airing, and I’m so glad I did: The Dangers in My Heart is an almost-too-precious middle school romance that is endlessly endearing and bluntly honest (if a little exploitative) about what middle schoolers are actually like, warts and all. Insecurities are amplified, they struggle to figure out their identities, and mental and physical development run on different schedules from one kid to the next. And amidst all this raging hormonal nonsense, we have ourselves a lovely little romance story.

Kyotaro has (mostly) kicked his chuuni tendencies and realized that he’s madly in love with the beautiful, cheery Anna. He’s as aware as anyone of what a mismatched couple they’d be, though, and continues to self-sabotage any progress in the name of maintaining her good social standing. To pile onto his loner’s perspective of middle school politics, Kyotaro also gets a front-row seat to Anna’s part-time work as a model-slash-actress and he wonders if an underdeveloped shrimp like him should be seen anywhere near someone so obviously more mature. At the same time, though, he’s a growing boy, and we see lovely moments of progress as Kyotaro takes initiative both for her sake and to achieve what he wants. To both ameliorate and complicate these situations, Anna reciprocates his feelings towards her, and we creep ever closer towards what we want to see, in increasingly awkward and precious fashion.

So much of this anime is just gorgeous. Even setting aside the visuals and music (which are on point at all times), there are really lovely themes in here about insecurity, teenage perceptions of maturity, and self acceptance. On top of all of that, though, this is just a delightful slice-of-life romance story. You can probably guess where we’ve ended up by the end of the second season, but it’s the getting there that makes it all worth it. The manga is still running (and I plan to pick it up), so there’s clearly plenty more of the story to tell, but if this is where the anime ends, it ended perfectly.

Holy shit, though, did the first season really air at the same time as Skip and Loafer and Insomniacs After School? Dentists must have made a mint that season because every single one of these shows is so unrelentingly sweet that my teeth start to itch. Not that I’m complaining.

Mashle: Magic and Muscles, season 2

I honestly think I might’ve been too hard on Mashle in my 2023 rankings. I gave up on it a few episodes in when it’d initially aired, but I eventually came back to finish out the season and ended up having a pretty good time. I’ll cop to having forgotten that latter part when I mapped out those rankings, but that enjoyment quickly came back to me when I picked up season 2... even if the season begins with a ton of table setting.

Plenty of battle shonen take time to find their voice, both in manga and anime, and Mashle really seemed to hit its stride fairly quickly into the second season. Mash Burnedead’s lack of magical quality is no longer a secret, and now magical society has to find a way to deal with it, so the series’ initial stakes are raised and Mash HAS to become a top-level sorcerer lest he lose his life. Also, the bad guys are back. Unfortunately, just as I started to genuinely appreciate the ensemble cast, most of Mash’s friends took a backseat to the larger plot (Lemon is nowhere to be seen almost all season) as the villains raise the stakes with increasingly JoJo-esque magic abilities. There’s still plenty to like, though, and some of the new characters help. Props for having an openly nonbinary character play a major role.

The music is a real highlight here; a surprising amount of hip-hop paints the backdrops during dialogue, and any show with an OP by Creepy Nuts will immediately grab my attention. "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" actually turned into a bona fide hit single, much like Oshi no Ko's "Idol" and Jujutsu Kaisen's "SPECIALZ," and I'd say it's well earned (seriously, it fucks, please click the link above). The animation has also started to really pick up where it felt like it kept falling short in the first season as well, and I found myself looking forward to action sequences more as the season went on.

And hey, it might’ve taken 21 episodes to get there, but I finally laughed at a cream puff gag!

Urusei Yatsura (2022), season 2

I really don’t have much to say other than it’s more Urusei Yatsura, and that’s just swell. We continue the modern adaptation of the classic gag manga as the OG anime babe and her piece-of-shit “darling” get caught up in yet more bizarre hijinks. Despite the 48-episode run being touted as an “Urusei Yatsura all-stars” cherry-pick from Rumiko Takahashi’s 34-volume opus, not all of the segments hit on the same level, but the stories that last entire or even multiple episodes have been killer. Lum and Ataru, despite their myriad flaws, genuinely do care for one another, and this series is at its best when those feelings get to shine through. Takahashi remains a legend for her expert balancing of comedy and heart, and while this particular adaptation doesn’t have the built-in benefit of 300+ chapters of familiarity, those moments still feel earned.

It’s Urusei Yatsura. It’s a classic for a reason. Watch it.

Dropped:

Gushing Over Magical Girls (dropped after one episode)

For the TL;DR version, consult the image above.

All I’d heard about this show going in was that the manga it’s based on was good and that there would be boobs. I wish I’d known more than that before watching, though, because if I’d known that said boobs would belong to middle schoolers, I wouldn’t have bothered with even the one episode I did end up watching.

I was drawn in by the initial premise, too: The protagonist, the conspicuously-named Utena (who looks enough like Bernadetta from Fire Emblem that I was immediately endeared to her), is an enormous fan of the magical girls who keep her city safe, so when an adorable maho shoujo mascot approaches her with an offer, she immediately takes him up on it. As her sinister-looking (and unnecessarily revealing) costume suggests, though, Utena doesn’t get to live out her magical girl dreams; she actually got roped into—and blackmailed into keeping—a role as a villainess. The magical girl team she idolizes quickly finds her, and to stave off their assault, Utena is forced to summon a monster to bind them. As they continue to struggle and squeal, Utena goes further with it by ripping their clothes and spanking their bare bottoms red, because it turns out that she’s actually into this stuff, sexually. The title, it turns out, is a double entendre.

Credit where it’s due for a clever concept: On paper, this is really goddamn funny! My issue is with the execution: I don’t really care to see someone’s sexual awakening if it involves repeated violations of consent, and much less so if I have to see nudity of ostensible middle schoolers (Japanese middle schools are the equivalent of seventh through ninth grade, meaning these girls are 15 at most). After 100 Girlfriends, I thought I could handle whatever trashy bullshit any anime could throw my way, but the longer I chewed on Gushing’s premiere, the worse it sat with me. I have no intentions of playing morality police here, but I can’t bring myself to watch any more of this than I already have.

Early teenage sexuality is a very difficult subject matter to handle delicately, especially in a comedy milieu, and I can levy plenty of criticisms on that matter towards series I otherwise enjoyed, like Call of the Night and the aforementioned Dangers in My Heart. And although there appear to be some coming-of-age elements here, Gushing doesn’t seem interested in handling it without being exploitative. Maybe it gets better, but I don’t plan to find out for myself.

I just feel like it’s a shame that in a season with some actual halfway decent LGBT representation, the breakout yuri hit is about middle schoolers performing dubiously-consensual BDSM on each other. And maybe that speaks to something for some sapphic viewers, and I have no intention of speaking over them, but I do know that this isn’t for me. I would’ve gone fucking feral over this show when I was like 13, but I haven’t been a 13-year-old boy for a long, long time.

I may not have a leg to stand on here as someone who watches Mushoku Tensei (and frankly, that one’s on strike two with me), but I have to put my foot down somewhere. For me, that “somewhere” is borderline pornography involving 13-15 year olds. I try to meet media where it is, even the squicky stuff, but I cannot put myself at the level Gushing Over Magical Girls sets for itself.

Sasaki and Peeps (dropped after eight episodes)

This show is frustrating to even process postmortem. After a mildly intriguing hour-long premiere that introduced a whole lot of concurrent concepts, Sasaki and Peeps somehow managed to not only continue heaping new ideas onto the pile, but also fumble every single one of them in a way that wasn’t even entertaining to watch.

Sasaki, a lonely 40-something salaryman of modest means, decides that instead of living vicariously through adorable animal photos on social media, he should pull the trigger and get a pet of his own. He settles on a reasonably-priced and suitably adorable fat little Java sparrow, who as it turns out speaks human language and is actually named Piercarlo the Starsage (Sasaki settles on calling him Pii-chan, or Peeps in English). The bird was reincarnated from another world, where he is able to take Sasaki at will, and the man realizes he can use the other world’s relative dearth of technology to his advantage and sets up an interdimensional trade full time so he can make coin on his own watch and help Peeps try the delicious beef he heard is the best food in Sasaki’s world. To the latter end, he also invests in a restaurant. Peeps also helps teach him magic, which Sasaki is forced to use in a pinch in the real world. He is quickly found out and gets roped into a secret government bureau of psychics, because the agent who caught him using ice magic decides he’d be a perfect complement to her water powers (think Kanne and Lawine from Frieren, but stupider). Sasaki now has to balance these multiple lives, which hardly ever interact with one another, as the stakes rise in Peeps’ world in the form of palace intrigue and in Sasaki’s world in the form of a growing threat of evil psychics or something. Also, there’s magical girls, because why the fuck not at this point.

If you actually managed to process all that and went “wow, that’s a lot, I wonder how they can tie all that together,” it brings me no pleasure to report that Sasaki and Peeps completely fails at that task. This is a work of fiction with entirely too many ideas, to the point where it feels like it has no ideas. There’s a saying in football that a team with two quarterbacks is a team with no quarterback, and Sasaki and Peeps has, like, six on its depth chart. You ever hear a band that managed to cram multiple genres in the same song and you get whiplash every time it switches up? Those are bands with a lot of influences, but no identity or vision to call their own, and that is Sasaki and Peeps to me: It is the Twenty One Pilots of anime. A lot of shit got thrown at the wall, and none of it stuck: This show, conceptually, is shit-stained drywall with a pile of turds adorning the moulding.

For a show about a 40-year-old man, it gave me serious pause that there was not a single named adult woman in any of the episodes I watched, and I grew even more frustrated waiting for one to show up. Sasaki’s partner, Hoshizaki, seems to be a driven, professional young woman, but it turns out she’s a 16 year old high school student, for some reason. The daughter of the viscount doing business with Sasaki is a young girl who likes to tag along with him, and Sasaki’s neighbor is a latchkey high school girl who may or may not have a yandere-ish fixation on him. The magical girl we meet is also definitely a kid. The female psychics they face off against don’t appear to be older than teenagers, though the one who appears to grow fond of him turns out to be several hundred years old, which especially gave me pause because we all know that unfortunate trope and the type of person who hides behind it. Before progressing any further, I found out that the light novel series upon which this show is based was written by someone with the pen name “Buncololi,” which told me the rest of what I needed to know.

That part made me increasingly uncomfortable, and I became less and less convinced that this show was capable of sticking the landing as it continued to pile on new, contrived ideas. This was a waste of an excellent voice cast, but more than that, a waste of time.

Tales of Wedding Rings (dropped after nine episodes)

I can’t believe how much goddamn isekai I ended up watching this season. That Tales of Wedding Rings wasn’t the worst one (see above) was a minor miracle, because boy howdy was this one a dud.

Satou is just a normal high school boy, blah blah blah, his childhood friend he’s in love with is actually a princess from another world and she has to go back to fulfill a political marriage, he follows her into the portal to pull a Benjamin Braddock. But then, gasp, the palace is under attack, so the princess (her native name is Krystal, but growing up in Japan she was known as Hime, which means… princess) instead decides to marry Satou, bestowing upon him her kingdom’s ring, which gives him powers that he uses to fight back the demons. It turns out that her ring enables him to use one elemental affinity out of five, so of course now Satou has to collect the rings held by the other four kingdoms in order to become the Ring King and save the world, and to do so he has to also marry each corresponding princess.

This is basically Tolkien’s Rings of Power but as a harem isekai with bonus nudity. What I saw of the season was basically a MacGuffin hunt that had waifus of various fantasy races attached. Fine character designs for each, to be fair, but it wasn’t enough to keep me interested. It’s funny on paper that (to paraphrase Geoff Thew) our protagonist’s power level scales with the size of his harem, but Tales didn’t do enough to make me actually care what was happening. And I wanted to! There were elf titties and I didn’t care. That’s criminal.

What makes Tales especially difficult to watch is that this show is fuck ugly. The color palette is muddy and unappealing, everyone looks uncannily shiny, and there’s a smudgy Vaseline filter over everything. The action sequences are uninspiring, the animation is lousy, and every character looks terribly off-model unless they’re naked. Watch the OP I linked if you don't believe me; that's the best of it. The aural element isn’t much better; ecchi scenes are punctuated by a Cinemax-caliber smooth jazz score that I pray was chosen ironically, and most of the show’s humor consists of “an old guy is screeching.” And if you’re wasting Shigeru Chiba’s talents on that one lousy joke, you’ve fucked up catastrophically.

What completely pushed me out of wanting to see any more of this show, though, was how hard it doubled down on the worst elements of harem anime by having Protag-kun be a wishy-washy little ninny even though he’s openly declared his love for and is literally married to Hime/Krystal. And I wanted to care about her; the narrative made me want to care about her, and her jealousy of the other princesses is warranted, but alas, the harem demands bodies. To his credit, Satou recognizes her mixed emotions and makes extra time for her to make it clear that she’s forever number one in his heart, but every single time their shared romance and emotions actually push them towards consummating their (all caps for emphasis) MARRIAGE, the show goes Rent-a-Girlfriend on us and finds a cheap excuse to ruin the moment. No thanks, I’m out. Nothing else about this show is good enough to make me wade through that shit.

Honestly, the only thing that had me coming back after my Persona 3-induced hiatus was that I wanted to see the dragon girl, and that alone was almost worth it, but there really isn’t much of a draw otherwise. There were better isekai, better romances, better fantasy settings, and even better uncensored harem shenanigans this season. I might pick this back up as the second season approaches, but I’m not in any hurry.

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