#I can't say I have a specific preference yet

[canisalbus]

I've been curious about this for a while, and after finding your Tumblr and reading up on Machete lore I'd love to know; Is Machete autistic? I myself am autistic and I see myself in him quite a lot at times while reading your posts... If not, are there anything other disabilities or ailments he has? What about Vasco?

I'm hesitant to assign either them a lot of labels, but I think it's justified to say he has enough autistic traits to place him somewhere on the spectrum. Of course they hadn't figured out neurodiversity in the 1500's, if you knew him well enough you might call him a little eccentric. Even then he's reasonably proficient at masking and trying to appear normal to others. Having impressive self-restraint and an unhealthy degree of self-awareness helps with that. His surroundings are formal, rigid and impersonal and he has learned to navigate that specific social climate reasonably well. In addition to difficulty in socializing his main issues are sensory related, he's sensitive to textures, loud sounds and environmental overstimulation and has a low pain threshold, but can tolerate a surprising amount of discomfort in order to keep his face and not appear weak or unprofessional.

I'd say most of his physical health issues are related to anemia in a way or another, a condition that hasn't been discovered yet and thus can't be treated effectively. In their terms he simply has a weak constitution and is susceptible to mystery pains and illnesses. Unfortunately the catch-all medical care at the time is bloodletting, which, as you can imagine, only worsens his symptoms. Albinism affects the development of your eyes so his sight isn't the best and he's very sensitive to bright lights, to the point he prefers to stay indoors on sunny days.

Vasco, in comparison, has always been healthy as a horse, apart from recurring childhood ear infections. He exhibits some traits that could align with inattentive adhd, but probably not enough to justify a diagnosis. He can be a little disorganized, forgetful and has trouble starting and completing tasks, and has hard time forcing himself to stay invested in things he doesn't care about all that much.

[dawnthefluffyduck]

It's cooling down now, happy fall :3

Next on the bucket list; planning for borders before the final stage of the drawing haha. I might do more to this later w/ the background but I think it's done for now

[chaotictomtom]

i NEED to be done with this sketchbook every single page is falling apart and the spine is all fucked, and all that not even from being used too much i only had it since end of February and im not. like. throwing it against a wall and driving on it with a bus each time i use it

[arolesbianism]

Every now and then I remember that oni in fact will eventually have more lore added and I get so excited and scared for a moment and then I remember that it could take months until we see any of that and I proceed to forget abt it again and the cycle repeats

[suguru-getos]

just some over-affectionate yan!sato blabbering

yandere satoru hasn't really snapped at you, he just doesn't. always playful, always an embodiment. waking you up with peppers of kisses, making sure you have your favorite breakfast, making sure you relax around him. he even indulges in your silly little hobbies, all for the sake of making his baby comfortable. if you like painting, he is going to buy you all the colors there are, premium quality canvas boards and everything you'd ever need to bring your imaginations into reality. digital art? then you have an ipad with procreate and a pencil, anything and everything you need.

he doesn't say it but he is extremely observant, he even notices things like your skincare before you were kidnapped, and goes out of his way to upgrade it if needed. he can be a little pesky at times. what if his baby is using the wrong skin-care? probably going to fly you to the skin and beauty land 'korea' to have your skin checked, and then buy you the 'recommended' skincare.

same with aesthetics, you like wearing a certain type of fits, you have them littered in your closet room. he prefers changing styles and wouldn't mind upgrading/donating your wardrobe when you're also bored with the same ol' things.

your room is a mixture of everything you are, and trinkets of satoru in it. you are really not allowed to sleep in your room though. it's your space, just your happy corner. it doesn't have a bed. it has plush couches that are better than most beds, neon-light which speaks of your name and scented candles, perfect desks with the perfect desk mats. you just need to sleep with satoru.

he gets specifically testy when you really don't want to give him company at times. why? hasn't he done enough? most people would kill to be in your place. that's when you can see the cracks in his carefully calibrated persona he harbors for you.

he is usually very mellow, clingy and would be so playful you often forget how strong he is. "baby- but i want cuddles!" satoru whined, pulling you close to him while you squirmed when you weren't in the mood. satoru hasn't really pushed himself sexually, but he treats you like a pet in other stances. meaning - if not huggable why so cute? so you can't really escape from him during those times.

if you really, really try hard. his laughter, soft eyes, all of it drops. the usual high-pitched excitement too... "i will count to three. if you don't really come to me, there would be consequences." you haven't really checked on what the consequences are because that sets you straight instantly.

satoru HATES when you fear him, some part of him snaps so hard at that he ends up scaring you more. this happens when he's pissed about something and you flinch/wince at his tone. he hasn't done anything to make you scared... yet? though sometimes the way he comes home... reeking of dead curses, reeking of torment and torture. you automatically end up fearing him.

there was one time you took things too far, taking his leniency too far and going out without asking him. he hasn't locked the doors like a barbarian and you're making him question if he should... that's when he took you to one of his missions. shaking, quivering as you cling to him while the curse in front of you begged for death, for being exorcised while satoru made sure it healed and then continued his torture. blaming it on you as you sobbed, anxiety and palpitations all over you. "see, this is what i do... when you don't behave. you cause pain from me to others." he just wants you to know he is/can be fucked up.

would eventually feel extremely bad when you throw up from the gore and anxiety and finish the job, bringing you home and forcing you in his arms, crying with you at how bad it makes him feel to see you like this. how he would kill himself than making you cry, though a part of him is grateful that you wouldn't really go against him for a long, long while.

whenever any action done by him fucks you up, satoru takes responsibility of undoing it. even if sometimes he needs to make sure you stay with him, no matter the consequences... he would try his best to make up for it. always pestering, always kissing you, praising you for being so good to him even if you're not, behaving like an ideal boyfriend to the point where even you start suspecting if the problem is you.

he loves so sickeningly hard you end up deluded enough to consider yourself the 'toxic' one. :3

[fortunelowtier]

Ok i have to comment on this scene because there's a lot i have to say about it because i LOVE it.

(LOTS OF STUFF UNDER THE BREAK LOL SORRY I HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABT THIS SCENE)

For starters, I say this in the best way possible, this scene feels like fanfiction or a fan film specifically because we never get video game adaptations that are this close to the source material. And I love it.

This scene brought me back to when fnaf 3 came out and the Springlock Failure scene was fresh in everyone's minds.

It also acknowledged something that a lot of people don't really seem to understand, it's that while yes William is batshit insane, he's also incredibly cunning and determined, let me explain:

I know when we think of the springlock failure we think of how it was portrayed in fnaf 3, as an instantaneous impalement of every limb on Williams body, causing him to explode in a puddle of blood. (this was further drilled into the fandoms minds with THIS famous audio) But to be honest, I kinda prefer the films slower, less instant depiction of the springlocks failing. Specifically because of the way William processes it.

As soon as the first few locks go off he looks genuinely afraid

A few more go off, that fear turns into what looks to be anger

Before finally reaching for the spring bonnie mask to put it back on, uttering the famous line.

"I always come back."

I don't want to make assumptions quite yet because I don't know if they're gonna do anything with Remnant, but the way that movie William seems almost prepared for his death implies that he knows something that nobody else does. "I always come back" was used by game William because he had already been experimenting with Remnant (it was the reason he started murdering children to begin with) and thus knew about the idea of a life after death, and it makes me wonder if Remnant is gonna be in the film universe as well.

The sequel is already in pre-production and I can't wait to see what they do for it, because there is something about this William specifically that makes him so much more interesting than game William, and I think that's partly because game William is inherently pretty 1-dimensional, most of the things people like about game Will comes from fannon and isn't actually cannon

[kaciidubs]

-sizetrainingwiththeboys-

That's all I'm gonna say :)

:))))))))) you are the reason why I am the way I am - ANYWAYS, doing this with the bd gang (big dick gang) who require more preparation than the others; Chris, Minho, Changbin, Hyunjin, and Jeongin!

❣ Summary: Size training with the bd gang [big dick gang]. ❣ Warnings: Mentions of sex toys [dildos], sexting [Chris], cockwarming [Changbin, unprotected], riding [Jeongin, unprotected], degradation [Minho, Hyunjin] ❣ ❣ Word Count: 886 ❣ Female! Reader [No use of Y/n] You/Your pronouns ❣ ❣ Additional Tags: Chan is referred to as Chris, Minho is referred to as Min, Reader is referred to as princess, baby, kitten, bunny, angel, my love

Chris, who encourages your size training whenever you can; glancing at his phone during a late night at the studio to see a notification from you. He can't help the twitch in his dick as he stares at the picture you sent; you, kneeling on your shared bed, the dildo you both painstakingly searched for to match his cock the best it could currently stretching you open with a shine he can only imagine to be a mixture of your arousal and lube. A small smirk grows from the message attached;

Princess💘: Miss you ❣️

He picks up the device, the work currently on his desktop going forgotten and diminishing in importance the longer he stares at that picture.

Channie💖: Fuck, good girl, make sure you're stretched out well for me, I'll be home soon

-

Minho, who's more solid than anything, thick and veiny with a curve that has you seeing double before he can even begin to fuck you. He prefers opening you up with a toy that mirrors his thickness, but not his length; that part is reserved for him and him alone.

"Kitten, if you're struggling to take this small thing, how do you expect yourself to handle me?" He tuts as he changes the angle of the toy inside of you, your legs quivering around his shoulders that keep you spread open for him.

"M-Min, please, just give it to me already!"

He makes a noise of disagreement, licking his lips as he inches near your soaked pussy, "Not yet, kitten - I think you need a little more training."

-

Changbin, who's preferred method of training you is by having you cockwarm him - specifically during cuddles, or during the night so your pussy remembers his shape before he fucks you the next night.

At first it was only the tip during cuddles, both of you laying on your sides, chest to chest, your leg hitched up on his hip while his thick head rests snug between your tight walls. But eventually, with a little time and a lot of dedication and determination [and mental fortitude], you had graduated into taking his insanely girthy cock like a champ; nestled to the hilt as you lay on top of him, his hands drawing soothing shapes on your lower back.

"Look at you, bunny," he murmurs softly, shifting his hips up ever so slightly, feeling your pussy clench in retaliation, "looks like you're finally ready to take all of me."

-

Hyunjin, whose dick is so long you're not even sure how it'll fit inside of you - so, to prepare you, you both agreed on buying a dildo that was close enough to match his length, and you'd use it whenever he wasn't there to train you himself.

It was... a lot, to say the least, a scheduled routine for you both; one inch with him, two inches with the toy, two inches with him, three inches with the toy, three inches with him, and so on and so forth until you were able to take the toy to it's full length - which meant you were ready to take him.

If course, the moment you were comfortable enough with trying it out, his schedule got in the way and you confined yourself to fucking yourself with the toy until he was able to give you what you wanted. What you didn't expect, however, was for his practice to end early - or for him to come home to you on your knees, ass in the air, arm squeezed between your torso and the mattress as you fucked the silicone toy desperately.

"Oh, angel, look at you," he crawled on the bed behind you, long fingers brushing against your smaller ones as he took the base of the toy in his hand, "so ready to take me, you can't even make yourself come on this silly toy."

You opened your mouth in a plea, but the words are stolen from your tongue once you hear the sound of his belt unbuckling and his zipper sliding down.

"I'm here now, my love, let's see how good this training did, hm?"

-

Jeongin, the second longest, nearly perfect in every other aspect that you almost didn't want to go through the hassle of preparing yourself for him. But, he's a worrier - he knows he's above average and he knows that if things aren't done right, he could seriously hurt you; so, to quell his fear, you offered him a compromise.

That compromise involved you on top of him - he didn't trust himself to top until you could take him with no struggle - slowly riding him inch by inch until you could reach the base with the smallest of bounces along his cock. This took some getting used to for both you and him, seeing as by the time he was fully seated inside of you, you both were three strokes away from finishing.

But, it was well worth it come the night you offered to ride him, determined to see the fruits of your labor realized.

Oh, how realized they were.

You sunk down on him in one go, velvet walls welcoming him almost too easily and his head spun; gripping your hips with trembling breaths and a glowing smile.

"Fuck," he gasped, an airy laugh escaping him, "Fucking ride me, baby."

[yuquinzel]

[ 2:18 AM ] — itoshi rin.

joining in on the clingy rin agenda with this :P

rin does not like disruptions to his carefully crafted schedule, specifically— his sleep schedule. he has to be in bed by 11 pm sharp and wake up at the first light of dawn for his morning jog. that's how he's always gone about his day, that's how he prefers everything to be— falling perfectly into a rhythmic routine.

but tonight is different, tonight it's almost past 2 am, long since he found himself cozy in the warmth of his blankets— and yet he lies wide awake, eyes heavy with drowsiness but not enough to close shut because itoshi rin can not sleep unless you're beside him.

he wants to blame his comforter for failing to keep him warm, but in truth he's aware that the cold pooling his sheets is only an extension from the emptiness of your side of the bed.

it looks barren, abandoned even.

it's not like you're not home, it's not like you had an argument that didn't end well and hence refuse to sleep next to him, it's not like some college assignment is keeping you awake late into the night. you're just busy watching reruns of your favourite series because it had your favourite actor and rin is too prideful to admit he's not used to falling asleep without you threading your fingers in his hair.

he told himself he can sleep just fine on an empty bed. and he believed it for about three hours.

now you find him hovering like a ghost by the end of the room, all wrapped in blankets as he's taking long and impatient strides over to where you're slumped on the couch.

“bed. now.” he says, almost a little desperate.

you spare him a glance, then back to your tv screen, “rin? why're you still awake?”

“it's cold. i'm cold. come back to bed.” you know his short and quick answers are just a reflection of how tired he truly is.

“you're cold?” you ask, and rin simply nods.

“just two more episodes rin, promise i'll come after that.” you say, eyes still set on the tv screen and rin eyes the way your eyes glimmer with awe when that actor shows up.

and then suddenly your vision is blocked, the fluorescent light from the tv casting white shadows across rin's large physique as he eclipses your view of the tv, “what's so great about him? you can watch these tomorrow, come back, i can't sleep without you.”

you're about to say what the hell rin step aside before the realisation hits, and his words replay in your mind. the gears in your head turn, an amused smile gracing your lips, “are you jealous of this actor?”

rin huffs, kneeling down so he's eye-to-eye with you, “i never said that. i said i can't sleep without you because your side of the bed is cold so it makes me cold.”

you laugh a little, and rin feels a sort of warmth tingle his skin, “but they won't air these old episodes tomorrow, and its only two more, give me like, half an hour?” you bargain, bringing a hand to cradle the side of his face, rin leaning in your warmth even more.

he ponders your words, grumbling something unintelligible as he gets up. you think he's about to leave, before he plops down next to you. adjusting himself on the couch with you with barely enough space to accommodate the both of you, rin manages to bury his face in your chest while you have to tightly wrap your arms around him to keep you from falling.

“we're gonna fall and it'll be your fault,” you breathe, and rin holds you even tighter at your words.

“no, it'll be your fault. you won't come to bed with me.”

“you're such a baby.” you laugh again, your chuckles reverberating through him with your closely pressed bodies, the comfort of it beginning to lull him to sleep like magic. he's a little grateful to the lack of space on the couch in exchange for the intimacy of this moment.

the last thing echoing in his mind before he dozes off is the sensation of your fingers running through his hair, with a light tug at times that relieves him of all his exhaustion.

sleeping on the couch is perhaps much better than the bed.

© yuquinzel2023 [ plagiarism is a violation of moral rights ! ]

[breannasfluff]

Fanfiction Comments: Why Bother?

Genuine question: If ya’ll like a story, why not comment?

This question, born out of previous discussions and Discord chats, is one writers have been dealing with for a long time. Feedback/reblogs on art tends to be more common than on fics. Yet writers continue to beg for comments on stories. So what's stopping people?

Don't know what to say/an emoji/script feels too impersonal

Forgot to comment

Read everything and how do you pick out one part?

Rather give feedback personally

Feels like an expectation/I owe them

Send me a string of emojis? I love it. Send a single heart? I love it. Keyboard smash? I love it. Copy/paste a "thank you for writing"? I still love it. "I don't know what to comment or how to put my feelings into words." Then put that! That's a compliment! Can't think of anything to say, then "I don't know what to write but asgfdhgf I liked it." is fine!

Seriously, I don't care WHAT you put, because it shows me you cared enough to take a few second to show that love. I recognize and look for my regular commenters, even the ones who leave just a heart or "extra kudos".

Forgot to comment? Leave the fic open on your phone or get in the habit of dropping SOMETHING right as you finish. If you had time to make it through the last 100 words, you can probably tap an emoji. It's likely more of a habit to build up than anything.

Read it in one go and it's all a blur? "I read this all in one go and it's a blur, but I loved it!" We don't need specifics; just tell us you loved it on the chapter you stopped on. That in itself is a compliment because Hey! You loved it so much you had to keep reading!

Personal feedback? Well, I'll never say no to friends gushing about stories to me! And it might not be the same for everyone, but if you stop commenting on AO3 and only tell me personally...my assumption is you don't like it enough to say it publicly. I've spent many a time wondering why people stopped giving that support and what I should do better. If it's a friend, try asking them which they prefer! We can go back and reread (and do!) AO3 comments. Much harder on discord/dms/etc.

Owing authors? Look, we put a lot of time and work into writing and providing content for free. Hours of idea planning, actual writing, editing, catering to requests, etc. My partner once said I have a second job, writing, but I don't get paid. If you read and enjoyed something that someone put a lot of work into, it's nice to take a few seconds and tell them that.

You don't owe authors comments. They also don't owe you free writing. Sometimes, you forget there is an author at all when you're reading. But there is. A real person put out a story hoping you'd love it, or connect to it. You'd see yourself in the writing and feel less alone, or cheered up when you have a bad day.

Writing is art, and all we want to do is connect with you. Comments help bridge that gap.

[spectrearia-archive]

finally gave the soundtrack for Codename 47 a listen and?? the vibes are honestly fantastic??? super chill beats, heck yeah

I'd say most of the tracks from both Codename 47 and Contracts are my favorites out of the Hitman games that Jesper Kyd composed for. I know Blood Money is the fan fave, but that one really just doesn't click with me (both the music and the game itself). sorry that's probably a controversial opinion but eh. oh well.

anyway. C47 might be an extremely archaic game that didn't age well at all, but at least the music slaps lol

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

(astarion / acebard!tav)

Astarion never received any gifts before - and if he did, he forgot - but he would have loved for the first giver to be his lover, although they seemed pretty occupied with Gale and an object that suspiciously looked like a present.

(not native in english. so sorry if the wording is clusmy in some parts, i wan't sure how to write this xD)

A/N: I made a few adjustments, but I think I know what you're getting at. Hopefully it still works. Also, this turned out way more than five sentences because I have no self control.

Astarion x AsexualBard!Tav Masterlist

Word Count: 921

Astarion couldn't remember the last time he received a gift. The idea of being gifted anything was down right laughable. Nobody truly gave anything without expecting something in return. Some way, some how a price would be paid. He didn't need that hanging over his head, along with everything else. So why did seeing you hand Gale a wrapped parcel sting so much?

He watched as the wizard pulled apart the paper, his brows furrowed with curiosity clearing into a bright smile.

"Oh this is perfect!" he exclaimed. "How did you get it?"

"Do you really want to know?" you challenged, grinning yourself.

Gale opened his mouth as if to say something, but stopped himself with a guilty look. "Perhaps it's best I say thank you and leave it at that."

"What do you know, intelligent and wise," you teased. "Just make sure to pace yourself. Don't read it all in one night."

"I've made a point never to make promises I can't keep."

You laughed, giving Gale a light squeeze on the arm before turning in Astarion's direction.

He schooled his features into a casual expression, trying and failing to ignore the burning in his chest. Admittedly the fond look in your eyes did quell the fires, at least a little.

"Successful day?" he asked.

"More or less," you said, taking a seat beside him. "We've got a map. No way to read it just yet, but it's a start."

Astarion humphed, nodding in Gale's direction. "And that?"

"Just some petty thief," you explained. "Gale expressed an interest in it last time we were in town. Couldn't for the life of me explain why, but the bookseller refused to sell. Terrible way to run a business if you ask me."

This was normally when he would laugh or at least grant you an approving smile. Truly, he did love your casual relationship thievery, but it only made him more frustrated. He'd almost preferred you'd paid for it. If you had, he could dismiss the whole thing as a simple errand and not something more.

You frowned slightly, clearly taking notice of his mood.

"Alright, what's got you pouting?"

"I'm not pouting," he said, indignantly. "I'm brooding. There's a difference."

"My apologizes," you said, dryly. "What's got you brooding, oh mysterious one?"

He narrowed his eyes at you, his lips pressing into a hard line.

"I'm just surprised you would go so out of your way for a book. It's not as if you'd be able to understand it anyway."

A flash of hurt struck across your face, but you pushed it down in a way that made him sick to his stomach. What in the hells was wrong with him?

"Well, it's a good thing it wasn't for me then," you said, stiffly. "Now are you done being childish or are you actually going to tell me what's going on?"

Astarion tried to maintain eye contact in some vain attempt to hold onto his pride, but it was no use. He ducked his head down, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.

"I...I don't see why you think Gale is worth the effort is all," he admitted. "It's just a stupid book. It's not as if it's useful to the rest of us. So...why bother?"

He chanced a glance in your direction. You just stared at him, your lips slightly parted as you took him in.

"Astarion, are you jealous?" you finally asked.

"No," he said, a little too quickly, even to his ears.

"So what else would you call being upset over the fact I stole something specifically for Gale and not you?"

"I'm not upset," Astarion objected. "I'm just..."

"Brooding?"

He very much wanted to say something devastating in that moment, that would shut you up and let him walk away from this with some kind of dignity; but, he couldn't think of a damned thing.

"Fine, I'm jealous," he spat. "Happy?"

"Not really."

He closed his eyes, letting out a short sigh. He deserved that.

"I'm sorry," he said, softly. "You're right, it's...petty and I shouldn't have said that to you. Gods know if it were anyone else I would have torn their throat out."

He looked to you then, hoping you would see the honest truth in his words.

"I wish I was better at this. I know you care about me and I don't need you to commit robbery to prove it. Although, I wouldn't be opposed to it."

To his relief, a small crack of a smile turned at the corner of your mouth.

"I'll keep that in mind," you said, some of the teasing coming back into your voice.

"Does that mean I'm forgiven?" he asked.

"Only if you mean it."

He didn't have an answer for that. At least, not right away.

With deliberate care, he slipped his hand into yours, raising it to his lips.

He watched as your eyes widened in surprise, only to soften as he pressed a gentle kiss to your fingers. His eyes never strayed from yours. He needed you to see him too.

"I mean it," he said.

A true smile came to your lips, as you nodded. "Then you are forgiven."

He returned your smile, feeling a lightness in his chest only you seemed to grant him.

Perhaps he was wrong in his assessment. He had been given many gifts since meeting you. You practically showered him with them every single day, and damn him for taking any of them for granted.

[cheekinpermission]

I wanna talk about the scene in the museum with Azul...

(SPOILERS FOR BOOK 3 AHEAD. ALSO LOTS OF RAMBLING! :D)

During Ch. 38 of Book 3, Azul and Yuu have a short conversation post-overblot in the underwater museum place. I always felt that this bit of dialogue was weirdly charged? The whole scene felt very intimate to me (and the soft music in the background doesn't help lmao), but I never knew WHY since nothing said was inherently romantic.

So, I went back and re-read through every post-overblot and realized that Azul is the only who who has a one-on-one conversation with Yuu after their overblot??

It's rare enough to have one-on-one conversations between Yuu and another character, but then Azul goes a step further. He's the only one to open up to Yuu about his problems:

Some of the other overblot boys talk about their problems, but not to Yuu specifically. It's more of a declaration than confiding in someone, you know? (E.g. Riddle talking about how he prefers milk tea even though the rules stipulate lemon tea)

We, the players, are shown flashbacks of the overblot boys to explain how they reached this point but I can't recall if Yuu is privy to this information as well. (It's theoretically possible since Yuu already has visions / dreams of the Great Seven, but no one ever mentions it so who knows. I'm personally on the side of Yuu NOT knowing because it feels a bit invasive that they'd have this knowledge of people who weren't ready to share it.)

Regardless of whether Yuu can or cannot see those flashbacks, Azul is the only one to willingly talk about his motivations to Yuu. For Azul, this is especially important as he's so protective of his image as a clever and upstanding housewarden, and yet here he openly admits to Yuu that he was a bit of a loser as a kid (his words not mine!).

I guess you could argue that he felt there was no reason to hide it anymore since Yuu already saw him as a chubby octopus baby, but he didn't have to talk about it at all if he didn't want to. But he did. On his own. With no prompting. (Really, though. Yuu can either say they want to make sure he puts the photo back or that they're worried about him, and either way he drops his lore on them lol) And then Yuu tries to help him feel better??

To my knowledge, Yuu doesn't do this with any of the other overblot boys, either. I could have missed it during my research, but if they did it wasn't nearly to the same extent as with Azul.

I still don't know why Azul felt like opening up to Yuu. He didn't have to, but maybe he wanted to? Maybe he wanted to try his hand at being genuine for once and felt Yuu was the least intimidating person to do it with (the magicless human that they are). Who knows? I wish there were more scenes like this. It makes Yuu feel more included in the story. I also think it shows a lot of growth on Azul's end to open up about his problems to Yuu of his own volition.

I'm not sure what I wanted to say with this post, only that I wanted to get my thoughts out there about this scene because it always stood out to me. I felt there was always an undercurrent of something and I think it's because this was the only post-overblot private conversation we got with Yuu and an overblot boy, plus the added encouragement from Yuu at the end.

I'm curious to know if anyone felt the same way about this scene or if I'm just imagining things. I'm also interested in hearing any theories why Azul suddenly felt the urge to open up to Yuu, if you've got them!

Thanks for enduring my rambling!

Bonus!

Azul's so funny for trying to play it off all cool like he isn't doing flips and princess twirls in his head rn. Yuu laid it on THICK. We all know he's freaking out internally.

[twst-rose-prisms]

Twst boys preferences for their partners

First of all, sorry for taking so long my rosies 😭😭 schools have been getting to me and I'm trying to catch up with the twst stuff again such as reading the story to understand the characters better! My bestie @twst-megane has been helping me a lot with this once again so tysm 🙏🙏🙏

Characters: All NRC students (except Ortho) x Reader Genre: Fluff Reminder: This is just a headcanon post, so even if you aren't your loved one's preference, do not worry! Remember, love might have preference, but it's never the final thing that decides one's partner, so rest assured~ Your lovely twst boys love you no matter what 🌹❤️ Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 (coming soon)

🐙 Azul 🐙

- If you manage to date a charismatic, handsome guy like him then I'd say his s/o is the world's luckiest person ever~ He isn't a person who would easily give his heart to someone else considering what happened to him in the past, so it takes time for him to genuinely fall for someone, and you just so happen to be very special to gain his affection! - He would need a s/o who is emotionally intelligent enough, someone that be able to pick up his feelings even though the signs are so subtle, he might brush it off mostly to keep up the professionalism but I'm sure you're the only one that he can trust showing his real side to you with the way you genuinely care and love him despite not being super touchy or show it obviously. - Because of the past he had, his insecurities are also something that needs a warm helping hand. A s/o with a caring, loving tendency would do so he won't think lowly of himself whenever he's around them. Perhaps at one point, despite his initial charismatic, calm appearance, he would think that he doesn't deserve someone as amazing as you. How can you care so much for him like that even after knowing his past or all the terrible things he did? Yet you just wipe those thoughts away from his mind with a gentle, soft reassurance as your hands caress his, feeling each other's warmth... and you caught his ears turning red~ - He pays attention to his appearance a lot especially after he comes on land, since he can nicely dress himself up and also even change his scent with different kinds of colognes. So I think he would have preferences for appearance too for a partner, maybe a s/o that knows how to dress themselves nicely enough, no need for fancy make-up or flashy clothing, but would be a nice touch if they like to use perfume like him too. He is pretty keen with his senses, and maybe he took a liking to you due to your scent... but he wouldn't openly admit that it smells really nice (or he gonna end up blushing and getting teased by the tweels). - Bonus: Azul would be the type to fumble at first when he got into a relationship, so being patient and teaching him would get him to fall even more for his s/o. He might study and research beforehand, but nothing comes as close as a real experience after all, he would get really flustered during your first kiss or when you embrace him... like a shy octopus, so just take it slow and intimate with him💖

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🐬Jade 🐬

- Being someone who loves to serve someone as his nature, it's no surprise when his s/o usually being the one receiving instead of giving. He wouldn't have a specific preference when it comes to finding a partner, but he would like it if his s/o let him serve them, it's something he likes to do and he wants you to enjoy it too. Being dependent on him, asking for his help with something when you can't do it by yourself, and he would immediately be there to lend a helping hand. Don't hold back or feel bad because like I said, it's something he likes doing after all. - Though I think he would like it if his s/o treated him equally too, like they're both on the same ground and not just a serving/receiving relationship only. He would find it fascinating that someone like you thought of him that way despite how he keeps offering his service to you, it's just... interesting to him, he probably gave you one of those smiles of his and brushed it off to you but little did you know... you have become the most intriguing person in his eyes and he would like to study you more. (Think of it as a good thing! Probably...) - If his s/o happens to show interest in him, he would be curious and start bringing up topics such as his hobby if they're curious about it, like for example: terrariums or mushrooms. Even better if his s/o actually shows genuine attention to them, he would feel delighted as you both talk about the said topic for hours until it's time to bid goodbye and get back. He felt like he seemingly just found a great partner, someone he is interested in as you're also interested in him... I'd say it's a special mutual feeling~ - He probably has researched a lot about the fashion on the land, hence why you see him dress up really well in a lot of times, so I think he would like it if his s/o knew how to dress nicely on the right occasion. Like Azul, he doesn't need you to wear fancy or flashy clothing, but just taking care of your look properly is enough, maybe some light perfume would catch his attention too as he would be able to tell that you were here or you're around this area easier with your scent (It's less work for him in a sense too) - Bonus: I think surprises would get him the most. Maybe something like knowledge about mushrooms or attempting to build a mini terrarium and show it to him, he would be delighted that you actually spent time on something like this just to impress him, and you sure did but that's not the only thing that will happen (his heart will be impressed too) 💖

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🦈Floyd 🦈

- The most unpredictable out of all characters, he can have such constant mood swings that make it hard for others to keep up with him, so I think his s/o should be someone that at least be able to handle them and doesn't get impatient with it. The moment he gets bored with someone he'll move on quickly, as such, patience is something that you would need when you date Floyd. If you can't keep up with his eccentric, constantly changing personality or easily get irritated then it'll be hard to put the relationship together. - He is pretty open when it comes to dating or preference because he won't be the one the reciprocate easily, his s/o should be someone who at least show constant interest in him or know how to get loose and have fun occasionally of when the right time come, maybe even know to play pranks too. He would be surprised in a way that makes him all chuckling and laughing in an... interesting way, don't worry, it's just how he usually is so don't get too startled, it just means he's having fun and you'd probably prefer it whenever he does. Also, it means he's having fun because of you, which is a great thing since you're that intriguing to him! - Though, it doesn't have to be someone that know how to have fun all the time, it could be a s/o who is pretty attentive, they can read his body language or treat him with genuine emotions, especially to not treat him like he's stupid or a fool. He might act like that but he needs respect too! I think he would be pretty impressed if you're able to guess what is he thinking right now from his behaviors (considering only Jade would be able to do that) and would squeeze you like a happy eel guy he is. - Unlike Azul and Jade, I don't think he would have a preference for appearance too much since he's pretty open to anything. He also doesn't pay attention to his looks most of the time too since well... You see how he dresses up most of the time. But since he's pretty interested in shoes, maybe if you happen to have a bit of knowledge about them then it'll impress him since he's quite fixated on the said topic. I think he would be pretty keen with his nose too so he can tell what kinda scent you got like Jade, he probably doesn't have a favorite scent but as long as it's nothing too heavy or so then he'll be absolutely whipped~ - Bonus: Squeezing hours is the most effective way for someone like Floyd! He will give you a silly sea creature nickname as a way to show his affection but also hug- I mean, squeeze you often too whenever he caught a glimpse of you around the school. If you treat him well he'll really enjoy being around you, so I hope you're ready for the most random squeezing ever from the silly guy himself 💖

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🕌Kalim🕌

- This big ball of sunshine definitely needs someone who knows how to take care of others or be attentive, knowing how clumsy he can be, he needs a s/o who loves to take care of him or pay a lot of attention just in case he accidentally injures himself again (might as well call you Jamil's sibling-), but when he sees how worried you look whenever you look out for him, he will try his best to be careful with himself too! The last thing he wanna see is your sad face after all so he'll remember your advice as best as he can! - He needs someone who has stability and balance to themselves so they won't feel tired out when they're with him, knowing how energetic he can be. Taking care of himself and making sure he's okay is one thing, but he also wants you to look out for your health too and not just all about him! You both would look out for each other (even though it's mostly your side), it's a relationship of caring and giving mutually and constantly~ - I feel like other than stability, he would like a s/o who knows how to have fun too when the time comes. Who wouldn't like some fun once in a while! He probably drags his s/o around to have fun with him, whether it be having a banquet or a ride with the magic carpet, he wants to see that pretty smile of yours every day, especially when you stay by his side, it just makes things more special to him you know? It's like he's the only one that can make you all bright and cheered up or show you a whole new world! - I think when he gets into a relationship, he can be a bit of a big puppy or touchy, I mean, who doesn't enjoy a warm, loving hug from your loved one? So he might need a s/o that doesn't mind too much skinship at the time or maybe even enjoys sudden hugs out of nowhere. Of course, he still knows how to respect boundaries at times or read the mood, but when he gets too happy he just couldn't help but embrace you! You bring him immense joy, so treasure those moments as much as you can, because there isn't anybody else that's like him after all. - Bonus: It's a bit hard to get him to like someone in a specific way, since in a sense anything could get him to like you, he is pretty easy to gain affection with how soft and kind he is compared to other characters, but if you're being forward and direct with your feelings then he'll surely return those feelings even stronger or brighter like the sunshine he is💖

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🐍Jamil 🐍

- Being the vice leader of Scarabia with tons of work every day, I'm sure he can get very tired sometimes even though he doesn't show it on his face; that's why I think he needs a s/o that would be there to take care and reminds him to get loose or to take breaks in between. He's the one giving most of the time so it would be nice if it's the opposite once in a while. It doesn't need to be anything too grand, just a gentle reminder from you or maybe you can be sweeter and put a small note in between his school books with tiny scribbles here in there that reads "Daily reminder: Take a break in between! ;)". He definitely would not show it to anyone else in case he gets embarrassed, but he really appreciates that someone cares for him this much and wants the best for him despite the way he keeps burdening himself with work and chores and doesn't have too much free time. - Like Kalim, he probably needs someone who is also stable and has balance in their life so they can manage themselves better without needing other's help, he would be impressed his s/o knows how to organize things so well without his help (since he usually ended up being the helping hand most of the time) and wonder if you grow up being by yourself or perhaps used to be the same situation as him... Either way, he would compliment you for your independence and admit it out loud, he isn't a person who saves the praising for nothing. Speaking of that, maybe you could give some compliments to him too in return for his hard work. He is used to praises, but if it comes from you then it just hits differently. It feels like he actually got appreciated genuinely with kindness! - He's a member of the basketball club and is very good at the said sport, so I think he would like a s/o that also has decently good stamina to keep up with him. As in whenever he's busy, you can be there to help him out including all the heavy work too. And don't let his "It's okay, I'm used to it" get to you! Or maybe whenever the chances come, be the one that serves him. No, not as in the literal sense of serving like a servant, but just let him sit down, take a breather, and make sure he got enough rest (and no but for him!) - He won't have a preference much for appearance in my opinion, he is pretty open to any type of look, but perhaps he would like someone who is more expressive or cheerful looking than him. He isn't a very emotional person, so if he sees his partner being lively and happy then he'll unconsciously smile before he realizes it, even though he sighs at first after that realization (He does sigh a lot, but it's more like in a "guess it can't be helped then" kinda way y'know). - Bonus: Acts of gratitude and kindness will get him to fall for someone the most. If his s/o is willing to lend a helping hand or make the work lighter for him, he'll be thankful though he might insist that you don't need to help him (since he is used to it), but don't give up! It always takes time for a person to fall in love, and that includes Jamil so just be patient, your kindness will surely get to his heart 💖

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👑 Vil 👑

- In my opinion, he would have the highest standard when it comes to appearance out of all the characters in here. I mean, he's the housewarden of Pomefiore we're talking about here, his standard is if not, someone that looks like they take care of themselves well at the very least. He will not stand people that don't do self-care or at least pay attention to their appearance! As the sentence goes "How you look is how you treat yourself", he is definitely taking that motto seriously (and no but!). - However, despite his strict nature, he's still a person with a soft side deep down. If his s/o is someone who isn't confident about their appearance or feels like they look "bad", he's here to erase those thoughts away! He'll make sure his s/o is the most shining diamond in the crowd, that they'll look as pretty as him to show how powerful you two are as a couple, and nobody will get to slander you or your look, not when the dorm leader of Pomefiore is here. Those who bully you will never get to see the sunlight again the moment he find out, he can be very terrifying if he's angry after all, and he isn't someone weak either, only fools would dare to pick a fight with him or you - his precious, beautiful partner. - Do try to not get sad if he acts strict around you, since he's always acting like that in pursuit of beauty, and he also wants the best for you. He will remind you to properly take care of yourself both physically and mentally, and make sure you get the best of the best treatment, even if it comes off as a bit harsh. He wants to see one's hard efforts they put into themselves, how much they went through to appear as they want today, it's just like him too, and that's why he'll feel really proud once his words really come through and see how confident you're in your current look and will praise you for it, like serious, genuine praising, and Vil is definitely not someone that give cheap compliments easily! - When it doesn't come to beauty-related topics, he can actually give you useful advice to improve your health or study. Surprises or not, he is very strong despite his elegant, poised look. Of course, you aren't the only one that gets shocked at this. (As you can see what happened to Ace and Deuce) Even better if you take his advice seriously and start taking care of your health, he'll be really proud that you actually listen to him instead of some other stubborn potatoes out there. - Bonus: He is pretty hard to come through, but I believe acts of genuine emotions will get to his heart the most. Instead of praising and admiring his beauty, you could admire the efforts that he put in instead. Tell him that he has gone through a lot, or that he is very hardworking, very attentive or always wants the best for himself. He'll be delighted to hear that's what you like... no, love about him instead of his usual beautiful look. He'll admit it, for a little potato, you sure know how to really appreciate someone else genuinely that even he can feel it 💖

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🍎Epel 🍎

- I think for Epel, he would need someone who wouldn't judge others based on their look and look at their real strength instead. As someone appearing ephemeral and dainty, he would often get called pretty in a way that makes him sound weak, and it's not something he likes at all. So, as his s/o, the first thing you should do is not judging him and treat him equally! He'll like compliments but not those that make him sound too cutesy or fragile. - Maybe his s/o could be someone that has the same situation as him: appearing weak but having a strong and somewhat even rumble personality. You two would get along due to the mutual feelings of understanding each other's struggles. He would find relief knowing someone having the same troubles as him as you guys both talking and laughing to each other, gradually getting relaxed the more you two hung out. Epel rarely ever shows his real self to someone else due to how difficult to make out what he's saying with his accent, but with you, he feels like it's a normal thing as you also show your real side to him as well more than just one time, it's like a mutual thing. It's okay if you didn't get what he meant at first but I think you'll... get it eventually. - I think he would like a s/o that is also physically strong, as he always admires and looks up to Savanaclaw students for that reason, so the moment he found out how easily you can lift up those chairs or have good stamina, our apple boy would be impressed! Even better if you rarely ever show your strength, he will ask you such things like how can you be that strong?? Or teach him your training methods! And maybe he would end up idolizing you even, for how amazing you're to him! - I think he'll like a s/o that is also pretty creative in their work. Since he has a great apple-cutting skill and can turn a normal apple into beautiful pieces of art so they'll attract others better, that's why he'll be impressed seeing someone artistic or creative with turning normal, ordinary things into arts like him. It feels like you're someone who can see the beautiful potential from the plainest thing ever without any judgment beforehand, like how you see the real, hidden strength in him despite his appearance. - Bonus: For someone who is actually very competitive and rumbles on the inside, maybe he'll fall for someone who is on the same level of competitiveness as him. Just you two going around having fun activities, like flying around the school with the broom, playing magishift together, etc. Or even having competitions of the most random thing ever, Epel feels like he doesn't need to restrict himself in any way whatsoever when he's with you, and that would get him to fall for you so much 💖

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🏹Rook🏹

- A true fan of beauty, he would praise anyone with pretty words or being a bit... overwhelming with it. So I think he doesn't really have a big preference since in a sense he would literally call others pretty, but if his s/o is someone who also loves beauty or somehow gets what he means then he'll be so impressed he starts praising you a whole lot instead. (It's his way of showing affection, so I hope you can keep up with it). He tends to find other people interesting in one way or another, and thus he would feel the same about you, so try to not be too startled if he suddenly appears out of nowhere and greets you in French or asks you the most random question ever (whether you expect it or not). He's pretty affectionate in his own way after all. - Although he may look and act like it, I think he can tell when someone has a beautiful heart or not. If his s/o is someone with an admirable, pretty heart then you're about to catch him painting a portrait of you soon enough with tears in his eyes (he means it genuinely though, looking like it or not). People often find him weird due to his eccentric personality so trust me, you aren't the first one that feels like that... but once you get used to it and start talking to him more often, you'll find out that he's actually a really kind, supportive person. He loves encouraging others and seeing their strength, such a sparkly, beautiful thing to see one's willpower! (according to him) - He is also a pretty sociable person, so maybe his s/o could be someone who can be sociable enough or have enough energy to keep up with random conversations, it would be tiring to be in a relationship with someone like him when you don't like socializing now wouldn't it? Of course, as a (surprisingly) attentive person, he'll know how to set the boundary between you two, but he always hopes you're up for a conversation with him since you're so interesting! He's amazed every time he watches over you and your behavior (it's just one of his habits... as a hunter, or so he said). - Since he has a very specific sense of beauty and art, maybe his s/o could also be a fellow appreciator of art and poetry. Not many people are seriously into arts as they would find it rather "old-timed", so the moment he knows, he'll be super whipped with you and the way you view art in your eyes! It doesn't even have to be historical, renascence type of art, if your sense of beauty is unique, he'll be attracted to them as well and to you, that just means you're so special in his eyes~ - Bonus: He is definitely into surprises no doubt! A small bouquet, a random doodle or sketch or even just a compliment will do, he loves it when he receives such beautiful things from you that he might end up shedding tears (again, but it's a good thing y'know) 💖

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To be continued! Stay tuned for part 3~

[teencopandthesourwolf]

“Here!”

Stiles slams something down on the coffee table to the left of Derek's (Stiles's) laptop.

Derek is searching online, only a little psychotically, in the hope of finding a store that sells these very specific organic coffee beans he tried in a hipster coffee house recently. Derek isn't a hipster—he isn't—he just likes nice coffee, is all. Really, he should have asked the barista to find out not just the brand name but their supplier's address too because this is driving him insane. Maybe he is insane? More likely just incredibly shit at the internet, but he thinks he'd prefer to plead insanity if challenged.

Derek unknits his eyebrows and looks down at… a green thing. It's sort of feather shaped and has many spindles with bronzed edges.

It's a leaf.

His eyebrows knit themselves back together as he blinks down at the thing a couple of times.

“It's a leaf,” he says, because he doesn't know what else he's supposed to say.

Then he looks up—and back and forth at Stiles who is now pacing the apartment and alternating between clicking his fingers and flicking his thumbs and shaking his arms out at the sides of his body; his stimming can get pretty extra when he's anxious.

Derek's frown deepens with immediate concern. He must've really been deep in it with the infuriating Google searching to not have noticed the smell of Stiles's distress when his mate first arrived home.

“Hey, what's—”

“Yes, Derek, it's a leaf. It is a leaf that I brought all the way home. For you. From the cemetery.”

He's still pacing.

“Okay, well do you want to tell me—“

“It's an Apology Leaf. Obviously.”

Obviously.

“And, Derek, do not laugh, because—"

“I won't but could you just—“

“—this isn't funny. I'm ridiculous, I know, and I know that that's funny. But this? This is decidedly deeply unfunny, alright? This is totally not at all funny, Derek. It's like, a thing without one tiny ounce of humour in it, as in not the slightest bit funny in a gazillion sombre years. Do you hear me?” He inhales deeply, holds the breath, then blows it out harshly via puffed-out cheeks as he clicks and flails some more.

Derek hears Stiles and is of course prepared to wait for him to explain whatever this is, because Derek would wait for Stiles until the end of time, if he had to. Although that's not likely a thing to happen in any reality as this is Stiles who can't go for longer than fifteen seconds without talking. But still, Derek thinks it's the sentiment that counts. 

“You, Derek Hale, are good, and someone as good as you deserves somebody far, far better than a ratbag like me. Hence the leaf,” Stiles now tells him in a rush of even more confusing words, his chemo-signals tinged with shame for some worrying reason Derek is yet to discern.

Stiles glances over anxiously from his place of animated, mysterious penance—and then looks away again just as quickly while still trying to wear footprints into the recently painted varnish on the wooden floor of their new apartment.

Derek is clueless as to the cause of Stiles's meltdown, but neither things are a first. Stiles struggles sometimes—just like Derek does, who has plenty of his own outbursts (albeit more moody than vocal) that Stiles has to Private Dick his way through.

Derek is also trying his best not to worry too much about thinking that this is somehow his fault, so now sets his mind on attempting to marry these seemingly unrelated things in his head.

He thinks about the facts he's been presented with:

What is, at an educated guess, a Pacific Yew leaf.

and

Stiles's rather unhinged and self-deprecating dig at himself-slash-compliment for Derek.

...Yeah, no, he's not getting better at this game any time soon. 

“Uh,” he says helpfully, and Stiles rolls his eyes in that Do I really have to do everything myself around here? way of his which, rude.

Good job Derek loves the kook.

“It was just sitting there, on top of my mom's gravestone when I got there,” Stiles says quietly, incredulously, gesturing at the innocuous leaf.

Then he's off again with the pacing.

“And I knew, straight away, I knew,” he says, getting louder again and laughing in this accusatory sort of way, pointing somewhere into the ether, eyes manic.

Derek scratches his nose. He hopes he will soon know, too, because honestly, he's kind of blindfolded in the dark here.

“She was obviously telling me what a dipshit I was! What a douche I am! A massive ass-hat! Total loser!”

“I mean, that's mostly fair, but maybe total loser is a little strong.” Derek will often speak Stiles's language when Stiles is freaking out, using humour to try and ground him. 

Stiles carries on as if Derek hadn’t said anything.

“And I was like, Come on, mom, give me a break, will you? and she was like Seriously, Mischief? You really wouldn't let the special person in your life, your special little guy—”

“You can just say boyfriend, Stiles.”

“—come with you to the cemetery to visit me? Like, as if with that leaf she was reminding me that you are the one person who actually gets this shit, which, I do know. Of fucking course I know. And then—get this—I swear to God, Derek, I felt her literally slapping me upside the head! No fucking word of a lie, man. Like, thousands wouldn't believe me. Millions. They'd say that it must have been the wind or my incredibly vivid imagination. But I know, Der. I know that it was her,” Stiles continues with the confession without stopping for breath.

Derek has thought it before and he'll think it again: the kid's lung capacity is seriously impressive.

“And I also know that I totally should've said yes when you asked me if I wanted you to come with me to the cemetery this morning. Because the thing is, I did want you to. I really, really did. But I just… I just…”

Stiles starts slapping himself on the forehead with both his hands and Derek has had enough of that already. He gets up off the sofa and walks over to Stiles, catching those slim wrists in his grip, gentle yet firm.

“Please don't,” Derek says, imploring Stiles to stop. Derek can understand frustration, but can't stand Stiles hurting himself.

Stiles deflates a little. He then takes a step towards Derek and leans in, resting his forehead against Derek's, their noses lining up like penguins.

“I just—I should have said yes to you when you asked because I honestly, truthfully wanted you there. It's just that I've only ever been there with my Dad. And even then, not as many times as you might think. Not even Scotty has been there with me. It's just a place—it's usually something I do alone. You know?” Stiles' front teeth worry at his pretty lip. 

And yes, Derek does know.

So he says, “Because you feel guilt, right? Even though there isn't a thing in this universe or any other that you should feel guilty about.”

Guilt just for being alive. 

Slightly cross-eyed with the proximity and angle, Stiles looks at Derek in a way that says he knows just how much Derek knows about this stuff.

“Yeah. Yes, exactly. And I guess I didn't know how to be that with somebody else around.”

“But Stiles, that's completely—”

“No, Der. It isn't, actually. Because you're not just somebody else. It's you. And I'm in love with you.” Stiles finally takes a breath while Derek's heart is busy swelling to twice it's size. He will never tire of hearing Stiles Stilinski say those words to him. “And I absolutely should've trusted in that. In us.”

It is, of course, completely fine that Stiles went to the cemetery alone to visit his mother, but Derek also gets where the kid is coming from. He too takes a breath, now, a big one, because this kind of stuff doesn't come as easily for him as it does Stiles.

He swallows his nerves and pushes on.

“I love you, Stiles. And it's alright that we're not perfect. Neither of us are. Us—you and me—we're both just… Finding our way.”

After a moment, Stiles adds, “Together.”

They smile at each other like huge dorks.

“Yeah.” Derek breathes, and his heart might just burst.

Derek scents Stiles, and Stiles breathes deeply too, now. “Thanks,” he says, then Derek kisses him, just as deep and for a long while, because it's his favourite thing to do in the whole damn world.

Eventually Derek pulls back, runs a thumb over Stiles's mouth and says, “You know what?”

Stiles's brow lifts inquisitively.

Derek lets go of Stiles's wrist and takes his hand instead, leading him back to the sofa and sitting them both down squarely by the coffee table where he had been sat fruitlessly Googling not so long ago.

“I believe you,” Derek says.

Stiles frowns. “Huh?” It's his turn to be confused.

“Millions wouldn't, but I believe you, Stiles. About your mom.”

He reaches across and picks up the Apology Leaf, cradling it for a brief moment in his palm before nudging at Stiles's hand and urging him to take it, which he does.

Derek then grabs the laptop, side-eyeing his previous Google search—WHO NEAR ME SELLS PHOENIX ROAST ORGANIC COFFEE BEANS THAT TASTE LIKE HOME—and forcing himself not to get instantly sucked back into that particularly vexing nightmare, while also trying his best to angle the screen away from Stiles who, if he saw, would fall off the sofa laughing at Derek's admittedly pathetic research skills.

Not everybody is a… Technophile? Cyberpunk? Derek has no fucking clue about any of this shit.

With Stiles now passing comment on the aesthetic qualities of the Apology Leaf, Derek uses both index fingers to tap out the words of the thing he wants to look up, taking no notice of Stiles who is trying his annoying not-very-best to smirk at Derek's sorry efforts in Derek's periphery. Clicking through a few different links, this time Derek manages to find what he's after without any trouble, amazingly. He then hands the laptop over to Stiles, who carefully places the leaf down on the arm of the sofa beside him before fully taking the computer from Derek. 

Stiles purses those pretty lips of his as he scans the information on screen, squinting a little.

“Uh, well yeah. It's like you said, Der; It's a leaf. From a Yew, according to this.”

Derek rolls his eyes. “Your mother's ghost is infinitely more clever than you.” Stiles's squint deepens further. “Stiles, she is absolutely spot on about this. Just—scroll down the page a bit, dumbass,” and he ducks his head and smiles, seeing as accusing Stiles of Internet-related Dumbassery is really fucking funny because, irony. 

Stiles tuts but does as he's told.

Derek gives him a minute to read the passage on the website he found. It says:

The Yew tree can live for many, many years. It has deep connections with magic and the universe. It was regarded as the protector of the soul by the ancient Greeks. You’ll find this tree planted at many burial sites throughout the world as it’s recognized as a guardian of the dead.

It is believed that Odin (from the Nordic legend) hung himself from the Yew for nine days and nights. It’s symbolic of its everlasting and regenerative properties and is often associated with transformation and change after a difficult time. The Celtic tradition honours the Yew tree for symbolising death and rebirth.

Stiles is smiling this gorgeous, open smile by the time he's finished reading, and Derek makes an unrealistic wish to be able to keep it there forever.

“So, you were right,” Derek says, “when you said that she knew. You were just a little mixed up about what, is all.” Derek takes another deep breath. “What your mom knows is that you got the chance to begin again, Stiles. After all the shit we went through, you actually got to start over. With somebody who will absolutely protect your soul with their life.”

Stiles suddenly blinks furiously, like somebody just threw salt in his eyes.

“And you knew it, that she knew... something,” Derek smiles back, lovingly, before that smile turns a little wry. “It's just that you were kind of—now, how should I put this…?”

“No. Do not do it!” Stiles shouts—instantly catching on because he'd easily be the brightest bulb in any box—and he's pointing again, at Derek this time. “Puns are my stupid thing, you charlatan, and I can and will sue!” he warns, outraged yet smiling again as he wipes at his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt.

“—barking up the wrong tree,” Derek finishes, his smile now positively wolfish.

Stiles shakes his head and narrows his eyes, but he's chuckling, too as he says, “You do remember that it's you who's the canine in this relationship, right, 'wolf? If anybody's going to be making barking sounds, it's you.”

“Speciesist,” Derek quips.

Stiles pokes his tongue out. Then he's quiet for a few seconds (but definitely no more than fifteen).

“You know, I really was wrong when I said you deserve better than me. We actually absolutely deserve each other, Hale. Because it turns out we are both humongous assholes.”

After a moment, Derek grins more.

“Well, I would have answered that with I love my asshole, but you had to go and use the word humongous, and there's no way I would say that about my asshole—even though I would have technically been talking about you when I said it, seeing as it's actually you that is my favourite asshole.” And he pulls a rare, goofy face, just for Stiles, who laps it up. “Also, thinking about it, I would also have to say that loving my actual asshole is, in fact," he points at Stiles, “your job.” 

Stiles dramatically slaps a hand over Derek's mouth.

“Oh my God, Derek, stop! My ghostly mother could be listening in to us right now! Jeez, dude, have a little decorum, won't you?!” And if Stiles saying that isn't ironic, Derek really doesn’t know what is.

“Sorry, mom!” 

Grinning even more, Derek pushes Stiles's hand away from his face.

“Hey, wanna know the coolest thing?” he asks.

“Why in the name of anything sacred did you bother posing that as a question, Der? Like, when would I ever say no to that?”

Derek leans over and kisses Stiles again, soft and languid this time. The boy's lips are dry and warm and he tastes just like autumn.

Stiles hums and smiles into Derek's mouth as if he really, truly does love Derek. 

After another glorious moment, Derek pulls back, looks at Stiles and says, “Yew trees aren't even native to this part of California.”

.

for @greyhavenisback my beloved <3 sorry i'm a dipshit, douche, massive ass-hat and a total loser, sometimes xp

(i got the info on tree symbolism HERE btw)

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

I don't know who needs to hear this, but you should make an OC.

You should make an OC. Specifically a Spider-Sona. Like now. Preferably yesterday. [A MEDIUM-LONG essay about OC's, fanfiction, and how to enrich and better your writing skills in literally every sector. Throughout this essay I reference my two characters Disco-Spider and Inca-Spider as examples of the way OCs can be used.]

_________________________________________

"But no one cares about OCs -"

OKKAYYYY??

IDK about ya'll but fandom is NOT my final destination no siree

I feel like a lot of the time we get so caught up in posting and notes we forget that for many artists and writers on this platform - fanfiction is not the true end goal.

Many of us write and draw fanart for years -

But the fact of the matter is if you want to be an author someday, if you want to be a graphic novelist, an animator, etc, etc - You're going to HAVE to make OCs.

If you want to study English in college or publish books - you're gonna have to write an OC at least once. If not hundreds of times.

If you want to study art - chances are at some point you're gonna have to fill a portfolio with original pieces, including some of OCs.

If you want to do something with your writing, if you want to get better - or make a career out of your art, you HAVE to make OCs at some point.

And this is especially true for fanfiction writers.

You can get very very very good at writing in your specific fandoms, you may have the emotions of the characters on point, and the ability to describe the scenery.

But if you don't know how to create and design a character - if you don't know how to worldbuild, or come up with scenarios without the help of characterai and ChatGPT - you won't be able to write a book.

If you're an artist and you don't know how to draw an original character from scratch, how to match colors, how to draw certain skin tones, certain hair, wheelchairs and mobility aids, how to design a character from looks, to clothing - it's going to be so hard to expand your art outside of fanart. You'll always be beholden to the notes and popularity of your particular fandom.

Do it - even if you've never written or never draw before. Even better.

That's why I CHAMPION Spider-sonas so much. They're basically OCs on easy mode.

Can't write backgrounds yet? Here's a bucket on canon events to pick from? Can't draw faces? Blank mask with eyes.

Hell, if you're really really new about it - just pick a character and make a slightly different variant. Make a Hobie of your own, make a Peter variant. Make a Mary Jane variant. Pick a something you like and turn that into a character.

Can't write? Just fill-in the 'My name is [blank], I was bitten by a [blank]' script that Miles does. Can't draw, just draw out a basic shape of a body and color-out the suit, no fancy pose needed. That still counts!!

Make a self-insert. Make yourself fit into the story, design your suit, write out how you fight crime, how you'd act at the Society, meeting Miguel or Miles.

That's still character design, that's still worldbuilding.

We always hear people say 'Make art for yourself' and yeah that sounds nice - but people also misinterpret it.

Make art for yourself doesn't just mean making art that you personally like.

Making art for yourself also means making art that develops your skills even if no one gives a fuck. It's about making art as practice without the intention of it being 'completed', making OCs that never get used, drawing locations you see or writing a random ass short story then shoving it into your Google Drive forever.

Making art for yourself means making art that invests in yourself.

It means making art that interests you, challenges you, or helps you develop.

And making OC's helps develop your fanfic writing skills.

In may fandoms we begin to fall into these routine 'tropes' between characters and their personalities. This is usually known as the 'fanon' characterization.

Because when you have a set amount of characters and people, there's also a set amount of interactions and relationships between those people.

Writing OCs and having those OCs interact with canon characters allows you to dig deeper into sides of the canon characters we'd never otherwise see.

That's why I wrote Disco-Spider Diane like I do. Often, we see Hobie characterized as the chaotic, rowdy, confident type - which is perfect characterization for him. But in almost all of his interactions - he's the wilder, bolder, extroverted one. I wanted to put him in a situation where for once, he was the calmer one. I wanted to explore more grounded and chill sides of Hobie, one where he's the one grounding the other, and thinking logically - because in canon, we're hinted at a side of Hobie who's way more methodical and slow-paced and willing to stop and wait it out and play it off. And I wanted to see that. I wanted to explore what he'd do if he was faced with someone just as chaotic, who put on a cheeky ironic act - just the same as him.

Because no other characters serve that purpose in canon.

If there are elements of a character or concept you think are interesting but outright ignored by canon and fanon, you can create an OC to explore those parts.

For Disco-Spider: I wanted to explore how someone like a militant Black Panther would handle being Spider-woman, when Spider-people are usually shown as pacifists - what that would look like or how it'd shape her morals based on era, etc. For Inca-Spider: I realized there were so many culture based Spider people like Pavitr and Spider-UK. But none for indigenous communities, and NONE from countries that only existed in other universes. So, I created an indigenous character from Tawanti - a country that's located where Peru would be for us.

You can give a canon character a sibling, to explore how they'd interact with family. Give them a partner that acts totally different than their canon partner, write how that'd change the way they show love.

OC's make your original writing better, AND your fanfiction writing too. They can help you understand canon characters on a deeper level.

And sure, nobody likes your OC. NOW.

But every single character you write about, is someones OC. Every character you write about was once treated that way. Once upon a time, Dean Winchester was just some rando character in the pilot script of a show that hadn't picked up yet. Probably no one gave a fuck until CW picked it up.

The writers had to not only make him and develop him - they had to BELIEVE in him enough to pitch him to a TV show channel to make people care.

That's always the first step. Believing your character's story is worthy enough of being told and presenting it as such.

ESPECIALLY if your OC represents a demographic you don't see represented. Cause yes if there isn't any black women in canon then I'll Thanos this shit and do it myself.

Make OCs.

Write them. Draw them. Even if it's bad. Who the hell cares. Big Mouth is on Netflix with multiple seasons, have you seen that show?? 'Ugly' art is not a crime.

Make piccrews, fill out OCforms or take quiz's as them. Write little blurbs of them hanging with canon characters then post it in the tag.

You don't need a huge Spidersona sheet or a long long fic explaining their backstory. They can just be there.

MAKE OCs.

Make them to explore more in your fanfiction, make them so future you can write that novel or draw or that comic or sell those prints or whatever it is you plan to do.

Make it so your fanfiction AND original writing can grow stronger. It isn't just about notes and content and follows.

Make an OC. Make a Spidersona. Literally you have nothing to lose but your chains.

"Nobody cares-"

Oh they'll care when you pop out with that 6-book publishing deal. They'll care when you're designing big characters for movies. Cause that's how it happens. Watch.

ANYWAYSSSS if you made it this far I hope this inspired you to at least play around with the idea of OCs and Spidersonas in general.

Here's Hobie.

BYE.

If you want to make a sona and are kinda lost on where to start, lemme know!! Because I think they're amazing starting places for those who have never written or drawn before. Or if you have a sona but want to develop them further.

I haven't seen a guide to spidersonas and i wonder if that's something some people might want/need.

Seriously if I can even get one person into writing or drawing I'll be over the goddamn moon.

MAKE OCS PLEASE.

[thissying]

Any max lore you wish fic writers knew about?

Hi! This turned out to be so much more and yet so much less than you probably wanted to know! If anyone feels like adding on or if you have specific questions, go ahead.

I'm not sure why you chose me for this but let me (finally) give it a go. I have to say though, that it's been ages since I've read fic (time issues and I've had my own one on my mind and I've deluded myself into thinking I will actually write it and I can't read fic because then I will lose the tiny bit of confidence and incentive I may have) so I'm not sure I know Max lore that is commonly missing from fic or that writers don't know about and should. So I'll just throw some things out there.

There are simple facts - favourite food, favourite music etc. - that can be found in most interviews (this one is 3 years old but covers that quite a bit). There's more in-depth Max lore in Whatever It Takes and Anatomy of a Champion (I don't know if you can find that subtitled anywhere though).

This is not so much lore but for young/early Max characterisation, I think if you're Dutch and you've managed to catch his early Peptalk interviews, it's obvious he's been outspoken but also has had a great sense of humour since very early on.

I don't know if it's interesting for writers but because sometimes people write Max as if he'd been a friendless loner until he met Daniel (or still is except for Daniel): he's been best friends with Stan Pex his entire life, the boy who he saw driving a kart when he was 4 years old which made him go: I want that, too. And then Jos and Stan's dad started working together and had 3 Pex kids and Max in their kart team. One of them, Jorrit, is now married to Max's aunt (Sophie's sister).

The one I found pretty shocking for a kid was that he was 11 years old when he saw a 19 year old fellow karter (Thomas Knopper) have an accident and pass away on the track.

On a brighter note. In the 'oh really, Max?' category. In the end of August 2017 episode of Peptalk, he was asked about hanging out with other drivers and Daniel in particular and he said that no, they don't hang out. He prefers hanging out with his oldest best friends. He sees him enough at the track already, you know? And then there's this picture from a few weeks before.

Max and Martin Garrix lore. In 2014 Max won the Young Talent Award that was supposed to be presented to him by Martijn but Max was in a taxi in England at the time and the live-feed kept disconnecting. They were in touch a bit after that and then they spontaneously ran into each other one time while on holiday at Ibiza and they hit it off right away ("he's also fairly normal, like me, no crazy stuff or situations.") - Formule1, 2023/2024 issue

And not just Max-specific lore but my pet peeve very important for all F1 fic writers to know: the FIA does doping testing, also during winter-break.