#I sort of went on a bit of a tangent I think...

[zylphiacrowley]

I must know what changes come over X'vahl when he's hungry

I just answered that one in the literal sense here, so I can get metaphorical with it if you'd like. Let me just queue up that Florence + the Machine song real quick (lol)

So hunger as more of a metaphor, like a deep longing or desire for something.

I feel like he tries to tell himself he doesn't want for much, and maybe he doesn't, but I think deep down he has a hunger for freedom. He gets anxious when he's stuck in a single place too long, like he needs to travel, he needs to see new places and absorb more knowledge about the people there (honestly Dawntrail was always going to be exciting for him even if it really was just a big vacation arc). I think that being the Warrior of Light has become a bit of a double edged sword for him in the sense that it has allowed him to more easily and freely travel to places he never could've imagined, but at the same time, being WoL and having that that compulsion to help anyone who asks has shackled him a bit more than he'd like. He's got this fight going on internally pulling him in both directions. Curious how this will play out for him in the future. Maybe he'll break, wouldn't that be fun to watch? :)

....Aaaaaaanyway, this ask might have gotten away from me a bit. ^^'

[priyajoyy]

It will be really cool to see bunny snap and like go dark, like something in her switched and she turned cold, mean and gets like a bloodlust.

Much to the enjoyment of her girls, who are shocked but encourage her to lean into it. Especially shauna

Went on such a tangent with this one icl

Noooo it’s gonna be so intense

She 100% snaps when all the stuff with Ben happens although I don’t think she’d get too mean or anything yet, just super protective

Like she’ll still never want to actively hurt anyone for no reason

Like she’s not gonna be like Shauna, hurting people for the fun of it, or Lottie who’s hurting Travis bunny and akilah through trying to use them for her own good

She’ll only be aggressive or harmful when absolutely necessary, but even her ability to do that is a shock to the girls

After being forced to cut bens foot she’s so protective of him, spending every waking minute she’s allowed to, by his side (which Lottie makes sure is at least an hour or two a day, seeing how you seek comfort in him and no longer seeing him as a threat in his state because what is he gonna do??)

If any of the other girls try to properly talk to him or go near him she turns into a bit of a rabid dog, terrified one of them will hurt him again or take him away from her

When Natalie actually kills him bunny is destroyed

Deep down she knows it was for the best but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t sob and cry like an insane person when the last person that was truly on her side, is gone

Especially when she fully blames herself, being the one that brought the girls to him, and the one that cut him (even if Shauna literally forced her to with the threat of killing him)

It doesn’t help that Bunny believes all of lotties wilderness stuff, so finding out her way home is gone, and because of her own doing, takes her to her breaking point, coming to a realisation that she’ll never get home (which is ofc not true)

She becomes a lot more unhinged at this point (especially with whatever’s gonna go on with the hikers)

However at this point, I think she’s gonna get more depressed than she is agressive

Not having many reasons to act out against the others without Ben to protect

She’ll definitely be more comfortable with getting bloody and dark with the other girls if necessary now, something which Shauna will take advantage of

However I think that mentally this idea of it being her fault that their bridge is dead and they’re never getting home will make her basically give up on any sort of hopes of returning to normalcy like she had before and lean into the idea of staying in the wilderness for the rest of her life, even thinking it was her purpose or destiny

Which also makes it so easy for her to completely submit herself to Nat Shauna and Lottie again, having Lottie whispering in her ear constantly that it’s her purpose to serve them

Why else would the bridge have been killed?? So that you could stay there with them

For her big snap, that will definitely be after they get rescued

It’ll probs take a while for her to recover (although they all never fully will) and she clings to trying to return back to normal as instantly as possible

At first she allows the other survivors to keep contact with her, basically a case of Stockholm syndrome even though she’s still lowkey scared of them

She’s scared to let them go and seeks out some sort of twisted toxic comfort from them and the idea of returning to the wilderness

However eventually she cuts off contact pretty harshly, a couple years into being back and once she’s had her first baby (Shauna having basically caused the cut off for all of them)

Her son and seeing how territorial Shauna was becoming over Jack was her breaking point, and now she’s cut them all out of her life she tells her husband about everything that happened and gets a lot better from separating from them

Benjamin helps her realise how bad their relationships were (bunny having been somewhat aware but also not at the same time??) and is a big help in her recovery and getting better after not only the wilderness, but their relationships too

She turns into a very different person from the bunny they all knew, and when they all meet again in the adult time line the girls are shocked at how different she is

She’s extremely protective of her family above all else and she’s not scared of the girls anymore, and she certainly isn’t gonna start letting them control her and take over her life she’s worked sooo hard to look after

Slight spoiler for where her story is going

(she kills someone ok girlboss 😋)

But her and Benjamin are so in charge

They’re such a girlboss family honestly

Like they’re not afraid to get their hands dirty and bunny is definitely not getting herself incriminated in a bunch of Shauna’s bullshit

They’re so in control of their shit that van asks if they got their money from being in the mafia?? (Such a van thing to ask)

At the end of the day they’re all just sooooo shocked that sweet little bunny is capable of now

But more surprisingly that she’s not willing to do anything lottie, Shauna and Nat say now, something they struggle to come to terms with

[yuukei-yikes]

dude i'm sorry for all the kanoshin posting but like the way shintaro immediately forgives kano for telling him as ayano how it was all his fault. what shintaro went through was so awful he lost all his friends and his Best friend committed suicide after apparently saying "it's YOUR fault for never noticing" like that shit does irreparable damage to ur well being bro. for all this time shintaro thought it was HIS FAULT that ayano killed herself

and when kano admits it was him who said that shintaro doesn't isolate it from everything else kano was going through at that moment, so he doesn't hold it against him and he forgives him so easily. and that bit is from shintaro's pov so when we switch back to kano and he's so guilty and sort of in disbelief shintaro doesn't hate him. sorry that entire part with kano's pov in the seventh novel reads SO extremely romantic towards shintaro it's crazy. maybe i'm just gay but "he used to smile at my sister in a different way than he'd smile for everyone else. now he's smiling at me just like that" girl. EXCUSE ME. i didnt even care about kanoshin when i first read the seventh novel btw and i was still like oh so kano's into him. got it.

like shintaro's the victim to probably the most cruel thing kano's ever done to someone and he FORGIVES HIM so for kano who hates himself it's like. something something he sees me at my worst and still has the nerve to be kind to me. something something.

and in between all that there's kido and mary like god shintaro ur so lameeee, and kano in his mind is like i think he's cool actually.... im not saying it out loud though. he's down so bad for him it's so funny because it switches from all those convoluted guilty feelings to kano sort of twiling his hair like omg he's so heroic. and it's kind of endearing

kano's crush on shintaro is infuriatingly well written it's crazy. and it's even crazier that it's by accident and then u read the stuff not written directly by jin like the anthologies and the manga and instead they go for the weird incest shit, it's so jarring lol. and i'm not saying jin intended for it to be romantic. in fact it seems to me at least like jin thinks haruka and shintaro are the gayest ones?? just from how he jokes around and stuff. but it's funny how he wrote all that for kano but NOOOO kano's like such a flirt with women he's totally a lady's man. what's REALLY gay is haruka and shintaro crying in front of each other. can u imagine, boys... crying and being vulnerable with each other... hahhh so gay!!! girl maybe but RIGHT before that u wrote haruka going on about how he realizes he's into takane romantically precisely because HE'S NOT into shintaro romantically. like it is very much a point he makes. sorry that was a side tangent. anyways.

[kikyoupdates]

Girlfriend-For-Hire ⭑˚🦋⭑ 𝟶𝟽

yandere!ocs x f!reader

yandere, reverse harem, yandere reverse harem, original characters x fem!reader, slowburn, slowburn yandere

Hoping to try something new and earn a bit of money on the side, you join an app that lets people hire you for your dating services. The idea is pretty straightforward — you pose as the client's girlfriend for a brief period of time, and in turn, you receive payment. But you didn't foresee everyone getting so attached to you, and suddenly, they're no longer satisfied with a fabricated relationship.

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“Come here, little ducks. I’ve got a bunch of yummy seeds for you guys to eat.” 

You crouch down, leaning closer to the edge of the lake as you scatter seeds across the water’s surface. They all come flocking around, trying to gather the food up as quickly as they can.

“They like it,” you beam towards Liam. “Good idea bringing all these seeds along. It’s been a while since I got to do something like this.” 

Liam smiles back. “Don’t mention it. You look like you’re having fun.” 

“Mhm! I love animals. They’re so cute and interesting. And even if we don’t completely understand them, it’s cool how they find different ways of communicating with us.” 

“Yeah, there’s all kinds of crazy stuff going on in the animal kingdom. Animals are a lot smarter than some people give them credit for.” Liam pauses for a moment, then sheepishly scratches his head. “When I was younger I actually wanted to become a veterinarian. But obviously there’s a lot of work that goes into that sort of thing. Even if I went to university, I’m not sure I would’ve had what it takes.” 

Axel leans over his boyfriend’s shoulder and pouts. “Don’t say that, babe. You’re super smart. You always learn things way faster than I do. I bet you could have easily done it. And it’s never too late to start, right?” 

“It’s fine,” Liam chuckles, tousling Axel’s hair. “It’s not like I’m not happy with my current career. I was just imagining another outcome, that’s all.” 

“Well, if you ever find something else you want to try, I’ll be right behind you. You should be able to do whatever makes you happy.” 

Axel wraps his arms around Liam and gives him a big hug, and even though this date is technically supposed to be between all three of you, you can’t help but feel like you’re slightly out of place. They’ve just got such a sweet and lovey-dovey relationship. It’s enough to make you blush. 

“Thanks for saying you’d support me,” Liam smiles. He squeezes Axel’s hand, then crouches down beside you. “Anyways, I didn’t mean to go off on a tangent. I just wanted to say I really like animals too. Oh!” 

His eyes widen, and at first you’re not sure why, but then you follow his gaze and realize that one of the smaller ducks has decided to climb out of the water. It stands up on its cute webbed feet, spends a few moments shaking its tail feathers off, then proceeds to tilt its head at you and stare. 

“I think it might want to say hi,” Liam whispers, being careful not to scare the duck off. 

“That or it wants more birdseed,” you whisper back. 

“Ah. Yeah, that’s probably it.” 

“I’ve heard ducks can be pretty aggressive, you know,” Axel remarks to no one in particular. You notice that he’s not getting close to the duck like you and Liam. He’s probably not that big on animals.

“You’re probably thinking of geese,” Liam dismisses. 

“Nah, ducks too. I’ve definitely heard that they can get really territorial and stuff.” 

“Is that why you’re standing so far back? Because you’re scared of this one little duck?” 

“...no.” 

Axel crosses his arms and frowns, but he still doesn’t step up, so honestly, it’s not too convincing. 

You and Liam exchange knowing looks, even chuckling a few times under your breaths, but before you can consider teasing Axel any more, the duck walks right up to you and lets out a proud, resounding quack. 

“Aww,” you gush. “Look at this cutie.” 

“He’s adorable,” Liam nods in agreement. “Here, little guy. We’ve still got lots of seeds left for you.” 

Both of you hold out hands filled with birdseed. The duck takes a moment to ponder its options, then starts pecking at the seeds directly from your palm. You giggle at the sensation of its beak nuzzling your skin. 

“Damn, lucky!” Liam whines. “I want to feed him too.” 

“We can take turns. Here, I’ll pull my hand away so he can go over to you next.” 

You do just that, and unsurprisingly, the duck heads directly towards the nearest source of food. Liam’s eyes are practically glowing with excitement as he watches the duck happily eat straight from his hand. 

Axel shakes his head. “Man. Aren’t you guys scared he’ll bite your fingers off?” 

“Ducks don’t have teeth, Axel,” Liam sighs. He gives you a look that seems to say, ‘Sorry about him. He’s hardly a duck connoisseur.’ 

“But they can still bite, I’m pretty sure.” 

“Are you seriously scared of ducks? How am I just now finding out about this?” 

“Pfft.” You giggle and tentatively reach a hand out while Liam feeds the duck, and as chance as would have it, the duck sits still and lets you pet its back (much to Axel’s horror). 

Honestly, if it was up to just you and Liam, you probably would have played with the ducks for an absurd amount of time, but you feel bad that Axel isn’t being included in this activity, so you suggest doing something else. 

“That was fun, but you mentioned wanting to get something to eat, right?” 

“Yes,” Axel says, exhaling loudly. “Yes, finally. No more ducks. I don’t want to see any more ducks ever again.” 

Liam shakes his head. “I still can’t believe my boyfriend is scared of ducks.” 

“I already said I’m not scared of them! Anyways, whatever! Let’s just go!” 

He storms off comically, and once again, you and Liam proceed to look at each other and burst out laughing.

You walk back the way you came from and eventually leave the park. Axel already seems to have a few places in mind for where you can go to grab food, and he looks excited to voice his suggestions. 

“This place has really good reviews,” Axel beams as he swings the front door open. 

“I’m sure it’ll be great. You always know how to pick them,” Liam encourages. Axel nods happily and steps inside the restaurant, and while his back is turned, Liam leans in to whisper in your ear. “Please just humor him. Even if the food’s bad, try not to let it show. He gets really bummed out about these kinds of things.” 

So, he’s scared of ducks and also gets all pouty when things don’t go his way. That’s kind of cute.

You sit down at one of the booths and start skimming through the menu. Thankfully, it looks pretty promising. Odds are that everything will taste great and Axel’s feelings will be spared.

You end up being seated right in between Axel and Liam, which feels a bit strange, since it’s sort of like you’re acting as a barrier between the couple. They seem fine with it though, and you suppose this is supposed to be a date involving you as well. So far it’s felt more like hanging out with your friends, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially since you’re getting paid on top of everything else. 

“What are you gonna get, [Name]?” 

Axel leans over, bumping shoulders with you in the process. The booth is big enough for the three of you to sit comfortably, but he isn’t shy about getting close. The lack of distance makes your face heat up a little bit. These guys really are way too attractive for their own good. 

“I’m not sure yet,” you admit, hoping it’s not too obvious that you’re blushing. “What about you? Have you already decided?” 

“Sure have,” he grins. “I’m getting the steak. And the ribs. And the spicy hot wings.”

That’s a lot of protein…

“Axel has a big appetite,” Liam says, flipping through the menu. “I keep telling him he eats way too much meat and needs more variety in his diet, but he doesn’t listen.” 

“How is my fault that meat tastes so good?” 

“Your body’s going to hate you one day when you’re not young and fit. I also don’t understand how your skin always looks so nice, even with all the junk you eat.” Liam sighs and lightly pats his cheeks. “Meanwhile, I break out constantly if I’m not careful.”

“Being a model full-time sure sounds difficult,” you frown. “I obviously don’t know all the details, but I’ve heard it’s really hard always staying in perfect shape.” 

“It depends. Some people you work with are more lenient than others, but yeah. I’ve definitely met my fair share of assholes that made me adhere to ridiculous standards. That’s just the industry, though. It’s super competitive, so you need to be willing to go above and beyond. Which is why I’m getting a salad today.” 

“He works so hard,” Axel sniffles. “I would literally kill myself if I ever had to eat a salad.” 

You chuckle, but in all honesty, you doubt he was kidding.

Eventually, you figure out what you want to eat, and soon enough, the server comes back with all your orders. Axel’s dishes alone cover the majority of the table. Setting aside the fact that it’s literally just meat, the sheer quantity that he’s about to consume is enough to make you feel ill.

You decide to avoid looking at his side of the table and just focus on yourself.

“It’s good,” you remark, and you’re not just saying that to make Axel happy. The food is good. Going to this restaurant was the right decision after all. 

“My salad’s really good too,” Liam nods. 

“How good can it possibly be? It’s a salad,” Axel shudders, as if merely uttering the word causes him immense pain. 

Liam shoots him a pointed glare out of the corner of his eye, and Axel proceeds to take a big bite out of his ribs, unbothered. Meanwhile, you struggle to hide the smile spreading across your lips. Being with these two is a lot of fun. 

“Oh. [Name], you’ve got a little something on your face,” Axel suddenly remarks. 

“I do?” 

Your face reddens. How embarrassing. You’re not usually a messy eater, which is why you’re surprised to see Axel reaching towards you with a napkin. You squeeze your eyes shut so he can gently pat the napkin across the corners of your mouth.

“Th-Thanks,” you say. “I appreciate it.” 

Axel grins. “It’s no big deal. There were only a few crumbs. I just wanted to try doing that. So, now it’s your turn, right?” 

He gestures towards the little patches of sauce on his face, which you were debating telling him about, but he clearly seems aware. It’s no surprise he’s made a mess, considering the loaded meal he’s been chowing down on.

You chuckle softly. “Alright, then. Hold still so I can clean this up for you.” 

Axel beams at you, clearly happy as can be. He didn’t initially strike you as the type who enjoys being spoiled, but then again, he’s scared of ducks and refuses to eat vegetables, so perhaps it’s not all that surprising. 

Your back is turned towards Liam the whole while, so it goes without saying that you don’t notice the pained look in his eyes.

“All done,” you say, and Axel sighs disappointedly. 

“That felt so nice,” he whines. “Will you play with my hair later? I love it when Liam plays with my hair.” 

“I can just do that for you at home,” Liam suggests, a slight desperation in his voice. 

“But I want [Name] to do it for me,” Axel insists. He wraps an arm around your shoulder and pulls you close while grinning. “[Name]’s so cute and nice. I can’t believe you’re not actually dating someone for real. People are seriously missing out.” 

You blush again. The flattery is practically nonstop with this guy. Well, you suppose you aren’t complaining, and it's nice to know that he’s having a good day. 

“...yeah. She’s really cute and nice,” Liam mumbles in agreement. He smiles at you, briefly, then turns away and starts poking at his salad. 

For just a second, his expression looked a bit off. Were you imagining it? 

“Man, I don’t want today to end,” Axel sighs, still hugging you. “I can’t wait for us to do this again. You’re fine with that, right, [Name]? You’d be open to seeing us again?” 

“Of course,” you nod. “I’ve been having a great day. You two are a lot of fun to be around. What about you, Liam? Would you want to do this again sometime?” 

Liam freezes up. Once again, he’s surprised that you’re bothering to check with him. He’s so used to Axel leading the conversation. He’s got a big personality and has a tendency to sweep everyone up in his own pace. 

But you were right to ask him. Initially, Axel said this would only be a one time thing, and he agreed to it just to make him happy. However, it’s clear now that he isn’t comfortable doing this. You’re a great person, and he genuinely enjoys being around you, but he’s not sure he can ever imagine sharing his boyfriend with someone else. It’s nothing personal. It’s just… not something he feels okay doing. 

So, he needs to be vocal about this and tell Axel how he feels. Surely then, he’ll understand. The fact that he was willing to even try should already count for something. It has to. 

Liam offers you an appreciative look, then turns towards Axel.

“I’m—” 

“Liam wants to do this again too. Of course he does,” Axel says, waving his hand and practically dismissing him before he can get a word in. “We talked about it before. And he would’ve told me if he wasn’t having a good time.” 

Liam desperately tries to hide the shock on his face. 

What? He… never promised anything. All he said was that he would try this out and make his decision afterwards. Why is Axel acting like it’s already a sure thing that he’ll want to keep going?

“Today’s been great,” Axel hums. He leans up against you, shoving your body closer to Liam’s and effectively pushing you into his arms. “Going on a date is way more fun with all three of us. Right, Liam?” 

Axel finally meets Liam’s gaze, and the look in his eyes is so painfully expectant that Liam can’t think of a way to refuse. He knows he should. He’s an adult, with his own voice and his own opinions. But for some reason… it feels wrong. It feels like he’s not allowed to do what he wants and risk upsetting Axel in the process. 

Liam hasn’t had a relationship worth protecting until now. He’s only dated losers, assholes, or shitty girls who went behind his back and cheated on him. That’s why he’s so afraid. He’s afraid that saying the wrong words will ruin the best thing that ever happened to him.

And so, he buckles.

“Yeah,” Liam smiles. He’s used to forcing a smile. He does it for work all the time. “It’s been a lot of fun. We should definitely do this again.” 

You stare at him long and hard. Part of you still gets this strange feeling, this feeling that he isn’t being completely transparent. But you’re not the one who can make this choice for him, and he’s had every opportunity to come forward with the truth. 

“Great,” you smile back. “I’m happy to hear it.”

Axel lets out a happy cheer, and even leans across the booth so that he can pull Liam into his arms as well. Between the three of you, it’s hot, stuffy, and there’s not much wiggle room, but Axel seems to be loving every moment of it.

Liam’s eyes lower to the ground.  

It’s okay. Just one more time. He’ll go on just one more date, and then he’ll tell Axel how he really feels. 

Definitely.

It’s late. Normally, at this time of the night, you would be curled up inside your apartment, either doing homework, watching TV, or scrolling mindlessly through your phone. It’s nearly time for you to be going to bed, but instead of sitting comfortably at home, you’re standing out in the chilly night air, dressed in a skirt that you grossly underestimated how short it is. 

And what’s the reason for all of this? 

Your job, of course. 

“[Name]! Hell yeah, you actually made it,” Callum grins. 

He walks over to greet you in a hug, but you’re too preoccupied with shivering from your poor choice of dress, so you give him a half-hearted fist bump instead. 

There’s a party on campus tonight. Well, there’s probably several parties on campus, but this is the one that Callum invited you to, because he heard that Nadia would be going as well. And since he fully intends to make her jealous and eventually win her back—a plan that you still aren’t totally convinced by—he hired you to come out and be here with him. 

“You look really nice,” Callum says. He offers you a lazy, but well-meaning smile. You appreciate the compliment, and you were hoping you looked nice, but right now you’re honestly freezing your ass off. The sooner you get inside, the better. 

“Thanks,” you nod. “You look nice too. I, um. I like your t-shirt.” 

Callum stares at you for a few moments, then throws his head back and explodes into laughter. “Haha! Ha, that’s good. You know, you really don’t have to force yourself to say something nice. Most guys don’t exactly put as much effort into their outfits as girls do.” 

“It’s a nice t-shirt,” you shrug. 

“Well, I appreciate you saying that. Come on,” he gestures, beckoning you along. “Let’s get going. This is around the time people were saying Nadia would be showing up. If we’re lucky, maybe we’ll run into her right from the beginning.” 

You nod and follow him. Even though you still have your doubts about whether or not Nadia will actually want to get back together with him, you’re done worrying about it. He’s the client, and you’re here to do a job. All you can do is play your part, and play it well. You’re being paid whether or not his plan succeeds, and honestly? Part of you is hoping it won’t, only because they’re so clearly not good for each other. You want Callum to be able to move on with his life and find someone who treats him well. Someone who genuinely makes him happy. 

But until that happens, you’re in for one hell of a ride. 

“I mentioned before that some buddies of mine are gonna be at this party too, right? I think you’ll like them,” Callum says. He scratches his cheek, then laughs. “And they’ll probably like you too. None of my friends can really stand Nadia. They always tell me she’s a massive bitch and I need to drop her already.” 

Yikes. Even his friends are advising him to find someone else, but he still has no intention of doing it. His relationship with Nadia truly is a horror show. 

“Honestly, they’ll probably suggest I start dating you instead,” Callum adds in a casual, nonchalant tone.

“But we’re still telling them we’re just friends, because that’s what we agreed on. Right…?” 

You blink warily. You hope this whole thing isn’t one big setup, because you’ll be really pissed off. If he deceives you again, then you have no intention of keeping him as a client. 

“Don’t worry,” Callum reassures. “I’m only going to tell people that you’re my friend. I’m just assuming how they’ll react, because I know they’re desperate for me to date other girls apart from Nadia. They just really want her out of my life. Which I get, because again, she’s kind of fucking crazy.” 

I am very much aware. 

You let out a sigh. It’s weird to think that you’re being paid to essentially butt into someone else’s relationship. If someone had asked you how you would be earning money, you could never have predicted it would be like this. 

Whatever. It doesn’t matter. There’s no shame in what you’re doing. If other people can hold their heads up high while working this job, then so can you. 

“Looks like we’re here,” Callum says. He points towards a big house further up ahead, where there’s a line of people waiting outside to be let in. It’s even busier than you were expecting. You’re not much of a partygoer to begin with, but damn. You can already tell people are going to get wasted out of their minds. 

Callum pulls his phone out of his pocket. “Hold up. I’m gonna text my friends and see where they’re at. One of them is pretty close with some of the frat guys, so I think we’ll be able to get in for free. We might be able to skip the line too.” 

You nod and step back while you wait for him to do his thing. He’s trying to call his friends, but it looks like he might be having a hard time getting through to them, because no one’s picking up. They might already be in the house and can’t hear their phones ringing. The music is blasting even way out here, so you can only imagine how loud it is on the inside. 

Pretty much all you can do is twiddle your thumbs while you wait for Callum to tell you what the plan is, so you absently walk around in place, hoping that it won’t be much longer—you’re seriously freezing. 

All of a sudden, someone bumps into you from behind. 

But it’s not a little bump. It’s not the kind of bump that just startles you and might make you look around in surprise. 

No, it’s the kind of bump that knocks you flat onto the ground and lands you right on your palms and knees. 

The kind of bump that was done on purpose. 

“O-Ouch…” 

You grit your teeth and wince. The fall was far from pleasant, and you know that your tights definitely ripped from the impact. It hurts like a bitch, and when you slowly peel one of your hands away from the concrete, the skin of your palm is covered in angry red scrapes. Part of it has even begun to bleed. 

“Aw, I’m so sorry,” a nasally, disgustingly-fake voice cuts in. It’s a voice you recognize, unfortunately. You don’t even have to turn your head to know who it is. 

But you do it anyway, and you’re met with a hateful grin. 

“So sorry about that,” Nadia says, looking anything but. She twirls a lock of hair around one of her fingers and chuckles. “But it was really your fault for not looking where you were going. Maybe don’t walk around like an airhead next time, okay, love?” 

You don’t say anything. You refuse to debase yourself and sink to her level. But either way, one thing is certain. 

She’s not going to make this easy for you. 

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🦋 main masterlist ♡ character appearances

[beloved-child-of-the-house]

what are thee best drarry fics to read in this day and age? I've not read any for a few years and I don't know what's good 🤔

what an incredibly flattering question! i do not know what your tastes run to, but here are a few of my recentish favorites in no particular order. i think these are all m or e, as that tends to be what i go for. they're also properly adults, well out of hogwarts, and the stories are sort of mid length, over 10K, under 100K. make sure you read the tags!

Necro-romance by @thehoneybeet coming in hot!!!! i feel like this is a very very profoundly drarry story. we are fucked up in some of the same ways so let's do weird sex about it. dark, weird, very tender. incredible atmosphere. loved it!!!

In Every Universe by @skeptiquewrites this is like an AU hopping fic where draco is on the run for Reasons, and harry is chasing him. not with state violence in his heart. please come home. EXQUISITE worldbuilding, one of my favorite things about Tee's fics. This fic is so fun and there are also some really heartwrenching moments that i won't even come close to spoiling. god i love it it's so fucking good

Anatomy of a Wolf Heart this fic is orphaned but i actually do know the author very well (and love him with all my heart). this is an amazing draco. he's dealing with some significant trauma on top of what he went through in canon. all i'm gonna say is werewolf draco cinematic universe my beloved. i love this harry, too. compulsively doing the right thing even as it fucks his whole life up. yum.

Home Truths another @skeptiquewrites fic bc Tee's writing got me WEAK. i rlly love the ensemble here!!! harry and draco are both amazing characters whom i adore, but they are also surrounded by other characters who feel so real and so lived in. wonderful worldbuilding as per usual w this author. and. harry is a pro athlete at the peak of his career so uh. he do be inhabiting his physical form. it's sexy okay. damn. Tee has a talent for capturing Draco's drama and prissiness without making him feel like a caricature. i found this story genuinely inspiring for lots of reasons, and i can't say enough good things about it.

Preserving Lemons by @saintgarbanzo (this one is locked to the archive, so you'll need to be logged in to read it) god i love this story!!! food as a love language? gender magic? fucking YES PLEASE. it's nice to see them get out of the typical Stately Homes backdrop (i enjoy that too, but. well i'm not going to go off on a tangent about it now. variety is the spice of life!). lots of sensuality here and a heaping dollop of straight up fucking. i just love this depiction of them. i love draco's offers of vulnerability and harry's diving in face first. LOVE.

A Gift of True Esteem by ME! i am big enough to acknowledge that i write fucking good fic okay!!! hogwarts professors, chronic illness, historiography, gratuitous use of patronuses, fun world building in general. harry has been self-isolating a little bit. burying himself in his work. he has to let himself feel things again. joy, love, pleasure. draco makes him want to.

Names for a House this is also by me bc it's my fuckn list and i do what i want!!! harry is raising teddy lupin after andromeda gets sick (don't worry i do not kill off any old ladies in this fic). harry is also the wizarding world's first novelist. teddy lupin is a budding werewolf about to go off to hogwarts, and harry is not sure how to do right by him. FORTUNATELY harry's erstwhile nemesis and current cursebreaker is also a werewolf and teddy's cousin, and he's more than willing to help out.

[bloomeng]

Shout out to the person who noticed Steph was the only one in heels and said Dick would totally wear heels. You didn’t know it but you were ahead of your time (it was always my plan to put discowing in heels).

Steph originally wasn’t going to get heels but then I got the idea to add the wings and I fell in love but I think the in universe reason is she wanted them for the drama and she was extrapolating design elements from Batgirl’s og outfit and Batwoman. I was going for like a gothic princess sort of vibe which turned out a bit more Fischl from gi than I intended, but I think that actually suits the vibe pretty well.

Another shoe detail: Jason’s shoes are meant to be slight platforms to match his desire to be tall and imposing.

This is a side tangent but I want to talk about it. For this au I’ve been trying to strike a balance between feminine and “would this character actually wear this?” Now the answer is mostly no. The outfits by nature are impractical as hell bc that’s how magical girl media is, so the question I’ve been asking is more “would this character feel comfortable in this outfit?” I want each look to be equally feminine which means I’m hyper conscious of not making the women more feminine than the men. Magical girl designs are hyper fem by default so my goal is to basically make everyone relatively the same amount of fem.

However, I’m also trying to take into account personality. This is where I might lose some people but hell it’s my au. So why are Jason and Cass the only ones so far with real skirts? This is totally my headcanon but I think they’re the only ones who would benefit from skirts:

Dick would be fine with wearing a skirt but I think he’s ultimately neutral about it. He would totally do it though if someone asked and would be fully aware of how nice he looked.

I don’t know if I’d say Tim would like wearing skirts so much as he doesn’t care. He’s more concerned with practicality.

Steph doesn’t have any issues with skirts but I think as a part of her uniform she would feel stifled. As as I said previously I think part of her look is based on Bats she would’ve looked up to but also partly it was secret wish fulfillment for that little girl who would’ve loved to look like a kickass mary sue demon princess from a y/a novel.

Duke in my opinion wouldn’t see the appeal. I think he’d be similar to Dick but just a little more shy about wearing one. I gave him a little ruffle though bc I thought it was cute.

Babs is fine with skirts but tends to prefer pants.

Cass is a bit different because I think wearing something frivolous is so novel to her. I wanted her outfit to be a blend of her canon design and her appreciation for dance. I tried to contrast her more practical elements (like her pants and armor) with the soft things I think she would enjoy (like a flowy skirt.) I still have ambition to go back and design a Black Bat outfit for her but I haven’t quite figured out the direction I want to take with it.

Jason on the other hand— this also very much in hc territory— I think didn’t know how much he would enjoy a skirt until he got to wear one. Stepping away from the universe for a sec; Jason is the most masculine design fundamentally which means that in order to match the vibe I would have to make him the furthest from his canon design. I’m really not trying to make a statement or subvert things by putting men in skirts bc it’s supposed to a silly au with aesthetically pleasing designs. I like feminine things and it shows in my work however I don’t see clothing as naturally gendered. That’s my little context psa back to my point. I think Jason is the most likely to wear a skirt and actually feel empowered by it. At first I think he was embarrassed by it but the outfits choose you so he just went with it out of necessity. And through that he found he really thrived in the juxtaposition between his intentional imposing figure and this unashamed femininity. He’s a drama kid at heart and fr what’s more dramatic than an ill-advised fit that serves. The skirt to him feels like a costume that helps give him the confidence to be Red Hood or ig… Red Bow. (Which is sorta how I think of the red helmet in canon but I also do believe that Jason and Cass would have the most fun wearing a skirt.)

I haven’t decided if Bruce will get a skirt or not but if he does just know that my reasoning is that his artifact was humbling him. Like you take yourself too seriously calm down with the brooding. He would use the skirt as a way to conceal more weapons.

(I think Kon would love wearing skirts but in this au because he built his own outfit I think he was trying to seem impressive and edgy and distinguish himself from Clark. I also think, despite enjoying skirts, he would have to work up the courage to wear them in public and never as Superboy because he would be too conscious of his image.)

Anyway I don’t claim to always succeed with my intentions coming through in my work but this is what is running through my head.

[waywardstation]

Isn’t Dawn/Akaris mom a coordinator or does take part in Pokemon Contests? Nimbasa has musicals but I can also see that they have the regular contests as well.

I can see that her influence there could also help connecting the dots and help the narrative.

While she isn’t taking part too much but maybe is called in as a judge she maybe has seen the Missing Posters (if you’re in a similar situation you’re more likely to notice these, she probably also notices that it’s the same guy who helped them years ago) and later on after the reunion with her daughter and once Ingo gets a bit of a needed clean up Johanna recognizes him and eventually connects the dots and the rest will come automatically.

Yes she is! In Let’s Get You Back to Her, it’s the reason why Johanna and Dawn/Akari are at Gear Station — Akari’s traveling with her mom to do one of her coordinator shows! I imagined the musicals were part of the coordinator career!

BUT OH MY GOSH THATS SUCH A GOOD CONNECTION. I’ve been debating if at this time, Johanna continued to do coordination shows or if she’s since stopped, but the idea of her still going to events like Nimbasa’s to be a judge is REALLY GOOD.

THATS A GREAT IDEA ANON. It keeps the whole thing fresh in her mind and gives her another fresh visualization of him too, compared to the one time she saw him literally a decade before in LGYBTH.

I feel like at first Johanna would be very hesitant to even leave Sinnoh though, or go too far, just in case something about her daughter comes up. Hmm, maybe eventually towards the year mark, she feels like she should get out of the house and try to do things again, and accepts the judge invitation after turning it down a few times.

BUT ANYWAYS I REALLY LIKE THIS IDEA ANON THIS IS REALLY GOOD!! Thank you for sharing this with me!!

Also below I go off on a tangent sort of related to this haha. But I talk about how important Johanna’s career as a coordinator was in influencing my Akari/Dawn’s career in Pokemon coordination, as well as battling, and why she is not one of Sinnoh’s Champions because of it.

—————

I don’t think I’ve ever properly explained this, but in my works, the timeline is one where Dawn/Akari is not the Champion (that is Lucas), but she isn’t the professor’s assistant either — just a trainer, who spent a lot of time as a kid traveling around with her mom for her coordinator shows.

I have never really talked about Akari’s pokemon team before Hisui, I realize. Technically her starter is Lady, Johanna’s glameow (now a Purugly). And among three other sinnoh pokemon — a Lumineon, Bronzong, and Rotom — she has a Gorebyss (a clamperl when she caught it) and a Beartic (a cubchoo when she caught it).

A hoenn pokemon, and a unova pokemon — Pokemon caught from regions that she visited, because these regions have shows/contests/musicals that Johanna went to.

In her timeline before Hisui, Akari was not a champion because when she was old enough to begin her journey, she thought she wanted to do coordinating like her mom. A couple years later though, she realized she wanted to try out taking battling a little more seriously, and then Arceus took her to Hisui after she just started that.

This is why I don’t really write her with Champion-level knowledge or techniques in Hisui, even though she’s fifteen and technically should have had five years of experience by now. She messes up and makes mistakes, but she is strong and knows Pokemon well. She has the potential to be a Champion if given more time, but she just started very late.

[ethereal-feline]

Know what have a rambling headcanon before I go to bed

Hawks doesn't scold Tokoyami.

Half the time he treats him like a peer, other half he's treating him "like a kid", but Hawks doesn't really have a concept of that because HPSC reasons. So for Hawks showing Tokoyami any sort of genuine positivity probably manifests as either gift giving(like when his mom got the Endeavor plush), and acts of service(being a hero). I headcanon he always get food. Favorite burger place, favorite restaurant(like in Team Up Missions, that waitress said Hawks ONLY brings people he likes), heck they probably have a favorite street vendor or two.

There's also like a 25% time of Hawks purposely babying or even pranking Tokoyami if it isn't under "treating like a peer", but the spoiling and professional annoying babying is mostly in private with the sidekicks. Gotta protect that street cred...sort of lol

Point is Hawks doesn't really lecture Tokoyami. He tells him to lighten up, learn to joke around(birbs eating birbs, its funny!), but doesn't go full "okay kid, serious talk, pop a squat" you know? He'll call out risky moves, but doesn't go "that was super dangerous, young man! do you know all the ways that could have gone wrong?" Lectures are boring, he isn't a teacher.

But there was ONE instance. Two versions.

Version 1: Maybe Tokoyami had been a little reckless during a villain encounter the same day Hawks was supposed to be doing Super Spy things, so Hawks was a bit more anxious than he would like to admit. All anyone heard was Hawks, top of his lungs, with a certain tone, go:

"TSUKUYOMI NO MIKOTO"

Tokoyami freezes up. He doesn't know what to do. Hawks has NEVER used that voice before. Its new. Its alarming. What has possessed him?

Meanwhile Hawks is giving The Look. He is fully aware he just shouted in a very un-Hawks like way and needs to save face. How exactly? Well, do something Hawks-like of course! He just...picks up a still confused Tokoyami and flies off while looking so Done TM.

Its a meme within the hour. Now all Pro Hero students have "full names" like Redius Riotson or some shit. I'm thinking of that one Batman post of Batman wanting ti full name his kids but using their vigilante names because secret identity.

Version 2: If it was in private like at the agency, I can see the sidekicks being equally as confused especially if it was triggered by something small and mundane by comparison like dropping some glass. If its in the privacy of the agency, Hawks goes go Mother Hen mode and starts fussing. Tokoyami just silently takes the sudden lecture but the anxiety of this being some joke builds up until he realizes Hawks is serious. It also takes Hawks a solid moment to realize he's lecturing and by then he's on a tangent ("should I have picked up a book about parenting? Probably! Where was I going with this? I had a point-")

Does Tokoyami get him back with a "WINGARDIUM HAWKINGTON" or scientific name for some hawk species? Maybe but only after one of the wars, and ONLY when its just them because Tokoyami is still a little shy even after all this time.

Dark Shadow has no such reservations. Its on sight with increasingly ridiculous names.

This went on longer than I expected, good night lol

[ragnarockz]

I LOVE THE WORMS HERE BY @byulyi ❤️

Wanted to share this with ya'll because I mean HEY! ROOM 3! And me going on my tangents about all the religious trauma (yay!)

And also hey, Agnes can't help herself, I mean...really can't help herself 👀 I think her imagination is just as sordid as mine 🥰

And what else do you think of when you're bored in church? Case in point 😤

Vidal held Agnes' hand up until they got to the stairs leading into the church. Once they reached it, Agnes pulled her hand away and felt Vidal's nails scratch her skin. Vidal bit her lip and breathed out through her nose. This was going to be an interesting hour or so. She followed Agnes into the church doors; taking her lead; following the ponytail in front of her.

Agnes turned to her left, shuffling in behind the attendees of the funeral in front of her, in a 'line' of sorts. She waited patiently for her own 'turn' so she could dab her middle finger into the gold font that was bolted to the wall. Her finger now wet with holy water, she hesitated for a second or two; the actions coming back to her so seamlessly. A routine she and sworn she had forgotten, cast aside until she was put right back into the place of where her drilled in system was born from.

She crossed herself with her middle finger, coughing under her breath as her mind drifted to the realization of the hand, of the finger, she chose to use to anoint herself. She had been getting it wet with something she found much holier, much more worth dipping and bringing to her face, her chest. She turned slightly to see Vidal behind her, following in suit. She did the same as Agnes did, using her pointer and middle on her right hand to dip into the holy water. Agnes moved to the side and out of the way so she could watch her partner bless herself, watch her move those wet fingers in the same pattern over her body. Agnes bit her lip before she turned back to face the front.

She headed to a pew on her left; closer to the back. She knew the first couple of rows in the front of the church were always for the intermediate family and then spreading backwards in relation. Her and Vidal only knew the family from work. Their relation was lower; not as close. She stood by the pew, placed her hand on the outside curve of the wood. She could feel Vidal standing behind her, waiting to enter in beside her. Agnes' mind was burning, simmering. Her body reacted before her mind did; routine working its way into her bones without her approval. She bent her knee gently, genuflecting before she headed down into the pew. Cursing under her breath, she closed her eyes and sat down.

The hard polished wood hit her back. How she hated those fucking pews, hated how uncomfortable they were. They always stopped just below your shoulder blades so you could never sit comfortably in them. Maybe that was important, she thought, there was no comfort within these four walls.

She felt Vidal's leg press against hers, sitting close. Her hand instinctively went onto Agnes' thigh, holding her down. It was more of a comfort thing, Agnes knew, Vidal always could pick up on when she felt uncomfortable or out of place. She wanted Agnes to know she was right there with her, for her. If she needed a lifeline, she was there.

"Do we need to pray?"

Vidal's voice was soft, quiet. Agnes heard it; heard every damn noise in this church. She was hyper aware as if she was staking out danger, a surprise attack. Her skin was crawling, itching under her dark suit. Vidal had chose to wear her black blazer and slacks, a gray shirt on underneath. Hair pinned up perfectly at the back of her head; dark red lipstick stained her mouth. Agnes wanted to devour her in the car on the way here but felt like she had to get 'into' the funeral mood.

"You can if you want...some people do before the mass starts..."

Agnes heard that oh so familiar clatter of the folding kneeler just at her feet. All the pews had them; one big long kneeler for everyone in that pew. All lined up and on their knees. Agnes sucked in a breath as she felt Vidal's hand and thigh leave hers, felt the air change as Vidal pushed herself forward to kneel on the well-worn velvet cushion that lined the top.

Agnes dared to open her eyes then, looking beside her at Vidal on her knees. Her side profile was deadly; something Agnes couldn't help but to stare at, to study. The curl of her eyelashes, the way the tip of her nose came to a beautiful, full curl. Her full lips, now pursed in concentration. The swell of her cheeks that Agnes loved so much; full and soft. And fuck, her hair pulled back with her favorite hair pin holding it all up. Agnes' fingers twitched, wanting nothing more than to pluck the pin and watch her hair fall down around her shoulders, her back.

Agnes shifted against the wood; felt it digging into her shoulder blades again. Vidal crossed herself again before she lifted up her knees, her ass meeting the edge of the pew seat and gliding back. She used the toe of her shoe to push the kneeler back up and out of the way. Agnes chewed the inside of her cheek.

"Maybe we should go..."

Agnes words came out of her mouth before she realized they had. Vidal's hand returned back onto Agnes' thigh, squeezing a little harder. They looked at each other then; eyes meeting in silence. Vidal nodded her head gently, words coming out so quiet,

"You know you don't have to...participate...you can sit there and still pay your respects. No one is going to judge you, Babe."

Agnes scoffed, shook her head as she looked over to her right. The stained glass on the window shone back at her; glowing bright in all its beautiful colours from the light outside. It was of the final Stations of the Cross. The fourteenth station; the last one. Jesus is laid in the tomb.

Agnes snapped her head back to look at Vidal; eyes finding hers once more. She nodded her head stiffly and tried to sit as comfortably as she could as the funeral mass finally began.

She let her mind wander through it; her brain and mind and inner voice following along in perfect step. She knew all the words, all the responses. She knew all the hymns and all the standing, sitting, kneeling. It was a circuit. Stand, sit, kneel. Wash, rinse, repeat. Agnes' head spun. Her attention, her eyes were not on the priest nor on the family in mourning. Her eyes weren't even set on the casket at the front of the church. Her attention was glued to Vidal the entire time.

Spiraling she caught herself staring a little too hard perhaps; definitely not in the god-fearing way at least. She licked her lips and then bit her bottom lip and felt the burning sensation in the pit of her lower abdomen. The smell of incense burning rose to her nose; signifying that all the prayers and intentions would rise. The space now sanctified.

A sanctified space and all she could think of was throwing Vidal down on the pew and fucking her senseless.

It was as if Vidal read her thoughts; looked over at Agnes to check in on her. She gave a tiny smile; proud that her partner was hanging in there. Hanging in there was an overstatement, Agnes thought, the sensation of sudden arousal gathering between her legs.

She shifted in her spot, squeezed her legs together a little more, crossed her ankles. Her hands came to grip her kneecaps; steadying herself as she let the words all around her swarm her thoughts instead.

It was a good plan, a great plan, until she heard Vidal's voice as clear as a dove beside her.

She was reciting the lords prayer. Loud and confident and with absolution.

Vidal stood up, as did everyone else, the end of the funeral mass now coming to a close. The pallbearers stood beside the casket and helped usher it down the aisle to pass the rows of mourners. Agnes pushed herself up on wobbly legs; her breathing hitched. Her hand found Vidal's and gave it a squeeze. She needed to feel Vidal's skin to hers, needed to feel her heat and her fingers.

Hearing and attention solely planted onto Vidal's voice; hanging on to every goddamn word as if it was happening in slow motion. Agnes felt the unmistakable throb between her legs, the slight twitch, the inner muscles contracting around nothing.

"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name..."

Agnes' eyes closed and her thoughts traveled back to earlier that morning in bed. Vidal wrapped up in their sheets; her hands all over Agnes' body beside her.

"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..."

Fingers stretching, skimming. Grabbing, pushing, pulling. Prying open those two sensitive folds to redeem the treasure inside. Vidal's sweet mouth over Agnes' cunt; tongue licking over every inch of her wet, sticky skin.

"Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us..."

Agnes' ragged breath as she looked down between her body, between her shaking legs. The crown of Vidal's head was the only sight she had. Fingers snaking all over her body; pressing and poking and scratching their length over her prickled hot skin. Grabbing now under Agnes' thighs; the semi-soft skin of her ass cheeks. Vidal's hands were skilled; knew every inch of Agnes' body to a perfect memorization. There was nowhere she could get lost.

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil..."

Agnes allowed her body to relax, to release. Every pent up muscle, every nerve fully gave way into Vidal's waiting mouth. Her tongue coated, lapped up everything Agnes had to offer. She always gave her what she needed, what she craved. Delivered her from whatever torment was brewing inside of her. Allowed her to reach full absolution. Vidal's tongue and fingers, holier than anything Agnes had ever felt or had before, filled her in ways nothing else came close to in comparison.

"Amen."

[sh00t4th3m00n]

Hot take: Mr. Puzzles receives too much blame for Western Spaghetti.

(Ramble under the cut)

"Mr. Puzzles tortured Meggy in Western Spaghetti, he made her relive her death over and over for a month!" No, he didn’t actually. That was One-Shot Wren. Sure, he gave Wren the technology and control of the simulation, but he didn't force Wren to do anything after that. You could argue that Puzzles enabled him, but Wren's actions toward Meggy and the crew afterward were all his own. Mr. Puzzles just sat back and watched. Did his comment about Meggy's "performance" in the Puzzlevision movie feel like adding insult to injury? Sure, but I think he legitimately thought he was giving her actual praise and just didn't even consider the mental/emotional ramifications of it all. Of course this doesn't excuse the things he HAS done, but Western Spaghetti specifically is on Wren.

On that same note, I actually think Mr. Puzzles isn't quite as "malicious" as we've painted him to be. He’s crafty, and he did do some pretty terrible things during the Puzzlevision arc, but they struck me as coming from a lack of understanding of the damage he was doing than actual malice. Again, it doesn’t excuse them, but it's not like he specifically wished them harm or had a grudge against them (though he probably does now).

"But he was happy to call himself a villain during the Meme Factory mini-arc." Yes, but I feel like he's taking the sort of approach where he likes to call himself a villain but doesn't really understand what that means. (The guy grew up in isolation watching TV all day; I wouldn't be surprised if his understanding of "evil" was on par with a Saturday morning cartoon villain.) And the only reason he's doing it is because he's playing the role he feels he's been assigned. After all, SMG4 was the first one to call him a "dime a dozen bad guy," but I don't think he started out wanting to be one. Which is primarily why I think he's not completely irredeemable. I mean he said it himself, he just wanted to make a good TV show.

Went on a little bit of a tangent, but thanks for listening to me pop off. XD And hey, those are just my thoughts. What do you guys think?

[casual-socks]

HI IVE BEEN MASSIVELY HYPERFIXATED ON TMA FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND IVE SEEN MAYBE ONE (1) SINGULAR PERSON TALK ABOUT THIS and i am not even kidding when i say its been a passionate topic of conversation for that entire year. people know me for this. it comes up and my entire friend group SIGHS AUDIBLY because they know the 20 minute tangent i Will be taking

WHATTTTT IS GOING ON WITH GERARD KEAYS NAME. what. what???? okay i

youre telling me jonathan sims went to oxford college (relatively prestigious if my memory serves me correctly) for RESEARCH. for, to put it simply, READING. and he looks at the name gerard and goes Yeah looks like jared to me lets go with that!!! HELLO?? NO?? not even mentioning the fact that he is being what could easily be called possesed when reading these statements which leaves us with two options

1. the ENTIRETY OF ENGLAND CANNOT PRONOUNCE THE NAME GERARD.

2. jonathan sims is so monumentally stupid that he is somehow breaking this possesion for the 2 seconds it takes to say the name gerard (i love him i swear i will sound so so hateful for this entire post but its out of love)

and like??? its not even that EVERYONE is calling him jared? elias and gertrude have both called him gerard and thats just off the top of my head. i also think jon said it correctly ONEEEE SINGULAR TIME. Just the once.

now i feel it necessary to mention jared hopworth here as well. because why, why on gods green earth, would you name a character gerard. pronounce it jared. TURN AROUND AND GO. lets make another jared but this ones made out of meat and is sort of implied to not be too fond of gay people. Yeah he steals peoples bones. Yeah.

SO LIKE GERARD KEAY IS THE OBJECTIVELY SUPERIOR JARED EXCEPT HES NOT JARED HIS NAME IS LITERALLY GERARD?? FUCK YOU SO MUCH

so okay. sure whatever this podcast is sooo british that a bunch of people are just completely failing to pronounce gerard. sure. whatever you say.

GERRY?????? HIS FUCKING NICKNAME IS GERRY???????????? NO!!!!

NO. no. LOOK ME IN MY EYES. LOOK AT THE NAME GERARD. GER-ARD. AND YOURE TELLING ME YOURE GONNA CALL HIM JARED. SND THEN YOURE GONNA CALL HIM GERRY WITH A G???? gerry with a g. that is utterly ridiculous i cannot even believe this that is monumentally frustrating i cannot even begin to describe to you all the anger i have experienced over this particular bit because why on earth would you take that particular extra step??? gerard -> gerry. sure. thin ice, but sure. jared -> jerry. sure! yeah! makes sense! GERARD -> JARED -> GERRY? you must be playing some sick joke jonny sims. seriously. you are a cruel and usual man

now this is when i start to wind down, but far from where i finish. lets take a moment to really pause and soak in his actual name here.

gerard.

that is so unfortunate already i mean really, gerard is such a…. a name…. i mean his mom skins people and puts them in books and the cruelest thing i think she ever couldve done is honest to god name her son gerard.

keay.

now dont get me wrong. theres nothing seriously wrong with spelling it keay on principle. but god, really? youre gonna shove all this gerard gerry jared business in front of me and tell me his last name is just key but gone the extra mile. really feels like the cherry on top of a shit cake.

now if you consider gerards character i truly feel as though thats the deepest disservice here. gerard keay is an incredible character whos short appearance is so memorable and charming, and despite his VERY little screen time he still has an intriguing and well fleshed out character. really, gerard keay is so excellent character wise. But, every time i think about him for any more than 5 minutes, almost this exact rant is being told to whoever is unfortunate enough to be near me at the time.

another thing i think also really adds to this is just the nature of gerard keay. everything you can say about that guy could be ended with “and everone calls him jared for some reason”. hes emo and everyone calls him jared for some reason. his hair dye job is so miserable that EVERYONE mentions it and everyone calls him jared for some reason. he has mommy issues and everyone calls him jared for some reason.

okay i need to wrap this up before i start just repeating WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY for thousands of words but heres a graph i made for my friends in october 2022 when i was going on about this in the middle of my spanish class 👍👍

[conspicuous-clown-car]

what a morning,,,

here's a rant about the pressure community

I've been kinda lurking on pressure twitter for the past few weeks while all this shit went down and i just gotta say... jesus fuck.

I practically had a heart attack as soon as i opened my phone when i woke up and saw zeal was trying to sell pressure. Considering how he changed his profile last night to a strictly corporate one and then this? It seemed like a really hasty decision, and something serious was going on with him.

And yknow what, with all the hate being directed at him right now i don't blame him one fucking bit. I'd probably end up doing the same thing if i was in his shoes. Being autistic as well, i would just want to completely distance myself from this overwhelming bullshit. I think that's why he started to distance himself from the community in the first place (which unfortunately is kinda what led to some issues getting overlooked).

The tweet was deleted and pressure isn't for sale anymore thank GOD, but I'm honestly more worried about the actual people behind pressure than the game itself.

I agree that there's issues they need to fix, but its not an entirely black and white situation, and its pretty fucking complicated. With the sheer amount of people in the community its crazy to expect them to handle and manage everything themself, especially since they blew up in popularity in such a short amount of time, how the hell would they know how to deal with this???

Yes, there are certain things they need to actually address and take responsibility for that they sort of haven't, but attacking them to where it gets to this point isn't the fucking answer.

I wouldn't blame any of the devs if they never touch the game again, the way the community has treated them and has completely blown things out of proportion is insane. I feel like the main issue is the discord server itself but that's just me. From what I've seen its mostly just the community self cannibalizing, attacking each other, sending death threats, and doxxing people over shit that literally doesn't matter at all.

I'm not one to really delve into fandom drama, but this whole issue with certain possessive Sebastian fans and those who took it upon themselves to attack those fans is the stupidest fucking conflict I've ever seen in any fandom. Especially when this stuff reaches the people who work on the games who have nothing to do with it.

I agree that this is something the devs need to talk about head on with full transparency, no matter their feelings on it, because a main problem I've seen with them is lack of community management.

But again, y'all are forgetting the devs are REAL FUCKING PEOPLE, people who are bound to make mistakes, and get overwhelmed, and not know how to deal with suddenly having a giant fanbase. Harassing them and sending death threats is going way too fucking far and wont solve anything, because clearly all its done is made things worse.

Also god forbid they have boundaries and don't want to see certain things in the discord server. I'm not gonna get into the specifics, but as a queer trans person I think some of y'all are reading too much into the things they don't allow, seriously.

Reminder, I'm saying all this as someone who self-ships with Sebastian, and who's not entirely thrilled about him being canonically married. BUT PRIORITIZING A FICTIONAL CHARACTER OVER REAL PEOPLE????? THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YALL???

And to the people I've seen disappointed in zeal's response to all this on twitter, I'm with you, not seeing whats happening in the community doesn't mean these problems don't exist. But think about the shit he's going through, put yourself in his shoes and genuinely try to understand how fucking overwhelming this whole situation is, for him and the rest of the team. Especially after what's happened in the past 24 hours.

Tangent, but am i the only one who's seen a drastic change in the way fandom communities operate in the past few years? Like after lockdown fandom spaces have gotten more and more hostile, and people are just being so fucking mean to each other over the most trivial shit??? Listen I Get being chronically online, because i am, but at a certain point you just gotta log the fuck off and touch some grass, man. christ.

I really hope the devs take a break, they need it. I was excited about the update that was supposed to come out this month but I don't think it will now, and I honestly don't think we deserve it.

TL;DR: Pressure fandom, do better. Speaking from both points of view, no matter the various mistakes the dev team has made, the majority of this is on y'all.

And lastly, I'd honestly rather keep pressure exactly the way it is with no updates and no new stuff ever again than for it to turn into roblox slop like most of the games that are sold off on that platform.

[rainbowswirlything]

That bit of writing that went with the Faerie Artificer Trick-or-Treat Bag was a treat in and of itself. The implications!!!

I'm copy-pasting it below the cut, for reference...

Someone crumpled up this tear-stained note and concealed it inside a hidden compartment disguised as a brick on a Faerieland castle balcony.

I thought I saw you last night. Lounging in the courtyard, where we used to sit together, charting grand futures. For a moonbeam-dappled moment, I could have sworn you called for me from the shadows. As if you had been waiting all this time, for us to pick up where we left off. Then, the clouds parted. The grass lay empty while a dead silence evidenced that even the wind sought to abandon me, And the moon illuminated the fact that I was still alone. An eternal verity I accepted when first lifting the crown. I thought I saw you last night. Alone in the library, perusing the mustiest tome you could find. Perched on the corner of those stiff chairs you could never seem to sit still on. Provoking stifled memories to rupture their restraints and abscond to the forefront of my mind. Then, the shadows faded. Memories of simpler times twisted into fragmented phantasms of the past... slipping away. Leaving me nostalgic for your irksome fidgeting, your rambling yet fervent tangents, And sobbing into the arms of a deeply perplexed Seshatia. I thought I saw you last night. Propped against the throne, twiddling your curved locks. The same spot where you counselled me through the darkest of times. Never shying away from even the most contentious of conversations. Then, a gentle zephyr roused my wandering mind. Stirring me from my conceited daydream. The tender breeze wished to remind me, That you had always closed the windows before dark. I thought I saw us last night. Arguing in the reflection of the Rainbow Fountain. When I faltered, you were never afraid to share your every thought. Until our quarrels reached a crescendo, and an insurmountable distance grew between us. Then, I looked up across the water. To see younger faeries shouting in our place. I witnessed Earth and Shadow parting before me, History revolves as they turn their backs on one another. I thought I saw you last night. Or at least that intrigued gleam of yours, reflected in the eyes of a gifted young sorceress. She acted as you did in those days, lighting up at new discoveries, unable to let go of the past. Once more, I found myself lacking, unable to balance duty and friendship. Then, I woke to a stone-cold realisation. The years had worn away my convictions, driven me to clutch secrets tight to my chest. How could either of you truly be to blame for your missteps, When your leader failed to guide you down the right path? I thought I saw you last night. Then I remembered, because of me, there's nothing left of you...

---

It sounds like Fyora was really very close with the Artificer in the past.

"Earth and Shadow parting before me" sounds like it must be a reference to the Illusen/Jhudora split, which Fyora seems to think is an echo of her own split with the Artificer (which also makes it interesting that she seems to be trying to get Illusen and Jhudora to make up.)

Plus the fact that Fyora saw Xandra (who I'm assuming the "gifted young sorceress" must have been) as being similar to the Artificer... another, different sort of relationship that also fell apart...

And the fact that Fyora goes to Seshatia (aka the Library Faerie) for comfort after splitting with the Artificer... they're clearly close, too.

Now there's another reason why Fyora may not be mentioning her suspicions about who's behind the Void/Grey curse plot...

...she probably really, really doesn't want the mastermind (or one of the masterminds) behind the plot to be someone she once cared about so deeply.

[project-sekai-facts]

idk if I can ask u this but what is ur opinion on arata and kotaro

hello first off SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG FOR ME TO ANSWER but no i don't mind giving my opinions on the side characters

Arata and Kotaro are actually two of my favorite side characters! I didn't like them that much at first to be honest but they've definitely grown on me a lot recently.

I think Kotaro is really overlooked actually. Like I still see people bring up his actions in the main story when he’s moved on a lot past that, and then just write him off because of it. And I mean, it’s probably because he never got too much screentime between then and Power of Unity, but since he’s been making more regular appearances I think they’ve taken his character in a really interesting direction. He initially became a singer because he wanted to be a cool older brother for his baby brother and just happened to see RW at that time, which pushed him into street music. He just did it as a passtime because he was sort of good at it. However, RW did have a big impact on him, just like it had on An and Akito, even if he was only sorta casual in the street music scene. He admits in POU that the reason he never went further was because he was afraid, and seeing VBS putting their all into it inspired him.

It’s sort of subtle up until Light Up the Fire, but Kotaro doesn't have a lot of self-esteem or confidence in his singing. I think the first time it's ever brought up is in Power of Unity as far as I remember, where he asks once or twice if he's holding everyone back. LUTF makes it really clear that he has a lot of insecurities: he believes he's holding everyone back and he believes that he has no talent compared to the others. And that's what sticks out to me, because 3/4 of VBS have felt the same way. Kohane, Akito, and Toya all at some point or another believed they were holding everyone back, be it because they were a rookie, lacking talent, or had no resolve. Kotaro has been all of those and it’s obvious that he is written the way he is to serve as a mirror character to those three. He's had the same insecurities but the way he goes about dealing with them is totally different. While VBS had each other to rely on, Kotaro doesn't have a singing partner or group. He's a solo artist. And while he works with VBS, Arata, and EVER, he isn't part of any of their groups. Even Arata who also works alone still has Souma, but more on that in a minute.

(Also just an aside, I think he’s a mirror to Kohane slightly more than the others, and that slightly being the fact that VBS is what got him inspired to take this seriously, because that’s how Kohane got inspired she saw the others and wanted to be just like them, she wanted something to throw herself into and give her all to. The fact that she’s the main one who tries to call out to him when he breaks down in LUTF I think also plays into this, like it seems to hint that she’s able to relate to him.)

I really think Kotaro is much more than how he was presented in the main story and could definitely become a pretty strong side character if he ever got an event with a bit more focus (like how Vivid Old Tale gave Nagi a lot of screentime or POU had a lot of focus on Arata). Also clpl have you ever considered giving Kotaro a partner please give him a partner. Considering you rubbed in how important singing partners are before now why haven't you even tried to give him one?

Arata has definitely been given more development than Kotaro and I genuinely think he has one of the best arcs of any side character. Like he starts out as a rival for Akito, a foil to Akito. He's basically everything Akito wants to be, and also kind of a dick. Him getting beat by Taiga though, even though it was a small moment, was definitely an important turning point for him because it put him on the same level as everyone else. Because even he has someone better than him.

Oh and his development in POU was so good I'm probably gonna go on a little tangent about his relationship with Souma now because it's so important to his character. Arata's doing all of this for Souma. Souma was the one who wanted to do street music, Souma was the one who took Arata to RW, everything was Souma's dream, but it was still important to Arata. They were partners after all. But that's what it is. Were. Even if Arata wasn't the one who was in that car accident, it still took a toll on him. Souma has been forced into a position where he isn't going to be able to achieve his dreams, so Arata has to carry all that weight on his back. Surpassing RW suddenly has become so much more important to Arata because he wants, needs, Souma's dream to become a reality. The thing is, with how caught up he was in doing everything for Souma, he approached everything on his own. Surpassing RW isn't something he can do alone; the original was a collaboration between several groups, there's no way Arata could do it alone. He needed to work with people again, which he finally realised in POU.

Actually I think one of my favorite moments in his arc has to be his showdown with Taiga in LUTF. Because he's been able to overcome what was holding him back, he's actually able to get closer to Taiga's level. That is, until Taiga drops the "we're not so different" bomb. Because that moment is so powerful. Because at that point we see Arata as less of a foil to Akito and more of a parallel to Taiga. Both of them went through a similar loss of a partner, and Taiga uses that to get under Arata's skin and he goes for a deep cut. Souma is incredibly important to Arata, and Taiga knows that and had a similar experience of losing someone important to him, and is able to see exactly what’s still holding Arata back from reaching his full potential. Arata is doing all of this for Souma. For Souma. Taiga points out that Arata isn’t carrying Souma’s dream, he’s clinging onto the idea to cope with his grief. The thing is, Souma can’t surpass RW anymore. Arata’s loaded that responsibility onto himself, without even considering his own feelings on the matter. As Taiga says, Arata is good, great even, but he can’t be the best unless he asks himself if he wants this. Arata can’t even say that he is carrying Souma’s dream, that he does want to do this and he isn’t just clinging onto the idea to cope, and it crushes him to the point of leaving Shibuya.

Honestly I think leaving was what was best for Arata in that moment. Because he does need to take a step back and just let himself actually process his grief. Because even if Souma is still alive, that partnership was still lost and Arata had dedicated everything to that partnership and to Souma, and really he still does. And honestly I think this is what he wants even if you take Souma’s dreams out of the equation, but he needs time to himself to think about what he wants. I don’t know when we’ll next see him again honestly it might be a while but I’m interested to see how that goes. Arata is surprisingly developed and nuanced for a side character and the fact the devs managed to do this across 3 events, two of which he only appears in for a couple chapters is insane. Oh yeah also I like him a bit more than Kotaro if the wall of text wasn’t obvious.

[quasiquack666]

One of my biggest borderline-canon headcanons is that Kayden is arospec! Sure, I like romantic plots for him, but in canon I think he genuinely makes sense as arospec based on canon evidence.

Disclaimer: This is my argument for arospec Kayden as arospec myself, but other arospecs may have different views!

(Spoilers for later chapters with Gestella)

Evidence: Relation to Kartein — The panels where Kayden talks about leading the way for Kartein  — The framing of that panel (a bit sparkly, soft) and the scene just after Kartein heals Subin's grandpa — Kayden talking about Kartein's beauty to Vatore — The way Kayden went up to a remote mountain solely to make sure Kartein would be okay — General vibes between them too

Often cited as evidence for romantic KarKay, these points also work well for arospec Kayden in a more canon context (since romantic KarKay will not be canon, but platonic KarKay is canon!)

Although the points can be taken as romantic context, they could also be deep admiration and aesthetic interest for Kartein, for an arospec person. Kartein makes total sense as someone Kayden would admire, for his regal beauty, for his prowess in healing and combat, and likely because they're similar in personality.

Believing Kartein's attractiveness as greater than Vatore's (in his eyes) doesn't have to be romantic. Although saying Kartein is super attractive doesn't seem like something a brother would do (who says their sibling is attractive in that sort of tone…), it could certainly be something an arospec person might say about someone they'd be queerplatonic with.

In arospec context, Kayden is simply admiring Kartein's beauty as aesthetically pleasing to him. Maybe even sensually pleasing, someone he'd want to touch and caress and show affection to, but not romantically. Perhaps this man enjoys pale aesthetics. 😂 

(Side Tangent, seriously all of Kayden's closer connections seem to have a pale part of their aesthetic: Kartein, Pluton, Jiwoo, and eventually Gestella).

Evidence: Relation to Gestella — The phrasing of Kayden's letters to her — Not seeming to comprehend himself in relation to romance

Although canon is making them out to be romantic already (despite not knowing each other…), arospec Kayden can explain both points.

Kayden has never been shown to be entirely ignorant to relationship context or emotions. He noticed immediately why Delein wanted to off himself and scolded him, was gentler comparatively to Amyeong after Kayden knew he saved Jiwoo's life, tried to dress up and make a good impression to Yujeong since he knew she was important to Jiwoo, noticed that Kartein would've wanted to help Subin's grandpa and gave him an out (via writing a skit with a specific tone...), noticed how Kartein was actually nervous going to Astra's and then followed him, knew enough to feel uncomfortable whenever Subin was simping while he's in cat form, etc.

Yet the romantic letter plotline makes Kayden seem drastically more dumbed down than those examples, hence why I despise the letters romantically. But from the perspective of an arospec Kayden, the letters make sense.

Just from my own POV, thinking of oneself in a real romantic context is difficult. Or at least, not the first thing I think about in relation to other people. Even though I know romance exists and actively think about it for characters in fantasy, the practical reality is that it doesn't quite make sense relative to myself. It's like thinking about dragons: they can have complex social structure, different meanings to different people, many shapes or forms, but ultimately don't exist in the tangible reality even if I can imagine them.

So with aromantic Kayden, he's not suddenly more ignorant than before and still understands that romance exists in general. But relative to himself, he doesn't see why anyone would view him in a romantic context, and therefore doesn't immediately question the phrasing of his letters, or that the way he talks about Kartein could be a little gay.

The plot becomes less that Kayden is more dumbed down than before, and more that Kayden does not view himself as romantically compatible to anyone. So any affection or admiration expressed by him is platonic, even if it's a very strong yearning, wanting, desiring sort of feeling (such a feeling would be more queerplatonic than romantic!)

In other words, Kayden had a mega squish (arospec word meaning something similar to ‘crush’). Kayden was pretty much squishing on Kartein and Gestella (potentially even Pluton if we got backstory there, although he did deny Pluton’s statement lol).

Evidence: Relation to Jiwoo — Kayden not noticing that Jiwoo seems have romantic inclinations — His extreme protectiveness over his son (cough)

Kayden not noticing about Jiwoo’s romantic interests also makes sense here. He's not literally ignorant to the fact that romance is A Thing, and moreso doesn't think of Jiwoo in non-platonic relationships perhaps because he doesn't think about them for himself. And with Jiwoo as His Son ™ it may just slip his mind to think of that. (Like a parent whose little boy is growing up LMAO).

Nevermind Kayden’s very familial affection for Jiwoo. Which also makes sense for arospec since family and friends are often the only relationships arospec folks generally desire (with some exceptions).

Conclusion: Arospec Kayden!

I much prefer an arospec interpretation of Kayden in canon because it avoids him looking dumb in the letter plot, while also making sense of his blindspot to Jiwoo's romantic interests, and his phrasing of admiration in Kartein. 

He remains a lot more loyal to his original characterization this way. And honestly I love that a character like Kayden is arospec-coded.

Arospec Kayden is ugh the most adorable thing 🥰

[medicallyfascinating]

What do you think Ferdie's hair care routine is like? Specifically once it's long. He has such pretty natural waves, but speaking from experience hair that texture gets frizzy so quickly. Does he embrace the frizz during the war or does he carry hair products with him so he can try and salvage things between the fighting?

I personally love the idea of him, completely caked in blood and dirt, passing by a mirror on his way back from a battle and just sort of trying to press his hair down to smooth it a bit. It doesn't work really, not in any noticeable way, but it does help him feel a bit better.

I just really want to see him trying desperately to maintain himself in spite of everything. He can't control what's happening around him but maybe if he tries hard enough he can stay in control of himself, at least on the outside.

oh my god this ask made me so happy.

So- I agree with you completely- I think Ferdinand loves to maintain his appearance and look as flawless and beautiful/handsome as possible. Even when his hair was short in the academy, I think he'd finish a battle during the academy covered in blood and dirt and the first thing he'd do is smooth down his hair and outfit to try and feel somewhat put together.

I truly believe that Ferdinand's long hair is a result of not having the energy to trim it due to the war and grieving the destruction of House Aegir and his father. He then ended up loving his long hair and making sure it was pretty and shiny.

But to answer your question, I fully believe that Ferdinand carries some sort of product with him during battle. That or he gels it down just enough before battle so that it won't frizz up really badly during battle. Then, he has enough time to set up camp and clean and take proper care of his hair and his appearance.

Ferdinand expresses his sadness at people assuming his long hair was grown out to be fashionable and that people assume he's being vain but I truly think he so desperately wants to look put together because he's experiencing so much distress with everything falling apart around him and having no idea whether or not he'll be able to be Prime Minister/Duke Aegir like he'd been prepared to become for 18 years of his life.

I think fundamentally, Ferdinand likes to keep busy. Whether it's working or spending time in the stables or training or something as seemingly simple as having a hair-care routine that takes half an hour to complete. He doesn't want to be able to just sit with his thoughts for an extensive period of time because he doesn't know how to handle his grief, especially when he knows full well that the grief won't stop until the war is over (and past that too).

If Ferdinand can focus on himself or what others require and want from him, he doesn't have to come to terms with the war and with the loss of his father.

If Ferdinand focuses on looking put together after a brutal battle where he's watched fellow soldiers die, he doesn't have to think about them or the fact that he's just killed tons of real human beings.

If Ferdinand focuses on looking put together then it's easier to make himself feel like he's actually okay and isn't struggling with everything spiralling out of his control around him.

I hope this answered your question cuz I went on a bit of a tangent lmaooo