#after the initial misunderstanding was cleared up of course

[sanguineterrain]

I am FERAL over your knight Jason thought. FERAL!!! Okay check this out: so Jason's ignoring reader because he feels guilty right? Maybe he tried to give them back but the king wouldn't allow it. But maybe the reader misunderstands and thinks they're not doing their "duties" so they make dinner and breakfast and wash his clothes and basically act like a perfect spouse. How would Jason react? 👀

Dear god... I feel another series coming on...

Idkidk, their dynamic is just really interesting to me! it's probably gonna be a bit of a slow burn here. Feel free to send more thoughts about them. I am rotating these two like a rotisserie chicken in my brain.

knight!jason todd x gn!reader. ambiguous time period but just assume it's olden times *gestures vaguely*. tw arranged marriage/forced relationship but it's complicated! jason is full of angst and self-loathing but he's a sweetie as per usual. original post for context.

****

The soldier—Jason—has said four words since you've arrived.

The first was "here," which he said whilst handing you a mug of milk. He didn't look at you as he said it, and that morning, he left for a five-day long station. You only know that because he said, after handing you the milk, "I've been stationed."

You realized it was five days when you heard his horse galloping towards the house... five days later.

You haven't initiated conversation because though you're a commoner, and no one ever had much hope for you to become anything but an old spinster, you know not to challenge knights.

But this is fucking ridiculous.

"Do you like veal?" you ask on your fourteenth day here.

Jason is about to leave, his boots half laced. He freezes at your question and looks up.

You stand tall, chin up. This is a normal question. A question a wife would ask her husband, except you're not a wife, and you're pretty sure this soldier isn't a husband either.

"I like veal," he says carefully, slowly. "Would you like me to fetch some from the market?"

Now, this is where it gets tricky. When the king summoned you, he made it clear that you were expected to care for Jason under his rules. You don't know how to navigate this world. You know what couples in your village do, but you don't know what's expected of you here.

"Actually, I..." Jason looks at you. His eyes are very green. He has a surprisingly sweet face under his helmet. "Actually, I was wondering if I could go. On my own."

"Oh."

You brace yourself for arguing or yelling. True, he hasn't raised his voice once, but he also hasn't said much at all. It's like living with a ghost.

"Yes, of course. Of course you can go." He fishes out a pouch of coins and gives them to you. You take it slowly, waiting for him to realize his mistake. He doesn't.

"Thank you," you say.

He nods and watches you walk.

"Wait."

You stop. Here it comes.

"There's a cargo ship in port today. The guards rotate at noon."

He leaves before you can form a thought. You hold the coins, watching blankly as the door shuts behind him. His horse whinnies, and then he's gone.

The market isn't far from the cottage. It's fantastic to be outside again. No one's noticed your absence, clearly, but that's alright. You've never expected more.

You buy a good cut of veal and potatoes and carrots and apples. Jason gave you more money than any cut of meat would cost, so surely he assumed you would buy other food. Why else would he give you so much?

A ship's horn drones in the distance. You're feeling some oranges when you remember his words. A cargo ship.

The sun is almost at its highest point.

"Oi! Either buy 'em or stop feelin' 'em!" the seller snaps.

You roll your eyes and move on from the orange stand. You can see the horizon of where the sky meets the sea from here. Any moment, the guards will change, and the ship will be...

You stop. Was Jason hinting at your escape?

No, he couldn't have been! That's preposterous. Why would he want you gone? The king took you for a reason.

And where would you go anyway? Once you leave, you'd be a criminal forever. You couldn't make a home on your own. And who knows what could happen in between? Pirates, enemy soldiers, anybody could snatch you up.

This must've been a test. A test to see if you would run. That's why he agreed to you going so easily.

No, your escape can't be planned now. Not when you're so obviously uncomfortable, and Jason knows it.

You ignore the ship and go home with your purchases. You spend the rest of the afternoon preparing veal stew. You warm leftover bread over the fire and set a pot of butter on the table.

Jason comes in louder than he has before, humming quietly. You perk up at the sound, happy for the lack of silence.

You set a bowl of stew at his chair and wait by the fire. As soon as he enters the kitchen, the humming stops.

"Welcome home," you say, wringing your hands. "I made supper."

Jason glances at the table, then back at you.

"You came back," he says.

"Why wouldn't I?" you ask, face neutral as you cut the bread into chunks.

"That—did the ship come?"

"Yes."

Jason sits. His face is dirty from training.

"I bought more than veal," you say, and hand him the pouch. "I hope that's alright. We—there were no more potatoes."

He takes the pouch, rubbing the string tied around the top. "You went to the marketplace... and came back."

It's not a question, but it sounds like there might be one behind it.

"Certainly," you say. "I'm loyal to you, Jason. I serve you."

He looks up, blinking rapidly. Then he looks back at his stew.

Oh, right. He's waiting for you to ask permission to sit.

"May I join you?" you ask.

Jason flinches. "You don't... you don't have to ask. I would never stop you from eating."

The words hang in the air. It's like neither one of you can speak right.

You watch him, and he watches you as you serve yourself and sit on the opposite side of the table. Jason takes the first bite, and you eat right after.

"Is the supper satisfactory? Have I done well?" you ask.

Jason stops chewing and sets his spoon down. You're struck by his shift in demeanor. You worry for a moment you've screwed up something as dim-wittingly simple as stew.

His eyes are sad as they fall on you. It's akin to grief, the pain he wears, but you don't know why he's grieving. You silently offer him more bread, pushing it toward him. He takes it.

"Yes," he says quietly and eats another spoonful. "You did. Thank you for supper."

Jason cleans his bowl three times. You have no stew leftover, which pleases you.

But as soon as Jason finishes eating, he gets up, rinses his bowl, and wordlessly leaves.

You don't see him for the rest of the night.

Somehow, you feel lonelier than when you weren't speaking.

[soscarlett1twas]

Been thinking about Andrew and Luca.

There’s something so special to me about these two men — outwardly, very different people, but they’re just so alike internally: both having a pretty isolated upbringing with little to no friends, then being thrust into college life and discovering love… and that’s where we see a rift. The outcome of that relationship diverts the course of their emotional journeys. That is, until they meet eachother.

Luca found success where Andrew did not. Luca’s college relationship landed him a fiancé, while Andrew’s was the first in a long chain of loneliness. Isaac left him, then his brother did, and all Andrew had was the choice to either drown in his feelings, or drown in work. He chose work. And that pivoted them to meet, as without Andrew’s drive, he never would have become the young professor Luca TA’d for. He built himself wax wings to soar; but we all know the end of that myth.

Luca, meanwhile, was with the love of his life. Someone who supported him relentlessly for simply being him. It’s pretty clear they have a set-in-stone happily ever after, for as much as even I don’t believe in them. But what’s interesting about this is that Luca is the abandoner. He left his family back in the US. He is happy without them, but he is also not the person who stayed. And we know he was going to — he admits to having planned returning to the States after uni. But he didn’t, because he found love. Love he figured was worth (physically) leaving his family and life for.

Sound familiar? Takes a similar bent to a certain twin’s, doesn’t it.

So it’s those choices which force them to meet. Andrew’s delve into work and Luca’s “running away.” Luca is initially terrified of Andrew while Andrew just sees Luca as his new TA. Both completely fair POVs.

That works for like a week, then Andrew and Darling’s scandal breaks. (An affair which I will say only happened because of Andrew’s crippling loneliness. Andrew wouldn’t have broken his morals so deeply if it weren’t for that fact he literally had nobody else, so desperate for some form of love that he turned to a damn student.) Darling, in the heat of their argument, pins some blame on Luca, accusing Andrew of having a fling with Luca. It’s ludicrous, and I doubt even Darling actually believed that, but it strikes a nerve with Andrew.

Something similar happens with Luca and Babe later. While it’s not as severe an accusation, Babe is jealous of the blooming friendship between our dear Marston and Pearce. Luca assures them that there is nothing going on because literally nothing is, except for the fact that both of their listeners have only observed these two lacking in something, which can be described in a lump sum as friendship.

It’s a rare moment of almost… misunderstanding? For the listeners? Luca and Andrew are both made better by their listeners. ‘Better’ in little, esoteric ways — parallel to the nature of love itself, because is love if not for the little things? — but better nonetheless. So I think to see that little spark of fulfillment in your partner fueled by another person was a moment of yes, misunderstanding.

Because they do begin to fulfill eachother.

Luca calls Andrew more of a ‘big brother’ than anything else. Andrew is the family Luca left behind. And Luca is Andrew’s friend, a role once taken by the people who left him, and it is not a job that can be taken up by a partner — romantic and platonic love are not the same, after all.

This all comes to a head when Andrew and Luca have their talk. The details are a little obscure, but from what I’ve picked up, it seems they spoke about engagement. Luca’s proposal to Babe, specifically.

This is the climax of two things: first, the building of a friendship between two people who spent their lives pretty devoid of that and two, their crossroads. Luca wants to have his family again, only this time, with the person he loves more than anything. Andrew is going steady with Darling and is in the position to have a heart-to-heart with someone who is coming to him as a friend, as a brother, even if Luca never fully expressed that to Andrew.

And it works out. Even if hidden in the vibrant hues of an Icarian crash and burn from Andrew (him losing his job), there are still strokes of bliss. Babe says yes. Luca and Andrew’s friendship grows. Darling and Andrew living peacefully, above all else, together.

Luca and Andrew aren’t even amazing friends, but still, they’re parallels and foils all at once.

They are eachothers closure and openings to a new life. They are brief moments, those passing friends who you see only so often, but still the shifting in a current. Because you don’t need some big, romantic love affair to be changed — you don’t even need a really good friend, you just need a friend.

Somebody.

And I think that’s neat.

[angelfoxx]

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° “COULD I…HELP YOU?”

… in which the genshin hybrids maybe, possibly let you help with their heats/ruts

FEATURING: gorou, tighnari, & yae miko.

WARNINGS: afab reader; do you consider eating yae out at the shrine sacrilege because if so then uh. um. scratches my neck awkwardly

NOTE/S: hey! i’m new and i eat requests UP. if u enjoy my work, pls leave a request and i’ll see if i can do it!

— GOROU

✧ He tries not to mention it to you. Key word; tries. More often than not he’s dealt with his…biological problems…during combat, and when you are leading an entire rebellion, getting off probably isn’t your top concern. Is it annoying? Yes. Does it make him irritable and short-tempered and want to commit violent crimes against the nation? Also yes. He goes absolutely apeshit insane during the worst of his cycle and chances are if you happen to be on the front lines with him you’ll see him lose his goddamn mind because while he may be a very high-ranking general he is also a bitch to the biological system and, archons, the frustration he has to otherwise ignore gets fueled into his job. he commits war crimes against the state

✧ That is, of course, until you. You are now a new factor in his life and considering that you’re not only fighting beside him but also more often than not sleeping over in his tent, bringing him food after he returns to camp, or doing who-knows-what-else, you’re bound to find out one way or another. His leading fear is that you’ll have a rather rude awakening to his issue after arriving at his tent a little too late and finding him trying to sleep, trying, because he doesn’t get much of that anymore between war and also hormones, but he’s afraid you’ll be a little too late and instead of him sleeping you’ll find him halfway curled over himself with his tortured dick slick in his hands and fierce red bleeding over his face as he tries to sate the carnal urge seething in his loins.

✧ He eventually tells you, sort of; he brings you in well before his cycle starts and tells you, as calmly as he can manage, that you should stay away from his tent because the coming week is going to be hard for him. You misunderstand, initially, and immediately start reassuring him that if the resistance is running low on supplies or rations or defenses you’ll go out no problem to provide assistance. This then leads to him having to explain that no, this isn’t anything to do with the resistance, it’s a…it’s a biological problem, and it makes me…frustrated, it frustrates me, and I don’t think I could live with myself if you got caught in the crossfire. He’s really trying not to stumble over his words — this is incredibly embarrassing, incredibly, like, tail-trying-to-tuck embarrassing — but he’s doing his best, and what more could you ask?

✧ You’re not stupid. Biological problems making him frustrated to the point of not being able to see you? He’s dancing around the whole core of the thing and so you half-laugh and look at him and his slumping ears and semi-tucked tail and rose-tinted cheeks and ask him, point blank, if he’s trying to explain rut. He seems almost scandalized by you putting it so simply, but with a whiny groan and guiltily-closing eyes he nods and affirms your suspicions. Now he’s trying to excuse himself; it’s not a big deal, I’ll be fine, I just…it would be best for you to stay away, stay away while I’m dealing with it, but you’re not having it. Obviously, he’s used to dealing with his primal side on his own, but now he has you; perhaps your clear-thinking, never-having-dealt-with-a-rut conscience is what makes you wait for him to finish rushing through his panicked monologue before you step forward, take his hand in yours, and ask if it would be a better idea for him to just…get it out of his system. You know, for the efforts of the resistance and all. It can’t be good to have General Top Dog Gorou not completely focused on the fight, right? So maybe he should just…you know, let you spend the night this coming week and just let his biological problem run its course. You know, for the resistance.

At this point, you aren’t sure whether the damp spot under your cheek is from spit or tears. You can’t exactly check either; it’s like your muscles aren’t listening to you anymore. They’re so rigid it hurts, so stiff you can’t move unless you want to lose what little composure you have left. You’re hot, so hot; despite being clothed in what are now torn-up, ragged shreds of fabric, you feel stifled, overheated; it’s not coming from your surroundings, but rather, your gut, from somewhere deep in your gut, the same place that’s making every muscle go stiff and your legs practically vibrate and your eyes roll back and oh, please, the same place that Gorou keeps hitting, blunt tip spearing up against and hammering into overdrive.

The thought swirls hazily in your head for half a second before you feel hard, slick length pull out of you, bump heavily against the back of your thigh before you hear a shuffle and then a hot tongue is prodding at your sobbing hole, carving searing lines through the thick glaze of spit, pre, and arousal coating the hot space between your legs and flooding over to the insides of your thighs. It’s been like this for so long, so long — you’ve lost track of time. You force a rolled-back eye to come forward; you gaze blearily at the ceiling of the tent, try to find the glow of the moon but it’s no use, not when everything is blurred together with tears and the world feels like it’s spinning and—

Gorou whines between your legs, laps up the arousal your cunt is all but drooling out by this point. His face is glued to you; a broken, absent consideration for whatever little things he’s got in here crosses through your mind as you hear the telltale whisk of fur on tent.

You’re leaning your hips back, ready this time when he mounts back up behind you. Both hands grope around your hips, claw at the seams of your thighs and finally find purchase quite literally on the hill of your pelvis. His chest lays up on your back; he’s burning up, skin on fire as his canines latch onto your ear and his breath threatens to burn your cheek. He doesn’t speak; he can’t, you don’t think, vocabulary reduced to a handful of pants, moans, and breathy half-words, slurred “m’gon, m’gonna, hol’n” as his stiff cockhead prods through your slit and nudges back into the sopping warmth of your cunt. Something clatters to the floor; if the rhythmic, quickening thump of his tail furiously hitting the floor in tandem with his pistoning hips, he’s close, again. How many times had he already? Four? Five, maybe? He’s still going at it as hard as he had in the start; the only indicator that his stamina is lessening is how sloppy he’s getting with his motions. He’s constantly groping around for a hold on your slick skin despite having found one immediately when this all first started; his breathing has steadily grown more labored, and you can feel saliva soaking down your neck as his teeth find purchase beside your nape and he bites down, some last effort to anchor himself as his hips twitch and a fresh rope of heat spills out against that spot deep in your gut.

— TIGHNARI

✧ Much unlike the aforementioned general, his methods of dealing with his rut are…indulgent. He knows better than anyone what the rut is and why it does what it does and how to best work with it. The other researches know this; they know that sometimes, for no apparent reason at all, he writes up a whole patrol schedule for the next several days and sends himself out on the further ones; he’ll disappear for days at a time, often excusing himself with reasoning along the lines of studying the forest over a period of days to ensure that the Withering isn’t rearing its head, or that he wants to record the state of certain formerly-affected plants over a longer section of time. Both are rather normal reasons to be excused for so long; plus, Collei’s got home base under control, and his absences aren’t necessarily unusual. So, it works.

✧ If you pry enough — but wait, Tighnari, we might need you, we’ve got this thing we’re doing…how long will you be gone for? — he’ll explain it to you, and he’ll do so rather eloquently which is wild considering that he’s really just talking about how he gets ridiculously, unbearably horny for a week or so at a time and fucks his hands several dozen times over. He explains it scientifically, simply, and comfortably; he’s casual about what he’s talking about and maybe that’s why you have to do a double take and, as he’s walking out to check on Collei and make sure she’s got things covered, you sort of sputter and turn around and ask if he’s going into rut. He just pauses, looks over his shoulder, and blinks — you feel kind of stupid when he just looks at you and dubiously goes “yes?” Somehow, despite him being the one who’s literally distancing himself so he can masturbate in peace, you feel awkward and exposed. In any case, he just walks away, very casually, to check in on Collei, leaving you to realize that oh, oh, that’s…oh.

✧ When you stop him the night before he leaves — he’s packing a satchel of whatever he needs, you’d guess — you’re the one who’s shifting on your feet and hot in the face as you ask if he needs any help. He just blinks at you, asks what you mean, and flicks an ear when you open your mouth to answer and stammer out something about helping to carry something to his temporary campsite. He says he appreciates the offer but he’s got it managed just fine; plus, he adds, you don’t want to be around someone under (what he calls) animalistic instinct. You don’t quite know how to say that uh, well, haha, funny you say that, because I kind of do, and so you just say you’re worried about him going off on his own. He laughs — he finds that quite endearing — and tells you he’ll be fine. He tells you to go get some sleep; if it’ll make you feel better, he’ll bring you some spoils from the jungle when he gets back, so you can look forward to his return for reasons other than the obvious.

✧ Which, of course, doesn’t work. He disappears the next morning, as expected, but thanks to literally scouting the whole fucking jungle a good bit of adventurer’s expertise you stumble across his camp. Camp, consisting of a hollowed-out tree stump and the starts of a nest constructed from underbrush and reeds. It doesn’t take long to find the fox himself; upon seeing you he’s quick to jump into scolding, to which you literally have to cut him off and say that no, no, you know why he’s here and you’ll leave but also you meant it if he wanted help, like you really meant it, and…

Hands balled into fists, crushing willowy reed-stems in your grasp; to say you’re being drilled into is an understatement. The world had smelled initially like the jungle — damp soil, wild flowers, sweet wood — but now it smells hot, rough, almost wild.

And it’s all because of him.

Breath coming in short, thick half-pant, half-grunts, Tighnari’s chasing refuge from the need exploding through his system; it’s evident in the tendons defined down his neck, the blueish veins starting to stick up under his skin, the sheen of sweat painting his skin a glossy golden-cream. His face tips back; quivering under him, you watch as he groans into the hot, enclosed air of his carved-out camp, watch as he swallows, hard, as if to calm himself down.

Fat chance of that, you manage to think, lifting your head just a little to try a glance at your hips. Your prostrate hips, flat against the jungle floor, legs split apart to leave room for the sharp-eyed hybrid overhead to thrust up into you.

“Is this what you wanted?” His voice is surprisingly steady, considering how hard his hips are rutting and how aggressive the slap of skin on skin has gotten. His voice is aimed down at you; he’s looking down, now, watching your expression change with sardonic eyes. Both tall ears sit almost-flat against his head; he finds you funny, right now, funny even though you’re the one he’s been so desperately fucking into. “Helping me move my stuff, huh?”

You open your mouth to answer and can’t. He knows damn well what you’d meant; he knew it then, too, when he said he’d be just fine on his own. A test to see how far you’d go, perhaps, and one that you’d succeeded. Going on a wild hunt through a jungle to go find him is certainly something, he thinks — and what kind of thanks would it be if he didn’t let you give this whole bitch thing a whirl?

Your breathing breaks as his pace grows quicker; he never falters, not even when you grab on around the small of his back snd dig your nails into the smooth planes of his back. “Gonna,” you gasp, almost voiceless; “gonna, gonna, ‘Nari, gonna…”

Black fur curls against your ankle and trails up your thigh. He finds it funny, how quick you are to break under him; but oh, silly you. Silly, silly you. One round…that won’t do. But you know that, don’t you? That’s why you came out here; to ruin yourself, or to let him ruin you. Isn’t it?

— YAE MIKO

WOMEN. WOMEN RRRRRRAUGH THIS IS MOMMY

✧ If you think anyone is gonna know shit when this woman deals with a heat cycle then you’re wrong. Wrong. Yes, it is very frustrating and yes, she’s well aware of that feeling being there and yes, archons, she’s very poignantly aware that you, her little admirer — she’s poignantly aware that whenever you’re around she finds that feeling getting a little stronger and a little harder to ignore because maybe, maybe she’s a little…a little interested in you, and maybe those comments that sound flirty but you’ve always just chalked up to her being her mean a little more than she lets on, but…no, no. She won’t tell you that. It would be embarrassing and also weird; even Ei doesn’t know about it, and Ei knows most things. She knows her rosy-haired, sly-eyed familiar has taken a liking to you, and she’s mentioned it in brief teasing every now and again — in Ei’s mind, she should really just tell you because human life is short and eternity is damn long — but what she doesn’t know is that hr same rosy-haired, sly-eyed familiar finds somewhere, anywhere — hell, half the time it’s at the shrine where she won’t be bothered — and fucks herself with her hand and pretends it’s you, pretends, and she feels more than slightly foul afterward because she’s doing it at a sacred shrine but archons, screw it, she needs to take care of this or she’ll provoke Ei into another bad decision with her attitude.

✧ Speaking of which; it’s after another casual wander through Inazuma with Ei that you head up to visit her foxy familiar. Much unlike the many times you’ve seen her here before, she’s not in front of that sacred tree; no, she’s staring off into the fenced-off pond, and she looks very far away, like her head’s not all here. Upon calling for her, she seems to come back; she finds your eyes, offers you a charming little smile, and shuffles over as if to make room for you despite her current spot already being separated from the main crowd. Internally, she’s cursing herself for how her heart beats a little harder against her ribs and how the warmth between her legs starts to spread up into her gut, twists around her rationale and puts her world in a haze. Being in the depths of a heat cycle, specifically around you, has her almost scattered; she hears all of your questions well after you ask them and she answers even more delayed than that and so maybe that’s why you’re suddenly so close, trying to get closer to her face with your expression wrought and eyes worried as you ask if she’s feeling alright.

✧ She should push you away. She should, really, because you’re so warm, and you smell so nice and sweet and you look so pretty and untouched and — no, no, she should push you away, but she can’t. She’ll hide it under some smooth, late remark — I’m feeling fine; is this just an excuse to get closer to me? — but the little voice in her head is screaming at her to grab you by the nape and drag you off to a quiet, hidden corner and wreck you because you’re hers, hers, her sweet thing, hers…

✧ You don’t look alright. Have you been sleeping enough? Oh, ever-so-innocent, ever-so-sweet you, concerned suddenly that maybe the thin mountain air has gotten her sick as you press your palm to her forehead to see and — you’re burning up, you’re actually burning up, we need…do you have medicine? I’m not sure if familiars carry medicine, but we can head down to the village…no, no, I’ll head down, you stay here and I’ll bring something back for you, or…

✧ She finally manages a no. No, she doesn’t need medicine; trying to manage to keep her voice from dropping, she gives you the simple explanation of this happens sometimes and medicine won’t do anything about it, and you’re kind of confused because does she mean her period? do fox familiars get periods? when fox familiars get periods do they suddenly burn up like they’ve got a bad fever? but then you realize fox and oh, oh, you think you get it now. It must be evident on your face; oh, you say, face going hot, oh, sorry, I…do you need anything? I can leave you alone — sorry, I didn’t know, this is probably a bad time… but she’s just looking at you, now, and you don’t quite know what to do before you feel hot fingers wrap around your wrist and nails poke your skin. She’s trying to keep up the act; are you asking to help? she manages, suave tone just slightly shaky, and you’re sort of left sitting there dealing with the moral question of whether or not fucking the Electro Archon’s familiar is something you’ll get tit-sword’d for but ultimately, looking at slightly-heaving Miko with her eyes almost glowing and her skin starting to burn yours and oh, is that a blush you’re seeing? you decide that maybe getting tit-sword’d is worth it.

For being such a smooth talker, Yae Miko is awfully messy when it comes to sex. At least, this kind of sex. The sex where she’s dragged you rather hurriedly and rather unceremoniously behind one of the buildings atop the shrine, practically shoved you up against the wooden wall and swallowed any complaints or remarks you may have had about the manner between her lips. Dominant, yes — but messy. Messy, in the way her mouth can’t seem to stay on yours and instead slips off, wets the corners of your mouth and down under your jaw when you try and fail to gasp for breath. Messy, in the way that her hands are immediately moving; one raking down your spine, the other digging into your nape, and then both to your sides, and then one up under your blouse to tear apart the buttons and get a handful of your chest. Messy, in the way that despite her heat being at its worst, especially being neglected for so long, she insists on marking you; you don’t know if the Shogun’s eyes see the shrine but oh, oh, you hope they don’t, because you’re pinned to a wall with her familiar licking and biting and sucking on the soft spots under your jaw so hard that you’re heaving and debating on whether or not it’s okay to wrap your arms behind her head and draw her deeper into you because it feels like fire, it feels like fire on your throat…

“On your knees,” she purrs shakily, breath hot on your neck. “On your knees, get on your knees…you said you’d help me, didn’t you? Be good…listen to me, listen…”

And so, you do. And, really, you shouldn’t be surprised but oh, the way she watches you drop weakly to your knees, land softly in the grass with the wooden wall burning up your back — it’s too much, it’s too much, and your eyes have gone drunken before she can even start to move her clothes, move the pretty white silk out of the way and she’s lowering herself, too, but she really doesn’t have to. She doesn’t have to, because you’re drunk on desire and maybe that’s what gives you the confidence to touch her, wrap a shaky hand around her thigh and stretch up, duck under her dress guys im so sorry it might be a kimono but i actually do not know and i dont want to use the wrong terminology and sound dumb please help and…oh, she smells so sweet, so warm and sweet and—

She swears she sees stars. The long, pitched-tailed moan she lets out is evidence of it; nails scrape along your nape as you tongue at the heat burning fiercely between her thighs, taste thick, sugared arousal on your tongue and groan as you lap for more. She gives you no instructions, no limits, and so you just go all in; you wrap an arm around her waist to steady yourself as you let go of her thigh, reach up with your now-free hand and spread slick, soaked folds apart to get on the source. Her breathing is labored; you can feel her pulse stuttering when the tip of your tongue finds her pulsing cunt, pushes in only to get tightened on. Something warm and soft brushes the hand behind her back; you’ve seen the ghost of her tail a few times but it sure as fuck feels real now, beating against her thigh as you latch onto the sweet well between her thighs and practically drink the effect of her heat as it dribbles down your chin. Heaven, you’re in heaven, and oh, archons, so is she; the wooden wall behind you groans as she shifts, assumably to rest her weight against it as her thighs steady against your head and close you off to the outside world.

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

Hi there 🤗

I absolutely love your writings!

I was wondering if you could write a 2003 Leo nsfw, please 👉👈

Maybe something a little angsty? Like, after he got injured and his personality became more broody, angry, serious? He still loves the reader, but he doesn't express it as much, and he's more rough in bed, whereas before his injury, he was sweeter?

Thank you for considering this idea 🫣

After The Injury (Angst) (18+)

2003!Leonardo x reader

A/N: I do have a thing for moody Leo, so of course I will write something for him! Angst? Hell yeah! Let’s go angst on this one! Hope you enjoy💙😊

All  characters are aged up.

Warnings: Mentioning of stabbing, good relationship taking a wrong turn, rough sex, mentioning of squirting.

The injury had changed Leo. It was clear for everyone to see. Not only did he have a giant chip on his shell, left after Karai had stabbed him, but his eyes. They were bitter, smaller than usual, often directed towards the ground. Unless someone spoke to him. Then he would look up at them, anger stroming in his eyes. It was kind of scary to look at… You had never been scared of your boyfriend, but after his youngest brother once flinched at his stare, you were starting to get worried.

It was obvious to Leo’s friends and family that he wasn’t doing too good. Normally he was never this angry or filled with this much resentment, but now he was a ticking time bomb, lashing out at people whenever they started to push him just a little. And just because you were his partner, it didn’t mean you wouldn’t get to see or feel just how much Leo had changed.

Leo used to be soft and loving towards you, making sure that you always felt provided and comforted for. He would spend many hours just holding your hand and holding you close, murmuring sweet nothings into your ear. Sex with him used to be just as sweet and passionate, with long deep stares into each other’s eyes. Leo tended to be a dominant time, but he used to be loving at that. But after Leo’s injury, that changed as well.

During his healing periode, Leo didn’t want to talk to anyone, not even you. He stayed alone, staring out into the blue, deep in thoughts that just kept going deeper and deeper and getting darker and darker. He wouldn’t hold your hand or hold you close anymore, and along with that disappeared the sweet nothings he would whisper to you. It made you sad. It disheartened you. But sadly, it wasn’t the only thing between you that changed.

Misunderstandings was many between you and Leo now. Your communication was having a hard time, and you found it challenging to express your emotions to Leo now. Such a far cry from how it used to be between the two of you… But if there was one thing between you and Leo that had drastically changed, it was your sex life.

Leo used to be so patient with you, but now he was sudden and harsh. He no longer just hinted with soft kisses or touches that he was in the mood, no, now he would make demands. And you, having a harder and harder time initiating intimacy between the two of you, would be ready whenever he told you to drop your clothes. You used to have sex pretty much every other day to every other week, which left you needy and somewhat desperate. No way you were going to say no to him when he finally was in the mood…

Sex with Leo had gotten from passionate with a little rough edge, to straight up rough. Sometimes sexy rough and other times just rough, like he was letting his animalistic side fully take over him. You used to have toys involved - robes, handcuffs, vibrators, just to make things more spicy. But those were gone now. You had gotten from face to face most of the time, to Leo pushing your face into a pillow, lifting your ass high up in the air, before going to town on you, pounding you into a moan and screaming mess.

You had never experienced Leo being so rough with you. You had never had him make you scream into a pillow, not caring if any of his family members were able to hear you. On one side, you were frightened by this. This was not the Leonardo you were used to. But on the other side, you had never tried cumming so hard in your life. Sex with Leo had never been bad, but this was surely something new. And as much as Leo’s new rough nature frightened you, you couldn’t deny that this new side of him had made you squirt all over him and his member once.

You would lie if you said you didn’t like the harder spanking and the tougher hair pulling, or how his hand had gotten tighter around your neck than what it used to. And you would definitely lie, if you said you didn’t like how Leo seemed to have gotten much more vocal. You missed the usually dirty talk, but the louder groans and moans hand your head spinning, making your clench around him even harder.

But no matter how much you loved parts of Leo’s new rougher side, there was one thing you missed - the aftercare. Leo used to be so thoughtful during aftercare, kissing all parts of your body that might be hurting, in case he went just a little too hard on you, cleaning you up if needed, before holding you close so that the two of you could fall asleep together. However Leo didn’t do that anymore.

It was like clockwork every time. Leo would pull out of you after he had emptied himself inside of you, leaving you still shaking after your orgasm. You would feel the mix of you and him drip down your leg, while he would shuffle off of you. He wouldn’t say a word. Instead he would adjust himself, sliding his member back into his cloaca, maybe even throw you a towel if one was nearby. But other than that he would just lay down, mumble a goodnight to you, before turning over on his side, facing away from you, falling asleep not too long after. To you, that was probably one of the worst parts of Leo’s injury. He couldn’t speak to you anymore, and he was rarely able to show you the love he used to. At times it even made you wonder if it was worth continuing with him like this. But you never did anything about it. Instead you would turn onto your side, you back facing his shell, hoping that tomorrow would be different from today.

[itsclydebitches]

We've all rightly been gushing over Trent listening in on the parent-teacher conference and there are a lot of cool interpretations for why he'd eavesdrop: a crush on Ted, a tendency towards gossip (as seen in "International Break"), the fact that you just can't take the journalism out of the boy, Trent is clearly picking up personal tidbits for the book if the group's initial "Don't print that" worries are any indication, etc. So yeah, it's clear why he'd want/be okay with the door staying open.

Meanwhile, I'm slightly feral over Ted letting the door stay open and what that conveys to Trent.

Based on what we've picked up about his personal life and the direction of this season, we have good reason to believe that Trent was a deeply isolated man prior to Ted arriving. His job makes enemies simply by virtue of the profession itself, especially when you "bring the heat" as hard as he did. Roy flipping the press off at the gala in Season 1 and Nate sneaking out at dark this last episode shows us how journalists are treated on the regular: ignored, dismissed, told to "fuck off" as a matter of course. That's often well deserved, as Roy's two personal stories (Trent's article about him + the response to Isaac's attack) attest, but the end result is still a profession that alienates you from anyone other than your peers. When you're a "colossal prick" in your articles, people hate you all the more.

So Trent at least has other journalist buddies, yeah? Well, not that we've seen. I always think back to that chorus of "--The Independent" in the press room when everyone knew what Trent was going to say and how it... wasn't entirely fun ribbing. I think there's a fair bit of mockery there. Even if others disagree, I doubt that was received well by someone who wears their professionalism as an armor, who takes off his glasses as soon as they're complimented, who was, notably, closeted into his 40s. Trent is a man who is deeply aware of how others perceive him (pointing out his "vibe" feels quite calculated now: highlight what you want people to notice rather than waiting for them to find something on their own) and he is likely to read the worst of most interactions. Cue his shocked, "You really mean that, don't you?" when faced with someone like Ted who is not only genuinely nice, but blunt about it in a way that Trent can't misunderstand, or brush off via denial.

What's his home life like? Married to a woman when he's gay and that's putting a serious strain on them both. He tries to come out and isn't believed. The only other family members we know about are a toddler (who, while lovely I'm sure, can't provide Trent with the kind of emotional support an adult needs) and a father who, if we read the series through Lance's headcanons, may not have been very supportive of his son. Who else does Trent know? Uhhh... other subjects who hate him? Owners like Rebecca who want to use him? A random, potential date that he felt so little for he ditched to get a quote?

(EDIT: I can't believe I forgot to mention the strong implications that Ted was bullied in childhood/as a teenager, based on how he reacts to the whole of the club ignoring him -- resigned but unsurprised -- his reaction to Roy telling him to fuck off after he tries to mend that relationship -- disappointedly awkward "I can't believe I even tried that. What was I thinking?" -- and his body language during the locker room scene -- jumping, furtive glances towards Ted, backed up against the shower stall because shit, he's been in this situation before.

So uh, yeah. Trent may not have had a lot of friends growing up either! That was not the response of a social butterfly, but rather someone who is already very used to being ignored/dismissed/cursed out/threatened, not just within his profession, but within the school-like atmosphere of Richmond's family too.)

I'm by no means reinventing the meta wheel here, but Trent has truly undergone a STAGGERING transformation in Season 3 and the result of that is the reframing of his Season 1 and 2 scenes as, frankly, more depressing than they originally seemed. Seeing him now smiling, singing, gossiping, dressing just in t-shirts, casually snacking, making jokes, letting go enough to be a complete, hyperactive "dork" in front of others... it just hammers home how deeply unhappy Trent was before. How closed off. How closeted--in more ways than one.

So what must it mean to someone like Trent for Ted to leave the door open?

It's not just an open invitation towards community--sit near me, listen in, quietly participate, there's literally no barrier between us--but a staggeringly personal one too. I don't care if a 10-ish year old failing science is inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, the fact remains that letting anyone hear a parent-teacher conference with your ex is a hell of a show of trust. That would mean a lot to Trent in general, this acknowledgement that someone trusts the ex-prick journalist with that amount of personal information, but Ted in particular? Oh boy. Ted is the one Trent betrayed with that article! And yeah, Ted forgave him the instant he learned of it, but Trent himself was obviously feeling a lot of guilt, hence him burning his source and orchestrating a firing. Toss in the fact that Ted, despite being a VERY open man on the regular (I still laugh at his "I don't mind" to Rebecca when over-sharing about Michelle) has in fact denied Trent information in the past. No, I won't tell you that was a panic attack. Yes, I will continue the lie that it was food poisoning. Perhaps for Ted it was less about Trent knowing and more about anyone getting at the truth, but at the end of the day it amounts to the same: there was a time when Ted did not fully trust him and Trent justified that fear by writing the very article Ted was looking to avoid, even if Trent approached that situation with as much grace as he could.

So this moment, beyond the humor, just makes my brain go !!!!!! for Trent. Ted Lasso, of all people, has left the door open for Trent Crimm, also of all people, to hear the messy details of his, Henry, and Michelle's life. He is not at all afraid that this information will be spun in a bad light--Local Gaffer's Son Suffers While Father Plays at Coach Across the Pond--despite the fact that Trent is actively writing a book about him. Trent himself is so unguarded in this moment, dressed only in a t-shirt, playing around with his orange, making little quips. The Trent of Season 1 would NEVER. I mean, I think we see small glimpses of the real Trent back then, especially when Ted amuses him enough to coax his guard down for half a second (Trent's reaction to “Make like Dunst and Union and bring it on, baby!" comes to mind. That's a gesture we're seeing a lot now that he's comfortable around the club), but on the whole he was still so, so, so isolated. No one knew the real him: gay, funny, dorky, inquisitive, longing for companionship and using the artificial 'closeness' of journalism to cover that ache up.

Now? Trent is fully a part of the Richmond community and he knows he's a part of it because everyone--Ted, Beard, Roy, Colin, Rebecca--are going out of their way to tell him that, notably in very overt ways. Trent strikes me as someone who wouldn't fully believe it when he's told someone enjoys his company; the kind of wounded, anxiety-prone person who, if casually invited to participate, would assume they're just being polite and he'd actually be an annoyance to them. Trent needs overt, obvious, beat-you-over-the-head-with-it reassurance, which is why Ted is so very good for him because Ted is composed of THE most over-the-top positivity you've ever seen. (Compare that need of Trent's to Michelle thinking that Ted is too much...) When faced with a defensive journalist Ted says explicitly that he liked spending time with Trent. When faced with a still unsure writer who thinks of himself only as an observer--never a part of the team himself--Ted literally begs with monkey noises to hear Trent's opinions. He's blunt to the point of absurdity and someone like Trent who has likely spent the majority of his life hiding/being told that his true self is inadequate needs that level of constant, neon-light reassurance.

So Ted leaves the door open to a personal conversation, refusing to literally bar Trent from his life. The best part? Colin re-opens the door because he understands Trent and he knows his coach; of course Ted wants him included. Colin asks permission to CLOSE the door, not open it, and Trent is seeing this openness again and again over the course of several months, with each episode bringing him further out of his shell as he slowly unlearns that self-doubt. Yes, please stay, please tell us what you think, please offer your advice, please join our Diamond Dogs, please ask us questions (they're no longer perceived as a threat), please become an integral part of our lives. We trust you and we like you and we want you here.

Everyone's waiting for Trent to catch the door again because, you know, the rule of three, but what if he doesn't need to? What if he's past slipping a hand or a foot through the crack and scraping by on what that gets him? He caught the door before it could close to get closer to Colin. He caught the door before it could close to get closer to Ted. Now they've both kept the door open for him, his presence welcomed from the get-go.

Trent doesn't need to sprint for that opening anymore.

[esoteric-oracle]

On Life debts in MDZS

Recently finished watching Anle Zhuan, and holy crap, it really just sets even more into perspective how important life debts were in Chinese culture, especially in the days of dynasties. Long story short, the FL has a filial obligation to clear her family's name and exact vengeance on the ML's family - but you know what throws a wrench in her plans? The fact that the ML keeps saving her. Of course, this is a moral dilemma more easily offset by how she keeps saving him as well, but the fact that this is even worth mentioning and considered a serious quandary by the main character and her allies at one point really says something. And it got me thinking deeper about the implications of such life debts in MDZS.

In MDZS, life debts are immeasurably important. And how you honour that life debt is a measure of your character. When you owe someone a life debt, you owe them something immeasurably precious. In MDZS, MXTX knows that and shows it. She uses life debts to tie characters together and to drive the plot.

Life debts are the reason Wei Wuxian feels so duty-bound to the Jiang Sect and the Jiang family. They're the reason he's willing to lose an arm if it means no damage comes to his sect. They're the reason he tolerates being punished with methods beyond what's ever acceptable for a Head Disciple of a Sect. Because Jiang Fengmian saved him from living a life on the streets all those years ago, never mind that JFM himself owed Wei Wuxian's mother a life debt.

Life debts are the reason Wen Zhuliu is so blindly loyal to Wen Ruohan, committing countless atrocities in the name of the man who saved his life.

Life debts (and perhaps also genuine love), are why Jin Guangyao is so loyal to Lan Xichen. Because despite every other moral he eschews in his pursuit of power, he will always remember the sincere kindness Lan Xichen showed him when every other cultivator judged him for his heritage. And in the same way, we see Lan Xichen protecting him from Nie Mingjue under the excuse that Lan Xichen owes his life to Jin Guangyao.

Now let's talk about when life debts come into conflict with "filial duty".

It always irks me when people bring up family and filial duty to criticize WWX's "betrayal" of his sect, or try to undermine his judgement and actions when he protected the Wen Remnants. To me, it just shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the novel and the context around the text. When people call Wei Wuxian a "troublemaker" for leaving the Jiang Sect, they're falling prey to the very prejudices and classism MXTX condemned in the novel. Yes, the Wens burned down Lotus Pier. Yes, the remaining Jiang Sect would've had an obligation to go to war and exterminate the Wens. But you know what brings this duty to avenge your sect to question - in almost every way you look at it? When someone who never even participated in the bloodshed saves your life.

So, if we want to talk about filial duty and reciprocation - Jiang Cheng - and by extension, his sect, owes Wen Qing and Wen Ning a massive life debt (and that's not even considering the GC transfer). Even if we ignore the cultural context regarding debts, that's huge. Let's take a step back and look at what Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng owe the Wens.

The initial life debt. Wen Ning saves Jiang Cheng directly from probable execution (like his parents), as well as hides Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng from the Wen soldiers in his own room. In doing this, Wen Ning has already crossed the line of treason towards his own sect. Keep in mind - Wen Ruohan is his uncle. And here he is, risking his life to save two boys - only one of whom he's actually had any meaningful interaction with.

The days after. Both Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng are heavily wounded, the former from his whipping via Zidian + wounds sustained during the battle, the latter from Wen Chao's torture. In the days following, Wen Qing nurses both Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian - enemies of her clan - back to health.

The debt Jiang Cheng owes further. People need a proper send-off in order to ensure their passage to Diyu, or the Underworld - and that could only be done for JFM and YZY because WN risked his life even further to bring back the personal items (and in some adaptations, their bodies) of Jiang Cheng's parents. In simple terms, Jiang Cheng wouldn't even have Zidian if not for Wen Ning.

The golden core transfer. There are two separate components to this. The first is limited - from Jiang Cheng's perspective.

Here's what JC knows: 1. He has no core, but there is a chance he can have his core restored by Baoshan Sanren. 2. The only way Baoshan Sanren would ever agree to this is if he impersonated Wei Wuxian, the son of her beloved disciple. 3. Jiang Cheng is a sect heir; he grew up wealthy, in relative comfort. He's at the top of the food chain. Wei Wuxian, on the other hand, is an orphan. He grew up being demeaned for his heritage. In truth, he inherited nothing from his parents. But what Jiang Cheng knows is that Wei Wuxian did have an inheritance: one precious thing, the location of an immortal. And then he gives that favour-his entire inheritance-to Jiang Cheng. Wei Wuxian, at this moment, essentially hands over everything he has left of his dead parents (who Madam Yu has slandered for his entire life) to Jiang Cheng.

From Wei Wuxian's perspective, the debt is this: his close friend and heir to the Jiang Clan has no core. He believes that Jiang Cheng needs his core - as he's been displaying suicidal tendencies after losing his. However, Wen Qing has a theoretical thesis on golden core transfers. This surgery has a 50% chance of success. To the knowledge of everyone involved, Jiang Cheng consented to getting his core back by whatever means necessary. He explicitly never questioned how Baoshan Sanren would restore his golden core. Anonymous organ donors are known to be a thing, even by modern medical standards. And WWX stays awake for two nights and a day without any anesthesia as Wen Qing cuts into his body and takes something he has spent over half of his lifetime cultivating, to give to Jiang Cheng.

"He had to be awake. He had to watch the golden core connected to his spiritual pathways be peeled from his body. He had to feel the gradual suppression, sedation, settlement of his originally surging spiritual powers, all until they became a pool of dead water, unable to rise ever again."

There's definitely also a case to make about Jiang Cheng essentially sacrificing himself to lead the guards away from Wei Wuxian, but you could also argue that Wei Wuxian saved his life just a chapter earlier by dragging him away from Lotus Pier when he returned. Also, it's got nothing to do with the Wen Sibs, towards whom they both owe debts.

By this time, Wen Qing and Wen Ning have already gone above and beyond to help the Jiangs and WWX. Saving the life of the sect heir is one thing, but to perform a never-before-done borderline heretical act of surgery to restore the heir's golden core? Another thing entirely.

The moral obligation of the Jiangs and Wei Wuxian to avenge their sect by killing the Wens does come into conflict with the debts they owe the Wen siblings. But compared to slaughtering Wen Chao, and the Wen soldiers during the Sun, how far does honouring filial duty by exacting vengeance on the Wen Sect go? Wen Qing herself declares she and her brother separate from Wen Ruohan. They're healers. They don't take lives.

From every depiction in Chinese media and culture, life debts are not to be taken lightly. A life debt is meant to be honoured and repaid. It's not something any half-decent person would mention maybe briefly in a Discussion Conference and then immediately shut up about and never mention again when someone louder (*cough*NMJ) speaks up. By turning his back on Wen Qing and Wen Ning, Jiang Cheng had demonstrated a significant moral failure as well as a misunderstanding of his own sect's motto. Along with his personal reasons, Wei Wuxian has every reason to protect the Wen Remnants.

So why, people ask, is Wei Wuxian so hellbent on protecting Wen Ning, Wen Qing, and the rest of the Wen Remnants? The easiest answer: he's a good person. He's compassionate, kind-hearted, empathetic to a fault; he isn't the type of person to stand by and watch if innocents and the helpless starve or suffer. He saw and recognized that what the Jins were doing to the prisoners of war was wrong, and chose to interfere. The other answer? He owes them a debt. He owes Wen Qing and Wen Ning a debt the rest of the Jiangs don't even know about. You want to discuss it in simple terms? Wen Ning is the only reason the Jiang Sect still stands. Wen Qing is the only reason the Jiang Sect has a cultivator for a leader by the end of MDZS. She committed the equivalence of cultivation heresy to save Jiang Cheng because Wei Wuxian begged her. WWX defending her family in return is…. Really the least he could do.

I've seen people calling the Wen Remnants war criminals, even equating them to the mafia, and I can't help but think - what book were those people even reading? if you're not willing to consider the culture and values or just use basic critical thinking when consuming a piece of media - don't try to slander the actions of its characters. Anyone who read the novel and understood the intended themes would not, in good faith, condemn Wei Wuxian's decision to protect the Wen Remnants.

[janewayintersection]

I ... I really like how Kaidan is this man in his 30s who is confident and kinda quiet but exudes this aura of sureness in his words and actions - and then you have a strong presence in Shepard who is a leader, confident in their role as Commander, but not always sure of themselves when it comes to their subordinates/friends once the mantle of Commander comes off.

"Are you flirting with me?" - this line from Shepard sounds more like they're asking for confirmation that not only does a crew mate like them, but is interested in them. Interested in them, outside of the Commander title, and them as a person. Kaidan reassures them - even when he gets turned down the night before Eden, he still comforts Shepard.

I like that over the course of the series it seems to flip, where Shepard becomes confident in themselves in their work and relationships/friendships (much more out of necessity) and Kaidan falls more and more into this uncertainty with his personal connections, and most importantly, with Shepard. Just like Shepard, he doesn't compromise his work or his morals but you can see that on the personal side he's second guessing everything everything he knew about Shepard.

The ME3 romance is Shepard taking care of Kaidan the same way he took care of them in the first game. It makes me gush how much Kaidan gets back to his confident self from ME1 if your Shepard decides to pursue him again and how you build up that trust once more. Kaidan is much more confident in his relationship with Shepard, much like how he did to the Commander during the romance in ME1, and he allows himself to trust and be honest again.

Him asking if the Commander is flirting with him in the hospital? That's a mirror of what Shepard was doing - feeling - in the first game. Does Shepard feel the same way? Are they still interested after seeing him lose control of his anger at Horizon? Was he wrong to assume they wanted to end what they had?

I love me the dynamic between Garrus and Shepard (bros for LIFE), but there's something so wonderful about Kaidan saying he wanted to be that comfortable space, that safe person, for Shepard that just tickles my romantic side especiallg seeing how it looks like they swap roles by the time ME3 rolls around.

not to be too blunt or anything, but if i could make out with this ask and the meta you just wrote, i would. mwah. master craft. i am genuinely so honored and flattered you shared this with me - thank you! i literally never even thought about it this way before, but holy shit you are so RIGHT. right down to the fact that kaidan now technically outranks shepard as major in me3; he is a lot more confident in his profession and position as a leader in his own right. hell, its his main priority (up until the moment he decides to take shepard at their word during the citadel confrontation...).

it’s clear that romanced or not, shepard’s death hit kaidan and it hit kaidan HARD. no doubt that he recoiled back into his shell after that, and especially after shepard joins cerberus and causes a whole slew of misunderstandings, confusion, and people being kept out of the loop. it’s really, really sweet to see him bounce back after that.

even with a shenko that starts in me3 (with mshenko primarily, but also fshenko where the romance path is cancelled before it can even begin)… while kaidan never takes his shot in me1, and its directly stated that kaidan wants to avoid acting out of line with such a serious and professionally focused shepard (in his words, shepard was “always so focused on the work back then. the mission was everything,” to which shepard replies, “it’s true. i’ll never know what i missed.”). however, over the course of the plot he still manages to get shepard to warm up around him, becoming good friends w them and dealing with ashley’s death together.

so really, we’re back to our original parallel. kaidan was the one more assured in personal relationships while- wait. hold on. kaidan’s initial struggle in dropping formalities in this route could also be attributed to his uncertainty when it comes to working with shepard. this would be filed into kaidan being more uncertain when it comes to his work and interacting with his more ‘accomplished’ and emotionally constipated/serious commanding officer. SORRY. sorry. as i was saying, kaidan was the one more assured in personal relationships, while shepard was the opposite. and gah. GAH. taste. by design.

also, to add to your original take, his certainty in his actions are called into question in me3 too. he doubts his behavior towards shepard, he tries to sit down and think through the good people who were caught up in cerberus, he questions how the illusive man spiraled into the person he is and if he was ever a good person. its just good. sorry my thoughts are so jumbled and im just word vomiting as i write this reply. truly a failing grade paper on my part, i hope you dont mind!!

as for garrus, agreed! garrus feels like a really touching sort of “mentorship” ride or die comrades dynamic that builds over the course of the plot while kaidan definitely has the above mentioned parallels and has the “equals who can help bring out the best in each other’s weaknesses” thing.

also i made a meme just because of this ask.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

Sorry if this isn't allowed but this is less AITA, and more 'would i be the asshole' but... you can take it as a hypothetical as if I did to keep with the format..

So I'm a lurker who [re]joined tumblr not to long ago after deleting my account years ago (not a twitter migrant, i've never even used twitter. just got severe harassment for being aspec during the height of exclusionist discourse and moved to lurking on reddit).

Now I have a very bad memory so I forgot about the bot problem entirely. At first so I followed like 300+ blogs with default profile pic and everything. The whole shebang. Now I'm doing a lot better with not lurking, though I still only reblog art. None of it has been remotely controversial to my knowledge. In fact at first it was only fanart of one specific character so I don't thing this is a controversial ship thing either

During the aforementioned initial period of only reblogging art of my blorbo (am I using that correctly?) I was checking out a blog I wanted to follow and I see blorbo fanart. It was very well done and I wanted to see what other art was made by OP but when I clicked on their blog tumblr said the blog didn't exist. Some googling later and I learned that meant I had been blocked.

At the time I discovered I was blocked, it should be noted I had 0% discourse, and had never talked to anyone on this site anyways. Just pictures of a character OP of the art had drawn. So as far as I know they don't have any reason to block me other than looking like a bot initially. Which I know is on me of course, but if this can be rectified I'd like to do so... although anyone can block for any reason of course.

But let's say hypothetically I reached out in spite of the block. I think I'd have to make another account or ask someone else to message the artist for me. So let's say I do the latter, AITA for trying to clear up this misunderstanding? The artist, in spite of it likely being misunderstanding, still went through the effort to block me

Also apologies to AITA Official if this sort of thing is not allowed. I will understand if you don't post this because of that

What are these acronyms?

[vampire-the-askerade]

Vampires x Reader Misunderstanding

[Hey, back to bug people again in this fandom. This is basically a set up of one character saying, “As my partner,” and the other interrupts, “We’re partners?!”]

Strauss- There were many things that Strauss thought were unlikely, if not totally impossible, to be. One of them was that he would gain deep, personal feelings for someone. That was why he was more than interested in how you were doing in these troubled nights. You had shown him elements of himself that he did not even know existed, as well as being one of the few that could tell him outright when he was doing something that you thought was foolish. He in turn would do the same for you. Which was why he had made sure that he had time to talk to you privately tonight. It wasn’t anything huge that you had done wrong, nut you were starting to develop some habits that were concerning to him. Once the two of you were alone, he thought over his words carefully, as he always did. “As my partner, you-“

“I’m your partner?!” You interjected before he could say anything else.

He’s confused as you are now. Of course you’re his partner. True, he never said as such verbally, but he also thought the fact that he had let you get closer to him than anyone else he had ever known showed that fact clearly. However, after this, he does try his best to be sure to express his feelings for you more clearly.

Gary- The two of you had actually gotten into an argument. Neither of you could remember about what it was about originally, but it was one of those unfortunate situations where there were many things you had both been meaning to talk to each other about, but had not done so in a healthy manner, so it was all coming to the surface now. Gary was more than over the whole thing and snapped, “I would think you would be more willing to see my side of things as my partner!” Before he could say the rest of his argument you interjected with a confused, “We’re partners?”

The mood in the room immediately changed.

Shit! Had he read the feeling between the two of you both wrong? Of course, you weren’t actually that into him! He was just a lonely creature living in the sewers, making relationships where there were none out of desperation.

However, when you assure him that despite the initial confusion you do actually want to be his partner, he immediately switches to denial. He can’t stand not looking suave in your eyes. Of course he knew that you wanted to be his partner. He knew that before you even did! That’s why he said what he did. He wasn’t worried about it at all! Shut up!

Abrams- The two of you were walking around town when you saw something that you liked. He seemed to pick up on this, and before you could even think to say that you liked it, he was in the store and back out, placing it in your hands.

“Uh, thanks. But you didn’t have to buy this for me.” You mumbled out in embarrassment as you were wondering how much you were eyeing this thing if it was clear that you wanted it so much. What you were hoping the most is that he didn’t thing you were trying to hint at him to spend money on you.

“Yes, I did. What kind of person would I be if I didn’t spoil you? Besides, it’s been awhile since I’ve been able to do that for a partner.” He stated somewhat point blank, but with a hint of caring for people that knew how to pick up on the subtleties of his voice.

“Wait, am I your partner?!” You question a few seconds later after what he said had sunk in.

“Of course, you are.” He confirmed. He spent the rest of the night thinking over things between the two of you to try to find where the confusion came from. He wanted to be sure nothing else was confused between the two of you, of that you felt pressured to be with him if you really didn’t want to be. Most of this he keeps to himself though as he doesn’t want to seem unsure or indecisive to anyone, including you.

Andrei- He was confused to say the least. Though, his proud Tzimisce would never let those emotions show on the surface. Here you were finally with him, and it seemed like you wanted to be anywhere else. You were going to be so much for him, a person to confide in, someone to help him in all his endeavors, basically his right hand in everything. If that were to be the case, then he would need to figure out where this attitude of resistance was coming from.

“You must understand, little one. Such behavior is unbefitting of someone I intend to elevate to the position I have planned for you.” He tired to reason with you.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you liked me.” You spat angrily at him.

Did… did you not get the many gifts that he had left for you? He wasn’t able to give them to you personally in most occasions, but there should have been little doubt that they were indeed from him. They were all so finely crafted, how could you not know how he felt about you? Perhaps, gift giving simply was not a love language that you reciprocated or even understood. No matter. There was plenty of time for him to more properly express himself to you now that you were both together. And, you would be together for a very, very long time.

[crimsonhydrangeavn]

Hello I hope I'm not bothering you but and I hope this isn't a triggering question but how would teagan react to the mc absolutely hating them after the breakup like they don't want him anywhere near them and will not hesitate to call the police on him or just straight up pepper spray/taze him/judo toss him on the ground if he gets near and how would the other characters react to the mc and their intense hated of teagan I'm just curious cause I know this is how some people I know would react to a toxic ex like teagan

Don't be silly, of course you're not bothering me! I love getting asks from people interested in learning more about my characters, it makes me really happy to receive them! <3 ____

Honestly, after the initial break up Teagan decided to give you a little space to cool off since the break up was pretty brutal emotionally on you both. Though, what they didn't expect was for you to move out and travel halfway across the country to a god forsaken island, even if it is Saint Anne's.

If you were still livid and refused to talk to them/ engage at all they would be pissed. Of course they would try to play nice at first, but once it was clear that it wasn't going to work they would switch tactics.

They would try to manipulate the others into helping them smooth things over with you. That there was a huge misunderstanding and you BOTH needed to talk to get closure. Depending on how you both play your cards, some of the more gullible love interests could possibly be tricked into helping Teagan get you alone so you can "smooth" things over. (Granted that's only if you didn't tell them everything that went down between you two.)

If that plan failed, they would have no choice but to MAKE you listen whether you wanted to or not. They'd stalk, harrass, and blackmail you into listening and engaging with them. They refuse to let you go, why else would they come all this way? No, they WILL make sure you come back with them, one way or another. ____ As for the love interest's reactions, this is how they'd react if their first introduction to Teagan was of you viciously attacking or threatening them.

Garret would immediately step in between you two, effectively shielding you from them, stare them down, and tell them to leave before he made sure they'd regret it. What the FUCK did they do to you to make you react like that? He'd try to get the story from you later on, and regardless if you told him or not he'd personally make sure Teagan NEVER bothered you again.

Marcelo would be stunned by your vitriol, but protectively step in between you two and try to assess the situation. Once you told him they were an ex, his attitude would shift and he'd definitely become more protective and lead you away, warning Teagan to get lost. He'd insist that you called him if Teagan ever showed their face around you again and he and his friends would make sure to take care of them for you.

Camilla would honestly be shocked. Who on earth could make her otherwise calm and sweet roommate this angry? She'd quickly step in and immediately have your back. You could fill her in on the details later, there was no way you'd act this way unless you had a good reason to. Of course, once you did fill her in on the detail she would join in on the hostility towards them, both in person and online.

While Rita would initially be surprised by your reaction, She'd probably grab your arm, and gently hold you back because there's no way she was about to let you get some charges filed against you. Though, once you filled her in on the details, she would become scarily cold and firm towards Teagan. A terrifying silent rage would overcome her and YOU would actually want to remove her from the situation in fear of what she could possibly be capable of. Once Teagan was out of the equation, it would take some time before Rita calmed down enough to apologize for her reaction and make sure you were okay and that you know you can rely on her if Teagan ever bothered you again.

[juni-aldaine123]

LOVE EVERY FACE OF YOURS/ tgswiiwagaa ; ayamitsu

・❥・fluff . light angst maybe . cute . oneshot . canon universe . canon compliant . the green yuri manga . set after events of ch 78, you're too obvious

༶•┈┈┈┈┈┈୨♡୧┈┈┈┈┈•༶

The sky lights up and the clouds thunder against each other as rain showers around Mitsuki. Her fortune must be going downhill with all the events that have been happening currently. First and foremost- she broke her ankle.

Though the perks that come with that make her feel slightly better about her rotten luck. Aya constantly hovers around her and tends to all her needs, even picking her up for school and dropping her off, helping her with her school work, and most importantly- she spends all her time and attention on Mitsuki.

She totally does not get butterflies at this.

But then she had to ruin everything by spilling seeds of the past. 

Mitsuki isn't really sure who the 'she' is.

Is it Aya? She was the one who had brought up 'Onii-san' out of the blue. And she also seemed to be missing 'him' if Mitsuki puts it like that. When all the misunderstandings were already cleared and Mitsuki was the one standing right in front of Aya, why did she call her 'Onii-san'?

Mitsuki heaves a sigh. It isn't Aya's fault when she is jealous. Of herself? Or this fake persona she'd created of herself that Aya happened to like better?

But....does Aya truly think about 'Onii-san' still? Or had she meant it in another context and it was her who took it the wrong way?

Her thoughts round about one girl, they have been for quite sometime now; Mitsuki can't stop thinking about Aya.

"Totally forgot to bring an umbrella." She glares at the clouds hanging heavy overhead, as if they were the bane of her existence. (which they kind of are now, since she can barely walk back home without getting drenched by the downpour and she'd rather not fall sick in addition to her broken leg.)

She has frightened her poor uncle and troubled Kanna-san enough. But she knows the one who would shoulder the burden the most would be Aya. That girl will probably think it's her fault for not coming to Mitsuki's aid even though Mitsuki is the one (trying) to avoid her.

Mitsuki knows what conclusion Aya might possibly stumble upon. 

'No Oosawa-san, you're not abandoning me or anything like that. It's just me being me,' she grimaces as she speaks to the voice of Oosawa Aya that doesn't seem intent on leaving her mind anytime soon.

'Should I just run home?' But then she looks at the crutch and hides a disappointed sigh.

"I guess this is pay back for my sins..." she mumbles to whoever deems to hear her self deprecation words.

She doesn't expect it to be Aya though.

"What is?" comes a question out of the blue.

"Oosawa-san?!" she shrieks out, pale as a ghost. Aya stands beside her, eyes glued to her phone, as if she'd never called out to Mitsuki and the ravenette is just imagining things.

Maybe she is. Maybe Aya isn't even here but Mitsuki wants her to be, so her mind conjures up this image- that Aya's free hand rests too close to hers, their knuckles brushing. It's not as if they weren't this close before but with the latest revelations Mitsuki has had a simple touch drives her crazy.

Silence rings heavy around them and Aya seems content not to break it so Mitsuki takes the initiative.

"Is- is that Incubus?" she asks, noticing the song that plays in the backdrop. Aya finally looks at her; unreadable intent brewing in her peachy eyes.

"Yeah. Wish you were here," 'But I'm right here,' calls out a voice in her head. It's kind of ironic. "That song- I mean." Of course, Mitsuki knows the song very well.

"The...The way it starts calmly feels pretty nice, right?" She tries to smile. "I...like that song too."

Aya only stares, unblinking, as if she is assessing her. Then she doesn't look at Mitsuki anymore, opting to turn her gaze ahead.

"Do you think...Onii-san likes this song too?" Aya doesn't respond to what she had instead. Doesn't tell her what she thinks about Mitsuki liking the song. Instead she asks if Mitsuki knows what 'Onii-san' thinks of this song.

"B-But-" she stammers out. "By 'Onii-san' you mean-"

"That's right." Aya opens the umbrella, holding it in front of them. "You had said 'Are you being nice to me just because I'm Onii-san,' didn't you?"

"Are you jealous? What for!" There's a sparkle in her eyes; it's back, Mitsuki realises. Aya gives her a blinding smile, like that of the sun that shines after rain.

It's beautiful, like a daydream.

"You're one and the same for me!" Sunshine doesn't leave her face.

"What?!" Mitsuki's heart is in a frenzy! And her mind is beyond repair at this point. 'Does Oosawa-san even realise what's she's saying?! She's too bold!' The blush refuses to leave her cheeks. "No-! I was just- I mean-"

"Just get under!" And Aya yanks her towards her, but still mindful of her injury.

"I like all sides of you Koga-san. You're so cool in every way!" She gushes non-stop the moment Mitsuki is under the umbrella, by her side.

"But you know- if I liked 'Onii-san' more than you I would've been helping him not you." Mitsuki wants to retort that she couldn't help someone who doesn't exist anyway, understanding dawning on her as she remembers Aya's words.

"If I liked him more than you, why do you think I'm always with you? Even at school, where you're Koga Mitsuki and not 'Onii-san'?" She's suddenly all too aware of the warm hand holding her cool sweaty ones.

"I just like you Koga-san. I never became your friend just because of the disguise you wear outside of school," she laughs. "I became your friend just because-" There's hesitancy in her voice, but Mitsuki wants to hear more. So she squeezes her hand urging Aya to continue.

"Just because?"

"You're- well- You're you!" she blurts out in a panic. Mitsuki stifles a chuckle at the outburst. 'Cute...'

"Because you're so pretty and kind and- and nice! We like the same type of music. We have so much in common- and at the same time not-!" Guess even Aya notices the disparity between the two of them. But- "We bonded over our shared interests, right? But we also always talk about whatever we like to do individually. We take an interest in eachother's hobbies, even if we may not personally like it. But that's 'cause we are friends!"

Ouch, the 'friends' suddenly stings.

"I'll admit I'd started frequenting the store because of Onii-san- and music of course! That was the reason I came! But do you know why I stayed?" Aya looks at her with a fondness and Mitsuki feels as if her heart would leap out of her chest any minute now. "It was because of you Koga-san."

"The feelings I had for Onii-san....they never actually changed even when i found out the truth you know? But instead they've just gotten stronger....And that's why I still stick around! For you! Not for Onii-san or anyone else-"

Aya feels like combusting! She had just planned on saying a little of her true feelings to Mitsuki, once she figured the ravenette might need her assurance. It was just to tell her enough that Aya liked her and not anyone else, even her own alter-ego. But she hadn't expected her mouth to go rampant and blurt out everything!

"Just me..." Mitsuki thankfully finishes for her, struggling to cover her own heated face.

The confession lingers between them. The small space they share is comforting. Like Aya.

"Thanks for telling me....Aya-san." The butterflies in her belly flutter with happiness.

[khaleesiofalicante]

Today I come to you with: A lot of questions (you probably won't answer but still need to put them out there). Without further ado:

Can I just say that I called it? It's so much different when we finally get to see the way people in the Other Timeline lived. So much pain, and the death of one person can prevent that from happening, and David Max Rafael Alec and Magnus haven't seen it, so they don't know. David probably wouldn't care(or would he hesitate a little? I'm not sure). But a trip to the future would be enough for the others to change their tune I think. Or maybe not?

I have a feeling Magnus/Other Magnus trying to choke each other is a misunderstanding. Like Magnus tries to reach out but because it's from a different time line Magnus feels like getting chocked so he fight back and Other Magnus is surprised that he would get attacked because he doesn't know he's initiating it. I have a feeling if Magnus stops fighting that they'll be able to communicate?

I also have a feeling that Magnus seeing Older Max helps him connect some dots that somehow make it that he is the one who changed the timeline

Will Older Max try to figure out who changed the canon event and will the person responsible try to hide it or come out with it to Older Max?

So Arthur doesn't have to die in every world or does he die at a different age?

Lance was supposed to die after Arthur but Arthur saw him in France so he could see the future where they changed a canon event like Lucifer. So if Arthur saw it Lucifer does too which means he knew they would end up changing a canon event- it wasn't news to him and there wasn't a way to stop it right? From the moment Older Max starred visiting, things would go that way?

In the Other Timeline Blackbane didn't meet, so they're not a canon event?

Older Max (because now that I saw how hurt he was by being called Other Max I don't like using it) changed a lot of things in the other timeline. Did anyone in the Academy run the possibility of Lance not fullfiling the prophecy after having made connections in Idris? (Closer to Rafe and Cami, in love with Theia, knowing Arthur loved Kincaid etc?). Like Lance didn't get to destroy Idris in the current timeline, are they sure that he would've?

If they knew that Lucifer was the one that killed Arthur in the Other Timeline, it's impossible for Lucifer to manipulate Lance into doing his bidding/blaming Idris. But I always felt like it would be incredibly difficult for Lucifer to manipulate Lance in any scenario- that boy is very shrewd and would've seen right through it. So how did he end up doing what Lucifer wanted? What exactly went down? Nobody knows what went down in the pandenium or Idris right? Will we find out or is it unimportant?

I love Max more than anything, that boy gets tortured everywhere and he doesn't deserve it. And what's worse people don't recognize it as much as they should or as much as they do David's trauma because he hides it better? Someone give that boy a hug and a break in all the universes and timelines, he deserves it!🥺 (They all deserve that, I want to make that clear, but I think this is Max's week with everything we've read, so let's focus on him right now)

Dots are starting to connect finally and I'm so excited to see how things will go down! But I feel like Older Max keeping Mavid in New York and not severing themselves from the shadoworld is super important, because it didn't allow the family to be so separated so now they have the chance to fight united, whereas in the First Timeline, Mavid was so secluded it would've been super hard for all of them to stand together. Of all the changes, that seems the most beneficial. And Kincaid of course.

PS: When I tell you I'm ready to go full Sherlock Holmes and explore the David/ Madeleine dymamic, the way they both acted after the deaths of their loved ones, from our reactions as readers to why I believe they have different triggers and it may have been different if the same things had happened in another world, I'm being deadly serious. It will be an essay so be prepared.

Thank you for an amazing chapter that blew our minds. Allergies suck and not being able to use your body as you want is very annoying. But you still gave us a huge chapter to obsess over and you deserve a huge round of applause. Again, thank you 🌼💛

I was wondering why you kept saying Older Max and then I read your reasoning and NOW I AM EMO.

It's always easy to judge someone when we don't know their story. So, of course. But it's hard to judge who will sympathize with him EVEN if they see the Other World. Magnus probably? Alec for sure. David is extremely unlikely, I think. That bitch will watch the world burn.

We gotta wait and see on this one. It's messy.

He's definitely gonna connect dots (Especially since Hermes told him some stuff too)

We'll find out before this season ends hehe

If your death is a canon event, you die at the same age. So, ONLY because his death/canon event was changed did he actually live past 15 in IALS. So, no, he won't die (prematurely) in any universe.

Lucifer def knew these hoes were going to a change a canon event.

That's not how it works. Lance and Theia are a canon event - which means they will end up with each other and not someone else. But it doesn't mean they will end up together against ALL odds. Like, if Lance died prematurely, it won't happen. But if he had lived, he would have eventually ended up with her (Even if he was removed from the shadow world in that timeline)

No. Their math (lol) told them two things: one, arthur is DEF gonna die. and two, when he does, Lance will be triggered. Nothing and no one else has anything to do with it. The issue here was that arthur's death was a canon event and it couldn't be changed in any way (OR SO WE THOUGHT?)

Several things here. We'll never know what went down in the pandemonium in the other timeline. We knows bits and pieces of what happened in Idris (Lance didn't kill anyone - he basically died/burst kind of - and the "door" between the demon world and human world was destroyed so it both converged - killing people). As for Lucifer, I wouldn't underestimate him. With him, it doesn't matter smart you are or brave you are. He knows how to get to you. And he doesn't fuck around with his methods. Very straightforward guy hehe.

VERY GOOD POINT.

I will await your David/Madeleine essay! There is a scene between them in the coming chapters that i can't wait to write!!!

Thank you for the love and yes i've been sick since yesterday and i hateeee it. hopefully i will recover soon x

[fandomsoda]

Ok so let me start off by saying that this post is probably gonna be very clunky simply due to the fact that I’m addressing a two day old situation and I’m doing so without it being directly prompted,, please bear with me.

So, late Tuesday night an anon expressed concerns over the ways that I’ve brushed over the topic of aromanticism in the past, expressing that I only ever seemed to mention partnering aros and that it came off as if I was saying all of that only in service of shipping. These things of course are not things I intended, but are not unfounded claims nonetheless.

My initial response to that ask was definitely not great, I came off as very customer service-y and expressed that I felt as if it was exaggerated (simply due to the way it was phrased as “constantly”). It didn’t help that it was like 11 pm and for some reason my dumb ass didn’t actually go back and look through stuff, purely going off my notoriously bad memory.

Needless to say, this wound up coming off as dismissive and insufficient, and thus I’m making this post now as I have processed everything and want to give the proper actual respose (and in a sense, apology) that this situation is deserving of.

After going back through past posts, while definitely far from constant, I have been able to observe that whenever aromanticism was brought up I definitely had a really bad tendancy of only mentioning partnering aros and it definitely came off as scummy now that I look back at it. This was never something I consiously did, but it was shitty and potentially harmful nonetheless and should have been something I was being more aware about. I’ve already been trying to boost aromantic voices lately since the Valentine season’s been around, but doing that and centering non-partnering aros especially is going to be top priority from here on out.

Now let me real quick circle back around and address the shipping bit, as that’s like its whole own thing-

Now I definitely stand by the fact that I was never only talking about stuff in service of a ship, at least not consiously, but the topic often came up in reference to or alongside shipping and thus I acknowledge that that extrapolation is not at all a difficult one to make. And the fact that I even acted in a way that resembled that is not good.

And discussions with my friends have brought to my attention that I have not been making a number of things nearly clear enough and that whole mess is entirely on me so let’s get some things straight-

First of all, due to the more fluid attitude I’ve seen a lot of people have towards it, I never realized just how strictly romantic most people view shipping. Maybe I’m just a little bit dense but for the longest time, the term “ship” being used in a more platonic sense seemed more common than it actually is. And for the longest time, I’ve viewed shipping simply as “I think these characters have a nice dynamic and that they should be affectionate with one another”. But it has been a violent wakeup call recently that that is far from the most common thought process.

And in this I’ve come to realize that I’ve not been clarifying or establishing the fact that most if not all my ships are queerplatonic in some fashion because romance is a concept I’ve never fully grasped (not gonna go too deep into that here though, my weird perception of relationships is a topic for another day-). And things involving aro characters have especially always been queerplatonic in my mind.

I have not been nearly as clear enough about that as I should be and have failed to mention or establish that as much as I should. So from here on out, im going to be much more clear about that to avoid future misunderstanding or sending the wrong message.

It should also probably be noted that it’s very hard to convey these things given the type of art I do. I don’t properly write nor do longform comics, so it’s much harder to convey the internal complexities of things in the simple individual pieces my art often is.

Characters are also often left unpaired and single in my mind, but once again these types of things are hard to convey visually and the bonds between characters usually inspire art more often.

So most of this has just been a matter of “it’s all been up in my head but my ability to convey it or actually make content of it has been extremely lacking”. And again, in a sense, that’s on me.

Overall I know my handling of this situation has been incredibly scuffed from an outside view, for a lot of this I’ve been just very confused and all over the place so the few things I have said have been poorly summarized and basically just me completely tripping over myself. I’ve been processing things and getting things in order privately though, as you can probably tell. And in that I have come to the conclusion that I must take accountability for my actions as it is truly the only correct course of action here. I’m sorry to those this whole mess has upset, I hope this post is enough to explain everything.

I’m not super certain how to end this off but that’s about it, please let me know of any futher concerns. I’m genuinely sorry for all this mess.

[maoam]

About SnK/AoT: What do you think of Ymir as a character? Not the founder Ymir (is this how is she called in English? Idk)

Like, I really started to like her character during the second season, the one that isn't "marry me Christa" all the time, and I think she was outed too soon from the cast- like, I would have loved to see her bonding with Historia further now that the two of them got even closer. So I would like to know what do you think about her and her bond with Historia (outside shipping and all that drama related to it)

Sorry if you already talked about it in the past!

I think she was a good character but I completely agree with you that she got offed a bit too soon. Or at least, Isayama should have confirmed her death earlier so people wouldn't have had hope for her return. I also hate how Isayama just didn't mention her at all after her letter was delivered (aside from showing small panels from someone's memories) and also reduced her to that hair sniffing joke.

She's a very refreshing female character. Very rough around the edges, not feminine at all, and very blunt. Her character is meant to enhance Historia's character, so she can leave the Krista identity behind and become Historia. This is why it's kind of funny to me when people who like Ymir hate Historia.

However, unlike how many theorized back in the days, she wasn't anyone big, but just a normal orphan girl with an unfortunate past who wanted to protect the person she loved. She had no grand goals like Eren/Zeke or ties to royalty like Historia or anything like that.

When Ymir is first introduced, her behavior is very harsh, but it's also subtly pointed out that it's a way for her to cope. In the first arc, we don't really know much about these two characters yet, aside from the fact they are always shown hanging out together, and that Ymir s the mean one and Krista is the nice one.

After the initial first impressions we are shown a flashback where Ymir approaches Krista about her helpful behaviour. There are already hints how she sees through her facade. But the story will come back to this later. Ymir seems harsh, but she has that tough love persona, which will become more clear later. She is always looking out for Krista/Historia. She's basically a tsundere who hides her feelings behind harsh exterior. Everytime the two are shown in other scenes, they are together. The build up is very good.

In Clash of the titans arc the two become relevant to the plot because Krista holds the key to the secrets of the walls, and Ymir's name is the same as the one the talking titan uttered. Of course, we will later find out the talking titan in Ilse's story used to be a human who was part of the cult Ymir was in and mistook Ilse for Ymir due to her brown hair and freckles.

We (as in the readers who understand) find out more about Ymir's personality and how she cares for others when she tries to distract Connie from thinking about his family's faith, or when she is reprimanding Sasha for trying to please others, telling her to just be herself.. She's an easily misunderstood character due to the way she behaves. It was frustrating to watch so many anime onlies misunderstand her character.

In this short moment, Isayama tells us Ymir's sexuality as well as the fact she's not from the walls. Very nice job.

The way Isayama revealed of Ymir and Krista/Historia's characters was very well written. A lot of people didn't expect them to be that relevant.

Isayama used Ymir's screentime in general very well. I'm not surprised people fell in love with these two's dynamic immediately. The coming together of two people with tragic pasts and one of them helping the other conquer her inner demons was well done.

It's wonderful how nicely these two different girls meshed together. Isayama was shining when writing them in Clash of the titans.

Ymir's influence carries on even after her death, because it's both due to her and Eren's words why Historia rejects the serum in the Reiss cave.

I also like that this was the last panel of her in present time. The focus was on her, not on Reiner and Bertolt.

But, the end of her character writing was slobby and rushed. It left a lot of people confused by her actions. Why would she do what she did? To give Marley a weapon? To the people who try to kill the people of Paradis, including Historia? Even with possible guilt or empathy towards Reiner and Bertolt, it just doesn't really fit her character, in my opinion. Isayama should have at least shown us a believable transition on how this happened. But he kind of just sped through it. And Ymir getting an off-screen death and only a quick mention by Porco is another thing that frustrated me a lot.

While Isayama used to write both Ymir and Historia so well, he really dropped the ball with them in the last arc. But he did so with many other characters too. It's sad. The bad ending has kinda soured my feelings for snk but I try to take the good parts of it and pretend the ending doesn't exist. Ymir was still overall a good character.

[mad228228]

Hoooooboy I just finished Arcane and boy do I have some thoughts. Guess I’ll just start yelling things into the void.

One of the main things that immediately stuck with me is how Arcane did the “character is conflicted between two sides due to misunderstanding/manipulation” trope. So many times characters will super sonic leap to conclusions after mishearing one thing and then immediately end up in the arms of a purely malicious manipulator. It’s overall a trope that I don’t like cause it’s tends to be done so poorly. The dramatic irony becomes unbearable and I can’t help yelling “what is wrong with you! It’s obvious who’s side you should be on! Just talk for 3 seconds and you’ll clear up the misunderstanding while simultaneously exposing the manipulation!”

What Arcane does is so fucking good. Yes! Vi didn’t leave Powder on purpose, but *she does* initially run away! Of course Powder is hurt, and vulnerable, and willing to cling onto the first person who comes around! Everyone she knew just died, and her sister told her it was her fault! And then the development of this, my god. Instead of Powder just completely hating Vi and being closed off to her, we get to watch such an incredible artistic depiction of her inner turmoil as the revelation that her sister is alive shoves a wedge between her and her new father figure while also shaking up her sense of identity. Having Silco coming to love her is absolute genius as well (which is a whole other aspect of this show deserving of a proper analysis). There’s genuinely so much going for and against Vi and Silco. It’s such a delicate balance, for us to not feel like there’s a clear side that Powder should take.

[wordsofrowan]

The Shadow Court

Chapter 12 - As the Shadows Grow

After her conversation with Adrien, Kagami returned home, a whirlwind of emotions churning within her. Confusion seemed to be her dominant feeling at the moment. Her perception of Marinette had been skewed, tinted by her own assumptions. She had believed that Marinette's interactions with Adrien were driven by a sort of obsession, perhaps even a touch of psychosis. This skewed perception fueled Kagami's own dislike for Marinette, as she assumed Marinette was using Adrien.

However, the recent exchange with Adrien cast a different light on the situation. It appeared that her assumptions were misplaced. Marinette's intentions might have been more innocent and genuine than Kagami had thought. It seemed Marinette's actions were rooted in a desire to support Adrien, a sentiment that paralleled Kagami's own interactions with him.

Kagami felt a mixture of surprise and introspection. She realized how easily misconceptions could cloud judgment and create misunderstandings. As she replayed the conversation with Adrien in her mind, a sense of empathy began to replace her initial negative perceptions of Marinette. Perhaps it was time for Kagami to reevaluate her own feelings and assumptions.

In the midst of this introspection, Kagami's emotions remained tangled, a mixture of uncertainty and a growing inclination to view Marinette in a new light. Kagami decided that tomorrow after school she would skip out on fencing and go see Marinette and talk to her instead. 

The next day arrived and the final bell of the day rang out, Kagami put a faint smile on her lips as she approached her red car. With all the grace she emits she slid into the vacant passenger seat, the car's engine hummed to life, propelling her smoothly to the gym. After stepping out onto the pavement, she broke away from her routine path that led to the fencing gym. Casting a quick glance at the bustling street before her, Kagami crossed it with purposeful steps and entered the quaint bakery on the other side.

The comforting aroma of freshly baked pastries enveloped her as she entered the bakery, its interior a cozy blend of warm colors and inviting scents. She selected a corner seat, affording her a clear view of the entrance, and settled in, her anticipation mingling with a hint of nervousness. Her fingers tapped a gentle rhythm against the table as she awaited Marinette's arrival, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts and questions.

“Hello, sweetheart. Is there something I can get for you?” Sabine, her apron dusted with a sprinkle of flour, approached Kagami with the genuine warmth of a seasoned baker accustomed to making guests feel at home.

Kagami offered a polite smile, appreciating the genuine hospitality. “Uh, no thank you. I was actually planning to wait for Marinette here. I'd like to have a conversation with her.”

Sabine's smile remained kind and understanding. “Well, she should be back from school soon, and you'll have a chance to talk to her then. If you change your mind, though, feel free to indulge in a freshly baked croissant or a chocolate au pain – they're on the house.”

Kagami's gratitude for the offer glinted in her eyes. “Thank you, I'll keep that in mind.” The gentle ambiance of the bakery, coupled with Sabine's comforting presence, eased some of her initial nervousness.

The soft tinkle of the bell filled the air as the bakery door swung open, momentarily diverting Kagami's attention from her thoughts. “Kagami? What are you doing here?” Her focus was quickly recaptured as she heard her name being called. 

“There was actually something I wanted to talk to you about if that's alright?” 

“Sure of course, do you want to go up to my room?” 

“I would like that very much Marinette.” Marinette held her hand out to Kagami, and despite the words, Kagami said to Marinette back on that day in the rolling rink, Kagami hesitated for a second before grabbing the bluenette's hand. A soft blush coated the Japanese girl's cheeks as her heart raced slightly faster. 

Following Marinette up the stairs, Kagami's thoughts raced. She tried to decipher the tangled mess of emotions within her - the lingering doubts and newfound curiosity about Marinette. They entered Marinette's room, a place that seemed to reflect the bluenette's creative and vibrant spirit. The afternoon sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room.

Marinette took a seat at her computer chair and pointed at the chaise lounge chair across the room, “please have a seat,” Kagami settled into the pink chaise, her posture rigid as she clasped her hands together in her lap and looked at Marinette. The Chinese girl had such a soft look on her face that it made Kagami regret ever disliking the girl, to begin with. 

“So what is it you wanted to talk about Kagami?” Marinette asked, her voice soft and her gaze seemed to be alight with curiosity. 

Kagami let out a soft sigh, “it's about Adrien…” she said as she broke her eye contact with Marinette and instead chose to look at her intertwined fingers in her lap as if they had become the most interesting thing in the world to her at the moment, “it’s also about you.” 

Marinette moved from the computer chair and sat on the longue next to Kagami. “Alright, the floor’s yours.” 

Kagami’s hazel eyes met Marinette’s soft cerulean eyes and felt her resolve crumble more. "I realized that I might have misunderstood some things about you and Adrien and that I may have mistreated you because of those misunderstandings.” 

Marinette nodded, her expression still gentle, “I can’t really say I blame you, I gave such a horrible first impression didn’t I?” 

“I thought you were using Adrien, but now I see that that isn’t the case. I thought you were just stringing Adrien and maybe even Luka along for your silly little game. But now I see you were just as much of a victim of Agreste as I was.” 

“What changed?” Marinette’s voice held a quiet encouragement, urging the Japanese girl to continue speaking. 

“Adrien told me about what’s been happening at your school. About how that girl, Lila, has been hurting you and how he’s just…” Kagami bunched her skirt up in her fist as she felt her anger rising, “How he’s just watching it all happen and doing nothing and then is getting upset with you for trying to move on and do better for yourself.”

Marinette put her arms around Kagami. “Shhh, shhh Kagami it’s alright. Yes, it sucks what I’m going through but you don’t have to beat yourself up over it.”

“But I’ve been so unfair to you Marinette.” Kagami said looking up at Marinette, unshed tears pooling in her eyes, “I want to make it up to you.” 

Marinette flashed a brilliant smile at Kagami that made her heart thaw. “Well, we can start by getting to know each other better. Maybe we can hang out sometime.”

Kagami found herself returning the smile, a genuine sense of hope blossoming within her. "I'd like that."

Marinette took Kagami’s phone and input her number into it. “Well now you have my number just call me anytime you like okay? I can’t promise I’ll always pick up but I will try to call or message back as soon as I can if I do end up missing your call.”

“Thank you again, Marinette,” Kagami said, she managed to surprise herself as she pulled Marinette into a hug. Kagami felt a blush creep on her face as the Chinese girl returned the hug giving her a comforting squeeze. 

“We're friends now Kagami.” Marinette said as she smiled at the girl again, “See you around.” Kagami gave a small wave goodbye to Marinette as she left the girl's room.

Marinette swiftly hopped onto her bed and dialed Chloe's number. On the first ring, Chloe's picked up the phone which left a smile on Marinette’s face. “Oh my gods, Chloe, you won’t believe what just happened!”

Chloe's playful drawl resonated on the other end. "Oh, do tell, this should be exciting!"

“Take a wild guess at who I found waiting for me at the bakery when I got home.”

Chloe's tone was playful and intrigued. “Hmm, let me think. Not Jay, Lulu, or Fefe, right? Could it be Lila or Alya?”

Marinette chuckled, a grin evident in her voice. “Nope, and nope. It was Kagami!”

Chloe's response was punctuated by a gasp that bordered on dramatic. "Fencer girl herself? Well, well, isn’t that a surprise! Okay, you've got me hooked. What did she want?"

“She actually came to apologize. You know, for the way she treated me based on that whole Adrien situation. Apparently, Adrien himself explained things to her, and she was seriously not impressed with his behavior.”

Chloe's laughter rang through the line. “Well, well, the ice queen has a heart after all! Adrien must have really messed up for her to be apologizing to you. So, what's your take on this unexpected twist?”

Marinette's voice held a mixture of surprise and amusement. “Honestly, I never thought I'd see the day. But I think we might be on the path to... dare I say it... friendship? But you should’ve seen her Chlo she was acting all cute and shy. And she got so angry at herself for the whole Adrian mess, honestly, she was almost as mad as you were when you realized all the shit about Adrien.” 

Chloe's playful tone lingered in her words. "Wow, she’s got the Chloe-level fury? That’s something! So, tell me, how does it feel to have people actually rooting for you?"

Marinette's voice softened with a touch of emotion. "It feels incredible. With you, Jay, Felix, Luka, and now Kagami in my corner, I finally feel like I can breathe easy."

Chloe's curiosity wasn't quenched. "Are you considering adding her to the squad's group chat?"

“I'm not sure yet this is still a new budding friendship, but I do see potential in her.” 

Chloe's voice took on a contemplative tone. "Well, you've always had that effect on people. Your genuine kindness has a way of thawing even the iciest hearts." Chloe gave a soft chuckle “Heck just look at Fefe, Jay, and me.”

Marinette blushes slightly at Chloe’s words, “Aw Chloe; you're making me blush. But anyway you’ve grown so much since before and I’m so proud of you.” 

“We’ve both grown so much. And as weird as it is to say we have Lila to thank for that.”

“Ew, I don’t even want to think about that,” Marinette said as she screwed her face up in disgust at the thought. 

“But anyway when are we inviting Kagami to our next tea time?” 

Marinette chuckled. "Oh, you're already planning the social events, aren't you? I'll let you know when things are official."

Chloe laughed in response. "Of course! You know me – always ready to add a touch of elegance to any situation." Chloe's tone was filled with mock surprise. "Oh, I can just imagine it now – Chloe, Marinette, and Kagami, the unstoppable trio!"

Marinette laughed softly. "Hey, you never know. Stranger things have happened."

Chloe's voice turned sincere. "You know, Marinette, I'm genuinely happy for you. You deserve all the friends and support in the world."

Marinette's heart swelled with affection for her friend. "Thank you, Chloe. Your friendship means the world to me."