#and doesn't get referenced as much nowadays

[incomingalbatross]

Just popping by to share my ignorance - your explanation of your url just prompted me to google the metaphorical meaning of albatross because so far I've always just assumed you meant literal bird, for some reason. XD Yay, non-native English speaker! Always something new to learn. XD

Oh fun, thank you for sharing that! (And sorry I took a couple days to answer this--I was in the Midst of Final Deadlines for school, which are now mercifully past.)

I mean, it's not not about the literal bird, because it was kind of a random choice. So you really weren't wrong. :P But yeah, I also always think of the metaphorical meaning due to the Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner. Which I... have never actually read, but I have read about through English Lit Osmosis. So I'm happy to share that association! English is endlessly full of references, it seems like.

[doberbutts]

Feminist theory is not the same as feminist activism, which is what I specificied in my ask, intentionally. There is feminist theory about men's issues (yes Bell Hooks is by far the most famous theorist in this space), and that is good, but it is not the same as activism to improve men's conditions in the here and now. I wanted to give a different perspective, and have a discussion about something that I feel is a problem that has lead to and continues to lead to a lack of progress for men. I mean, the other ask you got saying thst feminism persistently centers men just by talking about our issues, that proves my point. That is an incredibly common view. Not even working towards solving men's problems, just talking about them occasionally is considered too much. There is an obvious solution to that, which I said previously. Regardless, I am and will continue to believe in the cause of fighting to improve things for both women and men, because we all deserve better. Anyway, I won't bother you anymore, but I hope you know this was written in good faith about something that is important to me.

Theory informs activism, so if you want to see feminist activism that does what I'm talking about, find the feminists talking about what I'm talking about.

Respectfully, despite referencing the other ask, you seem to have not read it if your stance is still "what has feminist activism done for men", because I gave pretty direct examples there.

But you're right. That sort of feminism is harder to find especially nowadays. A lot of people's feminism regards men as "ewwww boys are icky" and "men are 100% solely responsible for all of women's problems". Which was the entire point of my post that started this conversation. It's also compounded by the fact that a lot of times this doesn't look as big and loud as rallies and marches, and so it gets ignored. In reality, the feminist activism that follows the theory I'm describing looks like parents teaching their sons that gentleness and femininity is not bad. Dads who wear nail polish and tutus to support their sons' interests. Boys being encouraged to watch and read the "girl books" and "girl movies". Dads who do not abandon their sons' need for physical affection as they age out of fear of homosexuality.

It looks like restructuring the ways we look at sexual assault and rape so it doesn't automatically exclude the most common way men are attacked. It looks like teaching young men that they do not need to take abuse from a romantic partner or family member on the chin just to be a man. It looks like teaching men that "masculinity" does not need to be defined by stoicism and that the concept of "manning up" is harmful. It looks like teaching boys that there are ways to communicate affection that aren't violent or sexual in nature. It looks like teaching teenagers that playful ribbing is one thing, but tearing your friends down all the time so you can be the biggest man on the block is toxic behavior, and only leads to more isolation because all your friends learn to be mean to each other.

It teaches young men that pleasuring your partner involves more than just a penis, and sometimes doesn't even require a penis at all. It teaches them that their worth is far less in the length of their shaft or the hardness of their muscles or the number on the scale, but far more how they treat others. It teaches them that height and beard length and shoe size and how much alcohol they can consume or their favorite sport team aren't indicators of "manhood", because they are men regardless of the answers to any of those things. It teaches them they can be any type of man they want to be, they don't have to be what the patriarchy tells them are their only options.

And I know this, because I have watched plenty of my butch friends who are devout feminists and have been their entire lives teaching these things to their sons. This is established feminist theory that has existed for a long time. Many followers of this theory do in fact practice what they preach.

Genuinely, I don't really care what you call it. If you want to call it "man's liberation", go for it, I don't care. But to me, this is just feminism. I'm not going to call it men's lib because the feminism I was taught by the women in my life covered these things. Same as how I don't use the word "transandrophobia" because the trans theory I was taught by the trans women in my life told me "transmisogyny" covered these things.

Anyway. I urge you to go read some black feminist theory and then spend some time talking to practitioners of said theory. It might just surprise you how similar the conversation is. It might surprise you to see how their kids and families interact. I'm not saying all black people, because not every black person who is a feminist is specifically a *black feminist*, but when you find someone who fits this description you will know.

[thebottomfromhell]

Headcanons

Reincarnation after courtship. Demon male reader, part two [here]

Reincarnation after courtship. Demon male reader, part one [here]

Reincarnation after courtship. Human male reader, part one [Original Ask]

Reincarnation after courtship. Human male reader, part two [here]

Warnings: Predatory-animalistic reader, Yandere behavior from reader (not a real Yandere, but still), Cannibalism, canonical demon's inability to grow and move on, Referenced sexual content, Mentioned non-character human death, Friends-with-benefits relationship, Ambiguous endings, and Toxic relationships.

Reader:

You didn't manage to do everything he wanted to you to do, one of your biggest failures is finding Tamayo and not being able to kill her. You almost did, managed to rip her apart with your hands and fangs, but with that doggy brat of hers she managed to scape you and almost got you to say his name. You never found her again, you had the flavor of her flesh and blood always in your mouth, you searched for a while, but then gave up. You were not killed for failing, so it's probably not a big deal, still you have her blood on you, so you will know if she is near. You could keep searching, hunting her to death for her betrayal, but you want to spend you time in something else. In someone else.

You like to think of yourself as a good man, or at least a good lover, courting took effort, but having that very special demon, an Uppermoon no less, warming up to you and letting you be in their life is worth it. It was fine, a good life, all because he was alive. And then he wasn't. You were not on their final battle, but you felt the second both him and your beloved were gone.

G O N E

And it drives you mad, they are all still gone, only Tamayo's puppy left. You spend your days searching for him because how come both you and him get to LIVE when your Upper Moon did NOT? Now is the Twenty-first century, it's been around one hundred years but that dog hides as good as always, it doesn't help that civilizations are everytime more demanding (What do you mean papers? Camara what? How come plastic stamps now have magic money?) and you still must hide from the sun and eat humans. You never found Tamayo's dog....

But you found your lover.

Gyutaro (ft. Daki):

You think it's cute how he still takes care of his sister, Daki is as pretty as ever! You find Gyutaro working in one of his several jobs, skipping education that nowadays seems too important and expensive for it to be fair, trying to pay housing, food and get for the younger one to be able to study, even if she clearly is not the smart one between the two (maybe that's why she needs the money). You follow him to his home, and start leaving there things you steal in those districts where the Yakuza like to think they are the worst there is in the country. There people will notice more the missing wallet than the corpse itself.

Again, Gyutaro is smart, so he becomes paranoid when money in no small amountd start appearing besides him when he wakes up. It was only matter of time he would manage to fool you into showing yourself. He did it one night when Daki was out with some friends and stayed over, you would have followed her to make sure she was alright, but when Gyutaro said he would also invite a friend from work.... he doesn't have friends, so you stayed to see what was going on. "Hey, shitty bank! I know you are there, ne!" You are the friend. At first you tried to stay hidden from over the window, but then he threw too much money over it, money he could not afford to lose. So you got it for him and handed it personally, since he already saw you jump for it. "What are you?"

He is scared when you stand before him, defensive as if he could do anything if you wanted to hurt him "I'm yours, Gyutaro." You answers with honesty but also not wanting to explain anything as he backs off and goes to grab a knife in the kitchen, pointing at you with it. You don't care much for that as you step forward. "You don't have to worry about me. I promise I won't hurt you nor Daki." You say as you get in front of him. Still, he stabs you in the stomach, a blow that would be deadly to a human intruder, but is nothing for you. You only throw the money so it doesn't get stained with blood.

Gyutaro takes some steps back again as you take the knife of, blood on the blade but injury healing with the known sensation, body already used to it. You leave it at the side as your beloved corners himself against the wall, challenging you with his eyes, clearly scared but unwilling to back down. He looks so cute like this, he was always been too cute for his own good, oblivious to his own charming qualities and worried about a younger sister, unwilling to accep anyone might want him. That always had made you want to hold him, cover him from a world that made him feel unwanted, unlovable.

Because he shouldn't belong to that world, he should belong to you, who are willing to give him the treatment he deserves. His heartbeats and breaths become faster as you cup his face and play with his hair. He turns to look away, tensing his shoulders, he never liked too much attention to his face at the same time he would yearn for a gentle touch, to someone to have compassion on him and his little sister. "Let me take care of you." You whisper against his ear, refusing the tentation of tasting the skin exposed. He stops for some seconds, the ear becoming a cute red as he turns to face you, looking down.

"Ume...ne, my little sister's name is Ume." He says softly, almost as if relaxing in your hands, so you hold him, smiling. You keep bringing money, and Gyutaro let's you in only when Daki-Ume-whatever (Daki suits her better, she is such a princess and monster at the same time, it's her. Still, Gyutaro gets upset if you call her anything but "Ume", so you try) is asleep or out, only when she is asleep or out. You don't mind that, that way you don't have to fight her for Gyutaro's attention.

And you love giving him attention too, having him in your arms, hugs, kisses and bites over his skin everytime he cares enough to go around shirtless, whispering all the compliments you know he likes. That he so cute, so sexy, so atrong, so brave, and now he even tastes wonderful, he would be your best meal if you ever ate him. "But don't worry, I said I would take care of you, didn't I?" He always holds back tears, face, shoulders and ears get red as he shys away. You know he need this, for someone to take care of him for the first time, just like he had to step in and take care of his sister. "I know how to be a good husband." You can sense it, you make him feel desirable and loved. He melts against your touch and he is embarrased from it, just like in your last life.

You don't offer him your blood, knowing that he will never ask, because that would mean putting you over his little sister, and you always knew she was first. You are ok with that, it would not be the one you fell for if he disdn't put her first, specially since that also means putting her over himself. Still, you are willing to see him grow old and help him in whatever you need.

"Ne... Ume wants to leave for college... ne, what should I do? I don't want her to go away, but... with the money you got not letting her get in the college she wants... I don't want her to be stuck with me, ne..." he says want night he wanted to go out, so you took him to see the stars a bit far from the city. He sits in your lap, letting you keep him in your arms. "She would be better off without me, ne... wouldn't she? Ne... I'm so ugly and disgusting only a fucking demon can actually like me..." Normaly you would listen, you know better than to not validate his feelings, than to tell him things like "it's not true" or "it's not like that". There is a reason why he is talking like this now, while digging his hands in your shoulder, grinding his teeth.

You kiss him, holding your mouth against his, using your tongue to explore that long missing place. He seems to calm down, to relax against it, and once you drae back you tell him what he needs to hear. "Your sister will always need and love you, and as long as I am here I will be taking care of you both. Trust me on that." He let's you meet her before she parts, while she will be staying on dorms, the place is just a few hours away in train (it would take you minutes to run). "Hey, you freak. You better take care of my onii-chan, you hear me? I am leaving him in your hands so don't fuck up!" Just to have her tone changing when talking to him. "Onii-chan, I promise to write you every morning and night." That is Daki.

She grows up into a lady, they both grow up a lot, every day older. "Unfair! Why does he get to be young and handsome forever! Unfair! Unfair!" But she always behaves like a child when she is around you two. Guess some things won't ever change. You always take care of Gyutaro the best way you can, he looks less tired, more relaxed, he actually started to study himself once Daki hot out of college. Things seems good for them.

So it's good for you, until next life.

Sekido:

The smell of anger lures you in.

He is outside a club, basically ready to throw hands with the mem at the entrance as they don't let him in. "I'm telling you I just need to take one person out! OUT! You can't tell me you can't let more people in due space at this hour and not let me take my brother out of there!" He might convince them, specially with how noisy he is being, people are leaving the line and some passing by just bagin to stare annoyed. You can tell this angers him more, but that doesn't matter to you. What matters is that you found him, he is right there.

You end up sneaking in and forcing Karaku out, averything while not showing your face, but Sekido sees the other clone being thrown on the streets and rushes to see him, still frowning. "Karaku? Karaku! Fuck, he is too drunk! What the fu-" he shuts himself up when he sees you, as you make eye contact, leave into a darker corner. You know your eyes glowing the dark, and you also know Sekido will not follow you, but bring Karaku home, his home. And hopefully, you will be able to follow him up.

The plan was to follow him on the shadows, being slealthy, sneaky, to not let him know he was being followed... but you felt pity when he had to carry a barely concious Karaku. That reminder of their new mortality, of their new lack of power... is odd, you don't know what to think of it. He was once not even a demon, but a Demon Blood Art, the representarion of a piece of the power of a demon, a kizuki no less. You genuinely thought you would never see him again, because as he is not an individual by his own, he shouldn't have a soul to reincarnate. Did Hantengu's soul got fragmented? Is that how he is here? Would that even work?

Still, you saw him having trouble carrying his equal, the lightest one of them no less, so you step forward and speak. "Need any help?" Of course, you already knew Sekido wouldn't be amused by the offer, but instad of leashing out he only frowns at your way, putting his side in front to cover Karaku. "Who are you? Why are you following me?" He grinds his teeth, clearly untrusting of whatever you have to do or say. "I am someone who wants to help you." It's the best to be careful with what you say with him. "Well, I don't want your help. Get lost!" Then he tries to keep moving the other clone.

You see him moving away, slowly, painfully so. So you did the most reasonable thing in your head, help anyway. You took both of them in your arms and started walking. "WHAT THE-" Ok, maybe not walking, sprinting a bit, but definetely not running. "Tell me where to go." Of course, Sekido starts to kick and hit your, but... it barely does anything. Really, part of you feels you should at least pretend it hurts only to placate him, but you are not putting them down, not now you have Sekido in your arms once again. "LET ME DOWN, YOU ASSHOLE! WHAT THE FUCK?!"

In the end you keep going until he gets tired of trashing around, after gaining his breath back he spend some time in silence. "What are you?" You can sense he hoes to grab Karaku, who is also in your hold, you decide to stop since he apparently doesn't want to tell you where you can leave them both. "Yours. Tell me what you want, and I will do anything but leave. I have waited so long to see you again, I am staying near." He seems to get angre again, but interrupts himseld before starting.

"Leave me at the train station, I have my car stationed near the station closer to our home. Just... don't follow me. Not home." He seems a bit scared, smells scared, but he is a human now, you can understand he might be scared of a natural predator. Honestly, turning him should be an option, but it's not, since you have no idea what it could make in his body. "Alright." It really is, because you have him, and you know Sekido is not going to leave and not face you again, that is not how he is. He needs to have the last word.

You go to the train station you left him the next night, and he was waiting for you, now he seems furious. "I HAVE BEEN HERE 5 HOURS, WHAT THE FUCK?!" He looks like he wants to hit you, you would understand, Sekido always hated it when you made him wait. The nostalgia makes you chuckle, then smile, showing your fangs. "Sorry. I would have been here sooner if I could, but I can't stand under the sun." Anger fades into weariness. "What are you and what do you want with me?" He takes a step back before raising his voice. "I swear, if you lay a finger on my brothers I will-" You interrupt him by surprising him with your speed, now you are a breath from each other. "I am not interested in the others. I want you, husband." You say it, taking advantage od his shock to hug him, resting your chin in his shoulder as you whisper everything into his ear.

"... will you actually do whatever I say?" You nod, and you know he can see the intensity in your eyes, that one made of mixed feelings. Love, hunger, lust, nostalgia, melancholy, and many other feelings and sensations now lincked to him. "Then... do as I say when I say it. I don't care what you have to do, but I want the best for me and my brothers. By any means necesary." And you will. You will watch over him, and over Zohakuten. He begins to send you to look after Karaku and Urogi at night, begins to let you steal things for him, let's you take care of him sometimes. He doesn't let you in the house he shares with his family, but having him close is more than enough.

"After I die... would you eat my body? I don't want to be cremated or burried... I would like to stay...." he asks you one night while you where kissing and licking his wrists. "I will." You don't even have to think it. You raise to his level "Anything for you." And kiss him. He is yours, forever yours.

Karaku:

The smell of pleasure lures you in.

The club is full of people, usually you would take the chance to get someone drunk enough to be dinner without realizing it, that is why you came. But you are no longer hungry, you are filled with lust and love when the (at best tipsy, at worst drunk) guy that throws himself over your arms is no other than Karaku. "Hey, hot-stuff~ would you mind spending a while with me? I just sae you checking out some people, and I wanted to try my luck~." He found you, and you took him for the night, not wanting anyone else to lay a finger on him. You manage to smell Sekido in your way out, but you just evaded him and prevented the now human to find out. You sneak into a known place, this house has been abandoned for a while, so you have been using it from time to time during daylight. It's just a bit fixed, mostly because you took that as a hobby, to fix places like Karaku would want them. Also, at times you get a homeless person inside, after they found out the place was fixed and the door open. Nice dinner.

But the important thing is the lovely, young, energetic and horny guy in your arms. You made sure to treat him nice, as you had a nice place for him to lie back and take your gentle bites and licks. You made sure to switch between the softness and the feral need to have him, he always enjoyed both types of attention. Sometimes a bite made him bleed, and the savir of his blood excited several parts of you, but this is yohr lover, your husband, not some cheap meal. You loved him as such that night, no matter how his taste woke up your instincts to feed.

You drank a bit of his blood, but besides that? You kept your teeth out of his skin, licked the wounds clean and made sure he was able to sleep. He got tired quickly, but he probably lasted more than most humans, just less than he would as a demon, with unlimited endourance and stamina. But he sleeps soundly, hugging the pillow, slightly smiling in his dreams as he nuzzles himself against the matress. You just stay awake, watching him as you take some stolen money to get him something to eat... some sweet and a tea of a conventional store... yeah, it should probably do, you are giving it to Karaku. Not exactly a very picky eater, as long as he can gain pleasure for it...

But besides that, you watches sleep, you even got to pet softly his head without waking him up, for a while you did fear the he would. It's so real it almost feels like it isn't, you feared it wouldn't be for a long time due Karaku's nature as a Blood Demon Art. He should not have pwned a soul to begin with, and you have no idea how he managed to reincarnate with the rest of the clones, but he did. And you are glad, so glad part of you considers keeping him there forever. Karaku would not suffer living in bed, in the past he enjoyed the times you took over a house after eating the residents, rolling in bed and messing around between sessions, letting you spoil him rotten. The would be some playful complains of being bored without your company, since he gad nothing to do, but Karaku always adores a lot of attention.

"Good morning." You speak only after he stretched his arms, sitting on the beddings, eyes still tired, even if he has slept a lot. He slowly yawns and stretches, waking up at his own pace as he groans, rubbing his eyes and neck, whining and flinching every time he touches a bitemark. After a few seconds that he also grabs his head, he takes a deep breath before talking. "Sorry, I think I drank too much last night, I don't even remember your name.... mine if we introduce each other again?" You both do, as you hand him his breakfast, he smiles as he grabs the bun and cold tea. "Thanks." Curtains protect you from the sun, so you keep yourself relaxed.

Then he check his mini-picture box, then suddenly stands up alarmed as he looks for his clothes on the floor. "Oh, shit! Sekido's been calling me, he's gonna be so mad! Sorry handsome, I must go home!" You can't follow him as Karaku leaves in a hurry, but thankfuly, he comes back a few weeks later, on a weekend night. He has some bandages on the neck and smells like medical lotions, he looks a bit ashamed. "Hey, sorry I left like that, I didn't even give you my number and couldn't find you in social media, but I really liked that night together, even if you fucked me up." He laughts about it before murmuring "I looked as if you were trying to eat me."

You only look at him while you hide from the sun in a corner, as Karaku gets close. "You were. Weren't you." The tone changes completely as he frowns. "... You know what I am?" You ask after a pause, the expresion in his face softens up, but he is still weary. "I searched for you, but when I did the research based on location, I only found news of missing people. Some memories of that night started clipping together, telling me that it wasn't that I drank too much. You just aren't human." He talks a lot, and you listen, you always enjoyed listening to him.

"Then why come directly to me at night? Aren't you afraid I might do something to you?" You stand up and walk around Karaku, being slow to not stratle him or scare him, but make specific movements that show a bit of your nature. He doesn't relent, even as he finds himself cornered, hands in his pockets. "Would you believe me if I said the sex was good?" As a first motive yes, but with his new information... Karaku is not stupid, no matter what Sekido says, your husband can take care of himself and is aware of his doings. "And the second reason?" You lean into the wall against Karaku's back, using your arm to corner him, showing your eyes and fangs.

"Because I know you like me too. So, I come to you, and you don't get into my life near my family and friends. Deal?" He stretches his hands, and for a second you feel like those tales where spirits make deal with mortals, usually tricking them. But you have no reason to trick or lie to Karaku. "Let me take care of you, come here weekly, you won't regret it." And you close the deal.

That interaction made clear that the other clones would come first, which is something weird but acceptable, specially since Karaku continues to visit. And you continue to treat both your husband and yourself. He might stop coming one day, once he grows to old to keep up with you, but until then, he is all yours. And you will take your husband.

Urogi:

The smell of joy lures you in.

You found him sleeping on a tree beside a bird nest, with a book of birds and a notebook that he was salivating under his face. You can see it clearly from below, and you are well aware... the branch he is on will not tolerate your weight, it's a miracles he has tolerated him. Or so you thought until you jumper and grabbed him. He is so light. He used to weight a lot more in the past, now he feels like a feather of his wings... then again, he doesn't have wings anymore. 2 limbs less... of course he weights less. It's... you don't like it. It feels as if Urogi was mutilated, eternaly so, as if someone cut his wings and the never grew back. You don't like it.

Yo treat him softly as he hugs you in his sleep, getting himself all over you and drooling still. You pet the back of his head, smelling him, inhaling the scent of wildness and several hormones that make joy, that is still in him, thankfully. But you do miss the talons and fands, usually urogi would rip off the skin on your back while sleeping like this, head burried in your thighs, but no. Nothing. You can't imagine an Urogi that doesn't play wild and hurts things on the process, and Urogi that is naturally gentle and soft instead of having to be extra careful to be gentle and soft. Still, you would not trade having him with you for anything.

Once there is only an hour left for the sun to rise, you decide to cup his face and lick his cheeks, he always enjoyed that sort of animalistic care, and the fact that he is giggling let's you know that hasn't changed. He wakes up slowly, and it takes him a few seconds to flinch and draw back, realizing his situation as he blushes. Cute. Back then Urogi knew little about shame, but it seems that now is easier to get him embarrassed. That is new.

"Hey... hey... sorry, what happened?" He is clearly clueless, but it usually never bothered him to be like that. "You fell asleep." You tell him simply, and he looks around not knowing ehat to say or how to say it. This level of awareness in Urogi is weird. "Don't think too much about it, it's alright. I don't mind. You don't have to "behave" around me." Sakido always said Urogi had to behave better, yes, but you genuinely never minded. You were always happy with your husband being himself, and slowly he relax, believing what you are saying. He has always been distracted and you can see he is tired in his eyes, just waking up, so that amd the darkness probably don't let him realize that you are not human. "Let me take you home." Does this count as abusing that?

But he dows let you take him home, and since then you go there every night, evading the rest of the clones only to see him, jumping through the window and talk with him. Urogi is lively, as he talks about his restrictions that are imposed as an individual of a society and damn, it does sounds boring. You can't imagine having to adapt to the like of a crowd, and yet humans willingly subject themselves to that. Until now Sekido and Zohakuten (yes, the boy is also here) have almost discovered you, but... you are enjoying being Urogi's secret, being a part of him that doesn't belong to anyone else.

"What are you exactly? I know you won't hurt me, but you never are around in daylight, you have fangs and claws, and I don't think I ever daw you eat or drink anything." He asks one night. "Aren't you afraid of the answer?" You ask softly, being the first time he confronted you, and the fact that he is doing it so relaxed, it seems weird. This time not in Urogi standards, but in human ones. "Not really. I think you are a nice guy. I mean, you could have hurted anyone here with those traits of yours, and yet, you are always careful and gentle." ... You have no idea if he should know about your diet now. You also have no idea if you should be glad he is as trusting as back then or to worry about it. As a demon, Urogi could afford to be trusting, if anything happened he would heal. Right now? He could get hurt, and badly.

"From now on, I will take care of you and protect you." You don't feel the need to tell anything else to him, Urogi has always been a demon more of actions than words, more as an animal than a person. You always loved him like that. You think he understand what you mean, as you keep nuzzling him, licking him and cuddling with him, and the taste and scent he has is just wonderful. But... with the lack of wings you don't dare to hurt him, because part of you feels something is wrong still. You can't get used to see him like this and probably never will.

Still, you continue to visit and take care of him as you promise. You have no idea what he told the others and honestly, you don't care, he is yours and you are his. And he starts to grow, he buys his own house one day, after some years of work, the others still visit him but besides those days, you stay with him in his new house all the time. Half of the place is nitty and well taken care of, half of it is a mess for you both. Dirt, plants and other onjects making it feel more wild, more Urogi's taste. You really wish you could give him back his demons form, specially his wings everytime he looks at birds. He deserves to fly, to be free, but.... how are you supposed to risk him?

The guilt of his new state doesn't wash out ever, you are always too gentle with him, to the point you doubt he will ever find out about your true nature. The one that wants to bite, to scratch the same way it wants to be bitten snd scratched. But you want him, and you will take him anyway you can.

"I love you." He tells you frequently, and you always answer to that. "I love you too, my Baby Bird." You repreat as you watch him grow old. Maybe one day you might build enough courage to tell him you could turn him... maybe. For now, the constant smell of joy is enough to cheer you up.

Aizetsu:

The smell of sorrow lures you in.

Aizetsu looks so cute sleeping, you had to use the other clones to find him, since he doesn't go out at night. Not ever, since he usually takes care of Zohakuten (that's weird, Zohakuten of all demons needing a babysitter. Then again, he is not the most powerful clone of Upper Four anymore, but a child.) while Sekido tries to keep Urogi and Karaku out of trouble. It's not that different from back then, Aizetsu hated going outside and separating to fight, you are well aware having you made him more eager to have his own being, only to be with you. He has always been a sweet little thing.

He looks so vulnerable, and now that you watch him sleep, a traitorous part of you whispers temptations of touching and grabbing his skin, just to feel the contact, but beyond that, to sink your teeth on him. You want to put your mouth all over Aizetsu, to lick him, to nibble him, to kiss him and to bite him, everything you always did as you hug him and hold him. He is so beautiful, it almost feel like a sin to not take advantage as your instincts urge you. But you don't you only watch him, wondering if you should wake him up or continue to watch him like this.

Zohakuten has almost catched you a few times, it doesn't really surprise you, you know who he used to be. You still find it weird. How are they all of them alive? They are a Demon Blood Art, they should not have owned a soul to reincarnate with, and yet, here they are. Could it be Hantengu's soul fragmented? Is that even possible? It's not like you could ask, nowadays the world relies less in the spiritualism and more on the technoly and production. Not that it bothers you, it means the slayers are gone for good, as they should be. Still, sometimes you wonder what would happen if you gave Aizetsu a bit of your blood as he sleeps, to make him back as he used to be... but with this new condition, it might not work, but there is no day you don't think about it.

One night, as you get inside Aizetsu's room... you notice he is awake, but pretending to be asleep. His heartbeats and breaths tell you as much. For a time, you wonder if you should leave, but... you don't, you stay and even become more daring, as you pat his head softly. You can feel him tense up, then easing up, still wanting to pretend to be asleep. You don't keep it for too long, you even leave earlier than usual, but... you want to have Aizetsu getting used to you, and the idea you are not going to hurt him, but you are not leaving either.

"Who are you?" He asks one night, almost whispering, as he acts as if he was still pretending to be asleep, covered by the mattress in the beddings. "My name is Y/N." Is all you say, you can tell he is upset, has no idea what to do or what to say. "... What do you want from me?" He says after some seconds of silence in that same tone, and you also wait to answer. You want to say a lot, but also nothing at all. Because most of what happened, the fact that you both lost everything, hurts. You know he will pity you, that is his nature, and you don't want him to. You want him to love you, or at least accept you.

"I am someone who always wants to see you and cherish you." Is all you say, and both of you keep quiet. Pther nights you had to leave for Aizetsu to be able to sleep, not being able to relax enough with your presence. This time? He falls asleep with you there, and you can't fight the temptation of kissing his ear. It might not even be that he trusts you, but him being exhausted. Still, it makes you happy, for him to be able to let his guard down for you. You love this man, your husband, and you will find several ways to tell him that.

You keep it up, he asks questions, still hiding under the bed. Sometimes he answers yours, but he needs to form courage to actually face what you are. That, or he still needed to settle with the idea, since you are sure he doesn't believe in spirits. "What are you? And answer me for real. Don't tell me anything cheesy or creepy. What the hell are you?" He asks, and you don't really know how to say everything you need to explain it. After a few seconds of silence, he gets impatiend and finally sits on the bed, completely showing his face, a sleepy yet upset face no less. You look at him, his eyes don't glow in the dark, and only the pupil is blue...

"I'm a demon." Like he used to be, that only makes him more upset. "That doesn't exist." Is frustrating how he is denying the obvious, you are not human, and he knows that already. You sit in the bed besides him, making sure to show your fangs as you open your mouth to speak. "I am a demon, and your husband." You say everything, and honestly? By the end of it, Aizetsu is crying. You have no idea if it's because of the frustration of the situation, if it is because he pities you or if it's just a reaction because he is tired and always sad, since he was always sad before. You just hug him, and start to kiss his face and lick his tears up.

You end up pinning him into the bed, cuddling with him until Aizetsu falls asleep. You keep doing this, but from now on is Aizetsu who talks, who says what he is feeling before breaking into tears and let you comfort him until he falls asleep. He seems better, less sad each time, and you don't know how to feel about that. And yet, you always take care of him, and you will until he dies. The say he buys his own home, you get in and never get out.

"I am yours and you are mine." You whisper against his sken as he sleeps over you, you will continue to take care of him until he dies. Then... you will go back to the nothing but loss you had of life before meeting him again. Loss in a world that is changing while you are alone. Like Aizetsu always said, it's... so sad, pathetic... it makes you sad. But you will live.

[remyfire]

For the kinkfic thing. power imbalance and breeding for uh. Charbeej plz. :-D

(prompts now closed) (Okay so this is a lot of breeding kink, a little power imbalance, and though it is charbeej on the page, both beejhawk and charbeejhawk wiggled their way into it, and I really hope that's okay!! It's also 6.4k I'm very sorry—)

"Aaaaaaall right, Winchester," BJ trills as he sweeps into the Swamp and sets the lock behind him. Now that necessary arrangements have been made for privacy, he's got a certain spring in his step, a song in both his heart and his dick. "Here we go. You ready?"

Charles looks up suspiciously from his desk where he's cross-referencing something in a book to the notes he's taking. "I haven't the faintest idea what you mean."

BJ drops the tent flaps in one quick rush, then strides over to slap his hands on Charles's shoulders. "That's never stopped you from offering your opinion before, so why start now?" When Charles tries to look back at his work, BJ cradles his cheek and steers him right back around. "You can do that later."

"For heaven's sake." Along with a particularly overexaggerated roll of his eyes, Charles's lips rise up in a snarl that does nothing more than bring tingles of anticipation down BJ's spine. "Hunnicutt, are you sure you haven't taken a tumble recently? Banged your forehead on something? It's quite a large target." He makes a show of shrewdly considering it, all the while ignoring how BJ's beginning to smirk. "Can't imagine any other reason why you appear to be mistaking me with Pierce."

"I'm not making a mistake," BJ murmurs in a low, sweetly rotten tone.

"He's the one you, ah, sully around with, you know." Charles goes on as though he didn't hear BJ say a word. "Little whimsical pet practically slobbering for the chance to do your bidding."

As BJ tightens his grip around Charles's soft jaw until he feels the bones stabbing into his fingertips, Charles finally goes silent and flicks his gaze back up. "Charles," BJ breathes. "Put your pen down. And take your pants off."

Clack. The pen's rolling across the desk before BJ even realizes that Charles opened his hand. They share a long, silent stare where he gets to watch how Charles's brow furrows, the quick analyses occurring behind his eyes.

Honestly, BJ gets it. He wasn't wrong, bringing up Hawkeye like that. Usually BJ and Hawk are rolling around together in a cot, trying to get a rise out of Charles across the room, and in the few circumstances where they've actually seen a response—the heat on the back of his neck or the faint wiggling of his restless leg—they've slipped off the mattress like sirens, finding their way to him, meeting his sharp-edged banter with teasing words of their own. It's just an extension of the rhythm they've all ended up in, the games they like to play. Inevitably they all end with Hawkeye as a ruined mess of some kind while BJ and Charles study each other, still panting as they recover from their own release.

This is the way of things nowadays. Since BJ and Hawk are finally over the first nervous hurdles of trying not to fuck things up, BJ gets to take what he wants from an extremely enthusiastic Hawkeye practically whenever he chooses to do so. Charles, meanwhile, has to be all but forcibly dragged in on a casual basis regardless of the fact that he so clearly desires their time. There are times when BJ doesn't think it's even the sex that Charles craves, though the man's certainly never complained about an orgasm. Maybe it's the easy possession. Hawk will drop into BJ's lap, or BJ will pet through Hawk's hair and scratch his scalp during a normal conversation, or Hawk will mold himself around BJ's back and grope him with a hungry groan without so much as a hello. They're open to each other. They're always around to offer support, love, comfort, and passion. Charles seems to need to wait until he's about to burst before he so much as asks if one of them will have a serious conversation with him.

BJ doesn't know if he'd call it jealousy. Just a longing that appears to humiliate Charles. No wonder he needs to be surrounded and caught before he'll let all of his muscles unclench.

Charles finally takes a deep breath. "Should I presume Pierce will be arriving shortly?"

"No," BJ murmurs. "I don't see you going for your pants."

"I don't see a reason why I should," Charles counters.

"How about because I'm gonna fuck you?" BJ leans close and bumps their noses together. "Or how about because I said so?"

No matter what Charles tries to hide from them, he can't conceal that flush of his. His clean, pure, pretty blue blood does so love to betray him in moments like this.

Despite himself, BJ feels heat rush straight into his cock.

"Y'know, I've noticed something about you," BJ murmurs. He shrugs on a warmer tone like a robe, watches how Charles instantly goes for his belt. "You're really not a joiner, huh?"

"Difficult to find one's way into anything when there's not an inch of room," Charles counters. He doesn't sound hurt, exactly, or even sullen, but there's an edge in his voice all the same, and BJ files it away.

BJ shrugs, pursing his lips. "I mean, you could ask for somebody to move over, couldn't you?"

Charles finally breaks free from his grasp. He pushes his chair back with a loud scrape as he takes care of his trousers, then folds them perfectly with not a wrinkle to be seen. With his attention so focused on the task, he either doesn't think to or chooses not to reply.

"I don't know. It's just interesting. Sometimes I'll look over and you're holding yourself back by a thread." BJ chuckles like this is a meaningless conversation. Charles doesn't have to see the keen, smug expression he wants to wear. Not yet. "Like last week, y'know? Hawk and I are in my bunk. I've practically got his ankles behind his ears. He's ready to cry, he wants it so bad. Begging for it. Begging to be bred." Just like that, BJ flicks his gaze up, watches how Charles freezes. Yeah. There you are. BJ finds Charles's hip with one broad hand. As he slips his fingertips under the hem of his shirt, Charles drapes his trousers over the back of his desk chair, then grabs on tightly. "You don't have to be shy about it. I know you've got your thing. You need a son and all that, don't you?"

"I don't see why that's any of your business," Charles mutters, but unfortunately for him, he's starting to tap his foot rapidly on the ground.

"Aw, simmer down, Chuck." BJ moves into him, rests his chin on his shoulder, and lets his fingers continue to wander around to his front. "It's just some fun, yeah? Not that serious."

"Maybe not t—" Charles cuts off in a shiver as BJ shapes his palm right over his round belly. This is where it gets interesting. Hawkeye's easy by his own admission. He'll drop to his knees with little more than a look. But Charles turns his head, face so close that it's blurry, and speaks quite softly, one even tone. "Are you making a mockery of my duty?"

BJ chews on his bottom lip and considers the game here. "No," he finally says with a spreading smile. "C'mon, I wouldn't do that. I'm fetishizing it."

"Y— Excuse me?" Charles's brows shoot toward the sky. He gapes for a few moments before he scoffs. "Only you would take such a noble act as continuing one's bloodline and turn it into nothing but fodder for your perverse entertainment," he snaps.

Uh-huh. BJ takes in how red the apples of his cheeks are. "Not only me. Hawkeye too."

"Of course," he drawls, flicking his gaze away.

"So here's what I figure. You and me both know what kind of guy Hawkeye is." BJ considers further still. He could demean their bunkie, call him a slut—nine times out of ten, that gets Hawk dripping, so it's not like he'd be insulting him—but Hawkeye's not at the middle of this. The only thing he's doing is making sure nobody's gonna come bother the Swamp. No, right now he's just a segue, and one that BJ's happy to deploy. "So if there's a quiet little sector of your brain that gets turned on thinking about getting somebody in the family way, you already understand that all you've gotta do is walk across the tent and tell me to scooch, and I'll be happy to let you breed him. Joining of forces, right? With two of us at it, it's gotta take."

Charles inhales deeply, only just barely audible. He hasn't tried to move away. And when BJ begins thumbing a slow circle through the coarse hairs on his belly, all he does is breathe a touch faster.

"But yeah, no, you're right, you wouldn't do that. Not since the mumps. It stresses you out too much to think you might not be able to get the job done anymore."

"Hunnicutt, I'm warning you," Charles mutters.

When BJ rocks his hips forward, Charles freezes, fingers kneading the back of the chair. BJ grinds just the once more, simply making absolutely sure that Charles can feel how hard he is. That he knows this isn't a dig. Only a game. One that he's very enthusiastic about participating in.

He likes doing things like this, shifting into almost a variant of himself. BJ Hunnicutt—intensely devoted father, holding himself together by braided strings of hope that he'll make it home before Erin's childhood has passed him by—everyone knows who that is. But this is like shrugging on a coat, or perhaps shrugging it off instead. He can feel his voice getting a little more musical, a touch sharper, can find the sincere ache inside of himself and coax out its shadow. For him, it's a harmless perversion that lets him take a step backward when the walls are closing in. But he rather wonders if there's subversion that's about to rise from under his fingertips.

"Then I realized that it doesn't relax that stress at all, playing at getting Hawk pregnant." As he touches his lips to Charles's ear, he pulls him back so there's not a millimeter between them. "You'd rather somebody else do all the work of making sure the Winchester heir takes."

BJ can practically hear Charles's brain explode into a million simultaneous thoughts. He gets it. He knows a little something about shoving shit down so it can't even bleed through the cracks. There's something massive under all that noise that's aching to get out. BJ's just enough of a curious bastard to wonder what might happen if it does.

"Get these off too." BJ drags his hand down and tugs at the waistband of Charles's underwear. "Then lie in the bed."

He doesn't wait to see if Charles is going to argue or obey, just walks back to his side of the Swamp to unlock his truck and shove it open. He finds the tub of lubricant right away; as long as the trunk's locked, it's not as though he needs to hide it any more than that. In fact, he needs it easily accessible for those nights when Hawkeye has him ripping his own clothes off to have him as soon as possible. But BJ takes his time, moving items here and there, making noise, then stalling further still by unlacing his boots, acting as though his own blood's not boiling with a certain hunger of his own. It's tender with Hawk, playing this game. Charles is different.

Behind him, a cot creaks, and BJ takes a long, deep breath to steady himself. He snatches up the tub and impulsively snags a condom packet, practically slams the trunk shut, and stands before he kicks his boots off. When he turns back around, he drinks in the sight of Charles in his cot, under his blanket, up on his elbows so the impersonal fabric is at rest around his waist. His trousers may be neatly draped over the back of his chair, but both his boxers and, unrequested, his shirt are in a pile on the floor right where BJ had left him. He's waiting. Waiting for BJ. Wanting him to call the shots.

It's enough to make a man want to tip away from his logical mind, find himself somewhere feral instead.

BJ's made the particulars of how he inhabits his body into an art form. He shot up too tall too fast, filled out his shoulders before any of the other kids in his class. It was vital that he learn to move like water, fluid and flowing, never threatening. It softens him. But right now he thinks about some of the other jocks in his fraternity house, how they would cut through a room in such a way to have people scrambling to give them space. The tough guys. He centers his mind on it, and only then does he saunter toward Charles's cot. He doesn't have to look at Charles's face to know he's suddenly rougher at the edges, maybe even a little intimidating, but it's gratifying all the same, watching him takes in BJ from head to toe while the slight lift beneath the blanket becomes more and more prominent with each passing second.

BJ comes to a stop right by him, and as much as he wants to dive in headfirst, Hawkeye has goaded and begged for just enough things that BJ had never even conceptualized could arouse a person to a point where he speaks quietly all the same. "Is there anything you wanna talk about?"

Charles opens his mouth, closes it, then shifts his gaze to the back corner. "Hunnicutt, I-I realize this might strain you to the point of throwing out your back, but I would prefer..." He digs up fistfuls of his blanket. "You may say whatever it is that you'd like—as long as you don't laugh at me."

BJ notes it. He's not sure what exactly compels him to reach for one of Charles's hands, coax it to open, then lift it to his lips, but as BJ leaves a kiss on his knuckles, goosebumps lift all the way down his bunkie's bare arm. "Anything at all, huh?"

After one brief moment of thought, Charles nods.

He smiles. "Well. Lucky for you, I have a lot to say."

"Ahaha," Charles drawls out. "Will wonders never cease?" Unfortunately for him, his mockery nowadays is as sweet as a caress.

BJ's far better at reading the things Hawkeye craves without a lot of explanation, but though he has a good line of clues to follow here, he still takes his steps more carefully than he would through a minefield. He backs away, holds up the condom between two fingers, waits for Charles's eyes to focus on it, then tosses it carelessly behind his desk. Charles's punched-out, ragged huff shifts to a groan at the last possible moment and leaves a checkmark by the next item on BJ's mental list. He turns to hide his smirk as he snags the pillow from the spare cot. It's lumpy, which is why none of them have replaced their own pillow with it, but it'll serve a decent enough purpose tonight.

For a man who craves silence, Charles seems antsy now that BJ isn't talking. He shifts and wiggles, adjusting his weight, while BJ crosses back to his side, then glances along the blanket. He considers. Decides to pull it away himself rather than make a request. Charles's thick cock is slick at the tip, flushed all over, and it gently curves toward his belly while BJ shoves the rough cover into a pile at the foot of the cot.

"Lift your hips." Though BJ says the words as quietly as he can, they still sound as loud as a gunshot to him. They even make Charles flinch. But all the same, Charles obeys, and BJ tucks the pillow under them, then rests his hand on one of his thick thighs with a low hum. At first, he simply rubs as though to soothe him. But then he rises higher and higher with each pass until he's feeling the breadth of Charles's ample hips. It seems to settle in what he's doing just then, given how the cock near his hand twitches.

He can't make either of them wait anymore.

He leaves the tub on Charles's end table as he comes to his feet, then strips down as quickly as he can. Though he half-expects Charles to tease him for this too, he doesn't. Maybe he's just as relieved to see BJ overwhelmed by the need to fuck him. BJ keeps his eyes on Charles's face, catches how he stares at his arms, his stomach, and finally resting on his long, hard cock. Fascinated, BJ reaches high overhead, coming up on his tiptoes in a full-body stretch, and Charles whips his head around so quickly that he's shocked it doesn't fall off.

Somehow that kind of response is just as gratifying, flustering him like that. Usually it's Hawk who ends up in Charles's lap or on his knees for him while BJ sits behind, murmurs filth in his ear or coaxes Hawk to take him faster, deeper. He rarely gets his hands on Charles and he's never on display. Not unless Charles is watching them from his side of the room while they lose themselves in one another.

He needs to get started. It's not bragging to say that he's a lot to take. BJ pops open the tub so he can slather his fingers in lubricant, then gets to work.

For a couple of minutes, he's silent, studying how Charles's body responds—if he's moving too slowly, too quickly. There's a moment where Charles digs his nails into his own thighs and BJ thinks it might be time to start distracting him. "You're tight," he observes. "Don't usually do it this way around?"

"Don't usually do it," Charles corrects him in a rough voice. "Before you two, at least. You make it...rather difficult to resist."

"Mm. Any particular reason why not?" BJ thumbs over the back of one of his hands, silently coaxing him to loosen up.

"Well, it certainly wouldn't be appropriate to risk..."

As he trails off, BJ slowly smirks, focusing simply on how his fingers stretch him out little by little. It really does all come back to this, huh? The pressure to produce an heir, the pressure to make sure he doesn't produce the wrong one, the forced isolation such a thing causes. "But there were always other boys, right? C'mon, Charles, I went to an Ivy League too. I know how you prep school fellas are."

Charles's muscles flutter around his fingers, one moment clenching almost painfully tight, the next relaxing so suddenly that he sinks in to the next knuckle before he planned to. "Hunnicutt, this is yet another piece of information that I don't owe you." The however hovers in the air. BJ skims his gaze up and locks eyes with him while he pulls back, works in another finger. "Fo-ooooo-or the record..." The word warbles when BJ scissors his digits open, but he admirably avoids laughing at him, if he does say so himself. "...Mother and Father were...concerned about Honoria and me from the beginning. I should say we did not in-spiiire confidence—do you know how thick your fingers are?" Charles demands.

BJ tips his head to the side, not blinking. "Are you complaining?"

Charles wrinkles his nose, then flops back on his pillow and stares at the ceiling as he speaks in a rush. "I cannot say for sure regarding Honoria's own schooling, but I had reason to believe that my parents asked for the administration to keep a close watch on my relationships with my fellow students."

After a thoughtful moment, BJ nods. There are two paths he could take with this. One would coax Charles into a deeper vulnerability, maybe even open up an extremely strange heart-to-heart between two of the most unlikely men to experience such a thing. The other, though... BJ licks his lips. "Not much chance to experiment, then."

"Decidedly not," Charles murmurs.

The moment BJ rests his other hand on Charles's belly, he feels him stop breathing. "Dodged a bullet there too, then. Or a bun."

Charles doesn't reply. But he relaxes a little more, and BJ is confident that he's ready for him, experienced or not. He slips his fingers out slowly, and when Charles clenches around the emptiness, he fights not to push his cock inside of him right that instant.

BJ turns his attention to gathering just a touch more lube on his clean fingers so he can slick himself up, moving at a glacial pace, silently inviting Charles to watch. "Well. It's a good thing I'm here now, huh?" He drops his voice to that melodic tone with sharper edges. As he puts one knee between Charles's thighs, it lets him be far, far above him, casting a shadow from the nearest light. "Clever of you, really. You got all the way to the other side of the ocean where they don't have a clue what you're getting up to. Who you're getting up to it with. No one's watching, not tonight. There's just Hawkeye somewhere out there, keeping people entertained, making sure they won't come anywhere near the Swamp."

Charles clears his throat. "I suppose that is rather fortuitous, isn't it?" he asks unsteadily, still not looking away from how BJ's teasing himself.

"It really is. That's the beauty of it, huh?" BJ asks. "You don't have to worry about if these work anymore." He palms Charles's balls, gently massaging them just to watch how he shudders and fights to hold back his sounds. "'Cuz you're not gonna be the one knocking somebody up. At the end of the day, you're still a Winchester. And that means you're fucking great breeding stock."

There it is. Charles's eyes widen so far, they've gotta hurt. It's rare that he lets himself be this visibly stunned, especially in front of BJ, of all people, and it tastes sweet and spiced on his tongue, fuels him to push onward.

"Not what your parents planned for, I figure." BJ shrugs and pulls a caricature of sympathy on like a mask, dripping just the edge of condescension into his tone. "I mean, they've got you in line to play husband for, what, a Vanderbilt? A Rockefeller? And here you are with your legs spread for a Hunnicutt from California. But they've got it all wrong." As BJ looms over him, he takes Charles by the jaw again and watches with a thrill as his mouth falls open. "You rich types, you're lucky to get an heir at all. You never mix it up, you know? Never bring in any new blood. It's just the same tired gene pool, the same old story, and it's gonna make all your fancy names die out one day.

"See..." BJ leans closer, thumbs over his bottom lip, watches a rare sheen begin to form on Charles's distinguished brow. "...it's guys like me who make it happen. Filthy little rats with names nobody'll ever remember." And as he carefully shifts his hips, he aligns their cocks—lets his own obscure Charles's more modest length—but he makes very sure to let the weight of his sack drag along Charles's sensitive base, and when the man beneath him sucks in a shaky breath, BJ knows he has him, hook, line, and sinker. "I'm not even gonna have to try to breed you. The second I'm filling you up, it's a done deal, darling. Yeah, you'll get your baby. But there's not a ballroom in all of Boston that'll let her debut. So the way I see it, you're about to be the luckiest girl around." BJ can feel his smirk go toothy, his eyes sparking, as he settles the full weight of his broad body over Charles's soft and round figure. "I'm about to give you your ticket out of there."

It must hit like a truck with the way that Charles suddenly groans and writhes under him, his mouth closing around BJ's thumb so he can press his teeth into it just at the edge of pain. Yeah, no, that's exactly what BJ thought. Maybe he likes the money, the staff, all those perks, but they both know that high society's got more rules tacked on than the whole goddamn Army. From what BJ's heard, one Winchester has already found her a few doorways out of the hellscape. Maybe Charles needs a little more time to make his own—but maybe helping him burn off a little of that tension won't hurt either.

"Shh, shh, it's all right." He pushes his thumb in further and doesn't try to hide his deep moan when Charles gives it the tiniest suck. It seems like it might've been instinctive—Charles freezes and blinks—but as BJ gives another quick thrust, he flushes and sucks harder. "I'll take care of everything. You've got one job: just lay back and take my cock." As Charles thrashes again with a small, pitiful sound, BJ sits back so he can align himself with his target. "No, c'mon, sweetheart, spread them like I know you want to." He's a little rougher than he means to be when he sinks his fingers into Charles's thighs and pushes them open, but the sight of Charles dripping arousal onto his stomach only kicks up his excitement another notch. "You don't need to play cute with me. You've been waiting for some no-good fella to knock you up for years now."

"H-Hunnicutt, y-you..." Though he tries his best, Charles only stammers wordlessly after that, the reverberations alternating between pinched and trembling.

He tracks it, then, how Charles is stabbing his nails back into his body. That won't do at all. This is a game, not a punishment. Before he can second guess the urge, BJ redirects Charles's legs toward his chest instead. "Here, gimme your hands. Need you to hold your legs out of the way for me, all right?" Though he's not sure Charles is even tracking specifically what he's saying, those soft and lovely fingers are offered to him all the same, and BJ leans down, kisses both palms, then guides him to pull his knees back as far as they can comfortably go. It's the doctor in BJ that makes him skim down his hamstrings, just a quick feel to make sure he isn't straining his biceps femoris or semitendinosus on either side. Only when he's satisfied does he cup the base of his own cock.

"That's it," he coos. Honestly, he expects Charles to clamp down when he feels BJ's tip rubbing against his hole—rejecting his body one last time before giving in—but he doesn't. No, he relaxes further, like he's trying to suck him inside. "God..." Charles wants him. Really wants him.

He has to take a breath and shake the shock out of his head before he's too overwhelmed by the fresh surge of desire.

With a groan, BJ begins to ease carefully in. "C'mon, let me in... Juuuust like that... Fuck, Winchester." The surname comes first, tastes filthy on his tongue. There isn't a universe in existence where this should be happening, yet here they are, Charles gasping and staring up at him with wild eyes, BJ fighting not to bite a hole through his lip as he represses the urge to sheath himself with one thrust. "Oh, you needed this, didn't you? You just need somebody...to take it all away."

Confusion drifts across Charles's face like a cloud. BJ watches it carefully, prepared to pull back. But miraculously it passes by, and in its wake, Charles furrows his brow and arches experimentally, taking him in deeper. He groans and squeezes around BJ's length for the first time, a fiery pulse of ecstasy that has BJ doubling over and catching himself on Charles's shoulders. "Hunnicutt, I-I want..." They lock eyes, searing blue on blue. "Don't... Don't take it easy on me. Do you understand?"

He's hit with such a spike of arousal that he curls tighter with a long, shivering groan. "You don't wanna be a delicate flower, Winchester?" BJ teases breathily.

"Not on your life," Charles grits out.

BJ grins as he catches his gaze one more time. "You're right. I haven't forgotten. You're good..." He bucks a little deeper. "...hardy..." Another thrust, further still. "...breeding stock." One last push crushes his pelvis against Charles's ass, and BJ hums in appreciation as he cups his cheeks in both hands and gives them a squeeze. He's stretched obscenely around BJ's cock, but all the same, he fits him just right. No straining, no swelling that's suggesting any kind of damage from rough treatment.

He makes a mental note to check him over again once he's finished fucking the hell out of him.

Since he needs to make sure they both have a moment to really adjust, BJ looks over the rest of his body, the gorgeous shape of him, soft folds here, a more solid swell there. When he gets caught on Charles's pectorals, he figures why not, then grabs one none too gently. "Mm, these are gonna be so fucking pretty. Nice and big. They get more sensitive as they start filling up, you know that?" As he thumbs over his nipple, an almost startled whine come out of Charles as it hardens, and BJ grins. "Maybe I'll come by and check on them every day. See how they're growing. And don't worry if they start feeling sore." It's curiosity that has BJ pinching and rolling it between his fingers, but the way Charles white-knuckles the edge of his cot while he gasps tells a beautifully evocative story all the same. "A nice, hot mouth'll take care of that. And I'll make plenty of time for you."

"If you don't...fuck me..." The words sound as though Charles is fighting against God himself to find them. "Hunnicutt, I-I will not appreciate it if you draw this out much longer."

For the first time, BJ's taken aback. Has he misread all of this? Sure, the man underneath him is hard enough that he's dripping yet another bead onto the slick pool on his stomach, but that doesn't mean a damn thing, does it? Just physiological. BJ plants a hand right by Charles's head and leans down. "You done playing, Charles?" he asks softly as though there's an audience to hear and make Charles feel humiliated.

Charles wrinkles his brow one more time. "Not on your life, Beej." But try as he might, the way he murmurs that nickname only makes BJ want to kiss him. "If you—" He cuts off abruptly as he glances over the shape of BJ. There's a clear appreciative gleam in his eyes as he skims over his shoulders, his arms, and BJ bites his bottom lip with a smile and fights not to flex for him. He fought hard to find a little humility while he was in medical school, but his jock side never lost it. "I am merely suggesting...that I'd rather you have me while I am still able to enjoy it."

BJ blinks a few times. Glances between them. Charles's cock is curved far enough that it is, in fact, sticking to his own stomach now.

"You did need it," BJ murmurs with a certain degree of stunned delight. When he meets his gaze now, he feels like a scamp, like he's getting away with breaking all the rules somehow, having everything he was never supposed to. "Okay. Okay, yeah, Winchester. You want me to make it good for you before I knock you up?" He sits tall on his knees to the sound of Charles's first murmuring moan, pulls out and pushes back inside with experimental force to charm out the second one. "I guess I can do that."

It doesn't take long for BJ to realize that Charles, whether he's taken it in the ass before or not, is in fact not kidding when he said that he doesn't want to be treated gently. Only a few thrusts later, Charles is reaching for BJ's hips and yanking at him. It's enthralling. He can't remember the last time someone this unexpected needed BJ to ruin them.

"Mmm..." BJ lets his eyes fall shut and his lips part as he gets a little lost in the rawness of this kind of sex. With Hawk, sure, they get a little primal sometimes, but it's always tinged with a startling amount of intimacy as though they're trading souls for a short while, trusting the other to put them back where they started rather than letting them be lost at sea. But this is different. It's not casual, exactly—Charles is far more than a colleague, most certainly a friend, and ultimately is someone who BJ can't really imagine a future away from forever. But it's less overwhelming than it ever has been with Peggy, with Hawkeye. Somehow there's less to worry about here.

It's a vital moment of connection. He wouldn't want to play like this with anyone in camp but the two people who live in this very tent. But it's also just...oddly reaffirming of their friendship. A little fun that's a lot closer to the chest than it would be if it didn't mean anything.

As BJ brings himself back into the present, out of the lush waves of physical pleasure and the sparking playfulness that overlays it, he puts his hands on Charles's thighs and lets his bunkie's fall away. "You feel so fucking good, you know that?" BJ purrs. "You were made for this. Made to take cock and be bred. No wonder you're such a pampered thing."

"Ohh..." Charles's flush has spread all the way down his neck and into his chest, a lovely bloom to match the heat right under BJ's skin.

He gets lost just then in watching how Charles's body moves under him. "Gorgeous," he breathes. He's so—

"For God's sake, Hunnicutt," Charles gasps out, stabilizing himself with a hand on the bar above his pillow, rolling his hips down to meet him in the middle with a sense of desperation. "Harder, harder, don't let up now."

The commands are the closest thing he thinks he'll ever get to begging from Charles, and that fact undoes him, practically blisters his brain. "Fuck, Winchester..." He quickly renegotiates the space, shoving the pillow a little further up with his knee, then opening him up as wide as he can with that firm grip on his thighs. His jaw clenches. As he rises to the call with a punishing pace, his muscles begin to burn in a pain that's sweeter than any sprint has ever given him. "You're taking me so deep." When he flicks his eyes up, he zeroes in on how Charles is bouncing with the force of his thrusts, the way that his mouth's gone slack. "You feel it, doncha?" BJ bites his bottom lip, pounds him so his balls are slapping against his skin. "Feel how much I've got, mmnh, to pump you full of? Think you've got room inside you for every fucking drop?"

Charles lets out an almost frantic whine, his hand snapping between them to find his cock and strip it, matching BJ's rhythm.

"Yeah, that's it, that's it," BJ coos. "Oh, you can't wait for it, huh? No, you've gotta milk me dry when you come, is that it?"

Charles's noises border on overwhelm, and if this was any other person, any other situation, BJ would pull back and check in, but this is what he needs, it's what both of them need, practically ripping the skin off their bones with how hard they take this.

BJ stares unblinkingly, painfully, right at Charles's hand, finding growls breaking free from his own chest as a visceral way to stay focused, not slow down. It pays off. The moment he thinks his body's about to cramp up, Charles gasps, throws his head back, and comes with a shocked cry.

"Fuck, that's it. Fuck, Charles." It's intoxicating somehow, watching this man make himself absolutely filthy, jet after jet streaking his body. He's not even sure where the words that bubble up are coming from. "That's right, waste it, you don't need it, I'll take care of everything, darling, you just... Nnh, fuck!" He didn't plan it, not even for the illusion of what they're playing at, but as he explodes inside of him, BJ buries his cock as deep as he can go, even grabs his hips in a bruising hold so he can push him into the tightest ball possible. He's absolutely shameless, grunting out raw, animalistic sounds as he ruts against his ass.

And then he does feel the twinge in his leg, and just like that, down he collapses.

"Hunnicutt!" Charles bellows at the top of his lungs. "You—" He tries to push BJ away, then trembles from head to toe and goes limp instead.

"Just gimme a sec." BJ fights to catch his breath. While he fumbles behind himself to find the back of his thigh and massage his hamstrings, it takes him a moment to realize Charles is still shivering. He's buried his face in BJ's neck and, what's more, he's the one rutting right there against BJ's abdomen. He chuckles. But when Charles stiffens, BJ's quick to murmur. "Y'know, that's a hell of a compliment, what you're doing right now. That was really something, wasn't it?"

Little by little, the tension in Charles's body melts away one last time. "It was...quite educational."

BJ rolls his eyes. A ringing endorsement.

"Perhaps we might..."

It feels like he might've gotten away with not cramping up. BJ hums contently as he comes up on his elbows and looks down at Charles with a sated smile. "Might what?"

Charles clears his throat. He tentatively meets BJ's eyes, then looks away immediately. "You did say that Pierce is...nearby, did you not?"

Realization comes in like a fresh, spring breeze. BJ's eyebrows raise as he reaches between them and rests his palm on Charles's sticky belly. "Y'know, I haven't fucked him yet today. He hasn't come in at least twenty-four hours." When Charles trembles once more, BJ's grin spreads wide enough to hurt. "Mmm, Winchester...you're right. It really would be a shame to leave a job half-done."

[gay-dorito-dust]

Sooo I've been reading your re4 fics and I've been loving them! ✨️ I like how you depict Leon (ngl 👏🏾 that's my fav version of bb boi). While munchin at the re4 buffet table (thanks to the remake) I've been seeing drabbles/hc of Leon and current memes, but like Leon isn't gunna know any meme/joke past '98.

Not to speak bad about the posts. I truly love them and understand they're for comedic purposes. (The 🥚 post come on now 😽 delicious)

It just got me thinking (😏 iykyk), what memes do you think Leon would get? Like if reader or oc referenced a meme/joke that's an inkling past the 2000s, I think Leon (all vers) would either laugh/pity laugh () cause he doesn't get it or and tell you he doesn't get it and inquiring about it. Some of your re4 posts have a dash of humor in them, so that's why I asked.

Sorry for the long post. Take care and put your health first. ♥️✨️

(Sorry for any typos)

Firstly I want to thank you very much for taking the time out of your day to read my resident evil stuff, and I’m even more thankful that you like how I depict Leon. I honestly thought I would do shit. So once again, massive thank you for taking your time to read my stuff. 🦦

If anything this felt like an entire post about how little Leon knows about memes….tbh he probably called them ‘me me’ or ask why there was a second e in meme before you tell him that’s it silent.

That’s an excellent question and I know other people will have their opinions and I’d love to hear what others think, whether it’s the exact opposite of mine or other wise. I’m always open to hear out anyone and everyone.

So, I genuinely believe that Leon would have a better time with memes that are straightforward in what they’re about, compared to the ones where he’s expected to be up to date on modern forms of media.

His job doesn’t exactly grants him a lot of free time to catch up on everything that he’s missed that he might as well make a list like Steve Rogers does in Captain America: the winter soldier.

You’re absolutely right in saying that Leon would laugh and or pity laugh at some of the memes due to your differing senses of humour; though that is entirely dependant on what type of humour you’re into.

So if you’re one to likes memes along the lines of;

‘me and the boys,’

‘Is this a butterfly?’

Markiplier’s Farquaad ‘E’ meme

And the ‘tuxedo Winnie the Pooh’ meme (aka the ‘a fellow man of culture’ meme)

Then he will not get them at all and will need you to explain to him what the context of the memes were and why they were inherently funny to people nowadays.

Leon would defiantly do the age old ‘eye squint and moving the phone closer to him’ thing when looking at the memes you show him.

Bonus if the meme in question was poking fun at how people of an older generation reads memes.

I think he recognises some obscure meme that probably wasn’t even funny to begin with but is funny to him and he’d be like ‘I understood that reference.’

To me, Leon S. Kennedy is the Steve Rogers of memes, he doesn’t know many of them but once he does, he makes everyone aware that he does, whether by a snicker or outward acknowledgment.

This might just be me projecting but he’d torture Ashley with the infamous dad jokes. It doesn’t even matter if Leon like them himself, he just knows it annoys Ashley and he’s willing to continue doing it cuz he’s a little shit.

Ashley: I’m tired

Leon: hi tired, I’m Leon.

Ashley: 😒

Leon: 😎

Hate to be the one to say it but he probably likes those Facebook minion memes… I don’t know why but then again I’d say the same for Ethan Winters but that’s neither here nor there.

Overall thing to take away; Leon is a little cringe and likes minion memes, dad jokes, and the like. He’s got really shit taste in humour, plz help this man, he needs to be exposed to bigger and better things.

[mr-laveau]

Darren•Darlin Headcanons

(Because I can and I want to)

Darren (he/they) is bi + poly (all my designs are poly, this is me we're talking about, that's like the baseline)

Darren's design, while evidently is influenced by the greaser subculture, is actually derivatively chosen based on the Yankii subculture that their parents both styled themselves with before coming to America. Darren however adopted the greaser look given that he wasn't as connected to his japanese roots which still somehow fell more in line given that the Yankii subculture is based on the greaser look.

Darren did date David before Gabe passed, after that he distanced himself from them and they broke things off.

He also was seeing Sadhil when they were in DAMN before disappearing with Quinn.

Darren's Jacket belonged to their dad before he passed and they've worn it ever since. David actually got his leather jacket look from Darren's father–Gabe was more of a button up shirt guy.

Japanese is their first language since that's what their parents spoke often in their house, Darren just doesn't have the opportunity to speak it much since the rest of the pack doesn't know how to speak it fluently (Asher tried).

Darren's nicknames for people are all based on old cartoons, he calls Sam "Doc", Sadhil gets called "Tintin"/"Casper" and he refers to Alexis as "Betty".

Darren does have a house within pack territory where he keeps all his old stuff–the problem is that the house is where his parents ☠️ after an attack from a rival pack and he's not very keen on visits there.

Darren and Quinn both were in a relationship together after they distanced themselves from everyone else–in short, they were both horrible for each other and Darren brought out the worst in Quinn who did the same for him. They both believed their empowered status made them above the law so they acted out.

Darren and Hermes (Honey) were friends when Hermes was in college. They were the person Quinn attacked but Darren distanced himself from them after that incident was handled and their memory was modified.

Quinn almost turned Darr, it's referenced in Shattered Glass Makes a Good Weapon but it was directly after he attacked Hermes in Quinn's attempt to force Darren to see his perspective.

Darren is actually the second shortest wolf in the pack in human form but can rival David's wolf form in size and power.

As a result of being blood bound, Darren's eyes do turn silver under the moonlight in human form and red in wolf form.

Darren's design actually incorporates different fashion elements from different members of the pack; chokers from Asher, ripped shirts like Milo, leather jackets like David and gloves like Christian.

Darren owns two rats, they're named Thing 1 and Thing 2!

Darren is autistic and selectively mute, he doesn't talk much around most of the pack and has learned to sign for this exact reason.

Darren sounds like imperium Huxley actually but just add more a of a cali surfer/skater accent.

He doesn't own a vehicle, he actually skates everywhere casually and uses his wolf form to run in high stress situations.

Darren used to work for Alexis as hired muscle and they still do work occasionally as a temporary bodyguard nowadays but when they can, they do take on jobs with Shaw Security but they're mainly a photographer.

Darren does not have a middle name, their full name is Darren Lancer.

Anyways that's it, I'm going back to drawing now–

[rosesfromslashers]

Deep Ellum - Chop Top Sawyer x Reader

I've fallen down the TCM pipeline and I can't get out. Plz send help. Sorry if my writing comes off as a lil rusty! I'm in the process of teaching myself how to write again.

CW: Kind of a dark fic! Drunk reader, Chop Top to the rescue in his own special way (aka kidnapping), so be prepared for yandere vibes. Referenced stalking. Nothing explicit. Reader has she/her pronouns and is referred to as a girl.

They ditched you.

They fucking ditched you.

You're trying so hard not to cry, but with the alcohol coursing through your blood stream, it's hard not to let your emotions get to you.

Surely they didn't mean to. I mean, maybe it was your fault. You try to remember if you were the one who broke away from the group - maybe you took a wrong turn, or something caught your eye, or maybe you went into a different bar and forgot to call after your friends. But you're not that fucked up, right? But no matter how hard you dig into your memories, it's like they never even existed.

And that's when it hits you.

You're alone, in a wild part of Dallas - a place you've never been to - wandering around Deep Ellum after dark. And as your lack of memory serves, you've been blacking in and out three ranch waters in on an empty stomach, because your new friends said you should have one more. When in Texas and all that yeehaw bullshit.

Fuck.

You're in a dangerous spot, drunk off your ass to the point of swaying. There's nobody around on the street you've found refuge on, just lines of cars up and down the sides of the road. And judging by the ache in your head, your brain could decide to turn itself off again at any minute.

So you cry. The drunk tears just start to flow and you become aware of just how sloppy you look, crying on a street corner in a mini skirt, boots, and a shitty cowboy hat on a cold Texas night. God, it just makes it worse.

Then nothing. You try to form memories, to keep track of where you are and what you're doing but you just CAN'T.

Then something briefly snaps you back. The rumble of a truck. A soft denim jacket being wrapped around your shoulders. A slight Southern twang with almost a boyish charm and excitement saying you'll be alright, "I've gotcha," an arm around your shoulder to steady you and the rumble of that truck growing closer. Wait, did this person just... smell your hair?

You can't form images, but you can feel and hear faintly, like everything is ten miles away.

And just like that, it's over, and you're concious (and panicked) enough to know that you're in a stranger's truck going God knows where.

You're too scared to look at the driver. To see who it is that would snatch a drunk girl off the side of the road. You're positive that you're going to end up dismembered in a ditch by sunrise.

"I-I've never brought a girl home for dinner!"

You blink, keeping your eyes focused out the window.

"I-in the traditional sense, a-anyways."

You sit in shaking silence.

"It's okay. I know you're p-plastered. We'll be there in 30 and I'll let you sleep it off."

"Where are you taking me?" You ask, trying your damndest to not sound so scared, but it comes out as a squeek.

"Come on baby," he says, "look at me."

You do, and a sense of recognition floods through you.

It's the guy. THE GUY. The one from the record shop you stopped in yesterday. The weird one with the shaggy black hair and the vest and sunglasses and the pin that gave you a laugh when you saw it. Something about sitting on a happy face? It doesn't matter now. Because he's glancing from the road, eyes burning behind purple shades.

"'Member me? I sure do remember you!" He sounds so excited.

"You look real pretty when you cry, i-if you don't mind me saying."

"I kind of do," you whisper.

"Speak your mind! Ya know, I have this theory that nowadays people are just so scared of open communication and-"

He starts to go off on a tangent, but there's just too much going on for you to process that right now.

He's still rambling as he takes an exit onto a dark road.

"Please don't kill me!" You find yourself pleading. He laughs.

"Y/n, I ain't gonna kill ya." How does he know your name? "In fact, I think my family's gonna love you!"

"Y-your family?" You try and piece together as much as your inebriated brain will let you.

"Yeah! You've got my baby brother Bubba, my older brother Drayton, and my twin Nubbins. I really can't wait to introduce you to Grandpa!" Your head is spinning.

"T-they're gonna be real proud of me. None of them have brought a girl home before." He sighs almost dreamily. "I won't let 'em touch a hair on your head. You're all mine."

Okay, so his family is A) dangerous, and he is B) insane. Perfect.

You're never drinking again.

His hand finds your knee, you try to recoil but there's no where to go.

"I know what you're thinking. We're moving real fast, I'm aware of that. I mean, I didn't even say hi yesterday!"

"But I know we're just gonna be just perfect. Good thing I was following you tonight. Something real bad could've happened." Yeah, like getting abducted.

"But Chop's gotcha now, and you won't have to worry about a thing."

[crusherthedoctor]

Eggman?

First impression: he's really cool (not clickbait)

Impression now: he's the greatest fictional character in recorded history (not clickbait)

Favourite moment: the one where he's onscreen

Idea for a story: you know the one

Unpopular opinion: Alright, serious time: if it wasn't obvious from my past comments about it, I can't stand the entire dynamic with Sage. Her mere role and presence inspires fans to picture him as one and the same as Bowser, which is already a problem because he was doing just fine as his own character, but then you take into account that despite Flynn's assurance that Sage won't make him any less evil, the results we actually see onscreen - be it from Frontiers itself, or anything since then that's referenced her, like the Twitter Takeovers - are constantly going out of their way to make their relationship seem wholesome, even if presented in an "evil" way. So it's hard to be convinced so far, and needless to say, it makes a concept I was already put off by ten times more unbearable.

Never mind that for all the shilling Sage receives as Eggman's greatest creation, she failed him more times in a single game than Metal Sonic has thoughout his entire history. Infinite was punished for less. What makes Sage so special?

Favourite relationship: I highly approve of the moments where the character Dr. Eggman shows his respect and admiration for the character Dr. Eggman. There's also Starline's one-sided simping for him... before they ruined that. At least there's Stone now.

Though it doesn't get much attention nowadays as it probably should, I think the contrast between him and Tails is compelling too.

Favourite headcanon: For all his vices, Eggman is serious about proving his genius on his terms. That's why his plans are always his, and it's why his creations and projects are always his. It's why he continues pulling his weight during plans that involve outside sources, such as using the Egg Carrier, the E-Series, and the missile alongside Chaos.

Even when he started up his villainous activities, though he may have used a little bit of the late Gerald's inheritance to quickly bounce off of, he soon switched to his own funding via casinos, theme parks, mining operations, a literal ocean of oil, and all sorts of other resources to back himself up.

[mdhwrites]

Thanks for your response to my ask about the Guardian’s choice! You make a good argument; adherence to logic shouldn’t come at the cost of thematic consistency and compromising the message you’re trying to tell with your story. I do think logic and thematic consistency can coexist in stories, but that’s a whole other argument I won’t get into.

I’ve read some of your thoughts on Anne’s arc in season three, and it was both surprising (and fairly refreshing) to see someone argue that the way Anne reacted to the events of True Colors was appropriate for her character and fitting for the show, since so many viewers think Anne (and season three as a whole) should have been far more angsty. It’s given me a lot of food for thought regarding an argument I’m still conflicted on. I think you made a valid point that Anne is far too young to properly process such trauma, and that Amphibia has never really been that angst-focused of a story.

With that said, I think the reason so many people expected the story to go darker, even if that would go against the previously established tone, was because of how severe True Colors got with its stakes. While I understand your arguments, I don’t think people can necessarily be blamed for assuming a more serious tone would be an appropriate continuation to True Colors.

So do you think season three could have been darker while still maintaining its identity as Amphibia? Take Olivia & Yunan, for instance. That episode is often cited by fans as the darkest episode, but it still has good instances of humour and levity, so it never really gets bogged down by the dark stuff. The only downside is the tonal whiplash that occurs when following episode transitions back to wacky hijinks with the Plantars. But it shows, in my opinion, that Amphibia can go darker while not losing the wit and charm that defines it in the process.

Now, I don’t think season three would have worked if every episode was as dark as Olivia & Yunan, but I’m still curious as to whether you think the show could have been able to still be itself while adopting a darker tone.

Sooooo... No. I talked about this before but people are OBSESSED with trauma nowadays, especially in cartoons. However, if you actually understand basic storytelling, literally the most basic storytelling format, let alone fantasy storytelling... True Colors doesn't do shit.

True Colors is the start of the darkest hour for our heroes where all hope appears to be lost. Now when I say 'darkest hour', I'm not referring to genre or theme. I am explicitly referencing the Hero's Journey here with that statement for a reason. That's how ubiquitous it is. How many shows have the main character, or their best friend, get fucking stomped on shortly before the finale so as to give everyone the motivational boost they need to take on someone so much larger and more powerful than them? A LOOOOOT of anime, especially shounen anime, does this. If you look at the Rescue Sasuke arc from Naruto, fucking EVERYONE almost dies in that arc and it doesn't make the show more mature or dark, it is just the amplification of stakes to make the challenge and victory for our heroes all the more exciting.

This framing even fits with the narrative uses of the shocking elements in True Colors. Sprig getting his life threatened and Marcy being stabbed are catalysts. One pushes Anne to a new level while the other forces everyone to be ripped apart so that they can go on the journeys of self discovery that will make them ready for the final fight. Before then though... True Colors is still fun and 100% Amphibia. It ends on a dour note but spends the majority of its run time still being the same fun self that Amphibia always was with bits of seriousness because it's a season finale. Even Sprig having his life threatened is met with the same grandness of emotion that fits the show so well. The melodrama that makes epic fantasy so fun.

And then the show gives itself time to breathe and be back to itself for half a season to make sure that you understand that the show is still going to be what you expect from it. Injury may be more possible now but Amphibia is still Amphibia. It was never going to become Game of Thrones cartoon edition like I feel like some people push that it should have become. Admittedly, most of those people seem to quite literally only be interested in the show for the trio which is missing the forest for the trees.

There is one other element that signals to the audience that this isn't a real big deal. After all, who gets stabbed?

The sacrificial lamb.

Marcy is the weakest part of the show. I know that's controversial but unlike the rest of the characters, she is the one who is always playing to a narrative role. The only one that the writers would actually be willing to fridge for the sake of another character or shock value (with Frobo being the closest to ever have this happen to otherwise). So even if I had not been spoiled on it already, I would never have expected Marcy's stabbing to actually amount to a lot. She was never a genuinely important character. A fun, likable character? Sure. It'd be like killing Willow in TOH though. You killed the person who mostly just existed for others to react against? Why should I care about that?

And the show doubles down on this issue. I actually don't like Yunan and Olivia as an episode much. I think it's much darker than a good number of other S3 episodes (though I do understand why people consider it the darkest). Not any darker than Commander Anne at least because the darkest element to me is the fact that the world is fucked. But Marcy? Even Olivia admits that Marcy only matters because of her intelligence and its relation to Andrias. She doesn't give a single fuck about Marcy as a person besides, you know, thinking that a teenage girl shouldn't have her autonomy taken away from her.

But her autonomy was never there to begin with. Not to me at least. Her fear is the only one treated seriously in the episode, the other two are jokes pretty much, and even then it's all about Sasha and Anne, which her character was always facilitating more than her actual relationship with them. It's why I don't like Marcy at the Gates because Marcy is mostly just a smart cardboard cutout for Anne to angst against and the scavenger hunt episode is the same way. So yeah, we get an episode about her fear that then ends with her being fridged a SECOND TIME and the only real exploration of that is making Andrias sad. I don't really find that dark, I just think that sucks.

But it NEVER meant the show should be darker. The fandom just wanted that because it'd be brave and edgy and blech. Especially since again, no one in the fandom seems to be willing to recognize that the girls do deal with their trauma. Hell, Sasha does by wanting to throw Marcy away and be told that she doesn't need to care about her friend anymore. Doesn't have to think about what happened.

So while I don't think it's entirely unreasonable to have expected the show to get a little more mature post S2, asking for it to get 'darker' A: requires understanding what that actually means because TOH fans really struggle with understanding what 'dark' means for storytelling as well and B: actually requires stuff to happen that isn't a part of almost any fantasy story. You can talk about how awful it would be to actually have to happen to you but fantasy works off different logic. Dark fantasy is not just fantasy where a couple people get stabbed. Dark fantasy is where the entire system is corrupt and the story is exploring how those elements can be twisted in sin, greed and pain against others. Not just having characters cry, at least to me.

Hell, just as a last minute shout out: The toads from a meta perspective are actually one of the darkest elements of the series. They are oppressors, they are cruel and they profit off of the need others have for protection due to this being a harsh environment to live in. They practice the calculus of war and are self serving to the point of dehumanizing other races to justify their conquests. No one talks about that though because the show doesn't portray it darkly because this isn't dark fantasy. Instead, they're funny and relatable and actual people because framing does have a large part to do with a story's tone.

But stabbing? Lord of the Rings doesn't suddenly become more serious when Boromir dies. Besides mourning him, it doesn't signal a shift in the majority of the storytelling. It exists more to amplify stakes and to add tension to the journey and sell the new threat. That doesn't make it dark though, that just makes it a more exciting adventure.

Marcy getting stabbed is unfortunately just another side of that same coin so many stories use. So many regular fantasy stories, not dark fantasy ones.

======+++++======

As a note: Yes this ask, and kind of this chain of asks, is what motivated my previous blog about the confusing nature of 'dark' stories.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[heir-less]

I liked Kate's piano performance, but let me get some of my more snarky comments out of the way first, because I see some people making a Meghan comparison. Here's why it works and why it doesn't:

For her performance during the opening for Eurovision, Kate wore a one-shoulder blue dress with a wavy side-do and statement earrings. At first glance literally just looks like a safer version of Meghan's NAACP Awards look from 2021.

However, I'd argue that it's more of the way her hair and jewelry were styled than the dress itself being a Meghan clone. From the waist up, I see the comparison, but the dresses are really different in their execution with Meghan's being more form-fitting and a different shade of blue. Kate's gown is more a-line and conventional, while Meghan's featured a side-slit and other modern features. Kate's dress is definitely more "Catherine", it looks very similar to Kate's white Alexander McQueen gown and it's from Jenny Packham, a brand Kate's always loved since 2011. The blue has a different meaning it's in support of Ukraine, so there is an explanation for why she's wearing it outside of Meghan doing it first.

But the styling of the hair could give away something. I actually think it would look so much better with an updo, but for some reason, Kate has turned away from updos, she still does them, but not as often as she used to. Also, the makeup and pairing with statement earrings are also pretty jarring similarities. They look nearly identical when up close, but not so much when you pan out and look at the two outfits as a whole. So, I'm not actually sure if this counts as a CopyKate moment. The hair is similar but this isn't the first time Kate has styled her hair like that.

However, think there are little hits to other royal women in this outfit as well. Grace Kelly's iconic look from To Catch a Theif (a look Diana was also inspired by) and she's wearing the Queen Mother's earrings, naturally. I think it's interesting because pre-2020 Kate definitely had a style that was very much hers, like the coatdresses or not that was her look, nowadays Kate seems to be just referencing other women.

[ursie]

genuine question: if devin wrote dick as romani in a hurtful way, why does fandom seem so intent to keeping him romani while decrying the writer that made him romani in the first place? like, if it came from such racist/hurtful archetypes then why cling to it so much? (in contrast, i've seen people say that headcanoning tim as asian is bad because of sterotypes, which is why i don't understand the difference.) i barely read past the 80s comics i grew up with, i just read a ton of fandom arguments and the contrast between "dick IS romani" vs "tim ISN'T asian" is like. i don't understand it? i know fandom isn't a monolith but there are trends overall. idk, i figured you seemed like a "safe" person to ask this question in good faith. hope it doesn't upset you! thanks for taking the time to read and/or answer this. <3

Ok so the thing is bad rep is worse than no rep-yes but erasure is worse too so the solution isn’t to erase but to fix it and there has been genuine effort in canon and by Romani people in the fandom to address Dicks rep. While it’s undeniably rooted in some stereotypes there’s also no denying how important Dicks character is. He’s undeniably the most popular Roma character of all time and that’s an issue when people won’t acknowledge he’s Roma. He’s multifaceted and smart and brave and complicated and undeniably good ect these are really good characteristics for any character let alone one to represent any group of people. The best thing dc could do is either hire Roma writers (or Roma editors/sensitivity readers/ect) they need Roma people in the workroom not less Roma characters in comics. Because at the end of the day If we wait for perfect rep before we acknowledge it we’re not going to get it and that goes for any marginalized identity. People cannot know other’s peoples lived experience-which is why we need to push for our voices in the room. Almost all the diverse characters in comics nowadays started as stereotypes and were stereotypes til someone said no and chose to do the work so they could write them better or at least try-that’s what needs to be done. I think it’s funny (and this isn’t at you) that with Dick given his importance given his cultural influence people push for erasure due to some writing flaws when that’s not and never been the case canon or fanon for other characters I mean have you read early black panther? It’s not good. I think people need to reflect if they actually have an issue with how he’s written or if they not only don’t want to view him as Roma but don’t want to put in their own work of looking past the stereotypes either. Also tbh while you’ll see people tote that Roma people don’t like his rep (which I’m not saying there’s none who don’t) the posts that are most commonly referenced are by non Romani people (and one is by a total freak so yeah). In current canon Dick is probably about 1/4th “ethnically” Roma (though that hardly matters he’s Roma hes roma like. Roma is a race he’s just not white) but also in preboot, dick's father was a kalderash-american rom, dick also spoke lovari dialect in preboot. as of post flashpoint, dick's mom is an american roma but her vitsa is not confirmed, so i just like to hc john was kalderash and mary was lovara personally 🥰 like again the best thing dc can do is actually talk about the Graysons, Mary’s family, ect and make them human. Make them more than stereotypes. Actually talk about his culture and his family and his people-not just brush it under a rug until they reference it for diversity points later

As for your other question/point to me the difference between hcing a character as a different race vs like Dick is the push to view white characters as non white instead of actually making fan content of canon non white characters? Like it’s almost a white guilt thing w Tim (this is not at fans of color) but like you want to feel good about stanning characters of color but you also. Don’t actually stan a character of color (like Tim or Jason for instance) so you just hc them as non white (and yes often stereotypically) instead of like reading a single comic w Duke in it. Like racebending is fine and I think it’s good but when done by white fans it’s often actually done to like justify their distance from actual canon characters of color. Like I’m glad you think Tim’s Asian but you still won’t draw fanart of the batfam w Duke in it in 2022 yknow? You still prioritize Jason over Cass but you think he’s Latine, you hc Steph as ambiguously brown but you still characterize Damian in a racist manner, ect. Does that make sense I’m not actually sure I’m explaining well. Oh and in the case you specified Dick is canonically non white wheras Tim isn’t-and it should be noted that white isn’t the baseline-While no one’s saying writers had any intentions he was never stated to be white before-him being “retconned” as Roma isn’t really fair or true he was simply revealed to be so as again white cannot be treated as the inherent norm (nor should heterosexuality and being cisgender or able bodied) I’m not saying you’re wrong but I think it’s important not to think about that kind of stuff in those terms if that makes sense. I hope I cleared this up. I certainly tried and should you have any more questions my inbox/dms are open

Edit : adding on an important response from @royharper : the bottom line is that people who aren't roma should not be speaking on his identity as a rom because they have no idea what roma identity fully entails. i've seen people claim "he's not culturally connected, therefore he can't be roma" or "he can be white and roma, he's not a person of color" when neither of these things are true. for one, while devin is inconsistent in her writing, dick is shown to be raised within the culture as far back as her titans run in the late 90's, in which he is shown to be speaking romanes with his father in a dream sequence that is heavily implied to be a flashback of sorts, and as well lian states that dick can speak romanes when discussing the various languages that her dad, aunts, and uncles can speak. language /is/ culture for us, it's not something that any outsider can just learn super easily. it was really strange that she retconned this herself by the time gotham knights was written a few years later through the character yoska, who attempts to speak romanes with dick and finds that he can't understand him, however using this, along with the orientalist stereotypes devin tried to impose on both dick and yoska when writing about roma identity, as an excuse to say that dick is not "really a rom" is racist. outsiders do not understand the nuances of roma identity enough to make that judgement, and no, wikipedia is not an accurate source for information about roma. touching on the idea that roma can be white, this is a misconception. while outsiders may be folded into the community by marriage or adoption, this is not very common because we don't tend to marry or adopt outside of our communities. furthermore, roma is not an ethnicity. roma is our race. our ethnicities are our clans. there are roma with pale skin, there are even roma that appear white, but they are still racially roma and are still subject to racial discrimination. in response to the idea that there is an outpouring of roma fans who don't want dick to be roma at all, this simply isn't true. that rumor was originally started by someone who was outed as a racefaker, and is perpetuated by white fans who seek to weaponize this perspective to justify their whitewashing and racism. i've known more roma who were, while still critical of devin's orientalism/antiromanyism, ecstatic to have a roma comic character who actually speaks the language, as in comparison to doctor doom and the maximoff twins, who are arguably just as popular, who do not speak romanes in comics, or have only spoken one or two words of the language. dick is important in terms of representation for this fact alone. i can't fathom the amount of people who are not roma who think that just because roma characters are often subject to stereotypical writing that it's somehow better to simply erase their racial identity all together rather than doing their own research to avoid stereotypes when portraying the characters and pushing for these companies to start hiring roma creatives as we do with /every other character of color because not a SINGLE character of color in comics history has been entirely free of racist, stereotypical writing or of colorism and whitewashing in official artwork/. and yet you don't see people pushing for other characters of color to be made white. it's really very telling to me. and just for the record, since i know this is for some reason a popular talking point, dick's race was not retconned after devin initially wrote him as roma. his race has been referenced across numerous other comics written by other writers over the years, most notably tim seeley in his run of nightwing rebirth. while i have issues with seeley's characterization of dick, and he tends to sexualize him just as much if not more than devin imo, dick's racial identity plays a big role in the raptor arc. stop acting like devin was the only writer to ever write dick as a rom and that it was never seen or heard of again in canon after she stopped working on nightwing.

[inevitably-johnlocked]

1/? "because people are bored with the sanitization of Disney and Marvel. Everything has to have no true villain in Disney" OMG, Steph, I knew you'd have the answer! Sanitization it is! No true villain, no fighting strategies, no strong emotions, and no satisfaction either. I used to watch lots of WW2 documentaries as a kid because dad's into it and there was only 1 TV, lol. Lots of strategies were being used by every side to test and reveal the other party's and its own weaknesses,

2/? and then acted accordingly. There were moments of serious despair and numerous heartbreaking sacrifices, which was why the final victory felt exultant and precious. MCU used to know this but somehow they've decided to "sanitize" it, as if realistic wars and strong emotions are too much for the audience to bear, as if they are doing the fans a favor (eye rolls). Black Panther doesn't quip and people love it! Nowadays the formula is an omnipotent villain who wins at every turn, 3/3 and who decides to give up at the last moment(Sanitization), so here suddenly comes the "victory" for the good guys. BBC Sherlock suffered from this formula too: Moriarty, Mary, Eurus. Isn't it ironic that Mofftiss are good at one-shots, ACD canon are mostly one shots, and it should have been the perfect match. There's also too many plot twists re: Mary. Plot twists are only fun used once. The length they went to sanitize Mary. Nice chatting w/ you Steph! You are insightful and talented!

(referencing this post)

Hey Nonny!

BAH, sorry I put this aside for so long, especially since it's more a commentary piece than anything.

YES, agreed re: the sanitization and the one shots. It's frustrating because I feel like everything is starting to feel very... same-y in movies and TV shows by popular brands, because they count on their name carrying the franchise, rather than the franchise being what people enjoy. And people are cottoning on to it too.

I hope with the recent trend of "different" things making boatloads of money, brands will stop catering to the shareholders and let writers tell the stories the right way.

And if we ever get Sherlock S5, I hope Mofftiss gets their heads out of their asses, hire a third writer to reign them in, and recreate the magic that S1 was.

And yes, plot twists are only fun if used once AND makes sense. S4's didn't make sense, which is why it was so frustrating.

Thank you for your insight, Nonny! <3

[lawain-dimensional-heroes]

You've given me a lot whenever I do these, so it's only fair that you have a turn.

🔥🔥🔥🔥

4? Well then...Here I go.

1 - There really should be a bit more pressure on referencing the ask / RP meme in question

I know this is like the third or fourth time I've been blabbering on about it-- and I think I have it in the rules, but time and time again I see people who send rp memes to my blogs not reference the RP meme they want to send. I don't just mean the simple icons or the thing the meme asks one to send the mun, but referencing which rp meme it came from.

This will help big times when answering ask from like days/weeks/months ago that are still left unanswered. I have like 140+ asks and no one-- I repeat: NO ONE has sent an ask while referencing the rp meme they're referring to. Now it wouldn't be that much of an issue if I had reblogged like one or two rp memes in total, but I know myself and I have reblogged many rp memes over these years and there's a good amount of those memes that share the same emoji's/icons to the point where I am honestly considering deleting old asks that don't reference the RP that it came from.

Now I will admit, I do that myself unintentionally and I do wish that I did refer the memes in question cause I know that it will help make it easier for the mun who'd want to answer older asks.

Honestly, I should just reblog rp memes and add a clear line of text stating to reference this asks when sending it.

2 - There needs to be a return to fun M!A's and events

Is this like a very old trend of tumblr that died off or are there no longer any M!A(Magic Anons) around? And on top of that, where's the fun tumblr roleplay events?

It may be me who did a lot of M!A back when I had an ask blog for my muses, but I loved these things and it was a random fun thing you could get and of course you get to have the final say if that M!A starts yes or no.

Like-- I can recall a few M!A's I had done-- mostly my muses transforming into other muses, but the shenanigans that happened was silly. I also remembered that one time when there was a M!A where Maroon turned into a literal raccoon, it was hilarious!

And then there's RP events. Although there's one I'm doing right now (thanks @hxroic-wxlls for allowing us to partake in that Mario cruise event, it's fun!), there's a scarily few amount of those nowadays on tumblr and it's kind of sad to see something from old tumblr not be so present anymore if at all.

Honestly, there should be more of those events happening in the future-- like proms, Au events, etc. I bet it'll be a fun time on this hellsite!

3 - Ask blogs and Roleplay blogs are just the same thing

As someone who had worked both kinds I've come to the realization that ask blogs and roleplay blogs are mostly the same, the only difference being that ask blogs are mostly ones with art (or in my case back in the day: models) whereas roleplay blogs are mostly just icons and text. Honestly I should restart my ask blog part once again

4 - there's no need to know every single detail about your own muse

Okay, this part hits a bit closer to home as there's been times in the far past where people called me out on the fact that I don't roleplay a muse properly cause I haven't owned/played/read/watch any media involving them. At that time it was from the Neps years ago and yes while I haven't owned any of the Nep media at the time I have watched some things.

I think it's totally fine to wing a muse, it's a part of the charm of roleplaying: roleplay the muse you want to see fit. And if you don't know some details about the muse in question? Is that bad? Not really, but it does help the portrayal, but it doesn't have to be these tiny details that make or break a muse. Sure, some small details may seem small at first but in reality it's a big impact, but I think it doesn't mean it's the end of roleplaying a muse. It's exactly why canon divergent muses exist!

[theswordwizard]

i keep seeing people complain about how "every website looks the same" and that its a sign of the end of creativity etc etc but it was always as a little throwaway line that people are supposed to go "oh yeah i've noticed that a lot of websites look similar!" and are supposed to connect that with the death of web 1 and how social media is bad and so on, but there are a LOT of reasons why many websites look the same. they can be kind of broken down into two main categories, though: the users, the way users find/use the websites.

Back in the 90s slash really early 2000s websites were still kind of gimmicky. Unless you were in a field that required the use of certain sites/databases/references/communications etc the average person wasn't online nearly as much as they were today. People also didn't have smartphones (which I will come back to later), so they were using a whole computer setup with a very specific resolution (low), and overall being on the internet was a very specific experience. But I think it's also important to note that it was more younger people using them for casual use. Web 1 was more "creative" than web 2 is deemed now because to get ON web 1, you had to have a baseline of tech and web knowledge. There were a lot less people on the internet, so you were catering to the other relatively few people that were willing to dive into computers/The World Wide Web.

Nowadays, and this is something I'm sure everyone has heard a much older person complain about at some point or another, everyone is pretty much required to use the internet. It's how you apply to jobs, school, get benefits, get healthcare, find pretty much any up-to-date information. It's actually a problem for many people that aren't able to reliably access the internet for one reason or another (major ones being houselessness, living in extremely rural areas, or just not being able to use a smartphone). When the demographic for your site changes from "people who are computer-savvy" to "ANYONE" you have to give up a lot of funny quirks. You are now catering to the lowest common denominator, which is a 70 year old who's grandchild is painstakingly trying to walk them through using a site, and hoping that this will somehow translate into them being able to use other sites, and they won't have to be doing this every other day.

Organizations, whether they are businesses or non-profit/government, have websites because they are convenient for people to be able to either get information, or because they want the user to do something (make an appointment, get a quote, buy something) - they want whoever is using their website to be able to find it as quickly and easily as possible. There is sort of a trickle-down in UI, from major companies that get a lot of users, or have the internal resources to do a lot of user testing and figure out what's easy for people to use, to then other markets who use them as reference or their guides on how to make things easily understandable for a wide range of users (Google's Material Design is often referenced). If someone knows how to use X popular site, you don't have to teach them how to use yours again if you follow their lead.

Also: predicable design and using certain web standards is a necessity for accessibility. Someone using a screen reader needs to be able to understand the information presented on a site, and having things in a predictable order, and in an order that gives the most relevant information first. This is why we are still seeing certain sites that cater to specific clientele often get a bit more creative. An artist's site doesn't necessarily need to cater to any user, they're catering usually to other artists. Now, if it's an illustrator or designer using a site as their portfolio, then they'll probably want to go back and use something that will make it easy for a reviewer going through hundreds of sites to be able to quickly view their art, without getting frustrated. Frustration from new users (as well as slow-loading sites) is one of the biggest reasons why people will ditch a new site or service. How many people have complained about how confusing something like Mastodon is to get started?

From the other direction, there is the system that surrounds the website. We've all seen complaints about how so many websites have a lot of word-salad, and it's because of SEO - Search Engine Optimization. Basically, Google ranks websites to put in search results by A) how well the actual content of the site matches the literal search, and B) what it thinks that your search is actually looking for. There are a lot of things that go into SEO and there are entire markets built around it because of how valuable ranking high with Google is - it doesn't matter how excellent your website is if people never are able to see it. Legitimate websites also have to compete with those scam sites that just dump in as much nonsense as possible to get clicks, and thus make money off ad revenue. It's a constant pain in the ass battle and Google is constantly changing how its rankings work because of the scam sites. This effects the buttons, links, how headers/subheaders/body text is used. Google wants certain hierarchies of information, and rewards sites that have them.

But the biggest reason why so many websites look a certain way is because of responsiveness. Basically as of like 2019 over 50% of visitors to a given website were usually on a mobile device. This could be any kind of resolution, depending on the type of phone or tablet. Do you have any idea how much of a pain in the ass it is to design a website to be responsive. You need to organize all the information in very specific ways and use flexboxes or way too many media queries to have text/images/etc set up so it transitions cleanly to different widths. The more complex the website is, the more difficult it is to do this. Simple transitions better and is less likely to break and glitch when presented in unexpected ways.

The proliferation of mobile is also the reason for a lot of other "design modernizations" that people get pissed about. Biggest example off the top of my head is the Google logo redesigns. I remember being in school everyone was complaining and joking about it. But there was a very good reason for it. Using simpler shapes for vector images makes the image load faster, and overall use less data. The new logo is only 305 bytes, while its old logo was 14,000 bytes. That is an enormous difference, especially when taking into consideration if someone on their phone has low bandwidth and/or needs to quickly search something. Again, this trickles down to other sites and other companies that want their sites to perform quickly on all platforms for all users with any level of internet connection.

Obviously there are a lot of issues with the way that the internet is set up but a lot of people miss the point as to not only why so many sites are designed the way they are, but also how we benefit every day from it.

[godtier]

Hello! I got suggested to come here recently and have a little question for ya--

I was reading the pixiv and jp wikipedia page for Leon and it says he has antibodies that prevent him from turning into a zombie, even if he's bitten...!? Is that true?? Apparently it's only the T-virus or something since they make it clear that he can get infected by the C-virus. I was wondering if this was just a fan theory about why he could be bitten in gameplay and still not turn into a zombie, or if it was kind of true...?

hi there! thanks for the follow!

aight so the antibody thing is a weird one. this is gonna be a long tangent, brace yourself!

to be clear, there are only a handful of characters that canonically have antibodies. Jake Muller and Sherry Birkin (kind of, she's a weird case) are two big examples. I went and found the posts/wikis you were talking about and the first thing I noticed is that they didn't source anything for those specific claims. second thing I noticed is that they directly referenced "game over" wrt RE6 and the C virus.

that tells me exactly what I need to know, which is that those lines are merely a way for the JPN fandom to explain how the playable characters can continue to exist semi-normally after being bitten during gameplay.

this is actually a pretty common way to explain away game mechanics, not just in RE. for example, say you have a game where you build up an arsenal of weaponry in the first installment, but your character has none of it at their disposal in the sequel. sometimes game devs will write in an explanation as to why that is. maybe their weapons got stolen, or maybe they lost them, or whatever. it's a way to better immerse the player, especially if they're playing sequels back to back. but a lot of devs don't or didn't bother because they rely on the cutscenes (or in really old games, the instruction manuals) to tell the story. it's sort of an "old habit" of game dev, I'd say. and that's why it's especially prevalent in older games; older games were way more heavily treated like... well, games you play for getting a high score or whatever, rather story-telling experiences (JRPGs notwithstanding). gameplay actions (such as game overs or status effects like getting poisoned) and story were almost always separate.

nowadays, a good chunk of game devs like to make the player character "unique" in some way in the sense of examining why certain gameplay mechanics operate the way they do and why a character may or may not be affected by them logically. this is especially the case in zombie games. how can they survive getting bitten? well, maybe they're immune (left 4 dead, dead island, etc).

but gameplay itself is not always canon, and in RE in particular, the "canon" way of looking at it is that... well, Leon just never got bitten at all. that's the canon of the game, anything else is set dressing or just part of the gameplay itself. if you get bitten while playing, but still beat the game, the canon doesn't change around that. it just proceeds with the assumption that Leon never got bitten. that's how he survived in the story, regardless of how well you did in the gameplay.

so the idea that Leon and other characters have antibodies isn't exactly true unless outright specified, which it never has been, from what I could find. if they did have antibodies, I feel as though it would have a much, much larger focus of the stories as a whole.

take Jake from RE6, for example. his entire character arc was that he had specific antibodies that made him totally immune to the C virus. this was a huge plot point as his blood was required to create a vaccine and he was the only verified case of total immunity. if Leon and other characters had T virus antibodies, for example, I feel like it would have been explored or at least mentioned consistently in the story, or pointed out by someone during a cutscene.

so tl;dr: Leon having antibodies is a headcanon or fanon likely created out of a desire to explain away how he could survive being bitten during gameplay. but gameplay actions aren't always canon. the canon of RE2 is just... he's insanely lucky and never got bitten!

I hope that answers the question for you! I'm happy to chat about RE or other Capcom games any time 😊

[immobiliter]

@shadowcovcn sent a meme: 14, 15, 18

14. Who is an author that inspires you?

oh rip you're asking the jaded english graduate this question lmao. so I'm not sure if I could pinpoint an author who particularly inspires me nowadays — there are obviously authors that I love reading, but I haven't really read fiction widely since graduating and most of the fiction I have drawn inspiration from over the past decade or so is by classic authors. plus storytelling as a medium isn't just restricted to books and I could give you countless examples of other forms of storytelling that inspire me on a daily basis. but speaking strictly about the printed word, big shout out to Jacqueline Wilson books for being a staple of my childhood (i doubt anyone outside of the UK will know of her lmao), and Andrea Levy is also suuuuch a favourite writer of mine. and then a mandatory shout out to Oscar Wilde who inspired the majority of my tagging system on this blog, and is also one of my all-time favourite writers.

15. What do you look for in a rp partner?

someone who's chill lmaooo. that's honestly the biggest thing for me and I think I'm lucky because I feel like I'm a pretty good judge of character? I have a sceptical disposition and I'm strong-minded, so I tend to be rather picky of who I reach out to and befriend on this site and for the most part I haven't really steered wrong. if you're gonna be my rp partner you just have to be OK with the fact that I might not reply to your thread for two years, and that if you pressure me I will either make it three years or I'll drop the thread altogether. also, that I might not talk to you everyday — I don't even talk to some of my rl best friends everyday, I much prefer low-pressure friendships where we can check in every few weeks or months and pick up like no time has passed at all. I just don't have the time or inclination for the crap that comes along with this hellsite anymore, so I stick to people I already know and people who pass my strict vibe test lmao.

passion is also always something I look for too, on a more positive note. I enjoy seeing people passionate about their muses on my dash, it's infectious and there have been so many occasions where I have voluntarily sought out the source material and watched a show/read a book/played a video game solely because a friend of mine or someone on my dash has been talking so passionately about them/it. like it doesn't even matter if I don't write in the same fandom as you, if you get me passionate about a character or universe through the dash powers of osmosis, I'll make an AU especially for you lmao.

18. Are there any AU’s you’d like to explore but haven’t had the chance to yet?

oof this is such a good question and such a tricky one to answer on a multi where I have muses that encompass multiple genres and also where I'm really not shy about writing crossovers lmao. is it a cop-out to just say that I love group verses? not even just verses that involve several people, but creating a group verse with one other person where we just throw different muses from our multis into it like a melting pot? writing two characters against each other is fun of course, but there's something even more fun about throwing ten muses into the same verse and figuring out everyone's connection to each other. or starting with two muses and then building it up slowly until you have a google doc with a dozen muses and a flow chart explaining how they all connect lmao. it just enriches your writing environment and gives you so much more stimuli to play with when you reply to a meme or write a thread. instead of coming up with npcs on the fly, you can bring another muse in to help figure out a plot point or help flesh out an aspect of a relationship or dynamic without it being superficial because you're not just creating a surface-level character to be referenced in one or two replies, but another living, breathing muse with their own life and perspective. I just like everything feeling connected, where every thread has a ripple effect on all of the other future ones you write. also, as someone who likes to push themselves when it comes to writing, it's a wonderful challenge to write three muses within the same thread, I love it.