#and now more than ever it's important to be kind AND take a stance

[hitoshiyoshi]

what friends are for | midoriya izuku

synopsis ↬ your friend and coworker, Izuku, always protects you from creepy guys on the train... doesn't he deserve to be repaid?

warnings ↬ modern au, izuku feels shy and guilty, izuku busts way too fast,, ch*kan, public s-x, exh-bitionism, the reader is wearing a skirt, p*ssy job, non-penetrative s*x, c*m in panties, let me know if i've missed anything

pairings ↬ coworker!agedup!midoriya izuku x fem!reader

word count ↬ 2.4k

Tired feet shuffled inside the train car, soon packed to the brim with passengers ready to go home. Luckily you managed to enter before a swarm of people filled the space, taking all of the available seats and leaving most to stand in the walkways. The dark sky signaled nighttime; only the white overhead lights of the train car made everything visible. Finding a small space in the corner, you quickly took refuge and held onto the steel bar. You rubbed your arms together, trying to make some heat with the cold air. A finger lightly tapped on your shoulder, startling you.

Turning around, you see your friend and coworker, Izuku, standing behind you. He offers his scarf, outstretching his hand in your direction, and you happily accept. He whispers something about you “looking a little cold” as you wrap the fabric around your neck. Unfortunately, you haven’t worn a jacket or sweater today. You thought your office blazer could comfort you from the cold, but alas, you were wrong. Your pencil skirt barely gives you enough room to move; it was the only attire you could find after ruining your usual work clothes yesterday.

You move into your typical position: facing the wall directly in the corner, away from the rest of the passengers with Izuku directly behind you. It was the same stance you two took for the past few weeks. After a mishap with some creepy guy getting too close to you during a trip home, Izuku came in to save you. Scaring the man away and capturing a picture of him to report to the police.

Ever since that night, he promised to help you. This wasn’t his usual route home. It actually cost him more money and lengthened his travel time. If it meant protecting you, he didn’t mind. Izuku was grateful for you anyways. You were always kind to him at work, showing him the ropes on his first day and coming to his rescue whenever he missed an important deadline. He owed you more, but for now, you were satisfied.

When he was your shield, no one dared to bother you. You trusted him not to hurt you.

Your trip home went just like normal. For a few minutes, at least.

The train came to a sharp halt at the next station, much harder than before. Izuku didn’t prepare for the harsh movement of the train, he lost his footing and collided with your back. The motion of his body pressed you further against the metal walls of the train car. You peeked behind him, he soon uttered a soft “sorry…” and asked if you were alright.

“I’m fine, just a little startled is all,” You examined the area of the car with Izuku soon following suit. “Is there any way you can make some space? I’m kinda cramped here.”

“I don’t think I can,” Unfortunately the tiny amount of room created by his actions was soon filled by people coming in from the station. Bodies bounced into each other as the train began moving again. “We’ll have to endure it until the next stop…”

Nodding along to his words, you succumbed to your predicament. The station after this wouldn’t arrive for a long time; another ten to fifteen minutes before you could have some relief. It wasn’t too bad, you felt safe with Izuku closer to you.

However, the fluffy green-haired man behind you only felt a sense of dread with the closeness of your bodies. He eagerly wished for the next station to arrive soon. You molded perfectly to him, fitting like a jigsaw puzzle piece. This time was worse than all the others; your plush ass nuzzled against his lower half, deepening with every sway of the train. He wasn’t sure how you hadn’t noticed, you always seemed quite happy with his presence. It was a terrible feeling.

Izuku couldn’t stop himself from feeling guilty.

He promised to keep you safe during these times. But with the sprouting girth in his clothed pants, he was no better than the scums who violated you with their sickly hands. He tried to cool off most days, trying to think of pure thoughts like assignments for work or dinner with his family. Izuku was scared of the small part of him that desperately wanted to caress your inner thighs and slip inside the warmth under your skirt. Your skirt. Why on all days did you wear such a stunning thing? It hugged every dip and curve of your legs just right. Any weird person could easily touch you if they wanted to.

With the next shift of the train, you felt it. Hardened and nestled into your bum, begging for contact with your skin. You blinked a few times, trying to process if it was indeed what you thought. Of course, it couldn’t be… Izuku wouldn’t dare do such a thing. His clenched fist is seen in your peripheral vision, and you notice his arm straining to keep to his side.

“Izu, everything okay?” You ask while peeping behind to check on him again.

His face flushed pink with embarrassment, not daring to stare up at you. Izuku’s head was transfixed with the ground… and his protruding member. Finally, you noticed the tent in his pants roughly digging into your backside. His face showed signs of humiliation yet his hips bucked with greed. Of course, you didn’t want to believe it. But with each of his harsh movements and his prodding tip over your cotton skirt, it was obvious. You felt your cheeks begin to burn with his sudden touches, only glancing behind you for a few seconds before quickly turning to face to the wall.

“S- Should I move?” You ask, knowing that there was no available space.

“No, sorry… Let’s just stay like this,” Izuku’s hands move to wrap around your waist and soon press his chest further into your back. Any more movements would’ve only worsened his problem.

Yet, as he nuzzled closer into your neck, he didn’t seem bothered as the seconds passed. Izuku’s palm would graze over your hips, sometimes dipping lower past the hem of your skirt and wanting to slip inside. His conscience held him back from committing an act that he would soon regret as if he wasn’t already doing so. Perhaps the only thing he found hard to fathom was your surprisingly calm demeanor, letting his wandering hands have their way with you. He couldn’t hear your rapidly beating heart over the bustling sound of the train.

Growing curiosity spurred his fingers to travel underneath your clothing and caress along your inner thighs. He let out a soft gasp in your ear at the undeniable heat that began to pool between your legs. Touching the fabric that was coated with your slick and pressing his fingertips along your clit. A feeling of uncertainty caused his hand to retreat backward to his side.

“S-Shit… Sorry, didn’t mean to-” His frantic voice seemed cute, still afraid that he’d somehow broken your trust. Until your hand reached for his own, placing it back on your skirt.

“It’s alright, Izu,” You gently spun your body around to face him, and his eyes widened at your action.

Your touching chests only seemed to make his cheeks redder. He found it difficult to face you but your closeness made it impossible to avoid. Raising his briefcase to block the eyes of onlookers, you watched as Izuku seemed to gulp nervously with his internal battle of guilt. The other passengers nearby seemed too lost in their own worlds to care about the scenes that would soon take place.

“I can help with your problem,” You say while guiding his hands to lift your skirt upwards, stopping once your panties and thighs are exposed to the chilly air. “Just promise to help me after…”

He swiftly nods in agreement, and soon his remorse dissipates. Your fingers tug at his zipper, smirking at the damp spot sullying the tip of his tent in his grey briefs. Your fingers dance around the veins of his girthy shaft before tugging the fabric and exposing his stiff shaft to the air. Patches of his dark green hair peak out as you graze along his skin. Izuku shutters and shifts in a strange manner, gritting his teeth as your soft touch seems to coax him to an impending release. Watching him swell in shyness was only pleasing for a few slow seconds.

You soon release him and stare as he whines, missing your soothing touch. Luckily, those around you stayed with their backs turned, and with Izuku’s cover, you have enough space to lift your skirt. Lifting the material well past your thighs and bum under his lingering gaze. You hooked your fingers over the lace material of your panties and lowered them just until there was enough space. Your fingers returned to his cock, pumping around his length – feeling him stiffen in your palms – before pressing your bodies closer as his tip prodded at your swollen clit. Mixing your juices on your bud before nestling his cock between your folds and lace underwear.

Izuku’s free hand wrapped around your lower back, just over your bum, and pulled you closer until there were no inches between you two. Resting your head on his shoulder, you heard his breath hitch as he tried to swallow his soft moans. It was all too much, he thought. The same reason he tried not to succumb to his lustful desires. Your clear slick coats his still sprouting cock as his hips begin to rut against your body. Moving tender and loving before being overcome with a newfound sense of vigor.

The force of his sloppy thrusts soon matched every sway and rustling motion of the train. His grip on the soft flesh on your back tightened withstinging pain, trying to clutch and hold onto anything. Panting and whimpering expletives in a hushed voice, “fu- fuck… i- i can’t… you’re so… good,” right in your ear. Izuku’s dreamt of this since the first day he laid eyes on you; the feeling of your heat against his hardened cock. Soon, he recognizes that perhaps he’s just as sick and twisted as those creepy passengers. With every roll of his hips, your bud surges with pleasure. Wanting to feel his thick girth fill your soaking walls until he paints your insides white.

Your wish was not too far from his own, he wasn’t sure how he would sleep tonight. Chasing after his release, Izuku fails to notice his voice becoming louder. A few passengers peak behind, yet the lower half of their view is blocked, thankfully. You capture his lips in a deep kiss that he eagerly reciprocates. Nipping into your lower lip as you moan quietly in his mouth. You soon garner the attention of one woman nearby who stares away in disgust but doesn’t complain. Yet, you could care less about her disapproving thoughts.

Blood rushed to his red cheeks as you felt his chest tighten in your close embrace. As he suckled on your now plump lips, you felt his cock twitch. Holding your body close, his thrusts became rushed and desperate while his muscles tensed. Soon, his hips slowed and came to a sudden halt. Izuku pulled back, breaking your kiss and moving his hand away from you to hold the base of his cock. Emptying his warm seed over the hood of your clit, overflowing after being suppressed for far too long. As more milky essence gushed, he swirled the tip of his shaft over your bud – adding pressure to your heat that yearned for a release.

Giving no time to calm from his high, Izuku helps tidy your clothes. A surge of joy fills him as he watches his cum drip onto your panties, a messy sign of his territory. Once he’s finished, he quickly fixes himself with your aid. A cold and slow trickle of his essence runs down your leg. He fetches a paper napkin and cleans you up as if nothing happened; he’s always overprepared.

The next station soon approaches allowing most of the passengers to depart and finally giving you some room to breathe. A pair of seats are empty and Izuku happily escorts you to them before they are stolen. Your routine continues; you usually sit next to each other and discuss work or any lingering thoughts for the day. Except for tonight, you rest your head on his shoulder. Too tired and distracted from the feeling of your cum-stained panties pressing against your heat.

When your stop finally comes, you raise to your feet and attempt to leave. You tell Izuku ‘goodbye’ and wish him well for the rest of his ride home. Until you feel his hand grasp yours…

“Wait..!” He says before standing. His grip is nearly as strong as before.

“What is it?” You ask, gaining the attention of a couple seated happily nearby.

“I never fixed your problem,” He starts, blushing shyly and shifting uncomfortably in his tight slacks. “My place is only a few stops away… and we have time.”

The train begins to depart from your station, and the doors lock and trap you inside. It wouldn’t hurt to stay a little while longer…

Izuku leads you to some seats right at the back of the train car, this time making you sit on his lap. The rest of the passengers are some distance away, only a few. The couple peeks at you two but turns their heads away once realizing your bodies are too far. He takes the chance to raise the hem of your skirt again. He knows this route well, people barely board the train at this hour — he has you all to himself.

Izuku slips his fingers inside your panties, instantly feeling his sticky cum from earlier. Still warm from the heat erupting between your legs. The pads of his fingers massage circles around your needy clit. With each flutter of his fingers against your core, your walls spasm, and Izuku’s soft chuckle resounds in your ear. Lubricating your folds with his cum before dipping around your opening and coating his fingers in slick.

The sudden feeling of his digits slipping inside your dripping wetness causes a moan to slip past your lips — loud enough for some passengers to hear. Izuku’s hand instinctively covers your mouth and quells more from coming out. He holds you still as the seconds pass and he believes he’s in the clear. No one disturbs you two, lacking the courage to do so.

“Careful now, can’t help if you make too much noise,” He removes his hand from your mouth, choosing to settle near your waist. “Let me repay you… after all, it’s what friends are for,”

| ✎ hitoshiyoshi’s kinktober masterlist |

[onna-musha-mari]

Under the Wisteria Tree

Giyuu Tomioka x Hashira! Reader (Gender neutral)(they/them)

Summary: Giyuu finally tells you his feelings in one of your favorite spots.

Warnings: None, pure fluff

(First time posting a fanfic…I tried y’all)

(Wisteria border by @saradika-graphics)

Giyuu stood there in silence, watching the wisteria petals fell to the earth from their branches above. There was a reason he was here, and not just to admire the scenery of the light dancing through the openings in the trees…He knew that a certain Hashira always came to this exact spot to meditate and relax. Giyuu never planned for any of this, he had never been one to dwell on emotions like this. But, here he was, waiting for that hashira who some might think took the job lightly. Sure, they goofed off sometimes, but they were an efficient fighter. It was something Giyuu lov- oh, wait, no. He might be ready to approach them, but maybe let’s take it slow…baby steps. Baby steps.

“Giyuu? I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Great, caught off guard, perfect way to start this.

Giyuu straighten his stance, now looking towards them with his usual stoic expression.

“Oh, I didn’t notice you had come up to me. My apologies.”

“No need to be sorry…may I ask why you’ve come to the Wisteria fields? I don’t blame you though, it is a very pretty spot, don’t you agree?”

And there was that flush, that feeling that went through him whenever they made conversation. He had never felt it before and yet, it felt good. Very good in fact. It was the reason he planned on telling his fellow hashira that he wished to spend more time with them. In a more…well more close relationship.

“I…merely wished to see the reason why you come here everyday…but I see why now. It is nice here.”

“It is really beautiful here”

Their eyes were fixed on the branches of the trees, while Giyuu’s were focused on the person standing next to him

“Yes…very beautiful. … Anyway, I did want to speak to you about something, important.”

“Yeah? What’s on your mind?”

He sighed before looking them in the eyes

“When we first met, I thought nothing of it. But when I first saw you caring for those girls at the butterfly mansion, then with Tanjiro and his sister. I knew something was different about you. And the more I learned about you, the more I wanted to know. You’re strong, sometimes I think stronger than most, or myself at least, because you can be a great fighter and yet still be so kind to people. I know you’re a good swordsman…but you’re also a good person.”

He looked up, taking a breath before continuing to speak.

“And not only are you strong and caring…you’re beautiful. …”

They looked at him, looking with wonder and surprise as this normally stoic swordsman laid what seemed to be his heart for them.

“I never thought of myself as a person who would ever want to focus on things like this, or did I think I’d find someone who makes me feel what you make me feel. …This is a lot harder than it was talking to Tanjiro about… what I’m trying to say here is, I would love to get to know you even more. And I would like to have a, closer relationship…if that is something you would want too?”

Moment of truth, it’s either they say yes or no. Oh what was he getting himself int-

“Yes, I would love that Giyuu, and thank you. I really didn’t know you felt that way. But, yes, I would love all of that.”

“Wait, really?”

“Really”

“oh…wow…would you mind if I held your hand?”

“Of course”

They took his hand in theirs…This was really happening. Under the Wisteria tree, Giyuu found the person he wanted to spend forever with, if fate let him. This felt, nice…really nice.

“Thank you”

They looked back at him, curious to what he meant.

“For what?”

Giyuu looked up at the Wisteria trees, once again watching the petals fall around them, the suns last rays of sunlight gleaming against the background. He picked one of the flowers and put it behind their hair before he continued.

“For giving me another reason to be strong…like you.”

[maruwrites]

nonstop

Nationals Semifinals - Women’s Category

Kuroo Tetsurou prides himself on being observant.

"Mine!"

The scream echoes through the volleyball court. The sound travels around the space like a bullet, piercing through. He can feel it with the buzzing on his ears, the prickling of his arm hairs, the taut of his abdomen. There's very little room in this large gymnasium for anything other than your voice.

Right behind the court, Kuroo watches you as you spread your arms out, demanding room and stopping other players from trying to take the ball. The high ball gets caught in your expert hands, landing perfectly on the spiker’s hand near the net. Setting on the first touch is a risk. He can feel a tiny bead of sweat on his own forehead.

Kuroo Tetsurou loves volleyball.

He's also an excellent student, son and grandson, captain.

To him, all those things are real. Concrete.

He enjoys the game itself, the tactics, discussing new plays, trying to defeat the competition, improve his team. Being a captain is also important to him and he does it well, comforting the players when all they need are gentle words and confronting them when a firm stance is demanded. And he takes care of them.

He also likes studying. The comfort of providing right answers to tough questions proves in and of itself enough reward to someone who's so analytical, observant, smart. Opening up a book, gathering knowledge, putting that to the test—it's grounding and, god forbid, fun for him.

He's also someone one can rely on. The way his obaa-chan dotes on him, his dad prides himself on calling him "his son". An excellent friend too, with the way he watches over Kenma, always concerned with the younger boy—his eating and sleeping habits, his ability to communicate with the other players of the Nekoma volleyball team. He's the caring kind and, if you ask his obaa-chan, has always been this way, ever since he was a little kid.

So, it makes sense that there's little room for other things. Like, say, romance.

Kuroo Tetsurou is observant so, naturally, he knows.

He knows about the girls who swoon over him, whether they confess it on the hallway, with a letter or even an onigiri atop his desk every Friday for three months. The ones who don't say anything are only being slightly less obvious. The flitting of their eyes, blushing of their cheeks, twirling of their hands—it all points towards something that he's, by now, on his third year of high school, well aware of.

Kuroo supposes it makes sense. He is tall, with an athletic, muscly build, even if his body is more towards the lean side. He can't fix his hair for his life, but the more obvious girls have already pointed out to him that it's part of his charm. Plus, he is genuinely nice and tries to get along with everyone, shining his smirk to whomever crosses his path. So, yeah. It makes sense.

Kuroo Tetsurou, however, finds it all too abstract.

Maybe because he doesn't have the time, maybe because this romantic inclination has never hit him. Being a child of divorce might also factor in.

Still, there seems to be no substance to it, though.

Not that he doesn't get it, because he does. He thinks some of his suitors are pretty, there's a poster of a sake ad with a particularly busty lady in the boy's clubroom that catches his eye and he is, after all, high-schooler. But it remains too abstract.

The volleyball club, his almost spotless track record as a student, his home life. That's real, that's concrete.

The opposing team strikes and the ball hits Nekoma's blockers, flying to the end of the court. His eyes are now watching you, sprinting with all your might to catch the ball from the libero, sending in flying toward the ace.

Kuroo Tetsurou feels tethered.

This is also real. The way he can feel himself grounded, glued to the floor, like his own weight could be enough to open up a hole underneath him. The strap of his gym bag weighs on his shoulders, his hand griping it until it pales, his fingernails piercing the fabric. He can't tell if he's breathing too fast or not at all. His heart sits heavy on his chest, watching you.

Nekoma's match point has turned into a rally and god, this point belongs to this team. He's been watching them for a while now and knows how much they've grown, how they've improved into this well-oiled machine, the most important piece being, of course, you. The new setter.

With a philosophy that focuses on receiving and connecting, the women’s team had been suffering in the past two years when its former setter graduated high school. The backup only played volleyball for fun and as such, wouldn’t and couldn’t lead the team to Nationals. Now, it's only natural that Nekoma would rely so much on a player that managed to turn their last bad years around and bring them back to the basics: connection.

One of Nekoma's wing spiker strikes, but the ball gets stopped by the blockers on the other side. The libero digs, barely managing to catch it with an underarm pass, sending it high up and towards the other team’s side. It’s gonna be an out, Nekoma will lose this point, he thinks. Then, she shouts your name.

Kuroo holds his breath as he watches you run from the front of the court, under the net and onto the other side, your sneakers squeaking when you jump off the ground. You look like you're flying, both hands above making their way to the moving ball. You're untethered, he thinks, feeling himself get heavier. You make a pass to a spiker coming from the back, catching the opposing team by surprise, ball landing heavily on the ground, finally claiming this long rally and, with it, the match.

He closes his eyes and exhales, his grip going slack. When he opens them again, you're on the ground looking up, breathing heavily, clenching your firsts. Then you punch the court and let out a scream, being followed by your teammates as they pile on top of you, the backups running from the back of the court to celebrate with everyone.

Kuroo Tetsurou prides himself on being observant.

Yet a part of him feels like he's only now seeing things clearly.

hello everyone, tis been a while been thinking about coming back for some time now and i have a few kuroo fics i'm hoping to publish this year. bear with me, as i have three ideas toying around in my head lol

as always, any feedback is appreciated.

hope you enjoy and stick around for the rest

[thatfreshi]

Hiya, I love your writing style! This is more inspo than a request -- but you know how there's posts floating around about how Astarion's disdain for heroics and good-alignment characters is really a reflection of his feelings about no one ever helping him or rescuing him? What if Tav worked that out and said, "I'm sorry I took so long" -- or something to that affect 👀👀

I imagine this takes place in act two, but before you meet Araj

tw - gore

Recommended Song: Your Power - Billie Eilish

You woke up to a startled shout in the camp, somewhere to the left of your tent. You're not necessarily a heavy or light sleeper, but this would've woken anyone up. There was a fight somewhere, and soon after you realized the shout came from Astarion. Sure he could be mouthy, but loud? It's not really his thing. You grab a knife from beside your bedroll, off to investigate the sudden kerfuffle. When you get there though, Astarion has handled the camp intruder, who is now lying dead on the ground. He doesn't notice you at first as he investigates the stranger's bags, looking to see if he had anything of importance.

"Are you alright?"

Your voice sends shivers up his spine. He's not used to kind questions, at least ones without poor intentions.

"No, I am dead and splayed all over the grass Tav. Shame you didn't help me fast enough! Guess you're not so great at playing hero all the time."

At first, you read this as his normal shitty banter, but there's a spite behind his words, bile.

"Did he-"

"Nope, didn't do anything, I am fine! You may go back to sleep now and dream of all the damsels in distress you haven't found yet."

You take a couple steps closer, worried about how closed off he's being, worried he's hiding something from you. Although, that wouldn't be rare of him.

"Oh what, you think I didn't kill him? Do you need to double check? Here's some proof."

Astarion then plunges his dagger into the chest of the dead man a couple more times, clearly tense. He doesn't unhand his blade after, and simply meets your eyes.

"I can handle a spare rogue. Now, leave me be."

Anxiety bundles in your chest.

"I... you seem unwell."

He scoffs.

"It's you that's made me so unwell, so if you want to sit there and be concerned, perhaps you should look in the mirror."

Where was this coming from? You take a couple more steps, and he turns his blade on you, standing to meet your stance.

"Lower the dagger Astarion."

"Or what? I've been through hell already, what can you do?"

"I don't want to hurt you, and quite frankly I don't know why you'd want to hurt me. I've only ever protected you, assisted you in how many fights, helped you how many times!"

"And that's precisely it. You pass along a silent helping hand, sit there and listen to my woes, pick me up off the ground when I'm wounded, and for what?"

You're taken aback. What kind of question is this? Who would ask something like that?

"Because I care!"

"No. Because you want something from me. That's how it always goes, right? I fall into some peril and a kind creature says, 'oh you poor thing, I'll keep you safe,' and then suddenly I am trapped. No, you won't fool me. Kindness is a means to an end, and I will not be that end again."

Your argument has now woken up everyone in the camp, a few souls rubbing their eyes and wondering why you're yelling this late.

"What would I want from you Astarion? We all want the same thing, the tadpoles gone, the Absolute destroyed. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, I don't know how you don't see that!"

"Then why sleep with me at the party?"

He has now officially aired your business out to the entire camp, but no one says anything. You think about the question, wondering what he could possibly mean.

"I... I slept with you because you offered and I thought it would be fun, and-"

"And what? Because you wanted to hold something over me?"

"No! Because I... because I think I'm falling for you."

Astarion is frozen for a moment, because you seem like you're being genuine right now.

"You know I've used those tricks on everyone in the book, right? Thousands of people have gotten the 'I love you' spiel, you're not special."

A few tears come to your eyes.

"No, it's not that. You say pretty things, sure. But there's something about you, your voice, your eyes... you're, comforting. And when you said you wanted to have sex I figured it might be my only chance to be that close with you, because you're so damn guarded. I guess I was right."

He sheathes his dagger.

"I know you're not used to people being nice, but I like being nice! Especially to you. I know you're trying to keep yourself safe, I don't blame you, but what's the point in freedom if you don't try to use it to live a little?"

Astarion meets your eyes again, tearing up a little.

"The second I drop my guard, I'll have the rug pulled out from under me, the other shoe will drop Tav. I'm not going to take the chance that you're that other shoe."

You try to close the gap between the two of you.

"But wouldn't it be so freeing to just try? You know I see it right? Those little smiles that cover your face when you think I'm not looking. Why can't we just try?"

You try to reach out for his hand, and he hesitates.

"It would be so easy for you to use me."

"I'm telling you I won't, I promise."

"Promises are often empty in my experience."

You try to catch your breath, wiping the salty streaks off your face. When you're ready to give up and tell him to forget you ever said anything, he takes your other hand in his.

"But maybe... just maybe you're right. Trying, it does sound nice to try."

You hold yourself back from squeezing his hand, not wanting to scare him off from the interaction.

"I know you think my whole do-gooder thing is a ploy, and I'm sorry that you've been lied to, but not everyone promising salvation is out to get you. At least I'm not, and I'm here now. I'm here now."

For so long, you wanted to reach out to his heart like this, feel something real with him. You go to wrap yourself around him slowly, and soon after, he reciprocates the embrace. Astarion doesn't say anything, and just sobs into your shoulder. You move your hand to his hair.

"You're free now, it's okay."

The audience hasn't seemed to leave, shocked by the rather tender moment they've witnessed from their tents. You catch a glimpse of Wyll crying a little at the scene. When Astarion removes himself from your side, he wipes at his eyes.

"So now what? Emotional vulnerability isn't really my thing you know."

You both laugh a little.

"Whatever we want I guess, whatever feels right.

"And if I... don't know what feels right?"

You smile.

"Then we'll figure that part out together."

[doodle-pops]

Cruel Summer Love

Erestor x reader

Request: Hi! I saw that you were taking requests! this is the first time I've done this so i think i am doing it right. I was wondering if you would be willing to write an Erestor x Reader enemies to lovers fic? If you need more info or anything let me know! :) I love your blog <3 - Anon

A/N: Another attempt at an enemies-to-lovers AU, and I hope I scored well with this also. Enjoy!

Warnings: enemies to lovers, witty banter and snarky remarks

Words: 1.6k

Synopsis: When your summer trip to Rivendell takes a turn and causes a clash with the Chief Counsellor, you find yourself in a begrudging truce, slowly leading to a change of heart.

The halls of Rivendell gleamed with the soft ethereal light of early summer morning, the song of distant waterfalls creating a serene symphony. It was a place of timeless beauty and serene tranquillity, where the soft rustling of leaves and the gentle flow of the Bruinen River created a haven of peace. Yet, beneath the tranquil surface, a tension simmered—a tension that seemed to follow you everywhere. And its source? Erestor, Chief Counsellor of Lord Elrond.

You had arrived in Rivendell several months ago, an emissary from Lothlórien. Your diplomatic mission was meant to be a peaceful collaboration, yet from the moment you met Erestor, sparks flew—and not in the pleasant kind. His cold and calculating eyes seemed to judge your every move, every word. The way his voice dripped with condescension when he addressed you, always finding flaws in your plans, drove you to the brink of madness.

Today was no different. Seeking solace, you found yourself wandering into the grand library’s vast collection, pouring over ancient texts in search of a solution to a recent border skirmish. The tranquil ambience did little to soothe your frustration.

Pulling a scroll from a high shelf and settling into a secluded corner, the tranquillity was short-lived. His presence, commanding as ever, entered the room and ushered to his desk. As he made careful steps, he paused upon seeing you, a frown creasing his brow.

“Are you following me now?” you snapped, more out of exhaustion than anger at the possible argument of the rise.

“This is my domain,” he replied icily. “if anyone is an intruder here, it is you.”

You turned your attention back to the scroll, determined to ignore him, but the words blurred before your eyes. you could feel his gaze lingering on you, a mixture of disdain and something else—curiosity, perhaps?

“Must you handle those so carelessly?” Erestor’s voice was a cold reprimand, slicing through the quiet.

You glared at him; your patience had worn thin. “If you didn’t insist on micromanaging every little detail, perhaps we could finish this task sometime before the next Age.”

Erestor’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing, instead, he focused on his own work, though his mind kept drifting back to your grip on the scrolls, your defiant stance and the fire in your eyes. Then, his voice cut through the quiet, his presence like a dark shoulder over your shoulder. “That document is irrelevant.”

You stiffened, refusing to turn and face him. “I don’t recall asking for your opinion, Counsellor.”

He rose from his desk and moved to stand beside you, too close for your liking. His scent, a mix of parchment, peppermint oil and something uniquely him, filled your senses. “And yet, here I am, offering it. This is a matter of great importance, one that requires more than a cursory glance at outdated and delicate texts.”

Your grip on the scroll tightened. “Unlike you, I believe in understanding history before making decisions that affect lives.”

Erestor scoffed. “Understanding history is one thing, being paralysed by it is another. If you would stop dwelling on the past—”

“And start making reckless decisions like you?” you snapped, finally meeting his gaze. His dark eyes flashed with anger, but beneath it, you thought you saw something else—something softer, more vulnerable.

“You presume much, diplomat,” he spat, his voice dangerously low.

“And you presume too little,” you shot back. “Perhaps if you spent less time criticising others and more time considering their perspectives, we might actually make progress.”

For a moment, silence stretched between you, taut and heavy. Then, to your surprise, Erestor sighed and ran a hand through his long, silky, dark hair. “Perhaps there is merit to your words,” he admitted reluctantly.

You blinked, taken aback by his sudden shift. “Excuse me?”

He glanced at you, a hint of a remorseful smile playing at his lips. “I am saying that you might be right. We have been at odds since your arrival, but perhaps we both seek the same goal.”

Your heart skipped a beat. This was the first time he had shown anything other than disdain. “Are you suggesting a truce?”

“Of sorts,” he muttered. “If we are to resolve this conflict, we must work together, not against each other.”

You studied his face, searching for any signs of deceit, but found none. Reluctantly, you nodded. “Agreed. For the sake of our people.”

Days turned into weeks, and slowly, the nature of your interactions began to change. The barbed comments and icy glares gave way to the civil discourse and even, on rare occasions, laughter. You discovered that beneath the Chief Counsellor’s aloof exterior lay a sharp mind and dry wit that could rival your own.

One evening, as you worked late in the library, you felt a presence behind you. Turning, you found Erestor watching you, his expression inscrutable. “Can’t sleep?” you asked, trying to ignore the flutter in your chest.

He shook his head. “I find myself restless. You?”

“These texts are proving more elusive than I anticipated,” you admitted, gesturing to the piles of scrolls and books.

Erestor stepped closer, his eyes scanning the documents. “May I?”

You nodded, and he took a seat beside you, his shoulder brushing against yours. For a while, the two of you worked in companionable silence, the only sounds were the rustle of parchment and the occasional murmur of agreement. As the hours passed, you found yourself stealing glances at him, noticing the way the candlelight played on his features, softening the hard lines of his face. You realised, with a start, that your feelings for him had shifted. The animosity had given way to something deeper, something you were not ready to name.

“Thank you.” Your voice broke a long silence with a soft whisper.

He looked up, surprise flickering in his eyes. “For what?”

“For this,” you gestured to the workspace you shared. “For helping me. For seeing me as more than just your adversary.”

Erestor smiled a genuine smile that made your heart ache. “And thank you for challenging me. It has been…refreshing. Not many are brave nor bold to step to my level.”

The air between you seemed to change, charged with an unspoken tension. You wondered if he felt it too, if he sensed the shift in your relationship. As if reading your mind came naturally, Erestor reached out his hand to cover yours. The touch was light and tentative, but it sent a jolt of electricity through you.

“Perhaps we are more alike than we thought,” he said quietly.

“Your breath caught in your throat. “Indeed, perhaps we are…”

In the days that followed, the tentative truce between you blossomed into something more profound. You found yourself gravitating towards each other, seeking the other’s company even outside of your shared duties. The camaraderie that had once been a reluctant necessity now felt like a vital part of your lives.

One evening, after a particularly gruelling meeting with Lord Elrond, you and Erestor found yourselves alone in the gardens. The night was cool, the stars were twinkling above, casting a serene glow over Imladris.

“Walk with me?” Erestor suggested, his voice softer than usual.

Nodding, together you strolled through the winding paths, the scent of blooming flowers filling the air and the sound of tinkling laughter in the distance could be heard. Nonetheless, the silence between you was comfortable—each lost in your thoughts. Finally, Erestor was the first to stop walking and turned to face you. “There is something I need to say,” he began in a serious tone.

“What is it?” you asked with a slight skip in your heartbeat.

He took a deep breath, his eyes searching yours. “I have been a foll. I let my pride and prejudice blind me to what was right in front of me. You.”

You opened your mouth to respond, but he held up a hand, stopping you.

“Let me finish,” he begged. “I see now how wrong I was, how my arrogance and fear drove a wedge between us. But in these past weeks, I have come to respect you, to admire you. And more than that, I have come to care for you deeply.”

Your breath hitched, emotions swirling within you. “Erestor…”

He stepped closer to bridge the gap, his hand reaching out to cradle your cheek. “I know I do not deserve your forgiveness, but I am asking for it anyway. I am asking for a chance to prove that I can be more than your adversary.”

“You started off as the worst thing I could have ever encountered during my time here,” you began, watching keenly at his sheepish grin, “making my days unbearable, until they weren’t.”

Erestor laughed softly, dipping his head to hide the look of humour. “I know this, and I deeply apologise for the trouble I have caused.”

Tears pricked at the corners of your eyes as you placed your hand over his. “You already have,” you breathed. “And I…I care for you too. More than I ever thought possible.”

A look of relief washed over his face, and he took the opportunity to lean in cautiously, his forehead resting against yours. “Then perhaps, we can start anew. As allies, as friends…and maybe something more.”

Smiling through your tears, you nodded. “Yes,” you whispered. “Yes, Erestor. I would like that very much.”

Utilising the opportunity granted, he closed the distance between you, his lips capturing yours in a kiss that was both tender and filled with the promise of new beginnings.

Masterlist

Taglist: @lilmelily @ranhanabi777 @rain-on-my-umbrella @mysticmoomin @asianbutnotjapanese @batsyforyou @sakurayaxd @involuntaryspasms @stormchaser819 @aconstructofamind @addaigio @lamemaster @elficially-done-with-life

[claiestve]

𝐌𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 ꨄ Andrew

˜”* ❝𝙄'𝙢 𝙜𝙤𝙣' 𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚.❞

⎯⎯ ୨ ୧ ⎯⎯

ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ: ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʏ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ᴀ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀɴᴅʀᴇᴡ

⎯୨⎯ " " ⎯୧⎯

“Andrew?” You called out into the next room waiting for an answer. There wasn’t a response so you thought to try again. You also didn’t want to text him if he was just in the next room, “Andrew?” You called out again. Again, no response. 

You sighed, standing up and walking to the bedroom, where he was. Upon reaching for the handle, you noticed something. ‘Hmm,’ you hummed to yourself and frowned. The door was closed and locked. You didn’t have a problem with that but now it sparked your curiosity. You gently knocked on the door. 

“Yes, Darling?” You heard. He sounded frantic but not in a bad way. More suspicious, he’s hiding something way. 

“Can I come in?”

You hear shuffling for about ten seconds circling the room you were standing outside of. Now, you are more curious than before. There wasn’t even a lot in that room so what the hell would he be moving around? And why was he so panicked? 

The doorknob trembles in front of you before the door slowly unfastens. There you see Andrew suspiciously standing in front of something while looking like he just ran a mile. 

“What are– never mind. I just came to ask what our exact plans were for tomorrow. I know we have everything down except for times. I don’t want it to be like…” You trail off as you focus on Andrew’s stance in front of… whatever he’s standing in front of. He looked so still and concentrated. “Okay, no.”

“What?”

“Andrew, what’s behind you?”

“It’s not important, continue, darling.”

You moved closer to him and pulled him away from the item behind him. He tried to block you from seeing it but by now you’ve already known it was some kind of surprise. 

“What is this?”

He sighs and moves the object closer to you. “I was saving this for our date tomorrow. Now that I think about it, it would’ve been difficult to carry this around without you seeing,” He makes a hand motion to you, “Open it.”

As you open the box, you can’t help but giggle a bit. You saw something that you’ve previously mentioned you wanted but you never explicitly asked for. A big bear with a giant bouquet of red roses. 

“Aw, Andrew! You didn’t have to, you know? I would’ve been fine with your presence alone.” You say feeling a tiny wave of guilt. This was the way Andrew was. He’d do things for you that you loved but it felt like a lot. Sometimes, you feel like you don’t deserve it all. Especially what you did to him. Taking his teaching career–

“Don’t. I know you’re thinking about it. I’ve already made it entirely clear that I like doing things for you just as much as you do for me. You know I don’t ever want to appear empty-handed when it comes to you.”

You catch a feeling in your heart, a good one at that. The feeling travels up to your neck, then to your face, and reaches your eyes filling them with warm tears. You didn’t like crying in front of Andrew as much as he didn’t like crying in front of you. However, you weren’t sad or angry this time. You were crying and it all stemmed from the feeling of love. Your love for him emphasized itself and caused a wave of emotion in your body. You tried turning away from him but he already noticed. 

“Darling? Are you crying?” He asks as he concerningly blanketed your body with his arms, “Did I do something?”

“No, I just– I think I fell in love with you again.”

“Ah, that happens to me with you daily, Darling.”

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

eugh i dont think i could write for andrew again unless i made the reader a total badass. (cuz i partially hated this)

im so excited to finally move on from this and finish the next one

[cosmichorrorsarestillnicerthanme]

Parenthood-Maki, Mai, Nobara, and Miwa X Male Himbo Reader Pt.2

@exolocke : Hey I saw ur Jujutsu Kaisen women with Himbo reader, and I was curious if that could get a part two for when the relationship is more developed and more life long topics are brought up in it, stuff like the topic of kids, or other things that come up in a long term relationship, I didn’t see ur stance on NSFW topics so I totally understand if that’s not something included if it’s out of ur comfort zone.

Anyway thanks for taking time to read this and have a nice day 😊

(thank you for the request! I’m perfectly fine with NSFW though I will admit I’m not all that good at it. Originally this was going to be mostly NSFW but then the writing goblin in my head kind of just… took the request idea and ran with it in a different direction.)

But enough of that, YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND!

Warnings: Light Angst, Suggestive Content, Mentions Of Violence

Words: 1,693

Maki

You and Maki have been together for years.

There were of course highs and lows as with any relationship.

But the both of you moved past them with a bit of hard headed determination and a lot of the two of you being the two of you.

And this of course led to the inevitable that everyone could see from a mile away except you two.

Marriage, the merging of the last of the Zenin clan and your own family.

It was something that neither of you ever expected to happen while everyone else had money on how long it would take before one of you popped the question.

Of course Gojo won that bet, even from beyond the grave, but he’s not important right now.

So now the two of you are married.

And the both of you were being very, very, very stiff around one another.

It was worse than when the both of you started dating.

All because the both of you had a question they wanted to ask the other.

A question that sat between the both of you like a loaded gun.

A question that you were the first to ask.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“Maki…” You began to say before trailing off while the both of you lazed about on a slaw day while the rain was beating against the building.

“Yeah?” Maki tentatively asked, already knowing the question about to be asked and still not knowing how she would answer it.

“What’s your thoughts on having kids?”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Maki’s world screeched to a halt as she turned the question over and over in her head.

“What did she think about having kids?”

It was never something she thought about.

Never something she ever considered to be possible.

And yet now that she had been asked the question she had to decide if she wanted to have one.

It was something she could answer easily.

Yes, she’d love to have kids with you, and raise them with you.

But there was more to it than that.

There was…

No, they weren’t here anymore, she was free of that place.

And if there was one thing she’s learned from you it's this.

Don’t just think, feel too.

So Maki did exactly that and answered your question in the only way she knew how.

With her whole being.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Inumaki was concerned about Maki.

Sure she could probably slap a curse and kill it but still… She was a friend.

A friend who hasn’t come to training in quite a while.

Which for anyone else would be perfectly fine.

But Maki wasn’t other people, she was Maki.

Training was what she did for fun.

And Inumaki wanted to know why she wasn’t coming to training and why she was always sleeping or eating weird foods.

Well, weirder foods than usual that is.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Inumaki slipped behind the corner as you and Maki talked.

“-you okay?” You asked the muscular woman.

“Yeah, just tired, and nauseous, why the fuck does growing a kid make you feel like you’ve just gotten off a damn roller coaster?” Maki asked with a groan while leaning on the wall.

Meanwhile, Inumaki was having his world flipped on its head at the sudden information he had been given.

Maki Zenin, the strongest woman he knows bar none, is pregnant with your kid.

And he just figured this out because he stuck his nose where it shouldn’t have been.

He needs to run, and fast.

Really, really, REALLY fucking fast.

So that's exactly what he did as soon as the two of you weren’t paying attention. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Inumaki’s current train of thought could be most accurately described as “Oh god, Oh fuck, Oh god, Oh fuck.”

And it was for good reason considering what he just learned.

He prayed to god Maki wouldn’t kill him if he accidentally let it slip.

Oh who was he kidding, she absolutely would.

Inumaki burst into the faculty room where his friends minus Maki sat.

“Whoa! What's wrong with you, Toge!?” the large ball of fluff known as Panda asked.

And without thinking, the white haired man exclaimed “SALMON ROE!”

He then slapped both his prosthetic and his real hand over his mouth as dread overtook him.

Meanwhile everyone in the room looked like Inumaki had just pulled the pin on a grenade and tossed it.

Mai

Mai Zenin sat on the couch, devouring her fifth bag of chips from a bowl that was placed on her swollen belly.

“You're a hungry little shit ain’t ya?” Mai affectionately asked the small human growing inside of her.

Mai was not expecting a response when she asked this but she got one in the form of the baby kicking.

For the very first time.

“…Oh.” Was all Mai was able to say as a flood of emotions overwhelmed her.

Mai was someone who never let out what she was feeling.

It was something she learned from when she was young.

A tool for survival.

But now she had no need to use it.

Her life was filled with friends, with family, true family.

She had a life filled with love, with everything she could want plus more.

She even had you, one of the most powerful living sorcerers as the one who loved her.

And now, even more was about to be added to this dreamlike life of hers.

A child, one she wouldn’t let go of even if she was dead.

A human that would receive as much love as Mai could offer.

A human that would receive as much love as you could offer as well.

A human that wouldn’t have to fear what she did, not only because the Zenin were gone, but because Mai would simply never allow that to happen.

That is the promise she made to the child growing inside of her in that exact moment.

That is the promise she made to her child, the one that she would raise and support, no matter what.

Nobara

Nobara held her daughter in her arms, looking into her sleeping face with her one good eye.

It was a surreal experience.

“Ya know you were a lotta trouble to bring out here right? How the heck are you so dang peaceful now?” Nobara whispered the question before turning her face to look at you a few feet away from her, sleeping in a chair, your arms crossed, but more than ready to turn any cursed spirit that tried to show its ugly mug into ground beef.

“Prolly cause of your dad, he always had a good poker face, though it was probably a good thing Yuji got to that Mahito guy before he did, If what I’ve heard bout’ that warpath he was on after I got taken out of commission and his domain expansion is to be believed he would’ve turned the entire area into one of those crazy things that M.C. Esher guy made.” Nobara muttered to herself before looking back at her child.

Her Child.

Nobara turned the phrase over and over in her head.

Didn’t quite make sense to her yet.

This small, tiny little thing in her arms came from you and her.

This little girl was the very manifestation of the love you and Nobara shared.

A physical manifestation of everything you and Nobara went through to reach this point.

It was something she needed to wrap her head around, though her heart was more than already there.

She could already tell that this little girl was going to be the greatest part of her life with you.

And she couldn’t wait to get that life truly started.

Miwa

You, Miwa, and a small, little boy dressed for school walked side by side on the street.

“I’m gonna make so many friends!” the small boy exclaimed, pumping his fist into the air, copying his fathers excitable nature.

“Oh I know you will, ain’t that right Kasumi?” You asked your wife and the love of your life.

Miwa turned her eyes down to her son and then raised her eyes to yours.

Eyes that were filled with sadness.

“Of course, our little boy will be the most popular boy in school.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

You and Miwa waved goodbye as the two of you walked away from the school.

“Heh, pretty sure that teacher thought we were Yakuza.” You said with a chuckle.

“If you started to wear your clothes right she might not get that impression.” Miwa said with a slightly teasing tone that held a sadness within.

“Sigh What’s up with you Kasumi? You’ve been acting weird since this morning.” You asked your wife in concern.

“It’s no-” Miwa began before being cut off by you saying “Don’t say “It’s nothing of concern” Kasumi, I can tell when something is wrong with you.”

Miwa was silent for a moment before trying to say something, but stumbling all over her words “It’s… I… schools and… and curses…”

“Don’t worry Kasumi, curses aren’t going to go after him, not with the both of us around.” You told your wife in an attempt to soothe her.

“B-but what if-” Miwa began before you wrapped your arm around her, pulling her close to you and saying.

“We can’t worry about what if’s, we won’t be able to protect him from everything, it's impossible to do that, but we can do everything we can while we are here for him to lean on. As long as we love him and as long as we do our utmost to protect him from everything we can while steering him right, that’s the best we can do. I know you want to keep him away from the things that took our friends but we can’t, all we can do is what we can do. I’m just as afraid as you are but being afraid won’t do anything, doing what we can will.”

“I-i know, you're right as usual, but can we just go over that place, one more time tonight?” Miwa asked, wanting to do everything she can to protect the little boy you and her made together.

“Of course, I was just about to suggest the same.”

[williaml0ver]

☆ <3 Naib Subedar Taking Care of Robbie ☆ <3

[🖇️] word count: 1437

[🖇️] warnings: g/n reader, not proofread - as if i ever did that before

[🖇️] author's note: this was supposed to be a multiple characters post but i realized that i am NOT made for this, at least for now lmao. I will just post the other two separately soon because it's easier for me this way. 🫨

[🖇️] Maybe this would make more sense with Memory but Robbie is like my favourite hunter of course i had to take the opportunity omg... ROBBIENATION RISE

-Ever since the past week you managed to get closer to little Robbie. Whether it happened because he was fond of your kindness or you seemed like a perfect playmate he was soon all over you - he'd share candy with you and even make cards with drawings for special occasions. One day when it was already very late you've suddenly heard a few knocks on the old fashioned door of your dorm. You've slowly gotten up, trying not to wake up your lover and opened the door. It was no one else than Robbie himself holding a small plushie. Long past his bedtime. He started explaining he's got nightmares and is scared to sleep alone today, later asking if he could join you two. If you didn't share your room you'd immediately agree, however, in this case you need to ask your boyfriend for consent.

-Naib is suddenly awoken by you, asking what's so important at this ungodly hour? Once the question's finally asked he feels confused, noticing the little boy standing behind with a "mom i just throw up" face.

-Has a hesitant stance at first. Sure, he's noticed you two started spending more time lately, but for you to be babying the boy already? He would be suggesting bringing him back to Michiko or Luchino, but the stone hearted mercenery eventually gives in after you convince him.

-When the three of you finally lay together, you are in between them since Naib prefered to be next to you, he holds you by your waist and meanwhile you hold Robbie. Naib also stays up a little longer to see both of you fall asleep, both because he just wants to look at you and make sure no tricks are being pulled. Seems like the axe boy really enjoyed sleeping together, as he loves visiting for little sleepovers from time to time. This doesn't bug the merc as much, but he still may feel a little, just a little jealous.

-Why would a man slowly pushing thirty be jealous of a small child you ask? Naib thought so as well, but when he saw you both drawing silly stuff on paper he felt somewhat envious. Just when you thought the most secretive, independent, straightforward person under this roof would never loose his cool around you, he sits next to you and starts drawing a wacky stickman.

-Ever since his sleepovers became a frequent thing, Naib is often choosen to be on babysitting duty. Sometimes with you, sometimes alone.

-I can see them having bit of a rough start at some point? Like Naib wanting to distance himself rather than be around Robbie, yet making sure he is around. He'd eye him to make sure you're not being hurt. This small boy, on the other hand, would be ecstatic to finally crack the mercernary's tough shell, the one who's making sure his playmate is safe in bed. With your help, Robbie would like to get closer to Naib, he quickly develops a big fascination with the green hooded man.

-You'd have to start slow and be patient, maybe ask Robbie to help you make lunch for the three of you and later eat together? Naib would begin recognizing the child's good intentions and eventually lets his guard down around.

-Once the adaptation is done, Naib definitely would receive the Cool Uncle™️ title without much effort and be constantly bugged by Robbie pleading him to show some cool tricks he does with his weapons. And well, Naib could be a hesitant one. You may as well step in to beg too, because how can he resist those four cute eyes? (Okay not quite if we think of Robbie but let's go on) The look in Robbie's eyes? Priceless. As if someone put diamonds in his eyes. Seeing the boy being so excited about something so ordinary to him actually boosts his ego and show some dangerous-leaning stuff, you may want to step in. Naib will soon realize that being the Cool Uncle™️ is not an easy task.

-They soon become some kind of partners in crime. Robbie discovers Naib from a totally diffrent side, he's mature, but he can also be a huge tease. He is certainly not the most talkative man, though is providing a lot of security. Naib is even willing to share some of his food of it and sometimee sneaks candies in Robbie's pocket when you're not looking.

-You'd often have to be the voice of reasons between them, as Naib's ego sometimes raises over the roof when showing off to Robbie.

-Eventually, they start spending so much time together that whenever someone spots either of them alone, they ask where the other one is. Naib feels secretly very proud of Robbie.

-One day, to your surprise, he even allowed him to wear his cape. You have a photo of him as mini Naib holding a toy knife standing on your bedroom desk.

-Robbie's personal favourite drawing is the one where he and Naib are in knight armors rescuing you from a dragon.

-Robbie's a curious child. You can't call it a day if you haven't seen him pulling the Merc by his hood and asking for yet another cool story. Naib would either make them up or just slightly modify his stories from the military.

-A lot of field trips! Naib would like to show Robbie some useful tricks, like what to do when you get lost. You, at first, thought that was a cute idea, until Robbie began climbing up random furniture. Robbie once showed you some usefk knife defence tricks that he was taught by your boyfriend, much to your horror. That man is raising a little monster.

-You once decided to go with them for one of those trips. Just out of curiosity. When you went to the toilet alone for a few minutes, Naib started teaching Robbie some fighting moves. Let's say you were terrified when you came back.

-Robbie enjoys when he is picked up by the older man. He likes to put on oversized coats he borrowed from Luchino and go to him, pretending to trick him into thinking that he has grown so quickly.

-They DO enjoy pulling pranks. And when think they would spare you and do it to others, you're actually their main victim.

-Naib specifically learnt a few "magic tricks" to show Robbie. Boy he was shocked.

-They both get overcompetitive when playing hide and seek. You always pray you're the one hiding because when it's the other way around it may take up to an HOUR, after the merc taught Robbie how to discretly switch hiding spots, much to your annoyance.

-Robbie picks up some of Naib's behaviour. Robbie seldom answer with a very sarcastic and ironic tone. You and Naib had a talk that day.

-As much as Robbie doesn't mean anything bad, he can sometimes get too brave and say something mildly offensive to you. Naib wouldn't hesitate to confront him about it and command to apologize.

-Robbie's very hyperactive, so whether Naib is reading a book or working out with Eli, he would constantly have a pair of small legs following him and asking what he's up to.

-They both like bonding over making food. If Robbie finds anything intriguing him in a cookbook it's only a matter of time until you see them picking up the indegredients together to surprise you. Naib let's him pick anything he wants for the dessert.

-Naib would teach Robbie how to prepare some easy and safe to make meals so he could feed himself on his own <3.

-During his solo babysitting duty, although caring, Naib can be strict. He secretly worries a lot and would not hesitate to send him back to the hunters' part of the manor as temporary punishment. Michiko learned to take advantage of that and would allow him to go back if he helped the butlers and maids do the cleaning.

-I can see Naib being the "go ask your mother" kind of person 😭. Also not very adequate to the era, but he would totally ask the kid if he has any cool games on his phone, just so he could get distracted and Naib could spend some time with you.

-As much as the mercenary likes Robbie, it does annoy him sometimes how he now has less private time just with you.

-Ultimately, while at first seeming closed off, Naib actually becomes very fond of him and is ready to protect him. Robbie meanwhile likes to show Naib how much he loves both of you.

I don't know what to put here... i'm posting this while listening to Shakira songs... besides the Robbie mini series with Ganji and William (half finished!) i will soon start working on date scenerios with Luchino and Kevin for valentine day yay!!!! If any of my loyal and beloved eight followers is reading this i love you guys i'm swinging my feet goodnight

[giurochedadomani]

Consider: Modern AU Shanks sends Mihawk just the worst selfies. They’re off-center, not entirely in focus, he’s usually still moving, and, worst of all, no one has ever bothered to correct him.

Luffy thinks they look fine because he’s not one for second-guessing a friend. Beckman has taken the firm stance that Shanks’ dating life is Not His Problem. Buggy is fully aware that Shanks takes selfies like a middle schooler and texts like a dad, and encourages both because he’s more dedicated to embarrassing his friend than getting him laid.

It is no doubt divine intervention that Mihawk can sense the real intentions behind the disasters that grace his screen daily.

Absolutely, wonderful, 100% agree, I'm picturing Mihawk having an hour long internal meltdown about them because they're very shitty selfies, yeah, he feels as if he should be offended. Or at least annoyed that Shanks keeps bombarding him, right? But at the same time Shanks' smile does look very nice, and he's one of those guys who somehow looks really hot with ratty jeans and sandals. It's kind of cute that Shanks thinks about him when he's out with friends, now that he thinks about it. Wait-- what is the proper way to answer to that? Like, is he supposed to reply with a selfie of his own? There's NO way he's sending him any picture that doesn't look ready for an Armani campaign

(Zoro judges him a bit for getting overdressed and now Mihawk has to ponder for another hour at least if it's better to go the Armani route or if it's better to copy Zoro's strategy for sanji and sending shanks hot sweaty post training selfies, because which were Shanks' intentions? That's important to know! He'd be mortified if he doesn't match his energy. This texting should be easier than this. Maybe he's overthinking it)

(buggy and Croc risk their lives by being gossipy about why Mihawk is ignoring them in favour of staring at his phone. As Buggy is being deliberately obtuse as to what Shanks would like more, Croc grabs Mihawk's phone and sends both picture to shanks, for Mihawk's utter mortification and shanks' overjoyment)

That is to say, I can totally picture Mihawk really assuming that Shanks has any plan or has put any THOUGHT whatsoever into the selfies beyond the general vibe of: Hawky yes. I miss him lots. Let's see what he's up to 😍😘😊🥰❤️

[kanansdume]

I've got a lot of complicated feelings on Jude Watson's writing in Star Wars, both positive and negative, but occasionally something she writes just... hits. And this quote? This fucking HITS.

This is from Secrets of the Jedi, the novel that discusses Siri and Obi-Wan's romantic relationship that has now been de-canonized. This particular scene is after their relationship has been discovered and they're breaking up in order to remain Jedi because they've been told they cannot do both.

But the line that hits me the most is Siri saying "I was so afraid of what lay ahead that I wanted to let go of my own will" because... WOW. Wow is that Star Wars to its core. That is literally EXACTLY what Anakin and Padme do in their own relationship, Anakin in particular. It's his FEAR of the future, even one that might not even happen, that causes him to let go of his own will and do things he KNOWS are wrong just to try to prevent it. Padme ignores a lot of her own boundaries and morals and better judgment in order to be in a relationship with Anakin. She lets go of the fact that Anakin makes her uncomfortable, she lets go of the fact that Anakin straight-up claims he's a fascist, she lets go of Anakin massacring the Tuskens. If we take TCW into account, then she also lets go of Anakin's possessiveness and sexist demands as well as the fact that he SCARES her sometimes and nearly beats a man to death in order to punish her for what he believed to be a lack of fidelity on her part. She lets go of a LOT of her own will in order to love Anakin.

And Siri asks the question afterwards, is that what love is? Obi-Wan doesn't have a response, but I think the novel does have a stance on the issue. It's a little muddied by a lack of understanding of what attachment is, but I think the answer within Star Wars itself is that this ISN'T what love is. This is what love can LEAD to if you allow it to do so, and it's not an uncommon thing to happen, but this isn't actually love itself. This is what ATTACHMENT is. This is the precise definition of attachment, this fear of what MIGHT happen to something that makes you feel good that it causes you to give up your own will in order to keep it and avoid the feeling of loss. But love is selfless, love is compassion, love is about letting go of your own desires in order to prioritize someone else's happiness.

And within this exact same novel, we actually see a perfect example of this kind of love, showcased through Qui-Gon and the way he feels about Obi-Wan. They're separated partway through the story and Qui-Gon is constantly thinking about how much he misses Obi-Wan and wishes Obi-Wan were with him, but he's capable of recognizing that their mission could save many lives from being lost and that's more important than his desire to be with someone he cares about. There's a moment where Qui-Gon discovers that Obi-Wan is in some kind of danger and he has to choose between trying to rescue Obi-Wan or continuing on with his mission, he CANNOT do both. In his thoughts, he recognizes that losing Obi-Wan would be devastatingly painful, equally as painful as losing Tahl had been, but he still chooses to continue with the mission because there are TWENTY lives on the line and his love for Obi-Wan cannot cost those twenty people their lives. THIS is what love looks like, THIS is genuine selfless compassion for another person. And nothing in the novel ever condemns Qui-Gon for how he feels about Obi-Wan or indicates that he needs to change or end his relationship with Obi-Wan, but it also doesn't shy away from showing just how deeply Qui-Gon DOES care for Obi-Wan.

And while I can believe Siri and Obi-Wan's feelings for each other were genuine, it turns into a selfish attachment VERY quickly. They nearly immediately decide to start living a lie and wanting to change an entire culture just so they can have something they want, despite the fact that Siri at least says that these rules exist for a reason. Their personal happiness becomes more important than anything else momentarily. They both claim that they'll be able to do their duty still, that they'll be able to balance both, but they're also both very ready to deceive other people who care about them in order to keep this thing that makes them feel good. The hurt they are willing to cause to others is small, but it's also something that could continue to grow and snowball into something more and more selfish. What happens when they can't see each other for a really long time and start to get desperate to find a way to be together? What happens when the lies start piling up and cause misunderstandings in their other relationships? The more they cling to each other, the more willing they will be to do the next selfish thing until eventually those selfish choices stop being so small.

This is what attachment does, this is the danger of that kind of love. It's not that all love is always like this, but just that this is an incredibly common thing to happen, especially in romantic relationships. Siri and Obi-Wan literally get to the point of losing their sense of self and their own will INCREDIBLY quickly because neither of them wants to have to make a choice because they're too afraid of losing either their relationship OR their status as Jedi. But, inevitably, they HAVE to choose. They would always have had to choose, regardless of how long the lie lasted or whether it was even discovered at all.

But love does not HAVE to be like this. Love does not inevitably steal your sense of self or your willingness to make your own decisions. It is absolutely possible to have a healthy love that does none of those things and this novel 100% shows that. Just because Obi-Wan and Siri's feelings for each other are genuine does not automatically make them selfless or free of attachment. And while I have my issues with this novel and the way it handles this storyline, including the fact that I'm like 85% sure that this isn't the intended message, I really like what it says about what selfish love can do to you and the way it subtly shows what true selfless love can look like.

[bestshipsmackdown]

I think, for the record, it takes a lot less effort to say “JKR is a pos and has caused unequivocal and irrevocable harm to a minority/marginalized community by using her money and voice to advocate against trans people, and I do not support her,” than it does to go on a rant about how no one is entitled to your “political opinions” on your poll blog. Because trans people should not be treated as a political novelty instead of real human beings. And even if your blog has “nothing to do with politics”, queer people are surprisingly not just whittled down to a political stance you can take, and I have no problem publicly stating that this blog is safe for the lgbt community and is not founded on bigotry.

Yes, I agree that, curating your internet experience is important, and that fandom is not necessarily made up of people likeminded to their creators. HOWEVER with HP, it is much more likely that you are transphobic when you publicly tolerate it. Seeing as that is the main trend when we observe blogs still circulating HP content.

I really never had intent to even allow JKR/HP to even appear on this blog because I wanted to be as far removed from it as humanly possible. Hence why I have, in the past, just deleted HP submissions without even ever stating they weren’t going to be apart of this poll.

All this to say, I followed a blog that allowed HP characters be apart of it’s poll (explicitly stated in the submission process), which was already a red flag. And then, to truly no one’s surprise, when they were (actually very politely, considering this is the internet) asked for their stance on JKR to make sure that it was a blog they were okay with following, they had a very long winded answer, without ever actually condemning JKR [links to give an example of my first thought of how their answer sounded] besides a throwaway line about “sins of the creator.” Which, if you publicly post HP, yeah you’re gonna be scrutinized on if you’re transphobic or not. That’s the risk you assume at the current time. Just kinda what happens when you support loudly transphobic people with no reassurance that you actually can separate the art from the artist.

Now, I have made a post about my views on separating the art from the artist, previously. And I still stand by that post. When I said “There’s some creators you can’t avoid how nasty they are, because they scream it from the rooftops,” and “There are some people who do things that are so far beyond wrong that they cannot be looked at without that standing out as the most important thing about them. Their failures as a human outweigh any good that has or could ever come from them.” I specifically had JKR in mind. It is common knowledge what kind of person JKR is at this point. There is no question on what she is.

I recognize that the person behind the poll blog, that this post is about, may not like my view on this or on their statement regarding it. And I do in fact classify them under my general “no creator is a good nor perfect person” umbrella. But I will not be attaching their name to this, as I do not want anyone to harass them about it. I do not want harm to come to them about this. I would hope they would rethink how they had answered and perhaps actually acknowledge that they aren’t transphobic. But considering that would have been the easy answer to begin with, they probably are transphobic, and that really sucks.

And to anyone reading this, please do not harass the person this is about, if you do find them, or know who they are already. They are entitled to their privacy and safety, they are not actively spreading hate nor harm.

The fault I saw was in the way in which they answered the question. Because while no one is entitled to their political opinions, trans people were largely not a “hot political topic” until JKR stuck her nose in it and changed the political landscape drastically to include the prosecution of trans people. So yeah, people wanting to know if someone posting content, from that monster, is in line with her way of thinking, is actually them making sure they can curate their internet experience, by giving you the chance to be a part of that experience, given you weren’t a transphobe. Because HP itself does not condemn people for their gender nor call for their removal in spaces specifically for their gender, the writer does. The creator is 100% the problem.

People are allowed to post about HP all they want. While HP has other issues beyond it’s creator, such as the antisemitism laced throughout (also at the hands of the creator, fancy that), it is possible for people to enjoy it while standing against the creator. But those who are able to do that, are generally the kind of people who could actually articulate that they do not support JKR. And if you can’t articulate that, then it’s pretty glaringly obvious why that is something you would rather not talk about. And people who enjoy HP, but do not support JKR and would like to ethically consume HP media (without the burden of JKR supporters) are absolutely going to ask if you support JKR when you don’t outright keep HP off your blog.

TLDR: JKR is a pos and has caused unequivocal and irrevocable harm to a minority/marginalized community by using her money and voice to advocate against trans people, and I do not support her. I don’t actually think anyone is a good nor perfect person in the black and white of things. Don’t harass creators who aren’t using their platforms to cause harm to people. I will not be advocating for the removal of any content, because I have a perfectly functional block button and so do you. Make sure to register to vote/vote in your elections. Queer people are not something you can be politically/socially/economically against or for, because queer people exist and deserve to be treated as humans. And uhhh cis/cisgender/cishet aren’t slurs.

[atcarpenter]

I was wondering, do you have any headcanons that are just about Sam or Sam and Tara?

I do! Thank you for asking

Mostly about Sam:

After she spent too much time around random and fairly unpleasant people during her teens, she now loathes socialising, even without the effect the killings had on her trust in people.

There was a time period before she met Richie that she stopped taking her meds because it brought her comfort to feel like her father was looking over her shoulder, not yet having decided whether to see in him the dad she hadn't gotten to know or the killer she didn't want to know.

Richie had such an easy time getting into her life because homegirl was lonely and he was a dork, making himself seem exceptionally unthreatening and managing to make her laugh a lot.

She blames herself a lot for falling for his bullshit, and it has made her very insecure.

She used to like Chad more than Mindy because Mindy used to always be a brat to her when she used to babysit them. That stance changed when Chad expressed romantic interest in Tara. She's not opposed, exactly. She's just wary and has chronic helicopter-tendencies.

Unlike Tara, she actually bothered to learn Spanish.

She hates her own birthday, but she loves Tara's.

She is rarely on social media, and when she is, she's lurking. She has instagram and follows the four or five people you'd expect and like a handful of other accounts. That's it.

About Sam & Tara:

Sam will complain, nag, and try to put her foot down, but 9.5/10, when Tara asks her for something that doesn't involve her endangering herself, Sam will ultimately say yes.

Sometimes Tara will ask Sam for things that remind her of their early childhood because it's one of her few happy places, like having Sam sing to her or stay with her until she falls asleep (this is after Tara accepts that she's unwell and needs both help and comfort sometimes)

Sam will not admit to it unless outright asked or if she thinks it is somehow relevant to mention, but Tara is singlehandedly carrying her entire mental health.

When Sam was still in high school and living at home, she made a point of never being drunk or using around Tara because their mother already did that kind of thing enough. Sam didn't always manage to keep 100% sober in the house, but she gets a wonky star for trying. Plus, Tara never noticed her not being sober.

Her relationship with Tara is more important to her than any of her romantic relationships could be. She would break up with someone if she felt her parnter got in between her and her sister in any way.

Sam picked up on Tara's crush on Amber long before Tara did, but Sam was too caught up in her own troubles to ever point it out or tease her about it.

Tara is literally the only reason Sam no longer has big gremlin energy. She grew out of that in like .5 seconds once Tara started depending on her.

[disneymbti]

Can you do the MBTI and Big 3 of Pucca, Garu, Ching from Pucca?

Hi there, sweetie! I really hope you like this a lot!

Pucca's MBTI Type, Big Three, Enneagram Type and Moral Alignment

MBTI Type: ENFP [The Campaigner]

ENFP types are generally very outgoing and lively, preferring to go out rather than stay in. They love conversing with other people and generally process their thoughts externally.

They are great problem solvers and enjoy figuring out how everything is connected. They tend to focus more on the future than the present.

Encouragers like to keep the peace and avoid conflict. They care more about subjective principles than logic and fact. 

They are flexible and spontaneous, preferring to keep their options open. They dislike routines, schedules, and strict rules.

Big Three: Cancer Sun, Pisces Moon and Aries Rising

Cancer Sun: Ruled by the Moon, Cancers are emotionally mature, intuitive, sensitive, and artistic. They are guided by their tender, loving, and protective hearts.

Pisces Moon: Pisces Moons are hyper-attuned to the needs and emotions of others. They're likely to predict what's on your mind before you even say it.

Aries Rising: Aries ascendants are known as the go-getters of the zodiac. They don’t let anything stand in their way of achieving their personal goals.

Enneagram Type: 7w8 [The Opportunist]

Basic Fear: Seven with an eight wing fear being deprived. They want to pursue new opportunities and avoid being controlled by schedules.

Basic Desire: Their basic desire is to content and satisfied. They love experiencing the world by traveling and going to parties.

Opportunists defend themselves by justifying others’ negative actions and rationalizing away bad feelings.

Moral Alignment: Chaotic Good [The Rebel]

These characters value freedom and kindness, often challenging laws and order to achieve just outcomes.

Garu's MBTI Type, Big Three, Enneagram Type and Moral Alignment

MBTI Type: ISTJ [The Logistician]

Introverted ISTJ types process the world internally. They tend to feel drained after social events and need time alone to recharge. Highly pragmatic, they tend to focus more on the details, rather than the bigger picture. They make decisions based on what they see and know right now. Logisticians prioritize logical thinking and are more concerned with facts than emotion. They believe the truth is more important than people’s feelings. They are very structured and organized, preferring to plan ahead and follow rules and processes. They are disciplined and have a strong work ethic.

Big Three: Scorpio Sun, Capricorn Moon and Virgo Rising

Scorpio Sun: Ruled by Mars and Pluto, the Scorpio Sun is known to be intense, mysterious, and ever-evolving. 

Capricorn Moon: The Capricorn Moon is reflective and contemplative, working to build a better foundation with those they care about.

Virgo Rising: Virgo ascendants are the fact-finders and checkers of the zodiac. They are fair-minded and slow to anger.

Enneagram Type: 1w9 [The Optimist]

Basic Fear: One-wing-nine personality types have a basic fear of being unethical and corrupt. They avoid making morally wrong choices and can be objective and emotionally reserved.

Basic Desire: They have a basic desire to be morally good. They advocate for rights of others through teaching and discussion.

Optimists tend to respond to negativity by either redirecting their emotions or by avoiding them entirely. They may push themselves deeper into their work, their type one defense mechanism, or they may withdraw from it altogether, their type nine defense mechanism.

Moral Alignment: True Neutral [The Balanced]

These characters believe in balance and avoid taking sides. They don’t take moral or ethical stances, but assess situations pragmatically.

Ching's MBTI Type, Big Three, Enneagram Type and Moral Alignment

MBTI Type: INFP [The Mediator]

INFPs value time alone or with very small groups and can often feel exhausted after spending time with large groups of people.

They tend to focus on the big picture and don’t get lost on the smaller details. They have strong intuitions and often follow their gut instincts.

Mediators tend to prioritize emotion and make decisions that feel right. They are very diplomatic and can easily understand others' emotions.

They are very flexible in their schedules. INFPs like to keep their options open and tend to be more spontaneous.

Big Three: Virgo Sun, Taurus Moon and Libra Rising

Virgo Sun: Governed by communication planet Mercury, Virgos are the thinkers of the zodiac. Virgos process information with diligence and use facts to solve problems. 

Taurus Moon: The Moon loves to be in the zodiac sign Taurus. Those with Moon in Taurus delight in the earthly pleasures and seek out emotional security.

Libra Rising: Finding balance in life is essential for Libra risings, who prefer things to be even-keeled and civil.

Enneagram Type: 9w1 [The Negotiator]

Basic Fear: Nines with a one wing are afraid of being separated from the rest of the world and losing what matters to them.

Basic Desire: They desire peace, both internally and externally. Their type one wing encourages them to make their idealized, peaceful world a reality.

Negotiators defend themselves by participating heavily in routine to distract themselves and avoid negative emotions.

Moral Alignment: Neutral Good [The Benevolent]

These characters seek to do good, but are flexible in how they achieve it, valuing both order and freedom.

[peachjagiya]

https://www.tumblr.com/peachjagiya/751789107975520256/im-kinda-sick-of-waiting-around-to-find-out-if?source=share

Anon i feel the exact same way as you. I dont have a solution but i find it works best for me when i think of taekook as a fictional couple that i enjoy and love and that no one will ever be able to take away from me (i read and write fanfiction for one) and then the members as they are i take them as they are and what is presented to me. This excludes their private lives pretty heavily. In real life, though i want nothing more than for them to be ”real”, what i love about them is their bond. I dont go crazy with all the ”theories” that to me all seem like shippers choosing what they believe based on what aligns with their ship. And thats fine! But i cant delude myself like that. So what works best for me is: we will never know with absolute certainty what goes on behind the scenes. And thats how it should be. These are not our lives, its people who are actually strangers to us private lives. When taennie and paris happened, i obsessed over it, followed it compulsively. And eventually i was like. What the fuck am i doing? None of this, NONE OF THIS, has ANY impact on my life. I have nothing to do with it, and no agency in it because its got nothing to do with me. I cant control anything about it. Yes, I want taekook to be real, but at the end of the day, what does that matter to me? If i just want the relationship i can just daydream about it, them being real or not isnt actually going to make me any more part of it anyway (lol). Now i know that not just quitting them and instead staying with them could still be perpetating my problem but i hope i can continue to respect their private lifes. And i realize sending this to a theorizing shipping blog is kind of ironic, i do think theorizing is sort of inherently invasive (and rps in general so like myself included) but utlimately harmless as long as you stay respectful, they are public figures after all (please okay i mean no disrespect to you peachjagiya) So yeah, when that video with jk and the girl came out i was basically over it. My stance is that has nothing to do with me (and if its real i should not be able to see it and thats stalking and a gross invasion of privacy (same with the leaked taennie pics (although they are edited as hell))) so i do not have an opinion. I still love taekook. Are they real? A part of me is always going to believe that. But no, not that we know, and we can never know. But in any case, theyre real to me❤️ Hope this helps, if not then at least know youre not alone feeling this way (unless you dont wanna align yourself with my crazy lol), and i think some sort of distancing is healthy, not in a ”i dont care about them anymore” (like they mean so much to me, how could i ever do that), just another way of thinking about them. Yes its frustrating not to know but only if that knowledge matters to you. And maybe in the ways that matter (am i speaking in tongues rn) you’ll find it actually doesnt? All the love to anon and this blog 🦋💜

Some words for fed up anon and some ways of thinking about it. 💜

Just adding this second clarifying ask from anon:

No offence taken. I actually think a lot of what we talk about here isn't necessarily romantic. It's often in defence of their closeness in general because a lot of people seem to believe it simply doesn't exist. And in the course of denying their closeness, or minimising their importance to one another, there's a lot of anti-Tae sentiment, a lot of painting JK as something he's not, a lot of bending of ideas to fit weird narratives. That irritates me as a Tae/JK bias so I sometimes feel like I'm just battling that.

That's not to say we don't suggest romance. We definitely do. 😌 But you're right. You gotta protect yourself from potential upset or the weariness of never finding out by accepting that you're never operating at 100% certainty.

I don't think there's prizes for loyalty at the end. If they are a couple, there's no bragging rights if you never had a moment of doubt. JK and Tae aren't personally going to come to your house to congratulate you for never wavering. They are real people, not points to be had.

Sometimes we theorise and make jokes but hopefully it's a respectful vibe? I also hope people would let me know if the vibe got disrespectful.

Just because I'm worried how some people get:

Do I think they're a couple? Yes.

Will I continue to view them through that lens? Yes.

Am I putting my life savings and personal happiness on it? Absolutely definitely no.

Thanks anon 💜

Edit to add:

Taekook will stay cute! 🥰😘 😍

[tinysnailtales]

Thoughts from reading Yona of the Dawn Ch. 10

Ch.10 in summary: in a manifestation of her internal change, an enraged Yona takes a stand to try and save Hak from Tae-Jun and co but ultimately causes her and Hak's symbolic death when they fall from a cliff, leaving Tae-Jun and Soo-Won to grapple with the results of their actions as they grieve.

"She's like...a raging firestorm. I can't look away. Did her highness...ever look like this before? At the palace she seemed so young...and weak. Just an ordinary girl. But now, even though she's lost everything..."

Really Yona's "Wind Tribe moment"!! "Even though she's lost everything," she is taking a stance. Acting in spite of suffering. Not letting it stop her.

Repeating my end of chapter 9 thoughts with saying Yona's hidden power has been unlocked inside her. But she seemed like "just an ordinary girl," and well, she's not but she is. And also maybe there is power in being an ordinary girl! But for Yona specifically, she is ordinary in that she doesn't seem to have any special talents or abilities, at least not yet. She's not "good" at anything. But she is learning her own power and strength.

Summing Yona moving forward as "passionate, not passive"

"He's going to die" – look how big that text is! She cares so much about him.

We also get the very important and clear parallel to King Il's death. Yona did get there too late to prevent it, but upon seeing her dead father, she froze. Here, she dives into action.

No more just sitting and hiding and taking it. Yona embodies "stay afraid but do it anyway" What can she do? It doesn't matter. She has to do something.

The eyes here are really something. In Yona's expression you can see her terror and emotion and almost feel her shifting back into how she felt in the moment of her father's death. Tae-Jun's eyes are very expressive too.

It's also interesting how casual (and even excited) Tae-Jun and co are about killing Hak.

Grabbed by the HAIR! And then BAM! She chops it off. HAIR SYMBOLISM, BABY. It is a physical representation of her internal change.

This contrasts the opening scene, where Yona is focused on her hair and her appearance. Now that seems frivolous and doesn't matter. It's not even in her thoughts at this moment. That's another part of her transformation– figuring out her priorities/what really matters.

And she's never used a sword, but that doesn't stop her! She'll do whatever she can in this desperate moment. She just keeps going, such a difference from her prior numb, frozen shock.

Hak is kind of the ultimate motivator for Yona here. She has become progressively more active, but with Hak, acting on someone else's behalf becomes more personal.

Also...Yona the beautiful badass (and again, look at her eyes! The depth there)

"I won't let them kill him! I refuse!" – Yona's stubborn determination, like when she stood her ground against Hak ("I've made up my mind") when leaving the Wind Tribe but in a more perilous, escalated situation.

And the parallel to her father's death was clear before now, but here we get it explicitly spelled out. Yona won't let more people she loves die.

"I said...get away from Hak!"

I keep pointing to the eyes but there's such EMOTIONALITY in them. And Yona is an emotional character, so I love seeing that come across in her face.

We've got kind of the "looks like a mess but has never looked more beautiful" energy

Oh look, a close-up on her eye XD (yes please)

"But...is this really...Princess Yona?" – the transformed Yona, her self-discovery and change is evident to others too. She's almost unrecognizable in her appearance + actions.

"Hak! It's my turn to save you." – awww. There is so much weight to these words. How much Hak means to her, her feelings of guilt and incapability... This whole encounter has been a test of "new Yona" and it must really feel like it for her in this moment. It's a bit like if she fails to save him, then that's it for her.

The energy here is very "I rather than die (with you) than live without you" + "if we go down, we go down together"

"You idiot...run away! You can't do this! Hurry up and get away–" – I like this little combination of teasing Hak + serious Hak. Obviously he's not teasing her in this moment, but he affectionately calls her an "idiot." I feel like you get that a lot in dynamics like Hak and Yona, one calling the other an "idiot" when they prioritize the other instead of what's in their own best interest.

"No! Never! If you die...I'll never forgive you!!" – this is the second time Yona has said this, the first being in chapter 3 after Hak and her flee from the palace. Here, we get a significant pause/reaction from Hak, almost like he didn't believe her before or didn't take it seriously considering the circumstances. But Yona is showing him how serious she was and is. He's seeing her choose him + staying by his side over her own survival.

Just...woah, wow, yes. Beautifully depicted.

And all that's left behind is...HER HAIR.

We see that Tae-Jun actually does care about Yona and that there's more to him than appears. He can be short-sighted and irrational + take things too far (compare his "flirting" in the flashback of chapter 3 with Hak's flirting– I don't love all of Hak's flirting but he is self-aware of when he's doing or saying something somewhat repulsive/off-putting whereas Tae-Jun is not).

Tae-Jun is a mess and a menace, but as the second son, he's also probably trying to prove himself, and thinking Yona has died clearly leaves him feeling horrified and dead inside.

Like Tae-Jun, Soo-Won is shocked and affected by Yona's "death." And OOOOH giving Soo-Won the hair he so loved HA

"Princess Yona...has left this world" – and HELLO I scream not just about the HAIR SYMBOLISM but Yona's SYMBOLIC DEATH (and REBIRTH!) that is happening. She's crossed a threshold.

More of Tae-Jun's reaction: he's feeling guilty + ashamed and can't live with himself. He's tortured by his actions and wants (begs!) to be punished.

"Punish me! Please!" – the desperation. Tae-Jun's outward display works as an expression of what Soo-Won is feeling on the inside and holding in.

Soo-Won thinking of Hak and Yona and their shared past brings me back to Hak and Yona facing the Soo-Won revealed by his betrayal: "Would you authorize this awfulness, Soo-Won?" + "Are you satisfied, Soo-Won?" Soo-Won is facing the results of his choices. And he did choose this, but he didn't want this result specifically. He didn't want his friends to die, but he must accept the responsibility for what happened.

YOON! (I love Yoon) What an introduction lol "What a pain. A pair of corpses" (also also more symbolic death and HakYona are tangled together in it, both having tried to protect the other)

But hello to whatever he was singing prior to finding Hak and Yona. "Long, long ago...the great red sun was devoured. And when the world went dark..." is he also describing what's happening/what is about to happen with Yona and co?

[roo-bastmoon]

In Defense of Our Alliance

My dear friends, there's trouble on the timeline today and it hurts my heart. I'd like to make a case for peace, if I may...

Every group of friends and all communities need every so often to hash out differences in points of view, personalities, and policies--but I suspect there's a bit more to it than that, this time.

We are beset on all sides with enemies we cannot fight.

Billboard keeps deleting sales without explanation, deaf to our requests or complaints. They absolutely have a double standard for the artists who pay radio to play. We cannot be sure any of our new buying methods will work, and in this economy, nobody has money to burn without a care.

YouTube keeps deleting views, again without explanation, despite folks streaming under premium accounts and following best practices. Watching those counts go down by the hundreds of thousands every hour is maddening, especially when it doesn't happen to artists who pay for ads.

Spotify froze and split title tracks. Hanteo deleted sales data the second records broke. The company went completely silent--neither celebrating Jimin's Hot100 #1 nor publicly acknowledging his being unfairly pushed down the chart--again, without explanation or recourse. Even some members were silent about his achievement.

Meanwhile, the LA Times is writing love letters to other groups trying to use our group for validation, which is just baffling.

This is to say nothing of the cult, the haters, the shooters from other fandoms, dragging our friends and our members through the mud, nonstop, all day every day, with a particular viciousness I'd normally associate only with actual diagnosed psychopaths.

And we knew there would be challenges, maybe even a contrived scandal or two, around Jimin's release. But I don't think anyone could predict this level of a shit show.

Everyone is exhausted; everyone is on edge.

What was supposed to be a fun and safe space has become a battleground.

And most of us are so ready to defend Jimin and the other members, yet we have zero hope of a fair fight.

It is no surprise to me that, with all that fatigue and pent-up anger, we are starting to fight amongst each other.

I must acknowledge that there are a fair few things we need to hash out as a fandom--the ability to call a spade a spade and not be labeled an anti; the ability to block or take time away and not be called a coward; the ability to criticize but not give in to hate or cult-like narratives; the ability to speak our minds without spewing negativity. There's a lot that needs to be addressed, and it's for heads clearer and smarter than me to untangle it all.

But I will say this:

Jimin has only us. That much is very clear.

So I put it to you now:

We NEED our archivists, who help capture and catalogue the important milestones and the little moments that illustrate why our fandom believes what it does.

We NEED our tutors, who help us make the most of our streams and purchases and votes so we are not wasting time and money and effort.

We NEED our cheerleaders, who help reset our attitudes into more positive, gentler, kinder, more honorable kinds of fans.

And we NEED our discourse blogs, the ones who can entertain multiple points of view without bashing or adopting any particular stance.

Most of all, right now, we need to unite. Because Jimin has very few other folks in his corner. Hobi goes in today. And while his other members love him, I strongly suspect he will feel the absence of Hobi's unfailing support, his clear demonstration of affection, and his wise counsel.

Now more than ever, we must come together. And to do that, we each much decide:

Why are we here?

If you're here to experience pleasure over a ship or a rush of adrenaline over drama and tea, if you just want to look at pretty pics and fics and not really get involved--okay. You are a casual fan. Nothing wrong with that. All I ask is that you do no harm while in this space. Don't fuel the flames of any feud, please.

But if you're here for Jimin, for BTS, for Jikook... then the goal has to be to support Jimin and BTS and Jikook first and foremost, yes? Even though it would feel great to pop off on someone you don't like or agree with (and I'm in Super Menopause thanks to medication so I absolutely sympathize with folks who do pop off--god knows, I have), please try to ask yourself:

Does it serve our common purpose?

Does it help?

Is it kind?

Would Jimin and Jikook feel honored by it?

Would BTS be proud of us?

And if the answer is no, then: forgive yourself for being human. We are none of us perfect.

But maybe take some time away to reset and recharge.

Real life is stressful; fandom life is stressful. Try to get some deep sleep. Let yourself enjoy a nutritious, hearty meal. Watch a comedy show that makes you belly laugh. Look at something so beautiful it makes you tear up. Listen to uplifting music. Pet an animal. Take a walk. Enjoy a luxurious bubble bath. However you restore yourself to your BEST self, you deserve that.

And then? Bring your best self back to this fandom. Because otherwise, we abandon it to the loudest assholes out there.

In the end, I believe we all want to support our boys and to make the best judgements on how to be a good fan. We may disagree on how to do that. But that's no reason to insult our allies or harshly judge the way they conduct themselves.

Shame is not a teaching tool.

Let's lead by example.

I'm a small blog. I'm nobody important. If you've read this far, I'm already surprised. But if you're still with me--please take this much to heart: I sincerely want us to get back to being the loving, intelligent, hard-working, focused fandom we've always been.

We are just regular people. We are going to have bad takes, and bad days, and bad attitudes. But let's give each other a little grace.

And if someone truly has bad intentions, and wants to ruin things, then let us calmly, quietly walk away from them. No need to give our precious time and attention to anything toxic. Toxic people feed off it and only get stronger, anyway.

Our time and energy is best spent on what brought us all here in the first place: BTS.

These are my thoughts, and I mean to say them sincerely and gently.

If this post rubbed you the wrong way, my DMs are open and I'm willing to listen to your thoughts. (Because DMs are always the best place to question someone or discuss something sensitive, I think.) But it's very unlikely that you'll change my mind about the need for us to work together and treat each other compassionately, so, you might wish to just quietly block and be on your way instead.

In any case, I just wanna say... I see you guys, out there. I see you trying hard. I see you contemplating the best way to make use of your time and resources. I see your bubbly enthusiasm and your devastating frustration. I see you, and I think each of you are very human, in the best sense of the word. Despite all the heart aches and hardships, I'm still proud to count myself among you.

It's not much, but I'm sending you guys my love and support. <3

It's gonna be okay. We'll get through this.

I'll show you.