#but i still found this line to be very...sweet context and all

[actual-howlinglikeaseaturtle]

Look. I know and understand that Miles wasn't talking about actual romantic feelings when he said "unnecessary feelings". They had just reunited. Obviously that's not what he's talking about. But I do still think there is something very romantic about the notion of Phoenix being the one to cause Miles to start questioning his path and his role. That it was Phoenix that made him doubt the road he was on. If he had lost to anyone else I feel like Miles would have just seen it as a failure on his part. A black smudge on a perfect record. But because it was Phoenix it instead made him question himself...Like idk how to explain it I'm not good with words but yeah. Unnecessary feelings was never about Miles having a crush. But in my opinion it is still very romantic.

[letsgoletsgetit08]

soft hours pt. 2 - christmas

how they would celebrate christmas with you (plus a suprise they have trouble keeping secret)

maknae line

warnings: mdni, christmas fluff, smut

pairings: choi san x f!reader, song mingi x f!reader, jung wooyoung x f!reader, choi jongho x f!reader

word count: 5.8k

author's note: MERRY TEEZMAS! Here's the maknae line, finally! I picture this as slightly aged up members and their significant others, still famous and working in the industry but with solo careers (hence the ability to take actual time off for themselves). But I did try to keep that part vague. I'm not religious but I grew up with Christmas, but feel free to sub in whatever winter holiday tickles your fancy. Once again found myself writing much more for the maknae line but sue me, it's where 2/3 of my bias line lives!

likes, comments, and reblogs always welcome as long as you're not a minor!

Choi San: “Are you sure you want to do this? My family really wouldn’t mind coming to Seoul instead.” San fixed you with a worried look.

“Choi San,” you rolled your eyes, “I promise you, I’m not only happy but excited to see Namhae. It’s where you grew up, it’s important to me. I don’t care if everyone there knows your name, I don’t care if I’ll get dirty glares in the grocery store. As long as you’re with me, everything will be fine. I want to see every part of you and the town you grew up in is part of that.” 

San’s troubled expression softened, his lips curling into a small smile, dimples revealing themselves on his cheeks, “I’m the luckiest man on earth.” He picked you up before you could protest, spinning you in a circle before gently letting your feet meet the ground once again, pulling you into a swift, tender kiss, “I’m going to make it worth it for you, I promise.”

“Spending time with you is always worth it, Sannie.” You kissed his left cheek, unable to hold back any longer, his dimples having tempted you for too long. 

“Stop being so sweet or we’ll never get on the road.” He teased, planting one last kiss to your forehead before gathering your suitcases into his hands and heading outside towards the Uber. There wasn’t a great way to drive there from the city, so you’d be taking a very quick flight, likely spending just as long in the airport as you would on the plane. At least your days in economy seating were over since having started dating San. 

Airports gave you mega anxiety, and you were soon reminded of several reasons you loved your boyfriend so much. The way he could sense your nerves, keeping you close to his side, rubbing circles on the back of your hand with his thumb, holding onto your ticket and boarding pass for you so you didn’t have to panic every time you thought you misplaced it, speaking softly in your ear to help distract you from your surroundings. 

He guided you in front of him through security, knowing you didn’t like feeling left behind. He was caught up with security for a minute as his bag passed through the sensor. You could see him trying to remain calm, speaking to the workers in a rushed but polite tone and wondered what the hold up was, but as soon as you were about to approach to check in, he was being waved through, an understanding seeming to have been reached. 

“Everything okay?” You asked as he approached.

“All good,” He smiled at you reassuringly, “Just couldn’t figure out what my razor was I guess.”

“Ah, yes, because you definitely wouldn’t be more dangerous with just your bare hands.” You joked.

“Exactly.” He laughed.

The rest of the flight went off without a hitch, and soon you were waiting on the curb outside of the small airport, excitedly waiting for San’s parents to arrive to take you to their house. 

You loved his family, and they were always so warm and welcoming to you. It was so nice to see them in this context, the town they knew so well and loved. 

Once at their house, you got to see something you’d been dying to witness since you met the man, “Byeoli!” San squealed as his cat trotted out and began rubbing on his ankles, purring loudly, “Hi, baby! It’s so good to see you.”

You knelt down beside San, and Byeol approached cautiously, sniffing your finger until finally deciding she approved, rubbing her cheek on your hand. 

“Look at that. My two girls meeting at last.” San beamed at you, “She likes you. But I always knew she had good taste.”

“He has the best taste, isn’t that right, Byeol?” You addressed the cat rather than San. 

After unloading your luggage into San’s childhood bedroom (still decorated the same, much to your amusement), the two of you were sent on a grocery run for some last minute things San’s mom needed for dinner that night. 

San had been right to warn you. No less than ten people in the grocery store recognized him, assessing you in varying degrees of approval, ranging from polite acceptance to obvious, poorly hidden distaste and jealousy. But the latter didn’t hurt your feelings as much as you thought it would, easy to ignore with how proud San looked when he introduced you to them. 

You adored hearing San wax poetic about his memories of his hometown as you drove around, taking an unnecessarily scenic route back home, how his face lit up when he saw that his favorite old ice cream shop was still open, the billboard with his face on it, which he blushed at the sight of, his high school, the park where he had his first kiss, his dad’s taekwondo studio. All of it was so distinctly him, painting the picture of the man with whom you were so deeply in love with as you put images to places you had only heard described to you before. 

“San,” You grabbed his hand as he parked the car back in the driveway, “Thank you for showing me.”

“It’s not much to show,” He shrugged, “But it’s part of me.”

“It means the world to me, baby. You mean the world to me, and this town is part of you. Don’t undersell its value.”

He picked up your hand that was holding his, bringing it to his lips, kissing each knuckle gently, “I don’t think I realized how important it was for you to see it until we were here.” He sighed, “So thank you, jagi.”

“Any time, my love.” You smiled at him, butterflies fluttering in your stomach at the look he was giving you, amazed that after all this time, he could still elicit that sensation within you so easily. 

You pulled him into a quick, deep kiss, pulling away before the two of you got lost in it, knowing everyone inside was awaiting your return. 

San's older sister and brother-in-law arrived shortly after and you couldn't stop smiling at how happy you were with these people. You were all but estranged from your own family and before you met San, the holidays were spent either with friends or alone and it never really bothered you too much, but now, experiencing what this was like, it was making you emotional. 

As you sat by San's side on the couch in their living room while everyone got caught up, you felt a tear escape your eye, rolling warm down your cheek.

San caught on immediately as you went to wipe it away, “Hey,” he squeezed your hand, “Everything okay, baby?”

“Yeah,” you sniffled, “Sorry, I just really love your family. You know how mine is…”

“Oh, honey,” San wrapped his arm around you, pulling you securely to his side, “I know. You never had this, huh?” 

You shook your head. 

“Well they're your family now, too, jagi.” He assured you. 

San's sister overheard the last part, “Oh, did you already-” 

San cut her off before she could continue, ignoring the confused look on your face, “Let's do gifts!” 

Later that night, you had assured San you could be quiet when you couldn't take his teasing any longer, but you were having a hard time keeping that promise as his tongue lavished your core with expert precision, clasping a hand over your mouth as he carried you over the edge, other hand clasped tight in his hair, desperately trying to keep your movements small but unable to control your hips bucking against his face as you reached your peak, waves of pleasure rolling over you. 

He pulled back, crawling towards you again, settling in behind you, kissing all over your shoulders and neck, “I will never get tired of that.” He whispered, and you could hear the smile on his voice. 

“I hope that's true, because I sure as hell won't.” You turned to catch him in a lopsided kiss, “Let me help you, too, baby.”

“Jagi,” he kissed you sweetly, pulling away to yawn, but lining his cock up to your entrance nonetheless, “How did I get so lucky?” 

“If you're too tired-”

“Never.”

He started rolling his hips slowly, knowing the exact motion that drove you crazy. You were still coming down from your last orgasm and he built it back quickly. Soon, you were clenching around him and his hips stilled as he followed. You tried to adjust to pull yourself off of him, but he wrapped an arm around you, stopping you, “Mmh, no, just stay. You're so warm.” 

“I-” You chuckled as you heard him already breathing heavy, falling to sleep, “Yeah, okay. Anything for you, baby.” 

You awoke a little while later to the feeling of San hard inside you again, unable to stop from clenching at the feeling, realizing he was awake and was obviously trying to stay still. 

“Go ahead, baby, use me.” You whispered. 

He grunted in acknowledgement, rolling you to your stomach and fucking you slowly and carefully into the mattress, your face graciously buried in the pillow to muffle any noises that may have tried to escape. 

Before you knew it, the two of you were falling apart once again. This time, once you had ridden your orgasms out, San pulled out and allowed you to get up and go to the bathroom. 

When you returned, he was sitting up in bed, a wild look on his face as you climbed in beside him, “Jagiya, I lied earlier at the airport.”

“You what? When?” You were racking your brain for anything he had said that might have been false. 

“It wasn’t my razor that confused security,” he pulled a ring box from under his pillow, “It was this.” He opened it, revealing the ring of your dreams, “I was serious earlier though, when I said you're family now. I already consider myself the luckiest man on earth having you by my side, and I want that to be true. Permanently. Take my name. Join my family. And let's start our own someday. Please, love? Marry me.” 

“Choi San.” You felt tears well up again, “Yes, God, yes. Nothing would make me happier.” 

“Choi Y/N.” He whispered it like a prayer. You were his family now and he was yours. You could hardly sleep in your excitement afterwards, making out with your fiance into the early hours of the morning. 

Song Mingi: The bed dipping with added weight roused you from a deep sleep. Blue early morning light streamed in through the curtains as you blinked open your eyes. 

“Mingi?” Your voice cracked as you sat up, bleary eyed and disoriented, reaching for the bottle of water you kept on your bedside table. 

“Baby!” Mingi’s deep voice rattled your sleepy brain as he pounced on top of the suitcase he had just hefted onto the bed, “Can you help me out real quick?”

“What time is it?” You groaned. 

“7am! Come on, we need to be on the road at 8!” 

“Song Mingi. Once upon a time, you and I bonded over the fact that we're not morning people.” You grumbled as you tossed the comforter aside to assist your goofy boyfriend. 

“I know, that's why I was very brave and got up early to pack for us. There’s coffee on in the kitchen, cutie.” He kissed your temple hastily as you came around to help hold the pieces of the suitcase together for him to zip. 

“Okay, I forgive you- wait, is this all games? Do you really think you can get the guys to play Catan again after what happened last time?” You eyed him skeptically. 

“Wooyoung and Jongho made up a week later!” He defended himself, “You know I've gotta at least try.”

“I know, I know.” You rolled your eyes, “It's your favorite.” 

“No, baby.” He grunted as the zipper finally closed all the way, “You're my favorite.” He tackled you back onto the bed, peppering your face with kisses, ending with a slow, sweet kiss on your lips, “I love you a whole lot, have I said that recently?”

“Hmm.” You pretended to consider it, “I mean, not in the last business day, probably.”

Mingi gasped, “Inconceivable!” He practically shouted in your ear, resuming his attack. 

“You're the silliest goose on the whole pond.” You couldn’t help but giggle at his antics. 

“As long as it's your pond.” He replied, hopping to his feet and pulling you up behind him, not awaiting your reply, “C'mon, go get dressed! I'll go pour you some coffee.” 

“You're acting more odd than normal and I'm going to figure out why.” You mumbled as you trudged over to your dresser, finding it nearly empty, “Wait, Mingi, did you pack for me, too?” You called to him in the kitchen.

“Yeah! I just grabbed everything!” He called back, “I laid you out an outfit, it's on your desk chair.”

You looked over to find a pair of his sweats and one of his oversized t-shirts with your bra and a pair of underwear laid on top. “These are your clothes!” You yelled through a chuckle. 

“You look so cute in my clothes,” He reentered the room, handing you your favorite coffee mug, “Plus, I kinda packed everything I've ever seen you wear.” 

You rolled your eyes as you began changing in front of him. 

“Ugh, baby. That's no fair.” He whined.

“What?” You asked, confused, as you pulled on clean underwear.

“You're so hot and I don't even have time to have sex with you about it.” Mingi pouted, ogling you from his position on the bed. 

You laughed, crossing over to him with only underwear on, “Not with that attitude.” 

Half an hour and three orgasms later, Mingi came up for air from in between your legs, licking his lips like he had just eaten the most delicious meal in the world - he probably would argue he had, if you'd asked him. 

“Jagi,” You gasped, still breathing hard as he kissed up your torso, “We have to get on the road.”

Mingi pouted but didn't protest too much, letting you up to get dressed and pack your toiletries. 

Yunho's lake house had become a yearly tradition for the eight of them, everyone heading there a couple of days after Christmas to stay through New Years. Plus ones were prohibited except for “serious” relationships, which they typically defined as at least engaged. You had thought Mingi might propose on Christmas, but you were even more excited at the thought of it happening on New Years Eve. 

Christmas this year had been lovely. He had an uncanny ability for gift giving, you suspected he kept a running list of every thing you mentioned vaguely wanting throughout the year, and this year was no exception. His mom had the two of you over for Christmas, feeding you far too much and giving you knowing glances like she knew what laid ahead for you in the very near future. You were so grateful with how welcoming she had been since you started dating Mingi, knowing how big of a momma's boy he was, her approval meant everything to you. You would have been happy had he proposed at Christmas, and as much as having his mom's approval meant to you, you absolutely adored the seven other members of his group, considering them to already be like brothers to you, and by how they treated you, you figured they considered you similarly. Truth be told though, you would be thrilled no matter where or when he proposed. 

Road trips were one of your favorite things to do with Mingi. They were always filled with silly made-up car games and singing along to music at the beginning, turning to comfortable silence with his hand on your thigh as he drove, talking intermittently about anything and everything and nothing at all towards the end. Most of all, you loved the uninterrupted time you got just to simply stare at him and take him in. You thought he was the most beautiful person on the planet, every detail of his face and body a work of art in and of itself. 

“...and that's why I don't think you'd ever remember it even if you had been abducted by aliens.” Mingi concluded his thesis as he pulled the car into the driveway of the lake house at last. 

“Hmm.” You considered, “I think we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one, my love.” 

“I'm taking a vote when we go in.” Mingi shot you a challenging look as he got out of the driver's seat, darting around to your door to open it for you before you could do it yourself. 

“Good, I can't wait to win the vote.” You teased him, leaning in for a kiss, gasping as he pulled a fast one on you, leaning in to return it only to turn away and deny you at the last second. 

“Song Mingi!” You chastised him, “Fine. No more kisses ever again since you don't want them.”

“What!” He pouted, rushing back over to you with pleading eyes, taking your empty threat seriously, “Baby, no! Please, forgive me, I'm so sorry, don't deprive me!” 

You snickered at him, “Aw, princess.” You pulled him close, giving him a chaste peck on his pretty lips, “I would shrivel up and die if l couldn't kiss you.” 

“You guys are disgusting, I take it back, no plus ones.” Yunho bullied you from the porch, “Mingi, go ahead and go home.”

“Hey!” Mingi barked, offended by his best friend's words. 

“We missed you, too, Yunho.” You rolled your eyes, strolling over to him as he waited with open arms for a hug. 

“It’s been too long, noona.” Yunho crushed you to his chest. You weren't exactly petite, squarely on the tall side and you could wear Mingi’s jeans pretty easily, filling them out similarly in the ass and thigh region, but he and Yunho still made you feel small in comparison. 

“Thank you for inviting me.” You answered through constricted lungs, “I do have to breathe, though.” 

“My bad.” Yunho chuckled as he released you, “I just have to make sure you know you're my favorite. But don't tell anyone.”

You crossed your heart, “It's our secret, Yuyu.” You winked at him. 

The rest of the night followed in a similar fashion, ending with all of you in the spacious living room, pleasantly buzzed. Wooyoung sat curled in San's lap, relaying a story you all had heard a thousand times but indulged in letting him tell regardless, mostly due to the entertaining way he reenacted it. Seonghwa sat on the floor in front of Hongjoong, building the Star Wars Lego set the latter had gifted him from Christmas as his husband stared at him with an endless depth of adoration in his eyes. Jongho, who was pretty perpetually single by his own choice, sat in front of the fireplace with his guitar, humming and singing quietly. Yeosang leaned onto Yunho's shoulder, letting his boyfriend play with his hair absentmindedly. You hadn't realized the two of them were dating, but you had to admit, it was rather cute. Roommates to lovers, a tale as old as time. You supposed the “engaged at minimum” rule didn't apply to the host himself. 

You felt so at peace, so at home with everyone there, so full of love for all of them. Honored to have been let in to this sacred circle and welcomed with open arms. 

The next few days were spent playing games - including, much to your surprise, an oddly civil game of Catan - or with Wooyoung and Mingi in the kitchen, San, Yunho, and Seonghwa fighting like siblings in the snow, Hongjoong and Jongho writing and singing songs together, you and Yeosang watching movies and discussing the quirks - some endearing, some harder to stomach - of your significant others, the two of whom had known one another since middle school. You were so excited for this to be your family, you could hardly wait for New Years. 

When the night in question finally came around, though you knew it was coming (Wooyoung had barged in as you were getting dressed earlier, making sure your fingernails were painted), Mingi’s proposal still managed to surprise you. 

Right before midnight, champagne flutes passed out, all of you dressed in cocktail formal, excited for an excuse to get dressed up after a week of sweats and pajamas, Mingi tapped his flute with a knife to get everyone's attention, “A toast! To my friends, who have been with me through everything, the ups and downs of being idols and just life in general, and most importantly, who have listened and advised me on my relationship with my beautiful girlfriend. It means the world to me that you all love her so much. I consider us to be family,” he turned to you then, fishing in his pocket, “But I'd really like us to be family officially. If you'll have me, sweetheart. Nothing could make me happier.” He knelt down, opening the ring box with one large hand, showing you the most perfect ring you could have dreamed of. 

“Mingi,” you beamed at him, “Yes, of course, baby. You better fucking marry me, you goose.” 

“As long as I'm your goose.” He rose, removing the ring and guiding it gently onto your ring finger. 

“Always.” You promised. 

“Ten!” Wooyoung began the countdown to midnight. 

“Nine!” The others joined in, yourself and Mingi included, waiting for the clock to strike twelve before you sealed the moment with a kiss. 

“Eight!” You all chanted. “Makes one team!” You added in between, garnering laughter from the group. 

“Seven!”

“Six!” 

“Five!”

“Four!”

“Three!”

“Two!”

“One!” 

“Happy New Year!” 

It wasn't your first kiss, obviously, but it might as well have been, the way the butterflies in your abdomen danced at the contact, face going warm as several of the boys wolf whistled at the display. It only served to egg Mingi on, and he swung you down into a deep dip, never breaking your kiss. 

“Okay, okay, ew. Enough. Save it for the wedding.” Jongho pretended to complain from across the circle. 

“Booooo!” Wooyoung shot back at him. 

“Be nice, baby.” San half-heartedly scolded him. 

“He's being rude!” Wooyoung defended himself.

Mingi brought you back to your feet as the bickering escalated in the background, wiggling his eyebrows at you conspiratorially. 

You nodded, grabbing his hand and sneaking away as the other seven continued their nonsense, too absorbed in it to realize the two of you had made like bandits for the bedroom. 

Mingi didn't even scold you for getting distracted by your new ring as you straddled him and rode his cock for the first time as an engaged couple. In fact, you're pretty sure he only fucked you harder for it. 

The two of you eventually collapsed onto the bed in a pile of tangled, sweaty limbs after round three, completely blissed out on the love you had for one another and excited for the future together that awaited you. 

Jung Wooyoung: Sure, introducing your Harry Potter-obsessed boyfriend to the Lord of the Rings trilogy was a calculated risk. They had always been your favorite Christmas break movies and you wanted to share that tradition with Wooyoung. You had predicted he would like them, but what you hadn't been prepared for was just how much he liked them. You would be spending a belated Christmas with his family, postponed a few days due to his older brother's work schedule, so Christmas Eve and Day would be spent just the two of you at your apartment together. 

Little did you know, Wooyoung had been planning. 

The unmistakable noise of clattering pots and pans in the kitchen served as your alarm that morning, followed by a hushed curse under Wooyoung’s breath. You couldn't help but smile to yourself as you dragged your still sleep-laden body out of bed, donning Wooyoung’s discarded sweatshirt on your way into the kitchen. 

“Everything okay, baby?” You asked, your voice still gravelly with sleep. 

Wooyoung jumped at the sound of your voice, clearly deeply concentrated as he stirred the pot on the stove, “Ah! Fuck! You scared me!” 

You chuckled, coming up behind him, wrapping your arms around his sinfully slutty waist, “Sorry, kitten,” You apologized, “I just heard a noise and wanted to make sure you were alright.” 

“Dammit.” Wooyoung pouted, “I wanted to wake you up with breakfast, I’m sorry.”

You kissed his cheek, “There’s nothing to apologize for. Want me to go back to bed so you can do your original plan?” 

Wooyoung turned around in your embrace, kissing you on the nose, “No, baby, not unless you want to. It’s almost done and I love your company.”

“Okay, but, um…” You trailed off, hating to ask for something when he was already doing so much, “Nevermind, I’ll do it.”

Wooyoung grabbed your wrist to stop you, “Absolutely not! My baby is not lifting a finger today. What did you need, jagi?”

“I just wanted some coffee.” You smiled at him sheepishly.

“Say less.” Wooyoung beamed at you, planting a swift kiss to your lips before breaking off and moving to make you coffee. 

An hour later, three cups of coffee in, Wooyoung was placing the last pastry on the table after putting a different dish he was preparing for later in the oven. 

“If you want me to die in a food coma, just say so.” You teased him as you sat down to indulge yourself on his delicious-smelling baked goods. 

“No, sweetheart, I just want you to enjoy yourself.” Wooyoung couldn’t contain his smile as he watched your eyes roll back at the first bite of his creation. 

“Baby. No offense but I’m breaking up with you for this danish.” You joked.

Wooyoung’s jaw dropped in fake offense, “But wait! That danish can’t get you off!”

You shrugged, “Ah, well. Good thing I have a vibrator.”

Wooyoung stuck his bottom lip out, “You know good and well you like my dick better.”

“Hm…” You pretended to consider his words, “My memory is hazy, maybe I need a refresher before I can answer that completely honestly.”

The Fellowship of the Ring played in the background as Wooyoung fucked you over the back of the couch, but neither of you were paying attention to the movie. 

“Admit it.” Wooyoung growled in your ear, “My cock is the only thing that can truly satisfy you.”

“God. Fuck, yes, Youngie. Your cock is the only thing now please fuck me harder.” You begged, sweat dripping down your brow as your boyfriend pounded into you painstakingly slowly, knowing he was driving you crazy. 

“Yes, ma’am.” Wooyoung obeyed, picking up his pace until the two of you were panting as you were finally able to release. 

The rest of the day passed much the same way, between eating, fucking, watching movies, exchanging gifts, and nodding off in between. Hours past sunset, the two of you were back in the kitchen, lethargic from your day of consuming calories and quickly turning around to burn them in the most hedonistic ways possible, washing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen. Wooyoung paused after he put away the last plate you handed him, “Oh, wait! I forgot! I have one more gift for you!”

“Wooyoung!” You protested, “You got me more than enough!” 

“I really think you’ll want this one, though.” Wooyoung winked at you before darting out of the kitchen only to return a few minutes later, hands behind his back, kneeling down in front of you, revealing the ring box he had grasped in his hands, “Baby, you’ve been nothing but a bright spot since you came into my life. I want to spend the rest of it teasing you, spoiling you, and making you laugh. Will you make me the happiest Hobbit in the whole Shire and please marry me?”

You couldn’t help but laugh at his silly proposal, “Yes, but try again without the references.”

“Oh, if that was an issue, I’m afraid you’ll hate what I engraved the ring with.” Wooyoung blushed. 

“You didn’t.” You buried your face in your hands, “Good Lord. I should have never introduced you to Tolkien. Yes, Jung Wooyoung. Of course I’ll marry you.” 

“Yeah?” He stood up quickly, opening the ring box to show you the most intricate, most you ring of all time, sure enough, engraved with “one ring to rule them all” on the inside of the band. 

“Yes, honey.” You pulled him in for a kiss before he could fit the ring onto your finger, “I never want anyone else.” 

“I’m the happiest man alive.” Wooyoung’s smile reached from ear to ear. 

“I’m incredibly happy, too.” You returned his smile, “But we are not having a Lord of the Rings themed wedding.”

“Right. Harry Potter themed.” Wooyoung nodded, like this was the only answer. 

“Hell fucking no.” You tickled him, “We can plan later, though. Right now I need to show you my secret cave.” 

“Ooh, is Gollum in there?” 

“Only if you’ve decided to call your dick ‘Gollum’, then I guess so, yes.”

“I prefer to think of it as more of a Smeagol.” Wooyoung took your hand dragging you to the bedroom. 

“Just please don’t try to do the voice.” You pleaded.

He didn't oblige. You were going to marry the fuck out of him anyway. 

Choi Jongho: You could always tell when Jongho was up to something, and this week, the week leading up to Christmas, was turning out to fall directly into that category. A mischievous glint sparkled in your boyfriend’s eye all week. The two of you had been dating for a few years now and you suspected he would propose at some point in the near future, but you honestly had no idea when. The man lived to keep you on your toes. 

He didn’t do it while the two of you celebrated Christmas with your family. 

He didn’t do it while the two of you celebrated Christmas with his family. 

He didn’t do it as the two of you opened your gifts to one another late at night on Christmas Day. 

No. Why would he? He just spent the entirety of both days tricking you into thinking he might do it. He had handed you a conspicuously sized square box wrapped in paper. Earrings. They were beautiful, of course. He knew your taste well. 

He had taken you on a scenic walk, kneeling down at the overlook, only to tie his shoe, laughing at your face, poorly disguised in shock, disappointment, then frustration, all in quick succession. 

He had asked to make a toast at your family’s Christmas dinner. Didn’t propose.

Your boyfriend might be a little evil. 

Christmas with him had always been somewhat like this, with him feeding you false leads about what gifts he was getting you, especially as it got closer to the actual holiday, only to have gotten you something better than what he was alluding to the whole time. On top of everything, of course he was an annoyingly good gift giver. 

It was December 27th and you were nearly at your wit’s end. The two of you were still off work and with everything temporarily back open between holidays, Jongho had planned something incredibly special for the two of you, much to your surprise. You honestly had no clue how he was so damn talented at hiding things from you. Maybe you just weren’t as observant as you thought you were. 

Dinner at a nice restaurant turned into a carriage ride around the park, ending with the two of you slow dancing in a gazebo to a song that he had written just for you. 

“I mean every word, you know.” Jongho whispered as the gravity of his lyrics rushed over you. For as often as he was impish and playful, he was at other times, equally as genuine, vulnerable, and honest with you. It nearly broke your heart every time he shared that side of himself with you. 

“Jongho…” You didn’t know what to say, “You mean so much to me, baby.” 

“And you to me.” He answered, leaning in to kiss your cheek. 

You waited with bated breath, thinking that this might be it, it might be time for him to finally pop the question, but instead, he simply carried on dancing with you. 

You felt tears prick at the corner of your eyes, throat constricting with your frustration. 

“What’s wrong, honey?” Jongho looked at you, concern evident on his face.

“Nothing.” You lied. “Sorry. Today has been wonderful, I just feel like I’m going crazy.” 

“Crazy?” He cocked his eyebrow at you. 

“Yes, Jongho.” The tears fell genuinely now, “It’s probably stupid, I don’t even know if it’s where we’re at, I thought I did, but now I’m confused and I feel stupid for ever thinking it-”

“Thinking, what, baby?” Jongho pushed the hair off of your forehead. 

“All week you’ve been doing little things that I keep misinterpreting as you being about to propose. It’s stupid. I’m probably just delusional.” You sobbed then, pulling away from him. 

“Oh, no, sweetheart.” Jongho pulled you back to his chest, “I’m so sorry. I was just being a problem to mess with you. I never should have gone this far. You’re not crazy, though. I promise.” Jongho kissed your forehead before kneeling in front of you, reaching into his jacket pocket, “I’ve had this for about three months now. It’s just a weird tradition in my group to propose on Christmas so I wanted to make our anniversary different from theirs. I’m so sorry, darling. I want nothing more than to call you my wife. I’ve known I wanted to marry you since our first date. I’ve worked to be the man you deserve every day since then and I never plan on stopping, though I don’t see myself as ever reaching that goal, because you deserve better than I can ever give you. But I never want to stop in my pursuit. If you’re not too terribly mad at me, will you please consider? Marry me, my love.” 

The tears streaming down your face took on a whole different meaning at his words, “I feel so silly.” You sobbed, “But yes. Yes, please, Jongho. I’d be so happy to.”

It took the loud clearing of a passer by’s throat to break the two of you out of your public makeout session, both of you agreeing that your activities should move back inside your apartment. 

The way he took you apart so devotedly, so lovingly, bringing you wave after wave of pleasure on his mouth, his hands, and his gorgeous cock that night made you more sure than ever of your decision to marry him. He kept you on your toes and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

[madbard]

I just realized another reason I love Hozier’s music. It’s not just that the lyrics are complex, or the music itself is beautiful - it’s that Hozier is a musical liar.

Take Cherry Wine. This is a song about an abusive relationship, told from the perspective of someone very much in love with their abuser. Throughout the song, the narrator describes their lover’s cruelty. Lyrics like “I walk my days on a wire” and “open hand or closed fist would be fine” make the darker aspects of their relationship all too evident. At points, the song suggests that they are defending this relationship to someone else who cares about them (“it looks ugly but it’s clean. Oh mama, don’t fuss over me”) and even the more beautiful and seemingly romantic lines later in the song (“oh but she loves like sleep to the freezing”) have dark undertones (what else is sleep to the freezing but death?) Still, I often come across the song being used in a wholesome, romantic context. A lot of factors contribute to this, but I would argue that this song mainly gets mistaken for a romantic song because of how soft and gentle the music is - it presents as a sweet love song in every way except the lyrics. Even those lyrics are told through the lens of someone defending their broken and abusive relationship, deepening the lie. Our narrator wants to portray this relationship as something dark, yet also immensely beautiful and encompassing. The result is a song about the agony and pleasure of a broken relationship, disguised so well as a love song in every possible way that it gets mistaken for something romantic. (Even if you are aware of the meaning, there is still that deep urge to experience the song as something romantic. Just like the narrator, the listener is drawn in by beauty and the powerful idea of love, so much so that it can blind them to reality.)

Variations of this can be seen in Talk. In this song, the narrator makes their intentions very clear - they are sweet-talking someone in order to hide their own thoughts and desires (“I try to talk refined, for fear that you find out how I’m imagining you”). Despite knowing this, the sheer power of the lyrics (“I'd be the voice that urged Orpheus / when her body was found. / I'd be the choiceless hope in grief / that drove him underground. / I'd be the dreadful need in the devotee / that made him turn around, / and I'd be the immediate forgiveness in Eurydice”) overwhelms the listener. We know the speaker is putting on a show. We know they have ulterior motives, and likely don’t even believe what they are saying. But their words are so beautiful that we don’t care. The intense, almost mythic music in the background is so lovely and deep, it makes the lyrics seem genuine, because what lie could sound so astounding and true? In this case, the song about smoke and mirrors and empty talk becomes a love song because the narrator is just that skilled at lying.

Even songs like Too Sweet, sung by a narrator who refuses to be with someone unless they allow their standards to slide, become ‘romantic’ and ‘sweet’ to certain listeners - not because the lyrics are impenetrable, but because so many of Hozier’s narrators are unreliable. His songs spin sweet stories, lies so stunning that listeners are willing to deny what they know in order to experience the beauty of that untruth, the complexity of that space between what is real and what we want to believe.

And isn’t that more true to the experience of being a person, and loving other people, than the simple truths we often see in these types of songs?

[spopsalt]

How to not to comfort and how to comfort someone after S/A

A Hazbin Hotel and Rick and Morty comparison

TW FOR DISCUSSION OF SA AND ATTEMPTED CSA UNDER THE CUT

Honestly I discussed how Rick and Morty handled attempted s/a better than hazbin in a full on post, but here I wanted to talk about specifically how the people in Angel Dust and Morty's life comforted them. Now Angel Dust doesn't specifically say what Val is doing, buttt it's pretty clear by what he says "Maybe if I end up broken, I won't be his favorite toy anymore." And first Husk reactions seems good, he tries to relate to Angel by bringing up his gambling (Not that the two situations are similar in any way but I digress) but then he just starts victim blaming Angel for no reason!? Like calling him a loser, a goddamn baby, whiny bitch, and more because he opened up about his trauma!? What!? Don't get me wrong the voice actor's singing voice is amazing but...what's with all the victim blaming?!

Then we get Rick's reaction, now Rick is a worse person than Husk, but the way he reacted was so much better. For context Rick and Morty had a bet and Morty went to the bathroom and Mr. Jellybean (The light blue bipedal jellybean) attempted to s/a Morty in the bathroom. Nothing happens since Morty was able to fend him off, but Morty was still understandably shaken by the whole experience and pleaded with Rick to take them home. Now Morty doesn't say what happened at all, but you can tell Rick found out because of the death glare he gives to Mr. Jellybean. Now Rick's reaction was so so much better. He doesn't victim blame Morty for starters, but his voice instantly gets softer and he threw the bet so Morty would remember the good ending the adventure had, rather than the horrible traumatizing thing that happened with Mr. Jellybean. The whole time he's very gentle and sweet. And he even said "This adventure is wrapped up neat and clean because we did it Morty style" which is a very very sweet line. He does use physical touch, which I personally wouldn't recommend after someone went through attempted s/a but he clearly didn't mean anything bad by it, he just wanted to comfort the kid and Morty was comfortable with it.

[karamazovposting]

go go gadget talk about the speech patterns and mannerisms that the brothers have (Alyosha, Ivan, Mitya, and Smerdyakov)

And to think I had made a post about this but never posted it and deleted the draft because I thought nobody would care, sigh.

I don't know if it's just me due to some sort of déformation professionnelle (I study theater among other things and sometimes I recite lines from books out loud to help with both memory and acting skills, and also because it's fun), but by the way Dostoevsky writes his characters speaking I can perfectly picture what they might sound like in my mind and that's insane (he's an insane writer all around) and not only that: you can tell what kind of person the character is not by what they say, but by how they say it. Again, insane stuff.

I'd say the brothers are the perfect example of this: they're the main characters so they talk enough for us to pick up on each individual's speech pattern and they have very distinct personalities that get to shine during the entirety of the book.

Dmitri is a mess and the way he speaks perfectly mirrors his behavior and Dostoevsky makes sure of showing that by writing his lines with lots of exclamation points and ellipses: he often jumps from topic to topic with no resemblance of coherent thought and speech pattern and has a tendency to ramble with passion for quite a long time. Even his insane amount of crying gets written down and integrated in his speech pattern; our Mitya has a lot of feelings and is not afraid to show them (good for him!). Given these little hints through the pages, I picture him as someone who speaks with lots of emotion (he's a dramatic person indeed and that definitely influences the way he speaks) but with no fixated pacing, volume and intensity because I feel like his voice and speech mannerism would shift a lot depending on his mood in a rollercoaster-like up and down motion if it makes sense, even though I do picture him as talking fast for the most part.

Ivan's feels similar but also completely opposite: he's dramatic and passionate and he feels a lot, but in a way more controlled manner and his voice is pretty much always described as being firm (which is shown by there being fewer ellipses and exclamation points in his lines), so I've never imagined it as showing much emotion, not even while talking to the devil; I feel like no matter what Ivan feels, his voice never fully shows it (his language might though, it's rude as hell). While his speech pattern can be all over the place because he is all over the place, it always remains coherent with who he is as a character and as a person (I've kinda talked about it somewhere in my bipolar Ivan Karamazov series) and never really gets rambly: even his spiral into madness is controlled. On that note, I've always found the way Ivan's lines are written in Pavel's confession's bit striking: our guy here is definitely going through a lot, this is the most important part of his arc, and yet he doesn't lose it completely. Lots of short sentences, lots of periods, little emotion: his voice is still as firm as ever. This leads me to think of him as someone who speaks in an effortlessly powerful manner and in a fixated pattern (not too fast but not too slow, not too loud but not too quiet; perfectly even and neutral) and with a voice that's almost monotone, except for when it doesn't have to be; he's used to speaking in public after all.

Alyosha is sweet, we all know that, and I think it reflects on the way he speaks as well: the use of punctuation and the length and pacing of his sentences suggest he speaks calmly, and personally I think sometimes it resembles the way Ivan speaks a little. His lines are written to never have any hint of hostility in them even in contexts where that would be expected (like when interacting with Rakitin) and even his sarcasm is written to sound soft; I'd say his speech pattern, while not as fun as Dmitri's or not as cool as Ivan's, is probably my favorite out of all four brothers': it's clear, straightforward and easy to follow and it feels fresh and balanced (no rollercoaster-like motions for example). He seems like someone I'd like to hear talk y'know, or a character with a way of speaking I'd like to be able to emulate; there seems to be a comforting and soothing element in it. Also, one thing that's lost in English translations is that Alyosha talks to children using the formal second person, which in my opinion is very indicative of his character and is also something I really like about him.

As for Pavel, I find his speech pattern interesting because it has a strange pacing, with lots of commas and longer sentences that suggest he speaks calmly just like Alyosha does or even slowly, but unlike Alyosha's lines, Pavel's are written in a way that conveys an almost ominous undertone due to the placing and frequency of the commas. One thing that stuck with me is how somewhere at the start of the novel Pavel's singing voice is described as "sugary" because honestly that's how I would describe his speech pattern as well: similar to Alyosha's somehow though not sweet but instead sugary, insincere, like a way of speaking that was fabricated with the sole purpose of fucking with someone's mind. And succeeds at it. I mean, most of the times we "hear" Pavel speak he's talking to Ivan, which I think is quite important because you can tell he articulates himself in a similar way Ivan does, but at the same time it seems his speech pattern has developed in a completely different direction, like mirroring Ivan's but not quite right. I feel like he's a person who knows what specific inflection is just right to use for a particular situation and I read his lines like that, without a fixated inflection but with the same constant slow cadence and smoothness. Also he's the only character we canonically know the vocal range of and not only do I appreciate Dostoevsky for giving me the chance to imagine what his voice might sound like, I also think specifying that he sings in falsetto instead of using his modal voice was a clever choice; it's kinda like a wordplay in a sense y'know.

I hope I made myself clear in this one lmao; it's just that when I think about this stuff I often have images in my mind that it's hard for me to put into words (like a particular speech pattern can be described with just one straight line while others can move in circles or have curves, or the rollercoaster-like thing I said earlier), but I couldn't just draw four different graphs and post them with no explanation so I just skipped the graphs part. Just know that in my head this is very clear and that if I could talk through pictures I would.

[chimerafeathers]

it’s pretty funny looking back on my perception of isat as i played because it shifted a LOT.

a lot of rambling about my specific experience with the game below the cut lol

starting point was like

- “oh one or two of the people i follow started posting about this game. looks cute. i might check it out sometime so i won’t read anything too closely.”

- somehow dashboard osmosised the info that main character and star person were connected/the same and NOTHING ELSE. info goes to the very back of my mind and is not consciously considered for a very long time

- Secret Sleepover Society posts a VOD of the beginning. eventually get around to watching this long after it’s clear that they’re not doing a full playthrough.

- [gets like 20-30 mins into the first vod] “oh wow i REALLY like the art and humor, this is so incredibly my style. since J&J aren’t finishing it i’m just gonna stop watching now and play it for myself”

- [reads a comment on the SSS vod that says isat is now on the same level as undertale for them] “ooohhhhkay i expect this to be fun and sweet and emotional but. cmon” [press X to doubt]

- intrigued still but become skeptical and guarded in that way where someone hypes something up TOO much to you and you’re suddenly on the lookout for flaws and overaware of your own emotional investment into the thing, like “sure it’s good but is it really gonna be THAT good 🧐”

- “this is probably gonna start out very cute, get ~dark and emotional~ later on, i’m gonna cry at the end (this is not hard to accomplish), i’ll think about it a lot for a week or two, and then i’ll move on and just think about it fondly from time to time :)” (i have not had a hyperfixation this strong in years lmao)

and then it being a “tumblr game” really kept hitting that “on the lookout for flaws” point over and over again. because i’m very aware of the pendulum swing of tumblr trends around storytelling preferences—all those posts like “why do people want characters to talk like they’ve been through 10 years of therapy, everyone should be fucked up & toxic instead” and “not everything needs to be found family. sometimes people are just coworkers/friends/whatever, stop trying to fit every relationship into a familial or romantic box” and “why are these medieval characters listing off their identity labels like they’re on 21st century social media. they would Not have that terminology/level of self awareness”

so i played the beginning kinda going “ehhhh” about how clearly communicative a lot of the characters appeared to be, the big hammer of “HEY THIS IS A FOUND FAMILY. DO YOU GET IT?” during the friendquests (especially with Odile saying it’s weird for an adult to be friends with a child, which i disagree with), the kind of awkward pronoun scene between Loop & Siffrin…i kept squinting at it all, trying to figure out if it worked for me or not in context.

and. it does. with the found family stuff especially, i keep thinking about how earned it feels, how the big friendquest “found family” hammer is like…a fakeout of the real ending. it’s not enough to say the word or play with the aesthetic of family. what does it actually mean to care about someone that much? what lengths are you willing to go to, what wrongs are you willing to forgive? it’s important that it IS family, and not ““just”” friendship or coworkers or mentorship, because the craving for permanence is so deeply etched into Siffrin’s character and that concept is the closest they can get to something that might last. but at the same time, those relationships are the same no matter what name they go by—friendship, family, the word doesn’t matter because the love is there regardless.

i thought Siffrin was gonna be a kinda bland, blank slate character in the beginning! i thought the focus was going to be on all of the other characters, and “Siffrin” was just going to be our unobtrusive player vehicle to interact with them. something along the lines of Slay the Princess, the Stanley Parable, even Undertale itself—the “decider,” Stanley, and Frisk are all characters, technically, information can be gleaned and extrapolated about their personality or background to some extent, but that’s not really the point or focus of the story they’re in. it’s about the situation, it’s about the choices YOU, the player, are making, it’s about the characters you meet and the relationships YOU establish under the player character’s name.

lol. lmao, even.

there’s a Black Sails post i saw a long time before i watched that show, that said something along the lines of, “by the end, a character’s lack of a backstory becomes the most poignant tragedy of them all.” i didn’t fully get what that meant at the time but it sounded intriguing! and now i’m like. YEAH. YEAH MAN. IT SURE IS.

the “blank slate” impression didn’t last long at all, but it’s still wild to me how cleanly all the little elements that gave me that impression in the first place were retroactively justified and made heartbreaking. of COURSE Siffrin says he “didn’t have anything better to do” before joining the party. that’s not a weird, weak cop-out, that’s a lifetime of being adrift and alone hidden behind an amicable smile.

none of the characters are as open and communicative as they appear. not with us, not with themselves, not until they’re pushed to a breaking point. their experiences with gender and identity are grounded in the cultural and religious worldbuilding and aren’t as utopic or shallow as slapping on a label and calling it a day. they’re examined in the context of their world and identity first and foremost, not ours (as much as that’s possible to untangle anyway), and meaningfully conflict and interact with those elements of characterization.

it’s just. man. my expectations weren’t low going in—i fully expected to love it!! it just caught me off guard how layered the writing would actually be.

[cheapshrimpysheep]

Taking Care of You - Younger Demon Brothers

This is the continuation of Taking Care of You - Older Demon Brothers

SUMMARY: What would a week with them taking care of you be like when you are sick? They taking turns to each take care of you for an entire day.

CHARACTERS: Younger Demon Brothers (Satan, Asmodeus, Beelzebub & Belphegor)

TAGS: Fluff; GN Reader, Kissing, Comfort

WORD COUNT: An average of 980 words per character. A total of 3.950 words. (in this part)

COMMENTS: This was supposed to be shorter. So much so that this was supposed to be a post with all 7 demon brothers. But I think I got too inspired and ended up writing a lot, so I decided to separate it into two parts: the first with the 3 older brothers and the second with the 4 younger brothers.

I hope you enjoy ;)

CONTEXT: This is the continuation of Taking Care of You - Older Demon Brothers

This happens in the original time line, not in the Nightbringer one. So, you live with the Brothers in the House of Lamentation.

You got too sick to go to RAD. You need to rest in your room. Fortunately, it's a human exclusive illness, which means it doesn't affect demons whatsoever. So they can take care of you without any problems. The doctor said you would have to rest for a week, so everyone will take turns taking care of you for a day.

Shortly after midnight you receive a message from Satan: “Today it's my turn to take care of you. If you need anything, even if it's in the middle of the night, just let me know. I'll stay with you all night if you need me.”

You take this chance to ask him if sleeping with you counts, and he responds to you with, "Of course. I'll bring a new book I bought that I think you'll like. I can read it to you if you want.”

A few minutes later Satan knocks on your door and you let him in. To your surprise, not only does he bring a book with him, he also has a cup of tea. He sits on the bed next to you. “I've been reading about your illness and found this tea that can help you sleep better and soothe any aches and pains you may have. Do you want to try it?”

You sit on the bed and accept the tea. Maybe it's not the kind of flavour you like the most, but after drinking it you feel more relaxed. You say that to him and he gives you a sweet smile, glad that he could help you a little.

He shows you the book he brought, it’s a book of trivia. Some Devildom fun facts you can learn while listening to Satan's voice reading them to you in a voice you can fall asleep to.

You give him space to lie in bed with you, and he pulls his arm away so you can lay your head on his chest. He'll use one hand (and if necessary a little magic) to hold the book and turn the pages, while stroking your head with the other. You wish you could have cherished that moment longer, but being there with him was so comfortable, his hand so tender and his voice so soft, you fell asleep in no time.

When you wake up, you see him still by your side, but reading a book that wasn't that trivia one. When he feels you move and realizes you're awake, he places a bookmark you gift him in the book, closes it and sets it down. “Good morning” he says in a whisper and kisses your forehead “Did you sleep well?” You show him that you did, either in words or in murmurs as you smile at him.

You two snuggle for a bit. “Don't you want breakfast?” he asks you. You say yes, but that it’s very good to be with him like that. He chuckles “Don't worry, I can stay like this with you all day if you want. “But we should eat something. Especially you.” you agree in a murmur, he gives you one more kiss on the forehead and gets up from the bed.

He returns with a tray and the two of you sit at the table in your room. Cat face pancakes! With eyes, nose, mouth and whiskers drawn in chocolate. You tell him how cute they look and kiss him on the cheek. He kisses you on the cheek back and offers to feed you the pancake. You accept if he lets you feed him back.

He won't leave your room if he doesn't have to. If you're awake, he'll chat with you, read books with you, and watch a movie if you want. If you feel able to walk around the house, he can lead you to the Common Room where the fireplace is lit, to snuggle and cuddle with you. And he will try to attract some cats for you two to pet outside. Big chances he'll take a picture of you playing with the cats. Two of the things he loves most together!

If you need to rest and take a nap, he will stay in your room with you, sitting in a chair reading a book, right next to you. And if you let him, he will hold your hand in the meantime. Maybe he'll even ask you if you want to lay your head in his lap. And he can pet your head while you sleep. As he would do with a cat?... Maybe...

At lunch, he’ll cook for you whatever you want. And even if you want something he doesn't know how to cook yet or something complex, he won't deny your request. He will do everything possible to cook the dish you ask for. Even if he has to read and reread every cookbook he can find. Part of that is because he wants to be able to make you happy. The other part is a mixture of pride and stubbornness.

At dinner, it’s his and Asmo’s turn to swap sits at the table with the twins. And that’s okay. He already spent a whole day with you, he can give up that place by your side this time. Lucifer is on the opposite side of you and Mammon and Levi are at your feet.

At night, and before his turn ends, he returns to your room. He sits next to you on the bed. “How are you feeling?” he asks you. You tell him you feel fine, still a little sick, but fine. “I hope it was as pleasant for you to spend the day with me as it was for me to spend it with you.” You tell him it was, and he should make those cat pancakes more often. “For you, of course. But don't tell my brothers about them. I don't want to make those pancakes for anyone else, much less for them.”

“I also wanted to ask you if you would like me to read you some more from that book to help you fall asleep better.” You accept the offer, but this time he can't sleep with you because his turn is running out. So you ask if you can thank him for taking care of you that day, before you fall asleep and he leaves.

“As if I would deny such a request.” he says with a smile. You sit on the bed and kiss his lips. You feel his hands land on your face, as if he's asking you to let the kiss last a little longer.

After you break away from the kiss, you lie back down. He caress your cheek and starts reading that trivia book in that soft voice that makes you fall asleep in no time.

You wake up with a message from Asmo. It’s 00:24am. “Hi hon~ It's your darling's turn to take care of you~! If you're awake, what some company~?” You reply that now you are awake. “*shocked emoji* Did I wake you up? I'm so sorry! Please let me redeem myself. Let me treat you. I have wonderful things to help you sleep and even improve your skin. Please~?” You surrender and tell him he can come to your room.

He knocks at your door, you let him in and he walks in slowly, as if already apologizing. “Hi hon...” he speaks in his softest, cutest voice. “Sowwy~” he goes to your bed and sits next to you “I didn't want to wake you up, but I wanted so much to enjoy these twenty-four hours with you. I brought some of my skincare products. Will you let me take care of your pretty face? It's very relaxing.”

You accept his offer and settle in bed. He didn't want to make you get up to wash your face, so he used a spell he usually uses when he's feeling a little lazy. Allow him to do all your skincare in bed. He massages your face with such gentleness and care that it doesn't take long for you to fall asleep again.

When you wake up, you see Asmo sleeping next to you with an eye masks. You know he doesn't like to have his beauty sleep interrupted, but it was time to wake up and you guys need to eat breakfast. So you try to wake him up as sweetly as you can.

You whisper his name in that voice of yours that you know he loves so much. And if that's not enough, you start kissing his cheeks as well. He smiles and takes off his eye mask. He looks at you and then proceeds to attack you with kisses. As if he was thanking you for the best wake-up anyone could give him.

“Good morning~” He says, hugging you on the bed. “How do you feel, hon?”

“Loved” is what you answer him with a smile.

“Awww, you're so cute!” he kisses you again “I'm glad, but do you feel well?” You say yes, still a little sick, but fine. And hungry. “Ha ha, you sounded like Beel now. But I'm also getting hungry. I'll prepare breakfast for us.” he kisses you one more time and get out of bed.

When he returns, he brings out a tray with two plates of rainbow waffles and whipped cream hearts. “(Y/N)! Look! Didn't they look so beautiful? I made them! Am I not so beautifully talented?” The waffles really were beautiful and you tell him so. Before you eat, he asks you to take a picture with them together.

It doesn't matter if you are sick, Asmo can still make you beautiful. He'll give you a spa day at home. He'll even take you to his bathroom for a better experience. He'll use his scented candles, fill the bathtub with bubbles (you can get in in a bathing suit), put on relaxing music, and give you all the spa treatments he knows.

If you fall asleep, no problem. He probably fell asleep in the middle of all this relaxation too.

At lunch, if you feel able to walk around the house, he will take you with him to make lunch together and he will teach you how to make more beautiful dishes. And, of course, take pictures with them.

And since you feel better and the two of you are having fun cooking all those beautiful dishes, you ask Asmo if he would like to make them for dinner for all to see. “That's a great idea!” he says excitedly “We can show them the beautiful things we can do together. But, are you sure you feel well enough to do it?” You say yes, at least for now. “If you start to feel too tired just let me know, I can finish the dishes. Don't try too hard okay? You're still sick after all.”

You two surprise the others with your dinner. Everyone else starts asking about you, if you haven't tried too hard. But you assure them that you are fine and that when you feel tired, Asmo finished the dinner. They also compliment your appearance and especially your skin.

You felt able to eat in the Dining Room, so that's where everyone had dinner. No need for Mammon and Levi eat at your feet. Although Asmo started to use it to tease them and say that maybe they liking to be at your feet, say something. Mammon protests and Levi turns red as a tomato.

Before his day is over, he returns to your room. “Hi hon~ How are you? Feeling better?” You tell him that you are feeling better than you did at the start of the week, but that you’re still not fully healed. You still feel a little jaded. “This means that next week you will be healed, right?” he had a hopeful smile on his face.

You ask him if he misses you at RAD. “Of course I do! It feels like ages waiting for you to get well again. Nobody loves me like you do.” He was making puppy dog eyes at you, a mix of pity and sadness.

You tell him that. for missing you so much and taking such good care of you, he deserves a thank you kiss. His smile lights up his face and he hugs you, both of you sitting on the bed. You start by kissing his cheek, before he sulks a little, impatiently. And then you kiss his lips. It isn’t a lustful kiss, but a loving kiss, showing how much he misses you.

He is sad to have to part from kissing you, but his turn is ending. He gives you a bunch of goodnight kisses before he leaves, almost at midnight. He wanted to be with you as long as possible.

You fell asleep shortly after Asmo left your room. But you woke up a few minutes later, hungry. At that moment, you receive a message from Beel: “I came into the kitchen to get some midnight snacks. Do you want some? If you're awake.” You say yes, that you had just woken up hungry. “Okay, I'll get some more things and go to your room.”

He knocks at the door and you let him in. “I didn't wake you up did I?” he asks you, with a bunch of snacks in his arms “You know, with the message?” You say no, that in fact he even sent the right message at the right time. “I'm glad.” he smiles like a happy Shiba inu “I brought all your favourite snacks. I didn't know which one you wanted.”

With only 10% of what he brought, you were full. Beel ate the rest of the 90% of the snacks.

“Today is my day to take care of you.” he remembers “Is there anything else you need?” You take advantage of his question to ask him if he would like to sleep with you. You would sleep much better with him. He blushes a little. “I always sleep better with you by my side too. I'll just text Belphie to let him know I'm sleeping in your room. He might be worried if he can't find me anywhere.”

He texts his twin and then joins you in bed. However, the bed is a little small for the two of you. You take the liberty of snuggling up to him and resting your head on his chest. He smiles at you, he wanted to snuggle with you too. He puts his arms around you “Goodnight (Y/N)” and feeling protected by him you fall asleep in his arms.

You wake up with Beel's soft lower voice whispering your name. You open your eyes slowly and look at him, slightly sleepy, but you feel like you slept well, and enough. “Good morning” he whispers to you with a cute smile on his face. And before you could say good morning back to him, you heard a snort. His belly.

“Sorry. I'm hungry.” he apologizes, both with his words and his expression. You ask why he hasn't gone for breakfast yet if he was already hungry. “I wanted to have breakfast together with you. And I didn't want you to wake up without me by your side. You're very cute when you're sleeping, you know?”

You smile flattered and thank him for being so thoughtful of you. You tell him that he can go get breakfast for the two of you now, but remind him not to overdo your part. Despite it being Saturday, the other brothers are not at home, because they had to take care of some RAD related things at Diavolo's request.

He returns with two towers of pancakes, one in each hand, and pancake syrup in his coat pocket. He had a huge smile on his face, he loves to eat with you. “I overdid your part, didn't I?” he asks, seeing your surprised face. You say maybe, but surely they must be delicious and he can eat whatever you can't.

Unfortunately, you woke up a little nauseous from your illness, so you ate less than usual, which alarmed Beel a little. “Are the pancakes not good? Did I put too much sugar?” You tell him that he doesn't need to worry, that the pancakes are great and that you would like to eat more, but you can't at the moment because you're nauseous. “I can make more when you feel better if you want. I don't mind.” You ask if he's sure. “Of course. It’ll be hard to resist the urge to eat them right there. But it's to make you happy, so I'll do my best.” You thank him with a passionate kiss on the cheek, which makes him smile even wider. He will gladly feed you if you want.

If at any time during the day you need to get some sleep, he will respect that and not leave your room in case you need something when you wake up.

Fortunately, you feel physically better and he suggests that the two of you take a short walk around the garden to get some air, since you haven't left the house in a week. You will walk hand in hand. If you feel cold, he will give you his coat or hug you. And if you feel tired, even just a little, he will carry you back to your room if you let him.

If at lunch you want his pancakes, he'll make them, if not, he'll make whatever you feel like eating. And at dinner, the usual, since you can already eat with them at the dining room table. And at night, before his day is over, he comes back to your room.

“Your appetite returned at lunch and dinner. I'm glad.” he tells you with his cute smile “How are you feeling?” You tell him that the walk in the garden did you a lot of good, and you thank him for the idea and for taking the walk with you. His smile only grows when hearing that he helped you like that. “I'm glad you're feeling better now. I've been miss you so much.” You tell him that you felt the same way and that you were very happy to spend that day with him, only him.

“Me too. I love Belphie, and spending time with you two, but I like spending time with you like this more.” he sits with you on the bed and hugs you. You take advantage of this to cup his face and kiss him. His kiss is sweet and tender.

He'll stay there with you, holding you, until his twin brother knocks on the door shortly after midnight.

Belphie knocks on your bedroom door and Beel opens it. They talk for a while before Beel bids you both good night and leaves to go to their room.

“You're going to let me sleep with you right?” Belphie says, with that cute little brother smile he uses to get what he wants. “It's been a week since I've only seen you at dinner. And today is already my day to take care of you. So...”

You lie down, giving Belphie space to lie down next to you. As he does and hugs you like you're his favourite pillow, which you probably are. “I've been dreaming about you.” he whispers, sleepy and close to your neck “Which only makes it sadder to wake up without you with me. You really are mean doing that to me, you know?” And in an instant he falls asleep in your arms. And you in his.

When you wake up, he's still fast asleep and clinging to you. You try to wake him up, whispering his name, poking him... But he just complains in sleepy moans. “Belphie, I'm starting to get hungry.” you tell him, what makes him answer: “Then wake me up with a good morning kiss.”

You kiss his forehead, but apparently that's not enough. Then you start kissing his cheek several times until you suddenly stop. He complains lazily and you tell him you can continue after he brings breakfast. “Mmmm... Fine...” And he kisses your cheek before getting up and, somewhat reluctantly, leave your room.

Whatever was the matter at RAD, the others had to go to the Demon Lord's Castle that Sunday to finish things off. And because of that, you're alone with Belphie.

He comes back with a basic breakfast, like toast, but they taste pretty good. Even if you already feel healed, remember that we are talking about the Avatar of Sloth. So, if it's up to him, the two of you will spend all day in bed or on the sofa in the living room, just chilling and cuddling, sleeping or watching something. Or at least, that's how you spend your morning.

At lunch, knowing that you already feel practically healed, he will convince you to cook with him. Especially since cooking alone for two people is a lot more work and doing anything with you is better. At some point while you are cooking he will hug you from behind and rest his chin on your shoulder. But if you still don't feel well enough to cook, don't worry, he'll cook everything if he sees you're still not well.

Since you haven't left the House of Lamentation for a week, he asks if you'd like to spend the afternoon in the garden, under the stars (Since in the Devildoom it was always night). The weather was even nice. You agree, and Belphie gets you a picnic blanket to lie outside. In the middle of the afternoon, if you're hungry, he'll go into the house to get you two some snacks, but only after you convince him with a few kisses.

When the others arrive home, they get worried for not finding you or Belphie anywhere, until Beel decides to look in the garden and finds you two. The others start complaining about Belphie taking you outside, because if you were still sick it could be worst for you. But you explain that you already felt better and that getting some air after spending so much time in bed was doing you a lot of good. Lucifer even praises Belphie for the idea, until Belphie said that Beel had already taken a walk with you the day before which extended Lucifer's praise to him as well.

Dinner felt like the usual with the brothers, but you could tell by their good mood that everyone was very happy that it was the last day you need to stay home and rest. Everything will be back to normal the next day. Even though the next day was a Monday, they were happy.

Like the others, Belphie came to your room before his day of taking care of you was over. “Hi how are you? Completely healed, right?” he asks, and you nod “Great. So where is my compensation?” His compensation? “Yes. I was away from you for a week, I think I deserve an apology for the emotional damage. Oh! And I still took care of you all day today, you even made me wake up in the morning to bring you breakfast, I deserve a reward for that too, don't you think?”

You smile and sigh, gesturing for him to sit on the bed with you. You hug him and start kissing him on the cheek before getting to his lips. He hugs you tighter and leans over to make you lie down on the bed, as he lays down next to you.

After the kiss he continues lying down and hugging you. “You're not going to sleep here again tonight, are you?” you ask him

“Why? Don't tell me you want me to go away?” he says with sad puppy dog eyes. He knows perfectly well that your answer is no. You sigh, and snuggle into him. He gives you a few kisses on your cheek and around your neck, lazy, loving kisses, until you both fall asleep.

If you would like to read more from me, you can find it in my pinned post: INDEX

[hopefulidiocy]

One of You Must Die

Prince!Aemond x GN!Reader

Context: a prophecy that declares you and Aemond cannot live in the same world…

Warnings: death

🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮

🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮

The news broke you when the Maester delivered it on a parchment, sprayed with yellow edges, with shaking hands you opened it to find the prophecy that claimed you or Aemond will have to die as you cannot live in the same world as each other. At first you didn’t want to believe it, you threw it to the fire, hugging yourself in your white nightgown as the embers harassed the parchment, curling and withering in the grey smoke. But you knew prophecies were unlikely to be false, your family was full of prophecies and every one of them became true. The prophecy of your mother giving birth to your Dreamer brother, the prophecy of your father dying of the Green Sickness - it was all true and now you were the one given the task to fulfil the prophecy.

Aemond received it after supper with his family, reading the cursive letters that outlined the must for him to kill you. He had more on the line, he was the Protector, he had to live if he wanted to conquer Kings Landing for real as his brother lay dying with each raspy breath. But still, he loved you more than words could ever say… so he crumped up the parchment and threw it aggressively to the floor just as you flung open the doors to his chambers. He looked at you, in your pristine nightgown, your hair flowing over your shoulders with red raw eyes:

“Y/N,” he breathed, swallowing harshly as you fled into his arms, your short arms squeezing him as if he was about to disappear in a puff of air. He wrapped his around you, smelling the crown of your head, his heart faltering as the scent of rosemary filled his body with warmth. He couldn’t kill you, he knew it the second he saw your beautiful eyes, the way your lips stuttered as you cried in his lean chest. He didn’t know how to calm you down, you very rarely got into states such as this, so all he did was cradle you like a newborn, stroking your shoulder with his hand. He leaned his chin on your head, as you found a comfortable position on his chest.

“I don’t want to kill you,” you whispered, sniffing, “I don’t want you to kill me,” you squeezed your eyes shut, trying to shut out the thought of standing over Aemond’s dead body with a bloodied knife, tears streaming down your face.

“It’s okay, y/n,” he whispered, picking up your chin using his index finger. He tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear, pinching the top of your cheek slightly which always made you smile but this time it didn’t. He softly kissed your lips, meeting the pillows that he learned to love and offered no sweet word because he knew what he had to do.

🔮

It was a bleak day, you hugged your elbows, still in your nightgown as you watched the rain collapsing against the window; you zoned out to see your reflection, still alive but not well. You had hoped to catch an infection or something so this prophecy could be over without a fallen tear. Aemond had been ignoring you, causing a slight terror manifestation into your body because you knew he was planning to kill you. You couldn’t hide, there was nothing you could do to stop this… yet you couldn’t make peace with it.

The night came tumbling in before you could keep up and after long hours of deep thinking, you had to keep yourself alive somehow. You were ten and eight, too young to die and yet… so was Aemond. Both of you too young, but the prophecy is truth. It’s the truth. The truth… truth.

With a deep, deep breath, you grabbed the axe you kept by the side of your bed, for no reason before other than it looked cool when you saw it but now it had a completely different use. You stalked towards Aemond’s chambers, the axe heavy in your hand as Aemond himself jumped out of his doors with two swords in his hands. What an idiot, you thought of yourself. He was a trained warrior, he would make a meal out of you. He smiled at you lopsidedly as he launched himself into an attack that you managed to dodge breathlessly, trying desperately to haul the axe high, survival instinct kicking in as you sped towards him but this effortless gait he jumped out of the way. You knew your warrior skills were clumsy because he had a slight smirk on his face, and in another world this was a play fight, he was teaching you how to defend yourself but this wasn’t that. No, you were trying to kill each other.

He prepared for an attack but you were too quick for it and managed to duck as he swung his sword over your head. You snuck in a crouched position towards his legs, getting your axe ready to slash his ankles but he caught you. Pain seared through your arm as the tip of his sword split your arm like slicing bread. You screamed in terror, the noise reverberated through the room as you collapsed onto your side, clutching at your arm as the blood seeped through your fingers. Suddenly, you were terrified of him as he stood over you, his breathing heavily and hesitant.

“Y/N,” he whispered, dropping the swords at his side, you shuffled away from him as tears streamed down your cheeks, “please,” he kneeled beside you, taking your face in his hands, his thumbs swiping away the fat tears.

“I don’t want to die,” you whispered, the pain replaced with a dull ache inside your heart. He took you into his arms, tears streaking his own cheeks as you laid against his chest, your head at an odd angle but you didn’t mind as you were finally in his arms.

“I don’t want you to die,” he whispered, kissing your head, “but… baby, think about it,” he wiped his tears that were now violent against his cheeks as he cradled you side to side,

“If I killed a prince I would be executed,” you said in utter shock at the truth of the situation you found yourself in,

“Yes, my love,” he sniffled, kissing the top of your head again, “it would be a painful, painful thing to endure and if we can’t live in the same place at the same time, I would much rather have your death quick and simple,” he whispered, kissing your cheek passionately as if he couldn’t ever let you go.

“So you have to kill me… instead of me killing you,” you whispered slowly, your heart thumping hard against your chest. You felt him nod behind you as his arms tightened around your body, already dazed from the blood loss from your arm. You nodded, not succumbing to the truth as he carefully removed his body from yours. He cradled your cheek, smiling unhappily as your eyes grow sore from the tears. You knew this would happen, you knew he had to do this. You raised your hands, stopping him from hauling his sword,

“My love?” He whispered, his tears dropping off his chin,

“Can you kiss me?” You asked, shyly as if it was the first time asking him. He smiled sadly, getting on his knees and kissing you lovingly on the mouth, letting the taste of you linger on his lips as he pulled away, stroking your beautiful face,

“It will be quick, sweetheart. I promise and you will never be forgotten and soon… I shall die and be reunited with you, I promise.” He whispered, pushing your forehead towards his, his breath fanning your face as your tears mixed with each other, his lips pressed against your head,

“Kiss me when I’m dead so I can go into the After World with you on my skin.” You whispered, he nodded solemnly as the sword pierced through your heart.

Silence fell after the violent squelch and your blood spewing all over your chest, your breath was catching, unable to fully comprehend that your heart was slowing. You watched Aemond as he fell to his knees, the swords clattering beside him. Your vision flickered as he brought you into his embrace and kissed you as lovingly as ever as you slipped away into a forever sleep.

Your dead body lay silently in his strong arms, your beautiful hair splayed over his arm as he rocked you slowly, bringing you as close as possible towards his chest whilst sobbing so heavily it was almost like he was howling into the dead of the black night.

“My love!” He screamed, his mouth gaping open as tears ran onto his tongue as he kept you in his arms, rocking you until the early morning when his mother found him with you cuddled to his chest.

🔮

[ar1mas]

- a rant

no because ive watched this stupid show 5 years ago, and i only noticed this now?? how???

ok. some context first. this is about fox' gotham, a prequel series to batman. or at least a potential one with slight changes. one of those changes is the relationship between oswald cobblepot and edward nygma (spelled with a 'y' for mayhap legal reasons? idfk its silly). whats their relationship like in the show? well...

theyre gay af. idk what to tell you.

okay so oswalds gay as fuck. edwards... ambiguous. totally ambiguous. he had a girlfriend or 2 and a half (kristen kringle, the-woman-who-shall-not-be-named (aka kristen but... blonde? this show is weird), and lee. not comfy counting lee, but technically shes one, hence the 'and a half')! very straight, much hetero (on another side note how tf is oswald the gay one, like i know he wears make-up and shit but eddies all about theatrics and showmanship and flair and hOW IS OSWALD THE GAY ONE NEXT TO HIM?? ok anyway).

so oswald was (is. be real.) canonically in love with ed, ed was.........., and 'penguin in love' is a piece of music composed by david russo for season three in which the whole "im in love with my best friend" thing took place.

that song has been used all over season three, as far as i can tell not once in season four, and once in season five.

.....or so i thought.

because yesterday, while in another obsession phase (of which i get one a few times a year. ive only ever watched the show once, in 2019, when it ended. still dream about nygmobblepot though. i dont dream about media, like ever, but with them, its different), i saw 5x8 to satiate my never satisfied craving of nygmob scenes, obviously skipping the main story bc i dont care about that straight shit. i got to the scene where oswald kills mr. scarface and frees arthur penn from said mr. scarface, after which ed shoots him in the head because thats what one does in such a situation, thought "aw how cute", again, as one does, and then realised.

what was that background music just now? rewinds.... oh. oh haha, its 'penguin in love'. how fun.

WHAT.

WHY IS THAT IN THERE. WHY DID THEY INCLUDE IT.

correction. it wouldve made sense to have it here. they used it in 5x5 for the speech about not backstabbing each other (wedding vows for murderers fr fr), so using it again after their relationship has solidified wouldve made sense.

note how im saying 'would have'.

because it would have made sense, if they used it when ed said "i accept you for the person that you are, just as you accept me for the cold logician that i am. thats why this friendship is great." they didnt, though. they used another equally heartfelt song for that. dunno what its called, it sounds a bit like 'penguin in love' but isnt, not sure if that one has a specific meaning like 'penguin in love' does.

so when was the song used? at 36:08 – 36:17. barely ten seconds, right before eds lines, right before ed kills penn.

...right when penn was sitting in oswalds lap because theyd been fighting for the gun and os fell on the ground.

now. the most obvious answer to "why in the fucking hell" would be because ooh this dudes on his lap so sexy, but no. no. 'penguin in love' is about one specific thing: love. the pure kind. the kind that makes you giddy with butterflies in your stomach, kicking your legs, while youre on your bed, writing in your diary about this guy you have a crush on. and oswald and penn do have history, oswald was more or less fond of penn, but not in love (i mean where would he have found the room in his heart if it was already filled with EDWARD EDWARD EDWARD martin my sweet boy EDWARD EDWARD EDWA-). im also definitely not thinking that penn was so happy about being free from mr. scarfaces influence and not having to kill oswald (oh yeah, the horror. who would wanna kill oswald, the guy with the big ego, who never does anything for anyone without some kind of endgoal- well, unless your name is edward of course) that he instantly fell in love with the guy. i can deal with the homicidal kind of crazy, but that? no. thats where i draw the line.

the next most obvious answer is that it was about oswalds love for ed. more believable, since its what the song was made for, but more believable doesnt mean believable. or likely. because even if i 100% believe that hes been loving this dude for so long its not something he has to think about anymore for it to be true, im pretty sure that itd be very random to suddenly focus on that when oswald was just about to die. so no, even if its what the song is intrinsically about.

so next most obvious answer is- wait. thats it. huh? theres no obvious answer anymore? everything else is brainrot? oh. oh well. its been five years, im sure its too late to worry about it now. what the hell.

im sure you know where im going with this. or maybe not. honestly idk what the fuck im talking about-

youre smart. you know what im about to say. if it wasnt about what oswald was feeling because he was otherwise preoccupied, and it wasnt about penn because that makes no fucking sense, then who was this song used for? who else was in the room?

...oh.

YOU.

YOU FUCKING IMBECILE. YOU STUPID DENSE PIECE OF-

inhale, exhale. no. don’ get mad, you know he cant help it. you know hes totally helpless when it comes to emotions. just breathe. ok.

i hate him. i hate him so much.

if the song wasnt for oswalds sake, it was for his. because i know hes in love with oswald, but does ed? does the producers??

'penguin in love' is about oswalds love. its about his love for edward. its about their love, their relationship. its about edward just as much as it is about oswald.

a-fucking-PPARANTLY, I DIDNT KNOW THAT!! I JUST THOUGHT OH YEAH OZZY BE THE GAY ONE HAHA FUNNY, I DIDNT KNOW IT COULD BE ABOUT ED DIRECTLY!!!

(why am i like this? what is my life? i will never be normal.)

ed has always been the obsessive one. first kristen (and the woman who shall not be named is just an extention of that ofc), then oswald, then lee. and as weve seen with kristen, when hes obsessed with someone, he can become possessive. absolutely not on the scale oswald is on, but still. theres a wee bit of jelly there. oh you have a boyfriend? better get rid of him! oh you wanna run away from me bc i murdered your boyfriend? better keep you right in place and- oh shit did i kill you? ono D:

this is a huge oversimplification, but you get the point. its there. or at least it has to be there because why else do you get so angy that someone is sitting in the lap of your just friend because they were fighting and they ended up in that position totally accidentally? like thats not normal behaviour, for anyone, unless you have possessive tendencies.

i mean its not like penn was a threat in any way. "he wasnt the threat, the dummy was the-" like i understand ed told penn about the submarine which was supposed to be a secret, but come on, like they couldnt make sure penn wouldnt say anything. so why would ed shoot him? its not even like penn was a random dude where that type of thing would be very inconsequential, oswald knew him. hed worked for oswald, and like i said, oswald was more or less fond of the guy. penns just a poor little meow meow, y u kil him eddie? 🥺

unless this fondness was part of the problem. unless ed saw how happy oswald was to see him, got annoyed but let it slide, then used penn attacking os and knowing about the sub as an excuse to kill him. and why would oswald being happy to see penn be a problem to ed? it wouldnt be. it wouldnt be, unless ed thinks oswald is his.

which makes sense. i know im calling him names and calling him out, but like. oswald told him he loved him like 5 times 2 years prior, i dont blame him for believing that maybe theres something to it (especially since that was the point of 3x14, oswald really being in love with him and surprising himself with it). but i thought ed didnt feel the same way? because hes very hetero? because he had a full-on girlfriend before, twice, technically? because-

"the truth is oswald, you would sacrifice anyone to save your own neck. even me."

"like i said! you will always fail, because youll never change."

hm. i know this is a bit off topic, but i just got a war-flashback and... why did ed sound so hurt when he said that? "youll never change." "you would sacrifice anyone. even me." why does he care? they were friends, best friends, yes, but why does he sound like a heartbroken wife who just found out her husband cheated on her again? why does-

"honestly you deserve this. you are opportunistic, your loyalty is.. shaking, at best, and you will hurt anyone, anyone, to get what you want."

"and yes, i was not a good friend. to you or anyone. its why im alone. but i saw you for what you are and i valued that!"

...why would edward nygma, the man who literally said "i dont love you" to oswald, be jealous of even the idea that maybe penn could have something going on with oswald? and why would he act on it if hes usually so careful to not reveal his feelings (unless its about kristen. the original obsession, the american dream, the just be normal, show them you are normal, and people will accept you)? he wouldnt.

unless oswald just told him that he knows he messed up. that hes sorry for it.

and unless that made him think that maybe theres a chance.

"love is about sacrifice. its about putting someone elses needs and happiness before your own."

"you gave up your revenge for me?"

a chance... for what?

"life begins anew."

"shall we get to work?"

and if theres a chance, hes not about to risk losing it. not this time.

so maybe 'penguin in love' is about more than just oswalds feelings. maybe they were trying to tell us that, yes, we see you traumatised gay kid, were sorry this is all we can give you, but here you go, eds in love with him too, but don’t tell the channel. subtlely. just for barely ten seconds. and maybe it can be enough.

nope, it wont be. im gonna sit here crying about the injustice of not having them kiss on screen in the finale as was originally intended for the rest of my life. seriously though, what is this, nbc's hannibal, where im noticing something new details every single time i watch the show, causing me to spiral? no, i was already spiralling. the spiralling was the reason i rewatched the scene. the scene simply made it worse.

so yeah, im done freaking out about a mediocre show that was cancelled 5 years ago and is honestly not worth anyones time (like, its ok. it might even be better than i remember since its been so long. i doubt it. but its ok).

tl;dr: ive only now realised that a specific gay song plays in a specific episode of a show i watched 5 years ago and the only reason theyd include it in the episode is if the dude that was not canonically in love with the other dude was in fact gay, they just werent allowed to make it canon, so they added the gay song to subtlely tell us about it.

have a wonderful day, hellsite. dont do what i did and go crazy about fictional gay people. i know you will though, that’s why im here too. i hate gay people. these two make me homophobic so bad, i wanna gauge my eyes out and skin myself-

[yzafre]

Rise Magic Watch - Anatawa Hitorijanai

Alriiiigiht, let's talk about unlocking the Hamato Ninpo - starting with Karai and April.

So, there's a bunch of little scenes that tell me they had to wrap up the story on ta time-limit, but this one is THEE scene that lives rent-free in my head.

"Now you must teach the family." / "How can I? I'm not o - I'm not one of you!" / "Oh, my child... you have always been one of us."

So this is a very sweet scene... but Karai's got no clue who April is. They barely exchanged a single line! Karai didn't even get to see April's dynamic with the boys! We, the viewers, know April is entirely family, but Karai's got no context for it.

That being said, let's talk about the magic. So, Karai was already doing her... glowy deal when April showed up. Which is interesting in context - if you remember, Shredder's whole deal was to consume Karai's Hamato essence. He seems to think he's done so - specifically, he's "defeated" her - though he's not seeing the effects in himself he expected.

So... what does that mean for the specific way Karai is dying? What are the options?

This is just... a thing for Hamato? When they die, their spirit starts lifting out of them? There's some benefit to not leaving behind a corpse. Though, looking to the future, April IS a Hamato, and she does leave behind a body in the bad timeline. But then, this could be to-do with going out while mystically over-taxed?

It could be that Shredder DID steal her "Hamato essence", and this whole glowy-deal is like... her bleeding out from where that was ripped from her, but spiritually.

Alternatively, Shredder tried to take her essence but failed for various reasons, and instead just left spiritual injuries which... once again, left her bleeding out from her soul.

There's options here. I'm a mix of the last and first - specifically, that she's all glowy because of a spiritual wound, but stepping away from the glowing, that any Hamato can choose to pass their spirit on with their final breath and perhaps in other ways? That was the inspiration for this bit of art from almost a year ago.

Anyways, April is now host to a ghost.

"I went to the lair - which is totally destroyed - and found Karai and she turned into light an now I hear her voice inside my head!"

This seems to give her:

Karai's commentary/instruction in her head.

General memories from Karai's life?

Inherited muscle memory.

An outfit change????

Just based on what we see. Honestly, the Hamato connection with past generations is so fun and has a lot of potential for world-building.

Next, we got the awakening of the boy's Ninpo.

"Karai says to access your inner power, you have to stay calm and feel connected to one another."

We're all super familiar with the exchange between Karai, Raph, and April here.

"Hamato Ninpo does not come from you alone. It comes from all who came before you, from your family. You have to trust your family." / "It's not all on you, Raph. We're here for each other - trust that." / "I do trust my family." / "No. Trust us the way we trust you."

It specifically targets the first time Raph went full-kaiju when catching Leo in Bug Busters as an example. I think the implication here is that Raph did, indeed, tap the slightest bit into the Hamato Ninpo to get the boost he needed to pull this off - but wasn't entirely able to connect. Possibly because, while he was entirely focused on his family, he was still in an... individual mind-set? It was on him to save his brother. This is all sub-text I'm reading into this.

In any case, it gives him the idea for the Big Trust Fall.

They all leap - acting in concert, with the same goal in mind. And then....

Raph not getting any glow-stuff - whether it be shoulder-markings or whoosh-y magic streamers - is a CRIME.

Anyways, we get the magical girl transformation sequence. And we get closer and closer to the question that vexes me - what is the difference and/or overlap between the Hamato Ninpo (collective power) and the boys' Mystic Abilities (individual expression).

So. What we see here is this: mystic energy is streaming out of the Hamato crest, but in their individual colors and taking a shape that relates to each individual. Mikey keeps his curls of fire, Donnie gets blocky shapes like his shoulder markings, and Leo gets... okay, so it looks like electricity in the stills, but in motion it moves in a way that's part electricity, part fire, and part water. It's hard to pin down - a bit like Leo.

Generally, this seems to also like.... boost their power? I mean, mystic energy is spilling out of them. There's something of an implication that they couldn't reach their full power without being in-sync like this.

Then, we see the three separate energies combine into a single green hand to reach for Raph. This, for sure, is purely related to the Hamato Energy - the ability to combine your energies into something greater, as well as a bit of that "make something from nothing" we saw Karai doing.

This biggest question, to me, is this: Do their abilities come from the Hamato Ninpo, or are they simply boosted by it? How do I put this...

Option 1: By being a Hamato, your... soul/spirit/whatever is connected to this well of power, and your part of it ends up developing into a unique power.

Option 2: Because of the way they were created by Draxum, the turtles ended up with the start of some mystic abilities upon mutation. Because of their connection to Splinter, they are also Hamato. Over time, the two separate abilities became more or less intertwined, allowing them to work together or use one to boost the other.

Ahhh, was that clear? Honestly, trying to tease out the difference here makes my brain hurt. But, basically: is source of their abilities being off-brand yokai, or is it being Hamato?

We've got a few more examples of Hamato Ninpo in action next episode, along with a LOT of examples of their upgraded mystic abilities - and that's not getting into the Movie. That being said, I really don't think there's anything in the text that fully clarifies this, so it might just be up to interpretation/head-canon.

What I will say is that the ability for them to combine their energies - not just make them work in-tandem a la the teleporting, jet-powered, fire-fisted Raph construct, but combining them into a single new entity as we see here - could have had some fascinating potential for really cool sequences if the series had continued.

Alright! One more episode! and then at some point the movie! It's time for the COOLEST fight scene! See you next time!

[dynamightmite]

I have to be honest with you guys, I'm sort of confused by the doomposting, because from what I can tell (pre-official translation, etc), Katsuki and Izuku's conversation is very considerate, gentle, and indicative of how close they've grown. Like, the whole thing is incredibly sweet and full of Katuski reaffirming how much he cares for Izuku.

Katsuki offers a job at his agency. Izuku says, “no, thanks, I have a job that I really like”, and Kirishima, because he's Katuski's bro-est friend to the end, has to tease Katuski about getting rejected.

And Katsuki, realizing that his intentions might not have been clear, explains what he meant specifically for Izuku. He says that if someone is important to you, you should make sure they know. AKA he’s explicitly telling Izuku that he wants him to know that he's important to Katsuki. And then, and then, adds that Izuku should do things for himself, that he should be doing whatever makes him happy. And this line in particular is so sweet, because it’s such a lovely encapsulation of how much Katsuki’s grown up. He’s saying, hey, man, we aren’t kids anymore. You didn’t bruise my ego, I’m not pissed off, I just want you to be happy. If teaching is what you find fulfilling, I’ll support it.

In context, Katsuki effectively spends the whole car ride telling Izuku that he doesn’t want to work with anyone but him (“if any interns had come along saying they want to surpass me…”). He's saying that nothing has changed, he hasn’t moved on, he still actively wants Izuku by his side. He’s letting Izuku know that there will always be a place for him at Katsuki’s agency if he ever changes his mind, but that he wants Izuku to be happy and is glad he’s found something (teaching) that makes him feel that way. There isn’t anger. Maybe some disappointment, but not because I think he’s feeling totally rejected by Izuku. He's actually just giving him affirmation after affirmation that he still cares about Izuku, a lot.

And yeah, because most of Horikoshi’s dialogue has double meanings, Katsuki can definitely be read as a (somewhat inadvertant) wingman for Izuku and Ochako, but honestly, those two instances are fairly separate. The conversation in the car is all about him and Izuku, and if Izuku takes that to heart and goes to Ochako, I don’t see that as dismissive of Katsuki. I see that as a testament to their friendship that, for the first time in his life, Izuku actually listens to someone else’s advice and does something for himself lololol.

Like I’m sorry to the people who are upset, but I just find the “Katsuki and Izuku were totally mishandled and they don’t like each other anymore” freak outs to be a bit odd.

[would-this-pokemon-be-a-friend]

How about Piplup, or their evolutions? They have always been a favorite of mine

[I haven’t covered any of this evolution line yet, so let’s start at the beginning!] While a piplup may be a bit of a challenge as far as water-type starter pokémon go, this is still a species that many potential owners will be able to handle.

Piplups are just the right size to be a a pet, and unlike many water-type pokémon their space needs aren’t too extreme. While piplups are skilled swimmers in the wild (Pearl), they aren’t purely aquatic creatures. While I would definitely recommend, at the very least, taking your piplup out to a public pokémon pool, a lake, or the ocean to play from time to time, you won’t need to have a private pool or tank to care for a piplup. I will point out that piplups are adapted for cold environments, found in the wild “along shores in northern countries” (Pearl); their thick downy feathers insulate them from cold air and water (Diamond). If you live somewhere warm, you will probably need to keep your piplup’s space cool to keep them comfortable.

Unfortunately, piplups are a little troublesome when it comes to friendship. Now, on this blog, we always give pokémon that are popular first partner pokémon the benefit of the doubt; since piplups fit the bill, we can assume they aren’t all too aggressive towards humans are are receptive to safety training. That being said, bonding with a piplup is quite difficult, and the pokédex provides evidence that training them is, in reality, easier said than done. Piplups are very proud, and are said to hate accepting food from anybody (Diamond). They’re even said to dislike being cared for in general, having a reputation for resisting bonding with their owner and refusing training (HeartGold/SoulSilver).

If you adopt a piplup, you need to be ready for an uphill battle to befriend them. It would be important to be understanding of your pet’s proud tendencies and adapt your care to fit their needs. For example, you could try to provide them with opportunities to “find” their own food by “hunting” in a pool or by giving them a puzzle toy with their food hidden inside. Over time, your piplup will likely warm up to you, but it will require patience.

Thankfully, piplups’ haughty personalities don’t translate into aggression. Even if they did, this species isn’t too much of a safety issue if you have the patience and dedication to train them (or hire a professional to help you). Moves like Hydro Pump and Brine might not necessarily be deadly, but they certainly run the gamut from annoying property damage to pretty major injuries depending on the context. There’s nothing here to tank this species’ score too badly, but keep it in mind.

Overall, if you’re looking for a sweet, loving pet, you’re not going to find that right away with a piplup. These pokémon are proud as a personal principle, naturally resisting feeding and training. If you are patient, and willing to invest in training in the long-run for your own safety, a piplup may be just the right pet for you. They are, to say the least, an acquired taste.

[fohatic]

fic trope rate game: kink edition

it's the same game from before -- i just swapped the run-of-the-mill tropes for some spicier stuff 🤘

Rate: How much do these tropes affect your decision to click on a fic?

-10 -> very dissuaded

0 - don’t care either way

+10 -> very enticed

nope -> if it’s a hard no and you’d never click on a fic with that tag or or you even have the tag blocked or you’d insta click out of the fic if it wasn’t tagged. Bonus points for explaining the rating and whether it’s conditional.

Onto the game ➡️

Roleplay: +9

i actually don't come across much of this in fic, but if i see it tagged i'm definitely gonna want to take a look. i especially love when one character is really into it and the other is taking a chance on it to make the other one happy, leading to another one of my faves: *kink discovery*

BDSM: +7

there aren't a lot of BDSM-universe fics that draw me in; i'm usually more interested in it as a behind-closed-doors sort of activity between blorbos, in which case i tend to enjoy it a lot. bondage, especially. i love a good dom/sub story, though, so chances are i'm gonna at least save it for later when i come across intriguing premises (my reading list is brimming with these)

Armor Kink: +6

i used to think it sounded kinda boring, but i have been proven QUITE wrong on that score. so glad i learned to love this one!

Sex Pollen: +8

solid trope. so many ways to have fun with it.

Noncon: +10

it shouldn't surprise you that i am a big perv for this stuff. i'm also super into CNC and dubcon, but i didn't add these to this list since these often go hand-in-hand with appreciation for noncon.

Somnophilia: +10

always very into it, rarely disappointed (especially since it's not usually tackled by writers who don't know what they're doing)

Drunk sex: +4

as stated above, i do enjoy dubcon and drunk sex can make for some very interesting conundrums. mainly including this here so i can compare people's responses to this one with the three tropes listed above it.

Tentacles: +8

i am so down. didn't used to be, by the way: i thank @sabrecmc for showing me the light! you can browse my tentacle tag for art and such if you're in desperate need of conversion, yourself ;)

Sexting: +3

not usually that excited about it, especially if it's the main event -- but i've read some fun ones and would be open to discovering more

Daddy Kink: +8

i am almost always down with it. it's the kink that can elevate an otherwise mediocre fic to a smutty sensation, and it's very easy to implement. moderation is key, though: if the word "daddy" is used too many times, or in awkward contexts, my interest might start to lose steam. if you're unsure about the right moments for it, just use it sparingly and you'll use it well.

Vampires and/or Werewolves: +4

i used to kinda sorta be into the vampire stuff but avoided the werewolf stuff at all costs. these days i'm still iffy about vamp fics but there's definitely some good stuff to be found, and i've got no problem with werewolf fucking. life is sweet 😎

Underage: +5

arguably the most controversial kink out there; the hard line that gets repeatedly drawn in the digital sand; the big U-word on so many DNWs, sometimes banned from events, inspiring fics that sow divisiveness amongst fandoms and spawn long-winded text posts and endless rebuttals about morality and responsibility and fiction-versus-reality, prompting the unsolicited dumping of TMI from people on either side to justify their stance, etc. etc....

of course i'm all over that shit like the cartoon sicko in the window. it doesn't usually get darker or messier than this. you have to be comfortable wading through some heavy muck -- but when i find a skilled writer in that tag, it's a revelation.

also sometimes it's just used to tag relationships where two teenagers get together and it's just cute and awkward. fine by me!

Sexual Dysfunction: +3

i've never sought it out, but it's definitely not a dealbreaker. writers that incorporate it often have mature perspectives, which piques my interest.

Crossdressing Kink: +6

there's some truly excellent works out there that feature this kink, and i'd love to read some more

Non-Sexual Submission: +1

my dudes, this is a kink. admitting this doesn't negate anyone's asexuality or what have you -- sexuality is a spectrum -- but i'm very dubious when it's framed as anything else. that being said, it's not generally my sort of kink, but i can appreciate it on occasion.

Cheating/Infidelity: +7

sometimes fics that feature this tag end up being one big sob story about being jilted and trying to move forward, and that's not usually what i'm looking for. i'm more interested in the fraught romance between people that aren't exactly available to pursue one another, but can't help themselves. not fun irl, but in fic? yum.

who wants to share their thoughts on these kinks?? the question is open to anyone who sees this (PLEASE tag me, i want to know!!), but to kick things off, i'll tag a bunch of folks in the hope of getting some takers: @bulkyphrase, @carsonian, @mobiusonajetski, @kandisheek, @sabrecmc, @thepiper0fhameln, @pia-bartolini, @persephonesfill, @tinystark616, @cloudbellsv3, @mserm, @arukou-arukou, @oluka, @thahiree, @kiyaar, @venomous-soliloquy, @therollingstonys

(no pressure at all, though! i realize not everyone will want to chime in on these -- ofc you can feel free to delete options from this list if you don't want to 'go there')

[justexistingsomewhere]

WARNING! DREAMTALE RAMBLE INCOMING!!

I personally am both a Canon Nightmare and Dadmare enjoyer. Both have different concepts and outlooks that are just so interesting for me. And I think it’s important to note to people who get upset at how others see him is the fact that Joku was an inconsistent writer for both Dream’s and Nightmare’s characters. (But I can go deeper into that in a different post)

Whether post-apple-incident Nightmare is the same person as before, corrupted, possessed by that one dead human, an eldritch creature born from negativity, or some split personality type shit. It doesn’t matter to me! I collect them all like Pokémon!!

What I really wish is for people to learn some canon facts that I find super interesting! Because I personally love doing deep dives into Dreamtale and am done holding myself back from info dumping like a maniac!! For example, this is an actual line from the comic that I think about way too much:

“But where did the tiny guardian go?

Inside of the mind of that thing there was an encounter. Nightmare was crying while the viscous person was hugging him, it was himself, telling him that he would protect him from everything.” (Source 1)

Like, Dadmare real??? He freaking HUGS him it’s so sweet!! In the context of canon it could also show how great a manipulator Corrupted can be right from the very start, having Night let down his guard and give in in order to take full control in the moment! Both are very interesting ideas to explore!!

Another example (yes another I know) is this other interesting fact I’ve found.

“Memories of the bullying often harm him: whenever he sees a lone person being beaten up by others, he will be reminded of what the original went through, this making him mindlessly kill the assailants.” (Source 2)

The fact that this is canon proves that a part of him is affected and triggered by his past. This is even shown to affect him so much that he not only breaks his no killing rule, but he also saves someone else (albeit quite violently). Take this information how you will.

I’ll end my rant here, and if you made it to the end I applaud you. This is sorta a continuation of my previous post here. There is still plenty I would love to talk about (the canon endings, Lore, etc) and I can make this into a little series if anyone would want! Oh, and I’ve linked the sources into the comments if you’re interested!

[petruchio]

ahhhh im so embarrased lol. fully sent an ask to another user thinking it was you. in my defense i remember ppl by their profile pics and i kept looking for the britney profile pic and then when i couldn't find that, i started searching up thg on both profiles hoping for like a post/meta/a set of tags that i remembered lol. unless the britney profile pic was also not you.... in which case im going to go crawl in a hole and scream. anyway, what did you think about sotr!!! imo she made a lot of Choices in the books that i didn't personally care for. haymitch eternally mourning his teenage love being one of them. i remember reading about his geese at the end of the first trilogy and being so happy?/proud? that he found a way to cope. only come to find out it's just another way he reminds himself of lenore dove????? thank god these books have been out since 2010 and idc if god himself said that this is correct interpretation of haymitch's story. you will not!!! take away my decade and a half long hcs away from me. idgaf.

onto the good!!! effie.... wow. they've known each other since his first games...... 25 years..... twenty-five years..... the big two five...... twenty-five years of watching children die together. twenty five years of effie watching haymitch sink deeper into his alcoholism...... two and a half decades of knowing each other and then she has to call his name for the 75th games..... twenty five years of hand in unlovable hand..... you are coming down with me. also very me and my husband coded. at least in this lifetime, we're sticking together.... me and my husband we're sticking together.

ohhh head in hands head in hands. somebody fucking SEDATE ME!!!!

tldr; idgaf what collins wrote. i've spent a decade thinking about this dude. i'll probably just take the parts that i like and move on with my life lol. would love to know what you think about it!!! and if you've already made a post about that and i happened to miss it, then so sorry for word vomiting in your inbox.

sending lots of love <33333!!!!

LOLLL but anon who is the other me 👀 it's actually funny you say that because i was thinking about changing my icon today but didn't commit but i feel like i was britney for SO long that even when that pic isn't my official icon it's still ~me~ (bc like. dump him!!)

ANYWAY you asked me about sotr

ummmmmmmmm, how do i put it lightly, i didn't like it haha. i have a tag here you can check out and i've been trying to tag everything as sotr spoilers too -- i answered a couple asks right after reading it so those are in the tag if you want to read. i was fairly negative but well. i didn't really like it at all tbh.

and i agree about the geese, i don't know -- i just don't feel like everything needed a backstory that tied back 25 years, i think it was fine that haymitch just raised geese. like i think it was sweet. i didn't think it needed to relate to his teenage girlfriend haha. like i actually think that cheapens it.

and yeah i just simply don't really see the character we met in sotr as haymitch if im being honest. like he just doesn't feel like the person we meet in thg, and i don't mean that in the sense that "he's younger" i mean that it genuinely doesn't feel like the same character to me, even if you add ALL the context of the years of mentoring and having to perform a role for the capitol and drinking it just. it doesn't seem like the same dude if im being honest. haymitch always seemed to me -- at least in the original trilogy -- as someone who's kind of too smart for his own good, someone who would've looked at the arena and said well, if i can't win, i might as well try to make something interesting happen and tried to find the edge just to see if it was possible. that was his motivation and it made sense and seemed in line with the character as we meet him in thg -- he was just messing with shit to mess with it. that's the vibe i always got from the character. not ... whatever tf was happening in that book.

i'm happy that you liked the effie cameo, if im being honest it annoyed me... the effie revisionist history has driven me crazy ever since the first thg movie because to me she! is! annoying! and that's not to say she isn't a very REAL character, one that could just as easily be, like, your annoying coworker or your cousin's weird friend or someone you know in real life -- but i also don't think she needed a backstory or motivation outside of: this is a woman who was willing to do the job of "escort" and bring two children to the captiol to be killed every single year. that's all we really need to know about her motivations in my opinion! (it also makes the line in the first book where katniss says she's just waiting to get promoted to a better district make no sense and seem kind of crazy, bc if she's been sticking by haymitch for 25 years out of loyalty or compassion or something... i feel that her vibe would be markedly different in the original trilogy. but that's just me.)

ANYWAY. sorry for being such a dark cloud about the book but it just did not hit for me... i'm with you in the sense that I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS DUDE FOR LIKE FIFTEEN YEARS and i will just choose to adopt whatever new bits of the canon i feel like adopting and pretend everything else was just a fun little fanfic project that suzanne did or something.

IDK GUYS. i feel like everyone else had a much better time reading this book than i did haha. im sorry my opinion is such a downer, i just didn't feel like it built on the world in any justifiably interesting way (like tbosas did) and i also didn't feel like it made sense given what we know about basically every character that appeared! so it frustrated me. <3

lots of love

[fortune-maiden]

The Hundred Line: Multiple Eitos

Like a clear, empty field lit by a pale blue moon...

The Great!

Can we just take a brief moment to appreciate this route's name? This is a route name that promises insanity and IT DELIVERS!

I remember seeing a Tumblr post before about liking how Takumi/Eito isn't a thing because it means we can explore all the dark twisted aspects of their relationship... I can't help but wonder if they were thinking of this route when they wrote that post.

This is a cutscene-only, Takumi only interacts with one other character route, but unlike the other routes like this - It makes perfect sense for Takumi to only interaction with Eito because Eito is making damn sure he's not allowed to talk to anyone else ever again! This is Eito at his worst, haunting the narrative and haunting Takumi, and making it very clear that there will never be a good ending if Takumi kills him

This is another route that's short and sweet (lol) and doesn't overstay it's welcome (hell, I wouldn't have minded if it was longer!), but I do really wish we could have seen what day it was in that last ending...

I don't really talk much about the order I get the endings in, but I actually really love the order I got them in this time! My first ending was Eternal Hate. I foolishly thought that I had solved Eito's challenge - and I did imo - but Takumi did not and everyone pays the price for it. The final thing we see is a bloodstained Takumi completely consumed by hate while Eito recites that one line of poetic dialogue at the top that I would never have guessed THIS to be the context of. I thought it was going to be one of the routes where Eito doesn't hate us!

I really wonder what that line sounds like in Japanese. I know it's a play on their names

The next ending was going back and not giving in to hate in hopes that that makes things better somehow. Well Takumi did reach the same answer I did, but far too late, and forces his friends to stop his rampage by killing him. You'd think we could have a nice dying as yourself moment as he fades but NOPE! Eito is not having it!

Fine! The only winning move is not to play! And also not give Eito the satisfaction of hearing what he wants! Eito doesn't win, but he still gets the last laugh. Bastard.

(Honestly would be fun to see the natural continuation of this ending)

And then the final ending. If you told me Ryukishi07 wrote this route, I would instantly believe you. THIS is a quintessential When They Cry murder party and was the absolute perfect ending to end the route on! Takumi has found his answer, and we get to see him test his resolve to its absolute limits. If Eito wants to destroy with his mind, Takumi's going to destroy his body over and over and over and over... it's a very uncomfortable and disturbing read and I wouldn't have it any other way.

But still! Each successive ending has been slightly less despairing, so surely this one where Takumi is fighting back in full force can have some semblance of a happy ending, right?

And just when we have a tiny spark of hope, we're instantly plunged back into Despair.

I really hope Takumi doesn't remember this ending in the Plot Lock route xD

Also this route has some incredible CGs!

The Nitpicks I guess

I think not having any battles in this route was a missed opportunity. Can you imagine how funny it would have been! 1 Takumi, 10 Eitos! Maybe even 11!

So did Eito's challenge even have an answer in the end?

I continue to be deeply concerned by the SDU just going along with Takumi's breakdowns and not doing anything about them. Though kudos to them for (somehow) figuring out what exactly was wrong with him this time. But really guys? Cheering him on as he keeps killing himself???

Don't get me wrong, it was hilarious! But really guys!

Thinking about it some more though, I wonder if the Eito who (somehow) figured out exactly what was happening to Takumi was actually Hiruko, and she didn't figure it out so much as simply repeat what she'd learned in the ending where they mercy killed him. Her proceeding to not make any kind of sensible decision would be on brand at this point..

The Actual Not-So-Good

POOR EVA!

Also is it me or does the CG where Eva is fatally stabbed look like she just got stabbed in the shoulder?