#but...that's really hard for me to translate I think...

[shyoko]

✧Too late. She moans my name now ✦༺⊹

This writing is my own; no copies, adaptations, or translations are allowed. I hope you like it. 𓂃

✦ 1.2K words * Masterlist˚ Taglist₊‧ ✦𓂃 

Ni-ki x fem!reader ⚠️ CW: +18, jealousy, possessiveness, rough intimacy, dirty talk, choking, oral (m receiving), spanking, marking, phone call humiliation, creampie, breeding kink, emotional tension.

He wouldn’t touch you. Not after all the fights. So you begged. Now he’s fucking you hard enough to make your ex hear every moan.

The room was silent. Only the dim glow of the bedside lamp lit the outline of his body, naked on the bed, giving you a perfect view of every tense muscle, every shadow that defined his broad back and narrow waist. Ni-ki hadn’t looked at you once since he entered the room. He hadn’t spoken to you. Hadn’t touched you. Nothing. And you couldn’t take it anymore.

Days without a single fucking touch. No affection. No kiss. Just arguments, shouting in the middle of the night, doors slammed shut… all because of your stupid ex who kept calling like he still had a claim on you. And you, with that naive sense of calm, had tried to de-escalate. Had tried to explain to Ni-ki that the other guy meant nothing, that he wasn’t part of your life anymore. But Ni-ki couldn’t stand it. And you couldn’t stand the silence either.

You walked slowly to the bed. He still had his back to you. The silence between you felt like concrete. “Ni-ki…” you whispered, but he didn’t answer. You moved closer, reaching out, your fingers barely grazing his skin.

He turned around sharply, his eyes burning with restrained rage. “Don’t start. I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to fight anymore.”“I��m not here to fight…” you whispered softly, almost trembling. “I came to say I’m sorry.”

Ni-ki closed his eyes tightly, like your words only made things worse. He turned away from you again. “Do you really think a damn ‘sorry’ is going to erase what you defended? What you excused?”You bit your lip. Pride hurt, but your need for him hurt more. “I just want to be with you… I just want you to look at me like before.”

You moved in from behind, wrapped your arms around his waist. He tried to push you off with one hand, sighing heavily. “No. Don’t touch me right now.”“Then tell me you don’t love me anymore,” you murmured, kissing his shoulder blade. “Say it, and I’ll leave.”

Silence. His jaw tightened. “Don’t provoke me.” His voice was low, tense, dangerous.

But you kept kissing him, lower, softer. Your lips drifted to his neck, and his breathing hitched. His hand caught your arm, this time tighter—but not to push you away. He held on. “What if I just want you to hold me…? What if I just want to prove I belong to you?”

That broke him.

Ni-ki turned abruptly, grabbing your wrists and pushing you down on the bed. His eyes were full of anger, yes, but also the desperate kind of need he tried to hide. His lips crashed into yours—brutal, messy, hungry. He kissed you like he hated how much he wanted you, his hands trailing over your body like he needed to make sure you were still there, still his.

His lips devoured you. Nothing soft. Nothing sweet. Just raw frustration. He bit, sucked, held you down with a grip he only used when control slipped through his fingers. His hips pressed against yours, and his tongue forced its way between your lips, like he needed to erase any trace of someone else.

He yanked your underwear off without hesitation. The fabric didn’t stand a chance before it hit the floor. You were left wearing only his oversized t-shirt—too big, too his—and that seemed to set him off even more. “Look at you…” he growled against your neck. “My shirt. My bed. But you’re still acting like you’re not completely mine.”

His fingers slammed into you, two at once, fast, deep, impatient. He fucked you with them hard, hitting that spot inside that made your whole body shake. “You’re so fucking wet… and I’m the one who’s supposed to be angry?” he scoffed, his tone mocking. “Pathetic.”

You moaned beneath him, clinging to his neck as he gave you no space to breathe. His mouth dropped to your chest and bit down through the shirt, leaving a harsh, burning mark.

“Don’t pull away,” he growled when you squirmed. “Don’t you dare tell me to stop. Not tonight.”

Your mind was gone. Your body was melting. Your thighs trembled, your pussy pulsed violently around his fingers. Suddenly, he lifted you with ease and dropped you to your knees in front of him. His erection strained against his pants, bulging, ready to snap. Ni-ki pulled them down, and his cock sprang free, hard and heavy, the tip flushed and dripping.

“Do what you’re good at,” he muttered coldly. “Have your fun. Like it’s the last fucking time.”

He gripped your hair and forced you to look up at him. You didn’t speak. You just opened your mouth and took him in. The taste, the heat, the weight of him—he filled your mouth and your senses all at once. “That’s it…” he groaned through clenched teeth. “My pretty little slut.”

He fucked your mouth without mercy. Each thrust deeper, faster, pushing past your limit. Tears streamed from your eyes, saliva coated your chin, and still, he didn’t stop. His hands were tight in your hair, guiding you like a toy.

Then your phone rang again. The name on the screen: your ex.

Ni-ki froze. He pulled out of your mouth, a thick string of spit trailing. He grabbed the phone, glared at it, and answered.

“Listen, asshole,” his voice was sharp as a blade. “Call again and I’ll break your face. She’s not yours. Never was. She’s on her knees for me, swallowing it like she fucking needs it. And now you’re gonna hear exactly what it’s like to be irrelevant.”

He tossed the phone on the bed—still connected. He shoved you onto the mattress and flipped you over, pulling your hips up roughly. No warning. No pause. He slammed his cock inside you with one brutal thrust.

You screamed, your voice tangled in spit and moans and heat. He started moving fast, punishing, every thrust deeper than the last, smacking into you like he was trying to make a point. “This what you wanted, huh?” he grunted in your ear. “You want him to hear how fucking needy you get for me? Let him know this pussy only gets wet for me.”

A harsh slap landed on your ass. Then another. Your skin stung, your walls clenched. His hand wrapped around your throat, squeezing just enough to leave you breathless as he kept pounding into you.

“You’re mine,” he hissed against your back. “Mine. And I’m gonna fill you so deep you won’t be able to hide it.”

The phone was still on. Still active. Moans, cries, his name over and over. Then, finally, the line cut off.

Ni-ki smirked darkly. “Coward,” he murmured. “He knows he lost.”

He leaned over you, biting your shoulder, his hips snapping into yours with more power, more fire.

“I’m gonna cum,” he warned, his voice ragged. “And I’m giving it all to you.”

He spilled inside you with a guttural groan, shaking as he emptied himself deep. He didn’t pull out. Just stayed there, catching his breath on your back.

“Don’t take it out,” he ordered, breathless and rough. “I want it to stay in. I want you dripping with me so everyone knows what happens when someone tries to take what’s mine.”

He wrapped his arms around you from behind, his lips brushing your ear with a final, vicious whisper:

“I’m gonna put a baby in you, princess. So that fucker finally gets it—you’re mine. Only mine. Fuck.”

✦N/a: Hiii, I hope you all liked it a lot! I love you so much, my loves!

✦Taglist: @lezleeferguson-120 @nuki-riki @ijustwannareadstuff20 @vvenusoncasual @miellette @enhacolor @xxkatsusjinsux @somieverse @ourshin @han-to-my-minho @douqhnxtss @nuggets4lifers @mitmit01 @highway-143

[probablyspooky]

Little Bird (P3 X Fem!Reader)

This just came out so he doesn't have a name yet but if he does lmk. For now I'm calling him P3, aka predator 3 or pilot 3

You walked down the winding path that was deep within the bowels of the airship you recently began calling home, your heart pounding as each step was a step closer to being discovered by him... The one eyed yautja who brought you aboard.

Your heart hammered in your chest as you heard the familiar hiss of the doors opening and shutting as someone had walked through. Taking the chance to hide, you turned a corner, only to be met with the farm planes of a body that had endured years and years of physical combat and hard labor.

"Little bird...." he clicked, peering down at you with his single eye, the other hidden by a metallic eyepatch he wore to hide his disfigurement

A scream leapt out of your throat as he tackled you with gentle hands, his large hands gripping your sides as you squealed.

"I can smell you all around the ship little bird you cannot hide from me" he purrs, nuzzling against your cheek.

The only way you could even understand this beast was because of the earrings he had gifted you when he first took you aboard, they glistened red as each word he spoke was translated instantly into your ears.

"I only hoped to beat last times record of 10 minutes of hiding" you chuckled as he lifts you into his arms. Though he was smaller than others, he was still quite large to you.

"Perhaps do not leave a trail for me to follow," he says, walking down to the main deck of the ship

"I did no such thing," you huffed, leaning your cheek onto his head

"You dropped your shoes, meaning I could follow the faint heat of your foot prints. The ship is metal my birdie, I merely allowed you to be out of arms reach for the thrill of the hunt."

You huff, rolling your eyes as he sets you down in the chair next to the pilots seat.

"It's not really fair I go in blind without weapons and fancy gadgets, yet you have every trinket within your wrist that could find me within seconds!"

"It is fair as my race is able to create said gadgets. When I first found you, you claimed to not even think beyond that thing you called...a...a..-"

"A city"

"If that is what it is then yes, a city"

"I would've never imagined being in space, seeing the stars!" you exclaimed, spinning in the small chair, " You showed me the sun! Your home!"

"All that fascinates you? I do this weekly"

"And for me to be here...with you.."

He turns looking at you, if he could smile he'd be smiling.

"I enjoy having you here little bird."

Little bird... the name he gave you when he saw you, you had a large feather in your cap, since you were on your way to the dance club with some of your friends, but your cab had broken down by the corn fields. You would've never imagined seeing an alien space ship in front of you. Your cab driver had taken noticed and stepped in between you and the large creature that stepped off, bat in hand.

A weapon.

After watching the cab driver being tossed clear across the road with not even the flick of P3's wrist, you cried and begged for your life. Yet, P3 looked at you with that soft gaze, kneeling in front of you, he pressed his fingers to the large feather in your hat, his touch going down its length as its bristles smoothed, and then slowly went back into place.

Throwing you over his shoulder, he took your screaming and kicking self onto his ship and flew off into space. No worthy prey he later told you, but had found something much better.

Your first couple of nights with him were...awkward...

He desperately tried to get these earrings on you as gently as he could.

He held out these two black and red earrings, one in each hand as he slowly knelt down and tried to walk over to you. He doesn't have ears so it was hard to show you what he was trying to do. You swung on him, it didn't do anything. He snarled, bucking his face closer, his one eye scanning your fearful face as you whimpered.

He slowly, hooked the earring to your left ear, and then your right, thank goodness your ears were pierced, it could've been way worse.

He scoots back, sitting on the back of his calves, he brings his wrist up and begins to tap into the little device on his arm. The earrings buzzed to life, as his mandibles moved around the metal piece on his mouth, something to help him breathe when he's high up in the air.

"Little bird..." he growls in his native tongue, but in your ears, clear English.

It was a learning process to you, following him around like a tiny pet. You found yourself never more than 5 feet from him out of fear and respect. The other yautja, the term they call themselves, poked and prodded the small human with mischievous chuckles and chirps. He never defended you, and he never said anything. He would pick you up and carry you to his next task.

You'd come to learn that his home was his ship, at night he slept in his bed, your hammock hanging over him as he slept, so that if anyone were to try and harm you, he'd be ready.

Feelings can blossom in the oddest of places, at first you ignored them, didn't look at him, he was your captor for crying out loud! But he would often send off to get chickens and cows to feed you, thought he was a bit put off by the fact you ate cooked meat, he made it work.

For him, he felt awkward, he wasn't the largest yautja with the most honor...He often thought he was beyond these foolish feelings of being tied to someone for life, but he often caught you stealing glances while he flew from one port to another, how your hand was always close to his, a touch of skin only a breath away yet, both of you were too afraid to breathe.

Would he kill me for even thinking about him in that way?

Would she ever see him beyond the creature that stole her away and kept her?

The night it all changed, you looked over the side of your hammock to see if he was asleep, instead your eyes met his, and his large hands reached up, one on the underside of your hammock as he pushed you out of it into his other hand, catching you and pulling you down to him within his bed.

Quietly without a fuss, you curled up into his side.

P3's little bird within his nest.

[lazysoulwriter]

mi amor, you’re perfect. - pedro pascal - ── .✦

requested! thank you. content: established relationship, anxiety, comfort, domestic fluff, learning Spanish, supportive boyfriend Pedro, talks of meeting extended family, soft sleepy love.

Pedro finds you awake at 2:47 a.m.

You’re supposed to be sleeping—both of you are. Your flight to Santiago is in six hours, and he had insisted on getting to the airport early. But here you are, curled up on the couch with your notes open and a pencil tapping nervously against the margin.

He blinks at you from the hallway in just his t-shirt and boxers. "You okay, baby?"

You freeze. “…Hi.”

He walks closer, squints at the paper in your lap. “Are you—are you studying?”

You sigh, sheepish. “Just reviewing. I haven’t practiced enough past tense verbs.”

Pedro kneels in front of you on the carpet like you’re the altar and he’s ready to pray. “Mi amor… why are you up? You need sleep.”

“I know, but—” you pause, biting your lip. “I don’t want to mess anything up tomorrow. What if I forget a word mid-sentence? What if I say something totally wrong and they think I’m dumb or rude or—”

“Hey, hey,” he reaches up to cup your face gently, thumbs brushing under your eyes, “you won’t.”

You melt under his touch, but your voice still wavers. “It’s not that I think they’ll be mean or anything. I just… want them to like me. Really like me.”

Pedro’s brows soften, and the love in his eyes feels like sun-warmed honey. “You’ve met Javiera and Nico. You know they adore you.”

“This is your entire family, Pedro,” you murmur. “Tías, abuelos, primos… I want to show them that I care. That I care about you.”

He pulls you into his arms, settling next to you on the couch now, warm and sleepy and so deeply yours. “Mi corazón,” he whispers into your hair, “they’re going to fall in love with you. You’re kind, you’re smart, and—do you know how sweet it is that you’ve been learning Spanish for you? Not even for me? That’s so fucking beautiful.”

You sniffle, just a little. “I just want to get it right.”

“You already do. Every time you say mi amor, or ¿cómo estás?, or even when you text me ‘te extraño’ with like… eight typos,” he laughs gently, “I feel it. They will too.”

You bury your face in his shoulder. “But what if I freeze?”

“Then I’ll be right there,” he promises, his hand stroking down your back. “A lot of them speak English, and you’ll have me. You’ll be okay.”

You nod slowly.

“And if anyone gives you a hard time,” he adds, faux-threatening, “I’ll fight them. Even my abuela.”

You giggle. “You’re not fighting your grandma for me.”

“I will. She’s small. I’ll win.”

You look up, cheeks aching from smiling, and he kisses the corner of your mouth, then your cheek, then your forehead. “Try to sleep, baby. Come to bed. You’re gonna charm the whole damn country.”

“Promise?”

He holds up his pinky. “Promise. And if you want to practice one last thing before we sleep, say el amor de mi vida.”

You repeat it softly, a bit uncertain. “El amor de mi vida.”

Pedro glows.

He kisses your knuckles. “That’s me, by the way.”

You roll your eyes but your heart is full, so stupidly full it might burst.

You sleep like a baby pressed against him that night, dreaming in two languages—mi amor, I love you, te va a ir increíble.

And you wake up knowing: you're not just going to Chile.

You're going home with him.

---

✦ please do not copy, repost, or translate this work. © lazysoulwriter // i write with a lot of love and care, so please respect that.

taglist: @sarahhxx03 @lloydmustache @lolareadsimagines @greenwitchfromthewoods @silksepia @pascalswiftie @itstokyo-cos @mani-pedro @llsister @authorbriannarae13 @introvrtedjellyfish @aj0elap0l0gist @spencercmlover @cixrosie @cherrqbaby @cup-half-full-of-anxiety @joelmillerpascal @freakbobcult @sunlightpleasure@barnes70stark @mooniscrying @ohnaurshayla @croissantbakerylws @nellispunk @kasienka @taylorswiftsrep-blog @emerencedaily @byzyz @noovaarq @kristend512 @alltounwell @libbyaller @beaagiannelli @broad-shouldrs @oceanmcu @kysosa @melloispunk @jollycupcakeblizzard @angvlicsoulll @needz1nk @daddypascal17 @agustdpeach @mrsbilicablog @k4t13ispunk @hotdadlvr95 @lnnysnts @pedropascalfan221 @queenofklonnie22 @christinamadsen @ilovecheriies @stvr-bloom

[jjsmaybank20]

an inch away (from more than just friends)

Alexia Putellas x Fem!Reader

Summary: 4 times you and Alexia almost kissed and the one time you did

Warnings: literally nothing, this is just fluff

Word Count: 3.1k

A/N: This took me forever, but I'm actually really proud of it! I kind of hate the ending, but its whatever. I hope you guys like it! This is set during the 2023-2024 season.

navigation  woso masterlist

---

When you first moved to Barcelona to play for their home team, you didn’t know a lick of Spanish outside of the basics. The beautiful yet overwhelming city that you called your new home paired with the obvious language barrier caused you to feel a bit unmoored and alienated, as if you had entered a whole new world.

The team had been nothing but welcoming, each player making a clear effort to befriend and get to know you. Their warmth and easy affection left you reeling a bit, not used to that type of environment, as your old team had been the complete opposite. The person that shocked you the most with her open friendliness was la Reina herself, Alexia Putellas.  

At your first few training sessions, she went out of her way to pair up with you so that she could help with translating the coaches as they yell out instructions in rapid-fire Spanish. The two of you would talk tactics, spot each other in the gym, even assist each other with taping ankles and knees. 

Alexia quickly became your closest friend in Spain, even in your short time with the superteam. 

---

1.

You couldn’t help but smile at the endearingly awkward Barcelona captain in front of you as she enthusiastically describes a new café that she had gone to, stumbling over some of her words as she talks faster than she can mentally translate at times. 

“That sounds really good, Ale,” you smile at her, earning a grin in return. You can see her thinking something over for a minute, and you patiently wait for her to speak as you pack up your bag, ready to go home after training.

Finally she asks, “Would you like to…ah…acompáñame?” 

You take a second to translate, before clarifying, “Go with you?” She nods. “Yeah, for sure! Just text me when you’re free.” You watch as she hesitates again, fidgeting with her bag handle nervously.

“I was thinking… ¿nos vamos ahora?” Your eyes widen, clearly showing your surprise. Alexia refuses to make eye contact with you, but you duck your head down until your eyes finally meet.

“I would love to.” Now it’s Alexia’s turn to show her surprise, but her shock quickly morphs into adorable excitement. Adorable? Where did that come from? You shake the thought away before easily matching Alexia’s wide grin. 

---

The two of you agreed to drive separately and meet at the café. You spent the quick car ride there trying to no avail to tamp down your giddiness. While the two of you had become good friends, not much time had been spent together outside of team events. In fact, you don’t think that you had ever hung out with Alexia one-on-one. That thought brings the joyous smile back to your face.

Once you had parked and walked to the address Alexia had sent you, it wasn’t hard to spot the Barça captain, staring ahead with an intense look on her face. As soon as she spots you, her features instantly relax and light up. 

She stands up and meets you at the front of the café, pulling you into a hug even though she had seen you just minutes earlier. When she pulls back she doesn’t fully let you go, using her arm still around you to guide the two of you into the line to order.

You decide what to order, then you turn to Alexia. “What are you going to get?” 

She points it out on the menu for you just as you get to the front of the line. Alexia gestures for you to go, prompting you to recite your orders to the barista in broken Spanish. “Yo tendré la… Choco-Bombón y un croissant, y ella… tendrá la… Capuchino Especial.” You finish with a pleased smile on your lips.

The barista nods, tapping at the screen in front of her. “Su total es de 7.87 euros.” You nod, fishing out your wallet. Confused, Alexia stops you before you can pay for her drink as well. 

“What are you doing? I pay for mine,” she inquires. You easily wave off her protests, passing the correct amount of money over the counter and accepting the change. She gives you a grateful smile, and the two of you walk towards a table, taking a seat until your order is ready.

---

You talk for hours, enjoying each other’s company and the good food and drink. Finally, you realize just how late it’s gotten. You and Alexia pack up your things and you walk her to her car. Before she gets in, she begins to lean towards you. You turn your head slightly in confusion, causing her lips that were aiming for your cheek to fall dangerously close to the corner of your mouth.

A furious blush appears on your face, and you think you see a matching one on Alexia as she just smiles at you before climbing into her car. 

As you watch her drive away, you can’t help but touch your face in the spot where her soft lips had met your skin. Holy shit.

---

2.

After your coffee date, you and Alexia started to hang out together all the time. That experience kicked your friendship into another gear, and it quickly became extremely common for your teammates to find one of you at the others’ house, and both of you had a key to the other’s home. 

Many times after practice the two of you would go back to your place, order in some food, and watch a movie or play some video games. Well, more like you absolutely demolishing Alexia at FIFA and trying to ignore how fluttery your chest gets when she pouts after losing. 

It was incredibly easy to fall into a pattern with Alexia, the Barcelona captain filling your days with warmth and laughter. You recognized the joy your friendship brought you and tried to show your appreciation for Alexia whenever you can, and clearly the brunette feels the same way. 

Which is why you are so confused when you are met with the sight of Alexia desperately trying to air out your kitchen which has filled with smoke as you enter your house, having left earlier for a meeting. The woman clearly hasn’t noticed that you have arrived home yet, and you can hear her cursing up a storm in Spanish as she desperately waves her arms, trying to somehow push all of the smoke out of your now-open window.

“Are you trying to burn my house down?” You ask, mild amusement mixing with the concern you are feeling. Alexia startles, and you can’t help but laugh out loud as she whips around, eyes as wide as saucers.

“Cariño! When did you… for how long…” Alexia stumbles over her words, but you don’t notice as you try to ignore how her pet name made you feel. You snap out of your daze as she comes towards you, now with a clearly guilty look on her face. “I am sorry. I just wanted to… cook para ti. To thank you for when you cook for me.”

You giggle at the scolded-toddler look that the woman has on her face, but stop quickly as she pouts even harder. You pull her towards you, wrapping your arms around her in a hug that she easily sinks into. “It’s alright, Ale. You don’t have to make it up to me, I love to do things for you.” A sly grin develops on your face. “Plus, not all of us can be master chefs.” The Spanish woman grumbles against your chest, but you can feel a slight smile pressed into your chest.

After a minute, Alexia pulls back and tilts her head up slightly so that she can look you in the eyes, still having a slight frown on her face. As you look down at her, you are suddenly filled with the overwhelming urge to kiss the pout right off of her lips. 

You almost give into the urge right then and there, and you think that with the way Alexia is looking at you she would maybe not be opposed to it, but then you smell yet another burning smell. The moment is broken, and as you scramble into your kitchen, you miss the flash of disappointment in Alexia’s eyes.

“Alexia Putellas! You left the fucking oven on!” 

---

3.

You hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Alexia since the two of you had shared that moment filled with definitely-not-friendly tension. Well, at least you thought so on your side. You weren’t sure if Alexia was reciprocating your vibes, so you had not made a move out of fear of it ruining your practically perfect friendship with the Spaniard.

The two of you continued to hang out constantly, and as your teammates continued to watch you interact with each other, they clearly began to pick up on your crush on your best friend. 

One day at practice, you and Patri (who you had grown close to as well over your time in Barcelona) were walking out to the pitch together when she stopped suddenly and grabbed your arm. You shot her a confused look, making a move to continue walking. She yanked you back before gesturing for you to bend down slightly so she could speak lower.

“When are you going to make a move on her, chica?”

You gave the shorter woman a bewildered look. “Make a move on who?”

Patri smacks you on the back of the head, causing you to wince and glare at your friend. “Alexia, idiota!”

The midfielder watches as a thousand emotions flash across your face before you finally settle on an expression of forced denial. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Where would you even get that idea?” You scoff unconvincingly. “She doesn’t even feel that way for me,” you mutter under your breath, tone switching from dismissive to almost longing. 

“¡Ustedes dos son tan estúpidas! ¿De verdad no has visto cómo te mira?” Patri watches as you translate in your head before fixing her with a confused stare.

“What do you mean?”

The shorter woman grabs your face in her hands. “She looks at you like you are el sol y las estrellas.” She pats your cheek gently before walking away, leaving you to process everything she had just told you.

--- Later that night, you find yourself thinking about Patri’s words as you clean up from dinner. Her words ring in your ears even louder as you walk into your living room and see the Barcelona captain on your couch, searching for a movie for the two of you to watch.

You can’t help but watch her, your eyes filled with admiration. She seemingly feels your gaze, glancing up and smiling softly at you before refocusing on finding a film. 

As you finally settle in and Alexia turns the movie on, you smile to yourself at the warm weight by your side. Suddenly, your arm is lifted up and Alexia quickly cuddles into your body. You drop your arm around her with a laugh, able to see the smug expression on her face. “Are you comfortable?”

The brunette hums cheekily, before leaning up and pressing a kiss to your cheek. Your face heats up, and suddenly Patri’s words are roaring in your head again. A part of you desperately wants to turn Alexia’s head back towards you and kiss her like you have been wanting to for weeks, maybe even months now. 

But a bigger part of you is too scared to do anything, especially if it means ruining your friendship. So you swallow down your feelings and press a loving kiss to the top of Alexia’s head, beating yourself up inside for being such a coward with your feelings. 

---

4.

You feel nerves taking over your body as you sit in the locker room as you get ready to play in the Champions League final. Alexia makes her way over to you, sitting next to you and easily taking your hand.

She doesn’t even need to speak, her presence so easily bringing you a sense of calmness. She smiles at you, and you suddenly recognize that subtle pain in her eyes, the yearning to be in the starting lineup, to be on the field for the full ninety. You lean against her and squeeze her hand.

“You will play. I know it. And when you go in, you will do what you do best and you will win,” You smile at her, conveying as much of your faith in her as you can in the simple expression. She looks at you, seemingly searching your face for something, and the expression on her face makes your stomach flutter with a fully different kind of nerves. 

You aren’t able to ask her what though, as the team is collected to line up in the entrance tunnel. The two of you share one last look before you separate, and you join your teammates as you get ready to walk out and into the biggest game of your career. 

---

As soon as the whistle blows, you collapse onto the pitch in pure happiness. You did it. Your team won the Champions League, beating Lyon for the first time ever. Around you you can hear your teammates celebrating this massive victory.

Suddenly, you feel someone throw themselves against you. You feel the breath get knocked out of you, but you don’t even care as you embrace Alexia in a tight hug. You can feel her quick breath on your neck, and as you feel your shirt get wet you realize that she is crying. 

You move your mouth right next to her ear, holding her even tighter than before. “Estoy muy orgullosa de ti. Has ido más allá de lo que te dije y no podría estar más orgullosa.” 

You hear her huff out a soft giggle. “Tu español ha mejorado mucho.”

You can’t help but laugh as well, but you stop as she pulls back to look you in the eyes with an intense expression. “I scored… for you.” You don’t know how to respond, and you feel happy tears begin to prick at your eyes. Instead of saying anything, you just pull her back into a hug before you are hoisted up by your teammates and led to the line to receive your medals.

---

You catch Alexia before the team fully enters the locker room, pulling her into your arms. The two of you stand in each other's embrace for a while, allowing yourself to feel all of the emotions coursing through your brains. 

After a bit, you pull back slightly. You look down at the Barcelona captain, suddenly realizing just how close your faces are. As your eyes flit across her face, a rush of affection floods your body. As you watch her, you can see how her eyes settle on your lips and yours finally do the same.

You begin to lean in, and just as your lips almost meet, the locker room door slams open and an already drunk Claudia Pina bursts out in search of Alexia. The two of you jump apart, faces almost as red as the color on your jerseys. 

Patri quickly follows her girlfriend, slightly less intoxicated as she assesses the scene in front of her before apologetically pulling the shorter striker back into the locker room. The two of you quickly follow, still blushing hard and both thinking about what almost just happened.

---

+1.

That night as you celebrate, your almost-kiss with Alexia constantly plays in your head. As the celebrations go on, you seem to be filled with a deep sense of clarity and purpose.

Periodically, you and Alexia would meet eyes across the crowded room, and each time you could feel your urge to get her alone grow stronger. After a while, the normally stiff-in-public captain pulled you onto the dance floor with her. 

Your hands find her hips as hers wrap around your neck, and you dance closer to her than you ever have before. At a certain point, you begin to just sway, not even dancing to the music playing, instead moving to the beat of a song that is only playing for the two of you.

As the celebrations finally begin to wind down, Alexia takes your hand and leads you towards the elevator so that you can make your way up to your shared hotel room. You walk down the hall and open the door, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up to you once you see your bed.

You quickly get ready for bed, and as you settle into your bed, you watch Alexia decompress. That same rush of affection that you got earlier courses through you again, and this time you finally think you are ready to do something about it.

“Ale,” you softly call to get the brunette’s attention. You take a deep breath before saying, “I love you.”

Alexia smiles at you, not fully understanding. “Yo también te quiero.”

You push through your nerves, letting all the confidence from today fill your body. “No, Ale, I… Estoy enamorada de ti.” 

You watch the slightly shorter woman’s face carefully as she walks towards you, unable to read her expression. She sits down next to you on the bed, and you push yourself up on the headboard, fidgeting with your hands anxiously. 

You glance down at your lap before well-manicured fingers gently grab your face. You are forced to look Alexia in the eyes, and she softly smiles at you before finally replying, “Yo también.” You don’t even have time to fully process her response before you are pulled into a kiss.

As soon as your lips meet, it is like everything is set right in the world. All thoughts and feelings except for Alexia and your love for her escape you as you wrap your arms around the other woman and pull her even further into you. 

Quickly you discover that Alexia kisses with the same passion that she displays on the football pitch. You match her energy, and the two of you kiss until you have to pull back for a breath. Your forehead rests on hers, and the rise and fall of your breath are in sync. 

“Te he amado en silencio durante mucho tiempo,” Alexia breathes out.

“Me too. But it doesn’t have to be in silence anymore,” You reply, voice dripping with all of your feelings for her. 

In that moment, you realize that you have never loved someone the way that you love Alexia, and you don’t ever want to love anyone else in the same way. You wanted to be with Alexia every day, and hopefully for the rest of your life. 

---

@awfcloml

Join my taglist!

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

My Captivating Archenemy Part 1 (Kagari)

Alt Title: The One I Can't Stop Thinking About Is My Archenemy/He Who Caught My Heart Is My Nemesis

Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors and inaccuracies.

Sunlight poured into the bookstore as a familiar, adorable visitor trotted in.

Black Cat: "Meow."

Emma: "Oh, hey. Back again, huh?"

When I crouched down to greet it, the black cat—as always—turned its back to me.

I didn't even need to check to know what was tucked into that tiny backpack it carried.

Emma: "I appreciate the delivery, but I'm pretty sure this isn't the right place."

Black Cat: "Meow!"

Emma: "Ahh, sorry, sorry! I'll take it right away!"

Spurred on by its insistent meowing, I quickly pulled out the message card.

It was yet another calling card from the phantom thief who's been making waves around town.

(This time, he's targeting a brooch.)

Kagari: "Princess."

Emma: "Kyaah!"

A soft, fleeting scent drifted past me just as Kagari suddenly appeared behind me.

(He always shows up out of nowhere. I swear he does it on purpose.)

I clutched my chest, trying to calm my pounding heart.

Emma: "Afternoon, Kagari."

Kagari: "Hello. So, did the calling card show up?"

Emma: "Yes. Looks like he's planning to hit the marquis’ estate tomorrow."

(Still, why does the phantom thief always send these to me?)

(Judging by the cat's behavior, it's not like they got the address wrong.)

(Maybe the thief just likes being chased?)

Kagari: "Your detective work is as busy as ever, I see."

Emma: "Well, the bookshop's doing okay too, you know?"

(We've even got a few royal court clients—so, not too shabby.)

Kagari: "Okay, huh? I guess everyone's got their own definition of that."

His green eyes slowly scanned the empty shop.

(Ugh, he's really not cutting me any slack.)

Kagari: "Anyway, you haven't forgotten why I'm here, have you?"

Emma: "Of course not. You said you'd swing by today to try the dorayaki."

Kagari: "Good job, princess. Let's go."

Emma: "W-Wait! Can we at least drop this off with the patrol guards first?!"

After somehow managing to deliver the card, Kagari took me to his shop and treated me to a dorayaki so amazing it was hard to believe it was just a test batch.

(Honestly, it tasted good enough to sell in stores.)

Across from me, Kagari took a sip of green tea, then tilted his head like he'd just remembered something.

Kagari: "Are you going to meet the phantom thief again tonight?"

Emma: "I'm going to catch him."

Emma: "Also, the patrol officers asked me to."

Even if they hadn't asked, I still would've had to go.

Kagari: "I see. That's good."

(Why did he suddenly seem kinda happy?)

(Did he just want the thief to be caught quickly?)

(The thief…)

Emma: "I wonder what kind of person he really is."

Kagari: "Probably someone who likes dorayaki."

Emma: "Hehe. If that's true, maybe you two could get along."

The image that popped into my head was the silhouette I'd seen so many times before—swift, fading into the shadows, never letting anyone get a clear look.

Emma: "There's no pattern to what he steals, and nothing's shown up on the market either."

Emma: "The only common thread is that his targets all seem to have shady rumors trailing behind them."

Kagari: "I can see why the phantom thief has so many supporters."

(I know stealing is wrong, but somehow, I can't think of the thief as a villain.)

Kagari: "By the way, I find it surprising that you always show up at the scene as soon as you get a card—even when no one asks you to."

Emma: "It's personal. I've got a reason for chasing him."

Kagari: "This is the first I've heard of it."

Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed both my wrists across the table.

(He's gripping them so tightly—I can't even move.)

Kagari: "What's your reason for chasing him? Tell me."

The heat of his hands and the intensity of his gaze made my heart race.

Emma: "That's a secret… but there's something I do want to say to him."

(It's something personal—I doubt the phantom thief even remembers.)

(Still, it's strange for Kagari to be this curious.)

(That's weird—the window's open, but it's starting to get hot in here.)

Kagari: "Something you want to say?"

Kagari: "Princess, don't tell me—you've got a thing for the thief? Are you going to confess to him...?"

Emma: "No! I'm not!"

Kagari: "Really, really not?"

Emma: "Really, really not."

Kagari: "Really, really, really not?"

Emma: "Really, really, really not. I would never lie to you."

Kagari: "Good. That's all I needed to hear."

His grip loosened just a little, but he was still holding my hands.

Instead of feeling relieved, I felt this warm, fluttery feeling bubbling up in my chest.

(I'm glad he believes me, but now I'm thinking weird stuff.)

Kagari: "Losing a dorayaki buddy would be a serious tragedy for me."

(Wait—that's what he was worried about!?)

His reason—so perfectly him—made me smile.

But deep down, I felt the faintest pang of disappointment.

I quickly pushed the thought away.

Kagari: "………"

Emma: "Kagari?"

Kagari: "It's nothing."

Kagari: "I hope you manage to get your message to the phantom thief."

Emma: "Yeah! I'm gonna do my best!"

With Kagari cheering me on, I threw myself even harder into catching the thief.

From then on, every time a new warning card arrived, I rushed straight to the scene.

Soldier: "The brooch is gone!"

Emma: "But we blocked every exit!"

......

Thief: "Maybe you'd have better luck chasing me in a carriage?"

(He's so fast! He's already that far ahead!)

......

Thief: "I'm taking this with me."

Emma: "Wait!"

.......

Thief: "........."

(There's no way I can catch him. He's way too fast.)

His figure grew smaller and smaller as he disappeared into the distance.

Still, I pushed myself to run harder.

Lately, the thief's escape speed had become insanely fast.

No matter how much we tightened security, he always slipped right through.

(I could tell from the get-go he was just messing with me.)

I remembered how he'd stop like a cat, glance back, and smirk—like this whole chase was a game to him.

(It's weird. I'm a detective, but instead of getting frustrated, I just feel kinda lonely.)

Emma: "-----!"

(Crap!)

I tripped over a dip in the ground and went flying forward.

I tried to catch myself, but I couldn't stop the momentum.

Just as I braced for impact—

Emma: "Ah!"

Thief: "Clumsy little detective, aren't you?"

I found myself in the thief's arms.

(He came all the way back to catch me?)

(No, wait.)

Confused, I tried to look up to see his face.

But before I could, something blocked my view—and I felt warm breath against my neck.

Thief: "Your stubbornness deserves full marks."

Emma: "!?"

A sharp little pain pricked my neck, making my whole body shudder.

(Did he just bite me?!)

Before I could even try to break free, he let go, gave a playful wave from a distance, and then melted into the shadows.

(He got away again.)

(.........)

I didn't feel disappointed.

More than anything, my mind was overwhelmed by one thought—

(That just now…)

Part 1 ╎ Part 2 ╎ Part 3

[marielle555]

“Creative” anti-AA and what their moral superiority complex is based on.

Another post from those who hate and insult Astarion, yet call themselves his “fans”:

Of course, one can ignore such “creativity”, for someone like the creator of this post would have to say something smart to really surprise the public. Perhaps the attempts at insults born in the depths of the aphedron are necessary in order to present their favorite “path of redemption” with “I can fix him” (translation: “I can be on top, own a pretty boy”, for the encounter with a strong contradictory personality in some people causes a desire to bring this personality at least to their level, or better lower, to satisfy their instincts in a similar way). To take away Astarion's chance to live a full life, oh, he never had a chance not to feel hunger before, to enjoy the sun, so he'll get by, he doesn't need it, or you'll “make” him so bad… Now we'll “prove” how bad you'll “make” him…. To take away a person's chance to be spared from suffering for the sake of your own “moral”/immoral, but well covered by what is presented as “morality”, desires - well, doesn't this picture show who is the “freak” here?

I've long wanted to share my thoughts on the moral superiority complex of anti-AAs (I think you've noticed the presence of this complex, and this picture is a good illustration of how valuable the morality of an opponent is, with whom, if you want to talk on the same level, you might have to get down on the floor).

And it is hard not to notice the obvious features of predatory behavior of this “part of the fandom” after a long stay in the fandom, at that, if attempts of pressure from their side fail, then they often start “playing the victim” including to make the opponent look like an aggressor. Maybe someone is really angry at some person from their own past and “saw an enemy” in AA, which has nothing to do with it and nothing to do with them. Maybe you've come across “AA is my personal enemy” style expressions, lol, doesn't it seem to anyone that “waging war” with game characters is already something outside the realm of game analytics? With this logic, if I've ever met a womanizer in my life, then because of that I should go to Halsin fans and harass them about how bad Halsin is and that it's better not to get involved with him IRL. And generally, Larian needs to rewrite him so that he cheats on the player right in front of their eyes so that everyone gets the “message”. And that the player should have no roleplay in the process (or else suddenly someone will like it and want to join in and have fun themselves), and Tav should make sure to make an unhappy face and burst into tears.

It also seems to me that some of those actively defending their “message” about the “cycle of abuse” are themselves latent abusers. If you read up on emotional abuse (as I was once advised, applying this to AA), you can find definitely quite a lot of similarities and overlap - verbal humiliation (they apply it to opponents as well as justifying Tav's offensive behavior towards Astarion), guilt manipulation (by the way, the “victim” image works well for this), devaluation - this is often applied to other players, and also constant devaluation of Astarion's suffering and feelings in the UA route. Hyperbolizing their own importance - tantrums over being called a “pet” (the word “pet” in British English can be used as an obsolete expression meaning “dear” or “sweetie”), and kneeling scene. Also as a reaction to a negative evaluation of Tav's behavior (Tav is actually a character too, but some people seem to like those variants of roleplay that can be negatively evaluated). The emotional abuser shows disrespect for their partner's actions and decisions, so the belief that Astarion is a silly little elf who is “just scared” and needs to be “mentored” is very suitable. Double standards (the victim is not allowed to do behaviors that are acceptable to the abuser. The abuser can express displeasure and resentment - the victim can't). In fandom: hating AA is “opinion”, even “polite analysis”, criticizing and disliking UA's route (exactly criticizing the route itself and what happens to Astarion in the game, not Astarion himself, though they actively try to gaslight that supposedly AA fans call UA “pathetic” and try to present other people's dislike of the Redemption Arc as disliking UA's character) - causes butthurt. Gaslighting “how good it is for Astarion to give up the ritual - it's a good path” - right, well done, explaining and debunking their myths about AA - “romanticizing abuse”. Physical violence - kicking Astarion, kneeling him in the evil ending, killing him in the evil DU ending - what kind of person can take pleasure in having such “opportunities” in a game?

I'd also like to add that my aversion to such labels on pictures has nothing to do with “choosing side” or the AA vs. UA controversy. And I use the AA or UA abbreviation simply for convenience, so that I don't have to write “Astarion who wasn't allowed to Ascend” or “Astarion who was able to Ascend” every time. I love Astarion either way, regardless of what happened to him in the course of the plot. And it's not uncommon to see abominations with an unascended Astarion called "art" by this same “fandom” that are far worse and cause far more anger than what these weird captions in the picture. The fact that Astarion was added sexual trauma, yes, it's a tough but strong plot decision, and many people saw their own traumas in his story, but unfortunately it's also a factor that attracts predators and abusers to his character.

[yuseirra]

Alien Stage Character Analysis- MIZI (after having read the new comic)

A Very Subjective Interpretation / Impression

I came across a new comic related to this series, and it seems like people are interpreting it in all kinds of ways. As a psych major and enthusiast, I found it really interesting!

I actually had to read it twice to start comprehending exactly what feelings this particular character may convey: here's my personal thoughts and interpretations on Mizi after having read this piece.

In short, what we thought of this character is not something that should be interpreted as a mere "facade" or "a lie" (it's simple enough to see, but I still think that should be brought up as starters.)

Rather, this is actually stemming from Mizi's self-depreciation that she couldn't be as sincere and helpful as she ever wanted to be. It's her desire for sincerity that's causing her these inner struggles and self-mockery.

(oh gosh though.. she reminds me so much of Ai from onk in such a sad way though, what is this trend of bright, cheery looking girls constantly doubting themselves or believing that what they shared with others were lies?? If you like that girl, you see so many things in common regarding what's happening in this particular comic)

Mizi seems to have had the feeling of: “I’m struggling too.”

she tried really, really hard to be that girl who everyone could love. and I think she wanted to be that way not just because she wanted to use others, she thought that was what she could give.

This doesn’t mean Mizi wasn’t pure—it’s actually the opposite. That kind of emotion does genuinely exist in her.

She can truly think things like “That kid who slapped me isn’t actually a bad person,” or “Being with Sua makes me so, so happy.” She really means those things. But there are multiple layers about her. It’s not that she’s being fake—many of her emotions are genuinely felt.

But they’re not coming from a place of being “simply” or “naively” pure.

Let me explain it like this:

Outer Layer (Expression / Facial Features / Outward Behavior): Appears bright, pure, openly expressive, and acts as if she doesn’t understand the full context.

First Inner Layer (Surface-Level Instinctive Psychology): Actually struggling. Stressed. Feels pressured to maintain that outer appearance. That’s why when Sua says, “You have it easy, huh?”(The original KR text for this is "편하지?" which means "you're in a comfortable situation, right." The English version translates this as "It must be nice."), Mizi instinctively slaps her in response. Because it isn't that way.

It was an immediate reflex, stemming from deep emotional pain—like “Sua, even you don’t understand me at all. I thought you would, if nobody else would.” That’s why right after hitting Sua, she’s shocked and cries while apologizing.

and then she begins to think she's "cunning"-

Because, underneath that is the second, deeper emotional layer: self-hate and guilt.

Thoughts like: “I’m not actually as innocent, pure, and all-loving as people think I am.” + “Did I just survive all this time by manipulating others?” These thoughts are intruding in her and getting reinforced the more people die, and she keeps surviving in the rounds.

She’s becoming harsher in her judgment of herself. The guilt and self-loathing are growing intense—especially because she couldn’t save Till.

In the comic, when she says to Till: “I love Sua the most. Is it that hard for you to stop liking me?”, that’s because Mizi truly cares for Till.

She’s saying: “I can’t love you back the way you want. I can’t give you what you hope for. So why do you still like me? Wouldn’t it be better if you didn’t?” This is her opening up. It means she trusts Till enough to show that side of herself and be more truthful about what she can or cannot do.

It’s like saying: “I’m not who you think I am. If you keep liking me, you’ll only be disappointed. Are you really okay with that?”

By choosing to have that honest conversation instead of pretending, she didn’t want to hurt Till. What shows here is that she really does consider Till a friend. Even if her feelings toward Sua and Till differ, Till is still precious to her. She’s saying this because she knows she can’t give Till what he wants.

But when Till responds with something like, “I just think you’re pretty. That’s why I like you…” —he probably meant it in a broader sense: not just her physical appearance, but the beauty he sees in her kindness, her heart.

A dissonance/disconnection between the two happens. Mizi, who was earlier slapped by a boy who liked her for being “pretty,” but got offended by her "pretending to be oblivious and clueless," hears this and interprets it the wrong way:

She thinks: “So even Till likes me because I’m ‘pretty’… That’s the only reason.” She can’t believe that she’s lovable for who she is, so the thought that probably hits her here is:

“Ah… I really am someone who can only survive this way.”

Because everyone expects that from her, and because she’s already become that person in their eyes.

If she were to suddenly show her honest self, it would break all of that. She’d lose her connection to the world.

What’s happening with Mizi is that she doesn’t believe that the genuinely pure and beautiful side of her (the one that shows up in her usual expressions and actions) actually exists within her. Because she feels so much guilt and self-hate.

And that is what she believes is her true self, “ THE TRUE FACE” as portrayed in the title of this comic.

That’s why Mizi now sees all her past actions as:

“I was pretending to be pure to survive. I used that fake purity to manipulate everyone.”

But the truth is—it’s not the whole picture.

At the deepest level (3rd internal layer, her core), Mizi really does want to love others, be bright, be honest.

Other people saw that in her—even more than she did herself and appreciated it, and that’s why they loved her.

The way she acted toward Sua, Ivan, Till, Hyuna—those were all genuine. She always wanted to help them. She earnestly hoped they’d all survive and live happily together with her.

But when things didn’t go that way, the guilt overwhelmed her. And now she believes everyone was fooled by the persona she “made up.” That she was evil and cunning. So now she blames herself.

But how others treated Mizi all along was a reflection of how Mizi treated them. Everyone—Ivan, Sua, Till, Hyuna—really cared for her. That’s because she did always love them sincerely, and that love came through.

Even if Mizi now thinks, “I had such awful thoughts. I was calculating and untrue…”, the other characters would probably look at her now and say: “Oh Mizi… You went through so much. It’s okay. We don't blame you.”

Her tendency to blame herself, feel guilty, and try to meet others’ expectations isn’t selfish. It comes from how deeply she cares about others.

She's really that girl who wants to say, “That kid who hit me wasn’t actually that bad…” That comes from her heart. That’s Mizi’s true kindness.

She really is a good person, with a beautiful heart.

If Mizi had lived an ordinary life, her outward appearance and core inner self would’ve been fully aligned.

But in this series, the situation is so extreme that extra emotional layers got added on top of all that

That doesn’t mean she lacks kindness or her usual cheery brightness.

You know those super cheerful moments in the previous videos or comics— the ones where Mizi looks carefree and innocent?

That is her true nature.

It’s just that, even while she looks that way, she’s also holding a lot of thoughts and feelings inside. It can happen at the same time. Whether consciously or unconsciously, she’s carried those burdens.

And if she had lived in a world where she didn’t have to carry them, those layers might never have formed.

That’s how I interpret it.

Oh, and that one picture where Mizi is smiling over the bodies of the other characters you can find in VIVINO'S youtube channel—

That’s displaying her inner self-hatred and despair.

If everyone else had survived, she would’ve been so much happier. But she survived alone in that horrible situation.

So now she thinks:

“I’m the only one who survived? Wow, look at you. Good job. You got what you wanted by using everyone else, didn’t you?” She’s turning that blame inward. She’s labeling herself as cruel.

It might be a kind of psychological defense or rationalization, but ultimately it’s because she’s suffering.

Of course she is…

If someone came back alive and told her:

“You didn’t survive because you were cunning. You survived because we loved you, just as much as you loved us.” Then I think Mizi could start to heal. But that hasn’t happened—so she can’t.

I really wonder what’ll happen to her...;

Mizi is someone who wants to be kind and deeply understanding.

Her ideals are high— she wants to love everyone, be good to everyone, to not feel hatred, give whatever she can. Her desires do lie in those kindness.

But because she can’t reach those ideals, she thinks she’s a bad person and blames herself. That's what's being portrayed in that particular comic. She's someone who's struggling to be kind and is currently devaluing herself from the mismatch between her ideals and her reality. She deserves to be happy, like everyone else in this series does. And forgive herself regarding what's happened at that, because what's happened is so far from her fault.

[00lunect]

★JD with Braces: Take 4★

Translation (because text bubbles are awful. Sorry, guys):

Clay: You're going to brush your teeth really well after this, you hear me, John?

JD: Mhm…

Clay: And you'll do it well. For 5 minutes. With mouthwash and everything. Branch already got everything the dentist recommended, and we'll make sure you use it.

JD: Okay…

Clay: You'll also stay in the Bunker and get proper rest. No camping with Rhonda.

JD: Yeh…

Clay: *Sigh* Does it still hurt that much?

JD: It's awful…

Clay: Do you want anything else?

JD: Can I have more ice cream…?

Clay: Okay, I'll tell Bruce to get you some more, but not too much. You don't need a stomach ache too.

JD: Thanks, Clay…

So, I think I love JD with braces now. (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠). I wanted to do a different, unrelated drawing to post, but this scene popped into my head, and, well, since most of this whole thing is doodles and I don't really have to put much effort into getting it right (plus I have to shade the other drawing, which I'm lazier about because it has more detail), I started doing this yesterday and just finished it.

I don't know about you, but I think it's really fun to make JD suffer and look pathetic in the process. XD So much so that in the end, Clay decided that yes, John did in fact deserve some ice cream after so much suffering around his mouth, so he allowed his brothers to get him some because it was sad to see that old man moaning on the couch when he got home and nothing was done about it.

…And by "some ice cream," I mean a whole tub, because John Dory definitely needed a lot of comfort after the dentist delivered the coup de grâce with the installation of his new braces. (⁠；⁠^⁠ω⁠^). It might not have been a very healthy thing to give John that much ice cream, but he had been through hell the past few weeks, so his brothers considered that this could be his reward for surviving and managing to keep his teeth intact despite everything. But of course, the brothers wouldn't be so forgiving after this moment. They would spoil John a lot, of course, but they would also make sure that he continued to take care of his teeth religiously. Especially Clay. Clay would be particularly strict with John about his oral hygiene and would force him to do even things he didn't like to take care of his brother.

And John would just go along with it because, what else could he do? Everything would hurt, even his nails, just from those stupid braces, so he'd be very calm and meek for a while while he got used to them, accepting anything as long as he didn't have to exert himself too much because even using his brain for anything other than processing the pain in his face would be exhausting. At that point, all he'd want to do is stuff himself with all the ice cream he could fit in his stomach, brush his teeth like Clay told him, and try to take a nap.

So, well, all his brothers let him. Clay too because even though his older brother drives him crazy sometimes with his stupidity, he can't really get too mad at him. Not after everything they've been through and after 20 years of not seeing him, so his treatment of John is something like "you deserve what you get, idiot," with Clay himself being the first to help him go to bed whenever he wants to sleep.

I don't know, but I really like that characterization of some characters who are grumpy and really hard on you when you do something wrong and stupid, but at the same time make sure you're okay and are all sweet and protective while you recover, even though they have a sour face in the process. (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠). I think Clay would be a lot like that. And Branch too. Both are harsh words, but sweet actions.

But anyway, I hope you liked this new doodle! ✧⁠◝⁠(⁠⁰⁠▿⁠⁰⁠)⁠◜⁠✧. And by the way, this is the first time I've drawn Clay and his messy hair. At first I wasn't really sure how to do it without too much detail, but I think I achieved something nice. And he looks so cute! (⁠人⁠*⁠´⁠∀⁠｀⁠)⁠｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+.

I also had a little doubt when I was doing his eyes, I didn't know what color to make them. What color exactly are the brothers' eyes? I know Branch has blue eyes and John Dory something similar, but I was trying to visualize the other brothers' eyes and it's very difficult without a very clear image, so in the end I made Clay green eyes. Maybe I'll change that in the future if I find out his real eye color, but for now, I'll leave it at that.

And if you were curious, the ice cream John Dory is eating is chocolate and the shirt he's wearing says "My mouth ✨hurts✨". I was too lazy to make his vest this time, plus I figured he should wear something more comfortable than just a jacket. He's just really tired at this point. ಡ⁠ ͜⁠ ⁠ʖ⁠ ⁠ಡ. Also, and this is probably not a huge deal, but the spoon is wooden. It was originally going to be metal, but I thought about it a bit and realized that the feeling of metal against metal in your mouth shouldn't be very pleasant. :/ Especially if that metal is on your teeth. I think it would be really uncomfortable, although those who have or are wearing braces will tell me that.

Here are the Take 1, Take 2, and Take 3, in case you want to know the origin of JD with Braces.

Thanks for reading!

[ryusdoll]

giving otoya another chance was hard. especially with how.. well, how much he’s cheated on you. one day you decided to finally stand up and say you couldn’t take his behavior anymore- so you cut things off, said goodbye, and that was the end of it.

things had gotten better for you, atleast that’s what you told yourself everyday. ‘fake it till you make it’ right? so that’s what you did. you were ‘faking’ it till you made it. but everyday you would miss him.

you missed helping him dye that hair of his green, playing games, and even the dumb face masks you guys would use every now and then. but most importantly you missed his warmth.. the way he made you feel. his smile, the way his eyes and brows would soften when he saw you come up to him..

everthing was just so perfect. too perfect. maybe that’s why he did it. maybe that’s why he chose to hook up with a girl the night you were out of town with your family. did he get bored of you? you didn’t know the answer but all you knew was that you never wanted to feel that stomach sinking feeling ever again.

months had passed. otoya was exceeding higher and higher in his soccer career, and in all honestly you were proud of him, thinking he was happier without you too.

but.. he really wasn’t. he would look at past photos you guys had taken that were still in his camera roll in his phone.. he would let his eyes stay stuck on your own, the way you seemed to carry the sun with you everywhere you went.

otoya missed you more than he’d ever like to admit, his heart ached, he hadn’t slept with girls like he used to, in fact he completely stopped. and he drowned himself in soccer drills and practice as an attempt to get you the hell out of his head. but it never worked.

then suddenly, to your surprise you received a call from him. the phone buzzed expectantly, and you didn’t know if you should answer it or leave it- or just block him for good.

but no, you picked up, and spoke.

“hello?” you asked, only to be met with another hello, this time from the man on the other end, aka otoya.

otoya let out a shy ahem, clearing his throat. which was a shocker for you, you never thought you’d hear a hint of embarrassment in this man’s tone. “listen— [name], we’ve gotta talk.” otoya starts, as soon as you let out a breath to speak- he hears and speaks quickly again,

“i suck— okay— i know i fucking suck. and i ruined our relationship by letting other girls.. delude my head and im so.. fucking sorry.” well that was unexpected.

as soon as you were about to say something- he spoke once more. “you were the first person i ever took seriously— the first person i actually.. really really liked, [name]. i want that again.”

“please .. one more chance. just one more is all i ask for and then i’ll be out of your life for good, i swear.”

otoya pleaded desperately, a tone you had never heard before. “really.?” your voice faded off. “i— don’t really know what to say, eita.” you called him by his last name. “how do i know you won’t go and do the same thing again? like you always did.”

“i understand.. i know, i know i fucked up. but i love you-” even otoya himself paused. did he just say he loved you? hell yeah he did.

“i fucking love you,” he repeats. so many f bombs he was dropping but it only emphasized his point.

and so moving on from that day forward, you gave him another chance. one you never thought you’d give him.

somehow, the relationship and bond you two shared felt stronger and .. less stressful than it used to be. it felt real. everything was.

finally after months and months of building that trust up day by day, you let him in. finally breaking down your barriers you held up and let him properly ask you to be his girlfriend.

exclusive, and committed.

© ryusdoll || do not plagiarize or translate my work in any shape or form.

i honestly don’t know what compelled me to write this but here it is!!!

requests always open! feel free to request anything (rules out soon idk? i only write for fem readers and i don’t write weird stuff that sums it up)

[odyssean-flower]

I have a question!! Okay so, how old do you think Neuvillette is if we translated his dragon age to human age? I always see people characterising him as an old ass grandpa, which I understand, but it just doesn't feel right to me. He's literally the all powerful Hydro Dragon Sovereign, to think that even in dragon years his age translates to ancient is kinda pathetic Imo. I don't remember how old it said Neuv was in the game but I think it was around 600 years? That's like 7 human lifespans, that's kinda pathetic for old age! Plus I think I remember seeing something in game (may have been one of his voicelines, may have been a quest or perhaps I am just bugging) where he says something along the lines of "I have yet to learn how to properly deal with emotions during my short time of living" or something like that. Point is he doesn't come of as very ancient, in my opinion he'd be somewhere in his thirties or perhaps early forties, maybe even at a stretch late twenties? Ofc none of this really matters because he is hella old anyway, but in dragon terms I don't think he is! I think he's still a young dragon-man who's educated in some fields and under-educated in other that makes him come across as older than he really is. So yeah, just wondering what your opinion on this is~

*puts on my lore enjoyer hat* ok here we go

ok so neuvillette's age, like most of the long-lived characters in genshin, is based on vibes. But i think the one thing that distinguishes him from other long-lived characters like zhongli and venti is how he doesn't really have a lot of practical experience in the world and he isn't aware of a lot of things about himself? Remember that he himself admits that he hasn't taken much interest in the human world until recently and i think it was in sigewinne's sq that he says something about forgetting wrio is a lot younger than him

The first mention of neuv's age that i remember is by Furina in last year's lantern rite (the one where gaming was introduced). She said that he's several thousands of years old. I remember people saying that that was a mistranslation bc in the original cn it was "more than a thousand years old." (Side tangent but i would really like to know just how much furina knows about neuv) But either way he's at least a thousand years old

There's another tidbit about neuv's age in the remuria wq. Cassiodor mentions that no new hydro dragon could be born as long as Egeria slumbered in the high seas, so presumably, Neuvillette couldn't be born until Egeria was freed from her prison, which would be after Remus died and the Heavenly Principles made her the Hydro Archon. I think that would be at least two thousand years ago? Honestly the timeline of the Archon War in regards to Fontaine is basically nonexistent so it's really hard to make an estimate

Anyways i wish they'd tell us more about what neuv did in the years before focalors sent him that letter (how did he learn to read anyways?). In sigewinne's sq he makes a joke about swimming around in the ocean when wrio asks him what he did before becoming the iudex, but i like to think it was the truth. Was he born a baby or fully grown? Was he just living in a cave somewhere naked like a caveman? How did Focalors even track him down? I like to think that he was treated like a cryptid among sailors

So yeah neuv is physically old but still has a lot of growing to do. Side note but I'm so mad the writers skipped out on a neuv and ajaw interaction in the event. I think they just didn't want to brainstorm the dynamics between a reborn not-dragon dragon sovereign and an ancient dragon who once served one of the original sovereigns. At least let my man meet Scylla...

[lazysoulwriter]

don’t shut me out — i’d rather hear the hard things. - pedro pascal ── .✦

requested! thank you. content: misunderstanding, hurt/comfort, emotional vulnerability, soft!Pedro, hurt feelings but lots of love, happy ending. established relationship.

It wasn’t a big fight. But it was the kind that lingers.

You didn’t yell. No slammed doors. Just that quiet kind of tension that builds in the space between words, where a misunderstanding blooms and neither of you knows how to stop it from growing.

It started with something stupid.

A text Pedro saw on your phone while you were in the kitchen. From someone he didn’t know. Friendly, a little flirty — nothing you asked for, but enough to make something tighten in his chest.

And when he asked you about it — gentle, but clearly bothered — you shrugged.

“It’s nothing. You don’t have to worry.”

He nodded.

But he did worry.

Not because he didn’t trust you. He did. He trusted you more than anyone. But some part of him — the tired, bruised part that still remembered past heartbreaks — whispered that maybe this was how it started. A shift. A turning point.

A distance.

The problem was, he didn’t say that.

Instead, he got quiet. A little colder. Not cruel, never that — but reserved in a way that felt unfamiliar. Conversations felt clipped. His arms felt looser when he hugged you goodnight.

And you noticed.

Because you weren’t dumb. And you weren’t heartless. You just… didn’t understand what you’d done.

So you pulled back too.

And for two whole days, it was like you were tiptoeing around each other. Careful. Polite. Heartbreaking.

It all cracked open on a Thursday night.

You were folding laundry. Pedro was sitting on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, watching you with an expression that made your chest ache.

“I miss you,” you said quietly.

That broke him.

“I’m right here,” he said. But even he didn’t sound convinced.

“No, you’re not,” you replied, voice shaking. “You haven’t really looked at me since Tuesday.”

Pedro swallowed hard, guilt painting every inch of his face. “I know. I—”

You sat beside him.

“What happened?” you asked. “Just… tell me.”

He hesitated.

Then: “I saw that message. The one from—whoever that was. And I knew it wasn’t your fault. I know that. But I just—” he shook his head, voice cracking. “I didn’t want to be the jealous guy. So I tried to let it go.”

“But you didn’t.”

“No,” he said quietly. “I didn’t. And instead of talking to you, I let it eat at me and now… here we are.”

You exhaled slowly, your hand sliding into his.

“I never replied,” you said. “I didn’t even think to bring it up because it was nothing. But I hate that it made you feel like I was pulling away.”

“I hate that I let myself believe it.”

You turned toward him.

“Next time… don’t shut me out,” you whispered. “I’d rather hear the hard things than go two days without really having you.”

Pedro looked at you like he was seeing you for the first time in days.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “For freezing up. For being scared. For letting it get in my head.”

You brushed your fingers through his hair, tugging gently until his forehead was against yours.

“You don’t have to be perfect,” you whispered. “You just have to be you. Let me in, even when it’s messy.”

Pedro kissed you then — slow and apologetic, all warmth and truth.

And when he pulled away, he exhaled against your lips.

“I love you,” he said. “So much it terrifies me sometimes.”

You smiled. “Good. Means you’re doing it right.”

And that night, you fell asleep wrapped around each other — no space left to misunderstand, no silence left to fill.

Just soft, breathing hearts finally finding their way back home.

---

✦ please do not copy, repost, or translate this work. © lazysoulwriter // i write with a lot of love and care, so please respect that.

taglist: @sarahhxx03 @lloydmustache @lolareadsimagines @greenwitchfromthewoods @silksepia @pascalswiftie @itstokyo-cos @mani-pedro @llsister @authorbriannarae13 @introvrtedjellyfish @aj0elap0l0gist @spencercmlover @cixrosie @cherrqbaby @cup-half-full-of-anxiety @joelmillerpascal @freakbobcult @sunlightpleasure@barnes70stark @mooniscrying @ohnaurshayla @croissantbakerylws @nellispunk @kasienka @taylorswiftsrep-blog @emerencedaily @byzyz @noovaarq @kristend512 @alltounwell @libbyaller @beaagiannelli @broad-shouldrs @oceanmcu @kysosa @melloispunk @jollycupcakeblizzard @angvlicsoulll @needz1nk @daddypascal17 @agustdpeach @mrsbilicablog @k4t13ispunk @hotdadlvr95 @lnnysnts @pedropascalfan221 @queenofklonnie22 @christinamadsen @ilovecheriies @stvr-bloom

[anonenot]

I'm kinda tired how many people happened in comments to say "passionate has general definition!". Two is already too much and there were much more.

Thank you, I know.

Some basics.

1. It is personal opinion.

Yes, I can disagree on asexual headcanons. You may fantasy everything that you wish, call it "headcanon" and be happy.

It's up to you. Write headcanons and fiction, draw picters... everything is okay, someone is needed right your version.

It's up to me to agree or disagree (or say that it's nice au but it's no way for it be canon).

I prefered to soften some things.

I thought it was rude to say "I dislike specific views of asexual on Tobirama character". Or quote the fic to explain that I dislike (I liked fic but some scenes wasn't that good as could in my opinion). So I said that I said and... I don't take my words back.

2. Yes, "passionate" has sexual meaning. Yes, it has others. Yes, I'm not native. But let me show you something.

This is passionate in oxford dictionary

What we see? Sexual meaning in first fucking definition.

Let's check up the passion.

So? Yes, the sexual context is third. So that is meaning something, right?

Let's check up cambridge dictionary.

Passionate

Passion

Lmao, I waited the same result as oxford one.

But you still can get my point. Yes, sexual context isn't only one. But it neccessary one in minds of majority people... or so think linguists of two respectable organizations. Organizations for whose definition would search many people in the world. I was taught in the school to look at these (+plus longman) dictionaries. Also I suppose if you check some other reliable dictionaries, you'll still get the close one picture. These words have that sexual subtext, especially "passionate".

Honestly, I can't wrap mind that there is so hard to understand. Yes, it has other meanings so "Tobirama is passionate" may be explained as "He is love of his work" or "he is emotional" or anything else is okay.

But it also may have the meaning "Tobirama is passionate lover". May.

M A Y.

Yes, you can disagree with this view. Glad for you.

I don't seek agreement, I try to explain that you can't just ignore the world's view on word.

Or try to say that I know only this meaning. I know other but...

3. Really, I tried hard to soften my opinion as much as I could. That it's only opinion and I'm not judging the people, that I may see asexuals wrong, that it's easy way to explain my emotions on this headcanon....

I suppose the best way to put it was "asexual headcanon for Tobirama sucks".

Because it is (in some specific version, I'll explain later)

At least that attention would be deserved.

Like no one explained why it is good idea, almost all were fixated on definition "passionate", that it can be nonsexual. Thank you, I know, again, that isn't real point. I would think so even if sexual subtext was the last definition of this word.

It was easy way to explain why it sounds wild to me because other ways are going deep in my own views on Tobirama's character. It isn't like I saw databook and "oh, that definitely means that he is passionate lover because passionate definitely means only sex", honestly, I despise databook as reliable source of information. It isn't, it translated so poorly plus the 4 one has a lot of mistakes and typos itself.

But. Databook is canon thing then it isn't wrong. And may explain something.

So. "Databook says that he is passionate and this word has sexual meaning" a bit better in discussion for my mind than "He is demisexual because I think so, it relates with my thoughts and feelings". Yes, it isn't ultimate proof, it is earth there can grow any headcanons. Moreover, I said myself that Japanese meaning may be different in subtext. But I dislike the second way of discussion enough to say about databook.

Yeah, I could said "I see him as experimental man in bed and tentative lover. Because he was paying attention to everything in 4 shinobi's war, he was like the best support so he obviously would pay attention to lover's body and etc" but 1) again, I prefer in this kind of discussion more canon-grounded thought. It doesn't make me right or change my opinion to canon fact, it's up to my preferences to discuss things, 2) If some asexuals were offended with "what, do you think that asexual can't be passionate???" because of original post, I may imagine how they would explode with my view's explanation. "Do you think that asexuals don't pay attention to partners???" or "do you think that asexuals can't support other people??"

Well, >>>some<<< of them definitely didn't pay attention to my words. Though, I'm not saying anything else. Not all asexuals, obviously (I hope it is)

4. The main topic of original post was my non-understanding this headcanon.

I'm not interested in linguistic lecture with "it has general meaning", again, I know. (I'm not that literate)

I was interested in discussion. Like "I see him so because of this and this". Or "yeah, I kinda don't understand that too". Or "look, that doesn't mean that he can't be asexual because some types can enjoy sex and...".

It's okay to you have that headcanon. Or haven't. Or don't really think about. Or be fine with either version.

Or me non-understanding this headcanon.

Again, post wasn't written to hurt anyone so I softened as much as I could while still speaking the main thought: "why? It doesn't look logical to me". So I was surprised to see offended asexuals in comments. Like, really? The only thing that you read is "do you think that asexual can't be nonsexual passionate???"???? Or "passion can be only sexual"??? What?

I explained again and again. Well, some people prefer to be offended than just read, I suppose.

The linguistic topic is closed. I'm not interested in another "it has general meanings" or "asexual canbe passionate!" because...

IT WASN'T THE MAIN POINT OF FUCKING POST

Yeah, I that much have no belief in some people. I can even guess that someone still appears with "but it has general meanings!.."

Yes, it fucking does. That's why it was personal post not community one. Because of it I softened post and some comments. But I'm tired so I would be straightforward for this kind offended asexual.

The hc "Tobirama despise sex" is sucks and sucks hardly. Yes, it's my opinion, and I have all the rights on this opinion in my fucking blog. Have problem with it? It's your problem, not mine.

__________________________________________

While I were cooling off, I thought about drama from another perspective.

So. If anyone still reading, haha

5. Why exactly I so opposed to this headcanon.

Look. I'm not opposed to asexual thing at all, I also did read some nice thing even with asexual!Tobirama and left kudo. (My favorite is omega/omega × femslash)

But really. "It's too stereotypical to see asexuals as isn't passionate" (incorrect quote)

...but I am more like opposed to stereotype, to be honest?

In the fic Tobirama was like the most stereotypical asexual. Ew, sex and etc. Moreover, it feels to me too stereotypical to choose Tobirama as asexual because he is so in work.

Like Hashirama is more interesting choice. So touching and huggy yet not interested in process as process, only into giving comfort and pleasure. Or Naruto. He is into beauty of bodies and pranks, not sex as sex. They would be representative as different types of asexual.

So, I suppose the most correct wording would be "I dislike the hc that says about Tobirama's hate/despising of sex because it feels wrong to me".

But I still don't see the problem to say more general thing in my blog. Yeah, author can hc this — I didn't write my opinion in his comments or messages??? I did as much as I could to explain point and yet don't be offensive to author? I didn't quote him. I delayed as much as I could my main complaint (i don't believe in people and I don't wanna bad comments on author just because of me). I tried to smooth as much as I could.

So I'm pretty surprised and tired to see that much attention for, really, non-existent problem. My only hope there that I wouldn't lost my love to TobiIzu and Tobirama just because some jerks can't be not offended of personal opinion in personal blog that even didn't try said that something wrong with them or their hc. Yeah, I tagged but for explaining or interesting discussion. Be happy, I'm not tagging that post.

That was tiring. And still someone would be offended, hah.

I'm not going for anyone head and I don't really judge

But personally I can't get the "asexual headcanon" about Tobirama. I mean, the guy has a passion in databook, how can he be asexual??? Maybe I don't know something about asexuals but to be honest Hashirama looks more asexual than Tobirama.

For me Tobirama is clearly demisexual. He has a standards, yeah, the standards just a bit higher than his ego but as for me he is obviously passionate in sex.

Personally I see him as experimental and quite creative with sex thing, and with kink for control. Shibari in completion as well, as part of control and be controlled kinks. Yeah, he has standards, he has a lot of thing before be ready to gave the control or be bottomed but still he will and would for that one person that caught his attention and love. Tobirama may mimic cold appearance as much as he love but he is passionate about his person, as for me

He is great match for Izuna in this. They may be quite passionate in bed but still have impression of cold and collected people.

Sometimes I just can't understand people's mind

[cheri-cheri]

hey i love the translations you do! i’ve been reading through a lot of the caleb content because i want to understand his character a bit more, particularly the “once a brother, now a lover thing”.

i am genuinely just curious about the trope and how it canonically functions with him and mc’s relationship.

i am particularly curious about endless summer, bc i got the feeling i wasn’t understanding it completely.

do u have a translated analysis of that card already or do u plan on doing it sometime?

thanks! i’m new to using tumblr so sorry if i did this wrong lol.

( ´ ꒳ ` )/ Welcome to Tumblr and thank you for reading my little translations! ♡

In Endless Summer, I didn't notice major issues with the translation aside from the censorship of "哥哥" (ge ge) moments in the childhood flashbacks, so I'm guessing you might have felt confused as to why there was so much hesitation and tension between Caleb and MC.

To understand this, we need to first step back to Chapter 2-9 of the Main Story (Captive Bird), which is one of the last few interactions they shared before meeting again in Endless Summer.

In the CN version of the game, MC occasionally refers to Caleb as "哥哥" (ge ge). While "哥哥" translates directly to "older brother", it does not always refer to a blood brother. It's the equivalent of how the Korean term "oppa" can be used to address a blood brother or simply an older male. In the EN version, all references to "哥哥" have been replaced by Caleb's name or "childhood friend".

Unfortunately, this resulted in a massacre of extremely important lines in Chapter 2-9 of the Main Story (Captive Bird):

Example 1:

[EN Version]

Caleb: If I had that kind of bell right now... I should make you wear it, right? MC: [sarcastically] Okay, fine. I guess I'll let you do what you want. Caleb: Is there anything I can do?

[CN Version]

Caleb: Tell me. That kind of bell... I should fasten one on you too, shouldn't I? MC: [sarcastically] Go ahead. Since you're my big brother, you can do whatever you want. Caleb: As your "big brother", what could I possibly do to you?

The deliberate use of parentheses is an early hint towards Caleb's subtle distaste towards his current role in MC's life, which becomes more apparent a few moments later.

Example 2:

[EN Version]

MC: Caleb... you can't just... You're very important to me. And no one could ever replace you... Caleb: Really? MC, I've always held myself back and endured. Day, after day, after day. It was suffocating. But now, I'm tired of playing these games.

[CN Version]

MC: Caleb... you shouldn't be like this. You're my big brother and an important family member... Caleb: Big brother? MC, your biggest mistake was thinking that I'd always be willing to play the role of your big brother. I've been sick of playing house for a very long time.

Caleb's line in CN is meant to be a momentous and shocking reveal that Caleb had long since outgrown the idea of being MC's "big brother" and how his protectiveness over her stems from a place outside of the mere familial responsibility of being ex-adopted siblings. After this interaction, there is a clear awkwardness in the air between them which is left unresolved.

With this background in mind, we can now move to Endless Summer, which is the first time MC and Caleb interact in person after their tense farewell in Chapter 2-10 of the Main Story.

In Endless Summer, we catch glimpses of MC's strong feelings for Caleb. While she has not realised that her feelings are romantic at this point, she is clearly affected by how they parted ways in Skyhaven and finds herself thinking about him and recalling fond childhood memories. She feels drawn to him despite everything that happened in Skyhaven and is willing to spend the night sleeping on the hard floor if it means that she can prolong her time with him.

On the other hand, Caleb is painfully aware of his romantic feelings for MC but is uncertain about where he stands in her life. At this point, he doesn't really know how he should act around MC and is genuinely shocked when she insists on spending more time with him.

We can see him visibly struggle between his desire to keep her close and his belief that he might not have a right to do so if he is no longer "her reliable and protective "big brother". These clashing desires, peppered with MC's nebulous feelings, result in a push-pull dynamic with lots of hesitation and tension.

Fortunately, the tension doesn't last long and they warm up to each other fairly quickly in subsequent Memories :'D

I hope this explanation helps you understand Endless Summer and Caleb a little better!

[cleolinda]

Weekend links, June 8, 2025

My posts

Seasonal reblog: a post about Donna Summer and Disco Demolition Night.

I seem to have crashed a bit and taken a week I couldn't really spare to rest a little (while still going to physical therapy three times). This compilation of Maria getting in my way for five and half minutes shows a bit of the next SH2 commentary, but that's about as far as I've gotten. 

I am now developing quite a little Steam library of deep-discount games I have no time to play, as is traditional. This week I learned that the Epic platform is a thing, and also that it has Alan Wake 2 as an exclusive, or else I would own the latter by now. The rest of Alan Wake, I got for $5. When will I play all these games? Nobody knows, including my physical therapist who wants me to get up and stretch every fifteen minutes. 

Meanwhile, Ian's band has a new YouTube channel; he talks about a special song here. He doesn't know when I have time to play these games either; he's the one who got me to buy Silent Hill 4 off GOG.com. 

Reblogs of interest

Remembering Marsha P. Johnson, Stonewall, and her activism (I hadn't seen the Pay It No Mind arch before; it's beautiful).

Remembering muppeteer Richard Hunt ("he originated the characters of Scooter, Beaker, Statler, Sweetums, and Wayne, but also became the primary performer of Janice and is responsible for the flower child personality she is now known for"), a joyous performer lost to AIDS in 1992. 

Sir Ian McKellen on the trans community: "The connection between us all is we come under the queer umbrella – we are queer. [...] The problems that transgender people have with the law are not dissimilar from what used to be the case for us, so I think we should all be allies really."

Writings on what queer masculinity can be

Aro Books For Pride

Community support isn't rainbow capitalism

Disability aids from Active Hands (here's the website; I haven't tried their products, but the posters are very happy with them)

A tale of two Mondays: sweet and beautiful and weary of life at age 0.

(Not What I'm Called: Manul Edition)

"Builder.AI just declared bankruptcy after admitting that they were faking their AI tool with 700 humans"

CatGPT is just as reliable.

Xuanji Tu, the Chinese poem that can be read 8,000 ways

"sometimes you just want to look at the qing dynasty jadeite cabbage again"

Poll: Which setting is sexier, lighthouse or clock tower?

Tallulah Bankhead: blonde and ambisextrous

Beautifully colored dice, and also, it's a painting

Always reblog the sunwoof

Out-of-focus summer fun

Perfectly synchronized with mama (I realized that "let's eat shit with mama" isn't something you say out of context)

Two very different artistic kinds of bats

The majestic Steller's jay (not sarcasm)

I should not exclude the Swedish blue tit

Pride for one thousand years

Video

New gameplay trailer for Silent Hill f; it looks hard as fuck and twice as scary. I watched it again and said, ".....I bet I could do that," which is how we know that gaming has fully eaten my brain.

Happy Los Jibbities!

I don't know why this made me laugh so hard, but it IS very ewok-coded, yes

Puzzle the tree kangaroo loves cauliflower. Our lives are so rich

Now, this starts off as a discussion of sign language in a production of Hamilton, but ends up as a master class on translating "Not Like Us" to ASL

The sacred texts

"MY NAME, IS FRICKIN MOON MOON"

Personal tag of the week

Let's say House of Leaves, because I never get tired of house jokes.

[dylacola]

like all my fics are oneshots but a lot of them are long wips soooo

your favourite fic to write: do i look like him. it's set in my httyd modern au and basically a modern translation of stoick's death (i hate him!!!!). it's really fun because i get to explore the dynamics between hiccup and some other characters i don't often write him with (such as fishlegs and ruffnut!!). i haven't gotten to it in a while bc of other more imminent projects but god it's so fun.

a fic you thought readers would love: can i get you into bed. i did this one for whumpuary 2024 the night before i left for a trip and was stressed out of my mind. at the time i was so proud of the characterisation. i think i still am, although i guess my writing style has changed. but i lowkey really thought this one was gonna be a Big Hit and i guess it kinda was for me lol 300 kudos not too shabby

the fic they actually loved: you never really said it with your mouth. i wrote this for febuwhump 2023 so 2 years ago?? holy shit?? and the prompt was "muzzled" so i put my boy in a muzzle and threw it on ao3. never expected it to get more than like 20-30 kudos but it's sitting at nearly 500. insane btw

the fic you love the concept of but hate writing: (current title in my google docs is "pass the yuri!!!"). again set in my modern au, it's about heather and ruffnut like... falling in love and being lesbians i guess. it's such a fun fic and i like what i've done so far but it's soooo tedious to ACTUALLY write??? like actually painful. how do you write teen girl dialogue (i say, a professional teen girl)

the hardest fic you've written: i have a wip that fits the bill, but the question is in past tense :P so probably light and dark, at once OR give up on trying to save us. both are set in my modern au and are about topics very close to me such as abuse etc. with the first one i got stuck on one scene for nearly a year (february to december i think) and when i finally wrote another scene google docs decided it hates me and deleted the whole thing (a casual 1000 words). the second one was just more difficult emotionally, a lot of my personal feelings were attached to it and yeah it's hard to write like that outside of my notes app lol

a fic you want to write but never do: SOOOO MANY???? but there's this one i have, i'm fixing to bite, a wip set in my modern au (did you guys know i have a httyd modern au!?!??!) about astrid's relationship with grief, faith, and gender. it's sort of tied up in the stoick death fic mentioned above ^^^ so i really need to keep writing it properly but i only have a few hundred words and haven't added to it since (checks version history) november. jesus christ lol

thank u ember for the tag :P i am choosing to tag the only other mutual i have @pqrfi hiii

I thought this could be a fun tag for us:

Your favorite fic to write:

A fic you thought readers would love:

The fic they actually loved:

The fic you love the concept but hate writing:

The hardest fic you've written:

A fic you want to write but never do:

[dark-falz]

And here's the new PSO inspired magic circle I wrote! (that's tailored to specifics that I'm not getting into) As well as the traditional Algolian seal (I've broken down a bit of it here) and the first magic circle I built

I'M GETTING MUCH QUICKER AT THIS!

I drew every symbol instead this time, I find it to be the one thing easier to draw on tablet than paper, I think I'll go back to the other method next time tho it looks neater.

Ok into a bit on how its wrote/the magic building for those curious :3

So I went over a bit on it yesterday but here's the full circle that there was no way I was fitting in that tiny space.

Magic Circles are now the thing I study when I'm having my after work drink at the bar ^^;

The 3 outer circles (I keep referring to as Muut Ditts Poumn circles) while they all hold the main energies, they're all lions :3 The alchemy symbols for essence pokes out of them and toward the middle text. Leo as well as the 2 Divine beings, each associated with the Sun and the Moon. In the outer ring, where the Photon Blasts would be listed, I have other Gods that represent different phases of the Sun and the Moon, Moon Gods being separated by the female end of the ankh, as the moon is of feminine mother energy against the masculine father energy of Leo's ruler, the Sun. Sun gods border the rising & moon signs of the initiator. I probably put a bit more time into the order of the names in the ring, but PSO isn't actually conjuring magic outside our hearts and is allowed to be whatever about that.

I'd also only use the Ankh with Egyptian Gods as I only work with them aside from "celestial bodies". There is more detail on the significance of the ankh in the first post. The reason its positioned sideways is I learned horizontal lines can be a negative aspect, where as vertical lines are always positive. I still have a horizontal line in this, but with it being only one, the numerology plays in to it enough, I also didn't HAVE to add it but felt it necessary. The magic numbers are 1 and 7.

The Divine are placed in their directions in accordance to the element. Sun to the South for Fire, Moon to the West for Water. Leo is placed east due to the affinitive candle color. East represents air which is the main element of the target.

The alchemical symbols I used aren't all available text symbols, but here's what's there. (I've used so many reference books for these and they don't match each other either it just is what it is I guess)

Top Circle: (Symbols unavailable) Triangle: ♀ Planet - Venus | Metals - ♀ Copper, Brass | Zodiacs - Libra, Taurus Sides: Symbols for crystal and lapis lazuli (Divine specific) Bottom Circle: (Symbols unavailable) Triangle: ♂ Planet - Mars | Metal - ♂ Iron, Brass | Zodiacs - Aries, Scorpio Sides: ☾ Moon | Metal - ☾ Silver | Zodiac - Cancer Steel - Saturn | Metals - ♄ Lead, ♂ Iron, Steel | Zodiacs - Capricorn, Aquarius (steel is Divine specific) Right Circle: (symbols unavailable) Sides: Planet - Sun | Metals - ⊙ Gold, Brass | Zodiac - Leo

I was also able to place the alchemy symbols a bit neater this time because I didn't have odd numbers of them like in the Algolian Seal spell. The circles with the points in the outer circles represent wax, there is also a wick symbol in each of them as well as different things to dress the candles with such as oil, herbs, and fumes.

Sorry its not quite as in depth as the Algolian Seal inspired one, since its more religious sided I figured I'd skip the deeper details. Hope it was a fun read and it helps if u wanna build magic circles one day or something :3