#expect more dynamic poses of her later

[dawn-to-the-world]

i really really really like her image

might spruce her up some more but i would ride the shit out of this floatie

both ways

uphill

in the snow

[romanhughesy]

Uh Huh (Are you up/Are you down?)

It's your first time meeting Quinn's brothers, but he can't find you in the club.

word count: 3.1k

warnings: alcohol/clubs, handful of y/n's used. slightly suggestive?

Quinn is confused. 

He sweeps his eyes between the doors, the bar, and the handful of booths towards the front of the club, back and forth like one of these times, he’ll turn his head, and you’ll appear. The plan was your idea, after all. 

His brothers were coming to visit, and trips to his side of the continent were kind of a big deal. It’s your first time meeting them. You and Quinn had been official for eight-ish months now, and he wouldn’t say it’s super serious, but he wouldn’t say it isn’t serious either. He really likes you, and sees a lot of potential in your relationship. But, the pair of you are still working through the early days milestones, like this. You were, understandably, nervous about meeting his family, even if it was just his brothers and not his parents, yet. Jack and Luke would be in town for a few days, and you insisted that while you wanted to meet them, you also wanted the brothers to have plenty of time together, just the three of them. While he searches for you, letting Jack get their first round from the bar, he remembers your guy’s conversation about the visit. You held his hand, eyes searching his face, and reassured him that you understand how hard it is for him to spend most of his time so far away, while Jack and Luke live in the same apartment. You felt it was important for the brothers to just exist together, without trying to fit a new person into the dynamic the whole time. Quinn couldn’t say much, but he pulled you closer and ran a hand through your hair, feeling seen and cared for in your particular way. Quinn’s never had any bad experiences with girls meeting his family, but he’s heard horror stories. The consideration and empathy you hold for others is one of his favorite traits of yours, so he should’ve expected it to extend to his brothers, but it touched him nonetheless. 

“There’s Petey!” Jack exclaims, suddenly back at Quinn’s side. He startles out of his thoughts, but follows Jack’s pointing finger and sees Petey, Conor, and Brock emerge through the crowd between them and the door. His team and his brothers mingle, loose hugs, daps, and chirping, and then Conor, of course it’s Conor, notices Quinn’s split attention. “Huggy, where’s your girl? I thought you were showing her off tonight?” Now, everyone looks at him, expectantly, but he actually has no clue where you are. Well, some clue. 

See, when you both talked about Jack and Luke coming to visit, you mentioned that it’d be nice to meet them for the first time while doing some kind of larger group activity. Some of Quinn’s friends (his teammates, let’s be honest), and some of your friends, getting together. The suggestion was another reminder to Quinn that you might really be a bit of a genius. He’d have time with just you and his brothers together later in the visit, but since your girls mostly knew his guys, and his guys knew his brothers, it’d spare the awkwardness of the two of you just sitting around and getting interrogated about your relationship by his nosy brothers. You could connect with them, but casually and the whole group would all have lots of other people to bounce off of. Jack and Luke would definitely want to go out while they were here, anyway, so great idea, really. Except, he can’t find you anywhere. 

He figured you had to be somewhere in the club. You’d texted him a chaotic group selfie while you and your friends were getting ready. You’re holding your phone to the mirror, making a kissy face, while a couple of your friends pose and a couple more are mid-makeup application. He’d smiled at his phone during dinner, and gotten ribbed for it by Luke, of all people. His baby brother. You’d followed the message up a little later with a random emoji, and he couldn’t help but smile, again. Not one for spending much time on your phone, especially when with friends, you’d quickly send off an emoji or two as a form of checking in. But, your picks were never relevant to what you were doing or where you were, which always amused Quinn. He’d assumed you made it to the club, because you sent him the abacus emoji and a red heart, but he couldn’t exactly say that to everyone looking at him for an answer right now. So, he smooths it over. 

“She got here with her friends a while ago, but I haven’t spotted them yet. Maybe they’re outside.” Quinn knows he sounds a bit lame, but it’s a bit much for his brothers and close friends to give him those looks. Luke turns to Jack, smirking. “Dude, I’ve been telling you she’s not real. You’re gonna have to pay up.” Quinn very narrowly resists the urge to try and headlock both his brothers at once, but Brock is helpful, as always. “Nah, we’ve met her. She’s cool. Kinda too cool for Quinner. Maybe he’s paying her?” Okay, maybe Brock isn’t always helpful. 

Shaking his head, Quinn tries to regain his control over the unruly group he calls his loved ones. “Let’s just get another round, I’ll keep an eye out. They’re here, somewhere.” Conor offers to claim an open table closer to the dance floor, while someone else buys him a drink. “I’ll go with you!” Luke says, with a wry smile. He doesn’t even need to sneak around in the Canadian club like he does in Jersey, he’s just a freeloader. Whatever. Quinn will make Jack pay for his drink, payback for taking bets on whether or not his girlfriend is real. He didn’t really anticipate Jack carrying a tray of shots back to the table, Quinn balancing all three brothers’ beers, but Jack makes some cheesy comment about them being “for the ladies” that Quinn doesn’t want to dig into any further. Petey is the first person to grab one of the shots off the tray, which feels a little bit like payback again. Quinn laughs, and takes one for himself. 

The boys settle into easy chatter, and whenever you and your friends turn up, Quinn thinks the night will be pretty close to perfect. You compliment him so well, and he sees it the most when you’re at his side in social situations, easily holding your own around his rambunctious friends. You’re always good for a laugh or a well timed joke, but also attentive, and, as far as Quinn can tell, content to sit and listen even when the topic doesn’t particularly interest you. You’ve impressed his friends more than a few times with your memory, following up about family, little injuries, or dates the next time you see them. They can all tell how much you care about Quinn, and bask in some of your care with their proximity to him. He asked you about it once. Your ease, and seemingly genuine interest in whatever people tell you. Quinn is the kind of person who hates small talk more than almost anything, and you’re the kind of person who asks follow up questions when the grocery store cashier tells you about their beach vacation. At first it confused him, but the day he asked, you smiled softly and told him: “I just love people. Some people say there isn’t enough kindness or love in the world, but I see it in the tiniest stuff. So I just try to give all my extra love to the universe. It makes me happy.” The axis of his world tilted, just a bit, but he definitely felt his heart stumble. You guys were even less serious then, but the idea of a person like that enjoying his company, choosing him, it made Quinn warm all over. 

Jack presses another shot glass into his hand, and Quinn shifts his focus back in front of him. Conor raises his, grinning and toasting to the “Hughesapalooza”, as “Hughes Bowl” is apparently reserved just for the ice. Quinn throws back his shot, swallowing the liquor and his grimace, and takes another fruitless look around the club. As his eyes focus back on the table, he sees Jack craning his neck, looking around Petey’s head towards the dance floor. Quinn furrows his brow. He doesn’t quite think his brother is in the same search party as him. Boeser must catch his expression, because he puffs out a laugh. “If y/n doesn’t turn up soon, she’s not gonna meet Jack because he’ll never make it off the dance floor.” The middle Hughes whips his head back, caught, but his smile is more cunning than guilty. “Can you blame me?” He answers easily, throwing another look over his shoulder. “Check out that group of girls by the DJ booth. They seem like a great time.” The rest of the guys rustle around to peek, so Quinn looks too. He’s not really curious, but if it shows on his face that he doesn’t even feel like he needs to look at other women while waiting on you, he’ll get chirped within an inch of his life. He squints, eyes flitting over the crowd until he finds the group of girls his brother has to be talking about. They’re in a circle right in front of the DJ booth, loose enough for dancing but tight enough to keep out unwanted partiers, and Jack’s right. They’re definitely having fun, and looking good doing it. The way they’re dancing, grabbing each other’s hands and waists, smiling and singing along, they don’t seem to realize they’re the center of attention. It’s almost riveting, even to Quinn. The one directly in front of the DJ booth, facing them, and the rest of the club, twists her hips just so, tossing her hair to the beat. The lights are bright, and color shifting, but the reflection off her hair as she tosses it… the cut… her clothes…

“Is that…?” Petey’s question trails off, but his teammates have already averted their eyes from the group, back to their captain. His brothers follow suit, albeit slower, and Luke almost immediately puts the pieces together. “THAT’S Y/N?” He shouts, eyes nearly bulging out of his head. Jack laughs, almost a scoff, but when he scans everyone else’s expression, his brows shoot up. He looks at his older brother, disbelieving, and Quinn can’t help his smug smile. “Too cool for Quinn is right.” He mutters, grabbing a shot off the emptying tray and tossing it back. Quinn rolls his eyes, but he does let out a chuckle. The laugh helps vent a bit of the relief flooding through him. 

Quinn trusts you completely, and likes how independent you are, but after an hour or so of little, fleeting doubts crossing his mind, he can’t deny the feelings that bubble up in him now that they’ve found you. You, looking gorgeous and enjoying yourself with your friends— he definitely noticed how there were no men anywhere near your circle— facing the whole room, waiting for him. The boys rib him for the dopey smile on his face as he watches you move, but it really couldn’t matter less. He stands, giving the boys a smirk and a “be right back” over his shoulder. Their eyes narrow when he heads towards the bar and not the dance floor. “That’s weird, right?” Petey looks between the table, Quinn, and back at y/n, confused. 

At the bar, Quinn leans on the edge and tries to steal glances of you through all the other bodies. Your group is still noticeable, but come in and out of focus with all the other motion around. He turns his attention back to the bar, nodding to the bartender. “Hey man, can you get a round of tequila shots out to that group of girls right in front of the DJ booth? And let them know they came from that table,” Quinn points to his friends and brothers, but only Brock is watching him. Boeser raises his brow, but turns back to his conversation with Luke, seemingly uninterested. The bartender’s also not roused, blandly replying, “Sure, man. But I can’t take them off your tab if they’re not interested.” Quinn thinks laughing would make him look cocky, or like an asshole, or both, so he just nods, says “No worries,” and gives the bartender his last name for the tab. The Hughes name apparently does interest the guy a little bit, if his surprised expression is anything to go off of, but he says nothing else to Quinn as he pours the shots, and gets the attention of a barback. 

Heading back to the table, Quinn ignores all the boys’ questions and angles his chair so he can see you better, waiting. A minute or so later, he sees someone get your attention from the DJ booth, handing down the shots and pointing in his direction. His stomach tenses, not unlike waiting for puck drop, but explodes into butterflies the moment you spot him. Even from the table, he could see your squinted eyes and furrowed brow lift, suspicion giving way to surprise as a big grin takes over your face. He smiles back, giving you a wave that you, and all of your friends, return. You hold up your finger, shoot your shot, and gather your girls in record time. He’s pretty impressed, and his brothers’ dropped jaws only make him feel even more smug. They love to talk about all the attention they get from girls in Jersey, but he can see Jack and Luke both steel themselves as the most beautiful girl in the room, Quinn’s, leads her pretty friends to their table. 

Quinn reacts instinctively, standing and closing the last step between your bodies, arms wrapping around your waist and pressing a kiss to your shoulder. You take a step back, beaming up at him. “Hi, love! You guys just get here?” You sweep your gaze over the rest of the group, eyes twinkling, but they widen when Conor answers for Quinn. “We’ve been here for like an hour!” 

“No way!” You gasp, looking back at Quinn, who nods, unable to suppress his smile. “I was facing the door the whole time: I was looking out for you guys!”  You insist, but your tone is still bright as you apologize for keeping the guys waiting. Jack and Luke stand to greet you, and you leave Quinn’s arms to hug them both. “No sweat, you guys looked like you were having a ton of fun.” Quinn can tell by Jack’s tone that he’s teasing a little bit, and apparently, you can too, because he sees your cheeks flush even in the dark club. Your best friend drapes her arm around you, grinning. “She doesn’t come out to dance very often, but when she does she’s got more energy than the rest of us combined.” Quinn watches you flush a little darker, adorable, but you push down your embarrassment and grab the hand of one of your other friends, introducing your group to Quinn’s. Most of them already know each other, but it helps break the ice. Quinn catches one of your quieter friends sidling up to Petey after saying hello to everyone else, and he raises his brow at the blond, who looks away quickly. Alright. 

Quinn offers your friend with the highest heels his chair, cracking a smile at the pure relief on her face, and slides in closer to you. You’re chatting to Jack and Luke about what the brothers did for dinner, easy as ever, and Quinn almost regrets wrapping his arm around your waist, only because it turns his brothers’ attention back onto him. Jack looks him up and down, gaze almost disapproving, which throws Quinn off for a second. “So you’ve been keeping the coolest girl you’ve ever dated all to yourself for almost a year now? How dare you! Y/N would love a Michigan vacation, wouldn’t you, Y/N?” Quinn’s eyes roll, ready to defend himself, but you beat him there. “Don’t be mean!” You lightly chastise, like Jack’s your own younger brother. Quinn almost snorts. “Quinn’s tried inviting me so many times. I don’t get enough time off work, and I don’t want to cut into your family time. You guys spend so much time apart, I worry about throwing the vibe off when you guys should just be enjoying each others’ company!” Quinn knows your feelings on this too well. He has invited you to travel with him a handful of times in the last few months, and still he accepts your reasoning. But, he also has missed you terribly every time he leaves and knows that his family will love you. Case in point, Luke runs a hand through his hair and says “I just met you, and I can already tell your vibe is way better than Quinn’s. Next time, you can come visit and leave him behind to go to work for you!” 

“Hey!” Quinn interjects, not actually bothered but having to disagree, on principle. You place a hand on your chest, mock affronted. “You’d leave out your private chef and best boat driver? Doesn’t sound like a good vacation at all.” Jack lets out an honest-to-god cackle, and Quinn slumps against you a little. “Not you too,” he complains, quietly smoothing over when your soft hand pats his cheek.  Jack, clearly pleased that you’ll poke fun at Quinn, changes the subject by asking about what you do for work, and you all chat for a while, conversation flowing naturally. 

The smaller conversations merge, and soon enough, everyone is shooting the shit and the tray of shots is cleared. Brock nominates Conor and Luke to go get more, grinning wryly. Conor takes it like a champ, and drags along Luke, who’s taking it like the baby of the family. The two of them have barely made it to the bar when a new song starts, and best your friend leaps up from her chair, grabbing your hand. “Oh my god, we have to dance!” You turn to Quinn, wearing an excited smile with an apologetic edge, still clearly thinking about leaving him hanging earlier, and he melts. “Go have fun, baby. We’ll be right here.” You beam for real, this time, kiss his cheek, and Quinn watched you follow a couple of your girls to the floor. Jack smiles at him across the table, “She’s special, huh?” He says, like he’s reading his older brother’s mind. Quinn just nods, watching you dance. He was right, earlier. Now that you’re around, fitting into his life like all of the empty spaces were made for you, he’s having basically a perfect night.

a/n: hiiiii lol i haven't written any kind of fic in FOREVER so if u made it through this that's cool let me know what u think!! quinn hughes brainrot is too strong i just think about him. all the time. title is from "uh huh" by tinashe stream her new album QUANTUM BABY okay bye <333

[stylescine]

no because i have had this thought since this years met and i NEED to tell someone

imagine like influencer!reader who is doing interviews at the met (kinda like emma chamberlain) and she’s like a very known fan of harry (and was very open ab having a crush on harry online because she was so sure this man would never see it) and she interviews him and is lowk nervous because….. he’s harry styles and maybe he somehow (definitely) KNOWS. she has a massive crush on him and just

basically that!!! so if you could could you write something w that? i’ve had the idea for months it was driving me crazy

lingering

Summary: Everyone knows Y/N has a crush on Harry. But she didn't expect him to know about it too. She could have never imagined things to unfold this way...

Warnings: Y/N has a very obvious crush on harry, fangirling ig???, Harry is a tease, suggestive language, anxious Y/N, oh Harry is also a huge flirt, kind of a fast pace way to a one night stand (no graphic description)

Words: 2.3k

A/N: Gosh, I love that idea!! Influencer!Y/N x Harry is one of my favourite dynamics ever. This turned out way longer than planned but I hope you still have fun with it!

Masterlist | Request

The Met Gala was the event of the year. For everyone. Not only for her. But for her it meant so much more. It was her first opportunity to make the jump from being a simple Influencer to being a real presence in the world of fame and celebrities. Of course, she wasn't just seeking fame and attention, but more possibilities. Open up new ways of life for herself and–

There was a light tap on her shoulder. She turned around in an instant, looking at a familiar PR manager she had talked to a few weeks ahead of the gala.

"I'm so glad you could make it. We were really blown away by the podcast you did and we're excited to see how the interviews on the red carpet will turn out," the blonde woman said, giving her a soft smile. She was wearing a tight black dress, a clipboard in hand, but the blush on her cheeks, combined with the small beads of sweat on her forehead, were the only things telling of today's pressure on her.

Y/N could understand. She had paced up and down in her hotel room earlier today, changing her outfit three times and making sure every little strand of her hair would be in place perfectly. Today was not for imperfections. Today was a step into the future – hopefully.

"I need to thank you for inviting me. This opportunity is really one of a kind and–"

"I'm so sorry, dear," the manager interrupted her as she fumbled around in her small Valentino bag, following the ringing of her phone. "No problem," Y/N replied, giving her a reluctant smile.

She could hear the camera shutters go off in the distance, probably due to the arrival of the first guests. Her palms were growing sweaty. She was getting closer to her "big" moments. Soon, she would be talking to all these famous people, ones she had always looked up to, others she had admired for years.

"It's time to go," the manager said quickly, pushing Y/N into the direction of the carpet. The camera man followed close behind, probably being on her tail the entire day. A microphone was pushed into her hand as well as she stepped out onto the long red carpet, hundreds of photographers waiting on the sides. Their lenses were focused on the few celebrities already on the carpet.

Ryan Reynolds was one of them which made her feel giddy inside already.

But the real surprise came around the corner just a moment later. Flashing lights were going off left and right as he appeared in his lace outfit. It was way more see-through than she could have handled in any other situation.

Harry Styles looked stunning.

Her grip around the microphone became tighter as she watched him pose in front of the cameras, earring dangling on his sides, his hair styled perfectly.

A part of her wanted to rush over immediately. Ask him a million questions and record all of it. Because when would she ever be face to face with the Harry Styles again?

Another part of her, a much stronger one, felt the urge to run backstage and escape this moment. She was way too afraid to embarrass herself in front of her biggest celebrity crush. The worst thing was – everyone knew she had this huge crush on Harry for years. She was quite open when it came to talking with her community about people she thought of as attractive or had a crush on. But she was also usually a thousand miles away from said crushes. It had always been a quiet admiring through her phone screen and giggles exchanged with friends over dinner.

Harry wouldn't know this, of course, but it surely didn't make the situation easier for her.

He seemed to be a walking reminder of what people knew about her and testing her own awkwardness in the process.

Before she could turn around and make her escape to probably lock herself in the bathroom as to not embarrass herself in any way – because that would truly be a tragedy in front of him – he was already right in front of her.

There was the charming, witty smile he was giving his fans or interviewers all the time. His eyes looked a deeper shade of green as she was standing right in front of him. Of course, she had looked at a thousand pictures of him over the last few years, but nothing came close to this moment. Maybe it was the heat that was rushing into her face or maybe the overwhelming urge to present herself from her best side – but it was all so different than she had ever imagined.

Y/N took a long breath. She needed to focus. Or else millions of people would see her shocked expression all over Instagram, Twitter and National TV. So she did what she always did best. Entertain.

She turned towards the camera. "Harry Styles just joined us at the Met Gala!" She said excitedly and none of it was part of her acting. Genuine excitement was bubbling uncontrollably in her belly.

Then she turned back around and shook Harry's hand. It was enough to make her legs wobble for a moment, but she was a grown woman and she would stay calm. On the outside at least.

"Nice to meet you, Y/N."

He knew her name? How did he know her name?

Something had to be wrong. She tried hard to stop herself from pinching her arm in an attempt to wake up from this dream or nightmare – whatever you wanna call it.

"You're looking amazing tonight. Do you mind telling us more about what you're wearing?" She smiled and held the microphone into his direction.

Harry gave her an enthusiastic nod and then started to talk all about the designer of his outfit and how it was composed. She listened carefully, bound to his lips as she had been so many times before through the screen.

He continued to keep eye contact with her, continuously making her nervous. It wasn't his fault. She just wasn't prepared to get any attention at all from him.

"Thank you so much. Are you looking forward to tonight's after show party?" She had so many more questions to ask. About his music. Even about his favourite food. But none of that was expected of her right now and she didn't want to lose herself in the admiration she had kept for that man for so long.

"Definitely. Will you be there too?" Harry tilted his head to the side, slightly – a small sign of curiosity.

The thoughts in her head stopped for a moment. Was he really asking her...? He was just making friendly conversation. Nothing more. The slight smirk in his face was nothing. Nothing to think more about.

"Probably. Maybe we can share a drink if we see each other?" She could feel her palms growing more and more sweaty. Was this really not just a dream?

"That will be on me. See you later then." Then he shook her hand again and she prayed that he wouldn't feel how sweaty she had become. How her nerves were running wild inside her body.

"See you later."

Her face felt like it was on fire just a few hours later. She was looking at herself in the mirror, her hair having turned messy and her eyes almost screaming the truth at everyone.

She was nervous and out of her mind.

The music outside was loud. Giggles and laughter echoed over into the bathroom whenever the door opened and a new woman came in. She had seen so many celebrities today that she had lost count. Some of them asked her if she was alright, if she needed help with her make-up, while others just continued on with their day.

When she was alone for a brief moment, she took a deep breath. "It's gonna be alright," she muttered under her breath before she pushed herself off the sink and went back into the crowded room.

The bar was illuminated with purple lights and that's where she was headed. On her way there, she could see him following her in the corner of her vision.

This was really happening.

"What would you like to drink?" His voice was deep, but loud enough for her to make out his words in the packed room. A shiver ran down her spine when she felt his arm brush hers as he made his way to her side.

Harry leaned against the counter casually, his outfit catching her interest immediately. He had changed into a white shirt with a huge red bow at the front.

And he still looked as good as earlier.

"A Martini is just fine," she answered with a smile, pushing herself to sit on the barstool. Harry ordered two drinks for them, before he sat down on the chair next to her.

"You're enjoying yourself?" His voice was laced with curiosity once more, his hand resting on the bar. She had a hard time not taking a closer look at the rings adorning his fingers.

"Oh yeah, a lot. What about you?"

"The evening is about to get a lot better now that I finally found you," he admitted with a low chuckle and accepted the drinks from the bartender when he came back over.

Y/N could feel her head spinning. What did she do to get all this attention from him? Did he know what he was doing to her? Did he know about her crush on him?

"Those are some pretty heavy words if you acknowledge the fact that we have never met before today," she replied, a simple attempt to cool down herself and ground them both in reality again. Or more so herself.

"That's true, but I like to make people happy."

She almost choked on her drink. He had to know something. How would he know that talking to her would make her day?

Knowing that Harry Styles had probably seen a video of her made her feel even more dizzy.

She needed to loosen up. This would be her only chance at spending an evening with her favourite singer and long-time celebrity crush. Another sip from the Martini as a way to gather some liquid courage as quickly as possible.

"Me too. I hope talking to me makes you just as happy as it makes me," she answered with a smile, gathering all the confidence she had.

Harry's lovely smile as he took a sip from his straw was all she needed as confirmation. Maybe she was in for a good time if she came out of her shell and was able to push her anxiety to the back of her mind.

"It definitely does. I've seen your video on 2010's fashion just a few days ago. It was a really good watch."

She couldn't hold back her huge smile. Harry had seen her videos and liked them. That was more than she had ever hoped for. More than she had ever allowed herself to dream about!

“Oh my god, that means a lot to me, I-“

“I’m so glad you didn’t include my too tight skinny jeans in there, actually. That would have been embarrassing,” Harry joked casually, his eyes wandering from her hands to her mouth and then her eyes.

While his eyes were filled with joy and curiosity, his gaze still seemed to keep her trapped under his spell. There was something undeniably charming and menacing about Harry Styles.

She had known it all along, but seeing it in real life, actually being under said spell, was a different experience entirely.

"I believe they still looked decent," she admitted with a small shrug, taking another sip from her drink.

"You certainly don't look decent tonight. That can only be described as stunning."

She was so taken aback by the compliment that she was close to spitting out her drink. Her hand wrapped tighter around her glass and she was thrown into a spiral of nerves and anxiety. Was Harry Styles straight up flirting with her? He definitely was and she had no idea how to act.

"Have you looked at yours-"

"I don't need to look at myself if I can look at something better." His voice had grown deeper and he moved closer ever so slightly.

She was at a loss for words now. Where was this going?

But she quickly decided that she liked it, despite her initial anxiety.

So Y/N took a step closer as well, her fingers brushing past Harry's as she was setting down her drink on the counter.

"You're really a flirt," she whispered, wondering if he had even heard her over the loud music.

But his eyes seemed fixed on her lips, a smirk resting on his own.

"As you have suspected in a video or two..."

It sent a shiver straight down her spine to get more and more confirmation that he had been watching her stuff. He knew exactly what he was doing to her and she wanted to let him do whatever he wanted.

This was what she had been waiting for.

"Maybe you can prove a bit more of my assumptions right?" She replied, fingers brushing over his forearm, under his sleeve and feeling the soft skin. She wanted to see him without the top. She wanted to finally see that naked chest up close, take a look at every little line of his tattoos and count them all.

"Why would we waste any more time then?" He grinned, his right hand coming up to wrap around her wrist slowly. He took her hand away from his skin, intertwining their fingers slowly before he slid off his chair.

They left their drinks unfinished.

But there was more important business to get to.

[ilikekidsshows]

The Totally Spies-ification of Adrien

Okay, it's been long enough that I can actually discuss how Adrien's slavery is depicted in the show without anger-fueled exaggerations and hyperbole. I want to discuss how Miraculous treats Adrien's slavery very flippantly and how it is, like everything in this show post-retool, all about Marinette. The show has a lot of stuff that hints that the writers intend for Adrien to be viewed a very certain way. I believe the writers made Adrien a slave for Marinette’s benefit and I will explain how I came to this conclusion.

I’ve joked before about how Astruc has worked on Totally Spies, “one of the kinkiest cartoons ever made”. I’d like to tackle this idea and how it relates to Miraculous more seriously. I’d like to tackle the topic of titillation and how it relates to how this show approaches slavery with such flippancy. My claim is that Adrien being a slave is not meant to be horrifying, which is why the story doesn't treat it as such; it's meant to be titillating.

I usually don't use Read Mores, since they can lead to broken links later, but this is really long. Strap in, folks.

Titillation for the context of this analysis means “content with the intention to excite romantically or sexually”, basically it’s about “kinky” stuff. The purpose of talking about sexuality in relation to Miraculous is not to paint the writers as some kind of fiends, but to present the fact that many teenagers are curious about romance and sex and will think about sex unprompted. This means titillating content in cartoons doesn’t even need to be related to sex to be titillating. And Astruc has a history of putting titillating stuff in his work, with Totally Spies being a very notable example of how you can include non-sexual titillating content in a kids’ show.

It all comes down to expected audience reactions. Adrien is meant to be sexy. I don’t mean that in a “the writers think this is sexy” way, but a “the writers think the projected audience of straight teenage girls will think this is sexy” way. He gets put into bondage three times in ‘Copycat’, ‘Anti-Bug’ and ‘Reverser’ and all three times the camera seems to like to show him off. He is meant to be an object of attraction for the audience. The people criticizing this show have been pointing out how Ladybug's costume accentuates her butt for years, but this is not something that occurs with just Ladybug. When he isn't posing for the viewers, Cat Noir gets whacked around by Akuma’s a lot, but a lot of the time it ends with him in a prone position that is also titillating, in ‘Pixelator’ it goes as far as having his butt jut out. However, the idea that Cat Noir is the one who gets hit when an Akuma needs to show off how dangerous they are is also part of the power dynamic where Marinette or Ladybug gets to show off, so it’s not purely for titillation, which is why other examples, like ‘Stormy Weather’ are more comedic.

It’s likely that Adrien-as-Adrien doesn’t get to participate in the show’s slapstick much, since that aspect of the character is presented as the perfect beauty, a role usually reserved for female characters who only ever get a little bit flustered or banged up to make sure they keep looking attractive. Marinette screams "waack" and runs face first into a wall in the same episode where the silliest thing Adrien gets to do is sneeze (Mr Pigeon). Adrien is meant to be attractive, sexy, titillating, in different ways in his different forms. As Cat Noir he is more active and more sexy, as Adrien he’s more passive and pretty, much like how female love interests can fall into these categories. It’s the Betty and Veronica dichotomy; in the Archie franchise Betty and Veronica are shown as the wholesome and sexy romance options and the reason the writers go out of their way not to resolve the love triangle is to keep the appeal of these both options going. People’s tastes differ, so it would alienate some audiences to pick one over the other. With Miraculous they solved the problem by having the two romance options be the different identities of a single character.

Frankly, as of the season five finale, Adrien is approaching “sexy lamp” levels of replicating sexist ways of writing a female character but just changing the gender. What else do you call him lying on the floor in despair while his love interest gets his superpowers and uses them to beat up his abusive father, while somehow being perfectly fine and happily kissing Marinette later after said father is dead and gone? Adrien’s trauma is debilitating when it serves the writers’ purposes, but stops being a problem as soon as they need him to smile and look pretty. The main reason Adrien’s trauma is so inconsistent is so that he can act as Marinette’s trophy so that Marinette has somebody to kiss in the final shot. If Adrien was despairing about not being good enough for her, or grossly crying about being an orphan, Marinette wouldn’t have a fun time kissing him. And if Marinette isn’t having fun, the members of the audience projecting onto her aren’t having fun either.

Speaking of how Adrien’s depiction relates to Marinette, here comes the controversial part of this post: while Marinette is not depicted as a literal slave owner in-story, narratively, she is very much treated as Adrien's owner from a meta perspective. We, the viewers, are meant to see Adrien as Marinette's property, and the twist of Adrien being a part of a slave race in a dynamic where Marinette holds all the cards is meant to be a good thing. We have been primed to view everything about Adrien to actually be about Marinette, because Marinette is the center of the universe of Miraculous and Adrien belongs to her because he’s the main character’s love interest. Adrien being revealed to be a slave that Marinette could control but then chooses to “merely” manipulate is meant to be glorifying to Marinette and titillating to the viewer. I will elaborate.

Marinette has been incredibly possessive of Adrien since day one and she is only occasionally depicted as being in the wrong about this, when she goes too far by the show’s standards. She stalks Lila and Adrien whenever she sees them hanging out together and she’s unreasonably jealous of Kagami. The only time she is depicted as being in the wrong is not when she's sniffing Adrien's pillow after breaking into his room, but when she actually bullies Kagami out of jealousy, and even that is depicted as more of an unfortunate misunderstanding than Marinette actively doing something wrong. Marinette is more sympathetic towards Kagami when she finds out she and Adrien aren't as close as she thought, that Kagami’s pursuit of Adrien is more hopeless than hers. Basically, Marinette is only in the wrong because Kagami isn't a threat, not because she was doing anything wrong by bullying her to defend her “territory”.

This gets flipped near the end of the season, though. When Adrien and Kagami do start dating, it's depicted as this big tragedy even more so than Master Fu losing his memories. Master Fu going missing is an afterthought, while Adrien choosing someone else over Marinette is the big “darkest hour” moment of the season three mid-finale, the cliffhanger moment of her crying in Luka’s arms while all hope is lost. Marinette isn’t directly crying about this, she is crying from “all the pressure”, but Marinette breaking down happens immediately after a scene of Kagami leaning in to kiss Adrien that has a somber dirge playing in the background. The first part of the finale has everything going wrong at the end; Master Fu is missing, Chloé gets willingly Akumatized, Marinette breaks down, and Kagami leans in to kiss Adrien. These scenes being put closely together is telling us that these are all bad things to happen.

Adrien ending up with Marinette is a given, but it's also taken for granted. Every girl with an interest in Adrien is depicted as an antagonist, while Marinette can do whatever she wants in pursuit of Adrien and will still be morally correct. Chloé and Lila, even Kagami to a degree, are villainized for their attraction to Adrien in a way Nathaniel, Luka or Zoé are not with their attraction to Marinette. Chloé and Lila are full-blown villains while Luka and Zoé are some of the most selfless members of the cast. Kagami is aggressive and socially awkward in a way that is used to justify Marinette's initial distrust and dislike of her (in ‘Ikari Gozen’ Alya voices her pity towards Marinette for having to spend time with her) while Nathaniel is just the pitiful bullied loner who’s still a liked member of the class friend group. Girls who want Adrien are bad for trespassing on Marinette’s territory and trying to “steal” something that “belongs” to Marinette.

The writers thinking Adrien belongs to Marinette is also not just subtext. Later in season five, when Marinette and Adrien finally start dating, Marinette even outright states that Adrien “kinda does a little” belong to her when she’s scared that Zoé has a crush on him. The fumbling of the line means that the writers are aware of how toxic it is to consider your partner your property, but they want to include that sentiment anyway, because that’s how they view the situation. Marinette’s boyfriend is her property and other people can’t even look at her property. ‘Emotion’ continues on this increased possessiveness by having the entire Marinette plot happen because she can’t conceive Adrien keeping things from her, because he isn’t allowed privacy from her while Marinette lying to Adrien (or Cat Noir) is a show staple.

This same attitude of Adrien not being allowed to have romantic options outside of Marinette has also been in the fandom for years. Every time a new female character was introduced, there was a worry that she’d “try to steal Adrien from Marinette”. Marinette and Adrien are endgame, the writers know this and the fandom knows this. The characters don't know this, but it doesn't matter because Adrien was already seen as Marinette's (future) boyfriend even back in season one when he barely knew her. And this attitude the writers and audience have is extended to the characters more and more as the show goes on, as almost every single character becomes an Adrinette shipper in support of Marinette in season five, while no one thinks to ask Adrien what he thinks about this. Only once, in ‘Desperada’ did Alya suggest that Adrien could make his own choice on who to date, but it was implied the choice should be Marinette specifically (Marinette smiles at this, while Kagami frowns). The cast is lucky the writers have decided Adrien already is Marinette's, or he’d be really uncomfortable.

Season five episode ‘Pretension’ goes as far with this as having Marinette basically ask Gabriel for permission to be with Adrien, convinced that she and Adrien can be together with no problems if she can just get him to approve of her. And then Gabriel tells her he’s promised Adrien to Kagami. You know, like a piece of property women were treated as before women were allowed to live without a man to control them. The finale then ultimately does have Gabriel agree to hand Adrien over to Marinette by dying and leaving her in charge of Adrien. Just because she uses the privilege to do some things for Adrien’s benefit doesn’t make what happened any less of a patriarchal transaction. In fact, the writers wrote it that way on purpose, with the knight and princess parallels they set up between Marinette and Adrien earlier in the show being something they are prominently proud of (the “reverse fairytale” as they put it). Adrien is the princess the dashing hero Marinette gets to earn with her feats of bravery; he’s handed to her like a piece of property and Marinette is too happy with her acquisition to even be outraged on Adrien’s behalf. And Adrien wasn’t even allowed to know about any of this, instead it gets handled solely between Marinette and Gabriel, like his opinion on the matter didn’t even matter. And why would his opinion matter, since he already is ready to promise himself to Marinette, even as the writers deny him the agency to actually make such a promise.

The goal of making it obvious that Adrien is cool with being objectified like this is probably why they make Adrien so obsessed with Marinette in season five, constantly repeating her name to himself and saying stuff like: “I can’t stop thinking about you” in ‘Pretension’. They need to drive it home to the audience exactly how okay Adrien is with everyone forcing him to be with Marinette. After all, you can’t force the willing. As of ‘Confrontation’, Adrien’s official goals for the future are: “I love Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” I guess, from the perspective of the writers, the childhood dream of wanting to be what his parents wanted from ‘Wishmaker’ wasn’t sad because of Adrien’s lack of agency; it was sad because he wasn’t forsaking all of his personal pursuits for Marinette specifically. As far as the writers are concerned, Adrien should only care about Marinette and nothing else.

This same entitlement is also present in Ladybug and Cat Noir's relationship. Every time Cat Noir is upset with Ladybug, like in Frozer, Glaciator, Syren, The New York Special or even Kuro Neko, they never talk about what caused it. This is especially blatant in cases where Ladybug has wronged Cat Noir personally, like Kuro Neko or the NY Special, where she never has to face up to what she did wrong because Cat Noir comes back because she “needs him”.  Cat Noir will always come back to her without her having to do anything because she is the main character and she says she needs him. He exists for her and her needs. He exists for her; it’s just another way he’s hers.

Speaking of how Adrien is treated affects Marinette, even Adrien’s trauma actually belongs to her in the writing.  I pointed out earlier that Adrien’s trauma shows up when the writers need to put him out of commission, but disappears as soon as he needs to be Marinette’s trophy, but it goes further than just inconsistency. The early seasons spend several episodes on how Adrien is being locked up by his father and unable to hang out with his friends and, between him and Marinette, Marinette is the one shown to be more upset and hurt by this. They don’t do this in every episode, as ‘The Bubbler’ actually does a phenomenal job of making Adrien’s upset actually about him, but the big point in ‘Glaciator’ is that Marinette is so upset that she can’t see Adrien that she accidentally leaves Cat Noir on read so he’s upset about that. Adrien is only upset because he didn’t get attention from Marinette, while Adrien’s literal abuse at the hands of his father is only important because it makes Marinette upset. Even Adrien himself gets in on this action in ‘Conformation’ when the writers go as far as having Adrien chastise himself of not being more worthy of Marinette’s love when his dad is once again busy ruining his life. Even Adrien himself makes his abuse about Marinette; him being abused is bad because it’s inconveniencing Marinette and inconveniencing Marinette makes him less worthy of her.

‘Cat Blanc’ is possibly the worst offender of all, though. This episode should be all about how Adrien is abused by Gabriel, culminating with Gabriel turning him into a monster that destroys the world. And yet, what is the episode actually about? It’s about Marinette. The worst thing that could happen to Adrien is about Marinette. Only Marinette gets to remember or even know about the possibility of Cat Noir getting Akumatized and only Marinette is traumatized by it happening. After all that the writers later dare to use this event that didn’t actually happen anymore, that Adrien doesn’t know about, to justify him giving his powers to Marinette, because he’s “scared of getting Akumatized” when something like that has never happened as far as he knows. But the writers had him reason this way anyway, because apparently the culmination of Marinette’s character development in the show means taking Adrien’s power as her own and then failing to win even with that at her disposal.

Another note about ‘The Bubbler’ that has to be pointed out is that it’s also the first example of Marinette being presented as good for Adrien simply because she treats him better than Gabriel. The final scene of Marinette giving Adrien his best birthday present yet and letting him think it comes from Gabriel is done to show how selfless Marinette is by letting Adrien keep thinking good things about his abuser. This idea that Marinette is morally good simply because she’s better than pond scum Gabriel is also present in the season five finale, where Marinette manipulates, gaslights and keeps important information from her abused slave boyfriend. Marinette is presented as being in the right because at least she didn’t literally control him with a magical geas like Gabriel did and gave him the object with which to do so (while notably not telling him what it does). Marinette will do the bare minimum of not taking literal ownership of Adrien and we’re meant to see her as a paragon of goodness for it, while she still has no respect for Adrien’s autonomy and hasn’t had any since the show started.

The way the Sentimonster “reveal” is handled shows this utter lack of respect for Adrien’s autonomy that the writers, and Marinette by extension, have. The reveal is not for Adrien, but for Marinette, just like every other piece of Adrien has been made to be about Marinette. Marinette gets to know and she gets to decide if Adrien gets to know, and she decides “no”. She will manipulate him and lie to him to keep him happy for herself, she will keep important information about him to herself that he might never find out if anything happens to her, because Adrien is hers and no one else’s and she has the right to make that decision because the world revolves around her because the world of Miraculous was created to be her playground. “Adrien” is just a toy on that playground for Marinette to play with as the writers see fit.

Now we’re coming back to Adrien’s role as the sexy, titillating love interest character that I talked about at the start of this essay. If Marinette granting Adrien the bare minimum of freedoms as a slave while manipulating him “for his own good” is meant to be a good thing, why is Adrien even a slave? Well, outside of the writers wanting to add a plot twist that doesn’t come with any messy plot they’d have to write about characters other than Marinette, Adrien being a slave is also meant to be titillating. What really is magical super slavery than very, very off the wall bondage and power play stuff? The idea that Marinette could rob her love interest of his free will with ease but won’t because she cares about him so much is very empowering in two different ways. It gives Marinette all the power in the relationship and it makes her out to be such a good person that even having ultimate power over another person won’t corrupt her. Adding to that, we have Adrien’s people pleaser abuse victim personality, which makes him fawn over the people he loves. If Marinette ever wanted to have control over Adrien, Adrien would give it to her of his own volition, no need for magical super slavery or unbreakable geases.

As I stated earlier, Marinette is meant to be the point of view main character the audience of teen girls projects themselves onto. So, really, Adrien’s slavery and abuse responses are all about that fantasy of having a cute boy you have all the power over but not needing to use it because the boy is so nice and devoted to you anyway. Adrien really is “perfect”, the perfect object of attraction, a being who technically has free will but whose free will you never have to take into account because he’s been designed and trained to value other people’s wants and needs over his own.

Marinette doesn't literally own Adrien within the story, but the writers make it very clear that they think she should. In fact, in all ways except the literal, she already does.

[joseline-woodhouse]

I want in on talking about Annabel and Prospero.

Since most posts I've seen are about how nice it is to watch them being healthy for one another (it really is, I adore their dynamic) I decided to talk about how neither of them would hesitate to kill one another eventually.

First of all both Annabel Lee and Prospero are calculative people. Both of them care for only the outcome and how to get there. I have seen people call Annabel a hypocrite for protecting Prospero because he's important to her after what she did to Duke and I entirely disagree, more on the rescue from Ada later. We have established that Annabel really doesn't care that everyone in the academy (except one, if the Deans can be trusted) is doomed.

I don't think Annabel's general willingness to sacrifice people needs to be discussed.

Now, I'm leaning a bit far out the window here, but take a good look at Prospero in the left picture above, he looks more frustrated than anything. His chances just got a lot worse, he needs to rethink his strategy and on top of all that Ada is invading his personal space again.

Moving forward to what I think makes their mutual betrayal inevitable, the episodes after the Mansion Arc (this is were it gets interesting):

Until now we have seen Prospero mostly be mildly bothered by whatever is happening. When everything fell apart during the Lesson and everyone except for him apperently just did not do their job, he seemed like he was about to explode and seriously questioning his choice of team. Everyone else appeared to just want to go on with the day, Prospero however demanded answers, proving that he cares to win this entire game without getting side tracked.

Further his behaviour during the lesson shows that he actually doesn't get how anyone else would still be reluctant to kill their friends here. He was genuinely not expecting anyone to act out of empathy anymore.

And after the widow's watch affair and him witnessing Annabel freaking out after the labyrinth and smoothly asking about Pluto instead of giving an explanation, he is surely just one big-ish failure or unwillingness to take action away from openly confronting Annabel how it can be that whenever she is alone with Lenore, things go south ways, how whenever people want to act against Lenore, she calls it a waste of time despite the growingly obvious threat that Lenore poses.

I think Annabel actually does matter to him, and I think he matters to Annabel as well, but both of them expect something really specific from one another and sympathy alone means little to them.

Now about Annabel saving Prospero.

I believe this says everything:

Since Annabel is a chess player, get ready for chess metaphors:

In chess, most gambits are about giving away a pawn. Why? Because a pawn has very little value on its own and sacrificing a pawn in order to get a slightly more profitable structure on the board can actually be worth it.

Sacrificing a queen? If you do something like that, you better be 100% sure you're seeing a forced checkmate.

Not only is Prospero's spector really powerful, Prospero is also the only thing keeping Annabel in control of her own team right now. Other than Prospero who's supporting her as long as she keeps bringing results, she is stuck with Ada who is a complete wild card and useless most of the time, Morella who is only half on her team, Will who is loyal mostly to Montresor and Montresor who constantly challenges her leadership.

The way things are standing right now, everything she has build would fall apart the very moment Prospero is gone.

Also, what if Annabel and Lenore have to stay long enough for their teams to start falling apart? Whom does Annabel want to face in a one on one? Someone like Montresor who's spector can very much use brute force against her or someone like Prospero who's spector is similarly unforceful as hers?

We even saw, that Annabel can just simply neutralise Prospero's rats with her fog, leaving him with no real attack on her. While he applies her with status conditions she can use her blossoms to attack him after she used her fog to make his rats disappear like she did on the widow's watch

Annabel did not safe him because she likes him, which she does. She saved him because he is a very important piece for her game and no real threat to her in the long run.

Prospero follows Annabel not because he likes her, which he does, but because she keeps bringing results. Or at least she did until rather recently.

[uniquexusposts]

Her || Charles Leclerc

Main characters: Charles Leclerc x OC Genre: fanfiction, fluff  Story type: novel  Part: 8/? Word count: 2014 Co writer: @mistrose23

Story summary: Matilde Jørgensen, the new Scuderia Ferrari team principal, faced the nerve-wracking challenge of reviving the team's fortunes and aiming for a championship. Leading a historic team as a 'newbie' and separating her work and personal opinions posed a significant challenge. The big question: is she capable to do so?

Previous chapter

Chapter 6. Barbecue Sauce On My...

Matilde was in her office, finishing her final task of the day; writing an email to the factory. It had been a long, but productive and interesting day for the team. The first two free practices in Miami were over, and the results were helpful and fine.

A knock on the door made Matilde look up from her computer. The door opened, and her assistant entered the office. Matilde removed the special blue light glasses from her nose and smiled.

"A reminder: your interview is in ten minutes," Galileo said.

"Thanks," Matilde said. "I will be finishing up now. Give me a few minutes."

Galileo nodded and stepped back, leaving Matilde to her work. As he closed the door, Matilde took a deep breath and stretched her arms, feeling the tension from the tasks slowly melt away. She glanced at the clock on her computer screen and realised that her interview with Lissie Mackintosh was just around the corner.

With a renewed focus, Matilde typed the final lines of the email, ensuring that all necessary details were included. Satisfied, she hit the send button and leaned back in her chair. It wasn't her first interview, but it was her first interview with Lissie and her first interview together with Charles and Carlos. It would be a casual interview, more like a chat, and Matilde was glad that was the case. She wasn't waiting for an in-depth interview with a lot of details.

She stood up, logged off and put on some deodorant, perfume and lip balm before leaving her office on wheels. When leaving the room, she picked up a reflection of herself; she got used to the bright red outfit, and she looked fine in it; her hair still looked fine as well, so she had nothing to do with it.

Outside her office, Galileo was waiting for her. He flashed a reassuring smile, and Matilde returned it with a nod. Together they made their way to the designated interview spot in the paddock.

When Matilde arrived, Lissie approached the team principal to introduce herself and exchanged a few words with her. Matilde greeted the Ferrari drivers and sat down next to Charles, around the table. A few minutes later, the camera started rolling.

"Today, we will be sauce testing," Lissie said and looked at the three people from Ferrari.

Matilde only smiled, but looked waitingful at Lissie, not knowing what to expect, Charles looked questionable at Lissie, and Carlos only looked amused. "Sounds interesting," Charles mentioned.

"Sounds exciting, too," Carlos replied to Charles, who sat on the other side of him. They both giggled.

Lissie smiled. "We're in America, and they are known for their sauces," she said. "It's like wine tasting, but then with sauces and chips." She became silent. "Fries," she said again and chuckled.

Matilde smirked. "Can't wait."

The friendly conversation continued as the interview kicked off. Matilde decided to stay in the background, as Charles and Carlos were sharing laughs and anecdotes with Lissie. The atmosphere was relaxed, but Matilde, on the other hand, felt a growing sense of exclusion. It seemed that Charles was intentionally directing most of his attention towards Carlos and Lissie, leaving Matilde out of the conversation.

"There is something that I really want to talk about," Lissie began, changing subjects. "There has been a lot of talk about the dynamic within Ferrari since Matilde took over as team principal. And I think we are all wondering one thing: what are your thoughts on Matilde after four races? How is she doing as team principal?" Lissie asked.

Matilde looked at Charles and Carlos, waiting for their reactions. She knew it would be a generated answer by Silvia, not their honest thought.

Charles kept his expression neutral, his mind quickly processing a response. However, Carlos chimed in with a response the fastest.

"Of course, we had to adjust to Matilde, and she had to adjust to us, but I think we are doing great," Carlos said and looked at Matilde with a smile on his face. "It feels quite weird to say it when she's sitting next to us," he added with a smirk.

"Please, don't hold back on my account," Matilde smiled.

Lissie nodded and pressed further with another question. "The media spoke about the way of working, and they have their opinions on it. It is known that you, Matilde, have a completely different way of working and that you all have your differences. How are you managing to work together effectively? Charles?"

Charles felt a slight twinge of irritation at the mention of Matilde, but he kept his composure. He expected questions about her, but he had hoped that people wouldn't spend this much attention on her when interviewing them. "Every team principal has their own style of working, so we have to find a way to work with it and what works for both of us. But we focus on achieving the best results. We're professionals, and our focus remains on our performance on the track." Charles looked in Matilde's direction. "And as Carlos said, we have to adjust, and it takes time. But so far, it's going well." He moved his eyes to her face, scanning for a reaction. To his surprise, she didn't show much emotion, it looked like it didn't do anything to her.

It was noticeable to Lissie that Charles didn't mention Matilde's name, but she decided to let it go. The interviewer looked at Matilde, scanning her face for a reaction. Lissie thought that Matilde was a woman with an honest reaction, but she stayed neutral and showed the same professional smile over and over again. Lissie became impressed by her media skills. Even though she admired the team principal, she wondered when the world would see the real Matilde. "And what about you, Matilde? How is it to work with these two young and talented drivers?"

"It is an honour to work with Charles and Carlos," Matilde replied, her tone steady and professional. "They are incredibly talented. And of course, this is all new to me, but we are finding a style that works for us all. We are getting there, and I'm just grateful to work with the entire team. I'm happy that they support me during this journey and that they are willing to teach me all those things."

As the topic shifted to fry sauce, Lissie introduced the condiment, explaining that it was a combination of ketchup and mayonnaise. Matilde's eyes lit up at the mention of it, evoking a sense of nostalgia. She couldn't resist sharing her own experience with the sauce.

"I used to eat this as a kid," Matilde chimed in, her voice filled with a touch of fondness. "Put mayo and ketchup on a plate and mix it with a fry. Best way to eat it." She couldn't help, but smile as she recalled those childhood moments. Picking up a fry, she dipped it into the sauce and took a bite, savouring the familiar flavour.

"My sister used to do this," Carlos said. "And I never understood why. It tastes horrible," he remarked, tasting it anyway. "It looks like cocktail sauce, but it tasted nothing like it," he breathed, shaking his head with a playful expression.

Charles turned to the group, a quizzical look on his face. "Is this an American sauce?" he asked, looking at the others. "Because we all know it, it's not new to me. I didn't even know that it was American. It was a thing...we just did?"

The four Europeans exchanged glances, their expressions a mixture of neutrality and amusement. They happened to look into the same camera at the same time. Their shared cultural familiarity with the sauce seemed to bond them in a humorous moment. The people behind the cameras started to laugh, making them look at each other. As the laughter rang out between them, Matilde found herself smiling genuinely. It felt like the ice broke between them.

"Before we move on to the next sauce; the ratings. Matilde?" Lissie asked.

"An eight," she said. "Because it's nostalgic."

"Charles?"

"A six."

"Carlos?"

"Zero points."

"Lissie?" Charles asked.

"A seven, I think. I'm not a huge fan, but I also do not not like it," Lissie replied. "Anyway, the next one: barbeque sauce."

While Lissie was giving some backstory of the barbeque sauce, Matilde stared in front of her. She squinted her eyes, her mind wandered momentarily. Something seemed to tickle the edge of her memory, a hint of a sound or a phrase associated with barbeque sauce. She tried to grasp at the elusive thought, but it slipped through her fingers like sand.

A memory surfaced with a jolt, and before she could control herself, the words tumbled out of her mouth. "So I'm sitting there, barbeque sauce on my-" Before she could finish the sentence, people were looking at her.

The entire crew turned their head to Matilde; this was the first time they saw her break her role. Her slip of words had caught everyone off guard, including herself. Charles widened his eyes. When his eyes met Matilde's gaze, they both erupted into laughter.

Charles was the first to recover from the surprise. His gaze met Matilde's, who was still laughing, and they shared a moment of shared amusement. It was as if their inside joke had formed a connection between them, breaking down some of the invisible barriers that often stood between the team principal and drivers.

"Sorry," Matilde mumbled and dried her eyes, hoping her mascara wasn't ruined. She sniffed. "Okay," she said and ran her hand through her hair.

As Lissie moved the conversation forward, asking them to rate the barbeque sauce, Matilde and Charles exchanged a quick glance, their laughter still twinkling in their eyes. "Charles?" Lissie turned to him, a knowing grin on her face.

"I would say; a seven," he replied. "Let's say it's a tribute to the sauce that brings back the best of unintentional moments," he chuckled.

Matilde started to laugh again, wanting to stop, but she heard Charles' laughter next to her. The iconic Vine kept replying in her mind, unlocking memories of her younger years with friends at the university, during the prime time of Vine. "Sorry, I'm getting the giggles now." She took a deep breath. "A seven, by the way."

The camaraderie and shared laughter continued throughout the interview, creating a light and enjoyable atmosphere. As they tasted and discussed different sauces, their interactions were sprinkled with spontaneous giggles and playful exchanges. Charles and Matilde had the giggles, they weren't able to stop. It made Matilde enjoy the dynamic, it was the first time they had fun as a team.

By the time the interview wrapped up, Matilde had almost forgotten the initial tension she had felt. The shared laughter and light-hearted moments had formed a bridge between them, breaking down the barriers and bringing a genuine warmth to the conversation. As they said their goodbyes to Lissie and the crew, Matilde exchanged a smile with Charles, the bond between them feeling a little stronger and more genuine than before.

"What was that?" Carlos asked as they walked back towards their hospitality.

Charles looked at Carlos. "You don't know it?"

"No?"

"It's from Vine," Charles shrugged.

"What does it mean then?" Carlos looked utterly bewildered.

Matilde smirked mischievously. "So I'm sitting there, barbeque sauce on my titties," she quoted. "Orange Is The New Black... Vine..."

Carlos blinked. "Oh."

"If you know, you know," Charles replied.

"And if you don't, well, now you do," Matilde added.

The drivers said goodbye to their team principal as she excused herself from them. Charles watched her walk away with a newfound sense of understanding. Her ability to let loose and share a laugh had surprised him, but it also showed a side of her that he hadn't expected. Within the team, she was formal, professional and serious. This interview showed some of her own personality. Charles glanced at Carlos, who was still processing the Vine reference, and couldn't help, but smile. It seemed like they were starting to find their footing as a team. 

Next chapter

[duchess-doodles]

Dead Girl Detectives AU because it just works so well!!!

(In case it wasn't obvious: Olivia as Crystal, Chris as Niko, Ivy as Edwin and Laura as Charles. Also not pictured but Rowan as Jenny)

Some more thoughts + closeups under the cut

Ok so. Some loose thoughts on the au

Most of the plot moves the same as the show. Ivy died in 1916, Laura died in 1989. (I might make some tweaks to how they died later, but for now its basically the same) They meet Olivia, who's psychic, go to Port Townsend, piss off a witch, get trapped by the Cat King, hijinks ensue

Most of the Port Townsend denizens are the same, like Tragic Mic and Esther. The Cat King and Monty are basically the same just genderbent so they can be Ivy's lesbian suitors or whatever

Rowan is Jenny, obviously. The only real difference is he's an emo butcher, not goth. I will draw him eventually

Olivia is still psychic, but she doesn't do the whole summon greater power from her ancestors thing. That's a black girl power and it feels weird to give it to Liv. Also I'm a big fan of Liv "what, like its hard?"ing her way through learning to use her foible, so I think the same applies here with her psychic powers. She's just a prodigy

Ivy isn't immortal anymore (obviously, she's dead) but I think the immortality translates into the whole edwin being more durable than other ghosts thing. Maybe her time in hell also gave her *ahem* west virginia-esc qualities, if you catch my drift

Chris eventually gets powers as well, though how those powers work and what they might be will depend a little on what they do with Niko in season 2. But he will get something

There's no romance between Laura and Olivia like there is with Crystal and Charles. Laura just found an annoying amnesiac and said "can we keep her 🥺" and got a new bestie out of it

I honestly can't see Laura being as in the dark about her feelings as Charles is, so I think maybe on the steps of hell when Ivy says I love you maybe they kiss. Or at least Laura reciprocates. Or is going to before the fucking spider shows up

I adore the dynamic this au poses of Ivy and Chris as besties. I feel they would be very comfortable around each other, but they don't actually interact one on one in canon a lot (unless??) so who knows

That's all I got for now, but I don't think I'm done thinking about this au so expect more later!

[jessamine-rose]

Yuu Does Not Dream of a Night Bunny College ₍ᐢ⑅ᐢ₎

A long time ago, I wrote Bunny Boy! Leona as a joke. A few months later, I was inspired to write Sea Bunny Boy! Octavinelle and now we have five more bunnified characters....…..welp let’s get this show on the road  ૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა

Characters:: Cater, Jamil, Vil, Sebek, Chenya

♡ 1.2k words under the cut ♡

♡ Not many students are receptive to Crowley’s idea for the Night Bunny College Cafe. Cater, however, is an exception. Bunny boys are a popular trend, and what better way to take advantage of the hype?? If executed well, the event will attract lots of guests and, in his case, more likes on Magicam.

♡ Leave it to Cay-kun to be the perfect bunny boy!! In his costume, he is the ideal combo of cute, classy, and daring. The fluffy bunny ears compliment his bright smile, and the fitted black bodysuit brings out the vivid red of his hair. For added flair, his accessories feature a design of red roses and diamonds. And Cater knows how to strike the best poses from finger hearts to the Playboy bunny dip.

♡ Thanks to him, the NBC Cafe’s Magicam debut is a viral success. He manages the account, thinks of good hashtags, and instructs his classmates on how to pose for the camera. The event also benefits Cater’s personal account, as his photos garner several likes, new followers, and thirsty comments.

♡ His charisma makes him popular with customers. Would you like Cater to cast a magic spell on your carrot cake?? He will serve it with extra sparkles and a special pose just for you!! Oh……...you’d like to feed it to him?? In response to that, he will lightheartedly refuse and point at the price list for premium services. Cay-kun can’t be too sweet on you, after all~

♡ Being a bunny boy is the last job Jamil wanted to take. The bunny ears draw attention to him, while the deep red bodysuit and sheer stockings are totally impractical. He is initially awkward at the start of his training; but by opening night, he has perfected the cheerful greetings and suggestive poses.

♡ If there is one thing he enjoys, it’s the change in master-servant dynamics. His customers are the ones who lavish him with praise, who act shy in his presence, who get punished if they dare act out of line. Jamil doesn’t even need to use Snake Whisper. All it takes is a mere glance in the client’s direction for them to fall under his spell~

♡ He enjoys playing games as a bunny boy. Under these circumstances, the customers care less about winning or losing; rather, they prefer to admire Jamil’s concentrated expression. He will smugly win round after round, savoring this opportunity to unleash his full potential.

♡ His fun ends when Kalim arrives. The Al-Asim heir would’ve signed up for the event if Jamil hadn’t insisted that such a role was inappropriate for his status. So instead, Kalim buys out Jamil’s slots for games, photos, and promo services!! Look, he even invited Najma who is all too eager to tease her brother. Jamil can only hold back his exasperation and smile for the camera with them.

♡ It was Crowley and Azul who hounded Vil to participate in the event. Having Vil Schoenheit’s name on the waitstaff is sure to bring in several customers, after all. “Do you know how much I charge for meet-and-greets?!!” “Exactly, Schoenheit-san!! No one would pass up the opportunity to enjoy your services at a discounted price.”

♡ Vil looks drop-dead gorgeous in his costume. The outfit is tailored to his preferences—a violet corset, red heels, embroidered stockings, a stylish updo to suit his bunny ears. He also designs the other costumes according to their respective wearers. Most importantly, he is the demon coach in charge of training his fellow bunny boys!! “The ideal bunny boy should be the epitome of leporine beauty and seduction. I expect all of you to present yourselves with grace.”

♡ He is also strict with the customers. Vil doesn’t accept any requests beyond what is listed in the Bunny Boy Services and Promo Deals. Those who violate the no-touching rule are swiftly reprimanded then kicked out of the establishment. During his slot, Rook can only sing praises for Vil’s beautiful performance.

♡ Admittedly, it is an enjoyable experience. The bunny boy is certainly a new acting role for Vil, and he derives some satisfaction from interacting with his live audience. So long as he is in character, he will perform to the best of his ability.

♡ Sebek makes for an unconventional bunny boy. His sharp fangs and serious glare are more suitable for a predator, whereas the tight black bodysuit emphasizes his muscles. Much to his chagrin, his hair is styled naturally so as not to compete with his bunny ears. His cute, genuine smiles do offer a striking gap moe and, in Azul’s words, an excellent selling point.

♡ He performs his role with great zest, from waiting tables to entertaining customers. As soon as Malleus arrives, you can count on Sebek to run over to him with a large smile and a passionate greeting. “WELCOME TO THE NIGHT BUNNY COLLEGE CAFE!! WE CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO SELECT A BUNNY BOY OF YOUR CHOICE!!”

♡ Honestly, he doesn’t understand the appeal of the bunny boy. Human culture is perplexing, but the event is a good immersion according to Lilia. His clients make such outlandish requests from photos to board games to……being put in a headlock by Sebek?? Well, so long as they pay for the available services, Sebek will fulfill his duties as a bunny boy.

♡ The customers are just so endeared with him. He makes the cutest expressions whenever they fluster him or feed him carrots, and it’s clear that he takes his role seriously. By the end of the event, Sebek can proudly say that he accomplished his bunny boy training!!

♡ Upon hearing about the event, Chenya secretly visits NRC and raids the dressing room to join in on the fun!! He goes for a crooked pair of bunny ears, a large poofy tail, colorful stockings, and a harlequin-patterned bodysuit. His nonsensical style is a unique take on the traditional bunny suit.

♡ Using his Unique Magic, he sneaks up on customers and surprises them. After revealing himself, Chenya will flash them a mischievous grin and lead them to his own private table where a tea party has been set up. He will entertain them with riddles and games, including a round of Russian Roulette featuring desserts. Can you guess which Bunny Tart has mustard in it??

♡ Soon enough, he gets caught by Riddle and Trey. By then, however, Chenya has a long line of customers so Crowley just lets him be. The carefree beastman enchants all of his clients with a unique experience contrary to what one would expect from a bunny boy.

♡ On and on, he entertains guests to his heart’s delight. At one point, Chenya loses interest in his costume and removes his fake bunny features. Somehow, this transformation attracts even more attention as customers beg to pet his real cat ears and tail. “Nya, riddle me this:: Why is a bunny boy as mad as a March Hare~”

♡

For those who’d like the services of Leona and Octavinelle, their “Yuu Does Not Dream of a Bunny Boy” installments are linked above!!

Fun fact, this has been in my drafts since mid-2022. Hopefully, this is the last time the Twst characters will be subjected to my Bunny Boy! nonsense. I hope y’all enjoyed the bunnification of these characters ₍ ᐢ.ˬ.ᐢ₎

Tagging some blogs who might enjoy this!! @diodellet @wildnya @mobagehelllocal @zgvlt @zariyen @jangmi-latte @merotwst @twstedbeauty @leonakingscholarship @hanafubukki

[punkassfrance]

Buttercup - Tess x Fem!Reader

MDNI, 18+ ONLY Tess sucks at relationships. You lash out, and both of you get what's coming to you. This work contains: Smut, mild angst, cunnilingus, slapping, rough sex, BDSM, mild dubcon (as in a spontaneous scene), choking, mommy kink, D/S dynamic, bratting/brat taming, and intimacy issues.

Sorta kinda inspired by "Build Me Up Buttercup" by The Foundations, if you're wondering about the name.

The food in Jackson was better than people expected. There were plenty of chefs willing to try new recipes- always happy to feed their community with love. Today, breakfast was French Toast and fruit, traded preserves from a nearby settlement.

It tasted like shit.

As good as it was, you couldn’t appreciate it for a second. Your focus was on the table, glaring holes through the wood, carving a literal hole in the wood with your free hand. Ellie and Jesse had both tried to approach you and ask what was wrong before retreating- you’d have to apologize and tell them you appreciated the gesture. Later.

Stood up fucking again. You were used to it, but that didn’t make you any less furious. No, last night was the fifth or sixth time. When she did manage to show up, she was drunk, or high, or both, or gone by morning. Always gone by morning. It felt brutal, robbing you of the chance to wake up in her arms. Like it was something she owed you, and the debt was growing every time she bailed before sunrise. If you were honest, you would rather she didn’t show up at all than do that.

As many times as she let you down, you could never bring yourself to make it the last time.

“Hey, hon…” Dina took a seat beside you, setting her plate down. “You alright? Ellie said you were kinda biting her head off when she tried to check in.”

The knife in your hand fell to the table as you sighed and rubbed your face. “I know, I’ll beg for forgiveness later.”

“Done seething?”

“For now.”

She smiled softly and folded the pocket knife shut, tucking it into your pocket. “Patrols start soon. Might want to finish up.”

You stood and pushed the plate in her direction with a sigh. “I’m done, eat up.” Dina grinned, looking down at the mostly full plate.

“Thanks. Good luck, I hear you’re on pairs.”

-

Even though Tess was just innocently adjusting the saddle on her horse, you were furious the second you saw her.

You probably fucked something up trying to get your things situated faster than her, but you succeeded either way. Posed at the gate, waiting for her to trot up beside you, you had only a second to think.

When she pulled up beside you and the gates creaked open, you took off.

-

Hitching your horse to the post outside the lodge checkpoint, you sighed and leaned up against the wood siding. Only a few rounds left, as you counted what was left of your ammo. There were more infected along the trail than you’d anticipated- if you were honest, you were almost overwhelmed. It was worth spending the journey almost a mile ahead of Tess. You were nothing if not stubborn.

The morning light caught your eye, cutting through the trees in just the right way to grab your attention, dust defining the beams. Approaching the cliffside, you leaned on the aging fence and looked down at the river. The first warmth of the day shines on your face, leftover snow twinkling on the mountain. As upset as you were that morning, it was easy to forget for a moment.

You weren’t sure what to think about Tess. She acted like she wanted you, most of the time. Flirting on patrols, getting you drinks, even a few…sweeter moments you wouldn’t tell anyone else about. The sex was mind-blowing, without a doubt- it was almost, very nearly worth what she put you through.

You heard hooves.

Within another minute of gazing into the canyon, you felt a hand grab the collar of your shirt. It jerked you away from the view, forcing you to meet Tess’ eyes.

“Now, what the fuck was that, kid?” Your top button almost popped off with the force of her grip. As startled as you were, you couldn’t bring yourself to be scared of her. You liked it rough, and as pissed as you were, you still trusted her.

“What was what?” Your hand came up to grab hers.

“You want to explain leaving me in the dust on what’s supposed to be a pairs patrol?”

“Not my fault you were lagging behind.”

She sneered, turning and dragging you by the collar to the lodge. “You could have gotten yourself fucking killed. There are a dozen ways to be petty without putting yourself in danger.” You struggled to keep up, reaching up to try and pry her hand apart.

“Fucking, let go of me-”

“Let go? You’re lucky it’s not your fucking hair. You have no idea how much trouble you’re in. Fucking christ.” She shouldered the lodge door open and pushed you in, locking it and sliding the pipe beside the door through the handles. You fell hard to the floor, trying to prop yourself up on your elbows.

“Now.” She turned to glower down at you, gritting her teeth. “We have two hours before the next patrol gets here. You can get out of this now, apologize, and we’ll spend the next two hours in silence. That, or I can spend the next two hours wearing you out. What’s it going to be?”

There it was. The out she always offered. If you were done playing games with her, done letting her have her way with you, ready to move on with your dignity, you could pull the plug on whatever this was. You could stop subjecting yourself to this, to her, at any time.

Meeting her gaze with a bitter look, you spat at the ground in front of her.

“Fucking brat.”

She took your collar again and pulled you to your feet, guiding you to the couch in the lobby. Before she pushed you down, she took a step back, holding you in place as she sized you up.

“Sweetpea, I just can’t decide what to do first.” One hand went to unbutton your shirt halfway down, her eyes wandering to the soft swell of your breasts. “I think I’m gonna have to wait to taste you until you’ve learned your lesson.” She ripped the rest of your shirt off, grabbing your hips and pulling you in to kiss your neck. “I really, really want to taste you, sweetpea. So I guess I’m going to have to make you beg for mercy.”

You both fell onto the couch, your hands gripping at the upholstery. One of her hands curled into your roots and pulled your head to the side, exposing your neck for her to devour. Her teeth dug in, your back arching off the couch as she bit a hickey into the crook of your neck. God, she was feral like this. You wouldn’t be able to move at all without feeling her later, you were sure.

Leaning back, she took a moment to admire the view.

“God. I know you're in trouble sugar, but it's hard not to appreciate you when I've got you like this.” One hand went behind your back to undo your bra, helping you out of your clothing as her other hand smoothed over your soft skin. She dipped down and pressed her lips to your breast, moaning softly at the feeling.

“So fucking pretty for me. You're lucky I have a soft spot for you, or you'd be over my knee already.” She leaned in to whisper in your ear. “But no promises about later, sweetheart.”

When your bra and shirt were discarded, her fingertips dragged over your chest. A few more marks were scattered across your breasts before she took your nipple into her mouth, flicking it with her tongue. You gasped, arching your back as her hands eased around your waist.

Once she'd left all the marks she wanted and stripped your inhibitions away, she adjusted you both to lay down a bit more comfortably. Her weight was comforting on top of you, only for a moment before you felt her hands wander upwards. They smoothed over her handiwork and up your neck, circling your throat for a moment before falling back down.

She crawled off you and stood, just for a moment, undoing her belt. You almost covered yourself, self-conscious and maybe a bit nervous, but you couldn't bring yourself to think she would really hurt you right now. Not now, outside of Jackson, where she'd still have to get you home safely. Tess was a lot of things, but she wasn't reckless, and she didn't mean any actual harm. You were pretty sure, anyway.

She kicked her jeans off and returned to her position on top of you, adjusting until she found a comfortable spot. You could feel her panties on your thigh- if you thought about it for too long, you wouldn't last, so you refocused on her calm expression. Her hands went back to smoothing up and down your chest, inching up to your neck and then back down.

Before long, her hands fully secured around your throat, squeezing gently as she adjusted her hips.

”You're goddamn lucky I'm not in the mood to get rough right now, so here's what's going to happen. You're going to lay there like a good girl, and I'm going to get off. If you can be quiet and still, I'll reward you after I'm done. Do you understand?“

You nodded, looking away at a painting on the wall. God, her gaze was intense. That was a good word for Tess overall, you thought. Intense.

”Unless you're ready to apologize.“

Snapping back to look at her, you scoffed, rolling your eyes.

Her hand drew back and slapped you, jerking your head to look back at the wall. Her other hand tightened around your throat.

”Brat.“ She squeezed, starting to rock her hips back and forth on your thigh. ”God, you're so stubborn. This would be so much easier if you could just listen to me, sweetpea.“

”You know...“ She stifled a moan, grinding her cunt into your jeans. ”...you're like an animal, sometimes.“ You didn't respond. ”As much as I try to teach you who's in charge, you still seem to...mmph...have some trouble understanding.“

You tried to reach up under her shirt, anything to get your hands on her. She grabbed your wrist with a bruising grip, pinning it to the couch as she leaned more into the arm choking you. Things went a bit hazy as the blood cut off to your brain, only for a moment before she let up.

”You even beg me to take control, don't you?“ She leaned in. ”You want momma to be in charge so bad until I try to be in charge. Isn't that right?“

You didn't respond. She leaned into your throat again.

When she eased her grip, you coughed, your free hand weakly grabbing her wrist. ”Please-“

”What was that?“ She let you breathe only to smack you again, harder, before putting her hand back up against your throat.

”Shit- momma, please, I'm sorry-“

”You're not sorry. You just want me to fuck you.“ She leaned down to kiss your forehead. ”I can't blame you for that, sugar.”

The longer you sat there with her rubbing off on your thigh, the more things got blurry. From the lack of blood, the limited air, or the tears in your eyes, you couldn't be sure.

“You can fight me all you want, doll.” She looked up to the ceiling, letting out a shaky breath. ”But I've got experience taming animals like you. No matter what, they always break.“

She leaned in, shuddering, grinding down into the wet spot on your thigh. ”...and I'm going to break you, baby girl. I promise you that.“

If she had given you permission, you could have finished right then, without her ever touching your cunt. But you didn't have permission. So you watched, distant, fixated, as she guided your hand to her panties. You let her use you to get off, fingers exactly where she put them until she leaned back with a groan and eased off your throat.

You were okay. You knew you would be, she'd never really hurt you. It was easy to forget that sometimes. If you were honest, maybe you liked to forget it.

Her nails dragged over your stomach gently as she rode out her orgasm on your thigh, exhaling and looking down after a minute.

”You alright, baby girl?“

Looking up at her, you took a moment to respond. The early morning sunlight was hazy through the filthy windows of the lodge, filtering through her hair, highlighting a few grays. You were sure if someone had been asked to draw a halo, it would look nothing like this- but it was all you could think of. If she wasn't an angel, she was a goddess, transcending any divinity you knew of.

”Doll?“

”I'm alright.“ You nodded slowly, reaching up to wipe the tears out of your eyes with your clean hand.

”Shit, did I-“

”No.“ You shook your head, taking her hand. ”Just watering up, I'm fine.“

She nodded, leaning down to kiss you. You wrapped your arms around her, pulling her in closer for a moment. Just a moment. Then she pulled away and tugged off her flannel.

“Think it's time I delivered on that promise of mine, don't you think? Unless you want to rest for a minute?”

You nodded eagerly and parted your legs as much as you could, pulling her in for one more kiss before pushing her head down. “I'm alright. Can't rest like this.”

She nodded, sliding down between your legs. Before long, she had stripped you down to panties, the only thing left to cover you. If a clicker came by now, you would have been screwed.

Well, maybe if Tess wasn't there you would have been screwed.

She started like she always did, pressing kisses to your thighs and panties just to make you squirm. Her fingers dipped into the elastic waistband, tugging them down your thighs. You felt lucky she didn't rip them off, as she liked to do- you were not interested in riding back to Jackson commando after all this. You had to remind her once or twice that panties didn't actually grow on trees, and finding suitable ones in the apocalypse was not an easy task.

She parted your lips with her thumb, running through the gathering wetness and lifting it to her mouth to taste. She spread it around a bit before blowing softly, sending a chill up your spine before she leaned in and kissed your cunt.

The chill of the air was gone in an instant as she licked you, swirling around your clit and moaning as her tongue slipped inside you. She took just as much pleasure from this as you did, you were certain. From what she told you, she had years of experience in dingy bar bathrooms, down on her knees for pretty girls who wanted her attention. You had no trouble believing those stories as she put years of skill to work between your legs.

She pulled away to kiss across your thighs again, the temperature change making you grip the couch. Her thumb flicked your clit up and down, watching hypnotized for a moment before spitting on your cunt and going back in.

“Tess-” You grabbed her hair, tugging softly, halfheartedly trying to bury her deeper. She was insatiable like this. If you were honest, she was perfect for you. You struggled to take what you wanted, struggled to ask anything of your previous lovers. Tess didn't need you to ask. She gave without demand, offered when you couldn't bring yourself to request. It was in her nature.

“So pretty.” She whispered into your thigh, nipping the tender skin for a moment. Before long, she shifted lower, slipping her tongue deeper inside as her thumb rubbed over your clit. Your breath hitched.

“Yes, that, keep doing that-”

She moaned into your cunt, fingers digging into your thigh as you shuddered and tipped over the edge. Your eyes watered up again, head thrown back onto the couch as she shushed you and ran her hands over you. Rough calluses over your tender skin were almost too much, dragging over your most sensitive spots as you slowly came down from the intense high.

She crawled up to lay beside you, pulling you into her side as you started to breathe again. “You alright, sugar?”

It took you a second to reply, but you nodded against her chest. “Yeah...yeah, I'm alright. Got intense for a second.“

She nodded, holding you for a few minutes. You glanced over at the clock.

”...want to tell me what that little stunt was about, sweetpea?“

”We have to get dressed. Joel and Tommy should be taking over soon.“

She looked at the clock, sitting up and nodding. ”You're...probably right.“ Something was left unsaid, but it wasn't the time for this conversation. ”Anything planned tonight?“

You hesitated. ”No. You can come by.“

One way or another, something would change tonight.

You spent the last ten minutes of solitude getting dressed and lingering in her touch, letting her help with the clasp of your bra. As she brushed out your hair with her fingers and started putting it back in the neat braid you'd started with, you started thinking about what to say.

-

As the last few minutes of midnight slipped away, your grip tightened on your wine glass.

She said she'd be here hours ago. This was old news, of course- she was hardly ever on time to come to your place. Still.

You'd resolved hours ago that if she didn't show up tonight, it was over. Either you'd finally get around to asking what was going on, or she wouldn't get another chance.

As your last tethers to hope started to break, the front door opened.

She wasn’t moving slowly, like she did when she was drunk or high. You couldn’t smell anything on her, but you weren’t close enough to know for sure.

She turned to you, locking the door behind her.

”Hey, sugar.”

“Tess.” You set your glass down, eyes locked on her.

She seemed frozen in place as she looked back at you. She even had the nerve to look guilty- you weren't sure if that upset you or not. She felt bad about being late, but that guilt was proof she'd known what a dick she was being the whole time. At the same time, something small in your heart hated to see her upset, and you especially hated to be the one making her upset.

“What?”

You pressed your lips together and stood from the table, taking a few steps towards her. “You said you'd be here at 10.”

“...got held up. Sorry, sweetheart.”

“I-” You closed your eyes, hand coming up to pinch the bridge of your nose. “...what are we doing here, Tess?”

“Are you really...?”

“Don't give me that. You've been jerking me around and you know it. I know you're attracted to me, I know you care about me, I don't understand why you leave me sitting here by myself night after night. And most of all,“ you took a few bold steps toward her, crossing your arms over your chest. ”I don't understand why I keep letting you.“

”Sweetpea-“

”Don't. You don't get to call me pet names when you can't even seem to decide what I am to you. So, what is it? Am I not girlfriend material? Do you just like sleeping around more than you like me?”

“I'm too old to be anyone's fuckin' girlfriend. And I don't...sleep around. Not anymore, I've got you.”

“You've got me. And what, exactly, does that mean? You have a girlfriend? You have a fuckbuddy?”

She wouldn't meet your eye. ”Look, when you've been on your own for as long as I have...“

”Tess.“ You waited until she looked up, wary and distressed. ”I've been on my own for a long time too. But I'm sick of it.“

She sighed, throwing up her hands. ”I don't know what I have left to give you, sugar. I haven't been in a real relationship in years. I thought you were okay with taking what I can offer, but if it's not enough, then fine. I guess I'll stop wasting your time.“

”I know, Tess. I know you're used to no commitment. But just because you accepted scraps from Joel for years doesn't mean I have to sit around and do the same for you.“

It was cruel and you knew it, striking a nerve like that. She didn’t like to talk about her and Joel, too proud to admit she loved him more than he could love her back. But here she was, putting you through the same thing. She gritted her teeth, backing up against the door with a sneer as you got closer and closer. It reminded you of a cornered animal, baring her teeth to look scary. Anything to get herself out of this. ”You have no right, you don't know-“

”I do know, Tess. I know you got used to being on your own.“ You took her hand in yours, pulling her away from the door and closer to you. ”I get it. This is what love has meant to you for almost twenty years. But it's not love to me.“ Her expression fell. ”You've done anything and everything to keep me close without getting close. Did you think I wouldn't get tired of it sooner or later? Or were you counting on it?“

Warm hands came to rest on your waist, her eyes looking away again. She looked gutted, too guilty to try defending herself.

”If I'm asking too much of you, then fine. I can accept that. But I'm not going to stay up waiting for you forever, especially when you spend the day leading me on.“ You look down, letting out a puff of air resembling a sigh. ”Either tell me what you want or cut me loose. Put me out of my misery, Tess. Please.“

She was still for a while, eyes on the floor as you watched her. The least you could do was let her think after springing this conversation on her. Eventually, your head fell on her chest, listening for her heartbeat. Depending on what she said, this might be the last time you heard it. The thought made your chest hurt, but you knew this was a conversation that needed to happen. Even if it didn't resemble much of a conversation, with you spewing your thoughts of the last three hours at her.

You both deserved better than this poor excuse of a relationship.

Her arms tightened around your waist, pulling you closer. ”I'm sorry,“ she whispered, hands running up your back. ”You're right.“

You both sat in silence against your front door, holding on like the other was about to shatter. You didn't call her out on her tight grip on your body, politely ignoring the way she clung to you.

You looked up at her, tilting her face to look at you. ”Stay the night.“ Getting up on your toes, you pressed a quick kiss to her lips. ”And be there in the morning.“

After a moment of holding you close and studying your face, she nodded. ”...okay.“

-

The spring morning chill wasn't so bad when you had someone to keep you warm.

Feel free to say hi or drop your thoughts in my askbox, check out my AO3 or my about me if you're interested!

[deafknell]

why anapris is one of the most ships ever

I blame @frefallingtea for this post entirely (ily)

So I've vaguely discussed this ship in a few different posts, but never fully elaborated on why exactly this ship holds so much mental real estate in my brain. The fact most of their interactions are relegated to side content (both translated and untranslated) certainly doesn't help, meaning I can count the fans of this ship on one hand.

The primary reason I ship these two comes down to one fundamental factor: they're always seeking to one up each other, and value the challenge the other poses as a rival/enemy.

Priscilla is, as we all know, a very prickly character. She does not mince her words and will only take an interest in things she finds entertaining. It's why she doesn't remember Subaru after arc 3, and why she brings Heinkel to the arc 5 meeting she was never invited to. The world exists in her favour, and that includes entertaining her, be it watching people dance in her palms or struggling against their own fate.

But Anastasia doesn't do either of those. She's in a different league entirely - a candidate for the election, but someone who acts outside of Priscilla's expectations. Anastasia is one of the rare people who Priscilla takes an active interest in, outside of her camp and perhaps Crusch.

To Pris, Ana is her biggest enemy in the Royal election. She says so directly in Lugunican Papers 2:

She's somebody Pris cannot afford to underestimate because she's so capable at turning the tides in her favour. It's a sentiment that goes both ways, as we see later:

Their first meeting really hammers that sentiment home. Going over her Camp Formation Story, we get to see Priscilla's first meeting with Anastasia, told from Schult's POV. After contacting the Hoshin company for some assistance regarding Priscilla's husband (at the time) we get to see them bicker about their true natures.

Schult observes instantly how different Pris acts with Anastasia, down to the "equal footing" and "corresponding value." Neither of them are pretending to be on good terms, but they're clearly enjoying each other's company.

Later, in the same SS, Anastasia rejects taking financial compensation for helping Priscilla out.

Both Pris and Ana are noted, multiple times through canon, to be intelligent women. They're equally capable of getting under somebody's skin, and one-upping most conversational partners. But with each other, there's that sense of unpredictability. Ana does something Pris couldn't have anticipated, and it delights her.

Pris and Ana also have that one commonality - being the two "outsiders" to the election. When Ana's heritage is brought up, Pris even defends her selection to Al, calling her "worthy."

A very common theme in most side content focusing on the pair is the presence of others observing them interact. Usually Al or Julius gets saddled with watching them bicker, largely in parts due to how neither of them necessarily reveal their intentions. Anastasia and Priscilla both speak in ways designed to rile or get at people's weak points, which makes it incredibly funny to observe as an outsider.

Just look at their interactions from Vainglory IF:

They're so fun to read, even if their back and forths seem to exhaust Subaru every time he sees them fight. It's very reminiscent of the bickering between Julius and Subaru, the way they won't admit they respect each other just a little.

Julius even says as much, directly to Subaru:

And he's right, in more ways than one. Sure, they bicker and insult each other while acknowledging their strengths, but there's more to both dynamics. One big example of that: the way both pairings tend to agree with each other the most, even with all the fighting they do.

In arc 5, Julius goes against Ana's proposal for minimal casualties, choosing to side with Subaru. Almost every occasion he disagrees with Ana is due to him actually agreeing with Subaru, something that I don't think either of them are necessarily aware of.

The same happens with Ana and Pris. Even though they're constantly at each other's throats, they're the candidates that agree the most with each other. Lugunican Papers has them share pretty much identical opinions on the other candidates, praising Crusch while dismissing Felt and Emilia:

And in Arc 3, Pris is the one to back up Anastasia's refusal to intervene in the Julius-Subaru duel:

A lot of what Priscilla says is incindiary to the rest of the cast, something that Subaru regularly clashes with. It even happens a few times in Prophecy of the Throne, where Pris will state something heartless (i.e. not caring about helping Melty) and everyone else will react negatively to her.

But Anastasia 9/10 times agrees with her and faces less blowback for it. In that Prophecy of the Throne example, she outright explains Pris' opinion and translates it in a way that's more agreeable - it's not that they want Melty dead, but they need incentive to help her. Pris gets annoyed with her, but doesn't disagree with anything she explained to the rest of the cast.

In my opinion, the reason Anapris works so well as a pairing (platonic or romantic) is due to the strong mutual understanding they have of each other. There's no hiding each other's natures, or playing to a crowd. They only want to get the upper hand on the other, but can only gain small victories moment to moment. They acknowledge and understand each other more than anyone else, and that's why they clash so much.

I think this short interaction in arc 5 summarises it best:

[bagog]

N7 Month, 2023 - Day 11: Crew

Post-war crew portrait.

++

No one wanted to be there, least of all Shepard, but it was a rare occasion where everyone was in one place again, and the air in the room reflected it. The artist was becoming panicked at how loosely the majority of the crew seemed to interpret her appointment time: Garrus was more than twenty minutes later, and entered impassive to his own tardiness. The artist tried several times to get everyone’s attention, but the old friends had taken to talking in a huddle nearby a refreshment table. She looked at Shepard helplessly.

“Alright everybody,” Shepard raised his voice over the cheerful din. “We’re all here to get this done, so let’s get started now that everybody’s here.”

“How do you want us?” Kaidan asked the artist, coming to stand beside Shepard.

It was for the official portrait—the Normandy crew—which was promised to the Smithsonian once it was completed. The majority of the crew had posed for a photograph earlier in the day, but for the Senior staff it was decided a massive painting was in order.

Hikka Haufika, the artist chosen by several planetary governments, busily arranged the reluctant aliens and humans into formation, explaining under her breath how she didn’t want to do the standard rugby line-up portrait, but wanted to create something dynamic, something that communicated more than simple likeness. All the while, a young intern stalked about the studio with a camera drone: recording the accompanying video which would be played beneath the portrait once it hung in the museum.

“I don’t understand,” Tali crossed her arms, tone threatening at boredom. “Couldn’t you just do a complete three dimensional scan of us? Then we won’t have to hold these poses for so long.”

“I’m an old fashioned painter,” Haufika declared, then quieter when the camera drone approached her face. “I’m not only trying to capture the look of your crew, but the energy.”

“Oh, you’ll get energy from this group,” Liara said cryptically as she was positioned standing at a computer console. The artist brought more laptops and data-pads and artfully strewn them about her.

“So how long is this going to take?” James asked, seeming to sink further into himself as he watched the crew members plucked out a lineup one by one to be placed in the scene

“Never thought I’d catch you afraid to hold a pose,” Steve chimed in.

“Very funny.” James rolled his eyes.

“You don’t have to stand completely still, James,” Kaidan was now standing in the scene, sleeves on his uniform rolled up, gripping a Valkyrie assault rifle awkwardly. “Nobody expects you up here holding your breath for two hours.”

“Two hours…” Javik groaned. He frowned at the artist and she returned the frown in kind, skipped over him to pose the next person instead.

“Yeah, Shepard’s not sweating about it.” Joker was seated on a stool to one side of the frame, the artist taking his hat on and off and on and off before finally leaving it on. “How many is this for you now, Shepard?”

“Two sculptures, fifteen holo-photos, but this is only my second painting.” Shepard stepped into the scene himself and took up a pose beside Kaidan.

“Commander Shepard,” Haufika tapped his shoulder. “Actually, I was hoping you would stand right over here.”

“Oh.” Shepard replied passively, but did not move. “Any way you can put me here instead?”

“I, um… it wasn’t really what I…” she stuttered as Shepard remained impassive. “Um. Sure. You can stand there. Whatever.”

This caused a chain reaction, however, that saw several people’s poses have to be recast and a few people moved around.

“You know,” Garrus droned, standing with one arm on James’ shoulder, a sniper rifle slung over his. “Whenever humans paint a turian, we always end up looking like monsters…” Haufika looked offended, but before she could speak up, Dr. Chakwas guffawed from her position.

“You’ve been on the extranet too much.”

“Miss Haufika recently opened a gallery in Cairo, and was a featured exhibit at the Volus neo-classicism museum last year.” Liara chimed in, and the artist seemed pleased. Took up sketching on her canvas again.

“Well, at least we know she knows how to paint an Evo suit,” Tali remarked dryly, a prop shotgun placed atop a fake console she was ‘reading.’

They continued to chat as Haufika set to work laying down the bones of the scene. A few people were shifted around. James was bored. Kaidan eventually leaned forward, whispered in Shepard’s ear:

“Well, is this about what you expected?”

“Javik hasn’t stormed out, yet, so it’s better than it could’ve been,” Shepard returned quietly.

“Hey there,” Tali’s voice rose, sparkling, above the rest of the chatter. “Shepard, Kaidan… if you two aren’t careful, the painting’s going to have you two whispering to each other.”

“Remember, this is for posterity,” Steve rejoined. “This is going to be the image of the Normandy crew to future generations.” His tone was tinged with irony, but Shepard smiled all the same.

He had never wanted to be the sort of person who was ‘remembered’ as a hero, or anything other than a friend. Whatever ‘energy’ it was Hikka Haufika captured, he hoped the image the future would remember would be one of him, surrounded by friends.

[opinionatedlobster]

‘Icy Invitation’ trailer has been posted to the Nintendo Mobile Youtube Channel!! From the silhouettes i think most people expected/knew that this would be an ice tribe banner with Felicia and Nils on it, but the trailer confirms it!!

First off character choice- honestly,,, a bit boring 😭😭😭 no hate to enjoyers of these characters, im just a bit bummed out. With nifl featuring on a summer banner, i think a few people (me included) were hoping for muspell to b on an ice tribe or winter banner. Instead we get,,, fjorm nifl duo!! I like their dynamic, theyre really cute, but another fjorm??😭😭😭 and no kilma, the leader of the ice tribe?? We get his daughters instead, in their first alts since the picnic banner ages ago. Hurray to maid twin fans!! For the final member of this banner we have another blue haired pegasus knight. A bit random imo but ik she is associated somewhat with ice?? Not too sure, ive never played her original game. I wouldve enjoyed characters who havent had an alt yet, or characters who are more strongly associated with fire for that culture shock sorta feel, but im not too mad about these choices (or mad at all tbh, but ik some people might feel different)

Real quick im gonna talk abt the skills on this banner- luna on a five star in the year 2024 is a bit weird, but no complaints here. Seeing IS give armours prfs and new b skills instead of changing the save skills is a bit weird. Idk how well save armours r performing in this new meta, if theyre performing at all, im no pheonixmaster1 guys lol. Nils is a grail unit (again) and the seals r nothing special, maybe ill put that finish seal on someone but no idea who yet.

The art- honestly the art on this banner just slaps no real bad pieces here. Thea is the worst of the batch but she is in no way bad, just doesnt really compare to the others. Flora is GORGEOUS, Fjorm and Nifl have great expressions and poses, and felicias art really does capture her personality. My question is for the designs- i dont really remember the ice tribe from fates, but didnt they have,,,, more clothes?? I dont mind skin at all but idk if they were figure skaters?? Is this a yuri on ice banner or am i missing something??😭😭😭 Now that i look closer yeah theyre all wearing tights but idk im just confused

Overall thoughts- im just amused lol not mad at all just have some ,,, thoughts. Will b talking to my brother about this later and probably overreacting but i just get excited talking about feh okay 😭😭😭 i give this post a cute meh out of 10.

[kamenstranger]

With this new season of Castlevania alleged creepy sex weirdo Warren Ellis was out as head writer, and Clive Bradley was in. Bradley is known primarily as a crime and horror writer, whose works I wasn't too familiar with before this. That, in addition to the events of season 4, left me with basically no expectations for what direction the show would go.

That said, The first episode perfectly sets the stage for the rest of the season. It is efficient without feeling rushed or over-stuffed. It is concise while covering a lot of ground.

We open on Richter being sent away to France for his protection, but in the process, his mother, Julia (Sophie Skelton), is killed by a powerful vampire, Olrox (Zahn McClarnon). Nine years later, in 1792, we find Richter (Edward Bluemel) with this adoptive sister, Maria Renard (Pixie Davies). Maria is a witch and a young revolutionary fanning the flames among the peasants, making her and her listeners targets for the literal bloodsucking cronies of the upper class. Although they pose no threat to our two heroes.

Richter and Maria right off the bat have a great sibling dynamic. While it would be a stretch to call this young cocky Richter level-headed, he has a comparatively cool demeanor to Maria's short fuse. Maria herself is a lot of fun. She is foul-mouthed and rebellious in a "burn the bourgeois" sort of way, which puts her at odds with institutions such as the church.

Still, the two meet with the local Abbott, Emmanuel (Richard Dormer), seeing as one of the attacking vampires mentioned a Vampire Messiah. Although the church is of no help.

After that excursion, there's a slight respite in Richter's domestic life, focusing on Maria and her mother, Tera (Nastassja Kinski). We see that Richter suffers from PTSD nightmares over his mother's death. He's awakened by an attack on the homestead by night creatures, something neither Richter, nor the rest of the household, has experience or knowledge of, resulting in a pretty brutal beatdown.

He's saved by the timely intervention of Annette (Thuso Mbedu) a former plantation slave who can manipulate rocks and metals; and Edouard (Sydney James Harcourt) a revolutionary opera singer. Both were looking for Richter in hopes of stopping this vampire messiah. Elsewhere, Olrox arrives in France to meet this messiah.

As I said, this episode covers a lot of ground. The back story for Richter, supporting characters and their relationships, major events being set up, more supporting characters to explore, and a lot of small character moments. That last one I think is the most important because there is a lot of that sprinkled throughout, along with some quick dialogue that explains small details. For example, when Richter is a child there's a quick line about how Tera isn't a vampire hunter. Richter is talented and has some training, but we see his limitations with the Night Creatures. There's some other stuff too, like Richter not having much thought on the current affairs of a classist system, but finding Maria and her mother good people with good intentions, so he stands by them. He has a good heart, but he perhaps doesn't think much about the world at large the same way Maria does.

Another small but appreciated bit is Annette's spear turning into dust and reforming as plates. You immediately pick up on her metal manipulation ability, and it's nice that Maria isn't the only one with unique magic (that being the Sì Xiàng.) Not to mention this also sets the ground for a much larger world of magic, like say, Richter's Item Crash abilities from the games. And yes, that is a key component because Richter lost his ability to do any magic after his mother's death.

In fact, episode 2 expands on that very thing while also explaining that Annette's powers came from her father's side, leading all the way back to her culture's God of war, Ogun (They don't specify which African Religion.) An inheritance of magic would become a running motif throughout this season. But That's just a small part of this episode.

The real meat of the second episode is the arrival of the Messiah's Emissary, Drolta Tzuentes (Elarica Johnson) to France, and Annette revealing the vampire messiah's name; Erzsebet Bathory. This triggers memories in Maria's mother that she had long kept secret. Tera was originally from Russia, part of a group of speakers helping a small village until they were besieged by vampires. Tera lost her sister to vampirism in the process and was forced to kill her. She fled until she reached France and was taken in by Emmanuel, hoping to leave that nightmare behind.

With their best lead being an Island chateau with nightly parties, Richter, Maria, Annette, and Edouard, skulk out the place in hopes of finding out where the night creatures are coming from. While spying on the partygoers, Annette spots her former slaver, Vaublanc, and nearly loses control of herself. Regardless, Vaublanc still takes notice and things quickly go south. The four flee an onslaught of monsters, but only three make it out. Edouard is overwhelmed and slain in the chaos. His body is brought to the Abbey along with other corpses to be made into night creatures in the cellar.

Unlike the slow methodical smith-like process of the 1400s, the demon forging process has become industrialized. Something I didn't care for much (at first) is that Edouard is turned into a night creature where it's basically just him but with monster appendages. So his midriff and face are perfectly normal. Everyone else turns into these barely recognizable monsters, but you know his features stay intact for future drama. We'll get back to that.

Episode 3 focuses on the group comforting Annette's loss, and her in turn opening up to the group about her past. Seeing her mother killed by Vaublanc, the awakening of her powers, her escape at age 16, and of course her meeting with Edouard. Edouard hid Annette from Vaublanc and brought her to a rebel militia in the mountains where she was trained to use her powers by a Seer, Cécile, and eventually aids in the uprising of Saint-Domingue. Although Vaublanc would of course escape. Annette is obviously very different from her game counterpart and for the better in my book. She's a proactive player here and the backstory given also connects both narratively and thematically to the setting and themes. It's also nice that Edouard gets some backstory laid out because we never really got a chance to explore him before his death. While this is still more in the service of Annette, it's at least something.

A smaller part of the episode is a homoerotic confrontation between Olrox and the Abbott's right hand, Mizrak (Aaron Neil) Olrox seemingly throwing a wrench into their plans for his own gain, planting a seed in the warrior's mind that Erzsebet will cast them aside when the opportunity arrives. Maria also introduces Annette to her revolutionary group, but are attacked by night creatures, Edouard among their ranks. One little twist is that Edouard maintains a degree of consciousness. He turns away from Annette, hides his face, and ends up attacking another creature that goes after her. In that regard, I consider his appearance to reflect that the process of the forge was perhaps flawed in some manner. But we have seen creatures display a degree of independence before, and memories of their past life as with FlysEyes. Whatever the cause, he's carried off with the remaining night creatures, Maria noting that they were heading in the direction of the Abbey.

Episode 4 follows up with Maria and Annette being hell-bent on assaulting the Abbey for answers, although Richter objects to the impulsive nature since they're unsure. Tera instead offers a more subtle approach with an alternate entrance to the cellar. In fact, she knows a little bit too much about the Abbey, something Richter takes notice of.

Olrox is also busy getting answers. From an afterglow chat with Mizrak to secretly investigating the demon forge and its workings. He even chats with Edouard while the Abbot is busy in a meeting with Drolta on their uneasy alliance. Trepidatious though it may be, both see a benefit. Emmanuel wants to purge the revolution for questioning and outright attacking the church. The Vampires want to maintain a ruling class and need a human to forge demons for an army. It's all about the status quo.

Drolta also has some good character bits here. I wouldn't call her particularly deep as a villain, she never becomes as interesting as Olrox. But she is a fun villain. Which, hey, that's more than I can say for her Bloodlines counterpart who was just a witch. You can also tell someone had a lot of fun designing all of Drolta's different looks, she has more outfit changes than anyone else and her aesthetic is fucking great.

All that said, Drolta and Emmanuel cross paths with our heroes, and a big chunk of the episode is a massive fight in the cellar. If you've read my previous Castlevania reviews you know I dislike regurgitating what's on screen followed by "done well" But this is a highlight of the season. We're at the midway point, the threads are starting to come together, and we're ramping things up with an amazing battle showcasing everyone's abilities brilliantly. In particular, we see how dangerous Drolta is. All this with a beautiful vocal performance by Edouard.

Amongst all this action are some story morsels; Tera is horrified at Emmanuel for one- although he does stop Drolta from going after Maria. Put a pin in that. There's also a truly heart-wrenching moment between Annette and Edouard where he begins to remember who she is. And if that wasn't enough, just when we're showing how fucking badass Richter can be with him finally handling night creatures, Olrox makes his presence known. And the utter looks of terror in Richter's eyes upon hearing his voice is so palatable.

The facial expressions this season are truly wonderful. Richter tells everyone to get the fuck out and runs for it, not stopping. And what I love is right after everyone has escaped, Olrox acts completely natural toward Drolta, saying he just got off the boat and the messiah is expecting him.

Ep 5 is split into three parts. One follows a frustrated Annette as she heads out and eventually tails Drolta's carriage until she meets up with Olrox. This segment is largely exposition while also trying to further convince Olrox of their cause. There's a lot of back and forth about rising and falling empires, something both Olrox and Drolta have seen their share of since their Aztec and Egypt days, respectively. It boils down to Drolta considering the natural order of things to be of rulers and subjects. The messiah can supposedly offer a permanent empire for Vampires to rule. After that meeting, and by complete happenstance, Annette ends up running into Vaublanc in the same graveyard. She uses her ability in possibly the most unique manner to trap the slaver in a cage of crosses. And for really no good goddamn reason at all, he gloats about Erzsebet Báthory's plans and her power. How she drank the blood of the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet. Considering she's a solar goddess, all I'm picturing is the time Dracula bit Superman and blew up.

That somehow didn't happen but instead supposedly gave her the ability to block the sun. This ranting goes on until the sun rises and burns the lesser vampire to a crisp. Meanwhile, Emmanuel shows up at Tera's house. It's a similar case of back and forth, how Emmanuel is clearly engaging in horrible sacrilegious acts but he views it as an end justifies the means sorta way. I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself here, but this is basically Emmanuel's character for the rest of the show. Becoming increasingly unhinged, but with a touch of self-awareness. His character has this uneasy combination of the deeper he goes, the worse he feels…but he can't stop. You wonder if it will ever be too much. Honestly, it makes for a more interesting human monster compared to the flat 200% evil priests of the previous Castlevania. Oh, it also gets revealed that he's Maria's father. Okay, that's not shocking from an audience perspective, it's painfully obvious what with Tera's comments, history, and the fact that there are only two adult blonds in the entire show. But from the Character's POV, it causes a rift between Maria and her mother.

Richter oddly has the least to do in this episode, yet he is perhaps the most interesting. After bolting and having a breakdown, he wanders aimlessly, gets a bandana from some revolutionaries smitten with his looks, and ultimately winds up at a bar. He's too poor for a drink, although an old man pays for a meal. And this is when things take a surprising turn. A vampire bursts into the bar looking for the old man. Richter reaches for the whip, but the old man has already taken it and quickly slays the vampire with ease.

Playing up an old fan theory, this is in fact Richter's Grandfather, Juste (Iain Glen). This one got me. The moment I saw a long white-haired man I figured it could be, but I was still pleasantly surprised they went there.

Episode 6 is another dense one, with Erzsabet making her horrifying arrival to France. Edouard meanwhile begins talking to fellow night creatures, one of whom, Jacques, recalls attending Maria's meetings. Speaking of, Maria visits Emmanuel in hopes of swaying the Abbott away from his path. I guess you could say she's presenting the choice of what sort of father he wants to be. I admit, it's slightly jarring that Maria would extend this offer in the first place given her utter disdain prior. I guess she wants to give the benefit of the doubt, but she's not exactly had a longing for a father figure as part of her character. Sure, she thought her father was dead until now, but it feels more like something thrown in so Drolta can secretly take notice and set up events for the finale. In fairness, Maria is impulsive, so I guess in that regard it still works. But… yeah I'm still iffy on it as a plot point.

Thankfully, the main core of this episode is much better by being centered on Richter and Juste. We learn why there was such dissonance with his daughter, and why he's kept away from Richter, how he became so broken. Juste once was the most powerful magic user of the Belmonts, the whip was almost secondary to him. But his wife Lydie and his best friend Maxim were both killed by a vampire. After that, he lost his magical touch. He lost hope. These tales of woe are cut short when elite vampire warriors sent by Drolta assault the duo, chaining Juste and separating Richter from the whip. Richter is restrained and prepared for execution. But something happens to Richter. A burning desire to not only live, but to protect the people he loves. That fire inside him grows and becomes literal.

What follows is less of a fight and more pure elegant destruction. Richter burning, freezing, and stabbing all the night fiends. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention this is backed with the one game cover for this season; Divine Bloodlines. Which is just exquisite. Beyond that, I just love this bit of character. Richter's strength, and consequentially what makes him contrast with Trevor and more directly Juste, is how he channels his trauma into something positive.

However, do not let the above distract from the fact that Olrox gets his own spotlight finally delving into his motivations. After all, he was once part of a great kingdom until the Spanish arrived. Does he see Erzsabet as just another god king which fools have pledged themselves to? Perhaps. We also get some insight into the lover Julia killed. A Mohican man who fought in the Revolutionary War, only to have his home stolen by those same people. The only thing that changed was who the colonizers were. But lest you think that makes Olrox too sympathetic, the only reason he lost his love is because he was turned into a vampire. Mizrak actually confronts him on this, asking if a choice was even granted. Of course, Olrox was too selfish for that.

Ep 7. Our penultimate episode, unsurprisingly, is mostly set up for the finale. Although a great deal is simply low-key character interactions, like the fallout between Maria with her mother over Emmanuel.

Richter also returns to the trio and has a nice quiet scene with just him and Annette, Richter apologizing for abandoning them and promising to help rescue Edouard. It's really the only scene the two have leaning into there being something between them, Annette admitting she was more worried about him than she wanted. It's rather cute and I love the subtle blush on Annette. But there's no time to kindle that spark. The four must prepare a full assault on the Abbey.

Less low-key is Erzsabet's plans being fully laid out. Olrox is nothing more than a servant to pay Erzabet tribute by conquering the Americas on her behalf. This submission is not something he takes kindly to, but he has little choice. Speaking of submission, Emmanuel is expected to do just that for the new messiah. A sacrifice of something dear to him; Maria.

As our heroes begin planning their attack on the Abbey, Maria voices concern over what could happen to Emmanuel. But as Tera bluntly puts it: he made his choice. Before they can continue, they're interrupted by an unlikely source, Olrox, who drops off Emmanuel's infernal tome. While this leads to a whole excursion, the gist is really quite simple; Olrox can't afford to get too involved with this subversion, Erzsabet is far more powerful than any know, and the Demon Forge can only be handled by humans. Whether or not they trust Olrox is irrelevant, this is their best bet at dealing a blow before Erzsabet can build an army.

That night, as Tera reads over the tome, Maria sneaks out and heads for the Abbey, hoping to give her father one last chance to have a change of heart. But it's to no avail, his mind is thoroughly poisoned and Maria is captured, breaking the last straw for Mizrak.

The following day, Tera figures out the solution to dealing with the forge, but it won't be easy. Destruction isn't possible, the only solution is sending it back where it came from; Hell. Annette will be needed to quite literally push the entire machine through a portal. Just as their plan is formulated, Mizrak arrives, warning them that Emmanuel is preparing to kill Maria. As they hurry to the church, the sun is suddenly eclipsed.

Erzsabet, true to the rumors, can call forth an eternal night.

This brings us to the season finale in episode 8. The four arrive in time to save Maria from the crazed holy man. Annette heads down to take care of the forge and also free Edouard, although he prefers staying with the night creatures, two of whom have regained their sentience and even protect Annette.

As Tera reads incantations to summon the portal to hell, Drolta and a small squad of vampires arrive at the church for Richter, Maria, and Mizrak to take care of. One thing for sure is that Drolta is a force to be reckoned with. Their previous fight was during the day, but now she's at full strength. Maria is giving it her all, and Richter is no slouch with his new magic. He even gets a few good licks in with his ice whip.

But things change when Erzsabet arrives. She has since transmogrified into a Sekhmet lioness appearance, and she is immensely powerful. None of the attacks launched at her can even make contact. Not Maria's guardians, not the whip, not the elemental magics. She casts everyone aside and heads right for Maria, which causes Tera to lose focus and close the portal. See, Emmanuel misunderstood. Bathory wasn't looking for a blood sacrifice, she was looking for someone to turn. Tera intervenes and begs to be taken instead of Maria. After all, she's a speaker and would be a powerful minion to have. Bathory accepts. I want to take a moment and say Tera's fate hits surprisingly hard. She's not the deepest character, we don't spend a great deal of time on her. But she's prominent enough to leave an impact. A flawed individual with the best of intentions and ultimately a good heart. I do want to give mention to Nastassja Kinski's performance, which is her first voice role. She gives Tera this soft-spoken kindly forlorn inflection that perfectly matches her complicated past. And to see that character turned and suddenly become this ravenous beast, feasting like a combination of starving infant and strung-out addict… it's beautifully sad. This is a show full of contrasts and Tera made a great contrast to Emmanuel, more so than Maria, I think. I don't believe Tera was under any illusions like Emmanuel. Her sacrifice isn't going to spare Maria, but it buys everyone enough time. Conversely, Emmanuel would give up anyone else with the assumption it would be worth it, even as it broke his heart. And make no mistake, his heart is breaking during this moment.

With the situation at its worst, the four make their escape as Drolta and her minions give chase. Drolta closes in on Richter, lunging after him.

Only to be met by a familiar sword. Understandably an elite vampire being taken out followed by a guy claiming to be the son of Dracula causes the rest of the vampires to flee. Alucard turns his attention towards Richter, hoping that he isn't too late. And that is one hell of a season finale. Goddamn.

If it wasn't clear by now. I thoroughly enjoyed this season. There are a few issues I have, mostly small and nitpicky stuff. But things are fairly damn solid and I don't have much major to complain about. One thing I do see criticized is some of the dialogue being "Cringy." It's not as bad as I had seen made out, but there are undeniably some dorky-ass wince-inducing lines. Some try too hard to be inspiring or funny. One example would be Richter going on a speech as his powers awaken and saying he was "gonna have a witty line… but fuck it." It just doesn't come off as earnest. I get the feeling that it's trying to evoke Ellis' form of vulgarity and irreverent humor- which itself sometimes fell face first. But there's nothing in here even close to "Eat shit and Die. Yes, fuck you." or "See? God Hates me." Nocturne thankfully avoids trying to be too much like its predecessor and is better for it. Although its own quirks occasionally stick out, it's nothing that ruins the moment. Probably the worst it gets was Annette's speech to the revolutionaries which isn't even a paragraph and about as inspirational as Marshmallow fluff is nutritious. Maria's overly enthusiastic reaction only highlights the lame awkwardness. Fred Hamton this was not. I suppose on a related note, it is worth talking about the themes of the series. The most notable of all these is how it interprets Vampires among the aristocracy, literally feeding on the lower classes. Not an original take by any means, but one that works and is great for the setting. Perhaps the most criticism I can levy towards Nocturne when it dips into the various class systems at play is how little it actually gets to delve into them, despite how constant they are. It does raise some interesting ideas and points, such as the uprising in Saint-Domingue, or how Olrox's Mohican lover was turned against by the Americans. It presents this idea that there are those that will always see themselves above others and the French Revolutionaries aren't really going to give a shit once all is said and done. A slave is beneath a peasant, an Indian beneath a colonist, a night creature beneath a human, a human beneath a vampire, and so forth. But as prevalent as that is, I don't think the series ever takes full advantage of those elements. The parallels are just that, parallels. Something repeated but never expanded upon in a meaningful way. Look, I'm in a post-Black Sun world. I realize nothing is going to compete on the totally radical scale by comparison. Still, while Nocturne is far from toothless, it doesn't have as much bite as it could. I will give credit to Olrox. I think he's the most interesting of the bunch in how these systems affect his compass. Driven away from his homeland by Conquistadors, his lover was driven from his by revolutionaries. Olrox himself is now part of a system of power- and yet he is still subjugated as nothing more than muscle to a more powerful figure within that system… who wants him to colonize.

As for everyone else… Man, this is a weird situation. For Richter, I don't think there's much that hasn't already been covered. I like his character and what they do with him. It's a fairly typical young hero journey, one that just got started in a lot of respects. He overcame is trauma, got his power back, and was met with something far stronger. He has quite a ways to go and more to learn. I think it's safe to say that applies to Maria, too. Perhaps even more so because she lacks a character-focused episode that doesn't center on her family. She was fine overall, but I'm more looking forward to the next season and the fallout of losing her mother to a fate worse than death, how that affects her, the relationships around her, and perhaps channeling it into becoming more powerful.

Curiously, Maria is down an animal buddy throughout this entire season. I'm not counting the doves/owls because I'm fairly certain they were considered redundant with huáng. But Shenlong is noticeably absent and I can only assume that's going to be Maria's big upgrade in the next season. I hope the same is true for Richter. As much as I appreciate seeing them get clever with the ice and fire abilities, I want to see things I associate with him specifically. The closest we get is the flame whip and a pseudo grand cross. Have him throw a bible and the page cut like razors or stick like Fulu talismans, 1,000 blades, hydro storm. Make that a part of him getting stronger, going beyond the traditional magic, and perhaps tie that in with some character stuff with Annette as their relationship blossoms. (As an aside. I can't help but think Tera being turned into a vampire is perfect setup to make the whip into a proper vampire killer ala Lament of Innocence.)

To give more credit where it's due, I also appreciate what's done with Annette by incorporating wider cultural elements into the setting, in addition to still being something that's a major part of her background. I'm hoping for more stuff with Annette next season because I feel aside from her origin tale she's easily overshadowed by Richter's journey feeling more full. Plus it's perfect opportunity to set up a family dynamic with the three.

Getting back to the magical angle, I also love that Erzsabet takes on a second form in relation to a God. That's very much in tune with how in the games Dracula could assume a form like Pazuzu. Likewise, Olrox can turn into a giant serpent, which is a nice twist on his lizard form from SOTN while giving some Quetzalcoatl-like qualities related to his own background. Hmm, that's another Sun God like Sekhmet…

But a lot of what I'm talking about here is setting and background stuff around characterization. And also shit I'm expecting/wanting next season because I've already covered most of the characters. Well, that, and as efficient as the story is, it does leave me wanting more. Which, yes, is a great thing. I enjoy these characters and want to spend more time with them. I feel it's at least appropriate enough to leave off where we do. But there is still a nagging part of me that hates that we have horribly short seasons with this franchise. As wonderful as the writing is at balancing the narrative and characters for a streamlined experience, it's still in the single digits. We only have 8 roughly 25 minute episodes and I struggle to say more than a few unique blurbs about any one character because of that short run. The plus side is they use every bit of that run time well, it's remarkable how much is done in that time. The downside is "barely scratched the surface" is a phrase I can apply to most of the cast. Richter is truthfully the only one with a proper fulfilling arc that still leaves room for growth. Annette sorta gets a spirit journey about using the full strength of her ancestors and forgiving Richter, but that's kinda it. Maria has some character stuff with her family, but it's not a journey in the same way as the others, despite the personal nature. We're going to have to wait until next season before deep-diving on Maria and Annette. To say nothing of Mizrak who barely has a speaking role. The more I think about it, the more I wish this was 3-5 episodes longer just to sink those claws in more. It almost feels like a show that is the best case scenario for when you cut out all the fat. As it stands, I'm still appreciative of what was done. 8 episodes were ordered and they did the best with those restrictions, that much I believe is certain. Maybe it's best to focus on what is rather than what could be, and what we got is still damn good.

Also damn good is the animation this season. So this is going to be a pretty sort section because I'm limited to 30 photos and I've got 4 other reviews talking about the animation in Castlevania. One thing I have to point out is that Netflix and many others are calling this an anime, despite the fact that outside Japan the term typically refers to animation which is at the very least produced by a Japanese studio. We won't get into the semantics of how that applies if the actual animating is outsourced to South Korea (Which Studio DR Movie is) Or the nuances of how styles have intermingled for decades. Honestly, I don't really care all that much. I'm just pointing it out because I find it hilarious that a show partly handled by a studio based in Austin, TX gets slapped with the Anime label because, and let's be real here, they're too insecure to call it a cartoon or animation outright. That's the only reason. Amazon does the same damn thing with Invincible, which is just embarrassing in my eyes. If the HBO Spawn was made today they'd be trying to do the same shit with that… especially since that was partially handled by Studio Madhouse… who outsources to DR Movie.

Anyway, we've got yet another change up this season with animation moving from Tiger Animation in Season 4 to the renowned DR Movie. Chances are you've seen their work somewhere before, as they're pretty big in both the Japanese anime and Western animation scene. They've done everything from the in-between shots on JJBA Diamond is Unbreakable, to additional work on the 2010 Young Justice series.

Of course, that's not to say they handled all of this. After all, Powerhouse Animation has been at this since the first season in 2017, and are damn impressive in their own right. If you've seen the Sonic Frontiers and Superstars animations, that was them.

While the gap between this and Season 4 isn't massive, the uptick is still very noticeable. Fights in particular stand out more with a strong sense of choreography to the battles. There's a good use of the environment with impactful kinetic energy. Shading and lighting are probably the best it's been, and at no point was there a glaring instance of what could be perceived as "corner-cutting." It's frankly gorgeous and perhaps the best so far.

What I have a harder time commenting on is the music, and man, I always feel trepidatious talking about Music in the animated series. Comparisons to the games are inevitable, and those have some of the most rockin' iconic beats of any game series. The show typically only has one game track represented per season, if that. Yet I also feel that's disingenuous to Trevor Morris and (this season) Trey Toy, who do great work. Yet often times it is very atmospheric and more subtle, which I have a hard time conveying that, aside from asking if you like Castlevania IV's approach. What I can say, aside from the obvious choice of Bloonelines, is that Lamento della Ninfa is the standout track this season. It's used a couple of times, mostly in the Abbey, and it is a truly beautiful piece that complements the battles yet is still a great track divorced from the context of the scene at play. I also feel bad saying that because it, like bloodlines, is a preexisting track. In this case a Claudio Monteverdi composition.

Since we're on the subject of vocals, I might as well talk about the voice acting. It's good. I mean what the fuck do you expect? We're on a sequel to a 4 season show, of course, they're going to get that right. I will say it's surprising that not a lot of the cast have voice-acting credits prior to this. Some have one or two, for others this is their first VA role, and they all do a damn fine job. Less surprising is that Zahn McClarnon is one of the stand-out performance to me. He is the most experienced of anyone in the cast, and ironically it's the role showing the least variety. But I would say it's the most complicated because Olrox has a very subdued, practically emotionless delivery. To impart that sense of control over oneself without being stereotypically monotone is remarkably difficult for a lot of performers. I can hear Olrox and immediately pick up he's weary from all the shit he's seen. Every now and then you'll get something dry and cheeky, or a cold threatening aura peeking through the unnatural calm.

The other standout is Sydney James Harcourt. As far as I'm aware, this is his first VA role. He is primarily a musical performer on and off Broadway. And yes, that means when Edouard sings, it's still Harcourt. So that amazing rendition of Lamento della Ninfa is him.

Final Thoughts.

Castlevania Nocturne quelled most of my fears about the series continuing on, and in some areas showed itself to be far more nuanced and interesting than its fore bearer. There are still critiques I have with the show- it seems an absurdly short season is a reoccurring issue with this franchise. But I can't deny that few shows can do so much in so little. I've seen 43 episode series do less with their characters, so make of that what you will. Whatever issues I have with the episode number, I'd rather them set up and wait than try to tackle too much in a season that clearly doesn't have the time. My only real concern going forward is Netflix's abysmal practices fucking the show over. Ya know, is it going to take a third season to get some characters a satisfactory amount of development?

Regardless, I can say that Nocturne's first season feels refined, and frankly more mature. It never goes above the means given to it, and despite some stumbles, it's not overly ambitious or clunky. Nocturne knows exactly what it wants and gets to it in the shortest amount of time. If season 2 can continue that trend remains to be seen. I'm at least confident the series is in good hands.

As always, thanks for reading, and reblogs are always welcome. You can find me on Bluesky @kamenstranger.bsky.social I have a Ko-fi if you'd like to throw a dollar at me. Happy Halloween!

[jpriest85-blog]

I've fallen into Fandom Hell for @gonzague-if that I've been considering a Vampire au and even created some art for it depicting a vampire version of my Prince Médée and her devoted Peyrolles inspired by the Renfield movie poster.

Ironically enough, in the vampire au, I could see Médée and Peyrolles' relationship starting out similar to Dracula and Renfield's. Mysterious and secluded noble needs a useful human to help with their business during the daylight hours, in return for shelter, fortune, and immortality. Although Médée probably isn't as horrible as a Master/Mistress as Dracula was 🤔

Sure, it was probably an adjustment at first for Peyrolles and terrifying, depending on how much they believe certain superstitions about vampires. The cross thing isn't true, though, and Médée laughs when Peyrolles first brings it up. She can stand on cosicrated ground just fine. Hell, in the 15th century, she tried to avoid an unwanted marriage by joining a convent. Sadly, it didn't work out, though her father's men found her and dragged her kicking and screaming to the alter. Thankfully, she didn't have to deal with the marriage long. A vampire was posing as one of the wedding guests and decided to gift the reluctant young bride with immortality.

A couple of centuries later, she winds up in Paris and meets Peyrolles one night, and offers them a job. At first, their dynamic probably is very similar to in game, Peyrolles helping Médée run errands during the day, dressing her since she can't see her own reflection in the mirror, covering up suspicions deaths, ect.

Médée sometimes needs to feed from Peyrolles if another source of blood isn't available. Which is an interesting scenario to imagine the first time she asks to feed from them. Sure Médée is usually careful not to kill the people she drinks from, but blood loss is still pretty risky. She depends on Peyrolles for so much already that she wouldn't want to compromise their health, but it could be more dangerous if she goes too long without eating. Médée probably doesn't even get a chance to finish asking Peyrolles before they're already removing their cravat and jacket.

What a tall, beautiful woman dressed in a 3 piece suit that pays well and asks to bite you occasionally. You expect them to say no to that?!

[giuliano-fan-account]

hxh ch 393

I THOUGHT THAT THEY RELEASED ONLY ON SUNDAYS HELP? WAIT? ANYWAYS so i read this a little later than I wanted to since i thought it released tomorrow but thats okay. 

Its review time!! I have a little less to say this chapter than the last two, but I still have a little word

spoilers, obviously

So, we’re back to Luini... 

Tbh Im KIND OF GLAD THAT HE JUST DESTROYED HIM HE WAS BEGINNING TO GET A LITTLE ANNOYING...

Its interesting to think about it. 

He could have been downright offensive to these three as all of the troupe is still processing the deaths of Shalnark and Kortopi and hes just telling them to discard all of that. 

Imagine if somebody like Luini showed up after Uvogins death/during their requiem.. yea... I have a feeling Nobunaga would be even more pissed.

ALSO NOBUNAGA DOESNT LOOK SUPER WONKY IN THIS PANEL YAY

In the previous chapters and stuff he just looked so strange and it wasn’t bothering me or anything but yaa there he is. 

Luini is the negative fanbase and This guy is the positive fanbase. 

This translation lets people curse and im living for it (also hes doing the funny point pose)

Imagine dying like this..... what a way to go. Also, was he just like this the whole time he was talking to the troupe? Just. his butt out of the wall?? 

Anyways. Luini is always making me think about things I don’t want to. Good riddance. 

WHY IS HE LITERALLY JUST NAMED DEMON AND WHY IS HE A REAL-ESTATE AGENT. I NEED ANSWERES. It might just be this translation for the name, but still.. Real estate agent? Eh. It’s not like all the other occupations are very expected to join a mafia anyways.

Whoever this person is i love them. They are named after a dessert AND they are a pro gamer AAND they have the hxh trademark strange eyebrows.

Also, it took me whoever to know who this guy was but he’s the guy at the stand that Lynch first punched (23 members).

We have a Pro Gamer and a Game Centre Employee. They either get along very well or hate each other with a burning passion. Either way, I want to see if they have a dynamic bc thats interesting.

Oh god please die I don’t know anything about him other than the fact that he is a human trafficker PLEASE DIE HELP. I hope he dies very quickly.

I like this guy he seems silly and i like silly people, so. He’s yet another cheery light haired guy that very vaguely resembles shalnark (the other being Giuliano, i love Giuliano by the way I really like Giuliano, anyways heres a comparison)

Nonetheless please don’t stop making this brand of guy he’s just like me.

Matovelle gets an extra point though because he is probably also insane. 

I love when the characters are so short compared to the others that you can only see the very top of their heads.

I feel like this person is also going to be dangerous... they look like the Hei-Ly underboss (I think??), so im sensing a little bit of a pattern lol. (please bring back the Hei-Ly underboss lady or whoever she was i need her  i  anyways) 

I SERIOUSLY THOUGHT THIS WAS KORTOPI AT FIRST AND I WAS SO CONFUSED BUT ANYWAYS OH MY GOD OH MY GOD I WAS SO HAPPY WHEN I SAW THIS PAGE.

THEYRE ALIVE AND AND I LOVE THE WAY THAT  ZAKURO WAS DRAWN AND AN ANYWAYS I NEED TO CALM DOWN. phew ok... I am beginning to like Lynch and Zakuroa  lot theyre great. 

I feel like theyre getting themselves into yet another hassle. Hopefully this time they won’t underestimate their enemy, that is if they do find them this time. 

This seems like a pretty good deal, but theres got to be a catch later. I’m guessing that may be Chrollos state of mind by the time they find him... Again, given that he looks like this

yea he’s not doing so good. 

Also, this must be a reference of some sort..

PSHHH I HOPE HE NEVER STOPS PUTTING REFERENCES IN HXH. The movie theater was a perfect place to do this.

Im pretty sure that this is Alien but I cant see it very clearly.

It would be so fun to have a concept like the Thing come into play in the succession war... I think that it would be a perfect opportunity for horror. I mean we already have Prince Tserriednich’s first Nen beast. I’m so excited. 

And there he is. Gah I love the framing of this panel. You can see everybody’s face but Hisoka’s, and he’s split in the middle with all the white space of the theater. It gives an ominous feeling specifically towards Hisoka. 

Just an aside here, too, the way Hisokas hair is styled and the way his eyes are drawn looks similar to Chrollo’s the last time we saw him, which is interesting to me. The resemblance isn’t too strong, but It’s interesting to think about.

The way that he just sits down in this panel and immediately starts talking is so funny to me just change the text to anything.

ANYWAYS thats unrelated. I really like this scene. I get the impression  that Hisoka is above it all, and just deciding to comply with what Xi-Yu and Cha-R wants without any true dedication, and I feel like Hinrigh is aware of this because he knows exactly the type of person Hisoka is, so he’s being honest.

I’m also beginning to really like Hinrigh as well because of his intuition, understanding, and efficiency. No wonder he’s the underboss. Knowing and dealing with the type of freak Hisoka is is no small feat. 

Hes trying to mess with him by getting close but Hinrigh is just like ‘Ok.’

This was an awesome interaction though tbh. I want to see more conversations between them since its an interesting dynamic. Hinrigh isn’t directly against Hisoka, which is seen in his disinterest in getting in the way of his and the spiders quarrel, so they agree over that, but he has to keep him under surveillance due to the situation. Everything about Hisoka goes against this, however. He is going to defy this without question, and I am certain Hinrigh knows this, so what does he have in mind to stop him? 

these must be more references. the girl choking the other one seems familiar but i dont know about the others and I dont know what that one is from.

The other part isnt super interesting to me, so I’ll leave it for me to delve back into on another read. I often understand things better on the second time anyways.

.......................... I HAVE NO WORDS. NONE AT ALL CAN EVEN.. I CANT >... I GENUINELY CANT TELL IF THIS IS INTENDED TO BE FUNNY OR SCARY BUT OH MY GOD I   HELP ME  

THIS DOESNT MAKE IT ANY EASIER TO TELL SERIOUSLY IS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE COMEDIC OR SERIOUS...

Gosh, these page layouts are great, the shading of the bed on the second one I am enjoying thoroughly, and again with the middle focus and the front and back look at the room... aaahhhhhhghhgg anyways. 

WHY ARE HINRIGH AND THE OTHER GUY SO TALL (I forgot his name uh oh). It’s either that or the cabins are very small, which is probably the case.

Its funny, this page layout is a little unnerving, and then you just see how short the doorway is ...

Final thoughts on the chapter, Hinrigh is so cool, and this guy definitely is hiding something. I think he’s not a threat himself, but rather is innocent and is being forced to cover something for somebody who is a threat.

A little later than I wanted to post my review but its okay. I’m looking forward to the next one, since honestly I don’t know what it’s going to throw at me. Often times it proves my predictions wrong, but thats okay, it’s fun to think about more. 

It’s nice to know people actually read these too, it’s relieving to write these down to get all of my thoughts out, and I feel happy when other people actually acknowledge them even though theyre often just rambles of things off the top of my head when I read these things lol.

I plan to read and review all of the chapters (if i can)!! 

Have a good dawn, morning, noon, afternoon, day, evening, dusk, night, midnight, or past midnight! (I present to you hisokas favorite movie) 

[agentrouka-blog]

@rya and Alleras/Sallera have pararels stories, what if @lleras is a stand in or a foreshadowing of @rya vs D@ny more than a stand alone?

I suspect Sarella/Alleras has more than one role to play.

She certainly has parallels to Arya (posing as male, undercover mission, learning magical things from a questionable mentor, concerned with the smallfolk, strong connection to her maternal ancestry, both meet and help Samwell) but unlike Arya she is on a deliberate path of her own and much more centered, self-directed and purposeful. We'll see what her specific role will be. As a child of Dorne and the Summer Isles, I don't expect she'll be welcoming the Targaryens or dragons, which she would also have in common with Arya.

In terms of her role on foreshadowing, there's probably many angles. The most obvious is how she subverts Westerosi gender roles.

The image of the sphinx, Alleras' nickname, is related to old Valyria from AGOT on, and brought up specifically by Maester Aemon, who also brings up the mirror of variable sexes:

Dragons are neither male nor female, Barth saw the truth of that, but now one and now the other, as changeable as flame. The language misled us all for a thousand years. Daenerys is the one, born amidst salt and smoke. The dragons prove it." (AFFC, Samwell IV)

GRRM plays around a lot with softening up the divide between the sexes in the later books. From mere interests that don't fit feudal gender norms, to people who pose as the other sex for specific purposes, to people who openly live outside the prescribed role, to "role reversals" in terms of power dynamics between the sexes, to characters with deliberately ambiguous looks and actual intersex characters.

Sex, as well, is described in terms of changing sexes as well as powerplay, in a way that seems uncomfortable with the idea of a "male" and "female" sexual role by placing them in adversarial positions. Especially when the act itself involves two people of the same sex.

I can't really speculate what exactly he is aiming for with this, but it seems very deliberate. Potentially, it's meant to signify how Westeros is in for an era in which the rigid norms of patriarchy are about to be shaken. Female rulers, matrilineal inheritance, bastard rights, women's rights, power for the disabled... I imagine a lot of powerful precedents are going to be set in the scope of the endgame. A world in which the divide between male and female (or between power and insignificance) becomes much more porous.