#he should have more chicken imo

[sneeb-canons]

There's more than one Darrell. A silkie, a frizzle, a brahma and a lakenvelder.

Soul pretends they're all the same chicken, despite the fact that they're all vastly different looking. If anyone asks why, he'l act like he has no idea what they're talking about- he's just fucking with em.

"That's a frizzle."

"Yeah? He was always a frizzle."

Headcanon #159

[gladiatorcunt]

I want to be non conned by Anakin ☹️

the first time i saw this ask, i was eating chicken nuggets (safe food moment) and was like "damn me too 😔." (obvious tw non con, choking, canon sw universe ani, delusional and obsessive behavior, forced pregnancy/baby trapping, reader has a pussy, use of the word “wife” in a gender roles way and “pillow princess”)

anakin can do nearly every variation and flavor of non con imo, his canon character allows for a lot of flexibility in that area. there's the soft and sweet gentle non con where he's smoothing his hands up and down your back as his thrusts bury you in the sheets. he's not crying, just a little teary because it feels so good and maybe you'll finally listen to him about how the two of you are meant to be together. that's very aotc anakin coded to me, not that rots!anakin couldn't do it like that in the right circumstances (and how you behave and react to certain situations).

for example in the beginning of aotc, and you're another padawan who's formed an unnatural bond with ani over the years. he's anxious to be knighted and you can tell that his mood is dampening more and more every day. all he says is that he has trouble sleeping, nightmares and obi-wans' karking loud snoring. you giggle and fall for the misdirection, tugging him over to the sparring mat. the next time you meet, you hear more about padmé and their history. he's being assigned to protect her so he can't be your training partner for the time being.

it's noble, of course, it's unbecoming of a jedi to be anything other than happy to see anakin follow the path you always knew he could. he has a light in his eyes you haven't seen in weeks and you attribute that to a person rather than considering the possibility that he's happy because he finally has a purpose. but you're 20 years old, being a (hopefully) future jedi master doesn't grant you any extra wisdom when it comes to love. you don't think much of pulling away, ani is going to have his hands full (of what you refuse to think further on) and you should start sorting out your priorities.

you've just made the biggest mistake of your life. outside the room where the senator is peacefully slumbering away, anakin can't stop overthinking and wondering what he did wrong. why haven't you been answering his messages, he's told you so many times that he could fix your holopad for you. he's so deep in thought that he barely makes it in time to terminate the insects deployed to poison padmé and chase after the assassin. he doesn't know that this time apart has allowed you to have an epiphany, and that you'll be gone by the time he comes back from naboo. perhaps there was more to the galaxy than being a jedi.

he tracks you down after his mother dies, feeling adrift without you and high off the adrenaline of indulging the darker parts of his soul. he wouldn't even have known you were leaving had it not been for a concerned message from obi-wan. you didn't even leave coruscant, you wandered down into the lower levels like you were waiting to die. well you don't get to do that without him, so he pins you down on the sorry excuse for a bed you've bought yourself and tells you that this must be what it feels like to make love. your tears mingle as you kiss slowly and flames lick at his back as you drag your hands down his flesh. he murmurs that it's okay, he can't lose you too and he knows just what to do, plenty of couples in the galaxy settle down young. he'd never abandon you, to leave behind what he has allowed to grow into his skin like an abscess is aberrant to the core of anakin's very being.

your pussy parts like the petals of a flower as he pushes his leaky cock into you, and it's so beautiful with his cum seeping out that he knows the force incarnate is between your thighs. you're still sniffling, and your nipples feel bitten to shreds, and that's alright. marriage day jitters are normal, he can only imagine how much more you'll glow when you have a piece or two of the force's son growing in your womb. he blushes and stammers when he asks you to keep his cum in and not touch yourself while he's gone, excited at the prospect of playing husband and wife until the mission is over and you can have a real wedding.

you tell yourself that you hated what your best friend did to you, but you keep your hand away from your begging cunt and smother yourself with the spare cloak he left behind. in a way, desire pools in your gut at the thought that you have to be forced to come out of your shell. you know anakin has grown up too hungry to hate fighting for his meal, and he has done enough proving himself. the flecks of blood matting the hair at the nape of his neck flashes through your mind as you grind your hips up against nothing. his movements were awkward at the first, but his sheer determination and passion had your brain leaking out of your ears by the end.

you remember feeling his dick twitch when you tensed, and he thought that you would attempt to fight but you only moaned and kept his head tucked away in the crook of your shoulder. the force radiated of embarrassed satisfaction that grew more confident with every squeak and groan. he liked seeing the fight drain out of your eyes more than the idea of you actually following through on it. your soresu never quite matched up to his anyway.

then there's the harder version. you resist more in whatever scenario and you delude yourself into thinking that anakin is the kind of dog that would throw away the bone he's chomping down on when he's bored of it. he manhandles you and tosses you around the room, shoving his cock up to the hilt and snarling at you to know who is doing this to you and love him anyway. your snot slides down the wall and your face is smushed against the peeling paint, blood drips down his length when he pulls out and he actually pouts in disappointment when he misses a few drops as he scoops it up with his fingers and takes them into his mouth. you're dizzy as he chokes you, your head spins when he spanks you while forcing you to ride his face. you will stare down the lightsaber handle of his devotion and push the button without hesitation.

you'd likely end up pregnant and waiting on your jedi husband to fall from one pedestal after the other. but the one reserved for the man of the house is guarded by you and your children, he bends over the gilded railing and kisses the breath out of your lungs. even when that pedestal drips with tar and becomes an ominous throne. this is a story that happened so long ago after all, nothing can be done to alter events that have already come to pass.

BUT ANYWAY, his prosthetic arm would also be a big focus in non con. no matter how hard he's ruining you or beating your body up, there will always be undeniable and inevitable love in it for anakin. punishments involving impact are dulled down and reduced to only his flesh hand. even in the gentler non con situations, he's so careful and aware of where his mechanical arm is at all times and what it's doing. there is no bruise he wants to give you when you did not deserve them, he offers it as a cooling balm of sorts to your heated skin in the aftermath. he likes to watch you lather the metal digits in spit as you suckle while you come down from your forced high, sometimes he swears he can feel the ridges of your tongue slide along the smooth surface.

he's so in love.

even with non con, i actually don't see anakin being all that verbal right after he cums. he'll have to calm down a bit before he can start speaking. but he'll silently nuzzle you and caress the spots on your body you wouldn't really think about, like the side of your sore tit and right on the plush flesh above your left hip bone. very touch you know and if you're able to pick up on it i imagine he would send out calming energy and just pure love into the force. but it's so intense you think you can see the smoke vapors rising up from your skin. visions of the future are shared between you, as well as eventual whispered promises of you being the crown jewel of his new empire. imagine the elaborate nurseries, putting the children to bed and then getting countless orgasms as thanks for being the best wife and parent in the galaxy. but he's sure to remind you that no one would ever love you more than anakin, even your children.

and i don't see him dipping into non con somno much other than the initial tease to your wet cunt and inserting his hard cock into your hole. the slow creep into your room, the creak of your bed as he settles his weight down, the soft woosh of the blanket being pulled off your gorgeous body. he'd want you to wake up and thrash around for a few seconds before giving in to how good he knows he's making you feel. because he knows perfectly well he could send out suggestions into the force that you put you deeply asleep and without chance of ever waking up until he wants you to. but your genuine reactions are so cute, playing with his soulmate is only fun if you can actively participate.

whether that be by crying or humping him desperately or clawing trenches down his back or riding him on the rare occasion your hormones have overpowered your pillow princess tendencies.

also this isn't non con related but in terms of love languages: other than physical touch, i think words of affirmation is a big one for him. actually being verbally reassured and given sweet nothings of his own to tuck away between his robes for him to focus on as he cuts down any threat to your eternal happiness. being told that he is worthy of love and that he's an incredible jedi, i think just being told that you're proud of him and that he hasn't spent years trying to be somebody to someone for nothing. blah blah he internalizes so much that it would help him to be given an opportunity to express those feelings blah etc etc and having you validate him would render his need to be on the council largely useless etc.

(he would unironically kill to be your alpha in an a/b/o setting i fear)

[thydungeongal]

First day of Adventuring

Our intrepid heroes, Jimothy, Montgormery, Theophany, Chuckles, Theodore, and Stevelyn (introduced in a previous post) arrive in the village of Balaz's Wish in the Empire of Irazor.

Irazor is ruled by necromancer Lucien of Irazor, a level 12 Magic-user. He has well-brushed brown hair, glowing black eyes and a nose ring (Uncomfortable). In the pocket: a dirty handkerchief, 3 sp and 2 gp.

The village of Balaz's Wish is a simple village nestled between two mountains. As the party arrive, they immediately head to the local drinking hole, "The Lost Torch Tavern," to check the local bulletin board for leads.

Help requested! A heirloom of sentimental value was stolen from me. I will reward anyone who is kind enough to get it back. Yours, Kyranthia of Akaana Heading to Hammering? Payment guaranteed to a trusty courier. Ask for Berwin Lacy

Montgormery, who has named himself party leader, decides that a simple delivery quest is unbecoming of a man of his noble stature and his retinue, so he leads the party on a visit to this Kyranthia of Akaana!

Kyranthia of Akaana. She has bulging red eyes, delicate features and gap teeth (Exhausted). In the pocket: a quill and 3 sp. Her Decorated Sword is lost (or so claimed). Finder's rewards is 230 gp.

The party then goes to gather some rumors at the tavern while having some drinks, overhearing the following:

Kyranthia of Akaana’s decorated sword (actually Sword +1, Locate Objects) is somewhere in the Hideout of the Feared Hopes Avoid going to Nightmare Wetlands. There’s a Giant Leech there. Safia of Atali is very secretive recently.

A quirk of Hexroll is that once I reveal the first rumor it also revealed the secret about Kyranthia's sword. Well, regardless, the party now has an approximate direction to which to head: while the exact location of the dungeon is still a mystery, they know it is due East-Northeast.

Deciding that they are much better off heading North via the road instead of trying to cut straight Northeast through the mountains, they follow the road and chance upon a peculiar sight in the woods.

There's a stream of clear water here, flowing gently between the woods, over the smooth rock ground. When exploring this area, a giant triangular artifact made of polished iron, with large pointy spears attached, can be found wedged near a water stream. There's a 1-in-6 chance to find a secret door leading inside the artifact and a successful INT check will allow using a contraption inside it. If used, the object will magically levitate and will travel 1d6 hexes in a matter of minutes before crashing into the ground again, dealing 1d6 damage to anyone inside.

No one in the party (even Montgormery) is stupid enough to try and mess with a UFO. Regaining their bearings, they decide to head Northeast, into the woods.

And find a tavern at the bend of a river.

"The Baker's Torch Tavern" is welcoming travellers and adventurers near a water stream.

The party decides to call it a night at this point. They dine on some local delicacies and have some ale, and then go to bed. (At this point the generator kind of fucked up imo: the tavern only has two rooms available. Instead I had everyone pay the prize of the roof and bench.)

Here's a quick look at the menu:

Stewed slices of chicken, glazed with garlic and wine and served with baked potatoes for 2 sp⬝ Stewed fillet of fish, glazed with red wine and served with steamed vegetables for 2 sp⬝ Stewed fillet of chicken, marinated in honey and herbs and served with steamed vegetables for 2 sp

And here's a look at the map (I have accidentally been pressing here and there and everywhere, so it's actually showing much more than it should):

What I have omitted from the above description: checks for random encounters (since they didn't yield anything interesting) and the roll for getting lost (the party didn't get lost so they have their bearings for now).

[dust-and-grave]

hng, i am so frustrated by this whole watcher tv situation. i've been chewing on it ever since i watched their announcement video yesterday + i've been looking around online at other fan reactions. i'm having a lot of thoughts so i guess i want to throw my two cents in + hope it'll make me feel better to talk about it a little.

i think we all agree that creators should be paid fairly for their work; however, not all work is created equal, right? if i commission an experienced (and thus high-demand) artist to do an oil painting of my cat, they might quote me $500+ to do that + it would be fair. if an artist with substantially less experience (and thus in lower demand) spends 30 seconds on a crayon rendition of my cat, should they also received $500+ for their work? i think most people would agree that would be ridiculous.

in some ways, this is what it feels like the watcher team is doing to us right now, imo. we know that shows like ghost files or puppet history are expensive to make because travel costs (in the case of ghost files) + production costs, but we can see the effort put into the work. we feel that what we give for the show, whether that's turning off ad blocker while watching or buying show merch or supporting via patreon, is going toward making the product that we are asking for. these shows are the oil painting in the metaphor.

i don't agree with how mean + rude some people are being about steven lim rn, but frankly, his shows are the 30 second crayon drawing of the watcher channel. anyone can look at the view count on their channel + see that his shows consistently have performed worse than shane + ryan's shows. additionally, we can see that he blows huge amounts of money on his shows ("$913 seafood tower", "$1027 fried chicken") that may leave a lot of viewers feeling as if they're aren't getting as much bang for their buck.

frankly, i think people are valid for being upset that they're expected to directly foot the bill for steven's "i fly all over the world + eat expensive food while you watch" project. while youtube has a shit ton of problems (like, say, not paying their creators enough), one of the cool things about it is that you can gauge directly the amount of the interest in a project (and how many resources you should dedicate to said project) by how many eyes are on it. unfortunately for him (i guess), steven's shows just don't garner enough attention to justify the expense of making them.

which is why i see this shift to watcher tv as such a problem. this feels very much like using shane + ryan's success on the channel to force fans to fuel steven's pursuit of his glory days on worth it. it feels even more strange when they say that they're making the switch because the company isn't currently sustainable, but steven has just hired his friends from buzzfeed + continues to push his series that just don't seem to be making back the cost of production.

to be totally fair, shane + ryan don't get out of this clean either. some of their shows don't deserve to be behind a paywall either. too many spirits is filmed in ryan's parent's backyard with content submitted by their viewers. are you scared is just ryan reading creepypastas/fan submitted content on a minimal set. survival mode is just them playing games like any other streamer or gaming youtuber does. i love all of these shows, but are they on par with puppet history or ghost files? absolutely not.

this is where i think the disconnect is coming from. they're taking everything including the lower production shows to a streaming service where you have to fund them directly (rather than indirectly through ad revenue). they're forcing funding into steven's projects despite them just not doing well enough to justify the cost. they're coming across as disingenuous with their reasoning because their stated reasons for doing this don't align with their actions rn.

i feel like it would've made so much more sense to crowdfund new seasons of shows (which gives them feedback from the fans about what they want too) or put higher cost shows like ghost files or puppet history on patreon or channel membership. i would gladly fund mystery files, weird wonderful world, ghost files, puppet history, etc. with my own money, but i'm one of the ones who isn't really interested in funding steven's quest to eat all of the gold-plated kobe beef when i'll never be able to afford to eat at a restaurant that even serves it.

[lurkingshan]

My Love Mix Up Episode 1

Let me start with some clarity on my perspective on this adaptation:

I have of course seen the Japanese live action Kieta Hatsukoi. It's not one of my personal favorites but it's a great show doing a very Japanese style of slapstick comedy.

I am going into this adaptation skeptical, same as I did for Cherry Magic Thailand (though that project completely won my heart and I ended up liking it more than the JBL, so my skepticism is by no means immovable). I am not opposed to this adaptation, but the pre-show content has not been promising.

I’ve been a fan of Fourth and Gemini in previous shows (Moonlight Chicken being their best work, IMO), but I have felt since they first started releasing teasers for this project that they are miscast in this and should have swapped roles.

So with that said, how was episode 1? It was fine! Not bad, not amazing, and pretty much what I expected. Some reactions:

I really like the actress playing Mudmee and think she has good chemistry with Fourth.

This first ep hit all the expected beats and inserted a couple things that are not in the source material, like the cat and the badminton plot. I am guessing that's mostly to add time, though personally I think the JBL’s choice with the dog who doesn't like Aoki is much more fun than the ~fated cat connection~ thing.

This version has toned down the zany energy of the original live action. I think that's for the best, as the slapstick moments that are still here are not hitting very well, but it does change the overall feel of it quite a bit.

AUNGPAO MY BELOVED. I'm excited to see him in another show and he looks flawless.

I stand by my belief that the main pair should have swapped roles. You can see them working hard to suppress their natural instincts in every scene. I don't blame the actors for this, they are still so early in their careers to be asked to act against type to this degree.

GMMTV is doing the same weird light filtering thing on this show that they did on 23.5. Why??? It makes the scenes look fuzzy.

This one definitely doesn't feel as revelatory to me as Cherry Magic Thailand's first episode did. With that one, right out of the gate I knew I was eating crow on my skepticism. I am not eating crow on this one yet; its execution is about at the level I expected and so far it hasn’t recalibrated the story to fit these actors and the Thai style as well as CMT did. But it’s still early so we’ll see how it progresses!

[yourlocalcryptidfolklore]

Shane Dating Headcanons pt 2 - NSFW

As the title says, this is a continuation of my last post- but a NSFW version. So yeah- MDNI. Get lost. Go do your homework kiddos. Not that minors should be on my page at all but especially not rn.

I would still say this is gender neutral but there is going to mentions of your genitalia and his own. Also going to mention makeup.

Anyway my lovelies, NSFW below the cut/below the gif.

☆ Shane definitely is a horny guy. I don't know how to explain it but he just is.

☆ And now that he's drinking less, he needs a new form of stress relief! So I hope you got a high drive babes.

☆ Of course he'd never force anything on you. He isn't that kind of a person. He's aware he has a hand and he knows how to use it.

☆ Anyway, when you guys DO fuck for the first time, he's definitely confident about it. He used to be a lot hotter in his eyes, but he has expirence. So long as you don't mind the dad bod- and yes- he has a dadbod idc. As I fat person I claim him for the fat people. I'll still rail him like there's no tomorrow.

☆ If you headcanon him as cis - Definitely has thick meat. It's nothing jaw dropping okay well maybe it is, but if you decide to do anal/oral or vaginal (assuming you have a vag), it fills you up pretty well.

☆ If you headcanon him as FTM - I would say he's got a bit of a bush on his vag. He'd shave it if you ask but he doesn't mind it. He would also have hair on his dick IMO, Bro is depressed and so am I. I know damn well if you're bed rotting you ain't gonna shave your puss puss.

☆ If you have a peen-ween - Shane knows what to do with it. It's fairly simple for him. His favorite thing to do to get you worked up is probably to grind against you or add some pressure to get you hard.

☆ "Oh my... did I get you all riled up?"

☆ Teases you about it if you're comfortable with that.

☆ If you have a vajooja - Still knows what he's doing, but he does have to work a little more to start up your engine since it might be a little bit harder to just put his leg near you and make you horny.

☆ Still, he'll put a hand on your thigh, giving you a gentle squeeze and watching you blush. Teasing you by moving it up reaaaallllyyyy close, then once you look flustered, he'll just stop innocently.

☆ He likes making his partner blush, he especially loves if you get all shy about it.

☆ Now onto kinks. Look at him. Look at the sad chicken man. Then look me in the eyes and say he isn't even the tiniest bit kinky.

☆ Definitely likes ruuning your makeup if you wear any. He wants you to be a mess. He loves looking as you with your hair all over, mascara down your face, clothes thrown all over, fucked apart until you're on another plane of existance.

☆ He also loves doing you in his clothes. Whether they're tight, loose, or just right, he will go bonkers if he gets to fuck you in his shirt.

☆ Will dirty talk as mean as you like it, but will also praise you as much as you wan't. I feel like Shane isn't a generally picky guy. Bro is just happy to be here.

☆ He will also try most kinks at least once to test the waters if you ask him too, so don't be shy! He's happy to make you happy :))

Alright my dears that's enough being horny for pixels.... for now. If you have any questions or want any elaborations on a headcanon feel free to drop an ask!

Oh and drink water. Can't thrist over fictional characters if you aren't hydrated!

Take care my lovelies!

[rou-luxe]

did I do well or did I make it worse 💀

different versions and misc thoughts under the cut

cybird REALLY fumbled that card imo... so much that I edited over it...

more defined teeth / mouth shape

that eye should be squinting you mf.

other one looked a bit out of place so I moved it + eyebrow change

I mean that expression is still fine ig but that mouth is monstrous and he is not expressive enough mf

FUCK YOU CYBIRD MAKE HIM GO FERAL

this version is fine too actually I think I like this one better 🤤🤤 (one eye kept from og, the other one from my version. a bit fixed so it isn't as awkward with my line weight)

this one is just cybird's with more weight to the facial lines

IT DOESN'T LOOK HALF BAD. CYBIRD IS JUST TOO CHICKEN TO GIVE ALFONS SOME KILLER EYELASHES ☹ /j

WELL FUCK YOU CYBIRD.

what if I just put eyelashes

nvm I got carried away

HOLY SHIT MOMMY??? sorry MOMMY??? sorry

SHE'S TOO POWERFUL FOR THIS WORLD.

HER MEWING STREAK IS OVER 9000

please I might accidentally pull a quartztwst if no one stops me

[bloodsbane]

ive just entered year 1 winter in fields of mistria; here is my personal ranking of each romance option SO FAR (please note progression is currently capped at 4 hearts):

march: favorite, easily. his design is exactly my type, his rough attitude piqued my curiosity, i find him sooooo cute. like i thought i'd be capable of being Normal about him at first, because i actually do not traditionally go for the Kinda Mean for No Apparent Reason characters (coughshanecough), but then i got to the first friday night where he's tipsy and blushing and smiles at you and says you should sit with him and that "you're not actually that bad" and i was like Uh Oh. Oh NO. i NEED to be allowed to kiss this guy asap

balor: unexpectedly becoming a front-runner romance option. i like his vibe of trying to come off mostly unattached, but he's clearly invested in mistria. a lone traveler perhaps beginning to yearn for a home and kinship... again, a man i wanna see open up more...

adeline: i do have a weakness for workaholic women. i really like how proactive she is with mistria's restoration, i think it's suuuper cute that when she's working w someone they'll do the little clipboard animations; she someone juggling a lot of responsibility with optimism and enthusiasm and it's appealing!

celine: unexpectedly high in the rankings; i thought she'd be boring bc she's the box cover, kinda basic blonde 'girl next door' type with the most predictable interest given her genre. BUT imo the writing has kept her feeling sweet and charming enough that i just genuinely enjoy scenes with her and find her mildly cute

juniper: slightly less in respect to being romancable, but im into learning more about HER and, once again, seeing if there's more depth to her past the superior, slightly mysterious, perhaps even untrustworthy exterior... im noticing a trend here

reina: id LIKE to enjoy her more! at this point im the list, my main issue with the other romance candidates becomes evident: they stay a bit one-note for the most part, mostly being nice while having their "thing" and not much else (yet?). but reina is SUUUPER cute so i hope i there's more to her that i get to discover

hayden: i found him fairly one-note until he invited me over for tea, then i think i got his appeal. i can get into a boisterous but gentle and slightly silly man with a beloved chicken roommate. if he reveals a bit more depth to his personality he could climb easily

eiland: he's very sweet, and i definitely think of all the cast he gets the idea of 'this Thing is an actual hyperfixation of mine' across most genuinely. what i mean is, it feels less like him being an NPC with a niche interest that covers some element of the game and more like he's just a huge dweeb frfr, which i like. however, subsequently, he DOES suffer from the Kind of Bland curse. i admit though, im intrigued at the idea that he uses his special interest in history as a means of navigating feelings and interactions with others, like the idea that being more present and engaging people directly kinda freaks him out? this is all inferred by his response to receiving liked gifts, so there's not like, A Lot to go off of, BUT it does intrigue me. i'd be suuuper interested if that's actually an element to his characterization

valen: I THINK SHE'S THE HOTTEST WOMAN, but unfortunately i have no real need for going to the clinic so i don't check in on her often, and funny enough she just seems so mature like TOO mature for me?? lol ;lksjdfl;kj im getting actually intimidated by a hot older woman and i think it's affecting my ability to see her as a real candidate. maybe once i see more heart events w her i'll change my mind, i actually don't think i've seen any yet?? LOL

ryis: i like his vibe i think he'd be, like, a great option for a Best Friend, he's chill and thoughtful and helpful, but uuuuuuuuuum unfortunately. i do think he is a bit. BORING is too strong and rude a word but maybe just Quiet, like he's purposefully trying to wallflower. which i admit colors me curious, but yeah for now, so far, haven't gotten a strong read on him so he's just the least interesting of the lot atm. i do think that him being friends with march is very cute tho

THOSE ARE MY CURRENT THOUGHTS... i actually typed up way more than i thought i would. if any of yall are playing you should tell me who your faves are. or if you're not playing but you've seen the NPCs you should tell me who you think is the cutest/who you'd go for just based on vibes. pls im dying to talk about this game w people-

[chaotictarlos]

Can you talk more about the dinner scene and the tags you have in that post?

Hell yes I can! I love that scene so much. (post in question: https://at.tumblr.com/chaotictarlos/704992524491800576/9pael9up6i14) I do have to apologize in advance because I'm about to ramble a lot and probably say a lot that you don't care about but I have a lot of thoughts about this episode.

So I firmly believe this episode and scene are vital in Tarlos' growth as a couple. It was a needed scene and even more of a needed moment between them.

TK comes in, right, and he's all like "hi baby" and answers Carlos' question about how the meeting was and while we as viewers can see that there is definitely something off about Carlos, TK doesn't see it yet. Not until he goes to kiss Carlos on the cheek and Carlos doesn't react and when TK says that what he's made smells amazing, Carlos says it's just chicken.

But it's the way he says it. I don't know about you but I've used that tone. It's my "I'm upset right now and I want you to ask but I also don't want to talk to you because I'm upset at you" kind of tone. It's the type of tone that, imo, a person uses when they're fed up and just done with a situation.

It's this moment that TK realizes, oh something is wrong. Here's a cute little gif just because. You can see TK realizing that Carlos is not okay. Like he barely says a word to TK and doesn't offer him food and we all know that acts of service is part of Carlos' love language. He's always feeding TK and his friends. It's what he does.

And TK is like, okay, need to figure out what's going on here.

I really love this moment, TK leaning against the doorframe and you can see him thinking things through and giving Carlos the space to talk first, to bring up what's bothering him so that TK can do something to fix it.

(side note for a moment for how from the time he sits down to the end of this scene Carlos' looks so small. He's not a small guy but here we see himself physically shrink into himself, making himself smaller and try not to take up so much space. It's like he's hoping that if he takes up less space than he can be what TK needs him to be, what he wants TK to need him to be.)

And then Carlos, our passive-aggressive king, goes "oh should I'm sorry, should I have been cooking for two? I figured by the time it was 8 o'clock you and Coop stooped for omelets."

And there it is, the one thing TK needed to make the situation click.

Carlos is holding onto a lot. We know that he's an anxious person, and as a fellow anxious person, I feel for him so much in this scene. We don't get to see Carlos' anxiety a lot. He's internalized everything about the situation with TK and has tried so hard to find ways to help because that's what he does. That's what I would do. He sees a situation, he sees the love of his life hurting and having to navigate being back to square one and having to regain his years of sobriety and Carlos so badly wants to help.

That's why he stays up and reads articles and tries to find solutions. It what he does. He takes care of people he loves. And in this case he can't do anything and it kills him.

It makes him feel so utterly hopeless. And I'm saying that as someone who has been in situations where all I've wanted to do is help those I care about and I couldn't. I felt useless.

And right now, Carlos feels useless but he doesn't know how to say that.

So it manifests in passive-aggressive ways, such as not making TK dinner.

And even though he's being passive-aggressive, he's still so willing to make TK something if TK says that he hasn't ate. Because at least it would mean that TK needed him for something.

And just, the way TK gives him space, gives him a chance to bring up what's wrong because they both know something is wrong just really gets to me. He doesn't push right away, allows Carlos the room to bring it up himself if he needs to.

And when he doesn't, TK asks him.

And Carlos does what I always do, what everyone always does:

"Is something wrong?"

"No"

Because of course, he's not going to outright admit to something being wrong. That would be too logical.

And then slipping in that he knows that TK called Cooper at three am and that is one of the roots of Carlos' problem and why he's upset. In TK needing someone, instead of rolling over and waking Carlos up, he reached out to someone else.

And Carlos can't understand why he did that. Because for Carlos, he would turn to TK if he needed someone in the middle of the night. It makes sense to Carlos to reach for TK, because they're partners so he can't wrap his mind around why.

And the way this entire scene is handled and how TK handles it, just shows so much growth, imo.

And then TK does this little nod, because now he's caught up and he knows somewhat what's going on. I also need to point out that, faced with this confrontation he doesn't run, he doesn't try to deflect but stays and talks to Carlos.

I like how TK asks if Carlos is mad at him for calling his sponsor because he's trying to narrow things down. And of course, Carlos isn't mad at him for that, he never would be mad at TK for calling his sponsor when he needs to. What Carlos is upset about is that he wasn't TK's first choice. And he can't understand that.

It seems so simple, even though it's not.

And Carlos is sitting there, fighting with his anxiety, fighting with his doubts, fighting these internal battles that he hasn't let TK in on because he doesn't want to burden TK with them. (of course, I could be projecting my own anxiety struggles with this but it fits)

The line that gets me every single time in this scene is "just trying to figure out what my place is"

Because he doesn't know. His love language is acts of service and he's being denied being able to do that - not intentionally, of course - so he doesn't know what to do. He doesn't know where he fits into TK's life in this moment. If he can't help TK than what's his point? What role is he supposed to play?

And god damn, I feel that so fucking much. I feel for Carlos. I feel the insecurity he feels here. I feel the anxiety. The hurt that he feels. They're all such valid feelings too! Like he's valid for where he's at and what he's feeling. He's human. He's allowed to be upset. He's in a situation that he has no experience with and it's upsetting.

The love of his life was just forced to overdose, to break his sobriety and Carlos so badly wants to fix it but he can't and he's not sure what he can do. He hasn't been told his place in this. He just wants to help and he can't and he feels useless.

"just trying to figure out what my place is" is a plea for TK to tell him what he needs. It's Carlos, being vulnerable, asking TK what he wants from him.

And when TK tells Carlos he wasn't the one he needed to talk to, Carlos takes that personally because he doesn't understand. He thinks it's because he's not enough for TK. That he can't provide for him all the ways that Carlos thinks he's supposed to.

We romanticize this notion that our significant others are supposed to be the be-all, end-all for us. We're supposed to turn to them for everything. We're supposed to help them through their darkest times and have them help us through ours. It's beaten into our brains from the time that we are kids that our SO's are the perfect other half, that "you don't need anyone else other than your partner" and that couldn't be more wrong. Our support system can not and should not begin and end with our significant others.

And knowing that Carlos' parents are traditional, he probably learned that too.

When TK says that, it's like conformation to Carlos that TK doesn't need him and that's not what TK is saying at all.

And then, we have TK telling Carlos that Cooper's straight and I've seen people give shit about that line but I think it's valid.

TK's been cheated on and you bet your ass that's now a fear of his and with Carlos being so upset that TK is reaching out to another man in the middle of the night, spending time with him - and while he has valid reasons and he's not sneaking around or trying to do anything - TK can see that it might not look that way and even though Carlos hasn't said he's worried that TK is cheating, TK wants to reassure him that he's not.

And I think that's very valid of TK. He recognizes it before it's even an issue because it shouldn't be an issue and he wants Carlos to know that he doesn't have to worry about TK getting feelings for his sponsor.

And I think it's also a subtle way of TK telling Carlos "you're not being replaced."

Also this:

"I don't think you're cheating with the guy TK."

"Not physically."

Because we've all heard of emotional cheating. I know this part isn't a favorite of people's and I've seen a lot of people have problems with it but it was needed. They needed to have this bit of a conversation for both their sakes. Carlos needed that reassurance even if he acts like he didn't. I don't think at any point Carlos thought TK was cheating, but it's still a thought that sometimes crosses the minds of even the most logical individuals.

"It feels like he's getting getting pieces of you that I don't."

"You don't want those pieces."

"I do. I want all of it."

"You have all of me, Carlos."

I keep saying it, I know, but this exchange, it's just so much. Carlos feels so much and it's so fucking beautiful. TK knows what he needs, he knows that those darker pieces of himself aren't pretty, they aren't good and they aren't easy to deal with and he doesn't want to burden Carlos with them. They're hard pieces.

But he's trying to tell Carlos that he gets the pieces that matter. He doesn't have to have the dark parts, the parts that ache for a fix, the parts that make him shake and itch for another high. Carlos doesn't have to have those parts because they'll just worry him. TK does give Carlos all of him, and him not getting the pieces where TK is desperate for a fix isn't bad.

Because TK isn't treating Carlos like his sponsor or therapist. That's not Carlos role in his life. Carlos isn't his sponsor and he isn't his therapist. TK has people who fill that role.

And then, the heartbreaking line of Carlos saying "I'm not enough, you mean."

In this one case, he's not and I love that TK affirms that and then explains why. He's not saying that Carlos isn't enough for him to be mean or to hurt Carlos, he's saying it to try and get Carlos to understand that sometimes TK needs people that has been in that situation. That knows what it's like to be high, to be addicted to drugs, to spend their time trying to find the next fix.

It's not bad that Carlos can't fit that role.

And, I don't know, they just do it so beautifully here. TK gets riled up, he gets a little emotional and his voice isn't perfectly calm but he's also upset but not trying to show it. It's here that he, imo, tries to get Carlos to see that this entire situation isn't about Carlos.

TK's addiction isn't about Carlos. It's not something that Carlos can fix and TK needs Carlos to understand that and I think the way TK explains it here is so right on. It's kind, but firm. It's an explanation that does tell Carlos that no, he's not enough but that's okay because TK has people to help him with that.

TK has people that help him get home because he wants to come home to Carlos.

"And if that means sometimes I'm late getting home just know it's only so I will get home, Carlos"

That line will always be a favorite of mine. I think it sums it all up so perfectly. He's doing it all - calling his sponsor, staying out late at meetings, taking extra time with Cooper - so that he will make it home to Carlos, the one he loves and wants to spend his life with.

TK can't and doesn't want to burden Carlos with all of that dark because he knows how impactful it can be on a relationship. It's not Carlos' job to shoulder that burden and he shouldn't have to. He might think he has to, but he doesn't, and TK knows that.

That line just sums it up so well, and even though Carlos doesn't respond, it's obvious that he gets it. He gets it even more when he comes home and TK is there, hurting and shutting down, and Carlos' experiences first hand that TK needs more.

Coming back to my original line, I know I've said a lot and if you've read this far thank you, but this was vital to their relationship. It showed growth in both characters. It showed TK not running, but sitting down and having a needed discussion. It showed Carlos being vulnerable, letting TK in, letting his walls down.

It's truly a beautiful scene that I think says so much about their relationship.

It speaks a lot about where they were and where they're at. It's amazing.

This touch, this kiss, the way TK smooths his hand down the back of Carlos' head was such a simple, subtle way to say "It's okay, we're okay, I love you and it's going to be okay."

I really wish we had see the conversation they have after this - because I fully believe they have one and maybe I'll write it - because I don't think they're ones to go to bed upset or angry.

[freakartack]

I want to preface any and all of this by first saying I love your art style so much. I think it's really quite ballsy and unique of you to take a game franchise so ingrained in Japanese humor and sensibilities as WarioWare and draw it with such a wacky western animation vibe. So I guess that brings me to my question!!! What are your biggest artistic influences? There's gotta be some cartoons in there man, I know there is. This is really weird to say but the way you draw Mona almost reminds me of Robot Jones? There's a character in it named Shannon who I think (coincidentally or not) has a lot of overlap with your Mona. Have you seen the show before? lol Love what you do, keep doing it, you're great, etc. etc.

LOL thank you!! I never really thought about the irony of that juxtaposition, but you're right; consider it a love letter from a Yank like myself. That being said, as quintessentially Japanese as Warioware's humor is, it's also not so different from the grossout humor of the cartoons airing across the pond at the time. While Warioware is more fixated on poop than Ren and Stimpy's boils and pus, we can all agree on one thing: MUCUS🇯🇵🤝🇺🇸

Which brings me, predictably, to my artistic inspirations. What's funny about being so public with my art is that not only do people armchair diagnose my influences a lot, but they're also right almost all of the time. (What can I say; I'm a one-trick pony.) Here are some of my favorite and most accurate diagnoses:

Looney Tunes (a big one; drawing like Chuck Jones was like my version of an anime phase as a kid)

Don Bluth (sadly, a big one; I hate that motherfucker but he sure did imprint on my art style in a way that I will never be able to reverse)

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (this one is obvious when you look at how I draw dr. crygor, but generally speaking Milton Knight is one of my biggest artistic inspirations. AOSTH was kind of rough around the edges due to the limiting circumstances, but IMO his magnum opus as far as kid's cartoons was the Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat, which has all the gorgeous derangement of the sonic cartoon with none of the shortcuts)

Cow and Chicken: This comparison is dear to me because I never would have listed David Feiss as one of my primary inspirations but he literally is. In fact out of everything on this list he's probably the closest DNA match to my cartoons, right down to my fixation on drawing giant teeth. I can't run away from my demons

Dr. Seuss: This one i thought was weird because he is actually one of my biggest artistic inspirations but I didn't think it was obvious. But the funny part is that whenever I try to draw architecture he immediately takes over my brain

90s cartoons in general: predictable, but i'll list off some that people have identified in my brain/are extremely prominent in there. CatDog, Johnny Bravo, Ren and Stimpy (obligatory "go to hell John K"), and unfortunately Animaniacs, but I like to pretend that's not the case. I bristle when people act like the 90s is the golden age of cartoons because I want to come to the defense of the other generations but they're also kind of right. Never again will we enjoy the beautiful grotesquery of Klasky-Csupo

Not something people have noticed unprompted, but a special shoutout to my actual biggest artistic inspiration and the one that should be first on this list: Jim Henson, and all of his crew. Not only are their puppets and designs ingenious and electrifying visually, but the sincerity and humor that shines through in all his creations elevates them above all else on this list. Due in no small part to the many other geniuses working alongside him; Henson was notoriously gracious to his colleagues, and the creative freedom and equal collaboration on his shows is what makes them so unique and so genuine. I've often said that my enjoyment of a piece of media directly correlates with how much fun the people making it are having, and that couldn't be truer here. I can only dream of creating something as big-hearted and grandiose as the Muppets and their ilk.

Finally, HOLY FUCKING BALLS. Robot jones was huge on my brain growing up as a strange individual, but I somehow never made the connection with her and Shannon. But you're right, from the first time i drew her, she kind of slowly animorphed even more into that shape. You could honestly go even further and say that my characterization of Orbulon and Mona's friendship is like if Jones and Shannon were normal about each other. Wow! What a world!

[kaisazen]

When they take you out for street food~!

— ❝ So, what would you like? Everything's on me. ❞

— Genshin Men x Gn!Reader (Modern!Highschool!AU)

— characters: Kazuha, Diluc, Childe, Thoma,

— Synopsis. Genshin boys take you out for street food (specifically well-known street foods in my country ifykyk) after a long day of school.

— Disclaimer. the place the hcs are happening are in the Philippines (ik a huge percentage of y'all are not Filipino but I included all the meanings), NOT PROOFREAD!!

— author's notes: please... I can't finish my other 3 drafts for the life of me. like, the themes I'm writing are so plain and overused imo

𖥻 — Kaedehara Kazuha ࣪˖ !¡

You didn't knew it at first glance, but Kazuha is very fond of street foods.

"You should really try this out, it's one of my favorites," Kazuha said as he raises a piece of fishball near your mouth.

He watches the way your face lightens up from the foreign taste as he flashes a quick smile.

When you can't choose what you'd like to taste, he helps you out and explains each and everyone...but since he's also into literature, he adds a bit of a twist.

"This is isaw, it's a well-known street food that is basically made up of chicken intestines. I know it's not the dish non-locals would exactly become fond of considering its main course, but it goes good with some sweet sauce." Kazuha explains as he buys one from the vendor.

You said you'd be glad to try it and for Kazuha, this made him crack up a little smile. As you take a bite of the dish, Kazuha adds in a little more 'trivia'.

"You know, I'd like to think of this as a dish that you can't finish on your own".

"And why is that?" you respond.

"Because, the way they cook it is in one long part of the chicken's intestine, that has two ends. And this other end right here—" he points to the end that's riding up the stick as you munch in.

"This other end is for me of course."

He removes it from the stick and was now facing you closely as the chicken intestine was connected to your end. He perks up your chin and goes in to give you a quick peck on the lips.

You eventually scoff, as you eat the remaining food all while displaying a red tint on your cheeks.

This man can be bold and WILL be bold when you least expect it. And in the realm of holy street foods, he can easily catch you off-guard. (He definitely read this from a romance novel and decided to recreate it with you)

But nevertheless, he enjoys your flustered and confused face (a confused face of whether or not you should feel happy for the food or flushed by his sudden flirtiness) as you continue enjoying the food he bought for you.

𖥻 — Diluc Ragnvindr ࣪˖ !¡

His favorite street food would be strawberry taho (reminds me of his hair) Strawberry Taho is a famous delicacy in Baguio City. It's a soybean curd with strawberry sauce/syrup and sometimes added with little boba balls.

The man would spoil you LOTS. Aside from the group of fangirls that'll surround you guys every time you and he get out of school, he treats you to street food whenever you crave it, or when exams have just finished and you're drained from thinking.

"Here, take a bite of this strawberry taho", Diluc breaks the silence as he feeds you a spoonful of the soya-bean curd.

You flinch at the sudden voice of Diluc as your mouth was filled with the taste of sweet strawberry and softened soya beans. Diluc swore that your eyes glistened by the taste for a second as he pats your hair that revealed your sunkissed face.

"Don't think of it as much, I just thought you needed to take a break from spacing out." Diluc retorts as he nudged your head with his index finger. You tried doing it to him back but failed to realize each other's height difference.

Diluc does not have a big appetite even though the portions of street food are quite small. He can't finish it all by himself. So whenever he's got leftover street food, he gives it to you. Sometimes, he'd feed it to you and you like the latter very much as you can sometimes sneak in a kiss on his cheek.

But whenever YOU can't finish your food, you always feed it to Diluc knowing that he's the type to be easily full. I can say that Diluc suffers more from this than him feeding you. As you find it entertaining whenever he's about to bite in on your leftover food, you quickly retract it away from him. You can see his serious and grim expression but in the end, he's got his arm wrapped around your waist; not wanting to let you go. (The man enjoys your little teasing, even though he doesn't wanna admit it)

𖥻 — Childe/Tartaglia ࣪˖ !¡

He'd probably order chicken waffles AKA Kwek-kwek(Tokneneng). It is a popular Filipino street food, kwek-kwek are hard-boiled quail eggs dipped in a bright orange batter, then deep-fried.

This guy is the definition of conyo. Conyo is someone (mostly boys) that mixes the english and filipino language to their way of speaking. Most people think that these type of people are snobby and spoiled.

The vendor probably won't understand him clearly since the vendor isn't fluent in english.

You don't feel embarrassed (since you're used to it) but to not give Childe menacing stares, you teach him the right terms in the native language as well as the right honorific to use.

Of course, he'll spoil the hell out of you.

Ajax (unlike Kazuha) is a cheesy version of a romantic partner. If Kazuha can flatter you, this guy can make you wish he wasn't with you.

"Hey (Name), I think this may be cheesy but I think we'd make a grate pair."

At times like these, you just try your best to get through it by either:

A. stuffing his mouth up with food to shut him up

B. deeply cringing inside, hoping that no one else heard that but you

𖥻 — 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚊 ࣪˖ !¡

The vendor himself.

Mans would probably give you what you wanna eat without a single price tag.

People would literally swoon over the vendor himself feeding his customer (AKA you)

But who can complain? it is Thoma afterall.

"Would you like some sweet sauce with that?" Thoma asks you, resting his arm on the steel counter as he looks at you with a smile creeping up to his cheeks.

He knew that you were messing with his part-time job and he just couldn't contain your "cluelessness" as if he doesn't come into your arms for a tight hug after a long day.

"I'd like it if you were gonna kiss me instead, then it'd be more sweeter." You tell yourself but you know that you could never surpass Thoma's pair of ears.

"Ah...(Name), I-I mean right now? Don't you think it's u-uhm."

You look at him with a smirk gliding across your satisfied face with the warm sensation of the stir-fried noodles he made you.

Thoma looks at you begrudgingly before tearing away from your gaze as he went to serve for the other customers in line behind you.

But in the sweeping gales of the wind, you found your lips connected to Thomas' with his hands gently cupping your jaw. "Wait for me after my shift, I can't have you being lost when you're commuting, no?"

[bellshazes]

so hypothetically speaking, if i were to take on the 10 year backlog of ethubs content….. where would i even start?? its so much content that it’s totally overwhelming to me, and you seem like the only person on the planet to have sifted thru all of it, so i need ur wisdom 😭

trust me I have not and I know there are others (hi rio) but imo the key is to just. follow your heart. they are constantly bringing up old stuff and each other anyway so you will find new shiny things to go check out if you start anywhere. like, the whole reason I watched UHCs for the first time is bc of etho lying to say bdubs voted him out (not a UHC mechanic) and called him a son of a sweetheart in his LP. that said, I do have a masterpost of my fave bdubs mindcrack episodes which frankly is a lot of etho + bdubs, as well as a list of some of my favorite clips.

off the top of my head, suggestions to poke around in:

survival of the fittest, s1 and s2 - bdubs' death game with prox chat. the handcuff thing in s1. i shan't say any more. watch etho for s1, bdubs for s2.

nether hubs, mindcrack s3 and s4 - literally the s4 one is so good, and the episodes they build it in also cover some of the best death games 2.0 moments between them. chicken noodle soup. etho's POV for the first one but bdubs for the second, if you have to pick.

feed the beast call of duty pvp arena - one of the first but not the last arena project. highlights include bdubs ordering etho to strip and also them killing each other for fun.

speaking of arenas, the immediate sequel to the COD map is the fire and ice arena in mindcrack s4. etho builds a house outside the arena itself, stealing bdubs' block palette, and only an episode or two later getting bdubs to help and decorating his room across the hall with quote justin bieber posters unquote, causing at least zisteau to later ask if bdubs really is a belieber.

whatever the episode is that etho hires bdubs to kill someone for him and then showers him with meat in mindcrack s3

here is a secret: i have not yet watched The Trial. but it's foundational. all the etho vs. the b-team stuff is so funny especially how often he and bdubs are literally collabing on something at the same time.

UHCs - etho's POV of UHC 4 is classic and victorious. bdubs' POV of UHC 11 is the worst thing i've ever seen in my life, watch it immediately. there's other ones but i haven't seen most of them because i feel compelled to watch for Live Bdubs Reactions but it makes me want to throw up every time. because he is Insane.

OOGE - three different CTM maps, ymmv; this ranking is spot on, but i've also watched OOG (bdubs + guude) so like clearly my tolerance is not normal. watch kaizo caverns

horse courses, mindcrack s3 and s5, hermitcraft s8 - beyonc? and taylor swift horses of all time. you really just should watch etho or bdubs' first mindcrack seasons. s5 mesa one also features doc and genny and the running sick joke you will recognize from the s4 nether hub and last life.

those three entire episodes of etho helping bdubs with his spawner situation that's only in bdubs' POV, starting with bdubs going oh let's not bother him and then freaking out a little when etho volunteers himself to help. the first but not the last time etho says he wants to live in bdubs' basement.

hermitcraft s7. just the whole thing both their povs don't worry about it, you already know, etc. but personal soft spots of course for etho killing bdubs with kindness and the delivery boy saga, which references an ancient joke about pink shirts. also hcs8 overlapping last life and bdubs' very very blatant etho-obsession is just so much.

also of course the life series but instead of telling you what you already know please consider how bdubs signing his invoice "luv bdubs" to etho but reading it out loud as "love, professionally, bdubs" aired immediately after "he loves me! he cares. he does" happened. we don't talk about that weird little no homo enough

thank you for reminding me i need to finish the etho mindcrack best of list. i'm surely missing a ton of stuff but this is a rough approximation of my favorites and/or essentials. but seriously i have jumped around and finished some series, only watched a few select episodes of others, and straight up forgot to finish several more. be free! go nuts. (you will go nuts. this part is not optional)

[a-b-riddle]

First of all, parts eight and nine??? *Chefs kiss* damn I love me a good grovel and the letting reader go part really just makes me wanna keep them but I'm not as strong as reader

I can't wait for them all to reconcile, also props to John for making the boys grovel on their own love that for them

Second, I've been thinking which is rarely a good thing and I think that when I do start writing the characters will be based on the 141 but not exactly them mostly bc I wanna go absolutely wild with character designs

Also the random ideas I have are slowly forming into a story and i have no idea how it happened, um, I'm sorry if this is a bit too far or something but would you be okay if I dm'd you about all the... stuff in my head? I need to let it out to someone 👉👈

John being like “nah. Every man for himself” was so funny to write imo. Like he’s usually such a leader but in this case he’s leaving them to their own devices. Partly because I wanted Price to worry about himself rather than dictation what the others should do.

That’s awesome! I wrote a book during Covid (that I am too chicken shit to ever put out) was basically like a Stucky based x original female character. It was so much fun and you feel like you have more freedom because not everything needs to be “canon”.

[actualbird]

thinking about mariluke again… given how marius is afraid of really trusting people and showing his heart bc he’s been used so many times before and his family situation… and given luke is all “you before me” and “wow im literal scum i don’t deserve nice things” how do you think they break down that roadblock to become lovers? do you think one of them would realise this isn’t okay and work on it or would they need a push from someone else?

you 🤝 me

thinking about mariluke

i very much relate to the feeling, anon, HVSKJFVKSDHFS

but oh my gosh i adore this ask because u hit the nail on the head on what like, their core internal conflicts are, respectively. definitely not their only conflicts, but these ones are ones that i see as the driving force behind a lot of their actions. for marius, it's the constant struggle of "can i trust you?", for luke it's his lack of self worth and the resulting neglect of his own safety/needs/desires coming from it.

before i answer the questions tho i wanna say first that those two issues do stem from core Wants that theyve got (and i wanna say this first cuz it will tie into my answers/thoughts HAHA).

like, marius is always cautious and holding his cards and heart close to himself not just because of all the betrayals hes experienced and in general the Life He Lives (though that is a Huge factor), but also because it's connected to his want for honesty, earnestness, and genuineness. though these two are interconnected, it's not a Which Came First, The Chicken Or The Egg situation (or in this case….Which Came First, The Yearning Or The Trust Issues? JHVKSJDFH), they exist simultaneously and feed into each other. he wants, he has trouble receiving what he wants because of his fears but his fears are also put into higher gear because of how Much he wants, and in turn the lack leads to his desire gets magnified and the stakes for his fears getting even higher as well. aaaand all this gets further complicated when u throw in marius’ low view of himself as well (while it’s not as prominent/delved-into in canon as luke’s, it’s Very Much There, see this past analysis i did about marius and emotional distancing which is the most recent analysis i did i think on the topic)

meanwhile with luke, his propensity to put others before himself always is in partly caused by how lowly he sees himself (if hes worth nothing and others are worth more, then he should be the ones taking the blows or enduring the pains), but Both those things are ultimately caused by his desire to Be Good and Do Good for Another. “for Another” is a key phrase here, because luke imo is driven by devotion. it has to be someone else. and if he sees himself as bad, then the good thing to do is to neglect himself, and a better use of his life is to serve Another that he Sees as good. like marius, this is all interconnected too. his want to do good feeds into his self sacrificial tendencies, his low view of himself allows him to do more of what he perceives to be good, etc etc. tho of course, with luke, theres the whole obvious glaring sign that what he Perceives to be good isnt good at all (ex. when he becomes overprotective to the point of taking away choice/agency from the very person hes protecting, protection becomes presumptuous condescension, and this all gets in flux since goodness is subjective based on whos lens ur looking from) but at the end of the day thats a bulk of whats driving a lot of decisions.

now when things get to romantic relationship, both these respective desires seen through the lens of romantic love can be reworded into:

for marius, it’s “do you love me? can i trust that your love is real? are you telling the truth when you say im worthy of love?”

and for luke, it’s “am i good enough for your love? have i earned it? will i allow myself to believe i’ve earned it when you say i have?”

(sidenote: …..oh my god, marius is basically “Real Love” by Carly Rae Jepsen

"The world is going crazy And it feels like I just don't know who to trust sometimes Thunder's coming over me, I need to get a hold of you now We're getting good at lying No one's saying what's keeping us all awake at night Something's coming over me, I need to get a hold of you now […] I go everyday without it All I want is real, real love And I've been feeling weak without it Only want a real, real love"

and luke is “All That” also by Carly Rae Jepsen

"I wanna play this for you all the time I wanna play this for you when you're feeling used and tired I wanna make the best so you want more […] I'll be the magic you won't ever see You can always rely on me To help you do what you want to do I wanna be the best you've ever known […] Show me if you want me If I'm all that I will be that"

i cant believe CRJ ships mariluke)

NOW back to ur question. i personally dont think this is an Either Or situation, i think it’s a Both Simultaneously kinda thing.

cuz first off, change can only happen when the person who has to do the change actively works on it. no amount of support system can do it for the person if the person themselves isnt putting in the work. BUT input from another Helps very much, especially with mariluke imo cuz like……..these two are two sides of the same coin. so many of their insecurities and fears and wants are similar. not Exactly the same, but similar enough that i think they get each other on a really personal level

(sidenote im coming in with another song but i tell everybody who has the misfortune of listening to me that “just like i do” by loveless is THE mariluke song for me because….come on

"Do you feel alone just like I do? Do you hate the sound of your heartbeat too? Do you feel alone just like I do? Do you hate the sound of your heartbeat too? This is all I own, 'til I face the truth Yeah, I feel alone in a crowded room"

i cant believe loveless ships mariluke too waow)

heres how they can help each other:

marius keeps his heart behind tall and strong walls because of how his world works and how his life has gone, yet all he yearns for is sincerity. and luke gives that in full earnestness, and is probably surprised by how much that means to marius.

(remember the CRJ songs i associated with both of them?

marius: "and it feels like i dont know who to trust sometimes"

luke: "i'll be the magic you won't eve see / you can always rely on me")

luke wears his heart on his sleeve, on the arms that are always fighting for whoever or whatever hes devoted to. luke keeps secrets, yes, but thats mostly in regards to how he sees, treats, and values (or rather, doesnt value) himself. but marius, who is trained in the art of putting up a mask or building a fortress to hide, would see through luke’s secrecy and see how badly luke treats himself under the guise of being good for others to be worthy of love.

(luke: "i wanna be the best youve ever known / show me if you want me"

marius: "i need to get a hold of you now")

luke shows what marius wants and marius sees what luke hides; both of these things, one way or another, calling attention to both of their respective internal conflicts.

i dont think they fix each other, or rather thats not how my personal ideal view of how their relationship goes. i think they see each other.

("do you feel alone just like i do?")

and in seeing, they learn more about themselves and realize that part of loving another person is also in bettering one’s self. marius loving luke more than hes afraid of getting hurt. luke loving marius more than how he wants to hate himself.

they both realize that the internal issues theyve got are not okay, and that they need to work on it. but they realize that once understood by the other and once realizing that their love is more important to them than fear or hatred.

....i feel so normal about them (lie)

[bookofmirth]

I’m fairly new to the acotar fandom. Read all the books in January, and am curious as to Elain and Lucien pairing. So he’s her mate, but they’ve never had any interaction with each other until she was forcibly turned into Fae. It’s also been stated in the book that mated pairs are not always the right choice and the bond can be rejected. So why shouldn’t she reject the bond?

Hello! I hope your time in the fandom thus far has been enjoyable. Use that block button liberally though, that's my advice to you lol

This is an interesting question and it’s related to something I’ve been thinking about lately. However, imo the fandom, or some people in the fandom, are approaching this question in the wrong way. So my short answer is:

The real question we should be asking is why will Elain accept it? Because by making Elain and Lucien mates, sjm has already told us they are endgame.

You could stop reading there and get the gist of this whole post, but my longer answer explains why that’s the real question. I'm actually going to put the rest under the cut since it got long. Also to make it harder for the people I've blocked but still stalk me to read my post *finger guns*

Sjm uses the mating bond to tell us which couples were always meant to be together and will be endgame. Any time we learn about a mating bond with main characters, everything clicks into place and we know that that’s it. That’s that, it’s endgame, no more questions or messing around. That’s how the fandom viewed elucien from the moment that acomaf came out. It was a moment of “oh, that’s where she’s going, sounds good then!” It wasn’t until much later that some people got into their feelings about Mor and Lucien and Elain and Az and decided they’d prefer something different. But what a reader wants and what the writer intends are two different things, and because she made Elain and Lucien mates, it’s clear what she intends.

I've made a post about why it's important that the bond can be rejected, which is here, but the tl;dr is that if you know it can be rejected, then the characters still have some semblance of choice and it also creates much needed tension - in every romance novel, you know who is getting together, you just don't know how they will overcome their obstacles. For Elain and Lucien, the mating bond actually serves as an obstacle to their relationship that they have to figure out how to deal with. It's creating a lot of tension for them, which sjm said they will experience.

The thing I’ve been thinking about lately is which came first, the chicken or the egg, where the ship is the chicken and the mating bond is the egg. I think we can answer this one, though. Given the number of mates she writes and the fact that her characters go through multiple relationships before they get there, the ship comes first. She has even said that she when she writes, she decides what relationships are going to happen, and then she figures out how to get there.

(this is from here, thank you @yazthebookish Yazzy)

So that’s where the mating bond comes in. Sarah decides on the ship first, before anything to do with the world or plot, and the mating bond is one of the tools to get them there. The mating bond is honestly just incidental.

It's not that Sarah decides to make characters mates and then decides if they will stay together. She makes them mates because they will stay together.

Could this change? Sure. Do we have every single main character pairing being mated to make us feel pretty confident that this will remain the case? Yeah. I think it's also important to note that every example we have of an awkward or wrong mating bond is with extremely minor characters (save one example in hosab which is clearly, clearly being painted as a horrible shitty thing, and nothing like what Elain and Lucien are experiencing now, but even then it's side characters).

When sjm told us in acomaf that Elain and Lucien are mates, she was telling us that they are endgame. It’s as simple as that and she’s not a subtle writer. After that happened, she talked about them as a couple at book events because she was like “hey they all know, cat's out of the bag! Clearly I intend for them to be together so I can talk about it.” (I tried to find my post with all the screenshots but the tumblr search function SUCKS. If anyone else can find it I will love you forever.) Here is one post with a screenshot thank you @the-lonelybarricade!

Okay here is the post that has the best breakdown of what sjm has said re: Lucien, Elain, and being mates

I think it’s an interesting conversation to have, why would or should someone reject or accept a mating bond, hypothetically. But in reality, this is how sjm works. So maybe the question of why Elain should reject or accept the bond is an interesting one to ponder, but you don’t see those conversations about nessian and feysand (or rowaelin, or quinlar, or Kallias and Viviane, or anyone else) because we know what the mating bond means. So to me, those questions are interesting in the context of looking at the mating bond as a trope, as it's used by many many authors, but we already know what it means when sjm uses it. On a related note, here is a post with all the ways that characters think/speak about the mating bond in acotar. It's clearly a positive thing, and sjm has no intentions of writing it in a way that would lessen its importance, because that would then lessen the magic of when Feyre finds out about Rhys, and when Nesta struggles to accept that she has one with Cassian.

I think it's interesting to note that any time a character wonders if they have a mating bond, or expects to find out about it any day, they are wrong. Feyre wondered when hers and Tamlin's would show up, Rhys tells us that Az had been waiting for one with Mor, apparently now he's wondering that re: Elain, Lucien was waiting for his with Jesminda, and in ToG Aelin wonders if she has one with Chaol, or had one with Sam. None of those turned out well, though. (thank you @fracturedarkness and @highqueenmorrigan for helping me remember who did this. <3)

To your question though, I do think it would be an interesting thing to explore if Elain did reject the bond, or if Lucien did, and then what their relationship would be like afterwards. Lucien is still Feyre's friend and working with the Night Court. Elain is still living in the NC. It's not as if they would never see each other again, but they will always have the bond between them, even if they officially reject it. It'd be interesting to see how their relationship (platonic, romantic, whatever) developed without the pressure that the mating bond presents, but as it is, the mating bond is creating that tension for them. Which is tension that sjm said they will have in the freaking screenshots I can't find.

For me, them being mated is just a sign from the author that they are supposed to be endgame, and then the rest of it is us trying to figure out how that is going to happen, what it will look like.

Okay sorry this got really long, and tbh it doesn't need to be because I think that sjm is very clear in her intentions and we all know this, which is why you don't see people questioning the other mating bonds in the series, and why you see people trying to explain that canon facts are actually a huge conspiracy theory.

[dotcomgirrrl]

some things i still dont fucking get:

cursing is just as rampant in heaven as it is in hell??

whats the difference between human souls and people born in heaven/hell (this is the biggest one imo)

do people have kids in the afterlife or is it coincidental?? if they have kids in the afterlife and in mortal life do they have any connection or memories? how do mortal connections in general translate to afterlife

why isnt husk a gambling dog. this is just me hating the design choices

viv couldnt be assed to put in more effort or show us more of charlie and vaggies relationship

ADAM??? what authority does he have. why did he call alastor a mortal soul but he was earlier referred to as "the first human soul in heaven"

alastor in general. good god its a mess.

vaggie should have been way more ruthless about killing sinners. would have been loads more interesting to have been stuck in hell due to lute sabotaging her out of jealousy and having to be stealth. this is the femslash equivalent of unseasoned chicken.

why is lucifer blonde

why did their designs get way more cunty and interesting in the final ep

jesus cameo when

designs in heaven and hell are pretty much the same other than color