#i always feel like he's the weakest part of my writing

[nomairuins]

we had fun tho the whole family hung out and we did some sporclee and chronophoto and then globle me n lamp nd father did globle bc mein mamma went to sleep. yay :]

[happy74827]

Bring It In

[Sam Winchester x Female!Reader]

Synopsis: After a rough hunt, Sam seeks your comforting touch.

WC: 1747

Category: Hurt/Comfort

Sammy!! My adorable pookie. God, he was so precious in the early seasons that I just had to write about him.

『••✎••』

Waking up to a shadow in the middle of the night, especially when you were staying in a motel that was miles away from any civilization, was never a good thing. Especially when you could feel it even before opening your eyes, its presence heavy on the air. It made your senses scream and your heart race.

The feeling of being watched and studied was not something a normal person would like to wake up to, and as you lay there in bed with your eyes closed, that feeling struck you right into your core, making your muscles tense. Adding into the fact of the complete awareness of the supernatural world you were a part of, that was just the cherry on top of the cake.

But as you lay there, your brain going at 100 miles an hour, you realize this instance wasn’t one of those life-threatening situations you were so used to. It was an oddly comforting feeling as the flashlight you flew into the darkness was caught in the hands of someone you trusted with your life, the same hands that have touched every inch of your body in a way you could never forget.

He had been hunting all night, you could tell. Although it was dark, and only the soft glow from the motel sign illuminated the room, you knew his clothes were covered in dirt and leaves, and his hair was a mess. He didn't care, though, as he walked closer to you, his eyes becoming clear as he turned the flashlight on.

Sam had a tendency to get into these moods. A mood where he needed something to ground him and remind him that the life he was living was worth fighting for. You had always been that thing for him, his anchor, and as he approached the bed, his mind was racing with everything and nothing all at once.

As he sat down on the edge of the bed, his large hands reached out, touching you softly. It wasn’t sexual; he had no interest in that right now. He was looking for comfort. He just needed you.

You sighed, pulling yourself up from your position on the bed to get a better look at him. His eyes were tired and glistened over with some sort of sadness that he tried to keep hidden from you, but he knew he couldn’t. The tears reflected the moonlight that shined through the blinds and through the flashlight, and although the shadows under his eyes were more prominent than usual, he still looked at you with the most love you could imagine.

You didn't have to ask him why he was here, why he had been gone all night. You knew. He was a creature of habit, and Sam was very good at reading people. He knew when you were at your weakest when you needed him the most, and you did the same for him.

He needed reassurance. He needed to know he was doing the right thing, or else the guilt and shame would eat him alive. So when he saw the soft expression on your face, the gentle smile, and the look in your eyes, he nodded. It was soft, barely noticeable, but you saw it.

“You scared me.” You said, reaching forward to take his hand in yours. The flashlight was still clutched tightly in his other hand, the light shining up at the ceiling.

He sighed, squeezing your hand and looking away. It was silent for a moment before you felt him shift. The mattress moved slightly under his weight as he scooted closer, his eyes meeting yours once more.

Without a word, he reached forward, the hand that had been holding the flashlight coming up to rest on the side of your face. You leaned into his touch, the roughness of his hand feeling nice against your soft skin. He ran his thumb over your cheek before moving to cup the back of your head.

He was slow, almost hesitant, and you gave him a reassuring smile. You loved this man more than anything, and the gentle kisses he placed on your forehead and cheeks were the most tender of moments. You felt your heart swell as he finally kissed your lips, his hand moving from the back of your head to wrap around you, pulling you closer.

He let the flashlight fall to the floor, the loud thud it made against the carpet going unnoticed. You felt his lips tremble slightly, his emotions getting the best of him as he deepened the kiss. You wrapped your arms around him, tangling your fingers in his hair as you pulled him closer.

It wasn’t long before he pulled away, just slightly, his breath warm against your lips. Now you saw the blood, the bruises, and the cuts covering his face. He didn’t seem to care about them, but you did. It broke your heart, knowing that he had spent all night killing monsters and demons just to keep you safe. To keep everyone safe.

He let out a sigh, a long, hard breath as if he had been holding it in forever. Relief, the kind that came after a good cry or after a bad case of the flu was gone, washed over his face, and you could see the tension leave his shoulders. He leaned forward, resting his head on your shoulder, his arms tightening around you.

“I know,” He spoke, his voice cracking slightly. His tone was soft, his lips brushing against your ear. You shivered, rubbing your hands over his back. “I’m sorry, I just.. I needed- I needed to make sure that you were okay. That we were okay. It just... It gets overwhelming, and with what happened to Jess-”

You shushed him, turning to place a kiss on his temple. He sighed again, his breath tickling the side of your neck. His scent surrounded you, a mix of dirt and sweat and a hint of gunpowder. Dean’s presence was there, too, a bit of cologne and beer mixed into the air.

You didn't need to know where Dean was. You were pretty sure he had been on a hunt with Sam, and now he was at a bar, trying to get over his demons. The two brothers were so closely similar and yet so different, but in moments like this, where they were both torn down to their core, you could see the resemblance.

The two of them had a lot of things in common, but their biggest similarity was their stubbornness. They refused to ask for help, and they were afraid to show weakness, especially in front of each other.

Dean was off, drinking his worries away, while Sam came to you. A pattern the two had developed.

You had met the brothers in a motel very similar to the one you were in now. You were there for a simple vacation, a break from all the stresses of your life, but things changed when you were woken up to the sounds of gunshots and glass breaking.

Dean had burst into your room, dragging you out with him. He was a smart guy, and although he had no clue who you were, he knew you were in danger. He had gotten into a fight with a… well, it didn’t matter what it was; all that mattered was that the thing had a taste for human flesh.

You and Sam had bonded instantly, and Dean wasn't too far behind. It was the start of a beautiful friendship despite the poor circumstances. After a year of being around each other, helping each other out with whatever situation came, the three of you became closer than you ever thought possible. A little more with Sam, of course.

So, now, when Sam comes to you late at night, needing you, needing reassurance, you don’t hesitate. You give him all that he needs and more, and when he holds you close, his body trembling and his words shaky, you know it was the right decision.

His grip on you tightened, pulling you into him. You let him, holding him just as close, your hands gently running up and down his back. You could feel the fabric of his shirt under your fingertips, and the heat from his skin radiated through.

After a moment, he pulled back, his eyes searching yours. You could tell he was worried about Dean, about you, about the whole situation. He was afraid of what was coming, and although he didn’t know it, his fears were valid.

There was a lot to come, and it wasn’t going to be easy. The two of you had been through a lot, and although you didn't regret it, the thought of something happening to him was enough to drive you crazy.

You were about to say something, but the words never left your mouth. He was kissing you again, the force much stronger than the last, his hands gripping your arms tightly. It was an amazing kiss, filled with all the passion and love he had for you, and as he moved you, pushing you onto the bed, you felt his desperation.

It wasn’t a desperate need for sex, but a desperate need to be close to you. You knew this, and as you tangled your fingers into his hair, kissing him just as desperately, you knew he needed you more than anything. Who cared if you ended up losing more sleep than normal? Who cared if the sun came up and Dean returned to the room, finding the two of you still tangled up together in a mess of sheets? Who cared if the world was coming to an end and this was the last time the two of you would ever see each other?

He needed you, and as he whispered your name, his voice cracking with emotion, you knew he had no plans of letting you go. Not now, not ever. And when Dean did pop up a few hours later with messy hair and his shirt on backward, he would take a single glance and walk right back out the door, knowing he was going to be okay.

The three of you would be okay, and when the time comes and the world starts ending, you would fight till the very end. Because there is nothing worth fighting for more than your family, and you would do anything to protect the people you loved.

[namis-gf]

Hii can I get Robin x Reader, where Robin wakes up from a nightmare and reader comforts her? I'd imagine it's set after Enies Lobby

ANON ILY THIS IS SUCH A GOOD REQUEST!!! i was kicking my feet and giggling while writing cause robin is best girl ever and hurt/comfort is my jam

summary: fem!reader and robin sharing a bed for the first time after everything that went down in water 7/enies lobby. for context, reader worked for sir crocodile in alabasta and robin took her along when she boarded the merry (but she was unaware of robin working with the government)

word count: 812 words / 0.8k

cw: none!

there are three beds now, in the girls' cabin on the sunny. you aren't sure if you're relieved or disappointed. the shipwright luffy picked - franky is his name, you think - had done a headcount of every member of the crew before getting to work.

the gulf between each bed feels even larger at night. for the first few nights back at sea, you can hear soft, heart-wrenching noises from across the room. your heart sinks into your stomach from the guilt, making you almost nauseous, but you can't work up the courage to get up and check on her.

robin had lied to you.

yes, you know she'd done it for the greater good. yes, you know she didn't mean any harm by keeping you in the dark. but nico robin has been by your side for as long as you can remember, on the sea and in the scorching sands of alabasta. she was there in your worst and weakest moments, and you cherish her. part of you wishfully thought that she too, felt as though she could confide in you just as equally.

she's crying again tonight. robin has always had issues with sleep, though she used to be much more cryptic and closed off about the origin of the problem. sometimes, back in your homeland, she would crawl into your bed after night-watch. never touching you directly, but her presence was warm and comforting.

you get to your feet and slip past a sleeping nami, heading toward the bed farthest from the door and shrouded in darkness. by the time you attempt to make an awkward approach, she is already awake and silently watching.

"i missed you," you whisper quietly, extending the olive branch.

before you can try and come up with something else to say, two hands brusquely push against your back. the motion sends you falling forwards, a familiar laugh and the scent of flowers awaiting. she pulls you close, your face red red red from embarrassment.

"it was about time you came to check on me," robin hums, an errant hand summoned by the devil fruit's magic combing through your hair. "one would almost think you were angry."

"i'm not angry," you grumble. "i was worried. for a smartypants, you've been making real stupid decisions of late. that new captain must be a bad influence."

"it wasn't stupid," she replies, sounding lost in thought. "i did what i had to do. if it came down to it, i was ready to go."

"that's the fucking problem! you convinced yourself you were ready, and-"

"i wanted to live, yes."

"well thank god," you huff indignantly, rolling over so you can face her properly. "i would've been pissed if you dragged me all this way just to go and die like a loser."

she chuckles again, the sound music to your ears. "what was it, mr. 0 used to say all the time? right, yes. we don't lose."

"and die winners?" you finish the familiar saying, "he was always so full of shit. the hell does that even mean? If you're dead, you lose. game over."

robin's breath seems to be evening out, and the throes of sleep are working to snare you too. but you came here for a reason, and you won't just let her ignore the problem any longer. "what were you dreaming about?"

"oh, i don't know," she says, flippant. if you could make out her face in the dark, you're sure she'd be smiling at your imminent frustration. "i never really remember my dreams."

“ever?" you echo disbelievingly, "that's nuts. just yesterday i woke up from an awful nightmare about the captain trying to boil my hair like spaghetti."

"sounds yummy," she presses close to you, now, and her two real arms circle around your shoulders. "but i'm afraid my dreams are top secret, frontier agent miss thursday."

"don't pull that garbage rank on me! you know i'm worth more than... eleventh," you say the last word with enough distaste that robin starts giggling again.

"no offence," robin says, in the voice that means she's about to be totally mean. "but i think your former rank had more to do with uh- how do i put it- your tendency to dispose of your partners."

“it's not my fault he was a dummy and couldn't defend himself," you argue back, mostly for the fun of it. "i really think they underestimated my grand potential."

"well that's why i took you with me, of course," she soothes, and you laugh a little yourself at the insincerity. "i'm serious though, i sleep better with you around. so you are hereby forbidden to leave."

"aye," you snort, raising a wobbly arm in mock salute. nico robin may be a total mystery, but you were raised persistent. and persist you fucking will, until she lets you into her heart.

[gingergofastboatsmojito]

Like clockwork

Knowing that I nailed every single prediction except the awards bc the time span covered in S3 was too short for the restaurant to even be considered for one (YET) and the apology, which he thought about making to C but chickenshit at the last minute forcing her character to lurk around a little longer next season, unfortunately.

And also knowing that S4 (which I always considered ENDGAME) might be finally the one where they get those awards and end the show on a perfect note, makes me incredibly happy because even though I do think S3 is the weakest so far, I also fully expected everything that happened in it, except the low Sydney screen time, compared with the excessive Faks screentime, which was the biggest bummer of all times.

I think that Storer is straining along the “non-Sydcarmy” narrative in the right-hand column and leaving about a million Sydcarmy breadcrumbs in the LEFT-HAND COLUMN, so he’s putting all the money on the endgame and that is why most people, including critics, and non-sydcarmy truthers feel underwhelmed after all the build-up excitement and high-expectations that had been forced around it. The critics are mixed, BECAUSE you didn't get exactly what you wanted, both truthers and anties, whereas I got exactly what I assumed I was gonna get from Storer, a TWIST that he will resolve in S4.

As I always said, my ONLY priority is getting my SYDCARMY ENDGAME, not putting Syd’s happiness above all, not even the restaurant getting a star, although IK it will at some point, not even Carmy finding happiness in any other place that is not that meadow Sydney. Etc. I don't play that game. I only want those things to happen in a Sydcarmy context, hopefully, but not necessarily, explicitly, not in a Lalaland kinda way.

What Storer did was open the game enough for a potential Clairmy endgame to happen, which last season seemed impossible, now he forced the narrative to make it fit in S4 if he wanted to. That’s why everyone is soooo underwhelmed, except me. Because I trust my intuition in the left-hand column which is what allowed me to nail all the predictions so far to the letter. Including Carmy being an ass to Syd and Syd not going anywhere, even when offered a way out of The Bear (the restaurant and the man).

And due to this accuracy in predicting Storer’s behavior, I still, like always, feel Sydcarmy is a S4 dish. Fully endgame material. Nothing has changed for me after watching S3. If anything, that belief is even more cemented in my mind now.

Storer is still right on schedule and the Sydcarmy clock started ticking more than ever, exactly as I anticipated HERE. I even nailed the "no sorry sign" thing, which is what we need to watch for in S4, as soon as it happens, we will be out of the woods.

I don't come from a place of wanting to get my needs met or wishes granted by someone as cruel and infuriatingly brilliant as Storer, that would be too naive on my part. I know what to expect when it comes to his writing and he's the Zodiac Killer for me, he can write the perfect crime, and the perfect plot and twist it in ways I can anticipate but no one can control in terms of layout and order but himself. He's a perfectionist and a control freak, incredibly talented piece of shit(sounds familiar?). So I work with what he serves me. I expect from him nothing but asphyxia first, to then give me breathing room for a few scenes, and then take it away. That's what this season was. The chokehold. The lack of oxygen. He's depriving us or making us think he will "on the table", while "under the table" the conversation or unspoken dialogue is the following:

Syd didn't sign The Bear's agreement, and neither did she sign the poaching contract, she's stalling both because she leads with her heart, not her head, which woulda made her get the hell outta the restaurant that has her name nowhere to be found in the reviews that are all about Chef Berzatto, where her business partner is a fucking robot she "can't babysit anymore" and who explicitly told her he's about to crack and where she dreads going to work every day. I mean NOT EVEN THAT CAN MAKE HER SIGN THE POACHING OFFER. I wonder why...

Carmy is still breaking the vow he made to Syd under the table: "You deserve my full focus". He's focusing on getting that bullshit star for her, he's focusing on the bully chef that used to torture him in EMP and ruined him mentally (because according to him it's that asshole's fault, not his own upbringing, and responsibility for having stuck around his bullying and not standing up for himself back then) while Syd is seating right next to him and Luca is flirting with her (I'm OK with that btw) and he's still blaming other people for the choices he made or the things he FAILED to do, instead of taking full responsibility and changing them, which I'm sure he will in S4 and I never expected him to do now because that process IRL for anyone takes YEARS, maybe DECADES, so...

And lastly, we have Chef Terry being the one who tries to open their eyes with her wisdom and they are both still blinking and being blinded by the brightness of it, they still can't see clearly what she's trying to tell them. Especially Syd, who had a full-on panic attack (her getting stuck in a walk-in while everyone else was on the other side of the door moment exactly as I predicted too). Why would she have that if that wasn't her realization moment? → THE ONE WE, SYDCARMY TRUTHERS HAVE BEEN FUCKING PRAYING FOR AND WILL HAVE TO FORCE HER TO FINALLY FOR THE LOVE OF DOG MAKE HER FUCKING MOVE!!!!

So summing up, like I said, I don't come from a place of expecting Storer to please me, my approach to anticipate his moves is asking myself: How can I get what I want while he gets his way because he will get his way regardless, so why fighting him? He will make me suffer, he will play every single string of my heart and he will make me think I've lost all hope and that is not even worth keeping on trying, on the surface. But under the surface, he will prepare THE TWIST and it's gonna be beautiful, and if I play my cards like this, fully expected. That's exactly what I did and what I got, the thing is that this was THE TRANSITIONAL SEASON, S4 is the RESOLUTION of all loose ends because it's ENDGAME. He's right on schedule as far as I'm concerned.

Bonus track: Sydcarmy breadcrumbs he planted: * Menu (heartshaped and best meal Syd ever had) → which is MEAT. * Her panic attack in the hallway after thinking of Carmy and all the history they have together. * Cicero and Nat asking her to sign the agreement once and for all, THEY ARE ASKING HER TO ENTER THE FAMILY, not just the restaurant. * She not quitting, even though someone offered her an easy way out on a silver platter. She can't quit The Bear, and I'm not talking about the restaurant. Even if she eventually does, Storer made it clear that her heart is not in it, she doesn't want to, otherwise, she would have done it by now. * Carmy NOT APOLOGIZING to Claire. Even if he eventually does, Storer made it clear that his heart is not in it, he doesn't want to, otherwise, he would have done it by now. (He did call her "peace" though, which was a cruel way of Storer giving us truthers the middle finger for having told him that the panic attack scene was his way of telling us SYdcarmy was endgame). We shouldn't trust this, Storer is Storing. * Lastly: In the final sequence (CLIFFHANGER), Carmy gets the reviews that will make or break The Bear, which leads to S4 → if the reviews force Cicero to pull the plug, Syd is free to sign the new contract and start over elsewhere. If the reviews are great (they are not because the menu was called INCONSISTANT) then he has a reason to go to Syd's place and show her they made it! Either way, in any of those scenarios he has the perfect motive to jug all the way to Syd's apartment and find her in the midst of her panic attack and CONFORT HER, which I think will be the opener of S4 and then the whole ENDGAME will go from there. This endgame will include Syd signing something that will tie her to Carm. And this endgame will also feature "Andrea". My only fear is: LALALAND ENDING, and I'll tell you why → COPENHAGEN+CLAIRE. Knowing that MG was with JAW in Copenhagen a few weeks ago, I'm sure that shooting some scenes, even though many said they didn't I still believe they did, leads me to think that Carmy, who is reminiscing of his time in Copenhagen like one of the most beautiful times of his life, can go back there with Claire after apologizing to her and rekindling their flame and after Cicero pulling the plug on The Bear letting Syd off the hook for her to pursue the other option presented to her. This will mean Carmy ends with Claire in Copenhagen somehow, sketching and maybe even fully leaning into his artsy side, who knows? And Syd gets her Star elsewhere, which she will find underwhelming because she wanted to get it with The Bear (the restaurant AND the man). This will pave the way for them to give themselves a second chance eventually if Carmy ever comes back from Copenhagen and chooses her over C. Or something along these lines but not necessarily in this order. Either way would explain JAW and C being in Copenhagen recently and would be a Sydcarmy endgame but bittersweet, not spoonfed and cruel, just like Storer likes it. I hope I am mistaken about this since the Lalaland kinda ending is my biggest fear and it's still fully plausible given S3. Still, sometimes I'm wrong... like when I thought that Richie was gonna quit on Carmy after the walk-in fight and he just stayed to spite him and make his life miserable LOL!

[stuff-i-found-while-crying]

Quidditch and Tea

Enzo x Reader(Ravenclaw)

a/n: this was a little idea... actually half of the idea. the other half was the game. but I am a little in a writing slump. So posting this before I loose my nerves again.

Not edited. Not proofread. Not anything really.

This feels more like the beginning of a longer story... What do you think?

You never understood Quidditch.

Which was fine. As a Ravenclaw you understood many other things. One of those things was team spirit. The only thing that made you get up and walk over to the Slytherin table.

Because the quidditch captain had sounded worried about the game tomorrow. So worried that even you, someone too busy with books and music, had heard him last night.

"Are you mad?", Alma hissed behind you. She tried to grab you and pull you back down.

But you had a plan.

At least the start of a plan.

This was a good plan, right? What was the worst that could happen?

And then you stood next to Enzo Berkshire. The guy with the soft curls and adorable dimples. And the weakest link in the Slytherin Quidditch team.

"Hi", you said.

He turned towards you. All his friends turned towards you. Most of them knew you from class. Mattheo even winked at you. But you weren't here to play along. You wanted to win.

Or at least help your team win.

Without waiting for Enzos reply you swung on leg over the bench and sat down, facing him. His eyes wondered down to your tights that were hugging the bench. Just one second too long and you knew you had him.

With a sweet smile you leaned in. "I heard a rumor."

"Don`t" came a warning from Draco Malfoy, the captain. "Go back to your own table."

But Enzo was grinning at you. "Did you now?"

"I heard that when a girl asks you out for a butterbeer you never refuse her."

"Shit, she is good", whispered Mattheo from across the table.

His commend made you almost drop the act. You had questions. Was it the smile that was working? Or your words? What was it about girls in skirts that made the boys pay attention more?

You could almost feel your inner professor pushing up her glasses and taking notes. Later you would have to discuss this with Alma.

"It`s true", Enzo leaned in as if he was sharing a secret with you. The sparkle in his eyes told you that he was almost where you wanted him. With his head way up in the clouds and distracted from the game tomorrow. This was too easy.

You also leaned in. Noses almost brushing you let out a sad sigh.

"Pity that I don`t like beer. Would have loved to asked you out."

His eyes blinked at you. "Hu?"

You got up, one hand on his shoulder, pretending to balance yourself. Than you gave him a soft pat and a wink.

Mattheo started laughing.

Draco was just starring daggers into you.

Enzo was still looking up, eyes wide, lips parted. He was gorgeous. You had always known that. In this moment you understood the other girls that would so easily fall for him just to be heart broken. Interesting.

Swiftly, you turned around and left the great hall. Alma was waiting with your bag outside.

"What the hell? Since when are you flirting? I did not even know you were interested in Berkshire."

You shrugged. "You saw our team. All is fair in love and war."

"Wait, you did all this for the quidditch team?", she grabbed you by the shoulder. "You flirted with Enzo in front of the entire school, made hundreds of girls jealous, had Malfoy almost rip your head off, just for a quidditch game."

You grinned. "He will play awful tomorrow and you know it."

"Some one should give you house points for that."

Indeed was Enzo starring at you for the rest of the day. Luckily you had only two classes with him. In Transfiguration you winked at him and he almost burned down his table. McGonigall was not impressed.

History of magic was proving to be more difficult. Binz never payed attention to the class and normally you would do homework for Potions in that time. But Enzo sat right behind you. And after a couple of minutes a Note appeared on your desk.

"Why don`t you like beer?"

Alma was shaking her head next to you.

"Because it tastes awful?" you wrote back.

It took him ten seconds to reply. "What about tea?"

"I love tea."

"Why don`t you ask me out for tea then?"

You grinned while answering. Your plan was going perfectly. "Why don`t you ask me out for tea?"

This time his answer took longer.

"Tonight, you and me on the astronomy tower. I will bring the tea if you bring sweets."

Should you feel bad? Maybe a little. But it was just tea. And stars. And Enzo Berkshire with his killer smile.

For the first time you asked yourself if your plan wasn't as perfect as you thought. Not that you put much thought into it. It was more an idea. Enzo had always been on your mind. And maybe you had taken the Quidditch match as an excuse.

"I know that look", Alma whispered.

"Psst", you pointed to Professor Binz. "I am trying to listen."

She rolled her eyes.

After class you took your time packing up. It was Friday and lunch and you had the rest of the day off. Alma was not as lucky.

"I See you later" she said and run off to Ruins.

"I See you later too", a deeper voice said right next to your ear.

With a jump you turned. Enzo grinned down at you.

"Right", you said. Suddenly you realized that you had a date with him. Oh Merlin, alma was right. You were mad.

"Anything with chocolate", he said and turned around. "But I also dont mind lemon."

The sweets. He was talking about the sweets. You took a deep breath. Where the hell would you get sweets from?

[ratgrinders]

hello tumblr user ratgrinders... appreciate the work you do even in these trying times (post onscreen homicide). i think the fact that kipperlilly is like, annoying and reminds people of girls they didnt like in high school ppl miss out on a lot of interesting stuff going on w her!

like, the "power hungry teen girl who is just evil and tbk kill her" thing has already been done in fhfy with penelope, & its much more interesting to think about how & why the ratgrinders are doing all this suspicious stuff tbk are noticing-- like the fact that they have been very cagey about showing their combat abilities, the weird stuff going on with various deities, and even kipperlilly's stolen therapy files (lol) are very intriguing!! and imo writing that off as assuming they'll be straightforward, incompetent villians (popular assumption due to their lack of friendship, even though it's famously the weakest magic) is far less interesting. like... they got into this situation for a reason and got involved w all this stuff somehow, & i don't think all of this would happen if they were a normal adv party, even a shitty one. how did they get here! why!! thx

thank you so much, its getting hard out here but nothing can stop the rat grinders stan grind!!!!! (<- is coping. im coping)

yeah but fr, kipperlily is FASCINATING to me. i truly believe that she thinks everything she does is justified in service of her larger goal, whatever that may be. yeah, stone cold murder really isn't the fairest thing you can do to your academic rivals, but writing all of that off as "oh she's just always been a jealous hypocrite who never believed in what she was spouting" i think is an inaccurate interpretation of her own motivations. she clearly believes in something.

cuz the thing is, we're still not really sure was kipperlily wants? ("egg on my face for wanting something"). sure, she's trying to run for student body president, but what exact rules is she hoping to implement, and how does that relate to trying to resurrect a rage god? plus, grix attacked ruben because he/his ritual were a direct threat to the existence of the school, which seems counter productive if you're trying to become president of it.

and what cause would kipperlily specifically have to be tied up with a rage god anyway? there's nothing that clearly on the surface ties a little type A halfling rogue to a fiendish god of rage and conquest, hell some of the other members in her party seem like on the surface they would have a closer tie to it (like both of their now dead clerics, mary ann who literally harnesses rage, ruben who is full of teen angst). kipperlily's apparently been filled with rage since freshman year, but why? (is she like riz, who spent his whole life infected with an aspect of the nightmare king and literally grew up with this seed of doubt inside him? did something similar happen to kipperlily?)

ankarna is the goddess of justice and the conviction to act when they see something unfair. no matter what, i think kipperlily truly believes that she's witnessed something unfair. and it feels significant to mention that this last murder is an escalation on the rat grinders' part. the other people who have ended up dead around them (lucy, yolanda, the original hosts of frosty faire) all seemed to have died indirectly as a result of the rage crystals and the uncontrollable rage it inspires. this is the first time we're seen stone cold premeditated murder, done with simply a blade and betrayal.

honestly, this transition seems to mirror what ankarna herself went through, starting off as the goddess of conviction and justice but slowly transitioning to one of conquest and war. brennan said something about ankarna, "yeah its nice to have someone like that on your side who will stand up for you, but you better hope that person is always right". i think what we're seeing now is someone with that same conviction, but with a misguided cause.

kipperlily's crossed a line now and i wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't end up redeemed by the end of the season, but i'm still interested in how she and her party were motivated to do this in the first place, because like you said i don't think a normal adventuring party would've ended up here. it takes a lot to transition to multiple murders!

[vastly-fixated-devotee-667]

Lukesse writings

in which Jesse and Lukas are living together after the events of season 2. based off headcanons my partner and i came up with instead of sleeping. i love my sillies sm <///3

The first thing I consciously realize is that I’m sitting upright in bed. The second — my breath is getting away from me, and my lungs feel like they’re running to catch up with it. Then I feel the wakes of tears on my cheeks. And suddenly, the memory of the dream from which I had just awoken floods through my mind, and all of those sensations get much, much worse.

My door swings open. “Jesse?” Lukas startles when he sees the state I’m in and flies to my bedside. “Jesse. What happened?”

I hide my face in my hands. I had hoped that I could deal with these stupid nightmares on my own, that inviting Lukas to live with me and thus having another person simply in the house with me would be enough to keep me grounded from the anxiety and pain that whirl through my head. But I can feel the dull, raspy pain in my throat, and I know I didn’t wake silently. Never would I have wanted to worry Lukas, and the guilt only makes me feel worse.

Lukas seems to scan my body for injuries and, once satisfied with evidence of a lack thereof, lays a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Was it a nightmare, or . . . ?”

I allow my hands to fall away from my face some, my fingers lingering to cover the traces of tears, and nod.

“Oh, Jesse, I’m . . . I’m sorry.” He massages my shoulder soothingly. “Was it . . . the Admin? I mean — if you want to tell me.”

I take an involuntary, sharp breath, but it seems that I’m finally gathering myself. I nod again.

“Yeah . . . I’ve been having those, too.” His eyes look into mine, but I find it difficult to meet them. “Yours must’ve been pretty bad, though.”

I sniff. “I’m sorry to wake you. I didn’t—” I wipe a trail of tears from my face.

His eyes widen. “What? No. You don’t have anything to apologize for. I’m glad you’re not alone right now.” He pauses. “Does this . . . happen often?”

My gaze settles on my knees and doesn’t move. “Yeah.” The word comes out strangulated, as though someone has a tight grip on my throat. “Ever since the Witherstorm . . . yeah.”

He squeezes my shoulder with his hand. “Gee, I . . . I had no idea.”

I sniff and shake my head. “I’ve been fine on my own. They’re just stupid dreams. But . . .” I laugh halfheartedly. “Well, that was a big part of the reason I asked you to move in with me. I thought that the presence of another person in the house might make it easier. At least, I’d feel less lonely.”

“I wish I’d known sooner. I’m so sorry, Jesse.”

“Don’t be. I— I should have told you, but . . .”

“I know. I know you, Jesse. You always force yourself to be strong for others, even when you’re at your weakest. Especially now that you’re the leader of Beacontown. I know that’s a lot of responsibility. But Jesse—” He puts his hand on mind, and for the first time, I look at him. There’s a slight shine on his cheek from tears sloppily swiped away. “You’re not the leader of Beacontown right here, right now. Not when it’s just you and me. Right now, you’re a human. A human who’s been through a lot of trauma and who doesn’t deserve to have to deal with it alone.”

“I thought processing it through your writing was enough. I had been feeling better since talking through things that happened so you could write it into your books, but . . .” I lean back against my headboard. “This isn’t exactly the must illustrious trait for the protagonist of your book to have, is it? A hero who can face death and take down all-powerful beings but can’t deal with a few scary dreams.”

“Well . . .” He sits beside me on the bed; I scoot over to make better room for him. “I think that a lot of heroes, real or fictional, deal with the aftermath of the evils they face. It just happens off the page. And I mean . . . what happens in private certainly doesn’t have to see print.”

I study his face, the dim light of the moon reflecting off his rosy cheeks. “Yeah?”

He shrugs. “It’s okay to exist between chapters. Sometimes, things are too special, too intimate to put into words for others to see.” He clears his throat. “You know, like, healing from trauma and . . . whatnot.”

I smile and rest my head on his shoulder. “I’m really glad to have you around, Lukas.”

“I’m glad to be around,” he says. “I’ve missed nights like this. Not that there were many where we weren’t fearing for our lives or otherwise going through something. But I’ve missed the company.”

“I’ve missed you.”

He pauses, and I can hear the smile on his lips. “Yeah. Yeah, I’ve missed you, too.”

I sit up and look out my window. The moon still hangs high above the town, a pale blue eye looking straight down upon a colony of ants. It won’t be morning for a long while. I sigh. “Maybe I should try to sleep.”

Lukas pats me on the back. “I think that’s a good idea.” He stands, and I snap my head around to face him.

“Where are you going?” I ask.

He glances at the door. “I thought— I don’t want to bother you if you’re trying to sleep. I’ll be just down the hall if you need me.”

“Yeah, I . . .” I frown at the empty spot in my bed he left behind, the disrupted blankets that formed to his shape in curled wrinkles. “I’m sorry; I know there isn’t much space in here, but . . .”

He sits back down and puts a hand on my shoulder. “I can stay with you if you’d like, Jesse.”

I hold onto his forearm and nod. He slips underneath the blanket, and I lie down beside him. I stretch my neck out to plant a kiss on his cheek and then nestle into his chest. With his arms held firmly around me, I fall asleep, and if I dream of anything this time, I have no recollection.

[athenaluciscaelum]

Romantically involved with Dante throughout various installments in the franchise.

Let's start this account with my first writing, what it will be like to get romantically involved with each Dante in the Devil May Cry franchise.

Disclaimer:

This is my first attempt at writing anything to be open for public scrutiny, so be kind, I do not intend to take any scrutiny for task I'm doing out of my passion, and I am not getting paid for anyway. A constructive criticism in right tone can be welcome. But anything unkind or disrespectful or homophobic or any hate shall be deleted. I do not entertain such things and I do not mind simply deleting them. This being said I will try my best to put trigger warning rightfully in every post but if sometimes, I miss something. You can let me know and educate me on topic respectfully and I will add it promptly.

Note:

I know there is a big debate on whether Dante is virgin or not. I do not believe he is. I just think he is very responsible and that's why didn't have 'an accident' like Vergil. This being said I think he will be more sexually active in some installment of the franchise than the other.

Also, Dante in any age or game will be reluctant and will stop himself from getting romantically involved with anyone. Dabte is smart, humane, and empathetic though he shows otherwise, he knows that one has to always pay the price if they love a Sparda/s. He knows his father was the strongest yet he cannot save one he loved the most. This made one thing certain for Dante, no amount of power guarantees that those who you love will be safe if you are the strongest. Just one slip up is enough to loose all you hold dear. Be it strongest creature to walk the universe or weakest. That being said, Dante will always try to distance himself from one he falls for because he knows this will only make them target or might end tragically. His love will be keeping them safe by distancing themselves. But if one with strong will comes by, I think he will always have this fear but will cave in eventually. This man has lots of hurt, trear my baby nice and he will melt. He got good heart.

Let's rock!

Devil May Cry 3 Manga Dante:

Dante in manga is somewhere around 18-19, though Capcom never age us an age to work with. In manga, he is in his teen. He comes out to be rather rash, out spoken and more rougher around the edges when going against something unknown like his encounter with Alice. We see Dante being a known one in the strip club when he visits Love Planet to get Enzo. And stripper's comment on how he is well ahem endowed.

But I think his inexperience might work in favour to get him off-guard. He might act cocky and like those teenage boys who acts like girls are so common and easily swayed by them. But when he feels the love, oh my, he will be nervous mess. He will not know how to react and will spew something stupid trying to act cool.

DMC 3 Dante:

It's just one year afterwards, in the beginning, he will be very similar to DMC manga Dante. But by the end of the game, he will have lots of scar and will be at his lowest. The pain of losing Vergil and new found respect for his father and the Sparda name. Dante will be more driven with his mission to avenge his mother and some redemption for losing Vergil, if any is possible.

If there is one thing about Dante. He blames himself for everything a lot! He blames himself for all bad around him. So to romantically persuade Dante after the events of Devil May Cry 3 will be nearly impossible. As he doesn't think himself capable when he couldn't protect his brother. But maybe, it is also time when he might need you the most. He will try his best to drive you away, so be ready for lots of heartache and being a literal light in darkness for this man. He will be grateful once he gets out of it.

DMC 1 novel:

As he know it is not actually canon, only some part of it. But still entertains it. Dante actually asks certain Claire out on Dante and looks forward to it. He is certainly open to romantic prospect and it might be easier to approach him. He will may sure, he doesn't get his coat charred or boots dirty to turn out on the date peoper. He will certainly look forward to it.

Dante in novel might act as jerk but we see how much he cares taking care of Gru's two surviving daughter up until adulthood through bank accounts he opened to financially aid them regularly, reference to which we also get in DMC V via Morrison.

DMC1:

In the beginning, he will be chill and in his zone like always, keeping himself to his office and only ever coming out to go on a mission. He won't mind if you ask him on a date or try to get his attention.

When he comes back from the Mallet Island. He will be very similar to the end of Devil May Cry 3, as this time, he will not only lose Vergil, but forced to kill him unintentionally, not knowing he is still alive. He will certainly think anything that he touches turns into complete shit and will try his best to keep you as far as possible. Someone so precious and perfect (to him) should be kept away, so his ill fate might not ruin you as well. He feels like a failure and he will not let you turn into one more failure in list of things he cannot protect. You have to be protected. By being kept as far as away from him. Now it will be only you relentless endeavour to move him that will break his shell, but it will break off eventually.

DMC 1 anime:

Our Dante will be edge lord, we don't know him as, always in his shop, blaming himself for everything wrong in his life and everyone dead or compromised in his life. Every lil mistake is his fault, he doesn't voice it. But it shows after how he feels after Ernest calls him names as he leaves, or Dante blaming himself for what happened with Enzo's hand, though he had no option but to cut it off or Enzo would have died, during special radio episode (only aired in Japan).

I believe along with alcohol, in this timeline, Dante might or might not indulge sexually like ONS or even picking a stripper, just to dull pain, to feel something, when he deserves no love and care. But his lowest and vulnerability might make him drive everyone, but also leave him weak enough to at last open up, if you decide to help him through this hellish time.

DMC 2 Dante:

Well, Dante in his edge-lord emo phase continues. So there is no new development I think there is, then what it was like in DMC 1 ending and anime. He is still very much in pain, but his time in hell, might just give him time to reflect on how harsh he was on himself.

There won't be a chance for interactions anyway. But after he comes back, it will be an open opportunity after Dante saw hell for himself at last.

DMC Deadly Fortuna (Part I and II) and DMC 4 Dante:

Dante is very happy as soon as he know of a surviving kin, the very existence of Nero give him shred of hope and happiness in his life. He went to Fortuna asap to confirm it himself. Before knowing existsnce of Nero, Dante was somewhat healing, a very lil hint is in novel that Dante was thinking of having some sort of family for himself, but Nero existence made him happy and content enough. He has come to an acceptance with his demon and human self, not shunning one totally. He is more open to prospect of any happiness in his life. He is mature and wiser with his cocky self intenr that makes him Dante.

So if you try to hang around him he would be the friendliest, cheesiest and most ridiculously idiot he can be. This Dante will be best one you can ask for in terms of having the best laugh of your life and most adsurd date ideas.

(I see DMC4 Dante as such girl dad coded)

DMC 5 Dante:

As much as I will like to have different category for DMC 5 prequel novel (Before nightmare), I don't think it will be necessary. Romantically speaking, we see Dante turning down Matier offer to give Lucia one good memory, although he do not want to get her involved, or simply he doesn't feel the same for him. I think it is more of later. But however you will like to see him.

But DMC 5 Dante is more aware of himself, he still has that self sabotaging tendencies with how he lives in literal poverty as said in novel, but he gets better as soon as he finds Vergil. Though intial idea of killing him never sits right with him, bit letting Nero feel same pain. It makes him move to be his shield, Dante is always one to protect those he loves, even if it on cost of himself.

If you are romantically involved with DMC V Dante, be assured he will be on Vergil's head all the time, to just rush back to human world and knock some sense in him in doing so.

I know I have missed a lot, but I'm eager to write something for first time, so this Frankenstein note it is. Be kind.

[utilitycaster]

🔥 each member of vox machina

Vax: really the sadboy narrative for Liam has always been stupid but it's egregiously bad that it started with Vax, who is like, sad for maybe a fifth of the episodes and largely because Liam O'Brien's actual mother was dying, like, with all due respect what the actual fuck, fandom.

Vex: I am the founding and probably only member of the "Vex is my favorite character and also I am 100% cool with Colville's depiction of her." The generosity she shows even very early on in C1 is still a generosity borne of some degree of security - they have a keep by then - and I also just don't think you have to like a character to write them fairly. Granted it's been a minute since I read early VMO but nothing stood out to me as out of line with my understanding of Vex.

Pike: repeating myself once again but I like Pike a lot and wish we could have seen more, but because we didn't, people who say she's their favorite in C1 do tend to turn me off in that I feel they're looking for a relatively flat and widely praised character to project onto rather than a character who goes through more messy development.

Grog: I think he's often underestimated and I was guilty of doing so myself, to be honest, until I saw Travis play more and until I personally got better at D&D. Also I still maintain that playing INT 6 sensitively and well is infinitely harder than playing INT 16, all things considered, and this is yet another reason why people should play high INT more often.

Scanlan: Also underestimated; I do understand being turned off by the whole extremely horny playboy thing but as I've said before Bard's Lament is a major litmus test for me: if you think Scanlan is completely at fault here, you are wrong, and if you think he's not partially at fault, you are also wrong.

Tary: I genuinely love him and think he's a great character and one of Sam's best, but while his character arc is strong the Taryon Darrington Arc of the VM Campaign, through no fault of his own (and partly bc I personally think D&D Hell, especially pre-Descent Into Avernus publication, is kind of boring), is one of the weakest parts of the campaign because it's kind of a grab bag of loose ends. With that said I would happily watch more Darrington Brigade-one shots.

Percy: Percy is also generally a litmus test in that it's like. Is he a good person? Eventually I believe he becomes one, and even before that I think he's very sympathetic and deeply traumatized and like, 24, so I get it, but also, who the fuck cares. This ties into the Essek and the Ashton opinions and all kinds of other stuff but why are people so invested in fucking absolving their blorbo of all sins? I want someone who's lived enough of a life to have done some heinous shit because that's fun and interesting and it's pretend and also because then they can have a rewarding character arc by either working towards redemption or coming to terms with who they are or spiraling into tragedy.

Keyleth: I like Keyleth a lot but I am, as this post indicates, far more sympathetic to Vex, and so while I do think Keyleth is a fairly good person she is also extremely sheltered and naive and terrified of doing the wrong thing and I would have, like Vex, wanted to scream at her half the time were I just a random NPC wandering about the campaign. On the other hand C3-era Keyleth? fantastic no notes she has grown up in such an interesting way.

Tiberius: I think we, and by we I mean people capable of separating the art from the artist, can recognize that his concept actually fucking slapped and unfortunately he was played by someone who absolutely sucked in a myriad of ways. I would love to see the alternate universe in which the same general concept (prodigy sorcerer from Draconia who is full of themself) had to face not just the destruction of their civilization but the realization that they were taking advantage of the Ravenites and while they did not deserve to be killed by Vorugal, had done nothing to justify aid from those they had subjugated either. Like, the alternate world in which one of the current cast members or like, a close friend of the main cast (Ashly, Erika, Mary Elizabeth) played this is one I'd love to see.

[aftokrator-official]

some Thoughts on chapter 13 now that i've finished:

I LOVE HOEDERER.... i already did but like. Really enjoyable to get his POV in this event and see more of his inner thoughts and motivations. I'm fond of characters who are so tired and worn down and jaded, but manage to hold onto some scrap of hope regardless, even against their own better judgment. A lot like Mlynar in that way, tbh.

regrettably this chapter sold me on hoederines a little. i'm CONFLICTED because i love wines so much, dammit. (and manhoe, but there's not as much of a conflict with my headcanons there.) But their relationship is so good regardless of whether you read it as romantic or platonic.

speaking of, Ines was a delight in this chapter. Love her role as the resident non-Sarkaz Sarkaz who is completely unaffected by whatever arcane bullshit is getting to Hoederer and W in any given moment, so she can yell at them to snap out of it and save all of their lives lmao. I love her deep loyalty and care for them that she expresses in everything but words. ugh ugh i love her

the little subplot with Vendela and the Sarkaz commander who tried to keep her safe was sweet and sad, I wish he'd gotten a unique sprite at least. I kind of want to see her meet Flamebringer now and her reaction to the friendship between him and Perfumer... I feel like there's some parallels there.

We're starting to see some payoff to the buildup with Siege in this arc, and I'm so glad! I've never really understood the hate her arc gets - I know it's partly that I'm biased, she was my first 6* so I'm rather fond of her, and I just really like the whole concept of the Glasgow Gang. And I think it doesn't help that ch12 was (imo) the weakest part of act 2 so far. But also, it was always really clear to me that we've been just... laying the groundwork with her up til now, I didn't really expect her to have big moments or turning points yet? Idk. i kind of want to write a whole post about her arc and my thoughts on it at some point. BUT, I really liked her in ch13, seeing her start to really come into her own and how all the events of act 2 up until now have shaped her decisions.

I'M REALLY SAD ABOUT GUARD ACTUALLY??? :( Tbh I have not really cared much about New!Reunion until this chapter, except for Talulah, but I'm finally getting invested. And Talulah's confrontation with Eblana was AMAZING. I've always seen her as a foil to Talulah - while Talulah started down her path with good intentions and ideals, Dublinn seems to have been like late-stage Reunion from the very start, because Eblana has always cared more about seeking power than about the oppression of the people around her. SO FUCKING SATISFYING to see Talulah, of all people, calling her out on that, and protecting Reunion from her. I really hope we get more of these two in future, and also more Reed in main story please please pleeeaseee.

This chapter was wonderfully cohesive with the themes of tradition and bloodlines vs forging a new path. Siege, Delphine and Horn, all beginning to break away from their inherited roles in Victoria's hegemony and fight on their own terms instead. The Kazdel flashbacks, the spacetime feranmut, and Hoederer's POV - a character who wants to see a better future for Kazdel, while still remembering and learning from its past. Nine, Guard and Talulah dealing with what Reunion means as a symbol, and figuring out what it should become. Shining and Nightingale, confronting the Confessarii and their own past. Even Vendela, having to let go of the life and traditions she'd grown up in, the townspeople clinging to familiarity and the hope that things would go back to normal to the point that it was literally going to kill them. The confrontation with the Sanguinarch was such a great culmination of all of this, with his fixation on blood purity and the glorious lost past of the Teekaz. And he's defeated by several people who all soundly reject his vision of what the Sarkaz "should" be - Amiya, the outblood King; Logos, who does have a "pure" bloodline by the Sanguinarch's standards but refuses to be defined by the role he inherited; Hoederer and W, two of the mixed-race "commoner" Sarkaz he's so contemptuous of (and Hoederer specifically rejecting the idea that the Sarkaz's destiny must always be soaked in blood); Ines, who isn't a Sarkaz at all, except she is, because her family is Sarkaz, and she's always going to be one of them. It was! So fucking good!

[fangswbenefits]

Hi, guys!

To be fair, I do think I really need to improve writing Astarion when vulnerable. It's not that easy for me, and I think it's the weakest part of this story. I try my best to make it sound like him, but it's really hard.

But the thing about my story is that it tackles unromanced spawn Astarion.

It's not always easy to deal with trauma. Healing isn't necessarily going from point A to point B in a straight line. Sometimes, there are shortcuts, sometimes there is a point C somewhere. Maybe there's all sorts of crazy loops. Some people never heal.

Writing for Astarion is difficult in general because he is such a complex character and getting his voice juat right can be tricky, so I apologise if it's messy at times. I am trying my best to keep it consistent 🙏🩷

With all of this being said, The Arrangement is my passion project right now. I really fell in love with the story. Maybe it sounds strange since I'm the writer, but sometimes we don't feel the passion for what we write, but I do feel it for this story. So if you want to tag along and enjoy this character study with me.... 🥹🙏

[rydiathesummoner]

JILL IS STRONGER THAN WE THINK: No I'm serious, here's why (all the spoilers)

When I finished FFXVI my feelings about Jill were… ok she's fine. We got her in the party after her time in the Iron Kingdom so she was physically weak. Even her powers were not as strong as Titan or Bahamut. She shone bright when killing Imreann, but then seemed relegated to the background for the rest of the game. She's even captured twice and requiring her boyfriend to save her. In 2023 that's so tropey it hurts.

However after too much overthinking, I think she's pretty great. She's well thought out. The problem is that sometimes the storytelling is too subtle and as an overtired and always stressed modern gamer I missed a few things about Jill.

Thinking back, how was Ultima defeated? Why couldn't Ultima posess Clive? Not because of Clive's physical strength or his massive pecs, but because of his Will. In the end, Clive's Will did not break or falter. Ultima fights with physical strength sure, but he usually gets what he wants throughout the story by breaking people's Will.

Jill's Will never breaks. Not once. Even when facing death from Kupka. She lives through torture and abuse but always remains in control of her Eikon. A broken Will is an Eikon out of control.

Ultima causes Clive's Will to break at Phoenix Gate. He also loses control with Garuda.

Joshua's Will breaks after seeing his father killed.

Benedikta's Will breaks after losing Garuda. Garuda gave her a sense of power and control, especially over men (who had hurt her in the past).

Kupka's Will breaks by eating the mothercrystal to gain more power. He did this at the suggestion of Harbard, who worked for Barnabas, who, well…

Dion's Will breaks after constant frustrations with his family, and Ultima manipulating him into killing his father. It should be noted that Ultima had to work pretty hard for this one.

Barnabas had no Will the entire story. He volunteered it to Ultima. Arguably the most physically powerful Eikon was the weakest when it came to Ultima's machinations. He genuinely thought Ultima would let him be reborn.

Obviously this leads to Cid, who also has an unshakeable Will and maintains control during his short time in the game. Both Cid and Jill influence Clive to strengthen his own Will. So why did it seem to me the Cid was a strong dominant, but Jill was just kind of meh?

I feel like this is an area the writing could have used some tweaks. Cid showed his strong Will by defying everything Valisthea stood on and creating an entire movement about it. This was a huge part of the plot. There are scenes where Jill could have primed out of control to save herself (Kupka and Barnabas's abductions for example, a yellow-eyed eikon could probably break crystal fetters) but the game doesn't really put that idea into the player's head. "Oooh is she gonna go crazy before this big dude cuts off her head and destroy Rosaria?" like they could have shown her struggling, or her eyes turning slightly yellow before regaining control of herself.

Or since Barnabas was Ultima's puppet, the scene on the ship could have been used as a way for Ultima to try to break her Will, but she resisted. In both cases, her resolve didn't seem tested and she seemed more like a plot point. I don't think this is intentionally how her character was written, but a side effect of making Clive the entire focus.

Our human monkey brains tend to lean into a Might Makes Right mindset, but physical strength was not what Valisthea needed. It needed the strongest Wills to save itself.

[whipped-for-kpop-fics]

hi hi i am here because i have not been able to get Dark out of my mind since reading it yesterday as it has ruined my life in the best way possible and i come bearing questions if you don’t mind lol

loved watching the gradual loss of humanity in reader but also, did you have a certain like, way of that happening or was it a bit more up to the readers interpretation? reading it i felt like that feeling you described everytime the reader walked by the woods may be it if not a part of that but just wanted to see what you originally had in mind whilst writing it

it was so interesting seeing all that unfold though, even in the beginning and how it’s already so, dark and then the gradually intensity of it occur. i loved reading it sm, the entire fic really.

also! seokmin! what happens to him now 😭 does hannie still have him under his control or is he just, gone. now that jeonghan has the reader and all

Me just giggling to myself reading the "ruined my life part" hehehe i love chaos and fucking with people

Okay so lemme try to explain this but please have patience because honestly I was just working with vibes and vague ideas throughout the whole writing process so I have not actually ever wrote this down or explained it, and I'm not even sure I really thought it all through properly ngl lol

Right so reader moved to the new place a few months back and it's close enough to the woods that Jeonghan spotted them and instantly decided he wanted to eat them, like literally entirely consume. But Jeonghan can't leave the woods so he had to try to use his monstery mind control type thing to lure reader into the woods. It didn't work.

At least, not at first. Jeonghan kept jumping into reader's mind at every chance he could to wear them down and it worked, though not when reader was awake. Jeonghan could only lure reader when it's the middle of the night (at it's darkest) and his powers are strongest because idk maybe reader was just mentally stronger with instincts that worked well enough to tell them to keep the fuck away from the woods and not even look in that direction. Which was good because the eyecontact makes Jeonghan's powers stronger and almost impossible to ignore his lure.

Anyway, basically(I say knowing I'm about to ramble even more) those scenes about reader being in the dark that seem like dreams, yeah, no, they had just fallen prey to Jeonghan's lure and had climbed out of their window every night which is why it was always open in the morning.

Jeonghan was so intruiged by their strong mind and at first, reader was a challenge he wanted to beat and was determined to lure them during the day when their will is strongest and his powers weakest. And then he just became enamoured and no longer wanted to eat reader but claim them as his own and his companion for all eternity.

Jeonghan had actually lured Seokmin before in order to spy on reader through Seokmin's mind but the poor dude didn't know and had entirely forgotten. Then the day came that Seokmin asked for reader's number and Jeonghan got posessive and so he stole Seokmin away and essentially tortured him for a while and fully took over his will. So now Seokmin is basically Jeonghan's slave and Jeonghan can use him to move in the day and away from the woods, which will help Jeonghan lure people in to eat much easier!

I hope that all made sense and answered your questions! I am very aware I cannot get to the point and just ramble a lot but that's just how my brain works so lol, sorry if it's all a bit of a mess to you

I'm really glad you liked the story so much, though! And to actually send an ask with your thoughts and questions, that really means a lot to me! I appreciate it 💗

[quietwingsinthesky]

I completely agree with your post about 11 and how well Matt Smith embodies the exact necessary tone/expression for each beat of the script! I can't imagine someone else being able to bring to life that incarnation of the Doctor. Obviously 11's era and writing has its misgivings and flaws, but I still find a lot of joy rewatching those episodes, because you see this scared, lonely doctor who's still so enthusiastic and hopeful, even when the grief and rage gets to him. It's like seeing those emotions reflected in you, and a reminder that you'll feel that hope and appreciation for life/nature again, too. I think that emotional catharsis and sincerity is the heart of doctor who and what attracts us all to the show, to be given reminders that compassion and hope are a strength, not a weakness. Seeing his expression change during that part of The Doctor's Wife always, always moves me because of the kind of honor and awe that dawns on 11's face at his tardis using the exact words he uses to describe how he stole her. It's such beautiful, tender reciprocity between two beings that couldn't communicate their feelings in this way until right then 💜

yeah, couldn’t have worded it better myself if i tried.

i think i’ve said before that eleven is my least favorite doctor, but i need to make it clear that that doesn’t even come close to me disliking him, or even feeling neutral about him. he’s still incredible, like if we put these guys on a line from bad to amazing, all of them are so close to the amazing side that you’d have to zoom in to see the order. he’s just got the unfortunate fate of being in the weakest seasons of the show that i’ve seen so far, but if i was judging this solely off of the performance of the doctor himself? he’d be tied right there with david tennant, if not above him.

no matter the quality of the writing, matt smith is bringing his A game to the table. tennant’s performance before him has moments where his doctor is serious and cold, but he’s so generally affable that those moments sort of slide off to the sides. not that you forget about it, but that it feels like a lesser part of him. and matt smith’s performance follows that with a doctor who is silly and energetic and sweet, but I think he pulls off keeping the harder parts of the doctor to swallow in mind, the scary sides of his grief and anger. some of my favorite scenes for eleven are when he’s given the space to show the full range of the doctor. the two that really come to mind are obviously that moment in the doctor’s wife, and my other stand-out favorite, his scenes with river in angels in manhattan, where we watch him lash out at her when he’s scared and angry at the fact that it was her name on the book that’s fated his friends to be pulled from him, and then a scene later, he heals her wrist by sacrificing what little regeneration energy he has left, because he does love her, he does know he was wrong to let her be hurt, but he also doesn’t ask if he can do this to fix things beforehand and upsets her again.

it’s just such a delicate balance to pull off there to make that scene work, and he does it perfectly, brings across both how much potential he has as the doctor to hurt and to heal the people he loves. i think, in the hands of any other actor, i would find eleven really hard to watch, really unlikeable. but just like he manages to never let you forget those unbearably painful parts of the doctor’s personality, you also never doubt that, even when he lashes out at the people around him, he loves them so much. he’s just. you know. Going Through It.

(also, personal touch, i so love how physically affectionate he portrays the doctor to be. it’s a small touch that means the world to me. really pulls the whole thing together when you know this man is just jumping for an opportunity to hug and hold onto and kiss the people around him. rory getting a forehead kiss when the doctor sees him for the first time in months, my beloved, rotating that moment in my head forever.)

there’s just so much going on with him. he was a fantastic doctor. (hell, all the people that have gotten to play the doctor so far have been, in my eyes, which is astounding to me. just straight bangers the whole way through, i’m incredibly impressed by how much love and work you can see go into these performances.) i think if i rewatch his seasons again, knowing exactly what to expect this time around, i’ll enjoy them much more than i did the first time.

sorry for rambling on so long, but i just need it known how much i really do love eleven. i needed a bit to warm up to smith, i’ll admit, but he earned every last bit of praise i can give him.

[eavenne]

Thoughts on JJBA Ships (1/?): GioMis

Hi guys! Since Tumblr facilitates more long-form posts, I decided to make a series covering my thoughts on my favourite JJBA ships. This will include how I like to characterise the ship, headcanons, etc. And since GioMis was the ship that made me watch JJBA in the first place, I see no better place to begin.

TW: Child abuse, neglect (canon)

GioMis

1) Analysis

To me, this ship is about the love that blossoms between two people who are very different in many ways, but are drawn together by their strong similarities. It is an opposites attract ship, but ultimately, Giorno and Mista work so well together (platonically and romantically) because they share certain similar values.

This is basically covered in canon and is somewhat self-evident, so I won't go into it too much. Throughout Part 5, Giorno and Mista are generally both very supportive of each other, as they support each other through their weakest moments. The White Album fight is the prime example of this, as Mista is there for Giorno when he loses hope and vice versa. Mista's refusal to leave Giorno behind echoes how Giorno refused to leave Fugo behind earlier, and is very touching, reflecting how they both deeply value the lives of their comrades. Their resolves are the same, and in the White Album fight, both of them remind each other of their own resolve, echoing each other in a beautiful way.

While Giorno's ideals are more similar to Bucciarati's, and Bucciarati can be considered the 'main Jobro' of Part 5, Mista feels more like Giorno's closest friend than Bucciarati does. They are very frequently paired together and continuously protect and inspire each other, and they're even together in the ending. It's clear that Giorno and Mista were meant to be a pair (platonically at least).

2) Why I Like It

I'm generally just a huge sucker for opposites attract ships in the vein of "Reserved person x Upbeat person" so...honestly, it was inevitable, and that (plus Giorno being my favourite character) is definitely the main reason why I like this. Pretty much all of my otps follow this pattern. But I think the reason why this is my JoJo otp is that I just really like how they are paired together. They develop a strong mutual trust and respect, quickly come to rely on each other, and have each others' backs, despite being very different people. I love how they are always looking to each other despite only having known each other for a week. It just feels like a match made in heaven; two people who gravitated to each other so naturally and easily that being together just feels right. This is amplified by the ending.

3) My Characterisation / Headcanons

As a fic writer, how I characterise them kind of depends on the fic I'm writing (outside of GioMis, I have written both Dark! Manipulative! Giorno and Team as Family! Giorno). However, separate from that, I do have certain headcanons that inform the way I see the ship. So, below are my favourite ways of characterising this ship.

a. Giorno's feelings for Mista

I like to hc Giorno as falling for Mista fairly early on. He starts to crush on Mista either after the White Album arc or in his early days as Don.

The reason why I hc this is that, well...post-White Album, Giorno seems to really like touching Mista. The infamous gun pose aside, someone pointed out to me that Giorno tends to unnecessarily cradle Mista a lot. As they mentioned, the most egregious instance happened during the Diavolo fight. Trish almost died, but Giorno catches a falling Mista and just stares at him (thinking about Bucciarati)...he only checks on Trish when Mista mentions that he's glad she's safe. He doesn't even heal Mista when Mista asked, and he takes quite a while to lay Mista down, so that means he just wanted to hold him, lmfao. And perhaps he was reflecting on how Mista was thankfully still alive while Bucciarati had died...so, he was holding Mista in his arms, grateful that Mista is still breathing.

This is, of course, contrasted by how Giorno starts nervously sweating when Mista touches his shoulder when they betray the boss. I like to think that Giorno got a bit flustered by Mista's closeness, his stomach doing little flips etc, which was why he reacted that way. After all, it's a pretty random reaction otherwise (he also nervously sweats in response to Abbacchio sometimes, but Abbacchio is shouting in his face) and it seems a bit much for mere surprise. So, that's why I choose to put on shipping goggles and interpret it this way, haha!

(There's also the cover art of the last volume, where Giorno is reaching for Mista's hand...sadly, that detail was covered by the logo in the cover itself, but the art shows their hands touching).

Anyway, I hc that Giorno falls for Mista because...other than them sharing the same resolve, he's also uncomplicated, straightforward, funny, genuinely friendly and supportive. To be clear, Mista isn't unconditionally or always supportive of Giorno; he questions Giorno a couple of times during the plane arc, and not very nicely, either. He also disbelieves Giorno during the Diavolo fight. However, Mista is also Giorno's first ally besides Bucciarati, and he is the most open to Giorno's ideas among the team. When Giorno needs help with something, it's Mista he turns to (seen in the plane arc). So, it seems that among Team Bucciarati, Giorno feels most familiar with and supported by Mista (and Bucciarati, but he seems more familiar with Mista).

With the 'supportive' part of my list addressed, I'll turn to the other reasons. I think that for Giorno, who grew up having to learn how to read people in order to navigate perilous situations, someone as straightforward and uncomplicated as Mista must be pretty nice to be around. With Mista, he doesn't have to think too hard about intentions or guess at something he's hiding. Mista is just Mista. There's an honesty and frankness to him that, for Giorno, must make him easier to be around. It would also show a certain strength of character, because Mista is an eccentric person who is unashamed of his own eccentricity and has embraced it; Giorno probably tries to hide the 'weird' parts of himself, so he admires, respects and is attracted to Mista for this.

As for the 'friendly' part of the equation...well, I think that pre-canon, Giorno never really had friends. If he did, those relationships were probably mostly transactional. After all, the gangster bribed Giorno's bullies into getting along with him, which is hardly a model for healthy friendships. It's stated that Giorno felt like he was the scum of the earth, which changed after he met the gangster...but this most likely didn't extend to whether he felt people as a whole would actually like him for who he is. Giorno is implied to be rather awkward when he lacks a script friendship-wise (when Trish and Narancia are having a heart-to-heart during the Green Day arc, Giorno is just...standing there...frozen in place, and this could also explain his nervous reaction when Mista unexpectedly comes to him and touches his shoulder). I think that's because he's never really had genuine friends.

Enter Mista. Mista is a pretty friendly person; his excited and personable reaction to Giorno's jellyfish trick reflects this, and he gets along with Giorno pretty well afterwards. Mista seems really fascinated by Giorno's abilities and, as seen in Sleeping Slaves, likes to ruminate on really random thought experiments. I like to think that Giorno has a strong interest in biology, which is why he's able to use his stand so effectively. He clearly really likes animals, even those seen as weird or distasteful by others. However, I doubt he expressed this much to the people around him. I think Giorno doesn't feel anyone would be interested in that, or in him at a deeper level, as a person outside of his charming front and dream.

However, I think that post-canon, things would be different, because Mista seems like the type of person who would actually be interested in long rambling conversations about biology and animals. After all, he canonically began such a conversation. I think Mista would like and engage with the enthusiastic biology nerd side of Giorno when it inevitably slips out, which would surprise Giorno. He would begin to drop his guard and let a bit more of his inner self come out, and as Mista continued to encourage and support him, he would fall even harder for him. Mista would be Giorno's first actual friend. He would care about him in a way that Giorno hasn't known outside of the gangster, and Mista would eventually become someone warm, predictable, safe and comfortable for Giorno—someone he can trust in every sense of the word. However, I do think Giorno might be a bit overwhelmed by and freaked out by his feelings, and uncomfortable with how comfortable he is with Mista.

(Even besides that, it would take them some time to get there, though, as Mista would also take time to fully trust Giorno's judgment. He is very supportive of him in canon, but not always, even when Giorno's action is justified; I think these instances would be reduced as time goes on and they know each other better).

I think Giorno would also fall for Mista because Mista is just solid, dependable, and a sunny, quirky person. I don't have any deep reasons for this, but Giorno does remark once that Mista is an interesting person, and I think he'd find Mista refreshing and intriguing. Mista is his loyal, dependable right-hand-man, his warm and safe friend, and someone who likes and celebrates who he is, both as the powerful Don and as an awkward and emotionally repressed but kind and gentle person. Giorno would feel loved and appreciated by Mista, whom he also thinks is an incredible person whom he admires and respects for his resolve and willingness to be himself no matter what, and that's why I think he'd fall very, very hard for him.

Of course, though, he'd realise this and then despair because he'd think his feelings were unrequited. To me, Giorno doesn't seem like he'd confess unless he was certain that he'd be accepted. So, he'd probably pine silently for a couple of years.

b. Mista's feelings for Giorno

I like to hc Mista as falling for Giorno as the years go by. This is mostly because Giorno is 15 when they meet and it makes me a bit uncomfortable for Mista to be interested so early on, but nevertheless, I feel that Giorno seems to have a crush in canon (shipping glasses on, though, well, he did stick his hand in Mista's pants) whereas Mista's actions are friendly.

Even though he wasn't romantically interested at first, I think Mista has always really liked and appreciated Giorno. To me, Mista would initially like Giorno (platonically or otherwise) because he's determined, resolved, ambitious...he shines bright like the sun, and Mista is in awe at its light. Following Giorno, being with Giorno, feels right to him. To Mista, Giorno is just super cool. That's why he followed him, and that's why he has some level of interest in him.

However, I like to think that Mista only truly began to fall for Giorno when he got to know him as a person. As the years go by, he spends more time with Giorno and sees beyond the composed, intelligent leader (a side he also adores) to realise that Giorno is a kind, gentle, sometimes playful, awkward but well-meaning person. There's a softness to him hidden beneath the cool exterior, and it's this side and the new understanding he has because of it that makes Mista begin to have feelings for Giorno. He wants to see more of this hidden side, to bring it out, because it's extremely endearing. Giorno's confidence, dreams and resolve dazzle Mista; Giorno's kind, gentle, playful and sweet interior charms him and draws him in. He loves both sides of Giorno; he loves all of Giorno, and will tell him exactly why if Giorno ever expresses confusion as to why Mista likes him.

In addition, Giorno is very accepting of Mista. Many people find Mista weird or question his outlook on life, but Giorno just accepts it as Mista being Mista. Mista is Mista, and he doesn't want to change that. He is careful about and respects Mista's 4 phobia, he doesn't understand but comes to accept how Mista operates based on gut feelings and whims. Giorno probably finds this somewhat annoying and frustrating at times, but he also seems a bit fond of it and is refreshed by it, and he relies on Mista's confidence and draws strength from it as well. As Mista is probably used to his way of life and outlook being questioned, Giorno's accommodation of him would be welcome and touching.

Mista probably is also the type to laugh things off and not take things too seriously, but sometimes he probably should actually take things seriously, which is when Giorno comes in. Giorno, because he knows Mista very well, would try and encourage Mista to deal with whatever he has to deal with, which Mista would find very touching.

I think Mista would take a while to realise he loves Giorno. He probably dates a couple of women, but he just never clicks with them in the way he does with Giorno. Mista eventually begins to feel as though settling down with a woman feels like a betrayal of Giorno for some reason; he reasons that this is because he's so deep in mafia life that it's hard to have a relationship outside of it, but eventually he figures out that he's actually in love with Giorno. His bi awakening probably happens when someone (Fugo, probably) tells him that he talks about Giorno as if he has a thing for him, at which point Mista realises he likes men and that he wants Giorno, specifically. After this, never one to miss his shot, Mista probably asks Giorno out, which is how they get together.

c. Their relationship

So, I think they would have some early bumps in the road because they might have communication problems (this isn't anywhere I have gone in my writing, nor do I think I will anytime soon, but I have thought about this at length). Namely, Giorno probably has some attachment issues and is dealing with confusing feelings that he isn't telling Mista about, and Mista doesn't really say what Giorno needs to hear concerning the very little that Giorno does tell him about since their love and his feelings are so simple to him (whereas to Giorno it is complicated, overwhelming and anxiety-inducing), so they have some problems.

Given his childhood, I think Giorno is very possibly an insecurely attached person. How exactly this would manifest / what that attachment style would be, I don't know, because I haven't really written this into any of my fics and don't feel entirely comfortable speculating / analysing in specific...but I do think he might be pretty overwhelmed and feel like he needs to run away from Mista, despite wanting to be close with him, yet be initially unwilling to actually communicate his feelings. I could see him feeling this way about their friendship generally, even though Mista feels like home to him and he generally feels safe and warm around him; this would explode when they get together and he now has to deal with added closeness (emotional and physical) as well as boyfriend expectations. I also think he might be confused as to why Mista is interested, because he didn't see it coming and Mista suddenly coming out as bi blindsided him. A part of him might think it's too good to be true, and it's just a whim.

Eventually, I think Giorno would build up anxiety, fear and resentment and might begin actually avoiding Mista, leading to them arguing about it one day and hashing it all out. They'd work through it, though, and learn how to communicate better (and Giorno would probably eventually be inspired to read up about his issues and, in his typical determined way, try very very hard to find strategies to work with them). Ultimately, at the core of this relationship is the immense trust and respect they have for one another, and I think the bedrock is strong enough such that they can eventually figure things out, as both of them care about each other deeply and would be willing to try.

Another interesting aspect is whether Mista would come before or after Giorno's dream. I have written a fic about the latter, but I also planned a fic where the former happened and Giorno basically almost caused the downfall of Passione because he made a failed risky gamble to save Mista's life when an enemy threatened to kill him (Mista lived. Many members of Passione died). Currently, I think I'm leaning towards Giorno's dream always coming first. It would be a point of contention at first, but I think they would come to accept it, even though they aren't entirely comfortable with it. After all, Giorno's dedication to his dream is part of why Mista admires him, and Giorno became the Don knowing that Mista might have to die for his dream if it came to it. The day will come when this will be a non factor, and they are both waiting for that day.

Otherwise, I think Giorno and Mista would be a pretty harmonious couple. Giorno seems like he'd be a bit of an overthinker who's prone to stress, and Mista's easygoing nature and confidence in Giorno's abilities would soothe him. On the other hand, Giorno's drive and ambition would spur Mista forward, inspiring him and bringing him great joy. They would get annoyed and frustrated with each other on occasion, but I don't think they are the type of couple who would have nasty, terrible fights. Mista would snap at Giorno and Giorno would become cold, but it wouldn't escalate terribly.

Ultimately, they would both just love each other very, very much. Mista would probably cheerfully tell Giorno this very often, but Giorno might take longer, not because he doesn't but because the words would catch in his throat and it'd be hard to say, as words alone fail to express how deeply and intensely he feels for Mista. They'd probably be in a secret relationship because, well, mafia, but Fugo and Trish would know they're dating. I won't call it a 'happily ever after' for them, as relationships take more effort than the term suggests, but I think they'd be happy together.

4) Conclusion

I just really like this ship, okay?? ^^ All GioMis is good GioMis, of course—I like this ship platonically, romantically, functional, dysfunctional, heck I adore it unrequited (on Giorno's side)—but my favourite GioMis is post-canon timeskip GioMis. That just feels like the natural progression of their relationship, of this duo that grew closer and closer until life became unimaginable without one another.

I don't know how well this post will do lmao but I may do another one of these (it will probably be BruAbba as I have a lot of thoughts on that ship...I made some tweets that got surprisingly popular considering my tiny account). I may also make a list of allllll the GioMis moments in canon (albeit through my shipping goggles) if anyone is interested. If you read all of my rambling, thank you LOL and I hope you enjoyed my GioMis brainrot.

[greenerteacups]

Hi GT, I was reading one of your wonderful responses and you mentioned you don't love what they did to Remus, and I have to say I 100% agree. In my opinion his relationship with tonks is weird (regardless of whether people think he had chemistry with Sirius) like he's at least 10 years older than her and he tries to leave her and it just seems like he goes along with HER infatuation without really caring about her very much. It also puts Tonks back into JKR's frequent dynamic for women, which is "badass who really wants to be with a guy who doesn't seem to appreciate her much" (see Hermione/Ron).

Do you have any further thoughts on that? I always found JKR's writing about women in relationships/who want relationships really weird. You definitely do it better.

JKR has many strengths as a writer, but I don't think anyone would say her romances are one of them. I think a lot of authors either consciously or subconsciously look down on romance as a genre because it's associated with sensuality and frivolousness, but writing and selling the idea that two people should and do want to kiss each other is like, really fucking hard to do, and it requires a certain set of skill checks as an author that not everyone has. Just like writing good horror or good fantasy, good romance has tenets and rules and things you can do to get the audience on board with you, and JKR didn't execute a lot of those things (to my satisfaction, YMMV) in the books. Bad romance is also a high-stakes problem, because it risks flattening out your characters and pitching them into OOC territory if the audience doesn't buy that the dynamic evolution is natural. But again, that's something you don't know if you haven't written romance, or tried to, before.

Mostly, you have to really lean into the vulnerability of the thing. Romance is silly and goofy and embarrassing. It makes you say dumb things and act in dumb ways. It can't be ironic or chilled or demure. At some point, to make a real human connection, someone has to get down, take off their dignity, and bare the rotten core of themselves. When we propose, we kneel on the ground. We get dirty. And all authors have a great terror of embarrassing themselves. They're doing something tremendously vulnerable; of course they want people to think they're cool and intelligent. It's embarrassing to put yourself in the head of a 15-year-old boy with a crush. It's embarrassing to write about a suitor earnestly confessing their love, because — what if this is too much? What if it's corny, what if it breaks the audience's suspension of disbelief? What if my readers are laughing at me? What if I'm the butt of the joke?

Anyway, I think a lot of really great books have terrible romance subplots for that reason. In The Great Gatsby, we never actually see Gatsby and Daisy alone together. We get their story second-hand, from people who can deliver it in a cool, reflective tone of mystery; we don't see them undressed, undone, emptying their hearts to one another. And Nick and Jordan, the romance we actually get to see develop, are easily the weakest plot in the book. Meanwhile, authors like Tolstoy have an incredible gift for writing romance that feels right, and is sensual without verging into purple prose. But Tolstoy is one of the greatest writers of all time. JKR wrote some very good books that a lot of people loved very much, but for her, the romances were accessories to the story. They weren't a focus. I'm certain she cared about Remus and Tonks's relationship, in the same way she cared about Ron and Hermione's relationship. Both take up too much space to explain otherwise.

TLDR: Writing romance is hard because it's really easy to fuck up, even if you care about it. I don't know that JKR put all that much thought into selling us on chemistry and interpersonal dynamics of the couples she threw together; I think she writes for plot, and the couples emerged as a part of that. That means the couples that don't necessarily make sense on paper lose out majorly because the audience doesn't know exactly what they're rooting for, and the couples that do make sense on paper lack a certain... I dunno, va-va-voom.