#i feel like its cringe to enjoy the show but i did genuinely enjoy it while i was watching DBFJDKL

[dandyshucks]

the question im asking myself today 😔

[urwonnly]

— ꩜ ENHYPEN BF HCS !

# maknae line ver.

# genre : fluff

# format : bulletpoint

# warnings : none :3

# note: idk how i feel abt these... i hope yall like them LOL wanted to get these done so i could start working on smth else (hehehe >:p) anyways pls leave feedback if u enjoyed!! xo, ki

# disclaimer(s): these r my opinions, they are not meant to be an accurate portrayal of any of them. this is me being delusional lmao

# tags : @hoonigiris @kimsohn.... once again, i lover u guys <3

⟢ SUNOO

he is your number one confidant; so genuinely supportive and is always there for you

he is So Shy at first, you will have to be patient with him because doing anything slightly romantic will make him blush and cringe into himself 

loves to be spoiled/doted on LOL…. its the key to his heart 

also likes to take care of you but more so as moral/emotional support; he listens to you when you're sad even though most of the time he already knows what you're upset about before you tell him. he just wants to be there for you all the time 

he is so full of love </3 even before you two were officially dating he knew he loved you as a person, as his person 

you two make it So obvious that you're together; always being right next to each other, holding hands, locking arms, giggling and messing with each other 

heart on his sleeve; he doesn’t ever hide how he feels about you and he expects you to do the same with him

your connection rly is very special; he understands you on a level no one else rly does

matching. couple. items.; skincare headbands, pj sets, phone cases, hoodies

he immediately buys anything he sees that reminds him of you; and he sees in you in everything

all in all, sunoo bears his heart to you and hopes that you do the same with him

⟢ JUNGWON

such a sweetheart </3 a lover boy through and through

i imagine u guys were friends first and then ended up developing feelings later 

gaslights himself into thinking you’re not into him like that LOL

you will have to be very straightforward with him bc it will take him a minute to fully believe you but once he does, he’s wrapped around your finger

he enjoys someone he can just be comfortable with; you lean on each other equally and allow yourselves to just relax in the others presence

wants someone to enjoy his youth with; doesn’t ask for much but for you to just be a steady person in his life 

the two of you grow together as a couple; you’re there for his achievements, he’s there for yours; he supports you and you support him; its an equal exchange with him 

always wants to talk to you; it doesn't even matter what about he just likes hearing your voice and seeing your face light up when you get on a topic of interest 

facetimes/video calls you everyday, leaves you voice messages when he's busy, sends you silly selfies to say he misses you and hopes you do the same 

also takes a lot of pics of you; he doesn't know how an entire album of you sleeping ended up in his phone….. he doesn't know who did that pfft nope

teases you lovingly, anytime you blush or get shy he makes it worse by calling you cute or saying things like “oooh why’s your face so red?” with a little evil giggle (your payback is calling him cute any chance you get and watching how shy he gets about it) 

at first, he's not very physical in his affections but as time goes on and you become more comfortable with one another, he starts to initiate physical affection more often;

he tucks your hair behind your ear, links your pinkies together randomly, wraps an arm around your waist, holds your hand but usually only when it's just the two of you; around other people its a lot more subtle

⟢ NI-KI

your best friend, ride or die for life above all else

dating him is fun and silly and easygoing; he eases your worries because you can just be yourself with him and vice versa 

nothing is ever too serious with riki, you enjoy each others company even if all you do is sit at home and play video games 

he always shows interest in you and the things you like and loves when you do the same for him

if you tell him you're trying to learn japanese for him his heart swells a bit; loves to share his culture with you even in little ways 

move nights, game nights, and arcade dates are a Must 

isn't the most affectionate around other ppl (bc his hyungs Will tease him) but when its just the two of you, he can be very loving

…most of the time though he just likes to mess with you affectionately; starts tickle fights out of nowhere, pokes you when he feels like you're not paying attention to him, copies your mannerisms and is constantly teasing you

you two are almost always bickering about something; he thinks its funny when you get fake annoyed at him 

teaches you choreo!! its probably one of his favorite things to do with you (even if you're not very good at it) 

when i think riki i think high school sweethearts; meeting each other in the hallways between classes, innocent pecks on the cheek before you part ways, silly banter, study sessions that you both give up on halfway through

thinks you’re cute but never says it; it’s not hard to tell though with the way he ruffles up your hair at random moments and is always giggling at you

he isn’t the msot emotional/romantic but deep down he really cares about you and wants you to be happy; when he does show moments of sentimentality it takes you by surprise

but you’re also not very lovey dovey so when you start to tear up you have to turn away and pretend you’re fine (riki stares like a deer in headlights if you actually start crying but will try his best to comfort you)

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

i've been having a couple of downer days recently, and i kept looking for a verse i haven't read thrice yet for some comfort, but you're age! gap verse has been a pleasant escape even though its not what i was looking for. you're writing never fails to make me feel better ari 💕💕

Here's how they met 💜

Bruce sighed. He was starting to hate talk show appearances, but at least this one had never been too bad. Angelique was chatty and fun but not grating. Her show ran as school let out. So grannies watched after their naps and kids watched getting off the bus. She ran a little something for everyone.

He assumed he was here for the grannies.

"I'm so sorry I'm late the shoot ran over and I couldn't get away."

The voice caught his attention. Not the fake starlet over dramatic gushing, but genuine distress. And he half turned to look. You looked like you came from a shoot. Straight off the pages of a glossy magazine.

"No worries, Miss Y/L/N we got your call in enough time. We'll just touch up your face and you'll be good to go," the manager greeting you, said.

Bruce smiled a little. Clearly, you were a frequent guest. You thanked him profusely and trotted off. Not needing to be told where to go. And as you go, there's several crew members you can greet by name. You've either been here a lot or worked with them before. Or both. But, it's endearing.

He turned back around listening to Angelique get her updates on where production was. "-And Y/N is in hair and makeup as we speak."

"Oh, bless her heart," Angelique said. "That's what I get calling her last minute." She turned to Bruce and held out her hand, "Are you ready?" she asked.

"As I'll ever be," he chuckled taking her hand, "You know these sorts of things aren't my forte. My oldest on the other hand-"

"Don't you worry about a thing," Angelique reassured him, patting the hand she was holding before letting it go. "Y/N is an old pro- Ah! speak of the devil!" She swooped over and kissed you on either cheek. "You look absolutely divine, is that one of yours?"

"You know it is," you tell her laughing, returning the gesture. "As if I could walk in and NOT wear my own design, you'd never let me live it down."

"So true. Darling," she said grabbing your hand and pulling you over to Bruce, "I want you to meet Bruce. You'll be on stage together today. You know it's charity week and I though it would be great to highlight all the work you do for school arts programs along side the Wayne foundation," she said.

"Hello," you tell him, holding out your hand.

"Pleased to meet you," he said, taking the hand you offered warmly. Giving you his most charming smile. You did look good. And he could tell they hadn't done much to your face or your hair. "I'm a big fan of your work," he commented.

Your smile didn't falter but your eyes narrowed slightly. And Bruce cringed internally Shit. She thinks I mean the Playboy spread, he thought. "Your last movie, the drama, especially. The range of emotion and the depth- It really was incredible."

"Thank you," you tell him. "It was challenging but I really enjoyed it."

Bruce felt his face heat when Angelique coughed and he remembered hearing that you had the ability to make someone feel like they were the only person in the room. He'd forgotten for just a second. In just that brief moment that he was waiting for an appearance. "It showed I uh- my kids made fun of me when I cried at the end-"

"Aww, Angelique gushed, "This is amazing. you guys keep up this chemistry. It'll go totally viral." She bounced on the balls of her feet and kissed your cheek again, "I'll have someone bring you a coffee, sweetie. You're going to start wilting soon."

And before you could say anything or Bruce could offer to go and get it for you himself, Angelique had bustled off to find and assistant to give marching orders to.

[ssparksflyy]

dating jason grace hcs! (ᴗ͈ ˬᴗ͈)ꕤ.ﾟ

pairing jason grace x child of hermes!reader summary based off this request !! an lin manuel as hermes no matter how much i pretend to hate youre iconic and i actually love you

"okokokok" and "lalalala" who ???

people were so surprised when you started dating since youre literal opposites ?!?!

youre so chill and laid back and fun

jason straightens up so quick and salutes if somebody yells attention

but since he's met you, he's definitely relaxed a little more

he's learnt to accept the fact that he can actually relax at times and just enjoy himself ?!?!?!? (shocking, right)

and you were the one who taught him that !!

it honestly started when your first met

cause he was training by himself after lessons had finsihed

you were walking around with your siblings, just passing by and decided to ask him if he wanted to go to the fireworks show that was being held that night ♡

cause like youd seen him around camp before, always helping someone out with someone, and youd be lying if you said you didnt think he was cute 😋 (i sound like a nine year old omg bye)

so what better time to ask than now !

i could lie and say he was super chill about it but lets be honest he was already smitten before you could even finish the question

dropped his sword, face all red and everythinggg 😵‍💫

(you tease him about this now, but he just fights it with a corny "guess you stole my heart" that makes you cringe and roll your eyes yet still smile)

he tried to act all cool and say he'd think about it when in reality he was already getting ready to run to the aphrodite cabin and ask piper for help

i love tlh trio so much i just know jason would be panicking about the whole thing and piper's trying to reassure him + give genuine advice while leo is just messing around 😭

he did manage to get some tips and you ended spending the whole nights talking and laughing instead of actually watching the fireworks ♡♡

he walked you back to your cabin and by then you both established big ol' crushes on each other (aw ya cuties)

the amount of teasing you got from your cabin that night was actually crazy though

you were last to get in that night and entered to a whole chorus of 'oooooo's

a few thrown pillows and 'connor i swear to the gods i will push you off the lava wall-'s later and you were finally able to go to sleep though ♡

the teasing and jokes never stop

even when you (finally) started dating

its your cabin's love language honestly

your younger siblings are OBSESSED with jason

hes actually so good with kids bye

he just 'treats them the way he wished he was treated as a kid :(

his words not mine i dont talk like im giving an anti-bullying assembly

but like he loves playing with them

instant besties !

he even helped them prank you one time :o

he felt so devious doing it good lord

real i was a bad girl i did some bad things yaknow

literally all he did was distract you as your siblings taped a balloon full of water and got a dart pin ready to pop it when you walked into the door

but he was all giggly when the prank succeeded

only for like 5 seconds cause then he was helping you dry off and apologizing

you didnt minddddd, it was fun seeing him act like a "rebel"

okay call me crazy but like trackstar power couple

hermes kids are fast, known fact, evidence? tlt musical said so

and i feel like jupiter/zeus kids would be too!! like moving at the speed of lightning hyperbole... please tell me you see the vision

but like being able to use that as an excuse to get some time away from people... the scandal.

jason telling the group he's with (not necessarily close friends, he knows he can just tell them that he's going out with you) that he's going out for a run

youll be flushed when you return-

when really he's ditching them to go hang out with you

cause this man can NOT say no. he's a people pleaser man it's hardwired into our brains

and they'll think it's normal cause like jasons weird

why question the kid who likes musicals and history

do you see where this is going.

jason taking you to watch opening night of hamilton cause he's been bouncing off the walls for it and really wanted to show you so he'd have someone to talk to about it after :)

it started off fun!!

you were both really enjoying the beginning! well, the first minute and twenty seconds of it at least

cause after that you lost your shit :D

your dad was literally on stage, a few hundred feet away from you, acting as a founding father

the rest of the show you were internally freaking out, questioning everything

jason had no clue, not until you told him during intermission

had the AUDACITY to say "...and thats how you were born" after the traumatizing experience of say no to this

after the show you chased you dad down on the street as he was trying to get 'home'

jason was lowkey giggling the whole time like he was not taking this serious at alllll

but hey he got to meet your dad !!

hermes likes jason, thinks he's a very distinguished gentleman

jason likes hermes, thinks he's pretty good at rapping

at least one of you gained something from that experience

not proofread !

[astarioffsimpmain]

Furthest from the Truth (Gale x F!Reader)

Pairing: Gale Dekarios x F!Reader

Warnings: Insecurity; indications of past trauma

Author's Note: Well, I was sad and this happened. It may become something, who knows?

It was soft, his presence. It enveloped you with all the tenderness of a lover; or, how you had always assumed a lover would be. Your prospective lovers had all known the words to say, the looks to give, the fleeting touches of promise to provide in order to send you straight off of the edge in search of them. But by the time you had reached the bottom, they had long gone, taking your trust and your love and your sanity with them. It was why, when Astarion had come to you with those eyes, those words, that promising touch, you had recoiled without even a thought. He looked hurt, you felt hurt. But you knew. You knew he had to want something; they always wanted… something. Everything. You had apologized. Gods, you always apologized. It was like the punctuation of your sentences and it escaped your lips before you could stop it. You had apologized and left the elf standing there alone, wondering where you were rushing off to in such a hurry. 

Surprisingly, even to you, you had rushed to him. He had been standing outside his tent with a glass of whine and beautifully flushed cheeks and it was as though a magnet inside of you had finally found its opposite and was pulling you to its mark. You couldn’t wait and you couldn’t stop and you allowed yourself to be drawn in. “I was hoping you’d spare me a moment. There’s something magical I wish to show you. More’s the pity you’ve already found someone else to make merry with. Just the two of you. He has a certain charm about him, Astarion.” 

Your eyes had widened. “What are you talking about?” The confusion you felt spilled over in your words and Gale gave pause.

“Did- did you not- were you not agreeing to, uhm… did you not mean to spend the evening with Astarion?” his smooth verbosity had all but vanished, and your cheeks warmed, a welcome display of nervousness and honesty in his gaze. 

“I promised no such evening to Astarion,” you murmured, and the wizard’s face lit up in response. “But perhaps I can promise my time to someone else?” Had you not been in the presence of the man himself, you would have slapped yourself for being so foolish. You shouldn’t be this bold. Being bold enough to assume he would want to spend this fine evening with you was a dangerous move; heartbreaking for you, almost certainly. You had cringed inwardly at your rashness. 

But your eyes had widened even further once Gale began to respond. “Indeed. I’m glad you feel the same way. But while I’m eager to enjoy your company on an exclusive basis later this evening, it would be selfish to keep you to myself before then. So please, go. Enjoy the festivities. Anticipation will only make our reunion sweeter.” 

And sweeter it was. You stood close to him now, a hair’s breadth away from his warmth, allowing yourself to sink deeper into the fiery umber burn of his eyes, far removed from sense and self preservation. Was this what it felt like? To feel safe; cared for. Is this what he felt with Mystra? A pang of hurt sharded through your heart, ugly and painful, and burrowed deep inside, lighting the rest of your nerves with a sharp ache. His beautiful face contorted in concern and the deep wrinkles between his brows reappeared as they knitted together. “Are you alright?” he asked, his voice so soft you could barely hear it at all. He felt it; he felt your pain through the weave. 

You nodded, trying to reign it in; desperate not to frighten him off. Not so soon. You had only just gotten the chance to be near to him. You knew that eventually he would leave you, off to find something - someone - better, but you sought to keep him for as long as you could. His gentleness was addictive, veiling you in a feeling of genuine comfort. The way he looked at you like you were the only person around who held meaning stole the air from your lungs, robbing you blind of your common sense. You knew it had to be temporary. He would learn you, as they all did; learn you and realize that there are cracks in the confident veneer. And once he peered inside of those cracks, he would see your ugliness. He would see the things you so expertly hid; the things you had been taught over and over by others to tuck away into cold and dark places, never to see the light of day. Never to see the light of him. 

Perhaps you and Astarion were not so unalike after all. Perhaps that is why you ran from him. You did not like looking in the mirror.

~

[nights-at-crystarium]

DUMPS A MASSIVE STACK OF NOTES IN FRONT OF YOU OKAY SO- No I didn't just wait and hope for someone to ask about them, why'd you think that- I'll omit the details of how they grow close and what pushes them apart, but lemme dive into the broader chemistry. A fair warning for Fragments-spoilers if you wanna experience the comic's story as it unfolds.

Vivi needs An Adult, someone who'd stand up to his unruly character, ground him in reality, protect him. Raha perfectly fills this role, but so does Emet, merely with a different flavor. Vivi needs someone who experiences isolation and dehumanization on his level: being the wol is a lonely experience. He looks for an equal. He's okay with Emet's condescending attitude, his self-esteem doesn't want for coddling, and he can talk back anytime.

The Soulmate Magnet trope's fun, but on its own it's not enough for these two. Well, it obviously is for Emet, who seizes the chance to nibble on some crumbs that are left of Azem, what's dignity in face of all-consuming desperation. Vivi, however, his whole thing is showing middle finger to his destiny, the further it goes, the more allergic he gets to the "ooooohh it was meant to be this way~" bs that gets thrown at him ever so often. Emet's careful with the order and amount of information he discloses to Vivi, like expertly boiling a frog. Manipulation or not, they mutually benefit from this relationship. Emet gets his partner back, even if it's Not Him, half of Him feels pretty damn familiar, and Vivi gets a clear escape route from his destiny. Exchanging meaningful looks and knowing chuckles with you because we can tell that he embraces his overarching, ancient destiny this way, but shhhhhh, let him enjoy his hubris.

Out of the two, it's Emet who's a sad fool making a mistake that'd cost him everything. Of course this relationship has an impact on Vivi, but at least it doesn't kill him, eh- *gets kicked*

More under the cut /o/

Emet knows that he might be sabotaging himself, but he won't stop. He's infinitely more vulnerable to the Soulmate Magnet out of the two. He acknowledges that this could easily fail, that he might have to kill Vivi, but my Emet's killed so many not-azems anyway. He trades the potential pain of tomorrow for the small illusion of comfort today. As time goes on, he dares hoping again, hoping that this time might be different, goes all in with his cards, and, well, *waves vaguely* you'll see how that goes eventually.

The line between wolgraha and wolemet in Fragments is thinner than one may expect, the divergence where Vivi fully sides with Emet hinges on one human impulse. They already feel comfy enough, but Emet still hesitates to bare too much of his heart. They simply need more time together, which they can't have in canon because everyone expects Vivi to keep killing Lightwardens. The moment Vivi sees Emet's genuine smile and realizes that he wants to save him, to make him smile again and again, is when he trades entire world(s) for that. The catastrophic divergence isn't some epic scene, but a quiet click in his head. This decision still doesn't come easy, but Vivi would do it once he's sufficiently invested in Emet. The world owes him so much anyway. Time to take back what's been taken from him.

One important difference between Vivi and his Azem: what they'd do in a trolley problem. Vivi would literally burn worlds for one person dear to him, Azem would do (and actually did) the opposite, he didn't support the Zodiark plan AND left his lovers (Emet and Hyth) because he saw himself belonging to the people as a whole. This's becoming a tangent but Vivi absolutely hates his Azem when he finds out what - who - that infamous betrayal was really about.

But yeah Vivi takes Emet's side once he learns enough about him, he generally finds his company easy and pleasant. Another difference between Vivi and Azem: Vivi's incredibly nonjudgmental, embrace your cringe kinda guy. It takes time (which, again, they don't have in canon) for Emet to stop expecting to get teased at every turn, but even in the canon timeline he grows fond of Vivi, Vivi himself, not Azem, because Vivi's kind to him in a subtle, emotionally intelligent way that Azem's never been, he's casual and easygoing and dismissive, Emet's "tsun" just has no reason to activate. He expects betrayal, and it just. Never happens. (ofc it does in canon, but again, the line between canon and divergence is super thin).

Emet doesn't awaken Azem's memories in Vivi for several reasons. Vivi doesn't remember how they were back in the ancient past, but Emet does, he knows how to hold Vivi, who doesn't need much tbh, just company, just being quiet together. He acts disproportionately tired to the 3 years he's spent being the wol, and Emet, conveniently, just wants to chill with him. Funnily, Raha's regained excitement to be alive ends up being too much for Vivi sometimes, but I'm straying off the topic.

I treat their world as a real world that has literature, fiction, tropes, and Vivi tends to dream of being seduced by a villain. He thinks "enemies to lovers" is hot. He's cringe and he doesn't care. Surely this isn't the main force that drives them together, but it's worth mentioning for giggles.

Perhaps the most deliciously fucked up thing about villain!Vivi is how normal and human he'd remain, and drag Emet back up with him. He has no interest in the unsundered world, but he'd join the labor to make Emet happy. (I think I hit Vivi's chaotic neutral alignment on the head here). As long as Emet's in charge, as long as Vivi has no real pressure of responsibility, as long as he's merely a weapon (ironically, yeah), an instrument in master's hand, he doesn't mind. This pic should make more sense now.

Vivi finds someone who can save him from his destiny, break free from Hydaelyn, he never has to make another decision again if he's with Emet. His manic search for agency loops on itself, but hey, he DOES choose this, so arguably, this's more agency than he has as the wol. Even this early in the comic we can see that he simply wants to vibe, to be left alone. Just for that, Emet's actually better than Raha, if we dismiss the morals and destruction of worlds and all such nonsense.

When Emet's inevitably gone at the end of 5.0, it doesn't spell the end of their story. He lingers in the form of Vivi's obsession, questions that Vivi didn't get to ask him, agony of the Soulmate Magnet that Vivi's now aware of, Raha's bittersweet memories of him. He haunts this story forever. And ofc I'm writing an au on the side where he gets to live. It's not as enticing from the storytelling perspective because it's just "duh Emet lives and gets to be happy", but damn it heals my soul to indulge in that.

[spacebarbarianweird]

How about a fic of Astarion not liking his bite mark touched but then Tav does it. 💕

Here we go! Hope you will enjoy it!

The Marks on Our Skin

The bite mark is the only place on Astarion's body Tav doesn't touch. Until now.

Tags: fluff, comfort, f!Tav, established relationship, post-game

Read on AO3

Masterlist

Headcanons

Astarion finds solace in the late evening hours when the sky still holds a warm glow, but the sun is almost gone down. It's neither day nor night, a perfect in-between that he eagerly anticipates.

Emerging from his tent, he sprawls out on the grass with a book in hand, watching as the sky slowly darkens, revealing the sparkling tapestry of stars above.

Astarion props a bag beneath his head, and the fingers trace the cover of the book, its surface still bearing the faint marks of dried blood. A soft smile tugs at his lips as he recognizes Tav's scent.

Astarion opens the book and makes a mental note to convince Tav to learn how to read. He sets the book aside and chooses another, its pages also marred by blood, though not Tav's this time. The text is written in the archaic elven dialect, a challenging puzzle that demands his full concentration. Yet, as he delves into the words, the text starts sounding familiar. As if he already read it, many years ago, when his eyes weren't red and sun didn't burn.

Unwanted memories and thoughts creep into his mind, stubborn as vermin, and no matter how hard he tries, he can't divert his focus.

"How's my favorite man doing?" a loud voice yanks him away from the abyss he had started to slip into.

Tav.

She walks unsteadily, like someone who's had enough to drink, not to think clearly but can still stand on two feet.

"I thought you went to search for quests, not for a drink," he says without any hint of accusation. Tav collapses beside him, and he catches a whiff of ale.

"Are you drunk?"

"No. Well, maybe a little." She giggles and nuzzles into his collarbone. "What's four mugs of ale for a warrior like me?"

He chuckles. "Considering your body type, it's quite a lot."

Tav focuses, attempting to devise something clever to say, but gives up. She presses her body closer to him, and Astarion can feel her heart beating.

"It's very inconsiderate of you to get drunk without me," he teases, studying her face. A soft smile graces his lips as he cannot tear his gaze away from her.

"You can drink my blood, and then we can get drunk together," she playfully suggests.

"I'm not going to feed on you until you get sober," he plants as tender kiss on her forehead.

"Alright, alright, next time, I won't go alone," she concedes. "What if someone wants to harm me or hit on me? You'll need to show them to who I belong to."

He chuckles, reminiscing about the first few months of their journey when he cringed at her casual remarks about belonging to him.

"No, you're not mine," he would protest. "You're not my possession, not my spawn, not my … anything. You're an independent person. Please don't say things like that."

Over time, he understood that Tav's words aren't meant to diminish her self-worth. It is simply an innocent joke between two genuinely free individuals in love. It is her way of reassuring him that she isn't going anywhere, even when Astarion questions his own value in her eyes.

As Tav tilts her chin upward, a subtle flinch passes through him, a reminder of the bite mark they have agreed not to touch.

"I like your bite mark," she drunkenly admits.

He pulls away, and her head falls onto the grass. "Tav, what in the sweet hells are you talking about?"

"I love your bite mark," she repeats. "It proves how strong you are. Did you notice it's not just fangs? It's also incisors. The bastard was so hungry and desperate for prey that he almost gnawed a part of your neck. It shows how strong you are that despite all the horrors and pain, you never gave up."

Tav yawns, her eyes half-closed. Astarion is sure it wasn't just four mugs of ale. She probably remembers drinking only four. The rest is the mystery.

His fingers tenderly brush against her cheek as he asks, "Do you truly mean all that?"

Tav's eyes meet his, her response unwavering. "I do."

He rises to his feet, carefully lifting Tav into his arms, and carries her into the tent. He lays her gently on the bedroll. It seems like they aren't going anywhere this night. Anyway, he has some books to finish reading,

Astarion lovingly tucks Tav beneath her blanket, ensuring she is shielded from the chill of the night.

"Little Star"

"Hm?"

"Can I touch your bite mark?"

He hesitates. It is the only part of his body Tav hasn't touched yet.

"Yes."

He doesn't understand why he agrees. But it's already too late to take away the permit.

Sitting up, a silly smile plays on her lips as she wraps her hands around his neck. With an unexpected boldness, she presses her lips against the scar on his neck. He can feel the touch of her tongue, the graze of her own incisors against his skin, almost as if she is trying to drink his blood.

As Tav releases him, she nestles on her bedroll and dozes off peacefully.

Astarion remains in the tent, keeping a watchful eye over Tav. When hunger gets too strong to bear, he ventures into the woods to hunt.

When he returns before the sun rise, his hunger satiated, and his strength renewen, Tav is still asleep.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Tav exclaims when she realizes it is already afternoon. "Now we'll have to wait the whole day before hitting the road again."

"That's alright, darling. I hope you had fun yesterday. I don't remember ever seeing you so wasted."

"I remember fighting someone who said she'd kill every vampire she came across."

"Did you win?"

"I'm sorry! I should be offended by the mere suggestion that I could lose in a tavern brawl!" She crawls closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder, her tone turning more serious. "Did I hurt you yesterday?"

"No," he assures.

"Really? I mean, do you say it because you mean it, not just to spare my feelings? It would make me sick if I crossed your boundaries and made you feel… bad."

"Everything is alright. I mean it."

"Can I do this again?"

He nods. Tav kisses his bite mark. Again and again, and he completely melts in her hands.

Astarion marvels at the simple ministration and how it brings him such bliss. He has little faith in gods or divine rewards, knowing nothing could compensate for what happened to him. And yet…

There is Tav. Tav, for whom he wants to be a better version of himself. Tav who caresses his scars and makes the pain fade. Tav, whose blood is, in a way, divine.

Tav eventually pulls away and invites him to lay his head on her lap. "Will you read to me?" she asks.

"The book with bloody fingertips?" he inquires.

"Yep. What's this book about?"

"It's a collection of fairytales for elven children."

Tav's eyes glisten. "Exactly what I need with my hangover."

Astarion opens the book and begins reading. Tav starts massaging his scalp and occasionally lightly touches the bite mark. Sometimes, when he pauses and looks up, he finds Tav's eyes focused on his face.

Those are simple stories. About heroes, magic, dragons, monsters. Naïve. Stupid. Childish. But Tav likes them. In the same way, she likes a good fight, ale, and nights of passion.

Moreover, he can't help but think Tav is similar to these fairytale heroes. She is the hero who protects him, who makes him better. Who gives him all the hope he needs to survive the day.

And he will do anything to make her happy and safe.

"Tav," he whispers.

"Yes, my heart?" she replies.

"I love you."

Tav kisses his forehead "Well, I will never grow tired of hearing that from you."

---

Tag list

@tragedybunny @caitlincat-95 @tallymonster @astarionsbeloved @lumienyx @fayeriess @aoirohi

[vargskelegore]

heyy im here with a request for shuri ^__^ how do you think being roommates with her would work? id love to see slow burn, angst, maybe a lil jealousy (nsfw maybe?), and fluff <3 thank you!

oh my god i think it’d be all over the place??? theres a lot of things that could happen, so here is what i think. (also.. all of this is fluff-- with implied sexual stuff. also black reader. forever and always.) this is also illiterate headcanons, meaning it’s not written in the way i write my fics with bulletpoints, its just thoughts i have and i write them down.

literally the reason why you don’t have shuri as your roommate in any of my fics is BECAUSE it would be so dramatic.

i like to think it’s a dream in theory but like pair that with all the other shit, and it would be a bit of a shit show. but in a good way. kinda.

y’all spend so much time decorating the dorm room tbh. lots of records that you and shuri picked up at the local mom & pop record shop.

i also like to think that shuri designed some stupid app for y’all to use to alert each other on dorm room things.

it’s nothing big to her, but to you it means a lot bc it shows she cares about how you two function as roommates.

basically a whole honeymoon phase when you two are first becoming roommates because y’all were already friends

but of course,,,, that kinda ends.

you two had a routine of who did what in terms of “chores”

usually shuri washed your clothes for you. you genuinely never asked her to do it, but she always did it because she was sweet like that.

for her, you would clean up the room.

it’s a healthy balance, and considering y’all are friends, it’s not awkward at all.

you two also eat lunch and dinner together all the time, and usually one of you pays for lunch, the other pays for dinner.

this only became a thing because you hated shuri paying for meals all the time, and so she thought it’d be a better idea for there to be equal playing.

so yeah, y’all live in peace and harmony for a while!

until she’s starting to get comfortable around other people on campus

you can’t blame her bc you literally were the one to give her advice on feeling comfortable around everyone

and since she’s known for being a princess, it’s expected to get attention from people.

but she definitely starts enjoying this attention

don’t get me wrong, she’s humble

but now she’s comfortable with... other girls.

you weren’t worried about guys, honestly.

guys were like. always shut down by her to begin with

or they just saw her as “one of the boys” (a cringe term, but a truthful one)

but because shuri was incredibly attractive, carried herself in a masculine way but knew how to be respectful to women because she is one

all of the girls are falling head over heels for her.

shuri is lowkey oblivious to this too.

like, one time you had dinner alone, some cheap chinese food on fry street or whatever,

you had told shuri but she didn’t even respond. kinda hurt too because y’all loved getting chinese food from this spot on friday nights.

so you’re back at the dorm, probably watching pose on your bed (it’s a very angsty show.. makes sense on why you would watch it.)

eating the chinese food.

and here comes shuri coming back into your dorm with a girl.

yes, you heard me,

a mfkn girl.

now y’all aren’t officially together so you couldn’t say shit but at the same time it’s like, mf you always text me back whenever i tell you plans????? why didn’t you do it this time???

she’s looking at you like ‘oh shit’

and you’re like

“yeah u done goofed, alright.”

and this girl she done brought to y’alls dorm is talkin bout some

“uh.. you didn’t tell me your roommate would be here.. your roommate is a majorette?”

so now this girl has a bone to pick with you as a majorette??? girl huh???

“uh, yeah. i hope that’s not a problem.. i just thought we could watch a movie or something.” shuri is freaking out like craaazy in her head

“..nah, that’s cool. text me later, shuri.” before you know it, that girl was GONE.

the silence between you and shuri is mad awkward now

literally you gotta be the first one to speak

“my text message wasn’t good enough to reply to?” your tone? bitter as hell.

shuri is cringing now bc she KNEW you were gonna bring that up.

“i swear my phone died. i was at a party.” oh shes going to PARTIES without YOU, now???? psh thats CRAZY

because you’re known for usually going to a house party but this time you wanted to chill at the dorm.

“a party, huh? you didn’t ask if i was gonna go?”

“you usually go, so i didn’t think to ask.”

“so now you just assuming?”

the way you two are responding to each other so quickly now is unreal. that’s how you know some shit is going down.

“i don’t see why it matters so much, i want to experience college life too.”

dammit, she has a point.

all you can do is stare at her.

“look, i’m here now, we can just watch whatever-”

“nah, too late now. i’m going to bed.” petty ass reader, you. you want her to KNOW you’re heartbroken 😭

shuri isn’t budging anymore. she can clearly see you don’t want to engage in conversation anymore.

you turn your laptop off, and don’t even bother plugging it in because you’re just so mad.

you turn off that lamp on your side of the room, and you pull them covers over you mad hard and turn around so she can’t see you.

mind you, she’s watching you do all of this.

it’s about twenty minutes of silence. you’re awake during all of this.

now theres some extra weight on your bed.

can you guess what it is?

hint, it’s shuri climbing into your bed to come cuddle you.

“look, i know i fucked up. usually i don’t mess up and not respond like this. i guess i’m just desperate to fit in, especially since this culture is so much different than mine. i want to experience it.” shes whispering in your ear now.

she stops talking for a moment to see if you’ll say anything, but you stay silent to keep pretending that you’re asleep. you can hear her lightly breathing, and god, does it send shivers down your spine.

“i guess i screwed over the person who showed me all of this stuff in the first place. i enjoy being roommates with you, your company is amazing and i wouldn’t want it any other way.”

you hear her stop for a moment, and her breathing stops with it. now she’s choosing her next words carefully.

“i know you’re awake. you don’t have to say anything, but just know, i really appreciate you.”

smooch.

this girl fr kissed your cheek.

now you can sleep in peace.

...

do you see why being roommates with her would be absolutely dramatic, now?

[monpalace]

Okok, so my brain is not working with writing rn BUT i will finish that “reader and time pinning” thing that i was doing I PROMISE

BUT for now imma just share some thoughts of Time because he is THE LOVE OF MY LIFE AND I NEED TO RANT ABOUT HIM

*ahem*

Ive said before (on my blog) that Time uses really old and kinda cringey petnames because 1, he genuinely loves them and 2, because he LOVES making the boys squirm in second hand embarrassment. SO, have a few more of those nicknames :D -> snookums, sugarplum, baby cakes, muffin, foxy, and toots

Young time (like teenage/young adult) was an absolute bastard BUT when he falls in love with someone, he is an absolute sweet heart! Think the ‘i hate everyone but you’ trope :3

Young! Time did not know romance AT ALL! That boy was raised by a tree and a bunch if spirit kids, he has know idea what a ‘date’ is. This leads to him just acting the same around his crush but being a little nicer to them

Is then very confused as to why they dont know that he likes them. “It was so obvious? I gave you a piece of my apple pie! I was so clear with my signs 🙄🙄”

He THEN reads all the romance novels he can get his hands on (legally and illegally) just so he can impress them! Completely misunderstood everything and now he just has to straight up tell them, cause how their hair is on fire…somehow

(Modern) Time is totally the type of guy that ‘doesn’t like drama shows’ but if his lover was watching one, he’d stand behind the couch and watch. But when his lover offers to move so he can sit hes like ‘no, im not even watching it. I was just bored’ and the proceeds to watch the next 3 episodes while standing.

(Modern) Time has a leather jacket that he LOVES!! Like he will cut someone for that thing, do not fuck with it. No one is aloud to wear it expect him….And his crush/lover but SHUSH!

Time enjoys polishing his armour/sword while you read a book out aloud. You both find it rather relaxing. Until something dramatic/a polt twists happens, all if the sudden the armour/sword is dropped to the side as Time is BAFFLED by this. “They killed Aaron?! Wh-what? Why!? He was the best choice for Max!” (Hes so invested, his duties are now discarded until you two finish this chapter)

I wanna do more but this is kinda chunky :3

I love dis man so much 🫶🫶

THE WAY I PHYSICALLY AND VERBALLY CRINGED AT FOXY??? bro's the type to say "hey foxy mama" when you walk into a room unironically, he literally has no shame whatsoever whenever someone points out how dated that sounds to

time would fit the secret admirer trope so well though? but he wouldn't even be secret about it?? the lon lon sisters def gave him the advice to "just be himself" and that gave him the idea to take stuff from his woodland-spirit background

"link, why is my house filled with flowers from floor to ceiling."

"that's not a declaration of adoration here? huh."

AND HIM TAKING THE ROMANCE BOOKS? personally, i feel like he's the type to sneak into the library when (supposedly) nobodies looking and just taking whatever he can carry before sneaking back out-- but in actuality it's just that nobody cares

someone asked zelda if he was allowed to take the books because they've been coming back in a damaged state (it's not bad, but while he's workshopping how he's gonna bring words to reality, he messes up a little) and she just says its fine so long as he isn't committing crimes with them (which he has done. several times. no one knows)

ofc there are questions as to WHY he's taking the romance books specifically, but the guards and librarians just chalk it up to him entering his weird boy phase ™️ and not because he has an interest in somebody because him?? having a love interest before half the other people in the castle??? Nah.

you catch modern! time watching a (raunchy) reality show once (like love island, or jersey shore-- maybe even teen mom) and he swears up, down, to the golden three, and to the sand goddess that he just kept it on for noise and that he's paying all his attention to his work even though you caught him ON VIDEO having the most expressive reactions to certain moments

BUT THE LEATHER JACKET ONE?? someone walks up to you while you're wearing it (your relationship with time isn't common knowledge yet) and they make a joke about him burying them alive if they mess it up-- no less just because you're wearing it.

time pops up out of literal thin air making excuses that you were cold (you were not), he was hot and didn't feel like carrying it (his goosebumps say otherwise), he thought there was a tear and he wanted to try and fix it (.. yeah, okay.), he only gave it to you because you said it would go with your outfit (that is not the only reason he'd give it to you), and everything else just to try to hide the fact that he's soft

(also, bonus points if you made it??? now not even the goddesses could touch it. he's about three seconds away from giving into the inner ferality of his childhood self and biting someone if they even look at it)

but tell me why i just imagine time getting ready to like, get in a fight or something, you read something so earth-shatteringly shocking in the book, and he's immediately like "the battle can wait. [opponent] was gonna lose anyways. we have to figure out what the devil is about to happen"

i'm literally scooping ur brain from ur skull, putting it on a table, and i'm gonna examine it for the rest of ur ideas mwah

[claudemblems]

Warmth in the Cold | Scaramouche

"If you're cold just go put a coat on! Why do I have to go out of my way to warm you up?"

"That's the whole point, Scara! I want to snuggle with you, not an inanimate object that can't snuggle me back."

"Ugh...sometimes I wonder why I'm even here."

Scaramouche crossed his arms as he glared at you, his eyes silently asking why you'd even bother wasting his time with such a ridiculous question. Still, you noted how he hadn't outright refused you (yet), so you hoped that he was simply debating if it was worth giving into your pleading.

"...If I indulge you, will you stop pestering me for the rest of the day?"

"Sure, but I'm not sure that showing my affections can count as 'pestering' you."

"Just shut up and lay down."

Scaramouche got up from his desk to join you on the makeshift bed in the back of the cave. The two of you had just been stationed in Dragonspine along with some of the other Fatui, but a separate camp had been set up for you and Scara (he couldn't be bothered to share his days and nights with a bunch of lowly underlings). He said it was only so he could avoid the annoyance of their idle chit chat and terribly dull gossip, but you had an inkling that he'd also wanted to spend some time alone with you as well.

If that's what he really thought, it didn't show on his face. He wore his signature scowl, lips pursed into a thin line. Scaramouche hardly ever let his true feelings show, even around you, but over time you'd learned to catch the small changes in his expression. As of now, his brows weren't as furrowed, and his feet didn't stomp along the cave's floor as he approached the bed and plopped down beside you. It told you that he was in a slightly better mood than usual.

A few moments of silence passed before you realized Scara must have caught you staring. An exasperated sigh left his mouth, his hot breath visible in the cold mountain air. "Are you just going to look into my soul for the next 20 minutes or are we going to cuddle?"

You had to hold back the laugh on the tip of your tongue. Hearing Scaramouche say the word 'cuddle' without cringing was simply endearing. Who knew such a terrifying man had it in him to utter such cutesy words?

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," you said, holding out your arms and batting your eyelashes. "I won't look anymore. Just hug me."

Scara rolled his eyes and sighed but did as you told him.

He opened his arms, letting you wrap yours around his waist. You rested your head on his chest, its soft rise and fall almost lulling you to sleep.

"It's not often that we get to enjoy each other's company like this," you mused, smiling to yourself when Scara held you tighter.

"There's not much time when you're trying to take over the world."

"We're not trying to take over the world. We're seizing each god's gnosis for the Tsaritsa."

"Same thing."

You couldn't help but roll your eyes as you snuggled closer to Scaramouche's side, his comforting warmth making you forget about the cold environment around you. You were content with simply enjoying his presence, especially after not being this close to him in so long, but there was a question that had been prodding at your mind for weeks now.

“Do you ever think about what you’ll do when this is all over?”

Scaramouche didn’t answer right away, letting your question hang in the air. It surprised you that he didn’t have a response already planned out, something like, ‘I’m going to usurp the Tsaritsa and become the supreme ruler of Teyvat’ or ‘I’m going to make Childe my personal errand boy for the rest of his life’. You were expecting something snarky, but instead, you got something much more genuine.

“I don’t know.”

You tilted your chin upwards to meet his eyes, searching for clues underneath his stoic surface. “You don’t know?”

“Not really. I know what I’m going to do right now, but after retrieving each archon’s gnosis, who knows? Even if I get the things I’ve always wanted, they may never be enough.”

You didn’t know much about Scara’s past. You supposed he’d never told you because he was ashamed of it somehow. Still, as you peered into his eyes, you spotted the sadness, a longing for something lost that could never be brought back. You saw it, but you didn’t bring it to his attention. If it was something painful even for Scaramouche, it was a story too terrible to repeat.

“There’s nothing wrong with being unsure or chasing after higher ambitions, but if you’re not content with where you are now, you never will be.”

“I don’t remember asking you for advice,” Scara huffed, but his hold on you never loosened. “Don’t expect me to be satisfied when my work isn’t finished. If I stop now, I won’t be the first to the top, and I will not settle for anything less than that.”

“That’s part of what I love about you,” you hummed, smiling to yourself as the tips of Scaramouche’s ears turned pink. “But I’m not trying to discourage you. I just want you to see the value in the Scara that exists right now. Maybe he’s unfinished, a little rough around the edges, and doesn’t have the power to overthrow the world yet. But he’s a testament to what you’ve accomplished so far, and he’ll be so proud when he sees that all of his childhood dreams came true.”

Scara looked down at you with his mouth agape, heat rushing into the apples of his cheeks. He tried to stammer out a reply—something cross or arrogant, you guessed—but he couldn’t. Instead, he turned away from you, gaze focused on the cave wall.

Ah, he wasn’t prepared for me to say something so nice, was he? You held back a giggle. Out of everything that could possibly render Scaramouche speechless, it was genuineness that could catch him so off guard. You mentally made yourself a note of this for later. It’d definitely come in handy.

“...I thought we were cuddling.”

After Scaramouche had turned on his side, your arms had disconnected from his waist. Now your mighty harbinger was curled up by himself, cold but refusing to admit it.

“Oh, my apologies. I did ask for you to take time out of your busy day to snuggle up with me, after all.”

“Exactly. Now get close to me or I’m getting up and leaving you by yourself.”

Without another word, you placed your arms back around his waist again, your head pressed into the crook of his neck. When you felt one of his hands take hold of yours, you closed your eyes and smiled.

“Sleep well, Scaramouche.”

And as you drifted off to sleep, you heard a quiet, gentle voice whisper,

“Goodnight…and thank you for everything.”

[smugraccoon137]

Also i genuinely enjoyed Wednesday?

Like yeah that first episode was a little rough script wise, but only here and there.

Enid had the most cringe lines poor kid. Thank God they got better and more fleshed out as her character got more screen time. I'm glad she wasn't just a cookie cutter over saturated Feminine character whose only purpose was to contrast Wednesday and oppose her views. Their relationship was one of the highlights of watching the show. That and Wednesdays friendship with Eugene.

By far the worst parts are the influx of romantic interest in Wednesday for absolutely NO REASON. I felt like I was reading someone's first romance novel at the forced, annoying, and confusing scenes involving her and Tyler as well as Xavier.

Like guys worst part of the show. New goth girl shows up and for some reason everyone is infatuated with her. Why? Genuinely?

If i had to argue with myself I'd say in the original movies no matter how little the Addams family went out into public they always seemed to draw the eye. People did seem to always target them or obsess over them in some way or manner.

So that's accurate to an extent. But that's where the accuracy stops. Interest, obsession, curiosity. Enid, Rowan, Bianca. But why the seemingly random romantics? It's out of nowhere and not at all welcomed by our main protagonist. She rejects it at every stage. Xavier is a dick most of the season, because she's rightly logically suspicious of him...

HE HAS A SHED FILLED WITH MONSTER DRAWINGS. OF COURSE THAT'S THE LOGICAL CONCLUSION. AND HE NEVER ONCE DENIES HE'S THE FUCKING MONSTER. HE JUST GETS MAD. THAT'S FUCKING SUSPICIOUSSSSS

And Tyler who actually starts out nice enough, but then becomes more and more entitled to Wednesdays time and space.

Like dude ever heard of no? It's honestly frightening how both of these guys pin her into a situation where she feels like she can't say no. That's the scariest part of this series. The few times Wednesday finds herself trapped is with two annoying young men put her in a position where she has to spend time with them romantically.

Besides that the characters held there own outside of the plot. And I cared about people outside of Wednesday. Eugenes ma boy

The music direction was really good. Everyone loves a cello

They showed me a really interesting perspective on the Addams family. And it was really interesting, because it felt very real in its own way. I think they did a good job interpretting such classic characters in modern lighting.

And most of all I loved the mystery aspects. It wasn't boring and see through like most shows geared towards teen demographics. They gave me plenty of red herrings to play with. And some strings left untied for next season, which I hope they actually play wuth instead of abandoning.

Honestly I'd watch it again and I'm excited for season 2

[mdhwrites]

Your Grom Factory post is so right!! I felt like the last parts of it felt off but I didn't know why until I read your analysis. I wanted to like the ending and Ayzee's character so bad because Milan and Ayzee looked so cute together (even if they weren't all that interesting) but Ayzee's final depressing thoughts just ruined it for me :(

I also agree with A Little Hint of Blue being boring. I'm a Vinira shipper so I may be biased but they feel so bland in the comic. I know it's supposed to expand Skara's character but she also just comes off as annoying to me, and it's weird because she kinda reminds me of Anne (her dynamic with Boscha reminds me of Sashanne) but I like Anne and I don't care for Skara. Also the musical scene was cringe, I'm sorry, might be because it's in a comic but still. I did like how the comic kinda expanded on healing and bard magic, the fight was cool even though I think it was ooc for Viney to fall for Skara's trick by the end of it.

So like I said before, I don't want to harp too much on Mark's work without a point. Honestly, if you want to talk about Mark's work with me, my DMs are open, I've talked about him a fair bit on my Discord (in fact, it was voicing that I wasn't certain about posting the blog on Discord that got one of my followers to reassure me I wasn't just being an ass and shouldn't worry so much that led to it being posted) or you can even just ask me non-anonymously and I'll answer in private. I'm not trying to start anything.

With that said, you actually bring up a really good and interesting point in regards to Skara's character that has been digging at me for a WHILE and is useful as a more condensed version of the issues with both Hunter and Amity's arcs who share a lot of issues and I will bring up throughout this as well. A Hint of Blue is indeed meant to expand her character by saying she's a generally and genuinely good person but she has to put on a performance for others. That she is stuck between the person who she is deep down and who society wants her to be. This is effectively the same trick the show does for both Hunter and Amity so A: it is literally nothing new and B: it suffers from similar issues while its specific methodology is a NIGHTMARE to portray well. Worse yet, both of these issues render Skara's character somehow less than the blank canvas it already was.

See, and this is the big part of why I decided to respond, Skara's trick is to show someone with a pure survival response in this regard. She hasn't internalized ANYTHING that people push upon her by what her actions have shown. This means it is all an act rather than these outside forces having had a deeper personal impact. Hunter and Amity, again, suffer similar issues but they at least pay some lip service to the idea that they're not just twin personalities. There is some overlap. For Amity, it's when she is still somewhat cold after breaking the everlasting oath in Covention as even when shown kindness, she still keeps some of that distance. Or heck, just her entire first appearance honestly. For Hunter, it's the constant reinforcement of needing to please Belos. Moments that show that even when the external pressure isn't actively there, it is weighing on their mind, much like how Zuko clearly always had something stressing him out, even when all was quiet. It's part of why how easily Amity throws off her shackles, and how Hunter doesn't actually refute the morality he's clearly been taught, make their arcs and characters weaker because it implies that these pressures never actually got in.

And unfortunately for Mark, he can't seem to decide which version he has and canon supports neither option. In the very first page of the comic, Mark emphasizes A: how long Skara has been being a bully. Not just a bully but enjoying it as even her first act of monstrosity, kicking a sand castle down, is greeted with a smile while she is still very small. This implies some part of her is just cruel. But that's being actively contrasted by B: having her immediately willing to break the bitch code Boscha has in place by apologizing to Viney without any real hesitancy until Boscha speaks up, implying her instincts are to be nice. Mind you, in that first comic she does need to be pushed to destroy the sandcastle... But not to claim be wronged. She first, before the prompting, claims the playground as hers. She's not pushed to be pushy but to stand up for herself and claim what is hers. Not actually inherently unhealthy so long as you aren't a bitch about it honestly which, yes she was being.

And this sort of incongrueny gets better and worse as the story goes on, let alone with the framing of it. After all, the story is trying to frame it as her being a naturally good person who only acts up due to Boscha. This is why Viney, for no reason, is so anti-Boscha. She is meant to be the second world that Skara is being pulled between. When written REALLY POORLY, this is how you get Skara stating Boscha isn't that bad and actually cares in her own way one comic and then literally two comics later, Boscha destroys Skara's chance at romance while mimicking Dio (I know it's Jojos in general but like... Why Jojos there at all?). It's superficial to put it extremely mildly.

As a note, this would actually be the heart of the sort of stuff I would talk about, characters making choices because they fit the tropes of the story, if I decided to talk about the Hallmarks (pun intended) of boring romances. Forced character writing with zero motivation or real flavor is the normal core to that problem.

And well... When your motivations as a character are "I inherently have a heart of gold!" versus "I am the puppet of the most evil fourteen year old on my continent"... You get a really boring lamp that keeps getting passed around. It's meant to expand on Skara's personality but instead it reduces it to NOTHING. Or, it's that her personality is ENTIRELY dependent on whoever she is around and the nice version is the version that Viney gets because she believes Viney will kick her ass otherwise as that is actually the reason the first apology comes out. Or appears to with how worried Skara immediately becomes while Viney rolls up her sleeves.

And since you brought it up and they're PERFECT FOR THIS, let's contrast this with Sasha and Anne. They actually are this sort of dynamic after all. Sasha forces Anne to do things outside of her comfort zone through using their friendship and this is bad for Anne but Anne does it because what Sasha gives her is fun, it's exciting and it's from someone who at least claims to genuinely care about her. Even at her meanest, Sasha is wanting to spend time and make Anne's life better. It's part of why her character is so great. Skara gets lip service in the first comic about liking being on the top of the food chain but all her actions are independent and even the final panel goes out of its way to show Boscha leaving Skara behind, showing the actual gulf in their relationship. It's lip service that Skara will spend literally the ENTIRE rest of the comic saying she hates. She doesn't actually ever act like she ever gets anything out of this.

Then we have the second world pulling Anne: The Plantars. Suddenly, she is shown that you can be loved and cared for by other people without having to do morally dubious things... And she chaffs at it because it does mean more complicated relationships. Hop Pop and her don't understand each other. Polly isn't the gal pal she wants even though she is a gal and a pal. Even Sprig still chafes at her her habits and the like while Sasha may have more cleverly gotten to stop anything she didn't like. This is part of why Anne isn't all that great to the Plantars early on. She doesn't want the work that goes into a real relationship. She'd rather be subservient and have it be simple. It's only through seeing just how much better these people are, and how it feels to have her own autonomy, that she breaks her chains and discards Sasha, at least for a while until they're both in healthier places. As a note, THIS is why S1 of Amphibia is the way it is because this shit takes TIME, let alone while also using an entire town to reinforce these lessons.

Skara meanwhile just... likes the other world. That's really it. She just gravitates towards being nice and real connections, just like Hunter and just like Amity. As always is stated: We're TOLD that she likes being on top but why? It's never even elaborated on with words, let alone shown to us but also yes, this would have extended the arcs overall to show this. Like I said, Amphibia spends a lot of time on groundwork for a reason. Arguably more than it needed to but it still needed a large amount of time to make the payoff and journey as satisfying as it is.. Even TOH understood this with Amity as they pretend for a little longer than a single line that she has reasons to want to be on top until she just drops it all once no one is looking. -_- This attempt to make it less blatant though is part of why Amity dominates a THIRD of the entire series.

And honestly, between this and the enemies to lovers trope from the base show (and actually this too I guess if Viney didn't seem to have some deep seated hate for Boscha that we just haven't been told about yet) I really am getting tired of people seeming to think romance really is a simplistic genre. In fanworks, you get a lot of quick romances, yes, but that's fine. They're normally not trying to claim to be doing an arc or the like with it. They're just bringing two characters they like together. However, romance is an entire GENRE for a reason. You can tell whole stories just around a romance with no other elements because just two people interacting and figuring out deepening feelings is one of the most complex elements for a writer to figure out, regardless of which complex emotion you're choosing. If you don't actually figure that out though, romance tends to be the genre where characters show their narrative purpose fastest. Where you feel the hand of the author forcing the characters together the most. It's why the romantic subplot is such a despised narrative trope. It's why Amity descending into being a love interest is so sharp because capital L LU- LOVE is all she's about now.

And that is the case here too. Skara is all about Viney... Because this is a romance. That is a not deep character, that is a sexy lamp that happens to sing.

======+++++======

I didn't even hint to giving the two moments to bond and have real chemistry instead of just lecturing at each other. *screams* GEE, the romance writer has opinions on romance!? Never would have guessed. I won't even say I'm perfect at it, I'm definitely still improving myself, but it is technically my genre, even back when I was writing harem erotica.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[animebw]

Okay, three episodes into Nijigasaki, I've pinned down what's going wrong. This is very clearly trying to be a break from what Love Live has been up until now; I guess they figured after two series that were very similar tonally, it was time for a shake-up, with someone other than Juuki Hanada in the writer's chair, even. And since School Idol Project and Sunshine were both bombastic farcical melodramas, they decided to go in the complete opposite direction and see what happens if you make Love Live... subdued? Realistic? Grounded? What if instead of going over the top, we instead went, I dunno, under the bottom, I guess?

Which, honestly? Not a bad idea in concept. Any series as long-running as this should be able to re-invent itself to keep from going stale, and as much as I enjoyed Sunshine, there was a definite feeling of Not Measuring Up to its very similar parent series. If Love Live just kept being that over and over again, it would very quickly lose its charm and become a hollow shell of past glories. So I support this effort to see what happens when you take things in a more naturalistic direction. We know what Love Live looks like when it's going big and operating, with huge emotions spilling across the pavement, but if Nijigasaki could push this franchise's emotional range into something a bit more contemplative and closer to reality, it would forever expand what this series is capable of for years to come.

The problem is, just shaking up your established formula isn't enough if you don't also execute the new formula well.

And hoo boy, is that not the case here.

See, it doesn't feel like the new writer carefully crafted a new kind of naturalism for Love Live to inhabit with Nijigasaki. It feels like he just took away all the bombast and melodrama that used to define it and then... didn't replace it with anything. He stripped this series down to its skeleton and walked off without building new muscles and skin upon the bones he laid bare, and the result is a fucking void of a show. It is painfully, agonizingly basic, in presentation, in dialogue, in pacing, in theming. Everything that used to make this show great is gone, and all that's left is boring conversations that overexplain every emotional beat and go on way too long, limp platitudes preached with all the conviction of a kid forced to go to Sunday school by their strict parents, and the most lifeless direction this franchise has ever had. Like, Jesus, I complained about Sunshine's direction, but that still had life and energy, you know? Not this completely flat pasteboard of boring shots edited together with no thought or passion (genuinely why the fuck did we skip the scene of the old idol club girls meeting Ayumu and Yu) and barely any actual animation outside the performances.

Like... naturalism is not a template, people! It's not the blank slate of writing upon which all other tones and genres are built! It's a complex, fully realized method of storytelling all on its own, and it requires just as much thought and effort as the more outlandish mode that Love Live usually operates in. You can't just take away what's made this series great and think what's left can stand on its own without putting in the effort to build something new on top of it! Especially since the few times it does try to carry over the series' madcap farcical energy, like with Kasumi, the direction is so incapable of living up to that energy that it just devolves into an embarrassing slog of painfully slow body movements set to cringe-inducing "wacky" music that only highlights how little wackiness can be found here. Doesn't help that it also carries on Sunshine's awkward music direction with BGM tracks ill-suited to the scene they're backing, further confusing any sense of tone... Christ.

I don't like not liking Love Live, guys.

[baileypie-writes]

Can you please do a Olva x reader like if he was redeemed

A/N ~ Sure! Sorry this took so long! And according to the Wiki, his name is actually Orba. Hope you enjoy!

Also, I couldn’t remember if Orba appeared in the Magic World or the No Magic World. So I chose the No Magic World. Apologies if this is incorrect.

~Couple~

Orba x GN!Magic World!Reader

~~~🤍~~~🤍~~~🤍~~~

Fandom: Maho Girls/Witchy Precure!

Fanfic Type: Oneshot

Reader: Gender neutral, from the Magic World

Relationship: Platonic to Crush to Romantic

Genre: Fluff

Rating: PG

Synopsis: You were assigned the job of teaching Orba about the No Magic World after he was redeemed. However, you didn’t expect to have to teach him about romance.

Warnings: Asks about ‘brutal punishment’(Orba), probably pretty cringe.

~Masterlists~

~Maho Girls/Witchy Precure! Masterlist~

~~~🤍~~~🤍~~~🤍~~~

“Are you kidding? Why do I have to do it?” You whined like a child. Ironic, as you were the only other adult.

Mirai, Riko and Ha had assigned you the job of showing Orba around the No Magic World. He had recently been purified, and didn’t know how things worked outside his home.

“Oh come on! You’ll be fine! Besides, we all have school. So we don’t have time anyway.” Mirai explained. “Also, it’ll be nice for him to have another adult around.”

You sighed. “But I don’t know much about this world myself.” This was true. Your home was the Magic World. You were simply sent here by Headmaster to watch other the girls; the Pretty Cure. According to him, having an adult from the Magic World as a chaperone would keep the girls out of trouble. So there you were.

“I’m sure you’ll do okay. The No Magic World isn’t too confusing. Just remember to not use magic!” Riko said.

Another sigh escaped your lips. This was going to be an interesting experience.

~(The Next Day)~

“Bye girls! Have a good day!” You waved goodbye from the front gates of their school. They all waved back, then resumed running to class, seeing as they were late.

Staring at the ground, you avoided looking and talking to Orba, who stood next to you. You rolled a pebble under your shoe for a bit of entertainment, and as a distraction.

“If you’re so keen on avoiding me, perhaps we should just head home.” Orba stated in his usual, polite tone. He pushed his glasses further up his nose, which you noticed was a habit of his.

“No, no. I promised the girls.” You said, waving your hand. You turned the opposite direction, and began walking away from the school. “Let’s go.” You gestured with your hand for him to follow you, which he did.

Over the span of your journey, Orba had shifted from walking behind you, to walking beside you. This made your situation way more awkward. The only sounds to fill the silence were the gentle breeze, the sound of both your shoes hitting the ground as you walked, and the school bell in the distance. “I hope the girls made it on time.” You whispered to yourself.”

“I believe it’s not inappropriate to think that they would be punished if they didn’t.” Orba inquired.

You jumped slightly, not expecting any words from him. “Hm? Oh, yeah. They would.”

“What sort of punishment would they receive? Do schools punish their students brutally, or are they more subdued?” You nearly choked on your own spit at this question.

“What? ‘Brutal’? No! Why on Earth would they do that to children?” You said, genuinely concerned about his thought process.

Orba pulled out a book, and began flipping through its pages. “So that’s a ‘no’ on brutal punishments. So what do they do?” He asked, completely avoiding your disturbed state.

“I dunno. They might make them stay after school and clean. Maybe they’ll get extra homework. Or maybe, if they’re lucky, they’ll just get a warning.” You answered, calming down a bit.

“I see. How interesting.” Orba said, before snapping his book closed with one hand.

You arrived in the busier part of town, where a bunch of shops and restaurants were. “You hungry?” You asked.

“I believe so. I’m beginning to feel the symptoms.” He said, putting a hand on his stomach.

You laughed at the fact that he called it “symptoms”. “Well why don’t we go inside this restaurant?” You pointed at one. “The girls took me here once, and the food was really good.”

“Sure.” Orba said immediately afterwards, and entered the building. You thought it was odd how he didn’t even think about it, but nonetheless, you followed him.

The two of you sat at an empty table, Orba sitting across from you. He picked up the menu, and began reading its contents. You didn’t, as you already knew what you wanted.

“These ‘pancakes’ look interesting. I think I’ll have that.” Said Orba.

“That’s funny. That’s what I’m getting.” You said. Orba hummed.

You called the waiter over, and ordered your food. After they left, you sat in silence for a moment. Orba read his book, and you just looked out the window. After a few moments, you decided to strike up a conversation. “So… you don’t seem too resistant to this whole ‘being reformed’ thing.”

Orba looked up from his book, pushing up his glasses again. “Well, I was stripped of my magic. So there isn’t much I can do. So I just have to bear it. But if I’m being completely honest, it’s not as bad as I predicted.”

You hummed, giving him a light smile. His eyes flicked back to his book, making you wonder if your kind gesture made him uncomfortable. But you didn’t get the chance to find out, as your food arrived.

“Thank you.” You thanked the waiter, who smiled before leaving. Grabbing a fork, you cut a small piece of the top pancake. The shiny syrup dripped further onto the plate. You put the piece into your mouth, and hummed happily at the sweet taste and fluffy texture. It was so delicious, that you paid no notice of Orba staring at you.

He paid close attention to the way you ate. He then steered his attention to his own stack of pancakes, and copied your actions. After he took a bite, he froze.

“You okay?” You asked, noticing his pause.

“Yes.” He said, covering his mouth with his hand. “I’ve just never had food before. It’s good.”

“You’ve never had food? How?” You raised your voice in shock.

“When you’re an immortal being, you don’t need food to survive.” He took another forkful of his pancake. You hummed, and continued eating yours.

After you both were finished, you paid, and left the restaurant. On the way home, Orba struck up another conversation. “That was an interesting experience. We should do that again.” You could tell he was trying his best to be normal, which you found funny.

“Sure, why not?” You chuckled.

~(Time Skip: Four Months)~

You did indeed do it again. Many times. At least twice a week, after the girls went to school, you ate breakfast at different restaurants. Orba always chose different foods every time, wanting to experience different tastes. You loved watching his reactions and hearing his thoughts. After eating, you’d always show him around town. He wanted to know more about the No Magic World, so you taught him the best you could.

These little hangouts between the two do you have become your favorite events. And you’d be lying if you said you haven’t developed feelings for the odd man. But you place your priority on teaching, not love. Besides, you weren’t even sure he felt the emotion. So you kept silent.

But boy, was it hard to.

You and Orba had just finished your breakfast, and were heading into town square. It was a quiet walk; neither of you saying a word. This was the result of the awkward experience of the waiter mistaking the two of you for couple. Through your panic and embarrassment, you could barely form the words to tell her she was incorrect.

You arrived at a large fountain. The loud sound of rushing water calmed your mind, and you felt your shoulders relax from their previously tense position. “Let’s go sit down.” You told Orba, pointing to one of the benches. He simply hummed, and nodded.

The bench was perfectly sized for two people, convenient for you. You both sat down, letting your legs rest from the walk. Orba took notice of the pair sitting on the edge of the fountain. They were holding hands, and kissed each other. He turned to you, who had your eyes closed and your head leaned back.

“(name).” He called. You simply hummed in response.

“What is the reason for those two’s behavior?” He asked.

You sighed, a small complaint for having to open your eyes. Orba gestured to the pair, and after a few moments of watching them, gave your response with a shrug. “They’re probably a couple.”

“A couple?” Orba repeated with curiosity.

“Yeah. You know, when two people love each other, and decide to be together.” You specified.

“Oh, I see. I have heard about the topic of love before, but never cared to look into it. So what is it couples do?”

“Well they usually go on dates. Go out to eat, go on long walks, that sort of thing. Just spending time together.”

“How curious. That’s suspiciously similar to the things we do. Are we a couple?” Orba smiled slightly.

You nearly threw up your own heart after hearing that. “Oh! Well, it’s true we do the same things, but we’re not a couple.” You laughed nervously.

“Are you sure? Even the waiter from either thought we were.” He seems to find your flustered state funny, as his smile grew bigger. Though his tone was completely serious.

“Orba, is this some kind of joke? We’re not a couple!” You slightly raised your voice.

“It’s not in my nature to jest.” He said, again with full seriousness. He was correct as well. He never jokes.

You sighed, calming down a bit. “Look, we’re not a couple because we’re not in love.” Your own words broke your heart a bit to say.

Orba’s smile left, and he pushed up his glasses. “I’m not quite sure that’s correct.”

“What do you mean?”

“I believe we both experience symptoms of interest. Or in other words ‘love’. From what little I’ve read about, it all matches up.” He explained.

You paused, taking in his words. “Orba, you love me?” You asked, in genuine shock.

“Yes, I believe so.” His smile returned. “And if I’m correct, you feel the same.”

You just stared at him for a moment. You couldn’t believe this was actually happening. “Yeah.” You said, which was all you could manage get out.

“Excellent.” Orba said. “I guess I’ll have to read more about the subject of love then.”

You finally snapped out of your shocked state, and let out a chuckle. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Orba chuckled back, and stood up from the bench. “Well, why don’t we head to that ‘library’ place you’ve told me about? I’m sure I could find a book about it there.”

“Sure!” You stood up too, and began walking with him.

After a few moments, Orba offered you his hand. “If I’m not mistaken, I believe this is a thing couples do.”

You laughed, and took his hand, interlocking your fingers with his. “You’re right.”

The two of you continued on; heading to the library. You felt so happy. Getting together so quickly caught you off guard, but you were glad. You honestly couldn’t wait for the journey ahead. Hopefully Orba could find some good books, because right now, your relationship was off to a great start.

~~~🤍~~~🤍~~~🤍~~~

~~baileypie-writes

[murdocking]

„ᴛᴏ ꜱᴇᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ”

- a chishiya series. ch3 ch5

masterlist

warnings + notes: not much happening here!! just mentions of sex and whatnot… chapter is kinda plain i cant lie

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜰᴏᴜʀ:

- GAME START

chishiya has to rope himself down to reality multiple times. his first impression of you made him feel his throat and heart clench- even though you looked ragged from this world.

but now, after he’s successfully dragged you into his beginning phase of his scheme against the beach- he’s partially worried on how focus he’ll remain on this mission. somehow, he wishes you chose a regular swimsuit bottom, the short swim-skirt makes his mind freeze as he sees it shift whenever you walk. he’s not complaining, but at the same time- the priority is to subtly get you to join his ploy.

he’s briefly mentioned it to kuina, a night where he escorted her to her room after she enjoyed one too many drinks- he’s not even fully sure if she’s genuine about her participation in the plan either.

he gives you a sly smile when you walk up, holding onto your arms and squeezing past the people flooding the beach.

“hey, so…” your slight nervousness amuses him. “do you mind showing me around, i’m actually a bit hungry and lost and you’re the only person i know here.”

chishiya isn’t sure why, but hearing that you need to depend on him makes him smile bigger- but he dismisses the expression quickly. he’s a man of little words, and just says “sure” before motioning with his hand to follow him.

the music blares intensely, and you’re amazed at how high the speakers go. you pass by the club scene, and you were very grateful for not staying longer than necessary. in every corner, people were on top of each other- moaning in their mouths. its highly uncomfortable for you, and you shuffle further down by chishiya just trying to get away.

“im starting to think you had me join a sex ring chishiya..” he laughs a bit, before turning to look at you “how come?”

“well first off.. we get here and that nani dude says you’re gonna have fun !”

“do you mean niragi? and i have my own fun, very much far away from all the loud and dirty people.”

you cringe a bit at hearing that you said the wrong name, but continue. “well then you leave me in a room with that freako hatter! he nearly fucked the girl in front of me.. and he was looking at me like i was next.” chishiya notices your shivers during ur recount, and he frowns a bit.

“if i could’ve stayed with you, i would’ve.”

he speaks lightly, and for some reason.. this affects you strongly

finally you arrive at the food bar- meals loitering the counters and tables, but none look appetizing.

��it’s the best they can do, most of it all is canned food, we don’t have many hunters here.” he speaks, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets and following behind you as you browse your options.

you hum as a reply, acknowledging his comment, and he’s right… the options and appearances of the plates seem to mediocre at best, but you grab the plate of rice and beans anyways.

chishiya is deep in thought, more than you’ve seen within your short time of knowing him. but he’s thinking of the best approach to start luring you in as his bait .

“hey chishiya” your voice snaps him out of his thoughts.

“whats up?”

“what did you do before… this ?” you motion to the sky, face contorted with curiosity. chishiya debates his response to you, how much exactly should he let you know about? he doesn’t exactly care for telling you anything about himself frankly, but despite the pessimism- he clears his throat and brings his hands out of his pocket once you sit at a booth.

“im a senior medical student, so far ive had the most experience out of my peers. ive been assisting in multiple patient cases. i’ll complete my studies quite soon actually.” chishiya doesnt realize hes spoken more than he intended, he honestly just was going to leave it at ‘im a senior medical student’- but looking at you makes him a bit more vocal.

you nod with awe, “wow! thats so cool, wish i had gone to school for something helpful like that.”

“what did you go for?”

“business.”

he laughs- and you scowl a bit and roughly scrape at your plate and eat some of your dinner

“what do you plan on doing with that?” he says, coming down from his giggles. you just shrug, mumbling your response.

“dont know, actually i went to an interview the day i got here. wanted to work in account files for a law firm.” chishiya nods “that seems promising, hope when you get out you score the job.”

you smile and thank him, and chishiya is internally kicking his brain hard. hes being too friendly for his own liking and its rather unsettling him.

he decides on staying silent after that, and you both sit in a comfortable silence as you eat- and he lays back across from you, resuming his music. every now and then, he looks at you subtly, staring at your lashes, nose and cheeks. he admits he finds you attractive.

the sky dims more, and ironically- you can hear more people join the party nearby. it’s honestly starting to give you a headache. a woman walks into the room, legs slender and tall and her locs flow behind her as she walks up to your table.

“chishiya. where have you been?” she asks your companion, and you begin to feel as though you’re being shut out slightly.

“ah, been helpin’ out the newest beach member.” the woman turns her head confused, but then lights up with shock when she meets your eyes.

“oh! you’re so pretty!” youre stunned, and you cant hide a bashful smile as you laugh a bit.

“oh thank you.. though im looking rather rough recently. you’re gorgeous though!” the woman’s heart swells and she smiles back, the cigarette butt between her teeth bouncing slightly.

she sticks her hand out towards you, “kuina” you shake it softly and introduce yourself, and begin to move down the booth to invite her to sit before chishiya cuts you off

“dont, shes not staying.” he says cooly, not even looking at you but rather kuina.

kuina raises an eyebrow, and chishiya gets up

“get back to your room safely. i’ll see you soon. “ his hands confide in his pockets and he walks out of the dining area, leaving kuina a few feet behind.

she quickly bids you goodnight and says how happy she is to have met you, and follows chishiya quickly.

you’re really confused, where are the two going? why are they leaving you alone… and what on earth are they doing?

you decide theres too many possibilities, some of which youd rather not know about or imagine- and choose to throw your now empty plate out and head back to bed.

chishiya is trying his best not to snap at kuina as she persistently inquires him about you.

“how’d you meet her?”

“a game.”

“oh? i doubt you helped her like some knight in armor” he sneers at her comment, “ah kuina you know me so well” she shrugs her shoulders as they step closer to the planning room.

“just don’t get why she hasn’t branched out to someone a bit more welcoming.”

though to another person, this would seem insulting, chishiya knows kuina well enough to know she’s being genuine- and knows his behavior quite well. he secretly agrees with her, he’s not exactly some warm and gentle person- and maybe you’d be better off with someone who is. but he can’t risk you meeting people and becoming attached, he needs you afterall for the plan to continue.

deep inside though, he enjoys the fact that he’ll get to see you so often.

[dainesanddaffodils]

Friends, Romans, Countrymen. I did it. 

I rewatched Strange Magic late last night on a whim.

It’s been, as far as I can determine, at least four years since I had last seen this movie. Probably closer to five. It’s been. A Minute. And I was so horribly worried that I would find all of its faults far more glaring than I had when it first consumed my life back in 2015. That I wouldn’t find the magic in it the way I did before. 

I was both right and wrong. 

I did, indeed, find some things more flawed, to the point of genuinely cringing in a couple places. However, I also came out remembering exactly why this movie captivated me for as long as it did.

I’m going to ramble in more detail about both things, if you’re so inclined to read more.

Things I found as bad or worse this time around:

The pacing. Dear lord, the pacing of this movie is a fucking trainwreck. I knew it the first time I watched it and it was the one critique I would always agree with. It’s just, it’s so bad. I can’t even tell you how I’d fix it but it just. It needs an overhaul please. 

Like, in my memory it was just the first half that was paced poorly. Once you got into the second half, things improved. 

My memory was wrong. It’s a mess the whole way through.

Tragically, Griselda. I always found her character a little grating but at least sort of endearing...  but it has. gotten worse. The matchmaking was only good in providing the backdrop for Bog and Marianne to rant about how much they hate romance but every other scene with it made me feel like Bog must. I lowkey wanted to put my head through a wall. 

Plum, too, was a little more annoying than I remembered. In general the whole “Love is Strange” scene is probably the one I struggled with the most on this rewatch. 

The kaleidoscope bit at the end. Which again, I was always kinda... unsure about but like, everything else about the ending is so good and then that just really. throws the whole groove off and it’s sad. 

Also, I wouldn’t necessarily call it bad but like, all of Bog’s scenes in the first half of the movie are so melodramatic and I know that’s the point but I was still like ‘christ my dude we get it you’re ~evil~ now please chill for five seconds’ 

- and that’s really it. All told, while these were definitely more noticeable faults upon watching this movie again, I don’t think they were enough to truly hamper my enjoyment of the rest of it.

Speaking of...

Things I found as good or better this time around: 

Marianne. My beloved punk rock fairy princess. I absolutely adore how three-dimensional she is as a character. They give her the whole badass makeover training sequence and then spend the rest of the movie showing you its cracks. Showing you that she never fully outgrew the romantic she was at heart. She was just scared of letting people see that side of her after being hurt. She’s bitter and angry and touch-starved and sympathetic and caring and she’s allowed to be all of these things and none of them contradict each other. 

Marianne and Dawn’s relationship. Holy shit I forgot how good that was. We see only glimpses of it but every single one of them is perfection and so realistic. This is how sisters behave. They drive each other crazy and point out each other’s faults and make each other want to tear their hair out and if anyone hurt them there would be hell to pay. All of their conversations feel so... grounded in reality for a fairy rock opera musical. 

On that note, a lot of the dialogue is just, well delivered and sounds incredibly natural. It took me by surprise. 

Sunny! Sunny also surprised me with how much I liked him. His humor is one of the things that has aged the best in this movie and I really enjoyed his character. You can really see how he is a good guy who was just, very easily manipulated and spends the rest of the movie trying to fix his fuck-up. 

The singing. Similar to my point about line delivery, the... way the characters sing in this movie is really well done. I don’t know how to explain it but the way they use songs in this movie really feels like they’re using it as dialogue. Like, there’s plenty of meta jokes about people breaking into song but it also feels like it’s a natural part of this world. People just sing their feelings here, and it feels believable. It’s fascinating. 

 The animation - specifically the character animation. (Like, the movie has gorgeous background shots, we all know this.) I won’t deny that the detail in the faces gets uncanny valley in places but it’s worth it for the expressiveness that it allows. There are so many incredible face journeys, so many subtle shifts in body language, so much that gets to be said without words - either spoken or sung - and it’s just as good as I remember it.

Speaking of things that are just as good as I remember. Yeah, you guessed it. 

Bog and Marianne’s relationship is still just, top fucking tier. 

Like, it goes back to what I said about expressiveness in the animation. I remembered the big things about these two. I remembered the sword fight flirting; I remembered the ranting about hating love together; I remembered the declaration of love at the end set to “Wild Thing” which perfectly encapsulated their personalities. 

I had forgotten how much of their relationship is progressed through small gestures and lingering looks. Things like Bog leaving his staff behind after their fight, and later returning her sword to her - both shows of trust and respect that Marianne is clearly unused to. Things like the way he looks at her throughout the entire “Strange Magic” sequence as he shows her his home and hopes she’ll find beauty in it. Things like the whole face journey she goes through when it’s revealed he survived his castle collapsing, realizing that she loves him. Things like how you can see on their faces that they’re constantly torn between hope and absolute terror at their growing feelings for each other. 

All of these things are done wordlessly and it’s very well done.

(also man, having re-read a bunch of my fics ahead of this I was kind of like ‘wow a through-line throughout all of this is Bog being just, like, absolutely whipped by Marianne from the start’ and friends, upon rewatch it hit me that that was not just some romance novel tropes sneaking into fic - I took that shit straight from the source. My goblin man really was enamored with her INSTANTLY. It was fucking hilarious.)

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Anyway, thanks for coming along with me for this journey. I came out of it just kind of accepting, yeah, this is not what I would call a Good Movie. But it gave me so many things that I loved, and still love, and really, that’s what matters. 

Also now I wanna fucking draw fanart again. That’s wild.