#i love their loyalty and friendship and sibling energy with each other

[a-dark-starred-universe]

Bea can't count how many times she's had to carry Blake's stubborn butt to the LZ, but she knows it's a lot more than how many fingers she has.

Shout out to @black-moon-wolf / @blake-128 for such an AMAZING halo OC! I am OBSESSED with him and I am holding him gently omg!!!!

[sunny-mercya]

Runaway Love

Roronoa Zoro x Male Reader | Unreciprocated! Sanji x Male Reader

Fandom -> One Piece

Requested by -> @heehoe

Masterlist

Zoro watches you from his hanging position, how you sat on the ground—near him as you stubbornly didn't want to leave his side, no matter how many threats and rough treatments you gotten from the Marines—starring into the distance with an dazed and sleepy expression. He knows that look, you doing this sometimes when being low on sugar, reminiscing in a past you wished sometimes to be different.

Just five more days, Zoro tells himself and then he would be let free and you two could row off to whatever Island lays ahead next. Just five more days without food and water—Zoro could manage this, but he was more worried about you and even though impressed, proud a little even, how long you lasted without the humane necessity, it also worries him as the last time you went this long without food—or more precisely sugar—you were on the brink of a drop like stroke.

Arranged marriages were a common occurrence in yours and other wealthy families. Most, if not all, of your siblings had been married off to other Men and Women and sometimes even both—genders never matters in those political and social affairs of wealth and fame.

Some of your siblings had found their love in it and some of them just lived through it—as family reputations come always first.

With you being the youngest and last in your family, your mother—a sinister cunning woman—had planned your wedding and marriage partner—a hard chose between the Charlotte and Vinsmoke family—on the day you're born.

At the age of 5 you had meet your soon-to-be spouse—Sanji Vinsmoke—and you two had formed instantly a bond. A friendship and thinking back on it, you could say Sanji was/had been your first love.

Throughout the four months of naïve childlike bliss and living in the Germa Kingdom, with two of your older Siblings, Sanji and you were smitten in each other's company. Him baking you, his ever firsts and a bit too salty, cakes and you being you—fumbly doing the things which you were taught in order to impress Sanji just a little bit.

Just two children being children.

And when Sanji had been gone one day—at first you were told was away to learn proper etiquettes, till he had actually vanished—your own misery had begun.

~~~

You woke from your dazing dozing. Blinking owlish you looked into the face of a smiling—more like grinning brightly full of energy and optimism—stranger.

Black curls bouncing from underneath his strawhat and framing his slight chubby cheeks.

«Zoro! He's awake! Awake!» the stranger proclaimed excitedly loudly, poking the tip of your nose and grabbing your cheeks, pulling at them.

You squinted your eyes at him. Lips twitching into a frown. You couldn't remember much, besides waiting next to Zoro till his punishment trial had ended, but you surely would remember a face like his.

«Oi oi! Give him some space Luffy and don't go screaming again.»

Zoro pulls Luffy off from you, handing you a glass of Honey-water—just warm water with honey in it—urging you to drink it and ignoring your grimace of distaste.

Taking a seat of his own next to you again and taking a sip from his beer, Zoro still needs to think of a way to convince Luffy—now his Captain which he had sworn loyalty and devotion till death—to take you in the crew too.

Zoro wasn't a man to break a promise, but he also wouldn't leave you alone. So either he finds a way of agreement or he had to cut something off.

« I will be your first mate if [Name]'s joining too.»

In confusion you turned to Zoro. Have you missed out that much while being in your low-sugar daze? It seems like it apparently.

«What can he do?» the question was more direct at you than Zoro.

Your mind goes blank, starring down at your glas. What can you do? A good question which you had asked yourself more than once.

You knew the basic of Swordsmanship, carrying even one with you, thank to Zoro. You know how to defend yourself in a fight, but still you weren't quite sure what exactly you can do or what you're good at. What your qualification is to be deemed part of a crew.

«Uhm, I'm a dancer?» you mumbled out, more question itself than answer.

«Just a dancer?»

«Yes. Just a dancer.»

Luffy smiled at you and somehow you knew this was his approval.

~~~

Knowing that you are together with Zoro—who's moronic, sword and violence obsessed and has non sense of direction—in love even, did stirred something in Sanji—something of low bubbling and emotional anger. Jealousy even.

Back then, when you and the others had stepped into the Barite, Sanji had recognised you on first glance—he simply never couldn't forget the person he had been supposed to marry, the person who had been, even if it was for a short time, his first friend.

Though while he remembers you, you didn't—greeting and treating him politely like you would with a stranger. So—after his joining to the crew and after helping Nami—he chatted you up, ignoring the always scrutinising gaze of Zoro and started to befriend you (again). Which had been a success.

Since they are currently docking at Water Seven, which means a longer stay as good old Flying-Lamb had to undergo some massive maintenance and repairs—which she needed and deserved, because Lammy had been carrying them through this route of rough sea.

A longer stay also means, Sanji could try to win your affection, to whoop you into his arms and love.

Now, don't get him wrong, Sanji does still love Women's—all of them as they are all beauties and to be treated with chivalry love and affection—but you're technically, in a sense, his. You belong to him, you two were meant to be married—if of course, Sanji hadn't fleet from his birth-home back then, though he had reason for it.

Sanji knew how to, probably—a chance of fifty percent—bring your heart back to him. One of his ever first "cakes", it was more of an messy almost soupy pudding, which he had baked for you. Albeit a bit salty, you said you liked the taste and since you had an problem with sugar—neither too much nor too little would be good for you—a nice sugary salt mix, with a hint of (f. flavour) was exactly what's to be needed for a successful heart winning.

~~~

The blinding rays of the sun now being blocked off by your back, causing a shadow. Tall as you were, which was quite the height and Luffy—you silly precious Captain—liked to climb on your back or shoulders and misusing you as a lookout pole, you loomed over Zoro.

«What is it?» he didn't open his eyes, grumbling the words out, making his point clear that you were interrupting his sleep—more like constant naps.

«You said you're going with me into the City and look for some weapons which could be, make me, useful» you said, crouching down now.

Zoro mured something, in an instant grabbing your arms and pulling you against him, in his lap. You were sure you will get some bad neck cramps again.

«If I get cramps in my neck and back again, you're the one who's gonna massage them out,»

«Stop with your nonsense bullshit of not being useful. You are.»

You huffed at what he said, scrunching up your nose and furrowing your eyebrow in a disbelieving grimace.

Easy talk from your boyfriend there, who is an excellent swordsman and compared to you, you were a lousy nothing—who shouldn't be in a Crew, this Crew, at all as you didn't have any worthy qualifications or knowledge or experience.

You felt more than often out of place. Course you could hold your own in a fight, could defend yourself and others, but when it comes to terms of; Navigating, medical or general knowledge, cooking and craftsmanship—you're a very useless nobody.

So you thought, doing it often—the thinking—that if you find perhaps a weapon you would feel more confident with the right of staying.

You asked Zoro to accompany you on your little shopping trip and he said yes, but here you were—in your Boyfriends arms, because he deemed naps more important.

«You promised me, we're going. Zoro, I really want to be more of use and so finding a good weapon is good start, isn't it?»

«I know what I said, but I also told many times before.»

And he did told you. Years of being together, it was like a constant repeat of the same words. Zoro was right, your brain just doesn't register it at all, seeding more doubt than—what did the others once told you? Aah yes—self-love.

A mere and simple dancer is what you are. Nothing more and nothing less. Just a dancer. No use in a pirate crew, because what could a dancer do? Nothing.

«Ya know, since ya so damn pessimistic, I'm just gonna give ya your present now.» Zoro moves you asides from his lap, standing up and going into the mans quarters.

It wasn't long till Zoro returned, an object warped with cloths in his hands. Zoro sits down again, handing you the so called present.

You gave him a curious look, presents weren't a common thing in your relationship—sure, a bottle of quality Sake for Zoro and for you a bag of mixed (f. Candy) every now and then, when you two want to appreciate one another, but never presents—not even on your anniversary.

You opened it slowly, unwrapping it from the bandana—it wasn't a cloth like you assumed—which had the colour of (f.colour) and matches, colour wise, with Zoro's green bandana.

A Fan, beautiful design on it and with razor sharp blades it was.

It makes sense now, whenever Zoro told you; that even a mere dancer can be a strong fighter.

~~~

Around afternoon Sanji had returned back to ship. Walking just a tad faster, couldn't wait to be back in his kitchen—his little empire—and making you the salty cake.

Sanji would make it grand, decorating it with some sugar sweets.......and oh.

Stopping in his tracks, Sanji glanced over at you and Zoro. The two of you napping against the railing and even though you're the tallest, you're the one which laid in Zoro's arms. Looking at peace, so tranquility like.

Sanji pretends to never have seen the matching Bandanas you two wore now.

Sanji should have known better, shouldn't have made himself such delusional hopes.

Because Sanji was just a friend and Zoro your love which your heart desires.

Truly delusional. A fool.

[serosfan]

My favorite Ducktales 17 dynamics I wish we saw more of

Launchpad and Fenton: They’re the funniest duo and I wish they had more interactions especially after Fenton becomes Gizmoduck.Peak comedy

Louie and Webby: IMO they have the most sibling like dynamic of the non related kid dynamics they’re so chaotic it’s peak ADHD/Autism friendship

Huey and Violet: The jr woodchuck episode is so fun I love the “we have a rivalry except only one person actually thinks it’s a rivalry” thing they have going on they also have the energy that they’d try to wingman for each other and I think that would be entertaining af

Dewey and Gosalyn: I just want more Gosalyn in general but they have no impulse control and strong family loyalty and that could cause so much chaos

Della and Gyro: What happened to make them so actively antagonistic to each other I need to know the backstory

[witchthewriter]

𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧

Want one? Here’s more info 🦋🌈  

𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑱𝒐𝒏 𝑺𝒏𝒐𝒘! This was a pretty easy choice. When you said you wanted someone who you could ... just be with. Be in each other’s company with, I knew exactly who to choose. He’s a quiet man himself, with strong morals and he is very very capable. You would always feel protected, even if he wasn’t there to do so himself, he would have Ghost sent with you (Ghost absolutely ADORES YOU)

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

(I hope you don’t mind, I’ve made you a dragon seed here, as it’s linked to your pet and interactions with certain characters).

・You didn’t come from a wealthy family, but you did grow up stable and without needing. You always had food on the table, a house over your head and clothes without holes (your mother taught every single one of your siblings how to sew - it wasn’t just a woman’s job). 

・You and Jon met after the events of Sansa being crowned Queen in the North. He was travelling when suddenly there was a snow storm and he had no choice but to find the nearest house to take shelter in. Unluckily, or luckily - depending on who you ask, it was your home. 

・Jon is actually a very jealous guy and when someone is giving you too much of - that - kind of attention, than he stops it immediately. He really doesn’t like people getting to close

・One of his favouite activities to do with you is to sit by the fire and hold you, he loves your smell and the calm energy that you bring. It really helps him open up - he can talk to you about anything

・You’re the only person who can genuinely make him smile. He knows that you aren’t being political or trying to create an alliance. You’re there because you love him. And that brings out a different side to Jon that no one sees

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

Into My Arms by the Midnite String Quartet

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

・ Madly In Love (You) x Ridiculously Oblivious (Jon)

・You Fell First, But They Fall Harder

・Closed Off x The Person They Warm Up To (This one works both ways)

𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆

Stuck Together

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

Your sarcasm, your loyalty, your logic. He loves that you want to think things through before jumping into action. He’s been so sick and tired of being the voice of reason for so long. 

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅

Would be Sansa and/or Dany. I think you need a best friend who understands you on a deeper level - yes having a friend with humour is great, but without a deep connection the friendship won’t go anything. It won’t be anything other than surface level. 

𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆

I think you’re a mix of Sansa, Bran and Jojen Reed. You have this quiet yet mysterious energy about you. A quick-wit, that doesn’t take crap from anyone - and yet you don’t yell, or need to be loud to hold people’s attention. 

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕

As a dragon seed, even though you might not be able to trace your family history, you do have a special ability that helped the Targaryen’s conquer Westeros. I.e., you are a dragon rider. 

Dany didn’t understand how this could happen, she only knew about her history through her brother, but he was long gone now. So she could only rely on Jorah, and Tyrion to explain it to her. Dragon seeds exist - bastard children that have the blood of Old Valyria. 

When you approached the three dragons, you had no idea that one would have such an impact on you. 

Viserion. 

The youngest, and yes, the smallest, but the most affectionate. 

It shocked everyone when he let you get close, when he whined when you gave him a rub. 

And then Dany nearly fainted when you climbed ontop of him and flew off. 

[bunnakit]

bun, oat and ai di 2, 10, 13 and 14

character ask game 🌸

kali im biting you these are such good chars and questions

2 🌸 Favorite canon thing about this character?

Bunn - I adore his wit and attitude. He's smart (and also a little dumb) and he knows it and he knows just how to get under people's skin while also being the most endearing person in the room. (And he's a little bit of a slut, we stan.)

Oat - He's so fucking genuine and so sweet. He's almost always smiling and he can't get away with anything (until it matters most.) Golden retriever energy for days.

Ai Di - Ai Di feels things so intensely. He comes off as this feral wild person but all of this energy stems from the fact that he feels everything so intensely all the time, all that love and devotion and loyalty and protective instinct has to come out somewhere because he's certainly not communicating it to Chen Yi.

10 🌸 Could you be best friends with this character?

Bunn - I think it would be a strange friendship. I have a friend in real life that's a lot like Bunn, brilliant and kind of a snarky ass. He's like my brother, I adore him and I'd give him a kidney without question if he needed it, but we also fight like siblings and get into disagreements and grate on each others nerves and want to beat the hell out of each other. I think Bunn and I would have a friendship very similar to his friendship with Inspector M.

Oat - God yes, but to be fair I think Oat is one of those people anyone could easily be friends with. I think we'd have a lot of fun teasing people, teasing each other, and just have one of those friendships that's easy.

Ai Di - This one is hard. I want to say yes? But we're both so fucking feral I think things might get overwhelming from time to time. I do think we'd have one of those relationships where you message each other and go "Can I be a hater for a minute?" and just unleash all the opinions you don't want to post publicly because like, they aren't that big of a deal, and it doesn't need to be A Thing. We'd also enjoy spicy food together.

13 🌸 What's an emoji, an emoticon and/or any symbol that reminds you of this character or you think the character would use a lot?

Bunn - 🙄🤔😩

Oat - 🥰😭😊

Ai Di - 🔪🔫🌶️

14 🌸 Assign a fashion aesthetic to this character.

Bunn - Business casual 24/7, does not own a pair of jeans.

Oat - Average, jeans and some kind of graphic tee with a ridiculous phrase or design. Maybe the occasional flannel or button up to go out.

Ai Di - Absolute chaos. Patterns and neon colors for days, probably experimented with Pastel Goth. He is always the brightest one in the room and you can always gauge his mood by his clothes.

[direct0rhutao]

genshin thoughts?? i am curious about whatever hcs or fav canon facts or Unpopular Takes you have etc etc. i trust your opinion 👍

hi hi kit okay first of all tysm im flattered that u r interested in my thoughts that means a lot to me :)

there’s a lot of little details and bits of genshin lore that i love but if i had to choose one it would be that hu tao’s birthday is the same as mine :3 KIDDING one of my favorite random genshin facts is how zhongli once invited xinyan, a rock musician well known for her intense and (literally) fiery concerts, to play some music for the wangsheng funeral parlor

(this is from xinyan’s voicelines btw. do you think zhongli likes rock music because he’s the lord of rocks)

and as for the headcanons!! i can come up with sooo many behold an assortment of genshin thoughts (most of which involve hu tao and xinyan because they are very special to me) (im putting them under a readmore because i got carried away sorry)

• one of my favorite sort-of fanon dynamics is zhongli and his adopted kids ganyu (eldest daughter least likely to get in trouble with the millelith) xiao (middle child whos been an angsty teenager for the last 2000 years) and hu tao (baby of the family with the strongest Gremlin Energy)

• xiao hates zhongli’s new boyfriend childe for Many Reasons such as: he’s spent months in liyue and still can’t use chopsticks, every time he sees xiao he ruffles his hair and calls him “little man”, one time he unleashed an evil god and almost destroyed liyue harbor

• zhongli’s other two children are a little less hostile towards childe. ganyu doesn’t fully trust him because of That One Time He Almost Destroyed Liyue Harbor but he makes zhongli really happy so he’s okay for now …and hu tao thinks he’s kind of a dumbass but his job requires him to kill a lot of people so he’s good for business

• hu tao made childe a customer loyalty card (“10% Off Your 10th Cremation Service!”) however despite childe thinking it was funny, zhongli wouldn’t let her make more copies to give out to the general public

• okay so usually in fanart/fanfics the liyue kids friend group is either xingqiu chongyun xiangling and xinyan or xingqiu chongyun xiangling and hu tao. but why not both. xingqiu chongyun xiangling xinyan AND hu tao AND throw in yun jin as well. all of them are buddies peace and love on planet teyvat

• hu tao has a sort of celebrity crush on beidou (i mean who wouldn’t-) and then she meets kazuha and shes like CAPTAIN BEIDOU HAS A KID?

• hu tao: woaaahh its so nice to meet beidou’s new son… i bet beidou wouldn’t just adopt anyone so you must be super cool and badass because um captain beidou is soooo cool and badass and strong and sexy and did you know she beat a sea monster without a vision and her biceps are big enough to l- kazuha: okay how about we talk about something else

• anyway kazuha is an honorary member of the Liyue Kids Friendship Squad

• xinyan and beidou are also like family but xinyan’s parents are still alive (i think) so xinyan thinks of beidou as more of a cool aunt figure. xinyan and kazuha are kind of like siblings to each other tho

• xinyan is like genuinely very kind and good-natured so i think that aside from people who are assholes to her for being loud/a rock musician she can get along with pretty much anyone. also she just. seems like a really good friend so i think all her friends should love n support her and go to as many of her concerts as they can

• one time when xinyan was having a concert in liyue harbor and chongyun got on stage and started drumming and doing backup vocals bc of his yang energy shenhe passed by and saw them and after the concert while xingqiu was tending to chongyun she approached xinyan

• shenhe: i see you’re a friend of my nephew. your music is very unique. it both soothed and aggravated my homicidal urges at the same time xinyan: uhhh well…th. thank you miss shenhe? i’ll take that as a compliment … if you’re ever in the area again you’re always welcome to rock out at my concerts

• i love yun jin and i love yun jin x xinyan i think they would make a very cute couple HOWEVER. i think hu tao x xinyan would be cute as well. theres a lot of potential there but they barely interact in canon and ive only ever seen one person who maybe ships them uwaaaaaa

• in a modern au hu tao and xinyan would both play gacha rhythm games and they would add each other as friends in-game. hu tao and xinyan are on each other’s bandori friendlist

[fallin-4-ya]

but beautiful

But Beautiful

cedric diggory x malfoy!reader

summary: life wasn’t particularly easy being the older sister of draco malfoy, but a certain boy from hufflepuff had the power to make all her troubles melt away.

warnings: slight house shaming, brief mention of disappointed parents & i think that's it! non-voldy au! (gif is not mine, credit to owner)

words: 1.6k

part i, part ii, part iii

‘And you have to believe me when I tell you that no one could ever be as beautiful as you are at this very moment, because I could never want anyone more than I want you right now.’ -Mariella Muffarotto

There was something to be said about being a Malfoy, something y/n could not understand. With an uncommonly kind heart and an unprejudiced view on life, she saw the wizarding world as nothing but beautiful.

September 1st, 1989

Y/n walked nervously onto platform nine and three quarters with her mother, Narcissa, on one side and her father, Lucius, on the other. She looked up with pleading eyes at her parents, almost as if asking if she had to go. Her mother put her hand on her shoulder, ‘My dear, not to worry. You’ll make so many friends before you know it.’

‘Yes, y/n, your mother is right. But, don't go making friends with the wrong sort.’ Her father said with half a grin and half disgust. She shook her head, acknowledging his words. Y/n hugged her parents goodbye and headed up to the train, walking through to see most of the compartments as full. Almost at the end of the train she spotted a compartment that had two very similar looking boys who seemed nice enough. But what she didn't know is that once she opened that door, she would become best friends with two future trouble makers at Hogwarts. So, opening the door hesitantly she peeked inside

‘Hi, um, is this one full?’ Y/n stared at the two tall identical, redhead boys looking up at her.

‘Not at all.’ Said the one closest to the compartment door. ‘I’m Fred, by the way. Fred Weasley! And this is my brother George.’ He pointed to the by next to him, who smiled and sent her a wave.

‘Thanks.’ She sat down across the two. They gave her a quizzical look as she stared down at her hands, twiddling with her thumbs. The nervous energy was definitely kicking in and her mind fumbled into a much of anxiety. Her thoughts, though, were interrupted who she assumed to be Fred.

‘And you are?’

‘Oh! I’m y/n, y/n Malfoy.’ said the girl, smiling awkwardly at the two of them. ‘Sorry, guess I’m a bit nervous.’

Fred chuckled, ‘Well, not to worry y/n. This is our first year too, and with any luck will be sorted into Gryffindor.’ He smiled proudly, elbowing George.

‘Yeah, the whole lot of our family is Gryffindor. Sure, it will be the same for us.’ George pipped up. ‘What house are you hoping for?’

Y/n thought timidly to herself before answering the simple, yet complicated question. ‘Well, if I hope to live another day, then Slytherin. But I’d be happy in any house. Whatever the hat thinks is right for me.’

‘And why’s that, y/n?’ Fred asked.

‘My whole family is Slytherin. You know the type of purebloods who believe in all of the superiority nonsense. The Malfoys have been part of Slytherin house for centuries, so I guess I wouldn’t want to be a disappointment.’ She shrugged.

‘Oh.’ Whispered George knowingly, sending his brother a look. ‘Don’t get too caught up in it, y/n. We know tons of witches and wizards who were in your shoes and they all are just fine. Regardless of what house they got sorted into!’ He cooed reassuringly.

‘Anyways, Hogwarts isn’t about houses and schoolwork and nonsense like that. It’s about having fun.’ Fred said with a smirk, giving y/n a wink.

‘Good thing for both of you, I love nothing more than a bit of fun.’

The train arrived to the Hogsmeade station even more quickly than expected, or perhaps it was because Fred, George and y/n were having too much fun to realize the time passing by. The entered the Great Hall in awe because y/n’s mother and father had never told her how magnificent it really was. Her, the twins and the rest of the first-year students anxiously made their way up to the front of the room, passing older students as they went along. There stood Professor McGonagall, with a list of names and a big, old hat. She began reading off names:

‘Diggory, Cedric!’

‘Jordan, Lee!’

‘Johnson, Angelina!’

Then what seemed like a hundred names Professor McGonagall bellowed out, ‘Malfoy, Y/n!’

Y/n walked up to the wooden stool with shaky hands. Of course, she had wanted to be put in Slytherin to make her family proud, but a part of her felt like she just didn’t belong. Professor McGonagall placed the sorting hat on her head gently and took a step back.

‘Hm, another Malfoy,’ the sorting hat started. ‘Much potential. Talented, no doubt. A want to please and make others happy. Courage and loyalty, but where to put you?’ Better be, Hufflepuff.’

Y/n heart dropped to the floor, yet soared at the same time. She could not comprehend the emotion she was feelings, lying somewhere between overjoyed and worried. However, a smile was plastered onto her face as she made her way to sit down at the table adorned in yellow and black.

Y/n took a set across a boy with light brown hair who had been sorted into Hufflepuff not five minutes before she did. He grinned at her. Y/n looked into gray eyes, holding warmth and promise. He extended his hand to meet hers, ‘Hi! I’m Cedric Diggory!’

Y/n took his hand and shook it, ‘I’m y/n Malfoy!’

The boy who she now knew as Cedric smiled at her, with rosy cheeks. ‘I can tell were going to be great friends!’

And great friends they did become.

The days turned to weeks, the weeks turned to months. Months became seasons and seasons blossomed to years. Y/n’s friendship with both the Weasley twins and Cedric Diggory were planted into little trees in which her love for Hogwarts sprouted. Two years had passed since y/n Malfoy was sorted into Hufflepuff, though it would be lying to say she didn’t get quite the earful from her parents about it.

(‘Hufflepuff!’ Lucius spat. ‘A Malfoy, in Hufflepuff. You’re an embarrassment, a disgrace!’

Her little brother giggled in the background at her great misfortune, but y/n could only be mad at one person at a time. ‘It’s not like it’s my fault!’ she hissed back, ‘It’s the bloody hat. If it’s that much of problem why don’t you take it up with the inanimate object!’)

But still, she lived. And most importantly she was happy. Y/n not only had the two most fun-loving pranksters glued to one side of her hip, but she had a kind, sweet, adorable Hufflepuff boy glued to the other. Two years had flown by and y/n’s brother, Draco, finally joined her at school. She wasn’t excited per say, they had hardly enjoyed each other’s company. Draco was his sister’s polar opposite, not to mention the constant teasing she endured from him.

Yet still, y/n accepted fate as a bull was sent into a china cabinet, simply waiting for hell to break loose. She sat at the Hufflepuff table next to Cedric as the group of first years gathered into the Great Hall. One by one, each of the new students walked up to the hat, awaiting to be sorted.

‘Malfoy, Draco!’ Professor McGonagall’s voice roared.

Cedric nudged y/n, ‘Gather that’s your brother.’

‘Yep.’ She answered simply popping the p. ‘What gave it away? The blonde hair or the last name?’ She said with a smirk.

Draco approached the sorting hat with a smug grin smeared on his face. The hat hadn’t been on his head a second before it bellowed out Slytherin.

‘Are you joking? The bloody hat barely touched him!’ y/n nearly shouted. Cedric stifled a laugh, earning him an elbow from y/n. ‘Yeah, Ced. Hysterical that my dumb brother got into my family’s dumb house while I’m sat here looking like a bloody bumblebee.’

This only sent Cedric’s head back, laughing at her. (‘You really think we look like bumblebees, y/n?’) He watched as Draco stuck his tongue out at his older sister, who in return rolled her eyes at him.

After the feast, y/n was approached by Fred and George who practically ran to meet her.

‘So now what?’ Fred said quickly.

Y/n stopped and shrugged her shoulders, ‘Now, Draco become the favorite child.’

‘The favorite child, yeah? Better him than you, I’ll say.’ George said with a hint of sarcasm, making her smile.

‘Reckon you’re right, Georgie. Besides who needs a dumb brother, when I already got the two of you already driving me crazy.’ She said ruffling both of the twin’s hair. ‘Meet you guys in the morning!’ Y/n shouted as she ran back to meet the rest of her house, joining them in the common room.

Y/n walked into a busy common room, all the students catching up with one another after summer holiday. She then spotted Cedric by the velvet sofas, as if he was waiting for her. She couldn’t remember in this moment if his eyes had always been that beautiful or if his cheeks were ever that soft. Perhaps it was the extra inches he grew over the summer or perhaps the way he finally learned how to style his hair. But whatever it was, it did not last long because y/n quickly chased away those thoughts and sat next to her friend.

‘Whatcha up to, Ced?’ y/n questioned taking a seat next him.

‘Can I ask you something, y/n?’ Cedric said suddenly, y/n nodded allowing permission for him to carry on. ‘Why do you and Draco not get along?’

She drew back slightly, Cedric was not one to ask very personal questions. He had a flare for boundaries and always knew exactly where to draw the line, especially when it came to family. She couldn’t help but to feel that he deserved an answer after being such a fierce friend over the past few years.

Y/n swallowed hard, truly thinking about how to answer him. There had been no true animosity towards the siblings, no hate or anything of the sort. They just simply didn’t get along. She sighed, ‘Not sure, guess we’re just oil and water. We’ve never been particularly fond of each other, but I think that’s because we’re both so different. Of course, I love him. But he’s also a bit of a prick, like, all the time.’

Cedric laughed softly at her words, ‘That’s a pretty good reason not to get along with someone.’

He smiled at her. Butterflies erupted from y/n’s tummy, making their way up to her throat. Surely his smile had never been that inviting or warm or beautiful. And before she could stop herself words flowed from her tongue like a waterfall, ‘We’ll always get along, right Ced?’ she said softly.

‘Of course, y/n. You know, as long as I’m not being a prick.’ He smiled and winked at her, leaving her heart more flustered than ever.

(a/n: thank you for reading!, this is part one of three, so let me know if you would like to be added to this taglist! i hope u enjoyed! sending love and positive vibes! xo-mari)

[mythia]

♊︎ 9 Great Gemini Characters in Anime ♊︎

Gemini characters in anime/manga are RARE, and Gemini characters that aren’t deluded, deviant, unhinged, or warped are even rarer (think Hisoka from Hunter x Hunter). Therefore, I compiled this list to bring some light to characters that are doing the Gemini name proud! None of these characters are without their own personal demons and struggles, but all of them, in my opinion, are redeemable, complex characters who exemplify the Gemini archetype. Note: This list is in no particular order, I love all these characters equally haha!

 1. Shouko Nishimiya from A Silent Voice | Koe no Katachi

June 7th

Shouko Picture Link

Shouko is a gentle, sweet, and overall kind soul who struggles to communicate and connect with other people because of her deafness. Despite the barriers she faces, more than anything she yearns to communicate and socialize with others and hopes to make friends. Because of this desire, in grade school she uses a journal to communicate through writing, and she often urges her classmates to write in her journal in order to talk to her. This is certainly fitting, because Gemini, being ruled by mercury, is all about communication—whether through body language, speech, or writing.

Shouko faces many hardships throughout the story—such as bullying, the worsening of her hearing, and her grandmother’s death—but through it all she smiles to mask her deep inner pain and to ease the minds of those she cares about. This reluctance to engage negative emotions, and desire to not trouble other people with one’s own emotions, is truly characteristic of Gemini energy.

Gemini energy is associated with the third house—the house of communication, short distance travel, and siblings—and as such, it’s no surprise that Shouko has an extremely close connection and relationship with her sister, Yuzuru.

2. Shoya Ishida from A Silent Voice | Koe no Katachi

June 6th

Shoya Picture Link

Shoya is a deeply troubled character who struggles to connect with other people because of his intense anxiety, self-loathing, and remorse over his past mistakes. His past consumes him, and the mistake that troubles him most is the fact that in elementary school, he bullied Shouko Nishimiya, a deaf classmate.  

In grade-school, Shoya was a social boy with many friends despite his propensity towards rash, reckless behavior. But things changed for him in sixth grade. Keenly observant, Shoya noticed the frustration of his friends and classmates that developed because of Shouko’s seemingly “special” treatment. Additionally, Shoya felt the dynamic in his friend group changing. In his immaturity, he blames these changes and his frustrations on Shouko, and begins to bully her as a result. Part of the tension between Shoya and Shouko was that Shoya could not understand Shouko or communicate with her. Above all, understanding and communication are central to Geminis, and so it’s no surprise that this lack of understanding is what leads to major tension between these two characters.

Shoya is shown to be an intelligent person; for example, when Yuzuro decided to give school a second chance, it’s Shoya she seeks out in order to tutor her. He is also shown to be a gentle person. For example, when it comes to his family, Shoya is shown to deeply care for his mother, sister, and niece—he works extremely hard to pay back his debt to his mother, and he is always gentle, kind, and attentive towards his little niece, Maria.

3. Mamushi Hojo from Blue Exorcist | Ao no Exorcist

June 4th

Mamushi Picture Link

With her textbook tsundere personality, Mamushi embodies the Gemini archetype of “the twins!” On the surface, Mamushi is aloof with an independent personality, however, underneath her cold social mask she has a deep affection for her family (especially her sisters), and her mentor, Todo. Also, later on in the series, her husband Juzo comments that she has a soft side to her personality, too. This extreme duality is quite characteristic of Gemini energy.

Unfortunately, it is her misplaced affection, loyalty, and trust towards the traitor Todo that leads to her betraying her family in the Impure King arc of the series. However, once she realizes her mistake, she is genuinely devastated and remorseful because she cares for her family and is devoted to her responsibilities to the temple and as an Exorcist.

Mamushi is a calm and studious person with a strong sense of loyalty and justice. Mamushi seems to experience some degree of anxiety when it comes to socializing, partly because she is a serious individual who prefers to keep to herself and her close friends. She seems to enjoy nature and the company of animals, and takes great care of her Nagas (snake demons), for which she has great affection.

4. Kōshi Sugawara  from Haikyu!!

June 13th

Suga Picture Link

Suga is a dependable pillar of support for the Karasuno volleball team and is known as “the indomitable setter” because of his enduring nature. Though Suga has a predominantly calm, gentle, and nurturing presence, when he gets impassioned he shows no qualms about yelling at his team from the sidelines or saying what’s on his mind. Suga also has a good sense of humour and enjoys teasing his teammates! Despite his calm demeanor, he has a prominent mischievous side, too; for example, he encourages Hinata to crash the Youth Camp and finds it hilarious that Hinata does indeed go ahead and attend uninvited. These noticeable dualities are definitely characteristic of Gemini energy!

Suga truly wants what is best for the team even though it means allowing Kageyama to be the team’s main setter without protest, despite the fact that Suga has seniority. Though he is often sidelined, Suga is an intelligent and observant player, who excels at detecting the mood and state of his team-mates. Further, he is good at coming up with new and clever game plays and tactics. He is also shown to be a studious individual who prioritizes studying.

5. Umetarou Nozaki from Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun | Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun

June 6th

Nozaki Picture Link

Of all the Geminis on this list, no other better represents the Gemini archetype of “the storytelller” than Umetarou! He is a passionate mangaka who is wholly devoted to the art and craft of producing his shoujo manga, “Let’s Fall in Love.” Umetarou is an observant person who constantly looks for story ideas in his everyday life.There is a strong duality to Umetarou’s personality—underneath his serious demeanour, he has an incredibly imaginative and playful nature that  comes out when he tests possible story-lines for his manga out on his friends.

He is a gentle, social, and considerate person who goes to great lengths for his friends. When his assistants/friends gather at his apartment, he’s a thoughtful host who makes extra food for everyone, and he genuinely seems to enjoy sharing meals with other people and attending to guests. He even often lets his male friends stay overnight. He also allows his friend Mikorin to stash his suggestive manga, dating simulation video-games, and figurines at his apartment (talk about a good friend!). Also, Umetarou does his utmost to ensure Chiyo is happy—her distress is shown to greatly unnerve him. Umetarou is also close with his siblings despite living apart from them.

Though Umetarou is intelligent, he is emotionally dense. He doesn’t recognize that Chiyo has a crush on him even though her feelings are incredibly obvious. It’s unclear whether he TRULY doesn’t realize her feelings, or if he is only pretending to be oblivious because he is uncomfortable with his emotions and Chiyo’s emotions. Since he writes a manga about love, his discomfort with romance is pretty ironic! However, discomfort surrounding difficult emotions is quite characteristic of Gemini energy.

6. Mitsuri Kanroji from Demon Slayer | Kimetsu no Yaiba

June 1st

Mitsuri Picture Link

While all the characters on this list have an inherent caring, gentle nature that is characteristic of Gemini energy, Mitsuri takes it a step further! In the tarot, the card associated with Gemini energy from the major arcana is “the lovers.” This is certainly fitting, as she is the Hashira of love. On top of that, her goal is to find a partner who is stronger than she is to marry.

Mitsuri is passionate, sweet, and affectionate. She greatly admires her peers and compliments them nonstop in her own mind—though, her shyness prevents her from voicing these thoughts aloud. Additionally, Mitsuri’s being and personality embodies duality; though she has a gentle personality, she is a fearsome fighter with great agility and strength.

Like others on the list, when it comes to difficult emotions, Mitsuri becomes withdrawn. It’s clear that Obani Iguro is in love with her, yet she remains largely ignorant of his emotions. She also seems to experience some degree of anxiety and overthinking when it comes to expressing herself to her peers, and is most comfortable residing in her own world inside her mind.

7 & 8. Kaoru & Hikaru Hitachiin from Ouran High School Host Club | Ōran Kōkō Hosuto Kurabu

June 9th

Hitachiin Twins Picture Link

The mischievous and witty twins, Kaoru and Hikaru, certainly tap into the gemini archetypes of “the trickster” as well as “the twins.” As twins, the two have a deep sibling bond. Both are intelligent, witty, and curious.

They both have a great capability for affection, however, before joining the host club, Kaoru and Hikaru are shown to be somewhat aloof with everyone but each other, leading their peers to think they are simply stuck-up. The truth is that their distant, cold exteriors mask a deep turbulence and sadness within them that arises due to an inner isoation and loneliness that both of them carry. Identity is a key theme for the twins because other people cannot tell them apart. The failure of other people to recognize them as individuals brings both of them great inner sadness, but at each of their cores, they long for true connection and friendship with people other than each other.

Easily bored, these two enjoy playing jokes and tricks on their friends. They both have playful personalities, and don’t mean harm, but at times their playfulness moves beyond mischievous toward manipulative. Personality wise, Hikaru is more expressive, open, and emotionally immature than Kaoru, whereas Kaoru is more observant, reserved, and attuned to the emotions and expressions of other people than Hikaru.

9. Ryota Kise from Kuroko’s Basketball | Kuroko no Basuke

June 18th

Kise Picture Link

Of the “Generation of Miracles” characters, Kise is arguably the most gentle— next to Aquarius Kuroko, that is! Kise has a sweet and friendly personality with a bit of a competitive edge. Emotionally, Kise is quite expressive, even crying upon his first ever basketball loss.

Kise is extremely intelligent and observant. Additionally, he is an insanely fast learner. His “special talent” is the ability to see any basketball move once, analyze it, learn it, then execute it as if it were his own all along. This exceptional ability to mirror others’ and learn quickly certainly plays into the strengths of Gemini energy!

When it comes to basketball Kise starts out as a competitive and selfish player, but after losing to Kuroko’s team and realizing he can’t win on his own, he begins to lean on his own team-mates more and appreciate them. All in all, he is a popular person who cares about his friends and prioritizes developing his friendships. Kise clearly desires a friendship with Kuroko, as he makes every effort to seek him out and talk to try to establish a deeper connection despite their situation as rivals from different teams.

The End! Notes:

*apparently May Gemini’s don’t exist in anime which breaks my little May Gemini heart 😭

* Keep in mind this list is limited to characters that I have personally encountered in anime and/or manga or light novels :)

Tell me your favourite Gemini characters!

[mageofseven]

Hi, I've been super in love with your writing lately its just *chefs kiss* I was wondering if I could get a matchup? I'm INFP, and my enneagram sections are 2,4, and 7 (they were all in 1% of each other). I'm a ball of energy who feels emotions deeply and has a strong sense of justice. I want things to be fair, and am willing to express that. I like drawing, watching anime, indie games, and little kids. I want to be a kindergarten teacher. I look for a strong friendship, then a relationship pt 1

Sorry about the wait! Thank you so much for being patient with me~

Now for the matchup!

Honestly, there is only one of the Boys that I could accept you being matched up with; not because you wouldn't fit well with others, but because you grabbed my attention with a certain word and then everything else just clicked so well that I'm surprised at how easy it was to choose for you.

That word? Protective.

The Boy I associate that word with the most? The one ship you with?

Beelzebub

We all know Beel as the quiet and gentle giant we love, but make no mistake, if anyone were to try to hurt those he loves, he'd raise hell upon them. I mean, think back to the war. Boy didn't even hesitate join a war against his father to protect his sister. He loved her therefore he was gonna fight for her till the end.

This leads me into the other thing you two share: you value your family above all else. Hearing you talk about your younger siblings and cousins, I cannot help but to feel your love for them and how you'd try to move mountains for them if they needed you to. Beel would understand this love and loyalty to a deep level because he feels the same with his brothers.

Plus, you wanting to be a kindergarten teacher and caring so much about little kids also works in favor of this relationship. I see Beely as a family man with so much love to give, someone who gets along well with children and wants a few of his own. Learning that you have a similar soft spot for children to the point that you'd dedicate your life to such a career would definitely soften his own heart to you.

Lastly, this man would give you all the attention and physical affection that you crave. Cuddle you, hug you, kiss you, whenever you wish. Hell, he'd carry you around in his arms if you asked. It all goes back to one important element about this man: he has so much love to give therefore he will not hold back in expressing it, especially when you ask for such affection.

[angelsndragons]

WHO IS BARONESS ANASTASIA DEVORAK

AKA: PORTIA’S ROUTE IS AWESOME AND Y’ALL DON’T APPRECIATE HER.

DISCLAIMER: SPOILERS FOR PORTIA’S ROUTE

So, let me get this out of the way first: I am something of a sucker for tarot cards. I'm not someone who thinks they tell the future or whatever; instead, they help a reader get a different perspective on a situation. They tell stories. Worried about this move? The Fool card reminds you that life is always changing and that it is okay to mourn the loss of what came before. Trouble with your romantic partner? The Empress asks if you are letting yourself be in the relationship, existing and experiencing it. I have fun with these cards of mine, gaining a different angle to view my questions and situations from.

As you can probably tell, I love The Arcana Game. Its storytelling and character writing are top-notch. But what I love most about it, what actually got me into the game in the first place, is the devs' in depth knowledge of tarot, the major arcana, and the fool's journey. These people get it on a fundamental level. My friend started posting screenshots and explaining the characters, their stories, and their roles. Asra the Magician, Nadia the High Priestess, Muriel the Hermit, Julian the Hanged Man, Lucio the Devil, Portia the Star, and you, the MC, the Fool. As my friend continued through their chosen routes, again and again I was struck by just how thematically resonate and appropriate each character's assignment was and how the assignments even factored into their relationships with each other and their route endings.

So, before we get into Portia, Tasya and their deal, we need to take a step back. As I know not every Arcana fan has a background in tarot, we're going to start by defining some terms. 

TAROT TERMS

Upright and Reversed: It is important to note that each term in tarot is not necessarily good or bad. Some people don't bother reading reversed cards at all or some individual decks refuse to do so. Why? Well reversed simply means that the energy associated with a particular card is stuck. That is all it means. Something is blocking that particular domain or whatever and needs to be resolved.

The devs of the Arcana game are using this definition for the story structure. As you get closer to a reversed end, you will note the increasing desperation, hopelessness, and the growing idea that you cannot change or go back in the Reversed endings. You are stuck and have to deal with the worst aspects of each character's assigned card. Asra cares for nothing beyond his immediate little world, Julian is stuck and can't see a way out so he wallows and does nothing, and Nadia rejects the High Priestess and the subconscious world for the materialistic power and control offered by the Devil. Whereas the closer you get to the Upright ending, the more you see a sense of movement and change as the challenges strengthen the MC, their LI, and the people around you both. That is what the Fool's Journey is all about.

Now let's talk about the cards' relationships to each other. In tarot, cards can have one of three relationships with each other: neutral, opposing, and reinforcing.

Neutral: these cards do not oppose or reinforce each other. Their place in a reading is dependent on other cards and the question posed.

Reinforcing: These are cards which reinforce each other and deal in similar domains. They get along, so to speak. If you see reinforcing pairs or triplets in a reading, the deck is basically screaming at you about the issues they represent. For example, the High Priestess reinforces the Hanged Man in their shared domain of potentiality. The Hanged Man is waiting for something unknown or perhaps a revelation, both of which the High Priestess guards. Now is not the time to act, they say in a reading together. Now is the time to wait and let the potential grow into the kinetic.

Opposing: Opposing cards are tricky because there are two major groups of opposition: balanced pair or antagonism. A balanced pair is basically when two cards form a yin-yang relationship while antagonistic cards have no common ground and deal in opposite domains. The difference between a balanced pair and an antagonistic one is often in whether one card can use the energy of another or not. 

For example, the Magician and the High Priestess form a balanced pair. She is the guardian of the subconscious and potential of the unknown world, which the Magician needs in order to act. In turn, the Magician brings that potentiality into the real, material world and makes something of it. The Magician needs the High Priestess just as she needs him. They balance one another. In contrast, the Magician and the Hanged Man are antagonistic cards. The Hanged Man's whole ideology is wrapped up in waiting, in letting go, in allowing things to happen to you. “Victory through surrender” is one interpretation I've seen and it is fairly accurate. In contrast, the Magician is all about doing. He knows what he wants, knows how to get it, and will not let anyone stand in his way. He does not wait, he acts now, strikes hard, and damn the consequences. The Hanged Man suspends action, the Magician acts. There is no balance here, no place where they can work together.

From the examples above, I hope you can see why I look at the game, its relationships, and plot through a tarot reader's eyes. Asra and Julian's problematic relationship, Nadia and Asra's friendship and easy working relationship, and Nadia and Julian's whole deal with the murder are all appropriate for what their cards stand for. This branches out to all the other characters, by the by, including Lucio and the Devil. Muriel and Asra get along because their cards reinforce each other; the Hermit is all about knowing your own power and what you want while the Magician is about getting it.

So, finally, after all that, let's talk Portia.

THE STAR

Portia is the Arcana Game's Star. In tarot, the Star is

Beacon of hope and inspiration

Clarity

Truth 

However, importantly, the Star card is not a card of action. It is a card of seeing and knowing. That’s why getting Portia to act on her truths and speak her mind is key to her Upright Ending, knowing is not enough.

In her route, we can see that Portia fulfills all these criteria. In fact, her whole route can be summed up by her line:

Portia has been badly burned by secrets and lies, the ones people have given to/kept from her and the ones that she keeps and tells. 

We start her route with the following secrets, which she has been desperate to tell someone, anyone:

Julian Devorak is her brother

She can read and write

She came to the palace explicitly to clear her brother 

Nadia has been asleep for years and has awoken with no memory

She has written Nadia's sisters and invited them to the ball

Her insecurities regarding her place in the world

All the lower level palace gossip about the count, the other servants, and the courtiers which indicate that something is amiss

She cannot remember the shipwreck which killed her entire family save Julian

Over the course of her route, not only do these secrets come out but Portia begins pursuing the truth in other areas of her life. She loves detective novels, pulls the secret of the dungeons from Volta, learns more about Julian's work than even he knows, and becomes more confident and honest about her feelings towards the MC.

Portia inspires those around her to be and do better. Her dedication to Julian, for example, leads to Nadia growing closer with Nasmira and her siblings. She inspires great loyalty from the palace staff despite her relatively new appointment. Julian, who spends basically every other route trying to get hanged, is inspired to fight against the charges because of Portia's belief in him. Hell, even Volta gets a few moments peace from her curse thanks to Portia and Mazelinka's soup. 

Of all the characters, Portia is the one who sees things, and others, most clearly. She makes the connection between the MC’s missing memories and Nadia's.

She connects the ghost to Lucio, her brother, and the plague. Also, notably, Julian’s handwriting is so bad, most people can’t read it.

She knows everyone in the palace and what makes them tick.

She calls out Valerius, Vulgora, and Vlastomil at the trial and nails them all to the coliseum doors ala Martin Luther.

Portia just knows.

With all this in mind, let us return to the central question (yay): Who is Anastasia Devorak?

Tasya Devorak is the Moon.

THE MOON

Oh, wait, you want me to explain? Okay, sure.

Earlier we talked about opposing and reinforcing cards. The Star has three primary opponents: the Devil, the Tower, and the Moon.

Need more? Fine.

Portia has already confronted the Devil via Lucio and tried to punch him out.

Twice.

She fought Vulgora in Julian's trial.

The only opponent left to reveal is the Moon. Just for funsies, let's see what it represents:

Secrecy

Illusion, both self delusions and people putting on illusions

Confusion

Fear

While a characteristic of the physical moon, it should be noted that the moon's light drowns out the surrounding stars, obscuring them from view. It is also associated with water and tides.

Still need me to explain?

Fine. Let's go over Tasya's appearances with a fine tooth comb. We're all nerds here, it's cool.

The chief question that has to be answered is also the most obvious: why hasn't Tasya shown up in the other routes? Arguably, it is pretty simple: Portia's route is the only one where Portia reveals herself to Vesuvia and declares herself Julian's sister. This indicates to me that Tasya is here specifically for Portia, as does the evil lady's attitude towards Julian, which is dismissive at best and manipulative at worst. For all we know she has been lurking in the other routes under the assumption that Portia is dead.

Now, you may be asking, what the hell does she want with Portia? What could Portia offer her? Oh I don't know, an in with the ruling countess, an in with the two most powerful mages in the city, and knowledge of the entire court structure and all the secrets within it? Which Tasya gets? Oh, that was a rhetorical question? My bad.

Back to Tasya and how she links up with the Moon card:

Refuses to answer questions/Keeps secrets

This is the big one

There are so many questions she just dodges

How did you survive?

Where have you been?

What have you been doing?

Why haven't you contacted the siblings before now?

No, seriously, Julian DEVORAK was a famous, well respected doctor before and during the plague.

No, seriously, Vesuvia’s been actively looking for a DR. DEVORAK for the last Three Freaking Years, lady

No, seriously, the story of the shipwrecked kids being protected by salt seals wasn't enough of a clue for you????

Keeps Portia in the dark vis a vis her family and who they were

Okay this is cheating but where the fuck has Mazelinka been?

No, seriously, where is she, we didn't even get a reference to her when Julian was acquitted and we know she lives in the poorer parts of town 

How the fuck do you know about the ritual, the fact that the MC died, and that Asra is the one who did it?

I am not kidding, there is nothing in her backstory which indicates she should know any of this. Portia has explicitly been kept away from this plot thread until now.

Refuses to cite her sources

Seriously, most of these questions are so easy to answer that the fact that she doesn’t answer them and gets away with it is suspicious as hell.

Lying/presenting a false version of herself

The necklace (it ain’t hers or it’s far newer than she’s telling Portia)

It's not her house but she has her wine stores there?

All the gilt that follows her everywhere, aka fool's gold

She wears blue in contrast to the Devorak red

Her entire performance in the Underwater Room

Manipulating/Confusing/Frightening people

She just so happens to know Valerius and Vlastomil's weak spots and just so happens to own the one thing each of them would want

Isolating Portia

Refusing to let MC speak

Compares Portia to the mother (Tasya’s sister-in-law) she doesn't remember to create a bond

Swoops in to save Julian at the last moment, putting both siblings in her debt

Isolating Julian (dude’s been free for a week and this sounds like the first real conversation they’ve had about everything, Julian’s been working with Tasya on the canal issue)

Asking for Nadia's "approval" twice, once with definitely shady results- the bribe to free Julian, and once we are still waiting on- dealing with the canals

Trying to ingratiate herself with MC after having difficulty at the house

Somehow gets nearly the entire fucking court to attend her pre-masq ball

Water/Moon imagery

Bright clear day until she shows up then storm clouds gather quickly

Rain starts the instant Julian is declared innocent and her deals with Valerius and Vlastomil are cemented

The rain is so heavy you and Portia are:

The rain hasn’t let up once in a week

She works on/with the canals and flooded areas of Vesuvia

She owns a merchant fleet

Her entire family dies in a freak shipwreck in a freak storm after her brother refuses to join said merchant fleet

The bath salts she gives Portia 

The Underwater Room. Holy hell the Underwater Room. 

This line after her party:

I have to give Tasya credit. She manages to squeak by three different characters with great BS detectors: Portia, Julian, and Nadia all seem content to just let Tasya into their lives without questioning or vetting her. However, there is one character who might see through Tasya's bull: The Fool. Let me draw your attention to the Fool card:

Notice the light prongs. 

Now look at the light which peeks out during these important Tasya scenes:

They are identical.

The Fool (meaning you bc I assume I am not the only one hissing and spitting nails at this lady during her scenes) is the only one to see through this illusion even a little. This is because the Fool's Journey is to travel through and integrate all the cards’ lessons.

Okay, so now hopefully I have convinced you that Tasya Devorak is Portia's Moon and will have to be overcome for Portia to get to her ending, whichever end that may be. Whether Portia fully overcomes or falls into acting like her aunt is a matter of upright versus reversed. But I am about to go one step further. Buckle up homies because we are going back to the beginning:

WHO IS ANASTASIA DEVORAK?

Anastasia Devorak is the representative of the Moon Arcana. In the same way that Portia represents the Star and Asra partners with the Magician, Tasya will have to represent the Moon.

Yes yes I hear your objections.

"Navra is the Moon card!!!!!!!!!"

"Wtf are you smoking??"

I hear you, chickies. And I don't smoke, benadryl sends me on a trip, can't smoke anything with that kind of sensitivity. Here's the thing. Nadia's bad route demonstrates that a person can shift their Arcana representation. She moves from the High Priestess to become the Devil. Additionally, you the MC became the Fool through magical shenanigans. There’s evidence that Lucio started as the Fool’s representative and later became the Devil’s (which is a discussion for another time). The point is that people can move between Arcana and as such, the reverse can also be true, the Arcana can choose new representatives or have multiple representatives at a time.

So. Nadia’s family. They’re fairly minor characters in the grand scheme things, beyond Nadia’s route, of course. Unlike, say, Morga, who is expanded significantly in both Lucio and Muriel’s routes, Nadia’s siblings and parents basically remain background characters. They’re colorful, they’re pretty, they’re important to the backstory but they don’t directly impact the plot beyond being available to take on roles in the ritual. Much of the fandom has already come to the conclusion that they are placeholder characters in the Arcana, that we would be willing to replace them if someone better suited to a card came along or the story replaced them for the ritual.

With that in mind, let’s look at how Nadia’s siblings impact Portia. We’ll go from most important to least.

Nazali - Nazali is easily the sibling with the closest ties to Portia, save Nadia herself. Not only did Nazali train Julian as a doctor but they also taught Portia how to read, write, and care for Nadia while she was in her coma. Both Portia and Julian are fond of Nazali and they seem to get along really well with the Devorak siblings.

Nasmira - I rank Nasmira this high because she’s actually been involved with Portia’s route. She is present in Portia’s cottage when Portia confesses her secrets to Nadia, she assists with and participates in the seance which clears Portia’s brother, and Nasmira assists Nadia with calming the Vesuvians when Julian is arrested.

Nahara - has a backstory tale with Portia. They met each other on-board Mazelinka’s ship and Nahara taught Portia how to fight with a quarterstaff. Additionally, Nahara looks after Portia during the pirate fight. When Nahara shows up in the route, Portia still visibly has a bit of a crush on her.

Natiqa - Has interacted with Portia in two scenes, both of which emphasize the ladies’ mischief making shenanigans together.

Nafizah - Portia is captivated by her pet turtle and she seemingly plays along with Portia and Natiqa poking fun at the turtle.

Navra - Has one or two lines with Portia about the market.

All of this brings me to:

THE UNDERSEA ROOM AND THE THEORY

Well, we finally made it, everyone. This is the big one. Why do I think that Navra is doomed and Tasya will be fully cemented as the Moon? I mean, besides everything else I’ve said which clearly creates a giant screaming arrow that Tasya is the Moon?

So, the Undersea Room. I’ve already pointed out a few things about this but just to reiterate, look at who’s here:

We then have a conversation with Julian about food and freedom, then we get Natiqa spiking the punch and this with Navra and Asra:

D’aww. Well, it would be cute but something is definitely off. The player feels it as the seconds go by. This book is Death, Julian is alive, nothing dramatic has happened yet. Then we get this with Nadia:

I don’t know about you but that is a HUGE red flag to me. Nadia Not Knowing what’s going on in her own palace is always a recipe for trouble.

And then we get Tasya and the wine. Experienced players are freaking the fuck out right now because this is starting to look eerily similar to a certain ritual that shall not be named. She starts talking and we get this:

Wine snob Valerius reacts badly to Tasya’s wine when he explicitly liked it earlier in the story. Yeah, that’s not a red flag at all.

Then we come to the culmination of the book and Tasya so far:

Now let’s stop and think about this. Why the hell is Tasya spilling these particular beans at this particular moment? Yes, she’s a Devorak and Devoraks are known for their drama, fine. But she immediately blows the place to kingdom come after this. Literally. This lady has refused to tell anyone anything until now and here she is, revealing she knows exactly what went down three years ago and why.

Well. She’s just revealed that Asra is a necromancer. And then put him in a situation with a lot of dead bodies. And the last time we saw Navra was when she was right there with him. Oh, and we don’t know where Julian is. And in game we don’t know about his healing mark. And he has to meet the Hanged Man to push the plot forward.

At its worst, the Moon sows fear and confusion.

What better way is there to split the good guys than to force Asra to refuse to save Nadia’s sister or Portia’s brother? In the immediate panic and confusion after the explosion, are any of our friends who’ve lost someone going to take his no for an answer?

The Devil has been mysteriously quiet for chapters now. Lucio too. And now Tasya has fucked their Masquerade plans to hell and back. Were you wondering how the devs were going to tie that madness to Portia, the one character who had nothing to do with the previous Devil shenanigans? Worry no more, folks.

So, what’s next?

In the immediate future, we’re going to deal with Julian, Navra, and a ton of other people’s deaths. There is a possibility that Nadia is out of commission for a little while, adding to the chaos and confusion. Asra and Nadia will likely be at loggerheads. Portia is going to break with Julian, at least for a little while, because he kept such an important truth from her. She is going to feel helpless and alone and unsure of what to do. Why does everyone I love lie to me, she will ask. It won’t be her darkest hour, that awaits her in the Moon Chapter, but it will be close. Temperance is all about finding balance and coming together, which will happen only when the Devil makes his appearance.

tl;dr: PORTIA’S ROUTE HAS ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTING, WELL-SEEDED, AND GROUNDED IN HER CHARACTER, Y’ALL JUST NEED TO GROW A BRAIN CELL.

[mrslackles]

ggweek 2020: All About Rio

Thanks for tagging me, @gild-and-fire​ -- I never get to talk about Rio unless I’m denouncing his crunchy jackets!

Tagging @bathroombreaks @bourbon-ontherocks and @magneticflower if you haven’t done it yet :)

Why do I personally like or dislike Rio? 

He was always so light and fun. He turned all the stereotypes inside out since the second he talked about taking Beth’s dog out for a pee, admired backsplashes and got concerned about citrus erosion. There are a thousand reasons I love Rio, but the chief one is that he was the kind of person you just know everyone is drawn towards because they want to be around that energy. If he was on my screen, he was entertaining me, even if it was just because his dumbass doesn’t know how to operate a coffee machine, lol.

What are your headcanons about Rio’s and Mick’s relationship? Did they meet through crime? Are they lifelong friends?

To me, ~Demon (lol) always seemed like his right-hand man who would follow him to the ends of the earth and I think Rio trusts him implicitly -- my headcanon is that that isn’t because of lifelong friendship but rather because Demon did something (possibly life-threatening!) that proved his loyalty to Rio. I think they’ve probably known each other around 10 years or so and Demon sticks by Rio’s side because he trusts his instincts too and knows he will always do either the most right or smartest thing. They’re Best Friends 5Everrrr but would, like, never admit to it even though they are the embodiment of this meme:

What are Rio’s hobbies outside of work and Marcus? What do you think he’d get up to on a day with absolutely no responsibilities?

Boxing. Beth. LOL. 

I don’t think he has that many hobbies -- I think he loves being around his extended family, having a drink on his own or maybe settling with a book (/a TV show if it manages to lure him in) for a while. Otherwise he’s out there hustling, flipping his game; he’ll sleep/hobby when he dies. 

What do you think Rio’s goals for the future are?

Maybe this is with my Do Not Collect $200 lenses on, but retiring. I think, just like Beth, he initially had a plan with a goal -- whether a position or a number -- for when he would get out. He knows his life and job isn’t sustainable and ultimately he wants a good life for his kid and he wants to be there for that life. I also think he’s smart enough to invest what he makes so that eventually he won’t need the money; all he’ll have to figure out is how to get out. 

What do you think Rio is bad at (cooking, dancing, singing, etc.)? How come?

Compromise. Hahahahahahaha. Shopping. Hahahahahahaha. Ok, but seriously now: Who buys 20 of the same sweater in the same colour? Maybe he’s bad at washing so he just throws them out each time? I bet once he turned something pink (from that mahogany shirt of his!) and he was just like fuck it, I can afford a new shirt every day.

Why do you think Rio is drawn to Beth? + Why do you think Rio didn’t kill Beth?

Oof. I could write an essay. To cut it short: I think they’re identical and different in all the right ways. I think he’s different (see answer 1) to the world he inhabits despite being so damn good at it and he sees it’s exactly the same for her. I also think he sees a future in her -- he wants (some part of) that normal life for himself one day. Manny said it best: They want to be each other and they want to be with each other. The implications of that are vast.

What are your headcanons about Rio’s family? Siblings? Parents? Lifestyle growing up?

This is obviously something I’ve had to put some thought into because of all the fics I write. I feel the same as most people seem to that he grew up around a lot of women -- to me that could be up to 3 sisters. I’d say he’s really close with his mom and the apple of her eye -- both because he’s the only boy and he’s him, y’know? Who can resist that lil shit-eating grin? 

I don’t know that he has as great of a relationship with his dad, I don’t think he was present much. BUT I stand by my crack idea about his dad being a huge crime boss who’d been incarcerated for most of his life whom Rio then broke out with Boomer’s help, only to be roasted to death for all his decisions. That would entertain me greatly. I also think he could have a brother, but that’s mainly for selfish reasons because I want Jay Hernandez to play him, hahahaha.

Do you think Rio’s been arrested before Beth got him arrested in 1.10? When, and what for?

Yes, he was way too casual about his arrest in that TV clip, mans had picked out his best outfit and everything. He had the air of someone who’s been put in cuffs many times but always released soon after. He even told Beth that he sees the FBI as a routine part of his job. The police have probably come after him for petty shit before, hoping to turn him on anyone higher than him on the food chain, but within 48 hours he’s strolling right back out of the station with above-mentioned shit-eating grin.

If Rio weren’t a crime boss, what jobs do you think he’d be good at? Why?

Haha, I’ve made so many Accountant Rio jokes in my fics because I do love my Math King, but something that rigid wouldn’t really be for him. I think he’d do something that’s some combination of creative and analytical -- civil or structural engineering, perhaps. Or he’d do something completely creative -- art buyer? photographer? -- with a side hustle in stocks or something. In essence, he’d still be flipping his game and making big money because the man needs a way to fund his addiction to drawers. 

[zeleniafic]

How does Tess get along with each of the marauders? (I love Tess so much and thus will ask questions frequently to help keep you inspired for her)

(But fr though half of chapter 2 is written and it is almost entirely thanks to these asks thank you)

THIS IS SUCH A FUN ONE OKAY what’s funny is that when I first set out figuring Tess out as a character, the Marauders weren’t a big deal at all? They were minor figures in the story. It’s always been very Lily-centric, with Lily as Tess’ biggest canon connection... and that’s still true, but the more I fleshed out and WROTE for her, her personality just clicks really well with the Marauders, and I enjoy writing it, so they have a bigger role now than they did originally! And I also like how it mirrors w/ Lily & Snape vs Tess & The Marauders. The girls’ relationship is rock solid all along, but Tess only tolerated Snape for Lily’s sake, and Lily doesn’t like the Marauders for many years and only barely tolerates them for Tess’ sake, which I thought was a fun parallel.

Tess and Sirius:

They have a sibling-like dynamic. Sirius very much has a flirtatious personality and tends to flit around the Hogwarts population, even if only jokingly, but there’s never anything like that with the two of them. He is very much a “shithead older brother” type figure to her - he lives to give her hell but at the end of the day he’d knock anyone out for her, if there ever came a day she was incapable of doing it herself lolol. So, mostly he’d lean back and laugh while she took care of it herself... but he’d loom threateningly. They’re kind of a bad combo at times because neither of them is prone to diplomacy when they’re pissed off and they feed off of each other’s hostility and it just amps it up. (Similar to James and Sirius in the earlier years, feeding off each other’s energy during fights with other students... like, notably, Snape.) Lily often thinks he’s a bad influence on her  until he matures a bit, and even after they’re notorious for sometimes being a volatile duo. In the later years and during the story, after the war really amps up and Lily & Tess have been targeted specifically... Sirius is very much the protective older brother figure.

Tess and James:

Honestly? Very similar to Tess and Sirius lol. They don’t egg each other on as badly as Sirius and Tess do, nor fight as intensely. James, after finally maturing, is a little steadier than both of them. He’s the slightly more responsible but equally over protective brother figure to her and James very much sees her as the little sister he never had, and she even briefly stays with the Potters after her parents are killed. When he and Lily finally get together Tess is brought along in a strange way - like, James has always viewed her as part of Lily’s family, they were practically glued at the hip when Tess arrived at Hogwarts. Anyone who didn’t know better would look at them and think they were bio sisters. And when James and Lily get married it brings with it almost this official acknowledgement of Tess as family, if that makes sense?

Tess and Remus:

Now this one’s trickier. Tess has a years-long crush on Remus which he is painfully aware of, as is almost everyone in their circle of friends/peers. Remus is nothing but kind to her but he also kind of keeps a little more distance between them than the other guys do due to this crush. At first it made him feel kinda awkward because the two year age gap is just enough to feel weird when he’s 15 and she’s 13 crushing on him... it’s not really out of the ordinary for Hogwarts students but it’s just enough that it feels awk, and he uses it as an excuse to hide the bigger problem, which is his refusal to put anyone “at risk” by being that close to him/feeling unworthy of such attention even from someone else. Unfortunately this does kind of stifle their relationship, but later on in the story after so long spent apart, and Tess having grown past that crush after so much changing as a person, they’re able to rekindle the platonic friendship they had originally, as kids. Both of them will always have that “what-if” question in their head as adults, but... life just pushed them apart and they’re thankful to still have each other as friends. In another life, and in many other versions of this fic/Tess’ life, she would have ended up dating Remus several years post-Hogwarts.

Tess and Peter:

THE trickiest. God this one gives me fits and I still haven’t completely decided on an approach yet. I consistently have a hard time writing about Peter Pettigrew objectively because I just fucking detest him on the highest level and it is SO HARD not to let that leach into my writing. The temptation to make characters friends with everyone but him/have suspicions/never have liked him/etc is like a siren’s call. It’s how I always want to write it but it doesn’t work for most stories. Unfortunately, Tess’ is one - they’re not as close as she is with Sirius or James or even Remus, but they do each consider the other a friend. Tess had no doubts about Peter’s loyalty to the other Marauders and when his betrayal is revealed she is blown away, and grows to hate him just like Sirius/Remus do in canon.

[spmcomic]

nassy and chunks for the ask meme! >;3

nassy-

How I feel about this character:

i love this disaster woman. this terrible, awful, dumpster fire of a woman. i love writing for her, i love watching her try to keep the castle together and talk the count out of his plan at the same time in the game, i love the way her survival instinct buckles under her loyalty to this guy. the power of love nearly destroys her. and the fact that she knows he’ll never feel the same... absolute disaster.

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

in the comic i have her and the count kinda-sorta dating for a little bit before she, uh, burns that bridge. but the two of them are just terrible for each other, if left alone. their senses of humor don’t line up very well, so they tend to get dour and drag each other down... 

as before, i think nassy and mimi could be cute together. but honestly? for nastasia i kind of imagine the best-case scenario for her is that she eventually gets over the count and doesn’t feel the need to attach herself to anyone.

My non-romantic OTP for this character:

i love writing her and o’chunks bounce off each other in my story. i think in the game their friendship is much more fraught and unbalanced, but i do genuinely think that o’chunks would be a great presence in her life in the postgame. 

i also think that she and timpani would get along really well, once they got used to each other. they have a lot of reasons to be bristly with each other, but they are both mature enough to put it aside and at least try to get along, until they find that they do like each other.

My unpopular opinion about this character:

sometimes i feel like i’m the only one that figures nastasia had a very similar job with another group before joining the count lol. i depict her as a vampire because of the motifs- appearing as a bat, the hypnosis, the pallid skin, the fact that she takes a killing blow and then gets up a couple minutes later- and because it gives me a good way to explore what kind of organization she was part of before being rescued by the count.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:

i wish she had gotten to interact with tippi even once.

chunky- How I feel about this character:

i love the big silly man! i think he has a lot of really interesting qualities- that sense of honor and chivalry, especially- that go under-explored in the game compared to his teammates. i get it, he’s the comic relief, he does 1 damage, and then he gets pretty good mileage out of the “that escalated quickly” begging for death thing. that’s his “depth”. but it’s only a glimpse into his “dark side”, as it were, compared to everyone else in the gang. i feel like he’s just... missing a scene, somewhere toward the end?

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

haha, well, here’s my l’chunks flag again. 

if i want to get academic about it i could say i see him getting with a lot of people over time and not really being able to stick with any of them permanently. he’s just a regular guy, basically, and he’s been through so much weird nonsense (and some pretty traumatic losses) that most other people would have trouble relating to him, as fun and genuinely caring as he is. he’d have a lot of friends, and he would have nassy and mimi, but i don’t see him getting married or anything like that.

My non-romantic OTP for this character:

this guy is bros with nastasia for life!! and i think his boss fight would have been nearly impossible if he had teamed up with mimi and gotten some cover overhead. he’s just so easygoing, i think he’d be friends with most of the people he met, if he managed to calm down about the self worth issues.

i think i got the idea from a tattle in the postgame, that tiptron gives you about o’chunks, but i really liked the thought that o’chunks and the count were actually close, and i wanted to take time to really expand on that in my own story. i don’t quite have a word for the nature of their friendship- “brothers” seems too familiar, but there’s not really any other family analogue that works either. brothers-in-law? haha. i’ve seen a few people write o’chunks and timpani as siblings, and i think that’s a funny little parallel.

My unpopular opinion about this character:

i hardly ever see chunky get attention in the fandom and i can understand why- he’s harder to draw, he’s got less substance in the game, he’s missing that final scene where we kind of have something to reconcile his darkness with his silliness the way we do with, say, nastasia. he just doesn’t talk enough after chapter 5. 

but i still want to see more of him. i think there’s a lot of potential to expand on his character, and the gang kind of does need a “resident responsible person” to balance out their energy, because nassy sure as hell ain’t gonna accomplish anything if literally 0 of the team members listen to her. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:

i wish we had gotten more out of him- during chapter 6 or 7, maybe, or at the end of the game- to define the extra dimension to his character a little more strongly. i know he’s hard to write for. i spent a week strolling around with my phone memos trying to draw comparisons to other characters that i DID understand well, just to figure out what i even wanted to do with him. nintendo could have made it a little easier.

[revengerevisited]

I wanna do something a little fun and just share some of the KH fanfic ideas I’ve had for a while, which are mostly about Vanitas because of course they are. XD But yeah, here are my ideas:

1. A Shadow of Two - a sequel to A Heart and a Half, kinda a fix-it for KH3 but not really since it’s an AU to begin with. Vanitas Aqua and Ventus would be the main trio, but Sora Riku and Kairi are also POV characters, with each of them having their own trio and goals: Sora (with Donald and Goofy) looking for a way to revive Roxas while struggling with his own inner darkness, Kairi training with Axel and getting help from Ienzo in discovering her past, Riku Mickey and an unrevealed character on a secret Realm of Darkness mission and also finding a way to revive Naminé, and Vanitas Aqua and Ventus searching for the new Princesses of Heart while dealing with their own problems: Vanitas still dealing with his trauma while adjusting to normal society, Aqua dealing with something I can’t reveal yet, and Ventus... honestly I don’t know what to do with Ventus. The most obvious answer would be recovering his lost memories, but... well, introducing an egregiously convoluted backstory wherein Ventus and/or Vanitas might be a murderer isn’t exactly appealing to me, to say the least. I really wish Ven’s backstory could’ve been something I was allowed to make up myself. Other than that, the story would generally follow KH3 but with way more Disney worlds and hopefully fewer plot holes. ;P

2. Broken Hearts (Take Time to Mend) - a post-KH3 fic that ignores Re:Mind and the time-traveling Vanitas retcon. This fic is about the REAL Vanitas who was in KH3 and resurrected via scream energy who has returned once again, this time in the Land of Departure but is too weak to leave and is quickly discovered by the Wayfinder Trio. Tensions are high but he’s ultimately allowed to stay, with the focus of the story being on the four of them helping each other recover from their respective traumas: Vanitas’s years of abuse by Xehanort, Terra’s decade of possession by Xehanort (which according to the post-Re:Mind character files was a lot more traumatic than I’d realized), Aqua’s decade spent in the Realm of Darkness and subsequent corruption by darkness, and Ven’s... almost being killed by Eraqus, I guess. While pretty bad, that’s probably not as traumatizing as years of torture and torment, and the more obvious trauma to use would be Ventus committing/witnessing Strelitzia’s murder, but as I’ve established I just really don’t want to deal with KHUX at all. Anyway, this could work as a gen fic but since I love Vanqua so much I might as well make it one, maybe throw a little Terrella in there too 'cause why not.

3. This fic idea focuses on the aftermath of KH3, NOT Re:Mind, where Riku Kairi and Naminé are trying to adjust back to a normal life at Destiny Islands while also dealing with their grief over Sora’s disappearance. Kairi deals with blaming herself for Sora’s ‘death’, Naminé deals with being adopted as Kairi’s sister and learning how to be a normal person, and Riku deals with his growing feelings for Naminé, but the real star of the show is... Sora’s mom! Oh and Vanitas too, of course. Sora’s mom (who really needs a name) has finally been told about everything that’s happened these past two-ish years, and a month after Sora’s disappearance she finds a comatose Vanitas washed up on the beach. She assumes it’s Sora, although Riku and Kairi are quick to correct her. Despite their warnings, Sora’s mom nurses Vanitas back to health and basically adopts him, although he isn’t exactly happy with the situation. Still weak and recovering, Vanitas is unable to leave, and Sora’s mom won’t stop in her efforts to help him adjust to a normal life. This one could be merged into Broken Hearts, since I could imagine Riku informing the Wayfinder Trio about Vanitas’s return and an angry and distrustful post-KH3 Aqua wouldn’t want to let him out of her sight, but it might be better to keep them as separate fics seeing as they’re set in two different locations.

4. My next idea hinges on my theory of what the next KH game could’ve been like... or at least before Re:Mind pretty much shot it down. My theory was that Vanitas, the real Vanitas not the time-traveler, was still inside Sora’s heart and therefore went along with him to TWEWY. I haven’t played TWEWY but I know that Sora would need a partner to defeat the Noise, and what better partner than a former enemy? This would be similar to A Heart and a Half but instead of romance it’s a sibling team-up with them trying to escape Shibuya. This fic could also be combined with the previous idea as well... Maybe Sora allows Vanitas to win the Reaper’s Game and he ends up on Destiny Islands unable to remember what happened in TWEWY. Vanitas would be the key to getting Sora back but only if Naminé can unlock his lost memories. My only problem is that I would have to erase all that character development Vanitas gained with Sora to reset him back to have character development with the Destiny Islands characters instead, at least until he regains all his memories.

5. A different Vanitas and Sora team-up fic. Once again this is the real Vanitas who used scream energy to revive himself, but that made his heart rather unstable. He tries to fight Sora Donald and Goofy in Monstropolis but is too weak and sick and loses. Upon discovering that Vanitas looks just like him, Sora decides to take him back to Yen Sid for healing and answers. But Vanitas’s negativity is too much for the Gummiship to handle and it ends up stalling. Sora Donald and Goofy slowly nurse a very reluctant Vanitas back to health with the power of friendship, which would reduce the amount of negativity so the Gummiship can fly again. Vanitas and the trio travel to a few different Disney worlds and eventually rescue Aqua and Ven. I don’t know what would happen after that though, since I don’t want to just rehash exactly what happened in the Keyblade Graveyard.

6. A pre-BBS Vanqua AU. Only a few months after being created, Vanitas runs away from Xehanort to the Land of Departure, hoping to merge with Ven early. Unfortunately for him Ven is still in a coma, so Vanitas tries to merge with Aqua instead. This doesn’t quite work, but does end up linking their hearts in such a way that neither can go too far away from each other without feeling sick or even dying. Now stuck at the Land of departure, Vanitas is found by Xehanort who is enraged that Vanitas has basically ruined all his plans. Fearing for his life, Vanitas convinces Xehanort that the plan can still be salvaged: Vanitas will become Eraqus’s apprentice under the guise of Ven’s ‘brother’ and is tasked with encouraging Terra’s darkness while making sure Ventus and/or Aqua are trained to their fullest, depending on which one would be better to merge with. Xehanort, not wanting to start this entire endeavor over, agrees to the plan and introduces Vanitas to Eraqus and the others. Since Vanitas is now wearing normal clothing, Aqua has no idea that he is the masked boy who attacked her earlier, but feels strangely drawn to him due to their connected hearts. The rest of the fic would basically be about the four apprentices’ life at the Land of Departure, with Vanitas struggling with his loyalty to Xehanort vs his slowly burgeoning friendship with Terra Ven and Aqua, all while trying not to blow his cover with the Unversed.

I also have a few smaller ideas that I haven’t really thought through yet or might work better as oneshots or fanart: 1. A Lion King Vanqua AU with lion Aqua and black leopard Vanitas, Terra Eraqus and Xehanort also as lions, Ven as a regular leopard, and Braig as a hyena. 2. A KH1 retelling/reimagining with Vanitas reincarnated as Sora’s younger brother. 3. A Nier Automata AU with resistance android Terra, scanner Ventus, attacker Aqua, and Vanitas as a scanner with executioner chips installed by Xehanort sent to infiltrate Yorha. 4. A post-KH3 fic dealing with Sora’s restlessness after attempting to return to a normal life on Destiny Islands, feeling like he doesn’t belong after everything he’s been through. 5. Something about Aqua taking care of Ven when he first arrives at the Land of Departure, possibly Venqua. 6. A Vanqua-ish KH3 fic with Vanitas kidnapping Aqua to be used as a Guardian or Seeker back-up for Org13, but he eventually befriends her and lets her go. 7. And finally, a Namiku fic set between CoM and KH2. I kinda feel like this should be part of the A Heart and a Half ‘canon’, but I’m not actually sure whether it should be its own fic or just flashback scenes in A Shadow of Two.

You’ll notice that I really love stories about villain redemption, abuse/mental illness recovery, and former enemies becoming friends/lovers, which is why I’ve grown so disappointed with mainstream works nowadays rarely exploring those topics (at least not that I’ve seen). I guess that’s where that old saying comes in, “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself”. But yeah, that’s just a quick list of my KH fic ideas so far!

[thliahls]

b-b-b-back once again , cldn’t wait can’t be tamed .. as with all my intros .. tis a doozy so feel free to mssg me for a tl;dr if we feelin lazy i will totally understand , or scroll to the wc’s i tried to think of as many as possible bc i wanna plot wit every1 )): !! anyhaps like this n i will come force my heathen of a gurl on u !

⌠ GRACIE ABRAMS, 20, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER ⌡ welcome back to gallagher academy, THALIA HALL! according to their records, they’re a FIRST year, specializing in AWARENESS TRAINING, BREATH CONTROL, HAND TO HAND COMBAT + THREAT ELIMINATION and they DID go to a spy prep high school. when i see them walking around in the halls, i usually see a flash of dirt under a meticulously painted manicure, the shrill ring of her phone and poorly treated books creased at the spine. when it’s the (scorpio)’s birthday on 11/02/2000, they always request FISH FINGERS from the school’s chefs. looks like they’re well on their way to graduation. 

biography / pinterest

was born in the states but dad and her moved back to england the year she was born, which was also the year he graduated blackthorne. his mother was ‘never in the picture’ which has left her imagination to go down several paths, discontent with all of them. unfortunately daddy dearest crafts a space where she’d never dare ask ! she has a bit of an obsession with the blackthorne graduation ritual because of it .

was immediately placed under the care of two retired spies, sort of a foster care system within the spy community. dad still visited whenever he wasn’t working and still technically had full custody over her. up until she went to prep school, led a very sheltered life. homeschooled by them, but they were fairly lax. her dad expected a certain amount of training to be done, but her and her foster siblings usually mucked about a fair bit. her training would always be done in the form of games which she discovered early on that she loved to win, it made her fiercely competitive.

was very spoiled by them, grew up in a huge country estate and excelled in her home school classes without trying, which made her extremely entitled. she’d often wrestle with her siblings in the garden , and bring them to tears . biting them, pulling their hair, slapping them around . it would earn her a slap on the wrist , but it was never anything a sorry couldn’t fix . spends her free time laying in the grass reading , and learning the romance languages and was raised speaking cantonese bc that’s her foster parents native language . more invested in the sociology of linguistics and how it can be used to assert and diminish power but only cares for this in a self-serving way .

spy prep rolls around and it’s very exciting ! as predicted ( by herself lmao ) she does well, without even having to try. socially , she drifts through groups , picking up on cues on how to interact , what works well and what doesn’t . doesn’t find anyone particularly interesting and would much rather be reading but by not having any sort of allegiance to one particular group , it ends with her being very well-liked . the top marks is unsurprising, further fuelled by some amusing competition , finding that her desire to earn good grades comes more from wanting to spite others than actually wanting to achieve good grades . finals roll around and she gets the highest grade in her year and in tandem with being well liked, earns her place as valedictorian . she’s very proud of herself, not for earning valedictorian, but for besting aylin . 

in the months prior , on a field trip she meets a boy and for the first time in ever , exudes big dumb energy gets his number , starts texting him , starts sneaking off campus to meet him ... he’s a total casanova , a big romantic and exactly like the protags in the romance novels she reads . it’s a big prep school no-no but as long as no one finds out it’s fine ! then walks in aylin, and destroys her whole career by reporting her ( she doesn’t know for sure it was her , but has her suspicions since their rivalry had run throughout the entirety of prep school ). she’s kicked out , denied graduation , valedictorian and is humiliated . she calls her civilian boyfriend the night of , but his line’s already been disconnected , presumably threatened / beat up by her lovely dad .

her father is livid , but is able to use his connections to get her a place at another , less prestigious prep school and negotiates with the school to take her to and fro every day , like he’s picking her up from daycare . he stops working for a full year to do this , and expects her to feel indebted to him . the monotony of repeating the year makes her irritable, made worse by the snickers she constantly hears in the hallways . but she has gallagher to look forward to , knowing she’ll still be going there because continuing tradition is important to her father , who also decided her majors for her and had a big argument with him when she asked if she could take linguistics ! he makes her call him every single night at 6p.m. if she misses a call , he contacts the school . she hates him . 

personality 

passive aggressive emphasis on the aggressive : is always withholding judgement, but inevitably always lets a comment slip. think, ‘   you’re so confident to wear whatever you want to,   ’ or, ‘   wow ! that colour’s so bright i almost need sunglasses !   ’ petty as hell  in all respects physically too , spots a bruise on your arm ? you bet she’s gonna press it and ask if that hurts, then say sorry when you yelp . 

hypocritical : detests people who don’t try but doesn’t try herself and justifies it by getting really good grades . believes there’s no point sleeping with someone unless you love them , then will drunkenly hook up with someone that very same night . 

hope less romantic : she has no hope for others but remains a romantic . thinks people have given up on courting people and wooing them . expects flowers at her door , good morning texts and candlelit dinners . leaves secret admirer notes under people's door to people she thinks are cute and thinks she might have a crush on in the future , quite creepy but at least she doesn't use magazine clippings anymore ! 

spiteful : life is a game and she wants to win it ! makes everything into a competition , even unconsciously . goes up to the adjacent treadmill and makes the speed and incline several points higher than the person next to her . painting your nails with her ? she’ll make sure hers looks better and point out that you didn’t coat the ends of your nails . board game night with her is fun for no one but her , i’m so sorry if she ever ropes you into one !

bookworm : her disgustingly high standards about love come from her singular past relationships and books . read one too many jane austen’s and now she’s crazy

loyal : her loyalty is hard to earn , but once you’ve got it , you’ve got it .

*think the arrogant exterior of jesse eisenberg as zucc in the social network with emaline addario ( everything sucks ) type dramatics every so often to keep it spicy !

wanted connections

toxic friendship ! a slow burn relationship of passive-aggressiveness and co-dependency, one day they stop taking her shit or say they’re going to but always end up in each other’s company at the end of the day . or maybe one day they don’t come back to her and thalia is forced to admit she may have been too harsh .

hook-ups she has when drunk ! which she will only have when drunk , to follow her unspecified , no rights , belief system . will pretend like she does not know you the next day . oh to be a romantic , but a scorpio . a tough life .

people she has crushes on ! and leaves handwritten poetry under their door or in their notebooks , absolutely humiliating that she acts this way ! bonus points for a note that’s left under the door and the wrong person reads it . 

sparring buddies but make it feral ! no rules sorta deal, out in the woods, scratches from twigs, bloodied rocks, anything to let some of her pent up aggression out . they can go swimming after : )

daddy issues gang ! someone hears her on the phone in the hallway , inquires , proceeds to talk about how much they hate their fathers . thalia tells them how she’s going to kill him one day <3 alternatively , her father may have been the cause or implicated in the death of your chara’s loved one .

roommates ! self-explanatory , but she probably dislikes them and is unfairly harsh on them . sets rules but lets herself be exempt from them stuff like that x also for berlin she requested a room by herself lmao n deluded herself into thinking she wld be accommodated , thus i’m going to leave whoever she rooms with up to fate and she will hate it regardless of whoever she gets roomed with !

someone who hates aylin as much as she does ! yes this is deserving of a whole connection , thalia would probably die for this person . alternatively , aylin’s friends who she hates as a byproduct of hating aylin or tries to get them to hate aylin .

rivals ! because it’s the only thing that motivates her to do well in school .  

encryption major ! who helps her find out about her dad’s past , and present . what he’s done and what he continues to do . also a way for her to maybe switch one of her majors to linguistics and hacking a report that says she’s still in her predetermined majors .

take a chill pill ! someone who gets her to relax , makes her watch reality television which she relentlessly criticizes , but this person won’t give up trying to make her less of an awful human bean .

anything else ! i am , as the kids say , down to clown .

[princessamericachavez]

Blue and Ronan BROTP appreciation

One of my favorite things in TRC is Blue and Ronan’s friendship and, honestly, I feel like it’s so wildly underrated by everyone so I had to shout about it, obviously, because it’s such a wonderful example of a slowly growing closeness. Like, Gansey himself says that he makes friends all at once, from strangers to brothers, just like Henry, and Blue and Adam started by dating and then had to go through an entirely different path, and Noah depends so much on Blue’s energy to survive that their closeness is somehow explained through this... but Ronan? Ronan is the one friendship that Blue actually needs to earn. And she wants to earn it, from the second she meets him.

The Raven Boys

Blue talks about Ronan and how he’s the kind of person whose approval you want to earn, precisely because it seems like such an exclusive thing. She’s perceptive enough to catch that Ronan is an extremely loyal and supportive friend, and finds herself craving to deserve that same intense relationship with all of them. 

Ronan, on the other hand, doesn’t start with the best foot when it comes to Blue. It’s hard to tell, of course, since he doesn’t get a POV in the first book, but knowing what we do about him later on it sort of makes sense. A: She’s dating the boy who we later find out he has feelings for. And in re-reading TRB it becomes clearer that most of his negative reactions to her come from that. B: Ronan is a jealous person. Gansey later describes Ronan as being jealous of Adam when their friendship started, Ronan is jealous when Gansey becomes closer to Blue, Ronan is even jealous of Henry when he comes along later on. 

And yet, they get along. Almost reluctantly, like acquaintances, even though they spend most of their time together. They are tied by their love for Adam, Gansey, and Noah, so they tolerate each other. They are both the ones recognized by Cabeswater, as the medium’s daughter and the Greywaren. There’s an unspoken connection there that neither wants to acknowledge.

The first turning point, though, comes right after Blue comforts Adam, who is upset about Noah’s death and his own personal issues. Ronan comes out of his bedroom, looking —per Blue’s description— like he’s been having an argument with someone and finally gave up. That someone is, most likely, himself. Debating on whether he trusts Blue or not. When he comes out, though, he offers to show Chainsaw to her. Blue is shocked, of course, by his opening up and first, he takes it like a ‘no’, clearly upset and leaving until she jumps to say she does want to meet his pet. Blue is extremely careful with Chainsaw, petting her shortly before giving her back for Ronan to hold. 

At that point, Blue says Ronan’s smile is genuinely happy. Like that little bird is his heart and he’s happy to finally show it.

And she’s right! She’s so right! Blue, at that point, has become part of Ronan’s pack, she’s earned enough trust for him to share one of his most beloved dreams with her, and she doesn’t even know it. To be fair, I don’t think he knows it either. 

The Dream Thieves.

Funny enough, Ronan and Blue don’t interact a lot during TDT, but we finally get a look of Blue from his POV. Which shows several things. A: As stated above, Ronan is jealous of her, her presence makes him pissed though he doesn’t understand why. B: Ronan is surprisingly aware of Gansey’s growing feelings for Blue (when he sees her dressed as a lamp, he remarks that whatever lamp she is, it’s probably one Gansey likes a lot). C: Ronan likes Blue’s independence and standoffish attitude, like when she jumps into the lake to spite Orla and Gansey. He laughs heartily, in a way he rarely does.

They still crash, of course, like when Blue calls him out on knowing the translating box’s secret language, or when he makes crass comments at the Barns (though he also shows a softer side with her and the sleeping mouse that she initially distrusts) or when Ronan refuses to go to Blue’s family for answers and Blue takes offense of his religious moral high ground. It’s at this point, however, when Blue also notes that Ronan would do anything for Gansey, even if it means going to them for answers. Which, in turn, seems to earn him positive points in her book.

By the end of the book though, despite those fights, it’s pretty clear that Ronan already counts Blue as one of his own. Blue risks her life with Gansey trying to find Matthew for him when Kavinsky takes him, and Ronan instructs his night terror to protect both of them. She is already part of his pack, and recipient of his fierce loyalty. She just doesn’t know it, yet.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue

At this point, Ronan has adopted Blue in pretty much every way. It probably helps that her relationship with Adam is out of the equation too, but that is not all that’s changed. Gansey, correctly, thinks of Ronan as someone fiercely protective and loyal to a fault, and through this book, Blue gets to experience that first hand more than once.

Like when Gansey falls down a hole, nearly dragging Adam along, and Ronan’s first instinct is to hold on to Blue tightly and not letting go. She’s so shocked by this, that she even makes a mental note to remember that. His lack of hesitation to hold on to her. 

Later, when Blue and Noah go to Dittley’s to negotiate to get access to his cave and everyone freaks out, Gansey remarks that he will call Ronan to let him know he can stop looking now. Again, Blue is shocked to find out that Ronan was out there looking for her with the rest of her family, worried about her well-being. When she gets home, he remarks that he can’t believe she’s not dead in a ditch, which is his way to break the tension and could seem dismissive, if it wasn’t nearly the same thing he told Gansey at the beginning of the series. Ronan deals with feelings by making crass comments, but that’s only because he cares.

By the end of the book, when it’s only the two of them by the cursed lake, Ronan holds Blue back again and comforts her when she thinks her mother is dead. This Ronan is entirely different from the initial one. He’s soft, hugs her tightly and lets her cry —much like he would do with his little brother, as Blue remarks. He’s also dismayed by her intention to cross the lake and gives her their only lantern to fend off the darkness, even if it means he’ll be left alone in the shadows.

By this point, both of them know what their friendship is.

The Raven King

By now, their friendship is an easy given. Earlier in the series, Adam remarks that it’s a wonder that they don’t get along being so similar... well, by now the statement’s become true. 

Ronan happily congratulates Blue over getting suspended from school, and his approval clearly makes her feel much better when she’s upset. 

Later, when Blue gets hurt by Noah, he seems genuinely upset as Gansey recriminates his absence. However, when she walks out of the hospital with stitches, he makes a joke about her looking badass and bumps fists with her, which evidently cheers her up. He also makes a rude comment after she and Gansey come clean about being together —clearly intended to break the tension. He’s helping, always.

In turn, when Ronan calls the gang to meet up at the Barns, Blue is ready to drop everything —her pride included— to join them. There, Ronan confesses he tried to get some special balm to help heal her eye, which she’s genuinely touched for. By the end of the night, as she and Ronan go to the kitchen, they are laughing and roughhousing like siblings —something that Gansey remarks on and is marveled to see how much Ronan has recovered from his pain in the past year.

They are, still, bound by their love for Gansey, of course. They’ve become his protection squad and it becomes far more evident as they tag-team to go find and save his ass from his solo incursion into the tomb. 

As Ronan is being unmade, Blue and Gansey both make the biggest possible sacrifice to save his life.

The last thing we see of Blue, actually, is her following a scavenger hunt that Ronan set up for her as a graduation gift. RONAN ‘ASSHOLE EXTRAORDINAIRE’ LYNCH MADE A SCAVENGER HUNT TO GIVE BLUE A GRADUATION PRESENT. She admits that she got some details about the gift from him before the hunt because she wasn’t going to blindly follow his leads —something Gansey admits even he couldn’t do. Ronan and Blue understand each other on a deep level... shown by how perfect his gift is for her. It’s a personal and special gift because they know each other best. It took them a while, but that long road led them to a deeper and stronger friendship than either of them could have anticipated.

ANYWAY I LOVE THEM A LOT OKAY? THEY ARE THE BEST AND MOST UNDERRATED BROTP AND I HOPE TO SEE MORE OF THEM IN THE NEW TRILOGY