#i might try to draw this ngl... it's too precious

[burningcheese-merchant]

Golden Cheese’s wings had come in just a few weeks ago, and quite late, according to what she knew of her species. Usually, a Phoenix's wings sprouted during early teenagehood, but hers came when she was already almost 18.

She'd spent hours and hours combing through every inch of them, days watching the pin feathers slowly mature and their keratin sheath flake off so she could preen them to perfection. It had been a painfully long process, there were no other winged people around, let alone phoenixes, so she had to do it all by herself.

But now here she was, gold and turquoise wings shiny and huge and perfect. Except… Golden Cheese didn't know what to do with them. Fly, of course. But no matter how much she tried, she couldn't take flight. The thought of flying was exciting yet so terrifying at the same time, she couldn't even hover a few inches off the ground without her heart leaping to her throat.

It was such a pity too, she had wanted to surprise her best friend, the Herald of Change, by flying into his temple in all her golden, newly winged glory. She could imagine what face he'd make upon seeing her and it made her giddy. Alas, that would have to stay in her imagination.

The Herald was so busy most days, and as they both got older, he became burdened with even more responsibilities, to the point they could barely hang out anymore. But now, Golden Cheese had the perfect excuse to drag him out of that stuffy temple. He could never refuse her when she was insistent.

The boy, now man, really, stared at her wings as she proudly spun around to show them off. His open mouthed, amazed expression inflated her ego like you wouldn't believe “So, will you help me?” she asked

His face fell, and he looked to the side almost in guilt “...Not today, I don't think. But when I can, I will, I promise!”

Golden Cheese frowned “What? No way, come on, come on! Let's do it right now! It won't take more than an hour!” she grasped his hands with her own.

He inevitably relented.

It took much more than an hour. It took days, in fact. But eventually, Golden Cheese managed to flap her wings and stay a few feet off the ground, hands on a death grip around The Herald’s forearms as she gently grasped onto hers.

He could tell that she would not go further than this If It depended on her, so he did something a little foolish. He tightened his grip on her and started to run. As fast as he could.

His friend screamed at him to stop, threatening to kill him, priests be damned. But the wind on his back told him her wings were flapping, and once she stopped screaming and the sound of flapping became steady, he let go.

It took her a couple seconds to muster the courage to let go of him, but she did. And she flew. Higher and higher into the air, to the point she became a tiny speck in the bright blue sky. The Herald of Change watched in wonder as she slowly came down, he thought she was about to land, but was surprised when she started to fly in circles.

Golden Cheese’s wings shone in the Sun like fire, watching her was a spectacle for his eyes only. It was the most beautiful thing he's ever had the honor of witnessing, a moment that would never, ever leave his memory.

High above, her laughter was almost inaudible, but her delight was his delight. His beautiful phoenix, flying free and circling above him. He could never get enough of her.

If, somehow, The Herald of Change became The Great Destroyer, golden bird imagery would be heavily associated with him. In almost every single tapestry or artwork dedicated to him, It would be there, flying above the Destroyer himself.

And Golden Cheese, the goddess of wealth and ruler of the Golden city, would stare at them with confusion, and strange familiarity.

(A gift for you, I really like your blog! Was thinking about them a lot today)

This is so beautiful 😭😭😭 what have I done to deserve this cuteness 😭😭😭 thank you so so much, I love it! You write so well! GC and BS being dear friends that tragically drift apart due to heroic responsibilities is so... ugh, my heart. Friendship that evolves into romance that eventually ends in tragedy is peak. I can't thank you enough man, this made my day!!!

(ugh... The golden bird imagery featured in all of his artworks... Imagine he's shown always reaching for that bird, his body language and expression suggesting such painful longing... Fury and hunger in some, grief in others, all of them always bordering on desperation for her... I feel so ill rn)

[7ndipity]

He Forgets Your Birthday

Jin x Reader

Summary: Jin just wants to make your birthday memorable, but what happens when life gets too hectic and makes him forget?

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: angst, swearing

A/N: Thanks to the lovely anon who requested this! Sorry it took me a little bit to get to.

Masterlist

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Life moved quickly with Jin, in multiple ways.

The first time you ever met, he asked for your number, fearing you wouldn’t cross paths again and he might not get another chance. You both said ‘I love you’ less than two months into dating, after he accidentally let it slip out during one of your first nights together, you even ended up moving in with him after less than a year when the apartment you were subletting fell through(or more accurately, flooded through, but whatever)

Things also moved quickly because of your careers. Sometimes days would flick by without your realizing, a week would turn into two before either of you noticed, and then suddenly it’s been nearly two months since your last technical date.

Despite your reassurances that you understood, Jin felt guilty at times for the two of you missing out on special occasions like holidays or anniversaries with each other, but one day he promised he wouldn’t let slip past was your birthday.

You weren't exactly a fan of making a big fuss for your birthday, but Jin wanted to make it special for you.

“I’ll cook,” He’d promised you. “I’ll make all your favorites, as well as traditional seaweed soup for good luck, and then we’ll do whatever you want for the rest of the day.”

“What if I don’t want to do anything?” You’d asked, raising a brow as you sat on his lap.

“Then we’ll do nothing together,” He’d replied, pulling you closer. “And have a wonderful time doing it.”

It’d been an easy promise to make when your birthday was still almost a month away, but as the days and weeks passed, things became increasingly hectic. Comeback season was drawing close, and with it came the pressure and chaos of constant rehearsals, video shoots, and promotional activities, leaving Jin little time to think about much else. Half the time you were already asleep before he got home at night, tiredly wrapping himself around you for a few precious hours before starting the cycle all over again.

He didn’t even know what day of the week it was until Jimin spoke up as they slumped against the wall, trying to catch their breath during rehearsals.

“Oh, how’s Y/n? Did they like their gift?” Jimin asked. “I haven't heard from them since I texted happy birthday this morning.”

Jin felt his heart screech to a stop as he looked over at the younger man, hoping he had misheard. “What?”

“The flowers you helped us pick out? I figured they would’ve-” Jimin’s voice trailed off as he noticed the growing look of horror on Jin’s face. “Tell me you didn’t forget?”

Jin’s whole body felt cold as he fumbled for his phone, stomach dropping as he read the date, and then the numerous text notifications from you.

His hands shook as he read your words, his heart pounding loudly in his ears.

‘You left this morning before I got to say it, but love you💖’

‘Do you know what time you’ll be home?’

'Ngl, I'm kinda excited for tonight, it's been ages since I had your cooking😋'

‘Jinnie? Is everything okay?’

‘You’re not coming, are you?’

‘You could at least answer your phone so I know you’re okay.’

Shit.

Sparing no time explaining to the others, he grabbed his things and bolted out the door, nearly sprinting for the elevators.

He couldn’t believe how badly he’d fucked up, you must’ve been so upset with him. How would he even explain himself to you? Would you even talk to him when he got home? He wouldn’t blame you if the answer was no.

“Y/n?” He called as he opened the door but the house was silent, all the lights off, the stillness seeming to loom over him as he kicked off his shoes.

Tip-toeing through the house, he caught sight of the bouquet of flowers the guys had sent you sitting proudly in the center of the dining table, their cheery brightness almost mocking him now.

As he neared your shared bedroom, he caught sight of a sliver of light slipping out into the hall from the crack in the door.

Peeking in, he found you curled up on your side of the bed, sound asleep, but he could tell by the puffiness around your eyes that you’d been crying, shattering his heart completely.

He slowly sank down on the bed next to you, gently brushing your hair out of your face.

“I’m so sorry, Y/n.” He choked, tears blurring your image in front of him. He felt like the worst boyfriend in the world, how could he have forgotten something like this?! He had promised you!

He’d always tried so hard to live up to his commitments and responsibilities in your relationship, no matter how small, but in the moment when it mattered the most, he’d failed you.

“Jinnie?” Your cracked, sleep laden voice snapped his attention back up to you, meeting your tired eyes.

“Y/n, I’m so sorry.” He said, crying in earnest now.

“ ‘s okay.” You said drowsily, too tired to fight with him.

“It’s not. I made you a promise, and I fucked up.” He said, wiping his face.

You didn’t speak, sitting up slowly and pulling him into a hug. As upset as you might’ve been, you couldn’t stand to see him cry.

You wouldn’t lie, you were deeply hurt, but it wasn’t just for you. You’d seen how hard he’d been working lately, coming home late sore and exhausted, bags under his eyes from fatigue. You hated seeing him so tired all the time, so stressed and not able to do anything about it. You knew that under normal circumstances, he would’ve never forgotten, but your lives weren’t normal.

“I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” He cried into your neck. “I’ll find a way.”

“Jinnie, I don’t care about the dinner,” You said, trying not to start crying again yourself as you pulled back to look at him. “All I really wanted was to be with you.”

“I’m sorry.” He whispered.

“Just come hold me, please.” You half dragged him under the covers with you, winding your limbs around each other tightly.

Neither of you spoke much as you slowly drifted off to sleep, clinging to each other desperately, needing to feel each other to be sure you were both still there.

When you opened your eyes the next morning, you found his side of the bed empty.

Sitting up slowly, you glanced around, questions only just beginning to form in your mind before you heard a faint noise from somewhere in the house, the scent of one of your favorite dishes drifting through the open bedroom door.

Still groggy, you climbed out of bed and followed the smell to your kitchen, where you found your missing boyfriend, his back to you as he stood over the stove, fussing at something he was stirring.

“Why are you so salty? I didn’t even add that much.”

“Maybe it’s just in a bad mood.”

He turned at the sound of your voice, eyes softening as they found you in the doorway, messy hair and sleep clouded eyes, wearing one of his pajama tops as a sleepshirt.

“I thought you were still asleep.” He said softly.

“What are you doing?” You asked.

“Fulfilling my promise to you.” He said, turning back to the stove for a moment as he spoke. “It’s not quite all of your favorites, but it’s a start. Plus, we’ve got the whole day to do whatever else you want to do.”

“I have work.” You said, not unkindly.

“No, you don’t.” He responded. “I left them a message saying you were sick and couldn’t come in today.”

“Sick with what?” You asked.

“Bad boyfriend-itis,” He said, coming over to hook his arms round your waist. “It’s a very serious condition, it requires a lot of rest and care to recover from.”

“You’re not a bad boyfriend.” You said quietly, fiddling with his shirt collar.

“I’m not so sure about that.” He said, frowning.

“Well, I am.” You pushed up on your toes to press your lips to his softly, making him melt instantly. You let your hands slowly trail up and around his neck, earning a slight shiver from him before you pulled away to look at him. “What about rehearsals?”

“I told them the same thing as your work.” He said with a slightly dazed grin.

“You have boyfriend-itis too?” You raised a brow at him questioningly.

“Are you kidding? I’m patient zero.” He replied, earning a giggle from you, making his heart swell as he smiled down at you.

“Go back to bed,” He said softly, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead. “I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

“I don’t wanna go back to bed.” You said, wrapping your arms around his waist, looking up at him seriously. “I told you last night, I just want to be with you.”

“Alright then.” He hooked his hands under your thighs, boosting you up to sit on the counter with a surprised squeak from you. “You can sit here and be my lovely assistant.”

“I don’t even know what you’re making.” You giggled again.

“Doesn’t matter, just follow my lead and make yummy noises when I show you something.”

The two of you talked as he continued cooking, stopping each time he passed by you to leave a kiss on your waiting lips. Once everything was ready, you moved to the table, sitting close enough that you could reach over and grab his hand as he settled next to you.

He glanced up at you. “What is it?”

“Just thank you.” You said.

He tilted his head. “For what?”

“Being you. Being here.”

Jin felt the familiar twisting in his chest as he leaned over to press another kiss to your lips.

“Always.” He promised.

He wouldn’t make the same mistake again, he swore to himself, he would be there for you, no matter what else was going on. You were his world, his heart, and he would make sure you knew that from now on.

Taglist: @sopebubbles-replies @btsw1fe @this-must-be-my-tardis @whitefoxgirl @bethanysnow @coffeedepressionsoup @main-bangtansmauyeondan

[accirax]

(Reminder that you need to click the link that's beneath the screenshot.)

Already read the translation. Hopefully you can too because it's hilarious!

agreed, the three of them (and Jake as well) should be friends. although, i don't know if Drew really has any bullshit for Dan to put up with? he seems like a pretty chill guy. really, it's more Dan and Drew having to try to talk Tom out of whatever trouble he's gotten into now, yet Tom still following his heart and making mistakes constantly.

i'm also going to combine some more of the tweet asks below the cut!

This is actually pretty cute ngl. (saying as someone who doesn't particularly care for aleriya either way (though I can see the appeal/aesthetic))

ooh, they look good in red! maybe it should've been the red team instead of the yellow team. well, then we'd have to put Grett and Yul in red as well. maybe not.

this artist did a great job of capturing all of the detail in the costumes, and i like the kinda painterly brush they used. even though i don't ship aleriya either, they totally look like they'd be the romantic leads of a kids' picture book.

Aww~ :)

stop staring at me with them big ol' eyes-- (/j)

very cute! i like the color palette. sucks that this baby already has to wear glasses, though. imagine your eyesight being so terrible that you have to wear glasses before you can even read.

(or, maybe they're Cheryll's glasses. that would be precious.)

Love the redraw! :)

Aiden looks so over it, lol. as if you wouldn't be doing the exact same thing if James was out there doing cartwheels.

the artist did a good job reinterpreting the pose with the more realistic proportions of their style. maybe i should try doing some Disventure Camp pose redraws someday; that could be fun. although, i'd wager that the next DC thing that i draw will probably relate to season 4, though i can't say that for sure.

AWWWW!!!! X3 Really hoping that we get, at the very least a 5 second cameo of Drew in TomJake, since they all live in Canada. I need it. I miss my baby. He was gone too soon. ;-; I won't lie, I personally do not care for Jake and Tom getting a spinoff story, AT ALL. But I might end up watching it anyway, for the extra lore. And who knows, if it gets enough views and does well enough in the community, it *might* convince Jared and Robert to make spinoffs for other characters. Like Drew. Or Ashley. Or Alec (which is what I'm hoping most for if you could n't already tell).

the pose sort of reminds me of a polaroid that they would show in the credits of the movie to reassure that everyone is having a great time after the plot is over. actually, i guess it has similar vibes to the canon instagram post of Ellie and Tess graduating, so maybe that's where i got that idea, lol.

including Drew as a background gag would honestly be a brilliant idea. like, Jake runs off somewhere, and in the background, there's just Drew holding up a piece of paper that says "???". i have no clue where in Canada Drew and Tom/Jake/Miriam live-- the country is quite large, so it could be an equivalent distance to Ashley living in Texas and Ellie/Tess living in New York-- but given that Ellie will be in the series, someone is travelling somewhere! so it's definitely possible.

i'm pretty neutral on the TomJake series, mostly because i don't know what it's going to be about. in a best case scenario, it's a delayed wrap-up to All Stars, further exploring some of the plot threads that weren't fully developed leading up to and after Riya's win. in a worst case scenario, it's a disjointed collection of mildly confusing fanservice, a la "Derek and Trevor accidentally kiss in the shower." (i actually liked that episode as a whole, but man was that moment in particular cringe.) i'm definitely going to watch it just so that i know what's up, but i do feel like they probably could have better used this time elsewhere (more staff stories, official season epilogue, start s4 faster).

but, Sapphire, if they did an Ashley, Drew, or Alec spinoff, how would they lure people in by putting gay people in the thumbnail??? (/s) mostly kidding, but i'm sure it is true that they were willing to bank on a TomJake series because they knew that those popular characters would get the clicks. if we got another spinoff, it'd probably be jaiden-centric, lmao.

of course, Ashley and especially Alec are also pretty popular, so it's not outside of the realm of possibility! an Alec series would definitely good, to clarify his relationship with Fiore, learn a bit more about his family, and perhaps touch on what Riya's up to after the show. an Ashley show i fear would lack any conflict (because she slays at life so hard), but maybe we could learn a bit about her family too.

They would make a neat duo ngl. If Dan ever made it to All-Stars that is. 😅 I actually remember one Ally greeting where she said she thought Dan was a pretty cool/nice guy and how unfair it was the way Gabby cheated him in eliminations, or something along those lines. I can try to find it later.

oh, these two could definitely make a nerd alliance. throw in Alec and Lake and you'll have brains that brawn and beauty should definitely watch out for.

are Ally, Dan, and Alec the only (main) characters thus far to wear glasses? oh, i guess there's Oliver too. typecast fr.

Enjoy this random art of Lill leading a family of ducks

so cute!!!!! i love the ducks' little hats and scarves. the purple team deserved an animal mascot. i bet Ashley would love to pet these little guys as well :)

Add Dan, Drew & Tess and this book club is complete! 😁

"Disventure HS" intrigues me. is this an AU where they're all students in high school? even if Alec was a senior and Fiore was a freshman, having them that close in age would be cursed as hell. hopefully Alec is just the literal librarian. maybe it's "bring your niece figure to work day".

Ellie/Alec/Fiore/Lake/Dan/Drew/Tess would be a really interesting tribe to start with. i wonder who would get voted out first?

Hm. Interesting chart. The one I agree most with is that I definitely would've liked to see an interaction between Tess and Alec. Those two do have quite a few things in common (quiet, reserved/introverted, level headed, fairly intelligent, logical, lone wolves who like to read, etc.) so I'm sure they would've clicked well with each other. Eh, who knows? Maybe there was some interaction at the motel off camera. Though that is mostly just wishful thinking, since I highly doubt either of them would ever see a reason to talk to the other with how little they know about each other, being from separate seasons and all.

yeah, and Alec was in the Motel for a pretty short amount of time (2 episodes, maybe like 5 days). canonically, he probably spent a lot of that time talking to Fiore and then Connor. Perhaps Ellie and Grett as well.

god knows Alec could use a therapist friend, though. maybe if people started following each other online, they could wind up chatting with each other then! or, i'm sure Alec would read Lake's book someday, so he could at least see her illustrations then.

i think you can probably guess which box i agree with most. (it's the favorite friendship one)

thanks for sharing all of these tweets with me!

[hazbinhappy]

Hey, I just wanted to say thank you for that oddly adorable match-up with Vox! Didn't know what to expect, but that was funny and cute. Very spot on, too. From setting boundaries and calling him out to letting the man vent. (Kinda funny how I pictured shorty staring up at 7 foot tv man and just being like, "You want this, just say so. I can feel your eyes on me when I am getting into my costumes, you know. Or when I am working on audio mixing, or when I just want a drink from that shop down the road -") I would 100% be taking those glowing offenses to the ambiance down myself, haha. The vision was seen! (Might now be into the tv, lol). Thank you for the compliments on the little impromptu demon form. Who knows, when I have time, I would like to try drawing them (they would likely turn into an OC, but hey, that is part of the fun like your precious moth OC). Ngl, you got me even thinking more about her and potential future writing and character creation with her for fun. I hope you are taking time to take care of yourself, <3

i'm doing well-ish, but i got myself good! i hope you're doing good as well!

i was going back and reading it and it's so funny, i'm glad that you found it funny and cute as well!

i hope you have fun with your OC as well!

[miraclecherryblossomsblog]

I am doing okay-ish lately lmao. Some mood swings been getting the best of me ngl lol. Might be cus period just ended??? But I am trying my best!

I hope you have been doing alright too, lovely :3 😘🫂💜💜💜

Also feel free to yell thots about u as fantasy mc in video game at me any time any where >:)))))))

Ah yes, shark week's aftermath.....were truly victims of our own bodie fr 😔✊

And nah cuz now i wanna make a post about it kkdkrmdjmekdjmdmj

Cuz like..

Imagen mc ane being this cartoonish looking dude while all the npc/ playable characters r like in this super preddy style lmao

I like the idea of u (the controler of the mc) being able to change ane into whatever, from an elf, to a dragon hybrid, orc, or mabey just a knight or painter

Chocolate & fish soup being very precious cuz it gains her a great amount of hp

Like in zelda, having different outfits/ hairstyles and multiple weapons and like i imagen some of those weapon names from being adsolutely riduclous like "BIG FUCKING GUN" or "CROTCH DESTROYER 10000" they sound funnier in my head lol

WAIT IMAGEN GAVING THE OPTION FOR ANE TO BITCH SLAP NPC'S JJIJINNIHININI4JINI like this dude pissing u off cuz the talking big smack and u just click on "slap to shut" 😭💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

Her swearing in spanish everytime she gets hurt/ tired or theres a blocked area

OBLIVIOUS RIZZ: THE ABILITY TO RIZZ A CHARACTER WITHOUT HAVING THE KNOWLEDGE U ACTUALLy RIZZED

There being a location where u can paint and draw stuff <333

Mini games that sort of teach u hispanic culture!!! Idk much about my heritage tbh but i feel like it would be interesting to give some info from my home country

VILLIANS BEING ROMANCE OPTIONS TOO!!! like after u beat them u get the chance to kiss them imma die 💕💕💕💕💕💕

Lil companion! U can choose whichever animal companion u want <33

Defenitely gonna be some spicy if u know u know 👀👌👌👌👌

Fuck i rambled out lol but defenitely i fun idea

[wistfulcynic]

biblio - philia

@courtorderedcake often sends me posts and picsets, which I love, but I know she’s hoping they might spark a fic and as I generally have fifteen ideas on the go at any given time, I don't always have the spoons to follow through on even a promising prompt. 

However. 

This little ficlet is inspired by this post sent to me by Court. It... got a bit emotional. I hope you like it ❤️. 

-

Words: 1.5k Rating: G Tags: modern AU, books, rough childhoods, some pretty sappy emotions, ngl. 

On AO3

-

biblio - philia:

“So what kind of books do you like to read?” 

Emma hesitates with her fork halfway to her mouth. “Um,” she says, then stuffs the bite in and takes her time chewing it as she tries to come up with an answer that won’t make her sound like a child.

 “I really like short stories,” she says finally. 

“Oh?” Walsh raises an eyebrow and it occurs to Emma, not for the first time, that he can be really fucking patronising. Why did she agree to this date, again? “Saki?” he asks with a smirk. “O Henry? Poe?” 

“Fairy tales,” she replies shortly, irritated by him pulling author names out of thin freaking air as though he knows them. Maybe he does, but that doesn’t make it any less obnoxious. 

“Fairy tales?” he says with a scoff. “Pretty princess stories?”  

Emma frowns. There are no pretty princesses in the stories she’s talking about. 

“Witches, more like,” she says. “Baba Yaga. Nourie Hadig. Vasilissa the Fair.” 

“Oh.” Walsh looks taken aback, and she draws perverse pleasure from it. He doesn’t know everything, much as he likes to pretend he does. “That’s—well, it’s not what I would have expected.” 

It’s not really what Emma would have expected either. She’s never been much of a reader. It was hard to be, bouncing from one school to the next, never really having time to settle in and form relationships with teachers and school librarians. No foster home she ever lived in had much to offer in the way of reading material, and she just never developed the knack of escaping into books. 

Not like Killian had. 

“Saved my life, is what they did,” he said, tracing the gilded title on his copy of Treasure Island. “When my father was drunk and my mum was crying. Liam made me stay in our room, said there wasn’t anything I could do to help. Which was probably true, but I could still hear them. I could hear—” He swallowed hard, gave his head a tiny shake. “Unless I had a book,” he continued hoarsely. “Then I could shut it all out, pretend I was sailing off in search of Flint’s treasure or taking the Ring to Mordor. Books kept me sane.” He looked up to meet Emma’s eyes. “I’d like for you to know that too,” he said softly. “That… transportation to another place, away from all things that trouble you.” 

She shook her head, her chest aching. “I’m not like you,” she said. “Words don’t—I don’t know, they don’t vibe with me. I just get bored if I try to read.” 

“What if I read to you?” 

“What?” 

His face was hopeful, his eyes a drowning blue. “What if I read out loud and you listened?” 

“Um, well—” She thought about it. About Killian’s deep, smooth voice telling her a story. About sitting, cosy under a blanket, and just listening to him. “—yeah.” She gave a small shrug. “Maybe, if you wanted to.” 

He smiled. “Let’s give it a try.” 

And still, Emma thinks, she’s never read a book. 

~

The date ends as early as she can manage it. Walsh drives her home, tries to invite himself in. 

“Best not,” says Emma with a tight smile. “My roommate’s probably asleep.” 

“Ah.” There’s tension in Walsh’s smile as well. “Sure,” he says. “Your roommate.” 

She wants to ask him what the hell he’s trying to insinuate, but also she doesn’t really care. She gave Walsh a chance and it didn’t work out, and—

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” says Walsh. “Maybe we can—” 

“I don’t think so,” Emma replies firmly. “I don’t think you and I are going to work.” 

“Yeah.” Walsh sighs. “Yeah. Okay, then.” 

He gives her a nod then turns to go. No further words are spoken. 

Emma turns the key in the lock as quietly as she can, creeps into the apartment on the tips of her toes. The television screen wants to know if he’s still watching but Killian is sound asleep on the sofa. Emma smiles softly as she brushes back a lock of hair that’s fallen across his forehead. This is a turnaround, she thinks. Normally it’s her falling asleep, to the soothing sound of Killian’s voice as he reads her a tale. 

She doesn’t think she can carry him to bed the way he does her. 

“Killian?” she murmured, nuzzling sleepily at his neck as he lifted her from the sofa. The effortless ease of the motion, the smell of his skin and the warmth of his breath on her cheek had her heart fluttering, her belly clenching with sensations she couldn’t bring herself to name. 

“Shh, love,” he replied. “Go back to sleep.” 

“But is it finished?” she protested. “How did it end?” 

Killian laid her gently on her bed and pulled the blanket over her. “We’ll read the end tomorrow,” he said softly, and she was sure she imagined the press of his lips on her brow as she drifted into dreams. 

They never do read the ends, though, she thinks now. The next night is always another story, another ending she falls asleep before she can hear. 

“Killian,” she says softly, brushing her fingertips down his cheek. “Killian, wake up.” 

“Hmmm?” he mumbles, sleepy eyelids blinking open. “Swan?” 

“Hey. You fell asleep.” 

“So it seems.” 

“I just thought you might prefer to do that in your bed, so you don’t wake up with a crick in your neck.” 

“Aye.” He sits up and rubs the neck in question. Emma gulps as she watches the cords stretch as he does, and the ripple of muscle beneath his t-shirt as he rolls his shoulders. “How was the date?” he asks. 

“Eh.” She shrugs. “There won’t be a second.” 

“I’m sorry, love.” 

“I’m not. I wasn’t that into him to begin with.” 

“Well, so long as you aren’t upset.” He’s watching her so intently.

“Definitely not.” 

His expression relaxes into a smile. “I’ll say good night then,” he says, standing and moving towards his door. 

“Good night, Killian.” Her heart twists a bit as she watches it close behind him.

~

In her room she sits on the bed and kicks off her heels, reaches into the paper bag that sits on her bedside table. A soft knock sounds at her door. 

“Come in,” she calls, letting the item fall back into the bag. 

The door opens and Killian steps in, rubbing at his neck with one hand and holding a very familiar object in the other. 

“We, uh, didn’t get a chance to read tonight,” he says. “And I thought—well, I thought perhaps you might be ready to see some of these endings for yourself. That you might like to keep this for your own.” 

He reaches his hand out to her and she takes what he’s holding, staring wide-eyed at the worn cover, her thumb tracing along the F in Fairy Tales. 

“But—” She looks up at him, dumbfounded. “This is your favourite.” 

“Aye,” he agrees. “It’s seen me through some very tough times. That’s why I want for it to be yours.” 

There’s a lump in Emma’s throat and she has to swallow hard around it. “Thank you,” she whispers. “I’ll take good care of it.” 

He nods and turns to go. 

“Killian!” she cries out, and he turns to her again. “I—I love this book,” she says. “I love it because you love it and because I—” She can’t finish the sentence but Killian’s eyes snap to hers and the look in them is ferocious. She grips the book tight to her chest and reaches into the bag on her table. 

“I bought this today,” she says, pulling out another book. The same book. A newer copy, with a tougher cover and illustrated with real engravings. “I was going to read it tonight, but now—” Now she holds his book against her heart and knows she can’t part with it, not for anything. Not for all the world. 

“Now I want you to have it.” 

“I—” He takes the book almost reverently, eyes shining as he runs his fingers over the cover. “I don’t—” 

“I want it to be yours,” she whispers. 

“Emma,” he chokes, and then he is pulling her close, his fingers in her hair and their books knocking against each other. “I’ll treasure it,” he says his voice thick and rough with emotion. 

The words he doesn’t speak are the most precious ones she’s never heard.  

“I love these stories,” she says. “But only in your voice. The words are beautiful but it’s you speaking them that transports me. I bought the new book for the words but it doesn’t have you in it. This one, though—” She grips the old book tighter. 

“That one is my heart.” 

“And that one—” she nods to the new book, clutched tight against his chest “—is my hope.”

“Your hope?” 

“For an ending,” she whispers. “A happy one.” 

He rests his forehead against hers and she sighs into his embrace. “Oh, my love,” he breathes. “That, at least, I can promise.” 

-

[vanikolya]

hello! can i request a matchup (male characters) for bungou stray dogs & assassination classroom if that's okay? thank you 💕

― i’m a female and a grey asexual!

― appearance-wise, i’m 165cm (5’4"), asian, with shoulder length black hair and dark brown eyes! i don’t like wearing dresses, often times i’m wearing long sleeves paired with shorts or jeans.

― personality-wise, i can be cold and really blunt at first and i don’t let people in easily bc trust issues™ at the rare times people actually succeed in making me their friend, i’m a bit chaotic. i’m a rational person (which sometimes offend others??), but i can be very childish at times. i have pretty dry and dark humor, and i love making sarcastic comebacks. it’s literally second nature at this point. i’m a vv moody & have a short temper. people say i’m iNtElLiGeNt, and so naturally, i’m the person my classmates go to for academic help, despite being super harsh when they get something wrong. (i can’t help it bc what i teach them usually seems easy to me ;-;"). and sometimes i’m just so done with everyone’s shit that i don’t care about anything HHHHH it’s like i have two separate personalities??

― i like horror, psychological thrillers, action & action comedies. i’m very interested in psychology & pathology, and i want to be a psychologist or a forensic psychologist one day. i love spicy food and have a sweet tooth! (ill eat literally ANYTHING sweet) i also prefer working alone than in groups, bc i do better alone. i love foxes & cats too! (i have a cat named ginger eEEE) i also really love collecting stationery!!

― i hate crowds & socializing. i’d prefer staying in and binge watching anime or movies! despite being the person people come to for academic help, i absolutely hate studying and rarely ever do study.

― my hobbies are writing, drawing, playing the piano, violin & guitar and singing! at a young age i’ve been taught how to play those instruments, but i’m only really good at piano. the life of an asian lol

this is rly long omg- anyways, thank you!!

{i hope this is alright! it’s my first time doing a matchup ^^; i hope you enjoy! i wrote them in a headcanon format since that’s what i’m most comfortable with, hope you don’t mind that! - s}

i ship you with...

{.⋅ ✯ ⋅.}  RANPO EDOGAWA  {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.}

at first, ranpo finds your bluntness interesting; he isn’t going to push you just for the sake of figuring you out, but he can tell there’s something more to you than your cold attitude

completely understands you getting annoyed when your classmates ask you for help and get it wrong, he feels similarly whenever he has to explain the reasoning behind his deductions, and when his clients don’t understand him

he loves that you’re both chaotic/childish and also rational, as he understands that sometimes life really does call for being serious, but downtime is still precious to him and he’s glad he can have someone to relax with outside of his work/the agency

supportive of your dream to become a psychologist, he definitely knows you’re smart enough for it. if anyone tries to convince you to do something else even if you don’t want to, he’ll honestly just like, complain about them to you but he’ll do it in front of them to put them off the subject. he also thinks the idea of being with a forensic psychologist would be interesting, but not in a kind of way where he’d be dissatisfied if you chose to do anything else

stubbornly possessive of his own sweets and sweet stash, but honestly doesn’t mind sharing with you or letting you take some, just as long as you replace anything you’ve taken for yourself

ngl i hc that he loves cats too, if the two of you were to move in together at all but ginger stayed at your family home he would be constantly, cheekily asking to see them, but if ginger moves in too he is chuffed

thinks it’s super endearing that you like to collect stationary, though he doesn’t particularly understand why you love it so much. doesn’t mean he’s not going to buy or ask yosano to buy things for you if he ever spots little stationary things like stickers or memos that he thinks you might like

prefers to stay inside with you anyway, most if not all dates planned by him consist of things like movie nights or playing games inside. if you do want to go outside somewhere though, on occasion, it isn’t a problem with him but it doesn’t change his preference considering he struggles to do certain things without using his ability

isn’t going to pressure you into singing/playing for him when he figures out you can but i feel like he’d enjoy it if you did, even if you’re not specifically playing for him, just practicing, he still likes to listen to you

he’d ask you in a cheeky/childish way, like “not to be cheekyyy, but can you play/sing for meee”

{.⋅ ✯ ⋅.}  KARMA AKABANE  {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.}

teases you for your height, but in a kind of “aww, you’re so small, so cute” way, even though you’re only about a head shorter than him. he’ll stop if you ask him seriously enough but until you do he’s just going to assume that you don’t mind it

treats you the same way as he would with anyone else in the class, until he gets to know you and sees that you aren’t entirely as cold and blunt as you were letting on

he likes getting on your nerves to a certain extent, only ever really driving you to a “i love you but if you don’t shut up-” kind of mood, not too much to really set off your temper and make you mad at him. he finds it fun to bounce off your sarcasm with his own, either to tease you or someone else

willing to help you out with your classmates if they ever come to you for help, after all he has some of the highest grades in class if not the highest, so he’s capable of helping. however, he’s similar to you, he’s harsh and gets a little agitated if someone fails to understand something that’s so easy for him

similar film tastes, his favorite genres are action & action comedies. he gets surprisingly into discussing films with you. if there’s a new film coming out that you both want to watch and he ends up seeing it before you, he might joke about telling you spoilers but he wouldn’t actually ruin the film for you, because it would annoy is sm if someone did that to him

honestly not too fussed about what your dream job is and what you’re aiming for, that’s your business, just as long as your happy. if you need help with it though, he’ll take an interest and try to help as he knows it’s something that’s going to make you happy

he’s fine with either going outside or staying in with you, he prefers to go out but isn’t going to pressure you to. sometimes he sees spending time inside with you as special even if you’re just watching anime, it’s more private

if you do go out though he’ll try avoiding crowded areas with you, whilst also trying not to make it obvious that he’s doing it ig

he’s never particularly been interested in creative things like writing, drawing, and music; his strong points in class being more maths and science; so anything you make or play is honestly amazing to him especially since he has nothing like his own experience to compare it to (if that makes sense-- sorry for the personal comment aha but like ig it’s similar to if you’re drawing and you don’t like it but someone who doesn’t draw will think it’s great)

[itsakpopalypse]

Lou/Kim Hosung Astrology: How He Loves

OML he’s so precious i wanna squish his cheekies

As always 18+ under the cut

“omg i loved your astrology ask - romantic breakdown with Ayno so much! Can I get one for Lou, please?😊” - @randomkpopfiction

A/N I'm so happy to hear you’ve been enjoying my posts ! Here you go , I hope that you like it !!

Let’s talk tall boi

okay so his big 3 by our best estimation is Aries Rising, Sagittarius sun and Taurus moon, 2 fire and an earth

His chart lean is pretty evenly split between fire and earth, with one more earth and one air. no water whatsoever

that’s notable because water is the emotional element, so that suggests he isn’t prone to big emotional driven actions

we will get into that more as we go 

it’s just something that sets the tone of his chart

also his perfect split between mutable and cardinal suggests he can take the lead or be incredibly adaptable

so he actually seems very chill just looking at those facts 

for the romance-y stuff lessgo

Aries are confident go-getters, so he will seem pretty sure of himself in all situations

whatever he does he puts his WHOLE DAMN ASS INTO IT

we do not half ass anything in this house we whole ass it

can be a little brash, but his moon will help stop that from being too prominent since Taurus is basically the slowest moving most careful earth sign. 

since Aries is a cardinal sign though, he may seem a little intense and take charge in situations where others don’t seem to have their stuff together

Sun in Sagittarius, he is adventurous, lacks fear, and longs for intellectual insights, like he will ask you so many questions and fire back anything he thinks fits his own life

is really interesting to converse with

probably really laid back but still willing to talk to anyone

the kind of person who could make friends anywhere and with anyone

probably super curious and less cautious than he should be 

Taurus moon is affectionate but a bit shy and likes things to be very familiar

they are generally uncomfortable with change so his sun is a great balance to push him into more outgoing settings and to try new things

even if his moon will be a little filled with butterflies 

aw im soft

since your moons is the depth of your feelings he is steadfast and intentional

slow moving but once he has chosen for himself it is his focus

he will be a steady and reliable partner, but still be fun and spontaneous since his sun is so fiery. 

honestly looking through this chart I’m like he would be anyone's coolest best friend and just vibe in the most interesting way what a neat person?? where do i get one ???

let’s translate these and his other signs into a relationship starting with 

FLUFF

listen Sagittarius is the peter pan right? 

he doesn't WANNA grow up 

he wants to experience life and DO THINGS

but his Taurus moon will probably make him shy away even though his heart is BURSTING OKAY

Taurus is also one of the more artistic minded and sensual signs 

so he is creative and romantic and probably loves a cheesy rom com with cuddles

you may have to encourage his courageous side when emotions hit but you may have to chill him out where danger is involved

since his Mercury is Capricorn which is the cardinal of earth he will be really smart about his communication

so he will think things out well and be incredibly clever and quick witted

it suggests his humor is a bit sarcastic and savage and honestly 

like i consider Cap the most ‘millennial’ humor 

as in sarcasm and self deprecation 

but since that Aries stands proud he will probably still simultaneously know he’s pretty fantastic

like he knows he is awesome but also judges himself really hard probably

Venus in Sagittarius so this is interesting

of the fire signs it’s kind of more reserved romantically

Has REALLY high standards when it comes to what he wants in a relationship and intends for them to be met

not like how you look or sound or whatever

but will not tolerate disrespect of degradation on either side

has a lot of pride in keeping his relationships solid and communicative

an enthusiastic speaker, once he has set you as a comfortable person to communicate with he will lean into that and probably has a zillion incredibly interesting things he has pondered over about life and love that he wants to have deep conversations about

he would be the coolest to have talks about really relative things

might need some pushing if you want to discuss emotions 

that Taurus moon will win out only if you nourish and validate his feelings

so if you meet and he likes you somewhere a long the line, it will be a push and pull between Sagittarius wanting to love everyone and Taurus wanting to be sure of someone

the philosopher mind of a Sagittarius will draw him to you platonically and if you are affectionate, steady and warm his Taurus will basically flop down like a huge dog and beg for pats-metaphorically

His venus suggests that he would love to entice you with his wit, his spontaneity and his laughs,

He knows he is charming and full of life and he will use it against you 

and probably tease the ever living shit out of you for it

say he is cracking jokes or being adorable and you stare at him fondly, or giggle at a joke

he will be playful back

expect him to call you out

he is going to say something like “Oh I know I am beautiful but you’ll wear my face out staring like that.” with a wink

honestly a little shit sometimes wtf

doesn’t get jealous and doesn’t tolerate jealousy

so if you start as friends it will be this seamless fit into his friend group and he won’t even care if Ziu lays all over you or whatever

it won’t even seem abnormal to him even if he likes you

in fact he will probably just join the cuddle huddle or make sarcastic jokes about it

Sagittarius venus love fun and new experiences but they are not about to enjoy a shallow relationship

expect him to solidify boundaries and ask you out officially pretty quickly 

They are not a flighty sign even though they are a bit in the clouds sometimes 

the love an intense and passionate love and will not settle for less

Get you those healthy boundaries Lou

so i imagine as adventurous but thoughtful as his blend of signs is, especially with a Virgo Mars

he is going to think of the most interesting and sincere way to ask you out

maybe plan a day trip somewhere special

idk a hike or the beach or something 

and after he’s spent the entire day building memories with you 

he will ask you if you want to keep making these memories

maybe show you a little album on his phone of the selfies he’s taken with you for the last few months

wow soft and cute i love it 

and if you say yes he is going to start by being like oh yeah okay cool

then he will walk a few steps away and turn his back and start freaking out about how happy he is

a bouncy giggle mess over there and you’re like.... are you okay

he’s like.... *cough* yes I am FINE

sure you are

his north nodes is Libra so he is likely to need you around as he accomplishes goals

basically he wants to experience life with you and not separate from you and will work to make sure those goals align with each other

probably neither against nor particularly for public displays of affection

it will matter most to him that you are there with him, and if you want to add affection into it he won’t be opposed

but expect snark

“If you need to hold on to me you can.”

I also see him as the type to fall asleep on you during movies and really relish if he wakes up still in your arms

really low key affection is his thing

probably writes i love you on your leg with his finger when you are in the car or around people but he doesn’t wanna shout it out

likes to put his chin on your head and kiss the top of your head so gently

gently cups the side of your face and stares into your eyes all dreamy 

HAND KISSES

so cute I’m soft 

soft hours are closing

18+  below the cut

must he do this I’m scared

WOOOP 

spicy talk 

INTENSE

playful but intesnse

Sagittarius are exploratory signs  so that will probably make it into the bedroom ngl

like they like new experiences

so he is going to be learning things and sitting you down to talk about hard yes’s and no’s

we stan healthy communcation

maybe a little switchy?

I think he prefers to be in charge of your pleasure but I think he would be down to try laying back and letting you take the reins

to be honest he seems like he would really be into blindfolding ?

like blindfold him and tell him he has to make you cum but he has to do it with just his hands

jfc those hands i think you’ll be okay

lives for excitement and trust in a relationship

it has to go both ways, the Taurus moon demands it

he wants you to trust him with your whole being and he will give that in return

he wants you to be greedy with your own pleasure

“Touch yourself for me baby, I wanna see you”

looks at you like a work of art he wants to paint with his hands and tongue and cum

probably nasty but in the absolute most intimate way

hey you know what he sounds like saying give me more already I expect that’s what you hear after your third orgasm sorry I don’t make the rules

with a Virgo mars (his actions) mixed with so much Sagittarius expect him to treat you like his own personal experiment

really wants you to be as vocal about it as he is 

communicate what you like and don’t

wants you to ride him so he can watch you and comment on how beautiful you are

“you want me to fuck you hard you have to earn it.”

teasing little shit i stg

the Taurus makes me think he is kind of really intimate about it all

the kind of guy who might spank you , but will massage it gently after, 

holds onto the back of your neck and pulls you into his thrusts 

probably furrows his brow in concentration

and he has this like.. excitable side with all this fire energy that makes me feel like he gets really energetic about the whole ordeal

like he is SO AMAZED you are letting him touch you that he just kinda 

implodes

probably makes the softest little groans when you run your nails down his chest

wants to be marked in places no one else can see

doesn’t think of it as ownership or “marking” in  a traditional way

thinks of it as little reminders on his skin for only you two to know about 

that’s kinda beautiful tbh 

aftercare is probably haphazard but it will involve a lot of touching,

like none of his signs are particularly care-taker-ey 

but he will be sure you get lots of affection after more intense sessions so  you feel loved and protected

probably kisses your face all over and pulls you into an embrace

mumbles about your future together as you fall asleep 

it’s really cute aw

TWO MORE MEMBERS and both have been requested, expect them soon!

thank you for requesting and while I have a few more astrology posts and one request for a short story coming down the pipeline, I also have a oneshot I wrote on my own and am currently editing coming. Expect some stuff!!

Requests are open !

[ettadunham]

A Buffy rewatch 5x19 Tough Love

aka you are not immune to… internalized bi erasure?

Welcome to this dailyish (weekly? bi-weekly?) text post series where I will rewatch an episode of Buffy and go on an impromptu rant about it for an hour. Is it about one hyperspecific thing or twenty observations? 10 or 3k words? You don’t know! I don’t know!!! In this house we don’t know things.

And in today’s episode Tara’s not perfect and gets her mind sucked out for it, we kick off the season’s multi-episode finale arc by revealing Dawn to Glory, and we draw some weird parallels between two of our dynamics. Perhaps mostly though, I’ll just talk about Willow’s sexuality, because at some point, we need to properly address that elephant in the room.

Okay, so, let’s just kick this off. If you’ve been in this fandom long enough, you’ve been inevitably exposed to the discourse of Willow’s sexuality. And you might be asking now… what’s the big deal anyway? Isn’t art up to interpretation? Wasn’t that one of my main motivations for this rewatch? Why does it matter that parts of the audience ascribe different labels to Willow?

And well… that’s valid, but it also misses a crucial element of our media, one that I alluded to in my rant about Whedon character deaths. Art doesn’t happen in a vacuum. And the significance of that is only amplified for folks and groups whose experiences aren’t recognized or seen by society in the first place.

To them it will matter whether or not someone recognizes a character by a certain label. Because a refusal to do so feels like an erasure of their own identities. That’s what makes this whole discussion complicated in the first place.

Now, am I the best person to do a deep dive on this? No. Especially not in one of these barely proof-read long rant posts. I’m sure you can find much better sources, so please do that. But it’d feel disingenuous to ignore it too, so I’m just gonna address it to the best of my abilities as well as provide my own in-universe interpretation of what it could mean for the characters.

Great. Now for that pesky discourse.

Personally my go-to analogy to describe it is the classic Shrek onion one.

You see, you peel away a layer of the Willow’s sexuality onion… and it’s still an onion. You peel away all the layers, you chop it up, and sure, it remains an onion, but now everything’s a mess and you’re crying.

The issue is that you kind of need to peel those layers away anyway if you want to truly divorce yourself from the binary thinking that the show itself often engages with. Which is what’s arguably gotten us into this mess in the first place.

Because however you view Willow’s sexuality, you can’t deny that the show is doing a lousy job defining it. Willow does identify as gay/lesbian as of 5x11 and through the end of the series, but the language the show uses makes it impossible to just leave it at that.

In Doppelgangland, when Willow meets her vampire self, she describes her as “kinda gay”. Not gay, but kinda gay. We also see Vampire!Willow making out with Vampire!Xander in The Wish beforehand, so if Vamp!Willow is supposed to tell us something about Willow’s own sexuality, then it’d stand to reason that she’s bi. Right?

Well, apparently not. But then we run into her actual line in 5x11 where she first uses a label, saying “Hello, gay now!”. Notice, it’s gay now. As in Willow just woke up one day and turned gay. The same joke(?) is repeated in Intervention, where one of the characteristics that was programmed into Buffybot about Willow was saying Gay(1999 - ).

Now, that’s not to say that Willow can’t just have a fluid sexuality and identify anyway she fucking wants to, and she doesn’t need to justify her label to anyone. She fell in love with Tara, and that made her reconsider her own identity. Season 7 almost ends up addressing this too in a scene I think, so that’ll be nice to get to.

The issue mostly comes from the show skipping to engage even with the possibility that Willow (or anyone for that matter) might be attracted to more than one gender at the same time. The closest we get to this is with the love triangle setup in New Moon Rising, except I guess in this love triangle Willow also chose a sexual orientation?

It’s like that episode was the quantum superposition of Willow’s Schrödinger’s sexuality, and upon observation, it locked into either one of its two states. That’s why Tara’s been talking about getting a cat in that episode! Guys, we solved it!

Notice also that I’ve yet to really talk about Willow’s sexual history before Tara in regards to this… because for me that’s sort of less part of the point? If Willow was a real person, and you knew that she had this adorable boyfriend before she identified as a lesbian, you wouldn’t go up to her and question how she defines her own sexuality. I mean… I hope so? Don’t be a fucking asshole.

But that’s both the fallacy of the argument and the reason why you should still respect the label Willow identifies with. Because Willow is not real, she’s a fictional character, and therefore arguments can and should be made about how the show portrays her sexuality… And yet, the people who identify with Willow are very much real, and so are their own experiences of people dismissing their own chosen identities.

So, there you go folks. These are my two cents. Willow’s gay, but we need to acknowledge how the show appears to be either completely unaware, or actively dismissive of the existence of bisexuality. This even comes up in the S8 comics, where Buffy’s sexuality after having a relationship with a woman is continuously referred to as essentially “not-gay”. Because I guess in the Buffyverse canon these are your only two options.

Now that we got all that out of the way, we can briefly talk about this episode, I guess.

To keep it on track, I guess we should dissect the argument between Willow and Tara that sort of caused me to whip this whole discussion out here.

Now, this is a fascinating scene, because it pivots a lot, and reveals a lot about the characters and their insecurities. It also appears to be fueled by Willow’s own lack of self-reflection and Tara’s non-confrontational nature.

It starts with Willow complaining to Tara about how Buffy appears to be trying to be more strict with Dawn. Willow is obviously identifying with Dawn in the situation. But Tara says she completely understands Buffy.

This then probably reminds Willow of Buffy earlier telling her that she wouldn’t understand when she was talking to her about Dawn, which causes a mood shift in Willow. It also reminded me of season 3 of Buffy telling Willow the same thing regarding her connection with Faith, so as a Buffy/Tara shipper that association kind of delights me, ngl.

But as Tara pushes further, seeing that something is bothering Willow, she reveals the insecurity behind it. Willow isn’t just responding to Tara having this wisdom through this major, tragic life experience that she can relate to Buffy with; it’s that Tara’s done all of this so much longer than she has. She’s been a witch all her life. She’s been out much longer.

That however then triggers Tara’s own insecurities about Willow rapidly surpassing her in her own magical abilities, and says that that “frightens” her. She tries walking back on her choice of word later, but it’s too late, and Willow locks into that.

Now, this is some riveting stuff. Because with foreknowledge, the easiest interpretation here is that this will relate back to Willow’s abuse of magic in season 6. That deep down Tara already sees what having this much power will do to her girlfriend.

This is arguably even reinforced in the episode with Willow going after Glory. It’s once again foreshadowing, Willow attempting to take revenge for something that’s been done to Tara; but it also betrays a certain arrogance in Willow. She actually believes that she can take on Glory, a supposed God. (Which, honestly? She probably could by season 7.) That’s the kind of power that she wields and how she chooses to use it.

Still, in the argument itself Tara pushes this fear of hers in a slightly different direction, saying that she’s afraid that she wouldn’t be able to fit into Willow’s life, after all these changes. And that’s where the previous discussion fits in.

Perhaps to understand Willow’s response, we should remember how magic has been used as our lesbian metaphor for almost a whole season. Because she almost immediately jumps to the conclusion, that Tara’s afraid that she would… go back to boys? Which is of course a classic, toxic stereotype used against bisexuals, despite the fact that no one here canonically identifies as bi, so add that to the discourse.

More importantly, it’s said by Willow. Now, Tara totally drops the ball here, asking her “Should I be?”, which reinforces the validity of Willow’s assumption that it’s actually something that Tara is thinking. Even someone as perfect and precious as Tara is not immune to propaganda.

In Tara’s defense, she once again tries dancing back on it, and talking it out before Willow storms out, but yeah. While I’d like to think that Tara’s question came more from a place of general insecurity, regardless of the gender of Willow’s next possible love interest, she sure fucked up in that moment.

Still, the fact that it’s Willow jumping to this debate, might just tell us more about Willow herself and how she sees herself.

Let’s go back to Restless for a bit. In that episode, Willow’s fear was ended up being about how she was scared that deep down she was still the same girl that she was in high school. That all these things she developed through college that made her stand out were just a facade, and that she was merely hiding her true identity as the same lonely loser she believed herself to have been back then.

So… and bear with me here… if we take that fear as a core motivation for Willow’s character, we can interpret the way she identifies her sexuality as a means to distance herself from her old identity. From this perspective, it’d perhaps even make sense for her to feel insecure about a supposed attraction to men, because she sees that as a regression to her old identity.

I can not stress it enough that this is merely a possible interpretation though. And one that would really only become satisfying if season 7 - which was already largely about reconciling with these different aspects of her identity for Willow aside the obvious theme of power - ended up tying it all together with Willow re-defining her own sexuality. It didn’t though, so I’m still left with the same conclusions, and this thought experiment of a character analysis.

Anywho, this is getting so very long, and there are still a few things that I wanted to touch upon this episode. Mainly the parallel we’re drawing between Willow / Tara and Buffy & Dawn throughout.

Normally, I love a good parallel storytelling. It’s efficient and makes the whole thing more cohesive. Here however, they manage to drive the parallel home so hard, that it just becomes weird at some point.

Like the fact that we have these two conflicts in the two relationships, arguably anchoring the episode? That’s good stuff. I also like the fact that Willow and Tara’s argument grows out of their discussion about Buffy and Dawn’s situation.

There’s actually a lot of great interaction in the entire episode. I love Dawn opening up to Spike about how she feels responsible for what would happen to Tara, and how she feels like she can’t be good because of all the terrible things happening around her. That’s a brilliant scene. Spike’s “Well, I’m not good and I’m okay”? I actually love him in that moment, not even gonna lie.

Buffy thinking that she actually convinced Willow to not go after Glory reminded me of a scene in Angel the series, where the gang thinks they managed to curve Fred’s impulses to axe murder her old professor. Do you all even know these people you call friends??? But again, I liked that exchange.

And okay, Buffy needed to be reminded what she would do if something happened to Dawn to realize what Willow was planning. Fine.

But then you’ve got the doctor asking Willow if Tara was her “sister” (to which she of course replied “She’s my everything”, and it’s fine, I’m fine), and then in the last scene, Buffy explicitly equating Willow’s need to take care of Tara with her own feelings regarding Dawn.

Again, I understand parallel storytelling. I love it. But when you’re equating a romantic and a familial relationship there’s a point where it becomes weird, and for me, these two moments put it just over that edge. This is of course a deeply subjective perspective, and I recognize that.

And then you also get Buffy trying to take on these new adult responsibilities in the episode. She’s dropping out of college to try and care for Dawn, and is faced with the challenge to become a parental authority figure in her sister’s life. The scene where she explains to Dawn that the reason she’s being tough with her, is because otherwise she could be seen unfit to be her guardian just gutted me.

This episode is just way too much, guys. And we’re only just at the beginning of the big finish of this season.

[jimlingss]

(1/2) hello, hi! how’re u doing? how’re u feeling? hope nothing serious is troubling u. i wanted to drop by & say that chess of ice is such a charming story. shy hockey player jungkook? passionate curling players yoonji&taehyung? namjoon&adora as coaches? somewhat apathetic oc? and team dynamics, how they roasted that hockey team. im really enchanted. thank u for such a story! and i, too, look forward to tuesdays (its fet here) because of jungle park

Anonymous said:(2/2) its fluffy yeah but it seems somewhat melancholic to me (｡•́︿•̀｡) little pieces of puzzle about hoseoks&ocs past are still missing and they seem somehow precious to oc. anyway, it really interesting to read and learn about all characters & their relationships and watch how they evolve. also, your tags, can we appreciate them? they are funny and make me smile, whether it is your new work/chapter or simple answer to asks(*⁰▿⁰*) have a good day!! — chem

I’m doing goooood!! The end of the semester is pretty much here and I keep looking for things to do for school work but I’m pretty much done everything. I’m gonna start studying when exam break hits (in like 2-3 weeks). I don’t want to start now cause everything hasn’t been taught yet and I need a full picture in order to see how I want to divide up my time. In other words, I have a lot of free time these days lol WHAT’S NEW.

In terms of writing, I’ve been pushing myself to write a lot these days but much smaller stories. Hallelujah. I’ve been highkey angered with myself at how I keep drawing out oneshots into series and questioning why they’re so fucking long asdfghjkl but I’ve been working on things that are less than 5k and ngl I’ve been working on two really short smut pieces haahahhahahahahaha never thought the day would come that I’d try to attempt nsfw again but I have ideas for them, might as well write them. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ it’s a genre i’ve neglected so i’d like to try dipping my toes into them again. They might be posted mid-May idk yet.

Don’t worry, anon. Nothing ever really troubles me much. i live a pretty cushy life - also been re-watching Avengers Infinity War. It’s a good movie.

Anywayyys, I’m glad you like Chess of Ice. I’ve always wanted to write a sports!AU but everyone’s out here doing their own so I wanted to take a spin on it and decided to do curling cause that sport gets shit on the most hahahahahaha even I’ve made fun of it. ((don’t think I’ll write another sports!AU but maybe i’d try badminton or lacrosse or croquet LOL)). Also I made JK nice cause in all the hockey!AUs, he’s been depicted as a fratboy so I wanted to kind of take a turn from that. Yes, in my own story, he was a pretty big asshole when he was in hockey but after going through what he did and no longer receiving peer pressure from those people….underneath it all, he’s a soft guy.

and thank you for sharing the love on Jungle Park!! I think a lot of readers are interested and curious and thirsting to know what’s in the past and that’s understandable but its kind of ironic since OC, herself, doesn’t seem to be that plagued by the past anymore about it…yet everyone else on here DOES hahaha

[x-lulu]

I missed you too!

I’m okay, just a bit of a drama queen that’s all :)

I love christmas lights omg! and the whole house is decorated, and the house smells like chocolate cookies ugh! 😊

yuki and pip omg! I love it! spanish puppies, that’s awesome. I love dogs so much, I wish I could have 10😂 and greyhounds are so precious. do you have any other pets?

I’ve been taking long breaks with my art and I just... don’t know why, but I can’t like sit down and draw. I hope it’s because of all the holiday commotion and that I’ll be able to get back into it soon. how’s school (assuming you still attend it and that your winter holidays are over)?

I’m perfectly fine with the new emoji. I actually prefere it :) ☀️

okay, well if you ever need to talk, i’m here! and your feelings are valid bby, you don’t have to call yourself a drama queen 💛

yess, that’s what christmas is about in my opinion and just cozy :))

i got two turtles and a lot of fish, we also take care of birds ☺️ i used to have two cats as well

breaks are fine bby, dont be too hard on yourself. but i get it, maybe try some simple exercises to get it flowing again, there are a lot of things to find online that are just simple things to do when you’re stuck for a bit, it might help 🤷‍♀️ im sure it will be fine bubba x

yeah i do, i started school again last monday 😴 haha. ngl i was really stressed, still am a bit, but i’m doing a bit better now so that’s good :)

do you go to school?

yayy then it’s settled :) ☀️ it is, i like it!