#i will genuinely be so upset if that’s the route they take

[agentarc]

well folks, i guess we should’ve thought to add “omega force sensitive” to our bingo cards

[tardis--dreams]

Last night i dreamt that the whole chat history between me and my most beloved ex-coworker had been deleted. Truly one of the most horrifying nightmares i've had in a while

[eff-plays]

The way Astarion reacts depending on how you compliment him in the mirror scene (I have no interest in insulting him so I won't be covering that here, have fun though!) drives me fucking insane.

"I want to know what the world sees when it looks at me. What you see."

And you get two types of responses. First, your choices for compliments are

Strong, piercing eyes.

The creases when you laugh.

Pick the first, and he's pleased. "Go on," he says, sounding very seductive. You're giving him exactly what he wants, and he's encouraging it.

Pick the second, and he gets upset. He's an eternally young vampire, not your doting grandmother! You can do better than that. Even if you meant it as a compliment (I know my Tav definitely did), he doesn't seem to take it that way.

Your second options are

That dangerous smile.

The way your hair curls around your ears.

Once again, the first one pleases him, and he even praises your efforts. Very good. Now finish the scene and tell him he's beautiful.

But if you say the second, he gets exasperated. This is meant to be flattery, not poetry. Just tell him he's beautiful and we can call it a day, he says with a dismissive wave of his hand. He doesn't need to hear this crap, just tell him what he wants and fuck off.

Of course, it doesn't matter how you get to this point, and every dialogue option at the end of the scene nets you the same amount of approval. If you call him beautiful, it's +1. Call someone else beautiful, it's +1. If you ask whether he just wants shallow praise (aka don't call him beautiful), you get +1. So this is me pulling this out of my ass I guess.

I always choose to call him beautiful becuase 1) he is and 2) my Tav thinks so too and would oblige him if he asked for it that directly.

But I am obsessed with the different routes you can take to get to this point and what they imply.

Strong, piercing eyes and dangerous smile pleases him more outwardly, but doesn't actually affect the outcome. He's satisfied and confident with these compliments. They confirm what he's trying to project into the world, what he aspires to have and to be.

The creases when he laughs? The hair curling around his ears? Those are things he can't control, can't use against someone else. But he asked to be seen, and if this is what Tav sees, then what does that mean for him?

Why are they complimenting his laugh lines? Why are they speaking poetry at him? Why are they seeing things he has no control over, and why are they revealing them to him?

He doesn't want shallow praise. Questioning this nets approval, and giving it to him doesn't increase approval. What he wants is assurance that what he's trying to be is what the world sees, that he's in control.

And if you actually act as a mirror, point out the things unique to him that you see, he gets uncomfortable, because you're showing a reflection of someone he thinks he's not, of someone he has no control over. And that's scary, even if it's supposedly complimentary.

Because what's scarier than losing control?

But then, compared to how genuinely upset he seems when you insult him (I looked these up on YT for context), the laugh lines and hair curls are still accepted as compliments. So what does he think when Tav says these things?

They see past his piercing eyes and dangerous smile. They see something else that they like even more, things he's not aware of or doesn't appreciate as much. What does that feel like, to cultivate such a perfect image of oneself for the purposes of seducing and tricking others, and then be stumped when someone walks past all that and points out something entirely different that they noticed and found endearing?

Do you do him a favor, and tell him you see only what he wants to be? Or do you speak the truth, and show him what he actually is? Which one is better? Which one is worse?

[poetsblvd]

BABY WHO? ꪆৎ CS55

“Please Carlos, not Juana!”

You grumble exhausted, two whole hours of bickering about baby names and you’ve gotten no where.

Not even a single clue as to where you could meet at a middle point, with your husband seemingly dead set on giving your unborn daughter a name you’re sure no one’s heard of in years and you ready to take it through a slightly more modern route, you’re seemingly stuck in the middle of nowhere.

So far you’ve heard a variety of names you’re sure won’t suit your princess, or even be to her taste, if she’s anything like you that is.

Alondra, Benita, Biatriz, Martina, Alejandra and nothing!

Nothing feels right and you’re sure you’re at your wits end with discussing baby names.

A whine tumbles out of you, the fear of possibly choosing a bad name for your unborn daughter that could lead to her resenting you forever and ever practically chokes you, causing you push your head into a pillow, shoving the plate full of your current pregnancy obsession of coconut ferrero rochers into Carlos’ chest.

“Mamita no! Estaba bromeando, lo juro!” ( i was joking, i swear! ) Your husband muffles a laugh, placing the plate of treats onto the bedside table next to him, he buries his head near yours.

“She’ll have a beautiful name like her mother, prometo.” ( i promise )

He pushes your hair back from your forehead, the cool of his gold wedding ring pressing itself into you, letting you nuzzle your face into his hand.

You stare at him softly, one hand joining his on the swell of your growing belly. “You promise we won’t name her that? Or…or Benita?”

A deep laugh bursts through him, chest shaking in mirth he pulls you closer to him covering your face in kisses filled with so much love you’re sure you’ll die if ever deprived of them.

“No amorcito, no Benita or Juana.”

You hum frowning slightly, “You’re not upset are you? That I don’t like the names very much, I just want to like them together. And I just don’t see her having such a name to be very honest, I’m sorry if I’m pressuring you.”

You say it so softly it makes his heart clench, he’s aware of the fact that you’re more sensitive than usual with your pregnancy hormones especially with you being in your second trimester, and it upsets him that you’re worried and genuinely fearful about his feelings as though he’s the one growing a whole baby.

“I promise I was joking Amor, swear it. I’m not upset at you at all, never ever ever! And we will like and choose a name together okay? You aren’t pressuring me at all.” He stares at you warmly as though hoping to convey his deep love and reassurance for you, grinning brightly when you nod and relax.

“Okay? Good! Now would you like a glass of water? It’s been a while now and se supone que debes estar bien hidratada, for both you and the princess, hmm? ” ( you’re supposed to be well hydrated. )

Stretching his arm slightly to the table he picks up the crystal glass filled with iced water and a thinly cut slice of lemon to help pit your ever growing nausea.

“Beberse todo.” He mumbles bringing the glass to your lips and tipping it upwards to let you drink, parting it from your mouth only when you hum. ( drink up )

He presses his lips to yours in a noisy peck. “Good job amorcito.”

“Now, about baby names huh?” Smiling at your enthusiastic face, he places the half full glass back down and hums as though deep in thought, tapping his fingers lightly in your belly.

“I’ve always liked Amara, or! Even Estrella? But more so Amara, because you’re mi amor and she’d be mi Amara!”

A breathy laugh bubbles out of you, the joy pillowing through as you filter the lovely name Amara.

You test it on your lips again, “Amara, Amara. Amara Sainz.” It sounds perfect.

It feels perfect, and from the look on the Spaniards face you know he thinks so too.

“Okay.” You giggle, pulling him in closer and letting him breathe you in, trying to entrap you fully in his senses.

“We found her name!”

“We did, amor we did.”

“Thank you, I love you, I love you.” You hold him closer.

“No. thank you, te amo mucho.” He kisses you hard and lovingly, pushing all of his gratitude and deep adoration for you in the kiss, before suddenly pulling away with a dramatic gasp.

“Shit! Lando’s gonna be disappointed.”

Your brows furrow confused and a little dazed from the kiss. “What why?”

“I may or may not have let him think I’d name mi niñita, Landina.”

“Carlos!”

“What? Charles thinks we’re naming her Charlene!”

“…And don’t even get me started on what Fernando thinks we should name her.”

“Dear god Carlos!”

“Fernanada. It’s Fernanda.

⋆⭒˚.⋆

love note , hii thank you sm for requesting !! i absolutely loved writing this it’s such a perfect idea !! i did change it a teeny tiny bit with reader being a bit more emotional and carlos being a bit of a reassuring boyfriend because we love <3 anyways i hope you liked this !! thank you once again for requesting 🫶🏼🫶🏼

[beachf4gz]

I recently was able to restart my adhd meds after a few months of them being out of stock so I have been reading wayyy more DE fanfic again, and something I find kind of interesting is how prominant certain in-game choices are in regards to Harry's fanon characterisation. I understand why the communist route and sorry-cop copotype are by far the most common ways ppl write Harry- I think most people playing the game end up identifying with those dialogue options and therefor end up following those routes (and its a fairly big time commitment to replay with the intention of seeing all the different route you could take)- but I do sometimes really wish there was more writing for the different copotypes and political orientations because the ways Harry's internal processes and position in the world are affected are REALLY interesting to me. I completely understand being uncomfortable (or just uninterested) by the idea of exploring an ultraliberal, moralist or facist character- I think fanfiction as a medium is compelling in part because you are conveying your own relationship to a piece of work, including your own moral reactions and beliefs applied upon the work's characters- but I think DE includes the option to *play as* a character occupying these roles (rather than just presenting them through npcs) in order to invite players to experience and examine the act of being these things both internally and within social contexts.

I think Harry can be fascinating and heartbreaking as a character study in any of these routes, and the gameplay can feel radically different between them even following the same plot. For example, I found the moralist route deeply evocative. It has an uneasy, desperate feeling to it as someone struggles to occupy the in-group, to live in normalcy and civility in the face of their own world ending. It creates an odd position for Harry as accutely disabled and vulnerable- contrasting percieved social acceptance and safety with the tearing of reality "as it should be" at the failure of the social mechanisms he believes in to meet their promise of happiness or safety. The gameover at the statue left me genuinely stunned when I first got it, its sort of horrifying in it's bluntness, and I found it really upsetting in this specific raw way. Its an excellent way of demonstrating, emotionally, the failure and cruelty of liberalism upon those who believe in it- but also its devastating for Harry's character as he is presented through the moralist dialogue. I also found it rlly compelling how the honor cop dialogue options explore Harry as a person seeking dignity in the face of their social ostracisation, and how apocalypse-cop explores the social modes of someone who has fallen out of the "normal reality space", how impaired his ability to live is in response to a full awareness of overwhelming, total threat. I'm not good at writing essays and stuff, idk if I'm explaining this well, but all of the routes are written with such an intimate and personal examination of how it *feels* to occupy different modes of being- of the way the world will treat you if you interact with it in certains ways, or the person you will be and the emotional shape your life will form depending on your framework. I think its kind of abstract and difficult to write properly, but I think its something you can reaaaallly sink yourself into if you find Harry a compelling character- I personally do (lmao) and its something I love seeing whenever I get the chance. I get the appeal of Harry as an exccentric mentally ill communist whose political beliefs are, in social contexts, extentions of his rejection of social norms and position as othered under liberal belief- I do also just enjoy the fact that this version of Harry is only one mode of being he could occupy, and the varying ways in which he is socially, emotionally or cognitively enabled/disabled by other modes of being, and the position the game takes in exploring them all as choices or as routes and reactions by the same person- as someone afloat and disempowered in the world attempting to find "how to live".

[drdemonprince]

I was in the car with a new friend recently and he was fuming about stress at work, and his rent going up, and I was sympathetic and bummed for him, and then he started yelling about traffic and freaking out any time a car took more than a millisecond to get moving and it freaked me out and I fell silent. I guess he could sense the energy changing in the air.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Am I bothering you?"

"It's okay," I said instinctively, unconvincingly, trying to convince myself to get over it, to not make him feel bad, to not make things about my feelings. I searched for a justification as to why my reaction was wrong. "I guess I forget what it's like to drive a car."

I used to get screamed at for moving too slowly. I exasperated my parents taking so long finding the momentum to get up and do things. I was spacey. Everything was always happening so quick. Where I wanted to put my attention was never where the world wanted me to. They needed me to care about car routes and traffic and appointment times instead of smooth pebbles on the sidewalk or birds. And my dad was always so furious in the car. Certain he was the authority on what made a good driver and that everyone else was not up to his standards. Ranting and yelling and flipping out so badly it made me cry and then put on a big smile to reassure him. I almost gave up learning to drive as a teen because my slow, plunking movements and insecurity on the road sent him into such a rage.

"Shit, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin the evening," my friend said.

"You didn't," I reassured him.

I didn't want him to think I had a problem with him complaining about his life. That is what friends are for. It was the road rage that touched an unaged part of me, and brough that part forward so strongly I couldn't hide it. I couldn't fix my face. I almost started to cry.

It was the first time in a very long time that I've been well and truly triggered. Certain experiences in the present can make old parts of me reverberate; there's a ringing that you get inside when someone's shampoo smells like a bad old boyfriend or somebody touches you the wrong way without meaning to and you briefly go a little dead. That's manageable. It's a useful cue that something needs to change quickly before you freak out. I thank those triggers for existing. But this one. It caused an actual emotional phase shift straight to the past. Freeze up and then fawn it off, play along, make up for your own reaction.

It's crazy how unsafe I genuinely felt for a moment! And I tend to critique people who abuse the language of "feeling unsafe" for manipulative and white supremacist ends, so it is useful for me to get that reminder of just how reality-bending an acute state of triggeredness is. I tell people to use their words and regulate their distress and there I was, unable to.

I had forgotten one of the major reasons that I hate cars! That is how long I have been away from my dad and car-dependent culture and intense, mean impatience. I have made a lot of the right choices to protect me over the years, or else this upset would not be so unfamiliar.

[suashii]

something short and sweet for samu :3 established relationship, osamu calls reader honey, ~700 words ❤︎

the morning air is clean and crisp, even more so on this secluded trail than it is on the city sidewalks. you usually wouldn’t find yourself here, surrounded by trees, pebbles crunching beneath the soles of your shoes, but when osamu had invited you to join him on his run—insisted that you accompany him—you couldn’t say no. while the scenery is unmatched, attempting to keep up with the man makes it difficult to enjoy the chirping of the birds and the cool wind on your face.

he’s ahead of you—far enough that you couldn’t touch him if you reached out to grab him but close enough that he’s still in your sights. with each stride you take, it seems as though he takes three more.

“w-wait,” you wheeze out, slowing to a stop to catch your breath. your knees bend and your hands come to rest on them as you suck in a deep breath of air. “i need a break.”

your words stop osamu in his tracks. he turns around to face you and a smile takes over his face. his eyes are partly shielded by the brim of his hat but you’re almost positive you’d see the humor swimming in the gray irises if they were visible. “already? it’s only been, like, fifteen minutes.”

“cut me some slack,” you tell him, standing to your full height with your hands on your hips. you’re still trying to steady your breathing but the stance is almost a defensive one. “you do this every week.”

you mean that he runs this path every sunday morning to start his day, that he’s familiar with the route and has perfected a tempo that works for him. he knows you mean that but he still can’t help but poke fun at you.

“what are you talking about? you run too.”

you laugh, more out of disbelief than humor. the curl of his lips is telling and deep down you know he’s trying to get a rise out of you but you can’t help but take his bait. “yeah, on a treadmill. at my own pace. keeping up with you is impossible—your legs are too long.”

the comment draws a chuckle from his chest that seems louder than it truly is in this hidden spot within the trees. the sound never fails to brighten your mood, though, you cross your arms and paint on a frown to keep from folding so easily.

“you told me this was going to be a ‘relaxing jog’ and it hasn’t been either of those things.”

despite your posture and expression, osamu can tell you aren’t mad. you’ve been together for years and he can count the number of times he’s genuinely upset you on one hand. he knows your tells—like how you refuse to look at him and how you go quiet. he’s glad he’s only brought out that side of you a select few times and even though he’s sure you’re joking now, he never intends to push you that far.

his legs move automatically, closing the distance between you two. when his arms open, you step into them and let yours drop to your sides as you let your forehead rest on his chest. you can feel his heartbeat, still elevated from the exercise. he encases you in the warmth of his embrace. it’s comfortable and familiar and you’re starting to think that you’d be content standing here forever when osamu’s voice rumbles against you.

“shall i carry you the rest of the way?”

you snort and smack his chest. the offer is unserious but you know that if you say yes, he’d be willing to do it. there’s something tempting about the idea of clinging to osamu’s back for what’s left of his workout, but you didn’t tag along to be a nuisance. you tip your head up to meet his eye. “how about i set the pace?”

he hums in agreement. “i can follow your lead.”

“and…” you start, taking a step back so you can see him better, “i want breakfast as an apology for your misrepresentation of what this would entail.”

your second condition is enough to make osamu laugh, although, this time you allow yourself to smile at the sound. his laugh is pretty high up on the long list of things you love about him.

he nods. “fine. but i was gonna make you breakfast anyway, honey.”

[verystrxxwberry]

Hi! How are you doing? I've been reading your content and I must say that I truly do enjoy it, you are my favorite content creator! I am about to do a nsfw request, so please forgive me...

What about the MCL newgen routes when they are turned on? What are some signs of them being turned on?

Thanks! Lots of love for you <3

MCL NEW GEN; when they are in the mood (NSFW)

♪¸¸.•*¨*•. ♪¸¸.•*¨*•. ♪¸¸.•*¨*•. ♪¸¸.•*¨*•.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭: Suggestive, MCL NG routes, how do they act when they are turned on. ↝ 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: I'm doing pretty good! It’s been a while since I do not write for MCL, but it is a pleasure for me to go back to it :). I truly hope you enjoy it!

♪¸¸.•*¨*•. ♪¸¸.•*¨*•. ♪¸¸.•*¨*•. ♪¸¸.•*¨*•.

ROY 

This guy is confident when it comes to acting, and I don’t think he is the type to hold on if he wants something. If he wants to have you close, he will do his best to achieve it.

When he is in the mood he becomes more clingy. If you are in the office, his arm would simply be wrapped around your waist all. the. time. He won’t let you go, and his thumb would be giving slow circles on your side. He would remove it when Devon appears, but he is going to take his time to enjoy the way your curves feel against his hand.

His breathing changes a little, and you’d be able to hear it because you basically would have him right besides you. Whenever you talk to him he leans in, his eyes focused on you, but he might look at the way your lips move when you are talking. And damn, his gaze is genuinely so hungry that he might steal your will to talk correctly.

As much as Roy would like to take you at that moment, he respects your dignity and of course, your job. He needs to be subtle. But expect him to lean in to compliment your scent and then plant a ticklish kiss on your neck.

Plus his voice gets lower and deeper, yet he speaks so softly that it seems he is whispering to you. When he goes from being loud and confident to more quiet and intimate, there is something cooking in his brain- and you know he has some intentions behind it.

When you are alone, he is not going to be subtle. He needs his partner and his clinginess is obviously making it clear. 

Roy is a romantic partner, and even if he has no fear of giving you small and gentle kisses in public, that’s not even a half of how romantic he can get to be. During private… it’s different. He loves kissing you, being in contact with you as long as it doesn’t overwhelm you. And when he is turned on, his hands are holding you close to him by your hips. He’d be giving slow kisses to your neck as he purrs about how good you smell.

The moment he takes your lips in a kiss, it is impossible to escape from his grip. And not because he wouldn’t let you, but he’d keep you hypnotized with the sensuality and gentleness he shows in the kiss. He is a good kisser, and he knows exactly how to do it when he wants to make you feel butterflies with only his lips.

He won’t rush things, but he will be amused if he gets to make you hungry for him as well and you get needy. He will tease you by going even slower. 

AMANDA

Not gonna lie, the main reason for her to get randomly in the mood might be due to ovulation… She is a passionate lover. Even though she gets quite flustered when there is no reason for her to be turned on at that moment.

In the office she might act distant at first, worrying you in case she was upset over something. But her rosy cheeks are dyed so red that it’s not normal of her. Maybe she's feeling bad, and then the moment you approach to touch her skin to check the temperature she sighs. She stutters whenever she talks, and the way she looks at you…

There is something intense in the way she stares at your form whenever you are around. She can’t focus on her work even if she pretends to do so, looking at the screen of her computer and cursing herself for not being able to think straight. But she’d stare at you, checking you out a few times as she unconsciously bites her bottom lip.

If by any chance you look back at her, she will quickly look away. 

You’d see her fixing her hair as she crosses her legs. Oh, and you know very well why she is crossing her legs. She’d adjust her skirt a few times as she makes pressure with both of her thighs to try and relax herself, but guess what. That only makes her more needy for you.

You approached to check on her, using your hands to massage her shoulders. Damn she melts once again. Amanda looks up at you and the puppy eyes she gives to you are enough to make clear how she is feeling.

Once she’s got you all for herself in private, she is going to be needy. The moment you both get to sit on the couch, she’ll start by slowly placing his hand on your thigh, caressing it up and down. The need is so obvious that you can feel his touch being basically fire in your skin.

Her eyes have no shame in wandering down your body once again, as she approaches to glue her chest area to your side, making sure to press her boobs so she can tease you. She seems to be cuddly, but she aims to go further than simply cuddles.

She gets very handsy, her attention placed on your reactions instead of your words. But she nods as if she was listening to you..

DEVON

It’s unfortunate for him to get aroused during work because he has an image to keep in front of his employees, he has to be responsible and serious as he is the one representing the company. It would be a pity that someone would catch him devouring you with his gaze as you work.

When he is in his office, he keeps himself busy to not focus on the feeling there is on his pants. He straightens his position, crossing his arms over his chest and sighing deeply. His back is completely straight, his chin up to the front and his shoulders tensed, doing a great example of the perfect position. 

Every time you enter his office, he bites a pen as he looks at your whole form trying his best to focus on your words. He’d sign you to get closer because he can’t help it, he wants to feel your warmth a little bit at least. 

As he talks to you about some documents, his hand is on your lower back. His office doesn’t give the best intimacy as the walls are made of transparent crystals, yet he looks around to check that no one is watching as his hand slowly goes down… resting over your bottom for a few seconds and then moving it away. He’s not that bold with his touch in public, normally, but he can’t help it.

He would ask you to respectfully go back to your desk. As the switch goes through, he dares to walk around the office, once his pants are less tight. He asks everyone how they are doing, and when he reaches behind you, he caresses your shoulders and neck. His caresses are so slow that you realize he is taking his time to enjoy the softness of your skin.

But he stops himself before getting aroused once again.

Once the shift is done and he gets time alone with you, he is quite direct about his intentions as he literally unbuttons his shirt slowly. “I might take a shower to relieve the stress. There’s room for two, if you wish to join…” he purrs, a cocky smile evident on his face as he starts to walk towards the bathroom.

How to say not to such an offer <3.

THOMAS

Another one who is flustered and acts distant. When it happens in work, he deeply focuses on his work, trying to ignore that your presence achieved to get him in the mood without even trying. His leg shakes anxiously as he works, doing his best to ignore everyone. It is annoying for him to wear those jeans he usually wears for work and having an erection.

He gulps, clearing his throat as he feels his throat dry constantly. He would be constantly sipping from a big bottle of water, but not even that can end with the thirst he has for you. He even licks and bites the skin of his lips, trying to distract himself.

He uses his hand to brush his hair back in frustration. The impact you have on him is intense, and you are completely oblivious about it. He blames himself for being hard, closing his eyes and trying to take deep breaths so his friend calms down a little. He is even frowning.

You notice him acting strange, and he’d simply say that he is fine, but his voice would sound husky and low, as if he was tired. But he is simply… fighting himself to have pure thoughts. He’d accept physical contact, but would need a few seconds to organize his thoughts and speak coherently.

His pupils are big when he looks at you, as if he was seeing a meal he wanted to devour already.

When he gets to be alone with you and he gets turned on by accident, he normally tries to act normal. He puts his hands on his pockets to hide the fact that he was aroused. He’d be distracted, trying to follow your conversation and not paying attention to his needs, but it seems so appealing for his mind to give him so many dirty thoughts that he sighs in frustration.

His eyes are more expressive than his whole face, and even if he holds a neutral expression, his eyes are burning in desire. He doesn’t start unnecessary physical contact since he finds it awkward, but look… Now it is necessary. He rests his arm around your neck, his hand playing with your hair slowly as he listens to your words. His legs would spread a little, his knee pressing against yours.

Knowing him, you knew that his clinginess had a reason behind. 

JASON

As always, he absolutely adores being a lil shit and teases you as much as he can to check your reactions. He deals with his arousal naturally, doesn’t make a big deal about it but will not hide it from you.

When you visit him in his office, he can’t help but smirk at the view of you. “Ah, right on time…” he mutters and pats his lap. There might be the risk of someone walking into his office, but he doesn’t care to be seen with you on his lap. He holds you by the lower part of your back, his other hand resting over your thigh as he presses your side towards his torso. 

He looks up at you with that cocky expression you are used to seeing from him. He gives you a little seductive smirk as you rant about anything, his hand massaging your thigh slowly, making slight possessive pressure. His eyes accompany the lust he is feeling.

His method to show you that he is turned on is by turning you on. And he is surprisingly good at this. Jason keeps the little game of keeping eye contact to make you nervous, which he adores. Then he’d lean in to give some kisses on your neck that would make you squirm.

Being on his lap doesn’t make it any easier as you can feel the arousal growing under his pants. Jason isn’t ashamed. When he is in the mood, he is like a predator hunting its prey.

Knowing that there are still people in the office, he wouldn’t go as far as he would like, but he’d be aware that he managed to get you in the mood before telling you to come back later. He adores seeing your frustrated expression whenever he leaves you right on the edge of doing something further than giving you teasing caresses and heated kisses.

But once he is the only one in his office, he will gladly use the area of his desk to satisfy both of your needs. 

About him getting turned on in private… he is pretty much the same, he makes it obvious by his seductive movements and works on making you needy as well. The only difference is that you won’t have to wait much for him to satisfy your and his needs.

✰; remember to reblog and like to support my content, I hope you enjoyed it!

[pinkanonwrites]

HI same anon from last night I’ve been going absolutely bonkers over you rambling about Bee since you posted it. I love that guy… 😭. If you want more specific (and this is only if you wanna!) do you wanna expand on maybe g1, animated or earthspark? how they’d be in a relationship, maybe? it’s totally up to you. i’m just excited to be fed good content about my favorite guy 🙏

Yes yes yes of course! I covered what Earthspark Bee would be like if he had a crush in the last ask, so I'll gladly go over what these Bees would be like in a relationship!

G1 Bumblebee

Of these three, I think G1 Bee is the shyest, even when the two of you are already in a relationship. The puppy love doesn't wear off when you start dating with him. If he had it his way he'd trail behind you wherever you went, dopey and lovesick and unbelievably fond.

He's incredibly gentle with you, never picking you up without asking first, always checking in on you to make sure you're comfortable when he takes you for a drive. He's also a much more careful driver than the other two versions of Bee when you're riding with him. As much as he loves to feel the wind between his plates and tear up the road, he's a lot more hesitant to do so when you're his ride-along.

He loves the human cliche of getting your partner flowers, and he especially loves the way your whole face lights up when he presents them to you, even if he just spent an hour delicately picking them out of the nearby woods. He'd be a complete, flustered mess if you ever returned the favor or, better yet, went out of your way to court him in a way more familiar to Cybertronians. Bring him a cool rock or pretty gemstone you found at a hobby shop and he'll fall to pieces right there in front of you.

Whether you're a alone or in public, he absolutely melts under any affection from you. Even a kiss on the cheek can turn his processor to a staticky mess. He's so whipped for you and he absolutely loves it.

Animated Bumblebee

Even in a relationship, he still loves to tease and play with you. Teasing is your shared love language, he shows his affection best when you're calling him a giant dork and he's responding 'Yeah, but you love this giant dork!' The only times he gets really soft and embarrassed are when you genuinely compliment him or tell him how much you love him without some silly goof to cushion the blow. You can practically see his whole faceplate glowing with the force of his blush.

Anything fun is doubly fun when he's doing it with you. Listening to music, ripping around downtown Detroit, or even just vegging out on the couch playing video games. Having you there makes everything ten times better. Even things that you enjoy that he isn't as fond of are better with you. He'll gladly watch a documentary or go stargazing if it makes you happy. Besides, you can still bounce jokes off of each other, so he'll enjoy it no matter what.

He's such a showoff about you it's adorable. He brags about you whenever the chance comes up, and NOBODY gets away with talking smack about you if he's around. Especially other bots that don't like organics, that's when he gets to his most protective.

He's not always the best at reading the room, so you need to be pretty up front with him if he ever says or does anything that genuinely upsets you. After all, teasing isn't very fun if it's something that you're genuinely self-conscious about. And he knows you'd never tease him for stuff like his height, so all you have to do is point out the lines that you don't want crossed, and he'll never let himself or anyone else cross them.

Earthspark Bumblebee

Like Animated Bee, Earthspark be loves loves loves to go racing with you. But he's also painfully aware of how much more fragile humans are than Cybertronians, so he saves it for routes he knows like the back of his hand, or racetracks where there's absolutely no chance of you getting hurt. It makes his spark sing whenever you cheer around a tight turn, warm hands gripping his steering wheel like you never want to let go.

He's not a bragger by any definition of the word, but the people around him that know him well can tell just how proud he is of you. He gets this incredibly fond, dreamy look on his face whenever he sees you teaching the Terrans something new, like it's taking everything in him not to scoop you up and smooch you right then and there.

He's okay with casual displays of affection, hugs and chaste kisses and carrying you around in his arms or on his shoulder. But he does get pretty embarrassed if he ever gets caught in a more affectionate position with you. He can handle the teasing from the Maltobots just fine, but Primus forbid Optimus or Megatron start ribbing him for how cuddly he likes to be with you when no one else is around.

Speaking of cuddly, I think ES Bee is the MOST touchstarved out of these three. He's incredibly tactile and if he could he'd literally always be touching you, but he's been on his own for so long that he doesn't really know how to voice when he needs that kind of casual physical affection. He loves to cuddle but almost never brings it up. After all, a soft, gentle human like yourself can't possibly get as much out of cuddling a angular slab of metal as he gets out of cuddling you. Please cuddle the man, he needs it so bad.

[irkimatsu]

Husk needs all the love. So maybe fem!reader and Husk have been dating for awhile and even though he loves the affection and attention she gives him, he's still a little hesitant because of past experiences with relationships. But then she tells him "I love you" for the first time ❤️

Good/bad news, depending on your perspective - I went for an angsty hurt/comfort route on this one. I love Husk so much, I just want to take care of him...

Reader is questioning their relationship with Husk, Husk comes home injured one night, care is given and feelings are exchanged. Husk is a mess but he wants to be better, even if he thinks it's hopeless. Sex is mentioned, but over all SFW. About 2k words.

You and Husk have been together for about six months… you think. It depends on how you define “together”.

In some ways, he dotes on you. He loves giving you gifts, whether those gifts are physical items that immediately made him think of you, or songs he writes and performs just for you. He often takes you out for dinner, shows, and dancing, and has a great memory for the types of meals and shows you enjoy. Even the physical intimacy is incredible. He may not be one for public displays of physical affection, but behind closed doors he’s such an adoring partner. He told you from the start that for him, sex should be an experience shared by all parties involved, not just something that one side gives while the other takes, and oh, the way he shows it! Whether cuddling, making out, or having sex, Husk never leaves you wanting, and always makes sure you’re comfortable before it’s time for you to go to sleep or part ways. When you think about how attentive he is, you feel like you couldn’t ask for a more perfect partner.

But when it comes to emotional matters, it’s like dating a brick wall.

You spend so much time with him, and yet you barely know a damn thing about him. Sure, he’s shared some pieces of his past, like his dreams of being an internationally renowned performer that he crushed beneath the weight of his own vices and weaknesses. But in the present day, if he has any emotions besides “drunk”, you’re not aware of them. Sure, he seems happy when he gets to spend time with you, but he actively refuses to say so out loud.

“I like spending time with ya, but that’s all this is. We both know I’m gonna fuck this up eventually. Let’s just enjoy this while it lasts.”

He didn’t even seem upset when he told you that he knew his time with you would be limited before he hurt you. To him, it was simply an inevitable fact of nature.

You’ve tried so hard to break down his walls and offer him some much needed affection. He does genuinely seem to love it when you cuddle him and compliment him. He brightens at how well you remember what little he’s told you about himself, from his favorite songs and movies to the exact way he loves having his back massaged. And even though he refuses to admit to any of it, you can tell when he ends a night even more agitated than usual. He may tell you not to bother when you offer to keep him company after he closes the bar down, but he’ll accept it after some pressing, and you know he appreciates the attention from the way he starts clinging to you and purring.

But if you actually try to ask him exactly what has him agitated, he’ll refuse to answer. Maybe he’ll bitch about Alastor, but he’s never been clear about what his relationship with the Radio Demon is, and he won’t offer any other clues about anything that bothers him.

You once tried to tell him you loved him. He snapped at you not to say that shit before the phrase had fully left your mouth.

“What did I tell you about not getting too close to me?!”

It’s not like you don’t see where he’s coming from when he calls himself a fuckup. You don’t think you’ve ever seen him sober, and you’ve tucked his barely-coherent self into bed on numerous occasions. He’s had to cancel dates last-minute because he gambled away your concert tickets, and he often disappears in the middle of the night and refuses to say where he’s been. Sometimes you have a guess when the next morning involves a date cancellation, but other times all you can tell is that his nightly adventure has set him so on edge that he won’t leave his room or accept your company.

Why won’t he tell you anything? Why won’t he let you care about him? For all his talk about how people need to be honest and open about their feelings, he sure as hell isn’t saying shit about his own.

It’s the middle of the night, and you can’t sleep. You’d initially hoped for Husk to ease you to sleep with a hug and a lullaby, but he’s not answering his bedroom door. You didn’t find him in the lobby, either, so at this point you figure he’s either passed out drunk or out gambling again. It’s not the answer you want when you’re looking for your partner, but you’re still trying to be patient and accept that he has inner demons you’re nowhere near equipped to fight for him.

Patience. A man like Husk needs patience. But how much more patience can you have when he won’t even let you try?

You’ve given up on trying to sleep for now, and are instead lounging on the lobby couch and reading a book, not truly absorbing the words on the page as your mind wanders to thoughts about the relationship you’ve found yourself in.

You’re snapped out of your thoughts and your book as the front door to the hotel creaks open, followed by a familiar voice quietly cursing. Husk limps through the door, which is your first of many clues that something is terribly wrong.

He’s hunched over even more than usual, and he swears or hisses through his teeth every time he puts pressure on his right leg. It takes him a second to get moving again after every step. He’s clutching his left arm, and both of his wings are drooping and slightly crumpled.

“Husk?!” you shout as you spring up from the couch and run to him, all doubts about your relationship flung completely from your mind. “What happened?!”

He seems surprised to see you at first, but he swallows down any visible emotions as quickly as he can. “I’m fine,” he grumbles as he limps past you. “Just tired. Long night.”

“Of course you’re not fine! Come on, lean on me.” You grab his good arm and pull it away, and are horrified to see the bloodstained fur surrounding a nasty gash in his arm. “Husk!”

“I’m fine…” he repeats, even while breathing heavily through the pain.

“I’ll get you cleaned up. You’re not going upstairs alone.” You sling his good arm around your shoulder, and you slowly walk him up to his hotel room.

—

He keeps insisting he’s fine, but he’s not physically fighting your attempts at taking care of him. You’re not sure if it’s because he really does want your affection or because he’s too tired and in too much pain to protest, but either way, you’re glad he hasn’t chased you out of the room yet. You’re not a medical expert by any means, but he does seem soothed by the warm, wet rags you’ve wrapped around the wounds on his arm and his leg. For now, he’s laying on his back with his head in your lap and letting you gently stroke his head.

“What happened?” you ask.

He responds with a hollow laugh. “Told you I’m a fuckup,” is all he has to offer.

“Who did this to you?” you continue. “Why?”

“Does it matter?” he asks. “You don’t need to get involved in this shit.”

“I just want to help…”

“Yeah? How are you gonna help? You know a secret to getting me out of a million different debts with the fucking mob?”

Well, that’s more information than he’s offered before. “You’re in debt?”

“Ugh… didn’t mean to say that…”

“Husk… please talk to me. You’re always letting me talk to you when something’s bothering me…”

“This is way bigger than you can handle, doll. It’s been going on for years before this hotel even existed.”

“I still want to know… I want to know what’s going on with the person I lo- the person I care about.”

Husk groans, either in exasperation or pain. “You better not do anything stupid with what I’m about to tell you. I haven’t been able to save myself for years. Like hell you’ll be able to do anything about it.”

“At least let me hear you out,” you insist.

“All right… I’m in debt, like I said. It’s hard not to be when you’re a fucking gambling addict. There’s debts I’ve owed since back when I was an Overlord.”

“You were an Overlord?” This part is news to you.

“...I’ll tell you about that later,” is how he closes that subject. “I’ve been going out trying to win my way out of those debts, but more often than not, gambling just puts you further in the hole. The group I played with last night are an especially ruthless bunch. I got desperate enough to try to cheat my way into a win… and I got caught.”

“And then they…”

Husk scoffs. “Yeah. They weren’t happy. Probably would have killed me if they had any angelic weapons on ‘em. They still fucked me up pretty badly. I’m not as strong as I used to be, and even if I was, ten-on-one ain’t great odds. Would have been worse if I didn’t somehow manage to crawl out of there.” He sighs. “I’ll be fine. It’s not the first time I’ve gotten roughed up over a bad hand of poker. I was just able to hide it from you until now.”

“I wish you would have told me,” you say. “I could have taken care of you…”

“Why are you so desperate to take care of a fuckup like me?” he asks. “It’s not the first time I’ve gotten myself into some deep shit, and it’s not going to be the last. This is what you’re signing up for by insisting on hanging around me. What are you getting out of this?”

“You’re not a fuckup, Husk. You’re a performer, a dreamer, an artist… you’re attentive, patient, caring… you’re my best friend. You have issues, but who doesn’t, especially down here? But I know who you are underneath it all, and it’s more than worth it.”

He doesn’t seem to believe you, but he doesn’t say anything about it either way. He simply falls silent and closes his eyes as you stroke his hair.

“Husk?” you say after about a minute.

“Mm?”

“...I love you, Husk.” It’s out of your mouth before you can stop yourself. You don’t care how he reacts to it; it needs to be said.

“Even when I’m like this?” he asks.

“Especially when you’re like this,” you assure him. “Especially when you need it most.”

“I’m not gonna get better. Is this really what you want to be stuck with?”

“Who says you won’t?” you ask. “There’s nothing stopping you from trying, right? And you know I’m here to help you, if there’s anything I can do…” You gently stroke at the tuft of fur on his chest, lightly pulling out the tangles.

“...I don’t want to hurt you,” he finally says. “I never wanted to hurt anyone who loved me. But I couldn’t fix myself for them… what if I can’t fix myself for you?”

“It’s enough for me if you try. You have me, you have Angel, you have Charlie… you’ll get through this. It’s not too late.”

“You really believe in Charlie’s mission, huh…”

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think it was possible.”

He relaxes in silence for a few minutes as you continue to stroke his chest. 

“...I wanna go to sleep,” he finally says.

“Of course.” You help move him up to his pillows, going slowly and carefully to not aggravate his wounds any more than you have to. Once you have him in position, you go into the bathroom to get some clean rags, then return to change the makeshift bandages you’ve made for him.

“Do you want me to leave you alone tonight?” you ask as you tuck the rag around his leg.

He doesn’t even need a second to think about it. “No. I want you to stay.”

“Then I’ll stay.” Once you’re sure he’s comfortable, you join him on the other side of the bed. He groans in pain, but still moves to wrap an arm around you and pull you close. His wings don’t blanket you like they sometimes do, but you know it’s for the best if he doesn’t move them right now. You pull him in against your chest, finally feeling ready to fall asleep.

“Hey…” he says quietly just before you drift off.

“...I love you, too.”

[kurishiri]

I read this hellhole of a route to find out more about Alfons

this post is a like a semi-detailed dump of information which may be updated below the cut on Alfons, and a bit on his relationship with others like Elbert, Roger and Kate, that can be seen from his main story. I guess it’s made for those who want to learn more about his character (and for my own silly note taking), or are curious about him, but may feel upset at cw: a lot of explicit dub/non-con scattered throughout the story, especially in the first half or so. So yes, there are spoilers about Alfons and his route under the cut!

the gist of why Alfons is the way he is (constantly going out at night, drinking in the afternoon, etc.) is because of his curse and his tragic fate

his curse is the mirror curse, which gives him the ability to change others’ perceptions if he touches the nape of their neck, in exchange for being forgotten

in other words, he’s destined to die without leaving any trace in the world

once he dies, his memory will be “forcibly” erased from people’s minds and in written form, but objects may still remain; in other words, he himself is treated as an illusion by his curse

Alfons was born in the east end (aka the slums) as a “nameless” orphan, though it’s implied his parents named him such before abandoning him

as long as he could survive, he took up any identity, with his current one being a “noble” so that he could stay by Elbert’s side

at first, this was likely for survival and living off Elbert’s money, and then some sense of guilt may have played a role in his sticking to Elbert’s side, saying that he couldn’t make him “go crazy” though Elbert said when they first met, Alfons said what he needed to hear

anyhow though he tries to keep his distance, it’s implied Alfons had let Elbert into his heart and Elbert can tell when Alfons is lying, but this may have been a subconscious thing on Alfons’ end as he naturally spent a lot of time with Elbert

I think Alfons does genuinely care for Elbert, in his own way (I guess he thinks of him like a bit of a troublesome “childhood friend”); when he was intending to leave a final farewell, he wrote a note to Elbert, and Elbert alone, wishing him to live a good rest of his life

he was subjected to a lot of manual labor as a child, by the orphanage he stayed at

though he was corporeally punished sometimes, he mentioned dissociating so that he didn’t feel the pain of the punishment

while being worked to the bone, though, he managed to befriend a cat

legit this cat actually had a chokehold on his past — it had a lot of significance in Alfons’ backstory

so basically child Alfons is like “at least I can love this cat” and he hopes the cat will remember and love him

the fact the cat might remember him was what kept him going; this is important to remember

because sometime later after he got kicked out of the orphanage, he was out polishing shoes and that’s when he met child Roger, who is a little older than Alfons

in exchange for being paid, Alfons agreed to let Roger research or experiment a bit on Alfons’ curse. Since at the time, Alfons didn’t know how to activate his ability, they sorta experimented with that

in the end they figured it out and Roger ended up eating shoe polish because Alfons said “this shoe polish is your fav food” 😭

but Roger was excited to meet another cursed one and he got a bit too carried away by casually telling Alfons what his cursed fate was: he is destined to be forgotten

this hits Alfons really hard and he wants to go back and check on his cat

yeah well it turns out this cat was actually the director of the orphanage??

the cat had apparently died a little while ago while Alfons was still in an orphanage, probably taken out by the director, and he couldn’t take that reality and so he basically uses his ability on the director to act as his cat, or he simply just dissociates from reality

(so that’s why there were rumors floating around that the director of the orphanage had turned into a cat, and why he was kicked out I think; there’s quite a bit of unreliable narration on both ends throughout the story just because of the nature of Alfons’ curse)

it is here where Alfons first says this little catchphrase he says at the end of his route preview: “if you can’t take your reality, then you can run away from it. And if you can’t run away from it… you can just go crazy.”

he has these thoughts like “it would’ve been better if I didn’t check on the cat, if only I could’ve kept dreaming”

but anyway that is why Alfons doesn’t like Roger, even now. Though he’s a lot more.. reserved about it I guess because he’s now a “noble”

when Roger first presented this info Alfons was really emotional

at present Alfons goes to the east end at times to give people there an illusion or a dream, something that’ll make them feel better

he uses his ability without caring what happens to him — because what’s the point?? He’s just going to be forgotten in the end

he claims he’s doing this for entertainment, just as he hangs around Kate for entertainment, but she suspects he does this kind of thing out of kindness (though it may be like a twisted type of kindness)

after all, it seems like Alfons uses his ability for others, when others need it, like when they’re suffering

Alfons doesn’t confirm nor deny Kate’s theory about him, but Kate feels this is the “truth,” and Alfons calls her “straightforward” and a fool

however he seems to hold respect toward Kate for being able to face reality, no matter how harsh it is because this is something he couldn’t do himself

and he is pretty self-deprecating about it too, since he can only give them a “temporary escape” and he believes that is the extent he can give due to his fate and the nature of his curse — he can only have “fleeting relationships” with people like Kate, encouraging her if she ever needed an escape, she could come to him, but that was all he would be willing to give

or, that is all he thought he could give, as he also thinks himself as unable to love others (though by the time he tries to actively push Kate away trying to convince her that her feelings are a misunderstanding, he likes her back)

he just doesn’t want to be close to her, nor does he want her to be close to him, because Kate would end up forgetting about him anyway, so he tries to push her away by doing bad things to her

in fact, he values his life so little — he would disappear completely for Kate

and he also believes he can’t feel love, but he admits to having this feeling of wanting to make Kate despair, perhaps so that he can carve his presence into her while Kate tries to find a way to maybe change his tragic fate

he likes cats but has complicated feelings toward them due to his past, but he sometimes goes out and feeds strays

[yunarim]

── ⋅⋅⋅ I'll show you little by little every day, I'll be a little closer tomorrow ♡

he discovers you sleeping and covers you with a blanket, but you assume it was someone else!

♡ characters : third-years ♡ tags : gn reader, fluff ♡ song to listen to : joy (red velvet) - day by day

─ ⊹ Cater Diamond ♡₊

Cater found you sleeping under the tree, apparently you were tired from helping him painting roses for the upcoming unbirthday party. 

Actually he had no problem at all, given he was managing the task all by himself, but you were so cute, asking him whether you could be of help. 

His heart melted when your expression turned softer than it was when he covered you with a blanket.

Next day you’ve visited Heartslabyul once again, and Cater noticed you having fun with your first-year friends and convincing Riddle you weren’t causing any trouble.

You waved to him, your smile incredibly cheerful and beautiful as always. 

“Yo, Prefect~ How’s your mood today?”

“I’m okay, thanks for asking! I thought I’d catch a cold, but I’m fine thanks to Riddle!”

He blinked once. Then twice. 

Uhm say what again? You haven't seen Riddle for a week for sure, just how would he help you-

Riddle turned to you two, hearing your sudden statement.

“How come?” dorm leader asked you, an undisguised incomprehension on his face.

“Oh?..” you frowned. “You covered me with a blanket yesterday!” 

Cater laughed nervously, rubbing his temple with his finger and pointed at himself.

“Ngl I feel kinda friendzoned, but actually it was me~”

You can almost physically feel how his heart shuttered for a moment, but you’re quick to apologize. 

“I’m so sorry, I genuinely thought…” you muttered, frowning.  “Aw, Prefect, no need to be sorry! It was a misunderstanding, right? Let’s go grab something to drink!”

He took your hand in his, making you follow him into the Heartslabyul hall, but you tugged on his sleeve, causing him to stop for a moment. He observed how cutely you pouted.

“You’re actually upset, am I right? And that ‘friendzone’ you’ve mentioned, too…”

“Ouch, caught red-handed, haha. No worries, it’s oka-”

You interrupt him with a gentle hug, not even slightly noticing his subtle breath hitching, his phone almost dropping from his grip. He was upset, truly, but with a sweet smile he swat all that irrelevant thoughts away, patting your head and pulling you a little bit closer.

─ ⊹ Trey Clover ♡₊

Discovered you sleeping in the auditorium when he was passing by. 

Apparently, you were tired with managing ADeuce and Grim antics, and Trey knew how much energy you always put in your responsibilities. 

“Oh, what do I do with you…” he bent over the desk you were sleeping at and fixed the lock of your hair, smiling softly at you. 

He then brought you a blanket from home science class and covered you with it, slight pink dust covering his cheeks at the sight of you sleeping so peacefully.

Next day he spotted you talking to professor Crewel and approached you just when you'd finished talking.

“Good morning, Prefect. Where are you going?”

“Morning, Trey!” you greeted him with a smile. “Professor Crewel asked me to bring some books from the library.”

“Care to walk together? I was about to head to the library too.”

“Sure, let’s go! 

After you’ve gathered all the things you needed, you two headed back, but took another route, by taking which you stumbled on the auditorium where you’ve fallen asleep yesterday, and you noticed how the blanket someone covered you with yesterday was still laying folded on the desk. 

“Oh, wait a second, I’ll grab that blanket, I need to return it to Deuce.”

Trey furrowed his brows, taking a closer look at the blanket you’ve collected. 

No doubt, it was that one blanket he covered you with yesterday. 

He felt how the disappointment filled his heart, making him sound a little bit prejudiced. 

“Deuce? Why?”

“Oh, he covered me with this blanket yesterday! I fell asleep while waiting for him, he was writing an explanatory letter of sorts…” 

“Hm, was it really him?”

You turned to him, noticing his face expression and how visibly disappointed he was. A hint of blush covered your cheeks and you laughed out of embarrassment. 

“Actually I thought Deuce was out of character for a moment, but I couldn’t even imagine it was you… Thank you!” Your beaming smile caused Trey to frown but smile with a loving gaze in response, and the next second you handed the blanket to him, he accepted it, covering your hands with his and lingered his gaze on your eyes for a little longer than just a friend would.

“Next time I’ll make sure you know it was me.”

─ ⊹ Leona Kingscholar ♡₊

Oi, herbivore… Just how reckless of you to fall asleep on his territory completely uncovered?

You are so defenseless, sleeping in the botanical garden like that.

Maybe if Ruggie found him looking at you way longer than it considered normal, he would claim Leona’s gone insane out of love.

Seriously, herbivore, do you just have to be so stupidly angelic? 

Good thing it was he who discovered you sleeping on the grass and enjoying a warm, somnolent atmosphere lingered in the garden. 

Took the blanket Ruggie advised him to use to sleep on sometimes after other students watered flowers and the ground was still moist.

He hesitated for a mere second, appreciating the way you smiled through your sleep at how gentle the sun rays were piercing through the greenhouse glass. 

Covered you with a blanket and couldn’t resist the urge to caress your cheek, to which you reacted pretty much funny.

You leaned to him, murmuring something incoherent, and Leona cleared his throat just to avoid embarrassment in case Ruggie comes in.

Sevens, do you just need to be so vulnerable in front of him?

Next day it was you who found him lying on the grass as you were watering flowers.

“Good afternoon!” You greeted him, lifting the watering can just enough to not pour a few drops on Leona. “Oh, actually, I have a question to ask.”

“No asking how was my day, hm? When did you become so cold toward me, herbivore?”

“Hm, you’re the one to talk!” You hummed. “Anyway, do you know where Ruggie is?”

“What on earth do you need from him?”

“He covered me with a blanket when I fell asleep here. I thought it would be nice if I could give him something in return for being nice to me.”

“Sevens, herbivore, really? Him?”

You put the watering can on the ground and squatted down, moving closer to Leona and pouting. 

“What’s wrong!” You exclaimed and let out a little squeak when Leona pulled you closer to him, making you lay down beside him, his tail resting on your leg and flapping on it. “H-hey-”

“Never gonna cover you with a blanket again if you can’t recognize who it was, herbivore.”

You blushed and looked straight at him, noticing his grin at your sudden realization. You averted your gaze, curving up corners of your lips and giggled.

Maybe he’ll reconsider his decision depending on whether you lean to him a little closer or not. 

─ ⊹ Vil Schoenheit ♡₊

You and Rook were helping Vil with his club activities, which acquired carrying out things here and there mostly.

By the time you’ve finished you headed out to the staff room to pick up your belongings and then return to Ramshackle.

Actually, the armchair in the dressing room covered with some clothes turned out to be so alluringly comfortable and cozy that you couldn’t resist and decided to take a breath.

It was nearly 10 pm when Vil realized he forgot something in the staff room and discovered you, lying in clothes and things like a little kid surrounded by plushies.

Seriously, potato, only you could look so incredibly cute in such a mess. 

He picked you up in his arms, carried you to the sofa and covered you with a blanket.

He couldn’t afford carrying you to Ramshackle in such a state, so he made sure there was a glass of water standing on the table and skin care products made by him were there too, so you could use those when you wake up.

Next day you came to Pomefiore accompanied by Epel, who was discussing yesterday’s events with you.

“I wonder who it was…” you pressed a finger to your lips, sinking deeper into your thoughts.

“So it’s whether Rook or Vil,” Epel said.

Neither you nor Epel noticed how Vil was approaching you two from behind and deciding to walk a little slower after hearing his name. He had no intention of eavesdropping, but a sudden curiosity hit him. 

No way you would be that dense to not to guess that it was him who took care of you-

“Knowing Vil’s strict schedule I bet it was Rook!” you exclaimed, leaving Vil completely dumbfounded. “I mean, I fell asleep around 10 pm, I assume it was too late for Vil to be out of his room…”

“Never knew you have a habit of speaking nonsense, potato.”

You turned to him, surprised by his sudden appearance. Epel was fast to storm out of the hall, leaving you two all alone.  “I’m sorry for talking behind your back…”

“Potato, never avert your gaze like that from me. Head straight, chin up. Yes, like that.” Vil grinned at how fast you were to do as he said, so he put his hands on your shoulders, encouraging you to relax a little and not be so tense. He leaned closer, noticing how you completely ignore skin care products he left just for you and sighed. 

“Potato, come here. I’ll do your makeup today, but under one condition.”

“O-oh, yes?..” You stuttered, your cheeks growing warm with every second. 

“Sleep in your room next time.”

─ ⊹ Rook Hunt ♡₊

Just how marvelous you are, little trickster! 

He discovered you reading a book under the tree in the area which wasn’t really popular among students due to its emptiness, but you found it calming and peaceful to recollect your thoughts and to relax a little.

He was observing college territory as he usually was at that time, starting in the afternoon and taking one last stroll when a dahlia-copper sunset descended on the campus, coloring it into sweet orange shades.

You appeared as you dropped the book on your knees, your head was leaning against a tree trunk, shadows of variously shaped leaves formed a delicate pattern on your face, and through them warm, ardent red sunset rays glided over your skin.

Rook landed from the tree near you silently, as if he was a nimble cat.

Your gentle features cupped with sunset rays made his heart skip a beat, and he appreciated how vulnerably you looked. 

He placed a soft kiss on your forehead, pulling a blanket out of his bag and covering you with it, making sure you’re comfortable enough to not to hurt your neck in this position.

Next day you were talking to Grim, discussing yesterday’s occurrence and taking a guess on whoever covered you with a blanket.

“You stupid henchman, sure thing it was Vil!”

“Why do you think so?” You genuinely asked, trying to sound reasonable. “Well, I know I fell asleep near Pomefiore, but… maybe it was Epel.”

“Mnyah?!” Grim jolted in your hands. “Jeez, how stupid you are! Why’d he do it for ya?”

“Maybe because I saved his ass that time he was trying to escape Vil’s extra classes?”

“Or maybe it was my beloved little trickster’s ange gardien?”

You jumped on the spot, Grim somehow predicting this kind of situation and escaping your hands, landing on the grass near you. You turned to see Rook smiling gently at you and offering you a gloved hand. You were too startled to figure out what was the meaning of that, but took the hand nevertheless. He pressed a small kiss on your knuckles, looking straight at you and grinning through the little kiss, the feeling of his lips still lingering on your skin.

─ ⊹ Idia Shroud ♡₊

He swears, the one time he actually has to attend classes in person turns out to be the one he also has to be paired with you. 

There’s nothing wrong with you, but it’s about him. He’s too nervous to even look at what you’re handing out to him during a potionology class.

So he proceeds to quickly add the potion you’ve handed out and mix it with something boiling in the cauldron. 

“I-idia!!” You exclaim, finally managing to make him at least glance at you. “I asked if this was the right thing or not!”

“W-wha?! Wait, what did you give me just now?!”

“H-here!” You gave him an empty bottle and he looked at the tag attached to it, facepalming himself. 

“Shit, wrong one…”

“And that means?.. Ah… Oh…”

“Hey, what’s with y-you?..”

You felt a sudden dizziness after inhaling the fumes of the potion, and suddenly collapsed on the floor, snoring heavily. Professor Crewel sighed tiredly and demanded Idia to take you to the infirmary, since the brew you prepared did not pose any threat to life. 

That's what he was thinking about!! Carrying you through the halls when the infirmary was in another wing?! 

Hell no he wasn’t going to do that-

He thought twice after receiving a heavy discerning Crewel's gaze and hearing him almost yell to get himself together and take you to the infirmary already.

He almost dropped you on the bed and realized there was no nurse around.

Shit, today was his worst day in his whole lifetime. 

He covered you with a blanket and stormed out of the room, leaving a small note with a quick summary of what happened in case the nurse came back.

A few hours after sleeping you got up and was quick to inform Idia you were fine as the only thing you remember was Idia’s face full of horror and worry before you've fainted.

“Can’t imagine professor Crewel covered me with a blanket tho”

“HUH?!”

You almost dropped your phone because of the amount of messages filled with furious emojis. Why was Idia reacting this way… 

“Bro, you good?” You typed. 

“As if. He made me carry you to the infirmary and discover there was no one aside from us just for you to assume it was him who took care of you?”

Good thing you couldn’t stutter through the text. The sudden realization at how sweet Idia was, covering you with a blanket and making sure you’re not alone at least for some time… With a sweet childlike smile plastered on your face you typed an answer.

“Thank you ♡”

─ ⊹ Malleus Draconia ♡₊

The nights at Ramshackle garden are always chilly. 

You noticed it right when you and Malleus took your usual stroll, discussing sweet nothings.

He was enchanted to just hear you speak, your little stories always filling him with a warm feeling spreading in his chest.

He felt an inexplicable warmth in his chest, as if he was feverish just from how charmingly your lips moved when you told how you enjoyed appreciating nature in your world.

He could feel his heart beating rapidly, pumping blood through his vessels and forcing him to feel his cheeks growing warm when you said you are glad to spend time with him, walking in the garden like that.

Yes, that was the first night you thought it was chilly, despite Malleus unable to control how warm he was feeling beside you.

Your gaze filled with genuine love and care lingered on him when he was telling you something about himself, not limited by anything or someone else's prejudiced attitude towards him.

It was just you, shivering a little and enjoying his somnolent deep voice, lulling you to sleep.

Malleus smiled at you, your head suddenly on his shoulder. 

He scooped you up in his arms, gently pulling you closer, and carried you to the Ramshackle, covering you with a blanket and caressing your cheek before dissolving into flashes of green.

Next evening you spotted neon green sparkles and greeted Malleus, him appearing beside you.

“Hello,” you smiled. “Thank you for making sure ghosts took me over to Ramshackle yesterday! I didn’t know they’re strong enough to carry a human body.”

“Child of man…”

“Yes?” You turned to him, noticing his pout and approached him. “Why are you upset, Tsunotarou? Did I do something wrong?..”

“Nothing beside mistaken my guilelessness towards you for ghosts’ sincerity. “

“Oh…” You smiled gently at him, fearlessly pulling him towards you and embracing him, meeting his absolutely lovesick gaze and feeling sudden warmth spreading in your chest. “Would you find this hug sufficient to make this up?”

“Maybe a little bit longer, if you will, child of man.”

With that you buried your face in his chest, enjoying how right and pertinent you were feeling in his arms, smiling to yourself and wishing this night to never end.

─ ⊹ Lilia Vanrouge ♡₊

You were always an honored guest at Light Music Club’s gatherings. 

Lilia would often find you studying at the library and float midair in front of you, chuckling and inviting you over to the music room. 

So you did just that for once. Then twice. Starting from twice you’ve realized you’re always finding your ways at the music room, your beloved trio ready to spoil you with sweets and juicy stories. 

Today was so fun and exciting, the boys demonstrated their new song to you, suggesting you to be their main vocalist and you giggling at the thought. 

Today’s playlist they performed was quite nice and peaceful to that extent you found yourself relaxing and falling asleep quickly. 

Kalim was giggling and trying to not to wake you up while Cater was quick to tweet about you enjoying ballads so much you ended up asleep. 

Lilia looked at you with pure adoration plastered on his face, his fingers caressing your cheeks and fixing your hair gently.

Kalim almost squeaked at how lovely you two were. 

Lilia found a cute blanket Kalim once brought here and asked him whether he could use it and after receiving approval he covered you with a blanket. 

Needless to say Lilia was a man who was bad at resisting temptation to kiss your forehead. 

Next time you all met you took a bite of a cookie, a few crumbs fell into your lap, but you continued talking. 

“By the way guys, who was the one who covered me with a blanket last week? I wanted to thank you!”

“Wanna do a poll on MagiCam?”

“Ah no no, let me just guess then… I bet it was Kalim!”

Just after you said that Lilia appeared in front of you, floating midair. It was hard to recognize what kind of expression he had in that state, but you assumed he was slightly dissatisfied with your answer. 

“Think twice~”

He floated closer to you, finally noticing pinkish blush dusting your cheeks, his lips covering yours in a soft kiss. After pulling out he licked cookie crumbs from your check and gave a nod of approval, asking you once again. 

“Made up your mind?”

♡ tag list : @isacoremeow

© yushiiae 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝. 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲, 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐲, 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧.

[the-s1lly-corner]

Hello!

May I request a Kinger, Jax, and Caine x reader where the reader is a classic romantic type of person. When it comes to affection, they are very touchy and kissing their s/o alot. Calling their s/o various nicknames like "dear", "my love", "sunshine"

As well as gift their s/o lots of gifts, just in general very loving and actually has a history of being not loved back. Like, when the reader gets affection back, they look hesitant and even uncomfortable even though they themselves is very affectionate.

Am I self projecting? Yes, but I do like the idea of the reader finally just explaining that even though they have no memory before their life in the Digital circus but they just know they used to have an s/o that didn't love them back so that's why they aren't used to affection themselves. Sorry it got so lengthy, I got really into it lmao Have a wonderful day/night!

Caine, Jax, and Kinger x reader who loves giving affection but doesnt like receiving

i did not have any cool ideas for a title so uh uh uhh long ass title... gonna speed run this because i gotta do some stuff tonight but i would feel bad if i only got like 2 requests done !! to the other anon that requested something (mime anon)!!) i see you, dont worry! i plan on getting to you tonight when im done with the thing!!

CAINE:

okay so i wrote kingers part first, but i think caine would follow the same sort of thing,... would reel himself back in and try to figure out whats going on. i think the only difference is that he wouldnt know exactly how gentle to be since youre his first proper relationship, as well as his first experience with love. now while kinger would be a little upset, i think caine would be genuinely angry. how dare your ex partner! youre a walking god/goddess who makes Aphrodite envious, and on top of that you have a kind heart to match. were they blind? stupid? heartless? whatever the reason, caine ensures that that lost affection is more than made up for

JAX:

i think he would use it as a point of teasing, unaware of your past and just assuming youre just shy about receiving affection. it wouldnt really be until you two actually sit down and have a talk about it, that it starts to dawn on him... but i think he wouldnt be as gentle with it as caine and kinger are.. i think, he would kind of have a "well im not your ex," thought process about it... i think it would take some time to gain a more.. sympathetic and understanding way of thinking but i think he would lay off the teasing a bit...

KINGER:

i think kinger would be over the moon with all the affection you give to him... but the thing is he himself can be very very affectionate, in fact he would rival you in terms of giving.. so this would be quite the predicament... i think he would reel back if he noticed you recoil from his actions, and just, quietly ask if theres something wrong. when you share your feelings, i think he would be fairly understanding... takes things slow, tones things down for you and tries to help ease you into it. he makes sure you know that he loves you a lot, and that he wouldnt follow the same route your ex partner did... in fact he seems quite upset about it, i mean, you are amazing, and you deserve to receive the same energy

[sadbastard-bug]

Bros before hoes (sorry sophie)

Aka Simon and the reader walk to get donuts to distract Simon from his rejection.

You hadn't heard from Simon in a week, which wasn't exactly normal. A day or two of nothing sure, but a whole seven days of radio silence? Your phone didn't even say he had read the messages you sent. So here you are, a train ride away from home as you stand outside your bestfriends house. You tilt your head as you survey the dead quiet home, theres not a single light on and all the curtains are drawn. Biting back your worries you ascend a short staircase to the porch and hesitantly knock on the glass door. Stepping back you put your hands in your pockets, turning your head skyward as you wait. Theres zero response so you knock again, and again, and again. Each rap against the door more frantic then the last as you genuinely consider breaking in, until eventually you hear it. A shuffling and a very irritated but familiar voice.

Simon looks awful when he opens the door, not looking like he's slept for days and his skin is paler then normal. Theres more stubble then average on his face and his bedhead is so bad you fight the urge to fix it for him the second you notice. You don't realize your stareing until he brings his hand up to his face, clearing his throat. "Why are you here?" It's a easy question but the blunt tone of his voice has you scrambling to explain yourself fast, lest he shut the door in your face.

"You haven't texted or called in days Simon, I got worried something happened to you man."

And with the way hes slumped against the doorframe you do believe something's happened but he does look uninjured at least so you take comfort in that. He doesn't speak for a moment before he sighs and steps back into the house, waving a hand for you to fallow him.

His house is neat, you've come to know his mother is a clean freak who keeps most of the house pristine. Following behind Simon you wordlessly head down the hallway to his room which is the only place his mother doesn't touch. It shows of course, his bed unmade while trash, clothes, and even full plates of food sit around his small room. He doesn't bother to shut the door behind you and instead instantly moves to fall onto his bed, laying on his back completely spread out on the twin sized mattress. Eyeing a plate your pretty sure used to be eggs at some point you quietly move closer to him, stopping right in front of the edge of his bed. Your head tilted as you look down at him, concern clear on your face. "What happened?" The question seems to strike a nerve in your freind and he rolls onto his side to face away from you. His head covered by his hood, though it's clear in his voice he's upset. "I confessed to sophie"

Sophie, right. The third to your trio who you both met in college. A girl who you knew Simon was almost hopelessly into. If it was any other circumstance you would have clapped for him, you certainly never discouraged him from asking her out but not now. Not when it's obvious the girls response wasn't something he was happy about. Biting your cheek you sit beside him on the bed, your backs to eachother as you attempt to give him space without hanging off the mattress. Your afraid to speak even as curiosity eats at your mind. You do want to know exactly how it went but that can be pushed to a later date. When Simon's not curled up in his room like if he gets anymore into himself he'd dissapear. For now you settle for a simple but sympathetic "I'm sorry man"

Not the best thing to say but certainly not the worst. You both sit in deafening silence afterwards, you nervously chewing the insides of your mouth and Simon laying motionless on his side. There's nothing you think would actually help him to hear right now, you know no words of comfort would actually get through his head so you instead go the route of distraction. Clearing your throat you glance over at him "wanna go get donuts?" You honestly thought about suggesting ice cream but that's more of a break up food isn't it? Not exactly for rejection but you do know Simon enjoys sweets so you went for the next thing you could think of. You think he's not going to answer after a while of silence but he eventually shifts, sitting up on his bed as he rubs at his eyes and gives a half hearted nod. You gladly take the confirmation and stand up, brushing off you pants and putting your hands on your hips while you wait for your sluggish freind to pull himself up.

The next thing you know you're both outside his house, you stand off his porch with your skateboard in your arm as he locks the front door behind him. Neither of you own a car so your only option is to walk to the nearest bakery but it's a walk you've done several time by now, years of highschool spent trying to avoid being caught outside by his mom while you both sneak out to satisfy your late night cravings. Once Simon steps off his porch stairs your both off, walking side by side silently in the cold winter air. You wish you had any idea on how to start a conversation but your minds still to concerned with upsetting Simon further so you keep your mouth shut.

About a quarter way into the walk you drop your skateboard to the ground and kick yourself off. Rolling slowly along the sidewalk careful not to move to far ahead of the man your traveling with. It doesn't take long to notice the way he watches you from underneath his hair, his gaze focused on the board. You've tried to teach Simon how to ride multiple times by now but each time ends up with your board several feet away while he sits on the concrete nursing a new injury. You can tell it frustrates him to not be able to get it but you keep trying so once again you slow to a stop, kicking the board up into your hand while you turn your head back to ask "you want to give it a go?"

Simon's eyes drift between your face and the skateboard before he shrugs and steps forward. You smile and return the board to the ground, pushing it towards him and he stops it with his foot. Stepping onto the board he instinctively holds out his arm's to the side, trying to keep balance as the board rolls underneath his feet. He looks like a newborn deer like this, his face scrunched up and his body wobbly not used to the movement of the skateboard while it rolls slowly towards you. Then he leans to far forward, the board almost going out from underneath him and you rush to him with your arms out. The familiar fall never happens however and you eventually register why, your holding his hands as he balances atop the skateboard. You can feel the leather of his gloves warm against your skin and neither of you speak or move for a good second. The board stops still on the sidewalk and you both breath a sigh of relief the air cold enough you can see your exhales. He steps off the board but makes no move to let go of your hands which makes it a bit tricky for him. "You good?" You ask, halfway focused on the way his hands fit in yours. He nods and let's go of one of your hands, only one of them though. You lean down to pick up your board and tuck it under your arm.

You both start walking again completely ignoring the way your still holding onto eachother but it's not awkward. if anything it's the opposite, reminiscent of a time when you two would almost cling to eachother during the winter mornings on your way to school. It's a comfortable thing that spawns a warm feeling in both you're chests. You glance back at him from your peripheral, he's stareing ahead not at all embarrassed or uncomfortable like you expected no, he looks peaceful for the first time in a long while. So you move towards him close to bumping shoulders. This time the silence has shifted to something more normal, something comfortable, Something familiar. A time before college and stress, before sophie and the expected rift between you two when he started crushing on her.

He'll talk about her when hes ready you decide and you'll listen when he does but until then you'll just be quiet, act like kids again. You'll walk hand in hand down an icy sidewalk on a cold day to go get donuts, you'll buy the same kind of donuts you get every time and sit outside the shop on the curb. You'll make a god awful joke about a teacher you both hate and he'll lean forward not to choke as he laughs only to say something even worse in response. You'll drop kick the empty sweets box into the trash and share a cigarette while you head back to his house, laughing the entire time over stupid thoughts in your heads. He won't mention sophie or the confession at all but you won't care, completely okay with being a distraction even if it's for a day. You'll greet his mom later that day as she walks into the home from work and finds you two on the couch watching a bad movie. You'll both help her cook dinner and Simon will actually eat it. You insist on helping wash dishes afterward before you get dragged back to Simon's room where you'll proceed to play video games until your heads are slumped forward and your eyes droop. Simon will pass out first and you'll turn everything off and put it up properly before you eventually fall asleep leaning against the edge of his bed still holding onto his hand, Just like old times.

It's a new thing! I apologize for taking a month to actually post fanfic again after saying I was gonna start writing again but well uh..resident evil and bg3 took up more space in my brain then I thought they would.

This was supposed to be like a hurt/comfort about Simon being sad but somehow it ended up being childhood besties hanging out again, so whoops. Either way it was cute to write dispite my inability to stare at my own writing without tearing my hair out.

;]

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA if I restart an argument with a friend?

🌊⚓ <- so I can search for it.

So, a while ago, a friend was over and we talked. She is from South Germany while I am from North Germany, where we are both living (this'll be important in a sec).

I don't really remember why we were talking about the topic, but we started talking about regional dialects and sayings and then she called Low German* a dialect. Which tldr: big no-no. But I don't think she was being malicious, she just didn't know about the topic at all.

So naturally I explained: "You absolutely cannot call Low German a dialect to peoples faces around here. People will take offense to it. I don't really, because I consider the difference between dialect and language is arbitrary to begin with. But you will provoke incredibly unkind reactions from other people."

Her response was "Yeah but like. Doesn't everyone think their own dialect should be a language."

And... Idk why that one hurt but it did. It just felt incredibly dismissive. And I didn't really know how to respond other than "but this is the one case where it is true" which felt weird so I just. Didn't. We kinda moved on to other topics. But in hindsight, I really wish I hadn't?

Because I wish I had explained it in depth to her so she understands why what she said is considered unacceptable. But also for her own sake, because she will piss people off if she says the same thing to other people. And honestly for my sake so I can make peace with the conversation.

So I'm considering either finding a way to restart the argument/ conversation when we are together or go the cowardly route and send her a couple screenshots explaining the topic. But I also feel like restarting a fight we never really had and really doesn't matter is kind of a dick move.

Additionally I tend to be a person that corrects people when they are wrong and starts discussion way too much. Because in my family academic debates are a love language.** So I tend to reaaaaaally overestimate the amount of debating/ arguing people are comfortable with. They tend to perceive me as being upset with them while I am just having fun hashing out a topic from different angles.

So Tumblr. WIBTA?

Footnotes

* Low German is the regional language of North Germany. The definition of North Germany is actually pretty much "wherever they are speaking Low German". There is some controversy if Low German is a dialect or a language. Which like... People often describe it as closer to Dutch and English than Standard German, it's a recognised language in every state it is spoken in, it is recognized as a regional language in the fucking European Union WHY is it still controversial.

It is also very much an endangered language because in the past decades especially it has been looked down on as being "lower class". No that's not where the name comes from, low german is spoken where the terrain is flat/ low and high/ upper german is spoken where the mountains are. This attitude towards Low German is shifting a lot recently but it is entirely possible it's too late to prevent it from dying out.

** I felt like this part needed some clarification too. I can't count how many dinners in my childhood were spent eating while getting into the meat of whatever topic caught our attention. Politics or science or more spiritual stuff. Ask questions about things we were wondering about. Absolutely tear into each other when we had opposing positions, but concede when we were convinced. Oftentimes I'd get up to grab pen and paper, or demonstrate orbital dynamics with the jam container, a bowl and my plate, or use the butter as an impromptu drawing board.

But that doesn't mean we were fighting in the normal sense even if someone got upset occasionally. It was really just communicating with one another. It was connecting. Exercising our debate skills. Play-fighting but make it academia. It was genuinely fun to us and still is. An alternative outlet for sibling rivalry. There is no need to fight over the TV remote when you can just reason it out together.

So yeah. That's how academic debates can be a love language (and simultaneously absolutely destroy your conception of what is considered arguing).

[raayllum]

More Than Anyone or Anything

or why I think Callum is Like That: The Meta.

AKA because I realized that while I've talked about Snake Boi Callum and why I view him that way before, it was mostly in regards to explaining his canon traits that aren't usually very disputed. These being:

His sometimes obsessively dangerous qualities, specifically surrounding magic (1x04, 1x05, 2x04, 4x01, 4x02, 4x04)

His ambitious side (man heard from the one magical 'expert' he knows that humans just flat out cannot do primal magic naturally, said fuck that, and got it in a week after one week of practice)

His temper (1x01, 1x06, 1x09, 2x07, 3x08, 4x01-4x04, 5x01, 5x05, 5x08)

His ruthlessness (turning on Viren the second Ezran is in danger despite trusting him for years beforehand; his attitude towards Claudia in 2x07 after she's likewise betrayed him; smiling when killing corrupted soldiers in 3x09 even when Ezran expresses grief and Janai expresses horror when she was facing a similar scenario during the timeskip; arguing to take the violent route in 5x05 whereas Ezran and Rayla pick the more preventative one).

Therefore, for this meta, I will be focusing specifically on why I interpret Callum as Selectively Loyal to the point of being willing to help free Aaravos in order to spare, specifically, Ezran and Rayla's lives (and not necessarily anyone else's, such as Zym and Soren).

Strap in boys — this is going to be a long one.

Disclaimers: As always, this is just my opinion, and an interpretation being popular in fanon does not automatically mean it's better or more valid / rooted in canon than any other kind of (less popular? maybe common) interpretation. I will also be making it clear when I'm drawing on sections/snippets from supplementary material (TDP short stories, novelizations, and Tales of Xadia) but give that it's supplementary material, feel free to take it with the ultimate grain of salt.

Related Metas (that's worth reading if you're interested in other Snake Boi aspects that are not going to be heavily touched on here):

Callum's temper (S1-S3) and how it links to him typically feeling helpless to fix/aid his loved ones, causing him to lash out even sometimes at them

How Callum operates differently from Ezran and Rayla (S1-S4), but very well embodied I believe by the scene in 5x05 where Ez and Rayla side with the "violence as a last resort" option and Callum does not

How Callum views Zym and the egg in Arc 1 differently from Ez and Rayla, or how Callum sees things as tools and why he gets fixated on / what he projects onto objects (much like Viren with the mirror)

Differing Priorities for Callum and Rayla in TTM, in which Rayla only engages in their scheming because she thinks Viren is a threat to the whole world, and Callum comes up with their scheme because he just wants to give her closure

What does the Trio's Tales of Xadia's bios actually mean? (this one will be touched on the most down below, so feel free to skip unless you want a more detailed refresher)

Specifications:

If you're someone who doesn't see Callum this way, but you're genuinely interested in reading a differing perspective, please read on. If you're someone who doesn't necessarily see Callum this way, but you're curious and/or on the fence, please read on. If you'd like to add your own thoughts to this post, feel free to add on if it's in support; if it's differentiation, please make your own post (I'll engage respectfully with if it I want to).

If you're someone who is only going to get upset with my viewpoint, please curate your internet experience and do not read this post. If you're only going to make thinly veiled meta rebuttals of this post in a rude way ("even though some people may think...", linking to this post, general assholery), please do not read this post. You would be far happier if you were less obsessed with an opinion I've held for 5+ years and months & months before you likely joined the fandom. i just want to chill in my corner, please do not chuck pillows at me for doing what I've always had a good time doing that doesn't hurt anyone.

With all of that out of the way, let's get into it

What do I mean when I say selective loyalty?

Loyalty has always been an interesting trait to me, simply because in the bulk of storytelling, it is a necessary character trait for a story to function. One of the biggest things that a character can do to be disliked is be a traitor towards someone that trusted them, and if a character is too disloyal, they can be hard to engage with due to a lack of consistency. Characters who start out loyal to no one/nothing inevitably have arcs, provided they stick around in the story long enough, of garnering loyalty for someone (usually found family loved ones > a cause) in order for them to be able to progress as a character. We want characters to bond, and we want them to be there for each other, and if they're not at all, we want to see what happened or what other bonds they might form with other people. If not loyal, we want to see why they're working with someone at the very least.

Therefore, everyone in real life or in fiction has some elements of 'selective loyalty,' since we all have people (the people we know and love) we are more loyal to, fundamentally, than others (strangers / people don't know at all). It's just a natural normal thing to adhere more to valuing and looking after the people in your immediate circles over people you don't know at all, even if that doesn't mean we're void of caring about strangers, either. Our empathy or compassion, as well as the social structure of our living units and lives, are more cohesion for caring for strangers than it is for competing with strangers or being wholly indifferent.

For a quick overview of the way selective loyalty can work, I'm actually going to talk about Claudia quickly, and her internal hierarchy. While she is loyal to the princes ("Their Dad is dead and you lied about it. Plus they're our friends. It's wrong") to the point of that possibly being an opportunity for severance, initially, with her father ("Careful, if you tell the truth you will lose her"), Claudia's loyalty to her father ultimately trumps her loyalty to the princes, and even to her family with Soren.

For the opposite approach of selective loyalty, I'm going to talk about Rayla, who regularly bails out strangers (the boys in 1x03, Phyrrah in 2x07) and enemies (Bait as a frenemy in 1x05, Nyx in 3x05) as well as the people she grows to love (the boys on regular intervals). She and Runaan, as is Soren, are all willing to put their perceived missions/duties not only above but in direct opposition to their familial loyalty / family ties.

Callum, TO ME, is not, and here's why.

When I say that Callum is selectively loyal, I mean that there is ultimately nothing he will put above Ezran and/or Rayla at any interval with very few exceptions (aka if they're still breathing, he's still going to be fighting for them). This is for a few reasons.

I'm going to talk more about why it's Ez and Rayla specifically later, but for now I want to talk briefly about how they factor into his decision making and what see of them from people who have lost his loyalty.

Despite knowing and having trusted Viren for the bulk of his life ("Claudia! Lord Viren! Anyone!"), as soon as Callum learns that Viren has put Ezran substantially at risk ("Two [targets]? What do you mean?" "I'm here for the king, and I'm also here for his son, Prince Ezran") Viren is fucking Dead To Him.

It's not just that Viren lied, it's that Viren's lies and choices put Ezran in danger, and that's just not acceptable. We see this happen again with Claudia in S2, even after Callum defending her and trying to give her chances. She lied, yes, but she scares Ezran and attacks Rayla again, and that's the breaking point.

When you threaten the people he loves, when you scare them, if he trusted you, he will never look at you the same way again. Any loyalty he felt towards you will snap and snap hard, permanently, like a wishbone.

Callum loves and cares for other people. He loved and cared for Viren and Claudia. But unlike Ezran, who is willing to give Claudia a chance in 3x09 to the point of running after her, helping hand extended, and unlike Rayla, who still adamantly loves Runaan even after their fight and with no hint of change from him, Callum does not take other people hurting his family lightly, at all.

He loves and cares for Amaya, and Soren, and Harrow. But even Harrow, his father, is someone he's willing to put on the backburner — despite having an offered chance from Rayla to save him — in order to do what Harrow asked and what Callum's first instinct is: to look after his brother, because it is fundamentally unsafe for Ezran to stay at the castle for any longer, and he knows it.

Callum knows what the egg might mean, but he does not follow Rayla out the dungeon door blindly. He runs only after Ezran does, and only after Claudia might hit Ezran with lightning. Then he acts. Then he makes a choice. Because his loyalty to his brother outweighs after other substantial relationship in his life, at this point, but it doesn't necessarily stay that way.

Inner circle

In Tales of Xadia, all the characters are given values. While the values have more generic explanations (i.e. Callum's highest one, Liberty, is labelled as, "Have you ever resisted the control of others? This value is about freedom and autonomy. You’re motivated by a world without oppression or suppression") the characters individual bios help offer more clarity on their specifics. Callum's, specifically, states, "I am beholden to my inner circle, not some silly kingdom." Ouch, from Katolis' crown prince and Ezran's heir apparent.

It is, of course, important to not take this trait entirely literally. If Callum truly valued his own personal autonomy over everything else, he would've taken Finnegrin's deal in 5x08 in a second if all he wanted as his own freedom. Instead, Callum's highest value being Liberty is far more about his place with Freedom as a Theme more than something he wholly actively desires; again, we see in 5x08 he's willing to risk more of his freedom by doing dark magic in order to save Rayla.

There are things that Callum values more than his own personal freedom and there are things that he values more than magic (2x04: "Callum, you're being an idiot! Why would you do that? You can't risk your life to learn magic") vs throwing himself off the top of the Storm Spire at the slimmest chance of, once again, saving Rayla.

That said, this value and quote is still very useful, as it does then, beg the question, of who exactly is Callum's inner circle? Well...

Ezran and Rayla are the most important people in the entire world to him. Full stop. There is nothing he will fundamentally put above them. He only stays behind in 1x06, thereby not sacrificing the egg by proxy, because Rayla points out "We'll need to be up here to pull [Ezran] out." Even when he was stressing about whether they'd gotten to the Sea of the Cast Out on time, the second Rayla showed a hint of major discomfort/potential self-deprecation, he was offering to get back into the goddamn boat to comfort her ("I'm getting out—" "No. I can't do it, but you have to"). He's hesitant to go into town to find a vet for the egg because "We will definitely find some elf hating humans," pouting further when Rayla brushes him off, and flings himself off his balcony when he thinks there's even a chance that Ezran isn't okay into what he knows would subsequently be a trap. He's the first to say that they need to leave Rex Igneous' chambers after protecting Ezran from falling rocks with his own body, and the last to actually leave, almost being crushed by rocks himself because he's so committed to standing there and watching Rayla leave.

He equates Rayla's love for him with his love for Ezran on Day Nine (2x03: "I couldn't tell him. And I understand why you couldn't tell me. When you care about someone, it's hard to hurt them. Even when what you're saying is the truth.")

Hell, he even forgets that Sol Regem is there in 3x01 because he tunnel visions on Rayla needing his help so intensely she has to point out the massive ton dragon actively trying to kill them to him.

He's a nurturer, a fixer, a solution seeking. He wants to make you feel better ("See it's working right? Don't you feel a little better?"), he is a kind reassuring word ("Don't be so hard on yourself, Ez") always, he thinks of your problems even when you don't (Rayla's binding in 1x07), he will lay his life down for you without question ("I am Prince Ezran"), he will get mad at you for treating yourself poorly (3x04, like almost all of S4), he dotes, he notices, he will compromise his beliefs for you ("Could he really bring himself to go through with his plan? What if he didn’t succeed? What if he compromised his beliefs and it was all for nothing? [...] But Rayla was in trouble"—S2 novelization).

You mean everything to him: "Rayla's strong, thin arms wrapped around him meant everything" (S2 novelization of the hug scene in 2x04) / "You're my brother, and you mean everything to me" (2x06).

You are his whole world.

If you're part of his inner circle, and not everybody is, so let's talk about it.

[ Callum, excluding Claudia and Soren from their support system, even though the siblings haven't yet betrayed them, while including Rayla, even though he and she haven't made up yet. ]

What about Soren and Zym?

As stated before, Callum's selective loyalty does not mean he doesn't care about other people in his life, such as Claudia (in the past) and people like Amaya, Soren, and Zym in the present. Merely that, slightly like Claudia, Callum does have an internal hierarchy of care — the way you might have friends vs best friends — of who takes priority, and we see S1, S4, and S5 in particular demonstrate this quite well.

As already stated, Callum prioritizes Ezran over the egg in 1x06 and is held back emotionally by Ezran fuelled logic and physically by Rayla. In 1x07, he doesn't want to risk going into town — even to potentially find help for the egg — because of his last disastrous experience with humans and Rayla. In 2x04, Callum is perfectly happy to walk around a sea to let Rayla avoid her fear of water, and approximately 5 minutes later is getting on Ez and Rayla's case for goofing off (with Rayla's thinly veiled and fallible disguise) because "Sometimes getting someplace slightly faster is important, like right now." Wasn't quite the tune he was singing earlier, now was it? For Zym, we see this again in 3x04 — Rayla is having a breakdown, so she has more of an excuse, but Callum should conceivably be much more clear headed, and he still tunnel visions into leaving Zym alone with Nyx leading to the theft. Likewise in 4x07 when the group thinks Zym might be gone, Ezran is the one who states, "I'm not leaving without him," and Ez and Rayla are both pretty broken up about it; Callum is sad, for sure, but he mostly focuses on taking care of Ezran and placing a hand on his shoulder.

Then you have Amaya, who Callum loves dearly, but isn't particularly torn up over not trusting or lying to (1x04, 5x03) in spite of being close to her, and isn't as vexed even when he thinks that maybe something bad has happened.

Even when Callum thinks it was bad, and potentially very bad ("The way Gren was talking, I thought maybe the world was ending or something!") he doesn't get angry and he doesn't get demanding. This is very different from how he responds to Ezran and Rayla being potentially in danger or just in trouble.

Which on that note also highlights another key importance between how Callum treats Rayla, in particular, versus how he treats Soren. Now, you could argue that Callum in 5x01 has emotionally matured/healed further than he has in 4x01 prior to Rayla's return, and that would be perfectly fine to do. However, it doesn't change the fact that just the hint of Soren keeping a secret — even before Callum thinks, at all, that it's about Ezran — makes him wait on the battlements to coldly and sternly interrogate Soren about it. With Soren, he demands,

C: I know this — the ties are true as the ocean is deep [...] It means I trust her. Unconditionally. Let her go. Now. R: About your key and the bow. I can explain. C: No, I meant what I said. You don't have to explain or justify anything to me.

Even when Rayla engages in actually shady behaviour — omitting the truth if not outright lying, stealing his key, and retrieving a painfully poignant weapon — Callum doesn't get mad, at all. Soren just implied he was potentially keeping a secret from Callum at the council meeting and lowkey got his ass handed to him, with Callum literally shoving him out of his way and needing Corvus' help to coral the angry step-mage.

Furthermore, even when Soren goes missing in 4x06, although concerned, Rayla is by far the most broken up about it. Ezran is optimistic because he's, well, Ezran; Rayla is torn because even though she doesn't know Soren that well, she feels like it was 100% her fault he's gone missing and has possibly gotten hurt; and Callum, well... mostly focuses about how she feels about it, and less so about his actual friend (because if Ezran or Rayla are emotionally hurting, they will take priority to him). He's focused on making sure she feels better.

Again: Callum loves Amaya, and Zym, and Soren. He loves them dearly. He wants to and does protect them. He can and will take care of them. But push come to shove, they're not in his inner circle — he doesn't trust them the same way, and he doesn't focus on them the same way, because when it comes to his inner circle, he loves them

More Than Anyone or Anything

So after seeing Callum like this from S1 onwards, you can imagine I was pretty thrilled upon opening up his bio in Tales of Xadia — which seems to be the most 'canon' of the supplementary materials thus far (scenes and ages are changed in the novelizations; timelines get a little wonky in the prequel graphic novels; some designs from "Callum's Spellbook" ended up being different; the art book is full of beautiful concepts, of course, that never understandably got off the ground) except perhaps for Though the Moon — said the quiet part out loud. Not only does TOX have plenty of lore drops and hints at future arcs that are coming to fruition (Aaravos' connections to Elarion, mentioning the Great Bookery of Lux Aurea and Leola, etc) but they did something very interesting when it came to what values which character had. There's some leeway as this is very much an Arc 1 reading (probably most clearly seen in Soren's bio) but there is still plenty of bleed over into Arc 2.

Now, as I said before, we don't want to take the Values too literally. As talked about previously, a lot of the characters highest values seem to be things their arcs are set up to thematically test rather than being a 1:1 what they value the most. But I feel like you can glean a good deal from them, so let's look at the trio:

EZRAN:

Justice — 10: I expect the best of people and try not to become an agent of cruelty.

Devotion — 8: All creatures—regardless of origin—deserve love and appreciation.

Liberty — 8: I value the liberty of everyone, sometimes even more than my own.

RAYLA:

Devotion — 10: Love and devotion compel and define me.

Justice — 8: At great personal cost I will strive for what’s right.

Liberty — 8: My only allegiance is to my heart and those who know it.

CALLUM:

Liberty — 10: I’m beholden to my inner circle, not some silly kingdom.

Devotion — 8: I value those close to me more than anyone or anything.

Mastery — 8: I aspire to know the great wonders of every primal magic.

Out of all the more 'heroic' characters listed in the handbook (Amaya, Janai, Aanya) only Callum and Lujanne do not have Justice, "Have you ever been compelled to fix what’s wrong? This value is about balance, virtue, and reward. You’re motivated by adherence to fairness and what you think is right" among their top 3. Each have it at a 6, instead, which the guide labels as, "This matters, but so do many things" and is the second lowest ranking a value can have. None of the main cast have any value at the highest ranking, 12, either, to help indicate scale perhaps.

Devotion, then, is the one we're currently the most interested in for Callum, since as said before, while the general value descriptions are useful, the specific ones help show more indication. Devotion is referred to in Tales of Xadia as, "Have you ever been obligated to others? This value is about duty, faith, and friendship. You’re motivated by the bonds of loyalty and your love for others."

Although devotion is Rayla's highest value, her devotion value makes no indication of who/what she is Devoted to. Whereas Ezran's reflects his deep love and appreciation towards animals (hence saving the baby glow toads in S5) and Callum's we'll get to in a moment, Rayla's we're not privy to. Instead, we can look at her Liberty value, as it states that her allegiance is to her heart ("My heart for Xadia") and to her loved ones (her friends, her family). Much of her arc is therefore feeling torn between what she thinks/feels her duty is versus what her heart is telling her, indicated by her letting Marcos go in 1x01 and the subsequent fallout.

We can also see her state this more clearly in Through the Moon, in which Callum is the one primarily concerned with her parents ("he’s stuck worrying about her parents. About what happened to Runaan. She can’t move on, not without knowing the truth of what happened [...] I hope you find your parents. And Runaan"), versus Rayla going along with the plan, "Callum, listen. Soren was worried about Viren too. Worried that we never found a body. We need to know what happened to Viren. He’s a threat to the whole world! This might be the only way to be sure he’s actually gone! [Upon entering the Portal...] Okay. Viren. My parents. Runaan" and then 5x01 spells it out even more directly.

R: Callum and Ezran need me. A great evil is trying to return to Xadia and we have to stop it, at any cost. I think this is what you would want me to do. I love you, and I haven't forgotten about you. I never will. [...] It hurts me to know they're trapped like this. It's agonizing. But our mission comes first. The world is in danger, and you can trust me to stay focused.

Now this makes sense, as Rayla having this push and pull has not only been a defining feature of her arc most seasons, but is ultimately what's going to be the most challenged when the Callum possession plotline rears its head. Does she kill/incapacitate the man she loves in order to protect the world, or does she fight to get him back no matter what, even if that may lead to ruin and chaos? (I'm hoping for the second one, but I will eat either up, lemme tell you.) Does she finally refuse to sacrifice, or does she barrel on hoping she'll only have to sacrifice herself?

The reason I bring Rayla up at all is because I think it provides a good contrast to how Callum operates, specifically in 5x04, in which case he reaffirms his devotion ("I would do anything for you") and then risks everyone's lives by staying late at the Great Bookery, even when Rayla says three times that well, this isn't the time: "Not yet, Callum... Believe me, I want to do something, but... Callum, we need to leave!"

Rayla cares about everyone, and is willing to risk her life for enemies and for strangers. She will abandon her mission for the world in favour of looking after individuals because they need help, regardless of what it asks of her: "Live or die, this dragon goes home." (And because she believes Ezran and Callum can accomplish the mission without her, but that's a post for another day.) As Bloodmoon Huntress makes explicit, as Ethari says:

Who I love, where I love, what I love, are all specific. But to Runaan and those like your parents... love is rooted in all families, all creatures. Souls like that feel called to protect everyone as fiercely as those they hold close. Each time Runaan leaves, it is with the weight of knowing that he may not come back. That to fulfil his duty, he may need to sacrifice everything, himself, and all that we have here.

Rayla likewise feels called to protect everyone, and that's precisely why by the end of Bloodmoon Huntress she's chosen to literally and figuratively follow in Runaan's career path, in order to be able to help protect and save people like Suroh (a stranger she immediately becomes entangled with). As Rayla says to the vision of Runaan and her parents in 5x01, "I think this is what you would want me to do," because they are ultimately all more alike (even in the occupations Rayla holds, such as assassin or dragonguard) than they are dissimilar.

The reason I highlight Rayla here is because 1) it is her highest value, being the only character to have it as said highest value (Claudia's, likewise, is only an 8 — but everything she does is indeed for her father, and unknowingly herself) and 2) I think it provides a clear contrast to Callum.

Because Callum's devotion does outline who, or what, he's loyal to. He isn't loyal just to causes and he isn't loyal just to concepts. While he cares about the world, when his back is up against the wall and it's a choice between that kind of security vs the life of a loved on (Ez, Rayla), Callum will always choose the latter. He cares about the world — to a Point.

I've talked about it before, but merely a statement of "I value those close to me more than anything" would accordingly be a lot more vague. There could be discussions and debates on what the 'anything' constitutes (morals, responsibilities, hurt feelings) with a lot more grey room as to whether it would include people (strangers).

“Maybe there is something I can do,” Callum said. “Ezran, you stay here. Protect Bait and Zym. Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon—with Rayla.” [...] Could he really bring himself to go through with his plan? What if he didn’t succeed? What if he compromised his beliefs and it all ended up being for nothing? […] But Rayla’s blade bounced off with a clang, sparks flying. She reeled back and tried again. Nothing happened. She was in trouble. Callum inched toward Claudia’s [book].

—Book 2: Sky novelization

But the inclusion of "more than anyone" changes that. It does include people. There is no wiggle room about that.

Now, I'm not going to base my whole thing on one (1) statement from a supplementary material. As previously stated, I've seen Callum with that exact same sentiment for years now, well before Tales of Xadia (March 2022) was released, and well before S4 or S5 premiered. I've gone over a lot of the reasons I thought Callum had selective loyalty even in S1, but I haven't touched too much on one of the biggest reasons why I think that selective loyalty includes a devotional component that borders on dangerous (at least, in a story). And that's, well...

“Rayla told me you used Dark Magic,” [Ethari] said, more stiff and cold. Callum shrank a bit, but his eyes hardened. “I couldn’t just let her die.” “You’d do it again." The prince scowled. “I’m not like Aaravos. He twisted the primal to be like Dark Magic. I would never do that.” “Unless you felt like you had to,” [Ethari] reiterated. “To save Rayla.” “Wouldn’t you do anything to save the person you love?”

—chapter 13 of a fic I co-wrote called in search of silver linings (we discovered gold) from july 2019, respectively

As soon as Callum opened up the door with dark magic in 2x07, I knew it was something he likely would never be able to entirely close. Not for lack of trying or wanting — but that his willingness to engage in dark magic at all spoke to a few different things. The first was the effectiveness — what spell to use, what would be most useful, and what Rayla's biggest problem would be (her swords unable to cut chains) — but most of all was what pushed him there: his devotion.

While magic has always been the thing presenting Callum with paths (to be a mage or not a mage, to be a primal or a dark mage), his bonds with other people, and his love for them — Rayla in particular — has always been what's actually pushed him down certain paths. His love for his mother, and her love for him, is what helps him unlock the sky arcanum. Callum unlocks his wings out of his love for Rayla; he goes down on the path of mage because "you called me a mage, and that felt right."

Although mastery of magic is one of Callum's highest values (an 8, just like his devotion), it was always clear to me that magic is not something Callum values above the people he loves. He can be obsessive, and his love for magic can sometimes put himself and other people unintentionally at risk, but thus far we've always seen him course correct the minute he realizes what's happening. The second things begin to go south at the Banther Lodge, Callum reflects, "We never should've come here," and completely forgoes the quest for the cube. He tries to risk his life just for magic in 2x04, but as we've gone over, he's unable to go through with it, but he will risk his life for his loved ones.

His rejection of dark magic was, to me, of being a dark mage, of not also pursuing primal magic, of relying on dark magic. Not that he would never, under any circumstance, ever do dark magic again if the show put him in the right circumstances. And then he did, in spite of knowing it would make him more vulnerable to Aaravos, in spite of not having any confirmation it wouldn't bring on a second possession, in spite of the fact he was fine being tortured if that meant not doing it or participating.

Then we have Callum giving up the spell, and the fact that the Ocean arcanum is linked more directly to love within his arc — "To love is to simply know this: the tides are true as the ocean is deep" (5x01, 5x08) — in addition to being aware that there are unknown depths in what he's willing to do for said loved ones/Rayla.

This is not to say that none of the main cast would do dark magic — although I don't think Soren or Ezran ever would, and I think Rayla would but only perhaps using herself as spell parts — but that, as the primary mage character, it's going to and is playing a much bigger part in Callum's arc than the others, who are given other thematic considerations.

He hates dark magic. He doesn't want to let Aaravos control him. He refuses to help Finnegrin. He folds on all of those things motivated by love. It's a weakness and a strength; something that, in my eyes, will likely lead to his fall to Aaravos ("Seems to me love's got a tighter grip on you than those chains around your wrists, so I'll do you a favour [by killing Rayla] and set you free") as well as what might save him. But to focus on the fall, with everything already said behind us:

Why Love Instead of Curiosity?

Now, obviously the theory of "Callum will free Aaravos because of [insert non possession reason here]" could be wrong. There's merits in having arcs about the tragedy inherent in losing your agency, it would still open up an interesting arc after the fact, and all that good stuff.

Callum has also very much always been an Icarus figure. He can be obsessive with magic, he can take it too far, and he does have a deep curiosity and thirst for knowledge that has already gotten him in trouble by not excluding dark magic from the bunch.

And deep curiosity is already hinted to be what partially causes him to fall further into Aaravos' clutches in a few different places. The mirror ("What secrets are you hiding?") and the cube ("Perhaps it will be you, Callum, who discover's the cube's secrets") seem accordingly linked and fittingly so, for the Mystery of Aaravos, as is magic: "it's the secret of the primal".

Zubeia also warns regarding curiosity, citing that, "Aaravos was able to give them something they wanted very badly. Aaravos chose as his instruments people who had strong minds and strong hearts… but who had an insatiable thirst and fascination with magic. Aaravos could offer them access to the great mysteries of the universe. Mages were his prey," which implies that this thirst for magic is what got them (primarily) into trouble. This is reflected (pun intended) in both Aaravos' reading of Viren as "You are too curious, hungry for knowledge and power," and while Callum is hungry for knowledge (and not necessarily power), his short story in which he finds the mirror highlights one of these things as well:

Callum’s eyes prickled with dust and tears. He rushed back to the spiral staircase—but as he reached for the figurine that would activate them, he noticed one last door he hadn’t checked. The small chamber beyond it lay dark and silent. A gleam caught his eye. Callum blinked at his own reflection. Curious, he stepped through the door—and there it was. A mirror.

With all that in mind, and I'm sure there's ones I've missed, too, why on Earth am I arguing that while curiosity may play a factor, I think it's going to be love that ultimately causes his initial downfall / playing into Aaravos' hands?

Well...

For starters, I personally find "doing terrible things for love" to be not only a primary theme of arc 2, but much more fundamentally sympathetic than just getting in over your head because you were a dumbass who couldn't read the signs. I know for myself that if Callum fucks around and accidentally gets himself into a place where (under possession at that point or not) he helps free, or just flat out helps, Aaravos knowing everything that he knows, if he does it for love I will defend his choice every step of the way. If it happens just because he wants more power or magical knowledge (hello Viren 2.0 beat for beat) I'm gonna be a lot more critical of him. After all, Claudia has done a lot of awful things but I still have sympathy for her because they were for her family, in their own fractured way, and operating out of a place of deep emotional pain. If she was doing that just because she wanted to be Powerful and Knowledgable, then no, I'm not going to be that sympathetic.

The other half of it, which you might have already guessed, is that curiosity is not a Motivation. It's a manifestation of a character's pyschological makeup. Even for a character like Viren, who very much chased power, ultimately, for the sake of power, we take time to dive into WHY he wanted those things ("To know that I mean something to you, it means everything to me" / "I dream of a bright future for humanity") and his internal justifications, no matter if some of those turned out to be lies.

Characters who are curious are curious because they want to solve puzzles and have a hard time letting things go; or else they are curious because they want to prove themselves by solving things first; or else they are curious because they deeply love and want to understand and protect the world; or else they are curious because they want to know and have access to tools so that they can fix problems; or else... Well, you get the idea.

Even if it is primarily Callum's curiosity and love/thirst for magic that gets him into trouble (and thus far it largely hasn't been, as we see in S2 with his motivation for doing dark magic — yes, there was a part of him that was undeniably curious about what it would be like, but I don't think he would've pushed himself into doing it without the dire straits of "I had to, to save my friends")... That doesn't answer why he's curious.

Either he will pull a full Greek tragedy and be so scared of freeing Aaravos he accidentally walks into it by trying to prevent it directly (and one of the main reasons he's scared of Aaravos is because he's scared he might hurt people he loves through possession) or he needs another motivation, but it can't just be "Callum really wants this [insert magical knowledge here] and it ends badly," because that offers a plot summary, not an emotional character beat. There's no motivation. They'll have to explain why he wants the magical knowledge, why he's chasing it, why this level of curiosity is something he cannot or will not put down even with all the risk factors at play. It has to be grounded in some kind of sympathetic emotion, and love or fear or a desire to be helpful/useful, or all three makes the most sense to me and with all the prior setup.

Conclusion

As a closing note, as well as thank you for reading this far if you have because this got wildly long and out of hand, I want to reiterate that in many ways, to me, Callum's devotion to his loved ones — that he says "I would do anything for you" and mean it — is indeed his saving grace and biggest difference from Viren, who would rather offer up himself or others or have Harrow die than relinquish the egg, because he would never put a weapon into Xadia's hands. Being devotional — valuing the individual — is not always a good or bad thing, nor is prioritizing the 'greater good' always a good or a bad thing. TDP is deeply interested in exploring all the different circumstances of motivation, sacrifice, and choices.

Nor is selective loyalty a bad thing. I'm not wired that way, but some of my closest loved ones are (and of those in the fandom have, overall, greatly aligned with this perceived aspect of Callum). Merely, this meta is meant to examine the claim in Tales of Xadia that "I value those close to me more than anyone or anything," why I was surprised but delighted to see my view of Callum be so directly spelled out, why I had that view and continue to have it, in addition to aspects/pieces of the text that I think support it.

I believe that Callum is loyal to Ezran and Rayla on a fundamental level he does not really extend to anyone else (including many other people who are also his family) and while this is in many ways something that creates the best sides of him — his nurturing, compassionate, thoughtful and protective traits — it is also something that can be exploitable and dangerous, particularly in a narrative where he is set up to be controlled/coerced by the big bad.

And this meta hopefully explained why.

You can take it or leave it.

—Dragons out