#i'm not really like a. fairy tales or fairy person but this ended up being an easy thing to make lol

[reader-wandering18]

Yuu Hunter x Hunter

Strange beasts and monsters. Vast riches, hidden treasures. Terrible places, unexplored frontiers. Mysterious and unknown.

People who are drawn to the magic of those words are known as HUNTERS.

Yuu Freecs, a boy from a vast, cruel and mysterious world, came to Twisted Wonderland.

What was a boy doing at Night Raven College?

Freecs' adventures leave his friends speechless. His kind personality reaches out to all students, including those who are not human.

The first time he arrived at Night Raven College was a moment that surprised everyone at that prestigious institution.

— A child? — Why did the dark mirror bring a child?

— Say your name.

— AMAZING, A TALKING MIRROR!

His surprise and excitement were reflected on his face. The scream he gave let the most observant ones see that he was someone curious and full of energy.

— Another Cheka — Leona sighed tiredly

— What kind of gel use to keep your hair like grass? — Vil commented upon seeing his black hair with green tips. He felt like combing it himself.

If someone young like him was at Night Raven College, it was because he had really powerful magic, right?

Wrong. That child does not contain even a pinch of magic. Many could not believe it and others made fun of him, but the boy did not appear expressionless or scared.

— Magic? JUST LIKE IN THE FAIRY TALES MY AUNT MITO TOLD ME?! I'm really sorry I don't have anything like that big mirror! But I use something very different than magic!

He seemed strangely excited.

— Waaa that boy really has a lot of energy, he's the worst enemy of an introvert like me — Idia had said scared through his tablet.

After that revelation a cat burst into the room. Demanding Yuu's place.

— That cat also talks!

— I'm not a cat!

— Is that so? So you're a magical animal? Mmm I remember Kurapika told me that magical animals can talk. But you don't look like a Kiriko at all.

— What are you talking about kid? I am the great and powerful Grim!

The place caught fire and everyone started running and screaming. Among all the most outstanding was Kalim who got his butt burned. While the other dorm leaders were discussing who should catch the cat, suddenly, that boy appeared in front of them.

— Take it

— Nyaaaaa Let me go!

— !!

The dorm leaders were surprised to see Yuu in front of them when a moment ago he was in the center of the room. And in his hands he held Grim wrapped in Kalim's robe that was previously burning.

Even Kalim looked confused. Yuu appearing behind him, said he would borrow his robe and took it off without any difficulty.

— Sorry, I don't know how to extinguish the fire. Catching it was the only thing I could do.

That year would be very interesting.

In the dwarf mine, Ace, Deuce, Yuu, and Grim were resting on the outskirts of that place due to the mysterious appearance of an ink monster that forced them to retreat. Ace, Deuce, began to fight when Yuu's scream made them shut up.

— Don't worry!

They both saw how the child stood up with great determination on his face.

— They won't be expelled, I won't allow it. His dream is to study at that school. Right? If we work as a team we can beat him. Also, I can't allow you to disappoint your mother — Yuu said looking at Deuce — it must be very important to you as it is to me to look for my father.

Yuu's innocent smile made both young men leave for some strange reason strongly hit… in their ego. How could I let a child save their skin? That would be extremely humiliating!

In the end, they all returned to school with the magic stone in their hands. Thanks to teamwork.

— Being appointed supervisor at such a young age and just entering is a great achievement!

— Is-Is that so?

— Why do you look so nervous? You seem so confident when we were in the mine.

— It's just that… it's my first time in school

—……WHAT?!

Yuu explained to them how she came from another world and lived on an island called Whale Island. There was only one other child on the entire island but he didn't play with her. She never went to school but studied at home with the help of her aunt Mito.

— Hey, now that I remember. In the mine you mentioned your father, right? — Grim asked

— Or yes, he left me when I was a baby. I'm looking for him.

— Are you looking for him? Your dad left you, why do you want to go look for him?!

At that Yuu stopped which made the two teenagers who were after him do so as well. He turned around and they both noticed that in Yuu's gaze there was nothing like remorse for being abandoned. On the contrary.

There was a great curiosity in his gaze.

— My father is a hunter. I also became one, to look for him and to know the world that he chose instead of taking care of me.

Yuu smile while mentioning his father.

— Hunter?

— Hello!

— …Hello

Malleus was in Ramshackle taking his usual walk. He appeared in the dormitory as usual, but was surprised by a child who took him completely off guard the moment he appeared.

He had heard from Lilia about the arrival of a human child without magic at the school. Which surprised him. But he didn't expect to see him in the abandoned dormitory.

The child smiles at him

— My name is Yuu, Yuu Freecss! It's a pleasure!

Yuu extended his hand to what Malleus saw without being able to believe what the child was doing. But it was rude not to greet, so he shakes hands with the small human child.

— … Aren't you afraid of me?

— Mmm, It's true that your aura is strong, but I don't feel a level of threat like Hisoka.

— What are you talking about? I don't know that Hisoka… Don't you know who I am?

— No, I'm sorry. — said the boy somewhat embarrassed.

His reaction seemed genuine, there was nothing like malaise or fear. It reminded him in a way of Silver when he was younger.

— Do you live here?

— Yes, along with a cat named Grim

With each answer that Malleus gave him he could see it. That boy seemed to have so much energy.

— I see. It's a pity, I liked to take night walks around here since it's very quiet. But I guess I'll have to look for another place.

— Seriously, I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to take away your place to explore!

Yuu shouted while bowing in apology, that causes Malleus to become more curious about the human child.

— It's okay, it's not your fault that you live here. Well, I'll take my leave.

— Wait a moment.

But Malleus had disappeared in a bunch of bright lights.

— Wow, that’s amazing — Yuu said, catching one of those lights in his hands.

— I couldn’t ask him his name.

Malleus appeared in another part of the school. He felt a little dejected that his favorite place was occupied, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn’t get that kid out of the place. He looked up to see how high the moon was until he remembered.

— Now that I think about it. Lilia said that humans should sleep to have energy the next day, or they will have health problems. But that human child was awake at this time.

While, outside the dormitory, Yuu was practicing his NEN.

My Hunter x Hunter fever came back!

The first time I saw it I was very young, two or three years younger than the main characters, time has passed and now I'm older than them buuuu 😭.

Gon is my number one main character. With that personality that I met at the beginning of the anime it was love at first sight. I'm sure that if I met Malleus they would be great friends because you know. Gon being Gon.

This anime was my second Shonen and the only one I managed to stay faithful to until today. No matter the years, for me Hunter x Hunter will be the best anime.

YES YOU CAN TOGASHI!

This idea started with a fanfic of the boys' reaction to a Yuu from different worlds, including Hunter x Hunter. I liked it so much that when I wanted to read it again I realized that they had deleted the fanfic :'v that was found on Wattpad. To get that thorn out of my side I had decided to do this. I'm thinking about whether to make more parts or not. In case you noticed, I'm a person with a lot of ideas, but I never manage to finish a story.

[newtedison]

maze women 2023: fantasy

sonyarriet - good / evil fairies @themazewomen

[jq37]

The fact Gerard's vision of a better world is 'none of that 5am bullshit, we wake up at 8 to workout', just the best. I wonder if Ylfa's still got dawg in her, or if that's not a thing in her new reality. Anyway, another great finale for the books, wrapped more satisfyingly than I expected. There were so many threads, I didn't think they would have the time. I was expecting the Top Hat Fairy to do something to help like Turquina, but *shrug*. I suppose Ylfa having that hat for the rest battle was enough help and was definitely not a waste of precious resources. *sighs* So many 20's, so many stressful Box of Doom's, on the edge of my seat the whole time, satisfying conclusions to everyone's story arcs. You can't ask for better than that.

OK this has been sitting in my inbox for a bit for two reasons. The first is I've just been majorly busy with IRL stuff. The second is that I have...let's say mixed feelings about Neverafter as a whole having seen the finale. 

Like, as a vehicle for comedy (which Dimension 20 largely is--makes sense considering the cast is all comedians who are friends. A recipe for shenanigans if I've ever heard one) the season absolutely succeeded. There were very few moments of this season where I wasn't entertained. Thinking about Ylfa saying the phrase, "honking big" will break me every time. Watching the cast lose their mind during adventuring party every week as they descended further into madness was fantastic. And Ylfa going in for the kiss w/ Pinnochio at the end had me dying. 

But as a story? And specifically, as a story ABOUT stories? 

Ehhhhhhhhhhh.

[To be clear, I am talking about MY opinions here. To everyone who really loved how this season wrapped up, that's fantastic! I'm just talking about me and my thoughts. Even when I'm making broad statements, I'm still just talking about me. Cool? Cool.]

Just to start with the broadest thing, it is *insane* to have a finale that is nigh incomprehensible without having watched some bonus content, and honestly, only slightly more comprehensible if you have watched that bonus content. Like, was it FUNNY to see the full cast practically melting as they went feral for the Orange Fairy? Yes, obviously. But it also undercut any sense of like real stakes or weight to the entire affair. 

I'm not the biggest fan of final fights in general because it often feels like just drawn-out math, but I feel like, even factoring that in, the fight didn't feel as engaging as it could because by the second part of the fight, we were fighting characters we hadn't spent a lot of time with. Like, sure, I have thoughts about how the princesses were handled but we did spend time with them. Enough time to at least have some sort of opinion when they were taken down. And enough time for characters to have relationships with them that paid off during their fights--Red taking down La Bete for instance, or Pinnochio reaching out to Mira. With the fairies, we only really met three of them (Turq, The Evil One, and the Godmother), and we really only got a half-decent read on Turq. So it really wasn't that emotionally satisfying (outside of whatever emotion they were CLEARLY getting from their Orange Fairy Acid Trip). 

And then the Authors we know the least about! There were all these meta elements that were introduced in this season that weren't really explored much at all. So that element felt really obligatory to me. It was like, the fighting of a vague concept. Which isn't to say that can't work. They fully fight the American Dream in Unsleeping City 1. But that worked for me because (1) they had the concrete villain of Robert Moses to fight as well and (2) there was a very clear thematic reason they were fighting the American Dream. Put a pin in that, I'm coming back to it. 

The last two big elements in the fight are the Gander who didn't really do anything but by all accounts, SHOULD have been a bigger player and the Stepmother who ABSOLUTELY should have felt more satisfying to defeat because I actually think she has one of the more interesting stories in the story. Unlike the princesses (who struck me as shortsighted and selfish at worst and majorly misguided at best) and the PCs (who felt very rebel without a cause and a bit aimless for large parts of the season), I fully understand why a character who is always written to be evil would want to be like OK, screw it. Burn it all down. But then, at the last second, we get this, "No, wait, I actually wanted to free us all from the authors" thing and it just feels like it comes out of nowhere. Like, maybe giving her her name back gave her back her humanity or something, Fine. But it gave me so much whiplash. We did not spend enough time with her story threads for that to work imo. 

Going back to the Authors thing now. I'm going to skip over a bunch of my logistical questions about them (Is that one ink hand speaking for all Authors? For only some? What even is an Author in the context of this world? Is the world that exists above the Never After even really our world? Fairy Tales don't even have set authors most of the time. They're oral tradition. What does killing an ink hand do mechanically in the actual world? Did they kill the entire concept of storytelling or just give one person bad writer's block? ) and go to my thematic question which is, what is the tone that was meant to be struck here? Or I guess rather, why was this the tone struck? The idea of Authors as a malevolent force and that never really being challenged is so bizarre to me. Because storytelling as a concept exists in their world. So why would they assume malevolence rather than people who just don't understand they're playing with the lives of sentient beings? Like, I get the concept of seeing something just beyond your meagre comprehension and cracking. I really do. But that really only happened when Tim saw the ink. Everyone seemed to just jump on the "Authors Evil" bandwagon and didn't examine that further. And I guess you're not obligated to look further into the people who are controlling your life against your will (though, I really don't understand to what degree the Authors were actually doing that--add that question to the pile) but that makes for a very unsatisfying story beat. 

But even outside of that, it's a weird take on storytelling from a storyteller in a medium where you're seeing the storyteller on screen at all times along with the other six storytellers who are telling the story. It's like, an insane level of dissonance, watching someone narrate about how Authors are so cruel and uncaring while watching seven people who are so passionate about what they do, clearly having a great time in the world they created. It made that thread ring hollow to me. And I'm not trying to do some kind of pedantic gotcha like, "Oh ho. You said storytelling is bad and yet you are a storyteller. Interesting." That's not what I'm saying. If you want to tell a story about control and lack of control and agency and all that, then I can see having your players play characters who are being controlled by authors. But it wasn't explored in a way that made any kind of point other than, "Free will is good." Which...yeah. And I initially thought it was very cool that they were telling a story about character feeling like they didn't have agency in a medium where we literally have to watch the "extraplanar beings" controlling the characters' agency because I thought they were going to do something interesting with it but they never really did. Frustrating. 

There were hella loose ends that were never tied (What actually caused the Neverafter to merge? What does the Auroratory actually do? What caused the times of shadow*? What was going on in the other worlds?) but lastly, I just want to touch on the loose ends that actually *were* tied. Specifically in the epilogue. 

So the idea here is everyone gets to write their own stories. That sounds good in theory. But, in reality, people are gonna have wishes that contradict. And people are gonna have wishes that are bad. And people are gonna have wishes that control other people. Like, in this new reality Tom Thumb wakes up at 8. But that's what Ger wants. Is that what Tom wants? In this new reality Elody and Ger are divorced. Did they both want that? What if one of them didn't want that? What if multiple people want to be married to the same person? What if multiple people want to be royalty of the same place? What if multiple people want to be despotic dictators or the same place?

I'm not going to go through every epilogue, but Roz's in particular gave me pause. Not because she decided to not give herself a true love and in fact specify a cruddy dating life for herself--wouldn't have been my move but do you girl. No, it made me go "huh?" because Siobhan said that in this rewritten version, instead of avoiding spindles, she gets really good at handling spindles, and then when the witch shows up with a spindle, she knows how to handle herself. But that's just like...not how Sleeping Beauty works? Like, it's not that Auora's curse takes hold because she was bad at spindles. It happens because she was cursed to die (softened to sleep) when pricked by a spindle on that day and time! Michael Jordan could have been cursed to die via basketball on his 25th birthday and no amount of talent would have saved him because it's not about life experience. It's about magic. And like, I get that she wanted to have more agency in her story but that's just like...not Sleeping Beauty at that point. If she had been like, "So I spend my whole childhood preparing to face the evil fairy and defeat her in a battle of wits/magic/sword fighting/Uno/etc before my curse takes hold instead of letting people solve the problem for me" then that would have tracked for me. But as is? That was just bizarre. 

And then also the fact that the Stepmother AND the Gander were just like, good in this world? The stepmother, I can maybe kinda sorta buy. Like, I have questions 100%. Was this what Cinderella wanted? For her abusive stepmother to just get a clean slate to be in her life again? We're not given any indication that the Stepmother is really a nice person who is being forced to play into the villain kayfabe by her puppet masters and really in her heart just wants to be good. But that COULD happen (and I wish it had) so sure. Fine. But the Gander? The Gander, this primal force, just wants to be good and wander? First off, not the main thing here, but if I was Tim and this dude made my son turn to bones I'd be like??? No??? But also, I thought the Gander was like, a force of the universe! The opposite of the Goose! Yin and Yang type stuff! He can just be good with no cosmological consequences???

(Also, as I said, it's really kind of jarring to watch these characters like struggle for control of their stories and then just, in real time, while 6 actors put words in their mouths about what their best life is. I know that's the nature of the game but it doesn't make it not weird to watch.)

In conclusion, I found this season exceptionally funny but also not very narratively cohesive. I really wish it had come together a bit better because I really love fairy tales. My thesis project right now (which I'll probably share on here when I'm done with it)  is a fairy tale retelling and the last major writing project I worked on had a lot of fairy tale inspiration as well. I think there were a lot of potentially interesting ideas in this season! Pinocchio asking why other kids get to mess up but he can't is a great beat. Pib as an incarnation of an archetypical trickster spirit is inspired. The effects of a True Love's Kiss spell wearing off as your marriage crumbles has interesting implications. But it didn't coalesce in what I felt was a satisfying way. I admire the effort that went into this season and would love to see Brennan's notes because I'm sure there's a lot we never got to (some of which might answer some of my questions) but as is, it felt a bit overstuffed and underbaked. 

*OK, we actually did get an answer to this question, but it was so tautological as to be basically meaningless and I would like a more in-depth answer. 

PS: Oh! I got kind of carried away and didn't answer everything in your message. Let me fix that! 

-I think Ylfa is just a normal girl now. I did think Roz taking her in once she was separated from the wolf was very sweet. I have some existential questions about the splitting situation but the moment was still sweet regardless. I do like that people still draw her with the wolf ears though. Wolf ears are always fun. 

-It *is* very funny that Ger had a page to write literally whatever he wanted and that made the list. 

-I am fascinated by what would have happened if they'd failed that roll. I know Brennan said they'd have time looped back to the start and ended on a bummer note, but I mean like, what would the table's energy have been like. They've never lost like that before. Still haven't. And I didn't really *want* them to but also...my fatal flaw is curiosity so you know...

-Them fighting fully corrupted Tim would have been interesting too. What a cool what could have been. I'm sure there are so many of those. 

-That damn Top Hat. Do you think they're actually gonna sell that with the rest of the minis or keep it?

[neoanedotheart]

Lazy thing i wanted to do!!! they're just silly :3

I think dave is a pretty princess and John is awkward

I'll be yapping below

I believe that Dave texts John right after he gets his ass handed to him DAILY. It usually plays out like this where they banter and Dave never really goes through the extent of explaining what thoroughly happens to him so John lives in forever ignorant bliss. And this leads Dave to feel like there's more of disconnect because he first of all doesn't really know how to articulate his feelings and second abuse doesn't seem like abuse to the victim. So he goes about everyday unknowingly yearning to be saved by someone greater than him, which is why I put the snow white reference at the end hehe.

Snow white as a fairy tale is extremely cliche, you got the prince in shining armor showing up conveniently on a horse and saving the girl. There's always this hierarchy placed upon the story where the damsel in distress is saved by a man, that man being portrayed as a greater being.

And with John taking place as the prince in this context paints him as this greater being. And I feel like a part of Dave envies and despises John for being this way, for being "perfect" or in a way. Greater than him.

The thing is in the original snow white story she's unconscious, that's undesirable. But it adds to the desperation of wanting to be saved, shining a better looking light on a person who isn't really there for reasons you want them to be. However John is a sincere person, it's more so the lack of communication or true understanding of one another that leads to this rift, this belief that John isn't there for Dave because he loves him, but because he's his friend and it's John's duty as a friend to save him. Which also brings me to the last line where Dave never corrects himself, and how he insinuates that he'll be unconscious due to being placed in a glass coffin much like snow white was when she was poisoned. He's at this stage where he doesn't want to be saved by an outer source, a greater person than him. He wants to be saved by himself he wants to prove worthy, but then conflicting within his mind is also this idea he isn't good enough to. We all know that Dave believes he isn't a hero and explicitly states John is the hero multiple times throughout homestuck. So he stays waiting.

John however, refers to Dave as Cinderella, Cinderella gets abused and put through plenty of torture from her step sisters and is saved through marriage of some person she just met. There's still this base line of being saved by man however there's this more mutual understanding of what they're getting into, a similar yearn for one another. Though he never caught her name he was still willing to find her, the real her. Which is John in this case, he probably understands he's missing something in the big picture but can never find out what and the best he can do is hope that the other half still held on to what they once were and was willing to share.

This is a pre-sburb interaction btw they're just unknowingly foreshadowing a shit ton.

Sorry if there's like bad shitty writing in here, I'm rambling and it's like almost midnight hehe

[dunmeshistash]

Literally right after I saw one of ur Milsiril posts today I saw another person doing a Mithrun analysis with a huge focus on Milsiril only helping him bc of ulterior motives and it makes me sad :( She’s such a soft mum that would teach her children anything. If anything she’s less overbearing than my Chinese mother

What are the arguments? I don't really get what she gets from helping Mithrun. I guess the thing she would be able to get is making him fight the demon.

But like, she's no longer a canary and there isn't really much to hint that's what she wants. This is her part in Kabru's version

My boy really fairy tale-fied his backstory, it just ends with "And from that point onward Mithrun lived only to slay demons. He ate even though he had no desire to eat. He lived on, even though he had no desire to live."

Which is objectively false, in this version it really seems like she lets him live cause he can still be used, but he can't.

This doesn't really look like a killing machine that can be used to fight demons does it. Kabru as usual oversimplified what happened cause as he said "the world doesn't need to know personal things like that"

Again with his timeline vs Kabru's

Utaya started and ended while he was still recovering, 20 years from being saved to being appointed as a captain again. I know elves see time differently but even if we do the divided by 5 that's still the equivalent of 4 years of his life if he was a tallman. I don't think that's a negligible amount of time and honestly I'm happy Ryoko Kui considered that recovery from something so traumatic isn't fast or easy.

I said Milsiril only started to help with his rehabilitation after she retired because of this bit. "Mithrun. I saw a demon in Utaya" the situation from arrival to destruction was at most one year, I can't imagine she was able to leave in the middle of it just to visit Mithrun?

So I always assumed she did it after retiring (perhaps one of the first things she did since she's still in canary uniform)

Even if she left in the middle the earliest this could have happened is 498 so at most from his 20 years of rehabilitation Milsiril was with him for 2. At the most.

To me her smile here is cause she's seeing a way to motivate him to eat

Doesn't really look like someone sinister or with ulterior motives to me, she has her eyebrows slighty furrowed and a forced tight smile. To me it looks like she's worried. The other point is that right before this scene this is what she says

Here she has a soft smile as she remembers that he was someone similar to her. I think she didn't kill him because she saw herself in him, and I think she tried to help him for a similar reason. "It was such a warped, convoluted place built from inferiority jealousy lies and anger" "We might have hit it off pretty well"

She isn't saying that to judge him she's saying that and acknowledging he was just like her. I don't think the fact she relates to him would have been set up right before she tries to motivate him to eat to show "ulterior motives".

If anything I think the ulterior motive she has is that she sees herself in him, and wants to help him to help herself. Which as 'ulterior motives' go I think it's fine.

Everytime I talk about Milsiril I end up with a huge text lmao, I think I might be repeating myself too but I wish I understood the arguments for a sinister Milsiril using Mithrun. I don't really see anything in the extras that could indicate that. And the biggest "proof" is a intentionally abridged version of Mithrun's backstory told by Kabru that ignores all of his interpersonal relationships in favor of a easy to understand cautionary tale.

Oh yeah, and Mithrun's bitchy past self that didn't trust or like anyone saying it,

[14buddy22]

Hello!! Can i request an angst to fluff hotch x reader fic. Basically hotch and bau! reader are together and then something comes up from reader’s past that makes hotch question their relationship, they have this huge fight and hotch says something that hurts the reader so much, a bunch of yearning later the two make up. pls make it really angsty with a very fluffy end!

Getting His Last Name

Warnings: angst, fluff, guns, stalkers, blood, hospitals.

Aaron's P.O.V. is italicized :)

Your relationship was a fairytale. Well, not exactly a fairy tale, but he treated you like a princess. He was your Prince Charming.

You were certain about that.

You knew you loved him. You had ever since you laid eyes on him. Actually, no, not since you first laid eyes on him because you were in a relationship with someone else.

You fell in love with him when he showed up at your apartment to check up on you after one of the worst days in your life. You were held hostage, the person you were held hostage with died, and then your boyfriend broke up with you that night. Saying that he had cheated on you and he had to come clean since he felt guilty. He hadn't even asked about your day.

Aaron told you that night that he just so happened to be walking by your apartment. He had your favorite take out food that you and him had ate in his office to work on case files together.

When he saw your mascara smeared and running down your face, he knew he was not leaving your apartment that night. He wasn't going to leave you alone until he knew you were okay.

He didn't know about the boyfriend part until he asked you what else was making you upset.

That was the moment you fell in love with him. When he knew something else was going on and when you realized he wasn't going to leave you alone for the night.

Here you are now, you two had been dating for 2 years, engaged for 3 months. You two were cleaning your home, Jack was spending the weekend with a friend.

When you were singing and cleaning the bathroom, Aaron began to call your name. Pausing your music, you followed his voice into your shared closet.

He was holding a case file. You knew what that case file was. You never wanted him to find it.

"Aar-"

He cut you off. You hurt him. You could see it in his eyes. You had a past. You didn't want anyone to find out. You're afraid Aaron just had.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't. You have to understand. Please."

"I let you know my son. I let you know me. I've told you things about me that no one else knows, and you couldn't tell me this. Tell me that the woman I'm engaged to is in witness protection?"

"Aaron. I'm sorry."

"No -Y/n. Wait, is that even your name? You know what. It doesn't matter. You should have told me this."

"I'm no longer in witness protection."

"What do you have to say for yourself, Y/n/n? Why couldn't you tell me this? What made you feel that you couldn't trust me?"

You were teary eyed. You never thought that the man you loved would ever make you upset. But here we were and it's all because you had a secret you never told him. You never wanted to tell anyone.

"Since you don't have an explanation for me, we'll finish cleaning the respective rooms and uh, I'll sleep in the guest bedroom."

You weren't going to let him do that. This was his house to begin with. You moved in. You could at least tell him you'd at least be sleeping in the guest room.

"No, Aar. I'll sleep in the guest room. This is your house."

He dropped the case file on the table and walked out past you.

You hurt him. He's been hurt before and you promised you'd never hurt him again. But you broke him. After slowly helping piece him back together, you broke him apart. This broke him and it's your fault. You saw his look of disappointment, despair, heart break.

You waited until the light turned off in the hallway. A sign that he was heading to bed. You pulled out the case file. Looking over your past, what made you into who you are today.

Being in witness protection changes you. You have to lead this life you never wanted to. Come up with small, but smilier lies about your life just to fabricate this made up story to keep you safe.

You had an unsub who was obsessed with you before you entered the BAU. In a different unit, yet, you interviewed him when he wasn't a suspect. Then he became obsessed. Would send you flowers, chocolates, would leave notes on your apartment door.

It freaked you out and that's when you entered witness protection. You changed your name, just your last name, though. You changed little life of your details, but you were going to stay this way. You never wanted to go back to who you were until your stalker was dead.

However, your stalker wasn't caught until a year into your witness protection. That had been the 1st year you joined the BAU. You've been working for the BAU for 4 years.

Your stalker had been in prison for 3 years. Your relationship with Aaron being together for a little over 2 years. You should have told him. You knew that. You felt bad. But you wanted to protect him as well. You knew if you told him, he'd go looking into it. Possibly even go visit the prison your stalker was at and intimidate him.

You never wanted that. He told you what happened when Haley and Jack went into witness protection. Granted that was 8 years ago. But it still hurt him to this day.

You decided to cry yourself to sleep. Not knowing how you had royally fucked it up between you and Aaron. You never wanted to hurt him but you did. You were going to have to live with that for forever.

Waking up the next morning, you decided you'd get a head start. You and Aaron could drive separate instead of together. You didn't know how he'd be.

But when you went to grab clothes, you noticed the hallway light on, which meant he had left already. It was only 6am. Yes, he was up early, but he never left early ever since you moved in.

Getting showered and dressed for a casual day, you decided to stop and get breakfast for everyone. You knew the team was going to be in for a rough one today after yours and Aaron's event last night, so why not try to make it a bit better?

Leaving the house and arriving at your favorite coffee shop, you saw a little kid crying. You couldn't just ignore it being an agent and just being a good person.

You knelt down to the little boy and said, "Hi, I'm Y/n. What's going on today, buddy? Can I help you?"

Aaron's P.O.V.

Rossi said, "Where's Y/n?"

"Her and I drove separate. I didn't want to wake her up."

Strauss came knocking on my door with the director of the FBI trailing behind her.

"Where's Y/n?"

I explained that we drove separate. I made up the excuse that I didn't want to wake her up since I got here early. I didn't have the heart to tell them that it's because I was so hurt by her last night that I wasn't ready to see her again this morning after I found out the truth she's been hiding.

"She'll be in shortly, but as her unit chief, what do you need her for?"

"Agent Y/l/n, was in witness protection when she came into the BAU. There was a prison break last night. Y/n's stalker was one of the prisoner's who escaped.

I knew that all the color had drained from my face. She would have been at work now, surely she would have. She was amazing, always on time. Usually early. But now that she wasn't here, I was scared. What if last night was the last conversation I had with her. I was upset by finding out she was in witness protection. She should have told me. I would have protected her more.

"I-I don't know where she is. Let me try and call her."

"We tried. She didn't answer."

I grabbed my phone from my pocket and found her contact name. I called her, praying she'd pick up before it got to voicemail.

You saw Aaron was calling you. You knew if you didn't pick up, that'd be cruel for him, but you were trying to help this little boy. You decided to pick it up.

"Don't answer it."

The little boy looked at you, but you recognized that voice from anywhere. You ID'd that voice, you testified in court, you were put in witness protection from that voice.

"Hello Y/n. Did you miss me?"

Aaron's P.O.V.

Voicemail. Damn it. Where the hell is she? We need to get all the information we can on this guy and dig into her past life. Unfortunately I wasn't an expert on her as I thought I was. I thought I knew everything.

But was everything in our relationship a lie?

It was weird to be at a house that you once kicked the door in. Arrested this guy. it was weird. But you were here. In a home, tied up in the basement.

You were scared. You knew what he did to the women. He raped and tortured them. He stalked them first. And now he had you at his mercy. If you wanted to survive, you had to comply. Fighting would make it worse. He liked it when they put up a fight.

You had blacked out again and you don't know from what. You remember drinking water in the car. He must have roofied you.

Rossi walked in with Garcia and said, "We got her last known location, we got security footage, we were able to track his plates. He went to the home that Y/n arrested him at. He didn't try anything tricky. Which means..."

I stopped in my tracks. Knowing exactly what it meant.

"It means that my fiancé is his end game."

Chills ran down my spine. We didn't have time to waste. If I wanted to find her alive, we had to go now. When we looked through his case file, he was not sticking to his routine. The love of my life was his end game. He knew it, I knew it.

Speeding to the house, I just needed her to be okay. Her and I would be okay. Jack needed her to come home. I needed her to come home. She was the love of my life. Not was, I had to hope she's still alive. She is the love of my life.

I got out of the car, pulling my gun out. My bulletproof vest feeling tighter than ever. Did I tighten it too much? Has it always been this tight?

My mind was racing. As I kicked in the door, I thought about Y/n kicking in this door 3 years ago. Except today, I'm afraid someone isn't coming out alive.

My team checked the house until we found a hidden door to a basement. As I opened the door, I made my way downstairs. Finding a room. When I walked in, Y/n was there. Her stalker, Chris, was holding her at gun point.

I held my breath in my throat. I couldn't be scared. I had to be strong right now. Y/n was looking at me.

"Aaron."

That's all you could muster up when you saw Aaron. Sweating a little bit. Worried written all over his face. Tears filling his eyes. You put him in this situation. You should have been more careful. You should have told him that you were in witness protection.

"I'm sorry, Aaron. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry. We're gonna be okay. I love you."

Chris said, "You can't have her. I want her. I've wanted her for 4 years Hotchner. She's mine now."

"I will never be with you."

You looked at Aaron. He was reading you right now. You were hoping he knew what you were going to do. You saw him slightly shake his head no, but you wanted to just be by Aaron.

You kicked your foot to Chris' ankle and he knelt to the ground. It seemed like everything happened in slow motion. He let you go, you began to run to Aaron when you felt a piercing pain in your lower back and abdomen.

You saw Aaron's eyes widened and then you heard another gun shot. You think it happened at the same time you hit the ground. But all you could focus on was Aaron.

You saw the tears roll down his face now. Everything was muffled. Maybe it was the gunshots still ringing in your ear. Aaron had to have shot him, right? Chris was dead.

Then you saw Rossi leaning over you as well.

"He's gone. Chris is dead and you're going to be alright. Right kiddo?"

You felt the blood you were losing. This wasn't a normal amount, right? Maybe it was. You hadn't been shot before so you weren't sure.

"Aar."

As you began to talk, you felt blood coming from your mouth. Was this right? No. It couldn't have been.

"Hey. Hey sweetheart. The paramedics are here. You're going to be okay. I love you so much. Okay. Chris is dead. You're free from witness protection. You're so strong. I'm not mad at you."

"I'm sorry, Aar. I never meant to hurt you."

Watching her lose that much blood scared me. I didn't lose this much blood when I was stabbed 9 times. Blood coming from her mouth wasn't a good sign. I was going to lose her. I was right when I said someone wasn't coming out of this house alive. I was hoping it was Chris. While he was dead, I didn't want to lose Y/n either.

She was losing blood and losing it fast. She was coughing up blood next. This wasn't good. No, no, no. Please, no.

"I need you to keep your eyes open for me. Please honey. Please."

I leaned down to kiss her forehead. Giving me something to hold onto. I watched her eyes closed. She still had a pulse, but where the hell were the paramedics. We're losing her. We're losing her too fast.

The paramedics arrived within the next 5 minutes. Their training took over. All I could do was sit back and watch. The blood from Y/n's words staining my shirt.

The ride in the ambulance was terrible. I watched the love of my life lose her life. Flatline, then be brought back to life. Still losing blood.

As she was rushed into surgery. All I could do was wait. I sat there. Watching everyone else around me. My world stopped and their world was still going on.

After multiple hours of sitting there, a doctor came out to be met with me and my team.

"Y/n Y/l/n?"

"I'm her fiancé. Is. Is she okay?"

"It was touch and go for a while, but we managed to stop the blood, give her blood transfusion and she's alive, and expected to make a full recovery. She's awake and she's asking for Aaron."

I felt a sense of relief wash over me. She was going to be okay. I'm going to marry her. It didn't matter what her last name was before she met me. It doesn't matter what her last name was now, she's going to be Y/n Hotchner someday.

Walking into the hospital room, she looked small and fragile in that bed. But that was the opposite, she was strong. I'm so proud of her, she had to know that.

"I'm so sorry we went to bed mad last night. Let's never do that again. I love you, Y/n. I want to know all about you before witness protection. I want you to tell me everything that you will let me. Just never leave me, okay?"

"I love you Aaron Hotchner. Now let's get married the minute I get out of here so I can get rid of this last name I never wanted. I've always wanted yours."

He got next to you in the hospital bed and held you in his arms. Both of you sharing a kiss. You felt so happy to be alive. You felt so relieved that he loved you. You felt excited that in three days, when you did leave the hospital, you were on your way to the courthouse to officially become "Y/n Hotchner."

[dark-frosted-heart]

Roger's Route Preview

Warning, potential spoilers ahead

Too lazy to post screenshots

As usual, can’t guarantee 100% accuracy on this

You've yet to understand the sin of being "cursed".

Is despair what awaits for you once they're brought to light, or...

The man who's like a potent drug holds the key with a wicked smile on his face.

"For the rest of your life, I'm gonna lead you around 'til you get sick of me"

--

[Roger] My evil, it's—my willingness to fulfill my own ambitions.

Angelic man: ...Roger Barel. Former doctor that has this unusual obsession with "curses".

[I think this is Kate] I—"we" still don't understand anything going on in his heart.

--

Kate: ...What are you researching, Roger?

Roger: My curse—and how to rid the world of it.

"Curse—and how to rid the world of it"?

Roger: I could actually be someone with pretty dangerous thoughts that betrays Crown, you know? So, Kate. What would you do about it?

(At that time—)

Kate: I'm your personal fairy tale keeper, so I'm keeping an eye on you 24/7. If I think you're doing anything weird...I'll do what I can to stop you.

Roger: If you're gonna be around me 24/7, then you might just end up understanding what I meant.

When he declared that while with me, I crossed the line—into the sinfulness of the cursed.

--

Ellis: ...Why did Roger look so sad when he learned about my "briar bushes curse"? Not only that, sometimes he'll make this face when he sees me.

--

Elbert: The sin of a cursed one is far more powerful than you could possibly imagine.

--

~~ Flashback ~~

[Roger using "boku" here]

Roger: T-that person...and I... "We're not friends. That person and I are complete strangers."

Mysterious young man: ...Thank you. —"That's enough."

--

Something's scribbled on the edge of Roger's research notes.

"The more I learn about curses, the more ridiculous they get. It's like God's whim and it makes me sick."

--

You've always been strong and in control, and it's like I've been lead around by you.

Roger: Kate, look me in the eyes. Yeah, that's it. I'll never dismiss your ideas. I'll agree to anything.

--

Roger: Kate, you hurt...?!

--

Roger: Pfft, ahahahaha! You...You're really... You're so damn cute!

--

Rather than being someone that's strong, you were "someone who tried to be strong".

--

I experienced his true nature, and he stole my heart and destiny. But...

--

Victor: Roger. There's a warrant—for your arrest.

Roger: ...O_O

--

You've fought against despair so many times, and now it's my turn to save you. Because you taught me true strength.

Kate: Pull yourself together, Roger Barel! You are the strongest egoist out there! This despair's nothing. Just give it the middle finger and laugh it off like you always do!

Roger (without glasses): ...O_O

--

Our hearts overlapped. But Crown's #1 egoist—he kept a huge secret from me.

That's right, his "huntsman's betrayal".

--

Alfons: I wonder if that man's revealed anything important to Kate.

Elbert: Important?

Alfons: The cost that comes with that man's egoistic way of life.

--

Jude: O_O Your body—

--

(CG scene we see in his PV)

Roger: Kate. I'm gonna steal you, fill you, love you. So...love me too.

--

That man was a potent drug—and if you fall for him, you'll become addicted. This love is unpredictable

[themattress]

Untitled Kairi Post

Y'know what? In a way, Kairi was tragically doomed as a character from the very beginning.

"Oh, because she was a love interest and damsel in distress!"

No. Myths, fairy tales and, well, Disney movies have used those tropes for ages, and if you're doing a story where a huge point is the influence of those things, it's kind of a given that the leading lady be a love interest and damsel in distress. And the writing is smart enough to put a twist on the trope given that Kairi's distress is much less than it appeared to be because she's Sora's love interest and he's her's, and after Sora saves her she saves him right back.

"Oh, because she wasn't a playable character or party member!"

No. It would have been nice to have the playable puzzle solving-based Kairi sequence they initially planned at Hollow Bastion, but I can understand why it was removed given how it would slow down the pace following what is perhaps the signature sequence of the game. And in any case it doesn't have any bearing on how things went for the rest of the series, given that Riku also was not a playable character or party member (he just had a crappy AI when pretending to help you fight Parasite Cage all so that he could kidnap Pinocchio).

"Oh, because she was stuck in a coma the whole game!"

NO! God damn it, how much must the game beat the point into your stupid head!?

And who could forget?

Stop laughing right now.

Kairi. Not just "her heart". KAIRI. Since the heart = the person.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, it exposes some serious sexism if one goes with the "Kairi was in a coma" line for KH1 and yet says "Ventus was inside of Sora" post BBS, since it's literally the exact same situation except that Kairi was always awake within Sora's heart as opposed to Ventus only waking up at the end of 3D. It's why Sora felt things regarding Hollow Bastion, why he experienced the memory of Kairi and her grandfather, and why he saw and heard Kairi multiple times. He wasn't hallucinating; that was always really her.

So, enough beating around the bush. What did I actually mean, then?

Well....let's start at the beginning.

Kairi's arc in the original Kingdom Hearts is not just told through the writing. Utilizing a video game as a visual/audible medium, it is also told through animation, voicework and music. During her introductory cutscene, we see Kairi asked by Sora if she remembers the world she was born in before being sent to Destiny Islands. "I told you before. I don't remember." She answers this sincerely. "Nothing at all?" Sora responds. That's when we see this detail.

"Nothing." Kairi is lying. She doesn't remember everything given the trauma caused by being forced out of her old home, but she does remember just enough to understand why it was traumatic. She had a comfortable life there, and a family. She was happy. And then it was all gone in an instant. Now, on Destiny Islands, she is similarly content ("Well, I'm happy here.") and fears risking that same loss. And yet a small part of her still yearns for the past. She loved what she can recall of her past, as she loves her present. She fears only the future.

Riku's fixation on his existential woes and the mysteries of the universe, while also putting her up on some sort of pedestal like she's something special, is not helping at all. Something about it feels wrong to Kairi...wrong and uncomfortably familiar. It's making her very anxious.

But Kairi has someone to lean on and help her keep up an optimistic, cheerful front, perhaps enough to talk herself into believing it: Sora. And during this scene, we hear the track "Kairi I":

This track reflects Kairi's character in this moment. While there is a subtle undercurrent of worry, her heart is strong enough to not let it get to her and look on the bright side as she looks out to the sun setting over the ocean. With Sora's reassurance, she is able to feel as though her home and friends won't change or go away no matter what happens on her, Sora and Riku's planned voyage, which allows her to feel anticipation for it. All finally feels right.

Of course, things were not right, and Kairi ended up in heart form as her body and soul were lost to darkness along with Destiny Islands. From Kairi's POV, she is now in the Station of Awakening (aka Dive to the Heart) and can do little but watch Sora's adventures as she can see them through his eyes, not fully putting it together why she can and where she truly is.

In the scene at Merlin's House, we get to hear "Kairi II".

While it's similar to "Kairi I", there is now a more somber and mysterious feel to it given the present circumstances. While she doesn't know if Sora can hear her, Kairi wistfully waxes nostalgic over how Merlin's House reminds her of the Secret Place on Destiny Islands. And while Kairi feels sad over missing that place, she's also happy that there are places like it elsewhere in the universe. She's clearly learning as much from Sora's journey as Sora is.

Finally, we hear "Kairi III" in the flashback with little Kairi and her grandmother.

And while it starts out reflecting Kairi's childhood innocence, it ends up turning...almost sad. The reason why being one of the most overlooked details of the scene: at the end of the grandmother's story, she disappears, and little Kairi is shown moving her head all around looking for her. This isn't actually part of the memory, but a reflection of Kairi's heart. She knows that she had a grandmother and that her grandmother isn't here anymore, but she can't remember how her grandmother "left". But she at least still exists...within her heart.

Speaking of which, once Kairi's heart returns to her body and Sora loses his heart in the process, Kairi puts her foot down. She may have learned how to better deal with and accept change and loss, but a line still has to be drawn somewhere and Sora is that line for her.

Thus is she able to save him. Later, we see her worry about the future and things changing again when she questions whether anything can be the same between her, Sora and Riku again after the corruption Riku had underwent. Once again, Sora boosts her optimism.

More importantly, he helps her learn, as he does, that even when separated you can take strength in keeping your loved ones (metaphorically) in your heart, and that even if things change and Kairi is cut off from the people and things she loves, they will always exist within her heart, just as with her grandmother and the story she told her about light and darkness.

This is why, in the end, Kairi is able to let Sora go and yet still feel content.

From "Hikari" (JP):

I'll stop doing pointless things like thinking about the future. Today I'll eat delicious things. The future is always before us, Even if I don't know it.

From "Simple and Clean" (EN):

 Regardless of warnings, the future doesn't scare me at all.  Nothing's like before.

This is a really good, really well done character arc.

It's also a very human character arc.

Yes, there are a lot of fantastical things going on, but when you put all of that aside, what are you left with? A young girl moves away from her old home and everything that she ever knew and loved, which gives her anxiety about the same thing happening with the new home and everything that she's come to know and love from it, which now includes a certain boy. She fears the future; she fears change. In the end, she ends up staying in her new home - but the boy moves away! However, through her time spent with him she's learned to accept this because he'll always be a part of her heart, which is something that won't ever change.

When put that way, it sounds positively mundane, and by and large the KH fandom - and Tetsuya Nomura himself for that matter - don't want or like mundane stuff like that. They want the crazy, the overdramatic, the angsty, the flashy, the anime tropeyness they're familiar with. This is why they were unreceptive to Kairi's arc to the fullest degree, as in many of them are literally unaware it even happened because they were too busy fixating on the archetypal Japanese media-style dick measuring contest between Sora and Riku (which is also far deeper than they tend to give it credit for, btw, but I digress). And if that's the case, then the question gets raised: why bother focusing on or expanding Kairi at all? She doesn't "sell".

THIS is why Kairi was doomed from the start. It's not her fault. But it's sadly the truth.

[m1ssunderstanding]

Get Back Rewatch 55 Years On: Day 21: The Concert

Every time they're not on camera I simultaneously feel so relieved for them and so upset that I don't get to watch. Messed up of me, but hey. Remember that slightly disturbing quote where Paul said he actually does believe he's kind of public property and he's fine with that?

He looks so determined. Like the fairy tale prince staring down the dragon or Enjolras about to hijack a funeral (Literally my baby was conceived after I watched this in IMAX so if that tells you anything about my feelings . . . I'm going to be annoying I'm sorry I can't help it)

Her legs look so good in those tights! I love that Mo came not because her boyfriend needs his mommy but because she wants to see them perform! Kissing her on the mouth right now.

Danger boy Paul!

Fun fact, I was this John for Halloween in 2021 to a college party. My hair was already like that, and I had dirty white keds and black jeans, so I just did fake sideburns, fake glasses, and a fake fur coat. I tried to get my best friend to be Paul. She wanted to be a hooker, and I was like “It’s the same thing!”

See, look at him and his whorish ways!

John’s little lip-bit smile. He’s so happy with himself nailing that solo. Cutie. 

Cocky boys. As they should be. I love when they’re proud of their work together. Get Back is 95% just Looks between John and Paul, isn’t it?

John and Paul instantly jump into their little “humble working class entertainers” act. You know what just occurred to me? You know how they talked about the “rattle your jewelry” comment backstage and Paul dared John to say it? I wonder if they talked about the “audition” comment too.

It really is a beautiful thing they’re doing. It’s lovely, watching everyon leave their desk jobs and their shopping and whatever else to sit in their fire escapes and congregate in the street and huddle together on rooftops. It really is just like the happy end in a sixties zeitgeist movie. 

All the girls nervous to be too enthusiastic after years of being made fun of themselves and watching others like them being mocked on TV. Let girls like things, damnit!

Mo jamming! I’m in love.

John mouthing Paul’s lyrics.

“Paul McCartney singing that. What a voice.” Literally me if time travel existed. 

“And if SOMEBODY loved me like she does,” Well, it is good manners to look at the person you’re talking to, I guess. But you do have an audience, John. And a mic and a camera. 

“Absolutely disrupt all the business in this area.” Yes! Get those blue meanies, boys!

“No lay rishi gahd blay bloojaygoo” should replace all the stupid quotes the Lennon estate puts on everything they sell. Then I’d actually want their shit. Paul trying to magic the words from his head into John’s there. Successfully, though.

That “Pleeeeeheeeeease” is one of the prettiest beatles vocal moments. I love it with all my heart. And clearly, so does Paul. Doing that thing he does, inappropriately thrusting into his bass. 

Oh my gosh it’s the song Paul and John do together on tour right now!

That “Yyyyyeeeeeah, yeaaaaaah!” (I mean the whole song, the whole concert, but especially that) does things to me. 

John’s extremely blurry, because he turned his head quick enough to give him whiplash there, sorry everyone. But look! They’re having the time of their lives! They just love performing together so much!

Everyone goes to check on their accumulating audience. (except Paul. Wonder what that’s about.)Ringo’s little pleasantly surprised smile is so so sweet!

It must be so fun for them to be performing One after 909 again after all these years. Bitter sweet with everything that’s changed since then. 

LMAO Kevin thank you for your service!

He’s a silly cutie.

The mic in the street asking that girl if she’d like them to come back every lunchtime. Imagine if they did? How cute would that be? Like back to their cavern lunchtime shows. Maybe that could’ve saved them.

Them playing God Save the Queen reminds me of that story where Brian was like, “This bigger manager wants to buy your contract from me, and I just wanted to be straight with you. They could probably get better deals for you.” and they were like, “If you sell us to him we’re only playing God Save the Queen from that moment on.” It’s probably a fake story, but that’s what it made me think of. 

I always think that quote of Paul’s is so strange, where he was like “I never got the chance to watch John while we were playing.” Like. What are you talking about, baby?

Literally “Uh. Yeah. Uh. Yeah.” Fucking his bass. Staring at John. Okay? And I’m not supposed to take that and run with it? I’m not supposed to assume from that that you want to fuck your songwriting partner?

I think he genuinely wants to get arrested. I really do. I think he wants them all to get arrested so they can finally be alone in a room together. A lovely cell for four. Just shimmying at them. And Billy looking at him like, Bro. What the fuck is wrong with you?

Paul’s “woo” and shimmy :: John’s “woo” and weird little kick move. And Paul looks so fond, of course. 

God bless Mal for stalling those little fucks as long as humanly possible. And Debbie! “Don’t actually go on the roof because it’s overweight.” Gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss!

Absolutely LOVE John and George turning their amps back on. That’s right. You guys are what’s keeping the country going at this point, so if you want to play on your roof they better let you play on your roof and say thank you.

All the times when they just simultaneously turn to each other. Like, yes, this is our que to stare hungrily into each other’s eyes. 

My stomach just dropped at those words across the screen. “This was the Beatles’ last public performance.” We know, Peter Jackson. You don’t have to remind us. Jeez. 

John and Paul’s two very different but equally important leadership roles in the band at work here at the end of the concert. John delivers his iconic line, makes everyone laugh, and seals the band’s last performance with a very tight bow. Meanwhile, Paul’s climbing the gate to bypass the crowd and schmooze the police out of arresting Mal. 

THIS is sooo cute. Heads buried together and John’s very sweet, “‘s’matter? Hmm?” 

George is so cute here in the control room afterward. No wonder they don’t listen to his not wanting to do things, honestly, if he acts like this after. “What’s the law say why you can’t do that? Well how disturbing the peace? Yeah, I’m for taking over London. And every rock group in the world all on different buildings, playing the same tune.” Adorable.

Poor John. It breaks my heart that he doesn’t think his little lyric flub is funny. He’s disappointed in himself. I wish he could see that that’s one of the things everyone loves about him. George was grinning ear to ear about it. For fuck’s sake, that’s one of the reasons Paul fell in love with you in the first place. If only John could see himself the way we see him, you know? 

This little moment cracks me up. John always has to be mommy’s naughty little boy, and Yoko does a very sweet job of playing her part here. 

Linda and Paul are so touchy and clingy and it’s very romantic and I love that Ringo joins in and makes fun of them.   

The whole after-show glow for everyone was just so palpable and fantastic. I wish they could've gone on performing together. Clearly it made all of them very happy.

[hongtiddiez]

my stand in final thoughts, feelings, etc.

what an absolute ride of a show. what a series of ups and downs and downs and downs and up.

i think what i find so charming about this show is that it really exemplifies what it means to be human. each character was flawed in their own way and each made mistakes that at the end of the day were just human mistakes. no one felt like a mustache twirling villain but rather a flawed human being that got caught up in something bigger than themselves, or caught up in their own ego, hubris, etc.

in a show that was clearly framed to be about second chances i really did not expect the wide array of examples of different second chances in life - the obvious being joe and ming, but then there was joe and new!joe's mother, ming and his mother, tong and may, joe and sol, etc. almost everyone experienced a second chance of some kind with one another. almost all second chances worked out towards a positive outcome but i respect that some were neutral outcomes at best; a total reset. a second chance doesn't always mean total forgiveness and absolution but rather a new slate to try again and i really appreciate that MSI made it a point to showcase that.

i am also once again grateful that the show did not fall into the evil mother trope. i was gritting my teeth waiting to see what became of ming's mom and in the end both she and joe's mom were parents doing their best, wanting the best for their children, and stumbling along the way - another perfect example of humanity.

i couldn't even come to fully hate tong by the end. the industry inflated his ego, he felt indestructible, he was able to get anything he wanted with his connections, and he allowed that confidence to turn to hubris and got involved in something far bigger than himself. a scared, cornered beast will almost always lash out and at the end of the day tong was lashing out for any chance of survival. he needed a wake up call of catastrophic proportions to get his head on straight but throughout the show they did show us reminders of how much he loved may, little glimmers of who he was behind all of that, and by the end when he was able to find peace those traits shone through again.

and with ming i appreciated that he still felt like the same person. he was still an asshole, still rough around the edges, still who he was at the beginning of the show but his efforts were channeled elsewhere, his priorities changed, and he learned what he truly values out of life. joe didn't magically change ming, but he did alter his perspective and give him so much to consider.

i still cannot fathom the pain joe has to go through every day looking in the mirror and knowing he will never see his face looking back at him. the show teased little peeks of the affect this would have on his mental health and i wish it had maybe delved into that more but mental health is always a slippery slope.

for the grit and darkness of the show the ending felt a little too fairy tale for me but i was also kind of hoping joe didn't come back. i know, horrible of me, but if i was him? i don't think i would've come back. he had to be so, so tired and he'd been through so much, that part of me wanted to see that happen as a final nail in the coffin, a message that sometimes death comes for us no matter how hard we try to run from it, and sometimes death is a kindness at the end of a long and painful journey.

idk i'm also a slut for angst so ignore me.

i wasn't mad at the ending by any means, i enjoyed the little nods to potential side couples, i loved seeing things come full circle, loved joe's realization that while HE always saw himself as a stand in or someone overlooked everyone else remembers his past self fondly and he made an impression on them. in the end, so much of joe's self worth issues were his own insecurities exacerbated by ming's emotional abuse.

that being said, don't forget to tell people in your life how much they mean to you. it can mean a lot more to them than you can imagine.

definitely think MSI is my fav bl of 2024 so far, it was something unique and a little darker, more mature, all things i've been craving for a while.

[beautification-tales]

The Mirror

A beautification Fairy Tale

The air was thick with anticipation as Princess Lucia waited for the arrival of Prince Albert. She had been daydreaming about him for months, his piercing blue eyes, his chiseled jawline, and his kindhearted nature that seemed to radiate from every pore. Her heart raced as she imagined the feel of his strong hands as they held hers, the sound of his voice as he whispered sweet nothings into her ear. The servants scurried about, preparing the great hall for his arrival, their movements a blur as Princess Lucia struggled to contain her excitement.

Lucia being the eldest was in prime placement to be betrothed to an eligible prince. Princess Ariana was the younger sister and would be next in line. They were sisters in name only as they couldn’t be more different. Ariana was impatient, spoiled, vain and cruel while Lucia was gracious, sweet and compassionate. As the hour grew closer, Lucia was escorted to the great hall by her handmaidens. Her heart fluttered as she caught sight of Prince Albert, his dark hair shining in the candlelight. He was even more handsome in person, and she found herself struggling to breathe as she made her way down the aisle.

The king and queen, along with their advisors, stood at the front of the hall, formally introducing Prince Albert to their daughter. Lucia could feel her cheeks burning as she curtsied low, her eyes never leaving his. Prince Albert seemed just as taken with her, his gaze lingering on her face before traveling down her figure. As they were finally released, he offered his arm to her, and she eagerly took it, allowing him to lead her through the crowd.

Ariana made her way to the hall. She was wearing a gown that her parents had forbidden her to wear. It showcased her ample bosom in a manner almost unbecoming for a woman of her stature. She had her servants tighten the corset so she could hardly breathe. The results were at the very least distracting. Prince Albert was not immune, asking Lucia if that was her younger sibling. Lucia nodded as she noticed Albert’s eyes follow her sister wherever she went.

As they sat down for the feast Ariana and Lucia sat on opposite sides of the Prince and told him tales of their land. Lucia would also tell of how she was trained to be a proper queen. “I have learned to read and write and I am familiar with the customs of your people. I wish to serve and assist you greatly.” Lucia said with pride. Ariana laughed and rebutted. “My sister is a real bore. Are you really thinking about that when you think queen? Or do you imagine other… possibilities?” She placed her hand on the prince’s thigh and squeezed. The prince coughed and took a sip of wine. “So Ariana, what do you plan to do for your future husband?” The prince asked with a smile.

Ariana smiled coyly. "Oh, I'm not sure yet. Perhaps I'll let him decide." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. Prince Albert looked uncomfortable, but he didn't say anything. Lucia frowned at the behavior of her sister. Ariana always liked to take what Lucia had and her parents had indulged the behavior. She was eagerly hoping to be married and free from this life of being second place. Ariana was once again ruining her plans.

Meanwhile, Ariana grew more and more bold with her advances. She would send Lucia on fake wild chases to steal moments alone with Albert. She would whisper things in his ear as he blushed. Near the end of the night Lucia and Ariana both escorted Albert to his guest quarters. Lucia would shoot looks to her sister as if to shoo her away but Ariana ignored them. They opened the door for Albert as he wished them both a good night.

Lucia couldn’t sleep that night as her anger for her sister’s behavior boiled over. She knew she had to do something to save her engagement, but what? She had always been the quiet, obedient one, never causing trouble. But tonight, she felt a newfound determination welling up inside her. She slipped out of bed and crept through the castle, making her way to Prince Albert's chamber. She was puzzled as to why there was no guard watching her room but still she rushed out. Her heart raced as she found the door open. She hesitated for a moment, gathering her courage, before stepping inside.

The room was dimly lit by moonlight streaming through the open window. There she saw Ariana upon Albert as she rode him on the bed. Ariana was facing the doorway as she grinded upon Albert’s member. Her red hair glowed in the moonlight as she covered her exposed breasts. Ariana noticed her sister and did not stop her movements but in fact increased her pace. Albert groaned in ecstasy as Ariana moaned with a triumphant grin. “Isn’t this way better than boring my Prince?” Albert groaned his approval but caught his breath to add. “You’re nothing like your sister.”

Lucia couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her heart shattered into a million pieces as she ran from the room back to her chamber. The image of her sister’s smile played over and over in her mind. Ariana was so cruel to purposely leave the door open and position herself as if she knew Lucia would catch them. Ariana had bribed the room guards somehow. She was crafty and had outplayed her innocent, naive older sister.Lucia looked at her body length mirror and gazed upon her body. Lucia and Ariana looked nothing alike. Lucia may have had the nicer qualities but Ariana had all the assets. Lucia for the first time was feeling a jealous rage as she looked upon her flat chest and non-existent hips and backside. It was then she realized that she had worked so hard for nothing. Albert didn’t care for intelligence and compassion, he wanted a woman with curves that knew how to please him. He wanted a woman like Ariana. Lucia screamed as she pushed her mirror to the floor as it shattered. Lucia crawled into her bed sobbing for the entire night.

The next morning, she was up before dawn. She dressed and went to the dining hall for breakfast. She saw Albert hand in hand with Ariana. Lucia knew what would happen next. The king and queen arrived as Albert wished to speak to them in private. The king and queen stepped aside to discuss matters with Albert. Lucia couldn't hear what they were saying, but she could see the looks of disappointment and anger on their faces. After a few moments, the king and queen nodded in agreement. The news was as Lucia had feared. Prince Albert had fallen hopelessly in love with Ariana and would only take her as a bride.

Lucia couldn't believe it. All her hopes and dreams were dashed in an instant. The news would spread fast and Lucia knew that she would appear broken and undesirable to suitors now. The worst part was watching her sister’s smile as she left to have the life that Lucia was longing for. Lucia stayed in her room reading books for the next weeks refusing to come out even to eat. Lucia hungered for something new….power. The power to change her life. The power to get what she wanted. The power to make those who wronged her pay.

Lucia finally found the book that would help her. An ancient spell book that took dark magic and gave the holder what they desire. It was in the curses she found what she had been looking for. The curse gave the one who recited the incantation unbelievable beauty. A beauty that would surpass all who lived but at a cost. The cost was not to be revealed until the spell was done. Lucia’s hands trembled as she read the spell knowing it would be dangerous to take such a risk. Ariana’s smile played once again in her mind as Albert’s words played again “You’re nothing like your sister.”

Lucia with new determination began to speak the incantation aloud as a thunderstorm developed around the kingdom. The storm raged as she read from the page every word. The incantation glowed upon the page as new words formed underneath the spell. Lucia read as it stated that she would be the most beautiful woman. No man would resist her and her beauty would be legendary . However, she would only be beautiful on the outside. Lucia wondered what that meant “only on the outside.”

The spell then began to do its magic as her short blond hair grew to long black locks. Her once nail bitten fingernails grew to beautiful red painted nails. She smiled as she felt her breasts push out as they pushed her corset open. She felt her hips widen and her abdomen tighten. Her stick legs and arms gained muscle and toned as she became more shapely and appealing. Her crooked teeth straightened and whitened as her lips became blood red and inviting. She looked back and giggled as her backside rose and plumped giving a round amazing posterior. She regretted destroying her mirror as she felt her face change and become one of amazing perfection.

It was then she felt uneasy in her stomach. The physical changes were complete but the curse did more than change the outside. Lucia felt her heart grow cold as her mind filled with dark thoughts. Thoughts of revenge, thoughts of conquest, all of them selfish and vain. Lucia felt wicked but it felt so good. She was tempted to touch herself but a more dark idea entered her mind. She called for a guard to assist her.

The guard entered the room and was shocked to find a woman that could not be princess Lucia. She looked a bit older and mature and her eyes held a sinister glimmer. "What is your name?" she purred. “Tristan my Princess.” He stammered. She smiled, "Ah, so you recognize me?” She asked. Tristan swallowed hard as he felt a cold chill run down his spine. "Of course, this is your chamber.” Lucia laughed “But do I look different?” Tristan looked her up and down, taking in her new appearance. He hesitated for a moment, "You look... more beautiful." She smiled and walked closer to him, her hips swaying seductively. "Do you desire me? Tristan?” She whispered in his ear.

Tristan’s eyes rolled in the back of his head as her voice was almost too much. He swallowed hard, feeling a pressure growing in his loins. “Am I more beautiful than my sister?” she asked him, her voice low and sultry. “Y..yes you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” He stammered. She smiled, pleased with his answer. She thought of his words “ever seen” it made her wet. She placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heart race beneath her fingertips. “You were the guard for my sister were you not?” she asked, her voice still soft and alluring.

He nodded, unable to take his eyes off of her. She moved even closer, pressing her body against his. Her breasts brushed against his chest, sending waves of desire coursing through him. He wanted nothing more than to take her right there on the floor. "You let her get away with everything, am I right?” she whispered, her breath hot on his neck. Tristan's heart raced as he felt his control slipping. "Yes, yes I did," he managed to say, his voice barely audible.

She smiled, pleased with his answer. "And now she's gone," she purred, running her fingers through his hair. "And I'm here." She leaned in even closer, her lips brushing against his ear. She turned and brushed her backside against his hardened member as she gyrated her hips. “Ungh … my Princess” Tristan groaned, feeling as if he could explode with desire. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with lust. She continued to gyrate as she asked him questions. “You never guarded my sister’s door and let her roam about at night because you desired her?” Her hips moved faster, she brought his hands to her breasts as she let out a moan. “Yes and she would pleasure me.” He gasped.

“Did it feel as good as this does?” she asked, her hips moving faster against him. Tristan could hardly speak, his breath coming in ragged gasps as her movements drove him wild. He shook his head, unable to take his eyes off her. “N…no this is s.. much better” he stammered, feeling the pressure in his loins reaching a boiling point. “Will you serve me better than you did her? Can I be your queen?” she asked, her voice barely audible over the sound of their heavy breathing.

Tristan could feel his control slipping even further. He nodded frantically, his fingers digging into her flesh as he tried to keep himself from losing complete control. She smiled, her lips curling into a wicked grin. “Yes… you are my queen!” He grunted as he climaxed. Lucia removed herself from Tristan. She looked at him as she bit her lip. “Well look at that I seemed to have made you erupt in your garments.”

Lucia felt powerful and beautiful as Tristan looked at her like a lost puppy. She had never expected to feel this way, to have control over someone so strong and loyal to her sister. She smiled to herself, knowing that she could make him do anything she wanted. “Help me fix my mirror Tristan.” She purred, walking over to the ornate mirror stand on the floor still left from when she threw it to the ground. Tristan nodded, still catching his breath as he hurried to help her.

As Tristan knelt by the broken glass he looked up at Lucia. She was speaking in a weird language while holding a book. "What are you doing?" he asked, still catching his breath. "I'm just making you keep your promise. You see your negligence made me become what I am now. So you deserve to see it the rest of your days.” Lucia continued speaking the ancient words as the glass started to reattach to the mirror. In an instant Tristan was frozen as he watched the mirror magically repair and stand up again. The glass became dark and cloudy as Tristan kept looking deeper into it. He felt his body move forward as he realized Lucia had just pushed him. Tristan fell into the mirror and felt himself engulfed by darkness.

Epilogue

Lucia did become the most beautiful woman in the world.Unfortunately, she had grown cruel and extremely vain. The naive, compassionate woman was no more. Even when suitors came for her hand, she turned them all down. She desired power and all those weak princes did not interest her. She did visit her sister and her brother-in-law’s kingdom. Legend states that when Albert saw Lucia again the regret left him impotent. In all of his kingly duties. The kingdom had no heir and no strong finances and it wasn’t long before his land was conquered by a strong and handsome King. Lucia was quite intrigued by this new powerful ruler but he was already married. Lucia knew that wouldn’t be an obstacle for her. She knew that people get sick and die all the time and the widowed king would soon be her husband. The king’s daughter with his first wife was another obstacle…. And another story.

Lucia is known by another name. The nickname she gained throughout the land highlighted her inside qualities rather than her outward. Lucia heard the name but it didn’t bother her. She loved being feared And desired.

Whatever happened to Tristan? Well he is well known too but just not by his given name. Tristan’s new name Lucia would call out daily as her vanity craved validation.

“Mirror Mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all?”

[reotheworld]

hi, don't really know about your rules so feel free to ignore this! I was wondering if you could do how yan!merman! Kaiser would be with his darling, how does he act, interact, etc. (maybe a little bit suggestive if you can?) have a lovely day!

part of your world

❝ from head to toe, you are mine ❞

➜ yandere!merman!kaiser with a human!fem!darling

➜ fem!reader

sugar level: 20% | suggestive at the end!

fairy tales are merely short yet magical stories mothers tell to their children to help fall asleep quickly. such stories typically feature mythical enchantments and fanciful beings, never meant to believe in. but what happens when the line between real and not blurs?

just like a blue rose, they are only works of imagination, a good work of fantasy yet it's mysterious allure is what makes it unattainable. what happens when the impossible becomes possible?

michael kaiser is the merman every mermaid mother want their daughters to marry because of his good looks, excellent controlling nature and many more. however, be that the case, he's not the least interested in mermaids.

he craved for something that could challenge him, someone who is beyond his reach. have them be a part of his world.

the day he decided to admire another world by the shore is the day he caught sight of your wandering figure, crouching down on the sand, one bucket in hand while the other picked up sea shells and colorful sea stones.

he knew that humans and mermaids aren't supposed to come into contact together, to remain their kind a secret but the sight of you oh so carefree, beautiful and enchanting had him speechless. his heart fluttered, something he never thought he could experience until now.

you who is a refreshing and mesmerizing view. you who is exactly beyond his reach. either way, he'll make you submit to him.

he spent the rest of the mornings watching and observing you, when you wouldn't collect shells and stones, you'd take a walk all by yourself or build sand castles. and as each day passed, he didn't cared if he could expose his kind, he wanted to have you.

"if you want a variety, i can help you with that."

"ah!"

slowly, kaiser treads through the water to come closer to you, his eyes never leaving your figure.

"do you not get lonely too?" he asks, finally stopping right in front of you, upper half of his body exposed to you.

you gave him a small smile, tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear. "why would i be lonely?"

"i always see you every day and at the same time, all by yourself." he tells you, excitement rushing through him as he is finally talking to you.

"so you've been watching me." you respond, slowly sitting down on top of the golden sandy shores. "i'm not lonely anymore, i have you now."

his eyes widened at the response you gave him. heart thumping wildly as if it would burst out of his chest. a human acknowledging his presence. that response alone had him fallen completely in love with you.

"in what grounds do you think i could be a good company to you?" he asks, an impressive grin painting his lips.

"i just know" you reply, smiling to him.

oh how you wish you could take those words back. the words you gave to the very first you meet him, the words you wish you knew what it would mean to him.

you're now in the palm of his hand; finest pearls weaved into a necklace or earring, abundant sea shells enclosed around a large clam shell, miscellaneous trinkets that can only be found in the deepest crevices of the sea are now in your rightful possession.

no other person on land has these finer treasures apart from you. such luster, shape and consistency would have heads turning to look your way.

"there's no need for you to go back to that world, darling." he'd whisper into your ear as the two of you watch the sunset, his arms wrapped around your colorless figure. "the sea will welcome you with open arms."

"you'll love it when you're a hundred feet deep, i'll be your guide getting in, i won't let you drown. you trust me, right?" he asks, whispering in your ear as his fingers held your chin, turning your head to look at him.

trusting him is your choice. but it's kaiser that used that choice into something cynical.

shifting positions to have you seated on top of his waist, he pushes your bodies and kaiser had never felt so pleased with the skin to skin contact. admiring your figure clad in a yellow bikini, a sight he'll always remember even with eyes closed.

and not a moment too soon, he finally press his lips on yours. kissing you deeply and passionately; one hand cupped around your left cheek and the other on your waist, slipping between your legs. squeezing your warm pussy before rubbing your clit, tongues intertwining and dancing.

abandoning his common sense, his arms gripped around your figure, diving down into the water but with you this time.

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

You know, I find it funny how MLB thinks just having those fairytale parallels is enough to warrant praise, without actually using them to explore the characters.

Using one of the examples you listed in the finale review, Ever After High took the concept of fairytales and used it to explore the characters in interesting ways. Raven outright rejected the fate people decided she should have, instead choosing to write her own story and use her magic for good. Briar HATED her story, as she knew that while she would sleep for a hundred years, her friends would all be dead when she woke up. Duchess was envious of the others, as her story was doomed to end in tragedy as the next Swan Princess…

I could go on for days. The writers of EAH used the basic concept of fairytales to create genuinely compelling characters and discuss topics like autonomy, existentialism, being your own person vs what everyone wants you to be etc. But MLB just- throws these metaphors in on a surface level and then claim that they’re reinventing the wheel. It’s so infuriating.

Again, fairy tale references and deconstructions can work if they're done right (Go! Princess Precure does a great job with this for example), but the problem with this show is that all it does with that idea is compare the story to a fairy tale without really having anything to say about the tropes commonly associated with the genre.

The idea of comparing Marinette to a knight isn't a bad one, as you could argue that superheroes are the modern day equivalent to King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, but the whole knight idea is just to make Marinette look like a knight, not have her follow the code of chivalry knights are known to follow. Making Adrien the "damsel" is the bigger problem here. When he was compared to the princess, it was just to portray him as helpless and in need of saving... while the fairy tale visual in "Gabriel Agreste" shows him wearing a dress while Marinette wears a suit of armor.

In other words, this show that's trying to be empowering to girls, is essentially associating feminine traits with being weak, while the character supposed to be the female role model girls look up to is only able to get the job by acting like a man. This is why this show needs more than one female writer on the crew.

Maybe I'm overthinking things because I'm not a girl, and therefore, don't see things the same way, but to me, it comes across like the writers only cared about how cool things looked rather than actually diving into what something like this symbolizes. You know, the thing Ever After High has gained a lot of praise for with its discussion of fairy tale tropes?

[butchsophiewalten]

03/03/2024 Twitter Space Recap (1/2)

Martin & Kyle did a twitter space (with a late appearance of Eva) in the earliest hours of the day on the 3rd, here's a recap of what they talked about then:

-Kyle brings up that he wants to do a charity stream for the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund! He says Him, Martin, Coral, and Eva would be there playing Lethal Company. He says he plans to do this "sometime this month".

-Martin describes the 'Walten Dog Saga', saying that first the family got Carlitos, who was Sophie's dog, and everybody loved him, but then one day in 1968, they're playing and then Carlitos gets run over. And it's so tragic that they're like, 'no more dogs!', until one day in 1973 Jack runs into this homeless street dog and brings him home, and names him Jaimito, and they have him for a few months before he bites Edd's arm and "almost gives him rabies", so Jack just gives the dog to Susan, and the one week that she has this dog is like the worst week of her life. He pees everywhere, he tears up her furniture, and after a week of that he just peacefully dies while Susan is out of the house.

-Martin says that aspects of episode 5 are inspired by some of the leaked stuff he's seen from Joker 2. "It's a very fairy-tale, unreliable narrator kind of episode."

-Martin spitballs his "perfect idea for a Walten Files game", a PS1-style game where you work as a Bon's Burger's employee, "in the kitchen at 3am making burgers", fixing up orders to be delivered (by another employee, I'm assuming? He mentions 'a guy with a motorcycle', so I think this is what he means. Like pizza delivery.) He talks about how the supply closet would be on the other side of the restaurant, so whenever you run out of ingredients you'd have to walk all the way over there and back in the dark. He says it'd be really funny if there wasn't even anything supernatural in it.

-Martin talks about how it really bothers him when people say or imply that, because The Walten Files takes place in the time period it does, it would be more accurate or make more sense for his characters to be bigoted. He brings up a specific instance where someone asked him how the other BSI employees would treat Chris. "The point that this person was making is that it would make sense for the team to be racist, and I was like 'No, it doesn't make sense! That shouldn't happen, it shouldn't be a thing!'" He goes on to say... "And then it was shit like, [mockingly] 'Why are Sophie and Jenny a couple if it was the 1980s?' and it's like, gay people existed in the 1980s!"

"It's just like, just because something was the thing back then, doesn't mean the characters should do a very bad and harmful thing, y'know? It's a really stupid mindset, in my opinion."

-Kyle talks about this genuinely really funny Showstoppers Halloween special idea he had a long time ago, where the Showstoppers are really excited for the holiday, but for some reason Bon has never heard of Halloween before, and the other Showstoppers have to explain it to him, telling him about costumes and trick-or-treating and everything. And it culminates with them going up to somebody's doorstep to trick-or-treat, and all the Showstoppers are telling Bon that he should go first since he's the newbie, and when he knocks on the door some lady answers, going "Hello! How are-" and then she looks up in horror. And the shot reverses to show like a full, "hyper-realistic" Scary Animatronic Bon looming over to her, with a Text-To-Speech voice going "Trick.... Or.... Treat."

-Martin talks about his own funny showstoppers idea, where Bon, for some inexplicable reason, has the feeling that he is dying. and he spends the whole episode trying to make amends with people and be nice to his friends, like 'I don't hate you, Banny, I really care about you,' 'Boozoo, you can have Bon's Burgers when I'm gone, because you're my friend and I trust you,' etc. And at the end of the episode you find out he just had a tummy ache, and he was being really dramatic about it.

-After some related banter, Martin jokes that it'd be funny if Jack was at a table eating with the rest of the 'Bunny Smiles family', and out of the blue he goes, like, 'I've got a tummy ache! :(' in a really high-pitched voice. Eva, who had joined the space a while earlier, jokes that his normal voice is just him faking it, and the high-pitched voice is what he actually sounds like.

-They talk about various Godzilla movies for a while, and Martin brings up how he really enjoyed the way Minus One managed to connect the narrative between its human and its monster characters, and how that's something he thinks a lot of other monster movies and horror films fail to do.

"Y'know, it's funny, because when I wrote The Walten Files, I always had the idea that like, there are two parts of the story? Part one, which is like, the human drama, and Edd and Molly, and the crash. And then part two, which has more to do with the animatronics and the place itself. And you have this feeling where there's going to be a moment where those two parts connect and link to each other, and I think that's something you gotta have in, like, horror movies, where- it- you can't just like, make up characters, and just put them in the existing world and have them exist, and then just sit around waiting for the killer to appear, y'know?"

-Eva brings up an incident that's been happening in the Walten Files community on Twitter, where some people have been getting some flack over headcanoning members of The Showstoppers as Black. Martin gets really incensed talked about how much this bothers him, saying "I saw that, it's so fucking stupid. If you- It's just common sense! If you look at someone going 'Hey, I think this character would be Black, I headcanon this character as black,' and you go, like 'I'm not comfortable with that,' what the fuck do you mean? How? That's so weird! And that's what I'm saying, it's like, how does it effect the story in any way that would be negative to you? Like, the only way you would be against that, is if you were like, racist. And it's like, huh? And I think, a lot of people bring up the argument that, 'Ah, but this character is clearly intended to be White,' and it's like, who cares! Who gives a shit? Like, that's not, like a valid argument to go against someone for doing something like that. It would be very different if, for example, someone looked at Chris and went, like, 'What if he was White?', it's very different. The context of that is very different, than just headcanoning a character as Black, y'know? That's completely fine and normal. Why would you be against that, that's so weird."

"I find it even funnier, because, from what it looked like, it was because someone said they headcanon Sha as Black, and it's like, that makes so much sense! I mean, like, I think that if Sha had a human design, she'd definitely not- she wouldn't be white... again, if you're against headcanons like that, you- you're not welcome here."

-"We end this stream saying these few words: Headcanoning characters as people of color is great, supporting Palestine is great, uh, being a Zionist is Bad! Being a racist is bad! And if you like Godzilla: I will give you a kiss on the head. Muah!"

___ They ended up holding another Space much later the same day, which I've decided to cover in a separate post, because it's twice as long as this one, and a lot more of the conversation in it was Walten Files-Centric, so the recap will take way longer to write.

[mintchocodevi]

Home - Diluc x Reader

A/N: I'm relatively new to Tumblr, never really used it when I was younger, was mostly a Wattpad, Quotev, and now an Archive of Our Own user. This is being cross-posted from my AO3 account with a slightly different username. ANYWAY-- Let me know if you like this stuff, I'm more than happy to do requests (because I struggle to come up with things to write on my own). Summary: You've been in a relationship with Diluc for so long, but it seems like the spark has been lost. You're debating on if you can even call Mondstadt your home anymore. How will Diluc take to the news of you wanting to leave him and Mondstadt behind?

Characters: Diluc, AFAB Reader

Warnings: Angst, Fluff, Smut/Sex, Bittersweet, light plot with porn, not beta read what so ever I barely remember the contents of this fic bro I wrote it so long ago

The land of freedom. The ability to choose what you wanted to do, to not have to bend to the call of your archon. It was a blessing, compared to many other surrounding countries who couldn’t break from the shackles of their home land. Mondstadt was such a beautiful country. Wide open grass fields, tons of smiling faces and helpful friends. It was like a place out of a true fairy tale. But even then, why did the person you cared for most, seem so restrained, so isolated.

It had been a lovely day hours ago, sun shining, a light breeze causing dandelion seeds to dance across the sky and find their way to new homes. Children running about with a laugh, creating memories with whom they loved. During this time you simply watched, watched the seeds fly, the children run, vendors laugh as they spoke with their regular patrons. They looked so happy, full of life. They looked right at home, something that was slowly becoming foreign to you in this country. Sitting silently on the bench and watching church goers walk past, you begin to stop consciously watching everything. The conversations around you become buzzing in the background as you lower your head.

Mondstadt has been your home for so long. You grew up here, born and raised just like many other Mondstadt children. You found the love of your life here. Yet, over time, things had begun to slip through your fingers. Your partner, always stoic, doing as much as he can on his own, you wondered if he even loved you anymore. Small romantic gestures had faded over time, the whispers of affection you two shared behind closed doors that were once multiple times a day were now so far and few between. Oftentimes, it didn’t seem like he wanted to reciprocate the affection. You clenched your hands tightly while they were folded up in your lap as your heart stung. You loved him so much, you still do, no doubt still will till your life was nothing, but you wondered if he felt the same. The buzz of the background came back into focus as you felt a water droplet land on your nose and a shadow cast over you.

“It’s time to go,” he said. You looked up from your lap to see Diluc staring at you with his never ending melancholic expression. You stared into his eyes for a moment, doing your best to search them for any love, any recognition of desire in them before being unable to find anything. You gave him a small smile, standing from your position and dusting your clothes. You went to reach for his hand, wishing to lace your fingers or slide your hand into his glove just to feel the warmth of your partner. However, he turned and began walking before you could move much closer.

“It’s going to rain so we should hurry back to the house,” he said bluntly. You watched his back as he continued forward, not turning once to see if you were following. You brought your hand up to your chest and clenched your fist. Your chest burned with sorrow, simply lowering your head and following him quietly. Maybe, your anxiety was right. Maybe, he didn’t love you anymore. If that were the case, why did he keep you around? Why did he allow you to stay with him, sleep in the same bed? Was it fun to him? Was it some kind of sick game so he could see you crumble before him? You couldn’t figure it out anymore.

You watched Diluc’s back as you walked behind him. When was the last time you had actually walked beside him, instead of in his footsteps? The sky began to blur gray as if to mimic your emotions, once right behind Diluc you were now slowing your pace, struggling to find a desire to want to keep up with him. Eventually the occasional droplet became two, and then seven, a light shower, before an outright downpour. Silently you stood in front of the Dawn Winery, finding it so hard to move your feet. It was as if someone had tied lead to them, and allowed them to sink halfway into the mud below. The rain beat down on you like thousands of small marbles, rough, soaking your clothes and hair. At some point you couldn’t tell what was the rain, and what were tears. You scrunched up your face, clenched your hands and finally fell to your knees in the mud and rain, letting a choked out sob escape your lips. This was it, maybe it was time to go.

“Dear, what do you think you’re doing?!” A feminine voice cried.

You finally felt the rain no longer pelting your skin as an umbrella was raised over you, Adelinde quickly wrapping a large blanket around you and trying to help you up while Elzer held the umbrella above the two of you. Adelinde and Elzer quickly rushed you inside, Adelinde chastising you for being in the rain and mumbling about Diluc being careless, though you hardly understood what she was saying as they became background noise. They began running around you, carefully trying to help you dry off by gently rubbing your head with a towel and requesting clothes be brought to you from the other household staff. Eventually the running and the noise finally stopped, causing you to look up. You noticed Adelinde and Elzer staring at you with concerned looks, worry written across their faces.

“Dear are you alright?” Adelinde asked. Confused, you looked between the two of them before bringing your hand up to your face, feeling that your tears had not yet stopped falling despite coming in from the rain. Quickly you took the towel and wiped your eyes before smiling and waving your hands anxiously.

“Yes, I’m alright I promise! I don’t know what came over me!” You laughed softly, quickly trying to play it off in hopes they would believe your lie.

“In all my years of seeing you here, I have not once seen you cry for no reason,” Elzer spoke softly. You sighed, reaching out to take one of their hands each, squeezing it softly.

“I promise the both of you… I will be alright,” you whispered. You didn’t want to cause them any fear or concern. The problems you had were with Diluc and Diluc alone.

“Warm and clean clothes have been prepared for you in your room, if you’d like to get changed we can bring dinner up to you–”

“No I’d… Please, I’d like to have dinner with Diluc.” You cut Adelinde off abruptly. If this was how life was going to be, you decided that you would rip the bandage off now, rather than waiting.

Adelinde gave a hesitant nod, taking your hand gently and helping you up. Both she and Elzer helped you to your room, still wrapped firmly up in the blanket to keep you from possibly getting sick with your drenched clothing. Once to your room, they both gave you a lighthearted bow before walking away and allowing you to entire your room alone. Shuffling inside, you shed the massive blanket off your shoulders as soon as the door was closed, shivering as the air rushed at your soaking clothes. You quickly peeled all the wet layers off, before drying your skin, and gently sliding into the freshly cleaned linens. You looked at yourself in the mirror closely, and wondered what about you had changed to possibly turn your partner away. You hadn’t gained any weight, you frequently got your hair trimmed but never styled any differently. You always put effort into your appearance, not for him but because you felt you looked amazing with the time and effort put into your appearance. Was it maybe too much for him? Was your vanity something he was disgusted by?

You continued to do small twirls and twists, looking at every asset of yourself and wondering, had you changed something about yourself to cause him to no longer love you? However, your thoughts were eventually disrupted when a light knock came to your door, alerting you that dinner was ready and you could make your way to the dining room. You reached out, gently sliding on some house slippers before leaving your bedroom and joining Diluc for dinner. A small glance around the room and you couldn’t see any maids about, and you wondered if maybe Adelinde had known this was something you secretly needed right now. Alone time to talk to Diluc.

A large space sat between the two of you. Diluc sat there quietly, no longer wearing his large jacket and gloves, much more relaxed and at ease as he ate. You, however, sat there, simply staring at your plate. Despite the hungry feeling in your stomach, the food didn’t appeal to you. Nothing appealed to you in this moment, the air felt too thick, the food smelt too sweet, everything was simply overwhelming. Diluc shifted his eyes from the plate he was currently cutting into, only to see you sitting across the table staring at your plate with your head down. Not eating wasn’t like you, whatever Adelinde made you always loved, and in fact he was positive this was one of your favorite dishes.

“Is there something wrong,” he asked.

“No, not exactly,” you muttered. You began to dig at your hand nervously under the table, scratching the inside of your palm.

“So there is something wrong?” Diluc raised his eyebrow in confusion as he put his fork and knife down to give his full attention to you. You tensed in your seat when you looked up and locked eyes, it was as if he was staring knives into your heart.

“I think… I plan to leave Mondstandt.”

After that there was a long silence. You couldn’t read Diluc’s face at all. Despite knowing him for years, living with him, loving him, being unable to read Diluc’s face was just something you learned to accept. However, thoughts were racing through Diluc’s mind. You had never discussed wanting or even planning to leave Mondstadt. Plus, it wasn’t like he could go with you to protect you. He had the winery, and with the ‘Knights of Favonius Foolary’ hardly doing their job, he had to work double duty to protect the city. His hands originally above the table slowly lowered to his lap, sitting up the tiniest bit straighter as he focused on you.

“You know I wouldn’t be able to go with you,” he said.

“I’m aware.. I didn’t intend for you to follow or come with,” the last sentence left your lips in a whisper. Diluc clenched his fists under the table before clearing his throat.

“Well if that’s the case, do you know when you intended to leave and come back?” He kept up his poker face, relaxing his fists and deciding to go back to eat to not allow his emotions to show. He raised his fork to his lip and took another bite as you spoke.

“I don’t intend to come back… Because I don’t feel loved here anymore Diluc.”

Another dreadful silence filled the air as Diluc swallowed his food and watched you sit there. As soon as the sentence left your mouth it took you biting your tongue to not just suddenly unload all your feelings at him in this moment. You tilted your head back to look at the ceiling, your eyes stinging as they filled with tears wishing so desperately to fall.

“What do you mean you don’t feel loved?” His question finally broke the silence, along with the dam you had built up in your heart.

“You act like I’m any average citizen of Mondstadt these days. Even when we’re home, here, it’s like I don’t exist. You never tell me you love me anymore, I can’t hold your hand in public, it’s like you didn’t even recognize I wasn’t walking behind you anymore today! I was left out in the rain, I couldn’t bring myself to want to come in!” You raised your hands quickly as soon as you couldn’t fight the tears anymore.

While you fought to keep your face dry, furiously wiping your eyes as the tears flowed, Diluc sat there shocked by your words before allowing them to sink in. It hurt to hear you say such things to him and see you in such a state because thinking long enough about it, you were right. He had been neglecting you and your desires. All the little things you wanted, just some whispers and the smallest of attention. The hand holding you loved to share during walks, the whispers of affection and soft kisses of happiness behind closed doors. He couldn’t remember the last time he had shared moments like that with you. In those moments, Diluc felt he could smile, he knew he could be happy with you and yet right now here he was on the verge of losing you because of his mistakes. Planting his hands firmly on the table he stood from his seat and walked over to the other end of the table as you continued to cry and express your emotions.You were too busy crying into your own hands to even notice he had gotten up before feeling him take your hands.

You opened your eyes to stare down at your partner. This was possibly the first time in so long you had seen him wear an expression other than annoyance or melancholy. He had taken your hands into his and squeezed them tightly as he knelt to the floor, looking up at you with a look of empathy. For once his eyes were readable, the guilt he had, the sadness and disgust he had with himself at your declaration of pain. Diluc hated himself in this moment as he looked at your tear streaked face, knowing it was him who caused you to be like this. He lowered his head and brought your knuckles to his lips, kissing them ever so gingerly before looking up at you once more.

“You are the one thing in my life that has allowed me to feel something, to feel happy. I can’t believe I never saw how I took you for granted,” he whispered. He let go of one of your hands to now cup your cheek gently, running his thumb underneath your eye to wipe away the tears that still continued to fall.

“Do you still love me, at all?” You choked back a sob while getting the question out.

You shut your eyes tight, fearing the answer would be what you didn’t want to hear. You felt Diluc let go of your hands and heard him shifting his weight as if he was standing up. He was leaving you now, to sit back at his side of the table and tell you no, that he didn’t love you at all. That all of this was meaningless. However, it came as a delightful surprise when his fingers found the tip of your chin and tilted you up. Warm lips pressing against your and the sweet scent of grapes invading your senses. You looked up at your partner in surprise before lowering your lashes, raising one hand gently to grab hold of his arm, not wanting him to pull or run away. When he did pull away, he moved his hand from your chin to your cheek once more, caressing and holding your face close.

“I still love you as much as the day I first met you,” he whispered.

He was quick to dive back in for a gentle kiss, being as soft and tender with you as possible. You were fragile and hurt, he wanted to help you feel better but knew that, if you were truly tired of him and you didn’t want this, you had every right to pull away. Yet, you showed no desire to pull away. This was the closest you had felt to him in so long, you desired him closer. His hands against your cheeks were so warm, he was practically a radiator at times with how warm he got or felt the few times you held his hand or actually got to cuddle with him.You wished for his hands to touch you more, touch you in other places, but maybe that was too much wishful thinking.

“Then can’t you show and prove that to me?” It was meant to be a question, but between the both of you it sounded like a desperate plea.

Diluc was quick to sweep you off your feet, tucking one arm just beneath your shoulder blades and the other under your knees as he picked you up and held you to his chest. You quickly wrapped your arms around his broad shoulders for fear of being dropped or slipping from his grasp. However, you doubt that could actually happen, considering how effortlessly he could swing his claymore. Diluc squeezed you as close to his body as he could, his grasp firm yet gentle as he kissed you passionately, doing his best to silence the fears and anxieties that had built up over time in your heart. He wanted to do nothing but shower you in affection for hours. The last thing he would ever want is for you to leave him. Carefully, he carried you back to the room you both shared on the first floor, nudging the door open and closing it with his foot before laying you gently upon the bed you shared.

You stared up into his scarlet eyes, tears no longer sliding down the sides of your face but instead a gently rosy hue painting their way across your cheeks. It had been so long since he held you, kissed you even; it was bliss. You reached a tentative hand up to his cheek, brushing some of his free falling red locks out of his face to state up at him. The silence right now was no longer as thick or stuffy as before. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but more so uncertain. Diluc wanted to show you the passion you had pleaded for, but he didn’t want to if you didn’t want to be with him anymore and truly desired to move.

“I love you Diluc, so won’t you love me back,” you whispered to him softly.

You scanned his face, looking for any recognition of what you said in his eyes, and seemed to watch his expression soften. You could tell he was anxious, he didn’t want to hurt you or cause you any more pain than what you had already been feeling. Seeing him care, seeing the bits of proof that he did still love you felt like it could make you cry all over again. With your plea to be loved back, he leaned in once more to softly take your lips once more. Slowly, he crawled onto the bed, placing one knee on either side of your hips while placing his arms beside your head, trapping you beneath him. You raised her hands and placed them on his back, feeling the warmth of his skin through his thin white shirt, feeling it tingle your hands and almost course through your whole body.

Eventually he pulled away, a small pant leaving your lips before he moved to gently kiss along your jawline, moving his hands to slip underneath your blouse. He traced his fingers across your skin lightly, like a feather across the wind. It left a shiver up your spine and goosebumps to raise, causing you to turn your head slightly and squirm. Diluc took advantage of your head turn, placing his lips softly against your neck and beginning to suck as his hand slid up to your breast, gently running his thumb over your nipple and teasing it. You brought a hand up to your face in order to quickly cover your mouth, not wanting any of the maids or those nearby outside the room to hear any noises. Diluc appeared unbothered by this as he continued his gentle motions; chewing and sucking on your skin to leave behind noticeable hickeys and teasing your breast.

“I’ve always loved you,” he whispered. You pulled your hand away to look up at him. He had pulled away from your chest and neck to discard his shirt and pull his hair free from the band that was pulling it back. He took your hand gently from your lips and brought it to his, kissing your knuckles once more before leaning in close.

“I will continue to love you till the day our lives depart from this world, and I’m sorry, to have caused you such unbearable pain.” You watched him as he whispered against your knuckles, staring deep into his eyes and feeling your heart clench as he admitted his desires for you. Diluc was never a man of apologies. He hardly apologized to Jean, never to Kaeya, in this moment he was giving you his full sincerity and you knew it. He meant this.

After he let go of your hand, he helped remove your shirt so he would no longer have to fight with it. Leaning down, he placed gentle kisses along the top of your breasts and all across your chests. He was appreciating every inch of you, whether you begged for him to do this or not he was going to make sure you knew you were loved. Eventually the warmth of his lips found their way to the nipple he had teased moments ago. Slowly he stuck his tongue out and licked over it before swirling it in a circle, using one of his hands to give attention to the other. He used his thumb to gently push and rub your nipple in circles, groping your breast tenderly with the rest of his hand before gently pinching and pulling. As he teased your chest, you felt yourself beginning to squirm again. Digging your feet into the bed while clenching your legs closed as if trying to fight the burning desire building in your hips. A slight cry of surprise left your lips when you felt him bite your breast hard enough to leave teeth marks upon the skin on the side. Feeling you squirm beneath him was satisfying to see and rewarding to feel. He smiled as he pulled away to look back down at you, pulling you in for a passionate kiss as he wrapped one arm around you to hold you close and allowing the other to slip underneath the rest of your clothes and between your legs.

“I have always loved you,” he whispered softly against your lips, “nothing could ever change that.”

You brought your hands up to hug him tightly to your body once more. One of your hands found purchase in his long locks as his hand found its way to your pussy. His long fingers worked gently against your wet folds, sliding gently and teasingly across your clit and then down between your folds, separating them before giving a small circle of his fingers. Your legs gave a small twitch as you held onto him, allowing him to make you feel good. He continued to tease softly, keeping his middle finger perfectly between everything, using the top of it to gently push and tease your hole before sliding back up to push against your clit before sliding them slowly back down and repeating the process. Feeling his fingers soaked enough and that you probably had enough teasing, he pushed his hand down gently and pushed his finger into you slowly. The delicious sound of you taking his finger in and feeling the wet gush of your walls was such a sweet treat in and of itself. A gentle gasp escaped your lips as you felt his finger slide in. Slowly he pushed his finger in and out, the soft and wet feeling of your malleable cunt had his own cock straining against his pants. He wanted you so bad, but he knew he’d take his time and enjoy this with you.

Eventually Diluc moved from kissing your lips to once again kissing your neck, allowing you to gasp and moan softly at the movements of his finger. You gripped his hair firmly, pulling and tugging on his red locks without too much thought as you turned her head and whimpered into the pillows. It felt like your hips were practically throbbing for more attention, more desire. You wanted more, and with the feeling of Diluc gently grinding his hips into your leg you could only assume that he wanted more as well.

“D-Diluc please,” you whispered. He quickly stopped his movements, looking at you quietly and waiting for your orders, wondering if maybe he had done something wrong and if you wished to stop.

“I’m alright to go further if you are.” You smiled softly up at him. He returned the smile in kind, leaning down and giving you a soft peck before sitting up and beginning to undo the buckle of his pants.

Diluc gave a satisfied sigh once his cock was free from the prison that was his pants. Using whatever slick from you that was still on his hand, he coated his cock with as he watched you gently remove the rest of your clothes. With his right hand he gently stroked himself to ease some of the pain of his desire, and used his other to gently cup your thigh and push your leg open.He looked down at your hips, pressing his cock head teasingly against your hole. He licked his lips as you felt him tease, sliding the head of his cock from your entrance, up between your folds and pressing gently against your clit in order to cover his cock in more of your juices. He continued to grind against your cunt for a second, a satisfied sigh escaping his lips as he watched himself work before looking up at your face. You were biting your lip and gently keeping your legs held open for him to do his work. God he wanted to make you beg for it, but as much as he wanted to tease you forever, he knew this wasn’t the right moment for it.

Diluc pulled his hips back once he saw your needy expression, pressing his cock head against your entrance before finally pushing with enough force to slide in. Feeling his cock spread you open was pure ecstacy you had missed for a very long time. Diluc continued to push slowly down, sinking his hips in til they were flush against yours, unable to sink his cock any deeper into you. You bit your lip softly, digging your nails into your legs and fighting back wanting to thrust your hips yourself or play with your clit. You had missed being this intimate with him so, so much and now you desired nothing but to do this all day if you could. Your thought process was temporarily stopped when you saw his weight shift above you and you felt yourself being hugged close. Diluc had brought his arms down to wrap around you tightly, pressing chest to chest as he simply lay on top of you for a second. You couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed in more ways than one. Your crazy desire to be ravaged by the man you loved and being overjoyed as he held you as close as he could. You brought your arms back up to hug him close, not wanting him to ever pull away or leave your side. You nuzzled your face gently into his shoulder as you whispered affection, unable to say anything other than ‘I love you’ to him.

“I’ll never let you go feeling unloved ever again.”

Diluc raised his hips slowly, a desperate cry leaving your lips before being replaced with a moan as he pushed his hips back in. Diluc squeezed you close and tight, your soft and supple skin like a large huggable stress toy to him as he began to thrust his hips into you. He never wanted to let you go, he never wanted you to be with anyone else or be anywhere else but with him and at the winery. He growled softly into your skin as his fingers dug into your hips from how he was holding you. The way your walls clenched so desperately around his cock as he pushed in and out. Your scent was like a drug to him as he held you close, thrusting into you with the thought of wanting nothing but to be by your side. You couldn’t help the moans of pleasure that escaped your lips, the fear of maids or any one else in the house hearing you no longer a thought in your mind as your nails dug into the skin of Diluc’s back. Feeling his hips smack into yours as he cock pushed deeper into your body after so long felt like a drug you could get addicted too. As he continued so many thoughts raced through your mind, you wanted to beg for more, deeper, harder, so many naughty thoughts ran through your mind but despite it all, at the top that never wavered, you never wanted to let this man go. You never wanted to do something like this with anyone else.

You took one hand from his back to cup his cheek and pull him in close, kissing him with passion as you pressed your chest into his. The warmth he radiated coupled with how close you two were had the both of you sweating. His hair began to stick to his skin as the scent of sex filled the room. Not that the smell bothered you or that either of you could notice since you were so desperately wrapped up in one another. While you pushed up happily into him, he responded in kind by thrusting faster. Feeling him push his cock balls deep yet keeping you close and tended to, had your eyes rolling in satisfaction. This was a craving you weren’t sure you could ever get enough of. As he continued to pound your thighs pink, you could hear his sultry groans and growls turning into heavy set moans, both of you edging closer and closer.

“D-Diluc! Please,” you whimpered desperately.

Diluc looked up through his haze and nodded his head slightly. He removed one arm from around your waist to instead snake it up and hold your hand. He kissed you with ferocity as he laced your fingers, thrusting his hips harder and as deep as both your bodies would allow. He dug his feet into the bed as he continued to thrust, while you raked your nails across his back. All of your moans were muffled by the passionate lip lock the two of you shared, continuing to edge each other little by little, just a bit more, it felt so good and intense. Keep going, you wanted him to keep going, til finally he gave one more deep push, and you felt your muscles tense. Diluc pulled away from the kiss to gasp before growling into your skin, cumming inside of you before gently and slowly pulling out. You breathed heavily, unable to control the sensitivity and the small twitch of your legs as you felt him pull out before clinging to him tightly, fearing he was completely pulling away to leave you. However, you were reassured when he moved to gently lay beside you instead so he wouldn’t crush you under his weight. There was a comfortable silence, the only sound filling the air was the labored breathing both of you shared. You hugged him tight, despite the sweat and mess you both had just made, you couldn’t help but want to be closer to him. This time, it was reciprocated as he pulled you in tight and pressed his nose into your hair.

“I love you, so promise me you won’t leave Mondstadt.”

“I promise.”

[loth-creatures]

I’d love to hear your wall of text about the Sion’s voyage!

Aight, so if there's one thing I hated about the show it's that the journey to a whole ass new galaxy felt like it took 5 minutes. So in my star war it takes roughly 7 weeks and it fucking SUCKS

Disclaimer; this is just a huge mess from my head, nothing is set in stone, and I'm only really planning to comicify the last few parts ;)

Also cw for some implied self-harm ideation, terrible coping mechanisms, deteriorating mental health, violence and injuries (just mentioned, not in detail)

To set the scene, they're using the training/rec room as Sabine’s prison bc Wolfbine is too big for the actual brig lol. Much to the entire crew's irritation. The first week or two they just handcuff her in a corner at blasterpoint whenever they want to use it I guess, and find a closet to lock loose equipment in. At least she gets some entertainment. She probably also gets beat up a few times (you should see the other guy) for commenting on people's techniques. But eventually they decide she probably won't try anything and stop caring she's there, so she's left alone for the most part.

She spends a lot of time working out, bc otherwise she is strongly considering bashing her head into the wall. Having to sit alone as a human and pace in circles as a wolf for days on end with the weight of her decision and all kinds of fresh guilt is doing terrible things to her head...She is also spending a lot of time trying and failing not to sob and scream in the shower when no one's around. There is also a viewport in the rec room and Sabine spends an unhealthy amount of time staring into the rainbow swirl of hyperspace. She can't tell whether or not she's hallucinating the strange shapes that occasionally drift into view, singing strange songs that she can feel more than hear. It reminds her of the ocean and she shudders and dreams of drowning, being crushed by the depths. And she dreams of Ezra alone and lost in this void. There's no easy way to break free of such thoughts when she's essentially trapped in a fish bowl.

Meanwhile, Shin hates Sabine even more now for making her a Wolfwalker. She is not adjusting well to turning into a giant beast every time she tries to sleep and on a cramped vessel with little space to stretch those legs. Having been bitten only just before boarding the Sion, she hasn't had the chance to run wild for miles with the wind in her fur; all she knows is that the journey feels twice as long and horrid when she's consious 24/7. Baylan, on the other hand, is like DO YOU REALIZE HOW AWESOME THIS IS?! YOU SHOULD BE THANKING HER. He's not jealous persay, but. Well. Careful what you wish for...

Wolf Sabine and Shin are both getting major zoochosis smh. It's a miracle Shin hasn't killed a random crew member yet. Wolfbine behaves for maybe a week before she starts chewing up the flooring and howling and screaming husky style just to be a little shit. See how long it takes before someone threatens to shoot her, muzzle her, throw her out the airlock (not long). She can't afford to antagonize the crew too much bc there is only one person on the entire ship who wants her there and he has limited authority. Baylan is quick to remind her of this.

He also makes several attempts to talk to her and get on better terms, as he would like to learn more about the wolves. He tells her of the old fragments of stories of Wolfwalkers he found in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and his facsination with them and how chasing such tales lead to his other ambitions. Lowkey info-dumping about all the fairy-tales and mythalogical stuff that Shin never took an interest in. Sabine is deathly bored enough to tolerate it to extent, but she is not forgiving him for 'killing' Ahsoka, for digging in her head, for putting her in this situation, and she is absolutely kicking herself for having bitten Shin. For letting anyone affiliated with the Empire close to Lothal's secrets. Too her it's put a deep crack through her promise to protect Lothal, perhaps not as much as having given Thrawn a way home, but she's going to try her damnest to undo that one, and shoves that looming guilt aside as best she can, instead spiraling about the fact that she made Shin a Wolfwalker and short of killing her there is no undoing that. So most of her conversations with Baylan end with telling him to go fuck himself.

Just now realizing I've never gone into detail about why Sabine bit Shin. It was a complete accident. Split second reaction out of pain after taking another small slice from Shin’s lightsaber during their fight on Seatos, which she was able to heal herself but it slowed her down enough for Shin to escape. With a nasty little nip to the arm.

That all said Sabine does not want to kill Shin, in fact she's just starting to feel sorry for her. Shin might be all MY ARCH NEMESIS SABINE WREN, but from the beginning Sabine is just like ugh can this random chick stop making my life harder 🙄

And if she's this miserable as a wolf rn, she can imagine what Shin's going through as a first timer, which is all her fault :( plus the fact that as wolves they are instinctively drawn to other wolves and each of their suffering seems to exacerbate the other's. They are both so lonely. 2 weeks in and (human)Sabine is bored and desperate enough to try heckling Shin into sparring with her, on the rare occasion she passes by (Shin’s been avoiding that room). 3 weeks in and Shin's gotten bored and desperate enough to accept the invitation.

I hc that during a friendly match, most Force-users will refrain from using the Force against a non-Force-user for the most part. Shin is not interested in friendly and absolutely hammers Sabine unless Baylan is there to remind her to play nice. Sabine is fine with this. She wants Shin to use the Force (come at me bro). If anyone's gonna be holding back it's Sabine. She wants to get as familiar as possible with Shin's fighting skill and habits without revealing the full extent of her own, while also slowly learning to anticipate and work around Shin’s use of the Force. That way she'll have an advantage the next time they fight for reals. It's difficult to impossible to hold back though, while still presenting enough of a challenge to keep Shin coming back for more.

While Sabine is more experienced, with a wider range of techniques and more refined skill, Shin is still skilled and powerful and it's hardly a fair fight without her armor and gear. She gets her shit rocked.

Sabine is very rarely able to beat Shin when she's using the Force. But she can withstand her. Many of their fights don't end with a quick, decisive victory so much as Shin just wearing Sabine down until she physically can't fight anymore though she refuses to tap out or surrender. Because for one, it's pissing Shin off, which is fun. And for two, ending the fight means returning to the hell that is sitting alone and staring out that window until it makes her sick in the head. She would kill a man for a single can of paint.

While Shin is toying with Sabine and using her as a bunching bag on the basis that she asked for it, keeps asking for it, doesn't know when to give up, and totally deserves it 😤, she is no easy opponent and Shin is continuously shocked by Sabine's ability to survive her. She was supposed to be just another enemy to tear through, yet has survived two murder attempts, and Shin is now stuck with her on this godforsaken ship for some reason, and she doesn't even have the grace to admit when she's defeated. Unstoppable force has met unmovable object.

Shin simultaneously resents and admires her, though doesn't quite respect her yet. And she definitely fears her a little (though she would never admit that). I kinda get the vibe that Shin’s never really lost a fight, has never truly been left for dead at the end of a battle, and the thought terrifies her. Either she is invincible or she is dead. Meanwhile Sabine can be coughing up blood and she'll be like 'cool see you tmr'✌️😎 The fact that Shin probably deleted one of Sabine's kidneys on Lothal and she seems hardly intimidated is well. Intimidating. And annoying. And hot.

I feel like at some point Baylan would point out that Shin could probably learn a thing or two from Sabine if she would stop beating the shit out of her for two seconds. Shin is already aware of that but doesn't want to admit it.

Meanwhile Sabine just doesn't care anymore what happens to her as long as she lives long enough to get off this accursed vessel, doesn't care how hurt she gets, as long as it passes the time and distracts her from her spiraling thoughts. She's offered a medic multiple times and refuses each time. She doesn't want them seeing the full extent of her injuries and then finding out she can heal herself with the wolf-magic, bc the Empire doesn't need to know about that. She only heals the worst injuries and then gaslights Shin about it. 'You did not break any ribs lol I'm fine quit flattering yourself.' Shin’s like how the fuck are you still standing.

This routine of brutally taking out their frustrations on each other is gonna get old though, and is completely unsustainable. Eventually Shin’s convinced that Sabine is just using her for pain. Which isn't wrong even if it's not the only or even primary reason Sabine keeps asking. Sabine calls her out on fighting like a coward and enjoying hurting her anyway. Shin goes and sulks for a few days after that (not without punching Sabine in face first).

Ok time out. What the hell is Shin’s deal anyway. I have only some half-baked ideas about Baylan and Shin’s...thing. They're like the closest thing we've gotten to 'grey Jedi?' I guess? I've been operating under the assumption that that's what they're essentially trying to be (though it's not what they'd call themselves), something more than Jedi, Baylan says, and that 'more' is just chasing power. They will inevitably fall completely. Probably need to watch the show again to get a better read on them tbh but I would rather not. It will hurt my feelings again :( Baylan is like the mountain. He's calm, he's steady and the darkness erodes him slowly. He thinks he's successfully toeing the line with the dark side, but his faults are most evident in Shin's training. She is like a hurricane. The Force rips through her, chaotic and volatile and her control is iron yet brittle. She hasn't known inner peace a day in her life. She just taught herself restraint in the sense that she suppresses her power until she needs it to plow through her enemies. She will fall far more quickly than her master. Baylan's teachings follow the Jedi's to an extent but once the darkness is let in, those lessons become skewed and contradicted, and Shin is a mess because of it, only mirroring her master's control on the surface. Baylan isn't the worst teacher but he is not a good one. While Shin loves and trusts Baylan, she is getting tired and frustrated following his mysterious whispers of legends to an end he never explains clearly. And she is afraid.

ANYWAY, once Shin’s done sulking, one of these days her and Sabine are gonna have a genuine conversation or two and maybe agree to an actually friendly sparring match in which they agree to not just blindly pulverize each other. They take breaks and drink water and tend to their wounds like adults. And Sabine is like you know, we could just. Hang out. As wolves at least. It would suck sooo much less if you'd come play with me as a wolf xoxo. They slowly transition into a more definitive Truce.

Shin does start hanging out in the rec room as a wolf. Sabine still isn't volunteering info on the wolf magic but she does talk about what its like being wolfwalker in general. They tussel and chase each other around, often getting too rough but also loud enough that someone will come yell at them to stfu before they really hurt each other. It's much easier to take naps as wolves too after they've had a chance to burn some energy which makes the entire ship more peaceful.

However, you can't just be the first vessel in centuries to cross between galaxies and not have some kind of disaster right? Well it turns out the strange shapes out the viewport were not hallucinations. The Sion is essentially traveling through the cosmic deep ocean and there are bigger, older things than even the Purrgil out there. Nothing has an interest in attacking the Sion, but at some point something very large drifts close enough to jolt the Sion off course and shorts out the entire system. This ends up forcing them to drop out of hyperspace in the middle of absolute fucking nowhere.

It takes a few days to get the ship running again and recalculate the jump. And here's where Sabine gets to be a hero and earn some respect around here, bc most of their mechanics are droids which also shorted out and lost power. Seeing as they are at risk of losing life support, they let Sabine help with repairs and turns out she's one of the best mechanics on board, even considering the newer technology she doesn't have as much experience with. This also allows her to get more familar with the ship and find the best places to hide out when she eventually makes her escape, while simultaneously giving the crew more reason to let their guard down on her. Including Shin.

That first loss of power is the worst but there are several more blackouts along the way. Human Sabine and Shin are almost getting along now. They still don't like each other but they are hooking up (it does not fix them), and playing card games by flashlight and truth or dare. Maybe Shin even scrounges up some art supplies for Bean. Now she can pass the time hiding sharpie dicks all over the place. They are almost friends by the time there are three days left in the journey and Sabine is preparing to make her move.

Baylan was probably the one to initiate letting Sabine have her lightsaber to sparr occasionally. He wanted to test her metal as well. I think it would be interesting if they sparred a couple times. Baylan is much more chivalrous than Shin and also goes into teacher mode about sword fighting. Sabine isn't a novice anymore but he's still far more experienced. Shin is like no no no we are not adopting her Dad NO-

So anyway escape day comes, Sabine almost cronches Baylan to death, and Shin is beyond angry. Mostly at herself for letting her guard down enough to allow this to happen, she didn't really expect Sabine to not pull something like this in the end right? It's stupid to feel betrayed when it was so inevitable. She is still 100% gonna take it out on Sabine though, especially for almost killing her master.

Despite the escape attempt, Thrawn lets Sabine go as he does in the show, in the hope that she'll lead them to Ezra’s human body. He figures if anyone could find him, it would be a fellow wolfwalker who considers him dear enough to risk the fate of her entire galaxy. Everyone else is like you're just letting her go?? After all that??? And Thrawn's just like lol what did you expect from her? That's Sabine Wren. They probably do attempt to scan the ship for sabotage but it's so huge and her kyber bomb is so small and rudimentary that they don't find it.

At this point, Sabine is run utterly ragged. Bedraggled even. Having not slept in 2 days,(no room to wolf in the Sion's walls so she just had to stay awake 💀) suffered a heart attack at Baylan's hand, and got beat up by WolfShin again. She's visibly about to collapse and Thrawn's probably like 'do you...want to spend the night before you go? And a medic?' He knows he's most likely sending her to perish in the wilderness anyway, but was hoping to give her at least a chance at finding human Ezra for them. Sabine says hell no I'm getting out of here before you change your mind.

She rides until she actually does collapse, hides her body as best she can and continues as a wolf. She figures they let her go for a reason, and plans to run in erratic circles all night every night to hopefully throw them off, only later investigating any clues she finds as human for a few sporadic hours in the day. Thrawn does send Shin to track her at a distance. If she happens to find the trail of Wolf!Ezra first, kill her. This hunt through the wild will go on for several days at least, before there's any sign of Ezra.