#if anyone has critique or more to add I would love to hear it.

[esther-dot]

What upsets me the most about the dumbass Sansa vs Arya thing (other than it only existing because antis hate Sansa that much) is that... what does it add to the story? This isn't fandom stuff, this is something antis genuinely want for the story, but what does it ADD? What is the POINT? What value does these 2 siblings fighting against each other would give to the story? To the message and theme? It's even more worthless than the boring Cleganebowl shit.

Sansa and Arya, two siblings from the main family of the series that the story centers on, fighting and hating each other is detrimental to literally EVERYTHING. ASOIAF is LOADED with family dynamics that are actually toxic and destructive to the members. We have the Targaryens, we have the Greyjoys, we have the LANNISTERS. Westeros is so bereft of families that love each other, making the ONE family that genuinely love each other and doing their best to reunite hate each other is so... just spit on GRRM and the effort he put into House Stark, why don't you?

I don't want to sound like a pretentious ass, but these people should not read a series like ASOIAF if they're gonna let their petty feelings and opinions impact the series as a whole. They can hate Sansa, but if they hate her to the point where it impacts their reading of the series, then put it down and go read something simpler. Or just stick to fanfics because their disturbing hate fantasy will never be canon, sorry antis

(about this ask)

I talked about this before and now can’t find the post, but Arya and Jon fans who hate Sansa are holding her responsible for the problems with society that Martin is criticizing. They are missing that society is being criticized from different angles to allow us to see all the ways it’s hurting people. Rather than realizing it isn’t the little girl who caused their pain, with them we are getting two critiques (coming from different directions) of their world. Jon is excluded, Arya is expected to conform.

Jon wants in, Arya wants out.

And of course, Sansa suffers as well. She may fulfill the ideal in a way that Arya cannot, but that doesn’t save her. We have Elia and Lyanna which is another picture of conformity/non-conformity —both of them die. There is a much larger part of the story here that is the driving force of what these characters suffer, it’s a shame to dismiss all of that in order to hate on Sansa.

I have no gatekeeping instinct. I’m happy to read different takes (within reason — absolutely no Sansa hate which is why I don’t do much with anyone beyond our corner), I have read and written Martin critical stuff, I don’t mind people coming away with different interpretations. I enjoy that (within reason), and that’s a part of who I am beyond fandom so that isn’t gonna change. I simply decide, “well, I certainly never want to hear from that blogger/that part of the fandom again,” but as far as I know, they’re an angry 13yo who will reread the series in a year or two and realize, oh, the Sansa and Arya conflict is created by external forces, and actually, they can understand the pressures Sansa struggled with as well. I’m a big fan of leaving room for growth, and literature has a special way of allowing us to see things in new ways and helping us evolve as I individuals. I’d never be in favor of taking it away from anyone no matter how much I think they misunderstand it. You never know what the future holds and if one day, they’ll get it.

Also, I don’t have a perfect grasp on what Martin is doing myself. The endgame of some of the characters strikes me as….uh, less realistic, and more, whimsical, so unless I’m gonna throw out my books, I’m not gonna pretend to be more deserving than any one else. I will filter and block though because when it comes to Sansa haters:

making the ONE family that genuinely love each other and doing their best to reunite hate each other is so... just spit on GRRM and the effort he put into House Stark, why don't you?

So, uh, not to annoy you further, anon, but I didn’t call what I had written “wish-fulfillment” for nothing. 😬 I definitely think expecting the Starks to kill each other is absurd, but as a Jonsa, I’m not sure how Arya would be able to accept that relationship, and I do wonder if it’s Martin’s way of allowing tension and conflict within the Starks even upon their reunion. Maybe I worry for nothing, but Jon is Arya’s person, he made her feel love and accepted, for him to be in love with Sansa…I worry that Arya would feel displaced, and how quickly Martin would find a resolution there.

Many others have previously looked at how Martin seems to have no problem writing brothers / guys having healthy relationships, but likes to have sisters at odds. There’s a dearth of healthy female relationships, so it’s an opportunity for him to break that pattern, and if Arya was accepting of it I suppose it could be a contrast to the Cat/LF/Lysa mess. That may be the goal he’s working towards, and to your point, that adds to the story in sadly lacking area. All the same, while I do think the Starks love and will be loyal to each other, I’m not sure how warm and cozy things will be on the page? I have some concerns about what he’s making room for. But that is the benefit of being in a fandom with so many emotionally mature fic writers who value and prioritize female relationships. I get to read healthy relationships either way!

[mermaidsirennikita]

ok thank you good to know! because i'm seeing people act in genuine disbelief why other people are upset show francesca isn't that into john on top of just general confusion why they're upset about any changes to francesca's story because the bridgerton books aren't good. i've only real tdai so i can't speak for the quality of the whole series but i keep hearing whww is the best one. also the idea the show has elevated the books is silly to me, even if they aren't good books the show also isn't good?

As someone who has critiqued the Bton books a lot (I would only recommend two out of eight, personally) from what I've seen a lot of the people who say the books are bad haven't actually READ them lol. They've read out of context screenshots. I fucking KNOW they haven't read When He Was Wicked when they're out there calling Michael a sexual predator, lmao.

When He Was Wicked is the best book in the series, and anyone who's read multiple books in series (this isn't a dig at you by the way, I have zero issues with people going "I don't wanna read 'em, doesn't sound like they're for me", nobody HAS to read these books, I just think it looks very... unintellectual to critique things you haven't consumed--and part of that comes with maturity, I used to do things like that and still have to catch myself doing it at times, but damn some of these people are big ages and acting like they can talk about books they haven't read in an informed capacity) would know that it's also VERY different from the others.

The average Bridgerton book, imo, is very romcom-ish. Several of them rely heavily on the Ton or how a character relates to high society. They are chatty, fast-paced, often pull in other members of the family, and tend more towards those romcom vibes than historical accuracy. (None of these things are why I don't love most of the books; I think that a lot of them have structural and character development issues that have absolutely nothing to do with the tone of the books.) WHWW is a book that begins with a character being in big turmoil because he loves not only his cousin's wife, but his best friend's wife, and knows he will NEVER do anything about it. John dies. Then we have a massive grief tailspin for both Michael and Francesca, a SIZABLE time jump (4 or 6 years) and a return that begins as them rebuilding a friendship before he realizes she wants to remarry, she realizes she wants to fuck him, they do in fact have sex on the floor, and this sort of situationship begins. It's more sexual than a lot of the other Bton books (still not that sexual but more sexual lol) and it's a lot more... emotionally conflicted. It also in large part takes place away from the Ton and the family, though Colin (who is much better in the books, it's true) does have a "You go find my sister and get her" moment which I personally found hilarious. Show!Colin wouldn't dream of being like "GOT GET HER MAN!!!" to some guy who is very clearly just gonna like. Bang Colin's sister. A lot.

Like, I'm not saying WHWW is in my top romance novels. It definitely isn't. But it is imo a solid romance novel and the best one I've read by JQ. However, that's just my opinion. What isn't my opinion is that Fran and John were in love, for example. That's a fact. People who read the book know that, but we've got a lot of people who haven't read the book saying otherwise.

But yeah lol, to me regardless of what you think of the books... This idea that the show empirically elevated them is ridiculous to me. The books have many flaws. The show also chose to keep things like Daphne raping Simon; the show added in things like a Black unwed mother having her secret outed and being vilified by the "heroine" of the series, with zero consequences for said heroine; the show adds in things like "one of them loved one of US" and doesn't truly colorblind cast, but also doesn't want to deal with the implications of that (where is the British Empire in the Bridgerton show, then? How does India relate to that? Is Anthony Bridgerton going on an Indian babymoon just like... okay....? I wouldn't ask about any of this if the show just colorblind cast everyone, but it didn't, so); despite all of that, the show also chose to write a homophobic world.

And you can love that show! You really can. But acting as if the books are All Problems and the show All Perfect is kind of just... completely off balance and binary, to me. They're very separate entities at this point with (often) very separate problems. And as is the case with most adaptations, there are things the show did better and there are things the books did better.

I really wish that people could learn how to say "I love this thing, and I love that this thing did That Thing. I think That Thing is important. But that doesn't mean it's perfect, and this thing can still be critiqued".

Half my favorite books are old as balls and have problematic content. WHWW has problematic content. I can say that I appreciate what is good about those books without casting aside the things that aren't good.

I will say this as one last point about WHWW--anecdotally speaking, most of the romance readers I talk to actually don't like the Bton books that much. That's not to dog out the books, that's me reporting their tastes to say--the books they do like are either TVWLM, WHWW, or both. So I do think that people often say "WHWW is the best" because it is the "If you don't like Bridgerton, this is the Bridgerton book you will like" for romance readers, and has been since before the show began. That book's audience is often non Bridgerton-liking romance readers.

[dentpx]

Lots and lots and lots of white knight thoughts below the cut. I anticipated hating it a lot more, but it wasn't all that amazing either. but I have been lent the second TPB so I will be continuing to read it, and I haven't read a TPB in a while so i have a lot of opinions.

Stuff I liked (with some things I didn't like): 1. The art is just beautiful. I love the way Sean Murphy does crosshatching and eyes and shading, I love his use of colors. I've been saying it but I loved the designs, and especially especially the Joker design. There's a lot of splash art of Joker at like...Batman shrines, essentially praying, that I found really beautiful. 2. I really liked the interpretation of the Joker as a Batman "fanboy" and someone who is pushing him to be "better" rather than trying to establish superiority over him. I like the idea of Joker trying to take the city to give it back as a sign of affection. of course, that being said, I wish they had been more explicitly queer about it - the fact that the volume ends with the Joker/Harley wedding as attended by Batman is stupid. I also think there's an issue with whether or not the Joker is evil - I made a post about how WK Joker had never been charged with anything more than armed robbery, and we learn that he didn't kill Jason (though he might have if not for Harley). We hear from Harley that he was a bad boyfriend, but then we also hear from copycat-Harley that he never assaulted her or otherwise abused her. So what exactly has he done? Why IS he so bad? WK needs to walk the morality line so we can accept Jack as a redeemable protagonist while also needing Joker to be SO evil that we struggle with it...but Joker seems like he wasn't even that bad in the first place. 3. I like the reworking of Jason and Dick to have Jason be the first Robin. i think it adds another layer of drama to the family unit, and does a lot of work to explain why Bruce is so fucked up in WKverse. i like that, for a minute, it's ambiguous whether or not Jason died, and PART of me likes that he didn't die and instead chose to disappear. however, i think he's a little too young of a character to have actually made the choice to go missing. 4. I actually do like a lot of the politics stuff. I mean, a lot of it is very bad-faith "if Batman good, why property damage?" stuff that you see on Twitter daily, but the comic actually engages with the critique and examines how that would function in-universe rather than just parroting it and calling it a day. I think the Joker's rise to power is kind of feasible with some of the talking points he had. I think where it falls short is there's too many buzzwords and they don't go far enough sometimes. Stuff I have mixed feelings on: 1. Two Harleys. This is okay - this is actually kind of cool. Harley as a character has been like...plaguing DC writers for years now, nobody quite knows what to do with her because she's been REALLY different in various incarnations, to the point where now a lot of comic canon spends time commenting on how Harley doesn't really have a consistent character. Whether or not that's true is anyone's guess...to be real, a lot of it is misogyny in my opinion, because EVERY comics character is very different each time they get written, but you don't see people agonizing like this over the Riddler. Anyway, Murphy's solution is that Classic Harley is actual Harley and New, Sexy Harley is replacement Harley.

Classic Harley is alright. I don't buy that she could have manufactured the mystery magical mental illness cure pills for Joker, but those pills are a stretch in the first place. I also don't buy that she "really" fell in love with Jack, and not the Joker - I think that's a pretty simplistic version of the character, I think it's more interesting for her to be obsessed with Joker despite the toxicity of the relationship. I think they went a little too "empowered girlboss" and ironically ended up erasing a lot of her character.

Replacement Harley ended up actually being FAR more interesting to me (though I do think it's funny she even exists) because she is, if anything, a reworking of a Harley origin in feeling "saved" by the Joker. I do think the Neo-Joker thing is kind of bullshit though. She should just be trying to claim the Harley Quinn title.

2. Bruce Wayne. WK randomly has some of the best Bruce characterization fucking ever - the relationship with Alfred is good, him paying for city damage out of pocket is good, the bit where Neo-Joker robs his house and he's like "good heavens no!!!" in the bathrobe is amazing. I love when he goes to the socialite party and gets so so mad at the other socialites. I don't think everything is cohesive, though. WK needs Batman to be at his ABSOLUTE lowest in order for the story to make sense, and I don't think that Alfred dying is quite enough to explain the shift to brutality that we see Batman take. I also don't understand how Bruce didn't know that other 1%ers were profiting off of crime if HE'S been the one losing money on it - literally directly taking the hit to protect the city.

Stuff I didn't like: 1. Jack Napier, as a character, is just some random guy. nothing about his behavior makes sense as "guy who used to be the Joker", he's just like, super well-adjusted and way too intelligent for the sake of the plot. I think the story would be a lot more interesting if he was just a little weirder. There are a lot of moments, particularly in the later issues, where I think the implication is supposed to be that Joker is masquerading as Jack...that is interesting to me and I'd like more of that. 2. the pacing was ABYMSMAL and I think because the story is about power dynamics SHIFTING OVER TIME, pacing is a MUST. i should FEEL how much time is passing. 3. mind-controlled rogues gallery as props for Joker and Neo-Joker SUCKS and I hate it and it's lameeee. the rogues gallery doesn't even factor in that much to the story, they honestly don't even need to be here if they're just going to stand around blankly. 4. I don't think the writing about class or race is particularly well-thought out or....good......I am willing to suspend some disbelief to accept a world where the Joker could somehow become a left-wing socialist icon, but then it doesn't actually make sense with the politics he's propping up. namely the Gotham Super Police (which in itself is very stupid). and the writing about race is honestly even worse, you get the sense that they just threw in some dialogue because they realized it was weird to not acknowledge race but also they didn't really want to acknowledge it. I also don't know why we're making Duke Thomas a random street militia guy. Why is that Duke? are we just calling this guy Duke because Duke is one of the only black men in Batman comics from the past decade? nothing about Duke in WK has anything to do with Duke as a character, they should just...have him be someone else.

5. the whole ending goes completely off the rails. WK bills itself as a grounded, social story about political upheaval in Gotham, and then halfway through turns into an all-out brawl with death lasers and frozen cities. that just sucks, I'm sorry.

[mister-writes]

I was just thinking this week about how much I love and am grateful for the writing group I have (and how they differ from other writing groups I've had haha) so I thought I'd write some things I've noticed about them. Hopefully this will be helpful for someone who is either looking for a writing group, or someone who is *in* a writing group that they aren't quite sure about!

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A WRITING GROUP:

Look for people who read what you write, and people who write what you read. As a fantasy writer who has little to no experience in romance (writing or in real life), I wouldn't be able to provide genre-appropriate critiques for someone who was writing a solid romance novel. In the same vein, someone who enjoys mostly historical fiction might struggle reading 5000 words of fantasy drivel. You want to be able to enjoy reading what people share in your writing group, and you want to be sure they have experience in critiquing your type of writing.

Look for people who can provide specific praise for your book as well as specific critiques. First of all, getting only negative feedback is NOT fun. Secondly, and maybe more important, you're not going to know what to *keep* doing if someone doesn't point it out. Getting a vague "it was good" from your group doesn't really guide you going forward. Getting "I love the descriptions you added for the setting" DOES give you some important things to consider as you continue writing.

Look for people who are honest and specific in their critiques. It's no use to you or anyone if they don't tell you what they really think. Hearing a bland "it was good" or "Idk, I didn't really vibe with it" aren't helpful in any way. I've been in groups where people are so "nice" that they don't give more than gentle, general critiques when a more thorough read would be more beneficial. BUT critiques should also be something that you can act on, too- someone saying "I don't like middle grade fantasies, so you should change it" isn't helpful for someone that is writing a middle grade fantasy.

Look for people who can adapt their critiques as needed. More than once, a person in my writing group has come out of a slump and submitted a chapter with a note that hey, they're not feeling super motivated right now, could we please go gentle on the negative feedback? And so far my group has ALWAYS risen to the challenge, heaping up the praise and motivation while keeping revisions to a minimum. On top of that, they critique each other at the level that they're at; the person that just started writing a year ago isn't going to get the same type of critiques as the person that writes some of the most evocative prose I've ever seen. Feedback should push you to improve, but it shouldn't be something way above your level.

Look for a group that isn't afraid to disagree. Sometimes I disagree with a point of critique that someone else brings up on my work. Sometimes I disagree with a point someone brings up about another person's work. Whenever this happens, I can respectfully add my own point with the knowledge that the other person won't get defensive about it. Different opinions can exist on the same piece of work, and that's fine.

However, Look for people that won't push back against every piece of negative feedback they get. I think it's natural to get a little defensive about something you worked hard on. But a group is only effective if you learn to consider and integrate (or reject!) the feedback given to you. If people in the group feel the need to constantly argue or justify themselves, you won't have a productive session.

Look for people who share some of the same (major) values as you. This one didn't really come to light at first, but as I've gotten to know the group members better, it's nice to know that no one is going to freak out if one of our writers introduces an LGBT character.

And finally, Look for people you trust. One of the reasons I benefit so much from these critiques is that I respect my group members and trust their opinions on writing. I've been in other groups where I took literally everything they said to me with a grain of salt because I didn't actually trust their opinions.

I hope this is at least moderately helpful to someone, because getting into a writing group is probably the only reason I'm writing so consistently today.

Happy writing everyone!

[moemoemammon]

If it’s not too much trouble could you do the chef mc hcs with the date-ables as well? I really enjoyed those personally as well as all your writing🥰

MC is an Amazing Cook!: 2

(Feat. GN!MC and the Dateables)

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

Diavolo

As the Prince of the Devildom, Diavolo has a royal palate that's sampled the finest cuisines his home has to offer. That being said there's not a whole lot of food that can amaze him

However, you somehow manage to combine the delicacies of human cooking into Devildom comfort food that has the young lord on cloud nine.

How did you even DO that??? Diavolo thought only Barbatos would be capable of making his favorite dishes, yet you're giving him dozens more to add to the list! Would it be an insult to his butler to ask him to learn from you? 🤔

The spoiled prince often requests that you come over for lunch! Specifically, he’d like to eat your cooking! But only if it's alright with you! He’d hate to be a burden... (as if most people can say no to the DEMON PRINCE).

"I wonder if it would be an abuse of my power to enter you into his year's annual Hell's Cooking competition..? Though I'll be one of the judges and there's no way I could fairly judge anyone else. Hm...."

Barbatos

Upon hearing Diavolo's endless praise of your cooking, Barb took it upon himself to taste it for himself. And the result was... well...

He's starting to wonder if you have some sort of demon taking culinary magic. How in the world are you perfectly catering to the tastes of everyone you meet??

From the spice choices to the way you can roast a chunk of meat to sizzling perfection, Barbatos can't help but be amazed about everything you do. He knew humans were interesting, but you're really something.

That said, he's determined to have you over as often as he can. Maybe he's a little excited to have someone over who can match his skills in the kitchen, and understands his more "adult" jokes... (sorry Luke✌️)

"Why don't you come over tomorrow afternoon after your classes? I'll have tea prepared, and you and I can exchange recipes. I would love to add human dishes to the Young Lord's meal plan. And... I'd like to spend more time with you."

Solomon

Solomon's heard the fuss about your cooking (and he's noticed how energetic the brothers are lately), so he wanted to compare notes!

See, for some reason, he just can't seem to attract other people to his cooking! There's nothing wrong with it of course lies, but he wants his cooking to have a lasting impression! Maybe it's because Luke and Simeon must be used to Celestial Realm cooking...?

Ah, but he tried to imitate food from the other realms and it still doesn't have the same pizazz! MC, would you please critique his food? 🥺👉👈

...You're not gagging, right? That's a grimace of happiness, isn't it?

"I'm interested to know what sort of spells or enchanted ingredients you've used in your cooking. To think you could charm the Devildom's strongest demo- Huh? You didn't enchant anything? Perhaps I'll need to learn more..."

Simeon

MC, is there anything you can't do? From surviving at the House of Lamentation, creating pacts with all of the brothers, and somehow mastering the strange ingredients of the Devildom, you're almost scary!

It only took Simeon one bite of your food to really understand your skills, and why those brothers keep trying to make you cook dinner every night. Now he's tempted to ask for a meal or two himself. Though he’d hate to be selfish.

So Simeon decides to invite you on a picnic! You've both agreed to pack a few things for the trip and once you arrive and start eating, the angel shows a clear preference for what you've got.

Yeah... he doesn't even realize he's scarfing down the sweets you've made until you both reach for a cherry tart and your hands touch-

"Oh! Did you want the last one? I... realize I've been eating them all, ahaha... Forgive me. Can I repay you by offering you something...sweeter? And by that, I mean... that we could go to Madam Scream's! Hm? You look disappointed. Do you not want that?"

Luke

Huh?! Your food is so tasty that even those annoying brothers calmed down?! MC, you're amazing! Please teach him everything you know!

As soon as he heard about your food, he wanted to taste it for himself. And somehow, it nearly rivaled what he was used to in the Celestial Realm! Your food is buttery and savory, and melts in his mouth!

And when you tell him you also make pastries??? Michael might have some competition for Luke's idol if this keeps up.

From talking about cooking videos to exchanging baking tips, Luke wants to talk everything culinary with you! And you know, he could also teach you some classics from back home! Then you can wow everyone with it!

"Delicious, isn't it? When you whip the meringue up like this, and add a sprinkle of that, it turns into a cream as fluffy as a cloud! The cream puffs will be amazing, and- Wh-what are you grinning for?? Is there something on my face?"

[goddess-in-heaven-and-hell]

Something Wicked This Way Comes Pt. 1 - Gwynriel One Shot

We are baaack! This one-shot takes Gwyn and Azriel on their first mission together and will be all in all probably three parts long! Because I love anything witchy and this time of year I can’t stop myself, I’ve included witches in the ACOTAR world - but this is still centered around Gwynriel and their adventures.

I take prompts or ideas on how this story should progress, and also general requests.  

Warnings: allusions to sex, allusions to non-con sex - nothing explicit; smut probably in the next parts :) 

Word count: around 6k 

Gwyn POV

For the third time in ten minutes Gwyn found herself rummaging through her backpack, mentally checking every item she laid hands on off her list. Her bed roll was there, a cannister of water as well as bread and dried fruit, two changes of leathers, and, last but not least, her notebook. Why the priestess deemed it necessary to carry the extra weight of an empty notebook and pen would be incomprehensible to anyone but her. Nevertheless, it didn’t take up that much space, and when faced with such an incredible opportunity to gain knowledge, her little scholar’s heart couldn’t resist.

Her own body was warmly packed in her fighting leathers, auburn hair bound tightly in a braid. All in all, she carried three weapons on her: a dagger strapped to her thigh and one in her boot, and a sword that lay heavily in its sheath down her spine. She never felt more ready in her life.

That didn’t suppress the storm of butterflies currently running amok in her stomach though. Especially not when she spotted her assigned leader for this mission.

The Shadowsinger made to land on the balcony of the house of wind, himself clad in a similar style to Gwyn. However, where Gwyn’s face was the portrait of excitement and anticipation, Azriel has never looked more sour. It was even more surprising to Gwyn that she could read his emotions so clearly on his face. He landed almost soundlessly next to Gwyn, eyes running over her armor and her baggage in an assessing glance.

“Good morning, Shadowsinger.”

“Good morning Berdara.”, he reached for her backpack to lift it, assessing its weight. A little frown graced his eyebrows. “You know that we don’t stay for that long. Did you really just pack what is necessary?”

Gwyn bristled, “Yes, I did. Are you worried I won’t be able to carry it?”

“No, I trained you. I know you can carry it.”, his eyes softened a bit, realizing that his comments sounded like critique. Within the first two minutes of being her leader on a mission. “It just seems heavy for the ground we have to cover within the next days.”

His expression became slightly more amused as he added, “You didn’t bring a novel with you, did you?”

Gwyn stared at him in shock. “What do you think I see this mission as? A little holiday? Of course, I didn’t bring a novel.” She didn’t add that she had thought about it, but the empty notebook seemed like a better idea. Gwyn made another mental note, namely, that she would never, under any circumstances, let him see the inside of her backpack, or she’d never hear the end of it.

Azriel just nodded his head solemnly. “Forgive me, I didn’t mean to question your dedication.”

“Apology accepted, Shadowsinger.”

Mentioned Shadowsinger offered her a slight smile, but it seemed too forced to really assure Gwyn. Every fiber in his body looked tense, as if he was preparing to fly into a war instead of a spying mission that promised little to no altercations. That, in turn, made Gwyn nervous.

“Is everything alright? Did we have a change of plan?”, Gwyn crossed her arms in front of her body. She wanted to appear professional for this, especially since she was the only Valkyrie appointed for the mission. Nesta and Emerie were offered another task which took them to the human lands. Gwyn was hesitant at first, going on her first ever mission without her sisters seemed like an awful idea. But when she heard who’d lead said mission, her worries calmed immediately. Something about Azriel just made her feel save.

Azriel began fumbling with his hands, before noticing his outward sign of nervousness and hiding them behind his back. “Well, not necessarily a change of plan.”

He glanced at her, breathing out. “You already know that you’ll be part of a bigger scouting group. I was under the impression that I could choose some of my spies to come with us. Cassian just informed me this morning that none of my spies will be there.”

Gwyn really tried to keep the happiness out of her face. On a mission alone, with Azriel? It seemed like something simultaneously frightening and fantastic.

“We will be meeting three other fighters at the border of the Night court. Three Illyrians, to be exact.”

Oh Mother.

Azriel flinched at what he could read off Gwyn’s expression.

“I know this isn’t what you agreed to do. This also isn’t what I would have done. But since we try to form an alliance, the Illyrians insisted on sending their own representatives in fear of us turning our new potential allies against them.”

Gwyn gulped. This really wasn’t what she expected.

She heard from Emerie how incredibly backward the whole Illyrian race was, with the exception of Cassian and Azriel of course. They’d be picking on her throughout the whole mission, especially because she did what only a handful of their own managed to achieve. She was a Carynthian.

She was a Carynthian. She faced worse horrors in her life that three warriors, especially when Azriel would lead the group. Gwyn straightened her back, rolled her shoulders slightly and raised her chin. “So be it.”

Azriel flashed her a worried glance before nodding again. “They’ll try to throw you off. Make it seem like your win in the Blood Rite was due to luck. Try to not let it get to you. Remember your worth, and if worse comes to worse, I’ll stand between them and you, okay?”

“I can manage.”, Gwyn said levelly. The last thing she needed now was Azriel playing mother hen. Because if the Illyrians caught his protectiveness of her, she’d lose even the last ounce of respect they might have for her.

Azriel went into the house then to grab his own bag of things, significantly smaller that what Gwyn was carrying, before he first flew and then winnowed them both to the meeting point right at the border of the Night court.

Their mission was a simple one, really. They just needed to scout the nearly impenetrable woodland south of the border, not die from the ancient beasts that called it their home and find a species of supernatural beings that hadn’t been found in the last few hundred centuries to talk them into allying with them against Koschei. The witches that are rumored to occupy the woods also didn’t want to be found. But that’s exactly what hopefully is going to happen.

Gwyn mused why the Illyrians would voluntarily send some of their own into witch territory, given their innate hatred towards matriarchal groups. What would happen if they indeed found them? Gwyn’s fear of the three strange men instantly vanished when she thought about their goal.

None of the books in the library has even a slither of information on the witch covens that are scattered among the wild woods. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, not only for Gwyn, but also for the scholarship of the library.

If they managed to find a coven, and if they proved to be friendly.

As soon as Azriel’s shadows vanished from Gwyn’s sight, she heard the first taunting drawl of a deep voice.

“What the fuck is her business here?”

Three huge Illyrian males towered before her, even though Gwyn wasn’t exactly short for a female fae. All wore the same leathers, armed to the teeth with various different weapons, and all stared her down as if she was a fly in their lunch stew.

She straightened herself and threw them the closest thing to a Nesta-like stare she could muster. “I was appointed on this mission by my High Lord, as a representative of the Valkyrie. My name is Gwyn.”

The one on the left only snorted, immediately ignoring her reasons and searching Azriel’s gaze. “Is this supposed to be a joke? If it is, I don’t find it funny, commander.”

The word commander was laced with venom. Azriel didn’t respond at first, but his Shadows curled over his shoulder towards the males, as if to examine them. The Illyrians immediately took a step back, wariness written among their faces.

Gwyn wondered why everyone seemed to have such an extreme, negative reaction to the shadows. Sure, they were a mystery to everyone and gave Azriel a huge amount of power, but when unprovoked, they didn’t do harm. But she guessed that the group would have a negative attitude towards anything.

Azriel turned slightly towards Gwyn, and for a split second she worried that he would argue for her, but he only said. “Gwyn, these are Jarek, Alvey and Oscar. They were all participants during the last Blood Rite. Aktorsian, if I remember correctly?”

The three warriors looked livid, which was response enough. Azriel of course knew exactly what title they managed to achieve, that they made it through the rite, but didn’t come close to Ramiel. It was the most subtle way of encouraging Gwyn to stand her ground, while at the same time knocking the males’ attitude down a notch.

Ignoring the males, Azriel went on, his face a creepy mask of indifference. Gwyn had only seen him in his official role as Shadowsinger and spymaster once before, but back then she didn’t really notice the authority that laced every word. The unyielding command and dominance in them. “The plan is the following: we march south for a day or two, set camp then and use it as a base to scout the surrounding area for another couple of days. We can’t fly, since the trees are too dense to land properly.”

“We’ll take turns in who leads the group and who’ll be last. When we set camp for the night, I’ll appoint hunting and guarding duties. Questions?”

One of the males, Oscar, opened his mouth, eyes trailing over Gwyn, but Azriel cut him off before a sound made it out. “Questions concerning the plan, not the participants. Don’t waste my time with your whining.”

Oscar closed his mouth and threw Gwyn a hateful gaze instead. Azriel nodded then, motioning the group to start their mission. Gwyn’s very first mission, which led her outside of the Night court and into a potential groundbreaking alliance for the upcoming war.

 Azriel POV

Azriel didn’t know what to think and the constant chatter of his Shadows didn’t help him one bit. He was worried, he was wary, but also undeniably happy to spend the next few days with Gwyneth. Azriel couldn’t exactly tell what made him so happy about that, but the more he pondered over it, the more inappropriate and scarier his thoughts got.

The last thing Gwyn needed on this cursed mission was a lovesick Illyrian bastard pining after her.

The movement helped though. His group wandered through the woodland for hours and hours, only stopping every now and then to drink a sip of water before continuing. He drove them to hike at a demanding pace, he knew that. But they needed to find some kind of cave before the sun set, or otherwise face the freezing air without shelter.  

Almost religiously, Azriel’s attention wandered from their trail, to his Shadows, to Gwyn, only to start again. He wasn’t worried about her. The woman was a Carynthian, after all. But he couldn’t help watching her. She exuded such a good-spirited and curious attitude, that it was almost hard for Azriel to fight the smile that crept onto his face.

After another hour of wandering, which left them all slightly sweaty even in the chill air and shadowed woods, they reached the foot of a small mountain. They began their hike, which wasn’t an easy feat after the time spent carrying all their weapons and baggage.

If he was being honest, Gwyn seemed to be the least affected by it, himself and the Illyrians panting slightly with each step. He wondered if he spent too much time training the priestesses, and too little training for himself.

Oscar and Jarek made the front of their scouting team, finding paths and eliminating anything that hindered their progress. Gwyn followed after them, Azriel and Alvey securing the back.

He didn’t like that order one bit, especially after his Shadows informed him where Alvey’s eyes were glued to during their ascent.

He wondered if Gwyn noticed that slightly aroused scent that emanated off the Illyrian while he looked at her backside, and if Azriel could shove the male off a cliff without making it seem like intentional murder.

This was typical, ignorant behavior. First throwing insults at a female, then doing a full 180 towards inappropriate advances. The Illyrian way of flirting.

It was Gwyn, who, after what seemed like hours of hiking that left Azriel’s thighs burning, pointed to a cave entrance that seemed promising. Oscar scoffed, clearly annoyed that Gwyn of all people was first to prove herself helpful, but climbed up towards it anyways. After he gave his okay, the whole group gathered at its entrance. The sun almost set, which left them with a good hour to build a fire, hunt, gather more water and scout the surroundings for any wild animal that didn’t like its new neighbors. Azriel immediately appointed everyone to their task.

That he and Gwyn would be left to secure the cave and the fire while the others went further into the mountain was absolutely unintentional.

“How do you find your first mission so far priestess?”, Azriel asked in a conversational tone as Gwyn kindled the fire. He himself kept a healthy distance.

Gwyn responded in a heartbeat. “It is so exciting!”, her cheeks had a pretty blush of pink to them, teal eyes glistening at him. “These woods seem so different from the Night court. Wilder, somehow. Like even the mother left this place to let it thrive on its own. Did you see the lizard we passed? It was the brightest shade of blue I’ve ever seen. I need to look up the name of it when we return.”

Azriel smiled at her, not even remembering why he was so pissed during the beginning of their journey. With Gwyn, somehow, nothing seemed bad.

“You do that.”

Gwyn had successfully started the fire, the flames dancing merrily in their newly found freedom. She surveyed the camp, which was laid out perfectly, and then turned to Azriel. “Should we look around a bit? Maybe gather some more wood?”

Azriel nodded and stood, even though his Shadows had declared the area around the cave safe a few minutes ago.

The both of them wandered around a bit, picking up some more wood as they went. Gwyn giggled softly to herself when she noticed that Azriel’s shadows were able to carry the wood for her, letting it disappear in their own mysterious way. She was even more amused when she noticed that they left Azriel to carry his stack on his own.

His shadows grew more and more playful with her, and Azriel noticed with a start that he didn’t like that. Jealous of his own damn Shadows, for the love of the Mother. They were a part of him, but still managed to approach Gwyn in a more friendly and easy way than he was able to.

There was also less of a chance that they embarrassed themselves in front of her, since they didn’t talk.

After rounding a corner, now again a little lower on the mountain, Azriel heard the rush of water. He turned to Gwyn, who had already picked up on it, her smile widening even further.

“A waterfall?”

“Possibly.”

And indeed. Nestled into the harsh cliffs was a modest waterfall that flowed into a rocky lake before continuing to trail down the mountain.

“This is magnificent.”, Gwyn made her way towards the shore to try the temperature of the water, “Its pretty, an opportunity to wash and for us to stock up on water.” She grimaced a little when her hand met said water. “A little cold, though.”

The both of them returned to camp, now met again with the three unwanted companions. Azriel had almost forgotten they existed; his thoughts so thoroughly occupied with Gwyn.

 The group ate at sundown. It was more than awkward.

The three Illyrians didn’t speak much, probably not wanting Gwyn to hear what they have to say. Not that it would be anything of note. Gwyn seemed a little more on edge too, since the males undivided attention was on her. Azriel did his best to throw metaphorical daggers their way. If they made only one comment, let alone think about touching or hurting her somehow, these daggers wouldn’t remain metaphorical much longer.  

“Gwyn and I found a waterfall and lake nearby. Just a few minutes’ walk.”, he informed his team out of necessity. Sweaty Illyrians, he knew from experience, weren’t something to be tolerate for more than a day.

It was Jarek who answered, “Good. I’ll go to wash first.”

Azriel thought for a second that this was progress, a hint of a civil conversation, when the jerk added: “Gwynie can come keep me company. I’m much too tired to wash myself.”

He and his friends began snickering, throwing Gwyn glances of amusement, but also heat. As much as they hated her for being a female and a warrior, they still couldn’t help their instincts. Azriel loathed them with a passion.

Gwyn was so visibly uncomfortable it hurt his soul. His shadows snaked their way towards her, grazing her shoulder unnoticed to the Illyrians in a weak attempt to comfort her. She still leveled her attention towards Jarek. “If a day’s worth of hiking is too much for you, then I’m glad you didn’t make it to Ramiel. You would have needed assistance for weeks after.”

That wiped the smirk right off his face. Azriel snorted a laugh.

“As if you bitch made it to Ramiel on your own. As if you could achieve anything without a male assisting you. That’s why you’re on this mission, aren’t you?”, Jarek jerked his chin towards Azriel, “You two fuck.”

This was worse than anything Azriel had anticipated. Telling Gwyn she was unworthy of her title – that much he expected. But insinuating her achievements were because of her acquaintance with him was another low.

Gwyn’s eyes narrowed. She also started blushing profusely, but the night hid her reaction from the males for the most part.

“I am on this mission because I am a capable warrior. I made it to the top of Ramiel with the help of my two friends, both of them female as well. You might have heard: Emerie made it a Carynthian, Nesta an Ostrian. Speak to me again about deserving to be on a mission when you can match that title.”

The males scoffed, but didn’t return another hateful comment as Azriel interjected. “Jarek, go wash. Take your friends with you, its dark and some beasts might be awake already.”

They stared at him. So he repeated, his voice sounding like steel. “Go.”

They left, talking some soap with them and muttering under their breaths what was surely a glowing review of his leadership qualities.

As soon as they were out of sight, Gwyn slumped in on herself, hiding her face beneath her hands. She breathed loudly, steadily, and Azriel noticed with sorrow that she used the mind-stilling techniques of the Valkyrie to deal with this situation.

Azriel was overcome with disappointment and regret. This should have been the perfect first mission for her, should have made her more confident in visiting foreign places, in her abilities. Instead, she had to listen to the constant insults of three Illyrians, without another female here to vent to. Azriel didn’t know if she’d be comfortable enough sharing her sorrow with him.

After a few minutes, Gwyn moved again, locking sight with Azriel. “They really had to go there, didn’t they?”, she smiled weakly, but Azriel applauded her internally that she was able to handle this so well.

He nodded. “If there is anything you want me to do about it, all you have to do is ask.”

Now it was her turn to nod.

“I know. But I’d rather manage this on my own. It’s enough that they think I was appointed on this mission because … you know.”

“Berdara, let me tell you this much: you are an incredible warrior. Don’t think for a second that Rhys sent you here because of your friendship with Nesta, or Cassian, or me.”

Gwyn smiled timidly. “You consider yourself my friend?”

Yes. No. More. “I do.”

She reached for his hand and it took everything in him to not yank that despicable thing away from her. Her own hands felt cold, but incredibly soft as she laced her fingers with his and squeezed reassuringly. “I do too.”

Now he felt even more ashamed. He was so happy Gwyn considered him a friend, but equally unhappy that there would never be more between them.

He flashed her a small smile. “You’re cold.”

Azriel brought his other hand towards their already intertwined ones to fully enclose Gwyn’s, the tangle of digits finding a resting place on Gwyn’s knee.

And she didn’t try to pull away.

 Gwyn POV

It felt so right. To sit here with him, by the fire, and hold his hand. His steady and calm presence was enough to put her at peace again. Her thumb traced the side of one of his hands, feeling the highs and lows of the scar tissue that snaked all across his skin. She hoped she didn’t overstep. As confident as Azriel is, he made a point in not touching people unnecessarily. But he considered her a friend.

Gwyn’s heart painfully contracted at the thought. She was glad he deemed her worthy of his friendship, but also wondered if he’d ever consider seeing her as more than that. She certainly was head over heels for the Shadowsinger.

They sat there for what felt like hours, staring into the fire, hearing the woods come to life around them, and holding onto each other. Only when the noises of animals and plants were interrupted by laughter and chattering, Gwyn was pulled back into reality. She quickly pulled her hand from underneath Azriel’s as the three Illyrians approached. The last thing they needed to witness was Gwyn’s closeness to Azriel.

The Shadowsinger beside her also straightened were he sat on the ground. Like he too was reminded of the reality they were in and the need to put on his guard.

It was Oscar who passed the pair in way too close proximity to Gwyn, saying, “Waterfall’s all free to use. If you two want to get it on, do it there. I don’t want to hear any sex noises tonight.”

Gwyn expected herself to be more flustered at the words, but her body’s reaction never came. That certainly was an improvement from before, when her skin practically caught flame at the insinuation that Azriel and her were intimate.  Not only because she didn’t want to hear such things coming from three intimidating males, but also because their words weren’t far off from Gwyn’s own fantasies.

At least when it came to the Shadowsinger.

“I guess it’s my turn then.”, she announced, grabbing a few utensils to wash with and her canister to refill. Just as she was about to enter the trail leading to the waterfall, she heard shuffling footsteps behind her. A warm, calloused hand grabbed for her arm. Turning around, her eyes were met with Azriel.

“I should come with you.”

Gwyn’s heart might actually have stopped for a beat. He couldn’t be serious.

Azriel cleared his throat. “I should keep watch. In case our companions get ideas.”

Gwyn’s eyes travelled, only to find two of them standing near the fire and smirking at what they undoubtedly thought was Azriel inviting himself to Gwyn’s shower.

Azriel continued, “I would obviously turn away, but I’d be there just in case. If you are comfortable with that.”

Gwyn’s mind raced. If Azriel followed her, the Illyrians would have their ‘confirmation’ – they’d undoubtedly think Gwyn was only here because of Az. But on the other hand, she really didn’t feel like going into the woods alone. She was trained, of course, but against three males all at once, she doubted she’d have the upper hand.

Azriel still stood before her, waiting patiently for an answer.

“That seems like a reasonable idea.”

She turned and was on her way before she could read Azriel’s expression. He probably already regretted taking her on this mission when all he had to do for the last hours was to play babysitter for her and her anxiety. Despite her not wanting him to fight her battles, Gwyn had noticed how his eyes trailed over her every now and then, how his Shadows were sent to comfort her. He thought she was a nervous wreck, and his offer to keep watch now was just another confirmation of that.

They reached the waterfall. It was nearly completely dark by now, only the very last tendrils of light gracing the horizon.

Azriel stopped by the edge of the lake, flashing her another reassuring smile before turning and sitting down. Only now Gwyn realized, that she’d be completely naked within a few meters of the Shadowsinger in a moment. The thought excited her more that she’d wanted to acknowledge.

Gwyn stripped bare. Her sweaty leathers were put to the side, her hair pined up to not get wet. She couldn’t help casting nervous glances at Azriel’s back from time to time. She knew he wouldn’t betray her trust, but wondered if she wanted him to.

Any sexual thought was quickly buried however, as soon as her legs carried her under the stream of water.

She shrieked so loudly, any animal in closer proximity was probably on alert now.

Azriel only laughed from his watching place near her.

“What is so funny, Shadowsinger?”, Gwyn called out to him, grinning herself. The water wasn’t that cold; it just took her by surprise.

“The fact that for all the time we needed to secure the area around the cave, making sure no beast loomed in a corner, we simply could have let you shower to scare them away.”, his amusement was still clear in his voice. “If we’re lucky, you might have scared the three assholes away, too.”

Gwyn spread some soap on her hands while answering. “Or they think something killed me off. In that case, they are probably celebrating as we speak.”

Azriel scoffed out a breath, before his head fell forward, exposing his neck and the tendrils of black ink peeking from the seam of his armor. Gwyn wished she could trace the intricate tattoos with her finger.

They both fell silent again. Gwyn rinsed off the soap before stepping out of the stream. Then she realized.

She didn’t bring a towel. Or any sort if fabric to dry herself with.

“Uh, Azriel. I’ve encountered a problem.”

“Do you?”

“I kind of forgot to bring a towel.”

Silence. Then he spoke again, another laugh barely contained. “Your backpack weights about the same as you, and you didn’t even bring a towel?”

Gwyn’s eyes narrowed. “It’s not funny one bit! How am I supposed to dry now. If I just wait until I dry, I’ll freeze to death.”

“You could always try to roll around in some grass.”

Gwyn couldn’t help laughing now. She’d never heard him joke this much. It made him all the more endearing.

“I have an idea.”, he finally shared through his amusement, “I can send my shadows to get my cloak. Its not a towel exactly, but better than trying to get into your leathers again.”

Gwyn signed in relief. “That would be brilliant.”

The Shadows didn’t need to be told twice, already on their way to camp. Maybe they could scare the Illyrians a little while they are at it.

After just a few seconds, the wall of black returned, dropping a cozy looking black coat in front of Gwyn, and some more bathing utensils in front of their master.

Gwyn wrapped herself in the soft fabric. It smelled like Azriel and Gwyn thanked the Mother for making her forget the stupid towel. Completely encompassed in the cloak, Gwyn grabbed her stuff and went towards Az.

“All good.”, she declared.

When he looked at her, rising from his seated position at the lake, the smile that graced his lips quickly subsided.

“What?” Gwyn quickly scanned her body, fearing that she just flashed him.

Azriel only shook his head, murmuring something noncommittal as he passed her. Gwyn turned towards him, a little confused at his sudden change of mood. But before she could open her mouth again to pry him for a better answer, she witnessed how the Shadowsinger yanked his shirt over his head, stripping bare before her.

 Azriel POV

He felt her eyes stare at his back, right where his wings met the tan expanse of skin.

“Something wrong?”, he asked, just slightly on edge. He thought Gwyn was just going to dry herself using the cloak, and not wear the damn thing.

Gwyn blushed a pretty shade of pink, before quickly turning and mimicking his seating position from before.

“I just didn’t think that you’d wash too.”, she called over her shoulder.

Azriel stayed with his back to hers and prayed to the Mother and any deity that might hear him that Gwyn stayed turned too. They would never recover from what she might see if she glanced at the wrong moment.

The second Azriel saw Gwyn wrapped in his cloak, his instincts ran amok. It didn’t help that she was completely naked underneath it, looking like she just stumbled out of his bed. His scent would be all over her now, claiming her, just as her scent would remain on his cloak. He wondered with how many days of not washing it he would get away with. He was going to hell for this.

The undeniable, massive effect this whole disaster had on him better remained hidden. Especially from Gwyn.

He quickly showered, thankful for the icy cold that took care of his problem and hopefully masked a good chunk of his arousal as well. His Shadows would deal with the rest.

Gwyn remained seated, barely moving. There was a little bit of tension radiating off her, and Azriel realized with a start that he just started stripping with her nearby, without even asking her if she was alright.

He finished, patted himself dry with his old clothing before stepping into a new set.

“Gwyneth?”, he asked quietly.

She turned her head, face still showing the signs of her embarrassment. “Yes?”

“I’m sorry for just showering without asking you first.”

Gwyn’s brows scrunched together. “Why would you have to ask me before you shower?”

“I didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.”

Gwyn laughed. Loudly, easily laughed at him. “Do you think you are such an intimidating sight that I can’t even stand to be within a few feet from you while you’re naked? While not even looking at you?”

Now it was his turn to be embarrassed. “Well, no, I –“

The Valkyrie cut him off by standing, her nose just barely level with his chin. If he concentrated, he might just be able to count every single freckle that splattered across her nose. Her tone interrupted his thoughts though. “Stop coddling me. I’ve never been afraid of you and that won’t change.”

“I- okay.”, he felt relieved that he didn’t just make her relive her trauma.

“And, while we’re at it.”, Gwyn’s hands found her hips. Azriel felt like he was 15 again, getting scolded by Rhys’ mother. “I also don’t appreciate the general coddling you have been doing throughout the mission. I noticed how you always watch me, how you send your shadows to comfort me. And while it is a nice sentiment, I have no need for it.”

She stared at him like she might expect him to argue. But he was way too astonished for that. “Of course, apologies.”

Gwyn just nodded, happy with herself.

They agreed for Gwyn to vanish in the thicket to slip into her clothing again, now dry thanks to his cloak, before making their way back to the camp.

Azriel was in a panicked inner dialogue with his shadows. If Gwyn blatantly caught him staring at her, it was a miracle she didn’t guess his feelings, that she dismissed it as worry. He clung to his cloak, now slightly wet, all of his senses surrounded by Gwyn’s scent. He needed to get a grip fast.

When they returned to camp, the three Illyrians were already wrapped in their bedrolls, waiting for their entrance.

“Look, they are already here! With that scream we heard, she must be a good fuck.”, one of them said. Azriel didn’t even bother making out the source of the voice.

“Jarek is on guarding duties first, then Oscar, then me, then Gwyn, lastly Alvey. Everybody got that?”

His team murmured their agreement.

Gwyn, meanwhile, had sneaked further into the cave, nearly swallowed by darkness. She set her bedroll and backpack there, a good distance from the Illyrians and their obnoxious stares. Azriel laid down in-between, but with enough space for Gwyn to hopefully not feel coddled.

His cloak, he decided, would make a nice pillow.

As night set around them and owls hooted into the void, the group slowly drifted off to sleep. Azriel, despite the less than comfortable ground, found himself incredibly relaxed. Which, according to his shadows, couldn’t be said for Gwyn.

“Azriel?”

A hiss slithered through the darkness, barely loud enough for him to hear.

“What?”, he hissed back.

When no answer came back, Azriel took his things and scooted closer to Gwyn. His shadows formed a wall between them and the rest of the team.

“Are you okay?”, he asked again, this time searching for her beautiful teal eyes in the dark.

Her head poked out of the blanket, eyes filled with concern.

“I just-“, she broke off, clearly unsure of what to say.

Azriel waited patiently.

“It is weird for me. To not sleep in the library. And to sleep so close to males.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I can move back again.”

“No!”, Gwyn said a little too loudly. She looked around for the other males who remained sleeping.

“Don’t worry, they won’t be able to hear us.”

Gwyn nodded, relaxing into her bedroll again. But Azriel still was none the wiser

“So, what do you want me to do?”, he asked her. Surely this counted as coddling, and he didn’t want to overstep yet again.

Gwyn signed. “Just stay here?”

Her voice was so small, so unsure that it nearly broke his heart.

“I will.” Then he did something that was astounding, even to him.

He reached out his arm across the cold stone floor, until his hand lay poised at the edge of Gwyn’s bedroll. Palm up. An invitation.

The Valkyrie smiled, her hand freeing itself from underneath her blanket. This time, it was her hand that warmed his as she intertwined their fingers. She pulled their hands closer, until they rested just before her face. He could even feel her breath.

His Shadows would wake him just before his guarding shift with enough time to scootch back again, giving the Illyrians the impression that they slept separately. But for now, during these delicate, intimate hours, he would cherish her closeness. Her trust in him. And he would watch over her.

[rainy-day-coffee]

Can I request what it would be like for Vil to have a public relationship with his S/O? Like would he brag about her or show her off on magicam? Would he smile when she's brought up in interviews? Would he go on rants on magicam live on how distasteful the people critiquing his S/O are?

Please and thank you! I love your writing! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Awe, thank you so much!! I’m glad you enjoy it!

I had a lot of fun with this request! Vil makes me very soft I swear-

I wrote a mini-scenario and added it under the cut as a bonus! I hope that’s alright and that you enjoy!

How a public relationship would go!

It took a long while before Vil was ready to announce your relationship to the public. He first wanted to make sure you two were stable. Additionally, he wanted to prepare you for what was to come from your relationship with him. That includes his fans giving you both love and hate, reporters asking you questions, being flocked by paparazzi, and attending important events.

When reporters ask about you, Vil never speaks more than he has to. He wants the privacy you two have to remain the way it is. However, he will always speak nothing but praises in your name! If you look closely, you may see a tiny smile painting his lips as he speaks.

On your anniversaries, he posts pictures of the two of you on his Magicam and adds a little romantic caption. On your birthdays he does the same! His followers flock on over to your account--if you have one--and send you a lot of love!

He will 100% not tolerate any slander directed towards you. He expects his fans to respect him as well as his significant other. Anyone who doesn’t can kindly leave. As such, he’ll politely ask these people to stop leaving nasty comments. His true fans support him on this! Some even graciously report whoever was being rude!

If the hate from his fans gets to be too strong, he will talk about it on a live stream and make a post about it on Magicam. He understands that he will lose some followers because of his relationship with you, but he could care less. You make him happy, and if people are not willing to understand he has met the love of his life, that’s their problem.

Speaking of live streams, he sometimes invites you to join him! He does your makeup, or you two do your skincare routines, or just answer questions from his fans. He knows it can be a little daunting to get in front of the camera at first, but he reassures you you’ll grow more comfortable as you continue!

At events, Vil does not leave your side if he can help it. He’ll keep his arm looped around yours, walking and supporting you through everything until you two are allowed to leave.

Great Seven, help him when the paparazzi strikes. Trying to remain calm and polite can become increasingly difficult when people can’t seem to take a hint. He guides you away from these people to the best of his abilities as quickly as he can.

“Dear, I brought you some tea!” 

You enter his room and make your way to his desk--where he’s sitting, holding a small tub of cream in his hand. Taking precaution to not spill any liquid, you keep your eyes on the tray in your hands, not noticing your lover’s surprised eyes following you. Vil clears his throat gently.

“Ah, thank you, lovely. But-”

You place the tray on an open space near his other beauty products, before leaning over and planting a kiss on the side of his head. “You’re welcome!” you chirp.

You move closer, wrapping your arms around his neck, smiling down on him. “What are you doing now?”

“Reviewing some products a new company sent me. You remember the one, right? I told you about it around a week ago.”

“I think so, yes. I think I liked their product wrapping.”

He chuckles, “Yes, that’s the one.” Placing down the cream, he motions to his left, “I’m reviewing them now on a live stream actually.”

You feel your blood run cold. Finally noticing his currently live streaming phone, you freeze. Did you really just boldly show affection to your boyfriend to about 120,000 people? Yes, you did. Seemingly thousands yet no thoughts seem to run through your mind. The blood rushes to your head, making you feel warm.

Before another second can pass, you quickly peel yourself off of him. You scramble out of the room as fast as your legs can take you. “I’m so sorry!” he hears you shriek as you shut the door.

A moment of silence passes. You’ve left both your lover and his chat in quite a daze.

Vil swallows thickly. He takes a deep breath and does his best to return to reviewing, all while the chat goes berserk with fans squealing.

Vil_Stan: WAS THAT Y/N?!?!?! SHE TREATS OUR QUEEN SO WELL WHAT

iwakeupeverydayandchooseviolence: *HEAVY BREATHING* SHE’S SO PRETTY, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL COUPLE 😭😭

ASimpleSimp: Vil-Kun!!! Tell Y/N we said hello!!!

sayswho: NO WAIT BRING HER BACK THAT WAS QUALITY SHIP MATERIAL

Donut_Supremacy: Y’all I think Vil is blushing👀 can’t tell for sure tho

He sighs, knowing it was useless to try and steer the chat away from the current topic. There isn’t a visible blush adorning his face at the moment, instead he feels the familiar butterflies fluttering about in his stomach. He’s been with you for so long now, yet he can’t help but feel this way regardless. He picks up the tea cup and takes a small sip. Humming in delight, he takes another.

If his followers keep begging for you to come back, he might just have to ask you to appear in next week’s live stream. He’s sure they’ll adore you.

[winns-stuff]

Hey !I read your "10 pm thoughts" and thought there would be something to add .Ya know it's funny, because when people critique the gender role of women being insanely short/curvey being extremely followed through with in lore olympus, or just the body inclusivity of the characters in general , fans tend to immediately start defending the comic by using athena ,hestia etc as an example, but there's something else that they can't seem to notice, and that's the fact that there is NOT a SINGLULAR ....SIGNIFICANT MALE CHARACTER (comedic one time stand-ins do not count,sorry) that isn't barrel-chested, 8 ft tall with a 600 pack and a jaw line that can cut through the koohinoor diamond,whilst the generally lacking body diversity amongst women can be backed up by a limited number of characters , the diversity for male characters is practically non existent.Where are all the short men? Lanky men?chonky men? Androgynous men? Bearded men?The characters may be gods and therefore expected to fit the "perfect specimen" BUT the artists and sculptors who depicted the gods did portray them differently , Look at apollo ! A queer god(whom rachel also made insanely stereotypically straight ) who's been depicted as feminine/androgynous multiple times!!!! I really wanna see rachel's model sheet reference,because I am CERTAIN she uses the guy from the gigachad meme .

Anyway,Hope life's been treating you well, would like to hear your opinions and take your time while responding:) byyee✌🏻❤

aaaahh!! one of my faves has arrived again <3 but thank you life has been treating me well, I hope it’s the same story for you! I have to agree with you though I hate that there’s no real representation for the guys in this webcomic, I’m tired of them all looking like they hit the gym 24/7 and they’re just copy pastes of each other. I’ve said this before but one thing I absolutely (used to I guess) love about Thanatos was his lanky frame, he stood out so much to me because no one really uses a lot of skinny men or at least the media I consume doesn’t include them at all! but as soon as season 2 came in and they changed him I was so disappointed, I hate that everyone is just fine with the men being changed into a certain way but not the women. can you imagine if someone made Hestia or Athena skinnier and curvier like Persephone?? everyone would be outraged (which is completely understandable cause I would to) but because it’s the guys there isn’t much care for it. after the next season and the seasons after that, all of the mens body types changed and I genuinely felt like it took part of their personality and something that made them so lovable in the first place, they were literally shells of themselves and that upset me greatly. but yeah, we need more representation for all men I’m tired of this weird “the more attractive man has a six pack with a thousand muscles and blah blah blah” because it’s like saying they’re more desirable that way which is a theme for a bunch of characters in this damn comic. but yeah all men are attractive and worthy of being seen so there should be more rep for that. also another thing I’d like to add cause you brought it up briefly is how the fans defend Persephone being short and curvy, a lot of them try and say “short and curvy adults exist” and “i’m short and curvy and I exist” as an argument whenever anyone would critique just how short and over sexualized Persephone was in the early (and still going on now..) seasons and I understand that people like that exist in the world but we’re talking about Rachel making this design so childlike and innocent, “pure” if you will because there’s a bunch of purity culture going on LO, just so she can put that very design that not only resembles a child but acts and thinks like one too in various sexual situations where her boundaries are broken and she’s powerless or not even aware of what’s going on. I feel like the whole thing is really disgusting, mostly because there are times where I see myself in Persephone whether it be mindsets or just casual speaking and interacting and it probably has something to do with her still being 19 which I genuinely believe is barely legal and still scientifically deems you a child, and yet no one bats an eye about it and in fact they encourage it to happen more without any context… the way Rachel decided to make Lore Olympus is more terrifying than what it was supposed to be but there’s never not gonna be a time where I’m not deeply disturbed.

anyways, thank you so much for putting your thoughts I agree with you on everything and I enjoy answering your rants. I hope you enjoyed my take, got a little long there, and I really hope you have a lovely day/night/evening and if you ever want to make more messages and rant you’re completely welcomed to do so <<3

[nonbinarykai]

Ok since two people asked

Why Lloyd is my least favorite ninja and how I rewrite him

Notes:// you know the rodeo by now, long post so it’s going to be under a read more, and I’m not gonna tag this with Lloyd because of the criticisms I have against his character, if you don’t want to hear Lloyd be critiqued then don’t reas the post

Why I don’t like Lloyd

Maybe it’s because I’m a Kai kinnie or maybe it’s because I have a bias agaisnt the younger sibling but Lloyd has never really been a favorite of mine

He was enjoyable in s1 but after that he kinda lost all personality for me and I stopped enjoying him

I think this is mostly for two reasons:

1. His screen time

2. His “character arcs”

I’ll go ahead and knock out his screentime here because it pretty much speaks for himself

Lloyd takes up so much screentime in the show that it’s actually jarring, he’s the character with the most seasons, having s1-2, s4, s8-11, and finally s14 ((the island special)). Which I think makes lloyds writing flaws all the more noticable

A big reason, albeit a bit of a petty one, for why I don’t like him is because he constant hyjacks other characters plots and makes them about him, this happened with Kai in both s4 and s11

Even if he’s not the main focus of a season, he always has a side plot focusing on him like in s3 and s12

The writers need to include Lloyd in other seasons is making it harder for the other main characters to actually have enough screentime to grow and develop on there own

And as a side effect of this, Lloyd gets to become the most important character in every season he is, taking roles from other characters who needed them

My best example is Cole being leader, he was set up and established as leader in the pilots and s1, and he did pretty good in it! Cole being a leader is a interesting concept that I would have loved to see been developed

But after Lloyd grew up they threw that plot point into the trash so they could have the mystical green ninja be leader even though throughout s1-7 he hardly actually talks to the main cast and him being leader doesn’t add any interesting dynamic like cole and kais rivalry despite Kai being a sort of right hand man to Coles leadership.

And in s1-s7 especially everything literally revolves around Lloyd to the point where his existence is more important than everyone else’s, and everyone’s motivations are to protect him.

Again I understand he is important, he’s the green ninja, but you have to let your other characters grow and develop, Lloyd is not the only main character in your show

Like for fuck sakes I don’t need 3 arcs about Lloyd and his dad, can I finally have another Kai season

Lloyds character arcs honestly kinda suck

Im going to be honest with you

Lloyds kinda an ass

The reason I like jay more then Lloyd even though jay has been way more mean spirited then Lloyd throughout the entire series is because you can atleast make the argument that jay doesn’t know when his jokes can hurt. And the show doesn’t portray jay as in the right, he gets what he deserves for some of the meanier things he says.

The same can’t be said about Lloyd

Lloyd says things to the other ninja that is honestly so mean spirited it’s jarring to hear it from him

Best example being when Lloyd told Kai to get over his shit when Kai was grieving in s4

But what makes it so frustrating is that the show always portrays Lloyd like he’s in the right which is why a lot of his character arcs feel flat or uninteresting

The only time this doesn’t apply is in s2 and in s3, in s2 the show paints Lloyd as being unfair to Misako when he RIGHTFULLY gets mad at her for abandoning him, I’ll get back to this later

The second time in s3 is when he’s traveling with Garmadon and having to be taught to balance his powers, which is actually one part of s3 I really liked, it was nice to see these two bond and have Garmadon teach Lloyd something that wu would other wise not teach him. And it’s a real shame the season cut it short AGAIN

The biggest example of the show making Lloyd seem in the right no matter what is in s4, Lloyds whole arc there was to learn how to view things from a different perspective and appreciate the things others have done for him. And this is would work if the show decided to do the same.

Again back to that scene with Lloyd and Kai in s4, the show treats Lloyd as if he’s in the right and it’s never addressed after this. Even though this is supposed to be the beginning of lloyds arc where he’s supposed to learn to view things from a different perspective

This scene would have worked if

1. The show didn’t paint him in the right for this, either by having Lloyd apologize or having the show acknowledged how it might have hurt Kai

2. If the plot Lloyd has remained a side plot instead of taking up the entire focus

Seriously, s4 could have been the ONE season where you can have a Lloyd side plot thats not forced and yet they fucked it up and made it the entire focus of the season thanks a lot.

To quote what I said in my Nya anayalsis awhile back

“I’m not upset that he has a flaw, just that it’s not recognized as one”

Lloyd would work way better as a character if the show just let him have consequences for his actions

Ever since he grew up and got the green ninja role he’s been treated like he can’t do no wrong which is clearly not true

But since we’re already on this topic

Hurting Lloyd doesn’t make him a good character

I feel like Tommy ((and sometimes the fandom)) really misunderstand what the use of suffering for in a story

There atleast 3 reasons writers make there characters suffer

1. To undergo a arc and realize where they have been wrong or to give a character a lot more depth to expand upon

2. If the story is a fallen hero one and the character suffers because of his Huberius

3. If the story is a tragedy

Ninjago is neither a fallen hero story or a tragedy and his pain doesn’t develop him as a character

A lot of writers don’t understand that suffering isn’t what makes a character good, it’s what pushes them to become good, you can’t just throw a character at the wall and expect them to instantly be a well written fleshed out character

A lot of the suffering Lloyd has to endure is mostly for no reason and it’s really mean spirited because it adds nothing to the plot, it’s just there to hurt him

Let’s bring up s11 as an example, Lloyd didn’t HAVE to fight the ice emperor from a writing standpoint, if anything it should have been kais battle because his lose of power and Zane going evil would have been a perfect reflection of s4 and tie it up after it ended kais character a bit open ended

But no let’s have Lloyd do it instead because haha isn’t trauma COOL and HIP

Now to be clear, I’m not saying that all of your stories have to end on a happy ending or anything like that, if your a writer then your allowed to do whatever you want with your personal writing

What I am saying is that ninjago is an actual SHOW made by PROFESSIONAL writers and they can’t understand the concept of a story structure

And the lack of actually addressing his trauma is really bringing down Lloyd as a character

Because it comes to a point where you understand why Lloyd is sometimes mean or distrustful of other people and it’s frustrating because you know that it’s flaws of him that are never going to be fixed because there writers want there trauma baby

How I would rewrite him

I’ve seen a lot of people suggest Lloyd become a villain in a future season and you know what, I sort of agree

But not in the way you think

I feel like it would be way more compelling if Lloyd was a villain but is still a ninja, instead of Lloyd switching sides, the show is switching perspectives

More or less I want Lloyd to be a reflection of the “true” villain, which is how wu ((and subsequently Lloyd)) put small Victories as more important then the ninjas life, passion, and desire, and how there black and white thinking of good and evil ends up to a lot of problems because there’s a lot of grey area there choosing to ignore

I want Lloyd to start of being loyal to wu’s philosophy and the protagonist, for random example let’s say Kai, sudden turn on these ideas in order to look outside the box to find if there truly is a better way to protect people without harming himself

I want Lloyd to be upset over what he thinks is a turn to the dark side when in reality, it would make his motivations make sense and not make his turn to “villainy” be out of character.

And over the course of the season he starts to realize how wus and subsequently his leadership has hurt the others and himself, and have him reflect on if all the pain they suffer through just to clean up wus mistakes is really worth it like wu says, or if there’s a better way like kai says

As for Lloyds actual character himself, I’d like for his flaws to be more noticeable

Have Lloyd be a gifted kid who gets praise when he doesn’t deserve it but still kinda acts like a brat because he’s still mentally like 10

Have him be a control freak who follows the rules way to strictly and is all serious when they have to do missions

Have his idealization of wu be realized and critiqued because honestly wu sucks ass

Would this make his character less like able? Maybe, but then he’d actually have depth and something to improve on

He can still have his s3 and s4 arcs, it’s just now they’re more important because he’s actually learning to be better

AND BEFORE ANYONE SAYS IM PURPOSEFULLY MAKING LLOYD WORSE SO THAT KAI LOOKS BETTER

ILL HAVE YOU KNOW AWHILE BACK I MADE A POST SAYING THE EXACT SAME THING ABOUT KAI AND HIS FLAWS SO THERE (/hj /lh)

[myimaginedcorner]

Constructive critique: can you add another option on ch.1 with this choice “ I watch a gorgeous woman buy some bread, but then my sight turns towards an equally beautiful man next to him in front of the stall (I am interested in men and women)” and can you correct Aggressive and Offensive Magic stats?🥺

Hi! Thank you for the ask!!

For the first request, there's no issue adding it, given that it does indeed add more variety to the given choices! Thank you for the idea. 😊

For the second, I am a little bit unsure about your issue... if you are talking about the words in relation to their meaning, I am unsure on how to express more correctly the way that those two stats work. For instance, Offensive magic is labelled as such because – and even though you have defensive interactions too – its gameplay is mostly centered around offensive attacks during battles, which I saw as an important thing to point out. Many other spells that could be considered more 'supportive' – such as healing or sound spells – are used by other classes, so I decided to specify that this class in particular is modelled for combat. While these first chapters aim to introduce you to the full range of your MC's abilities, later on the mages with Offensive Magic will be more suitable for characters ready to fight their way through.

As for "Aggressive", it seemed to me as the best antonym to the Peaceful stat, for it means that your characters chooses to resolve conflicts violently, prefers to provoke and aggravate the events, or has a more ruthless morale overall.

If there are any other words that anyone sees more fitting for such functions, I would love to hear them out from you – as a non-native language speaker, there's always a vocabulary limitation that restricts me in my knowledge of proper labels!

I hope this clarified things a bit!!

Thank you for your comments again xx

[softomi]

i like you so matcha

prompt: is it really a rivals to lovers if one likes the other?

pairing: osamu x reader

word count: 3.2k

general taglist: @graykageyama @tsumue @thesorebae @micasaessakusa @alouphen

Osamu wasn’t one to worry about competition; he had heard of the new café just a few stores down from his own restaurant and while he believed that the grand opening was nothing more than large interest, the hype reached his own workers. While he prides himself on providing a menu that is cost efficient and perfect for anyone; his workers seem to think that the new café combined low cost with high quality and aesthetics.

Again, Osamu wasn’t that interested in the new place until through the grapevine he heard they were selling onigiri. It wasn’t just any onigiri, apparently their take involved changing the color of the rice to add an artistic component. They were even going as far as shaping the onigiri into novelty orientations, one of his workers showcased the hello kitty onigiri.

Once more, Osamu tried to reason that it wasn’t interesting but he can’t help the sudden tick of his forehead when his brother walks right passed the windows of his restaurant only to emerge thirty minutes later with a to-go box of rainbow colored onigiri. It irked him even more when Atsumu had the audacity to sit at the counter and eat the onigiris with such happiness.

“Hey Samu, you think you could make some of these.” Osamu takes the box, promptly throwing it into the trash, eliciting a whine from Atsumu who declares that now he must wait another twenty minutes in line for more.

Osamu finds himself waiting in line with his brother. Atsumu cries that his stomach is hungry, but Osamu keeps his attention to how long the line is; it didn’t wrap around the block but it was fairly long enough to understand that the place was popular. The glow of the neon blue sign is just barely evident under the sun, but it must appear better under night conditions.

When he looks inside, he sees pristine white tables that balance with the brightly colored food; the chairs looked to have comfortable padding, some decorated with different colored pillows. There were mirrors displayed along the walls, one moon shaped, one stars, one of the sun, he takes it to understand that this was probably a theme of the café.

“We’re almost to the front!” Atsumu’s stomach growls the closer they get.

Osamu notices there’s decorative fairy lights along the window looking out into the street, the windowsill is large and he thinks it’s a good idea when he sees some customers using the space as a seating area. There’s a chalkboard used to display the menu behind the workers at the counter and even a small one at the cash register that lists the specials of the day.

Even as they find a seat, Osamu’s eyes are staring at the ceiling, how aesthetic, he thinks, there’s even a mirror above where they sat. He observes the customers, most are women but here and there are a few men; some with their lovers, some just here for the food. He can conclude that most of the hype of the place is from the aesthetic alone. It’s the perfect place for a photo opportunity with how decorated everything is.

“Order for Miya!”

Atsumu practically sprints to the counter and back. When Osamu tries to touch the food, Atsumu slaps his hand, “Wait! Let me take a picture!”

Osamu rolls his eyes; his brother has fallen into the trap that is the café. Atsumu takes five minutes to capture every angle that he can, even utilizing the ceiling mirror to get a picture of him and his brother with the food. Osamu takes note of Atsumu’s drink, clear plastic with a secure top; it allows you to see the different layers of the coffee but he knows once Atsumu mixes the drink it’ll turn green for the matcha flavor.

“Look!” Atsumu is shoving the cup in Osamu’s face, “There’s a design on the cup!” Atsumu’s eyes sparkle at the cute print of a Pokémon character, “That means I was one of the first hundred customers of the day.”

At this point, Osamu wants to applaud the aesthetic of the restaurant. Even taking the time to print on designs for customers as a novelty item to which they could boost about on social media, Osamu is impressed. But he reasons that the aesthetic of the place must hold to a high standard with the food.

So when he takes one of the onigiri’s, he’s ready to critique the flavor.

“Are you enjoying your meal?”

When Osamu looks up after taking a bite, the rice flows down the wrong pipe; he coughs loudly, wheezing at the way the salted salmon is a lump in his throat. Atsumu gives up his drink for his brother and Osamu nearly falls in love with the sweet taste of the matcha coffee.

“Are you alright?” Your hand is pressed on his shoulder, it moved from when you had been lightly hitting his back to help.

Osamu’s cough dies down as he watched you move to the counter; the workers listening intently to your words before nodding off.

“I’m sorry.” Osamu coughs for a last time as you approach the table.

Your hands are on your hips, a grin pressed neatly on your lips as you hold out a hand, “It’s my fault, I must have surprised you coming over all of a sudden. I’m the owner and you run Onigiri Miya don’t you?” Osamu feels sweat beat down the side of his face when he reaches out to grasp your hands, “I’m a big fan, you have great flavors, I can only hope that ours matches yours.”

Your attention turns to his twin, Atsumu gladly takes your attention, this gives Osamu time to collect himself. Osamu discoveries himself staring at you, you radiated a type of energy, one that he feels matches his own when it comes to running a business. The smile on your face makes him flush slightly and his palms remain sweaty from when he held your hand.

“It’s an honor to have a professional volleyball player eat at our establishment. We hope to see us on your social media page. One of my workers will bring over a free drink for the inconvenience.” Your head lowers in courtesy, waving to the men to continue their dining experience, “Oh and Mister Onigiri Miya, I’d love to bounce some ideas off you, I think we’d work great as partners for a few projects.”

Business partners was the last thing Osamu was going to agree to now that he had been up and close with the café; it’s been deemed a threat. It irked him when he saw you, a smile on your face as you wave to him early in the morning. His business seemed to always open and end with you, that’s how he discovered that even your hours of operation were the same as his.

It annoyed him when you visited, a large cup of matcha coffee in your hand as you offer it to him during the middle of lunch rush. It’s sweet when he drinks it, but he tries not to like it too much and he even tries to repress the craving for it on days when you don’t visit his shop. He even holds back the urge to visit the café when he really wants some matcha coffee.

He also finds it absolutely annoying how the parking spaces in front of his restaurant are always blocked by your customers. One time he stormed into your café, the workers were no stranger to his complaints. He’s automatically walking to your office in the back. When he can’t find you, he discovers you in a hidden kitchen meant for creative purposes.

“Oh, Miya Osamu. What can I do for you?” There’s rice on your cheek, your apron dirtied with minced ingredients, you wipe your hands on the ends of your apron to leave streaks of flour.

Osamu pushes aside the thought that he finds your hair pulled up cute, his hands on his waist as he puffs out his chest, “You need to do something about the parking situation! Your customers are parking in spots specifically meant for Onigiri Miya!”

You laugh, the back of your hand wiping against your cheek to remove the rice, “No problem! I’ll just put up signs on parking. Good?”

Osamu’s eyes twitch, the rice on your cheek is still stuck there and you can’t seem to find just where it is. He takes a step forward, fingers reaching out to graze the speck of rice and flick it off into another direction. You’re grinning.

“Thanks, did you want some coffee?” Your hand is already preparing a cup, pushing buttons on a machine as it spews out coffee, “I’m trying out some matcha and chocolate fusion drinks. I think I just figured out the perfect balance. Taste test?” You hold out the cup to him.

It’s sweet, just a perfect blend; absolutely beautiful. Osamu ends up taking the drink back to his restaurant, eyes staring at the cup with doodles of hearts and stars.

The next day, Osamu barges into your office stating that the music from your café is too loud, even though he’s three stores down, and none of his workers could hear anything but he’s insisted that the music is too distracting. He returns once more with a complimentary drink and a lighter mood than before.

“Isn’t he being too demanding?” One of your workers watches Osamu peer into the shop.

You’re smiling, already prepping the matcha drink, “I think it’s cute.”

“He’s acting like he’s part of the neighborhood watch committee.” Your worker stands straight up, “Good morning mister Miya, another complaint today?”

Osamu crosses his arms, lips in a thin line, “If you’re going to have your workers hand out flyers, I would prefer it if it wasn’t done in front of my restaurant.”

“Here’s your order.” The cup in your hand is stretched out to him.

“I didn’t.” Osamu frowns but his finger brush against yours when he reaches for the cup.

“I’ll be sure to tell them to stay closer to our café.” Despite him turning away, he flushes, “Have a great day Miya Osamu!” Your voice makes his ears go red.

The workers giggle when he turns around to thank you. It was painfully obvious that he had a crush on you. Excuses upon excuses as a way to step into your café and have brief moments with you. His eyes distracted by the cup, he runs into the door, giggles follow him as he leaves.

Osamu has himself crouched behind the counter, hands in his hair, hiding from the world. He remains a roadblock to his workers but they all move around him; he can’t possibly step back into your café after that embarrassing moment.

“It probably wasn’t that bad sir.” The worker has been waiting for five minutes trying to get one of the rice bags from behind Osamu.

Osamu digs his hands into his hair, “I basically face planted into the door.”

“Can I just get the rice please? We have orders.”

When Osamu stands to his feet, the wind gets knocked out of him. You wave from behind the counter and Osamu coughs as though he was busily trying to do something from under.

“Can I help you with something?”

You lean on your toes, it makes him want to delve just a little closer to you, “Yeah, there’s a car blocking one of our carry out spots, it has an Onigiri Miya sticker on the bumper so we thought maybe it was yours?”

Osamu facepalms, he had forgotten to move his car. He’s quick to round the counter, making his way to you until he feels it. He’s suddenly thrusted forward, unable to comprehend the wet floor sign before he’s tumbling right into you. Your hands steady his arms, Osamu’s find themselves clutching your waist. He was blushing madly, nose brushing against yours; customers and workers alike stare at the rather intimate hold.

“Are you alright?”

Osamu lets go but the step he takes back makes him slip, your arm stretches out to grasp him but it only sends you forward. Everyone gasps. Osamu lands on his ass, your body hovering over him and he’s blushing even harder now with your breath against his skin.

“I’m so sorry.” You pull away from him.

“It’s my fault.” Osamu dusts himself off, helping you to your feet, even holding your hand to try and balance the both of you, “Are you okay?”

Besides minor embarrassment, you grin to him, “Nothing I haven’t experienced before. Have you ever slipped and spilled rice in the middle of lunch rush, effectively getting grains of rice in everything?” Osamu laughs, “Truly one of my more embarrassing moments.”

He feels his heart suddenly more at ease, the restaurant goes back to their bustling conversations and the two of you walk out together. Osamu thinks to himself that the term rivals didn’t fit the category that he has you under in his head.

“It’s called love.” Atsumu draws the word out and Osamu smacks his arm, effectively making Atsumu bang his head against the table, “Dammit Samu! Stop doing that!”

“Stop being stupid then.”

Atsumu begins a snarky outcry of obscenities at his brother. He doesn’t mind it as he sees you walking past his restaurant. The sun makes it hard for you to notice him through the windows but he has a perfect view of you carrying boxes towards your café. Your steps halt as the top box begins to tilt, leaning the rest of the boxes in the same directions.

“I got you.” Osamu pushes the boxes, he takes the top half to balance in his hands, “I’ll help you.”

“Thanks.” You beam, “I see your brother is visiting.”

When Osamu looks at the window, Atsumu has his face pressed against the glass. His heavy breathing creating fog, “Samu!” It amuses you when Osamu knocks against the glass, sending Atsumu to jolt back, “Samu! Get me some onigiri from the café.”

“You’re literally in an Onigiri restaurant!” Osamu barks.

Your giggle pulls him along and as if cupid had struck him with fifty arrows, he follows you happily.

It came to no surprise for literally everyone when Osamu finally mustered up the courage to ask you out. In the after hours of work, he discovers you flipping chairs all by your lonesome; his hand knocks against the glass, it causes you to jump in surprise but it quickly fades when you see him motioning for the locked door.

“Where are all of your workers?” Osamu has begun to help turn the chairs onto the tables, something he’s accustomed to doing at his restaurant.

“I sent them home. I don’t like making them stay too late.”

Osamu thinks about how his workers are cleaning up at the moment; he follows you to the back, eyes trailing themselves over your body, he finds the way your hair is tied with ribbons to be cute and he wonders if you look just as cute with your hair down.

“Osamu?”

He blushes when you bring him back to reality, “Sorry, I was thinking about something.”

“I’m just finishing up some prep for tomorrow, you don’t have to stay.” Your hands dust flour onto the table, your fingers forming bagels for tomorrow’s breakfast rush.

Osamu stands next to you, he curiously takes a piece of dough, following your hand movements to form the bagel shape, “This is the first time I’ve formed bagels.”

“Really?” You glance at him, “You’re a natural, I’d definitely hire you as a chef.” Unexpectedly, Osamu feels your hand hold over his, “You just need to make sure it’s all uniform. I don’t think my customers would enjoy bagels that are one size five times bigger than another.”

It’s another two hours before you two finish forming and proofing the bagels for the next day. He waits outside the doors of your café, he can clearly see his workers are just about to leave too, they snicker seeing him waiting outside. He quickly motions for them to go away, when the door chimes, he pretends as though he was just about to scratch his head.

“Thanks for the help.” Your hair falls past your shoulders, Osamu wishes time would stop for a second so he could run his fingers through them. It’s just the two of you standing on the empty street, the lamps barely doing you justice, “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Wait.” Osamu tugs on your sleeve, “Do you want to have dinner with me? Or will you? I mean, you don’t have to but if you want to.”

“Are you asking me out?”

Osamu gulps, “Are willing to go out with me?”

He may have reached another level of joy when you clasp onto his arm, “Duh! You’re a little slow but you got there eventually.” 

Osamu lets you drag him along the sidewalk, opting for a place nearby rather than driving elsewhere. He can’t help the smile of content on his face watching you stuff your mouth with food. The meal is comfortable and nice; but the date is absolutely, blissfully, perfect. At the end of the night, he walks you to your car, hands dug deep into his pockets and he isn’t sure if he should shamelessly kiss you or do the awkward hug and goodbye.

“Are you thinking if you should kiss me or hug me?” You laugh when he looks at you bewildered.

“Are you reading my mind?”

You lean forward, a whisper on you, “It’s a secret superpower I have.” The both of you chuckle and before he can register it, you stand on your toes, pressing a quick kiss onto his cheek. You open the door to your car as he blushes profoundly, “Normally I don’t kiss on the first date, the one on the cheek is just a guilty pleasure, because you’re cute.”

Osamu knew from the beginning that the competition shouldn’t have been one to worry about. What he should have been worried about was how cute the owner was.

“Uh-oh, here comes leader of the neighborhood watch committee.” Your workers snicker seeing him strut into the café, “Good morning mister Miya.”

“I have a complaint.” Osamu crosses his arms, eyes staring at you. He leans forward, “I’d prefer it if you kept your hair down.” His fingers pull on the ribbon in your hair, your strands fall to your shoulders.

On your toes, your lips meet his from over the counter; there’s a hum in him, “We take complaints here very seriously.” You steal the ribbon from his fingers, “But you know I can’t be walking around with my hair down.”

“I have a solution.” He situates a hat that he’s made appear out of no where onto your head. He pushes strands of your hair behind your ears and fixes the hat’s strap to fit nicely onto your head, “Perfect.”

You roll your eyes to your boyfriend, “It says Onigiri Miya on the hat doesn’t it.”

Osamu happily claps his hands, “Product placement.”

“You’re so shameless!” You set the drink in front of him, “Cash or card?”

Osamu scoffs, “You’re making me pay now?”

“Yup.” You wink to him, “It’s what boyfriends do.”

“You boyfriend trapped me with free matcha coffee.” Osamu takes the drink, pressing a kiss on your lips quickly, “Put it on my tab.”

“You literally don’t have a tab, Samu!” He’s laughing as he runs away with the drink, turning around to blow you a kiss before running off to his restaurant to prepare for the lunch rush.

[julek]

inspired by @valdomarx‘s post 

Geralt’s fought many monsters throughout the course of his life. He’s studied them closely, gathering information about their weak spots and their strenghts, the causes of their existence and the consequences their actions leave in their wake. He’s thoroughly injured many of them, leaving the monsters no other choice than to flee, to exile themselves into oblivion. He’s killed many, as well, mainly the lesser creatures, whose understanding of the living and their intentions is so basic and sparse, not even a patient and dedicated Witcher can make them leave without spearing silver through their bodies. He’s seen monsters, felt them against his skin, carried their severed heads or dangling limbs as proof. 

He’s never talked to one.

Sure, he’s sat down on a mushroom-covered log and gesticulated wildly at a group of trolls that were very keen on not leaving the pond they’d taken residence in; he’s screamed at a noonwraith to stop dancing around him and finally take a corporeal form; he’d even tried, early in his training, to engage in conversation with a particularly stubborn drowner, to no avail. Talking to monsters for anything other than bargaining their leave, or allowing them a few last words —or screams, or growls— had never been Vesemir’s indication, not to Geralt’s recollection.

Well, it hadn’t been. Not until Jaskier came along. 

Geralt has never had anyone trail after him with such innocent curiosity, smelling of jasmine and sweat but not of fear — never fear. He’s never had someone test his patience and his very extensive knowledge on monsters daily, never had to explain why both Basilisks and Harpies had wings, but they weren’t pretty little birds who just wanted to be loved, Jaskier. 

He’s never had anyone pull at his heartstrings the way Jaskier has, either. 

It’s infuriating, really; he’s a Witcher, he’s never wanted anything for himself. Never found something worth keeping. But when Jaskier makes it clear he’s not leaving, not even if Geralt comes to him smelling of death and decay, twigs and blood and something else entwined in his hair, Geralt finds himself stuttering, his breath catching in his throat. He never asked —never would— but Jaskier gave him an answer anyway. It’s in the way the corner of his lips go up whenever Geralt gives in and makes a joke, it’s in the way Jaskier’s body seeks his warmth during the night, inevitably tangling their legs together. It’s in the way Jaskier’s eyes light up when they reunite after the winter, nothing but pure joy and relief overwhelming Geralt’s senses as he’s wrapped in a warm embrace.

It would be awfully presumptuous of Geralt to dive headfirst into his own feelings without being sure Jaskier feels the same, but that doesn’t stop him. He finds himself stealing glances at the bard during his performances, watching him in his element. He starts to ration their food to favor the bard, almost subconsciously, always giving him the juiciest pieces of meat and the freshest fruit he can find. He catches himself offering Roach the minute Jaskier’s scent turns sour with pain, either from a roaring hangover or from walking in those gods-awful boots he insists on wearing, the ones that accent his breeches and pair really well with the color of his hair—

And just as he’d feared, Geralt starts losing focus. Important things slip from his mind, and anything that doesn’t involve Jaskier’s choice of soap or doublet or undershirt flies right over his head at a worring pace. It’s not a curse, that he knows with certainty. The pull he feels in his gut whenever Jaskier’s away has nothing to do with magic, the feeling of contentedness that stretches over his chest when they’re together is not potion-induced. 

They’re in a small hamlet near Vizima when Geralt snaps.

It’s dark, stars reflecting on the swamp. Geralt’s sitting behind a log covered in moss, not far from where he first heard footsteps approaching. He’s stalking a zombie, which is an easy task even though he hasn’t encountered many over the years. From what he’s gathered, zombies are rather innocuous, non-sentient creatures, usually in search of bones or small animals to take to their Bokor, their creator, whom they submit to. He’s not sure if such a small town could even host such a powerful sorcerer, but he’s not ready to rule out that possibility yet. 

The zombie staggers across the forest floor, its movements slow and uncoordinated. It’s muttering something under its breath as it bends down to grab a small spider, crushing it between its bony fingers. The zombie stands tall again, but stills as Geralt’s sword is pressed against its exposed breastbone, the zombie’s eyesockets boring into Geralt’s face.

“Show me your hands,” Geralt grunts, careful not to press his sword too far, lest the creature dissolves under its weight. 

Surprisingly, the zombie nods and puts its hands up, rotting flesh hanging from its fingers. They’re empty, and Geralt thinks he’s caught it just at the beginning of its hunt. He crouches down to check the ground, sword still in hand.

“You smell terribly, by the way. Jaskier would surely recoil,” he says with a chuckle, his mind conjuring up the image of Jaskier’s nose scrunching up in disgust. “Yes, if he were here, he’d kill you in a heartbeat, just to get away from the stench. Then he’d write a song about it, so your reputation would be truly lost.”

He picks up the spider corpse and inspects it closely. 

“He’s very delicate, you see,” he tucks the spider away in his pocket, “like a flower. I’m no poet, but he really is beautiful like a flower. A rose, maybe.”

He stands tall, ignoring the way the zombie’s mouth hangs open. 

“Yes... a rose is pretty and smells good,” he reckons, leaning his weight on the zombie’s chest. “Jaskier always smells good, and he always looks beautiful. And he’s so good to me, you know. He sees good in everyone. I’m sure he’d even see something good in you.”

The zombie hums, a low sound slowly making its way out of the zombie’s mouth, but Geralt cuts it off with a dreamy sigh.

“And it’s just so hard to work now. I can’t even concentrate during a hunt, because he’s made a habit of hugging me before a contract, for luck, you know, and when I move too fast I catch his scent on my skin, and I just can’t—”

“Kill,” the zombie slurrs, its face twisting with effort to get the word out.

Geralt’s eyes widen, golden slits shining in the dark. “Did you just speak to me?”

The zombie ignores him and moves its hand up, aiming for a weary gesture.

“J-just... kill me,” it pleads. “Please.”

Geralt frowns. He can’t recall the last time —if ever— he’s had a monster request him to end their existence. He usually has to fight his way through, and there’s more blood and guts and swords involved. Modern times, he thinks, everyone’s a critic.

He shrugs and drags his sword up, splitting the zombie in two. It falls gracelessly to the ground, and Geralt can swear he hears the bones rattling in relief. 

“Rude,” he says as he gathers the bones in a bag, proof to take to the alderman. He’s never had a monster critique his hunting technique, so he’s not sure how to react — what would Vesemir say, hearing a zombie speak to him like that?

He clicks his tongue and makes his way out of the forest. In the distance, he can see a candle burning in the top window of the inn, can almost imagine Jaskier trying not to fall asleep to hear all about his heroics the minute he walks in. 

He smiles, and makes a mental note to add to his bestiary. Zombies — sentient. Eager to engage in conversation. Nosy. 

[checkmatedsmpau]

honestly love this series. very well written, clearly there's so much love for it. the trauma feels so real. the healing process isn't linear. dream's utter possesiveness is chilling to the bone. all of the different characters work together so well.

i especially liked the part with george kinda... helping tommy get back to dream? i hate when people make george all perfectly morally perfect. he's struggling with his own shit especially regarding to dream. in general, all of the characters feel like real people with their own struggles. it wasn't fully as if they wanted to not help tommy or each other- they just had their own lives and problems, and sometimes that shit happens.

i also like tubbo's characterization. he's... god, he's so stressed. it really puts into perspective how he, tommy, and tubbo are all kids. tommy's anger at tubbo is so justified, definitely. but tubbo had to make so many difficult decisions being president. exiling tommy was probably the worst. the guilt of this, on top of losing ranboo. being alone and the only way to cope would be to lose himself in his work... GOD. really fantastic. especially his reaction to tommy for the first time.

also, the sheer amount of content for this au. DEAR GOD. i love it. im confident i've never seen anyone more dedicated to an au.

i don't know what you have planned, but i suppose somethings i would like to see would be tommy relapsing somehow in the progress. majorly enough that it's an issue. and / or getting angry. trauma doesn't just manifest in fear, or panic attacks, and i think it's in character for tommy to lash out at some point.

another thing (i hope this doesn't come off as a critique, just something to point out-) would be ranboo is clearly working SO hard to help tommy. i feel like the series brushes over ranboo being stuck in a box for a whole year.. just a bit?. he obviously has his own issues he's gotta work through. i was happy to read the bit where ranboo was worried about going to the nether because of his time in the box. and his issues with sleeping in the box???!

ranboo isn't perfect. he won't always say the right thing for tommy to hear, which is fine. it would be impossible to demand that from anyone.

to add on, i don't think ranboo should be purposefully stupid about tommy's trauma. it just... there's so many things in regard to tommy's exile and his time with dream that nobody knows about still. this could cause communication issues. i just really think ranboo deserves to have his own issues addressed.

that being said, tommy's issues being addressed is so good. there are an endless amount of fics that just write the angst. no shade to them of course. it just... it's great to see this character go through so much, and to be broken. to cling to someone who hurt them and feeling all alone. and then to have people who want to help, and moving past things.

i do love angst, but healing and the process of recovery is just as good to me. the way it's treated, with such a huge support system... GOD it's so good. it gives me a lot of hope.

i also feel like tommy taking a life from sapnap should be... kinda addressed more??. yes. he was so abused and hurt by dream, he was jealous and was desperate for dream to not leave him. but it happened nonetheless.

i fully apologize if any of this is worded bluntly or cruel. it doesn't come from a place of meanness, i just have a lot of thoughts about this series and i want to express them!

i would like to say i haven't read every bit yet, so if any of this has happened, i'm sorry! i just wanted to write my thoughts out lol. thanks for reading, can't wait to see what's next!

No apology needed!!! It’s amazing to see someone so passionate about the series! I’ll try and answer everything as best as I can without giving away too many spoilers for what I have planned for the future!

First, George and Tubbo, I’m really glad you like them. Figuring out how to characterize Tubbo was a BITCH but I’m happy with how he turned out and where he’s going. And Gogy very quickly became one of my favorite characters in this AU, and he will continue to be because I’ve got a lot planned with him and I’m so very excited to continue writing so I can execute these plans!

I’ve definitely made a lot of content for this AU XD so much content…

Tommy lashing out would be very in character and I have many a plan for that, don’t you worry.

Ranboo definitely isn’t perfect, close to it but unfortunately… nobody is perfect. There will be some hiccups. And the brushing over the Nether is intentional! He’ll have to face it sometime but he’s got a lot of motivation to repress it at the moment. Actually he’s repressed a lot… more on that later :)

I plan on trying to balance out the angst and trauma and healing and recovery evenly and realistically to the best of my ability.

I was actually just planning a thing with George and Sapnap about the whole Tommy-taking-a-life thing. Don’t worry, that will be addressed. A lot of things will.

Thank you so much for reading! I’m really glad you’re enjoying the series!

Stay tuned! 💙🥰💕

[jazzythursday]

My Take on The Loki Series, And All The Things I Would Change About/Add To It If I Could (in vaguely chronological order)

Small disclaimer: This is just a compilation of all the ideas I had for ways the Loki Series could have gone, expanding on the main premise. It doesn’t cover everything, simply the aspects of the plot that I felt compelled to diverge from specifically. It’s not meant as an overly harsh critique of the show, just alternate possibilities. A… variant of the show if you will (It’s also egregiously long and yet I had to stop myself from saying more).

The series opens in the TVA with a display of the branching timeline that Loki created. We don’t meet any characters yet or see anyone’s faces, only hearing readings of codes and tracking of the Loki ‘variant’ before switching to Loki.

After traveling with the Tesseract, he takes in his surroundings (it can be the Gobi Desert but the thing with the Mongolians does not happen) but before he can get too far the TVA shows up.

I think it would be interesting to have a sequence of Loki evading them in different environments. Teleporting to different areas/planets and using different forms/disguises (maybe we see a Lady Loki in a restaurant, our Loki, and a few other outfits), however the TVA finds him every time no matter where or what form.

Eventually he gets fed up of running and confronts them directly. This should be an actual fight, i.e. magic and a Loki who is committed to not being taken down again. Ultimately through use of magic dampening technology or other means (but for the love of god not whatever that punch was), he is apprehended and taken into the TVA.

I think the TVA should have been a lot more crowded. They control/ monitor all of time, so we should have seen tons of variants of all shapes/colors/styles/species, maybe even a few characters we recognize (like in the concept art for the show). Show us that Loki is not special here, he is just another variant to be processed and done with, like all the others.

Loki will have already noticed and felt a lack of magic at the TVA, maybe he tried to use it already so by the time we get to the judge his main concern is talking his way out—Putting his ‘silver tongue’ to use. (Lack of magic in the TVA would be referenced later as well when Loki goes to summon a knife or use magic, only to remember that he can’t there).

This is a very small point but if the TVA knows him as Laufeyson, he absolutely would take offense to that. It’s been one year since he found out about and killed his birth father, I’d assume wants nothing to do with the title. Of course the TVA wouldn’t care, and we’d probably get something like:

“I am Loki, of Asgard, and you will address me as such.”

“I think you’ll find out things work a little differently here at the TVA, Mr. Laufeyson.”

Before he’s able to be pruned we have Mobius step in and plead his case.

If the show wants to portray Mobius as a friend we’ll see him have sympathy and conflicts about the TVA from the beginning. He doesn’t quite fit in, he’s bored of the monotony of the place and he has remorse for what they’re doing, but knows it’s not his place to question it. I like the idea of him being somewhat of a fan of Loki (they did mention this in the show but then proceeded to have him belittle Loki every time he opened his mouth which is uh… a choice). Mobius needs Loki’s help but he also has the desire to help Loki. He’s seen how his life plays out and understands that there’s more in him than his worst decisions. I think that Mobius secretly/ subconscious wants a bit of chaos, that he’s intrigued by Loki and as an analyst has an interest in understanding him.

Loki vs B15 would ideally happen before Loki returns to the time theater with the Tesseract instead of after. It would not be so easy for her to physically overpower him as even without magic he still has enhanced strength. (The minutemen show no signs of being genetically much stronger than humans, so arguably without use of their technology it’s obvious he could take one in a fight.

Back in the time theater after Loki’s watched the reel of his life, much of the conversation happens the same albeit with a greater emphasis on Loki’s true motivations and his feelings of powerlessness in his role. A bit about Thanos too (realistically vague). Perhaps he thought at the time he was doing what he wanted, but is starting to realize he doesn’t know anymore. Then we see a version of:

“I can’t promise you salvation, but maybe I can offer you something better.”

“A proposition, I see you have done your research. So tell me, agent, what would you have me do?”

Mobius explains why they need him to track down a variant of himself, and they shake on it. It’s clear that neither of them trust each other yet, but there is a mutual understanding that they will work together anyway.

Their friendship should grow naturally, slowly gaining each other’s trust until they see each other as true allies. In this there are more episodes than in the actual show (I’ll say 8 instead of 6). Give them a few more adventures and a bit more time for splitting up to hurt.

In Roxxcart, we see more use of magic. He dries himself off, maybe shape shifts into/imitates B15 or a minuteman. Loki uses illusions in the fight against the variant. He tries to reason with and understand what they are doing and why. The fight is somewhat matched although Loki is still holding back, fighting with misdirection as the variant fights using possession. Neither of them are showing themselves, and in an attempt to make the variant stop hiding, Loki disperses all the doubles and asks them to do the same. He takes a chance and this is how the variant gets the upper hand, setting off the branches and then revealing herself as Sylvie.

(Side note: In the concept art for the show, Loki changes into his Asgardian outfit by the time he and Sylvie are on Lementis. I definitely could see that working either when the fight begins/during it, or when he goes through the time door. In either case I think it would be somewhat of a gesture to Sylvie that he is not truly aligned with the TVA, thus setting them both apart/ in opposition to it.)

Instead of romance, Sylvie and Loki forge a bond through seeing themselves in each other throughout the series. They talk about the differences in their past and how they got there. They bicker and make each other laugh and rather than Sylvie just insulting Loki, it’s a mutual rapport. Loki gives just as good as he gets and they find they can work better together than apart.

On Lementis, Loki easily gets them into the train by impersonating a guard (or by conjuring tickets).

They talk about magic. How Sylvie is untrained but self taught and doesn’t understand hers very well. Loki can talk about how he views magic/his magic (we can maybe pull a few things from Norse beliefs about seiðr here). Does he view it as a part of himself? Something honed and precise? I want magic to be portrayed as an artful practice, and I want him to help Sylvie understand hers.

Loki gets drunk and they’re kicked out of the train. This reads as funny because Loki will have been sharp and competent throughout the show so far, so him losing his cool and failing the plan is unexpected.

Instead of the Tempad breaking for absolutely no reason, they argue over where to go/ how to use it. This leads to them both having a hand at accidentally destroying it because of self interest and refusing to work together. It illustrates again that they are stronger together but in conflict they are their own worst enemy (much like Loki in general which ties into a bigger metaphor for all his shortcomings).

Expanding on the magic thing, Sylvie and Loki through the series learn from each other. Loki can teach her some of his magic, and Slyvie can teach him enchantment (which he’s read about but never really mastered, although he approaches learning it like any other spell).

Loki could show her an illusion of Asgard as he remembers it. And in doing so we see that both of them long for it. Because for all Loki has claimed to renounce it, he misses home, and he and the audience see the same thing in Sylvie.

I think it would be interesting for Sylvie to let him enchant her, and we can see one of her memories. Maybe it’s when she was taken, maybe it’s on the run, maybe it’s a happy place, but it gives us insight into her character and past. I’m on the fence if Slyvie should enchant Loki, but if she did I’d pick them accidentally going back to the day Odin took him (which is how we deal with the icy blue elephant in the room that the writers refuse to tackle). Let Loki be conflicted and angry and unsure how he feels about it. This could once again be a moment where Loki and Sylvie connect because it’s (I’m assuming) where both their stories began. It’s a mirror of both of their origins, and she helps him see some good in that.

In the void (which is renamed something else so as to not get confused with the void™ that Loki fell into in Thor 2011) Loki learns from and connects with his other variants. They all have a point to being there, and he starts to reflect on what makes him him and what role he wants to play now.

When Sylvie and Mobius show up they agree on the plan to kill Aliyoth, either because it will stop anyone else from being killed by the TVA, or because they think he is guarding the entrance to whoever is behind everything.

Loki later asks Sylvie if she had a Thor. She did but probably doesn’t remember him much. What she does remember, she tells him. Through talking to both Classic Loki and Sylvie it’s recognized that he does miss his brother, that all Loki’s do, and that they are constants meant to aid each other and fight and suffer but always be brothers in any universe.

When they finally fight Aliyoth Loki summons new armor/his helm. Along with Kid Loki giving him Laevateinn, each Loki also gives him something to remember them or aid in their quest (yay Loki solidarity!). When I say this I mean daggers! Daggers dear gods have one of them give him daggers, boy needs some knives.

When they realize they can’t kill him, Sylvie has the idea to use enchantment. Like in the show, Sylvie can’t do it on her own and so they join hands and combine their powers together, revealing the Citadel beyond. They look at each other and agree that they have to move forward.

“Do we trust each other?”

“We do.”

Inside the Citadel we have Kang himself make the offer to give them what they wish. Sylvie can get the life that was stolen from her. Loki could be offered a Throne, he could be offered to be the first born, or to be a true Æsir, or kill Thanos, but ultimately he denies. He’s realized throughout the show that he’d rather be different, he’d rather be him, and he won’t settle for a fantasy world that isn’t real.

The message is about choice, about free will, chaos. Every choice you make directly results in who you become, every action changes how your story goes, and Loki understands that no one has the right to limit that.

In this it is Sylvie though, who is tempted. She has been on a quest for revenge her whole life, she never had a home, doesn’t remember feeling loved, and in the end it is a fight against temptation, and Loki knows all about that.

They fight each other, and break their vow of trust because ultimately they are each other but they are also different. They clash until Loki is able to talk her down, to relate to her, to show that he “just wants her to be okay” and reaffirms her goal. Kang of course continues to be self assured in his predictions. I’d imagine here is where we could get a declarative sort of speech like “I am Loki, God of Mischief,” They join hands “and no one tells our story” or… something to that affect.

Loki and Sylvie fight to destroy Kang together, and here we discover that if he is killed the multiverse opens, and the war of his variants will begin anew. We see flashbacks of Kang’s past and variants played out, and how he came to be at the citadel. Sylvie can talk about why it’s better to have chaos than to sanitize history and kill in the name of the greater good.

The show ends with the death of Kang and the splintering of the timelines. With Sylvie and Loki looking out the window into the fracturing strands of time.

Other changes and thoughts

Tone: the tone I’d imagine this would take on is possibly a bit more serious than the canon show. While it’s still comedy, it would be much less cartoonish, and generally fit in with the rest of the MCU a little easier.

In relation to Mobius:

Mobius’s crisis of faith would be a long time coming. Throughout the show we see him hesitate more and more to do as the TVA asks, and have an increasingly harder time justifying their actions. Learning that the whole thing is a lie is simply the tipping point that drives him to act.

In his confrontation with Renslayer he’d be a lot more driven/succinct. If he wants the TVA to burn then he wants the TVA to burn. He sees the wrongness in it’s entirety and attempts to convince Renslayer the same thing. When it’s clear that she is unreachable/ still sure of her mission, they come to an impasse. They each threaten to prune the other, parallel and matched on opposite sides of their belief. Ultimately though, neither can go through with it, and (if we’re sticking mostly with the canon ending) she leaves through a time door to who knows when to search for who knows what and Mobius and B15 regroup.

In relation to the other Loki’s:

I’m still on the fence how many Loki’s would be played by Tom, but I think the answer is, if not almost all, then at least more than we got.

Each Loki should read as distinctly Loki in essence. Less comic easter eggs and more focus on understanding the established canon character. Even greater in this scene though is the focus on the theme of choice. If there’s time we could learn what choices led up to each variant being apprehended, and see just a bit of how they feel about it. It’s about how our choices dictate who we become, rather than pre-set paths of completely separate realities and lives to our Loki’s.

I love Classic Loki’s speech about how it’s their destiny to play a certain part and if they try and change it the TVA stops them. I’d like our Loki, while conflicted about if he can truly change, to be motivated to try and finally brake the chains that have always restricted him (first his father, then Thanos, now the TVA). I also think here is where we could talk about how abrupt their end is ‘meant’ to be. That he was working on being better, that he had apparently helped his people and reconciled with his brother. That not only was his life cut short, but that the finality of that conclusion wasn’t truly the only way, but simply decided for him.

In relation to themes:

“What makes a Loki a Loki?” Is a question that should loom in the background of the whole series. Starting with Mobius’s interrogation when he’ll begin questioning his place in the universe and his understanding of himself, and ending with the finale confrontation with Kang where he’ll answer it.

“No one bad is ever truly bad, and no one good is ever truly good.” Is similarly something I think should have been a continued focus. Loki is considered a morally grey character and a chaos god, and thus none of his actions are black and white. Others may try and decide who he is at his core, but fundamentally the conclusion is not about deciding to be a hero, but deciding to be true to yourself and doing better.

“The banality of evil” in relation to the TVA. It’s clear from the first ten minutes of the actual show that the TVA is corrupt, unjust, and unnatural in their cleansing of the multiverse… so lean into it! I’m not necessary talking about changing much here, just that the narrative framing displays their actions as deplorable as they are.

“Glorious Purpose” is um… not something I think needed to be the main focus here. I might be biased because I buy into the theory that “you were made to be ruled” “freedom is life’s greatest lie” and “I am burdened with glorious purpose” are messages that have been somewhat impressed upon him rather than beliefs he came to realize on his own, but I do think it was somewhat oversimplified and overused in the series.

You are the writer of your own story. This is the message I expected the show to end with, and it’s what I’m personally trying to convey through these musings. This story ends with Loki taking back his destiny, forging a new one, connecting with himself and others and helping to free the timelines. He’s not the worst things he’s ever done, he’s not a villain, he’s not a benevolent hero. Loki is just Loki, Sylvie is just Sylvie, and you are just you, whoever we decide to be (that was cheesy I’m sorry).

[thestorytellersapprentice]

Why Do-yeok

I cannot believe I'm writing another one of this "Why" post. I thought it's a one-time thing with Love Alarm... But, here I am. Maybe because just like the previously mentioned Netflix series, Nevertheless causes huge discourse among its viewers. Team Potato and Team Butterfly. Jae-eon and Do-hyeok. Sanctuary or the gravitational pull.

And first off, an important note: my intention by writing this is not to seek any debate with anyone. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, so here's mine. Feel free to read it or definitely not to read it if you're firmly on Jae-eon's corner and you can't imagine Na-bi with anyone else but him. I just want to sort out my thoughts simultaneously through writing this. And this is gonna be a bit long, I suppose.

So, as the title already declares, I'm Team Potato all the way. And, yep, this means I'm thoroughly on Do-hyeok's side and I want him to be happy because he deserves it. (Still need to see what's in store in the final episode, but I'm perfectly okay with an open ending: Na-bi ends up not choosing anyone but herself, as long as her friendship with Do-hyeok remains intact.)

And this comes down simply because of who Yang Do-hyeok is as a person.

If Do-hyeok is real, then you can bet that I'll date him myself too. At the very least, I'd definitely like to be friends with him.

Why?

Because....

One. His whole vibe is just so....warm and comfortable. We often see Do-hyeok's cheerful sides. He smiles a lot (and boy, Chae Jong-hyeop's smiles are just so endearing, but we're talking about the character here. Ahem.) He's attentive, thoughtful, and open. And he's not only like this with Na-bi. He, by nature, is a very friendly person, as you can see from his interaction with Do-yeon, his cousin, also with Na-bi's friends and the hyeongs in the noodle restaurant that he works at.

And I like it a lot that even just after Do-hyeok confesses to Na-bi and she turns him down, the very next day, they're able to speak with each other normally and just talk about his videos and how she'll watch them and give him feedback. That night, Na-bi also answers his call with a smile on her face. They joke around and not even stopping after Do-hyeok throws her some arguably-cringey-lines (if uttered by other guys and not handled properly). Clearly, Na-bi's very on ease and comfortable with and around him despite everything that has happened.

She even says this on her own: "And most of all, I feel comfortable when I'm with him."

Two. With Do-hyeok, the communication is sterling. Honesty and communication is also very important in a healthy relationship. Your partner isn't a mind reader, so you gotta tell her/him what you feel and think about, especially when you're having a hard time, so you both can work on it together. And our potato guy is the perfect example of openness and honesty.

Even when he's having a hard time, he doesn't lash out (unlike a certain someone), but he communicates it clearly to Na-bi: "I saw you and Park Jae-eon going into your house together. I know I said that I could wait for you as long as it takes. But I felt so jealous."

Do-hyeok also casually throwing lines like: "It's nice to hear your voice. The whole neighborhood seems empty without you." which can be really cringey, but hearing these with Chae Jong-hyeop's delivery = it's just Do-hyeok openly sharing his thoughts. And, again, he's not just like this with Na-bi. That's just the way he is. He openly states his concerns and thoughts to people close to him.

After her first disaster relationship and Jae-eon (who's a master deflector on all personal questions and is truly opaque), IMO someone like Do-hyeok is what Na-bi needs. With Do-hyeok, she never has to guess where she stands. And Na-bi responds to his openness accordingly. She shares her worries and not-so-good moments ("I was spacing out because the critique went badly. I got scolded. This semester is really the worst. I didn't get accepted to the exchange program as well.") And of course, Do-hyeok responds by reassuring and encouraging her.

Three. They begin as friends. Childhood friends, even. And while some may point out that she friend-zones him, I beg to differ. The expression on Na-bi's face when she first sees Do-yeon and hasn't recognizes her is not the expression of someone who sees her just-platonic-friend conversing with a girl. You can practically see the gears in her head turning and she suddenly looks unsure: "Who is that girl talking to Do-hyeok?"

But anyway, iIluminatedquill has written here and here what I want to say and more, so I won't add any more here, other than this: it's my own personal preference as well. I'm just more drawn to romantic relationships which also evolve from friendship. I feel that lust will only get you so far, and the companionship aspect is what makes it long-lasting. (Even in my personal life, my boyfriend is not only my boyfie, he's my friend and partner in crime also.)

Four. Do-hyeok has good and normal relationships with his family. He obviously has good relationship with his Grandpa (judging from the way he's reviving his Grandpa's noodle place until his Grandpa feels better) and is close with his cousin, Do-yeon. While this is based on what's been shown and even though we never see or hear about his parents, I think it's safe to say that Do-hyeok most probably grows up in a loving family and he carries their values with him as he approaches his relationships with people as an adult.

Again, this is mostly personal preference, but as someone who highly value family, for me this is another point for Do-hyeok. I'm not saying that someone with dysfunctional family cannot form loving relationships, but it's what one aspires for.

Do-hyeok cares for people. He takes care of them (e.g. voicing concerns over Do-yeon's plastered hand, preparing umbrella and coffee for Na-bi, etc etc). And, sadly, Jae-eon's distant family background just makes him even more detached and non-committal towards people.

As for Na-bi, she wants to learn from her mother and not following in her footsteps. "I promise myself I would never date while watching my mom." It's heavily implied (and is practically confirmed by her aunt) that her mother dates around as well, and from the one scene we're shown during her birthday weekend, she always feels like her mother neglects her and she's upset about it. So, yeah, Na-bi wants to live differently, and it's clear who's a natural at it already.

Five. I can see them growing together. Yeah, Na-bi's mostly the one who needs to sort out her life, but she also can be a good influence to Do-hyeok. She gives him feedback on his videos (as an example) and he builds upon that.

From Na-bi herself: "I don't want to ever disappoint Do-hyeok." She sees him as such a good guy and always receives things from him. I interpret her line here as her desire to improve herself, to be better. And that's how a good relationship should be, right? It brings out the best out of each other.

That's it from me for now.

I guess some of the points up there can be different priorities for different people, and that's okay. As I've said at the beginning of this post, this is all mine, so feel free to disagree.

To me, Jae-eon is like this very strong gravitational pull: he's sexy, mysterious and very alluring, yet he displays oh-so-many red flags. It's all such a rollercoaster ride with him: very fun and thrilling, yet can also cause you extreme dread.

While Do-hyeok is like a sanctuary. He represents safety, stability and ease. With him, it's like strolling on a park somewhere under the sunshine: things feel warm, pleasant, and cozy.

Na-bi probably still feels the gravitational force of Jae-eon. It's hard to shake off completely on such a short span of time, but I hope she remembers that just like her namesake, she always have her own strength to fly and defy gravity.

[raibebe]

If I may, I’d like to add on to your answer to previous anon.

When we’re talking about who can take over Mark’s lines more easily than yes it would be Jeno, but in this case this is a song we all just heard today

The reason Mark sounds best doing his raps is because he or someone else writes them for Mark himself. They could’ve just given a verse to the other rappers (preferably Jaemin in this case) and write a rap that works best for him. It’s literally that easy. So I completely agree with you on saying it’s unfair how little lines he got, and gets in general, compared to Mark or the other rappers.

I love having Jaemin front and center and that’s great and all but when most people will just listen to the song on Spotify or other streaming services I’d rather hear his voice and know he’s in the song than imagining the screen time he got and that he danced in the center. (That’s no critique on anything you said btw. That’s my own thought on most idols who are “just visuals” and don’t get many to any lines. I’m on your boat on this one) also rap and vocal abilities should be out of the question at this point. These guys have been idols and trained for so long, they are all capable.

Yes, I agree. Especially to the last paragraph even if I want to add onto it with what I said before about how performance has a bigger role in K-Pop than with other music, so I do understand giving someone fewer lines and instead putting him in center more. But a single (shared) line is just audacious.

Also in case anyone wasn't aware, this isn't the first time something like this happened. In Hot Sauce, Jaemin also got a whooping one-liner and got center for the opening and ending as "compensation".

This anon is 100% right that when the producers would write lines specifically catering to Jaemin's style (who has said it over and over that he likes to experiment with different styles and practices endlessly and would like to actually show us his growth as a musician) like they obviously know how to do for Mark (and Kenzie in Hello Future and other Dream songs apparently also knew how to), we wouldn't need to have this conversation at all.

It's not a matter of "Mark fits this flow better" because it was written for Mark to be good at, so he can show off his strengths. It's a matter of "They should have implemented a part where Jaemin could have shined."