#im pretty fond of this one actually ngl

[delimeful]

show your fangs (2/2)

warnings: illness, past trauma, threats, arguing, injury/blood mention, dehumanizing language from an antagonist, enemies to friends speedrun edition

-

Janus found the encampment at the southern end of his woods, not far from where Virgil and Elli had parted.

It seemed to be a group of mercenaries, going by the metal-and-leather armor and assortment of scars each of them bore. He didn’t obviously didn’t tolerate human bounty hunters in his forest, but they were far enough away from the woods that if he hadn’t been searching, he likely would have dismissed them as another gaggle of normal passerby.

They didn’t seem to have any intention to get closer, either, only ever glancing in that direction with the familiar wariness or disgust that most humans wore while regarding his sanctuary.

Instead, they were moving along at a moderate, steady pace, with all the assuredness of a wolf running down an exhausted deer. Janus recalled the dark shadows underneath Virgil’s eyes, and felt that the comparison was far too apt.

The forest wasn’t what they’d come for.

Janus’s displeasure made the trees’ branches rattle all the same.

He didn’t waste another moment watching them, twisting the space around him and emerging on the far east side of his woods.

Virgil’s pace had been dogged for the past few days, digging his fingers into nooks and crannies as he climbed and hauling himself over steep ledges, never pausing to sit and rest the way Janus had seen many a traveler do.

(At the time, he’d thought it strange, a waste of energy and disregard for self-maintenance. Now, he wished the path had been smoother, the human’s efforts more fruitful; the distance between him and his pursuers seemed far too small.)

Currently, however, his progress seemed to have ground to a halt. He’d moved since the previous evening, but not far. He was only a handful of yards away from the stretch of ground where he’d previously knelt.

The reason was obvious. Even as he sat with his back pressed against a boulder outcrop, eyes closed and head tilted back, his leg was carefully angled so that there wasn’t any pressure put on the back of his calf.

It had been bandaged, at least, though Janus didn’t hold any hope that the makeshift fabric was particularly clean. After all, his shirt had been sacrificed to make them, going by the missing right sleeve. Days of travel tended to leave behind layers of dirt and sweat, and his current clothes had certainly seen better days.

Janus watched him for a few long moments, and then sent a loose, cold breeze that way, rustling his hair and tugging at his clothes in a silent encouragement to keep moving.

Virgil breathed in deeply, and then dragged himself to his feet, his face twisted into a silent grimace all the way up. He glanced over at the woods, gaze once again landing eerily close to where Janus stood, and then began the arduous process of walking along treacherous terrain with an entire limb out of commission.

In light of the situation, it really wasn’t that surprising that he stopped to lean against a heavy rock only a paltry twenty minutes later. It was, unfortunately, still very frustrating to watch. Janus sent another breeze.

They played this game of stop and go for another few hours, Janus peripherally aware of the mercenary party continuing to grow closer, and only when they stopped to camp for the evening did Janus finally relent and stop battering at the human with winds chilled enough to keep him awake and on the move.

He left Virgil to curl up and sleep in peace, following his steps back to do what little he could to make the terrain harsher, less forgiving. Still, even with all his effort, it wasn’t enough to halt the party for anything close to a significant amount of time. They were traveling outside the reign of his forest, his control, and he’d sworn noninterference with human matters.

(The oath had been easy to make, a bitter satisfaction in it. He’d expected it to be just as easy to uphold. He hadn’t imagined anything like this.)

–

When he returned the next morning, unsatisfied with the night’s work, he perhaps made his gale break upon Virgil’s sleeping form a bit too harshly. He repressed a wince at the misplaced anger.

It didn’t end up mattering. The human didn’t stir, not even an inch.

A jolt of electric panic ran down Janus’s spine. He couldn’t see the human’s chest, not all curled up against the stone as he was. Was he breathing?

He stepped up to the edge of his territory, a new sort of alarm spreading through him, but even now he couldn’t shake his suspicion. If he went out there and this was a trap, a long con intended to get his guard down, he could be killed. Along with his own life lost, he’d be leaving the forest undefended, with a group of mercenaries as witness. Spreading the word of a forest full of vulnerable myths would be the least of what they could do.

He should leave the human to his fate. It might even be a sort of mercy, granting him a less painful death. That was something his pursuers surely wouldn’t give him.

Virgil continued to lay there, more motionless than he’d been since first appearing at the forest’s border.

Janus scowled, and stepped carefully past the barrier, his invisibility fading away as he moved past the pines.

If Elli– who had indeed been trekking through the forest with bullheaded determination, asking anyone they saw where they could find the guardian– found their friend like this, the results wouldn’t be pretty. That was the only reason he was checking. It was on behalf of one of his residents.

Besides, there wasn’t much that one human could do to harm him when he was in this form.

(Janus pointedly wasn’t thinking about the few things that one could do.)

He crouched next to the human, his shadow completely enveloping the little figure, and reached out with a cautious hand to prod Virgil onto his back.

At the first touch, his heart jumped. He’d half-expected to meet cold, stiff flesh, but instead found he was practically burning up. He could also feel the chest under his fingertips rising with strained breaths. Still alive.

Alive, and likely suffering from an infected wound.

Janus carefully worked his fingers underneath the human’s back, scooping him into his grip fully with all the gentleness that handling someone so small required. He was well-practiced after decades of handling human-sized myths, but they were also usually a bit more durable.

Virgil was decidedly not, this fact only emphasized by the inflamed skin and weeping pus revealed when Janus pulled back the bandages.

To make matters worse, the wound’s scabbing had dried against the bandages, meaning that pulling it free had caused another fresh wave of bleeding from the long gashes in his calf. The human twitched, the pain finally enough to wake him where being battered by winds and picked up by a giant hadn’t.

Janus forced his face to remain neutral and cold as Virgil’s eyes fluttered open, knowing exactly what the human would see. Even with most of his more monstrous traits tucked away, he still had the pointed ears, slit pupils, and curved fangs long enough to poke past his lips. Those features, combined with the giant form that each guardian was blessed with, were sure to send any human screaming.

How irritating. With a sigh, he curled his hand into more of a cup, intending to pre-emptively prevent any falls from thrashing.

Virgil took a long moment to blink, visibly trying to focus his gaze on his surroundings. Eventually, he seemed to find Janus’s face, more or less.

“H‘lo?” he asked, squinting. “Who…?”

Janus raised an eyebrow; this was possibly the most sedate that he’d seen the human ever. Not the reaction he’d expected. The fever had certainly taken its toll, in a different way than he’d expected. “I am the forest’s guardian.”

Virgil’s face did something, probably an attempt to smooth out into a mask of his own, but only succeeded in going lax enough that every little twitch of emotion was exceedingly easy to read.

Right now, the primary emotion was hurt.

“Not inside,” Virgil replied, and it took Janus a moment to realize it was a promise, rather than a request. “Leaving.”

That was right, the last time he’d been confronted with a myth outside these woods, they’d been trying to kill him. Janus moved his assessment of Virgil’s sedate reaction from ‘weird’ to ‘concerning’.

The human in question tensed, like he was going to try and get up and show Janus that he was, in fact, doing his best to continue away from the woods.

Janus had enough foresight to see how badly that would go, and set two fingers against Virgil’s torso and upper legs, keeping him in place. Jostling that injury by trying to stand would have the human in a world of pain. “I know. You’re not in trouble.”

Virgil’s face pinched slightly in doubt, but he didn’t fight against the hold. He didn’t seem to have the energy to try.

Another moment of hesitation. Janus knew he couldn’t treat the wound like this. Healing was delicate work. He’d have to bring himself to Virgil’s level. Could he?

Virgil didn’t seem concerned with his silence. He curled slightly against Janus’s palm, wrapping an arm around one of the fingers pinning him in place. He was just seeking heat, shivering with the false cold that fevers brought. It didn’t mean he wasn’t scared.

But he was staring up at Janus’s face, still, and there was nothing in that look but idle, hazy curiosity.

Janus hissed lowly to himself, and Virgil’s face went pinched up again as he hissed back, the human version of the sound made even more pathetic by how little force was put into it. Virgil looked confused afterwards, like even he wasn’t sure what point he’d been trying to prove with that.

It wasn’t funny. Janus wasn’t charmed, not by the ridiculous responses or the utter lack of fear.

He wasn’t even fooling himself, at this point. It was his choice that decided whether the human lived or died here, and despite everything, this was one human he didn’t want to watch die.

–

Janus left Virgil briefly to retrieve what he would need to treat him, leaving one glove to insulate the human from the cold stone ground upon seeing how miserably he attempted to cling to Janus’s fingers.

All that was left was to take the form that he hadn’t worn in years. The one that bore the traces of far more memories than his normal guardian one. The one that he needed if he was going to keep Virgil from dying any time soon.

It’s just one human, he told himself, and folded himself down into the shape that had once been his only one, in his life before this sanctuary.

It was like a layer of confidence, of false bravado had been stripped alongside his size. His gait was stiff, his jaw clenched tight, but he forced himself onwards, past the safety of his woods. The only one around to tell on him (to hurt him) was nearly delirious with fever.

He approached with audible steps, which stuttered just the slightest bit as the human turned to face him. He looked undersized in the heap of yellow fabric that Janus had been wearing on a single hand earlier in the day, but from this angle, Janus suspected that the human would actually be taller than him.

Thankfully, for both Janus’s nerves and his own health, the human didn’t attempt to stand up, only staring up at him for a long moment, frozen like a deer in place.

“I’m here to help you,” Janus attempted to reassure, the usual sly silkiness gone from his voice. He’d known this would happen. There was no hiding the scales along his skin or the scars carved into his face. Not in this form.

The moment his voice split the air, though, the tension left Virgil as though it had never been there in the first place. “Y’re back,” he managed, the words coming out sort of lopsided but still legible. He sounded pleasantly surprised, of all things.

(If not his identity, his appearance, what exactly had frightened Virgil about this form? What had made him go still and alarmed when even his giant self hadn’t elicited that sort of reaction?)

Janus blinked, and then shook his head, forcing himself to breach the few meters of distance between them and crouch beside his patient.

Virgil didn’t protest as Janus slowly maneuvered his leg out and into the best position to be treated. He did make a low pained whine as Janus continued the process of peeling the stuck bandages away, but he didn’t lash out or pull away, and the process was eased once Janus had dampened them.

Cleaning the wound was significantly more painful, and this time Virgil did lunge forward, but it was only to grab onto one of Janus’s hands, squeezing it with force as he rode through the pain of the disinfectant.

(Janus continued to wipe away dirt and grime from the wound, pretending that his heart hadn’t skipped a beat in sheer learned terror for a moment there.)

It was a hassle to go through each task one-handed. His grip was borderline-painful. Still, Janus didn’t pull away.

Once the wound had been rewrapped (with clean bandages, this time), all that was left to do was wait for the fever to break. The human could do that on his own. Janus was no longer needed there.

He stared down at the hand gripping his, clinging on firmly even as the human slipped back into sleep after the exhausting ordeal, and sighed a long, dramatic sigh.

There was no harm in sitting here for a while longer.

(He had plenty of memories of gentle touch, of friendly contact. It shouldn’t matter that all of them were from after he’d become a guardian. It shouldn’t matter that in this form, the sensation of a warm hand in his was new and unfamiliar.

It mattered anyways.)

–

When the human woke the next day, his fever had broken. Mercifully, he’d woken before too much of the day had been lost.

He also woke alone.

Janus watched as Virgil climbed blearily to his feet, slow but not nearly as hindered as he’d been before. Watched as he put weight on his injured leg and found that, properly bound and with the application of a little healing water, it didn’t hurt nearly as bad. Watched as he took a moment to stare down at his hand, flexing it open and closed for a moment as though feeling some phantom sensation.

When Virgil set off again, Janus turned away to return to his duties.

The human was healed, and with a blessing set on him that would obscure his trail and make it near-impossible for human trackers to follow, the mercenaries were sure to get frustrated with the tangled, hostile path Janus had so kindly created for them, and they would give up. Virgil would make it past the whole of the forest without trouble.

The problem had been resolved. There wasn’t any need for him to interfere further.

At his side, he kept his own fist clenched.

–

For the next couple of days, Janus forced himself to focus on other tasks, namely requests made of the guardian, of which there was an unending supply.

The only attention he allowed himself to dedicate to the human was a slight awareness in the corner of his mind, tracking his progress as he continued along the perimeter of the woods.

Well. That, and avoiding the repeated requests for a meeting with Elli that other denizens kept passing along to him, often with an unimpressed stare when he completely dodged around the subject.

Ultimately, Elli brought the meeting to him, instead.

Janus was pinged by several of the sanctuary’s residents at once, and he paused only long enough to set aside his current task before slipping between two trees on one side of his forest and emerging from a completely separate set on the other side.

He couldn’t really call it a fight, since one participant was warily backing up, and the other was being forcibly restrained from lunging at them. Still, the intent was clearly there, and against his rules.

“What did you do to him?!” Elli was shouting, voice cracking as they forced it several levels louder than they normally spoke. They’d been lifted clear off the ground by one of the other bystanders, arms pinned to their sides, but this didn’t seem to cool their ire even slightly.

“What’s it to you?” Heidi growled defensively, her hand hovering over the knife strapped to her side.

Virgil’s knife. Ah. Yes, that would do it.

“Tell me!” Elli kicked out futilely, their face twisted up in desolate anger and tears budding at the edge of their eyes. Janus stepped forward before they could reply, his presence immediately drawing the attention of everyone there.

“Curator,” Heidi greeted, already looking frustrated. “This one was not my fault.”

Perhaps normally he would have doubted the claim– she’d started more than her fair share of disputes– but not this time. “I’m aware. You can work out your differences with our new arrival and the company they keep at a later date. Right now, I believe they’re owed a long-overdue conversation with me.”

He held a hand out and Elli didn’t argue as they were lowered back onto their feet upon it. In fact, they hardly even waited for Janus to move them to a more private setting before starting their petition.

They cleared their throat, eyes still red-rimmed. “Curator, th-there’s someone who needs sanctuary from you–,”

“I’m aware of what you want from me,” Janus cut in smoothly, “and I cannot grant your wish.”

“Why not?” Their voice was softer now, but there was still that underlying thread of steel.

“Humans are not granted access to these woods.” That was the simplest way to put it.

“Why not?” Elli repeated, brow now twisted with confusion.

Janus tapped one finger lightly against their leg, the one that had been injured when they’d arrived here at Virgil’s side. “Don’t you already know?”

Elli frowned. “Virgil didn’t do that. He helped me.”

“Do you think you’re the only one here who’s been hurt by humans?” Janus proposed the question without the cutting edge he might have normally given it, and waited for it to sink in before continuing. “Your friend is alive. He’s traversing the edge of the woods, and he’ll be free to continue on as he pleases once he reaches the northern trade path. You can head there and accompany him, or stay here in the sanctuary, but he isn’t welcome.”

The naiad had sagged with relief upon hearing that Virgil was still breathing after all, but Janus’s ultimatum made them shoot him a stung look, so full of betrayal that he had to work to keep his firm expression from slipping.

Elli stepped back, shaking their head in silent condemnation. “Let me down.”

Janus lowered his hand to the ground, and they scurried off as if the touch burned. They turned to face him again before speaking, their head tilted back to maintain eye contact.

“This isn’t the sanctuary we believed in,” they told him, chin lifted up in a stubborn jut. “Not if you’re willing to let good people get hurt because you’re afraid.”

Janus refused to react, still as stone, and Elli left him behind to walk northwards.

‘The sanctuary we believed in.’

What kind of human was Virgil, to hear tales of a forest full of monsters and think of safety?

—

In the end, it was pure luck that he hadn’t been too late.

A flare of magic near the barrier had caught his attention, and he’d followed it curiously, expecting a wary myth testing his magic or signaling for aid.

(He was pointedly ignoring the little voice that told him he could check on Virgil’s process while he was on that side of the woods.)

There hadn’t been a single sign before this moment, no warnings that he could have noted.

Even so, there was no disputing the band of mercenaries that stood before him, visible from the barrier’s edge.

They stood in a loose semicircle, their backs to the woods, surrounding the last person he’d wanted to see there and the only possible person he could have expected. Virgil.

There had clearly already been a fight, and Virgil had just as clearly lost. He was on hands and knees, posture curled in to brace for a blow, and one leg was held up gingerly, as though the wounds on it had been freshly reopened.

Of course they were. He’d been up against five fully armed men, and he didn’t even have a knife.

“… just tell us what we need to know,” the apparent leader was saying in a faux-coaxing tone. He held a glowing wooden trinket in hand, the source of the magic flare up, and Janus cursed his own stupidity. He hadn’t thought bounty hunters would stoop so low as to use enchanted tracking tools, hadn’t accounted for it in his blessing.

The leader stepped closer, impatient with Virgil’s lack of response. “Come now. Everyone can see how quickly your little ‘friend’ abandoned you, and you’re still defending it?”

Virgil muttered something, and when the leader leaned in closer to hear, he lifted his head and spat directly in the man’s face.

The whole group rippled with violent intent, and the leader let out an unamused bark of laughter before backhanding him hard enough that the sound of it echoed. Virgil rocked with the force of the blow and then wavered in place, looking close to passing out.

Janus couldn’t look away. He felt a sharp, icy anger sweep through him, the trees creaking ominously as his temper swelled. Some of the mercenaries glanced over their shoulders at the forest, visibly nervous.

The leader didn’t seem to notice. “We’ll do it the hard way, then. We’ve waited this long, we can stand to keep our patience a little longer, see if a little fresh meat won’t bait out a monster worth our time.” Virgil twitched at that, his breathing going shallow, and the mercenary laughed. He pulled a wicked-looking knife, the edge ridged like a saw blade, designed to hurt. “We might even make a dime off the leftovers if we’re careful. Turns out traitors like you don’t look so different from the monsters on the inside. I’m sure your guts will be convincing enough to scam a few amateurs, at least.”

The wind kicked up sharply, clouds blotting out the sun, his fury creating an unnerving harmony of rustling leaves and hollow whistling, but it was all cosmetic, surface-level. If Janus stayed hidden, it was also all he could do.

But if he went out there, he’d be vulnerable to those mercenaries, to humans that had already proven they had magical tools and were willing to use them.

At the feeling of the breeze through his hair, Virgil lifted his head and locked eyes with Janus, past the barrier, past the veil of invisibility draped over him. His lip was split, one eye swollen and crusting with blood. The other had the unnatural sheen of true sight, the sort of gift Janus had watched humans use to hunt down myths in hiding for ages.

There was no fever haze to obscure the truth this time. Virgil could see right through Janus, all the way down to the paltry, scarred little being he’d been before this forest.

Yet there was no disgust there. No greed. No hatred.

Janus stepped forward despite himself, despite everything.

And Virgil— Virgil’s good eye widened, just slightly, and gave the tiniest shake of the head. The near-unnoticeable motion was belied by the vehemence in his gaze. ‘Don’t come.’

He recognized Janus as the guardian. He believed in the forest’s sanctuary. He wanted to protect it.

The least Janus could do was return the favor.

He let himself fold down into his original form, and dropped his invisibility, looking every bit as vulnerable as he’d been years ago. A wolf in sheep’s clothing.

The distraction worked, the men who had been watching the trees warily shouting out in alarm, and for a moment every eye turned to him.

Virgil went tense, seeing the misdirection for what it was, but when he angled his body to run, he did it in the wrong direction.

Really, was it too much to ask that Janus’s abrupt change of heart simply be an understood thing? Must he really communicate it himself?

Without breaking eye contact, Janus lifted his arm and held his hand out, fingers splayed. A beacon. A lifeline. An extension of trust.

Virgil reached back.

He darted past the broken ranks of the mercenaries, his pains ignored in favor of one final fight-or-flight rush, and streaked directly towards the barrier, bolstered by the wind at his back.

Janus could see the fear in him, had witnessed it lingering in this human the entire time, but it was abruptly overshadowed by sheer, dumb courage.

It was in the way he didn’t slow down, already intimately aware of how the barrier’s refusal had felt and forcing himself forward anyhow. The way he believed in that outstretched hand enough to take the chance that this was a trick. To leave the crevice. To give up the knife. To be small, vulnerable.

For the first time, the barrier parted for a human hand. For the second, a hand grabbed on to his.

At some point in the middle there, they both realized that approaching at a dead sprint wasn’t conducive to a graceful collision.

Janus stiffened up for impact, a tactic that worked significantly less well when he wasn’t a giant invulnerable magic forest guardian, and Virgil twisted so that his momentum was sent to the side rather than hitting Janus head-on.

They went spinning, a dizzying series of rotations, and despite Virgil’s best efforts to keep them on their feet, they shortly ended up hitting the ground in a tumble of limbs.

“Ow,” the first human to ever set foot in his forest said plainly.

Janus let out a hysterical giggle, one that he would henceforth deny to the end of his days.

They made eye contact, and Janus realized that their hands were still clasped. Virgil offered him a tentative half-grin, but a moment later his gaze shifted to something behind them, and then he was shuffling to cover as much of Janus as possible with his longer frame.

Janus followed his gaze, finding that half the mercenaries had advanced while the others waited warily behind. One had a crossbow loaded and aimed at them, and another had tested their luck against the barrier and was now clutching a burnt hand to his chest.

The leader stood there, a scowl on his face, knife still in hand. “You think you’re safe there? It won’t be safe for long. No magic is impenetrable.”

“Why bother with all that work?” Janus asked, his lips curling into something self-satisfied. “I can let you in right now, should you truly wish to enter.”

He disentangled himself from Virgil, who protested and attempted to follow him to his feet with no success. He was clearly feeling the effect of moving so much while injured. That was fine. Janus could stand and face their opponents for the both of them.

“Oh, but…,” he tapped a finger against his lips thoughtfully. “I should greet you properly, first.”

Between one moment and the next, he was once again towering over everyone there, as vast and implacable as the mountain and its grove. He crouched over Virgil, placing his hands on either side of where the human sat and leaning on them, a show of faux-casualness.

“As the guardian of the forest, it would only be fair to return any intentions you have towards its inhabitants. What was it they said?” He directed the question down to Virgil. “That they wanted to provide fresh meat for those who live in my woods?”

There was a pause, and for a moment Janus worried he’d miscalculated, that this was too much, and then–

“I’m pretty sure they were saying that human organs are pretty valuable if you hand them over to the right people,” Virgil mused, lips tugged up into a smirk. He leaned back against Janus’s wrist, happy to play into the act. “I wonder how many they have between the group of them?”

“We could certainly find out,” Janus practically purred, and what little color remained in the mercenaries' faces drained away. “Please, do come in.”

He moved, the slightest shifting of weight forward, and two of the mercenaries turned and bolted, bravado visibly snapping. The rest, abandoned by their greater numbers and outclassed in every other way, were soon to follow.

Once they were out of sight, Virgil burst out laughing, a hoarse chuckle that immediately cut off with a wince as he jostled his wounds.

“For goodness’s sake,” Janus frowned at the fool, shifting back to give him space but keeping his wrist still to support his weight. “Haven’t you re-opened enough wounds?”

Virgil rolled his eyes, staying right where he was. “Hey, it wasn’t my idea to get the crap beat out of me by a bunch of assholes. Give the credit where it’s due.”

“If they ever show their faces here again, I certainly plan to,” Janus replied, voice saccharine. He then paused for a moment before slowly curling a hand around where Virgil sat. “We should get you treated.”

The human blinked up at him as well as he could with one black eye. “What, I’m… I’m staying? This wasn’t just a one-time, scheme-based entry?”

His tone was forcibly kept light, but Janus could see the badly-hidden hope in his posture.

“You’re staying,” he replied, as trustworthy as he could manage. “If you want. I’ll warn you now, the others may take a while to… adjust.”

Virgil cracked a grin, shrugging slightly as Janus’s fingers moved to support his back. “Hey, between you and the lady who stole my knife, I’ve convinced two out of two people not to murder me so far. My streak could continue.”

“Nobody will be murdering you on my watch,” Janus told him, and then tried to distract from the utter soppiness of that statement by lifting Virgil up. “Besides, you haven’t even accounted for your greatest proponent.”

Virgil shuffled, getting comfortable in Janus’s grip, and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“Yes.” Janus said, turning to set off to where he could feel a stubborn presence hiking up the mountain. “I''m certain Elli will be more than willing to counter anyone that wants to trouble you.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Virgil brighten at the mere mention of his friend, and knew that he’d made the right decision after all.

[enden-k]

in response to this

kaveh if he breaks smth by accident is just this chibi like, all of it:

(just with some additional tears in his eyes if it rlly was smth bad AKJBKJ baby)

also agree. kaveh is an architect, an artist, someone who creates so seeing himself being like an evil (or corrupted as the anon said) version to take smth away, erasing existence...........ngl its interesting concept but he would be devastated fr 😭 using kaveh of all ppl for this aughh

unless u wanna think of it more comical and less angsty, and have him go like nah this thing ugly im just gonna unmake you *deletes offending monument* akhsjcbkj but he wouldnt simply go through this in someone elses world, especially if it manipulates/influences their game in a bad way

but!! imagine if kaveh had this skill fr (not only bursting dendro cores but simply making objects vanish after changing their traits), he would simply delete all the ugly furniture in haithams house that truly insults his eyes AKJSBCKJ can you imagine it go like:

"well, al haitham, i got rid of your entire bedroom because it was just too ugly. thank me later." ....suddenly, later in the evening, kaveh finds himself squished in his own bed between haitham and the wall - his own bed that is way too narrow for two grown men, especially one of haithams size and mass. all because haitham is like "considering this is my house, your bedroom is also mine so i will simply take it until you put every single piece of furniture back to where it belonged."

(this turned into a full, usual youn ramble lol rest is UTC)

kaveh is too proud and refuses to simply give up on his bed to sleep on the divan so he stubbornly stays, which comes back at him to bite his ass when hes in bed and gets a faceful of haithams bare chest and when he turns to face the wall hes too aware of the scribes warm body against his back - its like his dreams came true a nightmare

still too proud to admit defeat and let haitham have his bed, kaveh continues sharing his bed even though he barely gets any sleep with haitham right there. he also starts actually crafting haithams furniture by himself, at first all annoyed with him and simply wanting to finish this as fast as he can no matter how ugly, so he can have his own room for himself again before smth stupid happens (like kaveh giving in and kissing him or confessing)

but as soon as he learns from first hand that haitham is quite the cuddler in his sleep (the first time a sleeping haithams arms wrapped around his waist to pull him into him got him so flustered he didnt sleep at all that night), them getting closer everytime theyre sleeping (the amount of times theyre spooning or lying on top of each other all cuddled up is increasing)............haitham growing more soft now that they spend their nights together, having more of kaveh................his work turns from simply trying to replace what he made disappear to more thoughtful, loving pieces

a bed that resembles haithams older one, but big enough for two people to comfortably sleep in there (not that he designed it with himself in mind, its just....well.....a big bed is always nice and haitham takes up quite a lot of place right? totally not designed for both of them) with curtains in this soothing teal shade he knows haitham is fond of and nice patterns to block out the sun falling through the stained windows if he wants to sleep in; a closet with pretty, geometrical carvings matching his bed that haitham probably doesnt even care about; a nightstand with even a holder for his headset to place on, etc etc

its haithams bedroom but with small changes and improvements regarding design and comfort that kaveh did just for haitham. and he notices. of course he does

however, they got so used and comfortable to this whole (awkward at first) sleeping situation (bc it wasnt just kaveh loving to fall asleep in a sleeping, cuddly haithams arms, it was also haitham loving to wake up to the sight of a sleeping kaveh too) that every now and then kaveh slips into haithams (way too comfortable) bed ("well, i designed it so technically its also my bed") and even though its way bigger than kavehs bed, they somehow still seek each other out and find their way to cuddle up to each other

it doesnt take long until its not just their bodies seeking each other out but also their lips

not longer until the first utters a confession against the others skin, asking him to stay as their fingers intertwine and more kisses are exchanged

and not even longer for them to turn haithams bedroom, all designed and crafted by kaveh with love and care, into their bedroom

tl;dr: not only are they roommates, theres also only one bed (no clickbait)

[a-court-of-moonlight-and-ire]

Made it to chapter 16 today which means Feyre and I have both had our first impressions of Rhysand's Inner Circle and ohhhhhhh boy

Its hard to pinpoint why exactly, but theres something so discomforting about watching them interact. I think the main thing is that for all their "casual-ness", theres still clearly a rigid hierarchy between them and they all seem to 'know their place' so to speak, its not at all like Lucien and Tamlin's relationship in the first book which genuinely felt like a friendship that was unburdened by their status or positions. Like, theres this one moment where Mor and Amren are like kinda bickering with each other i guess, and Feyre remarks that Mor is probably super powerful if she dares talk back against Amren (in an incredibly minor matter Im pretty sure but I already forgor ngl) and because this is the book where Feyre's perspective starts being Objectively Correct all the time, I guess that's true, I guess the only reason someone would dare voice their opinion on something to this friend group is if they were physically more powerful because otherwise you just level a fucking mountain during an argument

Anyway, Im gonna switch topics for a short moment but I promise this diversion is relavant to the point above. So, sometimes when I go into the anti-tags on here looking for criticisms or complaints of the books, I instead find anti-ship posts that are mainly just about trash-talking some ship, mostly ones relating to that whole Elucien/Elriel/Gwynriel shipwar, which I already have thoughts on but I'll save those for later. In any case, one day I stumbled upon this pretty long anti-elriel post about how the gifts Elain gives Azriel on winter solstice arent actually cute and it describes how she gave him like, herbs that help with headaches "because his friends are always giving him headaches" apparently. And then that post went on a whole rant about how insensitive that was of her and that she doesnt actually understand Azriel's dynamic with his close friends, but honestly, judging from this chapter Elain was absolutely spot on

And I usually wouldn't say this because yknow, its only one chapter and we're probably gonna get the nuances of their relationship later, but this is a book written by Sarah J Maas, her characters and their relationships are rarely particularly deep and, more importantly, her writing is incredibly unsubtle. If Azriel was in any way fond of his friends shenaningans I wouldve noticed it, because Feyre wouldve noticed it like 15 times during that whole dinner. But she didnt.

Its especially bad for Cassian and Azriel because it feels like Cassian thinks they have this great rapport but Azriel just genuinely kinda dislikes him. Not to mention that whole fucking mess with Azriel and Mor and Cassian and Mor having sex so she wouldnt get married off or whatever, good god how is every conversation between them not insanely awkward

Even beyond that, idk man, theyre all just so insufferable. I dont understand how Amren, ancient eldritch being trapped in a fae body that she is, can stand to be around them, I wouldve left them 5 centuries ago if I was her. I guess the explanation is that she finds the government position interesting but its like, youre SECOND to the most boring and annoying man on the planet only kinda ruling over a court that you dont even actually care about from everything Ive heard. Again, if I was in Amren's position I would not be hanging out in an APARTMENT in a boring ass city at the behest of a quartett of stupid bozos, I wouldve weaseled my way into being the personal advisor of Beron or some shit so I could watch the Vanserra Family Drama unfold live

There was one good thing about this discomforting dinner though, and that was how inexplicably gay Cassian was for Rhysand. He was really out there, looking at him with such love, calling him pretty twice in like two minutes being all "I knew I wanted a piece of him the moment I first saw him, the high lord's pretty son" like okay. I know what you are

[intotheelliwoods]

Bunch of asks! Sorry for no drawings this time around ive been pretty burnt out as of late whoopsies.. would appreciate it if you guys could give me some time with the next 2AL update!!

---

@snipersiniora Oh for sure! He is still Leo after all! After the whole situation after the invasion calmed down he would so crack a ton just to help lighten everyones moods! And yes, at multiple occasions would make fun of his own age, and throw in dad jokes!

---

@wraenata FLASHBACKS TO THIS ASK if you cannot ask me MY favorite kind of cheese, then you cannot ask ANY OF THE LEOS THEIR FAVORITE CHEESE impossible question. the answers have no end. cheese is delicious and every type is so valid.

But listen listen, Leo, no matter the age, is an incredibly cheesy fella.

---

@cartoonfan (this ping might not work oops) Waa thank you!!! I am turning this ask into an opportunity to say that having your own version of future Leo is so awesome because since we have only seen him for like 5 minutes, you can give him whatever personality you want and it fits no matter what you do pfft.

Like damn I want to make the most fluffy and kind peepaw imaginable? no problem 👍 no one can stop me and im so happy lots of people are enjoying my take!

---

@allynabie Hello!!!

Everyone else feels great about it~ Yes, it may be weird having an extra Leo, but if that said Leo somehow manages to help your Leo generally have better coping mechanisms then theres really nothing to complain about here. I can guarantee you if future Leo was not here, Leo's recovery would have gone wayyy different, as in it would have taken him longer to accept his loss, and it would have been way more bumpy and harmful of a ride.

If you were to ask me about what the comic is about overall, my answer would be self love and how to accept reality by being open with yourself.

As for being aware of their future deaths, they are aware that they have died, yes! I actually plan on covering that a little bit soon but shhh you did not hear that from me~

---

AAa the amount of support I get from having the Leo's being supportive of eachother is amazing, said it so many times before and ill say it again, so glad people are enjoying this take! Happy I can provide this fandom some comfort between the two!

Though I should also use this ask as a chance to mention: I do not dislike or look down upon any version of future Leo where he hates/despises his future self!!! I apologies in advance if some of what I have been saying would lead people to thinking this of me and I just wanted to be a bit clear with that! Honestly the two not being very fond of each other can lead to so many interesting storylines so who am I to complain.

Anyways, all takes of Future Leo are amazing, thought I should just through that here :)

---

Such a great sidejoke ngl~ Though I should mention, while there may be a tracker inside Leo's prosthetic, there is no recorder!

[vacantgodling]

For the Family Asks!

For San:

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 How would they define “family”?

And a potentially thorny one: 😇 What’s the fondest memory they have with their sibling(s)?

For Forte:

🤔 What are things they picked up from their parent(s)/guardian(s) that weren’t intentionally taught?

Another possibly tricky one: 😄 Is there any trait they particularly appreciate about their family?

--@ceph-the-ghost-writer

thank you thank you!! :3 i’m so happy you asked about these guys im JDRJFJFJ

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 How would they define “family”? San: “Kin is… those who share your blood. They should die for you and you them. You fight, and you hate each other sometimes. But they’re your blood. Blood doesn’t betray blood.”

(it’s not a healthy mindset at all but that’s ✨trauma✨ baybee. at the same time that they parrot this there’s barely any part of her that believes it because being around their family makes her feel AWFUL)

😇 What’s the fondest memory they have with their sibling(s)?

OOOOOOF you’re right this is thorny. off the top of my head i would say that san doesn’t have any good or fond memories of spending time with moira—it was always marred by something. a joke that went too far, or (usually) their parents causing tension and strife between them. like legitimately they had sibling rivalry from the moment san was born and it was never hee hee haha and cute it was just a wreck.

this being said: their fond memories will come. it’s just in the future, once san kind of gets over herself and both of them do some healing and recognize that they Can actually like each other. but that takes uhhh a lot of time and some near death experiences.

🤔 What are things they picked up from their parent(s)/guardian(s) that weren’t intentionally taught?

for forte a lot of it was his mother’s ummm temperament i guess i should say? he’s always taken after her despite having his father’s kind of ambitious spirit—pretty measured and stern when he needs to be, but also extremely patient and caring. a lot of it comes down to forte being extremely obserative. he’s extremely mature (among the main 5 he’s the most mature lol) and that’s also something he gets from his mama :)

😄 Is there any trait they particularly appreciate about their family?

for forte this isn’t too hard, he loves how compassionate his family is and tries to do the same in turn. ngl he can be somewhat… detached naturally. but he works very hard at being open and understanding to emulate his mom dad and sister. he loves them more than anything and he loves how they love so he shows the same care they gave him to everyone. (which is another reason why he’s so well adjusted lmao)

[coccolithophore]

Of all your OCs, which of them has been like, 'your' oc, the one that has a special place in your heart in particular?

oooooh good question!! my immediate instinct is to say my storm sorceress lasha. she was the first dnd oc i ever played long term. i admit i think ive gotten much better at making characters since i came up with her (she was a chaotic neutral fuck shit up type in the actual game which is not really my playstyle anymore) but she got me into the ttrpg hobby and that campaign was my first time ever roleplaying an oc with other people which i now looooove. lasha also got me into drawing again for the first time since childhood which has now progressed to me posting digital art and even using it at work 6 years later :3c thank you lasha!

i will say theyre newer but ive come to be reallyyyy fond of atlas too. their design is pretty and they have inspired me to basically come up with an entire world inside my brain. their lore is very creative and complete and interesting on a whole new level for me which im proud of ngl. they also have a very distinct personality that i find funny to think about how they'd react to things lol i want to roleplay them again but alas your bug princess is in another castle rn u_u;

[elegyofthemoon]

log o7

• surprisingly knowing stuff for microbio that i didnt need to be lectured much and was kinda left to do my own business/finished early enough i can grab lunch

• being able to talk further to my friend about a writing project that i have on the backburner presently because i got a bad writers block about it but now i think i have an idea of where i wanna go

• getting a really stupid idea for a scene for said project and even getting a chance to write it

• being able to take a shuttle out of town (even if its just for classes. i miss driving around sm lmao)

• saw daffodils again :) also very pretty on sunny days like today. actually lots of them bc theyre planted all over the place here which is so nice!

• got to go home earlier than expected from the teaching :)

• GOT TO SEE A BUNCH OF BUGS.... I actually lowkey really love microbio tbh and I think it's cool (and terrifying. I had a huge fear of Everything when I first started learning about it), but getting to see each of the organisms face to face feels like being a little starstruck (which is kinda lame tbh but honestly it was so neat.), especially the parasites because they were a lot bigger than I would imagine them being!

• ngl walking around in the cold rain was nice. i mean it was really cold but it kinda felt freeing in a way. its nice

• i mean technically it didnt happen today but the little realization made me sorta happy. a lot of the times with friends i always worry about being really boring and tbh, from my perspective, i feel that i am. i dont really talk much and tend to be too anxious to do so. i dont speak my mind because i get way too nervous about how the other would accept it. that and sorta being told that i am boring/predictable a lot growing up made it hard to not think of myself any other way. (its kinda weird though bc i get told both ends of the spectrum where im either told im too boring OR im being too annoying so idk. cant win either way tbh). idk. its silly thinking about like two instances as of late that like i did something that was very predictable of me and still friends being fond of that bc thats just very 'me'. maybe its a silly thing to fixate on, but ig its kinda nice knowing that i dont have to try so hard to stand out/be different or whatever else. naturally, whatever i wind up doing, there'll be people who like me as i am, and i think thats a nice thing to hold onto

i forgot to add one more bc this was mostly written while i was on the shuttle back home and cooking dinner but it was also nice talking to my friend about some theories about hsr :] idk it got me excited to do so even though i dont have everything put together in my head alskdfjh

[annikasevenshots]

Star Trek Picard: Season 3 Episode 3 Reaction (spoilers!)

* Bev being a grounding force for Jack like yes she is so MOTHER

* "goddamn back window" IM SORRY THID IS SO FUNNY LIKE. the viewscreen won't work so you just look out the mf built in window 😭

* whose idea was it to have a viewscreen instead of a window anyway 💀

* WHY ARE THEIR SKINS SMOOOOOOTH IT'S GIVING ODO DEADASS 💀💀💀

* my dad actually sent me a pretty emotional text about that fatherhood scene 🥹

* I wish we'd gotten to know Thaddeus :(

* TROI CAMEO TROI CAMEO TROI CAMEO TROI CAMEO <3 <3 <3

* Wait if Thad was born on the Titan mayhaps we could see him in LWD? As a babbby??? 🥺🥺🥺

* Ngl Shaw knowing when to relieve his crew to get rest, I respect that

* LITTLE VOY

* SEVEN FIXING THING SEVEN FIXING THING SEVEN SEVEN SEVEN

* BABY LA FORGE BABY LA FORGE BABY LA FORGE BABY LA FORGE

* SHE'S 100% COMING TO THE SPINOFF IF I SAY SO MYSELF

* also didn't shaw say seven earned her post back after finding jack last episode? what are they mf doing

* "This sounds rehearsed" SHES SO MEAN PLEASE SEVEN I WOULD REHEARSE A SPEECH IF I HAD TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF HER TOO

* me rehearsing my hellos in line to meet jeri ryan at london comic con like

* THE TITAN THEME PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND??? JUST SO GENTLY????? FUCK WHAT YALL ARE SAYING ABOUT SHAW THE TITAN IS SEVEN'S CREW <3

* COMMANDER SEVEN 📣📣📣

* "go rest, ensign" god i wish someone would tell me to go rest

* HER FOND HEADSHAKE PLEASE

* Bev being a doctor 🥺

* JACK BEING A DOBERMAN GUARD DOG AND FOR WHAT

* Honestly seeing Bev back in Sickbay again is just. Seeing Dr Beverly Crusher is just. Is just is just is just.

* FACE ACTING 📣📣📣 these people are masters of their craft i swear

* "A perfect day on borrowed time" that is actually so beautiful

* the fifth time 🤡🤡🤡 JL was keeping track and for WHAT

* guys omg,,, they bonked. they fucking bonked and they're making me think about it while staring at two geriatric people

* GATES MCFADDEN SLAY

* that is actually so well acted that's such a SLAY.

* Picard: I never want a family

* Bev: okay i'll respect that

* Picard: no not like that >:(

* See I keep forgetting that this series is actually called Star Trek Picard because everyone keeps overshadowing him. I'm so sorry PatStew these girlies are girlbossing so close to the sun

* Bev really wasn't wrong though

* "All to the same stars that own you" GUYS WHY IS THE WRITING SO 🤌🤌🤌

* i'm actually surprised at how well That Part of the fandom is coping with a secret son arc given the fact that they were furious about michael being spock's half sister. but then again 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

* "He's not Dad" HE'S DADDY 🤡👍

* The way those officers passed SO SLOWLY BETWEEN RIKER AND JACK I MEAN SAME I'D WANT ALL THE HOT GOSSIP LIKE👂

* "I owe this ship's captain an apology" bitch you owe SEVEN an apology actually be serious

* Oh my god they actually had someone standing guard at a mf WINDOW this show is so unserious

* Jesus christ Shaw

* Okay but Shaw knowing when to take a step back? I honestly respect that. That's what a good leader is about.

* EPIC TITAN FIGHT THEME sorry i will never shut up about the music

* On the note of music, KLINGON OPERA 📣📣📣

* Someone on Twitter noted that Raffi was holding a phaser very similar to Seven's Fenris Ranger one in S2 and I can't take my mind off of that like this show is so crazy detailed

* CHAMOMILE TEAAAAAA <3

* Me running to the grocery store to get chamomile tea because i want something to remind me of raffi and merchandising is shit with star trek

* Seriously just sell Worf's chamomile blend you'd make so much bank

* The red light imagery when Worf says "I have learned to access calm as well as fire" WOAHHHHHHHHHHH

* Raffi being like "I TOLD YOU THAT BITCH" and Worf being like you dumbass 🥰👍

* Actual ideal dynamic

* OH MY GOD RAFFI that speech. "My life, my family, my sobriety" FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

* Worf calling her Raffaella 😩🤌 actual top tier

* Raffi's like 👁️🤡🫴😩👉🙄🤔😤... 🆒

* Seriously Bev is such a soothing doctor, I love her so much

* Jack taking after her footsteps as well

* BEV KNOWING WHAT SHE'S DOING I LOVE HER SM ACTUALLY

* "How does she keep finding us" Shaw is actually big brained? Kinda? Like I can see Shaw as a Captain like he's Captain Brained

* The Shrike is actually so cool I'm ngl

* "She's pulled us deeper into the nebula" no? she just dragged you around the corner pls 💀

* Feeling silly goofy wanna run away and start a nightclub in District 6 of Mtalas Prime

* PLEASE RAFFI AND WORF ARE SO SIBLING CODED

* KEEP SQUABBLING MY LOVES I LOVE YOU BOTH SO MHCH

* "I told you to stay back" "It is not in my nature to stay back" THEY ARE BOTH EXACTLY THE SAME I SWEAR TO GOD

* "You look inconspicuous in that hood" "Says the Klingon in warrior gear" "It is casual" THEYRE SO UNSERIOUS

* "I'm glad to see you are feeling better" "I'm not😤" why is raffi so funny

* "Beheadings are in wednesdays" STOP BEING FUNNY MY MENTAL HEALTH CANT HANDLE THIS 😭😭😭

* SEVEN BEING UNFAZED "you're insane 🤷🏻‍♀️" WHY IS SHE HILARIOUS

* SEVEN OF NINE PLEASE KICK ME LIKE THAT

* the way i know jeri ryan asked to have a scene where they had to put on masks /hj

* "Hansen to bridge" breaks my heart every time

* RAFFI YOU CAN TAKE MY FINGERNAILS ANY TIME WHATEVER MAKES YOU HAPPY ♥️♥️♥️

* "I think I feel my chamomile tea coming back up" SHE DRANK WORF'S TEA ♥️♥️♥️

* oh my god the way raffi So gently sniffs the drug

* THAT MONOLOGUE. STEP. ON. ME. RAFFI. MUSIKER.

* RED IMAGERY??????

* YES!!!!!!!! SEVEN TO THE BRIDGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SEVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TO THE BRIDGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

* Ohhh now I see why it's called 17 seconds

* Dr Ohk is so baby I want to be her actually

* Is Beverly using the samsung tricorder they used last season

* That LOOK. TATTOO THIS ON ME

* WHY IS MICHELLE HURD SUCH A TOP TIER ACTRESS GODDAMNIT

* GOO MAN??????? MAN GOO GOO MAN GOO???????? GOO MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

* Being a father is making Picard make bad decisions I'm ngl

* Ooooh Raffi and Worf headed to Daystrom 👀 Will they meet La Forge and La Forge Jr I wonder?

* THE WAY THE PORTAL SHOOTS THEM BACK IN THE ASS IS SOOOOOOO COOL

* also how did none of them predict this they know the portal weapon exists

* me when i forget the enemy has reflect damage on when i game lmao rip titan

In conclusion I ate bread while watching this

[averagecatdoodlesenjoyer]

🌟

Genuinely all of the main cast are my favorite characters. Though I do have to admit that I've also grown quite fond of the dummies and the floor masters over time.

...I imagine this answer isn't very satisfying so I'll tell you why I like each character but it's also 2:30 am for me and I'm very sleepy so this isn't a serious analysis or anything just pure feelings.

Warning incoherent ramblings and bad English

Sara: imagine being the strongest person in a death game and a group of people unanimously decide that you're their leader that will lead them to survival and there's also that one guy who hates you and wants you dead and also you're 17. I could never. I think Sara is a really cool protagonist honestly amd I also have a soft spot for caharcerts who are so very serious and powerful but also so silly..... I love Sara she's such a good character..... I love Sara..

Joe: ngl it was love from first sight. I love the 'happy go lucky best friend' archetype and he's so deeply caring and kind (and he can be pretty smart and a quick thinker too when the situation calls for it) and just.... ooghh im gonna cry

Keiji: weird guy relatable in the way he hates himself so much and is so convinced of being a bad person that he acts like one.

Kanna: Kanna!! Hi Kanna!! Haaaiii Kanna :333 she wears a bucket and acts like any 14 year old dragged in a death game would. She's very deeply trusting in contrast to Shin and it's sort of one of the biggest things about her character and I'm just :((( Kanna my dear precious baby girl.... Also do u ever think about how Kannas first trial was evaluating trust and Kugie trusted Kanna enough to let her use the key but Kanna couldn't save her and then she tells Sara to kill her and trust in Shin. Do u ever think about that. I just made that up its 3 am idk if this makes sense.

Q-taro: great character AND the fattest ass in the death game.

Shin: one of the best antagonists I've ever seen. Nankidai literally went 'what if the most reoccurring antagonist is Just Some Guy who is weak and kind and timid and is only an antagonist because he was told that he's doomed by the narrative' and it's AWSOME.

Reko: she's the normal one of the group if I'm being completely honest. I love her. I really enjoy that we see her in several different lights: the Reko who is kind to the weak (Sara's POV), the Reko who is harsh to the strong (Mishima's POV in YTTS), and the Reko before Alice's case, who is more abrasive and cold to everyone.

Nao: what can I say, I love my wife. She's grown A LOT during the events of the game and then DIED in a very sad way... Very tragic. Also I love that when bad stuff happens to her she thinks 'ok how can I incorporate this in my art' (how she wants to sketch the insects from the 'fly swatter' attraction and her fondness events in YTTS) very relatable tbh.

Kai: he has done nothing wrong ever and he's also very relatable.

Gin: WHO put him in a death game. He should be playing roblox not witnessing the horrors. He would call me a homophobic slur and I would forgive him.

Mishima: I genuinely believe he's actually the most powerful character in the game. Have you SEEN how easily he figured out that Shin was lying to him in YTTS and made him actually open up and befriend him instead. The only reason that his survival percentage isn't very high is because he puts others before himself and maybe in some simulations he died because of a trap involving trying not to smoke idk. I also LOVE his cartoonish mannerisms. I like to imagine he's very animated.

Alice: I would hate this guy irl and that's why I like him. He's so intense in everything it's hard to not find it enjoyable or at least entertaining. And then you find out that he's also actually pretty kind and protective of his loved ones and deeply sad and has a very tragic and complex backstory and it's the guy who says 'yikes!'.

...ok I won't write about the dummies and floor masters but I hope you were at least mildly entertained reading this. I have a lot more to say about every character and why I think they're all great but I'll need more time and energy for that

[tokkias]

okay so out of curiosity, which fairy tail pair is your fave after nalu? and where does gruvia land on your list (im nosey) (and i’m assuming gajevy is nr 2 but i might be wrong) (just a vibe i get)

i am soooo aggressively neutral about pretty much every non-nalu ship, like i hardly give the time of day to any other ships unless it's brought up externally, i.e. i have been thinking about gajevy a lot lately, but that's because i wanted to write something for gajevy week and not because im big crazy insane over gajevy

ur vibe check is correct gajevy is my number 2 ship, probably the only other ship i would actively go out of my way to write for outside of requests, i think they are so beloved and i cannot wait for the babies to be born <3

as for gruvia im about as neutral about it as i am every other ship tbh? i think it's fine, i think it's pretty cute but i wouldn't say im a gruvia shipper? i really like gray and juvia separately as characters, probably both in my top 5, so i can vibe with it but if im reading a big 4 fic i am skipping over the gruvia parts sry. i don't see a lot of gruvia on my dash because the moment i see any gruvia discourse i block immediately, doesn't matter what side of the discourse it is on, i'm just so tired and i think the person who made the gruvia hate blog is a loser with no life who needs to go outside and talk to a real person

you didn't ask for this but i like to talk so here are my opinions on other ships:

jerza - similarly as apathetic as i am towards gruvia. probably even moreso because i don't care much for jellal as a character? tho that is changing through my reread so we shall see elfever - they have been living rent free in my brain for the past 3 weeks ngl?? i have written a bit of elf and ever separately recently and i just think they're soooo funny apart which is increased tenfold when they're together. underrated ship nali - guilty of being one of those nali antis back in 2015 but my justification is that i was 13. lisanna deserved so much better than that i am sorry babygirl. i actually don't mind nali, i think it's cute and i do like childhood best friends to lovers trope my beloved. if i were not so deep into nalu hell that i side eye every other ship for them i think i would be really fond of it. i was gonna joke about me being a nali fic writer in another universe but can you fucking imagine. i cannot stiyu - this is just the nalu we have at home. yukino is so boring as a character i physically cannot care about any ship involving her calu - cringe! cringe! cringe! gross yuck don't like it. the only ship in ft i actively hate hate hate. makes me feel icky and i will feel gross for hours afterwards if i am forced to look at any art or fic of it

[0rchidm4ntis]

was tagged by the lovely @serenescribe to participate in this game, thank you for the tag since this was super fun to answer!! I love getting to ramble about music :D (also even if they didn't make it on my list it's so nice to see other people who listen to pinkshifts music, I love the bands energy so much and I rarely hear people talk about them!!)

rules: post 5 songs you actually listen to, and tag 10 of your followers/mutuals (yeaahh most of my old mutuals have deactivated their blogs so I definitely don't have that many people to tag,,)

ngl I had to rearrange which songs I'd put multiple time before I was happy with these TvT

Bathtub mermaid - Mili

I am a major sucker for anything related to the sea, music is NOT an exception to that fact. This is such a soft song, it often makes me think of a lullaby. Mili's voice is very airy and light in this one compared to others where her voice gets more powerful, and I feel like it fits the vibe meant for this song perfectly. There's some room for interpretation with it but ultimately I think it's a song about being blinded by love, to the point where you're ready to transform yourself over and over again even if it isn't good for you in the end. Definitely an interesting theme to think about!

Carry me out - Mitski

It was hell picking out a single mitski song from my playlist bc I listen to so much of her discography, all the time :') however this is the one I've been listening to the most these days. I love how the song slowly builds up from the gentle first chorus to the much more powerful second one, I was floored when I listened to it the first time!! And the lyrics are very pretty too, as always Mitski's prose is just super evocative and I adore it with my whole heart

Je bois - Charles Aznavour

Sooo this one is definitely a more niche favorite of mine but I grew up listening to Aznavour and I've been re-listening to his songs lately, this one being my favorite out of them all. It's a pretty sad song despite how grand and flamboyant it sounds, considering it's about a man who has grown unhappy in his marriage and his life and drinks to forget his troubles, but it is masterfully written and so clever in its progression that I can't help listening to it over and over again

Parfum d'étoiles - Ichiko Aoba

Could I really make this list without mentioning the song that my blog is literally titled after?? And that I listen to nearly everyday??? I'm such a die-hard fan of Ichiko Aoba, and despite this song being mostly instrumental and not really showcasing much of her voice I'm terribly fond of it ♡♡ I adore how calm and soothing it is, its just one of those songs that puts me immediately at ease and feels like a breath of fresh air. All of her songs are worth checking out, she has got to be one of my favorite singers of all time

Tongues and teeth - The Crane Wives

I discovered The Crane Wives a few months ago, latched onto this song and I haven't let go since. I looove the singers voice so much, its so good and raspy and nice. I really like songs about fucked up love stories (bc they're so interesting to think about) and there's something about this one that just scratches an itch in my brain. The slowly growing desperation in the singers words to get their lover to stop pursuing them, growing from a careless warning to a desperate pleading for them to see just how bad they are in order to drive them away is just. AAAAAAAA so good!!

taglist: @avdoingstuff its been a while but if youd like to im tagging you! no pressure ofc, and anyone else who'd like to participate go crazy 🌟

[salvatoreren]

ST4 Thoughts

Alright, apologies for those who were waiting for this, it's unlikely there would be but anyways wow what a season also please excuse my messy structure, i have too many emotions that i can't exactly type out okay so

At first I didn't like the new season, i'm not very open to seeing new characters and atmosphere

I wasn't too fond of eddie, he just gave off billy vibes, when i mean billy vibes i mean he looked scary, forceful, i didn't like his treatment towards mike and dustin, he also looked like one of those goth people or something who think they're so cool, but that quickly went away when he and chrissy had a talk, like he was so reassuring??? he was so soft to her??? I loved them, they had potential but yk she died which honestly i was not expecting,

its so funny how they just made this dude on the run during half of the season, i literally hoped the basketball team wouldn't hurt him, stranger things really does have that magic where unbearable characters that are entwined with the supernatural shit, like witness it turned out to be really likable

( ngl i expected eddie to actually perform while being in the upside down because it was in the trailer like lmao think about it)

also I liked fred too poor dude, nancy's friends just keep dying on her- and argyle just gives off hippie vibes and all so he was cool, i literally laughed at his panic during the gun scenes

dmitri turned out to be a pretty awesome character too, i love his dynamic with hopper, like i fucking hoped he wouldn't die during the demogorgon battle and also One??? JAMIE CAMPBELL BOWER NAILED THAT ROLE, I LOVED HIM, I'M SO GLAD HE'S GETTING RECOGNITION LIKE AT LEAST HIS MOST KNOWN ROLE WOULD BE ONE NOT CAIUS ANYMORE

the only characters i wasnt really fond of was the basketball team and angela because ugh they're like hero wannabes and shit, and chrissy's boyfriend just gives off kyle vibes, and angela, ugh she was so bitchy to el, and what happened to her fucking forehead was deserved, girl had it coming

DUDE I DID NOT EXPECT FOR TAMMY THOMPSON TO SHOW UP, THAT'S LIKE THE BIGGEST TWIST OF THE SEASON LMAO

Eleven and Will? Hellooo sibling bonding, i love these two so much, and will is so supportive and protective of her??? how will quickly claims he's her family ughhh that's so fucking beautiful. I wished he hugged her though when he was comforting her

also mike what the fuck was that greeting, are you guys not like bestfriends? Like what the fuck was that? It was so awkward

damn bro i lived for one and eleven's bonding, he was so helpful to her, they could've achieved world peace lol but srs i loved the dynamic

Joyce and Murray were the funniest duo, and honestly i did not expect murray to be having those skills, KING

also i think it's interesting that nancy and robin have interacted with each other, because in terms of their love lives didn't nancy also changed herself for steve? Like Robin is doing the same just less focused. And I think they should talk about this and shit

Steve and dustin's bromance are still the fucking best

Erica walking to the hellfire club like with an american flag cape??? WHAT A QUEEN I LOVE HER, I was also so happy to see the sinclairs winning their respective games especially Lucas, he actually got more relevance in this season bravo, i felt so bad for him because he was just so lonely? None of his friends are there for him and max broke up with him? Then he got replaced with his sister, though temporarily but i felt like to him it felt permanent and im sure he felt really hurt to see that his friends whom he wanted to be in his game were cheering for erica which could've been him, and like he's tired of being a loser, he just wants it all to stop i love that we had more depth on his character

THE CALLBACKS TO THE PREVIOUS SEASONS, I LOVED IT AND ACTUALLY HAD FUN DEDUCING THOSE SHIT

AND I LOVED EPISODE FOUR SO MUCH, I LITERALLY CRIED AT HER MEMORIES, THE MUSIC, THE LETTERS (IM CURIOUS WHAT SHE WROTE), THE LUMAX MOMENTS? WE DESERVED THAT SHIT UGHH TOP TIER EPISODE

VOL. 1 FINALE HAD ME STARING AT THE SCREEN WITH MY MOUTH OPEN, THAT TWIST FUCKING GOT ME AND IM LIKE HOLY SHIT THAT WAS AN AMAZING SEASON, AND I WAS ALREADY DREADING FOR THE SECOND

and now for the things i didn't like

I didn't like the implications that Steve and Nancy clearly had a thing for each other again, because isn't it way past that? Whatever it's probably just me

The california group was way too sidelined, especially Jonathan, he is so fucking underrated but I'm glad we got to see Suzie tho, i loved how she was all sarcastic at the printing thing

ALSO DID EVERYONE IN THE SHOW REALLY FORGET WILL'S BIRTHDAY? WHAT THE FUCK, THAT IS LITERALLY SO CRUEL I CANT

and lastly where the fuck is Steve's bat?

So that's my thoughts on season four, i can't wait for vol. 2, i'm so glad I became a part of this hype and watched the series in general like i just started the show on a bluff but this show has made me so happy, it has comforted me and i am totally immersed in it

[rosiesared]

For the ask game, 4, 9, and 17!

hiiiiiii <33 4. do you prefer writing multi-chapter or oneshot fanfictions? in theory multichaps - i love the idea of writing a long story and making it a passion project of sorts, and i have a Lot of ideas haha. in practise i write a lot more oneshots though lol cos i dont have the patience to see those ideas through 9. what’s your favorite line(s) or scene(s) that you have written?

uhhhh this is hard honestly but lately ive been pretty partial to this one: "he wishes they could stay like this forever - on this mattress, barren of all the memories of old, a frozen creek in the middle of winter; just waiting to grow anew." (from a blanket against the chill seeping in through the window-glass, the title of which im also pretty fond of ngl) 17. are there any writers and/of stories that you consider an influence?

yes definitely!! i tend to like. take note of what i like about another writer's style whenever i read a fic, and ig currently the fic writer who i would consider to be my biggest style influence is @peachcitt . their writing is really poetic and the words just flow and i hope that one day i'll be able to write like that <3 as for stories, these aren't direct influences but theyre premises i think abt a lot: you drew stars, around my scars. - @activechataclysme

and this one isnt a fic but chosen ones by veronica roth (i haven't actually read the entire book though gdgdfgd so my recalling of it might be a little off) and ig lately ive just been thinking about the hunger games and dystopia as a whole (for. um. reasons 👀)

thanks for the ask!! <3

send me some fanfic writer asks!! <3

[lesbianwilby]

howdy wil! Answer any or all of these if you want :D

violet— do you like to cook or bake? if so, what is it that you like to make?

azalea— what is the most recent song you listened to? how do you feel about it?

lotus— what is your favorite color and in what shade? e.g. sage green, navy blue, ect. dahlia— do you like to follow current fashion trends or do you have a particular style that you prefer to stick to?

HELLOOOOOOO thank u for adding the questions w ur ask i an in the middle of watching youtube videos n i dont have the brainpower to copy/paste these LMAO (so sory i didn't for u i do not think very well)

violet: i do sometimes!! theres not a lot of food or ingredients n shit in my house n cant rly buy like .any n also massive lack of energy so i cant a lot but i love cooking n baking even if its usually just helping my mom 🫶 im very fond of making things w chicken massive safe food 4 me in many ways

azalea: salamander by deco*27‼️ i adore this song SO much i just have to ignore that its about cup noodles and im good .most recent english song tho would be electioneering by radiohead which!! is actually my current favorite song off of ok computer :3

lotus: this is such a hard question for me to answer bc im so odd w colors 😭 i think?????? probly like a dark brick red.. overall i tend to stick more to color schemes vs specific colors n .all my color schemes tend to center around either red or neutrals so

dahlia: RAHHHHHH FASHION QUESTION so. for me its kinda a mix of both? it REALLY depends on the trend n who i see in it n how accessible it is to me n if i actually LIKE it.. like im not going to sit here n deny that my style has never been influenced by or even changed by trends bc thatd be a goddamn lie but also its not been like. a permanent change ig???? leme like share examples to fully explain

so heres two outfits i wore in 2021, first was sometime in summer second was during october or september probs?? now obviously these aren't like the same exact style but like in my brain n for how i dress they come close enough (also yes i had my hair dyed red two times in a row .no they were not the same shade or anything. btw think in second picture i already had my mullet why didnt i wear my hair up wth was up w that)

these r some more recent outfits!! first one is actually the most recent picture i have of any of my outfits i wore it to a job interview :3 and yes the three others have the same exact top and yes i am wearing the same two pairs of pants in these and yes i did wear both my necklace and pocket watch with them all and yes i did carry the same bag .my style has been toned down a LOT recently tbh n im ngl its def been at least partly influenced by trends.. i dont mind it tho its comfy n cute n i dont have to think much

however sometimes i do still go back to my "old" style that never rly left tbh (in the og pics the only thing i dont have anymore is the skirt n thats bc i dont wear those colors rly anymore).. first one was sometime this summer? second time i think was last month actually!!

n like even still w my toned-back style n shit i still make 3d kandi cuffs n i still listen to music that someone who would see me in passing wouldn't expect n even if these outfits r "tame" bc im way too lazy to go n find pictures from high school (my kandi cuffs used to get worn almost daily + my beloved reflective galaxy platforms have gotten so scuffed from the steps to the front 🫶) they're still pretty different in my mind i think to what i wear now so like .yeah what i wear out has been influenced by whatever trend i see on tiktok however its never been fully based on that 4 many reasons n the old parts of my style never rly "leave" they just get pushed back until a later time

[watatsumiis]

ALL OF THE QUESTIONS!!!!!!! for ur ask game

Ohoho!!! excited beeps!!! Thank you so so much, im p excited to do this woo

Answers under the cut!

1. Who are your favourite character(s) at the moment?

I definitely have had some pretty strong Harbinger brainrot over the past few weeks (Dottore, Pierro, Pantalone and Capitano especially), but as always Ayato and Zhongli hold a very special place in my heart!! Yae Miko and Tighnari also got me going a bit feral right now ngl

2. Who are your least favourite character(s) at the moment?

There are definitely a few characters who I can't stand (female pyro vision wielders---) but I feel like that's more to do with how they've been written in the game, I feel like I could be convinced to like a lot of them once I've read some good headcanons and such!

EDITED LIKE 8 HOURS LATER BECAUSE I REMEMBERED HOW MUCH I HATE THE R/AIDEN SH0GUN YUCK YUCK YUCK DEFO LEAST FAV OF ALL TIME EVER

3. Which character(s) do you lowkey despise but can't stop thinking about?

SCARAMOUCHE he's a gross little rat and i want to pull his hair -- also same with Al Haitham i just grrr bark (dont come for me i defo dont actually hate either of them asdjkhksdfg)

4. Which character(s) do you identify the most with?

I have pretty strong connections with a few characters throughout the series, but I vibe really hard with Xiao and Gorou (if you couldn't already guess--) and sometimes Sucrose! There's also something about Albedo that's got me like. Hm. Nods. Same hat.

5. What are your favourite headcanons you've come up with?

My appearance headcanons for Capitano are definitely right up there - if MHY disappoints/diverts a lot I think I've come up with enough original content and ideas for him to just make my version a fully fledged OC.

I'm also pretty fond of a lot of my neurodivergent headcanons for certain characters (OCD Pantalone isn't something I've seen around but it's definitely something I incorporate into a lot of my writing with him).

OH ALSO Adepti being empaths !! That's a very special headcanon I hold dear to my heart, I dunno why I came up with it but I really really like it, especially with Xiao.

6. Favourite headcanons belonging to other people?

I saw a Pyro Delusion Pantalone headcanon the other day that was really really super cool, I'd never even considered him having a delusion until I saw that and it vibed!!

Generally I enjoy any trans or ND headcanons for characters too, even if they don't line up with how I view them/characterise them it's really nice to see such a broad range of ideas for one character!

ALSO DESI KAEYA MY BELOVED AUGH

7. Do you have any self-ships (romantic or platonic)?

So many. So so many. I have a variety of 'sonas' for various AUs/timelines (though the one that I've made the most content for is. An arranged marriage AU with Ayato jkdskjhgf) and I make a lot of varying content for them (which I probably won't be sharing here because I'm shy but just know. I love them.) with all different characters and different relationship dynamics, I've been shipping myself (or versions of) with fictional characters for years and it's a huge comfort to me and such a fun fun way to experiment with writing different scenarios and such!

8. Thoughts on alternate universes (AUs)? Any favourites?

I LOVE AUs so much i have about a million myself and I adore seeing the kinds of things others come up with !! A lot of my writing tends to be done in a non-canon AU where the events of the game havent/don't happen just to keep things simpler hfkjhsdgk

I'm always an enjoyer of modern AUs, but at the moment i'm holding a particular fondness for the 'Fatui adopt Kaeya AU', which lowkey may have slightly inspired the last fic i started working on ehe

9. If you were from Teyvat, where would you live?

Mondstadt!! It just seems chill and nice and there's such a wide variety of people there, the vibe seems accepting and laid back and it seems like lots of people from different walks of life congregate there! Failing that maybe Sumeru just because mmm pretty

10. What kind of Vision would you have?

Anemo, probably! That's the one i most commonly write my sonas with! Though I don't think I'd be entirely opposed to a Dendro vision in some cases too!!

11. What weapon type would you use?

Hmm I guess maybe catalyst? (something something not another god damn anemo catalyst short model boy)

12. Favourite fandom tropes/goofs?

One i always find funny is like. siblings with big age gaps getting along great (Albedo/Klee, Ayato/Ayaka, Jean/Barbara, etc) but ones closer in age constantly trying to MURDER each other (Diluc/Kaeya, and Aether/Lumine r the only ones i can think of rn).

I also love the found family tropes I see around, and the Nahida and Scara content I've seen recently have been top notch!

13. Least favourite fandom tropes/goofs?

It's a common thing with a lot of games and characters where the fandom reduces them down to a core trait or two and act like it's completely canon, or take certain lines and such out of context and base their entire characterisation off of that - on a surface level theyre silly and fun but when it's literally everywhere

A few i can think of off the top of my head are like 'senior citizen zhongli' where he's reduced to nothing but a bumbling old boomer and the whole 'stalker/obsessive ayaka' bit.

14. If you could change anything about one characters design, who/what would it be and why?

I think some of the adepti should have more non-human traits (xiao deserves horns tbh) and as a general statement i'd love to see characters with facial/body hair and more variety in body types or at least skin tones! I understand it's not exactly like realistic but it would be nice

there was also an interesting detail with Zhongli's design that was fixed - he wore his vision backwards! I think it was super neat and an interesting reference to the fact that it's not a real vision, but sadly they fixed it :(

15. What's your favourite voice line from the game?

I know a lot of people joke about Zhongli's idle lines being really annoying (and while hearing the oSmAnThUs WiNe line 8 times in just as many minutes can get really irritating) but i find them kind of comforting - I play in English and really enjoy the cadence of his voice, it's super comforting to me, so most of his lines are big faves - I also find his 'disliked gift' line super funny where he tries to redirect the player by telling them stories ashkjgf

I also like how Kaeya teases you for standing around (though it kinda makes me wanna flick him), and Tighnari's "who ate a poisoned mushroom this time?" join line is fun!

Link to the ask meme!

[live-love-laugh-lesbian]

hii!! me again and damnnn you have taste!! and true crime>>>>>

also i almost died when i realised you watch hazbin hotel this is literally fate idc im so obsessed w it rn!! its probably the only one i know a lot of stuff about askdifkejskfr so this ask will probably be focused on that akskrjens

so!!! who's your favourite character(s) x and your favourite ep (if you have one) fav dynamics?

aksjrkwd sorry abt my limited knowledge abt everything else haha!

have an awesome day!!!

-swiftie spring anon exchange

:D :D :D We have similarities!!

Okay so my favourite character is a complicated question...see, I have a soft spot for Lute and Velvet (because my type in fictional women is evil, basically), and I would consider Velvet one of my faves based on how cool she seems so far (cool and evil). But Angel Dust's character has been expanded on so much it's hard not to adore him, you know? And I love Vaggie and Charlie, courtesy of their dynamic. Charlie's so :D and Vaggie's so >:( and it's great, I love it. I also didn't expect to enjoy Sir Pentious so much?? He's a dork and a sweetheart and he's great.

(Ship wise I still ship Vox and Alastor. I can't help it, there's just so many scenarios that would be cool with those two. But I've found I'm pretty fond of most ships that have come about from this show, which is interesting to me.)

I think my favourite episodes are...actually idk. I tend to go based on the songs that stand out XD But episodes 4, 5, 6 and 8 (so only half the episodes...) were especially good to me. And Hell's Greatest Dad, You Didn't Know, Poison and Respectless...ahh I loved them so much. Respectless was what sold me on Velvet. I was like, yes, she's perfect, she's great. I love an evil respectless woman.

I look forwards to seeing where they go with season 2. I'm hoping the Vee's become bigger villains, but also I want to see Lute have a bigger villain role. But also I want to see what's going on with Lilith and Alastor?? And also I feel sad for Sir Pentious being seperated from the others so I want him to see them again :( I really hope we get more than 8 episodes too ngl XD

As I write this, my girlfriend is taunting me with her fanfiction in which she's about to kill off a character >:( She tells me it'll be ok in the end but she's written very sad endings before and is an evil evil writer (affectionate) so do I believe her? ...a little, but not fully. XD

And you don't need to apologise!! I look forwards to hearing from you again!