#implied ?? romantic but that’s iffy lmao

[satsuha]

same anon again! thank you for looking into it 🤍 i havent been following you very closely (im not a fan of social media at all (hence the use of anon) so i mostly just check in and lurk every now and again to see your adorable art) - i fully thought you were japanese; sorry for that misunderstanding!! so cool of you to cross-reference nonetheless :)

yeah, i only ever read gil’s compliments as being purely impressed and appreciative, never attracted. but then when hikari copies him, suddenly it’s read as romantic attraction?! i will never understand these things. but again, i’m biased lmao

i loved their shared path, i found it super cute and i love the idea of this incredibly sweet dancing girl helping guide hikari through the losses his kingdom suffered. the memorial in ku was delightful to watch. this is why i’m of the opinion that forcing romance between them actively takes away from both of their characters, because it stops those individual traits from shining.

i don’t really ship anyone else in octo2, i love temehika because i adore the dynamic of ‘guy who has unwavering loyalty and trust in those around him’ with ‘guy who doubts everything and is constantly scrutinising their partner’s friends behind their back’. you’re the one who introduced me to agnea/throné, i hadn’t considered it before but i do love a good ‘Ray Of Sunshine meets Dark Shadowed Past and they go shopping together’ vibe, so i’ve decided i support that ship too now. thanks for that one!!

p.s, so glad there’s someone who understands my frustrations about the hikari/agnea ship lol we are Connecting

no worries! i wish there was someone more qualified to talk about the differences between the english and japanese versions because there are quite a few (some i'm ok with, others.... not so much) but some of them feel like a genuine detriment to play without knowing the original so i want to share them if i can!!

yeah it's...... a little iffy that people would read hikari's compliment as purely romantic because that would imply that gil is giving the same vibe and i read agnea's response as more like shock that someone as serious as hikari would say something like that to her...

i have a very mixed opinion about their crossed paths story unfortunately 😭 i really like the story itself, but i wish agnea had a more significant part in it... compared to the other stories that feel like they brought out the characteristics of each character more, i feel like agnea was mostly reduced to a bystander in hikari and yomi's story... i wish they got to touch on her grief over her mother or something at least o<-<

AHH temehika's dynamic really is so underrated, they have such strong themes of trust and doubt and i'm a bit sad their banters didn't touch on this more... we got a smidgen in hikari's ch.4 where temenos warns him about rai mei's possible loyalties but it's not enough...! not to mention the fact that they're connected to oboro and arcanette, the most major figures in the moonshade order... i don't really like the idea of octopath making certain protagonists more "important" than the others but i find it really hard to deny for these two lmao

agnene is also extremely underrated!! i think agnea's admiration of throne helps show her that she isn't who she thinks she is:

while in throne's stories, she slowly grows to lean on agnea's attempts to make her feel better... it's really sweet and i don't think either of them have this kind of connection with anyone else...!

it's also very cute how agnea invites throne to meet her father as well as to her hometown's raspberry festival... i think their paths post-canon also align very nicely because throne said she wanted to travel somewhere far away, while agnea wants to bring smiles to as many people as possible... it also makes for a very nice "celebrity and bodyguard" dynamic that mirrors dolcinaea and veronica's and it really suits these two imo!!

i also don't like teme/thro as a romantic relationship so i think their interactions as well as hika/agne's fit much better under the assumption of temehika and agnene... we see hikari's admiration of temenos' intelligence in his ch.5 banter where he compares temenos to kazan so i think both he and agnea have a sense of admiration for their older partners while also doing whatever they can to support them... (hikari with his blade, and agnea with her performances) meanwhile temenos and throne also feel undeserving of their partners because they view them as a light they're too afraid to reach out to... it's subtler, but i like temenos' banters with her where he tries to reassure her that she's a good person as well

phew this got REALLY long i'm sorry but yeah while i always tend to go against popular ships, i've been really frustrated at the extent of it in octopath 2... octopath is pretty unique in that all of the protagonists get more or less the same amount of (small) interactions throughout the game but that was changed in 2 with the addition of crossed paths and i'm not sure why hika/agne is the one that stuck because their story does not read to me as romantic at all lmao but i'm glad to find people who share those gripes as well!!

i think it says a lot how temehika and agnene's post-canon lives align together very nicely because hikari and agnea's goals respectively are much more defined while temenos and throne are more equipped to take a more supportive role... (crying) i just really like them

[mossyythoughts]

hi again!! tysm for doing my request(the yanfei one), i loved it! if it isn't much trouble, could i request yanfei with a reader who doesn't show negative emotions and one day she just finds them having a mental breakdown and how does she comfort her,please? have a lovely and take care<33

Sunshine is More Important

but rain isn’t all too bad, i suppose.

w/ Yanfei!

Hurt/Comfort

Teyvat College! au

CW/Info: Mental Breakdown, Physical touch, Overall mental health topics, food mentions, I’ve also never experienced having a mental breakdown- but I have had a loved one have one so it might be a bit like… overall and i’m sorry :(

How did she find you?

She was probably just dropping by to say hi, maybe invite you out to eat if you were feeling up to it

When she knocked though, she got increasingly concerned when she heard sobbing

She didn’t barge in, it’s more like she hastily made her way to your room and peeked her head inside the door

She instantly was very worried for your state of well being, rushing to your side to see if you’re alright

Comfort

She generally would just hold you very close

Despite your protests because you might get your tears on her outfit, or that you’re a mess right now

She just wants to show you the warmth that you always show her

(She ofc would also leave you alone if you really really insisted, but she’s not easily convinced)

So she hugs you close, allowing you to continue crying or to ground yourself

I’m gonna be completely honest, she’s not used to doing things like this so she may be a tad bit stiff

She doesn’t know if she’s being overbearing, or if she is overstepping, so she just waits for you to let it out.

Or, after your sobs turn into sniffles she might hesitantly ask if you were willing to talk about it.

But! She is used to listening, so if you want someone to listen to your troubles, Yanfei is your girl!

If you’re somewhere that’s not very comfortable, will subtly guide you to like a chair or anywhere else

After listening…

She’s not sure if you wanted to rant or if you wanted her to name a few solutions so she just outright asks

If you need solutions, she’ll tell you some ways to ease you into showing more negative emotions

She’ll reassure you that negative emotions are still emotions

Whatever emotions you’re feeling are valid, and if you really need to, you can talk to her at any time!

No matter if you believe it’s big or small, it’s big enough to bother you! She wants to ease your state of mind even if it’s just you ranting for about 2 minutes.

If you just want her to listen to you rant, she’ll comfort you afterwards, offering words of support

She wants you to know that if you’re struggling you can always come to her, because she wants to be there for you just like you have been there for her.

Afterwards :)

She’ll probably hug you for a moment and ask in a very sincere tone if you’re alright

Depending on your answer, she’ll either comfort you some more or get you some water and maybe make you some food

She wants to make it clear that you can depend on her

It won’t be anything too heavy, she doesn’t wanna make you overwhelmed !!

Just a little snack to not only get your strength back, but also show that she cares

She’ll probably not know what to do afterwards to be honest

Might stand there awkwardly for a moment before asking if you would like to get some fresh air !!

Overall

Very concerned, but not too overbearing despite her thinking she is

Her hugs are very warm, considering her pyro vision

If you did get tears/snot on her outfit, won’t bring it up or be upset about it, she doesn’t really care all that much !! Your well-being is more important than a single shirt

a/n

I LOVE YANFEI

i also love yanfei requests stan yanfei or else 🤬🤬🤬🤬

ANYWAYS IM LIKE SOOKOEJDJSJXJ HYPERFIXATED ON THE SONIC MOVIES RN LIKE I JUST WATCHED THE 2ND MOVIE AND I IMMEDIATELY CHANGED MY TWITTER PROFILE TO KNUCKLES AND MY SISTER CHANGED HERS TO TAILS (it honestly should be the other way around because i’m younger and i definitely love tails more than my sister but whatever 😒😒😒😒)

also i love these requests ty for sending them 😭😭 i normally only really do venti and other characters i have (and use) but since these yanfei requests are coming in i put my klee build on her and YANFEI IS HITTING NUMBERS AND I LOVE HER ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

ty for requesting again I LOVE YOUR REQUESTS YOU HAVE SUCH GOOD IDEAS ❤️❤️

wow that was long whoopsies 😭😭

have a wonderful day readers !!

[marioshipping]

Antasma x Nastasia

Oh wow you're not the only one! Does...does this ship even exist on the internet? *looks it up* In truth, it's a ship I've been considering on and off for a while. They've never met (and will probably never meet by the looks of it) but considering they're technically both bat-like creatures (other than Cackletta) we can start from there. Carson's story on Nastasia sort of implies she isn't a bat anymore and has permanently transformed into a member of the Tribe of Darkness, actually. (Now that I read back on that more, Carson takes that last part with a grain of salt, but honestly with her appearance I can take it as the truth) Anyways, I would still like to believe deep down she can transform between bat and her ToD form, so her bat-ness isn't completely lost lmao. This would all take place post SPM and Dream Team mind you, because the only way this would work is that Bleck has gone on with Timpani and Antasma has been put out of commission (evil wise not blowing up death wise lmao) It's kind of iffy, honestly, if they would get together romantically, but I can see them as friends for sure. I hesistate on saying "yasss I ship it" because I don't want Antasma to turn into a rebound for her. While I do think Antasma would be the first to develop feelings, it would probably take a long time for Nastasia to get over Count Bleck to consider moving on. But I think they can help each other out on their grievances, and in a lot of ways, Antasma reminds her of the old Count. It would take a lot of development but if you wanted to make it work, it can work. But if you're a big Nassy x Mimi shipper that's okay too jfshkfs

[magioftheseas]

What’s your opinion on each of the sdr2 boys? you don’t have to answer but I’d like to hear it so if ya want...

Well, since you posted how you feel about the SDR2 girls’ writing, how would you rank the SDR2 boys’ writing?

Oh man, one of these asks is so old but you’ll forgive me, right?

So, I’ll do both of these!!! The ranking btw is for the writing not personal feelings which I hope comes across because even if a guy’s at the bottom, that definitely doesn’t make him the worst boy!!! I swear! I SWEAR!!!!!!

Good Tier

Kuzuryuu - Definitely the most solid with development and everything. Wish it wasn’t piggybacking off of fridging Peko (and his sister), but ngl I’m always kind of a sucker of the shitty tough guy learning to mellow the fuck out, and I like Kuzuryuu also being like...probably the most mature of the characters, which is sad but also funny. (Overall opinion is that he’s good! Very good! Definitely worthy of Best Boy title if he’s your type!)

Komaeda - My boyyyyyy. Super intricate and interesting with a worldview that’s both simplistic and complex. I love him so, so much. And his attraction to Hinata is humanizing! Love that! Unfortunately, he’s still super demonized and having that happen to your character who is explicitly mentally ill is super uncool. Also, while I do like how and why he decided to die, I don’t feel like that death was worth him getting cut out and used as a prop for Nanami. If he had been kept alive, it would’ve been way better and less urghhhhhh. Or we could’ve, should’ve had more introspection as a result of the impact his character had, similar to what I wished for with Mikan. But, nah. Fuck changing your view as the result of being challenged, I guess. (Overall opinion is that I would die for him.)

Kamukura - Is being included because yes. He only appears briefly, but what’s there is just so interesting and good! He’s an empty person who is only driven by spite and revenge against those who wronged him, and yet it’s also implied that deep down, he doesn’t want to die. It’s so sad! But intriguing! His motivations are clarified in dr0 (such as the fact that he was framed by Junko for the murders of the student council, but also with the added implied bit that even HPA was prepared to kill him in order to cover their ass), but even so, it’s so deeply tragic that Kamukura was made for the sake of ego (both Hinata’s ego and the ego of HPA), and he found himself getting used which lead to him willing risk his existence to take down everything in one fell swoop despite that not being a guarantee. Wahhhh. (Overall opinion is that it sure is a shame WE DON’T SEE HIM EVER AGAIN, not counting TDP.)

Could’ve Been Okay But URGH Tier

Hinata - My other boy. He sure is the other boy. In all seriousness, Hinata *is* probably my personal fave of the protagonists even if I think the Naegis are better written. I love his conflict of having such a severe superiority complex that he’s willing to throw out everything about himself in order to live up to it. I love how his desperate need to prove himself is, like, to himself. He’s so self-centered in such interesting ways. Unfortunately Nanami is his prop and is given the emotional brunt of forcing his development, which sucks. (Overall opinion is that he’s definitely Kodaka’s self-insert but it’s free real estate when writing fics so he’s MY SELF-INSERT NOW.)

Twogami - THE BEST ENBY. Twogami was such a good character with several layers of tragedy and tbh they’re a major reason why it’s great that no one actually dies in sdr2 besides Nanami. There’s something about not having any identity to call your own so you try to be someone important but like...it’s painfully obvious you aren’t that person because you have strong morals and a good heart which powerful people often don’t have due to detachment and corruption. It’s something I can relate to. And as a character, that they gave their life to protect Komaeda was so heartbreaking. It’s such a good thing Twogami isn’t actually dead! Sadly though we do have issues with the writing because fat character obsessed with food, haha, but... I mean Twogami’s the only one like that in dr and Owari’s the same way for the same reason so I guess it’s not the worst...still iffy though. (Overall opinion is that they’re good! However due to being the first victim, they’re not given a LOT of complexity and what complexity they have doesn’t hold a candle to bby girl Sayaka Maizono but I mean they’re still a good character for what’s there.)

Just URGH Tier

Tanaka - Lmao, unpopular opinion alert but I just don’t think he’s very good! For one thing, he’s kinda...barely there for the longest time. He’s even the only character who has zero speaking lines in the first scene with the entire class. There are at least a few scenes where he contributes very little to the conversation. In general, he has little to offer until about Chapter 4, in which he makes up lies about how totally important he thinks survival is when that wasn’t really a major concern of his before and I’m PRETTY SURE he stole that from Nidai anyway. Super annoying but like, hey. At least that romantic subplot was okay. And, sure, if you like this character type, you could do worse. You could also do better. (Overall opinion is that I like his hamsters but that’s about it.)

Teruteru - He’s absolutely the most loathsome fucker that deserves more shit kicked out of him than any amount of sympathy, bUT... This is about writing, not about likability, and like, he’s written...okay. For one thing, his creepiness isn’t excused nor elaborated on, thank fucking god. But as for what’s actually there, it’s at least something. He’s got actual character traits that could potentially make him interesting, such as his shame about his background despite clearly holding a lot of love for it. Like, that’s a good internal conflict to have. If that was all there was, I’d be pretty partial towards him, especially with his design being very cute. Alas.................... (Overall opinion is that Kamishiro’s better.)

Souda - The comic relief for dgrp tends to be mean-spirited and of the guys, Souda is more comic relief than character so he tends to be a fucking asshole and a creep. It’s a shame because his backstory’s sympathetic but the dude has like, no character arc. He’s just...lucky in that he wasn’t killed. He also kind of forces himself into the social situations, namely with Hinata and Sonia which isn’t really cute when Souda doesn’t treat either of them that well. If you like his character type, eh... You can do much, MUCH better when it comes to bro-y kinda abrasive best dude friends. Again, you can do worse, but those are usually romantic comedies not like...whatever dgrp is. I don’t think I’d say that I hate him though. He’s just frustrating. (Overall opinion is that I think Yosuke Hanamura is more what this character should’ve been like.)

Nidai - I do adore Nidai but it’s so obvious that the writing doesn’t give a shit about him. It’s pretty painful. He’s inconsistently portrayed too, because sometimes he’s a compassionate and surprisingly perceptive guy who encourages others to push past their potential. Other times he’s a bumbling oaf who barely considers others because it’s more comedic. Any depth he could’ve had is often just relegated to shit jokes, figuratively and literally. Even his FTEs are painfully repetitive. Sucks, man. (Overall opinion is...me just sobbing.)

[princeselfinserts-moved]

A-Z for Zawa :3c

JFKAKFKAKKFKAKFKKGH

IS,,, UNDER CUT FOR SMUT,,,,

A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

Shouta nearly puts more energy into aftercare then the actual intercourse lmao. He’ll make sure I’m comfortable, do I have enough pillows? Do I have any particularly bad aches I’d like him to massage? Would I prefer to clean the cum off my skin but don’t want to have a shower right now because I’d rather cuddle? Shouta will get those pillows, he’ll massage my thighs and stomach while giving me gentle kisses, he’ll get a warm bowl of water and a cloth to clean my legs as he praises how pretty he thinks I am.

B = Body part (Their favourite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

Shouta’s favourite part of his body is his arms because they let him feel Crypto’s body and pleasure them. His favourite part of Crypto’s body is their thighs!! Shouta likes how thick they are and it arouses him that its mostly muscle he wants to know if crypto could smash a watermelon between them science demands too know,,,,

C = Cum (Anything to do with cum basically… I’m a disgusting person)

He’s kinda hyper-aware of Crypto’s cycle so even thought I take the pill Shouta makes sure to wear condoms during the high fertile arch of my cycle. But!!! Shouta finds the act of cumming on my thighs, stomach and chest extremely hot. It’s a more primal pleasure at knowing that he’s the only one who gets to see that sight.

D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

He uh, Shouta would like to try having sex while Crypto has a partial shift going on to make them look like a cat-girl but he’s too embarrassed to ask about the possibility.

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

He’s had a couple partners before so he knows how to properly prepare his partner, and he’s particularly skilled at tying them up kayama probably hooked him up with a bdsm club so he could safely explore his interest in it and here we are years later smh.

F = Favourite Position (This goes without saying. Will probably include a visual)

Missionary definitely, fall & eagle are a couple more. Face-sitting/Emmanuel is an oral one he’s a BIG fan of but he also really likes the Inquisitor because it lets him watch me try to squirm out from under his arms holding me down.

G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc)

It depends on the situation? Shouta is always at least a little bit serious, but if Crypto looks nervous or even a tiny bit scared of trying something out Shouta will smile reassuringly and compliment me until I’ve relaxed or told him what about the situation is making me worried.

H = Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

Yeah the colours match lmao, Shouta tries to keep it trimmed because it tangles less and that habit of tangling pubic hair has annoys him. He can’t really keep up with how fast it grows so its kind of choppy.

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…) 

Shouta likes us being as close as possible to each, my legs curled around the backs of his thighs and our chests pressed together as he murmurs endless praise over how good everything feels, how beautiful I am, how he can’t believe he’s lucky enough to have me and all the while Shouta will be kissing all over my neck and face practically radiating love in every motion.

J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon)

Shouta doesn’t really masturbate because he thinks its time he could be using to work on cases or grade the students work. But if he’s particularly stressed, tense or has pent up energy Shouta will squeeze one out while in the shower so he doesn’t have to have a second one.

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks)

Bondage is a VERY big kink of his, being able to tie Crypto up and restrict practically all movement? It’s endlessly arousing to him that I trust him that much. Sensory Deprivation and Orgasm Denial are another big two, he likes seeing me shiver as I try to guess where he’ll touch me next and the way I end up mindlessly begging him to just let me cum makes Shouta groan.

L = Location (Favourite places to do the do)

Ironically very vanilla but the bedroom is his favourite place to have sex and more often then not if we’re somewhere else in the house Shouta will just pick me up and carry me there. Sometimes we will do it on the couch and when he insists on pampering me Shouta will occasionally instigate very slow touchy feely sex in the bath as I sit on hit lap.

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

Thigh highs, if Crypto wears thigh highs especially the one with little cat ears and faces Shouta will want to see how many times he can cum on my stomach and upper thighs before he dirties my socks. Visible hickeys as well, Shouta loves seeing the proof that I’m willing to let him so close to me while I’m so vulnerable.

N = NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Public sex, just the idea of other people excluding if it were a poly relationship makes him uncomfortable. He’s a hero, and a teacher and basically a father to Eri the idea of his students or the media stumbling upon whatever videos that would probably be taken makes Shouta feel sick to his stomach. Even more so because he knows Crypto hates how revealing their costume has to be for them to have an affordable amount of fabric that merges with their quirk so they aren’t replacing every time they shift forms.

O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc)

Shouta prefers giving over receiving, the fact that the simple act of him eating me out gets me so aroused really gets him going. The reason he’s a little iffy about receiving is because he’s concerned he might accidentally choke me even though Shouta knows I have the strength to hold his hips down.

P = Pace (Are they fats and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)

hhhhHHHHHHHHH SHOUTA??? AAAAAA!!!!!!! Most of the time he’s slowish wanting us to milk as much pleasure as possible but Shouta is also just as fond of a rough pacing, especially so when we’ve got more private time then normal. Also,,,, he finds it cute how flustered I get when he asks for permission to be rougher even though he knows he doesn’t even need to ask.

Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

Doesn’t actually like penetrative quickies, is its him getting me off with his fingers or me giving him a quick blowjob it’s fine. But Shouta thinks penetrative sex should have a long buildup and only be rushed if the pacing is because of passion rather than a time limit.

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

Shouta is willing to try out most things at least once but only ever after nearly ten minutes+ of making sure I know what the safe-word is and that he prioritises how comfortable I am over any pleasure he could potentially get.

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…)

It’s not really high but also not really low? One rounds is most common because we don’t have much free time but when we’ve got more time two and maybe three rounds are more common because we have low-key competitions on who can make the other orgasm more lmao. aaaa thats embarrassing to admit \(//∇//)\

T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

jdkakfkkskfg Shouta he uh he’s got various ropes, silks, blindfolds, vibrators, gags he’s pretty into BDSM and he looked about ready to throw a party when finding out that that’s super arousing for me lmao. It’s pretty rare but if I can surprise him or if he’s tired but too aroused to sleep Shouta will let me tie him up and do all the work. I love spoiling him but he doesn’t let me do it a lot :/ also kayama got me a strap as a gag gift but its more of a “for when shouta is feeling down and i can convince him to let me pleasure him” gift.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Shouta!!! Shouta teases Crypto so much!!! He knows listening to him talk about all the things he want to do while stroking my sides gets me flustered super quick. Except!!! He’ll do that!!! And then Shouta will sigh dramatically and leave to do some paperwork or cook or I’ll realise he has hero work because Shouta will get dressed in his costume and leave me having to wait until he’s back from work ughhh.

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

Shouta is kinda at normal speaking level, he doesn’t yell a lot nearly never actually and the more overwhelmed he gets the harder it is for him to voice his thoughts higher than a hiss. Lots of grunts!! Growing, hissing letting out pants and moans and mindless babbling praise.

W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

Shouta is fucking amazing at dirty talk but he also implies a lot that he has a breeding kink he doesn’t want to admit too having or doesn’t realise he has it. And I’m to flustered at the idea to ask him.

X = X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants, picture or words)

Uhh its a little longer then normal and sort of arches up the closer to the head you get. Shouta’s got a normal thickness but the veins on his penis pulse a lot so its just aaaaaa.

Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

Hm it’s? Kind of low to medium, it depends a lot on how much stress his work is giving him. Shouta is also on the aspec scale because he doesn’t find most things arousing and without a partner his sex drive drops.

Z = ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Shouta has a pretty low energy level on a day to day basis and most of it goes to his hero/teacher work but he always stays awake until he’s sure I’m comfortable. After that he’ll drop off really quick though.

[morozovastarkovs]

Kierarktina: An analysis

Because this keeps bothering me somehow, I decided to make a post about it, specifically about my 3 theories on how this love triangle could possibly turn out in the 3rd book. Spoilers for Lord of Shadows.

1.) Kieran becomes Unseelie King and Marktina is endgame  This is the one I believe to be most likely, at the current point in time. For one, Adaon is definitely not going to be Unseelie King — plans rarely work out perfectly that way in these types of novels and also, I feel like he’s probably going to die. Plus, I don’t see why else Kieran had to be royalty and not just some random faerie dude, if not to make use of this aspect of his character. Also, the whole thing about kings not being allowed to have a consort? I mean, it kind of seems too on the nose to be foreshadowing, but there it is. And this would be a very convenient way to sort of get him out of the picture.

Why do I think Marktina will be endgame? I don’t know, but at the end of Lord of Shadows, it also seemed like it was the end of Kierark. The way that Kieran basically tells Mark that their debts are paid and he’ll be off, kinda dramatically implying that they’ll never see each other again, felt very ominous. Also the whole love declaration while kneeling (which was described as a sign of forgiveness in Faerie) seemed... kind of final? Like, Mark forgave him, told him (one last time?) that he loved him, case closed. Obviously, this does have a lot of holes in it — I definitely do not think that this was their last interaction, but like I said, it did have an air of finality to it.

Plus, Mark kind of seemed to gravitate a lot more towards Cristina near the end. The way he asked her to stay and sleep with him (in a non-sexual way, mind you) and just overall the little things, the glances, the touches, all of that is a lot more pronounced and happens more often near the end LoS. (”“Mark and I are not meant to be near each other as the binding spell wears off.” Mark moved closer to her, though, as she went to the door. Their hands brushed. Had he thought she was beautiful the moment he met her? He remembered coming awake to the sound of her voice, seeing her sitting on the floor of his room with her knife open.” and this scene is right before he basically has his weird declaration moment with Kieran).

Lastly, in my opinion the strongest piece of evidence for this, even though I can’t find the passage for the life of me because I can’t quite remember anymore when this actually happens in the book, timeline-wise (anyone help me out here?): There’s one scene I vaguely remember, where they’re all asked this random question about what they see, first thing that comes to mind, and Mark answers “A rose with a thorn.” LIKE. DAMN. Mark Blackthorn and Cristina Mendoza Rosales. Sure. It’s just the kind of weird, little foreshadowing that you would immediately forget & not put much weight on, that Cassandra Clare just loves which is why I think this is really important.

Side note: I’ve seen a lot of people talking about how Mark’s feelings/love for Cristina are/is somehow lesser than his for Kieran are, because they’re often described as more “human” but I don’t think that’s neccessarily a bad thing? Like, for Mark, a down-to-earth, “human” type of relationship would probably be a good balance for him with his “wilder” faerie side that’s often sort of warring with his Shadowhunter side? Like Mark said himself, it’s an “easy, restful sort of love” with Cristina which is something that a more restless soul like Mark would definitely benefit from. Like yin and yang. Like coming home. That shit, you know. Also, the “passion” and “fire” Kierark seem to have is also a good metaphor for, you know, .... burning out. 

2.) Poly Kierarktina. I honestly didn’t think this was possible before, but I do think there’s a possibility of this actually happening now, at the end of LoS. There’s obviously something going on between Kieran and Cristina, although I’m still not quite sure what it is, especially because we don’t know whether he’s actually gay or bisexual. Most faeries are bisexual, so there’s a compelling case to be made for him being bi as well I was informed that Cassie has confirmed him to be bisexual and thus, being at least able to develop romantic/sexual (?) feelings for Cristina, too. I’m still a bit iffy about this one though because Mark and Kieran have an unhealthy and deeply flawed thing going on that has still yet to be addressed — especially if they continue to be in a romantic relationship, regardless of whether that relationship also encompasses a third person or not. At the moment, I don’t see enough development to make this actually work in a healthy way, but that doesn’t mean that Cassie can’t still throw in that development in QoAaD. Also, right now, I find it hard to believe that either Kieran or Cristina would actually be truly 100% okay and onboard with a triad (or even vee) poly relationship, because neither of them seem to want to really “share” Mark (for lack of a better term; I know that’s not what ply relationships are about). Another thing poking holes in this ship is the fact that with this option, I really don’t know what Kieran’s .... purpose would have been? Like, at this point I’m not sure why Kieran had to be introduced (especially as an Unseelie prince) if Clare is not going to follow through with that at all and have that be important somehow, and I don’t see it being important any other way than him becoming Unseelie King, tbh. Maybe someone else could come up with another purpose he could serve besides?

3.) Kierark endgame and single Cristina. I think there’s like, a .0001% chance of Cristina getting back together with Diego yet again, so if Mark decides to (monogamously) end up with Kieran at the end, Cristina would probably end up single (I don’t think she’ll be getting another love interest in QoAaD, lmao). Why? Cristina won’t let herself be fooled by Diego a third time and also, she just doesn’t have any (romantic) feelings for him anymore, that’s canon.  Anyway, there are a few hints pointing at a possible Kierark endgame. For one, Cassandra Clare just loooooves m/m ships. She will throw out m/m ships until the end of time while throwing f/f shippers/fans the bare minimum bones. All of her other bisexual characters have, so far, also ended up with the same gender. Also, the fact that this whole “the Unseelie King can’t have a consort” thing is so on the nose, like I previously mentioned — it could also be foreshadowing that Kieran, when Unseelie King, will not give a shit about that stupid rule and just have a consort anyway. 

In the end, however, I think this is a pretty unlikely outcome, because I doubt that Cassandra Clare would put that much effort into building up & developing Mark & Cristina’s relationship so much in LoS only to throw it all away in the end. Mark & Kieran’s relationship stagnated a lot in LoS and didn’t really move forward in any huge ways, at least I didn’t think so — yes, Mark was honest with him about the whole “Would we have chosen each other if the situation was different?” dilemma, but they didn’t really make any ... progress with it? Like, they left things at giving Mark some space and time to think about it and figure it out, and I’ve already talked about their last (real) interaction in LoS.

ANYWAY, that’s that. Idk, I just had the urge to write that all down and post it, maybe some of you want to discuss and have things to add, maybe some things I overlooked and/or didn’t consider in this post? I’m very open to discussion on this and would love some new/other perspectives, so feel free to comment!