#in terms of temperament at least

[thelittlespanielthatcould]

Kovu was diagnosed with "basically the perfect dog" at his annual exam yesterday. He was also given the nickname "Tranquilo Ten Kilo" because he is exactly 10 kilos and, you guessed it, tranquil.

[creekfiend]

Are there any plans for Miss Glimglam to be part of the vulpine spitz project? 👀

well she is staying intact because her breeder wants to test her and possibly do a backcross litter at some point! after that... who can say! her breeder doesn't breed till after age 3 so it's a ways away and a lot could happen between now and then.

[carn4g3]

Ooh okay, so I thought of an idea! I guess you could call this your first request on this account, but any possessive headcannons about the li's from the night shift?

(I assumed they'd be possessive from what you mentioned at least)

Creepypasta Relationship HCs

Characters - Jeff the Killer, Homicidal Liu (& Sully), Ticci Toby, & Eyeless Jack x GN Reader

Summary - How they are in a relationship (w/ a "healthy" dose of possessive tendencies)

TWs - Descriptions of yandere behavior, cheating (and otherwise unhealthy polyamory), abusive or toxic relationships, manipulation, possessive and jealous behaviors, mentions of murder and other violence, & very brief mentions of sex.

Word Count - 3.4k (500-700 each)

A/N: Part 2 is now up folks :)

Part 2

Jeff the Killer

Almost definitely has a thing with control. As an unwilling pawn to a creature he can't defeat, he tends to approach all things in life less than civilly.

You would likely have to be under Slender's control as well. While he could possibly tolerate someone who has been with Slender for longer than himself, Jeff prefers a more rookie member. Especially if you're being trained as a proxy, he feels a sort of satisfaction knowing his own influence is somehow intermixed with Slender's closest pawns.

Getting into a relationship with him takes time, and, even then, the term relationship is used very loosely. Jeff has interests for short periods of time before moving on to something else that catches his attention. Assuming this is a more long lasting type of relationship, that manifests as him basically disappearing for anywhere from days to months at a time.

He doesn't quite ignore you. If you pass him by chance, he'll acknowledge you with a smidge more endearment than just anyone else. Even if you seek him out, he might agree, albeit on his terms and free time. However, it certainly rivals the near infatuation he exhibits when he's most interested.

That being said, monogamy is not to be expected. If you wanted to discuss it, you probably wouldn't get a straightforward conversation even if you beat it out of him. Jeff doesn't answer to anyone in his mind. He gets to do whatever he wants, when he wants to. If someone else catches his interest, you're the last thing on his mind.

On the other hand, you do have to answer to him. Being stuck in Slender's woods as well, there's only so many people around you, and Jeff feuds with them constantly. If you were to be seeing one of them, that's something they could hold against him, and, to Jeff, that's worse than sin. For that reason, he absolutely policies your other relationships, and, if anything escalates, you're the sole one at fault. Though, Jeff, behind all his boasting, is not the smartest and it is very easy to lie to him if you're even somewhat decent at it.

Jeff is also not the most affectionate in traditional senses. While he understands the general norms of a relationship, he tends to perceive gestures of affection as begrudging requirements rather than something he enjoys doing.

His main aim in a relationship would be sex, any other things falling as secondary or lower.

Non-sexual physical affection is generally stiff or completely non-existent. Depending on his temperament, he can be a little bit sweeter. If you were to ask for a hug, he would (given you two aren't in any sort of public setting) allow you to give him one. He, on the other hand, would stand there like a reluctantly breathing mannequin.

Words of affection are also few and far between. He absolutely won't say he loves you, and it would be like pulling teeth to get him to call you any endearing nickname. But, Jeff does speak to you a bit softer than he does others. His compliments aren't outright but rather a less critical version of his usual vindictive comments. Not to mention, if he's feeling especially placid, he might refer to you by your actual name over whatever bastardization he normally uses.

His most likely form of affection would be in gift giving. Jeff is kind of a kleptomaniac, deriving a weird sort of joy in taking "souvenirs" from those he's killed. If he just so happens to notice something that you've offhandedly mentioned before or (god forbid) even something that makes him think of you, he'll pass it on. Usually, that means finding it on your doorstep (like he's a cat giving you a dead mouse) or having it tossed off to you under the guise of it being "junk."

I will add one concession which is that it's not entirely impossible to get some complacency out of Jeff. One thing that he tends to forget is that you're not completely weak and docile. After all, you interested Slenderman in some way beyond being prey. The most effective would be straight-up physical violence. Jeff doesn't understand emotional cues, and he hardly respects verbal boundaries. A fist to the gut, though? He understands that well. It'll make him think twice.

Overall, things would need to be toxic on toxic.

Homicidal Liu

Hardly as volatile as his brother, Liu is probably the closest you'll get to a "normal" relationship

While he holds a lot of insecurities about his appearance, he has much more room to interact with others in the real world than some of his companions do. He doesn't have a particular preference for who or what you are. If you're under Slender's control, that makes things easier. But, he's just as willing (if only a little hesitant) to form relationships with people outside of the creature's sphere

In my characterization of Liu, he has a bit of a destructive need to be close to Jeff. Some of it stems from his desire to return to a normal life while other parts of it is because he feels a need to be treated poorly somehow. Either way, his agreement to Slender is purely out of a need to be closer to Jeff. For that reason, he doesn't really view the creature in as negative of a light as others. Liu might even encourage you to submit to Slender if you haven't already, though who knows how that might actually go for you.

A complete wannabe romantic. If he sets his eyes on you, he'll go about the motions in the hopes you'll like him back. On the good side, you'll get a couple of nice dates and a bouquet of your favorite flowers for any sort of special event. In the case you don't reciprocate the romantic feelings, however, that does nothing to deter him. He just needs to try harder and eventually he'll wear you down.

Liu doesn't see himself with anyone but you, and he hopes you feel the same. However, he's a bit more flexible if you aren't interested in being exclusive. He fears that denying you fully might turn your interests away from him, so, instead, he'll try to convince you that he's better than whoever else you set your eyes on.

Compared to others, Liu isn't particularly the strongest. He's killed, but he doesn't feel any great pleasure or disgust towards it. It's something he has to do to be near Jeff, that's all. So, he's not one to go straight to physically harming anyone who gets close to you-- that might upset you too. But, he is one hell of a gossip. Any possible dirt he has on the person in question, he'll tell you all about it, maybe even twist it to seem like they hurt him personally. At the end of the day, you love him, don't you? You wouldn't want him to get hurt again, right?

On the more fluffy side, he’s the most consistently affectionate compared to others. Physical affection and words of affection are the main ways he would show his love in a relationship.

He's most physically affectionate when taking you on a date. Holding your hand and kissing your cheek, he does everything the sweet, picture-perfect boyfriend might. Liu's also very willing to indulge whatever requests you have of him. Whatever you want, his arms are open-- literally. In public settings, he gets a bit shyer, a pink flush taking over his features as he reaches for your hand or hastily presses his lips to your own.

When it comes to words of affection, he's quite the poet, like an actual love poet. Is his poetry good? That's subjective. If you indulge him, he might slip a love note or two your way. Although, he was far from a straight-A student. You're pretty sure some of the big words he uses don't quite mean what he thinks, but the thought is generally there. Even if you don't indulge his poetry, he'll still let the words "I love you" fall in your direction alongside a slew of other compliments.

Sully

I don't imagine Sully fronts very much, but, when he does, it's usually for a decently long period of time. Because of this, Liu keeps a diary of sorts so that the other can be a little less disoriented when coming to the front. Sully begrudgingly respects the diary. He doesn't keep up with it like Liu and writes far less, but he keeps the important details in mind.

If you're Liu's partner, he's not too interested in you. Inevitably, he'll be curious at first upon reading about you, but, if you don't catch his interest, he'll move on just as quickly. In that case, you probably won't see him until he fronts again.

In the off chance that he does see you as more than some side character, that doesn't really change much. Just because you're Liu's partner and somehow attracted to their host body (even though Sully is doubtful to believe that), he doesn't just get free range on you. He'll hang around you a bit longer, maybe indulge in a conversation or two. If Sully's relationship with you does develop into something less passive, it would likely be purely sexual in nature.

In general, Sully is unlikely to pursue a romantic partner of his own-- especially if Liu already has a partner. For Sully, Liu's needs matter more than his own, so he gets the final say on romantic relationships. But, he's not incapable of experiencing romantic attraction for another person.

Unlike Liu, you'd have to be under Slender's control for Sully to even consider you. He admires powerful people, so, if you were a more experienced member, that would only be a bonus.

If he did let an actual relationship form between the two of you, it would probably be pretty loosely defined. He wouldn't call himself your boyfriend, but he would scoff if you didn't see him that way. With that, Sully wouldn't entirely mind you were with someone else-- as long as he found them worthy.

(I'm not decided on writing NSFW on this account yet, but there's something there... remind me)

That doesn't dissolve the possessiveness entirely. Sully would still feel like he has some say in your other partners if it's someone he doesn't like. Rather than take that disapproval out on you, he'll go right to the source, and he is not opposed to violence.

In terms of affection in a relationship, Sully is a lot like Jeff in most ways. He's not a fan of initiating softer forms of affection. You would have to be dying in his arms to get him to hug you and most kisses would need to be initiated by you (it's not like he minds, though).

Sully's most valuable asset is his time. When he's fronting, he gets no more than one or two months to get everything done. So, if he chooses to spend his time with you, you better appreciate it. Even if you don't, that might not stop him if he's in deep enough.

Liu would probably be similarly indifferent to Sully's partner whenever he fronts again. He takes a bit more time to get to know you, Sully writing much less about you than Liu would, but he certainly wouldn't grow more fond of you than that.

Ticci Toby

Truly a rollercoaster of a man.

Toby is damn near infatuated with Slender, seeing it as something of a savior to him. Whether you feel entirely the same is irrelevant, you would have to be another proxy. Toby is often trapped in his own mind, not really too observant of things he doesn't need to be. So, you would need to be someone who's a bit more relevant in his life than just an occasional mission-buddy.

Surprise, surprise, Toby struggles with authority. He hates when people have power over him and he knows it (*cough* Tim *cough*). He'll fight any order quite fervently whether that be by outright defying it or just doing something his own way instead. At the same time, he feels the innate urge to be validated for his efforts and garner respect from the very same authority figure. Shockingly, he finds himself gravitated to someone who's been around a bit longer than himself.

You would have to be the one to establish any clear boundaries or definitions in a relationship. Once Toby thinks something, that tends to become his version of fact. He thinks you two are partners? You are. No need to inform you of that, you must already know.

Toby is incredibly insecure in himself. As a result, everyone is a threat to his relationship with you. Anyone could swipe you away if he's not watching carefully enough, so he's on high alert around others-- whether you want him to be or not. At the best of times, he can keep his mouth shut. But, at his worst, he sics himself on others like an untrained guard dog. The offense in question? Causing you to smile in a conversation.

This sort of variety tends to describe most of your relationship. Sometimes, he fails to see any of your flaws, pining any issues he has on either himself or others. Other times, everything is your fault to the point he almost despises you. Those times don't equate to necessarily him distancing himself. Rather, he takes increasingly more frustrating means to get you to change for him. You love him, don't you?

Toby doesn't know much about relationships apart from the stereotypical and heteronormative examples he saw as a child. Regardless of your gender, he tends to think of himself as the "dominating man" of the relationship. Despite that, he tends to be weak to you. It's not the hardest to knock him down a peg or two, depending on his mental state.

His most likely forms of affection are in gifts and acts of service. He's not exactly an artist, but he likes to think he is as he combines various rocks, sticks, and acorns together into some atrocity for you. Almost like a courting bird, he most prefers giving you the pretty or shiny objects he can find throughout the woods. As for his acts of service, those go back to his desire for you to be proud of him. Doing things for you is a natural way for him to achieve that, no matter how ridiculous or damaging your request might be. This aspect of his is almost too easy to exploit.

Toby is very awkward with physical affection. Being around you heightens his nerves and, in turn, his tics. He worries that he'll jab you too hard with his elbow or accidentally smack you with an involuntary hand flick. So, he stays close but never too close: hovering is the best way to describe it. Toby exists near you like a presence, just a few feet away and fiddling with his hands as he waits for you.

Words of affection are also difficult for him for similar reasons. He despises the way his voice comes out cut and stuttered and saying such big things like "I love you" takes a lot of effort out of him. On that note, he can be quite the talker once you two get closer. When he's comfortable around people, he likes to tell them about his interests in long, rambling ways with a little glimmer in his eyes. It's almost comical how easily you can initiate such word vomit from him.

Eyeless Jack

EJ has been a personal fav of mine for many years now.

While I'm an absolute sucker for the beauty and the beast trope with this guy, I think a relationship with someone else under Slender's control is most likely. Despite that, he would definitely be more likely to fall in love with a more human member than another supernatural one. Jack craves nothing more than the nostalgia and familiarity of humanity, so, if a human partner is the closest he can get, then so be it.

A relationship with Jack is beyond a slowburn. He wouldn't admit feelings for you even if it killed him. Jack despises who he is and thinks that every nice thing around him should feel the same. For that reason, it would take you to be the catalyst for the relationship. Good luck doing that though when Jack starts avoiding you like the plague, a pretty common occurrence. Even if you do voice the thoughts for him, he might still hide in the hopes you'll forget them.

Once in a relationship, he's the most likely to make it clear that he wants you two to be exclusive. While I tend to hesitate on making his more demonic traits too animalistic, I think it's reasonable to suggest that he has quite the strong nose. You have a scent, perhaps even one beyond whatever hygiene products you wear, and so does everyone else. If you don't smell like, well, you, it unsettles him in a certain way. That's his reasoning, at least.

In reality, he's more possessive than he lets on. To an extent, it's not a complete ruse on his part. He does truly believe the things that he asks of you are because his demonic nature makes the alternative impossible. It would be a lie to say there isn't some almost inexplicable mental gymnastics to get to that point, however. He can handle you having platonic relationships with others, no matter how much he feels his hands twitch unpleasantly at the thought. Jack struggles to fully commit to making you "all his" given that he doesn't think he deserves anything.

Expanding on his self-hatred a bit further, Jack is most vocal about these feelings with you. The sheer amount of time it took for the two of you to get together allowed for the establishment of more than enough trust on his part. He'll rarely dump it all at once. Instead, he makes comments here and there about hating certain features of his, or, if that's too much, he'll look so obviously sad about it. The reassurances feel cute, almost more domestic than you expected... at first.

Jack doesn't actively seek praise or compliments from others. If anything, he tries to practically disappear in most social settings. So, to have someone reaffirm him so readily, it's almost intoxicating. It would be a lie to say he doesn't fish for compliments on occasion, highlighting some insecurity of his to an unnecessary degree in the hopes you'll dote on him over him. Honestly, you might have swayed his worries on the issue entirely, but he'll be damned if he doesn't hear you say it again and again and again.

Acts of service and quality time are his go to forms of affection. Jack is guilty of hovering even more so than Toby is. If you're doing something, he's willing to help with whatever it is (there's very little he can't do) or at least linger around you if you don't want the help. When you're not busy, he still likes to linger near even if you two are doing separate things. Another heightened sense of his is hearing, so he basks in the quiet. As his partner, hearing you is a big comfort to him, even if it's just your soft breaths.

As is customary now, Jack doesn't think he's deserving of physical affection even though he craves it. He's shockingly strong willed and won't initiate anything unless you specifically instruct him to. He's most partial to being held by you, but is willing and happy to act as your personal pillow if need be. Sometimes, he can be a bit too cautious with his expressions of physical affection. Between his claws, his strength, and the inhuman black substance that drips from his eye sockets, he's a big fan of hover hands.

For words of affection, Jack is not a talker whatsoever. Despite his transparency on his insecurities, it flusters him greatly to share how he truly feels about you. He can only bring himself to say he loves you when he's sure you're deep asleep. Regardless, he'll manage to throw around an occasional compliment or two. Usually, it's uttered painstakingly quiet and you'd be lucky if he ever actually repeated it for you to hear better.

I fear there is some favoritism between these characters and I need to write more asshole EJ hcs.

[elysiansparadise]

Composite chart observations

🤎When Mercury is in the 4th house it makes you feel that with this person you have opened up like no one else. Both feel that they can say what they really think without feeling judged or criticised and they will have that particularity that their words will have a strong emotional impact on the other, mostly in a positive way. They will have the tendency to say what the other needs without meaning to and talking to the other will be comforting after a tense or stressful day.

🤎If Saturn and Jupiter are in conjunction in the 4th house or both of them are in that house, both people will take each other's emotional world seriously, take the time to understand each other's needs and seek to lower their defences little by little. . They can make a beautiful home and/or make the relationship a safe place for both of them that they know they can retreat to if the world out there becomes overwhelming. Strong trust in each other, a feeling of comfort and contentment in which they work and invest.

🤎When Mars is aspecting Neptune [especially conjunction, trine, sextile] it makes it more likely that the couple will actively do things to fulfil the dreams they have together. You can support each other not only in achieving what you always dreamed of in a relationship, but also in pursuing your individual dreams and aspirations. This couple dreams of achieving things together, of sharing their achievements, including them in their dreams and growing together in every way.

🤎Aries rising in this chart tells us about a playful relationship in which both can be their true selves and feel comfortable in their own skin. Authenticity, adventures and a lot of joy. It is likely that both of them are people with a strong temperament and it can lead them to arguments, but with patience in the relationship [or placements in 2nd, 4th or 6th house] it is very likely that they will resolve their issues easily. They are direct with each other, they can tell each other everything and rely on each other for their strong connection and personal values.

🤎With Juno in the 4th house, it suggests that the relationship is meant to provide a deep sense of security and emotional stability for both partners in the relationship. The couple can actively work to create an environment in which they both feel protected, loved and safe. This mutual commitment to emotional security can be a central pillar of the relationship and the main reason why both natives consider taking this relationship further or at least see it lasting in the long term.

🤎The position of the North Node in the composite charts can reveal karmic lessons and the spiritual purpose of the relationship. These positions may indicate areas where people are destined to grow together. For example, in the 1st house both will grow a lot on a personal level and will discover parts of themselves that they had no idea about. In the 2nd house you will learn to value the things that you consider important, you will reconsider priorities and you will understand which things are really valuable to you. In the 3rd house you will learn a lot next to the other, from the most mundane things to more complex concepts. Likewise, you’ll be able to better communicate your ideas without fear of being judged.

🤎When Pallas is in the 1st house, this couple can have a peaceful and logical approach when issues, conflicts or problems of all kinds arise. They will always validate the other's opinion and feelings before jumping to conclusions. Furthermore, when there are differences between them, they do not seek to "beat" or crush the other by showing that they are right, rather their love and respect for the other is so great that they will seek to reach a resolution that they both feel comfortable with. Great admiration, respect and fascination with the other and their personality.

🤎If Vesta is conjunct Sun, Moon or Rising tells us about a relationship where there is a lot of devotion, this is because Vesta is a representative of that term. They will not only demonstrate devotion by being faithful to the other, but by investing time, energy and effort in the relationship. There will be a strong fascination between both of them and they will feel that the other is worthy of all the efforts and affection they have to give.

🤎When Pluto aspects either the Sun or Venus it makes this relationship something totally new for both of us. They will help each other to have a different perception of relationships, changing old mindsets. A strong attraction will bring them together, the intrigue and curiosity about the other will keep them hooked from the first interaction and the glimpse into the depths of the other will make them end up deciding to take a more intimate approach to the relationship. A powerful, intense and very transformative union.

🤎If Uranus is conjunct the Midheaven or in the 10th house, it is very likely that, regardless of the relationship, people will perceive a strong sense of unity and friendship in both. Their relationship falls into the description of fresh, positive, unusual but full of trust and support. You will both encourage each other to pursue your individual goals and celebrate each other's achievements as your own. For this couple, each other's individual success is important and they will play an important role in the path that the other travels as far as pursuing their goals is concerned.

🤎With Moon in the 1st house, not only will love and support abound between both of you, but individually you will feel the need to encourage the other to be authentic, not to wear masks when you are together, and you will have the ability to make each other feel safe. There will be familiarity between the two and it is very likely that they are a couple or friends, there is a bond of the type 'I choose you as family'.

🤎With Ceres in the 6th house, the couple nurtures and cares for each other, this not only refers to physical care, but also emotional and psychological support. Both individuals feel safe and supported in the relationship and, in turn, try to be reciprocal with the other by giving what they receive. They will support each other in all areas, from being a strong emotional support, a safe place for the other or even taking care of the other in their most vulnerable moments. They really enjoy doing things for each other and many times they won't even have to ask for it, since both will easily sense these needs.

🤎With the trine or sextile between Moon-Uranus, this couple can feel that spark between them, feeling not only fascinated by the other, but also very inspired. They will allow themselves to feel freely, they will not bind the other or seek to control them in any way and they will feel an affinity and genuine affection towards the other and their uniqueness.

🤎The favourable aspects between Moon-Saturn or if they are in mutual reception [Capricorn or Aquarius moon + Cancer saturn] help a lot if both want to take the step of living together, since it gives them not only affinity in terms of lifestyles, but also a strong sense of responsibility regarding the relationship. There is a lot of commitment, similar priorities and future planning [Saturn] for a domestic life together [Moon].

🤎When Pluto and Mars are conjunct or opposing, beyond showing a powerful attraction and a desire that seems to grow more and more, it also shows us a couple who is willing to do whatever it takes to guarantee not only the security of the relationship, but of the other person. They can be fiercely protective of each other and be very intense about each other. There is also an intense fascination for the other and, although many people do not usually associate it with this aspect, there can also be a strong admiration and fixation for the other.

🤎When there is a stellium in the 2nd house it shows that both have a strong need to be close to the other, many times even their mood seems to radiate in the presence of the other. This couple will seek to be there for each other and work together for the stability of the relationship. The comfort of the other and that they do not lack anything they want will be important to them. They can have a tendency to spoil each other very frequently and if Venus or Jupiter are there, it can often be excessive.

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[sunderwight]

Honestly fascinated trying to figure out how both of Ambessa's kids ended up being diametrically opposed to her whole jock spartan might-makes-right mentality.

Tthe obvious answer, of course, is that Ambessa's husband (Kino's dad, and the guy Mel thought was her bio dad until recently) was way more of a diplomat and way less of a fighter, both philosophically as well as in terms of skill. And that he's the one who passed this on to the kids.

This fits well enough as an answer. The guy in the portrait certainly looks more like a talker than a fighter, and we know that Ambessa has a thing for pretty, submissive men thanks to her whole introduction in S1. Also, regardless of Mel's genetics this is presumably the man who raised her and is her father in the "nurture" sense of the equation, so it would be completely reasonable for her to take after him.

However, there are a few issues here.

One is the fact that even when Mel is talking to who she thinks is Kino about the possibility of one of them being a bastard, or of a bastard half-sibling existing, neither of them mention their father at all. While I doubt either of them would hold illusions about Ambessa remaining faithful to a spouse (for all we know the guy's still alive while she's off carousing with twinks), you would think that if both kids were close to their dad or took after him particularly, there'd be at least a passing mention of him in the midst of this discussion.

Maybe Mr. Medarda died a long time ago, though. Perhaps it's a topic so buried that it's an established habit to simply never mention it. Or maybe there is an issue of estrangement between him and his children for other reasons. He doesn't seem to have factored into Ambessa's decision to send Mel away, nor is his potential grief brought up around the subject of Kino. Despite confirmation of his existence, he seems (ironically) to be out of the picture, though it could also just be that the writers wanted to leave their options open for what he might be like in case another Arcane-adjacent series comes into production. I am fairly sure that Mel is the most likely character from Arcane to create continuity into a show about Noxus or Demacia or something, if we get another LoL series, especially since her story feels the most unfinished.

However, there's another possibility, which is that Mr. Medarda up there was such a nonentity in his kids lives that he doesn't come up because there's not much of a relationship to acknowledge. In which case, even if he is more of a diplomat (and he and Ambessa were a political marriage, presumably?) it'd be hard to credit him with influencing the kids so significantly.

One of the interesting things about Mel and Kino is that even though they are at odds with their mother on a lot of topics, topics that even seem to tie into prevailing Noxian cultural ideals (so, things they'd have been overall raised to believe in by the rest of their house and not just their mother too), they are also kind of astonishingly confident in expressing themselves?

So, somebody must have been supporting their alternative viewpoints and validating them as opinions worth expressing, even if they weren't things Ambessa approved of or actually wanted to foster in them as opinions/philosophies.

I think an interesting option is that it was Ambessa herself who did this, actually.

Ambessa's lore mentions that she figured out really early on that Kino did not share her temperament at all. Also, that she started searching about for ways of ensuring not only her house's domination, but the survival of her children specifically. Because the succession in a Noxian noble house doesn't seem to be guaranteed by birthright, which means that Kino and Mel would probably face rivals from their own family if they seemed too weak or vulnerable to lead, and someone else contested it. An easy way to remove a "weak" leader would also be to just kill them off. That's even apart from external rivals (like the ones who actually did kill Kino).

Which means that even if her kids had different values and priorities, Ambessa would probably have wanted them to still present those opinions with ferocity and confidence. If they cower to her, they will cower to others, and that's worse than them just not being aggressive combatants or warlord types. If you're gonna be a peacenik weirdo (by Ambessa's standards) in Noxus then you better damn well still be an assertive one.

I like this idea partly because the image of Ambessa trying to balance her kids having totally alien opinions about things like the value of life and importance of compassion, with trying not to actually beat down their spirits about it. Just spending a lot of their formative years being like, ugh, I have to listen to my nerd ass loser children tell me why they think mercy is a good idea. Such a fucking chore. Anyway great job presenting your arguments kids, lots to think about, let's go get ice cream. Then Mother has to fire one of your military tactics instructors for daring to call you a couple of wieners. Again. Even though she's right.

[inthehouseoffinwe]

Thinking of fourth gen Finwëans because it always makes me laugh cause you have like:

Celebrimbor - born YT, killed Second Age

Idril - born YT, left First Age

Maeglin - born and killed in the mid First Age

Finduilas - born and killed in the mid First Age

Gil Galad - born First Age, killed very end of Second Age

Celebrian - born in Second Age, left mid Third Age

Just. The scale of time and experiences for Finwë’s grandchildren vs great grandchildren is wild 😂

Also they should totally have meet ups in Valinor. Elrond’s an honourary member.

But in terms of dynamics:

Celebrimbor + Gil Galad + Celebrian - Second Age besties. Get along like a house on fire to the older Finwëan generations ever increasing concern. Basically if Fëanor, Fingolfin, and Finarfin all got along (but switch some personalities and temperaments between them) and were left to their own devices. Add Elrond and we have the full house.

Finduilas + Celebrian - similar end of ME life experiences and idk. The vibes are there. First Cousins ftw.

Idril + Celebrimbor - Been through so much Rubbish from Fëanor and Fingolfin’s drama to the First Age chaos, they honestly just vibe. No hard feelings on either side. Fill in the younger members on the Family Lore.

Maeglin + Celebrimbor - Tyelpë’s feral adopted pet rat. “I was friends with Sauron, I can deal with this.” Forge buddies. Helping him adjust to society and come to terms with what was Morgoth’s fault and what was Maeglin himself.

Idril + Gil Galad - It weirds them out that they’re first cousins. Gil Galad’s lowkey annoyed that she left without at least saying hi. But he gets it.

Celebrian + Idril + Celebrimbor - Idril and Celebrian love their respective human/half-elf. Celebrimbor misses his mortal friends. They share all the stories.

Finduilas + Gil Galad - “…yeah we could probably be siblings. Also how was it away from the war but dealing with the fallout?”

Finduilas + Celebrimbor - Nargothrond besties. The first and only cousin she met. Finduilas is very much like a little sister to him.

Maeglin + Idril - Have a silent agreement to avoid each other unless others are around.

Maeglin + Celebrian - “What would you know of such matters, child.” “Born later, lived literally thousands of years longer than you, baby cousin.” Co-owns the feral pet rat with Celebrimbor. The only one who can match him word for word, her perceptiveness rivals his ‘sharp glance.’

Finduilas + Maeglin + Gil Galad - “don’t you just love inheriting curses?”

Finduilas + Idril - Architecture. These two come up with entire elaborate but functional plans in less than two hours. Probably built everyone’s houses. Celebrimbor sometimes joins.

Gil Galad + Maeglin - “You actually wanted to be crown prince???” “You didn’t??” “That explains so much.” Not surprised Maeglin got stuck in the family and High King curse. They don’t mind each other’s presence and pretty happily sit doing their own things in a room. Gil Galad’s doing this for Celebrian more than anyone else. AKA the reluctant pet sitter who got dragged into this mess by his best friends.

[13lunarstar]

Nakshatra compatibility in Vedic Astrology

Nakshatra compatibility plays a crucial role in determining the harmony between partners. The Nakshatras, or lunar mansions, influence personality traits, emotions, and compatibility in relationships. Understanding the compatibility between the Nakshatras of two individuals can help predict marital success, emotional bonding, and overall relationship dynamics.

In Vedic Astrology, the compatibility of two individuals is analyzed based on the Koota System, which consists of 10 main factors:

Varna (spiritual compatibility) – determines the spiritual compatibility between partners.

Vashya (control and influence) – analyzes the dominance and influence partners have over each other.

Tara (birth star compatibility) – examines the health and fortune between partners.

Yoni (sexual compatibility) – determines sexual attraction and physical harmony.

Graha Maitri (mental and intellectual compatibility) – checks friendship between the Moon signs.

Gana (temperament compatibility) – categorizes people into Deva (divine), Manushya (human), and Rakshasa (demonic) temperaments.

Bhakoot (destiny and family welfare) – determines family growth, prosperity, and longevity.

Nadi (genetic and health compatibility) – examines genetic compatibility and health issues.

Mahendra (longevity and support) – indicates the potential for long-term support.

Stree-Deergha (happiness in marriage) – checks the happiness and longevity of the wife.

Nakshatra compatibility essentials:

Certain nakshatras naturally complement each other, while others may create disharmony. In short, the best matches are based on at least these 3 factors:

Same Gana (temperament and nature) compatibility: Deva with Deva (divine with divine), Manushya with Manushya (human with human), Rakshasa with Rakshasa (demonic with demonic).

Compatible Yoni (sexual compatibility for procreation)

Positive Bhakoot and Nadi Matching (overall family prosperity and well-being prospects): ensures emotional and physical well-being.

The list of the best matching nakshatras for long-term partnerships, including marriage, for each lunar mansion:

Ashwini – Magha, Swati, Mula

Bharani – Rohini, Revati, Purva Phalguni

Krittika – Uttara Phalguni, Rohini, Pushya

Rohini – Mrigashira, Uttara Phalguni, Anuradha

Mrigashira – Rohini, Chitra, Revati

Ardra – Swati, Satabhisha, Purva Bhadrapada

Punarvasu – Anuradha, Uttara Bhadrapada, Revati

Pushya – Uttara Phalguni, Anuradha, Chitra

Ashlesha – Jyeshtha, Chitra, Dhanishta

Magha – Ashwini, Mula, Swati

Purva Phalguni – Uttara Phalguni, Rohini, Revati

Uttara Phalguni – Purva Phalguni, Rohini, Pushya

Hasta – Swati, Anuradha, Shravana

Chitra – Mrigashira, Hasta, Dhanishta

Swati – Ashwini, Anuradha, Dhanishta

Vishakha – Anuradha, Chitra, Jyeshtha

Anuradha – Vishakha, Uttara Phalguni, Rohini

Jyeshtha – Ashlesha, Vishakha, Chitra

Mula – Ashwini, Magha, Purva Bhadrapada

Purva Ashadha – Uttara Ashadha, Swati, Revati

Uttara Ashadha – Purva Ashadha, Shravana, Anuradha

Shravana – Uttara Bhadrapada, Revati, Hasta

Dhanishta – Chitra, Shravana, Swati

Shatabhisha – Ardra, Swati, Uttara Bhadrapada

Purva Bhadrapada – Uttara Bhadrapada, Mula, Anuradha

Uttara Bhadrapada – Purva Bhadrapada, Revati, Shravana

Revati – Rohini, Uttara Bhadrapada, Purva Ashadha

[haru-natsuka]

The Unending Daze Side Story 1 (Ace Trappola x Wife Reader)

>> Trailer <<

"My darling wife, the joy you have brought me throughout the years is without compare. Our children are fortunate to have been gifted with such a loving and caring mother as you,"

Malleus spoke with affection, his voice like honeyed words that melted the hearts of everyone that heard it. He leaned down to kiss your forehead, his warm breath brushing against your skin.

But just as you were getting used to this blissful scene, your old friend, Ace arrived in an unexpected turn of events. He claimed that he was your husband, which left you perplexed and bewildered.

"Wait a minute, that's not right! I'm your real husband! He's just trying to manipulate you with a dream. Wake up, now! Our children need you! I need you, Y/N!"

You were unsure how to proceed, caught in the middle of a confusing situation. In this situation, you feel conflicted and uncertain about whether your old friend or your darling husband had spoken the truth.

>> HEAD TO CHAPTER LIST

>> SIDE STORY 1 <<

Like before, he could not grateful enough with all the blessing he received throughout his life. Ace's wide smile beamed with pride and excitement as he felt the gentle movement of your pregnant stomach, his hand caressing the curve of your belly with care. Bright scarlet eyes were sparkled in excitement, and without warning, he leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to the nape of your neck. Lazing on the bed with you was the best comfort and tranquility for him.

"I told you so, Y/N," His voice was brimming with confidence. "Our little one is definitely dancing because she can feel me here. She knows her papa's voice." He was convinced that his child could recognize and respond even in the sanctuary of your womb, drawn to the sound of his voice even from this early stage.

You could not help but chuckle softly at his enthusiastic commentary, his palpable excitement only adding to the already joyous atmosphere. With Ace's warm embrace encompassing you, you relaxed and leaned back against him, feeling his strong arms holding you securely. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat resonated against your back, synchronizing with your own, creating a sense of unity between you two.

"You're so sure of yourself, aren't you?" you replied, a hint of amusement in your tone with a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "Maybe she's just kicking because she's got her mama's feisty personality. She must be angry her papa was disturbing her precious sleep"

Ace responded with defiant certainty, his expression taking on a slightly wounded look. "Hey, I'm absolutely certain,", he repeated with a firmness of conviction in his voice. "Our little one is definitely responding to her papa. After all, who in their right mind wouldn't want to dance when they hear my beautiful voice?"

Ace's arms squeezed you just a little tighter in playful protest. He continued to lovingly stroke your baby bump, his hand making gentle circles on your rounded belly. Nuzzling his face against the crook of your neck, his warm breath tickled your skin. A smirk on his face, Ace whispered into your ear, his tone teasing and playful even as he felt the baby kicking furiously.

Ace could not resist teasing his wife, even with the knowledge of her temperamental nature. With a wry smile, he remarked, "Well, I suppose she takes after you, at least in terms of temperament."

"You've never changed, Ace. Still that mischievous guy, enjoyed teasing me!" You playfully pinched his arms as a sign of protest with his endless teases. Ace let out a dramatic wail, acting as if your pinching had caused him great pain despite the fact that your strength was nowhere near being able to do so. "Oh, come on, Y/N! I can't help it. Teasing you is a part of my life"

"During our first meet at NRC and even when I came back to this world, you always treat me like this... but... I'm really thankful that you provide me shelter at that time and your family even very welcoming. It's hard to imagine that we are here now, creating our own little family" As you spoke softly, the memories you had shared with Ace replayed within your mind's inner theater, your thoughts dancing through the various moments that brought you both together in love.

"Yeah, I guess I always had a penchant for teasing you," Ace admitted, his voice laced with a hint of embarrassment. "And you know what? I'm insanely glad I did. Who knew that all those times I annoyed you would lead us here, creating a family together." Although his tone was gentle and soothing, his mischievous glint returned to his eyes.

"Give me more reason to never stop annoyed you"

Ace began to relentlessly tickle your side, his actions causing you to writ and strain within his embrace. In defense, you grabbed a pillow and attempted to fend him off, but he snatched it from your grasp and tossed it aside, leaving you with limited options on the limited space of the bed. As tears of laughter formed at the corners of your eyes, you called out for help, but the giggles made your voice sound faint and unsteady.

"Papa! Stop being a bad guy! You are hurting both mama and our baby sister!"

Eleusis, your firstborn, burst through the door in haste, his younger sibling Aceleus stumbling in behind him. As Ace continued his playful but gentle teasing, your heroic children entered the room, hearing your faint cries of assistance. Eleusis, as the older sibling, acted like a valiant hero, rushing to your aid, while Aceleus simply followed his older sibling's lead, albeit somewhat clumsily.

"Eleusis?! Papa's not-!"

Eleusis, armed with a magical pen that he had stealthily procured, pointed it valiantly at his father and yelled "Stupefy!" Following the lead of a wizard story he had recently watched, he attempted to use the same spell as the protagonist had in the movie he saw earlier. Lo and behold, Ace was stunned, his muscles frozen in place with both hands remaining motionless beside you.

As you observed the scene unfolding before your eyes, a cocktail of conflicting emotions surged through your being. You felt a surge of pride at your young son's successful casting of a spell, particularly at such an early stage in his life. Yet at the same time, there was a twinge of concern in your heart, as you recognized that targeting their father with magic was not a righteous thing to do. Following his older brother's lead, your younger son chimed in, echoing his sentiments.

"Big brother saved Mama from the bad guy!" he declared, mimicking his brother and joining in with the celebration. As they stood in front of you, their faces lit with relief and triumph.

You scooted away from the frozen Ace, who pleaded for help through his eyes. You then scooped both boys up and placed them on the bed, where they immediately wrapped their arms around your baby bump, eager to feel the connection with their growing sister.

You sighed softly, addressing your children with gentle but firm words. "My dear Eleusis and Aceleus," you softly reprimanded them. "You shouldn't cast a spell on your papa. It's wrong, you know." Eleusis, your firstborn, looked down, his young mind processing your words, while Aceleus, his younger brother, seemed preoccupied with stroking your baby bump and paying no attention to the conversation.

Eleusis sighed, his young mind comprehending the situation and the stern words of his mother. However, the mischievous glint in his eyes seemed to suggest that he was not entirely repentant.

"Awwww, Mama," he whined, his voice taking on a softer tone. "But Papa was being a really big meanie! We have to save you!" He defended himself, a hint of a defiant pout on his youthful lips.

Your expression softened, and you let out a soft chuckle at Eleusis' childish excuses. You playfully shook your head and responded, "Oh, my dear Eleusis. Papa was just messing around with mama, but you shouldn't use such spells on him, alright?"

You gently patted his cheek while your other hand was busy caressing Aceleus, hair who made him more comfortable in your laps before continuing, "Papa loves us all equally, and he was just having some teasing fun with mama. Do you understand?"

Eleusis tilted his head slightly in contemplation, his young face reflecting a mixture of guilt and reluctance in response to your gentle but firm instructions.

"I guess I understand, mama. But Papa is such a teaser! He pranks us a lot too!" He responded with a hint of frustration in his voice, crossing his arms in a gesture reminiscent of a childlike pout.

Your eyes softened as you observed Eleusis' body language, his crossed arms and slight frown communicating his frustration. With a gentle and understanding tone, you responded,

"I understand your frustration. Papa can be quite playful at times. But remember, he loves you and your younger brother very much. He doesn't mean any harm in his teasing. It's just his way of expressing his love and affection. If papa can move, he would agree with mama now."

Eleusis looked down at his crossed arms, contemplating your words. The tension in his face ebbed slightly, his young mind absorbing your reassurance. Your words had struck a chord with his deep love for his parents, and despite his momentary frustration, he understood that his papa's teasing was more a symptom of love than anything malicious.

After a moment of contemplation, he reluctantly nodded, the pout on his face fading. He mumbled in agreement, "I guess I get it. But Papa is so annoying sometimes!"

As you suggested to Eleusis the idea of a little prank to give Ace a taste of his own medicine, your young boy eagerly grabbed your makeup and together, you and Eleusis began to decorate Ace with it.

Aceleus, not wanting to be left out of the fun, quickly joined in the activity. As the three of you had a grand time, Ace's inner muffled voice could be heard in protest, the once teasing husband now rendered absolutely powerless to defend himself.

After finishing your grand makeup experiment on Ace and capturing numerous hilarious pictures of him decorated in makeup, you reached for a special potion that you had prepared beforehand knowing that such spells were not uncommon in your household.

You opened the bottle of the potion and poured it onto Ace, watching as the liquid glided over him and began to break the spell, effectively freeing his muscles from their previous immobile state.

Ace, now free from the spell and no longer restrained by his frozen state, wasted no time in lunging at his two sons and grabbing them in a playful wrestling match. Both Eleusis and Aceleus shriek with laughter as they wrestle with their now fully able-bodied father, their voices filling the room with a mix of joy and childish amusement.

The house was filled with the couple laughter before it turned grim when your two boys gone limp on the bed. Eleusis and Aceleus, remained completely still and unresponsive to any stimuli. Their once cheerful laughter and playful wriggles were now replaced by a dreadful silence, and a chilling feeling of fear encased you.

Hastily, you dropped beside them, checking for any signs of life. Your heart pounded fiercely, praying that your sons were merely playing a prank or perhaps just exhausted from their energetic playful wrestling.

"Ace! Our sons! They are not moving!"

Ace swiftly moved to console you, enveloping you in a comforting embrace. However, what should have been a reassuring gesture took on a nightmarish twist as you felt a sharp, piercing sensation in your side, the fabric of your clothes torn apart.

As you looked down, your horrified eyes met a sight that defies explanation. A pair of wooden hands clamped onto your side. Blood gushed from your wound, soaking your clothes. Fear and confusion took hold of your mind, and your desperate plea for comprehension filled the air.

Your mind was in turmoil as you desperately wrestled to pry the wooden hands off your body, your elbow frantically striking at your assailants behind you. All the while, your gaze remained fixed on your baby bump, as if you could sense the baby's distress and pain within.

'No, Ace would not hurt my baby!'

The words echoed in your mind amidst the chaos and panic, desperate to convince yourself that this nightmare couldn't be true.

"Y/N... Y/N... Y/N... Wake up!"

You jolted awake, gasping for air and screaming loudly, your body thrashing and convulsing as if you could still feel your wooden assailants squeezing your side tightly. Tears streamed down your face, your body trembling in terror. Suddenly, your flailing limbs were caught in a firm grasp, and your hands were enveloped in someone's steady and comforting ones.

"Y/N! It's a dream! Another nightmare! Get hold of yourself!" You finally got your sense back. As you looked up, your panicked gaze met Silver's pain-filled expression, and as you gazed down at your body, you saw no signs of the horrors that had plagued your nightmare - no wooden hands, no gaping wound, no blood-stained clothes. There was only your stomach available. Your obvious flat stomach.

'Only 4 months...'

You cried as the heavy weight of reality crashed down upon you, the painful reality that you still remained a prisoner within this castle, and your only source of comfort was Silver who always tried to console you. Not that husband of yours, Ace- No, not that damn wooden figures at the corner of your room, staring at you who resembled Ace from head to toe. No, they were merely soulless creations of your abductors, a mockery of the man you love.

"Y/N, did you dream about our time again?" That creature spoke with an eerie and unsettling smile, its facade mimicking Ace's gentle expression. You gave him no respond as you did not even want to converse with that impostor. This unending daze was your nightmare and you were living in it.

EXTRA <<, >> SIDE STORY 2

[anneapocalypse]

Urianger and Moenbryda are clearly set up as polar opposites in so many ways--in personality and temperament, even in the simple fact of her being a tank and he being a caster/healer--but it's especially interesting to me that they're also opposites in their fields of study. Moenbryda is a scientist, Urianger a humanities guy--in modern real-world terms I'd say his specialization in prophecy with the way it's applied in-universe translates roughly to something in between Divinity and Classical Studies. While he no doubt has some general scientific education as I'd assume any Archon would, and he can read an aetherometer as all of them can, he is not a scientist. In fact I'd probably call him one of the least scientifically-minded of the surviving members of the Circle of Knowing. (And it's probably not a coincidence that he's also seemingly the most devout... but that's another post for another day. 😉)

Notably, while Louisoix mentored many of the Archons we know in various ways, Urianger is I think the only one who actually shared Louisoix's specific academic field. (Louisoix was considered Sharlayan's foremost expert on prophecy specifically, and it was his interpretations of prophetic texts that led him to take the Circle of Knowing to Eorzea.) While NPCs' combat classes tend to overshadow their academic fields somewhat in the game itself, it's plain from both Urianger and Moenbryda that this is not always a one-to-one correlation. With some, the two are plainly much more closely correlated, as with Thancred (though it's interesting to note that he was a gladiator and not a rogue in 1.0), and probably also Y'shtola. I am uncertain at this time what specifically Yda (the real Yda) studied, though it doesn't seem unreasonable to guess that her field might have been more tactically-oriented, not unlike Thancred. Papalymo, according to EE1, "indulges his passion by deciphering ancient spell tomes," which doesn't seem far removed from the study of thaumaturgy, though with a distinctly academic bent. His interest in ancient texts seems to me to place him closest to Louisoix and Urianger, and that's probably relevant when considering his moniker of "Louisoix's finest pupil."

Moenbryda's affinity for the axe is unrelated to her academic studies, and according to her dialogue, long preceded them. Urianger seems to have done some notable work in the field of arcanima, with his use of the unique amber carbuncle (though it seems this remains purely a personal accomplishment as no one else has ever been able to replicate his work, which is fascinating in its own right). This seems both secondary and largely unrelated to his work with prophecies, and indeed while he can hold his own when needed, until Shadowbringers it's a rare thing for him to actually take to the field with his companions--either for combat or direct observational research. When he does, it's noted as unusual, as in the 2.3 quest where Urianger actually ventures into the sylphlands to witness Ramuh firsthand, and is rather starry-eyed about it. "Never till this day had I looked upon his visage save in painted renderings, made faint by time..." Urianger's field of expertise is highly esoteric and highly theoretical, his beloved texts always several steps removed from the realities they attempt to describe.

And somehow, I don't think it's a coincidence that only one patch later, he's at last called upon Moenbryda to come join the Scions in Eorzea. Moenbryda the tank, Moenbryda the aetherologist. Moenbryda who is determined to join the Warrior of Light in confronting Shiva until Urianger begs her not to. Moenbryda who likes to be in the thick of things, to observe the world up close and personal. Moenbryda the scientist.

In that light, I can't help seeing something scientific even in the way Moenbryda went about befriending her, as she calls him, "excruciatingly stiff childhood friend": studying him, reading the books he read so as to better understand him. Direct observation.

And what does it say about Louisoix, I wonder, that it was the most scientifically-minded of his followers that he chose to leave behind? It's plain to see how Moenbryda's talents would have been invaluable to the Circle of Knowing in Eorzea. Urianger claims that Master Louisoix merely wanted Moenbryda to "discover her own path, free of the shadow of his influence." Long as I've contemplated that choice, I'm still not really sure what he meant. With so many students from varied backgrounds, why did she, of all of them, need to "discover her own path?" Urianger frames it in terms of Sharlayan politics: Louisoix made a pariah of himself in leaving Sharlayan for the salvation of Eorzea. Moenbryda was one of the few in his circle whom we know had living family in Sharlayan, so I think it is possible his concerns were at least in part for her personal ties. Yet I can't help wondering, also, if he felt some part of her temperament, her approach to learning, might be at odds with the way he meant to carry out his work in Eorzea.

Louisoix's decision, and Urianger's continued devotion to the man, certainly drove something of a wedge between two lifelong friends, but it seems plain to me that there was always a certain friction between them. Moenbryda herself says it was a wonder they got along, and I can only imagine the arguments, the misunderstandings, the dissonance in their ways of thinking over the years. Scientist and theologian, they had such fundamentally different approaches to the world, even as they still clearly cared for one another so deeply.

[milykins]

Forever in my Heart

This is from my AU. You may remember these two from my three-part series Second Chances. I'm slowly trying to build this world through a series of one-shots, if you have any questions please feel free to ask.

This particular story tells us how Raph becomes a father.

TW: Pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding. All characters are aged up. Raph and Chrissy are 25.

Pregnancy. He’d known it was a possibility. He was a ‘man’ after all. His brothers had kids, but he had fooled himself into thinking it wouldn’t happen for him.

How could he, with all the things he’d done, have the ability to father children? He didn’t want to believe her at first, even when she showed him three positive tests… but Donnie had confirmed it, and her scent had changed. Chrissy was carrying his child. It was his, and he would join his brothers in the ranks of fatherhood.

It was after he’d come to terms with it that the instincts kicked in. The lower-functioning part of his brain sent an overwhelming urge to protect his mate and unborn child. A feeling that was difficult to overcome. He could barely stand having her around his brothers, let alone other men. It was a tense time, to say the least, and more than once, Chrissy had to stand firm to put him in his place. He’d managed to give her as comfortable a pregnancy as he could while driving away these urges.

It was nothing compared to what was yet to come.

Watching her give birth to their daughter was quite possibly the most incredible thing he had ever witnessed. He never left her side for anything, taking on the role of being a birthing coach with ease. He was her rock, her pillar of strength, and her unwavering source of encouragement. If she wanted to cry, curse, or scream, she was allowed, and he would repeat how much he believed in her ability to do this.

“You’re so fucking strong. You can do this.”

“Your body is incredible.”

“I ain’t leaving you for nothing.”

If she needed to squeeze his hand as hard as she could, that was fine, he had two. She could squeeze both of them. If her back was sore, he placed himself behind her so she could lean back against him. It was the perfect position for him to rub her lower back between contractions.

Like the stubborn woman she was, she’d refused the offer of drugs to assist with the labour process. Never again would he assume he was the strong one in the relationship. That role belonged to Chrissy now. He could only watch in wonder as she strained and pushed, sweat shimmering on her brow as she brought their daughter into the world. Their little half-turtle baby emerged red-faced and screaming with Donnie quickly catching her and wrapping her in a receiving blanket before placing her on Chrissy’s chest.

“She’s beautiful…”

“Yeah, she is… so are you.” He kissed her reverently, full of pride for his strong mate.

After the cord was cut and their daughter was placed in his arms, something changed. She was really here. This was his child. She had his eyes, and judging by the way she exercised her tiny lungs, she had his fiery temperament as well.

What do you say to your brand-new kid fresh out the womb? “Hey… uh… nice to meet ya finally.”

His daughter just blinked at him and cooed softly. It was clear she recognized his voice from all those long months of having listened to him speak to her.

His heart melted immediately. All feelings of uncertainty that he might have been holding onto disappeared. She was the missing piece of the puzzle sliding perfectly into place.

He was already in love with this tiny creature, protective instincts kicking in full force. Not only would he move heaven and earth for his mate, but he’d do the same for his daughter, for this perfect little being in his arms.

Chrissy gave him a proud but tired smile. “What are we going to name her?”

“Dunno…” He replied softly, still captivated by her. “Daisy? Maybe, like, a flower name? She’s beautiful, flowers are too.”

She giggled softly. “We could go with that, but what about… Ruby?” A slight grin adorned her delicate features because she knew he’d like that.

Donnie, who’d just finished cleaning everything up, had to chime in like the walking Wikipedia page he was. “Ruby, a precious stone prized for its deep red colour. The gemstone symbolizes love, passion, vitality and strength. The word ruby comes from the word ruber, Latin for red. The colour—”

“It’s perfect.” Raph said, cutting his brother off from continuing with the lesson. He gazed into the amber-brown eyes of his daughter. “Ya like that name? I think it suits you.” A soft coo was his response.

Chrissy was unable to keep from smiling at how smitten he already was. “I think she approves.”

He was drawn back to her side, bringing their daughter with him and settling beside her on the bed. “She’s perfect…” he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to his wife’s forehead. “You’re amazing; I love you so much…”

“I love you too.”

Fast forward to a week later, and his protective nature was fanned into a flame.

Raphael was posted like a sentry outside the bedroom door where his wife resided, attempting to do a feeding. It hadn’t come as naturally to her as she would’ve liked, and she feared the baby wasn’t latching properly.

A previous, concerned Raph had asked Donnie to take a look at her, but those baser instincts were making it nearly impossible. He felt a strong urge to prevent anyone from seeing his mate feed their child.

A deep, unbidden growl emitted from his throat as his brother approached the bedroom. “Raph, cut it out.” Donnie had expected this since he’d spent time with Mikey at the Farmhouse after his first child was born. Mikey had been surprisingly worse than this but, luckily, had relaxed after their baby had gotten a little older.

This Raph, who had succumbed to these instincts, was almost beyond being reasoned with. Stuck in full ‘must protect mate’ mode, he growled more while puffing himself up to seem bigger and more formidable while preparing to fight.

Donnie was exasperated entirely, his expression showing how done he was with this behaviour. “Raph! You asked me to check on Chrissy to see if the baby is latching properly! I can’t help her if you don’t let me in!”

Raph was still not budging. Donnie was not about to fight his brother. He was about to give up when they both heard someone chime in from behind them, and she was not happy.

“Raphael Hamato!! Get your head out of your ass and let your brother in! This hurts, Ruby is crying and I’m leaking everywhere!” Her frustration was heard and it was enough to snap Raph out of his current state.

“Shit, sorry, sorry, Chriss, sorry, Don.” He was flooded with guilt at the fact he nearly prevented his wife from getting the help she needed because of his stupid instincts.

With Donnie’s help, things progressed a lot more smoothly from that moment on. Besides the obvious sleepless nights, colic, crying, and changing that first blowout (it had gotten everywhere, not his finest moment), adjusting to fatherhood had been easier than he thought it would.

In the coming months, he did relax for the most part, only letting out the occasional soft growl when Chrissy would breastfeed in the presence of his brothers.

She had put her foot down, demanding to feed her child wherever and whenever she pleased and even went so far as to use a spray bottle to spritz him whenever those instincts threatened to resurface.

Most mornings, he would get up first, take Ruby from Chrissy after a feed and hold his daughter close as he made breakfast. Clad in only a pair of grey sweatpants slung low on his hips, he hummed softly to Ruby, softly churring as he cooked.

To his absolute delight, Ruby had inherited some extra-special turtle characteristics besides her outward appearance. She'd begun to respond with chirps and clicks in her own little language, and Raph would answer with soft sounds of his own. It was a special time for them. Chrissy got the extra bit of sleep she so desperately needed, and Raph bonded with Ruby.

As scared as he had been initially, fatherhood suited him, looked good on him, and was something he embraced wholeheartedly.

End

A minute in his arms and forever in his heart.

Taglist

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Please ask if you'd like to be added!

[rozemynelovebot]

Connection between duchy cape colors and the gods

Something I noticed about some of the most major-character duchies in AOAB is how I think you could argue that their cape colors correlate to the Supreme Gods and the Eternal Five respectively. The duchies that I consider to be the most frequently mentioned/closely involved in the story are Ehrenfest, Dunkelfelger, Alexandria (both on its own and also in holding the position of former Ahrensbach), Klassenberg, Drewanchel, and the Sovereignty. I think that the general outlook of these duchies or their major characters can be pretty easily tied to the god/goddess that their respective cape color correlates to, which I’ll explain further below-

—

The Sovereignty: Black

The divine color of the God of Darkness. Just as the God of Darkness is King of the Gods, the Zent rules the Sovereignty. The AOAB Wiki also has some potential etymology for Rozemyne’s name for the God of Darkness, Schicksantracht, to be translated as “unity/harmony,” which could tie in to how the Sovereignty, or at the very least the royal family that rules it, is meant to unify the duchies and bring harmony to Yurgenschmidt. Anastasius, member of the royal family and currently prince-consort to the Zent, also often likens his wife to the Goddess of Light, meaning that he by default falls into the role of the God of Darkness, and their romance is often compared to that of the Supreme Gods.

Drewanchel: Green

The divine color of Flutrane. Duchy of scholars, could tie into the “change” association with Flutrane as such an intelligent duchy continually seeks out new and changing research and ideas. Individual character mention in Adolphine, who boldly seeks to and accomplishes in changing her own marriage circumstances for the better.

Dunkelfelger: Blue

The divine color of Leidenschaft. Deeply in line with Dunkelfelger values and general temperament, a duchy of hot headed and battle-obsessed nobles who even receive more divine protections from Leidenschaft and his subordinates than any other. Pretty much any major Dunkelfelger character mentioned could be tied in here aside from Hannelore.

Ehrenfest: Ochre (Dark Yellow/Gold)

There are two angles to view the associations in Ehrenfest, tying it to the Goddess of Light’s divine color of Gold, and tying it to Schutzaria’s divine color of Yellow.

One of the main associations with the Goddess of Light is motherhood, and Ehrenfest has strong ties to both positive and negative examples of motherhood. The overarching plot of Veronica, Georgine, Sylvester, and Ferdinand is focused around the core conflict of an abusive mother and her victims. Veronica haunts the entire narrative of AOAB despite never really being physically present in any non-flashback scenes, and her misuse of her position of “mother” is what shaped many of the main characters and various plots throughout the series. Additionally, as AOAB is a very story very heavily focused on familial themes, Rozemyne also has close relationships with multiple mother-figures as she grows up both as a commoner and as a noble. Effa’s unconditional love for Myne is a large part of what shapes her into who she is, and Elvira’s love and motherly support once Rozemyne is baptized into noble society is essential to her, both socially and emotionally. The main printing industry in Ehrenfest is largely advanced thanks to Elvira’s “motherly love” for Rozemyne as well, meaning that even Ehrenfest’s economic, technological, and social advancements are founded on a mother’s affections for her daughter.

In terms of associations with Schutzaria in line with Ocher being considered a Dark Yellow, I looked for associations between Ehrenfest and Schutzaria’s association with protection. Ehrenfest’s archducal family is seemingly much closer than other duchies’ archducal families. Spearheaded by Rozemyne, who is forever hellbent on protecting what she holds dear, Ehrenfest can be considered a duchy that values protecting its own perhaps on a higher level than other duchies. For example, when Ferdinand is engaged into Ahrensbach, despite his own relatively weak political position, Sylvester tries his best to stand up to the Zent to protect him and is devastated when he is ultimately unable to. While other duchies seem to think that nobles, especially female nobles, marrying out of one’s home duchy for political power is a given, Ehrenfest tries to protect Rozemyne by keeping her in their own duchy through her initial engagement to Wilfred. They do originally intend to marry Charlotte into another duchy, but in what seems to be an unusual fashion asked of him by Rozemyne, Sylvester still tries to protect Charlotte by trying to give her as much freedom of choice in her partner as possible. Rozemyne protects Wilfried from the consequences of his trip to the Ivory Tower, and Charlotte from her kidnappers. Sylvester protects Myne when Bidewald attacks her. The first spells Rozemyne casts or is taught are all protective in nature as well. Overall, Ehrenfest’s nobles seem especially inclined to protect those close to or associated with them, just as Schutzaria is a goddess known for her shield and strong protective power.

Klassenberg: Red

The divine color of Geduldh. Color associated with warmth, compassion, and femininity. In P5V1, Rozemyne remarks that perhaps all Klassenberg women are kind and gentle like Eglantine, Hortensia, and Primevere, implying that at least the women of the duchy are in line with the divine association.

—

The only one missing from the Supreme Gods or the Eternal Five is Ewigeliebe, with his divine color of White. The closest I could think of for a duchy with story relevance and a white cape was perhaps Jossbrenner with their cream capes, as there is no duchy represented by the color pure white, but as Jossbrenner was only brought up a few fleeting times (and regardless is not what I would describe as one of the “major character” duchies to begin with), I couldn’t think of any particular ties to Ewigeliebe.

Perhaps it could be theorized that, like how the shrines in the Royal Academy have one singular consolidated shrine for both Geduldh and Ewigeliebe, Klassenberg’s men could relate to Ewigeliebe in the same way that its women relate to Geduldh. I don’t have any concrete evidence for this though, so it’s just a silly idea to make up for Ewigeliebe not having a corresponding duchy of his own…

—

Aside from the Supreme Gods and the Eternal Five, Alexandria could be tied to Mestionora (obviously), arguably the most important of the subordinate gods or goddesses in AOAB, so I’m including it as well-

Alexandria: Dark Blue

Ties to Mestionora’s hair color, though her divine color could possibly yellow instead due to her position as a Wind subordinate. Specific character reference is obviously Rozemyne, Aub and divine avatar of Mestionora, who constantly and gluttonously desires new written knowledge, as well as secondarily Ferdinand who continually seeks out greater knowledge through his research.

[alwaysahiccupandastrid]

I know I’ve spoken about my issues with ‘Peter Pan and Wendy’ (2023) before, both in my initial thoughts post about the film after it released and a couple of smaller comments since, but I’ve realised something this past week after rewatching the original Disney cartoon and the 2003 non-Disney live-action while sick, and I feel I need to talk about it.

It’s about Wendy Moira Angela Darling.

While I stand by that Ever Anderson was one of the highlights of the film and that she did a great job as Wendy, the Wendy in the film is not really the Wendy seen in Barrie’s book, nor the one in the play and other films adaptations. It’s a very different character in a lot of ways, and while it’s normal for characters to differ from adaption to adaptation - especially over the course of 70+ years - I feel like the Wendy seen in the 2023 is more like Jane, Wendy’s daughter, from Disney’s Return to Neverland sequel in 2002.

Let me preface by saying that I actually love Jane in the sequel as a character - I see a lot of myself in her, and while the sequel in itself is not really my favourite, I do have some nostalgia for it because I grew up with it and it’s a cute little story. I like that Jane is actually different from Wendy in a lot of ways; she’s a lot more headstrong and more of a tomboy, and while she’s also a storyteller at times like her mother (mostly to her brother Danny), she is a lot more practical I think and seems to be opposite to Wendy in that she’s trying to grow up too fast. Wendy believes in Peter Pan and doesn’t want to grow up, meanwhile Jane believes Peter Pan to be silly childish nonsense, that she has to grow up quickly and be more adult due to the war/her father being away - Wendy says to her, “you think you’re very grown up - but you have a great deal to learn”.

Obviously the 2023 Wendy doesn’t want to grow up, that’s still the same, but in terms of personality, temperament and the way she treats her brothers after the broken mirror incident (blaming John for it), she reminds me more of Jane than Wendy. Like Jane, she also doesn’t seem to have a good time going to Neverland (at least not at first?) and she seems to take on a lot more action than Wendy did in the animated film.

Of course, it’s not the first time that we’ve seen Wendy wielding a sword and fighting pirates - the 2003 Wendy was shown to play with wooden swords and use real ones, even remarking, “who are you to call me ‘girlie’?!”. I’m not saying that Wendy can’t be a sword wielding girl and fight because she can, it’s one of the additions I love the most about the 2003 film.

The problem with the 2023 version of Wendy is not her being a main character (she has always been a main character), nor her sword fighting and being generally bad-ass - it’s the erasure of the other qualities that make her Wendy Darling.

One of Wendy’s primary character traits is her mothering nature - she is very motherly to her brothers, and when she hears that the Lost Boys don’t have a mother, she’s aghast and agrees to be their mother. The whole “Peter is father, Wendy is mother” idea is clearly a reference to how kids in the playground will play games like “mummies and daddies” - kids imitating what they see around them. It’s all a big pretend game in Neverland for fun. It’s also undeniable that Wendy pretending to be the Lost Boys’ mother is clearly reflective of her own mother, who she adores and is portrayed as the loveliest lady ever, and how she’s imitating Mrs Darling in a lot of ways during this “game” - singing to them, telling them stories, medicine etc.

Some would argue that Wendy is “forced” into being the “mother” and that while all the boys are off having fun, she’s left playing house, which I understand. But what a lot of modern audiences and filmmakers don’t understand these days is that motherhood is NOT an anti-feminist idea - there seems to be this view that portraying a girl wanting to be a mother or expressing the wish to be married/have children is some old-fashioned misogynistic notion, which is absolutely bizarre to me.

As a feminist myself, I believe that there is no clear cut definition of “womanhood” or what it means to be a strong woman with autonomy. Some women want to have careers and not have children, and that’s fine; some women want to have children, that’s fine; some women want both, and that’s fine. What matters is that it’s the woman who is deciding what she wants.

For me, Wendy has always been this remarkable and extraordinary character to look up to because she chooses to grow up - and for her, that means having her own children to tell her stories to. That’s what she wanted, that’s why she went back to England, and that’s part of her character arc, realising that by growing up she has things to look forward to.

For some reason, when 2023!Wendy thinks “happy thoughts” to make herself fly when being walked off the plank, her vision for the future that she looks forward to involves piloting automobiles that haven’t even been invented yet and then dying alone? Which… I mean, if that’s how someone wants to live then fair enough but that’s not Wendy. That’s not the Wendy Darling I grew up loving.

A lot of my issues with the 2023 version of Wendy do in fact link with other issues of the film in general: the Lost Boys including girls, for example. Like I get wanting to be inclusive, and I 100% wanted to be a Lost Girl growing up, but the Lost Boys are boys for a reason (“girls are much too clever to fall out of their prams”), and when Wendy arrives it’s a huge deal because they’ve never actually lived with girls before, and the only concept of girls they have is their memories of “mother”, which is why Wendy becomes their mother figure - because they literally don’t have any other female figures in their lives to compare her to other than the tiny scraps they remember of their mothers.

There’s also the issue of the thing prompting Wendy not wanting to grow up being changed; in the original, it’s because it’s her last night in the nursery and moving from the nursery - aka the room she has spent her entire life thus far in - to her own room is a HUGE transitional worry that a lot of kids probably go through (usually it’s in the form of moving from toddler beds to big kid beds but still). In the 2023 version, she’s being sent off to boarding school for some reason which doesn’t really make sense to me because the Darling parents a) are so poor they have to have a dog as a nursemaid and b) love their children so much that they would never do that to them. I’m not saying that being shipped off to boarding school ISN’T a worry for a young girl or a huge deal, but it isn’t one that I think necessarily fits with the story.

There’s the fact that Wendy is no longer the storyteller; in most versions, the reason Peter visits the nursery is because he likes her stories. Instead, the reason he comes to the nursery is not because he likes her stories but because he used to live in the house? And instead of bringing her to Neverland to tell stories, he comes to take Wendy away as he apparently heard her saying she didn’t want to grow up? It just doesn’t sit right with me, but maybe that’s just my opinion.

Also, for some reason, Wendy and Peter don’t actually seem to like each other at all in the 2023 version - I’m not saying there should have been romantic hints or whatever, but even just in a friendship way they really don’t seem to care in any way about each other. They just seemed rather indifferent towards each other, and it’s kind of jarring to see.

In some ways, I feel like 2023 Wendy was made a little too bad ass and on the nose super feminist: “this magic belongs to no boy!”, slapping Peter across the face (which was just…??? Why?!?!), constantly criticising Peter/Neverland, having WAY more action and heroic moments than Peter Pan himself… maybe in a different story it could have worked but for this one, it came across forced at times, like they were intentionally trying to show “look! Look how badass she is! She can fight off grown men all by herself! She doesn’t need a boy to help her! She can do everything by herself!”

This is why I feel like the 2003 version of Wendy is the best one (so far): while they modernised her slightly by making her sword fight and express an ambition to write novels about her adventures, she was still a storyteller and motherly figure to the Lost Boys/her brothers. For me as a child, seeing Wendy be the storyteller and her journey of acceptance about having the grow up was really important to me because I could completely relate to it.

Of course, I recognize I’m very biased because this is the one I grew up with (along with the animated Wendy of course) so I’d be interested to hear other people’s thoughts!

[diminuel]

Whitebeard and Garp both silently feeling like their son-in-law is ACTUALLY the son THEY always wanted (needy; aggressive)

Of course they also hate each other so they’d never ever know and also it’s too degrading a thought to humor (what kind of whackjob prefers his SIL to his own son?!)

But it kind of fuels the hatred even more (How could a father ignore such a devoted son? How horrid!/How could a man stifle his own flesh and blood? What a jackass!)

I'm not sure I'd qualify Dragon as "needy"? In canon he doesn't seem to allow any close relationships at all - so he's either fiercely independent or has gone so far beyond the pale in terms of loneliness that he's just no longer registering it. But Garp might at least gets some snail calls from his son who doesn't harbor a grudge for 20 years like Crocodile does? Maybe that's enough to trigger Whitebeard's jealousy as well his idea that if Dragon had been HIS son, he would have known how to appreciate him properly. (I feel that's a lie. I don't think Dragon would have thrived. Maybe Croc would have done somewhat alright with Garp as his father, but I think the breaking away would still have had to happen.)

Maybe this sort of depends on what kind of AU we're working with but I've got a feeling that both of these men are projecting and just trying to find the ideal son who probably neither Crocodile or Dragon would be able to live up to anyway. Also, it almost feels like they are casting off their responsibility in how their relationships to their son have turned out - if only they would have been given the RIGHT son, with the PROPER temperament instead of appreciating the children they do have.

In the bin with both of them! X'D

[l3irdl3rain]

Who was the most complicated cat you've cared for? Like, I'm thinking in terms of health issues and care intensity, not like temperament!

Valentine, probably. He was on 11 different medications and subcutaneous fluids daily. As well as a bath every day / every other day. And then diaper changes. Feeding him at least 4 times a day, but if I was home it was more frequent.

[euphemiaamillais]

meadow song — sejanus plinth

cw: 18+//loss of virginity//blowjobs//handjobs (the whole nine yards basically)//semi-public sex//exhibitionism (coryo is watching)//jealous!coryo//reader is a slut for peacekeepers ;)//creampie//mentions of prev. relationship with coryo

when private coriolanus snow, an ex-lover of yours, enlists you to take the virginity of his best friend, sejanus plinth, you take him up on the offer, wanting to give him a birthday present he’ll remember

when you’d been propositioned by private snow, the more daring and at times flirtatious of the two boys, you’d returned his offer with a look of surprise. to take his fellow peacekeeper’s virginity? you weren’t even sure that his friend had wanted that, but private snow assured you—private plinth was going to be nineteen soon, and it was a gift from his ‘best friend’.

you had slept with private snow once or twice—in fact you’d been the one to pop his cherry—and were in good terms with him. sometimes he’d sneak you some of sejanus’ ma’s food, he seemed to enjoy your company, and because you liked him so much, you’d agreed to be the one to take sejanus’ virginity.

he was a sweet boy, you two had frequently enjoyed conversation at the hob, but part of you was nervous with how to approach him. private snow had invited you to join them in the meadow on their free sunday, and you decided that nothing harmful could come from it.

it was a balmy day, so you were dressed in nothing but a white sundress which scraped just past your knees, and donned a wide-brimmed sun hat that reminded you of what your grandmother used to wear, before the war. you lived in the seam, so the meadow was not too far of a walk, and there was a cool enough breeze that it didn’t feel like heatstroke would strike you down as you made your way to the meadow.

when you arrived, the boys were nestled under the shade of the tree, eating an array of sejanus’ ma’s sweets. you saw there was also a plastic bag—full of ice, coryo’s treat—and a bottle of white liquor. you supposed they’d gotten it the night before at the hob, because half of it had already been downed and the laughter of the two of them indicated they were somewhat inebriated.

‘i hope you two aren’t drunk,’ you greeted them, settling down against one of the rocks.

coriolanus grinned at you, but sejanus could hardly meet your eyes. clearly he was shy about what coryo had planned for him—at least, you assumed that he had been informed about his birthday present.

‘do you want some of ma’s cookies?’ coryo offered you the box, and you took one with a grateful smile.

your stomach had been grumbling since last night—you’d not had enough money to eat today, and were thankful for the delicious sweet treats that ma plinth often baked.

‘thank you, coryo,’ you swallowed it down in one bite, and took another one hungrily.

there was silence for a while, nothing but the sound of jabberjays whistling permeated the balmy air. you were parched, and reached for the bag of ice without asking—you hoped it was a given—piercing the side and letting the cool liquid trickle down your throat.

when you finished drinking and wiped your mouth with the back of your hand, you noticed sejanus’ dark eyes were on you. you returned his gaze, and his cheeks suddenly pinked before coryo broke the silence.

‘sej, you don’t need to be embarrassed. she’s only here to help,’ coryo said with a laugh, and sejanus cast a gentle nod.

‘if it helps, i really like you sej,’ you moved to settle down next to him, taking his hand in your own.

‘i don’t want you to feel like you have to do anything,’ he begun, bottom lip trembling.

for such a broad and stocky boy, his temperament was overly-tender. something you wouldn’t have expected, had you not know him, but the way the skin around his eyes softened, and how his cheeks crinkled each time he smiled, told a different story.

‘sejanus…’ your lips curved into a smile. ‘i want to.’

‘she knows what she’s doing, sej,’ coryo remarked with a knowing grin.

‘hey, don’t brag, coriolanus,’ you stretched out the syllables of his name teasingly.

you nestled closer against sejanus, feeling the heat radiating between your bodies. he shyly wrapped an arm around your shoulders, while coryo cast a slightly jealous look at the two of you. sejanus couldn't see that though, he only flushed some more, while you pondered upon how you'd walk him through the motions.

he'd probably kissed a few girls before—you figured they knew games like spin the bottle and truth or dare in the capitol—but in every other aspect, according to coriolanus, his friend was completely virginal. you blushed a little, even though you were a well-versed lover, because taking someone's innocence always resulted in a few awkward moments—usually on the boy's behalf. you wanted it to happen as perfectly as it could, particularly because he wasn't just interested in chasing his pleasure like coryo had been.

‘you can kiss me, if you want,’ you murmured softly to sejanus, who took you up on the offer.

though it was hot, you were too determined to give up on your endeavours. you shut your eyes, and felt sejanus press his lips against yours. he was soft, at first, hand moving to clasp your neck, before he deepened the kiss. his mouth was hot, and his tongue slid between your plump lips which were equally as willing.

you could feel coryo’s eyes burning into the two of you—somehow it caused your thighs to tingle a little at the thought of him watching you, and the jealousy that must’ve been raging through his veins. sejanus let out a soft moan as you moved one hand to grip at the nape of his neck, your touch surprisingly cool. your mouths danced as you kissed for a while longer, uncaring that your foreheads were bumping as you began to embrace one another with fervour.

your forehead glistened with sweat as you pulled away, seeing sejanus’ dark eyes deepen with a look of satisfaction. perhaps he wasn’t as shy as you’d thought—he was certainly a very good kisser. the first time coryo had kissed you it had been like he was suffocating and you were his air. sejanus on the other hand, was softer, more delicate and yet at the same time brought a sense of passion to your embrace.

coryo’s gaze was searing as you met his icy eyes. he fiddled with a stick, seemingly carving it with a touch of envy as you moved to sit by either side of sejanus’ thighs. the feeling of your bare legs brushing against his fatigues made his heart thump a little faster, the blood beginning to pool deep in his belly, threatening to rush to his cock.

you moved your hand to creep up his leg, watching his chest heave slightly as you brushed your palm over the growing bulge in his pants. he stifled a groan, but you could see the way his lips curved into a satisfied grin, and continued to tease your hand against his clothed cock.

‘please, don’t tease me,’ sejanus begged, a look of exasperation drawn upon his features.

you cast a brief nod, seeing how riled up he already was. you were inclined to be kinder with him; you'd forgotten that unlike coryo, most men hated the teasing—whereas coryo saw it as a challenge for himself.

sejanus' cock seemed properly hard when you unzipped his pants, and when you slid your hand past the waistband of his boxers, you could feel how he throbbed. a slight whimper left his lips, but he attempted to keep quiet because being reduced to a whining mess in front of his best friend would have led to lifelong mortification. coryo would never let that go.

you began to stroke him gently, and when you pulled his cock fully out of his underwear your eyes widened. while he wasn't as long as coryo, he had more than double the girth. his tip was leaking a little with precum, and the veins that danced down his cock were angrily pulsating.

'you're really a virgin?' you whispered, one brow cocked in surprise. how could a girl say no to him? he was sweet—too sweet at times—handsome, and his cock... well, you counted yourself lucky to be the one to take his virginity. it was almost an honour.

'yeah...' he admitted, cheeks burning a little.

coryo's ears perked up, as he attempted to surmise what you two were discussing, but you kept your voice low, understanding that sejanus wanted to keep this private.

'well, i never would've been able to tell,' you smiled softly, and sejanus' lips flickered into a pleased, almost proud, grin.

'girls back in the capitol... they didn't like how i was from the districts,' he sighed, eyes filling with a look of forlorn.

'well you don't have to worry about that with me,' you pressed a kiss to his cheek, before moving down to work at his achingly hard cock.

you stroked it gently for a minute or two, thumbing the tip and smearing the precum over his thick shaft. sejanus groaned, tossing his head back as your hands worked deftly at him. you decided to go all out—it was his birthday present, after all.

you moved to kneel in the grass, settling yourself between his knees. he looked down at you with anticipatory want, mouth watering at the sight of you before him. eyes wide, tongue darting out as you bent to lick his cock. coryo couldn't see what was going on—and you preferred to keep it that way. if he was jealous it was his own fault; he'd recruited you to take sejanus' virginity. any claim he'd had over you had obviously been ceded with this request.

sejanus groaned as your tongue laved at his sensitive tip, more precum dribbling out. you smiled up at him as you wrapped your lips around his cock, letting your tongue move down the underside of his shaft, brushing against a particularly sensitive vein. one of his hands gently rooted itself in your hair—he'd seen coryo do that enough times—gently playing with it as you began to bob your head up and down.

your lips were stretched around his girthy cock, and you took him as far down as you could, gagging as his tip hit the back of your throat. his breathing was ragged as your tongue danced around his shaft, sticky saliva coating every inch of him. while his girth made it harder to take him, once you hollowed out your cheeks you managed to fill your throat, unlike coryo who made you tear up when he forced himself as far as he could go.

he bucked his hips gently, but when you made a soft gagging sound in response he murmured out an apology. you shook your head—he was so sweet and gentle, such a contrast to the other men you'd had before. it almost made you want to cry.

a little embarrassed at how close he felt, sejanus began to worry that he'd finish in your mouth. you felt him twitching, and removed your mouth, leaning back against your heels. he sighed at the loss of feeling, but was secretly glad that you'd sensed he was getting closer to his release.

on slightly shaky feet, you stood up and moved your legs either side of sejanus. his hands daringly crept up under the hem of your dress, and when his fingers caressed your inner thigh a soft moan escaped your lips. he felt so good—his touch was warm, and in spite of the heat in the meadow that made your head spin, you leaned into his ministrations. one of his fingers brushed across your core unknowingly, and you let out a loud sigh.

coryo's eyes met yours and your face reddened in embarrassment. he'd heard you make that sound half-a-dozen times with him, and now his best friend—his virgin best friend—was eliciting those same content sighs from your lips.

'seems like you know what you're doing, sej,' you remarked, an impish grin painted upon your face.

sejanus laughed, shaking his head. 'no, not really.'

his cock still throbbed pathetically, and his hips rutted a little in an attempt to ease his wanton need. your thighs tingled as he continued to grasp at them, hands managing to lace themselves into the waistband of your panties. sejanus tugged them down with a look of proud surprise, letting them fall to your ankles.

'sejanus,' you said breathily, lowering yourself down against him.

his eyes widened as you sank down on him, your cunt achingly wet as you felt the fat head of his cock stretch you out. your lips stretched around a lustful moan, which was mottled with the sound of his own groan of pleasure.

'fuck...' he cursed, a heavy breath escaping his lips.

you felt so good—so, so good. he didn't know if he could last any longer. shame painted his features as he began to worry about coming in you—imagine that. coryo would never let him live it down.

you let your cunt sink fully around him, feeling his tip poking against your cervix as he filled you to the hilt. he cursed himself for not having done this sooner—he hadn't expected it to feel so amazing, the way you clenched around him, how wet you were. you began to slide up and down, your cunt so slick with want that the sound of it squelching against his cock could be heard even by coryo.

the two of you were panting by this point, sweat clinging to your foreheads, your tendrils of hair sticking to the back of your perspiring neck. you didn't care though, he felt so deliciously good, you were pleasantly full. the veins brushed slightly against your walls, causing your head to loll back a little at the sensation.

'so big,' you panted as sejanus gave his hips an experimental thrust.

when he saw how your eyes rolled back, he moved again, this time with more vigour. your clit was throbbing, but as sejanus continued to buck into you, you lost the want to rub slow circles around it, instead feeling his girthy cock hitting that sensitive spot inside of you.

'i-' sejanus struggled through his words, eyes fluttering shut in exasperation. 'so fucking good, don't know if i can-'

you silenced him with your lips, pressing a hot kiss against his mouth and letting your tongue slide between his wet lips. he moaned into your mouth as you clenched around him again, feeling the beginnings of your own release begin to pool in your cunt.

the pit of your stomach was a tight coil, hot and slowly beginning to unravel with every rut of his hips. you'd never orgasmed before from penetration alone, and certainly never with a virgin. you were slightly shocked at how good his cock was filling you out, the girth more than making up for his average length.

'oh god, sejanus!' you cried out, watching coryo grunt with disbelief. to him, it looked as if you were putting on a show. both you and sejanus knew that it was far from the truth—your legs were trembling as you came closer and closer to your peak.

sejanus felt a rush of confidence mixed with adrenaline and pressed kisses against your neck, lips trailing down to your jugular. he sucked hotly at the skin, teeth dragging along them. you moaned at the tension, and soon enough felt yourself come undone.

wetness gushed from your cunt, coating his cock in a delicious slick that only drove him further over the edge. the way you were clenching was maddening, he looked down for a second to see a milky ring at the base of him, your own want clear on his shaft. he could hardly believe that he'd made you come on his first attempt. perhaps coryo wasn't as good as he thought.

'sej,' you huffed, continuing to ride his cock, edging him towards his own pleasure.

sejanus groaned, hands wrapping around your waist as he thrust his hips into your tight, wet cunt. your head swum from the heat and your body began to tingle from overstimulation, but you continued to let his cock press at your cervix, enjoying how well he was doing. he'd certainly performed better than coriolanus, who finished in thirty seconds when you'd taken his virginity.

'gonna...' he caught his breath, balls tightening for release. 'gonna cum.'

he rose his brows in askance, and you gave a heady nod, delighting at the thought of him filling you up. he was sent over the edge when you clenched around him for a final time, groaning as hot cum spurted into your cunt. it was so sticky, and you continued to sink up and down on his shaft, watching as his own cum trickled back down over his cock.

it was messy, shamefully so, but you couldn't help but giggle at the sensation of his cum slipping out of your cunt. sejanus was in overdrive, and a few whimpers escaped his lips, causing you to grin impishly.

'i hope you liked your present, sejanus,' you murmured against his lips, sliding gently off his cock.

he nodded dumbly, cock beginning to go flacid. there was so much mess on his uniform, but you couldn't help but smirk—everybody would know that he'd finally gotten some play.

'and coryo,' you called out him—he was glowering at you with jealousy as you cleaned yourself up. 'sejanus is better than you ever were.'

[scholarinbookland]

I think (in my very naive and limited experience as an actually dedicated music fan to a living artist) that the most important thing to keep in mind as a fan is, “Don’t put words in your artist’s mouth, and don’t assume you know the inner workings of their mind, including their level of professional agency.”

The biggest thing I’ve noticed in K-pop in general and occasionally in certain BTS fan spaces (thankfully not in my experience with Jimin’s individual fan base) is a tendency towards either infantilizing grown adults (especially the men somehow) or assuming they have an absurdly unrealistic amount of power and agency that anyone who’s ever been an employee should not assume exists in any business. Both extremes are putting words in the artists’ mouths.

Instead of creating or passing around narratives in-fandom either positively or negatively discussing their level of agency, fans should instead think critically about the power dynamics at play in their professional lives.

What education level did your favorite star achieve before signing their first contract? Even Western artists who signed with labels before graduating high school have reported being cheated or otherwise exploited. Someone in K-Pop who signed their first contract before graduating high school is more likely to have become inured to unfavorable working conditions than someone who was already attending university when they auditioned or were scouted.

What was their childhood economic level? Someone raised in a lower-income or economically unstable situation is less likely to have access to a lawyer that can help them catch unfavorable terms or unreasonable conditions, and will be more likely to take the first opportunity instead of shopping around.

How much can an artist’s specific company be reasonably expected to invest in their career? Compare your artist to whomever is roughly equal in popularity level within the same company (if debuting groups being funded equally, for example, or perhaps comparing the funding given to each soloist and checking if any differentials are due to expected return on investment). If they’re being promoted over equally popular colleagues, they may have more bargaining power. If the reverse is true, they may have less.

What is the artist’s temperament, judging by how they react in off-stage content and interviews? While they still may be playing their assigned persona offstage, if a generally circumspect or mild-mannered individual lets slip dissatisfaction, take note. Conversely, if someone is known for being assertive and outspoken, trust that they will let their fan base know if something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

How much did the company invest in training/creating/developing the artist? Companies in the music industry run on big egos and greed. Promoting trainees which you discovered, mentored, or provided extra lessons for is an exercise in ego stroking, ensuring loyalty, and potentially having to pay that trainee less for longer. A trainee that needed minimal polishing and/or had skills gained outside of your company doesn’t raise company cachet as much when their star rises.

This is not an exhaustive list of why I find some reports of company mistreatment or benevolence more credible than others, but it’s a good starting point to the reason why I was fairly convinced it’s not all sunshine and roses at HYBE. I’ve watched some deep dives into the way their particular training program works compared to others, some honestly unconvincing justifications for their incompetence regarding spacing out album releases, read some interesting think pieces on the things Jimin values the most (stage performance opportunities, artistic connection of some sort to his material, the ability to practice and refine his efforts until they are perfect, achieving the vision and concept for each project), and those questions among others led me to believe that he is, at the very least, a threat to the justifications for their frankly baffling financial decisions this decade.

I’m neutral regarding initial FACE-era decisions (denial of a visual album, short promotion period, overlapping releases splitting fandom energy) being anything more nefarious and personal than neglect for his debut in favor of accommodating the rap line’s solo projects both financially and scheduling-wise (March and April 2023 had a lot of overlap just for BTS soloists), but the handling post him topping the BB H100 feels like a result of damage control regarding their Western expansion policy. Similarly, MUSE’s handling by Geffen feels more like a combination of retaliation to his fan base for upsetting their plans for Western record-setting the previous year and a devaluation of his financial importance to company investors by releasing it with minimal promotional budget and straddling two financial quarters.

This view allows me to only feel aggrieved by the things confirmed by the artist as not to his satisfaction (he wished he was given more time to prepare for FACE, he would have liked to have a full visual album) without kvetching about what we don’t know to be as meaningful to the artist (chart minutiae, record acknowledgement by the company or band mates). Reframing fan expectations to not dictate how your artist should feel about a situation and instead focus any group efforts on being conducted to show your appreciation for their artistry really improves the motivation of the fan base. It’s also way easier to motivate with love than spite, so I stream and vote because I really enjoy FACE and MUSE, not to beat any other artist or show up the company. But everyone curates their fandom experience differently, so mileage may vary on this philosophy.