#it felt like a natural progression of how she is instead of like... whatever that other stuff was

[bluehairperson]

Nadia for the opinion bingo

I could write an essay on how I feel about her and her route but yeah, egh.

[writtenfangirl]

I would love to see more Charles lecerc from you, the way you write him is so good. Maybe him trying to convince his girlfriend to move to Monaco with him and it’s all sweet and cute

Treasured Memories

Charles is literally so fine. I could stare at his face all day and not get tired of it. And it really doesn't help that his personality seems just as fine as his face.

I know his native language is French and not Italian but I always thought it would be so cute if I had a boyfriend who could speak a lot of languages and he chooses to call me a term of endearment in a different language than his native tongue.

Fic's only about 2100 words so enjoy!

Part 2

Charles Leclerc has and always will be a determined man.

He wasn’t the kind of person who rested unless he got what he wanted and he did whatever it takes to get the things he wants. 

Whether through his sheet grit, his determination, his talent or the bountiful resources that his family fought tooth and nail to give him, Charles did everything and anything to succeed.

It’s how he won the F2 championship in his first and only season, how he won rookie of the year during his debut with Sauber and why he was signed by the oldest and most respected team on the grid before he had even reached his second year as a Formula One driver.

He rarely ever heard the word no. And when he did, he always knew how to turn it into a yes.

So when he had asked his girlfriend of three years, Y/N Y/L/N, to move in with him, he hadn’t been expecting her rejection.

“Move in with me, amore,” Charles said, his voice cutting through the loud speakers that were playing Harry Potter’s orchestral theme song.

It was one of those rare days when neither Charles nor Y/N were off somewhere else around the world. With the season reaching their summer break and Y/N requesting time off from work to spend time with him, Charles and Y/N had opted to stay in Charles’ apartment and simply relax together. He wasn’t usually one for a lazy day but because he rarely ever got to spend time with his girlfriend, it was easy to forget about his training and his work outs and team strategy building for the day. It was even easier to forget those things when she was peacefully leaning against him, her eyes glued to the TV screen that was playing the first Harry Potter movie as their bodies were protected from the frigid air conditioning with a cozy blanket.

Charles felt Y/N tense before she pulled herself away from him, her weight supported by her arm as her attention shifted to Charles. Harry Potter was just about to tell Draco Malfoy off for being mean to Ronald Weasley and Charles knew it was one of Y/N’s favorite scenes. But she’d forgotten about it as she processed Charles’s simple request.

The words hung in the air and Charles paused the TV before the scene could progress further. He also knew that Y/N would make him rewind back to the scene if she had missed it.

“What did you just say?” Y/N said slowly, her eyes focused on Charles. 

“Y/N, move in with me.”

He fully expected her jubilant shouts or even a wonderful kiss of happiness followed by an ecstatic “yes!” but Y/N did none of those things. Instead she said a very emphatic, “No…”

“No?” 

“No…”

Charles wasn’t exactly stung by the rejection. He was more surprised if anything. He couldn’t understand why she would say no. They had been together three years. It seemed like the most natural course of action for Y/N to move in with him, the next step to bring their relationship to newer heights.

“Why don’t you want to move in with me, amore?” Charles asked.

“It’s not that I don’t want to. I just don’t think it’s a good idea, Charles. I mean, I moved to Monaco just a year ago. Now you’re asking me to move in with you.”

She did have a point. Y/N did leave London to live in Monaco but she had justified the move because it was better for her career. 

She was an international correspondent for the BBC, which meant she was often sent to different countries around the world. After Brexit, it became harder for her to travel around Europe and, at the time, moving to Monaco was the sensible response.

Being able to see Charles more often was just the added bonus.

“But amore,” Charles protested, “you practically live here already. You have clothes in my closet and skincare in my bathroom. You even have keys here. You see my family so often, maman and my brothers think you’re an honorary Leclerc. I don’t see the problem with you moving in.”

“What about my lease?” 

“I’ll pay for the rest of it.” He deadpanned. “You’re landlord is terrible, amore.”

Y/N winced. He got her there. Her landlord really was terrible. There was always something broken in her apartment, whether it was a broken heater in the middle of winter, a leaky faucet in her kitchen sink, a toilet that refused to flush or a TV that only played static, it took her landlord months to fix those things. It’s why Charles had given Y/N keys to his apartment in the first place. If something went wrong, she could always spend the night. But things went wrong so often that for the past six months, Y/N spent five months living in Charles’ apartment rather than her own.

Not that he was particularly complaining.

He loved having Y/N around.

Y/N’s schedule was just as hectic as his was, likely even more so. She always had three suitcases packed and ready to go just in case she had to leave at a moment’s notice. The rare moments when Y/N came straight to his apartment after a tiring assignment and Charles had been home to greet her were highlights of their relationship. He wanted her to come home to him. And the even rarer moments when he came home to her after his own hectic schedule? Those were memories he etched in his mind forever so he could relive them in his dreams.

“What about my space,” Y/N added. “I work from home a lot and I don’t have a space here to work.”

Fully expecting this, Charles’ next words were unhurried and reassuring. “I’ve already planned it. I can move my simulator and my gaming consoles in the living room. There’s plenty of space here. You can use the game room as your office. I even installed speakers there because I know you like to listen to Taylor Swift while you work.”

Y/N’s eyebrows shot straight up, causing Charles to grin. “Wow,” she said, mildly impressed. “You really have thought of everything.”

He did think about everything. He didn’t want to give her a reason to say no and the only way he could guarantee she’ll say yes was if Charles handled everything so that Y/N didn’t have to put in any effort. She always hated moving and he knew he would have to move mountains and cross seas just to ensure that Y/N would say yes and so he did just that. 

He tried his best not to sound so smug. “Oui. All you have to do is say yes. You don’t have to lift a finger. I’ll call the movers and plan everything and your things could be here by tomorrow if you wanted.”

And yet Charles could see the hesitation in her eyes. Something was holding her back. He knew his girlfriend enough to know that what’s holding her back wasn’t any trivial reason. This was something big. 

“What’s making you say no?” He asked patiently.

“Alright,” Y/N said at the question, her hesitation vanishing and steely determination filling her features. “Do you really know why I don’t want to move in with you? You might not like what I say.”

Charles nodded. He wanted nothing more than to know what horrible reason could possibly be stopping the love of his life from living with him so he could find a way to stop it.

“I’ve noticed a pattern with you, Charles.”

He pulled his brows into a frown. “A pattern?”

“Yes, babe. A pattern. You once told me that in your previous relationships, the love and magic between you two ended when they moved in.”

“What?”

“When you and Giada were together and she moved in, things ended between you two after a year. With Charlotte, it was two. Alexandra had six months. I love you, Charles, in a way that I had never loved anyone before. I don’t want things to end between us.”

He blinked at her once. Twice.

Y/N had always been blunt but she was never unfeeling. She looked as though she wanted to snatch the words from the air and shove it back in herself if she could. “Charles, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to off—”

Charles’ sharp bark of laughter interrupted her. 

Y/N’s eyes widened in surprise as laughter shook his body, the sounds coming out from him echoing in the living room.

Her lips pulled into a frown as she took one of the pillows that rested on the couch and hit him with it. “It’s not funny, Charles!”

“I’m sorry!” He howled, not sounding sorry at all as his laughter choked the words from him, leaving him gasping for breath. Tears were beginning to collect in his eyes, further frustrating his girlfriend.

With a growl, Y/N hit him with the pillow again. Charles couldn’t even register the thump of the pillow with how hard he was laughing.

“Y/N, it’s not funny,” he managed to get out as he laughed. He clutched midsection, his stomach beginning to cramp from how hard herwas laughing.

“Then stop laughing!”

“I can’t!” 

“If you’re going to be that way, then fine!” Y/N pushed away the blankets that covered them and began to stand up. Instantly, Charles sobered up, his hand shooting forward to grab Y/N’s arm, pulling her to him. She landed on a heap on his lap, her hair tickling his nose, the scent of her shampoo enveloping him as he threaded his arms around her body and placed a kiss on her cheek. 

She huffed, rolling her eyes in annoyance, causing Charles to chuckle at her. Another kiss on her cheek and Y/N’s annoyed expression softened. “Y/N,” he said gently, “why would you worry about that?”

“Because,” she whispered, her previous annoyance vanishing like smoke, “usually what happens in almost every relationship is that the little traits that we once thought were cute and endearing about the other person become things we hate. I love that you ask me to cook for you whenever I’m at home but what if one day I wake up and I start to hate that about you. I don’t want that to happen.”

“You are being so silly, amore. That won’t ever happen to us.”

“How do you know that.”

“Because I’ve known you for so long and but I still find new things about you to love everyday. Even the things I don’t like about you, I love. And I love those things about you because I love you. Besides, of my past relationships you’re the girl I’m most compatible with. Every chore you don’t like to do, I like doing.” He said the words with a self-satisfied smirk. “You have no reason to say no. So say yes.”

“So long as you’re absolutely, 100 percent sure you want this.”

This time, Charles’ expression could only be referred to as serious. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I love you, Y/N. I want to spend forever with you and I can only do that if you let me. So please let me.”

“Oh,” Y/N sighed as a smile pulled at her lips, “you Frenchies and your romantic words.”

“Monegasque, amore!” Charles sputtered and this time, it was Y/N’s turn to laugh. 

“I’m just teasing, babe. You’ll have to get used to it since I’m going to be moving in.”

His arms squeezed her tighter, pressing her against him at her words. “You mean it? You’ll move in? You cannot take it back if you say yes, amore. I won’t let you.”

Y/N’s smile could only be described as incandescent. “Yes. I’ll move in. I’ll move anywhere so long as it’s with you.”

And just like that, what was once a normal, pleasant day, was now another treasured memory. He couldn’t imagine anything more amazing than hearing Y/N’s yes. And if he felt this way about her agreeing to move in, he could only imagine how he’d feel when she’d give him her yes after his proposal.

But his impending proposal to the woman he now knows to be the love of his life was another matter entirely. Right now, he wanted to bask in the moment and he couldn’t think of a better way to do that than by laying on his—their—couch, watching their favorite films and holding the girl of his dreams.

[princessbrunette]

deer!reader wanting to learn how to please pope bc all of her friends are doing it. he’s teaching her how to give head & pope is just like the best hands on teacher everrrrrr

may i be ur 🍰 anon?

⊹ . ⁺ 🩰⋅˚₊𐙚

“i can take like, notes? if you want?” pope offers unsurely, staring down at you.

“no popey, s’gonna ruin the moment.” you push your lips into a pout, staring up from your knelt position on the floor between his legs — two hands wrapped around his leaking cock.

he’d noticed something was on your mind when you came back to his house in the evening after spending the day hanging with your girl friends. they’d gotten to the nitty gritty of discussing boyfriends and relationships — and you recall sitting up straighter in your seat, finally feeling like you were able to contribute something now that you were in a relationship with pope that was growing and transforming every day.

however, as the conversation progressed — you began to realise you still had lots to learn, listening to the girls discuss in detail the sexual acts they’d performed on their boyfriends, things you hadn’t got to do with pope yet. you wondered if he wasn’t satisfied with you, the insecure thought bouncing round your head and leaving you quiet for the rest of the day.

after communicating this to your boyfriend, he’d done his best to reassure you verbally that he was more than happy, and he was totally okay with moving at your pace. you did feel reassured, and you were glad the two of you were such open communicators — but he knew there was only one thing that was going to make you feel fully better, and that was to teach you.

which is how you ended up kneeling, staring up at him in the cream and white frilly bra, the one that reminds him of a baby deer. you’re a natural, twisting your hands as you slowly and unsurely jerk him off — pleased with yourself when he spreads his legs a little wider, adjusting his hips on the seat and wincing.

“god, okay— yeah, just like that.” he blinks rapidly, body heating up at the way you stare up at him so needily, desperately seeking praise.

“can— should i kiss it? my friends said they like to—”

“yes.” he blurts out, louder than his previous gentle tone making your eyes widen slightly. “sorry, yes, please.” he rephrases, thighs tensing as he watches you lower your face, pressing pouty kisses all on his tip and gingerly flicking your tongue through his precum. “oh my god.” he moans.

you keep doing what you’re doing, and he resists the urge to be a head-pusher, knowing that was a brutish act that only someone to the likes of his best friend jj would commit. he strokes your cheek instead, taking some deep breaths before further instructing you. “so…so if you want, you can take the tip in your mouth— jesus, good girl — and start to suck on it? you can move your… move your head back and fourth as you… wow, you’re really good at this.” he finds it hard to concentrate as you quickly and eagerly take his advice as he speaks, watching you through hooded eyes and a slack jaw. “fuck.”

he knows he shouldn’t but he discusses it with his friends the next day, foolishly thinking they’d have any words of wisdom to bestow upon him. instead, he got a clap on the back from john b and an excited laugh from jj.

“dude, this is great. she wants to learn, and you get so much out of it. think of it like — she’s the jedi, and you’re the master.”

“that would be a gross abuse of power, logistically.” pope retorts, shaking his head at the boyish response.

“dude, whatever. don’t be a dork. i’m saying you’re hella lucky.”

he smiles, because this was definitely true. with you, he always felt lucky.

⊹ . ⁺ 🩰⋅˚₊𐙚

[floshav]

want you so bad.

Peter Parker x fem! reader

summary: Peter likes Mj. You like Peter. Everyday is hell when they're both in each others vicinity and you're sitting right behind the madness. You're so close to professing your love for him but you keep it under wraps because it seems like an impossible feat.

Warnings: intense yearning, slight steamy scene, kissing, alluding to smut

He brings his hat down, pushing his fluffy bits of hair to flair out at the ends of his hat. You quirk your head to the side wondering who he was trying to hide from or who he saw. Yet it was no surprise to find that it was Mj.

She walked in with her curly, unruly hair which made her look so, so beautiful. The freckles which danced on her face making her glow and it made you jealous. Why did her natural beauty shine through more than your own? Why couldnt Peter see that in you. Why couldn't you see anything in yourself.

His eyes darted around the park outside your school and finally landed on you. You looked at him with a knowing expression.

"Don't need to play it cool Parker. The whole school can smell your crush from here." You smirk.

He scratches the back of his head and pretends like he doesn't know you till' he gives you a defeated look.

"Whatever you say y/n...." It only takes a few more moments before he breaks

He musters out a breathy whisper which you've heard a billion times before. "Is that really MJ?" Peter gravelly asked, hands at either side of his head, giving in to the fact that he was definitely head over heels for her.

You try to hold in a sigh, " Yes, Peter. It is MJ. For the hundredth time this week!" You yearn out, half joke half seriously.

Peters shoulder's tense up as a dorky smile carves his lips. "Is she looking our way? Or is her nerdy ass stuffed in a book." Peter asks with wide eyes. The eyes which you found so adorable, palpable yet so far from the personal touch of your own fingertips.

You slowly turned your head around to glimpse at the curly haired girl who was indeed lost in a book.

"Yea, shes reading her book." You say as you shoot Peter a tight smile and hate Mj for being the stereotypical mysterious girl. You Wondered if he could sense the hurt beneath you. Of course not. He was just a boy after all.

"I wonder how her long eyelashes feel against her eye bags as she slurs through the words. Or how the spine of the book feels as her soft fingers inch it to crack. Ugh, I just want to count every freckle on her beautiful face. Ya think she's ever thought of me before?" Peter began to ramble sweet nothings to himself as if you were giving him your utmost attention and not thinking about how stars practically lived in his eyes as he talked about her. How you wish he was talking about you.

You felt that familiar soul crushing, heart sinking feeling that you knew too well. The feeling that every boy you've ever liked has given you. The feeling of being so close yet so far away was the final blow.

He placed both his hands on either side of his face again and began to softly bite his lip as he giggled to himself stupidly.

"What're you thinking about Parker." You ask playfully trying to lighten the mood for yourself.

"Her lips... her eyes.... her hair." He smiled to himself so oblivious to the fact that every compliment he gave her was a dagger to your heart.

------------------

2 months

2 months pass and Peter has started talking to Michelle. Instead of walking past him, she smiles, she waves occasionally and has even said small hi's to him. The progress aches your yearning heart further into abyss but you ignore it anyway. Michelle has a new glow to her, she radiates beauty and the colour yellow ever since they started conversing. While you stay stagnant, radiating a plain old indistinguishable grey.

You're in Peters room, you two have just finished a major lego piece you've been putting off and the nights going great.

buzz

There goes your night you think to yourself.

Peter picks up his phone only to reveal his dorky smile again. Hes immediately stuck like glue and you hate it. You hate her. Even though you shouldnt, you couldnt care less.

You lay beside him as he smiles at his phone when in fact he should be smiling at you.

You snatch his phone and crush it, crush it to bits imagining it was Michelle jones, every bit of it Gone. gone to dust.

you snap out of your fantasy and return to see him stuck in her spiders web.

"Hey Peter" you coon

"Whats up?" He sets his phone aside and turns to face you.

Unknowingly you inch closer, and closer but the gap is barely noticeable.

Your eyes flicker down to his lips and you take in a breath. He notices the subtle gesture and his mind wanders.

"Have you ever wondered.." You trail off

"Wondered.....?" He repeated

"Wondered what it'd be like to.."

"to... kiss someone." You shyly whisper knowing you both haven't had your first kisses.

"I think it'd be amazing. Especially with someone you like. Imagine the feeling, the sparks flying. Just everything put into place." He says as he searches your eyes for a deeper meaning behind your facade.

"Yea... Someone you like." Your heart pounds solemnly at the thought that you'd never share your first kiss with your first love because he was tangled up in a love story of his own.

"Why'd you ask?"

"Just... felt like it."

----------------------------

a month passes since that conversation and you see Peters lips locked onto Mj's as they share soft kisses beside the vending machine. You should feel happy for him but he's all you've ever wanted and you've just lost him. You want to scream, shout, cry but you don't have it in you anymore. You just don't care.

Peter pulls away and Mj has a wide smile plastered on her face. Something you rarely ever see from her. Your mind wanders to what Peters lips would feel like. Soft.. Plush and warm. The wetness of lips on lips makes you aroused. The sounds he'd make if you did something a little more. He was seemed like the type you thought to yourself. The way his face would be so flushed after you'd litter him with affection and kisses. Him gaining more confidence as you went on. Mj watching on the side. You hadn't even realised a dampening form on your panties until you shifted around. You wanted him so so bad, but all you could do was watch from the side.

[cardinal-copia-popia]

You and Only You

I know I'm late for Valentine's Day (today was busier than expected), but I finally got this one-shot done that I've been working on for months now at this point. Enjoy!

Summary: Copia is ready to take things to the next level with you, but his insecurities get in the way.

Mirrored here on AO3

NSFW under the cut

Copia nervously checked his appearance again, passing a hand over his hair to smooth down an errant strand. He then cleared his throat and set his shoulders.

“Hello, cara mia,” he said to himself in the mirror and held out the bouquet of roses clutched in his hand. “These, uh… These are for you. I picked them myself.” Copia sighed, shook his head, and straightened again. “Hello, cara mia. You look lovely tonight. For you.” He held out the roses again. “Better,” he said with a nod and headed out the door.

He had been looking forward to his date with you for over a week now, having big plans in mind. Primo had been kind enough to let him use a part of the garden for this evening, as well as allowing him to pick some roses. 

Copia was beyond nervous, but he was also excited. He had every intention of finally telling you that he loved you, mostly confident that you felt the same. And if things went according to plan, well, then he would let things progress naturally from there. He would finally let it happen. 

He was on his way now to pick you up, his pace quick and a skip in his step. He just wanted to see you again, to be near you again, even if he chickened out and did not confess. 

Copia came upon the place he knew you would be waiting, but the bench was empty. Instead, he found you in the room at the end of the hall — the room typically used by Primo, Secondo, and Terzo to play UNO. He heard your laugh before he saw you. It made him smile.

But then you came into view, and his smile fell. There you were, seated between Secondo and Terzo, cards in one hand and your other on Terzo’s arm as you laughed at whatever he had said. Terzo leaned close, a lascivious smirk on his lips, and said something else, making you laugh even harder before swatting at him to get him away.

Copia’s shoulders dropped, an ache forming in his chest. He never got you to laugh like that… He knew he was not like Terzo, or Secondo for that matter, but how could he compete with them? Especially when you seemed to enjoy their company so much. Dejectedly, with tears stinging his eyes, Copia turned away, dropping the roses into the trash bin in the hallway.

Meanwhile, you shoved Terzo away. “You’re terrible!” you exclaimed.

Terzo chuckled. “Am I wrong?”

“Doesn’t matter! Don’t talk about Copia like that! So what if he is? That just makes me like him even more.” Terzo had been teasing you about your relationship with Copia, but now he was beginning to get a little too personal. You had to defend your boyfriend.

Secondo shook his head. “You won’t change her mind, Fratellino. She is too smitten with the cardinale.”

“Hmph, well, perhaps this will be good for him,” Terzo said, sniffing dismissively. “Give him a boost of confidence.” 

You shook your head, glancing toward the door. Copia was late, which was why you started playing UNO with Terzo and Secondo in the first place. You had been waiting in the hallway at first, but Terzo had seen you and invited you to sit and talk with him and his brother. You were enjoying yourself, but you were more impatient for Copia to arrive. 

Terzo noticed your distraction. “He will be here, Sorella.”

“This is Copia we’re talking about, Papa. He’s rarely ever late.”

“Well, then,” Secondo said, laying his cards down. “Why don’t we go look for him, hm?” He stood and then pinned Terzo with a severe look. “Do not look at my cards. I will know.”

Terzo smiled innocently at him, or as innocent as Terzo could look. You chuckled and shook your head. This was why you liked hanging out with them. And you appreciated Secondo’s offer, so you quickly followed him.

You walked a little way down the hallway, half expecting to see Copia round the corner. Your shoulders dropped, disappointed. Where was he? You just turned back toward Terzo, who called your name.

He was standing by the bench you had been sitting on earlier, lifting a bouquet of roses out of the trash bin next to it. “These are freshly picked. I, uh… think these might have been meant for you.”

Now, your hopes dropped even more. Copia had been here but left. “Why would he have thrown them away?”

Terzo frowned and looked at Secondo, who was staring at the roses thoughtfully. 

“Perhaps he saw you with us and got the wrong impression,” Secondo offered.

“But I—” you began, but as you looked at Terzo, you realized Secondo was probably right. It was no secret that you and Terzo were close, but you were only friends. At least, to you and Terzo, that was the case. You understood how others might think there might be more, especially with how comfortable the two of you were around each other. That was likely what Copia saw and chickened out. You knew he had been dubious about you returning his feelings at first, so this made sense. And it hurt. You loved him; why could he not see it?

You grabbed the roses from Terzo and hurried back down the hallway.

“Sorella?” Terzo called after you.

“I’ve got to find him!” you called back.

You knew Copia well enough to know he was likely in his office, which turned out to be the case. You knocked, but you did not wait for his answer. He was seated at his desk, obviously trying to look busy, but you could tell by the set of his shoulders and the furrow in his brow that he was distracted. Still, you kept your expression neutral, wanting to find out the truth first.

You slowly approached his desk, holding the roses behind your back, noting that he glanced up at you and tensed. “Copia?”

“Sì, Sorella?” You winced. He never called you ‘Sorella’ nowadays. “What can I do for you?”

“I was waiting for you. I thought we had plans.”

“Something came up,” Copia replied simply, still not looking at you. He was nervously sifting through some papers, the only thing that betrayed his unease. “I am sorry; I should have sent word to you.”

Now you felt angry. You revealed the roses and dropped them onto his desk. Copia cringed and ceased his movements, sitting back in his chair, knowing he could not get out of this so easily.

“You left these,” you said, willing your voice to remain level. You were hurt, more so because he would think, after all this time, that you might be… cheating on him. “In a trashcan.”

He looked away, now more obviously upset. “You were busy. You seemed to be having a much better time with Terzo.”

“I was waiting for you, and Terzo invited me to play UNO to pass the time,” you replied evenly. "That's all."

Copia stood slowly, tensely. "I see. Well… Perhaps it would be best if we, uh… Postponed."

His hands were clenched at his side as if he was trying to hold it together, but you could see his expression begin to crumple. You quickly stepped around the desk, putting yourself between it and him.

"Copia, please talk to me. This is more than just about Terzo, isn't it?"

Now you could see tears fill his eyes though he was refusing to look at you. He shook his head. "It's nothing."

"This isn't nothing," you said gently, reaching up to touch his cheek. He immediately turned his face into your touch.

"I think too much sometimes," he admitted quietly. “I think that… That I am not good enough for you. I mean, how could you—” He broke off, swallowing hard.

You tried to meet his eyes, but he refused. “How could I what?”

"How could you love someone like me?"

Your heart broke at the quiet, pain-filled question. Tears welled in your eyes. “Oh, Copia,” you whispered, taking his face in your hands and kissing him on the cheek. “Sweetheart… I do love you. And I was hoping to tell you tonight. I love you, Copia, and I hope you feel the same.”

Copia looked up at you, his eyes shining. He looked almost scared but mostly unbelieving. “You love me?”

“Yes, I do,” you responded, smiling and stroking his cheeks with your thumbs. “I have for some time.”

“I love you, too, cara mia,” he whispered.

You closed the distance between the two of you and kissed him gently. Copia whimpered slightly, pressing closer to you, his hands coming to rest on your hips. You smiled into the kiss, still lightly stroking his cheeks.

“My sweet Copia, I love you so much.”

He pulled you closer, resting his forehead against yours. “I love you so much, too, tesoro mio. So much it hurts sometimes. And I am sorry I have ruined this evening.”

“You haven’t,” you assured, shaking your head. “The night’s still young.”

“I had so much planned… A picnic out in the garden, dancing under the stars….”

“We can still do that.”

Copia pulled away from you, looking ashamed. “I am sorry, cara mia, I… I gave away our picnic to a couple of siblings I passed by on my way here, thinking I would not need it anymore...”

You pulled him back to you and tilted his head up to look at you. You hated seeing him look so sad. “We can still dance. We can dance right here if you want. I don’t care what we do, Copia, so long as I get to spend time with you.”

He gazed at you for a long moment, hope now glimmering in his eyes, before nodding. “Sì. Sì, we will dance.”

He led you away from the desk and hesitantly took you into his arms. You smiled warmly at him, hoping to ease his nerves. There was no music, but you did not need any. The only thing that mattered was being in each other's arms, gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes.

You eventually ended up resting your head against his chest, where you could hear his heart beating. Copia rested his head against yours, his arms snug around you, keeping you as close as possible while still being able to sway back and forth.

After several long moments of this, you felt him take a deep breath. "I had other plans for this evening as well, amore," he said quietly, hesitantly. "But this is perfect enough… More than perfect."

"What were they?" you asked, lifting your head to look at him.

There was a deep blush on his cheeks as he continued to hesitate. "I, uh… Well, since we were to be outside under the stars, after dinner and dancing, I had hoped…" He cleared his throat and closed his eyes. "I had hoped, perhaps, we… might make love."

You stared at him for a long moment, the love you felt for him making your chest feel tight and his admission sending a thrill through you.

"We could still do that, too," you whispered. Copia's eyes shot open, obviously not expecting your response. You smiled. "Maybe not outside under the stars, but right here. We can save the other for another time."

Copia swallowed hard. "You want to do it here? Now?"

"Only if you want to," you said, lifting your hand to his cheek again. Copia practically melted into your touch.

"I want to, amore. Satana, I want to, more than anything. I want to finally become one with you."

You kissed him gently before steering him toward the couch near the window of his office. You would not even think about locking the door until later, but it was late enough in the evening that no one should be coming by.

You climbed onto Copia's lap once he was seated and took a moment to admire him. He was looking up at you, wide-eyed, waiting to see what you would do.

"Above all else, Copia," you murmured, your fingers tracing over his face, memorizing everything about his features, "know that I love you and only you. You are who I want, who I crave, who I love. I love you because you're you and all that entails. Never forget that."

Copia whispered your name, and fresh tears filled his eyes. You had not meant to make him cry again, even if they were happy tears. But no more tears tonight, you decided. Tonight, the pair of you were going to bed together, to sleep tucked safely and securely in each other's arms, how it should be. How it should always have been.

But right now, you needed to help him forget what had transpired earlier, to forget that he had seen you talking and laughing with Terzo. To forget that he had ever felt heartache at the thought of you not loving him.

You would prove to him that you did, even if it took a lifetime. And that was what you wanted with him. You wanted forever.

You kissed Copia gently at first, but with his hands tentatively caressing you, the kiss became passionate quickly. Fortunately, you could tell it was working in distracting him. He seemed to lose himself and got bolder with his hands, even going so far as to move them between you to knead your breasts. You both broke the kiss simultaneously, letting out shaky breaths.

He whispered your name again, this time heatedly, lustfully. It sent fire through your veins, the heat settling between your legs that made you ache for him.

You kissed him hard now, making him hum and pull you tighter to him by your hips. The movement pressed your core against his crotch, letting you feel him begin to harden within the confines of his pants under his cassock. You kissed and nipped at his lips before sweeping your tongue into his mouth, tangling it with his. Copia moaned more loudly this time, his body reacting immediately. The heat between you two was becoming nearly unbearable with your clothes on.

You pulled away by sucking on his bottom lip, drawing out a whimper from him, and then glanced down between the two of you at where he was helplessly grinding against you.

"I want you, Copia," you breathed, meeting the movements of his hips with your own. You also moaned, just as desperate as him for more. "I need you."

Copia's head fell back against the couch as he nodded jerkily, his eyes squeezed closed. "Sì! Sì, per favore, amore mio. Ho bisogno di essere dentro di te. Per favore, l'ho desiderato per così tanto tempo.” 

You dipped your head, pressing your lips over his pulse point to feel the blood racing through his veins. "Too long," you whispered. You grabbed his chin, getting him to look at you. The look of unadulterated want and desire in his half-lidded, mismatched gaze thrilled you even more. "Fuck me, Copia. Please."

His eyes widened as he stared at you for a moment before nodding. "Sì, sì. Let me…"

He pushed you back on his lap enough to begin fumbling with the buttons on his cassock. You could see his hands trembling, so you quickly covered them and smiled sweetly at him. Oh, how you loved this man…

"Let me help," you said, pulling him to his feet.

Both of you now a tad calmer, you set about undressing each other, though as each layer disappeared, the desperateness and nervousness returned. Copia had you mostly undressed first. He moaned softly at the sight of you clad in only your underwear.

"Caro Satana, sei bellissima. Come può una persona così bella essere attratta da me?"

"Because you're you, my love," you told him as you pushed his shirt off his shoulders. With a shaky breath, you lightly ran your hands over his bare chest, your fingers tangling in the hair there. "You're gorgeous and perfect, and Satan, look at you…"

Copia gasped and pushed his hips into your touch as you cupped him through his pants. You kissed him again.

"And I want you to take me," you murmured. "Make love to me."

You stepped away from him and laid down on the couch, stretched out in invitation. Copia's ravenous gaze was glued to you as he drank in the sight. He quickly removed the rest of his clothes, finally leaving him standing before you, naked. Your desire for him grew, and your fingers itched to touch him as your gaze dropped to his heavy, erect, and leaking cock that betrayed just how desperate he was for you; you ached to be filled by him.

"Wait," you said quickly, sitting up and stopping him before he could climb on top of you. 

He let out a shaky breath as your attention focused on his cock. You wrapped your hand around his hard, heated flesh, using the precum that had gathered at the tip to help slick your movements as you stroked him. 

"Cazzo, amore, non troppo. Non durerò," he gasped.

You wanted to taste him, to make him come totally undone by your mouth, but that would have to wait. Still, you leaned forward and kissed the tip of his cock, drawing out a pitiful whine from him. He wanted it, too.

"Another time," you said, releasing him and laying back again. You pulled your underwear off and tossed them away. You could not help but smile at Copia's groan as you parted your legs, baring yourself entirely to his gaze. "Come here, my love."

Copia knelt on the couch between your legs, his eyes never leaving your glistening core. He reached out tentatively to touch you. You both moaned. 

"Ti ho davvero fatto così bagnato?" he whispered, easily slipping a finger into you.

"Yes," you gasped. "You have. Please, Copia, I'm ready. I need you."

All he could do was nod, his breath now coming faster as he grasped his shaft and shuffled close enough to drag the head of his cock down from your clit to your entrance and back up again. He did this a few times until he could not take it anymore. Your hands tightly gripped the couch as he lined himself up and began to ease himself into you. Both of you moaned as he slowly filled you, overwhelmed by the feeling of finally becoming one. Why had it taken you so long?

“I will not last long, amore; I am sorry,” he said through gritted teeth as he began moving, his thrusts slow and deliberate.

Each drag and push of his cock within you had you gasping for breath. “Neither will I,” you managed to respond and pulled him down to kiss him again. Copia clutched at the cushion beneath you as his thrusts sped up. “Copia,” you whined. “I love you so much. And you feel so good.”

He whimpered and began muttering broken phrases of praise and love in his native tongue. Knowing he was so close — that you had overwhelmed him to enough to have him already on the edge — and likely holding on for your sake thrilled you and pushed you closer that much faster. You clung to his shoulders.

"Copia," you gasped. "You can let go."

His hips stuttered, and he sucked in a sharp breath. "But—"

"It's okay. Let. Go."

Copia moaned, his thrusts becoming frantic. In the next few moments, you felt him tense and begin to cum. You followed him over a second later, crying out his name in your pleasure as your walls squeezed and milked him for all he was worth. You held onto each other tightly, sighing and gasping for breath as the last waves of pleasure ebbed away, leaving you a panting, sweaty mess of tangled limbs on the narrow couch. Copia pressed close to you, breathing you in while you stroked your fingers through his hair, basking in all that was him. Your dear, sweet Copia, who meant the world to you.

“I had never done that before,” he whispered into your neck after several long moments.

You kissed his forehead. “I know.”

Copia lifted up, his brow furrowed and his expression concerned. “You did?”

“Yes.” You caressed his cheek. “And thank you.”

“For what?”

“Trusting me.”

His cheeks flushed, and he looked away. “I am sorry I did not last longer…”

“Copia, look at me,” you whispered. He lifted his gaze back to yours. “It was perfect. You were perfect. And besides, there’s always next time.”

He seemed to perk up at that, a slight smirk tugging at his lips. “Next time?”

“Don’t think I’m done with you yet, Cardinal. I’m not even done with you tonight.”

Now, his smirk widened. “Sì? I have more to look forward to then?”

“Oh, absolutely. I hope you’re ready.”

He kissed you briefly. “For you, amore, always.”

You suddenly heard what sounded like snickering coming from the other side of the door, followed by a muffled slap and an insistent shushing. You and Copia gave each other a knowing look and heard the hasty retreat of your eavesdroppers.

"Terzo," you said.

"And Secondo," Copia added. Then you both started chuckling. "Perhaps now Terzo will stop teasing me."

You raised an eyebrow. "That'll be the day. He'll likely only tease you more now. And me."

"Hmph… Only because he is jealous that he does not have what I have."

You draped your arms around his neck and drew him back down to you. "Oh? And what is that?"

Copia smiled a true, genuine, happy, and content smile. "You, amore mio."

END

Translations:

Ho bisogno di essere dentro di te. Per favore, l'ho desiderato per così tanto tempo - I need to be inside you. Please, I've wanted it for so long.

Caro Satana, sei bellissima. Come può una persona così bella essere attratta da me? - Dear Satan, you're beautiful. How could someone so beautiful be attracted to me?

Non troppo. non durerò - Not too much. I won't last

Ti ho davvero fatto così bagnato? - Have I really made you this wet?

[mr-ame]

I think, this event is a sweet opportunity to tell more about my apprentice and put them finally on the spot. They are pretty developed, but in my head only, because I was not... well secure enough? to give them more credit.

Thanks to @ghoulfriendfangss for such an inspiring prompt list!

So, meet now Robin, my apprentice

Day 1 - Introduction

Pronouns: they/she/him

Familiar: Carrot the european robin

Birthday: 25 may

Height: 5'6,5''(169cm)

Favorite color: ochre

Favorite season: autumn

Fashion sense: boho baroque

Sexuality: Demisexual

Self-insert level: aprox 35%

Robin is a confident and friendly magician. Curiosity and need to be interested, entartained and involved are their key qualities alongside with how stubborn they are. However they find it hard to read people and get attached to them. That never helped making a lot of connections. It leaves Robin having a lot of familliar friendly faces around the district, but very few close friends. Robin is hardly ever bored, they enjoy keeping their aunt's magic shop and providing townspeople with whatever household magic tricks they need.

Resurrection made Robin change from the way they used to be. They lost colors in their appearence and became less loud and superficial. They feel urge to remember themselves again, to get all the pieces connected, but they are also afraid of failing to connect to their past self. Robin became a quiet observer seeking to find hidden truth in details.

Robin likes: nature, traveling, playing on words, working as a shop keeper, doing any sort of fortune telling, learning and discovering new ways of magic, collecting trinkets of all kind; calm people, hot drinks, sunsets, abandoned empty locations like ruins or dead cites; finding traces of ancient or hidden magic in places and objects; music and dancing.

Robin dislikes: too many rules and prohibitions; being told what to do in a humilating way; having somebody make important decisions for them; people who are mean and fast to judge; not being able to find a solution; giving up on people, ideas and objects.

Day 2 - LI and their relationship

Asra is Robin's one and only love interest. I could only see the rest of the routes as friendship routes for Robin.

Their relationship is sweet and caring partnership in crime.

Their connection grew slowly throughout time. Journey from strangers to close friends took them a number of years. Robin was surprised to see Asra coming back to spend time together over and over again, but it was a pleasant surprise obviously. They found themselves the most relaxed around Asra. They bonded over their light playful tempers and shared fascination with magic and it's mysteries.

Asra was the first person who choose to be near all the time and Robin welcomed him naturally. Being on their own was fine to Robin. But finding a friend like him made them realize how meaningful connections can be. Robin started to care more about townsfolk and neighborhood habitants to the point that when the plague came, Robin could not stay a bystander.

After resurrection Robin only saw Asra as a friend and teacher. While appreciating his supportive and patient attitude, Robin desired autonomy. They were eager to learn doing everything by themselves. Asra made everything for Robin not to feel like a burden, but they still wanted to do better, to feel better and to make him proud.

By the timeline of the game prologue Robin started to feel mixed feelings. They were proud of their own progress. Never since they remember themselves they felt as confident as now. And at the same time they noticed Asra distancing himself a lot (I believe it happened because the more mc became resembling the old self, the harder it was to contain his emotions but its my tiny little hc). That was the first time Robin realized that instead of needing Asra's help, they missed his company. Now that they did not need to hold his hand to stand and walk properly, Robin realized that they missed the sensation of his palm in their in a different way.

So they started making steps towards Asra, completely unaware of his true feelings. The way how eager he met them midways was another surprise for Robin. And slowly uncovering his secrets through the route made them fall harder for this person.

[divine-misfortune]

Mushy May, day 1. Bath time.

(Rating: everybody

Pairing: Mist/Dewdrop (sorta?)

Words: 919

Summary: The new water ghoul is a little cautious, but that’s okay. Mist remembers how it felt.

(shout out to @forlorn-crows for putting this all together, i’m gonna be sooooo well fed this month yall don’t even know-)

“Nothings gonna hurt you here, cuttlefish. Least of all me or the water.”

Dew eyed the older water ghoul with a certain wariness, one that she fully expected from the fresh summons. 

He dared another step forward and Mist perked up a bit. Progress, it was small but it was progress. Omega had spent the better part of an hour just coaxing him into the bathroom, his stubborn nature reminded her of her first few days topside. She could almost see herself in the way Dew postured himself, arms tight around himself with his fingers bunched up in the robes they’d wrapped him in after his ceremony. It had been a full day and he refused to shed them in favor of proper clothes.

Worse yet? 

He still smelled like Hell. Literally. He stunk of sulfur and dry heat, sharp and unpleasant in the back of her throat. There was ash smudged across his skin. It looked like they’d pulled him out of the fireplace. 

Omega had tried to argue that he could handle the new ghoul but Mist was quite firm on the matter. She had shooed him from the room, and Dew’s rapidly lashing tail had settled into an occasional nervous flick. 

“It’s just like the pools back in the pit.”

Mist held out a hand to him, water dripping from her webbed fingers onto the mat. He stared for a long moment, claws flexing into the cloth draped over him.

“You’re safe with me, I promise.” 

Dew nodded cautiously and moved to accept her offer, finally allowing the robes to slip off his bony shoulders. He settled into the water in front of her, back pressed into the tap. She couldn’t blame him for not wanting his back to her. Baby steps. 

Some of the tension left him at least. The tight, tooth cracking, clench of his jaw eased off as he settled into the warm water. His gills fluttered as he sank deeper, the soot dusted over them finally washed away. 

“There we go…” She breathed in relief, his hand still clasped in her own. She hadn’t realized she’d been petting over his knuckles until she glanced down to it. “Can I help you clean up a little?”

His mouth opened to respond but he closed it and chose to nod instead. 

Mist knew enough to be careful with how she moved and where she touched, he might just up and bolt if she pushed too quickly. 

She started with the webbing between his fingers and slowly moved up his arms with small circular motions of the cloth so as to not snag against any of his scales. She could feel his muscles relaxing beneath her fingertips the longer she worked. The bathroom was a haze of steam and the overly sweet and artificial smell of roses. Quiet aside from the occasional splash or water lapping at the wall of the tub. 

Looking at his face, she couldn’t place the expression. His eyes were fixed on the places her hands ran over despite his lids starting to droop, lower lip gently worried by one of his fangs, something pink creeping from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. Mist wasn’t sure if she could blame that last bit on the hot water…Whatever emotion had carved itself into his features was certainly better than it had been earlier. No harsh lines, straying away from the mental image of a stray cat. 

He didn’t flinch when she touched his face. If she hadn’t been paying attention, she might have just missed the way he leaned slightly into her palm, like his head was too heavy to hold up on his own. Mist bit her cheek to stave off the little smile that tried to creep out and focused on wiping away what little ash remained. 

“Do you want me to wash your hair, or do you want to?” Mist asked and sat back against the wall of the tub. He nearly fell forward when her touch withdrew. 

Dew pointed to her. 

It was a bit awkward to shift positions, a little more water than necessary sloshing over the edge and onto the rug. He sat between her legs but kept his posture rigid, knees hugged to his chest.

His hair was long and beautifully pale, and horribly tangled at the ends. Dew winced and jerked away from her several times in the process of her trying to run her fingers through. Mist could only apologize in a hushed voice and wait for him to settle again before carrying on. A process that took longer than it should have due to her caution. 

But the second her claws dragged softly across his scalp he shuddered. Every slow drag of fingers through his hair made him uncoil from himself a bit more until he’d practically melted, entirely lounged back against her chest with his chin tipped forward to his chest. Mist didn’t need to look to see that his eyes were closed, the slow deep breaths gave him away. At the tail end of each exhale, she could almost hear a purr attempting to spill out.

Mist allowed herself a little happy trill as she washed the last of the suds from his hair and leaned back, carefully guiding the sleepy ghoul with her. The water was still warm and her chores were done for the day, she could afford to stay like this for a little while. 

She didn’t have the heart to wake him just yet. 

[eccentric-nucleus]

so when my intro post (this one, about hpmor and power fantasies and weird porn) was going around somebody reblogged it w/ commentary about mother of learning & how it did actually have a story framework that depended on like, character growth, themes, etc, and didn't necessarily deserve to be thrown into the progression fantasy bin & i've been thinking about why i disagree with that

part of it is just... the pacing is still pure progression fantasy? like the character wakes up one day in a puzzle box and the entire world is structured so that he has no choice but to investigate & that necessarily involves getting better at things. the world is a perfect training chamber for Leveling Up. it's the same framework as living in the sexy porn universe where the natural resolution to anything happening is to have sex. sure sure there's an in-world justification for everything that happens, but the true why for why things are happening is that the author wanted some sex scenes. oh no the narrative is bending around the gravitational pull of leveling up

(i have read, uh, 'to the stars' which is another one of those extremely long serial fanfics that i guess could be placed somewhere adjacent to the progression fantasy genre (the main character does get 'more powerful' and iirc also has a 'cheat ability' in some sense, for some very broad genre trope identifications) but it never really felt like that while reading it b/c there's never really any point in the entire story where there's a problem that the obvious solution that's immediately presented is "oh just get stronger". so "character gets more competent at using their skills" can fit in more naturally with the other narrative beats instead of being the primary narrative beat repeated over and over and over again)

or for more reputable fiction comparisons, like, a wizard of earthsea has ged getting more powerful, but that's... like the entire book is about the responsibility of having power, & the big antagonist is not defeated by ged outcasting him. it's about, like, accepting the duality of the self. the book is deeply interested in talking about power and what it means.

meanwhile, basically every one of zorian's problems is resolved by him personally deducing a solution. like, sure, this is kinda commented on in a meta sense a few times -- the whole memory packet thing where he spends months/years trying to learn the abilities needed to unpack it and totally fails & the only reason why he gets anything out of it is that the arache queen thought of him and put a failsafe message in specifically for that case -- but... it's still a huge training montage! it's still chapter after chapter of him getting tutors and training his skills and the old progression fantasy chestnut of "[x thing] had been so difficult and a huge blocker (several chapters ago) and now it's a trivial obstruction that's effortless to bypass" repeating itself over and over again. like, sure, there are absolutely some character beats (him realizing that the reason why uhhh whatshername, his friend who he had a crush on, shows up once in the loop and then never again was because she ends up dying via monster attack & he never actually bothered to follow up on that is what springs to mind for me) but... they're deeply subservient to whatever the latest power advancement beat is in the overall story structure. i think in the entire story he has like, two conversations with people about how actually the part where he's like 24 now and has maybe grown distant and alienated from his former friends while they live out, unchanging, in their month-long cycle over and over is going to have some long-term repercussions for him. there's that, and then there's a million scenes about training his mana bolt.

like sometimes i have story ideas for "this could be a progression fantasy" and sometimes i have story ideas for "this is a story idea i have" and there's absolutely this kind of wrenching distortion when i try to line up story beats from the latter with the former. plenty of stories don't spend like half their wordcount on training montages and showing the characters overcoming struggles through cunning or power. and when they do have those, they're in service to a larger story beat! the hobbit is not about bilbo getting more powerful even though an important part of the character's arc is that he comes home changed.

idk i'd say the defining characteristic that makes something a progression fantasy is that they're about the simple joy of hearing a character becoming more and more and more powerful over and over, to the point where the entire arc of the story bends to accommodate that. 'mother of learning' isn't structured like a mystery, even though it absolutely could be, and i don't really think it's structured like a coming-of-age story either, even if it absolutely has some parts of that there. the bulk of it is just a series of problems, revealed to the reader, that you then get to see zorian overcome. there are other bits there, for sure. but the biggest and clearest through line is about problem-solving via gaining power.

more generally, i think that person's definition of rational fic mostly overlaps with what i'd call a progression fantasy? the arc of the story is about presenting problems that get resolved through a character's ingenuity, at least in part so the readers can vicariously enjoy the problem-solving. it's kind of similar to a detective novel; i wouldn't say the sherlock holmes stories are progression fantasies but maybe if holmes was less condescending and more emphasis was put on how ~awesome~ he was they would be. numbers going up just makes it closer to a litrpg, which is a distinct other thing. so long as the primary arc of the work is about reveling in hearing about a character get more powerful, that's a progression fantasy.

[stitching-in-time]

Voyager rewatch s1 ep5: The Cloud

This is one of the ones I've definitley seen before, but don't remember much from, so it was interesting to watch it unfold without knowing what happens.

Overall, it was a mixed bag, but at the very least, it gave us this iconic Janeway moment:

The main storyline was clever, providing a nice twist to the usual 'let's go poke a stick at a space anomaly' plot by turning it about to reveal a 'we must help out a space creature' plot instead. Although for me it was a bit of a 'worst person you know makes excellent point' moment when Neelix went off about how stupid it is to endanger the ship and crew to go poke a stick at every single space anomaly they encounter. (He's not wrong.) However, as soon as he said it to the captain, and was kind of a jerk about it, I switched to her side. I would follow her anywhere and do whatever crazy shit she wants to do, tbh. She has so much conviction, even if what she's saying is, in fact, risky and stupid as hell, I want her to do it, I believe in her. She can have a little gratuitous ship and crew endangerment, for a treat, because I love her. Also she gets bonus points for literally telling Neelix to gtfo of her ready room. Get his disrespectful ass, honey! But then she lets him bring snacks to the bridge during a red alert??? Wtf??? I guess the writers didn't want to have a female capatain be too harsh lest she not be seen as approachable and 'unfeminine' (gag!), but I personally love it when she's tough and a little bit scary, and these very same writers never worried if Jean-Luc Picard was 'approachable'. (And he's not- if you approach him, he'll bite your head off, and we still love him, so let Janeway have the same thing dammit!)

Also, they literally have a line in this ep about how Captain Janeway canonically wears lipstick?! In the 24th century?! Women still have to wear goddamn lipstick to work?! When you're the Captain of a fucking starship, you're still supposed to sit there and put lipstick on before you show up for duty?! I just... ugh. No. Sure some people like to wear makeup, fine, but the notion that ALL women like it and want to wear it is just...no. Obviously on a TV show, the actors are all wearing makeup in real life, but I always felt that in the universe of the show they weren't, except maybe for hyper feminine characters like Deanna Troi. Kathryn Janeway is so no-nonsense, I really don't think she would, she doesn't seem like the kind of person who would give a damn if her crew thinks her lipgloss is poppin', you know? And especially since none of the male characters has ever had obviously make-up-y makeup, it reinforces a short-sighted patriarchal viewpoint to say that hundreds of years from now we'll still have a cultural norm where all women wear make-up all the time, and all men never do. (New challenge to current Star Trek shows: I want to see male crewmembers rocking guyliner, colorful eyeshadow, lipstick, glittery highlights, the works. If women in Starfleet wear it, men should too!)

The parts with Chakotay helping Janeway to find her spirit animal were obviously well meant, but they came off as a clumsy attempt to be inclusive by white guys who only have the vaguest idea of what they're talking about. The part about 'we now know better than to use scary bad drugs to have visions, now we use technology!' was especially cringe inducing. It's pretty tone-deaf to think that a culture where connection to the natural world is a central principal would use technology to have a spiritual experience, not to mention the whole 'natural drugs are bad and only white western medicine can make drugs that are safe and good' attitude is something that woud have died out in a post-capitalist utopian future. I appreciate that they wanted to be progressive, but if they weren't going to do the bare minimum of research or even try to put aside their middle aged straight white guy worldviews for a little bit, it was a futile effort that was doomed from the start.

And then there was more cringe-inducing stuff in Tom Paris's Chez Sandrine holodeck program. The harder they try to make Tom seem cool, the less cool he seems. Honestly, every thing in those scenes was just major secondhand embarrassment. It's hard to believe the writers really made him say this misogynist crap with a straight face. Like a grown ass adult would actually show his friends and coworkers that the inside of his head looks like this??? The whole time, I felt like Harry's discomfort wasn't because Tom's holoprogram was too sexy and cool for him, but rather because he was thinking 'Damn bitch, you live like this??' and feeling bad for Tom. If my bestie admitted to me that he has basically the hologram equivalent of a blow up doll in all his holoprograms, I would consider that a cry for help. If we needed confirmation that Tom has some issues he hasn't worked through, we got it, but I feel like it could have been done more subtly. It was just, so, so over-the-top bad. Thank you B'Elanna for calling out his shitty program, you said what we were all thinking, queen. At least Tom had the self-awareness to look contrite when she called him a pig- even then, he knows she's right, so at least they're giving him a ray of hope for getting better, but still, so far he's actually been pretty decent, and this was an unnecessary side trip to creepville no one needed. The one small positive I'll concede in this Chez Sandrine quagmire is Captain Janeway coming in and being fauned over by a holographic dude who wants to make passionate love to her, since she seems totally unsurprised and unbothered by someone taking one look at her and saying that, lmao. Captain Janeway knows she's got it, baby! And then revealing that she's secretly a pool shark to boot- ugh, I just love her. So much.

Tl;dr: Good main plot, bad subplots, some cringe moments you'll just have to grit your teeth to get through.

[lonelyghosts-stuff]

I need motivation and tips for continuing art. I used it do it so much as a kid but stopped doing it as much for a stupid reason. Someone who I became friends with was a better artist. I was never popular but I had used to kind of be a smidge known in my classes for decent art until she came along and everyone admired her more. Now obvs that wasn't her fault and we actually became friends for a while (until she changed and pushed me away down the line in middle school and high school, but that's neither here nor there). Either way, I didn't do it as much and only did it here and there.

I never really had my own consistent style either. It was all just kind doodles and some full sized drawings. I never did well with humans but did decently with like animals and objects. This was all in a traditional sketchbook too. I eventually started some digital art too as my friend did and she had a natural affinity for it. Once again, seeing myself get outdone. I have a bad habit of feeling like a failure when I am not immediately good at something I try, especially when it is something I really really want to do. Over the years I would have random surges of doing art again but would often get distracted by other things and feel too overwhelmed to pursue the hobbies I like, especially in high school and me now at 21 in college.

I am pursing a degree in animation but haven't even started the actual animation class itself, mostly just the general education requirements and then some other art classes. I finished 2D design, 3D design, drawing, and life art. I feel like my art has gotten decent for objects and animals still, but I struggle with humans. And unfortunately my life art class was pretty awful with the teacher mostly focusing on a few things regarding the body (which don't get me wrong, was helpful at first) and just assigned busy work like 20 skeleton sketches or 10 skulls and 5 full skeletons or whatever and every single class was gesture drawing of the nude models we had and progressing to shading. Again, don't get me wrong, those are definitely important and helped me with improving my skills, but what bugged me was not only how repetitive it was (it felt like my progress plateaued very early into the class as it just became the same thing every time with the teacher not being super engaging), but the fact we never got into the main thing I struggled with when drawing people; the human face.

I am trying to reteach myself how to draw now, having done that life art class like 2 years ago now. I am watching tutorials which have helped a bit, but I think my main issue is not practicing as consistently. A huge factor being motivation. I often get busy so when I have down time, I'd rather do something mindless instead of intentional work like practicing art that I am not gonna like. And when I do draw, even the things I used to think I was decent at like animals and objects and sceneries, I hate them. They look so flat and lifeless and they look super inconsistent style wise when you compare the different aspects of the drawing. It makes me feel unmotivated and scared about my future.

How can I be an animator when I can't even be happy with a still drawing I have made? I adore 2D animation. I adore art. I have so many ideas I can fully visualize in my brain but as soon as pencil touches paper or stylus to tablet, it's like I am a toddler learning how to write. Especially on digital art because I always feel like I am doing something wrong or in the most inefficient way possible. Don't even get me started on the fill bucket tool on drawing programs never actually filling in the full space I want them too and lines never being fully solid and having weird fuzzy edges that make coloring in weird. Even when I try to look up fixes for this it never seems to work (I swap back and forth between drawing in the free program Krita and Adobe Photoshop I have temporarily while in college).

There is the part of me that wants to give up, but then the strong part of me that refuses to because I know this isn't just some random ADHD hyper-fixation I have gotten. It has been a consistent interest of mine since I was in elementary school, fluctuating based on motivation and other external factors, but never something I stopped being interested in. I dunno. I guess I just needed to rant. I need to keep practicing, I know, but I wish I had someone directly next to me at all times giving me the perfect advice and helping me immediately see where I am messing something up or whatever so my improvement can be faster lol. Idk who will even read this. But oh well.

[imaginedreamwrite]

Halloween countdown day 21 — make a Halloween craft

The steady rapping on the door was heard from his bedroom, and even before Bucky could get up and off his bed alpine had had already fled. He laughed as his cat jumped from the mattress and dashed out the door, almost as if she had known who was waiting to be let in.

“Silly thing,” Bucky mumbled, following her path to the front door of his apartment, admiring how she had scratched, “someone special?”

Bucky reached for the handle and opened the door, a natural and charming smile crossing his face when he happened upon his two favourite neighbours. He hadn’t told you or Becca yet, but the idea of moving from the apartment building to somewhere much quieter had been on his mind lately.

With all the military back pay and compensation he was owed, Bucky could find a real nice place if he wanted to. A place where Becca could have a big backyard and be able to run around, where Alpine could have a catio or whatever you called it, and Bucky could have the family unit he’s always wanted.

It was a dream, hopefully one day it would be a reality.

“Bucky!” Your daughter greeted him with excitement and brimming energy. “Are ya busy?”

“Busy?” Bucky felt his whole body come to life with the image of the two of you waiting for him. “Absolutely not.”

“Good.” Becca rocked back and forth on her heels. “Do you have knives?”

“Becca!” “Knives?”

You and Bucky spoke over one another, before Becca had finally clarified.

“Our class is having a Halloween craft/pumpkin carving contest and the winner gets this awesome movie prize pack.” Becca’s face lit up with hopefulness, with excitement and wonderment.

“She would like to ask if you could help her carve the best pumpkin ever.” You iterated, resting a hand on Becca’s shoulder. “If you wouldn’t mind.”

“I haven’t carved a pumpkin in a long time,” Bucky opened the door wider and stepped aside to let you in, watching Alpine and Becca dart back inside, “sure ya trust me, beanpole?”

“Absolutely! With your help, I’m gonna have the best pumpkin ever!” Becca celebrated a preemptive win while collapsing on the couch with Alpine, leaving Bucky and you to stand inside the entranceway.

“This means a lot to me, Bucky. Thank you for helping her.” You carted the pumpkins, two of them, and the lantern in progress that needed to be finished.

“I told you if you needed anything…” he nudged the door closed with his foot then helped grab the pumpkins from you.

“You’re a good man, Pyro.” You leaned in and kissed his cheek, lips lingering. “You’re better than you’ve thought, Bucky.”

“Y/N,” he spoke your name and felt the words trapped on the tip of his tongue, “I was wondering if you’d…like to get dinner sometimes? The two of us…?”

“Just the two of us?” You wondered, looking over at Becca briefly.

“Or the three of us…” Bucky wasn’t going to avoid including Becca, not when she was your whole world.

“Becca’s going to a sleepover Friday night. You wanna go out then?” You suggested, stealing Bucky’s heart and soul in a single moment.

“So damn bad.” Bucky was honest, overeager even but you didn’t discredit that.

“Friday, a date.” Instead you smiled and kissed him again.

[carpetcat2]

Want yo know your fusion knights better! 😲

16. What makes their stomach turn?

21. Why do they get up in the morning?

B) What inspired you to create them?

D) Have they always had the same physical appearance, or have you had to edit how they look?

Sorry for the long wait ^_^u 16. What makes their stomach turn? They're all toughies! I'm sure most of them could handle things the average person would find creepy or crawl-y. Most of them would agree that whatever degree Parasite is awful, though.

21. Why do they get up in the morning?

Hiber: To appreciate nature <3 and to take care of basic health needs that's really important too. Snare: Sometimes he doesn't. Wheel: Spite. Psilo: For the thrill of discovery! Every new day is an opportunity to learn plenty of new things! Like "hey, did you know there were a billion spiders under your porch?" Very cool. Train bros: Well, they've got a business to run, don't they? They have to make sure the trains run on time! Lumin: There are always new stories to be collected. Tales of treasure and tales of woe, of fortune and of fate. Parasite: "Oh boy! I can't wait to make other people's lives miserable! On purpose!"

B) What inspired you to create them?

I wholeheartedly love character design exercises and this was one of my favorites.

D) Have they always had the same physical appearance, or have you had to edit how they look?

I have plenty of concept art for these guys lol. I think Hiber, Wheel, and Steam are the only ones that basically didn't change too much from their initial concepts.

Design notes -

Hiber was a lot skinnier before, but she has a lot more meat on her bones now bc I wanted her to fit more into her hibernating theme. Gotta have enough meat survive the winter.

Snare was always gonna be big and tall and imposing, but it took a lot more finangling than I first thought to finalize his design. His earlier concepts had a more armored and ragged look. One cool idea that I scrapped was that he'd have his head and hands in a pillory, but he had extra arms on his back that he could use instead. Another one was that he’d carry around a giant coffin and smack people around with it the same way Puzzle used his compass. Those were overhauled bc they leaned into Specter a bit too much, and felt incohesive with his theming. I ended up taking more design notes from BodySwap Specter since they had a bit more design overlap with Puzzle. In was a fun decision in the end bc I think that caused him to look a little like Luan too.

I think I had a pollution theme going on in Lumin’s early concepts. He was and still is based off of siphonophores so I imagined he would steer around some long train of boats absolutely filled with human garbage and human treasures, but underneath they’d be attached to some gigantic eldritch sea monster. I think his earlier concepts had mechanical arms for some reason. I think I’ve solidified him into being a vaguely eldritch creature cosplaying as a goofy pirate trope, but his design itself is still a bit of a work in progress.

Coal and Steam were supposed to be one guy, but I couldn’t decide between making the one guy a conductor or an engineer so I had to split them up. I don’t think they changed too much from their initial designs except for some tweaks, like giving Coal a belt and fixing his hat, or shaving off a few inches from Steam.

Wheel’s design is mainly based off bikers and medieval jousters. One thing that didn’t make it in was her also being a cowboy(?????). I got rid of that pretty quickly bc trying to fit too many concepts into one character would be really messy, but I mourn the fact that I couldn’t figure out how to fit in wheel spurs in her boots. Her final design didn’t stray too far from her first concept, but some stuff was reworked.

The funny thing about Psilo is that I specifically chose Plague, Spore, and Prism as his components bc they had a lot of similar design elements. That turned out to be more of a challenge rather than a convenience bc I had to actively work to make Psilo Not look like one guy over the other. He still looks too much like Plague Knight, but I will keep convincing myself he is not a Plague clone. I wanted to go for a witch-y design for him at first, and I settled on that for a while. I don’t really remember why I went in a different direction but I guess it’s bc I wanted to represent Prism and Spore more in the design. I think his final helmet was actually based on concept art of Plague Knight from the SK artbook where he had a bottom visor that made him look like he had a big toothy grin, which was really cute and convenient for incorporating Spore’s visor.

A Lot happened with Parasite. I was gonna settle on "grouchy old man" Parasite, but he was being developed to be used in a friend's DnD campaign as an enemy and said friend characterized him very differently to that idea, so I wanted to make him fittingly look unhinged. The way I draw him now vs his current "official" render is a bit different, but that mostly comes down to me getting a better idea of his proportions rather than any significant design changes. Sorry about how disorganized this concept compilation is. I'll try to organize these by character later.

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: The Iron Claw

A film based on a true story can be one of two sides of a coin. On one side, you can focus on the rise and success followed by the glitz and glamour and eventually the hard realities and eventual fall. One the other hand, you can focus on the personal life of the subject and lightly focus on the rise to fame, but push it aside to get more in depth with the subject's family. Well this film sits right on the spine of the coin. Yes it does primarily focuses on the real story of the Von Erich wrestling family, but also glosses over all of their achievements, accolades and stardom rather quickly. You almost don't really get a chance to see why they were considered to be one of the greatest families in the history of the sport. What you do get is the heartbreaking story of a family being led by someone that never left the past and pretty much forced their dream on their sons. What was fascinating is the depiction of the wrestling world almost being a co-antagonist to the life story of the Von Erich’s. The immersion into the psychologocial ramifications of the sport is explored in a sad way that we've seen in many other true stories and it leaves you in a more melancholy state throughout the film.

Zac Efron delivers a stirring and hard hitting performance as Kevin Von Erich. The amount of weight he bares of the family name in the world of wrestling was huge and you see first hand of how he tries to please his father's ambitions. You see the amount of pain he endures from the doubts that are placed upon him. His wrestling matches were the most intense and sometimes brutal and Zac shows great dramatic and athletic prowess. Harris Dickinson was great as his younger brother David Von Erich and I loved that he was the most charismatic one of the family. Harris had the most chemistry with Zac and their conversation in the bathroom scene one was one of their best moments together and his mic skills were excellent. Jeremy Allen White was strong as Kerry Von Erich and loved his dedication. He accurately portrays that desperation to hang on to whatever athleticism he has left after a possible debilitating injury. The amount of sorrow in his eyes was heartbreaking as his story progressed. Stanley Simons was so heartfelt and innocent as Mike Von Erich. He nailed that boyish charm and joy of playing music instead of following the family business. He was truly the most lovable and hardest to watch as he should've never been in the ring. Lily James is always great and she was great as Kevin's love interest Pam Adkisson. The moment Pam and Lilly meet, you could see the sparks between them fly as her flirtation turned into pure love even with Kevin's awkwardness. Maura Tierney was absolutely wonderful as their mother Doris Von Erich. You see the love she has for her family in a fantastic dinner scene. She bears the heaviest amount of emotional weight as the family curse strikes and it was very hard to watch. The stairs scene really hit me. Holt McCallany was great and truly toxic as their father Fritz Von Erich. He was an excellent businessman and the amount of motivation he would give to his sons was great, but horrible at the same time. He never really let go of his dream and became more of a coach and less of a father. Holt nailed that horrific nature of a person past their prime and delivered a performance that is in the lexicon of great villains. Aaron Dean Eisenberg was outstanding as Ric Flair and he nailed his eccentric, larger than life, and villainous persona.

The score by Richard Reed Parry was good when present and added to the heartfelt moments and sadness to the more somber scenes. The wrestling sequences were shot very well and I liked the sort of Creed approach where you are in the ring with the characters. It was immersive and sometimes jarring since the main focus wasn't really about the showmanship. That's where I felt this film lacked. It was a great study on the family, but I think this held back by its runtime. I really wanted to connect a little more with each brother and truly delve into the reason why they were considered one of the greatest wrestling families in the industry. The performances were outstanding across the board and although this may not be the greatest wrestling film ever made, but it sure is up there. Perhaps this would’ve been a better miniseries than a film. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review of the film. Thanks for reading!

[doughyduo]

[Lulu]

[Are you busy?]

Reading those messages made Luna worry.

Messages from Jade throughout the day were common; she was Luna’s sister, and they were fairly close, spending a lot of time together, being the only family they had left. It was important for the two of them to talk, to be close to each other, to make sure that the other was okay as often as possible, and texts like these were still something Luna dreaded getting. Not because she really was busy, not because she didn’t want to be busy by doing whatever Jade wanted, but because she knew what prompted these messages. Instead of answering with yes or no, Luna quickly told her assistant that she’d be stepping out while replying to the text, hurrying home.

[I’ll be home soon!]

As soon as possible, hopefully.

Throughout the drive home, Luna would be wriggling and squirming, upset with herself for not already being there. Tears almost welled in her eyes, but she did her best to keep herself together, as to not worry Jade at all when she did get home. Hurrying inside once her car arrived, Luna quickly grabbed some water and made her way into Jade’s room, holding back her tears as she hard Jade cry out in pain.

“Lulu...it hurts...”

Laying in bed, covered in a blanket, Jade moaned as she kept her eyes shut as tight as possible, trying to deal with the pain. She didn’t even register the fact that Luna had grabbed her hand and sat down next to her yet, squirming and sweating as she laid there, not until Luna pressed the water bottle up to her lips.

“I-It’s okay, Jade...! I-I’m here, i-it’s fine...j-just...drink some water, and breathe...”

Doing her best to stay composed and to smile for Jade, Luna squeezed her hand tight as she gave her some water. This had happened many times before, Luna sitting there at Jade’s side as she laid down, dealing with the pain that came with her illness, but it never felt any better for her. Every time, she was assured afterwards that this was fine, it was just a side effect of keeping her illness away, that the physical pain was still felt, even if nothing progressed, but it didn’t make her feel any better. To see her sister laying there, in pain and crying out, trying to deal with it but not being able to...

“I-I’m scared, Lulu...I-I’m scared that I’m not doing it right...th-that one day, I-I’ll mess up, a-and not know it, a-and...a-and...nnnghh...”

Jade was cut off as the pain became too much for her for another moment, but, Luna didn’t need to know what she was going to say. Instead, Luna just squeezed Jade’s hand again and shook her head.

“D-Don’t say that, Jade...! Y-You’re strong, a-and you’ve always been smarter than me, a-and you’ve been doing this forever! You wouldn’t mess up, y-you’ll be fine, I-I know it...!”

...the fear was still there. Even though Luna just had to trust Jade to do well enough, the fear of losing her suddenly, not being able to do anything, not even getting to say goodbye, terrified her. On top of that, Luna didn’t really even understand how Jade did anything, and just had to trust that what she had learned was enough.

“L-Listen to me...y-you can do this, a-and you won’t even break a sweat doing it...! I-It’s second nature to you, r-right? You’ll live a really long, r-really healthy life...! Y-You’ll outlive me by a lot, too, with a happy life, a-and tons of people you care about...!”

“Mmfh...Lulu...”

Squirming once more, Jade moaned in pain as she shifted around, shaking her head softly.

“...th-thank you...f-for being here...I-I just...”

“...”

“...I-I’m scared, Lulu...”

“I-It’s okay, Jade...! I-I promise, i-it’ll all be...o-okay...! I...I promise!”

Throwing herself onto Jade, Luna couldn’t hold back her tears anymore, and just let her emotions out as she kept her arms around her sister to shield her from anything and everything bad.

[copiasblair]

oh boy this got realllll rambly but basically i got to thinking about some shitty stuff i went through when i was younger and how it kind of plays into me and copia's first big fight.

so maybe this is traumadumping or whatever but um when i was younger i had a friend group that was terribly emotionally manipulative and abusive to me, like a lot of stuff that i don't even want to talk about in detail because it still just shakes me up and mostly just makes me mad because they never faced any kind of consequence or had any remorse for what they did and instead blamed me (and also if i outlined all of their shitty behavior we would be here all day to be honest), but a big part of what they did was a lot of talking behind my back, as in they had a separate group chat from ours that was just the three of them and they would stay up later during sleepovers just to talk shit about me (i know because one time i just pretended to fall asleep and then when i revealed myself and called them out on it, and they basically tried to gaslight me and said i was paranoid and making up shit just to cause drama)

AND on top of that i come from a family of people who do that a LOT, like my mom in particular will be polite to someone face-to-face and then as soon as they leave talk about how much she hates them and how they do this thing or that that really gets on her nerves.

anyway all this to say that i have a really bad reaction to like, surprises, or people sneaking around around me. it just makes me really paranoid and anxious, especially if it's someone that i care about.

so around the time of copia's ascension he is acting secretive. this is necessary, he has a plan in place, and since failing could mean him getting killed, and very well me getting killed just by association. not to say too much but i think that whether or not nihil passed away naturally that night, nihil was going to die, if you know what i mean (copia was plotting to kill him, or have him assassinated). obviously i know the precedent at this point for What Happens At The Last Date Of The Tour, and also i'm well aware of the fates of the previous papas, and so as this date draws nearer and nearer i'm scared out of my fucking mind. and copia is giving me radio silence, he's barely talking with me, and i start to get seriously paranoid. and especially without him there to anchor me, my anxiety is spiralling hard and i spend most of my time just sleeping or crying, mostly sleeping so i don't have to think about it. i get this fear that i've made this huge mistake, that everything bad my family said about him and our relationship was right.

after his ascension (which the night of that is just a lot of mixed emotions, i have a fic in progress about it actually), things start to calm down a little obviously, i'm obviously super happy that he's not dead and that in fact he's doing better than ever, and for the first couple months things are kind of back to normal. eventually though, i just kind of feel like i never got any meaningful resolution, and it eats away at me. like he apologizes, obviously, but it's in a kind of "well yeah i'm sorry, but you can see why i did that right?" kind of way and not really addressing how it made me feel. and part of me is mad that he even felt like he needed to keep that secret from me in the first place, and especially given that i tend to be especially emotional about that kind of behavior. and a few months after his ascension it reaches a bit of a boiling point and that's our first all-out fight. like obviously we had argued about shit before, but this was like an i need to stay in a hotel for a few days we might break up kind of a fight.

but then, a few days later (days spent crying and going back and forth on calling my family, whom i ran away from to be with copia)i spend more time looking back on it, and especially when i try to think of it from his perspective i get it, but then of course i get too paralyzed with anxiety to actually fucking call him up to talk about it. especially given that this is my first relationship and this is our first fight like this, and that he's probably busy with all the new duties that come with being papa, my tendency to catastrophize leads me to think that the ship has sailed, that our relationship is over and it's all my fault, etc etc.

until he shows up at my door, and we have a very long emotional conversation about trust and really just trying to explain how to situation felt from both our perspectives and he acknowledges that his first apology was kind of shitty and i say it's fine, he was obviously really caught up in everything else going on, and especially once he talks about why he couldn't feel he could tell me what he was planning. i didn't even know about the whole murder plot thing until this point, and he explains that, and also that his not telling me wasn't because he didn't trust me, but because he wanted to protect me. if something went wrong, if things didn't go to plan, imperator (and nihil if he was still alive) would be on the warpath and in that situation it would probably be better that i genuinely Did Not Know what was going to happen. i talk a little about my childhood trauma and how that kind of behavior makes me just feel angry and powerless, and that in the future, if he has to keep secrets from me like that, i would hope that he could at least tell me that it's not something i did, or something about me.

and we make up make out etc etc, and go on with more clearly defined boundaries and maybe a better grip on each other's perspectives :))

[skylaryozora]

Random thoughts: Winx Club S2 part 1

This season is way better than S1.

Will I be a bad person if I say that Bloom is still boring and oftentimes just USELESS? I can recall several cool moves/scenes of other Winx girls throughout this season, while Bloom only discovers she has healing powers because why not (later this season Faragonda tells Flora she also has those bcos she's the nature fairy... k, whatever). Also, ofc Bloom was sent on the pixie rescue mission as she possesses the AlMiGhTy AnD mOsT pOwErFuL dRaGoN fLaMe... But imho Stella and Aisha were much more useful there, Bloom didn't do anything impressive. Besides, I enjoy watching Winx girls in action when Bloom's not around, sorry not sorry XD

Aisha and Musa's friendship is pure gold. I really don't understand why Tecna is considered Musa's best friend, like how? The connection between Aisha and Musa is as strong as the bond of Bloom and Stella, maybe even stronger. Iirc Musa was one of the first to cuddle Aisha on her arrival to Alfea, Aisha keeps repeating Musa's name on many occasions, Musa smiles when Aisha borrows Timmy's hover bike and joins the guys racing above a lake (okay, this may not be so relevant, but I found it adorable), they dance together, Musa rushes to comfor Aisha when she felt left out, they were there for each other in the clash with Earth club thugs, during the drama with Musa's dad, and the concert in RF. Not to mention the moment when Aisha pushed Riven to dance with Musa. If that's not bestie's goals, then I don't know what is.

My fav episodes are 13 (girls skip school to visit Earth), 14 (Musa fights Stormy with incantations while Sky, Brandon, Flora, and Bloom rescue Diaspro), 15 (Musa's concert) + Wildlands (really eventful, skills of many characters shine through and inspire others which is heartwarming and engaging).

Musa has some really badass spells: the stamping to make the monster bounce in E11, the handclap to turn up the music and to stun a thug with a sound wave in self-defence in E13, and the incantation to chase the stormy clouds off in E14.

Episode 13 reminded me that Aisha has mastered royal etiquette which gives such a nice balance to her love of freedom of sports.

S2 Riven is just fantastic. I love his development, how he made use of his skills, and that he was the first to confess to Musa.

Rivusa relationship progression is "chef's kiss" - romantic attraction slowly builds up through single moments, and the intense and dramatic first kiss is the cherry at the top (the angle could have been executed better tho).

1st question: Why do we learn about Stella's singing skills so late? And if she can sing, why isn't she the one singing instead of Bloom in S4 and onward, for heaven's sake...

2nd question: In Rai, I don't really get how Musa's father and Riven met before the concert - Hoe Boe already has a negative opinion on him, but Musa wasn't dating Riven yet so???

3rd question: What is Musa's mother's name? Matlin? Maitlyn? Wa-Nin? I thought I heard something like Gua Ning, but idk anymore.

Charmix is a cool first step in fairy evolution, not a full-fledged transformation but something in between. They could have done without the bags but these custom brooches are lovely. I also low-key prefer the way they earned those over the way they earned Enchantix.

Tecna's pun is present only in English dubs, and I'm glad the dub writers saw the occasion and used it. One person pointed out it's actually foreshadowing that Tecna will learn how to communicate her human emotions and sound less like a robot.

Too much of evil laugh, perhaps it was the Trix and Darkar's way to forcefully manifest their victory or something, but guess what, didn't work.

I watch Rai dub, but Musa's concert is better in 4kids. However, Musa's 4kids voice is too shrill for my taste while Tecna sounds like an elderly posh lady XD.