#it's such a small trait but it's consistent and I love it so much

[hypothermiatapes]

How do you think Tomarry would work in an AU where Harry and Tom grow up together in an orphanage? Either through time travel or some other way. They're both orphans, both in the same orphanage, and the only magical people there.

That’s actually a really hard question to answer because when you change the environment Harry grew up in you’ll be changing his character. This means that his values, goals, personality and so forth would all change in some ways. Tom’s personality would also change to an extent because now you’re adding a new person into the mix that will influence him.

So, this means that the very characters we’re working with have changed and their dynamics will change as well. Usually tomarry in the 40s consists of Harry planning to stop Tom and “save” him or save his loved ones. This creates a dynamic of someone that knows too much and is trying to change the other character while that character doesn’t know what’s happening. It’s an odd dynamic, and it’s one that cannot be carried into them growing up together (obviously).

From this point on it’s mainly going to be speculation using my interpretations of Harry and Tom and trying to find how they would change. This also includes environmental influences and my beliefs of what the orphanage was like during this time. So, nobody has to agree and this interpretation is merely an interpretation (this is going to be long, so I apologize).

First, let’s look at Harry in PS when he’s the boy from the Dursleys and doesn’t have as much of his friend’s influence. This will show us what he’s like after going through years of emotional neglect, physical violence (no matter how small), emotional abuse and neglect in general.

I don’t have the time to put evidence for each point, but I do have notes so I may add on later. He is very observant, curious, cunning to an extent, judgmental, protective of what’s his in a way (the letter), and has the knee-jerk reaction to lie when in trouble. He also is more empathetic to animals (the snake), but with other people he typically isn’t unless he likes them but then again it’s not empathy but more sympathy. I would also like to add how he isn’t afraid to spend money when he has it and doesn’t appreciate the attention he gets, especially when it’s negative. Finally, he’s very good with pain, he simply shakes it off and acts like everything is fine when it isn’t.

I bring this up because I think if he were to grow up in Wool’s these traits (especially the more negative ones) could amplify. I say this because Wool’s is filled to the brim with other children during the Great Depression and disease epidemics. This means there will be less money to go around and every kid is in survival mode. These kids will have to do anything they can to stay healthy and get what they need.

This creates an environment of competition, an environment Harry wouldn’t have had at the Dursleys because he couldn’t compete. He was simply below everyone else in the house and had no way to prop himself up and Dudley was always winning. However, in Wool’s he’d have to be sneaky, cunning and maybe even aggressive if he wanted to survive. The other orphans are competition, people he has to steal from or maybe even ruin the reputation of if he wanted to get something he didn’t have already.

Sure, maybe he could befriend some (including Riddle), but who says he can trust them? Kids are resourceful and catch on quick, if one wants/needs something there’s a high possibility they’ll try to get it. If Harry had something another orphan wants it will be his job to protect that object and letting his guard down could mean losing something important.

As I type this I feel like I’m over exaggerating this environment, but Wool’s would barely have the money to keep afloat. These kids needs will not always be met and many are from broken families and lives, they’ll lash out and be aggressive. These kids don’t have support systems or people who actually give a damn about them because Wool’s workers have dozens of children to care for.

However, they could form groups and I’m sure a few of the older kids would care for the younger ones to an extent. So, maybe Harry could rely on someone but in the end I think this environment would actually make his personality far more similar to Tom’s. And remember, they already have a lot of parallels and similarities, imagine how similar they’ll be after growing up the same way.

As a side note emotional abuse and neglect typically makes people less empathetic over time according to a few studies. This is because it’s a taught behavior and trauma literally changes one’s emotional processing making it hard to empathize. Harry will also not have the time to care about others too much because it is bound to hurt him in the end especially with so many probably are dying from diseases.

Now, I’m not sure how Tom’s reaction to Harry would be, especially with the magic thing. I think in Tom’s childhood his mind protected him largely by saying he was special and unique and that’s why people didn’t understand him, why they hurt him. However, when he met Dumbledore he seemed excited to learn about magic, but I’m not sure if it’s because there’s others like him (unlikely) or because he could learn more about it.

Remember how I mentioned surviving Wool’s is like a competition? I do think both Tom and Harry would compete with each other. They’re the same age meaning clothes would be the same size, likely had interest in the same toys and since they’re the same age they’ll be grouped together and would have more interactions.

The fact they’re both magical could either make them hate each other or find some form of companionship in each other. It’s possible that Tom, someone whose defense mechanism is likely saying he’s better, will feel inferior and will double down in competing with Harry. Harry could see Tom has magic and immediately be wary since that means Tom can do the same things as him and that can put him at a disadvantage.

However, maybe they could bond over it. They could bond over both being “freaks” and different, maybe they could reach an “understanding” that they’re better than everyone else. Though I think it’s unlikely that while they’re at Wool’s they’ll ever trust each other fully. Maybe overtime they’ll learn working together is advantageous and so they’ll be more inclined to help one another. However, secrets are a way to protect themselves and who knows if the other will suddenly turn their backs on the other?

Hogwarts could be a different story though. In this scenario Harry likely will be sorted into Slytherin with Tom and in this environment they’re the bottom of the pack, worthless even. This is no longer everyone is at the same level and must fight tooth and nail, no, they’re surrounded by rich heirs who hate them for their blood. These people have everything they could ever want and more and suddenly Tom and Harry are the objects of their hate.

Nothing brings people together like a common enemy, and I think this is what would happen in Slytherin. Tom and Harry would likely decide fighting each other is too disadvantageous and why would they? They both have nothing while everyone else has everything, it makes more sense to steal from and tear down the people around them. However, they would have to do it differently than they did it at Wool’s.

I think here is where you could build their trust the most. Now at Wool’s they’ll start the foundations but Hogwarts is where it will grow. Their wands being brothers would likely just make them decide they’re meant to work together/stay together. They’ll be fighting to survive the snake pit together, not fighting to survive each other.

Honestly, I think in this scenario it’s likely Lord Voldemort is still born but now he has Harry Potter at his side. I don’t think the relationship would be the healthiest, it would likely be very obsessive and maybe even toxic. They’ll start out as competitors turning into teammates and eventually become lovers/friends.

They’ll be people that for a large part of their lives saw the other as an obstacle they had to overcome to live that eventually had to trust one another to overcome a different one. Likely a very transactional relationship while also obsessive and maybe even abusive from both sides.

I think the only way to get a good ending with this AU is if Harry is raised by relatives or his parents and meets Tom as a kid. But if they both grow up in Wool’s I can’t see it going well unless they get therapy but this is the 40s we’re talking about.

Sorry this was so unbelievably long, but I hope it sorta answers the question.

[roryfrommybabysittersavampire]

I think one of my favorite little details about spike's character is how he treated drusilla. he wasn't just "patient" with her disability, he actively treated it as just another thing about her to love. he verry rarely coddled her or tried to get her to be more present in a situation when she wasn't capable. (I can't think of a single time that he did but i feel like there were some when he was already upset at other people?). he learned to understand what she was saying even when it sounded like nonsense. when she was upset he comforted her, no matter how often it happened. when she started dancing he danced with her.

and we see in buffy 5x20 that it wasn't just his love for dru that made him act like that. when tara was incoherent and opened the window in the van, he didn't just immediately forgive her for burning him, he never got upset in the first place. he yelled, of course, because he was hurt, but as soon as willow started apologizing and trying to explain he just nodded. because it's no biggie! he already understands. some people are just like that, and he doesn't see accommodating that as the big deal that the people around him are making it out to be.

[satoblue]

sometimes i think of satoru who never left the grasps of his clan, who never went to jujutsu tech, who never made friends and was isolated bc he was seen as greater than — a version of satoru who isn’t like the one we know.

he is cold and calculated, prideful and silent. he doesn’t tease or joke — he mocks. never having grown out of these traits since he was a child, he’s never had a reason to hide them. incredibly lonely, yet he is used to it. might even prefer it.

and the blindfold. as he’s grown older, continued to master his technique, he’s learned ways to hone the power of his six eyes. rarely is he ever seen with it off. it is a protective shield as much as it is a weapon.

guarded even at his wedding ceremony, a courtship he cared for very little and had no decision in making — he hadn’t removed it for the seemingly special day. this wasn’t a moment of celebration for him after all. he found no joy in such things.

satoru had assumed, with his distant demeanor, that you would come to avoid him just the same, realize there was no hope for you in this union preordained by your clan and his. after all, this marriage was fulfilled out of duty — not love.

and yet, what is it about him that intrigues you so? that you would rather trail behind him wherever he goes, wherever that may be?

satoru is not easily amused, nor is he easily impressed, but the way you choose to keep up with him as he intentionally walks far distances to tire you out fills him with both — along with a nagging irritation because you simply won’t take the hint and leave him be.

what game are you playing at? you must have an ulterior motive. you are already wedded to him, the strongest. is that not enough for you? for your family?

apparently not.

when satoru enters a room, he won’t even glance your way if you happen to occupy it — as if you’re a stranger and not his wife. will barely notice you there until you walk up to him and greet him, your husband.

he’ll do his part, exchange formalities but nothing more. no where is he required to participate in your game of cat and mouse in public.

yet, even in the face of his snide remarks used to scare you off in private, at every turn — you were there consistently. waiting. for what?

if there were two words to describe you, it would be persistent and troublesome. most would stop at any attempts by now after being faced with his lack of interest.

he is both annoyed and intrigued at what the response may be. mainly due to the fact you don’t seem to be losing that spark of yours. if anything, his behavior has you more riled up. satoru couldn’t shake you off no matter how hard he tried. you always found him, always knew where he liked to go to hide from you.

and you’ll talk when you manage to catch up. a lot. about the servants, the food, idle gossip, your family. he’s never met anyone so chatty. but then again, he was never one for small talk. so, maybe it is a good thing. you ramble on about practically any topic that comes to your head. and he realizes in a way, alike himself — you have no filter.

satoru speculates that you have some type of scheme up your sleeve, when really, you just want to get to know the man you were made to marry.

everyone knows who he is, but at the same time, they don’t. it’s complicated. you want to learn more about him, you want to know how expressive those eyes are under that mask. you want to know what makes him tick. the things that make him angry, cry (if possible), or even laugh.

he has a pleasant voice — you’ve deduced — from what little words he speaks, and you’d like to hear him laugh. at least once. you’d like that a lot.

it is why you chatter on. about anything really. and you take it as a win when you say something so far fetched, so absolutely absurd to his ears that the corner of his lip betrays him, fighting not to twitch upwards. and maybe he does come to enjoy it a little.

he’s always been the center of everyone’s attention ever since he was a child. but yours in particular seems to stick lately. he can always feel when someone’s eyes are on him, yet, it is your gaze that seems to stand out amongst them.

or maybe it’s because… he’s starting to watch you too.

[blade-liger-4ever]

Why I think Miko Nakadai is arguably the best human character in TFP

Don't misunderstand, I know Miko was handled haphazardly throughout the series' run. That said, aside from her skipping off into the battlefield, she was actually a great character - and, in my personal opinion, the actual audience surrogate character in TFP.

Now, let me explain.

Although Miko's backstory is told and not shown - a rich daughter who had everything she could ever want, up to and including two pure-breed cats and piano lessons from age three onwards (which, coincidentally, tells us she's brainy despite her antics) - much can be inferred from what snippets of her past we get, along with her interactions with the Autobots. For one, she obviously can't stand most adult supervision, which is likely because of a few things. For one, back home in Japan, Miko would have had to be proper and polite, always restrained, and had to do what she was told. While this is normal (to an extent) in the West, in the East this is etiquette that needs to be obeyed, especially if you're as well off as she is; her actions, specifically in Japan, will reflect on her parents, but to a far lesser extent in America. Thus, when presented with the freedoms of the USA, Miko not only jumps at the chance for an exchange program that will give her the mobility she craves, she also chooses the place that has the least amount of glamor. By extension of choosing to settle in Jasper, Miko's also displaying two other traits: she's not afraid of going to a place vastly different from her home, and she isn't disgusted by a small town with very little monetary value to it.

Secondly, Miko's disregard for authority from adults but deference to the 'Bots teases us with an insecurity - namely, an insecurity that no adult ever gives her a chance to make her own decisions.

Just think about it: All the times Miko's blown off the human adults, it's when they've tried to decide her life for her. Miko has, from what we can see, had her whole life dictated, up to and including those piano lessons. She may be a prodigy at almost everything, but her preferred instrument is the guitar - and yet, she wasn't given lessons in that from the time she was a toddler. Therefore, she feels confined and controlled by the authority of her elders. And so, while Miko may be able to sway Bulkhead into getting her out of detention and consistently slip past the watchful eyes of the 'Bots, it's out of a desperate motivation to control her own life. Now, she does hold too much interest in the battles and getting to watch them, but wouldn't you have that same eagerness if Gundams or Jaegers came to life before your eyes? Yes, she knows their lives are in danger, that they couldn't come home, but there's still a fantastical element to all of this about the Autobots. And it remains so because while she loves them all, Bulkhead is the only one who, while giving her life advice and trying to keep her in check/alive, lets her make her own decisions and take control of her life and her actions.

And that's why she keeps going to the field. That's why she only listens to the reprimands with half an ear and why she recovers so fast from Optimus' near death experiences, as well as Raf's close call with death.

And that's why Miko's world shatters when Bulkhead is left in a half-dead coma from his fight with Hardshell. Because the one person in the universe who gave her freedom and care without deciding her life for her was not just seriously injured, but possibly on death's door.

That's why Miko runs around without a care until the S2 episode "Hurt": because she wants autonomy to decide her life, even if it's stupid choices that could get her killed.

And after "Hurt", we see a new Miko. Yes, she remains gung-ho and fierce, but she stops running onto the battlefield. She takes less enjoyment from the War. Because now, with the reality of war fresh in her mind, she knows the risks and the stakes involved, and she will never take that or her friends for granted anymore. This is further proved when Miko 'sneaks' along for "Chain of Command", but with a twist: she asks Wheeljack if she can come along - and if memory serves, this is the first mission Bulkhead's been on with herself present since the events before "Hurt". Clearly, Miko is still worried about losing Bulkhead - only, this time, she values the words of the 'Bots, and now seeks permission to join a mission, though she wisely asks Wheeljack for this blessing.

This is the beautiful part of her arc, crowned by her battle with Starscream and his Seekers (which is also just straight up awesome.) When she's kicked the afts of everyone, and Starscream tries to intimidate her with his usual "I killed Cliffjumper" speech, Miko's response is this calm, slightly rough, retort:

"Big whoop. I snuffed Hardshell."

In this moment, Miko Nakadai is shown to have grown from an excitable child into an unyielding, but mature, adult warrior. She no longer treats the War and the 'Bots like a game, or a release. She treats them as her friends who she will gladly risk her own life for.

And that, in my opinion, makes her the best human protagonist in all of Transformers: Prime, and Transformers media in general.

As for what I said earlier about her being the true audience surrogate, be honest with yourselves: If any of us were given the chance to meet the Autobots, wouldn't you be just as irrepressible as Miko, as eager to help as she was, and tempted to go to the battlefield to see the action/make sure your 'Bot wasn't going to die? That's what I mean when I say she's the audience surrogate - Miko acts like we would, and learns as we would about the War and the 'Bots if we suddenly came across them.

That's my two cents on Miko, and why she's the human character I respect the most in Transformers...probably of all time. If you liked it, I'm glad; Miko deserves better, and I hope I explained why well.

Til next time, folks!

"Autobots, transform!"

[pressureplus]

Not sure if you have done it or if anyone have already requested it.. but I do like to see a headcanons (NSFW?) on the ovipositor of Sebastian. Like if reader finally agrees to let him pregnant them with his eggs. Kinda stuff like how would it feel like during/after breeding? does it will hurt? How long long does it take? How those eggs/babies develop? And how does the giving birth would be and feel like? Anything like that.

Btw, I love your headcanons and oneshots! <3

So glad you asked! I've been dealing with pain lately so Ive needed consistent care. As per usual we are writing, this one just happened to be finished first. Also, thank you for the compliment <3

♡Sebastian Solace Ovipositor Headcannons♡

Warnings: Describing this Non-Erotically, Implied Sex, Oviposition/Ovipositor, AFAB and AMAB Cannons (God Im Sorry), Pregnancy/Birth Vaguely Mentioned, M!Preg Mentioned

◞꒷◟ ͜ ͜ ◞ྀི◟୨୧◞ྀི◟ ͜ ͜ ◞꒷◟◞꒷◟ ͜ ͜ ◞ྀི◟୨୧◞ྀི◟ ͜

Starting off strong, the moment you agree to have that mans babies he is all over you

Excited, yes, and at the mention of his Ovipositor being put to use he’ll be a little shy but happy to oblige! How can he not be? The idea of having a family almost makes him feel…normal. Happy and normal.

As his tendril is always sheathed, it stays very slick, which makes insertion easier. Despite his absurdly large length (he is well over twice your size) he doesn't need to be all the way inside your body to use said Ovipositor

During the process of actually putting those eggs in your body, it feels…odd. The best way I can describe this is like swallowing those Boba Pearls in drinks? But like…obviously not with your mouth

Doesn't hurt! The eggs arent too large, about an inch in length and diameter, but still not painful! You’d think they would be, right?

This is due to both the slightly muscle relaxant features of said slick, and the flexible nature of his eggs

Despite their size they can easily compress to be smaller if pressure is applied…too much pressure will pop them and make them no longer viable but yes they can get a bit smaller

They're like little jelly balls with a turquoise color

After the fact, you'll really just feel oddly full for the next day or two. These things are decently sticky and almost parasitic in nature so those that are going to continue to develop will be burying themselves into your body

Not a painful process either, by the way

Those that don't end up attaching to anything are not particularly viable as they can't take any of your DNA to make anything. So those really just have to be removed. This can be done decently easily with some pressure applied to your stomach and a bit of pushing

Produces 6-12 eggs on average, but may produce more or less, so you never really know how many actually stuck

The way these eggs develop is rather unnatural to say the least.

If you're AFAB then they'll attempt to fill your uterus much like a normal baby would. They also take as much ‘code’ from your DNA as possible, feeding off your blood for minerals similar to how Anglerfish pairs function

If you're AMAB things get a bit..sticky for you. They'll hollow out their own space inside you, kind of like a very small faux womb. This is NOT painful, but does leave a sort of dull ache like you've just worked out for a while. This small little wound will close behind the eggs as well so they won't be disturbed. They feed off you the same way as they do for those who are AFAB

This pregnancy can last anywhere from 6-9 months depending on how large the batch of eggs is. They do technically ‘share’ their meals so they'll all be ready to hatch at the same time. Think of it like an evolutionary trait for a better chance at survival.

Doesn't entirely feel like pregnancy, you'll feel weaker, bloaty, and maybe a bit sick mostly due to lower mineral/vitamin counts. But as long as you take some kind of supplements or eat healthy you'll be fine

You don't get particularly round or anything either, just a small bump that could easily be passed off as weight gain

On the Plus side for the AFABS, your body does not continue to have its menstrual cycle during these months. They release their own chemicals into your body/bloodstream for a better latch and less chances to be ‘rejected’

As for having these babies? There's conractions/cramping for sure and a bit of blood from where those eggs detach. I wouldn't call them particularly bad contractions, as they're slower and a lot less painful than normal child birth

The body doesn't have to prep as much since they're not normal sized human babies.

If you're AFAB, they'll come out the natural way. If you're AMAB, you're going to need surgery

Surgery is of course an option for both if preferred.

They pop their eggs and are ready to go the second they break, now for the most part the body can just absorb the nutrients in these empty ‘shells’ but they can also be removed. It won't cause additional harm either way

These babies aren't very big when they're taken out

In fact, they're all about palms sized. They're warm to the touch, covered in a bit of blood and whatever liquid is inside those eggs, so they're a bit sticky. But just fine to wipe clean

They’ll be oddly…blue and pale for the first while as they learn to breathe oxygen with their very small lungs. Don't worry, they'll figure it out. They look almost like normal babies aside from this, well, not including those that look more like Sebastian

They’ll develop faster than normal babies as well. Some may even be born with sharp teeth, others will get their set within the first two months.

They're already up and ready to go in about a year or less, as if they're made for survival like wild animals. However this will come at a cost. Your sanity mostly when your 1 year old is chewing through the casings of wires and chair legs.

By the time they're around 5-6 they'll be just a little smaller than the size of a normal human child.

As teenagers getting their growth spurts? Many of your children may end up BIGGER than average humans!

Overall your children will be different, as was the process of having them, but they're still perfectly healthy

[mrsdarkandyandere7]

Leaving You Not

Pairing: Dark Katsuki Bakugo x (female) Reader

▶ This is a yandere/dark work and it may contain triggering content so please READ THE WARNINGS before. Do not read if minor.

More at Masterlist

SUMMARY: Your relationship with Bakugo has long turned sour and bitter and you’re more than ready to put an end to it. Bakugo heavily disagrees with you .

WARNINGS: Toxic/Unhealthy Relationship; Abuse/Violence.

AN: Please, reblog and give me feedback 😊 The last Bnha work I have in my drafts, gonna have to work on it, but meanwhile hope you guys enjoy this!

--

Dating Bakugo had always been a one-way ticket to ruin your mental health. As your relationship comes to an end, you recognize that. 

Bakugo loves you, you're quite sure of it.

But his love consists in derogatory comments and mean insults that hit your confidence in the most destructive possible way. 

At first, every flaw of Bakugo's was heavily diluted by the red-tinted glasses love had put over your eyes. You blame yourself for that, always so quick to dismiss every flaw of his, instantly brushing them under the rug like they didn't mean anything. 

Time - however - forced your eyes wide open and to recognize the awful truth: that Bakugo wasn't a good boyfriend. 

Initially, you remember walking into the kitchen - tying the apron around your front, washed hands and ready to help out with cooking - only to be met with a nasty side-eye and a "Don't need your help. You're a shit cook." 

You wouldn't take the comment to heart, merely hugging the back of your incredible cook of a boyfriend with a fleeting cheek kiss and the promise to help out with cleaning the table and the dishes.

But no matter how much effort you placed into cooking - no matter how many different recipes you tried out, no matter how many times your friends tried your food and praised it, no matter how much and how hard you tried, at the end of the day Bakugo only ever directed those cruel short dismissive words.

"You're a shit cook." 

But as you reach closer to celebrating the first anniversary of your relationship, with 7 of those months being living together, the appalling and unpleasant reality of Bakugo's toxic traits got clearer by the day. 

Driving with Bakugo was a whole different nightmare - one that always left you in a sour mood, close to a panic attack and a demolished self-esteem everytime you tried driving.

Your boyfriend was good at almost everything, including driving, however his speciality was no doubt the ability to be disrespectful. 

The few times you drove him around in your car were tense and explosive, to say the least. Your boyfriend complained about everything - from the size, color and comfort of your small but useful car up until your driving skills.

For Bakugo, you’re too slow, you don’t drive well, your parking technique is pathetic, you drive too close to the lines, … every possible insult is rudely thrown your way until he finally declares what you already knew was in the way. “You’re a shitty driver.” 

It crushed your heart and soul to receive such humiliating remarks. 

Everything you did had to be criticized by him. Always. 

“You’re shitty at choosing house decoration.”

“You’re shitty at doing finances and home budget.”

“You’re shitty when it comes to cleaning duty on the house.”

“Your makeup looks shitty as hell.”

“Your sleeping schedule is all shitty.”

“That’s something a shitty friend would do.”

It shouldn’t hurt as much as it does. Bakugo has always had a brash and crude personality, you were perfectly aware of that when you started dating him. 

It shouldn’t hurt as much as it does. And yet it does.

You never expected him to fully turn around his personality for you, but expecting basic decency and respect wasn’t an exaggerated expectation. 

It grew worse and worse to the point that you now hate to admit how much it thrills you everytime Bakugo, with a big scowl on his face, announces about some shitty Pro-Hero conference or a quirk-development workshop he'll have to attend in a different city or a different country. 

You hate how upset he looks over leaving you for a few days while you're internally leaping of joy, barely able to shut down the excited smile that threatens to come out.

That’s how you realize that love was long out of your relationship’s equation.

And now…

“Huh, the hell you talking about?” Bakugo's crimson eyes glare at you, arms crossed as he remains unfazed by the rehearsed speech you just breathlessly dumped. 

“Did you even listen to what I just said?” you question him, exasperation seeping through your best attempt to keep a calm and collected composure. “No, of course you didn’t. You never listen to me anyways.” 

“Bullshit.” he says, “I listen to you, but what you just said is total garbage. Doesn´t make fucking sense.” 

Your nails dig deeper into your palms, so deep that it’ll leave marks. 

“I mean it, Katsuki. This - our relationship - isn’t healthy anymore.” you continue, ignoring his huff. “I just want to be happy. For you to be happy too. And I don’t think right now we can be happy together.”

“We’re fine.” he dismissively declares, pushing his palms against the table to push himself up. “You’re overreacting, like you always do. The only problem here is you watching too many of those shitty movies you like so much, that crap’s filling your head with all that stupid nonsense.” 

And just like that he leaves the table, saying something about cooking dinner. 

Your body stays glued to the chair, empty gaze and slumped shoulders. 

It was supposed to be a serious conversation, your mind screams. And just like always, Katsuki ignored you - and your feelings. He didn’t even get upset, just dismissive. 

Your legs carry you to your bedroom before you even realize it, ignoring as the blonde man stares at you from the kitchen. 

You hesitate for a moment, hands hovering over the open suitcase, doubt quickly spreading its sticky root in your mind. Should you do this? Is this even right? 

Katsuki is your boyfriend. You shouldn’t leave him, should you.

It’s wrong.

It’s wrong.

It’s wrong.

Your legs give up, unceremoniously dropping you at the edge of the bed. Allowing your head to fall into your hands, it becomes increasingly hard to breathe.

You should leave - you have to leave - and yet there are emotional strings that attempt to curl around you and keep you.

Guilt. Love. Empathy.

An insidious little voice in the back of your mind points out that you are giving up on him, ditching him for your own sake. Abandoning him. Leaving to fend for himself.

Maybe you really are, but what else can you do?

The next morning both of you behave as if nothing happened, promptly ignoring the dense tension that persists in the air since the previous night.

You behave cordially enough and in return, Bakugo offers you his usual scowl when you hand him a bento box for lunch, muttering something about your deplorable cooking skills - something you turn a blind eye to.

With a bitter cramp to the heart, you realize that he clearly forgot about last night’s argument. 

When, at last, Bakugo announces his departure for morning patrol you softly kiss him on the cheek, before watching the blonde man leave the apartment with heavy steps. 

That’s when you rush back to the shared bedroom, almost slipping on the wooden floor before dropping on your knees to retrieve the small black trolley hidden underneath the bed. 

Pulling it to the bed, you open it, quickly examining the essential items you’ll need for the next few days.

A few clothes, some underwear, a pair of sneakers, hygiene products, your wallet, credit card. It’s not much but it’s the best you can do right now, given your prudent desire to avoid Katsuki. 

Maybe once he calms down, you can return to pack the rest of your things. Preferably with the company of a friend - that is if Bakugo won’t have angrily destroyed all of your belongings by then. You’re highly doubtful of the calm stoic act he put up last night, that surely won’t last much.  

You zip the trolley, putting it on the floor, ready to take off when a  glint of light catches your eye. Peacefully sitting in Bakugo’s nightstand is a framed photo of the two of you, happy and in love, and your lips curl into a soft smile before you know it.

It was taken during the first month of dating. A fair, where he won way too many plushies for you. The memory seems like a lifetime ago, back when he was somehow sweeter and nicer to you.

If you ask him today to take you to a fair he’ll just brush it off and yell that he’s busy doing actual important hero work, unlike you. That’s an angle he’s been pushing lately, fully aware that your job can’t compete against his.

What is the value of  insignificant office work when compared to the heroic job of saving lives?  

The thought has your nerves flaring up, tension and pressure reigniting. With a last fleeting look to the photo, you leave the room, dragging your trolley behind you. 

You’re only halfway through the living room when the front door abruptly opens, leaving you frozen mid-strad. 

“Hey, I think I left my phone here, did you-” Bakugo’s voice slowly dies down, leaving empty words floating in the air. 

You only watch, helpless as Bakugo’s crimson eyes trail around and discover the small trolley that stands by your side and his confusion starts melting into rage. 

Fuck. And that’s how your grandiose plan to avoid a confrontation goes down the drain. 

“The hell is that? You going somewhere?” his deep voice booms in the quiet area and it takes everything in your power not to back down a few steps away from him. 

“I’m…” you sharply inhale, trying to ignore when Bakugo reaches closer to you. “I’m leaving for a few days. You didn’t listen to me last night… so it’s best if we give it some time. To think.” 

His brows furrow as a look of livid rage appears on his face. 

“Gimme that shit, you’re not going anywhere.” he declares, lurching towards your luggage but you reflexively push your body to protect it. 

“Katsuki, stop!” 

A yelp escapes you when his body collides against yours, momentarily causing your balance to be lost but your grip on the suitcase only tightens as the infuriated blonde aims for it. 

“Damnit, stop struggling.” he growls, hand squeezing around your own to release it from the trolley while you attempt to push him away using your body as a shield.

You’re uncharacteristically stubborn today, determined to fight back for your freedom, and Bakugo must’ve realized that too as he changes his tactic in lightning speed, his heavy combat boot landing a brute kick to the luggage.

It flies out of your hand, away from you, and there’s barely any time for you to react before Bakugo aggressively shoves you back. Your feet get tangled and you trip, landing on your ass with a pained gasp. 

“You can’t do this. You can’t stop me from leaving.” you attempt to bring some sense into the situation until Bakugo reaches over and grabs a handful of your hair, twisting it in his hand. You scream, hand trying to scratch him away but with no avail.

“Katsuki, ple-”

“Shut up, damnit!” he snarls, anger boiling until it falls out and burns you. “The hell you think you’re doing? I’ve told you we’re fine. Then why are you turning this into something it's fucking not?”

“We’re not fine!” you deny, tears kissing your eyes. Bakugo only squints his eyes at you. “Why can’t you understand? Katsuki, just listen to me, please, this is not –”

A violent tug at your hair has you crying out, blazing pain searing through your scalp. 

“No, you listen up. And open your stupid ears this time cause I swear to god if I have to repeat this once more, I might fuck up your face…” the dangerous glint of his eyes and the hard tone of his voice is more than enough to prove the realism of the threat.

“You’re not leaving me. Not now. Not ever.”

[mattslilies]

Can You Even See? - C.S.

"you need a haircut, baby." or ... the one where chris keeps pushing his hair out of his eyes. like, all the time. warnings: none! word count: 592

you love chris, and with that comes loving all of his many hairstyles throughout the months. his hair grows very quickly, a trait that you're always incredibly jealous of, so he often went through short and long phases each year.

as much as you adored his short hair and the way it framed his face, you couldn't deny that you were the most obsessed with when it grew out, and he kept it long.

it often got fluffy, and even floppy, and it was so much fun to run your hands through. one of your favorite pastimes when laying in bed with him was to comb through it with your fingers, and pull it into small braids, or even teensy tiny pigtails.

chris was always a good sport, never once complaining about your consistent messing with his hair, but that was mostly because he was a touchy-feely person, and adored having your touch on him, especially when that meant your hands were anywhere near his face.

often times, he would fall asleep while you were running your nails along his scalp, the feeling soothing him straight to dream-land. you found it one of his most adorable traits, and always gently teased him for it when he woke back up. it brought the prettiest blush to his face.

unfortunately, the long hair would always get to a point where it would become inconvenient for chris. every time he was watching tv, or looking at something on his phone, he would have to reach up every few moments to push his hair out of the way.

or, when he would get out of the shower, his hair would take twice as long to dry, and it would drive him crazy for the entire time that it took to no longer be sopping wet.

one day, you were sitting next to chris, combing the hair out of his face, and you noticed that it had gotten incredibly long, longer than he normally let it grow.

"you need a haircut, baby."

his eyes snapped open, having fallen shut with your gentle touch on his forehead.

"do you not like it anymore?"

you shook your head, pressing a kiss to your boyfriend's forehead.

"no, of course i do! you know i love your hair long. but you keep having to push it out of your eyes no matter what you're doing, and i see that it makes you frustrated sometimes. if you let it grow much longer, you're going to have to start pinning it back."

he smiled up at you, a cheeky grin stretching from ear to ear.

"what, you don't think i'd look amazing in one of those pink headbands with the flowers on them?"

you laughed, gently tugging on his hair.

"i'm sure you would, baby. but i don't think you'd want to spend twenty minutes in front of the mirror every morning focused just on your hair."

he sighed, relaxing into your touch as your hands continued gently twisting and braiding the brunette strands on his head.

"no, i wouldn't. i'm a little too lazy for that."

you smiled, humming in agreement.

"i know, honey."

"a haircut it is, then. i'll go get it cut sometime this week."

you were a little sad, but you found comfort in the fact that his hair grew very quickly, so you'd be back adoring his long hair in just a few months.

his long hair was adorable, yes, but short hair made him look straight-up sexy, so you were perfectly fine with him getting a haircut.

a/n: divider from @hyuneskkami !

taglist <3

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[bubblebbg]

❝𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞: 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧❞

Mizu x Reader

- Reader in this fic is of some sort of mixed or foreign descent, but this can also be interpreted as having any trait that would make them a pariah of sorts. Warning, not proofread lol. All spur of the moment.

When you found the blue eyed stranger laying bloody on a lonely street, you took her in. You keep her warm, fed, and with mends on her wounds. Mizu knows well that there are sacrifices to be made on her path. She doesn't know just how much they can sting.

Mizu can't quite pinpoint the most irritating part of the pain. The ache of broken bones, the sting of stabs and slices, the consistent ringing in her head; everything hurts, and she supposes that like every other injury, it's all par for the course. Small price to pay for revenge. She knew she'd have to rest at some point, but she didn't expect to be incapacitated, edging on consciousness for days. Every now and then there's a sensation like coolness on her forehead, or water at her lips.

It's on day three that she becomes lucid enough to realize someone's taking care of her. Her distrustful brain is immediately sounding alarms, but her body can do little to react in such a broken state. Mizu can do nothing but lie silent and weak on this futon, sipping medicines and soups when it's brought to her mouth and being patched, cut for cut, wound for wound.

The first thing she notices about you, her caretaker, is your eyes - eyes brimming with concern and care, eyes that catch every weakness of her flesh and seek to heal. She hears your whispers of "poor thing" and "I'll get you healed up in no time". And being Mizu, her first thought is...

"Why?"

She hadn't meant to say it out loud, but she doesn't rush to take it back. Why are you, a stranger, so willing to take care of her? Why are you expending your resources on a broken thing, a mistake that any other sane person would let rot in the street where they found it?

You only smile at her, and in such a way that makes her heart race. Gentle, patient, tentative. She doesn't like it one bit, the way it pulls at doors she's kept locked for years. Her eyes focus, taking in what you look like as you stand and ready yourself to leave the room.

"I don't need your pity!" She manages to choke out. It has you stopping in your tracks.

"It's," she coughs, sputtering on words, "It's because you're just like me, isn't it? You're different. A monster."

The look on your face is one of mild amusement, an eyebrow raised and the corners of your lips upturned. She's not sure if it's that or the confidence in your next words that makes her cheeks heat up.

"I am not a monster. Neither are you."

And you're gone, leaving her to deal with the weight you've left in her chest.

𓆩… . … . … . … . … . … . … . … . … . … . … . … . …𓆪

The days turn into weeks, the weeks into months. With so many parts impaired, it'd only make sense that healing would take this long. Most of all, it's your endless patience that surprises Mizu. When she reopens a wound by carelessly trying to train despite your cautions, you're there patching it up. When she expresses her frustration with not being able to take up the sword yet, you're there reassuring her that it'll all be fine in time. You're kind when she's haughty and sarcastic (which makes her feel guilty, and thus even more indignant), and this extends to others as well. She often sees you helping children or neighbors, anyone in need. You're loved in this town.

It makes her a bit irritated, seeing your kindness bestowed on others. At first she thinks it's because she sees weakness in your actions. Then she thinks it's jealousy - why are you, someone who would otherwise be an outcast like herself, so beloved by your town? How come it didn't turn out this way for her? But when she sees you cooking enough for the both of you and the family next door, stirring slowly as the food steams, she thinks to herself, god, they're even patient when they're cooking. And then it hits her.

She is jealous, but not in the way she thought. In the way that yearns for your priority, that seeks to be the only recipient of your sweet manners and loving nature.

It doesn't help that you've grown close, too close for her liking. There have been nights spent in each other's company, saying nothing but gazing at stars. There have been conversations in which you've both laughed, some in which you cried. Mizu's mind can't help but remind her that this isn't safe; the last time she opened her heart up, it returned battered.

But this - you - feel safe. You dedicated nearly three months to healing her body, all the while you had been patching up wounds the eye can't see.

"I'm leaving," she says meekly on a warm evening, the two of you sat in a field of grass overlooking your village. You look to her and she only stares forward. You suppose it's better than her leaving without telling you, but the pain is no lesser because of the thought.

You take a deep breath and exhale before answering, "I had a feeling."

There's a long silence between the two of you. It's your turn to watch the sun setting over the trees as Mizu looks at your expression, the hints of sadness in her eyes.

"Do you... do you really have to? You are welcome here, you know. You'll always have a home here with me."

The words have Mizu choking up and suppressing the sudden and unnerving urge to cry. What you've done to her in three months still astounds her.

"I do. You know I do. I was always going to have to leave."

Mizu is caught by another urge, the urge to take those words back when she sees streams on your cheeks. You sniffle and hiccup, and it's so much less pleasant than your usual smiling disposition. It hurts in the way no blade ever could.

The sun is disappearing, and she wills herself to stand. If she doesn't, she might never go. She turns to leave and you stand as well. She stops in her tracks when you tug on her sleeve. She faces you and you slowly, carefully bring a hand to the side of her cheek. When she doesn't flinch away, you lean in close. Your lips meet in a kiss that conveys words that neither of you have the power to say.

You pull back after a moment, your forehead pressed to hers and your eyes closed. Your voice is quiet, almost inaudible when you say your goodbye.

"Break my heart once by leaving. Do not break it again by dying."

She turns and leaves while your eyes are still closed. You open them to an empty field, your palm still wet with her tears.

[a-bad-case-of-the-stephs]

What do you think of Bryan Q. Miller’s characterisation of Stephanie Brown?

Mixed feelings!! On one hand, I have a huge soft spot for Batgirl 2009 and Steph’s narrative of perseverance and dragging yourself up and to bigger and better things after what should have been total destruction is just so so important to me. It’s great for that, and for giving Steph’s character a proper spotlight and ‘redemption’ when she very well could have been relegated to the sidelines, forever haunted by her brutal fridging. And I understand why BQM might not have wanted to dredge up War Games- Batgirl 2009 is a chance for Steph’s character to move past the shitty sexist torture porn story she was killed off in. But on the other hand, the almost total absence of it to the story feels conspicuous and strange, and I really wish we could’ve gotten a characterization of Steph that felt a little more grounded in it. If that makes sense?

She’s sort of at an all time low before Batgirl 2009. Not only has she survived the brutality of War Games, the fake death retcon returns her in uncertain graces with the other characters. Her life is uprooted, the future of her character is unsteady, and to top it off she ends Robin 1993 portrayed as disgraced and foolish, as having proven Yet Again, that Steph is proven absolutely not good enough to be a vigilante.

But none of that emotion fully carries over into Batgirl 2009? Steph seems fine enough, and while I can (and do!) read that as a repression fake-it-till-you-make-it thing, a more explicit thing might’ve been nice?

I have a few small, line by line nitpicks, for example the whole ‘forgetting Steph sews’ thing rly bothers me because it’s just such a consistent trait and to me it’s so so essential that Steph makes her own OG costume - it really communicates her self-starter ‘I’ll do it myself’ personality and how it works with her vigilantism.

Also, for a comic where Crystal has so many appearances and so much potential power in the story, I feel like we missed out on a lot of Steph and hers relationship, I don’t know if I love how Steph is characterized in relation to Crystal and would have loved something a little more attached to her history with her mom.

Just generally, I find it unfortunate that much like a lot of Tim’s characterization in the early post-Flashpoint was heavily influenced by his portrayal in Red Robin, Steph’s more blatant bubbly-ness of Batgirl 2009 became sort of her baseline post new 52. Of course, Steph’s character has always been a little silly, and she’s always told her jokes, but a lot of her other (really important!!!) traits like her anger, and her grit, and her angst, and her pessimism have been much less prominent. But I rly don’t blame Batgirl 2009 for that so much. Just an unfortunate side effect of the reboot that has unfortunately really stuck around.

So I guess, overall my biggest thing is I wouldve prefer if BQMs characterization of Steph was just more grounded in her history.

Would love to hear others thoughts on this bc I fear I probably have my biases and preferences interfering here to a degree. Thank you for the ask!! 💜

[starcurtain]

I wish everyone collectively understood aventurine’s character like you…things would be so much easier! I genuinely don’t understand how people keep getting his motivations wrong??? Could it be because some of the most popular Aven fanfics were written prior to his release? That could have contributed to some of the takes we tend to see about him…thoughts?

I struggled all day to come up with a concise way to answer this and couldn't think of one, so here, have a long-winded ramble:

I don't think early fic writers have much impact in the situation with Aventurine's character now, since most people can look at when a story was posted and go "Oh, this was before we had ____ information."

I think that Aventurine's problem is being a male character in a gacha game. Gacha game characters are designed to sell. Hoyo can sell female characters very, very easily. Give her huge tits and a visible underwear strap and you're good to go. I love all my guy friends, but I'm not gonna sugarcoat it: straight men are not the hardest audience to please. Hit a particular fetish (feet, spandex, dommy mommy), and you're gucci.

Nah, we all know why Jade's trailer is Like That.™

Male characters in gacha are harder to sell because women as consumers are a little harder to predict. Does every woman want a tall, ripped hunk? Shit, no, small cute boyish models like Aventurine are selling better now? Why?! Would a bad boy be more popular than a nice guy??? It's harder to account for women's tastes, especially because they are often (a little) less visually-oriented.

Hoyo is good at what they do though, and they've figured out that male characters sell very well when they possess at least one of two specific traits:

Endearing vulnerability/helplessness

Gay ship tease

Give a character both, like Aventurine? They might as well be printing money.

That sound you hear is Hoyo's stock prices rising.

So, from the very beginning, Hoyo is incentivized to create a character that appeals to people, a character people will want to crack their wallets open for. And they achieved this, first and foremost, by giving Aventurine traits that female players (in particular, but men too), find especially appealing: emotional and physical vulnerability.

We see Aventurine's pain. We sympathize with his grief. We identify with his struggle to make meaning of his difficult life. He's our woobie, blorbo, babygirl, whatever the hell they're calling it now.

He can't hide his suffering anymore. He's on the very edge. He's a dude in distress. He's surrounded by enemies! He misses his mama! He's been betrayed! No one understands him like you do, dear player!

The ultimate feeling evoked is: He needs to be saved.

When people talk about male power fantasies, I think they forget that women can experience them too, and "Emotionally vulnerable man that only I (or my favorite character) can fix" is actually a female power fantasy.

And from there it's really easy, right: the people who shell out cash to buy warps for their harmed-husbando feel like they've saved him; the people who are into mlm ships look for the nearest hot dude to be the savior Ratio was waiting for his time lol.

Morally and intellectually, this type of deep-down-golden-hearted, emotionally-wounded male character is very easy to digest. There is nothing to dislike about this type of character or role in the story: this character is a good guy who has just gone through so many terrible situations, whose victim status makes him endearing, and whose lack of agency means that any of the questionable or downright bad things he does are always the result of someone else forcing his hand, and never something he would have chosen himself.

His motivations are always clear and consistent: get free, heal, and live happily ever after.

Insert the Wreck-It Ralph meme: "Do people assume all your problems got solved when a big strong man showed up?" But to be fair, a big strong man did kind of solve Aventurine's problem, so--

Anyway, it's simple. It's straightforward. Morally, it's pretty cut and dry, black and white: Aventurine is our hero, which means everyone dictating the course of his miserable life is evil.

Hoyo is not remotely discouraging people from literally buying into this emotional appeal.

And trust me, I get it. I'll be the first to admit that hurt-comfort is its own entire genre in fandom because it is so appealing. People eat up Aventurine's tragic backstory like candy! The idea of watching a character go through hell at the hands of bad guys just to finally find a happy end is like the definition of everyone's favorite story.

In fact... people love Aventurine's suffering so much, they have invented whole new ways for him to suffer that aren't even in the game.

This is where we get all the headcanons that Aventurine was a sex slave, every single person he meets hates him because of his race, the Stonehearts are executioners holding knives to his throat, Jade enslaved him to the IPC with a lifelong contract, his material possessions belong to the company, the IPC is forcing him to take only the most dangerous missions where he is being required by his evil jailers to continually put his life on the line... You name it and I promise you, I can find a fanfic where Aventurine suffers from it. 😂

Bro can't even sleep in on his day off; life is so hard for this man.

Being serious: if the game is telling us that Aventurine is a victim... Why not make him the perfect victim?

Why not envision an Aventurine with no freedom, who bears no responsibility for any of the horrible situations he is in or any of the dubious things he does?

It's so natural to like that version of Aventurine, so appealing to see a totally powerless underdog use his own wits and charms to claw his way up to freedom. Or, if you're the kind who really relishes angst: It's even appealing to see Aventurine lose more. To delight in fics where he loses his wealth, where the IPC punishes him for past crimes while he's powerless to stop them... (I assure you, this is many people's cup of tea and the fanfics prove it!)

Ultimately, there's nothing wrong with liking characters who are exactly this straightforward! It's completely fine to embrace characters that are intentionally written to be morally above-board, whose primary role in the story is to generate angst by being a good person who suffers, or those characters who never show unlikable traits, bad decisions, or contradictory actions.

The problem is that that's just not who the game is telling us Aventurine is.

Hoyo may be capitalizing off people who love to envision poor Aventurine still living his life as a slave... But the game also needs to tell a complicated enough story overall to appeal to people who don't care about this specific husbando--Aventurine's role in the actual game's plot has to be interesting enough for almost everyone to appreciate it, not just Aventurine's simp squad. (Don't get mad, I'm in the simp squad with you.)

So his character doesn't stop at just being a pure-hearted victim who is still waiting to be saved.

Aventurine is not that easy to label, and I think the biggest struggle in this character's fandom right now is between people who prefer the even-more-angsty, still-a-slave Aventurine versus people who want a morally grey, self-destructive character instead.

To me personally, while I greatly understand the appeal of fanon!Aventurine and the joy of a really juicy angst fic where characters lose it all, I think that missing out on the depth that canon is suggesting would be a real loss on the fandom's part.

The character motivations that Aventurine shows in the game are complicated. They cancel each other out. They're basically self-harm! He makes almost every situation he's in worse for himself--on purpose.

He is a good person, but also a person who has done unspeakable things. He does have morals, but he's not above allowing those who don't have them to use him to their advantage.

He's both the victim and the victor. He's his own worst enemy. He's a lost little boy who's been making terrible decisions for himself since he was like eight years old, and a grown ass man who is barely managing to fake his way through an existence that destiny is not letting him quit.

This kind of character is a lot harder to embrace. He's done things that most people would find appalling--like willingly joining up with the organization that let his entire race be massacred. He's invented a whole new peacock persona to frivolously flaunt riches he doesn't even care about (Poison Dart Frog Self-Defense 101). He actively plays into racist stereotypes about his people to manipulate others through their preconceived expectations. He's made a mockery of his mother's and sister's hopes and dreams by endlessly trying to throw his own life away.

He has flaws! He bet everything he had on a ploy without doing his homework to find out if the people he was risking his life for were even still around. (Maybe he already knew, and couldn't bear to admit it, even to himself.) He's intentionally off-putting and obnoxious to everyone he meets (Poison Dart Frog Self-Defense 102). He terrifies everyone who gets close to him by (seemingly) carelessly throwing himself into the jaws of death without the slightest provocation.

He knowingly allows the IPC to exploit his power and talents for profit. Did everyone forget that his role in the Strategic Investment Department is asset liquidation?! Like, his actual day-to-day job is ruining people's lives. Canonically, Aventurine kills people when his deals go bad.

His motivations change off-screen in two lines of story text. We're told in one line that his biggest reason for joining the IPC was to make money to save the Avgin, then in the next line we find out that's impossible. And... then what? What motivations does he even have now? The whole point of his character arc from 2.0-2.1 is that he was on the edge of giving in to utter despair and nihilism because he couldn't even perceive a single reason to stay alive. He has no purpose in life before Penacony, and that didn't start with the Stonehearts at all??

People keep saying Aventurine was held in the IPC by golden handcuffs, but how do you tie down someone for whom profit is meaningless? What can you offer to a man whose only desire is to bring back something already lost forever? How do you imprison someone whose only definition of freedom is, canonically, death?

Working for the Stonehearts is obviously not healthy. But that's why Aventurine was doing it--because taking dangerous missions allowed him to put himself at risk. The job that he originally pursued hoping to save his people became a direct means to self-harm, and the IPC's only real role in that was just happily profiting off the results.

The journal entries for Aventurine's quests are there deliberately to tell the player what is on his mind, and none of it has to do with escaping from his job:

Like... Work is the least of this man's problems.

At really the risk of rambling on too long now, he's also just a massive walking contradiction:

Aventurine is among the most explicitly religious characters in the game, yet he's one of the only people in the entire game that we have ever seen actively question his people's aeon.

You might be tempted to think Aventurine's risky gambles with his life as an adult are a result of giving up after finding out about the Avgin massacre... Butttt no, Hoyo makes sure to tell us that even at knee-high in the Sigonian desert, Kakavasha was already willing to risk himself in a fight to the death against monsters because even back then he found his own life to have less value than a single memento.

He's the "chosen one" who will lead his people to prosperity... except they're all dead.

He's explicitly suicidal... andddd also a pathstrider of Preservation.

He wants to die... He doesn't want to die. He wants to make it end, yet goes to staggering lengths to continually survive. (Every plan risks his life on purpose--but every plan's win condition is also to live.) He life is the chip tossed down, but his hand is trembling beneath the table. When faced with an otherwise unsurvivable situation, Aventurine literally became a winner of the Hunger Games. He beat other innocent people to death with his own chain-bound hands just to come out alive.

He knows the IPC failed the Avgin and left them to die... and he still willingly sought out a position of power in their organization. Maybe he really is after revenge... but maybe not.

He starts his journey in the IPC with a truly noble goal in mind: to help his people using his newfound wealth and power. He's a good guy who did genuinely want to save the Avgin and repay all those who helped him. But once it became clear he was too late, once it was obvious he would have no use at all for that monetary wealth and power he risked his life to get... What did he do with it? Unlike Jade, we don't see him over here donating to orphanages. (I'm not that heartless; I'm sure he does actually do a lot of good things with his money on the side, but the point is that the game does not show us that--it shows us, over and over again, Aventurine putting on a wasteful, over-indulgent persona toward wealth. We've supposed to feel how meaningless money is to him, how meaningless everything is becoming to him.)

He outright refuses to use underhanded tactics or to cheat at gambles, which is meant to show us that's he's more morally upright than his coworkers. There's an entire exchange where he says that he'll never stoop to using manipulation the way Opal does. But... he doesn't have any issue fulfilling Opal's exact agenda. He was never remotely morally conflicted about denying the Penaconians their freedom by dragging Penacony back under IPC control.

He's willing to risk his own life, which is one thing--but he's also willing to risk other people's well-being. Topaz accuses him of constantly egging their clients on into dangerous situations; we've actively seen him shove a gun into Ratio's hands and pull the trigger with no care for how Ratio would feel about that on their very first meeting... Dragging the Astral Express crew into the entire Penacony plan in the first place was exceedingly dangerous...

To me, I just think it's vital to understand his character through the lens of these contradictions because they demonstrate the extreme polarity of Aventurine's life: from rags to riches, from powerless to empowered by multiple aeons, from willing to kill to survive to killing himself... He has quite literally lived a life of "all or nothing," and while he is the victim of many terrible situations out of his control, his arc as a character involves facing the truth of himself and the future his own actions are hurtling him toward.

Frankly, the Aventurine that canon is suggesting is a little annoying. You want to grab him by the shoulders, shake him, and say "Why are you like this?!" And he won't even have an answer for you, because he doesn't even know why he's still alive.

In the end, to me, this is so, so much more interesting. I can read an endless supply of hurt-comfort fics where Aventurine escapes the evil IPC and Ratio is there to fill the void in his life with the power of love and catcakes and be a perfectly happy clam online, but I want canon to continue to serve us this incredible mess of a man who constantly takes one step forward and two steps back.

Who is fully aware of his role as a cog in the grotesque profit-wheel of cosmic capitalism and still manages to say he never changed from the rags-wearing desert rat of the Sigonian wastes.

Who over and over again flirts with nihility but, ultimately, even if he has to wrest it from the grip of the gods themselves with bloody, chain-bound hands, chooses life.

[couch-potato28]

Imagine being a Blue Lock manager! ⚽️

VERSION VI.

(a/n: okay I’m baaaack! other versions are in production, please bear with the wait guys, I swear I’m trying 🙏)

WARNING-none

wc: 0.9k words

ALSO: tags @ttheggrimrreaper ❤️ this one’s for u bbg sorry for the wait 🫶 Happy Women’s Day y’all 💐

——————

FROM THE PROLOGUE:

“Congratulations L/N Y/N! Based on your results, you've earned your place in Blue Lock as the manager of player number…

…22, Jingo Raichi.”

Raising an eyebrow, you were unsure of who the boy on the screens was. Slightly squeezing your eyes, you tried to recall his face somewhere among the 299 boys that were shown and mentioned in a meeting a few weeks ago. Minutes passed by as you searched through your memories, but nothing came to mind. With a simple shrug, you turned around, and made your way to the managers’ room.

“Please let me get someone nice!”-you muttered, holding the new schedules and uniform Anri just gave you.

Imagine being Jingo Raichi’s manager.

——————

Jingo Raichi, who you were quick to find based on his voice’s volume alone that could be even heard from the last of the benches on the field. Immediately spotting the golden-haired, you quickly jogged your way down, calling his name and preparing yourself for a brief introduction. All while he was loudly explaining something to one of his teammates, only noticing you minutes later, jumping a little from the sudden appearance of a girl. Surprise, perhaps embarrassment was displayed on his face since his new manager caught him in a not-so-flattering moment. Moving on from a memorable first impression, he introduced himself, giving you a very firm handshake along with small muttering. “Sorry ya had to see that.” Noticing that he’s actually quite nice, you happily started a conversation hoping to get to know him some more.

——————

•Raichi, who treats you surprisingly well even though the first few days with him are kinda awkward. He, too shy after the first encounter would only manage to ask a few questions and intently listen to whatever you said without a complaint. His teammates would tease him for how silent he was around you instead of his usual self.

•After about a week or two though, he would slowly warm up to you, and from then on it’s a rollercoaster of emotions. You get to see how Raichi is a fierce, maybe too much of a fighter spirit, happily starting or getting into heated discussions and arguments, which honestly, sometimes makes your job just a tad bit harder.

•However, he’s aware of how he’s quite a handful to deal with, and that’s why he tries to restrain his louder self in front of you, hoping it works.

•You do notice this and appreciate the effort, but you reassure him it doesn’t bother you and just be his usual self.

“Maybe try to avoid picking fights with others.”-you say as he nods in agreement, grinning like a child.

•You two share a strong bond of friendship that blossoms through calming him down or hyping him up for matches, and laughing at other players for their stupidity. (you two are such bullies lmao)

•He is also a very sporty guy, with an impressive amount of stamina and strength that could last him all day, yet after the mandatory training hours, he’s out. Just chilling with you, or trying to figure out where you hid those protein shakes. (He does practice overtime on some days just not on a regular basis)

•Teases you a looot, but he’s extremely protective at the same time. If anyone even insults you or DARES to bully you, they’re dead. Don’t mess with his precious manager, cause only he can do that. Everyone is impressed at how you got yourself someone like him

•Raichi among the many traits he possesses like his sexy football, is also very loud. You should have brought earplugs cause 60% of the day usually consists of him shouting at another player for whatever reason it may be, making you the one to shout even louder to stop him. It’s a bit embarrassing when you guys get scolded to shut your mouth, but you love him nonetheless.

•When the U20 announcement came, you saw him excited, practicing harder than ever and even the loud remarks died down a little. So, when it was revealed he wouldn’t be in the starter lineup, you were ready to comfort him.

•However, as always, Raichi manages to surprise yet again. He was hurt of course—you could see it—yet during the match he would shout the loudest on the benches, cheering for the boys, and giving them the extra support and advice they needed.

“You’re not sad?”

“Nah, this just means I gotta work harder, ya dumbass”

——————

AFTER THE U20 MATCH…

•Raichi is HYPED and comes back stronger than ever, ready to improve himself and let the world know his name.

•Your manager position also becomes a more serious job, having to focus on his training schedules, double the amount of paperwork, and making sure he’s fine mentally.

•He’s literally the same before the U20 match, but the teasing seems to have lessened as well as him putting in more effort as a player. However, bullying Igaguri is still one of his favorite things to do during his free time.

•Raichi is also pretty hardworking during tutoring, with him only throwing in a joke every 20 minutes, all while his anger issues with grammatical rules seem to explode each time he studies with you.

•He, who frequently asks you for opinions, check-ups, and discussions making sure you’re involved in whatever he’s planning. Your friendship has also become stronger over the months, with a few stolen glances making their appearance here and there.

•You know he’s trying his best and you will always support him from the sidelines. Does he want that tho? Maybe not from the sidelines he thinks, cause you would look really pretty next to him. (not that you’re not pretty now, just to be clear—)

——————

(guys he’s so underrated like 😔🖐️)

[ordowrites]

fatherhood

hopping on the hybrid bandwagon i'm sorry but it's not entirely the focus i just wanted to write diluc being a dad. just a small snippet in the day of the life.

cw: none, mdni, minors do not interact, sfw, fluff, afab reader, hybrid!reader (fox), family fluff. diluc is desperately in love with reader and vice versa, they have a child. diluc is a total girl dad.

Diluc knew he was screwed when he first held your guys daughter in his arms - the way she looked up at him with those eyes of hers and small hands reaching to grip his finger and a soft coo escaping her, he knew, right then, he was screwed. He didn't know how to hold her and Adelinde had to gently guide him - elevate her head, cradle her, if she cries, don't panic.

She gotten his hair but she inherited your ears and your tail, and soon enough, that personality trait of yours that's ever so curious and playful. While she has a name - Aelia - he still only really calls her little one, or his sunshine because it feels right, correct, to only call her those things. You smile when he holds her, tucked under his arm as she blabbers away about some interesting thing she saw in the vineyard or stories her little imagination makes up. And Diluc engages with her because he adores her, and her innocent existence. When he wears a little tiara on his head because she demands him to, all you can do is stifle a giggle and a head shake.

Diluc knew he was screwed when he's with the maids, in the kitchen, helping them with some cooking and he sees a familiar poke of ears from behind the island. Little fingers grope about until they find what they're looking for and he frowns a bit. It's an hour to dinnertime and she's sneaking cookies. Since Aelia was born, there'd been an uptick of baked sweets available in the manor.

Well, actually before that - your pregnancy cravings always consisted of some sort of cookie or another and all he could do was give you what you wanted and needed. And now, they're kept on hand for his mischievous daughter whose sweet tooth matches his own.

"Aelia," he says, his voice firm. "What are you doing, my little one?"

A soft giggle and his heart flutters. "Nuffin'."

"Oh? Doesn't sound like nothing." Diluc answers as he watches her little hand reach up again to search around for another cookie, that he gently slides over. He shouldn't be giving her these things before dinner, considering all of your warnings for him to not do so. A tuft of red hair meets his eyes with those little triangular ears that poke out, before finally, her entire face.

"Hi, daddy." There's some crumbs and melted chocolate on her face. "'m just sayin' hi."

"Oh? And what about the cookie in your hand?" She looks at it, faking the best shocked look she could. "Sunshine, we have an hour before dinner."

"'s for you." Aelia answers, after a moment of consideration, holding it out to him.

"Oh? And here it looked like you were about to eat it yourself." He watches as Aelia's expression falls for a moment.

"Please, daddy? I want a cookie."

At her doe eyed looked, small pout, Diluc found himself agreeing to letting her have another cookie. "Just don't tell your mother." he gently tells her. "Or Addie, okay?"

Aelia's grin is victorious and Diluc knew, right then, how right you were about him being wrapped around her tiny finger as she reaches to be picked up. With her perched on his hip, he leaves the kitchen to go find you.

When he finds you outside, amongst the vineyards, his face lights up as Aelia waves at you.

"She's a handful." Diluc murmurs as he leans in and kisses you in greeting. Of course, Aelia gives you big, sloppy kisses on the cheeks.

"Of course she is," you hum as you offer to take her from his arms, but Aelia seems to choose to latch onto him. So instead, you give her a kiss on the top of her head. "She is your daughter. I think you enable her too much."

"I do not." He protests. "I merely encourage her to be curious and try new things."

You're brushing some crumbs off of your daughters face, giving a soft laugh. "Sure, sure." A pause. "Seeing you with our daughter makes me want us to have another kid."

"Well if you're offering..." Diluc says, grinning a bit. "I won't say no."

[trademarkblue]

I almost didn't post this, but I kinda like having my thoughts organized. It's way too long and very rambly and totally not based on any scholarly wisdom, obviously, because I posses exactly zero of that. These are just my very subjective thoughts based on obsessing over Nick and June. So please feel free to skip right on over this! xx

I understand the individual pieces of thinking June is selfish or she's using Nick, or thinking Nick should have left Gilead a long time ago (based on the show not giving us great reasons that he stayed, beyond hopelessness), or June is cheating, or Nick is cheating, or she should have chosen Nick somehow and left Luke…

But to me it’s just so much more complicated than that that I think it’s not really fair to reduce the scope of what’s happening to those basic traits or emotions. So I'm trying to break them down here to what I see and believe about these characters and what I think adds to the tragic beauty of it.

June is selfish

This one is kinda heartbreaking to me, because I feel like people forget that no one really looked out for June in Gilead except for Nick. Sure the Handmaids helped her after the gunshot in 3x13-4x01, and they did show kindness to her in the Red Center when her feet were whipped, and I'm sure there are a lot of other small examples of them coming together and caring about June during a specific period of time or after abuse. We can assume Rita organized June's escape attempt in season 2, so that's major. And of course she loves all of these women and they love her, but it's Gilead, and everyone was experiencing their own daily traumas. And Lawrence has helped her too. But that's all been mostly physical assistance.

I just think no one deeply cares consistently about her mental wellbeing, other than Nick. And most of the other people she had to interact with tried to fuck with her mental health, actually making it worse. Nick was desperately trying to keep her afloat. So in a way, I feel like she’s also very, very alone a lot of the time, and this continues on into her experience in Canada. She's just spent years only talking to Nick about anything of substance. Opening up to other people after that would be blinding.

So, when you’re the only one looking out for yourself over a prolonged period of time, one of only two options (in my opinion) is to become what looks like traditional selfishness from the outside. And sometimes it is actually just straight up selfish and not self-preservation, for sure - like June thinking she has a right to use the phone first in Alaska 16 times in a row in 6x01, while there's a queue behind her.

And I’m certainly not saying any of this is right or that June shouldn’t examine this about herself now and work on becoming better. She totally should. But I do feel sad for her too, because I wish she felt like she could rely on people who are physically in her life right now when she does need support. So that's complicated.

June is using Nick

For years, she was a woman with no power, with one trustworthy person in her life. One. Of course she’s gonna ask him for help. So that dynamic gets established pretty fast, and other than Nick occasionally telling her he can’t do something, we never see him explaining what he’s actually doing in his day to day life. June is left to imagine - as an Eye, as a Guardian, and then as a Commander - what he’s capable of.

I absolutely think she needs to face the fact that she’s put Nick in this fantasy box where he’s just over there doing “something” and he’s fine, and that’s problematic. I want her to face that this season, and I think she might. I'm really glad that Nick told her directly in 6x03 that he's risking his life and everything he has to save her husband, to help her any time she calls, and this is a Gilead survival dynamic that has to change. But there was so much unsaid in season 5, and so much Nick hasn’t shared with her, ever. I’m not saying it excuses anything, but it’s also complicated.

Nick should have left Gilead

This is so inconsistent within the show that it’s kinda hard to even take seriously. So could he have skipped across the border at any point, or would he have gone to prison? I always thought the latter, though I think he would have been able to secure a deal pretty easily by giving up Gilead intel. But once June was free in Canada, Nick was her only tie to Hannah from the inside. I don’t think he takes that lightly, and I will believe until the writers can strongly prove otherwise that Nick would have wanted to stay largely out of hoping to be accessible in order to help with getting Hannah out, even if it takes years and costs him his life.

But in the meantime, he’s telling June in 4x09 that Hannah is out of reach for now, so if Nick is stuck in Gilead for potentially a very long time, he has to remarry. And he isn’t going to ever tell June that he did this - that he stayed - partly for her benefit.

I also agree that Nick doesn’t feel worthy of having a life outside of Gilead and that it’s something he actually fears, as in he’s scared to be free. He sees himself as worthless, and the world will also likely see him that way (in his opinion), and there’s no place for him. Gilead and New Bethlehem have made a place for him, as fucked up as that is.

I still wish June would look him directly in the eyes and ask him point blank to leave. Back in season 2, June asked the man transporting her away from the Boston Globe if Nick was coming, and this was well after she'd found out that Luke was alive. So I do think she has a history of wanting Nick to leave with her.

She tried a strained version of asking him in season 5, after he turned down Tuello’s deal. But I also choose to believe that Hannah is one of many reasons that Nick didn’t want to take that deal, because any additional heat on him makes it so much harder to do the one thing he thinks he can still do for June from the inside.

And if this is true, June doesn’t know this, even though I do think she should come to this likely conclusion and ask Nick about it. You don’t just go from “here’s a folder of everything I’ve been collecting on Hannah for you in your absence” to “I’m just staying in Gilead for fun” in a matter of a few weeks or months… But he is telling her in season 5 that he’s essentially moved on, or is really trying to, and that he has a pregnant wife he's not leaving.

Nick also apparently wanted June to come to New Bethlehem, which is still fairly out of character to me, for a few reasons. Why would he want her to risk living so close to Gilead again? Why would he be talking about Rose and the pregnancy a single breath after lamenting that June didn't choose to move into the house next door to him? What's he expecting to come from that?

The only thing I could make sense of before is that Nick was conspiring to get Hannah out and needed June's agreement to New Bethlehem to stand as a distraction for another plan. And now, in season 6, I'm wondering if he wanted her there in the same way that Rita is now, reuniting with her sister, with the promise of that leading to them getting out together in a year or two. It's all a bit naive, because New Bethlehem is a smoke screen that only Lawrence and Nick actually somehow believe in. But I could accept this explanation if the show gave it to us.

But I guess my point is, Nick is fully twisted up in Gilead - in legal, emotional, and obligatory ways. So it’s very complicated.

June is cheating

June thought Luke was dead, started sleeping with Nick, found out Luke was alive, continued the relationship with Nick, assumed she would probably die in Gilead. I’m not saying that’s the reason she kept seeing Nick - I think she would have anyway, because she was already falling in love with him - but it just adds an extra layer to everything. She desperately wants her old life back and to be free, but another part of her must know that’s a long shot.

Then June sends Holly to Canada and tells Luke at her first opportunity that she’s in love with Nick. As soon as she arrives in Canada in season 4, Luke starts acting like June's his uncomplicated wife again and never asks her about Nick until he tries to use Nick to get info on Hannah. June could have spoken up about Nick, yes, but she’s the one coping with her trauma while Luke knows there’s at the very least a complicated emotional connection between June and Nick. So no one is blissfully ignorant, even if they try to act like they are.

I would almost say June sleeping with Luke in Canada after leaving Gilead is more like cheating on Nick. I don’t think any of them see it that way, because Nick has always been fully aware of Luke, and I’m sure he assumed that they (June and Luke) would be together again when/if June escaped from Gilead. And Nick aids in her escape attempts, knowing he’s sending her to another man. I guess he didn't definitively know that Luke waited for June, but I think that’s been his assumption, probably because Nick would have done the same thing in a free world.

Staying with Luke for as long as June has after arriving in Canada is sometimes kinda hard to swallow. But she does still love him, even if she's just now coping with the fact that it's shifted to a different kind of love and no longer a romantic attachment, something she's having to remove the guilt noose about too so she can honestly express this to Luke.

June sways under pressure and guilt, and Luke is frozen in her past, the past she thought she wanted back. So when she's plunged back into that past, it makes sense to me that she would let the current take her for a while. I hope we're nearing the end of that now, and then it will be a lot less complicated.

Nick is cheating

We find out right away in season 5, in the scene where we actually meet Rose, that Nick has told her at least some information about June. I thought this was a bit weird and risky at first, but I think he just wanted to have a sliver of honesty between himself and the person he was probably going to have to spend the rest of his Gilead life with.

Even if Nick sought Rose out as potential Gilead wife material - which seems accurate based on some comments later about how they met in DC - he did so under abstract threat at the very least, because an unmarried, fertile man in Gilead is not only suspicious but pitched as borderline illegal after a certain point. Nick can go ahead and choose someone he can tolerate now, or he can risk being forced into another marriage with a child, or with someone scheming to make a claim for Holly, or with someone who hates him.

But choosing a better option before a worse one is forced on you isn't actually a choice, so this can't even be compared to June, a real relationship, or actual love, in my opinion. He didn't Eternal Sunshine himself to forget June exists, so he's gonna be emotionally cheating on absolutely anyone else for the rest of his life anyway.

So this one is actually the least complicated on the list to me, because Nick's relationship with June pre-dates Rose (not that this ever excuses cheating), he told Rose about June, and to be honest, I think you could even say Nick is cheating on June with Rose if you wanted to stretch the meaning of that further. I don't actually think June sees it that way, both because she's currently back with Luke anyway and because she knows how Gilead works. But I just think it could be viewed that way nearly as easily as "June is cheating on Nick" by being in Canada with Luke.

June should have chosen Nick

How? The options I see are she asks him to leave or she moves to New Bethlehem and risks being taken back into Gilead, executed, or made a Handmaid again. She could have chosen him in a more abstract sense by telling him she’s leaving Luke, but that’s the journey that’s still in progress, in my opinion.

And she also didn’t know until 6x03 that Nick is literally still in love with her to the degree that it’s ruining his life (arguably not ruining anything since his daily life is currently a masquerade and his love for her is his oxygen). She absolutely knew he still loved her and would do anything for her, but I think 6x03 is where she finally sees the depth of how much this is weighing on him and that he still wants to be chosen. I totally think she could and should have guessed this, but season 5 fucked with all of our heads, including June’s, on what Nick was up to or what he actually wanted.

And to be totally honest, I think if we’re saying that June should have chosen Nick - in whatever way that could have been possible - we kinda also have to say that Nick should have chosen June… by leaving Gilead, by not marrying again and starting a new family in a matter of months (a necessity if he's not leaving Gilead, so I do get it based on the long rant I did about that topic above), even at the risk of June not actually leaving Luke... because June would be doing the same thing in choosing Nick, at the risk of him not actually leaving Rose.

The last time June even vaguely attempted to get Nick to come to Canada was the same scene where he told June that Rose was pregnant. So, it makes sense that June would think he’s committed to this new family. Even in 6x03, before he starts slicing open his heart and telling her how he really feels, she’s sadly saying that he has a whole life and a baby on the way. So that’s all very complicated too.

I honestly think one more really raw conversation between Nick and June before season 6 is done could clear up like 90% of all of the above, and then they could really figure out how to be together. And I would give up all my dreams of ever seeing another sex scene between them just to get that conversation.

[a-man-in-the-crowd]

Pluto Is Trans (in my humble opinion)

okay so as far as i'm aware this is a pretty common hc in the fandom (i lurk in the tumblr side of the fandom mostly and i haven't taken the time to go through the pluto tag simply bc i wanted to make this post first), BUT i just wanted to add my two cents into it bc i love pluto and need a reason to yap about him

i'm mostly going to be focusing on him in the maze arc, simply because i think his character has remained pretty consistent since then, as well as his flashback. if i ever noticed anything else in later (or even future) chapters i might come back to this but for now i think i basically have everything i can think of down

of course most of this is still pretty much projecting ☠️ i'm pretty well aware pluto isn't like ACTUALLY trans. this is just a headcanon based on things we've seen of him, not like an actual theory or anything

1. His Appearance

so the first thing that really got me thinking about how he has major trans vibes is his design

comically oversized coat that covers up his actual figure, he's slouching (to hide his chest, mayhaps??), and his hair gives me major trans vibes for reasons i'm not sure how to explain but like let me try anyways

maybe i'm digging too deep into this, but his hair feels VERY different from the other male characters (montresor with gorgeous shoulder-length hair is an outlier and shall not be counted) and again i have no clue how to put words to this but it has the vibes of someone who's too nervous to cut it too short bc 'what if it looks bad' (re: what if i look like i'm trying too hard to look like a guy). but that might just be the projection talking.

oh yeah, he's also the shortest male character as far as i'm aware. basically every male character towers over him (so, so real, i fear) and even will is taller than him (though apparently will is 5'10??? idek anymore 😭). now, does being short make you afab? no, obviously not. but that + the fact he's wearing and oversized shirt gives me some major trans vibes

most of this stuff is incidental, but honestly that's definitely the most actually concrete thing i have to explain myself

fear not, though, i can and WILL read too deep into things and i will read things however i wish

2. His Agoraphobia

the only 'level' of the fear maze that he has a big reaction to is the agoraphobia level. why?

now, could this very reasonably because he's paranoid? yes. but you can be paranoid AND trans. in fact, i think the two frequently go hand-in-hand, especially in areas where being 'caught' as trans can be dangerous.

perhaps he's scared of being stared at because he fears they'll figure out he isn't 'really' a man. and what then, when they figure it out? what'll they do then?

i wouldn't be surprised if pluto had some sort of traumatic experience while being in a crowd alone. this doesn't necessarily have anything to do with my hc, but it very well could. we know he's very small and frail, it doesn't seem like he had many friends when he was alive, and the neighbourhood he lived in doesn't seem particularly safe. he has plenty reason to be terrified, even ignoring my silly lil hc, but i think this particular debilitating fear implies he has genuine experience with something bad happening in a crowd.

3. He's Physically Affectionate

something something you can be a cis guy and be physically affectionate something something this is just a thing to consider in relation to literally everything else i'm talking about something something

anyways

he's my emotional support animal actually ❤️

obviously we've seen other male characters be physically affectionate (like duke), but this is definitely a trait i'd ascribe the most to pluto. now, does this mean anything in isolation? of course not. he has trauma, he could've just been desperate for affection when he was alive and therefore in his afterlife he has this overwhelming need to aggressively hug his friends (which is a completely fair interpretation and i think most of the the things i talk about are a combination of trauma and being trans)

but like just let me say my piece. what if he's more physically affectionate because he was raised with, let's say 'feminine rules of socializing' — which is to say, hugging your friends is extremely normal and in fact encouraged.

this is one of those things where like if it weren't for everything else i wouldn't be saying anything, but BECAUSE of everything else i feel the need to scrutinize a bit more. i think it's definitely one of my weaker points but like. i don't care, ngl.

4. His Flashback

sooo funny story i can barely ever read this scene for multiple reasons (i feel so bad for pluto i want him to be crushed by the weight of all his friends' hugs and love he deserves it) but i will try my best to recall it and get like a semi-decent photo in for reference

i think this scene is kinda what confirms in my head that this shall remain a hc, because pluto's dad refers to him as a boy and by his name (which i will get don't worry i could never forget about how incredibly transgender it is to be named fucking PLUTO). but, consider: i am delusional and a professional bullshitter.

so here is my absolutely nonsensical take based on nothing but vibes and some unfortunate personal experiences 🎉

this is gonna be my biggest 'bear with me yet', but plzplzplz bear with me. obviously by no stretch of the imagination would pluto's bitchass dad be supportive of him being trans or whatever word they'd use to describe pluto when he was alive (i've seen people theorize around ww1? idk man i don't have the knowledge on time periods required to rlly theorize about that).

but, just because someone calls you the right name and pronouns and terms doesn't make them an ally. this specific line from pluto's dad absolutely REEKED of that weaponization of gender dysphoria that at the very least i have experienced. taking every opportunity to tear down your gender identity because you're not stereotypically [gender] enough. someone like pluto's dad definitely feels like someone who would, instead of trying to deny pluto's identity, use it against him to make him feel shitty.

after all, having a son has its merits. pluto can work with no problem whatsoever, and something tells me that pluto's dad is a raging misogynist anyways. but that doesn't make him care any more for his kid, just make him more useful. and in reality, pluto's dad probably thinks it all one huge joke.

but yk that's just me yapping

5. HIS NAME IS FUCKING PLUTO?

okay so judging by pluto's comment to eulalie about his name, i think it's pretty safe to assume that he was specifically named after the roman god. and from what we've seen of pluto's dad, there is NO WAY he was the one who named him. unless pluto's dad for whatever reason had an admiration for roman mythology of all things. maybe autism runs in the family who knows.

now, i don't want to discount the idea that maybe his mother was the one who named him, but like i'm not even sure what the hell happened to his mom. so like. idk.

the name pluto in general definitely gives off the vibes of 'i named myself at twelve' (/affectionate, if your name is pluto you are beautiful and loved). it's nerdy but also mildly edgy. not exactly a common name, either. and the fact he knows his greek mythology implies interest in this sort of thing.

now, could his interest in greek and roman mythology be because of his mother, who could have named him pluto? yes, of course. in fact, the idea of a woman who was presumably living in poverty naming her son after the roman god of riches makes me teary-eyed. but so does the idea of a little trans boy living a shitty life with his shitty dad (who probably drained most of their money on booze, let's be real) naming himself after the roman god of riches.

also, the way he responds to eulalie gives off the vibe of 'well, i literally named myself after the roman god pluto so'. but that could just be me.

and last, but certainly not least...

6. His Spectre

this one is the cherry on top for me personally

he wants to escape the binds of society? go beyond what humanity deems admissible? YK LIKE BECOMING A DIFFERENT GENDER???

i don't have anything much else to say about the fact he's a cryptid, but yk what i do have more to say on?

6.5 So, like, wtf does it mean to be a 'domesticated cryptid'? — A Theory

now i am fully operating under my trans pluto hc, but i think this idea might be able to make sense with the canon of him being probably cis.

ms poppet says that cryptids are people who wish to 'go beyond what society deems admissible' — hence, they're generally wild animals. perhaps the reason pluto is a housecat is because the 'inadmissible' thing he wanted to do was live his life as he is; a normal, regular, cisgender man — or just like in general a normal dude, something he couldn't do for not-necessarily-trans reasons (like, maybe, being able to escape life with his shitty father).

he's not a wild animal because he didn't want to live outside of society, he wanted to be fully integrated into it as a normal person but he thought this impossible because society has already deemed him other. he could never be more than the role he was assigned — not the same way he could were he a normal, cis guy.

—

so yeah that's the end of my little ramble, if you read all the way thank you very much for letting me yap bc honestly i think the more i wrote this post the more genuinely convinced i was that pluto's trans. like idc if canon 100% proves me wrong it's too late i will simply ignore it and invent my own canon.

[liubovricci]

I still don’t get why people have to defend shipping Astarion with female Tavs. But with the way misogyny and bullying have flourished lately, especially toward women (Astarion fans) in the bg3 fandom, I want to say something.

This hits close, because I’m not just playing the game for fun, I’m making art tied to Astarion and my female Tav. And every time I look at certain posts or replies, I realize: it would’ve been so much easier for me if I just shipped him with a man. Any man. My male Durge. Gale. Whoever. If I drew gay ships, I’d get a visibility boost.

There’s a big chunk of this fandom that headcanons Astarion as gay, and that would be fine, if they weren’t bullying people who romance him as women.

But I’m not doing it. Not because I’m homophobic (I’m bi), not because I don’t enjoy male/male ships (I do). I just can’t. For many reasons. But the main one keeps coming back to me, especially when Astarion talks about his trauma: "He’d feel safer with a woman. If I, as a survivor, could only handle relationships with women for a long time after the abuse, then maybe he feels that same hesitation around men." Do people seriously think that for two hundred years, none of the people he seduced for Cazador violated him? It’s not just about slavery, not just about his body being used as a tool. It’s also about rape.

Astarion isn’t fragile. He can handle this. But survivors develop patterns, instinctive reactions toward certain people, bodies, voices. That’s why, in my lore, I needed him to have a partner who made him feel not just safe, but deeply, consistently, undeniably safe.

And yeah, about orientation: Astarion is canonically pansexual. He sleeps with Lae’zel. He flirts with Alfira and others. Neil’s confirmed it outright. So no, shipping him with a woman isn’t erasing anything.

I love seeing him with male characters of all kinds. The only ship I will never accept is Astarion/Cazador, for obvious reasons. And sure, I’ll post some AU art of him with my male Durge. That’s part of the joy of fandom. But let’s not pretend he’s exclusively into men. That’s just not true.

What breaks my heart is the bullying. The cruel comments from other fans for "softening" him. For "projecting traits he doesn’t have." Like, did we even play the same game? Have you seen the spawn epilogue? Have you seen how loving he can be without losing any of his edge?

So yeah, this post is a very simple request:

Leave women alone.

Leave female Tavs alone.

Let us love him too.

P.S. I’ve never seen this shit on Bluesky or Tumblr. My circles here are small and kind. Thank you for that!

[quirekey]

Can I request for D-16 with a tomboy femme s/o where she has a crush on him.

Okay i may or may have not done one-sided love until i saw the s/o… 😀 my bad I HOPE THIS WORKS

[ D16 ] x [ FEMME!READER ]

[ d16 x cybertronian!femme!tomboy!reader ]

READER INTRO

You were one of the casual miners who never really got involved. You had a small friend group that consisted of both mechs, femmes (this includes D16). You put consistent effort into your work and only rebelled every once in a while. You were sometimes mistaken as a mech instead of a femme considering you had many traits that conflicted with the typical femme cybertronian. You had a deeper audio box, you never cared for your looks and you were more brave and rebellious than even some mechs. Because of this, you were quite popular and seen as charismatic between other miners.

HEADCANONS

- When you invited D16 to the group, he was honestly surprised. You liked his enthusiasm when it came to his idols and Sentinel and he was just a cute guy. D16 saw you as a cool miner and you reminded him of Orion so he was glad he could make a new friend. You both agreed and you didn’t know that this simple miner would make you go insane.

- Coincidentally you guys had the same shifts so you guys had a lot of one-on-one time. Because of this, you two got to know each other faster than your average friendship.

- D16’s fanboying was so dumb but cute due to how often he’d do it. Sure, he’s independent, but he’s also pretty reliant on cybertronians who remain famous for their actions. You aren’t the type to fangirl so you’d silently listen as he went on and on about every tiny detail about some bot you never even knew existed.

- Your liking for him grew big pretty fast. He was way too cute and maybe even hot for a simple bot like him. He had so much more personality than anybody else in your group and the way he gets flustered is so fun.

- Ever since you gained a crush on him, you started to tease him more. You would call him names and playfully give him light punches as greetings. This does irritate D16 quite a bit and he tells you to stop often.

- Giving him kisses was something you could never do. You may be bold for a femme, but you still had a thing called anxiety. Your charm of being a masculine femme doesn’t help nor does it stop you, and that charm was the only thing that actually could’ve helped you try to confess.

- D16 introduced you to his close friend Orion quite a while ago, so you both got along quite well. Orion always saw you coming onto D16 and shipped both of you, calling you guys a couple and perfect sparkmates. Oh, how you would get so flustered, chuckling it off while D16 argued with Orion. This only wavered your hope that D16 would like you back.

- You always were giving hints. These hints weren’t straightforward but they were there. You thought they were noticeable but they always skimmed over D16. You would hold his hands or talk about stuff that you think he would like. You would polish yourself before seeing him but he just assumes that you wanted to get a change.

- This crush thing stayed untold till the war. Seeing the guy you loved turn into the villain of the story was devastating, especially because he was unaware of your love for him. You knew you couldn’t tell him now or ever. You felt your optics dim and your spark drop when the somebody you saw as your world was banished from Iacon. You told yourself something that would linger with you for the rest of your life.

“Why did I have to be so scared?”