#like once you make it a goal it feels like an obligation almost. to me

[chaosisdying]

hello guys today I analyse micaiah's outfits throughout the game

spoilers for Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn

I think the red/magenta in micaiah's outfit represents the presence of yune/her heron powers, while the cyan/blue represents herself. hear me out

ok you know how she starts with a balance of cyan and magenta in her outfit right? at that point, she has her foresight powers working and she's fighting for the dawn brigade's cause. in this case the magenta represents her reliance on her powers and the cyan her values and who she is as a person. which. think about it. the cyan in her outfit are a scarf and a bow, which can be removed. she's willing to lose herself for her cause and values.

(criminal that there isn't official art of this outfit)

her second outfit, after she gets promoted to general (or something else I forgor) is mostly cyan. the magenta is watered out, it's a pinkish white now. keep in mind that once again, the cyan is on her cape, something removable.

the pink represents her foresight powers not working like before anymore, since the war broke out, yune isn't as present as she was before because war is breaking out and she's about to wake up. micaiah is completely on her own and all she has left is her values and herself. hence, the cape. but you see how the cape fades to white on the lower part. she's so focused on her goal that she loses herself and all she sees is her goal. she does things micaiah of part 1 wouldn't do (remember the oil incident haha yeah).

she's completely broken and it's a miracle her outfit isn't completely white by now.

but

part 4 happens

yune returns. micaiah's powers return. yune takes control of micaiah to talk and kind of uses her body to communicate with others. what's left of micaiah now? her self?

well. her outfit is completely magenta/red by now. only her white cloth isn't of that color. her outfit colors represent perfectly what happens in part 4 and endgame. yune steals the show and micaiah isn't really... there. yes she's fighting for her cause, she wants to free everyone, but really, she has no choice.

her role of being yune's kinda vessel makes it so she's forced to be there and do things. we don't hear much about micaiah's thoughts in this part. it's like she's completely gone, hence the white in her third outfit. she doesn't even have her blue bow in her hair anymore.

if I'm right then the devs either planned on micaiah's lack of presence in endgame and reflected it on her design, or I'm just insane

bonus:

her queen outfit shown in cipher and in her legendary version can be analysed too with the same logic. except I'd expect a blue coat to represent her returning to herself and doing what she loves: protecting Daein citizens. but that red makes me think that she didn't really want that. she wanted to do things behind the scene, like a shadow. it's just she had no choice again. who could've ruled daein if not her? pelleas abdicated (good for him) and sure as hell begnion can't return bullying daein. only she could take the throne and I can't help but think she did it out of obligation and because of her kindness. it's sad to think but her color code makes me think she had a sadder ending than we think. we don't know her feelings about this.

this is where the dark part of her outfit comes. she went from light colors, almost white, to this dark brown. almost to say that she still wants to be a merely a shadow. there's no blue/cyan anywhere.

anyways thanks for reading!! I thought about all this while trying to sleep in the bus lol

[weirdgirlbymommylonglegs]

this year will be the year i get into illuminati hotties for real i promise

[the-modern-typewriter]

im so obsessed with the touchstarved hero thing that you did ive read it more than 20 times, a very normal amount yes, would you ever think of writing another touchstarved prompt or even a touchstarved villain one? thank you so much for your work

"I don't mind."

"Hm?" The protagonist looked up, brow furrowing.

"I don't mind when you touch me," the villain said. "That is - it's not horrific."

"Well, I'm glad I wasn't horrific. Life goals."

The villain shot them a look.

The protagonist smiled despite themselves. It was too easy to feel lulled, brain at ease for the first time in far too long, buzzing with all the good endorphins. Intimacy. Closeness. It was impossible to dwell on the danger, for as surely as there was attraction, there was danger.

They leaned in, slowly enough to clearly telegraph their intentions, and pressed a kiss to the villain's chest. Half teasing. Half something infinitely more dangerous, like genuine affection for the terrible idea sprawled beneath them.

The villain held their gaze. They almost even smiled back. They tangled their fingers into the protagonist's hair instead, but didn't tug them away. They let the protagonist settle even closer than before, head against their beating chest.

The protagonist was starting to understand that meant something too.

"It's merely that people don't do it very often," the villain said, voice clipped, carefully controlled. "Touch me, I mean. Or when they do, it's with the sort of casual presumption that makes me want to rip their hands off. You do not presume."

"Well, you did look ready to rip my hands off once or twice." They knew what the villain meant though. When the protagonist had touched suddenly, unexpectedly, it had been less about trying to control the villain and more just needing something to hold onto as the villain kissed them stupid. Instinct. Desire. Need. The villain had known that, hadn't they? "But you're welcome. I mean, any time."

The villain nodded. Once. Curt - uncomfortable, perhaps, with such an open and vulnerable emotion. They cleared their throat.

The protagonist felt another stupid swell of warmth. They could hear the villain's heartbeat slowing beneath their ear, trusting, and it felt like yet another giddy thrill for the day. A complicated and tentative privilege.

They lay together, in their stolen moment of illicit peace.

"Besides," the villain broke the silence after a while. "Next time, I can always ziptie your hands to the bed posts."

"Next time?" The protagonist's heart skipped.

The villain shrugged. "You like touching. You'd look adorable begging for it. I think I'd like to see that."

The protagonist was sure they'd gone all wide-eyed again, flushed and flustered, because that time the villain definitely smiled. They hesitated, then tugged the protagonist's hair.

"Come back here so I can kiss you again," the villain said.

The protagonist obliged, even as their brain whirled through all the villain had said.

How long had it been since someone touched the villain like this? Since the villain let themselves be touched? It was clearly something they craved, enjoyed, just as clearly as it was something more complicated than that too.

They stopped thinking as the kiss deepened. They drew themselves a little closer still, ever-mindful of where they put their hands, and only more conscious now because of that of the way the villain's body responded beneath them. The shiver of breath. The thud of their heart. The way the villain pressed in, only to pull back again, like a starved creature that could only sustain itself in small increments before it became too much.

It was intoxicating. It felt just a little like power. A good, perfect, brilliant sort of power.

As they broke apart, the villain studied them for another long moment, expression unreadable, but eyes almost soft.

"Come on," the villain murmured. "Play time's over. Let's go."

[redr0sewrites]

Hii!! Can I request Sevika x fem!reader who is rlly clingy, affectionate and wants to ramble and be close to Sevika all the time, but gets embarrassed and shy abt it?? Tyy!! 🩷🫶

🥀A/n: Sevika is literally sooooooo-

🥀Cw: fluff, a bit suggestive but nothing even remotely explicit!

we all know sevika has a tough persona, but when it comes to you, she practically melts

she secretly adores how affectionate you are, but never admits it!!!

when you first met, she's surprised by how genuinely sweet you are and finds herself becoming protective over you

it takes her a while to recognize that she was catching feelings for you, but once she realizes it hits her like a fucking truck

sevika is confident, but she isn't great at communicating her feelings. there is definitely a lot of mutual pining and "idiots to lovers" going down before either of you actually make a move on eachother 😭 all of silco's cronies literally had a betting pool on when you two would get together (ran and silco won 💀)

sevika is definitely the one to make the first move, she doesn't want to lose you and would probably confess rather bluntly. upon seeing you get so flustered, she almost thinks you don't reciprocate, until you shyly tell her you feel the same

once you two are official??? sevika has never been happier. she makes it her life goal to torture you (in the best ways)

teases you mercilessly about how shy and embarrassed you are around her!!! sevika loves intentionally flustering you, especially when others are around. she isn't big on pda, but sometimes she can't help but grab your face and pull you into a deep kiss, only to pull away and admire your shocked and flustered expression

LOOOTSSSS of flirting, even when you two are officially dating. petnames too, she calls you princess, doll, babe, and hon, but her favorite has to be simply using the word my in front of your name

she adores your affection! as previously stated, she is not a big fan of pda, but in private she adores how clingy you are.

sevika is a very cuddly sleeper, i said what i said. she sleeps on her stomach and hugs her pillows, but once she starts sleeping with you, she cuddles you in her sleep instead!

she gives you lots of forehead and hand kisses, she thinks theyre more meaningful

protective!!!! sevika knows you can handle yourself, but she wants you to know that she's always on your side if necessary. would absolutely defend you against anybody and is your biggest supporter. she's literally your ride or die, and is not the type to play devil's advocate whenever it comes to arguments bc she genuinely cares about your opinions

speaking of arguments, they never escalate too much. sevika is stubborn, but she's also reasonable and is pretty good at compromise. i actually think an affectionate partner would be really good for her, i hc that she doesn't have much relationship experience like at all. she grew up in the undercity and there really wasn't much opportunity for romance outside of a sexual setting, so you're like a breath of fresh air. sevika takes her time when adjusting to receiving (and giving) affection, so that may cause a bit of conflict at the start of your relationship, but once you're over those hurdles and when she fully trusts you she is a lot more affectionate

sevika is very touch starved and secretly clingy herself, but you didn't hear it from me :)

when it comes to rambling and infodumping, sevika is SUCH a good listener. she loves listening to you ramble while she works on her metal arm, and will nod along and agree with you whenever necessary. she's also pretty good at advice, although she can be a bit blunt. she's honest and tells it like it is, and is very open with you about her opinions.

loooooveeesss having you close to her so she can keep an eye on you. she wants to make sure you're safe is all, and if you wanted privacy she would totally oblige, but sevika truly loves having you around! if you also work for silco, sometimes she'll accompany you on your missions so that you won't be lonely and also bc she thinks its hot when her "cute litle girlfriend" kills people... omg what who said that!!!

you both are the epitome of "opposites attract", and sevika loves you because of it!

the familiar sound of the fromt door of your apartment unlocking alerts you to Sevika's arrival.

"Sev!" your voice comes out much more excited than you anticipated, but at the moment you couldn't care less. "your back!!!" you run up to your girlfriend, wrapping your arms around her neck and planting a kiss right om her lips. she's so tall you have to stand on tip-toes just to reach her, and your stomach flips as her familiar, booming laugh echoes around you. "i see someone missed me," Sevika chuckles, pulling away to flick you gently on the forehead.

you feel your cheeks heat up, giving her a light smack on the arm before leaning up to kiss her on the cheek again. "oh, fuck you.." you murmur, and Sevika smirks. "i can if you want me to-"

"oh, shut uuup!!" if you haven't already melted into the floor because of how embarrassed you were, you definitely would now. "how was the mission?" your desperate to change the topic, lest you burst aflame from how warm your cheeks feel. "it went smoothly," Sevika replied, sitting down at your guys' kitchen table and kicking her shoes off into a messy pile by the doorway, "but i missed my girl."

you walk over to her and kiss her on the forehead, before she tugs you in by the waistband and pulls you onto her lap. you gasp, giggling as she wraps her arms around your waist. "well, i think you'll be happy to know that your girl missed you too." Sevika hums, wrapping her metal hand around your throat and pulling you into a gentle kiss.

i am unhealthily obsessed with her SHES SOOOOOOOOO AUGHHHH

[ellethespaceunicorn]

The Howling in Claw Creek Forest, Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight: Every Rose Has Its Thorn

Rating: Explicit, 18+, Minors – DNI

Pairing: Werewolf!Walter Marshall x Reader

Word Count: 2.8K

Series Summary: You live in a small town called Claw Creek, surrounded by a deep, dark forest. Since you were a kid, an urban legend of the creature in the woods has been told. If the distant howls at night and mutilated livestock are anything to go by, you fear the stories to be true.

Chapter Summary: A flashback into the love life of Sy and “Bug”, and a look toward the future with Wolfie and Pup.

Warnings: mentions of military deployment, p-in-v sex, creampie, emotional moments

A/N: Thank you for being patient with me, guys! And I see y’all reblogging the masterlist for the series. And I thank you so much for keeping this story alive! A special thank you to @peyton-warren for being my lovely beta and soundboard for this story. 

Dividers by me

Support/Reblog banner by me

Cover Art by me

Series Masterlist

My Masterlist

The rumble of that old truck coming down the lane had you leaping off the couch to run to the front door. You swung it open, followed by the screen door; your bare feet padding on the old wooden porch warmed from the sun. You saw your man scramble to park before he jumped out and ran across the lawn to you. You threw open your arms as he took the stairs in one step to meet you.

The feeling of his lips against yours was just like the first time. And after he had been gone for the past six months, it felt glorious. Your arms around his neck allowed your hands to slide over his shaved head. You hated when he got rid of his curls before he shipped out, but you understood that it was less fashionable and more functional.

At least he got to keep the beard that you loved so much.

He deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue along the seam of your lips, and you obliged his entry. He savored every little moan that escaped your mouth, putting on quite the show for his neighbors, who were surely looking out of their windows at this point. They hadn’t heard his truck in months, and now it’s back to annoy them.

When his hands started to wander from your hips to your ass with a healthy squeeze, you knew it was time to bring this show of affection indoors. You broke the kiss and pulled him into his house. He had given you a key shortly before leaving so you could look after the place. You had only been together for less than a year, but you liked where you were headed.

After you are both inside, he pins you against the front door. He’s kissing your neck before pulling away to sniff in the direction of the kitchen. He sighed when he turned around to look back at you.

“I have missed your cooking so much. I’ve missed you so much, Bug. Every night, I wished I could be back here with you so I could hold you close and kiss you goodnight. Every morning, I would wake up with the goal of making it back to you,” he professed, getting down on one knee before taking your left hand in his. “I wanted to wait to do this; I did. But I don’t want to wait anymore. While this ring may have been an impulse buy, I know that yours is the only hand I would ever take in marriage. That is if you’ll have me. What do you say? Will you marry me, Bug?” 

He holds up the ring, and your eyes blur from unshed tears. You truly had not expected this, but you couldn’t be happier. Sy was the man of your dreams. He was funny, loving, and protective; you wouldn’t have picked anyone else to spend the rest of your days with. You realized you had been quiet for almost a minute and spoke up.

“Yes! I will marry you, baby,” you gasped, nodding furiously as he put the ring on your finger.

Standing up, he wrapped you in a giant bear hug before picking you up. You wrapped your legs around his waist, so happy to feel his warmth against you again. Once he started toward the bedroom, you knew you weren’t going to be having your meal any time soon. At least, not until after some unfinished business took place.

Sy made love to you, worshipping your body, and leaving hickeys everywhere he could. The man was never subtle in his lust for you. He missed you, and he was going to make sure you knew how much. Rocking his hips into you, he had you right where he wanted you. In between huffs of air and moans of pleasure, Sy kissed every part of you that he could reach.

As he brought you over the edge repeatedly, he talked you through it. Nothing was better than that moment, having him so close as he played your body expertly like he always did. Listening to him grunt as he chased after his release was music to your ears as his hips stuttered soon enough.

Between moaning your name, praising you, and his filthy dirty talk, he had you wrapped around his little finger. Well, technically, he had you wrapped around something substantially bigger…and that’s why your brain short-circuited when he began whispering sweet things in your ear.

“Look how fuckin’ beautiful you look takin’ me so well, Bug. Missed you so much, and couldn’t wait to be with you again. Just like this, watchin’ you fall apart so pretty for me,” he praised, one of his giant hands coming to rest on your tummy while he continued his onslaught. “All I could think of was coming home and starting our little family. Bug, I want you to make me a Daddy. Please, please, please…” he trailed off.

The guttural groan he made as he finished was beastly. And you loved every second of it. What can you say? You were a fan of when men weren’t afraid to be especially vocal in the bedroom, be it moaning or speaking. More often than not, it was Sy’s voice that the neighbors tended to hear when you two were hot and heavy. 

You waited until he had come down from his high to ask about what he said. He rolled off of you and laid next to you, opening his arm so you could lay on his chest. This wasn’t the first time he had brought up starting a family. He had the same idea before he deployed for six months. But this time seemed different. He was practically begging you to get pregnant, and you wanted to slow the brakes a bit. 

But you can’t always get what you want.

“Sy, can we put a pause on baby talk? You only just got back. I want some time with you before I’m knee-deep in diapers and midnight feedings,” you confided, hoping post-nut clarity would come to him.

“So, before I left, it was because you would be alone. And now, it’s because I’m here with you? Come on, Bug,” he scoffed, running a hand over his buzzcut.

“That’s not fair. It’s not exactly like your body is gonna be the one going through changes. And yes, I am worried that you want to start a family, and we don’t even know when you could be called upon. Then what? I just sit here and wait for you to meet your kid after missing my whole pregnancy?” You supposed, picking your head up from his chest and meeting his eyes.

“You’re right, ya know? I might have to be deployed again. But don’t forget that I’m fighting for my country. That’s not easy either. And I would still be providing for you, Bug. Does that mean nothing?” He countered, leaning on one elbow.

“I appreciate what you do; don’t get me wrong. But I refuse to start a family until I feel comfortable enough to do so. I mean, we got engaged an hour ago, and you’re already planning children. I love you, but this is too much for me right now,” you reasoned, pulling yourself up to a seated position and staring at your ring.

He took your hands in his as he sat up. “I love you too, and I want to start a family with you. That means marrying you and having kids together. I wanted it then, I want it now, and I’ll probably always want it. But if you don’t feel ready, I won’t make you. All I ask is that you think about it,” he implored.

You promised him that you would think about it, and he gave you the space and time that you needed. Two whole days spent in your house, ignoring your phone and your life. Two whole days of thinking about how to make up your mind. You’d never wanted children until you met Sy. He would make a great dad, which wasn’t what you were worried about. You were worried about how much time he would get to be a dad. Or whether he would make it back to you at all.

When you made up your mind, you went over to Sy’s house to talk with him. Very few words were said, but the point was made when you gave him back his ring. As much as you wanted him, you couldn’t be the perfect little Army wife that he wanted, and quite frankly, that he deserved. 

You cried yourself to sleep that night, the memory of Sy’s distraught face behind your eyelids. With a heavy heart, you decided to drown yourself in work and forget about love. And it was working so well, at least for a while.

You are awoken by a deep voice calling your name and a hand shaking your shoulder. Opening your eyes, you come face-to-face with a steaming mug of coffee. You sit up fully and accept the mug, looking up to thank who brought it to you.

Sy’s face is neutral as he lets go of the mug. He sips from his cup as he motions for you to let him sit next to you. Neither of you speaks for a minute or two, unsure of what to say. The last time you two shared a bed was pretty eventful, and now it’s the only thing on your mind.

“How long have you been awake?” you ask, not knowing what to say.

“Couple hours. Just couldn’t sleep. Went for a run to clear my head, and that worked for about five minutes. Now, all I can think of is the last time you were here. Then, I think of last night and how good it felt to have my arms wrapped around you,” he laments, sipping his coffee before continuing, “Anyway, I figured it would be best if I let that ship sail long ago. But you just had to come back into my life, didn’t you? You don’t make it easy, woman.”

“Technically, if it wasn’t for Liv, I’d still be out of your life. Maybe I should thank her. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss you,” you admit, looking into your coffee mug.

“Yeah, thank her for me, too,” he laughs, bumping your shoulder with his.

You giggle, looking up into his eyes. “Do you think we can try and be friends? I know last night was fucking strange. And I can’t guarantee it won’t be weird sometimes. But you’re important to me. You always will be,” you confess.

“Of course, we can be friends. I want you in my life, Bug. And if that means that I had to be a damn wolf to get back to you, then I guess I can live with that,” he jokes.

“You’re a handsome wolf if that’s any consolation,” you say, holding in a giggle.

Sy fixes you with the look he used to give you when you were being bratty, and it still works. You can feel the heat rise to your face as you look down and sip your coffee. 

“Well, look. It’s just about 10. What do you say we stop procrastinating and get you back to your boyfriend before he comes sniffing around? I’m sure he’s beside himself waiting for you. I know I’d be doing the same,” he insists.

“You’re right. I’ll get changed, and we can head out,” you sigh, feeling like the weight of the world is on your shoulders.

Sy nods, taking your mug. He exits the bedroom, pulling the door shut, and you hear his footsteps leading away from the door.

You get dressed quickly, your mind running through different scenarios of how this could all go down. Your anxiety level rises when you think of having your first fight with Walter. Unsure of whether or not you are still upset with him, you push all thoughts away and exit Sy’s bedroom.

Sy notes your solemn expression and pulls you into a hug, whispering into your ear, “Trust me, if anything, he’s gonna be so happy you’re back in his arms that I’m sure he’ll wanna be done with this little fight o’ yours.” Giving you a little squeeze before he lets go, he pats your back, and you appreciate him for trying.

Soon, you and Sy are on the road to the cabin. He drives while you direct him on where to go. The closer you get to the cabin, the more your leg bounces up and down. When Sy reaches a hand to rest on your knee, you stop only to start biting at your thumbnail. He pulls your hand from your mouth and holds it for the rest of the drive.

As Sy pulls into the driveway, the front door swings open. You’re suddenly frozen in your seat until Sy reaches across you to open your door. “Go on, now,” he directs, a sad smile on his face.

You exit the truck, gravel crunching below your feet. Walter jumps off the porch, stopping on the lawn just past the house. You look up at him as you approach, your feet moving faster once you see the hurt puppy look on his face. You throw your arms around his neck, his scent strong in your nostrils. His arms wrap around you, picking you up off your feet.

You don’t see when Walter and Sy exchange a nod. A lot can be said in one simple head tilt.

When Walter places you back on your feet, you both start to talk at the same time. “I’m so sorry, Pup, I-” “Wolfie, I’m sorry-”

Apologies give way to surprised laughter, and you rest your forehead against his.

“Gimme a sec, ok?” Walter asked, stepping past you to walk over to where Sy sat in the truck. You watch as they talk for a minute or two, unable to hear what is said. They shake hands, and Sy smiles at you. Walter walks back to where you stand, kissing your forehead and smiling down at you. Before you can speak, he lifts your arm and ducks his head under it to heft you over his shoulder.

“Ooof, Wolfie!” is all you get out as Walter makes his way back into the cabin. You watch over his shoulder as Sy drives off.

As Walter kicks the front door shut, you hear Jace’s laughter at your predicament, followed by a snort from Olivia.

“Good luck, bestie. Have fun!” Liv chuckles from her seat, cuddled up against Jace. 

You’ll have to ask her about that later. Right now, you are being carried upstairs by your boyfriend, who missed you something fierce. Ending up in his bedroom, he plops you down on the bed and jumps you. Leaving a trail of kisses from your jaw to your collarbone and back. All the while whispering how much he missed you.

“I missed you too, Wolfie,” you gasp as he sucks on a particularly sensitive area of your neck.

Putting himself between your legs, he finally kisses your lips. When you moan into his mouth, his clothed sex comes into contact with yours. You feel each other’s body heat, and it’s mere seconds before you are both undressed. 

With the thrust of his hips, you feel his apology. With each kiss and nip, you feel how much he cares for you. He brings you to the brink over and over, until you are an emotional mess that clings to him. You’re impossibly close and you wish you could be even closer to him. Wrapping your legs around his waist tighter, you tangle a hand in his hair as he rips one more orgasm from you. 

You throw your head back, a long whine exiting your throat as you ride out your high. When you bite down on Walter’s shoulder, his hips falter and he buries himself deep inside you. You can feel every twitch of his length and every spurt that paints your walls. He fills you slowly but surely, resting his head in the crook of your neck as he comes down.

Rubbing his back, you kiss where your teeth barely made a dent in his skin. His tired groan vibrates through your body, and you can’t help but shiver. His softening girth slips from you, and you both gasp. Walter starts to move off of you, but you pull him back, not wanting to lose his warmth.

He chuckles, happy to be your weighted heating blanket. He settles in with his arms around you until you hear soft, grumbling snores. Feeling his breath puff on your neck, you let out a yawn and give in to your own tiredness.

Everything else can wait for now. You are right where you want to be.

To be continued...

A/N: I would love to know what you think of this chapter!

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Let me know if you wanna be added (or removed) 😁 If your name is crossed out, I couldn't tag you.

[midnightsun-if]

Are the angst romance asks you reblogged something you actually take for RO scenarios? Because if yes, I would love "I'm not giving up on you, ever"! Mainly asking for Sloane, but if you feel like it, you can also do it for everyone!

You're not sure how the argument started; nor are you aware how it had escalated to such a degree -- how such a sweet night could have shifted so drastically into one where you're standing across the room from the one person you always wished to be closest to.

Everything, up until this point, had been a blur, wherein you couldn't distinguish one thing from another, and, even if you aren't aware of what had truly caused this, you are firmly knowledgeable of that fact that nothing could ever make you abandon what you had just found.

Nothing.

"I'm not giving up on you!" The words explode from your lips, exasperated rage etched across your face, as you try to contain the extent of the emotions warring within your chest; a unique feeling of desperation coming to the forefront as you stare into the conflicted gaze before you. "Ever!"

Koda: All the fight seems to leave him in that moment, the unusually stiff lines across his face smoothing over into a gentle smile. His eyes shimmering with an almost golden hue as they take you in, even as guilt swims within them. "I think things took a bit of a turn for the worse, huh?" Koda shakes his head, looking down at the abandoned food that had no-doubt gone cold due to the length of the argument. "I'm not sure if this'll make it better, but I'll make you some dinner from my nana's recipe book." He looks thoughtful for a moment, a large hand rubbing the back of his neck. "And, just so you know, I won't ever give up on you either." His expression softens even further. "You have been by my side, dealing with my own brand of thoughts, without complaint, without making me feel like I'm just an obligation to you. You mean more to me than I ever thought could be possible, and I know I'm not the best at coming up with things to say, or the proper ways to showcase them, but you make me happy, you make me feel cared for. I don't think I could ever want to be anywhere else but by your side."

Scarlett: Viridescent eyes, if possible, narrow even further, agitation creasing an elegant brow, drawing a sharp distinction from the softness that typically settled upon her face when seeing you. "I don't believe that you would, but that's not the main issue we're having." Auburn locks shift across delicate shoulders, lithe muscles tense as Scarlett begins to pace back-and-forth like a caged panther; the current expression across her face not far off from how you'd imagine a big cat would look. "Our problem is that we're both not even sure what the other wants. We can make vows and promises until our final days, but they mean absolutely nothing if we don't have a common goal in mind. You may not wish to give up on me, as I wish to do for you as well, but that's a sentiment that can also be shared with family or close friends." She turns to finally look at you, an almost tortured expression taking over the earlier agitation. "What do you want? Do you want to be with me? Do you want to spend the rest of your life with me? Because, if you do, if you wish to share everything I wish to with you, then I’ll make this vow to you now: I will cherish and love you like no one has, or ever will, and I will ensure you never doubt the truth of what's inside my heart. For you found the pieces of myself I believed to be dead long ago and, because of you, because of what you've given me by simply being yourself, I found a love I no longer believed could ever be real." Scarlett tilts her head. "So, I ask you once more, what is it that you want?"

Cyrus/Cyra: "Phoenixes represent various things through mythos and legends; from rebirth to hope to courage to a number of other things. I've never truly taken stock in any of them. Not because I don't care about what has been said, or what has given people a glimmer of something light when they're surrounded by the dark, but I've always had a hard time in attaching myself to what a phoenix could potentially mean to others and what I am every day. I've never felt like I live up to any of the legends that surround what so many have created." Golden eyes glint like twin suns, warmth exuding from them that reminds you of standing underneath the gentle rays of a summer sky. "I've always tried to figure out what it all meant. Why I could potentially feel so disconnected, why I couldn't uncover what seemed to separate me from my kin, and I didn't uncover the truth until I met a vampire that seemed to turn everything on its head." A soft chuckle escapes them, as if they still couldn't believe the impact you had inflicted upon their life. "For, you see, a phoenix isn't a phoenix without the thing that makes rising from the ashes possible, that makes shining a light into the never-ending darkness to offer a hope an actuality, that seems to burn within every courageous heart with unparalleled zeal. A phoenix isn't a phoenix without fire, without the flame that burns within their heart and soul to ignite their being." The royal heir steps closer to you, softness etched across their serene features. "I never realized that I was so cold, that I was lost within my own self-inflicted darkness, until you lit my way, offering me a warmth I had long accepted would never come. You are my flame, my eternal light, and I will never leave you, never give up on you, because, to do so, would mean casting myself back into isolation, back into the abyss, which is all I would deserve if I did such a thing to you."

Quinn: "I knew from the instant my wolf felt a connection with you that I wouldn't be able to leave your side. That I would do anything to ensure that you were safe and taken care of." Sapphire eyes glint with their typical intelligence, a tinge of calmness added a softening edge, and the typical smile they always seemed to direct towards you. "I don't think I've ever met a single person that has perplexed me in the way that you have managed. I don't think I've ever met someone that intrigues my wolf in the manner that you've been able to do so. Giving up on you has never, and will never, cross my mind. To do so would be giving up a part of myself I never knew I needed. It would be something I'd never be able to rationalize, and something I'd always live to regret, and I don't like having regrets in my life. I've already had my fair share of regrets, my own heart breaks, and set backs, but I know with absolute clarity--" Quinn steps closer to you, their gaze imploring to you listen, and truly hear, what they're about to say next. "--that I never wish for you to be either of the first two because I know that you'd never be the last one. There's not many people in my life that I can say I was supposed to meet, that I was supposed to find them, either to make me better in some intrinsic way, or because they needed to set me on the path I was meant to be on." They shake their head, a rueful smile appearing. "It's kind of silly but, since I met you, I've started to believe that their entire purpose had been to lead me to you."

Caden: Silver eyes shimmer with the promise of tears, casting a shimmering hue over pale argent that brings out the depth of their adoration for you. "I never wish to give up on you either," they affirm, clearly wanting you to understand that the thought to do so had never crossed their mind. "You are the first person, in quite a long time, that I feel like I can be my actual self with. That makes it easier for me to look back at my life, at the memories I try to bury, and see the beauty within each one. A fog has always held itself over my mind, obscuring things from view and making it hard to know one thing from another." A bashful smile curls their lips, head ducking down, causing raven curls to fall across their forehead haphazardly. Slender fingers tugging at the delicate fabric of their onyx button-down as they clearly tried to figure out the words to what they wished to say. "But, even on my worse days, even when I can't see anything through the grey-hued air around me, I could never, and would never, misplace you from my memories, from my thoughts, and from my heart. I would never give up on you, I would never forsake you, because your face is the clearest I have ever recalled, and I know that it'd haunt me forever if I were to hurt you. I could never give up on you because, to do so, would partially be allowing me to give up on myself and the happier future I can see myself having with you by my side."

Sloane: "I've heard that load of bullshit before," they hiss, anger etched across their face, shoulders hunched as they seemed to sink into themself in protective stance. "You won't ever give up on me, really? You won't suddenly find out that the grass is just a bit greener on the other side? That you've been wasting your time trying to fix something that wants to stay broken? Spare me that line and the empty promises that come with it. My own family couldn't even hold up their end of it. Why the hell should I believe that you'll be any different? Because you say so?" Hazel eyes seem almost luminescent due to the fire burning within their depths, lips pulled back into a snarl as Sloane obviously tried to rein themself back in. "I've gone down that road one too many times and I'm a bit tired of realizing it's been a one-way street the entire time. I think it's about time I say no, right? That enough is enough. To show that I'm tired of sticking my neck out and getting burned. Every. Single. Time." They finally turn away from you, the air lightening away from their almost accusatory glare, and the tension, as well as the fight, seems to leech from their body in one fell swoop. "I'm tired of believing that I finally deserve to be loved, to have someone stay, only to discover that I had just fooled myself into seeing what I wanted to. If I couldn't make my own family stay, the people I thought were my home, how the hell am I supposed to make you? How am I supposed to trust that you won't leave me either? How am I supposed to believe that I'm worthy if you do?" Sloane meets your gaze, sadness etched within every part of them. "And, how the hell am I supposed to deal with the fact that I'd rather let that all happen, give you a free shot to completely shatter me, then to see you go?"

Blake: Guilt flashes across their face at the fervor behind your words, the clear certainty within your tone, and they seem to shrink underneath the intensity of your gaze; as if they were trying to hide behind the last little piece of themself, of the persona that they carry, before everything comes tumbling down around them like a house of cards. "I have never doubted that, as I hope you have never questioned my own commitment to you, but that's not the crux of our issue, is it? We've been toying a line that neither of us has either been willing to, or strong enough, to cross, and now we're at an impasse and this little crossing is about to be flooded, and one of us is about to go down." A hint of their typical smirk plays at the corner of their lips, violet eyes flashing briefly. "Which isn't something I'd typically mind when it comes to you, angel… but--" Blake's brow furrows, an uncharacteristic level of seriousness transforming their typically jovial disposition into one you could barely recognize; not even giving you a chance to fully react to the innuendo they had managed to slip into the conversation. "We both know this particular storm has been brewing for some time. Have heard it rumbling its warning well before things started to get muddled. And, because of that, I don't think it's going to be one we can simply bunker down and wait until it passes. It's something we're going to have to face, and I'm worried about what that landscape is going to be once everything is over and done with." They shake their head, expression twisting into something you don't even have a name for. "Or, even worse, I'm worried that one of us is going to get caught in the current of the flood we created and be lost to the other forever. It's not about whether we'll stand by the other, angel, it's about whether we'll have the choice to even do so."

Reginald/Regina: "Do you really mean that?" A gentle effect takes hold within their eyes in that moment, turning the turbulent storm of blue green into a soothing expanse reminding you of a cloudless summer sky. "I-I'm aware that I can be difficult at times. That's not something I've ever truly minded. I know that I talk too much, that I can become fixated on the smallest things, and that I have an almost unhealthy obsession with science fiction and space, but I've never wanted to let any of that go, because that's what makes me… Well, me." They meet your gaze, a gentle smile playing at the corner of their lips. "For the first time, when it doesn't come to my family, I finally feel like I'm not just being dealt with. That I'm not simply being handled until I'm able to pass on to the next available person. When I talk, even if it's about the most random things, I actually feel like you're listening to me, even if you don't understand, and that means more to me than you could ever know. I hope you know that I, or at least try to, do the same thing for you. I know what it's like to feel like you're being ignored, or when you're having a conversation with someone it feels like talking to a brick wall, and I never want you to feel like that with me." They take a hesitant step closer, ensuring that you understood their wish to be closer to you, but allowing you the chance to take the reins. "I will listen no matter what. Even if it's midnight and you simply want an ear to listen to something you just thought of. I won't ever give up on you either, I promise."

[lovelykhaleesiii]

bestie to brighten your day: rugby player! aegon.

he is big (his thigh is as big as your body), he plays rough and definitely not fair and he always enjoys partying up a good victory in the locker room with you, his favorite fan

this idea plagued my mind so, that I made a few, innocent headcanons about this version of Aeg… so don’t mind me :)

No. 1 Fan

HEADCANON

PAIRING: Rugby!Player!Aegon ii Targaryen x girlfriend!fem!Reader [MODERN AU]

WORDS: 964.

WARNINGS: mentions of physical fights/competitiveness, swearing, mentions of p in v sexual intercourse, handjobs/blowjobs.

A/N - as I mentioned previously, I'll continue to be dropping fics however may take a while to respond, forgive me x I am trying to find my groove again on this hellsite.

Aegon would not have ever considered sports as a hobby [let alone as a passion].

Although, he was often encouraged to by teachers/coaches because of his sturdy mass, and from the sake of peer pressure [his friends were commonly jocks, and therefore he felt obliged to join].

Nonetheless, once he got a taste of rugby, and since then, it was game over.

He was obsessed, and invested in his games.

Aegon struggled from time to time with being consistent in training: often at times not showing up, developing a love-hate relationship with his coach.

Although on the off and rare occasion Aegon did participate in some vigorous training, you did rather enjoy watching him from afar on the sidelines. Feeling yourself getting lustfully wetter by the second, tempted to touch yourself at the sheer sight.

Desperate to sate your needs, and Aegon noticing how blush and flustered you were seeing him all breathless and sweaty, he knew what he needed to do.

However, the training draining most of his stamina out, you would often ride him atop, as he remained lazy and blissfully observant from below.

Moreso, it was more so the aspect of winning, that enticed Aegon. The feeling of earning a victory was unlike anything he'd ever accomplished.

That and the fact that he could allow his competitive nature to take over with proper cause: he had a great enthusiasm for tackling rivalries that was invigorating for him. The adrenaline that fuelled him during the games, was almost intoxicating.

Not to mention the celebrations that followed, the endless partying was an added bonus.

Celebratory sex was now strictly a ritual between you two, and was often his main, personal objective to win a game.

Aegon did also enjoy and favour when you made the effort to congratulate him with some good old cock-sucking and hand-jobs. Worn out from games, yet the adrenaline still coursing through his veins, he could easily grow stiff after a solid win, and desperately needed some release: your pretty mouth and swift hands always did the trick, shooting his hot, fresh load all over your breasts, satisfied with himself.

Aegon initially, never thought of himself as competitive, and probably was not prior to sports: however having since grown into a complete jock, he loved the idea of winning.

Trying his best for his team mates, for you and most importantly for himself, was something that he was not accustomed to, and yet he found solace in that warmed his heart [although he rarely told anyone this, besides you].

Initially after joining the team, Aegon hadn't disclosed his new venture to his family: it was only when Helaena got whiff of it, and you had accidentally mentioned it in passing, that Alicent was adamant the entire family attend a game [despite Aegon's efforts to convince them not to].

They would end up sneaking into the game in secret, only to make themselves known from the blatant, ecstatic cheering once Aegon scores a goal.

Viserys would pay no mind though, just exchanging a simple, unimpressive nod of approval. Alicent would slowly start to collect the team's souvenirs, her and Helaena making their own posters with your help. Aemond would act like he too, did not care, although would comment on a solid tackle ["I mean I could run faster than you, but I suppose you did well enough brother"] and Daeron would only pay attention from his phone/console once the crowd starts cheering/roaring. Criston would be subtly proud of Aegon's new interest, chiming in his two cents and exchanging advice from his college football days.

It pained you however, to see Aegon get beaten and tackled: even more anxious if he was on the cusp of a physical fight with the rival team, which he often always found himself in some sort of tussle.

One rival player had in passing mentioned your name, and all he saw was red... Safe to say, he was suspended that game, and learnt his lesson.

Although, he did rather enjoy you nursing him back to health, aiding in his recovery: soothing and massaging his sore muscles, he would relish in your back massages. The gentle feeling of your soft, small hands rubbing up against his rough, bruised skin.

Eventually leading to your eager, wet cunt up against his stiff, girthy cock.

Regardless, Aegon often exclaimed that you were his lucky charm. Getting into the religious habit of kissing you before the starting kick or scrum, in between half-time and immediately after.

He was obsessed with seeing you wear his oversized jersey: appearing more like a short dress over you, this would be his screensaver.

The cheerleaders would definitely try tho shoot their shot [aimlessly] whether it was at training sessions or during games: although Aegon knew better than to indulge, his eyes only set on you.

Although he did enjoy how ruffled and jealous you would get.

He earned his college scholarship from playing in high-school, now playing in the big leagues.

Aegon would also often entice you into the boy's locker [only when vacant and empty], fucking you rough and hard in some steamy shower.

With all the training, Aegon's body would be buff as fuck and muscular: he had always leaned towards the larger size, his appetite grand, often justifying that he was "bulking" for the sake of training.

THIGHS!!!!! Your fave feature, sitting on his lap was the most comfortable thing, not to mention the thigh rides…

You would gift Aegon a custom made miniature jersey vest for Sunfyre, his labrador pup, and Aegon would actually be over the moon.

"Like father, like son, huh?!"

Footballer/Rugby player Aeg would definitely have an untamed mullet.

Regardless, you were his number one supporter, proudly calling yourself his top fan.

general taglist [bold means I could NOT tag] - @evenstaris @bel-bottoms @fan-goddess @malfoytargaryen @hightowhxre @bibli0thecary @m1ndbrand @connorsui @elegantsplendour @randomdragonfires @sylasthegrim @arcielee @s-we-e-t-t-ea @sahvlren @aemondtargaryensrider @watercolorskyy @hypnos-daughter-certified

Aegon ii taglist - @who-told-you-this-was-butter @f4ll-for-you @amiraisgoingthruit @bucknastysbabe @jawline-of-steel

[xxsabitoxx]

Being Sanemi’s Tsugoku

Other pillar versions (coming soon?)

A/N: it’s been a hot mother fucking minute since I’ve posted Sanemi. With Demon Slayer Sundays just a week away it’s only right that I return to my roots of posting some demon slayer content

Pink text is You — Green text is Sanemi

(Cosmo and Wanda think they slick—)

You couldn’t lie, you were initially petrified when Kagaya appointed you as Sanemi’s tsugoku

It was typical for the Hashira themselves to pick someone, usually someone they knew and trusted. Someone they could put their full faith in to fulfill their duties if it just so happen the current pillar was to lose the fight

That wasn’t the case for you. Kagaya himself appointed you for your outstanding performance and understanding of wind breathing

Needless to say, Sanemi wasn’t thrilled

“Just keep your mouth shut and maybe I won’t kill you.”

You could feel your brow twitch, you didn’t let anyone talk to you in such a tone. Wind pillar or not, you’d sooner die than be walked all over.

“Watch your tone and maybe I won’t beat your ass.”

Thus began Sanemi’s never ending torture. Torture he had to tolerate solely because Kagaya appointed you.

Hell it was likely a test at this point, put some sort of humanity in him so he wouldn’t get himself killed.

Sanemi’s training was nothing short of su!cidal, honestly by the end of the first day you were convinced he was trying to k!ll you

It consisted of training from sunrise until sunset followed by accompanying him on his patrolling. It would be a full twenty four hours until you saw your bed again.

“No wonder you look so psychotic, you don’t fucking sleep.”

He, of course, didn’t answer you. It seems he had taken his own advice to heart and decided keeping his mouth shut would save him the headache.

This intense regimen would continue for a full month, only half a day break in between so you could get some sleep.

You’d quickly learn his goal was to break you. Get you to leave the corps with your head hung low.

“Ya know, it’s kinda odd you’re so determined to get me to leave. It’s almost as if you care about me.”

“Don’t flatter yourself. The corps is no place for weaklings, nothing more than demon bait at this point.”

“Ain’t that what you’d want then? People to lure the demons to you. Makes it easier than hunting them, pretending to be the prey I mean.”

Sanemi ended that conversation with a simple glare, something in his eyes that you’d never seen before. For once you let him drop it, not willing to uncover the man’s traumas against his will.

Sanemi’s behavior towards you mellowed slightly after three months of you being his tsugoku. You simply weren’t going anywhere any time soon so he didn’t think the hard ass attitude was quite necessary.

That’s not to say he started taking it easy on you… not by a long shot actually. If anything his schedule for you only got more intense. But it was different.

You could tell he was training you with the intent of keeping you alive, not scaring you out of the corps.

“I think we’ll be friends soon.” You laughed softly as you ate your lunch, sanemi was sitting a few feet away under the shade of a tree. “I don’t make friends.” It was gruff, food getting shoved into his mouth a moment later. “Okay tough guy, you’ll realize soon enough.” All you got was a nose scrunch in return.

The thing is, you were right. Sanemi should have known it would be impossible, even for him, to spend nearly every waking moment with someone and not enjoy their presence.

Around the six month mark of being his tsugoku, you found it easier to hold a conversation with him. Especially since he’d actually entertain it. Hell you’d even crack jokes with one another. It was safe to say he tolerated you now.

And not out of obligation

“I want you to leave the corps. I’m telling Master that you aren’t up to my satisfaction.” You froze, head whipping around to see if he was joking. The look on his face told you he wasn’t. “Aren’t we past this bull shit, Shinazugawa?”

Truth was, he’d gotten attached to you in some odd way. It fucking terrified him.

“You’ll do as I say, as your overseer. You have to obey my wishes.” You couldn’t quite understand why his attitude had switched, as if six months of work had suddenly never happened. “Bull shit. What the fuck happened?” He only shook his head, not able to maintain eye contact. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

It wasn’t long before it turned into a full blow yelling match.

“I’ll tell Master you’re full of shit. Chances are he’ll fucking believe me, Shinazugawa.” For the first time, he was losing a battle in more ways than one. “Oh fuck off.” Was all he could muster, brain moving a mile a minute as he tried to figure out a better way to reason with you.

What had you done to him? He wanted to reason with you? That thought terrified him even worse.

In the end, all of his logic flew out the window as he uttered the very words he didn’t want to say out loud. Not because he didn’t mean them, but because he didn’t want to make things worse. He was already struggling with these new emotions, never mind making them known to you.

“I care about you a little too much to let you throw your life away in this hellish profession.”

That got you to freeze, eyes wide as you tried to gauge what exactly he meant by that statement. Silence hung between the two of you, you weren’t sure how long you both stood there in the back yard of his estate. But by the time you had gotten the courage to even make a noise, he was turning his back to you.

“Woah hold the fuck on! Don’t run away from me after saying something like that? Hell, Shinazugawa you never run from anything never mind me!”

For a moment he really wished some divine force would come down and kill him on the spot.

Yet, he steadied himself, realizing that you were right. He’d never run away from a fight, never mind being a coward with his own feelings. So he stopped, turning around to stop you in your tracks.

“I fucking care about you, what’s there to not understand?”

“That’s not where I’m confused you moron.”

He knew what you were implying, he knew what you wanted to hear and yet he found himself struggling. Being a Hashira gave him no right to admit he had feelings for you. It would only be cruel to you, especially since you were to be his successor.

“Shina—no—Sanemi. Explain yourself.”

That was his breaking point, eyes shutting as he exhaled slowly. Hearing his first name fall from your lips, this wasn’t exactly the situation he wanted to hear it for the first time. Yet it was enough to give him courage.

“I care about you, more than a friend, more than a tsugoku. There, happy?”

The shit eating grin that crept up your face was more than enough to show him that you were.

“See… I was right. I told you we’d become friends.”

“I just said I liked you more than a friend.”

“Fair enough, I guess it’s safe to say I underestimated you, master.”

“I’m still making you leave the corps.”

“Maybe if you offer me your hand in marriage I’ll consider it.”

He was starting to question why he even grew to like you in the first place. Though, the smile on your face had him mentally reminding himself to thank Kagaya for giving you to him.

[atlaculture]

Live-Action Promo Pics: Zuko

I’ve been hesitant to comment much on the the live-action series, as most of the discourse has revolved around the casting. I’ve already made my ideal ATLA fancast pretty well-known and I don’t feel comfortable harshly critiquing children/teens for not looking like my favorite cartoon characters. At the end of the day, it’s the casting directors that we should hold responsible, not working actors trying to make a living.

However, I have no problem reviewing the costumes--- which I presume were made by industry professionals of adult age. In fact, I’d say the goals of this blog obligate me to give my two cents. So enjoy my completely subjective take on the promotional costumes:

Zuko

What I Liked

They maintained the silhouette of Zuko’s armor. Considering what they did for Sokka’s warrior look, it’s a relief that the FN’s armor is immediately recognizable.

I like the design on Zuko’s spaulders; it reminds me of designs that you see on traditional Thai armor.

I also like that the pattern and other parts of the armor look old and worn. Given that he’s Ozai’s least favorite child and has been banished for three years, his equipment is probably all outdated hand-me-downs.

It appears that Zuko’s live-action armor has two layers of shoulder spikes. I think that’s a good detail, as members of the FN’s royal family tend to sport two or three layers of shoulder pads.

The plume on his helmet is a nice addition. Many historical Chinese armors have plumes, especially the helmets of high-ranking officials. And, in the cartoon, the shape of the helmet almost looks like it was meant to have a plume originally.

The sash is also a good addition. It adds a nice splash of red to the dark tones of his armor. I like it better than the belt in the original show.

What I Didn’t Care For

I’m not an expert on crafts at all, but even I can tell that some very modern, synthetic materials were used for this costume. I know it would’ve been very expensive, but I really wish they had used more metal and leather for Zuko’s armor. Or at least materials that better imitated metal and leather.

The mesh girdle around his waist bothers me. I think it’s supposed to emulate chain mail, but it just reminds me of the polyester mesh they use for basketball uniforms.

I wish his plume was red instead of black.

Overall, I give it 7 broadswords out of 10.

To be honest, this was probably the most difficult of the four promo pictures to review, mainly because I find most armor to be pretty boring-looking. Generally speaking, most practical armors are going to look pretty similar to each other, with the exception of those adapted for extreme climates. I’m basically fine with Zuko’s armor, as its faults are more general issues found in all of the Netflix costumes.

I’ll probably have more to say once they give us a better view of his armor from the front.

[beneathashadytree]

i sorry for saying this but i have to be honest, i dont understand why the LnDs MC having a gender is a problem, i mean, i understand you making a gn OC for some kind of support or representation but not why the MC, who already have a female body (and with that i mean biologically, the old fashion way everyone would visualise in their minds at first when they hear "female body", after all even if we young ones think this patter is wrong it still a pattern old ppl and from different cultures, and almost everyone understand and learned at first at a very young age) and if im not wrong also refered as "she" im the game, cant be described with anything that isnt gender neutral, i also have no idea why someone would be offended or feel not included reading about a MC with a gender, we all are different and is impossible to include everyone, ppl can feel not included for things you cant even imagine would be a problem, and not being able to see yourself on a story once isnt a big problem, you can ignore or jump to the next one, or just see the character like a character or another person that isnt youself.

I hope you dont get mad at this (and was able to understand my point, i usually have problems communicating with others and since english isnt my native language it gets worst), its that i just dont see the point in all this, i understand having a preference or incentivating one but not feeling somenthing bad and being against the other...

I understand what you’re trying to say, nonnie, but I have to point out a few things first. First off, I shouldn’t have to explain my own boundaries because at the end of the day, they are boundaries and should not be discussed. When something makes me uncomfortable, I shouldn’t be negotiating why people should respect that and stick to it without questioning my motives.

However, I understand you have no ill intentions, so I will be answering you—not because I’m obligated to, but because I want to point out where your line of thinking comes to harm marginalized communities.

The very simple answer is this: Because I’m a fanfic writer.

I’m not creating the MC in a game where she physically has a body and an appearance. Otome games were initially made as fantasies for their players to picture themselves in romantic situations. But since most Otome games have female MCs with very stereotypical appearances, most people who do NOT look like that end up having to imagine an OC/someone else in their place. It’s a shitty feeling; to feel left out because game producers can’t be assed to create more diverse options.

Second of all, the “old fashioned way” was already fucked up from the start, because even female bodied people are much less likely to look like Otome game MCs—who are almost dauntingly pretty, have virtually no physical blemishes, have straight hair, big eyes, and are incredibly thin. Now think of all the people who do NOT fit that physical description and are almost always excluded. When I visualize a female body like you say, I don’t instantly picture a perfect-looking skinny fair-skinned girl who looks not a day past 18. Because female bodies aren’t just one thing or the other. It’s a beautiful spectrum.

Third of all, leaving “old fashioned thinking” as it is is already a harmful concept. Should we ignore white people’s racism because it’s how they were brought up in the old-fashioned way? Should we allow sexism & misogyny in our communities because it’s how they were brought up back in the day? Should we encourage fatphobia by not silencing people because being thin and encouraging EDs was acceptable? Should we let homophobic hate crimes keep occurring because that’s what used to happen?

The number one goal of our new generations should be to reconstruct society and dismantle all the harmful practices that were done by our predecessors. Ending the cycle is our responsibility and no one else’s, and to do that, we have to take active measures to undo what they’ve done and erase what is “the norm.” Just thinking it’s wrong isn’t enough; we must take action to cut that shit out.

And because these were the “old-fashioned ways” it’s still the default for almost every writer to create for a female audience. Imagine a fandom has 200 writers. 190 would write for female MCs, and only 10 writers would write for more diverse MCs. Should everyone else that is not female (and, by the way, gender-queer people represent a massive percentage of fandoms online, and males do exist within our fandom spaces) just keep living their lives having to picture other people instead of themselves, because not enough people care enough to include them in their writing?

Here’s a realistic representation of what you’re saying: let’s say there are 2 million LNDS players around the world. 1 million are female. 1 million are not. The second 1 million will never get to see themselves as the MC. Now they can’t even picture themselves in fiction? Should the second 1 million be forced to feel left out in their own fandom space?

The same also happens with race representation in fandoms. Less than 50% of the world population is white. Yet we don’t see except very few people in fandoms writing for Black people, Latinos, Arabs, South-Asians, South-East Asians, Inuits, Native Americans, etc. Why is that? It’s because fandoms are catered towards white people. So should we just let the entire half of the globe never feel included in the art/writing fandom creators make? Do they not deserve representation and comfort too?

So when I write, I write for everyone. And when I say everyone, I mean EVERYONE. Because I think everyone deserves to see themselves loved and cared for by their favorite characters. Because everyone needs that sort of comfort. Because I myself have spent my entire life looking for that comfort in fandom spaces and never finding it. Even if the game doesn’t allow them to do that, I’m giving everyone a chance to enjoy the game through their own eyes, without having to be a stereotypical skinny girl with sleek straight hair and a dainty face. Because we want representation, and if the canon content can’t give us that (even though they claim it’s supposed to be “us”), then at the very least our fandom spaces should provide this. I hope you understand why my rules are there now. They’re a protection for both myself and everyone else in this fandom.

Fanfiction was created by the people, for the people—not just for a certain demographic that fits beauty standards and “old fashioned thinking”—and it should always be for ALL the people.

Being as inclusive as is humanly possible is never a bad thing. Refusing to see why consistently excluding others is wrong IS a bad thing, though.

[terresdebrumestories]

This idea ambushed me in the shower and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it, so there you have it. This is the result of an hour of frantic typing on my phone and shall be cleaned up before I cross post it to AO3.

"I wanna come out," Jamie says, and Roy freezes in place so fast Phoebe bumps into his back and swears under her breath.

Roy doesn't even pretend to try and tease her for it, too stunned for words.

"If we win tonight," Jamie adds on the other end of the line, "I wanna come out."

"Are you sure?" Roy manages at last, and it comes out so raw Ruth does a double take in the kitchen, raising her eyebrows in question.

Roy, gripping his phone like he'll die if he lets go, shakes his head and turns away, making his way to the corridor on shaky legs. From very far away, he thinks he hears Phoebe ask if he's alright, but Roy pushes her out of his mind as soon as Jamie says:

"I'm sure."

"Jamie," Roy hisses, "it could end your career."

"So what?" Jamie says, and Roy almost ask who the fuck is possessing his partner.

"Jamie."

"Roy. I'm thirty-four. I've won the Premier League, the Europe League and the fucking World Cup. I'm in the fucking Olympics. Once I've won that, who the fuck cares if I get a goodbye tour?"

"You do," Roy says. Then Jamie grunts and Roy adds: "I'm with you. You know I am, always." Jamie hums, but it sounds like he's relenting, not skeptical, so Roy makes himself continue despite the risk of Ruth or Phoebe overhearing: "I just don't—I don't want you to regret it."

To regret me, Roy is surprised to mean. After all, they've been together for almost ten years now. Any coming out Jamie makes is likely to result in their relationship becoming public, and Roy...Roy has apparently not quite managed to get over their age difference as thoroughly as he thought he had.

"I won't," Jamie promises, the sound of his voice suddenly echoing, like he just stepped in a bathroom. "I really won't. Just 'cause I'm buzzin' doesn't mean I don't know what I'm doing."

Roy can't help worrying anyway, but he still makes himself breathe in, and then out, and then say:

"Okay. Then I think you should do it."

"Oh, I was gonna," Jamie says, playful, and Roy smiles at his sister's bathroom door like an idiot. "But also. Em. I don't—if I'm gonna come out publicly, I don't wanna have to like. Pretend like I'm single or whatever. Or like. If I do get my fucking retirement tour and we meet in a game or whatever, I don't wanna have to pretend like I'm not dead gone on you, you know?"

Roy's heart expands in his chest, like it's trying to make a run for it through his ribs or something, and he knows he's full-on grinning at the bathroom door when he says:

"Me either. Please feel free to mention me by name."

"Grand," Jamie says over the sound of a shower turning on. "Great. Well. I gotta go soon but uh. Wish me luck?"

"Good luck," Roy obliges. And then, because he's had nearly ten years of practice to make this bit easy, he adds: "I love you."

"Love you too."

*

"What a game," Arlo White shouts on TV a few hours later, while Ruth and Phoebe do a victory dance around the couch, where Sam and Keeley are singing Jamie's stupid fucking chant along with the crowds in the stadium.

"What a game! What a play! What a goal! And what an ovation for Jamie Tartt, indubitably the man of the match!"

"I agree," Chris Powell adds, sounding almost excited for once, "I'd even say: what a career! Jamie Tartt won it all! Honestly Arlo, I wouldn't be surprised if he decided to retire soon, I mean at this point what else does he need?"

"Oh shut the fuck up," Roy yells at the TV, earning himself a playful shove from Phoebe and a prod in the ribs from Keeley. "Stupid fucking pundits," he mutters into his champagne.

"That would be so much more convincing if you weren't pink with pride, babe," Keeley teases, and Roy grunts without heat.

The truth is, now that White and Powell have announced a transition on the ground and the camera switched to Barbara Carnahan on the side of the pitch, Roy feels himself tense with anticipation. Everyone here knows about him and Jamie, of course, but they don't know what he's planning to do. That leaves Roy alone to deal with the nerves of Jamie's impending announcement, and holy fucking shit, they're a lot.

"First of all," Carnahan says when she catches Jamie and gets him to stand in front of her camera, "I want to congratulate you on an absolutely marvelous game!"

Roy watches Jamie's tongue dart out in celebration, like he's a goddamned emoji or something, and finds himself gripping Keeley's hand out of sheer need to share the moment with someone.

"Thanks," Jamie says, sobering up a little bit, "We did really good, yeah!"

"Oh, definitely! How does it feel? Did you expect this when you woke up this morning?"

"Well, you know," Jamie says, running a hand through his hair, "nothing's ever certain, but I knew our chances were good, yeah, so I was like. Fairly optimistic about it."

"And you were right!" Carnahan agrees with a little bounce. "I'll admit I was nervous when the first half ended at one-one, but that goal in injury time was magnificent!"

"Yeah, Satō gave me a great assist there, that kid's gonna get far," Jamie says, wiping at his brow.

To Roy's left, Sam coos a little, happy to see one of his Marseille teammates get some recognition. He hasn't looked that cheerful since he busted his knee right before the Olympics started and he knew he had to sit the competition out.

"What was going on in your head at that moment?" Carnahan asks Jamie. "As the whistle blew and you realized you'd won, where did you mind go? Is there anyone you thought of in particular?"

"Well there's me mum, of course," Jamie says. "She's in the stands, and I'm really glad she could be here for this. And then there's my partner."

Around Roy, the living room falls into the most intense silence he's ever heards, even as Jamie adds:

"Actually, is it okay if I talk to him for a sec?"

"Him?" Carnahan asks, at the same time as Keeley and Phoebe shriek:

"WHAT?"

"Yeah, him," Jamie says, prompting Sam to shout and grab Roy's left shoulder. "Can I talk to him?"

And this. This wasn't the script, right? Roy thought—usually—this isn't. No. No!

...no?

"Oh my god, uncle Roy!" Phoebe is saying, gripping Roy's right shoulder, "Oh my god!"

"Yes, sure," Barbara Carnahan says with the dazed look of a reporter who's just been hit with the exclusive of the decade, "go ahead."

Jamie grins, and thanks her, and then he takes a deep breath—Roys mirrors him, can't help it, feels like he's about to explode, or melt, or both—

"Roy," Jamie says on the screen, eyes turned straight at the camera so it looks like he's actually watching Roy in 16:9 format, "it's hard to remember what it was like to hate you enough to nearly fight you right on the pitch."

Someone says a very strangled 'what the fuck' and it takes Roy a second to realize it's Keeley, but also the reporter on the telly.

"Turns out you're actually one of the best men I've ever fucking met—" ('Oh my god!' Says Keeley, slapping Roy's arm.) "You support me and challenge me all the fucking time, you're funny, and the grumpiest arse in the morning." ('OH MY GOD!' shouts Phoebe from behind Roy.) "I've spent nine years of my life loving you to your face, and you've taken it like a champ so far...so what do you say we make it official and tie the knot?"

"OH MY GOD!" Screams the living room, pushing and pulling and slapping at Roy.

He can barely breathe, feels himself grow twice, thrice, ten times bigger than he normally is, floating like a bubble of champagne as Phoebe nearly breaks his nose trying to shove his phone against his ear—"YOU HAVE TO FUCKING CALL HIM, UNCLE ROY!"

And then there's a dial tone, and some spluttering on tv, and more shouting, and a phone comes into view, lands against Jamie's ear, and then—

"You motherfucker!" Roy yells into the phone, and Jamie-on-the-screen blinks and grins, and Jamie-on-the-phone gives this little hitch of breath he does when he thinks 'I love you', and Roy is saying: "You absolute wanker! No fucking warning—"

And Jamie-on-the-screen scrunches his nose and grins harder, and Roy's heart goes into fucking overdrive, his pulse loud in his ears and in his palms, and Jamie-on-the-phone asks:

"So like, that's a yes, right?"

"Yes! Of course it's a yes you gigantic prick!" Roy yells, and Jamie-on-the-screen fist pumps while Roy's world turns into one giant shriek of joy, and then there's champagne popping, and four different footballers bursting on the screen to hug and jump up and down and shout so loud Roy hears them even when Jamie has to take the phone away from his ear.

"Oh my god!" Keeley shouts, muffled, into Roy's neck when he hangs up, knowing full well there's no way Jamie's getting back to his phone until much later tonight. "Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!"

"Did you really not know?" Phoebe asks, shouting into his other ear.

"I knew he wanted to come out and go public about us," Roy says, falling back from the adrenaline-induced shouting to the best sort of daze. "I didn't know he was going to propose!"

And Roy sounds grumpy about it, he knows he does—will probably get shit from Jamie about it as soon as his fucking plane lands, really! And his sister, his niece, his friends are being way too loud about it, and now his phone's buzzing and will probably keep buzzing for the next four or five hours, and Roy sounds grumpy but he does not mean it for a fucking second.

[linkspooky]

Spooky, I'm so tired of seeing people say that "Megumi has no development/is badly written/sucks", especially on reddit, and now I almost started to cry because you started your last answer-meta about Megumi with "Megumi's actually the most complicated and well-written character in the manga", and let me tell you that's a lot coming from someone who writes such great metas!

Then I continue reading and you describe him in the same way that I perceive him but it's also like I'm seeing Megumi for the first time? it's difficult to express this but it always happens to me ... Megumi is so complicated that every time I read an analysis/meta about him this happens and I love it.

Sorry, I'm terrible at expressing myself and everything I wrote might be confusing but I needed to tell you, and also, Thank you for writing and sharing your metas! 🖤

Thank you for sending the ask, anon! I'm just happy you're a fan of Megumi and enjoy his character as much as I do. My friend @theanimepsychologist did a much better post than I did, explaining why exactly the complexity of Megumi's character is hard to miss. I wish I could just copy paste that whole post here and steal it, but I have some brief thoughts on why Megumi is oftentimes overlooked and it has to do with the fact that his development throughout the entire manga is hidden in the shadows.

I say Megumi's development is hidden in shadows, because in typical shonen manga tradition his character development goes hand in hand with him learning to use the Ten Shadows ability. It's outlined for him twice by both Gojo and Sukuna that Megumi should really be a lot more powerful than he is right now.

Megumi is your typical genius kid who everything comes so naturally to him he never learns to study, and therefore when moving up from high school to college begins to fall apart because he didn't learn the skills that would lead to his further development.

If you look at Megumi's situation, he should really be more powerful than he is. Megumi has the ten shadows, which is the strongest technique in the Zen'in, and apparently even capable of defeating a limitless user with the six eyes. Not only that, but he was handpicked and tutored by Gojo Satoru since he was a child, and he's clearly the student that Gojo takes the most interest in teaching.

Gojo and Yuta who have similiar natural talent are already at the level of special class at Megumi's age, and Yuta himself has only been a sorcerer for a year, but Megumi lingers at grade two. Gojo and Megumi himself are frustrated by his own lack of progression and neither of them can understand why.

In typical Gojo fashion, Gojo who only understands the world through the lens of sorcery, just suggests that Megumi get stronger at developing his ten shadows technique and everything else will work out. However, the reason Megumi can't advance isn't because he's not strong enough or not working hard enough, but because he's emotionally weak.

He falls apart mentally rather than physically, and we learn the reason why in his flashbacks to Tsumiki.

Megumi has no emotional reason to want to be a sorcerer, he doesn't even feel an obligation to save people does the way Yuji does, he was just groomed into it by Gojo. However, the loss of Tsumiki at middle school age makes Megumi falter, because the one reason he had for going forward is that he could possibly make Tsumiki safe because doing his job as a sorcerer gave them money to live... but then Tsumiki is out of the picture and Megumi is trapped in a life he doesn't want for no reason.

The difference between Megumi and Gojo that Gojo fails to notice, is that Gojo has an incredibly strong sense of self, and Megumi has no sense of self (which further inhabits his development). He's never once doing things for himself, despite calling himself selfish and espousing a much more selfish philosophy that Yuji does, his goals all focus around providing some kind of service or protection to others.

This is where Megumi's development starts becoming difficult to keep track of, because Megumi is a character who both changes a lot throughout the manga, and doesn't actually change at all. Which is a statement that makes no sense but let me explain: Megumi develops his ten shadows technique and on the outside is developing into a stronger sorcerer, but he never does the internal work and self reflection required to become emotionally strong.

Once again, Gojo in his great genius can only offer this advice to Megumi: Become strong, become a better sorcerer. This is because Gojo misses out that emotional issues are what is holding Megumi back. Megumi's first two major fights in the manga are losses, he's not strong enough to kill the curse on his own in the first chapter so Yuji eats the finger to help, he's not strong enough to stop Sukuna's rampage in Yuji's body, so Yuji dies in front of him.

It's two situations where Megumi reflects, "If I was strong enough, I would have been able to do X, Y, and Z, therefore it's my fault that this bad thing happened."

So we see Megumi throughout the arcs, continually developing his ten shadows technique to be stronger, while at the same time avoiding personal development. The biggest moment of this is origin of obedience, where he unlocks his partial domain expansion and then a few chapters later just avoids an emotionally difficult conversation with Yuji because he's scared to talk with him.

Megumi's desire is to feel free and grow into a better version of himself, but he stops at every opportunity to develop emotionally because that's harder. Gojo suggests that Megumi just pursue strength, so Megumi just starts finding himself in violence. Which is why the progression we do see in his character is him getting stronger and better at using his technique, coupled with him being more openly violent and more like his father the shadow of violence who is always chasing after him. This is what turns Megumi into Mr. "I'll totally kill people in the Culling Games if I need to."

Would Megumi at the beginning of the manga been okay with slaughtering normal people to get points in a game, maybe yes maybe no but he does advocate for just leaving a prisoner to die to curses because they committed a crime once. If anything his development post shibuya is just exaggerating a side to him that was already there. Megumi in times of crisis falls back on violence for survival because that's what Gojo taught him.

Megumi grows more confident with his abilities, he uses them in more creative ways, he even starts demonstrating himself as a leader among the group basically coming up with the strategy for the culling games. He's also more emotionally open with Yuji than he was in the past. There's definite emotional progression.

Beginning of the manga Megumi is lacking in confidence -> Yuji dies in front of him, he realizes his need to get stronger and starts applying himself -> In the Kyoto battle arc despite training with the second years he still falls short in the battle against Hanami -> Gojo reveals to megumi part of the reason he has a mental block against getting stronger is because he's downplaying himself for the sake of others, and afterwards Megumi starts imagining a better version of himself for the first time -> Megumi shows his strength at cooperating in Shibuya, fighting with Yuji, and then later Maki and the rest against Dagon -> Megumi is the one who convinces Yuji to keep fighting showing his emotional development and comes up with the strength for the culling games -> Megumi uses his domain expansion again but much more confidently than he did in origin of obedience.

There's clear progression here on Megumi's part that I can even give a general summary and map out, but at the same time the fundamental problem has not been solved, that Megumi doesn't have a thoroughly developed sense of self and self destructs. Gojo even says as much that part of the reason he's so limited in using his abilities is because he thinks he has Mahoraga to fall back on.

He tries to use Mahoraga in the fight against Sukuna, tries to use it against Todo of all people, tries to use it against the special grade spirit in origin of obedience and this time stops himself (making progress) only to once again default to using Mahoraga in Shibuya when he's cornered. Megumi doesn't try to personally develop himself because he considers his own life worthless and that behavior never stops. It keeps persisting until we get all the way to Sukuna taking over his body, which happened because Megumi ignored every warning from Yuji that Sukuna was planning for something. Because in that case he just assumed Sukuna would kill him and Megumi doesn't care about that because he doesn't value his own life.

Which is where we get the great paradox that is Megumi, he's the most developed character in the manga with a great deal of the manga focused on both his slow progression as a character, but also revealing more parts of his personality that the audience would not notice at first. People who saw Megumi advocate for leaving prisoners behind to die in the first arc of the manga, probably wouldn't assume he'd go so far as killing people in the culling games to get point, because it's quicker that way and he can justify killing bad people, but that's the natural extreme of that behavior to begin with.

We see more and more of Megumi's repressed anger, and his abandonment issues with his sister and his parents, so his character is moving, but we also don't see a lot of progression on those issues because Megumi's not focusing on trying to be a better person just being a better sorcerer.

In typical shonen manga fashion, the focus is put on Megumi getting stronger and learning to develop his technique ore. In atypical shonen manga fashion, Megumi is actually punished by the narrative for only caring about getting stronger. Sukuna's possession of him, and his loss of Tsumiki are both things caused by Megumi being ignorant until the last moment and keeping himself hidden in the shadows too, if he'd valued himself more he'd have steered clear of Sukuna and Yuji because of the danger, if he'd paid more attention to his sister he'd notice Yorozu in his body.

Which is what makes Megumi so unique, but also a little hard to understand because he is in so many ways a typical shonen jump character, and in other ways he's nothing like them because he's just Megumi.

[plushieclan]

Treeclan’s Tale: From the Grave

<< Return to Moon 13 interlude

It wasn’t odd for a young molly to have kits. It was expected, even. Never stated out loud… but everyone knew it. Lynxclaw knew it was something that would happen to her eventually— but now that she was expecting kits, she had strange feelings she never anticipated.

She loved her mate. She knew she would love her kits too, but at the same time… something nagged at the back of her mind.

Is this all she would ever be?

“Are you sure you don’t need more help moving in?” Ratleaf asked.

“I’m alright, Rat.” Lynxclaw said.

Hopebud bumped Lynxclaw’s side. “You don’t have to worry about her, Ratleaf. She’ll have me.”

Beetleheart had his jaws on a large rat, which he left at Lynxclaw’s feet. “The best freshkill for the new mother!”

“Dad—!” Lynxclaw started to protest— after all, she had only just found out she was expecting kits a day ago! She still had at least a moon and a half before the kits were born, according to Aspenstripe.

It was Lynxclaw’s mate, Locustclaw, who suggested she pick a nest early and move some of her moss into it. After all, it would be more comfortable to ease herself into the nursery than move all at once, he supposed. Hopebud was already in the process of staking out their future nest, though they weren’t moving into the nursery yet either. But why had her brother and father insisted on tagging along too?

“Let’s not crowd them, you two.” the voice of a familiar molly rang out.

Beetleheart and Ratleaf backed off, letting her stride through. It was Lynxclaw’s mother, Slatestripe.

“Sorry, mom.” Ratleaf murmured.

“I understand you want to help her, but I know from experience that everyone fretting just makes it more stressful.” Slatestripe said calmly. “Lynx, would you like to go on a walk with me?”

Lynxclaw practically jumped at the opportunity. “Of course mom!”

The mother and daughter ducked out of the weaved brambles of the nursery and strode through the bushes. At the outskirts of camp, Lynxclaw paused.

“Hey, mom?”

Slatestripe stopped, looking back at her daughter. “Yes, Lynx?”

“Did,” she gulped, then continued, “did you ever feel like you were giving up on your dreams when you had me?”

Slatestripe looked surprised, before her confusion turned to a soft smile. She sat down, before patting the grass next to her. “Come, sit.”

Lynxclaw obliged, making herself comfortable next to her mother.

“You know… I was in the running for deputy once.” Slatestripe started.

Lynxclaw gasped. “You were?!”

“Yes. The old deputy was killed on patrol… Badgerstar wanted someone young to replace him. Someone who could become leader. That was almost me.”

Slatestripe cocked her head to the side. “But… on the prey pile that morning, there was a sign pointing to someone else.”

“Aunt Bonestripe.” Lynxclaw breathed.

Slatestripe nodded. “I won’t lie… that day, I cried a little. I thought that my ambitions were destroyed,” she smiled, as though reminiscing on an old memory. “But your aunt… as cunning and cold as she is, she always turned to me for advice. And when someone broke the warrior code, I helped explain their position to her and allowed them to stay in the clan. That was the day I realized that deputy wasn’t the end-all-be-all.”

Lynxclaw blinked. “So… you’re saying I should aim for deputy?”

Slatestripe laughed. “No, Lynx. I’m saying that even if your original goals seem lost to you now, there’s always a way to follow your ambitions… even if they change a little on the way.”

Slatestripe got to her feet, turning back to her daughter.

“That being said… if you did become deputy, I would support you every step of the way.”

—

Lynxclaw still ruminated on the lesson her mother had given her. Standing up, she padded her way out of the camp for some air. What did she want to after this? Certainly, she didn’t want to be boxed into the role of mother forever. But she wasn’t sure if she wanted to be deputy.

As she stepped through the forest, she heard some strange noises. They almost sounded like… wheezing?

“Hello?” Lynxclaw said, dropping into a crouch. She wasn’t too large yet— so she was able to slink towards the target without issue.

There, hidden beneath a bush, was her aunt.

“A-Auntie!” Lynxclaw ran towards her. Bonestripe was on the ground, her face contorted into a pained scowl. “What happened?!”

Bonestripe heaved. “D-deathroot… that bastard… he poisoned me!”

Lynxclaw panicked. What could she do? She only had one idea. “Uh, stay here! I’m going to get some help!”

Bonestripe growled. “No use, you fool! They’re… the ones… who did this….”

Lynxclaw didn’t stick around. She needed to help her aunt. Quickly, she ran towards the cleric den. There was a spot in the back where she could squeeze into the log, she remembered. Yarrowheart had gotten scolded when he snuck in that way.

Ignoring the pain in her legs, she pushed herself into the den.

There, she was surrounded by herbs of many smells and sizes. What did her aunt need?

“Lynxclaw?” Cloverpelt shambled into the den. “What did you need?”

“I-I think I accidentally ate some deathroot!” she lied, frantically.

Cloverpelt looked annoyed, then fumbled around with some herbs on a shelf. Lynxclaw could have sworn she heard her mumbling something about overdramatic queens.

She spat out something black at Lynxclaw’s feet. “This should neutralize any deathroot you might have swallowed.”

Then, she left.

Lynxclaw quickly grasped it in her jaws and squeezed out the way she came. From there, it was just a short run to where Bonestripe lay. But every moment of it was agonizing.

“What… do you have… in your mouth?” Bonestripe asked, weakly.

“Dunno. But eat it.” Lynxclaw’s voice was muffled.

“That… that isn’t allowed, Lynx.”

“Shut up!”

Lynxclaw kneeled to her aunt’s side, nudging her mouth open, and feeding her the black substance. Bonestripe weakly swallowed it.

Lynxclaw sighed. “I-I’ll stay with you until I’m sure you’ll be ok.”

Bonestripe looked furious, but she could barely lift her head.

“A thank you would be appreciated for saving your life.” Lynxclaw growled.

“I don’t want you… breaking rules on my behalf.” Bonestripe practically whispered. “Especially with your kits…. They’ll use it as an excuse… to hurt them too.”

“Who did this to you?”

“I… don’t know.” Bonestripe admitted. “But… I know Badgerstar is behind it… he always is…”

“How did you know it was deathroot?”

Bonestripe paused.

“Not… the first poisoning… he’s done. Deathberries are too… easy to cure. Deathroot… hard to find the cure…. Need to trade for it.”

Lynxclaw frowned. “Why would Cloverpelt give me some then?”

Bonestripe laughed. “…didn’t want to deal with… Slatestripe mourning again… my guess.”

Lynxclaw sat there, looking at the withered husk of her aunt. She was too stubborn to ask for help— too paranoid to trust anyone. She cursed their clan for pushing Bonestripe to that point.

“I’m going to move you somewhere safer.” Lynxclaw finally said.

“You… don’t have to.”

“Shut up.”

Lynxclaw slowly dragged Bonestripe to the base of a tree she knew had an old snake den dug into. Inside, she put Bonestripe. She covered the top with leaves.

Hopefully, she would be safer there. Bonestripe seemed to be regaining a bit of her strength. Lynxclaw was certain she would make it.

She padded her way back to camp, before slipping in. It didn’t seem like anyone noticed she was gone.

Some of the older warriors were huddled up by the elder’s den. Lynxclaw could barely hear their conversation.

“…won’t be deputy much longer…”

Lynxclaw paused. They were talking about her aunt.

She found herself walking to the side of the elder’s bush, as if heading to the dirtplace. Instead of leaving camp, she was quiet as she pressed herself into the leaves of the den. Then, she listened.

“Bah, what do you even mean by that, Shinewhisker?” Flybracken, an older tortoiseshell warrior, said.

“Oh… just a hunch.” Shinewhisker laughed.

Shinewhisker was a brown-and-white warrior— Goosetuft’s father, Lynxclaw remembered. He would have a good motive to poison her aunt. After all, his mate Brokenpad was one of Badgerstar’s children, and a staunch supporter of his faction.

“Treason talk isn’t good to have in camp.” Larchfang, another senior warrior, mentioned.

“Who’s even listening? Slatestripe? She’s a bleeding heart, but even she realizes that Bonestripe’s not becoming leader.” Shinewhisker said. “I mean, not even the rest of the cursed family is on Bonestripe’s side!”

I’m on her side! Lynxclaw thought. Then, she remembered how invisible she was to her clanmates. She doubted they even remembered she was a member of the same family as Bonestripe, at this point.

“Who do you think will become deputy instead?” Flybracken asked.

“Hopefully Houndheart. It’s better to have one of Badgerstar’s kits in the seat. I’d like Brokenpad, but we’re getting a bit too old for that stuff nowadays.”

Larchfang spoke up. “Houndheart?! Don’t be stupid, Shinewhisker. Slatestripe is meant to be leader. Badgerstar will pick her after Bonestripe passes.”

“She’s too fond of that cursed family now, and too unwilling to grab her destiny. It shouldn’t happen— not after she had those kits with that cursed tom.” Flybracken grumbled.

Lynxclaw couldn’t listen to them insult her mother any more. She left abruptly, pretending she was returning from the dirtplace. The senior warriors never even paid any attention to her. She was invisible to them— nothing more than just a queen. Slatestripe’s daughter. Maybe even a cursed one, if they remembered that. But she would use that to her advantage.

—

“It was Shinewhisker. Maybe Brokenpad helped.”

Bonestripe was cleaning the dirt off her paws. “How in Starclan did you learn this?”

“I listened in on their conversation.”

She huffed, before standing.

“…Very well. I’ll take this information to your brother. I’ll have him organize a trial for them.”

She turned to leave. Lynxclaw stopped her with a paw on her shoulder.

“Wait. I have one more thing.”

Bonestripe grunted. “No. Whatever it is, no.”

“Let me be your informant!”

“Absolutely not!” she growled. “This was dangerous enough as-is!”

Lynxclaw shook her head. “It’s not dangerous at all. Nobody even notices me, after all. All I’m doing is being observant.”

Bonestripe sighs. “You won’t relent until I say yes, will you?”

Lynxclaw nodded.

“You’re just like your mother.” She chuckled a bit, almost smiling. “Fine. Bring me any information you think will help.”

With that, she walked away to camp.

Treeclan was a den of wolves. And every day, it seemed like they tried to swallow their family whole. But Lynxclaw would live a sheep in wolves pelt, because that was what she was good at. And maybe one day, her clan would be better… for both herself, and her future kits.

[themist-underground]

How do you think a villain bonnie would play out

Okay so I thought about it for a bit, and since I have a hard time seeing Canon Bonnie becoming a true vilain - not just a dark version of herself, I was stuck. I imagine that she could have a hard/cold exterior but at her core she would always have a kind heart.

But then I thought maybe if in her earlier life she had a cataclysmic event that pushed her to snap...

As you know there's many plot holes and normalized abuse in TVD, and so many things that make NO sense... Bonnie is the last Bennett of her line, she's so rare and precious, yet no one protects her. Its mentionned that the Bennetts are so rare and special too. They are said to be fiercely powerful and independent yet they cannot help but being stuck in lives of servitude and loneliness...All those qualities and yet that kills them...

In the show, the Bennetts ancient blood and magic are so sought after, and I thought of how Kai stabbed Bonnie to get her blood, so he could get out of the Prison World without her.

So maybe in this horror AU, humans and occults, vampires most likely, hunt certain witches to harvest their blood and store it, maybe even sell it?? They do it so much that they're this close of going extinct.

Difference is Bonnie is treated as a precious person, she grows up in a protected place and nobody hid that she was a witch from her, so she's able to learn witchcraft earlier.

That would be a great opportunity for Bonnie "the last born and most powerful of her line" to mean something.

She would go ape shit on the vampires who used her, her family and used and killed so many witches. She would have the means because of her power and smarts. Even better if her family and ancetors are allies.

Instead of her dumbass obligation as Mystic Falls protector, she would choose to be a Witch Protector. Her goal would be to stop the Bennett murders and free every witches from those shackles. She would become a vilain with a goal that the viewer or reader could agree with, even if the means she use are somewhat immoral (think using dark magic like expression, manipulation, torture and murder).

Canon Bonnie has the potential to be an unstoppable and feared force. For once, I want her to embrace chaos instead of submitting to it.

(start of mini rant) Okay this is also me being blood thirsty, because TVD made me resent vampires so much, I used to like them, but in TVD they are so selfish and immature ugh. It's like humans and other occults are just NPCs in their world?? 😣😣(rant over)

Second Plot: One other thing that would make Bonnie snap (IMO) is if she loses her friends. In the show, because they didn't care about our sweet Bon and probably to make it easier for the teenagers to get into occult messes, they wrote her as having almost no family and being neglected and then rapidly she becoming an orphan. Her circle of friends are her found family. It's the one thing that keeps her going. It's the one thing that ties her to Mystic Falls.**

(second mini rant) **Like why would she stay and protect a town that's so dangerous and hostile to her kind, where her ancestors and close parents died in awful ways?? Not to mention she, herself, also died there. Twice! Emily was a slave, and after being betrayed she burned at the stake, so she was criminaly burned alive in the same place her innocent ancestors were murdered, and yet centuries after Shiela decided that secrecy was the thing that was going to protect her kin? I love Grams but wtf?? talk about generational curse and trauma whaaat *tears* (second mini rant over)

Her friends are everything to her, I hate it but she would literally give her life for them.

If they profoundly betrayed her, to the point she could never forgive them, that would deeply change her, but that might also give her space and freedom to live her life away from Mystic Falls. Let her give in to those hard emotions, she's not allowed to feel in the show:

anger

rage

resentement

loneliness

frustration

grief

being repressed, etc...

After fighting with her ex-friends, she wouldn't be a vilain for long, she would just do nothing with them. So I'm not sure it would count as a vilian!Bonnie storyline. But sometimes when you're a people pleaser being selfish and choosing yourself is like a bad thing. Also everyone that isn't a vampire or Matt is the enemy in this show, so maybe being an independent "selfish" black witch would be the equivalent of a vilain to them? lol

Third plot: If someone killed all her friends, and if even with all the magic and spell she could cast, she would be helpless to bring them back, she would just snap. It would be so tragic because she would have lost everyone. She would move earth for them or to avenge them. I can imagine her being ovewhelmed and mad with grief and her power would react to it.

Imagine her with 100% untamed magic. Her power alone would be something to be feared and in awe of.

So that's my take so far. I did read really good fanfics about Bonnie being a vilain or a mean girl I wonder if it's maybe that's what you thought of, when asking your question.

What do you think?

[electricbluebutterflies]

Bertha x George ~ “Wanna see how you look when you come undone under me.” 

NSFW and also on ao3.

It’s all so much more than she expected.

Spring turns to summer in a pleasant haze Bertha is unsure will wear off anytime soon. She has accomplished the foundation of what may be rapidly evolving goals; she is respectably married, and more than that she is happy, and-

She did not assume, not even once a delicate ring had been slipped on her finger, that married life would be so affectionate. As with everything else, she wants to see how much she can get out of it.

It turns out that she quite likes what had only ever been explained to her as obligations. There is something playful about it, about being young and in love and fearless and-

What they do is pleasant enough, but she’s curious if there are other ways they could make each other happy.

They’re tangled up in bed, hands wandering, she’s become so used to the want of it and how good they already are and this is barely the beginning and to think that she might get this for the rest of her life and-

“I have an idea.”

She likes the way her husband looks at her, eyes deep with not just desire but something more, this utter fascination with her that makes her feel infinite and-

“Yes?”

“Could I try being on top? I want to see how you look when you come undone under me.”

He takes a good kiss, deep and a little bitey and she feels other parts of her body flutter, and-

“It would be a pleasant view for me too.”

They are still learning each other. She is not yet what she will become, and not entirely sure what she’s doing, and she straddles his waist and leans down for more kisses and goodness she is going to like this and-

There is still a part of her that struggles to admit weakness or confusion, and she moves carefully, almost teasing him as she decides where exactly to drop. She keeps a hand between them, and she likes the tension of him under her, and-

“Let me-“

“I think I’m-“

He moves her hand out of the way and replaces it with his own, teasing her petals before parting them, they are figuring this out as they go and they are both-

It’s different, having this control. She has had no complaints on her back, but this new position allows different sensations, the stretch and the ache of it and-

“Lean up to kiss me,” she breathes. “Please.”

That makes it even better. The angle changes pleasantly, and she is still learning all the things her body can feel, and-

She’ll try anything, she’s well aware of that. There are many ways that two people can take pleasure in each other, and she is going to get good at all of them. One new idea at a time.

She rolls her hips and chases the new feeling, something internal that she hasn’t felt so strongly before in intimacies, and the pressure of it all is so good and so much and-

She’d wanted to watch him fall apart. She still does. Ladies first.

She moves through the sensation, watches it bring him closer, and what a beautiful sight she gets when it does. She does like looking at him, and that moment when it is all too much is just beautiful, how his body tenses and releases, the pretty sounds he makes and the sensations she gets in return and-

“I liked that,” she says, very casual as she moves off of him. “I wasn’t sure-“

“Somehow you are even more than I thought.”

“And you adore it.”

“Completely.”

[scramble-crossing]

your writing has like totally reframed minamimoto as a character for me, its so cool. like of COURSE this central idea of social interconnectedness and the worth of it to someone with other priorities would be explored in echoes throughout the cast, like the story is asking Has asked sho the same question its asking neku. which i guess is also just. what a foil is lol.

its just wild tho, like down to the interest in art, theyre so similar that its like hes a version of this story of isolation that went differently !! i could totally see his backstory as showing him go thru life+the reapers game as Almost realizing people are worth it, swerving away from that conclusion into self-reverence, and there NEO shows him approaching it again, as if to illustrate the idea that there is no point at which it is 'too late' for someone to re-evaluate the world and how they look at it.

(and the idea that he does this, while still not having an entry fee of i think, his ability to relate w others?? could be such a cool examination of the idea of empathy, and how its different from compassion/kindness/caring for people)

anyway thank you!!!! bc of u i have a richer understanding of my favorite game now :)))

;-; Oh jeeze...that's so kind of you to say!! I'm so happy you enjoy my silly little shoposting :] Spreading Sho Narrative Propaganda is my ultimate goal and so I'm absolutely thrilled to hear that whatever the heck I've been doing on this blog for the last year and a half has actually impacted someone's view on Sho as a character.

"like of COURSE this central idea of social interconnectedness and the worth of it to someone with other priorities would be explored in echoes throughout the cast, like the story is asking Has asked sho the same question its asking neku"

^^^Yes!!! Exactly!! Part of why Sho is so fascinating to me is because he is the only main character in the series who has not yet answered this question for himself (Because Joshua has. He, at some point, chose to forsake closeness and actual relation to humanity in favour of his position as Composer, and however much he may regret it or wish that things were different, he still, for reasons we don't quite understand, holds onto it (Perhaps out of obligation? Perhaps there is no easy exist strategy for a being of his status and composition). In any case I think NEO makes it clear that his story has concluded, however miserable a conclusion that may be).

I mentioned this before, but it's the fact that we have already seen the worst-case scenario in Joshua, the lowest that Neku could have possible gone had he made different choices, that makes me hope for a redemption arc for Sho.

"...as if to illustrate the idea that there is no point at which it is 'too late' for someone to re-evaluate the world and how they look at it."

I cannot overstate how much I love this. It does fit so well with the themes of the series to show a character grapple with the fact that a worldview he's held for so long is extremely toxic and damaging to both himself and others in a messier and more complex way, and farther into adulthood, too, than the majority of our cast. While this is more into the realm of headcanon, I do think that there is a part of Sho that only clings to his ambitions to become the Composer because at this point he has invested too much in the pursuit, and to abandon it would be to admit that everything he's lost or discarded, his friendship with the Wicked Twisters, the prime years of his youth, his life, not just once, but twice, because had he joined the Twisters there's a chance he could have shared in their second chance...it would all be for nothing.

"Is this what you're searching for?"

"Are you scared to know the truth?"

I would kill for a threequel that explores Sho's journey as his resolve begins to waver and he realizes that overcoming the Composer was never possible, and maybe wasn't ever what would make him feel...happy? Complete? Nothing about the cold and lonely darkness of the Room of Reckoning could ever fill whatever emptiness was inside of him that made him dedicate himself so fiercely to this goal in the first place. And despite the years that have slipped by him with failure after failure after failure, he can still start again, and make something new of himself.

Joshua, Neku, and Sho are three sides of a very strange coin. One failed to connect with others and rationalized this lapse to himself by digging in his heels with his severely individualistic mentality, shrugging off his personal responsibility to make efforts to empathize with or understand the perspective of other people by insisting that it just isn't possible. Neku is the same. Or at least, he was. But then he made the choice to try anyways, and discovered that even if we cannot always see eye-to-eye, we challenge ourselves and make ourselves into wiser, kinder, better people by reaching out to others and, if only for a little while, making their world a part of our own.

Sho exists somewhere in the middle, sharing and maintaining many of the same beliefs ("All the world needs is me" / "All that matters is MY beauty!"), while also growing in a way that seems to have him challenging some of his own preconceived notions on the worth of other people, even if it's with baby steps. There is so much potential to parallel his arc with both Neku's and Joshua's in a very interesting way while still letting him carry his own unique message, and I do genuinely believe that if Square wanted, they could make something incredible out of a game with a narrative focused predominantly on him, and his answer to the series' greatest question.

...And maybe how he came to have to ask it in the first place?

I'm gonna shamelessly plug my fic Loner Phase here because it's all about exploring Sho's potential backstory and how it led to him becoming the person we see him as at the start of the first game. I started writing it faaaaairly recently and quickly distracted myself with writing a fic for the twewy bang (no regrets though. Crazy stressed about the time limit because I'm obviously a bit of a slow writer and tend to bite off waaaay more than I can chew, but I'm working on it. It'll be fine.) so there's only one chapter so far, but chapter two...it's coming. It's getting there. <- said with my head in my hands

I'm rambling but genuinely your comment made my day :] This is my first time being active in a fanbase and I feel so grateful for all the kind and creative people I've encountered here. You guys are the best 💖