#otp: magic is desire made real

[adanseydivorce]

adam from trc? (for the characters ask game!)

Why I like them: Difficult to sum up since he’s one of my favorite characters of all time, I mentioned he’s probably my second favorite specifically male character in media and I stand by that <3. He has a lot of traits that appeal to me between the control issues and emotional repression and being curious and wanting to know what is up at all times and being a resourceful smart bb who can probably (the traits that most make me vibe with male chars tbh), his ambition and drive and desire for autonomy is really admirable to me but I enjoy that his arc in original trc is about learning he’s worthy of loving and being loved and about the value of that, that vulnerability isn’t automatically going to lead to being ruined in a sense. And his whole journey/arc in original trc is really beautifully done, one of my favorite character arcs ever to this day. On the flip side he’s a freak and a menace and I adore that as well, his internal monologue and pov is truly unhinged in the most fascinating and fun way. I definitely wouldn’t be nearly as attached to him without that. And I love stories about identity and masking and characters who feel alien and other having malleable relationships to identity to conform… so that might have started a bit with my love for Adam I’m realizing.

Why I don’t: I’m satisfied enough with how the arc played out in canon to not hold this against him when it comes to my feelings about his char especially since the breakdown of Blue and Adam’s relationship is pretty compelling to me in general, but anytime I see fandom takes that act like he Never treated Blue badly during their relationship at all and blame her for everything … Bombastic side eye doesn’t begin to cover it. But that’s only related to fandom bs, in terms of moments I actually dislike him which are not reckoned with by the narrative at all obviously it’s the racism re: Henry in TRK, ugh.

Favorite episode (scene if movie): tbh so much of my favorite Adam content comes in his internal monologues and PoV rather than what he’s Doing in a scene… but DC Party scene is incredible <33. If you made me pick another scene would go with him blackmailing Greenmantle nefarious king <3. Oh but also being unbothered by Kavinsky’s death iconic… wait I actually changed my mind pretend I never said those things it’s definitely the sacrifice scene in TRB yes that is my final answer.

Favorite season/movie: I love his entire arc and journey in trc so much so it really could be any book each for different reasons but I’ll say TDT, I love a Downward Spiral that’s interesting and messy <33. But also his BLLB arc rules… but it is the more obvious answer since it’s more positive/uplifting so yeah will stick to TDT answer and unpopular opinion but he’s the best part of that book for me.

Favorite line: lonesome internal monologue is iconic for a reason it’s incredible… also his whole internal monologue about being jealous of all combinations of his (hot) friend hanging out without him is soo real and iconic. Oh also ik I slander TRK but his monologue about loving magic and not knowing he was capable of love before and then Cabeswater showing him the images of his friends in moments linked to heightened emotions surrounding them… went off. If we’re going with just dialogue World’s Ending Folks! tirade is iconic + the internal monologues surrounding it… so much fun to dissect together.

Favorite outfit: the white shirt and cargo pants from BLLB ig my man has no drip… actually changed my mind it’s the secondhand tweed suit Gansey’s dad gave him he wears at Harvard for symbolism reasons.

OTP: Adam/Gansey. I love him with Ronan too and find stuff to be compelled by re: him and Blue but Adansey just hits on a different level emotionally and narratively they are everything…

Brotp: Persephone I love their psychic mentorship in BLLB.

Head Canon: would not have said this was my take before this reread but I do actually think of Adam as having some more internalized homophobia than most of the fandom, not as intense and exacerbated by religious shame as Ronan’s but there in a subtler way. I think Adam at the beginning of the series has some level of awareness about his attraction to men without fully registering it/accepting it, when he thinks about a model for success in TRB&TDT it’s this very heterosexual WASP ideal him watching Declan and Ashley as a model is very this to me for instance and I reblogged some older meta posts about this I agree with (stopping myself here because I kind of want to make a separate post about my thoughts here at some point).

Unpopular opinion: He’s quite an emotional mess for most of the series so fanon portrayals of him as totally cool and collected and put together rub me the wrong way especially after rereading where it Really stood out to me how much fanon and canon tend to diverge... He’s a logical, pragmatic person and a brilliant problem solver but that boy is emotional as fuck (Not soft at all which is totally different from emotional imo) and his efforts to deal with that logically make it worse (I can relate but that’s beside the point), he’s also really not smooth it’s just that Ronan and Gansey’s disasternous is more telegraphed and it makes Adam’s easier to downplay, also a trademark of Adam narration is that He prefers to see himself as a totally logical in control of emotions person and will downplay his emotional investment/emotions as a factor even when his feelings come out in other thoughts and especially especially when you look at his actions….

A wish: makes me deeply sad that even though he clearly values knowledge, loves when other people love knowledge for it’s own sake and get’s a taste of that passion himself when it comes to how much he loves being a powerful psychic/doing magic, he never gets to have that in his academic pursuits because they’re all tailored to get him out of Henrietta / help him win at the capitalist American dream… I so want for him to find a major he’s actually passionate about.

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: well from the Greywaren spoilers I heard (I read CDTH and MI when they came out and now that I’m done rereading the original series am rereading them and will then read Greywaren so will.. try to reserve judgement but what I’ve heard to me is 😬) but aside from that I did always hate the idea of him losing his psychic powers and I’m glad that specifically didn’t happen.

5 words to best describe them: ambitious, observant, obsessive, practical, neurotic

My nickname for them: don’t have one, but I did call him a Freak (affectionate) a lot while rereading so I guess you could count that

thank you so much! (send me a character for ask game)

[positivelybeastly]

Did you see Gillen and Brevoort said Beast (used to be/could have been) was the most romantic x man? Veeeeery interesting. Gillen seemingly wanted to redeem beast in SWORD through his love for Abigail but feels that’s been taken off the table at this point. If only there were some other person he held near and dear to his heart who might be able to give him both love and time to grow past this unfortunate moment

"I'm through with love hangovers,

It's best that I stay sober.

No rolling in the clover,

No Gretna Green trip over.

No honeymoon in Paris,

I only feel embarrassed for the,

Cool cats,

The charmed kittens,

Both smitten by the love songs

That he's written.

Caught in the sights of a,

Deadly sniper:

The magic piper of love.

The magic piper of love.

Of love, of love!"

Anon, you beat me to this - the instant I saw that thread on Reddit, I was just besides myself with jimmy legs because I wanted to get back home and post about it immediately.

SO. CONTEXT.

Over at AIPT Comics, they have this segment called X-Men Mondays, where they'll send out various themed questions to people at the X-office to answer, usually as just kind of a fun, fuckabout sort of thing.

Today's was Valentine's Day themed, because, well, it's the 12th of February, there's not a ton else to talk about.

The question naturally came up.

AIPT: Who, in your opinion, is the most romantic X-character? (And why?)

Everyone gets a look in, from Xavier to Wolverine to Havok to Mystique, but. Okay, so, like. Kieron Gillen answered four times in this thread, and most of it was just funny answers, but in response to THIS question, he said this in response:

Kieron Gillen: You know, Beast in the timeline where my S.W.O.R.D. got past issue 5 would have been good for this, but the timeline we ended up in had (er) somewhat less romance interested Beast. Perhaps someone could go back in time and try and do something about it. “We have to time travel to save Beast!” “Why? Is it all his genocides?” “No, he has to carry on devotedly making blueberry muffins.”

. . . . . . . .

Ladies, gentleman, non-binary individuals. S.W.O.R.D was cancelled 14 years ago. It died in 2009. But Kieron Gillen refuses to stop being salty about it, and you know what? You know what? Fucking good for him, because I'm fucking salty about it too!!!

But, like, this is such a wild answer to me! Just, unprompted, one of the premier comic book talents of the day just being like, hey, fuck you all, I really liked my little Beast-Brand OTP book. This man is one of my people, I know this. Well. I already knew this, to be fair, I got him to sign my trade paperback copy of that exact series, but that was over a decade ago, and he's STILL flying that flag???

HE REMEMBERS THE MUFFINS.

LOOK AT MY FUCKING OOC TAG.

IT'S OUTOFMUFFINS.

Then Brevoort, who, by the way, is the incoming editor for the X-Men books, said this:

Tom Brevoort: Back in the day, it was the Beast, before he threw over human needs and desires in favor of science. Nightcrawler also had some moves, but he doesn’t really use them as often anymore. So these days, Gambit is the clear winner. Angel wants to be, but he’s mostly all talk. But Gambit thinks about this stuff.

These are.

Interesting comments.

Beast literally could not be less relevant to the wider Krakoan story arc. X-Force exists in its own little bubble of black ops and body horror, and yet, unprompted, both one of the headline members of the talent (who has made sure to put Hank and Abigail in books for no real reason other than he likes them) and the incoming editor are both like, y'know, Hank was a real romantic back in the day. There's some affection there. It gives me hope. It makes me smile.

Now, I hasten to point out, this is not #WonderbeastConfirmed. We have no idea how these last two issues of X-Force are going to play out. But it is.

Interesting.

Oh, I also want to take a moment to call out Anthony Oliveira, who said this:

Anthony Oliveira: If you want the truth, you go to Emma. But nobody wants the truth. So they go to Jean, who can throw you a reality TV and ice cream pity party like you wouldn’t believe. She has those top-of-the-line flowy pajama pants that facilitate conversation, you know? Worst is Hank McCoy, who has been giving bad advice for decades before his war criminal era. One time he took Angelo Espinosa on a car trip that bummed me out so bad I’m still thinking about it 30 years later.

THAT bummed you out, bro?

Pssh, okay, dude.

Anyway.

Kieron Gillen remains my guy.

[burberrycanary]

Favorite Season 1 Bishmont Moments [1/?]: Matthew’s Insecurities

You may not like what you see. —A Discovery of Witches 1.05

How Matthew responds to Diana’s care, acceptance and protective instincts is amazing. “I’ve never felt so protective over anyone,” he said back in Oxford, trying to understand his own feelings and meaning I’ve never loved anyone like this. Here, after letting himself be so vulnerable, he is met with this: Diana being intensely, violently protective over him, which means she must feel at least part of what he is feeling—maybe she really does love him back the way he loves her—and that? That is some heady, heady stuff for someone with Matthew’s doubts and fears.

[another-snape-story]

Quidditch Incident

Chapter XIX

Quidditch pitch came into sight as the trees thinned out into a wide field. The stands were full of cheering fans and their loud uproar reached you from afar. Neither you nor Snape had desire to merge into this excited buzz preferring the solitude you shared together, yet your feet inevitably led you to the epicenter of an event.

Not that you were a big Quidditch fan, but one couldn’t deny the whole atmosphere contributed to a gambling mood. Moreover, since Hogwarts provided not much entertainment, you found it really nice to change the setting and clear your mind – last days were quite tough.

The view opening from the height of tribunes induced an eye to roam freely over the hills and plains which spread far to the horizon building a landscape of all vivid colors. The brilliant greens, reds and yellows banished every dark thought. Cool wind blowing you in the face felt especially pleasant under warm rays of sun, and the man beside you added gayety to your spirits.

You watched final preparations being done anticipating the teams to appear on the pitch while Snape watched you. The fire of life he thought had gone out, flared up in his soul anew. Your kind attitude reminded him he was a human – with simple human desires and aspirations. Could he be blamed for striving for at least one fleeting touch of warmth? Ironically, after admitting he seemed to have found someone he’s been longing to come into his life for so long, he felt astray like never before. Snape didn’t know how things with the Dark Lord might turn out. Involving you into this dangerous game never came along with his plans.

“Here they are!” your cheerful voice pulled the man out of despairing reflections. In a blink, players soared up in the air looping around the pitch and greeting their fans and guests who arrived to attend the first Quidditch match in this season. “I hope we win!”

Bitterness which lied upon Snape’s heart melted away as he saw your eyes full of ingenuous delight. Although the score was the least of his concerns, he softly smiled in response. “Yes, I do hope so too.”

Once two captains shook hands, Madam Hooch’s whistle announced the game to begin, and four balls, freed from ties, blasted off at full tilt. Following the Quaffle going from one team to another, you also tried to keep an eye on Bludgers aimed to kick players off their brooms, shrinking every time iron spheres threatened to reach the goal. Quidditch has never been a bore always offering a spectacular performance, but the only thing you hated about it was an extremely high risk of injuries.

Slytherin scored another ten points, and the half of stands packed with swarm of green colors exulted in triumphant elation. Engulfed in overall excitement, you grinned happily until you noticed Harry Potter struggling to tame his Nimbus Two Thousand which seemed to have gone wild jolting and swishing and… bucking him off? Your heart sank.

“Severus,” you nervously seized his hand, “something’s wrong with Potter’s broom!” Eyes widened in terror, you looked up at the man, but he already was aware of the trouble.  

“I know,” he answered briefly, a mixture of confusion and determination on his face. Close attention directed at the boy, Snape traced his every move with an intent stare. You heard him muttering unknown magic formulas, presumably, inventing some on the spot and hoping to find the one which might help. Afraid to interfere, you pulled out your wand, ready to cast any spell needed to at least slow down the fall. Your glance darted rapidly from Snape to Potter checking whether Harry was still holding on to his broomstick and whether Severus still had things under control – if a term ‘control’ was relevant in these circumstances at all. Worse luck, as a mockery of someone who initiated this wicked show, Snape’s coat caught fire for some inexplicable reason.

“Fire! You’re on fire!” screamed a voice from behind your back.

While Snape got distracted by extinguishing the flame, you discovered that Potter’s broom suddenly calmed down, and the boy could fly safely again.

“Are you okay? What was that?” you worriedly examined the man from head to toe, making sure he wasn’t harmed.

“No idea,” Snape replied absentmindedly, his eyes chaotically running over the place.

By chance, you caught a glimpse of Professor Quirrell adjusting his stupid turban that started annoying you lately. To your surprise, the man seemed to appear in different light for a moment – his face conveyed stern, unrelenting emphasis so untypical of him, which didn’t last long, however, and transformed into his usual pitiful expression as he looked around. You found it curious.

Meanwhile Potter caught the Snitch and brought Gryffindor one hundred and fifty points. This meant your team lost the game, but it didn’t matter anymore. Nothing mattered except for his strange incident.

“We better go now,” a soft touch on the small of your back awoke you from perplexed stupor, and a tall black figure drew you along through the crowd, down the stairs, away from the pitch.

“Do you believe it might be Dark Magic?” uncertainly, you shared your assumption once the road seemed deserted enough.

“Absolutely,” Snape affirmed grimly, furrowing deep in his thought. “To perform sorcery so strong and resistant, one should possess an extraordinary proficiency.”

“The Dark Lord?”

“Yes, I suppose.”

You fell silent for a moment pondering how to handle situation like this. Rumors about return of Him-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named were getting real. You didn’t expect it to happen so soon.

“What do we do now?” you questioned helplessly.

“Wait,” Snape stated firmly. “We can only wait.”

You’d never stop admiring this man, so strong, so powerful he was, and so brave. Resolute glance of black eyes with no shadow of fear demonstrated his readiness to face whatever was coming.

“Be careful, Severus…” you begged, realizing he put himself in danger trying to counteract evil charms. “He knows you’ve ruined his plans.”

Snape’s lips formed a gentle smile. An alien until recent time, yet so pleasant feeling took over him erasing disturbing apprehensions – the way his heart responded your little grain of care made him forget about all of his troubles for a split second.

“I’ll be fine,” he reassured quietly.

Dealing with the Dark Lord wasn’t new for him. What bothered Snape more – how the things would unfold; he had to foresee every possible scenario beforehand to be able to protect the school, Potter – damn his guts! – and… you... He wouldn’t let a hair fall from your head, even if it costed him life.

Unwilling to return into the castle, you dragged your feet after Severus, wishing you could stay outside – with him – a little longer.

“Do we need to go straight back?” you gave Snape a pleading look which he couldn’t resist.

“I was actually going to have a word with Headmaster,” he admitted, and this was enough for you to get the hint.

“Oh, sure,” you apologized scolding yourself for being too importunate. “Never mind. Of course, the matter is pressing…”

“But!” Snape had to slightly raise his voice to stop your mindflow and continued in his usual measured tone once he had your attention. “But he must be celebrating the victory at the moment, so – I guess – we could take some air.”

You beamed happily in response to his sly smirk.

“However,” Snape portrayed a pointedly serious expression, “I’m afraid we can’t go further until you’re freezing up.” Indeed, it was getting colder each day and – despite your red cheeks and ears – you refused to take a notice – whatever the weather outside, inwardly you’ve always felt warm and sunny when you had this man beside.

Before you could utter a word, Snape pulled his scarf off just to carefully wrap it around your neck. The fabric still carried his warmth sufficient to melt your heart. Smiling gratefully, with all sincerity, you grabbed long ends and rose them to your face snuggling into the softness of woolen textile. A slight scent of potion fumes stuck in knitted loops reached your nostrils – enthralling, intoxicating. You closed your eyes for a moment enjoying the pleasure of a new wondrous sensation. Although he surely could use a simple warming charm, a gesture he chose instead played so touching and emotionally rewarding.

“Thank you,” you whispered.

“Just don’t tell anyone. I have reputation, you know,” he said sternly and you giggled.

“I’m not going to share your scarf with someone else! It’s too soft and cozy.”

A small smile emerged in the corner of Snape’s mouth.

“You may keep it.”

<<< Previous Chapter • Next Chapter >>>

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[takaraphoenix]

Buffy Season 8: Review

It’s bad. It’s just... really... bad. That’s the TL;DR of this review. There was one (1) good thing about this season and that was the return of Oz. So if you’re looking for something that hypes season 8? This is not it. If you are confused, angry or salty about season 8? Hi, yes, me too.

Starting at the beginning. At first, I was really happy that they introduced more characters of color, with Renee and Satsu. And when Renee was then even “promoted” to Xander’s love interest? Nice. The two were even cute.

But no. That was all just the set-up to fridge her. Which, I am so very tired of that trope. And that is what that was. That wasn’t just a slayer dying during a fight. The entire issue of her death focused on her and Xander, building up to their relationship, setting them up for their first date, having her be prominently featured, just to then kill her off and have Xander avenge her.

What made it feel even worse - worse than just the fridging - was that they really had to fridge one of their very few women of color. And, to top it off, spend the entire issue in which she dies having her subjected to racism. Just great. Really, you managed to make an already shitty trope even worse. That’s impressive.

The racism itself too. Dracula. They just decided to make Dracula totally racist now, huh? and it doesn’t get a pass just because Xander points out in the comic that he doesn’t remember Dracula being this racist. Because he wasn’t. This Dracula just throws around slurs left and right in a way that feels more like the writers just really wanted to use slurs. Because the character? He was suave, charming, heck he charmed the straight men and the lesbians too when he was on the show. He was a smooth talker. This Dracula? He just... He was just racist and rude in general. Why.

Moving on from the racism to the next failure in rep. The gays. At this point in time I am simply convinced that Joss Whedon is entirely unfamiliar with the concept of bisexuality.

I know I’ve already made a separate post complaining about this, but it needs mentioning in the review of the season too. Having Buffy hook up with a lesbian twice, but #NoHomo, just a straight girl in her “experimental phase”. That’s just cringey and also offensive. Just... make her... come out as a bisexual? It’s not like the writing in the show hadn’t already set her up with quite the bi vibes.

Instead, the narrative made it sound like the only options would be to be straight or to now suddenly turn “into” a lesbian. Which is also offensive on itself, because - as this very show had proven on screen - lesbians can come out later in life and genuinely, I adore Willow’s arc. For her narrative, it fit to have her come out as a lesbian, the circumstances and her life fit for that. I absolutely agree that it would have been weird for Buffy to have a sudden coming out as a lesbian at that point in her life and after everything, but referring to it as turning into a dyke was just not great.

And lesbian wasn’t the only option. Though, I’m unsure Whedon knows that, considering that 6/6 canon queer characters are homosexual and 4/4 wlw are lesbians. They just keep introducing more lesbians - which, as a lesbian I am always in favor of more lesbians. However, when you have a very small number (2) of queer characters, it figures you can not cover all the sexualities and it’s even fair that even with two, you still choose to have them both be the same sexuality. But... the more you add? The more questionable it becomes that you limit it to one sexuality only.

This arc would have so beautifully set up for Buffy to come out as bi. But no.

And while we’re on the wlw; one of the things I always loved about Buffy was that the lesbians weren’t just there for the male gaze, they weren’t oversexualized. They desired each other, they even had sex. But... in a normal frame work, to a normal amount, meaning equal to how the straights were handled. I always liked that, because especially in early days, lesbians were usually just there to look really hot and have hot sex that straight men could get off to. Well, consider me very unimpressed with the comics, because... man are lesbians sexualized now. Willow gets a hot constantly naked snake goddess girlfriend whom she can only contact by - and I am not making this up - having an orgasm. So we prelude the trip by her having sex with Kennedy, before waking up all nude in snake goddess’ realm and usually having am makeout session or sex with her too while doing whatever business she has with her. So much nakedness, so much oversexualization. Really... disappointing.

Staying on the romance but turning to the other Summers sister, I truly can’t believe they made Xander/Dawn canon. Like, I can not comprehend they decided to make that a canon ship.

Sure, Dawnie’s had a crush on Xander since the literal beginning of Dawn. And that was... cute, honestly. Fifteen year old girls have crushes on cute older guys who are nice to them. Figures. Adorable. But she kind of... grew out of that over the course of the show? Or so it seemed...

And Xander. One of the things I loved about Xander was that Dawn was always a total no go. She was Buffy’s sister, heck, she was kind of every Scoobie’s little sister. He had always had brotherly advise for her. Heck, in this comic he points out that it’s weird since he’s known her since she was little - and yeah it is. It’s not weird when two people were both little together, but when one was sixteen when the other was eleven and one has babysat the other? That’s weird.

Getting infinitely more disturbing by the fact that she... literally... just turned eighteen. If they had put this into a rather later season, or a bigger time skip, had Dawn been A WomanTM for a few years now and Xander had gotten around to separating the idea of kiddo!Dawnie from the woman she has become, but Dawn is only eighteen, she hasn’t become a woman yet. She just turned legal to bang and thus, a switch was flipped in Xander’s mind, putting her on his radar. And just... no. Why.

And even beyond this decision; Dawn spends the first third of this season being slut-shamed in ridiculous ways. Which is also tiresome. I am the last person to defend cheaters, but there’s a difference between “You cheated and are being held accountable for it” and “You cheated so now you are cursed to be a giant, a centaur and then a porcellain doll for weeks at a time, being publicly humiliated and having control over your body taken away from you”. That was... sure a choice.

Moving on to the actual main problem of this season. The plot.

Starting with the incomprehensibly dumb idea of “hey let’s retreat to Tibet, put a huge target on Oz’s new home and get rid of all of our magic. surely that will not come to bite us in the arse when the bad guys find us”. Naturally, it came back to bite them in their collective asses. This was just... No one objected or pointed out how dumb that plan was? Really? No one? Really?

Anyway, let’s talk villains. And work our way up there. The return of Amy and Warren. Once again, I ask why. I’m still salty about the 180° Amy did from sweet Wiccan to wicked bitch after her stint as a rat, but having her now... hook up with Warren, the second biggest misogynist on this show, who is also skinless. She used a spell to keep him alive but she couldn’t... give the spell a color? Anything? Anything to not make him look flayed? Because this was just unnecessarily gross body-horror.

Not to mention the... lack of reaction? Sure, some spoke grumpily against working with Warren. But... this is Warren. The guy who killed Tara when he was trying to kill Buffy. There really should have been more breather-scenes of the Scoobies talking about this, digesting the fact that the guy was still alive and more so when they worked with him.

But nevermind them, because they’re working for Angel. Because Angel’s the villain behind this season. I mean, he was manipulated into that by Twilight, but manipulated means he still chose to do it.

Now let me preface that I might not ship Angel/Buffy, but that really only factors marginally in here, because this plot would be bullshit even if it were my OTP.

We now retcon the creation of the Slayers as not just being something dirty old men did in a cave, it was now all the greater plan of the universe. Which. Might have worked had Slayers been... naturally occuring. And not created by men, forcing this upon a young woman. Sure, what people do can be seen as the greater plan of the universe too if you will, but that seems like a cop-out that absolves bad people of their bad choices and deeds.

Anyway. The universe created Slayers and vampires and the ““balance”“ between them (which is bullshit anyway because 1 Slayer vs thousands of vampires... not balanced at all), including the now supposedly destined romance between Angel and Buffy.

Both get rewarded with super-powers now so they can super-fuck and thus give birth to a new universe. That universe is called Twilight and manifests as a burning, winged, green lion who can talk (because that sure is how I always headcanoned Angel/Buffy’s children to look like /s) and who, through time-travel shenannigans, has been manipulating Angel into his own creation.

The magic pull between them is so strong that it overrides the “Angel just caused the death of over two-hundred Slayers” so Buffy fucks him.

At which point I just... this season was flat-out character assassination of Angel? He was manipulated by the bad guy. Not controlled, manipulated. He caused the death of hundreds. He threw everything he stood for and believed in out the window for the promise of a paradise where he could be with Buffy, when the real Angel has chosen other things, higher goals, over being with Buffy over and over again, because that’s what they do. That is their whole thing, they choose the good of the world over being together. They have always been a “will they/won’t they?” where the answer is they won’t, because they know they are needed elsewhere, by others. But now Angel just... doesn’t care about all that anymore, or heck about his own son and his friends, ready to abandon everything for this.

And then when Twilight is born and consequently abandoned by Buffy, who still prioritizes her friends, family and the world over being with Angel, Angel actually... needs convincing in the abandoning? Because, again, character assassination. Ultimately, Angel gets controlled by Twilight and used to kill Giles and try to kill Buffy.

But thanks to the Deus Ex Machina of Spike dropping in in the final arc, they know how to stop this. He hasn’t been in this season so far, because - truly in line with this season - he was off being the king of a race of alien bugs, traveling in their space-ship.

To stop this all, they go back to Sunnydale, where of course the “heart of the Earth” is located, the seed that contains all magic, and destroy it, and with it all magic. Also, the Master was apparently always just there to guard that seed. He is now back from the dead!

Let me summarize that once more, just for emphasis: The universe wanted Buffy and Angel to fuck so they can give birth to a new universe that personifies as a green, winged, burning lion but before it can destroy our universe, Spike, now king of an alien bug race, delivers the solution to go back to Sunnydale and destroy the seed of all magic that is being guarded by a resurrected Master.

How do you read that with a straight face? How do you pitch that? This is just so incomprehensibly stupid.

We end the comic with Buffy as a waitress, hated by many, Xander and Dawn now have an apartment and are playing house, Willow broke up with Kennedy because she realized she is in love with the snake goddess she will now never get to see again, Giles is dead, Faith somehow inherited everything from Giles and she is also the designated Angel-sitter now.

[carewyncromwell]

1, 7, 11, and 16 for Carewyn/Orion please.

What was their first impression of each other?

When Carewyn went to try out for the Slytherin Quidditch team and she first collided with Orion, their thought processes went something like this --

Carewyn about Orion: ‘So that’s the Slytherin Quidditch Captain? …How is he balancing on his broom like that??’

Orion about Carewyn: ‘Short and round, a Snidget’s build – ginger ponytail, like the Weasley boy’s – tight grip on her broom, slightly tense…a Seeker, perhaps? …No. No, those are a Chaser’s eyes.’

What do they have in common?

Orion and Carewyn are both sensitive, clever, resourceful, thoughtful, intuitive Slytherins who, despite having lonely childhoods and not being explicitly sociable, nonetheless tend to nurture and lead the people around them and have formed their own "family" out of the friends they've made.

Do they get married? Who proposes and how?

Nope! No marriage for these two, in their canon. Instead Carewyn and Orion end up agreeing on a legal partnership so that they can help support each other and their respective kids if something bad were to happen to one of them, and yet still live their own separate lives in London, England, and Montrose, Scotland, respectively. This idea was proposed by Carewyn since she's the "planner" of the two -- Orion agreed to it as it seemed like the perfect compromise between their shared desire for independence and their obligations to both each other as romantic partners and to their children. They go out to a ring shop in Diagon Alley and actually design and order the rings together, both with a personalized inscription from one to the other on the inside -- Carewyn's to Orion says, "I will always fight for us," while Orion's to Carewyn says, "Snidget, Fire Crab, Phoenix, Abraxan" (the four magical creatures he associated with Carewyn over the years). Then they have a private modest ceremony at the courthouse with just their kids in attendance, followed up by a more public after-party with all of their friends and Carewyn's mother and brother.

What do other characters think about this relationship?

Most are quite favorable of it, though there are a few interesting reactions among their associates...

Orion's daughter Eos was a baby when Orion started dating Carewyn, so for her, Carewyn is the closest thing she has to a mother. Eos writes to Carewyn for advice almost more than her father while she's at Hogwarts, since Carewyn is so prompt in her responses. Carewyn's ward Erik may give Orion a hard time because he's a snarky little Sour Patch Kid, but he respects Orion enough to be cool with Carewyn being in a relationship with him.

When Skye found out Orion had started pursuing Carewyn romantically, she honestly threw up her hands in exasperation like "So you DID have feelings for her all that time?!" Skye had suspected Orion was sweet on Carewyn for a long while, but Orion was always so hard to read when it came to his romantic inclinations that she could never figure him out (even McNully was starting to doubt his own statistics on whether or not Orion was sweet on Carewyn at some point) -- and when Orion started dating other people (seemingly randomly, from Skye's POV) for short stretches before breaking up, Skye was left even more confused. Skye will never understand why Orion never just got his head out of his own arse the clouds and bloody did anything to make his feelings clear before.

As for Carewyn's friends...well, here's a quote from another post I did --

[...]All of them heard bits and pieces about Orion and how fond Carewyn was becoming of him from each other WAY before Carewyn said anything to them. Charlie was one of the biggest culprits of this – when he found out that Carewyn had let Orion stay the night on her futon without having made plans ahead of time (something Charlie himself was never allowed to do), he went out of his way to rant to Bill, Barnaby, Liz, Felix, AND Ben and his wife Wendy [Gordon-Copper] about it. When Bill heard about Charlie’s suspicion, he played it cool, but secretly went out of his way himself to find out what he could about Orion from the Quidditch League and Carewyn’s Slytherin yearmates, including his new wife Jules Farrier-Weasley and Carewyn’s old friend and Orion’s old teammate Night Rhea. Fortunately everyone Bill spoke to spoke well of Orion, which soothed his nerves quite a bit. Charlie took a bit longer to come around (since he’d sort of gotten used to Carewyn and him being the only ones of their friend group who were still happily single), as did Ben (who remains way too overprotective of  his friends for his own good), but the one who had the hardest time accepting it was – as one could imagine – Carewyn’s brother Jacob. Even after Carewyn and Orion officially got together, Jacob stubbornly and rather petulantly refused to accept Orion, constantly giving him the side eye and figuratively baring his fangs if he got too close to Carewyn around him. Jacob truthfully could tell Orion wasn’t a bad person – if anything, Orion’s supreme level of chill almost frustrated him more, as Jacob couldn’t find any real reason to hate him…but like with his personal hang-up with Bill, Jacob still had a lot of trouble accepting that there were people who knew his “Pip” in ways he didn’t and that she’d sort of outgrown needing him to protect her. Over time, Jacob’s aggression toward Orion cooled, to the point that it would only flare up from time to time the way a cat might hiss at someone when they came into their personal bubble too quickly…but he was too proud to ever warmly embrace Orion and treat him like family the way Carewyn, his mother Lane, and his almost “nephew” Erik did. Fortunately Orion is a very patient man who’s heard enough about Jacob through Carewyn to know that Jacob’s behavior was nothing personal against him, even though Carewyn herself still scolded Jacob about it plenty of times.

Lane herself finds Orion an interesting young man and finds his "thought experiments" very entertaining. She's perfectly happy to sit back and quietly listen while Orion and Carewyn are talking because even if she doesn't always follow Orion's thought process, she loves seeing her daughter so happy and so deeply connected with her other half. ^.^ She also always makes sure Orion and Eos feel welcome at her little cottage, during the holidays.

OTP Asks!

[earnestly-endlessly]

what about your favourite cherik fics of all time? (:

Dear anon, I am so sorry for the delay. I’ve been meaning to put this list for about a week now, but I feel as if I’m missing some fics. Most of these are fandom favourites and might not come as any surprise, but these are my all time favourite fics that I’ve probably read more than once and more than twice. I tried to keep a wide variety of fics, including both one-shots and multi-chapters as well as different genres. I hope you enjoy these fics as much as I do.

Earnestly-endlessly’s Favourite Cherik Fics 

***********************************************

Anarchy in the U.K. – Yahtzee

Summary: “Good God, Erik thought. The Prince of Wales is gay.”

Charles lives in the unceasing glare of the public spotlight, yet keeps his sexual orientation a closely held secret, afraid he could lose his throne and force his deeply troubled younger sister into a role that would crush her. Erik, journalist and world traveler, has been a loner most of his life; he has little patience for closet cases. But a chance meeting in Kenya brings these two opposites together and sets in motion a love affair that will challenge the British monarchy – and their most deeply held beliefs about who they are, and who they should be.

Continuing Education – aesc and spicedpiano

Summary: To his students, Erik Lehnsherr is despotic and terrifying. To his department head, he’s the brilliant young researcher who abandoned his prestigious job overnight, moving across the country to join MIT’s faculty. But to Charles Xavier, he is a contradiction. As Erik and Charles settle into their new roles as colleagues, their professional rivalry starts to spill over into the personal.

The Sonnet Series – afrocurl, nekosmuse

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr is a visiting professor at Columbia University, as well as an acclaimed and award winning poet. Charles Xavier is a lead researcher with the Genetics Department who is well on his way to tenure. But what happens when Charles has to cancel a class because half his students abandon him in favour of a mysterious new English Lit professor? Naturally he ends up sitting in in the class, where Professor Lehnsherr mistakes him for a student. It’s really too bad Erik has such a strict policy against dating students. It’s also too bad Erik doesn’t seem to know how to use Google.

Bifurcation – spicedpiano

Summary: Bifurcation - (n.) the splitting of a main body into two parts.

In medicine, a single mistake can mean the difference between life and death.

For cardiothoracic surgeon Charles Xavier, a fatal error leaves him standing at a crossroads … and at the mercy of the man he has not faced since their relationship fell apart thirteen months ago.

Dr. Erik Lehnsherr has a fearsome reputation. Due to his incisive autopsy reports, he has gotten more surgeons fired in two years than any other pathologist has managed over an entire career. But when an old enemy returns to Erik’s life, he must find a way to temper his pride – or lose the man he loves, all over again.

Runs in the Family – Anonysquirrel (chibrisuchan)

Summary: In which mpreg!Charles Bakes All The Things, overprotective!Erik calls his small round tea-drinking husband “Vati’s little teapot”, Tony Stark/Bad Ideas is Stark Industries’ most profitable OTP, and Alex and Steve are somehow along for the ride. And the cookies.

For the Record – endingthemes

Summary: As prominent figures in the mutant rights movement, activists Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr are pretty much household names. When a romance scandal between them breaks, their celebrity reaches new heights, and though the increased exposure is great, there’s a big problem – the two of them are just friends.

Too bad no one believes them.

Rumor Mill – Ikeracity

Summary: Erik is the grumpiest, most foul tempered worker at Stark industries. His grumpiness is the stuff of legends. So it’s obviously the talk of the office when Erik is being made to go to the company party and he’s bringing his husband. There’s rumors flying round about how much of a masochist or equally antisocial bastard Erik’s husband must be to put up with him. Others think he must be a meek mouse perhaps bullied by Erik.

What they weren’t expecting was the confident, charming, adorable and unbelievably nice Charles that turns up on Erik’s arm. What they certainly weren’t expecting was how much Erik obviously adores his husband and how happy he is to let others see this.

Into Your Tar, Honey – tomato_greens

Summary: Really, Alex doesn’t know why he’s in the damn class. (Or, the one in which Charles teaches an online Introduction to Biology course, and Alex reads more than he expected to.)

If You Like The Book, You’ll Hate the Movie – paperclipbitch

Summary: Modern-Day High School AU. It’s not until Hank realises half the class are glancing towards the back of the classroom with something like nerves and something like schadenfreude that he finds out Alex Summers is back.

The boy with the heart on his sleeve – euphorbic

Summary: Charles loses a high-stakes bet to Raven and is required to get a tattoo. However, when he makes a disparaging remark about the art form, Raven’s acerbic mentor, Erik, steps in.

Or, the one where Erik and Raven are tattoo artists.

Enigma – Yahtzee

Summary: Written for the following prompt: Erik dies, or finds a reversey-time mutant, or a magical time travelling device, and wakes up in the past. This time, though, it’s before he ever met Charles - in fact, it’s before his mother died.

He can save his mother that one time (thanks to his mastery over powers carrying back), but what does Erik do after that? Does he stick around, or escape and run to find Charles again (and hope everything doesn’t go wrong)?

Mutually Beneficial Transaction – Pookaseraph

Summary: In his sophomore year at Columbia University, Erik, feeling slowly strangled by his mounting college debt, places an add on a sugar daddies website. He doesn’t know exactly what to expect from it, but when he’s contacted by a man named Charles who seems less creepy than the other people who have responded to his profile, he decides to give it a shot. Charles is nothing like what he expected, and Erik finds himself slowly falling in love with his sugar daddy while trying to find out exactly what caused this amazing guy to buy his emotional and sexual intimacy when he clearly deserves so much more than that.

Food, Family, and Friends with Benefits – endingthemes

Summary: “Everyone,” Edie says, voice bursting with pride. “Erik’s here, and he’s brought his friend.” She takes Charles’ arm and pulls him forward, presenting him like a shiny object. “This is Charles.”

Charles manages a weak wave and an even weaker, “Hello.”

(In which Charles gets dragged along to his fuck buddy’s parent’s house to celebrate a Jewish holiday, and things get weird.)

In Plain Sight – arcapelago (arcanewinter)

Summary: A story where Charles and Erik have basically been together from the first time they met. The whole fate, wow we found each other thing. Now I would like the others not to know and try to bring the two 'oblivious' guys together. They of course enjoy this quite a lot 

Limited Release – rageprufrock

Summary: When Alex Summers broke out of supermax to rescue his stupid kid brother, he had no idea it was going to be so fucking complicated.

Daycare Verse – brilligspoons, pocky_slash

Summary: A modern AU in which Charles runs a mutant daycare and Erik is his long-suffering engineer boyfriend.

Marrying a Mob – Ook

Summary: Charles is a teacher at a very exclusive school. When armed men burst in on the trail of two children, of course he stands up to them and gets hurt. The children are Erik Lehnsherr's children (of course); a "prominent businessman" or, less politely, "mobster". Erik is grateful to Charles for saving his children's lives at the cost of his kneecap. So very grateful.Naturally he tries to reward Charles for his actions. Equally naturally, Charles will be having none of that.Azazel finds the whole thing unspeakably hilarious. Naturally.

Chessmen (XMFC/Inception fusion AU) – kaydeefalls

Boden’s Mate: “Shaw has information that we need, and we need him alive to extract it,” Moira says, and there it is: the job is on the table. Extraction.

XMFC/Inception fusion AU. Erik is an extractor, Alex is his point man. They’re assembling a team to go after the most dangerous mind in dreamsharing: Sebastian Shaw. But unless Alex and the team can keep him in check, Erik’s desire for vengeance might just rip the whole job apart around them – and then there’s the shade that haunts his dreams…

Queen’s Gambit: “My name is Nick Fury,” he tells Raven. “And I’m here to talk to you about Cain Marko.”

XMFC/Inception fusion, sequel to Boden’s Mate. Raven’s running her own extractions these days, but the job S.H.I.E.L.D.’s dumped in her lap is a real shitshow. Two marks, two simultaneous dreams, eleven dreamers, and a hell of a lot of baggage. Time to call in a few favors – and did she mention the job involves inception?

Tabula Rasa – kaydeefalls

Summary: Five ways Erik might have first met Charles.

Humane Society – smilebackwards

Summary: Once Erik finally allows himself to decide that Charles is pretty much the best thing since sliced bread, he spends the next week being incredibly bitter that he’s Charles’ cat and not his boyfriend.

Idiot Control Now – cygnaut

Summary: Hank screws something up in the lab and everyone’s powers increase tenfold. Not knowing how to control them like this, they all try to cope and not kill each other by mistake while Hank tries to find a way to reverse the effects. Charles has a particularly hard time of it.

White Nights – spicedpiano, tahariel

Summary: Duke Erik Lehnsherr of Ironhold needs an omega to carry on his line, and Earl Charles Xavier of Westchester needs an alpha to give him the political leverage he needs in order to make his sister Queen. An arranged marriage brings them together, but Erik’s lust for war and Charles’ hidden agenda threaten to tear them apart. In the frozen Northlands of Ironhold life is hard and cold, and both Charles and Erik must give up their pretense and see each other as they really are: perfect for each other, if only they’ll acknowledge it.

Nation Building and other Diplomatic Negotiations – Pookaseraph

Summary: With the recent passage of a submissive registration law in the United Kingdom, there are now only two industrialized nation with a relatively stable government to have neither a mutant nor a submissive registration law. Erik Lehnsherr, the newly minted King of Genosha, and his Prime Minister Emma Frost intend to take advantage of this turn of events to bring the Xavier Institute to the island nation of Genosha. They both know bringing Charles Xavier, the noted activist of mutant and submissive rights, to the island will necessarily politicize the man, and create all manner of complications. With a constitution not yet finalized and external threats to Genoshan security all around them, Erik, Emma, and Charles will fight for what they believe in to shape Genosha into what it should be.

A Genosha AU with moderate D/s elements.

Politico – cygnaut

Summary: Modern Genosha Politics AU. In which Erik is l'enfant terrible of the mutant National Assembly, and his staff just wants to get him laid.

The Courtship – dvs

Summary: A story about a courtship that began five hundred years ago.

This Family comes with Batteries – Fishwrites, lynneh

Summary: A orphaned Charles Xavier goes to live with his Godfather: Tony Stark. This story is a tale of what would have happened to the events of MCU, if Tony was raising a six year old telepath in Stark Tower. There is also the matter of Charles’ robot AI manny/bodyguard/tutor/only-friend, David.

Space Oddity – MonstrousRegiment, Pangea

Space Jam: Prince Charles Xavier is Deputy Commander of the TEF Heartsteel and the newest mission they’ve been assigned starts out less than desirable and quickly goes downhill from there. It’s alright, though, he’ll cope.

It doesn’t help, though, that he’s in unrequited love with his best friend and Commander of the Heartsteel, War-Prince Erik Lehnsherr.

Jupiter Jazz: Prince Charles Xavier is still Deputy Commander of the TEF Heartsteel and life has been great ever since he and his best friend and Commander of the Heartsteel, War-Prince Erik Lehnsherr, finally got all of their feelings out on the table. Better than great, really.

It doesn’t help, though, that the Nyrulians are a bit sore over him blowing up their ship, and a war is brewing. And because Charles has that kind of luck, they’re in the middle of it.

I have loved the stars too fondly: Erik and Charles, directly after the events of Jupiter Jazz.Nothing will ever be the same.

The stars incline us, they do not bind us – ikeracity, pangea

Summary: Intergalactic Federation pilot Lieutenant Charles Xavier is assigned last-minute to a high profile mission: transporting over two thousand prison inmates from an old and overfilled prison complex to a newer, higher-capacity prison stronghold located on the outer reaches of the galaxy. Just as he’s settling down for a long and uneventful ride, things take a turn for the worse after the inmates riot and stage a hostile takeover of the ship, leaving Charles to find himself at the complete mercy of cold-blooded killers and facing the chilling prospect that he might not ever make it back home alive.

Tough little baby telepath – aesc, pearl_o

Summary: Teenage telepath Charles Xavier takes a job as a consultant, working with prickly police detective Erik Lehnsherr. Charles is used to being on his own and taking care of himself; he has no reason to think that his relationship with this stern, icy man is going to change any of that.

An absence which could not be more there – aesc

Summary: He prepared to shift another half-step over to the Current Events section (which would, of course, enrage him) when the teaser positioned by the model’s left elbow caught his eye: DATING WHILE TELEPATHIC: WHY I DON’T DO IT.

Backseat ‘verse´ – tahariel

Summary: “Charles has a very sweet nature,” Raven is saying, her hand falling to the back of his head and stroking his hair very gently, carelessly affectionate. “He doesn’t need someone to force him down, he’s very happy to go there himself. If Erik is the sort to need a fight, then there’s no way I could let him have my brother.”

Simple and Uncomplicated – Pookaseraph

Summary: Erik and Charles had been fuck buddies for some, but when Charles is in an accident he figured their relationship would be over. Erik’s visit to his bedside in the hospital changes his assumptions even as he has trouble believing Erik is sincere.

Made To Be Broken – Yahtzee

Summary: Charles makes a New Year’s Resolution: “No more straight men,” Charles repeated as he began scrolling through the apartment directory for Emma’s name. “No more futility. No more pointless hoping and heartbreak. In 2013, I never want to hear the words ‘exception,’ ‘experimenting’ or ‘phase.’ If, God forbid, I hear ‘bicurious’ even once, I may take a hostage.” Then he goes into the party, and Erik is there.

Five Bullet Points – Sperare

Summary: It was supposed to be Erik locked away in a prison one hundred stories below the ground.

Charles was never supposed to be there with him.

Terrifying Domesticity – ishipitsobad

Summary: Erik is the most dangerous and notorious mafia boss around for miles, and yet the strangest things terrify him. For example: his children, and his very pregnant mate.

The Trouble With Telepaths – endingthemes

Summary: “Are you shy about me meeting your family?” Erik asks with a huge smile. “Are you kidding me?”“It’s not funny,” Charles says, his hands firmly planted on his hips, and it’s honestly hilarious so Erik laughs right in his face.(Or a Star Trek AU in which Captain Erik Lehnsherr pays a visit to First Officer Charles Xavier's home planet and encounters a few surprises.)

Stolen – ishipitsobad

Summary: Erik is a miserable, grumpy, cantankerous bastard, and he has every fucking right to be. He drew the short end of the stick when he got the Underworld as his domain, and there isn't very much fun to be had in judging and governing dead souls who would rather be anywhere else but with Erik in the depths of Hell.

So when he meets Charles, brilliant and lovely Charles who is more popularly known amongst the mortals as Persephone, and feels the promise of something wonderful that could make his eternally doomed existence infinitely more bearable... you can bet all your drachmas Erik's not going to let Charles go any fucking time soon.

The Mutant Games – TurtleTotem

Summary: "You'll be fine, darling," Charles murmured, half-asleep, into golden hair as Raven crawled sniffling into his bed. "Your name's only in there once, Raven. They're not going to pick you." (Hunger Games AU)

City by the sea – Black_Betty

Summary: It never bothered Charles that he essentially belonged to someone else from birth. Ever since he could remember he had been told stories about the mysterious prince who was his betrothed, and who one day would be called husband. As he grew older, Charles caught his thoughts drifting away from lessons under strict tutors, his mind slipping into the hazy daydream of his life yet to come…

In Shadow and in Silence – Yahtzee

Summary: Written for the following prompt: Erik is an aggressive, dangerous, cynical mutant, hardened from years of being passed through private laboratories and used for experimentation. He’s covered in surgical scars from operations, tattooed and bar coded like a lab rat, and blind from an experiment done on his eyes. … Charles Xavier finds out about him. Charles runs a sort of sanctuary for mutants that provides lost, abandoned, abused, runaway mutants with shelter, comfort, and help with ability control. He thinks he can rehabilitate Erik and save him from execution, and convinces the government that he can.

When Erik arrives, he is a lot worse than Charles thought he would be … Everyone else can see that Erik is a nuclear bomb waiting to go off, but Charles refuses to give up on him. …

The first time Charles sneaks up on him wearing no metal, it triggers him and he reacts instinctively, with violence. … Erik discovers why Charles understands him so well: he was once used in experiments as well, experiments run by his own family, and in one of them, he lost his voice, so he uses his telepathy to communicate.

Blind Erik, mute Charles, the love.

Everyday Love in Stockholm – tahariel

Summary: Prompt: Magneto is the ruler of the posthuman world. His only secret? Charles Xavier, the human he’s kept locked in his bedroom ever since his right-hand woman, Mystique, came to him pleading for mercy for her stepbrother, who accepted her mutant form and protected her as a child. The human he started fucking after Mystique was killed in battle, despite the guilt he feels at contaminating even this last promise to the woman who was integral to his life’s work and happiness.

The Tower and the Hurricane – dreamlittleyo

Summary: (Post-movie AU.) Five years after Shaw's death, Erik's predictions prove painfully accurate. Violence rages on both sides of the human/mutant conflict. In a world ravaged by war, it doesn't really matter who's more at fault. Charles struggles to teach his students a better way, but what choices will he make when peace really isn't an option?

Honest Bone and Burning Thought – Black_Betty

Summary: And so sometimes, his mind buzzing away, bright and brilliant and humming with pure expansive energy, Charles speaks without thinking at all. Without censoring himself. Without realizing that his brain has reached out and snatched something that was never his to know, or take…

The Attempt – Yahtzee

Summary: Written for the following prompt: Charles knows everything about Erik, knows how obsessive and self-destructive he is, how Erik would do anything, give anything, in his quest for vengeance against Shaw. But he also knows that Erik loves him in ways that aren't exactly platonic. I'd like to see a completely straight!Charles, out of pure love and care of Erik, initiate a romantic relationship with him. It can be because he wishes to give Erik something positive in his life or because he thinks it might help change Erik's mind about Shaw, the reason is up to author. Also, while Charles finds intimacy with Erik strange and awkward, he does enjoy the new, non-romantic layers that have developed in their relationship.

[peacocks-gotta-fly]

Let’s Take a Trip...

So lately I’ve gotten on this nostalgia kick, especially when it come to anime.  I can’t say that I’ve outgrown anime, but I can say that some time around 2009 it started becoming less and less of a major part of my life.

But for the past week or so I’ve had a real desire to revisit some of my old favorites.  So come with me and you’ll see a world of imagination...

(Be aware I will be posting spoilers for these series since this is just random thoughts and musings upon re-watching.)

Princess Tutu

Okay, bear with me.  It looks like a really cutesy anime AND IT IS!!  It’s a magical girl where a duck (yes an actual duck) receives a special pendant and is not only able to become a girl, but transforms into a prima ballerina named Princess Tutu.  Why you may ask?  Because she saw Mytho, a mysterious and handsome boy whose eyes “look so lonesome” and wants to give him back his smile.

Why do I love this anime, even to this day?

BECAUSE OF THESE TWO MOTHERFUCKERS RIGHT HERE!!!!!

Fakiru is my OTP to end all OTPs.  This is the hill I will die on, end point.  And trust me, it was a journey to get there.  Fakir is a dick at the beginning of the series with a capital D.  But he also realizes that he’s abusive and it hurts the people he loves the most, so not only does he stop, but he also changes his behavior and Duck is a big part of that.  This whole series is a balm to my shipper heart, THOUGH WE WERE ROBBED OF A THIRD SEASON!!

Kaleido Star: New Wings

Cirque du Soleil but anime.  Fun fact: I’ve never seen the first season and I have no plans to.  The first two episodes of the second season do a great job of summarizing season one and from that assessment, I have concluded that I don’t want to watch it.  Layla would piss me the fuck off, and there are times when Sora’s optimism makes my teeth hurt, but I love this series.  It’s so pretty and the stunts are ridiculous by real world standards but you can’t help but be amazed by them regardless.  It is delightful!!

Also...

My shipper heart has clearly been ruling my viewing choices for a while since I love my rare pair, Sora x Leon!!  Leon has a redemption arc in this series too (not quite as satisfying as Fakir but we can’t win them all), and Sora has a big hand in it.  (People will say that Leon views her an awful lot in relation to Sophie, his sister and yeah he kind of does, but considering how many of y’all on here are all about that ‘daddy’ horseshit, you can just bibbity bobbity back the fuck up off my dick on this one.)  Anyway, still ship it!!

Tiger & Bunny

Yup, this one still stands up!!  Sponsored heroes saving the city to rack up points, what’s not to love?!  And the computer generation...not great but it still stands up pretty well.  (Also, would I still fuck with Bunny...yeah.  Yeah I would.  Like, it sure is gay, but I’d still fuck with Bunny.)  Apparently, they’re coming out with season 2 in 2022 for some reason, so there’s that to look forward to.  Never saw the movie.  I might.  There’s apparently great character development for Fire Emblem.

Also, can I just say...

Name me a more stressful week during any anime, I dare you.  I remember refreshing my page when episode 25 came out because I JUST NEEDED TO KNOW!!!

And finally,

Oban Star Racers

God, this...This is 2006-07 guys.  My age is showing.  It aired on Jetix/Disney XD.  Intergalactic space race, literally.  But it still holds up.  The animation AND the computer animation.  It still looks so good.  Great characters, good story.  Just...do yourselves a favor and check it out.  

It’s also made me go back and re-read my old fanfiction.  It’s not great though there are some good parts to it.  It makes me want to re-write it.  I probably will.  I definitely will, this time much better and less OOC.  And I don’t have to give a rat’s ass about Mary Sues!!!

(Also, DEFINITELY still fucks with that.  I thought I wouldn’t, but a re-watch fuckin’ proved me wrong!!  And I mean Rick Thunderbolt you weird perverts!)

[rainstormcolors]

Seto!!!

favorite thing about them

He’s complex and human in his flaws and feelings.

He can’t magically fix himself but he tries and he fails and he tries again, and he’s stumbling down a path and he doesn’t understand what he wants but there’s something brighter at the end of this path.

I think there’s a part of him that’s afraid of himself. And he doesn’t recognize how much loneliness has engulfed him.

He’s obsessed with dominating everything, reaching for control because there’s so much he can’t control and couldn’t control, but he’s not happy.

I think the real secret of his duels with Atem is he was looking for a human connection, and it’s like he wasn’t even aware of just how achingly alone he felt but those duels made him feel alive.

least favorite thing about them

IDK. I’ll state a change instead: I’d add Seto trembling and sweating at Death-T.

favorite line

“For him,” catapulted to about the top of the list for me if I’m honest.

“Everyone has something they believe in, even deeper than believing in gods. All I did was trust that,” is iconic of course. It’s relevant at Duelist Kingdom (Mokuba), relevant at Battle City (his BEWD), and relevant in DSoD (Atem). Perhaps he’s also learning to believe in himself through all this.

brOTP

Seto’s relationship with Mokuba is complex. He loves Mokuba, he’s not able to be the parent Mokuba deserves, Mokuba is the more emotionally mature brother in ways, they cling to each other. There’s codependence. Mokuba may have kept Seto alive, kept him going, but it was such a harsh ugly life to go through. When Seto fell into his darkest place, Mokuba became a point of light to stumble back to. There’s a lot to cherish and a lot to unpack. It’s going to depend who’s reading into their bond as well.

Seto’s relationship with Atem is complex. It was a storm between two dark damaged teenagers lashing out that become them pulling each other towards something brighter. They understood each other and connected through dueling in a way special to them, in a way others couldn’t understand. (I can connect to that notion of having a special vector of bonding.) It also became codependent, and at times self-harming. It is a very complex bond. But Atem called Seto his equal and a friend. Seto learned to open himself to friendship because of Atem.

I want Yugi and Seto to become friends as well. Yugi’s so sweet and patient, and I think he admired how goal-oriented and headstrong Seto was.

I like his interactions with Isis in canon a lot too.

OTP

Pride and Rival are my most beloved ships. Trust comes in third place.

nOTP

Adopt and Tabloid are squicks. There are some ships that can be uphill battles for me, but I’m pretty open. How ships are framed really varies.

random headcanon

While he stays at his step-father’s manor, seeing it as his trophy, the library and a few other rooms are locked and sealed off entirely.

He doesn’t allow himself to put sugar or cream in his coffee, because he stupidly sees drinking straight coffee as more adult and mature.

unpopular opinion

If I’m honest, HCs about Seto befriending all the Yugi group alienate me. I don’t think he harbors the capacity to balance or tolerate too many social relationships, but it’d be my hope for him to build one or two meaningful friendships. I say this as someone who has a lot of trouble with connections myself, so seeing a character who also struggles suddenly being super social feels like I’m watching them fly upon the back of a unicorn. But this is just for me; please enjoy the HCs you want.

I think the Kaiba brothers deeply and sincerely love each other, but there’s a degree of resentment and the fear of being resented mixed into their bond. They were dragged through hell, and it wasn’t fair, and they were just kids. Seto even sabotages himself in canon a few times. They have a lot of healing to do.

song i associate with them

I have a few.

The Last Day by Moby is superb for Seto as he transitions between the early manga and Duelist Kingdom. TBH, it may be an even more perfect song for Noa Kaiba, but Noa Kaiba is in-canon meta on early manga Kaiba. But it’s a song about breaking beauty just to stay awake, and their hearts are like storms, but after their work is done they finally discover the sun: they finally discover Mokuba.

Undisclosed Desires by Muse is a wonderful Prideshipping song.

Lose You by Peaches is a melancholy Prideshipping song from Seto’s perspective.

Cosmic Love by Florence + the Machine is a DSoD song.

favorite picture of them

I still like my banner quite a lot. 殻利藻 does fantastic art of Kaiba on Twitter and Pixiv, capturing his stormy vulnerability with the most raw perfection I’ve seen.

This expression still gets me too:

Thank you for the ask!

[darkpoisonouslove]

I’m here again. Faragonda, Sky, Tecna, and Darcy, please xD

Hi again! XD Thanks for sending more!

Faragonda:

- How I feel about this character:

I love her! She is amazing! I love that she is very patient and warm but also won't let anyone hurt the people she loves. She's a badass. She can fight her own battles and has a strong will and resolve despite her kind attitude and her desire to solve things peacefully and I think that is a great combination of characteristics. I love that she's always there for her students and is super understanding. I think she's a great headmistress.

- All the people I ship romantically with this character:

Griffin. They know each other so well and understand and respect each other. Let's be real, that would be the perfect relationship.

Hagen. I have only seen the two minutes of interactions they had in "Secret of the Lost Kingdom" so you can pretty much blame @trashcankitty12 for that since it started from her fanfiction. I just realized a few days ago that they are the sunshine and raincloud trope and I kinda like that, though, it could've been done better.

Griselda. Idk, I've seen this and I think it would work as well. Honestly, I would be more sold if we'd seen more of their relationship but I guess we'll just... have to die. 😑

- My non-romantic OTP for this character:

Griffin. Like I said, I live for this friendship. They have so much history and not all of it is pretty but they are still as close as ever. I love the fact that they've had major crises in their friendship but they still managed to get over them and trust each other. And Faragonda is so supportive of Griffin, I can't. Not to mention that they're both super protective of each other.

- My unpopular opinion about this character:

I think Faragonda is more selfish than expected. What I mean with this is that she would totally sacrifice herself for the people she loves, just as well as she would sacrifice everyone else for the people she loves. This would make sense if you look at her past, too. She most certainly went through big rejection when she discovered she was a fairy. Not only from her family, but also from pretty much everyone else in her life. So the few people that stuck with her mean the world to her and she can't afford to lose them no matter what it means for anyone else. And Marion and Oritel's death only exacerbated that thought process.

- One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:

I wish we'd learned more about her family and the time she thought she was a witch. I think that would've been really interesting and could have brought up some magical lore. Like, more about the fairies and witches and how  light and dark magic came to be (also, am I the only one who thinks we should have gotten more emphasis on Mirta and maybe seen a conversation between her and Faragonda since Mirta is the only one we know of who's been through the same thing Faragonda has?). I reaaaaaaally want to know how she handled that period. (Spoiler: I might have an idea about that and it might be morphing into a fanfic instead of the set of headcanons it was supposed to be.)

Sky:

- How I feel about this character:

Uh... Can I skip this question? 😅 Honestly, I don't really like him. He has some qualities that I like but just... No? I don't feel it.

- All the people I ship romantically with this character:

Honestly, I don't care about his romantic life. I would say Bloom, but they are the only canon ship that I really don't give a damn about.

- My non-romantic OTP for this character:

Brandon. As much as I hated their idea to switch identities in season 1, that's a sign for some strong friendship. You don't just do that with anyone and I like the fact that he's so close with someone who was supposed to be just a servant to him. We haven't seen anything about his life as a prince but I'm willing to bet he didn't have many real friends so it's good to see him have a genuine friendship.

- My unpopular opinion about this character:

I don't like his relationship with Bloom. I feel like they don't fucking communicate, like, at all! At least half, no, wait, at least 70% of their drama would've been avoided if they talked to each other and he trusted her to tell her shit. Imagine how much cooler it would have been if he'd told her that he was actually prince Sky and he was engaged but he likes her and doesn't want to be with Diaspro. And then Bloom could've sneaked on the Day of the Royals for support and because she wanted to see Diaspro and the two of them could've actually talked which would have provided an opportunity for character depth for Diaspro. Maybe she would get to tell Bloom why she loves Sky and Bloom would feel bad bc apparently Diaspro's feelings are genuine but they aren't reciprocated and we could have some quality drama there with Sky and Bloom both trying to let Diaspro down easily and after a period of adaptation they could have all been friends. Now i want to write this. *exasperated sigh*

- One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:

Get some goddamn backstory! I know I say the same about all of the characters, but that's because they have the same flaw in getting no fucking backstory. How are we supposed to get this character when we have no idea why the hell they are like that? I feel like Sky could be a great character if they'd delved more into what makes him like that. Why did he feel the need to swap identities with Brendon? They said that he wanted to see what not being a royalty was like but why? Was he tired of being a prince and just wanted to be normal (in which case some backstory would have fit right in) or did he want to see how ordinary people get treated so that he could get them better for when he became a king? Just give me something about this character's life gdi!

Tecna:

- How I feel about this character:

Pretty meh tbh. She is so underdeveloped, it's painful. We don't know anything about her except that she's good with technology and smart. That doesn't make up an entire personality and it doesn't make her very relatable for me.

- All the people I ship romantically with this character:

Timmy. We get to see some emotional reactions from both of them when they're together and I like that. I just wish they'd done more with them even if in the context of their passion of technology. Just let them go on a super cute nerdy date where they go look for computer parts at a second-hand technology store or something. If they're only gonna have one characteristic, at least expand it to the point where it's believable that it's taken over their lives because they are so interested in it. There were so many possibilities.

- My non-romantic OTP for this character:

... Error 404: File not found. Honestly, her relationships with the others are so non-existent that I don't really... have anything for this category. Like, who is she closest to? I have no idea. I'm gonna say Musa, though, because: a) I think music and technology together can make some pretty cool things and b) Musa seems prone to hiding her emotions and Tecna is a bit detached from her own feelings so I feel like that could be a bonding point while they can also learn something from each other. (Man... I feel like exploring the possibilities now... Gdi! I have no time for that.)

- My unpopular opinion about this character:

I feel like Tecna's powers were very underestimated. And not just on a magical level. She is super smart and inventive and she should've been given a bigger role in a lot of the missions. Also, if any of the magical realms are anything like Earth, then Tecna could be super useful and vital to missions since everything is so technology-based. None of that was well utilized. None of it.

- One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:

I wish she'd gotten her Enchantix differently. Faragonda said that to get Enchantix they had to sacrifice themselves for someone from their planet. Yet, Tecna sacrificed herself for Layla's planet and still got her Enchantix. Now technically, there might have been a Zenithian on Andros at the time, so in saving the planet Tecna saved that Zenithian as well but that is totally not what Faragonda meant there, I'm sorry. Also, if they'd gotten her to save someone from her own planet, we could have learned something more about her and her backstory. I think it would've been better.

Darcy:

-How I feel about this character:

She's my fave Trix! I've loved her since I was little. I love that Darcy is more collected and controlled than Icy and Stormy but she can be just as terrible when she's raging. I like that her composure doesn't make her more stable than they are and she can totally flip from calm to mad in 0.03 seconds. It makes her unpredictable and allows her to fit in with the temper of her besties while she also remains different from them. I love her powers! They're so cool and I wish we'd seen more of them. I'm sure they could've made something amazing if they had messed around with her power of illusions. Come to think of it that fits well with her character, too, since she isn't patient and calm but only gives the illusion of that.

- All the people I ship romantically with this character:

Riven. Look, I know that relationship was as unhealthy as it gets, but they looked cute gdi! In an AU maybe they could've been the perfect couple.

Maybe Flora a little bit. Don't ask me why, I don't know. I just remembered I had some thoughts on this but I can't quite piece it together yet. I think that could have some cool symbolism, though, because in a way Darcy's powers are the opposite of Flora's since plants need light to survive and Darcy's powers are... well, darkness. Also, nature doesn't pretend and Darcy's magic is literally focused on deception so...

- My non-romantic OTP for this character:

Icy and Stormy. They've had less than graceful moments in their friendship but they stuck together through it all and I actually like that. It gives them some depth (which, let's be real, they were very lacking of) and I appreciated it. I feel like I prefer her relationship with Stormy since they are more on equal ground while Icy separates herself as the leader of the trio (and the worst of them tbh).

- My unpopular opinion about this character:

I think Darcy is actually a lot like Musa but their approach to feelings is different. Musa will erupt when she reaches her boiling point while Darcy is more calculating in that regard and is more likely to hide her feelings if she's after something that exploding will get in the way of. So basically, you could say Musa is more genuine while Darcy is more for pretense in the name of her goal. Musa's feelings find outlet in the harmony of her music while Darcy's cause chaos and it's an interesting opposition to work with, especially considering that sometimes their reactions can overlap. I can see how Riven can be confused as to which one of them would be better for him.

- One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:

I wish we'd gotten some backstory. What was her life like that it made her want universl domination? How did she meet Icy and Stormy and how did they become friends, considering that neither of them are exactly open to bonding? How are they connected to the Ancestral Wicthes (I mean, they can't be direct descendants so what is up with that) and how did  they get their hands on the Whisperian Crystals (also, where the hell did the Crystals go after season 1)? So many questions and no answers.

This was so fun! I got so many new thoughts! So... Ask box is still open! 😁

[drrockbell]

Edward Elric (because I want to see) but also Lucy from Fairy Tail (I want to know why you like her and NaLu so much)

Thank you sooo much for the ask!

Edward Elric

How I feel about this character

He’s my short, demisexual, agnostic representation. He’s brash sometimes, but he’s like the nicest person in the world. I wonder how easy it’d be to befriend him. He looks like he’s so busy all the time.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Just Winry. I’ve loved them from a young age (8) and I personally see their love as eternal and nothing will ever change that.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Ling, obvs. I know that the ship is extremely popular, but I really don’t see it. They’re just really good buddies who talk about how amazing their girlfriends are and Ling occasionally crashes at Ed’s place when he doesn’t feel like doing emperor work.

My unpopular opinion about this character

This is EXTREMELY unpopular but I feel like in 03 Ed was made a bit too desirable romantically, including in the games. There’s implied feelings from Noah, Rose’s final arc is all about him, there’s that strange obsession from Dante, and in the games there are, I believe, 5 different girls with implied feelings (there’s apparently a scene where Sophie walks in on Ed in the shower) Learning that there was supposed to be a love triangle b/w Ed, Noah, and Alfonse made me cry

I’ve just never liked the sexual tension and implied feelings that’s common between the main protagonist and the “new girl.” And it is SO overused in anime and distasteful. (If anyone has ever seen more than two movies of Naruto then they’ve definitely seen this) They do this with Roy too in 03.

That’s why I’m a lot more comfortable with Ed’s romantic life in BH because they just focused on one person and didn’t do that particular type of fan service. (In BH Al is the one who gets all the attention without making him out to be this major desired guy)

For me, it just hurts my feelings a bit especially when I know that Winry is keeping Ed in her thoughts, has no other men or romances in her life (because you know girls have to be good and only think of one guy while he attracts as much attention as possible 🙄), and a simple phone call would be enough to make her happy. So I just don’t see why they had to introduce and force in these other characters when a canon relationship was already established.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon

Not live the rest of his life in Germany

You know I noticed that Edward has never once spent the night alone. He has never spent a long period by himself ever. I wish there was a point where he was truly all by himself (I’m not counting fighting Kimblee bc it didn’t last long, there were other allies somewhere, and he made friends with Darius and Heinkel quick)

Also, I wish in BH his morals would have been challenged the way they were in 03. That would have made the perfect FMA for me.

Also, I don’t know if I want this to happen or not, but Ed getting taller?

On one hand he’s perfect the way he was and was able to find love being 4’11’ (huge inspiration) but on the other hand, 30 year old Edward Elric is daddy🤷🏻‍♀️

———————————————————————

Lucy Heartfilia

How I feel about this character

She’s sooo sweet! I feel like she get put in the back burner a lot and the her enemies hurt her give a strong rape vibe, so that just makes me feel for her more. She gets insulted a lot for her outfits and physical weakness, and it’s not even her fault. She’s actually the most innocent, most abstinent character, but gets criticized a lot by people who don’t know FT.

When I first started watching FT, she just reminded me of Winry. They’re not all that much alike, they’re just real bubbly and have similar senses of humor and they both just looked a lot alike so I think that drew me into her.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Just Natsu. So there are a lot of reasons why I ship them.

I think from the outside they look like you’re stereotypical hotheaded protagonist and preppy girl ship, but they aren’t that at all.

I found this to be so strange, but apparently they weren’t even supposed to be a ship! I thought from all of the canon art and screenshots that they were already together, so I confused (and bothered as hell) when I realized they weren’t even planned! They’re endgame now, though, once the creator grew to really love them together.

One reason I love them together is that for each personality on of them has, the other can match it.

Like if Natsu wants to joke around and play games, Lucy matches that perfectly. Or if Lucy is deep in thought and is bothered by something, Natsu notices immediately and will drop everything to help her.

I feel like before Lucy joined Fairy Tail Natsu was a bit more closed off and spent most of his time at home or on jobs. He fought a lot (in a good way) with everyone else, but I don’t think he really had any friends until Lucy. Gray was a rival and Erza was someone he usually just avoided out of fear. I think she made him more open and sociable.

He spends far more time at her house than his own, tries to read her book (and let’s be clear. Natsu doesn’t read ANYTHING) she’s the only person he consistently goes on jobs with.

I think the moment that really touched me was when Natsu truly thought she died and it put him in such a heartbreak he didn’t care about anything except revenge (we know the affects of END gave him the demonic flames and aura, but that anger and despair was all for her)

They can be goofy, they can sit down and talk about nothing, and they can be tender with each other.

I can go on for days, but those are all my highlights.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Juvia! I wish they had more screen time together that’s not just “love rival!” stuff. They just have a really cool dynamic and we know that they’re really good friends.

My unpopular opinion about this character

Kinda what I mentioned above, I just feel like whenever she’s being attacked by an enemy there’s just... a rape vibe to it.

For ALL the characters, male or female, they always dress inappropriate for battle and lose their clothing in battles. It’s a sexual anime, without the sexual content.

But with Lucy... they always do this torturous, invasive way of hurting her and I don’t like it.

Like when they’re on the island and there’s this gigantic man hitting her repeatedly from behind and picking her up by her head and just how almost ever enemy is like, “I’m gonna strip you, hahaha” that bothers me and I don’t miss how it’s done to Lucy, the most vulnerable and innocent character, more than everyone else.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon

I wish her attacks were more space like! So we’ve got the zodiac thing going on and that’s awesome, but I can see her having powers similar to Captain Marvel.

She’s a celestial girl, so if she had some anti-gravity, supernova stuff going on it would be so cool and it’d fit for her magic type and the show.

Also I don’t want her to be the girl everyone saves anymore. She’s gone one so many jobs and has been training, but the creators still use her as an outlet for someone else to look cool and heroic because they save her.

It’s not even close to being her fault, they just need to write differently than they have.

[burberrycanary]

Favorite Season 1 Bishmont Moments [2/?]: The soap bubble of uncomplicated happiness

I love the way Diana turns to look at him as they are walking down the stairs, how she draws him forward a little faster in her giddy excitement. How, even though they are already holding hands, she caresses the back of his wrist with her palm because she can, because she hasn’t been wrong this whole time about what’s between them, and because she just really really wants to touch him. And like such a dork, Diana’s mind jumps from her heart being so happy to William Harvey’s discovery of the heart as a pump and it turns out that, oh hey, her amazing vampire boyfriend actually met him. This she has to hear.

And I love Matthew’s reactions. How pleased he is that his demur just makes her want the story even more. How having Diana’s passion and curiosity and happiness focused on him is so thrilling—equally terrifying and marvelous. And the way Matthew gives a shivery, full-body sway of delight when she brushes up against him and responds to her admiring attention by smiling like that. 

[3w-writer-with-wings]

Character post: Aoi Zaizen

Why I like them/why I don’t:

Out of all Yu-Gi-Oh girls so far, Aoi feels the most relatable of them all. She is a lot like a grown-up version of Luna/Ruka from 5Ds with a similar mannerism and personality. Aoi has a really timid nature and the fact that she is so sheltered by Akira that she feels he doesn’t even trust her hits home hard. But what I really love about her is her development. She learns from her mistakes and tries to become the best version of herself. The actions she takes in order to change herself don’t always play in her favour and even then she keeps on trying. Aoi represents exactly what you should do if you face failure in life – make changes and learn from your mistakes. Unlike Go, she never succumbed to her own insecurities and rather used them in order to change for the better. While she may appear pretty naïve and stubborn at first, you can really see how she slowly transforms into a person she always wished to be.

She is also a good representation of a celebrity with depression. The episode that showed her life outside VRAINS nearly broke my heart. From the way she talked with Yusaku and members of duel club, to how she just ran away after Yusaku asked her about Akira and how she was lying on bed looking like she was about to cry… it was just hard to watch considering there are people who are actually suffering the same way. But then she logged in VRAINS and instantly became a bubbly Charisma Duelist to entertain people. While a lot of people compare Go to Yuya, I actually see Aoi to be more like Yuya. Her Blue Angel persona is just like Yuya’s goggles, a mask she hides behind to cover up her tears and she presents herself as someone who is always smiling.

When her wings broke after her loss to Yusaku… it just perfectly represented how she finally broke down a lot like how Yuya lost to Reiji and Jack. At that point, I was really afraid she would follow the same road that Go did in season 2 – her insecurities and depression getting the best of her, but she didn’t. No, instead she put some thought about it before she did anything. When her fans were bashing her name, it seemed like she was going to break again. Thank God Emma came to her rescue! What I love about her relationship with Emma the most is the fact that she is the kind of a person that Aoi always needed. Once Miyu was revealed it also made me realize why Aoi had a hard time finding friends – she was afraid of being separated from a friend and didn’t want to be hurt by it again. Emma let her know that she’ll be always on her side and this was the encouragement that she needed to make a step further.

Her style of duelling is also one of my favourites – the burndown strategy. When she was duelling that AI who had the same technique and they were burning each other’s LP down like crazy was really entertaining to watch. I was a bit disappointed once she no longer used that technique, though I liked that she acknowledged it as something that needs to be improved. In overall her character is just as complex as Yusaku’s and I’m glad that it was explored a lot.

The only downside to her character is how her character is treated. Unfortunately, female characters are something that Shin Yoshida doesn’t know how to handle and this plays a big part in her representation. She had many losses that downgraded her lot. While she made a very big comeback in season 2 as Blue Maiden she also had a big downfall as well. In other words, Aoi’s character deserved so much more but was unfortunately pushed aside many times.

What I like about their appearance

The fact that she has so many avatars! I actually cosplayed Blue Angel and this was one of the most difficult cosplays I’ve ever made, but I in no way regret it since it is a very cute outfit and I’ve learned so many cosplay-making techniques while making it. I also really like how each avatar in a way presents one part of her. Blue Angel is her childhood dream, a hero she wanted to become. Blue Girl represents her desire to be like Ghost Girl and make a change. And Blue Maiden is her embracing all of herself and honourably joining Team Playmaker. Her avatars give this Magical Girl feel that combine her kind nature with power in order to save the world. While magical girl anime portrays that more ribbons, sparkle and skirts equals more power, Aoi’s avatar changes are the exact opposite, showing that sometimes less can be more.

And the part I love the most and was the most difficult to make? Her wings! I think I spent nearly three whole days just figuring out how to make those wings stand! In the end, I used some very thick wires, extra strong duct tape and a handmade posture supporter to keep it still. And it was so worth it! I was a bit sad that Blue Girl didn’t have wings, so when Blue Maiden’s wings were shown I was excited as hell! I also really like her twintail hairstyle since I tend to wear my hair in this style too. When I cosplayed Blue Angel not that many people recognized the character, but those few who did really liked it and one of them even showed me all of the Trickstars he had in his deck! I had a really wonderful experience as Blue Angel and I even won the third place in cosplay contest! To conclude – I love absolutely everything about her appearance and I wouldn’t mind cosplaying her or her other avatars again!

Do I prefer their dub names or original names?

While I really like the name Skye, it kinda sounds off for Aoi. I’ve grown really used to her original name so when her dub name was revealed… it just didn’t sound like her. I guess it could work as her user name since Skye goes well with her avatar’s wings, puffy skirt and blue colours like a short nickname for Blue Angel. Aoi is also the name of a hollyhock flower that represents the cycle of life which nicely symbolizes the changes that Aoi went through when changing her avatars and overall personality.

OTP

Definitely Miyu or Takeru, hard to decide. Miyu was introduced really late in the series and didn’t get that much screen time or backstory and yet it was enough to give away all necessary information about her. I made many theories why I thought Aoi was Aqua’s origin and in a way, she is - all because of Miyu. While all cheerful and caring, Miyu could’ve been lonely and even if she wasn’t, she choose to befriend someone who was. It is not clear how long the two of them were friends, though it most likely not long and yet out of all people, Miyu choose Aoi to be her anchor. Aqua basically represents Miyu’s love for Aoi and I’m sure that once Aoi gets to meet Miyu it will be a very emotional reunion. 

Then there’s Takeru and let’s face it, he is the kind of a character that can be shipped with anyone and it would still work. Still, I genuinely believe he has a secret crush on Aoi. When he passed Aoi in school, he didn’t appear to have much interest towards her though that could be because that was the first time he saw her as Aoi and not as Blue Angel. The duel they had as Soulburner and Blue Girl was pretty entertaining to watch and the encouragement he gives her in the end was very well-meaning and kind. The second time he meets her in real life is completely different as he approaches her right away and introduces himself. Considering how shy Takeru can be it is very unlikely he would do that with just anyone, so the fact that he did that with Aoi shows that he is interested in becoming her friend. Kiku said that he is not much of a friendly person, so the fact that he approached someone else besides Yusaku really says a lot. Their relationship would really work as they both love duelling and testing themselves. I hope that they get to have a tag duel one time together as they could really fit each other well despite representing opposite elements (water and fire) since this could be the first time for such combination in a tag duel. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a tag duel in the third season since I really enjoyed Aki and Crow tag duel in 5Ds and this could give some nostalgia.

NOTP

At first I didn’t know this even existed, but Aoi and Akira ship just feels wrong on so many levels. I know they aren’t blood-related but they are still siblings. While I really like their sibling relationship, romantic one would completely ruin it, especially how canon it actually felt during the first season. Like Aoi would use –sama for her brother which is reserved for masters and bosses, like she is super inferior to him and the whole reason why she went to duel Yusaku was so she could impress him, which resulted in her falling in coma. Even if they weren’t siblings, Aoi is still a minor and Akira is ten years older than her. At times Akira also acts a lot like her father which would make their romantic relationship that much worse.

I dislike romantic Aoi and Emma ship for the same reason. While I absolutely love their sisterly bond, the thought of them having something more just doesn’t feel okay. Maybe if Aoi was older like over 18 or in early 20s then it could work better. Even if Aoi would have feelings for Emma and she would want to start a relationship with her, I imagine Emma would tell her to wait. Emma is the kind of a person, who has no problem breaking a law, but getting in a relationship with a minor is something she wouldn’t do. I have no doubt that she loves Aoi like her little sister or a young partner in crime so a romantic relationship would pretty much ruin this nicely developed relationship.

OT3

Aoi, Miyu and Aqua! I don’t know why, but this trio just warms my heart. There’s no doubt that all three of them care about each other a lot and would form a really nice relationship with each other. In my perfect reality, both Aqua and Aoi come visit Miyu after everything is over, and together they create new VRAINS avatars in order to spend time with Aqua who is pretty much their lovechild. I see this trio to work in both platonic and romantic way since the three of them show nothing but kindness and care towards each other.

Favourite card they use

Marincess Crystal Heart. I already liked the concept of Crystal Heart, the fact that it symbolized Aqua’s and Earth’s love and that they did everything to keep it from being destroyed in the field. What truly made me love it even more was when Aoi used it in a duel against Bowman and empowered it. I believe that the heart still represents Aqua’s and Earth’s love and the water spirit protecting it is Aoi, protecting them both. From the start of their meeting, Aoi has been keeping Aqua safe and Marincess Crystal Heart perfectly represents that.

Favourite moment they were in

Her duel with Haru. After so many losses, the duel with Haru was the best comeback for Aoi. The character she has been building finally came into action and I absolutely enjoyed watching that duel. From the new archetype Marincess to how she stood her ground against Haru’s hurtful words - Aoi made it clear: she is back and ready to kick some ass! The new strategy, her partnership with Aqua and that badass skill when her wings showed up! And how she outright obliterated Haru’s LP! It was just amazing and it showed how far she has come. At that point, it really seemed like Aoi was set to win more duels...

Least favourite moment

... which is why her loss to Bowman was so sad. While it was no way as humiliating as her loss to Playmaker, Specter and Soulburner, it was still terrible. Bowman is disgustingly overpowered character and the fact that he used so many moves that were outright cheating really downgraded Aoi’s and Aqua’s character. I would be fine if Bowman defeated her with a good strategy, but no he used a literal asspull effect like he did the whole duel. He even tried to scare her and for a moment I thought Aoi would give in. Luckily she didn’t and I was so proud of her. Even the act of “mercy” was a very cheap move since Bowman is a freaking hypocrite and he probably used it just so he could feel better about losing Haru. 

Back then when I was still hopeful about Aoi’s further character development I wrote a theory why she was capable of defeating Bowman with very good arguments and how it could play out well in the final conclusion of season 2. (it is here if you wish to check it out  https://3w-writer-with-wings.tumblr.com/post/182925730720/lightnings-plans-and-why-i-believe-aoi-will  ). I was really disappointed when Bowman won using the cheap moves since it looked like writing staff pushed away Aoi’s promising future for the sake of having Bowman win at all cost.  

Would I fuck, marry or kill them

Can I just be her friend? Cuz really if I were to meet Aoi in real life, I would just hug her and take her out for ice cream or coffee and talk with her, letting her know that she is an amazing person and that she should never doubt herself cuz she is doing a great job at improving herself. I would likely be one of those Blue Angel fans in the crowd during her duels, holding banners with encouraging words or I would be writing a blog dedicated to her in order to support her, pretty much the same thing that I’m doing now. ;) If someone would bash her name and accuse her of things she didn’t do or weren’t her fault, you bet I would write a freaking essay similar to the one I made in order to defend Yusaku when someone made a youtube video ranting how boring he is. 

Aoi Zaizen deserves more recognition and hopefully, she gets to shine more in the third season. 

[another-snape-story]

Time to Face the Truth and Accept It

Chapter XVIII

A terrible headache awoke the memories of the previous night, once you opened your eyes to a dimly lit room, waves of nausea adding to your misery. You still felt sick. Looking around you recognized your own room, recalling on Severus – a saint man! – who helped you cover the distance from his office right to your chambers, since you were barely able to stand on your feet. Good you didn’t choose your office for this nightly get-together.

You also remembered… kissing him goodnight at your door… Just a little peck on the cheek, yet your heart fluttered as you revived soft sensation of his skin against your lips. You were falling for him – it was too obvious to be ignored.

You liked all-consuming feeling of safety his being around provided. His confidence and composure – the way he carried himself promised there was nothing beyond his power to overcome any of the difficulties. You admired this aspect of his character, but there also was another side he was so reluctant, even wary to reveal, the side you craved to know better.

Drifting with the current of pleasant thoughts, you closed your eyes. The image of a man who stirred up delightful excitement in your soul gradually took shape out of the darkness. His peculiar features you found so attractive reappeared from the back of your mind building up a lucid picture of the face so dear to your heart, and with it desire to see him again.

Wondering if you were not too intrusive, you let out a frustrated growl. Perhaps, you should’ve given him more space? Work – that’s what you had to focus on!

Excited voices reaching from behind the door reminded you about the Quidditch match scheduled for today.

“Ugh, really?” you frowned, realizing you’ve overslept and had no time for the morning routine so much needed in your current condition. Reluctantly, you pulled the blanket off, and – since it was everything you were capable of – remained lying flat, staring at the ceiling and regretting you couldn’t stay like that forever.

Dull pain pierced your brain again when you made an attempt to get up. Each turn of the head caused the same effect. You slowly crawled to the bathroom, stepping over clothes scattered on the floor, which you took no trouble putting in a wardrobe.

A splash of cold water on your face felt refreshing. Pulling yourself together now didn’t seem so impracticable, yet it still required some effort.

Meanwhile, Snape was calling his Slytherins to order in the Entrance Hall. He had no wink of sleep last night – your midnight chatter and a kiss (!) deprived him of any. His mind worked frantically trying to comprehend your words along with a storm of emotions fluctuating from thrill to frustration and vice versa. If it were not for the heavy burden he’s been bearing on his shoulders through all those years, he would probably find himself in a state of extreme, euphoric happiness, but ghosts of the past seemed to haunt him forever. Now even more perceptibly – with Potter boy being an eyesore.

Snape was hoping to find you in the crowd. Although he knew it was pointless in such a bustle of students, his glance chaotically jumped over their heads searching for you.

“You can’t go outside without a coat, Mr. Derrick,” Professor stopped 4th year Slytherin halfway. “Go fetch it. Now.”

The guy grunted, yet obeyed.

“Neither are you an exception, Miss Gordon.” Snape watched the girl follow her classmate.

The both almost ran into you when you showed up in the doorway. Struck by a mishmash of loud excited voices you were nearly blacking out from another painful spasm.

Snape’s heart gave a jolt once he saw you and instantly his expression softened.

“Off you go now,” he waved his head in direction of the exit. “And keep in mind – you are the pinnacle of evolution, the crown of creation, there’s no need to squash your way through. But if you do, however, at least perform with dignity.”

First you became aware of his voice, only then you spotted the man. His witty recommendation made you giggle. Separated by a throng of enraptured kids, eyes locked on his, you smiled broadly, waiting them to pass by.

“Do you feel as good as you look?” you asked not without a twinge of envy when you finally reunited.

“Beg your pardon?”

“I mean…” you realized you might’ve sounded flirty, which nowise was your intention. “You look so fresh and rested! Unlike me…” you sighed rubbing your temple.

“I thought you’ve heard about magic,” Snape arched his eyebrow the way he always did trying to banter you. “Must’ve been mistaken…”

“Oh, don’t,” you cut him short in a good-hearted manner. “Save your lectures for another occasion. I feel miserable enough…”

“Can’t wait to see Gryffindor finally beat Slytherin!” impatient about the match and paying no attention to her surrounding, Professor McGonagall headed for the exit in a determined step, eagerly sharing her expectations with Professor Flitwick as they walked past you.

“Oh…” Filius noticed his colleague whose appearance suggested he was more than unimpressed. “I’m sorry, Severus… Ahem… I’d better hurry to catch up with the rest,” the short man awkwardly pointed at the door and receded from view.

“Just like children in a sandbox,” you rolled your eyes, but seeing Snape’s narrow squint exclaimed in disbelief, “You’re not going to join them, are you?”

He didn’t answer chasing his rivals with a killing stare representing the best of its kind.

“Come on, we’d better hurry up too.”

“Wait,” Snape held you back. “Here,” he took a small vial out of his pocket and handed it to you. “It should help with your… condition.”

“How did you… No, don’t tell,” Snape’s chest shielding you from curious eyes and unwanted encounters, you stealthily raised the potion to your mouth – as if it was something illegal – and drank it in one gulp. Surprisingly, alleviation was not long in coming. You felt much better at once. The vise which squeezed your brain so severely now loosened and a light pleasant breeze gently blew the pain away. You closed your eyes for a moment enjoying fantastic relief.

Surprised how resolutely you emptied the vial without even asking what was inside, Snape smiled to himself. You’ve never made an impression of being credulous, this could only mean the level of trust you had for him was more than he would ever expect, and it melted his heart.

“Better?”

“I’m back from the dead!” you cheered.

“Didn’t reckon porcupine’s nasal mucus would have such a fast effect,” he said monotonously, “hm… I should take a note…”

“You’re lying!” you laughed. “There was no porcupine’s nasal mucus there!”

The man’s face remained plain.

“Snape!” you frowned, “there was no anyone’s snot in there! Or was it?”

“Of course it wasn’t, for Merlin’s sake!” he smirked, contented he managed to hoax you.

“I hate you!” you jokingly bumped against his shoulder and your arm gently slid under his. “Shall we?” With this you set in motion.

Snape couldn’t focus on anything but a slight pressure at his elbow caused by your contact. It was unusual yet so gratifying. Each moment beside you restored his soul which was once shattered to pieces.

The majority of students were far ahead. Outpaced by rare fall-behinds, you walked unhurriedly, enjoying tranquility of the place and each other’s company.

“The world seems to be a better place in the daylight,” you said, admiring the scenery.

“Curious it is,” Snape agreed. “Our demons which appear so real in the dark are less visible under the sun.”

“Isn’t it because we are more of our true selves in nighttime?” you fell silent for an instant. “I like your true self…”

Snape smiled sadly. “You don’t know me.”

“I know enough. Enough to consider you a good man, enough to trust you, enough to call you a friend…”

“Do not delude yourself,” he answered quietly.

“Am I deluding myself?” you resented. “Aren’t you doing the same denying my words?”

His mouth twitched. “Perhaps.”

“You brighten my days here, okay? And you seem to enjoy our little chats too so far, don’t you?”

“I do,” he gave in.

“So, please, shut up then and let me love you the way you are!” you tightened your grip on his arm.

Snape’s heart pounded in his ears threatening to jump out of his chest. He’s never heard anything even close to what you just said in his entire life. He wished he could tell you how much you meant for him, but he failed to articulate the simple truth. Afraid to look vulnerable, he preserved nonchalant façade.

“You said you hated me not so long ago.”

“Shut up, Snape. Just shut up.” Your lips stretched in a smile and so did his.

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Tag: @diaryofafan17 @yul-is-sparkling @fullmoonshadowwrites @forthehonourof @amywright @redrehab @space-helen @fluffymadamina nadiigh @theworldisugly-22 @lukaerith-morningstar @sighsinkhuzdul @67-chevy-baby @rustypotatospork @aquila-leo @dandyrua @majusketch @sevyythebeanqueen @writingmi @s00nhi @pinkininja @shizuethedragon @chocolattefrog awkwardaxelotl @bionic-otp @samnblack @sailorstupidsblog @purpledragonturtles @xwaterproofx @lokistann @psycho-howell @planetmystery @lovelyravenkite @taschaschwarz @grimrapper11 @xpissbabyx @lullabylike green-forest-dreams brujaporfavor @severuslovebot

[drabbletale]

Swapcest Pairing Meme

‘There’s no real answer to why they fell in love. To them, it was inevitable. To the world? Well, better not to think of it.’

Based on a genre meme I found in another fandom! I don’t want to link it though, because I KNOW they wouldn’t like to be linked to a blog like this lol....

Just some true-drabbles for swapcest because I miss it and it’s still OTP for me! I’ll be posting them separately too though.

UNDER THE CUT

Angst: (tw: character death)

Empty eye sockets, empty heart, empty hands. There was something so degrading about mourning over dust. Sure, it was simple enough when you knew it was coming, but a shocking death taking someone too young to be taken...

Papyrus felt so empty now. So empty all the time. All he wanted was a hug, but a very specific hug. A hug that was soft on the surface, but solid underneath his clothes. He wanted a hug from his brother. Gods, he had never hugged Sans enough. And now?

And now.

He had a carefully covered bowl of dust. There was no use in hugs with a bowl of dust, no warmth, no love, no... No Sans.

Nearly every monster in the Underground was mourning, sure. But it wasn't like this. They hadn't lost their starlight, their reason for living, their all.

Fuck, all he wanted was a hug.

 -------------------------

AU: (Kitty!Blue)

"i love youuuu~" The teeny skelecat flicked its ear in response to his coo. Papyrus chuckled and reached his hand over the edge of the bed to rub said ear, careful not to tug too hard.

Blue chattered in response, pulling himself up to join Stretch on the bed. It was strange, that he could be so skeleton like and yet...

And yet be something completely different with just a pair of ears and a tail.

Blue collapsed against his chest and he laughed again. "are you hungry then, mr. grumpy? you tellin' me to get my lazy butt out of bed?"

The cat looked up at him with bright blue eyelights, not comprehending the words, but still so very attentive. "don't worry pretty blue, i'll be up in a jiffy." He yawned and stretched his body out, then covered them both up with the blanket. 

Blue closed his eyes, curling closer.

 ----------------------

First Time: (TW: nsfwish, dryhumping)

It was more intense than he had originally suspected it would be. Experience had told him that it was fun, but this was something different.

Sans was back-down on his bed, arms wrapped around Papyrus' neck. He was heavy, made more so by the full ectobody he had summoned and just that thought alone made Sans nearly choke with desire. His brother had his face buried in Sans' neck, breathing deep but quick as he pressed their clothed groins together.

He couldn't hold back and followed suit, summoning his own ectobody to make the grinding softer. "Ah, Papy, slow... Slow down or I'll... I'm gonna... mmhh..." Sans gasped as Papyrus pressed just a bit harder.

When Paps spoke, it almost sounded like he was out of breath, despite his lack of lungs. "sansy, it's ok, just... fuck... its good. please just..."

Sans seemed to understand and pushed back in equal measure.

 ----------------------- 

Fluff: (tw: skelepreg)

They had been trying for months, to no avail. Papyrus had asked if it had to do with their biological... relationship, but Sans knew better. No, magic didn't work like that. No DNA or chemicals or mutations, at least not in the same way that non-magic beings had them.

Pure magic only took other magic to exist and the fact that they were brothers had nothing to do with struggling to have a baby.

But that concern, that stress of convincing him was over.

Sans straddled Papyrus, naked, full body formed, grinning as it caused his lover to groggily open his eyes.

It took only seconds before Papy noticed the second soul glowing bright in his belly. First shock, then joy, then relief and finally a tear falling down his cheekbone as he pulled Sans, and by extension their unborn child, into a tight hug. "i love you!"

 ---------------------

Soulmate:

It was the day he lost sight in one eye that he finally noticed it. Neat, all lowercase letters, spelling something out at the back of his skull. From the inside!

The indignity of it all! He wondered if his soulmate was going to have to lose one of their eye lights to be able to see it too, or if they wouldn't and would simply never know. Would they believe Sans that they were meant to be together?

It was anxiety inducing to imagine that they would not. Though, there was a solid hint that perhaps it wasn't going to be as complicated as he had initially expected it to be. The word written on him was 'papyrus'. Just... 'papyrus’.

But that wasn't all, no. It was written in the Papyrus font.

So his soulmate was a skeleton!! Sans giggled despite the ache in his eye socket.

 ---------------------

Hurt/Comfort: (Another angsty drabble, hopefully a little better than the last? TW: incest and complicated relations because of it)

"It's been over a year, Papyrus."

He said it as a fact, not meant to be a deterrent. Papyrus flinched at it though and Sans couldn't bear to continue to watch him. Closing his eyes and turning his head he sighed. He pulled the front door open enough for his brother to walk through.

A moment passed and Sans wondered if he had changed his mind, but the steps soon started quietly padding over the carpet. "i guess sorry isn't enough then."

"You have nothing to apologize for."

"i should have left a message or... or just... talked to you."

There was a heaviness between them and Sans ached to pull his brother into a hug, to hold him and kiss his cheekbone...

But that's how they ended up here in the first place. "You had every right to be grossed ou-"

He gasped as he was pulled into a tight hug.

“that wasn’t why i left, i promise.”

Sans didn’t want to move, too afraid of scaring his brother off again. “Ok.”

“i’m serious, it wasn’t that!”

“Ok.” Sans closed his eyes and took in the smell of, what exactly? Campfire? Where had his brother been?

“sans... we had been seen...”

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

UST (Unresolved Sexual Tension):

It was already strange enough to meet another skeleton at work when he'd never met any but his father. The whole ordeal was exasperated by the small skeleton's flirtatious nature.

He was sweet, too sweet. Always smiling and friendly and so damned caring. That could have been excused as coworkers turned friends, but...

The touching.

Shoulders brushing when he'd show Papyrus something on the computer. His hand brushing against Papyrus' back as he passed by.

Once during a team meeting, someone had made a joke they probably shouldn't have. Trying to hide his giggle, Sans had turned away from laughter of the group to rest his cheek on and giggle into Papyrus' shoulder.

His soul soared.

The worst of it when Sans would fix the ever-messy collar of Papyrus' work shirt, fingers brushing his neck and just under his jawbone. Those beautiful fingers, those... incredible hands.

If only Sans knew how wild he made Papyrus feel...

-------------------- 

Smut:

"Shh, sweetheart, you're doing great."

Papyrus was breathing heavy, squirming as the fingers inside him pressed deeper. He felt himself clench around them, then let out a shaky whimper. It was already so much and he was ready for so much more. Sans bent forward and kissed his summoned tummy. 

"i want more sans. nhh pluh... please?" He tried not to sound like he was annoyed with how slowly his lover was trying to take it. He had promised to be okay with 'tender' sex for once.

Usually they were ravenous, but Sans was in a more romantic mood and he wanted to... to, what?

Sans chuckled, his deep voice rumbling between them as he leaned down to flick his tongue over Papyrus' clit. He wanted to tease him!

Papyrus couldn't help himself, grabbing the back of Sans' skull and pressing him closer. Sans was more than willing to oblige with another dark chuckle.

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Here’s a secret if you got this far.... For the rare pair post I made, I’ll be doing this meme for the pairings suggested, posting them in a special rare pair week at the end of June.  It’s closed now, because I have enough pairings though. ;)  Hope you got yours in! 

(Theres only one pairing I skipped I believe, because I had no idea who the AU people are. Sorry to that one person, but I’ll be posting it as the asks you sent me with your story!!)

[lyssala]

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

Parings: Terra/Aqua, Kingdom Hearts

Setting: The week of Christmas, one year after the first chapter of You’re Idiots, the Both of You

Rating: M; Sexual Situations, Language

Notes: HOO It’s been a little while since I wrote full smut like this but anything for the otp <3 This was a request from @mimiplaysgames who requested smut and I was more than happy to oblige! And I picked this universe so I could throw all my smutty headcanons for them at you guys (and cause I felt bad the only time you got anything smutty for them Ven walked in haha) I really missed this universe for them, they’re so sweet and playful with each other so it made writing smut for them also enjoyable! That being said it absolutely deserves the M rating cause this has zero plot whatsoever (it’s not even all that holiday related but whatever she’s on winter break it counts LMAO)It’s a little different than the last one I did so hopefully it’s okay!

AO3 

The Christmas tree shone brightly in the corner of the room, multicolored lights illuminating the otherwise dark first floor of Terra’s house. It gave the whole living room the festive feel Aqua loved. There were other decorations Mrs. Auburn left up every year but for Aqua, she loved their tree. Sure she had a tree at her house that she did love, but there was something always so magical about the decorations on Terra’s tree that made her smile every time she saw it. Maybe it was childhood nostalgia of them playing around the tree, of Terra at many different ages pulling out a present for her from under the tree, maybe it was because of the holiday cheer, maybe it was just because it was Terra’s; Aqua wasn’t sure.

Even now the hum of the TV was in her ears as flashing images played off in the distance but it was the tree she couldn’t help but gaze at. It was so comforting, like a piece of home and she was so glad to be home for winter break. No classes, no practice, no talking on the phone pretending she wasn’t hours away, no quick visits back and forth. She was actually home.

Well, in Terra’s house as opposed to hers but it was always like a second home to her, so she still thought it counted.

She tried to look to the TV but it was hard to pay attention to whatever late night show was playing when she was so warm under a blanket laying on the couch, Terra’s chest behind her back, arm draped over her waist as his rhythmic breath tickled the hairs on her neck. That was the most comforting part of all, just being able to not worry about when he had to leave, or when she had to leave. No one would make them go anywhere. Okay, technically she was supposed to be home to at least sleep in her own bed, but once her parents were asleep they’d never actually know she wasn’t home. It was silly really; did they think she made Terra sleep on the floor when he stayed the weekend with her?

“Are you asleep?” she hushed.

Terra made some sort of grunting noise that probably meant he was asleep or nearly asleep.

She could just fall asleep herself. She was so comfortable and so warm, it would be easy to close her eyes and sleep till morning when Ven would jump on the both of them to wake them up; it wouldn’t be the first time. Instead she carefully rolled over under his arm, moving so she could face him.

To her surprise his eyes weren’t closed, one eye was cracked open watching her.

“You were faking,” she snorted, hitting her hands lightly against his chest.

“I wasn’t, this show is boring. It absolutely was putting me to sleep.”

“I think that’s mainly the purpose of having the TV on this late at night.”

“Also…” he said, tapping his fingers against her lower back. “To keep on so everyone thinks we’re still awake so you don’t have to leave.”

Aqua hummed, reaching a hand up to the side of his face, brushing some fallen bangs from his eyes. “I’d bet no one in either house is still awake but us.”

His eyes fluttered shut but only for a moment; when he opened them again there was a certain glint that matched the smile pulling at his lips. “I can go for that bet.”

“Oh? What are we betting on?” Aqua supposed she didn’t have to ask that and especially not when he pressed his lips to hers.

It was so easy, kissing him back, running her hand through his hair. Sure, they had a slight awkward bought in their transition from best friends to more than friends, but for the most part it was always like this, like it was the way it was meant to be. She nudged her foot between his, the thin fabric of his pajama pants soft against her legs.

His hand trailed down her back, only enough to slip underneath the hem of her shirt; which was actually his shirt she stole when she didn’t want to wear real clothes anymore. He held his palm flat against her back, fingers pressing down on her skin as he pulled her closer to him.

Aqua laughed softly against his lips, her hand dropping to his shoulder.

“What’s so funny?” he murmured, trailing light kisses along her jaw.

“I guess you’re not as tired as I thought.” Her fingers curled into the fabric of his tank top when he brushed his lips down her neck.

“It’s not my fault.” His breath was warm on her skin, sending shivers down her spine with every touch of his lips, every graze of his teeth. “You’re distracting me from sleeping.”

Her eyes fluttered shut as she arched her head back some, his face nuzzling into her collarbone. “Am I?”

Terra hummed, dragging his hand down her back to the waist of her shorts.

“Oh, well, sorry for being distracting,” she breathed, reaching a hand up to his hair, running her fingers through the soft strands. “Should I leave then? Would that make it better?”

He moved his head back up to hers, kissing her so quickly she nearly forgot to breathe. Her hand tightened in his hair, the other still holding onto his shirt.

“No,” he said against her lips. “I don’t think it would.”

Aqua smiled as she tilted her face to kiss him; like she’d ever want to be anywhere but right here in the first place. She kicked her leg up over his, pulling herself into him, the familiar heat curling in the pit of her stomach.

His fingers tightened on her, running his hand down to her ass as he rolled his hips into hers. Aqua broke away with a small groan; their clothes were thin, it wasn’t difficult to feel his growing arousal against her. Terra trailed his lips down her neck again, nipping carefully at the base of her neck that made her squirm in his arms trying to get closer.

“Good,” she breathed, moving her hand to join the other still tangled in his hair while he pressed his hands to her hips, pushing her onto her back. “I wouldn’t want to.”

He nuzzled his face down past her chest, pushing the bottom of her shirt up so he could press a kiss to her stomach.

Aqua closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the pillow they were using. She tightened her fingers in his hair, his warm touch trailing down and making her breath hitch in her throat. Terra’s hands were soft against her, until she tried to press her hips up to him. He pushed her back down against the couch, holding her as his hands curled into the waist of her shorts.

“Terra,” she groaned, trying to move against him but he was firm as he shifted himself between her legs, sending fire through her veins. “Maybe we should go to your room.” She meant to finish with “that has a door” but he moved down to press a kiss to the inside of her thigh and she could only pull at his hair.

“Okay,” he said against her skin and even though she wasn’t looking she could feel his smile against her. “Lead the way.”

That was fair. She didn’t want to move at all; though Terra could use to move a little faster. “What about your parents?”

He placed another kiss on her thigh, a little higher than before. “They’re asleep.”

“Ven?” Aqua pressed her hips up to Terra again but he just pushed her back down, kissing up the sensitive skin of her leg.

“Asleep.” Terra paused. “And he knows better.”

His breath was so warm against her, so close to where she wanted him to touch her but he wasn’t moving. She lifted her head up to look at him but he was already watching her. The lights from the tree were shining on his face, the sound from the TV a soft buzz in her ears. His hands were still tucked in her shorts, eyes on her and she honestly couldn’t care less who was awake and who wasn’t. He was waiting for her okay.

Aqua lifted her hips, moving to slip her hands to push her shorts down but Terra was already pulling them off. She didn’t even look to see where he left them, because his lips were back on her thigh. She dropped head back on the pillow, biting down on her lip as her eyes fluttered shut. He inched up higher and higher till she couldn’t help but reach her hands down to his head, curling her fingers in his hair again and nearly holding her breath as she felt him so close to her.

Until her moved to her other leg, leaving kisses up the inside of her thigh there too.

“Terra,” she whined, tugging at his hair. She couldn’t see him but she absolutely felt him laughing. Figures. He loved to take his time; lingering kisses, fleeting touches, teasing her and drawing out her most impatient side. If they weren’t short on time, he never rushed it.  He always said it was because he never got enough of her, but Aqua thought he just liked to make her squirm and whine. It wasn’t like she disliked it, but most of the time it drove her crazy; especially now when she felt her desire for him aching through her body.

She rolled her hips up at him but he still held her down. Aqua was going to urge him on again but she felt his mouth on her and she couldn’t think. She bit down on her lip, hands grasped into his hair as her legs clenched around him.

It didn’t matter where it was or when it was, no one knew her better than Terra did. He knew every touch, every move of his mouth that would make her toes curl into the blanket that was now bunched at the end of the couch. She tried to keep the small noises from falling from her lips but she vaguely was aware she wasn’t doing a great job.

His thumbs rubbed circles on her thighs as he ran his tongue along her.  It was late, and there were people still in the house but it didn’t matter. All she felt was the heat through her body, the ache through her for him. She rolled her hips against him and his fingers pressed into her legs as he met her motions, hitting a spot that sent her reeling.

“Terra,” she groaned, pulling at his hair. “Fuck.”

Aqua blinked her eyes open when she felt his fingers on her lips.

“Shhh,” he murmured, pushing himself up some though he was looking far too amused for his own good. “I said they were asleep not deaf.”

“Then get up here,” she said, dropping her hands to his face so she could pull him up towards her. She was going to tease him to stop looking so pleased with himself but the look on his face as he crawled over her was enough for her to pull his head down to hers to kiss him instead. She dragged her hands down his back, reaching for the hem of his shirt.

He moved back slightly to pull it off, tossing it over the side before leaning back over her, meeting her lips. Aqua ran her hands up his stomach and back down to the waist of his pants making him press his hips down against hers with a groan. She brushed her hand over his arousal, pressing her palm down against him.

That time he broke away, leaning his forehead against hers. He may’ve loved to tease her but Aqua loved the way he melted in her touch. Terra was bigger than her in stature and in height, strong, intimidating to some, but she could make him unravel at the seams and she adored every second of giving him the same pleasure he gave her.

She looked up to his half lidded eyes and it was hard to remember any time before when this would’ve been a safely guarded fantasy she never told anyone. It was almost one year since they shared their first kiss under the stars and sometimes it was still hard to believe she got to kiss him whenever she wanted to; and so much more.

She pulled his waistband down as he shifted his hips over hers. Aqua reached her arms around him when he pushed into her; her name on his lips so close to her ear. He leaned down against her, keeping on hand on her hip while the other tucked underneath her. She pressed her face against his shoulder, trying to muffle the cry that fell from her lips. Terra leaned his head to hers, resting his weight on her before moving his hips in a steady rhythm that had her curling her legs around him to pull him closer to her.

Aqua arched her back up, his fingers tightening on her hip as he moved against her. Heat swirled in her stomach, his breath hot on her ear as she held her hands onto his back, fingers digging into his skin. She loved every moment with him; even their first, slightly fumbling, sort of awkward time on her cramped dorm room bed. It didn’t really matter in the end because she was happy to just have that experience with him and express to him how good he made her feel. She usually found she liked to be the one to take control and let him sit back but she also loved the comforting feeling of his weight on her, his hands grasping onto her, every stroke bringing her closer and closer.

Aqua pushed her hips up against his, meeting his motions.

“Fuck,” he groaned, pressing his hand against her as he pushed into her harder than before. Terra didn’t curse much expect when they were together and she loved it. Even the sound of his voice made her feel desire even more.

She leaned her face against his skin, still trying to muffle her cries. Aqua was pretty sure no one would come down even if they heard, Terra’s parents didn’t really care what they did and Ven didn’t want to know, but the thought alone was embarrassing enough to make her at least try to be discreet about it. She knew Terra was doing the same; pressing his lips to her neck periodically, his muffled breathing, trying to keep some sort of control.

She dragged her hand down his back, feeling all the bumps and ridges of his body, the ones she knew so well. His hands were tight on her, and she couldn’t imagine being home alone in her own bed right now. Her legs squirmed against his, trying to urge him on as the ever familiar hot pressure made her whole body feel light.

“Aqua,” he warned, stilling her hips with his hand but his voice was so laced with desire she almost lost herself there.

She untangled her arms from around him, reaching up for his face, bringing him to her so she could kiss him. His cry was muffled by her lips as he trailed his hand up to her waist, pressing his fingers into his skin as his hips rolled into hers, faster than before. Aqua pushed her hands back into his hair, trying to focus on moving her mouth with his but she couldn’t stop a moan, her hands pulling back on his hair.

Terra broke away with a moan of his own, forehead sweaty against hers but she could care less. “Shit.” He dropped his head to her neck, nipping at her skin trying to muffle his cry as she felt him hit his own breaking point. She ran her hands down to his shoulders, wrapping her arms around him but the sound of his voice, his hold on her, and the pleasure he always knew how to give her was overwhelming enough for her. She felt his name on her lips while she buried her head against his skin, everything feeling light, the waves rushing through her body.

In the silence of the house her breathing sounded so heavy, trying to catch her breath as she trailed her fingers gently down Terra’s back. He moved slightly to be able to pull himself from her, but she otherwise felt his hot breath on her neck as he laid wrapped up against her. The TV was still humming along, the lights of the Christmas tree shining in the dark.

When he did move he pushed himself up, peppering her neck with kisses that made her laugh before he leaned back on his knees. She sat up on her elbows as he adjusted his waistband back up. His hair looked even messier than usual, the sheen of sweat on his body that made him look a little brighter in the dim lighting as he reached for his tank top to pull it back on.

Aqua was about to ask for her shorts when they landed on her chest. “Thanks,” she said as she shifted to pull them back on while he laid down on his side next to her.

“For the shorts or…?”

She was already reaching for the blanket they nearly kicked off the couch but she didn’t miss the grin on his lips. “You know,” she said, laying down on her side to face him, and hit him in the arm a few times. “You always tell me to be quiet, but I think you’re louder than me. “

“Huh,” he said, though his eyes were closed that grin was still there. “Absolutely not my fault.”

Aqua sighed as he wrapped his arms around her, moving her legs to tangle with his. She opened her mouth to respond but he was already kissing her, soft and sweet; it made her chest flutter just like he always did. She hummed, pressing her hands against his chest.

“It’s been almost a year, you know,” she murmured as he leaned back, resting his head against the pillow.

“Of course I know,” he said, though he sounded significantly more tired than he did before.

She felt it too, her eyes closing as she rested her head against his chest. “I wish we had done it sooner.”

“The kiss or…?”

Aqua pinched his back making him laugh. She felt his hand reach up to brush hair from her face, a warm kiss on her forehead. She already knew she was slipping; she was too comfortable, too warm, too safe. It was right where she always wanted to be. Her parents could deal with her not coming home.

“Me too,” he murmured. “But we have plenty of time to make up for it.”

She smiled before a yawn pulled at her lips. Aqua liked the sound of that.