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writersblog20 · 1 year

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Hotel room and Mario kart

Pedro Pascal x reader

Credits to the gif maker!!!

Summary: When you’re traveling around the world with Pedro to promote your new tv series, but you were exhausted. You still had your studies, work and the promoting while traveling and it was just a matter of time when everything started to catch up to you, leaving you overworked and exhausted but luckily Pedro comes to the rescue.

Warnings: not proofread to any mistakes are my bad😅FLUFF, Being exhausted and overworked, mention of being overwhelmed, mention of vomiting, feeling like shit physically, Pedro being the sweetest and taking care of you. Fluff. Pedro with his Ipad.

Words: 4,4K

Hotel room and Mario Kart.

It were some tough couple of days. You were on the road with Pedro Pascal to promote a new series where the two of you would be a love interest. Before you started filming, you already had a crush on the older man but through filming it just developed more and more and you fell in love with your co-star. This was your big break through and you didn’t want to mess that up. Not only were you working on the new series, giving interview that just tired the both of you out but you were also in the midst of your (very busy) studies with a lot of assignments.

Even though your lessons were on the other side of the world, you followed them through zoom calls and what not. To make matters just a bit worse, you had exams already so you were stressed, extremely exhausted and tired and tried to hang on for dear life but today was just not that day and Pedro noticed it.

You were sitting in a different hotel for the interviews and as soon as they switched the interviewers, Pedro turned towards you while your make-up artist tried to touch up her work since the bags underneath your eyes and the visibility of your clenched jaw were very much noticeable.

“You okay sweetheart?” he asked you, since you answered all the questions with a tired voice. You tried to act okay but Pedro knew. He always knew. He knew how rough things got for you, also having some arguments with your teachers, giving you shit because why not? You were just done and were almost on the edge of tears. You just wanted to sleep, that’s all. You put all of your energy (What was left) in your smile and nodded but Pedro just raised his eyebrow.

“How many do we have left?” Pedro asked the assistance, wanting to bring you back to the hotel and force you to sleep. “We have 5 left.” She answered. Pedro looked back at you, worry visible in his eyes. “Listen, if 5 is too much for you, then we’ll call in sick.” Pedro gave you an out but you just shook your head. “No, I can handle it.” you told him and this time he nodded. “Okay. But if it gets too much, you tell me okay princess?” you smiled softly and this time it was a real one. Pedro placed his arm around you and pulled you in a side hug, giving a kiss on the top of your head.

The new interviewer walked in and gave you both a hand before sitting down. Pedro kept his arm around the back of your chair, his fingers softly drawing patterns on your back for comfort and reassurance. His body was slightly turned towards you. You had fun and that was really because of Pedro. You and him had such a wholesome relationship, making everyone in the fandom go feral about the two of you. But to be fair, he was the kindest soul you’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. He took care of you and looked after you but it got more at the point when you felt like you couldn’t do it on your own anymore. Pedro always, always had your back and stood next to you, holding your hand and facing whatever challenge you had coming your way. You would always do it together and you knew that he was here to stay.

After the last interview, you walked out of the hotel. Pedro’s arm around you and holding you close to his side. “I’m so proud of you mi corazon.” Pedro told you but you were too tired to react so you placed your head on his shoulder for a second and your arms around him. He stopped walking since you were giving him a side hug and he turned his body completely towards you, placing his arms over your shoulders and pulled you into a tight hug. His hand was on the back of your head and he placed a kiss on top of your head. He waited until you got out of the hug and when you did, his arm was around your shoulder again and your body tightly pressed against his side.

Pedro was so extremely worried about you. He saw how exhausted mentally and physically you were. The two of you always had some kind of physical contact but now even more. Pedro did not want to let go of you, scared that if he did, you might fall apart. Never in his life did he ever wanted to take care of someone this much. I mean obviously he was a VERY caring person but it was next level when it came to you. He felt so protective of you and wanted to safe you from all the bad in the world.

There were a lot of photographers outside of the hotel when you tried to get into the car. Everyone yelling your name or Pedro’s. You were so overwhelmed from everything around you that you felt yourself grow dizzy. Pedro noticed your instability and quickly looked at you, worry glazed over his face. “I feel dizzy Pedge.” you warned him and he quickly nodded. He wanted to get you into that car and he wanted it fast before you might pass out or something. Your whole body was shaking and your legs felt like jelly but not in a good way right now. The assistant and security backed the paparazzi off and created a path towards the car but the flashing lights just made you more dizzy. Pedro took your hand in his and he felt how much you were shaking. His heart started pounding from anxiety, worry and a slight panic when he saw how bad you were doing. He loved you but could hate how much you pushed yourself and how stubborn you could be. It was destructive behavior and he did not condone that.

He finally got you into the car with blinded windows before he got in the car at the other side. You tried to catch your breathing when Pedro’s whole body turned towards you. He gave you a slight unamused look at you, knowing that it was way too much and you didn’t told them your boundaries right now. But there was no time for being unamused. He helped you with your seatbelt and sat next to you. Pedro sat so close to you that you were sure that not even air could pass through. His arm already around you and pulled you into his side. You rested your head on his shoulder, his hand already on your head, massaging your scalp. “Try to close your eyes and get some sleep sweetheart. I’ll wake you up when we're at the hotel” Your hands were clung to his pink sweater. “I can’t really sleep in a car.” You told him, knowing from past experience. Pedro softly nodded “Then try to relax a bit baby girl.” You felt yourself flustered at his words and stared through the window from the driver.

Not even 5 minutes later you were completely passed out on Pedro’s shoulder. It was true that you weren’t able to sleep in a car but apparently not for this day. Pedro looked slightly at you so he wouldn’t move to much and wake you up. He saw you completely knocked out, slightly drooling on his sweater but Pedro didn’t mind it at all, happy that you finally got some much needed sleep even if it was just for a couple of minutes. The sweetest smile covered Pedro’s face like a sunshine when he saw you asleep on his shoulder with a bit of drool. He decided to stop at a store to get all of your favorite snacks and have a nice, relaxing evening.

Pedro didn’t want to leave your side but wanted to buy you some stuff so he carefully got a extra sweater that was in the back and placed it against the window so you had some sort of pillow. You stirred a bit but still asleep. Pedro carefully got out, the driver staying with you while he quickly went in. Pedro just placed everything in the shopping basket that he thought that you might like. He came back with two fully packed bags and got back in the car.

After 30 minutes or so, you finally arrived at the hotel and Pedro carefully woke you up. You woke up, utterly confused to where you were or what was going on while you looked at your surroundings. Pedro chuckled at your confusion as you quickly wiped away the drool. “Let’s get you upstairs so you can sleep some more baby girl.” he told you while helping you with your seatbelt. You were still in some sort of sleeping or dreaming state cause you had absolutely no idea what the hell was going on but followed Pedro blindly.

“Wait here princess.” He told you as he got out of the car and walked to your side, opening the door and helping you out. His assistant carried the bags while Pedro supported you with walking since you felt very weak. Finally you arrived at the hotel room. Your room was opposite Pedro’s and you got your keys out but Pedro softly placed his hand above yours. You looked confused at him. “You’re staying with me for a while so I can look after you.” he told you. You noticed that it wasn’t even a question or leaving room for debate so you just accepted it, way too tired and still confused. All you knew was that you felt a bit nauseous, probably from the lack of sleep and your body was catching up to you now.

Pedro opened his room and helped his assistant with the bags. “Can you clear her room maybe and transit her over to my room so I can keep an eye on her?” He asked her “Will do Pedro. I can get her stuff now and place them here.” She proposed. Pedro nodded and thanked her.

You didn’t hear anything from their conversations while you crawled underneath Pedro’s covers. The blanket didn’t cover a lot of your body but you were seriously too exhausted to even move, beside you were afraid that if you moved too much right now, that you might throw up. His assistant left the room while Pedro walked towards you, his eyes softening when he saw that you couldn’t even get the covers properly up. He got the covers and pulled them properly over your body, tucking you in. “Can I get you something sweetheart?” he asked you softly when he walked to the other side of the bed so he could see your face.

“Can I have some water and painkillers? I don’t feel so good.” Pedro’s face was written with sympathy. “Of course princesa, I’ll get it for you.” he told you and kissed the top of your head. You wanted to close your eyes but the nausea got worse when you did so you did what you thought was the best and that was: Laying as still as you possibly could.

Pedro came back with the water and painkillers. He could see from a mile away that you felt horrible with the minute so he took your sleeping pills with him. It was a necessary evil right now but you needed rest and sleep. Your body needed it. “Can you sit up for me princess?” He asked you when he sat next to you on the bed, his hands softly rubbing your back that was turned to him. You tried what Pedro asked you but as soon as you moved you felt it.

You quickly stumbled over Pedro who was confused but caught on quick. In between all the chaos, there was a knock on his door. “Come in!” Pedro yelled, knowing it was his assistant while Pedro followed you but you were so quick to reach the toilet. When Pedro sat behind you, he rubbed your back slightly and held your hair back. He was crouching behind you while you threw everything out. His assistant looked where the two of you were and it was only until she reached the bathroom. “Oh dear.” She spoke softly and felt sympathy for you. Pedro looked at his assistant with worry in his eyes. “I’ll be back in a couple of seconds sweetheart.” Pedro softly told you, making you nod.

Pedro stepped out of the bathroom and saw that his assistant brought all your bags in already. Pedro looked back at the bathroom and guided his assistant more to the side for some privacy. “Please cancel the interviews tomorrow. She really needs a day off and get some sleep because this is getting out of hand.” His assistant agreed with him, seeing the state you were in. “Yeah, I will. There still a lot of things left to do so try to get her better.” She more asked him than told him. Pedro looked back and nodded.

“Call me if you need anything! I’ll get it in no time, you know that.” Pedro nodded again while looking back at the bathroom. He really wanted to return to you right now. “I’ll probably need some things but I’ll text you that. I want to go back to her right now.” She nodded and whished him good luck before exiting the room so Pedro could go back to you.

You were still over the toilet when Pedro crouched behind you again. “I’m so sorry that you feel like this baby girl.” You nodded while wiping away some tears. You felt mentally drained and physically exhausted so crying right now was the most logical thing that you did. You felt like you were done and flushed the toilet. Your whole body was shaking from exhaustion. “Can you get my toothbrush please?” you could hear how weak you sounded. You had nothing left to give anymore. “Of course.” Pedro was quick on his feet and fumbled through your bags before getting it out and walked back to you.

Pedro helped you to get up and sat you down on the bathroom counter so you didn’t have to stand. “I should take a shower.” you told him, feeling disgusted. Pedro nodded but was worried that you didn’t have any energy left in you. “Do you need or want help with that?” he asked you softly. You shook your head “I’ll think I’ll be okay.” Pedro nodded “Yell if you need help or whatever okay? I’ll get you some clean clothes.” You nodded and Pedro walked out of the bedroom. He figured that between everything you might not have the energy to wash your clothes so he gave you some clean and comfortable sweats, a shirt and a hoodie from himself.

Pedro knocked on the bathroom door, announcing himself before stepping in. “Thank you so much.” You told him but you sounded bleak. Pedro gave you a soft sad smile “I’ll be right next to you if you need something so just yell okay?” you nodded and gave him a weak smile. Pedro closed the door and gave you some privacy.

You stood underneath the shower and it didn’t make you feel much better but at least you didn’t feel disgusting anymore so that was a win. Luckily, you did wash your panties and everything so you put that on with still shaky hands and pulled the oversized shirt from Pedro on your body. You felt more and more exhausted to the point that you just asked Pedro for help. You never liked asking for help. I mean you were always on your own and found it hard to let someone into your space but with Pedro it felt different. It felt safe and comfortable and that was something you’ve searched for your entire life.

“Are you okay princess?” Pedro asked you when he heard you ask for his help. “Can you maybe help me?” you felt a bit embarrassed to ask him but you really had no choice left. “Of course, can I come in?” he asked you “Yeah” you responded simply. He opened the door and saw you sitting on the closed toilet, struggling with the joggings from so much shaking. Pedro walked over to you without saying anything and got the sweats from your hands. He looked at you for permission and you nodded, accepting how it is now.

“Place your hands around my shoulders princess.” He told you and did what he asked. You stood up, clinging to Pedro while he pulled the sweats on. “These are very nice, thank you.” Pedro smiled at you and gave you a kiss on the top of your head. “Do you want to wear the hoodie in bed or do you just want the t-shirt?” Pedro asked when you sat down again. “I’d like the hoodie as well.” Pedro smiled again and helped you in it. “You do skincare right?” you nodded with a smile that he remembered from what you’ve told him a while back. “Let me help you with that.” You nodded and repositioned on the bathroom counter again.

He already found all of your skincare since it was in the same bag as your toothbrush. He looked at all the different things confused and back to you, making you chuckle. “This one first.” You pointed and Pedro nodded with a soft chuckle. He applied it to your face with so much softness and gentleness that you thought your heart was going to explode. He repeated that process until it was done. “There we go mi amor. Is it better?” he asked you, making you nod with a soft smile and placed your arms around his shoulders again for a hug. You didn’t know why but you really wanted him to hug and cuddle you right now. Pedro was quick to apply and pulled you in a hug too, kissing your forehead, which was burning up.

“Let’s get you into bed and get some painkillers in you.” You nodded and Pedro held his hand out for you to take, which you did. You followed him to the bed and crawled in, feeling completely exhausted and already as if your body morphing into the mattress. Pedro got you a water bottle and your painkillers and sleeping pills. You saw them and immediately agreed. It was better to just take it and make sure that you were sleeping. So you took them and laid down. Pedro crawled in next to you. He already held his arm up so you could crawl against him. “Do you want to watch anything?” he asked you. You felt a soft smile creeping up on your face. “Could we watch Moonknight?” Pedro gasped dramatic. “Are you exchanging me for Oscar????” you chuckled. “No way! Never. I wouldn’t dare. Besides… you have baby yoda but I don’t think you want to watch the Mandalorian.” Pedro chuckled. “We’ll watch whatever you want. Even if that means I still have to look at my own face or well… helmet in this case.” You smiled at the sacrifice he was willing to make for you. “So what do you want to watch?” he asked you, “Moonknight please” you answered while your head rested on his chest. He kissed the top of your head and searched for the series.

When he found it, you both got comfortable. You held on more to Pedro and your head resting against his shoulder and partly chest. Pedro held you tightly. One arm wrapped underneath you as he drew circles on your back with his hand and the other arm wrapped over you. Both cuddled up together and finally the painkillers and sleeping pill kicked in. You focused on Pedro’s calm breathing and the sound coming from the tv when you fell asleep.

~time skip~

You woke up after a couple of hours and heard some soft sounds coming from besides you. You groaned, feeling horrible. Your whole body ached but you knew that it finally came up because you were resting. You turned around at the sound and found Pedro playing a game on his iPad with earbuds in. He looked at you when he felt some movement besides him. He got his earbuds out. “Hey sweetheart, how are you feeling?” he asked you with a soft smile. “Horrible. Everything hurts right now but I guess that was to expect.” Pedro’s smile turned sympathetic.

“Well, we have a whole day and night tomorrow off so you can catch up on some sleep.” You frowned a bit confused “Don’t we have a couple of interviews tomorrow?” you asked him. Pedro shook his head. “Not anymore. You need rest and it’s not as important as the other stuff so we’re both going to take a day off and you’re going to let me take care of you.” he told the last part a bit stern but guilt was written over your features. “If you’ll let me. you’ve been working way too hard and we both could use a day off. Besides, I can use you as an excuse now.” He joked, trying to lighten the mood which worked because you got a smile creeping on your face while you swatted his chest softly. Pedro chuckled.

“Want to order room service or something? I don’t know how the nausea is right now.” You smiled softly. “It’s gone now and I’m starving.” You told him both chuckling. Pedro got up to get the menu of the hotel and plopped back in his spot besides you. You let your head rest against his shoulder as you both sat up, looking at what food to order. “I think I’ll go for the pizza.” You told him and Pedro nodded. “Yeah that sounds good. I’ll think I’ll go for a pasta or something.”

After ordering and eating the food you plopped back into bed. Pedro wanted you to stay in bed but you decided to just eat your food at the table so it doesn’t mess up the bed. Besides, you wanted to move away from the bed for a minute. “So…. I might have bought something fun…” Pedro told you, making you look up in curiosity. “I bought it for myself and my nephews but I think we can play it already.” Your curiosity peaked. “What is it?” you asked him and he got a switch out. You chuckled “Of course you bought it.” you laughed, remembering how his iPad is his life and now he got a switch as well but you loved it.

“I got Mario Kart as well.” he told you and you smile brightened. “Should we play it?” you asked him with a mischievous smile “Should we?” he asked you with the same smile. You sat a bit back in your chair and hummed. “I think we should.” Pedro got excited and you both got up, trying to set it up and after 15 minutes, it finally worked. You both held your arms up in the air from celebration and plopped back on the bed. You laid down on your stomach while you chose your character. Your feet wiggling behind you. Pedro looked at you and chuckled before laying down next to you in the same position.

You started playing the game and both started to find it very addictive. You’ve lost a couple of times and won a couple of times. The two of you switching positions now and then to get more comfortable as you let your head rest on his stomach. In a break, you looked at your phone and saw that it was already 1 AM. You chuckled but knew that the two of you needed sleep.

“Pedge... It’s already 1 AM. We should call it a night and continue tomorrow?” Pedro smiled “Yeah sounds like a great idea.” You both took turns in the bathroom before laying in the bed again. You laid face to face. “I might buy some new games tomorrow.” Pedro thought out loud. “I actually think this was a great purchase.” Pedro smiled “Right?!” you both laughed and whished each other goodnight before turning around.

But you still felt energetic even though you were exhausted. You just couldn’t seem to get some sleep right now and stared at the ceiling when you turned on your back. Pedro was already laying on his back and apparently unable to sleep too. He looked over at you, to see if you couldn’t sleep either. “Can’t sleep either?” He softly broke the silence. “Nope. You neither?” you asked him and he shook his head. “Want to watch some funny videos?” you asked. “Always helps me sleep.” You continued but Pedro had the biggest smile on his face. “I can add this to my list of many reasons why I like you.” He told you, already sitting up to put a light on. You chuckled and sat up as well. You searched through Youtube and found ridiculousness. “Ohh I love this! I used to watch it back home.” You told him and Pedro didn’t need to hear more to press play.

You cuddled back against Pedro and he got comfortable as well. You both laughed at the show and the people in it. “This is amazing.” Pedro said, making you agree. “Thank you Pedge. For today and just in general.” Pedro looked at you with a soft smile. “for taking care of me and stuff. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you weren’t around. probably have a panic attack or something.” You chuckled out uncomfortably. “You are more than welcome. Thank you for letting me take care of you. I know that was out of your comfort zone.” You smiled. “Well, I trust you. don’t think I ever trusted as much as I trust you.” Pedro felt himself grown emotional just a bit but covered it up by pulling you into a hug.

You didn’t know how many episodes passed when you both fell asleep in each other’s arms. The following day, you both purchased a new game and played it the whole day between some naps and ate a lot of snacks that Pedro got the both of you from the store a day ago. It was a perfect day off and everything felt a bit lighter. You knew that it wasn’t over and so did Pedro but this was a step in the right direction and you knew that if you were unable to keep your boundaries, Pedro would help you. It would be all okay as long as Pedro was besides you and he wasn’t planning on leaving you.

#Pedro Pascal #pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal imagine #pedro pascal fanfic #pedro pascal fluff #pedro pascal fic #pedro pascal x you #pedro pascal x female reader #pedro pascal x y/n #pedro pascal cute #pedro pascal x ofc #pedro pascal imagines #pedro pascal one shot #pedro pascal oneshot #pedro pascal stories

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mikavlcs · 1 year

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Sweater Weather

Pairing: Wednesday Addams x fem!reader

Summary: Wednesday gives you her sweater to wear on a cold day in Jericho.

Word count: 0.8k

Notes: it’s midnight here, so guess who’s officially 18... anyways this is literally the second story i ever wrote, based off an incredibly generic prompt. i never posted it bc it’s so short but i wanted to post something today so... hope you guys enjoy!

Masterlist

Admittedly, the current predicament you were in was one entirely of your making.

Today was one of Nevermore’s yearly field trips. And because there was apparently no other civilization within fifty miles of your school, that meant you and your peers were spending the day in Jericho.

It was basically just another Outreach Day except you weren’t being used for free labor.

As always, you checked the weather the night before. The reports showed that Jericho would be sunny with a slight breeze for most of the day, so you wore a long-sleeved shirt and a light zip-up hoodie. And that choice served you just fine as you walked down the main streets of the town.

But you swore that each section of Jericho had its own weather patterns because the moment you stepped into Pilgrim World, the sky completely clouded over and the air around you chilled.

A fitting atmosphere for the bleak “theme park” you supposed, but not what you were expecting.

Given the circumstances, you were fine, but poor Enid was shivering within minutes of the gratuitous tour Principal Weems was making everyone take.

You watched from your spot next to Wednesday as Ajax tried his best to warm her, rubbing his hands up and down her arms, but her short sleeve shirt was doing her no favors and you felt bad.

Decisively, you ventured over to her, giving Wednesday a quiet “be right back” before you went. You unzipped your hoodie and slipped it around Enid’s shoulders. She accepted it with a bright grin and hug which you returned eagerly.

You were happy to help your friend, and besides, you would be fine.

But the temperature kept steadily dropping as you and your classmates were guided around the park and before you knew it, you were in the same dilemma Enid was only ten minutes ago. You tried your best to appear unfazed by the chill in the air, knowing Wednesday would have no sympathy for your situation. The breeze that began making itself known was making that a challenge, however.

Briefly, you considered asking Enid for your jacket back, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do that to her. So you resolved to just keep moving and tough it out alone.

Well, not entirely alone.

Wednesday, ever observant, noticed your plight immediately. Actually, she had predicted it would happen the moment she saw you hand your jacket off to her roommate. Your kindness was easily one of your best traits in her eyes, but too often it got you into situations like this where you would deprive yourself of something for someone else’s benefit and suffer for it.

She watched your pathetic attempts to subtly warm yourself for a few minutes longer before finally taking pity on you.

Wordlessly, she slipped the oversized black sweater she was wearing off and handed it over to you. You looked over, glancing between her and the sweater, your confusion palpable. Wednesday rolled her eyes.

“Take it.”

Confusion turned into disbelief when you realized what she said. You simply stared, incredulous at the thought of Wednesday Addams—tough, stoic Wednesday Addams—offering you her sweater to wear.

“Don’t make me repeat myself.”

“I- Are you sure? What about you?” you stuttered, not wanting the smaller girl to be cold for your sake. Wednesday scoffed, sounding offended by the mere insinuation.

“Please, I slept in mortuary cabinets for fun when I was younger. I still do on occasion, actually. This is child’s play. Now, take the sweater. Your constant shuffling is incredibly distracting.”

She punctuated her last sentence by all but shoving the article of clothing into your arms. This time, you took it with a grateful grin and slipped it over your head. Immediately, the soft material warmed you, encompassing you in Wednesday’s scent in the process. You closed your eyes, basking in it, before looking back at Wednesday.

“Thanks, Weds,” you leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Wednesday cringed, feigning disgust at the affection even as her cheeks began to burn. She flicked her gaze up to yours, her signature glare a bit softer than usual.

“I took pity on you in this single instance. Do not expect it to happen again.”

“Of course, Wens,” you chuckled. Movement in your peripherals caught your attention and you turned to see the rest of your group heading off to the fudgery. You faced Wednesday again with a warm smile.

“Come on, let’s get this stupid tour over with, and afterward we’ll head over to the Weathervane. I’ll buy you whatever you want as a thank you.”

You linked your pinky with hers, gently pulling her along to trail behind the other students. And if Wednesday brought her hand up to lightly trace the skin your lips touched the moment your back was turned, well that was no one’s business but hers.

#posting this and then immediately crashing lol #wednesday #wednesday addams #wednesday addams x reader #wednesday addams x female reader #wednesday addams x you #wednesday addams imagine #jenna ortega

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londonspirit · 7 months

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Our Flag Means Death’s season-two finale has it all. There’s a declaration of true love between our favorite criminals, Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) and Ed, a.k.a. Blackbeard (Taika Waititi). There’s also a heartbreaking death (RIP, Con O’Neill’s Izzy Hands), a pirate wedding that ends with the words “You are now officially mateys,” and some big-time fight scenes. “Mermen” packs a tight punch in only 30 minutes. The episode is both thrilling and satisfying, so even if Max makes the grave mistake of not renewing the series, fans will feel closure in a way that they didn’t with season one’s sendoff. And Our Flag Means Death creator David Jenkins already has some fun ideas brewing for a third season (and beyond!). The A.V. Club spoke to Jenkins about his plans to evolve Ed and Stede’s relationship, potential spin-offs, and how everyone on the show is handling its passionate fanbase.

The A.V. Club: First of all, how dare you kill Izzy Hands? Was that always the plan when you mapped out season two?

David Jenkins: [Laughs] Yes. I felt that Izzy had reached a point where he broke through a lot of his major patterns. It was fun to give him a season where he got to do everything and where Con O’Neill got to do everything. Well, I won’t say everything, because Con can do light years beyond what I think he can do, and I do think he can do anything. We wanted to show the depth of that character. Izzy is one of my favorites. He’s like middle management who is in a sort of love triangle [in season one]. He got his wish at the end of the first season by breaking up his boss and his boss’ lover. He got punished as a result, and he had to come out on the other side, which felt like a good journey.

AVC: Despite everything that happens in season two, including Izzy’s death, the finale ends on a happy note with Ed and Stede living together. Why was it important for you to show that?

DJ: Season one ends on such a tough note for them. As you said, after what they’ve been through, they should get a moment of happiness. I won’t say however fleeting. They are going to have challenges ahead. They’re both not the most mature yet. I think that’s the fun of it, to leave them in a place where it’s a good kind of stasis. They’ve sent the kids off in the car, so to speak, and now they’re going to have to really grow if they’re going to start an inn. It won’t be easy, but I like that they’re going to try.

AVC: “Mermen” has all the elements necessary for a season finale. Did you partly add all that as a way to provide closure in case this is the end for OFMD?

JD: What’s important to understand is that you never even know if you’re going to get a second season. Maybe if you get picked up for two right away, and even then, but especially right now, who knows? I think with season one’s end, it was a gamble to leave it the way it was. Everybody stomached through it. Now if it turned out they didn’t want us to make more, I just didn’t want to have another story where the same-sex love story ends in tragedy, unrequited love, or if one or both of them are being punished.

AVC: I actually love that about Our Flag Means Death. It reminds me of Schitt’s Creek in a way because the love story just exists and is perfect; there’s no questioning it as right or wrong.

JD: That’s such a nice compliment because I also think Schitt’s Creekdoes that really well.

AVC: You’ve previously said you want Our Flag to have only three seasons. Is that still true or do you feel like the show has scope to continue beyond that?

JD: I feel like Stede and Blackbeard’s story is a three-season story, but the world of the show could go beyond that. It’s a really rich world with so many stories to tell and really good performers to tell it. I do want to see how Ed and Stede become a mature couple in the next season. They’re a couple who is like in their late twenties right now as opposed to being teens at the end of season one.

AVC: So if OFMD continues in some other form, are there characters you’d like to focus more on or other historical references you’d like to include?

JD: Yeah, a lot, because it’s such a rich ensemble. How do you not want to see more of Joel Fry, Samson Kayo, Ewen Bremner, Nathan Foad, or Vico Ortiz? Any one of them could carry their own show. It’s fun to think about that and the storylines we can do with them, mixing and matching all our characters. Vico is incredible, for example, and I especially love watching them in an action sequence. This is a weird comparison, but there’s a Harrison Ford and Sigourney Weaver vibe they put out. I’m such a fan of what they do.

AVC: You also really like parallels and coming full circle as a storyteller.

JD: Yeah, I do.I knew I wanted to start season two in the Republic of Pirates and end by coming back there. Stede goes on an amazing journey between the episodes. He’s thrown out of there initially, but then he comes back as a hero. I like the symmetry of that. And then the Republic of Pirates gets destroyed; it dies. It’s not just Izzy; it’s the place too. It was important to have a home, this stronghold for everyone, be destroyed. But the characters are not crushed. They’re going to try to move on.

AVC: One of season two’s new characters is Zheng Yi Sao, played by Ruibo Qian, who quickly becomes an integral part of the crew. What was the casting process like for her?

JD: Ruibo is an amazing find. One of our incredible casting directors, Cindy Tolan, she had Ruibo in mind immediately for that part by the time it got to her. And we had looked and looked before talking to Cindy. Ruibo has her own fascinating story because apparently, she had a couple of strong premonitions that she’s going to play Zheng Yi Sao. She had a modern take on the part without it being strained. She’s incredible. She’s a trained theater actor with a lot of chops. She has to go toe-to-toe with Taika and Rhys. She did it with such grace.

AVC: Season two takes Blackbeard on an interesting turn of denouncing being a pirate. But in the finale, it’s almost like he’s reborn as one, especially with that gorgeous shot of him coming out of the water. What was the thought process behind this arc?

JD: Thank you. Blackbeard is a guy in recovery when he comes back to the ship when he’s wearing the jumpsuit. He’s trying to hang on and find some kind of footing. Who is he if he’s not a pirate? Meanwhile, Stede is on his way up and wants to experience the rockstar life of a pirate, while Ed as Blackbeard is over it. It was an interesting tension of, which one gives up their dream? A lot of times in relationships questions can come up, like who is going to give up on their dream to take care of the kids? Obviously, no one wants to, but someone ends up giving up more than they want to at some point. What’s wonderful about a mature romance, and what I’d want to see more of in season three, is Ed and Stede making these tough decisions.

AVC: Stede and Ed’s relationship has led to a passionate, vocal fandom, which you didn’t have as you were writing season one. While working on season two, how did you avoid doing fan service and focus on meaningful storytelling?

JD: I never anticipated the strong reaction to season one. It’s incredible it happened. Everybody is buoyed by it in the cast, crew, and the writers’ room. To be perceived on that level with such enthusiasm makes us want to make more of it. A lot of the things the fans love are not different from things the writers love. We are fans of the show. We’re writing fanfic, but it’s called fic when we write it. The big thing for us is to make sure we’re writing beats for the characters that feel true and have moments where all of us go, “Ooooh, we have to do this.” If the beats stay true, it won’t feel like we’re simply pandering.

AVC: How do you break down those beats for Ed and Stede’s relationship as they go from wanting to take it slow to sleeping with each other this season? And where do they go next?

JD: It’s challenging with them because most rom-coms end with couples getting together. They don’t then stay with them and say, “We’re together now, but it’s turbulent; how is that going to work out?” We thought, “Okay, let’s look at our relationships in the room. What have we encountered? Who’s been dumped? Who has had to forgive somebody?” These questions were fun for the second season. I think for the third, it would [be], “Okay, who’s had a relationship for over 10 years? What things do you have to work on?” It’s fun to watch two people like Ed and Stede go through this experience.

#our flag means death season 2 #ofmd s2 #ofmd s2 spoilers #spoiler #our flag means death #ofmd #david jenkins #interview #av club article

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lindalofbroome · 4 months

Text

original sketches

DELTORA FASHION CONCEPT ART V2

hello i have finally coloured some rough sketches of some deltoran fashions, a redraw of some really old sketches from ages ago.

im a pretty amateur concept artists and i hate designing clothes so truly was a challenge for me hahah BUT it has given me plenty of time to think of headcanons. im not sure what i've already posted about or not so im just gonna go ahead and rant

these characters were originally just models for me to draw the clothes on, so i didn't need to draw a new person every time; although in some of my earliest sketches of different people groups i did a bunch of people. but naturally these characters have developed a little and some of them are my beloved adin-era OCs <3

[about 4,500 words]

⬜ JALIS

since the jalis are reknowned for their warrior prowess and their signature gold armour, i thought it'd be neat that even if when they're not wearing the full set, they are always wearing their arm guards. it's a sense of pride and identity, they probably receive them as a rite of passage into adulthood. not every jalis is a knight, but they value a heart of courage and great feats and they all have them, and would wear them always (or at least special occasions if one prefers not).

i headcanon that jasmine was gifted her own set of arm guards as an expression of their respect and admiration of her. her relationship with glock grew so much and was cut off, but she earned her "heart of a jalis" and we didnt get to see much of jasmine and gers together, but theres plenty of time post-DQ3. i think my jasmine and the jalis thoughts should be a separate post though, otherwise this post will never end 😂

i dont imagine that the jalis had special party clothes, i think they just turn up in their usual clothes and get drunk and dance their hearts out maybe start a brawl thats none of my business

i cant remember why i've been giving them this geometric sort of pattern tbh. i think i drew someone at some point and wanted it to look different to mcbride's design but im not sure if i like it or not. the plus is that i can make diamond motifs though!!

i also cant really remember how my brown skin gold hair came to be 🤔🤔 wait backtracking i think what happened is that i decided to draw del people as black latinx inspired, so it wasn't that big a step to make jalis also dark skinned since they're both in the south (deltora geography is weird tho so like it's not that deep) and then i think i made them blonde as i "why not??" situation but tHEN i thought maybe it's connected to their jalis gold?

my headcanon is that their armour is made of a unique metal that can only be found in diamond territory, it's super hard, tough, and light etc. so maybe whatever is In The Ground is also in them and their blood and shows in their hair????

🥳 fun fact 🥳 wasn't until i had to draw steven and glock side by side that i had realised what i'd done?? i.e. steven canonically has brown skin gold hair too¹. which now forces me to think about whether it should be a coincidence (like it is) or shall i headcanon that steven and nevets' father was jalis² 🤔 ¹ pretty sure it's about the dichotomy, to show contrast but connection between the brothers. i have many steven and nevets thoughts but that should also be another post ² i am.

🟩 DREAD GNOMES

these characters are adin-era, so unfortunately this would be when the gnomes still hunt the kin. whats weird is that i realised that i was picturing the caramelly brown fabric that this gnome is wearing was the kin pelt and not the big furry parts?? i usually picture the kin as more like velvetty. idk what the thicker fur parts would be though?? literally any other animal i guess 😅 i dont know it doesn't make sense and it's only occurring to me right now i shall have to think about it lmao

anyway made them green because why not. maybe they come in different colours idk. this gnome is pre-gellick so does go out in the sun, gellick-era gnomes would be waaaaay more paler they probably looked white. this could be similar to the jalis and like theres something in the grounddd

gla-thon claims that the dread gnomes knew that lesser gems had weaker but the same powers of the great talisman gems (sots), but im not sure if they knew it before adin. would be interesting if they did 🤔 and how they figured it out?? (side note but now im wondering about how withick knew what to write about the gems??) would imply that if they got the great emerald than they could deduce there are others surely. unless they thought it was a freak accident/miracle. anyway we know they love gems and gold etc etc so they obviously decorate themselves with heaps of jewellery

triangle motifs in homage to their mountain 💚

i gave them a sort of war paint ritual. i'm not sure if they all do the same markings, but this one was specifically to symbolise a bow and arrow (arrow going up the nose). you can see it a bit better here lol. i also decided that sometimes they wear it for purely cosmetic purposes. im not sure what the substance is exactly though. i think in my head i was imagining something similar to kohl, but maybe not.

🥳 fun fact 🥳 bre-tak and az-zure are lesbians (i make the rules)

🟦 MERE

oooooh baby this is my guy my babygirl my everything

okay so i think this headcanon developed recently when i last drew sky of rithmere and i thought that mere superstition encouraged them to wear their charms in random spots to avoid them cancelling each other out. it could be construed to be they were inspired by the night sky and the pattern of the stars perhaps. this led them to prefer asymmetrical fashions, mostly prominent in the armour i put badr in

🥳 fun fact 🥳 badr means "full moon" 👀

i think i originally decided the mere had leather armour just to give them something different iirc but the mere characters we see are usually the lithe, speedy, crafty type, so maybe light, mobile armour does work for them lol. anyway the main reason is that i had the image of studded leather, and i was like ohohoho STARS

i generally think of them with muted colours but sometimes they have a bold blue for their prized garmants. like zillah and co, the leaders of rithmere in adin's time were described with bright blue and starry cloaks. (i checked the wiki just to check zillah's name lol and apparently it's actually canon they have leather armour?? so not sure why i thought otherwise) anyway i do currently have minecraft brain but i did vaguely remember that people made ultramarine pigment from grinding lapis lazuli into a powder and im not sure if thats something the mere would do or if there's some strong blue dyes they can get from plants or something native to their territory 🤔

actually im liking that idea now? it would be incredibly time-consuming and labour-intensive but that would add to its value?? real world lapis lazuli has a horrible yield rate of 1kg lapis to 30g of pigment apparently, but it's a strong pigment (unless i misunderstand). alternative name for ultramarine is "permanent blue" apparently so. anyway ultramarine irl is more of a paint pigment, but in roddaverse maybe the mere make a lucky blue dye to use on cloaks and scarfs and shawls etc for good fortune?? me frantically checking that i put badr and luisa's wedding garb in bold blue lmAO oh i did but it's a little muted. they mix in oils and stuff to make the paint, so it doesnt seem like a stretch that they can mix different ingredients or ratio to make a cloth dye (to my very amateur understanding).

so im imagining now that they have a special (probably secret within the mere) process to create bright blue thread speckled with white (also gold to me. im pro deltora lapis with gold) and weave it into their beautiful starry night fabric. the amount of labour and the use of their prized lapis lazuli makes it very special, and maybe some people think it's the lapis that makes the fabric lucky or maybe some people think it's the work of love and time that makes it lucky, maybe both.

🥳 fun fact 🥳 i forgot that "bless your lucky stars" is like a real saying until recently lol

a starry cloak is probably something only the really rich could afford, but i think that they are more like heirlooms and states of office? im not sure if these pieces are things that one would purchase or something they would receive. bit hard to imagine people doing it for free but maybe it's one of those staple things that they revere and everyone else works to support them as well etc like the cooks in noradz are prized. idk. but yeah like a poorer family couldn't get a new one, but they would have one that has been in their family for generations you know? and i think that there would be something about like. idk youre meeting up with your doctor or something and youre nervous and you put on your family's best clothes (the most lucky ones) and maybe youre cynical about the whole good fortune stuff but there's something comforting about wearing the cloak your mother wore and your grandmother and your great grandmother wore, who also had to do such things. something something gives you the confidence to make your own luck because youre no longer pessimistic and allowing avoidable mistakes to happen

this means that the mere giving adin a cloak was a REALLY big deal because they definitely dont just go throwing those around and they would probably only give it to an outsider in trade for a steeeeeeeeeeeep price. which of course means that there would be knock offs with bad quality dye. lmao thats perfect actually. like 10000% there would be merchants in rithmere trying to sell cheaper versions to people that are expensive but still affordable to the average person. some would be different shades of blue, but the more crafty might have dyes that are strong but not lasting.

oh also i headcanon that palace fashion was a conglomerate of aspects from all the tribes but this should be it's own post i think. but i just remembered that i put gold thread in badr's braids in the formal wear sketch. i did that to tie in with the veins/flecks of gold (technically pyrite) in irl lapis lazuli. as such, people at del palace were inspired to weave gold into their hair too.

also gives me another thing to ship badr and luisa lmao. badr can wear some gold and luisa can wear some blue as a treat for me <3 moon and stars ocs beloved

🟨 DEL

alright. okay so del is definitely very white western patriarchal coded (most just a bias of living in that type of society i reckon) but it sucks and i'm passionate about making del NOT that. i think i've said this a million times now but this should be it's own post too, but most succinctly del is a very vibrant, curious, and daring sort of culture (e.g. their recklessness, exploration, trading). they were already marrying non-deltorans before adin (i imagine that some might have dared to marry outside of del, but it would have been way more politically complex so it was rarer and often kept quiet and rural). people of del were moving to other countries (like dorne) and people were probably moving to del, so del is definitely a big mix of different people and languages and superstitions and stuff.

but anyway i wanted to set a sort of base for before that. i've had art on the wip pile for YEARS about this and i'd flesh this out properly when it's done lol (hopefully we see that day) but since the topaz has the power to summon spirits, i really wanted to develop an aspect of del culture around that? i was inspired by Día De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and i still want to do some more in depth research and explore it more properly, but i like the idea that del will celebrate their lost loved ones life, coming together to remember, if they were lucky the got to see and even talk to their spirits. maybe pre-talisman they did know about topaz properties and they had a big deposit of gems that they would wheel out for the festival and the huge pile under the full moon would be enough to allow the spirits and people to interact? anyway this is a longwinded explanation of why my sketches of del fashion could be latinx inspired.

circle motifs in homage to the moon. the trim decoration on luisa's scabbards are based on moon phases :D

i also arbitrarily decided that del people love swishy clothes. they're all about the drama of cloaks and twirling in sundresses etc it's fun. not sure if i will actually follow through with that lol or maybe that can just be luisa.

🥳 fun fact 🥳 i think hearing luisa laugh would heal me

there's no particular reason for why i've been drawing a lot of del people as black, other than maybe spite lol. i think i drew jasmine and that got the ball rolling. del is a blank enough slate that they can be anything. im tired of white people being the front runners asldkjfhalsdf. bUT again del is multicultural, so there isn't a particular look for anyone in del. being del is more a state of mind and being part of community i think. you move to del and you participate in their society in one way or another and boom youre del now they adopted you.

🌈 PLAINS

hiran attire inspired by french aristocratic fashion. i cant remember who posted about it but pretty sure this was something that circulated around the fandom at least a little bit at some point.

added some subtle rainbow to harlow's outfits because he's the strong silent type. but i suppose there are so much more gaudier and extravagant outfits.

i was going to say this was just hira fashion and not like, rural plains fashion but i guess this is the same for all of them. it's just like a general direction for what someone might wear.

the swirly patterns?? i dont know. i drew them when i did adin's pre-battle speech as the last supper but i dont think there's a particular reason. i remember that i was trying to do something unique because lief recognises the cup in the city of rats as the same/similar to the one in noradz, so there had to be something to be recognisable lol but i probably just did it this way because it's relatively easy to doodle, just takes a bit of time.

🥳 fun fact 🥳 harlow was a cook before the shadow invasion. out of desperation, he and many others had to train to defend hira. he's big with natural balance and reflexes so he excelled and is a pretty adept warrior, but he will always think of himself as a cook first, warrior second.

now the armour!! freshest headcanon piping hot. yesterday when i was colouring i was sitting there like wow you look like a tin can man and you are so boring. we went from pretty colours to blank. im almost certain the hiran soldiers were described as silver with white plumes, so i was planning on doing that but they had intricate details on their armour because they are Extra, so it has the swirly patterns you can see on harlow's coat.

but then suddenly i was like. what if. pearlescent.

and honestly i loved it so much i didnt care i was setting myself up for some difficult work ahead lmao. but my general idea was that they're armour looked like it was silver, but if the light catches it at the right angle it exposes the rainbow in it. most of these headcanons i've had baking for at least a year, but this is very new so i dont any hard details yet. kira mentioned enamel or ceramic and lowkey interested in having a look into that so that theres another armour material. maybe it's gonna be like special jalis gold and special plains silver. maybe something else. i also just remembered bismuth exists (same boat as gold as very heavy and soft) but i think maybe it's too loud, i think im liking the more subtle pearlescent thing aLTHOUGH it's a good metallic rainbow reference 👀 maybe there is an esteemed plains warrior with a rainbow sword

ANYWAY pearlescent armour really hit my heart because oh my god once upon a time the plains had a shore and they could visit the sea,,,, lowkey ocean vibes without an ocean [screaming crying cat spinning in a void.gif]

🥳 fun fact 🥳 i have NO idea what food harlow has made. i think i had ratatouille on the brain at the time????

🟥 RALADS

⚠ PROPAGANDA ALERT ⚠

ruby territory best territory. ruby symbol of happiness. warns of danger AND antidote to poison. double helpful. ralads are so sweet and so smart. architectural and engineering marvels. living in harmony with the land and beasts. D'OR!!! manus and nanion friendship underrated and so special to me. horse girls. AND. broome. god theres so much i could say about broome that i cant say anything. anyway you guys know im normal about broome yes of course. separate post etc etc

i think technically this is a headcanon but it's not that big a stretch surely but as above i always picture ralads as in harmony with nature. never take more than they need, know how to work with not against, theyre not the main attraction but an equal part of the bigger picture.. this isn't even about how smart they are with engineering and their perfectly round houses with bricks that are cut perfectly. im thinking about their knowledge of their world is so strong and wide and diverse. they have the most vibrant and potent dyes and pigments around, they have the most colourful fabrics and clothes around. the plains has many colours but it can't compete, and they have different styles. i think that the hirans would trade for the dyes though (maybe undercutting pre-adin, maybe more equal post-unification). i think that they would also have a pretty decent blue dye but it is still inferior to mere lapis lazuli blue. it is probably a dye that could be used for a mid range mere garment?

maybe it's the anime fault but i do usually imagine ralads as barefoot but i also drew iris with construction tools and just the idea of ralads walking around a construction site barefoot was not fun to me. but it could be a hobbit tough soles situation. anyway i drew some shoes so i had a vague reference if i wanted to draw ralad shoes.

obviously had a problem drawing warrior attire for a non-war race. but i thought what if i leaned into the stories the hirans tell about how the scouts and soldiers they send into the ralad wilds never returned and were often found dead with broken bones or whatnot. definitely big watching but never seen vibes imo. so i decked iris out in some camouflage lol

🥳 fun fact 🥳 im sure the ralads can whistle and whatnot to make birdcall signals, but i thought it was fun for iris to be able to make birdcalls with her flute

HEY ALSO headcanon about ralad hair. i was making some dragon art from a doran pov that i was going to save for that but i cant wait now. but we know from Tales that the ralads had a good relationship with the ruby dragons, could even summon them (unless im misremembering and it was more like a premeditated calling) but i was thinking about how they nest with .. human? hair. and i was thinking what if they grow out their hair? and then they offer it to a dragon when they are ready? i dont know if there's a nesting season for dragons but it could be something like that? ralad-dragon ceremony and party time. this isn't a rite of passage type of thing, just something that they like to do. not everyone does it probably, but most do it once, some people do it several or many times in their lifetime. it's an honour, but not really a sacrifice to them. it's part of the world balance and theyre willing to serve the dragons as the dragons serve them as they water the plants and the plants feed them and they feed beasts and beasts feed them.

also dont remember why i did the hair so bright and orangey??? genuinely perplexed lmao. probably was leaning into irl ginger but like THEYRE BLUE so i could probably make them actual red. not sure if this is also like a "theres something in the ground" situation also that makes their hair red but maybe 😂😂

side note but it's lowkey so wild to me that rodda was like yeah these guys are blue-grey with red hair, and then everyone else is like an average person, BUT the mountain people are short. like they're all just some guy basically???

it does make return to del so so funny because fallow is like AYO look at these MONSTERS they are UGLY and WEIRD

but i guess thats part of the motivation to give the deltora tribes some basic unique traits.

🟪 TORANS

okay so toran robes as inspired by japanese fashion is definitely something that's floated around the fandom for ages. i can't remember if it was before or after seeing posts about it that i started my first concept sketches but i think it probably had a hand in helping me visualise what rodda was talking about when she described their robes as butterfly wings when they speed-travelled. like yeah big deep sleeves and floor trailing hems WOULD probably look like colourful butterfly wings in the wind,,

🥳 fun fact 🥳 azami be always hungry. if only she knew someone who liked to cook 🤔

i don't have much to say design-wise, kinda just did various doodling. they would probably be second in extravagance to the plains, but it's a different sort of detail? they are probably a bit more refined and elegant than the hirans who are probably more bold in their designs. torans grow to be vain and selfish (it's already started by adin's time) so they probably have a high value on the beauty of their belongings, and it probably began with imagery of beasts and plants and dragons in amethyst territory, "true" pictures. but as time went on it probably distorted a bit and became idealised and/or fantastical etc.

OKAY SO my brain bluescreened just now for a moment trying to figure out how a people who use magic to make life easier, were also the ones known for their weaving, a manual hands-on task (lief's cloak is praised as being worthy of toran looms, implying high grade; pretty sure this was supposed to be a hint that his mother is not who he thinks she is also). some conclusions are 1) they weave with magic (sad, horrible), 2) they weave as a past-time, for fun etc (okay) but i took it to a third option

for a long time ive been thinking about toran magic as like, a balance and an energy thing (because i like that stuff lol) they cannot create something from nothing, only change things. they couldnt summon a fire, but they could change a piece of wood to fire and start a campfire, or those more advanced could even change the air into fire. but honestly it's left me a bit unsatisfied. like how does that explain the tora-del highway? hELL tora itself? what happened to the marble that got carved away? also how can that mountain have been so perfect there was no cracks or seams?? or did they carve those bits out lol. questions for another day.

anyway i was thinking about how hobbies are good for you, you dont have to be good at something but it's good to do stuff for fun and when you do crafts you get a cool thing at the end of it that you made. but it's also like skills you can develop? and i wondered what if weaving is a starter skill that they learn, some of them at least. maybe there are different activities, and they do the one that speaks to them the most. there were other types of artisans in tora, just not as talked about (i guess they're robes are pretty iconic so it's easy for people to go wow robes wow weavers who made fabric for the robes so soft) like i distinctly remember barda remarking about how tora was untouched and why bandits wouldn't have stolen the carved box that ended up holding the auto-reply letters from the palace.

so what im thinking is that maybe this builds a foundation to help torans visualise and perform their magic?

it actually solves a problem ive had in my headcanons i feel like ive got seven eyes open rn 😂😂 but in relation to del culture and traditions, i've been thinking about there being a physical and spiritual realm of course, and maybe it's the comfort of threes but it felt like something was missing.

i dont know what to call it yet, but im thinking the third thing is like the glue, it connects all things, it's in everything. it's like a third realm but also more of like a medium maybe? kind of sappy but we can just call this the magical realm for now. i actually used to think of toran magic as being like a subset of the greater deltora magic, but now im thinking it's more like torans are more receptive to the magic realm, as del are to the spiritual, and the ralads to the physical; theyre the experts in these things, which is why unified deltora is important 😂; likewise dread gnomes specialise in gems, jalis in combat, mere in cunning, plains in hope perhaps? literally never thought about it quite like this so maybe i will process it different later and designate different specialties.

so when the torans are young, they learn a craft and these skills help them sort of "tap into" the magical realm. so in the case i first thought of, when a toran weaver starts to see and interact with the magical realm, the easiest way for them to engage with it would be to think of it as weaving. they might see the magical realm as threads that connect everything, and weave things together to get what they want. a potter might see it as a malleable mass and sculpt what they want. a carpenter might see it as something to carve, something to break and put together.

the magical realm is not a concrete thing at all, up to interpretation, perhaps a unique experience to anyone who could glimpse in; don't strictly have to be toran, but they are perhaps naturally receptive to it or it could even be entirely a knowledge thing and that they are taught about it more; someone like verity who had her eyes opened to this realm, and learned to interact with it on instinct. does open questions to what the hell is up with the plains lmao but i think thats another post.

sorry about all the "i'll tell you in another post" i was attempting to stay on track 😂😂 also there's a 90% chance im gonna forget to come back and write about them so if anyone is dying to know feel free to send me an ask or something???

also if you want to know more about these OCs let me know 👀 i can find an ask game or something maybe. it's a case of i know a lot but will forget it all if asked to speak freely, i need specific questions. i have also developed the first four a bit more, but the last three are not without character so they can still be included. maybe it will be a group effort and they will have Background.

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doumadono · 9 months

Note

Hey. I’d been putting off making an emergency rq in the hopes that things would get better, but unfortunately they have not. I’m feeling very unhappy and bored, like I’m not going anywhere. I’m content and restless at the same time and it’s incredibly frustrating. I also require large amounts of stimulation to not feel bored which I am having difficulty finding.I hate it and idk what to do so yea. Also not helping is the fact that my skin condition gets worse in summer (it causes my feet to get v sore from walking, standing, and overall doing stuff and causes difficulty walking without a limp).

With this in mind, I’d like to ask for some headcanons of douma doing something stimulating (rock climbing, ice skating, etc) with reader bc they’ve been unhappy and bored for a couple weeks. Thank you <3

Douma & bored s/o - headcanons

A/N: Hi, darling, I'm really sorry to hear that things have been tough lately. It sounds like you're dealing with a lot, and I can understand how frustrating and challenging it must be. Finding ways to cope with boredom and restlessness can be a real struggle, especially when facing other physical challenges too. If you're open to it, exploring new activities or hobbies that align with your interests might help alleviate some of the boredom! ♥

MASTERLIST

When Douma notices your unhappiness, he decides to surprise you with a magical ice skating experience. Using his Blood Demon Art, he creates a private ice rink in a serene, moonlit clearing. Hand in hand, you glide across the ice. He takes extra care to ensure you feel safe and supported as you twirl and laugh together. "You're doing great, darling!"

To help lift your spirits, Douma suggests you engage in ice sculpting. He provides you with tools that make shaping the ice easier and guides you through the process. As you work side by side, he listens attentively to your thoughts and shares stories about his past experiences, fostering a deeper connection between you.

He suggests an outdoor activity to clear your mind. He takes you on a hiking trail through a picturesque forest, the moonlight filtering through the trees in dappled patterns.

To lift you spirits, Douma arranges a dance workshop in a secluded room within his quarters. He leads you through various dance styles, from traditional to modern, encouraging you to let loose and have fun. "Life is full of surprises, my dear. Let the music guide your movements, Y/N!"

Observing your desire for something new, Douma suggests an intriguing skill to master: Tessenjutsu, the art of using the Japanese war fan in combat. "It's a graceful yet formidable art."

Despite his lack of personal experience with human food (he ate it hundreds of years ago), Douma decides to embark on a culinary adventure by offering to teach you how to cook. "Cooking? I'm excited to learn, but aren't you a demon?" You remark. "Indeed, but I have observed many human activities over the years. Let's explore the realm of flavors together!"

Inspired by a desire to share a piece of artistic world, Douma introduces you to a biwa, a traditional Japanese musical instrument. Douma provides you with a beautifully crafted biwa and patiently explains its strings, frets, and techniques.

#kny douma #douma #douma x reader #douma demon slayer #douma x you #douma x y/n #douma headcanons #emergency request #douma kimetsu no yaiba #douma kny #kny fluff #douma fluff #kny headcanons #divider by cafekitsune #upper moon two #kny drabble

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badsongpetey · 21 days

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The Water Guardian (aka Cryptid Keith AU) Part 8

And so Lance falls into an easy pattern with his new cryptid friend. Every week he brings books to an eagerly awaiting Keith, and steadily the conversations between them become less and less strained. Lance has discovered that he and Keith share similar tastes. Keith loves graphic novels, and in addition to adventure and fantasy stories, has a penchant for horror. The scary monster in the haunted waterfall loves horror, go figure.

Lance would be lying if he hadn’t hoped to get Keith to open up more about his mysterious past, because what’s the fun of having a supernatural friend without learning his cosmic secrets, right? But as the weeks turn to months, Keith remains as reluctant as ever to broach the subject. And strangely, Lance finds himself minding less and less.

Keith, contrary to first impressions, is actually funny. Okay, his sense of humor is definitely an acquired taste, but it’s there, and he frequently has Lance laughing out loud. And stranger still, Keith is just fun to hang out with. He’s smart, and creative, and passionate about the things he cares for. Sure, he’s still stubborn and annoying and almost ridiculously oblivious at times, but in a ways that challenge Lance to be better instead of frustrating him.

Introducing Keith to more modern stories has also opened up a world of questions for the dragon. Every week he hounds Lance for answers: What’s the internet? What’s a TV show? And why do people binge eat them on streams? These are tough to answer as the area where Keith lives is the deadest of dead zones, a fact Lance attributes more to Keith himself than any feature of technology or geography.

In return for Lance’s knowledge, Keith shows him his world. Lance learns secrets of the forest; meets a host of wild animals — some friendlier than others, stupid chipmunks; and is dazzled with dragon magic tricks.

They swim, and hike, and make up stupid challenges to see who can best the other. He even hatches a scheme to camp out and surprise Keith with his first ever movie night. Keith’s face, transfixed as he watches some of Lance’s favorite flicks on his laptop, is something Lance finds far more compelling than the movies themselves. Somewhere along the line, without being fully aware of it, Lance realizes that Keith has gone from being a friend in name only, to one of his best friends.

And speaking of best friends, it crosses his mind more than once that he’s never invited them to come visit Keith. Hunk really should get to meet the dragon he thought was going to eat them, he knows Hunk and Keith would be good friends. And Pidge would be maniacal with glee over the discovery of a whole new species. On second thought, maybe keeping Pidge away is for the best. Keith might actually be forced to eat them in self defense.

Lance tells himself that he’ll introduce them when the time is right, but truth is, he likes having Keith’s friendship to himself. And he tries his best to ignore the weird little flutter thing that his heart does when Keith comes bounding out of the woods like an excited puppy to greet him. Who wouldn’t be excited to have a magical being for a secret friend, right? Of course right, there’s no other explanation.

“Are there any other dragons?” Lance asks one afternoon as they lay sunning themselves on the warm rocks after a swim.

When he’s met with silence, he looks over at Keith unmoving on the rocks beside to him.

“I was just thinking, you know, there must be more dragons out there, besides you and your parents. Maybe, you’ve run into them?” Lance elaborates.

Keith is still quiet, and Lance is about to chalk this one up to things they don’t talk about when…

“I don’t know. I’ve never left my waters.”

Lance sits up. “You’ve never left?” He asks incredulously. “Not once in a century? You’ve just been here all alone?”

Keith is sitting now too, and his brow furrows in response.

“Look,” Lance sighs, “I know there are things you don’t want to discuss, but… I dunno, I worry about you, here all alone.”

“I’m not alone, I have you.”

“And I’m incredible, I know. I mean, you’re not gonna find better than me, human or dragon, that’s a given.” Lance replies over the soft sound of Keith’s scoffs. “But I’m still just one guy, and, well, aren’t you curious? At all?”

Keith frowns and looks away, his established way of shutting down a conversation.

Lance huffs in frustration. “Keith, part of being friends is talking about stuff. Friends talk. They care about each other and help each other, and trust each other. I’m just hoping that maybe you trust me.”

Lance stares at the back of Keith’s head and wonders if he just ruined a friendship and not merely a perfectly nice afternoon. But he’s reached a point with Keith where he wants more. He can’t keep walking on eggshells whenever the subject of Keith’s past comes up, and he’s at a loss about what else he can do.

“My mom, before she… passed… she made me promise to never leave here. To never look for any others. She said it was too dangerous. And it’s been hard, but it was the only thing she asked of me.” Keith’s voice quavers as he replies.

“Keith, I… I’m so sorry, but she couldn’t have wanted you to be all alone for so long…”

“You don’t understand!” Keith snaps, turning around, eyes filling with tears, cutting Lance off mid-sentence.

“Dragons don’t just take care of a body of water, we’re bound to it. A water dragon cannot be, cannot exist, without this bond. My mom came here when she was still pregnant with me. She never told me where she’d come from, only that she came here to protect me. Her magic was strong and she was able to sever her old bond and forge a new one here.”

Lance sits slack-jawed and stunned as the story comes pouring out of Keith.

“Normally, when a young dragon comes of age they find their own place, their own bond. But, I couldn’t go…” Keith hiccups out a sob, “I couldn’t leave, and she couldn’t leave, and… and… she gave her bond to me. She gave it up so I could live. And she… she…”

Keith’s voice breaks as he cries and Lance is moving before he even decides to. He wraps himself around his friend and Keith just collapses in his arms, releasing a grief held for longer than Lance can imagine.

“I’m here now.” He whispers into Keith’s hair. “I’m here and I won’t let you be alone ever again.” He promises. And Lance never breaks a promise.

#klance #voltron #keith kogane #lance mcclain #vld #water guardian au #dragon keith #klance au

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kingwuko · 4 months

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Finding Balance: Mako and Wu’s Myers-Briggs Personality Types

The Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator is a personality typology framework that classifies personalities into 16 different types. The framework is not perfect, and there’s certainly a lot of room for interpretation. But it’s a fun and interesting way of looking at and understanding a person’s personality!

If you aren’t familiar, it essentially breaks down the core parts of personalities into 4 categories, each with 2 opposite traits. Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I), Sensing (S) or Intuition (N), Thinking (T) or Feeling (F), Judging (J) or Perceiving (P).

I believe Mako and Wu are the “Logistician” and the “Campaigner”. These two personality types are complete opposites in every way. Two people with opposite personalities can have an extremely fulfilling relationship, but they can face challenges if they don’t learn how to communicate and understand each other.

(Please keep in mind these are just my interpretations of their characters and thus it’s just opinions. If you think they have different personality types than this, you’re probably right too! I use https://www.16personalities.com/ and https://www.myersbriggs.org/ as my main source of information on personality types and I’ve linked Mako and Wu’s personality types below.)

Mako: The Logistician (ISTJ)

“ISTJ (Logistician) is a personality type with the Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, and Judging traits. These people tend to be reserved yet willful, with a rational outlook on life. They compose their actions carefully and carry them out with methodical purpose.” (from 16 Personalities)

“Quiet, serious, earn success by being thorough and dependable. Practical, matter-of-fact, realistic, and responsible. Decide logically what should be done and work toward it steadily, regardless of distractions. Take pleasure in making everything orderly and organized—their work, their home, their life. Value traditions and loyalty.” (from myersbriggs.org)

Introversion: Introverts prefer to recharge their energy by being on their own and reflecting. Mako seems to retreat into himself when he is overwhelmed and needs to process. Him sleeping under his desk rather than staying at Air Temple Island is a good example of this.

Sensing: Sensing types see the world through tangible experiences. Mako prefers to take in information that is concrete and real. His work as a detective shows this all over, and his frustration with Korra using her Avatar feelings to find Wu is an excellent example of this.

Thinking: Thinking types decide how to act in situations based on logic and objectivity. They are more ‘tough minded’ and use impersonal facts when making choices. Mako choosing to reveal Korra’s plans to Raiko comes to mind as an example of this.

Judging: Judging types relate to the outside world through structure and organization, preferring to have some control by making or being aware of plans-and sticking to them. Mako clearly craves that control and is quick to jump into planning mode, such as when he was trying to help Asami after her company was robbed.

Overall, Mako is responsible, disciplined, organized, practical, realistic, and direct. He can also be stubborn, by-the-book, judgmental and insensitive. He’s a dependable person with deep loyalty to those he cares for.

Wu: The Campaigner (ENFP)

“ENFP (Campaigner) is a personality type with the Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Perceiving traits. These people tend to embrace big ideas and actions that reflect their sense of hope and goodwill toward others. Their vibrant energy can flow in many directions.” (from 16 Personalities)

“Warmly enthusiastic and imaginative. See life as full of possibilities. Make connections between events and information very quickly, and confidently proceed based on the patterns they see. Want a lot of affirmation from others, and readily give appreciation and support. Spontaneous and flexible, often rely on their ability to improvise and their verbal fluency.” (from myersbriggs.org)

Extraversion: Extraverts prefer to receive their energy from outward sources. They recharge their energy through social interactions and process things outwardly by talking them out and tend to act before thinking. Wu certainly craves social interaction and is quick to speak without thinking. His eagerness to socialize (and badly flirt) along with his blurting out absurd ideas are great examples of this.

Intuition: Intuition types tend to see the world in less tangible ways, through hunches and insight. They can see the bigger picture and do a good job of envisioning what could be, rather than what is. Wu’s out-of-the-box thinking to have the badgermoles carve a path to evacuation, in spite of having no real evidence it would work, seems to be a good example of this.

Feeling: Feeling types make choices based on values and empathy. They tend to take relationships and people’s feelings and circumstances into account when deciding things. I think his overall choice to abolish the monarchy is a great example of this, as he seems to genuinely believe that this would be a better choice for the people by giving them freedom.

Perceiving: Perceiving types prefer to experience and explore the world, rather than control it. Wu is more spontaneous and seems comfortable to ‘go with the flow’ rather than strictly adhere to a plan. He was quick to adapt in a number of situations, and seems to come up with his best plans on-the-spot (again. Evacuation. Badgermoles.)

Overall, Wu is enthusiastic, a positive thinker, spontaneous, can improvise, and is surprisingly good at communicating. He’s also disorganized, unfocused, a needs a lot of external validation and affirmation. Wu is warm and outgoing, and has an intense desire to form meaningful connections.

Assertive Vs Turbulent

Another facet of the personality type is A or T, which essentially labels how confident or anxious one is in their personality. I think that Wu may be more turbulent, meaning he feels less confident in himself and overcompensates to try and counterbalance his self doubts. I think Mako is more assertive, meaning he is more confident in his actions and is more even tempered in his actions because he is self-assured. I think over time, Mako’s influence pushes Wu closer to being more assertive.

Opposites Attract

Relationships with completely opposite traits in every way can be both fulfilling and challenging. They recharge their energy differently, they see things differently, they make choices differently and they interact with the world differently. With so many differences, there is the possibility for frustrations and misunderstandings, but there is also the possibility for the two people to complement each other and play to their strengths.

What makes or breaks an opposite personality relationship is communication, and what has always struck me about Mako and Wu’s progression of their relationship in the show and comic, is their increased ability to talk to one another and understand each other.

Mako knows exactly how to talk to Wu; during his meltdown in The Coronation, Mako directly appealed to the people-pleaser in Wu when prompting him to reflect on what he’d done for his people to deserve being King. Wu really eats up anything Mako tells him, and even literally says “You always know the right thing to say, Mako”.

Wu also seems to know how to appeal to Mako’s rational thought processes. I know we were absolutely floored by Wu casually saying “Mako, you know I love you”, but that interaction was actually a disagreement between them-Mako thought they should just shut down the election, while Wu felt they needed to let it play out. Wu patiently explained his thought process to Mako (even though he wrapped it up in affection… Classic people-pleaser) and Mako didn’t argue further; he seemed to accept Wu’s explanation for his choices.

Essentially what I’m saying is that Mako and Wu really do communicate well, and because of that, I think their opposing personality traits will serve to bring balance to their relationship, rather than conflict. Wu needs social interaction while Mako needs some time in? No problem, Wu is friends with Korra and potentially the rest of the Krew; he can go hang out with them if Mako needs to recharge with a night in reading one of Jinora's books. Mako can bring Wu back to reality when his imagination gets out of hand, while Wu can prompt Mako to see beyond what’s just in front of him. Wu can prompt Mako to take a more subjective approach in his decision making while Mako can pull Wu back from his people-pleasing to help him make more rational choices. Mako can keep Wu on a more organized and structured path, and Wu can get Mako to loosen up with a little fun and spontaneity.

Balance

In a season titled ‘Balance’, it’s really fascinating that they paired Mako with someone who is his opposite in every way, not just in personality. Wu is affluent, materialistic, somewhat naive, and wears his emotions on his sleeve. Mako is jaded, responsible, grew up in poverty, and struggles to express himself. But when they are together, there is amazing potential for them to bring out the best in each other and achieve a better balance in each of their lives.

#wukoweek2024 #wuko #mako #prince wu #meta #lol I meant to schedule this but posted it accidentally #oh well enjoy anyway I guess #If you have different opinions I'd love to hear them

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writeblrgarden · 14 days

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PLANT GROWERS - MEET THE WINNERS - RAE

Meet Rae, who got third place in our grow a plant event in november! Rae goes by she/her, has a second degree black belt in kendo, and you can find her at @koala2all. She has been writing for about 30 years, primarily YA fantasy.

Tell us about the WIP you'd like to talk about today.

I'll be talking about The Pirate Knight. Being a pirate is all Nonie has ever wanted. Freedom, camaraderie, and a beautiful girl in port to welcome her back. But returning from a lucrative voyage, she finds her home in shambles and her bonny lass missing. Desperate to find her, Nonie makes a deal with the god of the sea. In return for helping return her lost love Nonie vows to become his holy knight, saving the weak and defending the helpless. Together with a cynical sorcerer, a naive orc, and an ex-girlfriend from a rival ship who promises not to rest until their mission is a success, Nonie sets out to prove that she can be a hero in time to save the love of her life. But when a world changing secret is revealed, Nonie will need the help of her friends to navigate the tempest.

Describe your writing process. Do you like to plan everything or are you more spontaneous?

I'm more spontaneous. I usually start a bit backwards actually. I know how I want a story to end, then where it begins, and the rest is a matter of figuring out how to get from point A to point B. Music plays a huge part in my process, as well. I often get inspired by a song for a set of characters or a situation, then I try to figure out where it can fit.

What have you found to be the most challenging and/or rewarding about writing?

The most challenging part of writing for me is that I often feel like I don't know what I'm doing. I'm just kind of winging it, writing stories that make me happy about characters that I enjoy writing about… but up to a year ago I didn't know what a beta reader was. My background is in theater, so I know how to frame a story in three acts… but without the background in creative writing, the imposter syndrome is real!

Below the read more is more of our conversation with Rae

What inspires you to write?

Books were such an escape for me when I was little. All those amazing worlds and vivid characters really helped me through some tough times. And that's what I want to share with others. The world is a hard place right now. I want to give readers a place that they can escape to, with characters they can empathize with as they face trials and overcome them. And maybe take a little hope with them when they're done.

Share some advice for other writers.

The best advice I ever got was from a Terry Pratchett quote. He said, "The first draft is just you telling yourself the story." I am definitely the type of person who dreams of the first draft coming out absolutely perfect. When it doesn't come out that way, I can tend to get a little frustrated. But after I heard this quote, I realized that the first draft is going to be rubbish. That's okay, and that's what editing is for. First, I just need to tell myself the story.

What do consider your writing strength?

Dialogue and worldbuilding are my strengths, for sure. I have such a strong sense of the world my characters find themselves in. My favorite technique is to not explain too much to the reader, but let them come across the world naturally as the characters navigate through it. It's my favorite way of experiencing the world of a story! Dialogue writing is so much fun. I love bantering with my friends, and imagining the banter between two characters is just as entertaining. I myself am a bit snarky (in a delightful way, of course) and that tends to make its way into at least one of the characters speech patterns.

What has been the nicest compliment you've received or what has been the toughest criticism you've received?

When I finished my first novel, I sent it to a knitting acquaintance of mine who happened to be a book reviewer as well. It was nerve wracking, since I had only let friends and family look at any of my writing before, but I had dreams of publishing and wanted to make the story as good as I could before I started sending it out. Her review came back glowing. Four out of five stars, and compliments about the worldbuilding, the characters, the plot, the dialogue. It was such a good feeling!

What do you love the most about writing?

My characters, and sharing them. I love making characters… ever since I was little. I get such a kick out of giving a character a backstory, and then seeing how they grow through the course of the story. Sometimes they really surprise me! And seeing them become important to the readers is really exciting, too!

#growaplant #writeblrgarden #writing community #writeblr community #writers of tumblr #am writing #writers on tumblr #nano winners

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lilyginnyblackv2 · 1 year

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Buddy Daddies - Character Names: Meanings, Sentiments, and Kanji Images - SPOILERS!

It’s always fun to take a deeper look at the names creators choose for their characters, so I wanted to do the same with the Buddy Daddies characters that we have and know so far. In order to do this, I used the website: 名付けヒントボックスー赤ちゃんの名前を考える, basically, a Japanese based website to help parents think of names for their children.

The site breaks down the kanji characters used by their Pronunciation, Definition/Meaning, Sentiments (for example, what this kanji used in a name tells that the parents wish for their child, what kind of person they want their child to be, etc.), and Kanji Image (what imagery is this kanji associated with). Not all kanji have all of these, some may only have a meaning, but it is interesting to see how they all come together. Oh, also, to clarify, this website is only concerning given/first names, of course. Family/last names are a different story, lol.

I’ll link to the website, as well as to the Official Buddy Daddies website, in the comments below. So now, let’s get started! :D

KAZUKI 一騎

The name Kazuki is broken up into three syllables “KA-ZU-KI,” but only two kanji 一 (KAZU) and 騎 (KI). So, let’s look at “KAZU” first and see what that tells us.

一 (KAZU)

Meaning: One, First, Solely

Sentiment: Wanting your child to aim for the top. A precious and irreplaceable child.

騎 (KI)

Meaning: Riding a horse. To straddle (sit astride, mount) (LMAO, I KNOW!)

We see in the series that Kazuki is kind of the one in charge of the two’s job, he does a lot of the planning, and they did seem to be top assassins before Miri came into their lives and has made that aspect of their lives a little more hectic and challenging.

Also, from what we’ve seen so far, Kazuki seems to be the main driver, thus the “riding a horse” meaning of his name fits in well there.

REI 零

The name Rei is broken up into two syllables “RE-I,” but only one kanji character - 零. So let’s take a look at this kanji character:

零 (REI)

Meaning: Silently Falling Rain, Spill, Overflow, Become Visible, To Escape (Smile, Tears, etc.), Not Much, Small Amount, Zero

We see how this fits his character, due to him being the one chosen for the more stealth aspects of their plans (though, he seems to prefer being more loud, direct, and flashy). He’s also more quiet than Kazuki and low energy.

The meanings like “spill, overflow, become visible, and escape” are very interesting and will likely fit well once we see Rei opening up more to Miri.

MIRI ミリ

The name Miri is written completely in katakana, there is no kanji used in her name. So her name could mean a variety of different things. However, a pattern I, and maybe you too, may have noticed is that Kazuki has the number 1 in it (一) and Rei has the number 0 in it (零), so Miri’s name is likely meant to be the word “Milli,” which is an English prefix used in mathematics to mean “one thousandth part of,” such as in millimeter and the like. In Japanese, they write “milli” as ミリ.

This, then, fits in with the number naming pattern that we see with Kazuki and Rei, thus making them a whole family with numbers in their names. It also fits with Miri’s size, age, and maturity (all are very “little”). Kazuki is the oldest (28) and the most mature of the three too, so he has the “biggest” number of them in his name, haha.

The other three characters I am going to put under a Read More due to both length and SPOILERS!

KYUTARO 久太郎

His name consists of five syllables “KYU-U-TA-RO-U” and three kanji characters: 久(KYUU) 太(TA), 郎(RYOU). So let us have a look at those three characters now:

久 (KYUU)

Meaning: Long Time, Long, From Long Ago

Sentiment: May prosperity last forever.

Kanji Image: The Future, On a Large Scale

太 (TA)

Meaning: Extremely, Very, Thick, Large in Circumference, Have a Discerning Eye, Bold

Sentiment: For strong, courageous, and generous people.

Kanji Image: Tough.

郎 (ROU)

Meaning: Male. A Beautiful Name for a Boy, A Young Man, A Son

Note: The ending 太郎 (TAROU) is very common for boy names.

We don’t know much about this character yet. But we know that Kazuki and Rei seem a bit frightened by him, they want to stay on his good side, and he is the one that supplies them with their missions, information, and money. So he is reliable and has a tough aura about him (like, in a serious, about businesses kind of toughness, from what we’ve seen so far).

He does seem generous and kind though.

I also got a sense, from Episode 2, that he was likely aware of Kazuki and Rei having Miri (or, rather, that he caught on to the fact that they likely had the mafia boss’ daughter). Rei’s line about how he can’t game at his house right now seemed to tip him off:

That fits with things like “tough” “have a discerning eye,” and even “generous,” imo, since he seems to be giving them more leeway than others in his role and business, I’m sure.

RYO 埜了

This name is the most interesting from a kanji perspective. The characters name is made up of two syllables “RYO-U” and there are two kanji. BUT! The first kanji: 埜, does not contribute to the phonetic reading of his name. It seems that this kanji is there simply for the meaning that it adds to his name. Names like this are kirakira names, basically, names with uncommon readings, spellings, and etc. found in Japanese.

So, what does this first kanji mean?

埜

Meaning: Wilderness. Outskirts. Rough. Shallow. Untouched by Nature.

Sentiment: For those who are healthy and dedicated to going their own way.

Kanji Image: Earth

了 (RYOU)

Meaning: To Finish, Resid, To Understand, Smart, Clever, Finally, Eventually

Sentiment: To be considerate and understanding of other’s feelings.

We’ve only seen this character very briefly at the end of Ep 2. But from what we saw, they seem a bit more “untouched” than Kazuki and Rei. Since we see him finishing the job that they left incomplete, that aspect also fits with his name.

Finally, we see him asking for the man’s (the target’s) last words. He finds those last words banal, and states that they “add nothing to [his] collection.” That definitely seems to fit in with this idea of “understanding of other’s feelings,” in the sense, that I feel he uses people’s last words to understand them better. He isn’t necessarily “considerate” though, but his quick and short way of killing them, may be considered that from a certain perspective.

MISAKI 美咲

Her name has three syllables “MI-SA-KI” and but only two kanji characters: 美(MI) 咲(SAKI). Now, let’s dive deeper into those kanji and their meanings.

美 (MI)

Meaning: Delicious, Beautiful, Lush, Good Taste, Fine, Excellent, Complimentary

Sentiment: To be a beautiful person. To be a person with a beautiful heart.

Kanji Image: Beautiful

咲 (SAKI)

Meaning: Blossom. A Flower Opening. Laugh.

Sentiment: To be a cheerful person who makes those around you smile. To be a charming person who attracts people.

Kanji Image: Spring, Bright, Cute, Grass and Flowers

I find this character and name combination to be the most fascinating, due to its seemingly contradictory nature. We see, on a surface level, that Misaki is a very beautiful woman.

But, her treatment of Miri doesn’t correlate with the idea of someone with a beautiful heart.

However, we do see moments in this week’s episode (and likely the OP as well, where I am like 99% certain that the crying eye we see is Misaki’s), that there is a better person inside there.

I think the episode makes it really clear that her responses and reactions to Miri are due to her own experiences with trauma and abuse. Her actions aren’t right, by any means, but she did stop herself from physically harming Miri, which is something.

We also don’t know how consensual the conception of Miri and the keeping of Miri was. Ep 3 does lean a bit into the idea that women are naturally maternal, but Misaki challenges and scoffs at Kazuki’s assumptions of that. And, I do think that is important. Basically, I see potential there for her character.

I want to see her show up again in the series, I want to see her get to a healthier mindset and place in her life, but I don’t want to see her become Miri’s caretaker and mother again. I honestly think a more powerful message would be her not doing that. It would hold the same energy as Matilda’s parents signing the adoption papers and allowing Ms. Honey to be her guardian.

Bringing this back around to her name though. She is a Mama at a Snack Bar in Japan. There is a great article on this that I will link below in the comments, but essentially, things like “being a charming person who attracts people” is a key element of her job. So I feel the name of Misaki really fits that aspect of her as a character - the fantasy role she is playing at the Snack Bar every night.

However, I also think that her name is symbolizes Miri’s personality a lot. Specifically the “cheerful person who makes those around you smile” part. That’s Miri 100%.