#so that's harshing my motivation too tbh

[transmascaraa]

HIII!, i rlly love your fics and this is my first time requesting one, so, can i get a reader with gaming and lyney that tries to hide her sickness because they don't want to worry them? (pd: they faint at the end, a little of angst and fluff)

multiple characters headcannons!

you try to hide your sickness...

characters: gaming, lyney x gn!reader

author's note: YIPPIEEEEE GUESS WHO GOT HIS MOTIVATION BACK???!?!!?!?? (i am not okay at times) TYSM FOR THE REQ ANON<33 I HAVE A FEW TO DO TONIGHT BUT YEAH IT'S MIDNIGHT OFC I'M FEELING MOTIVATION RN (i have 15 reqs i feel famous i'm literally at 196 followers i'm not okay i got to 100 like a week ago)

☆ Gaming

-you'd try to hide it and he would notice that SOMETHINGGG was wrong but didn't want to push you about it

-he may have asked you if you're okay more than usual but you thankfully didn't realize it

-so one day, he decided to confront you about it

-YET YOU STILL DENIED ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING???

-now he's begging for you to take a break, he hates when you're sick, and js wants to help you as much as he can asap

-but you're stubborn so that's harder for him

-after a few more minutes of "arguing" you stand up with a frown and you want to got to your bedroom.

-unfortunately, just when you stand up, you feel as if you're able to faint. fall to the floor. hit your head on the table. lose consciousness-

-he catches you and immediately lays you on the bed, asking you if you're okay.

-"y-you almost fainted, are you okay, my love?" then he apologized for being "harsh/too pushy" on you even tho he wasn't

-now you're sure that you can't hide it from him anymore...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

✯ Lyney

-he would realize something was wrong before you noticed it yourself

-and he wouldn't confront you immediately, no, he'll wait to see if you'll be brave enough to tell it to him yourself

-so days pass... a few weeks... and in his eyes, you got worse.

-so he sits with you on the couch one day and starts talking to you about something random, getting to the desired topic soon enough.

-he doesn't want to be pushy yet he doesn't know how else to do it

-so you keep insisting that you're fine, that nothing is wrong.

-he was patient tho, he was trying to do everything slow with you, to not rush with anything. that he knows you trust him.

-you get tired of it, and just slowly get up.

-but... you end up almost fainting.

-the only reason why you were still conscious was because lyney caught you on time and just put you on the bed.

-you'd expect him to ask you if you're okay, however...

-"see? you're not alright, mon amour." kissing your forehead with that annoying smirk of his.

-that idiot.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I REALLY LIKE THIS

i do

i think it's nice tbh

[oxygenbefore1775]

am i wrong giving my all making you stay tonight

➥zeke x fem!reader

➥tags: canonverse, the year is 850 just before zeke is deployed to paradis

➥cw: major mentions of hatred towards eldians, star-crossed lovers and forbidden relationship trope, zeke is a narcissist and a dick here, the reader is also not that nice tbh, twisted marriage proposal and all that comes with it, zeke has some morbid fascination with his death, derogatory treatment from zeke (it's hella toxic); nsfw! (mdni) but it's at the very end so don't hesitate to scroll all the way down if you wanna skip all the explanation to them fucking, rough fucking, man handling, prone bone, kinda dacryphillia, talking during sex, one instance of hair tuggung

➥wc: 8.4k — no beta we die like my sleep schedule while writing this

➥summary: the night zeke tells you about his upcoming mission on paradis doesn't go without its consequences.

➥a/n: so i have this huge-ass zeke fic that i'm writing in my mother-tongue and because i'm sooo original w my content on tumblr rn i'm just gonna translate some parts of it here with some alterations - prepare for some incoherent shit, i warned you, that's like the most delulu zeke i have ever written

He is not to be trusted.

There's a deceit lacing his each word.

Cold and cunning, he was nonetheless charming. You would be lying if you denied the scorching languor that the ice of his blue eyes kindled in you.

Fleeting sentiments filled your mind in his presence, renderring you deaf and numb to your own thoughts. Not to mention his words, their poison failing to fill your absent body as you often lost the thread of the conversation. A lopsided grin curled his lips whenever you found yourself confused and unable to answer his simplest of questions, yet again, your thoughts a molten and twisted mass. You knew no end to his teasing for your frivoulness that he elicited from you with naught but a look.

Who were you, compared to the War Chief Yeager? Neither wits nor status was on your side to rebuke his taunts. Courage was failing you, fleeing at the mere sight of the red gracing his left arm. Retaliatory jabs never landed, the harsh words melted at the tip of your tongue before ever reaching him. How he reveled in seeing you like this, feeble and helpless. Just some stupid Eldian girl, that's what you were in his eyes. Unfit to be by his side.

And yet, he yearned for it nonetheless. Otherwise there was no other explaination to the slight arrogance bleeding into the way he spoke to you, leaving no other interpretation but that of a hunter taunting a mortally wounded beast. A whim, display of power, oversaturated and evident.

Occasionally he would condescend to your polite and humble requests, presenting them in a way that painted him as virtuous, as if you should be overflowing with gratitude and praises for his mere consideration of your proposals. He, however, never stooped to an open request himself, whether it be willful ignorance or inability to put thoughs into words. In such cases you were left to rely blindly on your own insight, forced to navigate through the murky water of his genuine intentions.

But witnessing this facade of complacency that masked his features most of the time disappear never failed to amuse you. How easily it could be shattered with a simle act — merely increasing the distance between you by a few steps during your routine strolls or better yet vanishing entirely from his line of sight amidst the crowd. That's all it took for the cold arrogance to crumble away and give way to a barely palpable unrest as he sought to bridge the unfavourably long gap that had grown between you unbeknownst to him. Not too close, though, being wary of avoiding the contact between your bodies.

The game he played to you was cruel yet he persisted in subjecting you to it, time after time. The true nature of his motives eluded you. The shadow of pleasure he took in poisoning your thoughts was hard to deny. Until he inhibits you whole, there would be no stopping to the suffocating hold over you. You were keep falling victim of this, though, the torment gnawing at your body and mind.

His unbroken gaze was the image etched in your memory for eternity. As well as the burning need to keep you near, by his side. Like you not staying at his apartment for the night could cost him his sleep. Like not laying his eyes one you could cost him his peace.

He remained oblivious to the fact that you noticed all of this. How could he possibly entertain those suspicions? A stupid Eldian girl would never. And still...

His gait lacked definition for someone who got the military drills beaten into him from the young age. Strange — even the deepest of thoughts usually failed to lure out a reaction from his body. Always static and phlegmatical, now he paced up and down the room, forgetting you were here in this room with him altogether.

With quick glances, you attempted to read his expression whenever he would pass your form curled up on the couch, and all in vain. His features remained an unpenetrable mask robbed of any emotion. Maybe it was the coffee. Shifting your gaze to the table covered with dirty mugs, your assumption had some reasoning behind it but you quickly brushed it off. He'd been like that long before resorting to the caffein.

Hesitation coursed through your every movement as you struggled to come up with a proper reaction. As intriguing as it was to find out what exactly had been plaguing the mind of steadfast War Chief, you couldn't muster up the insolence of striking up a conversation first. Who were you to inquire, anyway.

"One could hear your thoughts from a mile away."

His voice shook the cushioned silence of the room, bearing the same shadow of amusement he usually graced your way, as if the last hours weren't filled with restless pacing. Looking up to meet his gaze, a spark of amusement melted the cold of his eyes. The chance to divert his churning thoughts towards such a trivial remark seemed to bring him a little relief.

He prompted you with a quirk of his brow. "Speak what is it you have on your mind, or else you might burst."

There was that grin again, dark and painting his features in shadows. You shifted on the couch, nails digging into the flesh of your palm. At this point, each word you were going to say hardly veiled any obscurity since he'd already knew the nature of her question. He liked being proven right.

"Nothing really," your voice lacked the lively rebuke that usually sounded in your constant bickering back and forth, his unrest had seemed to rub off onto you as well. "You just seem off."

Your overtly careful choice of words elicited his soft chuckle. For a few moments he looked down on you, pondering just how much of information he should tell you. If he should tell you. After all, it was the knowledge not meant for the likes of you, civilians.

The light-hearted tone of his voice bore a stark contrast to the atmosphere and the words he was saying. "They're sending me to the island." His lips pressed into a thin bloodless line once he fell silent, his unbroken gaze on your face.

A deep line etched between your eyebrows. Still puzzled, you looked up at him searching for some sort of visual purchase.

The island of devils — any warrior would be elated at the prospect of proving their worth to Marley in battling the spawns of Paradis. Yet this sense of pride never captivated Zeke. More than anything, frustration seemed to have bled into his fair features.

Question, perhaps stupid in its naivete, plagued you so you let it leap off of your tongue. "Is this good or bad news?"

"And what do you think?" He retorted, pained playfullness still lingering in his voice. "When you send four Titans to an important mission and this is followed by five years of silence, how good can those news be?"

The air in the room became thick with smoke and smell of tobacco — Zeke must've lit a cigarette without you noticing. Your nose wrinkling, you slid to the other side of the couch where the gray thick cloud couldn't reach you. Uncanny thoughts soon started festering in your mind.

You cringed at your own way of thinking yet you couldn't help but to ask once more. "Are you—" unflattering crack snaked its way into your voice. "Is it going to be for a long time?"

He must've found your seeming worry endearing. His shoulders trembled in a fit of silent laughter, taking amusement in you. Like a pet who suddenly pulled a trick unbefitting of their intelligence. Artificial light cast dark shadows on his face as he neared the kitchen table, taking a sip from one of the half-empty mugs.

"I can only imagine." He stole a gaze at you, eager to capture the row of fleeting emotion painting your features. "Those four must've done a gravely mistake and now fear to face the punishment or died a long time ago. Now they expect me to clean up after them." Benevolent grin tugged at the corners of his lips. "Warrior children, what a joke to Marley's army."

You shunned the way you had received the news. The insolence to fear, to assume the worst when you'd come to imagine him away on his mission was unacceptable of you, stupid Eldian girl. Your mind shouldn't be a harbor for such doubts. Zeke Yeager is a powerful warrior, the strongest in the unit. The red armband akin to the blood he'd spilt as an honorary Marleyan, a testament to hsi long service for the country. The island devils would be a little challenge for someone like him as his strength a prowess doomed him to imminent success. Your eyelashes fluttered as you sought solace in embrace of your arms, hiding your face in between your knees, away from his piercing stare. And yet you had the worries and you let them slowly eat away at you.

A temper tantrum would hardly influence Marley's decision and rid you of your predicament, but it didn't make you backtrack on your blind desire nonetheless. And he'd be thrilled to see your tears, especially if he was the cause of them.

Solitude started to weigh over your head like a dark stormy cloud. To be apart for such a long time rang so foreign to you. Foreign and cruel. Being at Yeager's side bore its benefits which you didn't hesitate to reap and now that the threat of those upsides being ripped away from you hung in the air, you felt... annoyed. You smiled to yourself at the fact that you'd finally been able to pin down your emotion. Annoyed sounded about right. And nothing else.

Noticing your downcast look, he decided to seal off your state with another barbed remark. "Spare Liberio your distraught sentiments. You weren't supposed to know about this in the first place. And I'd like to keep it that way in the eyes of the other people."

The ice in his gaze was persistent as he locked eyes with you. Not persistent enough to prevent the lopsided grin from twisting your lips.

In a fit of distorted glee, you inquired, your voice barely above whisper, "Why did you tell me about this then?" The words dripped with a mix of curiosity and spite, as if you had unraveled a hidden agenda beneath his carefully constructed facade. Your eyes bore into his, searching for a glimpse of vulnerability or truth amidst the web of deceit that surrounded him.

He was never easy to nail down so you didn't believe your luck when you caught a glimpse of emotion, as weak and light as the candle's flame, flicker in his eyes. And you didn't care for the nature of it — be it the amazement at the precision of your question or the anger with your insolence — it pleased you as long as it wasn't the usual cold spite. You found comfort in the knowledge that he, just like you, may be subservient to something other than his logic. That you're not the only one affected by the news of departure. The satisfaction was short-lived though as his features quickly acquired the same expression as before, a blank canvas you couldn't read.

The nicotine must've cleared his senses seeing as he scoffed at you in a condescending rebuke. "So that you won't make any fuss once you find the house empty." His hand reached to rest under your chin but you didn't accept the gesture, turning your head the other way. Stubborn behavior befitting the image of a stupid Eldian girl he painted you as in his mind. "It's still very much a secret mission so only limited number of people are allowed to know."

His touch rejected, he returned to the table, from which he continued keeping his unwavering gaze on you.

Did his remark suggest that his family was included in this selected group? Meaning, he went out of his way just to tell you? And for what? For you not to worry? Watching him form the corner of your eye, you couldn't help but to adore the stark discrepancy between his words and actions.

"I'll consider this your act of courtesy towards me." You shot back meekly, the tone of your voice suddenly growing more humble. At least you would have the satisfaction of having last word even if it meant resorting to your obsequious self.

Now, after a cigarette or two, he appeared utterly unfazed as if he weren't gambling with his own life by venturing onto the island of devils. When it came to his life, he never seemed to hold it at great value. You were the one to do it in his stead.

Curiosity took the better of you as you turned your head to face him, a hint of concern seeping through your facade. "How dangerous will it be? If the other Warriors had been on the island for five years, then those devils must be strong enough to pose a threat." You couldn't help but shudder at the thought of the mission potentially stretching beyond five years for Zeke. As capable and talented as he was, five years to his life were something that he just didn't have.

Zeke leaned back in his chair, the lazy twirling of smoke rising up out of his cigarette in contrast to the sharpness of the sneer that quickly appeared in the depths of his eyes. "For someone so uninvolved in the military campagns of Marley you seem to have too many questions about this mission. What's with the constant inquiries?" His words dripping with misleading benevolence.

His question momentarily silenced the room, knocking the air out of your lungs. Perhaps you indeed asked too many questions for someone of your station, someone who's supposed to be in a strictly comradely relationship with Zeke. You felt the tension growing more palpable the longer you kept him waiting. The glint in his eyes spoke volumes, a mix of amusement and knowing, hinting at the fact that he'd already got himself a satisfactory answer to his own inquiry. Part of you sensed that he'd guessed it right.

Nonetheless, you rushed to state the opposite in a futile attempt to undermine his own conclusion. "I think it's only logical of any Eldian to take interest in this mission." You pursed your lips before speaking again, feeling how artificial your words sounded leaping off your tongue. "The fate of the whole world depends on its outcome, does it not?"

At this point you'd grown too weary of him, his presence already intoxicating as it is. Why'd he brought you into his house? Just to tell you about his leave, take joy in seeing you shedding a shred of worry towards him but to mock you later for expressing those? Your drilled, bordering on automatic, response didn't win any favour with him yet managed to amuse him to some extent, evident in the way a mischevious grin split his face as he stood up from his chair.

His steps rang louder and louder with him approaching the couch you were sitting on. You let out a relieved sigh, cradling the hope that he'll finally grant you with leave, having had his share of playing games with you.

His eyes told otherwise. "No." He simply shook his head, denying you the last opportunity to leave his house. "I'll argue that there's more to it."

With that, his voice took on more sweetness that he usually allowed himself whilst talking to you which surprised you. At this point of your conversation he'd usually stoop down to tasteful taunts, a stark contrast to the moderation he was currently excercising, making your mind teem with thoughts.

"All the correspondence is forbidden for the Marleyan warriors whilst on the mission. Were you aware of that?" Still lacking a full comprehension of his motives, you nodded your head, your eyes big and doe-like. Nonetheless, he accepted your curt response, elusive benevolence seeping through his features. "Not if it's meant for the close family members, though. Also honorary Marleyans, like me. On that front Marley had been exceptionally allowing."

Again with the obscureness, as if expressing his thoughts in straight sentences would rob him of his last breath. Still, you continued to look at him, your eyes fixated on the enigma that was the fleeting chain of emotions lacing his features. The tips of your ears burning, the supressed frustration at having to sit here and listen to him welled up inside you. His monologue had just took off yet he was already dousing you with mental excercises you were unwilling to solve at this late hour.

Feather-light touch grazed against your temple, his fingers tucking an unruly strand behind your ear, bringing you back to the sound of his musings. "Wouldn't you be worried not knowing about my whereabouts on the Paradis?"

You rushed to deny his groundless assumptions but you found your lips too heavy to utter a word. Thus, he continued, a sliver of benevolent amusement in his tone. "Who knows, perhaps I would be captured or even killed and you would have no idea of my fate?"

The words sounded strange coming from him. He never paid any mind to the morbid consequences that may happen to him whilst on a mission and now that he was shedding light to it in front of you, it filled you with more confusion.

Still, you leaned in closer, intrigued by this newly discovered oddity of his, wanting to her what else he had to say.

"Aren't you?" He called out to you yet there wasn't a hint of condescention to his voice. As if he genuinely took interest in your answer, waiting for you to respond.

And you did answer, with a shallow "yes" whispered in the room. Usually you refrained from such vulnerability as this was often followed with barbed taunts, punishing you for the display of affection to someone as unfeasible as him. But this time, he seemed to had welcomed it.

The spark in his eyes was warm, an exception of his facade you rarely got to see. "Well, I just might help you to get rid of your worries. Would you like that?" You let him touch under your chin, lifting your gaze to see his.

In that moment, the fog of confusion clouding your mind began to lift, revealing glimpses of his true nature. Your eyes widened in surprise as you finally captured what was lurking behind the blue irises. He captured your gaze, too, as well as the sudden recognition, hence the smile, soft and warm, melting the curve of his lips as he opened his mouth to speak. You didn't have to listen to him to know what he was about to say yet it didn't substract from the surrealism of the situation.

"Be my wife."

Out of all the blows, this was by far the most cruel and perverted. The idea seemed too far-fetched, too out of reach for it to have any meaning behind it. You had grown accustomed to his teasing, his banter and the way he seemed to enjoy keeping you on your toes. Can this be another one of his games? Another way to rattle your composure?

Your gaze quickly turned skeptical. You couldn't risk remaining vulnerable in his presence and at this moment. You kept waiting for the mask of pretense to slide right off his face, for him to announce that he had indeed tried to trick you. Yet it stayed all the same, as if the expression was genuine, eyes brimming with inviting warmth like before. Still, doubt lingered within you.

Why should this day be a precedence? An upcoming operation on Paradis couldn't possibly cause this shift inside him. He'd been on other missions before and never before had his unwavering level-headedness left him.

He is not to be trusted. The words that were still echoing in your head are not to be trusted. The mantra sealing your lips, you tried to ward off the terrible temptation to give into what he was saying. He wouldn't hesitate to drag you through the mud if he finds out that you'd fallen prey to his words.

"You can't mean that." It was your final verdict. If he wasn't the one to aknowledge it then you had to be.

The smile on his lips gave way to a lopsided grin, as if your response didn't come as surprise to him. So it had been a game after all, you mused as you allowed yourself a mental praise for your own foresight.

"But I can." The rebuke remaining soft, he kept looking at you, waiting for your eyes to meet again.

It was of no use to you, though. All that you would see in the icy pools would be either that inviting warmth again or a blind wall. And neither of those would cast any light on what had been truly driving his actions all along.

The air felt silent and still. This — all of this — wasn't happenning to you. No night being spent at his house, no awkward pause between you two, no twisted words of proposal. It was all too much for the likes of you, common Eldian girl.

Regardless of your thoughts, he rushed to crush them, bringing you to the undeniable and inevitable reality.

He called out to you again, "So what?" the grin that seemed to appear on his features so often suddenly faded. "Will you be my wife?" You could only chuckle at his courtesy to having finally asked you, instead of bluntly stating his wishes.

With that, he sanked down on the sofa cushions, sitting next to her. The knowledge of his taunts, sometimes ruthless in their nature, implored you to momentarily refrain from answering his question and allowing him to continue, instead. The sincerity had no place in the words he was directing towards you. His statements were not to be held at face value, you had to remind yourself.

Nevertheless, you succumbed to the temptation that had been gnawing at you for a long time as you let your head fall onto his shoulder, the precise movement leaving no room for interpretation of your intentionall gesture. He would be hardly angry with you for such a display of weakness. Quite on the contrary, as your begrudgent vulnerability flattered him immensly.

The weight of the gone day suddenly crushed over you in waves, robbing you of any strength. "A lovely young captain's wife." The saccharine in his tone started to taste bitter. "Mrs. Yeager who would wait for her husband to return from military operations, her body and and soul devoted to him only. Who would meet me with joy and every evening after a working day take off my boots for me."

Wrinkling your nose, you otherwise didn't let your momentary disgust become apparent to him via your posture.

Alerted by your silence, he turned his head in your direction. His breath, hot and tart with tobacco, seared your face. "What do you say?"

Wife. The time had long come for you to forget this word. At this moment and in your position, it was an unthinkable thing for you. Who were you in comparison to the prized asset that Zeke was to the country? He was also no exception, even if the red armband signified otherwise. Bound by his service to Marley, he would never be allowed to dedicate even a sliver of his attention to something not pertaining to his warrior duty.

But on rare occasions you granted yourself the indulgence but also the freedom to your own dreams and you intended to do it today as well. Even if it was the first time for you to voice your hidden desires to someone else, let alone someone who figured in your dreams so often.

The warmth slid along her thigh where he ran his palm across your skin in a thoughtless caress, his touch radiating with heat. Just as thoughtlessly, you caught his movement, taking two of his fingers into your palm.

Being an Eldian in an internment zone, your fate had been sealed long ago yet you found comfort in the knowledge. With your future set in stone, you had all the freedom to fantasize about your chimerical impossible life.

Soon enough you started speaking, your words bearing the same bliss that his were. "Then your huge bath would be all mine and I would bathe in it every day. Definitely with bubbles. And you wouldn't be able to tell me anything against it."

Your ears caught a faint chuckle escaping his lips, accompanied by a subtle exhale.

The prospect of sharing a life with the captain held an irresistible allure. Despite all the taunts lacing his words, a grain of truth resonated within them. This was perhaps the best outcome an Eldian from the internment zone such as yourself could ever hope for. A sharp-tongued and occasionally unbearable husband aside, the advantages of such a union far outweighed the disadvatages. As the capitan of the warrior unit, his duties would often take him outside of Liberio, leaving you to revel in the opulence of your home for many days and even weeks to come.

Contrary to his words though, you would hardly harbour any sentiments over him not being by your side as he had teasingly described to you. Your heart would be unlikely to languish in lamenting the frequent separation, seeing as the luxury of your home would occupy your whole mind, sparing not a single thought for your warrior husband. Even in your sweetest dreams the love that typically exists between the spouses was conspicuously absent in your marriage. Such an emotion was barred for the two of you, as you remained essentially strangers to one another.

Your eyes dropped to the entanglement of your fingers from which he was in no hurry to free himself.

You started to forget yourself, as the most sincere of words weighed heavy on the tip of your tongue. "But also the coffee that you would brew every morning. I really like it."

His lips momentarily twitched, as if your timid praide had either amused or touched him.

A casual impudence found its way into his retort. "Oh no. After I get married I won't go into the kitchen at all so it will all be the responsibility of Mrs. Yeager." He dragged out the last words a little. "I don't want a wife who can't even make me coffee."

The warmth of his body enveloping you, you pulled your knees to your chest and settled into the comfort of your position. Usually, neither of you was insolent enough to seek proximity in each other's presence in this way. Besides sex, your bodies rarely touched, but at this moment it was all too tempting to mind your self-restraint. And yet, your move didn't provoke irritation in him. Instead, it seemed to have awakened a temporary surge of affection within him. He even opened his arms wider, as if embracing you more deeply. However, you couldn't ignore the subtle stiffness in his gestures, a reminder of the hopeless underlying truth about your relationship. You two were far from being a married couple and the likelihood of you ever becoming spouses seemed increasingly remote.

Possible or not, the illusion was sweet enough to numb the cynicism of your predicament.

Yet another breath of his scorched the shell of your ear. "But will you teach me? How to make coffee?" Your inquiry laced with naive politeness, you smiled as you felt his chest, a barely audible hum rumbling the air. "Will my husband have any other expectations of his poor tireless wife?"

In a feigned attempt to challenge him, your palm closed around his fingers even tighter, as if she wanted to attract even more of his attention to her.

This ploy of yours appeared to be succesfull, seeing as his hold of you grew closer. "Your husband would like you to spoil him with your cooking every day." He said with a soft chuckle. "Not that I have tried your food but that is all trivial. My regeneration can withstand the effects of any poison so your cooking would hardly deal any damage to me, no matter how disgusting it may be."

You fell silent at the lack of a proper rebuke, letting yourself get lost in this moment that you doubted you would see again any time soon.

And you were proven right. Just as you began to embrace the newfound comfort of your position, your hopes to have this moment last a bit longer were swiftly shattered. The warmth in his voice dissipated, replaced by a chilling tone as he leaned in to whisper into your ear. "Why deceive yourself?" His words dripped with cold determination. "I know all too well why someone like you would like to meddle with someone like me."

With no further explanation, he presented you with his armband, bright red fabric carelessly thrown onto your hand. The shift in his disposition was so sudden that you took a second to even register the feel of rough cloth against the skin of your palm. Disturbed by the intrusive nature of his inquiry, you tried to pry yourself away from him yet he didn't let you, his fingers finding their place under your chin to turn your face to him. The pools of his blue eyes were colder than ever, studying your expression, not losing sight of each fleeting emotion painting your features, as if the silent observation would provide him with more answers instead of just asking you directly.

Yet you didn't feel fear. In all the time that you had known each other, he never gave you the reason to be afraid around him. This surely had to be attributed to his charms since his each action, no matter how twisted or condescending, held a certain allure over you. Even now as you were pinned down in your place and forced to continuosly look back at him, all you could feel was frustration welling up inside you.

Your exasparetion started to overflow, evident in the way your brows knitted together. "You're hurting my neck," you voiced your discontent in a soft manner, only to be met with his unamuzed gaze.

He only got closer to you, your bodies pressing up against each other, his lips so near to yours that your mouth began to water at the bitter taste of tobacco dancing on your tongue.

Your protests were heeded, and he released his hold on your chin, seemingly satisfied with gazing at you. Another whisper, hot and sibilant, flowed into your ear. "It was hard not to notice, you stared at it too often." Instinctively, your hand tightened its grip on the red fabric, drawing it closer to your chest. "But I can understand your fascination with that thing. What is it that you want exactly?"

Considering all his past actions, his question sounded almost too caring, too soft and too thoughtful for someone like him. Were you a bit more perceptive in that moment, perhaps you would have been touched by his genuine interest but instead you couldn't help but to feel exposed. Maybe you did stare at it too much, as hardly a conversation with him went by without your excessive attention being drawn to some piece of fabric instead of the person it belonged to. You hoped that he hadn't been awake during the nights when you dared to harbor enough insolence to take the armband from his nightstand and pose with it in front of the mirror, the reflections of you with a red ring circling your left arm looking so dreamy and beautiful.

Hardly any Eldian in the internment zone didn't want to be an honorary Marleyan, and you were no exception. In fact, you were the most trivial showcase of this bold desire. It can give you a better life and safety and freedom, most of all. Freedom to go beyond the stone walls of the internment zone, even if for just a while.

In all your life you never came to think that the armband could be attained through the means Zeke had proposed to you not so long ago.

You were thankful to him for still keeping his composure. At least one of you had to. "So what is it? Everything, I assume?" You felt his breath hitch as soon as you answered with a curt nod. "Then everything it is. And I will give it to you."

The right words were coming hard to you yet you couldn't wait any longer to voice them. Pulling away, you finally put some distance between you two, finally free from his suffocating warmth. "Are you hearing yourself right now?"

Your attempts to reason with him were quickly put to rest with a single gaze he graced your way. The intensity in his eyes made your words falter on your lips, as a knowing smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Right now, each of my word has weight so listen to me while I'm still talking."

Surprisingly, it worked. But it wasn't for his concise argument but rather the oddly familiar expression in the depths of his eyes. As you gazed deeper into those pools of blue, you saw a reflection of your own yearnings, a crack in his flawless facade. A pained smile bent your lips as you reveled in the realization that Zeke had given way to the same sentiments as you. And you thought once that he was insusceptible to this. A dark chuckle escaping your lips, the gravity of your predicament started to set in. Fools, both of you.

In a haste you took off his glasses before kissing him. You didn't want the metal frame to poke you in the eye again should the angle be not right.

His lips felt dry against yours, the tart taste of tobacco doing little to prevent you from sliding your tongue into his mouth. He smiled into the kiss as he felt you settling back into his embrace, the cushions collapsing under the collective weight of your bodies.

Your aggressive initiative was a welcome dynamic, with you quickly straddling his lap as he was left to take in the feel of your body. The coil in your stomach began to wind up with each painstakingly slow movement of your hips. The sloppy sounds of kissing rang loud in the room, interrupted only with your breathy whimpers whenever you grazed your sweet spot.

It took him all his strength to pull away, fake and long-soiled paragon of self-restraint lacing his tone when he spoke to you. "The couch would be too narrow for this." The voice barely above whisper.

With that, he grabbed you under your knees, drawing your legs closer to his body for a better purchase. Instinctively, you wrapped your hands around his neck and leaned into his chest so you wouldn't fall when he picked you up. His fingers sank into the pillowy flesh of your thighs as he carried you into the bedroom, your body barely a burden for him. A curt laughter rose from your chest and got lost in the tussels of his fair hair. You hadn't thought him to be so strong outside of his Titan form.

The springs of the mattress wailed as he let go of you, initiating your short fall. He looked down on you, his movements suddenly lacking resolve but his eyes still transfixed on your form. Reluctant to give any more thought to the ponderings teeming his mind, you didn't intend on waiting idly for him to join you. In the growing heat of the room your clothes became a nuisance, just another one of the barriers standing between you two.

Your fingers untypically spry for the state that you were in, you reached for the rows of buttons on your clothes, unburdening yourself layer by layer all the while watching him watch you.

Evidently, the sight of your naked form helped him come to his senses quickly as he stepped closer to the edge of the bed. In a bout of anticipation coursing through your veins you extended your arms towards him in an alluring invitation, starving to taste the tobacco on your tongue again.

All the same dark grin of his told otherwise. Instead of granting you the satisfaction of having his mouth on yours, he grabbed the hold of your hips to flip you over, tight grip sure to leave marks on the skin in the morning to come.

His weight came crushing over you, knocking the air out of your lungs and pinning you in place. Although he was using both of his hands to support his body, with each at the either side of you, it brought you little relief.

"Like I was saying," his lips pressed against the shell of your ear, you felt as if the reverberations of his voice reached your brain. "Marley allowing me to marry is more real than you think. Don't think they would refuse their most valuable asset in such a trivial matter. Maybe I'll even start winning more wars for them."

Your mind refused to give any more attention to his words, demanding a tangible satisfaction instead. You tried to arch your back in hopes that the sudden contact of your pelvises would make him forget his musings, forcing him to stoop down to the same level that you found yourself on, but it was all futile. Under the immense pressure your lower torso was rendered immobile, as if fused with the plush mass of the mattress.

The skin on your shoulder tingled with faint prickles where he rested his chin. "The armband, as significant as it may seem, is not the solution to each of your problem in the internment zone. A glorified scrap of fabric signifying that you're just a bit less miserable than all the others, that's what it is, really." he spoke, his voice tainted with sullen knowledge.

You absolutely hated how he remained so stationary while in arguably the most compromised position and how you lacked the power to change it. "Then why are you willing to go through the trouble of giving me one?" You hissed into the cradle of your palms, tone brimming with impotent dissatisfaction.

The next moment you felt him grabbing a fistful of your hair, with a violent tug forcing your head to turn to the side, your neck almost snapping from the sheer power of the motion. You were met with his gaze, angry yet at the same time seemingly insulted by your insolence to question his motives again. You responded in kind, your eyes watching his lips in anticipation of yet another one of his countless self-serving musings to be voiced. But you didn't hear any. He let go of your hair just as suddenly, nudging you to face away from him.

Sitting up straight, his body weight shifted towards your thighs as he was straddling them. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed his shirt falling to the ground. The sound of the belt buckle coming unfastened was the next thing you heard, the soft clang of the metal clasp filling you with thrill.

His hand snaked its way to your abdomen, pressing against the small of the belly to make you raise your hips and you felt happy to oblige, displaying yourself nicely to him. His touch lingered on you for quite some time after that as both of his hands traveled to the back your thighs, absentmindedly caressing the supple flesh in lazy broad strokes. A surge of goosebumps cascaded across your body, each wave driven not only by his scorching touch but also by a sudden flash of realization.

He must have noticed how shamelessly wet you were. The positioning of your hips left barely any room for his imagination and presented him with the delectable view of your slit, slick covered and pulsing with heat. Exasperated, you bit down on your lower lip to supress a desperate moan all the while he took his sweet fucking time to revel in the way your cunt flutterd around nothing begging to be filled. As much as you wanted to feel him inside you, you kept your pleas to yourself, left solely at the mercy of his self-restraint which you hoped had started to diminish already. You'd rather die than make your weakness for him known again, as if your body wasn't enough of an indicator already.

Eternity might have passed but he eventually moved, shifting some of his weight back onto his arms as he mounted you.

You couldn't help but gasp at the way your walls enveloped him, struggling to take his girth at first. A drawn-out raspy fuck emitted from his chest once he entered you, his motion slow yet persistent as he slid his cock deeper inside you. Careful not to harm you, he halted whenever your breaths became too shallow and frantic from the stinging of the stretch, not moving any further without your leave.

Minutes later you felt him reach the deepest part of your cunt, the immense pressure from his continuous thrust built at the bottom of your stomach, so unbearable that it rendered all the other sensations non-existent. There was no way he couldn't feel your body tensing up below him. Nonetheless, he kept on pushing, as if trying to break you. Even as you tried to get away from the uncomfortable feeling, he stopped you, putting his palms over yours as another way to pin you down. The weight of the pressure bore down on you relentlessly, within mere seconds, tears began to bead on your lashline, threatening to cascase down your cheeks and fall onto the sheets.

The skin of your nape grew hot where he doused it in kisses. Twisted sense of comfort welled up inside of you in hopes that his caresses, so out-of-place yet so warranted, would at the very least provide some relief to you. It seemed that he would persist until you fully succumb to him. A whispered praise poured into your ear once all the struggle left your body and your flesh became pliable to him.

Only then did he back down. Letting you catch your breath as one of his hands traced its way to your face, brushing a strand aside to get a better look of your eyes glistening with tears.

Little did you know that it would be the final act of gentleness he bestowed upon you for a long time, leaving you yearning for more. You didn't even had the time to savour it as he set a new unforgiving pace.

Beyond the tingling sensation of his cock dragging against your walls in a brutalizing manner, sharp hissing grazed your ear. "Why in hell would I go through the trouble of giving you one," he tantalised, each of his thrusts only adding to the mockery. "So you won't forget that you're mine while I'm be away".

"Mine and safe," he murmured then, confident that you won't hear him.

It wasn't his voice. It sounded so unlike him in this moment, frail and vulnerable, but you were the only people in the room so it must've been him.

A jolt of pleasure railed through your body with the tip of his cock hitting your sweet spot over and over again, driving you wild. Your pleasure became apparent to him as well, his motions gaining more precision to increase the blissful sensation for you.

Struggling to form words you nonetheless tried to, your lips and tongue heavy. "So this is what comes with being your wife?" You couldn't believe the tenderness lacing your tone at this moment. The sentiments were a cruel thing, not something you were supposed to have towards him, nor he towards you.

His reply was overtly eager, as he leaned closer to you, your bodies pressing together almost seamlessly. "Pretty much," his voice rang in your ear. "You must admit that you're very fortunate."

You craned your neck to face him, curiosity sparkling in your eyes. Taking in your alluring look, he couldn't resist the glowing skin of your shoulders, so transfixed on tasting the salt of your sweat on his lips that he ground to a halt inside you.

All you could do was rile him up even further, a chuckle escaping your lips. "Oh yes, the prospect of having you cater to my every whim sounds like a remarkably enticing endeavor on my side."

As your words hung in the air, a mischievous glint danced in your eyes, reveling in the effect they had on him. The corners of his mouth curled into a sly grin, mirroring your own playful demeanor and growing heavy with somber tone. With that, his hold on you became tighter, his hand groping at the fat of your thighs.

His hips snapped against yours with such a force that you nearly mewled, feeling the reverberations of his thrust echoing throughout your body. "Enjoying it while you can." His voice dropped to a low, husky timbre, tinged with a hint of challenge and sneer. "You've got only five years left for that."

This level-headed bordering on indifferent demeanor in a blind disregard of his own words struck a nerve with you. You gulped some air, desperate to conceal the outburst within you.

You wished he hadn't remind you of the imminent futility of your secret musings. You wished he would just carry on with pounding into your leaking heat with no thought to it. As he moved inside you, sinking his cock inch by delicious inch, the pleasure of it faded even if your own body continued having visceral reaction to the process, your gummy fluttering around his girth. Now, only lament had residence in your mind. If it wasn't for your unfortunate fate of having been born as Eldians, perhaps you could have a chance at a normal life. Without the constant thoughts of him slipping away.

His resolve undying, he pressed your body deeper into the mattress, the pressure of his hands driving the air out of your lungs all the while his cock kept winding the coil in the pit of your stomach.

"Widowhood would suit you so good."

His voice remained just as mocking as before, as if the life that was put on the clock wasn't his. You, on the other hand, were precisely the one not entertaining such remarks. "Tell me." You could barely make out the words amongst the squelching sounds. "Tell me, will you mourn me? Funeral would be hard to organize, admittedly, with no body left for you to bury, but-"

You rushed to hide your face in the sheets. You heard enough. You didn't want to hear anymore of his taunts.

The words still reached your ear. "Will you cry for me like a good wife should for her husband?" He came to a halt deep inside you yet again, ready to break you should you not answer. "I've never seen those eyes cry before. So will you or will you not?"

The satisfaction wouldn't come so easily to him as you remained motionless under him. Only your shoulders quivered with subtle tremors, betraying the hidden distress that stirred within you. As simple thing such as breathing brought you a lot of struggle so you could only hope that your poise would last through all of this.

"It's not like I've taken your tongue away," he mocked.

A gesture of feigned compassion, you felt his fingers card through your hair, lulling you into false sense of security in hopes of luring out a desired reaction out of you. The sweet tone of his voice came off as cruel and mocking as he coaxed you for an answer, his fingers toying with your clit only adding to the torture.

Sick twisted pleasure, that's what he was getting from all of this. Your answer to his inquiries evident to him, he nonetheless wanted to hear it falling from your lips, dry and bitten at.

Yet, when he spoke again, his voice shed all its malice, barren as it trembled slightly. "At least remember me after I'm gone, would you do that for me?" He called out your name and it sounded vulnerable coming from him, his tone etching deep within your memory.

With a lump forming in your throat, you struggled to find your voice as well as enough air to form a response. There was no purchase for your mind as a scorching wave of orgasm coursed through your body, your face contourting in pleasure and your cunt squeezing in around him. With that, the last bit of poise left you and you broke down completely.

"Yes!" you pushed past your lips, hot tears streaming down your cheeks and your shoulders shaking with each sob.

In this moment you suddenly grew unaware of your surroundings, deaf to his whispers pouring into the ear and numb to the tingling stretch of your core as he was chasing his own high.

The skin of your inner thighs soiled with his seed, you would normally rush to the bathroom to wash away the stench of sex but this time you thought against it, curling up on the bed instead once he rolled off of you. Only now you began to feel the weight of your confession. Why did it have to be you alone to crack under the surge of sentiments that held immense power over you?

He decided to stay in bed as well, watching you struggle to come to terms with what you had just said, complacent grin plastered across his face. Evidently, you made him very happy this night.

"When are you leaving?" you asked in a raspy voice, watching him as he watched you in the enveloping darkness.

His fingers reached for a stray strand, sliding it behind your ear. His tone was thick with mindless glee. "In a couple of weeks, plenty of time for me to convince Marley to green light the marriage." The kiss he left on your lips acquired a bitter taste with time. "What will you say?" At the lack of suitable words, you just nodded dumbly.

He is not to be trusted.

There's a deceit lacing his each word.

But as you gazed deeper into his eyes, glinting in the dark shroud of the night, you let him deceive you yet again.

(phew)

[icycoldninja]

OKAY-!

So I've been wanting to request something for a hot minute from y’all; Vergil (or Nero..? Idk if you do stuff for him tbh) having to warm-up with a Male reader during a blizzard???

(👉👈 Never done a request before so idk how much to put. I love your work and can't wait to read more from you (/p)!)

AAAAAA I KNOW U, U ALWAYS REBLOG MY WORKS WITH THOSE HILARIOUS TAGS! I've also read your stuff on ao3! I love your works too! I'm so glad you requested! I chose to do Vergil cause I like writing for him more than Nero lol; hope you enjoy!💜💜💜

Warm-Up (Vergil x Male!Reader)

Bonus pic I pulled off Pinterest for ya cuz y'all deserve it 💜

You shivered in your seat, goosebumps breaking out across your skin. A blizzard raged on outside, rattling the walls of your house and, via several drafts in said walls, lowered the overall temperature to lows your poor human body couldn't handle. You continued shuddering, wrapping your arms around yourself in an attempt to keep warm, futile as it was. You were just so cold, for an indescribable reason, no matter how many layers of clothes you threw on or how many blankets you piled on, you were freezing. It was like you were cursed, cursed to be eternally chilly.

The front door clicked, then swung open; Vergil stomped in, covered in snow. "Y/N?" He called, peeking around the corner and finding you curled up on the couch, swaddled in blankets and thick clothes. "What is going on?" He demanded, raising a thin white eyebrow at you. "I'm cold." You grumbled, tugging the blankets tighter around you as another strong wind shook the house and chilled the room even further. "Cold?" Vergil repeated, confused. He had never felt cold in his life, being an ice demon and whatnot. Nonchalantly, he stalked away to remove the snow from his person and change into dry clothes. A few moments later, he rejoined you in the living room, only to find a pile of blankets where you once had been seated. "Y/N? Where did you go?" A hand--your hand--shot up from within the mountain of bedclothes. "Right here, Verg. Right here, freezing my ass off." Vergil sighed, then began shifting the blankets aside to get to your trembling, nearly numb-with-cold form. "You lack motivation," He stated, shoving the blankets aside, then taking a seat on the couch and rearranging them in his lap. "A mere bit of cold is nothing; such a trivial inconvenience should mean nothing to you." While those words may have sounded harsh and derogatory, they were in fact, meant to be motivating--and they were.

"I...I guess you're right," You admitted, sighing and sitting up. "it shouldn't bother me, but it does." Vergil scoffed, then dragged you by the arm over into his lap. With a grumpy huff that was probably caused by embarrassment for his uncharacteristically soft behavior today, he began to wrap you up like a burrito. Once he was done, he scooped you up and cradled you in his arms like a mother with her baby.

You were confused at first, but soon relaxed into your new blanket cocoon. "Are you warm now?" Vergil asked, after a few moments of silence. Believe it or not, you were. The cocoon, combined with Vergil's furnace-like body heat, did wonders for your own body temperature, warming you up much more efficiently compared to all the other methods you previously tried. "Yes, I am," You murmured, rather enjoying this treatment. "Good. I suppose I can unwrap you now, correct?" You shrugged, not really wanting to leave Vergil's lap. "If you don't mind....a little longer?" Vergil gave you a side-eye that could have withered flowers, but said nothing and made no attempt to move you. You yawned, now that you'd been warmed up, you were starting to feel a little sleepy. "Tired?" He inquired, bouncing his leg so as to rock you easier. "Yeah, a little," You sighed, yawning again. "I'm gonna take a nap...wake me in a few hours, ok?" Vergĺil nodded, pressing a quick kiss to your forehead. "Very well." As you closed your eyes and began to drift off to sleep, you could have sworn you heard him mumble "Sweet dreams, my little lump of coverlets."

[yanderes-galore]

Hi, can ask for romantic hcs of Affogatto Cookie with a Royal Darling? Tbh I don't remember much from the Cacao part of Kingdom

Honestly I stopped playing when the Dark Cacao Kingdom released, I watched some cutscenes though so I hope I got the basics of his character ^^ It feels a bit rushed but I hope I got my ideas across. I wanted to expand on this but the plot feels butchered :(

I really should play CRK again but I don't want to grind again, LOL.

Yandere! Affogatto Cookie with Royal! Darling

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Manipulation, Obsession, Attempted murder/just murder, Forced marriage, Trust issues, Forced relationship, Drugging.

In this story you are a royal of the Dark Cacao Kingdom.

You are another of Dark Cacao's children, persisting after Dark Choco's betrayal.

Safe to say you have some trust issues due to your brother....

Affogato is a very charismatic shaman (?) character.

He's manipulative and does his best to be trusted in the eyes of the Dark Cacao Kingdom.

He's simply someone looking for a place to belong!

He's definitely not some usurper to the throne.

When Affogato first meets you, he sees you as his key to the throne.

If he can gain your trust... your father will only ever trust him more.

Affogato is someone you don't trust as easily as most.

He shows up out of nowhere then tries to play himself off as your friend?

Yeah right....

You and your father have very different opinions on Affogato.

Dark Cacao trusts Affogato and his judgements, an idea you don't approve but can't fight.

"Father... can't you see it in his eyes? He lies to you with fake smiles!"

"Hold your tongue... Affogato is aiding us. He is no liar."

You only dislike the shaman even more when he accuses Caramel Arrow of stealing rations.

You felt that only you and Caramel Arrow knew of Affogato's lies at times.

Which is why you whispered that you were sorry for your father's actions when she is exiled.

You truly miss your first watcher... now the outside villages were bound to fall.

Affogato no doubt knows about your distrust.

He can tell you are annoyed at your father's obsessive need to fortify defenses... and his oblivious behavior towards the shaman's scheming.

Affogato knows he can't exile you like the others as your father still adores you, he also knows he can't convince you to go against your father fully... as you still love him too.

Affogato comes up with a new plan...

He'll simply try to be on your good side.

While Affogato's obsession started out as trying to be nice and gain your trust... it transitions to ulterior motives.

After all, what better way to gain the throne than to marry the king's child?

The shaman would try to play his cards right.

You are not easy to convince, Affogato knows this too.

It's frustrating to him, yet he'll try to be patient.

You notice Affogato become increasingly friendly towards you.

Your father sees nothing wrong with this...

You ignore Affogato's attempts to gain your favor, but he never goes away.

Affogato plans to marry you just for power st first.

In order to do that he has to prove himself.

Although... the deceptive man gets obsessed with the idea of you more than power the longer he tries.

You had a certain beauty towards you...

You held loyalty towards your father and hate towards anyone who was similar to your brother.

You hated deceivers... you scoffed at betrayal...

Such harsh beliefs didn't ward Affogato off in the slightest.

The shaman always brewed you the sweetest drinks and spoke to you in a tone as soft as velvet.

You narrowed your eyes at his cat-like orbs, scoffing at how he giggled mischievously in conversation when you answer or accuse him.

"Why do you try to be close with me, snake." Is your response each time Affogato wished to talk.

"Your majesty, I only think we should know each other more. You are awfully stuborn... it hurts my feelings. Is it so wrong to just talk? Our kingdom would fall if you held any false accusations towards those who wish to help."

You're never going to be able to fully trust the shaman after the betrayal of your brother.

This only ever annoys Affogato, as by the time his plan is almost in place, he's actually fallen for you.

You tolerate him... that's as far as he can get.

That is until he allied with Dark Enchantress and gets Dark Choco to rid the Dark Cacao Kingdom of its king.

It's a newer better plan....

When you hear the news of your brother coming back to kill your father... Affogato actually sees your personality change.

You break.

He sees your stern and hateful persona that's always up around him change to that of grief and vulnerability.

Something the shaman pounces on.

Affogato claims to the kingdom that you are in no shape to rule... alone, that is.

He makes a proposal that he becomes king with Dark Cacao gone.

Just until you are fit to lead....

Then, on top of that, he even alludes to the idea of a marriage between him and you.

When you hear of this news from him at your door, you're furious.

You blame him for your father's death.

Him taking the throne is enough already... then Affogato pauses your rage with one sentence for a moment.

"Not only am I king now... you are meant to be married off."

"Married off...? What nonsense do you speak of!?"

When Affogato gives you a cheshire grin, you freeze.

"Don't you get it? I've planned a marriage between you... and me!"

You feel your blood run cold when he laughs.

"Trust me... it's what your father would've wanted."

Affogato is devilish enough to not only have your father killed and steal his thrown... but he also has the audacity to force your marriage.

"You have enough power. Why must you marry me now that my father is dead?" You ask with fury, tears dribbling down your face.

"Don't cry, dear. Maybe I don't want to marry you for power? I promise despite our differences, I have fallen for you... your beauty is as beautiful as the sugary white snow outside our kingdom walls. I was bound to want you someday...."

Affogato expects your resistance, you have always been so stubborn around him.

You don't have much of a choice in the matter, unfortunately.

"I'll kill you for this...." He hears you whisper through tears.

The murderer only laughs again.

"You won't."

Before he leaves the room, the shaman would place a cup full of brew on the table.

"Now, drink up will you? You're so worked up...."

"I'll never accept anything from you-"

"That's unfortunate...."

Affogato has surprising strength when he wrenches your jaw open, dumping the sweet drink down youd throat before cocking your head back to swallow.

The entire experience leaves you surprised... and tired...

"You should really stop fighting me, love..." Affogato hums, placing you back on the bed in your room.

"After all... I'm your king now... and you'll learn to obey me in the end. Sweet dreams... you have a big day tomorrow, dear."

The Dark Cacao Kingdom's fate was no longer in your hands... as you drift off due to the drink shoved down your throat, you dread of what awaits next for you and your home.

[taniahylian]

Thoughts on the Revival of the Uluru games event

Alright, first of all, I'd like to start by saying that I did like the event. It was a fun little adventure, with interesting characters and complex interactions, and it actually made the laugh at some parts. Plus, it's a nice breather from all the angst of the main story. That said... I also think it's very weak on some parts and it could've been better done. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that The Theft of the Rimmet Cup (my least favorite story event) had slightly better writing than this.

(Spoilers under the line!)

The story itself has many problems, but I think the main one is the lack of a proper villain. Sure, we have Mr. Papparazi (forgot his name tbh), but his connection to the story is only with Dessert Flannel and his motivation is rather vague up until the very end of the last episode. Imo the story would've been better if we didn't have a villain at all and we instead focused on the conflict convincing the foundation to bring back the Uluru games and getting people exited for them again or something. We didn't need Mr. Papparazi and the story suffered a lot because of his existence.

Then we also have the ending... and, well... I don't dislike it? I think the message of "humans and arcanists coming together to compete, not to fight" is a nice one, and very needed in this universe. That said, I actually hate the execution. Let me explain.

So, we had Flannel telling Ezra about how Arcanists get injured more easily than humans, but because they heal fast, what they do is take an unhealthy amout of painkillers to bare with the pain until they get back to health like 15 minutes later, and they do this to be able to compete against humans in contact sports. It's even implied that Spathodea herself has likely done this as well, since she practices boxing, and it's obviously a metaphor for irl drug abuse in athletes.

Now, my problem is that the above stablishes the need for an arcanist-only sports festival, and the importance of the Uluru games... but then they say humans will be competing in the Uluru games as well! Do you see the problem?

Imo if they wanted the message to be "humans and arcanist should do sports together", then the problem with arcanists in human sports should've been different. Like, idk, arcanists having to hide their identity in order to not be disqualified from human sports, or maybe not being allowed to compete professionally because they're viewed as "too volatile" or something. But the problem they presented goes against the message of the ending of the event.

Idk, maybe I'm being a bit too harsh on it because it's a clear drop of quality compared to 1.2 and 1.3, but please let me know what you think!

[qvrcll]

hello! firstly, ur writing is heavenly. no joke. i devoured ur entire discography within seconds of finding ur page. twice. i was wondering if u could write some longer elaborations on lo’ak with particular emphasis on his love for physical touch/affection? i would love to read smth that encapsulates the essence of the relationship between him + reader. esp like the dynamic of the relationship. wether or not u think his insecurities implore him to constantly seek touch. if u think he’d pine for it or go to extremities to receive it. possibly even before an established relationship. his jealousy, possessiveness, his thirst for affirmation. any form is fine! wether u’d like to give it a story line (one shot typa thing) or just a long elaboration on the topic in itself. tbh im rlly hungry to hear ur interpretation of it. i adore ur representation(s) and how u flesh out the characters. esp lo’ak. ur mind is so pretty. n ♡

LO’AK + AFFECTION ♡ㅤ°.

synopsis: lo’ak had always chased and chased and chased. so when you finally gave, he found it difficult to catalogue the multitude of touches and stares all at once… well, not completely.

auth notes -> UM HELLO oh my god this ask is just so so so amazing + thank you so much for your interest in my works / thoughts! most of the time they’re nonsensical babble or unorganised lines of hoo haa but i’m glad people enjoy my writing :,) i hope i’ve done your req justice! + let me know if you want more, i absolutely love writing for lo’ak <3

warnings -> slight angst , gn ! na’vi + metkayina reader

characters -> loak sully

gif creds. -> ♡

lo’ak is an overachiever with just the largest slightest urge for approval and affirmation.

he’s so motivation driven to excel his golden-gift of a brother, he’s often caught in imperilment. half of the time, he doesn’t even catch his siblings at his tail, trailing after him precipitately — when did this become a group thing? he’ll think. but eventually, he’ll admonish the thought and rule it as a way to spend quality time with his siblings, away from the poundage of home.

but the sun will discolour and pulse between a mix of a ripe valencia and a pool of mauve coiling just behind the spread of colours in the sky. by the time he’s home, it’s incredibly late — jake is the first to reprimand him. harsh words. hard words. words that make him teeth his lip and fiddle with his fingers till his ears pin against the weight of his braids. in bed, he’ll ponder and turn over the words and make sense of them — i’m just a disappointment. a failure. that must be it, or else i don’t understand why i.. i’m so incapable.

this poor boy definitely misconstrues jake’s words and takes them for justification of his existence as mere fodder — often times, he’ll exclude himself from his family in attempts to find more of what’s different. that means ultimately seeking out friends, connections, approval. love. he’s a confused kid in a big world, far too thin to offer him the space and time for an explanation. the reason for his affliction.

so when his family first seek refuge from the metkayina clan, bodies swollen with days of unforgiving rain and sleepless nights of mummers, he’s a little less aware of who, what, where, when and exactly how.

so when you, the chief tonowari’s child materialises out of thin air in his eye, mouth dilated with a purposeful smile, he registers your position — right, they’re here to guide us. me.

he’ll take it a blow to the gut when his father wrenches him to one side, stabbing the futile words into him, the don’t make me look like a fool boy. be on your best behaviour.

it sullies his mood and strings him somewhere far from the marui pod, feet slack with hurt. wanting nothing more than a rest.

it’s then that there’s more of you with him — “lo’ak sully?” a thin voice branches from the foliage and thickens with purpose when his feet strike against the ground uncomfortably. he’s greeted with you — the chief’s child, golden and emitting from the leaves like a imprimatur from ewya herself: “oh… sorry, i didn’t… i didn’t know-“ he fumbles the the words in his hand, like those countless nights. the heatless nights that ring in his hand, unwarranted remindings of his ineffectuality.

and you’ll sense it, this overpowering tension rooting from every inch of his skin — “i’m not here to nag you, don’t worry. i’m here past curfew hours as well… come…” you signal to your feet.

at first, he’s confused. and then, he’s swollen with happiness that flows straight to his head: for once, he’s not shot down and schlepped home in shame. he’s noted and affirmed — it makes his heart squelch comfortably in his chest.

after that, it’s simple — he looks for you in places he shouldn’t. his family’s marui pod; he’ll unwittingly find recognition in your voice from outside the thin walls. he’s less capable in affirming himself to stake right near your toes — they’ve known me for, what, a couple of weeks. it was probably pity.

yes, that’s right. excuses are his best friend. his companion. an intimate, an option to choose through the blur of confusion.

so that’s why its exalting to him when you first praise him: it had been something with little worth. probably carrying a heavy load off your hands or supporting you when the two of you are habitually tired from training all day: “thank you, lo’ak. you’re incredibly sweet.”

booooooyyyyyy. his ears will nip and crease at his braids furiously, tail whipping around to bind loosely along your waist. you find the gesture incredibly cute — “you think so?” he teethes, eager and raw and fully lo’ak. and who are you, to deny any attempts of it? “i know so.”

other times, it’s less verbal and more strained on eye-contact / body language. to me, he values words. but actions serve a separate design.

actions spring from every nerve, every inch of skin. any bearable bone in a body. so its like a seal on your relationship when you strive to do things with sole senses: squinted, smiling eyes when he successfully holds his breath for more than five minutes. soothing, tender fingers etching circles on his back when he chokes on sea-water. on one occasion, upon his eminence at being able to breathe in water, you had kissed him on the cheek, soft, smooth, lips battered on his skin for less than a second. he’d captured the memory vividly in his brain, somewhere, still idiotically rubbing the area on his face for some revival of the same feeling.

but lo’ak also strikes me as someone who tries awfully hard to gain sympathy, love, attention… pretty much any gateway of endearment. that would include the amplitude of (but not limited to) simple pleasures: words of affirmation, yes. a MUST. he would adore the sound of sweet promulgations from his favourite person, you, when doing the most mundane of activities, i.e. successfully amassing the bond between himself and an awfully obdurate ilu. he’ll be so discoloured with pride and glee that he’ll forget he’s still straining to train and that causes his ilu to flip someways and send him hurdling downwards. still, it’s worth the press, he thinks.

but deep down, he’s blood and flesh and bones. he’s the carnality his parents created from love — he’ll often find himself letting loose in order to garner more scratches and bruises than normal. it hurts, more so, but he’ll carry enough wounds to you for him to feign indifference. he’ll dispel the thought of harassment and put it to blame on the shrubbery and roots of a tree — still, it pays off.

his smile is aching to stay secret when you wrench a woven basket racked with ointments, herbs and other remedies.

he’ll purposely wince and grovel to soften your fingers on his skin

he’s airy and thoughtless when he gazes at you methodically work his misgivings. tongue poked out and hair slightly disheveled from the day: you’ll glance at him and flush—“you’re so close, lo’ak.”

he’s instantly inching away, muttering apologies — he’s seen that he’s over-stepped. and he’s small, again. that boy, in front of his father, eyes and ears downcast at yet another reprimand. but your fingers are… interlocking with his?

“you idiot. i never said… it bothered me,” you push the words out.

it takes a minute to register, like that day he had arrived with sand in his toes and water on his back, gazing at you through the thick of shoulders and faces: “it doesn’t?”

“no, it doesn’t. should it?”

“you tell me.”

“oh, shush lo’ak.”

he’s also jealous — more than his siblings. he’ll grit his teeth more and frown more and tense more when he sees you next to other people. he’s irritated less with you and more with himself with this inconsolable feeling of abandonment. he almost feels sickly with the dwindling hours between each other, hearing your castaway laugh ringing behind him—he escapes to the forest. and you, on cue, find him. he’ll resist first, refusing to make contact. but then, he’ll notice your infelicity, your downturned ears. your low, immobile tail between your legs. and he’ll nearly burst into tears — “i… i was jealous.” together, you work through the exact moment of dissatisfaction, his feelings, this raw and red feeling that was jealousy brooding in his chest.

on cue, to soothe his aches, you’ll rest his head on your lap and curl a finger around a braid. he’s accustomed to your speed now, he’ll briefly stiffen but then melt on your skin, curling into you. he just wants to feel love through himself, not some silly demand or order. so this action hits him best — you loving him through the grime.

once in an established relationship, there’s sooooo much open room for physical touches. it’s more intimate, so you’re shy when hugging him and throwing an arm around him — he finds it cute how you resist and purposely holds you more. definitelyyy a teaser. come on, a son of jake sully? you got me twisted.

he’ll tilt your chin to face him, kiss your neck in close proximity and almost ALWAYS sit with your fingers or his on you.

he loves your voice / eyes. also loves them best, the way they curl and twinkle when you’re drilling compliments into his skull for anything short of mundane or exalting — “my yawne, you did so well”, “my sweet boy, look how well you did”, “i can’t think of anyone better.”

he’s insecure, so some days are harder than most. when he fails on a particular task or fails the skills to attempt one, he’s curling into himself. it’s not visible — it’s internal. it’s in his head, the numerous cogs working to remind himself of his hollowness, his futility. he’s non-verbal by the time you find him, tail crimped between his legs. his eyes are shining and wet, full with unshed tears. when you make your way close, he’s already surrendered himself — “why can’t i do anything right?” “i’m pathetic,” “my dad was right.”

you want nothing more than to eat that terrible feeling lurking within him, diminishing it for his happiness. but this was lo’ak. the bright smiles, eager and welcoming. this was lo’ak, the anger and frustration. this, too, was lo’ak, the grime and jealousy, the stubbornness. this and this and this. you learn to hold him upright—you’ll have lo’ak whole than halved into parts. it’s him you need, you tell him, not a warrior. him.

and he’ll cry, because it’s, too, his first. his first at learning love and compassion. of acceptance and honesty. he’ll see the reflection of him, whole and fully lo’ak, in your eyes and the delightful push of your lips against him melts with his tears.

that, too, he’ll store in his memory.

© 2022 qvrcll ! do not repost any of my works on any platform.

[terminally-outsiders-obsessed]

if your insert got hurt what would the gang do

OMG SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG FOR ME TO GET TO THIS I honestly didn’t have any motivation to actually write so here we are

anyways lemme start yapping (warning might be a bit ooc but I’m trying really hard for it not to be so it’s not intentional)

TW: mention of wounds and being jumped n such, brief mention of weed, though it’s nothing too graphic (unless you count inexperience with drugs graphic /j). stay safe yall 💕

Darry

Darry is a father figure to Casper (as he is with most of the gang), and I can imagine two different scenarios

one: Casper got jumped (probably for snagging money from the socs for weed) and Darry lightly scolds him about being more careful around the socs and tries to encourage him not to get money from them

two: Casper just does something stupid, which leads to him getting way more harsh scolding

either way, Darry still scolds him (yet while patching him up)

Sodapop

oh sodapop you sweet man

for most of these it’s just gonna be in the context of Cas getting jumped

Sodapop thinks of Casper as another brother due to how close Casper and Ponyboy are, and also the Curtis’ by default

Sodapop is very comforting and such as he patches Cas up, making sure that he doesn’t hurt him too much while disinfecting his wounds

10/10 my favorite himbo /j

Ponyboy

had to leave and brainstorm then come back but I think I got an idea

Ponyboy acts a lot like Sodapop, yet less comforting but only because he’s a little awkward

Pony definitely doesn’t leave Cas alone for a little after, mostly because he knows that Cas is a particular target of the socs

Johnny

warning Johnny and Casper are gay and they kiss but they’re both boys oooooo

Johnny nearly tweaks when Cas gets jumped lmao

he’s like Ponyboy and is a bit awkward but less so because he has gotten jumped pretty bad before too ofc

after the Curtis brothers patch Cas up, Johnny and him go back to Casper’s

Casper can smoke weed in piece as he rests his head on Johnny’s chest and yaps about what happened then they pass out

I love my gays hi gays

Dally

Dally acts like he hates Casper but they act more like brothers

Dally laughs at him for getting jumped and then very seriously asks about what the socs look like so he can beat they ahh

Let’s up on their roughhousing until he knows Casper is healed bc he’s not a monster (debatable)

Steve

steve fans I’m so sorry idk what to write for lil bro, I’ll try to do a character study or smth later so I can think of something for him cries

one of yall should help me with Steve’s character I need assistance from the professionals

will update later if I think of anything

Two-Bit

two-bit is a silly goose omg

he shows genuine concern but also jokes around and they giggle together bc Casper is practically high 25/8 and finds everything funny

them and dally are such a trio omg I could write about them for days tbh (don’t ask me to it would take ten years)

mickey mouse is on while Casper is being patched up and both of them giggle and watch

my skrunle bungus 💕💕💕💕💕 the scrimblo bimblo 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

ANYWAYS THATS IT GAMERS YAYYYYYY sorry it took so long

everyone please send me asks if you have anything you want me to yap about!!!! okay byeeeeee

tagged ppl: @gay-poet-gabriel

[rknchan]

HAPPINESS CHARGE PRETTY CURE LOVE POST

i just finished hcpc and i really enjoyed it !!!!!! its not going to be some kind of deep analysis i just gonna be silly about things i like in hcpc

THE CHARACTERS i adore each and every one of them (except for namakeruda i wanna punch him with lovely punching punch)

MEGUMI CHAAAN shes so precious to me !!!! so pure so truly lovely her desire to make everyone happy is so heartwarming megumichan always puts a smile on my face whenever shes on screen ^^

i saw people thinking shes mary sue but i cannot agree :c for me marysue is a character so perfect that theyre unbelievable (!)

and megumi IS believable to me . people like megumi do exist,,,,, and she has more serious flaws than being clumsy and bad at studying;

shes all about helping others but cares about herself little, when shes suffering her pain is hidden behind a smile to the point she can't resist her pain anymore, she worries about being weak and her help is not needed - altruistic people like megumi often experience this feelings too

also she reminds me of my fav person </3 and she motivates me to become a better person myself and believe in love and happiness,,, sorry it sounded cheesy but its true.. thank you megumi ^^

HIME HIME HIME my blorbo !!!!! at the beginning her anxiety and arkwardness, feeling of being not worthy enough to be a precure, escaping from problems felt so relatable :c and it felt so good to see her grow. the moment when she saved iona was so powerful. i wish we saw more of her family when she returned to blue sky

btw i love meguhime as friends and as a pairing theyre so pure so cute they care for each other so much awwww,w,w,,w,w,w, *holds them gently*

YUKOO precious rice bean and the most canonical lesbian of hcpc

i love her rice song its cute and catchy i often chant it ahhahaha

also i like how she always wants to keep peace, to befriend villains and give them love they lacked !!! "why keep fighting if we can eat delicious rice together" SAY THIS LOUDER QUEEN HONEY shes so based for this

i can't say much about iona maybe ??? shes a deep and realistic character and her story with cure tender makes me cry but tbh she put me off in the beginning as it was uncomfortable to watch her being harsh on hime (tho its justified)... but she grew a lot too ,,,,

i expected to dislike seiji but actually he was such a nice character and a loyal friend who actually has chemistry with megumi and role in the plot

QUEEN MIRAGE is my fav villain ever and tbh i can even relate to her

deranged traumatised emowoman ily

the story of her relationship with blue breaks my heart ... the moments when she still wants to be loved by blue but cant resist her anxious thoughts and red's manipulation... HER PURIFICATION SCENE WHEN ALL THE CURES COMFORTED MIRAGE;;;;; HER REUNION WITH BLUE;;;;;;;; sobs

the generals are so fun to watch :) dorks with goofy hats

hosshiwa remains my crush forever..... and oresky and namakeruda are just fuking silly smashing them smashing them

tho their final battle with the cures and their purification was such a deep and impressing scene

i love how brutal and creative was this season with its attacks. lovely punching punch <333 lovely beam <33 princess bullet machine gun <333 let cute girls do some violence

and their innocent form attacks are just beautiful

hcpc is often criticized for its repetitive designs and i sorta agree... but at least they were creative with international cures designs (aloha and bomber girls are my favourite, also im glad to see a cure from my country !!!! cure katyusha <3) and form changes AND FOREVER LOVELY DESIGN JUST SLAYS. SHE LOOKS LIKE A LITERAL ANGEL

also maybe theres a meaning behind the similar designs??? like, all the cures all over the world have similar costumes and it can symbolize they have a lot in common, theyre unite, they are a million-cure team .. while the phantom generals are all different, there's nothing uniting them, there's no team spirit or friendship between them

also the soundtrack is so good and catchy !!!!! i adore the opening and the rice song (and especially honey and hosshiwa's song battle) and the innocent song !!!!

i love the message of hcpc that everyone is worthy to be happy and loved, even if youre in deep despair, disappointed in life, thinking you'll never be loved and thus love is worth nothing - someone is always going to be here for you

but at the same time it points out that love can be a destructive force (red, mirage, dark seiji), that its impossible to be happy all the time, that feeling pain and hate is valid

sorry it turned out so long i hope i could share my love for happiness charge with you ,,,,,

i love you megumi i love you hime i love you yuko i love you iona i love you blue i love you red i love you mirage i love you seiji i love you masukomio i love you phantomu i love you hosshiwa i hate you namakeruda i love you oresky I LOVE YOU HAPPINESS CHARGE

[infriga]

What's interesting about House of Usher is that Flannigan usually has likeable protagonists, at least in my experience. Granted I haven't seen all of his works, but I've seen several (Bly Manor, Hill House, Midnight Mass, and I've heard summaries of others) and most of them are generally pretty sympathetic from my understanding, even the ones with more blood on their hands, so to speak.

In House of Usher however, almost none of the main characters are good or likeable people to much, if any, degree. Their spouses/partners are decent people, for the most part (dunno how the siblings landed such nice SOs despite being so nasty), and the granddaughter seems alright (I'm only on episode 5 btw so idk if anything happens regarding her or the other non-siblings, no spoilers pls), and Auguste seems like a decent person (maybe not the best family man, but he at has his heart in the right place especially compared to the Ushers), but all the siblings, and Roderick and Madeline themselves, are pretty horrible people.

But like, they're not one dimensional bad people, they're complex, they feel emotions, they care about people in their lives even if they don't tend to treat those people well, they have fears and insecurities and passions and hangups just like regular people do. So while usually I dislike when the protagonists of a show like this are unlikable, in this show it's actually quite fascinating because like I can't say I hate them either, they feel like they could be good people if they really wanted to be. Especially if they had better influences and were taught better lessons by their father and aunt. They feel human, not evil, but I'm also not rooting for them either. I don't know who to root for tbh, except maybe people like Julius, Tammy's husband, and the granddaughter, who are all side characters lol. Idk who the weird supernatural lady is (death? The devil? God? A witch? No idea) so I don't know her motivations or what kinda person she is, she seems to be collecting on some sort of debt but that's the best I've got on her. I do think it's interesting how she tried to spare Morrie from the acid by telling her to go like she did with the wait staff, but she didn't do anything to help Ali later when she was killed, so was it strategic or does this lady have some sort of code of morals? Does she care about whether people are innocent or not? Why spare the wait staff from death by acid shower but not the other party goers? Is sparing Morrie more about the potential role she'll play in Freddy's death? I guess I'll find out.

But I do think it's interesting that we start off the show knowing who's going to die already, since usually stakes in this genre come from wanting characters to survive (hence why I usually prefer likable protags in horror/suspense media), but it makes sense that since none of these people are very likable, the suspense needs to mostly come from something else on that front, such as wondering how they're going to die or which innocent people they might take with them in the process, as well as wanting to know what caused all this.

Roderick, ironically, is probably the most sympathetic member of the family aside from his granddaughter, which doesn't mean much but I mean, I wouldn't begrudge anyone going through what he witnessed in episode 5. Like gaddamn that's fucked up. He seems like someone who deep down has the potential and even the buried desire or instinct to be a good person, but was too much of a coward to put in the work it would take to be good and stay good in a harsh world when he wants so badly to be someone big and successful and important just like, well, his father. But ultimately he does obviously love his children so I do sympathize with him in that regard.

But the show is making the unlikable protagonists thing work for it, somehow. I don't like most of these people, but I am fascinated by them and what's going down and how they got here. It's like watching a car crash in slow motion.

[dipplinduo]

This isn't a headcanon but I've been working on writing my own dipplinshipping fic and I was wondering if you had any advice on characterization? I love the way you write all the characters in Sweet & Sour Dipplins, and I would love tips. :)

Aww no worries I love questions like these and feel moved that you'd ask me!

I honestly try to keep two things in mind when it comes to characterizations:

How can I honor the original characterization, and add onto it?

I don' t know if this is a controversial take in the fic writing world, but I personally don't like to heavily deviate from the way a character was originally written. I like to instead research the character, get a feel of how and why they were created in the first place, what their motives and drives are, their likes/dislikes, distinctive traits, etc., and then I like to expand upon that. I do this specifically to help immersion into the given fic; I'd want you to see the way the character becomes more multidimensional - and perhaps changed across time - in my writing, but I'd also want you to be able to look at it and go "yeah, that is kind of on brand for that character in canon" or "I could imagine canon character doing this in these circumstances".

How can I show the complexity and uniqueness of the character in their thoughts (if applicable) & actions?

This is related to the first point, and it's really about breathing the life into how your version of a character interacts with the story. When you're writing from their standpoint, make it their standpoint - even if it's not something you'd be able to personally see in their shoes, and present their logic in some way that makes sense for them personally. And don't be afraid to play with a moral gray zone that prompts the readers to form their own opinions as they get to know the plot & characters!

Some examples...

Kieran's hot-and-cold development of feelings toward Juliana and subsequent "lashing out" scenes at her and other characters. A lot of people naturally sympathize with Kieran, but at the same time, the possession caused him to act out in ways that were harsh or mean. But at the same time! We know why! But at the same time! Was it still okay given the lack of accountability?

I have had Penny, Nemona, and Arven all agree that they were concerned about Kieran & Juliana's relationship, and there's a lot of overlap in their concerns. However, the way each made sense of and expressed their concerns were in entirely specific ways to each of their characters' dispositions.

My goodness, the reactions to the most recent chapter drop (Chapter 19) has been so entertaining and fascinating to witness as the writer. Some people do not like what one character said to another in a confrontation scene. Others agreed with the character, but thought it was too much. Others were like "FINALLY, IT WAS SAID. THANK YOU CHARACTER." And like, tbh, this is just amazing to see. I love it when discussion points can be made about different aspects of a plot/character themselves, and I'd love to just sit in and listen to a back and forth conversation with people on all sides. xD It just really shows an immersion, and I think that's amazing and touching. These are just my opinions, but yeah. Hope this helps a bit! :)

[glorified-red]

Can you give some examples of show vs tell in your own fics? And do you always have to show?

I'd love to! Writing advice is one of my favorite things to do on here

Whenever it comes to show vs tell, there's always the question of how much is too much of one category, how to balance it properly, etc. When you have an excess of showing, your writing will read like poetry. When you have an excess of telling, your writing will read like scholarship. Both are useful in their own genres but the fun part is figuring out where your style lies within the spectrum.

I find my balance depends on what I aim to do with my scene. Whenever I want to set the vibe or setting, I begin with telling so my readers instantly know what to imagine, but then I dive into the details to really sharpen the image. This is seen best with You Are Loved, Damian Wayne:

Within the first line I tell: "Gotham was particularly gloomy tonight . . . A thunderstorm was brewing in the distance."

But the next paragraph I show evidence of what I just said: "Tonight the clouds were a harsh shade of coal . . . Rain pattered against the window like tiny bullets trying to chip away at the glass."

So these lines happen within the first two paragraphs very close together. The difference lies within implication. Within the "show" category, it's very obvious theres a storm happening but it doesn't explicitly say "theres a storm" like it does within the "tell" category.

I do the opposite whenever I talk about a character's headspace. I like to show evidence of everything to get the readers to speculate or draw conclusions of whats happening to then tell them the reality when the right moment hits. I find this creates tension rather than confusion.

This is also seen within You Are Loved, Damian Wayne:

Showing: "Damian was many things, vigilant was one of them. Yet, he was still as stone, even his fingers laid without so much as a twitch on top of his lap—it was unnerving . . . His katana was missing from his side, that fact alone made your heart sink . . . You had never seen him weaponless before."

So now we know something is wrong but we can't quite figure out what. It builds tension.

Showing: "There was blood soaked into his hands . . . From so close, you could see a streak of blood on his jawline, a tiny handprint that sagged downwards in a jagged line."

It doesn't explicitly say a child died, but it's painfully obvious and now we know why Damian is upset, but again, that lies within implication.

The best advice I was ever given with telling a character's motivations, emotions, actions, etc, is that you should do this through dialogue rather than exposition. It feels more natural this way and feels less "omnipotent narrator" and more like actual storytelling.

So when I tell within this scene, it's within this line: “A child lost their life today because of my own incompetence,” Damian sighed out harshly, “my own stupid mistakes left a family broken and grieving.” 

Now everything is crystal clear. We know why Damian is upset (he blames himself for a child's death) and it's done so in a way that drives the scene forward emotionally. We can now dissect his emotions and see how him and the reader interact together within this tense moment.

So how you utilize both is what will determine your tone and your style. Again, they're both useful! Especially when paired together in intentional ways. For creative writing, I usually try to reserve telling for establishing setting intially and dialogue. Most writers and movie scriptwriters will do this a lot with driving plot forward through dialogue.

Just experiment, I know I sound like a broken record, but tbh, it's all about experimentation. I didn't get good at the concept of showing until I wrote Nightmare and my entire goal was to just dive into imagery.

Best advice? Write out a scene where you can't say where you are. If your character is at the beach, don't just say that. Talk about the sounds of the waves crashing against the shore, the sand in the shoes, the sun hot against the shoulders. That'll get your brain to start getting used to showing.

[pffbts]

a goodbye letter.

hello everyone, it's been a long time, isn't it?

i haven't written anything in months and tbh even if i wanted to further give life to all my wips, i wish i had even a drop of motivation and energy to do so. some of you might have as well forgotten about my little blog, which had its own humble beginnings. and tbh i don't mind at all. it's been, i don't know almost 5+ years that i've had this blog. i started it out during the last two years of my high school, when i was struggling very much to cope with all the pressure and anxiety. this little corner of the internet became my comfort space. i could pour my heart out into snippets of letters and the love that i received from all of you who were there from the beginning only fueled my passion to write more and of course, helped me immensely in escaping the cruelty of my reality.

since then, i have graduated school. my reality is still harsh but i'm surviving. i have also graduated from my college with two degrees that i was doing simultaneously. currently, i'm preparing to sit down for my master's 1st-year exam coming months and job surfing at the same time. tbh i wish i had enough energy and positivity to motivate myself to pen down something. but it seems like we have to finally pull the curtains down on this blog.

yes, there is a lot of stuff that's still pending to be completed as you will know if you care to check my masterlist. but i'm not going to give you any false hope by saying that someday i will magically come back and finish and place them all in front of you. it would be too selfish of me to keep you on your toes like that.

i know i've let down a lot of you. many have told me me how much, especially my letters have helped you guys during hard times. even though i know i shouldn't even bother to think like this considering i know none of you in-person. still, it's the crippling humanity in me. honestly, i feel sad for myself. my life took so many things away from me. even the capacity to keep this comfort space alive for myself. some of you have left a long time ago. probably life has happened to you all too. i have also met some of you during the latter part of my journey here and i'm very glad that you all loved my work even with all my incompetency in keeping up with the schedules. you guys were too kind to me.

this actually came too suddenly - this realization that something needs to end. i don't think there will come any other time in the future when i'll read fanfics or write them myself. but it's a bit too much to delete the whole blog considering the reblogs will still exist in the tumblr algorithm. therefore, the letters will still be up along with the fics.

although i don't think i will stop writing. i have my substack where i will experiment with my creative writing but that's just my way of growing up as a writer. these days i'm too busy both in my head and physically, i wish i can overcome becoming a moss. my produce is sparse but my want is bigger than that. although for fanfics, there's no want anymore. i've had my fill and i'm sad to say, this is where we part.

pffbts is thus archived. all my posts will remain. if you send in any mundane sweet ask, i will answer them as soon as possible. kindly please don't send in any requests for fics (i've had to delete a couple of them from my ask box and it felt terrible.) i'm not completely going away. as a person, i will stay. it's just the fanfic writing part of me that will take a permanent leave. i'm almost 24 and it's been almost 10 years that i've started out in creating fanfics. i think it's enough, nah? plus writing this post for you all has strangely made me feel calm, as a certain baggage has been let down from my shoulders.

thank you to you all from the past & the present. i hope you all stay well and healthy. it has been truly a good time to have you all with me.

-K.

[zairene]

I have to agree w lunaa bc if there is ever an opp in my fics that’s an actual character, it’s uraraka!

Tbh it’s mainly bc it’s easy to do so in fics since it’d make sense (like her hating bakugo bc he got beef w izuku). But the reason I don’t like her ACTUAL character is just bc she be a tad over the top w her crush. Like ik she’s a shonen love interest so that’s supposed to be the entire point of that character but all she do is talk about him like everytime she’s on screen😭 I like her outside of that tho ngl she just needs more character development outside of the few little arcs she’s had (ex sports festival)

see this is what actually kills me too

because i love love uraraka, i really do. i stood up for her all the time when tiktok ran a whole hate train on her in like 2020 because she “got in the way” of like tododeku and bakudeku or todobakudeku or todobakukamikirideku type shit. i stood up for her when people decided they wanted to make classist jokes toward her like most of us ain’t struggling with money issues too! it was like so crazy and i feel that’s why i like her so much. just such an overhated character.

HOWEVER, i can also understand that she’s a bit….. underdeveloped. most of her screentime only involves her interacting and helping deku on his hero journey or mina (+ some other member in the class but mostly mina) teasing her about her crush. it’s not even the fact she has a crush on deku, but it’s just the fact they only make it seem like she’s only important for that even though they really could’ve built on her story line about wanting to help people (because she states that’s her drive to becoming a hero) and also helping her parents out.

but tbh i also think her being an opp may be a little OOC too because i cannot see uraraka talking down on bakugou at all😭 she’s literally the nicest girl ever and the relationship between her and bakugou is just mutual respect. ngl she might feel a type of way about bakugou because of his constant insulting of midoriya (well more like harsh encouragement) and not like the way he is but like everyone is a little weirded out about how bakugou treats midoriya so yeah. but yk it may be ooc tho but she has motive and it’s the most reasonable how people would characterize her that way in fics.

holy shit i didn’t mean for my response to be this long but long story short i love ochako and i agree with you tho !

[mrburnsnuclearpussy]

Long post ahead sorry!

I’m rewatching season 3, nearly finished (on the cricket ep), and omg Carson’s part in the whole Barrow situation is literally an entirely different story from the one ppl online would have you believe 🙄 like I already knew some ppl were biased against Carson but damn, based on the way ppl talk about it I had a totally incorrect memory of what happened. I thought it was so much worse that it even was. Carson had his conservative homophobic Victorian beliefs (just like all his beliefs tbh, although not the point I know), but it never made him unkind in his actions towards Thomas apart from his harsh speech about it and that’s LITERALLY it. Because when it came to it, he did what he could to protect Thomas. He pitied Thomas rather than blamed him, even defended Thomas to Jimmy, was so disgusted by Jimmy’s threat to tell the police and did the only thing he could do in that situation to prevent Thomas from going to JAIL, which was largely for Thomas’s sake and not just the families’, (like even if it wouldn’t reflect on the family either way, it’s still clear that Carson would never want Thomas to go to prison and done what he could to prevent it, he was treating him fairly (Thomas was leaving anyway and his plan was good) with a good reference until Jimmy threatened to turn Thomas in)

And let me make this crystal clear that I’m not saying Carson is great about it either! Just that he’s no where NEAR the awful bully that this fandom would have you believe.

And yet ppl write fanfiction and posts where Carson is this big antagonist in Thomas’s life (not, yknow, the actual antagonist: O’Brien) and that he ‘has it out’ for Thomas (he literally doesn’t, like show me where? At the very WORST moments, he simply is done with Thomas and wants him out his hair, which is, hello, exactly what almost every other character who knew Thomas has also been like at at least some point! But I don’t see ppl anyone else in this way. It’s only Carson, for SOME reason?!)

There’s a complete misunderstanding of Carson’s character in these interpretations, Carson never ‘has it out’ for anyone, it’s just not his personality, totally OOC. He is such a straightforward character: he is entirely dedicated to the Crawley family, their well-being and their house, and almost all his motivation for anything he does is out of a sense of duty or principle. That’s it, that’s like the whole character, it’s a pretty simple character, and yet ppl manage to misinterpret that so badly they’ll have him specifically out to hurt Thomas because they need someone to serve that role in the Thomas content (and I’m not complaining about that sort of content at all like same I do that too! I just wish it wasn’t Carson specifically that always gets made into the antagonist role for Thomas, it just seems so unfair to me, and upsets me because Carson is my fave if you hadn’t guessed yet lol)

Anyway rant over! Sorry for the rambling I just need to scream abt this

[wolfstrong]

BUFFY SEASON 4 THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS

Okay I’ll start out by saying I LIKED IT. I ENJOYED MY TIME HERE OKAY. it’s BTVS. I FREAKING LOVE THIS SHOW!!!! However, I think my complaints are simular to what I had to say about last season, where the one off episodes were great but the over arching plot was a little UHHHHH. UHHH so let’s just go in chronological order shall we?

This season started off with BANGERS MAN. BANGERS. There was some episodes I kinda didn’t like early on (harsh light of day… too much sex!) but other then that, I’d say we had 10 episodes of straight BANGERS! Like seriously early season 4 was also some of the funniest BTVS I’ve ever seen? They really really hit their stride with comedy having the humor come from the situation and not the lame jokes. See now the show knows that we know it’s character well, and it knows exactly what kind of situation will subvert our expectations and be very hilarious. The “””bad parts”” of this season was about half way through when it really started to get into the main plot. When the Initiatives was first introduced I was actually kinda getting into it because I thought there was gonna be this whole thing where Riley and Buffy had to hide their identities from each other and also maybe Buffy wouldn’t know the Initiatives motives and they maybe thought she was a demon of some kind so they would be fighting without realizing they were on the same side and Buffy and Riley would date without knowing they were each others enemies. But they did this for like one episode. And then we learned everything about the Initiative instantly and they weren’t even cool at all they were just like a big gang of boot boys. Also I kinda liked Maggie Walsh as the main enemy person and it REALLY threw me off when Adam just killed her unceremoniously ??? After all her build up? And then Adam just kinda replaced her and he was the main villain?????? Did Maggie Walsh’s actor want to leave the show or something? I felt weird vibes from that sudden death and tbh the main plot never recovered. Anyway for that short period Faith was back that was really awesome, and I also liked a couple more episode in the later half but eh. Then the ending felt kind of lack luster just cuz I didn’t really care about Adam and never felt like he was that big of a threat for some reason (idk, giant franking stien monster who acts like evil jesus just isn’t really scary to me) so when he died and the collective went away I was like. Yeah okay whatever. Also Buffy going super saiyan by combining with all her friends to defeat the big bad was so cheesy that it was kinda awesome. And to end everything off weird dream sequence episode where we were I guess supposed to use our Freudian-like psychoanalyzation skills to deduce each of the characters insecurities, flaws and strengths. Anyway, at least at the end of the season, they kind of acknowledge the way that the gang had been drifting apart.

It was hard because they were intentionally putting strain on the Scoobies and that was also a big theme of the season. Like thinking back on earlier episodes, I remember Xander would just like show up on campus to eat lunch with everyone or it would cut to everyone chilling in his basement or AT LEAST Willow and Buffy having roomie vibes. But towards the end they never did any of that stuff :( one of the main issues I think is they didn’t have a centralized hang out spot. I really really miss the library, i know that Giles house was kinda a replacement and they spent a lot of time there, but it’s not the same. The library was like a neutral space where they could do demon hunting work but also just hang out in. They only go over to Giles place when there is something bad going on. Also everyone had their respect romantic partners that drove wedges between them, if unintentionally. Anya was a pretty bad offender of this, but I think Riley was the worstest. He didn’t mesh well with the whole group at all, and Buffy spent WAY too much time with him. Even Angel meshed better with the rest of the group!!! ANGEL! I think the thing is you got the sense that Angel cared about Buffy’s friends, at least because he understood they were important to her. He say that and he say them work as a team and he integrated accordingly and helped as he could. I’d be surprised if Riley even knew Xanders last name, or like even his first name for that matter. I feel like he barely gave a shat about the external forces in her life, he was just obsessed with her only and his stupid job. They put on blinders for each other and for a lot of scenes it was just the Riley and Buffy saga and I DID NOT CARE FOR IT!

So in conclusion I think on an episode to episode basis this season was very solid and had some episodes that were the funniest I’ve seen in the whole series. The first half was way better then the second half, and the overarching plot was pretty sloppy, all over the place and a bit boring and lackluster. I didn’t like how the Scoobies drifted apart and I hope that next season is a return to form in terms of group dynamic.

Anyway, my fav episodes:

Hush: number one all time fav of course of course, just like, so good on every level and I could go on and on but I’ll take a page from the episode book and not say more about it

Living conditions: I had assigned dorm mates when I was a freshman who I didn’t exactly mesh with, so this episode just felt so so real.

The Initiative: see this is when I thought the overarching plot was gonna be really good,,, but tbh it peak here. This episode was just kinda a riot and I think often about the scene where Spike tried to but Willow but he can’t cuz of the chip and they treat it like he’s got erectile dysfunction. It’s just too good.

Pangs: I KNOW. ITS BAD. BUFFY HAS TO MURDER NATIVE AMERICAN SPIRITS ON THANKSGIVING. BUT THE EPISODE IS LOWKEY SO SELF AWARE AND ITS SO BAD ITS NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT BUT ITS REALLY FUNNY

Something Blue: … Buffy and Spike in love… I laughed I’m sorry. Also just a good Willow episode me thinks

A New man: Ethan shenanigans and major Giles demon fail… LOL UPVOTE!

Who are you: I know this was a two parter but I thought the first part was kinda boring (sorry I know that episode has a lot of stans) anyway I thought the whole body swap thing was a great way to explore faiths character, literally putting her in Buffy’s shoes and making her see what it’s like to be the good girl. Also Sara Michelle Geller did a wonderful job acting as faith in Buffy’s body, not all actors can pull off the body swap thing (I should know, I’m a Star Trek fan) so I was very impressed.

New Moon Rising: you had me at Tara/Willow. Yeah

Lest favorite episodes: eh none of them really jump out at BAD some just weren’t as exciting as others. Just like any Initiative and Riley heavy episodes were kinda a snooze fest.

I won’t recap the character I’ve already talked about, but the Scoobies really did change a lot this season, I won’t say for better or for worse. They just changed in ways that are realistic to their new situations.

Anya: I know this doesn’t make any sense, but I don’t hate Anya, I just hate everything about her. Lol. No but for real like i said before, when she’s not talking about Xander I actually kinda like her. I think the very dry and blunt but completely uncaring about social cues thing can be very funny. BUT THEY DONT LET HER DO ANYTHING BUT BE XANDERS LAP DOG. All she does is talk about Xander Xander Xander and it makes both of their characters much much worse. I wish they would have switched the roles and had Xander really like her for some reason and her kinda not care much about him. Idk. Sigh. I wish Xander was gay

Tara: I LOVE YOU TARAAA!!!!!! I know i already said this but she reminds me of so many girls I went to school with so to me her presence is just so warm and comfy :) her and Willow are very sweet together and by the end of the season their relationship kinda became what I was most invested in

Spike: I’m pretty sure I haven’t wrote about spike in previous season reviews? But anyway I kinda love what they did with spike in this season, I mean really how can you not. He was just kinda their weird pathetic friend who actually wasn’t their friend and was still evil but everyone forgot cuz it was so hard to take him seriously. The writers wanted him to be a main character but also kinda didn’t know what to do with him every episode, so sometimes it would just be like “yo why’s spike the bus driver?” But tbh I kinda didn’t mind. His wet stray dog presence really added something and was always funny when you remember he was the big bad of season 2. Oh how the great have fallen.

Riley: yeah yeah our white bread red blooded boot boy all American nice guy. Completely doesn’t mesh with the vibe of the show and is way too boring. He’s so an Angel rebound, I’m sorry. Like I just KNOW that’s not Buffy’s type. It’s just not. But I already talked a lot about him so whatever.

Okay and those are my thoughts 😁 I’m not rereading all that rn so typos damned! Looking forward to season 5!



[fandomnia0]

day 17/70 (1 semester)

hi everyone!!!

i think i feel better now. today was a good day as i didn't have any extra classes, so i managed to walk around the Moscow for some time before going back home.

i feel rested and like my motivation and inspiration finally got back to me. okay, and now i want to talk about my plans:

project: i need to do the first chapter in four days. i will devide the work, of course.

history: i have to prepare for the group discussion too, but this won't be as limg and hard as project task.

IT-technologies: i need to learn the lecture. and what's more, i need to look through the books my professor advised me.

chinese: i need to prepare for a quiz.

literature: this is the problem because i don't know what was exactly on the last lecture. i have to find someone who was actually doing something on the lecture and ask them about everything including the homework.

russian: one damned exercise remains.

english: i have some home tasks and then i'd like to learn some things by myself using student's book of the higher level.

programming: i need to get over this stupid second chapter of the book about C# or i won't be able to finish it ever.

social science: learn the lecture (tbh quite easy).

math: not necessary for me but i think of doing some exercises on the topic we're currently studying.

i will try to take things slow and not be too harsh on myself for some time because i need to save up some nerves for the winter season. as you see i have a lot of things i want and need to do, so let's see what can i do.