#soooo fascinated by what going through this would /do/ to a person

[angelinthefire]

There is a “would Dean kill Cas to save Sam” poll going round I think you’d find interesting and which compelled me to unleash thoughts at you. I often wonder why fandom (both hellers and bronlies) ignores the fascinating examples in canon where Dean’s “Sam before anything else” ideology is threatened by Castiel. the BEST example of this is when Cas premeditatedly and with full agency breaks Sam’s wall as collateral damage — and Dean forgives him in the blink of an eye! If that were anyone else who’d done that to Sam they would be a dead man. Yes Dean was mad about it, yet the next season (BEFORE Cas redeems himself by taking on Sam’s hell trauma) Dean literally tells Cas “you were doing the best you could” (girl…).

Other key examples: Dean staying in Purgatory for an additional year to find Cas (rather than prioritising going back to find Sam, and this is after Cas broke Sam’s brain mind you); deciding to basically kill himself in s13 after Cas has died (despite Sam being alive and well); telling Chuck he’s wiling to kill Sam if it’ll bring Cas back. If the Bronly tenet that all Dean needs to be happy is Sam then hell, why does Dean beg Sam to let him die in the series finale.

I will note that Dean kicking Cas out of the bunker in s9 is thrown around constantly but there was literally a gun to Sam’s head at that point. Dean was tormented about it and still snuck off to see Cas although it may have been unwise in that situation.

Also interesting to note that Sam isn’t the only one; Castiel has also served as a threat to Dean’s other representations of family. in s6 Cas ~betrays Dean by colluding with Crowley, who kidnaps Lisa and Ben, which eventually leads to Dean deciding to memory wipe Lisa. In s14 Dean literally *blames Cas in part for Mary’s death*! And yet still forgives him?? (As s13 showed, Dean can live better without Mary than he can without Cas.) This is really intriguing/toxic element of Destiel that is hardly explored in fandom, which is that Dean associates Cas with danger to the rest of his family/his role as protector of his family and therefore his relationship with him is a weakness that he will regret. Add to the fact that Cas has proven time and again to not be a safe/reliable object of affection (see above examples, and also repeatedly leaving/dying) and it’s very plain why Dean would have reason to fear/suppress/compartmentalise romantic feelings between them — because they would be an even greater source of pain.

Curious to get your thoughts on this!!

Thank you for the message!

Regarding the first point: I think there's a fairly typical thing going on of fan simplifying characters and their motivations. Does Dean love and care about Sam? Yes. Was Dean's duty to Sam something that was drilled into him as something that he had no choice over? And something that was reinforced through their forced isolation from the rest of society? Also yes. So what happens when Dean has someone that he has grown to love on his own terms? And who he never has to worry about alienating, someone who could actually be part of his life? Something very interesting!

I looooove the s6/7 example so much, because Dean really isn't ever angry at Cas for hurting Sam, he's angry at Cas for not listening to him. And even then, not really - his anger at Cas in 7x01 is much more something that Dean is using as a sheild, something to cover his own hurt, than anything else. And then the second it looks like Cas is going to turn around and come back to him, all that anger evaporates.

s8 was soooo vindicating as well when it aired, because all summer the bronlies were like, "Dean's motivation in Purgatory will be that he's trying to get back to Sam!" And then it WASN'T. This is another thing too, that bronlies will try to make it out like Sam is the only one that Dean will go to extreme lengths for, that Dean isn't a *generally* nurturing type of person who *wants* a bigger family and to not be so socially isolated. But throughout the entire show, Dean is constantly drawing people around himself. And we do see how Dean is willing to go to great lengths for Cas. Of course, a lot of the time, Dean is convinced that he's powerless to do anything when it comes to saving Cas, but Purgatory was one time when he wasn't, and we see what happens.

(And the thing is I do get where the bronlies are coming from in their understanding of the show, in an abstract sense. Like objectively, if someone were to tell me that there's a story about two brothers, that only have eachother against the world, and they have a super-intense relationship, and all they care about is each other and fighting monsters, and there's a dark, gothic vibe to it, I could see why someone would be into that. Like it's not my jam, but abstractly, I see it. But the thing is, that reading of the show does not hold up to contact with canon - and none of them want to admit that.)

The series finale is so weird when you think about it. Because bronlies hold it up as a win. But it is Dean taken down to a place where all he has is Sam and hunting, and then deciding that he has nothing to live for.

s9 was just a mess. Kicking Cas out of the bunker was so contrived. And then what everyone forgets is how incredibly happy and jazzed Dean was when he thought Cas was going to be living with them. The thing I'm most bitter about is that they couldn't have given us at least one episode of Dean and Cas being absolutely goofy happy around each other before constructing a situation to get Cas out of the picture.

Your last paragraph is interesting, and something to think about. The way I see it, is that Cas has entered a special tier of relationships with Dean, where Dean will hold on to him no matter what. I don't think Lisa and Ben are a good example for your point, actually, because I think Dean blames himself for what happened to them more than anyone else, which is reflected in his final interaction with them when he says he hit them with his car and is happy they can go on with their lives (or something of that nature, I forget).

Mary's death is interesting though. The only thing comparable to something like that happening before is when Dean blames Sam for Charlie's death (and what Dean says to Sam - "I think it should be you on that pyre instead of her" - is actually way more harsh than what Dean says to Cas). But Dean does forgive Sam, and he does forgive Cas - again, they're on a special tier, where Dean values them no matter what. And you see that throughout the divorce arc, where Dean keeps checking in on Cas and showing concern for him, in spite of how he feels at the moment - like he knows througout that the rift him and Cas are going through isn't going to last forever.

I think all of Dean's closest relationships are toxic, just as a result of the way he was raised and the kind of life he leads. With Sam, John, Mary, Jack, and Cas. The relationships that aren't toxic are the ones where they aren't physically around each other that much (like Charlie), or with Bobby, who has the level of experience to not get caught up in bullshit. With all of them, the death toll doesn't really matter (like Mary endangered Cas too, and Dean forgave her). Dean just tends to not let go of the people around him.

I think a big barrier for Dean and Cas is actually neither of them having any kind of reference model for what they are to one another. All of Dean's romantic relationships have been filled with secrets, and the knowledge that his partner cannot share his life with him. Dean calls Cas his "brother" in s6 and s11, because to him, that's the closest you can be to someone. That changes to "best friend", which is better, because it doesn't have the same connotation of obligation and responsibility - your best friend is someone you actually like being around. And it's a title that is uniquely Castiel's.

And in general he has trouble categorizing Castiel. Like he keeps trying to put Cas in human boxes that he doesn't actually fit within. He repeatedly indicates that he thinks of Cas as just a guy, and then Cas acts in ways that defy that category.

So yeah, I guess I don't really think that Dean sees Cas as unsafe. It's more that Dean just isn't thinking of romantic relationships as a possibility for himself. And he doesn't quite know how to categorize what he and Cas are to each other (and the fact that Cas is a dude may or may not play into that, depending on how much you think Dean grapples with internalized homophobia). And they're both generally fucked up.

It's an interesting idea, though, that Dean sees Cas as a danger, that I'd be interested in seeing explored more in posts or fic.

[functional-left-kidney]

you might be dying. that is to say, you've already died - seven times now, or was it eight? five? ten? you're losing track.

your hands haven't stopped shaking ever since you came back the first time, heart pounding itself out of your chest as you grabbed at your throat, choking on air, choking on life. your nails left red marks on your skin as the man in the elevator with you watched, curious, horribly calm.

how is he so calm?

if he screamed, cried, paced, you could at least find some companionship, some solidarity. as it is, though, he's absolutely useless. he watches you step into the wet cavernous mouth and he does nothing. he watches your body tear itself in half and he does nothing. no compassion, no attempt to help. he makes you do everything. he makes you do everything. maybe he wants to stay in this elevator forever.

oh, he's so stupid. you feel like slapping him across the face every time you look at him.

you look at him now. he grins, his teeth white and sparkling.

you swallow down the acrid bile that seeps across your tongue, and stare down at the floor.

can't you still see his blood? red, hot, sticky, soaking into the carpet. it looked like when you rip into a pomegranate, the insides staining your hands, the flesh spilling all over the countertop. it felt like that, too. as easy as tearing into a pomegranate.

you can still feel his body beneath you, his heartbeat slowing under your hands.

you shudder.

“what's the matter? cold?” he laughs. “believe me, you wouldn't want to be here when the air conditioning goes out. if you’d endured that stuffy nightmare of a week, i don't think you'd ever -”

you're not listening. you can't listen, anymore. your ears are ringing, your heartbeat still thudding through your head. was it thirty seconds ago? five minutes? an hour? you drove those scissors into his neck and you killed him. you can't recognize that version of yourself. that person was a wild animal, feral, unthinking.

was it you? was it really you who killed him?

maybe you've been coming back wrong. maybe you're not you anymore. how many times can someone die before it starts to mess with them? the man's face looks blurry. you're getting tired. your hands hurt. your hands feel dirty. you glance down, half-expecting to still see them red with his blood. they're clean, of course. no trace remains of what happened.

how many times has he died? you can't remember. does it matter? maybe you'll kill him again. maybe he'll kill you. how many times do you have to die? won't you ever just stay dead? maybe it would be a mercy, at this point.

no, no, you can't let yourself think like that. it will be okay. you will figure this out. he will not help you, but it will be okay. you've come this far on your own. you can do it. you can crack open the mystery of this elevator and free yourself. you have to. you have to.

he's stopped talking. he's looking at you, now, quiet and firm.

he's waiting to see what you do next, you realize.

(so are you.)

[inkdrinkerworld]

Hiii i just saw your post prision Spencer post with sunshine reader and im soooo in love with it (and in love with him too tbh) could you please do a pt2? Have a nice day💕

spencer and sunshine!reader have set routines on office days and spencer likes flirting pt 1 of their story 🤭

“Spencer Reid, prepare to have your mind blown!” You announce as you walk into the bullpen, your Mary Janes clacking against the tiles. You’re in a skirt today, Spencer supposes it’s because it’s a designated office day- there’s only three a month, but every time there is one, you come in an outfit Spencer would never even dream of. 

Today you’re channelling your inner Elle Woods. He knows about her from Resse Witherspoon, but also from your innate love of the film and the fact that you forced him to watch it on the jet once. 

You’re wearing a pretty black skirt, a grey top and a baby pink blazer that matches the pink socks you’re wearing and your eyeshadow that he just about makes out behind your glasses. 

“With what?” He’s on his way back from the kitchen, your prized orca mug in one hand and his mug in the other.

This is your new routine; you and Spencer have coffee in the morning while you both work through your crosswords and then get started on filing away reports for the many serial killers you’ve either interviewed with Tara or put away with the team. It’s fun, and it’s always something to look forward to, especially on designated office days. 

These specific mornings, you have time for a game you’ve fondly named, ‘Making Spencer Try International Desserts.’

Spencer can smell your perfume, you smell like you always do- orange blossom, coffee and lavender. It’s intoxicating, the way the scent just floats into him with every move you make. 

“The season calls for it, so  I got pavlova. It’s a New Zealand dessert and I got it with raspberries, strawberries and a passion fruit syrup situation to go on top.” 

Spencer knows the informational side to everything in the world but he’s never tried some of it out, as you’d learnt on a night out for drinks, so you’d started the game as a way to help him get real world knowledge of fun things- the operative word being up for debate but he hadn’t objected yet. 

He clears his desk, making space for the two little boxes you have in your hand. “They’re a little sweet for breakfast, but you only live once.” You open up the boxes and Spencer is shocked to see the mini pavlovas and the fruit sitting beside it in a clear container. 

“Do you like these?” He asks, handing over your coffee to you and pulling his box towards him. 

“I do, but they’re more of a picnic food to share in my opinion. Like you need to be having a bar-b-que or a garden party to have the full effect of these.” Spencer isn’t surprised by your enthusiasm for the dessert- your little stories about every one you’ve shared with him is enthusiastic for how and when to eat them. 

You sneak into the kitchen and return with two spoons. “Okay, try to get a bit of everything on your spoon.” 

Spencer does as you say, a bit of the berries, the passion fruit and the shell of the pavlova on his spoon as he takes his first bite. You sit in anticipation, watching him chew and swallow like it’s the most fascinating thing a person could do. 

You try not to focus on the way his Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows or the way his tongue pokes out to lick away some of the meringue at the corner of his mouth. Spencer catches the way your eyes widen at the action and suppresses a smile. 

“What do you think?” You busy yourself with setting up your own perfect bite, willing your body not to give away any of your fluster at being caught looking at him. 

“It was really nice, I like the different textures.” Spencer compliments, watching you take your own bite and letting himself smile when some of the passion fruit syrup and meringue stain your bottom lip. 

Without really thinking, his thumb comes to your face, wiping away the stain easily. Your breath hitches and Spencer feels it, his smile widening even more. There’s a moment where you both just stare at each other, your breathing filling the silence- you’re fighting the urge to lean in and kiss Spencer and he’s fighting the urge to lick his thumb. 

“You only pretend to be this coy man, don’t you Doctor Reid?” you ask finally, leaning back in the chair you’re in and crossing your legs. Spencer’s sure his brain short circuits for a moment, your thighs have been a source of his torture for months now, especially when you wear skirts and dresses. 

“You know you only call me ‘Doctor Reid’ when you’re flustered?” he tries changing the subject, leaning forward a bit to get a little closer to you. 

“You have a knack for topic evasion, Spencer.” he laughs, a soft, sweet sound and he shakes his head. 

“I have a knack for you,” you can feel your heart pounding in your ears, more so when Spencer’s fingers wrap around the arm of your chair and pull you closer to his desk. “Where’s your crossword?”

[spencereid-reads]

the whole world | s. reid

wc: 3.4k words // warnings: english isn't my first language! soooo much fluuuuuffinessss, swear words maybe? NOT proofread as you can see., a kid, spencer being cute, aaah idk what else, i think this sucks but it's mother's day today where i live and for some reason i couldn't stop thinking about dad!spence so this was born. (ha, that was unintentional)

dad!spence x mom!fem!reader

you’re not really sure what wakes you up.

if it’s the change of temperature in the bed, a sign that spencer had recently gotten up and started his day. or if it’s the small, soft footsteps running around the house.

you know it’s taking everything in your little hazel not to spoil the mother’s day surprise she’s been working on at school. one of the many features she and her father share is their fascination to talk and talk about anything and everything, and more often than not, you are the person they tell everything to. so your daughter had been in a bit of a predicament since you first picked her up from school on a monday afternoon.

“had fun today, haze?” you asked, buckling her into her seat in the back of your car.

“yeah,” she nodded, kicking her legs in the air.

“what did you do?” it was the same routine every day, and she was ready to begin telling you all about the new special project they started working on when suddenly she heard her teacher’s voice in her head.

‘it’s a surprise for mommy! you all have to try and keep it a secret!’

“can’t say.”

“what?” you asked, leaning back a little, letting her bag drop below her feet.

“miss tate said we can only tell daddy! mommy can’t know until it's mommy day.” she explained.

“ohhh, you’re working on something for mother’s day, lovey?” you smiled as you caressed her cheek, cupping her face with your hand, she leaned into it instinctively.

“...maybe.” she grinned at you.

“okay, honey. you know you can tell me if you want to talk about it, okay? i know you must be so excited, and i promise you i’m not going to be mad, i’m going to love it no matter what it is, got it?” you pressed a few kisses all over her face, your heart melting at the sound of her giggles. “or you can tell daddy when he comes home, he’s good at keeping secrets, you know?”

“yeah! i tell daddy”

and every day leading up to mother’s day, she tried to skip the subject about what she did at school, and as much as you loved that panicked expression on her face, the way her hazel eyes widened and cheeks blushed you decided not to torture her anymore.

she’s so easy to read. just like her father.

her perfect, loving father. who told you to take a day all to yourself that friday leading up to mother’s day, it was also the day when the kids were sent home with the project, so it would also give spence and hazel the chance to hide it and perfect it.

while you enjoyed a day at a spa, filled with massages and pampering, your little loves were at the mall looking for a gift.

“what would you like to give her, haze?” spence asked, looking at his daughter through the rearview mirror. “what do you think mommy would like?”

“well, green is her favorite color. so, green?”

“something green, that sounds nice,” he nodded, his chest nearly trembling as he stole glances at his daughter. five years in and he still found it hard to believe he had a daughter. a child. a perfect, beautiful, smart and kind daughter. who looked so much like him and so much like you at the same time. “i heard her tell auntie em she needed a new handbag.” he suggested,

“we can buy her a green handbag!”

“i think that’s an excellent idea, hazey.” spencer smiled, holding the steering wheel with one hand, the other stretched out towards his child. “high-five,” he said, and felt her tiny hand smack against his, “good girl,” he smiled proudly.

since hazel was still in your womb, you knew she’d be a tall girl. i mean, look at her dad! but at five years old, whilst hazel is tall compared to children her age, she looks tiny when standing next to spencer. her head reached just below his waist, and her arm hurt whenever she walking alongside him because spencer pulled her little hand up to meet his, but she had to stretch so far up and it was just the sweetest sight in the world.

it’s late when you got home that night, thirty minutes past hazel’s bedtime, yet the moment you stepped in you heard the sounds of her favorite cartoon coming from the tv.

blossom instructs her two sisters in a plan to defeat that day’s monster, and you expected to find your own little powerpuff girl running around the living room, but other than the tv, the rest of the house was silent. you kicked off your shoes, walking to the coffee table to turn the tv off when you saw them.

spencer with his back on the couch, somehow his legs bent but still managed to stay upright, and your daughter resting against his chest, his arms around her, keeping her close and safe.

and you took a second or two to soak in the view. spencer’s head was to the side, and hazel was pressed so far into his neck that it’s hard to point out where his curls end and hers begin.

you walked to them, your hand reaching to play with hazel’s hair as you leaned to press a kiss to spencer’s forehead. it’s scary how quickly they capture your undivided attention, just the sight of either of them was enough to make you drop whatever it was you were doing.

“hey,” spencer’s voice was groggy, sleep evident in it and in the way he struggled to peel his eyes open, like his eyelids were begging to stay shut.

“it’s okay, go back to sleep. i’ll take her,” you said, but felt a light tug on your wrist.

“c’mere,” he mumbled, scooting to the back of the couch and making space for you. you gave in, squeezing your way in and adjusting hazel on top of you so you don’t choke with her hair against your mouth. “had fun?” you felt spencer’s hand on your waist, his thumb rubbing circles on your skin, sneaking under your shirt.

“yeah. thank you, needed it,” you don’t know if it’s the busy day you had, or just the sight of your two loves sleeping that made you feel tired, too. you covered a yawn with the back of your hand. “you?”

“mhm,” he hummed in agreement, “hazey couldn’t decide on one thing. said you’d loved so many things. got you everything.”

“spence-” you scolded lightly.

“i know. but you should’ve seen her. too cute. too much like you.”

“like you, you mean.”

“hmm,” he opened one eye, pulling you closer, being careful with your girl on top of you. “like us. she’s got the best of us.”

and she does.

she’s funny and smart like spencer, kind and caring like you.

you don’t know where the sassiness came from, though.

(kidding, it’s all spencer, he wouldn't admit it)

“daddy, can i put a candle?” hazel asks, she’s done with placing the grapes into a bowl and looking for something else to add to your ‘mother’s day pavaganza’, a phrase she’d picked up from hearing auntie penny ask about your spa day, and had repeated to her spencer, who didn't have the heart to correct her when she sounded so adorable.

“i just know those little geniuses have a big mother’s day extravaganza planned for you,” she’d said, just as hazel entered the kitchen.

“on the pancakes?” spencer asks, she nods. “sure,”

the drawer slams a little louder than she’d intended, her mouth forming a perfect ‘o’ as her eyes widen in shock.

“sorry, daddy!” she runs to him, one hand on the stool she’s currently trying to climb, the other fisting spencer’s pajama pants. “here,” she hands him the pink birthday candle you’d used for her birthday cake.

“thank you, hazey,”

you chuckle as you listen to them, you can’t hear all of it, but you can tell she’s getting louder the more excited she gets. it’s only a matter of minutes before the chaos that had been in the kitchen joins you in your bedroom. you pretend to sleep, curling into spencer’s side of the bed, and closing your eyes.

“she’s asleep! daddy, can i wake her?” you hear her laughing when you fake snore.

“go ahead, haze, gentle,” he reminded her, even though he knew you were awake.

“mommy,” you hear her running to the other side of the bed, “mama,” she climbs in next to you, lying next to you, you feel her breath on your face. then she presses wet, sloppy kisses on your cheek, and you swoon.

“hmm, who's giving me such sweet kisses?” you ask, being met with a grinning hazel as you open your eyes.

“it's mommy day!” she exclaims, arms looping around your neck with a strength you hadn't expected, “love you mommy,”

“i love you too, my angel, so, so, so much,” you wrap your arms around your little girl and hug her tight, setting your back against the mattress. you kiss all over her face and head, her little hands sticky and stained in maple syrup and jam.

“made you mommy day food,” she laughed as you tickled her sides. “daddy!”

spencer has taken residence by the end of the bed, the tray filled with breakfast set carefully on his lap.

“happy mother's day, honey,” he whispered against your lips, once the tray has been set in front of hazel, who can't help but pick a few slices of fruit to help herself.

“thank you, love you,” you kissed him once more, running a hand through his hair as you turn to look at your girl. “is it yummy?” you ask her as she pops a grape in her mouth, she nods, “i bet it's cause you and your daddy made it.”

it's a few hours later, after you're all showered and dressed, that you go downstairs and find the living room all decorated, with balloons and strings and three pieces of paper stuck to the wall that read ‘happy’, ‘mommy’, ‘day’ in spencer’s handwriting, but drawings made by hazel surrounding the words.

“mommy close your eyes,” you're sitting on the couch, all the gifts that hazel couldn't choose from are now open and on the coffee table. turns out the other gifts had just been little trinkets, a headband, a small bracelet, a keychain. “it's time for the surprise!”

“what surprise? i didn't know there would be a surprise!” your heart melted at her laughter.

��daddy cover her eyes,” she orders, and spencer makes his way around the sofa, standing behind you, he leans down, tilting your head back and pressing his lips on your temple.

“i’ve got it, hazey,” he nearly purrs against your skin, and as spencer continues his soft attack on your face, you hear hazel running through the house, “we hid it in my office,” he pulls back a little, staring at you with so much love.

“thank you for today,” you whisper, your cheeks were now hurting from the permanent smile that had been on your face the entire day.

“it's nothing, you deserve the world, honey.” and he means it. when he was young he'd pushed the idea of love to the side, with his job and his lack of social skills it was hard to picture a future with a family, but here he was. thanks to you. “i love you so much, you've got no idea,” he leaned down again, this time kissing your lips, accomplishing two things at once.

kissing you, and getting you to close your eyes.

“ready mommy?” you'd been so wrapped up in your husband that you missed your daughter walking back to you.

you looked down to see a scrapbook (just a few colored paper sheets binded by ribbon), a picture of you and hazel on the cover, in the middle.

“angel, this is beautiful,” you coo through teary eyes, embracing her fully before you even looked at the rest of the book.

the three of you settled on the sofa, with hazel between you two as she explained why she picked the pictures, something she'd done with spencer’s help. the pages were decorated with crayon drawings, glitter hearts, and stickers.

the last picture brought even more tears to your eyes, you were sitting in a hospital bed, with spencer by your side, his hand wrapped around your back, the both of you staring down at the new little baby that had just been born.

hazel’s first ever picture.

“look at this, hazey, you were so tiny,” you swallowed a lump in your throat, “and look at you now, you're so big, my sweet girl.”

“daddy said this is the day you became a mommy,"

“technically i was a mommy when you were in my belly,” you patted your stomach, “but my entire life was changed the minute you were born, i loved you before i even knew you, and i didn't know i could feel that much love for someone so little. hazey-” you said, shuffling her around so she was sitting on your lap, spencer pressed your back against his chest. you looked back at him, kissing his cheek.

“your daddy and i love you so much. it's an honor being your parents. every day i thank the stars that you're our little baby, that we get to raise you and see you grow. thank you for making me your mommy,”

“love you, mommy,” she nestled against your neck, “love you, daddy,” she reached up, puckered lips against spencer's other cheek.

“love you, hazey, you're my wish come true,” spencer placed a kiss on the top of her head.

that night, as you get ready for bed, feeling tired from all the emotions of the day, you snuggle against spencer's side.

“thank you for today. for helping haze,”

“of course, sweet, i told you, you deserve the world,” his lips meet yours in a gentle, slow kiss.

“i already have my whole world with me,” you tell him, voice full of sleep and love. “thank you for giving me my world.”

and if spencer had a time travel machine he would tell his younger self to not lose hope. the best years of his life were yet to come, his world wouldn't end when members of his chosen family left the team, his whole world and family were on the way.

[genderfluid-insomniac]

hi! can i ask modern au(i'm not sure if thats what its called but yk where we live without the superpowers) hcs with shenhe and kafka x reader? the reader could be fem but if you dont write that gn is okay too. just hcs about how it would be like to date them and what kind of stuff they'd to etc. hope you have a nice day!!!

hi! of course! I'm soooo sorry it took this long!!

Modern Au!Kafka and Shenhe with dating headcanons (fem!s/o)

Shenhe

As in the game, this tall intimidating woman is a bit hesitant as she’s still learning more social cues and being able to smoothly get into a conversation. You love her dearly but sometimes she scares others by casually suggesting violent solutions to certain problems like it’s completely normal. As much as you joke about giving her classes on social cues and how to not seem like a robot she asks you to actually do that.

She’s hella protective. She has you carry one of those multi purpose keychains with a window break (which could be used as a shank as she’s suggested), pepper spray, a small knife, etc and tells you to look out for signs of any danger. You’re both trained in self defense and know additional safety combat techniques. Shenhe just really doesn’t want anything to happen to you since you’re one of the best things to happen to her.

Please help her cook because Shenhe badly wants to cook you a meal and not set off the fire alarm or somehow make an abomination of sometype. It can also be a fun date where you both bake a cake or a favorite if yours. She’ll get confused if you put frosting on her nose jokingly but very flustered when you lick it off or kiss it off.

You adore her cuddles and how she is the perfect size for being a little spoon, not to mention those soft plush breasts she has that make perfect pillows. Your girlfriend adores cuddles more than anything since you’re so adorable already and hers.

This is a strange one but please take her to the zoo she’s absolutely enamored with all of the animals and it doesn’t matter if she’s already seen them Shenhe will watch them all day and read the facts on the stand in front of the habitat. Despite the fact that you can see it too she’ll tell all of her favorite things about said animal. She is fascinated by giraffes and flamingos because giraffes according to her are “stretched horses” where as flamingos remind her of a bright pink version of a crane that used to frequent a lake next to her house.

Kafka

Let get one thing straight gay your girlfriend is a tease and loves to play harmless mind games with you from anything to receiving affection to coaxing you into making a decision. She’s not going to manipulate you ever it’s just she likes to keep you on your toes and loves the reactions you give.

Her love language is more physical touch and words of affirmation than anything else. There are countless times that you’ll be in her arms and cuddle into her as she praises you for being so good to her and for her. How you’re the best person she’s ever met and brings out the best in her. You’d get cavities from how sweet she is to you.

Kafka is someone who others can’t figure out and tries to solve her like an old riddle fabled to hold untold riches but only you hold the answer. She’s purposely tries to be standoffish to make sure others don’t harass you or think they can hurt you in any way. Especially since she has some enemies that would love to have you in their arms in order to get one over Kafka but she’ll ensure you that you’re forever safe with her. If something does happen she’s rushing you to the hospital first off to make sure you’re okay or any injuries you sustained will be taken care of and then calling up her friends and associates to take care of whoever decided to hurt her girlfriend.

You’re being taken on meaningful and charming dates that have clearly been thought through and they sometimes are as simple as a picnic or a movie night at home to having dinner at a high-class restaurant or taking you out on a night in the city and spoiling with gifts that you’ve been eyeing.

[earthtoharlow]

Teach Me

4. April

Series Masterlist

“Hey, Jayla has been too nervous to ask you, but do you want to come to her birthday party this weekend?” Jack asked over the phone, his voice raspier than it sounds in person. “We’re just having a few of her friends and family over at the house.”

Ariel smiles softly into her pillow. “I’d love to come to her party!”

“Good. Jayla has been talking about this party nonstop. She would've been upset if you weren’t able to come.”

The late night hour made her feel bold. “And you? Would you be upset?”

She couldn’t help but smile at the soft laughter coming from the other end of the phone. “Fuck yeah, you might the one I’m looking forward to being there the most.”

“Good” Ariel said with a smile and cuddled further into the covers. Ariel loved her nightly chats with Jack, each conversation he would share more about himself.

“Don’t tell me you fell asleep on me? Am I that boring?”

She fights to keep her eyes open not wanting to hang up the phone. “No, I’m just resting my eyes.” Ariel protested fighting back a yawn.

“Go to sleep, I’ll stay on the line.” Jack said fondly, his voice luring her to sleep.

***

The week came and went and it was officially the day of Jayla’s birthday party and Ariel was ringing the doorbell of a beautiful 2 story home.

She could hear the sounds of kids screaming and laughing. Moments later Jack opens the door with a big smile, stepping aside so that she could walk in. Before she could greet him, Jayla was running up to her. “Miss Love!” she said, hugging her jean clad legs. Crouching down in front of her, she wraps her arms around Jayla giving her a hug. “Happy birthday, Jayla!”

She gives her a huge smile that mirrored her father’s before taking her hand and tugs her through the house. Ariel couldn’t help but glance over her shoulder at Jack, and give him a small wave before following her. She was confused at first when Jayla pulled her into the bathroom.

“What’s wrong, Jayla?”

Jayla motions towards her hair. “Can you redo my hair? Daddy only really knows how to do buns and a ponytail, I want something different!” Jayla said with a small pout, and nervously playing with the KY necklace around her neck.

“Of course, we have to make sure the birthday girl looks the best!” Ariel said without a second thought and patted the stool that was in the bathroom and motioned for Jayla to sit.

Smiling at Jayla in the mirror, she says “ok so how does the birthday girl want her hair?”

Tapping her finger to her chin, “I think I want to wear it down!”

Ariel nodded before adding “Easy enough, how about we do half up, half down? That way you don’t have to worry about hair getting in your face.”

Jayla nodded and clapped her hands in excitement. At her approval Ariel got to work.

Taking her hair out of its ponytail, Ariel grabbed the water bottle from the counter to hydrate her curls, making sure to explain each step. Ariel started separating the coils and curls to make sure she didn’t miss any.

She then grabbed the coconut water leave in conditioner to moisturize the hair. While she turned to grab a hair tie she could see Jayla turning her head back and forth bouncing her curls, making her smile. Ten minutes later Jayla's hair was perfectly half up/half down, with the curls falling down her back, a butterfly clip to match the theme of her party.

Jayla softly touched her hair, smiling wide at herself in the mirror. Turning around she gave Ariel a huge hug. “Thank you soooo much, Miss Love! I love it!”

Hugging her back just as tight, “Anything for the birthday girl! Now, come on, let’s get back to the party!”

***

Jack might have gone overboard with the party, but he was finding it hard to care when he saw how happy Jayla was. Usually they would spend birthdays with just the two of them and then the following day they would go to his mothers house to celebrate again, but this year Jayla wanted a party.

Jayla was fascinated with butterflies and wanted that to be a theme. So Jack got to work and searched everywhere he could to find butterfly decorations. He paid way too much money on the butterfly balloon arch that was setup by the dessert table, but the beaming smile on Jayla’s face was worth it.

The party goes well into the afternoon, Jack smiles watching Ariel interact with all his family and friends. With the genuine smiles on everyone's faces he knew they loved her. For some reason, knowing that they loved her took a weight off his shoulders.

While he was more comfortable having the party at his house, there was still a relief when everyone started to leave. After trying to push Urban and his mother out the door, both of which tried to drop hints how much they loved Ariel. He closed the door with a sigh, shoulders finally dropping.

Ariel stayed behind to help clean despite his protest, sweeping and picking up leftover plates and cups. “Hey, you really don’t have to stay behind to help. You’re a guest.”

“I clean up after 15 kids every day of the week. I don’t mind.” Waving away his concerns and throwing more trash in the trash bins.

As Jack helped clean, he couldn’t help but stop and watch how freely she moved around his home. He could see her being a permanent fixture in Jayla and his life. When she arrived and Jayla dragged him away, he managed to find them in the bathroom. The giggles as Ariel did her hair gave them away. Outside of his mother, Ariel was the only woman in Jayla’s life he trusted. He loved that Jayla trusted her enough to ask her to do her hair.

After taking the trash outside he watched as Ariel fussed over Jayla, making sure she put all her gifts away, she did it without a single complaint.

It didn’t take long for them to finish cleaning. Jayla, still in her party dress, was spread out on the couch, nodding off. Jack walks over to lift her up, Jayla’s face pressed into his neck. “I’ll be right back.” He whispers to Ariel who simply nods.

Side stepping all her toys and gifts she received today, he carefully placed Jayla in her bed. She snuggles under the overs as he brushes his fingers across her hair. “Happy Birthday, baby girl.”

Jayla gives him a sleepy smile. “Thank you daddy. I had the best day.”

All he could do was smile at her, before leaning down to press a kiss to her head. Just as he was about to get up to leave the room Jayla spoke again.

“Ariel, read me a story?” She sleepily requested. The use of her first name didn’t go unnoticed by him.

“Let me go ask her, ok?”

Jack walked back down the stairs to the living room, nervously rubbing the back of his neck with his hands. Ariel gave him a bright smile when she saw him.

“Hey, the birthday girl wants you to read her a story” Jack said leaning against the wall of the entranceway. Jack loved the way her eyes lit up at the request, bounce in her step as she followed him back to Jayla’s room.

His heart begins to feel tight in his chest as he watches Ariel sit on the edge of her bed, just like he would, grabbing a book from her bookshelf.

Jack had never thought about anyone joining their little family. In the last four years, the few dates he’s been on. Nothing fazed him. Content with the way things were. Then walked in Ariel Love. Now all he could think about was her joining their family.

Her voice was soft but animated as she read the book to Jayla. He watches them from the doorway, smile on his lips. He could watch this every night. Ariel’s face warms as she looks up and finds Jack looking at them with a fond smile.

Jayla was fighting to keep her eyes open as Ariel closes the book. She pushes her now wild curbs behind her ear before whispering a goodnight and one last happy birthday. Jayla gives her a sleepy smile.

When Ariel goes to stand up, Jack walks back over saying his own goodnight. Pressing a kiss to Jayla’s head. “I love you.”

Ariel waits for him at the door as Jack checks to make sure Jayla’s night light was turned on, before leaving the room.

As they made it back to the living room, he motions her to the couch. Both letting out quiet sighs as they sit down.

Turning his head to look over at Ariel “Thank you.” Thinking he was thanking her for coming to the party and helping with the cleaning she replied “No, thank you for inviting me. I had the most wonderful time. You have the best friends and family!” Ariel told him with a smile.

He smiled hearing that she loved his family but he shook his head, that’s not what he was thanking her for.

“I meant, thank you for everything you do for Jayla. Today for example, you did her hair today with no questions asked.”

Jack stops her as she tries to wave him off like it was no big deal. Reaching over to grab her hand, so she could focus on him. “It’s a big deal, and seeing you in my home and laughing with my family today made me realize how I don’t want you to leave.”

Ariel looked at him in surprise, butterflies in her stomach. “Really?”

He smiled at the shocked expression on her face. “Yeah, I haven’t dated anyone since Alyssa but I really like you. A lot. You’ve become such a fixture in not only mine but Jayla’s life as well.”

Ariel smiled at that. The moments they’ve shared over the last few months made her want more. She wanted to greedily take everything Jack would give her and more. It scared her how much she wanted to be a part of his and Jayla’s life.

“I like you a lot too Jack. I know you haven’t dated since Alyssa but we can take our time. We don’t have to rush into this.”

Jack let out a sigh of relief at hearing her say that, tightening his hold on her hands.

“How are you so…perfect and understanding?”

Her face felt warm again at the statement, “I don’t know about perfect…”

“Well, you’re pretty damn close.”

Ariel just playfully rolls her eyes. “Like I said, let’s take this slow. The school year is over in a couple months, how about we just continue to get to know each other, and go on dates. When the school year is over we can go from there.”

Jack nodded in agreement. The next two months would fly by, as he tugged at her hand lightly, and shifts on the couch to pull her in closer, he knew he wouldn’t need the full two months to decide if this is what he really wanted.

“When’s the last day of school?” He asks her

“June 12th.”

“Going to mark that shit down in my calendar.”

Ariel leans into him with a soft laugh and he smiles. There was no place he’d rather have her be, than in his arms. June 12th can’t come fast enough

***

AN: I know I said the last chapter was my favorite but this one might top it just a little. Thank you everyone for all the love you guys show for this series. We only have two chapters left after this one 🫣 As always tell me your thoughtsssss :)

Tag List:

(message me if you'd like to be added or removed)

@heavyhitterheaux @hoodharlow @neon-lights-and-glitter @babiefries @toocriticalharlow @mace23477 @jackmans-poison @dstark-0706 @harlowsbby @itsyagirljaz @leftapricotprofessorlover @blossomluvv @comehomeimissyou @minkookie95 @harlowcomehome @jackharloww @wabi-sabi1090 @violetslays818

[myths-tournaments]

Awful Characters - FINALS

Propaganda under the cut

IANTHE TRIDENTARIUS

Her number one hobby is ruining every person's that she knows life. Her second hobby is being soooo slutty about it despite looking like a literal wet rat. Her third hobby is having an extremely unhealthy relationship with her twin. Her other hobbies include cannibalism, wearing a maid outfit, being extremely convinced she is the main character, the badboy sexy love interest and the villain. 'Why', you may ask. Well, the answer is, for shits and giggles #justgirlythings i, aswell as literally everybody else in the fandom have gone through the pipeline from hating her to desperately wanting to fuck her. expect for i still fucking hope she dies and doesn't come back for good. (that would literally solve all of everybody's problems) as god intended (EXPECT FOR. one of her hobbies literally is gaslighting god) She is fucking horrible i will love her until i die and even after that

parks and recs jean ralphio voice she's the woooorst!! The moment she learns she has to kill someone to become a Lyctor (aka a more special necromancer), she doesn't hesitate to kill and cannibalize the guy who has been her cavalier since childhood… cavalier who she also totally bullied as kids, she was allowed to choose one guest for her and her twin sister's birthday party each year, and she would always pick whoever she thought her cavalier didn't want to see there! While other characters are shown to regret the process of becoming a Lyctor (which involves someone close to them dying)/were forced into it because of circumstances, Ianthe has absolutely no regrets, she believes she did what she had to do

The author once said of Ianthe: "I don't think she's been nice to anyone, if she has I'll go back and change it." She killed and ate the soul of someone she has known all her life so that she could become a necromantic saint and tormented him plenty before that. General negging, ganging up against him, always inviting people he didn't like to their birthday parties. She doesn't regret killing him. I think she is repulsed by the idea that his digested soul is affecting hers. She helped her crush lobotomise herself so she would be in Ianthe's debt, and later lied and said she didn't see the corpse of a woman her crush killed under her bed (why did she do that? I do not know). She has a bone arm because her original arm was cut off, she hated the replacement so her crush cut THAT off and grew her a new one out of just bones. She had it gilded and only after that did she decide to help her crush deal with the person who had been repeatedly trying to kill her. She wants so badly to be the main character but people keep interrupting her villain monologues.

she has her own content warning tag

She's such a bitch to everyone all the time, she causes nothing but problems, she tries to do a villain speech but fumbles it because her tummy hurt, she is the awfulgirl of all time

MAKIMA

The number of times I've seen people call others 'groomer apologists' or questioning if they actually like Makima for 'proper reasons' and aren't just sexualizing her are astronomical. She's truly a diabolical and fascinating antagonist. And yeah she's hot too. Who gives a shit if I like her character And her unsettling cryptic mommy energy? I have eyes. I have needs. I have love for Makima and I am not ashamed to say it.

[yallemagne]

I'm never going to be able to work on Orice in this state. Let's talk about Jack Seward. I have so much. Soooo so much to say about him.

Warning: I am going to be looking at Jack and his motives and attitudes, and I am going to be treating him like any ol' guy that you could find in the world. I'm not gonna take "it's just a fictional story, it's not that deep". I am a writer. It is that deep. This post is critical of Jack for reasons other than the obvious fact that he abuses his patients. Don't proceed if you don't want that.

And additional warning: if you ship Lucy and Jack and are going to get mad at me that it isn't book canon, you can take it up with Bram Stoker instead. This warning will seem petty, and it is. I have been yelled at simply for engaging with canon in a way that goes against other people's headcanon, and I will not tolerate that here.

I'm thinking about men and their entitlement. I don't like the idea of the story ending with Jack and Arthur being gifted two nameless, faceless trophy wives. One can explore for themselves in writing how those two got hitched and construct developed OCs to be the wives... but the truth is that the reason why those two got married is that Bram looked at two bachelors who had no women of their own and said: "that isn't a happy ending". The idea that these two men went through this entire story fighting for women, and neither "got the girl"? That's preposterous! Hence why Bram hastily adds that the two are married seven years later. I take full advantage of the vague wording -- of the fact that it is not technically confirmed that they are married separately to two women -- because the idea that these men were just given wives because that is what is expected of men gives me a weird feeling in my stomach. Or maybe I just need to eat, but oh well--

There is also the problem of Jack's entitlement in particular.

Just look at his marriage proposal. I analyzed it back then. He comes to Lucy, telling her how much this prospective marriage will do for him, how happy he will be, how she will be fixing his life, his problems. Nothing about what he has to offer. All he has to offer is himself and, it goes without saying, his wealth... but that's a given since she doesn't have her own income nor control over her assets-- he NEEDS to be able to provide fiscally for her. That is the least he can offer. But that's all that he really brings to the table. What he talks about during his proposal is all the things Lucy has to bring to the table, all the things he expects of her, and she hasn't even said yes!! Of course, she cried, hot damn.

Lucy herself lamented how good and noble men are and that women don't deserve them! And it is because of that general attitude that Jack listed all the blessings he would reap from the marriage but never focused on how Lucy would benefit-- because it's thought that all a woman needs is a man! That women are lucky to have a man regardless of circumstances! This is why I'm so damn happy that Lucy listened to her heart and chose the man that she loved regardless of all the pressure being put on her by two others. She knows herself in a way Jack doesn't know either of them.

Do I think Jack is an awful person for this? No. But I also don't think he was proposing to Lucy for the right reasons. I'm not entirely sure he was really in love with her. I know he thought he was, but with how shortly they knew each other, I believe he saw Lucy as a pretty face with good marriage prospects. And that's exactly how Lucy sees him! Just a pretty face and a good prospective marriage candidate-- but she's not in love with him. Lucy knows that love isn't the only thing that makes a marriage, but it's still very important to her. If she can find a man she loves who loves her back AND can support her? Woo! And she did with Arthur! Meanwhile, I think Jack doesn't feel love so much as fascination. That's not a bad thing, it doesn't make him bad.

Rolling this back around to the idea of just giving him a wife in the epilogue. That's part of why there's a sour taste on my tongue thinking about it. Men feel entitled to marriage because it is one of the expectations put on them -- they need to find a woman and keep her, and she needs to be a good one. She needs to make his meals to his standards, clean up after him, provide him with children, clean up after them. She also needs to love him and express that love through the previously mentioned chores and sex. If a man doesn't have this, is he really a man? Can his life ever be happy?

Jack wasn't happy with his work. He was in a very unhealthy place, and instead of addressing the issue, he thought bringing in a woman to dote upon him would brighten the place up. Like buying a new piece of furniture to make a dilapidated house feel more homey.

I think Jack is worthy of love, but the problem is that, like most men in this patriarchal society, he believes he is entitled as a man to receive it from any woman he chooses, and I don't think he ever has that worldview shaken over the course of the story. Hell, I think he kind of had his worldview validated! The happiest he ever was in his own home was when Mina made him tea, and he could pretend for a moment that she was his wife. That's cute for a fictional character. But imagine if you were a married woman and your male friend fantasized the reason you were nice to him was because you wanted him. Not so cute.

In a post-Dracula story where Jack gets a nameless, faceless bride, I don't see him ever leaving the asylum. No, instead, he stays, and he wonders why being married hasn't cured his depression. He wonders why his wife seems unsatisfied with him constantly working and neglecting her when one of the things that attracted her was his high position. God forbid she tries to drag him away from his work-- he needs this job to feel like a man!

In a post-Dracula story where Jack has instead married Arthur (yeah, not a legal marriage, but gay couples have always had ways of being together), I see him in a better place. I see him with a man who knows and loves him, who recognizes that the esteem that the insane asylum brings Jack is not worth his unhappiness, and who can actually get through to Jack because Jack respects Arthur's opinion as a man! I see Jack finally self-reflecting and eventually rejecting his faulty belief that a woman would "fix" him.

This is a lot, Jesus.

[letters-adressed-to-the-fire]

So I ended up writing a short essay about the albatross (part 1)

There’s just something about the albatross that’s been scratching my brain since the first time I heard it. Initially, I thought “oh, it feels like it belongs in evermore” (I really love that album), but soon I realized it goes way deeper than that.

Well the song is about the albatross (duh), but to really understand it, there are a few things you need to know. First of all, this particular bird is widely known as a symbol of bad luck, burden and regret. Why? What could an innocent bird possibly have done to deserve such a reputation? Taylor tell us the answer throughout the song, but for a more in-depth understanding, one can turn to Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, which was the source of inspiration for this piece.

Gotta be honest, I haven’t read it, not entirely (it’s actually really long). But I did do my research soooo, let me summarize it for you in a few lines:

This is the tale of a sailor who, convinced that an albatross was a bad omen, tragically shoots the innocent bird. As a consequence, he and his crew face a curse. The sailor is compelled to wear the lifeless bird around his neck as a form of punishment. Yet, as time passes and years go by, it is the innocent albatross that becomes a mournful symbol, rather than the sailor who committed the deed.

Now, if you revisit Taylor's lyrics, she narrates this progression through the reprise of different verses:

“Cautions issued, he stood Shooting the messengers They tried to warn him about her”

“Locked me up in towers But I'd visit in your dreams And they tried to warn you about me”

“You were sleeping soundly When they dragged you from your bed And I tried to warn you about them”

Or:

“Cross your thoughtless heart Only liquor anoints you She's the albatross She is here to destroy you”

“So I crossed my thoughtless heart Spread my wings like a parachute I'm the albatross I swept in at the rescue”

Or my personal favorite:

“Devils that you know Raise worse hell than a stranger She's the death you chose You're in terrible danger”

“The devil that you know Looks now more like an angel I'm the life you chose And all this terrible danger”

What I found so fascinating about her decision behind the use of this technique, is that she not only embraces it to move the story forward in an organic way, but she plays with the point of view of the spectator (or in this case, listener) to lead them through all the characters of the story.

In the opening verse, you assume the role of the sailor on the verge of shooting the albatross. You don’t have proof but you know she’s here to destroy you. As the song progresses into the second verse, it becomes evident that you’re now talking with the albatross, or more accurate would be to say that the albatross is talking to you. Contrary to the poem, Taylor is giving the albatross a voice (which effectively serves as a metaphor for herself), and this standpoint will remain for the rest of the song, though with a slight change at the end. Taylor not only lets the albatross tell its story, but she let it be the hero. By the end, the spectator finds themselves in the crosshairs of "them”, the very group they once belonged to. This is the moment where the transformation of the figure of the albatross reaches its peak, as it transitions from a harbinger of misfortune to a beacon of hope, it is there to rescue you.

(obviously there's more to this! but I'll be posting part 2 in a few days just because i didn't want this post to be THAT long lol)

[vigilskeep]

maric would be so much more interesting if dragon age leaned into his horrible vibes. this guy killed his girlfriend, never made any steps to improve things for the elves (there was literally a purge on the denerim alienage the same year he met fiona.), and either a) did not pay enough attention to one of his sons to know he was sent to the templars or b) did know but did not like. do Anything about it. despite his son being the son of an elven mage. i do actually like maric as in canon but he feels... underwhelming and I think a, not necessarily evil, but morally shittier (or perhaps rather, acknowledged shit morals) maric would work so much better.

anyway fascinated by the potential ramifications of rowan being alive during the events of dao. i think she could act as an interesting parallel to Eamon, not like as a person, but in that maybe she could be the 'older figure pushing a candidate for monarch'. i admit im not really sure about that but rowan being alive is so much more interesting than her being dead.

SAY THIS.

i could enjoy maric as a character way more if the writing was able to admit he sucks but it inexplicably can’t, despite having written a guy that sucks. anyway i didn’t sit through fiona and katriel’s storylines to have to be sympathetic. i can’t stand the guy he didn’t deserve any of them i’m glad he died badly and i hope he comes back to die badly again

rowan being alive in dao is soooo good and fun to me... milf rights... bonus landsmeet drama... the INSANE dynamic she and loghain would have going on after losing maric and after he left her SON to die... did i already say milf rights... it would be so interesting what side she came down on vis a vis the throne. i could see both tbh

[naanima]

It is really fascinating to me how ALL the big streaming services are trying to lock down big sports onto their platform. Not just live showing of them, but trying to leverage what they have with documentaries etc. as well.

It makes sense because sports are the biggest growing entertainment sector out there. And documentaries for sports have pushed their popularity through the stratosphere in the States and around the world. Without "Drive to Survive" there is no way F1 would have had the Miami and the Vegas GP.

American football is already king in the US, and basketball, baseball etc are untouchable and SOOOO EXPENSIVE to get rights to. Looking from that angle it makes sense why suddenly there's such a huge interest in NHL hockey from these streaming platforms. They all want to get in when rights to hockey is sooooo much cheaper compared to the other big sports.

Amazon has got the rights now to show certain hockey teams' games and it looks like they want more. They already had the Leafs docu, and they want ANOTHER hockey documentary. Disney has got that weird Big City animated thing going with hockey, and seems to have something percolating with the Pens (cross fingers it is good).

Hockey people (me included) keep on talking about how expensive it is for kids to play hockey. That is why it is such a big barrier for it to be as successful and as popular. I only agree with it in the sense that it will eventually end up being a rich person's sport, but I DON'T think it is as big a barrier as everybody thinks for attracting MORE fans. Because holy shit if we want to talk about EXPENSIVE sport to get into - F1 is by far way more expensive and ELITIST. But it is fucking huge because of ONE fucking documentary series, and the teams and the drivers capitalising on its popularity in the biggest way.

And I PRAY a hockey documentary series from one of the big streaming platforms that will ALLOW access to the players, the management and maybe even the owners will get made. That the frankly insane hockey PEOPLE & culture will draw the general public into it. Make them go, "OHHH. That's so cool." But in order to do that hockey needs to SELL THEIR PLAYERS' personalities. They NEED to show the public a level of their real personality. Show us how shitty the NHL can be, show us how good some of these people are. Show us the skills, the dedication, and the sacrifices it takes for them to win the Cup.

Give me that sort of series, and it is almost guaranteed we will see the sport grow.

[scarlett-vixen]

Soooo since the event is still ongoing, I was wondering if you could do W-Wardrobe with Satan? gender neutral reader and fluff please! ^^

Omg this is the cutest idea anon I love you for this!!! (A little short but I think I made my point😌)

Prompt: W- Wardrobe

Pairing: Satan x gn!reader

Genre: Fluff

“What’s really fascinating about this potion is that it actually—”

“Does he know he’s doing it wrong?”

“BUT! If you add Wolfthorn berries in, it becomes an entirely different potion that—”

“Surely someone has told him this isn’t correct? Am I really the only one who notices??”

“You have to be careful though, otherwise you could spontaneously combust—” Satan had been going on like this for the last thirty minutes, completely derailed from the original conversation.

Normally you would have steered him back on track but you were far too lost in your own thoughts. Far too baffled that he could continue to do something so wrong. Far too annoyed by that stupid jacket.

“Satan can I be incredibly blunt with you?” You couldn’t take it anymore, someone had to fix this, even if you got torn to shreds.

“Oh,” The fourth born gave you a stunned look as you cut him off mid-sentence. “I suppose. What about?”

“Why, and I say this very lovingly, the hell do you wear your jacket like that??” You gestured at the side that was just draped over his shoulder.

“I, uh, I don’t— I mean I just,” You could tell he was flustered. His cheeks turned a light pink and he gently grabbed onto his jacket. “I’ve always worn it like this.”

“I know but you wear your uniform like a normal person, so why in the Devildom do you wear your jackets with only one arm through them?” A teasing tone in your voice. You weren’t trying to be rude, it was just something that you thought about a lot since meeting him.

Satan shrugged, looking down at his textbook before him, it always felt odd to see him become shy or timid and it usually only happened with you.

“I guess I just wanted to be different than my brothers, they all have very unique personalities and I’m just—”

“A sweet and intelligent guy who has a big heart for animals and has a continuous thirst for knowledge? I think you’re very different and unique from your brothers. Besides,” You loved teasing the Avatar of Wrath so you quickly added “I bet you’d look pretty with it on correctly.” You smiled at him and watched his entire face go red. You knew you broke him when he quickly cleared his throat and went back to the original topic the two of you had been discussing.

The next morning at breakfast you were happily greeted by six of the brothers, you quickly noticed that Satan was absent and grew worried. You hoped your previous conversation hadn’t upset him, you ate your breakfast but became increasingly concerned with each minute that passed.

“Good morning everyone!” The voice of the fourth born cut through the current loud conversation.

“Good morning Sat—” You were mid-bite and mid-sentence when you looked up. Satan stood across from you with a bright smile as he pulled his chair out to join the group, your brain short circuited when you saw him, something was different but you couldn’t figure out what exactly.

Then it hit you.

For the first time ever he had that dumb jacket on correctly with both arms through both sleeves. You spoke before you could stop yourself.

“You put your jacket on.” Immediately wanting to die from embarrassment at your very obvious statement and realizing how hard you were staring. You could feel the warmth on your cheeks as well.

“Yes I did,” he chuckled slightly “I decided you were right, there’s no need to try and be different. I’m perfect how I am.” With that Satan took his seat and began his meal.

You were still in awe of how different he looked now and couldn’t manage to look away. It was your turn to be flustered.

“1,647 YEARS!!!!” Asmo threw his fork down in frustration “I’ve been telling you to fix that damn sleeve for 1,600 years now! And you finally do it because MC told you to??? What did they say that was so great!”

The fourth born looked up to see his brother glaring at him, he glanced over to see you still watching him with rosy cheeks. Satan met Asmo’s look of frustration with a smirk and in a very cocky tone responded.

“They called me pretty.”

[aihoshiino]

I’m curious as to what your opinions are on the ships in ONK. I’m guessing you’re not an Aquaruby fan (neither am I) but what do you think of Aquakana? Or any other ships in ONK! Personally my favorite is Ai x Happiness :)

AI X HAPPINESS IS THE ONLY OSHI NO OTP THAT MATTERS YOU'RE SOOOO RIGHT ANON

Out of the "official" OnK ships tho, you're right in that I don't really care for AquRuby, at least as presented in the text. It was never going to be a ship I was on board with since I'm just too exhausted with anime being the way it is about sibling incest to even pretend to take it seriously but the manga itself also seems to have the same attitude. Since 123, Ruby's feelings for Aqua have mainly been treated as a joke that relies on having Ruby act out a caricature of an archetype that was ALREADY shallow and dated in the 2010s lmao. I think Ruby -> Aqua would at least be interesting to read about if the story was actually willing to take her seriously and properly examine her feelings in a way that feels consistent with her character and to actually dig into the reality of a person developing incestuous feelings in a society that condemns incest rather than using her as a gag prop. I care less about it being incest and more about it being badly written incest basically LOL

AquAka I think it's interesting on paper and there's a lot of elements to it I think are really neat to chew on in discussions and character analysis but as a ship, it doesn't really work for me in execution. Part of it is that I don't really like how Aka handled most of Akane's stuff post TB and most of it is just that the majority of their "real" relationship happens like... offscreen, in a time skip? So there was no real time to get attached to their dynamic as a real couple and I'm the kind of person who mostly gets invested in ships based on the strength of their moment to moment banter and rapport. AquAka have a lot of big, dramatic moments but I didn't feel like they quite had the necessary downtime rapport to serve as the connecting tissue that would've made it land.

It also doesn't help that I feel like, a lot of what *I* think is interesting about AquAka is really not what the fandom sees in it LOL So it's really hard to discuss the elements I like without people getting Genuinely Angry At Me for daring to say the relationship is unhealthy or that both Aqua AND Akane completely fucked up and that's why it didn't pan out. That conflict and tension and the simmering undercurrent of codependence and toxicity that both of them unintentionally brought to the relationship is sooooooo fascinating but I feel like so many people actively talking about AquAka just kind of ignore that and treat it as an entirely wholesome, uncomplicatedly good relationship and Akane as completely flawless within its context. I think that's both unfair to Akane and kind of boring but I've also really drifted away from the question here, huh...

Anyway! AquKana is the 'canon' OnK ship I like the most by far! I wouldn't say I'm like Actively Shipping It in the sense that I go out of my way to seek out fanworks about it, but I think they're cute together and I like them, especially in the anime - I've said before it was the adaptation that made me actively a fan of Kana and that goes for AquKana, too. Like I said up there, a couple's moment to moment banter and dynamic is really important to me and that's a big part of the AquKana appeal to me. I really like the way they bounce off each other and I particularly enjoy the way Kana encourages Aqua to be a better version of himself - not necessarily in an "I can fix him" way but in that his friendship with Kana encourages him to be better out of respect and fondness for her. Kana serves as a sort of window into life as a normal boy for Aqua, with no revenge or ulterior motives, and in that space a lot of Aqua's worst traits that are exacerbated by trauma get softened and filtered through a kinder lens. I also really love the ways Aqua's support helps to uplift and encourage Kana to do her best - she was such a lonely person for so long, seeing the way she glows once she has someone to shine for is so sweet.

I definitely don't feel as strongly about it now as I did coming right off the anime because it's been pretty out of focus for a while... Honestly, come to think of it, I think that's part of why AquAka didn't really hook me at all. It's hard to get invested in something that's making a character you already liked more feel so bad LOL

Circling back to Ai, though... Ougghh it really does kill me there's no straightforwardly lovey dovey ships for her in OnK. I'm a lifeform that draws sustenance from seeing my faves getting loved and doted on, especially when they're someone as starved for love as Ai... don't get me wrong, I love KamiAi and AiNino because yandere love is pure love but sometimes I just want to see nice things happen to her...!!!

Anyway this is the part where I pull out my License To Be Cringe And Free and admit that I do have a whole bunch of crosscanon OTPs for Ai that I've written with friends LOL Honestly I do feel very spoiled with how many I've gotten to write and how good they've been... I've even commissioned some art here and there. So if you're ever on an internet walk and stumble across a piece of art that makes you go "hold on, why is Ai holding hands with Rinne Amagi from EnStars" or something, you have this bitch to thank!!!

[matan4il]

Anti-buddie people keep saying that Fox can’t write slowburn romances, but Bones had a 6 season will they/won’t they with Booth and Bones. Even when they confessed feelings it still took a season or more to get together, and the writers said it would’ve gone on longer if the actress playing Bones wasn’t pregnant at the time. Soooo Fox can definitely have shows will slow burn.

Bones also did a sperm donor plot, a coma dream, Booth was an army guy, relationships that don’t work, Booth was a father (divorced), they have so many overlaps

Hi Nonnie! Thank you for the ask.

Wow, I did not realize that anti-Buddie people were saying that. Well, maybe Buddie won’t go canon, but it’s not because Fox “can’t write slow burn romances.” I mean, to begin with, networks don’t write anything, that’s the creative team and it’s a different one for each show. Networks can choose to avoid or focus on certain types of stories, but why would any of them want to avoid slow burn romances? It’s one of the most effective tropes to get people hooked up and emotionally invested long term. It’s good for viewership, which is what networks are all about.

And yes, in the case of Fox, it did Bones (I love what you pointed out about the story arcs Bones and Booth went through! Thank you for sharing), and I’d like to add that they also did The X-Files. I do believe Mulder and Scully are one of the longer cases of slow burn romances in TV history! And let’s not forget, that show’s creator actually actively came out against the shippers. Yet, it was clear that he always played with the element of “will they, won’t they?” and whether it was the original intent or not for the couple to go canon or to continue to play with ambiguity to the end, by season 7 Mulder and Scully share a romantic kiss for the first time. I have never watched this show, BTW. But this is a part of TV history, this slow burn romance is that notable, Buzzfeed even noted it as the #1 slow burn 100% worth waiting for, which says something about its perceived cultural impact.

Also? Fox made Glee, which gave us Blaine and Kurt. I know that they were not a slow burn in hetero terms. Blaine first appeared in 206, and before the end of 216, they kiss. That’s a gap of just 11 eps, it’s not even a season. But it is half a season, and you gotta remember, this was back in 2010. You might have noticed, I’m fascinated with history in general, with TV history, as well as the history of gay representation. So...

It took television A BLOODY LONG TIME to introduce gay characters as anything more than a joke. It took even longer for them to get partners, and then it was almost universally a pre-established relationship because that made the gays non-threatening. Let me explain what I mean by that.

Once gays were allowed to exist as more than a joke, shows usually featured one gay character at most as a part of the regular cast. At first they were completely sterilized, they existed as a representation of a gay person and the discrimination they suffer, their wish to be accepted, but those characters weren’t allowed love, desire, dating, partnerships... the very things that tie into being gay! Then, when that became too ridiculous and some viewers demanded better rep (see for example back in 2000, Will and Jack’s kiss on Will & Grace, which wasn’t even romantic, it was just about demanding the right to see gay characters kiss), gay characters got to have a romantic life, but to make sure there was no fear of them crushing, seducing or “corrupting” straight characters, they would get a very minor character as a partner, with shows just telling us that as a fact, without any interest in telling the story of how they met, how they fell in love, how they got together... As I said, pre-established. They were a fact, not a love story.

Slowly that got better as well, gay characters started getting real love lives and stories dedicated to who they fell in love (or into bed) with. But we still often see that even now, when gay characters are allowed to fall in love or get together with each other, it’s usually a fast burn. There's dating, but the characters usually get together within 2-4 eps at most, once again quickly removing the “threat” that they posed to the unchallenged heterosexuality of all the other characters. We have a few exception, but that’s still generally the rule. Even Tarlos on 911 LS are no exception to it.

So 12 years ago, making the audience wait for 11 eps for Kurt and Blaine to kiss, while also throwing in an obstacle in their way, in the shape of another guy Blaine was crushing on and the way Blaine didn’t look at Kurt romantically, that was actually the closest thing to a gay slow burn we had up to that point. It was worth it, too! Viewers lost their minds when the kiss happened, people shared vids of their reactions to watching the kiss, it made waves. You won’t find Kurt and Blaine on any slow burn list, but this mattered so much, especially the enthusiastic response.

Now we’re in 2022 and I still can’t think of a slower burn for a same sex couple than Kurt and Blaine. Not even Victor and Benji on Love, Victor, a show dedicated to telling a queer coming out story AND a gay romance. It takes them just 7 eps to get to the moment where Victor kisses Benji, or if you prefer, 10 eps to get together. Or take Blackbeard and Stede on Our Flag Means Death. Again, 10 eps and they kiss for the first time. And it’s a damn brave decision to make the whole show revolve around this romance! But it’s still nothing compared to opposite sex slow burn. I might be forgetting a ship or there’s a notable queer story I missed, please correct me if so. But as far as I’m aware, Fox is still the record holder on gay slow burn before the first kiss. At just 11 eps! Just half a season!

And that’s why I stand by what I said in my Buddie shipper statement, the first thing I ever posted about them: if Buddie goes canon, it would be a HISTORICAL MOMENT in the development of gay television. It would BREAK A GLASS CEILING that we’re currently experiencing in gay representation. It would be phenomenal and make 911 go down in TV history. It will be the first ever REAL slow burn for a gay couple. And Fox can do it. Just like when with Glee, it raised the bar, and proved that people were genuinely enthusiastic about a gay couple and were willing to wait for it for a while and cheer all the louder once the two got together, so Fox has a chance to make another breakthrough now with Buddie (and remain the undisputed queen when it comes to gay slow burn).

IDK if Buddie will go canon, but if they won’t, it won’t be because of any kind of bad record Fox has when it comes to slow burn.

Thank you again, sorry for the length! As always, here’s my ask tag, and if you’re interested in some of my other gay-related meta, you can find some of it here. Have a great day! xoxox

[cinnamon-notes]

ttpd themed obscured asks with julie!! 

tortured poets department: have you ever used a typewriter?

i look in peoples windows: do you like to people watch?

so high school: do you love it or hate it?

Who’s afraid of little old me?: what would you say is your biggest red flag?

what is you favorite song on ttpd?

omg love these questionssssss themed asks with julie never ever disappoint meeeee

ttpd: i haven't :( i mean- i tried out a couple typewriters i saw at the flea market once, but i haven't actually used them like to write on paper y'know. but my mom told me we have a typewriter back in my hometown, in my childhood house, and i didn't know that, and she also told me that she and her classmates used to take notes on their typewriters back to when she was in highschool so she volunteered to teach me how to use it!!!!

ilipw: OMG im the most voyeuristic person i know!!!! i LOVE people-watching!!!! human beings are incredibly interesting and fascinating and it's like drinking coffee and breathing oxygen to me, i cannot not watch peopleeee

so highschool: i enjoy it. not my fav ever just because it's not exactly one that resonates with me that much, but i like it! what i hate, though, is the fact that i don't think most swifties actually got the indirectly hidden deepness of this song, but i shouldn't be bothered, this thing happens all the time in this fandom :/ still- it's sad that its true self is underestimated because it's unseen

waolom: i never know if these kinds of questions mean the biggest red flag i see in people's behavior or the biggest red flag i have and am aware of lol so im giving you both. biggest red flag in people: disrespect, i can't tolerate it, it makes me nauseous, it makes me leave the room or whatever place im in, and if i know i wont be happy with just leaving the room, it sooooo makes me stand up and talk before leaving the room cuz I CANT STAY SILENT IF I STAY SILENT I WILL HAVE STOMACHACHE ALL DAY AND I WILL NOT HAVE PEACE I NEED TO TALK. LET ME BE LOUD. AND IF YOU DONT LET ME. TAKE ME. AS LOUD AS I CAN BE :) biggest red flag in me: i have commitment issues and trust issues, i will have/show no problems at all in loving you endlessly, however, i will go through soooo many struggles with letting you in

Fav song on ttpd: okay, i gotta admit it. im still avoiding most of the album. i listened to it start to end a couple of times when i went for some cathartic long drives last month, but this is pretty much all I do every time taylor releases new music, so it doesn't really count. however, im still kinda coping with those few songs that stuck with me a little bit more, a lil bit too much, so yeah i blatantly avoided all the pain and im processing the songs day by day, little by little. As for now my fav ones among the ones i have/am emotionally digested/ing are who's afraid of little old me, chloe & besties, so long london, the prophecy

[variousqueerthings]

Coming back to this laaaate, but @brilliantfantasticgeronimo hope it's okay I pull this onto a post, because it's easier for me to focus on than in replies!

this idea that the Doctor lands someplace and ruins everyone's day by being so Badass and Awestriking isn't really a Thing in Nu!Who "is also contrasted with the theme of the doctor inspiring *others* to do things (v Explicit theme in s1 but it's present in all those other CoDs you mention)... re:2, i think the one exception would be 7 but i think with 7 the chess-god-manipulator thing works bc we see the consequences of it thru ace. we also see it w/ amy and river but (cont) but i feel we never quite grapple w/ it emotionally (they adore the doctor anyway in the end) (except for a handful legit, hard-hitting eps like the girl who waited or town called mercy). .. and altho in both classic who and rtd who the companions function as a very important role *in the text*, u can still find fandom completely ignoring that and treating doc's 1-10 as power fantasies as well. so it's smth always there but that moffat rlly made literal also i've really liked your posts on asexuality on dw and idk if you've written this but just in case, i think it's also relevant to the very specific way some het guys are so protective of the doc's asexuality/aromancy(+the show's): "asexuality" as it functions in dw is celebrated by those guys ( i suspect) bc it gives the fantasy power over the "womanly wiles" - it's a proof of how the doc is so "enlightened" and "above" the temptress or seduction trope. (cont) (csdkjf sorry for going ott on replies rip) and it's also why i think in moffat's who the doc's sexuality is kind of tied to the idea of it like... """humbling"" or ""humanizing"" the character (as problematic as those ideas are,,, i think there's a basis to deduct that they come from before in canon)

OKAY SOOOO HI!

I just watched The God Complex right after The Girl Woman Who Waited so I'm riding that high of Consequences! Emotional Follow-through! Mmmm good plots!

I have not actually seen 7 yet outside of cute clips with Ace and ofc when he died due to the American healthcare system + gang warfare if I'm remembering correctly? and became our beautiful bouncing boy Eight, so iiiinteresting that this is a Thing, I didn't know that 👀👀👀👀👀

again, God Complex + Girl Who Waited feel like the most this era has explored Eleven's kinda... vibes around in terms of being some big Machinator who ruins peoples lives by dragging them into his shit, because he cannot Not: "I stole your childhood and now I’ve led you by your hand to your death. But the worst thing is I knew. I knew this would happen, this is what always happens. Forget your faith in me. I took you with me because I was vain. Because I wanted to be adored. Look at you. You’re glorious, Pond, the girl who waited for me. I’m not a hero. I really am just a mad man in a box. And it’s time we saw each other as we really are." Mmmm good stuff

we'll see how the next episodes do/season 7, but I've heard good things about Town Called Mercy which is an episode that I was not taking in at allll last time, because I was kind of... annoyed... by then.... and not really taking in good stuff (unlike this time)

ASEXUALITY ON DW IS LIKE! LOOK I'M WRITING OUT A SCRIPT FOR A YOUTUBE VIDEO BECAUSE IT'S SO FASCINATING RIGHT??? BOTH IN TERMS OF HOW THE CHARACTER EMBODIES AN AROACE IDENTITY AS ALIEN AND AS OTHERED WITHIN THEIR OWN SOCIETY AND AS A PERSON WHO JUST HAPPENS TO BE THESE THINGS --- AND IN HOW FANDOM THINKS ABOUT THE WORD "ASEXUALITY"

(will I ever actually put together a youtube video, who knows, but I could, I edit professionally for parts of my job, and I have the Receipts!) (but the energy of it all youknow)

I am so pleased you spelled out the "womanly wiles" trope, because yes, I hadn't quite seen that, but had been circling around like... the Enlightened Asexual (or the Celibate Monk as I believe M*ffat once called it with reference to Sherlock) (and then someone like Irene Adler is the epitome of that Temptress in his version of the story...)

and what you're saying about "humbling" and "humanising" is so fascinating, because ofc to a bunch of us aces and aros and aroaces the part where the Doctor struggles to form normative relationships is one of the the most humanising factors, and ofc M*ffat especially likes the "Godlike" Doctor quite a bit but it comes back to these ideas of allosexuality and alloromanticism

but then also rejects a lot of those ideas, from memory, for being too simplistic after all, because people struggle to write the Doctor as simply alloromantic and allosexual (I've heard because the Doctor is alien, because the Doctor is more compelling when lonely, because the narrative couldn't sustain it, etcetcetc, but in the end it all comes back to "the Doctor as Character cannot get into these relationships for... reasons...." and that becomes compelling character)

(also Gomez!Master is like "we're so beyond this, we're the best thing ever, we're nemeses, we're besties, my homeboy, my rotten soldier, my silly rabbit," etcetcetc... paraphrased. but that's in M*ffat era)

(the more the show flirts with allosexuality and alloromanticism the more nuanced the Doctor becomes to me as an aroace character! because no longer is it an Enlightened Mightier Than Thou Cannot Be Touched Celibacy type Concept, it's someone who's being affected by deep relationships and very often unable to equate them using simple terms!!!! arghhh it's sooooo!!!! SOOOOOO!!!!!!!)