#this is lighthearted I think all interpretations have their place

[drchucktingle]

Hey Dr. Tingle, I understand where you're coming from, it sucks that people are so irony-poisoned that they don't understand that your work comes from a place of true passion.

But I am wondering - are your book premises meant to be taken entirely seriously? Because I always thought that the titles and images, while not *bad*, where meant to be read with a sort of lighthearted comedy, like the titles you pick and the contrastive style of your art seems like intentionally sort of amusing in tone and rhythm? Is that correct, or completely off base? Because I do feel like that's where people get primed to read more of a joke into some of these things than maybe was intended, and I think that it's true for the people who do take the writing seriously that they find the context a little amusing, also, and I don't know if that's on or off the intended track from your perspective.

Hope that makes sense! I don't want to come across as rude or anything

yes my books premises are meant to be taken entirely seriously.

i would say tinglers fall into genre of magical realism and erotica. i do not think of them as comedy although i understand that many, if not THE VAST MAJORITY of buckaroos see them that way. that said i often lean into comedy or have funny moments throughout, but honestly that is the way of almost ALL stories. funny things happen in every genre, but that does not make all stories comedy.

to my trot, what defines something as COMEDY is intent. the goal of comedy is to make you laugh. my main goal with tinglers in NOT to make you laugh, so i do not consider them comedy.

HOWEVER it is important to keep in mind that i am not the expert on my art just because i made it. if a buckaroo laughs at tinglers they are not wrong. it is just as much their art as it is mine, and my interpretation is not the END ALL BE ALL. just because i made a piece of art does not mean i know it better than you do, or that my opinion on it is more valid.

tinglers can be whatever you want, and i am not hurt or offended if you laugh at them. that difference in perception is whats so beautiful and powerful about art.

i think a good way to look at what i do is this: i am an absurdist PHILOSOPHICALLY, but absurdism is so often associated with comedy that sometimes buckaroos who do not know about the philosophy can think they are the same thing. something being absurd does not automatically mean it is meant to be funny. my art is also joyful, and i think joy and humor can also be confused sometimes.

all that is to say, laugh all you want buckaroo. you prove love is real in your own unique way

[yesimwriting]

Easing

a/n just a little logan idea i had while thinking of ways to work on my characterization of him :)

Summary: A contemplation of mortality. Or, alternatively, reader sustains a minor injury while on a mission and Logan sees the end of the world.

Warnings: age gap (where everyone is of legal, consenting age), slight descriptions of injury, unnoticed pining

----

The dimness of the room adds an edge to your haziness, blurring the furniture in a way that dampens your mood.

You've been curious about Logan's room longer than you'd ever admit, and now that he's pulled you into it to not-so-discreetly scold you when all you want to do is go to bed, you can't even enjoy the benefit of taking in your surroundings.

You take advantage of the fact that your back is to him, eyes falling shut as you focus on ignoring the buzz of the electricity powering his bedside lamp. The plights of being an exhausted technopath.

There's a severity to his presence, a sharpness in the way he lingers behind you. It'd be all too easy to leave him to his brooding, to halfheartedly accept any verbal lashings he feels like giving you and be done with it. But Logan knows you, knows how you work well enough to find a way to interpret your lack of commentary into something it's not, a sign that something is wrong with you beyond a scrape against your temple and a drowsiness you're not used to.

"So," the word feels flat, almost distorted, "This is your room."

He exhales, a puff of air that tells you he's in no mood for anything lighthearted. "What were you thinking?"

Logan had asked the same question of everyone else involved. "That I was helping people."

There was nothing dramatic or life threatening about the scratches against the side of your face. You were thrown to the ground and the gravel cut against your cheek and the side of your forehead. You were quick to get up and put the person that attacked you in their place.

He walks forward, turning to face you. His attention remains fixed on some point that seems to exist right past your shoulder. "If it helps, I broke the other guy's nose right after."

Logan doesn't exactly ease, but you don't miss the way the corner of his mouth attempts to tug itself upwards. "Yeah?" The word's more amused than he wants it to be.

"Mhm," you hum cheerily, recalling the sting of your knuckles and the sound of bone cracking. That had been the part of the mission you wanted to tell him about. "Punched him just like you showed me."

His eyes briefly meet yours before falling towards the floor. "Deserved more than a punch."

You sigh. "Come on." When he doesn't react, you take a cautious step forward. Logan still doesn't look at you. "It's not that bad."

"You're bleeding."

Any blood staining your skin is old and dry. If Logan hadn't found you so quickly you would have cleaned it yourself in the bathroom. You barely had time to finish changing into your pajamas before Logan knocked on your door. "It's old." Your assurance doesn't ease him. You take another step in his direction. "Logan."

He lets out a breath, the sound pointed. "You didn't let anyone clean it?"

The question is the closest he's come to your usual dynamic. There's nothing passive aggressive about it, and yet it manages to dig at you a little more than anything else that's been said.

Logan's older than you. It's no secret and rarely a source of concern, the two of you comfortable enough with the age gap in your sort-of-friendship for you to occasionally joke about him being an old man. But when things like this come up, and he worries a little too much, a part of you starts to wonder if he only tolerates you because he sees you like a little kid.

You lift your chin slightly, doing your best to seem a little more stable. "I'm not one of the kids, I can clean my own cuts."

His eyes meet yours, the look warning you against leaning into anything overly confident. You resist the urge to smile. "Aren't you all grown up, bub?"

Your lips part, but you're too distracted by the uneasy warmth settling in your chest to think of a response. The corner of his mouth bends into what feels like a partial smile. The look vanishes before you can be sure.

He turns with no warning, walking towards an unfamiliar door. You watch him for a long moment before following.

Logan opens the door, turning his head slightly to make sure you're behind him. He turns on the light before fully stepping into the room. You inhale sharply in an attempt to dismiss the burning pressure of the influx of electricity.

His bathroom is tidy, with only a toothbrush and a soap dispenser taking up the counter space next to his sink; a navy blue bath mat in front of the shower; and neatly hung towels. Something about seeing this feels oddly personal, and you're not sure why. It's only a bathroom, and it's only Logan.

He halfheartedly taps his fingers against the counter once. "Sit," said in a tone that is only ever used when he's not in the mood to be contradicted, even if you only mean to do so adorably.

The warmth returns with a vengeance, but you obey anyway. As long as he's preoccupied with you, he's not lashing out at anyone that might have seen what happened to you and not attempting to kill Scott for thinking to ask you to go on the mission.

You pull yourself onto the counter, placing your hands on your lap to limit the space you're taking up. Logan twists the faucet before reaching for a wash cloth. He dampens the cloth before bringing it to your cheek. He dabs at the scraped skin with a carefulness that twists your stomach.

"You need to take better care of that face." It's meant to be another way of scolding you, but the words lack any bite.

If you were less aware of your breathing, you'd roll your eyes. "It'll heal."

Logan sighs, moving the cloth up your temple. He finds a particularly ginger spot beneath your eyebrow, you press your lips together to keep from reacting. He pulls the wash cloth away, giving you a look that makes you feel terribly transparent. "You're hurt."

"I--" You cut yourself off. There's little point in attempting to lie to him, especially when he's looking at you like that. "I'm a little sensitive, but that's normal. You're just not used to it because you heal too fast."

"Too fast?"

You nod, glad for the excuse to turn this onto him. "If you healed at the same rate as most of the population, you'd look at it like a paper cut."

He throws you a look that's entirely unconvinced as he sets down the wash cloth. "I'm sure."

Logan picks up the Neosporin he set aside earlier, applying some of the ointment to his fingers. He hesitates before dabbing the product against your skin. His other hand finds the other side of your face, thumb pressing into your chin to turn your head to better assess his work.

His eyebrows pull together as he searches your features for something you don't understand. You're not convinced he's found it, but he does eventually let you go.

Instead of moving away from the counter, Logan holds his hands out in front of you. It takes you a moment to understand what he's asking, but once you catch on you offer him your own hands, letting him study your knuckles.

The skin is a little irritated, but far from as agitated as the scrapes against the side of your face. "At least you got some good hits in."

The validation comforts you more than it should. You're glad he's too focused on your hands to see your smile. "I'm tougher than I look."

He lifts his head slightly, eyes finding yours in a way that feels a little softer than before. "I don't doubt that, kid."

Logan releases you carefully, setting your hands back onto your lap. He keeps himself there for a moment, fingers resting against the back of your palm. When he does move away, he does so to reach for the Neosporin.

You roll your eyes as he applies the product to your knuckles. "You're very dramatic tonight."

He glares in a way that tells you you're in no position to comment on his level of concern. Usually, you'd push, but he's probably been through enough tonight. And maybe--only maybe--a part of you is enjoying his version of coddling.

Logan picks up the wash cloth again, wiping the excess product onto the fabric before taking a partial step back. "You're clean."

He's still in front of you, too close to let you push yourself off of the counter. "Thanks." Your fingers tap against your knee. "Anything you want to yell at me or was that a Scott only thing?"

He scoffs. "I told him if you came ba--"

"I'm fine." His irritation at the correction is enough to silence him. "And it wasn't his fault." A completely true statement, considering Scott was nowhere near you when it happened.

Logan places one hand on the counter, the side of his thumb nearly touching your thigh. "It was his idea for you to be there." Another fact, though one that's completely disregarding the complexities of the situation. A single touch from you completely fried the security system being used to hold other mutants hostage. "He was outside of your room while you were changing..."

What? You blink, so surprised in the change of topic you don't even know where to start. "Uh--" In all honesty, you had thought Scott was kidding about staying near you until the situation was diffused. You also thought it was ridiculous to assume Logan would see you before morning. "He said proximity to me would make it less likely for you to kill him."

His eyebrows draw together, his expression morphing into something you can't quite interpret. "Not his best theory."

Now it's your turn to glare. While you're not particularly fond or un-fond of Scott, he doesn't deserve the blame for this. "Not his fault, either."

He frowns in a way that's meant to let you know that you'll have to agree to disagree. Logan watches you for another moment before taking a step back. You use the space to push yourself off the counter. He--he's closer than you thought he'd be.

"I uh--" You let out a breath, focusing on the drowsiness that had been bothering you the entire way back from the mission. This isn't the longest you've ever gone without sleep, but the mission had drained you. There had been a lot of complicated technology in the facility that you had to concentrate on mentally hacking. "I think I'm gonna go to bed."

Logan presses his lips together before letting his gaze fall to the ground. "You can--" The words are mumbled, hesitant. "You can stay in here tonight, if you want."

You blink. He um--You guys have spent a fair amount of time together, more so than usual recently, but he's never implied anything like this. The only thing more startling than the offer is the fact that it isn't...unappealing.

You like being around Logan more than you'd ever admit. You're always looking for excuses to be around him more, and now he's giving you a reason to stay.

"Yeah," the response feels too uncertain, too surprised. "If it'll help your old man heart to see that I'm perfectly fine."

He angles his head to the side, the corner of his mouth pulling itself upwards. "As long as you're doing me a favor."

"I know," you say, glad for the excuse to return to a more familiar dynamic, "I'm so kind."

Logan turns around with a slight sigh, "Mhm."

It's easy to follow him out of the bathroom. "That felt sarcastic."

"No," he lies, pulling back his sheets before sitting on the left side of his bed, "You're a saint."

You hesitate, standing halfway between the bathroom door and the bed. It's just Logan--who sits with you to watch movies he couldn't care less about, who actually listens to you, who sits you down on his bathroom counter and applies antibiotics to split skin.

You walk towards the other side of his bed. Logan pulls back the sheets on the other side of the bed before you sit. Now that you're actually resting beneath comfortable bedding, the exhaustion that you've been ignoring all night spreads over your limbs.

He reaches for his bedside lamp but doesn't turn off the light. "Comfortable?"

You mumble your confirmation before the room's soft light vanishes with a soft 'click'. It hits you, then, that you still haven't been able to take in his room the way you would've liked to. Maybe in the morning.

You lay down, pulling the comforter up to your neck. There's something distinctly relieving about the end of the day, when all forms of electricity are turned off and the buzzing beneath your skin is finally given a way out. You've gotten better at controlling it, at ignoring it until it's little more than background noise, but when you over use your abilities, the mental shield that divides you and the feeling begins to slip.

You're somewhere between asleep and awake when some instinct convinces you to squint your eyes open. A final look at Logan, and that'll be enough. It's too dark for you to make out much more than a vague silhouette, but something about his rigidness tells you he's far from asleep.

"Logan?"

He's silent for so long you begin to wonder if he's going to pretend to be asleep. "You okay?"

"Yeah," you say, and for a moment you're almost taken back by how much you mean it. "I was just..." There's no real end to your sentence. You don't know why you couldn't let yourself fall asleep. Maybe it had been the way he looked at you, concern too genuine over something so small. "Are you okay?"

You hear him let out a breath. "Anything could have happened."

There's a heaviness to his voice that immediately presses itself against your chest. Did this--did it really scare him that bad? You know he's used to the rapid rate at which his body repairs itself, but that doesn't mean that anyone that recovers at a regular rate is on death's doorstep over something so small.

"But it didn't." He scoffs, the sound dismissive. You move onto your side. "It didn't." When he doesn't react, you reach for him. He doesn't move away when you bend your fingers around his forearm. "And what didn't happen doesn't matter, what matters is that I'm here."

You pause, dragging your thumb against his skin. Logan lets out another breath, the sound something that lacks acceptance. He moves his arm away, but before you can read too much into the movement, his fingers are bending around your own.

[autismprotocol]

TMAG Theory Board Update (EP 11-12)

Hi guys sorry about the late posting I've just started a new quarter of college and its been pretty hectic. also got into my school design BFA program so pretty stoked about that! Anyways lets get into the Episode Breakdowns because even though not a lot of lore related things happened I still have a lot to talk about

For the breakdown I'll separate each by episode in sequential order

What Happened in Episode 11: Marked

Celias Rude Awakening- we jump right into the weirdness straight away with Celia waking up on the side of the interstate. she indicates that this is not a weird occurrence and ends the scene by telling someone named Jack that she's "on her way." If you remember episode 8 after Celia and Sam talk to Gerry and Gertrude, she mentions stuff about wanting help with her own mystery. When Sam asks about it she says she's looking into Time travel, other dimentions and teleportation. Many people have theorized that maybe Celia is just a super heavy sleepwalker, but I think the she teleports random places out of nowhere. This could be a side effect of her reality hopping if this Celia is originally from The archives universe.

As for the identity of Jack I'm not quite sure about that yet. I cross referenced the name Jack with past episodes of TMA. The only thing that came up was Jack Barnabas from the statement about dating Agnes Montague (aka an avatar of the desolation and Jesus-like figure for the cult of the lightless flame) So Unless Celia is secretly Agnes of Agnes reincarnated , I can't find any way to link Barnabas to Celia. (if anyone has a theory feel free to send it my way.)

Sam Lore- this one is pretty minor story-wise but I thought it was interesting. Before the statement for the episode is presented we get some classic Sam and Alice Banter ™ most of it is pretty lighthearted but I noticed Sam mention something that could indicate he might be an amputee.

These could not mean anything and I find it weird that it hasn't been mentioned until now but thought it was kind of cool and I will probably be drawing sam with a prothetic leg in the future cause I really like this head-canon. It also begs to question if he is missing a leg. it might have anything to do with his past as a Magnus institute test subject but then again could just be a fun character detail added by Jonny and/or Alex .

The Statement- Getting into the statement we get another Ink5oul appearance. Also possible Ink5oul identifying as she/they. (and lets be honest being a fear avatar is pretty non binary core). I found this Episode gave me a feeling of a hybrid between the Vast, Buried and the Flesh some people are theorizing that is might be a new entity called the Deep but I think that the fear of the ocean could easily apply to the vast or buried. Not much to say about this story though pretty standard Magnus horror that also gave us a hint to what Ink5oul's goal could be/which entity they serve.

Post Bonzo- Gwen has a debrief with Lena after her first Externals Liason assignment and her meeting with Mr. Bonzo. Undoubtedly Gwen is still pretty shaken from her encounter, even arriving late to work due to sleeplessness. Gwen is able to ask Lena a few questions mainly she wanted to know who's name was written on the letter given to Bonzo

Lena is largely unhelpful but tells Gwen she should have worked it out by now and if not to pay close attention to the case load for the next couple of days. before the latest episode my guess was Klaus because that is the only person mentioned so far that the OIAR intends to kill. but more on that later

Marked- Now were getting to my favorite thing about this episode. This episode title can have two meanings. The first is the more literal interpretation. Tattoos are marking of the body and the case this episode was all about tattoos so easily a good name would be marked. But I believe this is a red herring meant to misguide listeners who have not consumed all 200 episodes of TMA because if you know the world of Magnus Archives the term Marked takes on a entirely different meaning.

In TMA the term marked is used to indicate that somebody has been influenced by one or more or the fears and are one their way to becoming an Avatar. I think this could be a coded way to tell the audience someone in the OIAR has been marked. I have two potential candidates

Alice Dyer- Alice has been having dreams about the Institute after her and Sam's adventure into the ruins. also she mentions feeling like someone's watching her (common to people influenced or fed upon by the Ceaseless Watcher/The Eye) My guess if she is marked it would be by the Eye.

Gwendolyn Bouchard: Probably the most likely culprit. The main way an entitly tends to mark people is through encounters with other avatars. Gwen has just had an encounter with Mr Bonzo last episode who I strongly believe must be an avatar of some sort.

What Happened in Episode 12: Getting Off

Aww Sam!!- Sam asked Celia out and it was adorably awkward. not much to say I just loved this interaction and I'm longing for a new Magnus brand office romance hopefully is wont be an agonizing slowburn that ends tragically like a certain pair of morons from Archives (I love you Jon and Martin but Jesus christ)

It's Bonzo time bitches!!- Probably one of the most gruesome Magnus statement I've ever listened to (good work Alex) Mr Bonzo completely annihilated some poor dude at his bachelor party. Based on the date of the Incident the I can confidently say that whoever Baz (the groom) was he was our mystery person the OIAR sent Mr Bonzo to get rid of. Along with some of the bloodiest imagery we learned a few things about Bonzo. The most interesting detail is that Bonzo has to be summoned by playing his theme song I think the CD of his theme song acts somewhat like the tapes did in TMA by materialising out of nowhere. Also fun fact you know that torn seam that is right down Bonzo's middle? that is actually is his mouth lined with rows sharp teeth so I guess I know that now (so fun) Moral of the story dont f*ck with Mr. Bonzo

Alice knows something: Theres been this recurring audio glitch throughout TMAGP thatnks to a few extremly observent fans we have started to relize that these glitches are not at all random and are actually letting the audience know when a character is lying (i actually reposted somones deepdive into all the istances of this glitch so far if you guys are intrested in knowing more) why i bring this up now is becuase since we know when any charater is lying we also know when they are being truthful if there is no glitch when they say somthing and at the end of this episode this interaction occurs

Alice goes ahead and makes a joke about this to annoy Gwen but the fact theres no audio glitch when she says "I know" means she does actually know who is behind the OIAR and is activly refusing to share it with Gwen or the others. What do you know Alice!?

and that's about it im already loving these next batch of episodes and am so excited to learn more (ERROR has to show up somtime )

thanks to everyone who resonded the poll on the last update I will continue to include drawings into the breakdown even if it takes me a little bit of time to post. anyways I wrote this all in one sitting and I'm about ready to pass out so thanks again and the ask box and comments are always open for discussion and theory crafting.

-Echo

[choccy-milky]

oh boy anon, you’ve activated my trap card. GET READY FOR A SEBASTIAN CHARACTER ANALYSIS ESSAY BELOW LMAO

ok so first off I know im obvs biased, but I don’t actually think my seb is that ooc, AND PUT DOWN YOUR PITCHFORKS IMMA EXPLAIN WHY. but im also gonna explain why I don’t think the other more friendly and lighthearted renditions of seb are ooc either. bc theres so many aspects of seb we get in the game that can be interpreted in so many diff ways, and so this is how i see it/landed on MY rendition of seb:

PROTECTIVENESS/POSSESSIVENESS: this is one of the main aspects of him, imo. his entire questline is about wanting to cure anne, and how he’s not giving up, and how he believes that HE is the only one that can do it, because “she’s MY sister!” seb is super tunnel visioned and has a one-track mind when it comes to this, and I headcanon that he’s this way because of their parents deaths. he’s the brother, the boy, he’s gotta be strong for his sister, and ofc when their parents died, he tries to comfort her and be there for her/be the rock, and it happens again when she’s sick. shes his sister, his responsibility, and he’ll die before he gives up on her and her safety.

SO, I just transfer all those aspects over to a romantic relationship instead. you just replace “shes my sister” with simply, “she’s mine/my gf/my wife/etc.” and in the same way I think seb tries to be strong and reliable and protect anne because he’s the brother, I think seb would be the same way in a relationship, because he’s a boy and she’s a girl and its 1890 and he’s chivalrous and he just sees it as his responsibility. I think the death of his parents and his dynamic with anne has baked this sort of mindset into him, and its even MORE intense in a romantic aspect, because then hormones and puberty and sexual tension and attraction is involved (plus the fact that seb in my fic is 17, so he’s older and has even stronger raging hormones and testosterone LOL.

JEALOUSY: who can forget the lines “between the two of you, I’m starting to feel left out” and “ominis simply needs a moment with you and he’ll change his mind. is that it?” the first one is more playful but I feel like the second one really showcases sebs brand of jealousy, and how biting and uncharitable it can be.

AGGRESSION/VIOLENCE: yet another iconic line with: “fine. but ominis knows, I won’t step back from a fight.” LIKE... the fact that apparently ominis knows this means its come up more than once…and im not saying seb is some unruly aggressor who flies off the handle at anything, but he defs has a capacity and is willing to get violent if HE believes the situation calls for it—basically the same way he feels about the dark arts. he felt justified using imperio to protect anne, and taking the relic to save anne, and so he would have fought ominis to get out of the catacomb. and with MY seb, while he doesn’t go picking fights with any boy who looks or gets close to clora, he’ll definitely be willing to beat up or lay hands on a creep who bothers clora/who is in the process of bothering her LOL.

SO YEAH, that’s pretty much it, and I’ll be the first to admit I definitely ramp up these traits further because he’s older in my fic and i think these traits would only get more intensified with age + being in love and also bc IM A TWILIGHT GIRLIE!!! what can I say. there are so many moments in my fic where you can just replace seb with edward and it wouldn’t seem out of place tbh LMAOO so blame twilight, it was a formative experience for me BAHAHA

BUT like I ALSO said, I don’t think peoples more lighthearted interpretations of seb are ooc either. because even all my earlier above examples, you can just focus on diff aspects of them. like his tunnel vision and obsession to cure anne? instead of seeing it as over the top protective and possessive, you can just view it in a more wholesome determined selfless sort of way. like I said we got so many nice little bits and ingredients of his personality that we can turn into anything we want, really👌just pick which flavour of seb u like best and use what we got in game to create it HAHA

AW TYY QUEEN BAHAHA💖 and aw im always so honoured when ppl tell me they consider my stuff canon that’s like the best compliment I can get, tysm 😭 and im glad you like my fic and art so much (enough for your friends and family to unfortunately know💀 LMAOO)

im adding your ask to this because it kinda ties into my seb essay. LETS GET INTO WHY A SWEET BABY ANGEL WOULD LIKE SOMEONE LIKE SEB. the answer ISSS: the same reason WE’RE also all into him I guess?? BAHHA

ok but to start off im gonna defend my seb, not only cause of what you said anon (i dont want you to feel like this is targeted to you!) but also bc I got an ask recently asking me to summarize seb and clora’s relationship since all they see from my art is that “they fuck and seb is possessive” LMAO, and I feel like ppl who JUST see my art and don’t read my fic have a warped image of my seb.

this may be shocking but I don’t consider my seb a red flag LMAO. I joke about how hes more of a pink flag tbh, but even THAT i dont even really believe, and don’t even consider him overly possessive. like yes he keeps an eye on her when shes hanging around other boys, but I feel like that’s normal (esp for 1890) and all of his most possessive moments have been when theres been a threat to cloras life/coming from a place of love and protection (especially since clora is so self-sacrificial, she’d have killed herself by now if not for seb LOL) so to me id actually put Sebastian as being PROTECTIVE as his first and foremost trait, followed by the possessiveness.

and yeah he gets jealous, but unless a dude is actively trying to get with her/hitting on her/harassing her, he’ll otherwise just kinda be unhappy about it/let it play out/ watch on unhappily LOL. and even when lawley was blackmailing clora and getting in between her and sebs relationship and lying about how close he and clora were, seb demanded answers from CLORA on what was happening between the two of them, but he didn’t touch lawley or tell him to stay away. bc seb thought that was what clora wanted, so he let her drift away. if he was TRULY a red flag, in this instance he would have just beat up lawley for taking what was "his"/not allow clora to leave him/immediately go to lawley instead of clora, and tell him to stay away despite what clora might want. (and clora even WISHED seb had interfered and done this. she was like 'why is he letting me drift away and go off with lawley i WANT him to fight for me...but she couldn't actually say anything thanks to the blackmail)

clora doesn’t just 'put up' with sebs more possessive and protective behaviour though, she actually likes it HAHA. just bc shes a precious baby angel, we all like a bad boy, even back then. just look at jane eyre, and how popular the dark and brooding and assholey mr. rochester was.

she tells seb at one point that she likes those things about him, even his immature competitive side, and his darker sides, and that he shouldn’t try to hide them or change himself because she accepts them. and even putting aside all of the stuff they’ve been through together that has bonded them (like the main canon quests + annes curse and then CLORA being cursed, and then clora being kidnapped and seb saving her) clora thought seb was roguish and charming and witty and intelligent and good looking from day 1. add to the fact that he’s just so devoted to her in everything he does, that even if he CAN get a bit overbearing at times, how could you NOT fall for someone like that😩 someone whose possessive behavior just stems from wanting to protect you and love you and want to keep you safe and cherish you like DAMN…. GET ME A SEB, TOO. WHERES MINE!!!😭😭

clora also realizes in ch 32 WHY seb is so protective of her (the trauma with his parents and wanting to be there for anne) and that she accepts it, and enjoys it, and that she might even MISS it if seb were to ever get less protective of her/might get lonely LOL, and then sebs like "i’ve "spoiled you, have i?"

so YEAH I don’t think sebs protectiveness and possessiveness goes into any toxic territory or red flag territory PERSONALLY (and the time that it DID get toxic was because of the relic, and clora DID put her foot down)

but my normal seb? whose dream in life is to whisk clora away into a tower and lock her up to keep her safe and keep her all to himself, but that he’d never ACTUALLY do because he knows its insane and unreasonable but jokes about wanting to do it anyway bc he would if clora agreed? clora finds that endearing and cute and is touched by how much he loves her and wants to keep her safe.

IN CLOSING: I LOVE THEM YOUR HONOUR AND THEY LOVE EACH OTHER👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨

[blakeswritingimagines]

Kink List With Jack Hughes

A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

He's very gentle and considerate. He makes sure you are comfortable and satisfied before, during, and after. He's also open and communicative, so if there are any issues or things either of you would like to change, you can discuss them openly without judgement.

B = Body part (Their favourite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

His favorite body part of his is his legs. They're long and strong, and He always gets compliments on them. When it comes to you, he really enjoys a sexy and curvy figure, he likes how it fills out clothing in an attractive way. He appreciates the softness of your curves and the shape provided. He also likes how curves create a sense of sensuality that can be very enticing.

C = Cum (Anything to do with cum basically… I’m a disgusting person)

On your breasts - particularly there's something so satisfying to him about cumming on your boobs. He loves how they squish and jiggle as his load lands on them.

D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

He would find it extremely sexy seeing you wearing his jersey would make him feel like you’re his in a very intimate way. It’s like saying, “I’m yours, and you’re mine.” It’s a visual representation of your connection and would be a huge turn-on for him.

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

I would say he's fairly experienced. He's had a few relationships over the years and has experimented with different things over time. He knows that he's not an expert, but I think he knows enough to be confident in his abilities.

F = Favourite Position (This goes without saying. Will probably include a visual)

Doggy style - There's something incredibly hot about having complete access to your body while being able to watch you squirm with pleasure.

G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc)

I'd say he swings both ways. When things are serious and intense with you, he can be very earnest and passionate. But he also likes to lighten the mood by making jokes or teasing you in a playful way. He's definitely more relaxed when things are lighthearted, but can switch into a more serious mode quickly.

H = Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

He's definitely well-groomed, but whether the carpet matches the drapes is up to interpretation. Some people might say yes, and some might say no. I'll leave it up to your imagination.

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…)

When it comes to the romantic aspect of sex, he's definitely a bit of a hopeless romantic. He likes to be passionate and sensual, treating every moment together with you as something special. He enjoys the intimacy of looking into each other's eyes, stroking your hair, and kissing your lips. It's all about expressing his feelings and creating a connection with my partner that goes beyond physical gratification.

J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon)

Depends on how long he has to spare. If he's got a bit of free time during the day, he might masturbate twice or even three times. And if he's really feeling really horny or stressed out, he might even do it four or five times in a single session. But on average, I'd say he cums around two to three times a day.

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks)

For starters, he is into rough play – bondage, spankings, and all sorts of kinky stuff. He loves it when someone is helpless under his control.

L = Location (Favourite places to do the do)

He's partial to the bedroom, but there’s something about being out in the wild that’s really exciting. It’s a thrill to know that you might be caught at any moment, and have to be quick and discreet. He also loves hotels or vacation rentals with a nice view of the city. It’s really luxurious and adds an element of luxury to the experience especially up against a window.

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

There are many things that turn him on, but physical touch is one of his weaknesses. He loves it when you run your hands along his skin or lightly caress his neck. There's also something really erotic about watching you slowly undress before him. The anticipation and the thought of what might come next sets his body on fire.

N = NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

He wouldn't do anything that made you uncomfortable or felt pressured into doing. He also wouldn't do anything that he wasn't comfortable with himself.

O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc)

He usually prefers to give rather than receive, but he also likes to switch it up and receive occasionally. He thinks there's something incredibly pleasing about pleasing his partner. But there's also a lot of joy that comes from being pampered and treated to something special.

P = Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)

It depends on the situation and your desires at the moment. He can be fast and rough if the moment calls for it, but he's also skilled at taking things slow and making sure both of you are thoroughly satisfied. He can be very sensual and passionate when the time is right, too. He likes to switch up his style to keep things exciting and give both of you what you need in that moment.

Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

Let's just say that when the mood strikes him, he doesn't hesitate to take advantage of it. Maybe two or three times a week, if everything lines up perfectly for you both.

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

He loves trying new things in the bedroom (or wherever it ends up getting down) and pushing limits. He's always up for experimenting with different positions, toys, kinks, and fetishes. He can even be talked into some risky behavior from time to time, just for the thrill of it.

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…)

He can definitely hold his own when it comes to endurance during sex. He's been known to go for multiple rounds without breaking a sweat. In fact, sometimes he'll intentionally push himself to the limit just to see how long he can last. It usually takes him a few minutes to recover before he's ready for another round. So yeah, I'd say he's pretty damn good at going the distance. But honestly, it's not about how many times he can cum or how long he can last – it's about giving you an unforgettable experience that leaves you completely satisfied (and maybe even a little bit exhausted). 

T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

Yes, he does own toys. He has a few vibrators and a couple of other things. He uses them on himself when away from you and on you when he's in the mood, he doesn't want to get too reliant on them. He would rather connect with you with just your bodies.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

He loves teasing. It's fun to play the game, to build up the tension, and then to pay off the tension with an amazing release. He especially likes to tease you and to watch you go crazy with anticipation.

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

He can be quite loud, but he's not obnoxiously loud. He prefers loud, heavy breathing, passionate kissing, soft moans, dirty talking, and grunts.

W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

He doesn't mind taking charge or being dominated either. In fact, he kind of loves it when someone can keep up with him and makes him lose control. And if you have any kinky fantasies you wanted to try out, he's more than happy to oblige. So go ahead, tell him your dirtiest, most depraved desires.

X = X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants, picture or words)

Quite large, standing at about 8 inches long when fully erect. The shaft is muscular and veiny, with defined bulges along its length that hint at my intense stamina.

Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

I'd say he has a pretty high sex drive - He's pretty much always up for some fun and can get pretty enthusiastic and passionate when the moment arises. Sometimes he might need a bit of a warm-up, but once he's in the mood, he's ready to go.

Z = ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

He can fall asleep quite quickly after intimacy, usually within a few minutes. However, if you tend to stay awake for a little longer. You'll cuddle and enjoy the warmth of your bodies until you fall asleep too.

[ratcash-wasgud]

hi! i just came by your work last night, loved it! stayed up reading it! 11/10 *cheff kiss* Are you up for a petition? maybe another mizuxreader, perhaps villainxhero kinda situation. the reader could be one of the money/sex hungry affiliated with the white man (not a white men herself but like a lap dog of someone with higher power than Abijah Fowle). instead of mizu taking Fowler she takes the *reader*, keeps her alive and makes her speak 7u7 maybe scream. they end up helping each other in the end after much fighting. ofc adding some nsfw there pfff if that wasnt obvious.

hope you see this! lmfao

Omg, yes!! Genius. This set something ablaze inside me (especially since I love witty villain characters). I was thinking about making this a one shot tho, but if yall want a second part tell me, and i'll try. Try. Anyways, this'll be more lighthearted than my other works. Oh, and I'm sorry if this isn't how you imagined the story to go. I interpreted some of the originaly show's story, but mostly I just wen't along with what's the easiest to get my own story going, and I probably got some cannon info wrong too, but please don't yell at me lmao.

Btw!! I'm really glad i got a request!! So thank you! If anyone has any other ideas, I'd be glad to try and working with it!!

Okay, enjoy!!

ℕ𝕖𝕜𝕠 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕖𝕤𝕥.

When Mizu pulled up to tea with Heji Shindou, instead of the half-blad old guy, she was faced with you. Some woman in strange clothing. It seemed like it was a mix of western clothing, and some japanese casual wear. You even had your hair down, letting it flow freely. How unusual.

"Ah, the infamous samurai who is tearing through anyone in his way!" You say with a smirk on your face, opening up your arms. "Come, come. Oh, and I see you've bought a dog too." You add, looking smugly at Taigen.

"How dare-" He starts, but gets shut down by Mizu quickly, and the two follow you to sit down.

"So, I've heard you're after the white men, huh?" You say, not sitting on your knees, but sitting down criss-cross style. "Why? What is it that you're after? Money?" You ask, starting to pour some tea.

"I don't need things like that. I have a vow. I swore revenge." Mizu says simply. "And what is it that you need from me?"

"Oh, nada." You shrug. "I'm just willing to offer a deal." You shoot the both of them a smirk. "I'd love to have that fat bastard dead too! My loyalty isn't with him at all!" You say it like it's the most exciting thing ever. "You see, that sack of shit has everything in the world! Money, power, connections...and he's still complaining! Ha! Meaning, he doesn't deserve it." You say as you lift your tea and take a sip. "I, on the other hand, would take much better care of his privilages."

"So you want me to kill him so you can take his place?" Mizu asks, highly suspicious. She glances at Taigen, who is still giving you a dirty look for your comment from earlier.

"Yap." You nod, tossing down your cup. "Fowler wouldn't be an easy target, so without my help, you could already start planning your funeral." You say, but now a small dangerous glint appears in your eyes.

"And why should I trust you?" Mizu asks, her eyes narrowing at you, but your smirk doesn't falter.

"You shouldn't. Didn't you mother tell you not to trust strangers?" You say with a chuckle and Mizu rewards it with a small glare. A small, but cold one. "Still, it's up to you. Do you wanna kill that bastard so much you're willing to take the risk?"

"And how do we know this is not an ambush? That you won't just kill us if we say no?" Taigen cuts in, putting his hands on the table which you reward with your smile getting smugger.

"Oh, please." You put your hands up in defense. "You really think I'd waste weapons and men on you?" You say, looking him straight in the eye. "And besides, you won't say no." You look back at Mizu. "My deal has only benefits for you. You'll just have to gulp down some self respect."

Mizu raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" She can't deny, having someone close to Fowler himself helping her would be a huge positive, but...you just seem so sly. Like a cat.

"Ah, you see, I can get you inside Fowler's little residence." You stand up to pull of a blanket off a big barrel. "You'd fit inside quite well. You're a scrawny thing anyways." You say with a taunting smirk.

"It's a trap!" Taigen says to Mizu right away, but Mizu seems unfazed and steps closer. "How exactly would you get me inside?"

"Aw, I wanted that one to be a surprise." You say with a mock pout. "Fowler thinks I'm out getting a good deal on sake, and I kinda am." You take the barrel's to of, revealing that it's half full of sake. "I'd have you delivered right to his nose."

"You'd die." Taigen cuts in again, and Mizu can see your eye twitch at that.

"Could you shut your lil' pet up? The adults are talking." You say, your smirk disappearing.

"She's obviously untrustworthy!" Taigen draws his sword on a whim, but he's met with a revolver to his head right away.

"Don't try that shit with me." You say, tilting your head at him, but you then seel Mizu's blade at your nape. "Touché." You mutter.

"So what now?" You ask with a smirk breaking out on your face again. "Kill me and lose your only chance at killing the man you swore to slay down? Ha! Go on then." You say, glancing over at your shoulder at her, and you see Mizu tense up.

Suddenly, you feel a sharp pain in your head and you fall to the ground. Mizu hit you with the hilt of her blade, stripping you of your conciousness.

The next thing you see is a capmfire and a siluette around you. As you blink a lot to clear your vision, you notice Mizu and as you look down, ropes around you. She tied you up.

"So you didn't kill me after all." You say out loud, getting Mizu's attention. "The other guy? The one with a bald spot and a funny glare. The dog." You look around.

"Away." Mizu shrugs simply. It's the truth though, Ringo is away in a nearby town, getting supplements for the road, and she left Taigen with a promise of a later duel.

"So...What is you plan now, big bad samurai? Try and torture me into telling you shit? Ha!" You say, wriggling in the ropes.

"I'm planning to exchange you for information." Mizu says simply, staring at the campfire. "I'm sure Heji Shindo would like to have you back."

You grit your teeth. "That old fucker doesn't give a shit about anything but his money and his dick. I'm sure that power hungry bastard is happy I'm gone." You say, scoffing. "But go on, try." Suddenly, you realize something. "What did you do with my gun?" You ask in a hurry, trying to feel around at your hilt.

Suddenly, Mizu lifts your gun, holding it between two fingers. "This?" She asks, looking at you from the corner of her eyes.

"Don't you dare lose it! I want it back when you're done with me!" You stomp your foot as much as you can.

"You know, for someone talking so big earlier, you're quite pissy now." Mizu says, rolling her eyes and you huff in response.

Then...as you glanced back at the fire, you noticed a small pot, boiling. You tried to lift yourself to see what's in it, but the ropes didn't allowed you to.

"...if I starve to death, I'm just gonna be a waste, you know." You mumble under your nose, and Mizu snorts. She then reaches for the pot, and pours out some what seems like soup into a small bowl and she puts it beside you.

You stare at the bowl, your eye twitching. "I can't reach it." You say, your eyebrows creasing together and she just looks at you with a small, amused grin.

"Huh." She says, leaning back on her hands. "Really?" She taunts you. Oh, this woman is horrible. Fine, you think. In one swift motion, you move your leg as much as you're able, and kick the bowl, spilling it all on Mizu.

Mizu's eyes widen and she looks down on her clothes. "...oh, you little bitch." She hisses at you.

"Come, kill me then!" You stick out your tongue childishly.

"You know damn well I could!" Mizu huffs back, throwing the bowl at you.

"Ha-ha, your whole little quest depends on me!" You laugh right into her face and wriggle your legs. Mizu almost growls at you and suddenly she picks up your gun again, and holds it above the fire, threathening to drop it.

"No!" You yell out, and fall forward, and bite into her ankle. Mizu yanks her leg away with a hiss and reaches down to pull you up by your collar.

"Okay, what's your fucking deal?" She says from behind greitted teeth.

"What's yours?" You ask right back, snarling right back at her. "If you'd wanted to kill me, you'd have done it by now. So, want me to talk? Earn it!" You say, getting closer to her face, trying to stand your ground.

"The fuck you want?" Mizu tosses you away, and sits at a reasonable distance from you. "To have Fowler dead? Then just tell me how to get in, and where he is!"

"I want you to untie me, and hand me back my gun!" You demand, and lift your nose, refusing to look at her.

"What's so great about this gun anyways?" Mizu picks up the gun again and looks at it more closely. It's obviously a western gun with a leather grip and engravings along it's barrel in the form of some kind of bird.

You scoff in response. "That was my first gun. It's special." You say like it's the most obvious thing ever. "I will bring it with me when I finally travel aboard, away from this stuck-in-the-past land."

"Huh?" Mizu raises her eyebrows. "You wanna leave Japan? For what?" She asks mockingly.

"Because! This place isn't wide enough for my potential! After Fowler is out of the picture, I will visit take his money and go to London. Start a new life and all. I will really bloom there." You say, rolling onto your back. "People will understand me there."

Mizu narrows her eyes. "I don't think people in Japan are the problem, you're just a common lunatic." That earns a chuckle from you.

"Says the guy who is set out to kill four men he doesn't know shit about." You says, glancing at her, and Mizu can't help herself, cracks a smirk.

"You have guts to talk back to your captor, you know." She says and lifts her eyebrows in amusement. She glances up at the sky too. The stars are very bright tonight.

"You won't kill me." You say, tilting your head so that you're looking straight at her. It's just now that she notcied how nicely the stars reflect in your eyes. Your eyes now look calm, and they don't have any slyness, or mischief in them at the moment. "It wouldn't benefit you." You shrug. "And torturing me would be useless. Pain passes."

"Say," Mizu starts, looking back at the fire. "You said that you're not loyal to Fowler. So who are you loyal to?"

"Me." You say withouth hesitation. "The one who I want the best for and I trust the most is myself. I'm not loyal to any old, egostical bastard with money, like most people in this country are." Say say it with disgust. "I never was and never will be loyal to anyone else, but me."

Mizu scoffs. "What are you, a stray cat?" She asks with a hint of amusement as she looks down at you. "That just makes you even more untrustworty."

You scoff back. "Who said that I want to be trustwhorty?" You ask, rolling your eyes. "Plus, I'm free. Well, not yet, but I will be. And it's not like you can say the same."

Mizu can't help but snicker. "Is that it? Freedom? I'm free enough, thank you."

"Naaaaah." You shake your head. "You're tied down by your own revenge. It tells you where to go, what to see, what to feel...if I told you where's Fowler, you'd get going by tomorrow. Even if I told you you'd die, you'd still go. Not because you want to die, but because that's the only thing you know. Revenge and rage. You'd jump in the well if I said Fowler's at the bottom of it." You say boldly, and look her straight in the eyes before you smirk slyly.

"You think you know everything, huh?" Mizu frowns and gets up to you, grabbing you by the hair. "You know nothing of me. I need this. I will throw my life away if I have to, to finish what I've started, so I won't think twice about taking yours too."

"You're all talk about killing me. Deep down, you know you need me." You taunt her. "You won't find that bastard withouth me. I work under his arm, I could get you there soooo easily, but you're throwing it away because you get too emotional." Your smirk gets even more smug. You kinda look like a cat, Mizu notices again. A cat that has just pushed off something expensive off a shelf, breaking it, and knowing it too.

Mizu noticed that sometimes you force that smugness into your little smirks. She sees it because the corners of your lips twitch. In reality, you are scared of her, but you'd rather die than let her see that. She never met a woman like you. She doesn't know how you got to the place you are, but she respects it. And still, you kow she could take your life. You're tied up, tripped of your weapons and vulnerable, yet you still taunt her. You're very annoying but somehow she can't help but admire your bravery. But the moment you're cornerned into a corner, you hiss and scratch.

After that, she lets you go and walks to be at a good six and a half feet away from you before she lays down, and decides to sleep withouth another word. Not much time passes when Mizu stays sleepless, but she hears you snore. And for some reason, she can't help but smile. You breathe through your mouth when you sleep. It's kind of cute.

The next couple of days are spent with Mizu travelling with Ringo and Taigen, and she drags you along too. Literally. She drags you while you're tied up. During those days, you managed to talk to Ringo a lot. Most of the time he's the one who's assigned to watch over you, and it doesn't seem like he has even as much as a mean bone in his body. You could even call some of your conversations pleasent. The other two on the other hand...you sometimes talk to Mizu and you two always end up in a neck to neck situation. Mizu wants to get you to talk, but she hasn't hurt you yet. She just always threathens you, yells and curses. You just flat out insult her at every chance you get though. It's not because you hate her, persay, but because you find it funny. You're being held captive after all, you need to use every chance you get to have fun.

Currently, you are left alone for the first time in weeks, as the others left your outside of town while they get something done. When you're sure they're out of seeing and hearing range, you start to rub the ropes on your wrist against a bigger rock you've found, trying to "saw" through it. When that irritating thing finally snaps, and you begind to get yourself free, you suddenly hear a very menacing sound from behind.

"The fuck are you doing?" You turn your head and see Mizu, glaring and gripping her sword. Fuck, you think and as she charges at you. You quickly throw away the rest of your ropes, and dogde out of the way. You didn't got to where you are now withouth knowing how to stand your ground, and defending yourself...and knowing how to cheat, of course.

You jump to your feet and get behind Mizu, and with one swift, forward kick to her side, you don't just get her to grunt and almost fall, you also send your gun flying from her side. By now, you've learned that that's where she keeps it. You're still just happy she didn't outright get rid of it. As the gun slides on the cold ground, you jump after it while Mizu regains her composure, and finally obtain it once again.

"Yes!" You silently cheer to yourself and point the gun at Mizu, who just looks at you, her blade covering half her face.

You gulp. Do you really wanna fire at Mizu? Kill her even? You did kinda want to kill her and betray her at first, but now you're...not sure. Sure, she's an asshole but...over those days as being her captive, you learned some things about her...she's not as heartless and cold. She fed you herself, she managed to keep you safe, even if she kept you in robes, and she just wants revenge...she even kept your gun safe.

But you can't show weakness. That's not what you stand for, so you shoot, but aim at her leg. She dodges of course, and manages to pin you down with her blade at your neck, but your gun at her stomach.

You just stare at her eachother, panting, not sure who's gonna kill who first. Mizu stares into your eyes, seeing her own reflection in them. Suddenly she notices that familiar glint in them, and how you swallow while panting, and how nose moves when you take a deep breath...and she feels her stomach fluttering. With adrenaling flowing through her veins and her skin haven't feeling contact with someone else's for so long, she makes a decision. A quick, and a little foolish one.

She pushes her lips against yours, her eyes closing and her breathing speeding up even more. And to her biggest surprise...you kiss back right away. It's all happening so fast. One minute you're nearly killing eachother, and in the other, you're passionately making out with her hands under your clothes, feeling your skin with your weapons thrown to the side.

"Asshole. You fired at me." Mizu mumbles into the kiss, her hands firmly feeling up the skin on your sides, while you rin your hands down her spine.

"Dickhead. You kept me tied up for weeks." You mumble back, gently biting into her lower lip, which Mizu rewards with a small gasp. Suddenly, she feels your hands under her clothes too.

"I knew it." You whisper. "A man could never have a soul like yours." You say and pull her back into a kiss. You feel her knees between your legs, pushing at your core, and in response you squeeze one of her breasts. Mizu starts to get rid of your clothes one by one, and as she does that, you quickly strip her of her own too.

Mizu's slander fingers slowly travel to your slit, but as she does, you grip her wrist and stop her. "No." You mumble. "Not like this." You flip her over (not easily though, she fights back even now), and look down at her naked form, quickly throwing away her chest bindings too.

"Fuck..." You mumble as you carefully align your core with hers, your clits touching, and moving together with every breath. And as you start to move gently, holding yourself up on your hands next to her head, you can hear her moan. She grinds back against yours, your juices mixing together. Even in this moment, it's as if you're both fighting for dominance. You don't know when will Mizu just reach up and choke you to death, but honestly? That's the best part.

You feel her hands around you, one clawing at your back, the other on your jaw...then cheeks, then lips, then the last thing you know is that she's forcing a finger inside of your mouth while you quietly moan and bite down on it. In response you push harder against her, almost squishing her clit with yours, which end in a louder moan from both of you.

"Can't...can't fucking take it..." Mizu moans, pushing her finger deeper inside your mouth before she retreats it, and uses her other hand to pull on your hair instead.

"What? Gonna cum? Ha." You manage to murmur out, not being able to stop your hips, feeling yourself getting closer to the edge too.

"You...fucking wish...ah!" Mizu's whole body twitches as you angle yourself a little differently, giving a whole new sensation to both of you, making you bite into her shoulder while she grips a handful of your hair thightly. And with that, a louder, choked back moan escpaed from both of you...being in perfect balance with eachother, and reaching your climax at the same time.

You stay there, just quietly panting and laying there, on top of eachother in silence for a while. You ahve your face burried into Mizu's neck, basking in her scent while Mizu still has her hand in your hair, feeling it's texture against her cheek.

"...you gotta go through a tunnel." You mumble.

"What?" Mizu perk up, lifting your head by your hair to look into your eyes.

"To get into Fowler's castle. You gotta go through a tunnel that is like...twenty steps away from the road's end and is filled to the brim with traps." You mumble, having your eyes open only halfway. "You gotta head East after you leave the last small village before the forest."

Mizu takes all that in. Now she knows how to get there...now she knows everything. "So that's what it took you to talk? For me to fuck you?"

"I fucked you." You say with a huff and get off of her, putting your clothes back on. "Well, I guess you got what you wanted, and I'm free too." You say, not really sure why. There are no ropes holding you back anymore, so...íthis is your cue to leave, isn't it?

"Wait, where are you going?" Mizu sits up, looking after you.

"Back to Fowler." You shrug. "I'm still his right hand. He probably sent men to find me." You sigh as you finish dressing up. "See you...at the castle." You say, look at her above your shoulder.

"..." Mizu narrows her eyes. "Fuck you." She spits.

"Check." You put on that so familiar smug smirk and hold up a thumbs up. "Spare me a seat in the audience when you cut his head off." You wave as you start walking away.

"...like a fucking stray cat." Mizu sighs, and before you dissappear, the last thing she sees is your wink.

[goingbuggy]

Good morrow my shuggy liege!

I was pondering if I should or shouldn’t ask but I hope it will not be too much bother to answer

It’s about one of your metas about the love and sacrifice Beautifully written I must say but reading through it again made me wondering how does buggy fall into the sacrifice themes of one piece?

It pains me to admit that once I’ve read 1082 I had many different feelings and one of them thought of buggy sacrifice as quite selfish in a way? Don’t get me wrong I’m sure came from him believing in shanks and the love he had for the boy! It just it felt in a way like he was burdening shanks with his own dreams

I’m happy he finally got the courage to follow his own path It’s beautiful and inspiring I just wonder if my interpretation is coming from anxiety or is actually true? Thank you and I’m sorry to sending this on anon

Hello, anon! Thank you for your kind words about my metas. Before I answer your question about where Buggy might fit into the wider themes of One Piece -- like sacrifice -- I think I should address your interpretation of 1082's events and compare them with mine.

I can understand why someone might conclude that Buggy's faith in Shanks is a burden of sorts, and ultimately selfish; after all, Shanks never asked for the weight of Buggy's expectations, and you could argue that Buggy's plan was to live out his dreams vicariously through Shanks. However, I think that there are some key points which entirely re-frame the situation.

Buggy didn't actually tell Shanks about what he did.

This isn't explicitly confirmed by the manga, but based on 1082's events and Shanks/Buggy's relationship timeline going forward, I can definitely make a strong case for their miscommunication in this regard.

Although we have Buggy's narration in 1082 to guide us through his flashback and enlighten us with his true feelings about Shanks, remember -- it's an internal monologue. The only thing Shanks knows is what Buggy tells him, and what Buggy tells him is not the full story. Look at this series of panels to see what I mean.

We have a very important contrast here -- Buggy's thoughts ("You're not the next generation's king?! I misjudged you, Shanks!" / "Don't you care about following in Captain Roger's footsteps?!"), versus what he actually says. ("You coward!" / "It's your fault I lost that treasure map!")

In classic Buggy fashion, we see him deflect from the truth; instead of explaining how much he believed in Shanks' potential, he brings up a petty grudge and insults Shanks out of disappointment, hurt, and anger/frustration. Nowhere do we see Buggy explicitly tell Shanks what/why he gave up. And this miscommunication is not only the heart of Buggy's sacrifice, but the exact reason why they split in the first place: Shanks did not tell Buggy what made him change his mind about going to Laughtale, and Buggy did not tell Shanks about his decision/dream.

I think this is key to understanding the way they navigate their interactions later down the line, in Marineford. Remember: Shanks believes that they split due to the whole map ordeal, which is not only a relatively lighthearted grudge to hold, but also very confusing from Shanks' perspective.

I love the curt answer he gives here, because it really reflects Shanks' limited understanding of what actually transpired between them that fateful day at Loguetown. Thus, it's also understandable why Shanks acts the way he does at Marineford. I highly doubt Shanks would be so casual if he knew Buggy's real reasons for parting ways. Hell, their split was so important to Shanks that he still remembers Buggy's gripe about the map 20+ years later -- and even uses the promise of one to draw Buggy back into rehashing things between them. (The anime expands on Shanks' confusion/limited understanding even more, but because we're dealing with the manga only, I'm not going to reference those added scenes.)

This interaction can seem quite confusing, but place it in the wider context I've just proposed, and it makes a lot more sense. Something fundamental has permanently shifted between them, but Shanks does not understand the gravity -- nor the real reason -- behind that change. And yet again, Buggy perpetuates this cycle of miscommunication by not telling him.

So, now that I've argued why I believe Buggy didn't tell Shanks about his true dream/decision to give up on said dream, why is it so important?

Well, this leads to my second point.

2. Buggy is a character primarily motivated by greed.

This statement does not need to be argued; it's as explicit as can be, because it has been well-established by Oda. In fact, it's very likely to be what people remember best about Buggy's character, in the midst of the massive narrative that One Piece has become. (I will touch upon this later, because this is exactly why I view Buggy's sacrifice as so impactful to the reader.)

Now, my last point:

3. Buggy is terrible at hiding his true intentions.

Buggy usually makes it quite obvious what he's hiding through blatant lies which hint to the truth, or even a direct slip of the tongue, like in Impel Down. This is partially for the sake of comedy/divulging necessary information to readers, but it's also a genuine aspect of his character which reinforces the comedy. Buggy's intentions are comically apparent to readers, so it's ridiculous to see his followers fall for his schemes.

These three points, in tandem, are exactly what makes 1082's reveal so impactful. Oda uproots everything we thought we knew about Buggy's character in order to give us the missing puzzle piece -- the reason why he is the way he is. This exact decision.

Buggy is a character motivated by greed, but he gave up on his dream, a pillar of freedom and existence in the One Piece world. He is self-absorbed, and yet he de-centered himself from the narrative. And for who, of all people? Shanks, the very man he claimed to despise in his first introduction. Are you starting to see the groundwork Oda's laying down here?

Buggy is notoriously bad at hiding the truth when he lies, and yet readers are blindsided by this reveal, over a thousand chapters after his first appearance. He kept it a secret, not just from Shanks, but from us. 1082 subverted our expectations and further developed Buggy's character in the process. It's a great display of what I love most about Oda's writing.

Before 1082, it would be difficult to claim where Buggy lies in One Piece's themes of sacrifice or dreams. But post-1082, it's a lot clearer. Oda has shown us that Shanks is just as important to Buggy as Buggy is to Shanks, and he's done it in the most effective way for a greedy character: by showing us that even Buggy is capable of sacrifice, when it's for someone he cares about. And what did he give up? His dream -- one of the most important things people have in One Piece.

Sure, it's possible to dismiss Buggy's decision as selfish, but remember: he didn't tell Shanks. He didn't expect anything in return. In a way, he has actually spared Shanks from feeling burdened; Shanks doesn't know the truth, and so he has no opportunity to feel guilt or responsibility for Buggy's decision. For a character like Shanks, who is defined by responsibility, this is also massively significant. Buggy's choice is not Shanks' fault, and by deflecting to trivial matters like the map, Buggy has -- intentionally or not -- lifted a possible weight from Shanks' shoulders. Shanks still feels the loss of their relationship, but instead of potential guilt, there is confusion and miscommunication.

So, no, I don't view Buggy's sacrifice as selfish. He did what he did because he truly believed in Shanks. He was willing to let Shanks become king and live out his dream, all without burdening Shanks with the truth. It's the antithesis of everything we've known about Buggy up until this point -- a decision without his greed, egomania, and overt schemes at the forefront. And if that's not a selfless act from Buggy, then I don't know what is.

[lokischocolatefountain]

Setting Boundaries

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Javier Peña x Reader

Rating: PG13 (form mentions of adult topics)

Summary: Javi realizes he can’t have his cake and eat it too.

A/N: I started writing husband!Javi as a married man, but I often wonder what it was like in the beginning when he and his now wife didn’t intent to have anything serious… So here’s a little drabble from that

“What are you doing here Javier?” She asked him, head leaned back on her headboard as she came down from her last orgasm.

“Huh?” He asked, confused. She had called him over… Did he interpret it wrong? And if he did, why would she let him know after they’d fucked?

“I want to know what you want. From me.”

“Think I showed you what I want from you, baby,” he teased before leaning in to kiss her. She turned her head, his lips pressing on her cheek instead. She was in no mood for lighthearted banter.

“What do you mean?”

“You never stay the night, which tells me that this is just sex. And then you cook me fancy Mexican food for dinner in my kitchen and then I think there’s something more. You haven’t introduced me to any of your friends and I’m back to thinking there’s nothing more between us. But then you drive me to the fucking market and back and tell you you don’t want me carrying all that stuff by myself. But then you won’t be seen in public with me. Or meet my friends. But then you kiss me on the forehead and remember my coffee order and send me gifts because I got tenure—” she stopped to let out a sigh. “It’s not— it’s giving me whiplash, Javi.”

He tucked his gun and badge back in his jeans but stood in place instead of leaving. She was right. He was giving her mixed messages, pushing her away and pulling her back in. Romancing her in the privacy of her apartment but leaving once he was done exacting his name out of her lips.

But she didn’t say she wanted anything serious. And he had made it clear that with the way his job was, there was no space for anything more. But he had been doing a lot more.

“Carla wants to set me up with her cousin and I don’t even know what to tell her.”

“Do you like Carla’s cousin?” He spat, suddenly incensed.

He was not a possessive man. He slept with prostitutes who had multiple men a day. He never felt jealous. He was alright with his partners having other partners as long as he didn’t catch something. Or worse, make something. But the thought of her sitting across fucking Carla’s fucking cousin at some restaurant made him want to punch a hole in the wall.

“That’s not the point!” She exclaimed, looking away from him as she got dressed. “I don’t even know what his name is. It’s just— I’m in limbo and I have no clue what I’m doing with you. We fuck on schedule but you don’t just…leave. You ask me about my job and make jokes and get me dinner before leaving. You are— It’s fucking with my head, Javier. I need boundaries. Either we just have sex and you stop all the other things— carrying my groceries, sending me gifts, cooking for me, that stuff—or you let me take you out on a date.”

“What do you want from me?” He asked, hoping she would say she just wanted sex. That she didn’t find him worthy of anything except a good fuck to drain the stress of her workday. Because then it wouldn’t be his choice. Then he could tell himself that she was the one who pushed him away, that he never had a chance with her. That date nights and cuddling on the couch were not for men like Javier Peña who’d long stowed their hearts away to stomach what they did on a daily basis.

“I like having sex with you.”

“But?” He asked, knowing there was a but. There always was.

“And,” she emphasized, as though hearing his inner thoughts and needing to argue with it. “I like when you take me to the market. I like you. I just want to know if you like me too or if getting dinner with Carla’s cousin would be cheating.”

He’d never met Carla or her cousin before but if he did, he would run them over with his jeep.

She didn’t ask him to answer immediately. Of course she didn’t. She always had to be reasonable and rational and kind to him. She wasn’t asking anything of him, didn’t demand that they date. She just wanted to know where they stood. Fair enough.

“It wouldn’t be cheating.”

The words left a bitter taste in his mouth. She could have dinner with whoever she liked. Carla’s cousins, Tíos, dad. Some fucked up trio with Carla and her husband. It wasn’t his concern. She’d be better off with any of those men.

In retrospect, he should’ve know how mad it would’ve driven him.

.

.

.

Advent Calendar Masterlist

Main Masterlist

[atticustimestwo]

do you mind sharing a bit more about your analysis of heart,,,

i'd love to!! (i assume this is about the heart critique piece i did a few months ago, but please correct me if im wrong!)

in terms of the "a critique on the treatment of hearts characterization" piece, i wanted to visually explore some frustrations i have had with how the fanbase seems to fall into some unfortunate patterns when it comes to hearts character.

frequently, i see heart infantilized - this either comes across as him being a kicked dog unable to help himself because he is too weak, a baby angel who did nothing wrong, or a feral gremlin child. i think flattening his character down to any/all of these is, for lack of a better word, a bit problematic?

; one reason being it just defeats the idea of emotions being a visceral, intense thing. heart is meant to represent emotion in its purest form; i feel woobifying him takes away from that concept because it shows having emotions as being inherently weaker or less mature. i think a lot of people kinda forget HMS aren't just tv show characters. they represent greater concepts that near everyone feels and feels uniquely - theyre more sensitive than your typical character. thats not saying treating them as characters is bad! everyone relates to them differently because they are so personal, they make them their own and i think thats really awesome!! ; but boiling them down to these really generic tropes and making heart a baby kinda defeats the idea that emotions are a real, visceral, multifaceted concept. ; another reason i think it can be problematic is that it sometimes unintentionally comes across really ableist? a lot of these 'fandom-y' tropes are already rooted in ableism in some way, which is bad on its own, but theres also the important addition that heart is frequently portrayed as blind.

ive seen people time and time again fall into stereotypes with heart that his blindness makes him weak/helpless/childish. truthfully I dont think people do this intentionally, but its still internalized ableism showing up. i recognize that a lot of the people who woobify heart tend to be on the younger side, so they dont really recognize that theyre flattening him down like that- not out of malicious ignorance, but because theyre kids who havent really had the life experience yet to grasp the full concepts of the album or realize they might be implying harmful stereotypes; that doesn't necessarily mean its okay, but i think its just them being uneducated cause theyre kids and they have yet to learn that stuff. ; all that being said, im not trying to police people on how they portray characters. im not any authority on this fandom/album by any means imaginable - im just a fan like everyone else here! like i said before, characterizing HMS is not inherently a bad thing at all ! its fun, and its what this fanbase is built on in the first place! its so great that everyone can interpret and relate to HMS so personally, i think chonny really hit it off with the concept for the album and the execution is stellar! seeing all the fanart and different interpretations of it and the characters is such a beautiful thing, no matter if its joking, lighthearted, or deep! ; at the end of the day, theres no wrong way to interpret this album, and theres no wrong way to characterize heart. more than anything that critique piece was built up frustration turned to a call to action for people to stop and think deeply for a moment about how they portray heart - to open eyes if someone might be unknowingly flattening or adding problematic ideas to their characterizations. and to just be mindful of that going forward! 💜 

[pianocat939]

Hi girl. I saw your post and wanted to request something I never saw before, a yandere fem chrollo x fem fantôme troupe member reader. Where the reader is just there to do business a'd chrollo being a creep.

It would be amazing if you did that. Have a great day.

I love the random french for phantom lol

I'm gonna be writing in 2nd person (basically MC as "you"). Gender is always up to interpretation.

Tw: nothing too severe, just MC being figuratively "chained" to Chrollo, implied possibility of kidnapping

You're just another citizen from Meteor City who just happened to be invited to join by Chrollo himself. You didn't really mind, you had nothing better in life for you. So you willingly became a spider.

You weren't really made for heavy combat. Your skills were more meant for searching and watching others. You weren't exactly helpless, but you weren't super buff either.

Chrollo...Chrollo was odd to you, to say the least. He constantly asks where you're going or what you plan to do. Whenever the Phantom Troupe splits for a while, you always manage to stumble into him when you're on your trip. He insists that he stays by you for the rest of the trip, until the next mission.

You didn't get it at all; until one day, when you went looking around a market to look for some cool things to buy. Only to stumble upon a drunken man screaming and yelling at you, mistaking you for someone else.

You couldn't do much, considering you identity is at risk. So you back away, not wanting to interact. But the man keeps pushing on, pointing at you and continuing to shout his insults.

Until he suddenly passes out. A "shocked" Chrollo stands behind him. The public doesn't even glance at him as they go up to the man, calling the police.

You're left to stand there, surprised to see your leader. Chrollo grabs your hand and takes you to a less crowded place. His demeanour breaks, and you're suddenly put into a tight hug. His head settled on your shoulder. His voice is a harsh whisper, but you can feel his rage. "I should have known. I guess I'll just have to keep you by my side forever. Otherwise, stupid imbeciles will hurt my precious one."

What is wrong with him? He isn't one to act like this. He was always a little odd around you, but never had he called you "precious one" or held you so tightly. You think your lungs might puncture if he grips any harder.

"Sire..."

"Chrollo. Call me Chrollo. We're stuck to each other now." He rubs your back, nuzzling your neck. It felt weird. Too weird. He wasn't one to be so affectionate. Even during a moment of rage.

"What are you doing?" You blatantly question, needing to know what is going on in his complex mind.

"Holding you." He answers, mimicking the same straightforward tone you had.

"But why?" You turn your head slightly to stare at him, wanting to know an ounce of his feelings. You want him to admit it; instead of hanging around constantly in mysterious moments.

"Because I cannot let you be hurt. I would hate to lose my favourite person in this machine we call the world. I care for your existence more than mine." His words are eloquently formed, as always.

You don't bother trying to tug out of his grasp. The times when he interacts with fate did you know he was at his prime. His obsession with life and death was a wonder; perhaps you're the reason why.

"Come now. I say we go eat some dessert after that scare." He took your hand and walked down the tiled street. He acted as if he didn't just chain you down to him; like his heart is lighthearted, not dead at all.

"...Fine with me." Maybe you shouldn't have let him drag you away. But why would you resist? He was much more powerful than most of the population. You wouldn't stand a chance. If anything, he would take you away for one else to see.

——————————————————

(Honestly I have no idea what I wrote. I just spat some random words aha)

[yamelblr]

my kids are watching pocoyo, and yours should too.

note: i don't have kids; the headline is merely an expression.

so, as someone who is very passionate about art, i try to hold back from critiquing artworks solely based on personal preference...

that being said, i really like minimalism; the concept of achieving something grand with minimal resources captivates me, and pocoyo, in its ambitious yet lighthearted approach, successfully embraces this artistic philosophy in a way that is both interesting and groundbreaking.

in contrast to the prevalent corporate memphis seen in various enterprises' branding, pocoyo distinguishes itself by avoiding the trappings of a simplifying obsession meant to dumb down iconography.

this contemporary minimalist art style is not inherently bad—i personally find it relatively pleasant when used right— but its proliferation often acts as a visually unobtrusive background for corporate spaces. this is like the muzak of visual arts.

for those who don't know, is what we often call elevator music—fabricated to create a facade of a calm work environment for low-income workers, masking the exploitation they endure.

pocoyo utilizes minimalism with another purpose. it invites viewers to immerse themselves in the simplicity of its visuals, employing limited objects that encourage the mind to actively participate by "filling in the blanks."

the cartoon unfolds on an all-white canvas with only certain characters and key items strategically placed, creating ample negative space.

the intentional use of negative space allows the viewer to focus on the characters and the story without unnecessary distractions. the storytelling approach in pocoyo resonates with performative theatre, where negative space is abundant, engaging the audience by encouraging them to fill it with their interpretations; it keeps the viewer at the edge of their seat trying to fill that negative space, if not with items, with an ambientation and abstract elements.

in an era saturated with mindless maximalism and visual oversaturation in media targeted to children, pocoyo stands out by embracing responsible minimalism.

this approach contrasts sharply with the likes of youtube content-farms and cocomelon, a cartoon exemplifying this aggressive maximalism i'm talking about.

cocomelon's rapid scene cuts every 2 to 4 seconds contribute to overstimulation and potential addiction in young viewers.

they're putting our children on crack.

in contrast, pocoyo's deliberate pacing, occasionally featuring tracking shots and long takes, challenges and improves attention spans.

furthermore, pocoyo employs a narrating language akin to normal adult conversation, fostering a healthy communication style. this stands in stark contrast to cocomelon's patronizing approach and zombie ass nursery rhymes, which oversimplifies language and undermines the development of critical thinking and abstract appreciation in young minds.

so, in conclusion, pocoyo's nuanced approach to minimalism and storytelling not only sets it apart in the world of animated content nowadays, but also challenges the prevailing trends that prioritize overstimulation over depth. it stands as a testament to the potential of thoughtful, intentional design in captivating and educating audiences of all ages.

i love it so much.

[yesimwriting]

a/n challengers changed me, so have this drabble <3

----

the soft sound of rubber soles making their way across the court startles you more than it should. it's bad enough that you're running so late you had to change in the library bathroom and that you're still putting on your tennis shoes. you don't need anything else making you seem un-together.

"you know..." patrick's closer than you thought he'd be, his racket dangling by his side, just barely scraping the ground you're sitting on. you let your fingers rest between your ankle and the back of your shoe as you look up at him. "you took so long we started to think you were standing us up."

the sentence feels lighthearted, but that doesn't keep unease from prodding at you. your friendship with patrick and art is still new enough that the wrongness of being late feels sharper.

"oh, no," you shake your head slightly in an attempt to emphasize your point. you straighten an arm to rest it on your bent knee. "no, i--the lunch with my sponsors ran long, and i had to change and--" patrick lets you ramble as he bends a knee, slowly moving to sit across from you. he sets down his racket with all the patience in the world, watching you with a lightness behind his eyes that radiates good humor. "and you were joking."

he leans back on one arm before lifting a shoulder in a halfhearted shrug. "a little, but that sponsorship thing..." patrick angles his head to one side in what feels like mock contemplation. "that sounds important, we should consider ourselves lucky that we made it onto your schedule."

his tone leaves your face feeling a little warmer. you let your attention fall back to your shoe. "no, not like that at all."

"well, i feel lucky," he says, "art, do you feel lucky?"

you turn your neck to look back at art. he's closer than you remember, the toe of his shoe so close to your leg that you'd only have to stretch a little to reach him. he lets out soft sigh before sitting next to patrick. "extremely."

the word borders on flat, a pinch of something you can't quite interpret bleeding into the syllables. his attention shifts away from you and towards patrick. maybe you weren't meant to fully understand. after all, they're life long best friends. and while normally encroaching on that kind of dynamic makes you feel like an intruder, with them, everything's always been comfortable.

"don't." you refocus on your shoes, pulling the laces taut between your fingers. "i'm the lucky one, you guys are great."

"and you're amazing." art breathes out the compliment in a way that feels concrete. real. the words don't feel like a necessary step in a polite exchange, they feel genuine. it's the kind of unabashed praise that's hard not to fluster at. "seriously--your backhand, i've never seen anything like it."

you let yourself smile, ignoring the warmth crawling up your chest. "thanks."

before you can dwell on the exchange, patrick leans forward. his fingers carefully bend around your ankle. patrick watches you expectantly as he extends a leg. you release your laces, letting him lift your foot onto his lower thigh.

"patrick."

"what?" patrick's gaze briefly flickers towards art as he crosses your shoe laces. "i'm helping out our girl." he tugs on your laces, neatly looping them. "ignore him, he's jealous."

you squint at him curiously, feeling like you're missing out on some kind of joke. "really? you think he wants to tie my other shoe?"

"i think," patrick secures a snug knot into place, "he wants to do whatever you want him to."

patrick settles a hand over your ankle. you let out a sound that's more a puff of air than a true laugh. "shut up." you lift your foot in a pretend kick. patrick makes a show of releasing your leg, holding up his hand as if to convey innocence. you pull your leg back. "don't make him sound so lame."

"yeah," art echoes, leaning towards patrick, "don't make me sound so lame."

patrick grins as he shoves art's shoulder. he pushes himself to stand with no warning. "c'mon, let's play."

you reach over for your other shoe before bending your leg. it takes no time for you to pull on but before you can adjust the laces, art's by your side. he pulls on your laces until your shoe feels secure. "too tight?"

with the way he's studying you, it takes you a moment too long to react. you shake your head once. "n-no, that's good."

he angles his head downwards, attention returning to your laces. "good."

art smiles as he squeezes your upper calf in an almost startling display of affection. he pushes himself to stand before offering you his hand.

——

lmk if you liked this, i have so many thoughts about them

[vickyvicarious]

I wonder if Van Helsing interpreted the hand clasping as different than gratitude?? It was so obvious to me that Arthur was grateful for Seward's offer to spill his blood for Lucy. But then I have seen the argument that all three suitors have a deep rivalry that they only express through blood transfusion. Not that I personally agree.

Honestly, I'm not totally sure. I'm in the same camp as you where the handclasp reads as such obvious thanks. I hesitate to think of what else it could even be seen as - I guess a too-hard squeeze, like someone pretending to thank you but making a point that they're mad about it? That feels so backwards and weird to even contemplate, giving the entire surrounding situation. Somehow, I can't imagine Van Helsing going quite so far as to actively observe the handclasp and think it equals jealousy. I mean, Arthur is there crying about how he'd die to save Lucy, and he's the one who called Jack in in the first place.

I guess you're asking because of Van Helsing's comment on 10 September, after Jack actually does give her blood:

"Mind, nothing must be said of this. If our young lover should turn up unexpected, as before, no word to him. It would at once frighten him and enjealous him, too. There must be none. So!"

I think Van Helsing has a pretty strong tendency to default towards "men do this" and "women are like this". He's got tons of benevolent sexism going on. And I think, particularly when he isn't thinking hard about a particular individual he knows well, he just assumes things. Men don't like women who make 'ugly' faces. Men get jealous. He throws those comments out there without even thinking about them. Which would make this less a case of him seeing Arthur squeeze Jack hands and thinking "oh boy he's a jealous one!" and more just... a base assumption that any man would probably get jealous.

I also think there's something to be said for the context of these kinds of quotes. Van Helsing uses this super gendered assuming language most when he's asking people to do something, at least as far as I recall. So when he wants Lucy to cheer up, he makes a joke about her man not liking her making an ugly face. He also wants her to stop frowning at his flowers specifically because he doesn't want her to be skeptical about this treatment, so he uses this as a lighthearted joke to distract from any skepticism and lead into his "no but really these are medicine" speech. I might even go so far as to say that he tends to use these kinds of statements specifically when trying to lighten the mood a little while still getting his way. A sort of social lubricant based on widespread 'understandings' of how men/women are 'known to be'. Plenty of people do it all the time to get positive engagement in a story or whatever: saying "you know how men/women are" and getting them to laugh and nod along, etc.

So here, he knows it would frighten Arthur to know she needed blood again. I think it's more that fact, than Jack specifically giving it to her. Maybe he fears Arthur would get in the way somehow - either by calling in some other doctor (who stands almost no chance of saving her) or by hanging around himself. Having his blood on hand might be useful if needed, but hopefully it won't be, and having him around asking questions is just another stressor/possibly uncontrollable factor Van Helsing doesn't want. And he might try to offer up his blood and not be well enough to donate it anyway, since they took a lot from him not too long ago. Maybe he wouldn't take super well to being told no if that happened, who knows (another possible angle for the jealous line). So Van Helsing really doesn't want Jack to share the news. So he requests he doesn't, and adds in this more lighthearted jealousy thing too. Partially because he's just assuming Arthur would be without thinking about it, and partially just to not sound too overbearing/frightening with his request.

That's my guess. Though, as you say, there are plenty of people who read the book and assume all the suitors harbor a secret hatred for one another because they just can't understand that anyone wouldn't. So it's always possible Van Helsing does the same. If anyone, I think he'd be the most likely of the cast to do so.

[jahayla-parker]

Picture Perfect : Freddy Carter x Reader

Description: 2.97k wc, Freddy and his wife go on a photography date. Fluff

Warnings: fluff, Freddy being too precious, that’s all I think haha, maybe a bit suggestive at the very end depending on how you interpret it

“Okay so, how strict are we being on these categories?” Y/n asked, setting her coffee mug back down on the cafe tabletop. Her eyes reviewed the list her husband Freddy had texted her. They were on a casual date when they decided to have a lighthearted photography contest. As such, y/n was looking over the agreed-upon list of categories for the challenge.

Freddy’s radiant laughter echoed in the small cafe. It made a few people turn to face where the couple were seated, but neither one noticed. “I’m not going to reign in any creative expression,” Freddy hummed. “Just so long as it fits the theme, I argue that it works”.

Y/n smiled and nodded in agreement. “Okay. So, are we doing timed, or just whoever gets them all done first?” She looked up at her husband, smiling back at him as she caught him watching her.

Freddy pondered the question for a moment in silence. “How about we do all of them, and then we text the group chat to have them vote?” He suggested softly.

Y/n’s eyes lit up and her smile grew. She and Freddy were fairly competitive, so this would keep things in a safe range while still being able to be somewhat competitive. “Perfect, darling,” she hummed, rising from her seat. Y/n stepped to where Freddy was seated and leaned down to his level. She swiftly kissed him before parting ways so she could begin.

Freddy stared down at his camera as he examined the latest photo he had taken. Satisfied with the shot, he glanced up to figure out where his wife had ventured off to. He knew she could sometimes get carried away with things and he didn’t want her to wander too far away where he couldn’t keep an eye on her safety. Freddy of course knew his wife could take care of herself, but he also knew how easily she could be distracted to the point of not paying attention to her surroundings. It was endearing and adorably innocent in nature, but it naturally worried Freddy sometimes.

Fortunately, this time, y/n hadn’t disappeared from Freddy’s sight. Freddy grinned widely as he watched her crouch into an odd position to take her next photo. He quickly snapped a photo of her. It was not for their mini-competition, but instead for his own collection of candid photos of his darling wife.

Y/n scanned the street in search of her next destination. After much consideration, she’d decided what she wanted to do for her 'Rule of Thirds' category photo, but she needed to find the right place. The street was lined with various coffee shops for her to choose from, forcing her to make another choice before being able to begin the shot.

Once y/n had settled on which cafe to utilize for the photo, she crossed the street as she made her way to the shop. She skipped childishly as she approached Freddy, pausing to kiss his cheek sweetly. Y/n felt the way his hand quickly clasped onto her bicep, holding her closer to him as he kissed her back. She smiled as she pulled away, his arm slowly running down hers as she skipped away; only once she was fully out of reach did he fully lower his arm back down to his side.

Freddy groaned to himself with a pout as he sat on the black-painted metal bench. He had been waiting for y/n to finish her last two photos for what felt like an eternity. Actually, that’s dramatic. It felt like an eternity since he’d been able to hold her. As Freddy loved any kind of physical touch when it came to his wife; it always grounded him and reminded him of their love.

Although he knew he was being extremely impatient, Freddy elected to take matters into his own hands and fix his dilemma. He placed the strap on his camera around his shoulder as he made his way to where y/n currently was. When he reached her, he courteously waited until her finger was off the shutter-release button before he interrupted. Freddy may want have been in need of y/n’s touch, but he didn’t want to be inconsiderate by bumping her and messing up her shot.

The moment Y/N’s finger lifted from her shutter-release button, the photo having been taken, she felt arms wrap around her from behind. She giggled instantaneously, immediately knowing it was Freddy. Y/n smirked to herself as she spun around to face her needy husband.

“This was a bad idea,” Freddy sighed, eyes cast downwards in a dramatic fashion. His arms remained wrapped tightly around y/n though.

“Hey!” Y/n scoffed as she stepped backward to part from Freddy.

Freddy’s eyes lifted from the ground at Y/N’s sudden outburst. He felt his right eyebrow rise in confusion. But, as he looked back down as he scanned the scene for the cause, Freddy realized his mistake and lowered his brow. “No, no!” He gushed as realization hit him that it looked as though he’d been staring at y/n’s camera and one of her photos had been pulled up. “Darling,” Freddy cooed sweetly, “I actually meant that it was a bad idea because I can’t spend time with you”.

Y/n smiled and shook her head lightly. She moved closer to close the distance she’d created moments ago. When Freddy’s arms were promptly wrapped around her again, she leaned forward and kissed his nose. “Now, quit trying to distract me, Carter!” She teased, “I intend to win”.

Freddy chuckled loudly as y/n lowered herself towards the ground and ducked under his arms to escape his embrace. He shook his head at her silly and unnecessary behavior, an amused smile gracing his lips. Bloody hell he loved her.

“Finished, darling?” Freddy asked joining Y/n. He had received a text from her stating to meet her at the cafe they had the start of their date at earlier. As he reached the table he spotted her at, he’d noticed her camera sitting in the center as if on display to show her completion of the task.

Y/n nodded eagerly. “Yep!” She cheered, grabbing Freddy’s hand and tugging him to her side. She smiled as he took the hint and sat down beside her instead of across from her. “Alright, love, I need another hot cocoa and I got you a tea, then we go develop your shots and see what everything looks like!” Y/n explained, looking at Freddy’s film camera he set beside her digital one.

Freddy smiled and kissed y/n’s cheek as his arm draped over her shoulder. “Sounds perfect, thank you for the tea, darling,” he hummed. Freddy glanced over at y/n as she naturally nuzzled into his side. His smile grew as he leaned his head against hers.

“Come on, sunshine! Let’s see what we’ve got!” Y/n declared, pulling up her camera’s gallery. She waited impatiently, her leg bouncing against the edge of the couch as Freddy approached.

Freddy laughed admirably at Y/N’s excitement. He sped up his pace as he walked across their living room. After he set the developed slides of film to the side of the table, he brought the stack of photos over for y/n to examine.

“Okay, so first is the ‘sun’ themed one,” y/n reminded. She clicked backwards on her camera gallery until she could find the applicable photo she’d taken. Once she’d located it, she passed her camera to Freddy. Y/n smiled gratefully at him as she swapped her camera for his printed photo.

Freddy blushed when he realized Y/n had done a candid of him. He didn’t understand how it worked for the category of sun, but it was terribly sweet. Perhaps she pulled up the wrong photo by accident. Freddy glanced up from her camera to ask, but paused as y/n commented about how much she liked his photo.

Freddy shook his head. He appreciated her encouragement, but it was simply a photograph featuring the sun. Whereas Freddy had suspicions that y/n had done something more artistically driven. “Love,” Freddy commented with a laugh as he tilted her camera's display towards her. “That’s me,” he chuckled, pointing out that he needed to see the actual picture she had taken for the ‘sun’ category.

“I know,” y/n shrugged. She smiled warmly as she took the camera back from him. “Ready for the next one?” Y/n inquired.

Freddy's bewilderment showed blatantly on his face as he stared at his wife. “I don’t follow, darling,” he admitted quietly. “The task was for something with the sun,” Freddy stated simply. “You can’t even see the sun here,” he teased lightly as he pointed at Y/N’s camera.

Y/n giggled but nodded her head defiantly. “Can too,” she argued matter of factly. “See,” she said as she confidently pointed at Freddy in the photo she’d taken. “That’s my sun,” y/n explained staring at her husband determinedly.

Freddy’s head unconsciously tilted to the side as he licked his lips. “I’m… your sun?” He asked slowly. “As in the thing in the sky?” Freddy added with a shy laugh.

“Yes,” y/n nodded again. “Everything revolves around you,” she argued as if it was the most obvious statement.

Freddy faked a scoff. As he donned a pretend frown, he batted his eyelashes at y/n. “Are you saying I’m selfish?” He taunted playfully.

“Course not!” Y/n exclaimed in deep offense. She lightly shoved Freddy's shoulder upon having noticed the playful glint in his oceanic eyes. “You know that’s not what I’m saying, Freddy!” Y/n scolded.

Freddy chuckled, his chest shaking from the force. He pulled y/n’s closest arm closer to him. He knew she understood his request as she rested her head on his collarbone as her body leaned against the side of his torso. “I love you, my precious darling,” Freddy purred.

“I love you too,” y/n said, kissing Freddy’s clothed collarbone. “Speaking of,” she hummed, bringing her camera to where she was now seated. “The next category is ‘us’, shall we?” Y/n asked, gazing up at her husband.

“We shall,” Freddy agreed, his arms held y/n protectively as he leaned forward to grab the next photo. As his fingers searched through the prints for the correct image, he kept y/n in his periphery to ensure his movements didn’t cause her to slip forward and hit the table. Freddy found the right print quickly and brought it back for y/n to review.

Y/N’s smile was instantaneous upon seeing the photo Freddy passed to her. She gazed bashfully at the photo of herself with Freddy in the background smiling at her lovingly. “Aww,” y/n cooed sweetly. “Even though it’s staged, it’s a really cute photo,” she smiled.

Freddy’s cheeks flushed crimson. He turned his chin to peck y/n’s head tenderly. “It was staged for the shot,” he confessed. “But, it’s a normal occurrence”.

Y/n snuggled into Freddy’s embrace to show her affection and appreciation. “I love it,” she hummed. “But, I must admit…,” y/n taunted jokingly, “it is a quite literal interpretation of the category”.

Freddy’s laughter shook y/n slightly. He nodded with a shrug. “Perhaps,” he agreed. “However, it’s also the way I see us,” Freddy argued politely.

Y/n leaned back against Freddy’s arms. She felt his hold loosen in response, allowing her to sit up more. Once she could properly see his face, she bit her bottom lip as she raised a brow. “Me ignoring you?” Y/n questioned.

“Always,” Freddy answered with a smirk. His smirk switched to a grin as y/n scoffed before bursting into laughter. He quickly joined in her gleeful laughter, gazing over at her to take in her beautiful expression. “No, no,” Freddy whispered, reluctantly breaking their shared laughter, “I meant me simply admiring you in everything we do”.

Y/n grinned at Freddy. She gently tapped his nose, making him chuckle quietly. “I,” y/n began, pausing to give him a kiss. “Love,” she continued, repeating the action. Before she gave Freddy one more kiss, she concluded her statement, “You”.

Freddy’s thumb danced across Y/N’s cheekbone as his own cheeks turned red. “I love you too, darling,” he replied.

Y/n leaned into Freddy’s hand as he caressed her face. After sitting peacefully for a few moments, y/n hummed and leaned back. “Well,” she huffed, “now mine sucks”. “So, thanks for that, Carter,” y/n teased.

“Shut it,” Freddy laughed. “Y/l/n Carter,” he added sassily. “Now,” Freddy said as he grabbed the camera from y/n, “let’s see it, darling”.

Freddy surveyed the photo y/n had pulled up. His eyes took in the scene she’d captured of a y/f/c film camera. “Is that a y/f/c film camera?” He asked, surprised she’d found one that color.

“Yeah,” y/n nodded proudly. “So, it’s my favorite color, but it’s also a film camera to represent you,” she explained. “Plus, the -“.

Freddy’s mouth parted slightly as he noticed the rest of the photo/scene. “The flowers behind it,” he whispered in hushed realization. He had just seen the sunflowers -his favorite flowers- and the y/f/f -y/n’s favorite flowers- she’d set up around the film camera in the scene. Freddy beamed as he looked over at y/n, his expression growing as she smiled at him. “Incredible, love,” he complimented warmly, “truly”.

Y/n nervously fiddled with her fingers as she looked away from Freddy’s gaze. “Okay..,” she whispered as she prepared to change the topic, “now for the actual flowers-themed photos”.

Freddy easily caught onto y/n’s attempt to redirect the conversation away from her bashful pride. He laughed quietly, placing a small kiss by the outer edge of her eye. But, Freddy nonetheless let her change the subject to the next set of photos.

Freddy scanned y/n’s ‘flower’ photo as he tried to take in each detail. He picked up on the way she’d tried to use the reflection of the window behind the vase of flowers she’d placed on the table outside a small restaurant to show the flowers rather than directly placing her camera's focus on the vase. Well, she hadn’t tried so much as succeeded. “I love the reflection, darling,” Freddy admitted supportively, “that looks so bloody beautiful!”

Y/n giggled as she whispered a “thank you”. However, her eyes didn’t leave the photo Freddy had taken. She loved the way Freddy had utilized the flower shop but had the focus set on a bouquet of her favorite flowers in his left hand, his wedding band showing to the camera lens. “I… this is amazing,” she y/n, “I love it”.

Freddy watched as y/n ran her finger over his wedding band on the printed photo. It was clearly done subconsciously, but that meant even more to him. Freddy smiled widely at y/n and leaned over to rest his lips on the top of her head.

The couples’ ‘Rule of Thirds’ photos were pretty simple. Y/n had set up a scene that met the criteria for the rule of thirds by using a mug of tea and a vintage-looking book on a cafe table. Whereas Freddy had done a photo under was similar to the one Y/n had done for the flower category, only it was centered a bit differently in order to meet the requirements of the new category.

The second to last category for their challenge was to get a candid of a group of other people or of a couple. Freddy had taken a photo of a couple who were shopping together at a local book store. Y/n had photographed an elderly couple who had been holding hands as they enjoyed a meal together.

The final task was to capture a sun flare in a photograph. Unsurprisingly, the couple had both taken candid photos of the other for this category. Y/n had captured a photo of Freddy as he was taking his own photos, the sun flare just behind him, highlighting his face. Freddy had taken a photo of Y/N’s authentic and candid smile with a sun flare glowing beside her head angelically.

“I love these,” y/n mumured, glancing around at the printed photos of Freddy’s.

Freddy hummed in response, his head nodding in agreement. He smiled and removed the SD card from y/n’s camera. “I will be sure to get these printed out in the morning,” he explained, holding up her SD card for them both to see. “Then we can make an album of both of ours?” Freddy suggested.

When y/n nodded with a gleeful smile, Freddy grinned and set the SD card on their coffee table. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tenderly tugged her closer to him. He closed his eyes, smile increasing tenfold as y/n snuggled into his arms to the point she was nearly in his lap. Freddy brought his other arm around her front, lips pressed against her hair as he held her tightly.

“This is nice,” Y/n commented, wrapping her arms around Freddy’s torso. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about the voting though,” she teased, playfully poking his head softly.

Freddy chuckled, embracing Y/N’s head so the shaking of his chest didn’t cause her head to bounce around. “If I say you win, can I keep holding you like this for a while?” He asked, not caring how needy he sounded. After all, Freddy knew his wife loved how much he always wanted her attention and touch.

“You can keep holding me like this as long as you’d like regardless, gorgeous,” y/n purred, rubbing Freddy’s back. She nuzzled her head into his chest even more, smiling as he sighed blissfully. “We can do the voting in the morning,” y/n amended.

“Good,” Freddy said happily. He slid his arms down from y/n’s shoulders until one arm was under her armpits and the other was by her knees. Wordlessly, Freddy scooped Y/n up into his arms and carried her out of the living room. He blissfully listened to her surprised giggles as he led them to their bedroom.

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[critical-hazbin]

Thoughts on Alastor so far? He’s probably my favorite character in HH, but after the poor writing that came from HB episodes 3 and 4, one part of me is worried the crew will ruin him when Hazbin Hotel eventually starts getting episodes.

(This ask was sent in a long time ago, sorry it took me until now to finally answer.)

Spoilers for Season 1 of Hazbin

I was almost certain they were going to mess up Alastor's character horribly. I did not have much faith in the writing for Hazbin. With Alastor specifically, there is a lot of room for error in terms of characterization, and I found personally that he was the trickiest one of the cast to write correctly and consistently. Between fandom woobifying, conflicting information, and a lack of insight into his motivations, Alastor's character has seen many varying interpretations over the years.

Well, now that the show is actually airing, I have to say that I don't think they ruined Alastor's character: they actually did a great job with him. I do understand the perspective of those who disagree with me, and miss the pilot characterization. But as a long-time Alastor fan, I feel the writers gave him surprising depth and found his flaws intriguing.

Pilot Alastor (Ed Bosco and Gabriel Brown) was goofier, more lighthearted, chattier, and more openly affectionate. Nothing really seemed to rattle him, and direct signs of his deviousness were minimal. He had more extensive radio sound effects and was truly a product of the thirties (reflected in dialogue through specific phrases), but had a smaller range of emotional expression as a result of his "radio broadcaster" persona. Husk seemed to owe him a favor, as opposed to Alastor owning his soul outright - "I suppose I could cash in a few favors" - and this was a common fan interpretation, not just a misinterpretation on my part.

Series Alastor (Amir Talai) is more temperamental, prideful, openly intimidating, reserved, and less prone to rambling. The radio effects are minimal unless needed for dramatic effect; his smile is sharper and less genuine. We see a wider range of emotions (frustration, anger, fear) from this Alastor, all with the smile still in place. There's a certain coldness about him, from his demeanor towards Husk (whom he keeps as a pet in an abusive soul contract) and his annoyance at others (Charlie, the Egg Bois, Sir Pentious) that contrasts his superficial warmth from the pilot.

It's a subtle but definitely noticeable set of changes for a character many fans had grown attached to. And yet, I found I liked the new version of Alastor, and felt that the writers added depth to a character who could have easily been a flat, all-powerful "Gary Stu" archetype. We see how these character flaws come back to bite him in the finale and how his limitations imposed by his deal set up his character for other, more interesting developments. Him having a breakdown and then immediately returning to the others with a smile on his face like everything is fine? That's the kind of Alastor that I knew was in there, and it was amazing to actually see it on screen. (I always figured he was a mess beneath the mask. That last scene was not shocking for me the way it was for many others.)

This fascinating characterization hasn't stopped other people from saying they "miss the pilot Alastor" and "wish he was still like that". I get that, I really do. If pilot Alastor was how Alastor wanted to be seen by others, series Alastor shows us who he really is. Unsurprisingly, not everyone is going to like that.

Side note: Ed and Gabriel did a perfect job voicing Alastor. Amir is also doing very nice work. I still miss the pilot voices, even though I like the voice he has now.

[mimikoolover]

it’s funny how they’re always desperate to disprove jikook when that just depends on individual definitions of what “jikook” means is in the first place lol

I could never know about all jikookers but I very frequently see the disclaimer that we don’t know for sure what exactly their relationship is, all we can do is speculate and we’re here for their special bond and the love the have for each other. No matter the specifics.

Of course some will say with absolute certainty that they are in a committed romantic relationship, but that’s far from everyone. And even then, as long as you’re respectful to them and other people, there’s no harm in believing that. It’s not offensive in any way to believe they’re a romantic couple.

But except for some “I will die on this hill” type shippers (which, there will always be some of those with every ship ever but I don’t see this desperate to debunk -energy against say, diehard romantic vmin shippers for example) many jikookers are what I’d best describe as “light hearted self aware delulu”. Make cute edits, write theories, call them boyfriends, say they act like a married couple, all those things, because they simply are acting like that sometimes, and it brings people joy to talk about it.

Sometimes I feel like the only ones taking it too seriously are antis😭 jumping on any chance to be like “AHA SEE! You’re wrong jikook disproved🫵” when it’s like??? Jikook literally can’t be disproved lmao they are what they are, they are very close and they love each other, and we love engaging with what they share with us. It’s all there. It literally doesn’t matter what any of us think about their relationship. It just is what it is, and we’re here for it.

I definitely agree with all of this. I just don't understand why they want jikook to not be dating each other so bad. atp they want jikook to date other people more than we want jikook to date each other. I will always maintain as far as 'ships' go jikook do way more stuff that could be interpreted in a certain (romantic) way then any other 'ship' I've ever seen (who were not dating). not that that in particular means anything. but I think we have the right to be lighthearted delulu sometimes lol