#this is why i kind of find it hard not to cling to the term 'narcissistic abuse' since this is verbatim what happens in that type of abuse.

[snekdood]

like i really dont think ya understand the severity of the abuse- even aside from the sexual abuse-

i have bpd and come from a home where im not validated very well (obviously, bc thats what makes ppl bpd in the first place). i meet this person who validates me in every way i could possibly imagine or want (love bombing). they pretend to like me so much that they start to become like me and pick up traits of mine they like the most. they know they have a hold over me and power over me bc i didnt know how to validate myself and they were the only source of validation i had. so then they go ahead and start invalidating me and acting like im less of me and theyre somehow more of me. i knew who i was deep down but suddenly i felt unseen again and silenced and pushed into a corner. and then they act like im a horrible person (discarding phase) and serve me an entirely different version of me thats not who i am, but bc i didnt know how to validate myself and was reliant on them (something thats particularly important for this type of abuse to work), it made me question myself and who i was and what i was like and what my intentions were and what my actions were and if i could even trust my own reality all over again when i really didn’t fucking need to since i knew who i was deep down, but they somehow convinced me they knew me better. because i was reliant on them. i dont think you understand how much that fucks with you.

[rollinouttahere-writes]

So you did a short Drabble about Mihawk finding Lizard, but what if Mihawk found Doll? We know that he’s on amicable terms with Shanks, so Shanks has probably told him about his daughter, and Mihawk may have even met Doll before, so would he bring her back to him, or would he listen to her if she was begging him to not send her back to her dad?

And if he did listen to her and decided to not give her back to Shanks, would he bring her to the Straw Hats, or would he also be a platonic yandere and want to keep her at his home?

Honestly I guess I would really just like to know more about the relationship between Mihawk and Doll, if you’re willing.

This one? Technically Buggy found her, Mihawk was just stuck trying to do damage control lol

Under a cut because I had a lot to say about them

Mihawk is one of the very few people that Shanks was okay with allowing Doll around, even going so far as to tell her to call him uncle Mihawk. They met a handful of times, and thanks to how observant Mihawk is, he could tell that something was... off. Doll's behavior was strange. She appeared to be torn between being excited to see someone new, but also being terrified and having no idea how to approach said new person. It's a very concerning way for a toddler to act, which led to Mihawk questioning Shanks about her.

Who is she? Where did she come from? Why is does she appear to have never socialized a day in her life?

Shanks, seeing nothing wrong with what he's done, is completely honest. He tells Mihawk about Kailani and how he "just had to" whisk away Doll when she wouldn't cooperate. He kinda skims over the whole Uta situation, but Mihawk is able to piece together that Doll has never been exposed to anyone outside of the ship because Shanks is scared of having a repeat of what happened to his first child.

Mihawk is empathetic to an extent. He doesn't have children of his own, but it's easy enough to imagine that losing one is a painful thing to go through. He encourages Shanks to consider letting Doll off the ship once in a while, but leaves it at that. It's a fresh wound, he's optimistic that he'll move on and ease up as it heals.

But as the years go by and they occasionally cross paths here and there, he realizes how naive it was to assume that. Doll has never seen a face outside of the crew and himself. Not only that, but as she gets older it becomes more and more apparent how infantilized she is. Anyone else would be training her hard to protect herself, but Shanks refuses to. Outside of lockpicking, she doesn't have a single useful skill. She can't fight at all.

It starts to bother Mihawk.

The last time he sees Doll before her escape, it's impossible to ignore how miserable she looks. Her eyes are bloodshot from stress and she's gone from being kind of fidgety to looking like she's about to have a nervous breakdown any second. Even the other members of Shanks crew can hardly stand to look at her, but there's nothing they can do because at the end of the day Shanks is their captain and they won't go against him.

While Shanks is occupied with getting more booze, she approaches Mihawk and clings to him while begging for him to help her leave. She's crying but doing her best to keep it quiet so as to not draw attention. She explains how she "found something she wasn't supposed to" and how awful it's been since that happened. The kid is borderline hysteric and promises that she won't be any trouble. He doesn't have to keep her around, he can ditch her at the first island they come across and she'll figure it out from there.

For a moment, he's heavily considering it, but then Shanks comes back. Mihawk covers for Doll by saying that all the noise overwhelmed her and that's why she's crying and upset. Shanks buys it, but he also then takes Doll away so she can rest in their room and get away from the noise.

Mihawk left without her that day, but he did not feel good about it. When he finds out she went missing, it is honestly a weight off his shoulders. He'd been genuinely thinking about sneaking her off the ship, but now it seems he won't need to. He does find himself to be concerned about how she is fairing. He knows she can't fight, so he can only hope she's with people who can. Then he finds out she's with the Straw Hats, and that really takes the edge off. She ought to be safe with them.

If they encountered each other again, Doll would be fearful of him taking her back to Shanks. As far as she could tell, he was as complicit as everyone else on that ship had been. Mihawk is quick to assure her that he has no such plans, he won't even mention having seeing her again to Shanks.

During this, he can't help but ask if she's picked up any fighting skills since her escape. Upon hearing that he hasn't, he nonchalantly says that he wouldn't be opposed to showing her the basics of sword fighting, should she be interested. He tries to act impartial, but he very much wants her to say yes.

He isn't yandere for her, but he does feel the need to help her when he can. It helps assuage the guilt of doing nothing all those years she was trapped on the Red Force for. He'll mislead Shanks and would even be willing to fight him if it meant giving Doll a chance to get away.

For someone who once rolled his eyes at being called "uncle Mihawk", he sure does live up to the title.

[nellasbookplanet]

Sorry but my thoughts are still on the nature of death in dnd (and other fiction where resurrection is possible), specifically on the implications it has on worldbuilding.

Resurrection magic existing kind of makes for cultural issues that have no parallel in our world. Some of it compares - such as the inherent class divide and tensions when the rich and powerful can literally buy their way out of death (a class divide is a class divide, this just digs the chasm deeper, which I'd love to see explored more in media btw) - but the implications on grief and acceptance are on another level. In our world, there is no bargaining with death. So much of our lives is spent coming to terms with the fact that we will all die one day, and mourning and moving on whenever death strikes near us. We experience stages of grief like denial and rage and bargaining but in the end there is no escaping it, no matter how hard you work or beg or rage. Clinging on can only hurt you. It's pointless. All you can do is move on, and it is so hard.

But if death is conditional. Impermanent. Something that can be defeated with money or power or faith. How do you ever move on. On a societal and cultural level, there should be entire rebellions based around who has access to resurrection. Powerful people offering resurrections as incentive would be all over the place, with desperate people selling their souls and freedom and entire lives to save a loved one. Would soldiers fear dying, seen as disposable, or would they fear being brought back again and again to die eternally on the battlefield?

But on an individual level. Is acceptance of the inevitability of death even possible when it’s no longer inevitable? If you decide that no, you can not give up everything to go pursue resurrection of your child, will you hate yourself? You could save them. Why aren’t you? Why aren’t you doing everything in your power? How much do you hate the people who have this power but won’t offer it freely? If you yourself are brought back from the dead and find out most of your loved ones just, let you go, would you hate them? Would you feel abandoned and betrayed? If you’re watching from the afterlife and see your loved one, who’s been working to get you back, decides to accept your death and move on because they have found new love, would you find a way to fucking haunt them? Oh, you think I only lived for you? That I don’t want life just because I can’t have you, too? How selfish is that. But how selfish would it be to bring someone back only to salve your own feelings of guilt, whether they want to or not? Would there be an entire industry of mediums based on people needing to ask their loved ones if they wish to remain dead or not? How much more powerful would hate and love and hubris be in this world, lacking the absolute limit of death?

[princelylove]

I don't know why I act like that in the dream but I guess I just interested in seeing yandere get jealous, though the consequences waiting.

Btw I just think about how a yandere Johnny behave. I find it's hard to imagine how he would act, he kinda unpredictable and unstable mentally for me.

What do you think prince? I'd love to hear your interpret on him. And if him and Gyro have the same darling, who will win?

(I notice you like being call prince or highness so I will start call you like that now :D I hope it sound not too weird)

~ 🏵️ anon ~

It’s not weird at all. If anything I’m the weird one, I’m the one that asked for it.

Anon I started to spiral while thinking of putting Johnny and Gyro against each other. Gyro is more intelligent, and by all means should win, but Johnny doesn’t see anything wrong with just killing any rival that gets in his way.

Johnny is incredibly unstable, I agree. I originally had him ranked fairly high in the “most dangerous joestars” list I made a little bit ago, I omitted him because I wanted to reread sbr- but Johnny is dangerous. He doesn’t care about what’s in his way, he’s gonna get what he wants.

He’s selfish, too. He genuinely doesn’t care about what’s best for his darling- so what?? He needs you, you can quit whining about not liking it, you’re his! Like hell is he gonna let someone else have you! 

Johnny just doesn’t know how to give up. He’s as stubborn as a mule. Even if you have someone else, you’re gonna be his. He relies entirely on his darling to have a good day- it isn’t a good day for him unless his darling is clinging to his arm, calling him handsome and strong and reminding him just how wanted he is. He’s suffering from a lack of attention, help the poor guy. He's not exactly opposed to being rough with his darling- did you think you'd have an easy time getting away from him because he can't walk? He takes those kinds of perceived insults personally, and makes it his job to scare you straight. He straps you down to a chair and trots around you with Slow Dancer- careful not to actually step on you, since he doesn't want to scare his horse, but is fine having her kick you over so he can jump over your body. If you really piss him off, maybe you really did escape, he's fine trampling you like that. He's not really thinking long term in the moment, but after, he's sure he can get you patched up. Maybe.

[deadbydangit]

Ooo, I have an idea. I hope it's alright to request!

How about killer S/o who's power is literally their tears. Like the Entitiy saw they cry so much their tears are basically a weapon they can shoot out. They're really sad and sensitive, and often clings to whoever they're with out of fear.

This with maybe Ghostface, Joey, Oni, Huntress, and Leon?

I like it. I hope you don't mind if I simplify it a bit as a killer who doesn't want to be a killer.

With a depressed Reader who doesn't want to be a killer

Ghostface, Legion (Joey), Oni, Huntress, Leon

Ghostface

Why are you crying all the time?

Murder is fun!

Danny can't understand why someone who has been given the power and free rein to kill won't take it.

Still, it's hard for him to watch you cry all the time.

And he finds it a little annoying.

The world isn't fair.

Honestly, the world is kind of a bitch.

But he really hopes you can take advantage of your situation and learn to at least tolerate it.

Still, he feels kind of bad.

You didn't choose this.

But, without it, you two would never get to meet.

So at least there is that upside, right?

He'll sit with you and listen, but don't expect too much more than that.

He can give you hugs and kisses.

Maybe even tell you some funny stories.

Empathy isn't his thing.

He loves you, he just doesn't know how to show it in terms of sympathizing with you.

Legion (Joey)

Being a killer wasn't at the top of his list of things he wanted to do.

But, here he is.

Yeah, he had doubts in the beginning.

He even felt like a piece of shit.

So he knows what you're going through.

Taking his first life, he threw up and buried it in the snow.

He'll be there to listen to you.

You can cry as much as you need, he isn't going to judge.

Because he's been there.

He hates seeing you in so much pain.

You didn't deserve this fate.

If he sees you crying, he's going to hold you.

Sometimes he'll even cry with you.

He's hurting for both of you.

He can't stop your pain.

But he will always be there for you.

Oni

The world is unbelievably cruel.

He knew that better than anyone.

He knew why he was here.

He curses the Entity for what it's doing to you.

This shouldn't be your fate.

But your fate, just like his, is sealed.

He won't let you suffer in silence.

He's hugs may be bone crushing, so he'll lighten them up.

He'll dry your tears.

He's not great at the whole comforting thing.

His life wasn't filled with too much affection.

He's going to make a sincere effort for you.

Kazan is going to teach you all he knows.

He loves you, and he won't let you cry alone.

Don't worry. You're in good hands.

Huntress

She grew up in this lifestyle.

So killing holds no significance to her.

You kill, or be killed.

That's what he mother told her even before she started walking.

But Anna knows she isn't like other people.

Most people didn't grow up like her.

Taking a life, no matter if it's human or animal, is difficult at first.

She'll assure you that you shouldn't be ashamed of weakness.

Weakness just means you have room to grow.

And she's going to help you get there.

Don't worry about making mistakes.

It took her practice too.

She's going to teach you, just like her mother taught her.

She'll let you cry.

The realm is stressful, everyone deals with it differently.

She'll make sure you know she's there for you.

Leon S Kennedy

Yes, he's a survivor.

Yes, you're a killer.

But Leon, unlike most of the other survivors, has killed before.

Taking a life isn't something simple.

He understands how much pain you're in.

It's okay to cry.

He's cried before too.

When his friend, Luis, was killed right in front of him, he sobbed like a baby.

He shared this with you, because sharing weakness makes him feel closer to you.

So cry.

He won't judge.

He would never judge you.

He'll lay you on his lap and let you cry it out.

He loves you. Killer or survivor.

[lucky-draws]

scholarly article: maria silent hill.

uhhmm i feel like ive got a lot of maria thoughts that have been floating in my head for ages and they need to escape captivity. this isn't structured analysis though this is just me trying to explain why i like her in a rambling and disorganised manner. (and sort of hoping it might help me to do some art or something.)

the obvious thing that makes maria such an interesting character is that she's not Real...she's the product of james' imagination (at least, that's one interpretation..) ...she's an idea, a symbolism, a hallucination, a ghost, whatever. but in born from a wish, you get to play as her, you get to hear her thoughts, you experience her and she feels as "real" as any other playable character, and it's like. its just so so good, because she's a self-aware unalive girl and there's so much to explore regarding her sense of self, and her sense of identity. like.

she has no past, no memories. or does she? does she have mary's memories, or tastes, or habits, or was she "born" as a blank slate? there's so many different ways to think of her, but in the case of her being a product of james' mind as a kind of idealised version of mary/expression of his sexual repression, i like to think that some of james' desires manifest in her, like maybe she has this kind of restless energy, a restless hunger/desire that she can't really control or finds it hard to suppress. idk its hard to articulate. ( listen to sister of night by depeche mode if you like because that is a song that makes me think hoh....this is maria ! )

and the whole thing of her knowing that she only exists in james mind/because of james. she tries to cling on to him, tries to convince him that "i'm always here for you, james!" because she knows that as a figment of his imagination, if he decides he doesn't want her anymore, she will just cease to exist. james is her "creator" basically. she's at his mercy.which is a horrible and tasty dynamic. and i just enjoy the whole thing of can she break free of him; can she break free of her connection to him, to mary, can she develop thoughts and feelings and desires that are entirely her own. could she become a "real" person. does she want to? she knows she's a ghost; but when she decides not to kill herself, is that out of a desire to live or resignation to the fact that she can't die? she's an incredibly lonely character.

(also if you've ever seen tarkovskys solaris or read the book maybe you will understand me when i compare her to the character of hari i.e. an apparition/hallucination who possibly becomes/believes she becomes real. idk. unalive girls who become alive even though its sort of not possible. i just enjoy them. )

i also have a very specific sort of canon-divergence flavour of idea related to the rebirth ending and in a sort of maria x mary way; my vague imagining is that james succeeds in bringing mary back to life, through the ancient Powers of the town or whatever. but there's a catch, so to speak; maybe the town demands that for a life to be reborn, a life has to be taken, and so james um. conveniently for shipping purposes. dies. but mary lives, and so does maria, because the mysterious and tricky town considers her to be inseperable from mary/kind of the same person, so they both end up alive and in silent hill. which opens up so many issues like. how does maria come to terms with looking at someone who is her copy (and vice versa.).

does mary even want to be alive? maybe she isn't "properly" alive; maybe she's just a ghost like maria. maybe james isn't really dead; maybe they're both existing as products of both his imagination and the town's influence; either way, now there's two unalive girls in an empty, monster-filled town. and it's like do they hate each other are they just sad ghosts together do they have gay sex sometimes we just dont know. i wanted/still kind of want to write fic about this idea in some form or other but so far i just haven't really managed to find time or braincells but maybe i still can at some point.

of course, there are other ways of interpreting maria; i've seen the theory that actually, she's the product of mary's desires; she's who mary wants to be, an idealised mary who isn't sick. and maybe she felt some kind of repression or opression being with james. and it certainly fits the "born from a wish" title very well; a wish to be healthy, a wish to be free. who knows. that idea is equally tasty and fascinating, really, but i only have room in my tiny mind for one interpretation so im kind of just leaning for now towards her being born from james' mind intstead . so uhm.

conclusion: she's just so so fascinating to me and she rotates in the back of my mind 24/7. i love sh2 and i looove born from a wish its sooo interesting to be able to play as someone like maria.

also she's sexy .

the end.

[rfurny]

Thursday thoughts - I like Serena as a character, but not as Ash's love interest. I do see why some fans cling to amourshipping because they connect with Serena's feelings. Heck, I would probably get along with Serena really well. In terms of the better built relationship, however, Pokeshipping wins the award.

I want to clarify that in my anime headcanon, they are more like older teenagers than 10 year olds. (I teach 4th grade, and them being 10 just doesn't compute in my head!)

At the start of XY, Serena leaves on her journey solely because she has a huge crush on Ash and wants to find him. Fine, like kids/teens make big decisions based on feelings. Honestly, it is a bit cringy to me, but still realistic. Of course, throughout their travels she learns a lot about herself and Pokemon because of Ash. He has inspired a lot of young trainers! He is definitely kind to her and a great friend. However, just because Serena has a crush on Ash, it doesn't mean he returns those feelings.

Okay, well yes, you can argue that Misty followed Ash because of a crush, but that formed concurrently with their strong friendship and the fact that he really did owe her a bike. I would have been pissed too if someone fried my bike. Misty's crush developed as she watched this imperfect, young boy grow and find his true niche in the Pokemon world. She saw him. She saw him for who he was then and who he is now. They are truly equals.

In terms of compatibility, I just don't find Serena and Ash to be the best fit based on the 900+ episodes and counting that I have seen of Ash. While she is pretty, good at baking, gentle, and sweet, it doesn't mean that it is what Ash needs or wants. Ash is the type of character to charge in head first. He can be stubborn and dense. He is self sacrificing and heroic. He doesn't really care about frills which I would argue is a big deal for Serena who is fashionable and detailed oriented. And while Ash is shown to be more mature in XY, this maturity is a bit out of character since he seems to backtrack in Sun and Moon. (Don't get me wrong, I like mature Ash. I just don't think it is a consistent quality for him in the show. I think he is finding a balance in MPM.)

On the other hand, Misty matches his stubbornness head to head and is self sacrificing to a lesser degree. She also isn't afraid to chase after Ash into danger. She is bold and strong. She knows what she wants. She has a goal that is the closest to Ash's compared to any of his close friends except Iris. I get it that some people find Misty to be too abrasive and abusive. Yes, at first, Misty was too aggressive, but she has some of the best character development of anyone in Pokemon. I remember poking at the boy I liked when I was a kid! And, besides, Ash definitely was no saint to her in return!

To me, Serena kissing Ash at the end of XY was a wrap to her story. She started her journey because of Ash, and kissing him was part of the conclusion. She was no longer traveling because of her crush. She had found her love of Pokemon and performing. I felt like it was Serena sort of growing up and growing out of a childish crush. I'm not saying all of her feelings for Ash disappeared, but her journey became bigger and more important than them. Without this character development, she wouldn't have left Ash. Also, amourshipping isn't canon just because Serena kissed Ash. It is still one-sided considering Ash did not really respond with more than a small smile.

When Misty left, it did not feel like an ending. She didn't want to leave, but obligations arose. She wanted to travel forever by Ash's side, and she would have too. And maybe now she will in MPM. She was also the only departure that Ash ever cried over. It is valid that Brock left then too; however, Ash didn't cry when Brock stayed behind with Professor Ivy.

I really do understand why people like amourshipping, but Pokeshipping was designed and implemented more realistically which is why I have clung so hard to it. It truly was my first ship.

I know there seems to be a lot of other Ash ships around, but over the course of 26 years I believe that the amount of Pokeshippers (quiet and outspoken) would blow any other Ash ship out of the water.

[incorrectshantaequotes]

Shantae Headcanons - Holly Lingerbean

So, it's now officially 2024! And as per my previous poll, with her winning the tiebreaker coin flip, I'm kicking off this year with a bang - Holly Lingerbean! Normally, one character would not a single headcanon post make, but she's one of my favorites, so. Yeah

Before I start, though, a few relevant readings you might want to pick up before this - none of it is necessary to understand this post, mind you, it's just that I have talked about Holly before, so if you want more Holly content, this is where you'll get it! First off is Living Memoir, AKA the start to what I SWEAR will eventually be a series of fics about a Holly Lingerbean redemption arc. The second thing is my Couples/Romance headcanon post from over a month back. While not exclusively about Holly, one of the sections does extensively feature her!

Backstory

So! Let's start with the basics. As I've mentioned in my Magical Species headcanon post, before Holly became a living memory, she was actually a half-pixie, not a half-genie. More specifically, her father was a pixie and a stage magician, adding illusion magic to classic sleight of hand for some truly fantastic shows, and her mother was a human who ran a local bakery, delighting the inhabitants of Tassel Town with her delicious delicacies. Born in a relatively peaceful town to a loving family, at first, Holly Lingerbean was...surprisingly close to Shantae, in terms of personality!

While she was never responsible for the safety of her town like Shantae was, Holly still had a rather kind-hearted nature and a need to help, so she was often up and about in town, helping various merchants carry out their stock early before the market was officially open, acting as a waitress in her mother's bakery, helping people find what they need in the library, that sort of thing. She also made the occasional appearance as an assistant in her father's magic shows, and between that, the aforementioned tendency to help everyone else out, and just her being incredibly nice, she had a lot of fans in Tassel Town! It was shocking, at first, but flattering...and eventually, Holly started letting it get to her head a little.

And as she reached adulthood, with the terrifying unknown of the future starting to loom over her like the grim reaper, scythe ready to tear away Holly's happy life in Tassel Town, some part of Holly just...wanted things to stay the same. Forever. Why couldn't she just keep being nice and helpful? Wasn't it enough to keep being who she was, who she had been for all her life? Why couldn't she just keep being loved and adored? That was when Holly remembered an old book that her father had locked away in the attic, and, well. She couldn't stop anything else from changing, but maybe she could keep herself from changing - keep herself young, beautiful, and forever adored. And so, young and foolish and unwittingly throwing away her future, she grabbed that book and used a spell from within.

I've said before that the other, much rarer magic pixies specialize in is preservation magic. That's a technically accurate description, because that's what it's used for and what it does, and it's the official title, but it doesn't quite convey the exact danger. The reason why it's so hard to use, even for genies, the reason why others began hunting down pixies just for knowing how to use it, is because preservation magic is time magic. The fact that Holly's attempt to use it on herself backfired so graciously is honestly a blessing, considering it could have gone much, much worse, but it did backfire, and turned Holly into the living memory she is now...though she didn't quite realize at first. No, she only realized it when the eternal sandstorm settled over Tassel Town, condemning it to a slow demise, and Holly began to fade with it.

Naturally, Holly panicked, and she ran away, desperate to cling to life, and as she ran through Sequin Land in a haze, that's when she first found Wilbur. That's when she discovered what he could do, and how it could benefit her. That's when she started to plan...and gradually, over the course of many human lifetimes, through a combination of self-preservation and her own ego becoming her number one priority over anything else, everything that Holly was, everything that she used to be, was chipped away and shoved off to the side, leaving only the vain, egotistical Holly we all met in Half-Genie Hero.

General

So! Onto some significantly lighter stuff! And as a side-note, if you've read Living Memoir, assume this is the Holly from there. If you have not, all you need to know is that after HGH, Holly was forced to reflect on herself and decided that her previous methods weren't working, so she went to Shantae with the plan of shadowing her, soaking in some of her newfound fame by proxy, and keeping herself alive that way. Shantae, meanwhile, was NOT pleased to see Holly as soon as she remembered who she was, and it was only when a slip-up from Holly made her realize there was more to her than the vain exterior and led to her learning Holly's backstory did she agree to the deal - with the stipulation that Holly consider becoming a hero herself. And thus begins the redemption arc!

Anyway...a little known fact about Holly is that she's an entomology nerd - well, arthropodology nerd, if you want to get technical. This is partially because of Wilbur, because of course it is, but this even extended to her past self as well, with only her parents and a select few knowing about it then. At first she hid it because she thought it was embarrassing, then she hid it because it would stain her image, and after HGH she hides it precisely BECAUSE of Wilbur, and all the, ah...negative associations her former pet brings with him. Shantae ended up learning about it when she's tried to figure out a trick with her spider form, and Holly, having been watching for over an hour and now bored and mildly annoyed, gave her the exact tip she needed, causing Shantae to very quickly round on her with a "how did you know how to do that" once she did figure out the trick.

A lot of Holly's egotism is just bluster, especially post-HGH where she's been forced to reflect on her past actions and herself as a person - once you understand that, it's honestly not that hard to get along with her, as she's not really actively malicious and more just overly confident and self-appraising most of the time. She can be hurtful, for sure, but it's very easy to tell when she's just being careless versus when she's actively targeting you. A lot of her best relationships are with people who get this, such as Lobster Siren, Harmony, and Shantae - though, in the latter case, Holly still grates on Shantae's nerves sometimes. Especially early on when she's just beginning to figure out how to be a good person again.

Holly grew up in a rather...tumultuous time for Sequin Land's royal family, as when Holly was born the land was under the reign of Queen Echidna, one of the most tyrannical figures in Sequin Land's history. Petty, vain, and cruel, Echidna demanded in all but words to be treated as a goddess wherever she went, and any town who didn't do so - or, worse, happened to have their attention on someone Echidna saw as "unworthy," which was everyone besides herself - the town was condemned to death. Holly never met the woman herself, but her parents were sure to teach her how to act if she ever did show up, as was the case with every child during her reign. She and her followers were ousted and exiled to an island shortly after Holly began her operations with Wilbur, but that never really lessened the childhood boogeyman of the old queen, and Holly just...kinda assumed all royalty was like that. No one ever realized this, of course, up until Shantae was told she was going to be visited by Giga Mermaid by some mermaid guards one morning, and Holly promptly panicked. Shantae...actually has a theory, regarding Echidna and her followers and their possible descendants - Echidna was well-known for using snake iconography, after all, and Shantae's experience in the Tan Line Temple is practically burned into her memory...but she figures Holly would rather not know.

Though Holly isn't really a fighter, she is a surprisingly good acrobat. Supernaturally good, actually, being far more flexible and durable than any human reasonably could be. This has less to do with her formerly being a half-pixie and more to do with the "living memory" thing; her body's basically made out of condensed magic, much like the more humanoid forms taken by - ironically enough - genies when they're outside the Genie Realm and are trying to interact with humans, though obviously weaker with the downside of having to rely on others to maintain her form. And yet, in spite of all that...Holly cannot dance. At all. Which continues to irk her no matter how hard she tries. She's taken lessons from Shantae, with...mixed success.

Anyway! I'm going to stop there...at least, for normal, canon Holly. But, as some of you may know, there's also the Reversal AU, and while Holly isn't swapped with anyone, she gets it both better and worse thanks to the differing main cast!

Reversal AU

Starting with what would be the events of HGH, Holly is immediately treated with much more hostility than canon. Unlike Shantae, who mostly saw Holly as an annoyance up until she enacted her plan and even then still managed to be relatively chill, with R!Risky...the Dynamo is weighing a lot more on her mind, giving her a lot of pent-up stress and anger she refuses to let out, and not ONLY is Holly stepping on a nerve taking Risky's job when she's already worried about being replaced, but she presents a much more acceptable target for her ire that Risky is more than happy to take it out on. Holly dishes out some vitriol in return, but doesn't really think much of it until she enacts her plan.

Because unlike Shantae, who is mad about the whole thing but still managing to act like herself, when R!Risky comes back to a memory-less Scuttle Town, she, well. Saying "she goes ballistic" is technically accurate, but not quite fitting. Saying "she is so utterly furious that with one more push she ends up committing actions her canon self would approve of" is both accurate and appropriately fits the severity. Risky is not just mad. She is on an active warpath, and when Holly realizes this, she...finds herself to be a bit worried. More worried than she has been in a long while. By the time Risky reaches the top of the tower, Holly's worried enough that she actually tries to negotiate instead of monologuing to Risky, trying to convince her to let her go, pointing out that, if Mimic doesn't get his memories back, he'll never build the Dynamo, and she won't be out of a job! ...Which only serves to tap dance alllllllll over Risky's buttons, getting her even more livid, and Holly quickly learns the consequences of her actions as soon as Wilbur's done.

Remember that "with one more push she ends up commiting actions her canon self would approve of" bit? Yeah, that last thing was the push. Holly starts to flicker in-and-out, much like she does in Half-Genie Hero, and panics as she realizes she's going to fade - only for Risky to grab her by the collar of her outfit and pull her right up close and personal, telling her that Risky isn't going to let her fade...something that Holly would find a lot more reassuring if Risky wasn't wearing a vindictive smirk about two inches away from a scowl as she was saying it. Risky continues, saying that fading would be the easy way out, so she's going to make sure to remember her, because she's not letting Holly take the easy way out. No, she wants Holly to stew, to wallow in her complete failure, to reflect on what an utterly miserable and hollow life she's led, that the only way she's been able to live is to take away the life and times of others...and with that cheery note, Risky kicks Holly off the edge of the tower.

After she has a moment to calm down and collect her thoughts, R!Risky is...honestly disturbed by how far she went with Holly. While none of her friends have any sympathy for the living memory, and their reactions to being told what Risky did are essentially just "good riddance," Risky still can't help but think that she was rather extreme with Holly, no matter how bad she really was. Not to mention, the lie about her being a half-genie hasn't been cleared up, so while Risky does know she's a memory, her logical assumption is that Holly was a half-genie before she ended up turning into a living memory...and any potential chance of connection has been ruined by Risky's actions. While she's wrong on that front, she is right about her actions biting her in the ass later...

Holly isn't relevant again until the end of the adventure, where Captain Shantae's plan finally swings into action, and - well, I'm not going into it in detail here, because I DO plan on writing that Reversal AU HGH post at some point, but just know that, similar to how HGH is Risky's most drastic and extreme plan for her ultimate goal of obtaining power, the Reversal AU equivalent is Captain Shantae's most drastic and extreme plan for her ultimate goal of obtaining control, and more specifically recruiting Risky to her side. And when that fails, when her plan begins to fall apart around her ears and Risky firmly denies her, ready to fight and escape her clutches...that's when Captain Shantae unveils her most drastic measure of all - a trussed, gagged, and terrified Holly Lingerbean, much to Risky's shock and horror.

Captain Shantae explains that she saw the memory-less Scuttle Town, and figured it'd make a good back-up plan if Risky wouldn't join her willingly, and so sent out a few men to scout out the remains of Tassel Town to see if they could reverse-engineer Holly's method...then, they saw a dazed and barely conscious Holly Lingerbean, and Captain Shantae got a better idea - why bother trying to make her own method of memory removal when she could, ah, coerce the source? Risky shakes off her disturbance and tells Captain Shantae that she won't just stand still and let her take her memories, but Shantae then cheerily informs her that she anticipated that, and thus coerced Holly into doing a few test drives. And then, in comes...well, I'm not going to spoil what would be the final boss here.

Anyway, after that's defeated and the Chimera Pirates are thwarted once again, Risky hightails it out of there with Holly in tow, finding herself back in Scuttle Town, where she's congratulated by her friends and Mimic apologizes for being so ignorant as to how Risky was feeling, and that it's clear that the Dynamo is no match for her in terms of being an effective guardian. That just leaves the matter of Holly...and, almost immediately, they both try to apologize at the same time, with Risky stopping herself first and letting Holly go ahead. Holly then explains that, between Risky's dressing-down and Captain Shantae kidnapping her, forcing her to use her memory-altering powers when she didn't want to, and just generally putting her in mortal peril, she's gotten a major reality check, and after reflecting on herself and reevaluating her goals, she wants to make amends for how many lives she might have ruined over the years. In turn, Risky apologizes for how extreme she was in handling Holly, that at the very MINIMUM kicking her off the tower was completely unnecessary, never mind anything else, and with the bad blood between them cleared, the two become friends.

Post-HGH, Holly is already on the side of good in the Reversal AU, and she's effectively acting as...R!Risky's unofficial lawyer, in a sense? Her first action was to immediately strongarm Mayor Scuttlebutt into giving Risky better wages, as after having taken the job herself she knows full well that the pay is not enough for the amount of shit Risky has to deal with, and after that she just...kept it up with some of the other troubles Risky faced. She didn't mean to become Risky's pseudo-lawyer, but neither of them are really objecting, and they have a fairly good relationship going. Probably better than canon Shantae and Holly Lingerbean, funnily enough. I imagine she's not involved in what would be Seven Sirens, but that could change...

Okay, NOW I'm done! That took a while even with the extra time I gave myself, so I hope all the Holly Lingerbean fans are happy! In any case, here's to 2024, and have a Happy New Year!

[flightfoot]

An ask to see if I'm crazy, wrong, or maybe I'm right...

I like the love square. I write the love square. I came into 5 all set to love adrienette finally sailing. It even rolled decently for several episodes! I didn't fuss about the kiss(it's comedic effect) the ladynoir/Marichat felt a bit rushed but I rolled with it. They've only got a season right?

Then Derision dropped and Marinette turned into a trauma victim. Like/Dislike it, canonically they want the take away to be Marinette=Trauma and Adrien=Trauma trigger.

So that's... a thing. Like, a 'Maybe you should put it all on hold and take care of that with actual professional help' things. It's... possible to overlook because setting but it's uncomfortable.

Then we go further along, with Adrien's lack of autonomy, and his struggle to find himself being highlighted, along with the actual abuse angle being a focus.

Then we get his letter in confrontation and in *isolation* it's so cute right? A couple in love! But, in context... 'I don't know what I want but I want Marinette'(paraphrase) and Marinette, Marinette, Marinette, *right* at the same time he's struggling to free himself from his father... It just takes me back to Wishmaker 'I always wanted to be what my parents wanted me to be.'

Adrien's been living his whole life for other people, and now he's just switching his parents for Marinette. I know it's supposed to be love and he's choosing as opposed to being forced but... the boy is still acting exactly in line with his damage, and in perfect proximity to the crisis he's having with that damage at home.

It's another 'Hey... maybe put this on hold and therapy?' moment, stacked on top of the Marinette moment. I want these kids happy and healthy, I want to enjoy seeing them flourish, but the way it's set up I just keep seeing red flags and *the show itself is highlighting these red flags* it just doesn't seem to want us to apply them outside of very specific terms and... that's just such a bad read on how trauma works and affects people.

So maybe this was more ramble than ask but.. I don't know what to do. I'll hopefully get to enjoy the heck out of Adrienette in the Movie since it seems like another angle for both of them.

Got any advice aside from 'Don't take it too seriously?' since S5 seems to want to be serious?

Hm. Yeah, that is an issue. These kids have always had some trauma (especially Adrien), but season 5 has highlighted it even more. As much as I've been having fun with the whole "Adrien doesn't know what he wants in life, but he knows he loves Marinette"... yeah when you actually dig into the reasons WHY Marinette is the only thing he's sure of, it's pretty sad. It's not just that he loves Marinette that much - though he does - but also that she's the one thing in his life that he IS sure of, a point of stability for him.

And yeah, like you pointed out, in Wishmaker his "childhood wish" (which was presumably part of the set of desires and emotions that was used to create him) was to be whatever his parents wanted him to be, and with him clinging so hard to Marinette now, there's some danger of him kind of transferring that to Marinette. Heck, we saw that in Kuro Neko with Ladybug, when he tried to make himself into what he believed she wanted him to be in order to make himself be wanted.

I don't think that Adrien and Marinette breaking up would be a good idea - they both need each other and the stability they give each other right now - but I do think that once things are a little more stable for Adrien, he needs some therapy and to branch out in his own life, to have some stronger relationships that aren't connected to Marinette. Marinette has those, but Adrien... not as much, not to the same extent. I'm hoping once season 5 is over he's in a more free position and is able to discover more about who he is and what he likes.

[ceasarslegion]

Alright I just watched a disastrous date go down at the restaurant I was in (woman getting the cold shoulder from the wait staff after asking if her date left while she was in the restroom) so now I gotta know your ramen story, pretty please ☕️ ☕️

LMAO???

Alright so uh, sit down for this one I guess.

Picture me a few months ago. It was still warm out, I was a bit lonely, I go on tinder. I end up striking up a nice conversation with someone who seemed very similar to me. Third culture kids have very unique lifestyles so when we find each other we tend to cling, especially when that person grew up in the same general area you did and came from the same general parent culture. This was what got us talking in the first place.

The guy seemed nice, okay? Articulate, funny, approachable, and easy to keep a conversation with (which is rarer than the diamond itself for the tinder population, who communicate so little it makes me wonder if I missed a telepathy patch somewhere). So I thought hey, why the hell not, right? Let's go to dinner.

I'm a really big meat-eater who can and has eaten everything from chicken hearts to beef tongue and I enjoyed both of them. My dad's side of the family are cattle ranchers in a province only known for two things: oil and beef. I grew up in the part of the middle east that consumes some form of spiced meat in every damn meal, snack, and candy. I was doomed from the start, bro. No part of me could even be vegetarian. I order my steak blue rare at the places that let me. I drink tall glasses of milk with every dinner. I buy family sizes of meat cuts at the grocery store for myself.

No word of a fucking lie, my mom kept this baby book writing down milestones and personality quirks with me, and under the section that says "my favourite food is..." it just says "MEAT: ALL" underlined 3 times. I was meant to be some kind of obligate carnivore but god decided to curse me for my hubris by placing my soul in the body of an omnivorous ape.

Anyway. I suggest ramen for dinner because it's a good crowd pleaser thats really hard to fuck up for a first date. I mean, who doesn't like noodle soups? I usually order it with pork belly, but I was really craving beef that night so I ordered beef ramen with extra beef and a fried egg on top with a cup of green tea

Apparently, this was an issue.

I thank the waiter and he heads off with our orders. I am greeted by a facial expression i can only describe as "moral fury disguised as vague disappointment."

I immediately start getting an earful about how disgusting it is to eat animal flesh and how I should be ashamed of myself for promoting "speciesism" while calling myself an anti-racist. "Speciesism" was a term I have never heard before that day, and I still think it's fucking stupid to compare eating meat to full-blown racism.

I start pointing out that I have no issue with how he decides to eat, but it's a massive overstep of personal boundaries and a very presumptive and self-righteous move to act like he had any right to tell someone else how to eat. Plus, the shit he was spouting about livestock rearing and byproduct sourcing were straight up untrue and made up by PETA. Plus, I hate to break it to him, but cows are not humans. They aren't. They just aren't, and if he can't understand that then he shouldn't be taking care of them and he definitely shouldn't be acting like he should.

I am not the most held back individual when it comes to these things. I have a big blunt mouth and I don't have much of a concept of a filter. I acknowledge that about myself and try my hardest to only argue things i have immediate credible evidence for, because I know that I always come off as emotionally-charged because of my big blunt mouth. But oh, oh boy. Oh man did he not like that.

The argument keeps escalating and escalating until our food gets served. He decides to make a very exaggerated barf gesture at the beef and egg in my bowl. C'mon, bro. But you wanna be petty? Alright, I can be petty too. I looked him dead in the eye while I picked out chunks of only egg and beef with my chopsticks and ate it. I made constant comments on how good the meat was and how much I loved the texture and juiciness of it. He gave me a very charged silent treatment the whole time.

We mutually ghosted each other after that night.

[wonderlandleighleigh]

(taking liberties with the Grammys. But not too many. Lenny WAS nominated in 68)

He scores an A+ on his first term paper, and it earns him a trip across the country with his mother as her date to the Grammys. Ma won last year, and now she’s presenting this year. 

And Lenny is nominated for his live album, which means, hopefully, he’ll be there. 

But it’s such a whirlwind, it’s hard to focus on anything else. They drop their things off at their hotel, and then he’s following his mother around while stylists and publicists and whoever else chase after her. 

And then suddenly there’s a red carpet and Ethan is wearing a tuxedo that somehow fits perfectly and his hair is styled the way that his mother likes it (a little product, but not too much), and there are reporters asking questions.

“Why did you bring your son?” 

“His father was busy being married to someone else,” Ma says, rapid-fire, making the reporters laugh. She’s dressed in a shimmery, floor-length black gown with a v-neck that doesn’t go down too far. “No, Ethan makes a great plus one and he’s been working hard at school. He earned a little mini vacation.” 

“Ethan, how do you like LA so far?” another reporter asks. 

“It’s- hot,” Ethan says. “And as a teenaged boy, that’s kind of a challenge, but at least the hotel has air conditioning.” 

The reporters laugh again. 

“Mrs. Maisel, he’s funny like you!” 

“Next thing I know he’ll be getting drunk and flashing his chest at a roomful of people at the Gaslight,” Ma teases, getting more laughter out of everyone. 

“Midge, have you see Lenny Bruce yet?” a reporter asks. 

She takes a breath, her smile still in place. “No, but he is nominated tonight, so I assume I’ll see him if he shows up to collect the trophy.” 

“You’re that certain he’ll win?” 

She shrugs, her smile going soft. “He’s always been great.” She takes Ethan’s arm. “We’re going to head in. Thanks for chatting, everybody!” 

They head in and find their seats, and suddenly there’s a voice in his ear.

“Oh my god Ethan!” 

He looks up and there’s Kitty, and when he stands, he towers over her, lifting her into a hug, making her laugh.

“Hi!” 

“Hey!” 

“Nice tux!” 

“Nice dress!” 

Kitty giggles as he sets her down and smooths out her pink dress. “I didn’t know you were coming with Midge!” 

“I didn’t know you were coming with Lenny,” Ethan says. “Where is he?” 

“Throwing up in the bathroom,” Kitty frets a little. “He’s very bad at these award things. We almost didn’t even show up.” 

“Kitty!” 

She turns and is swept into Midge’s arms. 

“It’s so good to see you, Sweetie,” Midge tells her, holding her tightly before pulling away. “Let’s look. Cute dress. Cute hair. Good make-up. Who taught you all this?” 

Kitty giggles again. “You did.” 

“Thank god for me,” Midge jokes, kissing her cheek. “Your dad around?” 

“Puking,” Kitty tells her. 

“Oof,” Midge cringes. “You two stay here, let me go make sure he’s not trying to climb out the window.” 

“He’s been clean,” Kitty blurts out, looking a little stressed suddenly. “Since the appeal went through last year- he’s been-” 

Midge pulls her in for another hug; a more comforting one. “You’re a good girl, Kitty. And you don’t have to defend your dad to me. He’ll always be my friend. You two sit, and relax, and I’ll be back.” 

Kitty nods, clinging to Midge for another moment before pulling away, and taking a seat with Ethan. 

He flicks her in the ear to distract her and she squeaks, and slaps him in the arm, making him laugh. 

***** 

Midge takes a deep breath as she slips into the men’s room. “Lenny?” 

“S’fine!” he calls back. “I’m good.” 

“Kitty mentioned vomit, I figured I’d check in,” she tells him. 

“Glad she caught up with you,” Lenny says, slowly stepping out of the lone stall to wash his hands and splash some water on his face. “You bring Mr. Perfect?” 

“If by Mr. Perfect, you mean my son,” Midge tells him. 

“...Oh.” 

“Still not dating Gordon,” she reminds him lightly. “Still never dated Gordon to begin with. Too goyish.” 

“Right.” 

“Still don’t believe me.” 

“I believe you, I’m just not sure it matters,” Lenny shrugs, turning to her, nodding in a formal greeting. “Mrs. Maisel.” 

“Mr. Bruce,” Midge responds, grinning a little and stepping up to adjust his bowtie. “You look very dapper.” 

“I try,” Lenny tells her. “Well, I’m trying. Now. I’m trying now. I didn’t try a lot before, but now...” 

“Congratulations on the appeal going through,” Midge smiles, amused. 

“Thank you,” he says. “Congratulations on last year’s Grammy.” 

“Thanks,” Midge smirks. “You listen to the album?” 

“Just every time I miss you,” Lenny admits quietly. “Which is every day, so it’s memorized.” 

“Wow, that is a lot of honesty for the men’s bathroom at the Grammy’s,” Midge tells him. 

“Well, we’re alone...I think,” Lenny shrugs. “Here’s as good a place as any.” 

“I have to present tonight, you’re not allowed to break my heart before I go onstage,” Midge warns him. “That was always the deal, remember? If you were going to make me feel feelings, you had to do it a minimum of three hours beforehand, after, or on a day off.” 

“Do you miss me?” Lenny asks, gazing at her softly. 

She gazes up at him, her walls coming down a little as she nods. “A lot.” 

He nods back. “Maybe we should do something about that, then.” 

“And what would you propose?” Midge asks, tilting her head. 

“Dumping the kids at my place after I lose, and taking you out for a late dinner,” Lenny tells her. 

“You don’t know you’re going to lose,” Midge smirks.

“Cosby’s gonna win,” Lenny shrugs.

“He didn’t win last year,” Midge points out. “I won.” 

“Yes, but you’re sensational, of course you won,” Lenny reminds her.

“So you want to have dinner,” Midge says. 

“I do.” 

“And then presumably you want me to invite you up to my empty hotel room because Ethan will be a your place,” Midge surmises. 

Lenny considers. “I wouldn’t be opposed...” 

“I don’t want just one night,” she confesses. “If you want to take me to dinner and then see what kind of lingerie is going on under this dress, I don’t want it to be just something that happens tonight.” 

He moves closer to her, trapping her against the wall. “When has this, with us, ever been a one-time thing?” 

“When you left and then came back for one last fuck before really leaving,” she reminds him quietly; sadly. 

Lenny concedes with a nod. “Never again. I promise, Midge. Never again.” 

“You have to mean that,” she says. “Or else letting you ruin my lipstick fifteen minutes before this thing starts won’t be worth i-” 

He’s cutting off her words with a kiss, his hands holding her elbows gently as her arms wrap around his neck. 

And then the door opens. 

“Shit!” 

Lenny pulls away with a growl. “Carlin! Fuck’s sake!” 

“I gotta take a wiz, man! I didn’t know you and Midge were in there!” 

Midge tries not to laugh as she untangles from Lenny. “Hi, George, you can come in.” 

George peeks in, looking a little nervous as he slips inside. “Sorry, guys.” 

“I need to get back anyways,” Midge says, turning to fix her lipstick. “Good luck, George,” she says after she finishes, and then heads out of the bathroom. 

“Thanks, Midge!” George calls as he unzips in front of a urinal. He glances back at Lenny. “Finally getting your head out of your ass, I see.” 

“Fuck you, George.” 

***** 

Midge beams out at the crowd as she stands with the card in her hand. “As you all know, I won the award for best comedy album last year, which means I get the distinct pleasure of being asked back to announce the winner this year. It’s a stacked category, filled with real talent...and my ex-boyfriend.” 

Laughs ripple through the crowd. 

“And look, if I have to present an award to my ex, I guess I will,” she shrugs. “Or I might just keep it. Give it to Flip Wilson later in the night. You never know. Ex-girlfriends are unpredictable, after all. I could even keep it for myself. Make up for 1964 when I lost to Sophie Lennon. An embarrassing evening where I spilled champagne all over Bing Crosby’s trousers, not that he noticed, he was already really drunk. Really drunk. He introduced himself as Bang that night. Bang Crosby. Bang!” she cries, getting another good laugh. 

“Don’t mind me, folks just making the ex sweat a little bit more before I announce the winner here,” Midge grins, before looking down at her card. “The nominees for best comedy album are: 

Bill Cosby: Revenge 

Archie Campbell: The Cockfight and Other Tall Tales 

Flip Wilson: Cowboys and Colored People 

George Carlin: Takeoffs and Put-ons 

Lenny Bruce: Lenny Bruce in Concert 

Midge takes a deep as she opens the envelope. “And the winner is...” she reads it and smiles, laughing. “Lenny Bruce, Lenny Bruce in Concert!” 

Applause erupts and it takes Lenny a little bit to get to the stage, and when he gets there, he takes the Grammy from her, before tugging her in for a tender kiss that lasts a little too long to be in front of an entire ballroom filled with recording stars, eliciting quite a lot of cheering from the crowd. 

Midge staggers back a little, fanning herself and shaking her head in mock annoyance at him. 

“I’d like to thank the recording academy for this distinct honor,” Lenny says, clearing his throat. “Flip Wilson for the use of his wonderful recording label, as well as my manager and my daughter. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to wait impatiently until this whole dog and pony show is over so I can take this very lovely lady to dinner. Thank you!” 

He heads off the stage, taking Midge by the hand as he goes, and she shakes her head. 

“Bad, bad man.” 

“And you love me.” 

“God help me.” 

[tbyfandoms]

Rapunzel | Dramione

Pairing: draco malfoy x hermione granger

Word Count: 2.7k

Summary: stuck with the inability to meet with her boyfriend face to face on her own, hermione enlists the help of her best friend to get her there. meanwhile, stuck in a meeting of star-crossed lovers and nothing better to do, harry has a few quips for draco up his sleeve

Warnings: mild swearing

Masterlist | Ask/Tell/Request

A/N: my first work for dramione! i’ve loved this pair for so long and i'm so happy to have finally sat down and written a short fic for them. i would’ve never had the idea for this story without seeing this amazing artwork (shown in the header) by @fghartwork ! i saw it on my recommended and the idea immediately came to mind. please check out their page and the original art work here. they’re very talented and also very kind for letting me use their work in my header <3 i hope you all enjoy the story and lmk what you think! :)

“Harry be careful!” Hermione shrieks as she clings to the back of her best friend, her heart rate spiking every time he makes a sudden turn in the air.

She never did like flying.

“Hermione you’re fine, just hold on!” Harry replies with a chuckle. He can tell how frightened she is by the way her arms clutch tightly around his stomach each time he dips the broom.

“Oh trust me, I’m holding on,” she mumbles, squeezing her eyes shut as they swoop past one of the pillars on the castle. “This is so unbelievably terrifying and dangerous, I don’t get why you like it so much.”

“It’s thrilling! The wind in your hair and on your face. The way you can speed through the air and feel just like a bird, it’s brilliant!” He muses. There are few things Harry Potter finds absolute, indescribable joy in and flying is most definitely one of them. In a teasing tone he adds; “Need I remind you, you’re the one who wanted to do this.”

“Come on, Harry! You know I wouldn’t if it wasn’t my absolute last option. This is the only way I can see Draco before we leave for break. After tonight who knows how long until I’ll be able to see him again face to face.”

It was just their luck that the final day Hermione and Draco would be able to see each other, the Malfoy boy would land himself in detention. There wasn’t any way around it and no time to meet in the morning before everyone leaves. If the couple wanted to see each other one last time, this is the only way it could be done.

The only downside to the plan was that Hermione would have to travel by broom to get to Draco. There wasn’t a chance she’d be let in the room, so meeting in secret by the window was the best bet. Too bad Draco’s serving his detention in a classroom way at the top of the castle, which is how Hermione has found herself holding on to Harry for dear life as he takes her to see him.

“The two of you really can’t meet up during the break? This is honestly the last chance you’ve got to spend time with him before we leave?” Harry questions.

“Sadly, yes. With the way our personal schedules line up, there doesn’t seem to be a day we can have to ourselves. Any day I’m free he’ll be busy and any day he’s free I’ll be busy. We could always try to floo or apparate to each other during spare time, but considering how on edge everyone still is regarding our relationship, it doesn’t seem possible,” Hermione sighs. No matter how hard she tries to show everyone how much Draco has changed and grown, it doesn’t seem to change anything. Harry truly seems to be one of the only people who has somewhat accepted their relationship, besides Ginny.

Although Harry can’t see her face, he can tell Hermione is frowning behind him, wishing things could be different and still struggling with the heartache of the people she loves most not accepting the boy she’s fallen for. It took a long time for Harry to grasp the idea of their relationship, but of course with help from Ginny, he was able to come to terms with it and focus on the fact Hermione is happier than ever before. After the past few years they’ve had that’s truly all he could hope for, his best friend’s happiness.

Harry still doesn’t get how it even happened, but he guesses all of them coming back for an eighth year allowed unexpected relationships to form between people. It was weird at first, but he sees how much good it’s actually done and he’s glad he came back along with so many of his other classmates. In a way it’s been healing for him even if these walls have witnessed so much loss and destruction, and if Hermione finding comfort and love in being with Malfoy is part of her healing, then who’s he to judge her?

“Don’t worry, Hermione, I’m sure the two of you will figure it out. I can tell you both care for each other a lot and not being able to see each other in person for a while isn’t going to change that. There’s ways around your obstacles and if anyone will figure it out it’ll be you. Besides, I’m here for you if and when you need me again. I mean look at us now! If you would’ve told me a year ago I’d be helping you meet up with Malfoy I would’ve said you’re mad! Yet here we are.” The two Gryffindors laugh and Hermione fights the tears prickling in her eyes over Harry’s words. She truly doesn’t know where she’d be without him and she’s so incredibly grateful to have him in her life.

“Thank you, Harry,” she says softly as the raven-haired boy takes them around a pillar and begins to slow down as their destination comes into view.

“You’re welcome, Hermione,” he replies, lining his broom up against the side of the castle and slowly lifting the both of them up under a window that’s wide open. "Okay, now that we're here, climb up on my shoulders and I'll keep you steady while you 'talk' to Malfoy."

Hermione nearly falls off the broom over the statement alone. "What!? Why in the world would I do that when I can keep my little stability by just staying where I am, sat behind you!"

"No offense, Hermione, but I really don't wanna be sitting right next to you while you make out with your boyfriend." Hermione's face flushes fiercely and she does her best to try and gather herself before replying.

"Well, alright then. If you really want me to, I will." With a firm nod, even though Harry can't see her, Hermione decides the task won't be so bad. She's a witch for God's sake! She could handle a little challenge.

Grabbing onto Harry's shoulders, Hermione begins to lift herself up off the broom. With shaky hands, she grabs the edge of the window above her, using it to balance as she lifts one leg over Harry's shoulder, and then the other. Harry grabs onto Hermione's shins and allows her time to adjust.

"See, not so bad, right?" Harry grunts out. Hermione isn't heavy by any means, but he didn't think through all the added extra weight. Harry may be one of Hogwart's best seekers, but he's sure never flown a broom with someone sitting on his shoulders before. He'd get used to the feeling in a minute though, he's sure...hopefully.

"Right! This is fine, I'm steady, it's good!" Hermione doesn't know who she's trying to convince, Harry or herself, but it definitely seems more like the latter.

Looking up, Hermione realizes she's still a little under the window, not exactly head level with it. "Harry, can you fly us up a little bit? I can't quite see through the window."

In an instant, Hermione finds herself rising upwards. The sudden movement, although expected, startles her and causes her to let out a tiny yelp.

"Granger? Is that you?" Looking into the open window, Hermione smiles when she sees her boyfriend standing there.

"Draco!" She exclaims, leaning in closer to the windowsill and resting her arms on the ledge.

"What in the bloody hell are you doing!?" Rushing to the window, Draco leans out of it slightly, looking down to see how exactly his girlfriend has found her way up here. "Is that Potter?"

"Evening, Malfoy!" Harry grins while looking up and throwing Draco a peace sign. The blonde can't help the bemused smile that makes it's way onto his face. Of course it would be Potter to help with something like this.

"I knew we wouldn't be able to see each other before we left tomorrow, so this is the best plan I could come up with. It's probably not the best one I've ever thought of, but so be it, I'm here and now we can be together for a moment!"

Draco smiles at the girl before him. He doesn't understand how in the world he got so lucky to be with someone like her. If you would've told him when he first came to Hogwarts that he'd end up with the bushy haired girl from Gryffindor, he would've laughed in your face. But now, here he is, completely and utterly in love with her.

"Granger, you're brilliant! If anything this is your best plan yet, love." Draco reaches over and grabs one of Hermione's hands, rubbing his fingers over her knuckles and looking at her with those big grey eyes she's come to love.

A thought pops into Hermione's head, instantly sending her heart racing. "Wait, McGonagall isn't in there is she? I would hate to get you into more trouble!" The brunette tries to look through the window, but Draco immediately shakes his head, trying to calm her nerves.

"No, she stepped out for a moment. I'm not sure when she'll be back, though. We might not have much time, I-"

"You're both fine, don't worry. McGonagall's in her office talking to Flitwick. You've probably got loads of time," Harry says, leading to Draco and Hermione to look down at him questioningly.

"And how do you know that, Potter?" Draco questions, raising a brow at Harry's supposed fact.

Without speaking a word, the boy holds up a piece of folded paper he had in his pocket. Hermione hums and smirks when she realizes what it is. "Marauder's map. You've still got that thing, Harry?"

"Of course I do, it's useful, you know that." Harry goes back to looking at the map, definitely not keeping his eye on the spot of a certain red head girl.

Turning back to the blonde, Hermione leans her head on her fist, staring at Draco with nothing but adoration. "So, tell me about your day of solitude."

Laughing, Draco settles himself on the windowsill, ready to spend every possible moment he can with the girl who stole his heart and taught him what real love is all about.

*****

"You're lying!" Hermione can't help the laugh that escapes her lips. "There's no way she made you do that!"

"Granger, I swear she did! This detention is by far the worst I've ever received."

Hermione just shakes her head at her boyfriend's words. She loves how at ease she feels with him. That sounds ridiculous considering who it is she's talking about, but it's true. Draco makes her feel a sense of comfort she's never felt before. It took a long time for them to get to this point, but she wouldn't take any of it back. She's glad after all these years they found their way to each other, found healing and love within each other. It took everyone by surprise, even them, but it's perfectly imperfect, and that's enough for them.

"I'm going to miss you so much, Draco," Hermione says, barely above a whisper. She tries to give him a smile but it's weak. Hermione never was very good with trying to hide her emotions.

"I'm going to miss you too, Hermione." Draco reaches out and cups the girl's cheeks with his palms, swiping this thumbs lightly back and forth. "We're going to figure this out, don't worry. I won't allow anyone to keep you away from me. I mean c'mon, even detention couldn't stop us from seeing each other."

The Gryffindor girl lights up at the Slytherin's words, letting out a small giggle.

"There's that smile and laugh I love so much," Draco beams, loving the way Hermione gets shy at his words. Closing the distance, the Malfoy heir connects his lips with hers, and she wastes no time in reciprocating the action.

Almost instantly Hermione finds herself lost in Draco's soft lips and warm aura. She's reaching up and dragging one hand through his hair while the other grasps onto the front of his shirt, wanting him as close as possible.

It's when Draco softly bites down on Hermione's bottom lip that she really loses it. Her thighs move to rub together, wanting to create any sort of friction, but the action is immediately halted, rapid taps on her knees breaking her from the spell that is Draco Malfoy.

"Hermione!" Harry squeaks from below and Hermione's eyes go wide as she realizes what's happening.

"Sorry, Harry!" The girl rushes out, heat rushing up her neck and face as she quickly releases the death grip her thighs have around Harry's neck.

"It's fine," the raven haired boy coughs out. After rubbing his neck as best he can to soothe the dull pain, while simultaneously holding onto Hermione and trying to keep the broom upright, he says, "I hate to break this up but either tell Rapunzel to let down his hair and have you climb up, or we've got to go. McGonagall's coming."

Hermione laughs at the boy's joke, but covers it with her hand as she turns and notices Draco's confusion and hard stare.

"What did you just call me, Scarhead?" Draco's eyebrows are furrowed and even though he and Harry have long since settled their 'rivalry', the nicknames still pop up here and there, and Draco is quick to revert back to them when feeling intimidated, as is Harry.

Before her two favorite boys can begin bickering, Hermione interjects. "It's just from a fairy tale, Draco. It's Rapunzel, have you ever heard of it?"

Malfoy shakes his head and Hermione's left surprised. She knew the Wizarding world was different than that of the Muggles, but she figured at least the fairy tales would've been prominent in both.

"Basically it's a story about a girl trapped in a tower and she has incredibly long hair that she lets down for her lover to climb in order to reach her. I'm shocked you don't know it."

Draco shakes his head and relaxes at the fact it wasn't anything too insulting. "Never heard of it."

"Basically, it's a joke, Malfoy. You should learn to take one!" Harry teases from below and Hermione gasps before lightly smacking the side of his head.

"Harry! Be nice!" Hermione starts to make her way off her friend's shoulders, slowly settling back on the broom. Harry rubs the spot on his head, but continues to chuckle as he flies the broom up a bit higher, allowing Hermione to be able to say goodbye.

"Very funny, Potter. We'll see who's the one laughing when I beat your ass in the next quidditch match," Draco smirks and Harry rolls his eyes in return.

"We'll see about that one, Malfoy"

"If you two are done trying to one up each other, I'd like to say goodbye to my boyfriend before we get caught," Hermione says, side-eyeing the both of them. Boys.

Turning back to face Draco, Hermione smiles and leans in one final time for a kiss, this time not letting it get too out of hand.

After pulling away, Draco is the first to speak. "I promise to write to you as much as possible, even if it's about something boring. I'll write about it just so you know I'm still thinking of you."

The brunette girl laughs and nods her head. "I'll love every second of reading them, I'm sure. I love you, Draco."

The blonde's usual steel grey eyes soften as they take in every inch of the girl before them. Airily, Draco replies, "I love you too, Hermione."

A moment passes between them before suddenly the door to the classroom is being opened and the Headmistress' voice can be heard.

"Mr. Malfoy, what are you doing by the window?" The couple's eyes go wide. Draco immediately steps back and Hermione lightly urges Harry to take off.

"Nothing, Headmistress," Draco says, watching as his girlfriend begins to descend back to the ground. He winks at her and then says, "Just thought I heard something."

Hermione's stomach fills with butterflies at his action, she grins and waves at him before holding on to Harry for dear life once more.

"Thank you for doing this, Harry. It really means so much to me," the witch says, lightly squeezing Harry a bit extra for a moment in appreciation.

"You're welcome, Hermione. Anything for you and your Rapunzel." The boy laughs and Hermione gasps but can't help to do the same.

"Harry!"

[if-pluto-could-dream]

Taurus

Synopsis

Taurus is the Fixed Earth sign, known for its stubbornness, materialism (not a bad thing) and comfort-loving nature. They are also known for their resilience to toxic environments. When undeveloped, they can be ignorant, unwavering, uncompromising, and inconsiderate. Undeveloped Taurus placements tend to have a victim mentality and have trouble taking accountability as well. Instead of proper communication, these placements will hold grudges until the pot overflows and then lay every single wrongdoing before you with a ruthlessness unmatched. This causes their personal relationships with others to be very unstable, which is the opposite of what Taurus energy is all about. They would rather create their own bubble from the world to self-soothe rather than deal with issues head-on. I have some theories about this that I may explain in the future. When developed, they can be sweet, empathetic, loving and nurturing.

Developed Tauruses are full of love and vigour, spreading this around like seeds into fertile soil, sprouting wildflowers everywhere they go. They empower their loved ones, listen to their own needs and the needs of others, as well as being emotionally attuned to those the care about. In some cases, developed Taurus placements can even manifest selflessness.

Taurus represents the urge to stay and plant roots. To be firm. It is ruled by the planet Venus and is symbolised by the Bull. Will charge at you if threatened. Should be feared from afar.

Taurus Sun

The sun is in Peregrine. (a term that means that a planet is not in exaltation, domicile, fall or detriment. Check this post for more details)

The native is a hard worker, but also works smart.

Most Taurus sun natives dedicate their energy to things that society deems inconsequential, and so, are perceived as lazy. In reality, they give their all to the causes they deem necessary.

Sometimes self-sacrificial to a point of detriment. Will agree to suffer so that those they love can prosper, but won't be happy doing it.

Really value their personal space/time, and may need periods away from people to reset. This should not be taken as rudeness or nonchalance.

I know a lot of Taurus Suns are tired of hearing this, but the natives find comfort in their favourite foods. A bad day can be fixed by their favourite bowl of cereal, or a bad mood blown away by a "sorry, I was just hungry".

Taurus Suns are very kind individuals

The native, depending on the upbringing, may have a special interest that they love to talk about and perhaps even teach others.

Often feel responsible for their friends' wellbeing in a way, acting as a protector.

When the native is undeveloped, they can be very rigid in their personality, with an aversion from 'picking sides' during conflict as well.

Taurus Moon

I apologise, as I do not have a lot of information on this placement because I know very few.

Very soft spoken, kind individuals.

People often assume they have a say in the native's life, trying to force them to make decisions without understanding what they're truly going through.

Sometimes cling to toxic beliefs in the name of normalcy, and are often unwilling to accept defeat.

When they have a purpose that they set for themselves (or one that is set for them) they are able to work extremely hard towards that goal.

Matters with the mother may border on a Love-Hate relationship. The mother (figure) or primary caregiver may have prioritized their own joy and pleasure over that of their family and children, which may have strained the relationship between them and the child. The child wishes that their caregiver was more headstrong, or stood up for them when there was conflict at home. This is why Taurus Moons are so comfort seeking: they long to fill the void that was left by the lack of security in the relationship with the primary caregiver.

The family may often depend on the native for emotional support, strength or advice.

Sometimes, the native attracts superficial relationships that do not allow them to explore their deeper emotions.

A lot of Taurus moons I know are quite patient, and usually weigh their options well before making a decision.

Even so, these natives may cling to the pain of the past, and this will hinder their ability to connect with others in the future.

Taurus Mercury

Honestly, the definition of charming. These people have a natural allure (which very few of them acknowledge) that attracts many people, simply from the way they speak and think.

When undeveloped however, this could indicate a superficial personality, or a shallow nature and a boring conversationalist.

Taurus Mercuries often stand by their opinions very strongly, and need a lot of evidence to sway their views.

Most of them are very concise speakers and writers, thriving in essay subjects, public speaking and argumentative positions. This is innate in the native, but needs a lot of hard work and training to become perfect. (influence of earth needs work for there to be harvest)

From afar, the individual may appear introverted or withdrawn, but they have a lot to say. They just say it to people they truly admire or trust.

These Mercury signs may not take critique too well, and may be unwilling to change for growth if they are truly convinced that they are the best.

They often speak out of turn, butting into the business of others or saying insensitive things without considering the weight of their words.

Depending on the 3H Lord and Sign, these natives may be slow speakers. They talk like the viscosity of honey pouring. (E.G However, if someone is an Aries Rising, Taurus Mercury, their 3rd House Sign would be Gemini, indicating that the speed of their communication could be a little fast.)

Taurus Venus

Venus is in Domicile

In my opinion, the most obstinate Taurus placement.

The natives usually have 'iconic' voices, in that you could be able to hear them speaking in a crowd and immediately know that it's them.

They express their love by letting their guard down around you, showing you sides that others have criticized them for.

Are usually very critical of those that they care about, but almost always out of love.

They enjoy receiving gifts and words of affirmation from their partners and friends, but often have a hard time accepting compliments.

Once their trust is broken, it can never be repaired to what it once was.

When they are young or undeveloped, they have a lot of trouble claiming their sexuality and expressing their romantic needs. As they begin to prioritize themselves more, this will ease.

Loyal to those who are loyal to them.

Very patient with broken lovers, but they have a breaking point. Once this point has been reached, they cannot tolerate anything more.

Have a tendency to put the needs of others above their own, at times.

When undeveloped, this placement creates issues out of thin air in order to end relationships, especially if the native doesn't feel that they deserve their partner or friend.

Can become very cynical after rejection of love.

Almost always romantically involved with someone. Have trouble when they're not in a relationship.

Taurus Mars

Mars is in Detriment.

The emotions of the native are often stepped on or glossed over.

People take advantage of this native, especially when they are young.

Most natives like to take an active role in their relationships, but a passive role in the bedroom (if they do engage in s*xual activity)

These natives are usually Serial Procrastinators, but at the end of the day, present very good work. It depends on their passion for the project at hand, but usually, those last few minutes of work will have them perfecting it.

They are also quite bad at dealing with their own conflicts. They have trouble with asserting themselves when they are hurt, and usually just shut themselves off.

Natives engage in a lot of self-sabotaging behaviour after experiencing inconveniences. They have trouble maintaining their self worth. (when undeveloped)

They have a great capacity for love.

Try to hold grudges, but ultimately, end up prioritizing peace.

Have a natural allure that draws people towards them, no matter their persona.

©️ This work is entirely original and should not be reposted without the owner's consent

[a-dragons-journal]

I notice you've talked a fair amount about your Hearthome/Hearthic and much like you I can't find a smidgen of info about what they really are or how they work so I thought best to ask you upon the matter; I've been having crazy types of pulls and connections to the world of a specific media, but I can't pinpoint if it's anything at all to do with hearthome, or whether it's some "cling to the familiar" kind of deal based on the hiraeth of my kintypes. Mostly in part due to the fact that it's not a full on connection, but more so in a sense that it's the closest I can get to what I'm feeling. So can a hearthome just be that of a home in prior/kin life? Or, for those with multiple, a merged kind of reality for multiple kintypes? Or is there a hard differentiation between what's considered a hearthome and a home that used to be?

A lot of people with hearthomes, from what I've seen, have them connected to past lives, especially kintypes' lives. Personally, I'm of the opinion that as with most terms, the "why" doesn't really matter, only the "what." Is it a place that feels "like home" to you despite you not currently living there, and probably having never lived or spent significant time there (in this life)? If yes, it qualifies as a hearthome.

[kenzan-kiwami]

Can I get uhhh Wagi + 1, 2, 25

ABSOLUTELY

(this got quite long so i'm gonna shove it under a read more)

1. Why do you like or dislike this character?

it's so hard for me to quantify what i like about him in broad and general terms, but it had to happen someday i guess so thank you for that LOL

at the most basic and superficial level i just find him pleasing to look at and listen to. absolutely helps that my first exposure this year was ishin kiwami and not yakuza kiwami because he slays the haori look and the little extra sideburn scruff he gets looks great on him. i can't remember what my reaction was to him when i played 0 (we'll expand on that later) but i was clinging hard to inoue well before things happened, and every game i played after the fact only solidified kashiwagi as a fave.

but every little extra thing the games say about him just makes him all the more interesting to me. i still haven't done my Y0 replay but i've gone back and watched most of the scenes he's in, and the way he 1) already tends kamuro castle in '88 2) brings up the way yakuza (don't) cope with expulsion to kiryu and nishiki is interesting to think about after Y3 tells us he's been operating the HLA for some time. how long? was it already on the books during the bubble?

also from 0, the conversation between kiryu and nishiki at the apartment where they mention how tense he was while kiryu was at dojima's office. the last time you see him do anything before this point is when he flips his lid at kiryu and knocks him into the shelf. he has this big intimidating front on as current acting patriarch of the kazama family - rightly so, considering the respect he commands even from awano - but everything about his situation, and kiryu's situation, and kazama's situation, on top of the empty lot fiasco, is stressing him to the bone. he cares so much about kiryu not dying to the point he doesn't eat until he comes back alive, which just makes me worry about how little he ate over the game's runtime. he gets relatively little screentime and development compared to certain other characters in this series (especially playable protags), but in spite of it they manage to make him feel like a person. which i guess is one of the strengths of RGG's writing

there's a lot i've left unsaid, but i don't know if i can put much of it into words without somehow being asked the right question to prompt it lmao. i guess to conclude this segment, i see a bit of myself in him as well. he's the type of man i would like to be, if a bit less temperamental

2. Favourite canon thing about this character?

i cannot for the life of me think of a better way to put this, but i guess how gap moe he is? characters like tsuruno are out here calling him scary, and there's that one story from RGGO where they call him oni kashiwa, and y'know just his whole usual demeanour and presentation. and that gnarly scar across his face. but in spite of appearances, he's... kind of a nerd. dare i say he's just a little bit goofy (especially in 7 when he allows his filter to drop a little).

we've got a man who runs an empty karaoke bar as a hobby, and hires younger women to talk to what few patrons he has for him. he taught himself ikebana and how to make chinese herbal remedies. he's got it down bad enough for his own boss that he allows himself to get beaten to a pulp for as long as it takes for the emergency services to show up after kazama gets shot at sera's funeral (RGGO). i'm not even gonna uncork the fuckin "legend malt" bottle, and i've posted about his posture and ill-fitting suits on ps2/ps3 here before.

i think one of my favourite moments from 7 is still the end of nanba's 4th drink link, where he's like HUH after ichiban says they're organising a birthday party. all of the little breaks in his composure in that game make me feel completely normal ways i promise

also, not sure if i count it as such, but inoue's reimen lines from ishin. the way he starts talking about his favourite dish from his favourite restaurant then cuts himself off because he's gushing too much and ryoma isn't interested like, noooo, keep going please i want to hear it... tell me how you got your hands on reimen 100 years early

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

like i say, it's been so long since i played Y0 that i genuinely don't remember if i had any actual thoughts on him or not beyond this relic i just dug up:

so i'll go from ishin kiwami instead i guess LOL

i'm still not sure what my first first impressions were but i was definitely latching on during chapter 5 at the latest. those cutscenes are soooo juicy, but we all knew that. every time i saw him i was like :) yay inoue is here :) until the start of chapter 10 when i was in straight up denial until they dumped his pale crusty-ass body in the middle of the sparring pit. ishin the only fucking thing delivering both his forbidden tatas and a scar backstory and we stan her for that.. the tibbies less so though because honestly it feels too lewd. seeing fanart of him with his shirt open helps me to understand what sawashiro fans felt when the infinite wealth trailer dropped

and it's all been uphill (or down, depending on how you look at it) from there. seeing him sopping wet, bleeding and pleading in the mud awoke something in me for sure. i understand why tsuruno calls him scary but i legitimately cannot see the dragon engine model that way, especially with those stupid tortoiseshell glasses. he looks like a sad dog & my male high school chemistry teachers at once. he's abashedly goofy and barely speaks above a whisper half the time.

i just know that whatever happens between him and kiryu in 8 is going to very painfully exorcise my own soul from my body.

[sandshadow9]

Don’t apologize for the long post! It was interesting seeing your perspective on both Moonbli and Qinter, but to me I feel like Moonbli was cliche and just… a little bit rushed. Throughout the second arc they had moments of attraction but it was the romantic developing that was lacking. Qinter HAD THOSE ASPECTS THAT WOULDVE MADE THEM SUCH A COMPELLING AND REALISTIC COUPLE, there were flaws in both of them, yet I feel like they balance each other out in a way Moonbli couldn’t. I totally see them helping each other grow into better dragons.

Just my thoughts

Yes you’re so right. I’m doing my best here to be diplomatic about Moonbli but it is certainly not pushing any boundaries.

I really want to try and put into words what I like about Qinter and why I think it would work. Recently though, I have not been going as hard on the Qinter train as I used to. Mostly I feel Qibli needs to be knocked down a few pegs lol. I’ve alluded to this in other posts but Qibli is like the “morally grey but not really” character that Tui put so much effort into making three dimensional but still missed the point of what that means and went ahead and labelled him as the “good guy” both in the conflict of the book and the love triangle. I suppose I just don’t like how Tui put them on unequal footing in terms of “goodness”, like sometimes I get the feeling Qibli visiting Winter is kind of framed like “wow look at Qibli being one of the few dragons to visit the mean Winter, isn’t he such a nice guy!” which annoys me but maybe I’m just interpreting it weirdly. Qibli needs to be humbled.

HOWEVER

Qinter still very good and their personalities and goals parallel each other so well.

At their cores, Qibli and Winter have the same soft hearted kindness to them, and they both try to hide and protect this vulnerability fiercely using different methods. Obviously a lot of the main characters of the WOF books are generally kind at heart, but considering the environment the Qibli and Winter grew up in (both abusive with siblings/family members that did not struggle to meet the toxic expectations) it really shows that they are the kind of dragons that have remained soft hearted, even if they didn’t want to, despite everything, and the way they hide this is different between them.

Winter has been taught how to hide his “weakness”, he has been given basically the ten commandments of how to be a perfect IceWing and clings to those teachings like a religion. Despite all this he can’t help but love and trust others. He’s like a kicked puppy in that way, no matter how many times those he loves tare him down he would still sacrifice everything for them. We see him do this for his brother and sister, and his tribe in the battle with the NightWings. There is no mistake too great that he won’t forgive someone. It will probably be the death of him one day but it’s just who he is.

As for Qibli, he had to learn for himself how to hide his soft heart through manipulation and observation and mistrustfulness. Unlike Winter, Qibli was able to get away from his abusive home and find a community that made him better and more open, but he is still plagued by his insecurities. 

While Winter still has a long way to go, he has an earnestness that I think would lower Qibli’s defenses. Winter wears his heart on his sleeve, despite having every reason not to (to be fair I don’t think he realizes he does), and in a lot of ways so does Qibli. I don’t think Qibli ever really was able to lock his heart away, only cover up the fact that it’s so exposed. 

I literally have no nice finishing sentence here and this is a mess but yeah I love those boys