#whats also important to her character is that

[gglitch1dd]

Us & You Pt4

DILF Kirishima Eijirou x Teacher Reader

Context: Kirishima Eijiro has done everything to forget Bakugou Katsuki in his life and just focus on his daughter, his amazing and loving daughter. The light of his eye. Due to an incident, Eijiro meets you, a teacher at his daughter school who he can’t help but fall for. However, as his daughter grows older and questions start being asked, it feels like the peace he tried to cultivate is slipping through his fingers.

Note: Pretty chilled chapter.

PLEASE NOTE BEFORE READING THIS SHORT SERIES: There will be some deep discussions about morality, children, abortion arguments pertaining to Pro life vs Pro choice as well as the father’s role in raising a child/conceiving a child. It also deals with the struggles of being a single parent. It’s very messy and very much real life. Katsuki is Trans in this story (mostly cause I couldn’t find another character to be Sachiko’s mom and you’ll see why).

[PART 2] [AO3 Link] [PART 3]

The charity derby was in full swing with people wearing brands so expensive that you didn’t know the names of, crowded around you, sipping on fancy bubbly drinks walking around in the sun before the derby would take place. You stayed glued to Eijiro’s side as he led you and Sachiko forward. This was a very important day for you and you tried not to get too nervous at the realisation of that.

Today was not only the day that Eijiro would be out with you with people he knew closely outside of work, but also the day you would meet his family. You found that rather nerve wrecking. Sachiko had told you about how nice her family was and how they were all basically like each other so if you met Sachiko and Eijiro, you’d get along with everyone. However, you weren’t entirely sure if that was true considering she was their family.

You tried your best to stay calm. You kept a smile on your face as you held onto Eijiro’s arm, wearing an outfit that he had bought you for the occasion (along with several others which you found unnecessary but he was rather insistent of having an excuse to spoil you).

“Daddy, daddy, daddy look!” Sachiko pointed to one of the large deep mahogany horses that were being led on the other side of the fence by a worker. “It’s a thoroughbred horse! Look at how strong he is.” She pointed over at the horse. “Can we bet on that one!”

Eijiro chuckled. “We’ll take a look at all the horses participating and see. What if Thunder is participating?”

Sachiko gasped before turning to you with bright eyes. “Thunder is a horse Daddy and I have been betting on for the past two years now!” She informed you. “He’s really good. I like him.”

You smiled. “Well we better go check if he’s participating today. You think he can still make it?”

She nodded her head raising her head. “I think so. He’s a strong one, but not as strong as my Clyde.” She stated proudly.

You looked to Eijiro with a confused look and a raised eyebrow. “Clyde is her horse. Ironically, he’s a Clydesdale. My father bought him for her.”

“And he’s the best boy ever!” Sachiko exclaimed as she looked around. “Hey, Daddy…” Sachiko furrowed her eyebrows as she swivelled her head left and right. “Where’s Baba?”

“Right behind you, sweetheart.”

Sachiko turned around and she lit up like a Christmas tree. “BABA!” She let out an excited squeal and raced into the arms of a large man. He let out a loud boisterous laugh as he pick up Sachi effortlessly and threw her up into the air. He caught her in his arms and kissed her face, keeping her giggling.

Your eyes widened in shock at the man in front of you. Standing there was a man who was the splitting image of your boyfriend. Albeit he looked older, with crows feet at his eyes showing how much he laughed and grey strands at the side of his head mixing in with deep black that made him look even more handsome. He looked just like your Eijiro. Just older.

He held up Sachiko with one arm like it was nothing as he looked up at her with a broad smile. “There’s my girl.” He said, adoringly as he stared up at her as if she was an actual angel. “How are you, my little star?”

Sachiko smiled. “I’m good, Baba.” She turned to look down to a shorter woman at the man’s side. “Morning, grandma!”

The older looking woman let out a soft chuckle. She had deep red hair that had strands of grey in it as well. She had the warmest pair of golden hazel eyes you had ever seen, with a gentle loving smile on her face. She was dressed chic too, in a pretty dress. She reached up and put a hand to Sachiko’s face. “Morning, Sachi.”

“I missed you, two so much!”

“I missed you too.” He assured her. “Blame your father, he’s always trying to hoard you away from me.”

That made Eijiro pause with an offended look on his face, which made you giggle. Before he could speak on that fact, Sachiko spoke instead. “Baba,” She then looked to you. “This is Ms Y/N. She’s daddy’s girlfriend.” She claimed boldly with a proud smile almost as if she was the one who orchestrated this whole debacle.

Eyes went to you, the couple assessing you for a moment once their granddaughter had pointed you out. You glanced at Eijiro. He gave you a supportive smile, giving your hand a comforting squeeze. You turned back to the two of them. You gave them a smile and bowed in front of them respectfully. “Good morning. My name is L/N Y/N, it’s an honour to meet you both.”

First was Eijiro’s mom to let out an impressed hum. She smiled. “It’s nice to meet you too, dear. I’m Kirishima Yua, and this big man over here,” She motioned to her right to the large man. “Is my husband, Kirishima Takeo.”

Takeo gave you a bit of a dead stare as he assessed you, making you feel as if you were under a microscope. He then smiled, and slowly that smile turned into a smirk. “So you’re the person my son has been obsessing over.” He let out amusedly.

Eijiro let out a cough as he glared at his father. “Dad.”

Takeo shrugged, making Sachi giggle. “I’m not lying.” He stated plainly. He looked back to you. “It’s nice to meet you, pumpkin.”

You looked to him and then to Eijiro. You looked between the two of them, trying to spot the differences. “Your son never told me he looked so much like you.”

“You never asked.” Eijiro stated with a fold of his arms.

Takeo let out a loud laugh, lifting up Sachiko and putting her up on his large broad shoulders making her giggle. “Yep, my only boy and my twin. Good thing he’s as handsome as his old man.” He boldly claimed with a broad grin on his face, making you giggle.

Yua rolled her eyes with a swat to his arm. “Don’t mind Takeo, all our children look like him. Kirishima genes are strong.”

“I can see it with Eijiro and Sachi.” You stated as you found a place beside her.

Eijiro nodded his head proudly, like Sachiko had done not too long ago. “Damn right.” He said.

Sachiko looked down at her grandfather, holding onto his head. “Where are we going?”

“To take you to say hi to your cousins and aunts. Then we can go betting.” Takeo revealed to her. She let out a celebratory ‘yes’ making him chuckle.

You watched quietly as Eijiro said hi to his parents and Sachiko sat talking to her grandfather, holding onto her grandfather’s hair. She waved her legs forward and back as she sat on his shoulders. You eventually met their very large family. There were so many of them and they all looked so much like each other. They were very much like each other and very warm and open hearted.

You had seen Akari again and met her sons and saw pictures of her newborn daughter. You were surprised to meet Akari’s identical twin, Ayah, who was a paediatrician. Considering today was a family day at the Derby, you got to meet a lot of them and heard that it wasn’t even all of them.

You held Sachiko’s hand as you, Takeo and Sachi moved to check one of the booths that stated which horses to bet on. You had a hat on your head, blocking out the sun from your face and on your head. The three of you finally reached the overhead shade of the booth but then Sachiko stopped.

You looked down to the girl who raced to hide behind you. She gasped as she tried not to be seen. You raised an eyebrow looking back at her and so did Takeo. He tilted his head. Sachiko ducked back. “Oh no.”

“What’s up Sachi?” You asked her, putting a hand on her head.

Sachiko looked up at you and then looked forward. “It’s Asahi.” She whispered up to you.

You looked forward to see a brunette boy in a wheelchair. He had a bright smile as he looked up at his father with gleaming green eyes and dimples on his face. He had freckles littered all over his cheeks. Your eyebrows raised. You knew that boy. He was in your maths class in a year above Sachiko. He perked up, turning to look at the three of you before smiling broadly. “Miss Y/N!” He waved a hand over to you as he turned himself around.

You chuckled as you smiled over to him, the three of you moving forward. “Hey there, Asahi.”

“Morning Miss Y/N. It’s so good to see you.” Asahi looked up to Takeo. “It’s great to see you too, Kirishima-san.”

Takeo chuckled as he ruffled the boy’s curly hair. “It’s good to see you, Asahi. You’re looking stronger.” He praised.

Asahi sent up one of his dimpled smiles. “I’ve been practising in the pool. My physio said I’m getting better and faster. Isn’t that right, dad?” He turned to loop up at the tall green haired man behind him.

“That’s right, buddy.” He praised before looking at you. He lifted up his dark sunglasses to reveal the same captivating emerald eyes. A smirk went to his face, a dimple in his right cheek. “Midoriya Izuku, tech-multi-millionaire genius philanthropist, or Asahi’s father.” He introduced himself confidently making you chuckle.

You raised an eyebrow. “Oh so which one is it?”

Midoriya smirked, his eyes looking you up and down quickly before settling on your eyes once more. “It can be anything you want it to be.”

You put a hand to your chest and bowed. “Forgive me. I’m Ms L/N Y/N, I teach your son maths.” You informed him, making his eyebrow twitch up.

“Sorry I missed school on Thursday and Friday, Ms Y/N.” He apologised with a bow of his head. “I was at the hospital, but I’m alright now. I promise I’ll finish all my work by Monday.”

You crouched down closer to him with a smile. “It’s no problem, Asahi. I know your trying to stand on your own two feet so it’s no problem at all. I just don’t want you falling behind, okay?” You pinched his cheek making a soft pink blush go to his face. His eyes widened and he nodded his head sincerely.

Izuku was quiet for a moment before turning to Takeo. “Girlfriend?” He asked inquisitively.

Takeo chuckled as he shook his head, folding his arms. “Nope. Eijiro’s.” Izuku hummed as he nodded his head looking back at you.

Asahi looking around you before looking back up at you. “Excuse me, Miss but did Sachiko come to today’s derby?” He asked.

You opened your mouth to reply when you realised that Sachiko wasn’t behind you. You furrowed your eyebrows as you slowly stood up looking around for the girl in a crimson red dress with short black hair. “Sachi?” You asked confused. Immediately Takeo looked around as well, noticing that the girl had disappeared as well. “Where is she? She was just here… Sachi!” You turned around trying to find her.

Eijiro trusted you with his daughter, he trusts you with Sachiko because he knew that Sachiko would be safe with you. And now you couldn’t even find her. How could you lose her? She was an eleven year old girl, Lord knows what could happen to her on her own.

You felt your breathing rapidly increase in fear as your heart started to beat out of your chest. You looked around. “Y/N… Y/N… Y/N.” Takeo took you by your shoulders, making you pause. He saw you start to panic, your hands together. Takeo had his back towards the Midoriya’s keeping your panic out of sight from Asahi. “Honey, breathe. Keep your eyes on me. Breathe for me. In…” You kept your eyes up on his ruby eyes, and took a deep breath. “And out…” You let out a breath. “Good girl.” You felt a warm hand on your face making you breath out again. Takeo smiled down at you, the large man calming you down as despite the fact that it was his granddaughter that was missing. “How about you and me go find her, okay?”

“We'll look as well.” Izuku stated with a nod of his head before looking down at Asahi. “Right, buddy?”

Asahi nodded his head fiercely with a smile on his face. He put his hands on his push rings. “Don't worry, Ms Y/N and Kirishima-san.”

Izuku hummed as Asahi began to push himself forward. He kept a careful eye on his son, not entirely worried. “You okay?”

“Yep.” Asahi voiced, wanting to push himself.

You kept a smile on your face, wiping at your eyes with a sigh. “I'm sorry. That wasn't very professional of me.”

Takeo shook his head as he took out a handkerchief his wife made him and handed it over to you. “No, it’s okay sweetheart. You are allowed to feel, it’s normal.” He reminded you as you wiped at your eyes. You handed back the handkerchief and smiled. Takeo offered his arm to you with a smile. “Come on, lets take a walk around. We can even talk, just you and I.”

You nodded your head as you held onto his large arm, the warmth of his skin going through the shirt he was wearing. You held onto him as Takeo led you along, his tall frame towered over you as you walked side by side.

“You and Eijiro met at Sachi's school?”

“Yes,” You responded. “Eijiro had been called to school due to an incident that happened concerning Sachiko and another learner. However, we only started talking a month later when we met again after school at a PA meeting.”

Takeo nodded his head, digesting that piece of information. “Does he treat you right?”

You were surprised to hear such a question from him. It was an odd thing that he was thinking about you when it was his son that was still in the equation. You felt a flush up your face but nodded. “Yes. He really does. A bit more than I deserve, if I were honest with you.” You expressed with a scratch to the back of your neck. “He spoils me too much. I honestly feel so bad for how much he does for me. I don't feel like I'm reciprocating in return.”

Takeo frowned as he looked down at you but less in anger and more in slight worry. The older man had a caring but strict way about him. It was almost strange. He was so large, domineering even, and clearly much more experienced in life than you but he never come off as condescending. “It's a man's job to take care of you, sweetheart. You shouldn't feel the need to take care of yourself. You deserve to be pampered, spoiled and respected. Relationships are like that. A man wouldn't feel the need to make your life easier if you didn't make being in a relationship with him worth it. Which means you make your relationship worth it.” He explained to you. You looked up at him, all your attention on him as you nodded to his words as he looked deep into your eyes so intently. “Tell me, Y/N… how do you feel about my son?”

The question was another one that had you shocked. You weren't entirely sure what to say but you knew that you couldn't think about the answer forever either. So you said the first thing that came out of your head. “Warm.” It was Takeo's turn to look surprised. You thought about it some more but you were sure about it now. You nodded your head. “Yes… I feel warm. He makes me feel warm and safe, but I also feel complimented when I'm with him. Not that I feel good about myself but that we compliment each other. He's silly, loud and snores sometimes, but he's loving and caring. His heart is so full and yet so scared. I love him. I really do and I pray that we can stand a lifetime.” You attempted to explain your feelings to Takeo.

Takeo was silent for a moment before looking forward as you walked past people. “My son is a sensitive thing. He's always been sensitive. More so than a lot of his sisters. He was always the first to shed a tear when he was younger, and his feelings were so intense and big often than not they confused me. But that's what makes him Eijiro. He's delicate but strong in his own way, even if he needs help some of the time.  I see how he looks at you, and I see and hear how much he loves you. I think you're good for my son.”

At that, you turn to look at him in surprise. “But… today is the first day you have met me.”

“Believe me, Y/N,” He let out with an amused scoff. “The eyes never lie. You can tell so much from one interaction at two people than you can from knowing a whole history of them. I can tell.” He winked down at you making you giggle. “I knew my wife for nine months before I proposed to her. When you know, you know. I’m not married for forty-five years for no reason.” He humbly flexed. “I'm more… hesitant about your views on us as his family. Although by now, I'm sure Eijiro has told you a lot.”

You tilted your head in confusion. “What do you mean?” You asked softly.

You watched the older man hesitate, eyebrows furrowing for a moment. “The Kirishimas… we're a pretty traditional family, to put it simply. I'm in politics myself and the views me and my family have are rather… well some would call them leaning to conservative. I'm pretty sure that Eijiro has explained to you how he got Sachi.” You nodded your head. “I'm just warning you that Eijiro's a family man and you have to be okay with us, to stay with Eijiro.”

Although Takeo was being as nice as he could about the matter, you understood it plain and simple. It made sense and was a sensible argument. You were actually pretty glad to hear that he was talking about this to you. You paused making Takeo pause too. He turned to look at you as you smiled up at him. “Mr Kirishima, in the time that I've known your son, anything and everything he has ever said was either for the good of his child or logical. Never once has Eijiro or Akari tried to enforce anything on me concerning your views on things. I am not bothered by them, nor would I try to change them. That is how you raised your family and that is okay.”

Takeo took a moment to think about what you said and smiled. “I'm glad, pumpkin.” You felt him pat your head, catching you by surprise. The look on your face made him laugh. Before he could say anything, you saw something catch his eye. His eyebrows furrowed as he took a step forward. “Is that… Sachi?”

You turned to look where he was looking. It was then that you caught sight of the black haired girl, but you also noticed she was talking to an adult. The person she was talking to had short puffy blond hair and stood in all black before her. “Who is she talking to?” You asked looking up at Takeo.

The man looked furious as he swallowed down hard. “Bakugou Katsuki.” He told you.

At the name, you turned stiff.

Takeo stepped forward. “Sachiko!” Immediately at the sound of her name, Sachiko jolted in surprise as she looked to see who was calling her. Her eyes landed on her grandfather and you. However, he wasn't smiling. He motioned for her to come over to him. “Come here, now.” The girl turned and bowed to the blond in goodbye before leaving towards Takeo. The blond man looked over to Takeo. He stiffened at the sight of the older Kirishima.  

Sachiko stood before the both of you with a smile. You turned to her putting a hand on her shoulder. “Where did you go, Sachi? You can't just disappear without saying anything.” You told her with a worried look on your face.

“Sorry, I went looking for Aunty Mina.” She told you. “I couldn't find her, but I found that man who knows her and-"

“Sachiko.” At the sound her name, Sachiko turned to look up at Takeo. Takeo had a frown on his face as he kept looking at the blond who now had another blond woman with him and a brunette man stand with him. “I don't want you ever talking to that man again without a family member present, do you understand me?”

Sachiko tilted her head confused; her eyebrows furrowed. “But Baba, I don't understand.”

“Ah, there you guys are.” Eijiro walked over to the three of you with a smile and a cupcake in hand. “The derby is about to start and turns out Thunder is in the race.” He spoke optimistically. Eijiro then noticed the mood of the space he had just walked in. He looked to his father. Eijiro's gaze then moved to the group of blonds and the brunette man that were slowly making their way here. You watched as Eijiro went pale as he froze.

Sachiko noticed this too, not liking the mood of who she was around. She put her hands on her father's free hand. “Daddy? Daddy, what's wrong?” She asked worriedly. Eijiro's pupils went small almost in fear, his hands slightly shaking.

The blond woman was gorgeous, she smirked with red lips and just as captivating eyes that were more of a brick red. She was dressed fashionably, everything complementing her body. She was a beautiful woman and by the look on her face, it was clear she knew it. “Well I'll be. Kirishima Takeo. It’s been a while.” She spoke. You watched her viperous eyes move up and down Takeo's figure. “You’re looking good.”

Takeo’s jaw tensed. “Mitsuki…” He looked to her husband who stood behind her with a gentle smile on her face. At the sight of him, Takeo seemed to ease slightly, not seeming to have any issues with him. “Masaru and Katsuki.” He briefly looked to their blond son before looking at Mitsuki again. “You're here.”

She chuckled. “Did you expect otherwise? The Bakugous are the top ranked fashion brand in Japan after all.” She reminded him.

You looked to Eijiro noticing his expression hadn't changed. You quickly put your hand over his, leaning over to whisper in his ear. “Eijiro…” At the sound of his name he turned to you. You gave him a worried look before his eyes moved to a worry Sachiko.

“Actually, we were meaning to talk to you or Akari, business never ends afterall. Might we enjoy the race with you?” Mitsuki suggested.

Takeo frowned at the thought. “No thank you. It’s a rare day for my family to all be out and about like this together.”

Mitsuki smirk only broadened. “Oh but on the contrary, Takeo, we are joined by blood aren't we… Eijiro?” The question made Takeo glare as Mitsuki only seemed firm in her statement.

“Daddy?” Sachiko spoke as she tugged on Eijiro's arm.

Immediately the Bakugous looked to her. Mitsuki’s eyebrows raised in surprise at the girl, Masaru’s gaze softened realising who she was. However, Katsuki turned pale as he froze at the sight of her. With Katsuki's eyes on his daughter, Eijiro snapped out of his daze.

He frowned. “Sachiko, go with Y/N and get cupcakes. Aunty Tamami is there, and she'll take you to the rest of the family.” He ordered simply. He glanced at you, and you nodded understandingly.

You took Sachiko's hand trying to lead her away from the rest of the adults. “Come on, Sachi.” You spoke softly.

“But-" She started off as she looked to her father again. “But Daddy are you-"

“Kirishima Sachiko, do not argue with me right now.”

She paused at his tone, strict, but at the same time almost pleading with her to leave. She hesitated as she glanced at the blond man once more, before bowing her head respectfully, in the way she was taught to behave especially in public. “Yes, Daddy.” You offered her your hand and she allowed you to take her away, heading to get cupcakes.

A hum came out of the blond woman as she watched Sachiko walk away. “Oh isn't she gorgeous?” Mitsuki commented as she folded her arms. “My pretty little grand-"

“What do you want, Mrs Bakugou?” Eijiro asked interrupting her as he frowned mimicking his father's defensive stance.

Mitsuki looked to Katsuki. Katsuki swallowed down hard before looking at Takeo instead. “A business proposal if you will. We would like to purchase some of your diamonds to start a jewellery line, to put it simply.”

Takeo hesitated but looked to Eijiro. “That's for Eijiro to decide whether it’s worth the business venture. That's his department.” He revealed, turning all eyes to Eijiro.

Eijiro looked to Katsuki, emotionlessly. “Send your proposal to my secretary. I'm not working today.” He dismissed.

“But it would be such a good venture, would it not?” Mitsuki asked with a raised eyebrow. “The Bakugou and Kirishima brand together, wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

Eijiro didn’t respond as he looked down at his watch. “Excuse us, but the race is about to start.”

-Glitch1d

[shelfperson]

OKAY OKAYYYYY OKAY like i understand why people are bullying louis right now. it’s not a great look to dick down the guy who just now threatened to murder you and your daughter. but taken from louis’ perspective? without our foreknowledge of the plot? for all he knows he’s just gained an important and powerful ally.

like???? before armand spares louis, he does the whole “why are the powerful so weak” speech with the obvious implication that he doesn’t want to enact the Great Laws on louis specifically. and then he… doesn’t. And then, and this is crucial, opens up to louis about ALSO having his heart broken by lestat. which puts him in a place of automatic solidarity with him. and then he kisses him! as assad said the post-show breakdown, armand had to choose between the coven and louis in that moment and he chose louis.

like as far as louis is concerned, he and claudia are safe. at the very least, sage from armand specifically.

and like. i am absolutely 100% certain armand will have something to do with claudia’s death but i kind of doubt that armand is just like. masterminding from the shadows all day everyday and is retroactively altering the ENTIRE NARRATIVE. that’s just so boring. he becomes a non-character at that point.

what i think is much more likely is what a lot of people have been theorizing about: santiago stages a coup because armand is a fucking hypocrite and makes armand pick between claudia or louis. and armand is going to pick louis. and that’s what armand is hiding from louis. not that he personally killed her in cold blood but that he killed her through inaction/indirect action.

i’m also super exited to see the resentment between claudia and armand ramp up from here. like HELLO CHOKESLAM WHAT THE FUCK???? get AWAY from her.

anyway i bet armand and claudia have some really adversarial interactions after this point and that’s part of what armand doesn’t want louis to see in claudia’s diaries. like the two of them are perfectly positioned to activate the other’s trauma’s/hangups because they’re BOTH afraid of being abandoned they BOTH know what it’s like to always be someone’s second choice and they both really want louis to pick the other.

on top of that, i’m sure armand’s scary ass is having his disney villain “if it weren’t for those meddling middle aged kids” moment about claudia at some point too.

like i doubt he “could not prevent it” but i also think a little more nuance, a little more conflict, is much better than Bad Man does Bad Scary Thing because he’s craaaaaaaazyyyy.

this has become a rambling mess but the POINT IS. there’s a little more going on then louis just letting jeff the killer into his house out of sheer dickmatization. there’s layers.

[thewertsearch]

Anonymous asked: You: "Wow Homestuck is my favorite comic ever! Kanaya is the best :)" Hussie: "LOL, LMAO" @morganwick asked: (Try not to think about the idea that the conversation future Jade alluded to where Kanaya got the password was the one with past Jade that immediately followed that conversation, and that Jade is waiting for a password from Kanaya that'll never come…) @bladekindeyewear asked: [...] regarding the password Jade said earlier she had been patiently waiting for… unfortunately, I think we saw Jade give her said password just before the walkaround… and in hindsight, it’s quite a regrettable one. “GG: the password is…………… GG: CROOOOOOOOOOOAK”

I had the same chilling thought over the weekend.

Yes, it's very possible that Kanaya closed her password loop in her very next conversation, which means the timeline doesn't actually require her to be resurrected. This removes the main piece of evidence I had that she's coming back - but even so, I still don't think she's gone for good.

What it boils down to, basically, is that Kanaya still has a lot to do.

First of all, her arc surrounding the survival of her race is still unresolved. Sure, someone like Karkat or fellow Space girl Jade could pick up the baton, but this arc isn't theirs. Jade has no personal investment in it, and Karkat, while obviously motivated to save his species, isn't connected to the Matriorb or Mother Grub the way Kanaya is. This revival plotline is hers, and right now, it's dangling like a loose thread.

If that was the only narrative issue, I could look past it - but it's not.

Guys, this was her last conversation with Rose. And I'm sorry, but I just don't believe that one of the longest-running ships in the comic would end here. Kanaya's romantic arc with Rose is really just getting started, and their last conversation really doesn't scan as a goodbye, even in retrospect.

Like, sure, these last words would be kind of ironic, but is this really how you close the door on one of the most kickass compelling relationships we have? Rosemary deserves a better death than this.

Speaking of which...

This is how we're disposing of Kanaya? With an (admittedly kind of funny) SBaHJ reference?

Bro, a significantly less important character, gets a dramatic death pose, framed by one of Karkat's best lines, and Kanaya - Kanaya Fucking Maryam - gets a sparkly Hope wand and a meme? I'm calling bullshit.

Now, Homestuck is more than happy to give its characters undignified deaths. Tavros certainly got one - but Tavros also died at the end of an intense, dramatic flash animation, and his murder served as the culmination of the Vriska/Tavros arc we've been following since early Hivebent. Tavros died without dignity, but the narrative weight of his death was enormous.

Kanaya died in the middle of multiple character arcs, in a manner that lacked dignity or narrative weight. She was essentially collateral damage to an unrelated feud between Eridan and Feferi. She died like a secondary character, and she's not.

I'm self-aware enough to admit that this is partially wishful thinking. It's not like I'm an unbiased observer - Kanaya is my favorite character, and I dug deep into the comic for evidence that her death doesn't make sense. But, that said - her death doesn't make sense. My narrative instincts are telling me that Kanaya is coming back - I just don't know how.

[myfairstarlight]

An Ode To Friends to Lovers - Colin and Penelope's story

Fine, I give in.

As someone who considers themself more of a casual viewer (as in, I've never engaged in the fandom before), I went into this new season with mild interest. And then I fell down the rabbit hole. I should have suspected it though, Friends to Lovers is a trope I affectionate particularly when it comes to romance, unfortunately one I very rarely think is done well. So I was still skeptical going in.

But by God, did they deliver on that front and I need to break it down and talk about it. So I guess this is my review of Bridgerton s3, part 1.

Under the cut though, because this is gonna be a long one (seriously, this is a warning).

I don't particularly think Bridgerton is a complex show, and one can argue all day about whether it is even good (in my eyes, as long as it's entertaining, I don't care if a show is "good"), however, the number of takes I've seen online not understanding basic story-telling worries me a bit.

Don't get me wrong, I agree this first half has pacing issues but I do not think Penelope's and Colin's love story suffered that much, it did not feel rushed to me since we already knew these characters for two whole seasons (and I maintain Colin has always had more depths than what people pretend he does, it seems like, just like the ton, viewers like to overlook him and just characterise him as naive).

And I guess this long ass post was born in the process. So:

Part One: Penelope's glow up

Yes I'm starting by looking at them individually first. I think this post on reddit sums it up so perfectly. I get we're all joking about how unrealistic it is that no man was ever interested in Penelope despite how she looks like an absolute goddess (and I maintain she was the cutest in both previous seasons as well!) - unfortunately it is realistic. That's the reality of bullying, it doesn't get solved by a glow up. Even her association with the Bridgertons through Eloise and Colin did not lessen the bullying, so without them? Even the prettiest dresses would not have changed the ton's perception of her, and she's still the awkward, anxious girl she's always been, and unfortunately, most of these men are not attracted to that. It's not satisfying, she doesn't get her triumphant revenge on a society that always ostracised her - and I think it's important that she does not. That she accepts it. She should not have to change for a ton that will not change for the better either. And it's a lesson she learns quickly - someone will love her for who she is, pretending will only lead to misery. And, it is when she's being herself that she successfully gets the interest of some gentlemen (shout out to Lord Remington! I was so hoping we would be seeing more of him on top of Debling. He's such a Whistledown fan I thought that even after the whole lesson reveal scandal he would have stuck to call on Penelope the next day to gossip together, it would have been cute but I guess he too wanted to avoid being written about) (also I'm just saying in fics he should be the one considered as a proper other suitor for Pen since they seemed to have a genuine connection, meanwhile Debling was really searching for practicality).

The thing I wanna add to that post is this: despite all that, she decided to change her looks for herself. When I first learned of the plot of this season, Colin helping her find a husband, I was scared it would mean Colin would be the one to tell her to have a makeover. It doesn't happen. Sure, Penelope subconsciously requests for a more Parisian style for her new dresses because it is the last place Colin went to, but by that point she has already given up on him. She wants something new, and to feel good in herself. That's how she blooms, by finding a style that she feels comfortable in, finally free from her mother's horrendous tastes. That's what allows her to be more confident as well, the new looks and her motivation to move on from her "unrequited fantasy". As for Colin? He never comments on her change, he compliments her dress (and mind you, that is when he's trying to play up the charm because he knows she's upset with him and he gets humbled, hard) but he never says it looks better on her than what she wore before, he never has a "I never realised how beautiful you were" moment we see a bit too often in friends to lovers stories, because to him she's still his Pen, new dresses, new hairstyles, but the same Pen he's always loved, even if he didn't realise to what extent yet.

But Penelope's confidence... is not quite there yet. Difficult to be, when she's grown up in a loveless home, with horrible sisters, a father who barely cared and a mother who constantly puts her down. Whenever she gets a compliment, her first reaction is "ah, it must be a joke" - that isn't even exclusive to Colin, in the brief interaction between Edwina and Penelope, when Edwina compliments her dress, Penelope also dismisses it. And then, there's Colin, who is always oh so honest with her and does not shy away from praising her. But I'll touch more on that later.

Part Two: Colin's new self.

And then we have the opposite: Colin showing up with a new attitude, and succeeding at it (well, on the surface). Something I haven't seen people bring up a lot though is that he's already tried a new look in s2, and he got mocked for it. The only one who didn't? Penelope. Why didn't he try to emulate being a rake back then? Because Penelope's letters grounded him, he admits it himself. It's seeing himself through Penelope's letters that gave him confidence. But that kind of confidence was not enough in the ton's eyes, and on top of that, between s2 and s3, this time Penelope doesn't write back, and neither do his family. He grows insecure, he's lost the one person who kept him grounded, he thinks his family is annoyed with him, and he still is in search of a purpose, so what does he do? He clings to Anthony's words in s1 after the disaster that was his engagement with Marina: he's too green, time to "fix" that and be more like his big brothers. They got it together, they know their purpose (well, Benedict lost his again but that's a story for another day), so surely, if he acts more like them, and not like the sensitive and naive boy he was, then surely everything will be alright! Right? Note that as opposed to s2, where he kept talking about his travels and it annoyed everyone, in s3 he doesn't go into details about them anymore, even when he's asked. They're only interested in the company he kept during the travels rather than the sights he saw. And honestly, it was heartbreaking to see right away how much of himself he was holding back, even with his own family. Penelope, however, gets the details without even asking because he already knows she likes hearing him talk about them and she makes him comfortable, and he's fully aware of that when he apologises in s3e1.

(I also want to note that, even if this new persona is fake, his new style genuinely fits him better. Just like Penelope, this season Colin found the style that makes him feel good and confident.)

And here's where I need to praise Luke's acting for a bit, because he absolutely nailed the subtle way Colin behaves differently with Penelope vs everyone else. His voice is softer, he is effortlessly charming (I was kicking my feet when he recalled how they met), his smile is bigger, even his whole face looks more relaxed whenever Penelope is around, meanwhile he always appears stiff and like he's calculating his every move when around his "friends". In fact, it is in the carriage scene we finally truly see s1&2's Colin back. When he has that look on his face, as he decides right there and then he's gonna marry her, and then a second later when he asks the question, his face. By God, his eyes are sparkling, he's so happy, and he looks as youthful and carefree as he did in previous seasons, far are the thoughts of trying to fit in a society that he hates.

Because above all, these two know and understand each other in a way no one else in their lives does. And that is a fact that remains despite the outward changes. So yes, I liked that their dynamic did not shift to romance because of their "glow ups", but because they are spending even more time together now. Speaking of which:

Part Three: Authenticity and Vulnerability

One big theme this season is being true to oneself. It's no coincidence mirrors are such a big part of it (even outside of the yet to be seen spicy scene), because looking at a mirror means looking at oneself, and be vulnerable. If s2 was about duty vs heart, eldest siblings trying to do right by their family to the point of self-sabotage, s3 is a battle between the head and the heart. It is not even exclusive to Polin - Eloise is learning and growing by trying to take genuine part in society but struggling to fit in. Cressida wants to become a better person, torn between the pressure put on her shoulders by her parents and this new friendship with Eloise. Benedict is looking for his purpose after learning Anthony paid his way to art school, and feeling like a fraud as an artist. Anthony and Kate are unashamedly in love, as they deserve to be after the struggles they went through last season. Francesca has no care for the suitors the Queen and her mother parade in front of her as the "sparkler" of the season (sidenote but I hated that, stupid name, should have stuck to diamond or select another gem) as her heart seeks out the handsome and quiet John Sterling instead. And this will continue in part 2, as Penelope will have to be honest about Lady Whistledown (because she's always her most authentic self around Colin, there is still this big secret she is so determined to keep to herself, when she should not).

The beauty about friends to lovers stories to me is the small declarations of love sprinkled throughout the relationship. It's about the trust already built in with no expectations and the vulnerability we'd never allow anyone but our closest friends to see, something even our family can be ignorant to. I mentioned earlier that Colin never shies away from praising Penelope, way before their dynamic shifts to lovers. He tells her she's good, constant, loyal, special, warm. All of these are declarations of love, even if not with romantic intent, it's about showing his appreciation for her, for the role she holds in his life. And Penelope responds in kind as well. That is why I believe people who think the romance was rushed in s3 either did not watch the past two seasons or see friendship and romantic love as two distinct things rather than a cohesive continuation of each other. In s1, people focus so much on the Marina stuff, as if that cancels out Colin's friendship with Penelope. We still do see Colin actively seek out Penelope at balls, and defending her against Cressida, he compliments her and tells her she's the one who inspired him to travel. Then s2 rolls in, and they're exchanging letters, which will become the cataclysm for their dynamic changing later on. And then there's one of my favourite scenes with them: them talking about their purpose. They both open up here, Colin about his insecurity, Penelope about her dream, it is so intimate. And then, there's of course Colin protecting the Featheringtons from ruins. I'm mostly emphasising Colin's actions, because Penelope's crush on him was always in your face, and while Colin may not have realised it yet, he's always cared about Penelope in a special way, as manifested by his actions and how vulnerable he allows himself to be around her, when even his own family has no idea about what's going on inside his head.

There's a misconception that Colin calling her his friend was him rejecting her, and yet we see in s3 he had no idea whatsoever that she has a crush on him, so he could not lead her on (unlike his book counterpart, who was aware of Penelope's infatuation and was careful never to toe the line until he realised his feelings. Show Colin though? Completely oblivious. And it makes sense, he's still young.) He asks Violet "how do you know it was reciprocated" and not "how do you know you're in love with your best friend". As of right now at the end of part 1, he genuinely thinks he's the one who fell in love first, or at least realised it first. His "You're Pen, you do not count, you're my friend" in s2, was not a rejection in his eyes, but a declaration of love; he's forsaken love and women but not his Penelope, never her, she's his exception And it's not like Penelope resented him for that friendship he so readily gave her, yes she had a crush, but she was proud to call him her friend! He was, with Eloise, her solace away from her family. At the end of the day, this is a friends to lovers story, it is silly to get upset that they considered themselves friends first before there is a click as they realise they are now on the same page to shift their relationship.

Side note but I've never liked the term "friendzoned" because it makes it sound like being friends is a bad thing. I've had unrequited feelings before but I've always felt grateful that being friends with them allowed me to stay close to them even if I knew nothing else could happen. I was still very much happy and content. But maybe I'm projecting on Penelope and that's another debate.

See, what I ended up loving about the lesson plot, which I was so wary of at first, is that Colin barely teaches Penelope anything. At first, he goes for the "do what society expects women to do" (since it worked for him) but then she acts awkwardly, she can't fake it, and it surprises him for a moment. That's when it clicks for him, she just needs to be comfortable because with him, she's always smart, witty and charming, she's herself. He's always seen her that way, and he did not quite realise he had that privilege in the first place. And I love how we see him slowly realise it is no longer a privilege thanks to his help. We see it in e2. When she talks to the guy with the dead horse (forgot his name, oops), Penelope forces the flirt and Colin is amused by it. Fast forward Penelope approaching Lord Remington by herself, without Colin's initiative, and she's being more authentic, and suddenly Jealous by Nick Jonas plays in the background and Colin doesn't look proud, but apprehensive, or dare I say jealous. The shift in Colin's head happens long before Debling is in the picture. I'd argue it already shifted earlier in that episode, in his study, which he flashbacks to in e4.

His journals detail how unfulfilled he feels when he lays with random women in his travels. He longs for emotional intimacy. And guess with who he finally finds that, when a certain red-head asks the one question that allows them to break the physical barrier they had to keep between them for the sake of propriety?

Ah yes, that first kiss. To Colin, everything has been building up to this, this is his true Oh moment. A favour turned into a revelation. For Penelope, this is quite literally the end of her fantasies. This is Penelope's most vulnerable moment. She bares her heart, she's sad, she's desperate. And some people have been calling that moment pathetic, interpreting it as her being weak and giving in to her crush again, saying that she should not have to beg for that man's affection. I concur that she is brave, and bold. I also concur that some of you all are a bit too attached to the girlboss archetype forgetting that allowing oneself to be vulnerable is also a strength. She's never had to beg for Colin's attention anyway because he readily gives it to her, but in this one instance, for once in her life, she is truly being honest. In her head, she has nothing else to lose, and she wants to experience the one thing she thinks she can never have so of course she's gonna turn to the one person she's always trusted and feels the most comfortable with, because before her crush, Colin is her friend. She's asking a favour from a friend. And then she can move on, whatever "moving on" will turn out to be. In this instance, she has the power in her hands.

And it is her bravery that is the true cataclysm for things to change properly. Of course, things have already started to change the moment she stopped replying to the letters, but that moment really expedited their relationship.

Part Four: Lovers, but in a best friends way

The thing with Bridgerton, in the books or in the show, is that each couple has their trope. This is not news to anyone, I think. We've had fake dating, and enemies to lovers, and one characteristic that these two tropes share is a growing tension between the characters before it snaps. There is a reason the early marketing for s3 focused on Penelope being cold towards Colin, tension and conflict are more appealing on the surface. And then the first half of the season comes out and that conflict between our main couple? Solved after one episode because they did one thing that is severely missing in most romance dramas: communicated healthily. Penelope laid out why she was upset (although she does not stay to let Colin explain and then vents out her feelings in Whistledown... she still has some learning to do), Colin immediately went to apologise and make up for it. All of this by talking. And yet I'd argue friends to lovers still has its own tension, just not to the same intensity as the other two, and more difficult to market. The tension comes from the brewing feelings, the way you start seeing every touch, every interaction, in a whole new light, and wondering if it's only in your head or if it's reciprocated. But now combine that with Colin who's always been so earnest about his feelings with Penelope? And Penelope who's always quietly wanted their relationship to evolve that way? Of course they figured it out quickly and got together in half a season. And I'm delighted that we will see them handle the whole Whistledown mess as a couple, as two people aware they love each other deeply, which gives a whole new meaning to the conflict compared to the book where I felt like it was brushed over a bit too quickly (because they got distracted in that carriage). It is the last secret between them, their last obstacle.

I also do not like the "Colin should have grovelled and pined more" argument, when he is the one who insisted on the lessons to help her find a husband in the first place, and then has to face the fact that actually, he doesn't like the idea of another man taking Penelope away, and oh, isn't that the consequences of his own actions? He is grovelling, you just don't see Penelope holding it over his head, because that's not the person she is, this is not a revenge fantasy story, in fact she does not realise the power she has on him because she is used to Colin seeking her out. I like that he didn't stew on his feelings and decided to act on them right away. I also don't like how this whole grovelling thing makes it sound like love is a competition, that just because Penelope has known she's been in love for longer and "suffered" longer, that means Colin needs to do the same to even the planes. Because in my eyes love isn't exactly something to be earned — it is given. Now, are you worthy to keep it? To nurture it and make it bloom and last? That is the real question.

Admittedly, since this is only the first half of the season, we do not see them in a romantic setting a lot. That first half is focused on them rekindling their friendship lost during the summer when Penelope stopped responding to the letters, and Colin having the realisation he cannot live without his best friend, not just because she is his best friend, but also because he loves her. But we do have two important, and obvious instances.

So let's talk about that first kiss again. It is, in my opinion, one of the most gentle and romantic moments in the show so far and also showcased their friendship really well. Colin trying to joke to lighten the mood as Penelope spirals down (peak best friend behaviour actually), the gentle, swelling music, the light of the moon, Colin's deep exhale of realisation as he holds her face when he goes back in for the second kiss, with the furrowed brows of a man on a mission. This is Penelope's most vulnerable moment and Colin's big realisation. And I felt like I was intruding.

And same goes for that carriage scene, but even before they go at it; now this is Colin's most vulnerable moment, and Penelope's realisation that they can be more. He chases the carriage by foot, then goes on his knees to confess his feelings to his best friend in the softest and most determined voice we've ever heard him use this whole season, eyes wide, tears threatening to fall as it is his turn to bare his heart and ask for a chance. Meanwhile Penelope takes it all in, running her hand through his hair because she can finally touch him, melting under him. Things get steamy. And then... and then... The carriage stops, they get startled, Colin jokes that the driver should have kept on driving and then... they laugh. They just made out, and went to second base together, and yet here they are now, laughing. It is such a genuine and lovely moment. And it's then that Colin has that look in his eyes, that "I'm gonna marry her" look. That is when he realises he cannot live his life without her. That his purpose is now right in front of him: making Penelope Featherington, soon to be Bridgerton, laugh until the end of their lives.

Conclusion

There's no conclusion, I just love them so dearly. Yes, there still is the whole Whistledown mess to deal with and sure, the argument with Eloise may make you think great angst is ahead but if there is one big difference between Colin and Eloise, it is this: Colin has always listened to Penelope, and this is not a diss on Eloise. Eloise, bless her heart, can be pretty self-centred, she's loud and a bit immature, something she is growing from in s3, and you cannot ignore that she did not really listen to Penelope (she has no idea Penelope wishes to marry when Penelope tells her she does in s1, we can blame the writing, but I do think it fits with Eloise's journey to realising how privileged and dismissive she is. Penelope was too polite to call her out until their falling out. Meanwhile Cressida is exactly the type of honesty she needs for a wake up call). Colin, on the other hand, is very sensitive and a good listener. Furthermore, this season, Penelope is learning to be more confident, to voice what she wants, and I like to think it is leading to her finding her own voice and not needing Whistledown to hide behind anymore. If there's someone with whom she has no filters, it is Colin, so I have faith that when the reveal happens and an argument breaks out, this new Penelope will not back down and will lay out all her reasons and all her regrets, and Colin may be stubborn, but he loves that woman and he always listens.

A part of me also wishes they keep the jealousy he felt about her writing in the book, and that they don't focus just on the whole "you lied to me" aspect (we've already had that with Eloise). How he, himself, is insecure about his writing, and here Penelope is, less fortunate than he is, and yet who did have the courage to get her writing out there, even if publishing under another name. Because that is also a reality in relationships, when your partner is at a different stage in their career, and how they can communicate to support one another.

Anyway, I'm just rambling now (as if that isn't what I've been doing this whole time). I like them. A little. Just a bit. I'm very normal about them <3

[nalyra-dreaming]

daniel got the journalist dream in a full archive of information about his subjects. made me giggle when he stopped listening to loumand’s love story to get a look at the files.

since 2x01 i’ve been thinking about who is buying the Bacon triptych, thought it would come back into play and it did. now i can’t shake the feeling an important character will make an introduction in present day through that acquisition, and clearly they’re not alone.

could this be lestat or marius? who knows, but i got this inkling the past coming for loumand.

my heart breaks for claudia. everyone, including louis, is withholding information from her.

she has done so much for louis, helping him survive and now even telling him what happened with bruce and he hasn’t told her about dreamstat. that’s the painful, if not also abusive(?) side of their relationship. he takes but doesn’t give back in equal measure. he loves her but not enough to save her.

The lawyer in the video call says "the buyer wants it for her husband, she probably googled what questions she should ask".

That could, of course, be a deflection.

If it isn't I do wonder who that buyer will turn out to be, because I agree it will be important.

I do not agree with your assessment of Louis and Claudia.

Claudia can literally see Lestat in Louis' mind if she so chooses, and her behavior (and remarks) towards him make me believe that she can. He does not need to tell her.

And she only told him about Bruce when she was using that experience (and, oh damn, the parallels!!) to form an origin story for the two of them. That was no opening up for them to get closer, she was using what she had experienced (which is her good right, no shade here, but it was not for Louis).

Also... she may have helped him survive, but she also dragged him onto that quest he did not want to go on, he wanted to go home (and back to Lestat). He did not want to kill Lestat in the first place.

And as per your last comment - did we watch the same show? Rewatch the sewer scene and then that kiss and the discussion after.

Because Louis is literally throwing himself into that relationship as a bargaining chip on her behalf there (and his own), because Armand almost killed him there (and he even pulled out the promise Armand had made!!) and has said quite plainly that Claudia would not be around for long.

Look at his face there before

and after the kiss

Enthusiasm is something else. And then that little exchange:

"You wanna come upstairs" "Are you inviting me in?" "Depends… are you gonna kill me?"

And then him waiting for Armand:

Look at his face (unfortunately the image itself is very small there).

Look at him. The way he holds his body. Lips pressed together, jaw clenched.

He's sooooooooooo hApPy - not. 💀

It's no wonder AMC did not promote Loumand, honestly, though I had not expected them to go this dark, this soon. Holy shit.

And, btw, this takes another spin onto the "Judas Kiss" painting and actual kiss later - because it ties it with this one, and the promise inherent in it.

Because I think when that little kiss onto Louis' cheek happens Claudia's protection... will be revoked.

[fruitcakebro]

I really hate how Garroth's betrayal is treated, but more specifically what caused it. An illusion of Laurance and Aphmau kissing? Really? That was enough to make you betray both of them?

Y'know what would have been more thematically interesting, less shitty-trope-focused, and have the potential for interesting parallels with other characters?

If he saw something indicating that Aphmau was going to hand him and/or Laurance over to Garte for the siege to be called off.

And Garroth being Garroth, he immediately starts catastrophising. There's no way his father would stop at getting just him and Laurance. It would be them, then Kaitlyn, then Lucinda, then Dante and Nicole, until the town was left defenseless, and then they'd attack. And Aphmau would have to marry Zane and it's only a matter of time before that gets her killed or worse. He knows how his father thinks, and it's not a stretch to say that Garte was behind the invasion, and Zane was only to put an intimidating face on it without technically being directly involved.

It's especially easy to believe that if you're an older brother who's desperately trying to grasp at straws for reasons your only remaining little brother is still a good person.

And then there's also that gut-wrenching terror of going back to his marriage with Scaleswind. Of giving up his friends, his calling, and -let's face it- his own bodily autonomy. If he goes back, he is nothing. He exists to keep quiet, produce an heir, and smile for portraits. With the things he did to get away, there's no chance he could be lord now. It's that or execution.

And Laurance doesn't even have that option. And he's a Shadowknight. Even if he DIDN'T have the extensive record of openly opposing O'kasis he would be on death row.

But then Zane gives him a counter-offer.

Garroth comes quietly, hands over an amulate that hadn't done Phoenixdrop any good anyway -Zane insists he only wants it for an unrelated project, and even so isn't that a nessecery risk?- and the rest of the town -including Aphmau, Laurance, and Kaitlyn- go free.

And he doesn't even have to go back to the marriage. In fact, he can even still be a guard, just for O'kasis.

If he only agrees to follow Zane.

Look me in the eye and tell me Garroth wouldn't accept that offer.

And of course, Zane betrays this deal immediately when all the people he wants to get rid of convieniently land in front of him. And Garroth trys to say this wasn't the deal, and Zane does not care.

"Aww, Big brother. The only lie I told you was that you were an important enough piece to change the rules. You were never even a player."

[emmcarstairs]

The Ghoul and Lucy MacLean as Modern Orpheus and Eurydice: A Fallout Meta

(art by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot)

We’ve all heard the Greek myth of Orpheus who ventures to the Underworld to bring his wife Eurydice back to life. It’s one of the greatest tragic love stories that has been retold and passed down to us in different forms of media.

Isn’t it interesting that Fallout begins with The End and ends with The Beginning? It refers to the bombs falling in the first episode, and the past being revealed in the last, but I believe it goes deeper than that. It’s a direct reflection of Lucy’s character journey.

Lucy’s journey begins with the shattering of her perfect world. It's the end of her life as she has known it. The event that triggers her descent (in her case, ascent) is the raiders’ attack. Which significantly happens at her wedding. Lucy is stabbed by her husband who had snuck into her Vault with deception. Similarly, Eurydice is bitten by a snake at her wedding with Orpheus, which kills her and sends her to the Underworld.

Interestingly enough, if we think of Norm's words as Lucy walks down the aisle, the Ghoul is coded as a possible husband for Lucy. And it's only after she goes to the Underworld/Wasteland that we are introduced to the Ghoul.

In a post-nuclear world, hell would be on the surface and heaven under the ground. The Ghoul emerges from the underground like Lucy as if he's coming after her. (It's funny that three men welcome him as if he's Orpheus at the gates of the Underworld and they're Cerberus.)

After the tragic wedding, Lucy resides in the Underworld. (An important note here is that while we learn that the Wasteland isn't dead, it is perceived as an Underworld by the Vault dwellers.) Throughout her journey, there is one person who, by happenstance, is always on her trail.

In the final episode titled The End, we find some thematic and visual similarities with The Beginning. Lucy is again betrayed by a person she considers family. Also, the passage of time in both episodes (midday-sunset-night) is clearly marked by the change of colors in the sky.

Two significant scenes for Lucy happen during the sunset. As a symbol, the sunset stands for transition or even death. The world is changed for the night. It's both an end and a new beginning. It's a meeting between the day and the night. In both these scenes, Lucy agrees to share her journey with another person.

If we rewind back to the Ghoul's entrance in the scene, we see him catching Hank by surprise with his words. In fact, the Ghoul speaks a lot and almost enthralls his enemies with his power of speech/acting. It's reminiscent of Orpheus' gift of music which helps him tame the beasts.

Here begins the deviation from the original story. In the myth, Eurydice has no agency. Orpheus ventures into the Underworld, begs for her soul, and takes her on the journey back. Some modern critics point out she'd already forgotten him and wouldn't want to return back to life.

The Ghoul offers Lucy a clear choice between her staying with the dead (in this moment, they are surrounded by Max's unconscious body and her mother's remains, as well as the soldiers' corpses) and risking that she dies herself. Or going with him to learn more about the world.

Another important element in the myth, is the backward glance. Hades lets Eurydice leave the Underworld on condition that Orpheus doesn't look back at her until they make it out. As they near the exit, Orpheus turns back and Eurydice vanishes back in the Underworld forever.

In this case, the backward glance isn't a condition. Yet, in this scene, the Ghoul and Lucy's gazes don't meet at all! He has his back turned to her and the one time he turns around, she isn't looking at him. It shows their vulnerability but also their newfound mutual trust.

What follows is the scene that inspired this whole meta. The night has fallen. The Ghoul climbs up from a ruined building's dark exit alone. After a moment, Lucy emerges too. They have made it! And the Ghoul still isn't looking back at her. He leads and knows she'll follow him.

Take a look at this bit from A. S. Kline's translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses, Book X, and look at the following frame:

"They took the upward path, through the still silence, steep and dark, shadowy with dense fog, drawing near to the threshold of the upper world."

A final note about Orpheus and Eurydice's names: Orpheus means "the darkness of the night", while Eurydice means "wide justice". Well, what can I say?

Looking back on my Lucy analysis, it's interesting that the final scene with them both emerging from underground marks the transition between Act 2 and Act 3, or Death (Transformation) and Emergence (Support). This would've been Eurydice's POV journey if Orpheus had succeeded.

[possiblyawesometmblr]

I just wanna thank you for an arospec ace character who has very meaningful relationships outside of romance but also has a partner who loves her. It really means a lot to me to be able to see that.

yeah!! i know the ariboo thing was relatively recent but from very early on in her conception, arisanna was arospec and ace, and it became incredibly important to me that she stayed that way while also making sure her story didn't only revolve around it entirely. i want more queer representation where it's very casually just a part of them and feels very normalized, and that was what i wanted with ari

got really excited when the ariboo thing did end up coming around and being canon because fuck it man, i am a huge fan of ace characters who still get to be in deep, meaningful relationships. sex isn't everything, and a lot of people love in very different ways (or sometimes not at all) and all of that is completely normal. acearo people are just as valid as everyone else, and deserve to be seen as such. i'm glad ari could show that, even if it was in a small way <3

[nataliescatorccioapologist]

Theory: The Wilderness saved its two Antler Queens long before the plane crash

There are signs of a supernatural influence surrounding the girls even before the plane crash. In 1x06, we see a flashback to Lottie as a child. She starts randomly screaming in the back of her parent’s car while they’re at a red light. She is presumably seeing something terrifying that hasn’t happened yet, as she does out in the Wilderness. Her screaming results in her father being distracted and not going when the light turns green, and then a car crash happens right in front of their car; a car crash that Lottie and her parents would have been involved in if it weren’t for Lottie’s screaming (a car crash that likely would have resulted in Lottie’s death).

I think this is the first example of the Wilderness being present before the plane crash. The Wilderness gave Lottie a vision to protect her; to save the life of its future Prophet.

Then, we have the strange (and unlikely) death of Nat’s father. Nat’s dad somehow trips on the stairs and accidentally pulls the trigger of the shotgun right as the barrel was under his chin. How was his hand even on the trigger in that situation?

I’m thinking that, similar to how the Wilderness saved Lottie’s life by preventing the car crash, it also saved Nat’s life by making that freak accident happen. Nat’s life was definitely in danger in that scene with the way her father was charging at her with the gun. I think him tripping and the gun going off was the Wilderness intervening.

This is not the only time the Wilderness may have been with Nat before the plane crash. At the bonfire the night before the crash, Nat has a hallucination of Misty standing ominously at the edge of the party before disappearing. Nat has tears in her eyes when she sees her, as if she’s feeling strong fear or sadness that she can’t explain.

Karyn Kusama, the director of the Pilot episode as well as 2x09 “Storytelling” (the episode where Nat dies), stated in an interview that this scene is extremely important for Nat’s character. In my opinion, this scene is the Wilderness warning Nat that Misty will be the one to kill her one day. Nat also has a flashback to this scene right before she jumps in front of Misty’s syringe, as if she’s realizing what that bonfire hallucination meant now 25 years later as she’s about to die by Misty’s hand. Lottie said that Nat was always the Wilderness’s “favorite,” so maybe it has been with her, protecting her and warning her, all along.

Maybe I’m thinking too much, but I definitely think the Wilderness has been looking out for its two Antler Queens, Natalie and Lottie, as well as priming them to fulfill their roles out in the woods. The car crash incident is the catalyst for a lifetime of meds and treatment for Lottie, and the death of Nat’s father is extremely traumatic for her. The Wilderness not only saved Nat and Lottie’s lives, but it also created a darkness in them through these traumatic events that is necessary to fulfill their eventual roles as Antler Queens.

Unless you don’t believe in the supernatural angle, then you can take this with a grain of salt✌️

[imminent-danger-came]

https://www.tumblr.com/acoraxia/751189590385328128/i-do-want-to-like-macaque-but-the-way-the-only?source=share

I feel like this post is wrong, and not just bc I love macaque, just the shadowpeach relationship and the parallels they provide to other relationships and macaque parallels to other characters feels like such a vital part to lmk as a whole. But I'm not good at words, so asking for your imput

I don't want to, like, "gossip" behind anyone's back or anything, so I'll open this up to a discussion with @acoraxia! Hello, how are you, I hope you're having a good day.

(Here's the post if others are interested in readin' it!)

Now, I love Macaque, and I think he's one of the most important characters in the show. I presume "theater kid antics" is referring to Macaque's dramatic nature, but I'd hardly call that his defining characteristic. Macaque is a loser: he's spiteful, he's selfish, he's cowardly, he's paranoid, he's god awful at communication, he's obsessive (particularly over Wukong)...but we've also seen the ways he can put the world/others above himself (3x13, 3x14, 4x10, 4x14), and how he's capable of self-reflection and overcoming his past hurt/hatred ("Wukong was on a path of self-destruction...we all were"). We're, dare I say, at a point now where I'd even call Macaque reliable, in his own way. He'll show up for MK & Wukong, he'll "stick his neck out" for them, and I'm honestly so proud that he chose to stay till the end in 4x14 (versus his choice to run in 3x10). It's wild to me that he's the only 3 of the monkeys who has actually had a positive character arc, but that's just where we're at currently.

I think the claim that you could "remove him from the story and it wouldn’t change much" is greatly downplaying Macaque's role and importance to Wukong, both narratively/thematically and as a character. DBK and Wukong weren't close, but for Macaque, Wukong was his entire world. He (along with Wukong's fear of mortality) was the reason the great Monkey King reached for power in the first place. Both DBK and Azure had their own goals outside of Wukong (not that DBK particularly cared for SWK anyways)—what's important about Macaque as a character is that his motivation and loyalty was only for Wukong, and not towards any greater purpose or goal. Macaque and MK are very similar in that way: neither of them have lofty aspirations, and they are completely content with "quitting while they're ahead" ("Why didn't he just stop, right here? He was already so much stronger than anyone ever needed to be" ; "You're the one who wouldn't quit while we were ahead!"). Both hate change, and both have been hurt by their belief in Wukong.

I'm admittedly a bit...I guess confused, by this opinion, as entire episodes (1x09, 2x07, 3x04, 4x10, 4x11) are centered around Macaque and his relationship to both Wukong and MK. Macaque is there to show us the ways in which Wukong has both abandoned and hurt the ones he loves; he's a very important foil to both MK and Mei, as well as other characters like Azure. That's Monkie Kid's main theme right, the fact that you'll hurt your loved ones and they'll hurt you, but you love and care about them anyways (I have a whole tag around lmk's hurt/pain theme, for those interested).

Let's look at a few examples of this, particularly involving Macaque, Wukong, Mei, and MK:

Macaque: "Come on! Show me the real Sun Wukong! The old you would have leveled this whole mountain range to stop me, but you're scared of hurting some kid? Pathetic!"

(1x09 Macaque)

-

Sun Wukong: "STOP! If you hurt that kid I'll-" Macaque: "-What. Make things worse for MK?"

(3x09 The King, the Prince, and the Shadow)

-

Mei: "Time and time again I've watched you put MK in danger leaving him to figure out EVERYTHING on his own. Don't you realize you're hurting the people who care about you the most?"

(3x10 The Samadhi Fire)

-

MK: "Until I know what I am, what my destiny is? I can’t risk hurting the people I care about—the ones I have left."

(4x08 The Brotherhood)

-

(the 3x10 and 4x08 ones are direct parallels in particular, which I know I never shut up about them, but they're so, so important to understand for the Monkey's (+ Mei) arcs.)

In seasons 3 and 4, both MK and LBD have posited that no matter what you do, whether or not what you think you're doing is right, it all leads "to pain". That's an extremely consistent thread throughout the entirety of the show, going as far back as 1x01 ("Whenever I try to do anything, I just gunk everything up!" -> "No matter what I do, it’s going to lead to pain [...] it doesn’t matter if I want to help people or not! Everything I do just- it just makes things worse!"). While Wukong never wanted to hurt his loved ones (for the sweet sweet "This isn't what I wanted!" Azure parallel), he did. He's a very flawed Monkey, but he does try and he has changed for the better, and that's what's important, right? That's something even Macaque has understood by the s4 special ("Monkey King really was a bad guy?" "That's what I believed...what Azure would have you believe. Then, he met him: the monk.")

You can't really...pawn-off Macaque's role onto other people. Structurally, we needed a tragic best-friend character who was deeply wounded by Wukong in the past, who has then come to accept/forgive him (for the most part, give-or-take). That way, you can have someone who has seen/experienced Wukong's flaws then defend him, both for MK's sake and in contrast to Azure having a literal world-ending breakdown over (his crush on) Wukong. DBK can't be that character, Azure can't be that character, and the Mayor is a much weaker antagonist for s3, unable to provoke MK + the main gang in quite the same way—as well as being completely removed from the themeing and Wukong's hero/warrior dynamic.

Macaque, as demonstrated in 2x07, views the "hero" as someone who leaves, someone who abandons their friends to the shadows. MK completely up ends that world-view in 3x10, refusing to abandon Mei "when she needs" him ("We're heroes! It's what we do!"). It's literally one of my favorite scenes in the whole show, and it completely hinges on Macaque being there and then leaving (much like Macaque's arc hinges on Mei being the fourth ring).

I'm just like...I personally can't imagine a version of lmk where Macaque isn't there to be a foil to both MK and Wukong. I rewatched Shadow Play just yesterday, and that episode is so delightful, let me tell you:

"Welcome, viewers, to a shadow play the likes of which have never been seen! It follows the tragic tale of a legendary Warrior, and how those who bring light into this world inevitably bring darkness to those they hold dear..."

Ah you mean like...hurting the people you care about the most, perchance.

2x07 parallels 4x02, especially between the shadow-lamp itself and the scroll—while Wukong's MIA, Macaque regales his memories of Wukong, imprisoning MK's friends and forcing MK to fight "dark" versions of them? Sound familiar?

(familiar tales...new adventures...)

Which, that's a bit of a tangent, but I do think it demonstrates the ways in which Macaque is important to the foundation of this story. MK and Wukong, Wukong and Macaque, MK and Mei...those are the core dynamics of the show for me, you know. If Macaque wasn't there, I quite honestly don't know where we'd be

[bylrlve]

Warning! Potential Spoilers for Stranger Things 5!

A compilation of recent tweets made by Alex and others about the mileven ‘making out in a field’ leak. Alex is insisting that this scene is separate from the sequence involving them talking on the rooftop, the scene which was leaked as a video back in January. According to 011scenes this scene happens ‘at the beginning’ aka in episode one.

The issue? Alex’s sources are people who speak to paps (which she lied about in answering a cc question; either that or she’s clueless), and who deliberately feed her inconsequential things production dgaf abiut because it distracts from the juicy shit e.g., what Mike and Will are doing. She was told ‘Robin and Will have a scene’ and that morphed into ‘Will is in his unrequited mopey Steve era, Jonathan and Robin don’t share scenes’, etc. The source said nothing about Byler being finished or about passionate makeouts.

I’m suspicious of the second anon’s claim about Finn, as Noah is straight-up went on TikTok live right before filming commenced in January to read out byler endgame and Byler kiss comments lmao. The bit about the love triangle being kept under wraps seems accurate enough - they’re openly passing out scraps of mileven to leakers to pass onto Alex, and it’s pretty clear they didn’t care about that mileven video hitting national news website in the Uk (daily mail). Byler? On lockdown. The only thing we know is the hospital stuff and that’s due to specific leakers, and even then it’s not that much. It is clearly a big question going into s5 for the GA, so it being kept tightly guarded is unsurprising.

The context of the kiss will be interesting, regardless of if it’s pro-mileven or somehow anti-. Alex indicates that it’s only them present in the field - BUT she’s also said that she outright leaves Will out of ‘leaks’ and gave the example of Max, Lucas, and Will having a scene but her only reporting Lumax having a scene, so… S4 mileven was a concerted effort to show that the characters had matured from s3, and that their fight was more serious. They only kissed once, and that briefly, and were… unaffectionate at the end of the season, to say the very least. The reversion to kissing in broad daylight, in an apocalyptic setting when El will be mostly hiding with Hopper from the military, feels a little out of character - and will certainly be jarring tonally and thematically.

Alex received this dm ^ back in February (discussed in my first leak post), which stated that hopper is annoyed by mike’s continuing presence around el. I and many others (including Alex iirc) dismissed it, as Hopper and Mike are on good terms at the end of s4. If Mike and El are still doing reckless things in s4, and if the old pattern of isolating El from others just to kiss re-emerges, though… The veracity of this is very shaky: the time skip occurs gradually over episode one, not in between episodes 1 and 2.

It’s important to note that many leaks are undoubtedly missing context. Just today, Alex brought up how she was right about Mike ignoring Will at the airport, about their fight, and about the airport kiss. Yes, she was, but she lacked the tonal subtext of the scene itself, which portrayed Mike’s behaviour as inexplicably phony - and of course, she lacked the lynchpin of this plot, which is that Will is in romantic love with Mike. She completely missed that, and it meant she missed every important aspect of this plotline.

Byrhop, a highly reliable st acc who’s closely following filming, was able to ascertain that Vickie is at the farm.

Lastly, I want to go over everything I know to try and map a trajectory. The Byers are living in the radio station before it’s overrun by military and they flee to the Turnbow farm - I personally am not sure of when exactly this occurs. There is a leaked hospital file showing that Karen Wheeler is attacked by a demogorgan. The file is dated as 1/1987 but it could be a prop error, as I’ve seen claims that she’s attacked when Holly is taken..

As we know, according to the leaked episode 2 title, Holly Wheeler goes missing. This likely occurs at the end of episode one, but the chronology is unclear. Karen being attacked could happen here, and I’ve seen claims that it happens in episode 2. Mike and El kiss in episode one, and as I’ve said this has been overblown greatly by Alex. The chronology of this is also unclear. At some point in episode one, Mike and Dustin are at the high school and interact with the jocks. Mike is wearing the same outfit he wears on the rooftop - dark trousers, blue and black shirt with a yellow collar, etc. As this is what he wore in the official pic released by Ross of him in his room, I am speculating that this is the first outfit he wears in the story proper, after the last time jump to November 1987, and that he may wear it throughout episode 2 as well

In episode 2, Mike, Nancy, and Karen have a plotline at the hospital. From official BTS pics, we know Robin and Vickie are there as well. The above anon does not mention Mike being injured, and its description of Karen’s mindset does not tally either with her having being attacked by a demogorgan prior or with Holly being abducted. It’s likely that they have partially but not totally accurate information; or else it’s a point in favour of Holly being taken and Karen being attacked after this happens, at the end of episode 2. I have confirmation that Mike is injured in episode 2, as are several other people - I discussed this in a post a few days ago - please discount the forehead kiss anon section of that post. This was confirmed by an extra who played a nurse on the scheme and by a different source later. The second source confirms that Will shows up last, and is crying and blaming himself for what happened. - I also have confirmation that El doesn’t show up to the hospital at all. The nurse extra also confirmed that Mike and Will ‘share scenes’ although he was not present for those so can’t speak as to what happened in them - I don’t have an image of that text so didn’t include it yesterday.

The forehead kiss anon is definitely not real (check @will80sbyers) but the rest seems to be.

Lastly, Atlanta-filming insinuates that the m*leven rooftop scene occurs after the hospital subplot. It’s unknown how they came to this conclusion.

To summarise: m*leven kiss in episode one, potentially during one of the staggered time jumps (my speculation) and the short rooftop conversation between them likely in either episode one or two immediately before something involving Hopper and Joyce occurs down in the field that alarms El. I’ve seen conflicting into on when Holly is abducted - either episode one or episode two. In episode 2 Mike, Karen, and Nancy go to the hospital for plot reasons. If this occurs after Holly goes missing, it is likely to be related to that. I am speculating that Holly vanishing, whenever it happens, accelerates the byler plotline, as Mike will more-than-likely seek out Will for advice, reassurance, information. In episode 2, Mike gets injured somehow at the hospital, along with several other people in a small-scale mass-casualty event, and ends up being admitted to the hospital. As I’ve said, it seems to be rock-solid that Will arrives and is crying and blaming himself for what happened, and Will stays with him but El is nowhere to be found in this plotline. We know from BTS pics that Robin and vickie are also there, and I’ve seen claims that Jonathan shows up to be with Nancy, but have no proof or knowledge of the providence of such claims, so… take that for what it is. It is pretty certain, as far as I know, that El is not there.

One possibility is that Will is possessed at least temporarily in 501-2. Perhaps there’s another superspy, ‘it’s a trap’ situation? Will Byers would never be reckless with the safety of Mike Wheeler or his family… but I bet Vecna and the mindflayer are just itching to attack the one salvation standing between them and Will. Something to muse on.

The timing of the rooftop scene is very important. El not showing up at the hospital is unlikely to happen after it. The scene is very clearly about affirming their relationship- whether as lovers or as friends. It’s likely that she’s distracted by Max, who is her main plot, but this is a narrative. El not being present for Mike, while Will is there and crying and staying by his side? That is telling of a potential rift that opens up in their relationship between episode one and two. There is a pattern of problems arising in their relationship in episode twos. In s2 El reached out to Mike during his call but he walked away while an ominous stinger played. In s3 they broke up at the end of episode 2. In s4 they had their disastrous roller rink date.

A few days ago, I gif’d the rooftop scene, and speculated that they’re discussing being friends, and that El apologises for not being there and Mike says ‘No. You should have been.’ before basically saying that he’s okay because Will was and “you’re all friends to me.” The ending of s4, to me, potentially marks a shift in Mike’s attitude to El, as much as it does for hers to him. In the hospital she seeks him out by resting a head on his shoulder, and she did speak briefly with him prior about Brenner, but he offers her no comfort beyond a stiff arm around her. When they arrive at the cabin, he walks in with the other boys instead of staying with her - as shes’s clearly very nervous and emotional about reentering the cabin. Finally, as we have all observed, she directs an almost angry look at Will and Mike before stomping into her room and slamming the door - a parallel to s3 after the phone call with Mike where she knew he was lying. When it pans back to Mike, and Will asks if they’ve talked? He rolls his eyes. Unlike in 403, he does not seek her out and push through her self-isolation. He leaves her be. This, coming from Mike the Paladin, suggests that he’s kind of done with trying.

El’s attitude has been convincingly dismissed by M*levens as simple grief over Max causing her to retreat as she always does. It is bizarre, however, that the monologue did nothing at all to make her feel she could rely on Mike, and much more so that he’s very apathetic.

I posit that they might, maybe, fall into old habits of passivity and inertia and string the relationship along over the time jump. Perhaps the kiss is from one of the interim jumps between March 1986 and November 1987? I could see El having too much on her plate to really address it, and feeling that she doesn’t want to push him away - after all, he did give the big damn speech. The kiss could be a parallel to Boyce and Stancy. If that Hopper leak is accurate (doubtful), perhaps they fall back into habits of clinginess and immaturity while still being deeply unhappy. Nurse extra stated that Mike is no longer trying to be normal, and that he’s discovering himself, being himself again, and being the support he once was - the wording rather implies that it means being the support to Will.

Of course, I could be wrong, and it could be that they’re doing very well, and that the kiss is indeed as happy and loving as Alex paints it out to be… but I am skeptical bc of the hospital, and because of El the brave protector not rushing to her boyfriend’s side. It’s simply too early to say. If my musing on whether Will was possessed and effectively set Mike up (against his will ofc) is correct, and if my lip-reading is correct, Mike speaking affectionately of Will here could be due to the fact that he’s intimately witnessed Will being possessed, and he knows Will would never do something like that on purpose.

Finally, definitely worth noting that there have been no signs of any NPC love interests. Will’s storylines are being protected well from leakers, so people could be missing something, but there has been no indication of it. What we are getting, though, is a focus on Will’s love of Mike, and his selfless devotion.

All of this is incredibly shaky, and I’m interested to hear your guys’ opinions on alternate sequences of events. Whatever the truth, clearly m*leven is inconsequential to the production, as it’s being deliberately leaked to distract from the real juicy stuff.

Oh, and I just want to wrap up by mentioning this bit of idiocy. Someone in Alex’s inbox sincerely thought that the production actually kills fields they want to look dead-looking, rather than editing it. And Alex agreed.

[lily-blue]

13 reasons why | extra no.1: whipped (for you) cream

☆ characters: baker!mingyu & food critic!you (Sooyoung - ‘97 liner) ☆ genre: coffee shop au, pregnancy au, fluff ☆ requested by: this lovely anon ☆ summary: despite your insistence on helping out in the kitchen, you have a hard time decorating cupcakes while being pregnant; Mingyu could say “he told you so” but instead, he supports you through your stubbornness ☆ words: 2,3k ☆ taglist: @dat-town, @lilylikesthat​​

➼ chapter index

A lot of things had changed since Kim Mingyu had come into your life - some for the worse, some for the better. 

Just as you had feared the night you had agreed to go out with him in the middle of your tiny kitchen, you didn’t like all aspects of being tied to another person. You still craved your alone time when your social battery was about to die on you, and you liked being independent and in control of the most important aspects of your life, disgusted by the idea of becoming financially or emotionally dependent on another person. You also couldn’t see yourself as an amazing mother. 

Yet, with over five years down the road and a belly as round as a damned watermelon, you could say that none of your cons against a future with the baker was strong enough to beat the pros. 

To everyone’s biggest surprise - including yourself -, you enjoyed living under the same roof as your now-husband. He was the man you could whole-heartedly call your person even on your worst days: when you were annoyed and annoying, when you thrived on picking a fight with him for the most insignificant things just to blow off some steam, or when you would have rather have him sleep on the floor after a heated argument than fall asleep without him in the same bedroom.

You were genuinely incapable of picturing yourself starting a family with anyone else but Kim Mingyu. As cheesy as Felix would have called you for admitting it, you were convinced that he was the love of your life. 

Because somehow Mingyu got you. He supported you. He stuck by your side even when you were ready to push him away. And most importantly, he made you the happiest person in the world, sharing the same enthusiasm with you for food and desserts. You might not have been as talented as him, but he had even taught you how to bake over the years, which was a great testament for his commitment. (In the beginning, your fluffy pancakes had been so dry, you couldn’t have called them crispy to save your life, and your cupcakes had resembled pieces of coals that could have kept your home warm for years during the most unforgiving winters.)

‘A penny for your thoughts?’ The question was murmured into your ear, the husky voice of your husband pulling you out of your head without much trouble. Too used to him standing behind your back and monitoring your baking process in your enormous kitchen, you leaned the back of your head against his broad chest and did not bother to sneak a glance at him. The low rumble that escaped his throat the moment your body fit close to his was enough: you knew he found your behaviour amusing and had his full attention on you.

You unconsciously patted your baby bump once, twice, three times before you grabbed a new piece of chocolate-orange cupcake and started to decorate it with pastel coloured buttercream - apparently, pastel was Haeun’s new favourite palette, which genuinely surprised you, since you could still remember her excitement a year ago when she had been allowed to paint her bedroom at their new home with Joshua eggplant. Children grew up so fast.

‘I’m just thinking about Haeun-ah’s birthday. It’s hard to believe she’s already turning ten,’ you said, purposely omitting the part where you had been thinking about him, your own baby and the future that was awaiting you three. Mingyu had already had a decent-sized ego, you didn’t want his head to grow even bigger.

Plus, he knew you like one knew the back of their hand. He might have already figured out what had been on your mind before he had sneaked up on you.

‘Hn, you know what’s even crazier? That the twins will start preschool next year,’ Mingyu said, and you let out a hum in agreement. Now that you were pregnant and knew how much pain it could cause sometimes just to stand for a longer period of time on swollen ankles and with constant backache, you thought it was insane how noone (except Seungcheol and her mother) had realised Hoyeon had been with twins until her third trimester.

You couldn’t have hidden it for a month.

‘Talking about crazy… How does Haeun have twenty-three friends she wants to celebrate with at her party? At her age, I couldn’t keep around more than two to save my life,’ you complained rather light-heartedly, although you did find it slightly annoying that you had been decorating cupcakes since eight in the morning and it still felt like there was no end to the desserts that flooded your kitchen.

You bit down on your lower lip harshly before more complaints could have left your mouth. Mingyu had given you a week’s notice that he would bake the birthday girl’s cupcake-cake the morning of her party, so they would have been as fresh as possible. It had also been you who had insisted on helping with the decoration, because while you had difficulties getting used to your pregnant body and moving around so close to your due date, you were also stubborn and selfish, and you wanted to spend your free Saturday with Mingyu.

‘Wasn’t Felix your only friend when we met?’ Mingyu teased you with his chin on the top of your head, earning an elbow in his gut for such an unnecessary comment.

His quiet, deep chuckle made you smile within a second.

‘That’s not the point. Twenty-three close friends aren’t normal either,’ you said with a pout as you finished the petals on the cupcake and grabbed another bag of coloured buttercream to make the cream-bouquet more realistic with a lighter shade of the pastel purple you had been using.

‘I already had fourteen close friends when I met you. And I’d like to believe I grow close to most of the guys’ significant others. And Felix, too. And Jihye’s brother,’ he went on and on with a shiteating grin on his face that you could visualise without looking at him. Without doubt, Mingyu was proud of himself to have so many people in his life he could not only care for but also rely on, so you didn’t scoff. Especially because you were well aware of the number of many fake people who tried to get close to him because of his money and looks while they called him a himbo behind his back.

It was an insecurity that had caused many fights between the two of you at the beginning of your relationship, but as time went on and the two of you had gotten more secure in what you had, those people’s existence and opinion slowly started to fade into the background. They didn’t matter - your date nights, your baking sessions, your achievements and your growing family did.

‘Considering that you knew about Jiung’s girlfriend before his sister, I would say you’re pretty close,’ you acknowledged his bond with the boy who had become a more permanent character in your lives shortly after Jihoon and Jihye’s housewarming party where both he and Mingyu had gotten sentimental drunk on the couple’s brand new couch. You remembered covering them with a soft blanket after they had fallen asleep: how you had realised at that moment that Mingyu would be an amazing dad because he was protecting the younger’s head with both of his hands in his sleep.

Once the flowers on the cupcake looked pleasant enough, you placed it on the tray with the finished desserts on it, then patted your belly absentmindedly. You didn’t want to whine, but you also wanted to whine a little. The added weight started to become heavy on your back and you could also feel a sheer layer of sweat forming above your upper lips and on your temples.

Refusing to slow down and let this side job slash birthday present steal your entire Saturday, you wiped the moisture off your face and got back to work, dodging your husband’s hands when he tried to take the buttercream bag out of yours to decorate the orange-chocolate piece you had picked up.

‘You should pay attention to the tray in the oven. It’s the last one, right?’ You asked, happy to be correct about the dessert and that the cupcakes needed his attention more. This way, Mingyu didn’t have a comeback as to why he should have assisted you without bringing up your baby bump: a reason you had grown to be allergic to. You weren’t disabled. You could still do things on your own even if some took you a little bit longer these days. You didn’t like when your independence got threatened. (It didn’t matter that deep down you knew that was never Mingyu’s true intention.)

After your husband walked back to the oven, you picked up the yellow buttercream and let out a silent sigh. You could do it. One and a half more trays to go. It was as easy as stealing candy from a toddler. 

Working your way through two more cupcakes by the time the last tray got ready, you were secretly happy to be able to lean against Mingyu’s broad chest again, although it didn’t take much weight off your ankles. They were still throbbing lightly, reminding you of your new limits that you refused to acknowledge. You were so damn tired. You started to doubt whether assisting Mingyu was a good idea. You should have stayed in bed and simply waited for him. Then, you still would have had the energy to do more with him than eating on the couch and demanding cuddles once the cupcake-cake got delivered.

However, it was too late to make up your mind now.

Even though you really, really wanted to go back to bed and sleep.

‘Love…’ the now-familiar endearment fell from Mingyu’s lips quietly as though he wanted to make sure he was gentle enough for you to listen. You pressed your lips together, feeling overwhelmed and a tad moody. ‘Let me help.’

Your lips trembled as you kept working on the birthday cupcakes. You wanted his help. In fact, you didn’t want to stand anymore at all, but you had insisted despite his arguments last night and this morning, and you didn’t want to hear how he had been right. How you were too pregnant apparently to decorate five dozen cupcakes with buttercream without crying. The thought alone made you feel incompetent. Dependent. A burden.

‘But then the flowers wouldn’t look the same,’ you insisted, because that was the only thing you could do without feeling like a failure. Because finishing the damned cupcake-cake with tears in your eyes was still better in your opinion than letting him handle the rest regardless of how those flowers came out to be. You both knew none of those ten-year-olds would have thrown a tantrum because of the decoration when Mingyu’s chocolate-orange and strawberry- white-chocolate cupcakes were mouth-watering, breathtaking, goddamn delicious.

You were being difficult for no reason, and you already hated yourself for it. You just couldn’t help it when your brain was dead set on proving something silly to the both of you when in reality, you had nothing to prove.

The first thing you noticed was the light touch of a chin on your shoulder and the stubble that rubbed against your cheek before most of the weight was lifted off your aching body. Your hands trembled and you almost dropped the buttercream bag when you looked down at your baby bump and saw your husband’s arms around you. He was holding… No, he was lifting up your belly, so you wouldn’t feel the extra weight that prominently.

‘You’re right,’ he murmured into your ear, encouraging you to finish the decoration on your own; meanwhile, he did not let go of your belly.

It should have felt offensive. It should have felt like he didn’t believe in you. And most importantly, it shouldn’t have felt so freaking good that you wished he would have done this more frequently in the future. Like every day - every single day until your baby boy was born and your body could start the healing process.

‘Just let me be here for you, hm?’ He asked for your permission, which you gave him in the most you-way possible: without words, leaning into him more, humming out your approval. God, you loved him so much.

You loved him so much.

During the next hour or so, while you slowly finished the buttercream flowers in the colours of the rainbow, Mingyu didn’t let go of you for a second. He stood behind you, holding your pregnant belly, talking about everything and anything to keep your mind occupied, so you wouldn’t pay attention to your obvious discomfort. He chatted your ears off about Hoshi’s upcoming engagement party, about who he thought would start a family next (your bet was on Seokmin, but he was convinced Soonyoung wouldn’t be able to keep it in his pants after Eunseo said yes to his proposal), and about Jihye’s new album that came with a mini tour. It was nice. It was bearable.

And you once again realised that there was no one… no one else in the world with whom you could have taken this scary step towards having your own family with so much ease and confidence. Because you loved your independence. You loved being able to do things on your own and pick fights when you couldn’t. You hated being wrong and being told that you were wrong, although you knew your stubborn ass never listened to well-founded reasoning. Yet, Mingyu rarely got angry with you for being who you were.

He stood by your side. He supported you. He accepted all your flaws.

And you, being you, could only wish he knew you would have done all these for him, too. That in this lifetime and the next one, too, for you, it was him. No one else. Only him.

the end.

[it-lives-within-the-dark]

I really do love SBCL and I really feel like when you read the manga it SO blatantly in your face…but when I read Yana’s old blog it seems like she’s so dead set against Sebastian and Ciel caring for each other at all…that it’s like does she even see what she writers or and I just delulu… or are antis just cherry picking what they translate 😭😭

Hey Nonny!

Short answer:

I'm not familiar enough with Yana's old blog to make any judgements on what her intentions/feelings are for her story and characters based on her posts (not to mention, it's old - people can change their minds).

Long answer:

I go back and forth when it comes to authorial intent and death of the author. I've literally been on both sides of the issue. As a fan, it's easy to say that what the author intended doesn't matter and that my interpretation of their work is 100% valid, even if it's the complete opposite of what the author intended. On the other hand, I've been in the author's shoes. I took a creative writing class in college where one of our assignments was to write a short story and then the class would discuss it. Simple, right? Easy. Except I wasn't allowed to speak the entire time my work was being discussed. I had to bite my tongue for forty minutes while my classmates completely butchered my story, listen to them miss the main theme completely, focus on a random detail that meant nothing, and walk away at the end of class not understanding anything I tried to convey in my work. I never got to explain what it actually meant; all the little clues and details that they missed - nothing. And it sucked. A lot. But at the end of the day there was nothing I could do about it.

All that to say, I think it's up to you to determine what holds more importance: what Yana says in her old posts (keeping in mind the context in which those remarks were made - what year did she make those comments, and where does that line up in the publishing of the manga? - are you taking into consideration that she is a public figure and that she might need to watch her words so that she doesn't jeopardize her job? etc.), or how you personally interpret the work.

I also think it's important to keep in mind that there can be (and is) a difference in what you, the fan, want to see happen, and what you want to actually happen in canon. There's a tumblr post floating around that discusses this topic but I don't have it handy.

Sorry this was all a bit rambly!

[nereidprinc3ss]

Ily for giving Spencer those boundaries regarding sex in dybmn. Bodily autonomy is important for both men and women. You've handled it so gracefully and like I feel for both characters, because yeah reader just wants to get some and in a way so does Spencer but he has a pace he needs to follow and valid reasoning (like in p6 with the whole associating negative feelings with pleasure is just chef's kiss) - and ugh its just such a balanced view and grounds the store with realism xoxoxo

yes i feel like with inexperienced reader fics its always he wants to fuck her but he wants to keep her innocent which i didn’t wanna do cause spencer wouldn’t gaf abt that but he would let his own insecurities get in the way for sure, he’d definitely be concerned about wanting her to make the right choice and specifically dybmn spencer doesn’t want to have sex w someone he’s in love with if they don’t love him back cause he’s already gone through that but he’s insecure abt it and. idk i just wanted it to be SLIGHTLY more complex than “i wanna fuck you ughhh but i cantttt cause ur a virgin…..” like its not so much about that yk? and also reader has her own insecurities like she THINKS she wants to have sex but we also have seen how hesitant she has been with everything else and how much reassurance she requires so like who rlly knows what’s going on with her. not me LMAO

[dunmeshistash]

Despite the amazing world building and how some characters clearly have well defined backstories I really enjoy how vague she leaves alot of it. I think her restraint in telling the story really helps it move along and that'd what sets it apart from other animes/manga. She tells us what important to know about mithrun but doesn't get into the nitty gritty of it allowing us to spectate and it keeps the story on track. Idk I have alot of thoughts on how she has written dungeon meshi and it really feels exactly like how a dm would structure a session of DnD if that makes sense? Like we have No big dramatic narrative flashbacks as far as i remeber, the most we get is other characters telling us what happened in the past from their pov (see kabru talking about utaya)

I LOVE the amount of restraint there is in the main story, it's an universe so dense with information but it never feels overwhelming or like we need to pause the story to have something explained it's all so natural so good!!

And I also love that if we want to see more we have so many extras, there's so much love put into it. And even with all the extras there's still bits we need to interpret and fill in the blanks, so good.

I was never into medieval fantasy this much before believe it or not, but the fact the story is so good makes me want to learn all I can about it.

[temis-de-leon]

Day 25 - New Year's kiss

Characters: Mammon x fem!MC

25 kisses challenge Masterlist

Main Masterlist

CW: a bit of self insert (my parents are not every one's parents), Mammon is taller than MC and they have a well established relationship, they are whipped for each other

A/N: we're finally here. Time passed so fast, I'm gonna miss this. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Next will be the 500 followers celebration, see you there :) (if you want to ofc)

.

“Shit!”

MC could only watch as Mammon kicked the wheel and grabbed fistfuls of his hair. He seemed desperate, embarrassed and defeated, jewellery sparkling under the faint light of the rural streetlamps and eyes glistening with unshed tears. In a way, he also looked beautiful, and MC felt incredibly guilty for the thought alone.

He was wearing a suit, chest buttons opened and sleeves rolled up, ignoring the cold with nonchalance. Lucifer begged him to put on a coat to, at least, pretend that low temperatures did bother him a little, but Mammon wouldn’t be himself if he didn’t ignore his older brother’s suggestions. In the end, the coat ended up on MC’s shoulders.

The cold cut her skin when she got out of the car, but what hurt her the most was Mammon’s avoidant gaze. He was ashamed, but there was no way he could've known the engine would fail and leave them stranded out of town. The car wasn’t even his! It was rental!

“Things like this happen” she said in a low tone, grabbing the belt loops in his pants to pull him close to her. A blush immediately appeared on his cheeks and MC wasn’t able to hide her smile on time.

“Do they, tho’?”

“It’s an old car, so yeah”

“Well, it wouldn’t have if Lucifer let me bring my Lexura” he groaned, messing up his hair again “It’s his fault”

“It’s no one’s fault”

MC’s interruption went unnoticed and Mammon kept complaining to the air, growing aggravated without letting her get too far, her fingers still anchored to the loops.

She could understand him. It wasn’t the first time they celebrated the new year as a couple, but it would’ve been the first time spending it with her family. It was a milestone in their relationship he was eager to reach and the disappointment was evident in his face.

“You can fly us there and we can spend time with them still”

“But we’re not gonna be with them when the year starts”

His voice was meek, truly beaten, as if not being there when the year ends would bring bad luck to the new year. A superstitious thought that she wouldn’t have assigned to him before, but maybe this first impression was far more important to him than MC believed to be.

“Baby, come on… I swear it’s okay”

MC called his name, moving her arms to hug his waist, and a wave of relief covered her body when he hugged her back and let his cheek rest on top of her head. Although she couldn’t see him anymore, she knew he was blushing and that made her smile.

Not that far away, crossing the darkness of the countryside and beaming with street lights and firecrackers, the sound of chimes broke the silence. People screamed in excitement and anticipation and Mammon sighed with sadness. Only half a minute of the year remained and they were lost in the middle of the road, the asphalt too old for her to comfortably walk on and the distance too long for them to arrive in less than forty minutes.

Her parents would have to wait, but she knew they wouldn’t feel insulted. And frankly, it’s not like she was sad either. She was with Mammon, after all, listening to the weak ringing of the chimes with poorly hidden joyful agitation, and the closer they got to midnight, the faster her heart beat.

Mammon looked at her in surprise, keeping her close to shield her from the cold. The artificial light from above crowned his hair like a halo and MC was too happy to comment on the irony.

“Are you seriously okay with this?”

“Of course I am! As long as I start each new year with you, I’ll always be okay!”

The chimes got louder and people started to scream the countdown. Only 12 seconds left.

They were both smiling like idiots, the disappointment of not arriving on time slowly disappearing. MC stood on her tiptoes and Mammon leaned down.

“Stop being so cute, dammit”

She chuckled and he kissed her and the scream got louder. Fireworks exploding in the air while he spread his hands across her back and she cradled his face, keeping him where he was for a few more seconds before he managed to pull away.

With eyes half closed and a flushed expression, he murmured against her lips.

“Happy New Year, treasure”

“Happy New Year, Mammon”

MC smiled while he kissed her, repeating the gesture again and again until they started laughing. Then, they kissed once more.

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