#@dead-immortal this is for you (affectionate)

[puredoesnotmeankind]

And if I say Cas and Gabe already have feeings for each other? And that Cas fell first (not that they know) and Gabe fell harder (kinda knows but it has them crying throwing up pulling out their hair sobbing)?

[brightgreendandelions]

Trick for remembering 12hour time

so like we have "am" and "pm", and like "am" comes first,, because alphabet you see?

Here's an ✨example✨

to convert 01:47 into 1:47 am you just use "am", because it's the first half of the day. but if we have "15:24", we need to first subtract 12:00, and then add the "pm", right?

but there's more! if the result happens to have 0 hours, then we have to replace in with 12. because, you see, this is the way clocks work. we aren't programmers here. we don't count form 0. we count form 12!! /j

an interesting consequence of this is, that the "12:** pm" times get converted back and forth without changing at all :)

[i-arch-my-backula]

Poly relationship headcanons for movie Louis and Lestat

I'm putting off doing this for the TV Louis and Lestat because I'm still early on in season two, and I don't want to do anything OOC for them. Anyway, I'm hopefully going to have another chapter for my Immortal Lovers fic coming out soon.

Content includes: Brief mentions of a sick reader, Lestat has a temper on him, Louis has Catholic levels of guilt, maybe a bit of an unhealthy relationship

Considering you're a human, you probably either knew Louis before he turned, or you met Louis before he learned to not get involved with 'mortal affairs' anymore.

He'd try to keep you secret from Lestat for as long as he can, but of course Lestat finds out and he quickly develops an attraction to you, and from that attraction grows feelings like Louis has.

There will be lots of back and forth between the two of them about if you should be turned or not. Lestat saying that it's better for you to be turned and Louis saying that you shouldn't.

But in the end, when you get sick and they're not sure if you're going to make it, Louis can't bear to part from you, so Lestat turns you into a vampire.

Or I could see Lestat using you as a way to sort of 'trap' Louis into staying with him if he was going to try to leave. Kind of like what he did with Claudia but this time it's for romantic partners.

Early on in your vampire life you can choose who you share a coffin with until you get your own. If you choose Louis he'll be affectionate, but still get you a coffin in a reasonable amount of time. But if you choose Lestat, he's going to drag it out for as long as he can.

Both men are going to shower you with affection. Louis' romance being more so verbal and through actions, like taking you out for walks together, or seeing plays and operas. Where as Lestat is going to give you gifts and get you fancy clothes made to your every desire.

Lestat isn't the best teacher there is when it comes to the ways of being a vampire. Of course he tells you about not drinking dead blood and using a coffin, avoiding sunlight, never killing in the house etc, etc. But if you want more knowledge on vampires, you'll have to go to Louis, or do your own research.

Louis prefers to hunt alone, still feeling some amount of guilt at having to eat from humans if he wants to sustain his immortal life. But if you insist, he'll let you join him some nights, when he isn't feeling as guilty.

Lestat however, is almost always happy to have you join him on a hunt. He likes to drag his meals out a bit so having someone to share it with is nice.

There are some occasions that the three of you go out together on a hunt. Lestat is usually the one who initiates these hunts, finding the victims and setting up a private area for the three of you to share. It's not often this happens, but you three still do it once or twice a year.

Louis prefers the dates that he takes you on to be more 'romantic' or 'traditional' like taking you out for the night or spending it at home together, embraced in each others arms, reading books and talking.

Lestat prefers for your dates to be more public. Going out to parties together, seeing plays and operas, going shopping wherever you two please, maybe even using a hunt as a sort of date.

But Lestat also has his outbursts. Getting into fits of rage yelling at you and Louis. His temper gets the better of him at times and he usually leaves for the night to collect himself again. But by the next night he'll apologize with some kind of gift, you rarely ever hear him say that he's sorry.

But Louis can also get caught up in Lestat's yelling sometimes, the two of them getting into arguments of just shouting back and forth. But Louis will come to you after and apologize.

I can see the two of them using you as a way to speak to each other if they're not on speaking terms. If an argument got a bit too out of hand and they're not ready to make up they'll have you relay messages for them, Lestat more so than Louis. For two immortal vampires they can be rather childish at times.

[adventures-in-mangaland]

Dead Boy Detectives Fic Recs Part 6

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Sorry its been a while, last month was crazy! Not too crazy for my emotional support fandom, though! You guys are giving me life. So please have another fic rec list. :)

We two boys together clinging by Aliquis

Charles and Edwin explore their romantic and sexual hangups and also help Crystal search for Niko. This fic has everything: excellent writing, developing relationship, rituals, first time, Beltane, a hot priest. This is already a fandom classic and now I've finally read it, I can confirm it's very good! Read the rest of the series too!

The stranger the better by ghostinthelibrary

Everyone's alive and basically the supernatural version of the Men in Black. I love the whole series, but this installment has the boys' first meeting, Edwin insisting he doesn't need a new partner, office gossip and an intriguing case. The prequel also has palasaki and background catwin! Anyway, I'm obsessed with this AU.

Partridge in a Pear Tree by Vamillepudding

Cinderella AU! Charles is basically a Disney Princess and Edwin is Secretly The Prince, it's wonderful. I also loved the worldbuilding and nods to old school Cinderella lore, like the gift-giving tree. So charming, highly recommended.

Wunderkammer by dear_monday, two_ravens

Edwin and Charles (and later Crystal) are functionally immortal and running a magical museum. This fic has a fantastic sense of place (the Athenaeum is a character in its own right) and an intriguingly gothic horror vibe with its sentient exhibits, doors into other planes and unnerving nonchalance about disappearing staff and guests. I would probably die, but I would absolutely go there.

pinch me (I don't want this to be a dream) by shadowquill17

The pince-nez fic! Charles finds a pair of glasses that show him a person's desires. Then he looks at Edwin. It goes about as well as you'd expect. It was inspired by this wonderful comic by technically-human so check that out too!

Let Me Follow by LikeMmmCookies

Time loop fic! The boys get trapped in Crystal's mind, replaying the day of Charles' death. Only Edwin is the New Boy in school and he's alive... Fantastic concept, so intriguing. Plus Crystal being a badass, The Sandman crossovers and Niko!

Oaths of the Forsworn by e_va

Vampire AU! The boys meet while Charles is dying so Vampire!Edwin agrees to turn him. The story is ongoing, but so far it's been focusing on Charles coping with being a fledgling vampire. Compelling.

lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate by KiaraSayre

Edwin is in Hell. Or is he? Fabulous writing, Hell worldbuilding and gut-wrenching detail. Cw for body horror and torture.

'Cause You Cut Through All the Noise by DontOffendTheBees

Edwin doms Charles in a therapeutic and non-sexual way. That's it and it's great. I loved this for its exploration of intimacy, trust and kink.

Instructions on Being by thewritingotter

Everyone is Alive Modern AU based on an AITA post featuring Charles convincing himself he's homophobic when he realizes he hates Edwin dating other men. It sounds like a funny premise, but really brings the angst and poignancy.

in an alternate timeline's light by plentyghost

Charles finds comics!Edwin hiding in the office. Sweet.

Become So Numb by snowkatze

AU where the Night Nurse doesn't help Charles and Edwin spends another 50 years in Hell. Loved Edwin's mechanism for escape, kind-of-dark Charles and the angsty reunion.

unidentified affectionate object by lyres

Edwin is struck by a curse that manifests his feelings as random objects. Good thing Charles isn't also effected... Very cute with mild angst and a happy ending.

between you and me, suddenly something is on my mind by lolotr

Beach episode! A proper one. Just fun, friendship and emotional support. Plus Edwin in an Edwardian swimming costume, complete with a handy visual aid.

Other Types of Intimacy by Asidian

After a tough case, Edwin takes care of Orb!Charles. (Chorb? Is this chorbwin?) I guess I have a thing for non-sexual intimacy. Seriously, though, what could be more beautiful than someone cuddling your soul?

(black is the colour) of my true love's hair by ObsessedWithFandom

Charles has long hair: the fic. Interesting ghost lore with Charles' hair kind of working like his mood-ring polo and growing when he's happy. And this is an established relationship payneland fic, so lately he's been very happy. 😜 Honestly, as a child of the 80s, Charles deserves to have long hair. I need more fanart!

@ghostinthelibrarywrites @shadowquill17 @tumblerislovetumblerislife @lolotr @technically-human @dont-offend-the-bees @neurodivergent-fangirling @fishy-lava @many-gay-magpies @cordelia-noir @whatthehorsedoicallthisblog @shazziez @extremely-eager-reader @atariakana @tragedy-machine @guardianspirits13 @colourmornings @herebehunters @dearheartdont @avoiceofnerat @littlepocketuniverse @overlord-of-chaos @fairandfatalasfair @handwrittenhello @every-moment-a-different-sound

I've added some tags for people who left fun tags/comments on previous lists. Let me know if you'd like me to add you on the next one. :)

[verlaineszz]

"ALL I WANNA DO IS GET HIGH BY THE BEACH!"

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚— HUMAN FYODOR X SIREN FEM READER

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩SUMMARY: A man with a haunting past and a dead lover has already lost hope in all of humanity. He originally wanted to save humanity, not until the only person he loved the most perished because of it. Avenging of what he can, he does heinous crimes and carry a hatred towards humanity due to the loss of his lover.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ཐིཋྀ — ANGST + HORROR + ROMANCE + PSYCHOLOGY

A/N: Im gonna make this fanfic quite short since I've been busy and drained.. Please enjoy the read<3!

( ၴႅၴ+WARNINGS! : DRUG USAGE, MURDER, DEATH (+ nickname usage, - Lyubov' (love) & Ангел (angel)

Being somebody who is considered 'immortal' wasn't easy, you see the people you love die easily.

Originally, fyodor wanted to save humanity, he believed that everyone needed saving except the people who abused the abilities that was bestowed onto them by the heavens.

He only loved ONE person, a woman who has gained his interest and his affection. The love he had was unconditional and affectionate, a raging storm that was shined upon with the everlasting moonlight. And that was all YOU.

But one day, you needed to visit a certain island due to your studies, being the lover fyodor was, he was quite skeptical and paranoid that something may happen to you, but he didn't wanna cut off your freedom as he does love you dearly.. So he let you off.

With a kiss on the hand and a cheek, you leave the house with a suitcase, on your way to the ship that you were going on, it was a ship controlled by a wealthy and powerful dictator, who the DOSTOEVSKY wasn't fond of.

The ship set sailed in ease..

A few days later, fyodor received a message that the ship went missing. Including you. And the only person who survived it was no other than the dictator himself.

Fyodor clutched his fists as he read through the letter, it wasn't often he was enranged like this, but the melancholic feeling of his lover missing consumed him, how could he let this happen? He should've never let you on in the ship.

Eventually thats when he becamd a ruthless man, he was already making ability users perish but the only thing he admired and adored the most has been taken away from him, he had a plan. A plan to kill the dictator.

He was used to hiding, but he didn't want to anymore. He'd do anything to avenge your death. Your body wasn't even found.

⁺‧₊˚ஓ༻𓆩♡𓆪༺ஓ˚₊‧⁺

Years passed by, population went down due to his sprees, this void in him was eating him alive.

Every neck he slashed and every shot he has taken was all for you.

He walked through the jagged rocks of the beach, trying to get away from his past. He wanted to forget about it, but he didn't wanna forget you. He walked groggily, he recently took some Lysergic acid diethylamide, he wanted to lay off of life for a second and forget his surroundings. He wasn't normally this disheveled and unhinged, but your death really took a toll on him.

The wind howled through the decaying coastal town, carrying with it the scent of salt and the distant, mournful cries of the sea. Fyodors face gaunt and holloweyed, stumbled along the cobblestone streets, the weight of the past dragging at his every step. He had come to this place seeking something anything that could fill the void left by the death of his wife. But in his search for solace, he had found only darkness.

He took another blotter paper with LSD, he walked till the end of the coast line, nobody was around as the numbing feeling of the substance took over his chest, that dulled tha pain he endured. His legs were cut and he was pale and skinny, you were always the one who was taking care of him that he forgot what to eat, drink and how to sleep.

He looked at the moon with half lidded eyes and soft breathing before hearing a familiar voice. The singing was melodic and smooth to hear, a voice that had the same pitch, tone, and key to yours. This can't be real right?

He immediately walks over to the sound, trying to find it. The sky was oddly colorful today. It was a deep blue. He walked over and he hears it getting louder, he breathes heavily. Running towards the sound, he didn't wanna speak yet. He had to find out himself, were you still alive? After all these years?

With unsteady steps, he descended the rocky path to the shore, the waves crashing violently against the rocks. There, in the shallow waters, stood a figure, bathed in the ghostly light of the moon. Her hair tangled and damp, her skin beautiful and glistening with the spray of the sea. But it was her eyes. those familiar, haunting eyes—.. that stopped fyodor in his tracks.

"Lyubov'.." he muttered with wide eyes and disbelief, his sadness washing away from his chest.

His breath caught in his throat. It couldn’t be. Yet, as he looked at her, he was certain that this was his wife, that returned to him from beyond the grave. His heart swelled with a mix of joy and sorrow, his mind reeling with the impossibility of it all.

“fedya.. ” you whispered with a teasing grin, your voice a soft, melodic echo of the song that had called him. breath caught in his throat. It couldn’t be. Yet, as he looked at her, he was certain—this was his wife.. His beloved lover, That returned to him from beyond the grave. His heart swelled with a mix of joy and sorrow, his mind reeling with the impossibility of it all.

“You came back Ангел..!” he choked out, walking toward you with an admiring grin. “I knew you would come back."

The siren, his wife, smiled, a sad, distant expression that seemed almost… wrong.

“I never left, fedya. I've been here all along. Awaiting for your arrival, my dear." you whispered softly in his ear.

He fell to his knees in the icy cold water, reaching out to touch her. His hand trembled as it brushed against your cheek, you leaned into his touch, your skin cold, damp, and scaley..yet familiar.

He grinned gently, wrapping his hands on your waist, admiring your beautiful face. This is what dreams are made of right? Everything felt completely right. His eyes were filled with adoration and solace. The gaping void in his chest was filled once again, he was finally with you. His wife.

"I've done alot of things in the past, im afraid. But i did it all for you." he caressed your skin, but it felt.. Hard and cold. He ignored that, he just wanted to be with you, to touch you, to love you all over again. "I want you to understand, lyubov'. If you come back amd see the way things are now, don't be afraid."

His eyes were locked onto yours, tucking a piece of your hair behind your finned ears. He looked down, seeing your scaley tail. He didn't care of you weren't human anymore.

You lean onto him, "I'm back now.. Come with me instead, into the depths of the ocean." he nods, his gaze locked onto yours, "let go, and be with me.. Forever. In the sea. We'll love again,"— he nodded, his thumb caressing your cheek as he held your waist securely. "we'll laugh again, and we'll be together. Forever."

His heart pounded in his chest, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He had yearned for this moment, to be reunited with you, to finally find peace and have you in his arms. He leaned in, his lips brushing against yours, cold and salty like the sea.. But how beautiful you were..

But as he kissed you, he felt nothing but bones. He felt something hard, it wasn't the soft lips that he would kiss every night.

No.

It wasn't.

The substances effect slowly faded away, he looked back at you.. his eyes wide with horror. The figure before him was no longer his wife, no longer the ethereal beauty who had called to him from the sea. She was something else!- something twisted and grotesque. Your bones were pale, bloated, mottled with decay, and your eyes.. those eyes.. were empty, hollow sockets.

This was not a reincarnation of you as a siren. It was your remains. Your rotting missing cadaver that had washed up on shore. Your boned were waterlogged and broken, her limbs twisted at unnatural angles. The crashing waves of the oceans was evident that it crushed your body. The waves and smell of the sea surrounded him as he held your decaying bones.

He looked at your ring finger. It still had the ring he proposed to you with, a patch of grey rotting skin was under the ring. Your skin, that he worshipped and adored the most. His breath was jagged and he held your hand, a single tear dropping down his eye.

The corpse stared back at him with empty eyes, her mouth twisted into a mockery of the smile he loved. He looks down and he held your decaying body close, leaning his head onto your shoulder.

"I.. I will then. If you want it, I'll do it."

It was all a hallucination. But he didn't want to believe that. He believed it was still you. He carried your rotting bones in bridal style, like he did during your wedding day.

He took another dose of his substances and he walked deeper into the ocean.

Deeper.

And deeper..

And deeper.

A/N: the color of the theme is blue and white, completely different from my theme which is red and black..but i wanted to change it up abit. Thanks for reading. This actually made me sad abit..

© All works by @Verlaineszz. Do not copy, redistribute, or repost on other platforms.

[staticymaticyyourlifeisatravesty]

My understandings of what Primarchs are currently alive and dead, what their status' are: Loyalists: Leman Russ: Running butt ass naked in the Warp, if the armour if any indication. Probably a Wulfen and horribly mutated like Corvus. Possibly could be fine. Chances very slim for him not be a mutated wolf thing with viking braids. Anyway his sons are mildly disturbed by the armour they keep finding Lion: Alive and pissed. Commits so many war crimes behind Guilliman's back. May or may not be making it his personal goal to give Guilliman as many grey hairs as possible. Roboute Guilliman: Stressed and thinks humans can't rule themselves. Asshole. Needs a break and to actually spend time with humans and actually thinking about the fact it's been ten thousand fucking years. That's impressive for an empire. Corvus Corax: Fucked up bird man in the warp. Probably learning that feathers suck to get blood out of and questioning how the fuck his white winged brother kept his feathers so fucking clean even though said brother routinely caused blood baths in life. Has probably pecked someone to death. Vulkan: Probably alive. Somewhere. Might actually be in a volcano somewhere. His death goes against his lore so who knows what the fuck is going on here. Jaghatai Khan: Also in the warp, has no idea where the fuck he is and isn't stopping for directions. Honestly he's actually existed the warp couple of times he was going so fucking fast. Probably also slowly getting mutated. Might be fine though. Probably passed a naked Leman a couple of times and is really confused by the fucked up bird thing calling itself Corvus. Rogal Dorn: Could be dead, could have a sick ass prosthetic hand. No idea what's going on with him. Sanguinius: Incredibly dead. Probably a good thing that he is. Otherwise he'd probs be a traitor primarch too with the Imperium in its current state- Ferrus Manus: Also very dead. Probably was seething mad at being killed by Fulgrim. Very likely died seething mad. Traitors: Fulgrim: Is a four armed winged snake thing. Having mad sex and doing way too many drugs. Probably also eating a lot too. And then sleeping it off because snake. Has a chunky boyfriend if Tumblr is to be believed. Magnus: Trying to rebuild, also an arrogant prick. I support him even if he's a dick. If only because what happened to Prospero was a travesty of the highest order. You go my weird rainbow nipple horned demon prince. What is your obsession with titty horns??? Mortarion: Depressed but has family. Is infected with diseases that are probably not even invented yet. Probably also not a skinny rail of a man anymore courtesy of Papa Nurgle who is a better dad then the Emperor ironically. Probably can't stand to look himself in the Mirror. Angron: Angy, so very angy. And obsessed with blood. Even if he wasn't immortal by virtue of being a demon prince, he'd probably be too angry to die. Not entirely sure if this is actually better then being dead. Lorgar: Not entirely sure, but I assume he's somewhere in the warp spreading the word of chaos like some sort of messed up anti jesus or something.

Alpharius /Omegon: One's dead, the other is alive. Which twin died and which one is alive is a damn good question. Possibly neither are even dead. Absolute bastards (affectionate). Perterabo: Grumpy old man wanting to be left alone and forge. He yearns for it. Mostly content to just make stuff and burn his skin off. Good things he's a demon now I guess. Go make stuff, have a hobby that's kinda healthy. Sort of. Konrad: Pretty dead. Saw it happen and let it happen. Probably for the best because dear god this man as a demon prince is terrifying. Horus: Also very dead. Might actually be even more dead then Sanguinius considering Horus' soul was probably destroyed.

[isasapphicmess]

“Missy to spymaster doesn’t make sense”

“Missy was good, spymaster is bad, it doesn’t make sense , how did that happen? ”

Oh let’s delve into this

-missy’s redemption was never to do with being good or evil, she decided it was time to stand with the doctor, for the fun,for the chaos, to battle the loneliness of being a pretty much immortal being. Her previous selves did not get that cause they were younger. There’s also an entanglement of “if I’m like doctor,he’ll like me again”, years in that box waiting for the day they’ll be friends again.

-the lumiat is all the good in Missy magnified but there’s still the obsession, the manipulative nature , all surrounding the doctor. “Being on the ‘right’ side, the good I did can’t count for nothing or I wasted my time”. The lumiat is probably the most aware the master is ever gonna get about being in love with the doctor.

-the lumiat has a painful regeneration into the spymaster , spymaster can’t trust himself but still feels a loyalty to the doctor, where does he go ? Home of course. Then he finds out , the person that he thought he knew better than himself has had entires lives without him. The master is known as the doctors friend, ex and enemy but the truth is there might be people out there that knows the doctor better than he does. How dare the timelords lie? How dare the doctor be so much “more” than him? The millennia of inferiority, jealousy and attachment implodes. Spydocs dynamic is typical thoschei at their core “I fucking hate ur soul but I’m obsessed with you at the same time”.

-missy’s ‘redemption’ isn’t pointless tho, it shows the master is capable of siding with the doctor but after finding out they don’t truly know the doctor as intimately as they previously thought , they fall back into what’s comfortable , hating the fuck out of the doctor.

-spymaster also views morality as a disease (power of the doctor scripts I love you) ‘your afflicted by morality yaz, i blame her’ the master viewing morality as disease speaks to how they view their 2 last regens (missy, lumiat) and the self hatred that ultimately leads them to wanting to become the doctor. [chibnall I’m in ur walls for the stuff you cut out of POTD].

-why didn’t the master just regen into 13s image or pretend they are the doctor. BABES THEY ARE A DELUSIONAL OBSESSED EX. There’s no logic , they want to be as close to the doctor as they can. Also do you sincerely think the doctor would have stayed dead? The loser (affectionate) would have brought her back after 3 months.

[desertfangs]

“ am i not good enough? ”  Armand/Daniel :)

The pressure builds in his chest as he watches Armand doting on Sybelle and Benji as he speaks to Rose and Viktor. He ruffles Benji’s hair affectionately, and pats Sybelle on the shoulder softly, planting a kiss on her cheek. They both beam at him, so much love in their eyes.

Daniel’s stomach churns. All he can think of is Armand’s book, of the way he dismissed Daniel as a demented, morbid romantic who could not stand him, who had never really known or loved him. 

He’s trying so hard not to think of those words and to instead understand Armand’s love for these two beings, but it’s so damn weird to stand here in Armand’s house, watching him with his new family whom he’s only just met. He and Armand used to be inseparable and now he’s just a guest watching him from across the room. 

He’s been here over a week and he still feels wholly out of place, unable to sit and relax anywhere, so he stands against a wall, trying not to take up space. Marius is in a conference room with Lestat and some of the others, making plans to go to France. Daniel was hoping to catch Armand alone, but no luck. 

Benji of all people glances up and looks at Daniel curiously, titling his head in a way that reminds Daniel of Armand. Maybe Daniel forgot to guard his thoughts. It’s hard, with all the immortals here, to keep the walls up. 

Benji says something to Armand, who looks over at Daniel. And suddenly Daniel wishes vampires could turn into smoke and he could just vaporize on the spot. 

His breath catches as Armand breaks away from the group and heads toward him. He’s stunning, as usual. He’s wearing an ivory sweater and dark denim jeans. His russet hair hangs long and loose around his pale face and rings adorn his fingers. He’s so beautiful Daniel could weep and as he comes closer, Daniel can’t breathe. No air wants to enter his dead lungs. 

Armand’s amber eyes rake over Daniel who suddenly feels lacking in his worn jeans and t-shirt. “Are you all right?” 

Daniel nods. Fine, yeah, just dandy. He struggles not to laugh and Armand can’t hear his thoughts. Before he can verbalize the sentiment, Armand speaks again: “Good. I want all my guests to feel at home.”

Daniel’s heart sinks. He’s just another guest. Of course. What else would he be?

“Thanks,” Daniel says, the word coming out short and terse. Armand stares at him, and Daniel shifts uncomfortably. He points to the ceiling. “Nice crown moulding.” 

Armand frowns slightly. He glances back at Sybelle and Benji, eager to return to that conversation and escape this awkwardness. Why the hell did he come over, anyhow? What did Benji tell him? 

“Every inch of Trinity Gate was meticulously designed,” Armand says. “No detail spared.” 

“So I see,” Daniel says. It really is an impressive house, more intricate and detailed than their Villa in on Night Island, though Daniel prefers the latter. 

Armand reaches out and tears a loose thread from the sleeve of Daniel’s t-shirt. He doesn’t say so but Daniel can practically hear him wondering why Marius allows him to dress like a vagrant. Instead, Armand pockets the thread and says nothing. He wishes he would. At least if they could argue—

Sybelle laughs across the room and the others all join in. Daniel’s stomach churns as Armand turns and smiles appreciatively at them. 

“Am I not good enough?” Daniel asks, the question tumbling out before he can think about what he’s saying. 

Armand turns back to him suddenly. “Whatever do you mean, Daniel?” 

Anger roars up at the way he plays dumb, the way he acts like it’s an absurd thing to ask. And maybe it is. Maybe there’s really nothing left to say between them. Except that when he looks at Armand, all he wants to do is pull him close and hold him there, and he can’t. There’s this weird glass wall between them now and he hates it. 

“As a fledgling,” Daniel says. 

Armand’s brow furrows briefly and then his expression smooths out, becoming impassive stone. “You have strong blood.” 

Daniel laughs scornfully. “Yeah, yours,” he says. “That’s not what I meant.” 

Armand looks back at his beloved children with Rose and Viktor, people he adores and whose company he can stand. Daniel turns to leave. Armand grabs his wrist. 

“Of course you are. What a thing to ask,” Armand says, as if he’s a fool. And he is. He’s here, blurting out questions he doesn’t want the answers to.

“Yeah, sure,” Daniel says. He pulls away and heads for the foyer. He’ll go for a walk, go kill some evil bastard and slake his thirst and maybe then he’ll feel better. 

Armand follows him to the door. 

“I just need to hunt,” Daniel tells him. He opens the coat closet and digs out his jacket. It’s too light for the climate and it’s raining out, but it will do. Armand is still watching him wordlessly, infuriatingly still and silent. Daniel wants to shake him and demand to know what he wants. What he feels. If he still loves him at all. But he doesn’t dare ask. “Do you want to come?” he asks instead.

Armand tilts his head, a gesture that always makes Daniel feel like he’s trying to get inside his mind. Then Armand pulls a wool coat out of the closet and shrugs it on.

“Lead the way,” Armand says. 

Relief washes over him. It’s not enough. Not by a mile. But it’s a start. 

[merrilark]

Okay, I've only read a few chapters of Young Blood so far, but some of the things I really enjoy (with mild character-related spoilers; I probably won't say anything about the plot itself yet):

That we're given most of the Umbrellas' favorite foods! Klaus likes bubblegum ice cream, Diego likes roast beef with new potatoes and green beans, Luther likes hamburgers, and Allison used to like hotdogs. There's nothing about Viktor or Five's so far, but we can assume Five's has always been fluffernutters.

Diego is implied to be extremely food-motivated and I love that for him. Viktor thinks he could be a star chef if he wanted to ditch superhero work. 11/10, love foodie Diego.

Reginald named his car Hermes (I'm strangely affectionate about this).

Klaus has been hotwiring Reginald's car since 12 and was taught to drive by a dead NASCAR driver. Klaus enjoyed sitting in the garage with the car running, but didn't realize that you could get monoxide poisoning that way. He's apparently died frequently, and thought he was just going to sleep. Pogo would carry him to bed.

This implies Pogo knew that Klaus was immortal, and most likely also knew that Reginald was routinely killing him.

Klaus also has been planning to leave the Academy for a long time, but hasn't gotten up the nerve. We all know that Diego is the first to leave and (at least according to You Look Like Death) Klaus was the last, so I think this is an interesting angle. It doesn't break canon, per se, but it raises a few questions about why Klaus didn't leave like he planned.

Ben asked every day if Klaus had seen Five's ghost. His biggest hope is that they'll one day all be together again. This shatters me.

It's also interesting that Ben is both one of the most obedient and yet most vocal about Reginald's abuse. He seems extremely aware of it, but is far too afraid to defy their father and kills primarily because he knows that he'll be reprimanded if he doesn't.

Ben canonically views himself as a monster. :( I knew this. I suspected this. But still. Seeing it typed out makes me :((( lmao

I'm also really enjoying that it neither shies away from Luther/Allison nor the fact that it's extremely normalized between the Umbrellas to be pretty, unrepentant jerks toward each other. I think that if they removed any of these things, or chose to gloss over them, it'd risk watering down the effects of their abuse too much in a book that already doesn't seem keen on diving too deeply into their trauma. It's also interesting to see how blatantly weird they all are developmentally and socially, straddling a line between considering each other family and treating each other like coworkers. At times, it feels a lot like they just call each other siblings, but there's no real attachment to those terms, even if they do care about each other a lot. They really do not understand how to be a family or normal kids, or hardly even real people outside of the super-powered killing machines that Reginald wanted them to be.

On to some things I'm not totally digging but aren't a deal-breaker:

Mild canon inaccuracies. I've been told that this book is pretty glaring in the department, but so far I haven't seen anything too bad. The only notable ones so far are: - That the Umbrellas, except Klaus, have never sneaked out before. It's been a while since I've seen S1, but I could swear that it's canon that they all regularly sneaked out to Griddy's even before Five left. - Klaus calls himself a telepath. This is common fanon, but there's nothing in canon itself to support that he is capable of telepathy. In fairness, though, Sheinmel, the author, doesn't actually seem to write Klaus as a telepath. It really just reads as if she thinks that telepathy and mediumship are the same thing. - There's a lot of emphasis on Luther being big. He's constantly being described as struggling with his clothes, or fantasizing about how much larger he'll get, and rips the back out of a jacket at one point because... I guess?? he's so large??? He's very much written as if Sheinmel thinks that Luther is a musclebound 17 year old, when teenage Luther has never been big in the same way that post-serum adult Luther has been. He was always tall, yes, but I really don't think he should have been struggling with tearing clothes.

Typos. It's not glaring, but there are some errors here and there with spelling and punctuation. Combined with the telepath thing, I wonder if Sheinmel just didn't have a great editor.

The writing style is really juvenile. I knew that this would be a young adult novel, so I didn't expect beautiful prose, but the writing feels like this book is meant for the younger end of YA. It rambles, restates obvious points, and sometimes the phrasing feels dumbed down to the point of near condescension. Meanwhile, characters still use mild swears, which gives the book this weird feeling that it doesn't quite know what age bracket it was written for.

But I am otherwise really enjoying it so far. It's fun and I appreciate the insight into the Umbrellas' lives as teens and their internal thoughts about each other, regardless of how canon or not-canon this novel is.

[6azia]

Too much| Hidan x m!reader

—summary. Y/N knew Hidan’s pride and was eager to knock him down a peg. He had sparred with Hidan before and figured he knew his tricks by now. How hard could it be to win? Or Y/N looses a bet and regrets every second after, or not?

—content warning. humiliation

—word count. 2,0k

—azia‘s notes. Only one more to be up to date☺️

𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔨𝔱𝔬𝔟𝔢𝔯-𝔏𝔦𝔰𝔱

“Alright, Y/N,” Hidan grinned wickedly, his silver hair catching the dim light of the cave. “I bet you can’t defeat me in a sparring match. You win, I’ll stop swearing for a whole week. I win, you do something embarrassing in front of everyone. Deal?”

Y/N knew Hidan’s pride and was eager to knock him down a peg. He had sparred with Hidan before and figured he knew his tricks by now. How hard could it be to win?

“Deal,” Y/N said confidently, not noticing the way the other members around the table exchanged amused glances. Even Kakuzu let out a low chuckle.

In the sparring ring, Y/N quickly realised he had underestimated Hidan’s resilience. No matter how many hits he landed, Hidan kept getting back up, laughing and taunting him. It was like fighting an immortal cockroach. Hidan’s masochistic tendencies gave him the upper hand, and after a brutal exchange, Y/N found himself on the ground, panting for breath.

“Well, well, well, looks like I win,” Hidan cackled, towering over Y/N with his scythe resting casually on his shoulder. “Now, for your punishment.”

Y/N sat up, groaning. “Alright, fine. What do I have to do?”

Hidan’s grin widened. “Oh, this is gonna be good. You, my friend, have to endure every single suggestion from all the members of the Akatsuki. In front of everyone.”

Y/N’s eyes widened in horror, his stomach dropping. “Wait, what? No way!”

“That was the deal!” Hidan laughed maniacally. “No backing out now. You’re gonna pucker up or face my wrath, and trust me, you don’t want to see what else I’ve got planned if you don’t.”

The rest of the Akatsuki, who had gathered to watch the outcome of the match, were now watching with varying degrees of amusement. Deidara snickered, Tobi bounced on his feet excitedly, and even Itachi raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the impending chaos.

Y/N swallowed hard. “You’re serious?”

“Oh, I’m dead serious,” Hidan said, crossing his arms. “Now get to it. Let's start a bit timid. Why dont ya give everyone a kiss on the lips?” Hidan grinned down at him.

Y/N, cheeks burning with humiliation, stood up and turned to face the other members. He locked eyes with each of them, feeling the overwhelming urge to disappear into the ground. There was no way out of this. He sighed, mentally preparing himself.

He started with Deidara, who smirked and leaned in eagerly. “Don’t be shy, yea!” Deidara teased, his lips barely brushing Y/N’s as he gave a surprisingly soft kiss. Y/N recoiled quickly, his face even redder than before.

Next was Sasori, who rolled his eyes. “This is ridiculous,” he muttered, but he leaned in anyway. Y/N was surprised by how mechanical the kiss felt — well, it made sense since Sasori wasn’t fully human anymore.

Kakuzu scoffed when it was his turn, clearly irritated by the whole ordeal. “This is a waste of time,” he grumbled, but Y/N had no choice but to comply. The kiss was brief, cold, and uncomfortable, much like Kakuzu himself.

When it came time for Kisame, the shark-like man gave a toothy grin. “Hope you don’t mind the teeth,” he said with a chuckle. Y/N braced himself, but the kiss was surprisingly light, despite the intimidating grin.

Zetsu was next, and Y/N had to kiss both sides — the white half and the black half — each offering different levels of awkwardness. The white half seemed almost amused, while the black half stared at Y/N as if planning a murder.

Tobi, on the other hand, was overly enthusiastic. “Tobi is a good boy! Tobi will give you a nice kiss, Y/N-senpai!” He grabbed Y/N and planted a surprisingly affectionate kiss on the other cheek before bouncing away, giggling.

When it was time for Itachi, the stoic Uchiha didn’t say a word. He simply looked at Y/N, his expression unreadable, before leaning in. The kiss was soft and fleeting, leaving Y/N slightly bewildered. Of all the members, Itachi’s was the least humiliating, though still embarrassing enough.

Finally, Y/N stood in front of the leader, Pain. He felt the weight of the situation sinking in as he realised this would be the final and most intimidating kiss. Pain stared down at Y/N with his Rinnegan eyes, cold and calculating.

“Get it over with,” Pain said, his voice emotionless.

Y/N, sweating bullets by this point, leaned in and gave a quick, respectful peck, his heart racing. Pain said nothing afterward, only nodding slightly as if to acknowledge Y/N’s compliance.

Y/N stepped back, his face burning with embarrassment. He had just kissed every single member of the Akatsuki in front of them all. He couldn’t believe he’d actually gone through with it.

The room was silent for a moment, and then Hidan burst out laughing again, clutching his sides. “That was priceless! Oh man, you should see your face!”

Deidara, Sasori, and Kisame chuckled, while Itachi simply turned and walked away as if nothing unusual had happened. Tobi, of course, was still bouncing around happily, clearly enjoying the chaos.

Y/N glared at Hidan, but there was a reluctant smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He’d lost the bet, but in the end, it wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened. At least it was over.

Y/N stood there, heat still radiating off his face, his heart pounding in his chest. The humiliation washed over him like a tidal wave, and despite the awkward laughter and teasing from the others, he couldn’t shake the conflicted feelings swirling inside him. Part of him wanted to laugh it off — it was Hidan, after all, and no one took his antics too seriously. But another part of him felt deeply embarrassed, more than he’d ever admit.

His lips still tingled from each kiss, an uncomfortable reminder of what just happened. It wasn’t the act itself that bothered him the most; it was the way the whole thing felt so exposed. Kissing every member of the Akatsuki, in front of everyone? His pride took a serious blow. He wasn’t the type to show vulnerability, especially not in a group like this, where strength and ruthlessness were the only things that kept them all alive. And now, they’d all seen him, red-faced and flustered, forced into something so… intimate.

He shifted uncomfortably, trying to avoid looking any of them in the eye. Why did I even agree to this stupid bet? He cursed himself, his chest tightening with self-consciousness. What made it worse was the variety of reactions from the others, each one only adding layers to his embarrassment.

Deidara’s smirk was still burned into his memory, the cocky artist clearly finding the whole thing hilarious. That kiss had been teasing, almost playful, but the way Deidara had leaned in, like he was enjoying it a little too much, made Y/N’s stomach flip. And Tobi — ugh, Tobi — had been overly enthusiastic, grabbing him like a hyperactive child, which only made the whole ordeal even more mortifying.

Then there was Kisame’s grin. The guy had teeth sharp enough to tear through flesh, and the entire time, Y/N had been hyper-aware of just how close those teeth had been to his lips. Even though Kisame hadn’t done anything sinister, it felt like being at the mercy of a predator, his body tense and uncomfortable.

And Itachi. God, Itachi. That had been the worst, and yet… somehow, it wasn’t? The Uchiha’s unreadable gaze had pierced through him, making Y/N feel small, exposed, and completely out of his depth. Itachi hadn’t laughed or made any snide comments. He had simply leaned in and kissed Y/N with such calm indifference that it almost made Y/N feel like he was the one overreacting. But that didn’t help. The fact that Itachi didn’t seem to care made Y/N’s humiliation even sharper, like he was the only one spiralling in this sea of awkwardness, while the others were unfazed.

Y/N clenched his fists, his mind racing. He wanted to be angry at Hidan, to throw some snappy comeback at him, but deep down, he couldn’t deny that this situation had cut through his cool, confident exterior. He was a member of the Akatsuki, feared and respected, but here he was, reduced to kissing his teammates like some kind of joke.

Hidan’s mocking laughter echoed in his ears, the sound grating against his pride. Y/N’s stomach twisted in knots. The worst part? It wasn’t the fact that he’d had to kiss everyone — though that was bad enough — it was the way he felt about it. The lingering sense of vulnerability, of being the centre of attention in a way he never wanted to be. He wasn’t used to this kind of embarrassment. He was used to fighting, to blood and strategy, not… kissing. Definitely not kissing.

He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to shake the feeling, but it clung to him, heavy and suffocating. Every glance from the others felt like it was filled with judgement, even if they were probably just amused. Y/N wanted to laugh it off, to make a joke, but his voice stuck in his throat. The tightness in his chest wouldn’t let him brush it aside that easily.

As the members of the Akatsuki slowly dispersed, going back to whatever they had been doing before the ridiculous bet, Y/N stood frozen in place. His thoughts raced in circles, the embarrassment still raw. He could feel Hidan’s eyes on him, waiting for some reaction, some sign that he had truly gotten under Y/N’s skin.

But Y/N couldn’t give him that satisfaction. Not fully. He forced a chuckle, even though it felt weak and forced. “Well, that was fun,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady, even though his face still burned.

Hidan grinned, clearly pleased with himself. “You handled it better than I thought. I expected you to cry or something. But that reaction is also fucking satisfying.” He mocked and looked down at Y/N.

Y/N rolled his eyes, trying to muster the usual bravado, but it was hard to ignore the lingering feeling of discomfort, the strange mix of humiliation and confusion that simmered inside him. He had always been able to maintain control, to keep his emotions in check, but now, he felt completely thrown off balance.

This is ridiculous, Y/N thought to himself, shaking his head. It’s just a stupid bet. I’m overthinking this. But no matter how much he tried to dismiss it, the truth was, the experience had rattled him more than he expected.

The awkwardness of the whole ordeal lingered in his mind as he headed back to his room. However when he got there he was expecting to have his piece and die in the sea of embarrassment. What he did not expect was that nearly all of the Akatsuki gathered inside his room, awaiting him. “W-what? Why are all of you here?” He mustered out while trying to step out of the room again. By the second step he crashed into Hidan’s hard form. An arm securing him from not escaping.

Looking with big eyes up, Y/N could see Hidan’s hungry eyes on him. “We are long from finished with you” He said besides the other ear, making him go slightly pale.

Y/N looked around at all the present members and promptly passed out at the thought of all the things they might do.

[yandere-daydreams]

tw - implied n0n/c0n, imprisonment, and unhealthy relationships.

Cloud Retainer does not often visit you in her human form.

Or, the form she so generously modeled after her human peers, rather. She loathes it when you refer to her by such demeaning terms, when you suggest that she might be at all comparable to mortal beings who wouldn't know true adeptal power from a charmed talisman or the cursed remanents of some dead, grudge-holding god. Sometimes, when you're feeling brave, you attempt to remind her that she thought highly enough of mortals to take one as a lover, but she's never cared for that. As it turns out, immortality may make you wise, but does very little to nourish your sense of humor.

It hasn't made her very affectionate, either, as grateful as you are for her aloofness. When she does find her way to the abode she's imprisoned you inside of, to the vat of amber where she keeps you untouched and unaging, she often presents herself as she does to wayward travelers and wandering pilgrims - with feathers and talons, wings and eyes the color of the unblemished sky.

She brings you gifts, mechanisms of her own creation and jewelry brought back from the harbor, and she stays for hours, sometimes days, telling you of Liyue and her disciples and holding you underneath an extended wing - playing house until she's forced to leave your side once again. Those are the times you find yourself the most comfortable with her, when you know she wants nothing save for your company. Even that, you'd rather withhold, but it's not as if she's ever given you much of a choice.

It's not as if she's any more bearable, when she comes expecting more. When she arrives on two legs, with skin rather than feathers, with arms instead of wings - those are visits you've truly come to dread. Her touch is caring, but cruel, her nails prone to burrowing into your skin as she dotes on you, her teeth likely to flash from beneath soft lips as she presses delicate kisses into your neck - trying her hand at mortal shows of adoration. She rarely has any interest in talking, and it isn't a question of how long she'll stay, but of what state you'll be in when she does, of whether or not you'll be able to put yourself together again by the time she comes to see you next. Of how much blood will be left on your sheets by the time she has her fill of your--

Cloud Retainer does not often visit you in her human form.

It's all you can do to be thankful that she's overcome by mortal weakness so rarely.

[creepypastalover97]

Tumblr: create au ship using your favorite comfort character.

What I give:

Medieval au: Reanimated knight! Rengoku Kyojuro x witch y/n

Author note: if you don't want angst I suggest to stop reading at the angst warning.

Basically Rengoku Kyojuro is a 20 year old single unmarried knight who died in battle in the 5th century. During the process of having his body sent back to his family for burial, there was some "misidentification and misinformation" causing his corpse to accidentally be sent to witch y/n's residence.

Witch y/n is a 21 year old single unmarried women, who is secretly a witch behind closed doors. Dispite arguing for 5 minutes that kyojuro was not her husband, witch y/n is forced to take his corpse for burial due to his body already attracting flies and needing burial fast before it started to rot.

Witch y/n now stuck with a corpse, has to figure out how to deal with it. After an hour witch y/n figures she could just use kyojuro's corpse for a advanced spell she's been "dying" to try out. After 2 tries witch y/n successfully manages to revive rengoku's corpse.

Kyojuro is now a undead Reanimated corpse, who is magically bonded to witch y/n though the spell she used to bring him back from the dead. This means if witch y/n were to die, kyojuro would eventually go back to being a dead corpse due to the spell being broken.

Witch y/n now has a servant to do chores and errands for her, to her their magical bond is "master & servant".

But kyojuro doesn't see their bond as that, to him it's "husband & wife". Reasons being kyojuro died single, unmarried, and a virgin. So having his corpse end up in witch y/n's care and brought back from the dead only convinces kyojuro that they are fated to be together. It also doesn't help that witch y/n is the first thing he saw when he was Reanimated.

Witch y/n isn't sure how to handle rengoku's overly affectionate behaviors, but eventually learns to love them. Eventually she starts to like the idea of kyojuro as a husband.

Honestly the only reasons why witch y/n never married was because 1.) She was a witch, so it made it really hard to find a man who was trustworthy enough not to report her for being a witch and sent off to be burned to death. 2.) men in general were to demanding, of what she should or should not do at that time period.

So kyojuro is a breath of fresh air for her.

Kyojuro is really supportive of her profession as a witch, dispite if some of the spells she preforms sometimes bother him a little. But he does like how some of the magic she uses could be used to heal and protect the weak.

Witch y/n also likes how dispite their relationship now acknowledged as being "husband & wife" kyojuro doesn't force her to take on duties expected of a wife/woman.

Kyojuro just lets her do what makes her genuinely happy, and he is always happy to help her with any tasks she needs done. Kyojuro genuinely believes in "happy wife, happy life" even if he isn't a living human anymore. (He is essentially a house corpse husband now 😊)

That brings me to some slight problems in their relationship tho.

Since kyojuro is technically still a "corpse". He is still technically rotting/decaying and well... smells. After all the spell, witch y/n used only Reanimated his corpse, not his life.

Luckily witch y/n is knowledgeable in plants and herbs and is able to come up with a embalming solution to use on kyojuro's corpse once a month, to keep him from rotting more & to preserve him better.

It also makes him smell pretty😊

Angst warning: mentions of somewhat immortality, watching loved ones age and die, witchcraft accusations, and historically accurate witch burning? And Death.

Due to kyojuro essentially being a undead Reanimated corpse. He won't ever grow old, meaning he has to slowly watch witch y/n grow old and eventually die.

Since kyojuro doesn't age, and was most likely seen the day his corpse was brought though the nearby village, when it was being delivered to witch y/n's residence. It would be a matter of time before someone recognized kyojuro from that day whenever he goes to the village to get some of the things he can't find out in the wilderness for his "wife".

Seeing what is essentially a "dead man walking" would raise suspensions of witchcraft among the villagers. Eventually leading to a nosey villager to following rengoku to y/n's home one day.

While returning one day, after going out to get some herbs from the woods, y/n needed that day. Kyojuro returns to see his and y/n's home in ashes

Worried for y/n, kyojuro frantically starts searching for y/n though the rubble and ashes. Since he is still able to move it must mean y/n is still alive.

Kyojuro eventually finds y/n, barely hanging on to life. Knowing that what was keeping him "alive" was the magic that bonded him to y/n, kyojuro chooses to spend his last moments holding and comforting y/n though her own last moments.

Angst/fluff: happy ending?

When the villagers return to check on the status of the burning of the witch, they are surprised to see kyojuro's now also dead corpse holding y/n's corpse.

After some proper identifying of kyojuro's corpse properly this time, by the local medical practitioner. It was found that kyojuro's family has been looking for his "corpse" after someone accidentally sent someone else missing loved one's "corpse" to their family estate.

Deciding that it was best to return kyojuro's "corpse" back to his family for proper burial, the villagers attempted to separate kyojuro and y/n

But dispite their best efforts, the villagers could not pull kyojuro and y/n apart at all, due to how tightly kyojuro's corpse was holding on to y/n's corpse.

Seeing that their was no other choice, the villagers had to send back both kyojuro's and y/n's corpses to kyojuro's family estate for burial.

Both kyojuro's father shinjuro and younger brother senjuro, were surprised to find kyojuro's corpse holding a woman's corpse, when he was brought home for burial. (they wanted to make sure the right body was brought back this time)

Seeing how kyojuro held the woman, made senjuro suggest that she must have been kyojuro's "maiden" and that it would seem disrespectful to kyojuro in death if they weren't buried together.

Shinjuro who had gotten somber after having his first born marked as missing in battle for 5 years and now officially proclaimed as dead, agrees with senjuro.

Kyojuro & y/n are buried together as "husband and wife" for the rest of eternity. Never to be separated from each other

...ever.

Any way 😊

I hope you guys liked it . This was actually inspired by this:

[ruescott]

I might be having an "I've connected the dots" "you didn't connect shit" moment but I'm obsessed with the gk live action showing half-dead ogata using his fingers to trace out the word "immortal" on tsurumi's palm. it’s such a choice! it's got the weirdly intimate edge that tsurumi's interactions with his subordinates so often have. and for an audience familiar with the source material it has some extra overtones: we know that the post-patricide hand-on-ogata's-knee situation has already happened and that ogata has already decided to betray tsurumi. so again we get what looks like affectionate physical touch being used between these two for manipulation. even though he knows he's going to escape at the first opportunity, ogata still reaches for tsurumi's hand. he knows how tsurumi has tried to manipulate him in the past, and now he's going to try to use that same language to get tsurumi to go after sugimoto on his behalf. A+ adaptation addition, love it

[tomatopers]

...dottozhu...

It's around 3am, Baizhu has come to the pharmacy side of his building to investigate a sound. Summary: Baizhu finds his old Akademiya sweetheart

"Zandik? Is that... you?"

"They call me Il Dottore these days."

"But you are still Zandik, no?"

"...I don't know anymore."

"I see. Well, come over here then. I don't bite."

Baizhu reached for Dottore's mask, only to stop when the harbinger recoiled.

"I've seen what's underneath already, you know this."

"I feel... better, with it on."

"Ah, let's leave it on then. It's perfectly okay. What brings you here?"

"I was in the area, thought I should drop by and see if you've dropped dead by now." (Lie. He was all the way in Sumeru but had a sudden urge to visit the first [and only] person who ever loved him) "I'm looking forward to studying the effects of that contract you made once you've kicked the bucket."

"You don't mean that. If I had to guess, I'd be so bold as to say you missed me."

"Know your place."

"Oh, I assure you, I do."

Baizhu smiled, and it felt like the Akademiya all over again for Dottore. His smile hadn't changed, even after all these years, though... he looked tired.

"Have you found immortality yet"

"I'm afraid not. I haven't given up, though. You know me."

"Knew. I knew you."

"Oh please, you think I wouldn't notice your efforts to keep tabs on me? I haven't gotten rusty just yet, my dear."

The affectionate name sent shivers down Dottore's spine. Why hadn't he kidnapped Baizhu again? It would be so easy to lock him away in Snezhnaya, to covet him like a treasure. The pharmacist was too cunning, though; He'd find a way to escape or die trying. Dottore pointedly ignored the idea that he himself may still have a touch of empathy in him.

"I've been caught, how disappointing. Have you noticed-"

"The 'anonymous' donations? The unlabeled gifts left at my door? The Fatui guards whose patrols seem to often pass the courtyard below? Or perhaps the few times you've visited yet not entered?"

Dottore couldn't stifle a laugh, though it was surprisingly genuine.

"You truly haven't lost your touch. Have you considered my offer, then?"

"You already know the answer. My calling is here, Liyue is my home."

"You could find a new home"

"Zandik, it's getting late. I, of all people, need my rest."

Dottore slowly nodded, turning to leave. Baizhu watched him trail towards the exit, before making a rather impulsive decision and calling out to him.

"I wouldn't... be adverse, to you visiting at a normal hour."

"Hmm..." Dottore pretended to consider it, though he was fully taken with at the idea immediately. "If I have time, I may."

They both knew he would. After all, neither of them had found a better companion than each other.

I like the idea here that there is something similar to lingering feelings, but in the way they never found someone better fit to be a partner, intellectually, than the other. To match with someone as well as they did at the Akademiya was rare in itself, and perhaps they never fully let go of that. Also, as I tried to emulate, even in conversation Baizhu is able to keep up with Dottore, to surpass him even. While it is a little ooc for Dottore to be this civil with a desire, I like to make this capability of Baizhu's one of the things that Dottore most likes about him. The reason Dottore leaves Baizhu in Sumeru is because he can relate to the drive to pursue knowledge (ooc, but referencing the denial of having a little empathy left). While it would be more convenient to lock Baizhu away in Snezhnaya, the pharmacist being free prolongs the memory of how he was in the Akademiya, and allows Dottore to perpetuate the idea that Baizhu has not drastically changed.

[variousqueerthings]

fascinated that in toeing the line of "the doctor both is and is not asexual, and because the show is ostensibly sexier now there should be imagery of especially david tennant and various women (shockingly no men with ten) smooshing lips," it means that the doctor only ever instigates a kiss when it's got some scifi-type reason behind it, even starting with nine removing the time vortex from rose.

so only counting lip-to-lip contact for a second here*:

jack kisses the doctor (the parting of the ways)

nine removes the time vortex from rose (the parting of the ways)

cassandra kisses the doctor (new earth)

madame de pompadour kisses the doctor (the girl in the fireplace)

jackie kisses the doctor (army of ghosts)

the doctor leaves a DNA print on martha (smith and jones)

martha gives the doctor cpr (smith and jones)

john smith kisses joan (human nature)

astrid kisses the doctor (voyage of the damned)

the doctor kisses astrid goodbye as she dies (voyage of the damned -- only instigation on the doctor's part of any kiss)**

donna shocks the doctor out of being poisoned (unicorn and the wasp)

christina de souza kisses the doctor in planet of the dead and is overall very flirtatious at him in a way that almost feels like idk. an anti-romance plot. it's like everything that came before (and tbh... also amy and river song) in terms of "sexy" doctor-and-companion tension is lampshaded and made a bit silly. I don't know if this is just because the actress and dtennant have minus chemistry, but it's very funny that this is the final flirting + kiss and it's so very... "shrug, you're not going to be my companion, okay, goodbye"

*I think the only time the doctor even jokingly talks about kissing is in dalek's of manhatten, when martha and bby andrew garfield/frank have been captured and the doctor arrives. martha expresses her relief, and the doctor says something along the lines of: "well, you can kiss me later. you too frank, if you want." this is to diffuse a very scary/tense situation

**I tend to read the astrid final kiss as a kindness/comfort rather than romantic interest or sexual interest. because she is dying. and she kissed the doctor earlier, and is very scared

but wait! tentoo and rose were really going at it, you say! tentoo is part human/specifically human in a donna sense. tentoo is also super up for settling down and having a monogamous relationship, which isn't exactly the doctor's style in any regeneration. so yeah.. tentoo is another part of the tightrope, just like john smith. change the doctor into someone who is almost-but-not-quite the same, enough plausible deniability and voila, it's almost like the doctor is kissing someone, but crucially, the doctor still Is Not. in tentoo's case, the doctor is in fact watching it happen with a somewhat despondent look, before turning and leaving without waiting for rose to say goodbye. because, youknow. canonically the doctor cannot give rose what she wants (because he's not alloromantic/allosexual because he's an immortal alien) so it's better just to leave

lastly flirting: the doctor does flirt, but not often. the most flirtatious the doctor gets outside of above kissing line is when jack briefly joins nine and rose, and I'd call that the jack-contagion (affectionately, it's a good thing). ten, actually, flirts... less. comparably. (and hilariously is annoyed that jack flirts so much around him) a bit with rose in christmas invasion and new earth, but apart from the "sexy" wink, not very overtly. I mean, maybe I'm very ace, but I think they do banter rather than flirting. the one time the doctor interprets something as flirting that funnily enough isn't is when rose is talking to a cat. the doctor similarly gets flirted at (madame de pompadour, shakespeare code, martha several times, health and safety, silence of the library) but doesn't tend to enjoy it or often even notice it

[linalavender]

How Tatsuki Fujimoto writes Affection

First of all I would like to give massive credit to Tiktok user @campaign_baby for their Tiktok I saw on this that really made me think of it alot more

I will Bring up Examples from:

Shikaku

Mermaid Rhapsody

Goodbye Eri

Fire Punch

Chainsaw Man Part 1 (Quite a big spoiler in this will give fair warning)

Fujimoto has a sort of strange method he uses to write that a character Loves/cares deeply for someone. And its The character either being willing to be consumed or to provide sustenance to someone, Or to consume the other person. Examples:

Shikaku

After Shikaku confesses her love for Yucel, He rushes to the hospital to offer her his blood, Making her into an immortal vampire just like him. Yucel has also fallen for Shikaku, its basically his confession of love, He wants to live with her Forever.

Its drawn in a way you can tell its such an act of compassion too.

Mermaid Rhapsody

"I loved her so much that I thought, If it was by someone with a smile as pretty as hers, Maybe being eaten wouldn't be so bad."

Toshihides Dad feels the exact same way about his Mom as Toshihide feels about Shijyu. Mermaids eat humans, But that never mattered to either of them.

Goodbye Eri

In Yuutas Movie about Eri, He writes her to be a Vampire, because he wouldnt actually mind to be her sustenance, In his movie, he loves Eri so much. (I genuinely cant read this fucking story without sobbing, Rereading it again just to get this screengrab just made me cry for like 20 min help)

Fire Punch

This one is Pretty straight forward, Agni with his regenerative powers feeds his village by continuously chopping of his Arm so they dont all starve to death. But more importantly he does this to prevent his sister from doing it aswell. He doesnt want her to suffer that pain so he takes sole responsibility for providing himself to the village.

Agni also later feeds his followers with the help of Togata Chopping of the part of his face that isnt on Fire. I think this has more todo with making sure Togata gets fed rather than his followers, To Agni Togata means alot.

⚠️Chainsaw Man Part 1 (Spoilers for the Final arc)⚠️

When Power is about to Die, Power not only offers her own blood For Denji to Drink so he can get back to health, But Pochita also offers a small part of himself so she can come back as a Powerful Devil.

And ofcourse the big one is Denji Eating Makima. He obviously has to and all for the sake of erasing her. But he explicitly says it wasnt an Attack, It was an act of Love.

Its such a fascinating thing that the idea of consuming someone can be concidered something you do to a cherished one, as an affectionate thing. I guess as Denji mentions that you basically become one with eachother in a way if you consume them.

But this is such a Weird thing Right? Where does this idea even originate from? Well ofcourse we can only Speculate but I really think he took on inspiration from his own life here, Because he has actually done this to someone he loved. Yes, Seriously.

Tatsuki Fujimoto eating his deceased Pet Fish

In the Authors notes for "Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man: 22-26" Fujimoto shares a story from when he was 24:

"Even though we were poor, we had a pet Japanese rice fish. I found it dead one summer. I went to toss its body into the trash like in Parasyte, but my girlfriend said she wanted me to bury it, So off I went to the park, alone. I tried to bury it under this big tree, but the ground was too hard, my hands got all dirty and I had no hole to show for my effort. Out of Options, I figured I would pretend I had buried the fish and left it lying there on top of the ground. As I watched it for a little while, ants found the body and began to carry it away. Im not sure what came over me, but in that moment, love for that pet fish welled within me for the first time. I brushed the ants away, and then Ate it."

You can read the full story here

It has that "Wait what the hell am I reading" Charm to the story like alot of his works, But theres something so weirdly beautiful about this story, Somehow stricken with grief and love for this fish, He ate it. As Denji says, its not an attack, his fish is part of him now and its an act of love. So strange, yet so Beautiful.

Anyways thanks for reading this insanely long post if you even got this far I appreciate it!