#[ooc] but in a more subtle way which is always interesting

[lifeseffort]

"You notice things."

The observation is small, voice quiet, as Morse nods in @guttersniper 's direction. He doesn't kneel down to him, doesn't make his voice light-- as a child, he'd always found it... well, somewhat suffocating, even though he knew Strange meant well in this case. He recognizes a lot of himself in the boy-- Mutt, just Mutt, at home in himself, peculiar, quiet, too old and tired for his years-- and doesn't quite know what to do with the small mirror image in front of him.

Inspector Thursday had taken care of the more practical things, seen to it that he'd had a sandwich, a cup of cocoa, offered his own house as a place to put his head down and would hear no argument. Morse’d never minded that so much, feeling small in a kind way, but didn't think, even now, that he'd ever get the hang of it.

"...What else did you see?" Morse asks instead. "Only, it might help us figure out what happened if there's anything you remember." // starter call!

[akutasoda]

HI !! Congrats on 1k <33 is the event still open? If so, could I please request the prompt- "sudden whispering kisses (first kisses)" or "getting to know another" with fyodor? Thank you so much

getting to know another + sudden whispering kisses

prompts - experiencing the others hobbies/intrests + first kisses

includes - fyodor

warnings - gn!reader, fluff, more fluff, potentially ooc, wc - 906

a/n: hello and thank you! why not both? :)

fyodor was a mystery of a man - that much you knew for sure. in fact, you could hardly recall how you even got to know him let alone get close to him like this. he definitely wasn't your average man, nor was he an average lover but a part of you was convinced that it would be more unique this way. although sometimes you did wonder if he had any hobbies that didn't involve him staring at an unreasonable amount of screens for hours.

you never really saw him do much else. on the rare chance he went out without you he didn't actually stay out long and if he did he was gone for a while, often having to message you to assure he was alive. you were also pretty convinced he had hundreds of the same clothes in his closets. in all your time of knowing him you could never determine whether he actually had any hobbies or if he just lived in his 'work'. interests were also something that he barely talked about, if you were talking to him it would just be you leading the conversation while he nodded or hummed and occasionally chimed in with a few questions or responses.

your lover was a mystery and if this relationship was to go any further you wanted to atleast know if he did anything in his spare time. catching fyodor when he had nothing to do was rare but when you did you proposed to spend some time together to which he agreed all to easily. the time you had started with you making him tag along to try one of your hobbies. fyodor may not of been exactly experienced in whatever you did as a hobby bit he would indulge you and spend the time with you - if it was something he did like, even better for him.

eventually you turned to him and asked if he had anything he wanted to do, heavily suggesting that you wanted to know if he had any hobbies. your suggestion did not go unnoticed and fyodor didn't see any harm in telling you what he actually did in his spare time. unsurprisingly, fyodor didn't really do much outside of 'work', but he wasn't completely boring. he did have interests and he did have hobbies that kept him occupied when need be - even if maybe they were quite basic.

it wasn't that surprising that he did enjoy literature, you had seen him with a book quite a number of times. neither was it really all that surprising that he enjoyed tea. fyodor had decided to bring you to quite the isolated and quaint café and you proceeded to spend your time with him there. while you might of wanted to comment on the fact that his hobbies and interests were quite simple, you actually just found it enjoyable to spend some time with him where he seemed to be more unbothered.

while fyodor's interests and hobbies may or may not have been in your own interests, it isn't often you actually get to see your lover. often, he's too busy and focused on his work to the point where it seems like he is just uninterested in spending time with you but after a while you start to know better. it takes quite the long time but eventually you start becoming more observant of the small things fyodor does to show how much he still cares for you.

some are less subtle, such as the notes you can find that give you little details to when he's free or if he has plans. it gets even less subtle when he suggests that you should tell him about your day or anything happening recently - always disguising it under as a simple ask to keep him company in his office. however after a long day yourself, you want nothing more than to be in the presence of your lover.

you can rely on him being sat in that stupid chair in front of all those monitors most of the time, so you know where to find him. he doesn't really question you when you sit in the chair conveniently olaced next to his and only asks how your day was. you lean your head against his shoulder and start telling him about your day, after a while your rambling dies off and the day starts taking a toll on you. your tiredness becoming evident.

with your current position being uncomfortable, you decide to turn in for the night. you are well aware that fyodor barely comes to bed when you do - you don't know when he sleeps really - and so when you stand to stretch, you still wish him a goodnight. in your tired stupor you don't think twice about leaning down slightly a pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek. fyodor was quite surprised to begin with and quickly noted you were too tired to notice and so he decided to call you back over before you left the room. when you headed back over he managed to place a small kiss right on your lips before wishing you a good night.

if you ever tried to bring it up to him, he would always tell you that you must've been dreaming.

akutasoda's 1k event

[yanderes-galore]

Ugh, Panther I don't know what exact time you'll be getting this ask but as if now it is not the 2nd in my time zone. But I don't have any time tomorrow so I hope its okay to send something earlier. If not, please feel free to ignore!

I just need *sucks in breath and clenched fist* Yandere Gojo from JJK with the prompts 14. , 34. and possibly 35.

with someone who has sorcerer powers but has grown outside of the jujutsu society? They fight because they genuinely wanna help people and Gojo introduced them to the school to be a teacher too - in hopes to get another strong ally but uh oh he got obsessed. Like, he does not want to lose you like he lost Geto and maybe you'll grow to understand him too. so imo the prompts work well. Can either be platonic or romantic I think he can be both!

Thank you!

Sure, friend! I hope this is to your taste :) I really hope he isn't too OOC or anything. There was no plot structure here 😮‍💨... I just followed the direction my mind guided me.

He's a subtle yandere here Ig.

Yandere! Satoru Gojo Prompts 14, 34, 35

"It's too dangerous in the world. You need me, you should know that!"

"No one else understands me except you!"

"Don't push me away, dear... I only want to be closer to you!"

Pairing: Romantic/Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Fear of attachment/loss, Trauma implied, Clingy behavior, Overprotective behavior, Controlling behavior, Soft yandere, Threats near the end, Dubious companionship/relationship.

It had been a long while since Gojo had found someone he could relate to in some way. The companionship wasn't quite what Gojo had with Geto long before... but it was close. You were strong... yet so isolated from the rest.

A familiar feeling to him.

Gojo could tell you were a strong Sorcerer when you entered the school for a job. As expected... Gojo wanted to test you to see if you were right for the job. By the end of your examination... you were approved.

Leaving Gojo curious and excited.

In Gojo's eyes, strong allies were important in the field. It's what he strives to find and teach. Strength has always been important to protect the weak.

Gojo at first hated how interested he was in you. Yet you were so mysterious... according to you, you never went to Jujutsu High to learn your craft. Which leaves Gojo baffled on your strength.

You aren't stronger than him, far from it, but you are certainly strong and full of potential. During your job, Gojo often checked in with you. Many students never really saw Gojo away from you for long.

He was always playful and laid-back with you. Safe to say you both get along well as teachers. Perhaps even too well...

Gojo realizes he's too attached when the worry starts to settle deep within him.

The bond you share reminds him a lot of Geto. Too much, actually. Such a thought makes him pained.

Gojo's concern grows, even as he offers to train you. You're a teacher skilled in your craft. Gojo really shouldn't be worried.

But... are you handling the new environment well? You seemed like you lived an isolated lifestyle. Does the city bother you?

Gojo despises the worries he has. All leftover emotions from when he was a teen. He... just can't help himself, however.

You always care so much for others. As a teacher and Jujutsu Sorcerer, you end up sacrificing whatever you can to see students and friends safe. It's honorable...

But Gojo doesn't wish to lose another he's close to... not when he finally feels he has someone who gets him.

Such behavior makes Gojo stick around more often. To the point you even begin to wish he left you alone. Despite being a strong Sorcerer similar to him, Gojo also seemed to treat you like you couldn't defend yourself.

You didn't respect him babying you... it was an insult to your skills.

"Don't push me away, dear... I only want to be closer to you!" Gojo whines, a frown on his face as you sit in your empty classroom. You snort, amused that he acts like a child while treating you like one. You have no idea what's gotten into your friend and ally as of late.

"Satoru, I don't wish to speak with you." You state in a stern tone.

"Why?" Gojo replies, walking over to lean on your desk. He's as casual as ever it seems.

"You've been awfully... suffocating." You admit bluntly. "I am an adult who can handle themselves."

"... not in this world." Gojo sighs, gaze never once leaving yours behind his glasses. He notices your unamused look and straightens his posture.

"It's too dangerous in the world. You need me, you should know that." Gojo frowns. "The city has way more curses running around than where you came from."

"I can handle them." You retort.

"And if you can't?" Gojo responds, staring you down. Something about his staring unnerves you. You're silent, Gojo oddly going back to smiling after you stop arguing.

"I'm the strongest, you should really just let me take care of things for you. It would be much... safer." Gojo's tone is oddly relieved and gleeful.

"... Satoru... you can't be there for me all the time." You try to reason.

"Says who?" Gojo frowns. "No one else understands me except you! Am I just supposed to sit back and lose you?"

His words and lack of composure surprise you. Gojo's quick to fix his sudden outburst, however, sitting beside you and holding your hand. It's an action of comfort...

But you can tell there's a pained expression in his usually playful eyes.

"... just listen to me, okay?" Gojo whispers, looking back at you as his grip tightens. "You'll be safe if you just... keep me close."

"Satoru-" You try to speak, but Gojo covers your mouth.

"I don't care how strong you are... I'm stronger. If you don't let me protect you..."

Gojo's grin turns... unsettling. A twisted show of teeth that makes it look like he'll snap. You swore he even chuckled. Your heart beats faster when he leans closer.

"I may just have to keep you all to myself no matter the cost... that way you'd be safe and I can't lose you. How's that sound?"

[bambi-kinos]

people’s arguments about why john has to be a bottom and not paul tend to regurgitate the same critique these people have about paul (“you say he’s a bottom just because he’s feminine!”) by bringing up john’s appearance and more femme attitude after ‘68 and then saying how paul is more masc because of his body / facial hair. i also feel like a lot of people still conflate dom/sub with top/bottom when it comes to mclennon. though i haven’t thought about the societal perception of receiving / giving, i had an ohhh moment when i read that in your post. i personally will always be a fan of service top john paired with a power bottom paul, but john being servicy to me doesn’t mean he’s “submissive” in the typical way. i think he can be dominant and aggressive with paul but that’s because paul allows him to be. like what you said about paul enjoying being john’s second and being put in his place by more domineering and strong men. there’s a lot of power play that goes on in their sexual relationship and it deeply fascinates me!

people’s arguments about why john has to be a bottom and not paul tend to regurgitate the same critique these people have about paul (“you say he’s a bottom just because he’s feminine!”) by bringing up john’s appearance and more femme attitude after ‘68 and then saying how paul is more masc because of his body / facial hair.

Yes, it gets very transparent for exactly those reasons. What makes me roll my eyes about the “you say he’s a bottom just because he’s feminine!” thing is that anyone who bitches about this can only imagine switching the roles and having Paul by a hypermasculine stoic (which breaks characterization) and having John be a hyperfeminine bottom (which is also OOC). I don't think that the original complaints are necessarily a bad thing, there is an iteration problem in McLennon fandom where Paul can sometimes be reduced to a weepy princess, though I haven't heard of any fics coming out in the past 5 years that actually made this mistake. But it does annoy me that fandom can only imagine flipping the script and having John be the weepy bottom princess. It never leads to something more creative or interesting being produced where John and Paul's roles, both self assigned and imposed on them, are discussed especially for the effect it had their relationship.

It would be interesting to explore John's femme qualities but I think that fans are hesitant about going there because they would have to admit that John's passivity in 1968 was induced by his heroin addiction which destroyed his life and his relationships. There's never any appreciating John's femininity when he wasn't on heroin even though 1965 is arguably when John was at the most soft spoken and open minded. I find it a little sad that John's feminine qualities are only appreciated when he was at the peak of his hatefulness and addiction.

i also feel like a lot of people still conflate dom/sub with top/bottom when it comes to mclennon.

A lot of that is wish fulfillment IMO. Especially since Paul fans are usually the ones driving it and it's pretty universal that we want to see him get railed, not really the other way around. We like him because he's so poundable. So it's nice that he has a built in boyfriend who's willing to fuck him until he cries, you know. And it's easy to classify that as top/bottom::dom/sub.

McLennon is very subtle in some ways because of the give and take between John and Paul was so weird and it's just really difficult for us as outsiders to grasp. John and Paul themselves are baffled and confused by it. It makes me wonder if part of their dissolution was the fact that they didn't understand how much power they held over the other one which meant that they couldn't understand why their decisions were having such profound effects on the other person. They seem profoundly frustrated and bewildered by the undercurrents of their relationship where they perfectly fulfill each other in all ways except one, and how deeply unsatisfying their other relationships have been in comparison.

I think @amoralto damaged the fandom for this in some ways because she ended up having a popular blog which meant that her interpretations of John in particular were xeroxed over and over. The problem with this being that I don't think amoralto fully appreciated the power dynamic between John and Paul and her bias against John crept into her opinions which means that they screwed up the fandom discourse. If you go purely by her public posts then amoralto appears to be under the impression that John was a hysteric that was perpetually shitting himself about Paul one upping him. There is some truth to that but it's also not the whole story because Paul's ability to pull the rug out from under John was always a source of pride, fascination, love, and eroticism for John. Yesterday rocked John's world but he was also proud of Paul for being such an incredible artist and he was always pleased about being the one who discovered Paul. He was always aware that Paul had a lot of power over him and John both reveled and despaired in that.

This relates to the top/bottom::dom/sub thing because this dynamic would naturally play out in an erotic relationship between John and Paul. There's the surface layer where John is railing Paul but then there's the additional layer where Paul is the one enticing John to do it by showing his ass off (like really, who do you think those tight cut trousers are for?) and inviting John to put his cock inside Paul. And then there's the part where John's butch attitude and even some of his violence was egged on and encouraged by Paul who was most likely turned on by John punching people out. Paul was not the slightest bit put off by John being a violent person or else he would have bailed within a year of knowing him. When Julia died, Paul is the only one who had patience with John who was getting drunk and getting into fights…meanwhile there's a femmeboi in the background making soothing noises and cleaning him up so that he's fit for company. Really makes the your mind run wild with possibilities huh? Who is to say Paul didn't say "c'mon Johnny, just put it in me mouth and I'll fix you up." Or something!

The point is Paul is ultimately in control of the situation. This is supposed to be what dom/sub set ups are supposed to be anyway, subs are the ones who dictate the conditions in the bedroom. But considering how John built Paul up in his mind, it seems clear that Paul had a lot of overt power over John too. They don't fit neatly into the dom/sub set up either.

They switched power positions constantly and they got a lot of pleasure out of dominating but also being dominated. Paul liked being on top and being on bottom and John liked it when he got to be on top of Paul and when Paul crushed him. The pleasure was in the struggle itself, not necessarily the positions in of themselves.

though i haven’t thought about the societal perception of receiving / giving, i had an ohhh moment when i read that in your post.

It's not nearly as prevelent now though it still lingers. But heteronormativity really dictated the nature of a lot of relationships in the past.

i personally will always be a fan of service top john paired with a power bottom paul, but john being servicy to me doesn’t mean he’s “submissive” in the typical way. i think he can be dominant and aggressive with paul but that’s because paul allows him to be.

IMO there's a lot of truth to this! @zilabee has a really nice post about how John and Paul could afford to be gentle with one another and wrote love songs together. I think that a service top john/power bottom paul really fits this dynamic because it allowed John and Paul to express themselves to each other which solidified their mutual trust and their bond.

In a lot of ways Paul was an ideal partner for John in that he was someone John could have sex with that didn't have consequences (such as pregnancy) while Paul also had the feminine beauty that John really loved. (There's a quote from Yoko I think that John claimed if he fell in love with another man then that man would have to be extremely beautiful. Handsome is not enough.) John could probably be a lot rougher with Paul who could stand up to being tossed around a bit if needed but was beautiful enough for John to fuck tenderly too. Paul wasn't afraid of John's rough side and even encouraged it and decided to love it. In some ways John being a service top lets him express that roughness sexually with someone who won't break in half from being treated like a sack of potatoes. And there wouldn't be judgment from Paul either because he is still a man and experienced the same puberty and testosterone that John did including the same struggles with temper, the bodily changes, etc. He knows where John is coming from whereas a 1960s woman would not. (The transwomen, crossdressers, and homosexuals in Hamburg may have been John's first explicit taste of this. People who were familiar with what growing up as a male would be like so they didn't judge John for his proclivities and interests.)

In other words, John could express himself sexually with Paul in a way that he probably couldn't with women. Paul was fine with it judging from that photo of John's nutsack against his back and it fulfilled his needs as well!

like what you said about paul enjoying being john’s second and being put in his place by more domineering and strong men. there’s a lot of power play that goes on in their sexual relationship and it deeply fascinates me!

Yes! John overwhelms and dominates Paul but it's because Paul wants it to happen. He relied on John's intuition and discernment and ultimately his trust in John to carry it through. John has a partner who can't get pregnant when he climaxes inside him and then can take it on the chin when John is rough and/or degrading. All while he's sharply aware of how much Paul likes it which itself feeds into John's eros, and so on and on…

[eirist]

Little Bits and Pieces of Heaven

THE ART OF BEING SUBTLE

One-shot #: 37

Disclaimer: One Piece (and its characters) belongs to Eiichiro Oda-sensei.

Reminder: I have no beta-reader. Any grammatical and spelling errors are solely mine.

Warning: OOC possible. One shot.

Rating: T

Note: I just wanted some ZoNa as seen through Usopp’s eyes. I love how he’s close to both of them.I swear he’s probably, possibly one of the first to notice if something is up with them. It’s just cute to think.

Summary: Things will definitely be more interesting from here on, ne?

It was subtle.

So subtle you will never really notice it… especially if you are not paying any attention.

Which most of the time is what happens because honestly, who would even think that something like that is happening between two of the most hard-headed individuals you ever came across the Grand Line and even in the New World?

Yes they are friends, but not really the makes-your-heart-warm type. Theirs is more… complicated—for the lack of word. Plus it does seem like irritation is the key component of their relationship.

Also there is that distance… that certain reservedness between them. Kind of like a safe space that the two seemed to inadvertently placed in the middle that neither one would deliberately try to step foot on.

But despite that, when push comes to shove… they always have each other’s backs.

In a way that makes it alright.

One fine day of sailing along the New World sea, while everything around them was quiet and calm (no marines or pirate enemy on their tail, no sea kings attacking, nothing) and the Thousand Sunny was smoothly gliding above the water heading towards their next destination…

…something in Usopp’s perception regarding his two friends changed.

He was playing a game of catch along with Luffy and Chopper on the lawn deck. They were all being boisterous, more than the usual, as if they are trying to make up for the day’s tranquillity.

They were tossing the ball up and running around, catching it and tossing it up again as they chased each other back and forth on the whole expanse of the deck.

The trio were momentarily distracted when the galley’s door opened and out step Sanji at the same time Zoro descended down from the crow’s nest.

Usopp groaned inwardly. He was having so much fun playing around and he’s really not in the mood for another squabble between the two-thirds of the monster trio.

Thankfully both seemed preoccupied with their respective thoughts and they just ignored each other, as Sanji headed towards where the aquarium hatch is, earning a sigh of relief from Usopp. Thank heavens for that!

Good thing too that Luffy managed to snag the green-haired man’s attention. The rubber captain immediately bounded towards the swordsman when he saw him. Usopp absent-mindedly threw the ball towards an eager Chopper, who shifted to his heavy point to catch it before instantly reverting back to his usual tiny form.

He called out to Luffy to get his attention. Their ever-juvenile captain was obviously pestering the taller man to play with them. And based from the way Luffy’s tone was reaching a rather whiny pitch (and also from the way Zoro was now looking totally irritated), it was a lost cause. 

Usopp called out to Luffy again and as if on cue, Chopper threw the ball towards him. Luffy immediately laughed, his attention shifting away from Zoro and in one swift move, he stretched his arm to meet the ball halfway… with enough force like he was about to sucker punch one of their enemies.

Suddenly Zoro nudged Luffy’s shoulder with his own. Not too much but just enough to make Luffy turn his attention back to his friend, his gaze questioning. The younger man’s outstretched arm wobbled in the air slightly though that wasn’t enough to make him miss the ball. His closed fist still struck it, only with less force than before.

And right at that moment, Nami stepped out of the aquarium bar.

Usopp could swear everyone froze on the spot when she appeared.

Except for the ball.

It headed straight to her. Usopp can only squeeze his eyes shut as he braced himself for the unwanted impact.

Which never came—much to his disbelief. The ball ended up hitting the wall a few good inches from her.

Nami let out a loud shriek from surprise and glared icily at them before proceeding to kick the ball which has rolled down the grassy deck.

The trio let out a disappointed cry when the ball went overboard, falling down the water below.

Nami silenced them with a scowl, huffing angrily before she marched away from them. Usopp was thanking his lucky stars that she didn’t resort to physical violence or even financial.

Though he clearly doubted if they really got away from the latter.

“Why is she mad,” Luffy complained with a pout, a tad disheartened at the loss of their ball. “It didn’t hit her.”

“But it almost did!” Chopper said with a hint of fear in his tone.

“Still it didn’t,” Luffy argued, a bit stubbornly.

“Yeah it didn’t,” Usopp mumbled, “Luckily.” He shot a quick glance at Zoro who had walked away from them to head to the men’s quarters while Nami was busy giving them her death glare. 

Usopp can tell that that ball would definitely hit Nami face first… if Zoro didn’t pushed Luffy earlier like he did.

Talk about good timing.

Then he stopped and blinked himself into a thought.

Nope that definitely wasn’t just good timing.

No one knew that Nami was in the aquarium bar, and certainly no one had known that she’ll be exiting it right when Luffy smacked the ball towards that direction.

Yet Zoro already bumped Luffy even before he hit the ball, effectively derailing its path and diminishing it strength, preventing it from hitting Nami.

And saving her.

Usopp blinked again.

Saved her in one swift and subtle movement. Huh.

Usopp scratched at his cheek.

------------------------

From that point on Usopp decided to train his watchful eyes on Zoro and Nami, observing their daily interactions attentively and inconspicuously.

True enough, their disagreements had dwindled down after their two-year separation and astonishingly, it continued to do so the further they sailed into the New World.

He’d sometimes see them quietly talking to each other on one side of ship or at the far corner of whatever island they are currently on, instead of having their usual loud interactions (that definitely includes yelling and fighting). They still engage in their good, old bickering sometimes but not as often as they used to.

And that was when he noted that there were a lot of subtle things the swordsman was doing to keep Nami out of harm’s way.

It was just small little things. Just tiny things. Things that can just be overlooked.

It was so unnoticeable… that not even Nami or the whole crew was aware of it.

Unless you pay really, really close attention.

Like what Usopp was currently doing.

He once saw the green-haired man casually moving her cup of hot tea a few inches away to the side before her elbow can hit it and the steaming liquid inside spills on her.

And Nami never realized what Zoro did.

There was one time when they docked on an unruly island filled with shady people and equally shady pirates and Zoro kept bumping and nudging her so she’d change directions while they were walking. Usopp later realized that he was moving her out of the reach of the bounty hunters who were persistently following her.

Though that instance actually ended up in a violent shouting match between the two because Nami finally snapped from all that pushing. She even summoned Zeus, his lightning fully-charged, intent on unleashing it at Zoro.

The bounty hunters that were targeting her decided to high-tail it out of there instead of getting caught in the crossfire between the two terrifying pirates. No one wants to mess with the totally vexed woman, armed with a weapon that can jolt the life out of them. Nor do they want to face off with an equally annoyed swordsman with three katanas who they now realized was the fabled pirate hunter Zoro.

There was also a time that Zoro deliberately knocked down Nami’s beer mug thrice while they were all out eating and drinking in a rather seedy bar because it he knew it had been tampered.

That also resulted in another shouting match. This time with belis and debts involve along with some throttling.

Usopp didn’t need to mention the times when Zoro helps her out with shopping and carrying their groceries and stocks without being told or forced to. Which Usopp also realized, kind of happens a lot as of late.

And in all these occurrences… Nami remained oblivious.

And Usopp had to freaking stop himself from knocking her on the head because it was really goddamned obvious what was actually happening.   

Once, they decided to camp by the beach of an uninhabited island. They settled around the fire that the boys enthusiastically made as Robin was about to narrate these amazing ghost stories from her newest book. Usopp quietly observed at the corner of his eye that Zoro strategically sat near Nami, knowing she’d definitely shift closer to him once she gets scared.

Usopp did the same. He deliberately sat near Zoro—on his other side, to be exact—in case he also gets scared and needed comfort.

All these were subtly done. Very subtly done, that no one had an inkling that it was happening at all.

But Usopp does. And he continued to watch and observe and wonder how long will it actually take Nami to figure it all out.

------------------------

Dinner was as usual chaotic, with a lot of laughing, talking and even yelling as they tried to get their fill of their cook’s delectable dinner dishes.

Usopp chewed on his food slowly yet with gusto as he eyed his crewmates, especially those who were at the other end of the table.

Nami had just entered the kitchen and Luffy accidentally barreled into her while running away from Sanji with a stolen plate of newly-cooked meat. Their captain shouted a quick apology to her before hurriedly bounding towards his seat at the head of the table before she can even hit him.

The blond chef was automatically at his tail, yelling expletives at the younger man about stealing food and hurting his Nami-swan.

If Usopp was not mistaken, Nami had been charting her maps all day. He hadn’t seen her since breakfast and she did have smudges of blank ink on her hands and fingers.

Grumbling and promising hell to their captain later after dinner, Nami bent down to retrieved the eyeglasses that she dropped when Luffy bumped into her.

Usopp instantly knew that the orange-haired navigator miscalculated her position. Nami was near the edge of the table when she bent down and had moved closer to it, as her glasses had fallen a bit farther under the table. He can hear her muttering something about Luffy paying for a new pair if her glasses where damage from his idiocy.

If she lifts her head up…

The sniper paused on his chewing, his eyebrows lifting up, when he saw the swift yet subtle way Zoro’s hand move to position itself at the table’s pointed corner, grasping it and effectively covering it.  He had done it so casually while still keeping his attention fixed on what Chopper was explaining to him, that the movement was barely noticeable at all.

When Nami finally raised her head and was about to stand up, her forehead hit Zoro's knuckles. A quick flare of temper showed on her face and she glared irritably at the man before her as she straightened up. Zoro looked unfazed and didn’t bother looking at her direction.

Nami continued to stare daggers at him for a few seconds before a confused look crossed her features.

Usopp watched her intently as she took in Zoro’s hand at the corner of the table and why it was there.

Then her hand went up to touch her forehead.

In his mind’s eye, Usopp was nodding his approval at the turn of the events.

Nami must have realized that if it wasn't for Zoro's hand, she would definitely be sporting a large bump on her forehead or worse…

…the dining table’s sharp edge would have caused a bleeding wound that would send her directly to Chopper’s office.  .

Usopp continued looking at her, as she in turn continued staring at Zoro.

Her brown eyes suddenly widened as realization dawned onto her.

Well, looks like she finally caught on.

Things will definitely be more interesting from here on, ne?

[glorified-phantom]

a/n: another heizou fanfic! This man has been on my mind and I can't help but write for him again!

pairings: Heizou x Criminal! Male! Reader

cw: Overstimulation, use of toys, mean Heizou, ooc heizou, bondage(?), slight cock stepping, sadism/masochism, top heizou, bottom reader

“ Alright, I’ll be heading off now! Don’t miss me too much! “ The young man exclaimed, giving a huge wave to the Traveler as they parted ways, his smile big and bright, like it always had been.

-

You hated Shikanoin Heizou. He was irritating, to say the least. Despite being a criminal mastermind yourself, his antics would annoy you to no end. That was why you had set up a trap for him, one that would secure him as your prisoner while you pranced around Inazuma doing various deeds. The plan was foolproof, you were sure of it. But now that you thought of it, perhaps you had been the fool all along. You should’ve noticed the signs that information got out, you should’ve noticed the little, subtle changes to your trap, and you should’ve never gotten too cocky. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been in the situation you’re in now.

-

Heizou hummed as he made his way toward an abandoned shack on the outskirts of serai island, twirling a ring of keys on his finger as he took in the sight of the area, a variety of purple scattered throughout as electricity buzzed gently in the air, making some of his hair stand on end. The detective walked with a skip in his step as he stopped at the front door, inserting a key into the keyhole before twisting, a small ‘ click ‘ sound being heard. 

“ I’m home~! “ He called out, looking around the almost barren shack, grinning when his eyes caught his object of interest. He gently shut the door behind him and locked it as he placed the keys into his pocket. His green eyes lit up as he looked down at a puddle on the floor which he had stepped on, a small tsk coming from him. “ You really made a mess, didn’t you? “ He asked, receiving no response before shrugging and squatting down, face-to-face with the only other person in the shack, you.

Long, shaky breaths left you as your legs shook, trying to hold yourself up. Your wrists were restrained above your head by a rope from the ceiling while you had multiple toys strapped to you, one even inside you. Every time your legs gave in, the rope would dig into your skin, making it difficult for blood to flow there and causing extensive pain, which was why you were on the brink of collapsing. The detective was a cruel man, his hollow laughter filling your ears as you tried to ignore it, unfocused eyes looking at anywhere but him. Heizou’s hand came up to your cheek to stroke it, his gentle touch contradicting the one from his other hand as he tugged at your cock, bringing your whole body forward to him as well as making hot pain rush up your entire body, a gasp escaping you in the process. 

“ I asked you a question, didn’t I? “ He muttered, low and downright menacing as his soft touches changed and he was now grabbing you by the jaw, forcing you to meet his dark, narrowed eyes. A whine came from you as you tried your best to remember the question, your memories murky, even though he asked that question a minute ago. With a huff at your silence, the auburn-haired man stood straight up and walked a few steps back, he brought one of his hands into his pocket and took out a small rectangular device, the slider on it currently at its lowest setting. Your eyes widened at the object as you bit the inside of your cheek, preparing for more pain than pleasure as his finger slid the slider up so that it was now on its highest setting, ten.

A choked sob left your mouth as you felt intense vibrations on your cock, the sensation bringing agony to your lower half as fresh tears fell down your previously tear-stained cheeks. From the corner of your blurred vision, you could see the man walk around you, observing the way your hands clenched and unclenched, the way your legs trembled and the way your entire body seemed to shake as an orgasm struck you like lightning, Instead of feeling pure ecstasy like you were supposed to, you only felt red, hot anguish as you screamed, your voice coming out raw and raspy. 

You didn’t realise it, but he had stopped in front of you when you came, droplets of white which you shot out landing on his foot as he blankly stared, face unreadable while your eyes met with his. He lifted a hand as your flinched, tired eyes closing as you expected a beating, only for him to gently lift your chin with his finger. You could feel him press a kiss to the corner of your lips as you exhale through your nose, his lips burning your skin. “ Hey now, “ he started, breath fanning against the side of your face, “ it seemed as though you got something on me just now. “Your confused eyes said everything as he motioned downwards, your gaze following. Ah, his foot which was covered in droplets of white. He removed his finger from you before making his way behind you, you could feel his warmth by your back as the restraints on your wrists went from unbearably tight to loose before you crashed onto the ground, your arms struggling to hold yourself up as your entire body trembled. 

You looked absolutely pathetic, soft pants coming out from you as the dildo in your ass came out due to your fall, covered with a thin sheen of liquid as your hole clenched around thin air, too used to having it stuck in you that now you felt empty, yet you were also relieved. Heizou gave you a few seconds to collect yourself, you finally managed to get your body up as you leaned against one of the four walls, its coolness seeping into your warm back and making you shudder. You had your eyes shut, glad that you could at least take a break now, well, as much as a break you could get. The vibrations on your sex did not lessen at all but you were too preoccupied with the sudden drop to notice, but now that you weren’t doing anything much, its vibrations became apparent as you came again, a silent cry leaving you as your fluids covered your tired legs. 

The soft tapping of his footsteps approached you as you opened both your eyes to stare up at him. Heizou bent down to face you, a gentle smile on his face as he reached for your cock, a sigh fleeing you as you readied yourself for another round of pure torture. Only for him to remove the toy on it, as tenderly as possible, doing the same to the others that were strapped onto you. 

To say that you were dumbfounded was an underestimation as you watched him like a hawk, though you knew that you had no power to stand up to him. Not when your wrists were red and you could barely feel your hands, not when your legs were overworked and shaking, not when every part of you shook at the lightest touch and certainly not when your cock was still red and throbbing, leaking out its translucent liquid. You collected your confidence as you decided to rasp out a question which had been flooding your mind since the beginning, “ why? “ 

The once gentle smile on his face had long since faded as his eyes peered at you, face devoid of anything before he pushed himself forward, caging you to the wall, the only emotion was in his eyes, his intense gaze making you quiver. “ You fascinate me. I’ve heard about your deeds, no other detective in Inazuma could catch you and when I heard that you had planned to seize me for foiling your plans, I had to turn the table on you didn’t I? “ Heizou’s usual grin returned as he leaned in and spoke softly near the shell of your ear, his hot breath sending goosebumps up your neck, “ after all, no one’s been able to outsmart Shikanoin Heizou. But you had come close, too close. And now, I suppose its time for your retribution, isn’t it? “ 

With that, he stood up and pressed the sole of his sandals to your burning cock, a groan escaping you as he gazed down on you, his face switching from grinning to unfeeling in the blink of an eye as he applied more pressure, your pained sounds and expression fueling him. 

-

You despised Shikanoin Heizou, but, you also couldn’t help but love him. Because, just as you had caught his obsession and attention, so had he to you.

[virgobingo]

hey! love all your jjk metas :)

just wanted to throw thoughts at you if you are interested!

so the very sparse info Gege provides for Gojo and Geto has, imo, some fridge horror to it. They must remain head-canon but I'm curious if you think my thoughts are a stretch or not.

child abuse cw

I wondered if Suguru snapping after finding Nanako and Mimiko was meant as a subtle hint at Geto, a child from a non-sorceror family, having childhood abuse background. His rampage at the village seems cohesive character-wise, but I always thought killing his parents felt a bit jarring and OOC at that point in his "insanity spiral." The first crime comes from outrage & hatred, while the latter is over the top cold logic- his explanation "it would be hypocritical to spare them" seems underwhelming to me.

2. Gojo having a bounty on his head throughout his whole childhood. He might have infinity but on a practical level, loved ones are vulnerable to blackmail or hostage situations. Logically they are a weakness and the more you have, the weaker you are.

I think Gojo has so many things going on that contribute to his isolation and inability to connect- (obnoxious personality, immense power, trauma from Toji attack) that this crazy aspect of his life is brushed off. I feel like in any other character, the bounty would be seen as a major contributor to their psychology.

We see throughout the story that anytime Gojo loves or shows humanity towards another (Amanai, Suguru, Megumi (even Yuuji)) he is narratively punished for it.

Cheers!!

hello!

thank you for sharing your thoughts! i'll try my best to explain my own. my thoughts on gojo are especially jumbled since he's such a complicated character.

(1) gege has shown himself to be the type to of artist to ground his fiction in reality. i think the narrative overwhelmingly points to jujutsu sorcerers generally being perceived as "freaks" by non-sorcerers. miminana are extreme examples of this, whereas the old man geto beat up in the hidden inventory arc is a milder one.

"how would parents react if their child told them they could see/hear things they couldn't?" -> that's the question i imagine gege asked himself when he wrote this detail into jjk.

i think geto's abilities were a cause of concern for his parents, with the potential for it to have actually translated into fear. he does seem to have a special place in his heart for chosen families. i think that suggests a difficult home life. we can only speculate how bad it was though. enough for him to go through with him killing his parents nonchalantly, as far as we know. abuse wouldn't be a wildly off-base assumption.

(2) i think gojo's character is definitely marked by his station in society. the good and the bad that come with it. people really don't tend to talk about the bounty on his head, bc it's such an "oh, by the way" fact that gege fits into the story. gege probably mulled over it though (he's a serious overthinker). so i don't think it's something ppl should dismiss when thinking about gojo's psychology. some of his self-imposed isolation can be traced back to instances like it.

as an older kid and a tween, especially. i would guess gojo was probably asking himself stuff like who can he trust in this world? who can he open up to? when the world is out to kill him. the bounty on his head also probably accustomed him to solve problems with power/violence.

i think this mindset was disrupted by geto in high school, though. gojo grows to be quite generous with his trust after him. he has a lot of faith in others as an adult. so i think geto, on top of everything, inadvertently helped gojo heal and process some of his pain from childhood.

i say this bc the disconnect gojo seems to refer to in ch 236, seems different. more a result of the higher state of mind he acquires. he basically tells geto in the afterlife that it isn't rooted in loneliness, after all. which i also take to mean, not necessarily in childhood trauma by that point. but a sense that no one can possibly understand what it means to be strong— and still be powerless.

that's why i believe gojo wasn't being punished for his humanity so much as being taught a lesson on how power can only take him so far— time and time again.

this whole lesson sets up the world to be able to move on without him. life doesn't ultimately hinge on one person and i think gojo knows this to be true, which is why he's always so.. relaxed when he's taken out of the equation. while everyone else scrambles to put him back in. (funnily enough, even fans do this). 

ppl look at him and think he's above them. when inevitably, he'll die, just as all beings do. which i think is what the following sequence was about, too. and what gojo mostly meant when he said "he alone is the honored one [to come to knows this]"(in contrast to when gege used it for sukuna(x) who goes on to distinguish himself from gojo in the way he only pleases/satisfies himself). the saying has several connotations (x).

hope that makes sense!

[trashcanwithsprinkles]

Oop I seem to have started Conversations- xD

I wanted to add on a comment on declaring BitA my favourite, and it's the admission that I don't read Apocalypse AUs?

Like. Ever?

Or, well, I do *now*, since it does count, but I picked up BitA because of the lil bit that the Apocalypse was just the setting, it's a found fam speed run, and I have no regrets ^w^

(It also has probably my favorite Childe but that's because I'm a chili kinda guy and also very weak for 100% human non-powered competence Childe in AUs and BitA is just. Perfection on that front. Its a close call though- you generally write really good Childe)

actually you are so valid for that, for as much as i love apocalypse stories sometimes i'm like "how gritty / dark / edgy is the author going to make it...?" and simply turn away if it's too much. i feel like i do kinda prefer apocalypse as a setting and not the whole plot, hence babysitting being a found family speedrun instead hahaha

on the chili/zhongchi note, you reminded me of like- something very interesting i've noticed as i continue to stack up wips for those two,, i did mention earlier that sometimes in aus you have to choose whether to completely adhere to canon characterization and somehow find a way to explain it / integrate that within the au (which is sometimes easy), or choose to go for circumstancial character fidelity and stray slightly into ooc territory so the au makes sense (in cases where aus are far removed from canonverse and so, logically, if the characters didn't live through the exact same circumstances, then they wouldn't behave exactly the same).

so while writing those idiots i've come to notice that, in more canonverse-aligned stories or straight up just canonverse, i lean more towards zhongchi; whereas in non-canonverse aligned stories or, in this case, only babysitting since it's essentially a modern universe au (fully, since both are from the same time period, cyanide doesn't count on that front) i tend to lean more towards tartali/chili. even then i generally consider that like- the differences are subtle enough? where you could read it as both? that might just be me, it might just be the fact that i'd argue there's no actual top/bottom dynamic going on since there's no sexy times in any of my fics. but the point is- i think the one who changes the most is zhongli, because if you take off 6000+ years of experience and a whole ass war from his shoulders, no matter how inventive you make his backstory in a fantasyless modern au, you'll struggle to reach the necesary baggage in order to justify making him behave exactly like canonverse zhongli. and when you get a more humnan-like zhongli, and childe can stay mostly the same (he's so much easier to adapt to modern aus), and you keep them at a relatively similar age (you can kinda justify making zhongli more canon aligned if you give him several years over childe, but i'm not that much of a fan of writing the kind of age gap i feel you'd need for that? still, always an option), then you somehow end up tipping the dynamic out of zhongchi terrritory and into tartali/chili, which i find very funny and kinda interesting to think about. like if you put them on a relatively even playing field of life experience, childe definitely ends up being the more forward one of the two, hence it reads more like chili than zhongchi. of course this all mostly has to do with the way i personally write them, but still. afraid you'll only get more noticeably chili-aligned stories from me again if i end up writing another story with a fully human zhongli hahah

[juliet25blog]

✨️I cannot write✨️

As much as it pains me to acknowledge it, I am a poor writer at best and a mediocre one at worst. I love to read, but I lack the discipline and coherence to put my thoughts into words to form a good story.

This bothers me because I am always thinking of how good it would be to write some of my ideas, so I decided to share my best so at least I can give inspiration to someone who needs it.

The story is in the Harry Potter universe but in the 1940's and with Tom Riddle as the ""love interest"".

My idea was that a nice but a little naïve student (I came up with the name Aubrey Fawley) in her 6th year starts being noticed by Tom, and having fancied him since 2nd or 3rd year she was ecstatic. The problem is that Tom only wants to charm her because her father had been recently appointed as Supreme Mugwump in the International Confederation of Wizards, which he wants to use to spread his influence and blood-purity ideals through Europe to gain more followers.

This idea came because I tired of stories with an OOC Tom Riddle, I felt that all the other stories totally forgot just how charming and persuasive Tom can be, and while he obviously is a cruel and sadistic person in the inside he never let any of his classmates or staff know this. Only Dumbledore suspected him but never had enough proof to reveal Tom's true character.

I wanted to show the story of the other girl, the one who believes herself the Chosen One, the one who fancies herself capable of win Tom's affection and fails, but only leaves with a heartbreak, not a murdering, because that would be too suspicious for Tom.

Basically I wanted to show the manipulative side of Tom, but in a subtle way. Like if you never knew the real plot you would never suspect it, and the ultimate revelation comes in the later chapters, so it doesn't spoil the surprise 😉

I really hope my ideas can help someone out there someday. And sorry for the text, as you can notice English is not my first language.

Good luck future writer ❤️

[catcake24]

I think I finally figured out why so many “rewriting x” fanfics bother me.

Just to preface though: if you write those fanfics, go ahead and ignore me. Fanfic and writing is all about creative freedom, whatever hang ups I might have don’t really matter to most people. I kind of just want to put something into words I’ve been struggling to, and maybe talk about it with people.

So, I’ve been in quite a few fandoms where I see people try to rewrite elements or even full stories they don’t like in media. Whether they hated the recent season, or just a part they think was handled poorly, or even they dislike the whole show/movie/book’s writing and want to make a better version with the ideas.

And usually I’m all for it, trying to identify and correct what you see as “poor writing” is admirable! But whenever I read them, I always get this weird niggling feeling in the back of my head. It was hard to identify, but I think in the end it’s just disgust. I feel bad for the original work for being deemed so bad it needed to be rewritten, or that the author obviously isn’t enjoying the process but is writing out of spite rather than passion for a story they want to tell.

I’m not saying authors are bad people for writing them, more that I can feel the lack of love for the source material coming through. Whether it’s a joke making fun of the original, or having a character the fandom obviously hates die so they’re not in the story anymore, or even writing characters OOC out of a sense of revenge for what they did or were written as rather than as a more interesting direction. It feels like the story was made to spite or make fun of the original, not improve it.

I think another thing that comes in is that everyone’s “perfect” idea for media is different. Some media is better than others in writing, but when you’re dreaming up your perfect version there’ll obviously be things you want to change. But some people might be really attached to those things in the original, so it feels like someone is saying “that part you like isn’t good, and you’re wrong for enjoying it” even when no one is saying that!! Which is likely why some rewrites, even if they don’t feel like hate projects, feel odd to me because they change or remove ideas I liked and then proclaim it’s better than the original.

I also feel like at a certain point it feels artistically hollow? Maybe I’ve also just gotten way too attached to the idea of artistic intent, idk. I guess I feel like some people don’t actually understand what the original is going for, and then at that point you’re changing what the core of the story is actually about and it feels like a parody rather than a tribute? Like if someone rewrites Lord of the Rings to have them fly on eagles the whole way and avoid all the trauma the character’s go through, you’re actively insulting the original since Tolkien wrote it from his own war trauma (among other things).

And even then, I’ve started rethinking my stance on “improving media” because I think it’s generally an unhealthy way to look at creation. You’re not writing a story you want to tell, you’re writing a story that you feel like someone else failed to tell. It’s a subtle difference, but I can clearly feel it throughout.

I’m not innocent either! My big writing project that I want to eventually make a novel out of was originally “Harry Potter but the MC is trans lol” when I was pissed at the author of that series and just generally sick of seeing it everywhere. But as I wrote, I realized I liked creating a new story and new world with some of the base ideas a lot more than I liked trying to remake a world and story out of spite. Now it’s completely different aside from some basic ideas. I still don’t like Harry Potter or the author of that series, but I’m just having more fun writing my own thing rather than writing out of spite for the original.

I don’t really know where I was going with this but I hope it makes sense?? Again, don’t feel like you have to stop a rewrite project if you really want to go ahead with it, I’m just voicing my opinion to the void.

TLDR; I think I don’t like rewrite fanfics and other rewriting projects for existing media because I feel like it’s kind of mean to the author, ignores artistic intent, and just isn’t fun to write which makes it not fun to read.

[xaracosmia]

ꕥ — WELCOME TO MARE COSMIA, HYTHLODAEUS. 🌗

ꕥ  — OOC INFORMATION;

name / alias: skadi age: 27 pronouns: any pronouns ooc contact: @illromances (tumblr) other characters in xc: none!

ꕥ  — IC INFORMATION;

name: Hythlodaeus age: Looks to be in his late twenties to early thirties; don’t be deceived, he’s more than 13000+ pronouns: He / Him series: Final Fantasy XIV canon point: Patch 6.4 app triggers:  Endwalker spoilers, death, and apocalyptic scenarios personality: Those who’d a chance to make his acquaintance often describe Hythlodaeus as a friendly figure—his cheery demeanor and the easiness of falling into a natural interaction with him just fuels their impression of him as an approachable individual. If not a bit coy and mischievous at times when the mood strikes him, or well, when opportunity does. It wasn’t just his soul sight that was keen, but so was his perceptiveness; it served its purpose well when he had the fancy to tease and as well in times where it truly mattered. He was also a touch odd in a subtle way and a little reckless at times, prominent in the last second choices he always made which were also just a tad bit impulsive on his part.

Closer friends would collectively agree on this, on how Hythlodaeus is. Yet there’s a side of him that they’re the only ones witness to. They also describe him as a pillar in their lives; always serving as a source of strength and support to them in ways that were unique to Hythlodaeus. While their people saw service and creativity as a measure of their great contribution to the world, it was only secondary to him. For Hythlodaeus, he finds purpose in aiding his friends, supporting them in their dreams. To see them realize and fulfill their aspirations is a source of accomplishment to him something your muse struggles with: An individual who often thinks and prioritizes those he cares for; an admirable trait in a person and yet, his devotion to their well being often makes him forget about his own. your muse’s greatest strength: A loyal friend one could always call on—a person that would go to great lengths to help those he cares for to flourish and succeed in their endeavors.

history / background: An Ancient from the time when the world was unsundered. In the beginning, Hythlodaeus was not unlike any other Amaurotine—a man with humble origins and, in his opinion, a frankly uninteresting life bar, of course, meeting select individuals that made some of his days more interesting and eventful. A pivotal moment in his life eventually fell onto his lap in the form of an invitation from their time’s governing council—the Convocation of Fourteen—to take up the seat of Emet-Selch. One reason he was extended the offer was due to the strength of his Soul Sight. Hythlodaeus understood as much and yet he was also aware of his own limitations—that he lacked the capacity to lend himself into the role fully. As such he turned down their offer but in his place suggested his good friend Hades, a man who not only possessed the same degree in keenness of their soul sight but is also recognized by all as a powerful and talented mage. In this, the Convocation and many more agreed with.  Later on, Hythlodaeus accepts a post in the Bureau of the Architect—the organization responsible for approving new concepts for creatures and other magical constructs to be released into the world.  He eventually earned himself a leading position in the organization. While not tied to the Convocation, he does have some involvement in some of their activities. Namely through the antics of Azem—another friend of his—whom he has secretly aided in some of their exploits. Sometime in the future, Hythlodaeus accompanied his friend Hades to Elpis  for an official Convocation matter, and acted as a guide to him and a newly arrived “familiar” of Azem in navigating the research facility in search of its Chief Overseer, Hermes. In the following days to come unravels a plot that centers around the arrival of Azem’s familiar—this Warrior of Light and Venat’s Champion—their purpose and the undoing of their world in an apocalyptic calamity called the Final Days.

history / background: An Ancient from the time when the world was unsundered. In the beginning, Hythlodaeus was not unlike any other Amaurotine—a man with humble origins and, in his opinion, a frankly uninteresting life bar, of course, meeting select individuals that made some of his days more interesting and eventful. A pivotal moment in his life eventually fell onto his lap in the form of an invitation from their time’s governing council—the Convocation of Fourteen—to take up the seat of Emet-Selch. One reason he was extended the offer was due to the strength of his Soul Sight. Hythlodaeus understood as much and yet he was also aware of his own limitations—that he lacked the capacity to lend himself into the role fully. As such he turned down their offer but in his place suggested his good friend Hades, a man who not only possessed the same degree in keenness of their soul sight but is also recognized by all as a powerful and talented mage. In this, the Convocation and many more agreed with.  Later on, Hythlodaeus accepts a post in the Bureau of the Architect—the organization responsible for approving new concepts for creatures and other magical constructs to be released into the world.  He eventually earned himself a leading position in the organization. While not tied to the Convocation, he does have some involvement in some of their activities. Namely through the antics of Azem—another friend of his—whom he has secretly aided in some of their exploits. Sometime in the future, Hythlodaeus accompanied his friend Hades to Elpis  for an official Convocation matter, and acted as a guide to him and a newly arrived “familiar” of Azem in navigating the research facility in search of its Chief Overseer, Hermes. In the following days to come unravels a plot that centers around the arrival of Azem’s familiar—this Warrior of Light and Venat’s Champion—their purpose and the undoing of their world in an apocalyptic calamity called the Final Days. Which was all well forgotten due to the activation of KAIROS following a confrontation with Hermes, immediately plucking days worth of memories from their mind since their initial arrival in Elpis. The Final Days arrived thereafter, manifesting itself first as aetherial decline before progressing to catastrophic events that tampered with their people’s creation magic. In the height of this devastation, the Convocation of Thirteen has devised a momentary yet swift solution to their dilemma—a summoning of what is known as a Primal to forestall the Final Days. A ritual that took too many to save what remained. The seat of Elidibus offered himself to serve as its core and to give life and power to an entity that could rewrite the destiny of their star required lives sacrificed in the name of this duty. Half of the world’s existing population sacrificed to summon this god, Zodiark, and one of these people included Hythlodaeus, who considered this act his greatest contribution. Muffled is one way to describe his existence, along with his brethren that shared the same fate as him. Residing within Zodiark, he had an inkling of what has been happening, from the attempted restoration of their world to Venat—Hydaelyn sundering their god and all of creation into ten and three—the source and its thirteen reflections. More, so much more has happened—and yet clarity only came when Zodiark’s prison was cracked. His brethren slipped through, wandering the moon, impeding the effort of this new old friend who held eight parts of Azem’s soul. Of course, how could Hythlodaeus deny them his aid? He had always been and always will be their supporter.

Even when Zodiark was felled and he returned to the star with all his missing memories returned. It only served for him to reach out and answer the call of the Warrior of Light one last time. Along with Hades, Hythlodaeus came to them, with Hope in their hands as proof against despair.

With his duty done, Hythlodaeus departs with his friend, expressing a wish to the Warrior that all three of them would be reunited in another life.

powers / abilities:

✧ Creation Magic. The people before Etheirys was sundered were possessed of vast aetheric pools. And the masterful use and manipulation of this is what brought life to the art of creation magic. Creation magics allow them to conjure and manifest thoughts, ideas. And concepts into the physical realm. And like all ancients, Hythlodaeus has the ability to wield such magics.

✧The Echo. In present day Etheirys, this was a rare skill to be had and noted to be a ‘fraction’ or a residue of an ancient’s power. Before the sundering, however, this assortment of abilities was common amongst the ancients. It allowed them to understand all languages and communicate with the same words, more resistant to tempering influences, and, with focus, view past memories of others. These were the most common abilities but there are more variations of this ability.

✧ Teleportation. Hythlodaeus can teleport from one point to another; a telltale sign of his departure and arrival via teleportation are the appearance of smoky tendrils of black and blue hues.

✧ Transformation. The unsundered were capable of many feats, one such ability they have is shaping their bodies to their will, even fuse with other tangible concepts. All this ranges from small changes to their features to a more massive form, twisting their very physical being into something else different and often grandiose, another kind of reflection of them.

✧ Soulseer. Hythlodaeus possess the skills and talents of a soulseer which is an equivalent to the modern day bard of hydaelyn; they are those who wield bows and use the songs sang by the bowmen of eld, swaying the hearts of men, giving them inspiration in the heat of battle or granting them a peaceful final hymn of peace in their last moments. The biggest difference of a soulseer to that of a bard are the skills and spells used by the ancient which are of a higher tier than the latter. Weaponskill. This section refers to a soulseer’s physical ranged attacks. These skills allow them to take aim and target a single enemy as well as  multiple ones instantaneously, with a few of these weaponskills dealing more damage thanks to their additional effects and damage over time.

Luminous Bolt: Delivers an attack with a potency of 280.

Meggido Flame: It delivers an attack to all enemies in a single line.

Limit Break: Desperado. Delivers a high damage attack to all enemies in a line.

Support Abilities.  Soulseers, or bards as they are known in modern-day Etheirys, offer a range of abilities that bolsters their own combat performance as well as their peers.

Mage’s Ballad - Allows him to deal damage to a single target and grant himself as his allies with “Mage’s Ballad, increasing the damage they are dealing for a time.

The Warden’s Paean - This skill allows him to remove a single detrimental effect from himself or his intended target when they’re afflicted by one and should they be unaffected, it creates a barrier instead to protect them from these detrimental effects for a short period.

Army’s Paeon - Allows him to deal damage to a single target and grants him and his as well as his allies with “Army’s Paeon”, which increases one’s direct hit rate for a time.

Battle Voice - This skill grants him and his nearby allies a boost  in their  direct hit rate by a certain percent.

The Wanderer’s Minuet  - Allows him to deal damage to a single target and grants him and his as well as his allies with “Wanderer’s Minuet”, which increases one’s critical  hit rate for a time.

Troubadour - When used, this skill helps reduce damage taken by himself and as well as nearby allies by a certain percent for a brief period.

Nature’s Minne - During Nature’s Minne, recovery through healing actions will be increased.

Radiant Finale - This skill grants him and his nearby allies a boost in the damage they deal by a certain percent.

Auxiliary Skills. These are basic extra skills that individuals belonging to this job class can carry out and aid them in their exploits.

Leg Graze - Afflicts target with ‘heavy’ for a short period.

Foot Graze - Allows him to bind targets for a brief moment.

Head Graze - Interrupts a target’s action.

Second Wind - Instantly restores a portion of his health.

Pelotone - Allows him to increase his and his peers speed for a set time; this, however, doesn’t work in battle.

Arms Length - This creates a barrier that nullifies most knockback and draw-in effects for a short time and when the barrier is struck, it afflicts the target with ‘slow’.

Specific Abilities. These are higher tiered spells performed by the ancients.

Annihilation. It combines the power of fire with the power of ice, causing high damage to the target and all enemies nearby it.

True Benediction. The ability allows him to restore the target to full health.    

True Raise. It allows him to resurrect a target instantaneously.

⤷ More information about the bard class can be found here.

inherent abilities:

✧ Soul Sight. Eyes that possess this kind of ability can perceive the essence and appearance of an individual's aether as well as the underworld; an uncommon ability among his kind but Hythlodaeus was born with one that had great strength amongst others, enough to spark interest from authoritative parties.

✧ Sharp-Eyed. Literally. Thanks to his soul sight, he could perceive an individual's soul. Nevertheless, he possesses the same such keenness when it comes to details. Being the chief of the bureau of the architect required him to oversee and evaluate each concept entrusted to their office and it required him to be both observant and critical. literally. Thanks to his soul sight, he could perceive an individual's soul.

✧ Ancient Physiology. The inhabitants of Etheirys prior to its sundering. They’re figures are no different from the regular hyur, though compared to them and other inhabitants of the new world, they were quite large and towering. Their aether was  quite abundant as well. In addition, they’re implied to be much more long lived. Barring fatal accidents and other life depriving misfortune, they are immortal. When their duty to the star is fulfilled, it’s only then that they return to the star.

items / weapons:

✧ White Mask. A mask often worn as part of their societal practices.

starting ability: Creation Magic

starting item: White Mask

extra:

Fruity.

Can play a musical instrument or two and belt out songs.

Stares into your soul.

He’s watching everything from the aetherial sea.

discord id: soulseer.

passcode: chocolate orange

[whocansail]

The perspective of the ask is so unfamiliar to me because LWJ is one of the most-developed characters in both canon and fandom. And there are so many interesting nuggets to fish out of his psyche, from his complicated feelings about consent to the tension between his role as the “perfect” jade gentleman and the reality of being human. Pardon me for a moment while I try to wrap my mind around the idea that maybe I’ve just been putting my personal LWJ lens over all the not-LWJ-centric fics I’ve read and they actually treat LWJ as a flat character.

Re: 1) it’s so hard for me to think of LWJ as an objective narrator that I don’t think I can do it regardless of whether a fic tries to establish him that way. This stubborn, jealous, judgy, sappy mess of a man? If you play Inquiry over and over again for more than a decade hoping for a response from one spirit who has never responded, you are not really in the vicinity of internalizing the objective reality that you are never going to get a response. And he definitely has a personal grudge against JC that colors his view, and for a long time he’s missing key information about WWX’s missing core. So I think the conclusion here is that I constitutionally cannot read LWJ as an objective narrator even if a fic author is going for that...so it’s probably not a surprise that I haven’t noticed this.

Re: 2) I guess I have sometimes seen LWJ used as a Voice of Judgement but I think I tend to close out of fics that do much of this because unless he’s giving a quick/unemotional reminder-reprimand about rules or is defending WWX it seems like OOC behavior to me and goes against my hard canons. So I probably self-select away from fics like this. 

Re: 3) when I see LWJ noticing small details, it feeds into my autistic-LWJ headcanon. He’s zoomed in on some of the detail-tracking and pattern-matching detective work and then struggles to communicate, which can result in something that looks like a plot hole being filled in when LWJ is finally able to communicate a bit belatedly about something important which other characters missed. But rotating my perspective, I can definitely see that as just a convenient tool for some authors even if it feeds into my headcanon characterization quite well. 

Re: 4) I usually think of WWX as a treat for LWJ more than vice versa, like WWX is a pet to be indulged, the exotic pet LWJ was never allowed to have as a child. The reward earned after years of dedication & waiting & pain. When fics have LWJ flattened in the silent sugar daddy role, I tend to think of that as more a limitation of WWX’s often-shallow perspective. But the ask has a point that it’s always a choice on fic author’s part to use perspectives like that.

Am I reading too much into fics, or is the asker not reading enough into implied/subtle LWJ characterization? Hm. On the one hand, I agree with the ask that most of my readings aren’t explicitly in the fics I’ve read. On the other hand, isn’t a key feature of fanfic that you’re encouraged and meant to bring canon background into it without the fic author having to spell out the context? Hm. 

*rocks up to the fandom meme mad late with drip coffee i made in my own home even though its like 10pm*

sometimes i see posts that express some intense general feeling about my dude, lan wangji. intense like or dislike, extreme affection or disdain, you know, the usual. and – with the exception of people who are super blatant side character fans who are expressing the opinion they adopted from their fav side character – i don’t really believe any of these strong emotion claims (ppl who are actively roleplaying jiang cheng or lan jingyi i believe you i promise pls).

(beginning hyperbolic generalizations in 3,2,1-) as a group fandom just does not ponder lan wangji enough for me to believe many of them actually care the way the suggest they do, and when they do he doesn’t stay the topic of conversation for long. sure, they might start a post about his traumas and woes about his parents and his beloved but strict grumpy uncle but that post will swiftly slide to xichen and the way he approaches relationships and then it turns into 3zun and that turns into Mess lol. maybe they’ll start with how he was raised but don’t be fooled! that is actually just the opportunity to complain about the evil lan sect and all its controlling rules in a trench coat. if you find a post about his relationship with his brother then what you’ve actually found is a post about the tension between the nie bros, the trauma amongst the siblings jin, or Whatever Is Happening In Lotus Pier and the Twin Jades of Lan are actually just there as a comparison point in paragraph three of the essay. more often than any of this, if you think a post is about lan zhan, blink, and it will be wangxian before you hit the author’s note/tags.

secondly, if the fic isn’t a lwj-centric fic then lwj tends to be 1) an objective window into the story, a reliable narrator you can trust to give you the plot with no opinions, thoughts, or feelings about what’s happening 2) a Voice of Judgement an author can use to berate a character they’re mad at with the idea that hanguang-jun can get away with that with minimal fall out and is Convincingly Convicting enough to change the character’s behavior 3) a plot-hole filler – you don’t have to explain why something is true is lwj says it bc he never lies and he probably knows more than you. it’s the maple leaf in the Xuanwu cave over and over 4) a treat for wwx. you don’t have to like lwj or let him speak, just have him in the background for wwx to kiss and beg money from occasionally.

i have to say I’m not /bothered/ by this. i have enough lwj brainrot for all of us I don’t need other people’s thoughts and headcanons i have my own and a corner of fandom that supports me in these things. i know a lot of it is bc mxtx made him all ~mysterious. i just think its funny when people speak so strongly on the guy as if they think of him ever for real at all.

this is fascinating. obviously I spend my times in the JGY/xiyao corners of the fandom, but I am probably one of the people you are talking about in some ways!! i fucking love lan wangji, i experience extreme Feelings about him regularly and he's the reason i fell in love with CQL and ended up on this downward spiral into madness

but if i tried to make a post about him it would be like, 'u know when CQL wangji says 'are there rules already written for everything in the world?' and it permanently altered my brain chemistry? (hand gestures)'. my position on lan wangji is no thoughts, only internal yelling.

however, i think all the patterns you're noticing are so right, especially when it comes to fic. when it comes to meta i sort of get it-- wangji doesn't feel like he NEEDS explanations, he's the main love interest! other characters need their arcs and interests and personalities excavated, whereas his is surely just right out there. but it isn't!

[ireniclacuna]

mercy, oh, mercy!

mercy, mercy! - yandere! dark cacao/affogato/caramel arrow cookie x reader

tags/CW’s/TW’S: yandere, subtle manipulation, paranoia (on reader’s part), drugging, solving cases ft.reader, PROBABALY OOC like. this is probabaly the most OOC thing honestly, feeling anxious and scared???? this like,, leads into the paranoia thing, reader uses they/them pronouns 

please tell me if i left out any CW’S/TW’S!!!

A/N: hi i went perhaps. a bit Ludricous on this. a bit of shaky shaky. i have no idea what im saying either anyways HI this is incredibly self-indulgent concept. also writin this in hopes that dark cacao (that damned cookie.....) refuses to even show up. i just want the trio,,, pleas ur majesty,,,, (UPDATE I DID GET HIM)

anyways i hope u all will like this. caramel and affogato are like,,, more minor in this? theyre Absolutely There but orginally when i was writing it was just yandere dark cacao x reader but then i thought: add those other mfs in and so i did

word count: 5.3k ish! i think this may be one of my longest pieces as of now.. 

---

Perhaps the weirdest part of your life now is the various tea parties that you host. They're enjoyable, you suppose- always a fun time around, whether it's not even a tea party at some points and had turned into a romp out in the forest. Which is also fun, and Caramel Arrow Cookie is very lovely to talk to about the various fauna and animals that seem to lurk in the snowing forest. It's almost always that, now- an sharp eyed look at you, stupidly determined to get you out of the castle you live in, hand stretched towards you.

And it's nice- it's sweet. It's lovely, because of the way she likes to spin you around, having confidence that she'll always be able to protect you which makes you laugh- "Am I the royal now? Do I need to be saved?" And she'll laugh, soft blush on her cheeks, and simply respond back that perhaps you are. "I'll always watch over you," is what the conversation had finished off on. You had disregarded the way your guts twisted at how darkly the sentence was said, the far-off look in her eyes, and simply shrugged to cover up the shiver that came over you.

"My protector, huh?"

And then she nodded, head bobbing up and down at an insane rate, and you laughed. (Your voice shook while you laughed- why are you so worked up over that, it was just a sentence-) She smiled, and then there was no far-off look in her eyes, no underlying intentions beneath her earnest behavior, her care, and everything was pushed back into place, into a forest that counts as one of your regular tea parties.

---

There's never quite such a dull moment in your line of work- well, you think, lips thinning out as you thought about it more, perhaps there has. Particularly about now, would be a very dull moment. You stare at the very imposing figure that the certain cookie makes, as he sips his own tea carefully, not even chancing a glance at you. His raven colored locks are drifting in the light breeze that crams its way inside of your hosting room, eyes closed as he sips at the tea with a gusto that he'll (probably) have more interest in than you. Which is normal. Fine, really. The only thing that would be better would be that you even weren't here at all, and in your room. Not here, hosting a tea party with the Great King Of the Cacao Kingdom, Dark Cacao. You purse your lips, as you reach over for the teapot. It's still warm- the perfectly brewed Iron Goddess tea simpering in its resting place. You pour it in your teacup, the once cold cup regaining warmth. You let out a soft sigh, eyes narrowing at the cup of tea that warmed your hands. It swished around in the cup, the dark green swirling around in circles. You take another peek at his Majesty- he looks calm. Which is nice. Lovely. Which is also strange, because anyone who's lived in the Kingdom long enough knows that the King is always worried over something, with his eyebrows furrowed and mouth always in a straight line, eyes narrowed.

You take a deep breath in- and out it goes.

"Your Majesty," you say, leg bouncing on the carpet, "if I may be enlightened, why did you request a tea party with this Host?"

The King puts his own tea cup down on the saucer on the table, staying silent for a few moments.

He responds in a curt sentence- "My advisor and the First Watcher had recommended me to have a tea party with you. They say that you're quite.. Enjoyable, to be around. I decided to take them up on their recommendation."

You curse Affogato and Caramel Arrow Cookie in your head- oh, you'll absolutely have their heads after this, for making you suffer through this- and try for a reassuring smile.

"Well," you start off, "they are rather incorrect. They are very biased sorts of cookies- perhaps your Majesty knows of what I speak of."

You grit your teeth- they will not be having any sort of body when you see them again, that is for sure, how dare they betray you like this, your two most trusted friends- and reclined back in your Grand Throne. (Given the nickname from Caramel Arrow Cookie affectionately, and used by Affogato Cookie to poke fun at you. It's a regular chair- which is very comfy to fall asleep in and pass out for a few hours in.)

"Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, you needn't put up with this because Caramel Arrow and Affogato recommended me." The King raises a single eyebrow, mouth set back into the straight line that's famous all over the taverns and rowdy restaurants. He also, for some reason, relaxed into his own chair, leg crossed over the other. A very regal looking King if there ever was one. (And good-looking, you think, hiding a very quiet giggle behind a cleverly placed hand. The songs aren't wrong about the King's rugged handsomeness.)

He's quiet for some more moments, before plucking his tea cup up from his saucer. ".. You're not quite so bad company, Entertainer. They have reason to recommend you."

You're pretty sure you could try and argue whether you're a good host or not, but you're pretty sure from how the rumors go (and gossip heard from all your guests at your tea parties) that the Great King Of the Dark Cacao Kingdom isn't exactly good at conversation. So you drop the subject, and simply sip at your tea.

"Perhaps your Majesty would allow me to know what sorts of things he enjoys so that I may prepare better."

You absolutely could have done better with a warning advance, than the sudden way you saw him already in the room, sitting there and looking at the floor like it's committed a major slight to him. (And also to avoid the way how your body officially stopped for a few seconds, in pure shock.) And the King himself lets out a sigh- although it's not out of annoyance. (You hope that it's not out of annoyance.)

"..I enjoy hunting. I train diligently."

Is it. Is it acceptable to poke fun at the King? You mull over the question furiously, and swallow down your worrying thoughts. Because, in a way, that isn't supposed to be funny and was just accurate and provides a view into what the King enjoys, but in another way, it's kinda funny. Kinda. Perhaps, because it makes you chuckle at how the King of the Great Dark Cacao Kingdom only has two hobbies. You decided to forge on and continue onwards- and you let out a soft laugh.

"Your Majesty," you say, trying to contain the giggles that escape you, "that's very much only two hobbies. Do you not have anything else that interests you?"

The King looks off put at your laughter, eyebrows furrowing.

"I don't see why you laugh so, Entertainer." Ah. You say goodbye to your job.

You still laugh despite it, eyes crinkling. "Your Majesty, if I may act so crude and suggest something, perhaps we should get you some more hobbies."

At this, he looks even more confused. "..Like what?"

You slink back even further in your chair, deciding to go even more improper, propriety be damned. You cross your own legs, shoulders slack. "Chess would be a start. Any sort of board games- have you any interest in literature? Perhaps drawing would work."

The King stares at you for a few good seconds, before rolling his eyes. (You're absolutely sure that he didn't roll his eyes, but there's a thought in your head that says yes, he did.)

"...I do have an interest in literature, yes."

You clap your hands together- that's one way to start off, you suppose. "Wonderful!"

You launch off into a tirade, saying very many things about books with plots he might find interesting, about a warrior and his journey, mythology, and the King himself stays quiet. He adds a few of his opinions in there- not booming nor loud, just so clear and straight, despite the quietness of his voice- "That book wasn't a quite good read, or however way you speak of it, like it deserves every praise."

You stop yourself, eyebrow raising. "Oh? And why is that, your Majesty?"

The King finally looks at peace- or something that isn't anger or tiredness- as he responds.

"The way in which the main protagonist swung his swords were all wrong- if you were to try that, you'd find yourself covered in your own jam." You hum- "Perhaps so, but most people read stories for plot."

He rolled his eyes again (AGAIN, you're sure that that was a fluke and absolutely not real in any way possible, despite the feeling that paws at you saying, "yes, it's real!") and responded.

"The plot itself was nonsensical. The journey was simply an excuse for the main protagonist to end up with any cookie that would have him."

You were getting somewhere, you suppose. Perhaps Caramel Arrow and Affogato Cookie get to keep their lives for another day.

---

It becomes a very strange occurrence, for hosting tea parties with the King himself. (Not to mention the First Watcher and the King's advisor.) See, another strange thing you've realized about the King is that he's... Extremely awkward. His entire aura always gives off the vibe of 'do not interact with me or you'll cry' except it's really more so that the King doesn't quite know how to respond to social cues. Years of focusing on training and how to fight does that to you, you think. But it's not hard, in another sort of way, to get him to talk more easily. It's either A. you make an absolutely heinous mistake about some form of fighting that he somehow knows how to fight in despite it being a lost to time and no longer practiced to the point that you're doubting him, and no, this absolutely is not a personal experience, of course not. Or B. he doesn't talk at all, and leaves you to just rant about all of the cookies you have to host. You remembered Affogato getting upset at the fact that the King of the Dark Cacao Kingdom is a better friend to gossip with about various sorts of cookies.

You had initially expected him to not be interested in that sort of stuff, but every King needs their own share of gossip and rumors every now and then, you muse. It's not like he talks or makes any sorts of opinions on it- he just leaves you to rant about what a certain cookie had done during one of your hosting parties.

"And then," you had recalled yourself saying, talking like a shark out for jam, "that weasel had the audacity to insult my tea-making skills! I'm the one who hosted the entire thing- at least be respectful! Utterly incorrigible, that cookie is."

The King himself nodded. Honestly, you have no idea how everyone in the palace is so scared of him. He quite literally said the other day that he has no idea how to laugh and apologized for it. He simply responded in a rather ominous manner- "I'll see to it that something will be done about it."

You remembered shrugging- "It's fine, your Majesty, however much of a rat that cookie is, I can handle. The weasel just won't be getting invited into any illustrious events held by the one-and-only Host!"

The King had narrowed his eyes. "..Refer to me using my name, instead of a title." You widen your eyes at that and let out a hm.

"If that's what your- I mean, what you wish for, Dark Cacao." You say it easily, like you've said it for your entire life. It rolls off your tongue easily, not being stuck or trapped there. You disregard that realization, and simply sip at your tea.

He nods accordingly, eyes softening. "..What was that one story of yours? About that cookie who ran out of your event?"

You had brightened up- "I swear to you I have the entirety of the divorce papers, Dark Cacao. I am not lying when I say that this ends in somecookie getting- well, perhaps acting in a very dishonourable way. It's sad, too, because I knew his wife personally and the poor cookie was all crying-"

----

Sometimes, you realize that more people have distanced themselves from you. It's not your closest friends- Affogato and Caramel Arrow Cookie don't even notice when they come by, the former smiles snidely at that, says something that they finally have recognized that they don't deserve to be around with you, while Caramel had shrugged, uncaring. They never distance themselves from you- if anything, they seem to grow more clingier now that you don't have as much hosting duties. Affogato walks around an empty palace with you, goading you into letting you spill the latest rumors. Caramel Arrow Cookie simply tugs you around like always, carrying you like one would a bride around, jumping from wall to wall, grinning at you as you laughed and giggled.

And it's still strange, even if you push the realization out of the way. Affogato always has more and more comments, now, about the few that still do hang out with you- "Are you positively sure that they're good? If you were to ask me, darling, they seem absolutely unfit to be a friend of yours." Caramel Arrow Cookie simply gives a glare and her best bow to anyone that tries starting a conversation- "My apologies, my fellow cookie, but they have matters I need them to attend to rather urgently."

And you ignore that because, well, maybe they aren't that good for you like Affogato had pointed out, snidely whispering in your ear, and you did have stuff to do with Caramel at the moment. It's weird, and you know that it is, because you can take care of yourself, and you know that you're not some royal in need of saving like those fairy tales- But you sigh, and you ignore it.

It's alright, you think, as you sip at your tea.

Dark Cacao is still nice to hang out with, even if he is the literal King. He looks more comfortable with you, at the very least. You ignore the gazes that seem to follow the both of you everywhere, whenever he tries to take you out in the forest for a hunt, or even for a simple picnic. (You ignore the glares from him too, directed right back at them, his steps becoming more sure of themselves, banging throughout the castle.)

And maybe, you think, you shouldn't have ignored that feeling when it bubbled to the surface first, when you heard that one sentence by Caramel the first time. Or perhaps it was more than the first time- perhaps it was the third. The fourth, the sixth. Perhaps it was even more than that, and you ignored it like it was the only thing you could do.

Perhaps, you think, you shouldn't think of it anymore.

---

If you were to describe the feeling of a hazy dream gone sick, fraught with agony and torture, you would have said that you're unsure. That you don't know. But you do. You know it like the feeling of doubt, guilt, know it like the feeling of being all alone and drowning- the feeling of something suffocating you. You think that it would have been more apt to call such a dream a nightmare- because is it no? Aren't nightmares just dreams that have gone sick, you wonder.

Perhaps not- because this is real. Real like the sinking feeling that churns inside of your dough body, real like the feeling of helplessness that hangs in the air. Dark Cacao sits in his throne, the court around him whispering loudly- he looks like the King, he looks regal and important and everything that is expected of him, and he does not look like the friend you've come to know. He does not look like he knows how to smile, he does not look like the cookie who you had gossiped with over tea, he does not look like someone you'd ever talk with so casually. Affogato Cookie is at the forefront- a sugary-sweet voice on the advisor, lips moving fast. Caramel is at Dark Cacao's side, the First Watcher ever so watching over everyone with narrowed eyes. The court does not assemble for small matters- the court of the Great Kingdom of Dark Cacao assembles for larger things. Larger than your job occupation, anyways.

So you stare, tucked in your little corner of the vast courtroom, hands clenched tight together.

It's the same cookie that you remember ragging on you for your tea. It's the same cookie that stands in front of a courtroom, whispers and glares and snickering abound. It's the same cookie who you didn't think about seriously other than some petty rage. It's the same cookie who looks like they'll lose everything.

Affogato continues on with his little speech, making little hand gestures. He fishes out a series of documents out of clothes- the fine black print on it makes you wince at it, trying to look closer. He points at the cookie, and smiles (and it is a smile full of bitterness, full of the concealed feeling that is anger), and he strains out each word, announcing his sentence to the court.

Caramel Arrow Cookie does not step in- she simply watches. Her hands on her horned bows, back and posture straight to the point that she looks more akin to a statue.

"You have been revealed to have been stealing from the Royal Coppers themselves- have you anything to say about that, hm? And it's been going on since the first party the Entertainer had held? How horrible."

He says it sweetly. Says it like that it was the greatest crime that anyone in the Kingdom has ever done. Says it like ice cream itself drips from each word, voice sonorous.

Dark Cacao looks on with a steel eye, mouth set in a straight line as he waits for Affogato to finish.

Affogato simply stares at the grovelling cookie, who sobs and sobs, crying, "I didn't do anything of the sort! Never, never would I do that to the great Kingdom of Dark Cacao-"

And Affogato simply huffs. "Still on about that? There's almost a strong mountain of evidence already mounted against you- your pitiful attempts to fool the court will do no good, you know."

He turns to Dark Cacao for his judgement- and Dark Cacao stares at the entire court, silencing it with all of its gossip and rumors with a single raised hand. He holds it for only a moment, as he tilts his head higher, hair swishing to the side.

"Take them to the Dungeon, First Watcher."

Caramel Arrow Cookie nods- and you swear that there's a hint of happiness in her eyes, you swear- and replies with an almost frighteningly calm tone of: "Yes, your Majesty." She walks over to the cookie, ponytail bouncing up and down, and it's only a simple matter of dragging the cookie out. They struggle- they plead out with cries of mercy, mercy, and for a swift moment, they lock eyes with you. Something churns and churns and screeches inside of you- it yells and it bangs on your chest like a live cakehound, it growls and hisses and begs for freedom and you ignore it like a lifeline. You swallow down your guilt and turn away- and something in their gaze goes fierce, because they thrash even harder in Caramel's grip, screeching. Caramel almost shoves the cookie to the ground, eyes glaring.

She whispers something, something so quiet that you don't hear, and the cookie stops. They go slack- they go dead, like a fish that has been set in land. Caramel continues her journey of dragging someone to the Dungeon, leaving the courtroom without much fuss. Each member of the court soon filed out- each whispering and gossiping like it'd be the star of each week after. Affogato simply walks out of another door, joined by Dark Cacao. You stare at them pass, before placing a leg out on the empty courtroom.

You peek out from your corner, dusting off your robe. You stare at the ground- no, what you stare at is the specific trail Caramel had dragged the cookie out. Something gleams in the middle of the floor, shining horribly bright in this freezing Kingdom. You walk closer to it, eyes widening in surprise- a fallen off topping. It's cheap looking, if said in the most basic way. It doesn't look like somecookie would have bought it if they had stolen money for as long as they had from the Royal Coppers. You glance around, before plucking it from the ground.

It's normal. It's not eye-catching. It does not suit the cookie, doesn't suit the image you've made up in your mind about them.

—

You bite at your lips, hands trembling. They reach out for documents- reach out for a scroll clearly inked lately, letting out a stuttery sigh. You raise your head up- there's no one here, no one in the study. You steady yourself.

Affogato Cookie won't be back in a few hours. Caramel Arrow Cookie is busy at the border, searching for a snow lion that was recently spotted. Or so the tip had gone, when you had written the note and dropped it off at the Watcher's Quarters. All the maids and servants aren't here, won't be here for any time- Affogato doesn't enjoy them cleaning his room, even if he says that he has nothing to hide- and there's no guards. There's only you, a trusted cookie in the castle, hanging around in a politician's room. You grit your teeth- and finally grab the scroll. You look around, like a mouse, eyes narrowing. You leave the room quietly, shuffling about as you click the door closed, sighing softly.

You step back out in the hallway, wanting to run. You don't. You trace your hand along the wall, looking at the paintings that decorated almost each turn you made. You never noticed before- well. You did. You just never thought of how absolutely intimidating they are, never thought that they were for anything that wasn't used for decoration. There are paintings of landscapes, each splash of paint on the canvas like it was being ridiculed, as snow falls on a painted version of the Dark Cacao Kingdom. You stare at it for a few moments, and feel your hands tighten around the scroll.

The walk there is long. Long, back to your room. You'd usually be talking with Caramel or Affogato on the way back- ignoring their remarks about the other if together, enjoying their company if it was only one of them. Except there's no critiques or veiled insults or enjoyable stories and gossip. There's only you, a scroll in hand, walking down a long hallway.

—

Perhaps the mystery of all cookie life is that it's best to ignore it. Easy. Nobody ever really thinks more about the Witches- the godly creators and whatnot, and worship them devoutly- because who wants to? Who wants to know so much about a subject so holy intimately? To know the secret of being made- well, you supposed, it'd be a one way ticket to blowing your mind. You've never entertained the question yourself- merely ever nodding thoughtfully when Affogato himself, eyes glazed over and staring at the mirror, asked you very softly. Didn't ask you in his usual tone, didn't say anything about a missing scroll. He'd said softly, "what do you think about the Witches?"

And you had hummed, nodding- "They exist."

And Affogato Cookie had simply stared at you, before his lips curved up into a smile. There was a familiar glint of teasing, of satisfaction, in it.

Perhaps the same way could be applied in what you think now. Fumbling with a topping in your hand, eyes scanning over each word colored in a chocolate brown. It makes sense. It doesn't. It's strange, you think, as you gulp down every beat of anxiety that pours into you. The candle by your bed flickers a flame akin to a volcano's- red, fiery, and burning hot. It should make sense. It does. There are several people reporting about this cookie lying on the papers- a chest suddenly full of gold coins coinciding with the date that the coppers were suddenly being stolen from. All kept under wraps, tightened with a little bow. Except it doesn't.

Perhaps you're assuming- a grand assumption on your part, thinking that surely, someone, would have gotten better toppings than this if they had stolen this much coins. But it doesn't look right. They were lower ranked. Extremely so, to the point that they'd have probably never gotten to see the coppers in their entire lifetime. They were only ever invited because they were new. They could have made connections there. That was the only reason you ever invite new people- per your own job to build connections on behalf of the Kingdom, and let cookies gather to drink tea and berry juice to discuss rumors, business, gossip about the King and the ever charming Prince.

There's a splattering of details- mostly small. Insignificant. Indicates what time they had started stealing. Except. Except, it's strange, you think, because if it was from earlier back, back to your very first party thrown, there would have been dates. The investigators aren't stupid- they know how to do their job. It can't disappear like that- sudden papers from before are no longer found.

Perhaps it was a mistake. (But you know that it's not.)

It feels weird. It's only a tiny bit of false evidence to go off- assuming first that it is indeed false, and not real- and there's nothing bigger. They would still have reason to throw the cookie in the dungeon if they had stolen coins.

It doesn't add up. You remember the way Affogato had sneered at the cookie, eyes in disgust as he dug at them. You remember it clearly, remember it like the feeling of something striking at your chest, felling you in one blow. There would be more instances. More papers. More time. More witnesses, more sightings if the cookie was truly as careless as the scroll had said.

But there is not. There is only a date that begins on your 12th- or perhaps it was more- tea party with the King. You notice it- notice it because it was when Dark Cacao had asked you to refer to him by name. But there's no other instance before- no dates, no time. And then a memory flashes behind your eyes- and it makes you tremble, because, wouldn't someone have dealt with it by now?

"I'll see to it that something will be done about it."

It rings in your head. It does not add up. It doesn't- you shouldn't assume anymore, should have kept that memory buried deep in your conscience. It burns alive once more like a fury from an oven, burning bright in your mind. Imprinted. Burned into it like all the other times that same sort of time was used on you- scarily ominous. It was a terrifying sort of tone, one that anyone would have thought better to ignore. There's another traitorous voice in the back of your head- The King isn't one to say such things foolishly, he surely would have done something, right?

You stomp it down. Stomp it down with a boot that is particularly intent on crushing bugs.

—

You handle a scroll that is either the truth or full of lies carelessly. You trace a finger across it, eyes narrowing in on the official seal of it. You place it down, slip it inside your robe, and stare at the tea brewed so recently. It's still warm.

You pick it up, and sip at the tea. It's warm. It tastes like nothing, because your own chest is full of feelings that churn like spoiled milk inside. You stare at the door that creaks open, stares at the King in his more comfortable attire, cape still trailing behind him. You smile weakly at him, wanting to duck in your chair. The fireplace burns bright still- it warms the room. Bubbling flour bumps up from your body, feeling the feeling of anxiety pour all over you. Dark Cacao nods at you- and he settles down into the seat in front of yours, as he picks up a tea cup and simply drinks it.

There's not really any sort of conversation. It reminds you of your first tea party with him, all quiet before erupting into a topic finally. Although the one you're intent on bringing up is sour. Bitter. Full of everything gone bad.

You take a breath in.

"Dark Cacao," you start off, voice full of barely concealed stutters, "I got a scroll, recently, from Affogato Cookie. It was, erm, about the recent court decision. If you would-"

You finish yourself off, before even finishing your sentence, hands trembling.

You peek at the King in front of you. His eyebrows are furrowed. Mouth clenched. You take in a breath.

"If your Majesty could, may he explain why there are no dates earlier? Affogato himself had said it was farther back when the entire thing had started, my first ever party thrown, but there was no evidence or times indicating when."

Dark Cacao narrowed his eyes. He placed his own teacup down, locks of hair brushing in front of his face. He removes it mindlessly, like it was an action that he did the entirety of his life. It probably was.

Please say that the investigators were incompetent. Please say that the scroll was a fake. Please say that I have nothing to worry about. Say that I don't need to-

"Entertainer." His voice is sharp, like a dagger. He doesn't use your actual name, like he had done before. He uses your title.

"You have no need to be searching for answers such as these. As your King, I order you to stop." His voice is regal. Full of fierceness, full of words used to command soldiers to battle.

You grip your robe, and absentmindedly brush past the scroll in it. Something inside of you screeches- mindless movement, being dragged away, being grabbed and suffocated- and you open your mouth again. Something reminds you of Caramel, for a strange reason.

Reminds you of the way she has said so seriously, full of no hesitation, full of something underneath the sentence that she'd always watch over you. Reminds you of the way Affogato had sneered at the way the maids and servants had brushed past you, the way he had said it like it was a truth: you don't need them. And then it reminds you of the way Dark Cacao had said the very sentence that makes you want to scream.

I'll see to it that something will be done about it.

"What did you do to the cookie, your Majesty? For slighting me."

And then Dark Cacao stares at you, eyes colored a deep shade of purple, and you stare back.

And then there is a hazy figure of someone right near you- using Affogato's voice, humming something sweet.

"Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, perhaps you ought to have cancelled this party when I told you myself that the scroll had gone missing."

You make a soft 'oh' sound in your throat, slumping back against the chair. There's only a soft shade of browns and purples and black clashing together, making your eyes haze over.

Someone- someone who has a long ponytail like Caramel's- says something.

"Y/N! Why didn't you do something else that didn't-"

And then everything just stops in that single moment, and you close your eyes.

You should have just left it alone.

if you were wondering if caramel and affogato got into a fist fight while cacao watched over after the ending the answer is yeah probably. maybe he joined in or smth

[raifenlf]

Why Loki’s Sylvie Is A Mary Sue

So I am firmly in the camp that Sylvie on the Loki series was/is a Mary Sue.  The last episode made me feel better and like maybe the show was doing a thing where they were faking you out that she was a Mary Sue only to show she was actually sort of a bad guy and I liked that.  But all the recent interviews make me think the show wants to go back to her being a Mary Sue.

But I feel like when I call her out for being a Mary Sue people tell me what are you talking about, she’s not a Mary Sue, bad things happen to her, etc.  But that doesn’t actually make her not a Mary Sue.  

Also, before we start, I know some people find Mary Sue sexist.  But I personally use the term for guys and girls. I don’t use the term to belittle women.  I use the term to criticize a poorly written character.

And I know Mary Sue is often used to describe fanfic characters.  But to me, this series is kind of like a fanfic because the writers took a character who had been in canon MCU material for ten years and then created characters around that character.  So, I kind of review it like I would a fanfic.  It’s very different than if the writers had created a brand new show with all of their own new characters.

Anyway, if you are not totally familiar with the Mary Sue term, then check this out:

I know the term Mary Sue probably means different things to different people.  But I have always used these guidelines when I write my own fanfic to make sure my characters never come off as a Mary Sue.

This article really gives you a full scale of what a Mary Sue is.  If you start reading it, you’ll immediately see why Sylvie is.  But I’m going to take out the parts that most fit Sylvie just to highlight why I believe she is a Mary Sue.  I apologize for this being so long.

Mary Sue Character Traits

Personality

Erm... what personality? The typical Mary Sue doesn't have one per se, because she isn't meant to be a character; rather, she's an entity by which the author makes cool stuff happen.

I feel like that is Sylvie in a nutshell.  She doesn’t have a personality.  I feel like even though she ate screentime, I still don’t really know her at all.  The writers love to say she’s badass.  That’s not a personality.  

Sometimes when I am writing stories for fun and creating new characters, I like to take surveys as my fictional characters.  Like the kind of surveys you’d see in a magazine, like personality types, what’s your dating style, etc.  I figure if I don’t know what my character would do in any of those situations, then I need to keep working on my character.  And if I was trying to fill out a survey pretending I was Sylvie I would have no idea what to answer because she doesn’t have a personality.  She’s just “cool”.

What little personality a Mary Sue has isn't as important as how other characters react to it. No matter how shy or socially awkward Mary Sue is supposed to be, other characters will be inexplicably drawn to her

This is so Sylvie.  Loki falls in love with her...why, exactly?  He falls in love with her in the big Nexus event moment...why?  Because she had a tough childhood?  Mobius spends like two seconds with her in a car and goes from hating her to saying she’s his favorite Loki.  For. No. Particular. Reason.

She's extremely persuasive; everyone finds her opinions to be better than their own

She enchants Hunter B-15 and then immediately Hunter B-15 makes it her whole entire life mission to back Sylvie up.  

And occasionally she'll be a complete asshole...This can manifest itself in several ways...The author wants to write a badass but doesn't know how. This leads to a character who mistreats everyone around her and is never called out on her abrasive, casually abusive behavior.

Sylvie talked down to Loki and treated him like garbage for all of episode three, but it was never portrayed as a bad thing and we never got any impression Sylvie later felt bad for the way she treated Loki

The author doesn't know how to hold back the character, meaning that she will succeed at practically everything. This means that when she encounters rules or authority figures who would otherwise prevent her from doing what she wants to do, she rolls right through them (and they praise her for her "boldness" in defying regulations). If a bad guy is violent and aggressive, she can beat him by being more violent and aggressive (with all that entails). It's impossible for her to go overboard because she's protected by Protagonist-Centered Morality.

Sylvie is shown as a kid to immediately be able to grab a Tempad and run away.  And she can kick ass way better than Loki, for no known reason.  She is always able to fight back against the TVA when they attack her.  And she can kill lots of innocent TVA agents but it’s okay because TVA bad, Sylvie good.

Skills

She will always be superior to the canon characters, regardless of what canon has established they can do or whether it makes any sense.

Whose skill was needed to defeat Alioth?  Sylvie’s.  Of course.  Sylvie needed to teach Loki her skills in order for him to succeed (!).  And again, she is literally called the superior Loki.

Relatedly, there's no effort to her skills. She never actually trains or learns anything to become more powerful; she just wins the Super Power Lottery, or is a freakish natural learner, or is just Inexplicably Awesome

We’re told Sylvie literally taught herself magic.  She literally taught herself to enchant people.  That. Makes. No. Sense.  Like, I have so many questions.  Like, why would it even occur to her to teach herself that?  And how????????????  This is really lazy writing.

Canon Character Relationships

Mary Sue is often designed to hook up with another character, often as a form of Wish Fulfillment. This isn't that bad in and of itself (okay, it is kinda weird), but Mary Sue accomplishes this without any sense of realism. She just grabs her lover's attention straight away, and their relationship will never face any obstacles or tension; it's true love from the start and nothing else. The biggest giveaway is if the love interest is explicitly the author's favorite character, and she essentially "cures" him of all the angst that ails him (at the expense of his characterization).

Yeah, so...this one should be pretty obvious to anyone who watched the show.  Loki literally falls in love with Sylvie immediately, and then he suddenly turns from “villain” to “hero” just because of loving her.  And this was definitely at the expense of his characterization.  And Loki just knows he falls in love with her.  There’s not even any moments of hmm what do I feel for this person?  It’s just true love, immediately.

She will be related to a canon character in some way. This (marginally) helps explain such phenomena as her being a Copy Cat Sue and other characters accepting her so easily.

Sylvie is a Loki variant.  They use this to help explain why Loki is drawn to her and why their falling in love immediately “makes sense”.

Most characters give her more heed than they normally would. The good guys never stop praising her

Seriously, it was so over the top and OOC for Loki to gush over her.  He literally tells her she’s amazing.  They don’t even make it subtle.

Characters' previously established personalities change in reaction to her. Proud, arrogant gimps suddenly acknowledge her superiority in everything. Reckless youths will listen to all her advice. Responsible leaders will defer to her instead. Villains will obsess with her to the detriment of all else. Extremely competent characters will become stumbling buffoons who require her help to do anything. Sweet, mild-mannered characters whom the author doesn't like turn evil and insult her. They all become unnaturally focused on her in some way.

Again, Loki’s whole personality changed in reaction to her.  He became a buffoon who needed her help to enchant the Alioth because of course he couldn’t do anything without her!  Hunter B-15 goes from doing whatever the TVA said to fighting the TVA just because of Sylvie.

Story Elements

Mary Sue is without exception a single-person Spotlight-Stealing Squad. The entire story hinges on her existence; if you removed her, there would be no story. 

Sylvie undoubtedly drove the whole story this season.  It all became about HER meeting the TVA heads because of HER trauma.  Loki’s life was only saved at the beginning because the TVA was trying to capture HER.  And SHE was the one who started the whole multiverse (!).

Mary Sue is The Chosen One, even if the setting already has one. There are many ways she can accomplish this: she can be a Sailor Earth type who "shares" the position with the canon hero; she may be vaguely "destined to help the destined one fulfill their destiny" (i.e. do all the work except the final blow so that the prophecy is still technically correct); or the canon hero may be revealed to be a Fake Ultimate Hero all along. Being the Chosen One doesn't necessarily involve her being a God-Mode Sue, especially as authors become aware of the phenomenon and try to avoid it, but it does make her critically important to the world and allows her to continue stealing the spotlight without the "god mode" label.

HWR wanted Sylvie to come with Loki in the end, like she was chosen all along right alongside Loki.  Like one of the most important characters in the entire MCU is now this character who we only met a few episodes ago.

Most Sues have an unusually Dark and Troubled Past. It's often used to create a Sympathetic Sue, but any type of Sue can have one

They tell us, over and over, how hard Sylvie’s life was because she was kidnapped by the TVA in order to create sympathy for her.

She almost never does anything wrong. In the rare instance that she does, it's usually; (a) a way for the author to disclaim her being a Mary Sue by introducing a single imperfection (that has no bearing on anything anyway), and (b) designed to show her smarts by making her feel instant remorse, and she'll be Easily Forgiven anyway:

So this one hopefully will not come true, as a lot can change between now and when the show is taped. But if the show goes on the way the behind the scenes team is talking, Sylvie immediately felt remorse for betraying Loki, and Loki has already forgiven her and is desperately looking for her.  Ugh.

Alternatively, she is more than capable of doing something wrong, be it in general moral terms or something that goes against whatever code she abides by, and she maybe even frequently does so, but don't expect the other characters or the narrative to ever acknowledge or comment on it in any real capacity. If the other characters do call her out, expect them to be treated like they're the problem for daring to criticize her at all.

Mobius calls her out for killing people, but Sylvie immediately says he’s a bad person and then Mobius agrees, because, of course.

She will often suffer from Special Snowflake Syndrome; i.e., she has a trait or backstory that sets her apart from her group or race.

She is the only female Loki, thus making her the special one among all the Lokis in episode five.

Presentation

In visual media, the camera just can't stop staring at her.

The camera would follow her in fight scenes rather than Loki.

Mary Sue Tropes

Okay, so there are specific Mary Sue tropes that Sylvie is.  One of those is Copy Cat Sue, which I think was referenced before.

Copy Cat Sue

A lot of fanfic writers...start to write something because of their passion for this character, but they find something about the character that doesn't mesh well. Maybe they're the wrong gender or are otherwise not close enough to the author's expectations...In any case, rather than put them through the Possession Sue process, they just get a Clone-O-Matic™ and out pops a Copy Cat Sue...the character might be intended as a replacement for the canon character, but without whatever icky traits the author hates. They'll then rob the spotlight, prove the canon character to be unworthy of his/her position, and either relegate the character to obsolescence or, perhaps, even remove them entirely.

Sylvie is basically a clone of Loki, she is a variant.  But she absolutely robbed the spotlight of Loki’s, and they literally call her the superior Loki.  I mean, they are literally not even being subtle about this.  And there was a feeling by myself (and a lot of other viewers) that Sylvie might ultimately replace Loki in the MCU. 

Black Hole Sue

Much like a black hole, this is a Mary Sue who "sucks in" the plot and characters to her. Characters will behave outside their personalities, logic will be defied, and rules will be broken for her sake.

Sylvie really does suck up all the plot and Loki definitely behaves outside of his personality just to fit the Sylvie show.

Jerk Sue

A Mary Sue who is mean or maybe even cruel, but are still treated as an ideal person.

Once again, Sylvie is basically a jerk all of episode three, but you’ve got Loki falling over himself to call her amazing in just the next episode.

Relationship Sue

A Mary Sue who exists to be the perfect mate for a specific character...this character has everything in the plot conspiring to enforce this One True Pairing...in Fanfiction, they are the perfect beloved of a canon character.

They literally have Mobius speculate that Loki falling in love with Sylvie is so extraordinary that it causes an entire Nexus event, that’s how huge this One True Pairing is (!).  And Sylvie is the love interest of Loki, the only character who had been around before the beginning of the series

TLDR: Sylvie has all the tropes of a classic Mary Sue character.  So calling Sylvie a Mary Sue isn’t being sexist or just randomly hating on the character.  If you use common Mary Sue characteristics to examine the character, she just has too many of these characteristics to ignore.

[cinnamonest]

Y’all are too nice to me I swear… here I am being horny and nasty on main and I’m getting encouraged, damn. But for real  ( ´ ω ` ) thank you so much!!

I’m gaining more confidence to post more smutty stuff and the kind of dark shit I like, so I might go back and make more nasty Childe content later on too… After Albedo, I got Razor and Zhongli coming up, and a few ones I just worked on for fun. But yeah, just in case it wasn’t clear for anyone who followed me, I’m going to be writing almost entirely dark content and some really nasty stuff, so just be aware of that, and don’t consume my writing if that’s something that may be harmful to you.

Albedo is so pretty… and such good dark content material… He treats you like a science experiment but has the audacity to make it hot smh

I haven’t seen a whole lot of him outside the cutscenes, so potentially ooc (as if yandere content isn’t already ooc, lmao)

Albedo - Yandere Profile

tw: general yandere content, obsessive behavior, stalking

tw (below cut): smut, noncon (seriously, you’ve been warned)

What are they generally like? Lucid, aware? Obsessive? How do they behave?

Very much aware. In the beginning, it frustrates him. He’s never been particularly attached to anyone, outside of his former instructor. He’s always enjoyed being out on his own, spending extended amounts of time by himself – the desire to be around someone is a foreign feeling for him. He immediately notices how bizarre the emotion is for him, how it changes his behaviors. His self awareness combined with perceptiveness makes him able to acutely recognize not only how unusual this emotion is for him, but also how the extent of his feelings, the types of desires they ignite in him, is unusual even for “normal” people who aren’t social recluses.

He’s frustrated by his own actions, feels embarrassed at how attached he is to you, how easily you make him flustered and trip over his words. As he is a very aware yandere, he’s definitely afraid of rejection to some degree. He has no idea how to navigate feelings and interactions with other people, he’s never really had the desire to form a particularly strong bond with anyone before. As such, he’ll come across as very awkward, and he will interact with you less than most yanderes – he knows he’s just going to embarrass himself if he talks to you, right? He’ll just mess up and say something strange, so instead, he opts to watch you from the shadows, go to places where you are, but keep a distance from you, just being able to watch you makes him feel fluttery and overwhelmed. 

He will definitely be one to collect things from you. He collects plenty of things for the sake of science, this is no different. Or so he tries to tell himself, but he can’t delude himself even if he tries. He knows its weird, he knows its wrong, but the overwhelming urge to have things of yours is too great to resist. He’ll start off with more innocent things, but it will gradually progress to not-so-innocent… items of yours.

It may not be obvious, but he’s actually a fairly sensitive person, at least regarding you. He places a lot of value in what you think of him, and wants to ensure you’ll respond positively to him. He views it like a science – there should be some formula by which he can put in the correct actions, and produce a specific result. Unfortunately, unlike real science, there’s not much room for trial and error – he feels he only has once chance.

How likely are they to kidnap their darling? How quickly will they do so?

It will take some time, as he’s got to get over his own nerves first. He’s torn between the fear of you hating him for such a thing, it would be the end of the world for him, but also the desire to pull you away from the world, to keep you hidden from others, to have you all to himself, to be the only person that gets to look at you. If you start showing positive signs, reacting positively to his gifts, expressing interest in conversation with him and going out of your way to see him, he’ll start to get more confident, think that he can afford to do something that might sour your opinion of him, hoping it will merely be temporary.

He’ll probably start to do so several times and back out. He’ll set out at night, make it all the way to your room and stand over your sleeping form, and he’ll start to worry, wonder if someone saw him, see holes in his plans, he gets too nervous and bolts. He’ll persuade you into being alone with him, and although its the chance he’s looking for, again, he’ll get nervous, worry about being caught, run through all the what-ifs, and miss the chance. Honestly, when he does finally take you, it will probably be not planned, but in the heat of the moment, a rash decision from desperation. Something like you coming to visit him to tell him you’re leaving the area, came to say goodbye, and he’ll panic, ultimately grabbing you by the arm as you try to leave and dragging you back inside, silently, but forcefully.

How difficult is it to escape from them? How do they keep you restrained? How do they deal with attempted escape?

Moderately difficult. Your best bet is to take advantage of his tendency to be absent minded when he’s absorbed in his work. He gets very lost in his thoughts, to a point where he’ll completely zone out and be oblivious to the world around him. On the downside, this means you won’t have much time to cover distance, he’ll be close behind the moment he realizes you’re gone.

The route he’ll probably take is actually one where you won’t need to be too restrained, because you’ll be taking… a little research trip. Out to the most freezing, desolate areas of the mountains. He’s convinced the knights he needs to stay there for his research, but in reality, he’s internally panicking, as he tries to figure out how to make this work – after all, you two can’t stay here forever. You’d be foolish to run out of the little cabin he’s bought, out into the perilous freezing cold and jagged, high slopes. At first, he thinks there’s no way you’d try it, so he’s content letting you have free reign to walk around as you please. If he has to leave for whatever reason, he’ll probably lock you into a single room, but he won’t chain you up, as again, he's really trying to avoid making you hate him.

If you prove to be determined to leave, he’ll be hurt, but mostly concerned for you. He’s actually not one to get too mad over an escape attempt – he’ll blame himself, or theorize it’s just a natural response your brain triggered. Against his first choice, he’ll end up having to get more strict with your restraints. If you get too whiny, though… you might trigger one of his more frustrated moments.

“I didn’t want to have to do this… I’m sorry. I can’t risk anything bad happening to you. Tell me if it’s too tight… I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t blame you. I know you’re probably panicking over all this, but you’ll get adjusted to it, I promise. Just… just give it some time… it’s not so bad, living with me, I promise.”

“Don’t be like that. You’re only tied up because you tried to leave. You should understand why you have to be kept like this… If you don’t want to be restrained, you shouldn’t have run out, trying to get yourself killed.”

How easy are they to trick, deceive, or manipulate?

For all his academic intelligence, he’s not highly skilled with people and socialization. He’s not too good at being able to tell when he’s being lied to, and he definitely won’t pick up on subtle manipulation. It’ll be pretty easy to wrap him around your finger, he’ll do what he can to make you happy.

Once he finds out you’ve lied to him, though, he’ll get pretty upset. He likely won’t trust you again, and will require proof of anything you say, or set out to find out if you’re telling him the truth or not.

How lenient are they? What privileges can you have, and what will you be denied?

He’ll try to accommodate you, giving you things you ask for, but he has limits. He’s too paranoid to let you have any contact with the outside world. You do have him wrapped around your finger to an extent, though. Whatever he’s doing at the moment, he’ll drop it in a heartbeat if you want to spend time with him in any way, even if its just you asking for food or to take a walk. He’ll be willing to take you for very short trips outside, no further than a few yards from the lodging, if only because he knows sunlight is vital to your health.

What kind of rules do they have? What kind of punishment would they use?

The basics will be there – don’t try to leave, don’t be difficult with him, try to cooperate, be obedient. However, he’s also particularly overprotective of anything that can hurt you – even yourself. Under no circumstances can you handle anything that can hurt you – that means no cooking, no knives, no lifting anything heavy, no going outside without him. If you’re determined to cook something, he’ll have to stand right behind you, and watch while you do it. If you get so much as a little cut or burn, he’ll take over, insisting you go sit down after he tends to your “wounds.”

At the very beginning, he’ll be hesitant to punish you too much, as part of his plan to get you to like him. However, he can be a little easily frustrated, and your safety and well-being comes first, even if it means he has to make you upset. He will have to restrain you, take away what little privileges you had. If you try to bolt while you’re outside, no more going outside. If you try something foolish like attacking him with a knife when he gives you cooking privileges, you will lose said privileges. Really, the worst part of it all is the humiliation, being treated like a dumb, incapable baby that can’t do anything for yourself. He insists on doing everything for you, even down to bathing you and dressing you, even feeding you if you can’t convince him to take restraints off your hands. He’ll talk down to you in that way, too, talking to you as if you were a child.

How do they deal with rivals, or perceived rivals? Will they get rid of them? Will they kill them themselves, or find another way?

It’s a situation he’s not prepared to handle, and he’s unsure of what to do. It strikes fear in him that you might have someone else interested, so he has to get rid of them as quickly as possible. He’s not opposed to killing, if it comes down to that, but initially, he’ll try to work behind the scenes – expose something that will ruin their reputation, get them accused of a crime. This would also be one of the possible aforementioned situations that might cause him to kidnap you a bit earlier than he normally would, as well. If he can’t get rid of them easily, he’ll just take you away from them.

He will absolutely try to make you hate them, try to ruin your image of them, and he’s rather good at falsifying evidence for his claims of their behavior. With his alchemic skills, that sort of thing is easily possible.

How easy is it to make them mad? What does their anger look like?

He gets more frustrated than anything, when you’re being difficult. This is mostly just him sighing quite a bit, speaking a bit harshly, even pouting and sulking a bit if you’ve offended him. But true anger in him is not pretty, and almost never happens. It’s a buildup, a slow rise that has a boiling point. If he reaches that point, he can definitely get mad enough to hurt you, it’s actually kind of terrifying in how sharp of a contrast it is to how he normally is. It’s a side of him that’s very difficult to draw out. He’s not one to yell or shout, no, his anger is a suffocating silence, he slams down whatever he’s holding as he stomps over to you, grabbing you by the arms hard enough to bruise, and dragging you by the hair to whatever he has planned.

With mild frustration outbursts, he will feel justified, but if it reaches that intense anger, he’ll usually give at least a little apology, tell you he didn’t mean to go that far. He hates to think of you fearing him, but ultimately, if that’s what’s necessary to keep you safe, then he can live with it.

Do they see you as above them, beneath them, or equal to them?

It’s an odd mix. On one hand, he sees you as utterly fascinating, the most beautiful thing he’s ever laid eyes on, more than any landscape or art he’s seen or made, an invaluable treasure to be kept on a high pedestal. Simultaneously, however, he will treat you like a child, thinks you can’t do anything for yourself. It’s a bizarre duality, but one he is consistent on. You’re precious, so very precious, and he’s undeserving of you, but at the same time, you need him to be safe and sound.

How determined are they for you to love them? How hard will they try to make it happen? Or are they content just having you?

Of the genshin boys, he’s one of the most determined. He’s not good with people, and he doesn’t really have anyone particularly close to him left anymore. He tends to keep people at a distance. You sort of fill an space inside him that he never knew was empty, a void he wasn’t aware he had until it was consumed by thoughts of you. He doesn’t need anyone or anything else, so long as he has you with him, but he really, really wants it to be true that you love him. He doesn’t need you to even love him as much as he loves you – he doesn’t even know if that’s possible – but he just wants to know that, even if only in the slightest, his feelings are returned. He’s so distant from everyone else, but you wormed your way into his heart, even if you didn’t intend to, with your smiles and softness and kindness towards him. For the first time, he feels weak around someone, but in a way, it’s a good feeling. He wants to be able to be vulnerable, be weak, and not have anything to fear by doing so.

He’s lucid, though, so he doesn’t expect you to love him immediately. As he’s not good with words or displays of affection, he’ll get you all sorts of gifts. Rare items that you wonder how the hell he obtained them, beautifully crafted little trinkets from all his searching and time traveling, more clothes than you could ever wear. You’ll start to feel a little guilty, it’s so much, and you’re certain he doesn’t have that much money. He’ll blow it off, say it’s no big deal, but if you insist, he’ll have to start finding new ways to convey his affection. In captivity, he won’t stop trying, but he’ll understand why you might be angry. In that case, he will utilize what he’s learned from research in books he’s read. He knows that eventually, with him being the only one you have, the only company, the only one to talk to, the only source of touch, you’ll eventually have to cave. You’ll become attached to him, bond with him, whether you like it or not. He knows how powerful the affect of touch can be, and will make sure to hold you in his arms, keep you on his lap, make you crave the only source of human touch you can get. Dependency, he thinks, is the gateway to you loving him.

Bonus: Is there anything that makes them unique, in comparison to other yanderes?

Drawings. So many of them. Much like his drawings he uses in notes, he’s found he tends to start scribbling a familiar face when his mind drifts off. He’s memorized every little detail of your face, every curve on your body. If you’re ever snooping around, you’ll eventually uncover a book of sketches he has solely dedicated to drawings of you. Drawings of you laughing, smiling, sleeping, drawings that you’re certain were of real events you were at, that you didn’t remember him being at. Every bit in perfect detail. If you confront him about it, he’ll be horrifically embarrassed, insisting they’re no good, or, if you’re upset, trying to reassure you it was all from his mind and totally not him lurking in the shadows as he watches you.

Also, if you want to make him happy, get him on one of his spiels about his work, his interests, anything that he can catch onto and go on and on about. He’ll catch himself rambling and apologize for being “annoying,” but if you reassure him, and express interest, that will make him feel particularly appreciated. It would be a primary way to get on his good side and manipulate him, or lull him into false security to make your escape, if that’s what you’re looking to do. But be warned, it will only work once, and he’ll be far too hurt to let himself indulge in sharing these things with you again.

General perverseness: how sexual of a person are they? What’s their drive like? How touchy do they get? Do they have any reservations about sexuality?

Publicly, definitely highly reserved. He’s easily flustered, and thinks of sex in a very scientific way, for the purpose of procreation. For fun? He knows it’s enjoyable, but can’t separate it from his very analytic, scientific way of viewing things. It’s a formula, you touch this here and pull that there, and the result is supposed to be orgasmic bliss. He just isn’t very familiar with pleasure – he doesn’t drag out masturbation, even, as that would be a waste of time. He gets it over with quickly, taking short breaks during his work. He is a fairly high drive, though, and gets the urge fairly frequently, about once or twice a day.

He’ll be hornier with your presence, having to leave more frequently to get off to the little things you do, quickly getting himself off while recalling the mental image of you holding a pen in your mouth, the little moan when you stretch, the way your clothes fit to your frame.

Prior to abduction, he’s not particularly touchy at all, in fact, he’s very jumpy if you touch him. Once he’s gotten you alone with him for the foreseeable future, isolated, dependent, he’ll gain more confidence, be willing to give into his cravings to touch you, hold you, eventually progressing to groping you, moving his hands up and down your body, under your clothes, slowly peeling them off.

He’s initially a bit ashamed of his urges towards you, feels guilty every time he gets off to you, but will likewise gain more confidence once you're his.

A guy can only fight off the urge for so long before he cracks, before he can’t continue to care about the consequences. For him, that point is when he knows he finally has you all to himself – his worries fade, and while the guilt is still there, it’s far outweighed by desire.

How forceful are they? Do they care about your willingness?

He does care, but as stated previously, it’s hard to fight the urge for so long. It will be torture, but for the first few days, he wants you to “adjust” to your new “home,” and not add to your panic. After that, though, he’ll try to assess your reactions. If you’re extremely resistant, he’ll give you more “adjustment” time. He can’t really hold off forever, though, and eventually, maybe a few weeks in, comes to the conclusion that if he just does what he wants, so long as he’s gentle and reminds you he loves you, it will help you get past the mental barrier in your mind. He’s convinced there’s simply a psychological issue, and that sometimes, people need a push. It’s like having a friend who can’t swim – sometimes, you just have to throw them into the water, help them get over that mental hurdle, and they’ll be grateful in the end. That’s what he tells himself to justify it, anyway. He has enough… anatomical prerequisite knowledge to know what’s good and what’s bad, and will take your body’s positive reactions as a sign of what you really want. Is definitely the kind to use that against you, holding up his fingers to your face after you cum on them, as if to prove a point.

“See? I told you, you just have to let go and give in to what you want… if you didn’t, my fingers wouldn’t be dripping like this, now would they?”

What sort of kinks or fetishes do they have, or would they fill?

He wants to experiment on you. This manifests as him being something of a service top without really intending to be, even if you’re not exactly happy about it. He likes to watch your reactions, watch the way your body moves, test the pleasure you get from different things, discover what it is that you like, even if you weren’t aware of it. In particular, he’s fascinated by the fact that girls have so many types of orgasms. He’ll want to try them all, watch and see which ones are more intense than others, which ones make you convulse, makes your toes curl, your eyes roll back. Which erogenous zones make your breath hitch, make you twitch and whimper. Probably the type to be determined that he can make you cum just from something like sucking on your nipples, and he won’t stop until he achieves it. He’ll also want to try everything. At least anything that he thinks has some potential to appeal to him, mentally. He’s a busy man and hasn’t really taken the time to explore his own sexuality, and has virtually zero experience.

Edging, overstimulation, forced orgasms

Experimentation also means testing limits and thresholds. He’ll bring you up to the edge, learn to watch for the slightest of signs that you’re close, listen to your breath, watch your face, wait until you’re just so close and then draw back, stopping just short of letting you catch that high. Then he’ll let you drift back down, and bring you back up again. No amount of begging will make him show you any mercy, you’ll only cum when he’s decided he’s observed enough. He wants to push the limit, see just how close to the edge of orgasm you can get without spilling over, just how much it takes to drive you insane. He’ll also want to see how far you can go after it as well. Orgasm won’t be the end of his ministrations, no, he wants to see how much stimulation you can take. You won’t be able to get away from his tongue, he’ll grab you by the hips and slam you back down, continuing to lap at you even if you’re so sensitive it’s painful. Watching you cum will just make him rut into you harder, bruising and abusing your insides to a point that they’re so sore you can feel it long after it’s over. At first, he might feel a little guilty, and may very well after it’s over, but in the heat of the moment, he can’t fight the insatiable urge to listen to you squeal, feel you convulse, watch the tears from overwhelming pleasure run down your face.

He’ll make it his personal mission to see how many orgasms the female body is capable of within a given amount of time - per day, per hour, how quickly you can have them in succession. For scientific purposes, of course. Anatomy and human biology isn’t really his main field of focus, but he likes to expand his research horizons.

“Just one more… cum one more time for me, then we’ll be done. Come on… I know you can, just one more.”

How do they feel about pregnancy or babies? Do they want them?

He’s actually good with children, usually. He has a calming effect on kids. He isn’t sure how he feels, though. To some degree, he fears his capabilities to parent, thinks he would be too cold to be a good father. But he also likes the idea of a protege, an heir to his title, one he can teach everything he knows. If he does end up having one, this fucking nerd man will read every book on pregnancy, birthing, and parenting that he can get his hands on.

Also, he’ll absolutely be one to track your cycles, even better than you can. He’s researched enough to know exactly when you’re most or least likely to get pregnant, and you can’t help but notice how much more he seems to cum in you when you’re at your most fertile. Nor can he deny how satisfying it is to watch his cum slowly drip out of you, watching you twitch with aftershock and slowly drift off in exhaustion.

What kind of (nsfw) punishments would they use?

Unfortunately for you, since overstimulation and edging are already normal and everyday for you, he’ll have to amp it up a bit if he’s trying to make you regret something. He might get rougher, abusing more pleasure spots on your body, keeping his hands, mouth, and cock occupied all at once with driving you over the edge until it’s painful. But if you’re exceptionally misbehaved, you might not ever get a release to his edging, instead left to suffer from being so close, tied up so you can’t finish yourself off.

In moments when he’s really, truly angry, the peak of it, and that blends with arousal, he’ll really, really throatfuck you. Grabbing the back of your head and shoving his cock down as deep as he can, holding you there as you gag and choke, feeling your throat convulse around him, desperately trying to pull back for air. The movements are harsh and brutal, pulling harshly on your hair, moving at a pace so fast you barely have a second to breathe. Thankfully, when it gets like that, he won’t last long, emptying out into your throat, holding your jaw shut and demanding you swallow. If any spills off on your chin, he’ll gather it up on his fingers, hold it to your face, and command you to open your mouth, suck it off, and swallow again. That’s at the peak of his anger, though, and you’ll have to substantially piss him off to reach that point. He’ll apologize later, holding you close, but his guilt doesn’t change the fact that it’s one of the most intense orgasms that he’ll have, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t sometimes think of doing it again, even without provocation. He’s restrained enough not to, but the thought is there… and deep down, he’ll entertain the idea.

What body parts of their darling do they like the most?

The curves of your body, no matter how defined or faint they are, no matter the general shape of your body, to him it’s the most beautiful thing. He’ll definitely want to draw you, even if you’re not too keen on posing. He’ll run his hands up and down your body, squeezing every little bit of flesh he can, moving his palms over every little curve, every inch of your skin.

[icybreaths]

My muse(s): Jewel Stone

Do I know your muse(s):  yes | no | a little | tell me about your muse

Bee's knees asdfing I have no words ;o; I'm glad that you enjoy Jewel's headcanons and that you like her! I enjoy getting to learn more about Mari too. Your headcanons with her really humanize her and make her feel like a real person that's imperfect, but likeable and approachable. She's a well rounded OC! I try to be reserved about coming into people's IMs unless I have a plot idea or something relevant to ask, but noted! I love to learn about other people's muses so by all means that invitation goes both ways! c:

Setting: our verse | my verse | your verse | modern | alternate universe | other

Bleachverse is def the easiest for me to work with, but our girls don't have to be limited to that! I'm 100% open to other verses and AUs, even if it's not currently on my verses page. As long as it's a world we're both comfortable with and can make a plot out of I'll v likely be game for it.

Pre-established relationships? yes | no | depends on the relationship

Possible relationships: friends | classmate | co-worker | roommate | family, real or adopted | dating or blind date | married | friends with benefits | unrequited love | lending a hand | teacher - student | rivals | allies | partner-in-crime | enemies | protecter - guarded | business partners | spy - infiltrated | manipulator - manipulated | star-crossed | first meeting | other 

Jewel doesn't like to put herself on a pedestal, even with her position as a lieutenant. She's in it to 'try' to help her division, but it's mostly for the freedom it affords her (which isn't nearly enough and it Bothers her but that's just scratching the surface with her discontent in her division lmao.) Mariko being subtle about her admiration would be the best approach tbh because it wouldn't be in Jewel's face or make her feel awkward (she would be like 'that's okay give it time you'll be disappointed in me eventually' asfas). Jewel would appreciate Mari's level headed coolness and be drawn to her ambition and work ethic. And I think on a subtler level she'd be drawn to Mari's inferiority disguised as superiority complex too -- because her best friend (an OC of mine, named Airi of all thINGS) is the SAME WAY.

I’m in the mood for: fluff | angst | horror | romance | humor | crime | hurt / comfort | action | supernatural | slice of life | crack | dark threads | light threads | any genre | multi-para | shorter para | one-line | any length | plotted threads | unplotted threads | other

I'm generally open for just about anything, even just yelling about our muses and throwing out plot bunnies to play around with, or even like. Coming up with aesthetics and moodboards for verses. I like the thread we have going too! I'm always open to more~

Feel free to: message me ooc | message me ic | tell me your ideas | write a starter | answer one of my opens | send a meme | reblog this with your preferences - let’s find common interests! (done!)

✔

Send me ✔ and I will bold my preferences for your muse! // @icybreaths

My muse(s): Mariko 'Mari' Hagihara

Do I know your muse(s):  yes | no | a little | tell me about your muse

This is the part where I'm shameless and admit I love reading your headcanons and finding out more about Jewel because I am weak and think she is the bee's knees. I do love it when people come into my IMs and scream about muses with me though so if you ever wanna!

Setting: our verse | my verse | your verse | modern | alternate universe | other

Bleach verse works best for them both I think as that's Jewel's main verse and one of Mari's like 87 AUs.

Pre-established relationships? yes | no | depends on the relationship

Possible relationships: friends | classmate | co-worker | roommate | family, real or adopted | dating or blind date | married | friends with benefits | unrequited love | lending a hand | teacher - student | rivals | allies | partner-in-crime | enemies | protecter - guarded | business partners | spy - infiltrated | manipulator - manipulated | star-crossed | first meeting | other 

I just remember your post saying Jewel's been a Shinigami for a good few hundred years and Mari's relatively new to the role, having done it for about sixty or so years, so I can see her looking up to Jewel in her own way. They both have a zanpakuto that people probably don't initially respect (albeit for different reasons, but I can see Mari having an admiration for Jewel that she doesn't say out loud but is kind of obvious to anyone who knows her. She's just a cool lady.

I’m in the mood for: fluff | angst | horror | romance | humor | crime | hurt / comfort | action | supernatural | slice of life | crack | dark threads | light threads | any genre | multi-para | shorter para | one-line | any length | plotted threads | unplotted threads | other

I am very much a go with the flow but also scream about things in IMs kind of girly because I am a loser. I really enjoy the little thread we have going at the moment!

Feel free to: message me ooc | message me ic | tell me your ideas | write a starter | answer one of my opens | send a meme | reblog this with your preferences - let’s find common interests!