#◈ YOU DON’T KNOW A THING ABOUT ME. // headcanons.

[tangents-within-tangents]

Like fr to everyone talking about headcanons/AUs/"having fun" in the notes: the word you are looking for is REinterpretation. Not to go webster or anything but

-Interpret: explain the meaning of information, words, or actions. (explain, expound, clarify)

-Misinterpret: interpret something or someone wrongly. (misunderstand, misconstrue, mistake)

-Reinterpret: interpret something in a new or different light.

It seems in fandom spaces the word interpretation is often used at times when what they actually mean is reinterpretation (or sometimes just reaction or impression, ex: your opinion of a character is subjective and valid, but that's not the same as an interpretation).

If your "interpretation" is completely divorced from or contradicts the text, it's not an interpretation anymore. It's a reinterpretation. A reimagining. And yeah you can totally have your fun, go off! Just don't act like it IS an interpretation. Because valid interpretations come with supporting evidence, which is the whole point of the og post.

I think this bit from OP's other reblog describes it best:

this is one way it gets messy that fandom is a space for both media analysis and transformative works even though those two things don’t always co-exist comfortably or necessarily serve each other.

This is the crux. Both happen in fandom because both are a form of engaging with a work that you appreciate. But one literally relies upon analyzing what IS presented in the text, and the other upon reinventing and transforming that text (and headcanon sometimes straddles this line in between). So the important thing is recognizing the distinctions and not mixing them up. And it goes both ways:

-“He would never act that way” we know, it’s an intentional recharacterization bc we're exploring something different right now

-“But he's just a poor meow meow” not relevant right now because we're analyzing how the writing actually portrayed him

Textual evidence doesn't matter when we're just having fun and making incorrect quote memes, and headcanons don't matter when we're analyzing thematic content. The distinction helps us to have more productive conversations. And crossing the streams can sometimes take us to harmful or frustrating extremes.

To borrow an example from Rowan Ellis: You relate to a Taylor Swift song and feel seen in your queer identity? That's great, no one can stop you from experiencing the song that way even if Taylor didn't intend it. But if you turn that around and say this is proof that Taylor herself must be secretly queer, or worse that she's somehow queerbaiting? Please stop!

Another example: Someone once pulled the "we're just having fun, you can scroll past" card on me when they were straight up bashing the writing for not going the way they wanted. Please, have your fun, I won't stop you. Write a fix-it au where your blorbo comes back to life. Vive la fanfic! But when you say "the writers should have done [random specific thing] if they wanted me to believe he was truly dead" whilst blatantly misinterpreting the thing the writers did do to confirm it so it can fit into your theories/denial? That's not 'just having fun' anymore, that's flawed/unfair criticism and I'mma push back on it. (I didn't actually, just for the record)

Headcanons by definition are not canon, and I think you'll find most people are totally fine with you having whatever headcanons you want, so long as you don't start claiming that they are canon or that your way is the only way. That's where people have a problem.

But even headcanons that don't contradict canon, that could fit into ambiguous gaps where canon did not confirm or deny the possibility either way, are still headcanons. They aren't presented in the text itself and therefore not useful to analysis and criticism.

And I think this is where the distinction can feel blurry at times. Because some headcanoning is based on evidence from the source material. So some may think it's the same as media analysis, but I'd call it extrapolation rather than interpretation. It uses canon evidence in more of a imaginative/conspiracy theory/inspiration to bounce off type of way. Especially since fanon is often about filling in gaps.

Fanon focuses on the story, and treats it almost as if it and the characters are living. But media analysis relies upon treating it as media. On recognizing it was written by a person who made choices and used literary devices and elements intentionally to convey meaning (even if we can debate on what that meaning is).

Subtext is not just whatever you want to project onto a story. Subtext is an actual literary device. Meaning that is intentionally implied by the author because you shouldn't spell everything out and it's important to let the readers participate. It's what the characters aren't saying but the author is.

Unreliable narrator is also a literary device, that is intentionally crafted and indicated throughout the whole text. It's the author saying something through the character saying the opposite. It's not an excuse to ignore whatever you want to ignore of what the narrator says.

Characters aren't people and they don't actually make any choices. Everything they do, everything they are, was written and crafted by the author.

(In short, when I analyze character arcs or critique writing choices, I'd love for the discussion I get to point out things I may have overlooked or misinterpreted. Not for it to just shove in a bunch of irrelevant headcanons, character personifications, and Watsonian explanations that have nothing to do with my arguments.)

Fanon is very open-world concept (and open multiverse lol), but analysis is about looking at what the author did give you, what they chose to include or not and what it is meant to show us.

Writing is about crafting an iceberg that implies a keel under the water. Therefore analysis is about studying the iceberg to try to interpret that keel. And fanon is about exploring the whole ocean. And transformative work is about idk cutting off chunks and making ice sculptures.

All of them are very cool and fun in their own right but I think we can see how they can definitely clash and get in each other's way.

Not “Only my reading of canon is correct” or “Interpretations are subjective and all valid” but a secret third thing, “More than one interpretation can be valid but there’s a reason your English teacher had you cite quotes and examples in your papers, you have to have a strong argument that your interpretation is actually supported by the text or it is just wrong and I’m fine with telling you it’s wrong, actually.”

[onceinablueberrymoon]

I don’t know if you’re doing smut, but if you do, how about the reader is a recruiter like the salesman and there together and how would he be with you in the Bed! (He’s a total psycho for me hehe)

salesman x recruiter!reader headcanons (sfw + nsfw)

sorry for the super long wait! i did headcanons for this one since i’m not the most comfortable w hardcore smut. if you’ve read my stories, you probably already know i’m a sucker for soft and domestic salesman lmao

notes: gender-neutral!reader; the recruiter is called salesman here since reader is also a recruiter here

warnings, just in case: mentions of whips, guns, slight exhibitionism

minors dni! there’s smut in this one, folks

(also pls send me requests! i’m working on the ones i’ve already received, but more are always welcome♡ not just for the salesman either, i am begging anything sangwoo too) 

sfw

if the reader is also a recruiter, you’d have probably met the salesman just after becoming a recruiter yourself. 

while the salesman’s game of choice was ddakji, yours was tic-tac-toe. 

similar to the salesman who carried ddakji tiles and various bills of won, your briefcase contained a simple wooden frame and wooden ‘x’ and ‘o’ pieces. 

when you first met, he was polite and courteous towards you.

as time went on though, you felt as if you were being followed after work hours. one morning however, you’d caught him following you and confronted him, saying that his assigned location wasn’t anywhere near yours.

stunned that you had discovered him, he offered to have lunch together, which you accepted. the two of you started to grow closer, with both of you checking in on each other via text throughout the day. 

even though you and the salesman would rarely cross paths during work, you always made time for each other after work. 

this man can be soft when he wants to be. from cutely pouting when he loses at board games to snuggling in bed after a long day of slapping people, he’s capable of being a loving partner when he feels like it. he just didn’t have someone to share that side of him until you came along.

that’s not to say he doesn’t have a dark side. of course he does! that’s what we’re all here for, right?

nsfw

you always knew the salesman had interesting… tendencies. 

although you also played games while seeking out prospective players, you didn’t bring that part of your life home. that is, until you met the salesman.

you quickly learned that he loved games. so much so that he’d incorporated them into your sex life.

what game haven’t you played by this point? 

tag, where he chased you around his apartment until he eventually pinned you down and had his way with you.

marco polo, where he shouted “marco!”, to which you replied “polo!” from your hiding spot. he’d then crack his whip in the direction in which you called.

tug of war, where you’d both tug on a special rope he’d bought just for the occasion. he’d usually win, unless he took it easy on you. the winner would use the rope to tie the loser’s hands to the bedpost.

and of course, when he was feeling spicy, his favourite: russian roulette. while he rarely loaded the gun with a live bullet, he thrived on the fear in your eyes when he pressed the gun against your chin and clicked the trigger. 

of course, he’d do it to himself too, even going so far as to deepthroat the gun. even though you were scared out of your mind, you had to admit it was a huge turn-on.

contrary to popular belief, he wasn’t always the one in charge.

you also had your fun, like when you would play with one of those paper fortune-tellers you made when you were a kid.

depending on what “fortune” he had chosen, you’d do different things to him.

for example, if he chose “slow”, “teasing”, and “cockwarming,” you’d do exactly that. you’d tie him to the bedpost, then teasingly grind down on him for as long as you wanted. no amount of frustrated groans or the rare whine would get you to stop your actions. of course, you’d capture his lips to muffle his moans. while he loved making sure that your neighbours could hear you through the walls, you preferred not to have an audience.

finally, he’d take the utmost care in helping you clean up afterwards. as much as he would love to show your ruined state off to the world, you had to be presentable for your job.

you’d try your best to care for him as well, buying expensive lotions for his calloused hands. 

all in all, you made a great team, both in the streets and in the sheets.

i am very proud of that last line ngl

[sai-int]

what do you think 141 men's sun signs would be? (phillip graves and keegan included, if you headcanon them as well)

what do you think?

okay, i don't know HOW you knew i'm an astrology nerd, but i am. i won't go too in depth about their entire charts, but i can definitely figure out some sun signs based on who they are on a surface level!!

⸝⸝ john

a bonafide taurus, through and through (twinsies!!!). dependable, grounded, and a natural leader. he’s EXTREMELY protective over his men, stubborn to a fault, and always (tries to) keep a level head. he enjoys life’s finer things (like a good cigar and whiskey), but he’s also pragmatic and values stability. definitely the type to be patient, but once he’s pushed too far? unmovable.

⸝⸝ simon

a scorpio. intense, mysterious, and deeply private, embodies everything about this water sign. he keeps his emotions locked away, but when he loves, he does it with his whole soul (johnny). he’s the type to hold a grudge for life and operates in extremes, either you have his loyalty, or you don’t. his sense of humor is dark and dry, plus he thrives in the shadows.

⸝⸝ johnny

he's a tough one to call!! but i've settled on saggitarius. he's all firecracker energy, optimistic, adventurous, and constantly trying to beat someone up, shoot someone, or blow something up. he's a fucking dems expert. sagittarius fits him like a glove. PLUS, he’s got that infectious, chaotic charm and can talk his way out of (or into) anything. he doesn’t like being tied down, but when he’s dedicated to something, he gives it his all. the kind of guy who jokes to lighten the mood even in the worst situations, i mean come on. did you see him in las almas?

⸝⸝ kyle

LIBRA LIBRA LIBRA LIBRA. i have a libra rising so i feel so in touch with his sense of justice. for me personally, nothing enrages me more than seeing something just blatantly wrong. i mean think about the first modern warfare. man wanted to get his hands DIRTY for the greater good, or whatever. he felt it necessary in order to balance the scales, and libra's allllll about scales. he's also the mediator of the group, quick-witted, and socially adaptable. he knows how to navigate tense situations and keeps a cool head. libras are also deeply loyal to their people, and gaz would go to hell and back for his team. also he's fucking HOT, libra's ruled by venus.

⸝⸝ graves

a textbook leo and i'm not hearing anything else. charismatic, confident, and so good at making people believe in him. he carries himself like he’s the main character and knows how to command attention. but there’s that classic leo downside too, pride. his downfall is his ego, his need to be in control. he thrives in leadership positions and loves to be admired, but when his authority is challenged? that’s when the claws come out (e. g. "you've got about five seconds before i show you the difference between military, and me.")

⸝⸝ keegan

SUCH a capricorn and you cannot tell me otherwise. hes that no-nonsense, disciplined, get-shit-done type, which screams capricorn. he’s serious, hardworking, and has that quiet intensity that makes people take him seriously. capricorns are known for their sarcasm and dry humor, and keegan definitely embodies that. he’s also fiercely loyal. once you earn his trust, he’ll go to war for you.

⸝⸝ könig

a fun one to pin down. i’m torn between virgo and cancer, but i’m leaning more toward virgo.

he’s meticulous, observant, and highly analytical, classic virgo traits. virgos are often perfectionists, which fits with könig’s overthinking and anxiety. he strategizes everything, calculates risks, and probably notices details no one else does. he’s reserved but has a deeply anxious side, especially in social situations, which aligns with the more introverted nature of virgos. my sister's a virgo and has some ocd problems, but by god, there's a method to her madness and when she gets shit done, it's done well. virgos are also dangerous when they’ve had enough. they hold in a lot, but when they snap? it’s brutal.

[sapsuckers-and-stardust]

This is one of those headcanons I highly disagree with just because of the nature of chess. Chess was one of the first games that computers cleared us at. The reason we don’t have big human-computer chess matches anymore is because the computers literally just annihilate and grandmasters won’t do it. I am not saying this because Spock is a computer or even acts like a computer, but…

Chess is a game that is won by effectively calculating the effects of a move and it’s followups. “Inspiration” and “throwing them off their game” isn’t how chess works, especially not against someone who, under a zero-stakes activity like recreational chess, is unflappable. If you read any chess forum about how “head games” play into the overall game play, it quickly becomes clear that Spock (respectfully) wouldn’t give a single fuck about anything Kirk could do to try and mess with him. Kirk could be excellent at chess, and be able to beat Spock, but the idea that he clears Spock just doesn’t make sense to me.

Spock is shown on screen to be able to mentally process mathematical data much faster than anyone on board the ship— the essential skill of chess is looking ahead and seeing the outcome each move has on the game. The first time he played kirk he may have been distracted trying to figure out “what the fuck is this man doing” but I see him realizing after a few losses the answer is either “nothing at all” or “making tactical moves I can work around.” Spock just has the rote computing power (coupled with a more efficient humanoid brain that doesn’t have to process quadrillions of stupid moves like a computer does) to crush at chess.

You know those crazy odds Spock loves to cook up? “The odds against you and I both being killed are 2,228.7 to 1…” that’s a chess skill, especially if he approaches it from the computer-style of playing (which I suspect he would— in “court martial” he even says he programs the ship’s computer to play chess, so he knows about these things). That’s looking at the possible future outcomes and seeing what could happen if things go one way or the other. He’s literally playing chess the computer way all the time with everything.

From a literary standpoint the idea that it’s important for Kirk to be better at Spock than something is excellent and it makes for good storytelling but it’s just one of those things that seems so bizarrely out of place to me because chess isn’t a game of emotion or head games or anything of the sort. A being with as much mental computing power as Spock would simply do exceptionally well. I’m not saying Spock would obliterate Jim, they might be evenly matched. But I think it’s a little silly to assert that Jim is the clear chess winner.

The only counterpoint I have to this is if Spock actually doesn’t care about chess in the slightest and only started doing it because it means he gets to hangout with Kirk for hours on end, then yes, Kirk may in fact clear Spock. This however, is not supported in text because he mentioned programming a chess computer and playing against it for fun.

Kirk is better at chess than Spock

[yara0546]

hey can you do how to win their hearts or ways to approach them headcanon with Dream<3 pls thanks:)

Nct dream reaction | How to Win Their Hearts

Pairing: nct dream x female!reader

Genre: fluff, relationship.

Note : English is not my first language, so I apologize if there are any grammatical errors, because I sometimes use a translator in some sentences.

Masterlist

Mark

➤ Support His Dreams

Mark falls for someone who genuinely supports him. Whether you’re the type to stay up late watching his performances, send him encouraging messages, or remind him to take breaks, he finds comfort in your presence.

“You stayed up just to see my stage?” He asks, eyes wide with surprise. When you nod, he smiles, rubbing the back of his neck. “That means a lot… No, actually, that means everything.”

Renjun

➤ Show Him Thoughtful Gestures

Renjun admires people who notice the little things. If you bring him a warm drink when he’s tired, remember his random facts, or sketch something inspired by him, he softens instantly.

“You remembered I like this flavor?” He stares at the tea you placed in front of him, blinking in surprise. His ears turn red as he takes a sip. “You’re dangerous, you know that? Making my heart race like this.”

Jeno

➤ Be Genuine and Playful

Jeno appreciates honesty and fun. If you laugh at his jokes (even the bad ones), tease him back, or challenge him to a game, he finds himself drawn to you.

“You think you can beat me in a race?” He smirks, rolling up his sleeves. When you confidently nod, he chuckles. “I like your confidence… Let’s see if I’ll have to start liking you too.”

Haechan

➤ Keep Up With His Energy

Haechan loves someone who matches his energy—whether it’s through playful banter, roasting each other, or just enjoying his chaotic nature. If you challenge him, he won’t be able to resist.

“Oh? You’re gonna fight back now?” He gasps dramatically when you counter his teasing. He leans closer, grinning. “I might actually start falling for you. What do you plan to do about that?”

Jaemin

➤ Take Care of Him in Small Ways

Jaemin is used to taking care of others, so when someone takes care of him, it hits differently. Whether it’s giving him extra snacks, reminding him to rest, or holding his hand when he’s stressed, he feels his heart melting.

“You always look after me…” He murmurs, staring at you softly. His voice drops to a whisper. “How am I supposed to resist falling for you?”

Chenle

➤ Match His Confidence

Chenle admires people who stand their ground and aren’t afraid to joke around with him. If you’re witty and confident, he finds himself intrigued—especially if you don’t get flustered easily.

“You think you can outsmart me?” He raises an eyebrow at your bold comeback, a grin forming on his lips. “Alright then… I guess I’ll have to keep my eye on you. You’re pretty interesting.”

Jisung

➤ Be Patient and Understanding

Jisung is shy when it comes to love, so someone patient and understanding wins his heart. If you give him space to be himself and never rush his feelings, he slowly grows comfortable with you.

“You’re not… in a hurry?” He asks, peeking at you through his bangs. When you shake your head, he exhales in relief. “That’s good… Because I think… I’m starting to like you.”

[doumadono]

A/N: this set of headcanons was heavily inspired by my friend @lura-valentine and her funny piece featuring Dabi and Hawks as fathers. Also, a huge thanks to her for allowing me to use her beautiful artwork as a banner for these headcanons!

MY HERO ACADEMIA MASTERLIST - PART II

✩ Dragon!Dabi is the absolute worst babysitter Dragon!Dabi doesn’t do babysitting. He barely manages himself, let alone a tiny, hyperactive, unhinged version of himself. But sometimes, life happens, and he ends up being left alone with his hatchling. "Yeah, they’ll be fine." Famous last words. He turns around for one second and his offspring is either halfway up a mountain, dangling off a ledge, or chewing on something highly poisonous. Cue panic flames. After the fiftieth time of nearly having a heart attack, dragon!Dabi considers tethering his child to a rock.

∘���✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

✩ Dragon!Dabi’s offspring is fireproof, and it causes problems Dragon!Dabi prides himself on his flames. They’re blue, deadly, hot enough to burn entire landscapes into ash. No one should ever get too close.

His hatchling? They do not give a single shit. His dragonet literally does not fear fire. They walk straight into their dad’s flames like it’s a warm breeze and Dabi loses his mind every time. "YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO DODGE, YOU LITTLE MENACE!"

ONE MOMENT LATER The hatchling sticks entire face in a bonfire. Dragon!Dabi growls, “Hey— HEY! You’re not supposed to do that!” His hatchling, muffled through flames, “But I’m fiiiiine, pa.” Dragon!Dabi, truly exasperated, “That’s not the point. You’re making me look like a bad parent.”

It gets to the point where dragon!Dabi stops reacting entirely because this kid literally bathes in fire like it’s a hot spring. He tells them not to, of course. But do they listen? No. This is the moment he begins to doubt his authority as a father.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

✩ Dragon!Dabi secretly fears his hatchling’s mother

Dragon!Dabi can deal with his kid’s bullshit. What he can’t deal with? Their mother finding out. The number of things his hatchling has done that should have killed them is astronomically high. Every time, Dabi just sighs, rubs his temples, and mutters, "Don’t tell your mother or she’s gonna kill me. Or literally anyone. Don’t tell anyone."

Dragon!Dabi tries to defend himself every time something happens, but really, what’s he supposed to say? “Your child ate a glowing mushroom, but it’s fine because they burped a little fire and were totally chill about it?”  Hell nah.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

✩ Dragon!Dabi is so done with his offspring’s amounts of energy

His hatchling has the energy of a thousand suns. Dabi? He just wants one nap. But noooo, they’re biting his tail, pulling on his horns, climbing all over him. "Why are you like this? Who cursed me?” Dragon!Dabi would literally whine.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

✩ Dragon!Dabi’s hatchling is a tail grabber

Dabi’s tail is not a toy. And yet, his hatchling treats it like one, latching onto it at any given moment. He tries flicking them off, but they just cling harder. Eventually, Dabi just accepts his fate.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

✩ Uncle Hawks has a bad influence on dragon!Dabi’s offspring

Every time dragon!Keigo visits, Dabi knows his kid is gonna end up doing something ridiculous. "Why is the dragonet trying to fly by jumping off rocks?! HAWKS, WHAT DID YOU TELL THEM?!"

One time, Hawks let them ride on his back mid-flight and now the hatchling thinks they can fly on their own.

Dragon!Dabi has lost count of how many times he has caught them jumping off high places with absolutely zero plans for landing.

“STOP LAUNCHING YOURSELF OFF HIGH ROCKS, LITTLE BRAT!” “But Uncle Hawks says—” “UNCLE HAWKS IS NOT YOUR FATHER.”

At this point, he’s banning Hawks from visits (not really, but he threatens to)

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

✩ Dragon!Dabi teaching his offspring goes wrong all the time

Tries to teach them how to hunt, but ends up getting bitten instead. Tries to teach them how to breathe fire, but they accidentally light his tail on fire. Tries to teach them how to be stealthy, but they loudly announce their every movement. It’s a disaster.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

✩ The offspring is overdramatic like their father

This dragonet has inherited Dabi’s level of petty. They absolutely hold grudges. If someone denies them a snack? They’ll sulk for hours. If Dabi tells them to train instead of play? "I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME, FATHER!"

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

✩ Dragon!Dabi is secretly proud but acts like he’s not

He’ll roll his eyes at his kid’s accomplishments, but the moment no one’s looking? He’s smirking like a proud idiot. "Damn right that’s my hatchling."

Someone tries to insult his dragonet? “You talk shit about my kid one more time and I burn your entire lineage to the ground.”

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

✩ Bone hoarder offspring

Dragon!Dabi brings his hatchling gifts because that’s just what dragons do. The problem? His dragonet hoards them. Specifically? Bones.

Other dragons hoard gold, gems, and precious weapons. His kid? They hoard skulls, ribs, femurs, and vertebrae.

“Couldn’t you, like… I dunno, hoard cool things?” asks dragon!Dabi. “Bones are cool, pa,” his offspring replies, happily gnawing on a rib bone. “I meant normal cool things,” dragon!Dabi insists with a sigh. “But look! They’re organized! And they’re awesome! Bones are amazing! And you know nothing about it.”

Dragon!Dabi, being a huge creature, once kicked a rib bone out of the way, not thinking anything of it.

His hatchling gasped in absolute betrayal, “YOU KICKED WOBBLY RIB?!” Dragon!Dabi frowned, tilting his massive head, “Who the fuck is—” His dragonet ran and cradled the rib like it would be a dying pet, “Wobbly Rib has been with me since I was LITTLE!” Dragon!Dabi would stare down at his offspring, saying, “BUT IT’S A FUCKING BONE—”

At this point, Dabi has accepted that his child is a little weirdo.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘ ∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

✩ Dragon!Dabi’s dragonet is a little menace

Dragon!Dabi was not prepared for his kid to develop an attitude. At all.

Dragon!Dabi grumbles, “Gods, you’re just like me.” His hatchling replies while grinning, “That’s your problem.” Dragon!Dabi sputters in disbelief, “DID YOU JUST—” The hatchling smirks while scratching behind his ear using his rare paw, “I’m just saying, if you didn’t want another you, maybe you should’ve thought about that before having me.”

Dragon!Dabi has never been so disrespected in his life. He has also never been so proud.

@pixelcafe-network

[tobyisave]

Character analysis: Why does Kokichi lie?

I think lying is more than just a means to an end for Kokichi, so this is my personal understanding of Kokichi's habitual lying, centered on the headcanon that he experiences his own emotions very weakly.

In a vain attempt to make this post more streamlined, I've isolated most textual examples into footnotes at the bottom; probably only read them if you don’t buy what I’m saying in the sentence prior. Lastly, if you disagree with something I say here and choose to make it known: probably read the footnotes first, and regardless please just be nice about it :')

"If I wanna become closer to Shuichi, I probably shouldn't lie so much... But that's my shtick... or more like, my way of life..." (Kokichi's inner thoughts from Salmon Team)

Small lies vs Big lies

To start this off, I need to clarify that there's (at least) two very different kinds of Kokichi lies. First are the “big” lies, like being the mastermind or lies about the nature of DICE. Big lies are consistent, told with a “straight face,” and well thought-out, because they usually serve some kind of strategic purpose [e.g. footnote 1]. But those aren't the kind of lies I'm aiming to explain here, because they're already well discussed and follow a pretty understandable logic.

I'm focusing on what I call "small" or compulsive lies: trivial claims & performed emotions that are usually not believed for long, either because they’re too outlandish or because he or someone else disproves them. For example, sobbing that he hates coffee and then asking for a cup of coffee; or telling the seance participants he's "actually super duper strong," despite knowing full well they're about to watch him struggle to carry the iron cage [more ex. in note 2]. Most of Kokichi's lies fall into this category imo, especially in low-stakes environments like Salmon Team and UTDP. Unlike big lies, "small" lies are somewhat unique to Kokichi, he tells/performs them constantly regardless of context, and they don’t serve a very clear purpose.

Masking

I think Kokichi got very good at performing emotions from a young age in order to mask the fact that he doesn't experience empathy or other emotions very strongly. And maybe that sounds like a very specific headcanon, but just stick with me here... [and/or see note 3 for one line of evidence]. Failing to emote convincingly would’ve not only made it difficult to exist in everyday society, but it probably would’ve put an even bigger target on his back as a criminal, too… So yeah, he learned.

But as it turns out, spending an (admittedly very short) lifetime pretending to have emotions you don’t actually have is a fantastic way to:

Start feeling detached from the people around you,

Start seeing everyone else as suckers for buying it, and

Very quickly lose any moral qualms about lying — after all, people would attack him from every direction if he was honest about his feelings towards them (or lack thereof), so how is it fair that they want to punish him for lying, too? There’s just no winning!

My interpretation boils down to this: Kokichi lies compulsively because he is deeply bored, and the kick he gets out of deceiving people is one of the only things he finds consistently rewarding about talking to them. Most social interactions already feel like lies to him because he is constantly forced to mask, so he might as well tell fun lies about being a supervillain instead of boring, easy lies about wanting to be friends with everyone.

(Continued under the cut)

Not all lies are strategic

I think it's easy to assume at first that the only reason to lie is for some sort of material influence: changing others' behavior or hiding undesirable truths, either for your own selfish gain or the greater good. Definitely, there is a purpose like that for most of Kokichi's "big" lies, and even some of his "small" ones (e.g. the kind of short-lived lies both he and Shuichi tell in order to advance the Class Trials). But even in retrospect, not every lie he tells can be explained with an external motivation like that, selfish OR unselfish.

I think telling "small" lies is more of a habit for Kokichi than a strategic choice, something he can't quit even when it becomes an actively bad strategy (hence "compulsive"). But if you’re already with me on this, feel free to just skip to the next section :P

A. Small lies aren't meant to be believed.

I don't think Kokichi tells lies in order to actually mislead people most of the time — because if he wanted people to believe his small lies, then he wouldn't be constantly retracting them. Many (or even most) of his small lies are soon followed up with “It’s a lie!”, either literally or by demonstrating/implying that it’s untrue [e.g. note 2 again]. [For some possible exceptions to this rule, see note 4].

Fig 1: Kokichi struggling not to give himself away after Monotarou believes his outlandish lie (V3 manga anthology). While I think this instance is a bit exaggerated, it nicely draws attention to the fact that he enjoys revealing his own lies.

By Kokichi's own doing, there is often a net 0 change in what people believe by the time they reach the end of a conversation with him. E.g. Kaede doesn't walk away from their FTE thinking Kokichi is her long-lost companion, Shuichi doesn't walk away from Salmon Team thinking Kokichi is obsessed with dumpster diving, etc. This suggests that Kokichi's not trying to change the perceived truth, he's just interested in the momentary act of tricking people.

B. Kokichi doesn’t tell small lies to alter his social standing, for better OR for worse.

I think the first half of this is self evident — I mean, if he was trying to gain status, he's doing a terrible job! He is aware of what behavior is required to make people like you and listen to you, and he is patently not doing that. 

You might then argue that he’s doing the opposite: intentionally bombing his reputation to build up to Ch.5 so that people would readily believe he’s the mastermind. While I do think his annoying lies ended up helping on that front, I don’t think his mastermind plan is the cause of this behavior, because...

Firstly, we still see him lie constantly in contexts where there's no clear advantage to being hated (UTDP, Salmon Team).

Secondly: Crying wolf is one of many great strategies to make people hate you... but it is a uniquely terrible strategy to make people believe you. If you were really going to create an evil mastermind persona out of thin air, "pretending to be a lying attention-seeker" is just not the most logical way to go about it; that would only make it harder for you to convince people that you're actually being serious when you do the big reveal that you're the mastermind [for a note on Junko, see 5]. That's why I don't think the compulsive liar thing is an act; instead the evil persona we see in game is just the result of leaning into traits people already disliked about him. The reason he tells so many meaningless small lies during the killing game is just that he already was, and is, a compulsive liar.

Again, there are some "big" lies, lies he doesn't go back on, that he tells in order to tank his reputation (e.g. "The more you suffer, the more I enjoy it"). But those big lies aren't enhanced at all by the fact that he walks around telling people the sky is green, you know? That might make people hate him, but it's not the wisest way to do so while still maintaining control over people.

Finally, regarding the argument that he tanks his credibility in order to mask his own emotions, see note [6].

So, with all that said... Why even tell these lies, if they don't give him more control over the situation, his classmates, or the truth?

Boredom

I believe Kokichi’s small lies are primarily driven by boredom. Yes, his complaints of boredom are probably meant to tie him to Junko (narratively) and justify enjoying the killing game. But I do think he’s also genuinely, chronically bored. Just because he doesn’t have vivid emotions doesn’t mean his brain isn’t expecting him to have vivid emotions, if that makes sense, so there’s just a constant lack of stimulus that leaves him restless.

On that note, I think it's difficult for him to maintain interest in everyday conversations. There's not usually a lot at stake for him, because he doesn't feel much about the people around him, and isn't interested in pretending that he does just so they can feel "connected" to a version of him that doesn't actually exist [but see 7].

It doesn't matter to him which path he takes when navigating everyday social interactions, so if he has to get through those interactions anyway, he's going to take the road less traveled. Pointing fingers, confessing to murder, and spontaneously bursting into tears… it’s not usually to accomplish anything in particular. It's more like doing backflips in an empty prison cell: equally as useless as rotting on the floor, but marginally more entertaining.

Fig 2: Kokichi consciously using lies to entertain himself. His dissatisfaction with the lie appears to be unrelated to whether or not it was believed; I suspect this is because the claim was so mundane that convincing Shuichi of it wouldn't have been very impressive in the first place.

But what's actually fun about lying?

I think this constant need for entertainment is what motivates a lot of Kokichi's social behaviors, not just lying. But he clearly has a special relationship with lies in particular. I think this is partially because of his perception of himself as "fake" (in the literal sense), but more importantly because lies are a versatile, challenging, and (relatively) harmless way to get reactions out of people.

Lying poses creative and intellectual challenges: Introducing lies basically doubles the amount of social calculations required to participate in conversation [elaboration in note 8].

Lying creates artificial stakes by reimagining ordinary conversations as competitions. By playing a game of "how many times can I fool this person in one sitting?" he creates an internal motivation to engage in conversation and perform social behaviors convincingly (at least, for short periods of time). External pressures like “being liked” aren’t usually enough to motivate that.

Lying allows him to emotionally occupy extreme scenarios without actually creating extreme scenarios. If he wants to raise tensions high enough that he can actually feel them, lying is one of the less destructive ways to do so, because it's entirely verbal (including body language, that is) and thus avoids material risk/harm. Now that's not to say it doesn't hurt people [e.g. note 9]. In fact, that's often the point; I wouldn't call him a sadist in the traditional sense, but there is something gratifying about triggering twinges of guilt and empathy in yourself if you don't normally have access to those feelings.

All this to say, Kokichi's habitual small lies aren't driven by a desire to create genuine misunderstandings, or to make people do what he wants [note 10]. I think what he actually seeks from social situations is little bursts of catharsis from witnessing other people’s emotions, and the feeling of control or "winning" that comes solely from being able to deceive them and get those reactions. 

Going "it's a lie!" right after is a really important part of this. It's a punchline, a tiny power trip, a kind of "Bingo!" he can use to declare victory. He doesn't necessarily want people to believe what he said, he just wants them to know that he totally got them and he'll do it again. Because what’s even the point of coming up with all these lies if people are just going to believe them and obliviously move on?

Lying as satire

Finally, and I’ll admit my thoughts on this aren’t quite as fleshed out, but I almost imagine Kokichi's lies as a form of satire, given that one of the few things he seems genuinely (?) passionate about is his right to lie. That is to say, it means something to him, in addition to being internally rewarding. He's had to present a false persona of himself from day one, after all — but now that he's a self-proclaimed bad guy, there's a lot less pressure to do it well. Performing those social behaviors in random, nonsensical patterns, and telling lies that feel just as true as the "honest conversation" he's learned to fake... it's like a form of indignant social button-mashing. It doesn't really matter if his performance conveys a coherent image of a person or not, because it was always arbitrary to him in the first place, you know?

….And I think I'm just going to stop myself there before this gets any longer. Tysm for reading!!!! <3

Disclaimer

…Actually that was a lie, let me get on my soapbox real quick. I think it's safe to say this essay hinges on Kokichi having some form of neurodivergence, however you want to label it. Personally I see him as having some antisocial traits, but I didn’t want to make that a silver bullet, and I thought it’d make more sense to just take the specific traits I see in him and work backwards from there. With that in mind, I want to make it abundantly clear that I don’t mean to assign any moral value to emotions. I can’t say this headcanon is entirely based on my own experiences, but there's a reason I connect with it, and I don't think anyone should be judged or labeled inhuman for emotions they do or do not have.

Moreover, while I explicitly take the stance that his emotions are morally neutral, I am explicitly NOT taking a stance on the morality of his behaviors. My intention here was just to explain them logically. Between you and me, just trust that I'm a Kokichi enjoyer and I did my best to consider things from his perspective.

Credits

Game screencaps from justonegamr and JakkHearts on Youtube. Manga screencap from Mangadex.

I also want to plug this analysis by @/g0nta-g0kuhara — I'm honestly not sure how much of my analysis aligns with/borrows from theirs, but it's definitely one of the posts that informs my current understanding of Kokichi, so it'd feel weird not to at least mention it. Consider giving it a read!

Footnotes

These were mostly off the top of my head, so if I got anything wrong, feel free to (again, nicely) point it out ^^;

 “Big lies serve a strategic purpose” Big lies are also what I'd call the "normal" type of lies, just like Maki's Child Caregiver lie, or Komaeda's fake bomb threat — they're meant to be believed and to influence people's decisions. Examples of Kokichi's "big lies": those he tells in order to impersonate the Mastermind (e.g. claiming he loves the killing game); lies to Miu (being oblivious to her murder plot) and Gonta (believing the Killing Game Busters is a good idea) for his Ch.4 scheme, and debatably DICE lies to protect himself and his Ultimate title (though for these I also think he just gets a kick out of trying to juggle such a big lie for so long).

“Small lies” An example of an "emotional" small lie is the times he bursts out crying; he's not necessarily making false claims, but his actions communicate feelings he doesn't have, and most of the time he'll follow up by reverting to a bored expression thus implicitly confessing to the lie. His claim that he can’t taste food is also a pretty good example of a verbal lie: it’s random, difficult to believe, and he immediately follows it up by saying he likes sweet and spicy things. (That last part was definitely intended to imply he was lying, but whether or not he was lying about lying depends on your hc… I personally choose to believe that he has a weak sense of taste and relies on “interesting” textures like carbonation, because I think it parallels my take on his reduced emotions in a fun way.) +++ For further examples, the majority of Kokichi's Salmon Team events are just him spouting random bullshit and then immediately taking it back.

"One line of evidence for reduced empathy/emotions": His thought process often reads to me like someone with low empathy; and his ability to rapidly switch between extreme emotional performances and total flatness suggests that, in his natural form, his internal reactions are either dull or don’t automatically reflect on his face. For example, when Kokichi "gets real" during trials, his expression often goes blank and he comes off as overly blunt/pragmatic (“Everything you said is total BS… You didn't give two shits about Tenko when she was alive." "How do you expect to find the culprit when you're all worried about each other's feelings?" "Why do you guys hate lies so much? […] And some of them are only white lies, or lies to be kind to people…") They're delivered flatly (voice/sprites, and phrasing to a lesser extent) and express frustration with people's hypocrisy around social norms. To me these are moments when he gets so fed up with the social dance taking everyone in circles that he has to step out for a second and drop the mask, even knowing that his true self will make people see him as inhuman. (I probably shouldn’t have to clarify, but for the record I say all this as someone with low empathy myself.) +++++ALSO: I want to credit @/g0nta-g0kuhara's meta for pointing out that Kokichi's expression goes flat in (different) honest moments - linked in credits above - although I ultimately interpret this in a slightly different way for his character.

"Some exceptions to the 'it's a lie' rule": His own thoughts and feelings, which are often kept ambiguous. Lies he doesn't need to retract because they're obviously false ("I hate liars!" or "I was born from the big tree behind Hope's Peak Academy..."). Small *non-compulsive* lies that serve a strategic purpose, like perjury to further the trials (though you could argue these too are "obviously false" and basically retract themselves after a moment of critical thinking; e.g. claiming he killed Angie (ch3), or debatably telling Himiko she mentioned the brick handrail (ch4) because he intentionally casts doubt over the lie by telling it very badly). And of course, he doesn't go back on his "big" lies or the lies that serve to support them.

“Compulsive lying isn’t the best way to impersonate the mastermind”: Although I think his lying is very connected to his boredom, and his boredom connects him to Junko Enoshima, I want to point out that he is unaware of Junko. To the viewers of Danganronpa 53, his behavior absolutely looks like the behavior of a mastermind… but there’s no reason for Kokichi himself to think that “someone pathologically bored who constantly switches personas” is the most believable caricature of the mastermind. I think that’s a coincidence that was engineered by Tsumugi, and from Kokichi’s perspective it’s just part of his personality.

"Tanking his credibility to mask his emotions": As some have pointed out, being constantly dishonest does make it easier for Kokichi to dismiss his own moments of vulnerability and keep his thoughts/feelings ambiguous (e.g. gracefully backing out of his love confession to Shuichi during the love suite by pretending he was joking. The idea that it's a prank is only believable to Shuichi because he already knows Kokichi likes to pull his leg in other ways). I don't disagree with this interpretation of Kokichi's lies, in fact it's a really fascinating angle and part of what makes interpreting him so challenging. However... I still don't think that's the ONLY reason he walks around telling people the sky is green. Its usefulness is pretty limited to cases like the love suite, where he's trying to 'test the waters' and back out if the first approach fails. A superficially similar example is when he cries for Gonta's execution and then whirls around with whole "I don't want to, stupidhead!" bit — he's not actually testing the waters here, because he never intended to go forward with the story 'I'm really sad about Gonta and I regret doing that;' even if you think the tears were real, the plan was always to retract it. What actually saves face for him here is the fact that he's able to stop crying and go on a straight-faced villain monologue afterwards — and all that was *required* to make that believable was his acting skills (admittedly helped by his "evil" reputation, but not necessarily by his "liar" reputation). In other words, I'm inclined to think it would have worked even if he had presented as 'honest but mean-spirited' up until this point. It's the same way Tsumugi can convince us in Ch.6 that she's evil and her grief for previous victims was an act, despite never having presented herself as a liar until now; Kokichi is lying about being a heartless villain, while Tsumugi (ostensibly) is not, but they have the same effect in the moment because their ability to switch rapidly between 'good' and 'evil' personas proves *in itself* that they're good actors, and that one of those personas must be false, regardless of how their honesty was perceived beforehand.

"Kokichi lacks emotional stake in other people": This is simply a headcanon I am positing because I think it has interesting implications for his relationship with lies. Please don't be mistaken when I say that Kokichi doesn't care about the people around him (all of the English words for "caring" are frustratingly ambiguous, in my opinion). I don't think Kokichi experiences "care" as an emotion very often, no, but that doesn't mean he can't take interest in people, have opinions on them, or "care about" them through his actions. Now, whether or not he actually does that.... is not the topic of this essay either!

"An intellectual challenge": To lie, you have to continually generate a false narrative (rather than just regurgitating the truth), you have to track which routes you've left open based on what you've already said, and you have to assess whether or not they believe you (...which are all similar to calculations you'd already be used to doing if you don't have empathy). If you want to win, you have to do all of this on the fly and do it really, really well. And once people know you're a liar, it not only gets harder to convince them of your lies, it also gets harder to convince them of the truth; once lies are introduced, the pressure to perform well pervades every part of the conversation. Of course, this is way more fun with bigger lies (like DICE lies, in my opinion), but the little ones still take a modest amount of effort (an amount he can afford to expend on a daily basis) and yield a much more immediate reward.

"Lying still hurts people": e.g. Kokichi accuses Kaede of strong arming everyone during the Death Road of Despair, then accuses everyone else of attacking her the following morning. This one is a complicated example because it was such an obvious lie that I really have trouble believing that he wanted anyone else to buy it (I really think the point was to annoy people and raise social tensions), but even though the lie was quickly pointed out, it still actually made everyone gang up on Kaede, to the point she leaves to cry in her room afterwards.

“Lying isn’t to make people do what he wants”: Again, I'm just talking about his everyday compulsive lying here. While he does use DICE related lies to make people do what he wants (e.g. make Shuichi hang out with him), I consider those part of his "big schemes" rather than his habitual behavior, since his claims about DICE are consistent, well thought-out, and long term. Not to mention, the veracity of those claims isn't too important to me, since he's already very transparent about the fact that he's trying to threaten people into doing his bidding in these cases.

[gingeragenda]

thanks for reawakening this @baddybaddyadardaddy and @gauntletgirlie for the tag

Adar was my favourite character in S1. Absolutely brilliant character concept, great bit of world building, fascinating and haunting performance (totally non sexual appreciation)

So then S2 🙈🙈🙈 CLEARLY THINGS TOOK A TURN FOR ME

Most wail-worthy moment of Season 2:

SO hard to pick, but I guess I’m going to have to say the prologue scene given that that is where I live now

and I love his hair here 👇

The detail/headcanon about Adar that keeps you up wailing at night?

I totally get why the writers did what they did, but as a fic writer it would make my life a lot easier if he HAD A NAME 😭

At what point did you realize you had become a hopeless Baddydaddy Devotee and lost control of your entire life?

I met with an irl friend in the autumn (we always talk about our latest ‘husbands’) and we were both being super cagey about who we were into and it turned out it was Adar of course - I hadn’t been active in any fandom for years at this point so I think having someone to thirst with properly unleashed the whole thing and then I was writing a few weeks later. still don’t know why we were weird about it (last shared interest had been the ghoul so like, at least Adar has a nose??)

Think most people have already been tagged… but I would be interested to know your Adar thoughts @admirably-abhorrent as our discussions do tend heavily towards dearest Mairon

anybody in the mood to wail about Adar??

BECAUSE I AM

[kkink]

same headcanon from the party spinoff with haku, this time it's mc confessing to jin and getting the coldest rejection in real-time.

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

there is a moment before things change. a moment before the unraveling. jin kamurai’s office door loomed over you like a gate to something irrevocable, your heart beating a frantic rhythm beneath the soft sweater you'd chosen that morning. it felt absurd, almost laughable, that you dressed with such care for this moment— the moment before you offer your heart like an unguarded throat.

“obviously.”

his voice is flat, a stone skipping over the surface of still water. he's not even looking up from the reports, as if he was expecting this. honestly he already knew what you were going to say. he has seen it before, felt it before, countless times, his whole life. the lingering glances, the stolen moments of hesitation, the way people like you always seemed to hover at the edge of his world, never quite brave enough to step inside but never willing to walk away either.

“i really like you,” you had said, voice small and quivering. “i just wanted to tell you.”

"of course you do", he sighs. "it was bound to happen eventually. i have the good looks, the noble name, and i’m captain of frostheim.” he says, like he’s offering an explanation.

“you should focus on your work instead of wasting my time on stupid things like this,”

he continues, disinterested, like he’s already moving on.

“it’s pathetic.”

he gingerly exhales. dragging a hand through his hair, leaning back in his chair like this is an inconvenience.

your fingers tighten in the fabric. “oh,” your mouth is dry. you swallow, shifting on your feet hesitantly.

your heart beats too fast, too loud, and you hate it. you hate that you're here, hates that you're doing this, but it’s too late to take it back.

"just.. that’s not why. i didn’t fall for you because of those things", you almost whimper, the humiliation seeping into your bones. "i like you because of that mission last year. the one at the old border site. when we broke the artifact and were left weaponless against all those things at the rubbles. the way you just jumped in bare handed and fought alone, you didn’t hesitate to put yourself in danger for the rest of us. you didn’t make a big deal out of it, you just—"

you exhale, sharp, almost frustrated, like you can’t find the right words.

"—you were cool."

cool.

of course.

"cool?"

his mouth curves, and he lets out a tired chuckle. "like a movie character?" he muses, shaking his head and pressing the palm of his hand to his face. "heroic? charming?"

you blink, startled by his tone, the edge to it, the way it presses too close, too sharp.

"no, that’s not—"

"that’s all it is, isn’t it?" he cuts in, "you admired me. you liked the way i looked, the way i acted, the way i led. and now, you think that means something."

your breath stumbles.

"you think you’re different from the others," he continues, voice measured, cutting, leaving no room for doubt, no room for softness. "but in the end, you’re all the same. just a bunch of idiots thinking i'd care about however my existence makes you feel."

"i—"

"you don’t know me."

the words are final. absolute.

"you only know what you see. and what you see is exactly what i want people to see."

"but i—" the words hang between you, thick and suffocating. you nod once.

"i know i don’t know you." your voice is quieter now, but not weaker, not pleading. just—honest. "but i want to."

"what?"

you don't step forward, don't try to close the space he had put between you, don't reach for something that was already slipping through your fingers. but there is something else in your gaze, something raw and steady and painfully sincere, and it settles deep in his chest, where he does not want it.

"i already saw it—your cold, insensitive side," you continue, and his jaw tightens, but he doesn't stop you. "i saw the way you order people around, the way you discard things you don’t need as if they never mattered. i know that about you. and i still want to know you more."

he watches as you breathe through it, as you straighten your spine despite the quiet tremor in your fingers, as you lift your chin despite the fact that your voice might break if you speak too quickly. but you are not unaffected—he can see that. the pain is there, sitting in your eyes, in the tension in your shoulders. you exhale once, slow, measured, your fingers flexing as if you want to curl them into fists but won’t. and then—you smile.

not soft. not warm. not bright.

but small. faint. distant.

"yeah," you murmur, and your voice is light. "you were cool."

he says nothing, only watches as you take another step back, as if physically pulling yourself out of his orbit.

"cool as in that was a kind of moment that made my heart skip a beat," you continue, a slight tremor under your voice, and this time, there is something almost wistful in the way you say it, something that is already turning into memory, already being put away. "the kind of moment that made me want to see more sides of you, that made me want to support you. but even if you’ve heard this a thousand times before, don’t think you can dismiss my feelings so easily. you don’t know me either."

he stills.

just for a second. just long enough for you to see it. he almost hated you for it. for not breaking the way you should have, for still standing there even when he had given you every reason to leave.

and so, he gave you what you were waiting for.

"then you’ve wasted your breath."

you exhale, shoulders finally relaxing, like you had just set something away in your mind for good.

"thank you for listening," you say, "i won’t let this affect my work anymore."

and then, just like that, it is over.

you turn without hesitation, without looking back. your steps are careful, controlled, your pace steady, not rushed, not fleeing. and he stands there, silent, hands still tucked into his pockets, watching as he broke you.

and he tells himself he feels nothing.

______________________________________________________

i wanted to dive more into jin's inner turmoils, like some kind of character study written with a believable plotline w some unrequited crush angst, VERY slow burn, hurt/comfort vibes, but i started falling for haku after developing more of his character arc (he's supposed to be a catalyst only) but now i have 14k sitting on my head with just haku as the main lead @_@ eek. this is a drabble i had in my phone notes

[lesbianneopolitan]

Yeah I absolutely love your Neo. Before I found out about you I was a big Neo fan but after meeting you and seeing your headcanons and learning more about Neo through you, Neo became my favorite RWBY character!

And then when I saw your version of Neo especially after the events of the Ever After, she became my number 1 favorite Neo ever! I cannot see any other Neo without thinking of yours. Don’t get me wrong, anyone can still make Neo aus and all that, but to me your Neo is the definitive Neo, I love her so much! And her design is just perfect! It captures Neo perfectly, even with her new features!

And the fact that she has to struggle with this new side of her and the consequences of the Curious Cat is just AAAHHH My poor girl!

But not only that, you gave her a partner, the Reassuring Rabbit, CC reborn, a new little guy being her emotional pet! It’s just so AAHHH!!! ABSOLUTE CINEMA!!!

Even when the show eventually brings back Neo, I will not be able to stop thinking of yours! That’s how perfect she is!

Not only that, you also made me appreciate Spicecream more and made me fall in love with Strawberry Shortcake!

I owe you so much in opening my eyes to the religion that is Neopolitan! God bless you woman!

I can’t wait to finally get the chance to reading the RWBY novels, because the first one I’m gonna read is Roman Holiday! I need to know Neo’s full story for myself and not just through bits and pieces that are told to me!

I also hope to get to see more of your Neo, especially with RR since I don’t think we see much of them together. I need my adorable feral ice cream kitty and her even more adorable bunny rabbit companion getting into shenanigans! Especially wholesome moments between them, like RR being there for Neo and calming her in one of her episodes. Or their first meeting and how Neo eventually accepted RR and opened up to them. AAHHH THERE SO MANY COOL THINGS I WANT TO SEE YOU DO WITH THEM!!! Each art, headcanon or story you post of them gives me life!

But for real thank you so much for being such a wonderful and talented person! Keep slaying Queen!

THIS ASK??? HELLO??

Like I knew I inspired people to like the character and all, I inspired others to also go ahead with their own versions of Neo and I love to see it, because I'm a sucker for multiverse shenanigans but ALSO??

wtf, you really do love my version and all the small details, like the RR put into the lore, and just, THANK YOU SO MUCH???

I'm vibrating on my seat, I'm very bad to express myself but I'm all giddy and happy- I know when it comes to the art there's just so much I would've loved to do, like there are so many ideas inside my head, the story between Neo and the Reassuring Rabbit are all inside there as well, mainly because it was the Blacksmith's idea to give the RR to Neo, to sort through the bad experience and trauma she had with the CC, and to have support so she wouldn't be completely alone in the Ever After (it was also an attempt to make Neo a better person), so their initial relationship wasn't exactly good because Neo was still resentful- she almost eats the RR a few times because of some of her new instincts too

and ALSO??? please YES, READ ROMAN HOLIDAY!! in all honesty it's the only novel I managed to read whole because my brain focuses too well in reading stuff related to my hyperfixation

but HHHHH, she's so special to me...I'm at that point in which (if she returns) seeing her in canon will feel weird, because it's obviously not gonna follow all the headcanons I've been developing, but I would be happy enough to just see a bit more of Neo lol

[bone-trash]

COD Headcanons

T4T Interlude

Simon and Johnny both being trans but having very different gender experiences growing up

CW: queer/trans sex written by a queer/trans author, references to surgery (it’s not too bad I’m just nervous)

Soap’s a tomboy and the youngest of 5 girls and registers as a very differently type of kid early on for his parents

Rough and tumble, scraped knees, skateboarding, the girls football team at school, climbing up really high and just jumping off for the sheer adrenaline

Mum has to make him wear a bra and it’s a huge fight

The Mohawk also could have been a fight but she cuts her losses on that one

By 16 he’s shagging just about anyone who offers but never brings anyone home so Mrs MacTavish makes a discreet drs appointment and lets him know where prophylactics can be found; she’s a Catholic, not an idiot

He dives into transition with the same speed and enthusiasm he does everything else, within a year of finding out what a trans person is he’s on T and booked for top surgery

He’s not the type to hide anything about himself and sometimes forgets people don’t know he’s trans, this is how Gaz found out

Definitely a Top, getting fucked feels great but if you want to make that happen there’s going to be some (fun) tussling and he’s probably stronger than you.

——

Ghost was always tall and thin and kind of weird, his long straw like hair covering most of his face long before he took to wearing masks

Spent a lot of time looking after Tommy and just trying to survive his shitty home life so gender didn’t come up right away for him

Being tall and thin with a pretty small chest he got “mistaken” for a boy a lot and that never really bothered him the way maybe it should have

Got as much surgery as the military allowed him to (top surgery - keyhole) and experimented with T he bought illegally online

Has a phalloplasty and his arm tattoos conceal the scar

Demi-sexual (aka Johnny-sexual) and craves a lot of physical intimacy (not always sexual)

Needy-ass Bottom, Service Top if you want. Really likes being bossed (and tossed) around/talked through it and he bruises like a peach.

——

They clock each other immediately…well kind of (Simon doesn’t know that Johnny knows he’s trans too, at first)

To be fair Johnny is kind of a type of trans man, loud and shorter than average and well muscled and it takes a Simon a minute to realize that yes he is attracted to him, Fuck.

Simon is not as easily picked out by someone not trans, he’s been stealth a long time and his height does him a lot of favors as does his voice but he’s got a vibe that Johnny picks up on right away

Simon the kind of person that sexual assumptions are made about, he likes to think that he’s a flexible partner but usually balks when he’s approached by a stranger for down time

When they finally crash into one another Simon tries to explain that he can be whatever Johnny needs and he needs him to know that Simon’s like him and that this isn’t some fetish thing

Johnny blinks for a couple of seconds before saying “Love, why dae ye think ah’m here?” And tackling the big man onto the bed behind them and taking him apart

——

Hey! So this one is a little different I know but I had alot of fun writing it! Lots of credit needs to go @monsterpegger001 for helping me with some lovely ideas! T4T Ghoap is a force of nature and it took me days to do it justice. Love yall! ✌️💀

[criblovr]

hi!! i read your post about about a classification au with agatha, and i would love to read any of your ideas or headcanons around it! (i don’t know a whole lot about classification aus but the way you described agatha welcoming you made me feel all soft and warm inside :3 /positive)

Hi anon!! ofc i would love to talk about it ^_^ !!

here’s a little bit about classification au’s : it’s pretty much a alternative universe where littles are known and accepted (most of the time). some writers will make it sorta a genetic thing, where you get genetic testing at a certain age and become classified either as a regressor, caregiver, flip, or neutral (someone who doesn’t regress nor is a cg). but some writers will make it a test (similar to how you get diagnosed with autism) !!

then once you’re classified, they match you with cgs who have been looking for a baby !!! :’)) potential caregivers with come meet u and then you guys agree wether you’re a good match or not !! (or if you get classified as a cg: you register yourself as one and decide wether you want to welcome a regressor into your home or not !!) there’s a lot more to it but that’s the foundation of it !

ok now onto some ideas i have !! I’m not sure if i want to make it a series but it’s a possibility !! :D

Agatha would be classified as a caregiver, which isn’t a surprise to her. she loves littles and it’s always dream of hers to welcome a baby into her home. but since she’s the talk of the town (evil person blah blah blah) she’s never been able to pair with a little. littles will meet with her and immediately run away crying because they assume agatha is a evil, scary person. this, of course, makes her super sad and now it’s been years since her classification and she still hasn’t found a little.

ok i don’t want to spoil too much but that’s a little bit of the plot ;) let me know if this is something u guys would read ! ^_^

[nightlocked-in]

“peeta is bisexual” you guys are losing the vision. peeta isn’t even straight. katniss INVENTED sexuality for him. whatever katniss identifies as, he’s like “yeah, i’ll take that one” no questions asked

[turtleblogatlast]

Something I love about Leo is that, canonically, he IS capable of cooking, he’s just completely incapable of using a toaster. He’s banned from the kitchen not out of an inability to make edible food, but because being within six feet of a toaster causes the poor appliance to spontaneously combust.

[hungergameshyperfixation]

I’m actually so here for Katniss and Haymitch parallels but I also am here for the Peeta and Haymitch parallels.

Underutilized imo.

[starrylevi]

Going to the beach with Levi 🏝️💦🥰

(This was just supposed to be a simple headcanon but my brain would not rest until all of this was written)

You know the beach isn’t exactly Levi’s favorite place. The water’s usually cold, the sand can be especially messy, and beaches tend to be extremely crowded. However, it’s summer time and of course Levi knew at some point you would want to go. So he rents a car, loads up the lounge chairs and umbrellas you both ordered, along with a cooler. Levi’s a planner so he made sure to think of everything. Once you get to the beach, both of you set everything up. Levi puts sunscreen on himself before he applies it onto you, mumbling “The UV rays will kill you…”

You take endless pictures of Levi, capturing his toned body, his black swim trunks hanging loosely around his hips while wearing the black ray bans you bought him.

Levi tells you he’s not going into the water which earns him a frown from you. You show him the waterproof case you brought specifically for taking pictures while in the water. “You don’t really trust that thing, do you?” He asks incredulously. He’ll roll his eyes at you as you double down, assuring him your phone will be safe.

You practically have to drag him to get him into the ocean, tugging on his hand as he reluctantly follows you into the water.

“Oh my god, it’s cold.” You laugh, letting go of his hand to wrap your arms around yourself.

“What, it isn’t as great as you thought it would be?” You hear Levi tease behind you, chuckling at your discomfort of the temperature of the water. You quickly forget about the freezing water and turn around, splashing water towards him. The water hits its mark, droplets appearing on his hair, face, and body. He isn’t expecting that so it takes him a second to recover. He doesn’t move, his eyes narrow at you once he’s able to blink the water out of them. “I’m going to give you till the count of 3, Y/N.” He says calmly, wearing an almost imperceptible smirk.

“No, I’m sorry!” You yell out, laughter still in your voice as you back away from him, knowing he’s not going to let you get away with this.

“One.”

“Shit…” You giggle as you attempt to put some distance between you two. It’s difficult because of the waves that keep threatening to bring you back to him.

“Two.” His smirk is more noticeable now, and his eyes have a playful glint in them.

You keep backing away, fighting against the waves as you watch Levi.

“Three.”

You don’t know why you even tried outrun the man, especially in water. Levi catches up to you in seconds, one of his slender arms seizes you by the waist, yanking you back to him so you’re both chest to chest. While still holding you to his chest, he scoops you up, the other arm going under the back of your knees so that he’s carrying you bridal style.

You shriek loudly while closing your eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

You hear Levi’s low chuckle but you also feel it, the vibrations of the wonderful sound present in his chest. “Open your eyes, brat.”

You oblige, opening one eye cautiously before also opening the other. Levi’s smirking down at you in his arms and you can’t help but admire him for a moment. Strands of wet black hair stick to his forehead as he looks at you. With the sun hitting him directly his eyes shine a brilliant blue, almost matching the clear sky. Beads of water grace his porcelain skin, running down his face, neck, and chest. “You’re so pretty.” You say without thinking.

Levi playfully rolls his eyes, the smirk still on his face. “Flattery will get you nowhere in this situation.”

“Damn.”

“Yeah.” He pretend pouts before he brings you closer to him, leaning his own head down so he can give you a soft kiss. “Hold your nose.” He murmurs as he pulls away from your lips. You almost don’t register what he’s saying until you see his smirk get wider. Your own eyes widen and you quickly hold your nose before Levi plunges you into the cold water, releasing you from his hold. You’re not under for long before you feel Levi’s arms pulling you back up to the surface.

You take a deep breath once you’re not underwater anywhere. “Thank you for that.” You say with a chuckle as you slick back your wet hair.

Levi responds with a chuckle of his own before pulling you to him for another kiss, feeling his smile as he places his lips against yours. You live for these moments with Levi, the ones in which you both, especially Levi, forget all about your responsibilities and just have fun.

“Ooo, can I get on your back?” You ask excitedly as you gently pull away.

“What for?”

“So you can carry me around.” You say with a smile. “It’ll be fun!”

“Get on, brat.” He orders as he turns his back to you, crouching down a little so it’s easier for you to get on. You use his shoulders for support as you mount, wrapping your arms around neck while you wrap your legs around his waist. You feel him as he hooks his arms under your legs to keep you secure.

You remember the lanyard around your own neck, that’s attached to the waterproof phone case. You use this opportunity to pull it out and take a selfie of you and Levi.

“Really?” You hear Levi ask as you hold out the phone in front of both of you, angling it up to get a better picture.

“Yes, really.” You answer before putting on a smile and snapping a photo of the both of you, noting Levi’s resting bitch face. “If you could smile in the next one that would be great!”

You’re the one person that Levi will let take pictures of him. 99% of the pictures you take involving him live in your phone, never to be seen by anyone else. They are for your eyes only. The other 1% you share on social media, but only if he’s okay with it. You respect Levi’s privacy.

You see Levi roll his eyes through the camera and you chuckle, capturing the moment. “Smile, Levi.” You say before taking another picture. He offers you a hint of a smile, which is good enough for you. The last picture you take is of you capturing Levi off guard by quickly kissing his cheek. It’s probably your favorite as you see a hint of blush in Levi’s cheeks. “Okay, we’re done!”

“Thank God.”

You chuckle as you return your arm around Levi’s neck, securing yourself against him. You both float around like this for about twenty minutes, making conversation about mermaids and sirens (Levi doesn’t think they’re real but you don’t waver on your stance that they are) Erwin’s barbecue that you’re both supposed to attend the next day (“He better not burn the meat.” Levi says with a huff) and other random things (“I wonder what birds think about all day“ “They just eat, shit, and piss”).

After, you both get out of the water. Levi reaches his lounge chair and lies down on it. Once you see him comfortably lying down, you get the idea to lie down with him. “Don’t have your own chair?” Levi jokes as he spreads his legs, making space you can lie in between them. You’re snug as a bug in the chair with him, your head lying on his chest and his arms loosely wrapped around you his fingers gently trace circles on your back. It’s incredibly soothing and you end up falling asleep for about half an hour. You only wake up because you feel light taps on your shoulder and soft kisses to your forehead.

“Hm?” You lift your head up lazily, nose scrunched as you look up at Levi.

“Hungry?”

You give him a little nod and you see him reach for something on the side before bringing back a sandwich. He pulls it out of the ziplock bag and holds it up to your mouth, gesturing for you to take a bite. You take a bite, savoring the taste. “Thank you.” He feeds you the rest of the sandwich before offering you a bottle of water to wash it down.

You decide to take a few more photos while still resting on Levi’s chest. You’re being silly in most of the photos while Levi’s in the background with his sunglasses on, wearing his usual stoic expression. You do get a few shots in which he’s chuckling, looking absolutely gorgeous. You also manage to get him to put him up a peace sign in one of the pictures.

What really surprises you is while you’re taking a short video of the beach. You capture the beautiful scenery before turning the video back on you and Levi, at which moment he gently grabs your chin between his fingers and slowly leads your lips to his, pulling you into a sensual kiss. You almost feel dizzy when he pulls back just an inch. “Did you get that on video?” He asks with a hint of a smile.

“I…uh, some of it, I think.” You reply, trying not to fumble your words.

“That’s only for you and me, hm?”

You nod. “Yeah, yeah…of course. That wasn’t even a thought in my brain.” You reply with a bashful smile, really happy that he let you capture that intimate moment on camera. There’s no need to share it with anyone else.

“Thank you.” You say shyly with a giggle, not even fully understanding why you’re thanking him. The man turns you to absolute mush. Levi chuckles along with you. You don’t see the shine in his eyes behind his glasses but it’s there.

You need to have beach days with Levi more often.