#(implicitly)(subtly)

[hellonerf]

get home safe

[jennycalendar]

something about all the little implicit ways that xander flinches away from giles's furious disapproval and anger this episode cuts my heart to ribbons. like yes absolutely what he did was dangerous and thoughtless but at no point in time is giles ever going to approve of or support or even really try to be encouraging towards xander like he is with buffy and willow. for seven seasons giles treats xander like That Idiot Kid My Daughters Hang Out With and that never really changes and it makes me very sad.

[petorahs]

"preening his feathers" "crow-talk" HES SUCH A BIRD 😭 i love him! adorable! my deadly metaverse assassin can't be this cute⁉️

[girlkisser13]

being married to erik lehnsherr would include

• erik is EXTREMELY protective of you. he uses his powers subtly to ensure your safety, like redirecting bullets or stopping potential threats without you even noticing.

• when you’re driving he will use his powers to move a car over if he thinks that they’re drifting into your lane.

• as his partner, you have a significant role in his plans and strategies. your insights and ideas are crucial, and he trusts you implicitly with major decisions.

• balancing erik’s often ruthless methods with your own moral compass can be challenging. you constantly strive to find a middle ground, helping him see different perspectives while understanding his deep-rooted convictions.

• erik loves to shares his vast experiences from different historical events, giving you a unique perspective on history and the evolution of mutant-human relations.

• being with erik means constantly learning and evolving. he encourages you to hone your skills, whether they’re related to your powers (if you have any) or other talents.

• despite his tough exterior, erik shows his softer side only to you. his love for you is profound and unwavering, and he cherishes every moment spent with you.

• you both enjoy challenging each other intellectually. debates are a common occurrence, and they often end in mutual respect and deeper understanding of each other's viewpoints.

• erik shows his love in small, meaningful ways, like always having your favorite tea ready or ensuring you have a warm blanket when you’re cold, using his powers to fetch things without you asking.

• you both share a strong commitment to the mutant cause. whether it’s through activism, helping mutants in need, or fighting against oppression, your relationship is a powerful force for change.

• despite the constant battles and responsibilities, erik always makes time for private getaways with you. these retreats are a chance to relax, reconnect, and enjoy each other’s company away from the chaos.

• HIM LETTING YOU WEAR HIS HELMET>>>

• the two of you often host gatherings for the mutant community, providing a space for mutants to connect, share their stories, and support each other. these events are filled with a sense of unity and purpose.

• trust is the cornerstone of your relationship. despite the challenges and dangers, you both have unwavering loyalty to each other, knowing that your bond is unbreakable.

• erik respects your independence and ensures that responsibilities are shared equally. whether it’s managing your home or leading missions, you both contribute and support each other’s strengths.

• if you have children, erik is a fiercely protective and loving parent. he’s dedicated to teaching them about their heritage, powers, and the importance of fighting for their rights.

• GIRL DAD MAGNETO>>>

• i mean come on, it’s basically canon that this man is a girl dad. look at the way he treats wanda and lorna compared to pietro.

• he occasionally shows off his abilities in small, romantic gestures, like creating intricate metal sculptures for you and arranging a metal flower bouquet that never wilts.

• your house is adorned with thousands of metal flowers he's crafted for you.

• he's also made countless pieces of jewelry for you as well.

• he made your wedding ring himself. <33

[sassykinzonline]

when people talk about naruto's repression they kind of miss a crucial element which is that it actually makes complete sense.

firstly from the power perspective, simply put, by its very nature he requires repression to function on a most basic level. this is opposite to the sharingan, which thrives on huge displays of emotion. im going to assume that the reason this is missed is because it runs counter to the personality traits each character is known for: the "emotionless, calm and cool" one actually is constantly accessing and expressing the most powerful of emotions, and the "expressive, empathetic and emotionally honest" one is actually warring with letting true emotions come to the surface. comparatively, when you look at starfire and raven from teen titans, you see that their personalities reflect their power. starfire is bright and expressive because thats how she best accesses her powers, and raven is subdued, controlled and calculated in order to control her powers. this means that contrary to popular belief, naruto isnt starfire-- naruto is raven. there are actually a few moments where you are subtly shown just how calculated naruto's displays of emotion are, and how they are reinforced in such a way (context is naruto being saddened that his request for parental affection was rebuffed):

which brings me to my second point: socialization. this part is straightforward. from itachi actively causing and incentivizing hatred and anger, to various mentors/people of influence (eg. kakashi) remaining silent at clear expressions of violent anger-- these negative emotions are not punished or discouraged when it come to the context theyre in. why? they are beneficial to the agenda of various characters. the revenge plot only starts being punished when its disadvantageous to the state. remember that there is a monetary value attached to the murder of itachi uchiha, and this is actually a common way to earn money. when you look at naruto, there is never a single instance when naruto is encouraged or even tolerated for having these emotions. the only exception who does this leaves him due to their own parallel struggle (side note: this is why naruto distinctly says the reason for his obsession is that this person accepted him more than anyone else, given this person is the only one who saw naruto's pain and anger and actually blamed his aggressors for it). naruto, raised implicitly to know that everyone seeks to be a tool of the state, and that in his case this is not just a choice but a requirement for his humanity. iruka's acknowledgment of naruto comes with an indication of possession, implying conditionality. people like kakashi, hiruzen, and others in positions of influence witness the abuse he faces, and ignore it or groom him into accepting the idea that he should appeal to his abusers for eventual acceptance. naruto meets gaara, someone with the same condition as him, but with radically different circumstances. whereas naruto's condition symbolically papers over his pain over time, gaara's is self-protective and defensive against his pain. gaara also occupies a position of power as the member of a royal family, and has siblings who are afraid of him but do hold some level of affection towards him. gaara's feelings of loneliness, while rational, come from a different place than naruto's. for gaara, he is surrounded by community that he doesnt know how to access. naruto has no community, he needs to find a way to forge one, but even when he does it is superficial. this dynamic is repeated in his introduction to killer bee, who from an early age is granted family and institutional protection. this isnt to say that the treatment of jinchuriki is ethical or healthy, but that naruto's situation is actually uniquely oppressive. kushina is the closest naruto gets to someone who validates this pain, but she cannot truly relate to him because she is never cripplingly alone (again, not to say her life was not difficult or oppressive or traumatic) and the object of her affections returns those feelings consistently and early on. naruto's trauma is thus compounded over and over by the conflict his need for his specific love interest causes: naruto is only tolerated as a weapon of the state, and in order to be an effective one he needs to love and be loved, but his love interest who allows him these negative emotions is an enemy of the state, leading to further isolation/tension from the state and pushing him towards the love interest.

as such, i actually think naruto does remarkably well at balancing this conflict and tension in a way that keeps him functional. though, obviously and eventually the compounding of his trauma and the repression of his pain is something that needs to be addressed. the only person who is capable of doing this in a way that puts naruto's wellbeing first ("when i saw you in pain...i also felt pain" and the subsequent frequent moments of protection and defence) only reunites with him at the end of the manga, so you never get to see that actually happen.

im assuming the reason why a lot of this is missed is partially because through framing this repression as positive through the majority of the manga (aside from naruto's own personal thoughts), the reader is never really forced to decide how they feel about the concept unlike the inherent conflict of the radical revenge plot. the other part is the grander, underlying allegory in the naruto story which is the varied manifestations AND expressions of trauma. through readers' responses and attention to certain individuals in the naruto story, you can learn how they relate to and look at trauma. to me, naruto himself is actually the example of a trauma victim who shows a brave face and thus isnt recognized. naruto is the woman who puts on makeup to cover the bruises to go to work a day after she is assaulted. who tells herself that she must have some part in it, so it isnt abuse. maybe she grew up in a family where no one answered when she cried, so she learned to keep it moving and stop crying.

lastly, on a greater scale, people also forget a crucial aspect of "yin/yang" is that things with a large properties of one, by nature will also come with a small amount of the opposite. thats what the smaller inner dots represent.

a more surface level example of this is that naruto's face is brash, large, and masculine-- these are yang traits and they are predominant in his appearance. however, looking closely at his rounded cheeks and eyes and the soft nature of his eye colour, there are subtle yin elements. naruto's "positivity" or "optimism" is fueled by a certain level of negative repression.

[pradabambie]

the roommate. rafe cameron x reader x felix catton. pt. 2

masterlist

rafe's impending arrival had you on your toes. excitement to see your boyfriend was intertwined with worry about the whole felix situation – you knew all too well how protective rafe could get. 

"and... this is my room! nice and cozy, isn't it?" you said, opening the door for rafe. as he entered, he glanced around, noting the neatly organized chaos of college life. 

“oh," he remarked after noticing the extra bed, "i didn't know you had a roommate." his brow furrowed in surprise. 

before you could respond, the door swung open, and felix walked in, absorbed in a phone conversation. 

“no, ollie, i swear to god, her friend is hot, i swear-" felix gushed, turning around to close the door, finally facing the room and noticing the strange boy's presence.  

"ollie, i'll call you back. hey mate, felix catton, pleasure to meet you. i assume you’re the boyfriend, yeah?” felix greeted him with a wide smile, while you shot him a look, silently urging him to say the right thing. 

“rafe cameron” he simply said, extending his right hand. felix ignored it and went in for a hug. 

however, rafe quickly shot a glance at you, then back at felix, and finally at the two beds. the realization hit him, and a flicker of annoyance and anger crossed his face. 

“wait, you’re the roommate?” rafe looked straight at you, his face now red, and his jaw tight. 

you tried to lighten the mood with a light laugh, but it only seemed to fuel rafe's anger.  

“look, babe, long story short, felix's room flooded, and my assigned roommate never showed, so here we are.” 

you took rafe’s hand, praying a little physical touch would calm him down. 

“i swear, it’s no big deal” 

felix stood quietly, a goofy smile on his face that almost made it seem like he was enjoying the entire thing. his carefree attitude clashed with the undercurrent of tension you felt.  

“right lex?” with pleading eyes, you looked at felix, begging him to say something, anything. 

"yeah don't worry, mate. no funny business here—cross my heart." 

felix's attempt at reassurance didn't seem to appease rafe's growing displeasure. the air thickened with tension, but felix, seemingly unfazed, broke the silence. 

"so, rafe, what brings you to our humble abode?" felix's tone was lighthearted, though his eyes held a mischievous glint. 

rafe, still visibly perturbed, replied, "just missed my girlfriend you know." as he spoke, he sidled closer to you, placing his hand on the small of your back, as if subtly marking his territory.  

felix raised an eyebrow, catching the shift in rafe's demeanor. 

"hey, why don't we spice things up a bit? there's a party tonight. what do you say, the three of us? get to know each other a bit better?"  

you shot felix a warning look, implicitly asking him to tread carefully.  

the boy, however, continued with his flirty charm, directing his next words toward you. 

"come on, love, it'll be a blast. your boyfriend here can get to know me outside this mess," felix winked, his tone playful, referring to the disorganized room the three of you stood in. 

rafe with a reluctant nod, he agreed to the plan. "fine, we'll go to your damn party." 

felix's grin widened, sensing a victory of sorts. "brilliant! it's a date, then. i'll meet you both after dinner, see ya!" 

felix sauntered out of the room, leaving you alone with rafe. sensing his frustration, you approached him, offering a reassuring smile. 

"hey, don't let it bother you. felix is harmless, he’s just a bit quirky," you reassured, planting a quick kiss on your boyfriend's lips, relishing the sensation of his presence that you had missed so much. 

rafe sighed, his tension melting away. "i missed you, you know." 

you grinned, "i missed you too." 

as the two of you settled on the bed, rafe's smile began to appear on his lips. simultaneously, his hands started exploring your body, the touch turning you more and more needy of him. 

“so, how much time do you think we have until the party?” 

“enough.” 

[halfbloodgf]

Can we talk about the fact that Severus Snape left everyone, both the characters and the readers, like this: 🤡🤡

I mean, no one knew wtf was going on with him. One moment u think he's bad, the next u think he's good. And then u think he's the villain again. But then he gives his memories to Harry and we all realize that he was the fucking hero all along.

In hp1, we think it's Snape who was trying to steal the philosopher's stone, or who tried to knock Harry off his broom. But then comes the end, and we find out that he stopped Harry from falling (saved his life) and was protecting the stone...🤡

We still hated him in hp 2 and 3...

In hp4 Harry suspects that Snape had the Dark Mark, and ends up discovering that he did. There's even the scene that Harry sees: Igor Karkaroff accuses Snape in court in front of the Wizengamot, saying he was a Death Eater, and we're all like😯😃 (finally know the truth!!). But then Dumbledore defends him😐🧍🏻‍♀️, and no one, not Karkaroff, not Harry, not us readers, understand anything. We don't know whether to trust him or not. So, again...🤡

In hp5 everything is confusing with him. We don't know if he wants to help Harry (occlumency lessons) or not. He calls Voldemort "Dark Lord" (only Death Eaters do), we see his worst memory, which, again, leaves us bewildered and not knowing what the hell to think of him now. Harry himself doubts that his father was a good person, even wondering if James didn't force Lily to marry him, and empathizes with Snape. Then the whole thing with the prophecies, and Harry trying to warn Snape about Sirius and his supposed kidnapping. The Order arrives to save Harry and his friends, which suggests that Snape warned them.

But along comes hp and the Half-Blood Prince, Snape appears to be helping Draco Malfoy with what the Lord entrusted him with —The scene where Bellatrix accuses him, tells him that she doesn't trust him, and then she is surprised:

In the books:

[...]Do you really think that the Dark Lord has not asked me each and every one of those questions? And do you really think that, had I not been able to give satisfactory answers, I would be sitting here talking to you?”

She hesitated. “I know he believes you, but…”

“You think he is mistaken? Or that I have somehow hoodwinked him? Fooled the Dark Lord, the greatest wizard, the most accomplished Legilimens the world has ever seen?”

[...]

“And through all this we are supposed to believe Dumbledore has never suspected you?” asked Bellatrix. “He has no idea of your true allegiance, he trusts you implicitly still?”

“I have played my part well,” said Snape.

In the movies:

The line where he says “Dumbledore is a great wizard”, Snape is actually being smug and subtly saying he’s such a good actor (I mean, come on, the man deserves a fucking Oscar), he’s managed to deceive Voldemort so well that he has revealed his grand plan to him. He practically seems to be laughing at the double meaning of his own words, mocking and lying to the black sister's faces like the fucking boss he is. The way he's literally drinking a glass of wine while laughing at the Dark Lord. The whole scene is just excellent.

So at the end of hp6, Snape reveals to us that he was the half-blood prince for whom the fucking book is named, ends up murdering none other than ALBUS DUMBLEDORE, and we all learn that all this time his true loyalties were with the dark side...🤡

Oh no, wait! Hp7 arrives, Voldemort kills Snape :0 (Yes!), gives his memories to Harry, and Harry sees his memories and... (NOO😦😨😰😭💔💀). We found out he wasn't the bad guy. That, in fact, he was IN LOVE WITH HARRY'S MOM —"always" still hurts :')— That all this time he was our ally...🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

He practically played with all of us, with LORD VOLDEMORT, the Death Eaters, the Order of the Phoenix, Harry... well, WITH EVERYONE IN THE ENTIRE WIZARDING WORLD. And he did it as if he were:

Harry fucking Potter named one of his sons after him, which must have made a lot of people roll in their graves (James and Sirius out of anger, Snape out of laughter).

This mf literally woke up one day and said: "okay, here begins my reputation era bitches.😎 Let's leave a few of them looking like🤡🤡"

PD: Sorry if something is written wrong, english is not my language.

[missy4176]

Subtle Jealousy

Cale Henituse x Reader

Cale Henituse is not the type of person to express his emotions openly. He is calm, composed, and often appears indifferent to many things. However, when it comes to you—his significant other—he has his own subtle ways of showing how much you mean to him. Cale isn't prone to bouts of jealousy, but when someone else starts giving you too much attention, his quiet but unmistakable possessiveness comes to the surface.

Cale is always aware of his surroundings, especially when it involves you. He doesn’t need to hover or keep a close eye on you, but he somehow always knows what’s going on. When he notices someone lingering too long in a conversation with you, or when they’re laughing a bit too much at your jokes, Cale’s sharp gaze zeroes in on the interaction. He won’t say anything—he rarely does—but his focus shifts entirely onto the person who’s vying for your attention.

You might notice his usual relaxed posture stiffen slightly, or how he silently observes the person, his eyes narrowing just a fraction. It’s his way of assessing whether this person is a threat—whether they’re overstepping a boundary they shouldn’t.

Cale isn’t one to openly declare his feelings or make a scene, but he’ll subtly insert himself into the situation. If you’re talking to someone who’s a little too interested in you, Cale will quietly move closer, standing just within your personal space. He might brush his hand against yours or place a light hand on your back, a barely-there touch that serves as a silent declaration of his presence. He doesn’t need to say a word; his proximity alone is enough to remind everyone that you’re his partner.

When you look up and catch his eye, he’ll offer you a small, almost imperceptible smile—one that’s reserved just for you. It’s a gentle reminder that he’s there, and that he’s watching over you, even if he doesn’t always show it.

While Cale isn’t possessive in an unhealthy way, he has a certain protectiveness over you that becomes more pronounced in these moments. If the person continues to monopolize your time, Cale will step in more directly, though always in his signature, understated manner. He might drape an arm casually over your shoulder or lean in to ask if you’re ready to leave. The question is phrased innocently enough, but there’s an undercurrent of tension in his voice that only you can detect.

If the person still doesn’t take the hint, Cale’s eyes will harden, and he’ll fix them with a stare that could freeze over a desert. His expression remains neutral, but there’s a clear message in his gaze: *Back off.* It’s the kind of look that sends a shiver down the spine of anyone who’s foolish enough to ignore it.

Cale won’t ever vocalize his jealousy—he doesn’t believe in making a fuss over something so trivial. But later, when you’re alone together, you might notice him being just a bit more affectionate. Perhaps his hand lingers a little longer on yours, or he pulls you closer when you’re sitting together. It’s his way of reaffirming his place by your side without having to say anything at all.

If you bring it up, teasing him about how he seemed a little jealous earlier, he’ll likely scoff and roll his eyes, brushing it off with a casual remark. But there’s a faint blush on his cheeks that gives him away, even as he tries to maintain his nonchalant facade.

Despite his subtle jealousy, Cale is never overbearing. He trusts you implicitly and knows that you’re fully capable of handling yourself. But in those quiet moments when it’s just the two of you, he’ll sometimes let his guard down a little. He’ll brush a strand of hair behind your ear, his touch gentle and affectionate, and murmur something like, “You know I’m always here, right?”

It’s not an overt declaration of jealousy or possessiveness—just a simple statement of fact. Cale Henituse is a man of few words, but when it comes to you, he’ll always make sure you know just how important you are to him, even if it’s in the most subtle of ways.

Ultimately, Cale’s subtle jealousy is tempered by his confidence in your relationship. He knows that you chose him, and that means more to him than any fleeting moment of insecurity. So while he might occasionally give someone a pointed look or stand a little closer to you than usual, he never doubts where you stand with him.

In the end, Cale’s subtle gestures and quiet reassurances are just his way of showing you how much he cares, without ever needing to say it out loud. It’s a language that only the two of you understand, built on trust, mutual respect, and a deep connection that goes beyond words.

[aramblingjay]

After summers of fasting I feel hunger at last Geraskier, touch-starved, bed sharing (2K)

They meet that spring. And the one after, and the one after, and the one after, until it’s six winters later and Geralt leads Roach down the trail from Kaer Morhen with his saddlebags stocked full of human-safe potions and spare lute strings and a bright maroon doublet too small to have the faintest hope of fitting him.

ao3

The first winter he returns to Kaer Morhen, Geralt is asked to describe Jaskier.

“We hear you’ve started traveling with a companion,” Eskel says over dinner. Lambert and Coën go a little too still in the corner to not be listening, and even Vesemir subtly turns his head in their direction—everyone’s been wondering, evidently, and Eskel has been chosen as the best person to pose the question.

“Yes,” he agrees, taking another bite of whatever it is Lambert has decided to pass off as dinner. Some kind of meat, perhaps? It powders in his mouth like chalk.

To his credit, Eskel doesn’t ask who the companion is. “What are they like?” he asks instead, and Geralt doesn’t miss the they. It protects him implicitly the way Eskel always has, assuming nothing, allowing him to reveal exactly as much or as little as he wants, and Geralt is reminded all over again why he’s never been able to deny Eskel anything.

Including this, so he tries to find the right words. It was never his strength, even back when he still had red hair and brown eyes and knew of Witchers only as a fiction told to scare disobedient kids, but it’s even harder now.

“He’s—”

The first description which comes to mind is loud, but that isn’t quite right. Jaskier is loud only in the sense that Geralt is always aware of his presence, a whisper of citrus and jasmine beside him. And he hums incessantly, sometimes accompanied by the twang of his lute, sometimes not—but it isn’t the kind of overbearing, obtrusive singing that loud would suggest. Jaskier’s music is just there, a constant background, as familiar to him now as the chirping of birds and rustling of leaves in the wind.

He’s a bard, Geralt considers saying, but that doesn’t capture the essence of Jaskier, almost suggests he’s nothing without a tune on his lips.

He’s brave. Certainly, he’s the first human Geralt’s met that has never, not once, smelled like fear around him, even when Geralt’s eyes are inky black and he’s more monster than man. But Geralt doesn’t know if that’s bravery or foolhardy, and besides, true bravery is to run toward that which you fear. To not feel the fear at all—that’s something else entirely.

He’s different. True. Not nearly enough to explain.

“He’s kind,” Geralt says finally, and it feels right. There is no kindness to be found here at Kaer Morhen—even Eskel, for all his protectiveness, is not kind. No Witchers are, no Witchers are allowed to be. But Jaskier is the opposite of a Witcher, vivacious like no one Geralt has ever known before, impulsive and free-spirited and wholly kind.

Eskel’s eyes go strangely soft. “Oh, Wolf,” he murmurs, so low only a Witcher could hear.

Geralt looks away. “Anyway, I doubt I will see him again come spring.”

It’s not a lie. Jaskier has undoubtedly moved on to pastures new, wintering in Oxenfurt or Lettenhove or some other place that Witchers wouldn’t set foot, somewhere bright and lively to keep the chill at bay. The chance that their paths will randomly cross again once Geralt comes down the trail in a few months’ time is slim, and he doesn’t expect Jaskier to wait for him either. Jaskier is kind, but not infinitely so, and surely spending another year on the Path beside a Witcher who grunts more than speaks is the last thing he wants.

It’s not a lie, but the words taste bitter on his tongue anyway.

-

They do meet that spring. And the one after, and the one after, and the one after, until it’s six winters later and Geralt leads Roach down the trail from Kaer Morhen with his saddlebags stocked full of human-safe potions and spare lute strings and a bright maroon doublet too small to have the faintest hope of fitting him.

Geralt dismounts Roach outside The Wolf’s Snout, a grimy-looking inn with a half-broken fence surrounding it, five days’ trek from the bottom of the trail. It is further than he usually travels before stopping—the Kaedweni innkeepers closer to Kaer Morhen are more used to Witchers popping in than those this far out.

(But Jaskier mentioned this inn to him last year, so. Here he is)

He has yet to meet Jaskier in the same inn twice, but somehow they always find each other in one establishment or another on the outskirts of Kaedwen. Geralt no longer doubts whether their paths will cross, the question is only when.

Though he knows Jaskier tends to winter close to the coast, he does not ask how or why Jaskier ends up in Kaedwen every spring. Such a gift is too precious to jeopardize, either by his clumsy questioning or his even clumsier acknowledgment.

Geralt steps inside the inn to a raucous dining area, every available table surrounded by men with red cheeks and loud voices, clearly well on the ale. A good bard would make a pretty coin or two here, he thinks idly, and wonders if that’s why Jaskier mentioned it.

The innkeeper is a short, wiry woman with sharp eyes that rake him from top to bottom as he approaches her.

“Room for the night?” he asks, careful to speak just loud enough to be heard over the din. The innkeeper will know, of course, but nobody else seems to have clocked that he’s a Witcher, and the longer he keeps it that way the smoother his stay will be.

“I won’t be having any trouble here tonight,” she says, but her voice isn’t hostile.

“I won’t give you any.”

A corner of her mouth lifts. “And payment up front. How many nights you staying?”

Several coppers lighter, Geralt ends up in a rather spacious room at the very end of the hall, complete with a bed large enough for two (or one broad Witcher), a second small bed pushed up against a window, a fireplace, and a round tub. The main bed even comes with a feather-padded blanket for warmth. Compared to his usual accommodations, it’s a veritable palace.

He scowls, and dumps his saddlebags in a corner. All this luxury is largely wasted on him, and does little to fill the hollow in his chest that has only grown with every step away from Kaer Morhen.

There’s not much to do here besides take in the finery and rest, so he casts Igni to light a fire and settles into the bed rather quickly. Some dinner would be nice, perhaps, but everything smelled a little too salted and seasoned downstairs—normally he can stomach just about anything, but several months of pampering over winter have narrowed his palette considerably, and it’ll take at least a few weeks time to remember how not to give a fuck again.

Sleep finds him almost immediately after that. It should be one of the most comfortable nights he’s had outside the keep in recent memory, but the emptiness of the room aches in his chest like a physical, tangible thing.

-

He wakes to citrus and jasmine and a voice he would know anywhere.

“She told me you were in—ah, Geralt. Here you are. Lovely to see you again after a long winter.” Jaskier steps further into the room until he’s fully illuminated by the firelight. He looks good, Geralt surmises, well-fed and looked-after. “Don’t mind me. Coin is short and this room is entirely paid for, so I’ll be here for the night.”

It’s phrased as a statement but intended as a question.

Geralt just grunts his assent and drifts back to sleep smiling.

-

They fall into the familiar routine just as they have every year before. It’s comfortable, safe, easy.

Geralt kills monsters and Jaskier sings about it.

Jaskier sleeps with fine ladies (and more than one fine lord), and Geralt scares away their angry spouses with a well-placed intimidating look.

Geralt keeps them safe, and Jaskier keeps them fed, the coin he earns from one night of performing usually triple what Geralt could even hope to earn from a single contract.

Jaskier smiles at him and worries after him and touches him with a care no one’s taken since he was a boy, and Geralt tries to understand what it all means.

The ache in his chest is an old, forgotten thing.

-

Their seventh spring, he once again stops at The Wolf’s Snout.

(He’s never waited in the same inn twice before, until now, but he refuses to consider what that might mean)

This time, he’s awake. Waiting up, one could call it, though the very idea is preposterous—Witchers don’t have anyone worth waiting up for, and the chance to sleep in a bed is a precious commodity on the Path. No one is coming home to a Witcher.

But then there’s a lyrical knock at the door—two taps, and then a faster three, the beat of a song he doesn’t know—and Jaskier is there. Framed in the doorway, dressed from head to toe in bright blue and green that should irritate his eyes but doesn’t, not in the slightest, only makes something loosen in his chest that’s been taut for too long.

Jaskier is there. Here. With him, again, for the seventh spring in a row, despite it all.

“You’re awake,” Jaskier says, and his voice is missing some of its usual brightness, its usual whimsical nonchalance, but it’s so good to hear all the same.

“Hmm.”

And Jaskier shouldn’t be able to read what that means, just like he shouldn’t be here in a beaten-down inn along the forgotten backwater of Kaedwen about to step into a room already occupied by a Witcher, but Jaskier is brave and different and kind and entirely incapable of ever doing what he should.

So of course, Jaskier only says, “Yeah, me too,” like he hears the words Geralt doesn’t even know how to form in the privacy of his own mind, and steps over the threshold.

It feels significant, somehow. A bigger step than across a single plank of wood.

He stays silent, watching as Jaskier drops his bags in a heap by the door and undresses down to his smalls in the half-darkness.

There’s only one bed in this room. Geralt asked for a room and the innkeeper offered this one and he didn’t spend more than a second thinking about it before accepting. Witchers can’t be picky, and Jaskier has slept on the floor many a time—they both have, on cold and dirty forest floors far more uncomfortable than anything this inn could offer.

But.

“What are we doing here, Geralt?” Jaskier asks softly, hovering by the edge of the bed but making no move to come closer.

Geralt doesn’t have an answer. But he shifts just slightly on the bed, an invitation—and Jaskier lies down in the open space next to him, no trace of fear anywhere in his scent even now—and for the first time since the mutagens burned away every part of the boy he used to be, Geralt wants.

-

The next year, Jaskier doesn’t come.

Geralt waits at The Wolf’s Snout for a fortnight, until he can’t delay going back on the Path any longer, and then another day just to be totally, completely sure.

Jaskier never comes.

He packs up his things, never considers leaving behind the human-safe potions or the lute strings or the too-small doublet even though they add weight to Roach’s pack—just shoves it all into the bottom of his satchel along with his emotions and his hopes and the weird sense of betrayal he has no right to feel, and walks the Path.

Alone, as he was meant to.

The ache is back, a monster under his skin. He feels cold and tired and empty, but a Witcher isn’t made to break, so he puts one foot in front of the other in front of the other until it’s winter again.

He collapses into Eskel’s arms the moment he’s back in the keep, grateful to still have one person who hasn’t left, and his eyes burn.

If he could cry—he can’t, so it doesn’t matter. But if he could, he would probably drown.

-

It’s foolishness, to go back to the same inn. It’s foolishness, and Geralt is not a fool, but he can’t help himself.

Just to be sure. Just to be absolutely certain Jaskier has left this life, left him, and then he’ll walk the Path and never ever return here again.

But he opens the door to his preferred room, an extra three coppers per night now but worth it just for the memory of having slept beside Jaskier in this bed, and it isn’t empty.

Jaskier is there.

His hair is longer. He’s dressed in deep maroon, and there are bags under his eyes like he hasn’t slept in days, and he smells like he hasn’t showered since he left wherever he’s been for so long—and he’s the most beautiful thing Geralt has ever seen.

“Hi,” Jaskier says, tentatively, like he’s not sure if he’ll be welcome. Like Geralt hasn’t spent the last year withering away at the prospect of never seeing him again.

“Jaskier.” He can’t find any other words. He can’t think of any that matter more than this, saying a name he thought he’d have to bury in the deepest corner of his mind forever, lest the mere memory of it reduce him to dust.

“Sorry I wasn’t here last year. It’s a long story involving—”

“Come here,” Geralt whispers, cutting him off. His voice breaks, but it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter, all that matters is Jaskier standing on the other side of the room. “Please.” Witchers don’t beg but he isn’t a Witcher in this moment, just a man, old and weary and aching. “Please.”

“Oh, Geralt.” Jaskier is front of him in a flash. “Darling, I’m right here. I’m right here, I promise.”

That familiar hand reaches out and rests on his chest—he feels it, the slightest pressure when those long fingers brush against his tunic, the searing warmth of Jaskier’s skin on his own even with two layers of cotton in between.

Citrus and jasmine, the jackrabbit beat of Jaskier’s heart, and that soft, gentle warmth—Geralt closes his eyes and comes home.

[frogspond200]

𝚈𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚂𝚒𝚖𝚘𝚗

Requested by: Anon

Ask: May we/I pretty please get Yandere Simon Petrikov with a reader whos kinda...stupid, like, they get into dangerous situations and dont exactly realize it-

Warning: General Yandere behavior

───────────────────────────────────

Simon is obsessed with the reader and their safety. He constantly watches over them, making sure they’re out of harm’s way, even when they don’t realize the danger they’re in.

Simon uses his charm and intelligence to subtly manipulate the reader into relying on him for protection. He offers to help with simple tasks, like walking them home, which eventually escalates to him always being by their side.

Despite his obsessive tendencies, Simon tries to maintain a facade of caring concern. He’ll often ask if the reader is okay, seemingly worried about their well-being, which endears him to them even more.

The reader frequently finds themselves in precarious situations, whether it’s accidentally wandering into dangerous neighborhoods or getting caught up in bizarre incidents. Simon is always there to rescue them, appearing as their knight in shining armor.

While Simon seems sweet and protective on the surface, his yandere tendencies occasionally slip through. He may exhibit bouts of jealousy when the reader interacts with others or becomes possessive over them. Simon’s love for the reader is all-consuming. He believes that he alone can keep them safe and happy, and he’ll go to great lengths to eliminate any perceived threats to their well-being. The reader remains blissfully unaware of Simon’s darker side, seeing him as a caring and dependable companion. They trust him implicitly and have no reason to doubt his intentions.

To maintain his facade of benevolence, Simon frequently showers the reader with thoughtful gifts and gestures of kindness. These gifts serve as a reminder of his affection and control over their life. The reader’s obliviousness to the danger they’re in contrasts with Simon’s growing obsession and darkness.

[liketwoswansinbalance]

A Gift-Giving Guide* by the Twins

*Don’t take this too seriously.

Warning: implied trauma incoming.

⸻

Rhian: Even if the person you’re buying a gift for isn’t important to you, you still must put in the effort to make a Good impression. Thus, if you can’t find anything your recipient would truly enjoy, just find a suitable substitute. Something, anything really, non-specific that no one will contest with will do. In addition, the gift must be of an acceptable quality, and as long as you invest in the gift’s presentation, you will probably not fail. Remember: as a giver, you’re more likely to be judged or faulted for an oversight sooner rather than later, so you must wrap the gift impeccably, with embossed paper and matching ribbons. Your best-laid plans will be the holiday equivalent of “dress to impress.” You’ll be less vulnerable to critique that way. And no one, absolutely no one, will shame you or claim you haven’t tried and given your all!

⸻

Rafal: What matters most about a gift are its contents and what such contents mean. No one will care what empty shells of wrapping paper look like, if they don’t like the contents. So, it’s best to choose a gift your recipient wants so desperately that they won’t be able to refuse it. Prepare for an influx of emotion from your recipient if they’re that type. And, it’s all the better if you went to great lengths to acquire the gift for them, and make that known, implicitly, so they don’t catch onto your power play. If you took every expense, you’ll deserve their recognition and henceforth, should subtly remind them, after the season’s over, of what their lives would be without your gift, of exactly how deprived they would feel if they didn’t have it. Then, they’ll subconsciously feel indebted to you and won’t ever leave you, for they’ll be too occupied by gratitude and guilt to consider other, worthless options or stupid exchanges, especially when they’ve already received something substantive of the objective, best quality because you know what’s best for them. Oh, and never give them the receipt. They can’t change their mind if it’s too late and they’ve already committed to something that cannot be replaced.

[rationalisms]

sorry to discourse about the sexuality of video game characters but re: the whole "playersexual" debate...

this idea that people always either subtly imply or outright state in arguments around this is this sort of snide "well why would any of these people caaaaare about something so frivolous as gender when they have Real Problems!" (which you can also swap as needed in sci-fi with "well obviously in The Future everyone would have learned to be bisexual").

which is like. wildly homophobic obviously. outrageously so. this idea of gay people as someone who's just hung up on irrelevant or superficial parts of a person unlike people who Care About Someone's Soul, OR the idea that gay people are not sufficiently progressive enough and need to get with the times, is not even a new or innovative strain of homophobia. and yet i constantly see people repeat it confidently in discussions around "playersexuality" or video game romances with zero thought or care to how insensitive and cruel of a statement they're making. it's bugfuck insane.

also, it's not even like bi people are winning with the current status quo either, because these characters are almost never actually textually bisexual, they're just whatever sexuality matches up with the player avatar's gender. very few of them are openly attracted to the same gender outside of the romance path, or at all part of the wider lgbt community. (and no, a few missable party banters here or there with wink wink nudge nudge style comments does not count as either of those things.)

i would rather there be characters whose orientation is incompatible with mine and whose romance path i therefore might never experience, than there be a world which either implicitly or explicitly features absolutely zero gay people.

(as a complete side argument, i find this obsession with having to Experience Absolutely All The Content in one go and it being somehow a bad thing if there's things you might not see in this specific playthrough of a game a really weird idea too. and it's imo also not a good philosophy for game design, especially crpgs which by nature are supposed to branch widely and allow the option to experience the story differently depending on the choices you make. but that's only tangentially relevant.)

anyway. lesbian party members or bust.

[drbased]

I’m really starting to see the value of being self-sufficient, especially as a woman, that radblr preaches. There’s nothing quite like the psychological impact of being entirely responsible for something - I can ask other people for advice, I can even have help, but ultimately the whole project is down to me. Doing DIY and yard work involves a level of engagement with the physical world and your own physicality in unity that basic housework doesn’t: you’re lifting heavy things and feeling the full extent of your strength; you’re pushing the whole of your body weight against things; you’re making decisions to put certain things together and learning how physical objects and substances can interact.

As a heavily thinking person (surprise surprise), I always considered ‘physical’ activities to be beyond my remit - whilst I didn’t consciously associate this with being feminine (I have never been particularly feminine), I think the dichotomy between ‘indoorsy bookish person’ and ‘outdoorsy brawny person’ is a gendered distinction, and it’s no surprise that as a woman I ended up in the former category. It’s been an illuminating and valuable exercise for me to break down said dichotomy. It’s only been a couple weeks and I’ve already started to feel more conscious and aware of my surroundings.

I really don’t think this would have been possible if there was a man to share the burden with - even the slightest hint of a ballast would have had me clinging to that at every difficulty. Instead I have had to take on these problems solo; there are no opportunities to subtly infantilise myself or think of myself as helpless and incapable - if I don’t do this thing, it won’t get done, and if I don’t do it well, then it won’t be done well. That kind of responsibility is grounding and psychological rewarding in a way I didn’t expect.

I would like to say thank you to this community for breaking down the mind-body duality that this culture implicitly espouses, and encouraging me as a woman to think of myself as physically capable and able to be self-sufficient. I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now without you all. Thank you all so, so much, from the bottom of my heart ❤️❤️❤️

[hyperactive-and-hyperfixating]

Ok I’m back.

*Good Omens series 2 spoilers*

I slept on it and I’ve settled a bit with the kiss scene. Even though I still feel ripped open and aching over the whole thing. It was giving us what we wanted but in the most excruciating way. (Thanks for that, Gaiman)

In all seriousness, I loved the season. The entire story and smaller stories throughout. I know it’s building for something greater too. I trust Neil implicitly to make it right in s3. I’m just gonna be in panic mode until it’s confirmed. And by make it right I mean literally Crowley and Aziraphale making amends. I don’t mean to say what happened is in any way wrong. It’s exactly how it would play out, it’s just not happy and fluffy. It’s REAL. Neil did an amazing job (hurting us ha) bringing that to the screen. And Michael and David.

I’ve wrapped my head around the idea a bit more and it makes sense that Aziraphale would still fight it. It’s his m.o. He needs time to acclimate and catch up to Crowley. It just hurts. I’m hurting as Crowley. He’s always ready to jump. To make the move. He always put his heart on the line for Aziraphale, albeit a bit more subtly. He wants Aziraphale to choose him like he’s done for the angel so many times before. Wants to be loved and accepted. By the only person who would, could and SHOULD. Ow.

But honestly it’s been this long and they’ve gone through so much together a little longer isn’t too bad, right? And hey, we got ineffable bureaucracy canonized???? That’s… incredible. I won’t even get started on that here and now. This season WAS romantic. For so many different reasons and pairings.

Nina and Maggie are another good example of relationships done realistically. Not like in the movies. Neither avoiding rain under a canopy or dancing at a ball is going to make Nina magically move on from her seemingly very toxic (narcissistic/abusive?) recent ex. And if she did it wouldn’t be a very healthy start for her and Maggie.

Once again, praise Gaiman, for somehow mixing traditional notions of romance and love with reality so seamlessly. It didn’t have that feeling of cold reality some movies and shows do when trying to prove the point of “not all endings are happy.” And it wasn’t just ooey gooey either. Brilliant. The man’s just brilliant.

Ok, I’m gonna wrap this up cause I could go on. There’s sooooo much more I could touch on and this was supposed to be short. After decompressing a bit I’m looking forward to rewatching the whole thing again knowing how the storylines all play out.

[theflagscene]

I find this scene in episode six very interesting, it was very minimal but I think it said kind of a lot.

Yai is doing his damndest to convince Tharn to take a chance on a relationship with Phaya, so of course good ole doctor snakey shows up. Only he doesn’t spare a passing glance at Yai and it seems like Yai doesn’t realize the other man is there, even after another person has drawn him away from Tharn and his brooding stare.

The only time Yai has ever even acknowledged the existence of Chalothon was to Phaya in episode three, to reassure him that Tharn hadn’t just been snatched away from him by some random stranger. And that’s it, that’s all Yai has to say about that. He says that they’ve known Chalothon since they were kids, okay, so let’s break that down.

One can assume that the night Phaya drowned when they were kids, the third boy was Chalothon, right? He lures them away to the Naga festival with firecrackers and food, yet when Phaya is in fact being called into the water, sees the Naga’s green eyes and starts to drown, the third boy isn’t with Tharn and Yai. The next time you see Tharn, he’s just with Yai and the third boy, who we’re just going to assume is Chalothon, isn’t there with them. He shows back up with sweets for both boys - none for himself - after Phaya is already dying in the river.

When Tharn claims to have gotten a sign about a boy drowning, Yai laughs at him and the third (Chalothon) is quick to agree and attempts to drag the two away. That is until they hear Phaya’s auntie crying for help, which is when both Tharn and Yai take off, Chalothon following close behind. He’s playing the long con, this is their 4th incarnation (sorry for the spoilers if you didn’t know that) Which means snakey boy has failed to get Tharn to return with him to the Naga kingdom three times already, not including the first time he lost them to King Garuda. He has learned, he knows he can’t push, he needs to bide his time, but he also has to steer clear of Luangpor. Guess who is never seen anywhere near the all knowing monk? Yeah, the third boy, the other witness and sort of hero that ‘helped’ save Phaya that night. He doesn’t show up when Tharn, Yai, Phaya and their aunties speak with the revered monk the next day.

I think that Chalothon is using some witchery to insert himself into the good graces of the people in Tharn’s life when needed, but otherwise they don’t actually realize he’s there. Like he’s purposely blocking Yai from interacting with him because Yai is that annoying older brother who would tell Tharn; dude that doctor guy is sus as hell!

To Yai he’s made a memory of himself like an old childhood friend, but otherwise Yai is none the wiser to him. He already has Tharn’s trust implicitly, not only as his long time friend but as a medical professional. Chalothon has been manipulating and gaslighting Tharn for - one can assume - most of his adult life. Using mental health and basically the fear of being insane to keep Tharn controlled, and it was going so well too, until Phaya showed back up in his life.

Hot-headed, knuckled brain Phaya who’s both bark and bite. He already has his memories as King Garuda trickling back in, probably faster than Chalothon expected. And it quickly became clear that while Chalothon might have been able to cause descension in the ranks using simple medical jargon and the fear of being labeled as mentally unstable, Phaya and Tharn reconnecting has already awoken their powers, not to mention that their memories are returning as lightning speed. Think in episode five when Phaya grabs Chalothon’s shoulder and burns him, he just does it instinctually, without even trying. Not only that, but the mark left behind is in the shape of talons. Phaya is becoming too strong and Yai is pushing Tharn closer toward him, even offering himself up as protection, sacrifice, one might say.

Chalothon has no need for Yai anymore, subtly is no longer the name of the game. And while he might be willing to wait yet another lifetime to try again, that doesn’t mean Chalothon wants to. But he has made it clear that he will kill Tharn and start all over if his hand is forced and since Yai is firmly committed to keeping Phaya and Tharn together, well… I’m thinking he might have just moved himself higher up ole doctor snakey’s list of very expendable people.



[inbarfink]

Some shows have a Problem of ending an episode with what seems like a Big Huge Shift to the Status Quo... which doesn’t actually pan out meaningfully in later episodes. Like, an episode would end on a note of 'oh shit, Everything is Different Now!' but in retrospect... no, nothing has really changed.

‘Adventure Time’... kinda had the tendency to do the opposite. Episodes that seem to end up with a snapback to the Status Quo, but when you look at them in retrospect, you can see how they did end up seriously changing the trajectories of characters and their worlds.

Like, ‘Too Young’ seemed like just a way to pull the reset button on the whole 'Little Bubblegum' thing and bring us back to the pre S2 Finale Status Quo - but it also introduced one of the show’s most important supporting characters and a bunch of lore that ended up being very important later, and in retrospect, it was a huge turning point in the Finn-Peebles dynamic. Same with ‘Jake the Dad’. Jake might be back at the treehouse, but seeing the Pups leaving the nest so quickly had subtly shifted Jake’s character for the remainder of the show, and they remained an important component of the extended cast and… like, actually defined the fate of the world 1000 years into the future.

“When Wedding Bells Thaw” literally ends with Finn going “and now everything’s back to normal!” but that’s also the episode that started the shift on Ice King from ‘Villain Who’s Kinda Pathetic’ to ‘Awkward Friend That Occasionally Does Something Really Fucked Up”.

And speaking of Ice King, there’s also ‘The Party's Over, Isla de Señorita’.

Because after going through this whole journey of friendship with Island Lady, and getting to be legit heroic for a change, Ice King decides to ‘break up’ with Princess Bubblegum

Only for the ending to kinda casually implicitly ‘walk it back’. Haha, it's just a little ending joke, nothing's really changed!

Or did it?

Because Ice King’s tendency to kidnap Princesses has been actually decreasing drastically since, well, pretty much since Season 3 started. Like, okay, so I took the list of 'Major Appearances' by Ice King/Simon from the AT Wiki and marked here every episode that features Ice King kidnapping a Princess

Ever since Ice King truly started seeing Finn and Jake as his friends and clinging to them as a Source of Companionship, he’s been less and less obsessed with princesses and the kidnapping therefore. But ‘The Party’s Over’ still feels like a tipping point, the Official Stopped Kidnapping Princesses Point.

The only exceptions after that are ‘Betty’

Which I think might have been a momentary relapse due to, you know, Simon literally just reuniting with Betty and supposedly losing her all over again and these feelings lingering within Ice King. Plus, unlike his previous kidnapping, this one doesn't actually seems to be actively romantically motivated (considering he spends all that time talking about ‘the woman of his dreams’) - I think he just wanted someone to talk to.

And ‘Elemental’, where he was only doing it for Patience St. Pim.

And the episode even emphasizes that he hasn’t done something like this for a very long time, even if his casual attitude kinda implies that he himself doesn’t fully realize why.

‘Friends Forever’ even has a gag about Ice King keeping that Animated “Fionna and Cake” book from ‘Mystery Dungeon’, and the book’s room is the old Princess Kidnapping Cage. Further emphasizing the idea that he’s not using it to keep Princesses anymore.

So, even though ‘the Party’s Over’ kinda played it off as a joke that’s not going to change anything… It seems like the adventure with Island Lady DID have a really significant impact on Ice King, even if he himself doesn't totally realize it.