#.i might end up coming to bother you even if you don't like this but anyways-

[crazy-pages]

Speaking of which, the longer I've been around on this Earth the more I have started to notice what I like to call "motivated worrying". This is when somebody has legitimate seeming worries that an intervention might actually make things worse, but there's secretly a pattern to the things they're worried about.

With healthcare, you will find a lot of centrists who are worried that universal healthcare will be too expensive and the taxes involved will actually make people worse off on average. Similarly, you will find centrists who are worried about harm reduction drug programs increasing the number of addicts. Who are worried that if you give money to homeless people, they will use it on drugs and actually end up being worse off. They will be worried that increasing the corporate tax rate will grind the economy to halt.

And the thing is, even the more obviously incorrect worries will appear to come from a sincere place. They might actually come from a sincere place. Now if they bothered to look up any of this stuff, whether that means taking a detailed look at iniversal healthcare programs around the world or looking up the data on homeless aid interventions, but even that can be justified. Most people don't look up this stuff all the time.

But the key thing which makes motivated worrying disingenuous is what gets worried about.

It doesn't take long to notice when talking to a centrist, if you are paying attention, that this worrying never gets applied to the existing status quo, or to actions which might help marginalize people either. Centrists will worry until the cows come home about whether it's "safe" for trans students to participate in sports ... but not about if it's safe to pass exclusionary laws targeting people who frequently experience hate crimes. They will worry about if a left-wing party pandering to progressives might lose them conservative votes, but rarely about if pandering to conservatives will lose them progressive votes. And when it comes to things they don't want to do anyway, the worrying never gets resolved. It never becomes something which is worth looking into.

This can be very subtle because these worries often concern legitimate possibilities, or at least things which could understandably be seen as legitimate possibilities. And most people at some point go through a phase where they are worrying for a problem but haven't yet sunk their teeth into understanding it. The trick with centrism that this phase of worrying about something without having resolved that worry gets stretched out forever, and applied to every positive intervention under the sun.

[loves0phelia]

Red And Blue

Summery: His canon event.

Words: 1.9k

Warnings: kinda gore at one point nothing too crazy, grammar mistakes.

A/N: I'm so sorry for the amount of mistakes this probably has but i cant be bothered to care more i just want to get this fic out. Listen to my tears ricochet as you read

Rafe had always been good at hiding things. He kept his head down, stayed out of the spotlight, and made sure no one looked too closely. But ever since the bite, since the powers, since the responsibility that came with it, lying had become second nature.

Especially to you.

It killed him, really. Every time he bailed on a movie night, ignored your texts, or showed up bruised and breathless with a half-baked excuse, he saw the confused and hurt look in your eyes. But what was he supposed to do? Tell the truth? That he was ditching every time to swing across rooftops, and fight criminals? No. That wasn’t an option.

Tonight was no different.

“Are you serious, Rafe?” You leaned your head down, phone pressed against your ear, voice sharp with frustration. “You're leaving me again. You promised this time. I know you don't like school events but just once please”

“I'm sorry” he muttered, running a hand through his already-messy hair. “Something came up.”

“Something always comes up. What is it this time? And don’t tell me it's homework or family stuff, because I know when you’re lying.” 

“I just…” He exhaled, as if a weight was pressing on his chest. “I can’t tell you, okay?” He swallowed hard.

Silence. At first he thought you hung up but he could still hear a faint shuffling from the other end of the phone call.

The silence was somehow worse than you cursing him out for bailing.

“Why not? I thought we told each other everything.” your voice was softer this time, more fragile

God, how badly he wanted to. He wanted to tell you about the fights, the injuries he had to patch up alone, the weight of trying to be a hero when all he wanted was to be a normal guy. But if he told you he'd put you into too much risk.

He couldn’t let that happen.

So he did what he always did.

He lied.

“I just need you to trust me,” he said even if his chest ached. “Please.”

You thought for a long moment, then shook your head with a sad smile even if he couldn't see you. “You say that like I don’t already.”

And that hurt more than any punch he’d ever taken.

Because he knew he was running out of chances. The more he lied the more it felt like you were walking away.

“Welp” you said, popping the P, as if trying to lighten up the mood, before taking a small pause. “I'm already half ready and Gwen really wants us to go to the party so if you change your mind just call me?”

"Okay," he whispered into the phone.

"Bye, Rafe." The call ended with a soft beep, leaving him alone with the silence. 

“i suck” He let out a heavy sigh, groaning as he flopped onto his bed. The mask, half-folded over his face, slipped down, unfolding on its own. It rested against his nose—a quiet, relentless reminder of the responsibilities he has over the city.

"Heyyyy!" Gwen called out, sprinting toward you from the front steps of the school, where she had been waiting. Her face lit up the moment she spotted you approaching.

You hesitated, glancing at the building behind her, you could hear music thumping from inside. 

“Rafe is not with you?” she asked, looking around you thinking she might have missed him.

“No, you know how he is. He bailed again” you sighed.

“What is his problem?” She didn't wait for an answer and continued, “you know what? let's forget about him and just have fun” she looped her arm with yours and instantly began dragging you.

The homecoming party was in full swing, music pounding against the walls, and laughter echoed through the gym where it took place. It reeked of sweat, and the floor was already sticky as if someone had dropped bottles of juice on the floor and honestly if Rafe was here you would have begged him to leave with you already.

You tried to enjoy the moment, despite the nagging feeling in the back of your mind. You clutched a red Solo cup filled with non alcoholic fruit punch, swirling the liquid mindlessly. You knew you’d only take a few sips—just enough to look like you were part of the fun.

Beside you, Gwen nudged your arm with a playful grin. “Come on, loosen up a little! It's homecoming, not a funeral.”

You laughed, rolling your eyes. “I’m trying, okay? This just isn’t really my scene.”

 “You mean you don’t love being crammed in a gym full of sweaty high schoolers who haven't  learned what deodorant is yet, with music so loud it could cause permanent hearing damage?” Gwen dramatically gasped.

“Shocking, right?” You smirked.

“Alright, no excuses. One dance. Then I’ll let you go back to brooding in the corner with your untouched fruit punch.” She grabbed your hand, pulling you toward the dance floor

You sighed but let her drag you along anyway , attempting to let go of the tension in your chest just for a few minutes.

But it didn't last long. 

A single phone rang loudly, cutting through the music—then another, and another, until the entire gym was filled with the sound of alerts. Conversations stopped, and a wave of confusion swept through the crowd as people scrambled to check their phones. Those who had left theirs at home leaned over shoulders, desperate to see what was happening.

It was an emergency alert.

A link attached to the notification led to a live report from a hovering news helicopter. The shaky footage showed Spider-Man in a brutal fight with something massive—a creature that towered over him. Gasps and murmurs spread through the party as people recognized what they were seeing.

Another lizard.

New York had seen its fair share of Dr. Curt Connors copycats, but this one was different. It was bigger—almost dinosaur-sized; its scaly skin was reflecting the city lights as it tore through the streets. The ground seemed to shake even through the screen.

“This… this one’s huge,” someone whispered, their voice barely audible over the growing panic.

The realization hit all at once. This wasn’t just another mad scientist playing with forbidden experiments and  chemicals. This was something worse. And it was heading straight for the school.

The battle outside was relentless. The massive Lizard roared, its tail whipping through the air, sending cars flying like toys that weighed nothing. Rafe gritted his teeth, webbing up debris and yanking himself through the air to keep up with the monster’s destructive path.

Every web he shot was torn apart and all his strength did nothing against the creature. Rafe's body ached, exhaustion creeping in faster than he wanted to admit. The Lizard was too strong, too fast, and it was pushing forward, heading straight toward the school. Toward you.

He forced himself to move, barely dodging a swipe of the creature’s paws. His vision blurred for a moment, his limbs trembling. His suit was torn. He was too weak. He wasn’t going to make it.  

Then he saw it. In that small moment of hesitation, that single breath he allowed himself to take, the monster had surged forward. Its massive feet slammed into the school celling, reducing the entrance to ashes. Dust and debris shot into the air as the walls groaned under its weight. His chest tightened—he had wasted precious seconds

A deafening explosion sent shockwaves through the school, knocking people off their feet. walls shattered, dust lifted in the air, screams filled the gym, all the lights were shut off putting the school in full black out and the once-lively party descended into chaos.

Everyone was running frantically, The entire building shook as you all felt the creature getting closer seeking destruction. All you could hear was the scream of people desperately trying to find an exit. 

“We have to go!” Gwen took your hand and began running but there was nowhere to run, the school was falling piece by piece.

The next thing you knew, the Lizard’s massive paw tore through the ceiling, debris raining down. Screams got louder and louder. It wasn’t just destroying the building—it was tearing apart anything in its path.

Even students.

You barely had time to process the horror unfolding before your eyes. The sickening sound of ripping metal, the desperate cries for help—it was too much. You wanted to run, to do something, but your body felt frozen in place, paralyzed by terror.

And then you saw it.

A lifeless hand, limp beneath the rubble. A shoe that hadn’t been there seconds ago. Blood smeared across the floor where moments earlier, there had been laughter.

Your breath hitched, your chest was tightening with a grief so sharp it felt like it might crush you. This wasn’t just destruction. It was a massacre..

You barely had time to process  it before a chunk of debris came crashing down—right toward you and a figure dressed in red and blue dropped from the ceiling and came at you as fast as light could travel.

In a blur of motion, you were flying through the air, held tightly against a strong chest. 

“You need to go!”  Spiderman yelled as soon as he dropped you back on your feet. But you couldn't hear him over the roars and the screams.

Before you could respond, a violent force knocked you both apart. You tumbled across the floor, the wind knocked from your lungs and the monster hovered over you. 

Spider-Man lunged, webbing the creature’s face and yanking it backward. “Run!” he shouted at you, desperation in his tone. He fought with everything he had, flipping, dodging, striking with all the strength he could collect. But the Lizard was relentless.

Then, in the chaos, you tried to run—but the Lizard’s tail lashed out, striking you hard. The sound of impact was harsh. You hit the ground with a sickening thud.

“No!” Rafe’s voice cracked, Something inside him snapped. Rage flooded his veins, and every ache, every ounce of exhaustion vanished.

With a furious roar, he attacked. His punches came harder, his movements faster. He webbed the Lizard’s limbs, yanking it into the ground with a force that shattered concrete. He didn’t let up. He couldn’t. Not after what had just happened.

Finally, with one last web the monster was tied to the floor unmoving and unconscious, the host of the lizard and succumbed.

But none of it mattered.

Rafe stumbled toward you, collapsing beside you before pulling his mask up to truly see you.

 “No, no, no—come on” he pleaded, his hands lifted your head up and he felt the liquid pouring out of the large gash behind your head. His blood stained hands trembled as he brushed the hair from your face, his vision blurred with tears. “Please, Y/n—”

Your eyes fluttered open slightly, breathing shallow. A weak, bittersweet smile ghosted your lips. “I always knew,” you whispered. “I always knew it was you.”

Rafe froze, his breath catching in his throat.

“I just… wished you told me,” You murmured, fingers barely gripping his suit. “I still would’ve… loved you.”

Tears streamed down his face. “No, don’t—don’t talk like that. You’re going to be okay. I promise, I—”

But you exhaled one last breath, your hand slipping from his suit. Your body went still.

“Please, no. i love you” he lifted your body further into his as if his warmth could bring you back but it didn't.

And after that moment the canon remained intact.

[moonyswolfie]

Study Session

A/N: So I just finished a torturously long exam session and this fic is a result of all the stress and mental breakdowns I've accumulated like Pokemons during this time. I actually wrote this piece between two of my biggest and most difficult exams, hence the N.E.W.T.s coming in to play. I hope you enjoy and if you relate, I'm so sorry! Remember that you are strong and no amount of academic stress can bring you down!

Pairing: Remus Lupin x Potter!reader

Masterlist

The table you were sat at in the Library was so crowded with textbooks and parchments that you could not see the wood any longer. Notes and cheat sheets, explanatory scrolls of parchments, quills and bottles of ink covered the entire surface. Hell, Lily even brought a dictionary. Merlin knew what use would a muggle dictionary have when it came to magical terms, but you learned a long time ago to never question her genius.

It was N.E.W.T.s season and to say that all 5 of you were stressed would be an understatement. James thought that once you passed your O.W.L.s, the N.E.W.T.s would not be as scary as everyone made them out to be. It was an exam session, a very long and tiresome and perhaps crucial exam session, but it wasn't Voldemort, right?

Wrong. The stress was growing by the hour and despite having two more weeks at your disposal to revise and memorise all you needed to, it didn't feel like enough.

But then again, was it ever enough? 

You've been preparing for the N.E.W.T.s since the beginning of the school year, forcing yourself to attend every class and take a ginormous amount of notes that you knew would probably end up useless or lost somewhere at the bottom of your book bag. Still, you couldn't bring yourself to pause. Failure was not an option.

So far you tackled Charms, Transfiguration and Defence Against the Dark Arts, all of them easy and rather entertaining subjects, if you were to say so yourself. Right now however, you were stuck on the same Potions chapter for the past four hours and were just about ready to scream, cry, Avada Kedavra yourself or better yet, all of the above.

"Hey, Sirius?" 

He hums and looks up, noticing your twitching eye and the exasperation rolling off you in waves. 

"Y/N, are you okay?" 

The concern was palpable and it caught the attention of your boyfriend in an instant, yet Remus knew better than to pester you with questions right now. He was adamant about rest and health being your first priority, but considering his own overcrowded study schedule, he would be a hypocrite to point it out at the moment. He did, however, push a goblet of water in your direction, which you eagerly accepted and gulped down in seconds. You weren't exactly allowed food or beverages in the Library, but what Pince didn't know would not hurt her.

You thanked Remus and handed the goblet back, before turning to Sirius and taking a deep breath to regain your composure. 

"I have been rereading this chapter for the majority of our time here and I still don't understand the origins or the side effects of Amortentia when used for a longer period of time. No one really bothered to detail on them in any of our textbooks and I am not sure anyone ever subjected themselves to testing it out and then writing a memoir about it. However, Slughorn oh so graciously announced us that it might be included in the advanced exam topics. Do you happen to have anything on this? I know he mentioned some in class, but I didn't catch all of them."

"I think I do..."

He shuffles some parchments and knocks down some books, thus earning himself a stern look from Madame Pince, but ultimately finds the notes and hands them over.

"There you go, love."

You smile and thank him, humming while you scan the information. For such a chaotic human being, he had the neatest handwriting you've ever seen.

It doesn't take long for you to find the part about side effects, however there was nothing you didn't already write down yourself. Thankfully though, Sirius was the type of person to absently write down everything he heard so you found other helpful pieces of information. This was why you asked him for the notes in the first place, instead of Remus or James. Remus, much like yourself, only wrote the parts he was less certain of, whereas James didn't write anything at all. And Lily, Merlin bless her, she was a growing disaster when it came to writing information down. There was, contrary to her claims, no method to her madness.

You rolled up the parchment once you were done writing, yet kept it close, just in case you needed it again later. Sirius was studying for Transfiguration, so he wouldn't miss the notes anytime soon. Lily turned to you, ready to ask a question regarding a Charms lesson she was too sick to attend, but stopped and frowned, browsing the page spread out on the table in front of you.

"Y/N, why are your notes bilingual?" 

You turned and followed her gaze to the margins, specifically to the terminology you borrowed from Sirius...

You unscrolled his notes again and placed them next to yours, looking from one to the other with a bemused smile. Next to the name of the potion, you drew a little arrow and wrote amour et obsession, which would have been inconspicuous, had you not added une potion délicate and l'amour impossible devient possible.

There were a few more next to the ingredients list and some corrections made regarding the mode of preparation. As you scanned the two sets of notes, you noticed that his were entirely in French, while you half translated, half copied your added bits.

You didn't know what was funnier, that you mindlessly wrote the information in Frenchglish, or that you didn't notice it was in another language to begin with. 

English was your mother tongue, yet like every other pureblooded offspring, you were forced to attend a variety of language lessons to determine which ones you would be more skilled in. Romantic languages proved to be your forte, so you stuck with French, Italian and Latin. It wasn't easy in the beginning, seeing as they are all mere variations of the latter, therefore making them ridiculously easy to mix up and combine in the oddest of sentences, but you persevered and were now fluent in all four. 

Regardless, slip ups like the one you were tiredly staring at now were not unheard of. You were certain it was a testament to how tired you truly were. Perhaps Remus was right, you should rest more.

But then again, this was not a simple exam session. It was the one that would determine your entire future. You could sleep when you're dead.

"You write your notes in French?"

Sirius' head shot up immediatey, confusion written all over his face.

"Yes?"

By now everyone's attention was on your exchange, which deepened his frown. James looked like he missed everything until that very moment, Remus was watching his best friend with a raised brow and Lily was silently shaking her head, smiling. She didn't know how she ended up with the lot of you, but she knew she loved you dearly.

"French is my first language" Sirius added, as if that was all the explanation you needed.

Sadly, it did nothing to clear up the confusion. When neither of you said anything, he added "doesn't everyone take notes in their first language?"

Despite Remus being the only other person in your group who wasn't a native English speaker, therefore making him the best candidate to answer his friend, you all shook your heads, your faces betraying different levels of amusement and fondness. It was a rather endearing situation.

"I don't take notes in Welsh, if that's what you're asking. I don't think I can even translate half the things correctly. Besides, the spells are in Latin, so imagine how that would look on a piece of parchment."

You chuckled at the mental image of magical notes looking more like pages taken from that muggle author's book, Tolkien. Lily followed and you both received a glare and a pointed "shhh" from Madame Pince. Honestly, it was a wonder she wasn't kicking you out at this point.

"Wait a second" James turned towards his best friend "ALL of your notes are in French?"

Sirius nods. Poor baby looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"But don't you..." you frown, unsure how to formulate your question "I see you writing constantly. If the Professor speaks, you write. How..." you groan, burying your face in your hands and shaking your head "my brain hurts. You look as if you write down everything that is said in class, so I assumed that you do?”

You peek an eye up only to be met with Sirius chuckling silently.

“I do write mostly everything that is said in class, but first I summarize it and I guess it’s easier to summarize it in French. I find it easier if I reformulate the information because it shows I understood the concept, but to avoid learning something mechanically and forgetting it when I flip the page, I use my own words. The only issue is that sometimes I forget the word I need in English or there isn’t even a word in English for said thing to begin with. Thus French. And no one really asked me for my notes before you so I didn’t see any reason to put any effort in translating them. And you didn’t seem to have a problem with it anyway.” he adds with an amused smirk, remembering Lily’s previous comment about your notes

You mask your chuckle with a cough and glance at your notes again.

“That is actually a great idea, Pads, I might have to start doing it myself.”

“NO!”

The lot of you was startled by James’ whisper-shout. You gave him a bewildered look, raising an eyebrow in question.

“Are you alright, big brother?”

“Don’t you dare. I know you and your disturbingly brilliant mind. If you start implementing this method, you’re going to write your notes in Latin” he squints, an accusatory look in his eyes “and where am I going to get my last minute notes from then?”

That was it, you couldn’t hold it in any longer if you tried. You burst out laughing, prompting an exaggerated “SHHH” to be directed your way.

“This is your last warning, if you cannot keep quiet, I suggest you move your little study session to your Common Room.”

Madame Pince was stern, yet you couldn’t fault her this time. You were loud and you certainly disturbed a few of your peers seated at nearby tables.

“Sorry” you whisper with a sheepish look.

You returned your attention to the table just in time to catch Lily placing a sweet kiss on James’ cheek, mumbling “don’t worry, my love, I won’t leave you noteless” which seemed to lift his spirits immediately. As grossed out as you were by their affection sometimes (what are sisters for after all?), you couldn’t help but smile at the scene. You were really happy he found his better half, even if it happened to be one of your best friends.

But after all, you did return the favour, did you not?

Remus’ hand found yours under the table and he squeezed it affectionately. You squeezed right back and smiled up at him, mouthing “I love you” and delighting in the beautiful smile that took over his face for the rest of the day.

[altkys]

=͟͟͞͞➳❥ 𝙉𝙤𝙬 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜... 𝙏𝙤𝙭𝙞𝙘 𝙗𝙮 𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙮 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 [ 𝘼𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙤𝙨 ]

Multiple characters at once, woo. I might do a part 2 with 6reeze. I'll add what monsters for each person in the tags but try and guess which one for each. Anyways, here's what type of mythical creature the genshin zaddies would fall in love with because we deserve to be the monster they romance ♥♥ Let me know if I should do a smut/nsfw version

Notes: monarch of yapping over here, had no ideas for Zhongli and he ended up being the longest (that’s kind of just passive aggressive comments about how much he yaps though, can you tell I fucking hate him?) Sorry for not doing you justice Kaeya, you were first up and I was getting used to this. Someone please tell me if I this is nsfw or sfw

Warnings include: blood, blood drinking, cannibalism, biting/marking, murder, drinking, drugging, messing with human corpses, implied attempted murder + mentions of skinny dipping, alcohol, manipulation

❝ Too high, can't come down Losing my head, spinnin' 'round and 'round Do you feel me now? ❞

˚₊·—̳͟͞͞♥ 𝙆𝙖𝙚𝙮𝙖 𝘼𝙡𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙝 - 𝙎𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙣

He's a charmer, one who uses flowery words and a bit of subtle, harmless manipulation that might utilise a few white lies. So of course, his significant other must be someone who can match his energy, right? Perhaps even give him a run for his money?

Kaeya finds himself drawn to a siren. You. Your kind isn't as depicted – instead of an entire fish tail, it's a few fins along your feet and webbed hands, with gills along your neck. Your skin is translucent, and glowing blue-purple veins can be seen if he squints. Additionally, you don't eat humans – thankfully.

He's persistent when getting to know you, almost desperately curious to. Though you don’t seem to reciprocate the feeling when he ice-bridges across your ocean cavern and freezes your fins– in his defence, you were the one singing first, it's only fair he defends himself. It’s alright, he promises to not bother you again.

Not a week later, he's back, with another claim of investigating the area under the orders of the Favonius Acting GrandMaster, and a small pouch of rare berries a water-dweller could never try. He snickers as you stare at the swinging brown sack hung on his belt. “See something you like?”

“I’ve no need for a human’s inadequate services.” You give him a tight smile, hiding the way your stomach growls at the smell of sugary berries drifting towards you in the salty sea’s breeze, but before you can let the thought linger, you find the blue gaze of the pirate captain again, an annoying smirk plastered on his face.

“Oh, this? They’re my snacks.” Kaeya drawls, turning to you fully as he took the pouch and swinging it in front of your face. “What, did you crave to try some? Well, I am a gracious knight, so I’ll share—”

You happily swim away with the snatched bag, ignoring his frozen figure.

Secretly, under the guise of ignoring you for stealing, Kaeya watches your delighted expression at something so foreign. It’s a uniquely cute side of someone so manipulative. 

He’s there to visit the next day. And two days after that. Then four days after that. 

Diluc was perplexed at the lack of a significant annoyance in his bar and Rosaria misses her drinking buddy. Jean and Lisa share whispered confusion at how Kaeya is suddenly proactive, volunteering for missions and investigations. Albedo gently consoles Klee as he and Sucrose rejoice over the lack of flirting in their lab. 

Swapping ‘persuasion’ tactics whenever he visits your underwater cave. You share a few verses (in spoken poetry, so as to not charm him), and he tells stories of how he sidestepped work to visit you. You’re dangerous. He, of anyone, knows just how powerful words can be. It’s a terrifyingly enthralling poison.

When it’s high tide, you’ll go on walks by the beach, letting the waves wash over you so you don’t dry out. If he’s feeling playful, he’ll show off a few ice tricks and bridge his way across the water as you swim beside him. He’s gone swimming with you once. Fortunately, a cryo vision can protect his body heat, but the wet clothes after – especially his fur accessory – isn’t worth the effort.

Maybe the next time he swims, he’ll go without clothes. He hopes you’ll reciprocate the gesture.

When he visits, he’ll show you a bit of something from Mond. You don’t care for human knicknacks, not one for voluntary pollution, so he brings you snacks. A few rare berries imported from all over Teyvat, his own specialty dish of Fruity Skewers – and his very favourite, a few bottles of dandelion wine and sparkling, white wine as you both try to replicate his sacred Death After Noon.

“You again.” You say, staring at the basket of wine he had brought with him. Kaeya's eye roves over your laying figure in the sand, staring up at him with unimpressed eyes, yet curious of the basket’s contents. “What’d you bring?”

“Not even a hello, love?” He coos, kneeling down in the sand beside you. “It’s not very nice, y’know.” 

You sigh and bring yourself up, tugging him down by the collar with a playful grin as you leave claw marks in his shirt. “Hello, Kaeya.”

He doesn’t fight you, allowing himself to fall into the sand beside you. He’s used to your antics by now, though it doesn’t make them any less of a headache to deal with. Not that he minds.

“You look nice on the sand,” he mutters, his arms resting on either side of your body as he hovered on top of you, touch gentle yet firm. “Very lovely.”

"Really?" You coo, sharp nails tracing over his lips as you arch your back into him until your chests touch.

He swallows harshly and lets a wolfish smirk stretch his lips. "Yeah, rea- Hey!"

You giggle as you dive back into the waves and appear behind him, snatching the basket as he tackles you into the sand once more, grin buried in your bare stomach. 

It's terrifying to be wrapped around your finger, and even moreso: he didn’t even care.

˚₊·—̳͟͞͞♥ 𝘿𝙞𝙡𝙪𝙘 𝙍𝙖𝙜𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙧

The tavern was always open, and with Charles' increasingly old age, Diluc had been working more than ever. Mondstadt's Darknight Hero was out of business.

And yet, mysteriously, Mondstadt remained untouched during its night. The unknown reason weighed heavy of the bartender's mind – he didn't trust the Knights of Favonius. So what was it?

The answer came in his tavern that same nice, though he doesn't realise. No one was there despite the relatively early evening, all too concerned with their duties of preparing for Windblume. Perhaps Diluc could finally go home that night...

You squashed that hope as you stopped at the bartop, tapping a nail against the wood as you stare up at him with pupils too thin and too deep to be natural.

“Good evening.” You drawl, cutting off his greeting. A smile plays at your lips as you rock your digit on the counter. “I do hope I’m not disturbing you tonight.”

"Not at all," Diluc replies coolly, setting down the glass he'd been polishing with a towel. He's tall, staring down at you as you lean on the counter. "How can I assist you this evening?"

“A glass of wine.” You order, but the way your eyes roved him hungrily tells him a different story. Despite his poker face, he can’t help but hold your stare, the presence you hold is too powerful not to. "Red."

He isn’t blind to the hunger in your gaze. It's unsettling, but despite himself, he finds himself intrigued by your presence and the allure you possess.

With movements smooth and practiced, he reaches for a bottle of wine. He grabs a glass and a bottle of Dawn Winery's finest. The liquid swirls inside. "Of course."

"Anything else?" He asks. You answer no. He inquires as to why you drink alone, only once, in a tavern far from the city's entrance.

"Because of hunger." You respond.

Your voice is more quiet, more smooth. Hypnotising. Like the wine you hold in the glass. It makes him sleepy, he's always been a lightweight – though Diluc doesn't know as to why, because you're the one drinking wine.

"Why are you at a bar, and not a restaurant?" He manages to make his mouth move. You straighten up, your figure ominous and looming - not because of physicality. His vision is darker now, and fire isn't lighting anything up.

"Why would I need to be, when my meal is right here?"

Diluc wakes and he's weak and in his bedroom. There's a very obvious stinging in his neck, and Adelinde delivers a letter that claims Charles is calling out of work yet again. It's less than a week to Windblume, and people's spirits are high. He's not so cold as to dampen them.

He slaps on a bandage and tugs his collar high. But a certain nun notices and the Cavalry Captain teases the possibility of a new lover. Diluc ignores them both, but at the end of his shift, a bottle of prune juice is opened with a peacock eye playfully carved into the cork.

You're there suddenly, nodding approvingly at his choice of drink, at his hard work as a food source, but your blood bag is smart and a claymore is pressed to your neck. The truth behind Mondstadt's safety comes to life and Diluc hesitates for just a second and with a short apology, you're gone.

Then you're everywhere. In his tavern sharing drinks and swapping stories, his vineyards on walks that consist of carefully avoiding the sun and hiding under his leather coat, his bedroom and his dreams. Each meet-up, Diluc ends up looking forward to the next. Enjoying them even.

Maybe too much when you tackle him onto his sheets, filled with a hunger that isn't satiated by mere blood anymore. It's a date you find yourselves on a little too often.

"I do believe the last time your Moon City had this celebration, we didn't know each other." You chuckle as Diluc leads you through the crowd, holding an umbrella over you with a carefulness unrivalled by even the most paranoid man.

"Windblume." Diluc nods. He's polite, not the most welcoming, and certainly not enthusiastic, but its a silent sort of fondness and comfortability that would be awkwardness in anyone else's company.

You're led into a pretty dance you've done one time too many. It's somehow more enjoyable with a handsome redhead by your side, who knew?

Its fast and upbeat, but none of the clapping outside meets your ears as you spin him, or when he holds you close, or when your faces are one centimetre too close together and neither of you know when you move, but Diluc's newest romance venture is confirmed in the form of a long, not-so-chaste kiss.

˚₊·—̳͟͞͞♥ 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙚 - 𝙂𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙠𝙪𝙧𝙤

Childe was known by the Fatui as an unexpectedly nice harbinger. One of the youngest in history to reach the rank. But it's common to brush over the trail of blood and bodies it took to reach that point, and even moreso how the fighter enjoys it.

When you first meet, Childe is beaten up and bloody. He's staring up at you, surrounded with the bodies of a couple dozen victims. Some deserved, some not. It's neither of your jobs to judge. Kill and clean up.

You're huge, easily over 10 metres. All bones and chattering teeth that has his ears ringing and his form cloaked in shadow. It excites him, gives him a surge of adrenaline that clears his vision just slightly enough to overcome your attempt on his life and swipe at you with duo-wielded hydro daggers.

It's all he can do to not be skewered. The giant sweeping forearm is fast, hitting his stomach and knocking the wind out of him, and now, in his moment of vulnerability, he's at your mercy.

He tries to make his way onto his knees to get up, but his body won't listen. Each movement he makes is painful; every breath he takes short and sharp at your looming figure. Every bit of energy leaves his body just from standing.

But Childe falls, obviously, trips over the bodies blocking his way – for once in front rather than behind – and falls into very soft, very human arms.

You're not a giant skeleton. Not completely anyways. Just a normal human with an arrow lodged into your skull and blood drenching the left side of your clothes. But you're cold, lifeless despite the very clearly conscious movements of moving him to lie down, and the bone-puppet you control is too busy cleaning up his mess to eat him.

“Dear soldier,” you say, voice echoing with a hollow lack of life. “I’ll see you at your next battle.”

You're there every time. It's a good motivator to not fight until passing out forever, just so he can see you. This hauntingly breathtaking shadow of death that follows him to his dreams. Something he gladly welcomes.

It's a different scenario every time, sometimes he'll kill you. Others, you'll kill him. The latter has him waking up, excited in more than a few ways.

With every hundred kills, Childe learns something new. Your puppet is made of skeletons of people who died in war or of starvation. You feed on humans – at 2 AM exactly. And most importantly, Celestia hate you. Forces you to survive on the scraps of a battlefield. So you seek him out often, as does he when he wants to get stronger.

Sometimes, he'll torch the bodies with his delusion and shape it up real nice, drain the blood for you to drink and not your puppet as he kneels by your side and begs for a fight. Those dates are memories he's fond of.

“Hey, it’s you again.” Childe greets as a familiar shadow falls over him and jogs over. He’s gotten remarkably good at avoiding the bodies as he stops just before you; short enough to talk, long enough to shoot. “Took you long enough.”

You don’t respond, rarely do except for the few sentences every impromptu meet up, but he doesn’t mind. Doesn’t even bat an eye as your skeleton puppet moves to devour the bodies behind him and suddenly paints the land in a sea of blood.

“Ne, let’s fight.” He proposes, eyes sparkling as he lines up his aim to shoot. 

“You’ll die. And then I’ll starve.” You shoot him down as he tries to shoot you down. Not a sweat is broken — not that you can, you are undead after all — as you dodge and block and catch the arrows he sends, ignoring the hearts carved into the spine.

“That’s ok!” He insists with a pout, giving up and throwing the arrows instead. The bow is tossed aside as he uses his strength, good enough to blow a hole through your stomach. You gather the leaking brown blood and draw numbers on different limbs as a gory game of darts as your body heals. An arrow bursts your skull just as you finish. “We can fight in Celestia!”

Childe skips over with a soft, dangerously adoring smile and catches your body before it can fall limp as he observes the fascinating way your brain regenerates. He licks at a bit of blood leaking, enjoying the stale, iron taste. “I’ll find you in every life until one of us dies for good.”

Your apathetic expression is slowly weaved as the undead cells regenerate, but your nose isn’t even fully formed as your lips move to whisper a raspy, “that sounds like a promise.”

“Oh, it is, comrade. It is.” 

˚₊·—̳͟͞͞♥ 𝙕𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙞

As the geo archon, as... immature as he was in his youth, Zhongli had some degree of resistance to the element. Paired with his shield and form as a sovereign dragon, geo wasn't exactly a weak point. Or any element, at that.

You're a small merchant, wheeling around a cart around the outskirts of Liyue with products straight from your garden. It's safe to say Zhongli is immediately interested in your house-made Osmanthus wine and small garden statues. It's a stone he vaguely remembers from his shameful younger years, but was too ignorant to learn.

Ever the gentleman and enjoyer of talk, Zhongli strikes up conversation as he samples your wine.

It's good. Really good. And he lets you know in quite the unnecessary, long winded way as he inquires as to the cloth wrapped around your head. Apparently it's a custom from Sumeru, perhaps times have changed, but he's curious as he takes sample after sample until the entire bottle is gone.

“… I apologise.” He coughs into his fist, a rare shade of pink fogging his ears. How embarrassing, he hasn’t had such a lack of self control in a few dozen centuries. “It was merely too—”

“Good?” You jump in before he can monologue again, a stella customer service smile plastered on. “I thank you for your lengthy verbal support, Mr Zhongli, truly. You’re too kind.”

“I merely state the truth.” He chuckled, gloved hands slowly patting himself down. “Not to worry, I will pay for the bott-…”

He falls silent when he realised each pocket he had check is empty, and hitches his twitching smile back on. It's then he realises why bad habits should not go unchecked, for making a bad impression is something he wants far too little for a stranger. “Ahaha. I do apologise.”

A part of him wilts inside as you stare, unimpressed.

“… I travel around Qingxu Pool tomorrow.” You say slowly, holding out a hand for him to shake. He does, and meets your intense gaze as you add, “I shall see you there?”

“You shall.” He says happily. Perhaps he should ask the Wangsheng Funeral Parlour director for a loan in order to buy another few bottles. “Then I will meet you then.”

It takes a while to notice, but somehow, someway, he's meeting with you everyday. You don't mind – why would you, when such an esteemed, good looking gentleman is enamoured with you. But it's a while before Zhongli takes notice of the curse you've striked him with.

Not that he minds. A mere wave of his hand is enough to stop the foreign stone slowly encasing his body, creeping up from his fingertips to everywhere else. But he doesn't confront you, nor does he condemn your actions. The want to be closer, for whatever reason, drives him to remain ignorant.

You often tour your gardens – walking through the osmanthus trees as you explain the origin stories behind the statues, unaware he knows that you're perplexed as to why he isn't frozen among them. Tea olive flowers are plucked every few seconds and woven into the cloth covering your head, and when you sit and enjoy a cup of wine, Zhongli shifts ever so slightly closer every time.

“I believe your wine tastes better each time I visit,” Zhongli smiles, taking a break from his sermon to compliment you as you pour another glass.

"Are you sure it's not just your taste for me?" you jest, swirling your chalice as you chuckle. “Perhaps it's the company, Mr Zhongli.”

“Perhaps,” he agrees easily. Always does in your presence as you rest your head on his shoulder. “Though I do wish you’d address me more casually. It’s a bit formal for friends, don’t you think?”

You tilt your head, your expression curious and slightly teasing. A bit too smug for someone playing clueless. "Friends, you say," you muse. "Is that all I've been thus far, though?"

His grip on the wine glass tightens. Perhaps it was just him, but the osmanthus flowers seemed to smell a lot more enticing on you. Or perhaps it was something else. He can't quite say. All he knows is that you're getting him entranced, as though a drug. He’s always been weak to you, and you know it. You know how much he wants to grab you — ravish you for days on end. The only thing stopping him; your relentless teases.

“It’s rather hot out here,” You say as you stand, unravelling the hair scarf. And suddenly a dozen snakes are staring at him. “Let’s relax inside, Mr Zhongli. And if you prefer I call you by a different name… I’m sure you can convince me somehow. I am a very practical learner.”

... ah.

Big thanks to the following for suggestions and support:

@cinnamol, @aroundsometimes, @eggsnbackn, @lilbabypanda-blog2 @aetherandlight and that one anon who submitted a suggestion privately!!

[plumeria1]

Her Dream Gift

Masterlist

Note : Vi is in the spotlight for this second day of the Arcane Valentine's Day Week. I think this is my favorite post of this week dedicated to love.

Pairing: Vi x Fem Reader

Warning: None

Content: Fluff

Summary: You give to Vi her Valentine's day gift

For the past three years that you had been together, on every Valentine's Day you always wore a pretty dress, yet this time you surprised her by wearing leather pants and a white denim jacket over a purple t-shirt.

You surprised her by picking her up in a taxi after her day at work at her father Vander's garage.

-Hey, angel, what are you doing here?

-I'm here to give you your Valentine's Day gift.

You had a smile and a mysterious look. She knew you were up to something, but what surprised her was that you had come by taxi. You had a car and she knew you had no problem, so why didn't you come with your car?

She quickly moved on, far too happy to see you, and got into the taxi, kissing you quickly. She would have liked the kiss to be longer, but she preferred to wait until you were alone.

-Where are we going?

-If I tell you, it will ruin the surprise, and don't try to guess either.

She laughed, you knew her so well.

-I didn't have time to change.

It was true, she had just had time to grab her red leather jacket before joining you; underneath, she was still wearing her tank top with a few grease stains and black pants.

-You didn't need it. Besides, even if you were wearing a garbage bag, you'd still be beautiful.

-Do I have the right to ask a question?

-Of course.

-Why did you come by taxi? Does your car have a problem?

You knew she would ask you the question, sometimes she could be quite predictable.

-My car's fine, but I had forgotten that I had agreed to lend it to your sister for tonight. And I don't mind coming by taxi, it's not a long ride.

Vi slightly furrowed her brows but didn't ask any more questions; it often happened that you lent your car to Powder, so it wasn't strange.

The thirty-minute drive went by quite quickly, probably because you spent all your time chatting about your day, you at the clothing store and Vi at the garage.

You felt the taxi slow down and then stop in front of a small dirt path that led to a small clearing where Vi and you often went to relax.

-We're here, ladies.

You paid the driver and he opened the trunk for you. Vi got out, thanking the driver, and watched you pull out a large black sports bag from the trunk. You had just added another question to her internal search to guess what you were going to give her.

She offered to carry the bag for you, thinking she might be able to guess its contents.

-Okay, but don't open it.

You looked serious when you told her that. She absolutely must not know what was in that bag, or it would ruin the surprise. A gust of wind made you tighten your jacket around you.

-Come on, or you'll end up freezing to death.

You laughed sarcastically.

-Very funny, it's easy for you, you're a walking radiator.

-That's why you love me.

You climbed the path, and when you arrived, Vi was impressed. A fire was burning, on the floor, pillows were arranged on a tablecloth, and as she moved forward, she saw that you had placed most of the things she loved to eat on this tablecloth, and you had even thought to bring beers because you knew she hated wine and champagne.

-You did this?

-Yes, but I had help.

She kissed you long and hard, and you had to push her away because you knew that if you let her continue, you would end up being her dinner. You guided her to the pillows where she let herself fall heavily, making you laugh; she knew that doing this didn't bother you.

It's one of the reasons why she loved you so much, she knew that with you she could be natural and unfiltered. Simply being herself. And you did the same on your side because for her, as for you, the most important thing in a relationship was to be yourself above all, and that's how you were.

After a dinner full of laughter and a few kisses, it was finally time for Vi to receive her gift. You made her turn around while you blindfolded her, then you helped her get up.

-Why the headband?

-For the element of surprise.

-Why didn't you just put your hands in front of my eyes?

You let out a sigh through your nose.

-Because you are taller than me and I know very well that as soon as I take my hands away, you will try to cheat.

After a few steps, you stopped and told Vi to remove the blindfold. She frowned when she saw a large black tarp covering something she couldn't guess. She turned to you, curious.

-What is...

You pushed her gently.

-Go check it out.

She followed your advice and headed towards the tarp, lifting it under your hopeful eyes, hoping she would like her gift.

She stopped before she had finished removing the tarp, having lifted it enough to see what was underneath.

-No way.

She removed the tarp in one go, and in front of her was a BMW R 1250 GS Adventure. She had been dreaming of this bike for over a year but had never managed to save enough money.

Vi looked at you again, still in shock.

-How did you...

You knew she would be surprised, but you didn't imagine she would be this surprised.

-Happy Valentine's Day, Vi.

She rushed towards you and took you in her arms, lifting you up with a laugh. When she set you down, she kissed your entire face and ended with a long kiss that you returned this time.

-I can't believe it, you're crazy for giving me this, it costs a fortune.

You could see the joy in her eyes; you had never seen her so happy. She was right, that motorcycle had cost you a fortune, but seeing her so happy was worth its weight in gold.

You gave her time to admire it and went to get the bag you had placed next to the tablecloth.

-There's that too.

Vi took the bag and opened it, inwardly jubilant at the thought of finally knowing what it contained. She smiled upon discovering two helmets. One was obviously for you because she had promised to take you with her when she had the money for the motorcycle.

"Even if it's in ten years, there's no way I'm not taking you with me." That's what she had told you.

-Why am I not surprised by that from you?

-You didn't really think I was going to give you a motorcycle without considering your safety first, did you?

She had that tender look you loved about her, you thought it made her look like a puppy.

-I don't know what to say, thank you angel.

-I don't need you to thank me, you also gave me an incredible gift.

She had to give you your gift a day earlier because you caught her wrapping it.

She didn't expect you to come home earlier than planned, she was a bit disappointed to have to give it to you before the date, but you told her it didn't bother you.

When you opened it, you jumped for joy upon seeing that she had managed to find what you had been looking for for a month without success.

-By the way, for your information, you will be the first to drive it; no one has ever even gotten on it.

She took you in her arms again and kissed the top of your head. There was a question she had just thought of.

-Wait, if no one got on it, how did it get here?

-It's thanks to Ekko, he borrowed Benzo's trailer and brought the motorcycle with him.

-I will need to remember to thank him.

A gust of wind brought you back to reality.

-What if we leave now?

-Very good idea, I'm starting to feel cold.

Vi pulled you towards the motorcycle and got on with a smile before putting on her helmet, letting you do the same. Then she felt your hands grip her. Internally, she suspected that was why you loved riding with her so much, but she would be lying if she said she didn't like it.

You were enjoying her warmth and she was enjoying the sensation of your hands on her. With a kick, she folded the crutch and started, taking both of you home.

[jd-loves-fiction]

I would like to ask reader x stellaron hunters (i dunno if you accept multiple characters, if not im fine with only kafka) with a reader that fights like denji from csm.

Like, if you havent seen or read csm i would describe denji fighting style as bashing his head against a wall until it breaks, theres the eternity devil fight that you can probably find on youtube (altought its kinda gory, just telling beforehand.)

Its fine if you dont take the request but if you do thanks in advance :D

🌑 I have in fact not watched CSM but I'm vaguely familiar, so I've kept this pretty vague in the descriptions :)

✦ 𝐊𝐚𝐟𝐤𝐚 ✦

Worried sick + weirdly impressed

She finds the way you fight to be quite interesting, very curious as to why you choose it in particular

Will be asking a thousand questions, particularly about whether or not you feel pain and if yes, why you don't seem to mind it

If it does bother you, she will not hesitate to offer help through her 'Spirit Whisper' (what she uses on Blade to help with the mara)

But if you wish to endure it without help, then she'll respect it but care for you as best she can after fights

Truly, she'd rather end fights quickly so you dont have need to hurt yourself but she cant deny the excitement she feels at fighting by your side

Though her people are incpable of feeling fear, for you, she might just about taste it on the tip of her tongue

✦ 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞 ✦

This hypocrite

Hurts himself constantly and yet worries about you so so much

Scolds you for being reckless constantly even tho he is the same, which you tell him - a fruitless conversation everytime

Always watching your back like a hawk on the battlefield, taking hits for you when he can - he'd rather hurt himself even if you can take it

Loves sparring with you tho!

It soothes him to know that you can keep up with him in battle

That being said he's the type to constantly remind you to take care of yourself, rest, eat well, etc

It's also comforting to know that should the mara take him over you'll have a chance to fight back against him, at least

✦ 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐨𝐥𝐟 ✦

So hype✨

You're like an SSR character, extra extra special and she's glad to have you on their side

Doesnt give much thought towards if it hurts you or not - all she knows or cares about is that it's cool as shit

Lowkey constantly asking to fight you because she sees it as a challenge to complete

Keeps equating you to a boss in one of her videogames

Hypeman no.1

Always hyping you up and asking about combos MID BATTLE😭

Menace but at least she's always down for the chaos

✦ 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐲 ✦

Hypocrite no.3

So so worried 🥺

She's just generally very caring, especially towards those at her side, so obviously will keep an eye on you at all times

But as a soldier, she's not going to try to hold you back, even if she really wants to

She's got her own pride and so would never think to tarnish yours

BUT oh my god if you could stop risking your life every five seconds😭

She gets it, she does really, but she's naturally very empathetic and because of her trauma... Let's just say she's of two minds on the whole situation

Gets over it if you come out mostly alright - generally tries to focus more on the here and now

Please reassure her of what she already knows, that you're strong, capable and that she can trust you to come back to her at the end of the day

[lila-went-missing]

reader AND vis first time

I saw this and got so excited to write it I'm not even gonna lie.

Warnings: Smut (duh), fluff at the end, switch Vi (kinda), body worship. Lmk if I missed anything.

Vi's body slotted perfectly on top of yours, like two pieces that were missing from a puzzle.

Her weight on top of you quickly turned into one of your favorite sensations. Her chest pressed against yours. That's exactly where she is now. Her arms rest on either side of your head, one hand cupping your cheek. Your tongues slide against each other in a sloppy but unbelievably passionate kiss.

You gasp as her knee presses against you.

"Fuck, VI." She breathes out a chuckle against your lips.

"Feel good Cupcake?"

"Mhm.." Her mouth moves to your neck, licking and sucking at your pulse point. A hand grips your hip and pulls you up against her.

Her own shirt is thrown off somewhere, you don't bother looking where. Not when her bare chest is right in front of your face. You sit up, legs caging her in. You pull her waist up against you and attach your lips to one of her nipples.

You lick and suck, pinching the other with your hand. Hickies are sucked into the surrounding skin. Vi isn't a super vocal person, usually letting out small grunts and huffs. But now whimpering more than you've ever heard her. You would've done this a long time ago if you had known her tits were this sensitive.

"Mmh shit Cupcake, keep doing that."

How could you ever say no to her?" You switch your mouth and hand sides, giving her exactly what she wants. Her hand cradles the back of your head, short nails scratching at your scalp.

After a few seconds she pulls you away, attaching her mouth back to yours. Your hands grope at her tits, unable to pull away.

"I've never- I've never done this before." She tells you. It's not often you see Vi looking nervous, but right now, she does.

"Me neither." You tell her. Something in her face changes and you can tell she isn't as worried. "We can go slow." Your hands slow down with your words, as if proving it.

She nods and crawls back on top of you, slower this time. It's nice, not as rushed. The feeling of her body relaxed against you makes you happier than anything else has in a while. You're more aware of how warm she is, how soft her skin is.

She pulls your own shirt over your head. Her hands drag over your body with more appreciation than you've ever felt from a man. Probably why you always left them way before anything started.

"You're so beautiful, baby." She eyes your chest before showing you the same attention you showed her. It's your turn to run your hand through her hair, lightly pulling it.

She works her hands at your belt, pulling your pants down your legs.

"Can I taste you, baby? Please?" You can't deny her anything, especially not with that desperate and whiny tone in her voice.

You nod but she's already pulling your panties down and diving her tongue into your pussy. Her hands wrap around her thighs, your thighs wrap around her head. She decides then and there that if she ever were to suffocate, this is how she would want to go out.

You've never felt anything like this. There's a warmth in your belly pulling tight as she goes. Her tongues switch's between kitten licking and suckling at your clit to fucking against your g-spot inside of you.

Time ceases to exist, she could've spent anywhere from a minute to a thousand years between your legs. You wouldn't know the difference.

Just when that coil is about to snap, she's pulling back and licking her lips.

"Vi..." Any other time you'd be embarrassed of how whiny you are, but not tonight. She's slipping her own bottoms off and slotting her legs in between yours.

"I want you to come against my pussy." She mutters against your lips.

Holy shit.

Those might be the hottest words you've ever heard in your life but you wouldn't know. Because the second her clit catches against yours you lose any memory that she isn't in.

It's fiery in a way you've never felt. The pleasure is all consuming, wrapping around your limbs pulling you into her. Your hands grab her hips, keeping her up against you. Your own hips buck up into her, amplifying the pleasure.

"Oh my- gosh Violet." You choke out. Her own voice is whimpering out. You hear the word "fuck" multiple times.

"Oh, Cupcake please.. you're so wet, fuck baby. You feel so good."

You throw your head back into the pillows. You wanted to last a lot longer than this but that's just not possible. Not with the way she's grinding her dripping pussy against yours. The sound of your juices mixing together is so lewd it throws you over the edge.

"You gonna cum for me? Come on, cum on my fucking pussy baby. Let me have it."

You don't remember anything that you say. Your orgasm is so powerful that you black out. You faintly hear the words coming out of her own mouth, but you know she's having an orgasm just as powerful.

She falls on top of you, arms wrapping around your waist. Yours come up around her back. You trace the ink of her tattoo, more content than you've been in a while.

Her lips press into your neck. It isn't sexual, just loving. You wouldn't have it any other way.

"I love you." You tell her, honestly.

"I love you." You know she's being honest too.

[cozmowrites]

New Year's (2024)

"Hey- grab me a slice of that cake!" Ashido shouted at you as you told them you were off to grab a drink of alcohol or two from the table. Todoroki told everyone about a New Year's party to have a fun reunion between the two hero classes. Pro-heroes, sidekicks, or whatever they wanted to be, everyone was alive with energy, reaching its peak. Music boomed, laughter echoed, and the aroma of fancy hors d'oeuvres filled the air, something Todoroki bought into. Everyone had gathered to celebrate the end of the year, reconnecting after years of carving their individual paths.

You picked up two glasses of saké in one hand, casually chatting with Ashido as she takes the cake from your hands so you could carry both glasses on each hand. Despite the festive atmosphere, you couldn't help but notice one glaring absence. Kirishima had come up behind Ashido and scared her.

"Bakugou's missing," you muttered.

"Yeah," Kirishima laughed. "He's doing his lone wolf thing again, probably glaring at the stars or something."

Ashido rolled her eyes. "Classic Bakugou. Someone should drag him back here."

Without a second thought, you volunteered. "I'll go. I could use some fresh air anyway. Plus, I wanted to deliver this extra glass to him." You held it up and the both of them wished you good luck in finding him.

Leaving the chatter and music behind, you wandered through the hallways of the venue, not really knowing where anything is, until you found the staircase leading to the roof. The cool night air hit your skin as you stepped outside. It was cold as fuck and you didn't think to bring your jacket or coat. There he was, leaning against the railing, his back turned to the door. His blond hair glinted in the faint glow of the city lights, and the skyline stretched endlessly before him.

"Thought I'd find you here," you said, approaching cautiously. He didn't turn, but his posture tensed slightly.

"What the hell do you want?" His voice was gruff. You were definitely bothering him, but that's what you do. Bother people and pry into their business.

You held up the glass of saké, even though he didn't look at you right away. "Figured you might need a drink."

He glanced over his shoulder, eyes narrowing before he sighed. "Fine." Taking the glass, he leaned back against the railing and stared out at the city.

For a moment, neither of you spoke. The silence wasn't awkward; it was peaceful, broken only by the distant sound of music and laughter drifting up from below. You were cold and he took note of that, how the hairs stood up on your arm and the way the goosebumps formed almost immediately after. He hated that you tried to hide it and he shrugged off his jacket and placed it over your shoulders.

"Don't get sick." He grumbled quietly and you slipped your arms through the sleeves, immediately feeling warmer.

"Why are you out here?" You finally asked.

"Too noisy in there," he muttered, taking a sip of the saké. "Besides, it's not like anyone would miss me."

"That's not true," you replied softly, stepping closer. "Kirishima and Ashido were talking about you just now. They care about you, Bakugou. We all do."

"Tch." He looked away, but the faintest trace of a blush colored his cheeks.

You stood beside him, gazing out at the skyline. The countdown to midnight was getting closer, and the city seemed to buzz with anticipation. You glanced at him out of the corner of your eye, noticing how his usually harsh features softened under the moonlight.

"You're different, you know," you said suddenly.

"The hell's that supposed to mean?" He shot you a look as he took a drink of his saké.

"I mean you've mellowed out. A little. You're still grumpy, but you're also.. calmer. More thoughtful."

He scoffed, but you caught the flicker of embarrassment in his eyes. "Don't start getting weird on me."

"I'm just saying," you teased, nudging his arm gently.

A distant cheer erupted from below, signaling the final minute of the year. You both turned instinctively toward the noise, though neither of you made a move to join the others.

"Thirty seconds!" You heard someone shout from below, the sound faint but clear.

You turned back to Bakugou, a small smile playing on your lips. "Any resolutions for the new year?"

"No. Resolutions are stupid." He grumbled, though there was no real venom in his words.

"Fair enough," you laughed.

"Ten!"

The countdown was in full swing now, the voices growing louder. You felt a strange tension settle in the air, and when you looked at Bakugou again, his gaze was fixed on you, intense and unreadable.

"Five!"

"What?" you asked, your voice barely above a whisper. "Do I have something on my face?"

"Four!"

He didn't answer. Instead, he set his glass down on the railing and stepped closer, his crimson eyes locked on yours.

"Three!"

Your heart pounded in your chest. Was he about to—? No, this was Bakugou. He'd never—

"Two!"

"Hey-" You started.

His hand brushed against yours, hesitant yet deliberate.

"One!"

Before you could fully process what was happening, he leaned in, his lips capturing yours in a kiss that was both firm and unexpectedly gentle. Your eyes widened in shock, but you didn't pull away. The kiss was brief, yet it sent your mind spinning, leaving you breathless when he finally pulled back.

"Happy New Year," he muttered, his cheeks a deep shade of red.

You stared at him, still stunned. As the cheers and party seems to get louder below, the rooftop seemed quiet and the city felt distant. It was just you and Bakugou now. "Did- did you just kiss me?"

"Yeah, I did," he said gruffly, avoiding your gaze. "Got a problem with that?"

"No," you said quickly, your heart racing. "Just.. I thought we were only friends. You.. made that pretty clear on graduation day."

He finally met your eyes, his expression softening. "Maybe I'm done pretending that's all we are."

For a moment, you were too stunned to speak. Then a slow smile spread across your face. There was a hint of a smirk on his lips.

+++

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[butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway]

that post you reblogged about pressuring people to cum reminded me of something that bothers me. how do you know if you've cum? does it really feel that noticeably different? i get a thing where it feels slightly more good than before but like in a fraction kinda way. like 1/10 better than before. and then i feel so tired i can't stay awake. is that cumming? if it is then what the hell it sucks and i hate it

So like. Yes and no.

Oooh this is such a good question anon. You have no idea, let me see if I can break this down into something coherent.

Orgasm is an intensification/culmination of sensory and psychological pleasure that combine to basically flood the brain with various fundamental hormones. These hormones tend to leave people feeling really physically relaxed (or even sleepy!) But that doesn't always correlate to actual sensation based pleasure.

So for a REALLY long time, I "couldn't cum". And it felt a lot like you describe. I would start getting close, and this sort of scrambled frantic feeling would happen, and there would be a little uptick in the sensations, and then it would wash away feeling super muffled or even entirely gone and leaving me feeling frustrated and exhausted. And eventually I started having BETTER orgasms and realized that yeah. Those were orgasms. In the kink world, they are sometimes called "ruins" because they are "colloquially" a "ruined orgasm" that is stopped just on the edge of reaching it. It tends to feel....upsetting and intense if it's not the sort of thing you're into in that moment. If I'm not in the right headspace I can literally just burst into tears and get really fucked up emotionally for hours after.

But no, not ALL orgasms are like that. There are resonances, like the gradual swell of pleasure, the risk of it slipping away if your head isn't in the right place for what you're doing (esp if you have any anxieties specifically around sex or intimac, and the way it may leave you overly exhausted after. But orgasms are as much psychological as they are physical. Part of the point of the post you mentioned is that pressure to reach orgasm as an inherent or necessary part of sex tends to REALLY fuck with the psychological factors of orgasm.

Case in point, one of the best orgasms I've ever had had absolutely zero touch from my partner except an "anchor" (their hands in my hair). My partner just kept talking to me through the whole experience and the relaxation, anticipation, and intimacy ended with an orgasm strong enough to briefly black me out.

Conversely, I've had REALLY GOOD SEX where the orgasm just couldn't come no matter what because of the headspace I was in, and as much as I was enjoying myself, the more the orgasm escaped me, the more frustrated I got until eventually we had to stop or I was going to have a tantrum. It didn't matter that we were doing things I liked or that felt great, it could have been the literal best sex in the world, and if I tried to force an orgasm, or got overwhelmed by the lack of one, I'd still fully ruin it for myself.

I have a MUCH easier time with orgasm now that I literally don't care if it happens. And that isn't the point, a guarantee for others, or why people should stop treating orgasm like the pinnacle of sex, but it's still relevant.

Pleasure is a sensation, an emotion, and a state of mind. Give yourself the space to learn how all three best align for you! You might like where you end up.

[iiheartarc]

MY TAKE ON THE CAITVI DISCOURSE

total wordcount: 1591

I will say that I've briefly commented on their dynamic in the past, but it was worded really badly so I feel like I need to defend my writing skills a little bit as well with this, but that's just a sidenote. 💀

I think what a lot of people are missing when people do criticise CaitVi is that they aren't necessarily hating on the ship, it's what writing choices have done to it.

I'm not even going to even say I'm a CaitVi hater, I'm not (S1 CaitVi my beloved, you deserved better), but I do think the choices that writers made this season heavily effected how audiences portrayed the ship, even including myself.

Idk I hope this insight might give some people more perspective on why CaitVi became so hated in this season, people rlly need to start looking at both sides and not taking criticism as a personal attack. It really could've been avoided too if the writers had added more time or extended the series onto a third season, but that's another issue on its own.

1. Caitlyn hits Vi

I really don't get why people are so quick to defend Caitlyn on this one, especially considering the amount of hate Vi got when she hit Powder. Are both inexcusable? Yes. But I do think that the situation is a little different when it's a fifteen year old child who had just witnessed the death of her entire family and a twenty something year old woman who took out her anger and grief on the woman she loved because she blocked her shot.

I do think that people also do ignore the immense amount of trauma that Caitlyn suffered at the hand of Jinx, but unlike when Vi 'abandoned' Powder, (again, that's a whole other conversation, we know she was not abandoned), Vi was not that direct source of anguish to Caitlyn the way Powder was to Vi. (Pls lmk if you want me to expand further on this)

Again, not excusing Vi hitting Powder, I'm pointing out the differences.

It's then also incredibly tone deaf when Caitlyn hits her on two more occasions with the same gun, the third time being played off as a joke. It really doesn't come off well, especially when Vi had been a victim of police-brutality even before the abuse she faced at the hands of the enforcers in Stillwater.

And then, even after all this, it's never addressed. It's brushed over, like Vi's entire trauma in the show, the most we get is Caitlyn brushing her hand over Vi's abdomen in the cell scene. Again, can be taken as an apology, but I think that for some very specific things (like hitting your romantic partner), verbal apologies do need to be made in order to communicate healthily and somewhat build a healthier relationship.

I don't really want to talk about the abusive implications of this, because I don't think I'm someone who can talk about it with a full understanding because that's something I've fortunately never been through, but the blatant disregard and shunning of abuse survivors when they pull up the red flags raised because of this is disgusting. In real life, or if it had even been someone else in the show, if the ship had been a heterosexual relationship, people would call Caitlyn an abuser and would be outraged that Vi had been paired with her in the end. But I digress.

1. The cell sex scene

Initially I hadn't been too bothered about this when I had first watched the episode, but when you really think about it, it shouldn't have happened. Hell, they could've had sex in Caitlyn's office and half of the criticism wouldn't have happened, the ship wouldn't be so hated and the fandom wouldn't be half as divided as it is now (from what I've seen).

First and foremost, the cell.

All I can say is wtf. It was such a poor choice it's actually unfathomable to me now. I don't know why the writers thought that it'd be a good idea for Caitlyn and Vi to have their first time in a jail cell, not only the one Jinx had been locked in, but the one Vi had herself been locked in for what we can assume to be hours. The place of her abuse should not be somewhere where the writers could possibly think would be a suitable for a victim to have such an intimate moment with her partner.

Then there's the fact that Vi had looked to have had some sort of breakdown, we see she's sh and there are literal crates in the wall from where she punched it as well as her knuckles bleeding. As soon as she sees Caitlyn, there's a parallel to when they first met, to when Vi is quite literally caged. She's clearly not in the right state of mind, and so when the scene eventually happens it inevitably comes off as wrong because Vi is incredibly emotionally vulnerable in that moment.

"But Vi initiated it!" That still doesn't make it okay. I do think that this also came with an issue of timing, but then again, as I mentioned earlier, it literally could've been in the office as they argued and it would've been recieved so much better then the cell scene was. Vi wasn't breaking down, she wasn't locked in a reminder of the abuse she faced and her sister hadn't just ran off to do goodness knows what (in Vi's POV, us as the audience know exactly what she's about to do). They could've even have it fade to black and cut to the next scene tangled in bed doing whatever they would've been doing in the cell, Vi would assumably have had time to calm down, would be having sex in a warm and safe environment, and guess what? The audience would've been even happier.

Sure there would've been criticism, but Vi could literally save a thousand babies and adopt them all and still face hate, because a lot of the hate is being directed to Vi too because of the situation with Jinx. That, again, is a whole other situation.

3. "Dirt Under Your Nails"

Again, for the love of god, there can be so many takeaways from this sentence but do not be surprised that people didn't like it. I didn't, it made me cringe horribly.

And before people throw 'media literacy is dead', this whole post (practically essay), is analysing a piece of media that I love. To be literate, you can draw different interpretations and conclusions and that's exactly what I'm doing. It's like saying literacy is dead if two people were to disagree on what the meaning of Macbeth's quote 'I am in blood' meant.

I digress.

I think the main issue here is the class difference between Vi and Cait. Caitlyn is from the aristocracy, a direct heir to a position of power in Piltover, while Vi is lower class, effected indefinitely by growing up in poverty. Even though she grew up as Vander's kid, they were still 'scraping for scraps'. The wealth margin between the two is almost immeasurable, and with the difference in money comes a difference in experiences, as we - the audiences - know.

It especially comes off wrong considering the class tensions and political themes heavily focussed on within the first season. The conflict between Piltover and Zaun, the abuse of power and exploitation of Zaunites by both topside and the chembarons, the prevalence of police brutality on the streets of the Undercity. Again, Vi is someone who is directly effected by this, while Caitlyn came into this blissfully naïve. She did learn yes, and in s1 she was so determined to help, but when then this progress reverts into her calling zaunites 'animals' and using the grey as a weapon, it again makes Vi's words feel uncomfortable.

Again, I think this was a massive timing issue, I would've love to see Caitlyn succumb fully to a villain arc. It would've been so interesting to delve into.

I think Vi has always had the image of herself that she'll always be viewed as less by Piltover, that she herself views herself as less. She says it herself to Vander in s1 ep2 while they're on the bridge, "I grew up knowing I'm less than them." So when she then says as her final words in the show, "I'm the dirt under your nails" obviously, that's going to come across as tacky.

People are free to think of romantic connotations for this, I won't stop you, but when you think about how the show was so focussed on class tensions, police brutality, oppression and exploitation, it doesn't come off right. Idk, that's what got me so interested with the show in the first place, the way these themes were explored so deeply but subtly in a way that didn't feel forced, so Vi's words really rubbed me the wrong way.

Conclusion

So I hope everyone that read somewhat gets where I'm coming from, this was my attempt to try and explain what I think needed to be, badly. Again, you can like the ship, I'm not saying I don't, but it also needs to be acknowledged that there is so many things that could've been worked on properly, done properly or addressed properly, and ignoring criticism won't help these issues to be fixed in the future.

Feel free to ask any questions and thanks for reading this long ass rant :)

[5aaliyah5]

Never Ever Getting Rid of Me (Hange Zoë x Reader)

Just a simple one shot I decided to write 😭

Based on the song: "Never Ever Getting Rid of Me" From Waitress the musical (I love that musical sm and this song reminded me of Hange).

Hange is a very persistent suitor.

(thats it- they just wanna date you 😭✌️)

Words: 3.7k

Warnings: slight cussing, other than that none

“I went on a date” Y/N threw the multiple Keg mugs down with frustration. She had just gotten to work and was cleaning up the multiple cups that had been left on the tables from the nigh before. Another one of the tavern girls said she would close and clean up for the night since she worked the night shift, but she had apparently gotten sick towards the end of her shift and figured she would leave it for the morning. How lucky of Y/N to be in the morning shift the next day.

Another girl- Hannah- smiled upon hearing Y/N’s words. “Really? How was it?”

“About as good as a date can go with a member of the Survey Corps-” Y/N started but Hannah’s head shot up and slightly startled Y/N, causing her to stop

“No-” hannah gasped. “Y/N you didn't!” It was an unspoken rule that the girls who worked there agreed upon. With so many of their customers being Scouts who either wanted to drink away the memories or have a genuinely good time before they might die on the next expedition- it was a silent rule that the girls there were not to get attached to or romantically involved with any scout members. It saved them from the pain of possibly never seeing their beloved customers again.

“I did, and now my poor taste in dating is coming back to haunt me! They are in my section-” Y/N subtly pointed to a certain scout who remained seated at a table. Their back was turned towards Y/N and Hannah, leaving Hannah unable to see their face. “We ran into each other while I was out buying paper for the book im writing, and they asked me out. I know I should have said no, but they were so charming it was hard to…” Y/N pouted, as she explained the story to Hannah. “The date was not terrible in all honesty, its just… Their profession- You know why we don't get mixed up with the Survey Corps.”

“Here, ill go cover for you. I wanna see what made you agree to go out with them in the first place!” Hannah chuckled as she grabbed a clean mug to bring to them. It was rare that people came into the tavern without drinking in the first place- so Hannah had figured the same would be true of this customer.

There were few people actually in the Tavern, especially so earl in the morning. The few who were were either travelers who were enjoying a basic breakfast, or those who needed a morning drink (and most likely an afternoon and evening drink as well).

“Good Morning, How can I help you?” Hannah put on her best customer service voice as she looked down towards the Brunette soldier.

“Where is Y/N?” Hange asked, taken aback with Hannah coming up to their table. Hannah, paused for a section as she examined Hange. They weren't anything special in her eyes, possibly seemed like sort of a nerd, and she internally laughed at how predictable Y/N was with her type in dating. Hannah also noticed that in their hands they held a cute little bouquet

“Ill be taking your order for today” Hannah smiled. “She’s busy cleaning behind the counter since last night the cleaning didn't get done.”

“Thank you, but I really need to see Y/N” Hange answered. “I really don't mean to bother her, but wasn't sure how else to find her. She mentioned she worked here, and I wanted to speak with her about our date a few nights ago-“

Hannah looked to Y/N, which caused Hange to catch sight of her. Hannah shrugged and internally Y/N could hear her excuse ‘I tried’. Y/N sighed a rolled her eyes as she walked out to Hange’s table and slammed her hands down, making those around the table go silent. Before she could say what she initially was going to, her eyes caught the flower bouquet and she blushed. “Please just take the mixed bouquet and leave- just leave!” Y/N practically shouted, as the silence in the tavern made it carry throughout the establishment. She needed to scare them off (even if a part of her didn't want to), so that whatever feelings were developing between the two of them would cease.

Hannah and Hange both looked taken aback by her response. “You get 5 minutes before the boss gets back. Ill cover your section-” Hannah says as she places a hand on her shoulder in a reassuring manner. “Either settle with them to do this later or get them out of here and Be quick.” She shoots Hange a glare as she walked behind the counter where Y/N had previously been to continue the task of cleaning.

Y/N sat down across from Hange, her arms folded on the table as they stared at one another: “Go ahead.” She sighed “What’s your argument?”

“Im a Section commander-” They started and Y/N interrupted.

“So that means you’ll die sooner?” Y/N tilted her head, as Hange’s face didn't even shift at the question. They must have come to terms with their (probable) death if they were so unfazed by Y/N’s unfiltered and rather morbid ask.

“Well yes- but I get better pay as well. I would be able to take care of you-” They responded. Y/N brushed that off, waving her hand.

“Tch, I don't need anyone to take care of me-” Y/N huffed out. The gall of this- this- Y/N couldn't even find the words to describe them! “Thats why I have this job. I get by just fine Section Commander.”

“I would be a great lover” They grinned and added “and consider myself pretty decent to look at.”

“That sounds rather cocky of you, don't you think?” Y/N was now smirking as Hange continued to go on. She had to give it to them, they were persistent. “But you also look like you dont shower regularly. You admitted as much to me a few nights ago.”

“I did for our date-” Hange argued and Y/N laughed at that. What a very soldier thing to say. “Would hygiene be something you would want me to improve on before you considered dating me?”

“Hm- well maybe more regular showers.” Y/N admitted “But thats besides the point! You’re in the Corps. I dont- I cant do that to myself. That would be like shooting myself in the foot! What? I get attached to you only for you to die by the hands of a titan and leave me a sobbing widow?” Y/N raised an eyebrow “Not gonna happen.”

“Hm, you make a hard bargain” Hange now folded their arms, as they started to really think “Would it help if I said I research titans and what they are?” They asked

“Thats nice- but no.” Y/N shook her head now having a genuine smile on her face. Hange sighed and just as they were about to continue, Y/N’s boss (the owner of the Tavern) approached the table, an irritated look upon his face.

“Y/N!” He said, and she stood as her eyes widened. She had been caught. “Say your ‘I love you’s’ and get back to work!” He said and Y/N blushed once more.

“N-No its not like tha-” She didnt finish her sentence though as he cut her off, raising a hand to silence her.

“I dont care.” He said, and turned to walk away and speak to another customer.

Y/N, frowning, turned to Hange. “You should be heading out now, i've got work to do.” And with that, Y/N went on about her day.

•◌•◌•◌•◌•◌•◌•◌•★•◌•◌•◌•◌•◌•◌•◌•

It was silent the next few days, nothing eventful happening. She figured Hange had gotten whatever they had in their system, out, and had moved onto the next poor tavern girl that would give them a chance. That’s how it usually went with soldiers. They would flirt and go on a date or two with a town girl, then get over them quickly if they weren’t exciting enough.

Y/N yawned as she exited the tavern after a particularly slow day. The sun was setting, and she held the door open for the closing shift as they entered. The door closed and just as Y/N was about to start walking, something was caught in the corner of her eye.

“Huh!?” Y/N Jumped backwards, barely landing on her feet as she slightly stumbled, catching herself. To the right of her, right outside the door, was none other than Section Commander Hange Zoë (which did have a nice ring to it now that she thought about it). They were sitting on the floor, head down, as they looked up when Y/N addressed them, “Wha-What are you doing here? Are you stalking me now?”

“No!” Hange stood to attention, almost as if they were in front of the commander. “No No, I swear Im not! Its just…I was in town with a few friends and… Levi took my horse.”

“Took… Your horse?” She asked, incredulous at the response they gave her. ‘You have to be kidding me…’

“Yeaaaahhh…” They scratched the back of their head “I pissed him off and he left me here… I was just about to start walking back to the base, but its at least a two hour walk.”

“Thats the stupidest thing i've ever heard.” She replied, her face deadpanned “Maybe you shouldn't have pissed him off. Fortunate for you, Im off work.” She looked the other way, down the pathway that would take her home.

“So you wanna go on another date is what im hearing?” They seemed to perk up.

“What?” Y/N snapped her head back to them “No- Stay focused! I can help you get back to the scouts base-” She shook her head, turning to start walking in the direction she had previously been looking towards. “You're helpless.”

“How?” Hange followed after her, now more hopeful at their predicament.

“Ill just get my horse.” Y/N said like it was no big deal “I've been riding since I was a little girl, so I could take you back to the base and get back home in less than 30 minutes.”

“You would help me out like that?” Y/N tilted her head

“Yeah, but you have to promise not to show up at my work again…” Hange reached their hand out, and Y/N took it as they shook.

“Deal.”

•◌•◌•◌•◌•◌•◌•◌•★•◌•◌•◌•◌•◌•◌•◌•

Y/N had been quick to go into her house and inform her parents of her quick trip, and then came back outside, unfortunately being followed by her mother. “Ah, and who is this Y/N? You've never brought home a customer so that must mean this one is special right?” Her mother mused as she stepped off the porch and towards Hange.

“Mama, im just doing a friend a favor” She paused and the asked “Please go inside-” She didn't listen though, as Y/N’s mother, walked up to Hange, visibly shorter than Hange especially in her older age. She seemed to examine Hange, adjusting her own glasses.

“Nice to meet you Ma’am. Im Section Commander Hange Zoë of the Survey Corps” And very quickly, Y/N’s mother grabbed onto Hange’s arm, pulling them towards Y/N with strength Y/N wasnt sure where the hell she had gotten. Her mother had always been a frail woman, could easily be blown away by a strong gust of wind. It must be that mothers strength that Y/N had always heard about in stories, she guessed.

“Mama! Your manners!” Y/N blushed at the display, and her mother ignored her.

“You’ve found yourself a nice strong soldier Y/N! A section Commander!” She said happily, and Hange also blushed. “I prayed this day would happen- having someone to take care of you. You work way too hard for how young you are-”

“Me and Hange are not together Mama-” Y/N tried to dispute her mothers claim “They are just a friend” she said, walking towards her mother.

“Really?” Y/N’s mother looked towards hange and shook her head “What a shame, you would look so cute together.”

“Okay Okay, thats enough. Im gonna get Buttercup and take Hange back to the scouts base. Ill be back before dinner okay?” And as she said that, she pulled hange towards herself and away from her mother, trying to lead them toward the horse stables. Y/N’s mother nodded and waved off Hange and Y/N.

“I am so so sorry about that- I didn't know she would do that-” Y/N apologized as Hange followed her once more.

“No, its fine. Its sweet how your mother cares about you and hopes for a good future for you.” Hange smiles. For a second, Y/N turns around and wants to question about Hange’s own parents, but she felt the question was too personal for how recently they met one another.

Y/N cleared her throat, as she approached Buttercups stall. “Here she is-” Y/N smiled and opened the wooden gate. Buttercup, a beautiful friesian mare with a black coat.

“Rather interesting name for a horse, considering buttercup flowers are dangerous for horses to digest” Hange noted and Y/N petted Buttercups mane, as the horse leaned into her touch.

“Yeah, when she was young my father got her for super cheap from a guy in wall Sina who had no idea what he was doing with horses and had fed her some buttercups.” Y/N recalled “The guy sold my dad her, thinking she would die within the next few days and might as well get whatever he could for her before she did. My dad though, who came from generations of farmers who had always cared for horses, knw just what to give her to make her feel better and she was healthy within the next 6 weeks. He then gave her to me for my 7th birthday, since she was such a beautiful horse. Too beautiful to do hard farm work, and worthy of being shown off around town.” Y/N smiled “all the girls in town were so jealous of her. And luckily she is still young- she has another 15 years in her with the way her health is” Y/N smiled and then turned to hange, seeing as they were intensely watching her.

“S-sorry” She looked down, as she started guiding Buttercup out of the stables “I just really love horses” She says.

“Don't apologize Y/N.” Hange stated firmly as they walked towards Y/N and behind her, reaching out to pet Buttercup as well. The sweet sweet horse simply tilted her head towards Hange and accepted the pets. “You should never apologize for what you love. Its what makes you, you-”

“Thank you.” Y/N said earnestly, and then went to grabbed the saddle for Buttercup. She placed in on her back, and adjusted it so that it wouldn't slide off. Y/N then mounted Buttercup, making sure to check and see if the saddle was placed correctly and she wouldn't slide off, before turning to hange once more.

“Its not the most comfortable position, but she could carry the both of us comfortably and is the only horse I have experience with.” Y/N said as she held out a hand for Hange to grip onto. They were fluid in their motions as they mounted the horse, sitting behind her, though she figured that was because they were used to ridding horses themselves.

“Its more than fine.” Hange responded as they gripped onto Y/N’s hips. Y/N shuddered as she scolded them.

“Move your hands higher, I know you can and I know you know that-” Y/N grinned, glad that Hange couldn't see it.

“Ah, right-” hange gingerly moved their hands a little more upwards to a comfortable position around her abdomen.

“Right, lets get going while we still have sunlight-” Y/N pulled on the reigns as she guided the horse into a quick canter. She didn't want to push Buttercup, as she was just used to either Y/N riding her short distances or helping with light farm work. As they cantered towards the scouts base, making great timing considering they were not hitting max speed, Y/N finally asked : “so, you’re a titan researcher? How does that work?”

Y/N could feel Hange perk up once more at the line of questioning. “Yes! Its fascinating work I assure you, and so fulfilling.” They started “I actually have two of my own-”

“Titans!? Are you mad?” Y/N asked, trying to turn her head to look towards Hange. They were crazy- she had almost gotten with a crazy person- she thinks in her mind.

“Perhaps a little. At Least, thats what most tell me” Hange shrugged, again unfazed. Y/N wished she couldnt give a fuck like they did.

“Alright- So what are their names?” She asked and then added “I hope you named them at least-”

“Sawney and Bean” They clasped their hands together as they recounted their experiences. Y/N listened, enthralled at actually hearing what titans were really like and reacted to certain things (aside from how they wanted to eat people). “They also were hard to get approval for, but eventually Commander Erwin relented with my unorthodox methods. Still, they are heavily watched since they are still a risk for people if they got out-”

“you didn't tame them then?” Y/N clutched onto the rope, now concerned for Hange’s safety (great- she thinks sarcastically).

“Who said I wanted to tame them? I think they are perfect just the way the are!” Hange smiled, seeming genuine in their response. “If I were to tame them, then I wouldn't get as much information as I needed out of them”

“But… they could eat you- They want to eat you!” Y/N argues “what if you get hurt?”

“Perhaps,” Y/N could feel Hange’s hands tighten on her waist. “I think thats a risk regardless though of if I kept titans or didn't. My chances of getting physically hurt are reduced, sure, but emotionally, us humans hurt each other all the time-” Hange said, and Y/N could feel the mood shift- “it doesn't mean I shouldn't stop loving people in fear of getting hurt, or not care about things. If anything, the chance of getting hurt but continuing to get another day to prove myself makes loving more rewarding every day. And in the end, some things are worth getting hurt for, even dying for.”

They… had a point, Y/N mentally admitted to herself. Why should she stop loving people in fears of getting hurt? She didn't stop loving her mother or father despite their old age and that they would eventually die as well. It didn't stop her from loving Hannah, even though the chance of something happening to Hannah was just as high as Hange’s or any of the scouts was because of her gender (Authors note: because men suck and terrorize women no matter what they do).

Y/N just nodded her head, not saying anything else the remainder of the ride to the base. She had a lot to ponder over for the evening. They didn't have to wait long as in the distance, Y/N and Hange could make out the lights from the scouts base, coming to life as the last rays of suns dipped beneath the horizon. As Y/N pulled into the gates, slowing down into a trot as she examined where to stop, they both took sight of three figures.

“You cheated.” Levi states as he, miche and Erwin stood outside, seeming to be… relaxing, and waiting for Hange’s return.

“You never said I couldn't get a ride-” Hange responded, obviously triumphant as they dismounted the horse and landed on their feet smoothly. Y/N repositioned buttercup so that she could see off Hange better. “You just said to figure out how to get back to base myself.”

“Tch. Whatever.” he responded as Hange laughed.

“You better go and check on those friends of yours to make sure they didn't get into any trouble-” Y/N said, smiling as Hange continued to laugh. They stopped for a second to look up to her. Y/N felt her heart start to flutter in excitement, just seeing how they looked to her, a way she hadn't noticed before.

“Ah, so they told you about Sawney and Bean?” Erwin mused and walked towards Hange and Y/N.

“What didn't they tell me about them? Don't worry, ill keep it under wraps from the town” Y/N reassured him. “I want to thank you all personally for your dedicated work. If you ever stop by Henry’s Tavern in town, ask for Y/N and ill give you four some food and drinks, on the house.”

“We appreciate that, and look forward to getting to know you-” Erwin stopped “What is your name?

“Y/N L/N” Y/N responded, reaching down to shake his hand. “Nice to formally meet you Commander Erwin.” Y/N readjusted herself as she noticed it was now nighttime. It didn't matter as she was on horse back and could get back home in no time now that there was only one rider and could gallop her way home. “Hey Section Commander-” Y/N called out from where she sat on Buttercup. All four of the scouts turned their head, intrigued by what she had to say “Ill take you up on that offer for a second date after all. Maybe you were right- Might just be rewarding to fall for you after all…”

“Ill make it rewarding for you. I promise.” And with a shake of her head and grin, Y/N rode off, back to her home to eat dinner and sleep.

“Im gonna marry her.” Hange states as they turned back towards their friends. “I promise you all that.”

“Only in your dreams, four eyes” Levi responded, though he also did not doubt that Hange could and would somehow accomplish that. He also knew that they were one to keep their promises, and that gave him hope for Hange’s future.

[c-rankshaft]

This addition might be considered a little bit off topic, so feel free to tell me to make my own post if you wish OP(s)!

Elder Scrolls games seem to have some kind of disease about them that makes it so they just cannot grasp the scale of JUST HOW BAD things are. Morrowind (edited bc my dumb ass forgot about beautiful Daggerfall and I own up to my mistakes), in my opinion, came the closest, but that's another post for another time. I think one of the problems with Skyrim and the Alduin storyline is that there's not really any true incentive in the game to seek out this information. You can ABSOLUTELY play the game not knowing anything but the bare dry bones of what is going on. Then, with no incentive TO learn deeper outside of having the question in the box go from white to grey, the incentive is more found in NOT asking the questions- gets you back to the ""fun"" gameplay quicker.

This DOES allow for player character variation (say you want to make your LDB an idiot or something) alongside an easier route for people who have already played before, but it doesn't work for portraying a world that is supposedly ending, or one that is being overtaken by dragon cults. To get the gravity of that to truly WEIGH on the player, you have to make it so not knowing, like not seeking out the books or the extra dialogue, in some way disadvantages the player.

However, this doesn't really tackle the issue of the confusing and overly simplistic way they handled Alduin in the first place. As said above, there's a huge unanswered question taken from the main storyline of "What the hell was he even trying to do?" that comes from different characters implying different sentiments. Perhaps this was supposed to be an attempt at pitting many theories against each other A LA Battle of Red Mountain(?), but without any elaboration on anything and no true incentive to seek out more information, alongside the fact that some of the MOST interesting stuff on Alduin isn't even in the game at all, it all just falls flat. You don't get a coherent story OR the full weight of the situation from the game, at all.

I'm, personally, fully convinced that this is the result of suppressing creative writing/portrayal ideas in the interests of making the game marketable. You can feel as you play the game, that it was intended to hit a very very wide audience. It's designed to be easily picked up and played by literally anyone, and that's a HUGE part of where the massive success came from. It was simplistic enough story wise so that nobody ever would have a single issue understanding. Big reach = Big money, and big money is more important to a game studio than a good story. Combine that reach with the fact that they've re-released the game (arguably) 17 times on 10 different consoles, it makes it pretty clear that they're more focused on creating and adding aspects to the game (and other games currently being worked on in the series) that make it lucrative-- not necessarily new, inventive, creative, or gripping story-wise.

Basically, this post is so correct it kinda hurts a bit. There are ways to make all of this information work. They don't really bother because they'd have to put more budget into story, and what if not every single person on the planet is pleased with the story? Bad for business. Better make it as generic as possible so it sells better. Fire every writer who cares. Underpay and mistreat the rest so they can't care. Now put Skyrim on the Switch. Now put it on VR. Now add paid mods. Now encourage everyone to play your MMO. Now release paid DLC. Now add something to the Crown Store. Now release paid DLC. Now add something to the Crown Store. Now release paid DLC. Now add something to the Crown Store. Now release paid DLC. Now add something to the Crown Store.

alright i might be misremembering some things bc it's been a while since i played the skyrim mq but.... man i really wish we could've had a proper conversation with alduin near the end of the game like we do with dagoth ur. like he's the one villain who isn't some Bad Guy gone mad with power he's literally a GOD. he's literally just doing his job!!!!! of ending the world!

i don't like how he's depicted as just a generic power hungry bad guy like isn't being the world eater literally his Purpose....you even have conversations w arngeir and paarthurnax, iirc, about the ethics of killing the "world eater" and if it's okay to let the current kalpa keep going when it's supposed to end. i wish that was a moral dilemma explored more in the game. i would've loved a final conversation between the ldb and alduin where he talks to you and asks you if you know what you're doing, if you know what it means to keep this world going. discussing if it's really your choice to decide when the world ends or stays. about death, rebirth and creation. who are you to interfere with this natural cycle?

[fireheartedpup]

I'm just gonna say it. Almost every time someone posts a pic, all excited because they got to meet their favorite actor, I feel more and more isolated from Baldur's Gate 3 community.

I've tried my best to share factual information about covid. I don't really understand how people are missing it, because it wasn't that hard for me to find. I just follow people who are sharing relevant information, and they're paying attention to the data.

They're still actively tracking what they can, in spite of the fact that major governments have simply stopped supporting research on a virus that is still just as disabling as it was from the start.

And 99% of this community can't even wear a mask.

It wouldn't be that hard to incorporate it. Just add a bandana that's an appropriate color and call it an accessory. It's not the best protection ever, but it's better than nothing.

Dave got covid and no one cares. Oh, people said they hope he'll get well soon, but with covid there's no guarantee that he'll ever get it out of his system at all. It's a latent virus, like mono.

We know that chicken pox eventually morphs into shingles. We have no idea what covid is going to do in the long term. It's surprised the experts from the very beginning, because they haven't encountered anything like it.

Dave was face to face with so many people at that con. He probably passed on the virus to pretty much everyone who met him that day.

Yet there's no talk about safety precautions. There's no talk about providing air purifiers foe meet and greet tables or masking up so that we can prevent this from happening again. He had to miss the awards ceremony, something that's only going to happen once, because he didn't take precautions. And he's damn fortunate if that's the only thing it knocks him out of.

Covid is a direct threat to their careers. It affects the lungs, and can make it hard to breathe. Permanently. This would make voice acting harder. It can give you a persistent cough. This also makes voice acting harder. It can make you so tired on a daily basis that you can't think or even sit up, which means that they won't be able to work at all.

And yet they don't care. There's absolutely no sign of any precautions whatsoever. And fans keep saying, look! I met them!

I share the posts because I'm happy for everyone, but I see people who are passing around a virus like a game of hot potato when i look at those photos.

It's extremely demoralizing. I can't even enjoy the things I love without getting reminded that most of the fandom doesn't care about the health or safety of other fans.

This isn't just fear mongering, this is epidemiology. This is how viruses work. This is how covid works. Ignoring it and pretending everything is fine doesn't make it go away.

[soup-is-here]

Mouthwashing Spoilers

TW: Addiction and Self Harm

I wanna go on about Swansea's final monologue but it's hard to put into words, but I'm gonna try anyways cause it's a short, but strong story about autonomy again. This post ended up significantly longer than I wanted though

It's the autonomy to choose the "less healthy" option because it's appealing to you. It's the moral assignment to normality and stability. An alcoholic is an alcoholic by choice, technically, but do they owe us otherwise? Is it morally reprehensible to enjoy taking LSD at a party? Should we see someone as less than because they relax with a xanax instead of a hot shower? It's not healthy. We know that. We've seen anti-drug ad after ad after ad. But is that the part that's morally wrong, in and of itself? Does enjoying the drugs and chaos make Swansea a worse person?

Like him talking about his entire life and ending it by saying between the "stable" "normal" life and him waking up every morning with a new hangover, he preferred the latter. People always talk about getting clean and fixing their lives and Swansea did it! He did the thing "good men" do! A wife and kids and a trade job and sobriety! He was doing it! He was finally "worth" something!

And he hated it! I mean I don't know if he actually hated/despised it, but he misses his previous life. He misses drugs and partying and living like you might not wake up the next day. He said the thing that changed him was seeing himself dead in a ditch under the bright beam of a streetlight. Now he's looking down the barrel of a gun. And as he looks down it, he looks back. That was his preference. It felt good to be like that. And he wouldn't be here if he stayed there

We always have a narrative about drugs or gambling or sleeping around where a person suddenly realizes that they aren't "doing anything" with their life and becomes stable and it's always played like addiction is a false pleasure. Swansea got to the stability people said would be the real pleasure of life and that just wasn't true for him. One bad paycheck could've been the difference between his stable life and falling apart anyways. His lifestyle was going to kill him someday apparently, yet he's staring down the barrel of a gun at his steady trade job to feed his wife and kids.

I don't know quite how to word it but Swansea is the poster child for rehabilitation. There's this weight to him saying his alcoholic period was the best time of his life. Like it just hits at that pang that makes people wear DARE shirts while smoking weed and post those videos of smoking 100 cigarettes at once. Anti-vaping ads tell you about the damage they do to your body but everyone knows that already. Everyone knows "this is what your brain looks like on drugs." I smoke medical marijuana and it isn't good for my lungs but it's good for my pain. Doing drugs isn't good for me and I know that and that's sorta the point sometimes.

I don't know it's just this weird pang where I know what Swansea means, just not to nearly the same extent. I don't have an addiction so I don't think I could fully understand it. Maybe a better thing I could relate it to for myself is self harm. It's not healthy sure, but who do I owe health? Myself? Other people? And what is healthy? Is it feeling better now? Is it resisting now and feeling worse for it until it stops? What if the coping skills I learn make it worse? What if they make it better? Do I want it to get better? Does Swansea want to get better? What would better feel like to either of us?

Who knows until you try. Swansea got a collared shirt, a mortgage, and a credit card. He got a job and a wife and kids. He got sober. He got healthier, depending on your definition.

But did he feel better? He's looking down a barrel of a gun and he has to decide if he feels better. It doesn't seem like he regrets his new life. He says he wants his kids to be better than him. He wants good things to happen for them. He saw himself as one bad slip away from falling again. I don't think he felt better though. I think he got healthier. He likely would've ended up in the ditch he dreamt about, but we don't know that. We also don't know if that's what he'd prefer. But, we do know he got healthier, depending on your definition.

[marzipanilla]

lol I was gunna ask if you'd seen the new eps yet. The answer is apparently yes

If you think how Mark and Eve get together in the show is bad !! Wait until you hear about how in the comic she dated William first (he doesn't come out as gay until later) and straight up tells Mark that she did it to be close to him. The stupid future her speech does get brought up between them and she is upset about it but like... I don't remember her having such meta commentary about the future her not being her and how weird it all was. Like. If you writers were aware how stupid it was WHY THE FUCK DID YOU LEAVE IT IN. it gives nothing. truly. nothing to the narrative. Instead of inventing stupid shit to put in, why not just naturally let the two of them bond over their fucked up family situations? Eve could be all hey, I was made as a government weapon, and Mark could be all my dad wanted to use me as one !! and they could party. But no. A sad middle aged woman cries at you after an insanely traumatizing moment in your life so now you gotta date her proxy.

To keep adding on to the lack of platonic relationships... fucking Samson once again desperate to call them all family when he's still barely spoken to any of them. Did something happen to you man ??? you an orphan??? you having flashbacks to the OG GoG getting rid of you??? why are you so determined to use that word ?? did someone just say it once to you and you thought it sounded cool ??

Also Imma laugh my ass off if they force me to watch Immortal and Kate get married and that girl still doesn't get another outfit. fr I think she has had the same wardrobe for all eps now.

What if the team had actual team dynamics : \ what if they gave us that. instead of one liners. what if there was an indication these ppl actually liked working together. what if there was an indication of who didnt like working together! what if they... had to... communicate with each other !! tbh, I was amused by this sort of happening in the recent ep batch, but then I remembered it was so intermittent in the narrative that it feels jarring when it does happen. pls I need more than two scenes a season if you are going to keep telling me these characters are important as a group.

Art having immunity bc he knows everybody. lol don't try and shake down the tailor, its mutually assured destruction AND you'll have heroes and villains on your ass who just dont want to have to find a new guy. Is having a Rosenbaum costume like having a Gucci bag?? is he considered lower end to others?? does he try and keep a very strict schedule to keep things separate or do nemesis run into each other sometimes at his place picking up stuff?? How did he become friends w Nolan ?? the man tipped him w books ! books he never read ! did he just find Nolan's alieness charming? did Debbie make them hang out? did he just figure a guy who came here from another planet might be lonely so offered to hang?? is he so used to seeing villains that Nolan's offness just didn't bother him? like he didn't even realize he was picking up unsettling vibes ?? also it seemed like he didnt get the Omni-Man suit until around when Mark was born, so what was he tailoring for him then? copies of his Viltrumite kit?

Its funny how little time Mark actually spends around other heroes. On one hand it would make sense that a fair number would want to avoid him, but thats really only reflected in Immortal. Literally nobody else seems to give a fuck. He really is the special nepo baby of the GDA. Monopolizing all that Cecil time.

Yeah normal until not only works if the ppl involved were normal at some point, and space alien hiding the fact he's here to do a lot of murder, and woman who is apparently fine w marrying a god creature ARE NOT NORMAL. How did they produce such an average child. Why is the scope and depth of this universe only relative to Mark's existence. whyyy. it squishes so many compelling things down into nonsense.

While I'm not too familiar with the DCU- your batfam meta posts are intiguing- so in transfering some of the broader strokes from them- I think you tackling a 'Mark isn't Nolan's biological son' fic would be fascinating. Sort of a step to the side of the 'what if Mark never got his powers' fic that sometimes pop up in the fandom

OOOOOO chewing on this currently, hm, the much a distinct flavor of exactly what you’re talking about, but the potential for more family drama depending on WHO knows. Does Mark know?? Is he waiting every day only to be crushed? Does he confused non-Debbie features with Nolan’s? I suppose I’m not the most enthusiastic about non-power AUs, but I think there’s something very fun to explore about Mark having to settle with, if he knows all his life, he will never have powers? I think the trajectory of his dreams will obviously shift, I can see him still having that distinct fatherly idolization, but perhaps embraces being useful to the GDA? Cecil’s number one intern—only intern—curtesy of nepotism, ha! There is something tickling me about Mark taking the Robin Route/Role for the Teen Team in terms of having no powers, just insane skills, BUT there’s something way more delicious about intern Mark when s1e01 happens and Mark tries snooping around to find out the truth about what happened to his Dad.

I wonder if, with Mark having a whole another father, if they’re more or less distant relationship, depending on WHEN Nolan entered Mark’s life? Like if Debbie met Nolan later for this, or just for fun, they dated once, separated (Mark being born during then), then they happened to stumble into each others lives again and Mark’s already been born, anywhere from tween to teenager so there’s a gap in how close they are. I feel like one important aspect of the whole Family Drama is how close they’re supposed to be, a functional, loving family turned upside down? So I wonder what more distance does. I wonder how Nolan copes when his family is entirely human and he can’t project onto Mark.

I love thinking about these, omg.

[goldentigerfestival]

Since I'd been talking a lot about JP Vesperia (primarily Yuri and Flynn and the heavy changes that surround them, and because I'm highly passionate about them in their original context), I wanted to compile some more jarring if not outright glaring mistakes in the localization (or what were likely intentional changes, because I can't look at some of these and just call them "mistakes"). I'm not going to mention every little change throughout the game, so smaller things I'll mostly be leaving out (namely things that don't really affect characters or context). I primarily just wanted to give some insight on some of the bigger parts.

Some of the changes seem to have been mistakes in translation itself (not just localization, but misunderstanding what was being said in general; such as, there's an instance I mention of that between Patty and Don), so I've got some mentions hanging around for clarity purposes as some scenes didn't make much sense, likely because of this.

Vocal tone with Yuri was the most prominent issue that got me making this, and the context that was changed being right after if not equally next to that (most often also with Yuri but also Flynn).

This is something that has been bothering me for a while and I've been wanting to share this stuff with people interested in seeing the game with its original context. Generally speaking, the plot and story themselves are on point. The majority of the differences surround Yuri and Flynn respectively, so there's going to be a lot of mention of them throughout.

I've also posted video clips of my favorite scenes and the heavy changes, so consider those a supplement to this and vice versa.

Part 2.

Part 3.

Part 4.

(Other) GTF Favorites.

I'd like to preface this by mentioning the chief director and producer of the game itself has also spoken about localization inaccuracy issues, so that's something to keep in mind (it's in Japanese, but you should be able to use the offered post translator).

I'd also like to preface this by mentioning that in the original, Yuri is more playful and relaxed/casual (generally but including with Flynn, which the dub pretty much entirely changed until arc 3), but also gentler and softer. He has a very large variety of tonal behaviors/tonal "moods" that were pretty much nuked from the dub.

Basically, to get the full experience for Yuri, I can only really recommend playing the game in JP audio. Obviously you won't get the actual context because all you'll have is the dub context, but that's also partly why I'm making these posts - to cover the contextual changes while the video clips cover some of the tonal changes (because lbh I don't expect anyone to actually go watch the entire game in JP with subtitles unless you're as insanely dedicated as I am, and I'm largely doing it out of my love for the original Yuri and Flynn and my disdain for how the localization treated them).

As a heads up, there won't be many skits in here because I'm going through a specific YT playthrough for these screenshots. Specific skits won't always come up in the playthrough in question, and I can't find a whole list of skits in JP anywhere online. I don't have all skits unlocked in my own save either yet (you can unlock all skits with Grade which I have yet to do in the DE), so I can't use that to compare all skits right now.

There are plenty of small changes here and there that I won't be including in these posts because there are some sentence changes that aren't impactful but do exist. I just don't want to be here for a year covering the random changes that don't matter much. I'm also not going to include details of a lot of honorifics because I'd be here all day, but there is one one major instance that I mention later on.

For reference if anything wants to actually watch the game in JP with the subs (it goes until just after Hypionia), most of the references come from here. Since in some cases the subber just reused localized text even when the context wasn't the same, I did bring some of those up in these posts too. These were subbed before the DE version came out. I used screenshots with subs where possible to make it easier to follow along.

I have a lot of passion for JP Yuri and I hope I can pass on some of that passion to others. 🙏

Apologies in advance if some of these sound cranky. If I sound cranky about some specific changes, it's probably because I am.

---

Since I talked about the whole, Raven being shady and Yuri therefore not being grateful to him incident that the localization for some reason butchered and made Yuri sound like a generally ungrateful or just outright dumb person who doesn't understand gratitude, I'll summarize that one again here:

Yuri has a skit with Estelle originally talking about how he can't find himself being grateful to someone like Raven for showing him how to sneak out of the castle. Basically, Raven is shady and he's not sure he should be grateful to someone like that, and is confused as to why Estelle would be so grateful when she doesn't even know him (because in his mind, he isn't sure he wants to trust a guy with those vibes). The dub just kinda... makes him sound like an ungrateful jerk and not so much because he's not sure he wants to trust Raven. It doesn't really sound like it's an issue of his with Raven specifically but more that he just generally doesn't feel grateful for the aid (and that in general one shouldn't feel grateful for aid like this), which gives off a really wrong impression of him that doesn't hold up throughout the game. Yuri wasn't wholly ungrateful for the gesture itself, but because of who it came from (and I imagine a weird peppy guy in jail is good cause to be skeptical).

We start off we a classic "Yuri, you idiot!" that was changed to "come on already!".

Yuri's response to Estelle mentioning he'd been in the knights doesn't actually give a time frame for how long he'd been there (the dub made up three months, but there was never originally even a time frame given).

Here when Yuri asks Estelle why she can't just leave, her response indicates she actually does know why. The dub made it more ambiguous, which could be easily misinterpreted as she really doesn't know, so I'm dropping this one here.

For some reason the localization seemed to have Estelle responding to Karol directly about the ace always performing their attack last ("I don't think so"). What she was referring to was the tiny monster that walked by, asking for confirmation that that monster was not the eggbear they were looking for (I wasn't gonna fight with the video to get a better screenshot without the annoying YT red bar in the way so the monster is in the corner mid-movement lol). Not sure if that was a genuine mistake, but it was an odd one.

(Also, side note and not putting an image here because it's more general, but Yuri refers to Karol as "Karol-sensei" which was translated in the localization to "Captain Karol". Basically, Yuri calls him "sensei" because that's a teacher/professor, and he's making a play on Karol's knowledge and being their "teacher" about monsters/maps/etc.)

I'd say this is more along the lines of overexaggerating and not overreacting, but this line was literally changed to "haha" in the dub. The whole point wasn't that Yuri just brushed her comment off or found it funny. At this point he still literally thinks she's exaggerating about her lack of knowledge out in the world, her excitement, etc.

Not the only instance you'll find of the dub just changing entire sentences to something meaningless as if they ??? didn't know what it meant (they actually changed Patty saying an entire sentence to "aye"). In some cases they added entire sentences that weren't even there...

Even though I can kind of see where they went with the dub here, the point was supposed to be that Flynn actively thought he would be happy for Yuri to go outside the barrier and see the world.

The dub changed this to Flynn saying that he, in the now, is happy that Yuri is outside the barrier, but then says he got a little less happy when he saw the wanted poster, indicating he was previously happy but got less happy, yet says in that moment that he is happy.

It's a weird case of (past/present) tense usage for the most part, but they also removed the fact that Flynn is literally saying "I thought I would be happy" (thus expressing he'd been wanting Yuri to see the world outside the barrier and would've been happy to find out he did). The reason he's not finding himself happy is because of the wanted poster and the crimes listed on it, following up that his honest happiness for Yuri (ultimately because of the poster) was a lie.

This also means they removed Flynn expressing the honesty of his happiness for a positive concept for Yuri, which, given all the changes toward Flynn in the dub, already now takes away from the fact that he'd been actively hoping for good things for someone and we're left with this more sarcastic take on him being "happy".

Obviously his happiness wasn't really a lie because most of the crimes were falsified (primarily the ones that would make him actually mad, because Flynn has had to have been aware this whole time that Yuri has committed small time crimes for the past few years now), but at the time, the focus on this conversation is that Flynn thought he'd be happy at a time that Yuri left the barrier; meaning he'd been hoping for it prior to it happening.

I'm also mentioning it because it's the very first in a whole line of changes the dub made to their relationship (and it's their first in game interaction ffs) and to Flynn himself as he's perceived as a character. The original is much more expressive of how important they are to each other in a lot of various ways.

Inserting the JP audio version of the following scene with Flynn here.

And... the following one from there.

This was changed to "damn, we if lose our balance...". I know they did it because Yuri had just fallen over, but I'm including this one because the context isn't... really the same thing?

This dub change is a bit odd to me. They had him saying something along the lines of "she is a princess after all" in the dub, regarding the council backing her.

The original context is more like, the council is backing her and he's hearing it directly from Ioder and he probably doubts Ioder would lie like that or about that, cementing that yes, she truly is, like he suspected, a princess, but it's almost still a bit odd to know. It's sort of like, he knew/had suspicions but hearing it directly from Ioder just confirms it for certain.

The dub just made it sound like well yeah, it's obvious they'd want to back her, she's a princess... but Ioder is a prince, so that doesn't explain why they're not backing him. She is a princess after all, so of course they'd back her... but what's stopping them from backing the prince?

Another weird one for me. In the dub Yuri says that "even the Commandant was a little in over his head", when he actually... really wasn't? All he did was step in. Things got bad enough that he had to, but he wasn't in over his head. Not sure how or why the dub ended up with that.

An example of the dub having a habit of just adding in random lines that didn't actually exist (and in this case the one added didn't even contextually make sense. This was no thank you from him, this was literally him making Yuri do something for him because he was going to ask Flynn for a favor and ended up with Yuri in the cell instead).

Another super weird one in the dub. They had Yuri saying Flynn was "too" late, implying he hadn't made it in time, but he did. He made it just before the battle started, but the original context only says he's late, not too late (which makes sense given that they were ready to fight but hadn't started yet).

This was changed to Yuri just mentioning there was one way they could get out of there without actually saying what it was, and Judith saying if he thinks it might work what's the harm in trying it out. Not sure why they changed Yuri literally telling her his plan, so... again, a super weird change that I don't get why they didn't just keep the context the way it was.

Third image was changed to "someone get me away from this psycho", which... I also don't get why they put that there unless they just wanted so much flavor text that they wanted to change the whole "they're in a fight and he's telling her not to come over here because he's pissed at her because they're fighting" part of the fake fight they had going on.

Not one I have a huge problem with, but definitely good examples of them going out of their way to change just... perfectly normal stuff that literally has no reason to be changed? Some of it is flavor text and some of it feels over the top for me. Stuff that makes me like... why would you change that when there was no reason to? Could be more of a personal pet peeve of mine, but I just don't like unnecessary changes when there was nothing wrong or odd about the original text and doesn't at all come off odd in English. Unfortunately Vesperia got littered with those.

I didn't feel like getting a whole video for this, but basically Judith gives a little laugh instead of just the more upset/distressed(?) sound she made in the dub. Feels more fitting imo to keep up the "lie" Yuri started for her. The dub makes it seem more like she feels guilty, versus here she's giving a little forced giggle to go along with it. Again, a change I'm not sure why they put in.

Ngl I get completely different vibes from these. The JP comes across more as concern, rather than... treating them like they're some mob on the loose...?

Once again, this gives off negative vibes toward Flynn as a character imo.

Here Judith gives more of a reason for coming with them, which they changed in the dub to "with the circumstances being what they are, this is just how things turned out". Reasonably, she didn't have to stick around after they ran from Dahngrest, but here she gives a quick "reason".

The dub changed this to "I'll bet he is". They were just told he's the current magistrate in Heliord, and all Yuri says here expresses he's letting it sink in and realizing exactly why all this is happening here. It's not a huge story beat or anything that gets changed, but it's an example of changing things that don't need to be changed as if trying to play things up in a way that... doesn't feel necessary to me? In this case the situation is kind of dawning on Yuri as he realizes how bad this situation could be/why it's like it is, but in the dub it comes across as more just unimpressed and "of course he'd do that".

An unfortunate, classic moment of them changing how much Yuri believes in and trusts Flynn. They changed this to "gotta run, Flynn!" and he just... leaves. I'm sorry but in what universe does "leave the rest to you" equal "gotta run"???

This one is one of those cases where the localization text was super awkward and wonky, and worse, they actually voiced it that way (like "we have guild's job to deal with". Yes, they actually voiced it that way too on top of everything else grammatically wonky with the entire conversation that they didn't bother fixing when the DE came out).

Also here, they changed what Yuri says about Cumore and Flynn. "I don't know how I could explain this to Flynn" doesn't, at least to me, carry the same weight as Yuri actually feeling ashamed (in the dub he says "what a shame", but does not express shame, versus him saying "how pathetic" and expressing shame in feeling pathetic) and saying he can't even face Flynn because Cumore got away. The thing is, Yuri does tend to posture, so when he fails at something, it hits him pretty hard.

And let's be honest, this just hits way harder than "he will get what he deserves".

Interestingly, Yuri could also fall into the category of viewing himself as sinful later on, which I talk about in my favorites post and the usage of "crime" and "sin" within the JP context.

Not particularly important, but just another (more mild) case and example of how the dub just randomly changed tone/mood/wording for no reason.

Another case of Yuri being more aggressive in the dub than he actually was. Here, all he says is just a plain statement. In the dub, he has an attitude about it and says it in a tone that's more insulting that Ioder didn't know about Heracles.

This isn't the only case of dub Yuri acting aggressively toward Ioder when he wasn't supposed to be and we'll get to that, but Ioder is another similar case of the dub making Yuri unnecessarily vocally rude (despite that Ioder is very polite toward Yuri).

(I left out the subtitles because all they did was copy the dub's localization, which kinda defeats the point of this post LOL. This will be the case going forward for any same circumstances.)

This one's a more interesting tidbit to me and less of a harmful change (i.e. I find that a lot of if not most changes relative to Flynn do more harm than good when compared with the original context). Basically it's saying "sweet mask and sharp eyes", implying Flynn's sweet face is a mask and saying it contrasts with his sharp eyes. I could get into a whole rant about why I love that in relation to some side material, but even in the game itself, there's the knight Flynn with his sweet, polite side and his real side that only shows when he's around Yuri (basically, who Flynn has to be for his job and who he actually is as a person, which he only gets to be around someone who knows the real him).

I'd guess this got changed in the dub because they weren't sure how to word it, though there's no mention of "heartthrob" here at all and instead actually says "sweet mask" as if, again, to say his sweetness is just a mask. It's actually a very interestingly accurate representation of his character - how he tends to not be himself when he's being "knight Flynn", and how that sweet face is contrasted by the look in his eyes (which they say, you know, eyes are the windows to the soul, so this would imply the sweet face is the mask and the eyes are the real Flynn. And of course, this Flynn is implied to show himself in his sparring with Yuri in Aurnion, where sword fighting is the best way to express himself. This isn't to say Flynn being a nice person in and of itself is a lie, but that his overly polite, respectful, kind knight side is a sweet mask contrasted to the man who loves to fight and has a sharp look in his eyes)

For now, we'll be back at Mantaic in the next post (due to image per post limit).