#But both boys; If given a chance to bond with a Human; Become so utterly smitten.

[maiuoart]

Who remembers the Swapfell Red BARA Brothers?

Lol; Meet Chance and Hound!

[witcher-lore-enjoyer]

Viper Witchers

Cat | Griffin | Bear

Gorthur Gvaed

The Witcher School of the Viper made their home in the stronghold of Gorthur Gvaed. Guarded by a remarkable tower adorned by a frighteningly ominous spiral coiled around its contours. Yet it held not a candle to the terrifying moat that surrounded it—deep by several hundred feet and truly… breathtaking. No one could tell if what was filling it should still be called water. The smells above the moat were, to put it mildly, hard to forget. Viper witchers, who survived the fall of the stronghold, later joked that it was the stench that led the Usurper’s army to find Gorthur Gvaed. Countless soldiers died in this gutter. According to legends, so many perished that one could have made their way to the other side of the moat on a bridge composed entirely of their corpses. And the odour grew even worse

Located in Tir Tochair (a scarcely inhabited mountain range that divides the Korath desert from the modern-day northern and central provinces of the Nilfgaardian Empire. It is known as the largest lasting enclave of gnomes.)

There were many scrolls and manuscripts about the legend of the Wild Hunt.

Founder

Ivar Evil-Eye

There’s a terrible tale behind each and every scar⁠—you��d be surprised just how many are true.

Ivar was one of the unfortunate few who endured the mutations extremely well, and so was selected for further, more complicated experiments. Of those subjected to these enhancements, only he survived—perhaps due to the mages only managing to partially complete the trial.

As a result of these experiments, Ivar gained his moniker, as well as a new sight. His so-called “Evil Eye” saw a different world. Many other worlds, really. With his eye, he watched as ghostly riders dashed along the Spiral, and observed how they’d kidnap, kill, and conquer. Forever haunting Ivar’s special vision, these spectres became his obsession. 

Training

Each student is given a pet to raise during their stay at Gorthur Gvaed, in order to form a strong emotional bond throughout their training. Years later, before becoming a fully-fledged witcher, they are ordered to slaughter their companion in cold blood.

Viper Witcher Mentor

Viper mentors are especially cold and ruthless in order to prepare their students for the harsh life that awaits them.

Some Lore from Gwent

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Or weaker. It depends, really.

It is often said that witchers took on the characteristics of their schools' namesake creatures. Without a doubt, this was true of the Viper School. They were agile, quick, and frequently made use of deadly poisons.

As with the other witcher schools – the Wolves' Kaer Morhen as sole exception – none were aware of the Viper School's location. Only one detail ever became widely known... That it stood somewhere south of the Yaruga. In Nilfgaard.

Perhaps it's no wonder then that Vipers were less inclined to neutrality than other witchers. The Empire would never recognize such a stance. There is only obedient servant... Or mortal enemy.

Emperor Emhyr var Emreis gave them a choice they could not refuse: assassinate a few kings in the Northern Realms in exchange for rebuilding the school to its former glory.

The emperor, however, did not keep his promise and instead of rebuilding the school, he sent bounty hunters after its few remaining members to remove any loose ends.

Armor and Equipment

Viper Witchers are trained to fight with twin blades, often referred to as “fangs”. This style focuses on fast and furious strikes aimed to overwhelm their target, be it monster or man.

These blades would often be coated with poison as the school made great use of its knowledge of alchemy.

No need to strike deep when but a scratch will prove fatal.

Five More Witchers

Letho of Gulet

Witchers never die in their beds. - Letho

Some friends you see after many years apart and you immediately develop a headache. Not out of antipathy, but as a somatic premonition of the hangover sure to follow your drunken reunion. Seeing others, however, gives you an itching pain in your back and a desire to reach for your blade. For Geralt, Letho of Gulet had a foot in both of these camps.

Letho, if Geralt doesn’t ask him to go to Kaer Morhen, says, that he will be heading to Zerrikania citing a possible reason that it's a matriarchy and he's always had a deep belief "that it's women who should rule the world."

Serrit and Auckles

He seems different, but in reality is so similar. Our paths have been the same: we survived the Trials, endured the same training and have slain so many monsters that we no longer keep count. So many men, also. The difference is in the details – when I see him moving in combat, I want to laugh, but I also see that he is just as effective, if not more so. There is, however, one critical difference I cannot describe adequately. He has a goal, he is committed to something. He doesn't wander the world as if blown about by the wind. I believe he feels emotions at a level I cannot attain, yet these emotions are not typically human. Is it an illness of some kind? I think he teeters on the brink of instinct and emotion, and that he uses up a lot of energy to maintain his mental health. I hope I get a chance to know him better and learn from him. Nothing specific – just life. - Serrit about Geralt

Serrit was a lot more hot-headed than his brother, complaining about the lack of action they had in the past days.

Letho's got a plan… what could go wrong? - Auckles

Auckes seemed to be the less serious of the brothers, being sarcastic at times while being very confident of his skills.

He appeared to regard Geralt as a friend, which is reflected when he asked if Geralt wasn't hanged for Foltest murder and Letho asked him if he wanted to see him hanged, he lowered his head and just answered "no".

Along with his brother, Auckes was fond of using bear traps.

Kolgrim

Fate seemed to take pleasure in torturing Kolgrim. Fortune only smiled upon him if it was accompanied by a stroke of very bad luck. It was always thus, even before Kolgrim became a witcher. When he was still a young harmless brat...

On the eve of Saovine small Kolgrim was kidnapped by a weeper, which replaced him with its own cursed offspring. Fortunately, the monster was slaughtered by a witcher that very same night. The boy's savior, having taken pity on him, decided to escort him back home. Kolgrim was relieved to be returning to the warmth and safety of his mother, unaware of his impending misfortune.

The woman greeted the witcher with hatred in her eyes, not believing a single word that came out of his mouth. Blinded by her contempt, she refused to even look twice at her own crying son, utterly convinced that the weeper's baby was her real child. With the door slammed shut in their face, the witcher had no other choice than to take Kolgrim with him – straight to the Viper School.

Over many future years, fate mocked Kolgrim many times – both during his murderous training and the later travels around the Continent. His life ended most ironically. For he, who was once stolen and then rejected from his mother, was accused of kidnapping a child.

Warritt The All-Seeing

By slightly modifying the Supirre sign, Warritt gained the ability to see... everything.

Supirre is a Sign enhancing the auditory perception of the user. Drawn on a solid surface, it allows the people near the Sign to hear sounds which would be normally inaudible due to the distance or background noise. As such, it is often used for eavesdropping.

It compensated the monster hunter's lack of sight by giving him the ability of echolocation.

[celestialices]

QUEST!

Greek Mythology x Haikyuu

Haikyuu!Ensemble x Reader

Summary: You were just a perfectly normal student at The University of Tokyo, when suddenly a bunch of 'normal boys', as they call themselves, appeared in your life and started to squeeze themselves into your life. Always saying something like "You're a goddess, we need to take you back to Olympus" (you brushed it off, saying that it was just a silly compliment) and even absurd sentences such as "You got Medusa's eyes" and "You're really Medusa's daughter!"

You really want a peaceful school year, but the universe beg to differ.

004: THE END OF A NEW BEGINNING

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To say that you were surprised by this outcome would be an understatement. Being childhood friends with Hirugami Sachiro, the university’s so-called “hottie”, is a pain in the ass.  Though Hirugami’s a dependable best friend and dotes on you like an older brother, he’s a little shit. He teases you every time he has the chance to, but knows his boundaries. He never leaves your side too; always knows what’s on your mind since he is very “observant.”  The biggest disadvantage of being his best friend, is his fans. Students flocking over you to ask questions about him was tiring. The only one that ruins your day. 

It was bearing, at first, because you thought it’d be cute when you’re one of the reason why Hirugami has a lover. But you didn’t expect it to be.. like this. You had to hide often just to stop them. Ambushing you, preventing you from leaving the university’s premises, it was all too much. That’s where Hoshiumi Korai comes in.  Your friendship with Hoshiumi is... mystifying. You didn’t even know how you tolerated being friends with him in the first place, but it surprisingly lasted up until now. Seeing that you and your childhood friend are indivisible, Hirugami arranged plans for you and Hoshiumi to meet after they became friends through volleyball. “Korai-kun, this is my childhood friend I was talking to you about. From now on, we’ll all be friends, so please get along!” Ever since that day, Hirugami pushed everything and made sure to schedule a hang out for the three of you, thrice a week. There isn’t a day during your high school years that you didn’t see Hoshiumi’s face, that’s all because of Hirugami. And yeah, that’s how the two of you got along somehow. Basically, what Hirugami has, you have to have it too. And vice-versa. But having Hoshiumi as your friend set out a vast of benefits for you. Not only he’s reliable and gives great advices (to your surprise), he’s quick to get irritated. And that managed to save yourself from the crowd plenty of times. His impatient self terrify a bunch of people, so you tend to stick by his side as long as you can. 

The bond you three shared is as tough as old boots. People say that a friendship between three people would never work, saying that one is always left out. That doesn’t mean that you never had misunderstandings, hence you always manage it before it gets out of hand.

So where are they when you need them?  Your legs are about to give up from squatting, hiding yourself in the bushes in order to escape Hirugami’s aggressive followers. You know you look stupid, but it’s better than to be chased by people, right? You checked your phone, seeing no reply from your friends made you want to cry. The text was an hour ago, meaning you’ve been hiding for an hour now. Just what on Earth are they so busy for that they can’t even check their messages?

You just wanted to go home, your mother and little brother, Yuki, are probably waiting for you. Classes ended two hours ago, so they’re probably concerned about your well-being already.  It’s been quiet for too long, so you decided to look up. No fans sighted. Contemplating on whether to just run towards the gate, or stay for a few more minutes until hopefully, a good friend finds you. You let out a deep sigh, about to risk it all when all of a sudden someone shouted your name. Letting out a yelp before looking up from your hiding place, you desperately prayed for your life. Only to see Yahaba Shigeru waving at you. Well, at least he’s close to what you’ve asked for?  Yahaba Shigeru, also a student at your university. A friend of a family friend. Oh, did I mention, an admirer of yours? 

He is handsome, not going to lie. But he’s not really your type. Yahaba is a calm and carefree guy, but also a show-off. If you’re given a dollar every time he pried your attention, you’ll probably become the richest in Japan.  “Hello, Yahaba-san.” You awkwardly greeted with a smile. Maybe after a few exchange of words, you’ll ask him to walk you to the gates. He probably wouldn’t mind, in fact, he’ll probably die of excitement.  “Are you hiding from Hirugami’s fans again?” He chuckled, making you flustered on how he caught up so fast. It’s no secret that you’re the university’s source of information regarding Hirugami. It was embarrassing. “I’ll walk you home, if that’s okay with you.”  Not wanting to turn down his offer, you instantly answered. “Oh, that’s kind of you. Sure.” You cringed a little for your fast response, he won’t think you’re eager to walk with him, no? You don’t really bat an eye at Yahaba, nor answer his advances. False interpretations of a friendly action would hurt a lot.  This won’t take long, I can do this. Standing up, you grabbed your things and walked towards him. He offered to take your bag but you politely declined, thus the fiddly walk begins. 

The stroll on your way home is noiseless, you were utterly astonished that Yahaba didn’t say a word while walking side by side. For far as you know, he isn’t like this; he always has something to say. You want to ask him how he’s doing, but too shy to do so. Your conversations are always one-sided, making you feel a bit bad.  Nevertheless, you’re thankful.  Relieved that your house wasn’t faraway from the university, you reached home in a span of minutes. You glanced at Yahaba after the both of you stopped walking, noticing that he’s already looking at you expectantly. Uh oh. You were afraid to ask him to enter with you out of respect, but he’ll agree no matter what. You just wanted to rest for now, unable to handle a guest in your current state.  “Onee-san!”  Thank God for Shibayama Yuki. Your eyes went from Yahaba to Yuki in a flash, looking at him with wide eyes. Begging to save you from this situation.  “We have a visitor. Hurry up, Mom’s waiting for you.” He said, bowing apologetically to Yahaba.  It took a lot of self-control to refrain yourself from smiling. Instead, you also bowed to Yahaba. “Thank you for walking me home. I’ll see you tomorrow.” You grinned and happily marched towards your house. The house you live in was a basic Japanese one, its build is similar to the other houses, considering that you live in a private subdivision. It’s also big enough for the three of you, and enough for family friends to stay in.  And it a nice house won’t compare to the family you’ve got.  Your mother is a strong woman, she raised the two of you alone. Worked hard to give you and Yuki a lovely home, three meals a day, and all the basic necessities a mother should provide. Anything you ask for would be given in less than a day, sometimes you think she’s spoiling you too much. But in reality, you know she just wants the best for the two of you. She’s amazing.  As for your brother, Shibayama Yuki, he’s a bit shy and gentle. He often likes to keep it to himself, but managed to have a friend. Yes, he has only one. It worries you but he assured that one true friend is enough. He’s also into volleyball, a very hard-working and determined “libero” of his team. Shibayama helps you in anyway he can, always acting as the older one by protecting you from the world. Conclusion, it was perfect. You consider this all as a blessing, you’re grateful for the life you have. Every once in a while, you question yourself on what you did on your past life to have a life like this.  Placing your shoes on the shoe rack, “I’m home.” You say out of habit and glided to the living room. You were greeted with a frowning mother and the visitor Shibayama told you about, having a serious conversation. “You’re here!”  “Yahoo!” Oikawa entered the chamber, immediately smacked by Iwaizumi for breaking the silence and made everyone flinch by his sudden appearance. “Iwa!” Oikawa whined, he doesn’t understand why Iwaizumi consistently hit him, and why he doesn’t ask him to stop either.  “Shut up, Oikawa!” Iwaizumi hissed. How can he be so slow-witted at times when he’s the son of Athena? “I just wanted to up the atmosphere!” Oikawa whisper-shouted. Iwaizumi only sighed, already used to his attitude.  Currently, the chosen deities for Zeus’ quest (minus Sakusa) are gathered together. They’ll be promptly briefed on what to expect, what to do, and their responsibilities to solve this problem before it grows.  This is the first time the deities encountered a major problem that needed the superior gods’ inclusion. Of course everyone will be terrified! Is Medusa’s daughter really dangerous? They don’t know anything about her, it’s safe to assume that she is.  And what’s more terrifying is that no one in the Twelve Olympians noticed a powerful aura in Earth. They’re watching humans from time to time, how is that possible? Is Medusa’s daughter more powerful than Zeus? That’s not possible. But then again, they live in a strange world with thousands of possibilities. Oikawa counted the amount of deities present in the room. Ten. He frowned, did someone refuse to participate in this quest? It should’ve been thirteen as far as he knows, and Sakusa is already in Earth. “Who didn’t chose one?” Eyes were landed to him.  There he goes again. Iwaizumi exhaled, Oikawa is rather weird. One moment he's bubbly and often tell cheerful remarks, next he's saying or asking confusing and alarming words.  “What do you mean?” Akaashi Keiji, son of Ares and Aphrodite, sent by war-god Ares, asked. He’s flustered by Oikawa’s sudden question, totally not understanding it at all. Akaashi is a soothing and composed god. He’s also blunt, calling out the deities on the foolish acts they do. He analyzes everyone and got a hold of their personality, but could never seem to know what’s going on in Oikawa’s head. “Kuroo is visiting Asami at the moment.” Kita Shinsuke, chosen by Demeter, answered. “As for the thirteenth representative, I don’t know either.” He added, also confused on why there’s only twelve of them. Kita doesn’t sugar-coat his words, making a lot of deities afraid to hear his comments. He is straightforward, giving precise answers only. He also does what needs to be done, no one can sidetrack him. His mature way of thinking resulted to him becoming one of Mt. Olympus’ pillars, everything he worked hard for will eventually lead to a something extraordinary, just like Demeter always says. “I heard Hephaestus didn’t send one.” Ojiro Aran, representative of Zeus, replied. Aran is also one of Mt. Olympus’ pillars, an intelligent and a fully-fledged god, that’s what he is. He often solve everyday problems in Olympus along with Kuroo, especially the twins’ mess. Aran is a very reliable god, he’s one of those superior gods everyone looks up to. People often compare him to Zeus, saying that he should ascend the throne as he is the best candidate for it.  “Isn’t that.. illegal?” Suna Rintarou, sent by Hades as a form of punishment from sneaking earlier, questioned. He’s a bit lazy sometimes, but also rebellious. Only he can do that. He appears to be a quiet and nonchalant god, but Suna is expressive to his thoughts; saying what he wants to say that often gets him in trouble. If only this wasn’t a serious situation, they would’ve laughed at Suna’s question. His comments are humorous.  “I asked Ennoshita about it, since he’s the son, you know? But he said Hephaestus didn’t say anything.” Sugarawa Koushi, son of Hebe and Hercules, chosen by Hestia, shared. Under his calm and gentle personality, he’s actually a mischievous god. Overall, he’s one of the helpful and kind gods, and one of Hestia’s trusted servants of Eophertia. The representatives chosen are mostly the ones who’ve passed a year or more after getting their blessing. The only ones that came from this year’s batch were Kageyama Tobio, son of Aphrodite and Himeros, dispatched by Aphrodite due to his formidable dedication, and Kunimi Akira, sent by Hermes and will act as the messenger between two worlds.

Not too long after Oikawa entered, the doors of the chamber opened again, revealing Kuroo Tetsuro in his glory. He walked with confidence, sitting in the center as he is “the son of Zeus and Hera.” 

“Finally, you’re here.” Komori Motoya, a descendant of Apollo but lives with Artemis, spoke. He was sent because he’s the only one who Sakusa talks to, and everyone likes him. A friendly and outgoing god who encourages a lot of deities. Who wouldn’t like him?  “Sorry.” Kuroo apologized. Short and straight-forward. “Asami’s doing well, if you’re wondering.” Kuroo is serious when it comes to conflicts in Mt. Olympus, but he’s usually a laid-back god who likes to provoke others.  It’s like the amount of tension lessened after what Kuroo said. They’re all dying to visit Asami too, if only she was placed in Eophertia, things would’ve been easier.  “Anyways!” Oikawa interrupted. “Do we even know where to search? There’s a thousand places on Earth! How would they expect us to finish this quickly?” He complained. Obviously pressured on the amount of expectations given to them.  “Agreed,” Kunimi spoke, pretending like his father doesn’t have anything to do with this. He could ask him, but he’s certain Hermes will just mess with him. “If the Twelve Olympians weren’t aware of a deity wandering on Earth for the past 18 years, what can we even do?”  “I think Sakusa already encountered one.” Komori announced. Glances were thrown on him. And a chorus of “what” and other incoherent words were followed. “I think! I’m not sure!” He shrieked, distressed at the stares he’s getting.  “Quiet down.” Athena suddenly engaged in the conversation. Everyone looked at her, confused at how she suddenly appeared in the chamber without anyone noticing. The power of a goddess. “Yes, we were informed that Sakusa Kiyoomi run into one, but he wasn’t sure. Still, we’ll start from there.” She declared.  “How..” Akaashi mumbled. But didn’t mind to continue it, at least they’ve got a good start.  “Where is it, Mother?” Oikawa asked. Cliffhangers are undoubtedly not his thing.  “Tokyo, Japan.” 

THE TWELVE REPRESENTATIVES

Ojiro Aran - son of Zeus and Mnemosyne.

Kuroo Tetsuro - son of Zeus and Hera. 

Iwaizumi Hajime - son of Poseidon and Amphitrite. 

Suna Rintarou - son of Hades and Persephone. 

Sugawara Koushi - son of Heracles and Hebe.

Kita Shinsuke - son of Demeter.

Kageyama Tobio - son of Himeros and Aphrodite.

Komori Motoya - son of Aceso. 

Sakusa Kiyoomi - son of Hygieia. 

Oikawa Tooru - son of Athena.

Akaashi Keiji - son of Ares and Aphrodite.

Kunimi Akira - son of Hermes. 

A/N: Hello! I wrote this instead of studying for my exams later, it’s a bit short but longer chapters will come :)) Forgive me if there are a lot of typographical errors, I was suffering from a writer’s block while writing this, I don’t know why. Notes, reblogs and comments are really appreciated! It motivates me whenever I read some reviews :D I’ll probably update again two days from now unless my brain acts up again. Please look forward for it.  If you have some questions or wanting to be added to the taglist (or chat with me!) please send an ask <3  Thank you for reading!

[sailormoonandme]

My thoughts regarding the Usagi/Mamoru age gap

I am writing this in response to this thread.

To be clear as crystal here, this is just my take on the situation.

With all that said, for the sake of argument let's say we are in total agreement that in real life a 14 year old middle schooler and a 17 year old college student shouldn't be dating.*

But that is the key phrase here: 'Real life'.

The thing is...there is no end of fairy tales or media aimed at children that at best start to fall apart or at worst become extremely creepy when you apply a realistic lens to it.

That is the joke about the majority of Disney's canon in fact. For instance, Aladdin was 18 whilst Jasmine was 16. I'm British and over here 16 is the legal age of consent for sex but even so I'm at least iffy on a 16 year old dating an 18 year old. And to trade off some of the comments elsewhere in the above linked thread, you could absolutely argue there was a 'mental gap' between Al and Jas given how she was a sheltered and somewhat naive princess who'd never left the palace and he was a streetwise older guy who'd obviously flirted and charmed his way out of trouble before.

But let's consider a different Disney classic, perhaps their most famous movie, the Lion King.

The Lion King is a beloved and rightly iconic movie but if you take it at face value and realistically (albeit ignoring the fact that animals can talk, sing and are capable of human emotions and cultural references) it's guilty of:

Promoting incest because Simba and Nala would have at best been first cousins (Nala being Scar's daughter) at worst brother and sister. Because that is how lions work. Male lions murder the cubs of other males with the possible exceptions of their brother's cubs where they co-rule a pride. Even with the best case scenario, deleted scenes had Scar try to make Nala his queen and those scenes were reinserted for the hit Broadway musical. So either a brother and sister hook up or two first cousins hook up and a Dad tried to have sex with his daughter.

Promoting racial/class segregation: The Hyenas are from the 'dark shadowy' place and are given traits you can easily interpret as associated with black, Hispanic, Latinex or mentally disabled people. They are also framed with Nazi imagery and it is Scar's decision to let them roam freely that causes famine. Simba beats them, they are forced back to 'where they came from' and all is well.

Promoting authoritarian absolute monarchies. That's the whole movie's plot. Simba must embrace his destiny as the 'rightful ruler' of the pridelands whereby all other animals bow down to him. It's not even like the lions are the ruling class and they are at least democratic amongst themselves, it's literally this ONE specific bloodline that is not only in charge but is SUPPOSED to be in charge. Even if the wrong person from that bloodline is in charge the entire land suffers until the 'right' person takes the throne. That's a pretty terrible and pretty anti-democratic message isn't it, and that's coming from someone who lives in a country WITH a monarchy.

And, I admit this one is a serious stretch, but you could even argue that it's saying two men raising a child is a detriment to said child. Because Timon and Pumba raise Simba into an adult and the movie is very clear that he's grown up wrong, he is not the person he should be because he's embraced Timon and Pumba's upbringing.

So you see...the Lion King is mega terrible.

Except it isn't.

Because we all have the cognitive ability and understanding to grasp that you are not SUPPOSED to take it that realistically nor at face value. Even as children we grasped that, hence the generation that grew up with the Lion King (by and large) obviously don't think incest is okay, don't oppose same sex couples raising children, don't think segregation is a good idea and clearly do not think monarchies are the bee's knees.

Maybe as kids people couldn't put it into words, but material like this essentially exists in this realm of symbolism, psychological shorthand if you will.

In fact all fairy tales do that.

And Sailor Moon IS a fairy tale, or at the very least it borrows a whole lot from fairy tales.

In addition to being a fairy tale though Sailor Moon is a wish fulfillment fantasy story intended for a female audience (or at least a predominantly female audience).

Now of course what one woman's wish fulfillment fantasy might be may not be another's and I wouldn't be so presumptuous as to argue that Sailor Moon even clicks with the wish fulfillment fantasies of MOST female audience members. But I think it's fair to say from the cultural impact it has had, and how it's fanbase is clearly mostly made up of women, that the wish fulfillment fantasy it offers clicks with a sizeable enough number of women.

The reverse is true of something intended as a male wish fulfillment fantasy. James Bond was obviously intended as a male wish fulfillment fantasy, and it's success speaks to how it clearly clicked with a sizable enough number of people. And I don't think I'm being overly presumptuous here when i say MOST of those people were male.**

Both SM and 007 are wish fulfillment power fantasies but they are also romantic/sexual fantasies too.***

I don't think it's unreasonable to argue that for a sizable number (but not necessarily the majority) of women, including the tween/teen girls SM was aimed at, having an OLDER lover is a romantic wish fulfillment fantasy. On the flipside I don't think it's unreasonable to argue that for a sizable number of men and boys having an endless string of casual and completely consequence free sexual encounters with (traditionally speaking) gorgeous women who find you incredibly attractive is a sexual wish fulfillment fantasy.

And the thing is BOTH those things can become bad when you apply a realistic lens to either of them.

James Bond's sex life realistically would involve at least a few sexually transmitted diseases, unintended pregnancies (one of which occurs in the novels) and at least a few callously broken hearts. Even when you look at it strictly from Bond's POV that life only seems glamorous at first glance. Perhaps it is a fun fantasy, but only when it remains in the realm of fantasy. Because in real life that kind of life if lived long term is ultimately incredibly empty and unfulfilling. Even James Bond media has acknowledged this because there have been occasions in the novels and films where he has at least attempted to settle down with a stable partner. Many Bond fans (understandably) decry this as undermining part of the appeal of the character hence Bond inevitably defaults back to being single because that is a baked in part of the wish fulfillment fantasy the character offers.

Let's consider some other ways the Sailor Moon anime offers a wish fulfillment fantasy, namely the future of Crystal Tokyo.

At first glance it seems wonderfully utopic right. It is a beautiful crystalline world where everyone lives in peace and harmony, hunger disease and even aging having been functionally eliminated.

Well, that isn’t the case if you apply a realistic lens to it.

It's an absolute monarchy wherein everyone is functionally immortal and children don't reach maturity even after 900 years. Chibi-Usa clearly chafes at this reality so how do you imagine other children (who aren't royalty) might feel? How might their parents feel having to raise their children and be responsible for them for centuries as opposed to around twentysomething years? What if you became immortal in your 80s, you might be a very healthy 80 year old but you aren't in the prime of your life and you are stuck that way for what is essentially forever. Not to mention what if you don't like or do not agree with Neo-Queen Serenity's policies? What if they are actively detrimental to you, your family, your livelihood, etc? You can't vote her out of power and you can't even hope for things to change because everyone is healthy, provided for and lives forever. The chances of someone else coming to power are at best very, very, very slim.

Then you have the fact that it’s surely a society that would’ve stagnated because everyone is provided for. That’s the whole point of a utopia. It is perfection. But what if you are someone who defined your live by striving for improvement? What if you were a doctor and now found yourself redundant. Sure, you might acknowledge that’s for the greater good but you are still yourself left completely without purpose in this world.

And that’s not even considering the inevitable monotony of existing for hundreds of years. Modern medicine and science has allowed human beings to extend their life spans FAR beyond how long we’d live if we were still just cave people. As biological organisms are concerned we never evolved to live for 80-90 years. Even if your body isn’t breaking down across the centuries the human mind would never realistically be able to cope with centuries worth of memories and life experiences. Mental illnesses and conditions would be rife. If nothing else living in that world would sooner or later become utterly BORING!

Hate to say it and obviously it doesn’t justify their methods, but the Black Moon Clan kind of have some valid points against the world of Crystal Tokyo. At least they do when you break things down REALISTICALLY.

And that’s my thesis here. Sailor Moon isn’t supposed to be dissected realistically, at least not to THAT degree. It is a wish fulfilment fairy tale fantasy and demands a certain amount of suspension of disbelief and understanding of what the fantasy is offering.

And for the record I can 100% assure that no teenager in real life has, or could, ever get into a harmful relationship with someone older than them BECAUSE they watched Usagi and Mamoru’s relationship in the anime.

The human mind is a very complex and very powerful thing. At a younger age it’s impressionable and can therefore be influenced. But it’s not so susceptible that the romantic relationships in a cartoon about schoolgirl super heroes is going to influence a viewer into making any major life decisions that OTHER factors weren’t also influencing them to do.

In other words if a real life 14 year old girl began dating a 17 year old college guy it would’ve happened regardless of whether they watched Sailor Moon as a child or not.

Indeed, one of my frustrations with the podcast Sailor Business is how many guests on the show cite how they liked Usagi and Mamoru as children but now think their relationship is bad and creepy. I disagree with them for the reasons I cited above, but the fact that those panellists nigh universally give that same narrative proves how nobody was ever going to be prompted to do anything potentially harmful to themselves in real life by the show.

*Personally speaking that is certainly my own off the cuff attitude.

**Not to dismiss the fans who aren't, same goes for the non-female SM fans.

***Although I think you could argue SM is more on the romance side of things and 007 on the sexual side of things.

[croonerboy1965]

As Many Forms of Love: Chapter 2- Thief of Hearts

By librarian-von-sassypants and croonerboy1965

Eddie didn’t detest formal dances exactly. He knew there wee good reasons for this one. It solidified his social standing, gave him less of an air of “crazy loner with the damaged son” which many people wanted to attribute to him. He just never saw the point of them otherwise. Crowding one hundred of your closest neighbors into a too-small room, making them dance and fraternize and eat food that everyone secretly thought was sub-par, where everyone talked about everyone else behind their backs, and smiled prettily to their faces.

Eddie had the good fortune of being a conventionally attractive man, and wealthy. He never lacked for conversation or dance partners, and he played the part obligingly, but if he had his way, he’d spend the evening with a book and a glass of brandy, or perhaps reading Christopher bedtime stories.

He’d made one ally early on. Lady Lena Bosko. Utterly beautiful, charming, and, as far as Eddie could tell, utterly uninterested in the company of men, at least in a romantic sense. She was the only female in the room, it seemed, who was not trying to foist hints of marriage upon him, and thus had become a wonderful companion with whom he could simply stand back and observe the party.

“Lady Fortense is absolutely sleeping with the Earl of Viconze,” she whispered to him behind her fan.

He was slightly enamoured with the way her vibrant red hair caught the candlelight around them and reflected it back like fire.

“She would never admit to it, of course, and neither would he, but you can bet her husband knows.”, she said.

Lena was abreast of all the latest gossip, and the circle she chose to share her vast knowledge with was small indeed.

“Poor Viconze,” Eddie remarked as he took another sip of his wine. “She’ll eat him alive.”

Lena smirked.

“She most certainly will.”, she said, biting into the ripe berry she pulled from the lip of Eddie’s glass.

Eddie was well aware that most people took their lingering on the edges of the room together to be a declaration of intent to marry, or at least of amorous feelings. In a way he took it for granted. He needed to find a wife. He knew, and Lena would make a spectacular one.

“So what about you?”, he asked. “Any inclination to nab yourself a husband? I am single, you know.”, Eddie said, as he took her hand in his and kissed the tips of her fingers gently.

Lena giggled and pulled her hand away, feigning shyness as she fanned herself, turning away.

“Well, you are charming, sir. And I can definitely see the benefit of a mutual bond.”, she said.

“Sadly, I have no real interest in the carnal pleasures of the company of men...You on the other hand,” She gave him a knowing look.

Eddie, looked down at his feet, and flushed hot in the face.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”, he said with mock indignation. Then he broke into a smile and they both laughed out loud.

“I guess we’re both just a couple of mavericks.” she said, taking his hand again and giving it a squeeze.

“Still-- it’s nice to have a friend in all this.”, Eddie motioned to the crowded ballroom.

It had been a month since he’d gotten settled into his country estate, made the tour of the surrounding homes, and introduced himself and Christopher the neighbors. Lena was by far his favorite of the lot, and he had visited her estate, where she lived with her aging father.

To their left, a hush seemed to ripple over the crowd, as a new guest arrived.

“Lady Arielle Valens, and Escort”, the announcer said. Lena commented without looking over.

“Everyone’s been up in arms about who she will invite to her ball later this year. It’s supposed to be one of the most exclusive and sought after invitations of the season.” She said to Eddie as she took a long swig from his wine.

A voluptuous woman entered the room, with a dashing, young, strawberry blonde man on her arm. Her face was set in a smile that seemed chiseled from stone, not quite real, not quite false. She wasn’t remarkable looking by any stretch of the imagination.

“There’s something… mysterious about her---intriguing.”, said Eddie. He had only met her once when he’d introduced himself initially, but on second look, was caught up in her strange web. Something about the way her blue eyes latched on and didn’t let go. Or how there was a secret second smile hidden beneath the veneer, one blossomed like the sun, when she’d sat in her drawing room with Christopher, who had regaled her with tales of growing up in London. That boy could charm the pants off of a gargoyle if given the chance, and Lady Arielle could not help but let her guard down, in spite of herself.

She and her companion were making the rounds of the room, and when they drew near to Eddie and Lena, she looked over, and winked conspiratorially.

Eddie couldn’t help but grin.

“A friend of yours?” Eddie asked.

Lena, he noted with some surprise, flushed so red she was nearly purple, and buried her face in her fan with a small grin she couldn’t seem to pry off her face.

“We have...met.”, she said.

“Well, we will absolutely be discussing that, later.”, Eddie said.

Eddie let his gaze linger over Arielle’s companion. She was, to everyone’s widespread knowledge, quite single, but managed to show up to parties with ridiculously attractive men on her arm, and this new one was no exception. Tall, thin, with strawberry blond curls, cheekbones that could cut glass, and a smile that whispered of both sex and confidence with each glance. There was something vaguely familiar about him, Eddie thought, though he couldn’t quite place it.

“Her new one is rather attractive,” Lena commented as the two of them watched the newcomers make a slow circle of the ballroom. Every single eye in the room was doing the same, though most everyone pretended to be busy doing anything else.

“Hmm?” Eddie was distracted.

“Lady Arielle’s new companion. I haven’t seen him before.” Lena said. There was jealousy in her eyes, Eddie was sure of it, but she didn’t take well to teasing, so he held his tongue.

Once they had made a full circuit of the ballroom, Lady Arielle and her companion ended up in proximity to Lena and Eddie, as several of the guests slowly gravitated into their orbit.

“Lord Diaz, Lady Bosko, delighted to see you again,” Lady Arielle made a small curtsy, and nod of her head. “May I introduce my friend, Sir Evan, Lord of Buckley Manor.”

Eddie had never heard of Buckley manor, and he’d studied the surrounding area extensively during his decision to move. Still, no one would ever call her out on it, definitely not Eddie, so he stayed comfortable in the knowledge.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Eddie sticks out his hand for the man to shake. Lord Buckley takes his hand gingerly, and even through the gloves, Eddie can feel the heat radiating off him. The man doesn’t do that usual firmer than necessary handshake, as men so often do with Eddie, in an attempt to assert dominance.

“This is Miss Lena Bosko,” Eddie introduced them, as Buckley took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the air just above it.

“The pleasure’s mine,” Buckley said, and the smile he gave her was absolutely breathtaking. ‘Too bad he’s barking up the wrong tree.’, Lena thought to herself.

“You both must come to my house for tea next week,” Lady Arielle smiled, though it was a mere whisper of her full force. “Do, bring Christopher!”

“Christopher?” Buckley asked the question, and then looked like he wished he could stuff the words back inside himself. Lady Arielle either didn’t notice or chose not to.

“Lord Eddie’s son!”, she said brightly, a little bit of sunshine leaked out when she talked about Chris. “Absolutely the most charming human I’ve ever come across. Buck is staying with us for a few weeks... He loves kids, don’t you Buck?”, she said.

So it was Buck now. Eddie made a note in his mental ledger.

“Indeed!” Buck says with a smile, but doesn’t quite meet Eddie’s eyes.

Just then, a waltz began to play.

“Shall we have a dance?”, Lena said, in an attempt to break the tension.

“Of course.”, Eddie said.

“Shall we?”, said Buck, as he took Lady Valens by the arm and led her to the floor.

Arielle followed and soon they were swallowed up by the whirling flashes of color from a room full of glorious gowns.

Lena looked at Eddie as he led her round, her brow furrowed.

“Eddie, what is it?”, she asked.

“Nothing.”, he said as he guided her, a bit stiffly, in any direction that might put some distance between them and the Lady Valens.

“Eddie.”, Lena pressed. He was looking off in Buck and Arielle’s direction.

“How well do you know, the Lady Valens?”, he asked.

Lena cleared her throat, and said, “Fairly well.”

“How well?”, Eddie insisted.

“Well. Very well.”, she retorted, indicating she meant to add no more.

“Why?”, she asked.

“It’s just--her companion--”, but he was cut off as the pair of them bumped into he and Lena, throwing them ever so slightly off their rhythm.

“I beg your pardon, sir.”, Buck said, throwing Eddie a mischievous grin.

“Mind your steps!”, Eddie spat through a tight smile. As he came round to meet him on the next turn, Eddie almost caught his foot on the hem of Arielle’s gown, his eyes locked on Buck’s.

“Mind yours!”, Buck said, in mock indignation.

“Wha--?!”, Eddie scoffed.

“Buck! Mind your manners!”, Arielle said.

“Apologies Miss.”, Buck said, eyeing her buxom breasts. He thought perhaps he brushed them inadvertently.

“Not me, you nit!”, she said.

They had stopped in mid-round.

Buck looked up, face now red, and met Eddie’s gaze yet again. Try as he might, he could not speak. He felt embarrassed, yet --there was something else.

Lena turned away from Eddie, and tapped Arielle, on the shoulder.

“Might I cut in?”, she said. Arielle’s face became sunny, and she said, “But of course, Madame.”

Arielle met her palm in Lena’s and Lena placed her other hand around Arielle’s waist.

“Men.”, Lena sighed.

As they began their first turn on the floor, Arielle pushed her backside into Evan’s and he came immediately up against Eddie. Not knowing what else to do, he took Eddie in hand and began leading him in a waltz. The closeness, their eyes locked together, the slightest scent of sweet anise on Buck’s breath. His lips were crimson, almost blood red against his pale skin. Buck was slightly taller but his taught frame felt sinewy in Eddie’s arms. This made Eddie harden in his nethers, in spite of his better judgement.

Buck felt Eddie pressing against him, and his own rig twitched with desire.

He recalled the same sensation a few weeks ago, on the road. Buck could not believe he did not realize it sooner. This man. Sure, he is more groomed, more cultivated, more polished. But it is the same man. The one he almost robbed. The one he inadvertently molested.

He can see the exact second Eddie sees it on his face. Eddie can suddenly see through him. The brigand from the road. Nearly unrecognizable in a fashionable emerald waistcoat and cravat, but Eddie would recognize those eyes anywhere. Those stunning blue eyes.

It hits them both like an avalanche.

“YOU!?”, they said in unison. They separated, suddenly aware they had been pressed together a bit longer than either one intended. Then covered themselves as each one spied the other’s reaction to said closeness. They quickly covered themselves with their hands in as polite a clasp as they could manage. Evan could not believe this was the same man. He was so...regal. So...handsome. Not at all like the disheveled traveler he’s nearly robbed a fortnight ago.

“I believe it might be time for you to call it an evening, Lord Buckley.” he said, mocking the title.

“Indeed.”, Buck said, turning to go without another word. As he left, he slid past Kingston, who glared at him, and then looked worriedly at Eddie.

Eddie put up a hand, and then put it quickly back down again, to cover himself. “It’s alright, Kingston, it’s been taken care of.”, he said.

“What have you done?”, Arielle said, looking accusingly at Eddie. “Buck! Wait!” she called after him, but he was gone. Lena shot him a look.

“What?”, Eddie said.

“Miss Valens…” Eddie said. “My deepest apologies, I shall have Kingston call you a carriage, and escort you home.”

“I think you’ve done quite enough.”, Lena said. “I shall escort Lady Valens home.”

Lady Valens, gave her a sheepish look. “How kind.”, she said. And they paraded past Kingston, who looked quite confused.

==============================================================================

Buck walked briskly toward the gate, and as he opened it, he was met by the two henchman he was in league with. He stopped, hands raised.

“Hi fellas.”, he said.

“Hello to you.”, the larger of the two said, his gun drawn on Buck.

“Griff…”, he said, “We are calling this one off.”

“Cawlin’ it off??!!”, Griff said. “I don’t fink so.”, he stepped forward and Buck stepped back.

“I s’pose you were finking of leaving me and Shep out in the cold and taking all the booty for yourself, eh?”. Griff said.

“Yeah, yew tryin’t’ cut us owt?”, Shepp said. He puffed out his chest. He was a full head and a half shorter than Griff and Buck. He sniffed and wiped his nose on the sleeve of his coat. Griff looked over his shoulder at Shepp, making sure to intimidate him. Shepp shrank down and looked at the ground.

“Look, they just moved here, there really isn’t enough to bother looting.”, Buck tried to sound convincing,

Griff looked back toward the manor, and he could hear the chatter of voices and the strains of music off in the distance.

“Sounds to me like it’s ripe for the picking, wut wif all the fancy laawds and laydees and wot not.”, Griff said.

Buck tried to sound forceful in his protest.

“NO! I hired you and I say what goes! And I say, we aren’t doing this!”, Buck said as he stepped to Griff.

Griff took the butt of his gun and cracked Buck on the head, knocking him out. He fell like a rag doll to the ground.

“Who’s the boss now, eh?”, Griff said.

They stepped over Buck’s unconscious body and off in the direction of the house.

Just as Lena and Arielle, made it to the door, they stopped dead, as Griff pushed his way in and forced them back inside. Once in the ballroom, he announced, “Awright everyone, This is a sick up! Get your ‘ands in the air!”

The crowd stood still for a moment as the music stopped, unsure if this was really happening.

Griff shot the pistol into the air over his head. The loud blast cause some of the ladies to scream.

“I said, get ‘em up!”, he ordered. Now, if you do as we say, no one’s gonna get ‘urt…Put all your money and fancy jewels in this here bag,”, Griff said, as Shepp took out a satchel and went around the room collecting valuables.

Griff looked over at Eddie, who was stepping protectively in front of Lena and Arielle. He motioned at them to join the crowd now pressed against each other at the far end of the room. “Now nobody move and we will be off shortly, and y’can go back to your li’l soiree--“, Griff said, just as he heard a small voice from behind, him.

“Papa?!”, Christopher said as he made his way bleary eyed down the stairs.

Griff whirled on him and instinctively fired his gun.

“No!” Eddie shouted and he ran at Christopher and dove to grab him up.

The bullet went straight into Eddie’s back, just as he reached his son, shielding him from the blow. Christopher screamed.

Buck burst into the room, his eyes as wide as plates, and his mouth dropped open. Blood was streaming down the side of his face, as he looked first at Lena, then Arielle, then Griff and finally Eddie. He thought he should charge at Griff, but Kingston was already there and tacking him to the ground. Kingston smashed the man to his back and throttled him with one hand while gripping Griff by the wrist with the other. He put his full weight to bear on him and bashed his gun hand on the marble flooring repeatedly until the gun came free. Sheep, dropped the sack of valuables and made way to the gun, but Lady Valens was there first and cold cocked him squarely in the face, sending him flying, flat on his back. This made Buck smile just for a moment, and then his thoughts returned to Eddie. Lena was already at his side, when he reached them. Christopher was crying and squeezing his father around the neck, his face buried in Eddie’s shoulder.

“Papa! Pappa, NO!”, he cried.

Lena tried to calm Christopher, so she could turn Eddie over, but he would not be moved.

“Eddie…Eddie! Wake up!”, she wailed into his ear. Buck moved in and managed to pry the boy off so Eddie could be laid on his back.

Griff tried to wrestle himself free, but Arielle had him. She scooped up the pistol, cocked the hammer and said, “Don’t even think about it.”

“You go collect the little one, I’ve got this one well in hand, sir.”

She motioned for Kingston to get up and she took his place, straddling Griff, sitting her full weight upon him. Griff thought for a moment this might be something akin to fun, in any other context. He half smiled at her as he felt her fit into his lap.

“Don’t get any funny ideas, you hear?” She pointed the barrel down to the waistband area his pants, pressing the barrel against the fabric of her skirt hard enough where he could feel it tucked neatly between them. Griff’s half-grin faded to a look of horror as Arielle leaned in and whispered, “Best save that for the boys in the big house, eh? I hear they like a stodgy man-toy.”

Kingston, took the binding cords from the drapes and bound Shepp. “Someone fetch a doctor! And get the constable!”

Eddie loosed his hold on Christopher, who immediately threw himself forward on to Eddie’s chest and wept. His glasses were all akimbo as he pressed his face into his father.

“Right away!”, Buck stood and dashed out the door. He headed for the carriage house and unhitched and mounted the nearest horse. “Hyahh!”, he commanded. The horse bolted forward and off he rode into the night.

[itsclydebitches]

Oscar Pine: Treatment and Characterization in Volume Six

It’s Friday! Which means I get to spend my time writing meta if I so choose. Today’s topic is Oscar. Specifically the question posed by @dreanner95 on another post of mine: “How have the characters in the show treated Oscar badly?” (Full asks are at the end of the meta.) I’ve covered this topic at length in my episode recaps, but I want to pull everything together into one post, both for easy, future access---here’s the answer to this question!---as well as to put the whole of it into perspective. Because as we’ll see in a moment, Oscar’s treatment is something slow and perpetual. You’ve got to take it all into account to understand just how badly things are going for him.

To start, though this meta is focused on the material of Volume Six, it’s worth pointing out something from Volume Five. Namely that Oscar isn’t an integrated part of the team yet. Volume Five is easy-going material compared to Volume Six. A whole lot of hanging out around the house as opposed to stressful, traumatic encounters with baddies. Meaning, that was the perfect time to start incorporating Oscar into the main group, but that didn’t happen very much. Not to the extent we need it to. Because Oscar isn’t just Oscar anymore, he’s Oscar housing Ozpin, and it’s Ozpin who bears the focus of everyone’s attention (a problem that becomes exacerbated in Volume Six). The vast majority of Oscar’s scenes feature Ozpin speaking, or are about Oscar’s new relationship with Ozpin, or are more generally about the war and how to prepare for it---see the training scene where Oscar is struggling to learn the basics of combat. For the most part Oscar is not at the center of anyone’s attention, Ozpin is, with the exception being Ruby’s talk with him downstairs. There Ozpin keeps quiet to let the two work out their grief and fears, making it one of the most powerful moments of the volume. But it’s not nearly enough. I’ve spoken before about how we don’t know much of anything about Oscar. Unlike the other characters who all embody details that help us to see them as well-rounded individuals---Yang loves making jokes and her bike, Blake is a bibliophile and invested in faunus rights, Jaune still wears a Pumpkin Pete sweatshirt and trains at night with Pyrrha’s video, etc.---three volumes in and Oscar is still defined almost exclusively by that moment when Ozpin slammed into his head and everything that has happened since then. No hobbies, no dreams, no talk of his family... we’re given only one, narrow lens to view him through. Which doesn’t just make it more difficult for the audience to become invested in him, but difficult for the other characters as well. Oscar doesn’t join the group during their bonding dinner. With the exception of Ruby, he doesn’t get to form strong ties with them. He’s the outsider here, the one person who doesn’t have a year of Beacon friendship and life or death missions to draw on, and it shows. Because though the cast clearly loves him (more on that later) his outsider status remains, making it really easy for the others to dismiss him, hurt him, or shrug him off when things start getting tough. Because he’s not really one of them. This isn’t Jaune with Ozpin stuck in his head. Or Ruby. Or Yang. It’s just Oscar, the random kid who appeared on our doorstep one day, joined our group when we never asked, and who we still know next to nothing about even after three volumes of material. The characters just don’t care about him as much as they do the core group, even though at this point they should, setting up a situation wherein he becomes expendable. Especially when everyone is focused on getting back at Ozpin. They’re willing to hurt Oscar to get at Ozpin in a way I don’t think they’d be comfortable with if it was anyone else. If Nora had Ozpin stuck in her head? No one would be assaulting her or saying she’s doomed to just be his meatsuit her whole life. They’d defend and support her in ways no one is willing to do for the literal child of the group. Because no one has been given the chance to get to know the kid and come to truly care for him. 

So let’s rehash what the group actually does to Oscar over the course of Volume Six.

To start, there is that ongoing sense that he has no place in this group. Oscar exists only as a vessel for Ozpin. When everyone is waiting for the train the focus in clearly on team dynamics. “I know you’re worried, Weiss, but trust us. Team RWBY won’t leave your side for a second!” Yang and Ruby are interacting as sisters. Nora and Ren are interacting as a couple. There’s a clear division between RWBY and JNR visually, with the former on the right side of the screen and the latter on the left. 

Oscar sits sort of between both, not speaking, not being spoken to until Ozpin makes a joke about the train goons hopefully not being from Beacon. Then Oscar expands on the humor and gets a round of appreciative nods. That’s it though. On the train Team RWBY and their Uncle Qrow all make plans to play video games. We know Team JNR was hanging out because they all arrive together when trouble starts. Meanwhile, we find Oscar in a cabin full of random people. He’s not spending time with or being invited to either group here. He’s just got Ozpin. Ozpin who is the focus of everyone’s attention. When the others arrive Jaune immediately asks, “What’s going on?” and it’s pretty clear the question is directed at Ozpin, not Oscar. Because Oscar just insisted that he wanted to keep control, but now he’s fumbling. He doesn’t know what’s going on and now here Jaune is (unintentionally) reminding him of that. He’s a farm boy, not a huntsmen. Certainly not the huntsmen either. Everyone wants Ozpin around to fix things and if there’s nothing to fix? You don’t need to stay.

It’s a dynamic that’s going to repeat throughout the volume, starting at the farm house. Ruby will go off with Weiss, Blake will go off with Yang... and everyone is going to leave Oscar to stay behind with Maria, doing nothing and being babied. 

Team RWBY will go retrieve the relic. Oscar can once again stay behind and figure out how to fix their transportation. Because Qrow will be busy drinking. 

And then again in “Dead End,” which I’ll get to below.

After the train we have the punch scene and I’m not sure how else to explain to people how not okay this is. I don’t care how high emotions were. Oscar is bearing the brunt of Ozpin’s (perceived) sins in a truly horrendous manner. He’s intimidated, screamed at, chucked into a tree. Keep in mind this is the body that only started figuring out aura a few weeks ago and we’re shown straight out that Qrow’s punch, a punch from an incredibly powerful huntsmen, hurt like hell. The second Ozpin leaves Oscar is wincing and touching his cheek.

What stands out to me is not that the cast is human and makes mistakes and loses their temper---because obviously all those things are valid---but rather that we see throughout the course of Volume Six that no one is willing to acknowledge, let alone act on, the fact that Oscar is a victim of circumstance. No one calls Qrow out on hitting the innocent kid along with the guy he’s mad at. No one tries to calm things down so that Oscar isn’t shouldering their tempers when he’s done nothing wrong. Everyone is happy to vent their anger and fears on him because he’s convenient. Case in point, even with Ozpin gone Yang is still screaming in his face. She doesn’t care if that’s Ozpin or Oscar. Same body, no difference.

No one cares enough about Oscar as an individual to question how their actions might hurt him along with Ozpin. They don’t care enough about him as an individual, period. With the knowledge that Ozpin is truly gone for the moment, the group segues into ignoring him. Oscar is in the process of breaking down right in front of them---grabbing his hair, yelling about how he needs it all to stop---but the group talks over him, jumping straight to panic about what they’ll do now that Ozpin has left. Oscar is no longer functioning as their go-between. He’s useless, he looks like a man they hate, and he doesn’t have that emotional connection to the group. So why do they care that he’s having a breakdown? They don’t. Imagine if this was literally anyone else in the cast. The group would be all comfort and sympathy. Instead, we’re given a shot that could easily be from Oscar’s perspective. His entire identity is falling apart and all he’s given in response to that is Weiss looming over him, still talking about Ozpin, still only worrying about how this all effects them. A ‘them’ Oscar isn’t fully a part of. 

It’s a problem that Ruby tries to address by giving him back his cane, but Qrow undermines that like whoa.

I shouldn’t have to establish how utterly horrible this is. The adult telling the child, ‘No. You’re not your own person. Get over it. I’m a good guy for telling you the hard truth.’ It’s made even worse by Ruby’s silence. She doesn’t challenge Qrow’s words. Her sad expression conveys that she agrees with him---her earlier words were indeed “lies”---and Oscar is left to walk away, once again without any support. What little he was offered was wrenched away from him by an authority figure. Throughout "The Coming Storm” we see just how isolated he is. He walks at the very back of the group, away from everyone else. He looks terrified entering the house, re-emphasizing that he’s not a trained huntsmen like the rest of the group and was never given a choice about adopting this life. When he helps Blake and Weiss move the dresser in front of the door, they hold a short conversation over his head. As Ruby approaches the pictures on the wall, we hear Oscar theorizing about how this room is a study or a library, but no one answers him. Then, as said, they all split and leave Oscar behind, despite the fact that he’s the first to back Ruby’s plan to look for supplies. On their own none of these details necessarily mean anything, but put together they paint a bleak picture---and one that I am personally familiar with. I’ve been in groups where I’m clearly the outsider and this is precisely how I’m inclined to act: try to be helpful even when it goes ignored, try to start conversations even when no one answers. You just keep trying because what else can you do? You feel horribly awkward, but it’s better than accepting that no one wants to interact with you. 

Note that all of this is a direct parallel to what we get in “Dead End.” Both moments begin with Oscar trying to help the group, first by giving them a means of accessing the secrets they so desperately want---“Say her name to summon her”---here by starting a pep-talk when Ruby is unable to. “Look, none of this is great, we know,” Oscar says. “But we’re not the bad guys here.” To which Jaune responds with, “Are we sure about that?��� Now, suddenly, Oscar isn’t just the bystander who happens to be hurt along the way. He is the immediate victim here. All the dialogue is directed to and about Oscar, blaming him and putting the responsibility on his shoulders: “He’s in your head isn’t he?” “Did you already know about this?” “How much longer can we even trust him?” “How do we even know it’s really him?”

We have another physical assault, this time with Jaune slamming Oscar against the wall and shaking him. 

Weiss, Yang, and Ruby yell out, but none of them make a move to stop him. Everyone just stands there, allowing Jaune to do as he pleases. In the past year people have been very uncomfortable with me referring to the group as kids or children, insisting that real life markers of adulthood (hitting 18) trumps their lack of experience and emotional instability. These are adults, Clyde. Okay then. Let’s work with that. This is an adult attacking a child. For the second time in as many days. We have now twice seen an adult use a 14yo as an emotional and literal punching bag, doing whatever they please to the real life equivalent of a middle schooler.

And once again, no one cares. Oscar was just attacked again, he flinches when Jaune walks past, and the first words out of anyone’s mouth are worry for Jaune. Not the kid who just dealt with a much bigger, much stronger, much older man taking his anger out on him. Not the kid who is standing right there and listening to where everyone’s loyalties lie. Oscar learns fully in this moment that when push comes to shove, he’s never going to be anyone’s priority.

We see the split in teams again. “I think it would be best if we had some time to ourselves,” Ren says, clearly talking about Team JNR since they’re all going upstairs together. Team RWBY is left in the living room... with Oscar outside of that.

So he leaves.

Which is when the writing shows us its priorities too. Oscar is housing the most important character in this entire war and, like it or not, he’s supposed to be a part of the team now. If there was ever a time to provide him with space to grow and to give the audience insight into who he is outside of Ozpin’s influence, this was it. Ozpin is conveniently quiet. The group has driven him away. We have a two week hiatus implying a major episode when we come back. Anything could happen, from Oscar getting kidnapped and coming into some power, to him working through his issues and deciding why the hell he should stay with a group that doesn’t need him and clearly doesn’t want him. Instead, we get another episode about Jaune and EVERY bit of potential character development for Oscar happens off screen. All we learn is that Oscar went shopping. Oh, and cooked them dinner.

Notice that Oscar is desperate to prove himself useful; to do things in the hope that it will earn him some form of praise and acceptance. Jaune yells about how I’m a liar and not to be trusted? I get thrown around and no one cares enough to check up on me? That’s fine. I’m gonna give them space, not kick up a fuss, make a nice meal for everyone to come home to... Oscar can’t stick up for himself because if doing nice things---helping you get Ozpin’s secrets, trying to cheer everyone up, etc.---results in violence, what the hell would they do if he actually got mad at them? No, no, no, I’ll just keep being calm, perfect Oscar.

Yes, Jaune apologies for his behavior, but notably Oscar interrupts him and tries to justify it. I’m worried about the same things too, so it’s totally okay that you expressed those fears the way you did. I’m the expendable one. 

It gets even worse when Oscar starts speaking as if he has a terminal illness. Once again he’s buying into the idea that he’s no one now, existing only to ferry Ozpin’s soul, and like out in the snow this idea isn’t challenged by anyone. This exchange boils down to, ‘I’m convinced I’m going to cease to exist so I’ll just keep helping you all as much as possible until I’m gone.’ Oscar is making the claim that helping them---being the good outsider who makes them meals and promises not to worry them again, despite the fact that they’re the ones who drove him off in the first place---is all he's good for now. 

And what’s the group’s response to this? 

Along with a whole bunch of smiles. 

Combined with their overall treatment, this reads as horrendously alarming. Why worry too much about how you’re treating Oscar when Oscar is destined to die, merge, whatever? He’s literally theorizing about a scenario where one day the group won’t have to deal with him anymore, but until then he’ll be as helpful as he can. It’s an easy out for them. Yay! We won’t lose the Ozpin vessel who we technically still need, but now he says we don’t have to worry about his trauma anymore. Those pesky things like terror over his identity are being buried and the problem is that no one is inclined to challenge that. A few days after Qrow claims he’s not his own person, Oscar announces, ‘You know what? He’s right. I’m not. So I’ll just be useful until I disappear.’ And everyone is happy with that new plan. No one cares enough about Oscar to push back against this passiveness, to worry about his mental health, even just to express grief that they may one day lose him. There’s so much concern and care shown among the group, from the big (everyone supporting Yang through her PTSD) to the small (Blake finding an extra blanket for Weiss). But twice now we’ve seen Oscar breaking in front of an audience and no one bats an eye. Twice we’ve seen him harmed and no one cares. The rest of the time he’s barely acknowledged at all. Not unless he’s making himself known and that, as we’ve seen, is dangerous.  

I mentioned way at the start that the concept of the group loving Oscar would come back into play. In short, I think you can love someone---or convince yourself you love someone---and still treat them like shit. The group might be “worried sick” when something major happens to Oscar like a disappearance, but on a day-to-day basis they treat him pretty horribly. They care about his physical safety, but not his emotional or mental well being. He’s not truly a part of their teams, he’s constantly conflated with Ozpin, his fears about losing his identity are reinforced multiple times, and there’s now a pattern of the group using him as an emotional and physical outlet when it proves convenient for them. Could they treat him worse than this? Yeah, of course, but they could treat him a whole lot better too. For me, Nora giving a big “OSCAR!” hug or Blake exchanging pleasantries on the farmhouse steps doesn’t mean a thing when, during more significant moments, they don’t stick up for him. Not when he’s being physically assaulted, not when others are emotionally harming him, not when Oscar himself basically announces that he’s accepted a death sentence. The group loves Oscar... but it’s highly conditional. If they love someone else more (like Jaune) or hate someone else enough (like Ozpin) then he’s going to suffer for it. Oscar is not enough of a member of the group for them to ever prioritize and sadly it doesn’t look like that’s going to change anytime soon.

***

[edie-of-the-empire]

A Shadow’s Truth

I started writing this story, then had a sudden strike of anxiety over something silly, which ironically finishing this story helped with. Sorry if the physical descriptions at the end up sucking, I don’t normally describe people, hopefully it came out well.

It was a bother, really; the curiosity that plagued Edelgard’s mind regarding what Shadow had revealed to her just five years ago. To know that the dragon god had once been human, been mortal, and managed to retain their sense of humanity throughout millennia as a god...it was nothing short of a heroic feat, in her eyes. After all, she long suspected that Rhea had a similar secret. But clearly, whether or not she once had a sense of humanity, it was surely long gone by now.

So, for Edelgard to know that, somewhere beneath the living-metal hide of Shadow, was someone like her…

Why, if she were a cat, she would’ve given many of her nine lives in pursuit of that curiosity.

Edelgard frowned as she hid away in the library late one night, her friends and soldiers resting in the monastery, her eyes locked onto but not really seeing the book before her. How could she pursue this line of inquiry with Shadow? Such a questioning would entail they delve into terribly personal territory for the dragon god. Territory that, while Shadow had struggled to share more of it with her in the past, it was, every time, a great exercise in trust on their part.

Whatever happened in Shadow’s first life, it had left them broken. Edelgard sighed as she closed the book, a bit more forcefully than she probably should have, and stood to return it to its place. She’d have to ask them eventually, the thought would clearly hound her until satiated. But how to approach her dear friend gently enough?

Edelgard sighed as she strode back to her room, and ran a hand through her bangs. Shadow was precious to her, their friendship a dear gift over the years. Especially during Byleth’s absence, that Shadow managed to soothe the pain of. She cherished their bond far too much to jeopardize it so, and yet...the question lingered…

What did Shadow look like, when they bore the face of a human?

As she approached her door, Edelgard’s guard dropped as she fantasized the possibilities. What did they look like? Was Shadow a tall, strapping man with a musculature to match their godly visage, a beard and head of hair to rival their crimson mane? Or were they a young boy, hardly older than she was now, gangly and lean but with the promise of growing to become mighty? Maybe something in the middle, a man who looked so utterly normal that their charm exceeded most?

Or, she thought as she pushed open her door, was Shadow a woman with a beauty and might to rival that of Catherine’s, or Dorothea’s, or Ingrid’s? They were rather ambiguous in their appearance and behavior, after all. Their human form could be any number of possibilities. What if they ended up resembling one of the many lovely women that Edelgard knew?

...what if they resembled Byleth?

As Edelgard entered her room, she immediately scanned it for Shadow. Though they followed her always, as they promised, Shadow maintained their more ghostly presence when others were about. Now that Edelgard was alone in her room, however, the imposing figure of the dragon god melted out of the air. She raised an eyebrow as they swiftly leaped up, grabbed into the wooden beams in the high ceiling of her room and swung so they hung from it upside down, crouched like a bat almost.

“What are you doing, Shadow?”

Shadow looked up-down at her and smirked. Their mane tried to hang down at gravity’s behest, but it was moments like this that Edelgard was reminded of how strange it was. It was not all loose hair that happened to span their tall, but rather like a lion’s mane it ran down it. Quite the sight, then, to see the grinning dragon god upside down with their gravity defying mane.

“It’s hard to enjoy physicality when you’re metaphysical, El.” Shadow cheekily informed her, their grin wide, ears limp and hanging. “It’s not as fun to hang upside down when I technically don’t exist.”

Edelgard simply sighed and shook her head as she made to turn in for the night. As Shadow busied themselves with the rafters of her room, she imagined they were rather restless. They were more than entertained as they followed her around like a ghost, her dear Shadow; but after they revealed their true nature that fateful night, they were far freer with their presence. Only when the pair were alone, though, as both had long since agreed that Shadow’s existence was best kept a secret from the world.

Shadow wasn’t of this world, after all.

As Edelgard brushed out her hair, sat comfortably before her mirror in her nightwear, the questions that had hounded her before returned. It didn’t help that Shadow themself was physically present, draped along the rafters like a metallic cat. If Edelgard couldn’t fend off the curiosity without Shadow being near, the lack of out-of-sight was even worse. She tried to keep the distress from her expression, but before long, a soft thud behind Edelgard alerted her to Shadow’s nearness.

Her eyes flicked up to her reflection, then up higher to meet the dragon god’s blue-gold eyes through the mirror. They were bent low, their height great enough that they would’ve been too tall if they stood properly. Their fluffy red eyebrows were slanted upward, armored jaw tight as they watched her with concern as they tilted their head.

“El...is something the matter? You seem upset.”

Edelgard averted her gaze as she set her brush down, and considered her reply. She couldn’t lie to them, they would be able to know better. But nor did she feel comfortable hiding it from them either...Shadow trusted her, as she did them, their willingness to follow her even when she wore that damnable mask. To linger and support her, even when they once had the chance to leave this world and search for their mate.

Edelgard rose, slowly, and couldn’t help when her hands came together against her chest. She managed to keep from wringing them, thank goodness, but she had to clench them fairly tight to prevent it. As she turned and stepped around the chair, Edelgard more felt than saw Shadow move to stand before her and gently rest their large paws on her shoulders.

“Edelgard, what is it? You’ve seemed a bit off all day, actually. Has something been on your mind?”

Edelgard took a deep breath to shore herself, then touched on her resolved and looked Shadow in the eye.

“May I see you?”

Shadow frowned, head tilted as their eyebrows bunched low over their eyes. But it only took a moment before their ears rose high, eyebrows vanished into their mane and eyes widened. Their hands slid off of her shoulders as they pulled back, just a couple of steps, and rose to their full height. But it wasn’t an imposing sight at all, Edelgard was not intimidated. No, despite the proud stance they attempted, she could see the tense set of their shoulders, and the slight shake to their clenched paws.

Edelgard dared to step forward, and laid a gentle hand on their arm.

“Never you mind, Shadow, it was a thoughtless question. I just…”

She sighed in frustration, and pressed her free hand to her temple as she cringed.

“My curiosity ran rampant beyond my control, and simply would not leave the thought of what you revealed be.”

A mirthless chuckle as she shook her head now, Shadow still silent above her.

“Honestly, you would think I would’ve managed my thoughts better, but I just couldn’t–”

“Do you want to?”

Edelgard’s eyes widened as she glanced up to her companion’s face. Shadow looked calmer now, less rigid than before, but their eyes were still wide. Their long ears were pressed back against their skull, all but buried in the mane there. She took a step back, her hand slipping off of their arm, and shook her head.

“I don’t need to see, Shadow, truly it’s fi–”

“But do you want to see?”

Edelgard pursed her lips, pale eyebrows furrowed over her eyes, and looked askance of the dragon god as she hesitated.

“...yes, Shadow, I...I do.”

Edelgard kept her eyes averted and waited, and expected Shadow to deny her now that she’d made her selfish wish clear. But rather, after the silence reigned in her room for a short time, she heard Shadow shuffle a little.

“Could you...would you turn around, please, El?”

She looked up at them for a moment, surprised, before she nodded and promptly faced away from them. Edelgard even made sure to avoid looking into the mirror, though she could see Shadow’s great size peek into what of the reflection she spied out of her peripheral. A sudden breeze burst into the room, her nightwear ruffled about her and her hair blew past her shoulders. A flash of golden light lit the room bright, and Edelgard just barely noticed Shadow’s form vanish from the mirror.

Silence again...Edelgard waited, eager with her anticipation, but she would be patient for Shadow. She couldn’t hear anything, no breathing, no movement, not even the sudden breeze that had since stilled. She couldn’t even feel Shadow’s presence behind her, the ever present force of the dragon god’s simple existence suddenly gone. The absence was a stark contrast to the world Edelgard had grown used to, since childhood, but she would wait. 

Then, she heard it.

“El…”

The voice was soft, so soft, and almost scared, which pierced Edelgard to her core. The difference between Shadow’s deep, strong godly voice to this gentle, almost raspy, higher voice was striking to say the least. Like some strange middle ground between Bernadetta’s voice and…and Byleth’s, actually.

Edelgard slowly turned around, to give Shadow plenty of time to stop this should they change their mind. But it never came, and not patient enough to wait for herself to turn, she looked over her shoulder. By habit, Edelgard had raised her gaze high, to meet the eyes of the quite tall dragon god. But there was nothing there, and her eyes dropped several centimeters before they alighted on…

A human...woman? A man? Both, or neither?They were masculine and feminine all at once, a dashing figure that both defied humanity and looked oh so very human.

They stood there, in the dragon god’s place, clad in a pair of navy blue breeches, a black trench coat lined with gold and marked with red. The breeches were tucked into large, heavy looking brown-and-black boots, that seemed to have bronze soles. Their clenched fists were adorned with gloves, the fingertips cut off, and those were black as well. The coat’s collar was short but raised, and they almost seemed to duck their head to hide within its protection. 

Nervous and excited all at once, Edelgard bravely stepped forward, and raised her hands to settle them on the navy blue shoulder pads of the coat, that accentuated already fairly mighty physicality of theirs. She hesitated for a moment, to give Shadow another opportunity to stop her if they so wished. When they didn’t, she lifted her hands higher to gently explore their face, the person who was Shadow perfectly still and watching her.

They were handsome and beautiful at once, a strong jaw but rounded cheeks, bushy eyebrows furrowed anxiously over stormy blue eyes. They had a few centimeters on her, but nowhere near the height they had before. Close cropped brown hair that spiked forward over their face, two fluffy tufts before their ears like small sideburns. Edelgard couldn’t help but notice they had the oddest earlobes, the small part of the ear that normally hung low on most people was all but horizontal for Shadow, like a fleshy shelf almost.

Shadow seemed to all but tremble beneath her touch and scrutiny, the corner of their eyes crinkling as they seemed to fight off the urge to shrink into themself further. Their skin, not as dark as Dedue’s but darker than Claude’s, was in stark contrast to Edelgard’s pale skin as she gently stroked their soft cheekbones. As she looked from their wide, up-turned nose back up to their eyes, the tempest of emotion she saw there shocked her.

There was no gold in their eyes now, and the blue wasn’t nearly as vibrant. Though Edelgard noticed their left eyelid fell lower than the other, as if the muscle was too long, a delightfully imperfect trait. But somehow these eyes, dim and imperfect and mortal, struck Edelgard harder than the dragon god’s had. Perhaps it was the knowledge that, beneath the dragon’s living-metal shell, there was a human as soft and weak as any other. Or rather, perhaps it was the maelstrom of emotions she saw in the blue-grey eyes: fear, hope, anxiety, excitement, shyness. And even...was that...were they insecure?

With a shock, Edelgard realized—a part of Shadow was sought her approval.

I know your scars, Edelgard, I have seen them. And I will keep them, protect them and protect you, and I will love you for all that you are.

A nearly forgotten promise Shadow had made to her, several years ago.

One that she would return, now, when Shadow needed it most.

Without another moment’s hesitation, Edelgard stepped closer to them and slipped her arms beneath theirs as she hugged about their strong chest. There was seemingly no swell of breasts, but it was of no importance, not when the sudden rigidity of Shadow’s surprise melted and their arms, smaller but still strong, hugged her back fiercely. Edelgard snuggled closer, and let her face rest above the collar of their cobalt shirt and let her nose brush against their neck. The warmth and softness of another human’s touch was sorely needed in these times, and this great and vulnerable show of trust Shadow had shared made Edelgard’s chest swell with joy and pride.

“Thank you for showing yourself to me, Shadow.” She whispered, softly and quietly against their warm, caramel skin.

She felt a hand gently pet her back, and almost sighed as that soothing voice came again.

“No, El...thank you…”

[cb-143]

To be Loved & to be in Love - Yoongi x fem. Reader [Angst]

wc: ~1.9k

warnings: death, angst, fluff

a/n: most of this is based on a true story, details, names & the ending have been changed. It’s something I really wanted to write and publish on here, for myself..

She had spent the longest time with him. Nothing stayed the same, yet it had always been such a warm, such a familiar feeling. They met what, to her, felt years ago – decades ago, even. Both had lived a whole different life and their first meeting was special. What had connected them was their passion for music.

Music had brought Yoongi's attention to her; the store, which also happened to be a school of music, was where she had worked at, to teach people of all ages there. She taught little children, and even old people looking to kill some time.

On the day they met, she had simply been playing there for fun. Yoongi had come in, he had listened to her play her favourite piece, all by heart.

After this, he has had the pleasure of learning more about her.  Love for classical music wasn't all that they shared. Both of the young adults had troubles, thunderstorms going about in their heads, which kept them from peace at night and raged through their bodies during the day. Moreover, they shared opinions about such topics. They each had their passions, which, like them, were similar, yet also completely different.

The days of their first year passed quickly, although it did not feel as fast as the rate of his heart beat, when Yoongi was around her.

He fell for her.

She was timid, introverted and shy. Thus she could surprise him all the more with her confident plays, her creative mind, and the lamest humor he had experienced in another human being. Gosh, how he hated her jokes. They weren't funny, though cleverly woven together, and yet he could not keep himself from laughing, nor from waiting for more.  

Throughout their second year, Yoongi's interest in her faded; her interest in him was nowhere to be found. She cherished him as a friend, and he, as he searched for different women to love, tried the same.

He couldn't resist her charms. Her innocent ignorance towards his feelings temped him one night, and so it happened that he leaned in and stole her first kiss. It was adopted as a new element to their friendship, along with their not-so-platonic cuddles, the spooning, the petting of her hair. It felt somewhat confusing to them, torturous to him, though it gave him the chance to show her his love, and refill on the energy she gave him. She was so inexperienced in those regards, her innocence allowed her to deny all possible connections to romance and accept it the way it was: a very close, intimate friendship; a once-in-a-lifetime bond between two people.

In their third year, he lost his feelings for her. He gave up on them and threw them away, at a moment in time that so perfectly lined up for her to catch them.

Her feelings were like a longing, but were they love? They felt like safety, like home, like a life-saving jacket. She felt jealousy whenever he told her of his escapades outside, yet she wasn't ever sure whether it was a case of love, or just a selfish longing for something real.

At times, her feelings shifted. When they spent time together, she felt safe, wanted to stay in Yoongi's arms for years. Then, after  not having met up for weeks at a time, she'd question their relationship, her feelings, even their friendship and herself. It was a complicated matter, but alas, her feelings drifted away.

Neither of them spoke of love until the spring of their fourth year. A sickness had overcome the girl, and yet she was unaware that he had become infected too. His heart had caught the feelings that she had sent away, and the only cure for it, so it seemed, was to confess it all.

She could remember the day. They were at the cutest little café. Despite her being ill, they shared delightful moments, banter and laughs between them. As the moment came around and Yoongi spoke the words that would seal their fate, the mood changed. It was sudden, harsh and cold, like the shivers that had tormented her. and kept her from sleep the previous night.

It was agony, like sick, twisted irony put in by the world itself. So cruel, their timing would never line up. Were they stuck pushing love away and onto one another? Was this really their fate as broken soulmates? They were so close, and yet so far from being made for one another.

Yet, perhaps, they could intervene, change how the future was supposed to play out. With the hope that she could bring her feelings for Yoongi back into existence, she accepted and started their relationship.

All movies spoke the truth, all works of fiction, so it turned out, were copies of the original world. Nothing about love portrayed in them was exaggerated. What did that mean? Was love an illness? It made one obsess over the other, make them unable to see the bitter truth hidden beneath; it made that person your new weakness and the most important, prominent thing in your life.

Whatever it meant, whatever love was, both participants of their relationship knew that Yoongi He was madly, terribly in love with the shy, strange girl. All her doubts had disappeared – she could be loved, someone found her pretty and lovable. Someone thought about her and wanted her – even in an intimate way.  Very quickly, the girl found herself falling for the feeling of being loved.

Yet any feelings for the boy were left cold and untouched.

At the other side of the rainbow, the boy had found a slimmer of hope, a little piece of peace. She had become his safe-space. Though love alone could not cure his broken heart and mind, the thought of her alone made Yoongi feel a bit more at rest within his soul.

He had drowned within her, felt suffocated and bound by his own longing. He wanted to hold her and could not let go. He wanted to kiss her but not pull away. Yoongi wanted nothing else but to lose himself in those innocent eyes that always welcomed him with kindness and coyness.

She felt like home to him. So much so, she took apart the wall he built to protect himself, and let her rebuild it around the two of them. He told her his worries, his thoughts and feelings. To the world, he was a black blur of misery; to her, he was an open book, pages loosely scattered on the floor, waiting for her to put them together. When with her, he could turn off his mind, laugh at jokes that normally weren't even remotely funny, or drift off in her embrace. He loved her, and he knew it from the beginning.

Being aware of the effect she had on Yoongi, she wanted to care for and help him any way she could. Moreover, she had not yet given up on her mission to fall for him as well. She fought against her own illness to spend more time with him. She brought him presents, she celebrated easter with him.

Never did he think that he would celebrate any of those days – to him, it had been a normal day, which only so transformed people into a fake version of themselves. Their kindness was never real. Presents were only given reluctantly and with the hope of getting something in return. Why wasn't she like this? Or maybe she was.

They went outside, did activities he had never seen himself doing.  To Yoongi, simply cuddling would have been enough, yet as long as it was only the two of them, he could get through anything. He even felt himself having fun walking through a fair, past every booth, except for the ones she walked towards, with that excited, child-like smile of hers.

A month into their relationship, he began to notice the cracks in their wall.

When he realised that he wasn't at all the type that she would date or find attractive. When he noticed how shy she still felt around him – he felt completely and utterly comfortable around her. How could she leave so easily any time they met up, when he struggled to let her go for even five minutes? Did she really care for him?  Did she lead him on? Insecurities got the best of him, and the proof that she had so neatly prepared made it almost sure; she didn't love him as he did.

He knew that, when getting into their love adventure, she had not liked him back. By now, it felt as if he lived simply because he loved her. He was in too deep and yet the realisation that it was anything but perfect – it made him sick.

Thus, it disappointed him all the more, when he slyly asked about it. That Yoongi did not fit her ideal type. She had waved it off by saying he was an exception, that she could fancy him anyway.

He gave up. Recollected his thoughts, his strength. He had to find out whether he could keep on loving her, whether he still had a reason to live, or if it was all for nothing.

His belief that she really was a sweet, shy girl, made it all the more difficult. However, he knew that he had to do this in order to not get hurt any more.

“I love you.”

Her eyed widened momentarily. Then she caught herself again.

“I thought you hated me.” She joked. Silence.

“Do you do, too?”  The room felt like a white, endless void, the silence unbearable, as was the tension..

“I don't know.” She lied.  Her heart beat fast. What would happen now? It was a question she never found an answer to. He dismissed her, kicked her out of his life. She lost not just her relatoinship, but also her best friend. The one person she has had a magical connection with, she lost Yoongi, and it was her fault. She was aware of her being guilty. If only she hadn't said yes, if only her curiosity for how it would go if they dated, and her wish to be loved, if they hadn't won her over so easily, perhaps this all could have been prevented.

They both had been happy during the relationship. She had been his safe-space, Yoongi had been the sweetest first boyfriend she could have asked for. It had ended this way, and robbed both of a great friendship, all because of her toxic devilish thoughts.

For months later, Yoongi haunted her thoughts and visited her dreams. She felt terrified of possibly running into him – she didn't want to face him. She would never be able to take responsibility for her actions and with the state of her illness, she was unsure if she would even have the time.

However, a part of her was excited at the chance of meeting him once more. It would let her know that he was alive, that he was breathing. The mere possibility that, by crushing his heart, she had killed him, she couldn't handle it.

Alas, after another agonizing month had passed, the answer had come to her.

Yoongi stood near a grave. The gravestone was yet to be finished, but the flowers covering the earth were pretty enough. They were as pretty as she had been. Just like her, Yoongi pondered the possible other endings they could have discovered together, if he hadn't confessed, if he hadn't said those words, if he hadn't kicked her out. Right by her grave, Yoongi sunk to his knees, his eyes filling with tears that continued to fall until the night came.

[tough-girl9]

I decided to compile a list of all the Strange Magic fics I want to write in one place...

Afterwards

Post-movie two-shot. After their confession, Bog and Marianne have to decide where to go from here. Featuring Bog and Marianne navigating a very awkward, cute, shy first date, discussing Marianne’s dreams of uniting the kingdoms, and wanting very badly to hold hands but not being sure how to go about it.

Alone

Short one-shot. On one side of the border, a goblin king’s loneliness and hidden hunger to be loved eat away at his heart. On the other side of the border, a fairy princess sobs herself to sleep on what would have been her wedding night. A feel-good little character study type of thing comparing Bog and Marianne before they meet and after.

Beauty and the Beast

One-shot. Bog is in bed with a fever, so Marianne decides to share one of her favorite stories from her childhood with him. ButterflyBog fluff with a fairy version of the Beauty and the Beast tale, and Marianne and Bog bantering about how their own story fits.

Blue Eyes and Purple Wings

Multi-chapter AU. A fairy child and a goblin boy happen to meet on the border of two kingdoms and an unexpected friendship blossoms between light and dark. I know it’s been done before, but it’s too cute an idea not to try my hand at a version of it.

Boggy Woggy

Short one-shot. Marianne knew that the Bog King utterly despises Roland. What she never expected was to one day walk in on her current fiance attempting to strangle her ex. Inspired by a conversation with a friend who wanted to know how Bog would react to someone other than Dawn calling him “Boggy.”

Concerning Children

One-shot. With their wedding in the near future, Bog and Marianne have a serious discussion about what will happen to their kingdoms once they are married and the conversation turns to children. Marianne thinks they are discussing possibilities in case a goblin and a fairy are not able to have a child together. Bog thinks they are discussing the topic for a very different reason. Bog being his usual insecure self that can’t imagine Marianne desiring him, and Marianne reassuring him that that’s definitely not the case.

The Dark Side of the Moon

Multi-chapter fic. Not in the same continuity as most of my post-movie fics. Two kingdoms united, a fairy queen wedded to a goblin king, and dreams come true. But Roland has not yet given up on the throne and puts a new plan in action that could ruin everything. Dark and angsty, involving Roland attempting to have Bog assassinated, stealing the throne, and coercing Marianne into being his queen, Marianne striking a terrible deal with Roland to allow her unborn child and the rightful heir to live, and Sunny and Dawn leading an uprising against Roland.

Dates and Questions

One-shot. About a month into their relationship, Marianne and Bog are out for a date and find the courage to start asking each other some of the questions they’ve been wondering about, to learn a bit more about each other and put some of the myths surrounding their respective cultures to rest. Total fluff and humor with some exploration of fairy and goblin cultures.

Different Is What I Like

One-shot. When Bog finds his eldest daughter in tears, he finds himself giving her the same comfort that he had once given the woman who would become his wife. Bog as a father and teenage Princess Rosalind struggling with her biracial identity.

Double Date

One-shot. About a month after the events of the movie, Dawn and Sunny are planning an outing together, but when Dawn invites Marianne and Bog for a double date, things get a little awkward for a certain elf who is still a bit wary of his future brother-in-law. ButterflyBog, Potionless, and Bog & Sunny bonding.

An Eye For Beauty

Character study type of one-shot. Bog has a knack for seeing beauty in the most diverse and unexpected places, Marianne notices. There seems to be only one place where Bog can only find ugliness.

Fairy Princess, Goblin King

Human AU one-shot? That could possibly turn into more? Bogdan Kingsley is well aware that he has no life. The only thing he really enjoys are his weekly LARP group where he can immerse himself in his fantasy alter-ego of the dreaded goblin king. But when a newcomer joins the group, Bog finds his life turned upside-down.

Fairy Wings and Ferris Wheels

One-shot (or possibly two or three-shot with fairly short chapters) Human AU. Marianne, Dawn, Bog, and Sunny participate in a scavenger hunt challenge at their favorite theme park. Bog and Marianne being aggressively competitive dorks, Dawn and Sunny being cute together and pretending like they don’t know those two animals who are taking bumper car competition waaaay too seriously, and sisterly bonding.

Handsome

Three or Four Shot. Bog is happier than he’s ever been with his beautiful, fiery fairy girlfriend. But a chance reminder of his own hideousness sends him spiraling into worry and doubt over whether he is good enough for Marianne. So he goes to Sugar Plum Fairy for a different sort of potion, but Bog’s plans don’t go quite as he expected. Angst with lots of hurt/comfort fluff.

I Could Have Lost You

One-shot. During a tender moment, Bog becomes deeply distraught. As Marianne seeks to comfort her husband, she learns that he is still haunted by a moment from their past. My take on Bog’s guilt over coming so close to killing Marianne on the night they met.

I Think I Love You

One-shot. Marianne still caught her cheating fiance, but feeling emboldened by her freed self that has emerged, she decides to go to the Dark Forest to prove her dream of peace is possible. She finds the last thing she expected: a friend who understands heartbreak just as well as she does. But then, when everything is perfect, she has to go and mess it all up. I know it’s been done before multiple times, but I want to try my hand at it. Friends to lovers (when everyone but the two of them are well aware of what is transpiring and bets are being placed on who ends up kissing the other one first).

I Wish I Had Boys

Two-shot. In which the Fairy King gets his wish, and makes the effort to get to know his future sons-in-law a little better. Dagda & Sunny and Dadga & Bog bonding time.

Kidnapped!

One-shot. When Bog went to sleep that night, the last thing he expected was to be kidnapped. In which Marianne gives Bog a taste of his own kidnapping medicine and takes advantage of having a sexy goblin king in her power.

A King’s Wrath

One-shot. Marianne makes the mistake of confronting Bog in front of his servants when he’s chewing them out. Bog responds with seeming aggression and anger, damaging Marianne’s trust in him, but afterwards he comes to her privately to apologize and explain to her that goblins rule in a very different way than fairies.

A Lesson in Love

One-shot. Marianne couldn’t love her goblin boyfriend more, except for one thing. Every time he disparages himself or suggests that he is not enough, it is like a dagger in her heart. And so she decides to break her insecure boyfriend of the habit once and for all by giving him a taste of his own medicine.

Lovestruck

Multi-chapter AU. My take on the “what if it was Bog who got a face-full of love potion” scenario, because it’s just too delicious not to explore.

Meat

One-shot. Early in their relationship, Marianne stays for a meal in the Dark Forest with Bog and is confronted by a reality that she knows she should have realized beforehand but still can’t help but be deeply disturbed by, and she realizes she’s going to have to make a decision about whether she can truly accept Bog for who he is and everything that entails. Based on my headcanon that fairies do not eat meat.

Monster

One-shot. Bog overhears a group of fairies gossiping about their princess and her monstrous paramour. When Bog doesn’t show up for their date, Marianne goes looking for her lover.

Nothing Goes As Planned

One-shot. Both Bog and Marianne long to be parents, but they are beginning to think it might not be possible for them. Bittersweet Bog/Marianne bonding and comfort and discussions about alternatives to having biological children.

Oh You Scaly-Backed Cockroach

One-shot. Bog overhears (OK eavesdrops on) Marianne talking to Dawn about him. What he learns about how Marianne sees him is startling to him, but he decides to put this new piece of knowledge to the test, even if it takes him decidedly outside of his comfort zone.

One Fateful Day

Two or Three Shot most likely. Fifteen years ago, Bog almost ruined the life of the girl he loved and he’s lived with the guilt of his deed ever since. Now, he decides he finally needs to do what he should have done all those years ago and finally put the ghosts of That Fateful Day to rest. Bog-centric, but also deals with Marianne’s trust issues. I haven’t run across many fics that really deal with Bog’s guilt and shame for attempting to use the potion or him trying to make amends for what he did, so this is my attempt to explore that.

Only Fools Rush In

Multi-chapter fic. An alternate ending to Strange Magic where the “Tell Him/Her” confessions never took place and Marianne is not quite so sure she’s ready to give her heart to another man, even one like Bog. Basically, my attempt to explore what I felt would have been a more satisfying ending, where Marianne and Bog are not rushed into confessing their feelings and both of them have more time to wrestle with their hang-ups surrounding romance and finally come together on their own terms when they feel ready.

The Prisoner

Multi-chapter AU. When she marries the love of her life and the handsomest fairy in the kingdom, Marianne expects Happily Ever After. When King Roland declares war on the Dark Forest and takes the goblin ruler as a prisoner, Marianne gets something else entirely. On the dark and angsty side.

See You At the Dark Forest

Multi-chapter Human AU. Marianne and Dawn decide to check out the Dark Forest Café, and Dawn becomes quite smitten with the tall, dour owner. Marianne, on the other hand, is decidedly less smitten.

Stormy Evening

One-shot. An unexpected storm keeps Marianne a prisoner in the Dark Castle. She and Bog find plenty of ways to pass the time however. Fluff, make-out sessions, and Marianne and Bog having a conversation about Bog’s Obliviousness to the fact that he totally a goblin stud.

Unclad

Short one-shot. Bog finds himself worrying over whether his state of…undress is embarrassing to Marianne.

Unmarked

Multi-chapter Soulmate mark AU. Marianne has always had a strange dream about a place where light and dark meet, where blue eyes meet hers from the darkness, and a clawed hand with a mark that matches hers reaches out to seize her wrist. But the dream is pushed aside when she meets a dashing blond fairy with a matching mark and knows she’s met her soulmate. But nothing is quite what it seems, on either side of the border. Unabashed cliché, I know, but I don’t think I’ve run across a Strange Magic soulmate mark AU, so why not? In which Roland is his usual terrible, lying self and Marianne meets a goblin king who is mysteriously Unmarked.

Wedding Bells

One-shot (or possibly two-shot). ButterflyBog wedding! As Bog prepares for his wedding with old goblin customs, he shares a tender moment with the person who never gave up on seeing her boy happy beyond his wildest dreams. Bog & Griselda bonding, goblin wedding traditions, and the royal wedding of the century.

Where the Asters Bloom

One-shot. One day, Marianne notices that Bog seems particularly distracted. As it turns out, today is a day with special meaning for Bog and he decides to introduce Marianne to someone very dear to him. Bittersweet fluff with some exploration into Bog’s childhood and fairy and goblin customs surrounding death.

[kindcstguardian]

"I wish I could just start all over again in real life…   Life is sometimes too cruel for me."

Name. ( 김유성 )  Kim Yoosung. Date of birth. March 12th  ( Age: KR 21. INT 20. / Star sign: Piscis ). Sexual orientation. Bisexual demiromantic. Languages. Korean &&. English. Blood type. A + Height. 171cm Weight. 68 kg.

Disclaimer. I had a story developed with him so…

a) He will struggle to develop a romantic attachment to someone in his default / main verse out of fear that MC will reset thus wrecking his possibility to be happy with someone again. It’s not impossible but it will take time unless you rather plot a pre-relationship which I am totally up to! Just send me a message. && b) You might realize I am the mun of @yoosung_kimx from Twitter. If you recognize me from there, heyya ‼ HMU. I will use his Twitter account mainly for crack.

Verses.

「 V ★ 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 ; Yoosung ／ ᵏᵉᵉᵖⁱⁿᵍ ᵘᵖ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᵗʰᵉ ᶜʰᵉˢˢ ᵇᵒᵃʳᵈ 」 

Default verse./ Reset theory: ON.    Yoosung holds a deep hatred towards MC but doesn’t let it show, however, he is unaware whether Seven can pinpoint what’s wrong with him or if he can even recall the events that took place before.    He tries to be his previous self but has a hard time keeping up the act since he can’t wrap his mind about many childish things he used to do ; therefore, he starts showing a change by letting his natural hair color grow again and studying not to think too hard on many things that he lost due to MC’s selfishness.

「 V ★ 𝐏𝐫𝐞-𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 ; Yoosung ／ ( ⤏  ᵍᵒⁱⁿᵍ ᵇᵃᶜᵏ ᵗᵒ ᶻᵉʳᵒ ) 」

Pre-events / No one’s route.    Your usual Yoosung from the game, a puppy boy who wants to have a university life from TV with good grades without much effort and a loving relationship — however, he is, of course, constantly reminding Rika in the smallest chance he is given.    Despite insisting on wanting to be  ‘ a real man ’   ( like Zen, for example ; a charismatic and mature aura surrounding him alongside with a bit of mischief and mystery )  he isn’t really looking for a romantic-comedy type of romance all superficial and mostly for the sake of having one, and rather into a partner whom he can rely and trust on, a wholesome and supporting relationship. 

⎾ V02 ┊ ⤏ ( ₛₕₑ wᵢₗₗ ₛₐᵥₑ ᵤₛ ₐₗₗ )  ⏌

Mint Eye verse / 20 years old.

   Disclaimer. Inspired by Myetie but not based on her concept.    Having discovered that Rika was alive and V was a liar all along, Yoosung quit his attempt of a student life who failed miserably at just to find her — once he succeeds, he took part of Mint Eye and automatically became Rika’s lap dog.    However, due to the brainwash and emotional abuse  ( unbeknownst to him ),  he became twisted — no longer a caring and worrisome personality and a rather obsessed and manipulative borderline psychopath with the concept of making her proud. From time to time he uses a childish persona attitude to irritate other Mint Eye members.    His specialty is fieldwork ; but he will occasionally engage in recruitment and persuading people with his innocent looks only to kidnap them with the help of other members.

⎾ V • 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐤 ; Yoosung ⏌

Lovesick verse / 18 years old.

   Yet another exchange student in Akademi High and part of the Gaming Club except he does not join them walking around, rather choosing to stay and use the desktops to play some videogames to destress or carry on with studying since he wants to enter SKYUniversity when he returns  ( as some tragedies that take place in his life had not happened yet, he is still your hardworking student ).

Note: Unless you want yandere Yoosung  ‘ replacing ’  Ayano Aishi, he will not act like an obsessed lover willing to kill them both in the name of their love. For this unhealthy relationship to happen, send me a message!  I would love to explore dark subjects with him.

— This also applies if you want Yoosung  ‘ replacing ’  Taro Yamada in the senpai position.

⎾ V • 𝐃𝐃𝐋𝐂 ; Yoosung ⏌

   Given a Gaming club did not exist or was allowed to, even. The blond joined the Gardening club to learn about all different types of plants, especially those that had great benefits for humans and those that were lethal to animals.

   Still, he was tempted to join the Literature Club to bring his PSP and play in that class but the idea of being with only girls made him utterly nervous and went against to it that and because maybe he did come out as extremely rude 

⎾ V • 𝐎𝐛𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐞 ; Yoosung ⏌

   Aaah, the last thing he can recall is yelling at a player in Mononoke Land because the mad-lad got the rare monster before him which was the cherry on top for his rollercoaster of a day thus the dyed-blond decided to go to sleep, though he did shoot an apology to his friend but man, why the heck was he so lucky...?  Did he just enjoy flexing that he had it in him?  Nevertheless, he went to sleep.

   Imagine his shock when he woke up, drowsy, by some aggressively blinding light only to find two ikemen  ( no... no it’s more like, two demons straight-up from those romance manhwas )  right before his eyes. For a solid moment, he started to question where this dream was going until he was told that this was indeed real and this was an exchange student program      perhaps, his reaction was way too energetically but woah???  These turn of events??  For real?  Ignoring the black-haired reaction but listening to his explanation, he was over the moon about this unforeseen turn of events.    And wouldn’t you know what else!  Turns out his frenemy is none other than... an actual demon, what. Also, he is actually super powerful?  Sure, third in rank but haha, what.

「 V • 𝐌𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 ; Yoosung 」

Mutant verse / For Marvel &&. DC.    Yoosung was born with the ability to communicate with animals which led him to aspire to become a vet. Not only for their sake but also due to Sally’s accident which caused Rika to be depressed for a while.

「 V • 𝐁𝐍𝐇𝐀 ; Yoosung 」

   His quirk is called LOCALIZE, it sort of makes him feel like a creep since his quirk is self-explanatory : he  ‘ marks ’  someone and is able to track them down as long as they are breathing     however, there is a catch, that mark is mostly developing a close bond, an emotional one, which causes him to find them ; but he is able to track down other people if granted a description and something that smells like them, kind of... like a dog but with a sharper sense since his vision when activating his quirk resembles a thermographic camera one  ( his eyes also change color to a vibrant green color ).

「 V ⊷ 𝐈𝐓𝐒𝐕 ; Yoosung 」 Note: this verse was a direct result of finding out that Yoosung’s VA dubs Spiderman and also this fanart. Tba.

Tags.

「 Kim Yoosung ／ ⁿᵒᵗ ᵗʰᵉ ᵖʳᵒᵗᵃᵍᵒⁿⁱˢᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵐʸ ᵒʷⁿ ˡⁱᶠᵉ 」

「 Kim Yoosung ／ MUSINGS 」

「 Kim Yoosung ／ INQUIRY」

「 Kim Yoosung ／ VISAGE 」

「 Kim Yoosung ／ MANNERISMS 」

「 Kim Yoosung ／ ROMANCE 」

「 Kim Yoosung ／ HEADCANON 」

「 Kim Yoosung ／ MUSIC 」

「 Kim Yoosung ／ CRACK 」

✘ · ♡（ ）

✘ · ♡（ ）

✘ · Saeran &&. Yoosung ⊷ （ ᵀʰᵉ ᶠʳᵃᵍᵐᵉⁿᵗˢ ᵒᶠ ˡⁱᶠᵉ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ᴵ ᵈᵉˢᵖᵉʳᵃᵗᵉˡʸ ˡᵒⁿᵍᵉᵈ ᶠᵒʳ ʷᵉʳᵉ ⁿᵒᵗʰⁱⁿᵍ ᵇᵘᵗ ᵈᵃʸᵈʳᵉᵃᵐˢ ）

✘ · Saeyoung &&. Yoosung ⊷ （ ᶜᵒⁿⁿᵉᶜᵗⁱⁿᵍ ᵗᵒ ᵗʰᵉ ᶠᵘᵗᵘʳᵉ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᵗʰᵉ ᵉⁿᵈⁱⁿᵍ ⁱⁿ ᵐⁱⁿᵈ ）   

✘ · Leviathan &&. Yoosung ⊷（ ᴺᵒᵇᵒᵈʸ ᵃⁿᵈ ⁿᵒᵗʰⁱⁿᵍ ᵐᵃᵏᵉˢ ˢᵉⁿˢᵉ ᵇᵘᵗ ᵗʰᵉ ˡⁱᵗᵗˡᵉ ᵗʰⁱⁿᵍˢ ᵃʳᵉ ʷᵒʳᵗʰ ʰᵃⁿᵍⁱⁿᵍ ᵃʳᵒᵘⁿᵈ ᶠᵒʳ ）  

（   &   ✘  ／ ）

Art credit.

ranayoh, blossyay, flightless-birb, sketchyy-pencil, r-e-i-i, napporin, crytalers-tami, nyakkeu

[rchanscandy]

rchanscandy’s webcomic recomendations!

I don’t normally do this but I’ve been reading a lot of really awesome webcomics and I wanted to tell y’all about them and stuff because damn I found some real gems this past month. I also need people to scream about them with so heres my list in no particular order under the cut! (the comics are hosted on either smackjeeves or tapastic or both)

Lazy Snow Leopard

An utterly lazy god, an anthropomorphic personification of the Snow Leopard, rests upon his favourite tree, when suddenly woken up by a thrown stone. The thrower turns out to be a young admirer of his former self. The youngster persuades the lazy god to begin a quest for fame, glory and world salvation. While the one concerned would have preferred to just lie down and go back to sleep.

Notes: This one has me dying of laughter, I love everything about it; the art, characters, just all of the yes

Helix

A street rat is given a second chance when he is dragged from the gutter and into a new life. Will he accept his position at the side of royalty, or fight every step of the way? -Rated M for sex (M/M, consensual), violence, nudity, language and dark themes.- Warnings: -References to child abuse and sexual abuse.-

Notes: The art and story is absolutely mesmerizing, I couldn’t stop thinking about this one after reading it for a long while. Can’t wait for more updates!

Novae

Novae is a historical romance with a touch of the paranormal and a dash of astronomy. It chronicles the adventures of Sulvain, a sweet tempered necromancer and Raziol, a passionate 17th century astronomer. A connection forms between them and their relationship blooms, but when the body of a fellow astronomer is found on the steps of the Academy of Sciences, their lives are entangled in ways they could never foresee.

Notes: There are not a lot of pages so far but I’m already in this for the long run. I’m a sucker for historical romances, especially gay ones and this is just beautifully executed. 

Boned

A story about being nice to birds and having safe gay sex.

Notes: The description pretty much sums it up xD. Such a good read and really intriguing characters, I enjoyed this a lot. (NSFW)

Mismatch

Mismatch tells of the bond between two rivals who slowly discover they have more in common than they think.

Notes: Only 5 pages in and I was immediately hooked. The art style is so cute and I absolutely love the premise! I can’t wait for more!

Grey Eyes

Mike Lawson finds himself on the strange world of Dwal. But now the ancient Gate won't let him back through. Mike must try to find his place in this strange new world, and perhaps find it to be better than the world he came from. A fantasy/romance with a touch of mystery. 18+ for adult language and situations.

Notes: The character designs and the art are so cool, hell everything about this is freaking cool and I need more!

Almost Touching

Wyatt's got a huge secret and Aiden is a nosy bitch who becomes intertwined in it. Though he doesn't seem to mind much... boyxboy

Notes: I got sucked in by the pretty art style and stuck around for the interesting story and lovely characters. (NSFW)

Avialae

Avialae is a webcomic about a gross bird boy and his nerdy wannabe ornithologist boyfriend--I mean neighbor who helps him out during the painful and bloody process of growing wings. 

Notes: I just absolutely adore this one, it has really interesting characters, a unique premise, and just...birds man. (NSFW)

Rainbow Mansion

Watch the drama unfold as 14 contestants come together at the Rainbow Mansion in hopes of becoming the Rainbow Champion! Hearts will break, the tension will sizzle, and only one will have a chance at eternal glory. Or, like, at least a quip in the tabloids and a book deal? (M/M)

Notes: This is one of the best and most hilarious fucking comics I’ve read in a long time. I love the way it’s set up (a cheesy bad reality tv show) and the characters (all of them) are fucking fantastic not to mention the art is on point. (NSFW)

Handcuffs

Yrkki sold drugs to a stranger guy. That wouldn't be nothing new for him, but this guy was a cop.

Notes: Beautiful art, beautiful men, and a story that keeps you on your toes, whats not to love? (NSFW)

Demon House

Tula is a student just trying to get through her senior year of college. Little does she know that her new rental is inhabited by demons. Juggling her social life and these new roommates should be no problem.

Notes: This comic is a blessing. I absolutely love all the characters and the art is so well done, not to mention the hilarity that ensues. Definitely one of those must-reads!

Demon of the Underground

Pogo is a big-mouthed but small-framed young thief who falls through a hole in the ground and finds himself in a brutal underground world where survival is based on strength and intimidation. His only hope for escape is his telekinetic ability - and the help of a stray ferret named Annie. Urban fantasy/paranormal/LGBTQ

Notes: I’ve been following this one for awhile. First off, the art is fantastic, and I’m in love with that in itself. Second the characters and story are so interesting and unique...I’m dying to know what happens next and discover more!

Aimatos

Boy meet boy and together search their origins

Notes: This story is so cute and the art is beautiful and I’m gonna cry I need more. (NSFW)

Thistlewine

Markus is a reclusive witch living in the woods. He stumbles across a surprise one morning that changes his entire life. It's gay.

Notes: I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love this comic. It’s so fucking cute, the characters are adorable, the art is adorable and well drawn, and every time it updates I get so freakin excited you have no idea ahhh just go read it!

No Way

NO WAY is a web comic, a story about fantasy world and Academy, where many creatures study together. But first and foremost this is a story about a vampire and an elf who were betrothed to each other and who now have to live and learn together. Yes, this is a story about the relationship between two guys, basically, although the other characters are there too. Also in the future in the comic are planned explicit scenes of a sexual nature, so there is a limit 18 + But, basically, it's still a romantic Comedy and fairy tale.

Notes: Everything about this, the characters and the art and the story are fucking phenomenal. It’s got some of my favorite character designs ever by far. Highly recommend this one, such a good read and a feast for the eyes! 

The God in the Field

The age-old story of Hades, Persephone, and a love that causes the seasons (with a yaoi twist.) Disclaimer/Content Warning: Anyone familiar with greek mythology will know that they are in for a ride. This comic will contain kidnapping, a coercive relationship with unequal power dynamics, and various other scenes from the underworld that Hades presides over. It will contain NSFW scenes and scenes rated 18+. Please be forewarned!

Notes: One of the most friggin beautiful art styles I’ve come across in a long time. I actually caved in and bought hard copies of this one it was so beautiful. I love everything about this gosh I can’t even put it into words.

Les Normaux

Les Normaux follows the lives of a bunch of supernatural beings living in Paris after a human wizard named Sebastien moved to the city. 

Notes: The premise and characters in this one are so unique and the art style is so cute. Actually everything in this is cute, and funny, and just a good time in general. Highly recommend this one.

Indigents

Dakota and Kennedy are thrown together in a world ravaged by a single disease. Fast spreading and corrupting sanity, civilization was razed to the ground. For those fortunate to have immunity, life isn't easy. Avoiding the diseased is one thing, but without law and order those left take complete advantage of a world they can now build for themselves. Stranded together in the ghost of the country they once knew, Dakota and Kennedy fight through whatever obstacles lay in their path, seeking peace and quiet and maybe something to eat.

Notes: I really like the way the story is going, not to mention the art is hella nice. Highly recommend this one, especially if you like apocalyptic themes and such.

Wham, Bam!

Harvey is nothing. He's a nobody. Trapped in a small Texas town where nothing ever changes, doomed to waste away in the scrub brush and withering sun, he figures the best he can do is keep his head down and stay out of everyone else's way. After all, who would be crazy enough care about a deadbeat redneck like him? Then one day an old Dodge rumbles into the parking lot of the gas station where he works, and Harvey learns that some folks wear their crazy like it'll never go out of style. It's amazing how much your life can change in just four days. [WARNINGS: explicit content, strong language, depictions of violence, TW for homophobic attitudes/language (later on). 18+ only please.]

Notes: I am in love with this art and storyline. It’s so unique, I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like it. Not to mention that the title itself grabbed me in for the hook before anything else.  I can’t wait to see more!

Moonflower

Sometimes, home can be a person. A sheltered young mutant meets a soldier who's seen far too much for his short life. A process of learning and healing begins.

Notes: The art is so pretty, reminds me a lot of avatar the last airbender in terms of style. I’m super excited to see where this story goes as well, the characters are super interesting and really cute!

Hendrix and Julian

Hendrix and Julian are natural enemies- a cocky jock and the school's gay punching bag, but will all that change after one cold night alone in the gym cupboard? (NSFW)

Notes: I’m usually not a fan of the whole bullied falling for bully plot but I really really love how this story goes. Not to mention the nsfw scenes are really good and the art is just yesssss.  I highly recommend this one!

Aspera

Nine young adults with different backgrounds all end up in the same area in Paris. What started off as another semester at art school takes a turn when the differences of the group's lives finally meet. A story of lgbt love, friendship and finding yourself. Warning for blood, violence, sexual content and drug use in the upcoming chapters.

Notes: The art style is cute, the characters are cute, the comic feels super relatable and down to earth and I just really love the whole thing overall. I always get so excited when it updates!

Countdown to Countdown

Iris is a young man with the gift to bring pieces of artwork into reality. 5 years into an apocalyptic outbreak, he's holed up in a lab that shelters "problem" children. Between his failed experiments, deteriorating mental stability, and being ridiculed by other members of the lab, he doesn't think life could get any worse. Life agrees to disagree.

Notes: This comic is so friggin beautiful. The story is hella interesting and the setup is like that of a video game which I think is really super creative and interesting to experience. The characters and the world they are in are really fun and interesting and just overall this is a really well done comic, I’m always excited for when it updates!

Heartstopper

Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at a British all-boys grammar school. Friendship blooms quickly, but could there be something more...?

Notes: The title of this comic is the most accurate thing.  This comic has my heart stopping because of how dang cute this is. Seriously, there are parts of this that have me screaming on the floor.  The art style is so cute and airy and totally fits the mood of this comic and the characters are so adorkable and just...aughhh go read it seriously!

With Great Abandon

With Great Abandon is a queer romance set over the course of a year in London. It's the story of Harry and Russell's differences, similarities, and relationship. A hopeful and kind story. Also food and comics.

Notes: This comic made me cry (good tears).  The story is so down to earth and realistic, not to mention so cute.  Also the art and colors are just on point and I really appreciate this comic aesthetically. It just completed and I was very satisfied, you should definitely give it a read!

Age of the Grey

When the unseen war between heaven and hell finds itself bound to the plane of humans, several kids discover themselves caught in the middle. The almighty angels of heaven and the wicked demons of hell battle for their kingdoms, a revolution that could mean the end of humanity, and when god and the devil decide to take it into their own hands, only chaos can follow.

Notes: This is such a cool concept executed with such bold and expressive art. I love love love the characters and its so cool to see how the art continues to improve over the course of the story! Definitely recommend this!

Behind these Birchwood Walls

Adrian Pembroke's parents put their foot down after his teenaged mischief turns into a run in with the cops. He finds himself shipped off to Mercier Preparatory Academy, an elite boarding school. Miserable and feeling utterly out of place, Adrian soon lands himself into trouble as usual. He is rescued from his own antics by Acario Ambrose, the resident golden boy of Mercier. Appearances are deceiving, and Adrian learns a great deal more about both himself and his new friend than he ever bargained for.

Notes: I love this so much, it started out a bit slow but as soon as the story got going i was on the edge begging for updates. The art is amazing, I have no idea how this artist is able to be so consistent with their painting style throughout, its amazing! 

Ingress Adventuring Company

Saving the world is a pretty big deal, but what do you do once you’re done saving the world and no one needs you anymore? Do you become a magic professor? Do you study a convoluted thesis that no one understands? Maybe you relive the glory days by starting up a one-man adventuring party to gather mystical artifacts for people who may or may not pay you. Or, if you’re Toivo Kissa, you do all of those things.

Notes: I fell in love with the premise and art at first sight. It’s absolutely adorable and the main character is so precious I love him so much. I cannot wait to see where the shenanigans go. 

Ambrosia

Alphor, a countryside apothecary, comes to the capital city for work, where he has a chance encounter with his estranged childhood friend, the wizard Selfrid. The same childhood friend who confessed his love for him ten years ago, before they separated. They resume their friendship, as though there was no confession, but such feelings can't be forgotten that easily; they are torn between the bitterness of a crushed first love and the comfort of a friendship they don't want to ruin again.

Notes: This comic is so damn pretty i can’t handle it. I love the setting and all the little world elements added into this comic. Definitely a bit of a slow burn if you’re into that but oh man will it be satisfying if the main ship finally sails. 

Sunkissed

When Stephen, a quiet bookworm from Oregon, gets his admission letter from the University of Hawaii at Manoa he was anticipating some life changes. What he didn’t anticipate was meeting Alex, an upbeat and easygoing local who offers to be his guide around the island. After that, it’s love at first sight. Through ups and downs, they’ll bring out the best in each other in this story of love, growth, and self-acceptance.

Notes: If you want a sweet heartwarming story about 2 cinnamon buns falling in love with each other then this is the comic for you! Seriously, every little tiny moment in this comic just makes me scream because its too cute.

Dissent

A cursed prince must rely on a witch to free him from an enchantment. But witchcraft is banned, and the two young men have little in common. As love blossoms between them, can they overcome their own prejudices, save their nation, and find a cure... before it's too late?

Notes: Everything about this comic i just love love love love. The story, the art, the characters, everything! It tugs at your heartstrings in ways you don’t even expect whilst dealing with a suspenseful situation. I’d gush forever about this one but I don’t have enough room.

Guard Dog

BL about people living in the post apocalyptic world where being infected by a zombie won't immediately turn you into one, but it can give you some troubles... and some extras

Notes: By the same creator as Handcuffs, which is also on this list, I knew when this came out I’d love it too. I was not wrong. Cute gay bois in the apocalypse, what more can you ask for? Definitely a must read!

The Sun Prince, the Saint, and the Changeling

When Tomas stumbles into unexpected feelings for his friend Matthias, he dreams about a fun, uncomplicated summer romance. Instead, he discovers that he doesn’t know his friend nearly as well as he thought he did, he knows himself even less, and when your family has connections to the Holy Roman Empire, nothing is ever simple. When summer comes, Tomas finds himself drawn into a mystery spanning two years and three hearts — one of which is his own. 

Notes: This is one of my all time favorite comics. I am a sucker for lgbt historical romances and everything about this comic from the story, to the art, to the world building is just so beautifully done. Cannot gush enough about this one to do it justice, just read it. 

Abel & a Dead Man

Jim lives an ordinary life until the day he's supposed to die. Abel is a Soul Collector who decides to let Jim live and asks him out instead.

Notes: Such a unique graphic art style combined with one of my favorite grim reaper x supposed to be dead person premises, I highly highly recommend checking this out.

Life Outside the Circle

The heartwarming tale of two men who find love in the Finnish countryside.

Notes: This comic is way too cute I cannot handle how cute it is everything about it just makes me scream because ahhhh it so CUTE!!! Just read it and you’ll understand what I mean.

[salty-yu]

winter break 2016 was crazy yall, pero it gave me enough time to catch up on shitloads of mikayuu fic, here’s what ya girl has compiled this time around

Mikayuu Fic Recs 1 Key:  (Status | Chapters | Word Count | Rating)

FIC COUNT: 23

Blood Moon (complete | 1/1 | 595 | not rated)

Mika adjusts to being a vampire and drinking on a regular basis.

A Bit of a Sticky Situation (complete | 1/1 | 3,562 | no warnings apply)

“Good boy,” Mika praises, and Yuu felt his cock twitch, hanging heavily between his legs. “You’re so wet for me, Yuu. I can slide my fingers into your greedy little hole so nicely when you’re like this. It feels good, doesn’t it? Having my fingers stretching you open, my tongue and lips cleaning up the mess you’ve made of the backs of your thighs and cock.”

Or, alternatively, the painfully clicks omegaverse smutfic no one asked for.

Corner of a Birdcage (wip | 11/? | 168,026 | not rated)

It was then that Yuu took a moment to fully let the situation at hand sink in. There he was, wearing nothing more but an oversized, white T-shirt, his elephant boxer briefs that Shinoa had given him as a gag gift for Christmas last year, and a lot of fatigue while he stared down at the unconscious superhero that saved his life only about an hour ago.

or, Yuu is a university student that tends to live for the moment. Mika is a cynical superhero that’s more super than a hero. Fate is a bit aggressive with intertwining their lives. 

Scented (wip | 19/? | 69,157 | rape/non-con)

In a world ruled by beta neutrality, alphas and omegas are controlled by suppressants which modify their natural inclinations. Under constant surveillance, unproductive members of society are removed in the name of efficiency. Yuichirou Hyakuya is deemed infertile by the Board and is sentenced to certain death. In an act of defiance Yuichirou steals enough suppressants to hide his scent and joins the military under the guise of a beta.

It would be his luck to find himself under the command of his assigned mate, Mikaela Shindo. 

An Endless Desire (complete | 6/6 | 14,788 | graphic depicts. of violence)

Being captured is never a good thing. Yuichirou Hyakuya finds himself waking up to the one place he thought he would never return to. Wanting to escape, and return to the people who need him, there’s one who will not let him go no matter what after being able to see him after four long years. Contains yaoi. 

The smell of Roses (wip | 7/? | 21,280 | major character death, graphic depicts. of violence, rape/non-con)

You're regular florist, hit man love story.

Strangeness and Charm (wip | 16/? | 108,877 | graphic depicts. of violence)

The huntsmen and the werewolves have been at war with each other for centuries.

Krul always told Mika to stay out of the woods and not talk to strangers when he was younger. Now that Mika is older, despite being an omega he became a hunter alongside the alphas and betas to take out the werewolves and keep them from attacking the town and its people. 

When Mika encounters Yuu, a long wolf who has abandoned his pack - Mika learns that there’s no such thing as all wolves being big and bad, regarding their bigs eyes and large teeth. Yuu didn't choose to become a monster and knowing this fact, they must keep their growing bond a secret.

Burden of Good Intentions (wip | 9/17 | 44,270 | graphic depicts. of violence)

After awakening from a horrid nightmare, Yuichirou finds himself in a completely different world. The war against the vampires is non-existent, the Hyakuya orphans are still alive, he and Mikaela are lovers, and JIDA is an organization dedicated to the destruction of monsters by the use of colossal mechs, the Evangelions. Uniting with Mikaela, the two dedicate their lives to piloting the Eva and securing the safety of their family. 

My Treasure (wip | 5/? | 42,322 | not rated)

Mikaela is the captain of the Rosethorn ship, and is known and feared by nobles far and wide as the infamous Golden Fleece who steals riches unnoticed despite the heavy security they have layered.

No one has ever caught him before or knew what he does with their stolen treasures and Mikaela wants it to stay that way. That is... until a certain someone catches his interest, which is a mistake on his part.

...Or maybe not. 

Iridescent (wip | 1/? | 6,683 | no warnings apply)

With the strong will and desire to explore other galaxies and star systems, Mikaela goes completely against the government rules with a belief that his species comes from a long line of space exploration. He didn’t expect to crash into another life form’s house. By utter chance, he gets to learn about a completely different planet while helping Yuuichirou achieve his own goals and dreams.

But with Mikaela’s own kind hot on his tail--literally--both he and Yuuichirou must find a way to solve the issues and conflicts they will come to face.

Afire love (complete | 18/18 | 140,142 | graphic depicts. of violence)

After Nagoya’s failed mission, an unsteady truce is formed between Shinoa’s squad and Mikaela Hyakuya, making Yuu feel conflicted inside. On one hand, he’s got Mika back, his friends are alive, and the seem to be trying to be civil with each other, even if it’s just for his sake. On the other hand, Guren is being held captive by the vampires, Shinya has just given them a mission Yuu doesn’t like, and Mika... Yuu doesn’t really know what Mika is feeling.

Maybe not even Mikaela knows what he's truly feeling after all. 

Waiting for Prince Charming (wip | 7/? | 33,626 | underage)

Mikaela never thought he’d be an omega but there he was, pinned up against the wall by the school’s manwhore: Yuuichirio Hyakuya. And even if that didn’t go as planned, he never thought this would happen. 

Is the Mask Really Hiding Something? (wip | 2/? | 11,121 | graphic depicts. of violence, underage)

This superhero job should be pretty straightforward: protect the city and its people, puffy the Horsemen before they destroy everything, and fix all the damage that’s been done. But when the heroes are Mika and Yuu—two teenage boys already having to deal with family issues, asshole friends, and secret crushes—nothing gets to stay that simple. 

Oh, and they also have to stop the evil, immortal monster sealed under the city from getting enough human blood to break free and take over the entire world. No pressure. 

Chasing Fate (wip | 4/? | 10,199 | not rated)

The yearly Mating Run was mere days away, and Yuu was participating for the second year in a row.

Yuu tired to remain optimistic about finding his true Mate in another alpha, until Shinoa, a first time runner, had told him that this year the Vampire alphas were going to be running as well.

That news was less than thrilling, to say the least.

Mikaela will be running for the first time since he’d been turned into a vampire, 4 years prior. And after crossing paths with the raven haired omega, Mikaela knew that he’d be running for that omega and nobody else.

He could only hope that Yuu would accept him for monster he’d been forced to become. 

Whoever Said Opposites Attract Was a Liar (wip | 5/? | 7,168 | not rated)

“Can I keep him?”

As a child, demon prince Yuichiro was convinced that the angel Mikaela was destined to be his. He thinks they are meant to be.

Mika, not so much.

But when they are now sixteen, the beautiful angel princes gets kidnapped by the fallen angels, Ferid and Crowley, in order to bring war between demons and angels.

Out of the request of his son (actually begging), Demon King Guren sends Yuu to Earth on the journey of getting his true love back.

Meanwhile, Mika must remain on Earth as he escapes his capturers and bunks in with some humans ion a human boarding school until he finds a way back home.

Things Could Be Worse (wip | 17/? | 69,826 | not rated)

Or the one in which Yuu is turned into a vampire and is surprisingly chill about it. Mika, on the other hand, is flipping his shit.

The Institution (wip | 2/? | 3,459 | not rated)

In a beta-ruled society, alphas and omegas are looked at as enemies. So Krul Tepes, a kind and loving soul, started up The Institution where alphas and omegas would live peacefully and happily. As well as being out of the way of the higher class. But things start going downhill when a strange, wild omega is found outside the The Institution, only being able to say one word: Mika. 

Commitment (wip | 10/? | 14,300 | no warnings applied)

Sex to Mika was nothing more than a way to pass time. He has enough notes on his belt to last two lifetimes. But when he starts falling hard for a sexy barista, he thinks maybe - just maybe - he was completely and utterly wrong. 

Check, Please (complete | 1/1 | 4,334 | not rated)

//Or basically, Yuu is the manager and Mika is the new employee. And Yuu makes Mika stay late after work to teach him a lesson.

More Than Just a Dream (wip | 4/? | 12,741 | not rated)

//When Mikaela Shindo, a well-known author, gets thrown into his own book... he accidentally falls in love with the main character, Yuuichirou Amane. 

New Perspective (complete | 1/1 | 6,811 | underage)

Yuu grows up referring to Mika as his brother, unknowing of Mika’s feelings. When he begins to fall in love with Mika, he figures that his feelings are wrong, that they’re taboo and should be kept secret. It isn’t until their court heat, when they’re unable to suppress their hormones, everything come to light.

The Ride of Yuu-Chan’s Life (complete | 1/1 | 2,290 | no warnings apply)

Mika wanted payback for the time Yuu seduced Mika in the car.

Mika got his revenge, with the help of some handcuffs and a cocky attitude.

Somnia (wip | 6/? | 32,123 | not rated)

When Yuuichirou Amane dropped out of uni, he didn’t expect much out of his life. In fact, he expected everything to be boring and bleak. After all, he’s eighteen, still stuck living with Guren, no job, no degree, no future, and no fucks given about anything to be quite honest.

It’s safe to say that he definitely didn’t expect to be whisked away into some parallel world where not only does magic exist, but there's also a very attractive blond prince who is convinced Yuu and him are soulmates. Maybe Yuu should have stayed un university after all. Getting that degree might have been easier than dealing with all this insanity.