#But he has a heart that loves so strongly and gets attached to those he brings into his circle.

[fryandleelasbigfling]

so i kind of agree with this post but i also kind of don't. while fry is written with a lot more self-awareness and his romance with leela is one of the best in adult animation, i think it's important to highlight that fry very much had moments of being written as possessive and creepy, and it's worth acknowledging those moments both as part of criticizing the show and praising it for fry's character development past that state.

fry didn't really always respect leela's choice of whom to date? even before he was really into her, he shunned her for sleeping with zapp (with the punchline being that he doesn't think she feels bad enough), though thankfully he got over it and didn't hold it over her head like bender did lol. i give him credit when it came to alcazar as he was genuinely concerned for leela with no mention of wanting to date her, but he was quite obnoxious when it came to adlai, not only openly being jealous that leela doesn't like fry when he was into her before she got a second eye, but basically projecting his own feelings about being a proud outsider onto leela despite her having the right to process her feelings about her disability in a different way than he does. (a fascinating and underappreciated perspective on disability and part of why i love this episode!)

he does seem to respect her when she goes with chaz but the narrative kind of frames it as "poor fry, being ignored despite being such a good guy and being a friend to a woman who isn't banging him." though they at least have a few perspective shift scenes showing leela as a victim of chaz's shitty behavior. but the Vibes are off, it's still giving off the "incel vs chad" trope. and then there's the first movie where fry explicitly wants to sabotage leela's relationship out of pure jealousy but that is a point of his character development and it really does stick.

honestly i think leela is just as, if not more mature when it comes to fry's dating habits, partly because she isn't as strongly attracted to him (and is in denial even when she is), but even when she is clearly jealous (i.e. when fry is fake-dating both amy and her), she can be passive aggressive but accepts whatever romantic impulse he wishes to follow, and even with bender egging her on she was quite cordial about colleen, at least until fry tried to use her as a rebound and frankly she's justified in being angry there. the most aggressively jealous she ever got towards anyone fry dated was herself when fry made the robot clone lol.

i do think fry's open-mindedness is a really good trait of his but it's worth acknowledging what it took to get there. i think fry attached emotionally to leela very early on once he realized how lonely she was, but i think he thus put the responsibility onto himself to "protect" her and thus became very nosy and sometimes obnoxious in his distrust for the men she dates and her refusal to open up about her feelings. i think it's very telling that bender's big score creates a leela analogue for fry to care for who is literally a baby animal, because the story really is about fry accepting leela has autonomy and boundaries of her own and it's not up to him to "save" her from her loneliness.

however, i will give the show credit that the joke is usually on fry whenever he's pushy, and not leela's fault for not "recognizing" his good heart or whatever. originally he was just supposed to crush on her and it was played for laughs because she was so out of her league. but he developed naturally so it just happened to work and i think that's why it resonates with people more than stories where the character is written from the start to get with a girl out of his league.

I grew up watching Futurama and always thought Fry was a great example of a main character, but never realised why until rewatching it recently with my buddy.

For his setting, situations, and characters he interacts with, he's such a perfect fit. He's a loser, he knows he's got nothing to prove, but that doesn't stop him from being a kind person to a fault. From a technical standpoint, the fact that he's an idiot also makes him a great vehicle for the audience to understand the future, but that much is obvious.

I also want to point out specifically how he treats Leela. He takes any opportunity he can to express his affections for her, but he respects her boundaries and her choices to date other people, as jealous as it makes him, he's emotionally intelligent enough to respect her as a person and a friend. For a show from the late 90s-early 2000s, a loser, loner man character not being a creep and trying to force his advances upon a woman who doesn't want it, for him to learn lessons and be proven correct in respecting her and being happy for her happiness and simply finding fulfilment in being a loyal friend, that is EXCEPTIONAL for the time. Other shows at the time would have villainised her for not responding to his affections "for all the time he waited and effort he put in", but her refrain from dating him is shown as realistic and understandable for her, as sexist as Leela's dating practices can be written as sometimes in my opinion.

In fact, there is a character that is shown to not respect Leela's boundaries and is shown to be a fucking creep for it, Zapp Brannigan. While his sexual harassment of Leela is shown mostly for comedy, she's not the butt of the joke. Zapp is essentially the antithesis to Fry, he frequently inflates his own achievements and ego, doesn't view Leela as a person, and fucking hates Mutants. I didn't even mention Fry's unconditional love for her, in spite of realising she's of a "lower race", he uses her to learn more of where she comes from, and becomes a friend of the Mutants. Fuck, I could write all day of Fry's selflessness and willingness to open his mind to new ideas, not only for Leela, but for all of his friends.

Lastly, the dumb sweet guy archetype that Fry has easily makes him a timeless main character. The fact that he has nothing to prove means he has everything to gain, and each achievement he gains feels like a deeply personal and well deserved one, as it often means a new lesson learnes for him, or for him to use his selflessness and stupidity to its fullest.

[sephirthoughts]

Vincent’s lingering obsession with Lucrecia is excellent drama, but their story is not a doomed romance.

This is an unpopular opinion, but I don’t think Lucrecia deserves nearly as much pity and excusing of her actions as she gets. This is not character-hate post, it's an analysis of a character I think gets short shrift as a Mother-Mary in a bell jar, and deserves better.

Lucrecia is morally grey. Charcoal grey. I love complex, morally grey characters, particularly when they're women, since usually women are relegated to roles that infantilize and objectify them, particularly in video games, which have historically been a very backward, androcentric medium. I strongly dislike brainless victims, subject to the whims of the male characters, without much agency, and Lucrecia was not such a character.

Lucrecia was an adult with agency and brains. She was a grown ass adult. She was a brilliant scientist. She made decisions with her eyes open, and even sacrificed her unborn child to her work. She is a very interesting character. The fact that she didn't idolize motherhood as the end-all of female existence, and that her obsession with her work was stronger than her desire to be a 'good mother' makes her far more interesting than otherwise. The fact that she regretted it later and wanted him back doesn’t magically make her a good person, or change the choices she made. It demonstrates guilt and remorse, which are part of character development. The bottom line is that she committed atrocities in the name of science, then felt guilty about it later, once she realized how devastating the consequences were to her personally. To say she didn’t know what she was doing or Hojo manipulated or controlled her is to infantilize and disrespect her character. She’s not some sacrificial angel who was a victim of circumstances; she was a willing participant in her own downfall.

Lucrecia is a tragic character, but she's not a romantic lead. Except in Vincent's head. After all was said and done, she had one of those too-late changes of heart that make tragedy so emotionally impactful. She had a human reaction to Vincent's death and felt terribly guilty for her role in all of it, as she should. That doesn't mean she loved him, it means she wasn't a monster. She lost her son, and gradually, Hojo's callous inhumanity and her inability to escape the net she wove with her own hands closed in on her. Did she deserve to never hold her baby son and never see him even once? No. But she caused it, with her own actions. That's tragedy. She was miserable, bereft, and riddled with guilt, so she made a last-ditch effort to make something right...by doing more insane science shit that turned Vincent into a monster. Seeing that she'd only made everything worse, she tried to kill herself, but was unable to, and thus ran off to become a crystal statue in a cave (this is a trope that I dislike, but that's the story, so that's what we've got).

Vincent is a bad judge of the circumstances. Vincent persists in seeing her as a lost love, and someone from whom he was unjustly separated by circumstances. The fact that he is so blinded by his feelings for her that he places her on this pedestal and can't blame her for what she did is excellent characterization, and I love it, but it's because he’s wrong. He loved her. She didn’t love him (I think she was in love with his father, but that's just icing on the tragedy cake, at this point). His lingering attachment, not to the real Lucrecia, but to the idealized version of her he has in his mind, is a very sad reality that adds so much delicious pain to his character. In the end, he is unable to blame her, because he loved his image of her (and Hojo is a way easier target for anger, because he's literally the worst), which speaks far more to his personal bias in the situation than to her actual role in it. She’s not moustache-twirlingly evil like Hojo but she’s not Vincent's star cross'd soul mate tragically torn away by cruel fate. Lucrecia was her own person.

In summation. Their story is not a doomed romance, it's a complicated, messy, ugly tangle of thorns, and one of the best written tragedies in a game that literally bleeds tragedy from every orifice. It's got one-sided love, obsession, mad science, betrayal, jealousy, fetal experimentation, murder, corpse reanimation, and a guy who can't die, and is left to deal with the consequences of everyone else's actions by himself forever. No one is innocent and no one comes out unscathed…strike that. Vincent is innocent and Hojo comes out unscathed. But still. Lucrecia is not a holy mother, she's not a brainless victim, and she's not Vincent's lost love. She's a person he loved, and who didn't reciprocate. Most importantly, she's a person. A whole-ass, complex, morally grey, fully developed person, who made terrible choices, then made even worse choices, and in the end, couldn't escape the fate she wove for herself.

And then wound up encased in crystal so she could be a pretty statue forever cause the game devs just couldn't help themselves I guess.

[bakugoushotwife]

𝖘𝖔𝖚𝖑 𝖇𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖉 // 𝖙𝖍𝖗𝖊𝖊: 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖐𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖔𝖋 𝖈𝖚𝖗𝖘𝖊𝖘

a/n: here is the finale to part one!! thanks to everyone being patient with me to get this part out, i've been going thru it lately but we got her done. i haven't proofread everything but will as it goes live, just kinda wanted to put it up. this shit gets dark so proceed at your own risk. cw: gore, blood, murder, major character death, infanticide, smut, cowgirl, pregnancy journey, serious graphic descriptions, etc. dead dove do not eat. series masterlist jjk masterlist part two

he grips your forearms, pink lips parted in disbelief. his touch is gentle, eyes gleaming with emotions yet unnamed. “again. say it once more.” he whispers, seemingly searching for the physical signs already as his eyes dance around your stomach. 

“i’m pregnant, the healer confirmed it–our heir. he or she is coming!” you laugh in astonishment, a gentle warmth blushing across your cheeks. he pulls you against his broad chest within the next second, a myriad of thoughts occurring in his brain all at once. his wife–his queen, was with child. he was no longer the man he was cursed to be. he was loved by you, and would soon become a father to a loving baby of his own creation. a monster he may be, but solitude had lost its grasp on him, and he would never feel guilt for his monstrous ways now. not with a family to protect. a family. ryomen sukuna—head of a family. 

you nuzzle your face against his neck, and his heart physically aches with the emotion he stores in it for you. surely this is something much stronger than love. no one could ever feel as strongly as he does. he sighs softly. comfortably, and sets you back on your feet with a soft chuckle that rumbles inside both of your chests. 

“what wonderful news—outstanding news, my love…you have made me the happiest man...what a gift..” he says in a voice nearly foreign to you with its overwhelming gentleness. it conflicts with the look in his eyes. it’s hard to describe—the love and adoration he’s always held is there, with something else lying beneath. a certain icy cruelty that you know he’s capable of—a primal protectiveness. yes, gone were the days of leaving you in the throne room or bed chambers by yourself to be waited on by uraume and the rest of the staff. no, no. he would be attached to you like a second soul, as if you weren’t growing one already. 

he just couldn’t bear to risk it. especially as the building plans commenced and more strangers would be around his wife than ever before. his nerves were…heightened so to speak. you didn’t want to call it paranoia, as you can understand exactly where his concerns come from. he’s never cared for anyone. not even a fucking little bit, and now he has an entire universe of feelings stored inside of one person—seperate from himself. it’s terrifying. it’s vulnerable in ways he hates to admit, for any one of his enemies that knows of your existence knows exactly how to break him apart. all the sorcerers he’s wronged, all of the families of those he has personally extinguished—they all have a way to enact revenge. they all have a clear path to ripping his heart out of his chest, and it’s a fate worse than death. even the thought of you falling into enemy hands is enough for sukuna to erect gates with enchantments and veils, laying traps of his own mind’s invention all around the palace grounds to ensure your home remains a free territory for you and his baby. 

his baby. his son or daughter growing fruitfully within you. only three people know of the baby’s existence—you, him, and uraume. and this is how the list would stay until it is simply unavoidable. he will cater to your every need himself; and no one else should enter within ten feet of you unless they want to lose their heads. he makes this much clear, announcing the decree to his castle staff. of course they’re curious as to why they can no longer serve their queen–but any questions they have die on their tongues with the feral tone of commands from their king. 

you think it’s all a bit much, but you wouldn’t say anything against his wishes. this is what helps him rest peacefully at night, what makes him believe you are totally and wholly safe. besides it’s more relaxing this way. the only hustle and bustle is about the additions to your home, no servants nagging you about the certain tinctures and powders you should be taking to support your baby through the pregnancy; nor them cooing about how dominant and healthy king sukuna’s offspring would be. no. it’s just the two of you and the moment. the first few months were rocky—much more negative than positive with your symptoms and struggles. your husband was a rock amidst the nausea-inducing waters. he may not be inspirational or motivational in his words, and he may not know simply from instinct alone how to comfort you; but do not mistake that for neglect. he is ever curious, and attentive. he can tell when you need something…he just needs you to help him along as to what for the first few weeks into this beautiful journey. 

he’s quick to provide you a trash receptacle or to rush after you as you run into the bathroom to puke. he’s the one holding a cool rag to the back of your neck and keeping your hair out of the way, the sound of your seemingly endless retching tugging at his heart. he learns that the term “morning sickness” is really a lie—you’re sick at all hours of the day. he nearly feels guilty over your suffering, keeping you hydrated on water and coconut milk for extra nutrients. you aren’t keeping much food down, but he tries to make sure you’re offered plenty of it. going into the second month of your weak exhaustion and pathetic puking, he’s growing more than concerned. 

“i’m calling the doctors, my queen is suffering far too much.” he announces, using a rag to dab the sweat off your forehead as the toilet receives yet another round of your stomach’s contents. another hand fashions your hair into some sort of ponytail, and the other two stabilize your hips. you shake your head, leaning back to sit on your haunches as you wipe your mouth. 

“it’s perfectly normal. i’ll enter the second trimester soon, hopefully it will stop then.” you say, chipper. he finds it confusing how you can clearly feel so bad but pretend otherwise. your child isn’t even showing in you yet, you only look as if you’ve had a large dinner. and while you’re ridiculously adorable in this slightly swollen state, he’s left mystified by how such a small babe can disrupt everything about your body. your appetite increases and wanes depending on the day, you cry over a fallen bird's nest and then threaten to light him aflame. it’s a lot for him to wrap his head around, as someone who’s never really been well versed in emotions to begin with. but he is patient above all else—and that’s just fine with you. he’s there for every mood swing, he lets you beat on his chest and yell at him–he lets you crawl into his lap and hold yourself close, to giggle and kiss all over his face only to whisper how horny you are. 

at least that much is the same. if anything, it’s increased. and while sukuna has never been a delicate man, nor a submissive one—he is a somewhat changed man. his wife–only for his wife. he can tame the desire to absolutely fuck you apart for the sake of your growing child—he doesn’t know what exactly your body can handle at this time, despite what he may crave. but…you know what you can handle, don’t you? he…can allow you to use his body in this way too. it’s the least he can do, really. he knows he’s not the most caring man in the universe. frankly, he’s spent many a time thinking you deserve someone much more loving and doting than he. but you bask in the love that does flow from him, and your body is being used to grow his offspring. so yes, he clears the throne room of contractors and servants and architects making last minute adjustments, adding rooms fit for children to thrive in and his family to gather in; all because his precious wife made an appearance demanding his attention. yes, he lets you position yourself against his lap and rut against him at your own pace, grinding on his thigh while you beg for his hands to toy with your tits. 

“please–i need more, my king~” you pout, pawing at his wrists, dragging them up to your chest.he finds you enchantingly adorable, and this neediness is such a good look on you. not being able to throttle you nearly makes his bones ache, but he uses his lower set of hands to guide your hips over his defined thigh–his top set of hands giving into his sweet wife’s desires. 

and he always knows exactly how to touch you. he kneads at your breasts, the sore fat of your tits melting into his hands so perfectly you hiss and let your head fall back, rolling across your shoulders at just the simple enjoyment of his fingers tweak at your swollen nipples. he loves how sensitive you’ve become, how your brows pinch together and your cheeks darken the closer you get to soaking your panties. he knows you’ll plunge yourself on his cock over and over again–letting him coat your insides with the seed that’s already taken root in your gorgeous little womb. 

“of course. my naughty little queen can’t sleep without her husband’s cock pressing into her?” he coos, the words so taunting but so loving at the same time. you howl with excitement, ripping his pants down after several seconds of effort, your animalistic growls of need so pleasing to his ears and ego. you take as much of his cock inside as you can, thighs tightening at the effort. 

“mm–nuh uh, can’t help it–just need you all the time!! ‘s your fault–you did this to me!” you pout, bottom lip swollen from the amount of times your teeth have dug into it. your belly, just barely bloated with the sign of pregnancy, just glistens in the candlelight of his throne room, everything about you was calling out to him—as always. he doesn’t know why the sensation still surprises him every now and again. so he helps you, hands on your waist to help lift you up and down along the shaft of him, watching your face contort and ease with bone-deep pleasure. “oh, yessss~” 

your hands scramble to hold something, his wrists, his chest–anything with purchase as your orgasm shakes through your entire body. he only uses your tight walls for a few more lengthy strokes, erupting thick white ropes that paint your insides in the best way–the way that makes your legs tremble and buckle, so spent from your attempts at riding him that you’re leaning into his chest and closing your eyes to sleep. this has been your routine for about three weeks now, not that he minds. 

but the second trimester…oh how golden. this was the first time that sukuna really understood the beauty of pregnancy. with all of the nights of puking and bad sleep and weird cravings and mood swings and the list goes on—he was wondering what exactly was the big glow with babymaking aside from your sex drive and the overall concept that you get a baby out of it. but now, as your bump develops and grows everyday, as your energy evens out somewhat and all you want to do is nest and decorate for the baby—he gets it. uraume brings bigger robes so you may dress comfortably, and sukuna passes along your every demand to the builders. the baby’s nursery is being painted by hand, the crib by the finest carpenters that japan has to offer. sukuna wouldn’t be sukuna of course unless he threatened to kill every worker on the project if they spilled the news of what they were working on to a single soul. 

the fields outside the palace have become your favorite place to be. you enjoy laying in the sun, plucking the wildflowers that grow on the hillside and weaving them into a flower crown, and watching the animals sprint around in the treeline below. sukuna would watch from the castle some days, letting you bask in nature under his careful oversight. some days he joins you, listening to you prattle about the birds that like the sugar water you lay out. the peace that you bring to his life is something astounding. he never would have imagined himself enjoying listening to someone so bubbly and optimistic. you have always been a light he had never known existed, and he sees you as a literal angel. the way the summer skies cast a glow down on you—glowing up your hair and skin and highlighting that beautifully round bump. 

this day, he sits outside with you–watching you lean back, robes unbound to drink in some more sun. he’s proud that he’s able to make it such a safe place for you–your happy place. you can hear him approach, a joyful grin spreading across your face as you look over at him. 

“the baby knows you’re here~” you coo, supporting the underside of your rounded bump. the king lays beside you, a smirk on his face at the greeting. “say hello to your spawn.” you add, snickering. and dutifully so, he leans in and places his hand on your stomach. the broad paw spans most of the stretched skin, life and wonder sparkling in his ruby red eyes as he feels it, the repeated soft flutters against his palm make his heart skip a beat. his son or daughter is so active, and very strong. and they seemingly feel him, like you claimed. they like his voice and his touch, his gentle brush of his hand inspiring another tirade of kicks that send you giggling. 

it just makes things that much more real for him. his child is on the way, halfway grown already. he can’t wait to meet them, to see if they resemble you or himself more closely, to have a mini-him to take under his wing and entrust his philosophy to. he can’t wait to watch you be a mother either. just what his limited imagination can conjure up warms the coldness in his chest. the idea of you swirling around a sweet nursery with the baby smiling with gums and lips, cheeks rosy from being so loved. 

“hello, little baby of mine.” sukuna hums, leaning down to kiss below your navel. 

you smile sweetly, eyes crinkled in the corners. “we need to think of names!” you hum, running your fingers through his hair. it soothes you to have him so near, your protector and greatest advocate. he hums at the feeling, resting his chin on your breastplate, right before the swell of your stomach. those eyes melt you every time, especially when they look at you with such fondness. 

“their name will come to us when we look upon their face. no need to rush.” he hums softly, rubbing your stomach absentmindedly. he hadn’t even realized he was doing it. 

“i suppose so, but i would like to call them something aside from the baby.” you hum, twisting the pale pink strands around your fingers, wondering if your child would get this uniquely colored hair. 

“then let’s call them ayame, for now.” he decides, the corners of his lips twitching upwards in a smile. the word has so much significance in love and beauty, and he knows it’s the right one to bestow upon his unborn. 

“you’re so sweet, i love it. ayame–for now.” you hum once more–nodding your agreement, resting your hand atop his own. before long, the sun begins to set and the king ushers you inside for dinner—relieved your appetite returned. 

everyday after that was just as beautiful. you worked tirelessly daily to craft ayame’s clothes, knitting in neutrals to ensure the pieces would suit either gender of child. your excitement grows with your stomach, and so does sukuna’s protectiveness. you hardly use the bathroom by yourself. your pregnancy is now common knowledge amongst the castle staff–widespread across your kingdom. so naturally, sukuna is even more scrutinous of anyone coming in and out. the construction is nearly complete, but enemies could be lurking anywhere. and no one is more aware of that than your husband. 

he’s more than relieved whenever the construction reaches its final days as you’re about to pop. he still hovers, don’t misunderstand, but he can take a breath. any day now, you’d go into labor and the heian era’s new prince or princess would make their grand entrance. the nursery was fully prepared and the doctors and midwives had arrived as the construction workers were leaving, everything was in place. 

imagine his surprise when he’s thrown out of sleep in the middle of the night—one of his veils have been breached. moments later, uraume rushes into the room. 

“my king–the perimeter guards caught someone…they had weapons. ordered to kill the queen.” they pant, out of breath from hustling here so quickly. and with that one sentence, his every worst fear is confirmed. people are after you—they want to kill you. kill his baby and his wife in one fell swoop. 

he sees red. 

he looks over at you–sleeping deeply beside him. he can’t disrupt your rest, not when the baby will be coming so soon..so he leans over to kiss your lips softly before following uraume to the throne room to torture the infiltrator that thought they could get away with such a thing. 

he doesn’t think he’s ever been this bloodthirsty before, either. love like this makes you do crazy things–feel crazy things. the perpetrator is being held on his knees, head forced forward to look at the floor. 

“my servants tell me that we’ve caught a roach. let’s hear it.” he spits, intent on torturing this cretin slowly—send a message to everyone else that tries to come after his family. that if you attack—you will be dismembered and scattered across the continents with the breeze. 

“or maybe you just caught the fall guy, and you didn’t stop anything at all.” the man smirks boldly at the king, a shuffle upstairs catching his attention. 

you wake up when the last traces of your husband’s warmth has dissipated. you blink awake, feeling around in his spot to confirm his absence. huffing, you roll to your back, seeing his shadow shuffle around the room. “my love? are you having trouble sleeping tonight?” he’s been known to periodically wake up and patrol the place to make sure that nothing’s slipped past his other defenses. 

“notcha love—you can’t bring that demon to life, whore.” 

and those are the last words you ever hear. 

there’s a slash across your gut, deep. you can hear your blood splatter on the ground—similar to what you had always imagined your water breaking to sound like. you don’t even feel the pain, really. just the fear. just the realization—that you’re too late, that all sukuna had done was for nothing. you’re dying. you’re going to die today–here. alone, and scared, the slash that comes next nearly decapitates you, and you can’t use your technique. you never even got out of bed, only your legs had touched the floor. you hadn’t even been able to stand before they slaughtered you. 

the baby…the baby is gone just as grotesquely as you are–pulled from the gash in your midsection to fight these grown men on their own. ayame was a girl. and she was suffocated before her eyes ever opened, blood strewn about the room. 

the two murderers flee before sukuna makes it to the top floor, able to cascade a rope out of the window and sneak right out, now that all of the security is distracted.  

seconds later, he throws the door open. he nearly sprints forward to check on you–your form visible on the bed. but as he gets closer, he slips. his feet slide on something wet, warm—and he knows. he knows he’s lost the only person that ever mattered. his heart pounds faster as the staff rush in with the candles–revealing the gruesome scene. 

he sobs. it’s a foreign feeling, crying. he had only felt this once before—when he knew he was going to be a father. that was certainly more pleasant than…this. you’re gone. his light–his eternal sunshine…slaughtered like cattle on his bed. you’re gutted, the scent of iron finally hitting his senses. had he been in shock before? is that why he didn’t immediately notice? your head is barely attached to your neck—eyes wide open with horror, mouth hung open to scream. there’s so much blood. dripping out of your mouth, gushing over your chest and out of your abdomen–soaking your pretty lavender nightgown. he reaches for you, emotions heightened to levels left undocumented. that’s when he sees—his eyes focusing on the lifeless lump that was his baby daughter. he reaches for her too–little ayame. he cradles his girls to his body, absolutely wailing. his body spikes in temperature��cursed technique going haywire. he’s inconsolable. his cursed energy is spiking to heights unknown, body shifting—growing larger–rage flowing like a new source of energy all on it’s own. his soul is shattering, twisting and knotting up in his body–heart aching like never before. it was one mistake—he left for two seconds, to let you sleep and now you are gone forever. his baby is dead—his wife…he’ll never speak to you again. never feel your hands on his skin or the warmth of your kiss. he can’t go on like this—no. he has no desire to live. 

the love of his life, his first born child—ripped away from him in an instant. all the peace and happiness and joy you showed him existed has turned into the deepest and darkest personal hell he has ever known. he looks around him—even more blood than ever before. his technique—it killed everyone. he can’t find it in himself to consider it again, too focused on the mangled mess they made of his queen. he will avenge you—he will murder everyone in his path until someone can put him out of this misery. until then–he will take every other soul out of this world. if he can’t be happy–if he doesn’t get to live this life in peace–then no one else will either. 

the entire castle is consumed with the raw force of his cursed energy, shattered in an instant. as if he was a natural disaster in and of himself. perhaps maybe know he is…for he is no longer a man. ryomen sukuna never was quite just a man–the king of the heian era. but now, he is the king of something else. of all things bad and evil—of all the things that can help him enact revenge. the king of curses.

tags: @neon-crow @skypperlegacy @gis4greenandgreenisgre4t  @alastors-radio  @alltimenogoaway-blog  @tragedyofabrokensoul @gojosukuna2268  @hannas16  @alwaysfreakingout @thepurpleempath @pelicanpizza  @aenishas @satsuk-jjk @catobsessedlady @gucci-basura @eiaaasamantha @asukahiriko @t4naiis @thejujvtsupost @mymelx @maskedpacific @berranurates @enchantingartisanwitch @celena-alanze

[artist-issues]

Snow White and Treasure

While I’m on her topic.

I noticed treasure in my re-watch of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Every key character’s treasure reveals their true nature on the inside.

Nowhere is it more evident than in the Queen herself, obviously.

Her treasure is holding the title of Fairest of All. That’s what she cares about. How she’s perceived. After all, why else does she sneak out of the castle through the catacombs? Why does she have the Huntsman do her dirty work—why not just kill Snow White on her own? She clearly gets way too much joy out of the idea of poisoning Snow White.

But she can’t do that. She has to hide her true nature, so she sneaks out of her own castle.

Ironically, her treasure is Being the Fairest—but she’s not beautiful on the inside. She’s ugly on the inside, like a rotten apple! And that fixation on getting her treasure eventually puts that ugliness on the outside, no matter how much she wants to look the opposite.

The next character we have who’s treasure reveals his true nature is Grumpy. (My favorite.)

All of the Dwarves treasure their own comfort to some extent. But Grumpy doesn’t just treasure comfort. He treasures his own safety. After all, what is grumpiness if not a person who has been afraid and self-protective all their life? He’s always defensive, always on the lookout for a scam.

Grumpy is the last to change…and the only one who’s true nature is revealed when he does. Also, Grumpy is the only character who’s treasure changes.

Grumpy starts out being the most against Snow White. All of them are, at first, until they interact with her and she shows them what she can do for them.

But Grumpy takes the longest to warm up, because he’s not just afraid that she’ll bring the Queen to the cottage and put him in danger. He’s afraid of feelings. They make him feel unsafe.

I know that sounds weird but seriously. That’s his big beef with Snow White. He clearly likes her in spite of himself, but he’s terrified of opening up, because she’s A) new and different and B) getting attached is vulnerability, and vulnerability is dangerous.

That’s the opposite of Snow White! When she’s being her most vulnerable about her wish, he’s meeting the whole idea with scorn: “Ha! Mush!”

But he can’t help feeling, anyway. Because Snow White is so pure, and so not defensive, she gets under his skin.

And his treasure changes.

He goes from saying “get rid of her, she’ll bring nothing but trouble” to LEADING THE CHARGE to save her from the Queen.

He goes from treasuring his own safety to treasuring Snow White’s safety.

And that new treasure reveals his true nature: Grumpy is sentimental, and feels things strongly. Who is the Dwarf crying the hardest when Snow White dies?

Those two characters show that one’s treasure reveals their true nature, no matter how they try to guard against it or hide it.

The Queen’s treasure of her own appearance reveals that she’s ugly on the inside.

Grumpy’s treasure of safety reveals that he is very vulnerable on the inside.

But Snow White? Snow White’s treasure is not defended. Snow White’s nature is not hidden. Because Snow White is utterly innocent and pure. She just is who she is, beautiful and simple, and that’s what so great about her. She treasures love—and she is loving. She tells the birds at the wishing well, and sings out her wish, for love. That’s rewarded; the Prince hears it and promises her his heart. (She’s his treasure by the way.)

She tells the Dwarves that she’s got faith in his love, and she knows he’ll come back, and they just adore her.

She’s every bit as beautiful and vulnerable on the outside as her treasure of love is on the inside.

When she encounters lost birds, what does she do? Love them. When she encounters orphans, what does she do? Love them. When she encounters Princes openly giving their hearts to her, what does she do? Love them. Her nature reflects what she treasures.

There’s no sign of anything but innocence, no hiding, no disingenuousness—because why should there be? The thing she treasures is a good thing. So that’s what makes her beautiful.

Beautiful enough to be the Fairest of All dressed in rags and dirt.

Beautiful enough to be granted mercy by a Huntsman who’s own life is on the line.

Beautiful enough to be buried in a glass coffin, instead of buried alive when the Queen’s plot succeeds.

Beautiful enough to be searched for and found, against all odds, by the Prince who fell in love with her at first sight.

Someone who values love highly, and lets that treasure shine out through every part of their nature, is powerful. They can strike fear and hatred into the hearts of the most self-absorbed, and transform the most stuck-in-their-ways, and inspire love in anyone who comes into contact with them.

That’s what’s wonderful about Snow White. She’s pure, from what she treasures to her very nature, and needs to hide nothing about herself.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Tossing in these fantastic tags from @a-furious-frog under the cut for some really good Jin Guangyao commentary:

All he knows is flirt with men and lie.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[bigbadbatch]

The Tortured Padawan Department

I am starting a mini-one shot series where I mix Taylor Swift's TTPD with my favorite Star Wars Boys. Each one shot has an essential listening song (be on the look out for quotes and themes!) Rex and Hunter are heavy focused for first two, with a surprise guest in the third fic!

First up: Guilty as Sin?

Word Count: 1.5k

A Captain Rex x Fem!reader fic

Attachment is forbidden for a Jedi, but what if it's a sin worth committing ?

You woke up drenched in sweat, panting. The temple was quiet, and your small bedroom deafeningly silent. Your heart pounded, and you worried it could be heard through the thin walls around you. That dream. Again. This was the seventh occasion you had such a dream. It always started decent enough. Then it became anything but decent. Your skin prickled remembering- the smell of him in the dream, the feel of his rough hands on your arms, your back, your…

 “Rex.” You cursed under your breath. You needed to walk this off. Getting quickly dressed, you stepped out into the empty hall of the Jedi Temple. It was his fault, really. All the flirtations on the field, the way he always dared to joke with you. His smile, his laugh. You shook your head and left the temple, walking towards the bright city lights, and the bars you knew awaited. This is what you always did after one of those dreams. Go for a drink, a fling, anything to help you clear your head, get your fix. Sex wasn’t forbidden for a Jedi, if anything it could be encouraged to blow off steam after a battle. But attachment. There was the trick of it. Attachment was strictly against the code. To get attached, to love, was to eventually lose. Grief, jealousy, fear- these all lead to the Dark Side. Still, it came so naturally. Especially with him. Rex had taken you under his wing when you were transferred to the 501st. You had been hesitant, still hurting from the loss of your Master and the 271st, all lost in the Battle of Rankill, you the sole survivior.

Those were the first recurring dreams you had, nightmares of reliving the loss over and over. Your Master running, trying desperately to save his men, you, and the man he loved. It was no secret that Commander Dax and your Master were involved. If anything it was part of the reason you felt so strongly about attachment. Your Master’s love is what got him killed, and neither he, his lover, nor his men were left to show for it. Only you, a new stray picked up by Master Kenobi, were left standing to carry your Master’s legacy.

What would he think of me? You ponder as you enter the bar, neon lights, music and chatter streaming from the open door. You had barely taken a seat when you heard your name being called. An all too familiar form strode to you, smiling.

“Fancy seeing you here. Isn’t it past your bedtime?” Rex saddled up next to you, as if that seat was meant for him. The grinning, handsome clone put his arm around you, jostling your shoulder, friendly.

“Aren’t you typically at 79’s?” You ask incredulously. How could he be here, of all places? Of all people, him, here, now?

“Wanted a change of scenery, and I must admit I like the view.” He growls, and you scowled and shoved his arm off of you.

“Well, I wanted a drink. Buy me one?” You said, smirking. 

He somehow smiled even wider than before. “Sure thing cyare, be right back.” 

Shit, shit, shit. Your skin was so warm where he had touched you, and his casual flirting set your heart fluttering. You knew you should leave, before he gets back. You’re too pent up, too enamored by him to deal with this rationally. A broad body slid back in next to you.

“You looked like you could use something a bit strong. You alright tonight, mesh’la?”

You knew what the Mandalorian words meant, and knew he meant them in good fun. He must. In one stroke you downed the whole drink, it burning as it went down.

“Well shit.” He said. “What’s going on?”

You shake your head. He was too close to you. You could smell his leathery, smoky scent, and it filled you up. Your stomach was fluttering, flashes of the dream popping into your mind. He wasn’t supposed to be here. You needed a distraction. 

“Let’s dance.”

Even you are surprised by the words that come out of your mouth. Rex’s eyebrows shot up.

“Alright. We can dance.”

He stood and gestured for you to lead the way. 

The dancefloor was crowded, and the music thumping. It rattled your bones, the fast beat just what you needed. You closed your eyes and let the movement come to you. You couldn't see Rex, but you could still feel him near, his body swaying in time with yours.  You gave yourself over to the music. It was almost like a form of meditation, getting you in tune with yourself once again.

Warm hands brushed your hips. Eyes still closed, mind still consumed by the drink and the music, you leaned in. The hands grasped you strongly, swinging your hips back and forth with the music, your body rolling. You felt alive. Everything forgotten, your past, your present, your dreams, the only thing that mattered was this moment. He pulled you close, chest to chest, with no room between you. Your hips circled, and his ground, and you couldn't help it, your lips parted and you exhaled. His head bent, and lips brushed the side of your neck. You twined your arms around him, pulling him closer, the two of you spinning in a slow circle, at odds with the quick rhythm of the music. A hand slipped up to your neck, then to your face. The large, rugged hand cupped your face and you leaned into it. You could feel warm breath on your lips, and without thinking moved to meet his. 

Fireworks exploded. Warmth flooded your body as you gave in to the kiss. Then you opened your eyes. No. Rex gazed back at you, stars in his eyes. “You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do that.” he said. 

Fear seized you. You tensed, and he immediately noticed. He took his hands off of you as you backed away. No. No. No. No. You shook your head, nearly trembling, and bolted for the door. “Wait!” He called after you, but you were gone into the night. 

You ran, legs pumping, heart racing down the streets. You ran past 79’s, past the temple, until you couldn’t run anymore. You ducked into an alley, gasping for breath. Anger, fear, guilt, all of these emotions flooded you. You punched the stone wall in front of you and nearly screamed in exasperation. Your bones felt like they were breaking inside your skin, your head pounded with bad thoughts. You were bad. You were wrong. You had been having these dreams, you clearly wanted what you knew you couldn’t and shouldn’t have. You led him on. You were guilty of attachment, guilty for your feelings. Guilty for falling in love with Rex. Tears sprang to your eyes.

You thought about him day in and out. You worried about him in battle, on the field. You touched yourself to thoughts of him. You'd already been with him a thousand times in your mind. You pretended your one-night stands were him. You nearly sobbed at the revelation. You did love him. You loved him.

“Cyare!” A shout and the pounding of feet towards you roused you. You hurriedly wiped your eyes in an attempt to hide your shame, but he saw.

“Cyare please, are you okay? I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I went too far.” Rex grabbed your hands and pulled them from your hiding face, wiping tears from your eyes as he did. You can’t help it. You laugh. You laugh at the absurdity of this.

“No, I’m sorry.” You said, and with your back to the wall you slid down onto the cold ground, head in your hands. Without hesitation, he sat beside you, silently giving you a moment to compose your thoughts. 

“Rex”. You say, his name sickly sweet on your tongue. “We can’t do this.” Fresh tears cascaded down your face, and he quickly brushed them away for you. He was quiet, then said. “I overstepped. I thought you felt the same way, I thought we wanted the same thing. I shouldn’t have.”

You cut him off saying “I do.”

Silence.

“I don’t understand.” He said as he took your hand.

So you tell him everything. How guilty you felt, how your Master lost his life for his lover, how a good Jedi doesn’t love, and most of all how your heart was hurting.

“I love you, Rex. I shouldn’t, but I love you.” He squeezed your hand, hard and tears welled in his eyes too. “I love you too mesh’la. And I am so sorry you feel guilty, but please know, I would never want to put you in a position where you feel like this. I’m giving you full control from here on. You dictate what we are, what we do. Lovers? I’d love that. Friends? That’s fine too. If sex is what you need, I’ll gladly volunteer. I want you to be happy, and I will do anything for that. So you tell me, what do you want?”

You take a deep breath. Everything feels so much more clear with him here, now, after everything. 

“You. I want you.”

And as you kissed in that alleyway, and later gave yourself to each other completely, you felt a peace you had never known.

[lightandfellowship]

I sort of see Xehanort as a walking contradiction. A person who feels very deeply but shuts that part of himself out (quite successfully).

In his early days as a youth, his primary goals were all about other people. Finally getting to meet his mother and his dream friends. His focus at first was on relationships and love. And then, of course, there is the fact that he is an empath to a supernatural degree, and has been all his life. He feels things strongly even when he doesn't want to; he is forced to consider the feelings of others even when he doesn't want to. His life revolves around emotions, for better or for worse.

The deaths of his friends in Scala affected him dramatically even if he doesn't show it much. That loss helped reshape his worldview, as did Baldr and the MoM's meddling. It motivates him to fix the world and dedicate himself to its improvement at the cost of his own personal life and attachments. I mentioned in a previous post how I think Baldr and the MoM successfully convinced him that love is meaningless and powerless, and I think while he agrees with that on a logical level, he still can't help himself at times. Love often isn't a choice, after all.

Even as an old man who has been corrupted by the darkness he clung to so closely for so many years, he still shows rare glimpses of "compassion". He spares Eraqus during their second fight and opts to just scar him rather than kill him outright, even though leaving Eraqus alive could result in his plans being ruined down the line. He tells the all-knowing, can't-be-lied-to Magic Mirror that his dream friends still hold a special place in his heart. He takes a presumed dead Ven to Destiny Islands so that the boy can have a peaceful place to be laid to rest, rather than leaving him in the barren Badlands to rot. He claims to Vanitas that he brought Ven to Eraqus for Ven's sake. (Partially true, partially false, I think—since Ven is one of his dream friends, I imagine there is a fondness there motivating his actions, but Ven being alive and healthy is of course advantageous to his goals as well. And Xehanort will take any opportunity to make Vanitas upset, I think).

He kills Eraqus from a distance, from behind, without speaking to him or looking him in the face. Perhaps he wouldn't be able to bring himself to do it otherwise. After all, he seems to have no trouble killing others either face-to-face or at close-range. What made Eraqus different?

I think some part of him still cares about the people closest to him, and still mourns those he has lost. But he's become an expert at supressing those feelings for the sake of his goals. Letting only his cruelty and single-minded determination show. And every once in a while a tiny, microscopic instance of compassion will leak through on those rare ocassions that he allows himself to be emotional and sincere.

[rainy-astrology]

ATEEZ San Birth Chart Analysis

Based on my opinion and observations. Not a professional astrologer. May change later.

July 10th, 1999

Jinju, South Korea

10:08 AM

☀️♋️, 🌙♊️, ⬆️♍️

Sun in 11th shows a drive and ambition towards his future dreams and goals. San has always wanted to be a singer since he was young and has worked very hard to achieve his dream. He has improved his performance and vocal skills immensely over the years, often being the most eye catching member for many people who aren't ATINYs.

Mercury Leo in 11th shows a preference for like minded people. San seems to really enjoy the company of others - seems considerate of others feelings and cares to be on good terms with people. He has a natural charm and sweetness about him.

Moon in 9th also adds onto his ambitiousness - he truly seems to want to make a great influence on the world and be successful. Especially as a Virgo rising...I've never seen a lazy Virgo placement, they always work so hard for they want. He's very strongly opinionated, all of his beliefs come from the heart.

Saturn is also in 9th, which solidifies his strong beliefs/opnions. Saturn here puts a heavy focus on building future career and life. He makes sure to implement a sense of strictness and discipline into his routine.

Saturn trine ASC can make him appear serious and quiet. Physically, it can give people sharp features (Saturn and prominent bone structure), which San definitely has: sharp cheekbones and jaw, nose and eyes, prominent brow bones. Angular brow shapes suit him the best too (at least imo - it looks more cohesive with the rest of his features compared to straight brows). This is also likely why many people may find him intimidating at first or think he's older than his real age.

Mars Scorpio in 2nd is such a possessive and protective placement. It also creates an incredibly hardworking individual who always goes for whatever they want with no limit. San may be especially inclined to working hard towards his finances and can be particular about things he owns (iirc he has a black card but also won't bother to buy new things sometimes).

Jupiter in 8th...this could be about being good with finances, it is a priority for him (could obtain wealth from someone else maybe). This could also be about transformation of himself as 8th house is "death" and Jupiter is expansion. San seems to focus a lot on being authentic and true to himself, so it would not be too surprising if it is about him constantly trying to improve his character for the better. Maybe he has gone through a lot of life changing experiences or will be/is going through them.

Venus Leo in 12th is interesting, especially since Venus squares Moon and Pluto too. He's certainly loyal and devoted to those he loves (Leo's loyalty + Pluto's possessiveness). In 12th though, perhaps San is shy at first? Or at least very selective. It seems once he trusts/loves a person though, he really clings onto them (just look at the way he's glued to the other members and how he always says Yeosang is his. Venus square pluto behavior). Moon square Venus can add onto his attached and affectionate nature (though, many Leo venuses are just affectionate in general)

Uranus and Neptune in 5th makes for a creative and expressive individual. San clearly loves the arts and always expresses his passion in every performance. He may be a bit strange and unconventional, but I think that's just an artist thing in general

Pluto in 3rd explains his thoughtfulness so much! San is a little silly at times, but he seems to have a very deep side to him due to this placement. You can especially see it in the way he talks/writes in his letters to the members and fans - he writes in a way that pulls at heart strings (even I've gotten emotional at one of his letters and I'm not the type to get soft hearted so easily) and makes people reflect. It also explains his strong beliefs and opinions - he's such an advocate for authenticity. Pluto in 3rd folks have a very specific way of talking and thinking that makes them stand out.

Chiron in 3rd may make him feel insecure about the way he talks and thinks though - maybe San is going or has gone through a period of feeling misunderstood by others. A lot of Chiron in 3rd ppl do. Although he does like spending time with others, I think he may accidentally drive people away by oversharing and/or talking too much...He seems a bit intense and clingy, which may be overwhelming for others. Communication and self esteem is a struggle for many with this placement.

Being a Virgo rising, he may appear quiet and serious, observant and disciplined. Hard working with high standards. Pluto and Saturn aspect his ASC so it adds onto the natural stern energy he has.

North Node Leo in 11th is focused on building community, contributing to groups, and celebrating the individualities of others. I think he is doing a pretty good job at this as he's very encouraging and kind to others and is always advocating for people to simply be themselves.

Gemini MC can appear sociable, curious, and optimistic. San is a pretty positive person, I don't think I've seen him be negative to himself or others much...He always seem to be active on socials as he talks to ATINYs a lot. ATEEZ considered him one of the more talkative members in the group too.

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Other Analysis:

MBTI | Enneagram

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Masterlist

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[eyesofshan-if]

Hi, I hope you are doing well. Could you please tell us the enneagrams of the Ros. Thanks in advance.

i think i've answered this before, but now that there are new ROs i'll include their answers, with some explanation about their character motivations!! this is more of a personal character study than anything coherent, so feel free to skip it all!! mightttt contain some spoilers for the characters' routes

hansol: two

hansol is a textbook example of an enneagram 2. the key motivation behind most of his actions is to feel wanted or needed by others. he derives meaning and purpose from life from how 'useful' or 'helpful' he is to the society he belongs to, and much of the way he views the world is in related to that. he lives to serve: his country, his family, and you.

"Like a force to be reckoned with A mighty ocean or a gentle kiss I will love you with every single thing I have Like a tidal wave, I'll make a mess Or calm waters, if that serves you best I will love you without any strings attached."

yongsun: nine

enneagram type 9s are called the peacemakers, but not necessarily because they are pacifists. yongsun is one of those devoted to seeking peace, both internal and external. however, while most others would simply come to peace with the chaos and troubles of the world, they were born into a unique position that gives them the power to make the necessary changes to achieve that desired peace.

"It looks like empathy To understand all sides But I'm just trying to find myself Through someone else's eyes."

wooyoung: seven

enneagram sevens fear being deprived and need to have their desires for freedom and fresh experiences fulfilled. still, this comes with a tendency to uproot themselves far too easily and often, leaving those they care about behind. wooyoung finds it difficult to settle anywhere, wanting all the new experiences, the new friends, everything — and fears getting too attached to anything too strongly. perhaps you will be the one to change that, commander.

"It feels like sinking when I'm standing in one place So I look to the future and I book another flight When everything feels heavy, I've learned to travel light."

raon: four

out of everything, raon fears mediocrity the most — to fade into obscurity like the rest of the women in her life did. there is no space for women in the male-dominated spaces of hae, yet the contributions of females in households — the foundation of every haeian's life — often go overlooked. after seeing this happen, raon refuses to let the same happen to her as well. enneagram fours have a strong desire to forge a unique identity that has significance.

"Flashlight in hand determined to find Authenticity only poetry could even begin to try to describe Bodies fashioned out of dirt and dust For a moment we get to be glorious."

no-eul: eight

although the oldest of the ros, no-eul has the most childish and simplistic heart. they do things as they desire without consideration of of much else. eights feel the need to prove their strength, to demonstrate their importance, to dominate wherever they are — yet all this is done with the strangely vulnerable motivation of not wanting to be hurt by others.

"I was just a kid who grew up strong enough To pick this armor up And suddenly it fit."

????: one

enneagram ones strive to be always be right, beyond criticism, and no one believes that more than the herald of change. it does not matter that they actively pursue a vision that only a madman would dare to dream of. to rebel against the natural order, to crush the status quo under their feet. the high leader will stop at nothing to make those softly whispered childhood dreams a reality, even if they have to declare war against the entire world to do it.

"Now hold on, let me finish No, I'm not saying perfect exists in this life But we'll only know for certain if we try."

[intimidating-fettuccine]

Could I get Offenderman, Helen(or puppeteer, I couldn't decide between the 2 so I will let you do that), and Laughing Jack with a dragon hybrid s/o who is bigger than them but is a really big, gentle cuddle bug? The s/o has a pile of clothes in a corner of their room that they cuddle the creeps on that they call their hoard. They also give the nickname of Hoard to the creeps ☺

Really just general wholesomeness w/ a dragon s/o for these three 😌

(And if you want to sprinkle some in, some spicy stuff? Only if you want and its not to much)

.

- 🐺

I wanted to add more spice but it really only came out in Helen for me. I hope you enjoy it regardless~

Offender:

Oh, he absolutely adores you. Fen does very well with this type of partner that's a bit clingy to him, and he adores being your Hoard, and it makes him feel very loved and appreciated, especially considering his neglected middle child syndrome. When it comes to your snuggle spot, you'd best bet Fen contributes to that, purchasing luxurious blankets and pillows for you to add to your collection so it's even more comfortable, and if there are any of his clothes you're particularly attached to, he doesn't mind contributing those to your pile as well. He just thinks you're so absolutely wonderful and incredible, and curling up with you, feeling safe and cared for in your arms, it becomes his favorite thing in the entire world, and when he gets home from work on his busy nights, it becomes a sort of ritual for the two of you to immediately curl up for a little bit while he destresses in your warmth. He calls you his brilliant Jewel, attributing the nickname to the various scales nestled against your flesh in different areas of your body, and he loves the feeling of dragging his fingers over your soft flesh and into your scaled areas, the difference in texture becomes so comforting and familiar to him, and it just makes him relax into you even more. He loves the feeling of belonging, and he's never wanted to belong to someone more than he does you.

Helen (Warning for semi-spicy content):

For Helen, it's a shock at first, the feeling of being wanted so much, as being viewed so strongly as yours, being claimed and added to your collection in a sense. It's a feeling he very quickly comes to find intoxicating, as Helen has always wanted to belong completely and fully to someone, to be treasured and adored, and you give him that feeling so strongly. Helen gets incredibly clingy behind closed doors, and so he spends a lot of time in your arms, in and out of that snuggly pile of yours that just smells so strongly of you. Whether sitting in your lap or curled up in your arms, Helen just gets addicted to being beside you. Helen loves giving up control to you as well, falling eagerly victim to your dominant draconic nature, as he loves just letting go after a long day and allowing you to toy with and play with him however you please, allowing you to use his body for release for the both of you. Helen just loves the feeling of being owned by you, being owned and claimed by someone that actually loves him and treats him with endless love and respect. Speaking of claiming him, when you mark him with those fangs of yours, decorating him in beautiful markings, it makes him so, so happy. As a side note, he also draws you all the time, finding your wings and tail to be enchanting, and he just thinks you're the most beautiful thing ever.

Laughing Jack:

This is absolutely his kind of relationship. Like the others, Jack craves the feeling of belonging and being loved, and just like in those other instances, you absolutely give him that feeling. A big cuddle bug as well despite his size, the two of you are pretty much always cuddling, even outside of that nest of yours. Any time the two of you can be in each other's arms, you're snuggled up, and it's even common for the two of you to walk everywhere with your arms slung around each other. When you start calling him Hoard it makes his mechanical heart skip a beat, and it flusters him every time, and he starts calling you Keeper in return, and the two of you just love the relationship you have. Also??? He makes you dragon plushies in the color of the various scales along your body, and when you add them to your nest it makes him so giddy and excited, and both of you love cuddling up amongst them. The way you tenderly hold him despite both of your sizes just makes him feel so soft and tender and loved and appreciated, and goddamnit he just wants to be with you all the time. It becomes a subconscious thing for him to greet you with "Yours", pulling your hands to his mouth as he peppers your hands in kisses every time the two of you see each other. To belong is to be loved and at peace, and he fully belongs to you, every piece of him, and the happiness that gives him is unmatched.

[catboygirljoker]

What were your thoughts about KHearts before you got into it vs Now having been into it? Also late welcome to the community hope you've had fun!

thankyou :D!! i have had fun, sitting in my little crevice and exporting my xigbar images and xigbar posts. im happy that people have connected with it in some way :]

thoughts about KH before i got into it:

for some reason i was under the impression that the games were about a boy who has dreams about disney worlds. and he has regular size feet in the real world and only has big feet in the dream world. i also think he traveled with mickey and not donald or goofy

also for some reason i was under the impression that ventus was sora's dad. it was not until i actually watched the cutscenes in birth by sleep and saw lea and isa that i realized OH. this is NOT as far back on the timeline as i thought it was

images of a spiky red boy and a spiky blond boy and a black haired depressed girl eating ice cream together with lots&lots of people sobbing in the replies. (REALLY emphasized the slow creeping emotional dread of that game for me. like golly i sure hope i dont get emotionally destroyed like all those other people! and then i , was)

when i was in middle/high school i had friends who were super into it, but i was never able to play it because my parents had a policy of No Consoles. we were allowed to have handhelds, though, because my family took frequent road trips, so when i found out that there was a KH game for DS i said to a friend "oh, cool! dyou think id be able to play it without playing the other games?" and she looked at me, and looked at her copy of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, and said "........no"

only ~15 years later do i realize how funny of a question that was

thoughts about KH as i was getting into it:

too numerous to count. i shall attempt to keep it moderately brief

last year my husband listened to a podcast called "lore dump" where people explain the lore of different media to each other, and they did an episode/series on kingdom hearts, and i heard some pretty WaCkY sTuFf (i specifically remember them explaining what the recusant's sigil is, in the context of xigbar explaining that they'd been tracking sora and riku through the story of DDD)

found a vod of one of my favorite streamers streaming 1 and 2 to benefit abortion rights in texas, and i was like, well, here's my chance, heh, im gonna understand all of the WaCkY LoRe

i start up the stream. within the first 15 minutes i Get it. like it feels very dated in a lot of ways but i instantly understood what made people connect so strongly with this series. even as someone who didn't grow up with any attachment to it, and was a little put off of it even by how into it my friends were, to me kh1 is just pure high octane nostalgia. the tone is so specific and warm and bittersweet. i cried multiple times during the ending. it just really got to me! i was hooked!

when i fixate on a media property i like to have a hot person to chew on. i really. really thought it was gonna be axel. he is exactly the kind of character i would've fixated on when i was younger, when i had friends who were into KH. older mentor figure character who takes younger characters under his wing. associated with fire. projects brash confidence. k,ills people. he's a really good character! i love him a lot! every time he appears on screen i get on all fours and start barking! and there's all this fanart and merch and...then i got distracted......

hey blake in early 2023. it's me, blake in late 2024. have you heard of kingdom hearts. yeah. yeah youre gonna get really into it. yeah youre gonna have the longest running blorbo since you mega-fixated on the tenth doctor when you were 14. yeah. yeah um. you know the clip where the guy says "me? i'm already half xehanort!" and sora says "that's..nuts!"? yeah that guy? yeah. yeah. that guy. the half xehanort guy. yeah youre gonna make a fool of yourself online for that guy.

[solomons-poison]

As someone who had pet rats, I LOVE rats they are such sweet gentile creatures

Knowing barb tho he is terrified,, how do you think he would react if he found out mc had pet rats/likes rats? (I think he would use that to his advantage in some way) but also I wanna help him get over his fear of those lovely babies💗💗

(Idk if requests are open atm, if not you can ignore, but if you do end up doing this, thank you!)

Also good way to brighten up your day is to look at dumbo rats, cutest little fellas

Finding Out MC has Pet Rats

A/N: This is such a funny prompt, thank you for sending this in ahaha. I've always wanted to get rats, they are such funny curious creatures, but I come from a family that always had cats, and I ended up with cats of my own as well by a random rescue suggested by my roommate. One day though... 🐀

Featuring: GN reader || Barbatos x reader

Warnings: talking about pet rats ?? none

══════════════════

Upon finding out about Barbatos' great dislike of rats (hatred might really be the more appropriate word), it might seem tempting to keep quiet on the subject to prevent his discomfort. But Barbatos is perceptive, and it's easy for him to see that something is bothering you, especially when it happens right after a random discussion with the brothers about your life back in the Human Realm.

You know that, really, he is willing to learn everything and anything about you and respect it. He's an adult, he knows and is willing to put in the work to make your relationship as cohesive as possible. But when it comes to your lover's greatest enemy... it's easy to understand why you'd both be hesitant.

When you first break the news to Barbatos, he is shocked, to say the least. Utterly speechless. His brain and his heart had never battled so strongly before than when he heard that you loved, and even voluntarily owned, the very creatures he loathed.

You will have to be very patient with him. Logically, he knows that Human Realm rats and Devildom rats are two different beings. The latter is more akin to Human Realm cockroaches but without the wings, difficult to eradicate and hardy in most conditions. So it might be good to start with just going over the things you like about rats, whether it's general information or about your specific pets.

Really, the best thing to do will be to set up a date with him to introduce him to your rats. Let him see their set up in your home, tell him about their quirks, show silly photos. And once all conditions have been met and Barb has had a chance to steel himself, you can bring the rats to him.

It will take several tries for him to come anywhere close to accepting them tbh. As much as he loves you, and as adorable as your pets are, the hatred is deep-seated and very difficult to get over. But he is willing to try, for the sake of your love and relationship. He never wants to hurt you or look down on the things and creatures that you love. It's just a personal battle that he'll have to fight and win.

If you do manage to win over his heart, he's quick to get very attached. But only to your rats, mind you. Any others, even if it's someone else's pet rat, the awful feeling he gets around them will be back full force. In fact, he may even be protective of your pet rats against any other rats he encounters.

He's one of those reluctant adoptive father types, who takes forever to win over. But once you've got him in the palm of your hand, he gets along with your rats very very well, teaching them little tricks and giving them treats on occasion, maybe even holding them when he's feeling brave.

Introducing Barbatos to your pet rats is really the ultimate relationship challenge. If you two manage to surpass that, nearly nothing is standing in your way from a long-lasting relationship. But it's definitely a barrier that will need some careful consideration and lots of mutual respect.

[saintsenara]

bestie i have to share the Ideas i’ve been having lately. the Concepts, if you will. (they are part of a Black sisters fic i’m writing, but i’m one of those people who thinks i’m writing a one-shot and suddenly has 20 planned chapters. i’m impatient so i’m sharing this with you now)

if you have read howard’s end by e m forster, i have been recently imagining Andromeda as being a bit like helen schlegel. (neither bellatrix nor narcissa quite fits the role of margaret, but combined they get close. looking for happiness, sure, but also practical about marrying someone of their station or above it who will supply them with the lifestyle they want, even if they want different things.) Andromeda on the other hand finds herself unable to go through with playing that role, and around the same time suddenly runs into and finds herself attached to muggleborn Ted Tonks, who’s hardworking and respectable and surely deserves access to the world Andromeda lives in, if only he could be … fixed up a bit, first.

in her mind, they’ve got a bit of a ‘my fair lady’ thing going on. she’s got a stubborn and righteous heart, but still believes the prejudices she was raised with, so she’s taken him on as a friend and a project, though she genuinely does like him and believe in him, and feels very strongly that he (and later she’ll realize, everyone else too) deserves better. and, in her defense, lucius does the exact same thing to severus, and that one works out (debatably) quite well.

but of course, she can’t plan ahead to falling in love, realizing the sphere of society she’s working so hard to get him into isn’t worth the trouble, and her family is full of assholes, and running off. which does not happen in howard’s end, but that’s because that book would like to show that helen is mad to want to upset the natural order of things and will be cured only through pastoral living and childbirth, and that’s not the direction i’m going with it. but the premise i’m working off of is similar.

it’s also fun because i usually see andromeda and ted written as having hidden their relationship and then one day out of nowhere she runs away, which is lovely and star-crossed for them, but boring for the sake of a fic about all three sisters. instead, she’s bringing this boy around on the regular and everyone thinks she’s insane. also very fun and thorny to write because andromeda, like helen, is mostly accidentally ruining his life in an effort to ‘help’ him. and yet she means so well. and they’re having so much fun when she forgets what she thinks she’s supposed to be doing. ugh. delightful. i had to get this out to somebody so i hope you enjoyed (and i hope you’ve read this book and this means anything at all to you) xoxo mwah mwah !!

slay.

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Trimax Thoughts Vol. 3 Pt. 1

Some more miscellaneous thoughts. I realized it's actually more convenient to do these before any analysis because. Well. I actually haven't read this manga before. Why was I trying to do full analyses before just letting myself read it. Why am I a dumbass.

Anyways.

It's the repression my dude

(Ok but can we talk about how Wolfwood doesn't really lie and his eyes convey his emotions whether he wants it or not and he still feels strongly because that attachment keeps him going and then how Vash has had to withdraw and shove everything into a box somewhere deep inside him because he always has to maintain a distance and always has to leave aughhh)

Ohhhhh that part where Vash is able to tell exactly how many strikes are incoming... I love how he becomes really precise and calculating in a fight. It's a really great way to show the severity of a situation and his skill and experience! (Bonus points: he does this in Tristamp too - I still cannot get over the way the animators chose to have him move right before he pulls out his gun in ep 1 - I went on an unhinged ramble about that. He's always fluid and grounded. I adore those animators they did a fantastic job.)

!!! I think this is the first time we've actually seen Knives' face since the Fifth Moon Incident! ...there's something to examine in this.

Feral Wolfwood <3

Yikes. If we wanted more emphasis on the way a lot of people around Vash do not stop to consider the severity of death. The violence is so typical in this world it's treated as a scene from which one can be detached. Vash's honest distress and compassion as entertainment :(

Hey. What the fuck.

The baby with the gun would be a lot funnier if I didn't know what Leonof had to do to people to make his puppets.

SICK AND TWISTED. WTF.

Ok say what you will though but Leonof so far has been the only one of the GHG that I think actually understands the assignment. Like. Yeah, this sure is the way to fucking break the guy. What the hell.

Oh, Vash knows him? Maybe that's why Leonof knows how to hurt him so well...?

AUGH he had puppet Doc, who vouched for Vash earlier to Brad, call him a demon!!! This also means he was killed! WTF

AUGHHHH wolfwood :(((

Meryl and Milly I love you so so much

Whjfhbdsjfbhv??? Girl??????

Vash: *starts blaming himself* Luida: "no." Vash: "oh, ok." :(

Hair down Vash <3

I really love the way we find out a bit more about Vash in this chapter. Him taking Meryl and Milly to a special place that helps him relax and heal and feel closer to Rem, even if he doesn't quite tell them that's what it is. Meryl knowing it's important somehow anyways and feeling like she can see him a little more clearly. Wolfwood freaked the hell out by the idea that Vash is immortal, but instead of leaving it at his assumptions, he still goes to talk to Luida and ask questions, who immediately proceeds to emphasize how lonely yet kind he is. We learn a lot about Vash in this chapter without him actually revealing anything about himself directly - all through other people, and the impact he's made on them. And I like how even though we find out more and more the differences between human and whatever Vash actually is, we circle right back around to confirming what we already knew about him from the beginning - he's fundamentally a kind man with a lot of pain in his heart who always makes the active choice to be nice. Just. Agh.

Wolfwood, running while carting his stupid IV pole over his shoulder: "oh fuck I need to protect women (and Vash)"

Softest look I've ever seen. What.

But ohhh does this make me happy. Because he's spent this volume thinking Vash has no survival instinct because he's immortal, etc., which terrifies him because he cannot understand not fighting to survive. Vash's smile makes a comeback here, but he now understands that it's not just a mask, it is the way he fights to survive. That smile is Vash's struggle to live in the same way the violent struggle is his, and Wolfwood I think/hope is starting to realize again that the gap is not so wide between them. He's calmed enough to remember that he actually likes this guy. Augh.

[rabbittwinrithings]

How happy are you with your current follower mods you've created? Whether that is stage of development, general features, appearance, things like that.

While I'm at it, what do you think of the followers you authored as characters, personaility wise?

Oh shit, man, this is loaded. But I don't mind it. This may be some strays thoughts.

So first off, I love my characters. In fact, I've never gotten attached to character's I've written so much like my custom voice followers. And it amazes me how much I will feel for them. There was a moment in time where I was having a hard time writing a scene where one was super angry, and for that week I, in real life, was so angry for them. I actually had to step away for a bit to calm myself down and make sure I wasn't actually causing any harm with that anger.

I have moments where I will think of Khash and, idk, it's so weird, start crying and think of how proud I am of her and that's she's made so many friends and so many care for her, as if I am a real mother thinking about her daughter.

I feel this way towards the other's too. I'll look at Varrick and think 'You're doing so good. And you're trying your best, I'm so proud of you.' Or Caryalind and say 'I promise things will get better. You've found your tribe, they'll protect you.' It's so odd and I never thought of that aspect before writing them.

-

Next, personality-wise, every follower I make has a piece of me. There are two writing advice I take to heart a lot, and that's 'write what you know,' and 'write what you want to know,' though I take them both two different ways. With 'write what you know' I look at how I want that character act, what they're like, etc. Caryalind wears his heart on his sleeve, Varrick wants to protect others, Fir has problems socializing, Disnel has ties to her culture (which is native American coded,) and Khash, well, Khash is a lot of different stuff about me mashed into one. I try and have my character's have parts of me in them.

This also goes with 'write what you want to know,' when it comes to their conflicts or problems, those are parts of me too, but mostly taken to insane extremes. (I can't say Khash's yet cause it would be spoilers for her questline.) Fir has social anxiety and depression of being a shut-in, Caryalind has done stuff in his past he percives as unforgivable and yet it was done in ignorance, Varrick is dealing with religious trauma, and Disnel deals with anger towards the disrespect of her culture and wanting to become closer to it.

Because of writing stuff that I too was having issues with, I was able to find personal solutions to issues or shed some light on them, even if they aren't completely, or even partly, fixed.

I also want to add that there followers have parts of me I wish I had. Khash and Disnel both are very un-bashful about who they are, and that's something I wish I had. Disnel says weird stuff, and her laugh is off, but she doesn't care. She doesn't stop and think 'oh, was that weird, do the people around me think that was weird?' I wish I was like that now. Or Khash is who I wish I was as a child/teen. As someone who was bullied horrifically throughout elementary, middle, and high school, I wished I didn't care what other's thought and was just myself.

(But to be fair, Khash also has an attitude of 'why should I care what others think when I have my family,' Which was something I felt strongly as a kid despite now having self-cofidence issues.)

I do want to point out though, my follower's all having daddy issues got nothing to do with my personal life. My dad is fuckin' awesome!

(Funny enough, a line from Khash where she quotes Marlok about how a certain type of bird "are jerks," is taken by quote from my dad. We were sitting on his front porch bird watching, and I was taking notes for Khash and what she would like about nature, and he said that so I wrote it as quick as I could.)

-

I don't have much to say about appearance. I love how all the followers look, but even then I'm not picky. Like I adore seeing replaces and seeing how people interpret them. I may not agree with them 100% of the time, but I don't care. I love seeing my character's get reimagined like that!

out of all the followers, these two for Varrick and Caryalind are my favorites!

Obviously, though, I add little quirks I like to all of them.

I adore Khash's little stuck-up nose.

I love Caryalind's curly hair.

I love Varrick's fashion sense.

I love Fir's striking eyes.

I love how flat Disnel's side profile is.

Okay, maybe there is more I could say about their appearances, but I'm sure it would just be more 'I love (insert some detail about them.)' cause I just love how they all look!

-

Stage of development is a tricky one cause I have mixed feelings about it. School has really kept me away from my followers, and it hurts, but with summer break I've found I have the time to finally work on them.

I recently been working on a road map of the followers to hopefully see what all I need (at least for the initial release for some,) and want.

Caryalind should have an update soon.

I'm hoping to get the first half of Varrick's romance up during the summer.

I want to get most of Fir written and implemented over the summer.

I hope to get Disnel out by the end of the summer. (Not completed, but still a good chunk of stuff there.)

And Khash, is another matter I will discuss at the end...

Sometimes I feel bad for not making more or quicker updates. Some mod authors are absolute gods at it, and I wish I could update as quickly, but I also try not to get myself upset about it. This is meant to be fun for everyone, including me. Part of me says it's selfish, and another part then hits and says 'no, that's not.' (If you couldn't tell, anxiety is something I struggle with pretty badly.)

Okay, now the thing about Khash, cause I really didn't want to disrupte any flow with above is her questline has created such a huge headache, at first. I made Khash when I first learning the ck and the same for more complicated questing. Because of this, her questline is a huge, buggy mess. because of that, and seeing the state Khash's esp is in, I decided to try and make her from the ground up again, along with additions and changes. Cause like, now, a questline like her's is a cake walk from what I've done in Ganval and Disnel's stuff. I just didn't know how to do it at the time of making Khash. But this also means Khash's development and update will take much longer than I hoped. While the lines are going pretty steadily (I think I started rebuilding two weeks ago and half of the of lines are implemented,) It's voicing that will probably take the longest. This is because I haven't done Khash's voice in perhaps a year and my throat isn't used to it anymore. because of that, voicing lines will take the longest time to do. But, for a sneak peak, some other additions are:

New introduction quest

More inventory room (Khash will have a backpack the player can toggle on and off.)

And I really hope to give her some kind of pet.

There are other obvious ones like how I want to add her adoption. I would also like to add more questions for the player to answer about themselves. Khash didn't know much about Marlok's past, and if she is looking to the player as a new guardian, she wants to try and learn more about you. But these are still up in the air, aka, not written, so I don't want to promise anything until it is for sure written.

Hopefully this whole reboot will fix alot of her bugs, story issues, and other stuff in the og mod.

With all that said though, I hope to have an update or a good chunk of each follower done by the end of the summer. I'm not sure where that will put Ganval in development. I started Ganval just for fun set design, and then thought it could be a good quest portfolio piece. But with how much questing my current followers are getting, I think just themselves are good portfolio pieces.

Sorry for just this huge wall of text. I may have gotten a bit carried away. But I hope this all answers the question really well. I know writing all this did help me get some thoughts I had out of my brain and out there.

Love y'all!

[dent-de-leon]

just some personal thoughts on Mollymauk comic and his relationships that I kinda wanted to put out there somewhere:

I don’t know. In those early days, Molly just feels so young and innocent and impressionable, and…I feel bad, because there was something kind of offputting to me about him falling for someone much older with all this worldly experience? Which I think is a shame, because she's such a fascinating character that I'd love to see more? (I also can't really tell if the relationship is intended to feel uncomfortable, or if that's just my own personal feelings on it, it might just be that.)

They're at very different stages in life though, and I wonder if the relationship is more so meant to represent Molly falling in love with life in spite of how brief and full of loss it can be. But anyway, it just struck me as heartbreaking that he immediately falls for one of the first people who was ever kind to him. Like he couldn’t help immediately latching onto her and getting so attached. Feeling so empty and craving any sense of connection and intimacy.

I wonder if he falls in love with Lestera partially because it feels like he’s experiencing life and relationships for the very first time, and to him the lines between an apprentice and student relationship and platonic love and romantic love all kind of just blur into one. And he just knows he feels very strongly for her, and longs for a sense of connection to drown out the clawing emptiness. "Bond" is one of his very first words, and he says it on the first night he meets her.

There's a sense of him kind of trailing after her like a lost puppy in the beginning. And even as he starts to regain his sense of self and finds peace and confidence in his identity, it's very clear that this feels like the first time he's ever been in love. There's very much a young foolishness to his romantic heart that just hurts--he's so optimistic and earnest in how he loves. Like he thought they would be together forever. Like she becomes this constant in his life he was once so dependent on--until he experiences his first real loss.

It hurts so much to lose her, but. At least--probably because she's lived such a full, happy life--he's not entirely consumed by that grief, and is able to celebrate the time they had together and look back on it fondly. Not the way Lucien is so broken up over Brevyn that he shuts down completely, tries so hard to forget about her and never so much as speak her name again. But Molly weaves aspects of Lestera's memory into his own identity, carries her cards and his coat and makes them both his own. Is able to still find happiness and joy even after losing someone so important in his life.

But it's nevertheless so tragic, that both Lucien and Molly are shaped by someone they loved--someone they lost. What does Mollymauk learn about love then? When he grows so dependent on someone and is willing to dedicate his whole life to them, only to have to lose them in the end? Both relationships end in Molly having to watch them die, alone and left behind.

Molly and Yasha are family, kindred spirits. Platonic soulmates. But I think there is a bit of truth to that moment early on when Molly is playfully teasing her, lets himself be a bit more honest and tries to brush it off as a joke. That moment when Yasha says she won't let him risk his life for others all alone, and he giver her a wink and says, "Suppose I could use the company. I am recently out of a relationship the hard way..."

He's teasing, smiling. But it betrays a core truth--he doesn't want to be alone. Taleisin said that Mollymauk being a romantic is an intrinsic aspect to all his lives, the one constant he always builds his identity around. It's so tragic, that Molly is perhaps the most hopeless romantic of all the Nein, and yet he's the only one aside from Caducues (who has no interest in romance and no desire for it), that never gets a happy end with a loving partner.

It's sad, seeing the Reunion, and how everyone else has found a love to build a life with, except for him. He's alone. Again. And I can't help thinking of how Molly falls fast and hard in every life. How he's swept up in his feelings for both Lestera and Brevyn so quickly. How he wakes as Kingsley and takes one look at Caleb and it's, "Oh. You're cute, Magic Man." "Magic Man--looking good." Biting his lip and fond teasing and letting his gaze linger on a someone his heart still remembers.

Thinking of Molly calling out to Yasha first when he's resurrected, to his dearest friend and the angelic soul he sees as Love--but it's still Caleb he turns to immediately after, the second person he tries to reach for. The one who fought so hard to save him in that final fight, who poured his whole heart and soul into that resurrection ritual, desperately hoping to see him again. Magician. Thinking of Lucien's last memory of his lover, and how it immediately bleeds into Molly's memory of kissing Caleb.

How he never got the chance to tell his magician how he really feels. That even in the end, he thought of him as "softness and light" and held onto the sensation of kissing him like a lifeline--knowing that their time together was very brief, but it still meant something dear to him. Like how he he still treasures his time with Lestera even after he's begun to move on.

Thinking of how Caleb still longed to save Molly throughout the entire final arc. How gutting it is that he still loses him in the end. Molly never got to say goodbye to Lestera, and when he kisses her for the last time, she's already gone. Caleb never got to say his farewell to Mollymauk either. And when all his magic and hope has failed him, when he has nothing left to give, he offers Molly one last forehead kiss, even though he's already cold and gone, lying lifeless in his arms.

And I can't help but believe that those feelings Molly carried for Caleb in multiple lives still linger, the way they did in that final episode of the campaign. And it makes me so sad--especially in light of that conversation where Orym says he doesn't have anyone--that there is no one waiting for Molly. That he falls hard and fast. Once, twice, thrice, and it ends in death every time. The fact that he never even got a chance to tell Caleb how he feels. And I just want to see a moment where Kingsley and Caleb explore those lingering feelings, where King is ready to let someone back into his heart again. Even if it's just for a moment, for one more forehead kiss. I just want this Circus man to find happiness.