#Fumbling Romance

[searsage]

-PDA/message transmission: Time: 0437-06/22/*****-

Robin: SAM! SAAAAM  HELLO? ARE YOU AWAKE?

Sam: Robin..? Why in the devine hell are you texting me this late?!

Robin: Oh good you're awake!

Sam: Now I'm awake, it's 4am...did something happen?

Robin: What? Happen... Like what?

Sam: I don't know anything, Something bad..? Throw me a bone!

Robin: Ohhhh! No...but YES!

Sam:...What? Robin you're not making sense..

Robin: Stop talking so loud he's sleeping, you know they hardly do that..?

Sam: I'm not talking loud, I'm texting you god damn it! I'd ask if those architects switched your brain out for a chipmunk's but you've always texted like you were half in the barrel of helium poisoning...

Robin: What!? Rude!

Sam: Why are you texting me in the middle of the night Robin!?

Robin: Oh! Right-right! So..like he's bigger than I thought... like I only reach his chest.

Sam: Is that bad..? Should I be worried..?

Robin: Oh..well no, it's ok I guess. He wants to take me on a tour of the planet, it's not the worst idea, it's kind of gorgeous here, even if it's mostly water.

Sam: That sounds fun...so why are you on the phone at 3 am..?

Robin: Right! I'm getting there, stop rushing me! I asked him about the whole intimacy inquiry in his ad, he claims it wasn't necessary to be compensated for my time.

Sam: That's GREAT! It would have been a deal breaker really, at least you know he's a freak but not that type of freak.

Robin: Haha..yeah...but like..

Sam: Like what..?

Robin: He's not so bad, kind of stuck up and awkward but knowledgeable when it comes to the wildlife here.

Sam: Uh-huh..well just make sure he doesn't try any funny business, you're there to keep him company and aid in his research so..he better not get any ideas.

Robin: Trust me he doesn't seem interested really, far too enthralled by the alkaline levels in the water!

Sam: Oh he's that type of nerd..

Robin: Yeah.

Sam: Jeez i almost feel bad setting this up, seems like you're going to spend the next month licking stones.

Robin: Hey! That's a valid way of testing sodium levels

Sam: Yeah. For a moose!

Robin: You're...not wrong. Ok i'm going to go to bed now

Sam: Ok keep me posted, let me know if i need to fly there and kick his shrimpy architect ass

Robin: Oh his tail! It wiggles sometimes! Usually when he's startled or excited! It's really cute if I'm going to be honest here..

Sam: Shut up, I need some sleep!

Robin: I'm texting remember!

Sam: Oh for the love of god!

Robin: Your words not mine!

Sam: Just be careful and get some sleep.

Robin: Okay..and Sam..?

Sam: Yeah?

Robin: Thanks for setting this whole thing up, I was really in a pinch, it means a lot..."

Sam: Sure Robin, anything for my little sis. Love you too, good night"

Robin: Night..

-PDA/message transmission: Time: 0313-06/27/*****-

Robin: SAM!!! SAAAAM GOD DAMN IT BE AWAKE NOW!!!

Sam:WHAT what?!  Where are you!? Are you okay?!

Robin: Saaaaaaam!

Sam: Are you in serious danger or something?!

Robin:Huh? Oh! no, I'm fine...physically...

Sam: Then why the hell are you spamming my phone at 3 am in the morning Robin?! You almost gave me a heart attack!

Robin: Oh sorry.. I just needed to talk..

Sam: Okay, about what? is everything ok..?

Robin: No, Not really..

Sam: What happened? Was it something with Alan? Was he being a creep?! Damn it! Do you need me to pick you up? Because I will! Just say the word.

Robin: Uh...no, it's...nothing like that...really.

Sam: Then throw me a bone here Robin! You've been acting strange as hell tonight...I'm worried..

Robin: I...I we..uhh...I slept with him...

Sam: You WHAT?!

[randomness-is-my-order]

i think one of the most wonderful traits of wei wuxian is how socially competent he is, which is why it always annoys me if he is mischaracterized as someone who is unaware about how those around him feel, just because of the way his relationship with lan wangji pans out in the books. the dynamic between them was extremely multifaceted and what seemed obvious to us was very rightfully NOT obvious to wei wuxian and he hardly had time to sort those feelings out, given the kind of harrowing ordeals he was going through. but that aside–the way wei wuxian’s “social competence” manifests isn’t just social courage–in that, the risk of embarassment or self-consciousness doesn’t stop his self expression–or just his general forwardness and social butterfly tendencies but also–and imo, most importantly–his perceptiveness and astute reading of people around him which comes from a deep understanding of the human social element, at the individual and the societal level.

he has full awareness of how his station is looked down upon in the cultivation world and so while others in his situation may bend or break–wei wuxian cleverly toes the line between the two until taking a stance becomes necessary. he deeply understands the ugly dynamics running within the jiang family and clan and acts accordingly–be it his prompt efforts to placate jiang cheng or his conscious silence when madame yu is in a mood or even his acceptance of the whipping in lieu of restoring stability for the clan. despite his personal biases against jin zixuan, he can recognise his bravery. even his scandalous move to begin undressing in the cave shows that he knows exactly what would make lan wangji tick.

hell, i’d say even his initial thought about how the resentment of the dead can be redirected towards a target shows his striking comprehension of how emotions work in general. what’s more, he’s able to recognise the machinations nie huaisang had employed and he was also aware of the bigger picture associated with how fickle and easily swayed mob mentality was when everyone took part in bashing jin guangyao when certain truths came to light. when he was first brought back to life, he quickly and correctly deduced what kind of life mo xuanyu must have led and how he could act in order to easily humiliate the mo family. he empathised with jin ling and yet realised how he was brought up left something to be desired and so, tried to inculcate some of his own highly regarded values to him.

the deft manner in which he handled the juniors speaks for itself–a good teacher will always have good communication skills and wei wuxian went above and beyond just “good”. his people skills on nighthunts are extremely helpful–his ability to make tongues loose simply by charming people is highlighted more than once. just off the top of my head–him politely appealing to jin guangshan about the wen remnants and apologising for “intruding”, him readily handing in his sword at the indoctrination camps, him suggesting to jiang cheng that he should leave the clan once he was at the burial mounds–all of this (and much much more) demonstrates wei wuxian’s competence at guaging complex social dynamics, which is why, when he goes against the current and stands firm, it is a deliberate, well thought out decision, one made after considering the risks and repercussions, and that makes wei wuxian’s stance at the end that much more powerful. he is not stumbling his way through life, is not unheeding of his social status, is not a “mad genius with poor social skills”. hell, i would say wei wuxian’s ability to see straight through people is more impressive than even his insane intellect and to reduce that aspect of him feels like a disservice to his character. because when it comes down to it, the fact of the matter is that the murky social world through wei wuxian’s lens is actually astonishingly clear.

[vaguely-concerned]

fun detail I only put into context after seeing the post-fade jail romance scenes with all the companions: lucanis is the only one where rook is surprised when they realize he's there as he starts talking, because they didn't hear him come in haha. (Bellara and Neve knock before entering, like relatively normal people fhsda. Harding's scene starts in medias res but from the staging my vibe is that she and Rook entered the room together. Taash walks into the room ahead of Rook. Davrin comes in through a door left open for him -- Rook is standing with their back turned but they clearly expected him, they just smile a bit and don't seem surprised. Emmrich of course takes you to the Grand Necropolis for the top goth hookup since Mary Shelly fucked on her parents' graves, the man quite simply never misses.)

lucanis has also closed the door behind him without rook noticing. old assassin habits die hard I suppose lol. he totally still accidentally jumpscares the others without meaning to all the time because he moves around quietly when he doesn't think about it, I know this in my heart. I wonder if he was just... looking at them for a while before he spoke up.

[caemidraws]

Last session notes

[ratatattouille]

Amanda Overton interview got me TWEAKING SO HARD I've committed to creating the full ARCANE CRITICAL masterdoc.

[driftingballoons]

I love Rozenmarine, but sometimes the way her VA says “Elise” is just so

[bapzap]

i have met so many trans men that respect me like a woman and treat me like a human that my tolerance for the ones that can't is deeper than the pit im gonna pick these dudes into. i know for a fact you can be better. my being surrounded by transmascs who actually put in the effort is proof of that.

its seriously not hard unless you just immediately swallow the MRA misogyny bullshit about trans women.

[haydenswonderfulworld]

Major DATV spoilers but…

Davrin and Lucanis seriously should have explored each other’s bodies.

It’s kind of hard to put into words but they parallel each other with their respective sense of duty. Sacrifice and protection for Davrin and killing for Lucanis. They’re so different but also the same which is what fuels a lot of their arguments and banter. They also end up working together to kill Ghila’nain at Weisshaupt and if you pick Davrin for the distraction team near the end they end up together again working towards this goal once again. And during it Davrin sacrifices himself for Rook and Lucanis’s protection and gives Lucanis another shot to kill Ghila’nain.

They both complete their duty but both sacrifice so much for it. For Davrin, it’s his life and for Lucanis it cements his place as first talon of the crows, this revered assassin and killing machine, a position he doesn’t care for and feels he can’t turn down because he feels he can’t say no to Caterina.

This sense of duty kills Davrin and it will kill Lucanis.

And I think them understanding each other more would help them see this about themselves.

TDLR: exploring each other’s bodies could have fixed them.

[star--nymph]

actually I think the most unbelievable part of Veilguard is reading Josephine's romance letter and finding out the Inquisitor hasn't married her in ten years

let me get this straight

the love your life is THIS woman

AND YOU HAVEN'T PROPOSED TO HER IN OVER A DECADE???????????????????????????????

[disaster-j]

What really pisses me off is people insisting the break-up doesn't make sense as its own thing when it's so clearly in-character for both of them

Buck has been in a serious relationship with a man for six months but hasn't said the word bisexual. We only know that's His Label bc Oliver Stark calls him bisexual outside of the show. Buck has had what seemed to be a perfect fairytale relationship with Tommy bc Tommy made him feel so safe and comfortable and taken care of that he just let everything else about his coming out journey kinda simmer on the back burner.

And, hey, there's nothing wrong with taking your time with that. But considering the scene at dispatch where he still couldn't talk about his sexuality in concrete terms, clearly he hasn't processed it much, if at all. Buck is the guy who dives deep into research at the slightest opportunity, him knowing so little about queerness and queer culture six months into a serious same-sex relationship isn't just out of character but a clear sign that he simply hasn't done any work to explore his sexuality for himself outside of his relationship with Tommy. Whether the writers intended for it read like that or not doesn't matter very much, bc that's exactly what I'm seeing here.

And, again, that alone as a reason to break up with someone is extremely shitty but that's also not what happened.

Tommy clearly has a history of isolating. He's been hurt a lot in the past, we don't need to know the details to know he's a deeply wounded man who spent most of his life guarding his own heart from the world. He told Buck and the audience over and over again, "I look confident. I look sure. I am comfortable. But it took hard work. I wasn't like this before. This is new. This is good but this is scary. I'm working on it I'm working on it I'm working."

He can see that Buck views him as something more, something better, than he thinks he is. Buck loves Tommy, Buck was infatuated with Tommy. Tommy was this perfect guy in Buck's eyes. And that scared Tommy. It intimidated him. But he kept going bc it wasn't a big deal and he could always remind Buck that hey he's just a guy, a guy who had done things wrong for a long time. But Buck never fully grasped it either. Likely bc of how good Tommy made him feel, he struggled to fully grasp that things with Tommy couldn't always be so perfect and good and safe.

They don't talk about that but they keep going bc they like each other bc they're falling in love bc until that six month mark they were both still fairly distracted by how good it felt to be together to really, seriously consider the ramifications of ignoring those not-so-little things they didn't want to face right then.

And then suddenly it's been six months and they're clearly both in love and they're both clearly not ready to be acknowledging that at all. It's been six months and they're just trying to match each other's pace but have never talked about what that pace actually is and then suddenly they're talking about how Tommy used to be engaged to the woman who taught Buck what a real relationship meant and they still aren't even ready to acknowledge they're in love but Buck is already asking to move in together and talking about marriage and they haven't even said i love yous and Buck can't even utter the word bisexual out loud but he wants to jump into living together and fusing their lives together.

But he's not ready for that. As far as Tommy can see he's not ready for that. And if he's asking for something so big when he can't even say the word love then maybe, in Tommy's mind, he'll never truly be able to say it. Maybe they'll keep going like this. Living together and being together but Buck can't face his sexuality as its own thing and Tommy can't face how his trauma affects their relationship and eventually it'll be too much and maybe Buck still wouldn't want to say it and Tommy would push him away like he pushes everyone away and then they'll be right back to that moment, weeks or months or years later, with Buck wanting more but not able to say those words and with Tommy wishing he'd left before it hurt so much.

And sure it hurts to leave now but at least now he's early. Now, Buck hasn't wrapped himself around every piece of his life. Just his heart. At least now he'll hurt but he won't have to move just to get rid of the scent of Evan Buckley perpetually lingering in every corner of his home.

Buck loves Tommy so much he can't imagine a future without him. Tommy loves him so much he can't imagine a future where he gets to keep him.

The break-up makes all the sense in the world. It just doesn't make sense that the break-up wouldn't force them to work on their respective issues and bring them back together stronger in the future.

[joyful-patatas]

I've been reading a lot of oi and regression manhwas where the fl ends up in the body of someone and starts treating the child like their own. Some of my favorites and hugely recommend are: The Villainess Flips The Script, The Wicked Tale of Cinderella's Stepmom, and My In-Laws Are Obsessed With Me.

I'm also OBSESSED with Twisted Wonderlad and was thinking of doing one for Riddle's mom where an oc gets isekaied into her body and ends up maybe a couple months before the main story of Riddle's second year with the relationship really tense. Isekaied OC was a therapist that specialized in working with traumatized teens and can see signs of a dysfunctional home based on the reaction of Riddle's father and how curt and proper Riddle is on the phone. While learning more about Riddle by pretending to have amnesia, she realizes that he really focuses so much on rules to a concerning degree and sort of tries to gently broach the idea of relaxing on rules and strictness, but that quickly backfires with Riddle thinking this is some kind of trick to get him to slip and he ends up even more guarded around his "mother". Or maybe MC comes the exact same time as Yuu does and only really meets Riddle during the winter break.

I was also thinking about making the OC someone who desperately wanted children but couldn't. Whether from infertility, awful circumstantial factors like finances and career, or all of the above. Looking like the woman who abused Riddle is dreadful but also feels manipulative to pretend to be his real mother.

I was also thinking of maybe the OC being Yuu's foster parent and they both get isekaied to Twisted Wonderland but in different ways.

Maybe I'll also take inspiration with "This Maid is Forming a Union" on webtoon (It’s soo good I promise you!! Both the worldbuilding and the characters and the callout of terrible story delivery of manhwas that completely altered the way I read the genre!!).

I am also taking inspiration on @anakin-walker's series, "My Dearest Mother" where it's the same isekai concept, but they're there when the OB!Boys are little children. Definitely go check it out!

I'll try developing the idea a bit more and post the chapters once I have something coherent lol

[suddenly-stickmin]

GUYS!!!!!! CHECK OUT THESE SCREENSHOTS I TOOK FROM THIS SUPER SECRET STICK DATING SIM GAME?!?!?!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAYYYYYYYY here are the edits without the text boxes! <3 <3 <3

[daemon-in-my-head]

Realistically tho, there's no need for a gortash romance.

Ao3 is a thing.

The stories you find on there are better and far richer than what the game could offer anyway.

Go support your local fanfic author.

[saltyfilmmajor]

I think the HeiShin dynamic is great but imaging a love confession between them is nigh impossible because Shinichi wouldn’t confess without great provocation and heiji would be in denial for his feelings or actively forget to confess

[needsmorewlw]

Male Rook romancing a male character: [assigned bottom by dev team]

[cassiaorsellio]

Chat, I think I've cracked Cassia's true romance ending. Now I just need to run some tests. After Eufrates II. Because I'm not doing that hell dungeon twice.