#I think that’s pretty lucky tbh but some might say otherwise

[a-chaotically-small-lunta]

Merchild (5)

Part 4 : Part 6

Randy’s gotta drop off some fish, and then get back to Jade who really wants to show him what she’s found.

Warnings: Not any really.

Watching Jade dive back into the water calmed Randy a bit. He really didn’t want her to just hang out on the beach. A part of him wished she could but, what if someone saw her? What if Bruce or Eugene came by and saw her? He knew they were on lookout for a mermaid thanks to Bruce seeing her but still. He didn’t want to risk it, especially since he would be there to protect or cover for her if they did show up. Randy didn’t know what those two were planning to do once they found evidence of her or just Jade in general and he did not want to find out.

He loaded his truck with the three crates, silently wishing he had more. Randy wasn’t thinking yesterday when he caught all those fish. He knew he didn’t have many crates cause why have a bunch of you aren’t going to use them? He barely filled one so having a bunch of extra felt like a waste of space. Maybe now he could try getting more. He knew the five from yesterday were still at Wilson’s since he likes to use them as a display or for storing the fish, but he always gave them back the next day so it didn’t bother Randy. He hopped into his truck and drove off. Occasionally glancing over at the sea.

I wonder what she said, he thought to himself. The first time when she was frustrated was a bit scary. He had seen that kind of frustration from Andrew when he couldn’t figure out how to draw a cat, and just huffed and gave up. So Randy knew she was upset that she couldn’t do something but what? But when she showed up so upset, for a split second Randy was scared that she might hurt him. She was bigger then him, he was basically like a teddy bear to her! So it would’ve been bad if she wanted to do something to him. But when she slumped down, the fear disappeared with just a bit left tingling in his hands. Randy continued to think about that moment as he pulled into Wilson’s shop.

“Oh early today Mmh?” It was Lashunda. She was poking her head out the window of the back.

“Haha! Yeah didn’t have many crates left so I just filled the ones I got,” Randy replied closing the trucks door behind him.

Lashunda walked out and joined him in unloading the filled crates. They each took one and walked inside, setting them by the station where they’d be prepped. Jabari was sitting nearby reading a book, and looked up when he heard the two enter.

“Mind grabbing the last crate Jabari?” Lashunda asked.

Jabari sighed with a shrug, before hopping up and heading out to grab the crate.

“Need help with these ones today?” Asked Randy as Jabari carried the last crate inside.

“Nah, I’m pretty bored today so you just have me something to do. Dad’s out in town doing his thing and Brandon is out fishing right now…at least that’s what he said he was doing. Bet he’s taking a nap right now to be honest, haha! And well It’s Wednesday so Maria is at school.”

“Heh alright, I’ll let you have something to do for once. Since you seem sooooo bored,” Randy chuckled which got him an eye roll from Lashunda.

“Anyway here,” she handed him a wad of cash, “that’s for the fish yesterday. Decent amount this time.”

Randy was genuinely surprised by it but he didn’t know if it was from the amount or from the fact he hadn’t gotten this much in awhile.

“Uh thanks! Got the crates? Oh and any extra ones?”

“Mmh don’t know about extra ones, but we got your crates. They’re just outside the door for ya.”

“Thanks Lashunda, I’ll get them. Enjoy your fish gutting.”

Lashunda waved him off as he walked out of the house. Spotting the empty and cleaned out crates, he packed them back into his truck.

Damn, he thought to himself, I have the whole afternoon free from work if I wanted. I mean I could fill these crates but then I wouldn’t have any for tomorrow…perhaps I should just go back home.

A grin crossed Randy’s face. Perhaps, he thought, I’ll try and see what Jade was saying earlier. He hopped into his truck and headed back home.

While on his drive he was thinking about what she had said; Before he had left and after he told her to go back underwater she shook her head no, Yet she still went under, so what was she saying? One thing was for sure though; she could learn to speak. When she had said boat earlier it truly impressed Randy, he didn’t think it was possible. Although it seemed that if she were to learn more words there’d be trouble. Probably something to do with how certain sounds were made for certain words to be formed. He didn’t know the science of it but he didn’t really care. Randy was just excited to see Jade speaking words he could understand.

Eventually he pulled back to his home and parked his truck. Randy’s home was nice and cozy. It was small but had enough room for a family. It was his great grandfather’s home and just kept getting passed down to the eldest kid. His grandma got it, then his dad, then Randy. It was old, had to be fixed up a few times but it was nice. It sat under a large cliff, with large rocks scattered the beach. It wasn’t the prettiest of sights but, when the sun rose in the morning, it was a beautiful sight to see.

Randy looked out to the sea and smiled, he just got an idea. Quickly running into the house he ran through up to his room. Tossing his keys onto the bedside table, he opened up the drawer underneath his bed. Digging through the underwear and socks he eventually felt it, and quickly pulled it out. His swim trunks. He knew he didn’t need them and could just jump into the water with just shorts on but, he wanted to have some fun today.

Quickly changing into the swim trunks, he tossed on a white shirt and walked back outside. Walking along the beach towards his dock where his fishing boat gently bobbed in the waves. He walked along the dock, making sure to avoid the more broken bits of it, he made his way to the end. With a relieved sigh he sat down and let his feet dangle off the dock, as he watched the waves of the sea.

After a few moments he saw her, she slowly popped her head above the water looking over at him, before her head fully popped out with excited wiggles from her fins and a bright smile. Jade happily swam over with a bright smile, gently wrapping her arms around him in a hug. She started clicking and saying things that Randy really didn’t understand but she seemed excited.

Jade let go and swam back with an excited and bright smile. Randy felt a smile escape him before he got stood up.

“Alright, I don’t know what’s got you excited but, I hope you don’t mind just going for a swim,” he tossed his white shirt off onto the dock before jumping into the water with a splash.

Randy swam up and treaded the water a bit, taking in a big breath. He dove under a bit and slowly blinked his eyes under the water, so they could get used to it. He knew this probably wasn’t the best for his eyes but, he didn’t care when he was 10 and he’s not gonna start now.

He popped back up to see that Jade had swam up to him, curious about what was happening. Her head tilted at him.

“What’s wrong? Do I swim weird? Well you got a whole tail and fins! Of course I’m going to swim weird compared to you, haha!” He laughed as she seemed more confused but slightly amused.

The two swam about for a bit, getting used to swimming together…well more like Randy trying to keep up with Jade’s swimming and Jade happily showing off her tricks. She would swim down and back up, jumping out of the water with a flip and a smile. It was amazing to watch. He also noticed that her scales were all green. The started out green near her head and torso, then the green became slowly lighter in hue, eventually some of those started to have bits of yellow-ish color on them, and some that were more yellow than green had faded to an almost white color with a gentle touch of orange along the edge of them. Her tail and fins had this same effect, but it was amazing to see. Randy wondered if the colors meant anything or if they were just genetics.

Jade then dived down, waiting for Randy to join her again. Taking another breath he dived back down under the water, and he watched as Jade did the same. It was amazing to see her in her element. She quickly swam down past him with twists and turns, quick little flicks from her fins and tail. It was like watching a dancer dancing on stage with no worries. She had some amazing skills for just a kid, but maybe that’s cause she lived her whole life in water. Maybe what was impressive to him was just a normal thing for mermaids.

Jade swam further down and Randy followed for a bit. She was fast compared to him, and he was almost upset by that fact. He couldn’t believe he was getting outdone by a kid…then again said kid was a giant mermaid so maybe he should feel bad about this.

Jade swam down further and waved her arm, trying to get Randy to come further down. It was almost to dark to see but, he could tell she was trying to get him into what looked like an underwater cave. I can’t hold my breath for that long, he thought to himself before quickly swimming back up. He watched as Jade came up with confusion written all over her face.

“Sorry Jade, I can’t hold my breath that long. Don’t think I’d survive in a cave of water.” He said looking at her.

She was still confused, he needed to explain that he didn’t have gills like her. That’s it!

He swam closer to her and motioned her to lower herself a bit. She hesitatingly did so. Randy in that moment froze. Looking at her closely, studying her. Her seaweed like hair dripping water, sloppily flopped into the water. Her yellow eyes studied him with confusion and curiosity. The ear like fins on her head would occasionally twitch or flick. He then spotted them, her gills. They were alongside her neck.

“See these?” He asked while gently touching her gills, causing them to rapidly twitch shut from contact, “oh um…well those are your gills…I think….and I don’t have those, ”He swam back a bit but, moved his head so his neck was exposed.

Randy watched as Jade reached up to touch her neck, feeling the edges of her gills, all the while looking at his neck. She then reached out. A part of Randy screamed to move and that she might hurt him, but another part stayed calm and he focused on that. Her hand reached over and her claws gently touched his neck, feeling the smooth gill-less texture. Jade was amazed, as she touched her gills and his non-gills. She then giggled as his beard hair had tickled her. She pulled back and Randy felt a sigh of relief escape him. He couldn’t have been that nervous could he?

Jade then paused, her brow furrowed in thought, just before and idea popped into her head. She said a few things with clicks and another noises, all the while she extended her hand. She had a wide smile on her face.

Randy looked at Jade and at her outstretched hand, “I don’t know what you are thinking, or what you’re going to do…but I need you to know that I can’t breathe underwater,” he said all of this while awkwardly acting it out. Taking breaths above water and then pointing at the water and pretending to die. Jade nodded but insisted that he take her hand, by pushing it towards him more. He sighed, no use reasoning with a child who could literally kill you at any second.

Taking her hand she pulled him into a hug. Holding him like a child would a teddy bear against her chest. She smiled down at him before mimicking taking a breath. He nodded and took a huge breath, and the second he filled his lungs, she dove down.

Randy watched as the water and surrounding rocks rushed past him. He then watched as she dove straight into the cave she had been trying to get him to go into earlier. She gently let him go, holding onto his hand and motioning with the other towards the cave. She clicked a few words, but Randy was more amazed by what he was seeing. The cave was somehow lit up with a soft blue and green glow on the ceiling, and soft sand had made up the floor. The space was huge!

Randy then felt his lungs trying to give out, he quickly tugged at Jade and pointed to himself. Trying to motion that he needed to breathe. She froze confused for a second before quickly nodded, but instead of taking him out of the cave, she rapidly took him into another tunnel of the cave.

Randy was freaking out, he was going to have to take a breath soon and at this rate it’ll be just water! She quickly swam through the tunnel and then with a splash she stopped. Wait a splash?

Randy looked around, and took a few deep breaths. They were still in the cave but, there was an air pocket. Jade gently let go of him, but continued to hold his hand. She pointed up and explained something. Randy looked up and saw plants dangling from the ceiling, covering parts of the wall, and dipping into the water. He could hear a gentle trickle of water somewhere as well, but he was more amazed by the plants. Long vine like plants with gentle magenta, purple, and pink flowers growing in bunches on the vines. Jade reached up and gently held one of the flowers, happily explaining something.

Randy didn’t really need her to explain, even if he could understand her. He knew what this was, The Lungs of the Sea, Sea’s Breath, Mermaid Wishes, Wave Fruit; he knew many of its names. It was only a legend, that everyone believed had disappeared. It was a legend as old as the mermaids but everyone believed it had gone extinct, much like many believed all the mermaids had died or hidden away. It was a plant that would take in water, and turn it into oxygen. He had read every book in the library about the legends of the sea but this one was the most lost. Some books said that ancient sailors would take these plants and eat them or breathe in their seeds, so the plant could take root in their lungs. They could then breathe underwater, however they would forever be stuck living in the water. That or their lungs would burst from the plants wanting to grow, but that was a theory that many people believed actually happened to those ancient sailors.

Either way, Randy couldn’t believe it. This rare and ancient plant was basically and almost literally in his backyard, and no one knew. He was amazed and he then caught Jade looking at him with a cheeky smile.

“You knew this was here? Wow, and I thought I was just gonna drown for a second there, but you knew I wouldn’t…at least I hope that you didn’t just wing it…heh…You’re one smart or lucky cookie.”

Jade happily wiggled her fins and she gently guided Randy over to one of the walls. He noticed that there was a shelf of rock, that acted like a makeshift shore. He noticed that it was wet, despite the rest of the cave being dry. At least the parts not in the water. Jade laid down on the makeshift beach and looks up at the plants, and Randy sat nearby still looking at the slab of rock.

Looking closely he saw that there was a small leak of water flowing into the cave. That was the trickle he heard before, and it ran alongside the slab of rock into the water within the cave. Part of him wondered where it was coming from but that was a mystery for another time perhaps.

Randy looked over at Jade who was relaxing, looking up at the flowers. That’s when Randy got an idea. He quickly stood up and walked around the slab, gathering any fallen flowers from it, and a single long strand of the vine that had fallen. He then walked back to Jade and tapped her head. She paused and looked at him with a “what?” Look. He then gently gathered her hair and pretended to lift her head up. Jade lifted her head and Randy gather all her hair and laid it in the slab.

Giving her a thumbs up, she laid her head back down in confusion. Randy then got to work. Gently separating the hair into three strands, he got started on braiding it.

As he braided her hair he started humming a tune that his mom would hum to him when he braided her hair.

Randy loved braiding hair, and always did it for his mom when she asked. He didn’t know why he liked doing it but he did. He would even do it for the girls when he went to school. Watching the hair weave into each other into a pattern just soothes him for some reason. Made the chaos of long hair make some sense.

As he continued humming the tune he eventually heard Jade join in. She was soft at first and paused when she got the note wrong or just didn’t know the next part, but would pick it back up. Randy was a bit surprised that he didn’t fall into a trance, like the tales said. It said that a mermaid’s singing voice or even a gentle hum would lure sailors to their doom, but here he was perfectly fine. Maybe that tale was wrong.

The two hummed together as Randy braided Jade’s hair. Gently he placed some of the flowers into the braid as he went along. Once the hair was all braided he tied it up with the vine, at the very end.

“There we are,” Randy said, “Hope you like it”

Jade sat up and grabbed the braid and pulled it over her shoulder to get a better look at it. Her eyes widened in amazement as she gently caressed some of the flowers weaved into the braid. She turned to Randy and scooped him into a hug.

“Oh! Your wel-Come! You’re kinda Squ-EEzing me!” He said as he was hugged a bit too hard. He’s definitely going to have some bruising from this.

Jade placed him back down and slid into the water a bit more, all the while laying on her stomach. She then yawned and her eyes started to look sleepy.

“Woah someone’s tired. Must be pretty late then huh?”

She hummed and sank into her arms, as her eyelids started to sag.

“Heh, well…I’ll let you rest then…guess I’ll be stuck down here for a bit until you wake up huh?”

He turned back but before could fully process it she had fully adjusted herself on the rock slab and gently wrapped herself around him.

“Ohhhh…good thing the water is…and isn’t? Too deep…I don’t know anymore.”

Jade wrapped her arm around him and pulled him close, much to his surprise. She then drifted off to sleep.

“Guess I don’t get much of a choice…man Trisha’s gonna think I’m dead again. Just don’t pull me into the water okay sweet girl?”

Randy gently patted her face, and just laid there. He was glad the water wasn’t deep enough that he could drown in his sleep. He was also grateful that Jade’s tail was diverting the water away from him, making a makeshift island in the center of her curled form. Randy laid back against Jade with a smile. If he fell asleep, he should be okay. She’s gentle, definitely a kid who got tired real fast but still a gentle kid.

Randy would soon drift off to sleep laying against Jade, thinking about how his luck is changing and how it’s so weird.

[rivetgoth]

I honestly think as someone who goes out clubbing (or to an adjacent nightlife social event) like 1-3x a week on average, and especially as like, a kinda faggy short guy tbqh, I would say genuinely one of thee biggest like, skills to learn is how to both be appropriately discerning and able to read people's vibes quickly to stay safe but also not close your heart completely to new people and give the appropriate benefit of the doubt as well?

I think I'm a particularly picky person when it comes to meeting new people tbh, I will pretty quickly decide someone is not trustworthy over what may appear to be minor missteps but it is because it's not a risk I'm willing to take. especially after the aforementioned years in the nightlife mentioned above. But I also really try to leave room for understanding that we're all awkward and weird and many of us in the scene are autistic and/or otherwise neurodivergent or struggling with social skills and we're in a community literally made by and for weirdos where drugs and alcohol are often involved; nobody is perfect, so it's learning to have an open heart and not have preconceived biases or make assumptions about people but also like, being willing to shut down shit that turns you off fast.

Like not to pat myself on the back but I'm gonna be honest, I have had soooooo many cases where I met someone, got a Weird Vibe, which sounds shallow but I don't mean "ooh they act kinda funny" I mean "huh that person showed subtle signs of not respecting boundaries like touching strangers without consent even if in a trivial/harmless way" or "that person made some off-color jokes or comments that while not in and of themselves entirely unforgivable could way too easily speak to a deeper more insidious world view," decided to politely distance myself and not pursue forging a relationship with them beyond casual acquaintance at best, and then was given confirmation later on that they were a genuinely physically dangerous person with a history of abuse or violence.

Like, the reality is there are a lot of predators in the nightlife. As much as it's this wonderful fantastic weird alternate reality where you can be your authentic self and explore these facets to your character you would not be able to in the daylight, play with fantasy and identity and have the freedom to play and express yourself in these wild ways, it's also a cover for genuinely dangerous people who are detached from all social dogma and feel that they can justify their behavior in these more lawless environments where stuff like kink and more "edgy" behavior is seen as more socially acceptable. For all of the absolutely amazing people I've met, literally pretty much all of my closest friends and relationships have formed from the underground / alternative nightlife scene, there are also pretty frequent allegations and scandals. It's the unfortunate reality, and while the very best events and promoters cultivate safe spaces to the best of their abilities, you can't keep 100% of them out.

I feel lucky in a weird way that I've developed what I think are pretty decent self preservation skills via being a weird fucking kid my entire life who has cultivated the vast vast vast majority of my relationships with other weird people (affectionate). I have so much love in my heart for genuine eccentrics and I think it is SO IMPORTANT to work actively to unlearn biases about what a Trustworthy or Untrustworthy person might look like or act like when they are not fucking hurting anyone, but I also don't give the time of day to people who make me uncomfortable. Basically I think learning what your own boundaries are, learning to communicate them, and learning to shut down those who invade them is just like, a genuinely necessary skill for being out in the nightlife. You need to know what you want and what you are and are not okay with. You need to learn pattern recognition—did this person stumble over their words once and say something that came out wrong, or does this person have a habit of making inappropriate remarks? Is this person exhibiting behavior that other people who have been dangerous or predatory have exhibited in the past? Can you make a reasonable link between that behavior, and the more predatory, overtly dangerous behavior?

[jack-of-heartstrings]

I just want to clarify, I've enjoyed some shows that ended up a lot darker than they started, but the way MLB did it feels too sudden and unnatural. And at this point, so much sadness has happened that the lighthearted scenes feel hollow.

Also, the main reason I'm not willing to accept the senti-kid plot is because, while they were sad when Sentibug was destroyed, the narrative didn't treat it with NEARLY as much gravity as a real human's death would warrant, and the other human sentimonsters we saw before season 5 were never implied to be real people. Not to mention, they were all copies of existing people and came out already teens or adults, while we know Adrien and Felix started out as babies. I've talked to several people who know a lot about creative writing, and they all think that the stuff people pointed to to support the senti-Adrien theory were a pathetic excuse for foreshadowing.

By the way, Thomas says the show is still meant to be for ages six and up.

It not being treated with gravity is what we call "Fridge Horror," and it's not nearly the only example.

Like... The show can dance around it all it wants, because the heroes don't want to directly see anyone get too hurt or for anyone to endure more than they have to, and not showing it too overtly is part of what keeps it "kid-friendly", but the miraculous ladybugs can pretty explicitly bring people back to life, so long as they die as a result of whatever problem the Lucky Charm was summoned to fix.

The temple after Feast alone was effectively that, but in that case you could argue everything it ate was more in magic stasis. But Marinette not only saw the apocalyptic state of Paris but watched her own corpse disintegrate in front of her (in season 3!! you wanna talk horrifying!!) in the Chat Blanc timeline and still even considered throwing her Lucky Charm then and there. Trains and buildings have been yeeted into space, under the sea, in volcanoes, buildings get crumbled, giant explosions take out multiple city blocks. In the London special, she had to tell Adrien that Gabriel's death was a result of using the Wish to sacrifice it, because otherwise her ladybugs should have been able to bring him back. People die offscreen and get brought back fairly often, and everyone just chooses not to talk about it, and that's always been a subtle part of the world. That's fridge horror!

(There's kind of a fun/devastating bonus there in imagining how that might interact with NOT being able to just fix Emilie, given the restrictions on how Lucky Charm can work, but of course that can't really come up without talking about the first thing, so that much is purely speculatory territory. But I digress.)

I do know quite a bit about creative writing, too, and I maintain that people are allowed to have different opinions on what works and what doesn't, but that doesn't make any of those opinions objectively true. You and your friends can agree the foreshadowing was weak. I and others can agree it was strong, especially if we personally picked up on it early. It's subjective, though, that's how storytelling works.

As for whether or not it's "appropriate for kids", that's also a matter of opinion, but like? Other Kid Show examples under the cut.

In My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Equestria is the friendliest place in the known world, to a point that non-pony cultures struggle with the concept, yet even IN Equestria, the bond between Twilight and her friends even early on is rare. Even ponies need a School of Friendship because they struggle with maintaining deep and healthy connections longterm and with the communication skills needed to do that. That's pretty depressing tbh! Also there are multiple apocalyptic alternate timelines and near-apocalyptic events, among other things.

In Sofia the First, one of Sofia's greatest strengths and flaws is that she's extremely diplomatic/manipulative; these are the same skill, just used for different ends. She's extremely indirect and that both helps people and causes fully unnecessary problems; she's extremely secretive and that's both good for keeping her friends and powers safe and puts so much weigh on her shoulders over time when she doesn't trust people enough to seek more help. (The showrunner has directly said I am correct about this take btw, one of the biggest flexes of my life. ;w;) One could argue that's not the best role model for kids, or that the tone growing heavier as Sofia takes on more and more responsibilities and starts struggling more toward the end is getting too dark for a pre-school Disney show, but a lot of people loved it.

ALSO in Sofia, there's an episode where Sofia's stepsister Amber makes a wish on a magic well, which is VERY reminiscent of Hal 9000 and takes a 'careful what you wish for'/'all magic comes with a price' approach to granting wishes. Amber's wish to keep her dad from spending so much time with Sofia turns Sofia into a cat bc their dad is allergic, and at the end of the episode, their dad makes a very direct wish to just turn Sofia back to normal. The well, which gives anyone Three Wishes, says he still has one wish left, and when the kids ask what his first wish had been, he says that's a story for another time. Anyway the series finale confirms that he wished he and his first wife could have kids, so it made her pregnant with twins and then she died from their birth. SO... THAT HAPPENED...

In Lion Guard, the pilot's conflict is resolved with a literal fart joke, and season 1 is really episodic and cute, and then over the course of season 2, things get much heavier and more serious, and in season 3, they deal pretty directly with disability and a sort of mental illness, and not like a Very Special Episode thing. There's the nuance of a newly blinded character being infantilized and coddled excessively, and finding the balance between his friends respecting he can still do stuff and him accepting that he does need more help than he used to. There's a character with chronic pain and anger regulation problems dependent on medication to function (yes I'm serious) and the struggle that comes with building too much tolerance over time for it to work anymore, and the nuance of his friends understanding this isn't his fault and that he needs support vs trying to maintain boundaries and remember they also still have needs. In the end, the blinded character gets a treatment that restores his vision but has to accept it will never be nearly as good as it was before, and the other character's treatment is literally therapy. This is a Lion King spinoff.

BLUEY deals with topics like miscarriages, fertility struggles, the lasting traumatic effects that a seemingly minor incident can have on the psyche of a young child when at the time it was the most afraid they'd ever been. There's an episode where the parents are hungover as shit after a New Year's Eve party and it never SAYS that and the kids in the show don't really question this brand of 'sleepy', but it's very much played for laughs for the adult viewers. There's an episode where Bluey helps try to save a wild bird and after it dies she gets her mom and sister to immediately help re-enact the incident like a PTSD response????????? Most episodes are 6 minutes, and the single 28-minute special is incredibly deeply moving.

And that's all looking at KID-kid shows. Move up slightly to something like The Owl House or Amphibia or Gravity Falls or Steven Universe, and like...... Miraculous Ladybug is not a unique level of offense deserving of some kind of crusade.

Kids can handle some dark themes, I promise. There's some stuff that it's better to imply than to show, like the death example earlier, or like how the show can go to crazy lengths with more fantastical destruction but never shows blood. But studies have actually shown most kids develop deeper understanding of other people's struggles, more interest in learning why people act the way they do instead of assuming, and more willingness to forgive and to offer help to others when they are exposed to stories (books, tv, or otherwise) with some darker, heavier, sadder themes sometimes.

Like the world is crumbling around us and I don't think it's good for anyone to spend too long spiraling into nihilistically grimdark media (not bad to exist, just in excess), and I think some levity is good for everyone, especially kids. But overly sheltering anyone is provenly actively harmful. Hardship, struggle, and failure build various forms of empathy. Conversely, when people have minimal struggles, minimal consequences, minimal exposure to the struggles of others in a meaningful and personal way, you end up with, well, people like Chloe, with impossibly high standards and entitlement and having so little experience dealing with pain or frustration in a healthy way that they're prone to redirecting blame and doubling down on "why should I care anyway" because they can and that's easier. It's never too late to change that, even in old age, let alone as a teen, but it gets harder the older one gets.

Stories allow one to experience and understand struggles faced by characters alongside them, and develop in similar ways more safely than firsthand experience. That ability to build understanding and connection is one of the greatest powers OF stories.

What exactly is inappropriate about showing kids that sometimes things get really hard, sometimes things are really complicated, there aren't always just Good Guys and Bad Guys, and sometimes the people you trust most will hurt you, but you can still find people who love you unconditionally? With saying that even the strongest heroes will crumble under pressure, will make huge mistakes, and will endure hard times, but the greatest power any of us have is strength in numbers and community? With saying that it's everyone's responsibility to look out for each other, even if you can't get everyone around you to realize the same or join you, and even if you don't think you have anything special to offer? What's too dark or heavy about saying that sometimes things get really bad, but it never means you have to give up?

Because Miraculous isn't grimdark, it's not sad for the sake of being sad. It's hopeful. It's about being up to the test when things go wrong and the power of love-- romantic, platonic, familial, for country and community and life itself-- always being so strong. And idk but I feel like a lot of people of all ages could use more of that, actually.

[fungusfairgrounds]

More archie

https://www.tumblr.com/mimble-sparklepudding/770891088318824448

Fir: Endurance and Hope

• Is your OC generally optimistic about the future ?  Or do they tend to prepare for the worst, whilst hoping for the best? Or do they even take a generally pessimistic view of the way things will likely unfold?

He is optimistic ! He looks forward to each new day, usually ! I think if a big life event happens he would be a bit more hesitant but still holds onto the belief that tomorrow will be great. I think this mindset was a bit harder to keep up with in college, and when he left with no degree even harder until his friends picked him back up again.

• Does your OC actively attempt to nurture or inspire hope in others – even when things look particularly dire? Or are they inclined to be more blunt with their assessment of a situation?

Archie would want people to look at the bright side of things ! Tbh, I feel like half of the time he doesnt actively try to inspire others to be more positive but his pressence and how he reacts to things usually inspires people to try to be optimistic all the same. His joy is contagious I think.

• Would your OC ever fight for a lost cause on principle? 

I think so, he feels a bit stubborn in wanting to stick to what he believes in is right. I feel like Archie himself has been called a "lost cause" by many in his life, so he wants to try to stand up for more people like him.

• How many setbacks can (or will) your OC endure before they give up on a course of action ?

I don't think he ever gives up...though some might argue he gave up on college but I dont think he wants to tell anyone he got expelled so he's just oh yeah haha I guess I did. But otherwise I think its hard for him to give up unless someone like...begs him to.

Holly: Protection and Luck

• Is your OC protective of those to whom they are close ? 

Yes I'd say so ! He's not really much of a fighter though so he does worry if he can actually protect them... meanwhile Toad has been protecting him his whole life haha.

• Does your OC carry a lucky charm of some sort ? What makes them think it’s lucky?  Or do they not believe in luck, yet find themselves unable to part with it all the same ?

I think it would be cute if he carried a "lucky" item of some sort, but I'm not sure if he believes if it brings him luck or if its just a comfort thing at this point. I think he believes luck is a feeling more than a Thing, if that makes sense. Things can't bring luck, but you can feel luck...but it doesn't hurt to play along with "lucky" things.

• What does your OC believe to be the luckiest event in their life?  Is this an accurate assessment?  Or was there actually more than simply luck at play?

He'd say meeting Toad ! Which doesn't really fit into the question, but its what he would say. They've known each other pretty much their whole lives-- their parents were friends so its not exactly luck that they met. He feels very lucky to have a childhood friend like Toad.

Ivy: Fidelity and Loyalty

• What inspires loyalty in your OC? 

Kind hearts I think, especially in those that don't fit in. People wouldn't guess it, but I feel like hes surprisingly a great judge of character cause his job is basically just Interacting with others (bartender). He learns a lot about everyone, and he feels very connected to those he can see a good heart in-- even if its not very obvious to others. He has a lot of hope for the good in others, and it makes him want to stick by them.

Mistletoe: Peace and Friendship

• Who was your OC’s first friend?  What drew them to each other?  Were they expecting to get along?  Or was it a surprise to them both?

Toad ! I said it earlier but they're childhood friends, their parents were friends so in a way they were expected to get along-- but them being life long friends is surprising with how different they feel. Toad is a little older than Archie, so she's like an older brother to him.

• Does your OC find it easy to make friends ?What barriers are there to them doing so ? Has this changed over time ?

I think he has a very easy time making friends ! Mostly cause he's really likeable and fun to be with...but also he can be a bit much energy wise and it makes people not stick around for too long. So great at making friends, but its harder to keep them.

• Do other people experience your OC as having a “peaceful” energy ? Or are they inclined to restlessness - or even fractiousness ?  Do others find them relaxing company ?

Not at all lmaoo Archie is soo hectic to be with, plans often go off the rails with him around-- mostly cause he gets distracted by something else along the way. To some this makes him super fun, to others its exhausting. None would say he is peaceful I think.

• Who is your OCs most unlikely friend ? What made their friendship so unexpected ?

Probably Pilo I guess ! It seems like people think hes a jerk or a punchline and even Toad is like "idk about this one, Archie" at first. Archie believes in him a lot though and got very attached. He sees something very bright and beautiful in him that others can't see and are not sure its even there whenever archie talks about pilo. #maybe a little gay

Birch: Rebirth and Regeneration

• Does your OC believe that sometimes a person needs to hit rock bottom before they can begin to rebuild their life ?

Not at all. Idk what else to add to this he just doesn't want people to feel hopeless and helpless before they can get better, thats cruel

• Does your OC recover quickly from injuries ?  Or has it got harder for them to keep bouncing back as they’ve got older ?  If so, is this something they would ever admit ?

He bounces back pretty quickly ! He definitely wouldn't ever admit to something taking longer to heal and act like its fine though

[haunted-plush]

1-5 with Mateerrrr

EEEEE TYSM

1. Why do you like or dislike this character?

oh man where do I even begin. he is ouppy. ouppy douge. taggy tail and happy paws and aaaaaaa

he's so sweet and caring. he puts his friends and loved ones first and if they needed anything he'd be there at the drop of a hat. like just imagine knowing he'd be there for you when you needed him

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

his teeth as much as anyone else might think otherwise are so cute to me, also headlights are canonically boobs and he would have a scar over his tit [which is hotttttt]

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

idk probably the way he was characterized for Cars 2, he felt a little out of character and flanderized for some of that one. also I'm sorry but he had like no romantic chemistry with Holley, I'm not saying this in a "he's mine and only mine rahhhh!!!" way just in like a. man what were they thinking way. they just wanted to distract us from the fact that Cars 2 is OBVIOUSLY a breakup movie lmao

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

a dating sim game? lmao

idk he's in a lot of media tbh, I'm pretty lucky in that regard. He's in Disney's California Adventure in Cars Land, and he's coming to Disney World in the next few years, so that's exiting

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

pretty much any Dixon Dallas song or the main theme from Brokeback Mountain. I have a whole playlist of songs though

[softcallofdutyimagines]

What The CoD Husbands Would Get You At Bath & Body Works

I said I would and so I did

Adler

Begrudgingly asks the associate for help

He wants something for you for nights out, which he takes you often I’m sure

Luckily for you, he asked me and I gave him the best scent in the store, into the night

You’re welcome bestie 😌💖

David Mason

Is very nice to the associate and actually has fun

He doesn’t know what to get, but he wants something fun

Will definitely choose something from the seasonal scents

He settles on whatever has pretty packaging and smells decent

Since it’s winter at the time of writing this, you’re either getting twisted peppermint or fireside flurries

Hudson

Humble enough to know to ask the associate for help

He does not know what scents you like, but he does know what you smell like

Whatever that scent may be he describes it to the employee and takes whatever the first thing they recommend is

You’re probably going to get gingham or champagne toast tbh

Lazar

He needs help but tells the associate he’s just browsing

He’ll get you something he likes under the assumption that you will also like it

This means he undoubtedly gets you a food scent

You’re getting strawberry pound cake and you can expect him to unabashedly sniff you when/if you wear it

Makarov

He blasts past the associate and ignores them bc he’s an asshole (I only say hi bc they pay me to bitch 🙄)

He’ll maybe take a second to think about what you might like

However, if such a smell is not in his current line of sight, that’s too damn bad

Grabs whatever he sees that’s named after an actual smell and isn’t some kind of artsy abstract name

You’re getting sweet pea (sorry 😭)

Alex Mason

He asks for help and is putting all his trust in the associate

This man wants whatever the best scent is with the least amount of hassle

Despite this, he is incredibly picky for some reason

Thankfully he eventually takes a whiff of dahlia, goes for it, and finally gets out of my store

Menendez

He’s nice enough to the associate but doesn’t need help

You are getting either a pretty floral scent that he likes or a men’s scent so that everyone knows you’re taken

Unfortunately, menendez is a boomer so he goes with rose if he decides on floral

Thankfully, if he goes with men’s, he makes the only correct choice and gets teakwood

Naga

Says he doesn’t need help, but he does

Only because he gets lost and keeps losing track of what he liked last

He gets you something he likes, purely bc he likes it

You’re getting something that smells like the beach or the jungle

Probably at the beach tho

Peck

Tells the associate he doesn’t need help, and is actually correct

Nothing escapes this man’s 400 IQ

He remembers the one time, 73 days ago, at 9:52 pm when you casually mentioned that you loved whatever the current scent you were using the most

He finds it a little repugnant, but whatever makes you happy

Weaver

Humbly asks for help and genuinely needs it

He doesn’t know where to start, but he at least knows not to get you something boring and basic

After rejecting the weak sauce like gingham and warm vanilla sugar, he tests out pure wonder

Thankfully Weaver is a genius and knows what’s up, so he goes for it

Woods

He does know want to be in this store even one second longer then he has to be

Blows off the associate and does whatever the fuck he’s going to do

Cannot bring himself to look at the “women’s” scents, and goes straight to the men’s section

He picks out bourbon bc he has the mind of a child and he thinks it’s a good one

If you’re lucky, maybe he sees sweet whiskey and decides to get you that one instead, but otherwise…

Yeah

[rawbeef-enjoyer]

thinking about....... salmonlings.........

two main ideas, ones that evolved naturally and ones that evolved with help from the Alternian liquid crystals after the events of story mode in 3 (maybe there was some shit on the rocket idk i just wanted to design bitches lol)

im gonna reffer to them as

Salmonling - Left, evolved with help

Salmonidling - Right, evolved naturally (and if anyone can think of a better name , feel free to suggest PFFH,)

the little fresh guys, salmonlings! their hair usually has that main fin down the middle, but does not continue down their back. kind of hard to describe how the fins work, maybe I'll illustrate that later if ppl like these guys

their swim form is fucking adorable (scientific term) and they're closer in appearance to a regular, non-spawning salmon. because they had the aid of the Alternian liquid crystals, they can change their ink colour, unlike their natural counterpart. their fins change colour, including from about the forearm down. they have three fingers, a thumb, index, and a large flexible chunk.

tbh i love the way these guys turned out, the silly (i still might make some changes tho, not exactly 100% on these guys)

salmonidlings are much more clumsy than their Alternian counterparts, but also stronger in some ways. like inklings, they can only swim in their own ink, and to counteract the constant onslaught of enemy ink, they can jump pretty damn far in swim form. I'd say they can swim a very short distance in enemy ink, and unless they end up in their own ink on the other side, they're forced into bipedal mode with a bit of damage already done. they have weapons that spread ink as well, I've been thinking of a few (the ladle was a last minute decision, i drew the left arm before the weapon 🫠)

their middle fin is much more pronounced than Salmonlings' are, and it continues down the back. in swim form, it peeks above the ink, but you'd be really lucky to have one swim close to you, their clumsiness mainly comes into play in their bipedal form. switching from swim to biped is much slower than ink/octo/salmonlings,(so they'd tend to swap farther away) but I'd be willing to bet their weapons make them something to be feared (perhaps you could pick them up once they're defeated.....🤔)

they have two fingers, thumbs and then one chunk, like a mitten. swim form of course, looks closer to a spawning salmon.

fun fact, they don't have ears, those points are extended gills. i dont know if salmon have ears to begin with! (probably in the splatoon universe at least, otherwise omega-3 would have a hell of a hard time selling) [i imagine they have ear holes, like some birds. maybe behind the extended gills?]

---

theres still some stuff im trying to figure out, like wether or not salmonlings can enter water. i imagine if they can, and participated in turf wars or the like, in order to keep it fair they'd have a bursting pack of enemy ink for if they fell in like in some of the Octo Expansion levels. either that or those liquid crystals fucked them all up i guess

i was also thinking about a salmonling specific ability, because salmon have amazing senses of smell, if they're standing still in swim form and press R, they can see everyone through walls, like Thermal Ink. The drawback would be a subpar sub weapon, like a splat bomb but smaller or something.

part of me doesnt like this though, because then every salmonling would be forced to use a small splat bomb. maybe it could be a main ability attachment to headgear? or maybe be its own sub weapon(anyone can use it this way, which I'd been trying to find a workaround for anyways), and while you do it, you can't recharge ink. I'm digging that last one

lots of thoughts. head full. love these. tell me what u think if u want. sorry all the drawings are on sticky notes i only ever really have the willpower to draw at work rn but i do wanna make these guys digital

[arcadejohn127-9]

Okay, so I'm really skinny. Underweight tbh. And I'm kinda insecure about that, because I'm literary bones and skin.

Could I request Brothers dealing with some lesser demons who were laughing at MC because how small, skinny and "easy to break" they are?

All body types are valid and wonderful; just like some people can't control how much weight they put on, others can't control how much weight they can't gain. It's not always simple with body types - just look after yourself regardless of your size. Eat your 3 main meals, have small snacks or mini meals every 2-3 hours that are more healthy or if you have healthy main meals let your mini meals/snacks be unhealthy

Though too much of anything can be unhealthy so is there really a different between the types?

Also please everyone drink plenty of water even if you have to give it some flavour for it be more enjoyable!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"are you sure you're a human? You look more like a reaper to me."

Three demons surrounded you, leaning on the table as you tried to ignore them. Keeping your focus on the the worksheet Infront of you but a demon snatched your pencil.

"Hey, doesn't this remind you of Someone?" the demon laughed, pointing the pencil at you.

But they took it another step, they easily snapped the pencil in half with one hand. Throwing it back at you. You flinched away, covering your face but luckily it landed on the table.

They were all snickering. Prodding at your arms and sides. You squirmed away from them and slapped their hands.

"leave me alone..."

A different male demon grabbed your wrist, inspecting your slim wrist.

"hey don't grab them like that, you might break them! I mean look at them, they're bone!" The female demon mocked concern.

"Aw come on~ can't handle a few jokes? Humans really are weak."

Your wrist was thrown from his grasp; it smacked on the table and you hissed. Just before you could do anything the classroom door suddenly opened. The demons all whispered a fearful "oh shit" under their breath.

Lucifer:

"I see you're living up to the title 'lesser demon', how wonderful for you."

His condescending smile immediately drooped

His hands moved swiftly and a whip appeared in them, he glared at them

The three of them gulped, looking at each other

"How many lashing should I give them, perhaps everytime they insulted you? Every snicker or chuckle - how about everytime they breathed?"

he snapped the whip with a snarl

They looked at you for mercy and you considered letting Lucifer having his way

But you felt a sick feeling in your stomach knowing how vicious he could get

"i just want an apology and to be left alone..."

"You heard them, beg for forgiveness and if i find any of you were bothering them again I won't let them decide your fate."

The three demons immediately got on their knees, legs shaking as they apologized repeatedly for their actions

You knew it was fake but apart of you felt happy hearing their apology

"you can leave now."

On that cue they ran out making sure to dodge the quick whip from Lucifer

The last one Getting caught on the butt and practically jumped out of the room

"They're foolish, love, you are absolutely ravishing and I could never ask for a more wonderful partner, let's go get some ice cream - my treat to help your bad day."

Mammon:

"ya wanna repeat that? Don't be going all silent just because I'm here~ go on, keep insulting the human, see what happens."

He chuckled, hands in pockets

The demons weren't sure how to respond

To test what he'll do or play it safe

Mammon twiddled a playing card between his fingers, a smirk on his face as he stood behind you

One of the demons opened their mouth but he just flicked his wrist, the card sticking itself in the wall just missing the demon

"I ain't very forgiving, ya see so it's best you start apologizing now or things could get abit messy."

You was surprised by how fast they all dropped

Apologizing and begging for you to forgive them

"Please leave, you've apologized enough."

They all ran out thanking you for being so kind

"awww but (Y/N), you could of made them your posse!"

"I just wanted them to leave, I know they aren't actually sorry."

"hfmp, they better be or else I'll get 'em - did I look cool?! I was practising that trick for weeks!"

You chuckled, kissing his cheek

He grinned even wider as he grabbed your hand

"you were real cool, you were like a spy."

"does that make you my stunning partner in crime? Your looks lure in the suspects and I get them? You can't convince me otherwise - you're a real beaut."

Levithan:

"LMAO, your faces~! I can't wait for this to go viral, perhaps even Prince Diavolo will see this, wouldn't that be unfortunate."

He kept filming, pointing the camera at their faces

They looked even more Horrified

A powerful demon was already coming to get them but now the prince could get involved?

"should I post it, (Y/N)? You're in it after all."

"I just want them to leave me alone, I don't care."

Levithan hummed, displeased at the demons

"it's pretty rude you're just standing there and not apologizing, they're the one in charge if you get found out or not."

The demons gasped, staring at you and then back at Levithan

They immediately started apologizing, blaming their actions on just jealousy

You shook your head and they began to sweat

Fearing they're going to put on blast for their actions

Surprised by your defeated sigh

"just go....it's not worth it."

Levi was about to argue differently but the demon had already left

"Wha!!!! I felt like an anime protagonist! Did they say anything else to you?! I swear they can't tell what beauty is-"

"it's fine, they weren't wrong."

"HUUUH???!!!!!! don't listen to them, (Y/N), I think you look just fine the way you are and yo-you should see yourself as attractive too-! because you're awesome and Your loo-looks are even more cool!"

He hugged you, hiding his red face in your shoulder

Satan:

"You're brave to think you're in any position to even breathe in their direction, for all our dignities It would be best you apologize and leave."

They were ready to bolt right there and then

They looked at you and started to apologize but Satan clicked his teeth

"be sincere, we can be here for as long as we want until you feel genuine guilt for your actions."

He slammed his hand down on the table

The lesser demons cowered

You just sat there, frowning

You just wanted to be left alone and let your feelings out

The demons apologized again

Making sure to add sincerity in their voice but Satan kept making them repeat themselves

It got to the point you had to cut him off

"It's fine, they've apologized, let them leave."

He hummed, annoyed but nodded

The demons scrambled out of the room, fearing to even look at the two of you

"if you ever need me to go back at them I'll do just that, I couldn't believe they would say something like that to you."

"thanks for helping, just let them leave instead of using your energy."

"I'll try to but I'll make sure there is no next time, you don't deserve to be spoken to like that and you are far more charming than any of them, I for one, adore how you look."

Asmodeus:

"repeat that again~? I hope I didn't hear you three insulting my darling, it's so ugly to shame others for their body."

The demons tried to utter out a response but he just stared at them

Tilting his head as he smiled

He got closer to them, staring into their eyes

Soon enough they were charmed

"why don't you tell me why you thought it was okay to speak to (Y/N) like that."

They all began speaking; expressing their envy for your relationship with asmo and the other demons

One of them just telling him they saw you as fragile and unlikable

Asmo smiled wider before suddenly grabbing one their chins, a snarl on his face now

"do you feel sorry? Are you ashamed of yourself?"

They all said yes, apologizing to you

"thanks asmo, you can let them go now."

He happily did as you said, telling them to leave

He nuzzled into your body, hands wandering over it as he grinned

"They're just jealous demons who can't handle their own Insecurities, you're not like them, everything about you is good looking - inside and out! I couldn't ask for anything more~"

"Seriously...?"

"yes!!! I'm in love with you and your body is marvelous to look at, i can't get enough of you!"

Beezlebub:

"Apologize and leave or I'll make you my next meal."

Straight to the point

And it was effective

His size was already intimidating but his willingness to devour whatever he wanted was scarier

They apologized to you, Getting on their knees and telling you how gorgeous you were

You felt your mood get worse so you waved your hand

"don't bother, a sorry was enough, you can leave now."

They shot up but Beel bite the air Infront of them when they passed him

They shrieked and picked up their speed

"I can't stand people like that.... they're more clueless than mammon."

He sat with you

Clenching his jaw, you held his hand and leaned against him

"Don't listen to them, I think you look really nice, I like the way you look but I know the important thing is that you like the way you look, I don't mind how you look because you'll still always be you."

Belphegor:

"Hey gorgeous, are these idioits bothering you? What a shame, I was hoping lesser demons knew how to keep in their place."

He wrapped an arm around you

Glaring at the lesser demons, they grew more nervous under his hateful eye

They muttered to themselves for not realising he was there but belphie mocked them, asking them to speak up

"what's with the change of energy? You were confident about your opinions before, what changed?"

They couldn't answer without looking weak

Belphegor only grinned at them

He kissed your cheek

"that's what I thought, scram!"

They ran off, not daring to look at you

They couldn't even hiss or glare, knowing the demon behind you would have their throat for it

They were lucky to not get hurt when he found them

"thanks, sorry, did you come here to sleep?"

"I was looking for you, keep me close, okay? Don't listen to those demons - they wouldn't be able to tell what's good or not even if their lives depended on it, you're perfect the way you are."

[daisies-write]

Tomioka Giyuu Dating headcanons

Tomioka Giyuu x reader

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH- I’m dying. Our first headcanons, I’m kinda scared tbh. It’s not the best since it’s the first time we do that type of stuff but we really hope you guys will enjoy it !!! :’)

Requested by: No one

TW: None

Word count: 1292

Writer: Both of us!!

At first, he can’t believe it. He’s dating you and you’re dating him. He’d be so surprised that you like him that way. Like, wow.

No seriously, whenever you announce to someone that you’re dating him, he’s as shocked as the person processing the information.

You’re probably the one who asked him out in the first place. That baby boy could never bring up the courage to do it; he’s way too insecure. Why would someone like him ?

During your confession, he’ll deny all the good things you said about him with the most heart breaking expression on his face. He can’t believe it; he doesn’t want to believe anyway.

He’s persuaded that every compliment you gave him is a lie and it just breaks your heart to see him think so poorly of himself.

You decide to do your best to prove him that you genuinely care about him, that you genuinely like him. So you try and do absolutely anything to make him believe you; from the big things like presents, fancy dates, obnoxious love declarations, etc… to the small things like holding and squeezing his hand, complimenting him…

It’d take a while but he’d finally accept it. He’s still as insecure but he believes you a little more.

He’s completely terrified at the idea of losing you. Just the thought of it makes him sick.

Prepare yourself to be wrapped in bubble wrap more than one time.

He’ll do anything in his power to protect you and make you the happiest person alive.

He’s an awkward man with little to zero experience at socializing so you guess that he knows absolutely nothing about dating. The first few months will probably just be you dying in laughter because of all the things he did wrong.

(He thinks you’re mocking him but you’re actually just smitten by how cute he is with all the efforts he puts in your relationship.)

After a while, he’d try and take you on a surprise date that he planned entirely by himself and he’s absolutely terrified; he’s just so scared you’d hate it.

But you’d be really happy and probably give him a big bear hug while telling him you’re really lucky to have him.

(Needless to say, he’d blush-)

He also start getting a few cute habits when you give him surprise attention; he starts fidgeting his fingers and try to look away from you. Just cup his face and peck his lips and you got a puddle Giyuu !

He’d start opening up to you at night, when you both can’t sleep. You two sit somewhere in the garden of his estate and he talks to you about his past, his intrusive thoughts, his guilt…

Please, be supportive and hold him tight. The next morning his eyes might be red and swollen but believe me, he’d never felt so peaceful.

If you’re sad, he’ll listen to you and try and make all your worried go away the best he can; he doesn’t want you to feel what he feels on a daily basis.

Giyuu will probably complain to you about Shinobu and her endless teasing but you always notice the very slight smirk he gets when he talks about her. She might not see him as a friend and he might be cold with her but she holds a special part in his heart (he might admit, one day, if faith accepts it, that he kinda sees her as a friend. Not sure when)

Shinobu probably took you apart one time and told him that you don’t have to date Giyuu out of pity (as a joke ofc).

You low-key scolded her for saying something like that but you both kinda made a silent alliance to make Giyuu go crazy.

Let’s say he might as well go bury his hopes and dreams of not being teased already.

He low-key cherish your teasing though. He’ll never admit it, of course. But even if you two spend so much time annoying him, you still decided to spend time on HIM. And it just warm his heart…

Until you decided to make him choke on chocolate cake. He really don’t know how you thought it was a good idea.

Giyuu’ll cough up the remains of the chocolate. He’ll gulp some water and look at you with a very shocked face. “Why?!?”

“Ara, ara, Tomioka-san~ it’s not like it’s the first time we make a bad     joke !”

“I’m…so sorry, honey-“ and you two just die laughing while Giyuu silently judges you.

He forgives you eventually.

He always does.

If you guys are walking together and you suddenly feel him freeze and grab your arm, a dog is probably nearby. Try and take a different route or move the puppy far enough from him.

DON’T, DO NOT, NEVER kiss Giyuu in public. Especially if the other Pillars are there. He might die on the spot.

Giyuu.EXE has stopped working. Error 404.

He’s really not comfortable with PDA. Maybe hand holding, and maybe, maybe, an occasional peck on the cheek.

Pinky holding please. You’d never think he’d like it but he just loves the intimacy it brings.

Giyuu’s kisses are soft, you can’t tell me otherwise.

He can’t help it. He just loves kissing you gently, delicately. And it’s LONG. God, if he kisses you, he won’t stop to save his life; he doesn’t want to stop at ALL. 

Breathing ? Air? Don’t know them.

If he stops, it’s only cause you need to.

If you tell him you want another kiss, he’d turn bright red but will do it nonetheless.

Ever since this relationship started, he’s probably beet red half the time.

You’ll make Giyuu come out of his shell with the Kamado boy, it’s almost a certainty. He’s gonna have friends with you two around, there’s no way he’s staying alone.

Because of you, he’d try so hard to befriend the Pillars; you never seen him stick to Sanemi and Obanai much. He just wants them to stop hating him. He’ll probably try bringing Sanemi some ohagi with Tanjiro but you’ll stop them cause you don’t want them to get killed.

You eventually end up trying to talk to Sanemi about NOT killing your boyfriend because he’s actually really sweet and is far from believing himself above the other pillars (like hell Sanemi, you don’t know how much an insecure baby Giyuu actually is)

Giyuu is low-key never jealous. If you gained his trust, you gained it in every way possible and he will never think of you as possibly cheating or anything.

Sometimes you guys train together. At first, he’d go easy, but not so easy on you, if you get what I mean? Like, he wants you to be able to protect yourself from demons so he won’t lose another person he cherishes but at the same time he really doesn’t want to hurt you.

After a while, he made up his mind and decided to go hard on you and since that day he has NO MERCY-

You’re not going to die on him. Never. He wouldn’t be able to take it.

When you guys finish, you’ll just sit there exhausted but you’re glad he’s training you well, and spending time with him is a big plus.

He’s a big cuddler behind closed doors and a 100% little spoon, fight me.

He likes feeling safe in your arms, and he buries his head in your neck. Hold him tight. Play with his hair and pamper his face with kisses. He loves it 

He’ll do his best to give you as much love as you need. Don’t ever doubt about it. He’d go to hell and endure it just for your pretty smile.

[ifeelallwrite]

Let’s talk about Hospital Playlist. (KDRAMA REVIEW)

note: does contain spoilers

When people ask me what is my favorite Korean drama of all time, with no doubt, IT’S HOSPITAL PLAYLIST. This drama has the comic relief, the emotional scenes, realistic characters-just to name a few. No toxic relationships and petty revenge fights. Nothing else will stop me for saying that this is the ultimate feel good drama.

SYNOPSIS: The drama shows insights into the daily lives of doctors and nurses working at Yulje Medical Hospital. It focuses on 5 doctors who have been friends since medical school, who also play together as a band.

This drama encompasses so many elements and characters so bear with me yo this might be real long 

Hospital Playlist is produced/written by the Shin-Lee PD and writer pairing, whose previous works were the renowned Reply trilogy and Prison Playbook (which are *chef’s kiss*) I really like that all their dramas really highlight humanism, and puts emphasis on creating a heartwarming and realistic series. There isn’t always a major conflict to be resolved, but instead it showcases how different people-in this case mostly those in the medical field-go on about their daily lives.  I also liked their reasoning to produce a medical drama which was that hospitals were where the most dramatic moments occurred, for example during births, deaths or sickness. And since we are still in the Covid-19 pandemic, it ties in greatly to be paying homage to all the medical personnel saving lives. Hence, props to those who were involved in this meaningful masterpiece <3

The drama is not the usual 16 episodes, but has 12 episodes for each season (SEASON 2 IS COMING SOON YAAS) Good thing is I felt that they were still able to weave a dynamic storyline in the first season even with lesser episodes. The writing was just top-notch with the witty humor bits. Additionally, the music is AMAZING. I love the concept of the main characters being a band and playing different songs every episode too.

Okay, now onto the characters. I thought that every character in this drama was well rounded. Starting of with the main five characters, also known as The 99ers, whose distinctive personalities and natural chemistry make all of them extremely likeable. All main characters are professors of different specialties, and I find the male OB-GYN (Seokhyeong) and female neurosurgeon (Songhwa) very refreshing. Also, I like Shin-Lee dramas always have characters that might be realistic yet hardly seen in other dramas or films. For example, Professor Ahn Jeongwon. Despite being a chaebol (inheritor/heir), he isn’t depicted as a spoilt brat or a cold character, instead as a warm Pediatric doctor who uses his wealth to secretly support patients in need. However it makes him stingy to his friends LOL

To be honest, I really thought I was gonna dislike Junwan due to his cold and tsundere nature. I pretty much believed that he was going to be the party pooper type of the bunch, but with the writer being a master of character development, he turned out to be really sincere and hilarious at times. Same for Ikjun, who apart from his enthusiastic and happy go lucky exterior, cares the most about the people around him. Although Seokhyeong seemed detached and introverted, he shows a emotional side to his friends as well as his mother. Songhwa is literally a girlboss though haha she’s smart, capable and gets along with everyone well. And she’s the most sane out of the bunch. 

With all the main characters, we have the relationships. Junwan is the first to date seriously with Iksun (the dog or Micky? jkjk) who is Ikjun’s sister. When it first happened I was like not again Jung Kyung Ho (bc he dated his best friend’s sis in prison playbook too LMAO) I think their relationship was realistic and open. It also showed a more sensitive side to Junwan who would do anything for her. I especially liked how he said he didn’t need access to her phone because he trusted her. Yet as all couples do, they have their fair share of ups and downs. Like conflicts on getting married and a long distance relationship as Iksun moves overseas for graduate studies. I don’t really know how to take the ambiguous ending for these two, as Junwan receives the returned box (that has the ring he sent) I really hope nothing bad happens to these two though.

I’m sure we all love Wintergarden couple though, tbh they’re kinda my OTP at the moment 🤣 It was pretty much a ‘will they won’t they’ relationship with a relatively slow build. I think Gyeoul turned out to be one of my favourite characters. Shin Hyun Been did a good job at portraying her as a straightforward but innocent Resident, who is pretty much openly crushing on Jeongwon. The scenes they had together were adorably awkward (and the scene where he gives her chocopies omg) And when Jeongwon battles his inner conflict to become a priest, the final decision where they kiss was beautifully shot, with the actors both showcasing their emotions extremely well. 

Then we have Chihong who pursues Songhwa, his professor. Midway through the drama, it is also shown that Ikjun and Songhwa might have had romantic feelings for each other. Songhwa ends up rejecting Chihong’s confession. In my opinion, Chihong was quite a interesting character but I didn’t really like him at the end. (I like the actor though) He did a real jerk move during drinking games, insisting on Ikjun to confess his feelings towards her even though he is already trying not to put Songhwa in an awkward spot. Although his character did end up making a cool exit and when I thought about his incredible story of soldier to doctor, I kinda regret disliking him that much. As for IkSong, In the final episode Ikjun confesses to her one last time, and we are left waiting for Songhwa’s reply. As much as I love this pairing, I don’t think that the ship will sail or maybe not as quickly as we think. I believe Songhwa would meticulously consider the sacrifices to their friendship or other aspects and might not be able to bring herself to it, but I hope it’s otherwise. 

Lastly not forgetting Seokhyeong and Minha, another Professor+resident pairing. This one’s a bit ambiguous though, mainly because there hasn’t been much romantic development. To me, the most impactful scene came from Minha who had been irritated by continuous night shifts and was on the verge of a breakdown. She ended up remarkably saving a patient, starting off surgery on her own for the first time. Oh man Minha was such a lovable character, I remember feeling so bad for her but extremely proud of her for her accomplishment. Although Seokhyeong seemed a bit aloof and distant (which was intentional bc he’s an introvert) I think the backstory and all the hardships he faced with his family really made me feel for him. I hate to break it to you, but I’m not so sure if the ship will sail because of the phone call from his ex-wife and Minha’s somewhat rejected confession. But who knows, they might pull off a twist 👀

Apart from all these characters, there are more characters HHAHAH However, I think this is the killing point of ShinLee dramas. Unlike typical dramas which usually focuses on a main character and 2-3 side characters, they like to cast a diverse range of actors (especially those from theatre/musicals and lesser known drama/movie actors) while actually give their characters personality or a reason to be there. I’ve seen many dramas where extras or side characters were kind of irrelevant thus making me feel that they weren’t needed to build the storyline, yet ShinLee dramas hit different y’all. Every role, no matter how small, holds significance to the drama. It really seemed like a collaborative work that shows off every actors skills (and not forgetting staffs) and teamwork.

Anyways because there are way too many characters and too many scenes for me to mention them all, I’ll just talk about some honourable mentions heheh

1. Sunbin and Seokmin confession scene (ahh so cute)

I kinda sensed that they liked each other at the start but I didn’t know Seokmin would ask her out on a date at the end. Even though it’s kinda awkward that they are dating and working with each other though (both are in the same department) but hey the confession was cute and awkward and just warm and fuzzy 🥰

2. MAMA ROSA IS THE QUEENN

I think we all (would) love Mama Rosa because she’s a real one ☝️ (probably the coolest mother ever) She’s feisty, hilarious and kind to others. Plus her friendship with Ju Jong Su was just adorable and super wholesome. The scenes where they were supporting one another through tough times and hanging out with each other when they felt lonely always put a smile on my face. Oh and how Mama Rosa treated Gyeoul was extremely sweet. (as well as Seokhyeong’s mother) Despite her tough exterior, she’s a likeable character for being a strong but caring woman.

3. Just Do Jae Hak

I seriously love this guy so muchhh omg he’s so funny

Do Jae Hak has a funny amd clumsy personality, though it’s clear he’s been through a lot and is strong willed person. From admitting his indecisiveness to counselling Jun Wan on his love issues, there’s literally nothing to hate about him.

4. Uju and his dadd

The father and son chemistry between these two is so good omg. The scenes with these two are so adorable and heartwarming (not to mention hilarious) It’s amazing to see how Ikjun cares so much for Uju despite his hectic workdays while going through infidelity issues with his ex-wife. Uju is matured for his age and shows his love and appreciation for his dad too, making their interaction a great portrayal of a healthy family relationship💞

5. the food stealing the show🥘

Who doesn’t love food and when a show has great food scenes? Some of the best scenes are definitely when the 99s gather to eat. It really showcases each character’s personality with the tiniest details as well as highlight warm delicious meals. Just don’t watch this when you’re hungry at 2am in the morning guys you’ll be drooling all over your screens HAHAHA

Of course there are way more aspects, like Hongdo and Yoonbok, Ikjun and Iksun’s pigeon jokes and raps, or Jeongwon drunk crying in the chicken shop with his brother (who was his coach in Reply 1994 when he played Chilbong LOL)

Most importantly, I think it is the themes and messages that you get from the drama that really create such a lasting impression. Not only does it hit you in the feels with the hardships of hospital patients, or the hardworking doctors+nurses who are working long shifts saving lives, it also tackles topics of friendships through the possibilities of platonic and friends-to-lovers relationships. However I think the biggest lesson for me came from Seokhyeong, who learns to live his life doing what he want, with the people he treasures. Although the drama might seem slow at times (mainly because there isn’t really a main plot line/conflict occurring), but this drama would still bring you on a journey where you would laugh, cry and finish the series, begging for season 2 ✌🏻

[childishfluff]

(im gonna be sending a few seperate asks since theyre seperate thoughts/ideas, sorry for any sort of inbox spam!!) ur pet regressor tommy fic led me into a whole wormhole of many different ideas.. esp abt who else is a pet regressor!!

- wilbur (cat regressor!! also very relaxed, he *will* just sleep on phil or techno's lap for hours on end. mostly nonverbal, but will meow every now nd again. mostly communicates through actions. he can purr. doesn't drop often, but when he does, it's due to extreme stress- meaning he can be pretty sensitive while he's in catspace.)

- tubbo (puppy regressor, but definitely more of a relaxed dog aside from the amnt he communicates, especially through barking, whimpering, and soft "awooo!!"'s. loves snuggles. sometimes, he's scared to come of as annoying, so he's hesitant to slip into pupspace, normally needing someone to help him along and tell him that it's ok for him to be a puppy, nd that he's a very very good boy.)

- karl (kitten regressor!!!! he's either really sleepy or really playful/energetic, and he has no in between on that. he meows.. so much.. all he kno is meow meow!! *very* sensitive while dropped, and as such, he needs a lot of validation and love. will get extremely upset with himself if he notices that anyone is even *slightly* mad/irritated by him.)

- nick (sapnap) (PUPPY REGRESSOR 100000%!!! he's very very loud and extremely playful!!! he can be entertained for *hours* w literally anything, especially toys like chew bones. doesn't really drop too often, but when he does, he drops very very far. something that can trigger his drops is when people compare his traits/actions to those of a dog because he just goes yes!! yes me!!!! dog!!! me!!!! also he loves karl *so* much because karl absolutely spoils him rotten when he's in pupspace.)

- ranboo (kitty regressor!! similar to karl, he can be really sensitive while he's dropped. entirely nonverbal, opting for actions instead. he's a mix of both playful and sleepy. when he sleeps, he curls his entire body up into a circle nd kneads at whatever he's sleeping on until he falls asleep.)

- dream (cat regressor!! sleeps a lot when he's dropped, hes just vv tired. mimics patches, and loves to follow her around/act like she does. even bases his catgear around patches, with tabby-colored cat ears and an outfit based off of similar colors. drops very easily, mostly voluntarily.)

those r the ones i can think of now.. id love to know ypur opinions/interpretations of them!! -🌻

OKAY I’M GONNA GO THROUGH THESE ONE BY ONE, AND SHARE MY THOUGHTS+OTHER POSSIBLE HCS/FIC SCENARIOS, SO LONG POST WARNING Y’ALL

1. Cat Regressor! Wilbur

yes yes yes, I wouldn’t of thought of it myself but the idea is absolutely adorable! I’d totally write that, with like handler/cg!niki in addition to those you listed. And the idea of him using it for stress and therefore being sensitive in catspace? like, that’s amazing. 

I could imagine a fic where someone pushes him to regress for fun for once, but he feels like it’s stupid to purposely act like a cat when he doesn’t need it? They don’t pressure him, or anything, but he ends up slipping because he feels safe. and he realizes not only does it help with stress, but it just makes him more happy!

also imagine him slipping around tommy for whatever reason, and just wanting to sleep while Tommy’s trying to do something fun. So he’s dragging around a sleepy kitten and waking him up every two seconds, and it’s really soft and adorable and ends up with Wilbur sleeping somewhat on Tommy so that he can’t get up and he’s like ‘you’re so lucky I love you, dude.’ awww I need to write a fic- no promises but y’know

2.Puppy Regressor!Tubbo

someone actually requested a puppy regressors!tubbo and tommy fic that I’m having trouble writing, like it sounds cute but it’s kinda hard bc I’ve never written puppyspace before. I actually decided to start over but I’ma keep trying on that. 

anyways, imagine like, Ranboo or Tommy helping him slip over a discord call! Needing help to regress is something that I understand (I age regress, but I haven’t in a while due to this issue), so I could probably write Tubbo in that position well. Needing to be coaxed and told that it’s okay to be a cute lil puppy, like that’s adorable! 

3. Kitten Regressor!Karl

tbh I tried to write kitten!karl but I was half asleep and gave up, I need to get back to that hjsiksja. Like I specialize in writing sensitive regressors w/anxiety over someone being mad at them, so I could definitely pull this off. 

and the idea of him being a talkative kitty is sooo cute! Like I can imagine something along the lines of this conversation between him and a handler/cg:

“What do you want?”

“Meowww”

“I don’t know what that means!”

“Meow?” (little head tilt and innocent cute eyes)

“Do you want cuddles?”

*excited meows! and he goes and cuddles up in their lap bc yay, they understood him!*

and imagine kitten!karl playing w/Quackity! very very adorable concept

4. Puppy Regressor! Sapnap

okay okay so I don’t watch sapnap really but this is still adorable! Like the whole ‘me, puppy? yes.’ thing is soooo cute! Imagine George or Dream just forgetting that’s a trigger and making a joke about how one of his mannerisms reminds them of a puppy and suddenly! There’s a puppy to take care of!

and karl spoiling him sounds like something he’d do hjsiksjsa. I can’t really add much on here bc idk much about him/his content past the smp but this is so cute! Maybe I’ll watch a few of his videos and attempt writing him bc I keep getting requests for him

5. Kitten Regressor! Ranboo

yes, I was already thinking about this tbh! Like I’ve written him as a little and it’s kinda similar, he’s sensitive, and he’s less verbal the littler he gets. As a kitten, I can easily picture him just being quiet. 

I imagine that he’s really pouty because of this, because he doesn’t know how to communicate otherwise, so this might confuse anyone who may take care of him. 

“Why are you pouting? Do you want cuddles? Food? Do you wanna play?” 

and he just doesn’t reply bc he’s a kitten and he can’t talk so it’s an endless cycle of guess and check until they reach the right answer, and it’s really funny to watch. I can also imagine that he giggles a lot. Like he’s not verbal or anything, and he doesn’t giggle a lot but sometimes it happens! and if you make him giggle while in kittenspace then you did something right!

it makes everyone happy when he giggles and it’s really soft and cute! I definitely think I’ll write a fic with kitten!ranboo in it, at some point eventually, I think! 

6. Cat Regressor! Dream

awwwww- I didn’t even consider the possibility of this but awwww. Imagine Wilbur and Dream in catspace together, just sleeping and cuddling while basically all the other kittens are playing and being hyper. And everyone’s trying to get them to play but they’re sleepy! (ofc they end up playing anyways bc their friends are adorable and convincing but y’know)

and I really like the idea of him mimicking patches! I’ve seen a few pet regresors say that they mimick/copy their pets so it kinda feels realistic and likely! and plus, it’s really cute. 

and since his regression is voluntary, I can imagine him like one minute, just chillin w/george and sapnap and going ‘what if- what if I just went *cat mode*’ and he tries to hint to his friends that he wants to slip but they’re not getting it so it’s kinda frustrating for him but funny for the readers to see play out bc George and Sapnap are being completely oblivious to everything. Hjsiksja that’d be funny

Thank you for sending this it, like seriously! It was really fun to go through and talk about these, I might make additional headcannon lists once I’m actually awake tomorrow bc I shouldn’t be up rn but yeah, I just wanted to go through and respond to this! <3

[spideywhites]

Hey spidey

Totally waiting for an update from u

For the prompts thing please tell me about Toshiro or Kousei in regards to:

🌍, 🤝, 💍, 💀, ✨, 📚, 😍 , 😇

Any and all of them will do.

[ 🌎 ] are there any aus you have for your muse? what are they like, and how is your muse different in them?

oh, tons. i always end up making AUs for literally every OC that i make, but usually i keep that in my head. they come around because i get super attached to an OC and want to fit them in everywhere!! for Toshiro, i have the general Konoha High School AU, Mythos AU, soulmate AU, ABO AU, and alternate meeting AU.

Konoha High School AU: nurse Toshiro ! honestly... he's probably just less traumatized and more happy-go-lucky. Mythos AU I've done a little one-shot about, with dryad Toshiro. Soulmate AU is . . . interesting, because it doesn't go as you'd expect. But i'm not going to say more on that just yet, in case i actually go through with making a little mini-fic for it. ABO AU is about Alpha Kakashi and Omega Toshiro being absolutely not the norm for their dynamics, and Toshiro being a late-presenting omega who is already halfway through his reforms when it hits, causing a whole new slew of political upheaval for the initially presumed beta. (honestly, might write a little thing about this too, but i shouldn't get ahead of myself lol) as for the alternate meeting au, it's mostly where they meet early on during the third shinobi war, when they're both actively child soldiers. trauma bonding? hm.

[ 🤝 ] how does your muse approach intimacy? are they hesitant, or do they like it? what types of intimacy do they like and dislike? (ex. physical intimacy, sexual intimacy, emotional intimacy, etc.)

toshiro is . . . simultaneously direct and nervous, depending on the type. he is very warm-hearted, but lawful (in a sense) and takes great stock in morality. he's comfortable with physical intimacy with children (hugs, holding hands, general paternal care) and close friends, otherwise he's not . . . touchy? or rather just uncomfortable with prolonged touch from strangers or people he doesn't feel close to. he'll tell you directly that he's uncomfortable, and maybe even give you a lecture on good-touch bad-touch lol. sexual intimacy is exclusive to his partner. he's not one for flings, as he doesn't feel exceptionally sexual impulses towards those he's not close to. emotional intimacy has to be the most complex.... he's very open with children, showing care and love with relative ease. if he feels like he's grown close to someone, he's not afraid to open up to them. he can be nervous and procrastinate for a time, but he always ends up as the type to make the first moves. not exactly 'heart on the sleeve', but is willing to jump when he comes to the edge.

[ 💍 ] does your muse have a “type” of people that they prefer to enter relationships with? is their type generally compatible with them, or does the dynamic tend to be toxic?

toshiro will say he doesn't have a type, but he definitely does! it's not exceptionally particular, but he's certainly more attracted to people who are 1) tall, 2) the type he can sit in quiet with, 3) independent, 4) have nice arms.

in most cases, he's pretty compatible with his 'type', though the variety of personalities you can get who also possess those four qualities is pretty huge. luckily he's very straightforward and oddly centered, so he will call out toxic behavior when he sees it and is unlikely to enter a relationship with someone before analyzing every facet of them and how they would work with him.

[ 💀 ] has your muse gone through anything traumatic? if so, how has this trauma affected them?

as a child soldier, you could say he went through... a bit of trauma. he was forced through a rigorous training schedule that he barely passed, considered a statistic, and thrown onto the battlefield where at most he was expected to serve as fodder or a distraction for better nin to use to their advantage. he was the sole survivor more than once, moved around and placed on multiple teams to fill space, and made to carry the bodies of other child shinobi back. obviously this still affects him mentally, but he used a lot of the accompanying rage to put a plan in motion and twist the world into something better.

[ ✨ ] what aesthetics or symbols do you reference when writing your muse? are these backed up by canon, if your muse comes from a canon? is there any specific relevance to these choices?

pale gold / rose / peach / crimson / ink & parchment / plants / the scent of rubbing alcohol / white / the sun & stars / soft kimonos / red piercings / warmth / spring / autumn

i use constant reference to these as a way to describe him and make him feel more .. . in the moment? like his presence is actually taking up space in the scene.

[ 📚 ] what books does your muse have on their bookshelf? what books would they like to have? if your muse isn’t an avid reader, is there anything they collect or might like to collect?

a few fuuinjutsu for beginners scrolls, heaps and heaps of medical texts, some cheesy romance novels, guilty pleasure enemies to lovers books. he doesn't have a lot of time to read for fun, so most of his bookshelves are stocked to the brim with reading material concerning his craft.

[ 😍 ] does your muse believe in true love? why or why not?

n ot . . . exactly. he thinks love is something you have to both feel and think about. you have to work for it, with it, and around it. he's not sure there's a true definition of true love when there are so many types, kinds, and versions that work better for different individuals. if everything with kakashi works out and they grow old together, he'd consider kakashi his true love, the love that worked out best for him. in short, he really thinks too much to believe in the unanalyzed concept, and he doesn't believe in 'love at first sight'... because that's just attraction.

[ 😇 ] what would your muse do if they became a god?

probably keep moving the same as he always does, unless he god powers give him better healing abilities. then he'd go around the countries fixing people up and trying to stop wars. essentially goes back to his original goal of ending child death in shinobi ranks. he's not fond of being a solo leader tbh.

[brave-clarice]

“Clarice” Liveblog: Episode 7

disclaimer: there’s going to be discussion of a lot of little details I disliked in this one, but as a whole, I liked it a lot better!

honestly? Clarice’s coworkers have every reason to question if she’s “okay” given what we’ve seen so far on this show.

and yeah, coming back from leave a week after being repeatedly tortured does “seem soon”.

AG Martin is using Clarice just as badly as Crawford ever did.

why does Krendler look so sharp? tailored waistcoat, crisp shirt...his costumes would look more in-character for Hannibal than Paul Krendler. I don’t get it.

not sure I like the “my people mined coal, so we know when we’re okay to work” flex, but...whatever.

she makes some truly uninspired costume and hair choices look great

“who am I, James Bond?” are you an FBI agent or aren’t you, Krendler?

BIG Jack Crawford and his Pepto Bismol vibes, but dammit, Krendler should NOT be like Crawford!

now Ardelia’s back to collaborating with Clarice on a case like it’s no big deal??? way to make her look like a hypocrite. again.

idk, I still think Ardelia could have an FBI subplot AND be part of Clarice’s life without constantly working with Clarice within an FBI context (their careers don’t really intersect in the books). those things aren’t mutually exclusive.

“he died instantly” um, is Clarice a medical examiner now? I know she’s got a forensics background, but she’s just now seeing the body.

“Cody didn’t feel any pain” how does Clarice know that and why is confident enough to say it to the kid’s mother?!

also, are victim’s family members usually allowed right into the crime scene like that? paging @special-agent-pendragon​!

“let’s talk when we can” Clarice, honey...you literally live with Ardelia, lmao.

the crooked lawyer’s office reminds me a LOT of Chilton’s office in Silence.

Paul Krendler: Good Guy and Faithful Husband...don’t know him!

and again...this is a waste of time on Clarice’s show.

she’s so dang cute!

hey, a reference to Ardelia’s grandma!

Clarice and Ardelia working on a case together at home, off the clock, is way more on brand!

also Clarice eating junk food...that’s my girl :)

I too sometimes eat Lucky Charms out of the box, haha.

omg, Ardelia’s actual grandma!!!

and: a reference to her frying pan, the one Clarice looks into after reading Hannibal’s letter!

Clarice is finally laughing and drinking and having a good time with her best friend...I’m so happy about it.

literally exactly what I wanted/this show NEEDED

“at least my father‘s still alive” oh...my god...they really made Ardelia Mapp say that to Clarice... I...don’t know what to say except that I hate it. the scene was so great otherwise, too.

to be clear, imo this is not an appropriate thing to say to your best friend, ever.

Clarice might be drunk, but her nonchalant reaction (giggling!) is all wrong too, particularly for this Clarice, who’s always been shown as deeply traumatized/haunted.

maybe I’m 100% off-base on this, but I feel like Ardelia’s backstory in this show is at odds with her career choice: why does she go into law enforcement at all? does she truly believe she can make a substantial difference? hope this is addressed at some point.

“I can’t believe you never told me that before” I know this is expository, but I can’t believe it, either, Clarice.

there’s no indication in the books that Mrs. Starling was “always angry” or that Clarice was intimidated by/scared of her outbursts. she saw her mother as a pillar of strength! I don’t like this change tbh.

“he was the law. he was important” mmm...Clarice’s father was not important, and that’s the core of the tragedy, of her anger. it’s why Hannibal calls him the “night watchman” and the reason the Starlings didn’t receive any money or support after his death. he was expendable.

to be fair, I guess maybe this is supposed to be what Clarice’s idea of him was as a child.

this scene is full of little things I don’t like, and Clarice’s father giving her the add-a-bead necklace is definitely one of them.

in the book, Hannibal guesses that Clarice is afraid her beads now look tacky (having been previously trendy in the early-to-mid-80s...so, well after her father’s death). there’s NO indication they had any sentimental value (in fact, they’re never mentioned again iirc)--and with four kids to support, how can he afford to give his eight- or ten-year-old daughter decent jewelry, anyway???

I like the IDEA and the FEELING of that scene. just not the dialogue. and the entire thing is slightly undercut (imo) by Ardelia’s earlier mean-spirited comment. idk. it was cute, but this show’s writing is its own worst enemy.

Ardelia called her “Starling”! :)

Clarice’s costume is yet again blah, while Ardelia’s is great...anything but 199x, though.

money shot!

whew...didn’t see THAT plot twist coming.

Good Guy Paul Krendler continues to be a thing for some reason.

does the Hoover building only have one hallway?

Krendler gaslighting Clarice because someone is blackmailing him doesn’t hit the same as Krendler undercutting her career because he’s a sexist jackass who wants to fuck her. sorry.

Good: Clarice laughing/smiling/joking/having fun with her friend! A (could-have-been-better) bonding scene with Ardelia. Clarice getting to work a field case and the iconic shots that come with that territory. Ardelia’s grandma! Not a single mention of the Bill case, thank God.

Bad: Some of Clarice’s snap forensic judgments...they just felt too fast and unconvincing to me. Everyone’s costumes and hair continue to underwhelm me. (Why has Paul Krendler stolen Hannibal’s wardrobe? Why can’t Clarice wear something even remotely exciting?) Ardelia’s awful “at least my father’s still alive” comment. The muddled implications about Clarice’s mother (especially in an episode about an abusive mother).

Ugly: Krendler subplot, as usual.

Overall? Better. Much better. Absolutely a case of “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. Despite its subject matter, this episode was a lot more pleasant to watch than the previous two. Clarice had a limited amount of character development beyond “doe-eyed and traumatized,” she actually got to laugh, enjoy life, eat junk food (!) and solve a case with a friend before it all went to hell. 

I want more, though. The writing leaves a lot to be desired. There were a lot of small details of which I was critical, namely Ardelia’s insensitivity towards her best friend (unfortunately, this seems to be part of a pattern) and several minor but jarring and pointless changes to the books (mostly having to do with the Starlings). Most of the ViCAP team is still pretty one-dimensional, Krendler continues to get way too much screentime, Ardelia is hit-or-miss.

And Rebecca Breeds has to milk every moment and every line for whatever nutritional value it’s worth re: Clarice’s character. Even after seven episodes, I don’t feel as Rebecca’s Clarice has been allowed to fully emerge as the iconic character we know from the books. But I’ll keep on hoping...after all, there are at least three episodes to go!

[curious-menace]

Arkham!Riddler SFW Alphabet

When I started this one I figured it would be easier since I can riddle as bi and ace and this is all non-sexual but my god was it difficult. It's hard to separate what i'd like from a partner like riddler from what this version of riddler would actually be like.  I've done my best but if you have anything you'd like to add, feel free to hmu!

LONG POST UNDER THE CUT

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Edward can be affectionate in quite a superficial way. He’s not above using someone's affections for him to get what he wants out of them and he certainly isn't above feigning affection for the same reason. Although unless you were head over heels for him, his faux sincerity would be pretty obvious. 

However with a partner he actually likes i can imagine he’d be very affectionate with his actions more than his words. Riddler loves to talk but expressing actual love can be difficult for him, whether it’s romantic or platonic, saying how he feels about you is one of the few things that doesn't come easy. I can see him spending a lot of money on you as a gesture of affection; fancy food , clothes, first editions of your favorite books or vintage versions of whatever you collect. He’d quite happily pay for your education/college and any and all books you might want. 

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Being a “best friend”  would probably be at your insistence and not his. He’s likely left any childhood friends behind (assuming he had any to begin with) and I think as an adult, Edward would have trouble making friends. Like most things, Edward treats friendship as just another tool in the bag, he can count the people he actually gives a shit about on 1 hand. 

If you were lucky (or unlucky depending on your view) to be considered one of those friends, expect lots of phone calls about bailing him out, riddles turning up in weird places ( like in the pocket of a coat you haven't worn in a while) and him helping you out with your cerebral challenges( like your quarterly tax return, no eddie i can't just NOT do it will you put down the rubix cube and help me)

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

He’ll never admit it, not even under pain of death, but Edward likes to be held. Now there's a few caveats to this; his rules and on his terms etc.  He likes to lie between your legs with his head on your chest, either facing you for a hug while he naps or away from you, using you like a pillow while he reads or tinkers with something.  He likes having his hair played with and his back gently stroked until he falls asleep.

He keeps up the facade of being totally touch adversed for good reason, the other rouges just do not respect personal space, even ones like killer croc and clayface. For the sake of his suits, he keeps this up even in private. But if you were someone special to him, you might convince him to toss his arm around your shoulder or waist. 

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

When he’s doing well mentally, he’s pretty good at taking care of himself. Or at least, looking like he takes good care of himself. He can cook and clean a little but he has the cash to pay other people to do the more menial or time consuming stuff for him. Not that he’s above it, he just prefers to spend his time on other things and is happy to compensate people to save him from doing it. These days he's more focused on other things to be bothered with domestic chores, his place is very messy. 

Settling down is an alien concept to him, not one he’s eager to explore. Expect him to turn his nose up at the prospect of marriage but a platonic long term partner, someone for company, someone to act as a sounding board for ideas or even just someone to (gently but firmly) kick his ass into looking after himself would be pretty ideal.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He’d probably be thinking long and hard about it beforehand. Like weeks if not months in advance. He’d want to give you the perfect breakup and, depending on what happened, try his best to part as friends. He doesn't deal well with sudden changes to his routine, particularly with no plans ahead. On the other hand he might just pussy out and ghost you. He’s fickle like that.

If it was your doing, well. Edward takes these sorts of things as a challenge. He might even assume you were joking the first time around. After he got the message, I sense he’d probably be quite clingy and upset. It’s taken a lot for him to get so far with you and he wouldn't let it go without a fight. He might try to change or at the very least , be better at hiding whatever it was that you want to break it off.

Failing that expect a lot of texts from blocked numbers almost but not quite begging or apologizing and asking for more chances.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Like I said above, marriage isn't for him. I doubt he'd be compatible with a religious person given his childhood and outspoken atheism. He MIGHT if pressed, give you a question mark themed ring or token as a reminder that you were his. No papers, no ceremony, just something small. If you proposed expect him to be flustered and , if you can believe it, at a loss for words. He might go radio silent on you for a few days before giving you an answer but i honestly couldn't tell you what it might be. He does enjoy the thought of someone referring to him as “my husband” thought, so maybe persistent begging i'll get you somewhere. 

Some sort of Commitment appeals to him from a practical point; having someone to rely on, to fall back on and to care and be cared for by. It's not a normal relationship by any stretch of the imagination but it’ll be special all the same.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Edward isn't an imposing man. He might be tall but he’s all sinus and no mass. He has gentle hands but can be careless when he’s in a mood ( with objects, never with you). He's broken a lot of plates, computer monitors and mechanical pencils over the years. He lacks a lot of social grace to treat things with the necessary amount of sensitivity sometimes, but he has the sense to at least TRY and be emotionally gentle. Situations of abuse or self worth issues, things he has personal experience dealing with are things he can easily empathise with .

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Short story, yes but only coming from a trusted partner. Long story is that he has a hard time not flinching when someone hugs him by surprise. You should ask before you do it. 

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Edward is the kind of person to fall head over heels very quickly. He might say I love you before it's socially appropriate, it honestly might make you a little uncomfortable. But once that initial infatuation dies he's a lot more guarded with his feelings. He’d say i love you in a superficial way quickly but a genuine i love you with real emotion would take a lot of time and thought from him before he actually committed to it. 

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

If you look up jealousy in the dictionary, you'd see Edward's picture. Obviously he is a deeply insecure man, he’s terrified you’ll start to think of him the way he thinks of himself and seek out someone better. You need to nip any signs of jealousy in your relationship in the bud early on. Otherwise Edward will become controlling, manipulative and possessive to the point of alienating you from other people, simply for the sake of having you to himself. You need to set healthy boundaries while also doing your best to accommodate his need to be validated and his need for reassurance that you do in fact want to be with him. He gets snappy when he’s jealous, with you and other people. He has temper tantrums like a child if you don't agree with him. Like for example if he thinks someone was flirting with you and you tell him they were just being friendly. 

All that said, I genuinely don't think he does it for the sake of being a controlling partner. He is just so very afraid that someone he actually gives a shit about will leave him like everyone else in his life. 

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

I should point out that he doesn't kiss often. But when he does,He’s all over the damn place. What he lacks in experience he makes up for in enthusiasm. He is a very sloppy kisser when he gets into it but generally his kisses are very short and chaste. Like i said, he doesn't really know what he's doing so he's all over the place in terms of location. I think smooches on the cheek  because it's easy access, for him and you. He likes body worship, so if you're kissing him, anywhere will do as long as you're praising that part while you do it. 

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Edward does not like children but he’s good pretending for the sake of his image. Childrens naturally inquisitive nature coupled with his bright and colourful appearance makes for some entertaining moments but in the long run I can see him worrying too much: about screwing the kid up, about being perceived like his father, about the child not meeting his expectations etc. 

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

He's more of a night owl tbh. If you're living with him he might wander into the kitchen while you're getting breakfast , wondering why you're up so late. You'd have to tell him he’s accidentally pulled another all nighter. He might have coffee with you and talk about what he was working on, maybe ask if he could have some breakfast with you. But by the time it's cooked he’ll have passed out on the sofa.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Edward prefers to work and operate at night so expect him to be in a flurry of activity, building things, calling people and working at his computer. He likes to have company, even if you aren't doing much talking. It would be nice for him to just spend time with you while you both work on your respective projects. Sometimes he gets his shit together and lives during the day like most people ( read as, when he’s just been to prison and has an actual schedule for once) he would like to unwind with you by watching game shows or playing video games.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Edward has a bad habit of gloating about his accomplishments but in a way that is so obviously false it unintentionally tells more about him than he really wanted to. Like in Arkham knight, he gloats about “not having any friends at all” in reference to his riddler bots when Catwoman teases him. He meant that as a snipe at catwoman but the fact he’s so open about his lack of friends, to most people anway, is incredibly sad. 

He’s a well known villain, if you didn't know most of his backstory before dating him it would be hard to miss once you were together. He’s unlikely to tell you it himself, having to repeat it time and time again in therapy has him perpetually bored of the subject .

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

He gets upset quite easily, he has very limited patience . He’s used to other people's cuts and jibes so he mostly lets that roll off his back with only a little annoyance. But for stupid people, and people outright insulting him, dismissing him or for acting like batman he is liable to start seeing red very quickly . In your relationship I would say he is easily irritated by a lot of things, generally a bit grumpy if things don't go his way but rarely as angry as we see him in the climax of Arkham knight. He doesn't yell or shout at you but he will seethe and let his anger fester for days at a time. He can be very mean when he’s angry. 

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

You would think for someone with a photographic memory, he would be better at remembering things about you. It's not to say he DOESN'T remember, only that he requires prompting to do so. Yes, he will remember everything about you but he puts it in the back of his head so he can focus on other things. Don't be surprised if he lets important dates slip by or does things at the last minute because something reminded him of it. 

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

It's probably something innocuous that you wouldn't think of, or even realise he was there for. Maybe he remembers meeting you in a coffee shop months or years before you met and started dating. He remembers because you held the door for him or gave him a genuine smile. You were something colourful in his gray day, something hard to forget. I doubt he tried to build a relationship out of that one moment but when he met you again he would remember that and decide that it was fate or something.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Edward is protective in a strange way. He’s most powerful in situations where he controls everything , which isn't usually possible in real life as he's not a particularly strong man. He has more power in the digital world so that's where he feels most comfortable looking out for you. He might watch you on security cameras to make sure you get home safe, send you texts to check in or hide your profile from the police. You can be online together and in the public eye ( for him to brag about you to his online followers of course). To tie back in with his jealousy, he would be pretty protective initially but if you told him to back off, he’d be careful to do it more secretly. 

Edward needs to be protected in a lot of ways, mostly from himself. He’s not good at looking after himself, either physically, mentally or socially. His big mouth gets him into a lot of bother so he might need you to act as a social filter. He’s had several large breakdowns in the last few years and with arkham closed for good, he has no support besides you. He needs to be grounded and kept in the present lest he get wrapped up in his thoughts. 

 T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?) 

Honestly? He doesn't really try. He's very lucky in that he can pull something out of his ass last minute and it would still have a similar effect to if he’d spent the whole month planning. Someday it's going to blow up in his face big time but he doesn't seem to care.

Same goes for everyday tasks. He's usually so focused on his own stuff that he doesn't realise other things need done. He's a master of doing things at the last second and still making it look like he put in effort.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

He has a bad habit of underestimating people, even you. He might be inclined to patronise you when you try to do things for him but just showing him that you are a capable human being is usually enough to shut him up. He's very egocentric, narcissistic and conceited, but given everything he's been through, it's not really his fault he's like this. What is his doing is his refusal to work on his faults or try to grow as a person. Perhaps with the right encouragement you could help him but don't hold your breath. 

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Normally yes, Edward is narcissistic and very concerned with his looks but recently, with his mental health declining, he's forgotten to take care of himself. I imagine when/if he snaps out of this funk he’ll be mortified by how he’s let himself go. He’s more concerned with how he looks socially, how he might be perceived and his reputation than what he physically looks like. 

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Edward is and always has been convinced he was meant to be alone. He’s somewhat made his peace with that . there would always be a hole in his heart that he really thought nothing could ever fill. But meeting you? Well that changes things. Edward will never be a complete, well rounded person but having someone to kiss his wounds and pour their love into the cracks in his being is infinitely better than being alone. 

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

I mentioned in some of my mini headcanons for him that he used to do gymnastics as a kid. It wasn't so much that he wanted to or even enjoyed it all that much, in his highschool you just had to pick a sport and it was one of the only things that wasnt team related and had the lowest chance of being hit in the head with a ball, bat or racket. He was pretty good at it, even if he didnt like it that much , and probably could have taken home some bronze or silver awards in his state if his parents had encouraged him. Nowadays he can barely do a pullup but he's still got most of the flexibility, even if repeated breaks at the hands of batman have left him a little sore while he does it.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Edward doesn't like people appearing to be smarter than him. but his ego usually protects him from acknowledging that fact. he doesn't like bullies, despite being one himself . but his most hated trait in people is alcohol use/ dependency. If he knew you were an alcoholic he likely never would have started dating you but even the odd drink will make him turn his nose up. of course, hes a hypocrite , when hes feeling really sorry for himself he will definitely drink his sorrows away in whatever hole in the ground gotham rogues frequent. the self loathing is as strong as his hangover the next morning. he knows hes like his father, in more ways than one and it makes him sick. any mention of alcohol is likely to bring up these feelings

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Edward is a chronic insomniac but there is one thing that is guaranteed to send him right to the land of nod and that is having his hair played with and his back stroked. I don't know if it was one of the few kind touches he ever received as a child or if his parents did it when he was a baby but it's one of the few things that makes him feel truly safe and cared for. Riddler has spent the majority of his life alone, so finding a partner he trusts enough to allow them not only into his space but also his bed would be a difficult thing. If that's you, however, expect him to be badgering you every night to help him get to sleep.

that took a lot longer than i thought it would! arkham riddler is obviously my favorite so i was trying to write a lot for him but i hope i havent been rambling

if you want to talk more about any of the riddlers, hmu!

[lemonietrinket]

How Day6 would react to them being your first kiss

AN: requested by anon, i hope this was what you were after! i tried my best, and i think it turned out alright (rest of the members under the cut)

Sungjin

as i’ve said before in another reaction, sungjin imo opinion dates to marry (or an equivalent if marriage is not for you, as though i get the vibe he’s quite traditional, for the right person he would be very easily convinced)

so he treats all of his relationships as if they’re going to be The One

this means he probably has reasonable experience with a small number of long term-ish relationships

so you’re not his first, but he has a good idea on how to treat you

your first kiss will probably not come along that early in the relationship

taking things slow is a must, and an idea you can get behind

so when it finally comes round, and you admit that he’ll be your first kiss, he’s secretly over the moon

because it means he’s found someone who understands and get things like he does 

but also so he can make sure it goes right

he’s not super confident with his skills or anything lol, not like that

just he knows that he will make sure it’s under your parameters

you’d probably ask him to lead you, since you’re not particularly sure what you’re doing

and he would be so careful when he presses his lips to yours, lightly tipping your chin with the curl of his index finger and the pad of his thumb

the kiss would be short and very chaste, a starting point for you to make your way from and into the deep end if you wanted to

it would probably leave you wanting more not long after but

you go at your own pace

after all, he’s pretty sure that this time you are The One, and that means you have all the time in the world

Jae

this boy has probably got experience

come on, with a voice like that, with humour like that, with a smile like that, with his deep moments and kindness

ok im preaching to the choir here 

the point is, he’s probably kissed a lot of people

so when kissing comes up

and it’ll come up pretty quick imo because he’s probably quite affectionate as a partner

he’s going to find it adorable that you haven’t had your first yet

but it’s no problem, he’ll just be extra gentle—tho let’s be real, i can’t really picture him being anything much different lol

he woudn’t be as cautious as sungjin, and just ask whenever he felt the moment was right, and won’t take it too personally if you tell him ‘not yet’

when the yes comes, he’ll start slow

it’ll probably be one of those long ones, the light ones that make you linger and hang onto the end, waiting for the next part to come

once you part, if you don’t erupt into giggles and blushed cheeks, he’ll happily offer you another, deeper one

there’s one thing for sure, it’ll easily become a staple of your romantic relationship, so prepare for kisses everywhere sksksk 

Younghyun

ugh the romance

look, he’s charismatic, he’s confident

if it’s your first kiss, he’s gonna make sure it’s the best first kiss you could ever have

i imagine he’s more of a spur of the moment kind of guy

if you’re akin to a heroine of a jane austen-esque novel (like me) and would prefer to be asked first then let him know, he’ll remember and will do so

otherwise, he’ll wait for the perfect moment before he leans in, quiet like the movies, or with something suave to say

he will take the lead, so just relax because you’re not going to know what to do but you’re in good hands

will hold the small of your back or cup your cheek as your lips meet, and it’ll probably be the definition of sparks igniting

probably the most passionate first kiss of the lot, and it will be unforgettable

lucky

Wonpil

now first appearances would dictate that wonpil has limited experience

but then again, if you think back to when you were a baby myday, if you were told one member of day6 had a tattoo, would you have guessed it was pil?

yeah, that logic may apply here too

regardless somewhat of his history, i have a feeling that if he’s had his first kiss, it perhaps wasn’t that important or memorable and neither kinda were some of the ones that followed :/

either way he’s going to find the fact that you want him to be your first kiss absolutely heartbreakingly adorable

and he’ll probably tell you that

guy’s got little shame

he’s also highly affectionate, so kissing is important to him

meaning that there’s a lot riding on the first kiss of the lot

and it would come up really quick

as soon as it’s brought up, he will immediately enquire if you want to have it then

you’d probably be snuggling on the sofa alone when it comes up so don’t worry about privacy, that’s taken care for

no matter when you agree, he’ll be all smiles when it happens, but with a certain steel in his eyes

he probably wouldn’t consider himself the best kisser, but he wants your first to be good (otherwise yo might not ever kiss him again and that would be very bad) and so he resolves himself to giving you the best first wonpil kiss he can give you

since you don’t know what you’re doing, he’d probably encourage you by telling you to follow his lead and just do what feels right

will try and lead you as best he can, though it’s not his speciality. even if he initiated it, he would usually let his partners lead him before tbh

the kiss ends up being probably very soft, lasting mere moments but feeling like much longer

as you pull away, he would quickly dip back in a plant a very quick and final one upon your lips, before meeting your eyes again 

the two of yu are probably quite shy afterwards, so cuddles are what follows

but slowly it will become instinct, and you may find yourself initiating them even more than he does

Dowoon

look, im 78% sure dowoon has only had one relationship in his life that probably didn’t last super long either

so first kiss, 50/50 on whether he’s even had it yet himself 

and if he did, he probably didn’t learn much from it, or maybe even enjoy it :(

now that he’s come out of his shell a bit more, he’s able to put himself in a relationship again, this time for the best reasons, and once again is in a position to take that next step

so intrinsically, neither of you know what you’re doing

but that’s ok! you’re in the same boat, and you can learn together, which is arguably the best way—there’s no guilt or as much embarrassment

so after a while, when the two of you are ready, and you’ve probably spoken about it a bit (though perhaps not extensively, unless you are a lot more forward than he is) the time will come

it’s probably not in a place that screams ‘special’ but it’ll be safe and easy and comfortable, and it’ll be worth it in itself rather than for the circumstances around it

it’s probably awkward, but once you figure positioning after a brief nose bump, it’s not too bad

yeah you probably have to wrack your brains for kiss scenes you’ve watched in dramas and movies for a vague idea, but it goes well!

for a first kiss

where neither party really knows what to do

:)

as time goes on, you’ll grow more confident

and tho dowoon doesn’t give off strong kissing vibes as being his primary form of physical affection (more of a hand-holder if you ask me), i think it would grow more common, though only in the private sphere

though don’t underestimate the power of head and temple kisses in public

it will ruin you just wait 

~~~

Masterlist

[trashbinbackyard]

1-10 kenzo & ipes, 11-20 poly roomies & 21-rest trias & krea

aye aye

1. What is their relationship to each other? 

Partners in business (as in kenzo keep bounty hunters off of ipes’ guys assess and he gets coke) turned fuckbuddies turned.. something? (they have feewings for each other)

2. How did they first encounter each other? What did they first think about each other?

Ipes spotted a possibly easy asset, Kenjiro’s eyes didn't find hers. Ipes thought he was easy to get around her pinky and Kenzo thought he might just die

 3. What is their relationship like now?

Neither will acknowledge anything, not even friends with benefits, more like “we are using each other both for work and fun and now we both caught feelings and we hate it (the feelings part not the relationship overall)”

 4. What will their relationship be like in the future? 

Dead mostly, Kenzo kicks the bucket, Ipes follows some time after. She would’ve never confessed anything to him

5. What traits does each person find endearing in the other?

Ipes likes how much of an open book Kenzo is, he’s easy to read and he’s genuinely affectionate. Idk Kenzo might like the attention Ipes gives him and how much like a cat she is (?)

 6. Which traits does each person find annoying in the other?

Ipes is difficult, about giving and receiving affection, and when she has her mind set on something it’s hard to nudge her into any other direction. Ipes find Kenzo lack of self-preservation somewhat annoying, as well as his lack of self-care, but she understands it’s due to his mental illnesses 

 7. How often do they see each other? How often do they talk to each other?

Whenever they can, Ipes is often busy, and Kezo sometimes just doesn’t have the energy. They don't talk outside of their meetings either

 8. Could they live together easily? Why/why not? 

Not really, Ipes detests domestic life and Kenjiro barely ha his holding on by a thread

9. How much physical contact would these characters have with each other? 

a Lot, they’re basically on each other every time they see each other

10. What would they get for each other as birthday gifts? 

I don't think they even know each other’s birthdays, if they did it would just be extra attention and making the other happy even for a moment

-----

11. What hobbies do they share, if any? 

Mat and Quinn have their lotions and scented candles and such, being all zen and relaxed

12. Do either of them have any hobbies or interests which annoy the other?

Wolfgangs motorcycle is a source of anxiety for Quinn

 13. Do any of their beliefs (religious, moral, or otherwise) differ? Do they conflict strongly?

Not really? Quinn wasn’t raised religious, Wolf holds no religious beliefs and I doubt Mateo does either, basically all of them just believe in “be a good person”

 14. Who is the better cook? Who is better at general household tasks? 

Wolf and Quinn can both cook (it’s not bad but nothing super special either), and both clean after themselves and the house overall , they trust Mateo to keep his stuff where he can find them so neither of them touches those

15. Which of them is more adventurous? Is the other adventurous enough to go along with them? 

Probably Quinn, if it’s appropriate they’ll take Mateo with them, but also Mateo kinda? for agreeing to come on a motorbike ride with Wolf

16. Would they go on holiday together, and where would they go? 

Mateo couldn’t really get too much out of visiting the others’ homecountries so first on the list would b Mateo’s home

17. When one is feeling down, how does the other respond? 

Cuddlepile, head scratches, some incense, just relax the stressed one down

18. If one was in a difficult life situation, what would the other do for them? 

Be there for support, offer insight is the other asks for it

19. Has one ever had to stop the other from making a very foolish decision? And did the other listen to them? 

They’re adults in their 40s, the foolish decisions are behind them

20. Has one ever strongly encouraged the other to make a big decision? Did they go through with it? 

Not yet? When they got together they’re all pretty well-rounded adults at that point

-----

21. How would one feel about the other being in love (with them or with someone else)? 

Trias would be like “lololololol old man in loooooooove” and be super annoying yet supportive (if krea wasn't aromantic that is). Krea was along the lines of “oh congrats on figuring out feelings for the first time in your 80 year life” and then going oh no when he found out who the lucky gal was

22. Are there any other people who are a part of both their lives, e.g. friends or family members they share?

Not really, they know of each other’s inner circles but don't vibe

 23. How does each person feel about the other person’s family members and close friends? Do they get along with them?

Trias only knows them by name, doesn’t have any huge opinions one way or the other, Krea has no idea who Trias’s actual family is other than assassin preschool and neither does Trias

 24. Do either of them get jealous over relationships the other one has with friends/family/romantic partners/other people?

Trias is a bit jealous of Krea being competent and having an actual family, one of those things she never thought she’d want. Krea doesn't really have anything to be jealous of

 25. Is either person jealous of the other’s wealth or possessions? 

Nah, they’re both content in what they have

26. If the pair of them had to look after a young child or pet, what would happen?

Trias May Not be left unsupervised with the child, she would entertain the kid though while Krea looks for a safe place to take the child

 27. How far would each go to protect the other? 

Trias did dropkick Krea’s to-be killer armed with only six knives. Krea does clear all the paperwork Trias’ shenanigans have caused, that's a way of protecting too

28. Is there anyone else that each person would protect over the other, if they had to make a choice? 

Krea does have his children, and Trias later has Shyn

29. If one died, how would the other respond? What would happen to them afterwards? 

Trias : “aw dang it not again” and then go through a lot of emotions she doesn’t understand (grief, it’s called grief), cant say for Krea

30. How far would each person follow the other? Would they trust them enough to commit crime because the other asked them to?

Tbh Trias would follow Krea to the ends of the galaxy, again can’t say for Krea