#I'd lose all respect and would not get back together with that person

[desire-for-madness]

Sacrificial break-up plots can go f*cked, I am so sick of them.

What the plot wants you to see is this selfless sacrifice of forfeiting your happiness for the sake of your beloveds happiness, but all I can see is misery, ESPECIALLY towards your beloved. You'll be in some so self-satisfying heroism world of "I gave up my loved one for his own happiness", but your beloved? They'll be thinking they weren't enough. Often ex-lovers are involved, so they'll believe they are easily replaceable. They weren't worth fighting for. They weren't worth communicating to, to find a middle ground. They will be constantly living in the worst thoughts of themselves, because you decided to give up. All their self-esteem issues will be confirmed. There is nothing more hurtful than that.

*I ran out of tags but the drama list is endless*

[rizsu]

ꪆ୧ ── REAP WHAT YOU SOW ┊ LOVE TO LOSE ﹑ JJK. ⤿ starring: gojo satoru x fem!reader.

꒰ heart to none ﹢ if only he knew karma would come back to bite his ass a few years later. now he misses his ex while she's moved on.

𖧷 · love, ‘su: nothing much!! just moments of him suffering

co-parenting with satoru truly isn't all butterflies. as reserved and respectful as he is (to a selected few), satoru never hesitated to taunt you whenever you mentioned going on dates.

“a date? hmm, good luck with that.”

“if it happens to kick off, good for you, but i don't want him near my child.”

“how exciting! i hope it fails.”

those are just some examples of his behaviour. he's vocal about disliking you and the idea of sharing you. had he known beforehand he'd become slightly possessive, he would've avoided you and relationships altogether.

loving someone his mind hates but his heart longs for isn't an experience he'd wish upon his worst enemy — it's too much. the wretched feeling in his chest deepens whenever he's with the kid; scenarios of you being beside him at that very moment flashes before his eyes, but his pride's too high to crash whatever you're doing.

that doesn't stop him from texting, however. he never had an issue with double—triple texting you. if he had something to say (which is never anything important), he'll say it.

satoru: hey.

satoru: did you forget you have a family at home?

satoru: my child's asleep btw, we had fun all day.

you: my* child. not yours.

satoru: so what am i, an elf on babysitting duties?

you: sure if that's what you want. now stop texting my phone.

satoru: what if i'm dying?

you: i'd pop some champagne. throw something on the grill. light up a cigarette, even.

satoru: you don't even like cigarettes.

you: exactly. now bye i'll be there for six.

yeah, there's no doubt that you'll never entertain him again. he, too, wouldn't entertain himself if he was in your position. sure, he was an ass in the relationship but— you're both older and wiser. maybe you can put the differences aside and come together? a flat no is what you'd answer.

satoru doesn't even hear from you often; most of your activity reports come from your child who excitedly tells their father the details, wishing he was there.

“you guys had fun. i wish i was there too, bub.”

a sentimental tone settled in his voice. he's suffering the consequences of his actions, and he desperately needs you to help him through it.

just like old times: you'd be there for him, going along with whatever he needed to calm down. whether it's wanting to be in you or on you— as long as your arms were wrapped around him.

but it's all a memory now. a bitter one.

do you show your vulnerable side to the guys you date, too? do you hold them the way you held him? do they even know what you like? do they know you the way he knows you?

jealousy, regret, longing— everything mixes in his mind. his stomach aches. it feels as though his insides are hollow.

he adores your child. they look mostly like him, but the personality stems from you. the attitude, tantrums, even the way they hold things — it's all you. he guesses the kid's observed you and eventually picked up your habits. satoru relates; after all, he still has some of your habits he picked up.

as the clock ticks on, his fingers hover over the keyboard on his phone. somehow, he found himself in your pinned chat— debating whether he should text or not. he's been typing and deleting for the past ten minutes. unless you're not on the app, there's no way you didn't notice the ‘typing...’ under his contact name.

satoru: i've been thinking.

(message deleted)

satoru: fuck your date let's get back together.

(message deleted)

satoru: or whatever you're doing right now. let me apologize — it's been years. our baby's four now.

(message deleted)

satoru: hey.

you: what's with these deleted messages?

you: are you okay?

he wonders. is he okay? would you come over if he said no? are you going to be mad if he re-sent what the deleted messages said?

satoru: uhhh yeah. everything's fine.

satoru: i'm bored that's why.

satoru: you should totally come over.

you: no.

you: talk to you later.

satoru: please? i'm serious.

you: fine.

satoru: might as well spend the night.

(message deleted)

satoru: thanks.

(message delivered)

“well fuck...” he sighs, raking his fingers through his hair. he doesn't have anything to say nor do with you. actually, he does — he has quite a few, but he wouldn't push your buttons. he'd love to, but the chances of him receiving a slap is high.

[writingoddess1125]

How They Lost their Virginity

Luffy, Sanji, Zoro, Shanks, Mihawk, Buggy

I'm on crack- I'm sorry

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Luffy

He was 'tricked' by a Food stall worker-

Ah Luffy- The 'I'd rather eat then anything else' type of guy.

Luffy despite what most would think, he knows what sex is and blah blah- He just doesn't care about it. So when the opportunity comes his way to have sex with someone he will accept if he's bored enough.

So when a food stall worker was flirting with him while he was getting a meat on the stick, as well as a offer by the person for free food with just some Romp in the sheets. He accepts!

He got a great exercise plus a fantastic free meals whenever he stops by that village! Won't care that he gave his virginity away for the food- Not like he was using it anyway!

Sanji

Still a Virgin

HA YOU THOUGHT!

Zoro

With a Bartender

He had gotten lost- only a few years into his bounty hunting gig and still trying to figure it all out. However fortune was on his side and led him to a sleepy bar, were he chatted up the Bartender while they served him drinks.

Never having such chemistry with a person before. Drinking at the bar and chatting up the Bartender the whole night, which eventually lead to the two of them doing the frisky in the inn next door.

He'd left the next morning, but regretted it quite a bit-

He will never know exactly what bar that was so will think about thay Bartender all the time. Hoping one day the winds will bring him back to them for one of night-

Shanks

With a Dancer

It had been at a festival, not long after Roger's had been executed. He was young and wanted to distract himself from his anger and disappointment- drinking for the first time and ended up watching a street performer around his age.

Enamored by their beauty he used his charm to whoo them. Losing his virginity that night under the stars.

It had been magical for him, And he walked away from it all with a smile on his face and crushing on the dancer who had been with him.

Has a infinity for performers now, If a dancer catches his gaze he will he head over heels and will follow his youthful heart.

Mihawk

With a Member of the Marines

Young, Dumb and filled with sperm. Mihawk had lost his virginity in his mid/late teens to a cadet in the Marines. The two of them the same age, trying to act like adults and decided to do the deed together.

Innocent and awkward- However Mihawk walked away proud from him. If not flustered and embarrassed from it all.

Developed a liking of sleeping with the 'enemy' it is a thrill for him and especially if he can do a sneaky link say besides a bar he will.

Will still sometimes drop by and sleep with that furst Marine member if they are still around. Finds it is nostalgic-

Buggy

With a Sex Worker

This man has such Bad/Negative Rizz he had a hard time in his youth pulling a partner. Maybe it was his loud mouth, rude tendencies or awkward graces that made it hard for him- However he got tired of lying about his 'sexual escapades' and instead decided to just get to the real thing at the age of 20.

He ended up going to a well established brothel. Buggy paid a unholy amount of money for one of the best in the brothel- tried to mouth off at first but after some firm words from the worker piped down and followed their lead.

Learned quickly to respect sex workers and also learned a few new things about himself as well. 😳

Has great respect for the industry and visits them often since he likes them.

[floweringlino]

Shared passion | L.M

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨 ; A chef losing his passion for his occupation and a right hand that is losing respect for the person that taught her all she knows.

𝙋𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 ; Chef!Minho x SousChef!Reader

𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 ; Mention of knives, slight aggression, loss of passion, mention of burn out, slight angst, fluff, suggestive

𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩 ; 2,3k

The Gods Menu Masterlist

✎ ❀

"Alright everyone, we can start Mise en place in a second. There are some things that we need to discuss before we start and i'd like everyone to listen." The girl gathered the attention from her colleagues around her, a hand shot up from the back.

"Yes Felix?"

"Where's Chef?" The pastry chef de partie calmly asked, not to piss his sous chef off

"I don't know Lix, we'll see him show up somewhere today. If you need to ask something important about work you can ask me."

"Yes Chef”

Another hand shot up from the crowd. It was the intern. He had been at the restaurant for about 8 months, nearing his exames.

"Anything I can help with Jeongin?"

"Maybe Chef, I had a meeting with Chef at 12.00 about school, what can I do if he doesn't show up?"

"I'll talk to you after debrief, is that okay?" To which he responded with a polite nod.

"Okay now the points of today, first of, today all of you will do as much as possible without mine of Chefs help. Its time to show us what you’re all capable off, that doesn't count for our Interns." All responded with a yes chef.

"Secondly, Changbin. I would like to ask you politely to stop making the Interns clean up your mess. Jeongin is here to learn. I don't need him filling piping bags because you're too lazy to do it yourself. Han,  Jeongin is not your personal Carrot scrapper. Do it yourself." Both men responded with another yes chef and looked down to the floor in embarrassment.

"Three, i will first be carving the meat, after that i will be in the office, working on the fall menu, got any ideas, share them with me. I'd love some of your input."

"Lunch, 30 people, two times no pork. One person gluten-free, and 5 people confirmed vegetarian. Does everyone know what that entails for each partie?" Another yes chef.

"Alright everyone, it's a beautiful day to make some people smile. Let's start Mise en place. Jeongin come with me." The intern followed her into the restaurant where they sat down at one of the tables.

"Talk to me honey." She spoke kindly

"Well you see, i have my exam next month and I still need to do one more assignment before i qualify for the national exams. But i need a superior to sign it."

"And you worry because Chef hasn't been around much." To which he responded with a shy nod.

"I'll get him to sign it. Do you have the paperwork here?" He nodded and gave the papers.

"You'll have it tomorrow, now you do your work. There's a lot to learn from the guys today, try to keep an eye on everything." He nodded happily and went back into the kitchen.  Y/N dropped her head in her hands and her elbows rested on the table bellow her. A deep sigh left her mouth just as Chan entered the restaurant.

Chan and Minho had opened the restaurant together, two weeks after opening Minho called Y/N to become her sous chef.

"Whats the matter?”

"Min is not showing up I think."

Chan sat down next to her putting a caring hand on her shoulder.

"I know its hard but he's going through a bit of a rough path. Don't love faith in him."

"I'll try" she nodded at him, understanding his words.

She went back into the kitchen and did what she did best, cooking her ass off.

At 12 lunch started rolling in but still no Minho to be seen. She called him but was met with a sleepy voice on the other end of the line.

"What?"

"Get your ass here and help me with the new fall menu."

"Why would I?"

"Uhm excuse me what the fuck? What do you mean why would I? Your kitchen, your staff, your mess."

"Whatever, I'll be there in 20."

"You better." And she hung up on him. He did keep his word as 20 minutes later he walked into the restaurant. Not in his work clothes but in his sweatpants and Tshirt.

Y/N wishes everyone a goodluck with service and with that she left to the office, dragging her chef with her.

"I need you to sign this." She shoved Jeongin's papers in his hands.

"Whats this?"

"Your interns papers. Or did you forget you had a meeting with him today at 12?" He smacked his own face which made it clear that he had indeed forgotten. Later that day they had gotten nowhere with the new menu, only arguing and head butting.

Y/N picked up her stuff and stormed out of the office. She made her was to the kitchen with her notepad. Minho running after her.

"Hyunjin, you're in charge for tonight. I need to get the fuck out of here. It's 10 people, will you be okay?"

"Of course I will! Thank you for this opportunity, Chef."

Minho didn't like that answer even one bit.

"Y/N is not your chef so you will not refer to her as such."

She angrily spun around to face him.

"“You are such a fucking asshole, you haven’t shown your face in days and now you do this? You know, i used to admire you but i have lost all respect i ever had for you in this moment. You sad excuse of a leader. You don’t even know what is going on in your own kitchen.”

And with that she left

~

Later that evening Y/N was preparing food for the new menu in her own home. Thought flew through her head and she wrote all of it down, even if some things didn't make any sense. Multiple people for work had texted her their ideas and those also made their way onto her papers.

Her mind wondered to how it all was 10 years ago, she was still an intern at a Michelin star restaurant, freshly turned 18. Completely overwhelmed and extremely confused. It was there where she met Chan and Minho. Chan was just a simple waiter back then but Minho, he was everything the admired about the job.

He had the confidence, the admiration and most importantly he had more passion for his work than everyone around her combined. She looked up to him, started watching his techniques, following his movements. He quickly noticed and took her under his wing. Of course she had learned a lot school but Minho had learned her everything she knew.

He learned her how to use her creativity. He showed her the best techniques, took her to the most important seminars. He made her follow the most interesting courses. Together they rose to the top

Intern, chef de partie

Chef de partie, Junior sous chef

Junior sous chef, sous chef

And now they were at the end of their road. A year ago she knew for sure that there was still so much he could learn her but then he stopped showing up. Y/N had to figure out how to do it without him and it hurt her.

Even a simple bystander could see it. Guests asked Chan about it? Were they together? A normal person saw love but it was so much more than that. It was shared looks of respect, passion and admiration.

Her lonely thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. Only after that she noticed the single tear that had rolled down her cheek oh so dramatically. She wiped it away and opened her Front door.

A face full of regret was what she was met with. Both didn't know how to start a conversation so after a couple awkward second of silence, Y/N just gestured for him to come inside of her home.

"I still remember when you still lived with your parents. Now you own a home and have pets."

"Well im not 18 anymore, and you're not 19 anymore. What are you doing here Minho?" She wasn't interested in his small talk. Why did he come to her house at midnight.

"Okay, uhm. How do I start this" he took a couple of seconds before continuing. "Im sorry."

"Explain to me what it is that you're sorry for."

"I'm sorry for letting you down. What can I do to make it up to you?"

She couldn't help but look deep into his eyes. She used to always be able to tell what was going on inside his head but something was blocking it. So she did the one thing what made them a team.

"Cook with me?" She pointed her head to her kitchen where a messy kitchen was displayed. He nodded happily and accepted the apron she handed him. He smiled as he held the fabric in his hand, the logo of his old job looking back at him. She stole it from them. The place that brought them together.

"You kept this?"

"Of course I did. I had the best time of my life there. It's where I met you." She smiled kindly at him, a smile he hadn't received in a couple of months and he couldn't help stare.

"So what are you gonna do."

"You're gonna do what you do best, debone this pheasant."

"Where did you get a pheasant?"

"I have my sources."

And they cooked, they wrote down their ideas and ended the night with a perfect new menu. They were a team and for the first time in a while Minho had found his joy back in the kitchen.

Gradually the cooking came to an end and the scenery changed for the kitchen to the living room.  A opened bottle of wine and deep conversation was where the night was headed.

Minho sat on the couch normally, and Y/N sat next to him but her legs over his. First he wondered if it was the alcohol speaking to him but only now he realised how dumb he had been. Looking in her eyes he realised something.

"I'm gonna start going to therapy I think. Maybe they can help me with my burn out."

"Im proud of you, Min."

"Im proud of you too. I had lost my passion, I felt completely burnt out and tired. And today I realised that it was still there. You made me realise." His finger traced the side of her head and shrugged leaned into his touch.

"Im sorry for pushing you aside and im sorry if i have caused you any pain. I have been horrible to you when you have shown me nothing but kindness from the beginning." His hand moved along her jawline, shyly she looked away but that was not gonna happen like that.with his hand on her chin he lead her face back to his. Their eyes interlocked, Minho leaned closer. His eyes darting towards his lips.

"Minho wait." He stopped and they rested their fore heads against each other.

"Do you want this or is this the alcohol? Because if its not real I don't know if I can do this." She started tearing up but before she could she got her response.

"I don't what this, i need this. I need to hold you, i need to have you. I've waited 10 years for this moment and I'm never gonna let you go." And with that confirmation he presses his soft lips against hers. Soft and tender. He wanted to take in every second of the moment, as they could only get one first kiss. It brought comfort and happiness. A longing that was finally fulfilled. After a soft kiss of a couple of seconds both pulled away.

"I've been in love with you for 10 years, Y/N."

"I've been in love with you too, Min."

He dove back into his kiss happily, smiling into it as he wrapped his arms around her, his arms sliding halfway underneath her hoodie.

"You're so beautiful, i could do this all day with you." She giggled into the kiss which gave him the opportunity to add a little bit of tongue into it which she happily accepted. Her hands wondered to the bottom of his shirt which was quickly taken of in a swift motion, along with many other pieces of clothing. They fell asleep of the couch after that and when Minho woke up at 9 he traced her naked shoulders.

"Wake up my love, we need to go to work." He pressed a kiss against her forehead with care. She humbled.

"Are we going together? Your coming with me?"

"I am. Its time for you to give me back my position."

"Gladly, being chef is fucking tiring."

"Be my Co-Chef? We'll do it together."

"You sure?"

"Id love for you too, the team listens to you. Im not there yet with them. Respect is something you need to earn and i haven't proved myself to them yet."

"You have proven it to me."

He turned to his girl as they made their way to work.

"Are you officially mine now?"

"I've always been yours."

Apparently there are more places for people to find their passion. Sometimes you just need to find the perfect person to help you with it.

Passion is in everyone, even if you can't see it so closely. Chase your dreams and don't be afraid to do new things.

Do the things that make you happy the most.

[transmigrationisunderrated]

So, I've been having this stupid overelaborate idea for a binggeyuan au for a hot minute now and I'd like to get it off my chest

Basically, Bingge goes out to find his kind shizun, as Bingge does, and finds Shen Yuan.

In the trip, he loses Xin Mo, so he's stuck in the modern era with (anti) fan Shen Yuan. He doesn't fully clock Shen Yuan as the kind Shizun from the other world at first but he has his suspicions.

Meanwhile, on Shen Yuan's end, he was going to go out and pester Airplane about his writing when he opened his door, saw Luo fucking Binghe passed out on his doorstep, saw a weird computer screen pop up in his vision, and panicked. Yup, the system is here too and it's attached itself to both Shen Yuan and Airplane.

Airplane is assigned the role of 'narrator' by the system, allowing him minor invulnerability and the ability to track the story. Airplane is freaking out because if this is anything like the stories he writes for himself, they're fucked, and if it's anything like the stories he writes for money, they're fucked, literally.

He's particularly worried about his only friend/greatest critic because Shen Yuan and Luo Binghe are both marked as the protagonist and antagonist. The cumplane duo can discuss this with each other but they're forbidden from sharing it with anyone else.

Shen Yuan is worried because, "How can I compete with the Luo Binghe, you dumbfuck author!" and Airplane is worried because, "Cucumber bro, my idea of a good story is a tragedy!" "I'll say." "No, bro, I'm serious, I mean a tragedy!"

Shen Yuan's life starts to fall apart; his eldest brother dies, his parents distance themselves from him, his chronic disability starts giving him more trouble than usual, generally shitty life stuff that would work to leave a protagonist sad and miserable. Add the fact that the PIDW world is starting to blend into their world and Shen Yuan is going through it.

Oh, but that's not even the peak of the iceberg. Luo Bingge figured out that Shen Yuan is somehow the same person as the kind Shizun and is clinging to him. However, Bingge is a wee bit fucked up and he wants exactly what he wants, not some off brand of it. Thus, he starts nudging Shen Yuan to act a bit more like the Shen Qingqiu he encountered, convincing him to grow his hair out, convincing him to wear more green, buys him fans.

Shen Yuan finds himself falling for Bingge, despite his own panic, denial, and concern. When Bingge shyly confuses his admiration for Shen Yuan despite his struggles, they end up spending a wonderful night together.

Airplane is suspect of his friend's relationship; he wrote Bingge after all and he knows how he'd write a tragedy about Bingge and someone who truly loved him.

He's... he's not wrong.

Bingge expects Shen Yuan to fall to his beck and call, to be yet another wife, unwilling (and unable) to give the same care and attention back.

When Shen Yuan is not perfectly subservient and docile for Bingge, he starts seeing a woman, to make Shen Yuan jealous. See!!!! Bingge totally doesn't need you!!!!

Shen Yuan is. He's coping. He knew what kind of person Luo Bingge is. One papapa and ship them into the harem to never be seen again. Shen Yuan doesn't know why he expected different. However, he does respect himself more than that and politely asks that Bingge not sleep with him while he's seeing this girl. Which. Is the opposite of what Bingge wanted or expected. "Yuan-gege! Don't you want this lord anymore? Is he not desirable? How dare you ignore this lord!"

So now Shen Yuan is moping because he thinks Bingge only loved him because he looks like another and that he's just another bitch in the ditch.

Luo Bingge is pouting because his tried and true methods of seduction aren't working on his new kind Shizun and instead attracting all the wrong people! He doesn't want to be swarmed by many women, he wants Shi- Shen Yuan!

Airplane, watching Shen Yuan and Luo Bingge fall deeper into miscommunication and bitter, hurt feelings: oh. Oh no.

When the PIDW world bursts into their own, featuring a convenient hole into the Endless Abyss, Shen Yuan and Bingge are caught in the middle of it and with it, a pretty nasty argument.

Shen Yuan accuses Bingge of planning a hostile takeover and Bingge accuses Shen Yuan of trying to hold him back.

One thing leads to another and Bingge accidentally pushes Shen Yuan into the abyss.

Whoops.

[charliedawn]

At this point I'm livin in your asks, I even made myself a lil dumpster here in the corner<3 nO cause I have all these IDEAS and I want to share them

Ok so imagine- nurse but with.. The most psychotic, unhinged laugh ever when mad. I THINK IT'D BE STARTLING because imagine this.. you get a nice, seemingly gentle nurse with a considerable amount of patience, right? Like never losing temper. And then just one day there's this FERAL, LOUD, CRAZY, MAD laugh that's coming from the nurse while being absolutely furious. Like it starts off as a little giggle.. a little snicker then progressively gets louder and more mad, eyes all wide and everything + bonus if the smile is wide kind of like a Cheshire cat-

PERSONALLY I'd be a lil terrified..

Pennywise

Pennywise (being the older, grumpier brother) might start off annoyed by your giggle, like it’s a personal challenge to his status as the scarier clown. As your laugh becomes more wild and feral, he’d likely become sarcastic, rolling his eyes and perhaps saying something snarky about how “that’s supposed to be terrifying ? Please. That’s mildly disturbing. That’s not even scary.” But deep down, he'd recognize a kindred chaotic spirit and might even respect you for that mad laugh that he’d try to imitate, though he wouldn’t admit it. His temper might flare if he felt you were trying to steal his thunder, though.

Penny

Penny would absolutely love your laugh. Being more jovial and already in touch with his own sense of humor, he’d probably join in the madness, laughing louder than you just to outdo you. He might even mirror your expressions, eyes wide, smile growing, almost turning it into a clownish competition. Penny would feed off the energy, thoroughly enjoying your descent into insanity as it plays right into his love for chaos.

Together, the two brothers would probably create a hilariously terrifying scene, with Penny encouraging the madness and Pennywise growing grumpier but secretly impressed.

Michael Myers

Michael’s a wall of stoic terror. Your laugh would do nothing to phase him. He’d stand there, silently watching as your laughter grows more unhinged, with his blank, emotionless mask betraying no reaction. However, if you started getting in his way or threatening him, the laugh wouldn’t be enough to stop him from quietly and methodically dealing with the situation. Michael is the embodiment of relentless, silent death.

Michael *locks you up in a room during on of your episodes with snacks and drinks until you have calmed down before letting you back out.*

He does the same thing when any of the other slashers starts acting out or needs a time out.

Norman Bates

Norman would be extremely unsettled by your laugh. He’s got his own psychological issues to deal with, but he hides behind a veneer of politeness and calmness. Your sudden transformation from gentle to psychotic would make Norman incredibly anxious, especially if the laugh reminds him of his mother’s domineering personality. It could either terrify him into submission, or trigger his own psychotic break as “Mother” which would come out to deal with the situation.

Norman *smiles weirdly* : "Come here, ~honey."

Brahms Heelshire

Brahms would be intrigued but wary. Your split personality—kind and patient, then suddenly unhinged—would appeal to his own dual nature. He might watch with fascination, especially if you are exhibiting some level of control or manipulation. However, if your laugh becomes too wild or threatening, Brahms would likely retreat into the shadows, waiting or hiding until you are back to normal. He is a rather skittish boy.

Jack Torrance

Jack would probably love it at first. He is already unhinged, so seeing someone else lose their mind in such a theatrical way would resonate with his own mind. That eerie laugh would excite him. He might even encourage it with that classic Jack Torrance grin, joining in with a twisted chuckle of his own. He’s more likely to egg you on than to be intimidated.

BUT.

If that laugh is to disturb him when he is writing ? Jack wouldn’t be happy. REALLY not happy.

Jack *grits his teeth* : "Sweetheart. You know I love you, right ? But you gotta REALLY learn to quiet down, especially when I am working, yeah ? Because I really need some peace and quiet to focus. And I can’t do that when you laugh the way you do RIGHT next to my damn head ! So, please. Understand. And go take a walk, okay ?"

Freddy Krueger

Freddy thrives on chaos, fear, and nightmares. The unhinged laughter would probably make him pause, but only because he’d be sizing up the competition. Freddy’s known for his own creepy one-liners and maniacal laughter, so he'd probably start mocking you, mimicking your laugh in his own way. It would be a twisted back-and-forth, with Freddy finding you more entertaining than threatening. He would also make it a competition to know who between the both of you can be the loudest and most obnoxious.

Jason Voorhees

Jason is similar to Michael in that nothing phases him. Your laughter might momentarily confuse him, but it wouldn’t change much. Jason doesn’t react to fear or craziness—he’s a force of nature, almost mechanical in his killing spree. The laughter might momentarily take him aback, but Jason would simply tilt his head and then go on with his day.

[barblaz-arts]

What do you think of the Alastor x Lucifer Ship?

I'm not like a full on stan because

1) I quite like Lucilith, even if it's more because of the concept. The beauty in an angel and human loving each other after losing each of their "paradise" in Hell of all places is romantic af. The many parallels they have with Chaggie leaves for lots of speculation for interesting events that could unfold. Seeing more of Chaggie's romance could be the key to Lucifer and Lilith getting back together, or if not then healing as individuals after falling out of love for the person that used to make hell home.

2) I get that an ace character doesn't necessarily mean they can't do romance, but Alastor just personally doesn't strike me as someone I could ship with anyone. At best I'd ship him with Rosie, but even then they're more like besties to me.

3) I don't usually like the enemies to lovers trope if it's just for the sake of shipping characters that hate each other in canon. If there isn't any hint of them even respecting each other, i dont really see much potential for romance(yet!)

I don't hate it as much as, like, Charl*stor tho. At the very least there isn't any of that icky feeling I get at the thought of it. Charlie's just too much of a sweetheart for Alastor and their interactions canonically involve Alastor taking advantage of Charlie in some way. Lucifer is basically a jaded version of Charlie tho, and that would leave for a more interesting dynamic that wouldn't make me feel uncomfortable.

Honestly I don't hate the ship at all. There's a few posts i like. Especially the hilarious ones. Also kinda funny how the two most popular ships that include an ace character both has him being a Morningstar homewrecker 💀

[beelijah4894]

I want to examine Chilcuck's change in relationship with Marcille

Quite frankly, I want to discuss the way his general trust changes and how it affects him.

Marcille and Chilcuck are good coworkers, especially at the start of the show. They respect boundaries and share a teasingly platonic relationship. Beyond that, they are fairly good friends; not extremely close but still good. For lack of a better explanation, they are close enough to be able to show genuine concern for the others comfortability rather than just their safety. For example, when Marcille is attack by the slime, Chilchuck offers his hanky to blow out the excess. Or when Marcille helped Chilchuck stitch up his neck wrap.

This show does a tremendous job of showing how these characters have already gotten to know each other and that they know each other well. When Chilchuck is trapped with the mimic, he trusts Marcille would be concerned enough to get help, but also knows her well enough to know she probably fell back asleep. Still, Chilchuck does trust these people. Enough even to share his age and very minor details about his life outside the dungeon.

A scene that really shows Chilchuck's trust in the group is right before the Undine attack when he is laying out the plan for the rest of the trip. It shows just how well they work together and Chil doesn't have to worry about too many details. He knows he is with a strong group. In fact, I'd say they are at their strongest right before and during the dragon attack. They make a plan together and work out each others strengths, in which Chil is able to help in the actual fight. (another less important fact, but when Laios is mentioning how they used to fight dragons, children isn't even named).

Then, the resurrection happens. Chilchuck is the number one person against it. So why does he stay? Why doesn't he stop it or leave the party? There are quite a few reasons. He can't go home without his party, he'd never survive. But he also doesn't want them to die and I think deep down, he does trust their judgement. They've stayed alive this long doing things he wasn't comfortable with and, while this is an extreme, he does have some form of trust there.

Chilchuck is such a follower of what is ethically right and he obviously doesn't agree with this. While, on the other side, Marcille thinks that "there is no morality in magic." It drives a stake through that bond because they both feel so strongly about it. And all of those adventures they had before almost don't matter when Chilchuck is talking to Laios about how, "[He] always found it strange. A well off elf girl wanting to explore the dungeon." (quote may not be exactly correct). Chil doesn't trust "that Marcille" anymore, at least, not as much as he used to. It doesn't help that she is frightening when she is walking the mini dragons away.

When Chil is complaining about his group to the orc (I can't remember her name, forgive me), he admits that they are consistently near death and how his party is reckless and stupid. We know now that he is afraid of losing them and was generally projecting his own feelings of fear. Marcille is included in this, as he complains about her. He, however, mentions her life after the dungeon. "How is she going to live a normal life after this?" He does care for her, but I believe he is projecting here also. How would he live a normal life after witnessing that. What would he do if they're found out?

And this is projected onto Marcille after a while. When Marcille is teaching Laios healing magic and Marcille and Chilchuck discuss party relationships. He implies that she shouldn't have even been let into the group. "I wish he had a better judge of character. That way he'd never find himself in a situation involving black magic." Not to mention in this episode, This being the shot after he says this. They are metaphorically further apart than they have been up until this point and Laios is right in the middle of it.

That friendship is still there. We can see it in places like when Marcille is just holding Chilchuck during the cleaners episode and he's not really angry. But that trust and fear is still there. We see in the Chimera episode, Chilchuck trying to let Marcille know about Shuro and a few others knowing what happened; he is still unhappy to be in this situation and wants to find a way out, but there really isn't a way out.

"I knew it. I had a feeling it would turn out like this. Dammit!"

"Sorry, guys…"

followed by Chilchucks defeated expression. No reassurance, but no fighting either.

This wasn't my best analysis but I am putting my one year of college to use!

I can't wait to see how this changes and expands. I am still only on anime right now, bc my manga are on back order but I'll get there soon enough! @burnazog

[azrielslightintheshadows]

Hey, everything okay?

Thank you so much for fulfilling my request, I simply loved it! and I am completely in love with your writing!

If it's okay, I'd like to ask Rhys something, something sad but with a happy ending, because I'm a soft person. I thought of something, where maybe Rhys isn't spending time with the reader, and that's why the reader is feeling really bad, then when Feyre comes in and Rhys starts to help her, the reader gets worse, she stops eating, doesn't communicate much well with others and is lacking a lot in her training, but she closes her feelings of the bond and Rhys doesn't notice anything, and because of this, the reader becomes worse off, and perhaps thinks that Rhys doesn't love her anymore? Then, perhaps, one night where the Inner Circle would have dinner, perhaps to meet Feyre, the reader reaches her limit and ends up fainting?

And after that, she opens up, with difficulty, to Rhys, talks about her insecurities, jealousy and so on, and Rhys feels guilty, and starts to take care of her.

I know it's long, I'm sorry, if you don't like it, you can just ignore this

Together.

Rhysand x f!Reader

Masterlist.

Warnings; mentions of abuse, trauma and sexual assault.

It had been 50 years since you last saw your mate. 50 years since he last held you. 50 years since he last told you he loved you and you said it back. And one day everything changed, Amarantha was dead and you saw him again, he held you again and you told each other I love you again. But he wasn’t the same anymore. He would wake up sobbing, he would disappear in his office for hours and most nights he would come to bed after you had fallen asleep. At first you didn’t mind it because you knew he needed space and time to heal, you wished he would let you in, perhaps let you help him, but you respected his needs and backed off. Now though you felt like you were the problem, he had opened up to his brothers and was acting like his old self with them, with Mor and Amren too, but with you… he was still distant, he wouldn’t spend any time alone with you and when you were in the same room he would give his attention to anyone but you. If that wasn’t enough one day he left hurriedly and he didn’t come back for three days, and you had to find out by Mor that he took Tamlin’s bride -the girl who saved everyone from Amarantha- and he was keeping her in the palace above the court of nightmares. When you found out you immediately winnowed there ready to confront him about it, but changed your plans when you saw her alone, she was trying to read a piece of paper and you heard;

“Rhysand is the most handsome High Lord”

You almost scoffed at this and winnowed back to Velaris, you blocked the mating bond and locked yourself in the bedroom you shared.

Your appetite was gone, your body was numb and after some days you became an empty cell. You were losing weight, you couldn’t finish your training and kept to yourself.

Cassian and Azriel would stop by and ask you if you need anything but other than that you wouldn’t talk to them.

Mor and Amren were a bit more pushy but you handled them well and they let you be.

Rhysand was the only one who hadn’t noticed, well of course he wouldn’t, he was too busy with Feyre and you doubted that he still loved you.

You were laying in bed, staring at the ceiling -something you became really good at during the past week- when Mor walked in. She took a seat next to you and stroked your hair.

“Hey” she whispered and you looked at her. “Talk to me honey. What’s going on?”

“Nothing. Just tired.” You replied and turned your back on her. She let out a sight and got up “Rhys wants us all in the house of wind tonight… I don’t know why”

“Okay” you muttered and clenched your teeth. He sent Mor to inform you? He didn’t even want to see you anymore? Now it made sense why since that day you went to the court of nightmares he didn’t come home again. The more you thought about this you hadn’t even seen him since the day he took Feyre from the spring court. He came to Velaris you were sure of that you could feel his power but he never came home. You felt dizzy, was this the end?

You got up and took a bath, then you went to your closet and stared at your clothes. Nothing fitted you anymore, everything was hanging off you like it was four sizes bigger and it probably was. You picked a midnight black dress, you could see your bones sticking out in the places the dress didn’t cover you, but you couldn’t change, everything else wouldn’t stay in place.

You winnowed to the house of wind and hissed when your feet touched the ground, you were used to the drop but now… you were so weak that your whole body shook and you fell on your knees. You held the tears back and tried to stand again, Cassian saw you and ran to your side.

“Hey easy” he said and pulled you up “what happened to you?” He gasped when he took a better look at you.

“I’m fine” you muttered and walked inside. Azriel was there and he gasped when you walked in. You knew you looked bad but hearing the shadowsinger gasp made you realise just how bad.

You brushed them off and took a seat. Some minutes later you felt your mate’s power and you glanced at the glass doors. And there he was, his face was even more beautiful than the time you last show him. His violet eyes looked like the stars on the sky of Velaris, so bright and filled with emotions. And there was her too -Feyre. You stood up and took a step back. Your eyes filled with tears as you stared at her and the room started to spin. Your body ached, every bone seemed to groan and your head felt like it was going to explode. You couldn’t understand what was happening you only heard Cassian yell “Az catch her” and then darkness. You let the darkness embrace you with a smile, it reminded you of Rhys and you didn’t want to let go.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

You groaned as sun hit your eyes. You opened them and you were met with the sight of the ceiling. Someone was there, you felt a hand holding your own and you moved your gaze next to you. Rhysand was sitting on a chair next to your bed, his hand was holding yours and his head was resting on the bed. He was sleeping. Slowly all the memories came back and you realised that you fainted. With a frown you moved your body away from him, the movement waking him up. He tensed when you removed your hand from his own and lifted his head to look at you.

“You’re awake” he said and his eyes filled with tears. You nodded. You didn’t know what to say, he was the reason you were in this situation.

“Sweetheart talk to me, what happened?” He asked.

“Like you care” you croaked. He furrowed his eyebrows.

“Of course I care, what are you talking about?”

“I think you should leave” you replied and turned your head the other way.

“Don’t do that. Please tell me what’s wrong” his voice was breaking.

Anyone would be surprised by that, the most powerful high lord’s voice breaking but you weren’t, you knew him well and you had seen him in way more vulnerable moments than this.

“You.” You cried out. “You are the reason behind this. Ever since you came back you haven’t spent a single minute with me. You are fine with everyone else and then cold and distant with me”

He was gaping at you.

“You couldn’t notice that I was breaking apart, that I wasn’t eating, I wasn’t training, I wasn’t functioning properly. And how could you notice, you weren’t even there, too busy with Feyre. Do you even love me anymore?” You were panting trying to keep the sobs in.

“Of course I love you” he exclaimed and his hand went through his hair pulling it. He stared at you and guilt filled his eyes, with a deep breath he started talking again. “Sweetheart… you are right I’ve been distant and cold. But it’s not because I stopped loving you, it’s quite the opposite… I love you so much that it hurts. I love you so much that I can’t be around you after everything I had to do under the mountain. I slept with her, it was the only way to keep all of you safe. Every night I spent in her room I was thinking about you and how I was betraying you. Every time I left her room I would mourn… mourn our love that I betrayed. And when I came back I didn’t want to touch you… I didn’t want to defile you with those hands.” He was crying now and so were you.

“Oh Rhys…” you reached out to him and caressed his jaw. “I know what you had to do and I know why you did it… you didn’t betray me or our love, you were abused and it pains me so much. Those hands that I love would never defile me. You are way too precious for this world. Don’t push me away please… let me remind you what love is like, let me show you how deserving you truly are of love. We can get through this together.”

He nodded his head and climbed into bed next to you. He pulled you in his arms and stroked your hair, a few sobs escaping him. He kissed your head and whispered;

“Together”.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Your mate was back. After that day everything changed. Rhysand talked to you about everything that happened under the mountain, you spent the next days with soft touches here and there and then you started making love again. At first it was hard, Rhys would flinch with every move you made but after a few tries he got used to it. A year later you had your mate back. He would spend most of his free time with you, he would take you on dates and trips. His caring self came back and all the little things he used to do to make you feel loved came back too.

Every night he would cuddle you, every morning he would make you breakfast and most evenings would be spent on the couch, with you laying on top of him and him reading your favourite books.

Like you said… you got through everything Together.

Hope you enjoy it.

Still working on the other requests.

Requests are open but delayed.

[zhuoyichenpretty]

Ep 27 Commentary

Again, a little hastily thrown together, but there's a bit of meta in there! Somewhere...If you squint...

Spoilers under the cut:

Lmao I did not make it five minutes into this episode without crying.

I'm not sure if this is the consensus but tbh I'm doubly glad for PSJ's character in the way her relationship with WX sort of throws off the conventional tropes WX's character toes the line of falling into and instead develops a narrative that is squarely their own. It's important to me how much she personally centers WX (and WX returns the favor, bringing PSJ back into the fold every time I worry she's being sidelined). The way she turns to WX in this opening scene, it's distinctive that PSJ grieves for her, alongside her own angst over their friends' apparent sacrifices. And I like the contrast of their gazes, her anger as Ying Long laughs at them, and WX's deadened stare.

In PSJ's presence, WX's words become more than a self-loathing lamentation (which, also, very understandable, if I were her I'd have snapped by this point too) or a monologue to a seemingly uncaring ancient audience; it's a burden shared between two people. And actually, it's a burden that PSJ grabs hold of from WX and forces her to share. That slap was crazy work tbh, the force of it, but ultimately how much more it looked like it hurt PSJ to deliver than WX to receive. And the way WX first looks back up at her after the slap is so painfully vulnerable and young. Something about the tilt of her head and the line of her brow. We don't get a direct shot of it in that specific moment (another thing kept private between characters!) but just from WX's profile, her gaze is so expressive in its hopelessness, its despondency. In the immediate aftermath of the sacrificial freezing, I would wager PSJ is the only thing WX looks at and can actually see.

And while I'm sure PSJ would grieve deeply on her own over losing ZYC and ZYZ, those tears, that sob she lets out, and the way she holds WX imo all very specifically seem to be her heart bleeding for the woman she loves. Such subtext, plus the preceding wordless and purely physical scene of the suicide attempt and slap, is to me altogether kind of uncommon for female characters in this style of drama to be afforded (at least the ones I've seen) so it does make a difference to me that we have that here. All in all, I love the rashness they are allowed, the respective impulsivity that we're offered because they have each other to ultimately fall against.

Gotta love how obviously PSJ is sick of Ying Long's shit. Also PSJ always the master of wasting zero time like thank you girl I do want to see what's in that box.

What do you mean ZYC has preemptively given WX back the gift of comfort after grief and loss, the assurance that it will pass? That he's kept the flowers all this time and has thought through his own potential demise with such clarity and has prepared for soothing the grief of those who will be left behind before he's even gone, precisely because he's been in that very position? I really truly can't with ZYC. I've hardly seen a modern male protagonist with a heart so full of this particular brand of intensely sensitive, complex, attentive, and careful love, and so freely given, too.

Also CDL (Wen Xiao's actress) coming up with new ways to cry is honestly impressive with how many crying scenes the show puts her through. Her sobbing as she explains the flowers to PSJ is so raw to me. I really think she excels at these extreme line deliveries.

Bingyi!!! Also Ying Long your completely unfettered adoration for Bingyi is showing through your gaze man stand upppp (but also I get it).

The barest hint of a smile in Bingyi's expression as he recounts Ying Long fighting alongside him. This man is in looooove.

Ying Long I know you died for the sake of the world and all but the fact that you made Bingyi cry like that.....twice.......and he kept your soul and your dragon bone in his own clan's tomb............oh how he must have mourned you..................Bingyi I would treat you right just saying

Oh god the Bingyi clan's tender-heartedness. Literally one of my favorite traits in a fictional man thank youuuuuu.

That paralleling of scenes when ZYC comes back from the future and we get to see him and ZYZ as Ying Long and Bingyi staring at each other wowowoww the soulmatism is insane. There's so much affection in ZYC's voice and gaze.

Headcanon that ZYC sucks at math because there's five of you/?? wb YING LEI heLLO?

Yes!!! The triumphant OST music as they're brought back!! That shit hits so hard, I really gotta appreciate the soundtrack once again. And oof the first moment ZYZ is unfrozen and just looks at ZYC and then the fact that when ZYC fully turns around and they meet eyes the literal lyrics say, "I've found you" twice, once for each of them. what in the ROMANCE wow

The queer panning!!! On PSJ and ZYC my two belovedssss ouch. But yeah the camera could not be clearer on who's watching whom and pining for and yearning over whom. Maybe a pan to ZYC alone would be ambiguous but both PSJ and ZYC? Gay.

Ying Long dragon bone pulsing like a video game objective to get their attention during the emotional reunion makes me giggle ngl

Oh god the mpreg joke. I've come across this scene so many times by now but I literally cannot sit through it without biting my fist I cannot believe this made it to the final cut lmfaooooo

Also given how many transitions this drama is missing in terms of scene-to-scene flow and continuity, I really love that we get to watch them walk away and pick up the flowers and the box and PSJ her bow and arrows.

The way ZYC waits up for WX after her convo with Bai Yan. His concern for her re: Princess Longyu and the flashback to when they were young...her implication that he's one of the sources of light in her life and how we know she's the same for him...this is the platonic m/f bond of the year for me I think. He loves her so so much!!! And that's her mf bestie!!!!

I devolved into just reactions by the end there I'm sorry!! But I'm running out of time so that's a wrap!

[wordsaresimple-imnot]

Green Dress - Bill Guarnere x F!Reader

Summary: Easy Company hits the town for a much needed night of fun and relaxation in Paris. Reader, who's always in regular military wear and very tomboy, decides to dress up for the night and receives varying reactions from the boys.

Warnings: 18+ content, cursing, oral (f receiving), 1st person female POV (no use of y/n), I think that's it.

A/N: I have the biggest respect for the real life heroes of WWII (and all other wars, past & current), this work & all other works is based on the actor(s) and character(s) portrayed in the Band of Brothers series.

A/N pt2: This is my first time writing any type of explicit sexual scene, let me know what y'all think. As usual likes, comments, and reblogs give me love. Enjoy!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I look at myself in the mirror and can't decide if I like what I see or should call the whole night off and stay in bed. I've styled my hair in a simple design, flowy but still away from my face. Light make-up highlights my eyes, cheeks and lips; just enough to make everything pop without being over the top. My hands run down my dress, picking away invisible lint. It's a deep, gorgeous green that almost shimmers in the light, falling just above my knee in a way that would cause outrage back home but is just this side of acceptable in Paris.

Ah, screw it. Let's have some fun. With a final twirl, I flash myself a smile and excite my hotel room to meet the guys downstairs. I stop briefly at the top of the stairs and look at the group waiting for me. We've been through a lot together; Toccoa, Sobel, jumping (literally) into Normandy, countless battles won and lost, losing fellow brother's, etc. Never once did they make me feel alienated or less than, each providing different facets of friendship and overall making a family.

In a weird way I was nervous to have them see me so feminine and semi dolled up. I've never wore anything other than the standard OD uniforms and was always down for "boy activities" in the down times. I was constantly referred to as "one of the boys" and never really cared until this moment. I was worried my effort would be turned into a joke. Just once I'd like them to see me as an actual woman. Well, at least one of them to anyways.

Just as I started my decent towards them, Luz catches sight of me and gives a loud whistle before beginning to clap. This catches the others attention and pretty soon the lobby is filled with whistles and claps until I reach the bottom of the stairs. I give them all an embarrassed smile, fully aware that my face is burning a deep red and I'm fighting the urge to run back upstairs and hide.

"Lookin' good kid!" Toye comes up and gives me a small kiss on my cheek, smiling as he motions for me to twirl around. I do a small spin, setting off the whistles and claps again.

"Oh, stop you hound dogs." I laugh lightly, waving my hands at them to quiet down.

"You knew a lady was underneath all those clothes and dirt." Luz shoots me a cheeky smile, grabbing my hand and giving it a kiss. I flip him off once he releases my hand, making him laugh. "There she is!"

"Alright let's get out of here, I'm dying for a drink." I start to make my way through the group to the exit. This causes a small, playful scuffle to erupt as some of the guys move towards me to grab my hand and be my escort. In the end Liebgott wins, shooting everyone a smile and me a wink. As we all spill out into the streets in search of the bar, my eyes briefly connect with Bill and I'm left wondering what's caused the frown on his face.

Two hours later, I'm on my fourth beer and loving the buzz I'm feeling. I've just finished another turn around the dance floor, being passed between Tab, Luz, Bull, and even Martin joined for a few beats. Needing to catch my breathe, I settle on a barstool and wait for my water to arrive. Before my water can get there, a few shadows come up to my side. Expecting it to be some of my group, I spin around with a wide smile and am met with three strangers faces.

"Oh, sorry. I thought you were part of my Company." I give a small laugh, slightly embarrassed. The one closest to me just smiles and shakes his head slightly.

"No need to apologize ma'dam, if you'll have us we'd like to keep you company though." His English was nearly perfect, made sweeter by his French accent. What's the harm in a little flirting?

With a soft smile, I extend my hand out to them and give my name. They each take turns telling me theirs and giving my hand a kiss afterwards. While definitely being more flirty than I imagined they'd be, they were pleasant enough to talk to and even made me laugh a few times. When a new song started to play Pierre, the first one to speak to me, asks if I'd like to dance and I agree.

We are halfway through the song, having a really good time, when someone taps Pierre's shoulder. To my shock and confusion, there was Bill. He looks like he is holding himself back from killing Pierre, for what reason I have no clue.

"Mind if I cut in." It was a statement, flat out. No room for but's or giving a raincheck. I see Pierre is ready to go toe to toe with Bill, but that is a fight he'd never win and I don't want the night to turn sour.

I pat Pierre's shoulder and tell him it was alright and I've had a lovely time. He looks skeptical at Bill, but gave me a perfect smile mirroring my sentiments and gave my hand a final kiss as he walks back to his friends. Without wasting anytime, Bill grabs the hand that was just kissed and tugs me flush against him.

It takes a few seconds to get into a comfortable rhythm after that awkward start, whatever the hell that was, but we manage and are soon swaying between the other dancing partners. I was torn between reveling in the feeling of the heat of his hand on my waist and the skin to skin contact of our hands, and how confused and frustrated I am with how he acted.

"I don't know why you did that. Pierre was a nice guy." I speak low enough so the words stay just between us and can't float out to the Easy boys that seem to be watching us with barely concealed interest. They must have witnessed the exchange too.

Bill scoffs and his hand squeezes my waist for a half second. "Pierre. What kinda name is that for a man. Fucking French." I shoot him a small glare.

"Don't be rude. He was a gentleman." Bill rolls his eyes at me then spins me out then back in.

"Gentleman my ass. He was only interested in getting to know you because you're looking like a lady."

His words turn my body into stone and I frown up at him. "Looking like... Fuck you." I rip my hand out his and push him slightly, it doesn't do more than make him shuffle his feet but it's definitely got his attention.

"What the hell is your problem?" His jaw is set and his eyes are burning daggers at me.

"My problem? I don't have a problem. What's your problem? I'm not some dumb little girl that doesn't know what men are like. I know he was flirting with me, hoping for me to go off with him. He wasn't going to get anything, but guess what...I liked the attention! I liked having someone notice that I'm a woman and reminding me that I can be desirable. I'm not just looking like a lady, I am a damn lady you asshole." With a final shove, I turn on my heel and leave the bar before him or anyone else can try and stop me.

I'm halfway down the street, heading to the hotel, when I hear someone jogging behind me. I decide to ignore them and pray it's someone wanting to get someplace fast and not actually coming to talk to me or convince me to come back. Sadly, my prayers are not answered as a hand grabs hold of my elbow spins me around. I'm once again face to face with Bill.

"I don't want to talk to you anymore." I growl out, trying to yank my arm back to no avail.

"You don't gotta talk, just listen. I need to set some things straight." He's using his stern, Sergeant voice, and normally that'd have me blushing but I'm too angry for it to have it's usual effect on me right now.

"No thanks, I've heard enough for the evening." I make another attempt to pull my arm out, but he just pulls me closer and wraps his arms around me arms and waist, pining me against him. All I can do is glare.

Bill scans the sidewalk and road quickly, slightly nodding to himself as he makes some internal decision and lifts me off the ground, walking us a little ways into an alley to our right. We are far enough in that no one can stumble upon us easily but we can still get some of the street light so it's not pitch black.

"What the hell Bill? Have you become a psycho killer?" I push a little away from him, but that only presses me against the alley wall. He uses this to his advantage by taking a step forward, caging me between him and the wall. My brain short circuits a little at being so close to him.

"You're wrong." When he doesn't immediately continue, I raise an eyebrow hoping to encourage him to elaborate. After a few more seconds he continues. "We know you're a lady. The whole damn battalion knows you're a lady. Wearing OD's doesn't hide the shape of your ass when you bend over to help with the car engines or the outline of your breasts when you take your jacket off to cool down. All you have to do is glance around and you'll see the boys drooling all over themselves staring at you." His hand lands on my hip and squeezes. Hard.

I have to take a few deep breathes to steady myself before formulating a response. "If that's true, then what was the big deal about those guys flirting with me tonight?"

"Because they don't know what everyone in the battalion knows. You're my girl. It's one thing to have the boys dance with you or give you compliments, they'd never cross that line or I'd kill 'em. Those French twats wanted to cross that line." I barely registered anything after his declaration: my girl. His girl.

"You're girl?" My words come out in a whisper. Bill's face finally starts to soften and an easy smile starts to spread across his face.

"You really are oblivious. It's the worst kept secret in Easy Company. You drive me fucking crazy, sweetheart. Gorgeous, funny, sweet, and just the right mixture of feminine and tomboy. Everything I've ever dreamed of. And you're wrapped up like a damn present in this dress and I've been dying to get it open all night." By the time he's done speaking his mouth is a hairs breathe away from mine, eyes searching mine for any sign of rejection.

All words have left me so I decide to respond with action and close the distance between us. What starts out as gentle and timid, quickly transforms to rough and frenzied. Bill gives my bottom lip a bite, causing me to gasp and allowing him access into my mouth. I don't bother putting up a fight, I'm putty in his arms and give him full dominance. The hand not squeezing my hip so hard I know there will be some type of bruise, grasps the back of my neck and angles my head to the side to give him better access.

My hands have made their way up his chest, to his shoulders, and finally still with one in his hair and the other at the back of his neck. When the need for air becomes to much for me, I turn my head slightly to the side and break the kiss. Bill's breathing just as heavily as I am, but doesn't stop his assault. He moves my head again and starts trailing kisses up and down my neck, alternating between nips and licks based on my reactions. When he hits a particular sweet spot, I can feel him grin before biting there again hard enough to leave a mark.

"Fuck." I moan out, scratching the back of his neck. "That's gonna be hard to hide." With a final kiss on the new mark, Bill lifts his head to meet my eyes. His eyes are dark with lust and he can't stop smiling.

"That's the point, sweetheart." I roll my eyes at him, but smile back.

"If you get to mark me, I think it's only fair I get to mark you."

"Baby, you can do whatever you want to me. I'm yours." His voice is so deep, it makes my legs shake and I'm instantly happy I have that wall to hold me.

"I think you owe me an apology for what you said to me at the bar before I decide what I wanna do you with you." I mean more as a joke, but he seems to really be thinking about. Before I can reassure him that I'm not upset anymore, he gives me a kiss that has me seeing stars.

Before it leads to another make-out session, Bill breaks away from my mouth, trails kisses down the other side of my neck and then suddenly drops to his knees in front of me.

"What are you doing?" The situation wasn't bad enough to do this.

"I'm apologizing." Bill's eyes are so dark they could pass for solid black and his voice is deep and sensual. My response is cut short as I feel his hands run up my legs, going under my dress and grasp my thighs. With a smirk, he slowly finishes his trek to my underwear and starts pulling them down.

"Bill." I don't know if I say his name to make him stop or because I'm praising him. Either way, I have nothing to follow it up with. He keeps his eyes on me as I shift my feet helping him get my underwear completely off, noticing that he stuffs them in his pocket.

"Just lean back and enjoy baby. Be a good girl and hold this for me." He pushes my dress up to my waist, waiting for me to take hold of it. Good girl, Jesus.

"Sir, yes, sir." I take note of the tightening of his jaw and how his eyes somehow become even darker. There's something to explore later.

Bill grabs hold of my thigh and drapes it over his shoulder, trailing soft kisses on the inside. As he gets closer to my center, he bites and sucks a mark just for us to know about. A small moan escapes and my unoccupied hand lands in his hair. Before the sting has completely faded from his bite, I'm taken over by the sensation of his tongue gliding through my folds.

The only sounds to be heard is our combined groans, my heavy breathing, and his tongue working me like a man starved. His hand not holding my thigh in a death grip, maneuvers around to spread me more open for him and I nearly pass out when he sucks on my clit. I yank on his hair which only seems to spur him on as he starts starts alternating between licking and sucking.

The only words I seem to be able to say is his name and fuck. As my approach to my orgasm comes closer, I'm able to mumble out that I'm close. Bill tabs my thigh to make me look down at him and I nearly cum at the sight.

"Let go, sweetheart. That's an order. Cum. Now." His words, combined with the determined look on his face and a final hard suck on my clit has me falling over the edge chanting his name over and over again.

Bill doesn't let up as my orgasm washes over me, licking and drinking up my release until I start to whimper at the overstimulation. Slowly he places my thigh back on the ground, gently stroking my legs, and tugs my dress back down to cover me again. My hands grip his shoulders as he stands back up and I take in the sight of him. Hair completely wrecked from my fingers, face red from his efforts, breathing heavy and looking like he might drop to knee's to do it all over again.

I grab his jacket and pull him flush against me, kissing him with all the strength I have. He returns the kiss with as much force and pulls my thigh up around his hip, making our hips meet. I moan into the kiss at the feeling of his erection so close to my center and roll my hips to grind against him.

"If you don't stop that, we won't make it back to the hotel." Bill growls between kisses.

"Then you better get us there quickly." I give his lip a quick bite, before a laugh slips out at how fast he starts pulling by the hand back to the sidewalk and towards the hotel.

I think I'll wear this dress more often.

[bonefall]

i think nightcloud's pannage is perfect, personally. it gives her a great opportunity to compare herself to the sow in her mind; perhaps she even goes behind onestar's back to try and reunite some of the humbugs with their mother?

Yeah, I think it's all coming together. It should be Nightcloud's Pannage. I was a little apprehensive of eliminating the stoats, but I think this will actually work better.

Now I can use the hog and her humbugs as a vehicle for conflict, create a really interesting comparison to herself and the demonized mother boar, and also establish the very cute little detail that she REALLY loves piggies just in case the opportunity to make Sowstar presents itself later.

Friendship Ended with Stoats; now Sow and Humbugs are my Best Friend

When a litter of humbugs get lost in the tunnels and start popping up all over the WindClan Moor, their mother comes to try and find them.

Mama Sow is actually going to get a name. The new "Head of Hunting" role has this as a major part of their job; they are meant to keep track of major individual predators in their territory, so they name notable animals.

DETOUR: I kinda want her name to be Rashma in Clanmew; in English that's Oxeye Daisy, or Moonpenny or Marguerite. I think calling her Marge is the funniest possible thing I can do here.

Marge is notorious for liking the taste of moonpenny, which makes prey taste awful.

So, she's never been hunted, has lived to the grand age of at least 5, and is known as a prolific, doting mother.

So I might actually have the Head of Hunting of ThunderClan, possibly the newly promoted Lionblaze, come to WindClan to warn them that Marge is on the loose.

Onestar is currently in one of the lower points of his arc, like canon. So he pretty bitterly dismisses this warning, and cuts Lionblaze off when he tries to offer ThunderClan's help if Marge becomes trouble.

(Or Lionblaze might be training under someone else, currently. I'm unsure. The last cat I have planned to be the Head of Hunting in ThunderClan is Willowpelt.)

After more scouting, WindClan comes to realize that Marge's humbugs are all over the moor. They're JUST big enough to put up a fight, but not big enough that the inexperienced WindClan can't win. About 3 or 4 months old.

I know that at least ONE of these humbugs is killed by WindClan.

It was awful to Nightcloud, like, so uncomfortably sloppy that it caused her to disassociate with raw fury and finish the job.

That's important because it's how I'd open up the first flashback of her childhood, that night.

As the Clan is roasting the humbug, congratulating her, singing high praises, she realizes she was reminded of a gruesome hunting incident when she was a kitten.

Each humbug would be tied to some sort of thought she has on her own life, so I can use them as a framing device.

She probably gets separated in the end because reuniting the humbugs with Marge brought her far away.

BTW I want to make sure Marge is still very much an animal. They can't become "friends" in the end lmaooo.

But Marge could "return the favor" without breaking that rule too much, I think. Maybe have Nightcloud get chased somewhere by a fox and Marge comes out of nowhere to kill it without even breaking a sweat, then moves on.

So far, something I'm kind of enjoying about Nightcloud's Pannage is the way it's just sort of reflective. It's about the hogs and dealing with them, but in TRUTH, it's just a window into WindClan during an interesting point in time.

Crowfeather is reeling from NOT being respected anymore, suddenly losing something that was very important to him, because he misused that power and felt entitled to it.

Realizing he has no friends or family left, because he was AWFUL to them.

The Clan is now looking to Nightcloud, giving her a sense of respect she doesn't really like very much. But she's exploring what that feels like, for the first time, as she comes to terms with her past.

Breezepelt/Dodderheart reaches a very low point in his life, and starts pushing people who love him away to set up where he's going in the next arc.

Onestar is ALSO at a low point. I should include him nonsensically snapping at Brushblaze after Galekit and Smokekit are born in this SE, so Nightcloud can grapple with how on edge her leader seems.

(Possible trigger where she also is immediately ported back to Hillrunner snapping at her for something equally "random")

Plus the supporting cast of interesting cats with their own feelings on this; Harespring who's trying to stay diplomatic, Heathertail who's frustrated, Willowclaw and her budding friendship to Nightcloud, etc.

Hmmmm.... you know, now that I'm writing this out, it's kinda striking me that Nightcloud's probably SO sensitive at this time in her life because, it's the first time she's actually felt safe.

You know that thing with PTSD where it all hits you at once? Because you're FINALLY in a place where you can unpack it?

So it all gets worse before it gets better?

I should keep that in mind with this one.

[blueesnow]

Kurosaki Ranmaru's Birthday (Year 1) Voicelines Translation.

-You can look at it again on the Event Log, Mini-Event section (for the other boys messages to him) and Talk section (for a one-on-one conversation with you and him) in Idol Page.

-Also the translations might not be fully accurate since I'm not that fluent on jp/en, so if i ever made a mistake do correct me🙏

<You (Player)> Ranmaru: You're such a disciplined person to go out of your way here just to celebrate my birthday. …Well, I guess it's not that bad. Thanks. Ranmaru: Huh? What do I want, you ask? …The answer is only one. Accompany me for this whole day. That's what I want, more than anything.

<Otoya> Otoya: Ranmaru-senpai, Happy Birthday! I'll be playing guitar for you as a birthday gift! You're more than welcome to join in! Ranmaru: Haha, that's quite a clever offer. Sure, I'll take you up on it. But you better make sure you lead properly for today, 'kay?

<Masato> Masato: I wish you a Happy Birthday. That part of Kurosaki-san who is willing to be independent and carve out a path for himself on his own, I totally admired and respected it. Ranmaru: This guy is always stiff and serious as ever… But well, thanks. You should also be true to your heart and live your life to the fullest.

<Natsuki> Natsuki: Happy Birthday! All of the cats in the back alley were also celebrating too y'know~ Fufu, what a popular guy. Ranmaru: Those stray cats… Oh well, it can't be helped. I'll go and bring them some dried sardines later. By the way, thanks for the birthday wish.

<Tokiya> Tokiya: Kurosaki-san's passion and dedication to singing has always been inspiring me. I wish you a Happy Birthday. Ranmaru: If I'm going to do something, then I sure as hell will be doing it for real. Aren't we all similar in one way or another? I can definitely feel that passion in you.

<Ren> Ren: Happy Birthday! I would love to have us compete with each other's passion on the stage more often. Ranmaru: To think there'd be a time when I hear such words coming out of your mouth. Sure, I'll take you seriously whenever you want.

<Syo> Syo: Happy Birthday! I had a lot of fun eating out together with you, Senpai. If you don't mind, may I invite you again sometime? Ranmaru: Sure. If I recall, there's a place you and I haven't been there yet. I'll contact you about it later so check your phone, 'kay.

<Cecil> Cecil: I wish you a Happy Birthday! I prepared you a large onigiri for today's celebration! It's filled with meat! Ranmaru: Oh man, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Thanks for all the trouble. I'll definitely eat this with all my heart.

<Reiji> Reiji: Ran-Ran, Happy Birthday! We've been together for a very long time now, haven't we~ I'm in your care from tomorrow onwards☆ Ranmaru: Sure. In exchange, you'll be buying me a meal for today, 'kay. Aa~h, I'm so hungry for some delicious food.

<Ai> Ai: Happy Birthday. Make sure you don't overeat too much for today, okay? Since you'll be getting a lot of foods from everyone. Ranmaru: Good grief, and that's according to your speciality analysis I assume? But well, thanks I guess. You can have some of my food if you want.

<Camus> Camus: Happy Birthday. I hope you can at least keep quiet for today… Ranmaru: Either you want to celebrate me or belittle me, you better choose one. Damn it, I still can't accept that this guy is actually younger than me.

<Eiichi> Eiichi: Happy Birthday. I'm lucky to have you as a rival to compete for the top. Let me say my thanks to you. Ranmaru: Good grief, you and your big talk. Your music ain't that bad, I give it to you. We also don't have any intention losing to you either.

<Kira> Kira: Happy…Birthday. If there's a chance…I'd like to talk about piano rock with you. Ranmaru: Oh yeah now that I think about it, you play piano didn't you. It seems like I can have a bit of good discussion with you. I'm looking forward to it. Thanks.

<Nagi> Nagi: Happy Birthday☆ You slept at the studio the other day, didn't you~? Nagi was clearly watching after all☆ Ranmaru: Isn't it obvious to take a rest on your sleeping time. Eat when you're hungry, and sleep when you're sleepy. You should also make sure to note that in your head.

<Eiji> Eiji: It's your birthday today, right? Happy Birthday. I was deeply moved when I saw your bass performance the other day… Ranmaru: Heh, looks like you and I could get along well. I also thought that your singing was actually pretty good. Thanks for the birthday wish.

<Van> Van: Happy Birthday! I heard that it's your birthday today. I watched your music talk on TV the other day. It's really intriguing. Ranmaru: Oh, that program show. It's not that big of a deal to keep up with it. But well, I guess it's only natural when you make a living with music itself.

<Yamato> Yamato: A powerful and strong performance is good, isn't it. It means that the result of your hard work is paid off. Don't forget to practice even if it's your birthday today. Ranmaru: Heh, you sure knew your stuff. I already went for a run today, and I also plan to do some training later too.

<Shion> Shion: Happy Birthday. I heard that you have a talent for sleeping. It is said that you can sleep dexterously anywhere with ease… Ranmaru: Who the hell is spreading such a rumour… Oh well, it's not a big deal. Thanks for the birthday wish.

[lord-squiggletits]

Your Tarn posts make me think about him more

He's a victim but he has so many victims himself, but the person that he is, that cause those victims, was delibrately cultivated. Tarn of the DJD was intentional, and that worse somehow

I have to ask, what do you think it would look like if Tarn, somehow & for whatever reason, decided to take the road of healing, to put whatever pieces of himself back together

YEAH I THINK SO FUCKING MUCH ABOUT THAT, even from my first MTMTE read when I didn't care much about him as a blorbo, I thought it was crazily compelling how Tarn was at once an absolute terrifying monster but also the most pathetic, sad little bully boy in an oversized body at the same time akldjlfksd. Like, you look at Tarn and the horrible shit he did to Pharma, all the victims of the DJD, Skids, the alt. Lost Light, etc and he seems like a completely unstoppable force. Then you actually look behind the mask and Tarn's just so... incredibly short-sighted, blindly worships, really volatile and thoughtless, and ultimately gets his shit rocked by Megatron in what's basically a no-contest loss. It feels really bad like... how can it be that someone so pathetic was able to cause so much destruction before he was put down? In the ideal world, you want to believe that shitty, weak people are powerless, but it turns out that sometimes shitty, weak people can actually be in positions of power (in terms of hierarchy, physical might, politics, etc) and when they do they can hurt an incredibly disproportionate amount of people compared to their actual strength of character as a person. As an example, pre-insanity/mania Pharma was so obviously a better person than Tarn, but look how that ended up: this absolute prodigy of a doctor, next in line to be CMO, a normal good Autobot in all accounts. Gets completely wrecked and turned into a mentally ill, insane asshole that loses everything and everyone he ever valued, and Tarn literally never even thinks about him again. God.

As to how I'd handle Tarn healing arc...

The short answer: I actually want to write about Tarn taking a road of healing, heel-face turn arc in the Pen Pals Tarnma AU I've talked about occasionally on this blog/in asks! So... when I post that fic, literally just (gestures at the whole thing)

The long answer:

If canon-divergent, it'd be Dying of the Light but Tarn and co. stop fighting Megatron bc of how pathetic he is. The DJD basically merge forces with Deathsaurus' Decepticons, and they make a sort of neo-Decepticon movement fighting the Galactic Council/Black Rock Consortia. Tarn isn't really a better person morally speaking (yknow the hating organics and wanting conquest thing), but he'd definitely be put on a path where he divorces his sense of self from Megatron and focuses more on his group of comrades: he finds meaning from a collective rather than from worshiping an individual as a god, and Tarn experiences healing from that fact bc instead of a fucked up grooming/parasocial relationship with a distant, uncaring leader, he's actually having real, tangible bonds with people who are equal to him and love and respect him. So, probably still really fanatical to his ideals, but he's a fanatic who loves his comrades as much as he loves his cause.

In a nonspecified AU, let's say during the war with Decepticon Megatron, I think the only way Tarn could get better would be if Megatron got better and then took the time/care to make Tarn better along with him. Unfortunately, Tarn has been manipulated in such a way that Megatron is literally his entire axis of morality/purpose/etc, and I think he doesn't have enough agency and independence to start healing except unless Megatron says "shittiest of my sons, why don't you deradicalize and maybe you'll calm down." It'd basically take Megatron un-grooming Tarn first, and then for Tarn to get some kind of purpose/relationship outside of him for Tarn to regain the independence he had as Damus, which would then allow him to pull the rest of the way from Megatron and go his own way. (Incidentally, this is what happens in the Pen Pals AU)

In a scenario that I don't even know how it'd happen but I desperately want it to happen: Optimus "I can fix him" Prime and Tarn are forced to work together in some capacity which leads to a slowburn mending of their relationship. Not like Tarn becomes an Autobot, or goes back to being Damus, but like... idk, Optimus is the one to deradicalize Tarn and make him realize that Megatron manipulated the shit out of him. Somehow. I would really like these two to interact so badly, and for Tarn to also have a mentor/paternal-esque relationship with someone besides Megatron. (This also happens in Pen Pals AU ldskfjlsd I told you that fic was the true Tarn Redemption Story dlksfjlsdsf)

[mynonclicheblog]

One final Never Have I Ever love triangle thematic analysis

I've said this in one of my posts before, but the narrative is always going to favor what is best for Devi. A lot of what makes this show so juicy to dive into is because so much of its meaning is rooted in symbolism and higher concepts, not just the individual interactions you're looking at onscreen!

I think that's what doesn't work for some (not all) pro-Dxton anti-Ben folks. They see Paxton being respectful and kind to Devi, they see that he's the attractive object of her desire from day 1, and they see that the two of them genuinely do connect and help each other in certain ways. But when these same people look at Benvi, they only see Ben making obnoxious comments to Devi (+ others), they see childish behavior and mistakes being made, and they see them frequently butting heads due to their shared competitive nature.

And honestly? I get it. These conclusions are easy to come to when you're looking at the surface, but they don't take into account the full story that's being told.

Let's get into it. 😎👇

So I mentioned the idea of what is best for Devi. Not what is best for any regular person out there -- what is best for Devi Vishwakumar! Our girl expresses in no uncertain terms that she enjoys her hypercompetitive rivalry-turned-bond with Ben ("Ben's smart and we talk- mostly argue- for hours!" // "I don't want to break up with Ben. He really pushes me.") The fact that they fight and compete is not a detriment to their compatibility, it is actually the thing that makes him most desirable in her mind. She would not have wanted to be with him in the first place if this were not true. Their sharp-tongued communication style may not be the standard picture of a 'healthy' relationship for most people, but, well. Devi and Ben are far from most people.

Devi is an incredibly emotional, dynamic person who's always searching for another high. The competitive nature of her relationship with Ben is enough to satisfy her itch for novelty/excitement (her differences with Paxton don't hit this box), yet Ben's presence also provides a comforting long-term consistency in her life. He's seen the very best and the very worst of her and he always comes back. He frequently brings Devi back to herself, too, when she loses sight of what matters (friendships, family, sense of self, her goals, etc).

Then there's the dream vs. reality dichotomy that very much applies to this love triangle. Simple as it may be, it's accurate. I believe it was built that way on purpose because of how well it reflects Devi's relationships to Mohan and Nalini, which is the beating heart of what NHIE is all about. One (Mo/Pax) is more outwardly palatable than the other and provides an easygoing, self-soothing escapism that she needs in order to work through her grief. This person represents youth and the rose-colored past; Devi's tendency to idealize and indulge. The other person (Nal/Ben) is sharper around the edges, a bit harder to swallow, but pushes Devi to do better and supplies the support she needs. This person represents Devi's grounded reality; her time in the present and the woman she is growing into.

They are both important pieces in Devi's journey, but the themes of past vs present speak for themselves. The past is something we keep close to our heart- in this case, it's someone who has impacted us that we'll always carry with us. But the ultimate goal is to move forward from that. The central relationship of Never Have I Ever, in my opinion, is that of Devi & Nalini as they heal and grow together. In terms of Devi's romantic life, her relationship with Ben is the one that more closely shadows the series arc between her & Nalini.

I'd like to address some things by the individual season now. One of my observations watching s1 for the first time was that Paxton was usually aligned with bad things in Devi's life, whereas Ben was aligned with the good. e.g., Paxton was in some way the source of Devi's falling outs with El/Fab and Nalini; Ben is the one who repaired those relationships. These things aren't Paxton's fault, nor do I place any blame on him. They're just subtle narrative choices that send up unspoken flags saying, hey look, this isn't the right person for her. This theme was left behind in s1 for the most part, but given that it was NHIE's debut season, it planted several seeds for me about who the boys were for Devi and how they fit into her world.

Season 2 does a lot to sort out the difference in what Devi thinks she wants (Paxton) and what her heart truly wants (Ben). Yes, I'm going there, too: head vs heart. Devi's underlying preference for Ben > Paxton should be easy to spot as early as 2x01 -- if only for the fact that Devi finally bagged the hot guy of her dreams, and yet, choosing to be with him isn't easy for her. In fact, as both Devi and Eleanor confirm later, she wanted to choose Ben in the first place. Like... that is crazy when you think about it!!! Despite all the pieces falling into place for her and Paxton, and against her friends' shallow advice, she decides that she won't let go of Ben. Instead, she makes the misguided decision to date both. This isn't the kind of mistake she'll ever make again. It isn't Devi acting out because of Ben -- it signals a profound attachment to him when, all things considered, picking Paxton should have been a no brainer. That revealed everything I needed to know in order to understand that being with Paxton wasn't what she wanted in her heart of hearts.

Then, of course, 3x10 brings that all home with the stomach knots comparison. It tells us that, ever since Devi and Paxton moved into a place of genuine friendship, with him no longer on a pedestal, those romantic feelings (esp. on her part) have dissipated. As a bonus, Devi even explicitly states that Paxton was a dream! Ben, however -- her flawed reality -- is the one who still gives her butterflies. This is the result of Devi's slow awakening to her true inner self, the Devi who values realness and authenticity and loving through imperfection. It's a step closer to the complete acceptance of herself. (Notice as well that right after this point, it becomes more undeniable than ever that Ben is who she wants to be with.)

As long as Paxton was a romantic possibility for Devi, their relationship was tied to her feelings of insecurity and inferiority. Again this is not Paxton's fault -- he assures her of the opposite all the time -- but this is Devi's story, and we are shown over and over that Devi fears true vulnerability with Paxton (both sexually and emotionally). Compare this to the way she has always felt confident, seen, driven, and unabashedly herself in her relationship with Ben, even when they were enemies. At a glance Devi may appear to act more immature in Ben's orbit, but the truth is that she grows with him more than anyone else (besides Nalini) thanks to Ben's penchant for encouraging accountability and showing her that actions can have consequences.

Anyway, TLDR version:

Paxton = Devi's youth, Mohan, grief, distraction, the past, idealism, and the head (constructed ideas).

Ben = Devi's future, Nalini, healing, confrontation, the present, reality, and the heart (authentic truths).

Never Have I Ever's romantic story structure rests on the premise of these symbolic definitions. They are gospel, and while the characters will grow and change and become better versions of themselves, they will do so within the lines that are already drawn. The lines exist for a reason -- they are a narrative tool! These characters cannot and should not 'grow out' of their roles because those roles are their identities within the show's framework. The characters are exactly who they are meant to be right through to the end. They are symbols. If that's not your cup of tea then so be it! But there's nothing wrong with this writing style. In fact it's one of my personal favorites because everything is so neatly defined, yet fascinating to read into 🥰

The imperfect Ben had to be Devi's true love because her love interests are, in a way, reflections of herself. By no fault of his own, Devi always felt the need to be "perfect" for Paxton because that's how she viewed him; a false paragon of everything she wanted to be. That is the point of their story together. Her acceptance of the deep love she has for Ben (and Nalini!), despite his sometimes off-putting demeanor, is aligned with Devi's acceptance of her own imperfections -- that she is hot-headed, she can be self-absorbed, she acts without thinking and makes mistakes -- but that she is also brilliant and driven and caring and radiant, and she is equally worthy of receiving the love that she has to offer others.

Narratively speaking, it was never truly a competition.

[rosie-kairi]

I'm thinking so many thoughts about a post KH III reformed Lauriam and Elrena specifically our fave prickily girl.

So we all know even after getting her heart back Elrena isn't about to lose her bite and can still be pretty sarcastic and snippy with most of the cast. Lauriam is the only person she interacts with in a real sense since they've been together through thick and thin.

Except for Ven he's the only one she's remotely nice to.

Now at first it was purely out of respect for Lauriam, she remembers the end of the world and how he carried a smaller unconscious Ven close to his chest and held him protectively in his arms. Elrena never got to properly meet Ven she never had any animosity towards him.

But Ven is just so earnest and sweet that he genuinely worms his way into her heart and now she has a soft spot for the kid and likes him of his own merit. It probably helps that Ven never met her as Larexene and doesn't have any bad memories of her, and he isn't weighed down by their shared trauma of losing Daybreak Town even when Ven gets his memories back. He treats her like a person and it's so refreshing even though she knows why most of the cast do still see her as an enemy.

So while Elrena snarks at the sea salt trio, the destiny trio, and especially Terra and Aqua for being insufferable she's all smiles and hugs to Ven and he and Lauriam are just so sweet together it reminds Elrena of simple days she wishes she could go back too.

THIS IS SO SWEET I'm in love.... they've always been a fun little possible trio to me (the "we lived, bitch" trio) and I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees it lol.

I think the reason she was so nice to Lauriam when they first met was like, mostly just respect for Strelitzia, y'know? Imagine, you know someone -you wouldn't call yourselves friends exactly, more like acquaintances- who you see from time to time, enough that they significantly stand out in your memory, and then one day that person's sibling approaches you and tells you that they're missing. Of course you're gonna be respectful- that's a horrible thing to happen to someone. But, if it was me, I'd also be a bit flattered?? like "this person talked about me enough that their sibling thought I was a significant enough part of their life to Know Things he possibly wouldn't." And then the respect for Strelitzia grows into a bonus "okay this guy's kinda cool, actually." and before you know it you're stuck in a cult together. C'est la vie

I feel like there would also be a respect towards Ventus. Lauriam cares about this kid more than Elrena can really understand (only child vs person with siblings dichtomy) so she kinda has to respect the kid. She doesn't know anything about him other than Lauriam cares about him, so he's alright in her book. Post-3 Elrena finds herself in a weird in-between with Ventus, where she recognizes him as someone from Daybreak Town but he has never seen her in his life, but that's also good because he doesn't have the Larxene association. It's a weird grey area that she doesn't really know how to approach- but it is something that she wouldn't be against approaching. "Same Traumatic Past/Cult Partner" buddy can only take you so far in the relationship department.