#Relationship limbo

[milkywayscap-blog]

How could I ever tell you?

Syr felt Claude lean against them and sighed slightly. Claude chuckled, sounding a bit tired. It was the first time something like this had happened, and despite that, Syr felt a warm feeling in their chest. The hellhound had always felt drawn to Claude, and it didn't help that, at least in their eyes, Claude had made it clear that he fancied them to a certain extent. However, they were hesitant to make any significant moves, not wanting to disrupt the delicate balance between them. It felt like an invisible line existed between them, and neither knew if they should cross it. Yet, sometimes, Syr felt that taking that leap would be worth it, especially when it felt like the light of their life was within reach. This moment of peace was as close to lovers' bliss as Syr and Claude could get without taking that leap.

They sat together in the garden under the weeping willow. Claude leaned against the tree, panting a bit, with two baskets full of different herbs and flowers. The two were out collecting plants for Claude's newest potion or elixir. They decided to take a break after filling up the two baskets. The willow tree's leaves provided shade and a curtain of secrecy, blocking the view from outside. The sunlight still passed through the leaves, creating shadows and casting a warm light on whatever was in its path.

Claude suddenly says, "Syr, I love the experiences we've had over the past few decades. You're the best partner I've ever had, in adventures and in parenting. Thank you for dealing with the twins and me when we can get out of hand," He hesitates a bit but ends up putting his hand over one of Syr's. He feels his face burn up a bit at the confession he's let out, but also at the fact that Syr didn't pull their hand away. "You know I would do anything you asked of me... I care about you and the twins' well-being. You all are important to me," Syr replies with a nod. They can't help but whisper a smile at Claude's words.

[ilium-ilia]

i need ajcs polycule like i need AIR beloved mother ilia do you want to deprive me of AIR????

since i am an all kind and loving mother, I will allow you to look at this old version of Slow Cook that I wrote ages ago when the idea first popped up into my head.

Slow Cook (First Draft)

content: alternate universe to in limbo, aelin x john x chip x simon polycule, but all i have written so far is really just a sapphic blurb for aelin x chip, this is written in third person because that's what got my brain worms wiggling, so Chip is treated more like an oc than a reader character, abrupt ending because this is just a little blurb, may or may not make it into the actual slow cook cut, we'll see, but i gotta give my children air

It starts like all things do—with an ache. 

For now, it’s dull. Nothing but a quiet throb that rustles in the pit of Aelin’s stomach as her fingers rap against the wooden table she leans against. Familiar faces occupy the seats around the table as shimmering eyes read through the menus held up by manicured fingers. Their features have changed over the years since their time spent in university together. Accomplished women—powerful women—yet, Aelin finds herself bored. 

Sighing, she eyes the beef tagliata. It’s expertly described in a way that makes her mouth water. Balsamic vinegar, rosemary, arugula—Aelin enjoys red meat. Savors the flowing juices. 

But Aelin prefers her meat fresh, and right now there’s nothing better than the waitress scurrying up to the table, pen in hand. 

Though, she doesn’t look much like a waitress. Her uniform is different from the other’s Aelin has eyed throughout the night. Pure black clothes, and no apron, she nearly looks the part. Yet with disheveled hair and sweat lining her brow, the girl seems out of her depth. Still, she musters up a polite smile, though it’s easy to make out the bobbing of her throat as she swallows. 

“Good evening ladies. My name’s Chip, and I’ll be taking care of you tonight. Uh… can I start you off with something to drink?”

One by one, the ladies prattle off their orders all while Aelin watches their waitress; Chip. Her brows pinch in concentration as she scribbles down each order thrown her way. Rolling lips. Polite nods. Cute thing, this waitress. Even the slight tremor in her fingers is endearing; borderline adorable. 

“And for you miss?”

Chip’s eyes land on Aelin for only a split second before they flicker away, pretending to be occupied with her notepad. Fingers still tapping the table, Aelin has been looking at her for quite some time. Learning. Analyzing. Smiling, Aelin tilts her head just as she wets her lips. Her tongue lingers between her teeth for a beat too long. 

“Chip. What a unique name,” Aelin comments. 

She’s hoping it gets a laugh out of the girl, and it nearly does. Chip exhales sharply before mustering the courage to make eye contact again. “Well it’s… it’s just a nickname, really.” 

Nodding languidly, Aelin hums. “I see.” 

Her fingers cease their tapping. 

“Well, Chip, I’ll have a glass of wine. Red. Amarone, if you have it. If not, I’ll trust your judgment on a replacement.” 

Just as she did with the others, Chip notes Aelins’s words. “Perfect. I’ll, uhm, have that out for you shortly.” 

As she turns around to leave, Aelin eyes the sweet waitress. She devours the sway of her hips with wide pupils, enamored by the way the fabric hugs her rump and the swell of her thighs. Oh, how she enjoys fresh meat. 

That quiet throb lurking in Row’s stomach slowly ripens into a dull purr. A pathetic kitten with a pitiful cry settles into her core like it’s a safe haven. She fantasizes about the ways she likes to enjoy her meals. Warm. Quivering. Pinned. Splayed. Even now she can see it. Taste it. Legs spread wide, shaky fingers covering parted lips. Sizzling gasps escaping from a throat that feels too tight, all while her mouth drips, and drips, and drips. 

Aelin focuses her attention back to the present the moment a generous glass of wine is placed in front of her. Red like blood but not nearly as thick, she swirls it. Lets the aromatics waft around her nose, yet it’s not enough to drown the daydreams. It’s not enough to rip her eyes away from the undone buttons on the top of her waitress’s blouse, or the beads of sweat that peek between the cloth. 

“And for you?”

Once again, Aelin has been staring at Chip for quite awhile, and it flusters the poor girl all the same. Averting eyes, an anxious huff; quite a skittish thing. Some alleyway cat with curious but improper manners. 

“The beef tagliata, please love.” 

Nodding, Chip writes down Aelin’s order where she then taps the tip of her pen against the paper. One by one—little dots against scribbled words. She’s checking the order. Recounting it. Making sure she has it correct. 

“Are you new here, Chip?” Aelin asks. 

This question perplexes not only the waitress, but Aelin’s friends as well. A stillness falls over the table while other patrons buzz and chatter around them. Glasses clink, cutlery scrapes, and still the most interesting thing in the room to Aelin is the anxious woman in front of her. 

“Yes. Well, erm, no. I’m actually a hostess but they needed extra help tonight so I’m doing my best. This is my first time waitressing,” Chip explains. 

“How sweet of you.” Aelin pauses. Using the tip of her middle finger, she traces the rim of her glass. Slowly. Fingers flexing and relaxing. “I’ll have my steak medium rare, sweetheart.” 

Blinking, Chip glances back and forth between Aelin and her notepad before an anxious chuckle expels from her mouth. “Right. Yes, of course. Medium rare. I’ll have these out for you soon.” 

And to think Aelin nearly skipped out on girls night.

[0gata]

The blue things are flowers btw. Anyway look at him with sleeves and normal shoes aw <3

Oh also Greed cannot tie a tie. Lust used to do it for him and now it's Roa's job c:

[moeblob]

Spent a week in game smashing and blowing up rocks to get 1000 for a "big request" from Robin. The next day she wants "30 fresh rocks" and Asmo has MORALS and DIGNITY and LINES HE WILL NOT HAVE CROSSED. So he opts to grab the new "big request" from Demetrius for 20 lake fish in a week. (he catches them in less than a day)

Asmodeus♡ really do be out here ready to burn the town to the ground at a moment's notice...

[dmitriyuriev]

Here's Limbo sticking his hand in Danzou's mouth and breaking her jaw in the process. For fun ❤️

[beachyserasims]

Geneva Island Legacy┃Chapter six┃Outta Nowhere

~ Transcript ~

(Dream 1 & Dream 2 that Rowan is talking about.)

Beginning / Previous / Next

[bluetiefling]

interesting how often the ones claiming that galadriel's season 2 arc was perfect and everyone who doesn't think so is just too haladriel brainrotted or something are the same folks who openly say it's fine if she were to just... fade into the background in season 3 or disappear outright. sorry I actually do think it's sexist for galadriel to be introduced as the central protagonist only for her to be gradually phased out so that gil-galad and elendil or elrond or whichever legendarium dude can have more to do.

[haveyoureadthisfanfic]

Summary: Donatello just wanted to bring Kirby back. Instead, he ended up blowing up his lab along with everything in it and pulling a teleporting demon superhero into their realm. Now he's stuck with two interdimensional problems. Kurt makes the best of it. It's not the first time he was pulled into another dimension.

Author: @kifu

[ahollowgrave]

Thinking about sulfur and selenite again

[izartn]

So, about how I see Link Click's Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi relationship:

As it stands in canon? Queerplatonic partners. And it's convenient for the plot that they're like this.

Because of Chinese censorship it can't be explicitly romantic, yes I know it. Let me tell why it's queerplatonic for me. The way these two have intertwined their lives and futures together?!

Owning a business and living together, that hint in ep2 (comparing them to the subtextually older lesbian couple who also came across as queerplatonic bc censure) where Xiaoshi wonders/fears if years down the line he and Lu Guang will separate/break up implying their partnership is for life as far as he's concerned (the parallel can be taken as a subtext romance too but follow me we're talking text), the way they were already going also on vacancies together three years prev in canon, etc...

Without entering on their complimentary powers and the way the dives need both of them if they want security in not screwing the past, and the inmense trust and vulnerability the dives themselves require?

They're not simply best friends either.

Those aren't the actions of normal, totally not queer friends. Cheng Xiaoshi checks out women on the dives, sure, (and men too when the host is feeling it which I love bc they can't address it directly bc censorship and then it comes across as Xiaoshi being super confident in his own relationship to sexuality/gender) but I don't think he would ever date bc Lu Guang is already there, filling that place in his life minus sex and romance but all that same companionship and intensity of feeling.

These two meet in what, the last year/s of High School and then proceeded to latch onto each other with a commitment reserved for romantic partners.

And I know you want to say, "it's the censorship! they'd be romantic and canon if not for the censorship!"

Are you sure? Are you sure the story would work if there were explicit romance in it? (I mean, if they could I'm pretty sure they would have nailed it anyways but allow me my a-spec delusions) Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang feel so much like an already established pair, they work like one, and Link Click is not about them coming together like many other stories. Are you sure this would work as BL?

There's a distinct difference on the way they start the show already like six years at least since they're best friends and three or two since they live together. That's not usually how it goes. I'm talking not just romances but every buddy or nakama anime/show, where the protag has to learn to work with who will be his best friend or rival. These stories usually have the same kind of plot progression as a romance which is why they work so well when you make the subtext text.

But a story where the main romance is already established and we're following a plot that has nothing to do with it? Much more rare, even stranger to find them well done although there are some very good ones and with the friendships instead of romo they're more common. For example, Soul Eater, which is all about the trials of it and how they hace to truly come to understand each other. That's Link Click a bit, but not even then.

Link Click juggling a budding romance between Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi with all the other stuff is going on?? Messier for sure. I don't know if people would have liked it as much or if the donghua would have been as well done.

As it is, Link Click has the exact level of emotional connection between our protags it needs to have incredibly high stakes emotionally and at the same time not need a detour by romantic scenes/fanservice that would derail the plot or the other charas importance. That it happens to be pretty queer anyways in a platonic way?

Nice for the aroace-spec folks watching the show xD

Btw, I'm pretty sure in season 3 we're going to get more of Lu Guang's PoV, the origins of their powers and the past between him and Xiaoshi. It'll probably dig more into the aspect of "testing their bond and coming stronger bc of it" which is were the romantic subtext usually comes through...

—unless you're very very good at writing like Arakawa in FMA, who nailed the brotherly relationship without tipping into incest subtext which I've seen more than a few writers fumble. or the latest D&D film for the platonic childrearing and partnership for a no familial example between a man and a woman also very very difficult to get right for writers dunno why—

... but until then, for now I'm incredibly satisfied by the canon.

The other read of course it that they're already a couple since well before the start of season 1, and to mentally edit what we saw in canon with that lens (it wouldn't be very difficult honestly) but reading only the text? Queerplatonic partners!

There also how Xiaoshi and Lu Guang don't have that anxiety/insecurity of their bond that makes it so easy to read the want for something, like a romance for shipping purposes. Despite the disagreements on the Dives or the trials of season 2 or Lu Guang keeping secret Cheng Xiaoshi future/past death they read very steady which is fun. I love some good established relationship, you can go to deeper places when the base is already secure and the risk is higher for the characters. Plus I love domesticity! Yes, I do my angsty/Gothic leanings notwithstanding. Don't you know you need a home for the Gothic to be effective?

[doekimakura]

Makin WF ChAlan arts because I can

Ft. Alan's negative rizz game

[sunnnfish]

Maybe I’m okay with it if Hirano never traditionally “loves” Kagi. Or anyone. Maybe it never will turn into the same kind of love Kagi feels. Kagi is nevertheless such a source of inspiration and strength and comfort to Hirano. Even if he never feels a desire to touch or get married or whatever. Maybe he does it because Kagi asks and he loves making Kagi happy most of all. He wouldn’t seek it if not asked. But Kagi is always asking. And he knows it makes Kagi happy. Does anyone see the vision. Do you understand. Maybe kagi will be okay with it if Hirano never “loves” him the same way Kagi loves him. Because he knows how Hirano works and he knows how Hirano cares. And he knows he is unique to Hirano. He knows Hirano wouldn’t do these things with anyone else. And that’s still love in its own way.

[daiwild]

Obsessed with this one QPR I think they're calling them "The Solve It Squad" ?

[tortademaracuya]

I know im not a good person and that im exhausting to be around. I know being useful for others is something I like and want to be. But feeling like Im not wanted anymore because im not as useful like I used to or complained once after being treated badly.....it hurts a lot

[dmitriyuriev]

Danzou (based on a scene in this fic)

（「綻ぶ蝕甚」という好きな小説のシーンに基づいたイラストです。)

[helsex]

There were times when Hels saw what he wasn't supposed to. A crack in the image she had built of Ex in his head, as someone only to hate. To him they were strong and proud and cruel and an abject failure.

She wasn't supposed to see them paralyzed where they lay, tremors in their hands that grasped for anything to anchor themself to. He wasn't supposed to see them vulnerable and ruined, the opposite of what he'd always made himself believe they were.

But of course she did.

And of course they'd ask- no, beg for him to stay.

And of course he wouldn't.