#She doesn't really like to be touched and doesn't like to be without her armour though))

[lyramundana]

Hey, Mate. How are u? I've just seen your yandere Chan and changbin headcanons and I really like it! Can you please do a yandere skz reaction where their crush likes someone else?

Have a beautiful day! 💛

Thank you, mi amor!💖

YANDERE! STRAY KIDS REACTION: THEIR DARLING LIKES SOMEONE ELSE

CHRISTOPHER BANG

Oh well, we start hard already

We've already established previously that, out of the group, he's the most likely to turn yandere in real life. The divine @whatudowhennooneseesyou explained it in her blog before, and if she says it it must be be true, so

forgetting my short fangirl moment there . He got close to his Darling by showing her only his good sides and presenting himself like a friendly, reliable guy that she could count on for everything. He introduced himself into her life smoothly, carving his place in her routine while discreetly removing the "obstacles" that annoyed him. He won her trust quickly enough by forcing situations where his Darling got to see him as her knight in shining armour and felt compelled to rely on him, slowly but surely growing more dependant of him.

If there's a virtue Christopher has in quantity, it's patience. He's ready to wait as long as needed until he gets what he wants, and he's also the type to plan things in advance. So yeah, he's a fucking challenge to get away from.

He though he was doing great, that things were progressing like he planned, so imagine his utter shock when he learns his Darling has a crush on somebody else. She makes the mistake to tell him herself, asking for advice from a "good friend".

Once he gets over the initial loss of words, he's pissed. Very pissed. He's so fucking mad that, in the moment, he accidentally lets his nice guy act drop and loses control of his emotions in front of her. He starts an argument about it, claiming that person is not good enough and they're only going to hurt her, even if he barely knows them. Because who else could be worthy of Darling but himself? This mishap scares her and she ends up arguing back, running away from him in the end. He chastises himself for losing his cool like that later, furious that he ruined all of hard work into shaping a perfect image of him in her eyes. He can't stand the though of losing her, so he recomposes himself and already makes a plan to fix things.

First he gets in touch with her to apologize and make up for his behaviour. He's not sorry for the way he reacted, but he knows it scared her off and he knows that could prompt her to create distance, which he can't allow. Once again, he plays his charming and loving role to convince her, blaiming it on the stress of work and his desire to protect her, since most men are just pigs that would break her beautiful heart only he can do that. When she gets her to believe him, he grabs her hands in his and smiles, promising he'll help her the best way he can.

As soon as he's done recovering her trust, he's investigating that worthless piece of trash that has apparently stolen her affection. He has his contacts, so it doesn't take too long to get what he wants. He memorizes every single detail that he deems useful, just like he did with Darling, but this time is with entirely different purposes.

He's the type of "keep his enemies closer", so he'll befriend that person first and gain their trust, luring them into a false sense of security that it's more like a spider web, trapping them to be devoured without resistance. He gets that person to share secrets with him, things they regret, and Chris promises he won't ever tell a soul.

Some promises are meant to be broken.

He'll hold what he knows over their head to threaten them into staying away, or he'll straight up twist their words so his Darling can misinterpret them and feel betrayed/heartbroken. Obviously, he doesn't waste time into playing his role of brilliant hero and becomes her shoulder to cry on. This kind of validation is like oxygen for him, he can't get enough.

If the person proves to be persistant, he'll take more drastic measures and get rid of them permanently from Darling's life.

"It's okay, doll. It's not your fault. How could you've known they were so terrible? I never fully trusted them, but you seemed so happy and convinced. This is why you should listen to me. I only want the best for you.

LEE KNOW

We've also discussed him a bit in previous posts, but we'll profundize more here.

He's a passive yandere. The type to observe and "care" for his Darling from afar, unnoticed. Never intervening directly unless he absolutely has to. He'll be infatuated for years before gathering the courage to talk to you. But once he finally does, he'll win over his Darling quickly because he just seems to be so sync with her.

Truth is that, during all the time he's spent pining for her from the shadows, he has recopiled every bit of information about her he could get his hands on. Stalking, hacking, stealing personal belongings to treat as "treasures", you know it. While he didn't feel capable of havin a face to face interaction with her, he found comfort in observing her on her daily tasks. He knows her favourite food, color, animal, names of her friends and relatives, the perfume she uses, the places she frecuents and her special events.

His aproach would be slow at first, probably reaching out to her through social media (he has follows her in all of them and has a hacked all her accounts at some point) to chat about common interests, and after he feels they're both on friendly enough terms, he'll arrange a meeting in real life in one of her favourite places.

And because he's so in touch with everything that happens with her, he finds out about her crush before she even tells him. He goes through various phases, like sadness, heartbreak, rage. He just can't fit his head around such concept. Hasn't he proven himself enough to her? He has gone such lenghts to protect her, to get to know her, shaping himself to become the man of her dreams. Did he fail somewhere? What else he should do?

Then it dawns to him. It's not fault. Of course he followed all steps, did everything perfectly. By all accounts, his Darling should've fallen for him already. But maybe he chose the wrong aproach.

Maybe he needs to be more clear about his intentions.

He doesn't have Chris' discretion or long-game. He doesn't want to sit around and wait, he's done that enough for years.

He can't fake friendliness even if he tries, so his solution is kidnapping the person and threaten them to stay away from his Darling's life. If that doesn't work, he'll simply keep them hidden until their existence begins to be forgotten. He could also use them as a boxing bag to let out his frustations, who knows.

@whatsk-poppinhomies has the perfect description of yandere Minho, as I mentioned in another post. Go check it out!

SEO CHANGBIN

He's the egocentric type, to that makes him dangerous and scary but also predictable.

He lives off the praise and admiration from others. He's constantly showing off, fishing out all kind of validation to feed his ego. He also takes great care of his appareance and everything involved in the way he presents himself to the people.

Imagine the stereotypical jock of american movies that's popular and always being the centre of attention. That's him. He needs to feel eyes on him and be admired or else he'll get slightly insecure.

He'll try to catch his Darling's attention by doing exactly what he does to the rest: Showing off. He'll spoil the shit out her and do anything in his power to prove that he's the ideal partner. That no one is gonna treat her better than he does.

He'll become his Darling's slave, her biggest simp. He'll run up to her if he sees her in the same place as him and trail behind her back like an eager puppy, ready to bend himself backwards for her wishes.

Darling might feel overwhelmed by the constant attention and expensive gestures, but he has no plans on stopping, even if she asks him. Then he'll try to tune it down for her sake, but he's uncapable of stopping. He feels the urge to worship the ground she walks on.

He invades every space of her life with his boaming presence and craves himself into her routine, making sure he's the first and last face she sees everyday. If someone seems to "steal" the time that's rigthfully his, he'll drop that bubbly attitude quickly and become very intimidating. He's short but those muscles don't lie and he knows how to use them.

He has a high self-steem, so he's not jealous per se. However, he enjoys marking what's his and let other people know. He's prideful and has a similar disposition to Chris, in terms that they act more like dogs by how much they remind their partners and everyone else who they belong to.

He'll very, very angry if he finds out his Darling has a crush on someone that's not him. He feels his efforts weren't enough. He feels his ego is being questioned.

Unlike the previous two, he lacks self-control over emotions and he's rather impulsive, so he'll probably get into a fight with his rival or/and his Darling too.

He's a lot more direct about this matter. He'll use his position to berate Darling's crush until their reputation shatters or they decide to run away from the harassment. Changbin would be merciless.

Humiliations, fake rumours, pranks that leave injuries too serious to be just that. He'll be a manual bully, and a terrible one because no one dares to fight back. He's stronger than most, intimidating when he wants to, and has no problem sending someone to an hospital if they piss him off enough.

Eventually he'll drive his rival far from his Darling so he doesn't return, but if that doesn't work, well...he's ready to take permanent measures.

HWANG HYUNJIN

oh fuck here we go

Another dangerous one if he falls to the yandere side. He's as bad as Christopher, the kind of yandere that you can't escape alone and most likely you never will.

He's highly narcissistic and self-centered, but unlike Changbin, you won't ever see him coming. And while Chris' red flags can be more noticeable, Hyunjin's are invisible until it's too late.

He's a great actor, a manual manipulator and the perfect wattpad boyfriend. And by this I mean that every breath he takes is pure 🚩🚩🚩.

Seriously, if I had to pick, I'll run to Christopher Bang with no second though, because he's at least somewhat nice and truly feels like he cares.

Hyunjin doesn't. He believes he does, but that's not it.

He doesn't necessarily want to have a fairytale romance with his Darling. He simply wants to own her. Be the centre of her life and have her at his beck and call. Like I said, narcissistic.

He'll be drawn to someone that doesn't pay attention to him at first. He's used to have people worshipping the ground he walks on and surrounded by admirers, so seeing someone that treats him differently inmediatly picks his interest. And so he goes after her doing everything in his power to impress her and get her to look at him the same way most people do. He can't stand not having everyone infatuated by him.

He'll be the classic love interest that never takes no for an answer, ignores boundaries and takes the protagonist for granted. He thinks being allowed to be with him is an honor. He doesn't really care if the girl is comfortable with the situation, he's set on "fixing the anomaly".

As he begins to develop feelings for his Darling that go beyond winning this game of "hard to get", he starts to idealize her to unsane levels and even gives her traits that she doesn't actually have, just to fit his perfect narrative. If she doesn't have them, then he'll just have to make her, right?

He's charming and has a way with words, but his ego might cost him vision. He uses his image of "dream prince" to his advantage and plays the role for his Darling. He intends to turn her into his muse, a doll crafted by and for himself. He'll smoothly move her to change some aspects of herself to his preference.

His ego, eventually, confirms to be a burden. He's confident on his own perfection and he sees himself as the best option out of everyone and everything, so discovering his Darling apparently has a crush on someone is a mindfuck for him.

But he recovers quickly. As soon as the shock is over, it gets replaced with rage. For the first time in his life, he feels surpassed by someone. And he hates losing.

He'll sabotage every possible relationship Darling could have with anyone. If he can't have her, no one will. Simple. Until she realizes her only viable option is to be with him.

He's the type to ruin his Darling's life too and break her, so he can pick up the pieces and put them back how he wishes. Make her undesirable for other people so she thinks he's the only one that would ever love her.

HAN JISUNG

A nightmare for your emotional health. Dating him on a regular setting would be already a roller coaster, but as a yandere? You'll need fucking therapy and lots of patience, if you ever get out of it of course.

He relies heavily on emotional reactions and playing the victim card. He might actually believe he's a victim. He's impulsive too, but not like Changbin. He's another subtle manipulator, but unlike Hyunjin and Chris who use mental games, he hits you where it hurts.

He's prone to breakdowns and his mental health isn't the most stable at times, so he'll probably fall for his Darling when she helped him through one of his episodes and comforted them. As soon as he felt her warm hands and kind smile, boom. The path to obsession began.

He can be very insecure and distrusting, so he'll get jealous even when they're not even together yet. He thinks everyone that gets close to her has romantic interests and fears they'll take her away. He reflects his own feelings and thoughts unto other people.

Due to his insecurities, he believes everyone is better than him and so, if he lets Darling see other people than him, she'll surely reject him.

He's moody, so he'll go through periods where he's extremely clingy and others where he isolates himself. In both cases, however, he needs to know she's near or else he'll fall in a pit of panic. It reassures him.

He's very attached to his Darling, probably the most out of all. His dependency is completely toxic and it moves him to push people of her life so he can have her entirely for himself. He hates having to share her time and attention, so what's the solution?

Make sure he's the only person she has to talk to.

I think it's important to note that Jisung, while being emotional, is far from stupid. He's in fact one of the smartest in the group, so don't let the shy, soft persona fool you.

He's quick to pick on details, and that includes weaknesses. If he realizes his Darling can't stand seeing him sad or angry, you bet he'll use to his full benefit. He'll throw tantrums and randomly stop talking to her so she has to go after him to know what's wrong and "fix it". Seeing her give him so much attention comforts him.

If he catches on the fact that Darling has feelings for someone else, boy he'll go insane. You think his moodiness and bipolarity were bad before? Be prepared to see it ten times worse.

He wont' stand it, and he'll make that very clear. Another one that'll sabotage any type of relationships she has, but unlike Hyunjin, he'll never go as far as to hurt her or ruin her, because he adores her too much. No, all the damage is directed against those who try to steal her from him.

He'll play the victim card and pretend they were the ones who started the conflict, lying that they made fun of him or they're all speaking ill of her behind her back. He'll paint them as villains and his tears would do the rest.

If that doesn't work, he has no problem locking her up in his house. After all, this would allow him to have her everyday by his side like he wants.

He's highly dependant, very clingy and very sneaky. He's emotionally unstable, so she might see the danger before entering a relationship with him.

LEE FELIX

I really can't see this heaven-sent human as a yandere, but I'll try

He's very similar to Jisung, so it's easy to assume they'll follow similar aproaches. Not for nothing they're called Sunshine twins.

He's also very driven by emotions but he's less impulsive than Han. He prefers to think a bit more before acting, since he wants to look the best at all times for his Darling. That means keeping up appareances with other people too, even if he doesn't like them or can't stand their closeness to her. He wants to earn her through her friends first.

He basically charms everyone around him with his sunshine persona, offering home-made brownies and overall being a cute perfect boy. No one dislikes him and she has only heard great things about him, so she's at ease with him.

She doesn't that he eliminates anyone that suspects his dark side or speaks badly about him. That's why he's seemingly flawless in her eyes.

Because there's literally no one that talks bad about him.

He falls for his Darling due to the simplest things. Maybe a casual warm smile she directed at him once or her complimenting his baker skills. Simple gestures that are plain friendliness and politeness but his deranged mind interprets them in another sense.

He's delusional. A lot, really. If all his interactions with his Darling feel positive and she doesn't reject his advances, that's enough to make him believe his feelings are returned and she feels exactly the same for him.

He'll get close to her by befriending her first, obviously. He wants to take it slow, go step by step in fear he ruins it. He earns her trust and enphasizes his good traits for her. Of course, he uses his deep voice too (because he knows that's one of his best assets)

He's so gentle and kind and understanding, such a good listener. He provides for her and spoils her to the brim. It's only natural she trusts him with her secrets and confides in him.

Including to ask advice regarding her new crush...that's not him.

He doesn't let his inner turmoil be shown. He smiles softly and plays the sweetheart act until she leaves. Once she's out of sight, he finally loses the composure and unleashes the dark emotions he's been hiding for so long.

He doesn't understand. He has done everything perfectly. He's been nothing but charming to her, nothing but a good boy and flawless. He has made her laugh like nobody else, cared for her like a dutiful boyfriend. He's been basically a dream guy. Where did it go wrong?

But he refuses to lose like this. She's only confused, that's it. He shouldn't been so tolerant of the people she hang out with, should've watched better her surroundings. If he does it right, he'll open her eyes and move her back to the right path.

He knows there's no one better than him for his Darling. No one but him deserves her. No one can love her like he does, take care of her like he does.

So he does the only reasonable thing, the same he's done previously with other pests: Remove the obstacle permanently from his life.

KIM SEUNGMIN

Another master manipulator here.

No but for real, he's also relies on his intelligence, and these are the most dangerous and hard to escape out of all.

He plans every move he makes beforehands. He knows what he's doing at all times and, if not, he always has a plan B. He hates the idea of failing.

He's too cool to admit his feelings, so he tries his best to ignore/supress them. Last thing he wants is appear weak and/or vulnerable.

Obviously, he eventually embraces his obsession love and starts to formule a plan. He's another one that's more than willing to play the long game. .

He's only the right amount of polite when he's with his Darling and never more. He purposedly plays hard to get so she'll become interested in him and aproaches him first.

He'll be kind and friendly one day, and the other behave coldly and indifferent. He confuses her constantly in hopes she's drawn to his mysterious side and pays more attention to him.

They won't become friends per se, and he'll become more like a passive yandere like Minho. Watching her from afar and controlling what happens in her life without her knowledge. He'll collect her belongings too, although he won't make a fucking shrine like Minho would. He sees them as trinklets, memories from her. And also as material to learn more about her.

He's highly observant and discreet. Chances of him getting caught are very slim, and there's no way anyone could suspect of his tendencies. He's specially careful around his Darling, so unless her friends have all keen eyes, he could spend an entire life doing this.

He has her entire profile and routines memorized. Her adress, her relatives and friends, the teachers she's had and the places she likes to go. He uses all that information to create interactions where they're "casually" on the same place at the same time or he "accidentally" meets with some of the people she knows who in return talk to her about him.

Step by step, he makes his way through his Darling's life, with zero suspicions.

Unlike Minho, he'll actually aproach her when he follows her somewhere. He doesn't remain hidden, since he wants her to think they both frecuent the same places to see how much in common they have.

He figures out her crush before she has the time to say it. Since they're not close yet (much to his suffering), he finds out from other sources.

He's calm about the whole deal. Well, he still gets angry and has murderous thoughts, but he's an strategist. He has an entire journal with everything there is to know about her. He's good at gathering info.

So he does the same with his rival...but with entirely different purposes.

However, he doesn't simply expose his darkest secrets and removes him from his Darling's path quickly. Oh no. He has a sadist vein. He manipulates everything from the sidelines so his Darling ends up rejecting this person by herself, twisting their image in her eyes so she grows disgusted or uncomfortable with them.

And absolutely no one suspects him.

Once that pest is out of the way after a delicious and humiliating rejection, he moves back to his routine. This event may push him to accelerate the plan and strenghten his bond with Darling.

YANG JEONGIN

Another emotionally unstable one. Lord have mercy.

He's actually more mature that people give him credit for, but he has a certain brattiness, product of usually getting what he wants.

He's impulsive and prideful. The type to resort to the silent treatment if gets angry at someone. He refuses to give in first.

People often see just his cute, maknae persona and get fooled by how coddled he is, but everyone has dark sides, and his particularly can be very intimidating.

Have you seen his angry face? Yeah, I'll burst out crying if someone looked at me like that.

Moving on

He struggles to express his feelings openly, but he also expects his Darling to simply guess them and gets offended if she doesn't act accordingly. He expects her to read his mind.

His Darling would be either an old friend or a co-worker. He likes to remain in his circle, so he feels a bit more in control.

He'll admire her from afar and then aproach her by using his soft, cute maknae act to get attention and care, like he wants. He's used to be the centre of attention because of his cuteness, and let's be honest, she wouldn't resist it either.

He'll make sure her eyes are always fully on him, at all times. If she's paying attention to someone else, he's quick to snatch her with excuses like "i need help with this" "i don't know how to do this" "i'm nervous, can you be with me'" etc.

Another manipulator too. Of course, he learns from the bests of the category.

Meaning he knows how to pretend and act to get his way. He's not as innocent as he lets on.

He gets jealous and he doesn't hide it. He has two moods: He throws a tantrum and pouts (in front of his Darling), and he glares and mocks at the other person (when Darling is away).

Speaking of this, he'll bully anyone that shows interest in her. Like, literally bullying.

I mean intimidation, harassment, bad pranks. All behind her back, of course. He'll eventually convince people to not get close to her, and he'll be fucking happy about it.

Now there's no way she cannot notice him.

At least that's what he thinks, until he hears that his Darling has set her eyes on someone. And it's not him.

Out of all of them, he's the most likely to be caught by her, since he has a hard time hiding his anger.

He'll be resolved to kick that person out of Darling's life one way or another. Oh, and he'll also refuse to speak to her altogether, feeling "betrayed". Again, emotionally unstable and bratty.

Seriously, that person would go through hell. It'll be a mix of Changbin and Jisung. He'll try to play the victim and paint the other as the abuser.

However, he's so deep in with his rage that he gets sloppy. His Darling might caught wind of his harassment to others. She'll probably catch him mid-fight or provoking someone, making fun of them.

When she asks and tries to intervene, he doesn't answer. He doesn't want ignore her forever, but she hurt his pride by liking some other asshole, so he remains in the silent treatment.

He wants her to feel guilty, that it's her fault somehow. Emotional manipulation it's his weapon.

If he plays his cards right, he might get inside her mind and do what he wants with her. If not, she'll believe what she sees and cross him as a bully, avoiding him for good.

Regardless, his rival would be gone. That he'll make sure o

[shesalittlelost]

I've noticed this that most Nesta stans treat Nesta less like a character and more like a vehicle that they can use to be as misogynistic as possible and live their own mean girl fantasy on the internet. And the saddest thing is that it's not just her fans who do it, the author did the same to her so I'm gonna talk to about the latter first.

Nesta in ACOTAR wanted to go out and carve her life on her own because the realisation that she still hadn't found a purpose for herself while her sister already did and that she owed her whole life to her chafed at her. That's why their reunion in the first book was so touching. I was so looking forward to see what Nesta does with her journey but she isn't allowed that. Fast forward to ACOMAF, she's just... a mean girl, unnecessarily poking at her sister for no reason at all. This scene is used as a way to start Nesta and Cassian's “banter” and “romance” (lol) and in order to do that SJM basically walks back and kills whatever little but extremely significant development Nesta had in book 1. Her concern for her sister that made her risk her own life is forgotten and instead she's made to be petty, antagonistic and stupid and incredibly shortsighted even (when in book 1 she was the only one in the family who listened to Feyre & understood the threat Fae posed to the humans) to Feyre for no reason other than to clash her with Cassian. And since then it's been like this. SJM keeps obliterating everything that made Nesta, Nesta. Her ability to resist glamour? forgotten. Her not wanting to become a warrior? LOL her whole personality is just being fandom's cookie cutter sword and armour girl now. Her being averse to casual sex? Well.... you see... she lavvvvsss sex so muchhh that she starts daydreaming about having a threesome with her bf and his brother to a point that her brother-in-law can tell that from her face and gets awkward (🤮). Her wishing to explore this world on her own? Yeah lol that's not happening. Like ever.

This girl really just got moulded into someone that Miss Maas can conveniently use to live her own fantasy in the ACOTAR world. Maas is known to not get along well with other women in the field who are as popular and successful (if not more) than her and allegedly called one an ableist slur. It's public knowledge that she was horrible to her other author friends until they cut her off. She now lives in her own bubble and picks some two or three new people, less popular than her to befriend, who just hype her up. Sounds familiar? Yeah. Nesta too can't ever get along with any other major female character who is as equally relevant in the story as her. Elain was her best buddy until she stopped being Nesta's side chick. Feyre, she was always jealous with, in her own words. She looks down at Mor for not being dressed modestly causing the men to laugh at that insult (Sara, you're very obvious). That scene where Rhys aka SJM gasses her up by calling her an illyrian (warrior) as a compliment while comparing her to Elain and implying Elain doesn't count coz she just isn't one. Like there is such a big “she's not like the other girls! she is ✨different✨” energy going on with the way she's written, especially her relationship with every other women in the story, except for the two girls who are written solely to be her hype girls, that I literally can't stand it.

It starts to make sense why she appeals to a certain kind of fans here who also suffer from the “i'm not like the other girls” syndrome. A lot of these people don't even like or care about Nesta's character or story that much no, they just latch onto her to hate on every other character, especially the female ones, that they can't self insert as. Calling Feyre the nastiest things, hating on Elain for apparently being a “selfish bitch” and Mor for idek what. Like these people are physically incapable of talking about her or praising her without comparing her with or bringing down other women in the series and it's genuinely nasty how they talk about every woman who isn't her or the ones who suck up to her. I wonder if they realize how crazy they look to others coz they are very transparent.

[dragon-watcher03]

Genji x Male!Angel! Reader

Headcanons

Note: you are Mercy's older brother (so around 40) and are part omni on your torso, left arm, and head. You started working with Ramattra after he saved and revived you when your parents abandoned you in a burning building. You now work with Overwatch. You look like Angel from Diablo except your wings are black. You can change the armour as well but you gotta keep the hood. Reader is implied to be part omnic

Genji:

When he first saw you he kinda was scared shitless. I mean, can you blame him? But he was also kinda intrigued by you, mostly by your wings.

He loves the way you look tho. You have that perfect balance of mystery and grace that makes you so pretty. He knows you have a handsome face even without seeing it.

When he saw you fight for the first time, he was in awe. Your moves were so fast yet graceful and after you would just walk around like nothing happened.

He loves messing with you sometimes, like poking the blackness of your face. Although if it actually does annoy you he'll stop.

He strives to break down that silent and serious facade you put up. But he only wants you to show that side to him, no one else. Ngl he's kinda possessive of you-

When you do finally feel comfortable enough to show your face to him, he decides he should do the same thing as well. So you both take off your hood/visor for the first time since you started dating.

Safe to say he was not disappointed. You were even more beautiful than he imagined, and he kinda just stared up at you in awe for a long time. When you poked his face, he finally snapped out of it and was kind of embarrassed. That entire time he was contemplating whether he should kiss you.

You guys are actually able to cuddle and it isn't uncomfortable bc your human side matches his, plus he likes the coldness of the metal on his cheek.

When y'all are alone, he can be quite clingy. He's very touch deprived, but so are you so it's a win-win. He's always holding your right hand with his left so that you guys can feel each other's skin and for once feel like you're humans again.

Soba loves you (kinda like a dog tbh-), which in the Shimada clan is an omen that you've found your soulmate. So now you're stuck with him. Not that you're complaining. She will often leave Genji and wrap around your neck loosely while smooshing her snoot into your cheek or shoulder, asking for attention (which you noticed Genji also does when he wants attention).

Hanzo is a bit iffy about you and how you're 3 years older than his little brother, but after finding out you were related to Mercy, he relaxed a bit. He thinks you're chill and likes hanging around you. But he tends not to bc he knows Genji can get jealous easily.

Kiriko really likes you. Y'all are like this🤞 It honestly makes Genji jealous with how close you guys are. You guys often rant to each other about some random topic, and by both, I mean Kiriko is the only one who rants while you just listen.

Mercy is happy for you both. She knows what your parents did and just wants you to be happy. She does keep her eye on Genji tho, she wants to make sure he doesn't break your robotic heart.

Damn this was long-

[arcsimper5]

I am very sad Wrecker didn't really get much development overall. And there are other things I would like to have seen. And Tech.

But anyway.

So consider this version I'm going to (possibly, when my emotions have calmed down), write.

Buckle up, folks. This is gonna be a LOOONG one.

During Plan 99, Wrecker's neck injury is much more severe than first thought.

It is limiting his movement for some time, and AZI warns him that, without a bacta tank, it will take time and rest to heal properly.

Cue Hemlock turning up and their escape (during which time some of the damage is made permenant by the stress), and Omega being taken.

He is already dealing with not being 'strong enough' to pull up the entire railcar and save Tech (which Echo insists was impossible), because he was born and bred to be the strong one, and if he can't be that, what is he?

Flash forward to season 3, and when he turns up with Hunter to the Durands, he's visibly struggling, but only the audience and Hunter really recognise it.

He's hunched. He's stiff. He's more hesitant. But Hunter is hyper focused.

Wrecker is suffering from his injuries, but is doing so in silence, because Omega comes first, and Hunter is still his older brother and his sergeant. They'll find Omega, then they can rest.

During the visit to the old lab, his injuries flare up. Hunter loses an eye to the slither vines. They know they should be more careful, they know they were reckless, but Hunter cannot bring himself to care.

When the surprise reunion happens, Omega pauses for just a little longer when she sees the state of Wrecker. His armour, his posture, the way he falls to his knees to embrace her instead of picking her up because, despite how he wants to, so so badly, it hurts too damn much.

Her guilt only grows when she sees Hunter missing an eye, and realises how much they went through to try and find her. She apologises to Hunter for not listening to him at Cid's, for getting herself captured, saying that she was only trying to protect her squad.

They have a group hug, interrupted by Crosshair appearing silently behind the, uttering his trademark 'How touching,' paralleling the first episode where they find Omega in the brig.

They pull their blasters, Omega panics and runs to Crosshair, standing in front of him, explaining they escaped together. Hunter and Wrecker are still suspicious.

Onto Pabu.

Wrecker's injuries are bandaged, and he is insistent that AZI has had a proper look and he just needs to rest up.

Hunter asks him when Omega leaves why he lied to her. Wrecker shrugs and says he didn't want her to worry.

Omega finds Crosshair, he's still shaky and practicing. When he spots Hunter and Wrecker, he remarks how much they've been through, and how much they've changed.

Omega reminds him that they have too.

Crosshair finally has a talk with Wrecker about his injuries. They repair their relationship a little by admitting they're both scared of losing the one thing that made them 'special', a steady hand and true strength.

Echo arrives. He remarks on how run down everyone looks, Hunter wants to get straight to a meeting, but Echo insists on getting food first.

He expresses how grateful he is that Omega is okay and unharmed, and becomes visibly distressed when she talks about Clones being experimented on.

He looks to Crosshair and asks 'you too?'

Crosshair is hesitant, but nods. He tells Echo what they did to him, adding that he doesn't want Hunter and Wrecker to know.

Echo urges him to get support from his brothers, but he point blank refuses, insisting he will be able to get it under control. Echo is unconvinced, but agrees, beginning to repair his relationship with Crosshair.

On Barton IV, when scoping out the noises outside, when Hunter shoves Crosshair, Cross snaps, asking him how he failed to notice how much Wrecker is struggling.

Hunter retorts that Wrecker 'doesn't struggle', says Crosshair doesn't know them any more.

Crosshair reminds him he's spent the past 6 months with only Omega for company, and that he knows her better than Hunter, and that she is scared for Wrecker too. He accuses him of failing her, and that he can't even see how much she's hurting because of what happened to them.

After dealing with the Wyrm, Hunter let's out a long sigh, looking back to where Wrecker is moving towards them and finally seeing just how hunched and awkward he is when he moves.

Crosshair remarks that he seems to be able to see better with only one eye. Hunter chuckles and they squabble in a friendly manner.

During the mission with Fennec, Wrecker is injured further, struggling to carry their target with them, and Hunter begins to become very concerned.

When they get back to Pabu, he orders Wrecker to rest, Wrecker insists he's fine. Crosshair disagrees. They get into an argument. Crosshair takes Wrecker down in a hand to hand fight easily.

Realisation hits. Wrecker agrees to rest. Hunter feels guilty, apologises to Wrecker, who shrugs it off and hugs him.

When the Empire shows up and takes Omega, Wrecker's injury is exacerbated by the explosion. He's weak, he's seriously injured, but he keeps pushing.

They break Rampart out, but he struggles to carry him, struggles to throw him, struggles with everything.

Hunter comes to realise that his brother might never be the same again. He begins considering leaving him on Pabu while he and Crosshair go to get Omega from Tantiss.

By the time comes for him to consider it, it's too late.

They make the jump to Tantiss, the shuttle crash takes more out of him, and the fight with the massive creature nearly kills him.

By the time they get to the hangar, he's a shadow of his former self. When the debris falls on Hunter, he's in too much pain to lift it.

He can only watch as Hunter loses his other eye to the troopers, and Crosshair is knocked out.

He gets taken down too easily, unable to fight any more.

When they are tortured, he can barely resist, all of his energy failing. His strength, the one thing he was made for, is gone.

He's tired. His muscles are wrecked. He's had no time to recover, no medical treatment. He's beyond repair.

Despite it all, he pushes through to help Omega, he is faced with a CX trooper around his size, but for the first time in his life, brute force won't work. He just doesn't have the strength.

He doesn't dive through the window. He baits the CX trooper into charging him, and darts out of the way just in time. The trooper lands on his head, snapping his neck and killing him instantly.

So the final fight comes down to them fighting the CX troopers , but in a way they are not experienced in.

Hunter has to use his other senses. With his sight gone, he needs to trust his hearing, his spatial awareness, the electrical pulses he can feel.

Wrecker has to use his brain to trick the troopers, knowing he can't beat them 1v1 any more.

Crosshair's weakness is close quarters combat, but he fights through, desperate to chase down Omega.

Finally CX2 is the only one left. He talks about emotions being their weakness, and undoes his helmet, assuring them they will suffer an emotional response.

It's Tech. Wrecker all but collapses, just on shock. Hunter let's out a sob and similarly falls. Crosshair attacks.

He tries to get through to Tech, saying he knows he's in there. CX2 just laughs sharply, telling him he will lose, again, because that's what they always do.

No matter how successful they were, they were never meant for longevity. They were always destined for short, sad lives, and he's going to make sure of it.

Wrecker marches towards CX2, Hunter and Crosshair calling him and trying to stop him, unable to. But he just walks up and hugs him, crying as he murmurs how sorry he is for not being strong enough to stop him falling, for not holding on.

Tech's memories begin to return, telling him in a strained voice that Hemlock needs to be stopped, that Project Necromancer is a plan to keep the emperor alive forever, to cement his rule for multiple lifetimes. The only person with the knowledge to do it is Hemlock.

He needs to die.

They chase after Omega, Wrecker limping behind with Hunter. As the confrontation happens, Tech kneels down in front of Crosshair, getting him to rest his blaster on his shoulder, a callback to TCW S7 arc. Crosshair says he doesn't think he can make the shot.

Tech reassures him he's never missed one when it mattered most. Tells him to trust himself.

Crosshair takes the shot as Omega stabs Hemlock.

Then takes one clean headshot. Hemlock is dead. He doesn't fall. He's there. Dead. Crumpled. Gone.

Knowing they have no time, they get into Hemlock's shuttle, flying away towards Pabu.

Omega is shocked and overjoyed to see Tech, but devastated that Hunter has lost his sight.

They reassure her that everything will be okay.

They arrive on Pabu. Echo hugs Tech, tells him he's an idiot, expresses how sorry he is he was experimented on. Tech reassures him, they exchange a meaningful handshake.

Wrecker has a cane now, his body still recovering. He has a limp, it's obvious he's suffered permanent damage. Crosshair helps Hunter over to where Omega is. He still has a tremor, his hand still aches, but he's there, with his family.

They talk about the future, about how they are free now, to do whatever they want. Tech comes over and tells Crosshair it's time to go.

They all look at him, confused. He explains they're going with Echo to join the rebellion. They've been a part of the Empire, they know what they're up against, they need to fight. It would feel wrong not to.

Omega hugs them and they promise to be back soon. Hunter and Wrecker relax with Omega. Fade to black.

Epilogue:

Hunter still catches Omega before she goes. Only this time, Crosshair and Tech are waiting with him, having come to pick her up in their ship. Batcher is acting as Hunter's seeing eye dog, giving him his freedom back to a certain extent.

They reassure Hunter they'll look after her, that Echo is waiting for them. Wrecker appears behind them, chastises Omega for trying to leave without saying goodbye.

Conversations about rebellion and how the fight is going. Omega hugs Hunter and Wrecker and goes to get onto the ship.

Hunter, Wrecker, Tech and Crosshair all share an embrace. He murmurs about her being their little girl. They all smile and agree. Only she's not so little any more.

As Hunter and Wrecker watch the ship take off, the Bad Batch theme plays full force once more.

Their legacy lives.

[sillygoofyqueer]

TCGF/NPAB AU where Pei Ming actually dies in his final fight as a mortal. Not against Rong Guang, but against Jun Wu, just after his ascension. In my personal headcanon, a god is a bit weaker and not fully immortal after they've just ascended, considering that this is a completely new form and they're caught off guard, so Jun Wu - trying to eliminate a threat before it becomes an issue - gets him while he's down. So, Pei Ming dies.

Of course, he comes back. Dead and kicking, like a vicious little ghost. Instead of Hua Cheng being the next Ghost King after the White Clothed Calamity, Pei Ming takes on that role (haven't decided a fancy title yet). Zhao Beitong may see a son in him, but she sees a warrior. He is the first ghost who refuses to forget her. He stares her dead in the eyes and downright refuses to be consumed so that he cannot forget her. Even if he forgets her name, he will not forget her. She is such a brave warrior, the only martial god he would ever respect. He is a general, and he kneels to her.

He's not really all about that Revenge Lifestyle™ and ends up hanging around Gusu, the site of his ascension, listening to the tales spun of the General who never wanted to be a God, the one who spurned his Godhood and now wanders, looking for someone worthy enough to fight him.

After Mount Tonglu, he just kinda hangs around, reconnecting with Yushi Huang earlier on because, welp, he's dead, the worst she can do is kill him again. He has no idea what the hell happened to his ashes (Jun Wu thought he scattered to them, but a certain Heavenly Official watched this mess occur and caused a massive distraction that allowed her to replace the body with a duplicate) and frankly, he doesn't really care. He's just waiting for something interesting to happen (preferably for the Heavens to crash to the ground, but he's not picky).

Because he ascended before death, he can still receive prayers after death. People speak of the General who spurned godhood, but one who still helps out those who beg for it, becoming a terror to those within his own realm. Ghosts fear him just as much as the gods who hunt them, and he is perfectly content with that. He never touches a sword after his death. He lives peacefully, learning to fight with other weapons, making his own armour and practicing just...living. Ironic that he had to die to learn how to do such a thing. He doesn't get involved with anything.

He listens to the rumours of the God-Pleasing Crown Prince from Xianle, sympathy seeping through him as everyone talks of the awe-inspiring legend, being one of the only people to see it as it really is: a soon to be tragedy. That doesn't stop the sympathy from crawling through him at the tales of how Xianle has been hit with a terrible plague along with a war, how the Crown Prince descends from the heavens to help his country, and the eventual demise of his kingdom. The tales of the White Clothed Calamity. The Crown Prince being banished from the heavens without his sight.

It all makes him feel sympathy for the Crown Prince, especially when less-savoury rumours begin to emerge. He doesn't think about them much. He stops paying attention to any sorts of rumours or stories after that.

Until Mount Tonglu. He, of course, has to go to it, because of the literal everything that goes on. When he watches Zhao Beitong coach a red-clad ghost, watching at a distance and not getting involved until she notices him. They share a look, and he just nods, beginning his journey into the kiln - one that he took before, but accidentally. He does allow himself to farm a few of the wandering souls, because he's allowed a treat sometimes, but he just sits by the doors, waiting for them to open.

He waits for a while. He speaks to Zhao Beitong occasionally. She seems pleased that he has reconnected with Yushi Huang. Apart from that, he doesn't really do much, just kills particularly irritating ghosts. When the kiln opens, he darts inside, not going out of his way to fight the ghost, mainly just watching. Even when the young man notices him, he just watches. Until they fall into memories.

There's no real surprise that the ghost manages to consume Zhao Beitong, but not before she makes him promise to make Pei Ming teach him anything she can't (surprisingly, there are things). When they exit the kiln, Pei Ming is surprised to find a group of child spirits waiting for the red-clad ghost to return. When they notice Pei Ming, he doesn't make any attempt to appear scary - he is quite intimidating as it is. The red ghost looking for his god turns and asks for him to teach him everything.

Pei Ming disagrees.

So, of course, he is absolutely fucking pestered by the ghost (who, despite being strong, cannot really fight against someone at least two hundred years older than him), until he is actually charmed into agreeing - by the child spirit with multicoloured eyes, not by the ghost.

(This was not supposed to be this adapted, just wait 'till He Xuan comes along)

[wylldebee]

Ye Olde Magick AU Part II: More Houses

As always: thank @books-n-guns for the existence of this AU :D Basic lore (and the first bunch of houses): X Without further ado, have some more houses~!

The Arryns: Wings, wings, wings. They have the most beautiful feathered wings you'll ever lay eyes on and back muscles because damn their wings are heavy. They need special oils and soaps, and are almost constantly grooming. And they have echo voices (X). If the song Hallelujah existed in ASOIAF they would own it. The skies of the Vale always has at least one Arryn or one of it's cadet houses The Boltons: Like books-n-guns says, they're vampires with an interest in blood magic. Legend says the Boltons actually used to be able to shed their whole skin—and I mean their whole skin—until one Bolton got into blood magic and suddenly vampires. The northern weather is perfect for them. The Mormonts: Werebears! Werebears! Werebears! You think Bear Island was named after the bears that inhabit it? No. It's the werebears of House Mormont. Were as wild looking as the Starks of old just bear themed; claws and teeth and fangs and thicker hair, and were generally bigger and stronger. Now they're just strong. Lady Maege Mormont can still crush a man's head between her hands.

The Tarths: Giants. For some reason the magic has been absent from their bloodline for a few years until Brienne was born. While not as big as her ancestors, Brienne is still big and has great strength. She didn't defeat those who had a bet on her maidenhead so much as she sent them flying. People held score cards. Loras was sweating in his armour and allowed Brienne to grapple him instead shut up you drunken archer of my family I allowed it because I didn't want to fucking die. The Hightowers: Flame hair. Think Hades from Hercules. It's safe to the touch and doesn't set anything on fire...unless the Hightower it's attached to wants it. Just like when they turn the beacon's fire green to call their bannerman, a Hightower's hair can turn green at will. Please imagine Alicent entering the room not only in her green dress, but with flickering green flame hair. The Baelishs: Fiery eyes. Look up Lucifer Morningstar red eyes and you get what I'm imagining, though the pupils are a glowing flame coloured. It's hard to look like a friendly and powerless man to be underestimated by all the high lords with these eyes, but Littlefinger manages it. The Greyjoys: Krackens. Honestly I'm just imagining a kracken version of Davey Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean. But they can only get that form when wet with seawater. Can remain in that form so long as a part of their body is still in seawater. Rare times does it skip a member of the family, so sorry Aeron. The Karstarks: Since they are a cadet branch of the Starks they also benefitted from the same wolf magic—however instead of fangs they've got the claws. Sharp and deadly, the Karstarks are best at being frontline fighters where even if they lose their swords they can still maul a bitch. No, seriously, they will maul someone with their claws. They have mauled people with their claws. Rumors say they use grindstones to keep their claws nice and sharp. The Freys: Trolls, specifically bridge trolls. And not the dependable kind that they used to be back in the day. Still having that weasel look to them, they have granite skin that makes normal swords break against them and above-human strength, thus still making them the most powerful bannermen of House Tully. The Reeds: Lizard-lions or frogs. Actually, nobody really knows what the Reeds are—not now or back in the past. Not even Ned knows what Howland Reed looked like because he kept his entire person covered from the top of his head to his hands to his feet. The only thing he saw was a super long tongue jab hard at Arthur's neck that killed the knight and save him. And that's what I've got for now. Again ideas of other houses are welcome!

[barn-anon]

He looks at the human woman that had opened her home to him. He's been living with her for two weeks now and he doesn't get it. why? Why let him in? Why let him stay? Why hadn't she chased him off from the start? This makes no sense, there's no reason for her to tolerate him. Yet she's here making extra portions of her own meals for him to eat whenever he drops by.

He tenses up when she reaches over to pat his arm as she walks past him. All these little gestures of kindness and affection. Is she not terrified of a massive armoured being that's armed to the teeth? He's confused, is she really that big hearted or is she wrong in the head? Just yesterday she had walked up to him and plopped one of those funny hats she usually wears out on top of his head and snapped a picture. Giggling as she hugged him after and scurried off.

He felt like an idiot just standing where and staring at where she had walked out the room. Perhaps he should stop this, stop coming around or maybe make it clear how he disapproves of her actions? Though he doesn't quite want to stop it. It feels silly to indulge her yes, but at the same time... when was the last time he's looked up to with such innocent eyes full of joy? when was the last time someone touched him without the intention of trying to maim or kill him?

He supposes there's no real harm in allowing her this. He can live with this and though he hates to admit it, he likes it. A part of him feels unworthy of such tender affection. How many lives has he cut short in the past? He's a Chaos Marine. How can a monster like him deserve such good things? He had tried to convey to his human that he's dangerous, that she should stay far away from him. Nothing worked, she's always there with a heart too big for this cruel world.

Still he grumbles when she once more approaches him with another cutsy hat in her hands. He bends down enough for her to plop it on his helmet and holds still for her to take her picture. He looks at her phone and snorts when she posts it on whatever social media humans flock to. She wraps her arms around him and human words are spoken, cooing to him in that sugar sweet tone that he notes she uses when speaking to human children and pets. He can tolerate this.

Tagged: @kit-williams • @egrets-not-regrets • @bleedingichorhearts

[callophelia-ailingamnemonic]

Scared into acting again, here are some shadow/persona designs I made for Persona Crossroads:

I saw a news article thing for P6 show up on my phone's newsfeed and got scared into acting once more, here are some more persona and shadow designs I made for Crossroads (which I sort of scrapped since I don't want it to be done in the P5 Tactica art style anymore XDD)

First up we got the myth, the legend, Bayonetta!

I actually got pretty far into making the art digital, but as much of a shame as it is, I just wanted an art style change XDD The final Bayonetta design will probably still look similar tho owo

I used Ernesto from P5T as inspo for the gun feet X33 I don't really have much else to talk about regarding her design since it mostly sticks to her canon outfit in Bayonetta 1.

Next, we got Karl Jacobs' TFTSMP character.

I really wanted to lean in on the whole In Between-Other Side-XD's World idea, tho I ended up not finishing the colouring since I got stuck on what to do with the hair lol XDD

The bottom coat part is inspired by a fanart I saw by Cute Studio (I believe their username was...) and the inside of the coat and the hands sprouting from the ends of Jacobs' scarf is a reference to all the versions of him that can be found in the In Between. The last notable note I can think to mention about his design is how his halo is meant to sort of... evoke the imagery of a clock? If that makes sense lol.

I wanted him to look super ominous since Jacobs' was supposed to be a boss.

Unexpectedly, up next we have the illusive, rumoured Istaroth from Genshin Impact!

It's a weird choice since we've never had a confirmed appearance for her, but back in my old notes for Crossroads, Istaroth was supposed to be one of the characters' personas, so yeah, I made her lol.

Her design was inspired by art of her drawn by gierosajie-art and littleblueberryartist! Originally I had her standing, but realised the pose of her sitting down with her hands in her lap to be more iconic.

And here we have Mari from OMORI! :DD

I think I mentioned it before, she was originally supposed to be part of a system of personas that's like... a bunch of personas in one personas because their user was a person with DID. Still not sure if I'm keeping the concept yet, but if not, then she'll just be a shadow roaming around.

Her hair was inspired by a fanart made by k0re_drawings on Twitter. I just loved how they drew her hair in a way that looked like snapped violin strings! If I redesign her tho, I think I might use a drawing by an artist called Hiko (I think) as inspiration. Mari doesn't really look like Something, but if you look at her from the back, the resemblance is there, I swear!

And next we have the Electro Archon herself, Raiden Ei! :DD

This was designed when she was still supposed to be Arilette's persona and I truly regret not making her skin look like shadows :\\

Her outfit is basically just her normal outfit without some of the asymmetricalness and some extra ornaments and armour inspired by the Raiden Shogun boss and a small handful of fanarts. I love how her bottom half has the vague silhouette of a butterfly :))

And last but not least, we got the Anemo Archon, Venti! :DD

So... I don't like his design ._. It's too much. I tried using various fanarts as inspiration to try and make his outfit a lil cooler, but it's just... so... much ._. (I do love the touch of Celestia in his corrupted form owo)

Even tho the name of the persona is Venti, I decided to make his look resemble Barbatos so I could pull a Third Ascension and make it look like his bard outfit while naming it Barbatos owo

That's all I got lol

[illmetkismet]

for the ask game, i'll give Ashley! <3

YESSSSSSSSS thank you for giving me Ashley!!! I'm holding her gently in the palm of my hand...

How I feel about this character: Full disclaimer is that I dressed up as Ashley last halloween, i have an Ashley sticker on my water bottle, I wrote fic with Ashley in it so um, I love her. They nailed her character design - she's so fucking cute - and the way she grows throughout re4r is so gradual that you almost don't notice it's happening until you blink and she's suddenly knocking down a wall with a wrecking ball and you're like, "Wait...." She starts off so miserable and scared, and little by little she finds the courage to make it through her ordeal. The sections where she's with you in the game were so stressful because I was so worried for her, but I love her commentary and just having her there with you makes it feel less lonely. One day I will unlock the armour for her and then my heart will be at peace... Playing as her was even worse, worry-wise, but honestly, it just made me realize how brave she really is.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Sowwy, no one.... Well, actually, I do love that she has this sweet crush on Leon, and I do want her to get to be with him cause she's so into it, but I just don't see it happening. So I do love fanfic or fanart of them together, especially when it feels like maybe it's one of her daydreams/fantasies lol That's the only way it makes sense in my head.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Oh, but her and Leon are so great together platonically! Their scene where he tells her she can keep going, but warn him before stabbing him next time.... Uuuuugh that was so sweet, I love them!! I love how committed Leon is to saving her, and how much she comes to trust him. That they start to like each other, to joke with each other, to encourage each other. Their sunrise ending scene makes me tear up every time.

My unpopular opinion about this character: It feels like just liking Ashley is an unpopular opinion in and of itself, but I'll try for less of a low hanging fruit... Hm, let's see... Well, I guess it's a popular refrain, and I feel like I've said it myself before, but the more I think about it the less I like the whole, 'give Ashley a gun!' thing. Actually, I love that she didn't get a gun. I love that she got through the game - even the section where she had to run around with the fucking Armaduras on her ass - without a weapon (wrecking ball doesn't count lol). I don't want her to be a warrior badass, I want her to stay her sweet goofy self.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I wish she wasn't a one-off, or that at the very least we got a cameo or some kinda in-game document with a little update as to what became of her. Seems like she and Leon didn't keep in touch, and I've talked about what a shame I think that is before. Basically, more Ashley please!! But I'm not holding my breath.... She's so important to me, but I guess in the grand Capcom scheme of things she's just a side character who appeared in one single game and was never heard of again 😞

[anadelaney79]

Heyy can I request a protective Tom Hardy imagine please? I don't have a plot particularly just a bunch of cute stuff like holding hands and pulling the reader closer when someone stares at her for too long or walking through crowds, just pure chivalry stuff; like a knight in shining armour 💘

Charming man

Summary: I love when you send me prompts and requests! Feel free to do it

Pairing: Tom Hardy x Reader

Words: 710

Warnings: none! Just cute stuff

A/N: As usual, I'm really sorry about all the spelling mistakes, as english is not my main language.

Title: Charm man

He doesn't want to be there. He never wanted it, but apparently he couldn't say no to this opening. Tom is one of those people who runs away from crowded events, but sometimes he can't avoid them.

The place was packed with people laughing and drinking beer and champagne as they laughed over the music. Tom's hand hadn't let go of yours, as if he needed your touch to know you were there, supporting him. He plays with your fingertips, he talks to you in your ear, kissing the skin behind it so softly that makes you shriver. The only moments he let you go is when someone came to greet him, asking for a photo, which was very often to be honest. The men hugged him like a friend, the women caressed his arms and his chest as if you weren't there to see him. The reality is that you are already used to it, and it doesn't bother you anymore. Tom has always shown you that he only has eyes for you. And if you cared, it would be really an unbearable problem, because women throw themselves at him wherever he goes as if you don't exist.

A blonde woman came straight to him, walking across the room like a feline. "Tom, I can finally meet you in person. And let me tell you, you are much more handsome in person" she says, as she kissed him in both cheeks while caressing his neck. The woman wraps her arms around his waist as she asks for someone to take a photo, and he looks at you, trying to tell if you are uncomfortable about the situation. You know that he doesn't like to have his personal space invaded, and many times that is what happens in these types of situations. The woman keeps touching him, and you can tell he doesn't know how to get rid of the whole thing. In general, he has his moves, that allows him to separate from the person and move away a little. But nothing seems to work, and the blonde remains hugging his waist, her face very close to his.

The blonde stands between you and him almost as if on purpose, and you let go of his hand almost out of obligation. Another woman joins them as a third woman takes photos, and you stand to one side, not knowing what to do, until you see a bar in the distance and decide to go there.

You go over and ask the bartender for a beer. Sitting on the sides there is a group of three men, tattooed and with long hair, obviously motorcycle riders. They turn to you when they hear you, and they look you up and down. You smile warmly at them, and when the bartender hands you your beer one of them gets up and walks over to talk to you. "Hello, gorgeous..."

Before you can say anything, a strong hand sinks into your waist, and your whole body shudders at the sound of Tom's voice in your ear. "Fuck this. Let's get out of here. Now".

He grabs your hand and takes you through the crowded room, making his way to the rear emergency door. Some people want to stop him to say hello, others just watch as he walks by, leading you as if to save you from a fire. You can't see his face, but you can bet he is frowning and grumbling under his breath, and it almost makes you laugh.

He opens the exit door and the cold air hits your face. You take a deep breath, but almost without realizing it, your back hits the wall, and he completely imprisons you with his body. He assaults your mouth with his, giving you a deep kiss that makes your legs shake. His right hand wraps possessively around your throat, his erection presses against your hips, his tongue finds yours while he lets out a deep growl. You hold on to the lapels of his leather jacket, and he places a hand under your knee, forcing you to wrap your leg around his waist. You could take him right here, and he knows it. Instead, he ends the kiss suddenly, as if he had been able to quench a thirst that was killing him, and rests his forehead against yours. "Give me a minute and we'll get out of here", he says. You put the palms of your hands on his cheeks, and force him to look at you. "Was it too much?" you ask. "No kiss from you is too much for me," he replies, smiling again. "I was talking about the crowded place", you say with a wide smile, "but I prefer your answer".

[helaelaemond]

50 Helaemond Kisses

day 13 - discreetely

Helaena and Aemond share some words in the training yard on the day of the Driftmark question. Aemond lashes out a little on her, but the anger does not last long.

Words: 934

"Be calm."

Aemond stretches his arms in front of him and tilts his head from side to side. "I am calm."

She smiles faintly, and takes his hand. "Aemond.'

He pulls his touch out of hers and bounces on his toes before crossing the yard to the table where weapons are laid out for his pleasure. The twin war hammers take his interest today, and he picks them up and twirls them to loosen his wrists. At a safe distance, Helaena watches him. There is a tightness in his jaw, malice in his eye, tension in his brow. Last night, he had let her help melt it all away, but with the sun came the anger. The worry.

As quickly as he had picked the weapons, he discards them. He presses his hands on the table and bends over and lets out a deep sigh. She comes to his side and rests a hand between his shoulders. "It's alright."

"Don't."

"Aemond."

He glances at her. "Don't."

Her expression is soft. "There is nothing to worry about, of that, I am sure."

"You have no way of knowing," he answered sharply, quietly. There is anger in him. He pulls away from her.

Across the yard, Ser Criston watches them as he waits for his squire to remove his armour. Helaena notices his keen eyes, and it makes her wince. He sees much and more.

But that does not stop her from going to her brother. He has turned his attention to the wall of shields. Some with dragons, some with towers, some dotted in flames, some utterly plain. It is a plain one that he pulls onto his arm and swings around experimentally to loosen his shoulder. Her heart aches to see the pain he is in, the way he buries it under anger because anger is easier to handle. For him, at least. When he throws the shield off in frustration, she is at his side again.

"Aemond, please."

The softness in her voice makes him still his movements, and he finally looks at her, really looks at her. "What is it?"

"It has been a long time since we saw them. There is nothing to fear."

In her bed last night, they had talked long into the darkness about everything. It took some coaxing, but the words had finally come to him and it was only Helaena that heard them. His worries. His concerns. The hatred for Rhaenyra's sons, for Rhaenyra, for their father. How he had been a boy, just a boy, and they had done that to him and no one had protected him or loved him or-

She loved him until the dawn. They're both tired now, of course, but it is worth it. Still. Much of the peace has melted like mist.

"I do not fear them," he replied stiffly.

"You fear the pain they caused."

"Helaena-"

"Don't call me that." He doesn't call her that. He calls her sister. He calls her Lae. Only does he use her proper name when he wants to put distance between them. It's cruel, really.

"'Tis but your name."

"Not to you." She meets his fierce gaze without pride, without hesitation.

Silence hangs between them. His jaw is tight, his violet eye aflame. He towers over her, and his lip twitches as if he's going to say something. But nothing coems.

"Please," she murmurs after the tension can last no longer. "Be calm today. Do not let anger rule you."

"What would you have rule me?" Aemond replies, irritation laced in his voice. "Love?"

The venom in his voice makes her turn on her heel and stride across the yard. He doesn't want to listen to her, he doesn't care for her steadiness now, the willing ear he lent last night is gone and-

"Sister, wait!" In a shadowy alcove, Aemond catches up with her and grasps her wrist to make her stop. She tries to pull away, but he is stronger than her. "Forgive me. That was unkind."

Helaena looks up at him sadly. "It was."

"Forgive me." He glances around. They are hidden; no one will see them. And so he raises his hand to her cheek and brushes his knuckles over her soft skin. "You speak the truth, I think."

"Aemond..."

"I will do my best," he promises quietly. "For you."

She shakes her head. "For yourself."

Leaning down, Aemond presses his forehead against Helaena's. "No. For you."

She sighs, and opens her mouth to protest, but his kiss silences her. Tender lips capture hers, and calloused fingers hold her jaw. It's sweet and gentle and brief.

Too brief. Always too brief.

"I will be good." He smiles, and bumps their noses together. "I swear."

"Aemond."

"Lae. I'm sorry. I will make you proud today."

The sound of footsteps interrupts them, and they break apart just in time for Cole to appear around the edge of the alcove. "Prince. Princess." He nods his head to them, and observes the careful distance between them. They are the mirror of each other - straight spines, hands behind their backs, cheeks flushed red.

"Cole." Hardness has returned to Aemond's voice.

"Are you ready to train, my prince?"

Aemond nods, and with a final glance to his sister, he strides back to the yard.

Before Cole can follow him, Helaena touches his arm. "Ser Criston. I... he..."

The knight offers her a rare and soft smile. "I know, princess."

There aren't the right words. Protect him. Keep him safe. Steady his hand. "Please..."

No words are needed. He understands. He always has. "I will."

[1000punks]

okay, so i think i've cracked the code

on why the girls, gays and theys all really like BG3

the short answer is the subversion of toxic gender stereotypes and the more or less relateable themes that each character has come up in game, or are implied, long answer under the cut

lots of people have been posting about individual (main and supporting) character motivations, yes but i haven't really seen any analyses based on gender and/or romance situations quite yet (please feel free to point me to them, i love discourse) as well, i am well aware that the romanceable characters are scare quotes "player-sexual" for the most part, but some elements of the gendered experience may feel more relateable to certain groups of players than others. i'm going to refrain as much as i can from making moral judgements (in terms of motivations and alignments) because all of these characters are morally complex. let's take it on a case by case basis, starting with the women in the game (minthara isn't included since i haven't done a playthrough with her as a companion yet :'D): Karlach

Karlach seems like this huge butch imo, but from what i can see she has to battle with the touch starved-ness. i guess you could make the argument here that that feeds into a stereotype about stone butches, but i think it presents a very relatable (and honest) representation of how a LOT of queer folks, especially queer non-men, deal with being touch starved. i think one thing that potentially a lot of queer women and femme-identifying folks can relate to is the fear of being "imposing" in wlw relationships. for example, i would say the fear of coming off as "creepy" or "dangerous." and inversely, the feeling of relief when you're assured that that isn't the case. the other thing that comes up, i think, with Karlach is that there's this stigma surrounding masculine women. for one, she towers over everyone else, and she's a barbarian. on the surface level, that can be extremely intimidating, obviously. but playing through her romance, understanding that she is capable of and honestly, exudes tenderness -- and the majority of which being without touching/sexuality, is just... it's really important y'all okay? Shadowheart

my personal favourite thing about Shadowheart and her storyline is that even if she appears very feminine, there is no part of the game that i can see (thus far) that has railroaded her into that stereotype. not even with the armour choices. in my file, the armour i've picked for her "end-game" level 12 armour is the shar justiciar armour she gets in the gauntlet. it's not stereotypically feminine at all. historically in video games, armour that covers everything on a woman's body (i will bring this up re: Lae'zel as well) is uhh.. really fuckin hard to find.

the other thing is while she may be very femme-coded, she doesn't necessarily use "stereotypical" seduction methods in her romance scenes. her first one is sharing wine with you and kissing, that's pretty much it, right? and if you call her beautiful, instead of acting coy, she says "i know." and thanks you for noticing. she doesn't need someone to simper over her and tell her that. she's also never shy about telling you exactly what she wants, whether in a romantic or platonic situation. picasso, i like it. Lae'zel

jesus, what can i start with here? this woman is an extremely skilled fighter, wears heavy armour, wields a fucking greatsword that's bigger than she is, all while being like, 5 feet tall. her first romance scene shows me that she is interested in sex but is primarily concerned with her own pleasure (this can be read in a positive or negative way of course: positive being she is getting hers, and negative being not concerned with her partner's pleasure). not only that but she is not interested in having kids at all, based on in-game dialogue. and like i mentioned with shadowheart, her armour (most of the gith armour options you can put her in, i would guess) are full sets of armour - minus the admittedly a little weird lack of butt coverage on most of the gith plate and half-plate that i've seen her in. uhh, yeah- wow. in a romance, it seems like she fits the "shrew" stereotype, but i argue that for lae'zel, it's more about respecting Tav than it is about swooning over them (and knowing that they're passionate). if she doesn't respect Tav, there's no way she's going to share a bed with them, never mind anything else. that to me, shows a woman who has self-respect, which isn't often something shown so strongly in a video game/media in general especially when it's written by men (which is fucking unfortunate!! i hate it!!) i think this is beaten over our heads as players most blatantly when she challenges you to a fucking duel in act 2 and then if Tav wins she boinks them right in the middle of camp. Jaheira

Jaheira is old enough to have adult children, for one. i know she's an elf, and there's some in-game dialogue that alludes to her having extended her lifespan, etc. but for argument's sake, let's say she's middle aged - she is in friggin' top physical condition. and while during the events of bg3 she is a widow, you think that's gonna stop her from meeting her goals? not only that, but her adventures didn't suddenly stop when she became a mother. there's not much of a romance element to her storyline, but she's definitely biffing off a lot of stereotypes about older women and mothers here.

the men - most of my arguments here are going to come back to the utter lack of hypermasculinity/toxic masculinity:

Wyll

he talks about dancing with you in his first romance scene, not seducing you - in fact, he shares a really chaste kiss and then is like "but now isn't the time to jump into bed, actually." he friggin blushes, because thinking about a romance with you gets him all giddy. the man dances for you. then he goddamn proposes to you like a proper gentleman. he is concerned with family. he's concerned with Karlach's well-being. he's concerned with other people's emotions, and is extremely considerate of them. he's pacted with Mizora, not some unseen super masc devil. Mizora the friggin danger femme. lastly, and i think this is really important: Wyll, regardless of a high-fantasy setting, is a black man. i am well aware that eschewing the many stereotypes of hypermasculinity in regards to black men specifically, cannot be undone with one video game, but i think it does a lot. it could do more, of course - but i feel that Larian made a wholehearted attempt with this specifically.

Minsc

the man is large and very visually "stereotypically masculine," yes, but all of his actions are either influenced by Jaheira or Boo. case closed, your honor. i'm joking. but really, Minsc respects and admires Jaheira intensely as a comrade. and what she thinks seems to matter more to him than his own motivations. that's what made it so easy for the Bhaalist assassins to manipulate him - they just had one person pose as Jaheira. boom.

Halsin

another very visually "stereotypically masculine" man, yes- but i have three things: he's open to polyamory that is represented in the game more or less in a healthy way he's very concerned with consent, both in a monogamous romance or a polyamorous one - this includes the bear scene, he does ask about it before like, barrelling into it (and no i'm not poking that bear any more than i have to in this post) uhh, have you heard him talk to/about Tav? my my. not only that but this man is quite literally built like a bear, yet he is a druid, literally about all things nature. you could make the argument that this subverts the nature/culture; emotion/reason debate as it relates to gendered roles.

Gale

okay so, not only has it been confirmed/alluded to by in-game dialogue that Gale does the cooking for the camp- (specifically by Wyll if i recall correctly), he's also just a fairly forthcoming person with his feelings and insecurities. i know a lot of people have deemed that a bit annoying, but i do think there is some value in it. for example, he is a little self-deprecating about being a bad kisser, but it's his way (especially if you read him as autistic) of saying "hey, i'm insecure about this and i usually spend a lot of time alone in a mother fucking tower in waterdeep." i.e. i don't exactly know how to do this. he's an honest, giving, and kind man, and is just as likely to show you as he is to tell you how his heart and mind function. he wants you to understand him. he's also very idealistic- that of course can be a double edged sword, but i think he comes by it honestly as well. given his background with Mystra. i shouldn't even need to mention it but the way the "with you i forget my goddess" and the "you would really prefer me as i am?" lines wrench my heart- like, okay that's very romantic but he's also (imo) accepting that he, a human man, cannot be perfect. that to me is like anti-toxic masculinity in the sense of accepting that a real relationship is where two people are equals and that it's founded in mutual respect and adoration. not unrequited love and service (especially service).

Astarion

get at me if you want, but this man is in touch with his feminine side. i would personally call him high femme, but that's a little besides the point, he sews, appreciates fashion, yada yada. the next part about him i want to discuss as delicately as possible- he's very forthcoming (once he feels relatively safe and in control of the situation at hand) with his experiences as an ab-se/SA survivor. most men do not have the space to do this, nor are they actively encouraged to share their experiences. and with that, depending on dialogue choices, he wants to cease all intimate contact and go at his own pace. not expecting men to be sexual is kind of big on its own, but given his background, i think it's especially important in his storyline. furthermore, in the spawn!romance stream, he is very explicit about moving forward with Tav as equals.

Raphael

you.. y'all. you already know what i'm going to say regarding the dialogue with Haarlep. i don't really know if i have anything to add besides reiterating that men do not have to be these perfect, virile sexual machines.

Extra Stuff

the emphasis on consent: whether it's in a romance dialogue or if it's the game warning you "you're about to do xyz, are you sure?!"

specifically consent in the romance dialogues though: there are usually 3-4 chances for you as the player to be like "actually, i don't want to do that"

queer couples (npc + npc or pc + companion) are just.. normal. once you get to the lower city you'll hear a ton of ambient dialogue where it will be like "my husband blah blah blah" and you look and it's a gnome and his dragonborn husband standing in the street

uhh, hi larian jumping on the character creator with gender neutral and gender-mixed/mixable options, way to make the player base feel seen. hearing my Tav (Festé) be referred to as "they" in dialogue without issue (especially glaring grammatical ones like i've seen in other games) was really big for me, personally.

openly trans npcs. the defense rests, your honor. okay but imagine my surprise when i hear abigail fucking thorn in a completely missable dialogue scene, where she (the character) talks openly about the fact that she is a fucking trans woman. like.

[gaygoetia]

Magical Shorthand in the Legend of Vox Machina

So I've been drafting a lot of posts about the just-announced Mighty Nein animated series (thoughts, hopes, predictions etc), one of which is about magic and how it will be represented. This led me into a tangent about TLOVM that's long enough that I think it works better as it's own post so here it is!

What magic looks like in TLOVM

One of the things I LOVE about the spellcasting in TLOVM is how each character's spells are visually distinct, usually through colour coding.

In addition to looking great, this visual shorthand makes it easy to identify who's casting what in magic-heavy fight scenes, with the added bonus of representing something of that character's personality.

Scanlan

Scanlan is the most obvious example because it's the most visually distinctive and cohesive.

The visual manifestation of Scanlan's magic is ALWAYS purple - a specific pinkish shade of it.

It's always shiny or sparkly and usually takes the form of a giant semi-translucent body part (usually a hand)

When it manifests in a different form (i.e not a distinct shape) it's usually lightning shaped ribbons or sparks but sometimes an intense purple glow or sparkly purple cloud.

Like Scanlan himself, his magic is colourful, flashy and dramatic and he uses it in creative and unusual ways.

Pike

Pike's magic manifests in a few different ways but it always appears as yellow, and ranges from a soft glow to a bright light.

One of her most commonly used abilities is to create a magical shield which glows softly and sparks upon impact. It's semi-translucent like Scanlan's hand but doesn't move or change shape (though it can change size!)

Certain abilities cause her eyes or hands to glow yellow and of course her astral self glows yellow all over.

Her magic is pretty straightforward. If the spell affects or relates to another object it causes it to glow and offensive spells resemble targeted beams of light that shoot out directly from her hands.

Keyleth

Keyleth's magic is by far the most diverse in the series and her magic reflects that.

Her signature spells/abilities are wildshape and whatever she uses to create and control vines. In both cases, these abilities happen without any kind of magical glow around them and therefore aren't colour-coded in the same way as other spells.

Spells that do involve light and colour usually reflect the element or school of magic associated with them and I think it was the right choice because it makes it easier to identify what she's doing. If the spell daylight, for example, was any other colour it wouldn't be so obvious what it's doing.

All that said, a handful of Keyleth's spells ARE colour-coded, meaning that her hands, eyes, staff or a combination of the three glow green when they're cast. Her hands always glow green when she uses touch-based spells but it also happens at other random points with no particular pattern I can identify (for example her hands sometimes glow when she controls vines but at other times they don't)

And of course it's not just the main characters! Delilah's magic resembles jagged black shapes with an eerie purple outline. Zahra's magic is red and ripples outwards.

So what could magic look like in the Mighty Nein animated series?

Well, given her canonically pink spiritual weapon and spiritual guardians, I think it's safe to say Jester's magic will have a pink theme - though probably a warmer hot pink than Scanlan's pink-purple.

The one exception to this I think would be her cold-themed version of hellish rebuke which will likely be in white or blue to represent the element it's associated with.

Caduceus is also somewhat pink-themed but I imagine his magic might have a turquoise-green colour theme to match his armour.

Molly/Lucien's magic will be red themed for sure in classic blood-magic form.

I'm really not sure about Fjord but his spells might potentially have a blue theme given his affinity to the sea. They might also be a generic white or vary depending on the spell.

For Caleb I definitely think they'll take the same approach as Keyleth wherein his spells appearances are more determined by what they do than who's casting them. However I think if his magic is colour-coded (maybe just for touch-spells like Keyleth) it will be an amber colour somewhere between yellow and orange.

Dunamancy is usually depicted as black and purple so I'm curious to see how they'll distinguish it from Delilah's necromantic magic. I can imagine them maybe doing something black with lots of tiny stars, like a glimpse into space, which would look very cool and also feel appropriate.

What do y'all think?

I would truly love to hear other people's thoughts on this!!

[overobsessivewhumper]

Whumpcember 2023: Day 3: Hypothermia

@whumpcember

Content warning: Emetophobia (mentioned)

Read on Ao3

After almost 200 years in darkness, Astarion isn't used to the sun. On a particularly hot day, he gets to see just how bad the sun can make him feel even when it isn't burning him.

Astarion loves the sun. How could he not, after almost two centuries of cold and dark. His elven need for less rest meant he had been up for every sunrise since his abduction, soaking up every bit of sunlight he could. The thought of growing sick of the warm lights touch on his skin had seemed impossible to Astarion.

He feels sick of it now.

It had been hot all day, but when the sun reached its highest point, the temperature rose even further.

Astarion squints at the sky, where the sun still hangs almost dead centre. The pulsing pain in his skull is only getting worse, and even what little armour he's wearing feels too heavy. Astarion didn't know it was even possible for him to sweat this much. But he feels the way his clothes stick to his skin.

The sun must surely be mocking Astarion by showing him all the other ways it can hurt him.

The others are walking ahead of Astarion. He'd stopped listening to their talking a while ago, but it seems like Gale is talking with Karlach about something. Something Astarion is sure he wouldn't have cared to listen to even if his head didn't feel like it was about to slit open. Wyll ads comments to their conversation now and again, but he's mainly focused on keeping a keen eye on the path they are walking.

That's all they've been doing really. Just walking.

Hiking wasn't Astarions preferred pastime, but he usually doesn't struggle with the activity this bad. He feels shaky, every step he takes uncertain.

His companions are dealing much better with the heat. Sure, Astarion is certain he heard Gale complaining a while back, but they're managing fine. Astrion can't afford to let on how bad the weather is making him feel. Not after everyone just recently learned of him being a vampire.

Being a liability in addition to a potential threat? There's no way that would go down well. He's just going to have to power through.

As that taught crosses his mind, Astarion is hit with a sudden wave of nausea, and his vision blurs.

He's forced to lean onto a nearby rock for support, fearing his legs might give out if he doesn't.

But only for a moment, he tells himself. He only needs to rest for a moment, and then he'll catch up with the others. When Astarion next opens his eyes, he is sitting on the floor, not sure he can remember doing so.

He immediately closes his eyes again. Next to being too hot, the sun is also too bright. Oh how Astarion longs for somewhere cool and dark to curl up in. But he has to get up. He tries to force his shaking arms to do just that by pushing himself up and off the dusty floor, but he falls back down again immediately.

Astarion groans, but doesn't go to try again. Not right away anyway.

“Astarion?”, comes Wyll's voice, sounding concerned, whether for Astarions safety, or because he doesn't trust the vampire to leave his sight is unclear.

When Astarion opens his eyes, his companions are already next to him. Wyll and Gale are crouched next to him, Karlach a little further away. Karlach has got that look on her face she often does, a look of conflict as she tries to work out how to help without actively setting something ablaze with her burning skin.

Astarion sighs. So much for not appearing as a liability.

“You're burning up.”, Wyll says, hand hovering just short of touching Astarions skin.

“You don't think he's...” Gale continues before Astarion can even address Wyll, a look crossing his face that betrays what the rest of his statement is. Astarion bats Wylls hand away and tries to stand up again. His arms cramp and a fresh stab of pain shoots through his skull.

“I'm not turning into a Mindflayer, Gale.” Astarion slurs, the unsteady quality of his voice surprising him. “Just let me get up.”

“I have to agree with Astarion.” Wyll says. “Not the bit about getting up, please stay down.”

Astarion sighs in annoyance, but complies. He feels like he might actually be sick if he did manage to get up. He wasn't going to let the other see him sink to that kind of low.

“I have seen this before.” Wyll continues “People that were out in the sun too long experiencing sudden bouts of weakness.” Astarion wants to protest, disagree with Wyll calling him weak. Ironically, he couldn't muster the strength to do so. “We need to cool you down.”

Astarion zones out once more as Wyll and Gale discuss moving him to the shade, as Karlach stands there looking uncomfortable in her inability to aid in the task. Astarion is distantly aware of Wyll and Gale's hands on him, moving him, but the headache spiking with every shaky movement claims the majority of his attention.

Wyll snapping his fingers in front of Astarions face brings his focus back to the present.

“Hey, don't pass out on us.” Wyll says, sounding concerned again. Astarion wants to tell him to piss off, maybe insult him too, but all he ends up doing is glaring at him. Wyll looks fuzzy and washed out, but at least Astarion can see him. Karlach and Gale are barely more than smeared specks of colour at the corner of Astarions field of view.

Wyll started to insist Astarion lose some of the layers he was wearing, and again, Astarion wants to spit out some kind of comeback, embarrass the man with a flirtatious remark.

“Fine.” is what Astarion manages to force out. So soon he's laying there in his shirt and trousers, armour discarded to the side far less neatly than he'd usually like.

“Do vampires drink water?” Gale interjects after a while of heavy silence. Astarion doesn't remember ever having a problem with it, and can't bring himself to care to think about it further. At this point, he'd try almost anything to cool down. He holds his hand out in a silent demand for someone to hand him some. He pretends not to notice how much his arm is shaking, and tries to not let on how much energy the motion is costing him.

A bottle is handed to him, Astarion not having the will to pay attention to whom it came from. Couldn't have been Karlach. Everything she handles feels at least warm to the touch.

The water isn't cold, but it might as well be when it hits the back of Astarions throat. A lot of it gets spilled down his neck and chest, he feels the cold rivulets running along his abnormally hot skin.

They stayed like that for a long time, just resting in the shade. Karlach asked if they were sure there was no way she could help, and whilst Astarion couldn't see her, he knew she must be pulling an expression more and more like a kicked dog. By the time she asks for the sixth or seventh time, he was sure telling her apart from Scratch would be near impossible.

By the time Astarion feels marginally better, at least not like he's going to be sick if he moves too hastily, he expects the other three to show at least some annoyance with him for waiting the better part of the afternoon, if not downright animosity.

But none of them mentions anything of the sort. If anything, they act like it was their fault. By the time they get back to camp, sun almost gone from the sky, they even insist Shadowheart take a look at him.

When Astarion settles to trance he feels weird. The headache is still there, but manageable now. No, it's nothing physical that makes him feel off. It's the way the others reacted to his weakness. He can't place how he feels about it.

So he begins his trance, odd sensation in his chest, hoping they weren't going to spring some sudden recompense for their compassion on him. All he could do was continue to prove his usefulness and try to steer clear of any more embarrassing displays of ineptitude.

[nicolos]

hi jui. i would like to hear abt ur bg3 oc x canon concept. i believe in you

HI hello this is thrilling. would you like to hear all about her here? i don't know much about dnd so please bear with me if something isn't quite right.

her name is passerine, and she's a half-wood elf warlock with a guild artisan (finesmithing) background. her bg is that she got rip van winkle'd (as a shorthand for the experience of time passing without you without the specific historical connotations) when she was very young and very foolish and made a deal with the archfey. the consequence of this make her a little bit insane by being overstimulated all the time, and therefore super isolated and kind of strange because she's living in an unfamiliar world, with which she cannot become familiar because it's so harrowing to exist in her own head. and it's all her own fault.....

until, that is, the tadpole! i don't really know all of what the tadpole does/doesn't do, but i do know that it gives everyone psychic powers and seems to be the thing that lets astarion walk in the sun, so she can have a special help too, okay. so it's the first time in 9 years that she's been able to experience things normally, kind of (except for the tadpole potentially destroying her mind bit)

now - the canon in question is astarion. im not a strong person, please understand. and well, because i can, i decree that she feels that there is Something weird about him - the being undead thing i guess?? - but because her sense of magic is so intertwined to her sense of nature (in the fey way) and that also trips her fey-granted inspiration-meter, astarion is in fact giving her a sense that in practice doesn't feel very different from how she'd feel, pre-tadpole, looking at a particularly pretty bit of armour, say.

for his part he thinks she keeps staring at him because she wants to fuck him (the thought hasn't even occurred to her). this is good and useful, except that he hates everything about it at a visceral level (i dont know if he is self-aware to recognise this at the time idk i'll have to play further). for her... well, his presence stresses out but he makes her want to make shiny things, and that's the only thing she knows how to do, but she hates how her life is dictated by her pact, but -- and so on

pls see:

As though sensing that he was being watched, Astarion turned and looked at her. He was no less sharp in the dim misery of this chamber than he had been outside, in the sunlight, a dagger at her throat. And after—with the worm’s connection flashing through her mind, when he had introduced himself… “Passerine,” she had replied, hand twitching at her side as she fought the urge to reach out. Touching him would certainly tell her nothing of the secrets of his creation. “But please, call me Rin.” His smile had been sharp enough to bleed on. Passerine had never been a weaponsmith, but in that moment, she had wanted to be one, if only to replicate the way in which his smile cut. “So, Passerine, do you know anything about these worms?” (Nothing, of course—except that they had stolen something from her, and would steal more in time.)

at some point she's going to tell him that her pact means she cant be normal about pretty things and that he seems to be the one thing that slips through the tadpole filter (as an explanation, separate from how she feels about him as a person at this point. but she won't say this). and he's going to feel ALL KINDS OF WAYS about it. and i am going to enjoy it so much

i have more thoughts and things, of course, but this is long enough already. THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME OUT and for believing in me 🥺~

[idcnticxl]

Flirted with meme — I think it goes without saying that Diego would step in immediately to help either of the twins. He's pulling out the big knives guns and getting in the offender's space, intimidating them, telling them to leave them alond and threatening them if he has to.

Alternatively, if it's getting too risky, he's throwing a knife first, and chasing them off.

Then the twin is going to get asked if they're okay and walked back home.

Your Muse sees mine being flirted with and mine obviously doesn't like it. How does your muse respond? || always accepting

Jenna would be all over this in both versions.

Despite the fact that she definitely could have handled her own with her powers and all. Probably make a few teasingly flirty comments to Diego on that walk home about him being a knight in shining armour and how chivalrous he is for helping out a damsel. Just kind of really taking the piss out of him, but also like genuinely touched that he helped her out. And she wouldn't recognize him from the Umbrella Academy because she was never particularly big on them as a kid.

Nova on the other hand... would be like 🏃‍♀️ 💨 the second Diego steps towards the perpetrator, or chases him away. When there are no eyes on her she'd bolt. Nova is certainly not sticking around to accept a walk home from the stranger who threw a knife at another stranger.