#World's most awkward triad?

[y-rhywbeth2]

Do you have any lore on the fallout between Bhaal and Bane/Myrkul? I never see Bhaal mentioned helping Bane and Myrkul steal the tablets of fate. Bros even went an extra mile and invented a mass death spell that specifically targeted asssassins, stole their souls from Bhaal, and used them to power a giant mega-avatar of Bane. Are these just pecking-order affirming behaviors within the Dead Three? Or did someone get cheated on and I'm missing out on hot, Bhaal-flavored tea?

I haven't read the whole Avatar series, I'm just flicking through it at the moment, so I don't know a whole lot rn (other than the fact that Bhaal was already aware that he was destined to die in this mess, so I assume he knew the plan to steal the tablets was doomed to start and maybe refused to get involved.)

I'll get back to this at a later date when I know what I'm talking about, but I can say he, ah, wasn't happy about the death of his followers (maybe you've read the books, but for those of us who haven't):

“Yes, kill Helm,” he finally confirmed. “I can’t kill a god!” Midnight yelped, astounded. “You killed Torm,” Bhaal growled. “And Bane.” He pulled the thongs painfully tight. “All I did was ring the Bell of Aylan Attricus! I saved Tantras. Bane and Torm killed each other.” “There’s no need for modesty,” Bhaal said. He finished binding Midnight’s hands and stepped away. “Lord Myrkul is the one who’s angry about the Black Lord’s death. After Bane destroyed my assassins, I was happy to see him die.”

It seems its still on with Myrkul for now, but he's very pissed at Bane. Love how Myrkul is still m'lord, but Bane is just Bane.

Featuring Bhaal kidnapping Gale's future ex-girlfriend and trying to get her to assassinate the god of guardians so he can get the fuck out of the mortal realm (supposedly) while bitching about his ex(es).

[myreia]

Sketches of Times Lost

Day 04: Reticent

minfilia cannot voice the ache that is in her heart. minfilia x female warrior of light. a realm reborn patches. written for ffxivwrites2024. rating: general. 964 words ao3 link

Evening has long since fallen when Minfilia leaves the solar.

Body aching from a day spent at her desk, she nudges the heavy door open and slips through, careful to close it soundlessly behind her. Though most of the Scions—faces new and old—will have retired to their homes for the night, there is often someone lingering in the main hall playing a game of Triple Triad or relaxing with a drink. She would hate to disturb them.

She pads down the hall, the hem of her skirt whispering against the flagstones, her footsteps echoing hollowing in her ears. It has been months and still she has not adjusted to it. Compared to their former headquarters, the Rising Stones is a veritable fortress, cold and dark and deep. Windows are few and far between, and the ones that are there give in so little light the base may as well be subterranean. She misses the bright Thanalan vistas and the fresh breeze rolling off the bay. For all its safety and security, the Rising Stones feels, at times, like a self-imposed cage.

“You’re working late.”

Her pace slows to a stop, her heart fluttering. A chair scrapes against the stone and a moment later the Warrior of Light rounds an empty table and steps out of the shadows. Aureia Malathar is much as she always is—solid and stern, her body moving with the grace of one accustomed to combat, her gaze curious and sharp. She rarely misses a thing, though gods know she is keen to keep her observations to herself.

“‘Tis not unduly late,” Minfilia says. “The final bell has not yet struck.”

Aureia’s lips quirk. “That’s late, Minfilia.”

“Then I suppose what qualifies as late is not unusual for me.”

“I… can’t argue with that.” She trails off and raises her head, her dark red eyes meeting hers. Despite her controlled expression, even she cannot hide her exhaustion. This is the not first time Minfilia has come across her late at night, often with a drink in hand. She doubts she has been sleeping well—her face is tired, the dark circles beneath her eyes more prominent than ever, the red in her black hair faded and dull. Haunted, is the word. Haunted by the ghosts of the past, by the visions of the future.

It has been this way since the Praetorium.

“Is everything all right?” Aureia asks. “You should get some rest. We all need our sleep. Our leaders most of all.”

Minfilia glances away, a flush on her cheeks. Perhaps it would be unfair of her to point out that she is scolding her for the very thing Aureia needs herself. Fools, the pair of them. Their strengths and talents may lie in very different places, but they are more similar than either of them would admit. Pushing too hard, stubborn to a fault. Incapable of regular sleep.

“I will sleep when I can,” she says evenly, already cringing within at the awkward choice of words. Why is it that she so often fails to hold a proper conversation with her? It seems she has always had this effect on her. No matter the topic of their conversation, Aureia’s presence leaves her comforted and calmed—and uncertain of every word she speaks. “I admit, I often focus better at night. I feel a clarity of mind once the sun has set, as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.”

“Me, too.” Aureia shifts her weight and places a hand against the back of a nearby chair, running her palm across the polished wood. “I used to tell my brother once the world sleeps, I can finally think because everyone spouting nonsense has stopped talking.”

“You… have a brother?”

“Had.” Her voice drops, quiet and strained. “He’s dead.”

“I’m sorry.”

“…thank you.” The steel in her voice speaks to something else, a secret buried deep. She exhales a breath, and it is not sadness or anger or fear or any of the deep emotional weight carried by those who lost loved ones to the Calamity. It is something else. “Look,” she continues, taking a step back. “It’s late. I should—”

Minfilia catches her hand. “Would you walk with me?” she asks in earnest. “If you cannot sleep and I cannot sleep, perhaps the fresh air of night would do both of us some good.”

Aureia eyes widen. She pauses, her hand soft and warm, her pulse beating frantically beneath the pad of Minfilia’s thumb where it rests against her wrist. For a moment, chance—hopeful, bright, and keen—opens its wondrous doors with a promise of something new. Something sweet. Something good.

She lets go.

The doors shut.

“I really need to get some sleep,” Aureia says. “I’m supposed to meet the Sons of Saint Coinach tomorrow morning.”

Minfilia nods. “Of course.”

“Goodnight, Minfilia.”

“Goodnight.”

Aureia slips away, the last of the Scions to leave for the night, and Minfilia is now alone in a dark and silent hall. She takes a step, pacing across the cobblestones, cold air prickling the back of her neck as she watches the shadows dance across the walls. The ceilings stretch high above her, wide and cold and lonely, even as the walls press in on her with their cavernous weight.

Her heart aches. There will be plenty of further opportunities to spend in Aureia’s company, and yet she cannot help but feel like something has slipped through her fingers. If she had but given voice to the secret that lies in the centre of her heart, the secret she has barely come to acknowledge herself, would she perhaps have…?

It is a question that does not have an answer. Cannot have an answer.

It is better this way.

[jaesrri]

So idk if anyone cares much, but I just gotta throw this out there-

DND Tumblr, send us some luck. I beg of you.

We open session tomorrow with initiative rolls and the facts are these:

We are level 8

Our playgroup is insane-we have a fully homebrew world, run Valda's Spire of Secrets from Mage Hand Press alongside most official 5e content and any other shiny bits that suit us

No really we're nuts. We have 1.6 conlangs (one full, a dialect thereof, and a few extra phrases) This campaign has already spawned a prequel novel, two prequel one-shots, thousands of words of prequel and concurrent text roleplay, an in-universe romance novella, and at least the threat of a prequel detective fiction-of-some-length. Plus assorted art, and an intro and an outro vid, and many, many playlists

The party consists of:

a 13 year old half drow necromancer who isn't exactly an orphan. Raised by the third of her mom's poly triad (terrorist cell leader, jealous AF, sus). Recently chosen as high priestess of Drow goddess of Death we.... May have released/awakened.

A playboy human guardsman (short king, twink, disaster bi) witch/fighter with two souls and royal blood. Also a very good loving mom and stepdad and lotsa excellent (vulnerable) siblings. Recently discovered blood dad and niece rather more questionable

A big (very strong, bit fat, busty) human Magani (oppressed desert culture- the conlang is theirs) fighter/cleric (battle master/twilight) and reluctant Prophet. Her boyfriend (secretly husband (secret wedding 4 in-game days ago)) is Magani by blood but not culture and also a state official (now rogue but not yet officially caught) ((Me!!!))

A Magani amethyst dragonborn aberrant mind sorcerer with a taste for gossip and a successful shop (girlfriend is half-orc craftsman smith- super sweet n talented, shit at finances). Incapable of minding her own buisness

Fairy mad bomber alchemist with a history as an expert fireworks maker and family back home in another country. Here investigating/troubleshooting fuckery in the Dreaming (existential threat to our world). In over their head (we all are)

Human warmage rebel/spy with serious history and beef with the imperial establishment. Recently reunited after 10 years with her sister. Things are rather tense, since said sister is now a warlock of a powerful member of the government (not quite as bad as it sounds, but very awkward)

We have 2 allied NPCs for this encounter, our fighter/cleric's boyfriend (husband), an eloquence bard (9th, poss 10th lvl), and one of the two high government officials that's been trying to make nice with us (sus, but we're pretty desperate) (sister's patron) who is a 20th level Wizard

Our opposition:

one equivalent government official who is absolutely opposed to everything we care about, is genocidal (Magani are probably next), and may infact be some sort of planar horror stuck here for reasons not yet understood. Also a slimy bastard.

And his pet horror who is strongly theorized to be our necromancer's dad, transformed and magically leashed. TBD if there's any of him left

Also of interest

None of us are full up on spells, including our npcs

Being caught doing magic by anyone but our friendly govt guy would be bad

I, (fighter/cleric) gave our witch/fighter my steel sword to hold onto, for I am in possession of the hilt of my ancestor's Thoughtblade which was broken in his last stand. I have learned that in order to reforge I I must simply (not easy) believe. So if I don't believe sufficiently I have no weapon

My steel sword is the only weapon our witch/fighter has, having given his rapier to his younger brother on parting and accidentally left his whip hanging in the coat-closet of the burlesque club we just left.

Our warmage is low-key actively plotting to throw the govt wizard NPC to the creature

Once again, the creature might be our teen necromancer's long lost dad

We have no idea what the super villain govt guy is packing. Wizard? Sorcerer? Horrible abomination? We just don't know

Things we (meta) know

The Dm has said the creature's statblock is unfair

That we should remember running away is an option

That the 20th lvl Wizard would find this challenging

There are five battle maps prepared "In case you do the smart thing and run"

"If you guys play this smart, you may all live to escape. If you guys are very smart, you may even defeat it. If you guys run in like a bunch of idiots, you *are* going to lose PCs. Maybe even permadeath, or very hard to cure death at least."

My character's whole deal is protecting people

We are *not* smart

Several of us are very adverse to allowing collateral damage. Others don't care much

This is a big city. Most of us don't know it well.

We should remember running away is an option

Thank you and I'll update on the fallout after. Hopefully without a blank character sheet in hand.

[futuresuntocrystal]

    Hi! Stumbled on this post tonight; hope it’s alright if I hop on!

We’ve got an Azem here, but also Ancient OCs, too! (Some who have Azem AUs, as well.)

    Circe- The Azem, Unsundered to Rhela Dakwhil (as well as Rheza & Ardbert, by association). As their name may imply- before the Azem title was passed on- they were exceptional at creation magic. Quite a few concepts were of their own design, such as a fair deal of feline types (coeurls, most notably), the Miqo’te (my self indulgence, here), and...well, an inspiration for what would become Viera and Venat’s Loporitts. (They were very fond of the idea of nonhuman ears.)

    Venat was their first friend, due to Circe’s deep-seated need to wander. The two related to that, and spent many hours chatting about the sights they’ve seen and adventures they wished to go on. Through her... They met Hythlodaeus and Hades.

    Hyth and Hades eventually became a triad with Circe. There was an awkward, but warm friendship with Hermes... Hades became Emet-Selch before Venat left her seat of Azem, and that gave Circe an in to bother other seats, such as Lahabrea. (Whom very little tolerated in full, outside of his own circles.)

    Eventually, Venat chose to pass down her seat to a friend...and put it to Circe, much to their surprise. It meant an end to freely wandering wherever they pleased, but to do so on a wider scale...! Excitedly nervous, they agreed.

    (And then proceeded to spread their special brand of chaos into the Convocation, for better and worse... Depending on who you ask.)

    Selene- The Amaurotine of who would eventually become Ajisai. In her time, she was primarily regarded for her artful dancing, weaving skills, and thoughtful advice. To many, she could come off as...intimidating, but her heart was deeply kind, and there were a fair deal of people who’d vouch for her.

    She actively lived in Amaurot, and occasionally traveled on request by other parts of the realm. Her most frequent concepts were that of night-walkers, outfit designs, and musical pieces she composed. Occasionally some dances as well, depending on how they were received. (Being an oddity of their race; Selene never submitted a dancing concept unless it was approved by others and someone requested it. Some fretted this could be seen as close-minded, but very few ever gave her trouble about it.)

    She would eventually end up dating Hermes for a time, although he broke up with her mysteriously as he agreed to take up the seat of Fandaniel. Selene never figured out why...but her name does live on within the fairies of Nym, summonable by Scholars.

    Aphrodite- The Ancient who would eventually become Kinara. (Semi-noncanon...? Debating on if this is WoL AU exclusive or not.) An open lover to many, she tended to take center stage in the debate halls, when not spending a night with a chosen partner. (Sometimes paying, sometimes not; she never really beheld herself to either.)

    It is said a debate of life, romance, and relationships were always better with Aphrodite in the mix. Although her vanity could make things personal, focused conversations often led to many interesting thoughts being taken into consideration. With quite a few walking away with new thoughts to bring to other parts of the world... (As, though primarily seen in Amaurot, Aphrodite, too, tended to wander a fair deal. Second to Circe, third to...someone else.)

    It’s unknown who of her lovers- if any at all- she may have favored above the rest or if she aligned with any sort of...identifiable relationship, at all. She simply “is” and many leave her to that.

    Perseus- Ancient to I’karus; a common sight within Elpis, as his skills with a blade meant that he often aided the researches in killing unruly creations...or culling the whole lot, if necessary. However... He was another oddity, in that he often offered words of condolences to the creatures he killed. Some wondered if it was a quirk of his, others thought him strange in general, to be wishing “prayers” upon mindless beasts. Well... Not that Perseus ever cared for gossip.

    In between such jobs, he took to wandering Elpis and submitting a concept of his own: the Pegasus. First one ever created was hand-raised by him, and a lot of their kindly temperament is associated to his specialty handling. Alas, none could persuade him to move from guardian to researcher.

    Although he never actively took to romance- at the least, had a few outings one could classify as dates, but nothing more- there was gossip that he had unrequited feelings for Circe, though none could ever prove it beyond, “They certainly hang out together, sometimes.”

    He did have a strong, good friendship with Hermes, however. He deeply respected Perseus’ job, and was touched by his final prayers for the concepts that were culled. If only things could’ve been different...

    Orpheus- The Ancient to Alexios, and a lover of music. Well-renowned for his voice and almost hypnotic music, he was- typically- the life of many parties. Public and private; if he wasn’t somewhere out and about, singing for the people, he was typically hired out to play for some function. Some even for the Convocation, themselves! (Not immune to the occasional party to take a breather from work. In this, he is the one Aphrodite is third to in wanderings; as he is second only to Circe.)

    Of their life, however, there was but one bigger pride and joy than even their music...and that was Eurydice. Credited loud & proud not only as their muse, but also the love of their life... To the point that, should she go before them, they would much rather follow her into the lifestream than be without. (Though no pressure for her to do the same, of course.)

    ...Their loving relationship was only broken by the End of Days. She died in the onslaught- magicks out of control- and he was left alone. Alive, until the Sundering.

    Phanes- Ancient to Valmir. A warm presence, he didn’t talk much, but when he did, it often brought comfort to the people around him. Largely, however, he preferred to work a guardian’s job in aiding the Convocation in various matters. Whether that was roaming to collect & submit reports, to ensuring that any odd Ancients were removed before accidents happened... It was a little of everything, for him. (Although- and thankfully- having to remove troublemakers was a rarity, indeed.)

    They tended to keep to nature, when off duty; Elpis, the greenhouses of Amaurot, or elsewhere. Nature brought them calm, and they sought it whenever possible. However, that didn’t stop them from ending up as Hythlodaeus’ friend, either... A bunch of sassy tricksters, those two.

    Phanes never did submit any concepts of their own, but did often peruse the files to see if anything caught their eye. On a rare occasion, they voiced support for the idea of rabbit people... Caught on record saying: “I am fond of their ears... Mayhap Azem” (Circe, at that time) “is onto something.”

    Achilles- Ancient to Altan, and a proud warrior, besides. Unlike Perseus, who did his job with cool respectability, Achilles was more...eager, for his job. Delighting in the fight, priding on his ability to hunt... In general, battle ready and proud of it, too. To the point that Venat was oft his sparring partner, when none else wanted to risk their lives dancing with his blade...

    Another Ancient to have never submitted a concept himself (although did offer advice to armors’ and weapon smiths’), but... Honestly, that may have been for the better. (If he ever did, it was probably when sharks were trending, much to Hythlodaeus’ silent fury.)  His role in life was to fight, and little else.

    On that note-! Was occasionally in sparring rings, though notorious for taking things too far/getting risky. Venat and other, higher caliber types were favored to go against him for that reason. Rarely did Achilles ever have downtime, but if he did...it was likely spent eating and drinking to heart’s content!

    ...Despite being a meathead, however, it’s actually quite likely he was one of the many who aided in the second stage of the Zodiark project. Offering his life up to the pseudo-god, first of his kind, to help save their world. It meant more to him than anything, after all... Filled with great fighters, and people he loved without ever saying it out loud. To sacrifice would’ve been an honor...

    (On the assumption the sacrifice still allowed for Sundering. If not... It’s likely he nearly died protecting others during the Final Days; still recovering when the Sundering happened.)

You guys should tell me about your Azems while I'm stuck here at work. Just anything about them! Their names, what they like to do, did they ever make any concepts, who they loved, etc... Anything!

Hell, even just any Ancient OC's you might have. It doesn't necessarily have to be Azem!

[hopeididntscareyou]

It's 3am, i am exhausted mentally and physically, I am sleepy so I don't know if i'm going to make sense but I will try. I just want to say, that the more i read Nietzsche, the more i feel like his philosophy is written for me. For most people, their intellectual hero would be Einstein, but for me its Nietzsche. Nietzsche has changed me in profound ways that nobody else in my lifetime. I would also add Dostoevsky. I love these men I am actually tearing up as I write this as no words can just express how I feel about my realizations and reflections on their wisdom and how it impacted my views in life. Its like everything in my world just started to make sense. In my world, which has always been cruel and chaotic, full of pain and suffering, yet there is something beautiful about it. I wish to meet a Nietzschean in the 21st century, but then again I am incapable of forming close relationships with people. I don't think I am in the autism spectrum though, because I am not socially retarded. I just can't speak to people in general about things I don't care about, such as gossips and other nonsensical blabber. Its not because I'm being arrogant, i do think its a problem that I can be pretty bad with small talk, but I don't know, i just don't know what questions to ask when I'm not interested, even its something to do with me.Its like my brain stops working when confronted with "stuff idgaf" because it doesn't have any room for irrelevant information. Despite my excellent memory I tend to be forgetful of basic stuff that normal people don't forget and I often misplace my personal belongings because I just genuinely never think of them. And another thing is, its not like i can just tell people about what honestly goes through my head when they try to make conversations about topics i don't care about. My opinions about anything mainstream are usually extremist, brutal and critical so unless I have an issue with you then I don't see any point in expressing them. I don't like lying and being fake either (unless i have ulterior motive) because its just makes me feel awkward. So in summary, 'just be yourself' advice doesn't always work, it could possibly even make someone even more socially retarded. The only thing I usually do is ignore people and act like I dont breathe the same air as them, I'm nearsighted anyways and without my glasses I can't see shit.

I have NPC energy, i only talk to people unless they approach me first, and if they did, it has to be something i care to talk about. I usually like talking about ideas, scenarios and whatsup with people close to my heart. It honestly sucks sometimes but whatever. I feel like its better to mind my own business than waste my time on stuff i don't even care about. That being said, I have an exemption about this certain type of people who likes to talk, I'm talking about narcissistic snowflakes who likes to talk about themselves. I genuinely enjoy listening to them because they are more likely interesting, entertaining and quirky compared to the general, normie population. There is always something intriguing and fascinating about them so I tend to also get along very well with these individuals which should be surprising considering I also display narcissistic traits. But behind the scenes, i feel like me being mixed with a narcissist triggers my other dark triad traits. They make me feel like i'm in control of their life and there just something amusing about that yk. Narcissists are actually more easier to manipulate than normal people if you know how to play your cards well. But i dont have always bad intentions. Like I said, I just genuinely like their company

Going out of tangent, I did have an ex boyfriend who was a narcissist, and he was probably the only partner I got along most with. He wasn't annoyingly self absorbed, he could communicate like a normal person and always had interesting questions (but i know he asks questions so he could talk about himself lol). He talked like he was special, like he's the main character. But you know what? I could listen to him talk about himself all day long and would thank him for his time and sharing stories. I like that energy. I'm attracted to confidence. I guess it helps his confidence because hes arguably also the hottest guy ive ever been with, he's 6'3 tall, has 6 pack abs and also 7" down there. Ya, thats the shallowness in me. I'm superficial sometimes not gonna deny that. But no, I dont miss him at all. And even though he gave me some good experience i am no longer attracted to him, which is weird but idk, i guess its because right now i'm still hang up on Robert, my thirst for him is really preventing me to have feelings for other people and i just dont know what to do, hes an asshole who treats me like shit, he has just that handsome face and he makes me feel good sexually but hes absolutely nothing compared to Jonathan. Its funny that im just objectifying men but again, im not complaining about being objectified either. im just being honest, its hard trying to stop myself from being a hoe, i'm suffering but i CANT do that because i'm a moralfag and supposed to be a high value woman. But then again, my ego and my self respect come first before my thirst. If he actually does give me love and attention like Diego and even his older brother does to me i would have no problem actively engaging with him but he's acting like a douchebag and right now i'm just not available to do any casual sexual relationships with shitty people no matter how thirsty i am. its not my thing. i prefer relationships with solid foundations and not just some fast paced connection. thats just not gonna fly with me

[polyghostfacehours]

listen man whenever you have the time you GOTTA write some ghostface!randy like i wanna go into that dynamic so so sooo bad (also what if like….. poly!ghostface x reader but this time ghostface!randy is a thing) (or just the three of them) (idk smth ab ghostface!randy got my mind reelin)

AAAAAAHHHHH HEEEEELLLLL YEAH.

So firstly, some of these things will be out of character since Randy would have to be a significantly less sweet and reasonable person to become a GF. So here, have some of my take on a Ghostface!Randy HCs lmao!

Ghostface!Randy Headcanons

So Randy's has 2 main reason for becoming a Ghostface.

The first is retaliation against society. He's tired of just being the film geek that no one takes seriously and is pushed around and picked on.

The second is to get to live a horror movie. The virgin usually lives in the end, but how would it go if the virgin takes revenge on his sex having friends who bully him constantly?

He'd have some incel-y vibes tbh. He feels a bit entitled to sex, but in is angry at the world im the sense that he feels like an outcast that's always left out of the loop and looked down on for being awkward and nerdy.

Billy would see this in Randy. The darkness swirling in his head every time he and Stu dog on each other. So he begins to bring it out of Randy.

Unlike Stu, who he views as his best friend, Randy will absolutely be nothing more than a tool to Billy. He'd pretend to understand him, but rest assured if worst came to worst he'd pin everything on Randy if need be.

Stu gets competitive with Randy, both for Billy's attention and as a Ghostface. He'd want to show up Randy at all times and then tease him about it Randy.

It's one heeeellllaa toxic friendship, where Billy and Stu clearly have the advantage in the relationship. An imbalanced power dynamic for daaays.

I could see Randy actually being the least off-kilter and most in touch with his empathy of the three. Therefore, I could see him being remorseful and even trying to get out of it, with little success.

If you go with the HC that Stu was peer-pressured, then hooo boy is Randy even MORE so. Because whereas Stu was still an active participant in planning and ideas, Randy literally had no say in what they'd do.

Randy might eventually plan Billy and Stu's death if it becomes too much for him and he needs to get out of it. Like using his horror movie knowledge that he knows they're following to twist the metaphorical (and physical) knife in their backs.

Randy during a kill is very frantic. He's liable to get jittery and make mistakes, but will get kicked into overdrive if he fears the victim might get away. Like he might accidentally go buck wild and dissociate. One moment the victim is alive and running out the door and the next moment they're on the floor with 30 stab wounds in their torso.

He gets very shaken after a kill and unlike Billy and Stu who may get aroused from the adrenaline rush, Randy might actually have a panic attack once he's alone.

He's originally on phone duty, until Billy forbid him from it once he got too long winded and argued too much with the victim. He's supposed to be scaring them and moving them around the house, not talking about the inherent homoeroticism in Nightmare on Elm Street 2

If a poly relationship between you 4 happened, it would be a either 2 triads or a mix of a triad and a hinge. You, Billy, and Stu would be a triad, and you, Stu, and Randy would be another Triad. Billy and Randy just aren't into each other like that, so they wouldn't be in a relationship with one another. Another possibility is you, Stu, and Billy as a triad and then you as a hinge for Randy; this would be the case if Randy and Stu don't grow closer during their Ghostface escapades.

Jealousy would be a huge issue for Billy either way, as he wouldn't be fond of Randy taking one or both of his S/O's time away from him. Ditto for Randy, as I don't see him and Billy being able to cultivate any sort of meaningful relationship or understanding. I don't see this poly relationship lasting long with Randy in the picture tbh. It's just not a healthy dynamic.

[ghostmartyr]

“And Lady Septimus… is too willing to believe in fairy stories. Same as always.” […] “Are you two friends?” The look in response wasn’t quite withering, but it would suck all the moisture out of anyone it was aimed at. Camilla said, “Lady Septimus and I have never met.”

I can reproduce the letter because I’ve still got it. I kept all of them. He didn’t need to. Palamedes remembered everything he ever saw.

I suppose if I keep tagging this as a liveblog it’s appropriate to quote this and make a lot of sad animal noises that indicate a degree of heart stabbing that I’m not in the mood to diagram. I could just do that and not worry about words.

But there have got to be words, because this technically-sort-of-kind-of off-screen drama playing out is some good, painful fun.

Gideon catches Palamedes’ feelings for ‘Dulcinea’ immediately, because Palamedes is both honest and one of the most emotive characters of the cast. The back half of this tragedy is full of Gideon and Palamedes being awkward over the love triangle that they think they’re in.

Camilla’s role is to dispense judgment and inform the uninitiated. In Gideon’s world. Camilla is the no-nonsense cavalier who looks at Palamedes and Dulcinea and keeps the fairy tale grounded. Camilla is the observer to all of this. Palamedes is the one writing love letters.

But Dulcinea writes back to both of them.

Palamedes has no need to keep the letters.

Camilla chooses to. And she keeps all of them.

Dr. Sex and HtN make it a little easier to drive the point home, but I like the beginning touches we see of a triad in the first book. The first real conversation Gideon and Camilla have brings about Dulcinea Septimus, and Cam’s very intense reaction to being asked about their relationship. She provides insight that someone who knows Dulcinea would, and when she’s called on it, dodges the question and immediately changes the subject by dangling food in front of Gideon.

The version of the story Camilla leaves out is that she’s included in Palamedes’ and Dulcinea’s exchange. They’re the ones writing letters and shooting for dreams that can’t happen. She’s just the witness.

By her design, not Pal and Dulcie’s.

To my dearest pals

“I cared about her, and Camilla cared about us.”

They bring her in. Every mention of the relationship that Palamedes and Dulcinea make involves Camilla. Camilla shares their entire history with Gideon and Harrow without suggesting her involvement goes anywhere past being Palamedes’ cavalier. She is keeping a distance that they never ask for.

“I still don’t understand.” “If I did,” said the Sixth cavalier restlessly, “my quality of life, my sleep, and my sense of well-being would improve.”

Fellas, is it sorta sus to have your quality of life, sleep, and sense of well-being impacted by your bestie having a thing for his pen pal who is kind of also your pen pal?

Check No for Yes.

[comfortwriting]

Three Can Spill A Secret F.W & G.W

Part 1, Part 2, Masterlist, Request Rules

Fred Weasley x Fem Reader x George Weasley

Part 3 of 3

A/N: Smut Based Bonus Chapters can be read here

Warnings: polyamory (if you’re not into that), fluff, swearing, and angst.

You cleared your throat and stared at Hermione, pursing your lips you decided to spill the truth already - everyone would find out sooner or later and it’s better to address what's actually happening instead of allowing rumours to brew up. 

“I’m not being silly” you addressed Hermione, “and I’m not using your brothers.” you addressed Ron. “The three of us... we’ve been together for almost a year now and no, it’s not incestual.. we’re uh.. a triad.” you finally spat out.

Hermione looked more frustrated than ever, being wrong was rare for her.

Ron’s jaw dropped, Ginny’s too and Harry looked as if he would burst into laughter. You had an idea or two of the inaccurate, and most likely inappropriate thoughts swimming around their heads. 

“To make a long and awkward explanation short, Y/N is dating both of us.” Fred joined in, holding your hand. 

George laced his hand in your free one “and we’re both dating her, obviously Freddie and I aren’t an item so you can get that out of your head.”

Silence filled the common room for a moment, the only noise being the crackling of the fire. 

“Swinging was a sixties thing though-” Ron muttered, the glare from Fred instantly making him quiet down.

“but isn’t that just a polite way of saying you’re a cheat?” Hermione questioned you, “no offence.”

You shook your head “We communicate openly with one another, we have boundaries in place. Fred and George are my only partners, we don’t seek out anyone else.” you answered.

Hermione nodded, beginning to understand.

“Well you must love one more than the other.” Ron muttered again, focusing on you and not his brothers.

You laughed a little and shook your head “your mum doesn’t love Bill any more than she loves you” you replied “love isn’t cut into fractions, I love them both the same.” 

“Although I am better looking.” Fred smirked at George.

“Oh shut up” he rolled his eyes and laughed. 

Getting up and ready for bed after a round of myth busting, Hermione and Ginny nudged you, both of them had guilty expressions on their faces. 

“We’re really sorry.” Hermione said softly “I really need to know and learn better.”

“Sorry for what happened at dinner, it’s just-”

“I get it” you replied, folding up your clothes “you just wanted to protect them, it’s fine.” You climbed into your bed and pulled the covers over you. 

Hermione and Ginny got the message and said no more, going to bed. 

You were incredibly grateful for the apologies and you were happy you were able to explain everything, but you still couldn’t help but feel slightly annoyed that your friends had gone behind your back to spy on you and accuse you of such a thing as cheating. 

The new week wasn’t any better either, someone from outside of your little circle heard about your relationship with the twins and decided to share the news with the whole of Hogwarts; walking down the halls and entering the Great Hall was almost unbearable. 

Everyone stopped and stared at you, whispering amongst their friends, making assumptions and discussing the rumours of the three of you that had been spreading around like wildfire.

You were branded as a ‘slag’, being ‘greedy’ and ‘a freak who couldn’t make up her mind’. The insults didn’t bother you at first as you hoped they would learn like your friends, but they didn’t want to and they wouldn’t, someone in your DADA class even brought up Arthur Weasley and how this would affect his reputation at the Ministry when he gets notified.

Storming across the Quidditch pitch you met your two out of breath and sweaty boyfriends, covered in mud and grass stains. 

“Good game?” you asked, smiling at both of them, trying to hide your panic.

Hiding your feelings never worked with Fred and George, the two of them could read you like a book. 

“What's the matter, love?” George asked, stroking your cheek with his muddy thumb. 

“Are you okay?” Fred asked, tucking a stray hair behind your ear. 

You shook your head and your bottom lip quivered, tears pooling your eyes. “They’re going to tell the Ministry about us, your dad is going to find out through them with false information and his reputation will be ruined.” 

You spoke through tears so fast it took a moment for your boyfriends to catch up, they shared a glance and sighed. 

“looks like we’ll be going home this weekend then.” Fred said softly yet defeated, kissing your head. 

“It’s going to be okay, Y/N, we’ll get through this.” George reassured you.

Sitting on the mostly empty and quiet Hogwarts Express, George and Fred were playing a game of exploding snap whilst you were pretending to be asleep, trying to calm yourself down from the nerves of how Molly and Arthur would react.

“You should’ve seen her face Georgie” Fred spoke out excitedly. “Her eyes lit up like the floating candles in the great hall, she loved it in Honey Dukes!”

George laughed and you could tell he was smiling through his voice “Bless her heart, she still had stars in her eyes when she arrived on our date.”

“I wonder if she’ll be happy enough with our little idea, if everything goes to plan.” Fred said quietly.

You furrowed your eyebrows, your eyes still closed.

“I’m sure she will be, Freddie.”

The two continued to play their game, every now and then you’d hear a cheer from one twin and a complaint from the other.

Arriving at the burrow you could feel the nausea pool into your stomach, what's the worst that could happen? Your ‘what if’ marathon spiralling out of control.

‘Molly and Arthur will become enraged, I’ll be forced to end my relationship with Fred and George, they’ll want me out of the house and to never come back.’

��Fred! George! Y/N!” Molly’s surprised tone of voice dragged you out of the whirlwind. “What are you doing here! You’re not due to come home yet!”

Fred walked into the house, you and George followed, you found it hard knowing you wouldn’t be able to hold their hands - they’d start to question things if you were to constantly switch between the two of them.

Unlike plenty of times before, today they couldn’t pretend to be one another because of the initialled sweaters they were wearing.

“Chill out mum” Fred replied, strolling into the kitchen looking for food.

George smirked “We just wanted to visit you, needed a change of scenery after going to Hogsmeade every weekend.”

Molly stayed quiet for a moment and then looked to you and smiled, welcoming you into a warm hug, one of your favourite hugs in the world.

“Well I’m happy to see you again my dear, I hope those two have been behaving themselves!” She glanced at Fred and noticed his mouth full of food.

You giggled and nodded “they’ve been working really hard!” You defended them.

“Oh good, Arthur will be so pleased when he hears this over dinner!” She smiled “Y/N, would you care to help me?”

You felt your cheeks redden, you hadn’t been able to fully talk your plan through with your boyfriends - you wished you hadn’t pretended to be asleep for all those hours on the train.

“I’ll be more than happy to!” You beamed trying to seem enthusiastic, quickly eyeing up Fred and George, your expression fell slightly.

“Fred, George, you better not cause any trouble tonight. Your poor dad and Percy have had to work overtime for the past few weeks!”

Whilst helping Molly with food and cleaning, she tried to bring up Fred and George to you. Asking if you fancied either of them and if so who it was, you panicked and caught yourself choosing George over Fred which you felt awful for.

“Ah brilliant!” Molly chirped, brushing away the sweat from her brow. “Fred, George, get in here and set the table! No wands!”

Arthur walked through the door and he, like Molly earlier, was surprised to see you and his sons now thundering down the stairs.

“They wanted to see us, Arthur!” Molly smiled, embracing her husband and kissing him on the cheek.

“Really? How lovely.” Arthur smiled, hugging you and waving at his sons.

Percy also came through the door and greeted the three of you before going upstairs, wavering on about the paperwork he needed to do and that he’ll regrettably miss out on tonight's dinner. 

Nevertheless, you were sat in between both Fred and George, sitting across from Molly and Arthur. 

Every now and then through conversation Fred and George took it in turns placing their hand on your knee to provide you with some comfort, the three of you deciding that tonight would be the night you would spill your secret entirely.

“You alright Fred, George? You’re both a bit quiet this evening.” Arthur spoke up, his plate empty.

Molly nodded her head in agreement “You’ve been a bit quite today too, Y/N.” Her tone slightly suspicious. 

George squeezed your thigh and looked at his brother, “they’re already sitting down so..”

Your heart began to race, your chest tightened and you started to sweat. 

“Mum, dad, we’ve got some news.” Fred paused for a moment, his parents dreading what trouble they had caused this time. 

“Freddie and I are both in a relationship with Y/N, we have been for nearly a year now.” George revealed.

Molly and Arthur looked gobsmacked, you started to sink in your seat.

“She’s our girlfriend, we’re her boyfriends.” Fred breathed.

“It’s a triad relationship, she dates us, we date her but not each other.”

“Obviously, like Georgie said.”

Molly’s eyes met yours, she appeared to be baffled beyond belief.

“You’re stringing along both of my sons?!” She freaked, Arthur having to keep her in her seat. 

“It isn’t like that, Mrs Weasley.” You replied anxiously “I’m in love with both of them, I wouldn’t ever hurt them-”

“Mum, just calm it will you? She makes us incredibly happy-” Fred tried to defend you, but Molly wasn’t wanting to listen anymore.

“I must to sleep on this!” Molly spoke over you all, standing up and walking away from the table. 

Arthur still sat down, looked at the three of you and smiled sympathetically, he thanked you for telling him before the Ministry got word and tried to assure you that Molly would be more understanding in the morning. He got to his feet and followed her to bed. 

“I’m so sorry” you cried “this is all my fault” 

Fred hushed you and wiped away your falling tears “don’t cry, darling.”

“It isn’t your fault.” George kissed your head “she’ll understand, she’s just in shock.”

Fred and George pushed their single beds together with a bit of trusty magic, making the bed a double. You were wide awake, being the middle spoon, George’s soft breath tickled your neck.

The next morning you, Fred and George were sat at the table with Molly and Arthur once more.

Molly, like you, also look exhausted beyond belief.

“There must be some mistake, Y/N. To date both of my boys at once - have you not considered this as your way of coping with a fear of commitment?” She barked, causing you to jump.

Fred and George both groaned out loud, sick of the stereotypes people had regarding Polyamory, they had no idea how you could be so patient.

“I think you’ll find that my relationship with your sons is quite the opposite of fearing commitment.” you replied, holding their hands “I have the ability to commit to them both, on a variety of levels.” 

“We love her, mum” George butted in

“Can’t you just be happy for us?” Fred added “We’re happier than we’ve ever been.”

Molly sighed, starting to feel defeated. 

“So if this does work out, the two of you marry her, how are you supposed to raise my grandchildren in such an environment?” Molly asked once more.

You, Fred and George grinned from ear to ear, the thought of your children running around and causing chaos. 

“Plenty of studies have shown that kids who are raised in ‘such an environment’“ Fred air quoted.

“Turn out fine” George smiled, completing Fred’s sentence.

Molly turned to face Arthur, and he smiled at you.

“I think this is brilliant, it’s nice to have someone who loves my sons on such a level.” Arthur stood up and walked over to you, you pushed your seat back and gave into his hug.

You felt your nerves finally start to fall apart and disintegrate at the bottom of your stomach, Molly shook her head and smiled at you, finally giving in.

Molly stood up and walked over to you, pulling you into a hug “I’m sorry my dear, I’ve just never known of such a relationship-”

“Told you she’s not that bad.” Fred smirked, getting out of his seat. 

George stood up too “Get used to her, mum.”

Sitting outside in the garden, in the exact same spot those many nights ago when this beautiful relationship started, Fred and George looked at one another and smiled. They pulled out the job application you had written and read it out loud in turns playfully, Molly and Arthur watched the three of you through the window.  

“what do you recon Fred, think we should hire her?” George smirked.

Fred grinned and nodded his head “would be a shame not to, Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes are in need of a beautiful, enthusiastic and hardworking saleswoman!”

You blushed and giggled, scrunching your eyebrows at them.

“Consider yourself hired, my love.” George kissed your head, the twins springing to their feet, George offering you a hand up.

“Weasley’s Wizard what?” 

“It’s mine and Georgie’s joke shop, Y/N.” Fred smiled, holding your hand.

George holding your other hand stared into your star filled eyes. “We can all finally have plans for the future, together.”

“The three of us?” you beamed, tears of happiness flooding your eyes. 

Fred and George nodded and smiled at you lovingly.

“The three of us.” they said in unison.

Tags: @alwaysnforeverfangirl , @lana-isabelle

[hakasims]

The Most In-depth Analysis of Luca Marinelli’s Characters You’ll Ever Need

You’d think I was done with classifications, but I’m not! There’s so much more I can say about Luca Marinelli’s oeuvre and his magnificent roster of characters. And yes, I’ve made this post before where I highlighted specific tropes that show up in a lot of his movies, but that was surface-level shit. This is an actual exploration of what makes a Luca Marinelli character besides being a kinky little whore. And don’t worry, it’s still in that user-friendly question-answer format because I love you.

Here’s the thing: Luca is a chameleon but he also has a type, and this type is:

✨ a (likely) queer repressed addict with daddy issues ✨

That’s the skeleton. Let’s see how many of his major roles possess that skeleton at all and what flavors they add to the picture.

Disclaimer: I excluded characters with little screen time and Joseph from Mary of Nazareth because he doesn’t deserve rights. Also, instead of going in the boring chronological order, I’m gonna start with the least typical character for Luca and end with the crème de la crème. The results may not surprise you.

Nicky (The Old Guard)

Is he queer? Undeniably.

Is he repressed? No.

Does he have an addiction? No.

Does he have daddy issues? I know we’re all deeply affected by our shitty father figures but I would genuinely question Nicky’s sanity if he were still on that shit at the ripe age of 951. A little tip for daddy-hating immortals out there: just do what Angel did and kill your shitty dad. Problem solved.

Is he violent? Despite doling out tons of violence, he doesn’t have a violent nature and seems uninterested in hating his enemy or delivering retribution.

Does he need a good night sleep? I’m sure nothing helps one sleep better than a Joe-shaped big spoon.

Does he need a good cry? Doesn’t seem like it.

Flavors: A perfect immortal warrior bean in a healthy relationship.

Conclusion: Ironically but unsurprisingly, Nicky is the least Luca-like character.

Guido (Tutti i santi giorni)

Is he queer? I don’t believe so but who knows? If someone told me he’s demisexual, I’d believe it.

Is he repressed? The movie may disagree, but I say yes, obviously.

Does he have an addiction? Not unless you count his romantic relationship.

Does he have daddy issues? His family is so supportive and wholesome it’s almost parodic.

Is he violent? He’s the opposite of a toxic macho dude, but then he has a violent outburst out of nowhere because the movie is bad.

Does he need a good night sleep? He doesn’t like sleeping at night.

Does he need a good cry? Naturally.

Flavors: An adorkable awkward nerd with flowery speech.

Conclusion: I can forgive straightness and wholesomeness but I can’t forgive lack of complexity.

Martin (Martin Eden)

Is he queer? I don’t believe so.

Is he repressed? Yes.

Does he have an addiction? No.

Does he have daddy issues? Not to my knowledge.

Is he violent? When he deems it necessary to be.

Does he need a good night sleep? Sure.

Does he need a good cry? Cry your little heart out, Martin!

Flavors: An arrogant, pretentious, politically confused writer.

Conclusion: A little too straight for your typical Luca, but he makes up for it with being complex and complicated.

Loris (Il mondo fino in fondo)

Is he queer? I don’t believe so.

Is he repressed? So fucking repressed!

Does he have an addiction? Nothing beyond his savior complex.

Does he have daddy issues? He has a shitty dad he’s spent his whole life trying to please, and also his mommy left, so like yeah, obviously.

Is he violent? He has his straight dude moments.

Does he need a good night sleep? Definitely.

Does he need a good cry? Oh yeah, let him cry, it’s good for him.

Flavors: A casually homophobic mother hen.

Conclusion: Ruined by heterosexual agenda.

Lui (Ricordi?)

Is he queer? I don’t believe so.

Is he repressed? Very.

Does he have an addiction? No.

Does he have daddy issues? A big sack of them.

Is he violent? No.

Does he need a good night sleep? Oh yes. To sleep, perchance to dream about anything other than his traumatic memories.

Does he need a good cry? So much.

Flavors: Up-his-butt and pensive.

Conclusion: Leave it to Luca to take a guy who would be an absolute nightmare in real life and turn him into someone I actually want to watch for two hours and see happy by the end.

Gabriele (Waves)

Is he queer? There’s evidence he might be gay.

Is he repressed? I’d bet on it.

Does he have an addiction? Doesn’t seem like it.

Does he have daddy issues? Nobody knows.

Is he violent? No.

Does he need a good night sleep? He probably will with how the movie ended.

Does he need a good cry? At least one.

Flavors: A sweet introverted guy who loves boats.

Conclusion: While not particularly complex, Gabriele has layers and nuances. Also give him a big muscular daddy.

Fabrizio (Fabrizio de André - Principe libero)

Is he queer? I don’t believe so.

Is he repressed? He was before music became his only career.

Does he have an addiction? Alcohol, cigarettes, sex, cheating - take your pick.

Does he have daddy issues? Not as bad as some of the other guys here but he’s heard his fair share of “I’m not mad, I’m disappointed” speeches.

Is he violent? He’s soft.

Does he need a good night sleep? He’s an artist, what do you think?

Does he need a good cry? He’s an artist, what do you think?

Flavors: Fabrizio de André is the flavor.

Conclusion: Even though it’s a biopic, there are still many Luca-isms there. He’s just that kind of actor.

Milton (Una questione privata)

Is he queer? It could be argued that he is bisexual.

Is he repressed? Do you even need to ask?

Does he have an addiction? About half of the breaths he takes are filled with cigarette smoke.

Does he have daddy issues? He seems to have a good and loving relationship with both his parents.

Is he violent? Not by nature.

Does he need a good night sleep? Yep.

Does he need a good cry? He certainly does.

Flavors: A repressed bisexual feeling powerless in a horrible world.

Conclusion: This is proof that Luca can carry a whole entire movie on his sexy shoulders, alone. Also Milton needs a safe and loving triad.

Mattia (La solitudine dei numeri primi)

Is he queer? I personally read him as asexual. Though assigning asexuality to characters who are traumatized is a dangerous path so don’t quote me on this, okay?

Is he repressed? Just the most repressed.

Does he have an addiction? It’s debatable whether self-harm and eating disorders can be considered addictions, but they’re part of his character, and I thought you should know.

Does he have daddy issues? His parents played their part in messing him up which then led to the big thing that really messed him up, though other than that his dad is barely a presence.

Is he violent? Not at all.

Does he need a good night sleep? At least 17 hours.

Does he need a good cry? Oh, so much. He needs all the cry.

Flavors: A quiet genius with lots of guilt.

Conclusion: Can you believe this was his first film role? Our boy is talented af!

Fabio (Lo chiamavano Jeeg Robot)

Is he queer? Undeniably.

Is he repressed? You could argue that he is repressed by being limited in his place in social hierarchy.

Does he have an addiction? Amazingly enough, no. He has fixations, though.

Does he have daddy issues? Thinking his father was a loser and not wanting to end up like him is textbook stuff.

Is he violent? Very.

Does he need a good night sleep? Yes please.

Does he need a good cry? He needs to purge his soul from all the bottled up stuff.

Flavors: A campy psycho.

Conclusion: Luca’s most iconic character, so of course he scored high on the list.

Paolo (Il padre d’Italia)

Is he queer? Undeniably.

Is he repressed? I can’t even start listing all the ways in which he’s repressed.

Does he have an addiction? He smokes a lot.

Does he have daddy issues? His issues are more of a mommy variety.

Is he violent? Not in the slightest.

Does he need a good night sleep? He’s the poster boy for needing a good night sleep.

Does he need a good cry? A good cry, a good weep, a good sob, a good bawl, *googles more synonyms* a good wail, a good squall...

Flavors: A self-loathing gay orphan in need of some life goodness.

Conclusion: What can I say about Paolo that all of you aren’t already thinking? Decent film, great character, excellent portrayal.

Mickey (Die Pfeiler der Macht)

Is he queer? Undeniably.

Is he repressed? It’s Victorian England, you guys.

Does he have an addiction? He smokes casually but other than that... eh. And don’t tell me he has sex addiction. He uses his body strategically.

Does he have daddy issues? If what he has isn’t daddy issues, I don’t know what is.

Is he violent? He’s got tons of bottled up aggression.

Does he need a good night sleep? It would be great if he could use the day’s darkest hours for sleeping.

Does he need a good cry? Undeniably.

Flavors: A conniving slut extraordinaire.

Conclusion: A major player in the book (says me who managed like 50 pages), Mickey Miranda was turned into such a nothing character in the miniseries that they needed a truly extraordinary actor to make him memorable. And guess what, Luca delivered.

Cesare (Non essere cattivo)

Is he queer? Not explicitly, but come on.

Is he repressed? Lethally.

Does he have an addiction? He’s an addiction textbook.

Does he have daddy issues? *Jake Peralta voice* Yeah, the guy without a daddy is the one with daddy issues. Explain that logic.

Is he violent? Oh yeah, he’s a rabid little trash goblin.

Does he need a good night sleep? So much.

Does he need a good cry? He’s had his fair share of good cries, but he could always use more.

Flavors: A aimless junkie.

Conclusion: The quintessential Luca. Beautiful.

Primo (Trust)

Is he queer? Listen, just because we don’t see him fuck a dude on screen it doesn’t mean he isn’t a motherfluffing queer icon. It’s not subtext; it’s TEXT.

Is he repressed? Where do I even fucking start?

Does he have an addiction? Oh yeah. And a coke nail to prove it.

Does he have daddy issues? I would need a whole separate post to unpack his daddy issues.

Is he violent? So very violent.

Does he need a good night sleep? Yes, please. On an actual bed in an actual bedroom.

Does he need a good cry? You can just tell.

Flavors: A ruthless criminal with a strong mafia boss potential.

Conclusion: The pièce de résistance of the Luca Marinelli filmography. Not only does he tick every box, he gets bonus points for the excellent wardrobe choices that emphasize Luca’s best features. Primo Nizzuto is everything great you want from Luca, except singing. (Though in my headcanon that whole white car in a snowstorm monologue was a musical number.)

[kingwuko]

Wuko in the comics

Welcome to my first post discussing Wuko in the LoK comic books!

This first post will be discussing Turf Wars- which unfortunately does not feature Wu. But there are lots of excellent Mako moments, and there are some major plot points that carry over into the next comic trilogy.

Turf Wars is the first LoK comic trilogy released after the finale. Though it was released two and half years after the finale aired, it picks up right where we left off. While the creators confirmed after the finale aired that Korrasami was canon, the last moments of the animated series were a little ambiguous (on purpose, since this was a time when queer representation was just not considered "acceptable" in children's media-it was truly the only way they could get away with it). The comics definitively remove all ambiguity. Turf Wars features multiple frames of Korra and Asami kissing, holding hands, and coming out to their friends and family. 

The overarching plot of Turf Wars is a conflict over the land upon which the new spirit portal sets. There is also conflict between rival Triad gangs, the Triple Threats and the Creeping Crystals, over turf in Republic City following the chaos of Kuvira's invasion. These two sets of turf wars overlap when a business tycoon hires the Triple Threats to secure the spirit portal for him by driving others off. The new Leader of the Triple Threats, Tokuga, is attacked by a spirit defending the portal, causing him to gain a dragon-like appearance and a new agenda-seizing control of all Republic City. In the midst of all this there is a refugee crisis, a presidential election, and Korra and Asami trying to navigate their new relationship once they return to the real world with all their responsibilities.

Notable plot points and character developments:

Korra and Asami canon is confirmed (repeatedly)-They come out to family and their friends

Business owner Wonyong Keum, who owns the land upon which the new portal sits, demands everyone vacate so he can turn it into a tourist attraction for profit-prompting Korra to enter the Avatar state to temporarily drive him away.

An unhappy spirit requests Korra closes the portal to prevent exploitation of the spirit world.

Bolin joins Mako as his rookie detective partner.

Zhu Li is running efforts to care for refugees who lost their homes during Kuvira’s attack and teams up with Asami to begin rebuilding homes for everyone displaced.

Tokuga is introduced as the leader of the Triple Threats, fighting for control of the streets with Jargala, the leader of the Creeping Crystals.

Kya reveals she is queer and gives us a history lesson on the context of LGBTQ+ history in the world.

Tokuga is attacked by the afore-mentioned spirit and his right arm and half his face become dragon-esque.

Raiko is a colossal idiot. He is way too focused on getting reelected and making his decisions based on what his campaign advisor suggests, rather than just, you know, governing his city. He calls the military to occupy the portal, prompting the Airbenders to peacefully protest.

Zhu Li runs against Raiko for the presidency. She rallies more protesters to protect the spirit portal while her husband films her for his newest project- a “docu-mover” which he presumably uses to influence the election. 

Asami and Keum are kidnapped by Tokuga and forced to make a poison gas device bring the city under Tokuga’s control.

The Krew manages to save the day of course, thanks to Asami’s wit, Korra’s unstoppable stubbornness, and back-up from Bolin and Mako. Except Mako, bless him, says he’ll “take care of Tokuga”, and then promptly loses him.

Tokuga mysteriously disappears into the spirit world.

Zhu Li wins the presidency.

Korra and Asami share a lovely, romantic moment where they exchange their first “I love you”s at the conclusion of the comic.

Mako scenes

There is no Wu in the Turf Wars comics (Unless you count one line of dialogue where it is mentioned that the Earth Kingdom is sending supplies to help the refugee situation) - however, there is plenty of Mako! Mako’s primary role in this series is as a detective trying to find and stop the Triads from waging their turf war in the city.

Our first scenes with Mako shows him back to being a detective- and his brother is his partner. He doesn’t seem super thrilled to be working with Bolin, but I think it’s just because he knows how his brother is- not that he doesn’t want to spend time with him. They are trying to track down the new leader of the triple threats and control gang activity. Mako’s arm is still in a sling, he’s got his usual brooding grumpy facial expression, and his hair is spiky again! He and Bolin arrest two-toed Ping and try to interrogate him. Two-toed Ping is weirdly proud of Mako and Bolin for rising up from being “nobodies” to a couple of “bigtime cops”.

They catch up with Korra and Asami, and the four of them are alerted by Jinora that the Triple threats are attacking the Airbenders that were meditating at the portal. Asami gets hurt in the battle and she and Korra share a kiss in front of everyone:

Look at Opal’s sweet face. She looks like she’s barely containing her excitement and is maybe squealing a bit, and she’s looking directly at Bolin which I think is a sweet moment to show their relationship. Bolin calls dibs on the first double date.

Mako probably needs time to process the information....

Mako and Bolin do some detective work to try and find Tokuga. There is an interesting scene where they are questioning Scoochy (We saw him in the first season, he’s the kid that told Korra and Mako the Bolin went to do some work for the triple threats before getting captured by equalists) Bolin tells Mako they should do “good cop, bad cop”, with Bolin being the good cop. Mako gets annoyed, and Bolin asks if he’s grumpy because his exes are dating. Mako insists he’s cool with it- though he’s got a distressed look on his face. They catch up to Scoochy and Bolin actually loses his temper and is rather menacing. Mako pulls Bolin back and genuinely connects with Scoochy- relating to his past, pushing him to do the right thing and help others. I really liked this moment because it shows how much character growth he’s had when you compare the way he treated Kai in season 3. (They are ultimately unsuccessful and Scoochy’s tip leads them to a room rigged with explosives- but I don’t think Scoochy knew that, I think he was fed false info).

There’s another touching scene, after Asami is kidnapped, where Mako notices how upset Korra seems as everyone is trying to form a plan to stop Tokuga. He steps aside to check in and see how she’s feeling. He comforts her’ empathizes with her, and reassures her that they are going to find Asami. At this point he seems to have fully processed that they are together and seems to fully accept it and is very supportive. Not easy considering the awkward position he’s in as both their exes. In this scene, Mako also informs Korra that he can’t firebend with his injured arm.

Mako and Bolin helps Korra to find Asami by requesting help from Jargala- in spite of the fact that Chief Beifong told them not to… They show up for Korra and Asami even if it means risking their jobs. They team up and fight the bad guys together, just like the old days.

We see many examples of how bad the damage is from Mako’s injury in the Colossus. He can’t bend with his left arm, it’s in a sling almost the whole comic, and he really doesn’t seem to be at the top of his game. He told Bolin he would take care of catching Tokuga, but apparently couldn’t and lost him. Mako’s injury is pretty bad and it’s probably really frustrating.

At the end, Bolin decides to quit the force (surprise. The guy loves to hop from calling to calling!). He makes a big dramatic speech to Mako, talking about how it’s time they go their separate ways. Mako is like “Um I’m going to see you at home in like two hours”, so it sounds like they are living together.

What all this might mean for Wuko

So now I’m going to try to tie things back into how all this affects the potential of Wuko- whether that’s for headcanons or fics or whatever- and just try to give you an idea of what this comic means for Wuko shippers.

Wu is governing in the Earth Kingdom right now. It is mentioned by Zhu Li that the Earth Kingdom sent supplies, so one can assume Wu has taken his place on the throne and the Earth Kingdom is in a stable enough position to be sending supplies to aid another nation. Nothing is mentioned about efforts to transform the Earth Kingdom into a democratic nation (we’ll get to that in the Ruins of the Empire comics).

Mako’s primary relationships that are explored are with his brother and with Korra. His relationship with Bolin is just as it always is. He loves his brother even if he is a little exhausted by his upbeat, enthusiastic attitude. We build up on his final interaction with Korra from the animated series and continue to firmly establish them as friends and amicable exes. Interestingly, we don’t get any meaningful Mako and Asami interactions. When he is comforting Korra, he relates to her by remembering how worried he was when Korra was kidnapped by Amon. He doesn't try to say “Yeah I’m really worried about Asami too”, which, to me is bizarre because he and Asami are friends too, right? I don’t know if we should read too much into it though- most likely it was just a writing choice that we aren’t meant to psycho-analyze- but it could also mean he is being careful with his words so that Korra doesn’t wonder if he still has feelings for Asami. The love triangle is completely resolved and Mako is out of the picture romantically with either of them and has no lingering romantic feelings. In other words, he is 100% ready available for a relationship with someone else.

The scene where Kya gives us a history lesson establishes how LGBTQ+ people are viewed in the world of LoK. In short, Korra and Asami are fully supported by their friends and family, and even their enemies acknowledge their relationship without any homophobic tones. The closest we get to homophobia is Korra's father, who, after expressing his happiness at their relationship, warns Korra to be cautious going forward because not everyone will be as understanding. Kya gives us a quick lesson on how same-gender relationships are viewed across the nations: The water tribe, being a patriarchal culture, expects discretion. The Earth Kingdom is not particularly accepting-Kya says that Avatar Kyoshi was bisexual but couldn't affect "real change" and that the earth kingdom is the slowest to accept change and is also militarily repressive (full disclosure I have not read the Kyoshi comics, maybe there is additional insight in those?). And in the fire nation, Sozin made same-gender relationships illegal when he took power (I hope Zuko undid all that when he became Firelord). The air nation is the only one that seems truly accepting-Kya paints a picture of total acceptance and says that Aang was supportive when she herself came out. Korra is worried that maybe her father was right, but Asami points out that a lot has changed over the years and everyone seems accepting, especially in Republic City. 

I think what we can take away from this as far as Wuko goes- is that in Republic City, same-gender relationships are not much of an issue, while in the Earth Kingdom it could be viewed negatively. One could make a case that Wu might have cause to be closeted, while Mako might not. (Feel free to reject this history canon and substitute your own. I’d just as soon say that no one in the avatar-verse cares if you aren’t cis or het).

In conclusion. Mako is just a guy trying very hard to be a good, supportive friend to his exes who are now dating each other. He loves them (platonically) he loves his brother, he’s kind and has matured a lot, but he still always has a grumpy look on his face so it’s time for him to move on and get together with Wu.

Well, that’s Turf Wars. I did cram the plot of three comic books into one post, so I certainly did not hit all the details. If you feel I missed something crucial, feel free to reblog with your own takes. Next I’ll discuss Ruins of the Empire, in which we get lots of Wu and potential Wuko moments, a sizable helping of angst and even some Wu & Korra friendship! RotE is a really fun comic trilogy and I’ll be breaking it down into multiple posts. Thanks for reading everyone!

Wuko In RotE part 1

Wuko in RotE part 2

[seeyounexttime]

As you may know, Black Clover is having an online exhibition. If you look at it here (has to be on mobile though) you see 0/20 and 0% in the corner. I saw the screenshots that some people shared also have zeroes and wondered... After some clicking around and struggling with Japanese, I’ve gotten a full score :D

So for those who want to know what to do, or can’t see the exhibition yourself for whatever reason, I’ve made a walkthrough that’s what it’s called right?

First, you’re asked to please turn on the sound and enjoy. There’s an ON and OFF option

Devil Possessed Work Is On Display. DEVILS AND ~THE DON’T GIVE UP MAGICAL EXHIBIT~ Black Clover 6th Year Anniversary Celebration

The Spade Kingdom’s evil devil hosts have set their hands on Black Clover’s online exhibition, the “Don’t Give Up Magical Exhibit”, from the 5th year anniversary celebration!? Only the “devil-possessed works” were shining a suspicious light in the transformed exhibition hall.

[yellow/gold box] To the Devils and Don’t Give Up Magical Exhibit >>

Asta has newly awakened devil power!? -- Together with the devil Liebe, get power to confront the invasion of the Spade Kingdom, including the Dark Triad!

[white/silver box] To the Don’t Give Up Magical Exhibit >>

Complete Revival of the “Won’t Give Up Magical Exhibit”!? -- Because of the Spade Kingdom’s invasion, the “Don’t Give Up Magical Exhibit” has ended up in miserable condition, but Nero’s sealing magic has succeeded in completely returning it to the way it used to be! Let’s dive into the work and explore Asta and friend’s “won’t give up magic”

I recommend starting with the previous year’s exhibit, so flip your phone to the side and click the white box with Nero on the corner..~

A little tutorial: you can click in the picture frames, swipe, and pinch the screen. Nero says “I’ll tell you if you get lost. Don’t worry.”

“Not giving up magic” isn’t only Asta’s magic.

Everyone who supported Black Clover will surely have the power of “not giving up magic.” Now, with your magic power, let’s dive into the world of Black Clover’s story.

PROMISE -- 約束 (yakusoku) -- The source of the power of Asta’s “not giving up magic” was a “promise” with his rival, who pursues the dream that they can never give up on, called “to become the Wizard King.”

Nero says “Tap the framed picture.”

This causes a little manga movie to play - about Asta and Yuno of course. Their promise, words exchanged at the dungeon, that time they saved Hage, and times they fought side by side in the Elf Arc are shown. When it comes to an end, it displays this manga spread:

Nero says “Tap the demon’s bones...”

This plays a manga movie about Licht’s and Lumiere’s tragic battle...

Nero says “Tap the icon on the upper left to return to the original world.”

You’ll be taken back the Promise screen and should now have 1/20 at the bottom corner

PRIDE -- 誇り (hokori) -- Magic Knight Squads that protect the world with magical power. The Wizard King with the magic knight captains whom he brings together. It is that “pride” built up due to their overwhelming achievements that is the source of power.

Again, tap the framed pictures. A slideshow of their most prominent moments (before the timeskip) play. At the end is a panel of their most impressive spell at least that’s what I think they were trying to do here?

Nero says “You want to know more about your comrades right”

Tap the yellow button next to her (it says “see details+”). This pops up:

At the top is their type of magic. Then a short description about them. The rest is mostly stats that were already in their manga profile’s + a little extra. In order it’s: {their name ☘, age, height, birthday, sign, blood type, favorite thing, birthplace, and rank}

Yami’s birthplace is the Land of the Sun; Dorothy’s is the Witch’s Forest; Jack’s is in the Common Realm; everyone else was born in the Noble Realm

COMPLEX -- 劣等感 (rettoukan) -- A person who can deal with their “inferiority complex” is also a blessed person who has the chance to become stronger than anyone else.

*note: the kanji specifically refers to “inferiority complex”

A manga movie about her struggles with magic plays, then switches to this:

Nero says “Pinch out and move forward.”

As you “zoom in” panels of Noelle’s development with spells, from Sea Dragon’s Lair to Valkyrie Dress, rotate around, ending with:

“I... won....!!”

FRIENDSHIP -- 絆 (kizuna) -- For their precious friends, sometimes a person can even go as far as surpassing their limits. A magic blow vested with the “bonds” of friends has defeated any despair.

*note: the kanji means “bonds (between people)”

Nero says “If you look at all the framed pictures of bonds…”

When you click on each framed picture, you get panels like in the Complex section but these one’s don’t rotate

It focuses on an important fight for each Black Bull, I think one that emphasizes their bonds with someone and/or teamwork. Magna & Luck share framed pictures; Gauche, Gordon, Grey and Henry share another. Usually at the end you see the kanji for their magic attribute (Charmy’s ends with “food magic”)

Like with the captains, there’s also a panel of them looking impressive. Again, Nero says “You want to learn more about your friends right.”

At the top is their name, description about them, then Profile ☘ and stats in the same order as the captain’s in the Pride section. I want to note that Charmy’s birthplace is literally “?”

But Before You Finish Looking At All The Frames-!! swipe left and take a look 👀

Try to tap this~  Nero says “If you look at all the framed pictures, there will be something good.”

After you watch the 8th one, you’ll find that the middle frame has lit up

“Tap the framed picture” Nero says. A manga movie about the Black Bulls plays, showing their good and awesome times, then ending in the group shot of when they busted in during Asta’s and Nero’s trial --but wait!! there’s more!!!

We’re moving left-?! Omg SECRE-!??

“Well done, you undid the seal.”

“I will undo the seal with my magic.”

Sealing Magic

Inverse Release

LOVE -- 愛 (ai) -- The magic of Black Clover has been sustained by the “love” of everyone who continuously supported all the characters, including Asta and Yuno, and this story. Thank you very much for so much “love.”

That’s right: you just unlocked Love :’)

Tapping it opens up a high-quality image that you can download for yourself.

Nero says “It’s a commemorative wallpaper. It’s yours.”

☘ Instant Posting Magic ☘ Let’s share with everyone that we came to play Black Clover’s 5th anniversary project “Never Giving Up Magic” 📖 Use Instant Posting Magic

Tapping that opens up twitter. Nero says “Post in celebration.”

--but wait! there’s even more!! swipe one more time 👀

Zenon, what are you doing here? staring at a framed picture of the Heart Kingdom... Tap it, Nero says

oh shit

a preview of volume 25 plays

Click Here For Part 2~! ☠ 

※✧※

*Disclaimer: The exhibit used 諦めない魔法 (akiramenai mahou). Akiramenai is the negative form of the verb akirameru "to give up" and mahou is "magic." It's definitely a reference to Asta's "my magic is never giving up" line, and I guess it could be translated as "magic that doesn't give up" but doesn't that make it sound like he has magic? This becomes more of an issue when they begin to apply it to others beside Asta... So yeah, sorry that sounds awkward. Also depending on context and because I got tired of repeating the same phrase I changed the form from "don't give up" to "not giving up" and others.

I was using google translate quite a bit, after I looked up kanji by parts because I couldn't copy-paste the pictures (it was decent practice; I think I can totally identify the word "not giving up" now). This isn't an official release, but I did try to clean things up to at least sound coherent and give you a better idea of what's going on.

[otonymous]

A Bolt From The Blue (MLQC Shaw - NSFW) - Part I: A Matter Of Convenience

Description: An extraordinary man arrives to shake up your ordinary life Warnings: NSFW/18+: Explicit/graphic language & mature themes — reader discretion is advised.  Potential trigger warnings: robberies and mentions of firearms, physical violence, mild depictions of bodily injury, blood and masturbation, profanity Word Count: 1650 words (~8 mins of action, drama and the start of a slow burn 🔥)  Author’s Notes: This multi-chapter fic is dedicated to the lovely @op-peccatori​​​, one of the winners of my Follower Milestone Celebration!  Thank you so much, Nana, for requesting a mafia AU story starring everyone’s favourite lavender-haired man 😆 This is actually my first time writing an AU fic, and the experience thus far has been incredibly eye-opening and lots of fun!

For this piece, I wanted to localize the AU to better fit the world of MLQC, so instead of using a traditional mafia setting, the events take place in the milieu of the triads and “black societies” that are more likely to be found in corresponding parts of the world.  For those who are interested, Wikipedia has an incredibly comprehensive article on triads and organized crime.

This piece turned out to be much longer than I anticipated and is still ongoing as of the time of this post!  That being said, I hope you’ll join me on this wild ride 😂 As always, wishing you all a very happy read 😊

Jump to Chapter(s): Two | Three | Four

“Put the money in the bag and no one gets hurt.”

A black duffel bag is thrust onto the counter before you, panels wide open like a gaping maw.  You look up at the man in the bomber jacket and the only things you can process are:

One: his nostrils are flaring.

Two: why bother trying to be nondescript by dressing in all black if you’re going to leave your face uncovered during a robbery?

“I ain’t playin’ around, little girl.  Put the goddamn money in the bag right now or else I’ll shoot—”

WHACK!

The man’s eyes widen in the split second before his face crumples, teeth yellowed and uneven protruding in an ugly grimace.  His hand flies to his head, trying to stem the blood already streaking down his face when he collapses onto the counter, taking out a display of collectible miniature keychains next to the register as he does.  They scatter, some rolling across the floor before being stopped by a pair of purple Chuck Taylors tapping out an impatient rhythm on the linoleum.

You look up from those sneakers in a daze, eyes following the silhouette of a pair of jeans so worn in places you doubted the rips and tears were purely for aesthetic purposes.  And if you’d had to guess, you’d say that purple was your saviour’s favourite colour, given the lavender hair that fell over his eyes the moment he pulled back the hood of his sweatshirt, also in a shade of violet.  His other hand — clad in a fingerless leather glove — gripped the skateboard that had just connected with the head of the would-be robber, still groaning before you.

Pop!

You startle at the sound, heart slowing only when you see the pink bubble deflating between the young man’s lips before the gum is pulled back by the tip of his tongue.  And from where you stood — glued to the spot behind the counter — you swear you can detect the hint of cinnamon.  

He crouches, picking up the gun that had slid out of the thief’s hand when he was unceremoniously hit from behind, and when he chuckles — the sound dangerous and cocksure — it ignites something deep within you.

“Tsk, tsk.  Can’t very well go around robbing people with toys guns, now can you?  Especially not on my turf.  Piece of advice: don’t mess with Boss Li’s territory or else I’ll be doing more than just breaking your head the next time around.  Don’t let me catch you here again.”  

Letting out a pathetic whimper, the robber snatches the empty bag from the counter, running for the doors in such haste he almost trips over his own feet.  The electronic refrains of the door chime still ring in your ears when you realize the man has already made his way to the beverage dispenser, one long finger pressing the Pepsi button before switching to Coke, both drinks mixing in the same paper cup.

Smoothly stepping over the mess on the floor, he places the drink on the counter right next to a smear of blood.  Mind still reeling, your customer service instincts take over.

“H-hello.  Just this?”  

He nods, popping a purple straw through the plastic lid before fixing you with his amber eyes as he pays, a hint of a smirk on his face.  And that is when it hits you that he is actually…actually…

…incredibly gorgeous.

An intense wave of heat washes over your face and you can’t help but look down.  By the time you’ve worked up the courage to lift your head again, he is already at the door, merging with the dark night beyond.  He throws up one hand in goodbye, not even bothering to look back when he says, “Relax.  That guy won’t be bothering you again.”

You hear his skateboard hit the pavement, listen to it rolling away.  Only when the sound completely fades do you remember to breathe.

There was a certain tranquility in working late-night shifts at the 24-hour convenience store — aisles empty save for the occasional customer breaking the monotony: high-strung lovers grabbing last-minute condoms and overworked salarymen buying the beer and discounted meals they subsisted on.

And though your coworkers complained bitterly about the graveyard shift, they were more than happy to pass them on to you, making up every excuse as to why they were unable to show up during those times.  It was unnecessary, really.  You didn’t mind it, even preferred the solitary calm it afforded.

Until now.

Your peace has been shattered, replaced by something that made your hands ball into nervous fists — fingers gripping at the hem of your polyester uniform and wondering for the first time ever whether blue stripes made you look ridiculous.

Because for the first time in a very long while, there was something, someone, to look forward to.

Night after night, it’s the same.  Repeated glances at the clock above the magazine rack, your breath growing shallow to see it approach 1:30.  Heart leaping into your throat to hear the automatic doors slide open followed by the scuff of purple sneakers, tracing a path through the store.

Since the night of that foiled robbery attempt a month ago, he has visited like clockwork and you still haven’t figured out how to remain calm.  So you find contentment from behind the safety of the counter, watching the man with lavender hair — soft, even when lit beneath a harsh fluorescent glare as he stands at the drink dispenser, always filling a cup with Pepsi first, then Coke.

Only ever buying the same thing every time.

This strange ritual lasts all of ten minutes, fifteen at most.  And it takes just as long after he leaves for the hairs of your body to cease standing on end, as if electrified by the intensity of his eyes on yours.  

That gaze of molten gold stays with you even when you return home in the early morning hours, pulling blackout curtains across your window before falling into bed to pretend your hands were his: tracing the outline of your lips, caressing the swell of your breasts, dipping between your legs.

And when your breath falters in a quick succession of shudders, you wonder at your own sanity.  Because in spite of your suspicions about the guy with the purple hair, the warning signs that pointed to his obvious involvement with the triads that extorted money from local businesses as ‘protection fees,’ you still couldn’t help but think about the man who visited you every night without fail.

“You’re hurt—”

“I-I’m fine.  Just…just ring this up, will ya?  I’m…in a rush…”

One arm crossed over his abdomen, he places the cup onto the counter as if it took all the concentration in the world — his efforts squandered anyways when his hand spasms at the last minute to send dark liquid sloshing over the lip.  He hadn’t even bothered to put a lid on.

“…Emergency responders have just arrived on scene and are dealing with scores of injuries.  Eyewitnesses describe what appears to have been a violent clash between rival gangs in a longstanding feud over contested territory.  The police are seeking help from the public in locating several key suspects believed to have fled the scene.  Please do not approach them under any circumstances as they are considered armed and dangerous…”

The news anchor’s face on the wall-mounted television is replaced by another: that of a youthful man with lavender hair and multiple piercings on his ears — challenge exuding from amber eyes.  You scramble for the remote on the shelf behind you, mashing the power button until the screen goes black.  And in the eerie silence that descends upon the store, all you can focus on is the laboured breathing of the man slouched before you.

Skin pale, beads of sweat dot a face drained of colour save for the crimson protrusion above his left eye — soon set to transform, ironically, into his favourite shade of purple.  He tries to suppress a cough but it is too late: you’ve already caught sight of the blood spreading out from beneath the palm pressed to his stomach.

“It’s on me tonight.”

The words leave your lips without second thought as you make for the storefront, flipping the light switch even as you reach to turn the lock on the automatic doors.

“No, don’t…don’t get yourself involved…”

Ignoring his protests, you gingerly place his arm over your shoulder, doing your best to support his weight as you make an awkward attempt to hobble together towards the back of the store.

Suddenly, the darkened interior is lit by flashes of red and blue and you are pulled in the direction of the nearest pillar, a strong arm flexed as it tenses around your waist, holding you to him in an intimate embrace.

He is close…so close that your senses are flooded with him: the heartbeat thunderous in your ear, leather and sweat tickling your nostrils; the scent of blood thick enough you can almost taste it on your tongue.  The hand on your hip — grip firm in a way it almost seemed possessive, and you are ashamed to find that you can become aroused even in a situation like this.

When you finally gather the courage to look up at his face — seeking a sign in the tension dissolving from the firm set of his jaw that the police cruiser had passed — you are shocked to see his pale lips stretched into a smirk instead.

“You know...I’ve been coming here every day…for weeks now…and this is the most you’ve ever said to me.”

He is still smiling when he passes out.

Thanks so much for reading!  Hope you all enjoyed it and please stay tuned for part 2!  Check out more of my work here! 📚

(Updated): Jump to Chapter(s): Two | Three | Four

[help-i-need-a-cool-username]

Ive been reading a lot of AUs for marvel (both mcu and comics) and im surprised no one's done this because the possibilities are amazing. So a character(s) jump the multiverse, but the verse they end up in is the equivilent of a soulmate AU. How great would that be like you could rip a character's mentality right out from under them.

And this can work with any fandom that has a form of characters meeting different versions of themselves/their friends

Some unconnected ideas:

Character that is married or engaged jump verses and find out their soulmate IS NOT their wife/husband. Que panic over life choices

Soulmate verse!characters not understanding a verse that doesnt have soulmate culture

Character's verse counterpart's soulmate is dead in character's world. Their bf/gf think theyre a second choice

Characters from canon hearing "soulmate" and only thinking of their definition of it, leading to huge misunderstandings (ex. "soulmate" = "one true love" when in this reality it means something like "person who will have big impact in your life")

One misunderstanding could be all soulmates are romantic, so when canon verse sees a "couple" with a age difference (ex. Hawkeye and Hawkeye) they freak out a bit and maybe start avoiding their friend from canon verse. Later they find out most pairings are platonic

OT3s. Character(s) seeing themself(s) in a polyam relationship. Soulmate verse counterparts not understanding how any one canon verse character CANT imagine their life as a triad (or how many ppl you want) and are deeply hurt by canon verse trying to brush off their marriage

The OT3 one but two of the canon verse characters are dating/married. This makes every interaction with the third person mega awkward or hostile/jealous confrontational. Avoidence happens and that impacts their efficiency in getting home

A villain and hero match. Canon character doesn't understand how they could ever match with THEM or if they used to be friends its very bittersweet because its conformation they'll be permently tied together forever at constant odds with one another (ex. Professor X and Magneto, Peter Parker and Harry Osborn)

The character finding out their counterpart's soulmate is their ex-wife/husband and that even in a world with literal proof and a culture to match they still ended up divorced

First Name!Soulmate AU verse character 100% believes they've found their soulmate. Canon verse character seeks this persn out because in canon they're their gf/bf. Turns out they have the same first name but are a different person. Soulmate character freaks out and their gf/bf gets majorily upset and confrontational

Character finds out their counterpart's wife/husband is canon character's best friend they have NO feelings towards (uh huh) or it gives them the push to ask out their bff

[moonwaif]

So I've been thinking about some CQL crossover ships for Xie Wang, and one of them is XieWang/Lan Xichen. Long post with headcanons under the cut.

Also, like. I guess all of these take place within a xianxia/cultivation universe? More high fantasy than the universe of SHL. And none of this is based on novel universe for either fandom--both are strictly SHL and CQL universes.

Xie Wang/Lan Xichen (aka Zewu-jun can have a murder boyfriend, as a treat.)

The Dynamic.

First off . . . there’s no age gap. Both of them are adults. I’m not sure how old either of them are exactly in their respective canons, but. I just want to make that clear.

Both have been deceived/manipulated by people they care about. Interpret it how you want to interpret it, but they gravely misunderstood one of the most important people in their lives and paid the price for it.

The, "No matter what you've done, I can't kill you" one is dating the "But I can!" one.

Also, like? Pipa and xiao jam sessions? Matching outfits? Sign me tf up.

The early stages.

I’m not sure how they would meet. Perhaps Xie Wang is on an undercover mission in Gusu. Meanwhile, Lan Xichen has finally left seclusion so that his brother can go on a honeymoon with the Yiling Laozu.

When Lan Xichen and Xie Wang meet, I think it would be nice for there to be instant attraction. This can be on a physical level, but also on an intellectual level. They both have silver tongues, are intuitive, and are excellent communicators. I think these two kings would recognize that in one another just after one interaction.

However, they don’t trust each other. Xie Wang is probably operating under some kind of alias. Lan Xichen is more guarded now. I’m sure he still wants to believe the best of people, but life has scarred him. He feels like Xie Wang may be hiding something. Xie Wang, meanwhile, thinks Lan Xichen is just “too good to be true.” Someone with such a peerless reputation must be corrupt on the inside. I mean, just look at the Venerated Triad and how they ended up. Could the only surviving sworn brother really be THAT good?

But as time goes on, they see more sides of each other. It gets harder and harder to believe the worst about the other person. Xie Wang probably falls first, and falls hard. He likes Lan Xichen’s balanced outlook on life, his willingness to overlook rumor and reputation and make his own judgments on a person’s character. In an unguarded moment, Lan Xichen might imply that this has been one of his flaws or weaknesses in the past. Xie Wang just smiles at him and says it’s a strength. (Lan Xichen’s heart flutters, but so what? He doesn’t feel like he can trust his heart yet.)

Anyway, back to Xie Wang. He is impressed by Lan Xichen’s acceptance of Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian--particularly considering Wei Wuxian’s less than pristine background. I think there is a lot of good material here for some intimate conversations in which Xie Wang asks Lan Xichen about his opinion of Wei Wuxian, but he’s not actually talking abou Wei Wuxian--he’s really asking about himself.

The ordeal of being Known.

Nevertheless, Xie Wang doesn’t completely trust Lan Xichen yet, and he’s terrified of what will happen when Lan Xichen finds out who he is, but . . . Xie Wang still cares about him. He enjoys Lan Xichen’s company. He craves Lan Xichen’s praise and attention, and resents anyone who tries to steal it away. He wants their time together to last as long as possible. And inevitably, he wants to do whatever he can to help Lan Xichen succeed in his goals. Which, to Xie Wang’s surprise, have less to do with personal gain and more to do with making a positive impact on the cultivation world. As more time passes, it gets harder and harder for Xie Wang to play it cool and hold his cards to his chest.

Lan Xichen is touched by Xie Wang’s earnesty, enthusiasm and loyalty. It softens his heart. He finds himself growing fond of Xie Wang’s company, looking forward to his visits, indulging in conversations about music and art and calligraphy and politics. At the same time, he witnesses instances of violence and cruelty from Xie Wang that disturb him. It reminds him of Jin Guanyao--the red flags that in the past Lan Xichen either rationalized or ignored. It puts Lan Xichen in this awkward position of growing closer to Xie Wang, opening up to him, only to pull back suddenly. Rinse, wash, repeat.

Xie Wang, of course, doesn’t really know what’s going on in Lan Xichen’s head. Fortunately, he’s perceptive. As he does more digging into Lan Xichen’s past, he probably puts two and two together and realizes that Lan Xichen is trying to protect his own heart. However, he’ll also wonder if Lan Xichen knows more than he’s letting on--if he is perhaps aware of Xie Wang’s true identity, and that’s why he won’t open up to him. Or perhaps it’s just Xie Wang’s personal flaws. He’s always been too impulsive, too selfish, too distracting. Someone of Lan Xichen’s calibre may find these characteristics distasteful.

I actually think Lan Xichen may put the pieces together and begin to suspect Xie Wang’s true identity. If Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian are around, they would probably do the same and accelerate this realization. However, I am not sure that Lan Xichen would act immediately on it. He may instead try to give Xie Wang opportunities to come forward with the truth on his own.

Xie Wang will dodge all of these opportunities like “lol nope.”

Cat’s out of the bag.

Anyway, after lots of like. Cute moments, and moments of camaraderie, and moments of yearning and angst, things finally come to a head. Perhaps Lan Xichen finds himself caught up in a scheme that involves the Scorpion and a rival group. Xie Wang ends up having to take Lan Xichen captive in order to protect him. In this moment, Lan Xichen is able to see another side of Xie Wang--one that he’s only caught glimpses of before. Xie Wang is cold, domineering, calculating, and cruel. It’s sexy but also terrifying. Lan Xichen hardens his own expression and is quite distant to Xie Wang, which of course just breaks Xie Wang’s heart. But Xie Wang can’t show it just yet, not while they are still surrounded by onlookers. It wouldn’t be wise to reveal any weaknesses to those who are constantly at the ready to take advantage of any vulnerable bits.

As soon as Xie Wang can find a moment to be alone with Lan Xichen (truly alone, with no spies or eavesdroppers), he would sit down and speak honestly with him. He tells Lan Xichen that he harbors no ill intentions towards him or the Lan sect (or perhaps he does, at least with concern to the latter--it’s up to how complicated you imagine this kind of AU). And against his better judgment, the more Lan Xichen hears . . . the more he finds himself believing Xie Wang. In fact, he’s relieved that they can finally reach this point of honesty with each other.

Lan Xichen is terrified he’s making a mistake, but . . . he wants to believe Xie Wang. He wants to believe him so, so badly. After some difficult conversations and lots of promises exchanged between them, Lan Xichen relents.

Xie Wang is just absolutely delighted to the point of tears. All of his softness and sweetness comes back.

From this point on, I think we can see a power couple at work. Both of them are intuitive, intelligent and nuanced. They can work together to solve whatever scheme is happening. Collaborating brings them closer, honestly.

Xie Wang is reluctant to let Lan Xichen go, but does so. (He’s mostly worried about Lan Xichen’s safety.)

(If you want to make things really painful, you could have Lan Xichen temporarily reject Xie Wang. This would probably be motivated by Lan Xichen’s past experiences, when he continued to support and defend Jin Guangyao despite all evidence to the contrary. Terrified of making the same mistake--of letting people he cares about become hurt because of a temporary lack of judgment--might actually lead him to betray Xie Wang and reveal his true identity to the Lan clan. This would lead to a temporary and very angsty “break up” arc. The irony could be that Lan Xichen actually regrets NOT trusting Xie Wang or supporting him down the road. I would like to see something like this culminate in Xie Wang being injured/narrowly escaping a dangerous confrontation with an enemy, and Lan Xichen rescuing him, holding him close, and whispering, “I’m sorry.” GOD Xie Wang would just fall apart. The hurt/comfort potential. My word.)

Hurt/comfort potential.

At some point, Xie Wang might be injured or suffer some kind of loss. Perhaps he went after someone who was a threat to Lan Xichen in some way, and got himself in a pickle. He makes it out, but is the worse for wear. Lan Xichen, who is normally so polite and intentional with his words, finds himself losing his temper. How could Xie Wang make such a rash decision? Isn’t he supposed to be the Scorpion King for a reason?

These words push Xie Wang over the edge. He snaps back that yes, he knows he’s reckless--that he’s too impulsive--too demanding--that he’s always letting his emotions get the best of him, again and again. But he was scared for Lan Xichen. What was he supposed to do, just sit back and bear it?

Lan Xichen’s anger dissipates. He consoles Xie Wang, tells him that he’s not any of those things. Xie Wang is shocked speechless. He’s even more shocked when Lan Xichen admits he was wrong for speaking harshly and asks for Xie Wang’s forgiveness. “It was only that seeing you in this state unnerved me. I would not want any harm to come to you on my account. I’m sorry.”

Xie Wang melts.

Xie Wang drinks vinegar.

Being together means that Xie Wang and Lan Xichen are more intimate. They are moving physically closer, becoming more familiar with one another’s spaces. Xie Wang is very greedy for this closeness, and probably starts to become a little possessive about the things in Lan Xichen’s room. Keeping things tidy, adding decorations, sorting through things, etc.

Anyway, one day he comes across Jin Guangya’s hat by accident.

“Gege :+) who’s hat is this? :+)”

He begins to engage in a recurring fantasy where he slices the hat to pieces.

It’s just that, well. Xie Wang is intensely jealous of Jin Guangyao’s hat. He is intensely jealous of Jin Guangyao’s memory. Just hearing his name is enough to make Xie Wang lose it a little on the inside, like, “Not this b**** again.” But on the outside he is very calm.

Most of the time.

Look. It’s already hard enough knowing that someone like Xie Wang, the leader of a shady group of assassins, will probably never be accepted as a suitable partner for Lan Xichen. And this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. He’s been used before by Zhao Jing, the person who was supposed to be his yifu, the person who kept Xie Wang in the dark and only brought him into the light when it was useful. So Xie Wang can’t help but feel nervous that Lan Xichen will just want to keep him in the dark, too. Like logically, he knows Lan Xichen wouldn’t do that. Lan Xichen is a better person than that, he wouldn’t take advantage of anyone in that way, especially not Xie Wang! Lan Xichen cares about Xie Wang! But Xie Wang also knows he’s miscalculated in the past. He can’t help the nugget of uncertainty that weasels its way in.

You can play this up as angsty if you want, or you can play it for comedy. Maybe Lan Xichen receives a gift from a potential suitor. Xie Wang sees it and asks who it’s from. On his best day, he smiles calmly and says something like, “How elegant and thoughtful. I know just the place to put this.” (That place is the trash.) On his worst day, he wines and says, “How tacky! Gege, why do you continue to even meet with that old cow?”

Lan Xichen is exceptionally understanding and patient, although he does need to set some firm boundaries from time to time.

Jin Guangyao causes drama from beyond the grave.

Eventually Xie Wang is going to have a very off-day. And on this off-day, he talks about a topic that he should definitely have avoided, which is Jin Guangyao.

Basically, Xie Wang is not going to understand why Lan Xichen feels guilty for what happened to Jin Guangyao. Or rather, he does not believe that Lan Xichen SHOULD feel guilty. And he tells Lan Xichen this, very insistently. Lan Xichen, who has been coping through the good ole Lan technique of Repress And Don’t Express, becomes frustrated. His frustration builds when Xie Wang basically says that no matter what Jin Guangyao may have suffered, he shouldn’t have betrayed Lan Xichen--that Jin Guangyao even deserves what happened to him (and perhaps Xie Wang believes this last part, or perhaps he’s just being petty--it’s up to you). Lan Xichen almost loses his temper--almost. But then he just. Shuts down, completely. Like very coldly and calmly says something to the effect of, “I expected you of all people to understand me. I see I was mistaken. Excuse me.” And just. Leaves.

Xie Wang is a MESS. Honestly he would have preferred being yelled at. This calm reaction is disconcerting and makes him worry that he’s lost Lan Xichen for good. He’s also shocked at himself for being so purposefully wilful and obstinate. He was trying to be good!!

Making up.

Instead of pulling away, Xie Wang waits an appropriate amount of time for things to settle (lmao like 12 hours), then shows right back up acting like nothing ever happened. He’s very talkative and sweet, chatting peacefully about unrelated topics. He probably flits about the room, straightening this and that, then perches beside Lan Xichen. His heart sinks when he sees Lan Xichen’s expression.

Xie Wangs cautiously begins speaking. “About yesterday . . . I shouldn’t have contradicted you. I was being difficult and impetuous. Gege, please forgive me.”

And like, what is Lan Xichen supposed to do with that? Say “no”? Lmao.

Fortunately, Lan Xichen has taken some time to self-reflect. He’s a bit dismayed that he continues to act out of character with Xie Wang. Normally, he is so good at maintaining his composure. With Xie Wang, however, he continues to get caught up in his own feelings until he fumbles.

Anyway, Lan Xichen actually takes this opportunity to reflect and open up to Xie Wang about his friendship with Jin Guangyao. He tells him about what happened between him and his sworn brothers, where he believes he made mistakes, how he wishes things would have worked out differently. He also says that he sees it as a weakness of his own that even now, he isn’t able to completely blame Jin Guangyao. It’s not like this is Xie Wang’s first time hearing about any of this, but it IS his first time hearing the information directly from Lan Xichen.

Xie Wang takes his hand and says that kind of loyalty and kindness is what makes Lan Xichen dear to him, and is its own type of wisdom. Lan Xichen doesn’t completely agree with this assessment, but he doesn’t argue against it, either. He merely asks Xie Wang if there is anything else he’d like to know.

Xie Wang is a bit hesitant. Without meeting Lan Xichen’s gaze, he observes that Jin Guangyao and Lan Xichen were very close. He wants to know what place Jin Guangyao still occupies in Lan Xichen’s heart.

To be continued . . .

(Lol I ran out of steam for a minute)

[daily-dose-of-imagines]

Interactions

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Anon asked:  Hello! I am in love with your writing and hope you are aware of that!♡ May i request some general headcanons (relationship or just general interactions, maybe how they like to spend time with s/o) of the dark triad (Black Clover) with an s/o? I read the headcanon of the dark triad and the s/o of the magic zone and absolutly loved it. If you want to, you can write the headcanons with this s/o - it's interesting to see the dark triad with a power-equal s/o. Take your time and have a nice day!!♡

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Hi anon and thank you for requesting with us! I am so grateful that you love our writing, it makes me all happy inside! I hope that you enjoy these headcanons!

>Admin 𝕋

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𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦

So, for Dante, he’d be the one keep you by his side in almost every situation

Just cause he likes the way you fight

and how strong you are

he may not seem like it, but he would dote on you

he would give you anything you need or want

even if it means that you could get stronger, especially if it will make you stronger

a little secret

he likes how you look when you fight

kinda thinks its sexy

anyWays

he would want to go on little dates when you two aren’t working, and it’s a day off

he would want to see how you are in the real world, relaxed and such

Like, Dante, he wants to observe you, and see what else you can do

and he surprisingly thinks you are just adorable

like, he’ll kinda forget about how powerful you are and just focus on you

and that is when he will really start to fall for you

and unlike how ruthless he is with his enemies, he is soft with you

would give you flowers and such if you wanted them

he is loyal, and would want to talk to you about his day when he came home

like he is a big, scary puppy with a soft side 

but only with you

with other people, he’ll instantly bite their heads off

you are incredibly special to him, and if anything were to happen to you, he would go apeshit.

𝘝𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢

Ahhhh, Vanica, this little spitfire

at first she’d treat you like a dog

just someone she needs to use

but soon enough

as you spend time with her, and she spends time with you, she will start to develop feelings for you

and not in a servant and master relationship, on an equally powerful, can kick ass type of duo

she would be extremely impressed, and it just goes from there

she’ll ask questions about you, not just about your power

she’ll remember everything

she’ll take you on dates, where she planned everything, from dinner to watching the fuckin ducks for some reason, she saw it in a book

she doesn’t really know how this stuff works

but she really wants it to work out

so she tries

and you think it’s adorable 

how much she is trying to impress you

when she herself, is so respected and powerful

and for the most part, she has no idea how to court but she’s trying

she may hurt people in the process, so she can impress you, but she means well

𝘡𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘯

Zenon would be the weirdest out of the three

only because he can’t really express himself very well when it comes to

fluffy feelings, I guess you could call them

like for the most part, he is expressionless

but when you and him fight enemies or practice fight together

that is when he really shows you his feelings

his respect for how powerful you are

his ever growing feelings for you because of how strong you are, and because you know 

how nice you are, kind you are

 how you see him and see him

you know his quirks and his weird tendencies

and he notices that

to which he does back

and it leads him to want to hang out with you more

and want to know what you did in your pastime

and what your hobbies

he’ll also want to fight with you more

it’s his way of showing affection

and when you guys are fighting

he’d have the time of his life, just seeing how powerful you are

he’d be like a mix of Vanica and Dante

doting but not knowing what the hell he is doing, relationship

he’ll also be like really jealous whenever other people talk to you, he don’t like that

but overall, he’s an awkward puppy that doesn’t know what he is doing, in terms of trying to get you to like him.

[acnelli]

Fic Writer Interview

Thank you to @accio-broom for the tag!

Name: acnelli, but you can just call me Nelli

Fandoms I write for: I only write for Harry Potter. I started a Twilight fic ten years ago (don't judge me), but quickly dismissed it, because it was terrible. Plus, I shipped Edward/Leah and Bella/Leah, so I was surprised I got reviews at all.

As for my HP ships, Romione and Rarry (surprise!). I loved Romione since reading the books and knew they would get together since book 1. I craved more of their story, and if I have the time (which I don't really, atm), I read these two in every possible universe and trope. Through Tumblr I also joined the HPRomione Discord which is one of my favourite "places" to be. Lots of great creators promoting their stories/art there, offering help, and plotting stories together. Not just a great place for creators, btw. It's great for Romione-shippers in general (and multi-shippers are welcome as well. The mods work hard to make the server welcoming to everyone. It's focused on Romione, of course, but you won't get ridiculed if you ship Ron and/or Hermione with other people as well).

Okay, I did not plan to promote this sever so much, but here I am. You'll also find that I don't have much to say to the following points, so it's okay that this is a little longer.

Tumblr also introduced me to the Rarry ship (mainly @booigi-boi and @headcanonsandmore are responsible for that;)). I discovered some of my all time favourite stories through that ship, and while I always loved their bromance, it's just so easy to add romance to their wonderful dynamic. It's a rare pair, but we're responsible for our own fandom experience, so I decided to host the @2021harryronfest.

As for my other HP ships: pretty much all canon ships, especially Hinny and Remadora. But I also like Perciver, Linny, Wolfstar, Deamus and Golden Triad.

Two-shot: Well,...looking at my 16 one-shots.

Most popular multichapter: I planned some. And I really intend to write them, but the reasons why I rather sign up for 100 Fests, instead of writing my multi-chaps, I'll explain down below.

Worst part of writing: That I've got no time for it. I'm much more of a reader than a writer anyway, but finding the time and the motivation to write, is hard for me these days. Plus, I have to be in a specific mood for writing. I can't just sit down and tell myself to write something.

How you choose your titles: Is it weird, that I can't answer that? I usually come up with it while I write the story.

Do you outline: I almost never do. I wrote only one-shots so far, so there isn't much outlining required. With a multi-chap I should definitely do it, but I know myself. I just start writing and add things as I go. I'm lazy when it comes to writing, and just wing it (call me Ron Weasley).

Ideas I probably won’t get to but it would be nice: I'm kind of obsessed with a HP x The Queen's Gambit crossover idea of mine. I want to make Ron an orphan (yeah, that's the first hurdle I have to overcome for this...killing all the Weasleys. I don't think I can) and for his own protection they put him into a Muggle orphanage where he grows up with Beth. Together they master chess, and I kind of want to tell their stories about them growing up together and becoming each other's only family, about their time when they're apart (Ron goes to Hogwarts, Beth gets adopted), when they reunite again, them forming this sibling bond. A very different AU, so I've got two problems: world building and chess. I'm terrible at both things, so this probably will get very inaccurate and messy.

Callouts @ me: Don't put yourself down so much. You are better than you think. Your writing might not be top notch, but you're not half bad either.

Best writing habits: I think that I come up with really good ideas sometimes, and there are just some lines I'm super proud of. They come to me at random moments, and I always find a way to work them in.

Spicy tangential opinion: I have yet to be brave enough to write smut. But I love the read the realistic kind (nothing against pwp kind of stories. I would be a liar if I said I only read realistic sex scenes). And I think communication is key. No one is a natural at this, and logically the sex should get better over the years, because of communication! Sex is messy, sticky and awkward. And it's on both (or more) parties to figure everything out together. That's the kind of " imperfection" I love to read.

Idk who got tagged already, so I'll tag @constitutionalweasleymonarchy, because I read some great stories of her just yesterday.