#also EYE love when characters are silly awful hypocrites

[apple-of-my-pie]

some people think “you have no idea of her strength” was pointless narrative dickriding re: lestat but i think it was absolutely fucking perfect. praising his daughter’s virtues while memorizing the big speech he will give to defame her in front of a jeering crowd and condemn her to death

[kronofobia]

*BURSTS INTO YOUR ASK BOX*

Hello sibling! >:D I have a few questions about Homu, if you don't mind 😏

1. What is his race? (I probably used the wrong word for this, but i hope you know what i mean xD)

2. His favourite animal?

3. His favourite music/songs?

4. Favourite movies/shows?

5. Is he married with Krux? And if not are they planning to get married?

6. What is his sexuality? (You probably wrote this somewhere and i forgot about it xD)

7. Does his name have a meaning?

8. How many languages can he talk?

9. Favourite food?

Why is he so hot??

10. What does he like to read?

11. How did he get the scar on his eye?

12. How did he met Morro? Aaand if he took care of Morro does that mean Morro never met Wu? (Hopefully yes)

I guess that's all (for now xD) I'm so sorry if this is too much. You don't have to answer all of them if you don't want :3 (i'm obssessed with your oc thank you)

Also sorry if some questions are kinda dumb, and you probably already answered them in some of your posts 😭😅 i'm dum and tend to forget stuff easily ;w;

YOUR QUESTIONS MADE ME SO HAPPY!!! <3 YIPPE YIPPE YIPPEEE!!

Long post warning lol

1. His race... honestly, I didn't think about it. He's a ninjago oc, his race is up to your interpretation. That's one of the reasons why I usually stick to the lego yellow skin colour when it comes to drawing lego characters. Also, giving him a race AFTER I made him might not be the best choice either. His design and story was based on nothing, but my imagination. I didn't use any references. If I wanted to make a character with a specific race and nationality in mind, I would do as much research as possible BEFORE designing them. I wouldn't want to be disrespectful towards any cultures, even if it's just an accident.

2. FENNEC FENNEC FENNEC!! He absolutely LOVES them! Also, desert rain frogs. Silly tiny squeaky fellas.

3. Ooohhh, he's an absolute sucker for old love songs! "Everybody Loves Somebody" and "The Way You Look Tonight" are probably his favourites. He loves to sing along with the songs while working on his lampwork projects.

4. He doesn't really watch TV. But one thing I can imagine is after Acronix returns from the time vortex and discovers modern technology, he forces Homuko and Krux to watch "How It's Made" with him, because he knows that they would actually like it. (This can also work as a headcanon for the twins, without my oc. This series is literally 32 seasons of autism, of course both of them would love it.)

5. They aren't, but they... pretend to be...?

After losing Acronix to the vortex, they didn't think about officially marrying. Even if they wouldn’t had a typical big ass wedding anyways, without Acronix, they rather not even thought about it altogether. And as for the "pretending" part: having a loving husband fits for the sweet and kind dr. Saunders persona.

"If dreams can't come true, then why not pretend?"

6. Unlabeled/genderblind/doesn't give a damn💪

I honestly don't remember mentioning it anywhere, so fair question xD

7. Uhhhh... *nervous chuckle*

Aw yeah lack of creativity💪

Fun fact: originally, I wanted to name him Sandy or Sander. Which I quickly discarded of course💀

I really wanted to stick to the sand part lmao

8. Whatever language they speak in Ninjago. And a few Serpentine words due to Krux's obsession with Serpentine culture. (Yes, I hc Krux loving Serpentine culture. And Serpentines in general.)

9. Any type of noodle. But especially spicy ones.

10. Mostly non-fiction, but he would read anything if it's well-written. As long as it's not some cliché romance book. He absolutely hates them. He even mocked Krux when he found out he secretly enjoys romance novels in their late teenage years. But Krux also found out Homuko's appreciation for romance songs, and of course he immediately called him out. What a hypocrite smh

11. I would LOVE to drop this part of his lore here, but I also want to write a whole ass oneshot about it and now I feel conflicted. Let's just say he did everything to protect Morro. He's a cinnamon roll as long as you aren't a threat to his kiddo.

12. Morro did meet Wu and everything that happened in canon, happened in this AU too. Except Morro dying in a cave, of course. Homu and Mo met shortly after the time twins' battle. As a way of coping with losing Acronix, Krux and Homuko decided to mediate. While Krux meditated at home, Homu was drawn to the desert. And after meditating (which also helped him remember some stuff about his early childhood, but that's just more random unimportant lore), Homuko met Morro. In the desert, yes. Morro was still obsessed with proving Wu wrong, they wanted to train themself in the most unforgiving parts of nature. Such as a desert. And when these two met, they were extremely confused (*insert spidermen pointing at each other meme*), because what would bring someone to a desert?

After a bunch of talking and venting (mainly from Mo), Homuko went home and they just followed him. Without him noticing. The next morning, when Homu left the house to go to his workshop, he met Morro again. You can imagine Homuko's dumbfounded face.

"Why would a random kid follow me home?" Because you were the first person who actually understood them and not just pretended. You didn't say "everyone experiences that" or "you're just overexaggerating". Of course they got attached immediately.

So basically it was Morro adopting Homuko as his father, and not the other way around lol

Thank you so much again for your questions and feel free to ask more questions about this silly guy 🥹🫶

Also, don't you dare to apologize. I know where you live °^° /j /lh

[fisherrprince]

kip i gotta know how you feel about eraqus. idk why but i absolutely hate him. i despise this man. i want to maul him on site and i think he should lose custody of the wayfinders. get him away from them they deserve better. i am not including young eraqus in this i could him as a seperate character. old eraqus your days are numbered.

GREAT QUESTION I HAVE COMPLICATED FEELINGS ABOUT HIM. baby eraqus is a dork and a teenager and a stupid but very endearing young man trying his best and working with ideologies that don’t match up to his emotions old eraqus has had time to marinate in all of that and has NOT taken ADVANTAGE of it hardly at all. But he is still trying his best. But his best is harmful at the worst of times and often vaguely hypocritical. But he does love his kids. except for when he has other priorities. do you understand —

Eraqus. I feel. Is afraid. He has always been quick to abandon something difficult and something that’ll change his world for something safer. He’s afraid of Ventus. Not because he doesn’t think he can take the kid (obviously, he can hit the panic button any time he wants), but because Ventus represents danger, AND he cares too much about his old friend’s wishes and this sad kid that he has now to get rid of the danger right away, AND he’s too afraid to make a decision until he has to, AND he regrets it almost immediately. Eraqus wants the best for ventus and refuses to look the fact that it’s not possible under him in the eye. He’s afraid of Terra, for having a piece of the thing that ruined his life in him and he’s doubly afraid because Xehanort expressed his own fear out loud (that Terra may not be fit for mastery because of the darkness) and made that fear override the trust he tenuously had in his, like, literally adopted son. He trusts Xehanort because he believes he’s trying to do better, but he fears being wrong, he doesn’t want to be wrong. He can’t be wrong if he represents the Light. He’s on the side of light, so the things he does and decide on behalf of the light must be correct. Right? (He doesn’t have anyone left to consult with about this. No one is there to check him. He can’t ask) The only person he’s not actively worried about is Aqua, and even that’s kind of a lie bc he’s putting a lot of pressure on her because of it. Do you see. His actions don’t match his teachings. He cares too much, and it makes him make stupid decisions that weren’t meant to hurt the wayfinders, but were absolutely meant to harm, and he doesn’t see how those connect. It makes him! Rather frustrating lmao!!! It makes him harmful! He doesn’t get it!

So like. He’s a nice dad but not a very good parent . He, I think, really loves the wayfinders and had a horrible time showing it. I think they loved him back. They cared about him so much, he raised them, pretty much, he had a sense of humor, he let aqua make a million silly treats and wanted them all to succeed. He definitely hurt them. I don’t think Ventus is very comfortable grieving him and feels awful about it. I think Terra has weird feelings about him because he always wanted to impress him and it didn’t work when it mattered and then it worked, too late, once Eraqus was in charge again. I think Aqua can only start untangling what that relationship did to her as she starts being a master herself. You know? I can’t hate him. He tried so hard. But I can absolutely come after him with a mallet for being a colossal myopic absolutist idiot who embodies religious misinterpretation and generational trauma and also just puts his own personal trauma on his kids. Because he’s the last survivor of a dead society, SURE, but also because he’s stupid. Do you see

[jackoshadows]

The amount of big names in the fandom immediately discarding the strong possibility of Jon becoming king is baffling to me. They claim that Jon won’t have time for disputing over a title because he’ll be busy fighting against the Others and when duty calls he’ll choose to fight the Great War instead of ruling and that’s his fate. I ask: who the hell is more prepared to fight a war than a king? Who’s better at managing everything than the ultimate authority? That’s why it sounds so silly to me. Specially when tempered with “he loves his siblings, that conflict was solved, that’s why he’ll give up on Robb’s will”. Yeah, sure, George set that all up just for Jon to say “nope, I’m good”. That’s not how a complex story like ASOIAF works. Controversial but I have the feeling that they only say that as an excuse to shove Jon aside so S4ns4 can be queen even though she lacks half of the experience Jon has as a ruler. When they know they’re stretching it too far, they’ll say “why can’t all the Starks rule together like a sweet loving family???” so S4ns4 won’t be excluded and they can look reasonable and less awful in the eyes of the fandom for shoving Jon aside for S4ns4’s sake, like they used to do to Bran the Eternal Tree and Arya the Eternal Sailor. I personally can’t wait for Arya to crown him.

Exactly!! This is pretty much it.

And also, I would like to point out that these bnfs are also big Stannis fans! That's what so hypocritical and ridiculous about this. Jon's support for Stannis is entirely predicated on the acknowledgement that Stannis has the power of a king and therefore the ability to unite people, gather an army and make important decisions for the good of the realm. And Stannis knows about the threat from beyond the Wall and is still engaged in battle and politicking south of the Wall.

If that is okay for Stannis to be king, why does the same not apply to Jon with the only thing standing in his way being his bastardy?  Unless they think that being a bastard disqualifies him in some way that it does not for Stannis.

Also, the implication that the only reason Sansa would oppose a King Jon is because of sexism is 🤣🤣🤣. That’s right, book Sansa who has never, not once, pondered on the inherent sexism of Westerosi patriarchal ideals will be opposed to king Jon on the basis of it being sexist and not because Jon is a bastard. Classism and discrimination against bastards is totally okay - Jon should be precluded from power because of his bastardy. But sexism preventing a younger and less experienced Sansa from getting it over Jon? Oh no, how unfair 😱.

Jon is the oldest, most experienced of Ned’s children (the only one who can rule without a regent) but if he gets rulership in the North over Sansa, who does not know the first thing about what is happening all over the North - it must be the sexism that Sansa is outraged about, nothing else right? 🤣 The same Sansa who in the most recent book thought that because Lothor Brune’s birth was very low he would be a good fit for a bastard girl like Mya Stone....

And then there's the fact that they think these characters don't evolve and change at all over 5 books! The mind truly boggles. So 9 year old Arya at the beginning of AGoT going all 'eww boys!' and telling her father that she will never marry and have children apparently means that's permanent! And this is in a book series that liberally uses a rule of three, meaning, characters end up making different choices the third time.

Jon Snow himself is a perfect example of this:

Forgive me, Father. Robb, Arya, Bran. Forgive me, I cannot help you. He has the truth of it. This is my place. ” Jon Snow, AGoT

You were wrong to leave her, a different voice insisted. He wondered if his father had been torn the same way, when he’d left Jon’s mother to return to Lady Catelyn. He was pledged to Lady Stark, and I am pledged to the Night’s Watch - Jon Snow, ASoS

I want my bride back … I want my bride back … “I think we had best change the plan,” Jon Snow said. If this is oathbreaking, the crime is mine and mine alone - Jon Snow, ADwD

And there is also a deliberate ignorance of the chapter where Jon does make his decision to refuse Stannis. I have already written plenty on this - the reason Jon refuses Stannis’ offer to be legitimized as Lord of Winterfell is because the King wanted him to convert to the Lord of Light and burn down the Winterfell Godswood. Ghost’s timely appearance with his white fur and red eyes reminds Jon of the Weirwoods, that Ghost himself is a gift from the Old Gods and of his sworn oaths in front of the Godswood.

When Jon later brokers the marriage between Sigorn and Alys, their wedding is a mix of two cultures and religions - that of the Lord of Light and the Old Gods. Because unlike Jon Snow, Sigorn the magnar of the Thenns has no issue converting to the Lord of Light, as far as we know.

There is a clear difference between Stannis offering Jon Snow Winterfell and Robb Stark doing it. The emotional weight behind Robb doing it is simply immense for GRRM to not tackle that in Jon Snow’s POV

That morning he called it first. “I’m Lord of Winterfell!” he cried, as he had a hundred times before. Only this time, this time, Robb had answered, “You can’t be Lord of Winterfell, you’re bastard-born. My lady mother says you can’t ever be the Lord of Winterfell.” - Jon, ASoS

“Mother.” There was a sharpness in Robb’s tone. “You forget. My father had four sons.”

“Jon’s more a Stark than some lordlings from the Vale who have never so much as set eyes on Winterfell.”

Should I die without issue, I want him to succeed me as King in the North.” - Catelyn, ASoS

There’s every chance that we get a rule of three scenario here as well. I can foresee for instance :

1. Jon refusing Stannis offer

2. Jon’s emotional upheaval with Robb’s decree and wanting to accept it for protecting the realm with the power of a king,  but conflicted because there are some Northern houses supporting Rickon Stark and his baby brother is the rightful heir

3. Arya Stark turns up with Robb’s crown, names him king and we get Jon Stark, Lord of Winterfell and KITN.

And yes, for all asoiaf fans proclaim that the books are complex tomes unlike traditional high fantasy and subvert tropes and all that, it’s ridiculous that they box these characters into specific roles like the show did.

The TV show did it simply because it’s an adaptation which combined plots and characters for budget reasons and because D&D are simply bad writers. So, if Jon Snow was doing everything his book version was on the show, what would they do with Sophie Turner considering they binned the Vale plot for not having more book material? They can’t ask Turner to sit out seasons. So they take away from book Jon’s plot and skillsets, and hand it over to show Sansa. Same with Arya and Bran. They put these characters into boxes: Arya: Assassin, Bran:3ER, Jon: Military man: Sansa: politician.

However, that’s not how it is in the books at all. If one has read these 5 books, imagine how ridiculous it would be for book Jon Snow to take any kind of advice from the 13 year old book Sansa we last see in the Vale!!

It was already ridiculous on the show because of how badly they shoved Sansa into Jon’s plot. It was not enough that show Sansa was the ‘politician’, she also is suddenly a military expert and demands that Jon ask her advise on offensive battle techniques, instructs northern armorers on the best way to make armor and lectures Yohn Royce on the strategic value of castles as a first line of defense!!

It’s doubly nonsensical in the books. Just like most medieval and feudal European monarchs (from whom GRRM has borrowed) had an education that was as well rounded as possible, so too are the noble rulers and leaders of Westeros and Essos. Jon, Arya, Bran, Dany and Tyrion all have political arcs with military aspects. Dany, Tyrion and Jon have participated in military defensive and offensive battles. They have ruled and administered over city states and institutions. They have made trade deals and negotiated political alliances. They have used both hard power and soft power in their dealings with allies and enemies. Arya’s arc has intersected with politics - both southern and northern - since she left for KL. Bran had an entire arc as defacto Lord/Prince of Winterfell in Robb’s absence.

Jon, Dany and Tyrion are competent leaders in their own right in all aspects and if Bran, Rickon or Arya do need an adviser or a regent because of their age then that regent will be an older, experienced person - ex. Davos. Not the least qualified 13 year old!!

[journey-to-the-attic]

So you said in this post that the footsteps thing with Levi is one of the ways Ik seeks out the brothers for help when she can't sleep and I've been thinking about what the others might do ever since, truly their fambly will never leave my mind

Satan would definitely read to her I think. Ik curls up next to him and he picks something wholesome (I'm imagining him reading her The Wizard of Oz) and keeps on going until he's 100% sure she's drifted off. Sometimes he brings her back to her room, sometimes he just puts the book down and closes his eyes too.

Mammon would try to help Ik relax/tire herself out by playing card games with her, or failing that put on a really boring documentary film or something. Keeps an arm around her and tries really hard to stay quiet but can't help but keep commenting on how dumb and boring the doc is, but Ik drops off anyway. He does not dare move for as long as she's asleep so he'll just sleep there now as well

Lucifer initially tells Ik off for staying up when she comes and finds him in his study, then realises he's being hypocritical and lets her sit there in the office for as long as she'd like to. He also reads to her, but he's just saying whatever he's writing down out loud, the point is that he keeps like a low steady beat going with his voice that helps her drift off. Once she's out he brings her back to her room, being extra gentle so that he doesn't wake her up again

That's all I've got for now but rest assured I will be BACK with more thoughts :DDDDD

AW THESE ARE SO SWEET the fambly (love that word by the way) vibes are just top notch

satan does silly little voices for all of the characters while he’s reading and he can feel ik like,, vibrate slightly beside him whenever he does because she’s laughing at him - and then he can tell she’s fallen asleep because the little vibrations stop

one of the others comes in to tell mammon something the next morning and he immediately jerks awake and starts mouthing furiously at them to stay quiet do not disturb the kid or i’ll kill you

lucifer tucks ik in nice and snug and gives her a little kiss on the head before he goes back to his work :,)

[lovetenya]

𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐚 𝐢𝐢𝐝𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐜𝐬 (𝟐)

pairing: tenya iida x gn! reader

warnings: a couple of swear words. nobody’s angry or swearing at each other.

word count: 1.5k. i’d count it as a oneshot if it was more organized. :)

author’s note: thank you so much for the love on my work! your reblogs and comments make me so happy!! this one isn’t extremely romantic, but there is some fluffy reassurance. tenya deserves so much more love than he gets.

click on the star to read part one -> ✧

Dating Iida Tenya would ALSO include...

Tenya facetiming you to tell you all about the book he’s reading and to help with homework when you can’t be together 

He’s so passionate about his books! I mean, I hope so, because he has so many of them and I can totally see him thinking reading is a “worthy” hobby because it’s productive and “intellectually challenging”

Tenya: “I can’t believe the main character dies! That very rarely happens in literature! I wonder if the author was trying to say something about...”

If you’re not as much of a reader as he is, please act interested and show him you care what he’s talking about!!! He thrives on genuine interest because he’s familiar with being used for homework answers!! (more on that later)

If you thought his nerd rambles were bad, get ready for literary nerd rambles!!! They’re so much better!! (or worse, if you’re a hater)

He will proofread every single essay you write and read draft after draft and never complain

“Hm... I see where you were trying to go with this point, but your line of reasoning needs work.” 

“Is this claim evidence based? You really shouldn’t make assumptions without studying the bias the researchers may have possessed when gathering the data. It’s really easy to use the same statistics to prove two sides of the same argument and you shouldn’t--”

“Tenya, it’s a worksheet. It’s worth five points.”

“Even so! You should always put forth your best effort!”

He will offer his help, but vehemently insist that he’s not going to just give you the answers. No, you don’t get a break just because you’re his s/o. You’ve still gotta work for your grades.

He’ll make sure you’re the one figuring it out. (He wants you to succeed, duh. What kind of class representative would he be if he enabled academic dishonesty???)(A bad one)

People seem to forget that he tried to kill someone, had a sword driven through his shoulder and never really regained full control over his arm. Also, I’m pretty sure it’s confirmed that Iidas have to rip out their mufflers in order to grow new, stronger ones? That’s so scary? I think we should discuss this more. The man is a badass. He called Midoriya the famous “Mr. House Arrest” and called Bakugo a cretin??? He deserves so much more credit for his sassiness than he gets credit for. Just let him be a bossy legend, alright?

He would snap at you to start focusing when you’re studying together 

Don’t get me wrong, he likes you a whole lot, but he also cannot stand being behind on lessons and is not gonna let someone get between him and his hard earned A+++s

He doesn’t like to be together in the common room because he doesn’t like to be teased about the relationship he’s very proud of but very protective over

You’re both surprised you manage to juggle your hectic lives, but it just makes every moment more special

So you usually end up sneaking into his dorm room while he’s making rounds making sure everyone is safe in their rooms. 

(Okay so, I lied. This is the exception to the rule of ‘you don’t get breaks’. This time, he lets it (you) slide.)

He doesn’t want to be a bad role model for the others and give them any ideas, but he also doesn’t want to be a hypocrite

So if he were to see one of his classmates sneaking into someone’s dorm…. No he didn’t. 

He’s the kind of person that doesn’t care what his classmates do as long as they’re being safe. He’s not interested in the details. 

You often end up cuddled up in his bed under his blankets <3

His laptop sits on his lap and he’d put on a documentary, probably

He would ask you whether you came to talk or to watch the movie if you asked too many questions during it HAHA

“Why are you asking me about this? Haven’t you read chapter 9 in our science textbook? It gives a clear description of--”

“Dude. We’re on chapter four. How and more importantly, WHY are you so far ahead???”

“I was bored and wanted to be productive instead of letting my brain rot from idleness…”

“Oh my god. You’re such a nerd.”

He sticks out his tongue at you and pushes his glasses further up his nose at this blasphemous suggestion.

He’d pick up (or help cook) dinner beforehand so you don’t have to leave the room and risk being discovered!! (Even though literally nobody would snitch, he still doesn’t want to break the rules further than what he’s already guilty of)

I have a feeling he really like classic movies too and when you watch them together he’ll explain how they did all of the stunts or the special effects

He’d know every single word to a movie and would DEFINITELY recite his favorite parts dramatically, while still trying to make as little noise as possible

He’d do god-awful impressions and his silly exaggerated choppy hands to make you laugh

You love that it’s a side of him that nobody else gets to see because he doesn’t have very many opportunities to let loose and be a normal teenage boy

It’s just simple fun and it’s sweet to be there with him and to see him like this, especially when he goes into theatrical mode for his bedroom performances

Again, I’m mentioning the fact that a sword was driven through his shoulder and he allowed the injury to remain untreated because he wanted to have a reminder that he stood for something once. 

He had every opportunity to just have Recovery Girl kiss it better, but he’s too determined to be the best version of himself possible. He won’t forget the battles he fought to bring him to his inevitable victory.

Since his arms never returned to full capacity and he’s still in the beginning stages of recovery, his hand and arm cramp sometimes. He’s not one to complain about his pain, so you might have to pay attention to catch the way he hesitates to grab things sometimes, or how he flinches when he twists his arm the wrong way. 

He would never ask you to give him a massage, but if you did, he would be so grateful for the way your fingers seem to ease the knots of burning muscle. His muscles feel like corded steel underneath your hands, but they’re still extremely sensitive to touch.

He needs those gentle touches to remind him that he isn’t any weaker than anybody else just because he’s in pain. If anything, he’s stronger, because he’s living and succeeding through the pain that nobody else has. He hasn’t succumbed to the pain and he never will.

Everyone gets insecure sometimes, even Tenya Iida.

He needs reassurance sometimes that his classmates respect him and don’t hang out with him as a joke.

He just wants what’s best for them and doesn’t want them to think he’s being a hard ass for no reason or that he bosses them around for the hell of it

One day, you’re studying together and he’s visibly upset. You don’t want to press him though because if he wants to talk about it, he will. He does. 

He starts, “Do you think.. No, nevermind.”

You: “What was that?”

“No. It’s silly, really.”

“Please, Tenya, tell me what’s wrong.”

He sighs, knowing it’s no use holding it in. He hesitates, uncharacteristically nervous. 

He’s usually so sure of himself. This is weird, you think.

He says, “Do you think our classmates like me?”

“Like you? Why wouldn’t they like you?”

“Well, I’m not sure. Do you think they see me as a friend? Or just as their class representative?”

“Of course they see you as a friend, honey. For example.. you and I always hang out with Izuku, Ochaco, and Shoto! We’re all still classmates even if we’re always trying to one-up each other!”

With a raised eyebrow, he asks “You don’t think they just like me because I help them with their homework?”

“No way, Tenya. I’m sure they really like you for you.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Well, they talk about you when you’re not around--”

He blurts, “Really? What do they say?”

“All good things, nothing to worry about at all.” He lets out a breath at this (phew!) You continue, “They talk about how responsible you are--”

“They do not!” He sends a glare, but there isn’t any malice behind his eyes.

“No really! They do! They all admire you so much and they all wish they were as respected as you are!”

“Respected?”

“Yes, Tenya. They respect you.”

“Then why do they make fun of me so much? Just because I’m responsible doesn’t mean I don’t have feelings.”

“I know. They tease you because they’re your friends and it’s funny when you snap back at them. They’re trying to get you to lighten up a little.”

“Oh. They think I’m funny?”

“They sure do.”

“Hm…”

“I promise, honey. Your classmates like you, your friends like you, and everyone likes being around you. You’re more than just “a pleasure to have in class”, you know. And I’m not just saying that because I’m biased.”

“Thank you, my love. That made me feel a lot better.”

“Oh, good. Can I hug you now?”

“Yes, please.”

He pulls you into a hug and you both hum, content in each other’s warm embrace. You can’t help but softly smile.

thank you for reading! love, TJ ✮

link to my masterlist

[stina-is-a-punk-rocker]

stephanie perkins: ‘anna and the french kiss’

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Then again, if you’ve read any YA book, ever, it’s fairly obvious what’s going to happen.

I was going to go easy on this book; I really was. It’s really unfair how media aimed at a female demographic is seen as frivolous and vapid, and more often than not bashed and bullied when it comes to reviews. “People actually enjoy this crap?” ask the powers that be. “It’s worthless! Pulp! Dreamy-eyed nonsense only complete nimrods could ever like!”

And I take offense to that. There’s nothing wrong with liking romance or happy endings or stories about cute European boys. I was ecstatic when I stumbled across Anna and the French Kiss upon a chance trip to the bookstore. The cover was… meh (Century Gothic? Really? There were no other fonts?). But I’d heard nothing but praise about the book, and I was prepared to stay up all night and into the wee hours of the morning to finish it.

Admittedly, I was far from impressed upon the first reading. The characters were unlikable, the plot would’ve worked better for less shitty characters, honestly fuck these characters am I supposed to like them, fuck Anna, fuck Étienne, fuck Bridgette, fuck Toph, fuck Dave and Meredith and Amanda and Seany and every other stupid character in this stupid book.

The second time around, I expected to not hate it as much as I did when I first read it. It’s happened- I hated Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda when I first read it, and when I read it again, all that red-hot anger simmered down into an overall dislike. I thought To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was trash at first, and then I read it again, and it got promoted to recyclable waste matter.

I found Anna and the French Kiss horrendous the first time I read it, and then I read it again, and… yeah, it’s still pretty awful.

Le Sommaire:

Anna Oliphant is a seventeen-year-old wannabe film critic who is #NotLikeOtherGirls – so she’s exactly like every other female YA lead. To her credit, she never explicitly says she’s special… everyone around her does.

She has a pretty meh life in Atlanta, Georgia with her mum and little bruv Sean- and then her dad decides to ship her off to France for her final year of high school. I’m not judging Anna for bawling her eyes out on her first day; I’m a huge mummy’s girl myself and I’d probably (definitely) do the same.

Meredith is Anna’s next-door neighbor, who does that thing which only happens in YA where she’s like “Oh, newbie? Let’s be friends!” (Or maybe it does happen irl and I tend to make a bad first impression which is why no one has ever approached me.)

Meredith’s friends are: Rashmi and Josh (who are a couple), and Étienne St. Clair. Guess which one is the love interest.

Étienne is cultured in that white person way where he’s half American, one quarter French and one quarter British. A true international.

But- *gasp*- American-British-French boy has a girlfriend, Ellie.

Anna has an absolutely gorgeous punk rocker (yum) boy with sideburns (yikes) back home named Christopher. Also, Christopher’s nickname is ‘Toph’ instead of ‘Chris’ because he too is #NotLikeOtherGirls. Anna tells us that nothing will happen between her and Étienne.

Anna is wrong.

Meredith has a crush on Étienne. So does the Regina George of the school, Amanda.

Étienne and Anna have some moments ™.

♫ Everyone else in the room can see it, everyone else but Anna ♫

I tear my hair out in frustration.

Several other white boys vie for Anna’s heart. Anna remains blissfully unaware (♫ that’s what makes you beautiful ♫). Étienne (who is still dating Ellie, mind you) is unreasonably agitated by this.

Étienne’s mum has cancer btw, which excuses all the shitty things he does, because he’s just a poor, misunderstood boy.

Ellie dresses up as a, quote unquote, ‘slutty nurse’ for Hallowe’en, though- so it’s perfectly okay to dislike her (even though, in the first interaction she had with Anna, where Ellie meets Anna and Étienne, after Étienne takes Anna to the movies, Ellie is perfectly sweet).

Anna, however, is NOT a slut. Amanda is, though. And Rashmi’s cold. And Meredith’s desperate. And Emily’s a slut, too. And her friend Bridgette from Atlanta is a traitor. Anna has an intense case of internalized misogyny.

Anna’s friend Bridgette from Atlanta is screwing Toph, and Anna throws a fit.

Étienne and Anna have some more moments ™.

A truly chaotic series of events befall Anna. She somehow winds up dating Dave (one from the harem of white boys who likes her) to spite Étienne, she gets into a fight with Amanda, more drama ensues, there’s a hint for a spinoff, Étienne and her kiss, Meredith sees and feels betrayed… several misunderstandings and more bullshit later, Étienne and Anna wind up together, because true love conquers all.

Mes Réflexions:

(If the French is off, blame Google Translate.)

Usually, it takes me half a page of my notebook to scribble down my thoughts about the book I’m reading. This motherfucker took me almost an entire page.

Granted, a solid 30% of those notes are me throwing insults at Étienne, but still. ‘STOP STOP STOP YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND YOU DICK’ counts, right?

(That was #17 in my notes, by the way.)

For the record, I like Stephanie Perkins’s writing. It’s not as over-the-top and unnecessarily introspective as Jenny Han’s in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, and the interactions between Anna and her classmates were natural and not the “How do you do, fellow kids?” style of Becky Albertalli’s Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. The pacing is decent- I didn’t feel like it was too rushed; not the insta-love trope most YA romances unfortunately fall prey to.

And yet. AND YET.

Anna: “What’s your problem?” Amanda: “You.”

Same, Amanda, same.

Anna Oliphant is one of my least favorite leads in a book, ever. Étienne’s even shittier. And it’s not like Nick or Amy Dunne from Gone Girl, or any of the main characters from The Secret History, where readers pretty much unanimously hate them. You’re meant to relate to Anna, you’re meant to find Étienne charming and dreamy. I literally had to put the book away and calm myself down several times- especially in the last quarter of the book.

One of my main gripes with Anna is how… dumb she is. I guess Anna’s “Oopsies, silly me, I don’t know French!” is meant to be relatable to the readers. And some parts (like her not knowing how to order food because she can’t speak French) are plausible, but- sis, you didn’t know how to spell oui? And my idea of a cinematic masterpiece is Kung-Fu Panda, but even a dumbass like me knows that France is the film appreciation capital of the world. And yet Anna, a self-professed film freak, doesn’t?

Of course, Anna’s gorgeous, but she has no clue, because of course she doesn’t- even though she has multiple guys falling head over heels for her.

I’m in a short skirt. It’s the first time I’ve worn one here, but my birthday seems like the appropriate occasion. “Woo, Anna!” Rashmi fake-adjusts her glasses. “Why do you hide those things?”

Étienne is staring at my legs. The scales covering them throb under his intense gaze, and the pincers sticking out of my thighs start clicking rapidly in arousal. My hooves shiver in ecstasy.

… sorry, that’s not funny.

Her friends think Anna’s weird for wanting to write film reviews (which is the most contrived thing I’ve ever heard) instead of being the next Margot Robbie or whatever, but of course Étienne doesn’t and he thinks it’s not weird and cool and that Anna is such a special snowflake.

(Man, I sound like Amanda.)

And then we have this spiel by Anna about how she got into film critiquing (?), because we the readers need to know how special and #NotLikeOtherGirls Anna is.

To this, I say, “Piss off, you pretentious fuck.”

Of course, Anna’s a virgin and she’s never gotten drunk before or worn short skirts- she’s not a slut, she shaves below the knees only.

And would YA really be YA without several hearty helpings of internalized misogyny?

First up, we have the bimbo; the Barbie doll archetype whose only goal in life is acquiring the main guy (who is quite obviously uninterested in her), and making life hell for our protagonist. Amanda Whatsername (is she ever given a surname?) has this coveted role in Anna and the French Kiss. She’s blond (because of course she is); the first time we meet her, she’s in a, quote unquote, ‘teeny tank top’, and she also ‘positions herself for maximum cleavage exposure’. She’s always flipping her hair, getting her grubby paws on Étienne, giving Anna the stink-eye, being homophobic and a grade-A bitch.

Meredith goes batshit when Anna and Étienne kiss, and is very pouty and unhappy during prior Anna x Shittiene moments. Honey… he’s just not that into you. Rashmi’s the Ice Queen reincarnate and halfway to bitchdom. Anna doesn’t go as hard on them as she does on literally every other female her age in the book, though.

Rashmi looks at me for the first time, calculating whether or not I might fall in love with her own boyfriend.

Anna, hate to break it to you, but not everyone’s a possessive fucking weirdo.

About Cherrie, her ex-boyfriend Matt’s new girlfriend:

And maybe Cherrie isn’t as bad as I remember. Except she is. She totally is. After only five minutes in her company, I cannot fathom how Bridge stands sitting with her at lunch every day.

Her lifeless laugh is one of her lesser attributes. What does Matt see in her?

Even Bridgette, Anna’s best friend from Atlanta, isn’t immune to Anna’s anti-female propaganda. She’s screwing the guy Anna used to like, and Anna, the hypocrite, throws a huge fit.

For context: Bridgette and Toph are in a band called the Penny Dreadfuls (why is it with YA books and horrible band names? ‘Emoji’ from Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda was bad enough), and Anna + Matt + Cherrie go to a bowling alley to see them perform. After the performance, Toph announces that he’s sleeping with Bridge, and Anna confronts Bridge… onstage.

“… You’re welcome to move in when I leave again, because that’s what you want, right? My life?”

She shakes with fury. “Go to hell.”

“Take my life. You can have it. Just watch out for the part where my BEST FRIEND SCREWS ME OVER!” I knock over a cymbal stand, and the brass hits the stage with an earsplitting crash that reverberates through the bowling alley. Matt calls my name. Has he been calling it this entire time? He grabs my arm and leads me around the electrical cords and plugs and onto the floor and away, away, away.

Everyone in the bowling alley is staring at me.

I duck my head so my hair covers my face. I’m crying. This would have never happened if I hadn’t given Toph her number. All of those late-night practices and… he said they’ve had sex! What if they’ve had it at my house? Does he come over when she’s watching Seany? Do they go in the bedroom?

I’m going to be sick.

Give me a goddamn break.

Anna, about Ellie:

To my amazement, Ellie breaks into an ear-to-ear smile. Oddly enough, it’s this moment I realize that despite her husky voice and Parisian attire, she’s sort of… plain. But friendly-looking.

That still doesn’t mean I like her.

“Anna! From Atlanta, right? Where’d you guys go?”

She knows who I am? St. Clair describes our evening while I contemplate this strange development. Did he tell her about me? Or was it Meredith? I hope it was him, but even if it was, it’s not like he said anything she found threatening. She doesn’t seem alarmed that I’ve spent the last three hours in the company of her very attractive boyfriend. Alone.

[about Ellie’s Hallowe’en costume] Slutty nurse. I don’t believe it. Tiny white button-up dress, red crosses across the nipples. Cleavage city.

If I didn’t like Ellie before, it’s nothing compared to how I feel now. It doesn’t matter that I can count how many times we’ve met on one hand.

I fantasize about their break-up. How he could hurt her, and she could hurt him, and all of the ways I could hurt her back. I want to grab her Parisian-styled hair and yank it so hard it rips from her skull. I want to sink my claws into her eyeballs and scrape.

It turns out I am not a nice person.

YOU DON’T FUCKING SAY.

Emily Middlestone bends over to pick up a dropped eraser, and Mike Reynard leers at her breasts. Gross. Too bad for him she’s interested in his best friend, Dave. The eraser drop was deliberate, but Dave is oblivious.

One of the juniors, a girl with dark hair and tight jeans, stretches in a move designed to show off her belly button ring to Paul/Pete. Oh, please.

And I’m meant to like this character? I’m supposed to root for her?

I’m not saying every girl in the book should be perfectly sweet and friendly- that’s just not realistic. But when Anna has something judgmental to say about every other young female character… maybe she’s the problem.

In fact, the only girl I recall getting a pass is Isla Whatsername. And why do you think?

Brilliant.

And now we have the amalgamation of almost every fanfic boyfriend trope from 2014, Étienne St. Clair. Brown-eyed Harry Styles. I can’t fucking wait.

Étienne could’ve discovered the cure for cancer, or abolished poverty, or volunteered at animal shelters in his spare time. He could’ve been the most virtuous guy around (fret not; he decidedly isn’t). And I still wouldn’t’ve thought of him as the man of my dreams because HE HAS A BLOODY GIRLFRIEND.

I mean, which girl doesn’t want her boyfriend to say:

“I cheated on her every day. In my mind, I thought of you in ways I shouldn’t have, again and again.”

Fuckin’ smooth, bro.

“No matter what a terrible boyfriend I was, I wouldn’t actually cheat on her. But I thought you’d know.”

Such a gentleman!

“So you can keep dating Ellie, but I can’t even talk to Dave?”

Étienne looks shamed. He stares at his boots. “I’m sorry.”

I don’t even know what to do with his apology.

“I’m sorry,” he says again. And this time, he’s looking at me. Begging me. “And I know it’s not fair to ask you, but I need more time. To sort things out.”

And this gem:

“If you liked me so much, why didn’t you break up with her?”

“I’ve been confused. I’ve been so stupid.”

*me, banging pots and pans together* F U C K Y O U

“Ellie’s not like you, Anna; she’s a slut and a whore even though I’m the one who’s been thinking about another girl inappropriately and I’m the one who gets my knickers in a twist when another man glances in your direction because my masculinity is extremely fragile and I’m a total hypocrite and a dickhead.”

I mean, he didn’t actually say that, but that’s the gist.

WHILE DATING ELLIE: he gets Anna a book of sexual love poems, he calls her attractive (“Any bloke with a working prick would be insane not to like you.”) multiple times, he gets jealous whenever another guy so much as breathes in Anna’s direction and constantly interrupts such interactions, he’s been ditching his friends for his girlfriend but suddenly decides he prefers a new girl over said girlfriend, he thinks bread pudding tastes good- in conclusion, he is a Massive Fucking Prick. Though in hindsight, him and Anna deserve each other. They’re awful.

I had loads more notes taken down (Anna using Dave; “The important thing is this: Dave is available. St. Clair is not.”); the implication that cheating is okay because Ellie is bad or whatever, even though the sudden change in her character seems contrived because she was perfectly okay with Étienne and Anna hanging out before; how my blood boils whenever I read an American book and American girls are like “oOoOh AcCenT!!!1!!1!!”; me reading “DAVE SAYS YER A SLUTBAG” in Hagrid’s voice; the sheer atrocity of the name ‘Étienne St. Clair’ (sounds like a caricature of a French person)… but this ‘review’ is already pushing 3k and I can’t be fucked to expand on any of those points.

Verdict (which is apparently the same in French):

Who needs Christopher when Étienne St. Clair is in the world?

Speak for yourself.

[kieren-fucking-walker]

Hello! I’m excited to do this as I don’t rec much, reccing things terrifies me because I hate feeling like I’m picking/playing favourites and leaving people out, and I also am just generally bad at picking my favourites of anything because I like too many things too much. I also am very bad at bookmarking, keeping track of fics I read, and generally being able to recall the names of fics to be able to rec them. So, with all that in mind I thought I’d start with something easy, on the understanding that this isn’t by any means an exhaustive list and I’d be more comfortable with this being “ten fics I like” rather than a top ten because there are far far too many fics I love in this fandom to ever do a list of favourites. So, in no particular order: 

Ten fics under ten thousand words (that I love):

Hypocrite by Lynds [@gold-from-straw​] - Rating: G, WC: 1.6k, Pairing: N/A

Summary: How can Todd possibly expect to be forgiven if he still can't forgive everyone who hurt him? Why I love it: This is one of my favourite explorations of a very specific part of Todd’s character, and it’s worth noting that the characteristics are spot on. I come back to this fic over and over again, and while in many ways it’s painful it’s also real and honest and just a beautiful bit of writing concerning Todd and his guilt.

Dork Greatly's Holistic Laundry Service by obscureenthusiast -  Rating: G, WC: 2.8k, Pairing: Brotzly (kind of)

Summary: Dirk very generously offers to help Todd with his household chores... an offer which Todd eventually takes him up on. The laundry gets a little out of hand when Todd remembers a game he and Amanda used to play and Dirk enthusiastically joins.

Why I love it: Cute!! It’s cute silly fun of these two bonding over laundry and sock puppets, gentle ribbing and acting like children. It gets even better when Farah joins in, I’m a sucker for those three being dorks together. 

My Mind Is My Own Worst Enemy; It Keeps Trying To Convince Me That You Are by DontOffendTheBees [@dont-offend-the-bees​​​]  -  Rating: T, WC: 1.6k, Pairing: Brotzly

Summary: His voice is so familiar and yet also just so… wrong. There’s something missing in it. Some vital aspect of Todd that Dirk didn’t even notice until it was gone.

Why I love it: ANGST! This appeals to every single one of my angst tendencies, and as I’m using this rec list to rec things I love I have to give a shoutout to the most wonderfully angsty fic I’ve read. I love this fic. I love the premise, I love the tension, I love the way it’s written, I love how awful the situation is. I love the way this fic is resolved, I love that it’s plausible, realistic in that. It’s incredibly emotional in all the worst ways and that makes it one of my favourite short fics ever.

Cut To The Feeling by zaphodthebb -  Rating: G, WC: 2.1k, Pairing: Brotzly 

Summary: Post Blackwing rescue, Todd is awake and on guard duty. He's had too much coffee. Also, Dirk can't sleep.

Why I love it: I’m such a sucker for post-big-things fic and this one nails the feeling perfectly. You can feel the exhaustion, the way smaller things they didn’t have time to worry about before catching up to them now they can stop for a moment. Both Dirk and Todd feel tired and real and it’s just a lovely read. 

split the secret up by piggy09 [@sharkodactyl] -  Rating: T, WC: 5.1k, Pairing: N/A

Summary: He asks if Dirk can hear it and Dirk just laughs, the sound reassuringly human.Well, not reassuringly. Reassuringly would mean Todd had to be reassured.It’s just – it sounds human. Which is good. Because Dirk is human. Definitely

Why I love it: Why don’t I love it? The idea of the Blackwing subjects being Eldritch in some way is a concept I’ve explored numerous times because it appeals to me so much, and if it appeals to you then you want to read this fic. It’s eerie and unsettling, the ability to hit the tone of not-quite-right is perfect, the pacing is astounding and it’s so hard to write a fic like this and keep the idea together as well as it’s done here. I love experimental styles of writing and when they turn out like this it’s not hard to see why. I love this fic a lot. (I would also recommend reading on desktop not mobile because the formatting of this fic adds so much to it!)

Catharsis by ben8615  -  Rating: T, WC: 1.3k, Pairing: Brotzly

Summary: Dirk is broken as heck, so why not have him cry it out? That's it. That's the whole story. You can all go home now.

Why I love it: The title and summary say it all really! This is such a lovely little fic about Dirk getting some catharsis in a way we all know he desperately needs, and paired with Todd taking care of him so gently? It’s such a perfect, wonderful little fic that just feels quiet and safe and wonderful.

objects in mirror may be closer than they appear by sharlook [@aceabed]  -  Rating: T, WC: 8.8k, Pairing: Brotzly

Summary: You’re alone, with your arms wrapped tight around a pillow at god knows what time in the night, and there are tears running down your face because you can’t seem to stop thinking about it, not even in your dreams. And then clutching your covers you get an idea. (In which Dirk has nightmares about Blackwing, goes to Todd for help, and is really, really, really in love.)

Why I love it: This fic aches in such a beautiful way. It doesn’t shy away from the ramifications of what Dirk went through and how that plays out for him, his fears and paranoias feel real and present in a way I really appreciate. The choice to use second person is a really good one, it’s a tricky pov to pull off but this definitely gets it right and is better for it. The development of Dirk and Todd’s relationship, particularly looking at Todd’s reactions to Dirk’s worries through Dirk’s eyes is just wonderful and it’s well worth a read. 

Those Grey Days by TheRoyalPrussianArmy [@theroyalprussianarmy​]  -  Rating: G, WC: 2.4k, Pairing: Brotzly

Summary: The bad days weren't always days. They could creep up, like some small, silent predator and deliver a swift bite that poisoned its victim's outlook. A blue sky could turn into grey one heartbeat after a laugh. The gentle sound of the wind in the trees would suddenly become overwhelmingly irritating. Even so much as a door closing or footsteps across the floor could lead to a strong desire to cry and scream, to rage and throw things. They would always pass, of course, but in the moment they were devastating.

Why I love it: We all know I love a good Todd characterisation, and I love a good exploration of the shitty realities of bad mental health and letting other people help you with that. I really really love this fic for both of those reasons, it’s unflinching without being gratuitous, and I really love the way it doesn’t promise sudden miraculous recovery at the hands of someone else, but ends on a gentler kind of promise of having people be there for you if you let them be. Also I’m a huge fan of the way this is written, it reads so nicely and it’s more than worth it. 

Light Work by  juniper_and_lamplight  [@juniper-and-lamplight​​​​]  -  Rating: T, WC: 2.8k, Pairing: Farina

Summary: Tina had, with her typical blunt insight, poked at Farah’s motivations for baking the cake herself. “Is it some kind of control-freaky thing? Like you can’t trust anyone else to get it right?” And while Farah couldn’t honestly say no to that question, her real motivation ran deeper.

Why I love it: This fic is wonderful. I always think we need more Farah insights, and this fic does just that in such a beautiful way, catching on her idiosyncrasies and the character building is to die for. It’s such a simple idea and yet the story itself manages to be rich and full, the imagery is simply gorgeous and every little snippet of a look into Farah’s life as it was in the past and is right now just delights me. Honestly this fic will leave you with a sweet, warm feeling all the way down to your toes and dwelling in the comfort of knowing Farah is loved by herself and others in all the ways she deserves.

or make a home by reptilianraven [@actualbird​​]  -  Rating: T, WC: 6.6k, Pairing: Brotzly

Summary: “Perhaps,” Dirk says in his best ‘yes, I’m bullshitting you, but I’m your boyfriend and you love me still’ voice. “The universe wants it this way.”“The universe wants you to always forget to put the cap back on the toothpaste,” Todd says, unimpressed, screwing the cap on himself.-Or Todd’s adventures in dating Dirk Gently, the mundanities of which unsurprisingly turning out to not be very mundane at all (featuring, among other things: intergalactic wormholes, regular periods of lying down on the floor, and several annoying habits that concern toothpaste and toothbrushes.)

Why I love it: You know those fics you read that make you want to throw your face into a pillow and scream with emotions? Yeah. This fic is so ridiculously good. The beauty of mundane daily rituals that make up part of a relationship! The way those things grow together, evolving into each others spaces and lives, this fic explores that so well. The portrayal of their relationship is so soft and tender, so happy and bright and silly and sad and everything a relationship should be. Honestly I can’t overstate enough how much I love this fic, I can’t go on and on here, but I’m about 99% sure this fic invented love-in-small-spaces kinda way. Also, sidetracking from all my other comments, if you like Mika’s song Tiny Love and the reprise of it then you’ll love this fic because I listened to it and immediately thought of it. Beautiful, emotional, fic. If this fic was a blanket I’d burrito myself in it and never leave. 

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

There we go! I obviously have far more than ten fics that fall into this category and hopefully more of them will be cropping up over the course of this week if I can find the time to make that happen, but as this is something I’m lowkey scared of doing I’m pleased enough to have this much! Thank you so much to @dghdafeedbackfest​ for organising this!

If you read any of these fics and like them please let the author know! Also check out some of their other stuff, because a lot of these authors are writers I love in general! 

[animedorks-blog]

Ordinary Boy // Bertholdt x Reader x Armin

Fluff, very Angst

Songfic - Vanessa Carlton - Ordinary Day

•••

Just a day, just an, ordinary day

Just tryin' to get by

Just a boy, just an, ordinary boy but

He was looking to the sky and

As he asked if I would come along

I started to realize that everyday he finds just what he's lookin' for

And like a shooting star he shines, and he said

Watching him just inches away, you sighed in awe. Admiring his form while he sat calmly on the tree stump, head tipped a little watching the yellow and orange skies of the setting sun, as the wind softly blew his short hair in a relaxing breeze. A light chuckle coming from him made your day dreaming come to a halt. "Y-you were staring again." His eyes averted to the side of his to head, a small blush on tainted his face. You found it endearing seeing him still get all flustered around you. It was quite an adorable characteristic about your boyfriend. Yes boyfriend. It was also a surprise for Reiner since he always thought he had feelings for the blonde, stoic woman, Annie. But that didn't bother you, what did was that one time when you caught them in a serious conversation about what you two had. You couldn't recall what facial expression held within Reiner. Sorrow? Guilt? Why was he like that? "O-oh? My bad." You blushed in embarrassment, smiling cheekily lightly scratching your heated cheek with your index finger before walking next to him.

"H-hey...is it okay if I-I ask you a question?" He stammered out. "You already are, Bert." You remarked, earning a yelp and a deepening blush from him. You giggled at his reaction, nodding for him to continue his question. "W-well..let's think i-in a hypocritical situation..where we have to be apart.. What would you do?" He asked, awaiting for your answer. The corner of your lips formed into a small frown. Why was he asking something like this? "Why would I be apart of you, Bert? That won't happen." You laughed lightly, trying to ease off the sudden change of mood. His lips were formed into a thin line, "S-still... What if hypothetically one day. Just think. We have to be a-apart because it's b-bad for you. What would you do?" He asked again, eager to know your full and honest answer.

Take my hand, live while you can,

Don't you see your dreams lie right in the palm of your hand

Placing your small hands on the corner of his face, tipping his head to meet with your eyes. "Don't be silly. Like I'd want to part from you, Bert. I love you, and I want us to be together. Together in and out of this hell of a world we live in." You smiled at him, his eyes shimmering with tenderness. How lucky he was to have someone like you in his life.

"But even if we were apart, hypothetically, I know we both have a place on each others hearts."

If only you knew what he meant

And as he spoke, he spoke, ordinary words

Though they did not feel

For I felt what I had not felt before

And you'd swear those words could heal and

As I looked up into those eyes, his vision borrows mine

And I know he's no stranger

For I feel I've held him for all of time, and he said

Gasping deeply for air, your body jolted up from your bed. Beads of sweat sliding down your face while some sticker to your hair. Another nightmare...another death scene. A heated one.. But why did it felt so real? Glancing around the dorm, you sighed in relief, no girls were disturbed during their slumber. Feet padded against the wooden floor board before leaving the girls dorm. You needed to see him. Striding to the boys dorm, you lightly cracked the door open, enough for your eyes to peek quietly. "(Y/n)?" Eren asked, thank the walls it's him who noticed you. Seeing your shaken form he grew concerned. "Hey, are you alright?" placing a comforting hand on your shoulder. You nodded meekly, "C-can you ask him to co-come here? Please." You pleaded. Immediately knowing who, he turned his head upward to a certain bunk. There sat Reiner and your lover, talking whatever they were discussing about. "Oi, Bertholdt." Eren called, luckily no one paid attention to them making the situation awkward. Hearing his name get called, he and Reiner turned their heads to Eren, instinctively his eyes saw a familiar figure hiding behind the door. Reiner patted his back, gesturing for him to go. Bertholdt climbed down the bunk before walking towards you. He gave Eren a short thanks, pushing the door open to go out with you.

He flinched when he saw you all shaken and sweaty. "W-whats wrong?" He pulled you out in the open and sat down, arms wrapped around your shivering body. "I-I had a nightmare..." You sniffled, gripping his long sleeved shirt, remembering the horrible, realistic dream you had. "I-If you don't mind... What was it?" stroking your hair in comfort. "Promise you won't get upset?" Your teary orbs peeked from his chest, nodding at your question. "I-it was about Armin.." You began, not noticing a small frown from him. It's not that he hated the blonde male, the fact that you two were childhood friends along with Eren and Mikasa was fine, but knowing he was also in love with you was what he didn't like. Eren had told him the day you and him were official, not knowing how heartbroken Armin was that day.

"T-the Colossal Titan... He was there.." His eyes widened. "I-it was so hot...scorching hot..that's why I was sweating so much." You said. "A-armin.... He..." Your knuckles turned white from gripping his shirt. "He was..just laying there... Like he was dead and.." feeling your body shook in fear, he cooed sweet nothings into your ear to soothe you. "Shhh...You don't have to continue." he said, stroking your hair, cradling you in his embrace. "It was just a nightmare.." oh how he wish it all was. "It's not real." or so it was. "Why did it felt so real.." You muffled against his shirt. "I'm scared, Bert.." You cried, staining his shirt with your tears. Gently pushing you, he cupped your face, wiping away your tears, "I'm here, (Y/n)." His eyes locked into yours, filled with so much love and...sadness?

Before you could ask what was wrong, he pulled you in for a soft, passionate kiss. Gasping softly from his sudden out of character doing, you gave in and kissed back. The tingling feeling now dominating the the shivers of terror. Pulling away, softly panting, "W-what was that for?" You stuttered. "I just wanted you to know what's real and what's not." feeling his hand pull your head into his chest again, this time his hug was tighter. "I love you, Bert." You snuggled deeper. Little did you know he too, had tears forming in his eyes as a million apologies echoed in his head.

"I love you too...."

Please come with me, see what I see

Touch the stars for time will not flee

Time will not flee, can't you see

"STAY WHERE YOU ARE, BERTHOLDT!" Armin shouted, across the roof there stood your lover in all his glory. Now with a different aura. "What more do you want to talk about Armin!?" he shouted back, feeling a new strength from within himself. "Whatever it is you're plotting. It's useless. You yourself is weak." Clenching your teeth, you flew towards them, landing next to Armin. "Bertholdt please." You whimpered. Hearing you whimper, he felt his strength forming into weakness. "Why? JUST WHY!?" You wailed, catching both males off guard. "Is someone threatening you to do all this!? Anne!? Reiner?! Are they part of this!? Please, tell us honestly, this isn't you guys!" your hands fisted your your aching chest— aching from your heart being broken. "You still have a chance, Bertholdt! You're a good guy! Let's talk things through!" Armin shouted next. "We're not being threatened..we.. This is our mission. To erase this horrible history. This nightmare. This awful race." Bertholdt explained. Looking at you, feeling his heart shatter completely when he saw you crying for him. "I'm sorry..." raising his blades, "But you all have to die." He said, in Armin's reflexes he jumped in front of you im a protective stance. Bertholdt felt annoyance to the blonde, not liking him being close to you. Unnoticed, Mikasa appeared behind him as she swung her blade. Dodging s little late, she managed to slice a piece of skin from the side of his neck, before delivering her a hard kick on the shoulder that send her flying into another direction.

"Mikasa!" You and Armin rushed to her aid. You didn't notice the tear that slid down your lovers face before flying off and above. "He seemed different..." Mikasa muttered. "Was that even Bertholdt just now" Feeling your heart clench, you had to accept it.

"No...No he wasn't.."

Just a dream, just an, ordinary dream

As I wake in bed

And that boy, that ordinary boy

Was it all in my head?

Didn't he ask if I would come along

It all seemed so real, but as I looked to the door

I saw that boy standing there with a deal, and he said

No, it can't be. Landing next to Eren, your eyes widened. A burnt body. Just like in your dreams. "Armin?" You gasped, he couldn't. "H-he wouldn't give him the serum." You heard Eren choke a sob, you turned your head, seeing Levi kneeled down to a nearly dead Erwin, the injection just on his hand, glancing at you with pity in his eyes. The Titan serum, if he gave it either one can live. But that means...

You felt your heart thump, knees giving out as you chocked a scream. Just below Armin, laid Bertholdt. Limbs all gone, unconscious. "They would have to eat you..." You whimpered, Eren heard and quickly wrapped his arms around you knowing that his childhood friend would come close to the person who has hurt and loved her. "(Y/n)... Please don't..." Tightening his arms around her. "Please..." You pleaded, head bowing as tears streamed down your face. From the other side Hanji, who was also holding Mikasa back watched in sorrow. Mikasa and Eren shared the same answer just by looking at each other, you felt Even lifting you up, hearing the gas.

"No.."

His grip tightened.

"Please..."

For once, even a second. You wanted to be selfish.

He flew along with the others to the other side of the roof to let Levi finish the job.

"No, EREN PLEASE!" You cried, weakly trying to get out of his grasp. "I'm sorry..." He sobbed, continued flying.

Reaching out to your lover, everything seemed to be in slow motion.

"Don't be silly. Like I'd want to part from you, Bert. I love you, and I want us to be together. Together in and out of this hell of a world we live in."

Please come with me, see what I see

Touch the stars for time will not flee

Time will not flee, can't you see

Groaning awake, barely processesing the situation. Bertholdt panicked, where were his arms and legs? Where were you? He felt a strong pressure grab his body. "W-what!?" He yelled and gasped. That Titan.

Armin!?

"S-STOP HELP!" He shouted. "ANNIE! REINER!" He yelled on top of his lungs, until he spotted all of you on a rooftop looking all shock, and teary. "H-HEY! YOU GUYS, HELP!" He yelled at all of you. His eyes widened, when he saw you being held back by Eren and Mikasa. Tears still streaming down your face as you cried out his name.

"But even if we were apart, hypothetically, I know we both have a place on each others hearts."

He gasped at the memory, tears now falling from his eyes as his head was placed the Titans mouth. He heard you wailing loudly, and looked at you with teary eyes. He knew he'd end up in hell after everything he had done, but even so, he felt grateful he was able to experience the taste of heaven when he was with you. Everything you two have done until the very end, he cherished it all. Even though he was stuck with the idea of going home, you were his home.

"I'm sorry, (Y/n)." looking at you one last time. Your gasped when you saw a small smile form on his lips as the teeth of the Titan came in contact with his head.

"I love you." He mouthed before feeling his body shut down into complete darkness, hearing your heartbreaking screams one last time.

Just a day, just an ordinary day

Just tryin' to get by

Just a boy, just an ordinary boy, but

He was looking to the sky

"(Y/n)?" You gasped, jolting upward, breathing heavily. "A-armin?" You sobbed, he immediately wrapped his arms around you burying his nose on your hair, inhaling your scent.

Right after the retake of Wall Maria and the lose of the ones people loved. You were all riding a cart heading towards who knows where, but the war hasn't ended just yet. "Another dream?" Armin whispered, feeling you nod against his chest. He closed his eyes, seeing all of the memories Bertholdt has unfold in his head. All his feelings now mixed up with his about you. The love he had, added to the love he still has for you.

Opening his eyes, he placed his chin on top of your head, ocean eyes gazing at the sky. Familiar soft breeze from the wind hits him,

"Take care of her for me."

He heard his voice again. Gently tightening his arms around you, you could've sworn you heard Bertholdt's voice laced on Armin's.

"You'll always have a place on my heart. I love you, (Y/n)."

[firebirdsdaughter]

Well…

… What better thing to do when you feel like absolute crap in the morning and it’s starting to get too hot again? DX

Watch Ryusoulger! ^^ Subbed! XD

In no order and w/ many typos bc I am a dumb who stayed up to late and I have a headache. Also it’s almost eighty degrees here and I hate everything:

Aw, Asuna is playing games for snacks. ^^ Definitely think she has a very high metabolism.

This super cute, too, the kids hanging out and playing carnival games. Asuna asking Melto for advice. XD Ah, my babies.

Aw, it’s sweet that everyone claps.

A year’s worth of snacks is that little? I think they might be underestimating Asuna’s eating speed. And mine.

Melto’s pouting bc he feels like his advice wasn’t needed. Aw, don’t feel bad, sweetie, she wouldn’t have asked if she didn’t want to hear it.

Okay, this is fine. Could have been… Hm, but Asuna clearly wasn’t afraid at all, and looked annoyed, which is in line w/ her character, and Mori jumped in very quickly—which is what I was hoping for, bc no way you can make me believe Asuna actually needed saving, but it makes sense that someone seeing the situation from the outside would want to assist someone they thought was in trouble. In fact, I’d say that Mori just saved those guys’ lives. Like, pretty sure she’d’ve cold cocked on herself if he had been a little slower. XD

And then he starts fighting them, and Asuna’s just like ‘oh, okay, I guess this is happening now. *shrug*’

Honestly, he didn’t seem to need help, so I don’t blame her.

She knows what boxing is? I mean, not the strangest thing.

Aaaaaand… Crayon the mushroom man makes another entrance.

Every time we watch the opening, I’m reminded that we still don’t know who hooded man is… I mean, they’ve got time, but I’d love some more hints. And while we’re at it… Actually, never mind. I think everyone knows where I was going there. XD

That scene where he approached the brothers is really getting at me, though… Like, not even Touwa has mentioned it? Which makes me very curious/suspicious.

Honestly, I like the troll Minusaur’s design…

Did you two try to call the others?

Kou, you doof! Though I guess he didn’t know Mori was there.

I really like that Crayon has trouble controlling the Minusaurs, it’s a nice touch and usually leads to funny hijinks.

I guess it was the force of the explosion that sent them rolling like that. That’s what I’m going w/. No way a Ryusoulger would get detransformed from rolling down a hill.

Aw, she’s so sweet. I’m love her.

I really like how she can be silly, but also a really cool, strong sort of ‘big sister’ at the same time. Anky Mom raised her well. ^^

Touwa, don’t be so defeatist!

Kou! DX Honestly though, that’s kind of in character for him to so… Hyper-focused, I guess?

Asuna’s face, though! Honey, just grab him by the ear and pull, okay? That’ll shut him up.

Not you, too, Melto! DX Asuna, grab both their ears! Just smack them!

I’m glad the point here is that they were wrong to ignore her.

I don’t so much blame Banba and Touwa there, bc they were just kinda… There? They could’ve called the other two on it and didn’t, though.

I am now going to hyper obsess about a single line in regards to my ‘Banba becomes everyone’s rock’ view. Bc he totally just kind of ‘reground’ the discussion there. XD

Touwa and Banba don’t even go here. XD It’s okay, I don’t think Banba plans on eating anything. He just got up bc everyone else did.

Aw, Tyramigo’s trying to comfort her! You’re right, sweetie. Good to try and be proactive. I say, like a bloody hypocrite.

It might have been wiser to go back in and smack them, but she’s justifiably annoyed at them so it makes sense she wouldn’t.

On the one hand, that drawing looks pretty good from where I’m sitting, on the other, I’m a perfectionist, too. And maybe the issue isn’t that it’s not ‘good,’ it’s that it’s not what he ‘wants’ it to be?

Asuna here w/ the very direct line of questioning.

Don’t tell him that! Though I do appreciate that the whole ‘she says the wrong thing/speaks too bluntly sometimes’ thing is more subtle. Like w/ what she said to Melto before and here. It’s not there all the time.

Other thing I like about this, is that it’s not ‘the girl can’t beat the Minusaur alone.’ It’s that ‘no one can beat the Minusaur.’ Yes, they fare a little better when there’s more of them, but it’s not bc Asuna is a ‘girl’ or at all ‘weaker.’ It’s that this Minusaur is quite strong. It wasted Kou and Melto before, too. Also the fact that it’s just reflecting their own power back at them (multiplied, too, I believe), means that it’s using their own strength against them. So the stronger the attack, the more damage the reflection does. After all, Asuna does absolutely fine on her own later, and even frightens the current General, and it takes three of them and the Kishiryu and some strategy to beat the Minusaur (and some of Asuna’s luck).

A plus mediation, Kou. You guys can discuss this later.

Crayon should really learn to watch his mouth w/ the Generals…

Wyzul’s incurable need for theatrics will become his undoing. By pissing off Asuna.

The fact that Banba does everything just slightly slower than the others, from drawing his sword to charging the Minusaur, just to be that much sexier is vexing and I love it.

Wonder what varsity jacket did to make Mori so pissed at him? Or… Is he a coach or something? If he’s a coach, he needs to be fired, though.

Wait, did art boy offer to punch a dude for Mori so that Mori could fight in an upcoming boxing match, but someone would still punch the dude? That’s so sweet, oh my god. DX

Nah, man, Asuna’s right. I think you’re overreacting a little. I say, like I don’t overreact every day of my life.

I’m sobbing. Anky Mom raised a good girl. Asuna is a princess and a damn wonderful big sis. She’s still dad friend of the trio, though.

Banba is dad friend of the whole team.

Melto is mom friend no matter where he is.

I feel like these three’s reactions are telling of their personalities. XD Kou just takes one to the face, Touwa dodges a bit the ducks for cover, and Banba blocks a little but stands his ground and somehow manages to avoid being hit by… I dunno, sheer power of sexiness?

I think I regret getting used to that word.

This is very much dramatic irony. It’s pretty obvious to the audience that it’s Wyzul—but Mori doesn’t know about Wyzul at all, or that he can shapeshift, Asuna knows about Wyzul and that he can shapeshift, but has no reason to think he’s here. I mean, sure, Minusaur, but Crayon has gotten left to his own devices before. And they haven’t seen him yet. Asuna isn’t the suspicious type, either.

Where they just letting Kou wail on it while they watched. I mean, I guess more eyes are likely to notice something, but it’s just funny.

Ah, it’s her injured wrist, that probably made things harder. It does seem like she makes conscious decisions when to put her whole strength into things, most of the time, w/ only the occasional slip ups.

Hey, not a bad plan, Kou. MistSoul is pretty noncombative.

Yeah, but not all the attacks went through his… You know what, I don’t care. In the positive way. I don’t care for positive reasons.

I love how they just let Kou wail on it again in Kishiryu Oh. Though I guess they couldn’t form anything w/out Asuna and Ankyrose.

Asuna here w/ the princess carry. True knight in shining armour. ^^

The new mecha suit actor is really good. The torch has been well passed. ^^

Also, pour one out for the miniature city set designers and builders! Technically physically possible, whatever! That was impressive! And how many times must they have had to build and test everything. And then there’s the effects. O_o I salute you, folks.

Oh, yeah, and… It’s HAMMER TIME!

Asuna for one of the best big sisters ever award. DX

I love Naohisa and his ‘ah! places!’ reaction to Asuna coming in. XD

They made a sign? And why is Ui wearing a helmet? I’m so confused. But this is so cute, gods love them.

Not all of them are smiling, dude. Banba has to keep glaring, it’s in his contract.

No it, it’s not. But he’s def not smiling yet. One day he is gonna smile, though, and I am going to implode.

 Okay, but has DimeVolcano just been wandering the forest giving deadly quiz shows? Is that what’s been happening?

Kinda like how the preview is like ‘yeah, new power next week!’ right off the bat instead of being all ‘mysterious’ about it or something. XD

Okay, who implemented a quiz into a Kishiryu? Why? Why does it rampage if you answer wrong? This seems like poor seal design, Ryusoul predecessors…

And apparently he can talk. They taught the Kishiryu to talk so that it could give quizzes. This seems like a lot of effort.

And the fact that the quiz thing is apparently such a thing that it’s featured in the historical writings that were found by palaeontologists.

Also they got my boys in the house again—I don’t know why I love that so much, but I do—and I just noticed Touwa is holding a mug. For some reason this is so important to mea, I will be including a picture at the bottom

Really curious as to how the quiz scene goes down, bc there’s shots of what seem to be Crayon and Myzul trying it, and shots of the trio trying it, but… What happened to the brothers? They’re there on approach, and there’s a shot in the online preview that seems to indicate they’re there in the scene where they’re talking to DimeVolcano, but they seem to disappear. Very curious what the actual scenario is.

That’s all, folks! Virtual fondu for anyone who read all that. I liked this episode very much, Asuna is wonderful and I love her to pieces. I was a little apprehensive when I first read the summary, but I think they handled it fine. Asuna did get to call the boys out for not listening to her/taking her seriously, which was nice. Sad we didn’t get Anky Mom, but there’s plenty of time for her to come back at some other point. Find it hilarious that Banba insists on sitting w/ his back to everyone during discussions. I am totally over obsessing over minor things, but I’m choosing to interpret that tiny moment (where he was like ‘but first, we need to figure out it’s weakness’) as something to indicate he’s becoming the ‘rock’ of the team. Kinda like Hikari? W/ the whole ‘anchor’ thing? He’s the most sort of… Like, ‘down to earth’? In a way? Like, they all absolutely can focus and be ‘serious’ and sensible about things, but they can also kinda ‘wander off’? Kou, Touwa, and Asuna will rush into things, each in their own way, Melto overthinks, so on and so on. Goodness knows what kind of nonsense Kanaro will get up to. And Banba can be the grumpy, stubborn, often taciturn rock that supports and anchors them. Did any of that make sense?

Bonus:

Touwa holding a mug. Bc it’s somehow funny and cute to me and almost implies the boys came over for lunch or breakfast or something.

Have also remembered my random thought about the possibility of Wyzul masquerading as one of the team this ep. I feel like the new info makes it a little unlikely, but not impossible. They’ve got a hostage, yes, but Wyzul does like to be tricky—case in point, last time they had a hostage. So it’s not impossible.

[imagineyourstars]

hey! I love your account aaa;;; I love your writing too! do you mind if I request could a scenario/headcannons for how Leo's s/o cheers him up or is there for him, and vice versa? Like when they needed it, how would he cheer them up? Or how he might get them to talk, since they don't like troubling others with their feelings (like him, if that makes sense??). I thought he needed it after the new story with madara,, Sorry if this makes no sense ;;; Thank you, and I hope you have a good day!

our poor Leo always deserves to be comforted !! thisis my first time writing something with serious Leo in it, so it was quite anice change of pace ! he’s such an interesting character… i’m so sorry it got a bit different than what i originally intended but it still very much fits the prompt, i hope you still like it !!!!!!also this happens right after the sub story with Madara you mentioned !! so interms of continuity it would be before Leo comes back to school ! - mod mademoiselle ♥

Your world was so shaken. Nothing made sense anymore,not since you’d received this text from Ruka, your boyfriend’s little sister.You’d read it thousands of times, by now, and you almost could recite it frommemory.

I don’tmean to trouble you, and I’m so so sorry if I disturb you but…. ! Would youhappen to know where onii-chan is… ? He went missing this morning and I’m soworried !

No, you didn’t know. You didn’t have a clue. At firstyou were angry at Leo. What did you tell him about irrational impulses likethese ? Why did you spend so much time trying to comfort him if he was just goingto keep doing as he pleases ?Your anger quickly turned to a feeling of betrayal: you thought you were his number one confident, so why does he still not trustyou ? Why can’t he just open up to you ? A very annoying little voice in yourhead pointed out maybe you were being a hypocrite. Sure, you don’t usually tellpeople about your problems either, but it’snot the same. You were desperately clinging to that comforting thought. It’s totallynot the same because you don’t want to trouble people with your problems.MaybeLeo is different. Maybe he just doesn’t trust you.

Those unpleasant thoughts kept haunting you,relentlessly, as the hours went by. Then they quickly disappeared, replaced bysomething even more powerful, even less pleasant. Something far, far worse. Fear.Where did he go ? Why hasn’t he called anyone ? What if something bad,something awful happened and he justcouldn’t reach anyone ? Endless “what if” situations, getting worse with eachpassing second. You were shaking, your hands tightly gripping your phone,desperate for something, anything.

You thought your heart would stop when your phonefinally rang. You didn’t know the number, but Leo had a habit of borrowingother people’s phones, so you picked up immediately, breath quickening.

“Leo ?! Is that you ? Are you alright ?!” Only staticanswered you, and for a moment you thought he hung up. Then you heard it. His voice. Barely above a whisper, but it was him all the same.

“… Sorry, I got lost. Maybe you could come and pick me up… ?”

You didn’t know what to say. So you opted to stay silent,content just drying Leo’s hair with a towel. He sniffled weakly, but closed hiseyes and slightly leaned into you. Of course, it started raining right as youwere walking back home with Leo. With no umbrella on hand, you had no choicebut to make a run for it. His wet clothes were dripping on his room’s floor,where he’d awkwardly hung them, and he was wearing his usual pajamas. He’d alsograciously lent you one of his t-shirts, which was big enough to look like a shortdress on you. Cold droplets fell from his hair on your naked thighs, not thatyou minded. Surprisingly, Leo was the one who talked first.

“Sorry.” That’s it. Just one word. He was pointedly lookingaway from you, eyes fixated on the ground. Then again, you were doing the sameevery time he shyly turned to you. Maybe it was the nerves.

“It’s fine. Just don’t ever do that again”, youwhispered. He nodded in response, not quite looking at you. You were trying tolook extremely absorbed in drying his hair, anyway.

You absolutely didn’t know what to say. Comforting Leohad never really been your forte : it’s like he doesn’t really want to becomforted. He’s always doing as he pleases, changing the subject or laughing itoff. But right now, he wasn’t doing any of these. He was just staring at the ground, his dirtyt-shirt one size too big for him. You could see his exposed collarbones, andwondered if he got thinner recently.Oh, that’s right, Ruka did tell you he wasskipping meals. But how should you confront him about that ? What should youeven say ? He hasn’t been talking to you for weeks now, holed up in his room,never going to school… What could you possibly say to break the ice ? How couldyou make him feel better ?

In desperation, you tried the first thing that came toyour mind. You hadn’t even noticed he’d taken a sharp breath as you were tryingto think of something.

“Are you alright ?”“Are you okay ?” He’d spoken at exactly the same time as you, and turnedsurprised eyes towards you when he realized it. You chuckled at the exact sametime as him, too, prompting another round of giggles. His emerald eyes twinkledhappily for just a few seconds, before his sweet smile disappeared from hisface.

“I’m good…. I just, I don’t know how to say it… Thismorning, I felt really…” He threw an imploring look your way, wordlesslybegging you to help him find the word he was looking for.

“Frustrated ? Misunderstood ?” you suggested, and henodded slowly.

“Yeah, a bit of both… I don’t know if Ruka-tan told you, but…”He slowed down, visibly uneasy about that part. Your hand unconsciously foundhis, and you gently squeezed it before even noticing what you were doing.

“Yeah, she told me.” She’d told you everything, whenshe called you on your phone. How Leo wasn’t going to class anymore. How thatmorning, everyone was shocked to see him sitting at the breakfast table, sipping ontea and wearing his school uniform. How he started to shake and shiver, oncehis hand was gripping the front door’s handle. You knew his father tried to motivatehim by talking rough, and even that Ruka started to argue with him, and that heeventually ran away.

“It’s so uncool. Sorry.” He was looking down again, apitiful little smile on his lips. You gently stroked his cheek, causing hisbright green eyes to peer inquisitively into yours.

“No, it’s not, Leo. You were scared. Everyone getsscared, you know. I do, Ruka does, your father does, everyone.” You gave him alittle smile, but he didn’t return it.

“Maybe, but you go to school. Everyone does. I’m theonly one who…” His voice cracked and he just mumbled before shyly turning hishead away from you. Hot droplets were slowly rolling on your thumb, still caressinghis cheek.

“Don’t be silly. You’re so brave, Leo.” He was alreadycocking an eyebrow but you tightly hugged him, effectively silencing him. Hewas just staring at you, arms still limp by his sides, tears falling out of hiseyes with each incredulous blink.

“You’re brave,” you continued, now wiping his tearsaway with your hand, “because you faced your fear this morning. You tried, Iknow you did.”

“But”, he croaked, “I couldn’t go and I just stayedthere pathetically—“ You kissed him, lips pressing hard against his. It wasmuch rougher than you intended, but he didn’t seem to mind and eagerly kissedback, like he hadn’t seen you in years. His hands were tightly gripping your sides, silently pleading you not to leave him. When you broke the kiss, his lips were red and swollen and he was panting for breath.

“Don’t ever call yourself pathetic, Leo. It was justtoo much at once, you need to take it much slower.” To your surprise, he shylynodded in agreement. His tongue darted out from his lips, and he briefly lickedthem, still looking dazed from the kiss. You took advantage of it to keep going.

“I’m with you, Leo. Right here, by your side. I’mgoing to help you, alright ?” He nodded again, now looking at your fingersintertwining with his. Tears were pooling again in his eyes, but he held themin, instead looking up at you.

“What about you… ?” he whispered, his long fingerssqueezing yours. “Are you okay ? Did I make you worried ?” Was he trying tocomfort you too ? You felt the corners of your lips tugging into a smile, and youburied your face in his chest, letting him hug you tightly.

“I’m good now that you are… Never do something likethat again, alright ?” Your voice was muffled by his chest, but he noddedeagerly, smiling genuinely for the first time in weeks.

“Promise. But you have to also promise you’re gonnatalk with me about it if you feel sad about something.” He held out his pinkyto you, and you took it in yours in a heartbeat.

“Promise. Let’s just always be here for each otherwhenever we need it, okay ?” He smiled brightly in response, swooping you in his armsfor a long and passionate kiss. When you surfaced, his cheeks were bright redand the two of you were gasping for air, but it didn’t prevent him frompeppering your face with happy little kisses. You reciprocated as best youcould, laughing at his attentions. That’s when a sudden question came to mind.

“Say, Leo… ? You called me with your friend’s phone,right ?” He looked surprised at your question and stopped himself mid-smooch.

“Ah, you mean Mikejimama ? Yup yup, that’s right, butwhy ?” He was tilting his head to the side, prompting you to giggle. He lookedlike a confused puppy…

“Why didn’t you just have him show you the way home ?It would have been faster than calling me !” Your boyfriend suddenlypouted, much to your amusement.

“You think I never thought about that ? I just couldn’t !He wanted to drag me all the way to Egypt !” For some reason, he added anothervery enthusiastic “Egypt !!” much closer to your ear, making you wince in discomfortand laugh at the same time.

“Yeah, I got it, Egypt ! So what ? It’s not like you’reactually going with him, right ?” Leo suddenly stopped pouting, instead lookingdead serious. And a bit apologetic, too. Uh oh.

“Actually, now that you say it…” Oh no. No no no no.Not another crazy plan.

“Wait, do you mean you’re leaving for Egypt ?!” Mistaking your shock forjealousy, Leo waved two plane tickets your way with a smile he hoped would beconvincing.

“No no, don’t worry, I have an extra ticket for youtoo ! So that you can come with us ! Mikejimama told me we were gonna see thepyramids and all, I’m so pumped ! Besides you’re coming with us ! There’s noway I’m letting you stay by yourself here ! And I want you to see the desertwith me ! And to watch our live ! We’re going to have an awesome live showtogether and also—“

You groaned, feeling an extraordinary headache coming as your boyfriend was still chirping happily about your impending doom. Leaving in two hours with Leo and Madara together ? Oh, for the love of God, no…

[libralita]

Title: When Dimple Met Rishi

Author: Sandhya Menon

Summary: Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Review:

It’s probably not a good sign when the only reason you want to finish a book is because you want to be able to write a full, in depth post about the abuse in this book. But my hats off to the narrators for the audiobook, they did a really nice job. I wanted to like this book. I saw it on Amazon a while back and thought it was going to be a cute, perfect for the summer type of read. But oh boy this was just an awful book.

I’ll get into the things that I did like. One was the scene where Celia and Ashish are telling the main characters that they hooked up. It was really funny and unexpected but made total sense. I liked how it cut back and forth between Dimple and Rishi’s perspective. Honestly the way the story was told from the duo-perspective was fine. They had distinct voices (Rishi was sweet and endearing and Dimple made me want to kill kittens) and it flowed nice.

Also, normally I would be more angry that Dimple and Rishi get together but then break up for really stupid reasons but honestly there’s much stinker shit to be mad at.

I’m happy that Menon wants to share her culture and give a new perspective. I’d love to learn about Indian culture. However, what I found annoying is that Menon writes as if everyone reading this book knows the basics of Indian culture. If you aren’t or have never lived around Indians then you’re probably going to have an annoying time reading this like I did. I don’t expect her to spend pages upon pages explain ever little detail but maybe spend a little time describe what the traditional clothes looked like or what exactly the food was. At the very least she should have translated the dialogue. Any time the main characters were talking to their parents I had no idea what they were saying. It didn’t leave me interested in the culture, it left me confused and I just kept reading on instead of taking the time to look into it more. It’s like if I were in Japan and writing a book where a Mexican character had a sombrero or was celebrating dia de los muetros, I’d probably have to explain what those things are because Mexican culture isn’t very well known in Japan.

Second, there are a lot of inconsistencies in this book. Dimple is introverted, nerdy, isn’t traditionally attractive (until she puts on a dress because yes that trope is still alive), is made fun of and comes from a culture that would make her an outcast. Yet, she likes to go to…parties. She wants to go to a college party where she will only know one person there. How is that at all consistent with her character?

Dimple’s parents are so inconsistent that I don’t really know what problems Dimple has. So the book starts off with us thinking that her parents are very traditional and they want her to get married and have babies. Patriarchal values and other such nonsense. But as we get to know her parents we see that her father doesn’t really care and wants Dimple to win the Insomnia Con. Okay, maybe it’s just her mother—

“Whatever you do, Dimple, I am your mother. I will always support you. I am always proud of you. Okay?”—Page 365

Nope. So…what’s her problem? The only thing I can think of is that because her parents lied to her about why they wanted her to go to Insomnia Con and…her mother doesn’t want her to dress like a complete slob. The first one, is sucky but really get over it. We don’t get to see if Dimple’s parents are learning to accept their daughter for who she is or if this a miscommunication or what. At the beginning of the book Dimple says they don’t support her and at the end of the book they say they do. So…what happened?

Also, she’s complaining about her mother wanting to find an IIH and that’s the only reason she’s going to Stanford but that doesn’t make much sense. Why would your parents, who aren’t that rich, send you to Stanford to meet a husband? Why not, oh, I don’t know, set you up with someone they know? Like that nice Patel boy! Why do they need to send her to Stanford? If I were writing this book, I’d make it where Dimple gets into Stanford but her mother doesn’t want her to go. So she asks to go to Insomnia Con to prove that she has what it takes to be a coder and they agree mostly because they know that nice Patel boy is going. Problem solved.

Finally, the main problem with this book. Dimple Shah. She is one of the worst characters I’ve ever read. First of all she’s so ungrateful. Her parents are sending her to freaking Stanford but because they “don’t have the right intentions” so, her life is awful. Rishi gets her a meeting with her Jenny Lindt and she then breaks up with him because they’re “too perfect”.

Second, she is so hypocritical. She complains about misogyny and complains that Celia basically has internalized misogyny when she’s been nothing but awful to her mother because of her mother’s values.

“Rishi rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. ‘I don’t know; she’s your mom, you know. I feel like if you were really hurting or really needed her, she’d be there for you without question. And maybe there’s a part of her she hasn’t shared with you yet that’s totally not what you expect.’ Dimple thought that was likely utter BS,”—Page 283

Rishi brings up the fact that maybe her mother has good intentions or another side to her. Dimple just brushes this off as BS and never goes back to think “hey maybe Rishi was right”. Another time when she’s being hypocritical is when the talent show comes up, Dimple picks a dance where she doesn’t have to do much and passes the burden off to Rishi without consulting him. She eventually pressures him into do it and he gives in. Then within the same scene Evan is pressuring Celia to do a dance in a swimsuit and Dimple says:

“‘No.’ Dimple reached out and put a hand on Celia’s arm. ‘Not at all. It’s totally up to you how comfortable you are with this, you know? It’s totally up to you how comfortable you are with this, you know? It’s not up to Evan or Hari or Isabelle. So what if she wants to do it? She’s not you, and you’re not her.’”—Page 237

Like what kind of horseshit is that? You literally just pushed Rishi into doing something that he may not be uncomfortable with but it’s not okay for Evan to do that with Celia? She never has any self-awareness at all. It never crosses her mind that Rishi also might have stage fright. Then when he turns out he’s not a great dancer she gets pissed like. It was your idea Dimple, not Rishi’s.

Now, time for the part of this book that I hated the most. Dimple is so physically abusive to Rishi and it just made my heart ache. She was just an awful person and I couldn’t stand it. Okay, so there’s a time when Dimple first meets Rishi and he says “hello future wife” it freaks her out and she throws her ice coffee at him. It totally get that, if some stranger came up and said that to me, I’d probably do the same. Then in the next scene Rishi goes to explain himself to her and she cuts him with a map because she thinks he’s continuing to be creepy and not taking a hint. It’s in self defense. I have no problem with that but there are several points where Dimple hits Rishi for playfully teasing her and that’s where I have real issues with. Especially how Menon handles it.

A little context to this first quote, Rishi and Dimple are on a scavenger hunt and they’re at an antique shop so Dimple is being silly trying on hats and things.

“She pretended to strut around, and, on impulse, he raised the Polaroid and took a picture. ‘Hey!’ she said when the flash popped. ‘What was that for?’ she reached out and punched him in the ribs seemingly as an afterthought. ‘Ow!” Rishi said, rubbing his side. ‘What the heck?’ ‘Sorry,’ Dimple mumbled, and it looked only half true.”—Page 71

This next scene is where Dimple and Rishi are working on the concept art for their app. Rishi draws zombies as the bad guys but Dimple says those are overdone and suggests aliens.

“‘Aliens?’ Rishi rolled his eyes. ‘You totally don’t have my artistic vision.’ Dimple punched him in the ribs, lighter than she wanted to, but he still winced. ‘Ow. You know, most girls just slap guys playfully on the arm or something. They don’t actually hurt them.’ ‘Well, maybe you need to expand your idea of how girls behave,’ Dimple replied, grinning. Rishi laughed. ‘Fair enough. And yes, I can totally do aliens since they seem so important to you.’”—Page 130

So both times Rishi is being playful, taking her picture and jokingly teasing her. Then Dimple chose to respond by punching him. She’s actually hurting, even when she’s “going lighter” she’s still hurting him. Also, this gives Dimple (and the females in the audience) the idea that if she punches Rishi that she’ll get her way. He let her get away with punching him and changed his concept to aliens. Then, the line, “expand your idea of how girls behave”. That sounds to me like the author thinks that girls hitting boys is okay and empowering. No. Thousands times no. That shouldn’t be your message. Your message should be it’s not okay to punch anyone. That is not an okay message to teach young women and no one in the story class Dimple out on this.

The character is constantly complaining about misogyny, at one point Rishi makes a snarky quip to a bunch of dude-bros about “casual misogyny”. So if just talking about a wet-shirt contest is casual misogyny, I’m guessing that Dimple is a straight up misandrist. There are times when Dimple says “Fighting is ever the answer” but you’re constantly hitting him to the point where he’s now use to it.

“‘That…you’re a little too obsessed with Insomnia Con?’ Dimple punched him in the ribs, and it was a testament to him having acclimated to her that he didn’t even flinch.”—Page 233

Seriously, I didn’t want Rishi to get with Dimple. I wanted him to find a girlfriend that wouldn’t constantly abuse him. When he called her an unkind person, I was so happy because she is. She’s a horrible person and this author is telling her audience very questionable things. This book would be a million times better if Dimple wasn’t in it. She’s abusive, preachy and giant hypocrite.

I felt like I was being trolled the entire way through this book because there’s no possible way an author could be this not self-aware. This is probably worst than Future of Us because I had to drag my way through this book. It put me in a reading slump. It was awful.