#also obsessed w the side characters like the writing is actually so good and the art matches it perfectly

[ri4naaa]

OH MY GOD GUYS / guys/ guys. my friend put me onto this manga and. it's been i wanna say 5 days since i started reading and i am on chapter 110 this thing is literally so beautiful. the story? wonderful. the pacing? perfect. the character development? on point. the character designs themselves? 10/10. like i cannot stress or gush about this enough it is SO good like genuinely oh my godddd please go read the fragrant flower blooms with dignity

[wandanatswitch]

Hour of the Owl

Pairing: Dowager!Queen Alicent Hightower x Targaryen!Fem!Reader

Genre: Angst w/ happy ending

Summary: “Love can become both a sanctuary and a peril”

Warnings: NSFW +18 minors DNI, age gap (reader is aprox 18, Alicent is aprox 37), step-cest?, mentions of targcest, fingering? (reader receiving) oral (reader receiving), semi-public sex, mentions of infidelity (not between the main characters), religious shame and guilt, mention of suicidal thoughts, emotional dependency/obsession, mentions of homophobia, kinda? Toxic relationship, manipulation, I kinda wrote the reader from a BPD perspective so she could have some traits. Let me know if there's anything missing! NO DANCE OF DRAGONS AU! Note: English is not my first language! And this is my first time writing a fic so please let me know what you think <3 Also there is very few use of Y/N! 

Words: 2.9K

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ ⁺

“May I join you, Princess?” 

The oh so familiar voice echoes through the empty gardens of the red keep perturbs your quiet late night stroll.

“Of course, Your Grace…” You reply while looking at the bushes filled with different coloured roses. “Is something the matter?”

 You wished to deny her, you really did… but as always, you failed to do so, you just could not bring yourself to say no to her, nor to reject her presence, the one that made you feel that stupid agonising passion that made you wish it was possible that two people were one. You wanted to be binded to her. You wanted to lay down under the same tree where you kiss her so desperately, and merge with her so you could never be separated from one another ever again.

She approaches ever so carefully, moving her hand slightly forward, making your hands faintly touch… An innocent mistake is what she would answer if you reproach her.

“Not at all” She gently caresses the edge of the rose petals in front of you. “I simply wished to know if you have received any letter from my son” A lie. “I know i have not received one since he left” Another lie. You knew for a fact that Aemond had written to the Dowager Queen, he told you himself in the only letter he had written to you, and you had heard Princess Helaena trying and failing to tell Aegon about what their brother had written to their mother… “Mother said he was vague , but that he was well… he wrote that he is not bored as he expected to be and that he is actually having a good time…” is what you heard Helaena say, but you stopped listening when Aegon groaned at his sister-wife’s words.

“What is your need to lie to me, Your Grace?” You did not look up from the flowers, you did not dare. “You always lie, at this point i find myself believing that lying is the only thing you know how to do”

That gained you a sigh from her “You are right, I apologize…” she whispers “I just wanted to be alone with you—”

“Please, do not say anything else and just leave” you cut her off in a hostile tone but whispered voice “You said it yourself, we are sinful. This is a sin. We are wrong and the Gods will punish us if we do not stop whatever twisted and vile-” she cut you off when she placed her hand on your cheek, caressing it gently with her thumb.

“I know, my darling but—” she tries to plead, but her words get cut off again. You step back, causing her hand to drop back to her side. “You always do this!” you whisper loudly “You always do this! And it is not fair that you get to treat me like a stupid toy that you only wish to hurt!” Tears are rolling down your face at this point, much to your dislike.

“I am so stupidly tired of this, and I simply cannot bear this anymore…” You closed your eyes and tried to be strong and take a deep breath, but it came out shaky and broken. “...I have two children, Alicent… What am I supposed to tell them when they see me cry in front of them because I just can’t take it anymore? That their grandmother's favorite pastime is to hurt me…? 

“Princess, you are speaking foolishly—” The Dowager Queen tries to say calmly, but once again, she finds her words being cut off.

“Am I?!” You are shouting at this point. The anger, the frustration, the pain, the hurt, everything, finally finding a way out. “Yes you are!” The older woman shouted, matching your tone. “My goal has never been to hurt you! Your pain is the last thing I would ever wish for! Ever!” “You are a liar! You have proven yourself to be—”

“I do not lie to hurt you, I lie so I do not lose you!” She starts to lower her voice, although her tone is still full of frustration. “I love you, you know that very well” “No you do not, if anything you despise me” The Targaryen princess tries to say firmly, but her voice wavers from the tears she has spilled “You would have to despise someone to hurt them like you have hurt me” You look at Alicent right in the eyes “Maybe is not me who you wish to hurt. Maybe you wish to hurt my mother and I am nothing more than a discardable piece to accomplish it.” Your breath quickens, your heart hurts and you feel like dying… you feel as if nothing matters anymore, and at this very moment you just wish to die. 

“You just cannot stand the fact that my mother is Queen, can you? And you are not only taking your frustrations out on me, but you are also trying to hurt her through me. That is what I am to you, right?”

“I will not allow you to say such idiotic, and simply untrue words” Alicent is angry. Angry at herself, angry at the Gods… but she is not angry at you, not fully at least. How can she blame you for thinking that? 

She should have been smarter about this whole relationship, the Hightower thought to herself. She should have never given into her sinful desires, but the want overpowered her… If she didn't know better, she would have thought that you were the reward the Gods had given her for enduring more than fifteen years of not only being Viserys' wife, but also a Queen… Turns out you were not her reward, but her damnation.

“I love you, Y/N” She states, her voice unwavering “I do. I love you more than i have ever loved anything before” The auburn haired woman lets out a tired sigh before walking closer to you. She lifts a hand to place at your waist out of pure habit, but she decides against it when she sees the anger and hurt still lingering in the younger girl's eyes. “I do not feel angry at the thought of Rhaenyra sitting on the throne, I promise you that. If anything, I am relieved… I do not have as much responsibility as I had before… And I do have more liberties too, the eyes of the court are not on me anymore, at least most of the time they are not… If Aegon had been crowned king, most of the responsibility still would have been thrown at me, besides I know he would have not been a good king…” Alicent fidgets with her hands as she continues “And the stupid anger i had for your mother, the foolish one sided fight i had with her for years… is over. I know the tension remains, but I promise you, Y/N, I do not hate her, nor do I wish for her downfall or to cause her pain. I wish her well in her reign.” The older woman’s hands grip the fabric of her dress in an attempt to keep her emotions at bay. “So no, you are not “a discardable piece”, Princess” The Princess does not know what to say, so she ultimately decides to sit at a nearby bench in complete silence. “My dear…” Alicent whispers to the younger woman. “I do not believe you.” The princess does not look up from the ground. “I do not believe a word of what you just said.” Alicent has to swallow a sob, but she cannot hold the tears any longer.

“...Why not?” The Hightower whispers as she tries to wipe her falling tears.

“Why…!?” You stand up from the bench and walk towards her, “Why do I not believe you, you ask?! Because like I said before, you have proven yourself to be a liar, Alicent!” The Princess looks up in an attempt to stop more tears to fall, but quickly realizes that it was a futile attempt to stop what she cannot control. “And because you have never once told me about what you just said. You never open up or tell me how you feel! So how am I supposed to believe you?!” The older woman tightens her lips before speaking up. “Alright. You want me to open up? i will.” Alicent steps closer to you and lifts both of her hands to place them on your waist, and this time she decides not to stop the action. “I wish I was born a man so that I could have you like your husband has you. I wish that I was a man so that loving you was not a sin, but I have slowly come to accept that I would gladly be damned to any of the seven hells if it means that I get to have you, to love you, or to even see your face every day. But I still wished that I was born a man… because it is not fair that my own son gets to have you but if I do as much as to touch your hand I will be considered a sinner by the Gods.” She sounds desperate… She looks desperate. 

“I wish I was a man, so I could grab you by your waist, and push you against a wall, and kiss you until you stopped breathing, and do it without fear” Her hands move to your hips. “….If I were a man, I would use you, I would spoil you, I would devour you, but above all I would love you without fear” Alicent’s grip tightens against your hips. “Oh, Princess… How I would love you… If only fate would have been kinder…”

You have stayed quiet up until this point, the words you are hearing have both made you feel like the most loved woman in the seven kingdoms, and the most doomed one at the same time. “...I do  not want you a man, I want you…” You whisper, but your voice does not lack certainty. “I want you as you are…”

Alicent’s eyes look at your own. She is looking at you with such love and tenderness… the kind that makes you melt and doubt if anyone has ever been loved like that before. “I know, sweetling…” The woman’s right hand moves to your tear stained cheek.

You look at Alicent with a pained expression “I love you” Your hand reaches her cheek as you lean forward for a kiss. You kiss her softly, trying to demonstrate with a kiss all the love you feel for her.

On the other hand, Alicent needs you. She needs to feel you, she needs to taste you, she needs to love you… So she deepens the kiss and squeezes your hips. You break the kiss, but not the distance. As you two look at each other, Alicent’s hands move up from your hips to your back. She wastes no time in starting to undo them with practiced ease. “Alicent—” She finishes unlacing your dress, making it loose on you. “Shhh my dear…  We will be fine…” The older woman utters before kneeling on the soft grass and extending her hand to you, a silent invitation.

As soon as you kneel, her hands are on you again, taking off your dress. You gently grab her face and pull her in for a hungry kiss, which makes her moan in your mouth. 

The princess’ hands are tangled in the Hightowers' hair, pulling her as close as possible, trying to become one with the woman that she loves oh so dearly.

As soon as your dress is out of the way, and you are only covered by your undergarments, Alicent’s mouth shifts to your collarbone, peppering kisses as she works on removing your undergarments. She was like a woman starved. She needs you, and you need her just as much. When your undergarments are not an obstacle anymore, her mouth reaches your breasts. She kisses the soft flesh with a mix of love and hurry, making your throat release sweet gasps and making your back arch.

Oh Gods, the sounds… They only fueled Alicent’s want more and more, and it did not help that your fingers had started to unlace her dress, making it each second more and more loose.

You needed that damned dress off of her, you needed to take it off of her just as she had taken yours off of you. You needed to feel her bare body against yours. You needed her in the way you have never needed anything else… In fact, you are sure that nobody else has ever experienced this kind of need and want.

Alicent continues worshipping your breasts as if they were deities themselves. Her tongue licks your nipple while her hand massages the other, and the moans that come out of your mouth are inevitable.

You finally manage to take the dress off of her, leaving her only in her undergarments… But still, that was more clothing that you wanted her in. “I think it is a little unfair that you have those on while I am almost completely bare, do you not think so?”

The older woman sits up a little bit, stopping her ministrations on your breasts. “You are right, princess… It is not at all fair” Right after she says those words, she removes the upper part of her undergarments, leaving her chest exposed to you. Your mouth finds itself immediately in her breasts… kissing, biting, licking…

A sweet moan falls from her lips , causing you to softly moan in return.

Alicent gently pushes you to lay on the grass, but not before putting your dress as a blanket for you to lay on, causing you to smile at her caring act. “I love you so much… I did not think it was possible to love this much…” You whisper to her, and those may be the truest words you have ever said.

“I love you too. More than anything” She lays down next to you, and instantly kisses you again while she runs her hands through your body. “You are all I need, and there is no such thing as something that I would not do for you, my sweetest girl”

Alicent’s hand reaches your hips and as soon as she grabs the hem of the bottom part of your undergarments, she slides them down your legs.

“We should go to my chambers… or yours, anyone could see us here—” Your words are stopped when two of her digits rub your clit in the way only she could “Oh Gods…!”

Any thought of getting caught had suddenly vanished from your mind, and instead, it was replaced by pleasure and Alicent’s name.

“No one will see us, my darling” She moves her fingers faster, while her other hand caresses your hair “It is the hour of the owl…” She stops her movements so she can position herself between your legs “And everyone knows that this pacific garden is yours, my love, no one will come, do not worry in vain” She reassures you once she is kneeled in between your legs. 

The only response you could give to her was a weak nod, but that quickly changed once her tongue made contact with your core, making you moan her name. 

Your hands made their way to Alicent’s hair, tangling themselves between the strands. The only thoughts you had were of Alicent, nothing more, nothing less. 

One of Alicent’s hands grips one of your thighs, while the other one travels up and towards your chest.

The Dowager Queen was lost on you. On your taste, on how you feel, on how you sound… This is everything she could ever want.

“Alicent…!” You moan loudly as your back arches, involuntarily searching for more. “Alicent I’m close…!”

The older woman's hand reaches for your own, stopping her movements on your breast , and instead intertwines her fingers with yours.

“Go ahead, my darling” Alicent says without moving away from your clit, softly moaning at the taste.

Your grip on your love’s hair tightens, and your eyes roll back. It felt as if you were on fire, and you never wanted it to end… You moan and gasp Alicent’s name as you reach your climax,  your hips bucking up towards your lover’s mouth to ride the last waves of pleasure.

Alicent crawls up and lays next to you… Her hand gently caresses your body as she places a sweet kiss on your lips, when she pulls away she takes her time to admire you… spent, panting, and underneath the moonlight. 

“...Run away with me…”

[twig-tea]

GL odds and ends 20 October 2024

Still feeling out how regularly it makes sense to do this; first one was 2 weeks ago on 6 October. If you're interested in GL older than that, check out my GL rec list through Feb 2024 and my update in July 2024. New series marked with an asterisk*.

Currently airing (with thoughts up to Oct 6):

Reverse 4 U 7/8 (Thai, Tuesdays 1:00 PM EDT, Netflix / YouTube) I'm disappointed by how this final arc has gone. We haven't really seen any growth for Wa, and the whole plot with Wa and Vivi's father didn't really make sense. I really don't understand why he had to stay away, or why the rules are so different for him than for Wa. The relationship between Wa and Four also feels flat because we've barely seen them together. I was rooting for this one but alas.

Unlock Your Love ep 6/8 (Thai, Wednesdays, GagaOOLala / YouTube [cut version]) The sequence where Rain and Love keep trying to have sex but getting interrupted/hurt was very funny; this show still drags but the core of it is pretty good. I mostly just wish it were tighter.

Chaser Game W s2 ep 5/8 (Japanese, Thursdays 12:30 PM EDT, GagaOOLala) @lurkingshan is already doing a great summary of this week to week in her JQL weekly round-up!

Affair the series ep 8/8 END (Thai, Fridays 11:15 AM EDT, iQIYI/ YouTube) Other than the jealousy in the last 10 minutes of the show, I really did like this ending for the series. I really liked Wan's decision to take time for herself after being disappointed by Pleng's decision again. The plot and melodramatic-ness of this show is not my favourite, but I enjoyed it week to week in spite of that. The acting was so solid, the women so gorgeous, the chemistry so fire, and the writing was great for the genre its in (the story was internally consistent and coherent, and the characters were complex and their motivations were clear. There was even a good plot reason for the 'they might be siblings' twist). If you don't mind melodrama, give this one a try!

*Pluto ep 1/12 NEW (Thai, Saturdays 9:30 AM EDT, YouTube) Starting off with a fantastic kiss and Namtan on a motorcycle is truly an incredible opening gambit. That being said, I don't buy the core premise of the plot and it is making it difficult for me to actually enjoy the show. I'll probably be mostly quiet about this one because the things I don't like about it aren't actually about its execution but rather my taste.

*Apple My Love ep 2/7 NEW (Thai, Saturdays 11:45 AM EDT, GagaOOLala and YouTube) I already shouted on main about ep1 here; so far I'm obsessed with this show. Kris is too gay to function, and the misunderstanding is perfectly executed. Very excited for this one, it's so far fantastic.

The Loyal Pin ep 12/16 (Thai, Sundays 12:15 PM EDT, YouTube) Anin's speech in this episode was fire. I feel for these girls, Anin and Pin are just so desperate to be together and their choices are limited. This show continues to be gorgeous and so well done, and I keep bracing for pain.

Red Whisper ep 4/8 (Korea, [schedule is kinda unpredictable; vaguely every 5 days??], YouTube) Cheating and taking advantage while your crush is heartbroken and drunk is not my fave but is par for the course with these SukFilm short series; my fave so far has been their first GL so if you haven't seen that yet I'd honestly recommend that instead.

Recent One-offs & Side Couples

We finally got the sapphic backstory in The Hidden Moon but it was (as expected) sad and mostly inferred.

We also got more of the Aim as a Lesbian plotline in the new Love Sick 2024 remake (this was not a plotline in the 2014 version and it's one of the changes I really like and that I think works really well)

Sastra film app YouTube channel has several short Cambodian GL series that come out weekly Honestly they are not to my taste but I don't like gatekeeping GL especially from smaller markets. I check in on these time to time and if there are any that I think are great I'll give them a shout-out

Ditto above with JPC media YouTube channel for Thai GL shorts if there are any that stand out to me I'll say so

Starting soon:

The Nipple Talk, [ensemble] Taiwanese, 1 November GagaOOLala

My Ex's Wedding [in theatres in Thailand 14 November]

Mom Ped Sawan, Thai, 17 November [international distribution uncertain; it should be on VIPA app with subs, but that is region-locked]

Petrichor, Thai, 23 November, TBD

[fuqnia]

Hi!! Happy new year!! First of all, I want to say that I REALLY REALLY love your story on ao3 (Most Wanted) it's just *aggressive chef kiss* soso good!!!

Now, I wanted to request some fluff with Eric Cartman (aged up ofc). The situation would be that he likes the reader (gn) but he doesn't know how to act or what to do bc he's never felt like that before. So, when he decides to confess and the reader tells him that he likes him too he's like "are u sure? But, really really sure?" So confused lmao. And finally, when the first kiss happens he's like "ew gross... Do it again." Idk something like that.

It's okay if you don't want to do this request!! Have a good day and remember to rest and drink water <3

Gross... Do It Again

☆ eric cartman x reader insert

☆ A/N | happy new years!! ahh thank you so much for your lovely words!! this request was so fun to write, i love writing for cartman, he's toooo funny 😭😭 also i definitely don't have a kenny obsession haha... he totally isn't in this oneshot haha...

☆ C/W | weed usage, all characters are aged up!

The dorm was a goddamn mess, and that was saying something. Cartman’s side looked like a landfill decided to give up on life—pizza boxes stacked precariously on his nightstand, a mountain of dirty laundry spilling out from under his bed, and enough empty soda cans to make a whole recycling center weep. Kenny, meanwhile, lived in his usual state of organized chaos. His side wasn’t clean, but it had an intentionality to it: a blanket that was slightly torn but neatly folded, a collection of mismatched mugs piled into a corner, and an actual stack of textbooks he occasionally cracked open. Together, the room looked like two hurricanes had collided and then given up halfway through the destruction.

Cartman was pacing back and forth like a trapped animal, hands jammed into the front pocket of his hoodie. His cheeks were pink—not the kind of smug, self-satisfied pink they turned after he delivered one of his insults, but the kind that said something was wrong. He kept muttering under his breath, stopping occasionally to glare at his desk like it had insulted him. A psychology notebook sat open there, innocently mocking him with a dumb little doodle of a stick figure with devil horns, something you had drawn in class the other day.

He hated it. He hated how his stomach twisted every time he looked at it, like something inside him was staging a full-blown revolt. It wasn’t like you had even done anything. You just laughed at one of his jokes—an offhanded, dickish comment about how their professor looked like he hadn’t slept since the ‘90s—and you scribbled that doodle on the edge of his notes. But for some reason, that stupid laugh and that stupid drawing were stuck in his head like gum on a goddamn shoe.

“This is so fucking stupid,” Cartman grumbled, pacing faster. He glanced at the notebook again, then immediately looked away, like avoiding it would somehow erase the gnawing feeling in his gut. “This isn’t happening. It’s not a thing. It’s not a thing.”

From across the room, Kenny pulled out an earbud and raised an eyebrow. He was lying on his bed, one leg kicked up lazily, scrolling through his phone like he didn’t have a care in the world. “Dude, you’ve been stomping around for twenty minutes. You’re giving me anxiety.”

Cartman froze mid-step and whipped around, glaring at Kenny. “Shut the fuck up, Kenny! I’m thinking.”

Kenny snorted, setting his phone down on his chest. “Oh, you’re thinking? That’s a new one. What’s got the great Eric Cartman so deep in thought? 

“For your information, you fucking moron,” Cartman snapped, crossing his arms defensively, “I’m trying to solve a serious goddamn problem, okay? Not that your dumbass would understand.”

Kenny’s smirk grew. “Oh, this oughta be good. Let me guess—your dick stopped working after too many hot pockets?”

“Jesus Christ, will you shut up for, like, two seconds?” Cartman barked, his voice cracking slightly. He took a deep breath, trying to regain control, and turned back to his desk. “I’m dealing with… something, alright?”

“Yeah, no shit,” Kenny said, propping himself up on one elbow. “What kind of ‘something’? Did you finally flunk out of college, or is it something juicy?”

Cartman stiffened, refusing to turn around. He didn’t want to give Kenny the satisfaction of seeing him sweat. “It’s nothing. Just… someone in class is being fucking weird, that’s all.”

“Oh, someone in class, huh?” Kenny grinned, leaning forward now, his eyes glinting with mischief. “Wait a minute. Is this about [Y/N]?”

Cartman’s whole body went rigid, like someone had hit pause on his brain. He slowly turned to face Kenny, his face already bright red. “What the fuck are you talking about?” he demanded, voice way too defensive for his own good. “This isn’t about them! Why would it be about them?! That’s fucking ridiculous!”

“Right,” Kenny said, dragging the word out as he sat up fully. “Because it’s not like you’ve been staring at your psych notes like they’re a love letter or anything. Nah, no way this is about [Y/N].”

Cartman grabbed an empty soda can off his desk and chucked it at Kenny’s head. Kenny ducked easily, laughing as the can bounced off the wall behind him. “Shut the fuck up, Kenny! You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Dude,” Kenny said, shaking his head, “you’ve got it bad.”

“I don’t have shit!” Cartman exploded, throwing his arms up in frustration. “You’re fucking delusional, Kenny. I don’t like anyone! Liking people is for losers and idiots!”

“Uh-huh.” Kenny smirked, leaning back against his bed. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, fatass.”

Cartman growled, stomping back to his desk. He dropped into his chair and glared at the notebook like it had personally insulted him. That stupid stick figure stared back, its dumb little devil horns mocking him. He slammed the notebook shut, but it didn’t make him feel any better. “This is fucking bullshit,” he muttered under his breath. “I’m not a loser… but what the fuck am I supposed to do now?”

“Kenny,” Cartman barked, spinning around in his chair.

Kenny didn’t even glance up. “What?”

Cartman hesitated, glancing at the notebook again, as if it might spontaneously provide answers. “Let’s say—hypothetically—you wanted someone to pay attention to you. Like, you wanted them to see that you’re not just some… guy. What would you do?”

That got Kenny’s attention. He set his phone down and sat up slowly, his brows raised like Cartman had just sprouted a second head. “Are you serious right now?”

“Yes, I’m serious, asshole!” Cartman snapped, his face flushing. “I’m asking you a question!”

“Oh, no, I heard the question,” Kenny said, a wicked grin creeping across his face. “I just can’t believe you’re coming to me for advice about your sad little crush on [Y/N].”

“Shut the fuck up!” Cartman exploded, his voice cracking slightly. “This isn’t about them! Why does everything have to be about them?! You’re so fucking dumb, Kenny.”

“Right,” Kenny said, dragging the word out as he leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Because you haven’t been acting like a weird little freak for the past two days. No way this is about [Y/N].”

“It’s not, okay?!” Cartman insisted, crossing his arms defensively. “I just… I just need to know what a normal person would do in a situation like this.”

Kenny blinked, then leaned back with a laugh. “Oh my God, you’re serious. You’re actually serious. Dude, you’re fucked.”

“Jesus Christ, Kenny, will you just give me a straight answer?” Cartman barked, glaring at him. “For once in your shitty, trailer park life, just help me.”

“Fine, fine,” Kenny said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “You want advice? Here’s some advice: don’t be a psycho. People tend to run away when you act like a desperate little bitch.”

Cartman’s face turned red, but he ignored the insult. “What the fuck does that even mean? Be more specific.”

“It means don’t do whatever the hell your weird little brain is cooking up right now,” Kenny said, pointing at him. “Just be normal. You know, like a regular human. Talk to them. Ask them out. That kind of shit.”

“Wow, thanks for the groundbreaking insight, Dr. Asshole,” Cartman shot back, rolling his eyes. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Yeah, well, you’re the one who’s desperate enough to ask me for advice,” Kenny fired back, grabbing his bong and giving it a lazy inspection. “So unless you want to keep jerking it to your psych notes, maybe shut the fuck up and listen.”

Cartman growled, running a hand through his hair. “You’re fucking useless. I don’t even know why I bother.”

“Because you’ve got no one else to talk to, fatass,” Kenny said with a smirk, lighting the bong. He exhaled a cloud of smoke, waving it lazily in Cartman’s direction. “So what’s the plan, huh? You gonna confess your undying love in the middle of class, or are you gonna hide behind some bullshit like you always do?”

“I don’t hide behind anything!” Cartman snapped, but the way he avoided Kenny’s eyes said otherwise. He paced a few steps, his mind racing, and then stopped short, a grin spreading across his face. “I’ve got it. I’ll invite them over to study for psych. They’ll come here, and then I’ll—I dunno—show them why I’m the shit.”

Kenny barked out a laugh, nearly dropping the bong. “Oh, that’s fucking rich. You? ‘The shit’? Yeah, okay. What’s the plan, fatass? Flex your GPA? Show them the three-day-old burrito under your bed?”

“Shut up, Kenny!” Cartman yelled, his face burning. “They’re gonna come over, we’ll study, and it’ll just happen naturally. It’s a solid plan.”

“It’s a stupid plan,” Kenny said, shaking his head as he packed another hit. “But hey, go for it. I can’t wait to see how this blows up in your face.”

Cartman ignored him, pulling out his phone and scrolling to your contact. His thumbs hovered over the keyboard for a moment before he started typing, his confidence growing with every word. He hit send, shoving the phone into his pocket like it might explode if he held onto it for too long.This was going to work. It had to work. Because if it didn’t… well, he wasn’t ready to think about that yet.

Cartman growled, pacing in front of his desk like a caged animal. The room was spotless by his standards, but the faint smell of cheap vanilla from the candle on his desk was starting to give him a headache. He shot a glare at Kenny, who was sprawled out on his bed, picking Dorito crumbs off his chest with zero shame. Every few minutes, Kenny let out a low snicker, clearly reveling in Cartman’s nervous energy.

“Will you stop fucking laughing, you goddamn hick?” Cartman barked, throwing a balled-up sock at him.

“Can’t help it, dude,” Kenny said, dodging the sock with a lazy grin. “You’re wound up tighter than your mom’s yoga pants. What’s the big deal? You got this.”

“I know I fucking got this!” Cartman snapped, his voice cracking. “It’s just—shut the fuck up, alright?”

Before Kenny could respond, there was a knock at the door. Cartman froze, his stomach twisting into a knot, and shot Kenny a panicked look.

Kenny raised an eyebrow. “You gonna answer that, or just stand there like an idiot?”

“Get the fuck out of here, Kenny,” Cartman hissed, jabbing a finger toward the door. “Go… I don’t know, smoke a cigarette or something. Just leave.”

Kenny swung his legs off the bed with an exaggerated groan, grabbing his phone off the nightstand. “Fine, fine. I’ll give you and [Y/N] some alone time. Try not to blow it, fatass.”

As he crossed the room, he gave Cartman a smug wink before swinging the door open. “Hey, [Y/N],” Kenny greeted, his voice dripping with mock charm. “Come on in. Cartman’s been pissing himself waiting for you.”

“Kenny, I swear to God—” Cartman started, but Kenny ignored him, laughing as he clapped you on the shoulder.

“Good luck,” Kenny said with a smirk, stepping out into the hallway. “You’re gonna need it.” He gave Cartman one last exaggerated wink before disappearing down the corridor, leaving the door ajar behind him.

The first thing you notice is how oddly clean the room is. Cartman’s side, usually some kind of post-apocalyptic wasteland of junk food wrappers and clothes that definitely needed a wash last week, is now suspiciously tidy. A faint smell of vanilla lingers, and you spot a candle burning on his desk.

“Wow,” you say, raising an eyebrow. “You cleaned. What’s the occasion?”

“I didn’t clean,” Cartman blurts immediately, crossing his arms. His cheeks are pink, and he’s glaring like you just accused him of murder. “This is just… how it always looks.”

You stifle a laugh, shaking your head as you move to the desk. “Right. Sure it is.”

Cartman doesn’t respond, instead stomping back to his chair like a sulking toddler. You set your stuff down, pulling out your notebook and flipping to the most recent lecture. “So, where do you want to start? Behavioral theories? Cognitive development?”

He shrugs, avoiding your eyes. “Yeah, whatever. Behavioral theories. Fine.”

You tilt your head at him, noticing how tense he looks. His arms are crossed, his leg bouncing so fast the chair creaks beneath him. You decide to let it slide for now, focusing instead on the lecture notes in front of you.

“Okay,” you say, glancing at your textbook. “So Pavlov and classical conditioning—that’s probably gonna be on the midterm. You know, the dog thing? Ring a bell, get a response.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Cartman says quickly, waving a hand. “Dogs and bells. Got it.”

You pause, narrowing your eyes at him. “You’re not even listening.”

“I am!” he snaps, his voice an octave higher than usual. “I’m just—paying attention in my own way. Keep going.”

You shake your head, fighting back a smile, and return to your notes. As you talk through operant conditioning and positive reinforcement, you notice his responses getting shorter and more distracted. He keeps glancing at you, his leg bouncing even faster. You’ve known Cartman long enough to recognize when he’s uncomfortable, but this is… different. He’s nervous. Almost jumpy.

“Eric,” you say after a while, nudging him lightly with your elbow. “What’s going on with you? You’re acting weird.”

“I’m fine!” he says immediately, too defensive to be convincing. He looks away, fidgeting with the pen in his hand. “Just tired. Long day.”

You raise an eyebrow but let it go, turning back to your notes. “Alright. So, Skinner and operant conditioning…”

As you keep talking, you feel him watching you. It’s subtle at first—a glance here, a flick of his eyes there—but after a while, it becomes impossible to ignore. Finally, you stop mid-sentence, turning to face him fully.

“Alright, screw this!” Cartman blurts, tossing his pen onto the desk with enough force that it bounces off the notebook. “I can’t do this anymore.”

You blink, startled. “Do what?”

“This!” he says, gesturing wildly at the desk, the notes, the room in general. “All this psych bullshit. I didn’t invite you here to talk about fucking Pavlov.”

“Then… why did you invite me?” you ask slowly, unsure where this is going.

He hesitates, his face going bright red as he avoids your gaze. “Because I like you, alright?” he snaps, his voice cracking slightly. “I fucking like you, and I don’t know why, because it’s dumb, and it makes no sense, but I do. So, there. Happy now?”

The room falls into a heavy silence. For a second, he looks like he might explode from the tension. You’re too stunned to respond immediately, but then you feel a smile tugging at your lips.

“You’re serious?” you ask softly.

“Of course I’m fucking serious!” he snaps, crossing his arms. “Do I look like I’m joking?”

Your smile grows. “Good. Because I like you too.”

He freezes, his mouth opening and closing like he’s trying to process your words. “Wait… what?”

“I like you too, Eric,” you repeat, laughing lightly at the bewildered expression on his face. “I mean, I kind of figured, but I wasn’t sure.”

“You’re not fucking with me, right?” he demands, narrowing his eyes. “Because if this is a joke, I swear to God—”

“I’m not messing with you,” you say, cutting him off gently. “I like you.”

For a moment, he just stares at you, his face unreadable. Then, slowly, he leans back in his chair, letting out a long breath. “Well… good. That’s good.”

“Yeah,” you say, grinning. “It is.”

There’s a beat of silence, and then he scowls, shifting awkwardly in his chair. “So… now what?”

You laugh, leaning forward slightly. “That’s up to you.”

His eyes flicker to your lips, lingering there for just a moment too long, and you see something in his face you’ve never seen before: nerves. Eric fucking Cartman, nervous. It’s almost surreal. He clears his throat and leans back in his chair like he’s trying to shake off whatever just crossed his mind.

“Let’s just… keep studying,” he mutters, grabbing his pen like it’s a lifeline. He doesn’t look at you when he says it, his gaze fixed stubbornly on his notebook. “That’s what you came here for, right?”

You give him a small, knowing smile but nod anyway. “Sure. Studying.”

For the next half-hour, the two of you go through the motions, flipping through pages, summarizing theories, and discussing what might be on the midterm. But there’s an undeniable tension hanging between you, thick enough to choke on. Every time you glance at him, his gaze darts away, like he’s been caught doing something he shouldn’t. His usual cocky demeanor is nowhere to be found, replaced by a kind of restless fidgeting that would be almost funny if it wasn’t so uncharacteristic.

He keeps looking at you, though. Every few minutes, you catch him stealing glances—at your face, your hands, your mouth. Each time, his expression shifts, like he’s having some internal battle with himself. It’s awkward, sure, but there’s something endearing about it, too. You can tell he’s trying to keep his usual wall up, but it’s crumbling around the edges.

Finally, you decide to put both of you out of your misery. Setting your pen down, you turn to him fully, your tone casual but your heart pounding in your chest. “Eric.”

He tenses immediately, his pen freezing mid-scribble. “What?”

You hesitate, watching him for a moment. His leg is bouncing under the desk, and his knuckles are white where they grip the pen. It’s almost enough to make you laugh, but instead, you lean in slightly and ask, “Can I kiss you?”

His reaction is immediate. His eyes widen, and he leans back so quickly he nearly knocks his chair over. “What the fuck?” he sputters, his voice higher than usual. “Why the hell would you wanna do that?”

“Because I like you,” you say simply, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “And you like me. Right?”

He glares at you, his face bright red. “Yeah, I said that already! Jesus Christ, do you have to rub it in?”

You suppress a laugh, tilting your head. “So… can I?”

He stares at you, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. For a second, you think he’s going to come up with some snarky comment or brush you off entirely, but instead, he mumbles, “Yeah. Fine. Whatever. If you want.”

You lean in slowly, giving him plenty of time to pull away. His eyes stay locked on yours, wide and uncertain, but he doesn’t move. When your lips finally meet his, he goes completely still. The kiss is soft, tentative, and more awkward than you’d expected, but it’s not bad. Not bad at all.

When you pull back, his expression is priceless. He’s staring at you like you just dropped a bomb on his lap, his cheeks practically glowing. “That was… gross,” he mutters, his nose wrinkling. “Like, really gross.”

You laugh, leaning back slightly. “Yeah? So gross you want me to do it again?”

He hesitates, his face twitching like he’s torn between saying yes and telling you to fuck off. Finally, he mumbles, “Maybe.”

You grin, leaning in again. This time, when your lips meet his, he doesn’t freeze. It’s still a little awkward—Cartman is nothing if not an overthinker—but there’s a warmth in it now, an eagerness that wasn’t there before. When you pull away, his lips twitch into a small, smug smile, though his face is still red.

“Okay, fine,” he says, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair like he’s trying to regain some of his usual attitude. “That wasn’t completely terrible.”

You smirk, tilting your head slightly as you lean your chin on your hand. “High praise from someone who couldn’t stop staring at my face all night. Want me to grab a mirror so you can practice complimenting me properly?”

Cartman’s mouth falls open in indignation, his arms uncrossing as he jabs a finger toward you. “Oh, fuck off! I wasn’t staring! I was—thinking, okay? It’s called being a goddamn genius. Maybe you wouldn’t know.”

“Thinking about kissing me, maybe,” you reply quickly, watching with satisfaction as his cheeks turn an even brighter shade of pink.

“You’re such an asshole,” he mutters, but the way his eyes dart to your lips again betrays the insult.

You grin, leaning toward him as he instinctively leans back in his chair. His attempt to create space only lasts a second before you close the gap, kissing him again. This time, he doesn’t freeze. His lips move against yours, tentative but genuine, and you can feel the tension in his shoulders melt away. For a moment, the world narrows to just the two of you—until the door slams open.

“Yo, I forgot my—holy shit!” Kenny’s voice explodes through the room, and you both jolt apart like you’ve been caught committing a crime. Cartman swivels his chair around so fast it nearly topples over, his face a deep, mortified red.

“Kenny, what the fuck?!” Cartman roars, his hands gripping the armrests of his chair like he’s about to launch himself out of it. “Didn’t I tell you to stay the fuck out?!”

Kenny, standing in the doorway, doesn’t even try to hide his glee. He’s leaning against the doorframe with the smuggest expression you’ve ever seen, holding his phone up like he’s about to livestream the whole thing. “Dude, I left for, like, an hour. I thought you’d be done dry-humping by now.”

Cartman’s face somehow turns an even darker shade of red. “We weren’t—Jesus fucking Christ, Kenny! Get out!”

You cover your mouth with your hand to hide your laugh, but the way your shoulders shake gives you away. Kenny notices immediately and points at you with mock approval. “Respect, [Y/N]. Really. Can’t believe you’re willing to put up with this dumbass.”

“Get out before I kill you,” Cartman growls, standing up so quickly that his chair scrapes against the floor. He grabs the first thing he can find—a crumpled-up notebook—and hurls it at Kenny’s head.

Kenny ducks effortlessly, laughing like this is the funniest thing he’s seen all year. “Alright, alright, I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone. But don’t think this is over. I’m gonna be talking about this for weeks.”

“Kenny!” Cartman shouts again, but it’s useless. Kenny’s already backing out the door, still grinning like a lunatic. “I’m serious! I’ll fucking kill you!”

“Love you too, babe,” Kenny calls over his shoulder before disappearing down the hallway.

The door slams shut, and the room is suddenly quiet again. Cartman groans, slumping back into his chair and burying his face in his hands. “I fucking hate him.”

You chuckle, leaning forward with your chin on your hand. “He’s not so bad. At least he didn’t take pictures.”

“Don’t even joke about that,” Cartman mutters, glaring at the door like he expects Kenny to burst back in any second.

“Relax,” you say, reaching out to nudge his shoulder. “It’s not the end of the world.”

Cartman scoffs, but he doesn’t pull away from your touch. Instead, he glances at you, his expression softening just slightly. “Yeah, well… you better not tell anyone about this either.”

“Your secret’s safe with me,” you say, leaning in to press a quick kiss to his cheek. His face flushes again, but this time, he doesn’t protest.

[curioushabitforarivergod]

💛💚💖 I'm curious 🤭

Ask game: unpopular opinion edition <3

hii tysm for the ask! another chance to spread my hateful words and thoughts! (also a senpai notice me moment ngl 😳🤭)

💛: What is a popular ship you just can't get behind, and why?

in all honesty, i will back most ships but the one i cannot is drarry. like i get it, theres all this fun evidence but who tf cares. its kind of bland, especially after falling down into the depths tomarrymort and i actually despise 8th year fics which seem to make up a huge portion of it. drarry fans can be very very insufferable (speaking as a former drarry shipper) and i could not stand to be in the same room as more than a few at any one time

also wolfstar. i cant believe i nearly forgot how much i despise it. remus and sirius are not good for each other, and everyone seems so obsessed over it. plus anytime i try to read a marauders fic its just there which puts me off a lot of that part of the fandom in general. i cant stand it even if its a side pairing — the mischaracterisation, the blatant suppression of sirius' personality, changing him into the uwu boy and remus into the badass one (atyd, my op). they definitely were not together before harry's 3rd year and even then i dont think they were actually together. i lowkey hate remus too. hes kind of mid

💚: What does everyone else get wrong about your favorite character?

my fave character is harry and the movies did a world of damage to him. they made him boring and flat and so now everyone thinks hes like that. hes not — hes so clever and hes vicious and hes such a complicated person dealing with so much shit. and often ppl make his abuse worse, but thats not the point. neglect and starvation are also abuse, it doesn't have to be overtly physical. it downplays over forms of abuse (i myself have an emotionally abusive relationship w my mother). i hate when people make harry weak in the face of all this — he is so strong and amazing

💖: What is your biggest unpopular opinion about the series?

that wolfstar didnt love each other lmao. i honestly dont know what counts as an unpopular opinion. mainly, i think at kings cross when harry dies, it should have been lily to greet him — dumbledore is obviously death and he was the wrong choice to represent the narrative closure. or if not lily, at least someone like sirius. also the characterisation of death in fics; death should be a woman! or at least not portrayed as a man all the time. im just obsessed with that idea. you get it in art/writing sometimes (e.g. Death by Janis Rozentāls (1897) / "There is something female about being dead," Joyce Carol Oates) and it makes me feral.

more unpopular opinons: i dont think regulus was a good guy, i think peter deserved better from everyone around him and the fandom, voldemort was never exorcised as a child and hes far more interesting than parts of the fandom think, the marauders were really bad bullies and SA'd snape but theyre also allowed to grow up — the two arent mutually exclusive, none of the characters are particularly good and none of them fully evil either (nuance ffs), remus is a coward and i hate him a lot

[pizza-hats-of-the-world-1882]

since you're the most qualified person i know regarding dumas, i wanted to know your take on the bbc's The Musketeers (2014). i had a weird obsession with it a few years ago. how well (or not) does it hold up in every aspect (except for the main title track which is above any and all reproach)?

hmmm after long reflection this is difficult to answer because even tho i do in fact like the show, the only specific things i have to say ab it are negative, and i feel that doesnt fully reflect my opinion. i think the best way to summarize it is the show doesnt do anything as good as the books, so when i try to analyze it im just thinking "couldve been better" but i do admire their honesty in saying its "inspired by the characters" instead "based on the books" or whatevey. anway ill try to hit some more specific points:

they did my boy rochefort soooooo dirty!!! why did they slander him like that hes a very cool chill guy in the books and him and d'art have such a cute lil friendship in vaa, whyyy did they make him such a horrible little creeper #notmyroachie also what is adaptations repeated fixation on eyepatches? he literally doesnt have one

i dont feel as strongly ab the grimaud slander bc that change is funny as heck. he bears zero resemblence to book!grimaud but if book!grimaud decided to hunt athos for sport i would support him. tho i do think if they wanted to make him a villain they shouldve made it /him/ as a villain, not just some guy w the same name. or even commit to the bit and do an evil lackey squad. also its a tv show they had time to include more of the side charcters from the book [such as the lackeys] but didnt?? like this applies to others but im a lackey stan so i think of them first. its interesting how a lot of modern adaptations tend to minimize or erase servant characters when in some classic lit [particularly these] they are major side characters

ryan gage as louis 13 slayed immensely. he did not have to bring that much to his performance but he did and it was amazing

costume design was mid at best, and made all the worse by louis and the occasional side character wearing stuff thats actually in the vicinity of 1630s so that i see them and think "why not everyone?" i will say that they tended to have internal consistancy with each other so there is that going for it, but i absolutley HATED how the mouskos literally never changed clothes. like they got new fits in s3 but then they never changed out of those? a single cloth doublet im begging d'art got MARRIED in that crusty leather fit even tho his gf is literally a seamstress its horrible

calzone brought up that pretty much every woman in the show gets victimized at some point, which, yeah and it kinda makes the feminist monets feel a lil performative. also they fell into some of my milady adapting pet peeves: massive stat debuffs, made her sad ab athos, over-reliance on pop culture femme fatale tropes rather than her actual canon, etc. that one ep where perdita weeks showed up as a grifter/assassin and i just sat there and thought "that shouldve been milady. also people who think s3 was bad bc theyre butthurt ab milathos are wrong and stupid. s3 was bad bc of spiderman 3 syndrome [too many villains making it unfocused]

very uneven amounts of screentime for the mouskos? i swear half of the episodes were aramis-centric and maybe 2 overall were d'art-centric? make that make sense. actually fr what WAS the shows obsession w aramis, esp when they got rid of his more complicated and interesting book traits. hes barely even catholic in this, much less slutty and evil. all les inseperables were a lil ooc but i expect that in adaptations to an extent [tho i do feel they lost some of the charm of how wildly different they are from eachother in the books] the casting itself was pretty good though and i feel cabrera couldve done a good aramis if they had given him better writing to work with [also: hilarious how aramis spends most of the show in a committed monogamous situationship while /athos/ of all people has the three weed smoking girlfriends]

absolutely comical how much a bbc production went out of its way to avoid any of the england related plots from the novels. what, worried about even the slightest potential of portraying england less than favourably? tbh aside from dumas' funny narratorial comments england gets a pretty fair shake in the books, so excluding buckingham etc. in favour of making up plots ab spain is just silly.

absolutely loved that one time they went to the morgue to investigate a case they shouldve done that more it was funny. i think the show was at its best when it was having silly goofy moods [athos' "funeral"? peak]

uhh i think thats it for specifics, if there was something you had in mind you can ask and i probably do have a thought ab it that i just like forgot lol. anyway solid 6/10 ive seen it multiple times and am open to watching it again, like you said bangin theme song

[definitelynotshouting]

context: ik most of my asks are pretty disorganized, stream of consciousness type of thing but GEEZ this got out of hand. you know that thing cats do when they bring you a dead mouse and *they're* super proud of it and you're just like dude.. why /lh

i usually put whatever my immediate thoughts are after reading the chapter and this time i thought it might be fun to write it out before. can you tell im running on five hours of sleep?? lmk if this made any coherent sense because even i dont understand it!!

so last chapter ripped my heartt out and stomped on it. i am LIVING for the way this whole thing was written, gorgeous prose as always <3. i was very curious as to wether Mumbo would question Grian but i think him NOT doing that was SO in character, and i adore it. I feel like w/ some fics (my own writing included) Scar is the ONLY one Grian relies on for support (in ANY area), and whenever Mumbo is even in the picture, he's just kinda "there", he doesn't check up on Grian or broach the topic of whatever is currently plaguing our little bird guy (basically, he's not involved in Grian's life despite being "his best friend"). And the way you characterized him was just So Real?? I would wager a guess (correct me if im wrong ofc) that part of it is that he just DOESNT know, (because Grian is oh so good at telling half truths and privately justifying his self sabotage) but a part of it is also him being lowkey willfully ignorant. he doesnt WANT Grian to be sick (mentally or otherwise) but definetly knows that SOMETHING is up. he really WANTS to help fix whatever is going on (evident by the gold farm) but he doesnt know what Grian needs or how to help him.

i have been OBSESSING over how Grian saying goodnight to Mumbo was ACTUALLY his goodbye to him but Mumbo DOESNT KNOW AND ITS EATING ME ALIVE. (also thought it was super interesting how Grian sort of took Mumbo leaving to sleep as "permission" to do the deed)

side ish note: how tf does Grian even plan to do that?? ik he's got the spider eyes and i *think* he's planning to turn the healing potions into weakness potions but like?? how is he going to do that??? i would assume that the gang would be watching the potions AS they were brewing, and even if they weren't, healing potions and weakness potions are.... vastly different colors. (unless im mixing them up with something else). also aren't they going to walk in on him prepping or already being in the middle of it and just save him like last time? the team as a whole has done a pretty good job on keeping an eye on Grian (from just a "this person can't walk" standpoint) so far. is he waiting for a chance when everyone is busy or does he plan to use MORE weakness potions to make it stronger or quicker?? im interested to see if he's even going to follow The Plan, because up until this point he's been pretty careful with trying to make plans and sneak around EXCEPT for the spider eyes basement adventure, which makes me wonder is he'll get more frantic/desperate as the appointed time draws closer.

Real talk though, Mumbo (and everyone else) is going to be beating himself up over not noticing when stuff goes down (which i would assume would be next chapter, but idk). Also, the fact that Grian asked him to stay means A LOT. To me (and idk if this is what you meant to convey) that signals that a part of him WANTS to stay. theres a part of him that wants to continue to experience the comfort and joy he gets from his friends, but he feels like he's only going to continue to hurt them, so to him this is the ONLY option to keep them safe. also the majority of his existence is just misery and pain so thats probably not helping. (PLUS the whole slew of mental health issues, this is not purely self sacrificial).

anyway, i LOVED this chapter as always, it was like chicken noodle soup for my overworked little soul and i savored every bit of it!! (also, no need to apologize for not having enough spoons!! i dont have any chronic illnesses but i know that shit sucks. this is a particularly long ask for me so dont feel compelled to answer everything in it, or answer right away. hope ur doing well <3)

-🐛

BUG ANONNNN THIS COMMENT IS SO SWEET AND I LOVED READING IT OMGGGG

you hit the nail exactly on the head for where im going with mumbo's characterization-- there is 100% a level of willful ignorance there. Ive always felt like mumbo is the kind of guy who has a thing about avoidance-- he feels very much like a character who will absolutely do his best to ignore things that hes decided arent his business (right up until he stops LMFAO) and part of that in hunger au is him being so anxious for grian to get better that he stops looking at the red flags grian is aggressively waving around. It'll work out!! He's sure of it!! Grian even directly said he's trying to get better!! And i think if he looked at that for longer than it takes for him to flinch away from the entire subject, he would see how much of a bald lie that is.

But he doesnt, because thats a LOT to deal with, and hes never really??? Seen this side of Grian before??? Not the way Pearl and Scar have. Theres a lot of intricacy there that i feel im skimming over but like Mumbo is very much keeping his own sanity in mind here too and thats another painful factor to the whole situation. Idk i have lots of thoughts about it and about the choice here to depict Mumbo giving in to that willful ignorance, and how its going to affect his and Grian's relationship in the future of the fic

(Quick tw for frank discussions of suicide below)

You've also completely nailed the subtext i was getting at with Grian asking Mumbo to stay-- smth ive always felt is a bit underrepresented in narratives like these are how at its most base core, suicide and suicidal ideation are often about needing something to fundamentally change in your life. It takes a LOT of both hopelessness and sheer willpower to actively try and overcome your body's instinctive will to survive. That instinct is baked into our very cells; when someone commits, it means their hopelessness for meaningful change to happen in their lives was so strong it overpowered everything else. And that is something deeply, deeply tragic, and also something i really wanted to respectfully highlight in this portrayal-- how bad things are when you spiral that far. Grian is starving to death. He wasnt lying about maybe having a week to live-- the intermittent feeding has kept him alive longer than anticipated, but its like trying to wall off an avalanche; theres only so much you can do in the face of all that :( and that hopelessness, in combination with how guilty he feels for what he did to his friends, has manifested in him feeling like his only recourse is to kill himself... but at the same time, that instinct to survive and KEEP SURVIVING is still blaring in his veins, and that manifests as him asking Mumbo to stay. Its a bit paradoxical, but its meant to really show how bad his mental state is, that he is willfully ignoring all the frantic signals his body is screaming at him to try and stay alive rn 🥺🥺🥺🥺

Also, with the potions-- without revealing too much about how this is going to happen, Grian is planning on making fermented spider eyes and using them to turn the healing potions into harming potions, which he'll then drink in the in-between to make sure he dies immediately. Now.. i know how this is gonna go, and i know the exact mechanics around how this is gonna shake out, but smth to keep in mind is hes not thinking logically anymore, he has FULLY capitulated to his own storm of emotional wreckage. So yes there are DEFINITELY some questions to be asked about how hes gonna try and get this done, but in all honesty they mostly boil down to "sheer opportunity" which you'll see a bit more of in the next chapter >:] but yeah its meant to be a bit illogical skdbwkdjskd since he just isnt thinking coherently anymore at this point :(

Bug anon thank u for my entire life this comment was so sweet and so wonderful to receive, i really love it when my writing is analyzed like this and seen and understood!!! Its amazing its such a wonderful feeling to have your work be seen like this and its something i very much do not take for granted :]]]❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ tysm for the ask i am seriously treasuring it SO MUCH rn (and also thank you for the well-wishes!! Im doing my best to stay silly out here HEHE)❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[seraphicloves]

Rom-Coms I Have Watched:

ᡣ𐭩 notes: writing this right before i head to bed lol!! I thought this would jst be a bit of fun + i can add to it as i watch more romcoms ☺️ comment your fav romcoms if you want <3

10 Things I Hate About You:

Ugh, I absolutely adore this movie. It's literally one of my top three favorite movies, I love it so much. Patrick Verona is my dream man, I love him with my whole heart. Oh and cutie Cameron, I love him too!!

13 Going On 30

I also love this one! "Mattie!" Although the cheating is an ick so I don't like it as much as the others. It is still a major comfort movie and I rewatch it regularly.

Miss Congeniality

I love love love this movie!! She is such a baddie and impressively not annoying despite having typical "pick me" traits. I think I don't find it annoying because by the end of the movie she learns to love her feminine side and that not every girly girl is a major bitch yk?

Easy A

Iconic and hilarious. Not fully a romcom but def a chick flick so I had to put it on the list. In fact I am hoping to dress up as the main character for Halloween.

She's The Man

Another iconic one. I quote some of the lines regularly (Bros..brothers..brethren?) And I alsl watch this whenever I'm feeling down!! Channing Tatum is also goregous in the movie so i get the hype.

Holidate:

This one was certainly different from my usual movies however I loved it a lot. I am now obsessed with the lead actress and I am going to watch everything she's in. I am also going to be rewatching this movie every Christmas.

How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days

I watched this one the day I am writing this lol! But I loved it, I have "You're So Vain" stuck in my head right now. Andie and Ben were so so cute together and I loved the ending.

Love Actually:

Okay contrary to the track record of opinions, i did not like this movie. A lot of the storylines were terribly sad and not at all putting me in the holiday spirit. However the happy storylines were lovely and if I had a movie with just those, I would love it.

Prom Pact:

Disney actually devoured with this one. It was cute it was funny, it even had a dirty joke! Truly I don't know what drugs Disney was on but I'm sure glad they were on it.

Princess Diaries:

In the books I love her with Michael but in the movies she is so cute w the one guy she is enemies with in the second movie. I haven't seen it in ages but it is still gold.

A Cinderella Story:

Chad Michael Murry will forever be hot and Hillary Duff with forever be lovely. It was cute it was simple, I love it. It's feel good and expected, but what more can you ask for?

Ella Enchanted:

Not sure if people even remember this movie but I love it loads. Anne Hathaway is an icon and ofc they are so cute in this movie! Not to mention the ending is a major classic.

[astridthevalkyrie]

U want lds thoughts? I gotchu 🫡

I really like all 3 boys, but I'm leaning Zayne bc he's just so husband coded. He's the only one I could see a long-term relationship w. I love Xavier and Rafayel, but I just can't picture them as husbands or dads (at least w my MC/myself). I also desperately need them to interact in game and in the main story, there's just sm potential for chaos and funnies.

I honestly dk what will happen next. Obviously, MC is gonna want to investigate Onichynus and her heart, but idk how that story will unfold or how they'll tie in the stories w each li and their separate myths/reincarnation bit. (Also, the fact that the myths happen in the future doesn't make sense to me yet, so I hope they plan to really flesh that out and not give us questionable writing like most mobile otomes do). Idk how I feel abt Sylus (and possibly Caleb) becoming lis, ig I'll have to see what they're like and if they appeal to me at all, bc so far we haven't had enough Caleb content for me to actually get attached (I was also convinced he was MCs brother so idt I'll ever be able to see him romantically 😭).

I hope we'll get to see more of the side characters and what MCs life is like outside of just the three guys, but I honestly doubt it lmao (more for me to hc abt ig lol).

I have more but this is already rambly and idk how to be coherent rn. This game is giving me brainworms and I'm def thinking abt it too hard. Oh, well. I don't consume media, media consumes me.

i'm telling you it's xavier boyfriend zayne husband and rafayel sneaky link. that's exactly the look and vibe they give off.

i think as of right now zayne is the most popular, at least on ao3 him/mc is the most popular ship. which is just to be expected when you have a levi ackerman coded character LOL. like you said, he's a husband. he just is. he's a doctor and he's successful and he cares for the mc so deeply it just makes sense. i started the game for him because. i mean he looks like THAT. he acts like THAT. he has ice powers and you get to melt the ice in his heart and make him love you i adore that shit see my pinned post for the kind of romance i write you could make a zayne x reader set in the aot universe and it would be my fic. and dooooooon't get me started on dawnbreaker zayne. DON'T GET ME STARTED i gasped during the anecdote when the truth about the kid comes out. he dreams about his past life what the fuck bro what the fuck.

surprisingly, though, while i do love him, he's probably the one i've had the least amount of thoughts about (that's still clearly a lot of thoughts so that's not saying much). i think it's partly because my gacha favors xavier and rafayel a lot more and right now i pretty much am just heavily thinking about whichever guy i consumed the content for last.

xavier and rafayel have me obsessed. i thought xavier would be completely meh because zen from mysme was meh for me. but um. he was not meh. my levi hawks pattern has told me that i love a man who was forced into fighting because of the stupid goodness in his heart and manipulative outside forces. and even though that's not exactly what's going on with xav, he does have that vibe. his is the only myth i've watched in full and i'm just. they should have been able to go to uluru together. the scene where they're both lying on the ground i have watched it so many times. i love love love the royalty x captain of the guards trope so much. the fact that they both serve in both roles is insane. i've read the anecdote about her first life on philos too there's a fucking part in there that talks about how he shares his EARBUDS with you?????? end me.

and rafayel is beautiful. like he's actually beautiful. his english voice actor makes him sound so fucking bisexual + the bi wife energy whenever you're with him is just. UGH. the game is hilarious whenever he's on screen and obviously with the way the main story has ended for now he's the most intriguing. and while you can feel the pining energy from all three of them, his is just. lowkey the most pathetic. and i eat it up. bro started TEACHING AT HER COLLEGE just for the chance to see her. i like that he's not possessive per se but he is very whiny and attention seeking the sassy man syndrome is real. i need to unlock his myth but i'm not patient so i may very likely just watch it on youtube. i need to see hunter rafayel. i need to see him right now.

the main story is genuinely fascinating. i was a little bit bored up until the explosion happened and it really kicked in. bc suddenly it's not just 3 guys and you doing your best, but you actively investigating and them helping you. like i said i don't have raf's myth and i haven't finished zayne's yet (need more fucking upgrades to his card) so i don't have the full story but at least what i'm getting right now is okay. they're all from the past or future. they all remember?? xavier and rafayel definitely do. zayne knows something about grandma who seems kinda shady to me. i've seen the caleb=sylus or at least caleb lives theories. i saw someone say the man at the end isn't sylus though? and his english va is the same as caleb's but in other languages it's someone else. idk.

idk about the others but xavier's myth being in the future makes sense. i'm pretty sure the timeline goes: in our current timeline, earth is about to go bye-bye and become inhabitable bc of wanderers -> survivors go to philos -> xavier and a new mc are both born -> she dies bc of something in her heart and is reborn bc she's the only one who's truly immortal (everyone else on philos lives forever naturally but can still be killed i think??) -> new lightseeker mc and xavier are meant to become guard and prince respectively but philos is dying -> to save mc from being sacrificed again and again xavier decides to go back in time to find another way where he after at least like 200 years meets current timeline mc

i know what you mean about not being able to see caleb as a love interest. the first time i saw him i genuinely thought they had no need to make my brother this hot what the fuck. and then i realized he was just her childhood friend and i went

and then he blew up 😭

i neeeeeed to see the love interests interact. i mean mc barely thinks about the others whenever she's with one but i really hope in the next arc we actually see them meeting each other. beefing or working together or whatever, i need to know (i may also have already started a fic about what's gonna happen next bc i'm mentally ill). xavier has a tracker on her so he should be able to find her and zayne kinda disappeared off the face of the earth but i want them all back. i want interaction. i want it so bad.

[rosypenguins]

🍃Elm Tree (Part One)🍃

*+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+

Synopsis: 5 times Dominic felt something more for Elliot, and 1 time he realized someone else felt the same.

A/N: I don’t know why I did this. I just really like Dom’s character, and wanted to write something with him, which, of course, resulted in romance. A lot of this will likely become outdated considering Dominic and Faye only have about 5 minutes of actual screen-time, but I don’t care. I want to get more people talking about him. (Also, this is my first time writing a 5+1 fic, so I hope it turned out okay.)

*+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+

“Surprised you’ve never done this before, Ellie.” Dominic commented, fingers weaving thin flower stems together in the beginnings of a flower crown.

The Gardening Club had wrapped up their usual activities almost an hour early, and since no one else had anything better to do, Dom and Faye suggested the four make flower crowns together. However, Bradley and Elliot had almost no experience in the matter, so the twins decided to take it upon themselves to teach them. And while Faye took Bradley to the opposite end of the garden to look for ‘nicer’ flowers, Dom and Elliot stayed close to the marigolds, sitting down near the flower beds to start working on their own crowns.

“I’m… not really good with more detailed tasks like this…” Elliot answered, as if the shakiness of his hands didn’t already make that clear.

“That’s okay. You just need practice, that’s all.” Dom replied. “I mean, my first flower crown was far from perfect. It practically fell apart the moment I put it on. Faye wouldn’t stop teasing me about it for weeks.”

“How long have you been making them for?” Elliot asked, and Dom shrugged.

“Long time now. Faye taught me when we were younger. She was obsessed with fairies back then. Always had to run around the house wearing one.” He trailed off for a moment, picking another flower to add to the ring he’d created. “I don’t make them as much anymore. But it’s still pretty fun.”

“I see.”

The two fell silent for a while; Dom only glancing up on occasion to provide assistance when needed. But eventually, Dom completed his crown. Record time, too.

“Viola!” Dom exclaimed, holding it out to show off. Elliot’s eyes widened.

“W-wow! That was fast!” He said, and Dom shrugged, a small smirk appearing on his face.

“What can I say? I’m just a natural! He bragged, before leaning a little closer to Elliot. “How’s yours going?” He asked.

“Good, I think. Just need to-” Just as Elliot lifted his fingers from the stems, the knot he’d made came completely undone. The flowers fell into his lap, and for a split moment, it looked as if he was about to cry. “…Nevermind.”

“Heh, hey, it’s alright. It happens sometimes.” Dom said. He gave him a reassuring smile, but Elliot refused to lift his head.

“…Sorry I’m so bad at this.” He mumbled.

“Ellie. It’s your first time. Go a little easy on yourself.” Dom stated, setting his flower crown to the side as he scooted a little closer. “I’ll walk you through it a little slower this time.” Elliot nodded, opening his mouth to say something, but ultimately deciding against it. Instead, he gathered up the flowers that had fallen into his lap, recreating the first step Dom had showed him.

Perhaps Dom should’ve done this from the beginning, instead of just telling Elliot what to do and expecting him to follow an example three steps ahead. Although this method was a lot slower, Elliot seemed to understand a lot better. And Dom was having just as much fun as he was before. Although, that was probably just because he was spending time with Elliot. Elliot was always good company.

After a while, Elliot finally managed to complete his flower crown. It was a little thin, and a little misshapen, but it certainly was a crown.

“Did I do it?” Elliot asked, holding it out to him. Dom grinned.

“Yeah you did! Look at you!” Elliot hummed in response, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Mind if I try it on?”

“Uhm, s-sure.” He agreed, and Dom carefully took the crown from him, placing it on top of his head to see if it’d hold. And sure enough, it did.

“Hey! It held! Good job!” Dom cheered, holding up his hand for a high five. Hesitantly, Elliot tapped his hand to his, giving him what was possibly the most gentle high-five in all of history.

“Oh, here! Try mine on!” Dom said, taking the flower crown he made earlier and motioning for Elliot to lower his head, placing the crown on his head once he’d done so.

Dom leaned back to view his work, and Elliot lifted his head, fixing his hair while his eyes remained on his lap. And perhaps that was for the best, because in that moment, Dom had a realization:

Elliot’s… really pretty…

The flower crown fit him perfectly, complimenting his gentle features beautifully. And suddenly, Dom was starting to feel a little warm.

“…H-how’s it look?” Elliot asked, which snapped Dom out of… whatever that was.

“Uh- oh, yeah! You- It look great, Ellie!” Dom said, giving him a thumbs-up and a smile.

“Thanks.”

“Yeah, ‘course!”

…The two fell silent for a moment, and Dom quickly became aware of how fast his heart had started beating.

“Uhm! Hey! Wanna go see how Faye and Brad are doing?” He asked.

“Oh, sure!” Elliot agreed, fixing his glasses slightly. “L-Let’s go!”

…Well, that was a little strange.

*+*+*

“Come on, come on! You’ve just gotta meet Bitsy!” Faye exclaimed, reaching out for Elliot’s hand and practically dragging the poor gardening boy inside their house.

This was the first time Elliot was coming over to their place. And immediately, Faye was trying to introduce him to her beloved obsession. No proper introduction. No tours, no common courtesy, only Bitsy.

What a great first impression.

“O-oh, uhm, okay!” Elliot agreed, giving a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes as he allowed her to guide them through the house. Dom followed closely behind, taking it upon himself to ensure this hangout wouldn’t end in complete disaster. Club meetings would be a lot more awkward, otherwise…

Faye pushed open the door to their shared room, revealing a basic, albeit messy bedroom setup. There was a bunk bed against the left wall, with pale orange bedsheets and pillows. The bottom bed was left somewhat made, and was covered in various spider plushies of different sizes and colors. Meanwhile, the top bunk was a complete disaster. Pillows and blankets scattered around haphazardly with clothes hanging over the edge and a massive squirrel Squishmallow sitting in the corner.

There was a closet and desk against the back wall, and to the right was a rather large spider enclosure, which was very tidy and well-taken care of. Probably the only thing about the room that could be described as tidy. The rest was a mess, with clothes and shoes scattered across the floor and clutter taking up almost every surface.

The only somewhat saving grace was the golden fairy lights strung up around the place. Made it look a little more whimsical, and not so much like a disaster.

“Lemme go get her!” Faye said, making her way over to Bitsy’s enclosure. Dom, meanwhile, stood beside Elliot, crossing his arms as he bit the inside of his cheek.

“…You sure you wanna do this?” He asked. “You don’t have to-”

“No, no, I do- I mean-” Elliot took a quick breath. “I want to. A-And besides! It’s just a spider. How scary can it- oh fudge…”

Elliot’s voice trailed off as Faye turned around, revealing a small tarantula cradled in her hands.

“Tada! Here she is! Isn’t she just adorable?”

Dom turned to see Elliot’s reaction, only to watch as the color drained from his face. His body went rigid, chest completely still. If it weren’t for the fact he was still standing, Dom would’ve assumed he died right then and there.

“Y-yeah. C-cute…” Elliot managed, his bottom lip trembling. Faye lowered her hands, tilting her head as a frown overtook her expression.

“Are… you alright, Elliot? You look-” Before she could finish, Bitsy leaped from her palms, landing just beside Elliot’s feet.

And Elliot shrieked, reaching a pitch Dom didn’t even know was possible.

And before Dom could even process what was happening, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his shoulders, pulling him closer and squeezing him tight.

And he glanced over to see Elliot, with his eyes blown wide as he stared Bitsy down.

His arms tightened further, and Dom could barely breathe. It was easy to forget how strong Elliot was, considering his quiet and gentle demeanor.

Dom opened his mouth to say something, but before he could even get the words out, the scent of lavender and sage hit the back of his throat. Elliot’s shampoo, maybe? He wasn’t quite sure, but his head was starting to get a little fuzzy. They were so close right now, closer than they’d ever been before…

He could feel Elliot’s heart pounding in his chest, and the slight shakiness of his arms. Why was Dom still standing there? Why wasn’t he doing anything? Why did everything feel so warm?

“Ah, Bitsy!” Faye cried, and suddenly, time was moving again. Bitsy was scurrying out of the room and Faye was in pursuit, chasing her down the hallway.

And Elliot was still clinging to him. Still shaking and barely breathing.

“Uhm…” Dom managed. “Ellie?”

It took a moment for Elliot to respond. He blinked once, twice, then gasped, quickly throwing himself off of him.

And Dom tried not to think about the sudden absence of warmth he felt.

“Dominic! I-I- oh my gosh, I am so so sorry! I-I don’t know- I didn’t-” Elliot’s face was getting redder with every word. He buried his face in his hands, mumbling incoherent apologies.

“Hey, hey! It’s fine!” Dom said, waving his hands in front of him. “I get it. I- uhm…” Dom cleared his throat. “You- you wanna talk in the kitchen? So you don’t… you know? Have to see Bitsy when Faye gets back?” Elliot opened his mouth, then closed it, giving a simple nod in response. With a quick motion of his head, Dom led the way.

“Sorry she lunged at you like that. Bitsy doesn’t… usually do that.” Elliot shook his head.

“I-I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn’t have reacted like that. I-It’s just a spider. And… and it’s not like they’re poisonous, r-right?” Dom scratched the back of his head.

“Well, they are venomous-” Elliot shuttered. “-But their venom isn’t deadly!” He quickly finished. “And Bitsy’s never bitten anyone before, so it’s not like she would have hurt you at all. She’s honestly pretty friendly. Well- as friendly as a spider can be.”

The two arrived in the kitchen, and Dom pulled out a chair from the dinner table for Elliot. It took a moment for him to register the seat was in fact intended for him, and he gave a quiet ‘thank you’ before sitting down. Dom nodded in response, taking a seat beside him and resting his elbows against the table.

“I… didn’t make you uncomfortable, did I?” Elliot asked slowly, averting his gaze as he tugged at the hem of his shirt.

“No! Not at all!” Dom assured him. He gave him a warm smile, but Elliot refused to look up.

“Hey, don’t worry about it.” He said, his gaze softening as he rested a hand against Elliot’s arm. And he tried not to think too hard about the closeness the two had shared. Tried even harder not to question why he liked it so much.

“We all have things we’re scared of.” He continued, then paused, debating his next words carefully. Slowly, he took a breath. “I’m… still kinda afraid of the dark, if that makes you feel any better.”

“Really?” Elliot asked, finally glancing up to look at him. And Dom swallowed. He hadn’t really told anyone other than Faye before.

“Y-yeah. I still have a night-light in my room and everything.” He admitted, scratching the back of his head with a chuckle.

“Oh, me too!” Elliot said, and Dom’s eyes widened slightly. “But, it’s mostly just so I don’t trip over my nightstand in the middle of the night. Heh…” Dom laughed. Was he even supposed to be laughing right now? The fuzziness still hadn’t fully left his head just yet.

“I still manage to trip over all kinds of stuff with mine.” He joked. And now Elliot was laughing, drawing a hand over his mouth to obscure his smile. And a part of Dom so desperately wished that hand wasn’t there��

He found himself staring. Caught in that same trance he’d been in earlier, watching as Elliot’s laughter slowly faded and he took a moment to fix his glasses before finally meeting Dom’s gaze.

And their eyes met for a moment.

“Uhm… Dominic?”

Dom blinked, sitting up slightly. Crap! Uh- words! Words! Something!

“…Wanna go meet my gerbils?”

*+*+*

“Come on, Ellie! We’re almost there!” Dom exclaimed, pushing tree branches aside to allow him and Elliot through. It was a warm, Sunday afternoon. The perfect day for Dom and Faye to bring Elliot to the duck pond with them. This would be the first time anyone else had tagged along with them, and Dom found himself almost giddy with excitement. He never had the opportunity to introduce someone else to the ducks before. He couldn’t wait to ramble about them.

“That’s the third time you’ve said that, Dom.” Faye suddenly piped up. She was a little further ahead of them, having memorized the path after countless journeys. She had a bag of frozen peas tucked under her arm; the usual snack they brought for the ducks. Due to Dom’s tendency to ‘over-feed’ them, she insisted on carrying it.

“Well, sorry for being excited. Why do you have be such a kill-joy?” Faye only shook her head in response, before continuing down the path.

And after a few more minutes of walking, Dom could finally hear the sound of the splashing water. The ducks must’ve already been there.

Dom could barely contain his excitement. He loved ducks. And now, he was finally able to share that love with Elliot.

The three took a right, and the lake finally came into view. Just as Dom suspected, several ducks had gathered nearby. Dom couldn’t help but smile.

“There they are! Come on!” Without even thinking, Dom slid his hand into Elliot’s, whisking past Faye and heading straight for the ducks. And surprisingly, none of them swam off.

“Looks like the gang’s all here!” Dom said as they reached the ledge. “There’s Bernard, that’s Walter the II, over there’s Loaf-” Dom continued down the list, pointing out each duck as Faye opened the bag of peas, causing all the ducks to swim a little closer. However, as his list came to an end, he soon realized something.

Someone’s missing…

“…How do you tell them all apart?” Elliot asked, and Faye laughed.

“It’s easy, silly! They all have different feather markings! See, take Bernard and Walter for example. Bernard’s head’s a little darker than Walter’s. Oh! And his tail has a little bit more black in it, too!”

“…Hmm.”

“Hey, Faye?” Dom asked, turning to see her toss a handful of peas into the water.

“Yeah?”

“You see Matilda anywhere?” He asked, and Faye glanced over the ducks that had gathered.

“Hm… no I don’t. That’s weird.” Dom nodded, before leaning a little closer to Elliot.

“Don’t tell the other ducks, but I think Matilda’s my favorite.” He whispered. “She is the roundest bird I’ve ever seen. Rotund, even. She’s always fighting the other ducks for peas. I’m surprised she’s not out here…” Dom placed a finger against his chin, reaching into the pea bag and tossing another handful in, watching as the ducks scrambled to scarf them down. “She had babies about a month ago, though. Maybe that’s why she’s not out here?”

Elliot nodded, slowly reaching into the bag and tossing a few peas in the water as well.

“I’m guessing you guys come here pretty often, huh?” He asked, and Dom nodded.

“Oh, we’ve been coming here for years now. I don’t even remember when it started. I think we just stumbled across this place when we were younger, and just kinda… turned feeding them into a routine.” Dom tossed a couple more peas into the water, and Elliot did the same, smiling softly as he watched them splash around in the water.

Eventually, the three decided to settle on the ledge, taking turns tossing peas into the water.

And a gentle breeze had picked up after a while, bringing with it the faint scent of pine. Dom watched as it whisked past him, dancing through Elliot’s hair before carrying on with its journey.

And Elliot smiled to himself, running a hand through his soft pink locks to smooth them back down.

…And Dom found himself staring. Admiring the way Elliot looked beneath the dappled sunlight. The subtle blush to his cheeks, the warmth in his eyes. And that familiar, fuzzy feeling returned to him, filling his chest with a warmth not even the sun could replicate.

…In that exact moment, everything was perfect.

Because he was doing something he loved, and he was sharing it with the people he was closest to: his sister, and his best friend.

…Could he even call Elliot his best friend? Or was it too soon to do so? Him and Elliot had only known each other for about a months or so, but somehow, it felt almost longer than that. He couldn’t really explain it, but it felt like Elliot was someone he’d always known. Someone he could always turn to.

Maybe Dom just wasn’t too familiar with friendships. He couldn’t say he had many friends outside of Faye, much less close ones. Likely due to his habit of going on completely unrelated tangents regarding his interests.

But Elliot was different than anyone he’d met before. Because unlike most people, who tuned out his words and only nodded along out of common courtesy, Elliot actually listened to him. He’d ask questions. He’d express interest. And it was refreshing, to finally be seen and understood by someone other than his sister. Perhaps that was why he felt so close to him…

Regardless, Dom was happy to be with him. And that was all that mattered.

“Hey, there’s another duck over there…” Elliot commented, finally pulling Dom out of his trance. He turned to where Elliot was pointing, only to see a large brown duck swimming towards them, with three little ducklings in tow.

“Matilda!” Dom shouted, and without warning, he shot up, running over to greet her.

But one misstep was all it took for the rocks to slide out from under him, knocking him off his balance and sending him tumbling into the water.

“Dominic!”

Dom landed on his hands and knees with a splash, cold water soaking through his clothes and leaving him shocked. The ducks made a bit of commotion, but none flew off.

Faye suddenly burst out laughing, and Dom groaned, sitting himself upright.

“Are you alright?” Dom glanced over his shoulder to see Elliot running over to him, bending down and extending him a hand.

And the way the light practically framed his silhouette looked-

“Oh, yeah- yeah, I’m fine.” Dom responded, taking his hand and allowing himself to be pulled from the water. “Just a bit soggy now.”

“I’m… honestly surprised it wasn’t that deep. Thank- thank goodness for that, right?” Dom nodded, and Elliot let go of his hand.

“You’re never going to learn, are you?” Faye asked as she made her way over. Dom crossed his arms.

“Oh, shut up.” He mumbled with a huff. Faye chuckled, before leaning a little closer to Elliot, covering her mouth with her hand.

“He has about a 50% chance of falling into this pond every time we come here.” She told him, and Dom could feel himself flush slightly. “He’s a bit stupid.”

“Um! I am right here!” He yelled. “And it’s not my fault the rocks like to be so unstable around the ledge!”

“Maybe just don’t walk about the ledge then, genius!”

“But then I don’t get to see the ducks as well!”

“Then get your dang eyes checked!”

“Pay to have them puff air into my eyes? Hah, not a chance!” Faye rolled her eyes.

“Then get used to falling into ponds, stupid.” She retorted, and Dom stuck his tongue out in response, tugging off his orange sweater to reveal a plain white t-shirt underneath. Obviously, it wasn’t any dryer, but at least it wasn’t as heavy. After squeezing a bit of the water out, Dom tied it around his waist, glancing up when he heard Faye sigh.

“I’ll take that as our sign to start heading back.” She said, rolling up the bag of peas.

“What?!” Dom cried. “But Matilda just got-!”

“Wet. Socks.”

…Great, now that was all he could focus on.

“Mmm… ugh, Faye! Why’d you have to point it out?!”

“Because you can’t stay in wet clothes all day. Besides, if we feed the ducks anymore, they’ll get as fat as Matilda!” Dom groaned, before letting out a sigh of defeat.

“Fiiiine. Let me just… say goodbye real quick.” And before she had a chance to even respond, Dom snatched the peas from her, running back to the water.

“Dominic!”

He tossed a heaping handful of peas in Matilda’s direction. And if other ducks happened to steal a few… well, he couldn’t help that.

“Goodbye, everyone!” He called, giving them a wave. “I’ll see you all soon!” The ducks quacked in response, and Dom liked to imagine they were saying goodbye as well.

He turned back to see Faye glaring at him, taking back the bag of peas from him before leading the way back home.

…

And the first thing Dominic did when the three got home was shower, changing into an old pair of sweats before joining Elliot and Faye in the living room. He threw himself on the couch just beside Elliot, bundling himself under the blankets they’d gathered and making himself just as comfortable. The three talked for a while, before eventually deciding to watch a bunch of old Disney movies that Dom and Faye had on DVD. The first of which being Cinderella. The disk was a little scratched due to it’s age, so some scenes were a little glitchy, but Elliot didn’t seem to mind much, saying nothing as he sank a little further into the couch.

And Dom found himself leaning against Elliot’s arm after a while, finding comfort in his warmth. There was that soft, fuzzy feeling blooming in his chest again; it’d grown to be quite familiar now.

Everything felt so serene. The dim lighting, the soft audio coming from the TV, the faint buzz of the AC, the warmth of heavy blankets being shared...

And the last scene he could remember was the Prince’s waltz with Cinderella. The gentle serenade regarding the idea of love lulling him into a peaceful sleep.

[bangsinc]

Are we allowed to ask for some BTAS!Scarecrow x Reader? That character definitely deserves more love! But I totally get it if we can’t!

🎃More Scarecrow x Reader (HCS)🦴

UHMMM YES! I’m gunna be super honest, I’d much rather write for BTAS than Spider-Man.. this makes me very happy :3 I love Batman.. he’s my meow meow,,

Also I agree! Nobody writes for him (I kinda wish someone wrote for a goth reader w him too ngl)… no warnings! Also I wrote a lot,,, sorry. I GOT SO EXCITED TO WRITE ABT BTAS

Jonathan Crane was a man of many faces. He’d been a professor, a villian, but.. never a lover. He’d never dabbled in the dating scene for many reasons. He’d never been considered attractive for one, and additionally, his chosen profession, age, and introverted nature seemed like major obstacles in the pursuit of romance.. To think he could still make someone swoon for him was.. flattering? He’s not sure what to make of it initially.

After the initial first meet, he can’t seem to stop thinking of you. Your memory lingers in his mind like a song stuck in his head. Your voice was a melody only he felt he should be able to cherish, and your apperance was almost ethereal. It’s not that he felt out of your league but.. he really did.

His mind, and morals seem to get the better of him in this situation. He truly has no man or woman he can turn to in a time of desperation, as he’d disclosed himself off from mostly everybody. His own mind became a mentor, and he decided to follow its adivce well.

He begins, slowly, to go out of his way to see you. He’s quiet and especially awkward, not used to being on the giving end of starting a conversation. Many other professors almost look in shock if they’re able to see such a display of subtle affection. What had gotten into this man?

His students for the most part notice his change in demeanor. He’d been a good professor for the most part, quiet and honestly a bit too interested in fear to their liking.. but never outright happy? He was an older man, who’d they’d figured lost the spark he initially had in his job.. they think of themselvs as wrong from that point foreward.

The more your newly found and unexpected friendship progresses, Jonathan finds himself unintentionally opening up to you more and more, spilling facts about both him and what interested him in his profession. He keeps this side of him hidden at first, worried he’d regress to his younger years and scare you away.

The most suprising part about this new friendship is how much he trusts you, however. He’d initially thought of himself as closed off, and if anyone were to try and come close he’d simply push them away. But.. he does let you touch him playfully, nudge him, tease him.. he doesn’t mind it one bit, even though if it was anyone else he’d be bound to lose his temper.

Side note but I would imagine it being funny if you were unintentionally pushing him around slightly, like you bring him into a hug and he literally is so fucking fragile he just can’t breathe 😭

Might offhandedly ask you for your fears, and while he initially imagines what would become if he were to see you in a state of fear.. he somehow stops himself. This was the one actually good thing to become of his life in a big time. Sure, the obsession with fear was a lovely distraction, but what he needed the most was a connection with someone.. so, from that point foreward, he made a little vow to try and keep you away from any of his harmful hobbies.

A confession with him could go many ways. If he were the one to confess his feelings, it would take years. He’d need to know truly know you and your character. Your personality thick and thin, your downsides and upsides, your interests and hobbies.. hed need to be able to recite anything about you from memory, and have an almost spiritual bond in that sence.

A setting for him would also be rather specific. He isnt fond of the rain unless a thunderstorm is in its wake, a common fear, and he certainly isn’t a fan of sunny and warm weather.. fall would be perferred. Perhaps a rather warmer day of fall, the leaves a golden brown and bright yellow. Perhaps he’d take you to a park, or maybe you’d both find someplace nice and isolated to sit. The sun would barely shine over the pearly white clouds, creating a slightly dim atmosphere. An atmosphere he felt the most comfortable in.

Hes not exactly a poetic type, and feelings for him have always been complicated and hard to come by. For Jonathan, gestures say more than words, but obviously he would need to do more to confess his feelings twoards you.

He’d be more.. gentle the day he confesses to you. He has no intention to go on a mindless rant, and he looks incredibly nervous and uneasy. He wasn’t used to feeling nervous, if anything he had figured those emotions were something he controlled and could control on others.

—————————————

🎃Post Confession:

You wouldn’t be reading this if you rejected him, so let’s just go to the dating Headcanons! I have a lot for post scsrecrow jon too, don’t worry this all isn’t going to be professor crane lol.

He was undeniably a sentimental lover, his emotions in a constant state of flux. He’s very doting, very gentle and.. very touchy. It’s rather difficult for a man shunned affection in his early years to keep his hands off of someone willing to provide him with such a gesture.

Constant, maybe even unintentional touching. A hand on your thigh, or one on top of your hand as you sit together. There seems to always be a contented smile on his face in moments where it’s only you. He’s not a grumpy, reclusive man, and doesn’t feel the need to be.

Of course.. he wouldn’t have become the Scarecrow if he didn’t get fired from his previous job for his malpractice. The initial reaction was of course fury, and while he tried to contain the pent up emotions and bitter hatred he held for the Dean of Gotham university after the confrontation, he needed someone to talk to.

His initial reaction is to go straight to your home, not without multiple texts and calls, him frantically panicking and shouting about how all of his hard work and research was spent at a place he wasn’t appreciated at.. he was leaving details out, yes, but what you didn’t know surely wouldn’t hurt you..

If you two live together, he’s most likely going to hurriedly drive back to your shared apartment/house a complete and utter wreck, not even able to speak as his anger fuels all of his emotions.

Either way, he’s got his mind set on one goal now. He’s going to make the university pay, and he’s finally going to do what he loved. You were the only person he could trust, the only person he could count on. You try and be there to lend a loving hand in such a time of desperation, but he’s too far into his own world now. He still tries to be as loving as he can, but something seems off.. he’s definitely keeping a secret, and the more he seems to be hiding the more a sort of trust is broken between the two of you. A big factor as to why he did keep it a secret in the first place was the fear of you being hurt in the process of his own endeavors. He kept reminding himself that what you didn’t know would keep you safe, from the police, from his experiments, and from himself..

He comes to the realization that, if he does want this to work he’d need to let you in, even if you’d be upset over the initial anger he’d been living a double life. Of course, you probably were, but that slightly dampened trust was thankfully built between the two of you again. So what if you were going to date an aspired villian? You loved him, and he did kinda make good cinnamon muffins when you were sad.

His first mission (This would be taking place during his debut episode in Batman the Animated Srries!) was a simple one, sabatoge something, perhaps Gotham university. It was a widely spread crime, one that nobody was sure there was a motive for.. but there was.

I’m the span of his first two crimes, before his first robbery and getaway, he’d aqqired some goons. With the goons came a small name for himself in Gothams underworld, and with that came the need to form an alter ego. All of it was one game of dominos, fueled by revenge and desire. During these events, he’s.. awfully clingy, suprisingly. You’re the only person he can rely on, espically while he’s building a name for himself. He thinks his henchmen are dimwitted dropouts, and that the other criminals would never understand him like you do.

His goons are practically on your hand and foot, wether you like it or not. He’s made it very, very clear two his two main henchmen that your problems were his problems, and that he was never one to let his darling suffer. So.. congrats, you’ve gained two butlers, who work for free..

His goons were so, so suprised he cared about someone other than himself and his goals. The way he talked about you was a drastic difference from the way he talked about them, or anyone else for that matter.

Jonathan isnt shy to boast about his significant other, and many would think you two were an older married couple with the way he presented himself in your company. He’s the master of fear now, and you’re his Mistress/Beau.

Maybe it’s my own bias speaking, but your love would definitely shift into a more gothic and meloncholic undertone. Dates are eerie and poetic, and he serenades you the best way he can.. telling you about how you and him are to rule the world. You and him are two lovers destined to make the world bow at their feet as you both dance on the debris of a destroyed civilization.

His words are sincere, his devotion seeping through every sentence.

“People shall be screaming Hosannas in our name. They will kiss the ground we walk on, hand in hand, my love.”

He’s.. very overdramatic. But he does mean it.

Now when he robs banks, despite his initial claims that he’s not in it for the money, he does end up pocketing some from his goons. Now he does have someone he could be supporting, and at this rate in both of your lives, you either are living together or he’s living at your place so the police can’t catch onto him as easy. He’d like to make your life a little easier, anything for his little raven.

Strangely domestic, as if you two had been married for years. He gives you nicknames in a large supply, his favorites ones that most would deem to be ‘spooky’ or unconventional. My Raven, Adrienne, my flame, etc… might be a sucker for pumpkin too, both being called it and calling you it. You hardly get called your name the more and more you’re together.

You’d fallen in love with a villian, a villian willing to destroy cities in your name, you scare and terrify those who try to get in your way.. congratulations ;)

[lilac-udon]

the person you like is perfect and just too good to be with you, you look at yourself and know how horrible and disgusting yourself is, so you just want the person you admire to be with someone better off

I realize this is how I imagined basil, he is selfless but till the last moment, he broke, the glimpse of hope he still has for his friend , and the selfishness of wanting something for once, wanting to be saved by someone he should have saved

I’m like very bad at analyzing, I haven’t touched the game for about two years? The point is I never felt we see all of basil, and I don’t think the last three days can summarize up his whole character. I know a lot people already knew the last fight with sunny is because the situation(and I knew still people just see that as a whole) , on the other hand, dream w basil is also unrealistic, like dw Aubrey, it may or may not being sunny wanted how thing are(but I still like to add the sunny dream world is really spot on and perfect copy memory) w which dream world basil being extreme with only the good side sunny see, other emotions or flaw at first I think he just push on to stranger as the part he didn’t want to witness, however, besides stranger being angry and disappointed of sunny, I don’t see too much of a negative personality for basil (however the whole cast are very friendly and wholesome)

I type so much just saying

I don’t understand basil

I hate yandere basil, but I also hate him being passive to no aggressive, and a lot of time I think it became all fanon because idk

I felt like every character can have our own interpretation but I just felt like basil is hard to work w,he is rather too cute and passive or just straight up obsessive creep

Also lot of times ppl ignore everything

He just happy

Another kel

Kinda

Actually if nothing happens

They all kel

Besides sunny and Aubrey

Oh don’t let me write about kel

I have more to talk about

[majorcharacterundeath]

i do wish the baby changling had survived. ik they needed to give Odo back his shapeahifting but that wasnt a very satisfying way to do it. it mightve been if he or anyone else talked about the baby but they dont!

not to mention whoever on the writing team was obsessed w the characters forgiving their shit fathers. Dr Mora makes everything all about him and cant Odo see that he had to hurt him? he belittles and berates Odo and tells him just how disapointed his is in Odo for being too childish to forgive him. every one of his apologies is an excuse and never once takes any real consideration of Odo's hurt

and Sisko sees this happen! he hears the way Mora talks to his son! and he shouldve taken him aside and been like hey theres a very good reason Odo never talks to you. it wouldve been nice to see Mora actually acknowledge Odo's hurt and really apologize, but the way they left it was gross

and i do wonder if Dr Mora's insistance that they keep pushing the little changling was why it died. it was recovering from radiation sickness! they dont have a great understanding of changling physiology. Odo's approach of letting it rest and get comfortable was the right one, the episode says so. i wish it had also made Mora consider slowing the fuck down. the cardassians arent there to kill him if the kid cant be party entertainment soon enough

side note Mora is a bad scientist. he admits to not keeping records because hes too busy w the next experiment, like thats not a big deal. he shouldve been fired

[ivomartins]

clock it bc omg im playing hs rn (to understand requiem better but im just diamond mining) (apologies to hs lovers) and the dialogue and the storyline has been making me laugh it's so childish and uninteresting like wheres the flavour?? these people are supposed to be divine beings alive for centuries and they speak like twilight characters? every characters personality is so one dimensional and i kind of can't stand mc i hope she gets better in hs2 (also heard we'll get sexy anemic looking men w long hair for lis can't wait)

as opposed to that, like you said, requiem is DELIVERING. every characters is unsettling and creepy in their own way, but nothing about cain makes sense. mc herself said she couldn't understand what's going on in his head despite being right next to him and it actually shows to the player too. it genuinely feels like we're dealing with beings beyond comprehension, understanding and that just ups the stakes for the mc and maintains this dread the player feels throughout the story.

idk if you've played that diamond scene yet but when he tells mc he can understand her and be on her side, it feels so Fake like he's pretending to be human for achieving his goal and im obsessed w it. the writer is operating on levels we can't even begin to understand.

ofc it's only going to be more delicious to figure him out and watch him fall for mc and grapple with his feelings 🤭🤭

(ps the last four requiem asks you've gotten are from me, can i be your 'vivi' anon 💌)

girl (gender neutral) 😭😭😭 tell me about it i deadass can't get over how cartoonish hs is like no hate at ALL towards the book or the people who love it but i think it's so overhyped and most definitely the book/series that i'd rate the lowest out of all of alice's projects

because of that it's a blessing in a way that requiem is written by a different author?? like it's been so interesting seeing the lore from a different lens and being portrayed with such a different "voice" to the writing. like i thought requiem was written by alice at first and i remember how i suspected otherwise purely by the otherwordly way that cain was described in his first diamond scene like ???? i got so hype cause i thought alice was more in her element with this story and just has her spark again GDKSHDJE no shade towards her at all but i definitely think requiem having a different writer is one of the main reasons why it stands out and exceeds hs in this way. i think it's safe to assume it would have had the same storytelling/writing style as hs if it was written by alice (unfortunately)

i loooooove your take about cain being disingenuous when he talked to mc about understanding her??? that would add so much dimension to him if it's true!! i took it at face value tbh because they both do share the similarity of being outcasts from the group + being selfish and invested in their own goals instead of the greater good or whatever the squad is seeking to achieve. BUT it would be absolutely amazing if your interpretation turned out to be true because i can definitely see it with cain's devious lil ass

also. can we PLEASE take a moment to discuss the fact that LANE AND CAIN MET BEFORE???? i mean i saw a screenshot recently from chapter 1 where he's like "do you remember me?" and i also vaguely remember lane dreaming about him in chapter 1 too??? when i tell you. i am chewing my fist just thinking about it... i LIVE for pre-established dynamics like this 😭

[grippingbeskar]

hi bestie! Idk if I've asked this before tbh but as the author of one of if not the best frank series out there, do you have other frank fic recs?? I'd love more series but anything will do! I 100% trust your opinion on fics just based on your writing tbh

(PS can't wait for the next salt ice and fire update 🥰 )

okay i know this has been in my box for so long so i apologise but i wanted to actually take the time and curate a little list for you since you were so SWEET. thankyou so so much for your kind words like i actually treasure things like this so much, and i’m so glad you asked for recs BECAUSEEEE i have read so many frank fics it’s actually embarrassing.

now there is a stark LACK of read frank series in this rec list and that is only my fault i’m so sorry— i’m sure there’s a million out there however i don’t tend to read series as much (lmao that i’m writing one) but i will do a lil rec list of series once i’ve found some.

the fight and fuck series by @chrisevansredbelt - it’s literally so HOT and angsty and perfect holy shit. one of my favourite frank fics of all time, i’ve read the first part like 6 times i swear.

you gonna let me be good to you? by @chvoswxtch - even the TITLE like that is so frank. SO FRANK. this fic fucks me up in the best way possible.

sit around and miss you by @ohcaptains - this entire frank masterlist is fucking perfection. seriously some of the best writing i’ve read on this site, but this one in particular just hnggggggggg fucking yummy.

don’t ever leave my side, baby i’ll die by @balenciagabucky - sleepy sex w marine frank. do i have to say any more. it’s so good.

morning kiss by @itwasthereaminuteago - they have a lot of frank fics which r all PERFECTION but this one is my personal fave. you have to read to find out why heheheheh

reflection by @marvelswh0re - maybe i’m biased that this is my fave bUT again, anything by this writer RIGHT HERE is fucking genius so enjoy this whole account too

home isn’t a place by @saintmurd0ck - this was so hard to pick just one. but this author writes so beautifully like i can’t explain it. even the names of their fics are so gorgeous i die.

this poly frank x matt masterlist also by @saintmurd0ck - can’t tell u how many times i have devoured this omfg.

outdoor sex by @lovelybucky1 - HOWLING. that is all. i can’t

harlequin by @pedrito-friskito - guys this is so fucking good oh my god. also the reader in this is reading a book and as a fellow bookworm i am melting.

attagirl by @buckyhoney - you know i’m a slut for a good attagirl so like this fic right here had me ALL kinds of fucked up.

the four times frank almost asks you to marry him, and the one time he does by @amhrosina - i love this fic so much it warms my cold dead heart. frank is such an oldschool guy and the idea of him proposing is just so sweet to me like didocodkc i love this.

of fathers and daughters by @lemon-world1 - this captures franks character so well and WOWOWOW obsessed.

OKAY. that’s all i can think of at the top of my head. all these writers are fantastic and have so many other frank fics to devour i just picked my favourites from their incredible lists.

[swallowtail-ageha]

Maria, Malenia, Dancer for the character opinion bingo!

Oh putting this under the cut because it will be long

Maria

God lady maria my beloved. Might actually be one of if not the favourite fromsoft character i could unironically talk hours on end about her and that is just with the vanilla lore she has and not all of my headcanons regarding her which at this point are so many i could write a book longer than the bible listing them down.

Design? Everything. Lore? Everything. Bossfight? Everything.

She has a very clear and coincise downward-spiral arc and yet is so deeply sympathetic, despite being a de-facto monster.

To me she was someone who desperately needed reassurance that yes, she was a good person, and yes, she was doing the right thing, until over and over again those reassurances were ripped off her hands and she had to face the hard truth of what she was doing. And she kept doing this over and over again until she couldnt handle it anymore and killed herself. In my mind maria just saw herself as a living walking failure whose greatest accomplishment would have been dying to prevent others from getting hurt.

I do find it wonderful that she managed to avoid the wave of misogynistic hate for being a complex female character who Kinda Sucked, but also this has created a wave of just as annoying fans that are the woobiefiers which god. Her crimes are what make her interesting! She doesnt need to be the token good teammate! She can suck too! Flattening a female character to make her more good and likeable is also misogynistic! But i have ranted enough about this on my blog wifiskcks

Only complaint about her tho is that they really, really could have done something more about the fact that she is a cainhurst woman (and thus being a possible candidate for great one surrogacy), and the fact that she worked closely with byrgenwerth because i find the whole angle interesting. Oh maria you want to escape from your people's way of entering in communion with the great ones so badly you turn to byrgenwerth's methods of ascension or something along the lines of that

Malenia

I remember me during 2022 getting in the reddit trenches defending her from misogynistic dudebros lol. If no one else is here malenia got me can she get an amen

I say "everyone else is wrong about them" but eeeh, it isnt really true, i do not think other's interpretations are wrong i just like to give her way more mental illnesses than the usual.

To me malenia is very... clingy. Quiet. Codependent. Her brain never quite literally recovered from the massive trauma that was rot and getting her limbs cut off + the horrific neglect she suffered. I have been playing with the idea she might have some sort of heavy dissociation issues and some sort of age regression.

I firmly reject anything about the promised consort radahn battle of aeonia post sote bullshit. I like girls who are loser cuckgirls but god. No. Not in this case lmao.

[Jokes aside i just thing it really really cheapened malenia's motivations and the whole battle's thematic resonance. The man who was obsessed with the past and thus stagnation fighting against the woman who had ontological stagnation forced onto herself and ends up literally rotting alive until nothing else remains. It was so good ugh]

Since the game never tells of we have killed her or not, i like to think she survived post canon and just had to do. An enormous amount of unpacking towards everything that was her life. Maybe she manages to live in peace, maybe she doesnt.

I also loveeee the whole narrative she has w the kindred of rot/millicent+sisters/gowry. I just find it tragic from either sides. The kindreds of rot never asked to exist, they were just born from the bloom and it is in their nature to cling what is essentially their mother, their god, just as malenia herself didn't want, never wanted to end up like this. She never wanted to be an object of worship a god or whatever. She never wanted to create creatures bound to the very cause of her suffering. They are both innocent in the whole situation and its so so deliciously tragic.

She is very rose bride coded in the way that many people that have to do with her do not see her as a person but just as a projection of what they want, and malenia herself doesnt really have any kind of desire other than just being miquella's blade, miquella's tool

Dancer of the boreal valley

Oh yes, the extremization of my love for female characters with really not much thought behind them aside from "they must suffer" lol.

I actually... didn't expect to like her as much as i did, not to full blorbofication, but the combination of me having just beaten her and me the day after immediately going to a school trip to sicily where i spent average six hours on a bus dojng nothing made it so that i could ruminate her enough in my head LOL.

Dancer to me is oooough. I headcanon her to being a very bitter and almost bitchy person. Very bad-victim in a way where she always powerscales her suffering regarding others to the point of being virtually isolated to the point of her exile and yet. Not really blame-able.

She was just very very traumatized and was actively being abused physically psychologically and sexually. She had no way out or escape from sulyvahn outside of death and she knows that well, and had more or less accepted that in either way he would have ended up killing her.

I also do not think she had any warm feelings towards vordt like at all bcs vordt didn't really lift a finger to help her in a concrete way. Not big acts but he wasn't even there for her emotionally and just bemoaned her as the abused princess he couldnt save and even got quite bitchy at her when she lashed out bcs it contradicted with the romanticized image he had of her. She's angry at him angry at gwyndolin for getting manipulated by sulyvahn angry at others for not being abused angry at gwynevere and rosaria for dipping and leaving her alone to suffer.

I wish she had more fans (and i understand why she hasnt because her story is uncomfortable. Tho i have seen people deny that dancer was an euphemism for sex slave which ????), but i also do think if she did i would be a persona non grata because i Do ship her with sulyvahn lol so i am kinda happy to let things how they are

Thanks for the ask!