#although I think it’s doing the opposite

[s4nguiine]

dead flowers; pressed against my lips

arlecchino x fem!reader

» summary: you and arlecchino go on a christmas date and end the night with nasty lesbian sex

» rating: NSFW!! minors dni!!

» notes: ohhhh my godddd merry christmas everyone! here is 3.5k words of wlw with dom/sub dynamics, rough sex, choking, strap sucking, you know, the kind of stuff you usually imagine when thinking about arlecchino. don't look at me like that. i know who you are. i speedran writing this in a single afternoon and it is not beta read so there are probably many many mistakes. have fun!

arlecchino does not get christmas. she finds it frivolous and materialistic and most of all, she finds it to be a waste of time. suffice to say that the house of the hearth does not celebrate this holiday. or at least it used not to.

when she wakes up early that morning, she is immediately struck speechless when she finds you up and about. that much is a feat on its own, as you are not one to get up early unless strictly necessary. and yet here you are, awake earlier than arlecchino herself, and the living room is… green, red and golden. your back is turned to her when she enters, and although your hands are preoccupied with hanging up a wreath above the fireplace, you notice her presence anyway.

this does not come as a surprise to arlecchino. you wouldn’t run the orphanage with her if you weren’t good at your job.

“good morning,” you greet her, then you finally face her.

“what’s all… this?” arlecchino asks as she motions around her in general.

“why, it’s christmas, of course.” you smile like you’re saying the most obvious thing in the world.

arlecchino furrows her brows, looking around herself once more. “it’s gaudy.”

you laugh. she looks like a grumpy cat finding out that the furniture has been rearranged. “yes. yes, it is gaudy. but i think the kids will like it. some of them never got to experience christmas before, a change of pace should do them good.”

the harbinger sighs and relents. “i suppose you are right. it shouldn’t hurt to spoil them every now and then.” she can’t not relent when there’s that spark in your eye anyway. in this way, you’ve got her wrapped around your finger.

“come on,” you say, making your way towards the kitchen. “we still have some time before the kids wake up. coffee?”

arlecchino follows. “of course.”

she doesn’t need to say how she wants it made. you know that she likes it black, no sugar, no milk or cream. in this way, the two of you are once again opposites. arlecchino often cringes at the amount of flavoring you like to put in your coffee, asking you if you even like coffee in the first place. the truth that you haven’t told her yet is that you just want to be involved in her daily routine.

you were right, of course. the children begin to filter in, and everyone’s spirits seem to lift when their eyes land on the decorated living room. the more extroverted children are visibly excited, wasting no time in running back to the dorms to grab their friends, and even the gloomy ones perk up somewhat. arlecchino’s eyes, however, remain pinned to your beaming face. you’re clearly proud of your work.

if you’re the sun, the arlecchino is the darkness. and much like the color black, she wants - no, needs to soak in as much of your light as possible.

arlecchino catches your attention by tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. finally, your eyes are on her. if things went according to her, they would never leave her. the knave is lucky that the kids are too busy to notice this moment of tenderness.

days pass, and arlecchino finds herself growing accustomed to the holiday atmosphere around her. in the end, she is glad that she allowed you to do this.

she sits by the hearth, gazing into the fire as she usually does when she’s free, a warm cup in her hand. the scent of high quality chenyu vale tea wafts into the air, creating a relaxing atmosphere calm enough to lull one to sleep.

your footsteps draw near, and arlecchino knows that she can only hear them because you allow her to. she puts down her cup and folds her hands in her lap.

“come to keep me company?” she asks, feeling the backrest of her chair dip under your weight as you lean on it.

“maybe. or maybe i’ve come to ask you out on a date,” you reply.

arlecchino lifts both of her eyebrows and finally turns her head to look at you. “a date?”

“indeed. we haven’t gone in a while, right?”

arlecchino hums. she takes your hand in hers and brings it to her lips. “do you have something in mind?”

you smile at her display of affection. “there’s a christmas market in the court of fontaine. what do you say we go check it out tonight?”

she takes a moment to consider it. markets really aren’t her thing, and she really doesn’t understand the excitement about christmas. but it would make you happy. if she gets to see your smile, she will go.

“very well. let’s have a date, dear.” your grin is all she needs to know she made the right choice. “as for those three…”

“i will handle it.” you pull away and cross your arms, facing a nearby door. “you can come out now.”

there is a moment of silence before lyney, lynette and freminet emerge from the door, each looking more bashful than the other.

“i’m disappointed,” you scold. “surely i taught you to sneak better than this. did you even try to be quiet?”

the trio shift on their feet, throwing glances at each other to urge someone to speak already. you shake your head. “two weeks of dishwashing duties for each of you. now go along. i’m sure you have chores to do.”

lynette and freminet both deadpan at lyney, who laughs nervously. this is enough to clue you in on whose idea it was to spy on you. the children leave, and you sigh. “sometimes i feel like i have no clue what’s going on through their heads.”

arlecchino does. you’ve always had a way of pulling all eyes towards you. it makes it all the more impressive how good you are at being stealthy. she rests her hands on the armrests of the chair and pushes herself up.

“now then, let’s waste no more time and start getting ready, yes?”

you look at her, confused. “we still have ti-”

the words are swiped from your tongue when arlecchino leans in to capture your chin between her thumb and index finger. “don’t you want to pretty yourself up for me?”

your face burns up with the heat of a thousand suns. “i… yes… of course…”

the harbinger graces you with a small smile that’s enough to make you feel weak in the knees. she then lets go of you and retreats into the bedroom, leaving you reeling in the middle of the living room.

you’re pretty sure your brain just melted. when you come to, it’s been a full minute, and you quickly scamper to the bathroom to start putting on your makeup. yes, you’ll pretty yourself up for her. better yet, you will make her want you like she’s never wanted you before. tonight will end with her strap rearranging your guts, you’ll make sure of it.

when the two of you meet outside, you both stare at each other without saying anything. she’s hot. insanely hot. hotter than usual, even despite the fact that she is wearing more clothes than usual. arlecchino’s hair is let loose for once, a sight usually reserved for the bedroom. she knows you like it loose. seems that the two of you have the same plans for tonight.

you grin and take her up on her silent offer to lock your arms together.

“you look dashing,” she says. compliments are rare - you know you’ve struck gold.

“so do you. i’ll have to watch out for suitors.”

“no need.” her eyes are cold as she sweeps them over your surroundings. “i only have you in my sights.”

satisfied and arm in arm, you head out to find the christmas market. it only takes a few minutes for you to arrive at the main plaza, which is teeming with people. you know you don’t have to worry, though. as soon as you enter the crowd, there forms a circle of space around you two. this is simply the effect of dating peruere, who is so intimidating that people naturally avoid her whether intentionally or unintentionally. not you, though. you find that attractive.

you arrive at the first mulled wine stand and get a cup for each of you (but not without complaining about the ridiculous price.) arlecchino watches as you hold it with both of your hands and blow at the rising steam to cool the drink down a little. your cheeks and nose are red from the cold and your eyes are cast downward to show off the full length of your eyelashes.

having a better tolerance for heat, she sips at her own wine without taking her eyes off of you. you blink when you notice.

“like what you see?” you grin, exposing the teeth beneath your red-tinted lips.

arlecchino hums. “i do. very much.” she notices a speck of mascara on your cheekbone. immediately without thinking her hand darts out to wipe it away, black finger brushing against your skin.

“you’re spoiling me tonight, i see,” you joke. it’s all you can do not to give away your racing heart.

“for now,” she replies. “don’t get too used to it.” and with a wink she turns to lead you to another stand. you feel warmth pooling in the pit of your stomach and you’re unsure whether it’s the alcohol or the anticipation of what’s to come.

it is a nice date. you walk between the stalls, looking at the various products on sale. at some point you buy matching rings for you two, and you get chocolate croissants and some more wine, her treat of course.

by the end of the evening there is a pleasant buzz permeating your body and you’ve got a dumb grin on your face. arlecchino also seems more relaxed, despite all the eyes on her. she leans in close to your ear.

“shall we get to the next program?” she asks. you have to hold down a whimper.

your shoulder presses closer to hers, both hands wrapped around her arm. “i would love nothing more.”

“wonderful. let us depart.”

you are shoved down onto the bed, your naked body bouncing with the force of the push. arlecchino watches you like a hawk about to snoop down to catch her prey. she finds pleasure in seeing your messed up makeup, the lipstick smeared from vigorous kissing, and she licks her lips to taste your spit. stripping down to her underwear, she finally climbs on top of you, presenting you with a full view of her clothed cunt. she’s wearing the panties you gifted her a few months ago; black with a small red ribbon in the front. you’re salivating.

“what are you waiting for?” her voice comes from above, and in the darkness of the room all you can make out from her face are the glowing red crosses in her eyes. you swallow. “take them off.”

your thumbs immediately find their way under the hem of her underwear but she slaps them away.

“with your teeth.”

you let out a shaky breath. “yessir,” you reply as you push yourself up on your elbows. your face inches closer to her sex and you pinch the fabric between your incisors, careful not to bite arlecchino. your nose buries itself in her lower abdomen, upper lip dragging across her skin as you pull the panties lower. you manage to pull them down to the middle of her thighs before letting go. a strand of spit connects you to the fabric before breaking once you’re far enough.

the harbinger lets out a pleased hum. “good girl,” she purrs, and her clawed hand cups your cheek. her thumb pushes down onto your lower lip before breaching the entrance of your mouth. she explores your tongue and teeth and you let her like an obedient puppy begging for a treat.

arlecchino releases you from her grasp and you whimper. she reaches behind you, grabbing something from her drawing, and when she comes back into your field of vision, she’s holding a strap harness.

“would you put this on for me, darling?” she asks. you nod. of course you nod. anything for her, anything she asks. you take the harness and put it on her, making it tight enough to stay in place but not so tight for it to dig into her skin uncomfortably. more praises spill from her lips and you have to rub your legs together in search of some kind of friction.

arlecchino fastens a strap-on to the harness. you peek up at her through your lashes, salivating at the sight of her towering you. she seems to notice your reaction as her eyes narrow into a crescent shape. she grips the toy with her hand, bringing it up to your lips.

“why don’t you suck it first, hm?”

you part your lips, breathing onto the fake cock in front of you. “yessir…” she doesn’t move. you have to do all the work, and you do it gladly, leaning in, resting the dildo on your tongue. it tastes funny. you pay it no mind. it’s time to put on a show for her.

you swirl your tongue around its tip before dipping lower to its base, coating the dildo with your saliva. her eyes remain on you, a scalding hot gaze that penetrates your very soul. it makes you shudder.

a couple more licks, and you feel that the dildo is sufficiently covered. you pull back to the tip to give it a tender kiss, maintaining eye contact with arlecchino, before closing your eyes and completely wrapping your lips around her cock. your head dips and you take more of its length in your mouth. you move without stopping, until the dildo hits the back of your throat, making you gag. breathing in deep, you swallow around the shaft in an attempt to get used to it, and as you do so, you feel arlecchino tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear.

“you’re taking it so good,” she coos, almost out of breath. “go on. you can take all of it.”

of course you can. if it’s her, you can do anything. so you flatten your tongue around the base of it and you push deeper, feeling it enter your throat. tears well up in your eyes, spit runs down your chin, but you press on - and at last, you can feel your nose hit the leather harness. you feel full, accomplished.

arlecchino shifts her hips and you gag again. “good girl,” she praises, and if you had a tail, it would be wagging right about now. “i suppose i should reward you for being so obedient.” she reaches behind herself, and as soon as you feel her fingers push past the folds of your pussy, you groan around the girth of the dildo. her middle finger teases your clit and your hips flinch. you want it, you need it so bad. unfortunately for you, you cannot beg with your mouth full of cock.

arlecchino pulls back her hips and you gasp for air, then cough as you choke on your own saliva. she brings her hand forward again, glistening with your arousal.

“so wet,” she drawls. “i didn’t even have to touch you.”

“please,” you seize this opportunity to beg, “please fuck me. please.”

arlecchino’s eyes find yours, and they’re freezing cold. “all in due time, my dear. or are you questioning my leadership?”

you shake your head. “i wouldn’t dare.”

“that’s what i thought.” you think you’re about to pass out with arousal. “open up.”

obedient as always, you do as you’re told, and her strap is back in your mouth before you can register anything. she begins to move her hips, and you suck to the best of your abilities. this proves difficult when her hand finds your cunt once again, middle and ring fingers rubbing your clit in a circular motion.

your eyes roll back into your head at the feeling and you arch your back. the moment you lose focus however, arlecchino draws her hand back and slaps your pussy, forcing a muffled squeak out of you. you get right back to work, glancing up at her pleadingly. she decides to indulge you, going back to your pussy, this time pushing her fingers inside while her thumb stimulates your clit.

your thighs shake, but you do your best to focus on showering her strap with love. arlecchino sighs at the sight. she withdraws her fingers to touch herself under the harness. and you feel yourself drip even more. arlecchino then grabs a fistful of your hair with the hand coated in a combination of your slick and hers, and her thrusts grow more forceful. your own hands find purchase on her thighs, now gone taut as her muscles flex.

she fucks your throat mercilessly through your garbled sounds of pleasure and gagging, and your eyes roll back as your vision grows blurry with the lack of oxygen in your lungs. your face burns and turns red. and just as you think that you’re about to pass out, arlecchino pulls out to let you breathe. you gasp, and the moment your lungs fill with air, your cunt spasms and you release, painting the bed sheets with your arousal.

the woman above watches you intently, her chest rising and falling with deep breaths. neither of you realize it, but her own arousal drips from between her folds, falling in drops onto your bare stomach.

once more, she praises you. “good girl,” she says, and you believe her. you’ve been a very good girl.

arlecchino lets go of your hair and gets off you, leaving you to ride out your high and calm down. once your small moans cease, she settles between your legs, lifting your hips and hooking your knees over her shoulders. it seems that while you were reeling, arlecchino procured a flask of lube, which she is now pouring over the dildo.

she then strokes the dildo with her bare hand, a casually vulgar display that leaves you biting your lip. her fingers delve inside your pussy and make a scissoring motion to test how stretched you are, and she hums, pleased with the result. at last, she lines up the tip of her cock with your entrance, and with a plunge, its girth enters your body.

you moan, fingers digging into the bed sheets as you’re stretched and filled. your heels dig into arlecchino’s back, toes curling while you struggle to breathe.

arlecchino’s hawk-like eyes remain on the connecting point between your bodies and one of her hands lets go of your thigh to rub at your swollen clit, which pulls a whine out of you.

“puh-please, have some mercy-” you interrupt yourself with a groan as arlecchino thrusts her hips, rocking your body. you feel like you’re going to snap in two.

“don’t lie to yourself,” she scolds, “you love it when i’m rough.” she thrusts again, hitting a spot deep inside that rips a sob out of you.

you cry, “you’re right! fuck- fuck me! peruere!”

arlecchino’s eyes widen at the mention of her name, crimson crosses seemingly glowing brighter. “as you wish, dear.”

she sets a merciless pace. the dildo penetrates you time and time again, and each time the sounds of your sex grow wetter, dirtier. you’re practically gushing over her dick while she rearranges your guts, fucking you into the mattress like her life depends on it.

her thrusts turn you into a whimpering and mewling mess, and arlecchino groans with you as you begin to unravel.

“so beautiful,” she says, voice gravelly, “you’re so beautiful for me. are you gonna cum again, dear?”

you have half a brain cell to nod. your mascara runs down your face and your lipstick is smeared all over your mouth. in spite of this, she calls you beautiful, and you truly believe her, for anything arlecchino says is the truth.

you feel pressure on your clit again, as peruere massages the bundle of nerves. you sob, then throw your head back, and your vision goes white. everything inside you grows taut, until the dam breaks with the snap of a finger and you come undone, legs stretching as you squirt all over arlecchino’s belly.

her movements finally still, except for her finger on your clit, which only slows down. you hiss when it becomes painful and arlecchino stops entirely. she pulls out and leans in to kiss you, humming into your mouth when you reciprocate.

“wonderful,” she mumbles. “you’re simply wonderful.”

your tongue feels heavy in your mouth, leaving you unable to reply. you don’t need to. arlecchino draws back and you hear the clinking of the harness’ strap, followed by a soft thud.

as you stare at the ceiling, the harbinger comes into view once more. “i hope you don’t think we’re done for tonight,” she says.

you chuckle.

“without repaying the deed? never.”

[theboredhooman]

okay but kame and asa are literally 100% in love i don’t make the rules ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

long post overanalysing and yapping about these two lesbians + spoilers for the ‘mononoke: phantom in the rain’ movie! go watch it right now if you can 👹👹

kame is literally asa’s most precious thing.

asa was soo flustered and didn’t want to tell kame about this, even blushing?? like understandable it’s basically a confession

one of asa’s first reactions was always to check if kame was okay whenever the mononoke appeared

sure, it could’ve just been a friend thing, but asa was constantly looking out for kame in the ooku

defending her and taking the blame for all her mistakes and trying to protect her from harm, standing up to awashima and mugitani

asa i know what you are i saw that blush when kame smiled after you told her she could work with you instead of mugitani (I get you she was so cute tho)

”Such neat handwriting” asa’s eyes were so soft it actually broke my heart when i saw awashima cutting kame’s hair

the well scene….just…

asa trying to pull up kame, and kame doing the same for her

also asa being sort of lifeless while she hangs there until kame tells her that ‘it’ll be alright!/I’ve got you!’ and suddenly she snaps out of her shock, gaining emotions again

also it was so cute when they were talking next to each other at night

speaking of which, kame making asa promise to not let go while they sleep and asa adjusting to a more comfortable grip while holding hand was just; auGHHH 😩

ALSO ALSO “Kitagawa made me realise what was important, what I should never throw away,” and then KAME TURNING TO SMILE AT ASA AND ASA SMILING BACK WITH THAT ADORING LOOK IN HER EYES?? (note: there was also minor foreshadowing here with the empty doll cupboard but i think that had more to do with kitagawa)

and the cut off after saying she needed to say something important was really suspicious like what did she say??

idk how this related but afterwards she became more focused and hardworking on her job(but also more rigid and firm in her beliefs) and kame tipped out her water instead of drinking it (because she became the opposite? more rebellious/defiant maybe? idk)

speaking to the medicine seller, she said she understood kitagawa’s feelings, which makes me think kitagawa also had a thing for her friend lol like there was absolutely something going on there if she(kitagawa) fell apart after her friend left

only mildly related but i believe karakasa’s next target was probably going to be kame and she was used as bait for it (as something a redditor* mentioned was asa may have sent kame away to protect her rather than the reason kitagawa did, OR lure out karakasa) edit: nvm i remembered wrong it was utayama i believe (due to perhaps resentment within the doll’s umbrella*) or asa (following the logic that awashima and mugitani were both the head housemaids(?) favoured by utayama before asa, although again the end goal was probably to attack utayama)

also when asa was addressing the other maids of the ooku before the birth celebratory ceremony and bowed, kame bowed but nobody else did (which means they didn’t respect asa)

then kame got mad and showed her support for her girl like hell yeah 👏 and asa gained more confidence which i think was sweet

oh and asa was also like “the thing that kept me grounded was lady kame” 🥹🥹

she also said (acc. to netflix subs) “And yet, I yearned for nothing more than to share meals with Kame. And spend countless nights just staying up late, giggling and talking to her.” SHE SOUNDED SO LOVESICK 💔

btw love how the medicine seller instantly knew asa was looking for her boo lmao

anyways i think it mayyy not have been requited on kame’s side, at least canonically, but I have literally zero doubt asa was in love with her. then again homophobes and censorship. uh. it’s alright i ship them very hard either way i need more lesbian rep in anime hehe.

in conclusion. Harold they’re lesbians. thanks for coming to my ted talk. yeah o7

*redditors talked about the choice of karakasa as the yokai.(i reccomend reading it, it’s very interesting imo)

[elene78-blog]

I have read some comments about the stress that Cat, Laila and Jeremy cause Jean by trying to find out about her situation. I've read others saying that the way Jeremy informs the group about things that Jean tells him is horrible. Sensitive information about your experiences.

They are negative opinions and I find this super interesting.

I can see a clear contrast between the way the Ravens act and the way the Trojans act here.

The Ravens were intentionally ignoring Jean's situation. We can say that they knew something was happening. They have seen Jean beaten to the extreme. They have seen him continually injured, to the point of saying that “he has fragile bones.” Regardless of whether or not they knew Jean's age when he suffered from AS, they generated rumors that could do a lot of damage. They continue to feed them now.

Let's not fool ourselves. The Ravens KNEW someone was hurting Jean to the extreme. His response was to ignore it until it was normalized. They only talked about it with the intention of fueling the torture.

In response, Jean also normalized it.

In contrast to this, we have Trojans, which react in the opposite way.

The Trojans clearly see that Jean has suffered the unspeakable. They see that Jean has great difficulty adjusting. They see that Jean has been tortured when they see his scars. Jeremy finds out some things and discreetly passes it on to his closest friends, who are also the people closest to Jean in this complicated situation. This information is kept in a closed circle, which is the Trojans. It doesn't come out of there (that we know of).

Many people criticize this act.

I think what is important here is the intention with which the Trojans and Jeremy seek this information.

The Ravens interfered to hurt and create a harmful environment. The Trojans intrude to validate Jean's pain and create an environment appropriate to his current needs.

Let's face it; Jean needs help, but he is in a very difficult situation to acquire it, especially because of his own brainwashing. People who have lived with people who want to hurt themselves will know that these people tend to hide the problem (They don't see it or they think there is no solution), and this is one of the biggest difficulties in helping them.

If you don't see there is a problem, you can't help.

If the Trojans didn't meddle, Jean's pain wouldn't be validated. The message would be very similar to that of the Ravens: “we don't care. You don't matter to us”, therefore, Jean would continue normalizing his situation.

By getting involved, you are sending another message: “I care about this situation. What you have suffered is not normal. “You matter and I want to help you, even if I don’t know how.”

Trojans do not fuel rumors. On the contrary, they want to clarify them so that Jean feels accepted (Lucas does not, but because there is an obvious sentimental conflict).

What I want to say is that, although it shocks us and we don't see it as entirely correct, Jeremy's performance is, in part, appropriate. He tries to find Jean's need and conveys it to the people closest to him (Cat and Laila, with whom he lives) so that they know that there are limits and a series of problems to deal with that Jean does not want to confront.

The goal is to “be careful” and “watch out” for a catastrophic reaction. The goal is to create a pleasant and appropriate environment that can “push” Jean to seek the help he needs.

With the little information Jean gives them, the Trojans are creating a safety net that can pick him up and propel him toward help.

Kevin, Renee, Abby and Wymack did something similar. They would not allow Jean to return to the Ravens even though that was what he wanted. They ignored his consent because they knew he was not of sound mind.

Jeremy, Cat and Laila are doing exactly the same thing. Jean may not like it (actually, I don't think Jean is against this, correct me if I'm wrong), but this is what he needs FOR NOW.

Since Jean has had great problems with consent and limits, the fact that the Trojans talk about what Jean experienced without his consent seems like an attack against him, but let's not forget that this will not always be the case. This is an exceptional circumstance.

The ultimate goal is for Jean to be able to say no and establish clear limits, developing autonomy. But right now, if given that facility, we know what would happen.

Jean would not seek help, he would continue to feed her brainwashing, he would continue to think that he deserved the worst and... most likely, one day he would end his life, without caring about Kevin's promise.

Let's not confuse talking about a person's situation discreetly to their close circle with the sole objective of HELPING and SEEKING SOLUTIONS, with generating rumors to DESTROY him.

Let us also not forget that this is a TEMPORARY situation until Jean regains his personal autonomy. The boy is brainwashed. Until this goes away, Jean needs a few very very gentle (keep that in mind, Abby) slaps of reality to wake up.

This is what Cat, Jeremy and Laila are working on in hopes that Jean will get the boost he needs ON HIMSELF.

[asktheritochampion]

Happy Yule, Master Revali.

We know you have a sweet-tooth, so Saki and I decided to bake a log cake and some hot pepper windmills. I managed to get some smooth cocoa paste from a traveller down in the Faron Region for you to make hot cocoa with. Apparently it’s made from a rare type of cacao bean that has a distinct fruity taste. Haven’t tried it myself but I think you’ll enjoy it with the pastries.

I also bought some ancient arrows from the Sheikah scientist in Hateno. He was pretty ecstatic when I managed to find the right materials. I thought they’d be useful if you ever encounter an enemy you don’t want to deal with. Just don’t point them at Link for any strange experiments.

We ended up getting a few eye paint containers from Swanphora as well. There’s purple, green, and yellow. I chose these ones specifically because they remind me of Saki, Tulin and I, so…I hope you’ll be reminded of us if you do use them.

Master Revali, you’ve proven yourself more than capable time and time again. In spite of your upbringing and the opposition you faced, you continue to persist through challenges with an unwavering spirit. Without a doubt, you are the best role model I could ever have. You’re known as the Pride of the Rito for a reason, after all.

Although you may not yet realize it, we already see you as part of our family. You’ve taught myself and Tulin a great number of things. You saved our lives and Rito Village countless times. I’ll admit, your words can be…unrestrained at times and I am more than willing to call you out, but your perseverance and genuine love for the people around you far out way your demeanour. I would be proud to call you my son with your consent, though we’ll still treat you as family even if you refused. Both you and Link are sons in my eyes.

Thank you Master Revali…for everything you’ve done, for us and the village. I’m forever grateful that you chose to be a part of our lives after you returned. I look forward to spending more time together in the upcoming year.

From,

Teba

Tch - that man is so soppy and emotional.

How dare he think I have any need for his pride, it's not like I care what he thinks. I don't care if I'm part of their silly little family or not, I've always been a lone wolf anyway, I don't need anyone, especially not someone to call me their son. I don't need anyones approval. Though I supose I don't care what he calls me - whatever, he can call me that if he wants I guess, it's none of my buisiness.

How ridiculous and unessessary. I supose I shall accept the thoughtful gifts though to be polite.

M-maybe I could drop in for - just for a bit to- help out with the yuletide cooking and decorating- just to be polite-maybe-

[demon-country]

We haven't seen much of Octavia and Stella thus far in the series, because up until now almost everything about Stolas and the characters attached to him (other than Blitz) has only been shown if it's plot relevant. But now, with Stolas officially in the gang, the loss of his relationship with Octavia is going to be a major source of drama. Her character growth, living situation, and relationship with her mother are now plot relevant, so we will be seeing more of how she is coping without him there to love and protect her. And I already know it's going to kill me inside.

Octavia is miserable, grieving, and feels abandoned, betrayed, and guilty for being the reason Stolas put up with Stella for so long (what she doesn't realize, yet, is that without her Stolas probably wouldn't have tried for a divorce. In all likelihood, given what we've seen so far, he'd have made his bid for freedom by way of suicide). And instead of a loving parent to help her work through those complicated and overwhelming feelings, she has Stella, who is abusive and controlling. And although she probably does love Octavia on some level, she has shown herself to be a piss poor mother who cares more about getting her petty revenge than she does about her daughter's happiness and wellbeing.

I sincerely hope that Octavia has friends, because her story is not destined to be a happy one for quite some time to come. She is going to be getting a number of terrible reality checks and revelations that will leave her current worldview, sense of self, and way of life irreparably shattered. Any sense of stability she still has left will be gone, many of her happy memories will be tainted by the rot her mother's abuse caused, and a lot of her freedoms - like her freedom of expression - will likely be taken away.

I feel so, so bad for her. She will soon be a legal adult, but that does not mean she isn't young and vulnerable. Her father cannot protect her now unless she goes to him, and although I'm sure he will continue to reach out to her to the best of his ability - per Blitz's advice, and potentially with Loona as a proxy - she has to be willing to take that step herself. He cannot take it for her.

And that is going to be very difficult for her. She already feels guilty and like she was a burden to him, which will be an emotional obstacle on its own, but now her abusive mother has sole custody of her, and unfortunately for Octavia, her last stunt of protecting her father will probably earn her the ire of both her mother and uncle. She did, after all, just make her uncle look like a complete fool by so effortlessly overpowering him.

And while Andrealphus likely won't be inclined to tell Stella about that particular humiliation just yet, there's nothing stopping that manipulative motherfucker from telling her that Octavia attempted to sneak out to go meet her father (which is easily deduced on his part by the fact that she came from the opposite direction of the palace, right on the heels of Stolas' cavalry). Given her efforts to keep them from talking to each other, I can't see Stella taking that too well, and without her old punching bag to take her frustration out on it's not a stretch to think that she might eventually turn on Octavia. Abusive relationships are notoriously hard to escape from for many reasons - which is another factor that prevented Stolas from doing so earlier - so if that does happen then it will likely also be a struggle for her.

Can someone who isn't Stella or anyone trying to use her, please give Octavia a hug and some support? She is going to sorely need it, because she is now more alone than ever.

[exitwound]

do you think The lamp poles and The tadpoles r 2nd cousins?

don’t ask stupid questions they were identical twins who were separated at birth and adopted into different families on opposite sides of the landscape of the real and the imagined, who ran into each other, only once, during a freak and tragic accident on christmas eve of the 33rd century; the collective concept of a lamp pole was driving a sea barge containing bioluminescent care packages for the local algae-rights group staging an interseasonal nonviolent protest against pollution antitrust laws on the outskirts of the mid-atlantic supertropical gyre, meanwhile, the collective concept of a tadpole was a jilted lover embarrassed at her family dinner after not having a date and who was heavily criticized ruthlessly throughout the whole evening for not contributing to the future of her species’ latest evolutionary strategies, and now found herself swimming home drunk sadly, alone in the dark. whether she veered slightly on purpose towards the deadly highway, thoughtless in her self destructive agony, the fresh wound of the terrible recent end of her engagement and her lack of community support still bleeding, no one can say. the Platonic-lamppole mercilessly eviscerated the objective-tadpole with the brutally enormous steel nose of the seabarge and coolly went on driving. And although the accident represented the very last breath of the then-near extinct tadpole, the sisters felt a strange sense of familiarity as the contact signified an embrace of the other for the first time since they shared a womb. for a moment, i think, they even recognized each other

[angstigone]

(A/N): hello there lovelies,

this is mostly a gift to @akifordessert for tolerating my silly thots.

WARNINGS: mostly crack, fake-dating, fake-infidelity, mention of murder and fore, sexual tension, ooc! nagumo, ooc! hyo, she-her pronouns/afab character.

«my dear, I do hope that you won't think me nosy» said mrs. moriyama, the gossiper of the neighborhood, while sitting down on the sofa in your living room.

she had come inside with the offer of baked goods, although you knew it'd have meant a good hour of your time lending ear to her weird neighborly conspirations.

«mrs. moriyama, you could never be nosy» although your feelings veered onto the opposite.

still, the downside of being in an undercover mission was that you didn't act onto your own wills and wants, but instead you did everything for the good for the mission.

comprehended being nice to ladies you couldn't stand.

«well, it could be... it could be a sensitive topic».

you wondered whether it'd be that she had noticed mrs. kaori a few houses down sneak sugar in her muffins for the bake sales or if she had finally caught onto the fact that the tall and lanky man she always described waving at her was a tree.

«either way, it'll do us little good if I don't get it out, immediately».

and gently holding out her hands for your own as if she was a concerned sister, she sought out your gaze and ushered.

«are you cheating on your husband with your neighbor?».

the words didn't properly hit you till after a few - incriminating - minutes in which the old lady just went through her own conclusion as she shook her head both judging and soft as if she was definitely aware that you were a cheater but for your own reasons.

«oh, well, I can only understand you, my darling» except her tone didn't imply pity at all «... with a man that works such long hours and a bride so young... although back in my days, if I had been caught by my husband doing such a thing...».

«I am not... cheating on my... husband» although your acting skills were better, you couldn't help but be slightly taken aback by the accusation «... especially not with our... with my neighbor!».

the old lady didn't believe her a single bit as she promptly accused further.

«but... I... I saw him... he's pretty touchy, isn't he?» she brought forward «... and he does visit you often, doesn't he?».

«simply as he's concerned about hyo spending so much time away and leaving me alone».

the justification came out of your mouth convincingly enough and you accompanied it promptly with a good amount of judgement of your own.

mrs. moriyama had at least the decency to fluster lightly.

«... as for being touchy, yoichi is especially touchy with anybody. I don't think I am any special».

now, the woman looked less convinced and more embarassed: better striked the iron while it was hot.

«if you see malice in our interactions, mrs. moriyama» you got up from the sofa swiftly as if bitten, feigning a genuine hurt «... it must be in your eyes».

hook and sunk.

the old lady blabbered unconvincingly as if she couldn't believe that she was wrong for once, and to give her even less of a chance, she grabbed the muffins from the ground and went to pick them in the kitchen as if feigning to be busy.

to leave the woman no other option.

«... I apprecciate your words, but I think that it'd be best if you went back home, mrs. moriyama» keeping a civil relationship with your neighbor had been a request of the mission, but you doubted that such a ground was salvageable, and it was better to have the old lady feel too ashamed to ask any further inquiries. especially when it was right.

«oh my dear, it wasn't my intention to offend you».

«and you didn't, mrs. moriyama» except your tone lingered on the exact opposite «... but I think that both hyo and yoichi would find offense into such a thing».

«oh, I shall apologize and...» but by now you had managed to drag the lady to the entrance and with a promise to contact her once you felt 'easier' you promptly chose to slam the door in her face. for good measure.

you had crumpled against it with a breath of relief when a familiar laugh came from the stairs of the household.

«... ugh, we have such lively neighbors».

«don't even start, nagumo» you felt an headache brewing into your mind.

«oh, I thought I was yoichi just a few moments before» the complacent asshole appeared as he sat himself halfway through the stairs with a meaningful 'oomph'.

of course, he had been spying onto the conversation while mooping around the house.

«... weren't we friendly enough to be thought as lovers?».

«don't let it get into your head» you pointed out, promptly moving into a defensive stance. technically nagumo yoichi was your ally. technically speaking as every conversation with him felt like a sparring session «... it was a lady with catharacts that said it».

«well, even with her terrible eyesight she could tell that you and I were perfect for one another».

«she said no such thing» you should have known better than to let the trained hitman get underneath your skin; it had been all he had wanted since you had joined the order. unlike him and his squadmates, you lacked the distinct ability for killing but were an expert spy who prided yourself onto a perfect control. you were just right for recon and undercover missions.

as long as you weren't paired with the main annoyance, nagumo yoichi.

«hhm, she implied it».

«I don't think so».

«I do».

he had gotten up from where he stood and now he had come to where you had moved to collect the traces of the small afternoon tea. his closeness always created a series of mixed feelings into you and you couldn't deny that in part what mrs. moriyama had said had been true: nagumo was excessively friendly and touchy with you, a thing that terrorized and thrilled you.

there was a slice of danger in every way that nagumo moved; it wasn't just the fact that this man could have easily killed you with a child's toy, but he held himself in a way that was too friendly and yet, not close enough.

he treated you like his newest toy, on top of that, and you didn't enjoy the thought of the lack of control that came with this.

it had startled you when you had seen him while on the mission when he had introduced himself - in disguise - as your newest neighbor, before coming into your house when hyo had left for 'work' and ask you why you hadn't been partnered.

"I am better than that oaf at disguising".

you didn't think that in the years in which you had worked together under the order, you had ever noticed him that evidently pissed, as he had cornered you into your own house. it had you feeling like a prey and the whole emotion was burning in both embarassment and something else that you refused to discocern.

"that clown" hyo had said after nagumo's appearance while he feigned to read his newspaper as a proper husband "... always putting his nose where it didn't belong".

but this time it felt personal. to you.

«... hhm, still» he had come close enough that one of his hands was quick to gently caress your cheek, tenderly enough and yet to you it felt like a slap.

when had he come so close to you... without you noticing it?

for god's sake, you were meant to be a renown spy! and here you were acting like a skittish housewife.

the end of this mission couldn't come any faster.

«you aren't helping with the rumors» you shot back with an annoyed glare. or at least you fixed one on your face «... I told you not to get involved. there must be a reason if hyo was chosen in your pla...».

his hand was quick to push itself onto your mouth. it could have wrapped around your throat.

you might not be at his level in a fight, but you knew how to hold your own, had he actually fought against you. instead, he acted like a petulant child.

«don't remind me» he hissed as if he was seething with such a thing «I wanted to be your husband».

"dear heart, hold still".

you knew that nagumo was as trained as you in reading micro-expressions. anything could have given you out.

«and yet, it was me who was assigned».

never had you been gladder for hyo's intervention as the man closed - loudly - the door behind himself, and you used the startlement to duck your head and distance yourself from nagumo.

how close had you been to...

«... also why did mrs. moriyama stop me on the way to get in to apologize?» he raised an eyebrow as you came to his side, graciously grabbing his jacket to keep up the feigned appearance fo a domestic bliss .

nagumo's gaze might as well be a bullet aimed at your head.

no wait... it was a few centimeters higher... it was aimed at hyo.

«did the old bitch finally crook?».

«you won't like this» you spoke, instead, ignoring his crassness «... she just came here to accuse me of cheating on you. with nagumo».

hyo's eyes fell onto you and then back onto nagumo.

«I wonder where she got that idea».

«so, you also agree that I'd make the best husband, don't you?» nagumo had to obviously brush it in.

«... I have seen the state of your laundry» now that was smething that you were definitely curious about, especially in which occasion such a meet up had happened between hyo and nagumo's laundry «she's better off with me».

«boring» nagumo simply pouted, as you instead brought the matter at hand back.

«what do we do about mrs. moriyama?».

«I thought murdering her was off the table» you brushed off hyo's attempt at humor «not sure. what did you tell her?».

«that she was seeing things» but you doubted that'd be enough although the woman had been genuinely embarassed in the moment «still, I know she'll prod».

«what if we simply... let it happen».

both you and hyo turned to nagumo with honest confusion, as he simply smirked while slumping onto your sofa.

«you could become a widow and I could...».

«would that involve my death?» hyo said bewildered.

«this is a fucking undercover mission, not the fucking sims» you shot back «no need for fucking plot twists or shit... I... we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place if you had stayed in your lane».

«this whole situation wouldn't have happened at all, if I had been allowed to be your husband, instead of that brute!»

«I think I want a divorce» hyo promptly muttered as he moved to the kitchen and from the sound of it, you heard the liquor cabinet being opened.

not that you could blame him.

on his own, nagumo had this shit-eating grin on his face, much to your aggravation and annoyance.

«if he gets a divorce, do I get you, by the way, sweetheart?».

you better figure out a way to poison your supposed lover.

you definitely wondered whether mrs. moriyama had any pointers in that department.

[pouletaulait]

I don’t mind the conversation either. I always enjoy having a discussion with people who have a different point of view and who are open to having a discussion, like you are, so I appreciate your reaction. My reblogg wasn’t intended as criticism, not at all. I just wanted to point out that personally I can’t quite see why this story would be distorted into something it’s not intended to be if we approach it under a romantic lens. Like I said, personally I think it’s intended to be a romance, albeit not a banal or a „simple“ one but you’re absolutely free to disagree. I understand realism as a fictional portrayal that’s intended to be realistic, in the sense that it attempts to portray a situation in a fashion that stays as close to a possible reality as possible and in which the author seeks to represent this portrayal in an objective manner. A romance, in this context, I understand to be an unrealistic, idealised portrayal of love/a relationship. (Do our understandings differ on this?) But like you pointed out in your original post (if I understand you correctly) what we deem realistic or unrealistic is ultimately influenced by our subjective perception of reality, which might explain why our opinions on this differ. It seems like I didn’t explain my view very clearly; There are many aspects of the manga that I do find realistic in it’s portrayal, such as the CSA, what I don’t find realistic, however, is the portrayal of love, the romance. I find it very idealised and romanticised for the most part (i.e the falling in love at first sight (I’ll get to that), Doumeki being Yashiro’s exact type, Doumeki happens to be impotent which allows Yashiro to develop feelings for him, the fact that Doumeki is completely accepting of everything Yashiro does regardless of how Yashiro treats him, the fact that Doumeki is still in love with Yashiro after he shot him the leg, maybe he even stayed in the Yakuza world just to be near him (although who knows why exactly he did that?) Idk maybe it’s just me but I find it very unrealistic. It’s this romantic idea of „there is this perfect person out there who accepts you just the way you are and you don’t have to do anything to keep them happy, you can even shoot them in the leg and they’ll still love you, they’ll stick around no matter what it takes to be with you“. Idk, to me personally this doesn’t seem like the author seeks to portray a realistic relationship here and to me that’s what it boils down to when I’m saying that to me it reads like a romance (of course this is just my opinion, I don’t know anything about Sensei’s actual intentions)

What I meant by „she’s toying with the idea of idealized romance“ is the fact that most, but not everything ,about the romantic aspect is idealised, hence my example that Doumeki’s love doesn’t cure Yashiro’s trauma. Maybe „toying“ is not the most accurate expression to use in English in this case… but what I mean is that Sensei is ,like I said, employing many aspects of an idealised love, imo, but that she doesn’t fully „commit“ to it if you know what I mean; the way I see it she’s building it up to be this fantasy, this ideal of almighty love, but then she defies our expectation by creating a climax (Chapters 23-25) that’s the opposite of what you’d expect from a romance; instead of Doumeki’s love being the answer to all of Yashiro’s problems and them ending up together, it ends in a disaster (in the sense that Doumeki ends up hurting Yashiro deeply and that they part ways). So, I think she’s taking a more realistic approach in that sense but I think the story remains anchored in the idea of the ideal romance, because that seems to be its point of reference imo. If there was no idealised romance at the core of it (which to me seems evident in the exposition) there’d be no expectation to defy in the first place if you get what I’m saying. I hope I explained this in a somewhat understandable way… but maybe this is not making any sense to you since you seem to have a very different opinion on Yashiro’s feelings. Just to clarify: You don’t think he’s in love with Doumeki? Or do you think he doesn’t want to be in a committed relationship with him, or something else entirely? The way I see it, there certainly was an instant attraction to Doumeki on Yashiro’s side. I guess you could argue that it wasn’t „love“ but just sexual attraction, that’s certainly debatable, but the way I see it, he at least started developing feelings for Doumeki very quickly, hence his interference with Doumeki’s sister, his jealousy, etc. so, yes, the „falling in love at first sight“ part comes down to interpretation but personally I find it likely and my assumption is that he wants to be in a committed relationship with Doumeki (that’s purely my assumption based on my interpretation which obviously heavily influenced by the fact that I understand this to be a romance) Anyways, what I meant by problematic: If I’d look at this story as a entirely realistic portrayal of a relationship or love, I’d find a lot of aspects of it very problematic (how Doumeki is completely devoting himself to Yashiro, how he’s basically stalking him, how he keeps going after Yashiro despite him shooting him in the leg, etc.) That’s what I meant by I wouldn’t root for them to end up together if I’d look at this as a realistic portrayal. It wouldn’t be an irredeemable situation for me either but it’s just nothing that I’d be interested in reading, that’s my personal preference. I’m not opposed to realism in general but, like I said, in this specific case, it doesn’t make sense to me personally. Honestly, I don’t think our opinions on this are entirely different because I agree that Kou Yoneda sensei appears to be taking a quite realistic approach in many respects. I think where our opinions differ seems to me to be the point that you seem to regard this as a work of realism, while I think of it as a romance that challenges romantic ideals in some ways but that ultimately stays anchored in an idealised romanticism. But like I said I think I’ll only know for sure once the story’s been told in its entirety.

An example of novel that follows the literary realism tradition but is sometimes approached under romantic lens, and therefore distorted into something else entirely - maybe because of the (bad) movies adaptations? because of the marketing and the covers? I don’t know but I will link this no longer rebloggable post for you to check - is Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov.

I read Lolita when I was seventeen, felt deeply discomforted but I liked the book, understood what it was doing with its narrator, but I have to add, before reading Lolita, I had already read Flaubert (Sentimental Education, didn’t finish Madame Bovary) and Émile Zola to name a few. I think that growing up I have read more books in this genre than others? I don’t know considering that back then I had to read a lot classics for school.

But long story short, I think something similar maybe it’s occurring with Saezuru. To be clear, I am not saying that you have to read it in a certain way, please I don’t really want to even imply that. Read it for yourself and your pleasure first. What I am saying is that, like Lolita, to me Saezuru makes total sense if we assume that it is written with a realistic intention and therefore not exactly bound by the rules of romantic novels that tend to present more positive and idealized views. After all manga are divided into demographics more than their genre, so authors draw very different stories. I still want these characters to find happiness! But I also want to be able to buy the eventual resolution and therefore I appreciate that the development of the story feels organic.

Anyway just a thought. Nakobov himself wrote (in Strong Opinions):

Reality is a very subjective affair. I can only define it as a kind of gradual accumulation of information; and as specialization. If we take a lily, for instance, or any other kind of natural object, a lily is more real to a naturalist than it is to an ordinary person. But it is still more real to a botanist. And yet another stage of reality is reached with that botanist who is a specialist in lilies. You can get nearer and nearer, so to speak, to reality; but you never get near enough because reality is an infinite succession of steps, levels of perception, false bottoms, and hence unquenchable, unattainable. You can know more and more about one thing but you can never know everything about one thing: it’s hopeless. So that we live surrounded by more or less ghostly objects— that machine, there, for instance. It’s a complete ghost to me— I don’t understand a thing about it and, well, it’s a mystery to me, as much of a mystery as it would be to Lord Byron.

As for marketing, if you check the link and think about Saezuru: the covers and merchandise vs the content of the chapters, vs the story as it’s told, the parallel with Lolita makes sense to me. The cover only has one imperative: to sell. But once you are alone with the story, you see that stylistic choices, tone, everything suggest that you read it in a critical way.

The way Yoneda Kou draws is also quite sober, discarding decorative details and paying attention more to frame and pov. The way she presents what happens is objective and detached, neutral I’d say, making us impartial observers most of the time, letting the actions speak without commentary being made. The dialogue is hard for our translators because it recreates the speech patterns of the various characters faithfully. And these characters are common yakuza that live harsh realities, the gritty social aspect of it is visible and part of the story, as well as social injustices and personal trauma, and keen and realistic attention to human behavior.

I guess all this clued me in to reading the story the way I do, and probably also why I chose it in the first place. Realism is the genre of fiction I am more read in, although I am expanding my horizons more and more.

[sandeewithtwoe]

You have Hella awesome art work

Thanks mate you seem hella cool too

[lucky-clover-gazette]

tbh i think volo would have been significantly more normal and fine if he hadn’t been hiding so much of his true feelings and personality. like when you deny yourself genuine human connection to that degree you’re probably going to come off as a machiavellian monster who wants to make the world and the lives of others worse, but looking at his actual stated motivations and intentions it’s clear to me at least that the guy is deeply empathetic and idealistic and more than anything disappointed that the world can’t be better

[muckablucka]

how it feels to find song lyrics that fit your OC perfectly:

[sysig]

Spoiling for a fight, spoiled for choice (Patreon)

[simgerale]

✨ Coming Soon… ✨

Sequel to Regal

[holocene-sims]

next // previous

may 10, 2013 6:20 p.m. actual hell

[autisticrosewilson]

Last post made me realize that cathyWillis and SladeAddie are complimentary opposites in that while the base is the same (married couple that ends up falling apart when the husband is experimented on leaving the mother to care for the children on her own) they both have what the other lacks. Catherine and Willis loved each other and Jason so much that Jason never doubted it and that love is woven into the core of his character and morality but there were too many corrupt systems and oppressive forces against them and they were torn apart by outside factors. While Slade and Adeline who loved each other clung to the relationship but were fundamentally incompatible and the choices Slade made inevitably came crashing down on the whole family even though they had all the tools at their disposal to make it work the effects of the divorce lead to multiple other unrelated characters lives being significantly worse.

[deermouth]

:)