#and TONS of people liked it immediately and then were sharing it and long story short it went viral

[fingertipsmp3]

Had THE funniest dream last night

[swiftholic-13]

The Season's Scandal

pairing → Eloise Bridgerton x Female Reader

summary → Eloise is trying to escape suitors at a ball and finds unexpected company in a like-minded girl who came to join the marriage mart this season

warnings → none

words → about 1.6k

masterpost chapter 2

When I entered the ball room my eyes landed on the gracious decorations distributed in the huge room. Many people were gathered around some tables with lemonades and small deserts. The first ball of the season surely had something to offer. This Lady Danbury really outdid herself. Some men and women gathered on the dancefloor were dancing to a fast tune. I removed my hand from my brothers arm and smoothed out my dress. “behave, the queen might attend, so I´ve heard”. I rolled my eyes at his comment. I might not be in awe with his plan for me this season, but I would never dare to put shame on him or my family in public. “Yes, I know why I am here” “good, then enjoy yourself sister, I shall see you later”. He bows his head slightly and takes one last look at me before then leaves towards a bunch of gentlemen gathered and sharing stories about their recent travels.

I took another look across the room searching for any lost souls I might join. Everyone here knows each other since years and possibly grew up in the ton. All these families come here every season, wishing for their kids to marry. My brother has informed me a bit about the most influential families and provided me with a list of possible husbands. Of course, I do not wish to marry but I had to come here this season with my brother to satisfy my mother, I truly hope if I stay unmarried till the end of the season they shall finally let me live my life as a spinster in peace.

My eyes landed on a beautiful girl in a light blue dress. Her chestnut hair was put together and draped over her shoulder. She was wearing a light blue gown with delicate sleeves drawing attention towards her long sparkling gloves. She was wearing as loose silver necklace with matching diamond earrings. She looked breathtaking. She was talking to a blonde-haired girl until she was asked to the dancefloor. After she left the chestnut-haired girl looked around and started scribbling something into her dance card. I knew she was going to make this season a lot more worthwhile. I started making my way over to her. She was very focused on filling all the spots on her dance card. I cleared my throat as I was standing right beside her. She looked up at me with the blank fear of being caught. “do you mind?” I asked holding my arm with my dance card on it out to her. She looked me up and down and a smile formed on her lips: “not at all”. She softly took my hand and started writing some names into my dance card. “I truly hope none of these gentlemen exist” “Don´t be concerned, I have been doing this for some time now” she said in a proud tone. I already loved her voice and the way it made me feel. She smelled of oranges and looked far more beautiful up closely. Her presence was calming and already let me forget about my true reason for being here. When she was done she let go of my gloved hand and I already missed her touch. “your first season here?” she asked with curiosity. “yes, my mother wants me to find a husband” “You´re already making a good first impression” she said and a smile escaped my lips. Her eyes were in beautiful blue color and did not fail to have a lasting impression on me. “It is rather refreshing having another woman around who is trying to escape suitors rather than charming them” she turned her gaze towards the dance floor. “I´m Eloise, Eloise Bridgerton” she turned her gaze back towards me and our eyes met immediately. “Y/N, Y/N Y/L/N” I said. She held her arm out for me to take “care for a turn? I might tell you some interesting facts about everyone here” “I do love some good gossip” I said smiling while taking her arm and letting her lead me across the room.

After a few hours of light conversation we were interrupted by a certain gentleman. “Eloise, Mama is searching everywhere for you” She let out a groan and rolled her eyes “Tell her I am busy with all of my suitors”. Her brother raised an eyebrow. She leaned closer to me “Excuse me for a moment”. I nodded understanding and offered a smile as she was leaving. “And you are?” he asked me. “Lady Y/N Y/L/N” “Ah the Dukes sister” I nodded. He turned around and as a debutante and her mother approached him he held his hand out for me “A dance Lady Y/N Y/L/N?” “Actually my dance card is-” Before you could finish your sentence he pulled you towards the dancefloor and placed his hand on your waist. “I apologize but I must escape their attention, also my name is Benedict” You chuckled as you went on with the dance. "nice to meet you" “You have already met the delightful company I call my sister” “Eloise seems to be the only likeminded spirit amongst the ton that I have met so far, she is indeed great company” “I see” He said as he noticed my gaze searching for her silhouette among the crowd. As soon as the dance ended I could not get off the dancefloor soon enough. I bowed my head “Thank you for the Dance Mr. Bridgerton” Behind me Eloise appeared and had an annoyed expression plastered over her face. “Has she not informed you that her dance card is full” She asked. I leaned closer to her “Your dear brother would not listen to me”. Eloise took my arm and pulled me along with her while giving Benedict an evil look. “Do not worry dearest I have no Intentions with your brother” I said nudging her slightly as we walked away. She released a breath she was holding and relaxed “Good, It would be a shame to lose you to him”.

The Evening ended sooner than expected and I said my goodbye to Eloise. She invited me for a visit at her house the next day. I was a bit nervous but my brother encouraged me, saying “It is a great opportunity to meet her brothers, I heard one of them is still unmarried”. At least that way I would get to spend some time with Eloise while satisfying my brother and giving him the wrong impression of my true intentions.

————————

The next morning my carriage arrived pretty soon at the residency of the Bridgerton family. A servant greeted me and showed me to the hall. I took a look around and took in the huge house. A servant motioned me to follow him and introduced me to the family. Eloise stormed towards me as soon as I was introduced. “Y/N! It is so good to see you!” She said and took my arm. I smiled at here as she led me inside the room and started introducing me to her siblings “So that is Francesca” She pointed at girl her age sitting at the pianoforte. She offered me a shy smile. “These are Benedict, which you know already and Colin” She said pointing at the sofa located at the other end of the room. She leaned closer to my ear she continued in a whisper “Do not ever ask him about his travels or he will never stop talking to you, it is pure torture”. I looked at her and chuckled. “And this is my little sister Hyacinth and my brother Gregory” She pointed at the kids standing close to us, seeming eager to talk. “Is she the Duke��s sister?” Hyacinth whispered to Gregory. “Yes Hyacinth, she is the Duke´s sister” Eloise clarified with an eye roll. “And we shall go” she said and pulled me out of the room “It was lovely to meet you all” I said while Eloise dragged me across the hall. “Eloise that was quite impolite” I said nudging her side. “They shall survive” She said and smiled at me. Her smile was beautiful and my eyes lingered probably a bit too long on her face. “A great weather for a promenade don´t you think?” she interrupted the silence. “I have not seen what the ton has to offer so far”.

In the Park Eloise told me everything about her siblings and why she was growing tired of living with all of them under one roof. “You need to come to Aubrey Hall with us it is gorgeous” “I can imagine” “I truly envy you” She said while looking down “Why is that?” “One brother, I cannot imagine how quite it must be” “Oh dearest Eloise, I can promise you it is everything but easy and quite” She locked eyes with me “Tell me about your brother” “Well since our papa died and he became Duke, he is insufferable. He used to grant me Freedom and protected me from our parents. He knows I do not desire to marry or to come with child like ever, but my mama has other plans. I am the sister of a Duke after all, I cannot die a spinster. She does not care about what I desire to do with my life” “I am sorry for that” she replied after a relatively long pause. She pulled me closer to her “I do not see the problem with dying a spinster, I find it rather appealing. Nothing is worse than being courted” “exactly” I laughed along with her. “I am glad I met you Eloise, you make my time here worthwhile” “I feel the same way” she looked at me with a smile on her face and I got lost in her beautiful mesmerizing blue eyes.

As you can probably guess this is not the end. I am planning on making this a longer story so many more parts to come. Also English is not my first language and I am sorry for any mistakes. Anyways, let me know what you think so far

[sorcerly]

ok but what if neve and lucanis get together during datv, break up because they're both working through their damage on top of having a fuck ton of new stressful responsibilities, and don't see each other for a year, two, five?

they try to write messages to each other, but - they're both important people. they just don't have time. they might share stories once in a while through the post, sure, but any important things they have to say to each other... it's difficult to write it all down properly, in ink on paper like that. most attempts perish as crumpled parchment thrown into a fireplace.

there's a stretch of many months, maybe even a full year, when they don't hear from each other at all. until SOME twist of intrigue brings them elbow-to-elbow in the shit again.

I think for Lucanis it's a surprise, that he can feel some glimmer of ease again when he's around Neve (she was always the one who could make him feel safe, comfortable). The time since the veilguard has been nothing but the stress of carrying on the Dellamorte name and answering to Caterina's expectations and trying, trying so hard, to be who he needs to be as First Talon - putting his head down and slogging through all the parts of the job that he hates, dreads, never wanted in the first place.

I think for Neve it's a bit of a shock, because she actually does not recognize him immediately. and it's not because he's changed his appearance - he still wears his hair in that neat mullet (though now with some gray in the black), dresses smartly in crow leathers, keeps his beard trimmed. truly the way he carries himself hasn't changed that much either (he's always been guarded, careful). but his face. his eyes.

Neve remembered relishing every unguarded glance she caught from him. those eyes that shone so brightly in the light of the kitchen candles when they were both up at ungodly hours. even though he had seen so much pain and misery and death, Lucanis' eyes showed his heart; still soft. open. welcoming. easy. dark and warm like shadows cast by firelight.

when she sees him for the first time in years, those eyes are cold. hard. closed off. even though he slept so little at the lighthouse, Neve can't help but feel that she has never seen him look so, so, so tired.

and i think it likely doesn't take long for Neve, greatest detective in Thedas, to see the way he interacts with the other Talons, with Teia and Viago, with Caterina - and put together exactly what's been going on. And I think she'd stop at NOTHING to try and fix what she sees as a terrible mistake made by the veilguard, including her. they aren't to blame, of course not, how could they have known? but even so - when the veilguard ended, Lucanis was left to the snakes and the dogs.

so maybe she makes a pact with Teia and Viago, who had almost given up on Lucanis when Neve showed up again. maybe she finds a surprising ally in Illario, who has always known what First Talon would mean for Lucanis. maybe she calls on Davrin, Rook, anyone else from the team who might be able to help. one things for sure tho. Neve and Caterina fucking hate each other.

and then neve and lucanis kiss

[fervidgrey]

Ok I'm obssed with Jo. I have a request. Reader is being annoyed by some creepy guy in the street and Togame just sneaks up and puts him in a sleeper hold. Dude taps out but Jo makes him take a nap anyway. If he did some shit like that in front of me, I'd drool. I love him. Send help 😩❤️❤️

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 Please enjoy my love! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

LONG DAY, LONGER NIGHT

Pairing: Togame Jo x Reader

Rating: Mature.

Word count: 6400~

Note: Assault in the beginning (not with Togame), no use of y/n, no beta, biting, mating press, drinking, cream pie, overstimulation.

The beeping of your phone timer was the signal your closing tasks needed to end soon. You swipe at the timer, and set one more for the next 10 minutes- then you would be free. You had spent all day working at a cafe alone, both of your coworkers calling out over some family emergency for the 5th time in two weeks. While you understood people had stressful lives working alone until closing was awful in this area, especially on a Friday night.

With a huff you quickly close out the register, seal up the money earned, then drop it in the safe in the back office. Taking one last glance around you, smile as your timer goes off. While you did not appreciate doing this work alone, you were rather fast at it. You walk over to your phone, swipe off the final timer then head over to the company computer to clock out. Your punch reads OUT: 10:48PM making your grumble, the store had closed back at 9PM. A huge sigh escapes your lips as you come to terms with it being partytime on the streets at the moment. Tons of people would be bar hopping right now, and your tiny apartment happened to be next to a long string of bars.

As you reluctantly lock yourself out of the cafe's front door, and safely, then face the darkening street. You can already hear the distant thump of music and the buzz of tipsy laughter floating through the cool night air. Immediately, a drunk man bumps into your arm, muttering something about his kids but continues on without speaking to you. You stare at the man making sure he doesn’t turn around.  With a soft huff you glare at nothing in particular, fully annoyed at the world before setting a steady pace to your home. There was a small part of you that would love to sit down and drink with someone, but your solo shift zapped away all of your energy, and you had no one to call. So now, all you want now is a hot shower, some snacks, and the comfort of your bed.

After several minutes of walking down the poorly-lit sidewalk you finally see the street your modest second-floor apartment resides on. However as you get closer, the louder the party sounds become. Groups of rowdy bar patrons stumble past, a small handful spill their drinks while loudly sharing drunk stories. Your spine stiffens as you prepare to enter the fray. While you didn’t think anyone would bother you, it has happened several times- and each time ended with the police being called to walk you the rest of the way home.

With a deep breath you step forward and march into the crowd, trying to blend in. You weave, and dodge a few hands that come your way with ease, after all, most of them were already piss drunk. You glance up, noting the bar you are passing, 10 left to go. You step over a man's legs as he lays on the ground, mumbling to himself, and this seems to be where your smooth travels end. While looking down at the man’s legs you do not notice the man walking right at you, likely assuming you would move- and slam into him. The collision was enough to make you blink, and feel a bit dazed but his hand snapped you back to reality. You look at the man confused, even angry as he grabs your forearm with enough force to make your body curve down- trying to relieve pressure.

"Hey, fucking watch where you're goin’!" the man slurs, his grip tightening on your arm. You wince, trying to pull away, but his strength holds you in place.

"I'm sorry." you mutter, not wanting to escalate the situation. "I didn’t see you."

His blood shot eyes narrow as he looks you up and down. "Wait a minute," he says, swaying slightly. "Don't I know you from somewhere?" Your heart races as you scan the crowd, hoping someone will notice and intervene. But everyone seems lost in their own drunken revelry.

"No, I don't think so." you say firmly, attempting to twist your arm free. "I need to get home. Please let me go." you beg, trying to appeal to his better nature, but finding nothing.

“No, I have seen you before. Are you a pornstar?” He asks with a wide grin, pulling you in close. The smell of his breath makes you retch and you attempt to yank free again.

 “No, get the fuck off of me!” You nearly spit at him, focusing on removing his hand. The impact of his slap does free you, but not as you had hoped. The size difference between you and him becomes all the more apparent as your body hits the ground. Your head wobbles on your shoulder as you struggle to get your bearings back. Just as your mind got less foggy his arm was back on your forearm, dragging you into the alley around the corner. 

Panic surges through you as the man drags you deeper into the alley, away from the crowded street. Your heart pounds in your ears, drowning out the sounds of the nearby bars. You struggle against his grip, legs finally back into position enough to slow him down, but his drunken state seems to have only amplified his strength.

"Let go!" you shout, hoping someone will hear you over the noise of the nightlife. Tears are spilling down your cheeks as he laughs, digging his blunt nails into your arm.

“To think I have a moment with my favorite pornstar!” He rambles to himself, already jingling the buckle of his pants. Horror washes over you. You knew these things could happen- sometimes, awful people happen. But you didn’t want these things happening, not if you could help it. You stomp on the man's foot as hard as possible, and yell at him all while yanking the arm he was holding towards your own body.

For a moment it felt like your efforts would be rewarded but all it did was make him angry. The second slap feels closer to a punch. For a brief moment it feels like your head might fall off. You crash into the concrete wall behind you groaning out in pain. Your vision blurs as your head throbs from the impact. The world spins, and for a moment, you think you might pass out.

The sound of a zipper is what begins to make the bile shift in your stomach. Your arms hug against your body, overwhelmed by the physical pain and mental trauma happening at the same time.

“Please, don’t-” was all you got out before a blur of orange, and the man hit the ground. The sound that left your attacker's mouth was horrifying. Your attacker wails for a moment before he starts to gurgle. A tall man with black hair, and green eyes stares down at your attacker with a look you’ve never seen before. He looked far too calm for a man choking another human being with enough force to possibly kill. Your attackers fingers reached out for you seeking aid, making you squirm- did you really care if this man died? You looked back at your violent defender, and spoke before thinking.

“Um, I think he’s trying to tap out.” You offer while watching your attacker struggle unsuccessfully against the man's head lock. To your surprise the defender smirks and squeezes harder.

“Nah, better if he naps all this off.” His voice is deeper than you thought, his cadence was oddly relaxed despite holding a large struggling man in his grip.

You watch in stunned silence as your attacker's struggles grow weaker, his movements becoming sluggish until finally, his body goes limp. The stranger releases his hold, letting the unconscious man fall face first to the ground. He turns to face you, his green eyes now scanning you.

"Rough night." he states casually, his voice softer now. "Did he hurt you?"

You nod, still trembling from the ordeal. "I think I'm okay. Just shaken up." Your cheek stings where you were struck, and your head throbs from hitting the wall, but you didn’t think he would care all that much, considering he just dropped a man on his face.

The stranger takes a step closer, his hands raised slightly as if to show he means no harm. "Names Togame Jo. Figured you needed a hand." He reaches down, latching onto your arm. 

Normally you’d love his attention, he was incredibly attractive, but right now your nerves were shot. As he hoists you off the ground a hiss leaves your lips and you push his arm away. “Watch it.” You hadn’t meant to be so rude but the arm he had grabbed was extremely tender, all your adrenaline long gone. His posture switches immediately, his full height suddenly looming over you as he steps in close. For a moment it looks like he will slap you like the man before him, but instead his fingers grip your wrist, pulling you arm towards himself, he examines your forearm with a frown.

Togame's frown deepens as he inspects the bruises forming on your arm. His touch is surprisingly gentle as he turns your wrist, examining the damage.

"Bastard really did a number on you." he mutters, his green eyes flicking up to meet yours. "You need medical attention?"

You shake your head, wincing slightly at the movement. "No, I'll be fine. I just want to go home."

Togame nods, releasing your arm. "I'll walk you there." he offers, though it felt like an unrefusable offer.

For a moment, you hesitate- weighing the risks. After what just happened, the idea of trusting a stranger seems foolish. But something about Togame Jo's demeanor puts you at ease. Maybe it's the way he effortlessly took down your attacker, or the gentleness in his touch as he examined your injuries. Whatever it is, you find yourself nodding.

"It's not far." you say, gesturing vaguely down the street. "Just a few more blocks."

Togame falls into step beside you as you leave the alley, his tall frame creating a buffer between you and the rowdy crowds still milling about. You can't help but notice how people seem to give him a wide berth, their eyes darting away when they catch sight of him. Once you had calmed down more things made sense. His jersey was famous around these parts. While you didn’t know who he was specifically, the Shishitoren emblem was unmistakable.

"So," Togame says after a few moments of silence, "what's a nice person like you doing out so late in this neighborhood?"

You sigh, rubbing your sore cheek. "I just got off work.”

"Work, huh?" Togame raises an eyebrow, his green eyes glinting with curiosity. "Must be a late shift."

You nod, feeling a mix of exhaustion and lingering anxiety wash over you. "Yeah, I work at the cafe a few blocks back. Had to close up alone tonight."

Togame whistles low. "Tough gig. Especially in this area."

As you walk, you can't help but steal glances at your unexpected savior. His relaxed demeanor contrasts sharply with the dangerous aura he exudes. You wonder what kind of life he leads, being part of the notorious Shishitoren.

"So," you venture, curiosity getting the better of you, "do you often rescue people in dark alleys?"

A smirk plays at the corner of Togame's lips. "Only the cute ones," he quips, then chuckles at your startled expression. "Nah, I was just in the right place at the right time."

You feel a blush creep up your neck, unsure how to respond to his casual flirtation. "Well, thank you," you pause for a moment, reliving the hits to your face all over again. "I appreciate your help.” You manage to mumble out. He smiles, humming back in response.

As you approach your apartment building, a sense of relief washes over you. The familiar sight of the worn brick facade and flickering porch light feels like a sanctuary after the night's ordeal. You pause at the bottom of the steps, turning to face Togame.

"This is me." you say, gesturing towards the building. "Thanks again for walking me home."

Togame nods, his green eyes scanning the area before settling back on you. "No problem. You gonna be alright from here?"

You hesitate, suddenly aware of how empty and quiet your apartment will be. The events of the night replay in your mind, sending a shiver down your spine. "Yeah, I'll be fine," you lie, forcing a smile.

Togame's eyebrow quirks up, clearly not buying your act. "You sure about that? You look like you could use some company."

Your heart races at his suggestion. Part of you wants to invite him up, to not be alone with your thoughts. But another part reminds you that he's still a stranger, albeit one who saved you.

"I don't know..." you start, uncertainty filling your voice.

Togame holds up his hands, a disarming smile on his face. "Hey, no pressure. Just thought you might want someone to talk to after all that. But if you'd rather be alone, I get it."

You bite your lip, weighing the options. The thought of facing the empty apartment alone suddenly seems unbearable. "Actually, care for a drink?" you ask sheepishly.

Togame's eyes light up, a hint of surprise in his expression. "Wouldn't say no." he says with a casual shrug, but you catch the subtle eagerness in his tone.

You lead him up the creaky stairs to your second-floor apartment, fumbling slightly with your keys as you unlock the door. The familiar scent of home washes over you as you step inside, bringing a sense of comfort after the night's chaos.

"It's not much." you say, flicking on the lights and gesturing around the modest space, "but it's home."

Togame follows you in, his tall frame comically filling up the small living room. His green eyes scan the space, taking in the mismatched furniture and the small collection of plants on the windowsill. "It's cozy, I like it." he says, a hint of approval in his voice.

You head to the kitchen, grateful for the chance to collect yourself. "Make yourself comfortable." you call over your shoulder. "What's your poison?"

"Whatever you're having," Togame replies, settling onto your worn couch.

You pull two beers from the fridge, popping the caps off before returning to the living room. Togame accepts the bottle with a small nod, his fingers brushing yours as he takes it. The brief contact sends images of his hands on you, reminding you of how long it's been since you got laid. 

You sit beside him on the couch, leaving a respectable distance between you. An awkward silence falls between you both, the room suddenly smaller than you remembered from this morning.

As you sip your beer, you can't help but steal glances at Togame. He was certainly taller than the average man, and his arms will thick as hell. You notice his eyes roaming over the various knick-knacks and photos adorning your walls.

"So," Togame says, breaking the silence, "you always invite strange men up to your apartment after they rescue you?"

You choke a little on your beer, caught off guard by his directness. "No," you sputter out, "this is definitely a first."

Togame chuckles, a deep rumble that sends a shiver down your spine. "I'm honored." he says with a wink.

You feel your cheeks flush and quickly take another swig of beer to hide your reaction. "What about you?" you ask, trying to regain your composure. "Do you often end up in strangers' apartments after playing hero?"

"Nah," Togame replies, leaning back into the couch. "Usually I'm the one people are running from, not towards."

His casual admission of his dangerous reputation should probably alarm you, but instead, you find yourself intrigued. "Because of Shishitoren?" you ask, gesturing to his jersey.

Togame's eyes narrow slightly, a flicker of something dangerous passing over his face before his relaxed demeanor returns. "You know about us, huh?"

You shrug, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "Not much, really. Just that you guys have a reputation around here."

Togame's expression softens, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "A reputation, huh? Well, can't say it's undeserved." He takes a long swig of his beer, his gaze never leaving yours. "But tonight, I'm just a guy having a drink with a cute barista. That alright with you?"

Your heart skips a beat at his words. The way he looks at you makes you feel seen in a way you haven't in a long time. "Yeah." you say softly, "that's alright with me."

As the night wears on, you find yourself relaxing more in Togame's presence. The conversation flows easily, ranging from your work at the cafe to his vague allusions to life in Shishitoren. You can't help but be drawn in by his charisma, the way his green eyes light up when he laughs, the casual grace with which he moves.

Before you know it, you're on your third beer, a pleasant warmth spreading through your body. The events from earlier in the night feel distant now, like a bad dream fading in the light of day. You find yourself studying Togame's profile as he recounts a particularly funny story about a misunderstanding at a local ramen shop.

"What?" he asks, catching you staring at his arms.

"Nothing," you say, a little too quickly.

Togame's lips curl into a knowing smirk. "Admiring the view?" he teases, flexing his arm slightly.

You feel your face flush, equal parts embarrassment and attraction. "Maybe." You admit, the alcohol makes you bolder than usual. "You did use those arms to save me earlier."

Togame's smirk widens into a grin. "Well, they're not just for show," he says, leaning in closer. His voice drops lower, sending a shiver down your spine. "Want a closer look?"

Your breath catches in your throat as he closes the distance between you on the couch. The warmth radiating from his body makes your skin tingle with anticipation. You find yourself nodding, unable to form words as Togame's hand gently cups your cheek.

"You sure about this?" he murmurs, his thumb tracing your jawline. "After everything that happened tonight..."

The concern in his eyes touches you, melting away any lingering reservations. "I'm sure." you whisper, leaning into his touch.

Togame's lips meet yours in a kiss that starts soft but quickly deepens with intensity. His strong arms wrap around you, pulling you flush against his chest. You lean into the embrace, your fingers tangling in his dark hair as the kiss grows more passionate.

When you finally break apart, both breathing heavily, Togame rests his forehead against yours. "Damn," he says with a low chuckle. "If I'd known saving cute baristas led to this, I'd have done it sooner."

You laugh deeply enjoying his charming banter."Well, I'm glad it was me you saved." you reply, tracing patterns on his chest through his shirt.

Togame's eyes fill with desire as he watches your fingers trail across his chest. In one fluid motion, he pulls you onto his lap, his strong hands gripping your hips. "Me too." he murmurs, his lips finding the sensitive spot on your neck.

A soft gasp escapes you as he trails kisses down your neck and collar bone. Your fingers tighten in his hair, pulling him closer. The solid warmth of his body against yours makes you feel safe and wanted in a way you haven't experienced in a long time.

"Togame." you breathe, arching into him as his hands slip under your shirt, caressing the bare skin of your lower back.

He pulls back slightly, his green eyes dark searching your face. "You okay?" he asks slowly, his thumbs tracing circles on your hips. "We can stop if you want."

The tenderness in his voice, contrasting with the dangerous aura he exudes, makes the heat in your core double. You cup his face in your hands, marveling at how someone who had so effortlessly taken down your attacker could be so gentle with you.

"Just, fuck me." you demand of him, leaning in to capture his lips in another kiss.

A low growl rumbles in Togame's chest as he stands suddenly, lifting you with him. Your legs wrap instinctively around his waist as he carries you towards the bedroom, his strong arms support you effortlessly. He kicks the door closed behind him then gently lowers you onto the bed, his body hovering over yours.

"You're sure about this?" he asks one last time, his green eyes searching yours intently.

You nod, pulling him closer. "Stop asking." you breathe against his lips before kissing him deeply.

Togame responds with fervor, his hands roaming your body as he settles between your legs. You tug at his shirt, eager to feel his skin against yours. He breaks the kiss just long enough to pull it off, revealing a toned chest marked with a few light scattered scars.

Your fingers trace the lines of his muscles, marveling at the strength contained within. Togame watches your hands explore, his eyes darkening with desire. He makes quick work of your own shirt, his calloused hands gentle as they map your newly exposed skin.

"Beautiful." he murmurs, pressing hot kisses along your collarbone.

You arch into him, gasping as his lips find an extra sensitive spot on your neck. Your hands tangle in his hair again, holding him close as he lavishes attention upon you. The rest of your clothes soon join the pile on the floor, leaving nothing between your bodies.

Togame takes his time, his touches alternating between gentle caresses and firm grasps that leave you breathless. His touch is electric, sending shivers down your spine and igniting a fire between your legs. 

"Jo." you gasp, arching into him as his mouth finds your breast. He leaves hot kisses along  your skin, sending sparks of pleasure through you. His hand trails down your stomach, teasing at the curve of your thighs. You spread your legs wider, silently begging for more.

He lifts his head, making eye contact with a smirk. "Tell me what you want." he commands, his fingers tracing tantalizing patterns on your inner thigh.

"You." you breathe, pulling him closer. "I want you inside me."

A low growl rumbles in Togame's chest as he positions himself between your legs. He enters you slowly, giving you time to adjust to his size. You moan at the delicious stretch, your nails digging into his shoulders.

"Fuck," Togame groans, his forehead resting against your shoulder as he stills inside you. "You feel amazing."

While his size was impressive, years of self care had prepared you for him.  A moan fills the room as your body accepts him with ease. You wanted to share also how incredible he felt but all you could focus on was his cock spreading you wide. Instead you roll your hips, urging him to move. 

Togame takes the hint, setting a steady rhythm that has you gasping with each thrust. His strong hands grip your hips, pulling you closer with each movement. The room fills with the sounds of your shared pleasure, soft moans and gasps mingling with the rustle of sheets.

Togame's powerful body moves against yours, his hips rolling in a hypnotic rhythm. You cling to his broad shoulders, loving the sensations coursing through you. His lips find yours in a passionate kiss as he drives deeper, hitting just the right spot to make you cry out in pleasure against his lips.

"That's it." he murmurs against your neck, his breath hot on your skin. "Let me hear you."

You moan louder, unashamed as waves of pleasure wash over you. Togame's pace increases, his movements becoming more urgent. You can feel yourself getting close, teetering on the edge of release.

Togame's pace increases, driving deeper into you with each thrust. You wrap your legs around his waist, changing the angle and crying out as he hits a spot that sends shockwaves of pleasure through your body.

"Right there," you pant, your fingers digging into his back. "Don't stop."

Togame grunts in acknowledgment, his rhythm becoming more intense. You can feel the tension building to a breaking point, a coiling heat in your core that threatens to snap any second. 

"Jo, I'm close," you gasp, your body trembling beneath him. “Fuckfuckfuckfuck” you mutter, barely able to keep yourself together. 

He slides a hand between your bodies, his rough fingers press into your clit, rubbing in tandem with his thrust. The added stimulation pushes you over the edge harshly. You cry out Togame's name as waves of pleasure crash into you, your body arching off the bed. The sight of your pleasure sends Togame over the edge as well. He buries his face in your neck, groaning deeply as he finds his own release inside you. Normally, you’d yell at a man for not asking to come inside you but just this once you’d let it go- after all he was your hero. 

For a moment, you both lie there, breathing heavily, bodies intertwined. Togame presses a gentle kiss to your forehead before carefully pulling out and collapsing beside you. He gathers you into his arms, your head resting on his chest.

"Fuck, I needed that." you puff out, still catching your breath.

"Same." Togame chuckles softly, his chest rumbling beneath your cheek. His fingers trace lazy patterns on your back, sending pleasant tingles across your skin. You lie there in comfortable silence for a few moments, basking in the afterglow.

You nuzzle closer, inhaling his scent - a mix of his exertion, and cologne. It reminded you of fresh brewed black tea and musk. If you were honest, you hoped his scent would linger on your sheets for a while, it was intoxicating.

"So," you venture, propping yourself up on an elbow to look at Togame. "Does this mean I get protection from the notorious Shishitoren now?"

His green eyes sparkle with amusement. "Careful what you wish for." he teases, his fingers tapping the bottom of your chin, "Once you're under our protection, there's no going back."

You lean into his touch, a small smile playing on your lips. "Promise?"

Togame's expression turns serious for a moment. "I can."

"I wouldn’t mind seeing you around." you reply softly, thinking of the long hours and difficult walk home every Friday night.

Togame's eyes shift at your words, but his face is unreadable. He pulls you closer, his lips brushing against your cheek. "I wouldn't mind that either." he murmurs.

You settle back against his chest, feeling safe. The events of the night - the fear, the violence, and now this unexpected connection - swirl in your mind. Part of you wonders if you're making a mistake, getting involved with someone like Togame Jo. But as his strong arms wrap around you, you find it hard to care.

"So," you say, tracing patterns on his chest "do I get a cool jacket like yours?"

Togame laughs, the sound rumbling through his chest. "Nah, the jacket's for members only. But you’ll get my protection." he pauses, his hand running up and down your arm. "It means no one messes with you. Not if they know what's good for them."

You shiver at the hint of danger in his voice, completely thrilled by your new guard dog. "And what about you?" you ask, looking up to meet his gaze. "Will I be seeing more of you?"

Togame's lips curl into a smirk. "That can be arranged," he says, his hand sliding down to cup your ass. "Someone's gotta make sure you get home safe from those late shifts, right?"

"I'd like that." you murmur, a smile playing on your lips. The thought of Togame waiting for you after your late shifts makes you giddy.

He pulls you closer, his lips brushing against your ear. "Good. Because I'm not done with you yet."

His words ignite a fresh wave of desire in you. You shift, straddling his hips and looking down at him with a mischievous grin. "Oh really? And what did you have in mind?"

Togame's hands settle on your waist, his thumbs tracing circles on your skin. "Well," he says, his voice low and husky, "Let me show you a few more of my talents."

You lean down, your lips hovering just above his. "Show me what you’ve got." you tease, a smirk playing on your lips. Your hips grind down on his semi-hard cock, torturing him.

In one swift motion, Togame flips you onto your back, pinning your hands above your head. His green eyes are clouded with desire as he looks down at you. "Challenging me?"

Togame's sudden move catches you off guard, sending a buzz of excitement through your body. You gasp, looking up into his intense gaze. The weight of his body pressing you into the mattress makes your pussy wet again. Just the display of his strength makes your body ache for him.

"Maybe I am." you say breathlessly, a hint of defiance in your tone. "What are you going to do about it?"

A slow, dangerous smile spreads across Togame's face. "Oh, I've got a few ideas." he murmurs, his free hand trailing down your body. His touch is feather-light, teasing, making you squirm beneath him.

You arch into his touch, craving more. "Care to share?" you ask, your voice raw.

Instead of answering, Togame captures your lips in a wet kiss. His tongue explores your mouth as his hand continues its tantalizing journey down your body. When he reaches the valley of your thighs and rubs them gently, you moan into the kiss, spreading your legs wider in invitation.

Togame breaks the kiss, his lips trailing down your neck. "Patience." he murmurs against your skin, nipping lightly at your collarbone. "I plan to take my time with you."

His words send a shiver down your spine. You tug at your pinned hands, wanting to touch him, but he holds firm. "Jo.." you whine, frustrated by his teasing.

Togame chuckles at your whine, his breath hot against your skin. "Ah ah, not yet." he murmurs, his free hand ghosting over your inner thigh. "I want to hear you beg for it."

His fingers trace patterns on your sensitive skin, purposefully avoiding where you need him most. You squirm beneath him, desperate for more contact. "Please!" you gasp, your hips lifting off the bed seeking friction.

"Please what?" Togame asks, his voice low and husky. His lips trail down your neck, leaving a trail of fire in their wake.

"Touch me, please." you breathe, your body trembling with need. "Please, Jo, I need you."

Togame hums against your skin, considering your plea. "Since you asked so nicely." he says, finally releasing your hands.

Before you can react, he's sliding down your body, settling between your legs. His strong hands grip your thighs, spreading you wide. You prop yourself up on your elbows, watching with hooded eyes as he lowers his head. You had never had a man eat you out after he came inside you, but it was incredibly fucking hot Togame was unbothered by such filthy work.

The first swipe of his tongue against your sensitive clit has you crying out in pleasure. Togame's skilled mouth works you expertly, alternating between broad strokes and focused attention on your clit. Your hands fly to his hair, gripping tightly as waves of pleasure wash over you.

"Fuck, Jo.." you moan, your hips rolling against his face.

Togame's tongue works magic between your thighs, sending waves of pleasure coursing through your body. His strong hands grip your hips, holding you in place as he devours you with singular focus. You writhe beneath him, gasping and moaning as he brings you closer and closer to the edge.

"Jo.." you pant, your fingers tangling in his dark hair. "I'm so close."

He hums against you, the vibration sending sparks of sensation through your dripping pussy. His tongue circles your clit with increased pressure, and you feel the tension building to a breaking point. Just as you're about to tumble over the edge, Togame pulls back, his tongue hovering just above you clit. You whimper at the loss of contact, your hips chasing his mouth unsuccessful.

"Not yet," he murmurs, his breath hot against your sensitive flesh. "I want more."

Before you can protest, he slides two fingers inside you, curling them to hit your g spot. His mouth returns to your clit, sucking gently as his fingers work you from the inside. The dual stimulation is overwhelming, and you feel yourself rapidly approaching climax once again.

"Please, fuck" you beg, not entirely sure what you're asking for. "Jo, please."

Togame's eyes lock with yours, dark with desire. "Come for me." he demands, his voice low and husky. His words, combined with the relentless attention of his mouth and fingers, send you careening over violently. Your thighs snap closed against his body, struggling against his still moving fingers. Your pants come out hard while your hands fly up to search for leverage. He chuckles as he continues to pump his fingers into your tender pussy.

Your body trembles with aftershocks as Togame slowly withdraws his fingers. He presses a gentle kiss to your inner thigh before moving back up your body. His lips capture yours in a deep kiss, letting you taste a bodily fluid cocktail on his tongue.

"Fuck." you pant when he finally pulls away, still breathless from your intense orgasm.

"Doing alright?" Togame finishes with a smirk, his green eyes still mischievous. He positions himself between your legs, the hard length of his cock pressing against your sensitive flesh.

You wrap your legs around his waist, pulling him closer. "Never better, I got all night." you challenge, with a cheeky grin.

Togame's response is to thrust into you in one smooth motion, filling you completely. You both groan at the sensation, your bodies fitting together perfectly.

He sets a brutal rhythm, each thrust going deeper than the last. His hands find your thighs and press them down hard against your body. The man was putting you into a full mating press and it was glorious. Your mind was beginning to blur, completely overworked by your moans, panting, and the pressure from his heavy body.

Togame's powerful thrusts drive you into the mattress, each movement sending shockwaves of pleasure and pain through your overstimulated body. The new angle allows him to hit spots deep inside you that make your toes curl and your vision blur. Your hands scramble for purchase on his sweat-slicked back as you struggle to match his intense rhythm.

"You feel so fucking good." Togame grunts, his voice strained with effort. His green eyes are glassy as they lock onto yours, watching every expression of pleasure that crosses your face.

You can barely form coherent thoughts, let alone words. Each thrust pushes you in a direction of an orgasm you don’t think is reachable. "Jo" you manage to gasp out, "I can’t.." your words are cut off by an incredibly hard thrust.

His hips slam against yours with bruising force. His long body arches towards you, for a moment you think he is going to kiss you but instead his teeth sink into the tender flesh of your neck. He laps at the bite, groaning with abandon while finding a new place to sink his teeth into.

The dual stimulation becomes too much. With a cry that's almost a scream, you come undone beneath him. Your body arches off the bed, trembling violently as waves of intense pleasure crash over you again. Togame doesn't let up, fucking you through your orgasm, and prolonging the sensation until tears begin to form in your water line.

Your vision blurs as the intense orgasm washes away all thoughts, and leaves your body trembling uncontrollably beneath Togame's powerful form. He continues to thrust into you relentlessly, drawing out his pleasure but pushing you to almost unbearable heights.

"That's it," he growls, his voice ragged. "Take it all." he moans out

You cling to him desperately, your nails digging into his damp back as you try relaxing into his thrusts. Just when you think you can't take anymore, Togame's rhythm falters. With a deep groan, he buries himself to the hilt inside you, his body shuddering as he finds his own release.

For a long moment, you both lie there panting, bodies intertwined and slick with sweat. Togame's weight presses you into the mattress making it difficult to breathe. He presses a gentle kiss to your forehead before slowly pulling out and collapsing beside you.

"Fuck." you breathe, still trying to catch your breath. Your body feels boneless, pleasantly sore in all the right places, and some areas a bit less pleasant. Togame chuckles, pulling you against his chest. "Might have to save you nightly." he groans into your neck. His tongue laps out again, soothing the deep bites he had placed in your neck, which were already forming shiny red and purple spots.

You nuzzle into his warmth, feeling utterly spent but enjoying his mouth's attention. "I think you broke me." you mumble against his skin, only half-joking.

Togame chuckles, his chest rumbling against you. "Nah, you're tougher than that." he says, his fingers tracing soothing patterns on your back. You smile, nodding in agreement with his assessment of you, granted your sore cervix had different opinions.

As your breathing slows and your heartbeat returns to normal, a comfortable silence falls between you. Togame's hand continues its gentle caress along your spine, occasionally drifting to brush against the marks he left on your neck.

"So," you murmur after a while, tilting your head to look up at him. "Is this a one-time thing, or...?"

Togame's green eyes meet yours, a hint of vulnerability flashing across his face before his usual confident smirk returns. "Depends," he says, his voice low. "You want it to be?"

You consider his question, weighing the potential complications against the undeniable connection you feel with him. "No," you admit softly. "I'd like to see you again."

Relief flickers in Togame's eyes, quickly masked by a playful grin. "Good," he says, pulling you closer. "Because I wasn't planning on letting you go that easily."

[krmy2386]

Swan

Lord Alfred Debling x Reader (childhood crush on Benedict) about 2.5k words

1. PLEASE DO NOT STEAL!!! I WORKED VERY HARD ON THIS!!!!

2. NOT PROOF READ!!!

3. Yes I love Benedict but I needed a plot to don’t hate me😅

————————————————————————

Lady Y/N L/N was always called the Ugly Duckling. Not that she was ever actually ugly. More awkward in her younger years, especially compared to the beautiful Bridgetons, her closest friends.

She remembers the first time she was called that name. It was Benedict Bridgerton, her best friends’ brother, and the boy she had harbored feelings for as a child.

One day Violet Bridgerton was reading a book of stories to Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Y/N and Daphne. When they finished the infamous “Ugly Duckling,” young Benedict loudly declared the Y/N must be a swan, because she was an ugly duckling. This immediately caused Y/N to sob hysterically and Violet scolded Benedict while Lady L/N tried to console her daughter. Eventually the two children made up and it was forgotten. By Benedict, never by Y/N. She never forgot how those words made her feel.

Over the years, Y/N grew into both her features and her attitude. This was her third year on the marriage mart and it was no secret to the ton that Y/N would not be doing anything she did not want to do. She had a sharp wit and a tendency to find mischief. Many people, mainly the men, joked about who could “tame” her.

Maybe that’s why she was so drawn to Benedict. He seemed to radiate joy and light. Y/N wanted that. She wanted someone who would send shocks through her.

But that would never happen. Because now, as a grown woman, she hated Benedict Bridgerton.

————————————

Lord Debling was praying for the ball to end when he realized he had only been there about 5 minutes. He felt like a duck being hunted by a hound.

The mothers of the ton had set their sights on him. Their daughters were less intense but just as obvious.

He began lightly pacing, hoping for a hole to swallow him when he heard a shrill voice shout his name.

Oh God, he thought. Mrs Cowper, with her daughter Cressida in tow.

Lord Debling sighed, but did the gentlemanly thing and bowed.

“Lady Cowper, how are you this evening?” He asked politely.

Cressida flutter her eyes so fast a hummingbird would be jealous, “So much better now that I see you are here. Are you planning on dancing tonight?”

Fear ran through his body and he began to stutter, “Um, w-well I-I hadn’t..”

“Lord Debling!” It was his guardian angel, Lady Danbury. He felt relief fill his lungs and he turned to Mrs. Cowper and Cressida, “Excuse me.”

He rushed over to Lady Danbury and bowed before leaning to her ear, “Thank you!” He whispered.

Lady Danbury laughed lightly and patted his hand on top of hers, “Never fear, I promised your mother long ago to look out for you, and they looked ready to rip you to shreds.”

Lord Debling couldn’t help but nod. He tried to see the good in people but something about Cressida Cowper made him uneasy.

Something about the way she speaks down on everyone, her garish clothes, her unnatural hair shapes.

Alfred Debling never thought a love match would be in his future. The most he hoped for was a kindhearted friend to spend his days at home with. But that didn’t mean he didn’t have standards.

He didn’t want a fake person who would change the minute they were behind closed doors. He wanted someone real. Someone he could share life with, even if they were just friends.

“My mother would’ve loved this,” he mumbled softly. “Meeting people and dancing.”

Laney Danbury nodded in agreement. “Yes, your mother was a spirited and kind woman. And she would’ve put Lady Cowper in her place in a heartbeat.” She joked. Debling couldn’t help but laugh.

—————————

Y/N was miserable the entire carriage ride. Not only would she have to once again parade around like a peacock trying to catch a husband. It would more than likely fail. Her only solace was that she planned to escape to Penelope as soon as possible. But even the Featherington girl had been in social mourning since her whole plan with Colin blew up.

Stupid Bridgerton Boys, she thought to herself. They ruin everything.

“Y/N” she heard her mother’s gentle voice, “I know you hate this dear, but please try to have some fun!” Her mother was so genuine in her request, Y/N couldn’t help but smile. They didn’t need her to marry for money or title. She had that privilege.

Lady L/N knew something has shifted in her daughter. She never pushed Y/N to share, but she was worried. The spark had left Y/N’s eyes.

Y/ N grabbed her mother’s hand.

“I will try.” She said truthfully. Maybe she could force herself to enjoy one evening for her mother’s sake. She never meant for her mother to worry about her so much. As a child, her mother worried due to her talents in running off and climbing trees. Now she had all new worries, that Y/N might be sad, or lonely for a long time. No mother wants that.

—————————

Lord Debling was glancing around the room. Hoping for something, anything, to make the time go by faster.

When he glanced at the stairs he swears time stopped.

She was beautiful. She wore a cream colored gown with gold and silver thread embroidery. She glided down the stairs like she was floating. She didn’t have a large fake smile plastered on her face. She looked content but not overly excited.

“Beautiful is she not?” Lord Debling jumped at Lady Danbury’s voice.

“Yes,” he said. Then turning full attention back to the beauty on the stairs, “she certainly is… gorgeous.” He whispered.

Lady Danbury looked at poor Deblings face and almost chuckled. If he thought she was impressive to look at, wait until she spoke to him.

“That is Y/N L/N, daughter of some close friends of mine. She is a wonderful girl. Spirited.” Lady Danbury says with a knowing smile. “And, she is not yet married.”

Debling was now giving Lady Danbury his full attention. “She isn’t? Are you sure?” Lady Danbury normally would be offended at someone questioning her knowledge of the ton. But she took pity on him, this once.

“I’m sure. This is her third year out in society. She doesn’t need money or a title so she has the luxury of being picky. Although, most of the men in the ton find her to be too much to handle.”

Lady Danbury said gently. She loved and adored Y/N and knew she could be a bit much for some people.

This made Alfred Debling swoon. A woman who was unapologetically herself.

“Will you introduce me to her?” Lord Debling asked Lady Danbury.

This caught her slightly by surprise. He had never asked for her help meeting the women of the ton. He normally had no problem introducing himself to people. But she could tell by his eyes, he was begging.

“Alright.” She said taking his arm. “Follow my lead.”

———————————

After they descended the stairs, Lady L/N and Y/N thanked their host before heading into the main ballroom.

Y/N hadn’t seen the Bridgertons yet. Maybe. She would be safe after all.

“Duckie!” Hearing that name made Y/N cringe. There were only two people alive who still called her that name.

She turned cautiously and was greeted by both Colin and Eloise.

“She prefers Y/N, Colin. We aren’t children anymore.” Eloise scolded. She saw the hurt that would flash in Y/N’s eyes at the old nickname.

Colin, oblivious as ever laughed, “She’ll always be Duckie. Even her father called her that.”

At the mention of the late Lord Y/N everyone froze. Even Colin realized what he had done.

“I’m so sorry Y/N I didn’t mean to-“

Y/ N interrupted, “I’m going to get some air.”

And she all but ran away.

Eloise slapped her brother’s arm, “Great job Colin! We spoke to her for 10 seconds and now we’ll never speak to her again!”

It had been a year since Y/N had truly spent time with the Bridgerton family. Since her father’s death. Eloise had planned to ease their way back into her life. That clearly didn’t work. She should’ve known better to recruit Colin instead of Francesca.

————————

Alfred felt lightheaded as the approached Y/N. She was alone in the hallway. She excused herself from the ballroom and Lady Danbury insisted this was the perfect opportunity.

Y/N was staring out the hall window. Her mind was racing and she was praying for a distraction.

“Y/N! It’s so good to see you! How have you been darling?” Lady Danbury asked.

Y/N smiled. It was impossible to be in a bad mood around Lady Danbury.

“I’m doing well. How are you? I’ve heard about the new additions to your garden. Mama and I have been dying to see it.”

Alfred felt his heart jump at her smile. It was real. She was genuinely happy to see Lady Danbury. Maybe one day she would smile at him that way.

“Yes, the garden is in full bloom and ready for visitors. But I have someone here who wanted to meet you.” Lady Danbury gently pulled on Lord Debling’s arm, silently urging him to introduce himself.

“H-Hello Lady Y/N. I’m Lord Alfred Debling.” He choked out. Mentally cursing himself for stuttering.

Y/N was taken aback. A man wanted to meet her? A handsome man?

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Debling. I don’t believe I’ve seen you before.” Y/N said, mesmerized by his big, puppy dog eyes.

“Well I’ve been encouraged by my family to, um- get to know more people” He wasn’t sure how to explain his situation without blatantly saying he wanted a wife.

Y/N giggled. She knew exactly why he was here.

“I understand perfectly, Lord Debling. But I must warn you not everyone is worth getting to know.” Y/N said bluntly.

Alfred couldn’t help but smile.

“Is that so?” He started. “Perhaps you could escort me around the room and enlighten me to who is who?” He asked, mustering up all of the bravery he could.

Lady Danbury was shocked. Not only did Lord Debling offer Y/N his arm, she took it. Unheard of for both of them.

—————————

As the night carried on, Lady Danbury and Lady L/N watched happily as Lord Debling and Y/N walked circles around the room together.

Y/N talked on and on about everyone at the ball. Telling stories and sharing her personal experiences.

“And that is Lord and Lady Timsley. They are the oldest couple here.” She stated.

“Really?” Lord Debling asked. “How long have they been together?”

“52 years. They have a cottage close to ours in the country. Lord Timsley used to let me climb his Genovian Pear Tree. Until one day the branch I was on broke and I fell.” Y/N stated.

Alfred was shocked, “Good Lord! Were you alright?!”

Y/N couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes I was fine. My mother was furious and my father found the entire thing hilarious.”

Alfred couldn’t help but see the bittersweet look when she mentioned her father. It’s how he felt when anyone mentioned his mother.

“Is there anyone else here I should be wary of?” He asked, hoping to lighten the mood.

“Um-“ Y/N surveyed the room then sighed, “the only people left are the Bridgertons”

Lord Debling looked at her and immediately knew there was an issue, “Are they people to be wary of?” He asked.

“No. N-no. I just… “ Y/N started before she was interrupted by the one person she dressed to think of.

“Duckie! Where the devil have you been? It’s been ages!” Nearly shouted inebriated Benedict Bridgerton.

Lord Debling saw Y/N immediately go tense and he became on high alert.

Y/N could tell Benedict was drunk. He didn’t hold his liquor well. She briefly looked over to where the other Bridgestone stood and they all looked mortified.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend, Duckie?” Benedict smirked. “Names Bridgerton.” Benedict forcefully pushed his hand forward and eyed Debling. Almost challenging him.

Alfred took a few seconds and took in his surroundings. Y/N was visibly uncomfortable. Maybe if he found the confidence to talk to her. He could find it to defend her.

So he took a breath and grabbed the Bridgerton boy’s hand. Hard.

“Yes, Viscount Bridgerton. Lovely to meet you.”

Benedict’s faces dropped. “Um- no. That would be my older brother Anthony.

“Oh,” Lord Debling started, “terribly sorry, you are the one who just got back from travels. Tell me, how was Greece? I hear it’s beautiful.”

Benedict’s eyes hardened in the man. “That would be my younger brother.” He gritted his teeth.

Y/N was speechless. No one had ever truly challenged Benedict before. Even Anthony would let him win just to go away.

Before either man could speak again. Violet and Anthony stepped in.

“Benedict, dear it’s time to go home.” Violet tried to gently coax him.

“But I’m being introduced to Lord Dumpling.” He replied.

“It’s Debling, and you’ve already met.” Anthony stated, clearly annoyed.

Benedict’s face lit up with recognition, “Yes! The man who watches the birds! Tell me, what do you eat instead of meat?” Benedict asked cheekily.

“That’s enough brother.” Anthony said sharply.

“What I’m just asking.” Benedict said in his best fake innocent voice.

“It is odd is it not?” He asked, looking directly at Y/N.

“I think it’s lovely.” All Bridgertons and Lord Debling looked at her.

“Really?” Alfred asked.

“Yes. It takes a lot of will power and compassion to make a bold choice like that.” She said looking directly at Lord Debling.

Benedict felt his heart lurch. She didn’t even spare him a glance.

He turned to Violet, “I’d like to go now mother.” Said stomping off to the nearest exit. Anthony rolled his eyes and followed after him.

Violet looked at Y/N, “I’m so sorry for my son’s behavior.” She breathed heavily and added, “All of it.”

Y/N nodded in acknowledgement, “Have a good evening Lady Bridgerton.”

Violet left and Y/N’s mother walked over.

“Lord Debling, it is so nice of you to keep my daughter company.” She said gently. Not wanting to draw any more attention to the situation.

Lord Debling chuckled, “it was quite the opposite Lady L/N. She has been a wonderful guide for the evening.”

Y/N felt herself blush.

“I was hoping I could call on you tomorrow.” Alfred said to Y/N, “if that is okay with you” he directed to her mother.

Lady L/N looked to her daughter to answer.

Y/N looked at Lord Debling. And once again, she became entranced by his caring and gentle gaze.

“I would like that very much.” She smiled, and he smiled back.

[starlostseungmin]

stray kids ─── as one direction songs.

✰ pairing : non-idol!skz x afab!reader

✰ genre : fluff, angst, maybe suggestive?

✰ warnings : subtle mentions of sex and drugs, kissing, mentions of food and profanity. lmk if i missed smth.

✰ notes : uhm i really don't know what i wrote. this has been sitting on my drafts since november and thank god anon reminded me about it (i actually went on hiatus after minho's birthday last year so yeah) the songs i associated with skz members are just strongly my opinion mehehe i hope you guys like it, idk if you agree with me in regards with the songs but DO NOT FORGET TO REBLOG, COMMENT AND LEAVE TAGS after it! thank you so much <33

✰ tags : @notastraykid , @ameliesaysshoo , @l3visbby , @reignessance , @lix-ables , @skzfelixlove , @rachabreathing , @hyunverse , @minluvly

masterlist | taglist.

chan ─── perfect

honorable mention: little things

you already know how fucked up your life is but ever since he came, those days became different. it is always the small gestures that one fails to notice in the blink of an eye. you are just going to be surprised by the time it is done or how you managed to get out of a small inconvenience. he loves you so much that he would put you first before anything else. 

chan is different from everyone else. maybe because he is labeled to be kind and so above average of doing the bare minimum which people seek from their partners. he’s perfect but he doesn’t think of it the same way. 

you tried to convince him a hundred times but all you got in response is him being a blushing mess and his giggle that makes your heart warm every time you hear it. a smile would tug on your lips that would make him stare at you, he’d bounce back on the things you said to him and you think about what did you do in your past life to deserve someone as perfect as him. 

“baby, you’re perfect,” you said for the nth time, “no, i’m not, but i’m perfect for you,” he winked. “that was smooth, chan,”

lee know ─── night changes

he might be the type to not show his feelings immediately but he’s the one who subtly shows them. it started slowly, he reassured you that everything would fall into place once you both could figure out what was going on with this relationship. 

but as long as you’re together, the love you and him shared will never change. although the process of this love story has made things go in different directions, the thought of having to stick together is essential. 

your parents didn’t like him at first, they had someone in mind and that wasn’t him and yet, you didn’t care even if your first date was a disaster and the next one after that, but that didn’t stop you. it took a while for your parents to finally accept him after tons of convincing them that he’s a great guy, but it succeeded later on. 

you had a place on your own and welcomed his cats to live with you when some of them were wild, that’s what you think. minho was a mess when you met him, but thanks to you, it’s not that bad anymore. 

changbin ─── temporary fix

honorable mention: i want to write you a song

changbin is the type to offer himself as someone you can lean on but it’s not always because of this friendship you have, but as a lover who wanted to make you feel better and forget about shit. 

temporary fix is not always meant to be a cover-up of something you’d open up again to allow another train of bullshits in your life. it felt like he was being sent from the heavens to look out for you, an angel whose sole mission is to make you happy, the same feeling like something that keeps you high. 

there’s this thing on changbin’s vibe that you don’t want to share with anybody else and he makes you feel things when you’re with him. even though this relationship sounds like a fling and a guy who sneaks into your dorm late at night to make out with you, well, it used to be. but you know changbin is so much more than that after a while. 

the phrase, “you can call me when you need me, you know?” whenever he sleeps with you is now in the trashbin the moment you settle to be someone to each other.

hyunjin ─── last first kiss 

remember the time when he said that he chose to be the last love instead of the first? exactly. being the last person to love is basically spending the rest of your life with him, even if he’s not your first kiss, not your first love, not your first in everything, it’s fine as long as he’ll be the one you’ll remember as your eternal love. 

hyunjin being fitted into this song is like a message that he wanted to convey to his love, a sentiment that would indicate how much he’d spend time and effort to stay by your side until the end of time. indeed, a hopeless romantic man he is. 

last first kiss is the very first song that reminds you of him, it is part of those memories you made with him. it was that time when he decided to take this relationship to the next level, yes, he did mention that he wanted to be your last, and by what he meant, an everlasting love. 

“let me be your last,” and when you heard him say that, you knew he was the man who fits perfectly into your broken puzzle that would mend the wound forever.

han ─── rock me

honorable mention: midnight memories

rock me suits him as well as midnight memories. but midnight memories have their effects on han, giving him the vibes of being a musician specializing in the rock genre. and as someone who loves to listen to almost every genre in the world, you fell in love with him after watching him busking by the streets. 

you were amazed by how talented he is. his fingers strummed that guitar well, and his voice? like an angel. one could say that he is a free-spirited human being who does whatever he wants and writes songs about some things that piqued his interest. 

then there’s you, a broken melody who longed for him to come back, the same goes for him who let you go. both of you thought that you were too young to be in love and jisung was better off alone but his songs were dedicated to your break up. you rocked his world when you came and left broken notes when it ended.

but he always believed that what you had back then, was real and that you’d always remember the love you had. 

felix ─── why don’t we go there 

honorable mention: kiss you

felix is someone who gets hyped easily whenever you’re with him. his bright smile, his funny reactions, and the unidentified sounds that came out of his mouth made him a fun guy to be with. it started with a fling that turned out to be something you didn’t want to rush but it is slowly beginning to have a label. 

having a relationship with him offered different dynamics. it is the way he grabs your hand when you both start to get caught by the waves crashing by the shore or how he felt when you kissed him for the first time. he is someone who can get dragged with you to whatever your plan is, a great ball of sunshine to your rainy days, someone that you don’t want to be the one that got away. 

he does think the same, especially the fact that he treasures you so much and it became an opportunity to love you more when you spend that one night together somewhere, alone. it was an invitation actually and it made you realize a lot of things. 

it is the way he looked at those stars with those dazzling eyes of his. the constellation plastered on his cheeks glowed along with them, it is what they call freckles, you love them as much as how felix felt for you. having him as a getaway made you don’t want to come back, ever again.

seungmin ─── no control

night changes was the first choice but then no control became the one for him, no control, because he is, a menace. he believed that being in love was something that gullible people would do and get hurt, maybe a few of them proved it to be valid and worth it, yet he isn’t convinced because it is just a waste of time. 

and yet, you came out of nowhere. it is the way he looks at you with those dazzling puppy eyes, the way he obeys the things you wanted him to do, and it gets worse when you share intimate affections. from a gentle puppy to a wild wolf. there’s something about you that drives him crazy every time. 

nothing matters to him when you’re around and he never felt this way before. he’d kiss you out of nowhere when you reached home with your back against the wall as your hands played with his hair. he gets weak and powerless, but gets hyped and rough which you get caught off guard every time. 

and he is very loyal, he always makes sure that no other will ever meet his interest. you don’t want to share, anyway and you got him down bad.

jeongin ─── summer love

honorable mention: fool's gold.

loving jeongin is like a breath of fresh air, the freedom that he finally held in his hands, and the time he can make up for himself to be with you. it was a reckless summer that you spent in your grandma’s place, away from the bustling city and this boy showed up on your doorsteps. 

it didn’t take a while that you immediately had this puppy love type of interest in each other. you started sneaking out in the middle of the night when your grandma was in her deep sleep, swimming together by the river across the small town on a random afternoon, sharing a kiss under an oak tree that tasted like your grandma’s apple pie, it was great. you didn’t want it to end. 

and just like any other summer, it did. you didn’t know if you would still have this continuous conversation when the school year starts since jeongin is miles away from where you live. 

you saw him sitting on one of those branches of the oak tree where you kissed for the first time, and there you promised not to lose each other even if the summer ended. you couldn’t believe that what you did for less than two months was this serious. it was hard to say goodbye, yet you hoped nothing would change after the last summer’s sunset.

©️ 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐒𝐄𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐌𝐈𝐍 , 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒.

[fozmeadows]

As someone who hasn't read the works of radical feminists like Simone de Beauvoir, could you explain what's wrong and what bothers you about biological essentialism? I'm curious about your opinion after reading your post on radfems (and I'd like a perspective that isn't so based on biological gender essentialism, which I honestly have a hard time moving away from because I don't understand other perspectives well). 👀

The problem with biological essentialism is that purports to answer the eternally unanswered question of nature vs nurture in a wholly one-dimensional way - ie, with biological sex as The Single Most Important Aspect Of Personhood, regardless of any other considerations - while simultaneously ignoring the fact that biological sex is not, in fact, a binary proposition. We've learned in recent decades, for instance, that intersex conditions are much more common and wide-ranging than previously thought, not because scientists have arbitrarily changed the definitions of what counts as an intersex condition, but because our understanding of hormones, chromosomes, karyotpying and other physical permutations has expanded sufficiently to merit the shift. So right away, the idea that humanity is composed of Biological Men and Biological Women with absolutely no ambiguities, overlap or middle ground simply isn't true. Inevitably, though, if you mention this, people with a vested interest in biological essentialism become immediately defensive. They'll start saying things like, oh, but that's only a tiny minority of the population, they're outliers, they don't count, as though their argument doesn't derive its claim to authority from a presumed universality. To use a well-worn example, redheads are also a tiny minority of the population, but that doesn't mean we exclude them when talking about the range of natural human hair colours. But the fact is, even if humans lacked chromosomal diversity beyond XX/XY; even if there were no cases of cis men with internal ovaries or cis women with internal testes or people with ambiguous genitalia - and let's be clear: all of these things exist - the fact is, our individual hormones are in flux throughout our lives.

There are standard ranges for estrogen and testosterone in men and women (which, again, vary according to age and some other factors), but two cis men of the same age and background could still have completely different T-counts, for instance - meaning, even the supposed universal gender factor isn't universal at all. More, while our hormones certainly play a major role in our moods and cognition, so do a ton of other genetic and bodily factors that have nothing to do with the sex we're assigned at birth - and on top of that, there's nurture: the cultural contexts in which we're raised, plus our more individual experiences of living in the world. One of the most common, everyday (and yet completely bullshit) permutations of biological essentialism comes when parents or would-be parents talk about their reasons for wanting a son or a daughter. Very often, there's a strong play to stereotypical assumptions about shared interests and personalities: I want a son to play football with me, for instance, or: I want a daughter to be my shopping buddy. But even within the most mainstream channels of cishet culture, it's understood that these hopes are not, in fact, grounded in any sort of biological certainty. The dad who wants a sporty son might be just as likely to end up with a bookworm, while the mother who wants a little princess might find herself with a tomboy. We know this, and our stories know this! For the entirety of human history - for as long as we've been writing about ourselves - we have records of parental disappointment in the failure of this child or that to embody what's expected of them, gender-wise. More than that: if biological essentialism was real - if men were only and ever One Type Of Man, and women were only and ever One Type Of Woman, with recent progressive moments the sole anonymous blip in an otherwise uniform historical standard - then why is there so much disparity and disagreement throughout human history as to what those roles are? The general conception of women espoused in medieval France is thoroughly different to that espoused in pre-colonial Malawi, for instance, and yet we're meant to believe that there's some innate Gender Template guiding all human beings to behave in accordance with a set, immutable biological binary? And that's before you factor in the broad and fascinating history of trans and nonbinary people throughout history - because despite what TERFs and conservative alarmists have to say on the matter, our records of trans people, and of societies in which various trans and nonbinary identities were widely understood (if not always accepted), are ancient. We know about trans priestesses from thousands of years before Christ; the Talmud has terms describing eight different genders, and those are just two examples. All over the world, all throughout history, different cultures have developed radically different concepts of femininity and masculinity, to say nothing of designations outside of, overlapping with or in between those categories - socially, legally, behaviourally, sexually - and yet we're meant to believe that biology is at all times nudging us towards a set, ideal gender template? There's a lot more I could say, but ultimately, the point is this: people are different. While some aspects of our personhood are inevitably influenced by genetics, hormones, chromosomes and other biological factors, we're also creatures of culture and change and interpersonal experience. The idea that men and women are fundamentally different, even diametrically opposed, at a biological level - that the major separator in terms of our personalities and interests isn't culture, upbringing and personal taste, but what's between our legs - is just... so reductive, and so inaccurate.

We can absolutely have common experiences on the basis of a shared gender, but gender is not the only possible axis of commonality between two people, let alone the most salient one at all times, and the idea that we're all born on one side of an immutable biological equation that cannot possibly be transcended makes me feel insane. According to modern biological essentialism, intersex, trans and nonbinary people are either monstrous, mistakes or imaginary; all men are fundamentally predisposed to violence, all women are designed for motherhood, and we're meant to just hew to our designated places - which, conveniently, tend to echo a very specific form of Christian ideology, but which in any case manifestly fail to account for how variedly gender has been presented throughout history. It's nuts.

[space-blue]

s2 has been so ass and the butchering of silco and vander's dynamic by making them know the mother is so stupid. to me , the entire point felt that when vander saw the two orpahsn on the bridge , spotting their dead mother, and putting down his gauntlets, it was that he was not ready for the base violence necessary for change, so to say, and obviously he wasn't, so he reinforces the status quo (and zaun, for some reason, draws murals and statues of him and lauds him as a peacekeeper , comparing him direclty to jinx in s2 in that stupid mural??) . like im rambling but it's so bad. s2 is so bad. oh my god

IDK that it is stupid for them to know each other, but it is stupid that it has been irrelevent.

Vander's charm was that he adopted kids he had seemingly orphaned. Then he dropped his gauntlets and embraced them, in a very symbolic moment.

But now the writers want to tell us that this moment was nothing, and that he still turned to violence against Silco, even though he was last off the battlefield, even though he had seemingly turned a new leaf?

His adoption of kids he didn't know well (you can tell he knows who they are, or else how would he know who the mother is?) served to show all this. Now it turns out he's just feeling very endebted to his friend.

It cheapens the situation, especially since his emotional outburst against Silco is basically what sparked all the story up to now.

But it's still workable. It's not great, and leaves some really stupid questions in the open. I genuinely don't think we needed ANY backstory at all.

But I don't hate the show. I just feel like it's going way, way too fast, not establishing characters, not stopping to show key scenes, all because there is SO MUCH plot to get through.

And honestly it leaves me wondering how much does Arcane cost them to make, vs. how much does it bring, through Netflix.

Because this season is full of extremely static shots, much cheaper looking music videos, and with a ton of plot and very little time to get through it. Was a third season really not in the cards?

Was expending to 12 episodes really not an option?? I know for certain we would all have stuck with a slower pace if it meant getting more character interaction and better relationship buildup.

Regarding the statue of Vander, since Silco basically owns the Lanes, it's pretty clear he's the one who commissioned it. Makes sense if they were, you know, very very very close. But also because he was in power a long time, and Silco brought stability. When Silco dies, shit immediately hits the fan, and there is nobody to build him a statue. Who would pay for it? Who has the time?

And it makes sense that Jinx is becoming a symbol. She's the one who blew up the Council, and she's the one they're getting harassed over.

What I would really have liked to see on that Mural is Jinx with Silco AND Vander. People who don't know better looking back and thinking "our past two leaders and oh wow they shared the care of Jinx too, come to think of it."

[ghostgirl-22]

Random Holiday Headcanons

Happy Holidays y’all! Some holiday head canons just because... 💙🤍💚❤️

Under the cut because there’s a million 😅

Patrick

Patrick is canonically Jewish.

In my head his grandparents are more religious and give them Hanukkah gifts and when they visit the family celebrates somewhat formally.

Among his immediate family though I imagine it’s mostly his dad leading their observance of Hanukkah traditions.

Growing up he spent quite a few Christmas holidays at Arts house in New England and likes how traditional they are. Even though he teases him about how over the top it is.

Stanford age!Patrick celebrates Christmas socially. He goes to parties and events and sometimes gives gifts to his friends/partners.

Okay Dilf!Patrick is super into winter activities. He likes to go to the mountains and go sledding with the kids. He’s an okay snowboarder but often bites off more than he can chew and ends up spending more time sitting on the side of the mountain than actually snowboarding.

He’s not big into decorating but he does like to share Hanukkah traditions with the kids even if he was never that into them growing up. Especially if his sister and her family is visiting.

He’ll fry latkes and light the menorah. He likes blending the holidays and making it feel unique and special.

The kids love it because they get more gifts before and after Christmas depending on when the holiday falls.

The kids also love when Patrick tells them the Hanukkah story and the meaning behind the oil lamp burning for 8 days.

Tashi

For Stanford!Tashi the holidays are all about being with family.

Thanksgiving is always in South Carolina where her grandma(dad’s mom) lives. All her dad’s siblings (he has four) and their families show up there. Cook together… watch football and the cousins hang out which she loves because there’s a big group of them that are around her same age.

Thanksgiving night they go for a walk around her grandma’s neighborhood if the weather is mild.

For Christmas she goes to Long Island, New York to see her grandparents (mom’s side).

They have a holiday party every year on Christmas Eve with various relatives who live in and around New York (and her grandparents also invite people who are in town or may have no family to spend Christmas with).

Everyone opens their gifts together Christmas morning and the younger cousins play together. It’s less fun for Tashi because she’s the oldest. But she doesn’t mind hanging out and watching after her brothers and her little cousins.

She loves watching the Charlie Brown Christmas specials and it’s a wonderful life on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas they play board games. They’re all really competitive and monopoly is a dangerous game to pull out.

Older!Tashi can get kinda Pinteresty about decorating.

When she had her daughter she just wanted to build new traditions and those traditions generally involve traveling because of Arts career.

I imagine they visit Switzerland for Christmas time with her mom’s family as a stop off before going to Australia for the open.

They stay in cozy lodges and decorate. And light the fireplace. She likes to read the night before Christmas book she heard when she was growing up.

They visit Christmas markets and do all the snowy winter activities.

She’s a skier and is judgmental of Patrick’s tendency to just sit on the mountain most of the day (like me to snowboarders because that can’t be fun).

Art

Arts family was very into the holidays growing up

The entire house was decorated. They actually listen to Christmas music on purpose.

They wear Christmas pajamas all day. Drink cocoa and watch Christmas movies together.

His grandma would go above and beyond to make it special for him and his sisters. Making sure they built gingerbread houses and played in the snow. And that they all got tons of gifts. When they were young his grandma would make his dad sneak the gifts in on Christmas Eve at a crazy hour to make it seem like Santa came.

His tradition was him and his sisters would bring their sleeping bags in the living room and fall asleep by the tree. His oldest sister always got the couch and him and his middle sister had to sleep on the floor.

They did it well into their 20s when they were all home together. And did it with his first nephew when his oldest sister got married.

He still thinks the whole thing is magical.

Older!Art is probably the most holiday pilled (when he’s not depressed).

He over does it with the Christmas decorations. Tashi rolls her eyes like “there doesn’t need to be Christmas lights in the bathroom Art.”

He makes them carve pumpkins at Halloween and makes them build gingerbread houses on Christmas.

Lily loves it.

He helps Lily bake sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies on Christmas Eve. And leaves them with a note for Santa and a glass of milk.

Then he dresses as Santa in the middle of the night to sneak presents under the tree while Lily is asleep. He does it no matter where they are in the world.

Later when Patrick finds out he plays Santa baby on repeat Christmas Eve morning.

Art wants to play Christmas music all the time but Tashi draws the line there unless it’s jazz or instrumental. She can’t listen to the same lyrics over and over all season.

Art is a skier but he took snowboarding lessons with Patrick and spent most of the day sitting on the mountain.

I have a million more because I’m insane but I’d love to hear yours if you want to share.

[bluegumballmf]

🦋The Moonstone Twins🪷- an overveiw : 𓏲 ๋࣭  ࣪ ˖✩࿐࿔

1/2 lore threads

Okay so basically In example to what the twins are, you know how in dofus book one: Julith, the two dofus are entrusted to joris to gaurd?? The Moonstone twins are like that but with the entirety of the eliatrope dofus in every life they live.

Basically, the two were originally created just to protect And nurture the dofus and the eliatrope council, but they could have lives outside of their jobs, which lasted for two lives and they were more appreciated and actually acknowledged by the eliatropes and dragons.

But qilby orchestrated a tragedy so awful, that the already intense need to protect the dofus got to a level so bad that it makes the moonstone twins sick whenever they are used. Now, the moonstone twins are spiritually connected to the eliatrope dofus, & the council by extent-

-& can track their location & power levels, as well as if they’re containing someone or not. The twins have a weird reincarnation cycle; only reincarnating whenever there is a danger to the dofus, no matter how small. This cycle is impacted by using the dofus excessively.

The use of the dofus before they are born delays their birth, sometimes by centuries, and throws them off kilter. However, in such lives, their own dofus will hold more power, & thus; they will too. Their dofus is special in the sense that it dissolves when not occupied.

Their dofus CAN be used like the other’s, but it harms the twins inside, and isn’t as powerful as the council’s. The moonstone dofus is a reoccurring legend in The eliatrope’s stories, and is generally considered a bad omen, and to be immediately given up to the council-

As it is born to different parents in every life time- always with at least one draconic parent.

The twins each have separate gifts that balance each other out. Nazalath has stasis transfer, & Cleomyn has foresight. Both twins share the ability to manipulate their respective energies into any kind of weapon they can think of, as long as they’ve seen it before.

They are also made up entirely of their respective energies, with Naz being entirely stasis, & Myn being entirely wakfu; a perfect balance. These gifts come with a price however, with myn having her sight sapped when she uses wakfu, doomed to go blind.

Naz’s situation is different, as he is continuously burning alive, at a temperature of 215 degrees Fahrenheit, burning anyone except myn, who’s grown used to his heat throughout reincarnations. Naz’s temperature zig-zags with his health & is EXTREMELY important to keep constant.

In the twins’ current life, they’ve very young, being roughly eight to nine years at the start and end. Their life takes place in an alternate timeline/reality, and is nicknamed the Cra arc, after the goddess, as she’s fallen from grace.

In this life, The twins are raised and mentored by Chibi and Grougal, until myn begins having dreams & visions about the dofus being used to reinstate a god back to power on the world of twelve. Chibi & grougal weren’t the best caretakers-

As the ancient texts about myn & naz are innexcessible, so only their legend remains, a legend promising doom & uncertainty for their people. Chibi & Grougal act accordingly, so Myn and Naz are semi-neglected, confined to a crumbling shrine. That is, until Myn has the visions.

Even with a reasonable excuse, the twins aren’t let go very easily, & end up escaping on their own, with little to no supplies. Basically, their season 1 arc starts with them wandering around the world of twelve, exploring and trying to find the dofus by sensation alone.

Along the way to find the dofus, the twins meet many people that they become friends with, forming a group that Naz jokingly names “The Arcane of the Dofus.”

This group consists of Pompona the eniripsa, Chekhovia the iop, Kronos the xelor, & Elinor the enutrof. Chekhovia & Elinor also have 2 shushus, named Iago and Phennex. The group has a ton of silly misadventures, & mess around until the twins fall ill from a spike in dofus usage.

The cra arc culminates in Myn losing her sight entirely and having her wings exposed to everyone without her consent, crushing her. Naz learns about their ability to form weapons out of their respective energies, & the twins agree to let cra re-ascend, just not using the dofus.

The arcane parts ways, with Myn & Naz reluctantly returning to the Eliatrope’s sanctuary with the dofus they had regained, only to find that there had been a raid, & Chibi & Grougal had been killed.

In an attempt to smooth things over, two demigods were sent, Odate Ombragé, a feca, & Atoroi, a ecaflip. They feel bad for the twins, and offer to take them in and care for them as their own. Having no other choice, the twins accept, & leave the only home they’d ever known.

This proves a good choice, as Atoroi and Odate genuinely love the twins, & treat them as if they were their own kids, eventually letting them serve as a ringbearer & flower girl in their wedding. The twins & Atoroi take on Odate’s surname, & later gain middle names of their own.

However, peace doesn’t last longer than their tenth birthday, as Myn suddenly gets multiple visions of an anonymous old eliatrope. She begs Naz to take a dofus & go to the woods nearby, & reluctantly, the dragonet agrees, stealing the dofus from the care of their parents.

They go out at midnight, & similarly to how yugo & adamai hatched chibi & grougal, end up hatching Mina & Phaeris, as well as releasing qilby from his second imprisonment in the white void. This feat is a difficult one, as the twins end up draining their own energy very rapidly.

Odate & Atoroi scramble to find their kids, after hearing a blast of wakfu, & when they find them, introduce themselves to Qilby after making sure the twins are okay.

They then give Mina & Phaeris to one of their neighbors, entrusting the responsibility of care to them, with Naz promising to visit phaeris often. Qilby is allowed to stay with The ombrage family, and he does so for around a year. He gets close with all of them besides Naz-

-who finds qilby to be suspicious and weird. This leads to Naz being isolated from his family for almost a year, as Atoroi & Odate are close with Qilby, friends even, & Myn is with him constantly. Eventually, Qilby offers to take Myn to see the zinit, & Naz snaps.

Him & Myn get into a huge fight, which culminates in Myn leaving with Qilby, rendering the rest of the Ombragé family shellshocked. The twins block their mental connection, & this continues for three years.

During that time, Qilby grows increasingly manipulative, even leading to Myn getting stuck in the white void for two years, while qilby acquires all the dofus. The twins grow more and more sick, with dofus fevers running rampant.

Eventually, with their mental states failing, their mental block falls, & Naz begs his parents to let him go after Myn. Begrudgingly, they do, & Naz calls the Arcane, & they go find the Zinit. The zinit has gained some guardians, & the arcane stays behind while Naz goes to Myn.

The twins have another confrontation which turns into a fight, & eventually, Myn breaks down crying, pausing the fight & telling Naz everything that had happened. Naz attempts to comfort her, & then says that it’s qilby’s fault, not hers, & that they should go fight him instead.

When they go do that, the arcane rushes in & helps them fight Qilby, who’s powered up by Shinonome’s dofus. Naz & Myn take the dofus back, & use them to put Qilby back in the white void. This much usage of the dofus takes it’s toll however, & the twins fall ill & are rushed home.

For the most part, the rest of the twin’s childhood is normal by village standards, & they help their parents with their shops- Naz learns to blacksmith & scuplt, & Myn learns how to scam people, &how to run a shop. Myn also shoplifts a beow meow named “Phay” because of Mina.

Multiple years later, Naz leaves the household in a rage. Months earlier, he’d discovered his other gift: stasis transfer. You see, Naz is not an ordinary stasis user, in fact, he is more akin to a Necrome, with stasis replacing plasma in his blood, which turns it purple.

He finds this fact out in a few ways- due to cuts and scrapes when he play-fights with Myn, Mina & Phaeris , & because of a more tragic event. In a particularly desperate time, Naz’s village is attacked by a few rogue eliotropes, who end up murdering Odate.

When he finds his mother dead, Naz flies into an uncontrollable rage and murders all of those eliotropes without a second thought, using his stasis in a gruesome display. Naz is injured in return, and when the eliotropes are dealt with, holds odate’s body and weeps.

In the midst of Naz’s smoky tears and grief, he doesn’t really see or feel one of his injured fingers slipping into odate’s wounds, and doesn’t realize that he transfuses stasis into her body, which is quickly converted to wakfu, reviving her, albeit giving her stasis poisoning.

Naz is so happy about his mother being revived that he neglects to see the village’s horror at the gruesome display, though when he comes to his senses, the villagers who he’d at one point helped, are now calling him an animal and savage, fearful of his display of stasis

This enrages Naz, and as a result he argues with the villagers until myn takes their side, defending them. Naz is shocked and betrayed and as such, declares that he doesn’t need this village and that it doesn’t suit a dragon anyway, deciding that he’s leaving-

-& won’t return until stasis is as normalized as wakfu is. He burns the dead eliotrope’s bodies, and goes to say goodbye to odate and atoroi, saying that he’s sorry, but he needs to do this, telling them that he loves them. He packs his bags & endures multiple arguments with myn-

but he doesn’t say goodbye, blocking off their mental connection and setting off. Naz’s anger and display of power catches the attention of a deity that he took after, the great dragon.

The great dragon remembers naz, who had consistently been one of his favorites, due to him openly using stasis, the energy that dragon was made of. He visits Naz in a dream and-

-offers him a solution; a way they can both benefit. Dragon wants to be known again, wants to be worshipped for once. He suggests Naz get stasis to be worshipped, so it may be normalized. Naz agrees, but says it will take time. Dragon agrees, and offers Naz a direction to go in.

Naz continues on his way, and begins to learn more about his gifts. Stasis transfer comes in handy a lot, and Naz begins to understand it more. For Naz to transfer stasis, He must cut open his flesh, and stick it in an open wound and wait until his blood goes into the wound.

This continues until a purple burn mark is evident in the receiver’s arm. Stasis transfer is tiring for Naz & for the receiver, but it can revive and heal, & so Naz uses it. It takes a bit, but the body sometimes converts the stasis injected into wakfu, or the stasis takes over-

-And the receiver finds themself feeling hungry, though they don’t know for what. Naz begins to become a legend- a dragon that can defy even death itself, & quickly forms a cult following, purely by chance. This cult begins to refer to themselves as “The Brotherhood of Stasis.”

He is quickly thrust into the role of a leader & a god at only fifteen, & fully ascends at sixteen years old. Naz grows up very quickly, & the brotherhood of stasis spreads even quicker, becoming an actual religious brotherhood. Naz is revered & loved, & he continues his pursuit.

But godhood is not what is promised- it turns Naz’s blood into molten gold, & burdens him with stasis chains that sap at his very being sometimes, & leads him into six relationships where Naz ends up being sexually coerced, multiple times. But he grows up & carries his burden.

Naz all but loses his mind, with all the pressure weighing on him, and he decides that it’s time to face myn, once and for all, so he gathers all of the eliatrope dofus, allowing myn to track him.

Now, myn has been tracking naz the entire time, as his brotherhood moves a lot. Myn’s gifts have been torturing her, leading to her being unable to eat, sleep or even function normally, her blood being mingled with wakfu and her tears pushed out of the way for her wakfu.

She’d been searching for naz nonstop, only sleeping for short increments of time. When she finally finds him, the two of them get into a battle, and Naz ends up using a stasis blast so powerful that it puts myn into a coma and permanently scars her. Ashamed and horrified by his-

-actions, hides myn in a shrine concealed in a cave, along with the eliatrope dofus, and stops the brotherhood from moving. He stays there with myn for about a year, until the great dragon finally gets bored and comes down to him, taking the form of Atoroi.

Dragon mocks Naz, encouraging him to keep going on their path, saying that they can help myn after Naz finishes. Naz is inconsolable however, & denies dragon’s offer. Dragon becomes furious, & in turn, the dofus react, sending Naz and myn back to the past, around three months-

-before the events of the wakfu ova. Myn wakes up a short while after, and her and Naz reconcile, right as harebourg spots them. Harebourg finds them interesting, and catches the two off guard, freezing myn, and tiring naz enough to the point where he’s unable to fight, due to-

-overusage of the dofus and the extertion of the fight. Harebourg freezes him too, and takes the two of them to frigost, right next to joris and his sons, where they remain until the first ova.

For the moonstone twins, the Ovas proceed pretty much the same, except for a few small details.

When the twins are unthawed, Naz helps warm myn up, & then they attack the brotherhood, Naz going for joris, his sons, & dally, & myn for the rest, mistaking them for people trying to harm them & the dofus. They only stop when Yugo, talking in shaky elialish, commands them to.

Now, Myn and Naz are from a different time, & thus there is a bit of a language barrier, but after a bit, Yugo manages to get them to stop attacking, & the dofus make their way to the guardians. After a while, they get accustomed to the dofus, & by extent, a bit of-

-Yugo’s language. Myn talks for the both of them, making sure that everything concerning the dofus is okay, and then informs the brotherhood that she & Naz are the guardians of the eliatrope dofus. Yugo is shocked, but seems to understand, & everything else continues normally-

Except Adamai and echo’s scene. Naz lands on the statue of cra, and when echo offers the dofus to Adamaï, he steals them away and reveals himself as the dofus’s sacred guardian. Echo smiles at him, then implies that he knows the dangers of the dofus, to which Naz nods.

Echo then proceeds to explain to adamai what those risks would be, & asks Naz to give the dofus to Adamaï. He refuses, & thus, him & Adamaï get into a brawl, in which echo & sipho take their leave. Eventually, Naz and Adamaï reach a truce, & fly back to the sadida kingdom

Everything else proceeds as normal, besides naz being talked about besides echo and yugo fighting him and myn after taking the dofus from adamai. At the end of the Ova, yugo entrusts the dofus to goultard, saying that it’s until the guardians can come and keep them safe.

After the ova, The twins attempt to make a home in the sadida forest, it isn’t easy, as Myn’s wakfu had been acting up since her coma, resulting in her being unable to form anything but a lance and a shield. Why yugo finds Myn, she almost ends up decapitating him.

Yugo apologizes for his actions, asking if Myn and Naz would like to come stay with him and alibert, as adamai had left, and grougal needed a dragon to mentor him, as well as being understaffed in the inn. Myn says she’d talk to naz about it, and reluctantly, he agrees.

The twins move in shortly after, & find out just how awful myn’s cooking is, so she sticks to helping serve the food alibert makes, & Naz helps in the kitchen when he’s at the inn. When he isn’t at the inn, him and yugo search for adamai & the dofus, & eventually, Naz finds him.

Naz confronts Adamai, and upon seeing that Adamai has a dofus with him, attacks him, interrogating him on where he got the dofus from. Adamai refuses to tell Naz, and only does so when Naz starts to strangle him. His answer is cryptic, and speaks of a better brotherhood.

Confused & a bit disgruntled, Naz lets Adamai go, but takes the dofus, refusing to give it back to Adamai. Adamai lunges at him, & they get into a brawl again, until Naz decides enough is enough. He burns a part of Adamai’s tail to get him off, & offers to make a compromise.

If Adamai tells him how & where he got the dofus, Naz would return it, & join the brotherhood Adamai had talked about, taking his place as the dofus’s rightful guardian. Adamai considers it for a bit, but agrees, telling Naz of how he got the dofus from Goultard’s care. Naz is-

-secretly pleased, still being upset about yugo’s handling of the dofus & entrusting them goultard, and says he’ll meet Adamai at this exact spot in two week’s time. Adamai agrees, & Naz returns the dofus, then goes back to alibert’s inn. He informs the others that he’s leaving-

& promises to stay in touch with Myn. When the time comes, he goes to Adamai, & is taken directly to the tower of dreams, where he is greeted by Echo. She recognizes Naz & welcomes him, saying he would be a valuable asset to the brotherhood, & commends Adamai for gaining his aid.

Naz is introduced to Oropo, and the two immediately clash heads, resulting in Naz having to share a level with Adamai. Naz doesn’t seem to care, and a year passes. Eventually though, when the time comes for Adamai to absorb the dofus, Naz takes on three of them-

-Hoping to lighten the burden. In doing so, him and Adamai get closer, and start to rely on eachother more, As Naz falls ill, and is forced to tell Adamai about his dofus fevers, and the stasis chains they sometimes trigger, inviting adamai to be vulnerable with Naz as well.

For season three, it basically plays out as usual besides the inclusion of Myn and Naz until the end, besides the pacing of the season and the weird love triangle plot being removed

Myn and Naz are reunited a bit before the finale, and this sets yugo and Adamai off, so they fight. But nothing changes besides that. In the end, when every member of the brotherhood of the forgotten has been gathered, oropo tells them his plan, and Myn sides with him

She wants to believe he is yugo & that he can help, as he had shown up in the temporal bubble & tried to comfort her, but she had lunged at him with her axe. Myn wants to give him one more chance, & she stays stubborn until echo decides to give in to her guilt & tell everything

Oropo is horrified, and Myn is too, trying to remain civil, but questioning him all the same. Naz loses his temper however, and yells at oropo, calling out all his mistakes. Naz and Oropo hadn’t had the best relationship throughout season three, with Oropo often treating Naz like he wasn’t there, or a stupid old dog. Naz is fed up, & decides to attack Oropo, but ends up being blocked by Adamai. The two argue intensely, but don’t actually physically fight. Adamai mentions a promise of shared tomorrows, & Naz yells at him that those tomorrows wouldn’t be achieved if Oropo did what he was planning, & states that he knows from his own experience what Oropo’s over-ambition would bring.

Oropo is fed up, and decides to silence Naz, but Echo gets a word in first. She confirms what Naz is saying, & Adamai is horrified & reacts in the same way as the show, leading Oropo to releasing the wakfu balls, restraining Naz, adamai & echo. Naz can’t seem to handle the overload of wakfu, but he struggles against it for a while until he inevitably passes out. Myn is horrified, & begs oropo to let Naz go & Oropo agrees on the condition that Myn would help him. Reluctantly, she agrees, and attempts to rush to Naz’s side, but Oropo restrains her, saying that there will be time later. Everything else plays out vaguely the same, & when a fight breaks out, myn rushes to Naz’s side

Naz has since regained consciousness,  & myn helps him get away from all the fighting, Naz takes a moment to rest, then decides that they should go help the brotherhood of the forgotten’s members, which is what they attempt to do until echo makes her final stand & the twins are sent to inglorioum. They pass out on the way there, and when they get up- far before anyone else, Naz’s chains have formed again, and he must go back to sleep to rest them away. This concludes the s3 arc. 

When Naz and Myn wake up again, everyone else is awake, exploring the area. The twins spot their parents, and run up to them, having a small reunion while everyone else is occupied with the books & Nora. Eventually, spotting Adamai, the Ombragé’s follow after the refugees And make their way to lokus’s temple. When lokus hurts adamai, Naz is immediately on the defensive, going as far to yell at yugo, asking what he’s done to Adamai. As Adamai comes out of it though, Naz calms down enough to mutter a reluctant apology to yugo, and Myn-

attempts to see if Lokus is sentient. Her attempts fail, and she ends up scouting around using wakfu vision. As they head into eliatrope’s temple, myn remarks that it looks familiar, and it probably does to her, as she has had a vision of meeting with eliatrope before, similarly to how Naz had dreams where he met with the great dragon. Eliatrope remarks on their changes, particularly over Naz having more of a spark then before. 

She calls him little godling, and remarks on his molten blood. He obviously doesn’t like that, and flies out of her grasp, wrapping his wings around himself. Myn on the other hand, is commented on, saying that she remembers myn from their conversation earlier. She sets myn down next to naz, and then everyone starts going back to their respective kingdoms. 

Later, when there’s the danger that Adamai and Nora go to face, Naz goes with them, and doesn’t help nora at all, simply watching. He leaves with adamai, sending myn a simple “take care” message through their mental connection, and then him and adamai go off on their own. 

I should mention that when qilby is brought forward, Naz and myn have differing reactions, with myn hesitantly going over to qilby to hug him, and Naz yelling at them both. Myn suffers from stockholm syndrome, and naz is aware of it, so he’s upset.

However, since myn and naz are from a future timeline and are now in the past, qilby doesn’t actually remember their current life, only the past ones.

Naz and adamai collect the eliatrope dofus, and Naz helps adamai get used to having them in his body again, however, he doesn’t split them with adamai this time, saying he doesn’t want to stop being alert for a second.

They have a moment together, & Naz tries to put a flower behind adamai’s ear & fails. They have a discussion over naz’s curse, & Naz asks Adamai if he really wants to share their tomorrows. They talk about the future and what they want for a while, and then they fall asleep.

When Adamai gets to the beach where the necromes are, Naz helps him fight the necromes, and then tries to break him out of the stasis bubble they trap him in. He doesn’t follow Adamai into the ocean when lance dur arrives, and stays silent but supportive most of the time.

Meanwhile, Yugo goes to alibert’s inn again, & Myn is there too. She says hello to alibert, but mainly is there for grougal & chibi, who greet her excitedly. Grougal asks where naz & adamai are, & myn has to say that they still aren’t back yet.

Yugo tells everything to alibert, & then the necromes attack. Myn struggles, as she’s used to attacking with wakfu, & freaks out when she realizes she can’t see the necromes’ wakfu. Yugo & myn try their best to hold off the necromes, & then qilby and nora come, bringing them 

Then, when Nora and yugo go to get all of the kingdoms, Myn comes with, as she misses exploring the world & hasn’t actually been in a kingdom before sadida. & When Yugo goes to the council’s meeting with eliatrope, Myn accompanies him, acting as a support for yugo’s story.

Amalia notices, & all three of them share a tender moment. The council of twelve’s meeting goes on as normal, with a lot of them questioning why Myn is there, leading to her declaring that she is the guardian of the eliatrope dofus alongside her twin brother.

The kingdoms clearly don’t like that, as the dofus have caused so many problems already, & Yugo has to smooth things over. Myn is understandably upset, & when the time comes for them to go to Sadida, she comes too, but refuses to speak to armand, only saying hello to amalia.

Myn helps them fight off the necromes when the time comes, & struggles a bit, as a few try to feed on her due to her excessive wakfu, leaving her terrified. After, she comes with yugo to retrieve adamai & naz, & hugs Naz, detailing what happened to her in their shared connection.

They all return to sadida, & go to the necrome portal. It all proceeds the same as canon, up until qilby uses the dofus. The twins instantly collapse, & Nora grabs her hand, hauling her back with her, but unfortunately, Naz is left behind, as no one saw him fall sick and pass out

Yugo is there with him, but Naz doesn’t realize until too late. Myn is unconscious when everyone returns to eliatrope’s temple, and she’s given to eliatrope to nurse, falling asleep in her hair, like the rest of her children.

Naz struggles to stay awake in the times he is in the necroworld, but he does stay awake for a bit, mainly because the necromes tear off part of his wing, as they can’t figure out if he contains wakfu or stasis. Toross realizes that Naz is similar to him & forces him to join him.

This is where naz’s curse comes into play. Naz’s temperature is extremely hot so that he can be distracted for the hunger for wakfu, as wakfu is physically impossible for him to touch or consume without hurting him. Essentially, Naz is a naturally occurring Necrome.

Toross recognizes this, and slowly begins to mold Naz to his side. Him and yugo stay in the necroworld for around a year together, before yugo breaks free, and Naz helps him escape.

As punishment, Naz’s hair is forcibly cut off, and he has a mental breakdown in front of toross, detailing everything he knows about everyone and everything he knows, desperate to remember his own identity, even without his hair.

He stays in the necroworld for a few more years, acting as Toross’s guardian prince, like efrim. Those are some of the worst years of his life, as Naz’s temperature decreases due to dofus fevers and a lack of actual food besides wakfu.

He gains a hunger for wakfu, and when he goes into the upper world, often kills his prey after draining their wakfu, consuming every part of them save for their bones.

Basically, he completely reverts to being feral. When toross decides to attack the sadida kingdom and eliatrope herself, Naz is right by his side, attacking anyone and everyone who isn’t a necrome.

Myn had only recently recovered & been let out of eliatrope’s hair when yugo returns, & she tries to help him get comfortable. She doesn’t know where Naz is, & she & Adamai have bonded over their shared loss, and when yugo comes back, they both dare to hope that Naz had returned.

They both have to realize that he had willingly decided to stay behind, as he didn’t feel he could atone for what he’d done to Yugo. When the necromes attack, she comes with Yugo to fight toross and find Naz.

This is where things get tricky, as I’m still figuring out the lore for myn, but , Eventually, Naz is pushed into a portal, and returns to the world of twelve, slipping into a coma from the nature of his imprisonment, where he sleeps for months on end.

Eventually, he recovers though, and leans on Adamai enough to be able to attend Yugo and Amalia’s wedding, and eventually become the Sadida-Eliatrope’s head general.

During this time, him and Adamai grow closer again, and eventually, Naz proposes in a playful sparring match, and they get married. 

And that is the story thus far! I’ll update it when I have more! i hope you enjoyed!

[fushiglow]

Who the hell is Gojō Satoru?

Some thoughts on his character in 236

Seeing everyone arguing about Gojō’s characterisation in 236 over the last week makes me realise just how good the chapter is, no matter how dissatisfied I am with Gojō's death.

When you're upset about something, it's hard to judge accurately whether something is 'bad' or whether you simply don't like it — and they are different things. Interestingly, 236 presented me with a conflict I've never experienced when following a story before. I'm really disappointed with the way Gege Akutami chose to end Gojō's story, but I think 236 will go down as one of the most beautiful chapters of Jujutsu Kaisen. In that sense, my feelings about the chapter after a week of sitting with it aren't too unrecognisable from my initial feelings — just with all of the big emotions that were colouring my judgment stripped away.

I think there *is* value in immediate reactions, and I think much of the initial outrage about the chapter was simply people grieving what was an intentionally shocking end to a beloved character. I hate that people tried to police social media reactions to the chapter, because I think everyone should be allowed to process their feelings in their own online space (as long as they don't bring harm to others, of course).

Aside from the outpouring of emotion, there have been countless arguments about 'who' Gojō was as a person in the end, and that doesn't sit right with me either. I think many artists would be disappointed to hear fans of their work insist that there is one 'proper' interpretation — because the value of sharing your art with the world is in how different people receive it based on their own experiences.

To me, that's Gojō Satoru as a character.

I know lots of people have already shared some variation of the post below (and everyone has moved on to 237 now anyway) but this was sitting in my drafts so I thought I may as well hit post before 237 is officially released!

Gege Akutami keeps Gojō at a distance from both the readers and the characters around him, making it deliberately difficult to know who he is as a person. Despite that, everyone in-universe and out has something to say about Gojō's character, but we've never really known how Gojō views himself until this chapter.

For maybe the first time in Jujutsu Kaisen, we get to deep dive into Gojō's interior world and hear his innermost thoughts when he's at his lowest and most vulnerable. As a result, something fascinating happened across the fandom.

Even when Gojō literally tells Getō that the 'wretchedness of isolation' is something he shares with Sukuna, that he gave everything he had so that Sukuna might understand him and be understood in turn, and that he knows not everyone will get it, some people called Gojō 'out of character' in 236.

And isn't that just so damn meta?!

Akutami loves challenging readers' assumptions through his characters, so while the chapter is shocking, it isn't really surprising. I'd even go as far as suggesting that the journey of emotions the reader experiences while reading 236 is the exact same journey Gojō is going on in-story.

The thing is, I've seen tons of people arguing about whether Gojō was selfless or selfish, whether he fought for the love of his students or for the love of the fight, whether he took strong young sorcerers under his wing from a place of care or simply as a means to an ends — but I think the point is that it's always been all of those things at once.

Because he's human, and humans contain multitudes.

I think we were meant to have our view of Gojō shaken by 236 — the same way Gojō's view of himself is challenged in this chapter. However, just because we can find some truth in Nanami's criticism of Gojō, doesn't mean that his interpretation of Gojō's character is the correct one — especially when it's entirely possible that what happens in the airport isn't even real.

Getō listens with empathy as Gojō confesses his self-doubt and regrets, the solitude of his strength, and the dehumanisation he experienced as the 'Strongest'. He even expresses jealousy when Gojō admits he had fun fighting someone strong enough to understand him. Then, only two pages after Gojō says, 'You can cherish a flower and help it bloom, but you don't ask it to understand you', Nanami appears and calls him a pervert for his approach to sorcery.

It's actually really funny.

Importantly, Nanami isn't exactly wrong for saying the enjoyment Gojō gets from fighting is a little disturbing (and, to be clear, I *adore* this about him) — it's just not the whole picture of Gojō Satoru.

Akutami actually gives us some lovely imagery to visually represent the gulf between those who understand the solitude of strength and those who don't — Gojō and Getō sit on one side of the bench while Nanami and Haibara sit on the other, with each duo facing in opposite directions.

I don't think Akutami is implying that either side is wrong or right — it's just two different perspectives. Nevertheless, Gojō is pictured side by side with someone who understands him, and back to back with someone who doesn't understand him but who cares for him all the same.

Recognising this, he pivots to asking Nanami about something they can both relate to and receives an important lesson in return. What Nanami means and what Gojō takes from it is deliberately ambiguous, like everything that's discussed inside the airport:

Could Sukuna have won without the Ten Shadows?

Who does the 'flower' represent: Gojō, the people around him, or both?

Did Gojō reach Sukuna like he hoped?

Why exactly is Getō jealous?

Does Gojō feel satisfied?

Is Nanami's assessment of Gojō's character correct?

What is the relevance of north and south?

Which direction did Gojō choose?

Is it all in Gojō's imagination or is it real?

Whether we'll receive answers to those questions remains to be seen, but I highly suspect that most of them don't even have a definitive answer.

Once again, it's just a matter of perspective, and I think that's Gojō's character in a nutshell. Whichever side of the bench you're sitting on, whatever you see in Gojō says more about you than it does about him — and that's exactly why it's so fascinating to see the fandom erupt into arguments about who's interpreting the character correctly.

I can honestly say I think the chapter is really beautiful even though I hate what happened to Gojō, and that's an entirely new experience for me. For that alone, Akutami has my praise. Whatever happens in the rest of the story will determine whether 236 becomes my favourite chapter in the whole of Jujutsu Kaisen — isn't that bizarre?

By the way, I found a really thoughtful post about some of the word choices in 236. The poster shared some really interesting insights across a series of posts and they convey the tone of the chapter really well. Well worth checking out!

[goodboyaudios]

What inspired the PanOmniverse? Normally in world building people start off with a character then build off of that, in some cases it’s the other way around.

What inspired you and how did all these characters branch off? I mean I’d assume characters like Mahatma, Devlin, Heartburn weren’t planned immediately, how did you get to that point?

Did you create PanOmniverse to voice act or was it just a creative project that you thought “might as well share it.”

Sorry long question just like learning

Woah, this ain't no small question you asking!

Alright, where did I start?

I suppose it began with my postergirl, Solarra. I wanted her to be the idea of a blank slate character. Someone who has a seemingly useless power and a blank face. Basically someone who can literally be anything. It was supposed to be an allegory for myself at the time as I had no idea where my life was going or what I truly wanted. I felt useless and time was slipping past me, which is represented in her power of foward time momentum and never going back.

She was a backburner idea who I had never really come up with any cohesive story for. So that was her.

Then in college I came up with the Alpha draft for Landstar in the form of a screenplay I wrote for college called Space Echoes, a big scifi universe that gets together regardless of political agenda to celebrate a big race across the galaxy. There's tons of references and backstories, but it was a little unfocused and the references might've gotten me in trouble if I'd gone legit with it lol!

When I made the channel, I had no idea what I was doing. I wanted to do something non-sexual, but it felt like there was no escaping it, when LITERALLY EVERYONE I KNEW was doing exactly that. Space Pirates was, in all honesty, a freak accident haha! I never expected it to do that well. I'd seen other VAs do story based stuff before, but nothing really took off. I then decided to connect Space Pirates and TQS as well eventually to my greater expanded universe of Landstar, which at the time was a backburner masterfile of 100 pages inspired by Warhammer and Trigun.

So, tl;dr, my current universe is a lot of things that were inspired by a lot more things all conglomerating into one happy accident!

[austinslounge]

Deumoxi doesn’t know as much as she thinks she does.

She was super weird about Austin and Kaia. If anyone even brought up the idea of them having problems or breaking up, she would get super defensive about it. She never went hard for anyone else.

I always assumed she was on Cindy’s payroll or something. With the way she would make sure Kaia was never seen in a bad light.

Until DM exposed the Marcello connection. That started a huge shit storm for Kaia’s image. In my personal opinion, I think Austin broke up with Kaia in August. Then she started acting out, a little too much. Hence the forced pap walk in October. Austin was in the middle of filming a huge movie and more than likely didn’t want the news of a his break up overshadowing his work. So they delayed the news. Kaia also had her own stuff going on. But then she was acting a little too much like a messy single girl. So Austin did her a solid and walked with her to quiet down the rumors. It worked….for a short amount of time.

Then that Daily Mail article came out a few weeks later about her parents giving Austin an ultimatum. I think that was during the trip in Canada. Which by the time that article was released, Austin and Kaia had split.

In between time, Deumoxi had posted many fake sightings. Probably sent in by shippers. The one about Kaia FaceTiming Austin at the TIFF was hilarious 😂 way too far fetched. Then the fake plane story. Obviously that lady met Austin, pic was proof. But the context of the conversation was very much exaggerated. I bet he didn’t even talk about Kaia. At least not in the way this woman claimed. I think she made it up to appease people. Hence the “rest easy shippers” everything was good….which was bullshit.

Then DM still denied any problems. They were “still together but super busy”. Even though it was the holidays and both Austin and Kaia weren’t working at the time. She had no answer as to why they hadn’t been seen together in months. Austin spent two weeks in Mexico without Kaia. Kaia was sitting in another man’s lap when everyone else sat next to Santa.

Just proving these two were broken up long before the end of 2024. Then DM said they weee expected to spend Christmas together. Well Ashley Tisalde came through and blew that shit wide open with her pic of Austin spending Christmas with her.

Then DM posted the pics of Kaia in Cabo with a bunch of guys on the beach. No Austin in sight. So we knew they split. Again with DM though, she exposed Kaia being messy. First with Marcello then with all those pap pics of her in the ocean.

Anyways. Best way to start the year was with a break up announcement. There was no excusing Kaia this time. But since the break up, DM has been silent. Guess she didn’t want to admit to being wrong for months 😂😂😂

Yea girl, that's pretty much what was going on lol.

I think they broke up long before December also.

Sit down, grab some popcorn 🍿, or some wine 🍷 and take a seat 💺, because I am going to share my thoughts on this below lol.

Just to clarify some things --

The Canada trip was in late August. Around August 27th, to be exact.

The Marcello Gate happened in mid-September... around September 15th - 16th.

The Gracie concert pap walk occurred on October 5th.

The Daily Mail article talking about the Gerbers issuing Austin a "fierce warning" came out in October (October 16th). That was the same day that Austin started following The Daily Mail.

So yea, I personally think that Kaia, more so than even Austin, had much more to lose with her behavior, and I think they were trying to keep the breakup hush-hush for several reasons.

One, most celebrities never announce a breakup immediately to the media and public. Couples can always work things out and then make back up again a few weeks later.

Two, even if the breakup is final and you are "never ever ever getting back together" with your ex, who on earth wants to go through a ton of media scrutiny as soon as you and your significant other have broken up? 🥴 Most celebs put a little distance in btwn the breakup and the announcement.

Austin and Vanessa actually split up around November 2019, but didn't announce it until Jan 2020.

I think you're spot on 🎯 about DeuxMoi. I think either shippers or Kaia's team were sending in fake Kaustin sightings in order to protect Kaia's image, and since DeuxMoi had a myopic view when it came to Kaustin (for some reason 🙄), she refused to look at the evidence that did not support her idea of Kaustin being the perfect couple. But we fans knew better. 😏

And now, here we are lol.

In Psychology, I believe they call this Confirmation Bias? It's when you believe something so strongly, that you only look at evidence that supports (or confirms) your belief, and you totally ignore everything else to the contrary, instead of looking at the whole picture.

We non-shippers were looking at the whole picture. So, we could see the signs early on that they were crumbling and weren't going to last.

Deuxmoi was either just shipping them hard and was desperately wanting to prove us non-shippers (who she probably at the time just viewed as jealous fangirls of Austin) wrong, or, she had ulterior motives.

Which brings me to my last point....

I'm also kind of agreeing with you that maybe DeuxMoi is either being paid by the Gerbers, or knows them (or people close to them) in some way, because the defensive way that she would get about Kaia and the Kaustin relationship in general was not normal imo.

Any normal gossip outlet would have found it super weird that Kaia was out with some guy other than her bf, looking super flirty, and disappearing for 20 mins downstairs in some restaurant. 🙄 DeuxMoi would have been all over those Kaia/Marcello pics if it had been any other person.

The way she just brushed things off lightly like those weren't glaring red flags was just totally weird to me. 🥴

DeuxMoi was acting more like Kaia's cleaner and Damage Control Specialist than she was acting like a gossip site. Jmho.

Anyway, I sure hope that DeuxMoi has now learned her lesson lol. 😅 Listen to fans. Look at all the evidence. A lot of times, fans are very astute, and they pick up on stuff that even the media misses out on.

If you somehow made it down this far -- Thanks for coming to my TED Talk lol.

[midnight-blue-goth]

How do you think it went when Duncan introduced his parents to Gwen vs him introducing them to Courtney?

Interesting question… I’ve never thought about it, to be honest. But, here are my thought on how it'll go.

introduced his parents to Gwen:

Duncan and Gwen’s families would meet in stages, starting with Gwen’s mom. He’d spent a lot of time at Gwen’s house, avoiding his own messy home life. Because meeting with his father almost always ended in a lecture or a fight, making Gwen’s house a much-needed refuge.

Duncan’s mom was the first to suggest meeting Gwen, a couple of months into their relationship. She had known about Duncan’s girlfriend for a while but didn’t want to intrude. Once she realized things were getting serious, though, she insisted Duncan meet her.

Before the visit, Duncan warned Gwen about his home life. “It’s a madhouse. There are a ton of people crammed into one house—don’t expect peace and quiet.”

Gwen was understandably nervous. She’d heard a lot of stories about Duncan’s father/family and didn’t have high hopes for the meeting. She braced herself for tension.

Duncan’s mom instantly warmed to Gwen. She loved how Gwen was sweet but still had enough backbone to handle her son’s wildness.

Gwen quickly discovered how badass Duncan’s mom was. A two-time Olympic champion in rifle shooting, she had stories that left Gwen in awe. They bonded over their passions, with Gwen sharing some of her artwork, which Duncan’s mom genuinely admired.

Duncan’s dad was more reserved. While diplomatic, he remained cold. He appreciated Gwen’s focus on education and her clean record but couldn’t help worrying that Duncan might influence her in the wrong direction. “Just make sure he doesn’t drag you down with him”— said half joking.

Duncan and Gwen don’t have a consistent relationship with his parents, but they make an effort to visit on festive occasions like Christmas or Canadian Thanksgiving. Duncan isn’t particularly cheerful during these gatherings, often keeping to himself. Gwen, however, is polite and thoughtful, always bringing homemade food to contribute, which earns her quiet appreciation from his mother.

introduced his parents to Courtney:

Courtney would undoubtedly be the first to suggest meeting Duncan’s parents, taking it upon herself to schedule the time and place just two weeks into their relationship.

Her motivation was clear: Courtney wanted to know everything about Duncan so she could “sort” his life out, shaping him into what she believed was a more productive and respectable path. (So, she could introduce him to her strict mother)

Duncan’s father would immediately take a liking to Courtney, appreciating her polished presence and high-society background. To him, she seemed well-educated and exactly the kind of person who could “straighten Duncan out.”

Before long, Duncan’s father and Courtney would start making plans for Duncan to return to school and eventually join the police force, following the family’s long-standing tradition. Courtney, ever respectful of tradition and eager to help, would see this as the most socially acceptable future for him—certainly better than being, in her words, “a bum.”

Duncan, however, quickly realized he’d made a mistake. It wasn’t introducing Courtney to his family that bothered him, but how easily she aligned with his father’s plans. Watching her support the very path he was trying to avoid made him feel trapped.

Duncan’s mom, on the other hand, would be happy with anyone her son brought home, as long as they made him happy. However, she’d notice his growing discomfort. Quietly pulling him aside, she’d ask if he was okay, but Duncan would brush it off, assuring her he was fine—even if he wasn’t.

Over time, this would escalate out of control. Courtney’s involvement in Duncan’s life, and her efforts to integrate herself into the lifestyle his father envisioned for him, would become one of many sources of tension. Her controlling tendencies, paired with her support of a future Duncan wanted no part of, would ultimately push him to end the relationship.

Again, these are my headcanons! Feel free to agree or disagree with them.

Thanks for the ask!

[lemoncrushh]

The Entertainer - Track 01 - You Have a Great Collection

Summary: Set in the 70s, Sky Jones, a young woman from L.A., meets Harry Styles, an up-and-coming musician and frontman for the band Wildfire. Told in first person from Sky’s point of view, she shares her journey and what it’s like to fall for a rockstar.

STORY PAGE

Track 01 Word Count: 2k+

1976

My best friend Halo once told me that people come into your life for a reason. They may not stay forever, but your life is forever changed because they touched it. I didn’t know if that was true, and I suspected she was quoting one of her many poetry books, but I thought it was a nice idea.

Halo and I had a tiny apartment in Los Angeles, not exactly the best part of town, but it was ours and we were proud. We’d been friends since we were kids, bonding more in our teens over our mutual love for music. One night we went to a club and saw a couple of bands. One of them particularly stood out to me, some up and coming band that had just gotten signed. I’d thought they were great, true musicians with tons of potential, the singer obviously already a well-established front man who resembled Mick Jagger. I’d been excited to meet them after the show, but it wasn’t meant to be. Halo had started to feel ill and we had to leave early. I’d since forgotten the name of the band, but I remembered the singer’s name. Harry Styles. How perfect is that for a name? Nobody could forget you if your name was Harry Styles. It almost sounds made up, yet no one in their right mind would choose that as a stage name.

Two weeks later, I sat cross-legged on my rug flipping through my record albums when Halo walked in, suggesting we have some friends over. By “friends” I knew that was her way of saying she’d met a guy, but so as not to leave me out, she would invite some other people over too. I shrugged and told her that was fine. Our get togethers usually ended up growing anyway, as long as someone was providing the liquor and someone else provided the pot.

I heard the doorbell ring, but I didn’t bother to get up since I knew Halo would answer the door. A few minutes later, I heard her call my name.

“Sky! Our guests are here!”

I stood up, stopping in the doorway. My eyes widened when I saw who stood in the middle of my living room. The band. That band. That Harry Styles guy and the rest of his band.

“Hey,” I nervously waved my hand until they all looked at me.

“Hi there, love!” said one of the guys. Drummer I think. Oh great, he’s British, I thought. I had a soft spot for British accents.

“Sky, this is Lee, Mitch, Harry and Deacon. Wildfire.” Oh yeah. “Everyone, this is Sky.”

“Hello, Sky!” they all said in unison. Harry, however, stepped forward and held out his hand.

“Hi, I’m Harry,” he greeted. Great, he’s British too. And really fucking attractive.

“Nice to meet you,” I said casually, shaking his hand.

“Sorry to crash your little soiree, but Mitch here said we could come with.”

“Oh, right on,” I replied, having no clue what he just said.

Mitch I learned later, the lead guitarist of the band, had somehow run into Halo at some music festival in the park where she’d recognized him from the club. Leave it to Halo.

The evening was filled with drinks, smokes and laughs. I liked all of the guys almost immediately, and eventually some of our other friends and neighbors joined us as well.

A little before midnight, I went to my room to fetch something, probably some more rolling papers, when I heard a knock behind me. Harry stood leaning against my doorway, an easy grin on his face. I’d decided I liked his face. It was kind, yet masculine with a nice combination of angles and curves. And I really liked his smile.

“Hey,” I said. “C’mon in.”

Harry sauntered in, one long bootleg after the other, stopping next to me at my dresser.

“This is your room?” he inquired.

“Yeah,” I nodded.

Harry looked around, seeming to inspect it all - the Led Zeppelin poster above my bed, the white comforter and lace pillow shams, the stuffed animals on the shelf, the tambourine on my nightstand, the beaded curtain that separated my closet, the collection of trinkets and frames on my bureau.

“Nice,” he nodded.

Then he noticed my guitar in the corner.

“You play?”

“A little.”

Harry grabbed it and sat on the bed.

“It might need tuning,” I said just as I noticed he was doing just that. When he seemed satisfied, he plucked some strings and went into a chord progression. It sounded familiar. But when he started singing low, I recognized it as one of his band’s songs that they performed at the club.

“Meet me in the hallway Meet me in the hallway I just left your bedroom Give me some morphine Is there any more to do”

I leaned against my dresser, fiddling absentmindedly with the locket around my neck, watching Harry give a private performance to me, even if he barely even knew I was in the room. When he finished, he laid the guitar on the bed and looked up at me. I smiled.

“I like that song.”

“Yeah? Thanks.”

“Did you write it?”

Harry nodded. “I wrote all our songs.”

“Far out.”

A dimple dipped in his cheek when he smiled at me, and I felt myself blush. Harry rose from the bed then and bent down in front of my stack of albums.

“May I?”

“Of course,” I gestured.

Harry sat down, crossing his long legs, and went through each and every one of my records. The Beatles. The Rolling Stones. Elvis Presley. The Who. Led Zeppelin. Queen. Joni Mitchell. Eagles. Elton John. Billy Joel. Gladys Knight & The Pips. Stevie Wonder. Jimi Hendrix. Bob Dylan. Linda Ronstadt, Fleetwood Mac, The Temptations. Jim Croce, The Carpenters and Bread. Rod Stewart, Al Green, Kiss and The Doors. Simon & Garfunkel, Van Morrison, James Taylor, The Jackson 5. All of it. When he’d completed the stack, he looked up at me with child-like eyes.

“You have a great collection.”

“Thanks.”

Running a hand through his hair, he hesitated before asking his next question.

“Can I play something?”

“Please do.”

Pinching his bottom lip between his thumb and forefinger, Harry flipped through a few more albums before settling on one. Rising from the floor, he slid the vinyl out of the sleeve and gently set it on the turntable. Then with great precision, he let the needle fall.

I recognized the low sound, the slow build in the gloomy track. He’d chosen Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

“Good choice,” I remarked.

“You’re a big music fan.” It wasn’t a question, but an acknowledgement, a statement of fact.

“Very much.”

“Me too.”

I sat on the bed then as I watched Harry walk around the room. He picked up the frames on my dresser, inspecting each one before setting them back down. I wasn’t sure what it was about my bedroom, but Harry seemed to be very comfortable in it. Picking up the last photo, he held it out to me.

“Is that your dog?” he asked.

“No, that was Halo’s dog. A long time ago. I think I took that photo in junior high. His name was Comet,” I giggled.

Harry furrowed his brows and glared at me.

“I don’t get it.”

“You know…Haley’s comet. Halo’s real name is Haley.”

“Oh.”

I giggled harder, maybe due to nerves, or maybe due to the weed. I had to admit Harry looked really cute when he was confused, like he’d just realized he’d been left out of some inside joke.

“Why do they call her Halo, anyway?”

“That’s kind of my fault,” I replied. “It’s supposed to be a reference to T. Rex.”

“What?”

“You know. ‘Bang A Gong’. The ‘hubcap diamond star halo’ line.”

“Oh. Yeah, I know the song.”

I shrugged. “Halo’s a big Marc Bolan fan. So a few years ago I just kind of started calling her that and she liked it, so it stuck.”

Harry nodded, a smirk twitching at the corner of his mouth.

“I’m gonna take a wild stab at it that Sky is not your real name either.”

I shifted my gaze as I sucked in my lips. Harry chuckled, but asked no further questions. Instead, he made his way around my entire room, picking up things and setting them down while singing along to Elton John.

“Love lies bleeding in my hands…”

That was the first time Harry Styles was at my apartment. But it wasn’t the last.

Halo and Mitch had sort of become a thing…though what thing exactly I couldn’t tell you. Halo had always been a little more on the wild side than I was, although I liked to think I could hold my own. But…to put it nicely…Halo was kind of a groupie.

So because Mitch was at our place a lot, so was Harry. Lee and Deacon tagged along sometimes, and a few of those times they had a girl with them, but most of the time it was just Harry and Mitch. They seemed to be a package deal. Like Mick and Keith. I was okay with it. I liked them both, even if they did drink all our beer and smoke all our weed. They were good company.

One night after Halo and I went to watch the band’s rehearsal, they all joined us back at our place. We sat around the table playing cards until the chicks Lee and Deacon had brought, Sylvia and Jennifer I think, got bored and asked to be taken home. Shortly thereafter, Mitch and Halo snuck off to her room.

“Are you bored?” I asked from across the empty bottle-cluttered table.

“No. Are you?”

“No.”

“Good. Then I’ll stay.”

Harry rose from his chair and crossed the carpet to the living room where he turned on the television. I smiled, even if it was just to the back of his head.

“Midnight Special’s on,” he said.

“Cool.”

I joined him on the sofa where we watched Helen Reddy and Fleetwood Mac. During a commercial I got up to use the restroom and when I returned, I noticed Harry made it a point to scoot closer to me. He laid his head on my shoulder while Christine McVie sang “I’m over my head…but it sure feels nice,” and once again, I found myself smiling.

I thought he might be asleep when the show was ending, but Harry surprised me by nuzzling my neck. I felt no lips, but he was definitely trying to get my attention, like a little lapdog.

“Sky?” I heard him murmur.

“Yes?”

“Can I stay here tonight?”

“Um…” Did he…mean…with me? Or…?

“I’ll just crash on your couch,” he answered my nonverbal question. “I’m just beat, and I don’t feel like driving home.”

“Oh. Yeah. Sure. No problem. I’ll…get you a pillow and a blanket.”

“Thanks.”

I fetched the items from the linen closet while Harry went to the bathroom. While I was tucking the sheet into the cushions, he returned.

“Aw babe, you didn’t have to do all that.”

“Couch is kinda itchy,” I shrugged.

“You’re lovely. Thank you.”

“No problem.”

Harry sat on the makeshift bed and kicked off his shoes. When he laid down, I covered him with a blanket, laughing at his socked feet sticking out over the arm of the sofa. He smirked at me and wiggled his toes.

“You sure it’s okay?” I asked him.

“Of course. I’m eternally grateful.”

“Okay then. Goodnight.”

“Night.”

I turned towards my room, stopping to turn off the light.

“Harry?” I whispered in the darkness.

“Yeah?”

“You’re welcome to crash on my couch anytime.”

“Thank you, sweetheart,” he said with a yawn. “Goodnight.”

No telling how long I lied awake in bed that night. A couple times I could hear a few squeaks and moans coming from the other side of the wall, but that’s not what kept me awake. I wondered if Harry was sleeping. And if he wasn’t, what he might be thinking about. And if he was, what he might be dreaming about. And if either of those things included me.

This was a short little chapter, but it gets better lol. Hope you liked it.

Songs mentioned here:

Harry Styles - Meet Me In The Hallway (obviously)

T. Rex - Bang a Gong (Get It On)

Elton John - Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding

Fleetwood Mac - Over My Head

FEEDBACK IS LOVE xo

[softness-and-shattering]

Playing Hollow Knight today, finally made it to the....Soul Master? The big boss battle. On attempt 6 or so I finally beat the first stage, got to the second, and my hands went shaky. Made a few more attempts but I couldnt get it again. Ive been struggling a lot with the muscle memory of the controls, especially with the fungal waste mushrooms and the greenpath challenge with the moving armoured giant beetle things in the acid lake? But that fight what I wanted and what my fingers were doing was all in sync, I even dodged and jumped a bunch reflexively, it was super cool. The game is really hard but also my skills are improving a lot as I go. Ive not really had this experience before, or not in a long time.

And now my hands are shaky and my fingers are sore so I guess Im not doing more gaming or crafting or anything today which Im a bit sad about. But such progress!

And, as someone who didnt play a ton of games as a kid/teen, didnt have access or money,it surprises me a little just how much games like this teach perseverance, in a low stakes relatively low stress, not-impacting-anything-else way. Most bosses so far have taken me 3+ tries to beat, some platforming challenges more like 10+ and some Ive skipped to come back to when Im better at the game, better at the controls. I cant think of anything, when I was a kid, that I had that kind of perseverance for. P'okemon battles maybe. I remember trying to elite four a gazillion times, running out of items, running out of money, eventually quicksaving before and after every single move.

Hades too, the story and the entire structure, is all focused on "ok, lets try that again". You repeat and repeat and repeat, somewhat notice somewhat dont your skills progressing, and then down the line youre doing things you absolutely could not when you started.

Other things are like that too, I shared a post this week of someone using knitting to make stitches that looked like crochet, and I could immediately see which was the knit and which was the crochet. When I started crochet years ago now, I struggled to even recognise what was a stitch, what was the part I was supposed to be going through, I was always making mistakes and trying to work out how to make it work and keep going. And its also a hobby I do for fun. But idk its not like, demonised or considered worthless the way games can be. Crochet is fairly respectable I think, other than as "womens work" but people who dont respect "womens work" are people whos opinions I dont care much about. Its easier for me to understand why people are dismissive of games than of activities that produce a physical tangible result.

Games are producing a tangible result in me, an amount of resilience and patience, because play is a major way of safely learning skills. Its just not so physical and obvious.

And I need to stop typing bc my hands are sore. Progress though!!