#and having a galaxy brain-ish moment

[fandom-puzzle-peaces]

Just a Thought about Cale

So I was thinking about a certain beloved redhead and the fact that he is on one hell of a crash course to godhood and it got me thinking.

No way in heck does he want to be a god (as we all know), but I'm not sure he's gonna have much of a choice in not turning into something more than just human by the end of everything. But then again its Cale, so he'll probably find some way to finagle himself out of the situation. However, regardless of what happens it will never disregard the fact that he has a ton of power and always will whether he becomes a god or not. So it got me thinking into what he could possibly turn into or be compared to.

spoilers for those in part 1 / new readers below!

I'm gonna get a little philosophical here.

What is it exactly that you would say Cale embodies? What concepts and such? To me it is 2 things:

Hope and Love

I am mainly going to talk about hope since that is the most important part for this post (if ya'll want to hear about the second point let me know and I'll make second post about it)

For those of us who have read a good chunk of part 2 know of the god of hope's interest in Cale. The god literally showed him (and by extension us) the hope Cale has instilled in those around him.

Cale himself is a very hopeful person. He lives off of it. It is literally the reason he is still alive. It's what has kept him going, made him able to survive, through the literal hell his life has been. Sure you can say he survived cause he's smart and knows what to do, which is true, but what is the point in surviving if there isn't a reason to do so?

What's his reason you may ask? He tells us all the freaking time. He wants to live a slacker life. He wants a nice house in a nice peaceful place with a ton of money so he can live out the rest of his days in bliss (which is a gosh dang mood). Sure Cale words it as "slacker life" and he does want all of those things I mentioned, but we all know what he actually means. (That and something is missing in the list I mentioned, but its part of the second point so I won't touch on it in this post)

Which is "the bad will end and everything I have worked so hard for, survived for for so long, will finally be mine." That thing, of course, being his long awaited slacker life. But I don't think that's his only reason, his only hope, for surviving so long and through what he did. At least at first.

(I would go deeper into this, but Good Lord this post is becoming an essay, so maybe I'll write on this more in the possible second post if ya'll want)

In other words, Cale is full of Hope and it spreads to others from him. So now that that part is out of the way, where am I going with this exactly? I'm glad you asked!

People place there hopes in a variety of things, from deities to objects and everything in between. However, what is something a person does when they want to place their hope in that thing? There are multiple answers to this question such as:

Pray to whichever deity you believe in

perform a ritual of some sort

create a bunch of something (like that thing with the paper stars or paper cranes)

etc.

There are plenty of other answers out there, some of which are personal and some that everyone does or has done. I am talking about that latter possibility. What is something that most likely everyone has heard of and done since we were kids?

wishing on stars

There is no way Cale would ever be a god, he would for sure find a way out of becoming one (F to the god of hope and Clopeh's delusions). He can't be an object since he is a living, breathing human being. And there is no way in heck Worlds, the gods, and literally everything else would let multiple Cales exist in an area at once.

But he can become a Star, or at least be compared to one.

For those of us in part 2, we already know that Cale's plate has/is becoming a World Plate (which is wild, way to go idiot). And what is a Star but another world seen from very far away? I don't think Cale will become a World, at least not fully, but I think he might become something pretty dang close.

Something along the same vein as Raon, who can remain himself regardless of whichever world and its rules he pops into. Who can bend said rules to his will. Raon is Raon and always will be, screw whatever tries to say otherwise. Cale is very much the same way, they mirror each other. I personally like to think that Cale will remain human after everything, but much like Raon he is his own world, his own guiding light, his own Star. And much like the stars, we cannot change them, only look at them from afar and wonder what they're like. Only able to make a wish. Only able to place our hopes and dreams in them in the hopes that it will be heard. Sounds a little familiar right?

In other words, in a shocking twist of events, Cale became the White Star

Anyways, I think I've rambled long enough. Hope this really long post made some semblance of sense. If you all want me to talk more about what I think Cale embodies let me know, and I'll do my best.

Hope ya'll enjoyed!

[beevean]

Thinking again of this post, because I read a Fridge moment on TvTropes that made me think:

Well, to me it was rather obvious that Lenore put on makeup, and took time to brush her hair in that complicated hairdo, and chose the prettiest dresses: she clearly cares about being beautiful. Of course, being just "beautiful" is not the point: it's being humanly beautiful. Carmilla is also an attractive woman if you're into #girlbosses, but she has chalk-white skin, hair that matches, and long claws, so she's very clearly inhuman.

And this all feeds in Lenore imitating humanity. While with this logic it's a bit odd that she doesn't hide her red eyes and pointy ears, otherwise she puts a lot of effort in her appearance, and most importantly to look human and vulnerable. She cuts her claws and puts blush on her cheeks to look more human, less creepy. She says she enjoys eating human food to "live well".

Another underrated line is this:

Lenore: You didn't hear me enter. Hector: No. You have a scent. Like… jasmine and wine.

It's easy to chalk up this as a way to make Lenore even more appealing, in an outstandishly Mary Sue-ish way for a grown professional writer lol. But why would a vampire smell like flowers? What if vampires naturally carried the reek of the dead, but Lenore cannot afford to be anything less than perfectly attractive, so she doused herself in perfume to the point that Hector was able to smell her out as he was engrossed in his book? It's all calculated to the detail.

Everything is, of course, in function of her role as a diplomat. One, she needs to be approachable, and put the other person at ease: basically, she wants to avoid falling into the uncanny valley vampires naturally reside in. Two... well.

Lenore, thematically, goes against Dracula's thesis.

Did you hear Godbrand down there? "Livestock," he said. So many of my kindred are the same. They can no longer conceive of humans as thinking beings. Just livestock. It's the privilege of our condition, I suppose. You can't hate livestock. They are simply what they are. Grazing animals to be slaughtered. But you two are different. You are human. You are not looking at the scouring of humanity from the earth as an opportunity to get the livestock under control and to fill stables, and abattoirs, and pantries. You hate your species. You hate humans. You have a focus and clarity that the others lack. You understand that humans think, and scheme, and betray. You understand why they all must die.

The reason Dracula trusts Hector and Isaac more than his fellow vampires is that, according to him, vampires have essentially blue and orange morality regarding humans, and don't see them as sapient beings. They kill because they feed on them, and that's it, they don't spare much thought about them. The Forgemasters, as humans hurt by humans, understand how they think, and as such empathize with Dracula's plight.

Dracula was right when it came to the other vampires. Carmilla waltzes in and the first thing she asks is why is Dracula mobilitating all vampire forces for what she sees as a pet: in fact, this is more or less the whole reasons she schemes against him. When Hector is dragged to Styria, Striga refers to him as an "it", like a stinking dog. Carmilla herself has to be told that maybe beating a Forgemaster and then expecting him to work for her is not exactly a galaxy brain moment, because well, said Forgemaster may have feelings. You have vampires on one side, and humans on the other side, and they see each other as nothing but beasts for different reasons.

Lenore is, in theory, the exception to the rule.

Yes, at first she also saw Hector as an animal, as some sort of stray dog to domesticate. But unlike the others, she understands how humans think. She knows which buttons to push. She's better than Carmilla at pretending to care about Hector, who only limited herself to some shallow praises and to spin her plan as "it's going to save your life"; no, Lenore asks what Hector wants, she's physically affectionate, she compliments not just his skills but him as a person, she even asks him if she can come visit him again pretending Hector has a choice in the matter, with the purpose of making him feel wanted.

She knows how to talk to a human, like a human, looking human.

And this is what makes her much more terrifying than Dracula or Carmilla, who at the end of the day are only monsters with human feelings.

You're not likely to encounter a genocidial madman who plans to kill all people in the world because wife died, or an insane radfem who wants to conquer the world because men stupid.

You are, however, very much at danger of falling into the trap of a charming sociopath who knows very well how to pretend to love you, and tricks you into loving them, only for them to imprison you in a terrible, humiliating, stifling, toxic relationship - and then they have the balls to pretend they're only acting for your own good, mocking you all the while.

This is how Lenore blurs the line between vampires and humans. This is what made her, despite all the other writing flaws of S3, an interesting character. This is how humanizing a character can be a bad thing. And incidentally, this is how you incarnate the themes of a mask (that really should have gone to Carmilla): Lenore puts on makeup and perfume and acts sweet to hide the monster inside her. (yes i know that actually she sounds smug and condescending af, but i'm going with the intent)

Lenore might not want to target all of Europe which makes her less of a threat than Dracula or Carmilla, but she's the incarnation of human hunger for power, as she clearly enjoys mentally subjugating other people (her "diplomacy" is, after all, nothing but a bunch of lies and gaslighting), and she perfectly looks the part, and it's actually very clever.

She also acts as the perfect foil to Hector, who is a human who doesn't think like a human, doesn't empathize with other humans, and can suggest to enslave other humans without a hint of malice in him - much like vampires feed on humans not out of cruelty, but because it's part of their nature.

And this is one of the infinite reasons the Lenore of S4 offends me. Now her beauty is a sign of her inner goodness. Now her proximity to humanity is used to make her sympathetic, because poor thing she's appalled at Carmilla's insanity, as she wasn't an enthusiastic participant when it was convenient to her. In a frantic quest from the writing to give her "humanity" in the sense of "a good side that makes her deep", she becomes duller, flatter. In her way, S4 Lenore still has potential as an interesting character, as it becomes more obvious that she's the unfavorite of her sisters much like Hector was considered an idiot by Dracula and Isaac, and that could have been used to explain why she seems so famished for control over the one creature weaker than she is. But after the heels of S3, it comes off as whitewashing her for the sake of a ship pandering to the fans who found her hot and nothing more in S3, and it's at the very minimum dishonest. She was much more interesting as a double-faced amoral villain made of nothing but masks.

[emeritus-fuckers]

„Love Story” ♡ Terzo x f!Reader oneshot (fluff to angst to yandere-ish?)

Loosely based on the song "Love Story" by Sarah Cothran and heavily based on a video made by the wonderful foggyweaver on TikTok. ♡ - Jez

CW: female aligned reader, reader is around Terzo's age, death, murder, blood. slight yandere themes. mentions of masturbation and sex, slight non-con touching (not sexual). chapter i is safe and can be read as a stand-alone for those looking for something lighter. not proofread, we die like my self-respect after discovering this band.

i. romeo take me somewhere we can be alone

Terzo Emeritus, the youngest of Papa Nihil's sons, has always held a special place in your heart. Ever since you remembered. He's always been there, since you were both small children.

You'd learn together. Eat together. Play together.

You'd even have sleepovers together, cuddling together as you slept in his bed. You were inseparable. Terzo would always be there for you, holding your hand as your friendship bloomed and eventually became something more.

Terzo and you would sit on the balcony, enjoying the last few warm days of summer. You enjoyed the sunset, watching all the beautiful colors that would only appear on the sky for this one, special show.

It was a quiet day. You could both hear a few birds still chirp, hidden within the branches. Perhaps they, too, were enjoying the peacefulness of the day. Everything else seemed to either sleep or prepare to sleep, even if it wasn't late yet.

"I wish it was always like this." Terzo spoke up, but his voice didn't disrupt the peaceful silence that was embracing you both as he laid down on the blanket, his head in your lap as one of hands held one of your own, stroking your index finger with his thumb gently.

"Me too." You smiled softly as you looked down at his face. He didn't wear his cardinal make-up today, nor did he wear the cassock he despised. He was dressed more casually, and so were you. Because right now, on this warm, peaceful evening, he wasn't Cardinal Terzo Emeritus. And you weren't Sister [Name]. Right now you were just two childhood best friends who have finally managed to find a peaceful moment together after being challenged by the new responsibilities of adult life. "It's nice. I'm gonna sound stupid, but I miss you. Even if I see you everyday... It's just not the same, you know?"

He smiled softly at your awkward little chuckle, his eyes filled with adoration and pure happiness. You had no idea what you were doing to him. What you have been doing to him for years.

He raised his free hand to cup your cheek. And like the precious darling you were, you pressed your cheek into his palm, your own hand coming to rest on top of his as you smiled at him. Oh, that beautiful, beautiful smile of yours... It would always melt his heart. It was what got him through his days, the memory of your smile always there in his mind, as if branded with hot iron into whatever part of his brain was responsible for happiness.

Of course, the memories of your smiles were nothing compared to the real deal. A memory could never capture all of your beauty. The way light shined in your skin. How your hair framed your face, a bit messy after taking off the dreaded headpiece you were expected to wear as a Sister of Sin. How your eyes would sparkle even in complete darkness, as if they held their own [eye color] galaxies in them.

He sometimes wondered if you felt anything like that towards him. If your day was brighter when you saw him. If your heart ached when he wasn't there with you. If you also stole a T-shirt of his to shove your pillow into just to feel like he was next to you in bed. He doubted you did, but he counted his clothes religiously either way, hoping one day a shirt or a pair of underwear suddenly go missing after one of your visits. He stole your shirts and panties before, just to feel closer to you when he would be lonely at night. Holding your panties in his fist when he touched himself was the most he could get for now, even if it was hardly enough. He was lucky he had a really wild imagination, he could imagine it was your fingers on his cock instead of his own. But at the end of the day, he knew it was nowhere near how good the real you would feel.

He wanted to be your first. He needed to be your first. It was only fair. He's been your first for everything so far, and you were his. He was your first friend, your first kiss, he should also be the first to sleep with you, shouldn't he? He loved you for years and loved him back, wouldn't it be fair if you took each other's virginities as well? If you were the first to touch him? If he was the first to touch you? The first and the only one to touch you.

"It's gonna sound stupid, but..." You spoke up quietly, a small giggle trying to leave your lips. His heart would always melt when you spoke. Especially when you spoke so quietly, when your words were meant for him and him alone. He would drink up any sound you made, every word, every giggle, every sigh. "Sometimes I wish we could run away together. Not have to deal with everything going on here. Just the two of us."

Terzo sat up, making you look at him, a bit surprised, considering how much he loved to rest with his head on your lap. He chuckled at how your eyes widened slightly as you followed his movement.

He moved closer to you, your knee gently bumping into his as he held your face in his hands and looked deep into your eyes, leaning closer until your lips brushed against each other, but not kissing you yet.

"Then let's do that. Let's escape together, somewhere nobody will find us. Somewhere we'll be completely alone."

You nodded slowly and he smiled, closing the distance between your lips. Every kiss he gave you was just as sweet as the first one years ago. It was always so warm, made you feel so safe when he would carefully pull you closer, wrapping his arm around your waist to press your chest against his after he carefully pulled you to straddle his lap.

That summer evening, one of Terzo's biggest dreams came true. He got to be your first.

ii. romeo save me, i've been feeling so alone

"You broke your promise, you miserable old bastard." You wept softly, your heart aching in despair and your knees hurting from the time you've spent on the floor, crying by Terzo's feet.

He remained silent, not even sparing you a glance. He didn't acknowledge you, no matter how much you would beg, scream or cry. You've banged your fists on the floor in a pathetic attempt to get anything out of him. Still nothing.

"Terzo, please... You swore to me... You swore to never leave me, remember...? So keep your promise and get up... I'm begging you..."

Yet, no matter how much you would plead, you had no way of getting his attention. You had no way to make his eyes open, to make his lips smile again, to make his arms hold you close just this one more time. After all, a dead man could do none of that.

Since his death, you'd spend hours in the room he and his brothers were kept, weeping by the glass coffin he was kept in. Although you wouldn't even call it a coffin, no. It was a fucking display case.

A display case so Papa Nihil and Sister Imperator could send Terzo and his brothers on a "tour". So the fans could see their favorite Papa up close, limited only by the glass box they were kept in.

The glass box you knelt next to every night for months now, bawling your eyes out. You knew how pitiful it was, an old satanic nun, a woman entering her 60s, kneeling and crying every night by the coffin of her lover until the Ghouls found her and took her back to bed. It was usually Omega, he was one of the very few people who still came to pay respects to his dear old friend.

Sometimes you'd sit together and talk so you could feel better. The Ghoul has been a great help all this time, always willing to offer you a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen. You'd reminisce together, you more than him. You've known Terzo longer, you've had more memories of him. More tears to shed at his loss.

"Terzo... You can hear me, right...?" You whispered, fully aware of how pathetic you were. How pathetic you looked and sounded. But you'd take any chance to see his mismatched eyes look at you again with the warmth they once held whenever they looked at you. To feel his lips smile as you both kissed, exchanging hushed love confessions each night. To feel his arms wrapped around you protectively, possessively even. To feel the intimacy of feeling him inside you, both of you lost in each other's love. "Please... You must... You must hear me..."

You pressed your palm to the glass, still on your knees. You couldn't get up, you couldn't look at his body. At how his head was stitched back to his body after that dreadful photo session. They cut his head off and made the poor, terrified cardinal pose with it, only to stitch it back to let more fans see him. Pose next to his corpse and take silly selfies. Oh, how you longed to rip their phones out of their hands and break them. But you were forbidden from being in the room altogether, only allowed in because of some arrangements Omega made for you. If you were gone by sunrise, you could remain by your beloved one's side for the night.

"Please... You have no idea how alone I am..." You whispered, as if confessing your sins to him. Sins he always already knew you committed, as he committed most of them with you. "The Ghouls are trying to be there for me, but it doesn't make the pain go away, you know...? It's always there. The aching in my chest, it never leaves."

Your words echoed in your own mind, hoping to hear any response from him. Anything at all, even if he were to yell at you for bothering him in the afterlife. Even if he told you he hated you. All you wanted was to see him again, no matter if he never wanted to deal with you again. You'd be happy enough knowing he was alive and well.

Your heart felt like it was about to either shatter or explode out of misery, tears still falling down your cheeks, as if they could never end, no matter what, your eyes would never stop shedding tears for the love of your life, who just laid there, unmoving, never to respond to you.

"Please... Terzo... I love you... I'm still wearing the ring you gave me..." You wept, the engagement ring he gave to you the day before he died. He proposed to you at sunset, as you both sat on the balcony, like all these years ago, when you took each other's virginities. And you accepted, of course, even if theoretically you couldn't exactly get married. But it was the sentiment that mattered to you both. "Wake up... We'll run away, just like we wanted... We wanted to run away, remember? Together? Please... We can do that, just wake up... Don't leave me alone..."

Yet no matter how much you cried, nothing happened. After all, a dead man can't respond to you.

iii. marry me, juliet, you'll never have to be alone

Every Papa had his own followers. Ones that joined the Clergy just for the Papa they follow. Terzo was no exception. He was charismatic, charming and easy to talk to. He pulled people in easily and gained their loyalty without really trying.

Usually the flame of attraction to a Papa would slowly settle. It would still be there, but after months, it usually was already about the ministry and not just the Papa the people chose to follow. And as it would seem, in this case, Terzo was an exception.

Even after his death, his followers remained loyal. They didn't refuse to acknowledge the new Papa, a man named Copia, but it was clear they didn't really care about him as much as they did for Terzo. Papa Emeritus III was referred to as the Heart of the Clergy, because he was. He brought new life to it when he took the stage, but no matter what he achieved, it was never enough for Sister Imperator. It didn't matter that Terzo was the Papa the people wanted, because he was not the Papa she wanted.

His devotees were growing more and more upset every day. Their rage didn't water down with time, no, it only got worse, it burned more furiously each day. They wanted Terzo's return, just like you did. But while you only cried for him, weak and powerless, they decided to act.

They decided to resurrect Papa Emeritus III.

They got his Ghouls on board, as their souls were bound to their Papa. It took time, but it finally happened. Deep down in the Ministry's basement, in a secret ritual room, they did it. They stole his body, keeping it a secret from everyone. Even from you.

You wanted to visit him again, tears slowly falling down your cheeks as you entered the room where he and his brothers were kept, only to find two glass coffins instead of one.

You fell to your knees, holding back a scream. He wasn't there. The coffin wasn't there. You started calling out for his Ghouls, running around the Ministry. You didn't care if you woke anyone up, it wasn't your problem. Your problem was that the body of the man you loved was missing.

You wanted to wake people up, to get someone to help you search for him, but you were stopped before you could do anything. A Sibling of Sin gripped your arm and pinned you to the nearest wall, covering your mouth with their free hand.

"It's okay, Sister [Name]. I'm a friend." They assured as you struggled to push them off. They waited for you to wear yourself out before taking their hand away, still holding you against the wall so you wouldn't run off.

"What in Lucifer's name do you think you're doing?!" You hissed at the sibling, their fingers leaving bruises on your arm from how tight their grip was, but they didn't seem to notice your discomfort. If anything, they seemed excited for something.

"Omega sent me for you." The Sibling explained, making your already teary eyes widen and threaten with more tears. Omega? Why would he send for you? Did he know what happened? Did he find Terzo's body? Did something happen to him when Terzo was taken away? The Ghouls were connected to their Papas, even after their deaths. So maybe... Maybe Omega was hurt?

Were you about to lose one of the few friends you could actually talk to?

"What happened to Omega?" You asked quietly, trying your best to put the despair of your beloved one's disappearance. You wanted Terzo back, yes, but you knew he was dead. And Omega wasn't. Hopefully he wasn't.

"I cannot say. Not here. Please, come with me. Everything will make sense then."

It was frustrating, not knowing what was going on. Terzo being gone, now something was going on with Omega... Why was so much happening in one night? And what exactly was happening, anyway? You were confused, your heart and mind racing. You had so many thoughts rushing through your head, you were overwhelmed, and yet somehow at the same time you felt like your head was completely empty.

When Terzo was alive, you've always felt well. Even as years passed, he would always make you feel young. No matter how insecure you would feel as you hit another birthdays. Even if you were both in your 40s and 50s, his soft touch and warm gaze would make you feel loved, like back when you were both young, still discovering each other's bodies. Even as you got older, he'd still whisper praises to you, talking about how beautiful you were, how wonderful you felt and how sweet you tasted.

Even as your hair started greying, even as signs of aging slowly got to you, his gaze never changed. He'd always say you were just as beautiful as you were years ago. While you remained aware of changes in your body, he'd make you believe you were still beautiful and worthy of all the love he was giving you.

When he died, you truly started to feel your age. You felt old, lonely and vulnerable, his Ghouls remaining the only friends you still had. And now something was happening to the friend you held closest. It must've been serious, if he sent out a Sibling of Sin instead of getting you himself or sending another Ghoul. You could only hope Omega was alright.

"Where are you taking me...?" You questioned quietly, following the Sibling to the basement. You thought they'd take you to the Ghoul's lair, but that was not the way. You did not recognize the halls you were walking through, which only spiked your anxiety even more. "Where's Omega?"

They didn't give you a proper response, only telling you not to worry about it. You got a very bad feeling deep in your stomach, a pain that told you to run, to get away. And you tried. You walked slower, gaining some distance before trying to slowly get away from the Sibling. You didn't run, you were already exhausted from all the stress you were going through just this night. Instead you hid behind a pillar, trying your best to sneak away.

The Sibling must've realized they've lost you, because a few minutes later, as you quietly tried to make your way back to a more familiar looking area, you heard some frantic yelling, accompanied by almost an animalistic growl. And then you could hear someone running around, most likely in search for you. You panicked, trying to get away a little faster. You heard many voices call out to you, none of them familiar. You started doubting Omega had anything to do with all this.

Why would they search for you? Could it be because you noticed Terzo's body missing? Were they the ones responsible for the disappearance? But why? It didn't make sense, why would they take him? Were they going to sell his body? Sister Imperator wouldn't have ordered anyone to get rid of the bodies, they were too profitable. And Terzo wasn't hated, no, everyone who ever met him easily grew to adore him.

Perhaps they wanted to steal the other dead Papas as well? Some obsessed fans would give a lot to have them in their possession, as sick as it was. Would that be it? They probably wanted to get rid of you because you discovered them.

"[Name]!" A familiar voice called out to you, making you look over your shoulder. A familiar, tall Ghoul. One that let you cry into his shoulder for so many nights. So he really was here.

"Omega...?" You slowly walked over to him, putting your hands on his arms, still shaken up from the situation you've found yourself in. This was not what you were expecting when you were awoken by nightmares, like you have been for the last months. You couldn't sleep, so you went to see him again, even if some younger Siblings of Sin started to gossip about you, turning you into some local urban legend or cryptid. You needed Terzo to comfort you after the nightmares, even if you would always end up breaking down in tears when you saw him. "What's going on? What's the deal with all those Siblings? Where's Terzo? He's gone, the... The body, the coffin... It's... It's..."

"I know. He's not gone." Omega gently put his arm around your shoulders and squeezed your arm comfortingly, like he did many times before. He started leading you somewhere, and even though it was the same path the Sibling of Sin had lead you down earlier, you felt safe. You knew Omega, you knew you could trust him.

"He's not...?" You looked up at him weakly, trying to keep your tears at bay. Your sight was blurry already, but you could easily recognize the Ghoul's features. "Wait, what's that on your chin...?"

The Ghoul glanced up at you as your 'old people instincts' took over and you moved your hand to wipe the stain under his lips with your thumb. His eyes flicked away from your nervously and if you weren't so distracted with all the stress you went through before, you would've noticed him tensing up.

He then explained to you that he was eating before he found you, so he just wiped his mouth and must've missed a spot. And knowing how Ghouls fed on raw meat (more often than not, raw human meat), you simply nodded, sighing heavily as you took off your headpiece to feel better. You were never fond of the uniform you had to wear, but you also didn't want to risk getting scolded, so unless you were alone or with someone you trusted, you kept it on. You were too old to rebel against it, anyway.

"Were are we going...?" You asked nervously, playing with the headpiece in your hands. You wanted to rip it to shreds, and you would have, if you were less shaken up.

"To see him."

"So you know where Terzo is?" You looked up at him, your eyes shining with the tiniest sparks of hope. And he nodded, leading you to a large double door.

The Ghoul gave you one last comforting squeeze before opening the door for you. It must've been really heavy, considering that even he struggled with it a bit, and he was by no means a small or weak man. Especially since even the smallest of Ghouls were stronger than most people.

Once the door was open enough for you both to squeeze inside the room, you were met with a place very similar to one of the many chapels upstairs. The benches where Siblings of Sin would normally sit were empty, but you could see the rest of Terzo's Ghouls in a tight circle around the altar, whispering and muttering.

The glass coffin, or whatever was left of it, laid shattered on the ground, Terzo's gloves and robes next to it. The robes were torn up, and you were almost sure the clothes were bloody. A thought of the Ghouls eating him crossed your mind, but they were too protective over him, they'd never doo that. Not even the fact that their fingers and faces were covered in blood made you doubt that, not even the heavy metallic smell of blood.

You didn't realize Omega announced his return with you until the other Ghouls moved away from the altar, revealing Terzo sitting on it. He was alive, wearing just the white shirt, dark pants and shoes, the clothes he'd always wear under the Papal Robes. His hair was messy, but still remained somewhat in the brushed back look he always had. His facepaint was still on, surprisingly not smudged too much, but what truly was disturbing was the blood. It was normal on Ghouls. It wasn't normal on him.

It was around his mouth, like he was ripped away after taking a bite from a large, bloody piece of meat. His hands were covered in blood, too. And his neck... The wound on his neck, although the neck itself was stitched back and it didn't look like it would fall off, the wound was slowly bleeding, getting his shirt as just bloody.

You were frozen in your spot, Omega gently holding your shoulder and observing you from the corner of his eye, ready to catch you if you were to faint. But you wouldn't faint, no. You just stood there, your eyes wide, as Terzo slowly slid off the altar and walked over to you. He stumbled a bit, but it didn't seem to matter to him, considering his smile.

It was the same and completely different at the same time. How he called out your name in the same loving tone, a sound you've yearned for ever since his death, but it wasn't like you remembered it. Was felt like it was trapping you, like he was luring you in with his voice. It felt possessive.

His eyes were different, too. The still looked at you endearingly, like you were the most beautiful and precious person in the world. But there was something else, something that seemed crazy, how his gaze was quickly scanning your face and body, it no longer seemed like he was in love. It felt like he was obsessed.

The smile on his face, the same warm and loving smile you would see every morning for years when he held you close and whispered a sweet "good morning, beautiful" to your ears... With the blood and his obsessive gaze... It didn't feel like Terzo. It felt like a demon, maybe even Satan himself, stood in front of you, merely posing as the man you loved.

"[Name]... Oh, my darling... You're even more beautiful than the day you were ripped away from me..." He spoke quietly, taking your face in his hands, his thumbs brushing your cheek bones as Omega walked away to the rest of the Ghouls. It felt weird. It was Terzo's touch, yes, but it didn't feel like Terzo touching you. His fingers lacked the softness, it no longer felt like all these light touches you've known at nights with him. He wasn't squeezing your face, no, but the way he held it was different. The way he brushed his fingers through your hair was different. It felt like he was enamoured with you like a little child is excited for their favorite toy.

You felt wrong. Everything in the situation felt wrong. You loved him, you longed for his return, but it was always just a fantasy. To have him actually stand here, in front of you, his fingers covering your your face and hair in blood... It was the truth. It was the real life, even if it felt like a lie. Somehow, your biggest dream coming true made you feel like a nightmare caught you, sinking its claws into your skin were your newly resurrected beloved touched you.

"So beautiful... So precious... Oh, how happy it makes me to see you again..." He spoke quietly, leaving small kisses all over your face making you squirm away anxiously. He seemed shocked as you took a step back from him, but he was always quick to act, so without hesitation, he held onto your wrist, pulling you right back into him. "Please, don't run away from me, amore. I've missed you so much, I need you to be with me, sí? Need you right next to me, at all times..."

"Stop touching me..." You whimpered and he looked at you with the most heartbroken gaze you've ever seen. Like his heart was just shattered, and that made your already wounded one break just a little more. "Please, I... I just need a minute..."

"Oh, my love..." He muttered, pulling you closer instead of letting go as you longed for. Just this once, he promised himself, just this once he'd put his needs over your comfort. Just this once, and only for a little bit. You'd understand, won't you? Yes, of course you'd understand. "We're reunited at long last, doesn't that make you happy?"

His thumb stroked your lower lip as he held your chin. A feeling so familiar, yet so foreign. Your mind raced with uncertainty and anxiety, but your body reacted, your lips parting, as if begging him to just kiss you already. And he did. The kiss was the only part of this that felt exactly like him. Like it always did. There was no new-found possessiveness, because it was always there. His kisses were always starved, longing. Just like now. And you kissed him back, your own longing for him taking over. Oh, he missed you so much, and you missed him.

He was visibly calmer once he had his first kiss since being resurrected, the obsessiveness and possessiveness replaced by the tenderness and admiration he always held for you. And so he kissed you, again and again. And you kissed back, again and again.

"You still have the ring..." He noticed once you finally ended the kissing session to catch your breath. He held your hand and now started kissing all over your fingers only to rub the back of your hand against his cheek. "So it's still a yes, right, my love? You'll marry me?"

And then, seeing how genuine he was about the question, you stopped holding back. You nodded, letting your tears fall freely as you threw yourself at him, crying into his shoulder about just how much you've missed him. He held you tightly, whispering comforting yours into your ear and kissing your hair, smiling softly at you before giving the Ghouls a subtle glance.

They understood and quickly got rid of the dead, massacred body that remained hidden away from your sights so far. The ruined body of the Sibling of Sin that was supposed to bring you to Terzo, hidden behind the altar, their throat ripped out with your lover's very own teeth.

"I love you, my darling..." He whispered to you, your face pressed against his chest. "You will never be alone again."

[butch-chastity]

Thoughts on your tags: Rich IS like an attack dog!! he's fiercely devoted and would bite for anyone at the slightest hint of danger, but no one wants to be the hand that holds the leash. He's always the first to see himself as only a weapon and a guard dog

By the way!!! Black Order (2018) subverts this really well, he gets mindcontrolled and acts as an unwilling antagonist until the end. They call him puppy multiple times lmao

(referencing this post)

yeah <3 you're so right

i have been thinking a lot about how rich's self-dehumanization (?)/his "i'm only a weapon" kind of attitude changed post-annihilation*. like. in new warriors 43 (ish) when he intentionally kills himself to revive worldmind there's a page or two where he actually doesn't want to go through with sacrificing himself. like, he argues with adora about it pretty passionately (as per usual), and is only convinced to do what she tells him to when his friends say he has to (which is a very richie thing to do lol)

and it's just very interesting to compare this to his very blatant self-sacrificial attitude post-annihilation.

I definitely think that, even though he's always had self-sacrificing tendencies, the reason it becomes so debilitating as he gets older has got to have something to do with like. a certain lack of control over what happens to his body.

something something the nature of getting zapped with the nova force at 16 will obviously Do that to you but also like. the period during the later half of the new warriors through nova vol. 2 & 3 is a lot of xandar (adora in particular) making decisions over what happens to his body. where he gets to be how much power he's allowed to have what he's allowed to think & what he's allowed to wear. y'know? doesn't stop him from giving them the middle finger most of the time but... all of that happening when you're 19-21 will give you sooo many complexes

anyway yeah. i don't know if this means anything but i'm spinning him around in my brain microwave. i think that post appealed to me bc i think about cosmo telling rich to go for annihilus's throat an Unheathly amount. something something someone telling worldmind to keep a muzzle on their dog

ANYWHOO i think richie being an attack dog is very interesting. imo it's also why starnovamora is so interesting like. gamora doesn't need an attack dog but she thinks having one would be very hot even if she doesn't want to deal with feeding him and stuff. pete would like rich to chill out for even a moment. rich will do neither of things and if you bring any of this up to him he's going to the other side of the galaxy with his tail between his legs

thank you for the ask :) feel free to send rich asks at any time as clearly i have too many thoughts about him

*or post nova (1994) #18, depending on if you want to consider that suicide attempt his turning point?

[raccoonfallsharder]

Window Across the Galaxy ✧*:･ﾟ preview 11/28

i've decided i'm posting window across the galaxy ✧･ﾟ:* previews ahead of each upcoming chapter to like. keep me motivated. because this has been such a long journey and i'm feeling all bittersweet about it coming to a close in the next two-ish months.

excerpt from Chapter XX. Some Nerve. [est 11/30]* in which an ultimatum is given.

He looks away and  tugs the hammock again. “Now get the fuck in.” She climbs in awkwardly, hissing when she has to use the muscles in her shoulder. He frowns.  “That’s the shoulder Fuckface hurt?”  “It’s fine,” she says mildly. “Just bruised.” His eyes narrow skeptically as she leans back cautiously.  “It’s comfortable,” she tells him softly. “Thank you.”  He can see her tilt her head — hesitate. “Are you joining me?”  He had planned on it — but now, studying her, he thinks that maybe he should have asked first. In the hammock, there won’t really be a choice about being pressed up against each other. Not that he’ll mind. Without intending to, he calls up the memory of curling into her abdomen that night on Sovereign, before he’d ruined everything. He’d been drunk, but he’s pretty sure she’d let him slide his claws up under the hem of her shirt. He’d thought he’d felt the subtle flutter of her hips when he’d brushed his tail over the back of her thigh. He doesn’t think he’d dreamed it up. Am too, she’d snapped at Taserface. I’d gladly fuck him every day— “I can build another one,” he says abruptly, watching her from the corner of his eye as he looks away and shrugs.  She frowns. Or maybe pouts. It’s not an expression he’s used to seeing — not on such a pretty mouth, not directed toward him — and for a moment, his brain stumbles.  And then she raises the arm attached to her unbruised shoulder like she’s reaching for him and says, pretty as hell,  “Please?”

Chapter XXI. I Very Still. [est 12/6] ❤︎❤︎ Chapter XXII. Got There Worse. [est 12/18] ❤︎❤︎ Chapter XXIII. We're Gonna Need a Bigger Table. [est 12/28] * Chapter XXIV. Space Would Be Better. [est 1/9] ❤︎ Chapter XXV. Little Love Stories. [est 1/17] * Chapter XXVI. Other Side of the Window. [est 1/25] ❤︎ Chapter XXV. The Most Beautiful Thing in My House. [est 2/8] ❤︎❤︎

explicit lines or references* abbreviated explicit sequences ❤︎ detailed/prolonged explicit sequences ❤︎❤︎

[petruchio]

Also can we talk about those little Appalachian culture moments?

I actually grew up there (Chattanooga outskirts, so not SUPER Appalachian, but enough LOL) and when we moved to the Midwest I suddenly realized that traits I’d never considered before were betraying me! Specifically how I talked! Like even my most professional voice sounded so painfully Tennessee Valley-Appalachian and it was incredibly othering.

I never considered how Lucy Grey would definitely have an accent until she opened her mouth in the Capitol and suddenly had such a noticeable one!!! I felt so seen!! You never think about how you talk at home, you’re just normal. Until suddenly you’re an outsider every time you speak. It’s a moment I’ve felt before, and it was extremely effective on-screen!

Then when Coryo comes to 12 the inversion of that is incredibly fulfilling - especially the bar scene!

When Maude ivory jumps on stage and announces the next set and it’s almost unintelligible, I about lost it!!!! It was so funny, and I felt so seen again! Like yeah that’s exactly like what that feels like lmao! You bring your boyfriend home and he literally can’t understand your family’s dialect 😭😂 (and also he’s now painfully aware of just how much you change your voice to be understood)

I thought that was great and really added to the feeling of Coryo and Lucy’s respective othering in each other’s communities!

YES!

i LOVED lucy gray's accent -- in my head i always imagined her sounding kind of like dolly parton (i think it's something about the way the scene in the hob is written -- something about her dialogue just sounds so dolly-ish to me) and i loved that they really leaned into it (and it supports my theory that part of the reason jlaw and jhutch were cast in the og movies is bc they're both from kentucky, even if they don't have super strong accents, haha!)

and i feel like it really emphasizes one of my personal favorite themes from tbosas which is the way political resistance is woven into the fabric of american folk music and so much of that tradition does grow out of appalaicha and the particular and specific music tradition of that area. (and why me and the queen herself rachel zegler are both galaxy brains for putting bob dylan on our lucy gray baird fanmix playlists because bob dylan is one of the foremost figures in the american folk revival movement of the 1960s and so much of his songwriting derives from appalachian folk traditions!) (well technically miss rachel put a joan baez cover of dylan on her playlist but, like, she gets it; it's all about folk music and politics and art as revolutionary)

[theophagie]

*the same afonana anon*

sorry for being annoying about this but let me ramble for a while >>

also the theme of smile with these two... like I swear to God...

the way he smiled while saying shit like " thank you for such wonderful comedy" .... and she smiled back at him in her last moments telling him while being choked by him that he's gonna lose to Toshi cuz he's more unhinged than him...

I think part of his weird fixation on her coming form the realization that she reminds him of his brother..

I hate when ppl claim that hes so fixated on her only to mess with Toshi.. like if that was the case he will settled with Hana instead, to fuck with Am's mentality... Afomight is great and all but women also deserves to be throwing at toxic yaoi for real 😤😤😤

anyway thank you for your galaxy brain takes and your awesome posts! I hope you're doing ok!

Never apologise for giving me the chance to read about afonana!!! I'm doing okay-ish, got some stuff going on but it is what it is. Tysm for your kind words, and I hope everything is going well for you too 🥹🥹

Afo's clearly not fixated on Nana only because of AM, the first he did when they met in the vestige world during the PLW was channel his inner divorced man who's still bitter about the separation lolll. The toxic yaoi with AM is real, but I think that a lot of people are hesitant to speculate or more closely look into afonana's dynamic as well because of the whole "protect women </3" bs, which is sad because like. They are characters, and you're locking yourself out of one of the best parties in town......... and also you're so right about Nana-Yoichi!!!!!! It's so fun to think about them sitting on their little chairs and going "So. We experienced Afo's love horrors huh" "First-hand, yeah. We sure did :l", and so on. The trauma bond besties

Tbh Afo only didn't go for Hana because she was "too old" already, but thinking about what might have happened if he had makes me feel like... sicko at the window meme.png. Hana looked so much like Nana, the only thing she missed was her mole, and there are like hundreds of horror stories with a similar premise out there. Tenko looks like her as well, but god. The ghost of Nana manifesting itself through Hana... haunting AM sure, but haunting Afo as well.........

The bit about smiling is one of my favorites because. Because.

Yes Afo was taunting AM, but that's also the same gesture as Nana's... as if he knew how she taught AM about that, as if he even knew why she did that or what she thought + before things got bad for him he was always smiling as well... as if he took her philosophy and twisted it to adapt it to his ways. Horikoshi putting a memory of her in the centre between them in their last battle is so 🥴😵‍💫

I never thought about it before, but it would be SO funny and in line with everything if way back when Afo did tell AM about him and Nana and exploited his shock to almost kill him. "You know it's something I would do", or whatever it was that he said when he told him about Tomura, so it would have been twice as easy to accept that as the truth, because Afo had done something similar already. Only the revelation about Nana would have made AM feel awful in a different way because it's not like Afo was with her to spite him, it was just something that had Happened between them!! That had been real!!!!

[whitehartlane]

Let's talk gorgeous and sexy football jerseys

this is a fabulous question and of course as soon as you send this all form of higher thought exits my noggin so let’s restrict this to fairly recent spurs ones for now, totnum prop never stops 🤍

THIS SEASON’S AWAY KIT IS AN ALL TIMER. i love love love collared kits they remind me of old school footy and the blue of this is brilliant. the iridescent badge ugh!!! it’s such a crime that we haven’t worn this more often, i need to see it! also that said i love this season’s home kit as well, i’m a big fan of the all lilywhite.

16/17 away kit you will always be famous. i neeeed another away kit like this with the gold detailing, it just looks so classy and timeless. i’ll always be partial to the kits from this era though to be fair.

love the 16/17 third kit also, am always partial to a good spurs yellow and it matched soooo well with the away kit. it’s rare that the home kit of a season is my least favourite but that was definitely the case in 16/17.

the infamous maradona kit from 86… holsten you will always be famous. i think it’s stuck in my consciousness for a long time because maradona wore it but it’s a fun mix up to our normal home kits.

94/95 away kit… she is the moment and she knows it. the spurple mixed with the dark blue literally what else could you want? i know this is on sale in the club shop, i need it NOW.

18/19 away kit … tears in my eyes. would not be a spurs kit roundup list without her. literally remember starting the season like “oh we might get an iconic moment or two in this kit” and then we ended up having one of the most iconic moments in our HISTORY in this one. i love it so much, treasuring deeply.

also loved the 17/18 away one. think i just like the really deep rich blue spurs kits, this one just feels so regal, or maybe that’s because jan is in the pic.

not spurs but the galaxy kit south korea put out is probably one of my most favourite kits of all time. it’s so beautiful literally every player looks fantastic in it and i actually need it so bad but it’s sold out everywhere i look 😭😭😭

anyway def missed some bc my brain’s incapable of recalling anything rn but these are some that sprung to mind from recent-ish years 🤍

[elisfalling]

hi i've been sobbing about the opportunity rover tonight so i'm here to infodump

SO opportunity and laika are in a game a friend was running set like 100-ish years in earths future. established lunar bases and working to expand ever further and whatnot. i ran off the idea that (in my heart) humanity would absolutely retrieve the opportunity rover and place her in a shiny new body and awaken her to welcome her home if they could, and my friend aimed for the idea of having somehow captured the "church grim" of laika's soul and giving her a new humanoid body to both apologise for the atrocities committed to her and to give her a chance to live a happy life as she chooses. both of them, by coincidence or fate, your choice, volunteered themselves to be part of the next plan of space exploration - helping establish a living colony on mars. and by design, they ended up assigned to the same team and made INSTANT fast friends. they're entirely inseparable, neither quite have the words for it but both have horrifying anxiety about being alone, isolated, away from all others for even A Single Second so they quite literally never leave each others side. laika is ENTHUSIASTICALLY prone to including herself in anything oppy gets into, and oppy is content with it, both due to lacking in knowing that that is "improper etiquette" to let someone invite themselves to a thing you're doing, and knowing that she would've invited laika anyways. up until like a month ago i had assumed they would just be extremely close friends / they Couldnt date since opportunity is a robot and, well. no lips. cant kiss 😔. but my friend approached me with galaxy brain thoughts and pointed out laika, as a shifter, tends to wear a sort of metal cage muzzle anyways, so both could communicate their version of a kiss with a little headbutt/forehead touch (the intensity has to be moderated by the fact of one of them is All Metal, but the more Love Aggression in the moment i imagine the more intense the headbutts and general increase of physical contact/cuddles there are). thus came to light: Possible Space Girlfriends.

i've stopped crying and its very late where i am so im going to bed but i shall return with more for you soon <3 thank you for listening btw i have very few friends willing to let me infodump about characters and its nice

Hi oh my gosh I can’t explain how happy I was to see you in my inbox again!!

This is such a creative and adorable story and characters, truly just darling! 🥹🥰 I love them so much already!! I seriously can’t get over how heartwarming and just freaking lovely this is!! And the way they show affection, how cute!!!

Broke my heart with the part about how they get horribly anxious being apart from each other, isolated, alone. Like they are in space 😫 I want to hear more about them, please! Tell me they are happy together!

Seriously please come infodump about characters anytime you’d like! It makes me so happy every single time! Okay my turn to go sob over the opportunity rover. ✨

[foofyschmoofer]

OC Interview

Tagged by @alyssalenko, once again literally a year ago lol

Tagging: @shadoedseptmbr, @theoriginalladya, @sorchacahill, @nightmarestudio606 & anyone else who wants to do this

Bex Shepard

name ➔ Rebekah Leigh Shepard… but to you, it’s Shepard, or Bex if we’re friends… only one person in the entire universe is allowed to call me Rebekah. 

are you single ➔ very much not

are you happy ➔ yup

are you angry ➔ not right this second but give it a few minutes…

are your parents still married ➔ no. Mum died in the First Contact War, Dad died when I was 11. Zaeed's still kicking it though.

NINE FACTS

birthplace ➔ Vancouver UNAS

hair colour ➔ blonde, naturally, but it hasn't been that since I was 6; currently, it's burgundy

eye colour ➔ pale blue in the left eye, pale blue-ish grey in the right because of an implant

birthday ➔  April 11

mood ➔ On edge

gender ➔ Female

summer or winter ➔ Autumn

morning or afternoon ➔ late night 

EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

are you in love ➔ Head over heels

do you believe in love at first sight ➔ lust, definitely; love? no not really

who ended your last relationship ➔ in my mind, and Kaidan’s, Vido did. But I guess… I did? Kaid and I just never really recovered from my rejecting his marriage proposal

have you ever broken someone’s heart ➔ definitely

are you afraid of commitments ➔ Nope.

have you hugged someone within the last week? ➔ not that I recall, no

have you ever had a secret admirer ➔ Hackett, apparently, before he asked me out

have you ever broken your own heart? ➔ Yes

SIX CHOICES

love or lust ➔ both

lemonade or iced tea ➔ lemonade

cats or dogs ➔ both; at the moment, we have my childhood chocolate lab, Chip, and two kittens, Holly Golightly (Golly) and Regina (Reggie)... Eventually I want more, when I'm actually home and not running all over the galaxy

a few best friends or many regular friends ➔ a few best friends

wild night out or romantic night in ➔ with Kaidan, it could be either one, or they could mesh into one; with Hackett, I definitely prefer a romantic night in

day or night ➔ night

FIVE HAVE YOU EVERS

been caught sneaking out ➔ nope… Had I been caught that one time, woulda saved me a whole world of hurting but meh

fallen down/up the stairs ➔ frequently

wanted something/someone so badly it hurt? ➔ Hackett, whenever I'm away too long 

wanted to disappear ➔ all the bloody time 

FOUR PREFERENCES

smile or eyes ➔ Eyes… First thing I noticed about both Kaidan and Hackett.

shorter or taller ➔ taller… I'm short enough as is, if I dated somebody shorter than me, no one would be able to reach anything 

intelligence or attractive ➔ Both

hook-up or relationship ➔ I've had some fun hook-ups but I definitely prefer a relationship

FAMILY

do you and your family get along ➔ only family I have left is Hackett & Zaeed; um obviously I get along with Hackett (he & Zaeed don’t, most of the time but...) and Z & I butt heads often but we do get along most of the time

would you say you have had a “messed up life” ➔ abso-fucking-lutely. There is nothing normal about my life

have you ever run away from home ➔ home? Once; but I also ran from the orphanage, from the Reds, from Zaeed a couple times in the beginning

have you ever gotten kicked out ➔ of nearly every pub in London, yes; kicked out of my home? Never

FRIENDS

do you secretly hate one of your friends ➔ um no, that's stupid. Why would I be friends with someone I hate??

do you consider all of your friends good friends ➔ absolutely

who is your best friend ➔ Kaidan, since Brain Camp

[phoenixfeathersinfall]

Thanks for tagging me Andi, I had to think about this one for a bit because if it’s not something I’m super into at the moment, it kind of doesn’t exist in my mind? What is object permanence…. anyway

Film Character: from something I watched recently, it would be Sasha Tran, Always Be My Maybe

LGBTQ+ Character: Nia Nal, Supergirl

TV Character: Seven of Nine, Star Trek Voyager and Star Trek Picard

Childhood Fave: Book-wise it would be Rani from the Never Fairies series, or Ruby Lavender from Love, Ruby Lavender. For visual media, it would be Sam Puckett, iCarly.

Comfort Character: Kara Zor-El Danvers, Supergirl

F/F Ship: B’elenna Torres/Seven of Nine (B7,) Star Trek Voyager

Character of Color: Chani, Dune films (haven’t read the books yet!) or Okoye, Black Panther films/wider MCU

Old Favorite: Ella of Frell, Ella Enchanted and Meggie Folchart, Inkheart series

Disabled Character: Two fairies who either have no wings or lose their wings were formative to me as a child: Rani from the Never Fairies series and Elina from the Barbie Fairytopia series. There was also Melody in the middle-grade book Out of My Mind, who was the first character I ever remember seeing who had my same disability (though her experiences of it were very different.) These days, I’m attached to Connie from The Walking Dead. There are several characters I see as having disabilities who aren’t explicitly written that way in-text or on-screen. (Side note: it’s actually depressing to think about how many male characters with disability there are vs female characters….)

Character You Relate To: Sorry to repeat myself but Nia Nal, Supergirl. She is constantly doing her best, but feeling like she’s not ready/doesn’t measure up and getting thrown into difficult situations! She is also super passionate about her areas of interest, like journalism.

Book Character: Too many….Though I haven’t been able to read much in recent years (double-majoring in college and then major brain weirdness from Long COVID) books were huge for me growing up. Annabeth Chase, Percy Jackson series, Liesel Meminger, The Book Thief, and more recently, Gifty, Transcendent Kingdom.

OC Video Game or D&D Character: I don’t play either of these, but just ask anyone who follows my writing blog, I have too many OCs, almost all of them women.

Under-appreciated Character: Nebula, Guardians of the Galaxy films/wider MCU

Side Character: Johanna Mason, The Hunger Games

Video Game Character: I don’t play many games, but I couldn’t help but develop a soft spot for Lillie from the Pokémon Sun and Moon games.

Non-Western media Character: Honestly not sure what counts here, book-wise I end up reading a lot of diaspora or immigrant authors, and my foreign films tend to be Chinese because I can understand some of the language. I don’t read manga (my vision problems hate visual novels) and anime is honestly so big, I’m at a loss where to start.

Animated Character: Fa Mulan, Mulan. My favorite princess!

From Your First Fandom: Well, I’ve honestly been fan-ish about a lot of things, but it took me a while to recognize there were fan communities for them! Selections include Cinderpelt from the Warrior Cats series, Jade West from Victorious, Natasha Romanoff and Wanda Maximoff from early MCU days, and two from Series That Must Not Be Named.

From Your Favorite Media: Jadzia Dax and Kira Nerys, Star Trek Deep Space Nine

Free Space: Daenerys Targaryen, A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones

Tagging (only if you want to play!) @inkdropsonroses, @princesshoneytea, @toitaliclygo, @cyclone-rachel, @sevensoccularimplant, @hal-o-ween

Fandoms don't show their female characters enough love. Here's a 20 prompt list for female character appreciation. Any kind of post or work for this is cool: art, fics, analysis posts, appreciation posts, gifs, memes, edits. Maybe make this an ask game. Anything. Feel free to tag me, I'd love to see what you do.

Film character

LGBT+ character

TV character

Childhood favourite

Comfort character/favourite character

F/F ship (canon or non-canon)

Character of colour

An old favourite

Disabled character

Character you relate to

Book character

OC/video game/dnd player character

Underappreciated character

Side character

Video game character

Non-western media character

Animated character

From your first fandom

From your favourite media

Free space

[captainkirkk]

✩ WEEKLY FIC ROUND-UP ✩

All the fics I’ve read and really enjoyed in the past week-ish. Reminder: This list features any and all ratings and themes.

DC (Batman)

buy the ticket, take the ride by Anonymous

Tim had always figured that if he ever woke up in Vegas sans-memory, it would be when he was older than fourteen. But there were some things he couldn’t control, and apparently whatever had happened last night that he didn’t remember was one of them.

Instead of All the Colors That I Saw by SilverSkiesAtMidnight

Dick comes around to stand fully in front of him, keeping a steadying hand on Tim’s arm. “Just because you know you’re safe intellectually doesn’t mean you always feel safe,” he says softly. “It’s okay if you don’t feel safe.”

“But it’s not okay!” Tim bursts out. “Because if I don’t feel safe, then how is Jason supposed to feel safe? He shouldn’t have to feel uncomfortable just because my brain is screwed up!”

There’s a faint sound by the door, barely more than an intake of breath, and his eyes snap to the no-longer empty doorway.

Day 28 - IT’S NOT JUST IN YOUR HEAD “Good. You’re finally awake.” | nightmares | panic

Star Wars

Present by WhatisWithin

Luke sometimes forgot how scary Daddy was to other people.

It was a weird problem to have. And a stupid one too. He should remember that kind of stuff. Everyone was scared of Daddy.

(After being rescued by his father from the streets of Mos Espa, ten year old Luke adjusts to life on a Star Destroyer.)

Clone Wars

walk by faith/tell no one what you've seen by Killbothtwins

Part 1 of the massive machinery of hope

After the end of the war with the Empire, Obi-Wan wakes up in his twelve-year old body. Now all he needs to do is convince everyone he's psychic, trick his Master into taking him on before he's sent to Bandomeer, redeem a few bad guys, and try not to have a nervous breakdown. Pretty easy. It's not like the Sith are lurking on the horizon, waiting to devour the Jedi Order.

Sticker Burrs by RileeTheRiddler

Obi-Wan gets thrown back into his baby body at the exact moment his birth mother tries to drown him in a rushing river.

Instead of a Jedi, a Mandalorian fishes him out.

General Jocasta by BairnSidhe

Picture, if you will, a shiny new High General Obi-Wan who has just been given control of the GAR on the logic he's the only Jedi with war experience. Except he's never actually organized an army before, and he needs help.

Enter Co-High General Jocasta Nu, who runs the GAR like she would the Archive. Everything organized and cataloged, her precious Collection now expanded to include the entire GAR.

And well, she's a librarian....

The Sith never stood a chance.

Of Tookas and Interdimensional Wormholes by FictionalDragonMother

This is a silly fic about fluffy kitties and their war-torn counterparts who expose a great evil and somehow manage to save the Galaxy along the way. Okay, actual description time:

When the Force decides that things are starting to go down the wrong path, the mystical presence decides to shake things up. And what's the best way to flip the script? Bring in cats. Lots of cats. Cats on the Resolute, cats on the Marauder, cats running around the Jedi Temple and sitting in the seats of Jedi Council members. Is that a completely hairless cat on Chancellor Palpatine's lap? Gross. The rest of them are pretty cute though.

[mlm-writer]

Execute the Homophobes (Mshenko ft. Grunt)

Pairing: Kaidan Alenko x Male Shepard (trans-friendly) ft Grunt who is sort of Shepard’s son For the pride prompt: Explaining gender/sexuality to an non-human sentient being who has no concept of gender/sexuality Rating: Teen and Up Words: 1113 POV: Third Summary: Grunt sees commander Shepard and major Alenko ‘courting’. He has questions and also Okeer said no to gays. Notes: Happy Pride! See all works for pride 2022 here. Is Grunt Shepard’s son? We all know the answer. Tags: canon typical mild body horror, crew as a family, Shepard sees Grunt as his son, which makes Kaidan Grunt’s papa, domestic fluff I guess??? and Okeer was a homophobe, but are we surprised? 

There was so much loss in this war that every survivor felt like a small victory. However, Grunt was anything but small. Shepard thought he lost him, thought that was one more name to add to that goddamn memorial wall on the Normandy. And then Grunt stumbled out of that cave, covered in Rachni guts and his own blood. It was glorious. It was art. It was a huge victory. 

Carrying Grunt into the shuttle was exhausting, but Shepard did not want to let him go until he got him in the Normandy’s medbay. Grunt immediately started bantering with Chakwas, while she scanned him. For a short moment, things were like old times, back when Shepard found peace in knowing where the end was, the suicide mission. But of course as fate would have it, he was destined to suffer more, before he could go kick the bucket. 

Judging by how Grunt was still able to jab at the doctor, Shepard figured his Krogan son would be fine. “Shepard!” The commander turned around to see his boyfriend come running. Before he could warn him about the guts, Kaidan was already looking him over. “Are you okay? This isn’t all yours, is it?” Shepard chuckled and carefully put some distance between them. 

“Careful there, major. I’ve been decontaminated, but this stuff is still gross. Most of it is from the Rachni. The rest, mostly from the guy who killed them.” Shepard pointed over his shoulder to Grunt. “Our boy is all grown-up,” he joked. 

Kaidan blinked at him, then looked over to Grunt, then back at Shepard. “Our… boy?” Shepard then realised he never mentioned Grunt to Kaidan. Not because Grunt was an out of sight out of mind for him, but there was a lot that had not been discussed between them yet. This war left little time for just talking. After getting together, every moment together had been savoured and milked out, for it could be their last. Things went fast, but there was no time or room for slow.

Shepard promised to explain and then asked Kaidan to help him in the showers. Everytime Shepard referred to Grunt as his son, he was only half joking. Grunt was fine-ish, but needed further treatment against all the Rachni guts he ‘accidentally’ swallowed, so Shepard happily made a detour to the Citadel. It was a delight to have the Krogan back on the Normandy. Shepard could hear him banter with Garrus in the mess hall. Just like old times.

“Should I be jealous?” Shepard looked over his shoulder as Kaidan joined him in the hallway. Shepard had been looking at Garrus and Grunt banter for a while now, but it was a nice intermezzo. These moments between fights reminded him what he was fighting for. Sure ‘the survival of the entire galaxy’ was hard to forget, but it was too abstract. This, however, he could burn into his brain and access while getting shot at.

Shepard chuckled and shifted his back away from the wall so his boyfriend could sneak an arm around him. “I thought I lost him too. It is a shame his squad did not survive, but - this is going to sound so selfish - but I just wanted him to make it. Is that bad?” Shepard rubbed his forehead, words not really coming out the right way. 

Kaidan kissed his cheek, somehow still understanding what he was getting at. “Shep… we see so much death in a day, I think we - especially you, actually - are allowed a little selfishness every now and then.” Shepard hummed and turned to drag the major somewhere more private. They ended up in the lounge, cuddling in front of the stars. 

A little while later, Shepard found Grunt back in the medbay. His condition had its ups and downs. One moment he claimed to be fine, the next he was puking Rachni and his own guts out. “You know, the ‘mess’ in ‘mess hall’ does not mean you can make a mess there,” Shepard joked as he took a seat next to the bed where Grunt was moping. 

Grunt let out a grumble and sat up. “Shepard, I have a question,” he said out of nowhere. Shepard gestured for Grunt to go ahead and crossed his arms. This oughta be good. “Are you and that major… courting?” 

From all the questions Shepard had thought Grunt would come up with, that was not one of them. “Uh… You could say that,” he answered. “It’s not a secret, but we try to be low key to not stir the crew too much.” Alliance technically would not permit it, but they were both spectres and also no one was going to get reprimanded for dating in a galaxy-wide war. 

“Why?”  “Why what?” “Why court? You need a female to create offspring, right?” 

Since when did being a father figure come with the birds and the bees talk? Ok Anderson had given Shepard that talk as well… on multiple occasions… “It’s not just about creating offspring, Grunt. Sometimes you just… love someone and want to spend the rest of your life making them happy. Besides, we’re gonna cure the genophage, so there will be plenty of Krogan babies to adopt.” 

Grunt seemed to be thinking about that for a moment. “Okeer has imprinted some stories of males courting, but they were all executed. It is not natural.” Shepard was not surprised that Okeer was a homophobe. In fact, it fitted the profile. 

“Do you think I should be executed?” Grunt looked up, squinted his eyes at Shepard and then looked back down at his hands on top of the blanket. 

“I’d like to see people try to execute you,” he answered, though it was not an answer to the question. “Okeer was wrong about a lot of things. If anyone executed you for who you love, this galaxy would have gone to shit three times already. So… no.” There was a silence that stretched between them. Shepard was about to get up and leave Grunt to rest, when the Krogan suddenly posed another question. “If males courting other males are still strong males, who can fight, then why did they get executed?” 

That was a great question, one Shepard had no answer to. He sighed. “Many humans shared Okeer’s idea. They did not think of it as ‘natural’, but… I think people are just afraid of what they don't understand.”

“They are weak and should be executed.” Shepard laughed and got up. 

“Let’s hold off on killing homophobes, big guy. Now rest, before I send Chakwas your way. She’s the only one I am afraid of on this ship.” 

[knowlesian]

i’ve had a couple interesting talks over messages about this, so i figure what the hell. i could do with some light(er) writing today.

so: my angle at approaching legit predictions for future seasons of any given show is usually more about general story arc than ‘here’s the exact details or situation’. (if only because i think that’s easier to follow/predict when the writing is good.)

with that in mind, i’ve been trying to figure out what i think is next for ed.

given the end of the finale, picturing ed going full fuck it terrifying is easy. and to some degree, i assume that’s what ed tells himself is about to happen/what he’ll try to live out, but i also would argue this next arc will be more about his sadness and lack of desire to keep the mask up anymore than his anger.

and he is angry: reasons and debating their validity aside, the anger exists.

but we don’t end on ed’s anger, or his violence. we end on him crying and staring at the lighthouse. and given that good writers are usually fairly intentional, i think that’s meant to be a guiding light. (bad pun not apologized for and intended, etc.)

i think it’s also worth considering the horrible choices ed makes from a more galaxy brained perspective, just to see what the fuck is going on there in terms of ‘why ed, why? why’d you do it?’.

so, toe first since it’s the easiest; they set that up with ‘cutting off toes for a laugh’ in e9. ed set up a ship culture where you cut off somebody’s toe and force them to eat it not as an act of supreme punishment or anger, but for shits and giggles. (look. when i say stede comes from a culture of violence too, i’m not denying the violence of ed’s world is easier to spot. fuckin... ew???? ew, ew ew ew ew. ew.

...and his feet were probably so DIRTY okay. okay i’m done. ew, though.)

now, my subjective read on that moment has a lot to do with the way the writers set this up; absent that line from ed giving us the context we need about how he and izzy rolled before we met them, the toe moment is like ‘well obviously this is wanton cruelty and not a regular-ish joke we pirates like to play’. because duh, that’s how any normal and even VAGUELY healthy human would take such a moment happening to them. and morally it... remains that, because jesus fuck ed i know izzy was a dick but fun fact, you did not have to respond with metaphor toe sex/communion! weird! bad! again: dirty feet! that one is more aesthetics and less morality but i remain horrified by both!

‘is it better or worse to be forced to eat your own toe if it smells of roses and not stinky feet’ considerations aside, if we factor in what ed tells us about the funhouse mirror logic of a ship where you have to put down your dog and might end up eating a toe and those are things people just... accept, what he’s doing there is showing izzy (with oomph!) that okay fine, message taken. we are back to business as usual.

(i also think he’s pissed off at izzy and almost certainly that’s a factor in there since we humans are complicated and tend to have a million internal reasons all jostling for position when we make choices, but the context is there for a reason.)

why he shoves lucius is like... again a million reasons i won’t even begin to tease out since they’re all connecting dots and not as easy as just referencing the context. same with ‘why frenchie and jim?’ (though for reference my easy answer to both is: Reasons, many of them thematic and in-world emotional.) 

in terms of what that means for his arc, i think the fact that he doesn’t actually kill lucius matters. because ed’s first moment of being the kraken was very, very actively killing his father, like killing him beyond even the eensiest shadow of a doubt dead. lucius just gets a shove overboard and left to die, murder doesn’t count if you can say NOT IT before they die style like ed’s been doing for years.

which isn’t to excuse ed or mitigate the fact that no matter how we try to divine the internal character ratio on how much ed really wanted lucius to die and how much he felt like this was the only call to make (much like e6 when he was trying to tell himself to just do the fuckin’ thing and kill stede, before the crew became the kraken and it drove him into the bathtub and to confess his sins instead) it’s sort of something we can all wrangle over forever. but he could have used that giant rope dangling conspicuously nearby to do to lucius exactly what he did to his father.

a conscious choice was made there. honestly, same goes with the rest of the crew. he could have demanded izzy/ivan/fang kill them, he could have killed them all himself, and instead he leaves them on a tiny ass island with very little hope of escape.

in terms of the only good choices he makes during this part of the finale... ooof, ed. not great. many notes. all the same i think the choices made to go for his old avoiding direct killing and hiding it method with the crew and having the in-world means to recreate the first time he became the kraken with lucius and simply pushing him into the water (...yeeeeah he pushed his father’s body into the water afterwards in an attempt to hide what happened, didn’t he) indicates where ed’s headed, as well as where he’s at when he makes those bad choices.

tldr: i think we are definitely going to get ‘I DO NOT CARE, THIS IS FINE I AM NOT SLOWLY DYING INSIDE, NOW WATCH ME BURN SHIT’ angry mask-on ed, but i also think we are going to see a lot more of sad being honest about how he feels when he’s alone (at the very least) ed than his initial set of horrific choices would lead us to think. 

[coalitiongirl]

Fic Recs (under 300 edition)

So I wanted to get back to reading Swan Queen fic regularly, and I asked people to rec longfic that they'd read (not written) and loved that had fewer than 300 kudos! I haven’t read most of these, but I’ve collected them here so y’all can go through the list and discover some new fics with me! Please try to kudos and review every fic that you read! It means the world to the writers and will keep em writing, and then we all win. 😁

Atonement by SgtMac (M): With Regina's magical heart failing thanks to years of previous evil, Emma and Regina and Henry (and Granny!) set out to save her life by traveling to the Enchanted Forest and requesting help from ancient magical beings known as the Guardians. Given a mission as simple as it is impossible - to achieve atonement by creating peace - the ladies find themselves joining a rebellion and fighting for the very soul of the Enchanted Forest all while trying to help Regina to understand that the self-loathing and guilt which have driven most of her actions don't have to doom her chance for a new beginning or even, a chance to live and love again. A S4(ish) SQ love story set against the turmoil of war and the chaotic savagery of the old world.

Blood and Sand by cheshire6845 (E): A/U The Savior is a slave forced into the role of fighting as a gladiator for the House of Hearts. The odds are against her survival as she will have to win in the arena, navigate Cora's schemes, outlast a general's vengeance, and not be killed out of spite by the current House of Hearts Champion - Regina the Undefeated. This story follows the major plot points of Starz Spartacus with some twists along the way.

But what if there was no time by KizuRai (M): When she wakes up, it's dark. She can't move, she can't see, she can't feel and she can't hear. Where am I? She feels a forceful oppression, pressing her down, draining her of her energy and she's powerless to stop it. How did I get here? The question of here is relative, she's not even sure where here is. What happened? There must be some reason for being stuck here but her memory is fuzzy, like all her thoughts are being sifted through a filter. Who am I? She's not sure if she actually exists or she suddenly became sentient in the darkness.She hears a voice reverberating in the distance, it's distorted and quiet but she hears it all the same. It breaks the monotony of the silence. Someone's coming for her, they will get her out. She's just not sure she wants them to as the price might be too great.

Finding Home by evl_rgl (T): “I wanted to remember you so badly that I pulled back your cursed town just so that the memories would make sense. I needed you so badly that even when I had no memory of you, I still tried to find you.” Regina gave Emma and Henry memories of a happy life together before they fled Pan’s curse, leaving them with no memories of their lives in Storybrooke. However, when the memory spell shows signs of failing, threatening to rip apart the minds of both Emma and Henry, Regina makes a drastic choice to go back and fix it, understanding that it will mean living alone in a world where her son doesn’t know her. Was the spell really faulty, though? (swanqueen)

Five Flames by MariaComet (U): In the past, Emma Nolan disconnected from her peers in high school, preferring to keep to herself. In her sophomore year of high school, she decided to try and join the boy’s wrestling team because she was bored. She didn’t expect herself to become the champion of the most bullied kid in school or the secret best friend of the school queen. She also didn’t expect to join a club that would change her life. In the present, Emma is trying to cope with a humiliating loss in her martial arts career. She claims to be “training” but is stuck in limbo between wanting to retire and try again. She is isolated from her former best friend, Regina Mills, a local celebrity chef and the rest of her old friends. When one of them calls her with an idea to honor their deceased teacher, she is confronted with unresolved feelings and questions about how powerful love truly is.

A Glamour of Truth by PrincessCharming (T): After 2x10, Regina uses magic to show Emma the obvious truth. A tentative trust forms between them amid hilarious bickering. With Emma's help, Regina struggles to regain a place in her son's life... until Cora arrives, wanting her daughter back. Pieces of Regina's past emerge showing that the board was set long before the game started. The final battle begins soon.

His Dark Materials 'verse by MoonlitMidnight (M): A modern Alternate Universe in which Dæmons (the external physical manifestation of a person's 'inner self' that takes the form of an animal) are present. In which Emma and Regina have led slightly different lives and they make slightly different choices.

How Many Miles to Avalon? (WIP) by RavenOutlander (E): Regina would do anything to save Emma from the darkness and bring her back home safe and sound. Even put up with the two idiots, Captain Guyliner and a bunch of dwarves she decidedly wanted to drop off at the nearest exit. But in their search for Emma, they find that she might not need that much saving after all. Caught up in a search for the infamous Philosopher Stone, an all out war between DunBroch and Camelot, and ghosts from the past to haunt her every waking moment, Regina finds herself scrambling to keep her and her family's happy endings from falling apart.

The Hyperion by FrankenSpine (M): After wishing upon what she believes is a shooting star, Emma Swan finds herself aboard the Hyperion, the royal starship of an alien Queen from a faraway galaxy. She quickly learns of the tensions between the Queen's people and her own, but the Queen takes an interest in her and agrees to take her away from Earth forever. Adventure awaits. *(Loosely based on Guardians of the Galaxy with just a hint of Farscape)*

If Wishes Came True (It Would've Been You) by Angeii_K (M): After Regina films a guest appearance on her friend Neal’s popular show, he invites her to spend the weekend with him and his girlfriend. What she never expected was to actually like the woman. Sparks fly between the two, which results in them questioning everything and making choices they will later regret. 4 years later, they meet again in the most unexpected of ways. Now co-stars on the same show, they are forced to work through the emotions from their last encounter. What will happen next? Only time will tell.

The King Doesn’t Have To Know (WIP) by highheelsandchocolate (M): The White Knight had never seen anyone like her before: the Queen was nothing short of mesmerizing. Her possessive yet neglectful husband, however, was another thing entirely.

The Lich by Dangereaux (M): Gay disaster Emma, exasperated Regina, and a monster. A Halloween special.

Maybe if We Close Our Eyes we Can Reach the Stars by wellthizizdeprezzing (T): Emma is a lonely astronaut. Regina is an adventuring alien. Their paths cross leading them onto a journey of new discovery. Between galaxies and many miles of cold black space, despite not speaking the same language, they manage to fall for each other. An out of this world love story.

A prisoner long forgotten by sugarsweet_19 (M): ‘I wish I had a child as white as snow, as red as blood and as black as the wood of the window-frame. Soon after she had a little girl, who was as white as snow, with lips as red as blood and with her hair as black as the ebony of the window-frame. She was therefore called Snow-white.” This is how our story starts but how will it end?The evil queen as been locked up in a tower and forgotten that is until princess Emma looks for a place to hid from her parents after they tell her she has to marry Neal the son of the dark one.

Revenge of the Three Little Pigs by mskyo (M): Regina and Emma find themselves alone and looking for the rest of their party. The Evil Queen must face the consequences of her past actions. Will Emma come to her aid, or understand that justice must be served... *Some chapters have fairly graphic sex, and violence*

Things I Almost Remember by cheshire6845 (T): A/U Despite an oncoming war between the Dark and the Light, Emma and Regina are best friends growing up in the Enchanted Forest. When war does come, they find themselves on opposite sides. Regina will have to defy her mother to save Emma. Will Emma be able to save Regina when Cora curses her daughter to live in the Land without Magic?

What We Make (WIP) by DiazTuna (M): “My mother.” He says calmly. He’d known all along, she’s aware. But he’d known that today would be the day that would get this going. She wants to ask what it was like, to have woken up this morning, laced up his boots and walked into hell just knowing. “It’s programmed the cyborg to kill her. Before I have a chance to be born.” -In which the leader of the future sends his best soldier back to the past to save his mother from a killer cyborg. Terminator AU.

The Wrong Way by pcworth (M): Takes place right after Zelena steals Regina's heart. Zelena offers Regina a chance to go back in time with her and change both of their lives for the better. But what will be the price of that decision. Slow-burn to SwanQueen

zombie trash by 13pens (T): Zelena could have her brain and eat it, too. Fic operates on three premises 1. this takes place in any universe where zelena is a reformed asshole 2. zombies are a thing and exist iZombie style 3. i have NO chill

[p5headcanonhellhole]

OK so, Hello, this might be an weird request but I can't get it out of my head, so if you don't want to do it you genuinely don't have to, but

Could you maybe do some (I guess Au-ish) headcanons with Ryujis male S/O being a vampire?

Thank you in advance if you do end up doing this.

I KNOW I'VE BEEN DEAD FOR LIKE- CENTURIES BUT

HOLY FUCKING SHIT ANON YOU HAVE GALAXY BRAIN I'M LOVING THIS SHIT FEED ME MORE OF IT PLEASE! Reader is male/has male pronouns for identifying audiences!

Ryuji didn't really expect too much from seeing a glimpse of your sharp canines while in your relationship. He's heard a thing or two about people having such a thing so he's not gonna go do some fucking detective work over something so small.

That's Akechi's job

And your abundance in eating meat was definitely not something he was knocking down. We all know Ryuji is quite the meat lover.

Though it was when he saw just how sharp them mfs were and your need to... bite. Just in general.

And your obsession with blood. That was also a little weird.

And your... hate of sunlight.

Alright now something is pretty fishy. At the very least he thinks he should look into it just a bit.

And that's what he does, popping by as a surprise and finding you sucking on a blood bag.

Who knows where tf you got something like that your parents get them from work

"Hi-"

"WHAT THE-"

It takes you a hot minute to explain as much as you could to Ryuji before it finally clicks for him.

Still very confusing though

"So you're a- vampire? Or at least need to survive off of blood n such."

"Yeah"

"And Sunlight doesn't kill you-"

"Yeah it's kinda just like- glorified poison ivy. Doesn't kill but can hurt."

"That's... somethin I'd more so expect from something in the metaverse, not the real world."

...

"You sure you're not like-" "YES-"

After your short conversation though, he's real accepting of it despite of it being real otherworldly. Though to be fair, he's one of the phantom thieves and has gotten this far as a member so it's a given I guess. And there's also Morgana

As bad as he is about keeping secrets of being a phantom thief, you gotta admit he's better at keeping secret about you being a whole vampire and everything since it doesn't come up as much as it would of him being a phantom thief

"I'm not gonna out somethin you're not comfortable with. I may slip up every now and again but I still want you to rely on me for more stuff like that, ya know?"

CASUAL SWEET REMINDER OF WHY YOU LOVE THIS IDIOT-

Though, sometimes you can't hold yourself off for long without blood and have had your moments when you were slowly losing it and in need of some sort of blood and didn't bring any with you thinking you'd be fine

Everyone would think you were lightheaded or something and issue you some water or healing

But Ryuji knew- and knowing what he did, he just had you both separate from everyone real quick in either a safe room or just somewhere else at the time.

"R-Ryuji- You don't need to-"

"Hey- I'm your boyfriend. It's my job to take care of ya y'know?"

THIS SWEET ASS-

He lets you get a quick bite on like his arm or something before getting you back to group, gently wiping away any blood still on your face

Dates aren't too different. You can't really go outside sure but it doesn't take away from the sweetness of the time spent

Game nights are always fun! No matter how competitive you are you always have fun with a game or two with your rowdy boyfriend

Or cheesy dinner dates- not something done often thankfully

Eventually though, it comes a time you consider telling everyone else about it and talk to Ryuji about it.

"I suggest talking to the leader about it. He's the least judgmental about these things. That's the mentally I had before telling him about us at least-"

So that's what you did with the help of Ryuji, telling Akiren about your little secret

"Ya know? That actually makes sense all things considered. Like the teeth and such."

Akiren is pretty supportive about it like he was with your relationship, also helping as you told the others once you were comfortable

It decently went better than you expected. The others did get fairly curious and asked you your fair share of question until Ryuji helped drag you away

"S/O, you good?"

"So. Many. Questions-"

Deeper in the relationship, you ask if you can bite near the neck if he trusts you enough.

"I mean- I've gotten way worse in the metaverse so a quick bite wouldn't be that bad right? As long as you're comfortable. I don't wanna make you feel obligated ya know"

<33 This man

You treat it as a close, intimate thing that you two do once in a while considering how it makes you feel- you get nervous the first few times until your fears subside

"Feels weird but hey, if it helps it helps."

It makes things unique but hey, you're not really complaining

"How do you age-" "Oh my god-"